Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: A Name Revealed
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For a moment, the leader's face hardened.
Those were the exact words he had spoken just moments ago after overpowering one of the young men.
"Ugh..."
His body trembled as his senses returned.
An emotion he had never felt before—humiliation—wrapped around his entire being.
And that humiliation turned into a rage that seemed to scorch his very soul.
"It's too early for you to be so cocky!"
Having lost his reason, the leader once again swung his twin palms with all his might.
But to Bu Eun-seol, it looked like nothing more than a child flailing its hands.
Watching the leader's palm technique with a bored expression, Bu Eun-seol extended a fist once more.
*Whoosh!*
A wind like a gentle breeze seemed to blow, and then a stream of fist energy poured toward the leader's face.
Bu Eun-seol's movements were simple, and the fist he threw seemed as light as a feather.
In reality, however, it contained an internal energy as heavy as a hurled boulder of iron.
*Thud.*
The leader blocked the torrent of fist energy with his twin palms.
In that instant, the heavy energy pierced through his palms and violently shook his meridians and internal organs.
"Ugh."
In the end, the leader fell to one knee and vomited blood.
He had suffered severe internal injuries just from blocking a single, light-looking fist.
He trembled.
Anger, despair, even fear... it all vanished. Now, only a single thought remained in his mind.
The power of a transcendent being, impossible to defeat.
In Bu Eun-seol's presence, he felt the authority of a grandmaster who held the world under his feet.
"Ugh... ugh..."
The demonic cultivator, who had ordered his men to sever people's tendons as if it were a game, was now struggling to suppress his own groans in front of Bu Eun-seol.
"Hmph."
At this, Bu Eun-seol turned away, as if he had lost interest.
As he turned, the warriors of the Blood Sea Demonic Cult who had surrounded the area flinched and took a step back.
*Flick!*
Bu Eun-seol flicked a finger wind at the fallen young men of the Seven Swords Sect.
Their sealed acupoints were instantly released, but none of them rose. No, they couldn't move.
Shame.
Failing to protect the woman they admired. As martial artists, this would remain a lifelong disgrace that would torment them.
Awe for his immense martial power.
The pale scholar who had silently endured their insults was, in reality, a master they couldn't dare to approach.
Overwhelmed by shame and awe toward Bu Eun-seol, the young men of the Seven Swords Sect couldn't even lift a finger.
*Swish.*
Then, Bu Eun-seol turned back and swept his gaze over the leader and the other warriors of the Blood Sea Demonic Cult.
And once again, he spoke heavily.
"Get lost."
This time, it was not out of mercy or compassion.
Just because you see a gnat doesn't mean you have to crush it. Sometimes, even the effort of moving your hand feels like a bother.
In Bu Eun-seol's eyes, they were nothing more and nothing less than insignificant gnats.
He trembled.
After a moment of trembling, the leader bit his lip and quietly turned around.
He was truly about to do as Bu Eun-seol said—to quietly get lost.
"That bastard is ruining the prestige of our cult."
*Thump.*
Just then, along with a low voice, a black shadow dropped from the sky.
The figure revealed in the moonlight was a scrawny, very short middle-aged man.
His body was exceptionally small, but his eyes, gleaming in the darkness, flashed like those of a wild beast.
"Hall Master Go?"
Recognizing the small middle-aged man, the leader cupped his hands in a flustered manner.
"What brings you here...?"
"You always disappoint me."
The middle-aged man referred to himself as 'this old man'.
This was proof that he was not only much older than he appeared but also possessed profound internal energy.
"A cultivator of our cult is told to get lost, and you just quietly get lost?"
"Hall Master Go, it's not like that..."
As the leader was about to make an excuse in response to the middle-aged man's rebuke,
*Splatter!*
Suddenly, blood sprayed into the air, and a severed head flew skyward.
The middle-aged man had struck like lightning, sending the leader's head flying in a single move.
"I promoted you to Tenth Commander because your martial arts were decent enough... but you turned out to be a useless coward."
The middle-aged man wore an expression as if he had just squashed a passing insect. He slowly turned to face Bu Eun-seol.
"This old man is called Go Geuk-sin. Have you heard the name?"
The Poisonous Hand, Night Soul, Go Geuk-sin.
He was the Third Hall Master of the Blood Sea Demonic Cult, a demonic cultivator who had terrorized the martial world with his Night Soul White Bone Claw, a technique that could crush a skull in an instant.
—We're dead!
Hearing Go Geuk-sin's name, the eyes of the young men from the Seven Swords Sect filled with despair.
He was a transcendent master who had terrorized the martial world for two decades. With such a figure present, they concluded that even someone as strong as Bu Eun-seol would find it difficult to survive.
"The name sounds plausible enough."
But Bu Eun-seol responded nonchalantly, as if he had just spotted an old man out for a neighborhood stroll.
"You don't know my name?"
Go Geuk-sin's eyebrow twitched, and Bu Eun-seol gave him an indifferent look.
At Bu Eun-seol's leisurely attitude, a murderous intent as sharp as a sword's edge flickered in Go Geuk-sin's eyes.
"Judging by your fist technique, you seem to be of the demonic path as well. Which faction do you belong to?"
"None of your business."
"What did you say?"
"Take this motley crew and leave. I need to rest now."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Go Geuk-sin stared blankly for a moment.
"Hahaha. Hahahahaha!"
Go Geuk-sin, who had thrown his head back and let out a long laugh, abruptly stopped and spoke.
"You've got some nerve."
He looked at Bu Eun-seol and said coldly.
"In the last thirty years, you are the first to speak to me in such a manner."
As Bu Eun-seol maintained his look of disinterest, a chilling killing intent dripped from Go Geuk-sin's eyes.
"I will not kill you right away."
Hearing this unexpected statement, Bu Eun-seol blinked, slightly surprised.
"And why is that?"
"First, I will annihilate the faction you belong to. Then, after I wipe out the Seven Swords Sect behind you, I will kill you."
The young men of the Seven Swords Sect trembled.
Those upon whom the Blood Sea Demonic Cult issued a kill order invariably met their end.
The Blood Sea Demonic Cult had become a terror in the martial world partly due to its tenacity and recklessness.
"We'll see if you can still afford to be so relaxed in front of me after that."
Go Geuk-sin said, his sharp eyes scanning him.
"As of today, I am issuing a kill order for you. It's useless to hide your identity. No matter where you run, the cultivators of our cult will hunt you to the ends of the earth."
"Ugh."
At those words, the young men of the Seven Swords Sect shivered violently.
If they were to be pursued by the Blood Sea Demonic Cult, they would not know a single day of peaceful sleep from now on.
"Have you gone senile?"
As Bu Eun-seol muttered this toward Go Geuk-sin, a chilling, blood-red light surfaced in his pupils.
"Some unheard-of mongrels dare to proclaim they will wipe out my Pavilion."
"My Pavilion?"
After a moment of confusion, Go Geuk-sin's eyes flashed.
"What is your sect of origin?"
"Nang-ya-gak."
In that instant, Go Geuk-sin's breath caught in his throat.
"Nang-ya-gak?"
The ten pillars that support the demonic path, the Ten Demonic Gates.
They held a supreme position that no demonic cultivator would dare challenge, and their martial arts were at the very pinnacle of the demonic path.
Furthermore, among the Ten Demonic Gates, Nang-ya-gak was the most unique and terrifying.
Though rumors of its decline circulated, that was only because disciples capable of inheriting its immensely powerful martial arts were rare.
And this arrogant bastard was a disciple of Nang-ya-gak, where each individual was said to possess the might of an entire sect?
"W-who in the world are you?"
"Bu Eun-seol."
"Bu Eun-seol?"
As the Third Hall Master of the Blood Sea Demonic Cult, Go Geuk-sin was well-versed in the affairs of the martial world.
After pondering something for a moment, he spoke gravely.
"I heard that one of Nang-ya-gak's Sip-ma-jeon-in had entered the martial world... but to think you were holed up in a place like this?"
At Go Geuk-sin's words, Bu Eun-seol offered a faint smile.
Due to the nature of Nang-ya-gak's martial arts, which developed through combat, he didn't have any distinct features or scars.
This was even more true for Bu Eun-seol's Mu-sang-cheon-ryu, which was not bound by any fixed sword techniques.
He had always handled matters while concealing his identity, and those who confronted him had invariably met their demise...
Because he used a sword art that claimed lives without leaving a single trace, Bu Eun-seol's activities were not widely known.
When Bu Eun-seol gave no clear answer, Go Geuk-sin bit his lip.
"Even if I can't touch you, I can still annihilate the Seven Swords Sect."
Filled with malice, he let out a vicious smile.
"Even Nang-ya-gak wouldn't dare interfere in a dispute between demonic factions, would they?"
Watching Go Geuk-sin calmly, Bu Eun-seol nodded with a nonchalant expression.
"Stop spouting nonsense and just be sure to keep your promise."
"What?"
Bu Eun-seol smiled coldly and said.
"I'm saying you should, as promised, do your best to annihilate my Pavilion first, and then attack the Seven Swords Sect."
At that moment, Go Geuk-sin's face stiffened.
He had declared with his own mouth that he would destroy Bu Eun-seol's sect first, and then attack the Seven Swords Sect.
In other words, until he had annihilated Nang-ya-gak, he could not touch the Seven Swords Sect.
*Grit.*
Go Geuk-sin ground his teeth.
No matter how much the Blood Sea Demonic Cult was feared as a den of evil in the demonic path, they did not have the guts to touch Nang-ya-gak.
And getting rid of Bu Eun-seol without a trace would be no easy task either.
What if Bu Eun-seol tenaciously survived this duel?
Even if he won, the Blood Sea Demonic Cult would be completely annihilated by Nang-ya-gak.
*Grind.*
Swallowing his humiliation once more, Go Geuk-sin turned around.
"We're leaving!"
At his command, the warriors surrounding them retreated like an ebbing tide.
"..."
For a while, silence descended upon the courtyard of Seo-gang-won.
The young men of the Seven Swords Sect couldn't bring themselves to look up.
The one who broke the long, heavy silence was none other than Gu Yang-cheong-jeong.
"Was it because of us?"
She said, staring intently at Bu Eun-seol as he turned to leave.
"You revealed your identity because of us, didn't you?"
"What are you talking about?"
As Bu Eun-seol turned, Gu Yang-cheong-jeong's large eyes sparkled.
"Young Master Bu, you were trying so hard to hide your identity, weren't you? But you boldly revealed it to that cultivator from the Blood Sea Demonic Cult."
She said with a look of conviction.
"To protect us."
Gu Yang-cheong-jeong spoke in a low voice, as if in a dream.
"Because the Blood Sea Demonic Cult was targeting our Seven Swords Sect... you deliberately revealed your identity to stop them."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"It was just a hassle."
He said that, but it wasn't what he truly felt.
Unlike his usual self, he had given in to the pestering of Gu Yang-cheong-jeong, a complete stranger, several times.
In his heart, Bu Eun-seol had wanted to watch over these vibrant young people a little longer.
Because from now on, he had to walk the harsh destiny of a Sip-ma-jeon-in, a path perpetually soaked in blood...
*'Was this just a brief deviation?'*
With a bitter smile, he turned around again.
The direction Bu Eun-seol walked was not toward Jin-hyang-won, but out of the inn.
Now that his identity was revealed, he could no longer stay in Jin-yang.
"Young Master Bu!"
Just then, the six young men hurriedly ran before Bu Eun-seol and cupped their hands.
"Please give the Seven Swords Sect a chance to repay your grace, Young Master!"
They dared not look Bu Eun-seol straight in the eye, their heads slightly bowed, but their gazes were earnest.
"Repay my grace."
Muttering the words to himself, Bu Eun-seol looked up at the distant sky with a bitter expression.
Favors, grudges.
As long as one lived in the martial world, one could never be free from the cycle of favor and vengeance.
"If you think such a thing exists, forget it."
Feeling it was all too troublesome, Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"And my existence as well, if you can."
"Young Master."
"It was time for me to leave anyway. That is all."
It had been over two months since he came to Jin-yang.
In that time, he had fully absorbed the insights gained from fierce battles, so it was time to once again deal with the Dae-ui-go-su.
*Fwoosh.*
As Bu Eun-seol executed his movement technique and vanished into the night sky in an instant, the young men of the Seven Swords Sect lowered their heads in disappointment once more.
Only Gu Yang-cheong-jeong kept her head raised, watching his departure with wistful eyes.
"Please..."
In that moment, Gu Yang-cheong-jeong prayed and prayed in her heart.
That the next time they met, she would be outstanding enough to hold onto him.
And that they would surely meet again.