“Are you leaving now?”
“Yes.”
Tak Ilhon stared intently at Bu Eunseol. Then, taking a deep breath, he said,
“Let’s go together.”
“What are you talking about?”
“There’s no one in the martial world more useful than I am.” Tak Ilhon spoke with an utterly serious expression, solemn and grave. “My lifelong dream was to become the supreme master of the demonic path. But since I couldn’t achieve it, I merely became a great thief who stole martial arts manuals.”
His eyes burned hot as the sun.
“Take me with you. I’ll tell you the locations of treasuries and secret manuals scattered across the land.”
“……”
‘If that happens, the dream of becoming the supreme master of the demonic path could be realized much faster.’
Bu Eunseol frowned.
“The supreme master of the demonic path?”
“That’s right. If it’s you, you’ll surely stand at that pinnacle. On the day you tower over the martial world… I want to share in that glory.”
“You’re mistaken about something.” Bu Eunseol said calmly. “I came to the martial world merely for a journey of revenge.”
“A journey of revenge?”
“Yes.”
“Not to become the supreme master of the demonic path?”
“No.”
Tak Ilhon hesitated for a moment.
He had thought this young grandmaster burned with the hot soul of a warrior. Yet here he was, a man wandering the martial world solely for vengeance?
“Still… if it’s you, you could easily become the supreme master of the demonic path.”
“I have no interest.”
“What?”
“What I want is revenge. Once that’s done, my journey in the martial world ends there.”
It was an utterly unexpected answer.
A peerless genius with such martial prowess—someone clearly destined to become the supreme master of the demonic path.
To think he would leave the martial world without regret once his revenge was complete?
From Tak Ilhon’s perspective, it was incomprehensible.
“Spend the rest of your life in peace.” Seeing Tak Ilhon speechless, Bu Eunseol turned away.
“Then.”
“Wait!”
Tak Ilhon asked, as if having made a firm decision. “Since a man like you hasn’t yet achieved his goal, your target for revenge must be a master who shakes the heavens or a faction with tremendous power. Am I right?”
“Yes.” Bu Eunseol’s eyes deepened as he thought of the Three Realms. “To be honest, overturning the world feels easier.”
“Overturning the world feels easier…”
A hot energy surged suddenly in Tak Ilhon’s chest.
Only now did he understand the path Bu Eunseol was walking. What kind of man he truly was.
This young grandmaster was treading a path hundreds of times harder than becoming the supreme master of the demonic path.
A road of hardship.
“Good.” Tak Ilhon’s eyes flashed as he spoke, as if having made a great resolve. “You may use me as a subordinate or make me a slave.”
He bowed deeply and said with force,
“Take me with you. I’ll do anything you command.”
Tak Ilhon’s lifelong wish was to become the supreme master of the demonic path. Yet here stood a young master who treated even that goal as trivial.
A grandmaster who looked down on power and fame… willing to walk a path far more treacherous than ruling the world.
Who could better fulfill his own ambitions than this man?
“You’d become my subordinate?”
“Yes. If you wish, I’ll swear a blood oath.”
Realizing Tak Ilhon’s determination was firm, Bu Eunseol pondered for a moment.
Unfortunately, unlike the other old men, he hadn’t been perfectly transformed by good roots.
In other words, he still harbored the desire to make a name for himself in the martial world, and that was why he was pledging to become a subordinate.
‘If I have one more person with fast feet, Seo Jinha’s matters will be safer.’
Bu Eunseol had Soyo as his connection to Majeon but Seo Jinha had no one by his side to relay news.
If it was Tak Ilhon, known as the Flying Demon?
He would gain an deputy comparable to Soyo.
But if that happened…
Another person in this world would come to know all of Bu Eunseol’s secrets.
‘Can I trust someone with just a brief connection?’
Bu Eunseol had never easily trusted others.
Especially not when that person was a great demon of the world.
‘Should I take the risk for Seo Jinha?’
Tak Ilhon still possessed the pure desires of young warriors. He wanted to leave a massive footprint in the martial world.
That was why he was offering loyalty to Bu Eunseol.
“I’m sorry.” Even knowing Tak Ilhon was sincere, Bu Eunseol refused firmly. “Others seek even one more capable subordinate, but I do not.”
He took a deep sigh and shook his head.
“I don’t want others’ fates entangled in my personal journey of revenge.”
“…I understand.” Tak Ilhon lowered his head.
He had given enough explanation and persuasion. If the heart wouldn’t change, there was nothing more to be done.
“I hope you achieve what you seek.”
Without hesitation, he drew a sharp stone dagger from his bosom and stabbed his own throat.
He had long kept that stone dagger hidden on his person.
Crack!
Bu Eunseol instantly sent a finger wind that shattered the stone dagger.
“What are you doing?”
“Mind your own business.” Tak Ilhon’s eyes were filled with a dull, lifeless light like a dead fish.
Despite being confined in the Repentance Cave for so long, the spirit in his chest had not died.
He had met a man destined to stand tall in the martial world and regained hope once more…
But when even that was crushed, he lost all will to live.
‘Is this fate too?’
Bu Eunseol sighed.
It was merely one man’s revenge. Yet another person had entered his destiny.
“Fine.” Bu Eunseol, sighing deeply, extended his finger.
Swish! Papapak!
Dozens of finger winds pierced Tak Ilhon’s acupoints, and fierce true energy began coursing through his meridians.
Wooong!
In that instant, Tak Ilhon’s body floated an inch into the air before descending back to the ground.
“This is…” Tak Ilhon’s eyes widened.
He realized Bu Eunseol had not infused energy into his dantian but directly dispersed powerful true energy into his eight extraordinary meridians.
This way, even without accumulated inner energy in the dantian, he could move like a master with inner power for a time.
“As a master of qinggong, I believe you can sneak out of Shaolin alone.”
Rip.
Bu Eunseol tore his sleeve and used his energy to draw the Twin Dragons pattern.
“Go to the Death Shadow Pavilion of Majeon and find Captain Yoo Unryong.”
“……”
“Tell him everything that has happened. He will call the Medicine Hall Lord to treat you and send you to Nangyang Pavilion.”
“Medicine Hall Lord? Nangyang Pavilion?”
“Yes. Once there, your legs will be perfectly restored. When your body is fully recovered, I’ll assign you some tasks.”
“W-wait a moment.” Tak Ilhon’s eyes widened in disbelief.
The Medicine Hall Lord of Majeon, Gyo Junghak.
He was a man who wouldn’t lift a finger without orders from the Demon Emperor or the Dark King Yeop Hyocheon.
Yet with just a torn mark, he would summon Gyo Junghak for treatment?
And what was Nangyang Pavilion among the Ten Demonic Sects?
“Who exactly are you?”
“The heir of Nangyang Pavilion. And the Martial Soul Command Lord of Majeon.”
“The heir of Nangyang Pavilion and the Martial Soul Command Lord of Majeon?”
Tak Ilhon’s eyes wavered.
“Then you’re the successor to the Demon Emperor?”
“Yes.”
Tak Ilhon’s mouth fell open.
He knew Bu Eunseol’s martial arts were extraordinary… but he had assumed his status wasn’t particularly high.
If his status were high, he could command countless subordinates. He wouldn’t have come personally to the dangerous Repentance Cave.
Yet he was the next heir to manage Majeon after the Demon Emperor?
“Why did you come here yourself? Why go to such lengths?”
“Didn’t I tell you?” Bu Eunseol said calmly. “This body is merely a wanderer traveling the martial world for revenge. I’ve avoided, as much as possible, letting others risk danger for my personal matters.”
He briefly explained his situation.
His grandfather’s death, the Three Realms, and the story tied to himself.
“It was true.”
Tak Ilhon’s eyes wavered like ripples.
“To you, even the position of Majeon’s heir means nothing…”
He shook his head as if ashamed. “At my age, I’m still obsessed with fame and power.”
“That’s not wrong.” Bu Eunseol let out a low snort. “Isn’t obsession with fame and power the essence of a martial artist? It’s because of such people that the martial world endures.”
“Yes, that might be so.” Tak Ilhon smiled faintly, as if gaining some enlightenment.
He clasped his hands and bowed to Bu Eunseol.
“I’ll spend the rest of my life with you to the end.”
“It won’t be easy.” Bu Eunseol said in a low voice. “To stay by my side, you need matching skill.”
Even Soyo, with her outstanding talent, had taken much time to become the deputy of the Death Spirit Corps.
Though the Flying Demon excelled in qinggong and martial arts, to aid Bu Eunseol and Seo Jinha…
He would need to become someone deeply versed in the martial world’s affairs above all.
He might require even longer training than Soyo.
“I’ll work hard.” Tak Ilhon’s eyes burned with the passion of a man in his prime.
‘It should be fine.’ Bu Eunseol nodded.
A person’s life can change depending on when, where, and whom they meet.
In the Repentance Cave, Tak Ilhon had gained a new life and goal under Bu Eunseol.
Bu Eunseol and Tak Ilhon immediately left the Repentance Cave.
Tak Ilhon used the Ban-Geuk Method energy dispersed into his meridians by Bu Eunseol to swiftly deploy stealthy qinggong and escape Shaolin.
If he fully recovered and regained his martial arts, the peerless master known as the Flying Demon would reappear in the martial world.
Bu Eunseol exited the Repentance Cave and headed straight for the Blood Shaolin’s secret passage.
The abbot of Blood Shaolin, Dam Jeung.
Through his mouth, he intended to confirm what Shaolin truly knew.
And who his grandfather had been in Shaolin.
Step, step.
Bu Eunseol walked openly toward the Blood Shaolin’s secret passage without hiding.
Whirr.
Soon, faint presences began to be felt from all directions.
But Bu Eunseol continued walking expressionlessly, as if sensing nothing. Reaching the end of the passage, a massive iron door came into view.
It was the gate of the barrier that the Divine Mountain Sage had once set with mechanisms to test Bu Eunseol in various ways.
Boom.
As he approached, the iron door opened on its own with a heavy sound.
At the same time, a vast hall appeared, filled with numerous monk-warriors.
Each monk-warrior’s appearance was bizarre and unique. One had a right arm thick as a log, another had a left eye clouded white. Some had stitched wounds covering their bodies like rags, or only one finger remaining…
Not a single one had an intact body.
As if, to master some martial art…
They had forsaken body and life.
Everything.
Step, step.
Then, an emaciated monk-warrior with only one finger approached Bu Eunseol head-on.
Why are you here?
What is your identity?
The monk-warrior asked no such things.
This was the main base of Blood Shaolin.
Bu Eunseol was an intruder from outside. No questions were needed.
Wooong.
Then, tremendous energy swirled from the single remaining finger,
Flash!
In an instant, a beam of light poured toward Bu Eunseol’s body.
One-Finger Zen Art.
Shaolin’s fastest and most powerful finger force, though difficult to master and narrow in range. But the One-Finger Zen unleashed by the monk was as powerful as if a hundred monks had fired simultaneously.
Its range covered the entire stone chamber, leaving no space to dodge. Yet when the light burst forth, Bu Eunseol was pressed against the chamber’s ceiling.
Flash!
At the same time, a flash erupted,
Thud.
The monk’s last remaining finger fell to the floor.
Bu Eunseol had used his stone dagger to sever the monk’s final finger in one clean cut.
“How…” The monk, now fingerless, asked Bu Eunseol as he landed.
“If your ultimate technique is finger force, you should have hidden your fingers.”
With only one finger, the martial art used had to be a powerful finger technique like One-Finger Zen.
And since he had boldly blocked the front… Bu Eunseol had naturally deduced the finger force’s wide range.
“……”
The monk looked calmly at his severed finger,
Crack!
Then struck his own crown and committed suicide.
To master Blood Shaolin’s One-Finger Zen, he had cut off nine fingers himself.
But now all fingers were gone, so he could no longer remain a Blood Shaolin monk.
He ended his life without regret.
‘This is Blood Shaolin.’
Blood Shaolin would do anything to protect Shaolin, use any method to grow stronger.
Wearing Shaolin’s mask, this place was a gathering of madmen shrouded in insanity.
Boom. Boom.
Then, a monk with a clouded white left eye approached.
The moment their gazes met, Bu Eunseol’s head spun, and his vision blurred as if the world shook. It was a mystical mind-control art different from the Soul-Seizing Spirit Words.
Paat!
But blood spurted from the monk’s white eye.
Bu Eunseol had already fired a finger wind that pierced the monk’s eye.
“I’m tired of mind-control arts now.”
To Bu Eunseol, who had achieved Spirit Regulation Harmony…
Mind strikes or secret arts like Soul-Seizing Spirit Words no longer worked.
Above all, an eye dyed in unusual color was a target for caution. Seeing the strange hue flowing from the monk’s eye, Bu Eunseol had anticipated the mind-control art and fired the finger wind instantly.
“It seems Blood Shaolin monks have a rule to reveal their specialties to enemies in advance.”
At Bu Eunseol’s words,
Step, step.
This time, an extremely tall monk with both eyes covered in black cloth stepped forward.
He beckoned with his finger. Meaning, attack first.
Pat!
Bu Eunseol swung his stone dagger without hesitation, unleashing sharp light points.
He executed Meteor Chasing the Moon Form with the stone dagger.
Whik.
But the blindfolded monk lightly twisted his body to evade the Meteor Chasing the Moon Form.
As if he had predicted Bu Eunseol’s movements in advance.
Flash! Flash!
Massive cross-shaped sword energies poured out repeatedly, striking behind the blindfolded monk,
Sizzle!
At the same time, purple lightning slashed diagonally across the monk’s neck.
He had used Waning Moon, Dawn Star to create massive cross sword energies, sealing all retreat paths. Then he unleashed the ultimate swift killing sword, Unmatched Thunderbolt.
Tat.
But something astonishing happened.
The blindfolded monk had already escaped the range of Waning Moon, Dawn Star and Unmatched Thunderbolt, as if predicting Bu Eunseol’s initial moves.
‘So that’s it.’ Bu Eunseol realized the monk sensed air waves to predict his actions in advance.
‘It seems like a deepened version of Mind's Eye.’
The Beast Path’s Mind's Eye could also sense air flow to predict enemy movements or hidden weapon trajectories.
But this monk went beyond that, perfectly predicting Bu Eunseol’s techniques.
“Is this the extent of Blood Shaolin’s level?” Bu Eunseol shook his head. “There are countless ways to heighten senses. Yet you bother with the troublesome act of blindfolding your eyes.”
His voice was filled with contempt and mockery.
“The martial world is full of arts that sense air flow without needing to cover the eyes.”
“Hmph.”
The blindfolded monk snorted.
At the same time, he swiftly removed the cloth covering his eyes.
But that was a fatal mistake.
Provoked by the taunt, he should not have removed the cloth out of competitive spirit.
That was exactly what Bu Eunseol had intended.
Rip.
The monk used his right arm to tear off the cloth in one motion.
And Bu Eunseol’s Caged Bird Yearning for Clouds, predicted in advance, unfolded in sync with that movement.
Thud.
The sword energy slicing through the air passed straight through the monk’s right forearm as he tried to rip off the cloth.
The monk froze like a statue, unable to remove the cloth.
Thud.
At the same time, the monk’s thick right arm fell to the floor.
Their martial arts were impressive, but regrettably, full of openings in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
“You’re wasting my time.”
Bu Eunseol shouted beyond the surrounding monk-warriors.
“Will you keep playing these childish games?”
“Childish games?”
Parting the monk-warriors, an emaciated monk stepped forward.
Barely five feet tall, with narrow eyes, an old monk whose wrinkles were deeply etched yet had a sly smile around his eyes, giving a cunning impression.
It was Dam Jeung, the abbot of Blood Shaolin.
“The legitimate heir of Nangyang Pavilion, said to be a master of practical martial arts, is pointing out flaws in Blood Shaolin’s arts. How could I miss such an opportunity?”
Surprisingly, he had seen through Bu Eunseol’s disguised identity as Seolso. Moreover, a strange madness lingered in Dam Jeung’s narrow, folded eyes.
It was the tenacious, sinister madness of a lunatic who would do anything without hesitation to achieve his goals.
“Moreover, it’s a golden chance to study the martial arts and weaknesses of Majeon’s heir.”
Though he led Blood Shaolin as abbot, Dam Jeung seemed to treat the monk-warriors he had painstakingly raised as disposable.
“Still… since I was under Shaolin’s care, this Command Lord treated you as humans.”
Bloodlust rose in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
“But since you’re worthless scum who don’t need it… I’ll sweep you all away.”
Comments