The Pang Clan had declared a complete seclusion.
The reason, according to rumors, was an internal strife between the Supreme Elder Pang Yeok and the current Clan Leader, Pang Muncheon.
It was said that the father, fearing his son’s potential, had forcibly confined him in the Wall-Facing Cave. And that the son had later escaped, rallied the clan’s forces, and struck down his own father.
‘Utter nonsense.’
As such rumors spread, the martial artists of the Central Plains only laughed through their noses.
For such a thing—a patricide born of power struggle—to occur in one of the righteous Eight Great Clans? It was an abomination that rarely happened even among demonic sects or the black path.
In the entire history of the martial world, there had never been a case where a righteous great clan was completely annihilated because of mutual slaughter between father and son. Yet once the rumors grew out of control, the heads of various sects visited the Pang Clan to confirm the truth.
Pang Muncheon, however, barred the gates tightly and allowed no one inside.
“The main house is currently in a truly wretched state, and many lives have been lost. We wish to handle the aftermath quietly, so please understand.”
The leaders could not hide their shock.
Whether the rumors were true or not, it was a fact that the Pang Clan had collapsed. Pang Muncheon had lost his father and all the clan’s power, and since he even begged them to let him handle it quietly, no one from other sects could forcibly intervene.
In the end, the martial artists who had come to the Pang Clan turned back.
Yet not all of them meekly accepted Pang Muncheon.
“So he really did strike down his own father, just as the rumors said.”
“Then the clan’s downfall was only natural, wasn’t it?”
“No matter that it’s an internal family matter—how can an unfilial criminal like that become the head of one of the Eight Great Clans?”
The majority of warriors cursed Pang Muncheon, calling it a disgrace to the righteous faction.
Pang Muncheon, however, silently endured the condemnation.
No—he was actually grateful that people believed it was merely his unfilial seizure of power.
If what Pang Yeok had done until now ever leaked out?
If it were revealed that the Pang Clan was one of the core forces that had continuously conducted cruel human experiments, giving birth to puppets in the martial world?
The clan would never be able to wash away that filthy stain, even after a thousand years.
Pang Muncheon only hoped.
If not in his generation, then in the next. And if not the next, then the one after that…
That someday the Pang Clan could be rebuilt and once again stand proudly in the martial world.
At the pavilion erected at the village entrance, three men stood face-to-face, bidding farewell.
Partings between men and women are tender.
But partings between men are incomparably deep.
Bu Eunseol, Nae Bihon, Dae Guhwi.
All three were men of exalted status and wielded enormous influence in the current martial world.
Each possessed the potential to grow even greater, shared the common enemy of the Three Realms, and harbored a burning brotherhood that would stake their lives for one another.
“Brother.” Nae Bihon tightly gripped Bu Eunseol’s hand.
Long speeches were unnecessary.
A simple exchange of gazes was enough to reveal the unchanging brotherhood forged between them.
Standing beside Nae Bihon was Dae Guhwi.
Though they were not bound by blood, the bond between them was thicker than any true father and son.
“Where will you go?”
“First, I must train Guhwi until he is useful—until he can become the official successor of the Wild Beast Palace.”
Nae Bihon drew a deep breath.
“After that, I intend to rebuild the Thunder Spirit Sect.”
Though Dae Guhwi did not possess the Thunder Spirit Physique, he had obtained a fateful encounter and awakened the Thunder Spirit Energy. If Dae Guhwi, who had already mastered the Beast Martial Arts, also learned the Thunder Spirit Sect’s arts…
A new powerhouse would one day be born in the martial world.
“If you ever need strength, come find me anytime.”
Nae Bihon had already completed his vengeance and harbored no regrets. Yet the reason he still strove to rebuild the Thunder Spirit Sect was solely to become a great strength for Bu Eunseol.
Though vengeance was achieved, the Three Realms still stood strong.
To uproot those who had dominated the martial world for generations, an overwhelming force would be needed. For Bu Eunseol, who fought alone against the Three Realms… he would rebuild the Thunder Spirit Sect.
“Thank you.” Bu Eunseol calmly smiled and cupped his hands.
“Brother Nae, if you ever miss this little brother, come to Majeon anytime.”
“I will.” Nae Bihon grinned and clapped his shoulder. “Go ahead first.”
Nae Bihon and Dae Guhwi had to leave together. Thus, they were seeing off Bu Eunseol, who had to depart alone.
“Master Bu. Until we meet again, take care.” Dae Guhwi bowed deeply, and Bu Eunseol gave a faint smile.
“See you again, Guhwi.”
Shwick!
With those words, he vanished like mist in an instant.
Nae Bihon and Dae Guhwi gazed endlessly in the direction Bu Eunseol had disappeared. Because they had been together for so long, a corner of their hearts felt empty now that he was gone.
“No time to rest, it seems.”
At Nae Bihon’s words, Dae Guhwi nodded.
“Indeed.”
The two had far too much to do.
Nae Bihon had to rebuild the Thunder Spirit Sect, while Dae Guhwi had to return to the Beast Palace, defeat his brothers, and become the official successor.
And… they had to grow stronger as quickly as possible, so they could become strength for that young Martial Soul Command Lord.
***
Martial Alliance, Silver Moon Pavilion.
Here resided the wisest woman in all the martial world.
Wisdom Star, Gongsun Dankyung.
At barely thirty, she had become the Chief Strategist of the Martial Alliance and had been handling countless affairs ever since.
Yet nearly everything she did was conducted in absolute secrecy.
Aside from the battles in the Yeokyeong region, none of the operations she had led until now had ever been revealed to the outside.
“This is Captain Seon.”
Having parted with Nae Bihon, Bu Eunseol immediately returned to the Martial Alliance.
Through this journey he had gained much, and his martial arts had advanced another level. Yet he had no time to savor it.
He had been away far too often, and the situation within the Martial Alliance was especially urgent.
Seon Woojin was still merely a second-class Captain.
If he did not quickly accumulate merits, his top priorities—uncovering and eliminating the Three Realms—would be delayed indefinitely.
Entering the Alliance, Bu Eunseol headed straight for the Silver Moon Pavilion where Gongsun Dankyung resided. Even before he could meet the Ascendant Martial Hall Lord Yuk Jangcheon, Chief Strategist Gongsun had urgently summoned him.
“Come in.” As Bu Eunseol entered the office, Gongsun Dankyung offered him a seat and cut straight to the point.
“What happened at the Pang Clan was simply too unexpected.”
“I’ve heard the rumors as well. A father-son slaughter, they say.”
“The Pang Clan Leader remains silent, but the circumstances make it clear he committed patricide. Yet… the whole situation feels too strange, too bizarre. I tried to uncover internal details through various intelligence networks, but nothing came up.”
“Then.”
Gongsun Dankyung nodded. “I’d like Captain Seon to personally investigate the truth inside the Pang Clan.”
Because Pang Yeok and Pang Ryun had been absorbed into the Infinite Realm for decades and involved in human experiments, Pang Muncheon was desperately hiding their evil deeds.
In the entire martial world, the only ones who knew the exact truth of the Pang Clan were Bu Eunseol, Nae Bihon, and Dae Guhwi.
“A prosperous Pang Clan suddenly engaging in father-son slaughter and self-destructing because of it—it simply doesn’t add up.”
“Hmm.”
“Moreover, under normal circumstances they should be accepting aid from various sects and the Alliance to rebuild… yet they sealed their gates and declared they would rebuild alone. That too makes no sense.”
A gleam flashed in Gongsun Dankyung’s large eyes.
“There must be an inside story that outsiders cannot know. I want Captain Seon to uncover it.”
Even her intelligence networks could not penetrate, proving just how tightly Pang Muncheon was keeping the secret.
“Understood.”
Bu Eunseol cupped his hands without hesitation.
He already knew everything, so he simply had to present it appropriately as Seon Woojin’s findings—omitting only the parts about the Three Realms.
***
“The main house is under seclusion. Please understand.”
With those cold words from the guard, the Pang Clan gates slammed shut once more.
Acting on Gongsun Dankyung’s orders, Bu Eunseol had returned to Hebei and begun investigating the Pang Clan.
Yet let alone entering, even the front gate would not open.
From the sealed Pang Clan’s perspective, even if the Martial Alliance Lord himself came, they could not open the gates.
If the truth ever leaked, the Pang Clan could never rise again.
‘This is where it gets important.’
Bu Eunseol looked up at the towering Pang Clan gates.
Gongsun Dankyung had sent him because she wanted results different from those of ordinary informants. He could not return empty-handed; he had to find at least some clue.
‘Though I don’t really need to search.’
Excluding those inside the Pang Clan, no one knew the situation better than Bu Eunseol. Yet he could not simply declare it, and even if he did, he needed solid evidence.
After a moment of thought, Bu Eunseol headed to the nearby marketplace.
‘No matter how tightly they seal themselves, people still need to eat.’
The Pang Clan had accumulated immense wealth over generations, so short-term seclusion would not starve them.
But they were still human—they needed rice to live.
After asking around the market, Bu Eunseol found the shop that supplied food to the Pang Clan.
He located the merchant who dealt with them, slipped him some silver, and listened to the workers who delivered the ingredients.
Afterward, Bu Eunseol attempted every investigation method available to an informant.
Yet he found nothing.
‘So she wanted infiltration after all.’
Only then did Bu Eunseol grasp Gongsun Dankyung’s true intention.
No intelligence network had succeeded in infiltrating the Pang Clan.
That meant no informant had ever managed to enter.
Moreover, if the Martial Alliance were caught sending spies into the Pang Clan? Even the Chief Strategist would not be able to bear the consequences.
‘No choice left.’
He already knew the internal situation, so he only needed to fake an infiltration. The problem was whether he could enter the Pang Clan as Seon Woojin, complete the investigation, and exit safely.
As one of the Eight Great Clans, even in seclusion, the Pang Clan was still the Pang Clan.
Ordinary skill would never allow easy infiltration.
‘She wants to test all my abilities.’
If he could infiltrate one of the Eight Great Clans, gather information, and return unharmed?
It would reveal not only his martial prowess but also his improvisation, insight, disguise and stealth techniques, knowledge of mechanisms—everything he possessed.
‘I was planning to climb the Martial Alliance anyway.’
He could not stay in the Alliance forever.
Then showing Gongsun Dankyung just how extraordinary Seon Woojin was—and doing it quickly—was not a bad idea.
She too was an ambitious woman with plans of her own.
‘She intends to pull me in.’
If that were not her goal, she would not keep testing Seon Woojin and confirming his excellence.
‘This must be a trial before assigning some greater mission.’
Whenever Gongsun Dankyung planned something big, she always gave tasks to select the right person.
Whatever she aimed to achieve would never be easy.
‘No reason to refuse a sturdier ladder than Yuk Jangcheon.’
By completing this task, Bu Eunseol intended to stamp his name in her mind and place one foot on her ladder as well.
***
“Something happened inside the Pang Clan that must never be revealed to the outside, and to conceal it, they chose self-destruction…”
Martial Alliance, Silver Moon Pavilion—Gongsun Dankyung’s office.
Using the identity of Seon Woojin, Bu Eunseol had ultimately infiltrated the Pang Clan, finished his investigation, and returned to the Alliance.
“Yet all of this is merely… speculation that Captain Seon arrived at after examining various circumstances.”
As Gongsun Dankyung set down the report Bu Eunseol had written, a chill glint flashed in her eyes.
“There is no definite proof.”
“Correct.” Bu Eunseol answered confidently. “After seclusion began, the Clan Leader seems to have disposed of all evidence. Even the deceased Supreme Elder was cremated without a proper burial.”
Pang Muncheon was already branded a patricide.
To leave no trace of connection to the Infinite Realm, he had even cremated his own father.
“However, what is certain is that the Pang Clan self-destructed due to internal division. There were no signs of external attack, and all the dead were high-level Pang Clan experts.” Bu Eunseol continued. “Especially during seclusion, the Clan Leader is extremely concerned with security. That means there is a secret that must never be revealed.”
“Hmm.”
“Despite internal division leading to near-annihilation, they chose seclusion. And they are obsessively thorough about internal security. In the end, that is the only conclusion possible.”
Gongsun Dankyung nodded.
Bu Eunseol had attempted an infiltration that even her best informants dared not try.
He had returned secretly without leaving a single trace.
And though he lacked hard evidence, he had accurately analyzed the situation inside the Pang Clan and reached the correct conclusion.
In other words, the man called Seon Woojin possessed abilities and insight that no intelligence operative could hope to surpass.
“Indeed, Captain Seon possesses abilities far beyond what I expected.” Whether it was a sigh of admiration or resignation, she let out a long breath and took a small envelope from her drawer.
“Take this.”
“What is it?”
“Your new mission. I’ve already obtained permission from Hall Lord Yuk.”
Bu Eunseol’s prediction had been spot-on.
Gongsun Dankyung had not truly cared about the Pang Clan’s internal affairs.
She had simply been testing whether Bu Eunseol was suitable for the mission she needed to carry out.
Swish.
As Bu Eunseol read the letter inside the envelope, a sharp light flashed in his eyes.
“You want me to investigate the Heaven-Human Cult.”
The Heaven-Human Cult.
A religious order rooted along the Yellow River, said to boast over fifty thousand devotees.
Yet rumors circulated that they extorted excessive money from followers, and contrary to their name, they employed wicked and mysterious arts.
Thus, from the righteous martial world’s perspective, the Heaven-Human Cult was an object of vigilance.
“To be precise, investigate the Sword Tomb constructed by the Taiping Branch of the Heaven-Human Cult.”
The Sword Tomb.
It was a mysterious legend passed down through the generations in the martial world.
Known as the ‘Graveyard of Swords,’ Sword Tombs were hidden throughout the land, and within them slept divine swords and treasured blades imbued with mystical power. It was said that one who received the acknowledgment of a sword from the Sword Tomb could become a supreme master capable of commanding the world.
“For several years, the Heaven-Human Cult’s Taiping Branch has been artificially constructing a Sword Tomb near Mount Taiping and luring martial artists.”
—Our cult has discovered a portion of a Sword Tomb!
Bu Eunseol had heard those rumors too.
The Taiping Branch claimed to have found part of a Sword Tomb hidden on Mount Taiping and opened it to the martial world.
—Those bastards are spouting nonsense.
At first, martial artists only scoffed and refused to believe it.
A heretical branch based along the Yellow River discovering a Sword Tomb was already unbelievable.
And then opening it to the public?
If they had truly obtained a Sword Tomb, they would keep it secret for themselves—why share the swords with the martial world?
—The Sword Tomb at the Heaven-Human Cult’s Taiping Branch was real!
Yet strange rumors spread once more through the martial world.
The Taiping Branch had produced swordsmen of astonishing skill, and all of them wielded swords obtained from the Sword Tomb. Countless martial artists, tempted by the rumors, flocked to the Sword Tomb, but afterward, no further news emerged.
“Is that true?”
Most martial artists believed it was a scheme—the Heaven-Human Cult had artificially created a fake Sword Tomb to gather people. After all, no one had obtained a sword since, and rumors about the Sword Tomb quickly died down.
Thus Bu Eunseol had paid it little mind.
Yet for Gongsun Dankyung to order an investigation…
“The Taiping Branch has set numerous rules for entering the Sword Tomb. One of them is signing a waiver that absolves them of responsibility if you die inside.” Gongsun Dankyung continued calmly. “Suspecting foul play, I sent excellent operatives, but all contact was lost after they entered—they vanished.”
“Then why not launch a large-scale investigation from the Alliance level?”
“It is a religious sect that includes not only martial artists but also common folk. Without evidence, no martial world sect has the authority to raid it.”
“Even though people have gone missing and died?”
“As I said, the Heaven-Human Cult makes entrants sign a waiver stating they are not responsible for death. And we found no evidence linking them to the operatives’ disappearances.”
After a moment of thought, Bu Eunseol nodded.
“So outwardly, the Alliance has no justification to intervene.”
“Exactly.”
The Martial Alliance was a coalition of righteous sects; it could only exercise direct authority over sects under its banner.
Of course, with suspicion they could raid under the banner of upholding martial world justice.
But in any case, they had no authority to forcibly investigate a sect that included common citizens.
‘So that’s why she demanded the Pang Clan infiltration.’
If he could sneak into the Pang Clan and return safely, infiltrating a mere branch of the Heaven-Human Cult would be child’s play.
“I understand. I’ll look into it.” As Bu Eunseol answered nonchalantly, Gongsun Dankyung’s expression turned grave.
“Captain Seon, this mission is anything but easy.”
Her face grew deadly serious.
“It may be a branch, but if they built a fake Sword Tomb, they must have received strong support from the main cult.”
“I expected as much.”
“And every capable operative I sent there died. Not one of them was weaker than you.”
“…”
“Frankly, this mission is far too dangerous. That’s why I had you investigate the Pang Clan—to test not only your martial arts but every ability you possess. I believed investigating the Heaven-Human Cult would require not just martial prowess but extraordinary insight and wisdom.”
Gongsun Dankyung drew a deep breath.
“Yet even after all calculations, the chance of Captain Seon returning alive from this mission… is only about ten percent.”
It was a shocking statement.
Considering her genius as Wisdom Star, a ten-percent probability carried immense weight and credibility.
In other words, if Bu Eunseol accepted this mission?
The genius known as the Wisdom Star—while acknowledging his supreme martial arts, wisdom, and insight—was declaring with certainty that he would most likely die.
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