Murmur, murmur.
The hall dissolved into utter chaos.
Then, a refined middle-aged man who had been listening in silence rose and asked in a clear, resonant voice.
“How can you prove that man was the Martial Alliance Lord?”
He was Neung Gak, the current Lord of Hyunhyeon Hall, a man from Nangyang Pavilion who had once observed the five moves test at White Horse Temple and aided Bu Eunseol.
“Did the masked man declare himself the Martial Alliance Lord with his own mouth?”
“No.”
“Then how can you be certain it was the Heavenly Emperor?” Neung Gak asked calmly. “Or has Lord Geum suddenly become strong enough to survive the hands of the Heavenly Emperor?”
It was an exceedingly logical and razor-sharp question.
Geum Jangcheon let out a deep sigh, then suddenly lifted his upper robe.
Gasp!
A collective gasp swept the hall.
Geum Jangcheon’s abdomen was covered in dozens of viciously sealed blood points, as though someone had drawn a red Go board across human flesh.
“That man severed the throats of my hall’s warriors before they could even exhale. Then he lifted me into the air and said this:
‘Impressive. To think someone in the martial world has mastered the long-lost Smoke Screen Great Art.’”
Instantly, whispers rippled through the chamber.
The Smoke Screen Great Art was a technique of the Na Bu Sect.
How could Geum Jangcheon, Lord of the Flying Killer Hall, possibly know it?
“In the past, I chanced upon the manual of the Smoke Screen Great Art near a tomb by West Lake. I never told a soul.” Terror filled Geum Jangcheon’s eyes. “Yet without lifting a finger, the masked man suspended me in the air and forced my energy to flow backward, as though he saw every circulation path clear as day.”
At that moment, the same two characters flashed in every mind present:
Heavenly Mirror Heart Sutra.
The unique secret art of the Heavenly Emperor that allowed him to synchronize with and read another’s inner-energy flow.
Dead silence fell.
Even ignoring the monstrous inner power that could lift a man without a gesture, in the entire martial world there was only one person who could peer into another’s energy circulation.
“There seems to be a flaw in your words.” Neung Gak shook his head. “Are you saying that after having your energy reversed, you escaped the hands of the Heavenly Emperor as a living corpse?”
“He must have thought me dead.” Geum Jangcheon spoke through a pained expression. “He severed all eight of my extraordinary meridians, confirmed I had stopped breathing, and left.”
“Then are you saying Lord Geum is a jiangshi*?”
*Chinese hopping vampire / zombie
Geum Jangcheon’s lips curled into a sinister smile as he answered in a chilling voice.
“Hardly. I merely survived thanks to mastering the Soul-Returning Blood-Seeking Art.”
The Soul-Returning Blood-Seeking Art—a forbidden technique that could preserve a sliver of life no matter how ruined the body.
The Heavenly Emperor could not have known he possessed it.
After severing all eight meridians and confirming death, he had quietly departed.
Later, Geum Jangcheon was discovered by Majeon experts and saved by the miraculous medicine of the Medicine King Hall Lord.
Yet because of the Heavenly Emperor’s technique, his inner energy was gone—he was now a cripple.
Yang Geung raised his voice once more.
“Lord Geum, is everything you have said the truth?”
“I swear it on my life.”
Heavy silence blanketed the hall.
Every hall lord’s gaze turned to Bu Eunseol.
Chief Instructor Yeop Hyocheon spoke in a low voice.
“Martial Soul Command Lord. Do you have anything to say in rebuttal?”
Bu Eunseol gave a soft snort and nodded.
“I do.”
“Let us hear it.”
“The man Lord Geum met was not the Martial Alliance Lord. It was me.”
Yang Geung’s face twisted in disbelief.
“What did you say?”
“Did you not hear?”
Bu Eunseol smiled coldly.
“I said the one who crippled Lord Geum’s martial arts was not the Martial Alliance Lord—it was this Command Lord.”
Thud.
Every person in the hall looked as though they had been struck on the back of the head.
What kind of ghostly farce was this?
“The one who destroyed Lord Geum’s martial arts… was the Martial Soul Command Lord himself?”
At Yeop Hyocheon’s question, Bu Eunseol nodded.
“Exactly.”
A frosty smile spread across his face as he recalled everything that had happened.
***
Sang-ae Pavilion.
Long ago, this was where Majeon’s Secret Command Lord Dan So-ok and the Martial Alliance’s Dragon Might Hall Yeon Jagang had met for negotiations.
The result: the Martial Alliance gained control of the Nine Moons Mountain region, while Majeon took the Jeoksu River basin.
In short, a bitterly painful negotiation for the Martial Alliance.
And now, once again, two leaders from Majeon and the Martial Alliance were holding a secret meeting here.
Bu Eunseol and Gongsun Dankyung.
“Unexpected.”
Gongsun Dankyung, veiled in thin silk, brushed aside wind-tossed strands of hair and spoke.
“That the Martial Soul Command Lord would summon me first. And so boldly—through Captain Seon’s Supreme Corps network, no less.”
Bu Eunseol had used the intelligence web run by Seon Woojin—one that fed directly into Gongsun Dankyung’s ears.
To her it seemed reckless, but since Seon Woojin and Bu Eunseol were the same person, from his perspective it was the safest possible channel.
“Do you trust Captain Seon?”
Gongsun Dankyung’s eyes flashed provocatively.
“Or do you trust me?”
Bu Eunseol shook his head. “I trust no one.”
He stared straight at her and declared solemnly, “The only thing this Command Lord trusts is myself.”
In other words, even contacting her directly through the Supreme Corps' network, he was certain it would never leak.
Gongsun Dankyung gave a curious smile.
“Well, you do command an extraordinary intelligence organization…”
She nodded and met his gaze.
“I understand this barren place is the perfect spot to hide our meeting.”
Then, lowering her voice, “But why summon me so urgently?”
Bu Eunseol drew a deep breath.
Gongsun Dankyung wanted to destroy the Infinite Realm and Hyeok Ryeon-eung was a core member of that organization.
He had called her to enlist her help in bringing Hyeok Ryeon-eung down.
‘If I emphasize that this is for destroying the Infinite Realm, she will cooperate easily.’
But he quickly changed his mind.
Gongsun Dankyung was a strategist on his level. Whether Hyeok Ryeon-eung would fall for this plan was still uncertain.
Yet her help was absolutely, unquestionably necessary.
In that case, he needed a different approach.
‘Sometimes one must set aside profit and speak from the heart.’
Bu Eunseol decided now was that time.
Without hesitation, he said, “Help me.”
Gongsun Dankyung’s eyes widened in genuine surprise.
She knew a man like Bu Eunseol would never lightly ask for help. At his station, any debt incurred would demand a heavy price.
And she stood on the completely opposite side.
“Truly unexpected.” She drew a deep breath. “That the Command Lord would say such a thing to this Commander.”
“Will you help?”
Her eyes sparkled. “First, tell me what it is.”
“I must capture a traitor of our faction.”
Bu Eunseol calmly explained.
Hyeok Ryeon-eung—once Majeon’s traitor and royal tutor to the Prince of Wei—had reappeared in the martial world.
The time had come to eliminate him.
“So you mean to seize Hyeok Ryeon-eung, one of the Infinite Realm’s core figures.”
“Exactly.”
“Then you hardly needed to ask for help, did you?”
They had already agreed to cooperate in destroying the Infinite Realm. Since Hyeok Ryeon-eung belonged to that organization, there was no need to lower his head.
“It is a plan whose success is uncertain—he may not take the bait.”
Bu Eunseol spoke calmly.
“Yet I must take the risk.”
He drew another deep breath.
“He aims to bring about my downfall. I intend to use that against him and strike back.”
He referred to himself not as “this Command Lord” but simply “I”—a personal, sincere request.
“For that, I absolutely need your help.”
“Meaning this carries risk for me regardless of success.”
“Precisely.”
“Continue.”
“Tell me where the Heavenly Emperor is.”
“What?”
“I know the Heavenly Emperor is not at the Martial Alliance. And I know the last person to meet him was you, Commander.”
The Heavenly Emperor had not appeared publicly.
Yet someone had met him in private recently: Gongsun Dankyung, a newly appointed Commander of the Martial Alliance.
Final approval for that position required the Alliance Lord’s direct sanction.
Thus, she was officially the last person to have seen him.
“That is a very difficult request.”
Her expression grew grave.
“I must refuse.”
“…”
“If it became known that I revealed the Alliance Lord’s location to you, it would not end with just my head.”
If word spread that Gongsun Dankyung had exposed the Martial Alliance Lord’s whereabouts to Bu Eunseol, she would instantly be branded a traitor. The consequences would fall not only on her but on her entire family—including her younger sister, Gongsun Dana.
“Do not worry. I will not actually meet the Alliance Lord.”
“What do you mean?”
“If the Commander who last met him tells me the Alliance Lord is at a certain place… then the Alliance Lord will indeed be there, will he not?”
After a long moment of thought, Gongsun Dankyung’s eyes lit up.
“Throw a brick to lure jade… That is your strategy.”
As befitted the Martial Alliance’s Commander, she grasped his entire plan in a single breath.
“Precisely.”
“But your opponent is the former Hyeok Lord of Majeon and royal tutor to the Prince of Wei. He will instantly see through a false bait—and he may simply refuse to bite at all.”
“That is why I need your help.”
Bu Eunseol lowered his voice.
“I have prepared tempting prey, but someone must confirm whether it is spoiled meat or safe to eat.”
“You want to borrow this Commander’s intelligence network as well.”
“Exactly.”
“Absurd. And you think I would agree to such things?”
“Of course.”
“Why?”
Bu Eunseol stared straight into her eyes and declared firmly, “Because I am the one asking.”
His eyes burned like fire.
He was Majeon’s successor, the most outstanding of the new generation in both martial prowess and intellect—and the man whose words carried the greatest weight.
To have him be indebted to her?
It was equivalent to gaining the chance to turn one “impossible” thing Gongsun Dankyung had believed forever out of reach into “possible.”
“Very well.” She took a deep breath. “I know how rare it is to place the Command Lord in my debt. I will do it.”
“Thank you.” Bu Eunseol cupped his hands.
Truthfully, he had not been certain.
That a woman like Gongsun Dankyung would take the risk to help him.
Yet she agreed readily.
That meant her hatred for the Infinite Realm was no lie, and the plan’s chance of success had risen to seventy percent.
‘Seventy percent is enough.’
Bu Eunseol bit his lip.
The man who had brutally murdered So Jamyeong and tried to destroy him—Hyeok Ryeon-eung.
It was time to begin the plan to shatter his wings completely.
***
A secret safehouse of Majeon in Xi’an Prefecture—hidden chamber.
“Isn’t this far too dangerous?”
Seo Jinha, who had been listening silently to Bu Eunseol’s explanation, shook his head.
“If she betrays you, you fall into a trap where there is no escaping.”
Gongsun Dankyung was, after all, a Martial Alliance’s Commander.
If she changed her mind or harbored malice and broke their agreement, Bu Eunseol would be caught in an inescapable dead end.
“That will not happen.”
“How can you be sure? Don’t you know a woman’s heart is like a reed in the wind?”
“She is no ordinary woman. She is someone who would use even an enemy spy without hesitation if they had value.” Bu Eunseol spoke with confidence. “She fully understands what it means to hold a card like me. She will not act foolishly.”
“Even for that reason alone, the risk is enormous.”
“Of course.”
Bu Eunseol added one more sentence.
“She truly bears a bone-deep grudge against the Infinite Realm. Had I not been certain of that, I would never have asked for her help.”
“Hmm.” Seo Jinha gave a faint nod.
It was Gongsun Dankyung herself who had risked everything to approach Bu Eunseol in the first place.
No one without a soul-searing hatred for the Infinite Realm could do such a thing.
“Fine, let’s set that aside.”
Seo Jinha folded his arms.
“But must you go this far? Hyeok Ryeon-eung might not bite at all. You could end up owing her a huge debt for nothing.”
“That is possible. Yet there is over a seventy percent chance he will bite.”
A flash of lightning crossed Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
“Hyeok Ryeon-eung will no longer risk direct confrontation after his previous failure.”
Bu Eunseol had shattered what Hyeok Ryeon-eung believed was his ultimate trump card—the Soul-Seizing Spirit Words—and through a single exchange shown that a head-on fight would stake both their lives.
Considering Hyeok Ryeon-eung’s position and everything he had built, he would never challenge Bu Eunseol directly again.
“Moreover, he has fallen from grace in the Infinite Realm and lost his power. That being the case, he will surely move to destroy my position first.” A cold star gleamed in Bu Eunseol’s eyes. “If I reverse-engineer that and lay a meticulous trap… he will take the bait without fail.”
“But what if he doesn’t?”
“That will not happen. Even if he suspects a trap, I will dangle bait so sweet he cannot possibly resist.”
Seo Jinha sighed.
He himself possessed a brilliant mind, yet whenever he heard Bu Eunseol’s schemes, he always felt like a fool.
“Very well. If you are certain, then so be it.”
After another sigh, Seo Jinha nodded.
“I will prepare everything as discussed.”
“This matter must remain known only to the two of us. It must never leak.”
“Even from Unryong?”
“Of course.” Bu Eunseol spoke firmly. “The person Hyeok Ryeon-eung watches most closely is the strategist Yoo Unryong. If Yoo Unryong learns of this in advance, Hyeok Ryeon-eung will never bite.”
“I see what you mean.”
Only now grasping the full depth of the plan, Seo Jinha drew a deep breath.
“You are not merely trying to catch Hyeok Ryeon-eung this time, are you?”
“No.”
Bu Eunseol answered resolutely.
“He sat in the Hyeok Lord’s seat for decades. There are still many in Majeon connected to him or who consider themselves his loyal retainers.”
Then, with finality, “This time, at the very least, I will uproot every last person in Majeon tied to Hyeok Ryeon-eung.”
“Well, the people of Majeon will deal with anyone—even the envoy of death—if there is profit in it.”
Seo Jinha gave a bitter smile.
“That’s just how demonic artists are.”
The demonic path runs on power and profit.
If someone offers immense gain—be they orthodox, evil, official, or ghost—it matters not at all.
“Then let us begin.”
Bu Eunseol spoke, and Seo Jinha nodded.
Now they would set in motion the plan to sweep away not only Hyeok Ryeon-eung but every soul connected to him.
***
Hidden chamber beneath Hwanu Pavilion.
“He plays cheap tricks.”
Hyeok Ryeon-eung snorted at the report from his trusted aide Hwa Uk.
“Secretly meeting the Martial Alliance Lord at this point in time? Heh heh heh.”
A low laugh escaped him, and his eyes turned icy.
“A trap. A crude one.”
“It should not be taken lightly.” Hwa Uk spoke in a low voice. “This intelligence did not come from Majeon—it came from the Martial Alliance itself, from the network run by their highest elders.”
“The Martial Alliance’s top-level intelligence network?”
Hyeok Ryeon-eung’s brow furrowed.
No matter how great Bu Eunseol’s influence in the demonic path or how splendid the intelligence organization he had secretly built, there were places he could never touch or detect.
One of them was the Martial Alliance’s intelligence web.
Especially the channels operated by its highest leadership—places utterly impervious to outside interference.
As a former member of the Infinite Realm, he knew this better than anyone.
“Is it genuine?”
“Yes. We barely confirmed it through our own network.”
Having lost his position as Dharma Demon Reverend, Hyeok Ryeon-eung could no longer use the Infinite Realm’s intelligence apparatus.
Yet Hwa Uk had somehow managed to tap it and track Bu Eunseol’s movements.
“It is possible, but…” Hyeok Ryeon-eung’s eyes narrowed. “Bu Eunseol is the kind of bastard who turns the impossible into reality. He might have planned this precisely because he knew our network could detect it.”
“Then… shall we ignore it?”
“We cannot. If he truly intends to contact the Martial Alliance Lord, that in itself is a golden opportunity.”
“Then—”
“It is worth investigating. To achieve his goals, that boy does not care whether his allies are orthodox or demonic.”
Hwa Uk’s brow creased.
“But if the person he meets really is the Heavenly Emperor… no matter how secretly we follow, we will be discovered.”
The Heavenly Emperor’s martial arts rivaled the Demon Emperor, and rumor said his senses reached beyond three hundred zhang.
Surveilling such a master was no easy task.
“Naturally, we must prepare a sacrificial pawn.”
“A sacrificial pawn, my lord?”
“Someone who can die if discovered and cause us no loss.”
Hyeok Ryeon-eung smiled faintly.
“Among the Hall-Lord-level pieces we have planted in Majeon, choose a suitable one and leak that the Martial Soul Command Lord is meeting not the Alliance Lord himself, but a high-ranking Martial Alliance figure.”
“Not the Alliance Lord, but a high-ranking figure?”
“Regardless, what matters to them is not whether Bu Eunseol is truly there, but who he is meeting.”
“Correct.”
“Even if the pawn is discovered and killed, the traces of the killer will reveal the identity.”
Hyeok Ryeon-eung spoke with absolute confidence.
“Whether it truly was the Heavenly Emperor.”
“I see.”
Hwa Uk could not help but marvel.
As expected of the Infinite Realm’s former Special Divine Rank, the man who once dominated both the demonic path and the government.
With this method, Hyeok Ryeon-eung would suffer no loss whatsoever, and they would learn exactly who Bu Eunseol was contacting in the Martial Alliance.
Even if—as Hyeok Ryeon-eung said—the contact turned out not to be the Heavenly Emperor but merely some Martial Alliance figure, it would still be enough to strip the Martial Soul Command Lord of his position for good.
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