“Ugh, this bastard! So damn noisy!”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
While Mumu was lost in deep sleep, dreaming, a coarse curse accompanied by a barrage of kicks jolted him awake. Opening his eyes, he saw five or six beggars stomping on him with ferocious intensity.
They were the beggar gang who were supposed to be sleeping in Byeokgye Village.
“You bastard! Your shouting kept us from sleeping!”
Mumu’s loud cries from the shack had finally roused the beggar gang from their slumber.
Huddled up, Mumu endured the kicks. For some reason, he was accustomed to being beaten like this.
“Why the hell do you go crazy every night?” After venting their anger with kicks for a while, the beggars, perhaps satisfied, huffed and returned to their spots.
“Mumu, you okay?” Fatso approached Mumu, whose body was now covered in footprints, and let out a sigh. “I told you to eat dog shit, didn’t I?”
Since Mumu kept having nightmares and making noise every night, Fatso had suggested dog feces as a remedy.
Beggars, unable to afford proper medicine, used dog feces as a cure.
It was said that white dog feces healed boils, while black dog feces relieved muscle tension and acted as an antidote.
Fatso probably thought Mumu’s sleep-talking was due to the beatings he endured.
But Mumu, uninterested in eating dog feces, always silently endured the thrashings.
“Well, I’m going back to sleep.” Fatso waved his hand and left. Mumu crouched in front of the shack, staring at the distant sky.
In his eyes, now fully awake, deep pain reflected.
He had been having the same dream every single night without fail.
And the end of that dream was always forgotten. All that remained was a tormenting, endlessly lonely feeling gripping his heart.
‘Could this dream be my past?’
If it truly was his childhood, could he have been the heir of a noble family?
If so, it meant he once had parents who held him warmly, who looked at him with loving eyes.
And that thought made his heart ache even more.
Why had he lost his memories and ended up living like this?
Who was he, really?
In the end, Mumu spent the night wide awake, his expression filled with anguish.
Whenever he woke from the dream, a fierce wave of pain and loneliness washed over him.
And that torment lingered until the sun rose.
***
The atmosphere in the Suppressed Demon Pavilion was tense.
It was because Bu Eunseol had not returned to the demonic faction for a long time.
The Suppressed Demon Pavilion was practically one with Bu Eunseol. His prolonged absence amplified feelings of emptiness and unease.
“When the hell is the Lord coming back?” As the meetings of the captains continued without Bu Eunseol, Won Semun pouted and spoke up. “This is the longest he’s been away since that time he met the stone-throwing old man.”
The stone-throwing old man referred to the Divine Moutain Sage.
Then Jo Namcheon spoke.
“Could something have happened? Shouldn’t we summon the Death Spirit Sect Leader?”
At those words, the other captains nodded in agreement.
Their expressions were uniformly weary and filled with worry.
Bu Eunseol’s long absence had significantly dampened their morale.
“The Lord is on a secret mission.” At that moment, Yoo Unryong spoke as if he had no choice. “It’s a matter so sensitive that he didn’t inform you all.”
“A secret mission?” Won Semun tilted his head. “What kind of mission? Why did he only tell you, Captain Yoo?”
At that, everyone in the room wore puzzled expressions.
Ever since the Suppressed Demon Pavilion stabilized, Bu Eunseol had always discussed all missions with the captains.
So why was he hiding a mission now? It was only natural for the captains to feel confused.
“Well… it’s a woman problem.” Yoo Unryong cleared his throat and said. “Every time the Leader goes out into the martial world, he gets entangled with women, like with Lady Yeon. This time, it’s a bit of a troublesome matter, so he’s gone to deal with it.”
“Ahh.” Finally, the captains of the Suppressed Demon Pavilion nodded as if it all made sense.
‘Of course, it’s our Lord.’
The martial world had many renowned, peerless handsome men.
But a face like Bu Eunseol’s, blending beauty with rugged masculinity, was rare.
His aura was even more extraordinary.
No other man could captivate someone’s soul with just a glance.
“It must be tough. For our Lord.”
At Won Semun’s muttering, the captains nodded in unison.
For Bu Eunseol, woman troubles were like an endless wellspring. Just when he thought he’d resolved one, another would arise.
“If only I looked average like me, life would be so much easier. No hassles.” At Won Semun’s next comment, the captains simultaneously shook their heads.
No matter how they thought about it, that wasn’t right.
“If it’s something like that, it’ll probably take a while.” Then Wi Cheongyeong shrugged and spoke up. “The Lord is skilled in everything else, but he’s not great at understanding women’s hearts.”
“True, that’s probably what he’s worst at.” The captains chuckled and nodded.
As the topic of Bu Eunseol sparked conversation, the meeting room’s atmosphere softened and grew lively.
With a smile, Yoo Unryong gathered the documents he was holding and said, “Well then, let’s end today’s meeting here. Dismissed.”
The captains burst into chatter and left the meeting room.
Once the room was empty, Yoo Unryong’s hands, still organizing the documents, froze.
His eyes darkened endlessly.
‘I should’ve stopped him.’
Yoo Unryong, who had calmed the captains with a lie, was consumed by bitter regret.
Hyeok Ryeon-eung, as the protector of the demonic faction and the royal tutor of King Wei's Manor, held a lofty status.
Moreover, he had boldly used both titles to lure Bu Eunseol.
That meant he wielded power great enough to discard those titles without hesitation. Not only that, but it also implied he possessed martial prowess so exceptional that confronting Bu Eunseol alone was no big deal.
‘Even if he’s outstanding, he can’t always make the right choices.’ Yoo Unryong bit his lip.
He shouldn’t have let him go alone. No, he shouldn’t have let him go at all. They should have thoroughly investigated Hyeok Ryeon-eung and proceeded cautiously.
Only after Bu Eunseol’s disappearance did Yoo Unryong realize his mistake.
‘How long can he hold out?’ For now, he had deflected with lies, but if too much time passed, Bu Eunseol’s disappearance would inevitably be exposed.
‘If something’s happened to you… what am I supposed to do?’
Creak.
At that moment, the meeting room door opened, and a head with tousled short hair poked in. It was Myo Cheonwoo.
Yoo Unryong quickly composed his expression.
“What’s the matter?”
“Well, you know…”
“Hm?”
Myo Cheonwoo said with a sulky expression, “When it comes to women, I’m the expert among the captains, aren’t I?”
“…”
“Tell him to consult me next time if it’s about that kind of problem.”
“Stop talking nonsense and leave. I’m busy.” As Yoo Unryong averted his gaze, Myo Cheonwoo pouted and walked out.
‘It’s tough. I wonder if he felt the same.’
It was almost certain that there was a spy among the Suppressed Demon Pavilion’s captains.
And the most likely suspect was Myo Cheonwoo.
Yet Bu Eunseol had never once shown it, always acting calmly.
‘No, now’s not the time for these thoughts.’ Shaking his head, Yoo Unryong steeled his resolve.
His task wasn’t to worry about Bu Eunseol. For now, he had to manage the Suppressed Demon Pavilion so that his absence wouldn’t be felt.
‘At least it’s fortunate that Seo Jinha’s training is complete.’
Seo Jinha had finished his training much faster than expected.
And in Bu Eunseol’s absence, he was steadily making his mark as Seon Woojin, the peak captain of the Martial Alliance. If Bu Eunseol returned safely and resumed his role as a captain of the Martial Alliance, Seon Woojin would become Bu Eunseol again, leaving a legacy as the demonic faction’s successor.
‘I can only hope Deputy Lord So finishes her training soon.’
According to Mu Heon, the Death Spirit Corps captain, Soyo was not only exceptionally insightful but also skilled in tracking.
However, as a former assassin, becoming the deputy lord of the Death Spirit Corps, which managed information, required her to master the dynamics of the central martial world, key figures, and various skills as an intelligence operative.
This was taking far longer than expected.
If she completed her training and entered the martial world, she might be able to find Bu Eunseol’s whereabouts.
‘Please, just come back safely, Bu Eunseol.’
In the past, Yoo Unryong’s fervent wish was to become the greatest in Majeon.
But since joining the demonic faction, his only wish was one thing:
Bu Eunseol’s safety.
***
Hell's Blood Fortress, Blood Phoenix Pavilion.
Inside the chamber, long curtains concealed a massive shadow leaning against them.
The figure’s skin gleamed with an eerie sheen, and their eyes sparkled like crystals.
Despite being over ninety, they still moved Hell's Blood Fortress single-handedly with vigor—the old demon, Gong Yageuk, the master of Hell's Blood Fortress.
“Well, well, it’s been a while.” Gong Yageuk, reclining and puffing on a long pipe, looked down and spoke.
Below the curtains stood a masked figure, their mask shimmering with an odd glow. Their robes, neither black nor gray, covered them from head to toe, making them look like a standing shadow from a distance.
“What brings the busy Emissary of the Infinite Realm here?”
Resembling a towering mountain, Gong Yageuk exhaled smoke intermittently while reclining.
His demeanor evoked a languid, colossal beast.
An ordinary person wouldn’t dare meet his gaze, but the masked figure’s eyes were filled with an eerie calm.
“It seems the time has come to dethrone the Martial Soul Command Lord from being the demonic faction’s successor.”
At those words, Gong Yageuk grinned.
“That doesn’t seem like my job.”
“It’s possible if the Martial Soul Command Lord is gone.”
“Ho ho ho. Gone? You mean he’s disappeared?” As Gong Yageuk let out a rumbling laugh, the masked figure nodded.
“Exactly.”
“Hmm.” Gong Yageuk let out a sigh. “That’s a dull joke.”
“They took action personally.”
In that moment, Gong Yageuk thought of one person.
A figure fierce as a tiger yet with eyes brimming with wisdom.
The protector of the demonic faction, the royal tutor of King Wei, and the one who controlled the Infinite Realm.
“Him, you say?”
“Yes. Because of him, the Martial Soul Command Lord was critically injured and fell off the Ten Thousand Year Cliff.”
“Hmm, critically injured… disappeared?” A sharp glint passed through Gong Yageuk’s crescent-shaped eyes. “Well, if he took action himself, not even the Martial Soul Command Lord’s grandfather could have survived.”
Then, as if struck by a thought, he grinned.
“But ‘disappeared’ is a bit vague. Doesn’t that mean we don’t know if the Martial Soul Command Lord is dead or not?”
The masked figure replied nonchalantly, “While the Martial Soul Command Lord is absent, hold a demonic faction meeting and secure a majority vote. That’s all it takes.”
“Hmm. How can I trust he’s really gone?”
In truth, Gong Yageuk already knew Bu Eunseol was missing.
The demonic faction was filled with his eyes and ears.
Moreover, the recent atmosphere in the Suppressed Demon Pavilion made it clear something was wrong with Bu Eunseol.
Click.
Instead of answering, the masked figure opened a box on the table.
Inside was a sword, blackened from blade to hilt—Bu Eunseol’s cherished sword, the Black Blade.
“You know what a sword like this means to someone like him.”
Gong Yageuk nodded.
Though the Martial Soul Command Lord was cunning, he wasn’t the type to use his cherished sword as bait for a scheme.
The fact that the Infinite Realm’s Emissary still held his sword and he hadn’t reclaimed it meant he was truly missing or incapacitated.
“Well, he held on longer than expected.” Gong Yageuk bared his teeth in a smile.
“Shall we proceed?”
“Considering our past ties, I should help… but it’s a bit tricky.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Martial Soul Command Lord has the absolute support of three of the Ten Demonic Sects.”
With a sly smile, he continued, “Nangyang aside, the Affectionate Blossom Sect and the Heaven and Earth Severing Sect would risk their lives for him.”
“…”
“With those two sects backing him, the other sect leaders won’t easily agree.”
“No need to worry about that.”
A low, eerie voice flowed from the shimmering mask.
“The Affectionate Blossom Sect and the Heaven and Earth Severing Sect will soon fall into ruin. And with them, Nangyang’s influence will wane.”
“Oh?” Gong Yageuk’s eyes sparkled. “You’ve already made moves against the Affectionate Blossom Sect and the Heaven and Earth Severing Sect?”
The masked figure didn’t answer the question and changed the subject.
“If you’re skeptical, observe the situation. When the time is right, you can proceed.”
Gong Yageuk’s eyes narrowed to crescents. The masked figure’s proposal was an offer he couldn’t find fault with.
“Very well.” With that response, the masked figure nodded and slowly turned.
Their form dissolved like mist, vanishing like a ghost.
“Ho ho ho.” Watching the masked figure disappear, Gong Yageuk nodded. “They’re serious.”
Then, in a low voice, he spoke.
“The Martial Soul Command Lord. Still no sign of his return?”
A respectful voice came from near an incense burner on the other side of the curtains.
“It’s certain. The Suppressed Demon Pavilion has reported it multiple times.”
“Interesting.” Gong Yageuk took a deep drag from his pipe and said, “Let’s watch the Affectionate Blossom Sect and the Heaven and Earth Severing Sect crumble first. Then, we’ll pay a visit to Majeon.”
Hiss.
Exhaling thick white smoke that filled the room, he continued, “Time to replace the successor.”
With the Infinite Realm’s assurance, the Affectionate Blossom Sect and the Heaven and Earth Severing Sect would fall.
Gong Yageuk would watch, then subtly propose the agenda.
As always, he’d remain neutral.
For the sake of his longstanding ties with Hyeok Ryeon-eung, a figure from the Three Realms.
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