Leaving the Martial Alliance, Bu Eunseol immediately visited the Seoha Branch, where Fire Essence Stones had been stolen.
“The Supreme Branch? What’s that?”
But the branch’s guards were completely unaware of the newly formed Supreme Branch.
Not only had its establishment not been properly communicated to the branches, but Seon Woojin’s appearance and aura were too ordinary. Even showing the badge symbolizing a third-class grandmaster, the guards looked at him with suspicion.
Creak.
Then, a door opened from within, and a middle-aged man in teal robes walked out, clasping his hands toward Bu Eunseol.
“Are you Grandmaster Seon, sent by the Alliance to investigate the theft?”
The man was Choi Seung, the Five Seconds Sword, deputy head of the Seoha Branch.
“I’m Seon Woojin, in charge of the Supreme Branch,” Bu Eunseol said, respectfully clasping his hands.
“I’m Choi Seung, deputy head, here to assist with the investigation under the branch head’s orders,” Choi Seung said, returning the courtesy.
He extended his hand to guide Bu Eunseol.
“Come in. I’ll show you around.”
“Thank you.” Bu Eunseol smiled and followed.
Before heading out, he had instructed his members to send official notices through the Mankyeong Hall to each branch, announcing his visit and requesting cooperation.
“Without those notices, I’d have spent ages arguing just to get in.”
If he were someone like Cheon Hwain, with fame and backing in the Alliance, even a third-class grandmaster would be treated lavishly.
But Bu Eunseol had neither backing nor fame.
Moreover, the Supreme Branch was a newly created third-class unit. Without prior notices, the investigation itself might have been impossible.
“What do you need help with?” Choi Seung asked.
“Just show me the armory where the Fire Essence Stones were stolen,” Bu Eunseol replied.
“Let’s do that.” Choi Seung led him to the Seoha Branch’s armory without hesitation.
Inside, about a third of the spacious armory was empty. Located in the heart of righteous faction territory, the Seoha Branch had few hidden weapons or explosives.
Even what was there was minimal, just for show.
“It’s quite empty,” Bu Eunseol remarked.
“No need to fill it,” Choi Seung replied, his expression brimming with pride.
The Martial Alliance was the epitome of righteous martial power. No one, no matter how bold, would dare attack a branch.
“What a mess.”
If this were a Majeon branch, not only Choi Seung but the branch head would have been executed. But it wasn’t his place to meddle in Alliance branch affairs. Bu Eunseol gave a faint smile and nodded.
“I see.”
“This is where the Fire Essence Stones were stored.” Choi Seung unlocked an old iron door, revealing a stone chamber with various metal boxes.
One spot was empty, likely where the Fire Essence Stones had been kept. Bu Eunseol entered the chamber and closely examined the spot.
‘They’re worse than constables.’ The chamber was littered with traces—not just from the thief but from the branch’s investigators. ‘They even ruined the footprints, the biggest clue.’
Bu Eunseol gave a bitter smile.
Their haphazard investigation explained why they hadn’t found any trace of the thief.
‘Well, they wouldn’t assign skilled investigators to a Fire Essence Stone theft.’
Buzz.
Bu Eunseol activated his Void Heart Command.
A white light gleamed in his eyes, and traces invisible to the naked eye became clear.
‘It’s not the work of a professional thief.’
Examining the traces, Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed.
A thief bold enough to rob an Alliance armory was rare. The likely culprits were professional thieves known as divine thieves.
But divine thieves had unique methods, leaving no traces.
Here, the thief’s tracks were scattered everywhere.
The thief who stole the Fire Essence Stones was a novice with little experience.
‘A novice acting alone. This just got easier.’
Using his Void Heart Command, Bu Eunseol memorized the thief’s physical traits and habits.
“I’ve seen enough. Thank you.”
“That’s it?” Choi Seung blinked, puzzled. “I can show you the initial investigation materials if you want.”
“No, that’s fine,” Bu Eunseol said, respectfully clasping his hands. “I’ll be going.”
Leaving the Seoha Branch, Bu Eunseol used qinggong to head to the Hoeyeon Branch.
From the traces in the Seoha Branch’s armory, the thief was a martial artist with exceptional qinggong.
Despite being a novice at theft, they boldly infiltrated the Alliance and stole Fire Essence Stones without hesitation.
Shortly after, they hit the Hoeyeon Branch’s armory.
Then they stopped stealing Fire Essence Stones. Investigating the Hoeyeon Branch might reveal why.
“Excuse me.” At the Hoeyeon Branch, the chief administrator, Master Bukdae, greeted him. “Are you Young Hero Seon, the grandmaster sent by the Alliance?”
“Yes.” Bu Eunseol clasped his hands respectfully and said, “For the investigation, may I see the stolen armory?”
“I’ll guide you.” Master Bukdae led him to the armory.
‘It’s different.’
Unlike the Seoha Branch, the Hoeyeon Branch was near a Majeon branch. Its armory held a significant amount of hidden weapons and armaments.
The quantity of Fire Essence Stones stored was dozens of times greater than at Seoha.
‘At least thirty pounds.’ Looking at the empty metal box, Bu Eunseol shook his head.
The Hoeyeon Branch held ten times more Fire Essence Stones than Seoha.
‘That’s why they stopped robbing Alliance armories.’
Thirty pounds of Fire Essence Stones could burn over a thousand bodies at once.
The thief stopped after achieving their goal at Hoeyeon. Examining the armory with his Void Heart Command, a glint flashed in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
‘It’s the same person.’
The intruder at Hoeyeon’s armory was the same as at Seoha. Roughly five feet eight inches tall, with exceptional qinggong and mastery of palm or fist techniques. The solid iron lock and metal box bore marks of being broken by finger strength.
‘They investigated properly here.’
Unlike Seoha, Hoeyeon’s armory preserved the thief’s traces well. This allowed Bu Eunseol to find not only physical traits but a crucial clue.
‘They’re on the run…’
Crouching to examine the floor, Bu Eunseol smiled.
There were traces of dirt, gravel, and tree roots. The thief wasn’t staying in the city but hiding in the mountains.
‘Hiding in the mountains means they’re being chased by a large group, likely a martial faction or organization.’
But a question remained.
A fugitive under relentless pursuit robbing an Alliance armory?
Unless they were desperate to die, it was unthinkable.
‘Then there’s one reason.’ The thief had an urgent need for Fire Essence Stones, worth risking their life for. ‘Is the thief who stole the Fire Essence Stones different from the murderer burning vagrants?’
Bu Eunseol had assumed the thief and the murderer were the same.
But the thief was hiding in the mountains, evading relentless pursuit.
Would such a person use Fire Essence Stones to burn vagrants?
That wasn’t something a fugitive could do.
‘No, I must keep all possibilities open.’
Robbing an Alliance armory while being chased was already abnormal. When investigating, all possibilities must be considered.
Closing off any possibility arbitrarily could lead the investigation astray.
“Thank you for your cooperation.”
After finishing at Hoeyeon, Bu Eunseol sent letters to the Death Death Shadow Corps and the Supreme Branch.
“Investigate which martial factions have sent large forces or pursuers.”
Renting a room at the busiest inn nearby, he rested.
Days later, replies arrived.
“…”
Reading the letters, Bu Eunseol frowned.
No righteous or demonic faction had sent pursuers or moved forces.
‘Not a Central Plains faction?’ Bu Eunseol judged it more likely the thief was being chased by an outer region faction than a missed Central Plains faction. ‘I can’t make sense of it.’
According to the Alliance’s investigation, the murderer burning vagrants used Fire Essence Stones. But after investigating both branches, Bu Eunseol concluded it was unlikely the thief and murderer were the same.
The thief was hiding in the mountains, evading pursuit.
But if the thief was from an outer region faction? If they had a compelling reason to steal Fire Essence Stones and burn vagrants?
They might have taken the risk.
‘If they needed large quantities of Fire Essence Stones, they had no choice but to target Alliance branches.’
Fire Essence Stones, capable of generating intense heat instantly, were expensive. Due to their danger, they couldn’t be bought in bulk, even with money.
The thief needed a large quantity and had no choice but to target Alliance branches.
‘There’s a clear purpose. A reason they had to do it.’
Bu Eunseol’s mind raced.
The thief’s actions—stealing Fire Essence Stones and burning vagrants—weren’t mere theft or thrill-killing.
They had a clear goal and purpose.
‘Then…’ Bu Eunseol spread a map on the table. ‘If the thief and the murderer are the same, they’d steal the Fire Essence Stones first, then burn vagrants.’
Staring at the map, a glint flashed in his eyes.
“They’re moving south.”
Assuming they’re the same person, they stole Fire Essence Stones from Seoha, then committed crimes in a nearby vagrant village. Then they moved to Hoeyeon, targeting another vagrant village for a massacre.
Following the path, they were moving south, stealing Fire Essence Stones and burning vagrants.
“They don’t need more Fire Essence Stones.”
Unlike Seoha, Hoeyeon had over thirty pounds. The culprit was likely now searching for a place to burn vagrants, evading pursuers and martial artists.
Studying the map, Bu Eunseol pointed to a location.
Wiyak Village. A place like Myogaso, where sick and aging vagrants gathered.
Rarely visited, it was perfect for avoiding attention.
Bu Eunseol narrowed his eyes.
If his guess was correct, the culprit would appear there.
***
Using whirlwind-like qinggong, Bu Eunseol headed to Wiyak Village.
Far from the city, he saw small huts and crumbling thatched houses. The village had the semblance of a settlement, but filth and garbage were strewn everywhere.
Most vagrants sat listlessly against walls.
“Excuse me.” Bu Eunseol approached an elderly man who seemed relatively coherent.
“…” But the old man stared blankly, as if seeing nothing.
Yet his body trembled, suggesting fear of Bu Eunseol.
‘That’s strange.’
Older vagrants typically didn’t fear martial artists.
Yet this man trembled as if facing a demon.
“Have you seen anyone suspicious nearby?” As Bu Eunseol approached, the old man wet himself, trembling uncontrollably.
It was an abnormal reaction.
‘Could it be?’
Bu Eunseol leaned close and shouted, “Where is he?”
“Ugh.”
“If you don’t answer, more people will die.”
At his shout, the old man pointed with a trembling hand toward a distant mountain.
Whoosh!
Bu Eunseol used qinggong toward the mountain. By using the movement technique from Divine Mountain Sage’s manual, he covered dozens of yards in a single step.
Boom! Rumble!
Entering the forest, a low, ominous vibration echoed.
Bu Eunseol recognized it as the sound of powerful palm strikes infused with immense inner energy.
Rustle.
Rushing into the deep forest, he reached a clearing where the sound originated.
There, a pile of charred bodies lay stacked like a mountain.
In front, a disheveled figure in black robes and a middle-aged man in beggar’s attire were exchanging rapid palm strikes at close range.
‘Isn’t that…?’
Recognizing the beggar, Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened.
It was Inguk, who had taught him and Namgung Un martial arts while infiltrating the Beggars’ Sect.
Whoosh!
With a strange whistling sound, white smoke began rising from the black-robed figure’s hands. As acrid smoke spread, Inguk panicked, disrupting his palm technique. The black-robed figure seized the opening, unleashing consecutive palm strikes.
Boom! Boom!
Struck twice in the chest, Inguk flew back, crashing into a tree ten yards away.
“Stop!” Bu Eunseol roared, launching a dagger instantly.
Flash!
The dagger, astonishingly fast and precise, struck the black-robed figure’s chest.
Whoosh!
But the figure, seemingly uninjured, used qinggong to flee into the sky.
“I won’t let you escape.” As Bu Eunseol prepared to pursue, Inguk, slumped against the tree, coughed up black blood.
“…” Seeing this, Bu Eunseol abandoned the chase.
Inguk was the most honest and diligent person he’d met in the Beggars’ Sect.
He couldn’t let him die like this.
“Are you alright?” Bu Eunseol rushed to Inguk, infusing inner energy into his Yeongdae acupoint.
Buzz!
As pure Ban-geuk Energy flowed in, Inguk faintly opened his eyes.
“…!” Examining Inguk’s condition, Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened.
The black-robed figure’s palm strikes had melted Inguk’s meridians like taffy.
“Extreme Yang Force?”
Shockingly, the black-robed figure had used Extreme Yang palm force, a rare technique capable of melting steel.
Inguk’s meridians were completely destroyed, and even a divine physician couldn’t save him.
“Ugh…”
Was it a fleeting return of light?
As Bu Eunseol continued infusing Ban-geuk Energy, Inguk faintly opened his eyes with a groan.
“I’m done for. Don’t waste your precious energy. Just go.” Even dying, Inguk worried about Bu Eunseol wasting his inner energy.
“Who was that?” Bu Eunseol asked.
“I don’t know. He suddenly started capturing and burning vagrants from Wiyak Village here,” Inguk said, looking at Bu Eunseol with dim eyes.
“Innocent, pitiful vagrants.” He lowered his head with a powerless gaze. “I tried to stop him, but I was no match.”
“You seem to have learned martial arts. Why were you here?” Bu Eunseol was curious why Inguk, skilled in the Beggars’ Sect’s martial arts, was living among vagrants in Wiyak Village.
Inguk gave a faint smile. “I learned some martial arts in the past… but a beggar is a beggar, isn’t he?”
When the Beggars’ Sect sealed its gates, Inguk left.
True to a beggar’s duty, he didn’t sell his skills for money but took up a bowl to beg again.
Wandering aimlessly, he ended up in Wiyak Village.
Though he lacked the comfortable bedding and warm food from his Beggars’ Sect days, escaping the harsh martial world brought him peace and happiness.
When the black-robed figure attacked the vagrants, Inguk risked his life to stop him.
“You have good eyes.”
“…”
“Not long ago, I taught a beggar with clear eyes like yours.” Inguk spoke with a pained expression. “But because he stepped into the sinful martial world… I had to kill him with my own hands.”
Tears welled in his eyes.
Even at death’s door, Inguk, with his pure nature, was still tormented by guilt and pain for killing two innocent young beggars with his own hands.
Taking a deep breath, Bu Eunseol spoke in a low voice.
“They didn’t die.”
“What do you mean…?”
Crack.
Bu Eunseol used the Face and Bone Shifting Art, reverting to the beggar guise he used in the Beggars’ Sect.
“Remember me? I’m Nojung.”
Inguk rubbed his eyes.
“How… Am I dreaming?”
“I infiltrated the Beggars’ Sect as an Alliance grandmaster.” Looking at Inguk’s shocked expression, Bu Eunseol told a white lie. “I heard the Beggars’ Sect was up to no good, so I posed as a beggar to investigate.”
“Investigate…”
“Yes. My companion is safe too.”
Joyful tears streamed from Inguk’s eyes. He had been tormented by guilt for killing two innocent beggars.
To learn they were alive and Alliance grandmasters?
Seeing Bu Eunseol’s pure eyes from his beggar days, Inguk said, “I see. I see.”
Finally letting go of his pain, he shed tears of relief.
“What a relief…”
His eyes slowly lost their light.
Only the Ban-geuk Energy had kept him alive. His meridians were severed, and his organs burned by the Extreme Yang palm force.
“As an Alliance grandmaster…” Inguk said with a peaceful smile in a low voice. “Please catch that murderer, so no more innocent vagrants suffer…”
Even dying, he worried for the innocent vagrants.
“I entrust the rest to you…” With those words, Inguk passed away.
A serene, Buddha-like smile graced his lips.
Once a Beggars’ Sect hall leader, he had wished to live a simple, peaceful beggar’s life.
Finally, he escaped the harsh martial world, finding eternal rest.
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