Chapter 128
Chapter 128
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 128
Chapter Title: A Silver Tongue
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Bu Eun-seol was not the type to get excited or fall for provocations.
However, Chief Instructor Hyeokryeon Eung was someone who had risked severe punishment to save him.
So when Yu Un-ryong mentioned the Chief Instructor to provoke him, he became enraged.
“Hahaha. The atmosphere is quite tense.”
Just then, Sim Wol abruptly stepped between Bu Eun-seol and Yu Un-ryong, who were both radiating killing intent.
“Ah, now that I think of it, you are?”
Sim Wol looked at Yu Un-ryong's face, took another step forward, and clasped his hands.
“It is an honor to meet you, Young Master Yu.”
“And who are you?”
As Yu Un-ryong asked arrogantly, Sim Wol replied with a gentle smile.
“I am Sim Wol, a disciple of the Hall of Myriad Knowledge.”
“The Hall of Myriad Knowledge?”
Hearing Sim Wol's reply, a flicker of contempt passed through Yu Un-ryong's eyes.
He said nothing, but his expression and gaze alone were enough to show he looked down on Sim Wol.
Despite this insolent attitude, Sim Wol maintained his smile and spoke.
“It is an honor to meet one of the Ten Demonic Scions of the White Horse Temple.”
“You know of me.”
“Of course. Although I only handle minor affairs here at the Demonic Sanctum, I always keep an ear out for news concerning the Ten Demonic Scions, who are destined to cause a great stir in the Demonic Path.”
Sim Wol clasped his hands once more and said.
“I have long admired you, especially after hearing the rumors that not only is your talent exceptional, Young Master Yu, but you have also mastered the Divine Art of Creation, one of the highest techniques of the White Horse Whip Arts.”
At Sim Wol's continuous praise, a pleased smile slowly spread across Yu Un-ryong's lips.
“You seem quite young, yet you've heard much and know much.”
“You flatter me.”
Sim Wol continued without pause.
“You must be weary from your long journey, Young Master Yu. Attendant!”
At his call, a warrior who had been standing guard behind him approached and bowed his head.
“You called, sir.”
“Please escort Young Master Yu here to his quarters. As he is one of the Ten Demonic Scions from the White Horse Temple, you must guide him to a particularly fine room.”
If one listened closely to Sim Wol's words, it was clear that Yu Un-ryong's lodging had already been assigned. There was no room to guide him to a "particularly fine" place.
However, lost in the continuous praise, Yu Un-ryong failed to see through it and nodded in satisfaction.
“There's no need to go to such trouble.”
Perhaps because he was in a good mood, even his condescending tone had changed.
Sim Wol spoke to Yu Un-ryong in a very respectful voice.
“Young Master Yu. I have a brief matter to discuss with Young Master Bu… Would you mind going on ahead?”
“Ah, of course.”
Yu Un-ryong, who had come to pick a fight with Bu Eun-seol, was now completely charmed by Sim Wol's silver tongue and left under the warrior's guidance.
“You have quite the silver tongue.”
The ability to casually step between Bu Eun-seol and Yu Un-ryong while they were radiating killing intent.
This implicitly revealed that Sim Wol's martial arts skills were no less than Bu Eun-seol's.
But Bu Eun-seol only complimented Sim Wol on his ‘silver tongue’.
“It's nothing. People as arrogant and self-important as Young Master Yu can be handled with just a few words of praise.”
“So you can read people.”
Sim Wol's large, long eyes twinkled as he spoke.
“It's not that. Everyone has something they want to hear. And if you say it to them… they will always remember the one who said it as a good person.”
Sim Wol had something in common with Bu Eun-seol.
Despite their young age, both possessed a deep, seasoned understanding of human nature, like old men in their twilight years.
“You seem to dislike noise, Young Master Bu, so I have arranged your quarters in the most remote part of the sanctum.”
Changing the subject, Sim Wol gestured for Bu Eun-seol to follow.
“Shall we talk for a moment as we walk?”
“Very well.”
The two walked side by side down a small path leading to the outskirts of the Demonic Sanctum.
For a while, the two walked on in silence. It was Sim Wol who finally broke the long silence.
“Do you know why the Demonic Sanctum has summoned the Ten Demonic Scions?”
“I heard it was to deal with the Great Righteous Masters.”
“On the surface, yes, but the timing is too soon. As you may have heard, Young Master Bu… this is all due to pressure from the Ten Demonic Schools.”
“I don't understand.”
At Bu Eun-seol's murmur, Sim Wol spoke in a low voice, as if he had read his mind.
“In truth, I've heard that when the Heavenly Demonic Emperor announced the Ten Demonic Scions project, it was not to deal with the Great Righteous Masters, but for another purpose.”
Pausing for a moment, Sim Wol gazed at the distant sky and spoke as if whispering.
“But he suddenly entered seclusion. That is why the Ten Demonic Scions project has become so unstable.”
At that, the look in Bu Eun-seol's perpetually calm eyes changed.
‘So the Demonic Lord was in seclusion.’
Bu Eun-seol cursed his own foolishness.
How could he have been unaware of such crucial information until now?
‘I've focused too much on martial arts alone.’
The position of a Ten Demonic Scion required attention not only to martial arts but also to the grander political landscape and the state of the Murim.
But Bu Eun-seol had always devoted all his energy to martial arts, which led to this oversight.
‘Since it has come to this, I might as well hear everything from him.’
Having made up his mind, Bu Eun-seol asked with a slightly surprised expression.
“The Lord of the Sanctum suddenly entered seclusion?”
“It has happened often enough. He enters seclusion whenever he gains a sudden enlightenment.”
Sim Wol cleared his throat and said.
“And… Young Master Bu, you should address him as the Heavenly Demonic Emperor, not the Demonic Lord. Only those of high standing, like the leaders of the Ten Demonic Schools or the Demonic Sanctum's high command, can call him the Demonic Lord.”
Dan Cheong, Hyeol Geum-gang, Master Cheol, Jeok Bung…
The people Bu Eun-seol had met so far were all individuals of incredibly high standing and rank.
Because they all casually called him the Demonic Lord, the term had naturally stuck with Bu Eun-seol.
“I was unaware. I will be more careful.”
“I see. In any case, because the Heavenly Demonic Emperor is absent, the treatment of the Ten Demonic Scions is now heavily influenced by the Ten Demonic Schools and the Council of Elders. That is why the current situation has come to pass.”
Hearing Sim Wol's explanation, Bu Eun-seol could now grasp the situation at the Demonic Sanctum—which Dan Cheong and Baek Yeon had explained before—with even greater clarity.
“Why are you telling me all this?”
At Bu Eun-seol's question, Sim Wol offered a faint smile.
“Because in this situation, the journey to fight the Great Righteous Masters is a path of blood—no, it's effectively a suicide mission.”
An incomprehensible answer.
As questions surged within him, Bu Eun-seol firmly shut his mouth.
Having thrown out such a cryptic answer, he would surely provide an explanation to match.
“I know that you defeated Yeong Ji-wi, one of the Great Righteous Masters who appeared at the Dong-pyo-seo-rang Martial Arts Tournament.”
But contrary to expectations, Sim Wol continued with another cryptic statement.
“However, he was a man who began his martial arts training late in life. He possessed pathetic skills, unworthy of being called a Great Righteous Master in the first place.”
Bu Eun-seol remained silent.
If he waited, the destination of this conversation would surely reveal itself.
“No matter how outstanding your martial arts are, Young Master Bu, you cannot face the remaining Great Righteous Masters.”
“…”
“Because each of the Great Righteous Masters has long been taught the secrets to countering the martial arts of the Ten Demonic Schools.”
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed.
At this point, he had to temporarily set aside the question of why Sim Wol was feeding him all this information.
“Secrets to counter the ultimate arts of the Ten Demonic Schools? How is that possible?”
As Bu Eun-seol finally broke his silence, the smile on Sim Wol's lips deepened.
“According to top-secret intelligence obtained by our sanctum, there is a very mysterious master within the Murim Alliance. A master who is not only well-versed in demonic martial arts but can also discern the flow of techniques by examining the wounds left on a corpse.”
*Thump.*
For a moment, Bu Eun-seol felt a shock, as if his heart had plummeted.
The moment he heard that, he instinctively thought of the fiend who had killed his grandfather.
“Who is this person?”
“I do not know. The identity of this mysterious individual is said to be the Murim Alliance's highest secret. They say you can count the number of people within the Alliance who know his identity on one hand.”
Sim Wol, who had paused his explanation, added one more thing.
“There are also rumors that he is a spy who has been active in the Murim for a very long time.”
“A spy…”
Bu Eun-seol clenched his fists without realizing it.
He had always thought the fiend was one of the top masters of the Demonic Path.
But a master from the Orthodox Faction existed who was an expert in demonic martial arts. If so, then conversely, there could be a master in the Demonic Path who was an expert in the martial arts of the Orthodox Faction.
‘I shouldn't be hasty. As I wander the Murim, I'm bound to encounter such a master eventually.’
While Bu Eun-seol was lost in thought, Sim Wol's voice continued.
“Do you now understand why I said you shouldn't fight the Great Righteous Masters?”
Shaken from his thoughts, Bu Eun-seol's mind began to race.
Sim Wol had consistently fed Bu Eun-seol valuable information. And the conclusion of all that information could be summarized in a single sentence.
—The Great Righteous Masters are too strong for the Ten Demonic Scions to handle.
‘So that's what this is about.’
Although he had a suspicion, Bu Eun-seol feigned ignorance in his reply.
“But being an expert in demonic martial arts is not the same as being an expert in the divine arts and ultimate techniques of the Ten Demonic Schools, is it?”
“Of course. But by examining the wounds on the dead, one can guess the techniques to a certain extent.”
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
“Even if they can guess the techniques, it would only amount to knowing the sequence of their moves.”
Bu Eun-seol, who was an expert in human anatomy and had studied the wounds of countless martial artists.
He himself possessed the ability to discern techniques and the flow of moves to some extent just by looking at wounds.
“You can't claim to have grasped an opponent's martial arts with that alone.”
“Of course. One cannot grasp the profound mysteries and essence of the vast martial arts of the Ten Demonic Schools from the wounds left on a corpse.”
A sharp glint flashed in Sim Wol's smiling eyes.
“But what if we assume that the martial skill of a Great Righteous Master and a Ten Demonic Scion are comparable? Wouldn't knowing the opponent's sequence of moves be a significant advantage?”
Bu Eun-seol fell silent.
He was right.
When fighting an evenly matched opponent, the slightest difference determines the victor.
And weren't the Great Righteous Masters considered to be superior in skill to the Ten Demonic Scions?
It wouldn't just be an advantage; it could be the difference between life and death.
“That could be true.”
As Bu Eun-seol finally conceded his point, Sim Wol's expression brightened.
“I'm relieved you understand now.”
Staring intently into Sim Wol's eyes, Bu Eun-seol shook his head as if he had finally found the answer to the puzzle.
“Now I understand why you're telling me all this.”
“Is that so?”
“You've come on the orders of the Lord of the Council of Elders, haven't you?”
Sim Wol's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but he quickly broke into a gentle smile.
“Correct. I have come to once again convey Elder Jeok's intentions to you, Young Master Bu.”
As Bu Eun-seol remained silent, Sim Wol spoke in a quiet voice.
“Now that you've heard my explanation, surely you understand why the Elder offered you a position in the Dark Heaven Brigade?”
In the past, Bu Eun-seol had come to the Demonic Sanctum at the request of the White Horse Temple.
And just as he was about to leave, he had been summoned by Jeok Bung, the Lord of the Council of Elders, and had met with him.
At that time, Jeok Bung had strongly urged Bu Eun-seol to leave the Nang-ya-gak and become a member of the Demonic Sanctum's Dark Heaven Brigade... Now he saw the background behind that offer.
“So… the Lord of the Council of Elders made that offer because he was worried I would be killed by the Great Righteous Masters.”
“That's right. The Elder saw through the Ten Demonic Schools' scheme early on and worried that you would perish tragically before your talent could even blossom, Young Master Bu.”
Sim Wol's words were very logical, and his persuasion was well-structured.
If Bu Eun-seol had been slow-witted, or a newcomer to the Murim, he would have believed him completely.
“Listening to you, it sounds as if the Lord of the Council of Elders urged me to join the Dark Heaven Brigade with all his might just to save me.”
Bu Eun-seol couldn't hide a cold smile.
“Would escaping the shackles of the Ten Demonic Scions to become a member of the Dark Heaven Brigade really come for free?”
Sim Wol was not only quick-witted but also clever.
Realizing the reproach in Bu Eun-seol's words, he took a step back.
“If my words came across that way, I apologize. I simply…”
“It's fine. I just dislike people who beat around the bush.”
“In that case, I will also speak frankly.”
Sim Wol began to speak with a heavy tone.
“Becoming a member of the Dark Heaven Brigade is, to be precise, more like entering the Elder's service than becoming a member of the Demonic Sanctum. However, this will be to your benefit, Young Master Bu, never to your detriment.”
“Under the Lord of the Council of Elders' command…”
Bu Eun-seol's sharp gaze swept over Sim Wol, but his tone remained calm.
“Then I must not be the only one who received an offer to join the Dark Heaven Brigade. Am I wrong?”