Dam Yuyeon’s acupuncture was renowned throughout the martial world.
Do Cheonlin, whose twelve main meridians had been mostly shattered, had nearly fully recovered his body.
Only the wound at his flank would require about a month of recuperation, even with the use of miraculous elixirs.
“So, what exactly is it you want to say?” Do Cheonlin, sitting on the bed in the Rejuvenation Hall, asked Bu Eunseol.
The reason Do Cheonlin—who had long since lost all attachment to life—had accepted Dam Yuyeon’s treatment was simple. After hearing Bu Eunseol’s full circumstances, he had promised to decide whether to take his own life or not.
“There is something I must say before I explain the situation.” Bu Eunseol looked at Do Cheonlin with an utterly serious expression. “With my current identity, I cannot participate in the Demon-Killer Sword Contention…”
He continued without preamble.
“Help me.”
“What do you mean?”
“The reason the Three Realms scattered the Demon-Killer Swords was to select an heir.”
Bu Eunseol calmly relayed the conversation he had overheard between the mercenary Wang Cheol and the Emissary of the Three Realms.
“Hmm.” Do Cheonlin was not particularly surprised that the mysterious figures who had spread the Demon-Killer Swords throughout the martial world were the Three Realms.
As the successor of the Blood Flame Blade Sect—deeply involved in the current state of the martial world—he already knew a certain amount about the Three Realms.
What he had not known was why they had scattered the swords. Their true purpose had remained unclear.
“That is certainly plausible.”
Each Demon-Killer Sword possessed a unique ability, and only those chosen could awaken it. That meant they were screening people with special constitutions, and from among them seeking the single most outstanding individual—an obvious conclusion.
“You have always openly opposed the Three Realms, so you’re saying it’s impossible for you,” Do Cheonlin continued, having grasped Bu Eunseol’s circumstances. “Yet if you were to become the heir of the Three Realms, the successor position of Majeon would be beneath your notice, wouldn’t it? Even if you changed your mind, no one would notice.”
“I have no interest even if I were to become emperor.”
Bu Eunseol took a slow breath, then briefly recounted his past.
The grandfather who had raised him had been killed by experts belonging to the Three Realms. His parents’ deaths were likewise connected to the Three Realms.
He withheld only the facts that his grandfather was the Seven-Finger Demon Blade Bu Zhanyang and his father was Baekri Muha.
“When you say grandfather… you mean the one who was a mortician?”
“Yes.”
“Why would an ordinary mortician be killed by experts of the Three Realms?”
Do Cheonlin was a man of exceptional intellect; vague explanations would never satisfy him.
‘Didn’t Grandfather never hide from the righteous sects that he was the Seven-Finger Demon Blade?’
While traveling the martial world, Bu Eunseol had proudly declared to the Sword Venerable and the Divine Water Palace Lord that he was Bu Zhanyang’s grandson. He had even openly searched for traces of the Seven-Finger Demon Blade.
It could hardly be called a great secret.
“The Seven-Finger Demon Blade.”
Unable to avoid it any longer, Bu Eunseol revealed his grandfather’s true identity.
“My grandfather was Bu Zhanyang, the Seven-Finger Demon Blade.”
Do Cheonlin cried out as though struck on the back of the head. “Your grandfather was the Seven-Finger Demon Blade Bu Zhanyang?”
“Yes.”
“This makes no sense.” Do Cheonlin’s face turned gravely serious. “Why was this fact never known in the Demonic Path?”
The whereabouts of the Seven-Finger Demon Blade had been one of the greatest mysteries that both the Demonic Path and the entire martial world had longed to solve.
And that man had been the mortician who raised Bu Eunseol?
“He lived quietly as a mortician, concealing his identity. There were people who helped him hide it.”
The nameless elder, Gwanhai Geum, and countless other righteous heroes who had muddied and dispersed Bu Zhanyang’s tracks.
Thanks to them, his grandfather had been able to live an ordinary life as a physician.
“I see… so that’s how it was.” Do Cheonlin muttered with an aggrieved expression.
Only now did he understand why Bu Eunseol was so strong.
If he was the grandson raised with the full devotion of the legendary swordsman, the Seven-Finger Demon Blade Bu Zhanyang, it was only natural that he would far surpass the successors of the Ten Great Demonic Sects.
“Yes.”
Bu Eunseol did not deny it.
Though his grandfather had claimed he only wished to raise him into an excellent mortician, the process had been closer to forging the greatest demonic master of all time.
“However… I only learned much later that Grandfather was a martial artist.”
A deep shadow fell across Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
Do Cheonlin sensed there was a profound story behind it, but he asked nothing more.
“So you wish to enter the Three Realms—to dig up information?”
“Yes. But with my current identity, it is utterly impossible.”
“You said you would explain everything, yet you’re hiding the most important parts.” Having noticed all along that Bu Eunseol was concealing crucial details, Do Cheonlin spoke coldly. “With your abilities, you could create a new identity and build a shadow network, could you not?”
Realizing he could not persuade Do Cheonlin without revealing the truth, Bu Eunseol spoke.
“That is true, but with that identity I am already investigating the righteous sects.”
“What?”
“I move between Majeon and the righteous factions under a newly created identity. I no longer have the capacity to infiltrate the Three Realms as well.”
Do Cheonlin’s eyes widened.
Though Bu Eunseol had not named the exact identity, it was no different from admitting he had a foothold inside the Martial Alliance.
“I understand you are desperate, but you were too hasty.” Do Cheonlin gave a cold smile. “Are you unaware that if I open my mouth even once, you would not only be stripped of Majeon’s successor position, but become a public enemy of the entire Demonic Alliance?”
“That will not happen.”
“Hmph. You trust me that much?”
“It is not trust. It is knowledge.” Bu Eunseol spoke calmly. “If you were the kind of person who would resort to dirty methods, you would never have brought up this conversation in the first place.”
“Dirty methods?”
“When the Blood Arrow Thunder Energy of the Blood Battle Demonic Sword poured down, you had every chance to kill me. Yet you did not.”
Do Cheonlin’s cheeks flushed.
So this bastard had seen everything and pretended otherwise.
“I simply didn’t want to do anything dishonorable.” Do Cheonlin spoke irritably. “If I had done such a thing, I could never reach the pinnacle of the martial path.”
“The same goes for me.” Bu Eunseol replied serenely. “If it is for revenge, I can do anything and abandon anything—the successor of Majeon, all of it.”
Bu Eunseol lived solely for revenge.
Do Cheonlin had devoted his entire life to reaching the apex of the martial path.
A person running toward a single goal pays no heed to anything else.
Because he understood that all too well, Bu Eunseol could believe in Do Cheonlin.
“Very well.” Do Cheonlin nodded and asked, “Then what exactly do you want me to do?”
“First, keep winning the Demon-Killer Sword Contention without pause. If you do, the Three Realms will approach you one way or another.”
“You intend to use me as a bridge to the Three Realms.”
“Correct.”
The ‘Sword of the Three Realms’ the envoy had mentioned— Bu Eunseol planned to use Do Cheonlin to discover what they were truly plotting.
“That is something I desire as well.” Do Cheonlin gave a bitter smile. “However, there is no guarantee I will keep winning.”
It is often said that hidden masters in the martial world outnumber grains of sand.
Though Do Cheonlin had defeated countless powerful enemies during his travels, some victories had been by luck alone.
That is how many concealed experts the martial world holds.
“Do not worry. I will make it so.”
“Make it so?”
“Do Cheonlin, you are already strong enough. But an inner obstacle is hindering your growth.”
“An obstacle?”
“Your swordsmanship is filled with a fierce will to reach the pinnacle of the martial path.” Bu Eunseol took a deep breath and looked straight at him. “And because of that, you treat even your own life as worthless.”
“That… is the same for you.”
“It is similar, yet different. I merely staked my life. I never treated it as worthless.” Bu Eunseol narrowed his eyes and spoke meaningfully.
“Because if I did, I could not achieve my revenge.”
Do Cheonlin stared blankly for a moment. “To stake one’s life, yet not treat it as worthless…”
A gleam appeared in his eyes, as though he had realized something.
“There certainly is a difference. And then?”
“I will remove the fetters that hinder your growth.” Bu Eunseol pressed his lips together for a moment before continuing. “I will also impart to you several insights I have gained. Finally, I will craft a sheath for your Demon-Killer Sword.”
“You plan to block the sword’s demonic aura. That way I won’t be vulnerable to surprise attacks from other Demon-Killer Sword wielders.”
Do Cheonlin was clever.
The moment he heard this much, he instantly grasped Bu Eunseol’s plan.
“You want to turn me into a shadow—a link to the Three Realms who scattered the swords.”
“Something like that.” Bu Eunseol admitted frankly.
Maintaining even the identity of Seon Woojin was already pushing him to the limit. Directly participating in the contention was impossible, so he intended to create another perfect shadow to fight in his place.
And that shadow would be Do Cheonlin.
“Why should I bear such risk?” Do Cheonlin asked coldly. “I can learn martial arts slowly on my own. I have no intention of risking my life to become the Three Realms’ sword.”
“Because you want to become stronger. And you know that with my help, you will.” Bu Eunseol answered firmly.
“And because you, too, would never wish to become a mere puppet of the Three Realms.”
The ‘sword’ they spoke of was a position close to that of heir.
Even if Do Cheonlin became the final victor of the contention, in the end he would most likely become not the heir of the Three Realms, but their puppet.
“You will make me stronger and free me from their grasp… heh heh.” Do Cheonlin let out a hollow laugh.
“That is quite a sweet offer. I suffer no loss at all.”
He paused, then glared coldly at Bu Eunseol.
“Yet you have omitted the real reason you are making this proposal, have you not?”
“…”
“Because this way, you can stop me from taking my own life.”
—Even if I die, hear my entire proposal first. After that, I will not stop you.
Do Cheonlin knew why Bu Eunseol had made this offer. He had devised this plan as a way to prevent Do Cheonlin’s suicide.
It was not a logical conclusion, but something closer to intuition.
Because he had always regarded Bu Eunseol as a worthy rival, he had studied him thoroughly and understood him well.
“If that is not the reason, then say so.”
Bu Eunseol did not deny it. He knew Do Cheonlin’s resolve to die was unshakable and would not be reversed.
“I needed your help anyway.”
“Why the hell are you doing this for me?” Do Cheonlin spoke icily. “Until now there has been no connection between us. So why are you suddenly acting so friendly?”
Bu Eunseol could not answer that question.
He could not say it was because of Seok Woohaeng and Jeong Cheon, who, after encountering him, had devoted their souls to the martial path and died miserably.
“If you do not answer, I will relay everything we have discussed to the Lord of Majeon right now.”
Left with no choice, Bu Eunseol spoke. “The reason you suddenly became obsessed with the martial path… it seemed to be because of me.”
A deathly silence fell inside the Rejuvenation Hall.
‘This guy really is incomprehensible.’ Having seen through Bu Eunseol’s heart, Do Cheonlin leaned against the wall with a hollow expression. ‘He always wore the coldest face in the world… but in truth he’s a deeply sentimental bastard?’
He had always wondered why cold men like Yoo Unryong, Myo Cheonwoo, and Seo Jinha pledged absolute loyalty to Bu Eunseol.
He had thought Bu Eunseol was a ruthless man without blood or tears.
Yet in reality, he was like a child walking the path of revenge while holding back tears.
Just like the time on the boat to Hell Island, wearing mortician robes, lips tightly shut, face shadowed.
‘Damn it!’
An indescribably subtle emotion welled up in Do Cheonlin.
Seeing the true Bu Eunseol hidden beneath that cold mask, an unknown affection began rising within him as well.
“Don’t make me laugh!”
To drive away the emotions surging inside, Do Cheonlin shouted irritably.
“You think I devoted my soul to the martial path because of you?”
“You are not the first.” Bu Eunseol answered honestly. “Seok Woohaeng did the same, and so did Jeong Cheon. Even though they were never the type to devote themselves to the martial path…”
“Those weaklings died because they were weak.” Do Cheonlin spoke coldly. “Anyway, the martial world is survival of the fittest. The weak are eliminated; the defeated fall or die.”
“…”
“If you plan to take revenge with that half-hearted mindset, give up now. You will never succeed.”
Though it sounded like harsh, cutting criticism, in truth it was meant to ease the guilt Bu Eunseol felt over their deaths.
“Unless you want to drag me to hell with you.”
Surprise flashed in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
Those words meant he was accepting the proposal.
“Don’t make that face.” Do Cheonlin snorted. “I only accepted because there is no loss for me.”
His tone was frigid, yet warmth had appeared in his eyes.
Do Cheonlin, too, had begun to feel a faint sense of camaraderie toward Bu Eunseol.
“Fine, I understand.”
Bu Eunseol offered no thanks. He simply took a booklet from his bosom and held it out.
“What is this?”
“Things I wrote while you were being treated.” Bu Eunseol explained calmly. “Recover here and read these. In the meantime, I will go craft a sheath suitable for the Illusory Demon Sword.”
“How?”
Unlike divine swords, a sheath for a Demon-Killer Sword is not easily made.
It must be crafted from exactly the same material and hardness as the blade itself, and to block the demonic aura requires metallurgy that has reached the realm of the gods.
“To make a sheath for this Illusory Demon Sword, one would need at least the level of the legendary Demonic Sword Master.”
The Illusory Demon Sword possessed graceful curves and an extraordinarily hard blade. Creating a separate sheath for such a sword was nearly impossible.
“Correct. That is why I am going to the Demonic Sword Master himself.”
“The one who vanished years ago? How?”
“I found him some time ago. He is currently staying at Nangyang Pavilion.”
Do Cheonlin’s mouth fell open.
The Demonic Sword Master—a man whose whereabouts had been unknown for ten years, whom not even the greatest information networks could locate.
And Bu Eunseol had him comfortably residing at Nangyang Pavilion.
“This should be interesting.” Do Cheonlin gave a faint smile.
Traveling the martial world and shaking the martial world together with Bu Eunseol—someone whose depths he could not even fathom with his own ability— didn’t seem like a bad idea at all.
***
Bu Eunseol left for Nangyang Pavilion to have a sheath made for the Dreaming Illusory Demon Sword.
Do Cheonlin remained at the Rejuvenation Hall, reading the booklet Bu Eunseol had left him.
It was not a secret manual of martial techniques, but a martial treatise containing short instructions and teachings. It explained in detail what he must discard, how he should fight his enemies, and ultimately what he must pursue.
As he read through the pages, Do Cheonlin felt both astonishment and a strange emotion.
A treatise containing guidance— it held the complete spirit of one martial artist.
To read it and gain enlightenment was no different from inheriting that spirit.
‘It feels exactly like becoming his disciple.’
It was as though he were bowing his head and placing himself under Bu Eunseol’s command.
But he quickly shook his head.
‘What does it matter? As long as I become stronger, that is enough.’
In the past he would never have entertained such a thought. But because he no longer felt rivalry toward Bu Eunseol, he could read it without resistance.
After reading for a long while, Do Cheonlin nodded.
‘So that’s why that guy was so strong.’
He had crossed swords with Bu Eunseol only twice, yet Bu Eunseol had seen through his entire life as though examining it under sunlight— every habit when he used his techniques, every characteristic, even his usual quirks and his very values.
‘Is this the hallmark of Nangyang Pavilion’s martial scholarship?’
The experts of Nangyang Pavilion observe an enemy’s martial arts, absorb their mysteries, and evolve their own. Thus their powers of observation and insight are on a level no one among the Ten Great Demonic Sects can imitate.
‘No, it is more than that.’
One can observe habits in martial arts, but there is no way to know a person’s temperament or personal quirks.
‘That means Bu Eunseol’s insight surpasses imagination… and he must have observed me far longer than I realized.’
‘Because he considered me a worthy rival?’ A pleased smile appeared on Do Cheonlin’s face. ‘I thought he never even glanced at me. Yet he observed everyone he deemed a rival back then.’
Knock, knock.
Just then came the sound of knocking.
“Come in.”
At Do Cheonlin’s voice, a beauty wearing an indigo palace dress and carrying bedding entered.
It was Dam Yuyeon.
“How is your body feeling?”
Ever since performing the Soul-Returning Divine Needle Great Salvation Art, she had checked on Do Cheonlin’s condition every day like a devoted physician.
“Thanks to you, I have improved greatly. Thank you.”
“But what were you reading?”
When Dam Yuyeon’s gaze fixed on the booklet in his hand, Do Cheonlin waved it away.
It was embarrassing to be seen reading a martial treatise written for him by his peer Bu Eunseol.
“It’s nothing.”
He quickly tucked the booklet into his bosom.
Then he suddenly noticed the ink was still wet.
He had been unconscious for only a single day. During that time Bu Eunseol must have stayed up all night, writing this treatise stroke by stroke for him.
‘There is nothing to be embarrassed about… no, perhaps there is.’
Do Cheonlin let out a small snort, then spoke proudly.
“It is a martial treatise he wrote to enhance my martial arts. A guide that teaches how to become stronger.”
Seeing Do Cheonlin’s smile, Dam Yuyeon felt a pang in her chest.
A smile that seemed to see through all worldly affairs, yet carried a languid grace…
It was exactly like Jeong Cheon’s smile.
—“What do you know to butt in like this?!”
She suddenly recalled how she had shouted at Do Cheonlin.
She had believed Bu Eunseol had ruined Jeong Cheon’s life.
—“Do you know what everyone whose life was turned upside down after meeting him has in common? They were all self-proclaimed geniuses who overestimated their own talent.”
Yet when this complete stranger Do Cheonlin refuted her words as though he knew Jeong Cheon, those words had remained lodged in her heart as lingering resentment.
But now she realized— Do Cheonlin, just like Jeong Cheon, was someone who, after meeting Bu Eunseol, risked his life pursuing the martial path and roamed the martial world.
And he too had been defeated by Bu Eunseol’s hand and lay dying.
The only difference was that Jeong Cheon had died lonely and helpless, his body ruined beyond saving by the Three Realms, while Do Cheonlin had been brought back to the Red Sky Veil with Bu Eunseol’s help and was able to recover.
‘If my brother were still alive… we would be sitting face to face like this.’
Deep darkness fell across Dam Yuyeon’s eyes.
Do Cheonlin asked with a worried expression, “Is something wrong?”
For a moment Dam Yuyeon felt tears welling up.
That gentle voice. Those languid yet noble eyes—
Everything was exactly like Jeong Cheon.
Comments