What is the ultimate sense of liberation?
Bu Eunseol believed he had tasted the pinnacle of liberation long ago.
This was because he had often enjoyed the "corpse game," lying in a narrow coffin for hours. What happens when a living person lies inside a coffin? At first, it feels merely stifling. But as time passes, it’s as if invisible, sturdy ropes bind the entire body.
After even more time, a suffocating sensation clogs the nose and mouth, making it hard to breathe. Just as consciousness begins to fade, stepping out of the coffin brings an indescribable sense of liberation.
"Was what I felt back then not liberation?" Bu Eunseol, having left Majeon, only now truly tasted the ultimate sense of liberation.
The White Horse Temple and Hwa Wu Sword Sect had tried to kill him by any means, and he had narrowly escaped their traps with his life. After waking from severe injuries, he faced an unparalleled Demon Lord who toyed with his life as if it were a game.
Had he slipped up even for a moment, Bu Eunseol would be walking the path to the underworld, not the open road.
“The carriage is ready.”
Perhaps because of the unexpected outcome?As Bu Eunseol emerged unscathed, Majeon sent an old horse and an even older coachman.
But Bu Eunseol wasn’t disappointed.
After all, returning to Nangyang meant facing life-and-death training in martial arts again. So, wouldn’t it be fine if the journey took a bit longer? That was his thought. Another fortunate thing was that he had received a generous travel allowance when leaving Nangyang.
“I’ll go back alone.” If he wanted, he could buy a carriage and a coachman to return. Having left Majeon alone, Bu Eunseol decided to explore the nearby villages before heading back.
Yeollae Guest House.
It was a place Bu Eunseol entered to satisfy his hunger while wandering. The place was bustling.
Perhaps because Majeon was nearby, most of the patrons seemed to be martial artists of the Demonic Path. Some cast glances at Bu Eunseol, but since he carried no weapons, they likely saw him as a mere traveler.
“Do come again!” Having filled his stomach, Bu Eunseol stepped out of the guest house.
He then headed deeper into the market to find a carriage. Normally, he would have walked quickly, but now he strolled leisurely, like a local idler, taking in the sights of the market. Yet, the more he observed his surroundings, the more a strange sense of unease crept in. He realized something he hadn’t noticed before.
The peaceful scenery felt unfamiliar.
“I’ve changed.”
Since leaving his life as a coroner, his days had been consumed by training in martial arts or fighting others. It was as if he had abruptly transitioned from the life of a coroner to that of a martial artist.
“This… isn’t what I wanted.” Bu Eunseol looked down at his hands.
These hands were stained with the blood of countless young men and women who had competed in the Ten Demonic Sects Tournament.
This was not what he had wanted.
He paused.
His steps, lost in thought, slowed by a beat. An uncomfortable, strange sensation. It was the gaze of a predator eyeing its prey.
“I should’ve gotten a sword from Majeon.” The iron sword he had brought from Nangyang had snapped in two while blocking Corps Leader Go’s final move and was left behind at Majeon.
Sighing, Bu Eunseol changed direction, heading toward a blacksmith shop at the edge of the market.
“Looking for a weapon?” The blacksmith, perhaps seeing Bu Eunseol as a wandering youth, grinned and pointed to a display of weapons. “For young folks, a light sword is best.”
At the spot the blacksmith indicated, a gleaming longsword was displayed.
Bu Eunseol picked it up and frowned.
It looked impressive, but the blade was too thin, and the balance was off. It would shatter if it clashed with another weapon. In short, it was a sword perfect for decorating a rich young master’s room.
“Don’t you have anything cheaper? Even something used would do.” At Bu Eunseol’s words, the blacksmith, looking deflated, pointed to boxes at the end of the display.
“Pick one from there. Whatever you choose, I’ll give it for five nyang of silver.” In a large box, old swords were piled up. Most were rusted, and many lacked scabbards.
Rummaging through the pile, Bu Eunseol picked up a sword covered in rust. It was so worn and rusted it looked like an unfinished blade, barely holding the shape of a sword.
“This one.”
“That one?” Perhaps feeling a pang of guilt, the blacksmith scratched his head and offered another iron sword from a different box. “Use this one instead. If you’re planning to cut something, that is.”
“I’ll take this one.” Placing five nyang of silver on the table, Bu Eunseol stepped out of the blacksmith shop.
He then left the village outskirts, heading toward a quiet forest path.
Step, step.
After walking leisurely for a while, Bu Eunseol stopped when he reached a wide field of reeds. Taking a deep breath, he caught the faint metallic scent carried by the wind.
“Come out.” Bu Eunseol muttered lowly, gazing at the distant sky. “Unless you’re looking for a better place than this.”
Rustle, rustle.
The reeds around him swayed chaotically, and suddenly, black shadows emerged around Bu Eunseol. It was as if dark mist rose from the ground, taking human form.
“Hmm.” Bu Eunseol frowned.
The figures that appeared all had their faces covered and carried identical swords. They were clearly martial artists from the same sect.
“Your senses are sharp.” Among the masked figures, the one who seemed to be the leader stepped forward.
“Bu Eunseol.”
“You know me.”
“Of course. From the fact that you’re some chosen successor…” The masked man’s eyes gleamed as he spoke.
“To the prophecy that in three years, you’ll become a Demon Sovereign and ravage the martial world.”
“Nonsense.”
“Nonsense?” The masked man’s voice sharpened. “Don’t you know that the more people like you grow, the more Majeon and the demonic sects prosper?”
“Majeon and the demonic sects…”
He had chosen to become a martial artist solely for revenge. He wasn’t some bloodthirsty fiend. He had no interest in the sect’s profits, power struggles, or gaining fame.
“Do you want to kill me?”
“Want to kill you? You’re mistaken.” The masked man sneered, looking at Bu Eunseol. “Your life and death is in our hands. It’s not about wanting to kill you—it’s already decided that you’ll die.”
“Life and death?” A murderous glint flashed in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
Those who called themselves strong and believed they could dictate others’ fates—he despised them most.
“Heh, the strong can decide the fate of the weak. That’s the martial world.” At the masked man’s words, Bu Eunseol nodded.
“Then I’ll decide as well.” A blood-red glow erupted from his eyes. “Your lives end today!”
At Bu Eunseol’s murderous shout, the masked leader called to his comrades.
“Form the array!”
Swish, swish.
The masked figures surrounding Bu Eunseol split into two lines, one circling to the left, the other to the right, spinning rapidly.
Clang.
Drawing his iron sword, Bu Eunseol thrust it toward the spinning masked figures.
Whoosh!
But before he could complete his move, the tip of his sword was deflected as if bent by an invisible force.
“A curious formation.” It was as if an unseen force had repelled his sword.
In that moment, a sharp sword strike grazed his shoulder from somewhere.
Rip!
His clothes tore, and a faint line of blood appeared on his shoulder. The masked figures moved chaotically, creating endless afterimages, making it impossible for Bu Eunseol to discern where the strikes were coming from.
Rip, rip!
More sharp sword strikes rained down. Bu Eunseol quickly dodged and countered, but his sword was deflected each time. The masked figures’ movements, swinging their swords in a dizzying dance, covered each other’s weaknesses.
“They’ve trained together for a long time.” The formation they used was a righteous sect’s ultimate array, the Hwehwi Salmak Formation.
But Bu Eunseol, untrained in formations, simply thought they had long practiced a strange combined attack technique.
Swish.
A sword suddenly grazed his shoulder again.
“…?” A puzzled look flickered in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
The move was sharp but not truly deadly. It aimed only to disable him by targeting the pressure points near his shoulder. ‘Not a Demonic Path sword technique?’ Though it appeared relentless and vicious, their swordsmanship focused more on targeting vital points in his limbs rather than killing him.
‘That doesn’t matter right now.’ Bu Eunseol didn’t care who they were or why they wanted him dead.
“Isn’t the martial world a place of kill or being killed?”
Hum.
As Bu Eunseol drew up his internal energy, red sparks rose around him, and his senses amplified dozens of times. He unleashed all the internal energy and instincts he had held back until now.
Flash!
Opening his eyes wide, he could now clearly see the sword strikes that had been invisible before. Though they seemed to move chaotically, they followed a consistent footwork and sword technique.
‘Interesting. Just moving in a fixed pattern?’ Once a formation’s pattern is broken, it becomes useless. Realizing they were repeating a set pattern, a smile crept onto Bu Eunseol’s lips.
Slash!
Bu Eunseol thrust his sword toward the center of the spinning masked figures. Swords rained down from all sides, but he pressed forward, unperturbed.
‘They’re just feints.’
Clang!
At that moment, the masked figures’ spinning stopped. One of them had broken the formation’s pattern to block Bu Eunseol’s attack.
“Don’t panic!” the leader shouted, seemingly realizing Bu Eunseol had found a flaw in their formation.
“Form the second array!”
The masked figures began moving chaotically again, unleashing a barrage of sword strikes. But Bu Eunseol had already pushed his beastly instincts to their limit. No matter how dizzyingly they moved, spotting their weaknesses was no longer difficult.
‘Their combined technique is impressive, but the skill gap between them is wide.’ Though they moved like stars in the night sky, some of their footwork faltered, quickly exposing flaws.
“This is the end.” Bored by their repetitive movements, Bu Eunseol finally unleashed a deadly strike.
“Argh!” As his sword sliced through the air, one of the masked figures clutched their neck, letting out a wretched scream.
A lightning-fast strike had severed their carotid artery.
“To see through the flaw in the Seven-Star High Sword Formation in an instant?” The second array they were using was the Seven-Star High Sword Formation.
To think that the Wudang Sect’s ultimate formation, which had never been broken, was shattered in a single move? ‘So the Majeon really taught the Ten Demon Successors how to dismantle righteous formations!’
The masked leader, gravely misunderstanding Bu Eunseol’s abilities, gritted his teeth.
“Use the third array!”
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