Entering Chengdu, Bu Eunseol went to a bustling marketplace and entered an inn.
His choice of inn wasn’t based on luxury or splendor. He always sought large, reasonably priced inns frequented by martial artists and various people. Only such places offered news of the martial world and various rumors.
“Welcome!” Guided by the waiter to a window seat on the third floor, he ordered simple dishes and a bottle of wine.
‘Should I find another way?’ Gazing out the window, Bu Eunseol fell into thought.
Originally, he planned to return to Majeon immediately, lead the inspectors, and visit the Death Command Sect and White Horse Temple as the Lord of the Martial Soul. But on deeper reflection, those sects wouldn’t kindly share information from forty years ago.
‘Could I force their mouths open under the pretext of an audit?’
But there was a problem.
There was no guarantee they’d tell the truth purely, like Jongri Sahyeon. If they gave false information, he’d only fall into greater confusion.
This matter required a more cautious approach.
Gulp.
As Bu Eunseol drank from his cup and refilled it,
A faint voice transmission reached his ears.
「My lord, it’s Mu Heon.」
Mu Heon was a Nine Deaths Squad member who specialized in erasing Bu Eunseol’s tracks and delivering information.
He was also a veteran capable of handling top-tier missions.
「I have urgent news to report.」
「Speak.」 Sending a voice transmission, Bu Eunseol naturally refilled his empty cup. As he brought it to his lips,
「We found a survivor of the Ten Demonic Warriors.」
Bu Eunseol’s hand, lifting the cup, froze.
Except for Yoo Unryong, Myo Cheonwoo, and Seo Jinha, all Ten Demonic Warriors were believed dead.
But Bu Eunseol had believed.
The greatest prodigies who survived Hell Island wouldn’t easily fall to righteous masters. Thus, long ago, he had tasked the Nine Deaths Squad’ top agents with tracking survivors of the Ten Demonic Warriors, offering a massive reward.
To find any survivors who might still be alive. For those forced to live miserably, hiding their identities due to the yoke of the Ten Demonic Warriors.
And now, they had finally found a survivor.
「Where are they?」
「Near Seven Swords Ridge. I’ll escort you.」
Bu Eunseol left the inn without hesitation.
He swiftly used qinggong to leave the village. At the outskirts, near a reed field, a man in black awaited discreetly.
It was Mu Heon, the Nine Deaths Squad member.
Rustle.
Spotting Bu Eunseol, he immediately used qinggong. Bu Eunseol silently followed Mu Heon’s shadow.
Mu Heon’s shadow tirelessly headed north.
His legs were long for his height, and his build was agile. Though not comparable to Bu Eunseol’s Swift Beyond Shadow, he wielded swift and stealthy movement techniques that could make a name in the martial world.
‘The Nine Deaths Squad are full of prodigies.’ Though their names and existences were erased, their skills rivaled top-tier agents.
But for various reasons, to earn large sums, they erased their names and existences…
Covertly roaming the martial world, undertaking dangerous missions.
‘What sect was Mu Heon from?’ Upon joining the Nine Deaths Squad, even sect affiliations were erased. Unless the agent revealed it themselves, no one could know their identity.
「With your skill, why not go to the mercenary market?」 Bu Eunseol subtly shifted his curiosity about Mu Heon.「You could earn big money without risking your life.」
If it was just about money, the mercenary market was an option.
With Mu Heon’s skills, he could have become a top-tier mercenary by his thirties. There, he wouldn’t need to erase his identity or undertake perilous missions. Why, then, did he choose the dangerous Nine Deaths Squad?
Mu Heon sent a brief voice transmission.
「I don’t want to make comrades.」Bu Eunseol nodded faintly.
Mercenary market jobs were rarely solo, usually requiring groups. But the Nine Deaths Squad allowed mission selection based on ability, with most being solo. In other words, joining the Nine Deaths Squad was the best way for a martial artist to earn the most money alone.
‘Everyone has their reasons.’ Bu Eunseol said no more and followed Mu Heon.
After some time, Mu Heon stopped at Seven Swords Ridge.
Without delay, he headed toward the rightmost of the seven sharp peaks. Upon arriving, a crudely built hut stood before a clearing. Barely big enough for one person, the yard was filled with drying herbs.
It was unmistakably the hut of an herbalist living in the mountains, selling gathered herbs.
「That’s the place.」
At Mu Heon’s voice transmission, Bu Eunseol stared at the hut.
Creak.
The hut’s door opened, and a tall man limped out weakly.
His clothes were tattered, his body emaciated. If not for his coldly frozen eyes, Bu Eunseol might have mistaken him for an ordinary herbalist.
‘Yeong Munho.’ Bu Eunseol’s eyes gleamed as he saw the man’s face.
The limping, ragged man was none other than Yeong Munho, a Ten Demonic Warrior of the Death Command Sect… believed to have been killed by a Mount Hua Sect master.
Observing Yeong Munho closely, Mu Heon cautiously sent a voice transmission.
「Should I verify his identity again?」
「No need.」Bu Eunseol sent a voice transmission to Mu Heon.「I’ll handle it from here. You can go.」
The reward for finding a Ten Demonic Warrior was a staggering five hundred thousand taels. Having completed this task, Mu Heon would receive a fortune he couldn’t spend in a lifetime.
And with such wealth, he would naturally retire.
Bu Eunseol bid a calm farewell.「You’ve worked hard.」
But Mu Heon spoke in a shy voice.「I have a lot of dependents and still need money.」
Understanding his intent, Bu Eunseol nodded.「I see. Return and have your agent status erased, then collect your reward.」
「Thank you. Farewell.」Mu Heon quietly left.
Bu Eunseol, standing at a distance, slowly walked out of the forest.
But Yeong Munho, unaware of his presence, crouched and sliced dried herbs. A long scar ran from his left cheek to his chin, and a deep wound from a sharp object marked his neck.
His purplish skin hinted at the severity of his past injuries.
“Yeong Munho.” At Bu Eunseol’s low voice, Yeong Munho’s herb-slicing stopped.
But he didn’t look up at Bu Eunseol. As he had been doing, he slowly sliced the dried herbs with a chopper.
“What brings you here?” His gaze remained on the herbs, but a quiet smile formed on his lips. “For the successor of the Demon Emperor to visit this humble place.”
“You knew?” As Bu Eunseol showed surprise, Yeong Munho shook his head. “Hahaha. With your name echoing everywhere, how could I not hear?”
“If you heard, why didn’t you come?” Bu Eunseol had always considered the Ten Demonic Warriors his kin.
To free them from their yoke, he had integrated Myo Cheonwoo and Yoo Unryong into Majeon as his lieutenants. If Yeong Munho heard the rumors, he must have known that Myo Cheonwoo and Yoo Unryong had achieved great deeds with Bu Eunseol.
So why hadn’t he returned to the Demon Emperor?
“I couldn’t return.” Yeong Munho gave a dry smile. “I lost seventy percent of my internal energy.”
“Did you really fight a Mount Hua Sect master?”
“Of course. How else could I have escaped the Soul-Destroying Corps’ pursuit?” He glanced at Bu Eunseol. “Mount Hua’s swordsmanship is exquisite, but their Violet Mist Divine Technique is truly legendary. The moment their sword touched my skin, it felt like my meridians were melting.”
Recalling that time, Yeong Munho’s eyes were stained with dark pain.
“I tried to take just enough damage… but ended up like this.”
“You prepared your escape in advance.”
“Yes.” Yeong Munho crouched again, slicing dried herbs with the chopper. “I hadn’t yet mastered the ultimate Soul Spear Technique. I knew fighting a master in that state was suicide.”
Slice, slice.
Each time the chopper touched the dried herbs, a crisp cutting sound rang out.
“But if I did nothing, the Soul-Destroying Corps would kill me… So I came up with a plan. To kill myself and vanish completely from the martial world.” Listening quietly, Bu Eunseol nodded.
“You prepared a body in advance and fought the Mount Hua master.”
“Exactly.” Impressed that Bu Eunseol deduced the method instantly, Yeong Munho exclaimed. “Come to think of it, you were always sharp. You survived because you anticipated what others couldn’t.”
Bu Eunseol’s talents were exceptional, but he always planned and prepared ahead. Otherwise, he, who never formed groups, wouldn’t have survived until the final stage with Seo Jinha.
“Right after leaving the Demon Emperor under the Chief Instructor’s orders, I secretly infiltrated Mount Hua’s main branch.” Stopping his chopping, Yeong Munho dusted his hands and stood.
“And there, I stole and learned the Dark Fragrance Shadow Sword’s technique, Clear Fragrance Rock Pine.”
“To leave authentic wounds on the body.”
“Yes.” Smiling, Yeong Munho looked at Bu Eunseol. “I hid a body with Dark Fragrance Shadow wounds near Blue Stone Pavilion. And I set up traps and formations along the path.”
“Hmm.”
“A few days later, I ambushed Cheon Hwain, a Mount Hua master practicing in a mask.” His breathing grew rough, recalling the tense moment. “Cheon Hwain. His swordsmanship was incredible. Even using basic Mount Hua sword techniques, he easily countered my Soul Spear moves.”
Taking a deep breath, he continued.
“As the exchange dragged on, he resolved to use the Dark Fragrance Shadow Sword. After about ten moves, he finally unleashed Clear Fragrance Rock Pine.”
“…”
“I deliberately exposed a weakness and took the hit. Pretending to be critically injured, I desperately fled toward Blue Stone Pavilion.” Listening, Bu Eunseol nodded.
Cheon Hwain was a Mount Hua master.
Even if he used techniques learned from the Martial Alliance or hidden sword arts… he would first aim to defeat Yeong Munho with Mount Hua’s finest swordsmanship. Yeong Munho exploited this, learning Clear Fragrance Rock Pine in advance. When it was unleashed, he deliberately took the hit and fled.
“Cheon Hwain pursued me with terrifying speed, but my traps and formations kept him at bay.”
Cheon Hwain broke through the traps and reached Blue Stone Pavilion, only to find a body killed by Clear Fragrance Rock Pine.
It was the body Yeong Munho had prepared.
Overjoyed, he immediately reported it to Mount Hua.
“Cheon Hwain must have been thrilled to be the first to kill a Ten Demonic Warrior.” Smiling faintly, Yeong Munho said calmly, “And with the wounds on the body so clear… Mount Hua didn’t investigate further and had an escort agency send the body to the Death Command Sect.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
In the past, Yeong Munho was said to be the first Ten Demonic Warrior killed. But in reality, he had ingeniously faked his death, escaping the yoke of the Ten Demonic Warriors first.
“Did you lose your internal energy then?” At Bu Eunseol’s words, Yeong Munho smiled bitterly. “Yes. I deliberately took the hit, but Cheon Hwain’s internal energy was too profound. The Clear Fragrance Rock Pine strike damaged my meridians, costing me seventy percent of my energy.”
Shaking his head, he smiled at Bu Eunseol.
“Well, that’s how it happened.”
“Don’t worry. You can return now.”
“Return?”
“Yes.” Bu Eunseol spoke firmly. “Don’t worry. I’ll help you recover your internal energy.”
“Hahaha.” Yeong Munho smiled faintly. “If the successor of the Demon Emperor says so, I might really recover and return.”
Looking at the distant sky, his face twitched slightly. Quickly hiding the pain in his eyes, Yeong Munho said firmly,
“But I won’t return.”
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