“Very well.”
When Bu Eunseol readily agreed, Yangseol Rin nodded with great delight.
“Really?”
Seeing her beam like a child, Bu Eunseol couldn’t help but smile as well.
“Of course.”
“I knew I was good at reading people. You definitely have integrity.”
After repeatedly giving him a thumbs-up, her expression soon turned serious.
“First, Gongsun Dankyung. Investigate her for me.”
The completely unexpected request made Bu Eunseol frown.
“Gongsun Dankyung, you mean…”
“That’s right—the Chief Inspector of the Martial Alliance.”
“What exactly would you like me to look into?”
“Everything.”
Yangseol Rin spoke gravely.
“The last time I came out into the martial world, she tried to kill me.”
“The Chief Inspector did?”
In that instant Bu Eunseol realized his mistake.
Because he had always dealt with her as Seon Woojin, his tone and expression when saying “Chief Inspector” had come out far too naturally and familiarly.
“Hm? You seem to know her quite well.”
Yangseol Rin’s perceptiveness was downright ghostly.
“It was because of the matter between Majeon and the Martial Alliance. I met her when she visited our sect once.”
Bu Eunseol quickly offered an excuse.
“We built a bit of rapport back then, so I suppose I feel somewhat close to her.”
“Hmm, really?”
“Yes.”
Avoiding Yangseol Rin’s narrowed, suspicious gaze, Bu Eunseol changed the subject.
“Then the main thing to find out is why she tried to kill you.”
“I already know the reason. She told me herself.”
Putting both hands on her hips, she spoke in disbelief.
“She asked where exactly the Jungson family is located and demanded that I tell her.”
‘So it was the Jungson family.’
A strange look crossed Bu Eunseol’s face.
That explained why she hadn’t seemed particularly pleased by the fall of the Infinite Realm, and why the emotion of revenge still lingered so strongly.
Perhaps her ultimate target really was the Jungson family.
“Yeah, the way she acted so viciously made it clear she harbors a deep, bitter grudge against them.”
“Don’t you have any dealings with them, miss? Aren’t they still one of the Three Great Families?”
“You sound exactly like that woman. Just because we’re called one of the Three Great Families, does that mean we’re obligated to associate with each other?”
Yangseol Rin’s expression was so pure that it didn’t seem like she was deliberately hiding anything.
‘She doesn’t appear to be lying.’
Yet the Yangseol family—which had been active in the martial world for so long—could not possibly have failed to detect the Jungson family’s covert activities.
‘Then perhaps she isn’t a core member of the Yangseol family and simply doesn’t have access to critical information?’
Looking back, Yangseol Rin was far too innocent for someone from the Yangseol family.
How could a member of a family that had operated in secrecy without revealing its true identity for so long possibly maintain such childlike naivety?
“Can you do it?”
At that moment Yangseol Rin asked with a worried look.
“You’re the successor of Majeon, after all.”
Seeing the genuine concern in her eyes, the suspicions that had begun to rise in Bu Eunseol’s mind suddenly evaporated.
‘I shouldn’t doubt her. Didn’t I already decide to trust her?’
It was true that having the successor of Majeon secretly investigate the Chief Inspector of the Martial Alliance was no simple task.
But he had the identity of Seon Woojin.
If he wished, he could extract as much information about Gongsun Dankyung as he desired.
“Don’t worry. I’ll do it.” Bu Eunseol smiled. “I’ll bring you detailed information that will satisfy you.”
“Good. Then the second request.”
She slightly averted her gaze as she continued.
“I’d like you to give me one of the items you always carry on your person.”
“An item I always carry?”
“Yes. Anyway, we’ll have to meet again because of the Gongsun Dankyung matter, right? It would be good to have something like an identification token instead of just showing your face.”
The request was a bit odd, but Bu Eunseol nodded as if he understood.
“I don’t have any proper identification token right now… How about this?”
When Bu Eunseol extended his sleeve, a small throwing dagger appeared between his index and middle fingers.
In the past he had frequently used throwing techniques, but at some point he had stopped, and this dagger had simply remained in his robes as part of his equipment.
“A throwing dagger is your token?”
“Not exactly, but I’ve carried it on me for a very long time. It’s made of White Lotus Steel, with extremely uniform weight and density…”
“No, not something like that. I mean something that’s truly one-of-a-kind in the world. Anyone could make another throwing dagger like that.”
“Something truly one-of-a-kind…”
At her words, Bu Eunseol pondered for a moment, then raised his inner energy.
Sizzle.
With his thumbnail he carved the symbol of Nangyang—a single wolf—onto the blade of the dagger.
“How about this? Now it really is one-of-a-kind.”
“Hmm. Well… okay.”
Yangseol Rin smiled as she looked at the wolf engraved on the blade.
“The wolf’s face looks a bit ferocious… but I like it.”
“Tell me the third request as well.”
“I’ll save that one for later.”
Yangseol Rin gave a faint smile.
“I’m going back now.”
“How can I find you? I’ll need to report on the Chief Inspector’s matter.”
“How about we meet in half a month at the Seonin Guesthouse in Muchang Prefecture? Around sunset.”
She smiled gently.
“If you’re busy, just send word by messenger. I can have someone come to that place too.”
“Understood.”
“Then I’m off. Oh, one more thing.”
Just as she turned to leave, she spoke again.
“Don’t tell anyone that you have the Boundary Prosperity Jade. And don’t tell anyone that I told you about it.”
“Understood.”
“And…”
Yangseol Rin gave him a meaningful look.
“Don’t use too much power while carrying the Boundary Prosperity Jade. It’s only temporarily infused with another energy.”
“You mean it could be discovered?”
“Well…”
Yangseol Rin put on a playful smile,
“I’m leaving now.”
With those words and a soft whoosh, she vanished in an instant.
“Don’t use too much power, she says.”
Bu Eunseol’s gaze grew distant.
All that remained now was the confrontation with the Sword Demon Wi Hyeok-gun.
Yet Yangseol Rin was warning him that the Boundary Prosperity Jade was not omnipotent.
Could he really face someone like the Sword Demon while restricted as Seon Woojin, his power deliberately held back?
Grip.
Bu Eunseol clenched his fist tightly.
“I have to do it.”
He had no intention of letting Wi Hyeok-gun—who had crippled Jingak’s arm merely because he had taught Bu Eunseol—go unpunished.
Moreover, at present he could not confront the Demon Emperor head-on, neither in martial strength nor in influence.
But if this matter succeeded?
The Demon Emperor was a man of his word. He would absolutely never touch someone named Seon Woojin.
In any case… the duel with the Sword Demon had been inevitable from the start.
***
The ferry dock leading to Poseok Island was packed with disciples of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect and warriors of the Martial Alliance.
This duel was a clash between the pinnacle swordsmen representing both the orthodox and unorthodox sides—a matter of pride for both factions.
The high-ranking members of the Martial Alliance had watched the event with considerable concern.
The Sword Demon Wi Hyeok-gun had already reached the terrifying Supreme Heavenly Realm in his youth and was a master who, had he wished, could have taken a seat among the Four Gods and Seven Kings long ago.
Yet now, Seon Woojin—who had only recently ascended to the rank of one of the Four Gods and Seven Kings—was about to face him alone?
Regardless of victory or defeat, from the Martial Alliance’s perspective, a promising young talent with a bright future ahead, one who could achieve many great feats in martial arts, might lose his life in an instant.
—The Hwa Wu Sword Sect possesses the greatest military power among any single unorthodox sect—it is the foremost sword sect of the Demonic path.
But Seon Woojin had been resolute.
—If I avoid the challenge, the prestige of our Alliance will suffer, and the Hwa Wu Sword Sect will use this moment to flaunt its strength.
The elders were not only impressed by Seon Woojin’s cool-headed grasp of the bigger picture and his consideration for the Alliance’s dignity, but they went so far as to order Deputy Commander Seo Muk of the Star Guard Division to personally escort him.
Buzzing.
As the warriors of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect and the experts of the Star Guard Division faced off, the ferry dock at Poseok Island was filled with a truly murderous atmosphere.
They had arrived early and begun screening the incoming martial artists.
Poseok Island was not a very large uninhabited isle.
If the two supreme masters used the entire island as their battlefield, the aftermath of their clash could easily cause the deaths of countless martial artists caught in the crossfire.
“I’ll watch even if it kills me!”
Yet the gathered heroes refused to back down obediently.
When Bu Eunseol had dueled the Heavenly Sword in the past, the top leaders of both the Martial Alliance and Majeon had all come together, so the throngs of martial artists had been forced to obey their orders without a single word of protest.
This time, however, only a portion of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect experts and the Star Guard Division were present.
They were utterly insufficient to control tens of thousands of furious martial artists.
“Do as you please.”
In the end, both sides gave up trying to control the crowd.
As a result, the interior of Poseok Island became packed with martial artists.
Buzzing.
Those with high internal energy and strong martial arts climbed to higher vantage points and looked down.
The weaker practitioners and the forces of both orthodox and unorthodox sides settled onto the wide plain where the duel would take place.
Swoosh.
As the sun burned fiercely overhead, the formations of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect and the Star Guard Division parted.
Thud. Thud.
From the Hwa Wu Sword Sect side, a figure with jet-black, glossy hair tied up strode into the clearing.
He was a middle-aged man exuding a bold, imposing aura and razor-sharp presence.
His eyes were so clear that one could see the pupils even from more than ten zhang away, and the intangible energy radiating from his entire body spread out dozens of zhang in every direction.
It was the Sword Demon Wi Hyeok-gun.
Gulp.
The moment Wi Hyeok-gun stepped into the clearing, the crowd swallowed dryly and shivered, hands unconsciously rising to their throats.
Merely by appearing, he made it feel as though sharp sword energy had just scraped across their necks.
Swish. Swish.
In contrast, the figure walking out from the Star Guard Division side was a young man.
His demeanor was ordinary, his steps so slow and relaxed that they almost seemed leisurely.
He was tall, yet his features were plain.
At his waist hung a dull black iron sword that could be bought at any blacksmith for a handful of coins.
His relaxed expression—almost as if he had simply come out for a casual stroll—stood in stark contrast to the solemn intensity of Wi Hyeok-gun.
It was none other than the Sword King, Seon Woojin.
“Indeed… is he truly a master worthy of facing the Sword Demon?”
The martial artists with keen eyes exclaimed in admiration as they watched Seon Woojin’s movements.
Wi Hyeok-gun was already spreading a terrifying aura laced with razor-sharp intangible sword energy across dozens of zhang.
Yet this young man could maintain such a relaxed attitude while stepping directly into the range of that energy?
To reach such a state at his age was extraordinarily rare.
Swoosh.
Finally, the two supreme masters stood close enough to lock eyes.
Wi Hyeok-gun’s gaze was sharp as a treasured sword, seemingly capable of piercing through everything in the world.
Seon Woojin’s eyes were endlessly deep, as though they could embrace all things under heaven.
In truth, these two pinnacle masters had no real reason to fight each other.
There was no personal grudge between them, nor any point of inevitable conflict.
Yet because Wi Hyeok-gun had been the very first to teach Bu Eunseol swordsmanship, he had severed the nerves in the right arm of Jingak, the head of the beginner hall on Hell Island.
On the surface it was claimed to have happened during training.
“The punishment for raising a tiger cub in the depths of hell.”
Those were Wi Hyeok-gun’s words and so the true reason for this duel became known:
Jingak had taught Bu Eunseol—the archenemy of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect—while on Hell Island.
Upon hearing the news, Bu Eunseol had flown into a rage.
Jingak had recognized his talent early on.
In the beginner hall, which had no other disciples at the time, he had patiently taught Bu Eunseol the fundamentals of swordsmanship one by one.
To Bu Eunseol, Jingak was his very first sword instructor and a deeply gracious benefactor.
Yet merely for having taught him, the man had crippled a fellow swordsman’s arm?
No matter that it was another sect’s affair—Bu Eunseol could never tolerate it.
“Thoroughly investigate every action of the Sword Demon Wi Hyeok-gun, then provoke him in the name of Seon Woojin.”
Bu Eunseol had mobilized his intelligence network to goad Wi Hyeok-gun.
At the same time, Wi Hyeok-gun had been searching for an opportunity to reverse the sunken morale of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect.
In the end, the desires of both supreme masters aligned, and this duel was finally arranged.
‘What a strange fellow.’
Wi Hyeok-gun frowned as he looked into Seon Woojin’s blazing eyes.
It had been Seon Woojin who first picked the fight.
So why was this man glaring at him with such murderous hatred, as though facing a mortal enemy?
Noticing Wi Hyeok-gun’s puzzled look, Bu Eunseol realized his mistake and immediately withdrew his killing intent.
‘I mustn’t get excited. Right now I am Seon Woojin.’
Step by step he walked toward Wi Hyeok-gun, quickly calming his mind.
A strange sense of nostalgia rose within him.
‘When I fought the Heavenly Sword, I was of the Demonic path.’
Now he was of the orthodox path, and his opponent was of the Demonic path.
Moreover, the duel with the Heavenly Sword had been watched only by a few hundred carefully selected martial artists.
But here on Poseok Island, tens of thousands of people at the very least surrounded them.
‘There is definitely someone watching.’
Moreover, he could feel an extremely subtle gaze somewhere.
Unlike the countless spectators, this gaze seemed to pierce straight through to the inside of his body.
Perhaps the Demon Emperor himself had come here in disguise or perhaps an envoy acting in his stead was present.
‘I must stay completely focused.’
If his true identity were exposed in the middle of this duel, the martial world would fall into utter chaos, and everyone connected to him would perish.
‘Wait a moment.’
Suddenly an odd thought occurred to Bu Eunseol.
‘Could it be that the Demon Emperor has taken measures precisely to ensure my identity is not revealed?’
Perhaps the Demon Emperor already knew who he was.
Perhaps he had deliberately arranged this public spectacle so that, in the eyes of the powerful figures and factions watching him from the shadows, no one would suspect Seon Woojin’s true identity.
Such a bizarre possibility was not entirely implausible.
The Demon Emperor treated all humans like chess pieces.
The possibility could not be dismissed lightly.
What was certain was that Bu Eunseol could not win an overwhelming victory against the Sword Demon in this fight.
He could not send Wi Hyeok-gun back completely unscathed.
And he had to escape the suspicion of the Demon Emperor and countless other powerful figures.
Clack.
Finally, the two peerless swordsmen stood face to face.
“Chief Instructor Wi.”
Brushing away his thoughts, Bu Eunseol clasped his hands.
Wi Hyeok-gun responded coldly in turn.
“Corps Leader Seon.”
The moment their gazes met in midair, it felt as though sparks flew.
Sharpness and softness.
From nothing more than the completely opposing auras they exuded, both men could sense that each possessed martial arts and temperaments that were natural counters to the other.
—Why did you mobilize your intelligence network to provoke me?
—Knowing full well the gap in skill, why did you choose this body as your opponent?
Until the duel began, Wi Hyeok-gun’s mind had been filled with questions.
But now, standing on the verge of battle, his spirit became utterly serene.
Body and mind fused into one, with the sole purpose of winning this fight.
“Shall we begin?”
The veins on the back of Wi Hyeok-gun’s hand bulged as he gripped the sword hilt, his pupils dilated wide.
The moment combat began, blood surged rapidly through his body, bringing his physical abilities to their absolute peak.
Srrrng.
Wi Hyeok-gun drew his beloved sword, Red Advantage, from its sheath.
It was one of the ancient treasured swords passed down through generations of the Hwa Wu Sword Sect—a demonic blade that had drunk the blood of countless masters.
“Very well.”
Bu Eunseol also drew the Silent Tiger Soul Sword.
Seeing the fluid, natural posture, Wi Hyeok-gun’s eyes narrowed sharply.
‘This is no fluke.’
Swordsmen who had honed their art for a lifetime could gauge an opponent’s skill from the single motion of drawing a sword.
Wi Hyeok-gun instantly recognized that Bu Eunseol possessed exceptional ability.
He completely discarded any underestimation and observed his opponent with the utmost caution, as though facing a life-or-death enemy.
“Take the first move.”
In duels between swordsmen, the one who struck first held a decisive advantage.
Wi Hyeok-gun knew this perfectly well.
Yet his pride would not allow him to take the initiative against a greenhorn from the orthodox side.
“You’ll regret it.”
Even at Bu Eunseol’s provocation, Wi Hyeok-gun merely wore a cold smile.
Once the duel had begun, no words or actions could shake his spirit.
Clack.
Bu Eunseol slowly and carefully raised the Silent Tiger Soul Sword.
Most duels between the world’s greatest swordsmen ended at the very first move.
Once the most profound and powerful sword technique was unraveled, all the rest could naturally be broken.
But fighting a swordsman who practiced the Hwa Wu Sword was different.
The Hwa Wu Sword consisted of ten forms, each of which was practically a completely distinct sword art.
There was no single “most powerful” technique; victory or defeat was determined only after all ten forms were overcome.
Moreover, the Hwa Wu Sword Sect was the birthplace of numerous sword arts comparable to the Hwa Wu Sword itself, such as the Unmatched Thunderbolt Form.
As Chief Instructor, Wi Hyeok-gun was also the swordsman who had mastered the greatest variety of sword techniques in the entire martial world.
‘I’ll settle it with this one move.’
In contrast, the sword techniques Seon Woojin could display were limited.
And there was only one technique capable of facing the Sword Demon Wi Hyeok-gun:
The Heon Won Bright Sword.
With this single opening move, Seon Woojin had defeated the Fist King Seok Chi-haeng and earned the title of Sword King.
Now he intended to defeat Wi Hyeok-gun once more and spread the name Sword King throughout the martial world.
Kwaaaang!
Because Wi Hyeok-gun had yielded the first move, Bu Eunseol slowly and fully raised his inner energy.
Seon Woojin’s inner energy capacity was three hundred and fifty years.
But during actual combat he could not use twelve-tenths of his power, so roughly three hundred years were available.
Hummm.
As inner energy poured in, the Silent Tiger Soul Sword began to create faint afterimages without even moving.
—That is…
Several martial artists who spotted the afterimages rising from Bu Eunseol’s Silent Tiger Soul Sword let out exclamations.
They recognized it as the supreme ancient orthodox sword art preserved by the Martial Alliance, the absolute sword form occasionally used by the previous Alliance Leader, the Iron Emperor.
The Heon Won Bright Sword was manifesting once again.
Hummm. Hummm.
A low sword cry emanated from the Silent Tiger Soul Sword as black heat-haze began to rise.
The Heon Won Bright Sword transcended the limits of ordinary swordsmanship, containing all principles of heaven and earth.
Its complexity allowed for an equally vast array of variations.
When dealing with Seok Chi-haeng, he had covered the enemy’s form with sword energy in a way that made evasion or defense impossible.
Against Baek Museong, he had created the Heaven Beyond Flying Immortal, pouring orthodox sword principles into one hundred and eighty variations.
Wi Hyeok-gun was a swordsman versed in every sword art scattered across the martial world.
Bu Eunseol intended to evolve the method he had used against Seok Chi-haeng even further, accounting for Wi Hyeok-gun’s height, weight, the length of his beloved sword Red Advantage, the angle at which sunlight poured down, the firmness of the ground—every single factor that could influence the outcome.
He would unfold an Heon Won Bright Sword from which escape by sword energy was utterly impossible.
“…”
Yet Wi Hyeok-gun did not blink once.
With razor-sharp eyes he watched Bu Eunseol.
He was a grandmaster of the sword.
He instantly sensed that the technique Bu Eunseol was about to unleash was a perfect opening move—one that left no room for counterattack, and he was already calculating how to break it.
For a long time the standoff continued.
Inside the island, silence fell so profound that one could hear a hair drop.
The fiercely burning sun had gradually turned into a red sunset.
The martial artists held their breath, staring fixedly at the two men.
Saaaa.
From somewhere the sound of waves filled the entire island.
Splash!
At the same moment came the sound of water being cleaved, and then a sword light that seemed to imprison the entire world poured toward Wi Hyeok-gun.
Having completed every calculation, Bu Eunseol had unleashed the Heon Won Bright Sword at full power.
But to the spectators, the technique was too fast, too instantaneous—they could not properly see the sword art itself.
All they saw were dazzling points of light.
And the only thing that filled their ears was the sharp howl of splitting air.
Saaaa.
Finally, when the entire technique had been unleashed, the crowd wore expressions as though waking from a dream.
Because Bu Eunseol’s sword art had been so swift and poured out in an instant, it felt almost as if they had fallen into a brief hallucination with their eyes wide open.
“Ooooh!”
Rubbing their eyes, the crowd suddenly burst into exclamations.
The Sword Demon Wi Hyeok-gun stood with Red Advantage held straight up in a defensive stance.
Yet around his body, sword energy had formed a pitch-black silhouette, exactly matching his posture, as though a painter had drawn his exact image with a brush.
Heon Won Bright Sword.
The ancient secret art that covered the opponent’s movements and form with sword energy, rendering evasion or counterattack impossible, had been perfectly executed.
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