Baek Yeon nodded once more, his eyes blazing with intensity.
Bu Eunseol, unable to hold back a dry cough, spoke up.
“The outcome of a warrior’s battle hinges on who can wield their sword faster. But the clash between factions depends on who holds more information.” Though Bu Eunseol was a man of few words, when he spoke, his eloquence shone through.
With a persuasive voice, he addressed the disciples gazing at him with sparkling eyes.
“The Peongan Corps is a gathering of the finest members with exceptional talent, handling the martial world’s most critical intelligence. If not for the Peongan Corps, I wouldn’t be standing here today.”
His words were grounded in truth.
Whoosh!
Moved by Bu Eunseol’s speech, the disciples rushed not toward So Jeon but to where Baek Yeon stood.
“Baek Yeon,” So Jeon muttered under his breath, veins bulging on his forehead as he watched the scene. “This time, can’t you yield a little? The Peongan Corps has been snatching up every promising disciple so far.”
Baek Yeon shook his head, looking at the crowd of disciples. “Is that up to me? They’re the ones choosing for themselves.”
Step, step.
At that moment, a sturdy elderly man sauntered toward the training ground.
It was Wang Geol, the Iron Master, who managed all the equipment of the Nangyang Pavilion and aided disciples with his vast knowledge and wisdom.
“What brings the Iron Master here?” So Jeon asked, blinking as he growled.
Smacking his lips, Wang Geol replied, “The Pavilion Lord ordered me to start recruiting for the Golden Fortress Corps.”
“You’re commanding the Golden Fortress Corps?” So Jeon asked.
“The Pavilion Lord is busy, so he told me to handle it,” Wang Geol said with a sigh, his expression bitter. “Besides, the forge is already swamped with disciples.”
The Golden Fortress Corps was a defensive unit tasked with protecting the Nangyang Pavilion in case of an external invasion—a last stand to build a defensive line and repel waves of enemies.
But the young disciples showed no reaction.
No faction would dare invade the Nangyang Pavilion, teeming with formidable masters, and specializing in defensive martial arts required grueling training.
“I’ll take the first fifty who volunteer,” Wang Geol said, raising a hand and looking at the disciples, unfazed by their lukewarm response. “Those who wish to join the Golden Fortress Corps, step forward.”
Yet the training ground remained silent, shrouded in a deathly stillness.
“Hahaha, Iron Master, you dream big!” So Jeon guffawed, watching the scene. “To think you’d get fifty volunteers out of a hundred disciples? Who’d join the Golden Fortress Corps—”
“Ah, I forgot to mention,” Wang Geol interrupted, as if recalling something. “Those who join the Golden Fortress Corps will be assigned to the Affectionate Blossom Sect until its mechanisms are fully restored.”
Before he could finish, whoosh! every disciple on the training ground surged toward Wang Geol.
“…”
So Jeon and Baek Yeon stared, mouths agape, like dogs chasing a chicken.
***
A few days later.
In front of the Nangyang Pavilion’s gate stood a glossy black horse pulling an eight-horse carriage, flanked by five mounted warriors and thirty sword-wielding warriors standing solemnly in formation.
Majeon’ first-rank escort team had assembled to retrieve Bu Eunseol.
Swish.
Emerging from the main gate, Bu Eunseol wore a splendid martial robe embroidered with twin dragons vying for a pearl.
He had donned the official attire of a Leader to return to Majeon. His presence was so solemn and noble that he seemed like a martial god descended from the heavens.
All the members of the Nangyang Pavilion had gathered to watch Bu Eunseol depart.
He was the pride of the Nangyang Pavilion.
Not only had he created an environment where they could focus on martial arts, but he had also restored the prestige of the pavilion, which had fallen to the bottom of the Ten Demonic Sects. No longer would anyone dare call the Nangyang Pavilion a fallen sect.
“The Pavilion Lord is in meditation, so he instructed you to depart as is,” Dan Cheong said.
Bu Eunseol gave a faint smile.
Though permission had been granted, it was clear the Pavilion Lord was displeased about his return to Majeon.
“I’ll be back,” Bu Eunseol said, clasping his hands.
The masters of the Changsin Unit and Peongan Corps, along with Wang Geol and countless others from the Nangyang Pavilion, waved.
“Do well!” they called.
Bu Eunseol gave a light bow and boarded the carriage.
With a shout of “Hyah!” the carriage set off, followed by the Death Shadow Corps members swiftly deploying their movement techniques to closely guard it.
Watching the scene, Baek Yeon let out a sigh. “He’ll face even greater trials ahead.”
“Indeed,” So Jeon said, shaking his head. “That seems to be his fate.”
“It’s not fate… he simply doesn’t avoid it,” Baek Yeon said with a proud smile.
Bu Eunseol had endured more trials than anyone and would face more in the future. Yet he would walk the thorny path silently, never shying away from the challenges.
“You’re right. We should train the new members to be like him,” So Jeon said, smiling as well. “To walk their own path steadfastly.”
It might seem frustrating, or even like a detour.
But looking back, they would realize it was the fastest path.
The prodigy of unparalleled martial arts was proving that.
***
A shocking rumor spread through the martial world.
Bu Eunseol, a member of the Nangyang Pavilion’s Ten Demon Warriors and a candidate for successor of Majeon, had slain one of the Seven Kings of Death. Every intelligence organization in the martial world scrambled to verify the rumor’s truth.
The Twin Heavenly Emperors of Righteous and Demonic Paths.
The Three Demons and Three Venerables. The supreme masters who had reached the Infinite Realm, the pinnacle of martial arts, were evenly divided between the demonic and righteous paths.
But among the Seven Kings of Death, only three were demonic masters, one was neutral, and the rest were righteous.
This proved that the righteous factions and their masters were flourishing, while the demonic path still lagged behind. Yet a young prodigy, barely past his prime, had killed the Beggar King? The righteous factions were on high alert.
—It’s been confirmed that the Beggar King fell in a one-on-one duel with him.
Finally, all the martial world’s intelligence organizations accepted the Beggar King’s defeat as fact.
—The Supreme Elder had been suffering from a chronic illness for years!
In response, the Beggars’ Sect began spreading rumors to tarnish Bu Eunseol’s victory.
They claimed the Beggar King had long been weakened by illness, his power greatly diminished, and that a member of the Nangyang Pavilion’s Ten Demon Warriors had secretly planted an aide to secure the win.
—What’s the truth?
Since no one had witnessed the duel, no one could unravel the truth. But even if the Beggars’ Sect’s rumors were true, the fact remained that a rising star of the demonic path had killed him.
—Shouldn’t he take a seat among the Seven Kings of Death? Unless we’re calling them the Six Kings now?
As martial artists continued to show interest in Bu Eunseol, the Beggars’ Sect, after much deliberation, began spreading a humiliatingly absurd nickname.
—He’s just lucky, so let’s call him the Lucky King!
It was a ridiculous moniker.
But from the perspective of the righteous factions, Bu Eunseol must never be allowed to ascend to the Seven Kings of Death. Moreover, most factions, excluding the demonic path, quietly opposed elevating a young prodigy to such a position. In the end, the talk of nicknames fizzled out, but every intelligence organization in the martial world kept a close eye on him.
Bu Eunseol, successor of the Nangyang Pavilion and candidate for Majeon’ leadership.
He had become a storm shaking the martial world.
***
Thud, thud, thud.
From afar, an escort team and an eight-horse carriage kicked up dust as they raced toward Majeon.
Boom.
As the massive gate slowly opened, the carriage passed through and sped onward. Upon reaching the heart of Majeon, the escort team and carriage came to a halt.
Creak.
Stepping out of the carriage, Bu Eunseol blinked at the unexpected sight.
A crowd of people lined up around the carriage. Upon closer inspection, he recognized them as high-ranking officials of Majeon who had once stood in formation before the Sacred Demon Pavilion.
“Leader of the Death Shadow Corps, it’s been a while,” one said.
“You look even more distinguished,” another added.
They approached Bu Eunseol, acting familiar and striking up conversation.
Not long ago, they had dismissed him as a lowly disciple of the insignificant Nangyang Pavilion.
Now, with the support of Heaven and Earth Severing Sect and the Affectionate Blossom Sect, and the Nangyang Pavilion reorganized and thriving with new disciples, he had slain the Beggar King and become a leading successor candidate. They were now shamelessly trying to curry favor.
‘It’s only natural.’ Unlike the righteous path, where respect is earned through virtue or good deeds, the demonic path was ruled by those with overwhelming power and authority.
Step, step.
At that moment, a burly middle-aged man approached Bu Eunseol, accompanied by dozens of escort warriors.
It was Dan Wolhon, the Lord of the Strategy Department.
As he appeared, the gathered officials stepped back and paid their respects.
“Vice-Sect Leader Dan,” Bu Eunseol said, clasping his hands in a bow.
Dan Wolhon nodded. “You’ve caused quite a stir recently. The martial world is abuzz with talk of you.”
Though he spoke thus, his face showed neither interest nor enthusiasm. This meeting wasn’t at Dan So-ok’s request—it seemed purely coincidental.
“But that alone doesn’t make you the successor of Majeon,” he added.
As the Lord of the Strategy Department, controlling Majeon’ forces, even the Demon Emperor couldn’t treat him lightly.
Thus, Bu Eunseol’s rising status meant little to him.
“I understand,” Bu Eunseol replied.
“Hm.” With a low grunt, Dan Wolhon nodded and walked past Bu Eunseol.
‘He must be heading to see the Demon Emperor.’
Dan Wolhon was moving toward the Sacred Demon Pavilion. As Bu Eunseol sank into deep thought, a gentle, low voice came from behind.
“Leader, it’s been a while.” Turning, he saw a refined middle-aged man in scholar’s robes smiling warmly—Baek Jeoncheon, the Lord of Manbak Hall.
“Lord Manbak,” Bu Eunseol said, bowing deeply.
Baek Jeoncheon had shown him kindness from his days in the Ten Demon Warriors to the present.
“Right now, a meeting of the highest leaders, including the Demon Emperor, is taking place in the Sacred Demon Pavilion,” Baek Jeoncheon said, providing Bu Eunseol with valuable information, as always. “The matters handled by you and the other successor candidates are of such magnitude.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes gleamed.
He hadn’t closely monitored the movements of other candidates like Do Cheonlin. Part of it was his lack of ambition to become Majeon’ successor, but more importantly, knowing too much about his rivals could lead to impatience and mistakes.
“Shall we walk and talk? Your quarters have changed, so you’ll need someone to guide you,” Baek Jeoncheon suggested.
Bu Eunseol looked puzzled. “Why not just have one of your warriors show me?”
Baek Jeoncheon, though humble, was no low-ranking figure, and his hidden martial prowess was formidable. For someone of his stature to personally guide Bu Eunseol and engage in casual conversation was an act of lowering himself.
“Haha, it’s fine. I’m the idlest person in Manbak Hall right now,” Baek Jeoncheon said, extending an arm toward Bu Eunseol. “Let’s go.”
Bu Eunseol and Baek Jeoncheon walked side by side toward the eastern gate of Majeon.
“The successor of the Blood Flame Blade Sect succeeded in obtaining the Extreme Spirit Elixir, which bears fruit once every thousand years in the Extreme Lands,” Baek Jeoncheon said in a low voice as they reached a quiet path devoid of other warriors. “And the successor of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect reportedly caught the trail of the Heavenly Thief, a mysterious figure who vanished thirty years ago.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol understand the missions chosen by Do Cheonlin and Weiji Hyesang.
‘As expected, they chose difficult but achievable tasks.’ The Blood Flame Blade Sect had long held the Extreme Lands under its influence.
Though the Extreme Spirit Elixir blooms only once every thousand years and is said to be unobtainable without fate, Do Cheonlin likely knew when it would bear fruit and chose the mission upon reading the directive.
‘But…’ What Bu Eunseol couldn’t comprehend was Weiji Hyesang. He had reviewed all the missions chosen by others and selected the one best suited to him.
So why had he chosen the worst possible mission—tracking down the Heavenly Thief, who vanished thirty years ago?
‘Wasn’t he once pursued by both the righteous and demonic paths?’
Bu Eunseol narrowed his eyes.
The Heavenly Thief was said to be the only person who had infiltrated the secret vaults of both the Martial Alliance and Majeon. The problem was that those vaults contained a ledger listing high-ranking spies.
—I swear I never saw any ledger!
The Heavenly Thief had insisted he never saw such a ledger, but no fool would believe him. He was simultaneously pursued by both the righteous and demonic paths and eventually vanished from the martial world.
‘And yet Weiji Hyesang caught his trail?’
Bu Eunseol couldn’t make sense of it.
The Hwa Wu Sword Sect was the demonic path’s most orthodox sword sect, far removed from tracking techniques suited for hunting elusive figures.
“The missions of the successors from the Extreme Slaughter Sect and Extinction Palace are still ongoing, but they don’t seem easy,” Baek Jeoncheon said, breaking the silence. “Even with the full force of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect, it will take considerable time to handle a task Majeon couldn’t easily resolve.”
“What about the other successor candidates?” Bu Eunseol asked.
The mission of Yong Jeokbi, successor of the Extreme Slaughter Sect, was to deal with the Twelve Earths, a group of problem-solvers in the martial world.
Meanwhile, Shin Do-unhwi, successor of Extinction Palace, was tasked with normalizing a faction absorbed by Majeon but not fully integrated. On the surface, they seemed simple, but in reality, they required immense manpower and time.
“Extinction Palace and Extreme Slaughter Sect successors are still in progress,” Baek Jeoncheon said with a smile. “They likely didn’t expect you and the Blood Flame Blade Sect to complete your missions so quickly.”
His expression was filled with satisfaction. Baek Jeoncheon had always supported Bu Eunseol, and he felt a sense of pride, as if he had contributed to his triumphs over trials.
“Is the Demon Emperor holding the meeting because of the successor missions?” Bu Eunseol asked.
“Exactly. You always get to the heart of the matter, Leader,” Baek Jeoncheon said, his eyes serious. “The Extreme Spirit Elixir is one of the martial world’s greatest treasures, capable of healing any blocked meridian. Many in our headquarters were born with such afflictions, weren’t they?”
Bu Eunseol suddenly recalled the grave expression on Dan Wolhon’s face earlier.
Dan So-ok. Wasn’t she unable to practice martial arts due to her Three Yin Blocked Meridians, always frail?
If she could obtain the Extreme Spirit Elixir, she could not only master powerful martial arts but also rise to the position of Chief Instructor in one leap.
“You likely know, Leader, but the Heavenly Thief is said to have memorized the list of high-ranking spies infiltrating both the righteous and demonic paths,” Baek Jeoncheon said, his eyes narrowing as he gazed at the distant sky. “Rumor has it he escaped the encirclement of masters from both paths thanks to the aid of Baek Rimu-ha, known as the Greatest Enigma of the Martial World.”
‘Baek Rimu-ha…’
It was strange.
The moment he heard the name Baek Rimu-ha, Bu Eunseol’s heart raced for no apparent reason.
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