Bu Eunseol made a puzzled expression when he saw clear tears flowing from the eyes of the woman in white.
“Why are you like this?”
But suddenly, a brilliant light bloomed before his eyes.
It spread out softly yet majestically, like a single flower blossoming in full bloom, and then embraced his body.
The lights turned into gentle white waves and spread outward.
Because of the deep internal injuries, Bu Eunseol’s body temperature had dropped sharply, and his skin had turned as white as a blank sheet of paper.
Yet as the white energy the woman in white poured into him seeped in, color quickly returned to his face and a healthy glow spread across his skin.
“Stop.”
However, Bu Eunseol waved his hand with a serious expression. He instinctively sensed that the power she was giving him was life force itself.
“Just accept it.”
“I don’t need it.”
He tried to raise his internal energy to return the power she had injected.
But his internal injuries were too severe, and his energy could not circulate properly.
Crack.
A wave-like ripple spread throughout his body along with the sound of bones grinding.
The moment he forcibly used his internal energy to push her power back, his body twisted once again.
Crack, crack.
Still, Bu Eunseol suppressed the pain and raised the internal energy within his body once more.
Whoooosh.
A multicolored radiance spread from his body.
He was attempting to trigger Harmony again to awaken and restore his broken and twisted flesh.
Watching this scene, the woman in white’s eyes shook like rippling water.
From the past until now, she had met countless martial artists who pretended to be good for the sake of self-satisfaction.
But the moment they stood at the crossroads of life and death, they would turn selfish as if nothing had happened.
Yet even when his own life hung by a thread… he was still worrying about another person’s safety first and even rejecting the hand offering help.
“If there is life, there must be death…”
Her clothes were stained with blood yet her skin shimmered softly, and a Buddha-like smile quietly bloomed on her lips like morning mist.
“There is nothing to regret, nothing to feel sorrowful about.”
And once again, she injected her life force and the Manifestation Divine Technique.
As her power entered his body, the bulging veins subsided, and the energies that had been destroying his body were instantly calmed.
“Stop.”
But Bu Eunseol shouted firmly.
“Right now.”
Martial artists who cultivated internal energy techniques lived far longer than ordinary people, but the time left for her was at most three or four years. Giving away her life force was no different from abandoning the rest of her life.
“I no longer want to survive at the cost of someone else’s sacrifice.”
Bu Eunseol was resolute.
His grandfather’s single sacrifice had been enough. Because of that, he had lived in pain for countless long years.
He no longer wanted anyone to lose their life because of him.
“It is not a sacrifice.”
The woman in white shook her head.
“Anyway, my life was never going to be long.”
Then she smiled calmly.
“If I do a good deed before I die, perhaps King Yama will take pity on me… and let me be reborn as a good person in the next life?”
Her voice was extremely peaceful yet her eyes trembled thinly, as if tears would pour out at any moment.
Just from that single look, one could guess how arduous and painful her life had been until now.
“Leaving behind a trace that I once lived in this world for someone else doesn’t seem so bad either.”
And she once again doubled her power.
Saaaaah.
A pure white current spread once more, soon turning into a brilliant light of life that began to envelop Bu Eunseol’s body.
“Miss.”
“My name is Seoryeong.”
The woman, Seoryeong, spoke calmly.
“I am nothing more than a disposable accessory… that gets thrown away once it is no longer needed.”
Then she showed an extremely shy smile.
“But I also have a name.”
The shadow of death was gradually appearing on her face as she poured out her power.
“I wanted to tell you many things, but there is no time.”
To restore Bu Eunseol’s body, she had poured out not only the Manifestation Divine Technique but even her life force. She was rapidly aging as if she had suddenly lived through decades.
“It’s strange.”
While injecting her power, Seoryeong stared intently at Bu Eunseol’s face and shook her head.
“You received the Manifestation Divine Technique, so why is there no change at all?”
Although it was not the true original source power of the Baekri family, the Manifestation Divine Technique was a cosmic power containing the energy of life and creation.
When exposed to this ultimate power that maintained the balance of the world and corrected the distorted laws of nature, people of the Baekri family would release a pure white radiance from their skin and hair, as if a spirit had appeared in their eyes, and the latent abilities within their bodies would be freed.
But no matter how much Manifestation Divine Technique was injected into Bu Eunseol, there was no external change at all.
It was as if a stone had been thrown into a vast ocean—there was not even a trace or ripple to be found.
Watching Seoryeong’s surprised expression, Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed.
‘As expected, my body is not affected by the power of the Baekri family or the True Demon kin.’
In truth, the reason this phenomenon occurred was because the true original energy of the Baekri family was latent within his body. Just as river water naturally flows into the sea, the Manifestation Divine Technique forcibly created from outside would naturally flow into and merge with the true Manifestation Divine Technique that served as its root.
However, Bu Eunseol, who did not yet know this fact, simply believed it was because he had inherited the bloodlines of both great families.
‘Even the parchment of the Baekri and the True Demon families that the old man from the Sacred Domain offered me had no effect.’
Shoooooo.
The life force and Manifestation Divine Technique she poured out were more than enough to heal Bu Eunseol’s injuries. Before long, a clear light flowed in his eyes, and waves of true energy began to spread throughout his body like ripples.
He had finally completely healed his internal injuries.
Sway.
As if all her strength had been exhausted, Seoryeong eventually collapsed powerlessly.
“Miss Seoryeong.”
Bu Eunseol quickly supported her and tried to inject the Ban-Geuk Method.
But because her life force had completely vanished, the energy could not be properly infused.
It was as if only an empty shell remained.
Tremble.
Seoryeong trembled while breaking out in cold sweat.
It was said that even martial artists with strong endurance would shed tears from the pain of their dantian shattering and their energy scattering.
Moreover, she had lost all the power and life force within her body in an instant…
An unimaginable, terrifying pain far beyond the agony of a shattered dantian must have been assaulting her.
‘I must at least stop her pain.’
Bu Eunseol desperately wished for Seoryeong’s pain to cease and raised his energy.
Then, instead of the Ban-Geuk Method, energy created through the circulation method from the Muscle-Changing Sutra was unleashed. Once again, the greatest life-saving divine art in the martial world—the Prajna Great Power—manifested.
The pain that had made Seoryeong writhe as if her bones and flesh were being torn apart vanished in an instant.
Yet even so, it could not restore the life force that had been lost from her body. Because she had learned the Manifestation Divine Technique at the cost of her life force, she had now offered the remainder of her life as payment. No matter how powerful the Prajna Great Power was, it could not extend a predetermined human lifespan.
“The Heavenly Mechanism Star.”
Once the pain had stopped, Seoryeong spoke with extremely quiet eyes.
“He created us.”
“Us?”
“Puppets capable of containing the power of the Baekri family and the True Demon kin.”
Seoryeong spoke in a low voice.
“He hates everyone. He says he wants to destroy the Baekri family and the True Demon kin… but in truth, he wants to destroy the martial world itself. He says this place no longer has any value to exist.”
The monster Chu So created by the Sage Forest.
His goal had been the total annihilation of the martial world.
“To do that, he must occupy the Sacred Domain…”
“The Sacred Domain.”
“Searching for the Ancient Sword Forest was the same. He claimed that he must become the successor of the current generation’s Ancient Sword Forest.”
Drip.
Black blood flowed from her mouth as she continued speaking.
“He said he must obtain that power which only the successor of the Ancient Sword Forest can acquire…”
“Stop speaking any further.”
Bu Eunseol shook his head.
A figure like Chu So would certainly have placed a prohibition to prevent the leaking of secrets. Even though she was dying from exhausting her life force, he did not want her to meet a miserable end because of the prohibition.
“I no longer have any questions.”
He continuously injected the Prajna Great Power so that her pain would cease.
Seoryeong felt warmth from the energy being infused.
Because internal energy was generated through the workings of the mind, it represented the person’s temperament and soul.
Bu Eunseol’s energy was upright, steadfast, and kind.
Although he himself was trapped in the darkness of revenge, it contained the warmth and gentleness that could become a ray of light for others.
“I… lacked courage.”
Seoryeong’s eyes were filled with regret and sorrow.
“I knew where the right path was, but I didn’t have the confidence to walk it steadfastly like you.”
“Miss.”
“I didn’t want to go back to living like a beggar on the water paths again.”
Clear dew had formed at the corners of her eyes.
“For a girl to become a vagrant… she ends up experiencing far too many unspeakable hardships.”
She, too, had lived a miserable life as a beggar like Bu Eunseol and had suffered unspeakably wretched things.
Hatred toward men, and by extension toward the world itself, was inevitable.
Then, by chance, Chu So discovered her talent and pulled her out of the beggar’s den.
She had been happy for a brief moment at the thought of gaining the power to change the world.
But when she realized she had merely become a chess piece and a simple accessory for Chu So to move, her remaining life had already dwindled to less than three years.
“Vagrants are the easiest type of people to use in this world.”
Seoryeong said with dim eyes.
“He no longer personally takes in beggars. Instead, he builds orphanages to create consumables.”
Tremble.
Her body now shook as if all her life force had disappeared.
“To occupy the Sacred Domain, for the sake of his ambition… innocent children are offering their life force.”
Unable to hold back his sorrow and anger, Bu Eunseol asked, “Where is that place?”
“The only one I know is the Graceful Benevolence Institute in Dongcheonbu.”
She spoke earnestly.
“Please make sure no more children like me exist.”
Bu Eunseol held her hand and nodded.
“I will definitely do so.”
Seoryeong smiled faintly.
It was probably because she felt certain that children like her could be saved, even a little, by Bu Eunseol.
“At that time, if it had been you instead of Chu So who pulled me out of the beggar’s den…”
Seoryeong smiled faintly as tears flowed.
“Would my life have been a little different?”
Drop.
A clear teardrop rolled down her cheek.
Even though she instinctively knew her final moment was approaching, she could smile brightly.
Because she had saved that man—the savior who would rescue the countless children groaning in pain.
“I’m glad. The last person I see…”
Seoryeong said in a low voice.
“…is you.”
Her face was peaceful.
She had struggled and suffered in darkness for a long time… but in the final moment, she could leave after saving a righteous person.
And so, she quietly drew her last breath.
“Miss.”
Bu Eunseol showed a sorrowful yet bright smile.
If there is life, death must follow.
She had atoned for her past life and faced death without regret…
Therefore, he should instead bless her for leaving this painful mortal world.
The corners of Seoryeong’s lips, even in death, were gently raised. It looked like the joyful smile of a pilgrim who had finally reached the end of a long-awaited journey.
Whoosh.
Bu Eunseol raised the Yeolha Great True Energy and cleanly cremated her body.
All the bizarre forces in the current martial world used great laws or sorcery that even violated the eternal rest of death.
He cremated her cleanly so that no one could desecrate her corpse.
Whoooosh.
Finally, her body, reduced to a handful of ashes, was swallowed in a single gust of wild wind blowing from somewhere and scattered into the distant sky.
It seemed as if the wind god, mourning the unhappy life Seoryeong had lived, had shown consideration so she could freely roam the entire world.
“The Heavenly Mechanism Star.”
Bu Eunseol gazed at the distant sky with an expression full of rage.
Until now, even though he knew the Heavenly Mechanism Star had been plotting various things, he had not thought the man was this evil.
After all, martial artists each had their own ambitions and different desires.
But not only was he using vagrants like consumables, he was even building orphanages to supply children to use as his tools?
Such things could never be forgiven.
Whoosh.
As he watched Seoryeong’s remains disappear into the wind, flames burned in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
To ensure no more victims like her appeared, he intended to find every orphanage operated by Chu So, starting with the Graceful Benevolence Institute.
***
The Heavenly Mechanism Star was known to possess the greatest wisdom in the world and could predict most future events.
However, he had not even imagined that Seoryeong would meet Bu Eunseol and that she would change her heart because of him.
Even after Bu Eunseol had returned to Majeon, the Graceful Benevolence Institute was still operating normally.
“Capture everyone related to the Graceful Benevolence Institute and uproot its main body.”
So that the Heavenly Mechanism Star could no longer use orphans, Bu Eunseol personally commanded not only the information network of the Death Spirit Corps but also all the martial artists of the Death Shadow Corps, and began tracking Chu So, who was behind the Graceful Benevolence Institute.
“As expected of the Heavenly Mechanism Star.”
Yoo Unryong, who had finished the investigation, shook his head repeatedly.
There were a total of fifteen orphanages related to the Graceful Benevolence Institute in the Central Plains martial world. Yet even so, they still could not find out where the children from those orphanages were going or what was happening to them.
Rather than raising the orphans for some short-term purpose, they were being cruelly trained for several years as if they were an independent assassination organization.
“After much deliberation, we secretly infiltrated one orphanage and captured its leader to extract information, but his head immediately exploded and he died.”
Yoo Unryong shook his head again.
“And the orphanage was immediately shut down as well.”
Chu So had placed a terrifying prohibition.
Not only did he make it so that key figures’ heads would explode the moment they were subdued by outsiders, he had also built a communication system that could instantly transmit the fact, allowing related facilities to be swiftly closed.
“Calling it ‘closed’ is just a word. In reality, all the children there are killed so that no clues or traces remain.”
Yoo Unryong said with a face full of anger.
“Until now, there has been no such prohibition technique in the martial world. It seems that person can freely use ancient secret arts.”
“I see.”
Bu Eunseol clenched his fist tightly.
He had not expected to find the tail of a mysterious figure like Chu So in a single move through this incident.
In the end, this time he would have to be satisfied with rescuing the children trapped in the orphanages.
***
―Is this really an orphanage?
The mercenaries of the Martial Soul Society who had attacked the fourteen orphanages excluding the Graceful Benevolence Institute could not close their mouths at the horrific sight.
This was not an orphanage.
It was a hell of hungry ghosts.
Inside, there were secret underground caves. Countless children, not even properly clothed, were learning killing arts while half-naked in order to become murderous demons.
The problem was that some children, unable to eat properly, were even devouring the flesh of their dead comrades.
Just like what Three Realms had done in the past, Chu So was ultimately doing the same thing as the evil forces that had been passed down through generations.
―Eliminate everyone involved in the establishment of the orphanages! Including all government offices, merchant guilds, Buddhist sects, and Taoist temples connected to them!
An orphanage was not a place one could simply build because one wanted to.
It required government permission and sponsorship from wealthy benefactors with substantial assets. It also needed to be operated by someone trusted by the local community and the merchant world, and it had connections with religious organizations such as temples and Taoist halls.
In other words, the establishment of orphanages that turned children into killing machines had only been possible because of the tacit approval of countless figures from every sector.
―All processing has been completed.
The mercenaries of the Martial Soul Society eliminated every person from every sector who had been recruited by Chu So or who had known that this place was manufacturing killing machines yet still turned a blind eye.
After all, the mercenary Seolso would take full responsibility for the aftermath.
“Now I should leave my trace.”
After dealing with all the orphanages, only one place remained.
Bu Eunseol stormed into the Graceful Benevolence Institute alone.
This was not an orphanage but a cradle of slaughter that turned children into killing machines.
Starting with the Graceful Benevolence Institute, he intended to sweep away all of Chu So’s forces that he would find in the future under the identity of Seolso.
The Martial Soul Command Lord or the Absolute Peak Lord had great fame and power, but they also had many things to protect and many restrictions.
Boom!
Every time the Inner Bullet Qi was fired, screams rang out.
There were martial artists who appeared to be Chu So’s subordinates in the Graceful Benevolence Institute, but not a single one could block the Inner Bullet Qi.
The Inner Bullet Qi he fired was truly the return of the Bullet King.
No one could block even a single move.
After dealing with the vicious ones in the Graceful Benevolence Institute, Bu Eunseol deliberately left traces of Seolso’s martial arts. Because from now on, he planned to destroy all organizations related to Chu So using the power of Seolso and the Martial Soul Society.
“I hope this is enough for now.”
After finishing all the cleanup of the Graceful Benevolence Institute, Bu Eunseol gazed at the distant sky.
There, it seemed as if he could see Seoryeong’s face with a satisfied smile.
After that day,
Bu Eunseol, under the identity of the mercenary Seolso, cooperated with Geumran Manor Lord Bu Bok-un.
Under the name of Geumran Manor, he built orphanages for children across the Central Plains. Even if he were to stop breathing, he made sure that Bu Bok-un—who had no connection to the grudges of the martial world—could take care of the children.
He personally provided enormous financial support and secretly sent Yoo Unryong to help establish a proper system so the orphanages could operate correctly. Furthermore, he made sure that the Death Spirit Corps regularly monitored the movements of both existing and newly built orphanages.
Cutting off Chu So’s head was important, but it was even more important to ensure that no more children would be exploited by such vicious people.
***
In a secluded valley with deep and beautiful mountain scenery, there was a small pond where a waterfall cascaded down.
Beside it stood a small pavilion where one could leisurely view the surrounding landscape.
There, a young man with clean skin and eyes like clear lakes, along with a middle-aged man of refined appearance, were gazing at the waterfall.
The young man’s appearance was incomparably handsome, yet the aura he gave off was like a rock that had endured hundreds of years of wind and frost.
The middle-aged man, despite his refined looks, wore an extremely uneasy expression.
They were none other than the Heavenly Mechanism Star, Chu So, and his trusted aide, Bang Il.
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