At some point, a menial worker who excelled at laundry, chopping firewood, and cleaning had joined Xiaohua Pavilion.
It was none other than So Okrim.
After much deliberation, she disguised herself with a tough, somewhat dim-witted personality and altered her face to look rustic and unsophisticated.
When she applied for a position as a Xiaohua Pavilion laborer, she was hired immediately.
To portray a woman who had lived a hardscrabble life, she used bone-shrinking technique to shorten her height and bulked up her body even more.
Except for the time she had turned the Yanggwang martial world upside down, she had avoided public martial activities altogether.
Thus, transformed into a short, powerfully built woman who never shied away from dirty work and tackled tasks with stubborn grit, no one could possibly suspect she was So Okrim.
Meanwhile, Bu Eunseol visited Xiaohua Pavilion whenever the mood struck him, endlessly drinking.
As it turned out, Xiaohua Pavilion had separate courtesans for martial artists and high-ranking officials.
The courtesans who served high officials had been at Xiaohua Pavilion for over three years and all practiced martial arts.
In contrast, those who served martial artists did not practice martial arts at all and were instead required to master musical instruments.
Was this to more easily monitor the people inside?
Of course, martial artists were highly vigilant and perceptive, so they could immediately detect anyone trained in martial arts.
It made sense to bring in ordinary courtesans to create a relaxed atmosphere.
But the fact that they specifically selected courtesans trained in martial arts for the high officials was incomprehensible.
‘Information and control.’
Only after pondering for a long while could Bu Eunseol guess the reason.
For martial artists, they created an atmosphere where secrets could be shared to extract information.
For high officials, it wasn’t about information—
Rather, they sent martial-trained courtesans to monitor or restrict certain behaviors.
As Bu Eunseol, So Okrim, and Yu Cheongrim combined their efforts to relentlessly investigate Xiaohua Pavilion,
—Found it!
The three finally discovered the secret mechanism within Xiaohua Pavilion.
It was none other than the well.
A well that should normally be filled with water disappeared completely at specific times.
That meant there was undoubtedly some secret facility or mechanism beneath it.
But there was another obstacle here.
The difficulty of breaching the mechanism installed in the well was beyond imagination.
In the end, the three gathered again in the annex of the Anpyeong Inn.
“Damn it! In the end, the only thing I can do is open the entrance door.”
So Okrim said irritably.
“What kind of nonsense mechanism is this?”
Working as a laborer, she had been the first to enter the well and check the interior.
At the bottom was another door leading further down into the ground, incredibly heavy. The problem was that around the spot to open the floor door, a mysterious barrier technique prevented the use of internal energy.
Fortunately, So Okrim possessed innate divine strength, so she could lift and open the iron door weighing thousands of pounds without internal energy.
But the next gate was the issue.
Descending further, she saw a door with various shapes attached to the wall.
So Okrim reached out and touched the shapes.
They moved according to human touch, allowing various patterns to be formed.
She tried her best to arrange them, but no matter what, the door would not open.
“That’s the Delicate Mind Hidden Shape Gate.”
Yu Cheongrim, who had been listening, said with a serious expression.
The Delicate Mind Hidden Shape Gate.
A legendary locking mechanism created by the mythical thief Gu Yangfeng.
Within a limited time, one had to combine hundreds of shapes to form one specific pattern.
“What? What gate?”
“Don’t you know the Delicate Mind Hidden Shape Gate? In our line of work, it’s practically legendary.”
“Would I know something only thieves know?”
When So Okrim snapped at him, Yu Cheongrim cleared his throat awkwardly and changed the subject.
“To explain in detail, if you tamper with that mechanism carelessly, an alarm bell will ring. Moreover, there’s a time limit, so almost no one in the world can solve it.”
“Then what do we do?”
“Who am I?” Yu Cheongrim flashed his white teeth and pointed his thumb at his own face. “Do you know who I am?”
“Who?”
“Don’t you know who I am?” Yu Cheongrim glared with wide eyes and spoke in an extremely sharp voice. “I am Yu Cheongrim, the Thousand-Faced Divine Thief of Shandong.”
“So what.”
“I am Yu Cheongrim of Shandong… Ah, no.”
Having confidently pointed at himself, Yu Cheongrim noticed So Okrim’s fierce expression and silently lowered his head.
The next day.
Yu Cheongrim entered through the door So Okrim had opened and immediately solved the Delicate Mind Hidden Shape Gate mechanism. He barely completed the pattern within the time limit and entered, but another problem arose.
Beyond the gate was an extremely narrow passage.
There, mechanisms alternated between scorching hellfire and freezing hell-cold energies.
The passage was so narrow that qinggong could not be used.
Even the slender Yu Cheongrim could only pass by using bone-shrinking technique.
In short, the large-framed So Okrim could not pass through it, even with bone-shrinking technique.
“In the end, the three of us must combine our strengths to clear each gate one by one.”
Gathering again, the three crossed their arms and put their heads together.
The first gate for So Okrim.
The second for Yu Cheongrim.
And the final gate for Bu Eunseol to pass.
‘As expected, this place is definitely connected to the Three Realms, or perhaps the Inbiin.’
A flash sparked in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
So Okrim with her terrifying divine strength and martial prowess, Yu Cheongrim—one of the Four Divine Thieves of the martial world—and himself, who had mastered both orthodox and demonic supreme arts.
The fact that even their combined power was needed to open the gates?
Only those forces could create such mysterious mechanisms.
But why?
Why had they built such gates in Xiaohua Pavilion? Whom were they guarding against?
And what exactly was inside?
“Then let’s take turns.”
Spreading a detailed map of Xiaohua Pavilion’s interior on the table, Bu Eunseol began explaining the plan he had devised.
If this plan succeeded, they would surely unravel the secrets of Xiaohua Pavilion that had long been shrouded in mystery.
Under the bright moonlight.
Xiaohua Pavilion’s surroundings were filled with silence. All guests had entered the pavilions to drink, and inside, only a few servants moved about on errands.
Whoosh.
At that moment, a shadow crossed the roof of a pavilion.
Wearing tattered servant clothes despite her massive build, her qinggong was as swift as lightning.
It was So Okrim.
Swish.
The shadow slicing through the air leaped high and plunged into the large well within Xiaohua Pavilion.
At this hour, the water had drained, allowing safe entry.
“Grunt.”
Descending underground in one bound, So Okrim lifted the massive door at the bottom.
Creak creak.
Carefully opening the iron door, So Okrim muttered lowly,
“This is as far as I go.”
Then, with a burst of qinggong, she shot out of the well and vanished into the distant sky.
“Hahaha.”
Meanwhile, in a small annex to the west of Xiaohua Pavilion, a lively drinking session was underway.
Ding. Twang. Ding.
Beautiful zither music echoed continuously.
The manager Bang Juk, who had been making rounds inside Xiaohua Pavilion, nodded and disappeared somewhere again.
“My Lord, I’ll be back.”
In Xiaohua Pavilion’s Mingmei Pavilion.
Sensing Bang Juk’s departure, the courtesan rose from her seat.
It was Yu Cheongrim, disguised as Yak Hong.
Nod.
When Bu Eunseol nodded, Yu Cheongrim slipped out discreetly and moved between the pavilions.
Ding. Twang.
Even without Yu Cheongrim, the zither music continued to ring out from Mingmei Pavilion.
Bu Eunseol was masterfully playing the ajaeng with skills borrowed from Yu Cheongrim.
‘He learned well.’
In the past, to deal with someone disguised as a Mount Hua elder, he had infiltrated as a woman and learned musical arts.
Thus, his performance skill was no less than Yu Cheongrim’s.
‘Hurry.’
Meanwhile, Yu Cheongrim, rushing toward the well with qinggong, was anxious.
The time he could be away was only a short hour.
If the zither played silently without conversation for longer than that?
The manager and others in Xiaohua Pavilion would sense something wrong and come to check immediately.
Swish! Land.
Leaping into the well in one motion, Yu Cheongrim landed gracefully on the ground.
He quickly passed through the iron door So Okrim had opened.
Before him appeared a wall engraved with chaotically moving shapes—the Delicate Mind Hidden Shape Gate.
“Damn. It’s nerve-wracking every time.”
Taking a deep breath, Yu Cheongrim began moving his hands like mad.
Using only the sensation in his fingertips to feel the minute weight differences in the shapes, he had to create a perfect circle.
The problem was that the shape pattern changed each time he entered.
Thus, no matter how much he practiced the method, bad luck could prevent solving it within the time limit.
Swish swish.
Yu Cheongrim’s hands moved so fast they became invisible.
The golden pieces seemed about to form completion, only to distort again and again.
‘I rushed too much.’
Stop.
When Yu Cheongrim halted his hands, the nearly completed circle completely collapsed.
In his haste, the pattern had reset to its initial state.
“Damn it!”
At this rate, he couldn’t solve it in time.
The problem was that an opportunity like tonight would never come again.
“Deep breaths.”
Closing his eyes, Yu Cheongrim breathed deeply.
‘Let go of greed.’
His master, the Mysterious Divine Thief, had always said that only by abandoning greed could one become a great thief capable of stealing the world.
But whenever Yu Cheongrim heard that, he scoffed.
—If a thief abandons greed, is he still a thief? Why not just become a philanthropist?
—That’s not what I mean. Greed dulls the hand.
A true great thief keeps both mind and hand in a state of emptiness. Only then can he be faster than others.
It sounded like grasping at clouds.
If the hand is in a clear state with no desires, why bother training the blade-throwing arts until your fingers bleed?
Every time, Yu Cheongrim snorted and ignored it.
—Master can keep emptiness or play with it however you like.
‘Complete emptiness.’
But now Yu Cheongrim finally understood.
Void and serene tranquility.
When greed is released, all attachment vanishes, and the spirit becomes utterly calm.
Only in that state can one fully control the body.
It was no different from a swordsman reaching the pinnacle of swordsmanship, maintaining a state of stillness in the spirit.
‘I’m not entering to steal something. I’m entering for a greater cause!’
Swish.
With eyes closed, Yu Cheongrim placed his hands again.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Unlike before, his hands now moved so fast they were utterly invisible.
White energy streams formed at his fingertips, and brilliant light poured from his eyes.
Then, the shapes on the wall rapidly began forming a perfect round shape.
Zing.
Finally, a large circle like the sun appeared.
Clank clank.
The door spun and began to open.
‘Yes!’
Whoosh!
Yu Cheongrim burst into qinggong and soared out of the well.
His unique movement art, Great Lightning Flash Shadow, had reached the ultimate realm—truly like a flash of lightning.
‘Just a bit faster!’
It was almost time for the manager to return.
He had to hurry back to Bu Eunseol and resume playing the ajaeng.
Halt.
Returning to Mingmei Pavilion, Yu Cheongrim suddenly stopped his movement.
Far ahead, a middle-aged man in fancy clothes was walking toward the pavilion.
‘The manager.’
Yu Cheongrim grew anxious.
Manager Bang Juk was a master from the demonic path with formidable martial arts.
Carelessly using qinggong in front of him could lead to immediate detection.
‘The Lord truly is a ghost.’
Bu Eunseol had predicted this situation and given So Okrim one instruction.
[Lady So!]
As Yu Cheongrim sent a thousand-li sound transmission,
Boom!
From the stables, a massive crash reverberated.
It was So Okrim, waiting in the stables on Yu Cheongrim’s signal, creating loud noise.
Swish!
Timing it with the noise, Yu Cheongrim instantly leaped over Bang Juk’s head.
“Hmm.”
Fortunately, distracted by the sound, Bang Juk turned toward the stables and didn’t sense Yu Cheongrim’s presence.
Swish.
Returning inside, Yu Cheongrim immediately switched places and stopped playing.
Clearing his throat, he spoke in a clear woman’s voice,
“The performance is sufficient for now; I shall call another girl.”
Bu Eunseol replied in a low voice,
“No need. I prefer drinking while listening to the ajaeng anyway.”
Halt.
Bang Juk, approaching Mingmei Pavilion, stood outside for a long while.
“…”
After gauging the atmosphere inside, he turned and walked the opposite way.
He had come suspecting something odd from the repeated zither without conversation, but confirmed all was well, and left.
‘Phew.’
As Bang Juk departed, Yu Cheongrim patted his chest in relief.
Now all obstacles were cleared.
Bu Eunseol could perfectly conceal his presence and infiltrate no matter the situation.
“It’s open, my Lord.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
Ding. Twang.
As Yu Cheongrim resumed playing, Bu Eunseol instantly deployed qinggong and entered the well.
Tsu tsu tsu tsu!
Bu Eunseol’s Swift Beyond Shadow was a movement art optimized for infiltration from the start.
It was as fast as Yu Cheongrim’s Great Lightning Flash Shadow, yet its stealth was truly ghostly.
Whoosh. Whoosh.
Leaping between pavilions like a phantom, Bu Eunseol flew into the well within Xiaohua Pavilion in one bound.
Land.
Quietly landing inside the well, Bu Eunseol immediately passed through the open iron door and descended underground.
Creak creak creak.
The Delicate Mind Hidden Shape Gate that Yu Cheongrim had opened was closing.
Bu Eunseol moved swiftly and slipped inside before it shut completely.
Then an extremely narrow passage appeared. So narrow that even the slender Bu Eunseol had to use bone-shrinking technique and sidestep to pass.
Crack.
With bone-shrinking deployed, shrinking his body thin as he walked the passage,
Whoosh.
Along with transparent energy streams, tremendous heat poured from the walls.
‘Supreme Fire Ring Aura?’
Bu Eunseol was greatly startled.
The heat pouring from the walls wasn’t ordinary extreme yang power.
It was remarkably similar to the Supreme Fire Ring Aura contained within the Yeolha Great Purification Method.
‘Perhaps.’
Goosebumps rose on Bu Eunseol’s skin.
If the Returning to One Realm was recreating the powers of countless past masters…
Could they have even restored the Supreme Fire Ring Aura of the Yeolha Holy Palace Lord?
The thought flashed: had they perhaps revived the Glacial Great Emperor or the Yeolha Holy Saint themselves?
‘So that’s why they planted spies from the Three Realms in both great sects.’
In the North Sea and Yeolha, the two massive sects, spies from the Three Realms had plotted but were ultimately thwarted by Bu Eunseol.
Perhaps among them were figures from the Returning to One Realm searching for the remains of previous-generation masters?
‘No, it could be a coincidence.’
Fortunately, Bu Eunseol had found the remains of the two masters first, and afterward, they vanished once more into secret mechanisms.
Even if the Returning to One Realm could fly through the heavens, they would never find that location.
Whoosh.
As Bu Eunseol slowly passed through the passage, purple flames burned around his body.
When the extreme yang power similar to Supreme Fire Ring Aura enveloped him, Thunder Spirit Energy activated on its own, embracing that power.
Shuuu.
The heat that could melt internals in an instant met Thunder Spirit Energy and instead turned into pleasantly warm wind.
Swish swish.
After passing the narrow passage for a while, a place swirling with chilling energy appeared.
As Bu Eunseol entered the passage, tremendous cold poured out this time.
It too was remarkably similar to the Heavenly Glacial Secret.
‘They’ve created martial arts resembling the two supreme arts from beyond the borders.’
A chill ran through Bu Eunseol’s heart.
Restoring even the supreme arts of the North Sea and Yeolha proved their influence extended beyond the Central Plains martial world into the outer regions.
Zing.
Transparent energy flowed from Bu Eunseol’s body, beginning to absorb the pouring cold.
This time, Crystal Spirit Energy activated on its own, embracing the extreme yin power.
‘So this is why the Infinite Realm coveted the Four Gods Energy so much.’
From a purely martial perspective, the Four Gods power was merely at the level of advanced martial arts but from the perspective of barrier techniques, the Four Gods Energy was nearly invincible.
It could counter any technique.
Moreover, now that Bu Eunseol possessed two of the Four Gods powers, he could resist and apply not only techniques but various other forces in countless ways.
Boom.
Meanwhile, Bu Eunseol finally passed the narrow passage. Another small door appeared.
‘Footprints.’
Numerous footprints were visible there, all very small.
‘I see.’
Only then did Bu Eunseol understand why the passage was so narrow.
‘It was a passage for forcing in the children.’
This wasn’t a normal mechanism—it was a passage for secretly bringing in abducted children and shoving them through.
Normally, they likely kept the mechanisms active, using this path only when bringing children.
Swish.
Bu Eunseol cautiously entered.
The passage gradually widened, eventually revealing a prison-like space with large doors on both sides.
It closely resembled the scene he had once witnessed at Cold Moon Island.
‘Surely not.’
Bu Eunseol carefully opened a door and peered inside.
The room was filled with unfamiliar tools and books.
Containers holding what appeared to be human organs and blood, along with piles of human skins, were stored there.
‘Please, let it not be.’
Bu Eunseol bit his lip.
Opening another door, he found countless pills prepared.
There too, byproducts resembling human organs were dried like medicinal herbs.
Glimmer.
Suddenly, a faint presence was felt from the door ahead.
Moving stealthily, Bu Eunseol stood before a large door.
Fortunately, bars at eye level allowed him to peer inside without opening it.
The room was embedded with night-luminous pearls, casting soft light from the ceiling.
A bed was placed in the center, and a gaunt middle-aged man lay upon it.
Though his upper body was bare, his features suggested someone of high status.
Around him, figures wearing veils over their faces busily moved. In their hands were the stacks of human skin seen earlier and containers of clear blood.
After bustling for a while, their movements stopped.
Color returned to the gaunt middle-aged man’s face, and his skin grew glossy.
Bu Eunseol checked the opposite stone chamber where another presence was felt.
There, an elderly woman lay. As they applied various great methods using the human skins, her face suddenly transformed into that of a mature beauty.
Crack.
Bu Eunseol clenched his fists until his bones creaked.
‘The children’s bodies are being used as materials for forbidden arts…’
In the end, the worst fears he had desperately hoped were untrue had become reality.
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