Chapter 111
Chapter 111
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Proposal
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*Fwaaa!*
With every outpouring of internal energy from the Expulsion Art, the Heavenly Generals began to slide back with a *creaking* sound.
An intense force, as if pushing against Mount Tai, was shoving back the Heavenly Generals that were fixed to the ground.
*Whoosh!*
The Heavenly Generals arrayed behind him then swung their greatswords, aiming for Bu Eun-seol's back.
*Shhhh.*
At that, Bu Eun-seol's entire body blurred, as if wreathed in a thick mist.
He had begun to use the Extreme Speed Formless Steps, a legendary movement technique that allowed one to change direction while standing in place.
*Shhh! Fwaaaa!*
He used the Extreme Speed Formless Steps to shift his position on the spot and the Expulsion Art to push back the Heavenly Generals.
Bu Eun-seol was breaking through the Twenty-four Heavenly Generals Formation with a simple yet powerful strategy.
"What incredible internal energy."
Namgung Se-a, who was watching the scene, muttered in disbelief.
"To unleash the fiercely powerful Expulsion Art so relentlessly at his age? Just what school does he belong to?"
Her gaze was fixed on Heuk-pyo, who was standing still.
Unable to ignore her intense stare, Heuk-pyo stammered out an excuse.
"The, the young master wanders the martial world without a fixed destination, learning martial arts from here and there..."
"He learned martial arts from here and there?"
"Yes. He said that while wandering aimlessly, he met many eccentric masters..."
Namgung Se-a almost burst out laughing at the absurdity.
The level of Bu Eun-seol's internal energy, which effortlessly pushed back Heavenly Generals made of ten thousand catties of steel with pure force, was so outstanding that not even a direct disciple of the Shaolin Abbot could achieve it.
Yet he claimed to have learned it while living a hand-to-mouth existence?
"It seems he has a complicated story."
As Namgung Se-a laughed it off, the Young Mistress, who had been watching silently, spoke softly.
"I think we should stop the formation."
She gazed at Bu Eun-seol with a grave expression.
"No matter how outstanding his internal energy is, if he keeps expending it like that, he'll eventually exhaust his power and suffer from qi deviation."
"He seems fine for now."
The Young Mistress shook her head at Namgung Se-a's words.
"The Twenty-four Heavenly Generals Formation gets stronger toward the end. He might be able to withstand it now, but it will be difficult from the halfway point."
Her prediction was accurate.
When Bu Eun-seol reached about two-thirds of the way through, his internal energy seemed to have run out. His footwork slowed, and the Heavenly Generals no longer budged.
"*Huu. Huu.*"
Beads of sweat covered the face of the man who had stopped walking.
Watching him, Namgung Se-a furrowed her brow and said.
"Should we stop it?"
"I think so."
As the Young Mistress replied, Namgung Se-a prepared to insert the Young Mistress's Command Token into the wall. But Heuk-pyo quickly stepped in to stop her.
"You can't stop it yet."
Namgung Se-a scowled at Heuk-pyo's intervention.
"If we don't stop now, your master will exhaust his internal energy and suffer irreversible internal injuries."
"No. Look closely."
"At what?"
"The young master's expression. He doesn't look like someone on the verge of collapsing from energy depletion, does he?"
At Heuk-pyo's words, the Young Mistress and Namgung Se-a looked closely at Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
His sweat-drenched hair fell over his face, obscuring it. But his eyes were sparkling, and a faint smile played on his lips.
"Still, no."
Namgung Se-a clicked her tongue and said.
"One can fake an expression out of sheer stubbornness. A martial artist is defined by their actions and skills..."
Her words trailed off.
Bu Eun-seol had already unleashed a powerful fist, once again pushing back the Heavenly Generals.
"He recovered in that short time?"
Namgung Se-a, who was about to stop the formation with the command token, widened her eyes in disbelief.
*That man...*
Bu Eun-seol's eyes, which had been cold and still, were now burning with heat. It was a look that seemed to relish the situation.
*He's a born martial artist.*
True martial artists enjoy crisis and hardship.
They see them not as obstacles, but as stepping stones to surpass their limits once more.
"Fine."
She put down the command token and said in a low voice.
"Let's watch a little longer."
"Thank you."
Meanwhile, Bu Eun-seol pushed through the Heavenly Generals and had already reached the end of the stone chamber.
The exit was just a step away.
But Bu Eun-seol's power seemed completely depleted, and he could no longer use the Expulsion Art.
*I guess it was too much to face them with pure internal energy alone.*
He gasped for breath, pondering for a moment. All he had left was a single breath of true qi.
In other words, he had only one chance left to use a martial art.
*The statues have no killing intent, so Rhombus Sword Control won't work. It has to be the Formless Heavenly Flow.*
If he used the Formless Heavenly Flow with the Ink Sword, which could cut through steel like tofu, he could fell the Heavenly Generals in an instant.
But if he used a sword, his identity would be revealed immediately.
*I have no choice.*
Having made a decision, Bu Eun-seol mustered his internal energy with all his might.
*Paang!*
An explosive sound erupted as a whirlwind kicked up around him, and faint points of light began to appear all over his body.
*Grrrr. Clank.*
The Heavenly Generals, as if determined to stop Bu Eun-seol's final step, began to encircle him with a grinding sound.
*I'll bet everything on this one fist!*
In this desperate moment, Bu Eun-seol intended to use not the Formless Heavenly Flow, but the fist art of the Fist Demon.
As the greatest fist art of Nang-ya-gak, it surely possessed a power no less than that of the Formless Heavenly Flow.
*Seven Forms of the Fist Demon... Second Form!*
Bu Eun-seol drew a large circle with both hands, a sharp, blue light shooting from his eyes.
*Chaotic Lightning Flash!*
The fierce wind bursting from his fist soon became five whirlwinds that swept past the surrounding Heavenly Generals.
"..."
A momentary silence fell over the stone chamber.
Bu Eun-seol, who had been panting heavily, began to walk as if nothing had happened.
*Whirrr!*
At that, the Heavenly Generals surrounding Bu Eun-seol simultaneously brought their greatswords down on his head.
"Young Master!"
Heuk-pyo shouted urgently, but Bu Eun-seol walked on calmly, as if he hadn't heard.
*Crumble...*
But the greatswords of the Heavenly Generals, which had been cleaving toward Bu Eun-seol's head, all turned to dust and scattered.
The power of the Chaotic Lightning Flash had pulverized the Heavenly Generals' greatswords.
"That..."
Not only Heuk-pyo, but also Namgung Se-a and the Young Mistress were left speechless at the sight.
There were countless fist arts in the martial world, but they had never heard of one that could turn tempered steel into dust.
"So he was a master of a tremendous fist art."
Just as Namgung Se-a muttered softly,
*Step, step.*
Bu Eun-seol passed through the exit of the stone chamber.
*Rumble...*
With the sound of machinery, the floor of the stone chamber flipped over, and the towering Heavenly Generals began to retract inside.
He had finally passed through the Twenty-four Heavenly Generals Formation, which no one had been able to breach since its installation.
"Young Master!"
Heuk-pyo ran up to Bu Eun-seol as he exited the chamber and shouted loudly.
"Congratulations, Young Master!"
Watching Heuk-pyo jump for joy like a puppy, Bu Eun-seol said in a low voice.
"You were right."
"Pardon?"
"That martial arts can be improved in various ways, not just through combat."
While passing through the Twenty-four Heavenly Generals Formation, Bu Eun-seol had poured out his internal energy with all his might for the first time.
And he had used the Second Form of the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon, which he had only learned from a manual, in actual combat for the first time.
In truth, it was something an ordinary martial artist would never attempt.
No one would unleash a martial art they had only learned from a manual and never used in a real fight in a life-or-death situation.
But Bu Eun-seol had instead used the crisis as an opportunity.
At that desperate moment, he had displayed extreme concentration and executed the technique perfectly.
"I'm glad my words were of help."
Heuk-pyo was genuinely happy.
He knew that although Bu Eun-seol seemed cold and assertive, he was actually someone who took others' advice to heart.
If he listened to the words of his own servant, he surely wouldn't dismiss anyone else's words lightly.
"Now you can get the Divine Restoration Pearl."
As Heuk-pyo spoke with a beaming smile, Namgung Se-a shook her head.
"My promise was to let you take the test. I never promised to give you the Divine Restoration Pearl."
"What do you mean?"
As Heuk-pyo's eyes widened, she spoke again.
"The Palace Mistress herself installed this formation. It is a test of worthiness for whoever seeks the Divine Restoration Pearl from the Young Mistress."
At that, Bu Eun-seol, who had been listening quietly, felt his eyes sparkle.
"So you're saying the decision to give the Divine Restoration Pearl is up to the Young Mistress?"
"That's right."
Just then, something strange happened.
*Crack.*
With the sound of bones shifting, the skin on Bu Eun-seol's face began to ripple like a living snake.
*I used too much internal energy.*
The drawback of the Face-Altering Bone Restructuring Technique, which could easily change one's appearance, was that it constantly consumed the user's internal energy.
Having drawn out his maximum internal energy within the Twenty-four Heavenly Generals Formation and completely exhausted his Reverse Polarity True Qi, the secret art of the technique had come undone.
"That appearance..."
Sensing Namgung Se-a's gaze, Bu Eun-seol quickly covered his face with his sleeve.
*Creak. Crackle.*
Bu Eun-seol barely managed to muster his depleted internal energy and forced the Face-Altering Bone Restructuring Technique to work again.
But he couldn't hide it from the sharp eyes of Namgung Se-a.
*I never imagined he'd be this handsome.*
Namgung Se-a's eyes wavered like water as she looked at Bu Eun-seol.
The true face of Bu Eun-seol, revealed for a brief moment, was that of an unparalleled handsome young master, like a figure from a painting.
"Have you been in disguise all this time?"
"What are you talking about?"
"A moment ago, it looked like you were hiding your true face."
"You must have seen wrong."
Unable to find any trace of a disguise on Bu Eun-seol's face no matter how hard she stared, Namgung Se-a narrowed her eyes.
*I'll find out later anyway.*
Meanwhile, Bu Eun-seol, having completely restored his disguise, approached the veiled Young Mistress and asked.
"Have you made your decision?"
"Pardon?"
"About the Divine Restoration Pearl."
"I..."
The Young Mistress stared at Bu Eun-seol from behind her veil before lowering her gaze.
"Do you... desire it that much?"
"I do."
At Bu Eun-seol's firm reply, the Young Mistress bowed her head and spoke in a small voice.
"But I don't even know who you are... or your name."
*Right, she can't just give a treasure of the Divine Maiden Palace to a stranger whose name she doesn't even know.*
Although he felt something was slightly off, Bu Eun-seol answered calmly.
"My name is Seol So."
"Young Master Seol. Forgive my asking, but your school is...?"
"I am a wanderer under the vast sky."
"A wanderer... I see."
"Will you give me the Divine Restoration Pearl?"
At Bu Eun-seol's direct question, the Young Mistress lowered her head, not knowing what to do.
Then, Namgung Se-a approached her side and whispered.
"Young Mistress. Give it to him."
"What?"
"Give him the Divine Restoration Pearl, quickly."
"But..."
As hesitation flickered in the veiled Young Mistress's eyes, Namgung Se-a spoke in a firm voice.
"Please trust me. You will absolutely not regret it."
"Not regret it... you say?"
"That's right."
Namgung Se-a's eyes were now burning hot like an active volcano, a stark contrast to before.
"Young Mistress. Have I ever spoken nonsense to you?"
Her gaze was like that of a predator, crouched and ready to snatch its prey.
"Just trust me this once. You will not regret it."
For reasons unknown, Namgung Se-a's voice was filled with conviction and an inexplicable sense of anticipation.
The Young Mistress, who had been standing there blankly, gave a slight nod.
"...I understand."
Lowering her head once more, she looked at Bu Eun-seol and said in a small voice.
"Since you risked your life to pass the formation..."
She then took out a small wooden box from her robes. When she opened it carefully, a faintly glowing red pearl was revealed.
It was the Divine Restoration Pearl.
"Here it is."
As the Young Mistress held out the box, Bu Eun-seol calmly reached out and took it.
"Thank you."
As Bu Eun-seol placed the pearl in his robes, Namgung Se-a beamed with joy and clasped her hands together.
"Congratulations. Congratulations, Young Mistress!"
The Young Mistress turned away at Namgung Se-a's words and said shyly.
"I'll head back first. Please... escort Young Master Seol to the detached villa with all due respect."
"Understood. I will also inform the Palace Mistress of this news shortly."
*Palace Mistress?*
Something feels ominous and wrong.
For the first time since entering the martial world, a chill ran down the back of his neck. And that intuition slowly became reality.
"Well then, I'll be taking my leave."
As Bu Eun-seol turned to leave, Namgung Se-a smiled brightly.
"What's the rush?"
"I must return to my life as a wanderer."
"Stay a little longer. We're practically family now."
"What do you mean by that?"
Namgung Se-a bared her white teeth and crinkled her eyes in a wide smile at Bu Eun-seol's question.
"Rest for a while at the detached villa. I'm going to inform the Palace Mistress."
This was the same Namgung Se-a who had maintained a cold and aloof expression the entire time.
Yet now, wasn't she looking at him with more affection than she showed even her own nephew, Namgung Un?
"I thought the Palace Mistress was just being difficult for no reason... but to think a young hero like you was really out there!"
Giving him a thumbs-up, Namgung Se-a spun around and left in a flash before he could even reply.
Feeling that something was strange, Bu Eun-seol looked at Heuk-pyo.
Heuk-pyo understood his meaning and immediately asked a maid who was quickly turning to leave.
"Excuse me, may I ask you something?"
The maid turned, and Heuk-pyo asked with a serious expression.
"Why did Hall Master Namgung refer to my young master as... family?"
The maid looked flustered and lowered her head.
"I don't know what you mean."
"No, what I mean is... didn't the Hall Master just say to my young master, 'We're practically family now'?"
"Young Master Seol is to be our Young Mistress's future husband... so I don't think she was wrong."
"What did you say?"
Heuk-pyo jumped as if he'd seen a ghost.
"Husband? What are you talking about? Why my young master?"
"Because the Divine Restoration Pearl is a betrothal gift for the one who will become the Young Mistress's husband."
"The Divine Restoration Pearl... is a betrothal gift?"