It was truly a shocking tale.
To think that all the brutal bloodbaths that had unfolded in the history of the martial world were orchestrated by them?
How could such a thing even be possible?
So Okrim, who had been alternating her gaze between Bu Eunseol and Seo Jinha, spoke again in a solemn voice.
"Those bastards are hiding behind a veil, scheming such deeds as if they were gods."
"Evidence?" Bu Eunseol asked.
"You don’t need to dig far into the past for proof. Just look at the current state of the martial world." She spoke gravely. "Erasing an entire sect in an instant or perfectly rebuilding a destroyed one. Do you think ordinary forces could pull that off?"
Bu Eunseol nodded almost unconsciously.
They colluded with the authorities to cultivate illicit substances and rebuilt annihilated sects in a flash to use them as pawns.
In short, they could silently destroy a perfectly intact sect or discreetly eliminate one to suit their tastes. Such feats alone were far beyond what typical martial world forces could achieve.
"I have one question," Seo Jinha interjected. "If so, in the four hundred years that have passed, is it true that only one woman has mastered the martial arts of the Celestial Emperor?"
"Yes," So Okrim replied, smacking her lips. "I barely survived multiple near-death experiences to master that martial art. It’s that powerful, but also that difficult to learn."
"Then how do we find the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars who orchestrated these events?"
The fact that such truths had remained hidden from the martial world all this time meant their roots ran deep. So how exactly was So Okrim supposed to track them down?
"That’s why, as soon as I perfected my martial arts, I sought out the Divine Mountain Sage." So Okrim shrugged nonchalantly. "The so-called Wisest Sage of the Martial World would know the situation well, wouldn’t he?"
"And what did he say?" Seo Jinha pressed.
As Seo Jinha fired off questions, So Okrim snapped irritably, "Who’s interrogating who here? Why are you only questioning me?"
But Seo Jinha responded confidently, "What you’re saying is far too shocking to take at face value, isn’t it? I have no choice but to ask to verify the truth." He glanced at Bu Eunseol, winking subtly, before continuing politely, "Once all my questions are answered, I’ll share what I know honestly. I promise."
In truth, Seo Jinha was asking these questions on Bu Eunseol’s behalf.
If Bu Eunseol, with his stiff tone, interrogated her like this, she’d likely throw a fit. So, Seo Jinha had secured a promise from Bu Eunseol to answer her honestly in return.
"Hmph." So Okrim crossed her arms as if she had no choice, and Seo Jinha continued his questions.
"So, did you find the descendants?"
"Just one place where they’re suspected to be hiding."
"Why only one?"
"Because I only had one Boeun Coin."
the Divine Mountain Sage, the Wisest Sage of the Martial World, also known as the Divine Evaluator.
For the past thirty years, he would only answer questions if someone brought him a Boeun Coin.
Without one, even holding a blade to his throat wouldn’t get you answers.
"So, the Boeun Coin really exists," Seo Jinha remarked, having only heard rumors of it. "How did you get your hands on one?"
So Okrim answered casually, "Twenty years ago, the Divine Mountain Sage roamed the martial world and tracked down every descendant of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars. He gave each of them a Boeun Coin."
"The Divine Mountain Sage did that? Why?" Seo Jinha asked, baffled.
Why would the Wisest Sage of the Martial World go to the trouble of finding every descendant of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars? And why give them Boeun Coins that could grant answers?
"Why would the Divine Mountain Sage personally seek them out and give them Boeun Coins?" Seo Jinha pressed.
"I don’t know," So Okrim replied nonchalantly, prompting another question from Seo Jinha.
"Fine. Then where is this place you learned about through the Boeun Coin, where the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars are supposedly hiding?"
"That… I can’t tell you."
"The foreign sects," Bu Eunseol, who had been listening silently, said as he nodded, realizing something. "You came to the Western Regions to find the sect where the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars are hiding, based on the Divine Mountain Sage’s words."
He stroked his chin, nodding faintly.
"He probably didn’t tell you the exact sect, but gave you some characteristics. That’s why you followed us here—to confirm it."
"What nonsense is that?" So Okrim scoffed.
Bu Eunseol responded calmly, "Didn’t you just say it yourself? As soon as you perfected your martial arts, you sought out the Divine Mountain Sage to find the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars."
"That’s—"
"You wouldn’t have come all the way to the Western Regions just to meet some destined partner. If the Divine Mountain Sage said something like that, it was probably incidental." At Bu Eunseol’s deduction, So Okrim let out a huff.
To think he could infer so much from just a few words? The reputation of the Martial Soul Command Lord, shaking the martial world, was not in vain.
"You’re spinning quite the tale," So Okrim said, thoroughly denying and deflecting his words. Because, given her personality, she couldn’t stand someone peering into her intentions.
"Hmm." A spark flashed in Bu Eunseol’s eyes as he sank into deep thought. "The Azure Cloud Sea Palace… So that’s it."
"What are you talking about?" Seo Jinha asked.
Bu Eunseol looked at So Okrim, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"The Divine Mountain Sage probably told you that the sect is in the foreign regions, surrounded by ice on all sides." So Okrim’s eyebrow twitched, and Bu Eunseol bared his white teeth in a grin. "The next place to investigate must be the North Sea Ice Palace."
"Hey! Fine! You’re so clever!" So Okrim shouted, exasperated, as Bu Eunseol laid bare everything in her mind. "Now it’s your turn to answer! I’ve told you everything."
"One more question first."
"What now?"
"The North Sea Ice Palace doesn’t allow outsiders at all. How do you plan to investigate it?"
"Why do you care?"
"Because I need to know if I’m going to help you." Bu Eunseol gave a faint smile. "If you were only asking why I became the successor of the Martial Emperor, you wouldn’t have shared this much."
"…"
"From the start, you’ve been giving information about the Eight Emperors and Three Stars without being asked. Those are details you’d normally keep hidden." Bu Eunseol spoke with confident eyes. "That means you’re hoping for some help in finding their descendants, aren’t you?"
"Ugh, another Divine Mountain Sage has appeared in the martial world," So Okrim said, glaring at Bu Eunseol with bloodshot eyes, veins bulging on her forehead. "I’m acquainted with the palace lord, so there’s no need to worry. The help I needed was for what comes after the North Sea Ice Palace. Got it?"
She huffed and continued, "Now, your turn. How did you inherit the Martial Emperor’s legacy?"
"Very well," Bu Eunseol nodded without hesitation and answered. "By chance, I encountered the Bullet King and discovered the Martial Emperor’s Vault. And then…"
After hearing the detailed story, So Okrim looked at him with suspicious eyes.
"That doesn’t make sense."
"What doesn’t?"
"If that’s true, why bother learning the Martial Emperor’s martial arts? To become the leader of Majeon, you absolutely shouldn’t learn orthodox techniques."
To reach the pinnacle of demonic martial arts, one must never adopt orthodox techniques. The demonic techniques painstakingly mastered would likely regress significantly.
"And it’s clear you’ve been diligently refining them for a long time." She could tell at a glance that Bu Eunseol had never slacked in practicing the Thirteen Guiding Energies.
"I can answer that," Seo Jinha said, shrugging. "He became Majeon’s successor solely to control its intelligence network. He has no ambition to become its leader."
"What does that mean?" So Okrim asked.
"He became the successor only to wield the sect’s powerful intelligence network," Seo Jinha explained with a grin. "He has no interest in status. He’s only after the information he wants."
"What information?" So Okrim pressed.
"Seo Jinha," Bu Eunseol said in a low voice, and Seo Jinha shrugged.
"I can’t share that. It’s a personal matter."
"Hmm." So Okrim looked at Bu Eunseol with suspicion-filled eyes.
For a demonic martial artist, the chance to rise to the top of the demonic path would be a dream.
Yet, Bu Eunseol’s eyes showed no trace of ambition or desire.
"Fine, let’s say it’s all true," So Okrim said, rubbing her temple. "Then you need to help me find the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars. I need the power of your intelligence network too."
"Why should I do that?"
"Because you’re a successor of the Martial Emperor, aren’t you?" So Okrim had revealed all her secrets to Bu Eunseol precisely because he was the Martial Emperor’s successor.
Unlike others, the Martial Emperor dedicated his life to the stability of the martial world.
A successor who mastered his martial arts wouldn’t be a villain and would surely strive to protect the martial world.
"If I’m a successor of the Martial Emperor, does that mean I have to help you?"
"Are you serious? The Martial Emperor was falsely accused and forced to leave the martial world because of those bastards. Don’t you want revenge?"
"I only learned his martial arts by chance. I wouldn’t call myself his successor."
"What?" So Okrim’s jaw dropped at the unexpected response.
The successor of a supreme master is chosen by the heavens. To think such a cold, heartless jerk could be the Martial Emperor’s successor?
"Then I spilled my guts to you for nothing?" So Okrim bared her gums, expressing her frustration in the crudest way possible. "Are you saying you’ll just brush off this life-or-death information for free?"
"…"
"They’re manipulating martial world history, creating all sorts of monstrosities!" But Bu Eunseol remained unmoved.
Feeling cheated after revealing everything, So Okrim tried to persuade him again.
"You’ve seen it too, haven’t you? They kidnap children, conduct heinous experiments, and turn them into assassins. They kill and bury people without hesitation."
"Hmm." Bu Eunseol let out a low groan.
He could tolerate many things, but not the abduction of orphans for experiments or turning them into killers.
However, his priority was finding his grandfather’s killer. That alone was overwhelming. He had no time to spare chasing some shadowy masterminds of the martial world.
"I’ll help you once."
"Once?"
"Yes. I’ll do everything in my power to assist with the investigation of the North Sea Ice Palace, using all my resources."
"Didn’t you hear me? I don’t need help with that. I’m acquainted with the palace lord."
"If your connection with the palace lord was enough, you wouldn’t care whether I was Majeon’s successor or the Martial Emperor’s heir. You’d have gone your own way." At Bu Eunseol’s sharp observation, So Okrim let out a deep sigh.
"Petty! So petty! How can a man be this petty?"
"I have many things to do. The North Sea Ice Palace is the most powerful sect in the foreign regions, isn’t it? One instance of help shouldn’t be too disappointing." Bu Eunseol spoke calmly. "As soon as I return to Majeon, I’ll mobilize the intelligence network to track them down. Top priority."
"Ugh…" In the end, So Okrim bared her pink gums and gritted her teeth.
"Oh, thank you so much," she said sarcastically, bowing dramatically with pursed lips.
"I’m at a loss for how to repay such boundless kindness. Ptoo!" Though she didn’t actually spit, Bu Eunseol grimaced and waved his hand.
"Filthy."
"Oh, really? You think spit is filthy, but being petty isn’t?" Seo Jinha nearly burst into laughter at the sight.
For someone as cold and ruthless as Bu Eunseol, Majeon’s successor, to be teased like this?
‘How can a maiden from a prestigious family, who’s mastered such formidable martial arts, be more frivolous than a bearded bandit?’
The martial world was full of eccentrics, but he’d never even heard a joke about someone as outrageous as her.
"By the way," Seo Jinha said, barely suppressing his laughter and nodding. "If what you say is true, we should start by finding the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars, the suspected masterminds."
So Okrim nodded. "Exactly."
"Any leads?"
"The Seven-Finger Demon Blade." So Okrim, staring into the distant sky, dropped a bombshell.
"The Divine Mountain Sage said the one wielding the Great Blade of the mysteriously vanished Seven-Finger Demon Blade is likely the mastermind."
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened.
The hilt of the Seven-Finger Demon Blade, called Journey, was in his possession. And the descendant of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars had its blade?
"Who said that?" Bu Eunseol demanded.
So Okrim scratched her cheek. "Old man Divine Mountain Sage."
"That blade belonged to Bu Zhanyang, the former deputy leader of our sect, whose life or death is unknown. How could a descendant of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars possess his blade?"
"If a master like the Seven-Finger Demon Blade vanished without a trace, it was likely their own choice. If so, they probably hid their unique weapon in a secret place." So Okrim spoke casually. "If there’s a force manipulating the martial world, they could have easily found that hidden weapon, no?"
Her reasoning held weight.
In fact, Bu Eunseol had acquired Journey, the Seven-Finger Demon Blade’s cherished weapon, through a similar process.
"How did the Divine Mountain Sage obtain such information?"
"I don’t know," So Okrim replied leisurely, but Bu Eunseol’s gaze grew sharper.
"What’s the basis for claiming the one with the Seven-Finger Demon Blade’s weapon is the mastermind?"
"Because old man the Divine Mountain Sage said so." Bu Eunseol bit his lip.
In the end, everything boiled down to "The Divine Mountain Sage said so."
Seo Jinha, who had been listening intently, said to So Okrim, "If someone possesses the Seven-Finger Demon Blade's weapon, it could mean the descendant of the Blade Emperor, the most mysterious of the Eight Emperors, is the mastermind."
"Maybe," So Okrim replied.
Bu Eunseol, deep in thought, asked again, "Where is the Divine Mountain Sage now?"
"I don’t know. It took me two years to barely find him." So Okrim stretched her lips into a flat line. "Well, the Divine Mountain Sage said it was fate that I found him. Even with a Boeun Coin, if the timing wasn’t right, I wouldn’t have met him."
Bu Eunseol let out a low groan.
Eccentrics like the Divine Mountain Sage rarely appear in the martial world and have a knack for evading pursuit. If the Divine Mountain Sage met So Okrim, it was likely because he wanted to.
‘So, I either need to find a Boeun Coin or track him down myself.’
The Divine Mountain Sage had mentioned the weapon of Bu Zhanyang, the Seven-Finger Demon Blade. That meant he knew something about Bu Zhanyang’s whereabouts or secrets that Bu Eunseol didn’t.
If the trail on Bu Zhanyang went cold, finding the Divine Mountain Sage might be a viable option.
"I’ll cooperate," Bu Eunseol said, nodding. "I’ll help find the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars, the so-called masterminds of the martial world."
"Hmm." So Okrim noticed Bu Eunseol’s eyes, now sparkling with newfound determination, and nodded. "What’s this? Looks like something’s piqued your interest."
Her intuition was sharp.
Realizing Bu Eunseol’s cooperation had shifted from reluctant to voluntary and that it was something he needed, she quickly changed her demeanor.
"But I have a condition."
"A condition?"
"You’re returning to Majeon to handle things, right?"
"Correct."
"You must have a lot of subordinates there."
"A few."
So Okrim nodded as if she’d expected as much. "As you said, we’re partners now. That means we should be equals, right?"
"Get to the point."
"Give me a position where your subordinates won’t interfere with me. That way, I can move freely in Majeon."
"Hmm." Bu Eunseol stroked his chin, deep in thought.
To grant her an official position, he’d need to negotiate with the Chief Instructor.
"Are you asking for a formal appointment?"
"Formal? Nah, I’m only staying temporarily." So Okrim waved her hand dismissively. "Let’s keep it simple."
Then, in a low voice, she added, "You’re the successor, so you can at least give me a temporary position, like a temporary instructor…"
Bu Eunseol’s eyes gleamed at her words.
If they brought in a temporary martial arts instructor to bolster the Death Shadow Corps’s strength, no one in Majeon could object.
‘She’s sharper than she seems.’ Despite her simple and brash demeanor, So Okrim was far from dull.
Her straightforward and aggressive attitude was clearly a facade.
Which meant…
Perhaps even this entire conversation had been orchestrated to lead to her desired outcome.
‘It doesn’t matter.’
Whether So Okrim was clever or had some hidden agenda, it didn’t matter. Bu Eunseol only cared about the information he could gain by helping her.
"Fine. We’ll do it that way." As Bu Eunseol nodded, So Okrim grinned.
"Great."
She flashed her white teeth in a wide smile.
"Looking forward to working with you."
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