The Dark God Heavenly Lord, who had ascended to one of the Four Divine Heavens, would naturally possess not only subordinates with formidable skills but also vast intelligence networks operating throughout the martial world.
However, no matter how exceptional an intelligence organization might be, it would be impossible for them to locate the whereabouts of Seolso, a person who did not actually exist. Repeatedly assassinating only special-grade mercenaries was ultimately the Dark God Heavenly Lord’s provocation aimed at drawing out the mercenary Seolso.
‘This is unexpected.’
Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed.
Originally, he had used the identity of Seolso to lure out the Heavenly Mechanism Star and Chuso. Yet now, out of nowhere, the Dark God Heavenly Lord had appeared?
“Do you have something in mind?”
At Wi Cheongyeong’s question, Bu Eunseol waved his hand.
“No, it’s nothing.”
The appearance of the Four Divine Heavenly Lords was an event that would completely overturn the landscape of the martial world, as each of them possessed transcendent power.
However, their exact identities and objectives remained unclear.
For that reason, until the precise facts were revealed, Bu Eunseol had kept the existence of the Four Divine Heavens a secret from the other captains except for Yoo Unryong.
“I’ll read this over again.”
“Understood.”
Once Wi Cheongyeong left, Bu Eunseol stared into empty space with a grave expression.
‘He plans to keep killing innocent mercenaries until I show myself.’
At first, they must have conducted their own investigation into Seolso’s whereabouts.
But no matter how powerful their intelligence network, tracing the movements of special-grade mercenaries was extremely difficult. Most of their jobs were incredibly dangerous, and many requests were secretive and unofficial, with the missions themselves kept confidential.
Moreover, mercenaries surprisingly shared deep bonds and tight camaraderie.
For those who carried untold stories buried in their hearts and risked their lives for mere coins, the only place to rest their hearts was with others in the same situation.
‘It’s also a way to verify whether he is a real mercenary.’
If innocent mercenaries continued to die endlessly and Seolso still did not step forward?
They would likely conclude that he was not a genuine mercenary.
Then they would once again meticulously investigate the background of the figure called Seolso.
“But why?”
Why would someone of the Dark God Heavenly Lord’s caliber go to such lengths just to catch a single mercenary?
In his eyes, the mercenary Seolso was nothing more than an insect he could crush at any time—nothing more, nothing less.
“It must have wounded his pride.”
—I will definitely find you and erase you!
Those were the enraged words the Dark God Heavenly Lord had shouted after Bu Eunseol used the power obtained from the Ancient Sword Forest Lord to annihilate all the Black Gods and escape.
The subordinates of the True Demon all possessed a strong sense of privilege and an arrogant nature. Not only had Bu Eunseol safely escaped with Seoryeong from his attack, but he had also completely destroyed the Ink-Black Troops, which could be called his avatar…
His pride must have been greatly injured.
“Still, even if he is under a seal, there would be no need to use such a crude method.”
If it were the Dark God Heavenly Lord’s personality?
He would have wiped out several entire mercenary markets from the start and tracked down Seolso.
Even if he were bound by a seal that prevented him from stepping into the martial world directly or even if there were some pact preventing him from touching the martial world’s factions.
No matter how he thought about it, this method was absolutely not something a Heavenly Lord of the Four Divine Heavens would employ.
“Then it means someone is acting on his behalf.”
In that case, there was a very high probability that someone had planned this in place of the Dark God Heavenly Lord.
And the reason and purpose behind it…
“To see me alone.”
A flash of light passed through Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
Even if the Dark God Heavenly Lord was under some kind of seal and could not act personally, he could still torment the figure called Seolso by sending his subordinates. Even if they failed to find Seolso, destroying a few mercenary markets would still provide a satisfying form of revenge.
Yet instead, he had created a single slaughter star and was killing mercenaries little by little, indiscriminately?
In that case, the intention was all too obvious.
—Mercenary Seolso. Reveal your whereabouts. I will send one slaughter star for now.
“He will send a subordinate to duel me alone…”
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath while staring into empty space.
Needless to say, the Dark God Heavenly Lord himself and even his subordinates would surely possess tremendous martial prowess or abilities.
Moreover, the fact that he had gone to such complicated lengths suggested there was likely another purpose behind it.
“If I fight as I am now, it will be certain defeat in every battle.”
Hadn’t even Black God and the Ink-Black Troops used sorcery that martial arts could not counter?
Although he had not gone all out and had suffered critical injuries while trying to rescue Seoryeong, from Bu Eunseol’s perspective, that was merely an excuse.
The fact that he was inferior in skill to the Dark God Heavenly Lord remained unchanged.
And if the subordinate the Dark God Heavenly Lord was sending with such confidence…
“With Seolso’s identity, there is no chance of victory from the start.”
What if he used his true martial arts?
No matter how outstanding the opponent’s martial arts were, he would have nothing to fear.
Since he would be fighting with full power, even if he lost there would be no regret.
However, what they were chasing was the mercenary Seolso, and the only identity capable of luring out the slaughter star committing slaughter in the shadows was also Seolso’s.
To face an opponent he could not defeat even with full strength, while fighting under the severely restricted martial arts available to the identity of Seolso, would be tantamount to suicide.
“Above all, the complete lack of information about the slaughter star is fatal.”
No traces of martial arts remained from the slaughter star who only killed special-grade mercenaries. Moreover, since he was a subordinate of the Dark God Heavenly Lord, there was an extremely high chance he would use abilities that transcended the boundaries of martial arts.
If he fought without any information, there could be no more reckless and foolish battle.
“Then…”
Bu Eunseol looked down at his own palm.
The best option available to him now was either to spend time raising his martial prowess another level, or to consciously manifest abilities hidden within the abyss.
The problem was that the former could not be achieved in a short time, and the latter was dangerous even if successful.
A power whose manifestation method was not even clearly known would likely consume a great deal of stamina and mental energy the moment it was used. Furthermore, even if he learned how to manifest it, the probability of being able to use it immediately in actual combat was even lower.
There was nothing more dangerous than using an unfamiliar weapon directly in real battle.
Even if one obtained a divine sword of heavenly antiquity the day before a duel, one would still have no choice but to choose the beloved weapon one had grown familiar with over decades rather than the new divine sword.
“In the end, I must first decide on the identity.”
With Seolso’s identity, he did not possess the martial strength to defeat the subordinate sent by the Dark God Heavenly Lord. But if he resolved this matter under the identity of the Martial Soul Command Lord?
The dual identity he had first created after stepping into the martial world would be exposed.
In that case, the identity of Seon Woojin, which had been under constant suspicion, would also be unable to escape relentless pursuit.
“I cannot give it up after all.”
Above all, Bu Eunseol had a grand plan that absolutely had to be carried out under the identity of Seolso.
“Because the Martial Soul Society Lord must become Seolso.”
When the right time came in the future, Bu Eunseol intended to step into the martial world as the Martial Soul Society Lord under the name of Seolso.
He could not abandon that identity because of the Dark God Heavenly Lord.
“It seems there is no other way.”
Until now, he had accomplished things others considered impossible.
And now, under the identity of Seolso, he had to accomplish yet another impossible task… confronting the assassin sent by the Dark God Heavenly Lord.
***
Deep in the mountains, in a small valley, stood a single thatched cottage.
Cool breezes occasionally passed through the scenery surrounding the cottage, rustling softly, while the intermittent chirping of insects created an endlessly serene atmosphere.
Step. Step.
At dawn, a man wearing worn-out clothes walked toward the front of the cottage.
His long hair was tied back tightly with a tree branch, and in one hand he carried a basket filled with mushrooms and wild vegetables.
Thud.
He set the basket down in front of the door and entered the cottage.
Inside, wooden spoons and simple bowls could be seen.
The man took out a bamboo basket among them and began to clean the mushrooms and vegetables one by one.
Although he was squatting in worn clothes trimming the vegetables, his bearing carried a noble grace, and his eyes were calm yet as weighty as a great mountain.
Tap.
After finishing with all the mushrooms and vegetables, he rose again and headed toward the mountain peak.
Then, on a cliff where the distant rising sun could be seen, he began circulating his energy.
His method of energy circulation was very unique. Instead of sitting in lotus position with his eyes closed, he kept his eyes open, raised one knee, and held a posture as if performing a swift sword form.
It looked as though he was circulating energy in order to practice swordsmanship.
With every breath he took, nature seemed to breathe along with him, and the earth pulsed vigorously. By the time the sun had risen brightly and illuminated the entire world, a faint haze was rising from the man’s body.
Uuuung.
After a long period of energy circulation, white steam like that from a steamer rose from the man’s Baihui acupoint.
Even so, the man continued to stare endlessly at the sun with his eyes open.
Normally, staring at the sun for such a long time would severely damage the eyes. However, the man was protecting his optic nerves with powerful internal energy, and was instead using the sun’s energy pouring into his eyes to train even his nerves.
Chiiii.
As time passed, white steam also rose from both eyes, and tears flowed near the corners.
No matter how much internal energy protected the optic nerves, it could not block the pain.
Yet even within that excruciating pain, the man did not blink once and continued staring at the sun without pause.
Thud.
When the man finally released his posture, the sky was already turning red.
He had climbed the cliff at sunrise, yet continued circulating energy until the setting sun.
Drip.
The man wiped the sweat flowing from his forehead.
His eyes, as if containing sunlight, briefly flashed with an amber glow. That light closely resembled the gaze of the peerless blade master whose peerless blade technique had once chilled the hearts of heroes across the world.
Step. Step.
The man returned to the cottage with calm steps.
His forehead was flushed red like burning charcoal and large beads of sweat had formed, yet his expression showed no change.
He poured himself a cup of cold tea from the kettle and drank it.
Chik.
He lit a candle with a fire striker and this time sat properly, closed his eyes, and began meditation.
He appeared to be nothing more than a wild man living an endlessly simple and natural life, but in reality, he was a martial artist who tirelessly repeated grueling training every single hour.
Step. Step.
Yet in this deep mountain, heavy footsteps echoed.
A shadow approached the cottage, walking along the steep slope with the setting sun at its back.
It was a man with long, disheveled hair and an extremely pale complexion like that of a sick person.
He walked with both eyes tightly shut as if blind, carefully cradling a long sword in both hands as though it were a precious treasure.
Step. Step.
The man’s walking speed was twice as slow as that of ordinary people.
The sound of each step resonated gently through the mountains like the footsteps of a giant.
Moreover, with every step, a massive shadow seemed to follow behind him, giving the appearance of commanding an ominous demon.
Thud.
Finally, the blind man holding the sword came to a stop in front of the cottage.
Creak.
As if it had been waiting, the door of the cottage opened.
It was the young man who had been sitting in lotus position meditating.
“…….”
The two men gazed at each other with comfortable expressions, as if meeting an old friend.
After a long silence, the blind man holding the sword spoke first.
“Are you the mercenary Seolso, disciple of the Bullet King?”
At those words, the man on the opposite side took one more step forward from the front of the cottage.
Then, his face—previously obscured by the shadow of the setting sun—became clearly visible.
It was a face with no distinctive features.
Yet the pair of eyes set within the narrow slits were as deep as looking into an abyss.
It was none other than Bu Eunseol, disguised as the mercenary Seolso.
***
—With Seolso’s identity and level of martial arts, it is absolutely impossible to win this fight.
The martial arts that could be displayed under the identity of mercenary Seolso were extremely limited. On the other hand, even if the appearing enemy displayed his full original strength, victory could not be guaranteed.
—If I reveal my true martial arts, future plans will be ruined.
Yet he could not abandon the identity of Seolso either.
Because when the right time came, he had to lead the Martial Soul Society under that identity.
After deep deliberation, Bu Eunseol prepared a plan to raise his martial prowess one more level under Seolso’s identity.
This was so he could confront strong enemies even as Seolso, and to make the impossible possible for the many tasks that lay ahead.
—This is not a reckless plan driven merely by confidence.
Previously, through the fight with the masked man disguised as Hwa Mugi, Bu Eunseol had obtained a mysterious power that allowed him to transform into a completely different person, not merely through the Face and Bone Shifting Art.
And that power could perfectly change not only his face but also his entire body.
—If I unfold martial arts with mercenary Seolso’s body, I can conceal the origin of the techniques.
When he had previously faced the subordinates of the Dark God Heavenly Lord, by unfolding the Supreme Heavenly Flow with Seolso’s body—whose skeleton and even the position of internal organs were completely different from his real appearance—a unique martial art whose origin could not be discerned had unfolded.
If he applied the Wishful True Binding using that?
If he unfolded the Thirteen Guiding Energies?
—I will try it.
Bu Eunseol intended to change not only the external martial techniques but even the inherent nature when unfolding true martial arts.
He had to create a real, existing person called Seolso—completely different in habits and way of thinking, not merely altered through simple disguise.
—Seolso must be made into the disciple of the Bullet King and an unrivaled great master who surpasses his teacher.
To become a perfect Seolso, after much thought, he had visited the Bullet King, Bukgung Ryeong, and properly requested instruction in his exclusive supreme art, the Inner Bullet Qi.
—Then the mercenary Seolso will truly become my formal disciple.
Having heard the entire situation, Bukgung Ryeong gladly and without reservation taught him all of his true martial arts and supreme techniques.
Bukgung Ryeong had not raised a disciple in his eighty years of life, nor had he ever intended to.
But if it was Bu Eunseol—if it was that young fellow… he would not regret giving everything he had.
—This should be enough.
Bukgung Ryeong, having passed on all the profundities of the Inner Bullet Qi to Bu Eunseol, wore a satisfied smile.
—If, while traveling the martial world, you find an outstanding talent capable of completing the Inner Bullet Qi… you may pass on the martial arts in my stead.
Entrusting the transmission of one’s sect’s martial arts to another was something that could never happen.
In other words, Bukgung Ryeong had already accepted the mercenary Seolso—no, Bu Eunseol—as a disciple who had inherited his martial vision.
—Understood.
For the first time, Bu Eunseol bowed deeply to Bukgung Ryeong.
It was a show of respect to his forgetful-year friend who had generously passed on martial arts to him, and to the teacher who had taught him new martial arts.
After receiving the martial transmission from Bukgung Ryeong, Bu Eunseol disguised himself as Seolso, entered the deep mountains and valleys alone, and built a thatched cottage.
—Now Seolso will become the new Bullet King.
Bu Eunseol created iron rings and trained in the Inner Bullet Qi.
He newly applied and transformed all the martial arts he had comprehended so far to suit Seolso’s body.
—He will soon come looking for me.
Since he had built the cottage and was living here without hiding his traces, the slaughter star who had killed the mercenaries would definitely come find him.
While waiting for him, Bu Eunseol lived a natural life in the cottage, conducted intense training, once again deeply researched the Great Natural Qi, raised Seolso’s martial arts to a level similar to his own true martial arts, and repeated meditation every day.
And finally, the slaughter star who had found his traces arrived at the cottage.
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