—The Sword Demon and the Sword King. Two swordsmen are about to cross blades!
An unexpected piece of news struck the martial world like thunder.
In his youth, he earned the title Sword Demon—the foremost swordsman of the demonic path—early on.
By his thirties, he had risen to the position of Chief Instructor of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect: Sword Demon Wi Hyeok-gun.
And then there was the Sword King, Seon Woojin, who at the tender age of a promising young man had already ascended to the position of the Four Gods and Seven Kings—the title given to absolute masters who reached the pinnacle in every field of martial arts.
These two supreme experts had agreed to duel.
“In half a month, at the hour when the sun stands highest. On Poseok Island.”
Even more astonishing, the two peerless swordsmen declared they would fight in public.
Normally, the greater a master’s martial prowess, the more they avoid open duels.
Why? Because such a fight exposes every one of their secret techniques and the strengths and weaknesses of their martial arts to the entire martial world.
Yet Wi Hyeok-gun had not sent a private challenge to Seon Woojin.
Instead, he openly delivered a letter to the Martial Alliance headquarters proposing a public duel.
His intention was clear: to display Seon Woojin’s utter defeat before the eyes of the world, thereby raising the name of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect once more to new heights.
‘If he’s a coward, he won’t even dare accept the challenge, will he?’
In truth, Wi Hyeok-gun was almost certain Seon Woojin would refuse.
He assumed the younger man had spread such rumors merely to gain free fame.
“Very well.”
Contrary to expectation, however, Seon Woojin accepted the duel without the slightest hesitation.
With that, what began as a clash between the new and old generations of supreme swordsmen transformed into a battle that now carried the pride of both the righteous and demonic paths.
‘We cannot miss this fight!’
Upon hearing the news, martial artists dropped whatever they were eating and rushed toward Poseok Island in a frenzy.
Merely witnessing a duel between such masters could grant warriors enormous insight.
Every armed martial artist in the world who considered themselves even remotely skilled was now pouring toward Poseok Island.
***
Martial Alliance Headquarters, Supreme Pavilion. Seon Woojin’s office.
Bu Eunseol, disguised as Seon Woojin, was diligently handling paperwork.
Soon he would have to leave for the martial world to take care of several matters.
Therefore, he was rapidly clearing the backlog.
“Huu…”
With a deep sigh, Bu Eunseol set down the brush he had been holding.
He had finally reviewed and dealt with every accumulated task.
‘A private meeting with the Majeon Lord was not necessarily a bad thing.’
Although the encounter had surely included some scheme by the Demon Emperor to place the fabricated figure named Seon Woojin onto his chessboard, in the end, that single audience had extracted an apology from Majeon and earned him the trust of the Martial Alliance’s core leadership.
‘I should head out to the martial world now.’
Bu Eunseol would soon travel to Poseok Island to fight the Sword Demon.
Of course, one purpose was to reveal the strength of Sword King Seon Woojin and keep his promise to the Majeon Lord.
But he had another reason as well.
‘Sword Demon…’
Bu Eunseol’s eyes blazed red like heated iron.
‘I will absolutely not let him leave with all four limbs intact.’
Knock knock.
"My Lord, it is Tae Muryong.”
At that moment, a knock sounded, followed by Tae Muryong’s voice.
“Come in.”
Tae Muryong entered the office with a dark expression.
“As expected, we could find no trace of the Yangseol family.”
After giving a respectful bow, he continued.
“We mobilized every intelligence network along with the Death Spirit Corps, yet we found no individual or force that appears to be connected to the Yangseol family.”
“I see.”
Perhaps that was only to be expected.
The Yangseol family had never revealed itself in the martial world before; it was closer to an abyssal power.
Even mobilizing all the intelligence organizations of the righteous and demonic sides, finding them in such a short time was simply impossible.
‘I absolutely must find a new Boundary Prosperity Jade.’
Bu Eunseol gently stroked the Boundary Prosperity Jade hidden in his robes.
Ever since meeting the Lord of Majeon, its light had completely vanished, and even its ability to alter aura and presence had disappeared.
If he fought the Sword Demon in this state?
Not only the Demon Emperor, but any sharp-eyed heavenly-rank master might see through his true identity.
“My Lord.”
Tae Muryong spoke again.
“Are you really sure about this?”
“About what?”
“The Sword Demon is no ordinary master. It is said that within the Hwa Wu Sword Sect, aside from the Sect Leader and the elders, no one can match him.”
“You’re right. He is extraordinarily strong.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed faintly.
‘I have felt his power with my own bones.’
In the past, on Hell Island, Bu Eunseol had refused to become one of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect’s Ten Demon Warriors.
In response, the furious Wi Hyeok-gun had immediately unleashed Formless Finger Energy.
Had Dan Cheong not blocked it at that moment, Bu Eunseol would have suffered irreversible, fatal internal injuries.
“Then why did you deliberately provoke him into this duel?”
Through the Death Spirit Corps’s intelligence network, Bu Eunseol had predicted Wi Hyeok-gun’s movements.
Then he hired people from the Black Fang to continuously spread stories that would provoke the Sword Demon.
The Majeon Lord had demanded proof that rising to the position of aide to the Four Gods and Seven Kings within a month was no fluke.
In effect, it meant Bu Eunseol had to defeat one of them.
But among the currently active Four Gods and Seven Kings, only Bukung-ryeong remained—and fighting him was impossible.
Even if he sought masters comparable to the Four Gods and Seven Kings, none of them had any reason to accept a challenge from Seon Woojin.
If fame had been their goal, they would have claimed the position long ago.
Wi Hyeok-gun, however, was different.
He possessed immense pride and revered the Hwa Wu Sword Sect as dearly as his own life.
Simply because Bu Eunseol had chosen Nangyang Pavilion, Wi Hyeok-gun had instantly decided it was an insult to his sect and unleashed Formless Finger Energy.
Bu Eunseol had calculated that by exploiting that arrogant temperament, Wi Hyeok-gun would surely accept a challenge from Seon Woojin.
“Among those who can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Four Gods and Seven Kings, only he was the type who would accept a duel without hesitation. That’s all there is to it.”
“My Lord… I feel hurt.” Tae Muryong gave a bitter smile. “Do you still think of us as belonging to the righteous path?”
“…”
“Not long ago I heard everything through the Death Spirit Corps. The Hwa Wu Sword Sect’s Chief Instructor Wi Hyeok-gun… crippled the right arm of Instructor Jingak who was formerly a beginner instructor at the Hwa Wu Sword Hall on Hell Island.”
Tae Muryong’s gaze deepened.
“All because Jingak taught the basics of the Hwa Wu Sword style to the Nangyang Pavilion’s Ten Demon Warrior—the very man who had once intimidated the Young Sect Leader and nearly bankrupted the sect’s finances.”
The real reason Bu Eunseol had gone out of his way to provoke Sword Demon Wi Hyeok-gun into this duel was because he had learned through the Death Spirit Corps’s network that Wi Hyeok-gun had maimed Instructor Jingak’s right arm simply for daring to teach sword fundamentals to someone from Nangyang Pavilion.
“I could not strike him as the Martial Soul Command Lord. That is the only reason.”
A wild glint exploded from Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
“It was simply the perfect opportunity to crush that sword-crazed fanatic who worships the Hwa Wu Sword Sect like a madman.”
“I understand now.”
Tae Muryong drew a deep breath.
Bu Eunseol was someone who repaid kindness tenfold.
Yet merely because the man had taught him sword basics, Wi Hyeok-gun had destroyed Jingak’s arm.
His rage had soared to the heavens.
In the end, using the deal with the Demon Emperor as an excuse, he had mobilized every intelligence network to pick a fight with the Sword Demon.
All so he could fight him.
“But this is far too dangerous a battle.” Tae Muryong wore a worried expression. “You cannot kill him… nor can you win overwhelmingly.”
Up until now Bu Eunseol had suppressed his inner fury.
Now that it had erupted sky-high, the Sword Demon should not even dream of leaving Poseok Island unscathed.
The problem was that Seon Woojin’s martial prowess must not surpass the Sword Demon’s.
If it did, the carefully constructed persona of Seon Woojin would collapse completely.
Yet he could not simply let the man walk away unharmed either…
From Bu Eunseol’s perspective, this was an impossibly difficult fight.
“I have prepared countermeasures of my own.”
“Then I am relieved.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with an apologetic look. “I’m sorry for not telling you earlier. This felt like a personal matter.”
“No, it’s fine.”
Tae Muryong clasped his hands together.
“I simply wanted to remind you that everything you do, my Lord, is something we of the Supreme Corps are prepared to stake our lives on.”
“I will remember that from now on.”
“Thank you.”
Tae Muryong smiled.
“Then we will make one more attempt to trace the Yangseol family’s movements.”
“There is no need to strain yourselves.” Bu Eunseol returned a gentle smile. “I’m only looking into something. That’s all.”
“Understood.”
After giving a respectful bow, Tae Muryong turned and left.
Bu Eunseol gazed at the closing door, his smile slowly fading into shadow.
Before heading to Poseok Island, he had to find Yangseol Rin.
Without a new Boundary Prosperity Jade, he might not even be able to face the Sword Demon in the first place.
But if he told the entire truth to the Supreme Corps, they would overexert themselves.
No matter if it cost him his life, Bu Eunseol refused to let any corps member be harmed.
“Ah.”
A sudden thought occurred to him.
‘She said she could read the heavenly signs and foresaw the appearance of the Heaven-Dark Star.’
Yangseol Rin had told him that the reason she emerged into the martial world was because she had read the celestial omen of the Heaven-Dark Star’s manifestation.
‘Could that possibly be connected to me?’
The Heavenly Deity had called him the Heaven-Dark Star.
And according to Yangseol Rin, the condition for the Heaven-Dark Star to shine was when it either realized its own fate or manifested its power.
If he truly was the Heaven-Dark Star, and if her words were correct… then there was only one explanation for why the heavenly signs had shifted.
‘Memories.’
While traveling the martial world, whenever Bu Eunseol suffered a powerful shock to his brain meridians, fragments of memory would return.
Could it be that every time his memories resurfaced, the Heaven-Dark Star shone?
‘Am I thinking too highly of myself?’
Bu Eunseol gave a wry smile and shook his head.
Only the Heavenly Deity had ever called him the Heaven-Dark Star. No one else had recognized it.
Even Yangseol Rin, who claimed to read the heavens, had not identified him as such.
Deep down, Bu Eunseol considered the probability low and believed the Heavenly Deity had simply been mistaken.
‘Still… recovering my lost memories is something I must do.’
Whether it was the Heaven-Dark Star or not, regaining the memories in his head was necessary.
And it was also one of Bu Eunseol’s small personal wishes.
If only he could see his mother’s face just once… if only he could remember it…
Then perhaps the pain and loneliness he endured during his days as a vagrant would finally be washed away.
"My Lord, it is Jeong Jongdo.”
At that moment, the Corps Captain Jeong Jongdo arrived at the office.
“We have finally located the dharma treasure you have been searching for all this time.”
His voice was flushed with excitement.
“It’s the divine artifact of the Divine Maiden Palace.”
“Truly?”
“Yes. One of the Death Spirit Corps members—a former member of the Nine Deaths Squad—discovered it in the Flame Mountain canyon in Turpan.”
“That is excellent news.”
A faint smile curved Bu Eunseol’s lips.
In the past, when Yeon Soha had visited Majeon, she had stayed in the Suppressed Demon Pavilion for quite a long time.
Whenever she had free moments, she would come to talk with Bu Eunseol.
Among those conversations had been secret histories of the Divine Maiden Palace.
It was said that within the Divine Maiden Palace existed a mysterious hidden chamber called the Immortal Crane Annex, left behind by their founder. But because the palace’s divine artifact—the Wild Spirit Banner—had gone missing, no one had been able to enter it for centuries.
— Is the Wild Spirit Banner you speak of the legendary one?
According to legend, the Wild Spirit Banner was a dharma treasure of the goddess Nüwa.
Normally kept inside a gourd, when taken out it could display miraculous power.
— Yes. Though whether it truly belongs to a goddess, no one knows.
It was said to be a small flag that emitted five-colored light and lay dormant somewhere in the Xinjiang region.
— Then why hasn’t the Divine Maiden Palace sent people to retrieve it?
To that, Yeon Soha had answered:
— We searched for a very long time. In the end we gave up. Even if we found the Wild Spirit Banner, no one in our palace possesses the five hundred years of inner energy required to use it. Moreover, opening the Immortal Crane Annex with it consumes roughly thirty percent of one’s energy.”
She had smiled gently.
— How could any human possess more than five hundred years of profound energy? And even if such a divine person existed, why would they sacrifice their cultivation just to open our palace’s secret chamber?
After hearing that story, Bu Eunseol had offered a massive bounty and assigned the Death Spirit Corps and Nine Deaths Squad members to search for the Wild Spirit Banner.
The reason was simple: he felt a deep sense of indebtedness toward the Divine Maiden Palace.
Even if that had never been his intention, Yeon Soha had run away from home because of him. To protect him from her own predicament, she had announced their betrothal without the Palace Master’s permission.
Although they were close in age, Bu Eunseol was unmistakably a grandmaster of the demonic path.
He bore at least partial responsibility for failing to stop the naive Yeon Soha’s actions.
‘From the Palace Master’s perspective, she has already endured far more than anyone should.’
The Divine Maiden Palace Master must have been furious beyond words.
Yet she never publicly condemned him, nor did she take any sect-level action against him.
For that alone, Bu Eunseol felt he owed her something.
After much thought, he had decided that retrieving the Wild Spirit Banner would be the way to repay that debt.
And now that plan had finally borne fruit.
With the integration of righteous and demonic intelligence networks, one persistent member of the Death Spirit Corps had at last located the divine artifact.
“Order them to deliver it to me immediately. I will head to the Divine Maiden Palace myself.”
If the legends passed down in the palace were true, opening the Immortal Crane Annex would cause a massive loss of inner energy in that instant.
Yet to clear the debt in his heart, Bu Eunseol was prepared to do it without hesitation—even on the eve of his duel with the Sword Demon.
“Understood. I will arrange for it to be delivered to you the moment you depart the Alliance.”
“Good.”
After Jeong Jongdo left, Bu Eunseol gave a faint smile.
The Divine Maiden Palace had long been renowned for its profound formations and sorcery, though its martial prowess was considered somewhat lacking.
If he could open the Immortal Crane Annex for them, surely the palace would rise to become an even stronger sect.
In that way, he could wash away—at least in part—his guilt toward the Palace Master and Yeon Soha.
‘I should go soon.’
As he rose from his seat, a single word suddenly flashed through Bu Eunseol’s mind.
‘Sorcery.’
Yangseol Rin could read the heavenly signs.
She had seen the Heaven-Dark Star twinkling in the sky and emerged into the martial world because of it.
Later, sensing that the leader of one of the seven Qinghai Demonic Sects was using the Childlike White Bones technique, she had tried to stop it—and that was how she met him.
‘Perhaps… the Divine Maiden Palace.’
Though such miraculous sorcery and great arts were said to have vanished from the current martial world, the three great shadowy powers that had appeared so far continued to employ such forbidden methods without cease.
Of course, no one from the Three Realms would ever help him.
But apart from them, there existed one sect that had inherited and studied mysterious formations passed down through the ages and among the Seven Great Hidden Palaces, it was said to wield the most arcane formations and sorcery of all.
The very sect where Yeon Soha resided: the Wushan Divine Maiden Palace.
‘Perhaps they possess some secret art or forbidden technique capable of altering the flow of heavenly fate.’
If the heavenly signs changed, the Yangseol family might sense it and come looking.
For the first time, Bu Eunseol had found a glimmer of hope.
‘Of course, the Yangseol family cannot be trusted.’
Though officially vanished, in reality they watched the martial world’s every shift with hawk-like attention and meddled deeply in many affairs.
The martial world had already fallen into such chaos that it was impossible to tell good from evil anymore.
The Yangseol family was one of those untrustworthy powers.
‘But Yangseol Rin herself…’
The Yangseol Rin he had met clearly possessed a genuine will to protect the martial world and had not been corrupted by evil.
Whether she could be trusted or not was another matter entirely.
‘In any case, it was inevitable.’
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath.
He would use the Wild Spirit Banner to open the Immortal Crane Annex and at the same time, seek from the Divine Maiden Palace any method capable of changing the heavenly signs.
***
Wushan.
Located along the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, a place enveloped in mysterious and auspicious energy—the most enigmatic women’s sect in the world made its home here.
Having departed from the Martial Alliance, Bu Eunseol employed qinggong and reached Wushan in a single stretch.
Yet the moment he stood before the fog-shrouded main gate of the Divine Maiden Palace, he found himself unable to take another step.
The Palace Master, Yeon Jami, viewed him with displeasure.
Meanwhile, Yeon Soha harbored deep affection for him—so deep that she had defied her mother’s will and announced their betrothal. Even if she had done so as a desperate measure to ward off the flood of suitors… her feelings were undeniably sincere.
Knowing this all too well, Bu Eunseol lacked the courage to step boldly inside.
‘But I cannot send someone else in my place either.’
Activating the Wild Spirit Banner required a terrifying five hundred years of profound inner energy.
Moreover, using it would consume roughly thirty percent of one’s cultivation in an instant.
There was no way he could ask another person to do it.
‘What if I put someone else forward and disguise myself as their attendant?’
If he let another person present the banner, then secretly use a technique while disguised as a servant… would he not be able to repay the debt while avoiding the Palace Master’s anger and Yeon Soha’s earnest affection?
‘Should I ask Seo Jinha then?’
For a moment, the grinning face of Seo Jinha floated into his mind.
— ‘Flowers are more beautiful when gathered together. To a hero, three wives and four concubines are no flaw at all, Bu Eunseol.’
‘No, absolutely not.’
Bu Eunseol hurriedly covered his eyes.
The man who always wore a serious expression while patting his shoulder and spouting such nonsense—a man steeped in extremely dangerous ideas.
If he sent Seo Jinha, the situation would undoubtedly grow far worse.
‘But I cannot resolve this with force either.’
In the end, he had no choice but to enter under his true identity.
The problem was that one misstep could very well end with him being thoroughly entangled.
‘Repaying a debt is this difficult, it seems.’
Receiving help from others is easy.
Repaying it is never easy.
That is why wise people fear accepting favors from others more than anything.
Yet Bu Eunseol was the type who would dig a new well to repay even a single sip of water.
He never hesitated to return kindness.
Of course, it was precisely because of this trait that he had met good people amid the heartless martial world drenched in favors and grudges.
And perhaps it was also the driving force that had allowed him to endure until now.
[Is it hard to go in?]
While Bu Eunseol stood frozen before the gate, Soyo sent him a soft transmission.
[Shall I come with you?]
Her thousand-li transmission carried deep concern and care.
Hearing Soyo’s voice gave Bu Eunseol courage.
[No, it’s fine. I’ll be back soon.]
After taking a deep breath, Bu Eunseol walked straight to the main gate and knocked.
“Who is it?”
A guard of the Divine Maiden Palace glanced at Bu Eunseol and her eyes sharpened.
“This palace is forbidden to men. You cannot enter.”
“I apologize, but please convey a message to the Palace Master.”
Bu Eunseol spoke in a low voice.
“Tell her that Nangyang Pavilion disciple Bu Eunseol requests an audience with the Palace Master.”
“Bu Eunseol…”
The guard’s eyes widened. Then she asked in a polite tone,
“The successor of Majeon, the Martial Soul Command Lord himself?”
“Yes.”
“Please wait a moment.”
The guard went inside. Soon afterward, hurried footsteps echoed from within.
The gate opened again, and a beautiful woman in pure white robes rushed out.
It was Yeon Soha.
“Husb—!”
She stopped short and hurriedly covered her mouth.
Instead of addressing him as "My Lord,” she had unconsciously called him “Husband.”
Whenever she stood before Bu Eunseol, no matter how hard she tried to hide it, her true feelings kept leaking out.
“Young Palace Master.”
Bu Eunseol was looking not at her face, but at her feet.
In her haste, Yeon Soha had put her shoes on backward.
From that small detail, he could sense just how frantically the usually calm woman had run to him.
“Oh!”
Only then did she notice her mistake and quickly correct her shoes.
‘She still likes me so much.’
A pang of guilt struck Bu Eunseol.
They had met face-to-face only once, yet she continued to hold unwavering affection for him.
But he could not accept her feelings.
He was walking a perilous path of revenge where death could come at any moment.
Moreover, even looking only at the visible enemies, he faced the Three Realms that dominated the martial world.
He had neither the leisure to meet someone nor the margin to nurture affection.
Letting himself become romantically involved with anyone would only place that person in mortal danger.
“The ancients said that when people were extremely delighted, they sometimes wore their shoes backward… It seems the Young Palace Master is welcoming this Lord so warmly.”
At Bu Eunseol’s teasing remark, Yeon Soha’s pale cheeks flushed bright red.
“Don’t tease me.”
She lowered her head in embarrassment, then—still flushed—asked, “What brings you here so suddenly?”
She seemed to believe he had come specifically to see her.
“I came to pay my respects to the Palace Master for a moment.”
“To Mother…? Surely not—”
Now even her forehead turned scarlet.
She thought Bu Eunseol had come to formally propose marriage.
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