T/N: Bu Eunseol's dad's name is going to be Baekri Muha and not Baek Rimu-ha since the first is more accurate. I fixed it everywhere else so it should be fine now
Yuk Jangcheon’s face darkened to pitch black.
‘So in the end, it means the Dragon Coiling Hall Leader is stepping forward himself?’
He bit his lip hard.
No intelligence network in the Martial Alliance, not even the most elite, had detected anything about the slaughter demon. Only Seon Woojin, who had been traveling the martial world, had stumbled upon the information by pure chance.
Yet how could the Dragon Coiling Hall Leader have uncovered the exact same intelligence at the exact same moment?
“Does that mean the Dragon Coiling Hall Leader has pinpointed the slaughter demon’s location?” Yuk Jangcheon asked.
“I don’t know for certain,” Buk Ri-seung replied, stroking his chin. “He merely said the area around Sichuan looked suspicious and that he would send people to investigate.”
In that instant, all strength drained from Yuk Jangcheon’s body.
‘The information has leaked.’
After hearing about the Earth-Killing Star from Seon Woojin, Yuk Jangcheon had immediately mobilized his own secret intelligence network to verify everything again.
The results confirmed that the rumors about the Earth-Killing Star were highly credible and that the slaughter demon had indeed appeared.
He had meticulously tracked the demon’s movements and, only a few days ago, discovered that the creature was secretly carrying out massacres near the Sichuan border.
Yet before even a handful of days had passed, the Dragon Coiling Hall Leader already knew about the slaughter demon—information still unknown to the rest of the martial world—down to the last detail?
And now he was dispatching Baek Museong to handle the matter…
It felt as though the man knew Yuk Jangcheon was about to move personally and was deliberately checking him.
‘Is this Cheongah’s doing?’
Yuk Cheongah oversaw all intelligence and household affairs for the Ascending Martial Hall. She had a vague grasp of Yuk Jangcheon’s secret organization and the identities of his closest retainers.
‘Or did Vice-Hall Lord Yeok betray me?’
The one who actually operated Yuk Jangcheon’s intelligence web was Vice-Hall Lord Yeok.
If the leak had come from within, the culprits could only be one of those two.
‘Moreover, if we eliminate him right now… we’d merely be killing one measly slaughter demon.’
Yuk Jangcheon’s original plan had been to withhold the information from Buk Ri-seung and instead call for a Grand Justice Assembly.
While preparations for the conference were underway, the slaughter demon would continue its endless slaughter.
By the time the conference began in about a month, the creature would have spilled enough blood to be called a Great Murder Star.
At that moment, Yuk Jangcheon intended to reveal every piece of evidence he had gathered, emphasize the gravity of the situation, personally descend into the martial world, eliminate the slaughter demon, and thereby stamp his presence into the eyes of the Alliance leadership.
Yet now they wanted to dispose of the demon immediately?
‘He has no intention of letting me claim that merit.’
As Yuk Jangcheon ground his teeth, Buk Ri-seung narrowed his eyes and spoke again.
“Something is truly strange, though. Both Hall Leaders spoke of it in the exact same way. The term ‘Great Murder Star’ hasn’t been used since Bloody Massacre three hundred years ago, the one who was called the Heaven-Killing Star.”
The title “Great Murder Star” normally referred to a terrifying great demon who had committed bloodshed on an unimaginable scale.
Yet after Bloody Massacre—who had killed martial artists and commoners alike without mercy three hundred years ago—that term had fallen out of use.
Now, suddenly, two high-ranking elders of the Martial Alliance were declaring that a slaughter demon who had only just begun operating in Qinghai could become a Great Murder Star.
Buk Ri-seung couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
Yuk Jangcheon immediately offered an excuse.
“When reports came in about the slaughter demon, I conducted various investigations, and that was the conclusion I reached. It is not yet confirmed information, of course.”
“I see. Then what will you do?” Buk Ri-seung rubbed his weary chin. “It doesn’t seem serious enough to warrant a Grand Justice Assembly… and yet it would look improper for Hall Leader Yuk to step forward personally.”
Baek Museong might be hailed as a genius of the new generation transcending age and era, but his official position was still only a first-rank captain of the Martial Alliance.
If Yuk Jangcheon—one of the Four Gods and Seven Kings, titled the Palm King—were to take on the same mission, it would only damage his own prestige and dignity.
“There is nothing else for it,” Yuk Jangcheon said, forcing a smile after collecting himself. “My hall will first dispatch commanders and hall leaders to deal with the creature.”
“Do so.” Buk Ri-seung gave a faint smile. “I had no idea the Hall Leader of the Ascending Martial Hall, who has always devoted himself solely to the Alliance’s internal duties, paid such close attention to the state of the martial world.”
Yuk Jangcheon forced a smile in return.
It was praise, of a sort—yet to Yuk Jangcheon, who had focused exclusively on tasks assigned within the Alliance in order to rise to the position of Commander, it sounded like sarcasm.
“Then.”
Leaving the Justice Pavilion, Yuk Jangcheon swallowed the rage boiling inside him and clenched his molars.
To miss this perfect chance to catch the leadership’s eye and make his mark as candidate for Martial Heaven Commander?
Clutching his burning stomach, he returned to the Ascending Martial Hall and immediately summoned Bu Eunseol again.
“What is the meaning of this?” Bu Eunseol asked in shock after hearing the full situation from Yuk Jangcheon. “What happens to all the plans we prepared until now?”
“Forget them. Since it has come to this, there is nothing we can do.” When Yuk Jangcheon spoke while suppressing his anger, Bu Eunseol shook his head.
“Even if the Lord does not step forward personally, we must still gather the commanders and hall leaders of the Ascending Martial Hall. We cannot hand the merit of eliminating the slaughter demon to the Dragon Coiling Hall.”
“At present, that creature is merely a slaughter demon who committed a few massacres in Qinghai before moving into Sichuan. We cannot mobilize the full might of our hall for something so trivial.”
Yuk Jangcheon gnashed his teeth.
“Moreover, the Dragon Coiling Hall Leader is only sending Baek Museong and the warriors under his direct command. If I throw in our entire force, we will only invite ridicule.”
“…”
“They will say we look desperate to steal someone else’s merit.”
After taking a deep breath, flames blazed in Yuk Jangcheon’s eyes.
“There is now only one way left. You must step forward, Captain Seon.”
“Me?”
“Take the Supreme Corps and find that Earth-Killing Star. Eliminate him before Baek Museong does.”
Yuk Jangcheon drew a long breath.
“There is talk right now of promoting Baek Museong to hall leader. We can no longer allow that man to accumulate more merit.” He looked straight at Bu Eunseol and declared, “With the martial arts you displayed when you killed the Heaven-Human Cult Leader, dealing with an unripe slaughter demon should be child’s play, yes?”
Then he frowned.
“This is just in case, but even if a dire situation arises—under no circumstances are you to join forces with Baek Museong. Do you understand what I mean?”
In other words, even if Bu Eunseol fell into mortal danger, he must not accept Baek Museong’s help and allow the man to claim any credit.
‘As expected. This is the limit of his caliber.’
Bu Eunseol inwardly sneered.
He now understood why Yuk Jangcheon, despite having founded and led the illustrious Nine Heavens Society, had met such a wretched end.
At the very least, the leader of an organization should know how to value the lives of his subordinates.
Subordinates are people with feelings and thoughts of their own.
Yet Yuk Jangcheon treated the men under him as nothing more than tools for earning merit.
In the end, that very mindset was why he had been abandoned by the organization he himself created—and even by his own daughter.
“I understand,” Bu Eunseol replied, concealing his true feelings as he cupped his hands.
Leaving the Ascending Martial Hall, he once again carefully reviewed every trace of the slaughter demon said to bear the energy of the Earth-Killing Star, together with his men.
‘The Earth-Killing Star is not merely a being of overwhelming power.’
If he lacked a cunning mind, he could never have escaped the Yangseol Clan.
He must be aware that pursuers are on his tail and was constantly disrupting his tracks.
‘Yangseol Rin is probably roaming the Sichuan region as well, isn’t she?’
Bu Eunseol had provided Yangseol Rin with full access to every intelligence network and troop deployment so she could find the Earth-Killing Star. Moreover, the Yangseol Clan possessed its own intelligence web, so she might locate the target even faster than he could.
‘It would be best to let her claim the merit this time.’
From the very beginning, Bu Eunseol had no intention of capturing the Earth-Killing Star himself.
He had guaranteed that Yangseol Rin would be the one to catch him.
This entire operation was merely meant to prove that the man named Seon Woojin deserved to continue traveling the martial world.
“Captain.”
Tae Muryong spoke up while watching Bu Eunseol lost in thought.
“Is there some other way?”
Bu Eunseol snapped out of his reverie and nodded. “Rather than moving the entire corps, it would be better if I first scout the situation alone.”
“You mean to enter the martial world by yourself again? Absolutely not.” Tae Muryong’s expression turned grave. “Until now the martial world has not properly recognized it, but this slaughter demon’s martial prowess is truly extraordinary. If something were to happen to you, Captain…”
“I will not engage him.” Bu Eunseol gave a faint smile. “This is not a mission I can resolve. I am merely putting on the appearance of doing my best because of the Lord’s orders.”
The men were all stunned.
Until now, Bu Eunseol had been the man who turned the impossible into reality. Yet now he was saying he would only pretend to carry out the mission?
“There are many kinds of captains,” Bu Eunseol continued in a low voice, reading the hearts of his men. “Some treat their subordinates like tools. That is not necessarily wrong—it can lead to cold, efficient success. However… when you serve such a captain, you must judge for yourselves.”
He looked at each of them.
“Whether the mission is truly worth risking your life for, or not.”
Jeong Jongdo asked, “How can we tell the difference?”
“Usually, any mission this captain does not join personally.”
Laughter burst from the men.
They all pictured the Lord of the Ascending Martial Hall, holed up in his hall like a turtle, giving orders only to his subordinates.
Then Tae Muryong’s eyes gleamed as he asked, “Does that include us as well?”
It was a bold question.
Yet Tae Muryong stared straight at Bu Eunseol and repeated, “If you say that, then we could also just pretend to follow the Captain’s orders.”
“Of course,” Bu Eunseol answered with a smile. “What could be more important than your lives? If I ever give an order like that, feel free to only pretend to carry it out.”
—Hahaha!
Low laughter filled the meeting room.
Whenever lives were truly on the line, Bu Eunseol always led from the front.
Even when opportunities for promotion arose, he chose to share weal and woe with the men who had faced life and death alongside him.
Whether his words were sincere or mere courtesy, every member of the Supreme Corps was ready to carry out his orders with their lives.
“Understood.”
While the others laughed, only Tae Muryong nodded with utmost seriousness.
And in that moment, he finally made the decision he had long postponed in his heart.
***
Bu Eunseol delayed his departure into the martial world for a little while longer.
He had no desire to claim merit from this mission.
On one hand, the plan was to secure justification for Seon Woojin to continue traveling the martial world.
On the other, it was to sow distrust between Yuk Jangcheon and those around him.
Thus, he had already sent a letter to Gongsun Dankyung explaining the situation.
Acting according to his intentions, she had secretly leaked information about the slaughter demon to the Dragon Coiling Hall. Yet Gongsun Dankyung had devised an even crueler scheme than Bu Eunseol himself.
—Since things have come to this, shouldn’t we drive a wedge not only between Hall Leader Yuk Jangcheon but also between him and Hall Leader Yuk Cheongah?
She was certain that Yuk Cheongah harbored feelings for Bu Eunseol. Otherwise, she would never have fallen out with her father.
—Let us catch two birds with one stone this time.
Recalling the stratagem she had laid out, Bu Eunseol couldn’t help but sigh.
Gongsun Dankyung was as beautiful as an angel, yet no one understood better than she how to shatter trust between people.
—Understood.
Bu Eunseol had not opposed her plan.
In any case, he had to surpass both Yuk Jangcheon and Baek Museong to become Commander.
The Martial Alliance was a place where intrigue and cunning schemes swirled even more fiercely than in Majeon.
Naïve mercy or a sense of justice had to be discarded.
‘I only hope that in the end, it is Lady Rin who deals with the Earth-Killing Star.’
In truth, Bu Eunseol believed it was wrong to imprison someone simply for being born under the sign of the Earth-Killing Star at the Yangseol Clan. And if someone had to lock the man away, he would rather kill him himself than let it be her.
Yet seeing the bloodshed committed by the suspected Earth-Killing Star, as foretold in her prophecies… his heart could not help but turn.
Of course, it was not because he believed in fate.
Imprisonment by the Yangseol Clan would be a far more agonizing punishment for the slaughter demon.
That was the only reason he approved of it.
As Bu Eunseol stepped out of the Supreme Pavilion and headed toward the north gate, a young man approached and cupped his hands.
“Pardon me, Captain. I am Jeung Gak, a warrior of the Jangyeong Hall.”
The Jangyeong Hall was the position Yuk Cheongah had gained when she transferred to the Dragon Coiling Hall.
‘He’s here.’ Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed.
Gongsun Dankyung’s plan was now in motion.
“What is it?” he asked.
“The Hall Leader requests your presence at the Soho Pavilion.”
The Soho Pavilion was a place only those of hall leader rank or higher could enter. Many of its rooms were soundproof, perfect for secret conversations.
“Please convey my refusal.”
“Pardon?”
“Tell the Hall Leader that since we now belong to different organizations, it would be uncomfortable for both of us to meet.”
Before Jeung Gak could say anything more, Bu Eunseol cupped his hands.
“Then.”
He turned and walked away, leaving Jeung Gak standing there dumbfounded.
Inside a sealed chamber of the Soho Pavilion sat a woman in pale blue robes. She was a beauty with a high, elegant nose and deep eyes, yet shadows lay heavy in her gaze.
‘Why on earth did he do this?’
The information about the slaughter demon had reached the Dragon Coiling Hall from an anonymous source.
Yuk Cheongah knew instinctively who had leaked it.
Seon Woojin.
As someone who could access the highest-grade intelligence from the Mankyeong Hall, the Martial Alliance’s official intelligence organization—and who also possessed her own private networks used even by the Alliance leadership—she knew well that there were organizations whose inner workings she could not penetrate.
One of them was the Supreme Corps.
That was how she could be certain.
The information about the newly emerged slaughter demon had come from none other than Seon Woojin.
“Jeung Gak reporting, Hall Leader.” A presence and a low voice sounded from outside.
“Let him in.”
“Well… Captain Seon has refused the summons.”
“What did you say?”
When Yuk Cheongah shouted, Jeung Gak stammered, “He said that since we now belong to different organizations, meeting would only make things awkward for both sides.”
Yuk Cheongah could hardly believe her ears.
To ignore a direct summons from a superior simply because they were now rivals?
“Captain Seon... he is gravely mistaken about something!”
Rising from her seat, she stormed out of the Soho Pavilion and headed straight for the north gate where the Supreme Corps was stationed. Walking quickly, she soon spotted a figure in white robes strolling leisurely through the bamboo grove.
It was Bu Eunseol.
“Captain Seon.”
Yuk Cheongah’s voice was ice.
“The discipline of this Alliance has truly fallen apart!”
“Hall Leader.”
“No matter that our affiliations have changed—I am still a hall leader of this Alliance. And you dare refuse my summons at your whim?”
“As the Hall Leader is well aware, the Lord is currently furious.” Bu Eunseol sighed deeply. “If word reached him that you and I met under these circumstances… the consequences would be unbearable.”
Yuk Cheongah knew that perfectly well.
Yet there was something she absolutely had to ask.
Because she had already guessed the source of the Earth-Killing Star information that had reached the Dragon Coiling Hall Leader.
“Why did you do it?” Cutting straight to the heart, she spoke in a low voice. “This was a golden opportunity.”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“I’m talking about the slaughter demon information.” Her face showed pure incomprehension. “It was the perfect chance to earn my father’s trust and claim great merit.”
A woman’s intuition can be terrifying.
Even without evidence, she was certain Bu Eunseol had leaked the information.
“What exactly do you want? To isolate my father? Or to join hands with Commander Gongsun and climb even higher?”
“…”
“Why won’t you answer?”
“If I answer, will you simply believe me?”
Someone like Yuk Cheongah would never take words at face value. Intelligent people analyze and re-analyze until they are personally convinced.
Yet her reply was unexpected.
“I will believe you. So speak.”
Bu Eunseol fell silent for a moment.
Then, as though he had no choice, he opened his mouth.
“It was not I who leaked it.”
“What?”
“I said it was not I who leaked it.”
His conscience pricked him slightly, but strictly speaking, it was the truth.
The one who had directly passed the information to the Dragon Coiling Hall was Gongsun Dankyung.
“Then it was the Commander.”
“…”
“Captain Seon, do you trust her?”
Yuk Cheongah’s voice turned cold.
“She has the face of a goddess, yet she drags countless young men into hell. Just like she did with Captain Baek Museong.”
When Bu Eunseol remained silent, she continued.
“You should keep your distance while you still can. Otherwise, you will fall into the abyss as well.”
“I will pretend I did not hear any of what was just said.”
Bu Eunseol cupped his hands politely.
“Then.” He turned and walked away.
Yuk Cheongah felt a strange sensation.
How long had it been since she last faced Seon Woojin after leaving the Ascending Martial Hall?
In the past, he had always obeyed her meekly.
He was the kind of man who would have jumped into boiling water without hesitation if she asked.
But in the meantime, he had changed.
His slender, delicate frame remained the same, yet his eyes had grown deeper and more commanding, and the aura radiating from him had become clearer.
He had become a cold man capable of ruthlessly rejecting and turning away from her words.
“Captain Seon!”
Biting her lip, Yuk Cheongah shouted with an emotion she had never felt before in her life.
She ran toward Bu Eunseol.
Step, step, step.
And at that very moment—
As though they had been waiting, a man and a woman approached from a distance.
It was none other than Gongsun Dankyung and Baek Museong.
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