Chapter 145
Chapter 145
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 145
Chapter Title: The Hunter's Bargain
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Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath and shook his head.
*The ways of the world are all the same. Everything is.*
Dang Gon, who had attacked the Blood Poison Valley to solidify his position as Young Lord.
The Ten Demonic Disciples, who could become candidates for succession in the Demonic Palace by killing the Grand Masters…
And Seong-ryun, too, sought to kill a Ten Demonic Disciple to strengthen his standing within the Beggars' Union and gain an edge over his rivals.
"How amusing."
"What did you say?"
"It was nothing."
Bu Eun-seol calmly clasped his hands together.
"Thank you for the information."
The previous branch manager in Yangzhou had been unwilling to share information, even after he revealed he was a fellow member of the Nine Kills Unit.
But this branch manager in Yanzhou had kindly provided the information once Bu Eun-seol proved his affiliation with the Nine Kills Unit. It was, after all, up to the individual manager's discretion.
"Don't mention it. We have to look out for each other to survive, don't we?"
The branch manager offered a weary smile.
It seemed that since Yanzhou was also under the influence of the Orthodox Faction, the Nine Kills Unit often suffered casualties here.
"Farewell, then."
Bu Eun-seol slowly turned away.
Now, it was time to hunt down Seong-ryun, the Grand Master consumed by ambition.
Zhengzhou Village. It was a small town located on the way to Henan.
"Get your dumplings here!"
"Bronze mirrors from the Western Regions, only five *mun*!"
The market stalls were a cacophony of merchants' cries, people's chatter, and the sounds of cooking.
Bu Eun-seol was on the second floor of a tea house, looking down at the street below.
His gaze fell upon a street-side eatery. A man in shabby clothes was eating alone.
It was none other than Seong-ryun, the Grand Master of the Beggars' Union.
"He's staying true to his role as a beggar."
Bu Eun-seol muttered under his breath.
While the Beggars' Union was a den of beggars, they only maintained their beggar status due to the clan rule that their main occupation was begging. They were by no means poor.
Information poured in from their countless members spread throughout the martial world.
And because there was no place they didn't wander, from mountain valleys to remote areas, they knew the locations of many undiscovered treasures and spirit beasts.
Some of these were priceless, allowing the Beggars' Union to maintain a comfortable existence.
That was why the hall masters holding key positions in the Union often frequented high-end inns where a single dish could cost dozens of *nyang*.
*He's alone.*
Looking around, there were no signs of any allies who might help Seong-ryun.
*For now, at least.*
The Beggars' Union was, in itself, an exceptional intelligence organization.
If they put their minds to it, they could hide anyone perfectly.
*Yeongpung Gorge should be a good spot.*
Seeing him eat so ravenously even before lunchtime, it was clear he intended to pass through the vicinity of Yeongpung Gorge on his way to Kaifeng today.
The area around Yeongpung Gorge was densely forested, making it an ideal place to confront him.
But just then,
*Someone's here.*
Bu Eun-seol sensed someone hiding on the roof of the building across the street.
*A master from the Beggars' Union?*
To strike at Seong-ryun, he had to know the number and skill level of his allies.
*Fwip.*
Just then, as if sensing they had been discovered, the person hiding on the roof swiftly used their movement technique.
*I have to catch them.*
Bu Eun-seol immediately left the tea house and began his pursuit.
*Swish!*
As he chased the streak of a shadow quickly leaving the village, Bu Eun-seol wore a puzzled expression.
*This isn't someone from the Beggars' Union.*
The fleeing person's movement technique was not only fast but also poised for a counterattack at any moment.
Neither the Beggars' Union nor any other Orthodox Faction school had a movement technique performed with such a fierce posture.
*Ch-ch-ch-ch!*
As the shadow pulled away, Bu Eun-seol deployed his Extreme Speed Shadowless Art even faster.
*Swish! Ch-ch-ch-ch!*
Just as Bu Eun-seol, dashing through the air, was about to catch up to the fleeing figure's back,
*Shhhk!*
something sharp suddenly shot toward the space between Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
The attack was not only incredibly fast but also came from an unpredictable angle.
Because of this, even Bu Eun-seol, a master of the Beast Arts, couldn't predict it at all and had to hastily spin his body in mid-air.
"This is..."
Bu Eun-seol exclaimed as he realized the white light that grazed past him was a snow-white whip.
"Yu Un-ryong?"
At that, the fleeing shadow stopped and landed on the ground.
He looked like a vagrant, dressed in rags and reeking of a sour smell.
But his build was large, and his eyes glinted sharply, like the tip of a sword.
It was none other than Yu Un-ryong.
"Bu Eun-seol."
Yu Un-ryong's face was much colder and sharper than before.
This time, even Bu Eun-seol couldn't hide his surprise.
Yu Un-ryong, who had been the first to fail in his assassination of a Grand Master.
To think he would appear here, dressed as a vagrant, after disappearing following rumors of his escape with grave injuries.
"What happened to you?"
Bu Eun-seol asked in a low voice.
"I heard you were defeated by the Grand Master from the Kongtong Sect and fled."
Six months had passed since he left the Demonic Palace.
Aside from Bu Eun-seol and Seok U-haeng, no one else had dealt with a Grand Master, which meant the remaining Ten Demonic Disciples should have had their martial arts crippled.
Weren't there widespread rumors that Yu Un-ryong had been defeated by the very Kongtong Sect Grand Master that Seok U-haeng later killed, and had then fled?
But the Yu Un-ryong who had reappeared now had his internal energy intact; in fact, his aura seemed even more formidable than before.
"I'm still on the run."
Yu Un-ryong said flatly.
"After four months, the Demonic Palace really did send pursuers. To cripple the martial arts of the Ten Demonic Disciples who failed to eliminate a Grand Master."
He took a deep breath before continuing.
"But when they arrived, I had been struck by Pyeong Seo-un's Seven Injuries Palm. My meridians were severed, my internal organs were ruptured. I was on the verge of death."
Yu Un-ryong bit his lip, as if recalling the situation.
"So they left without doing anything. They probably thought I was already dead."
Then he clenched his fists and exclaimed in frustration.
"That bastard Seok U-haeng must have been following me. He probably saw me fight Pyeong Seo-un and came up with a plan to kill him."
Bu Eun-seol narrowed his eyes, his thoughts elsewhere.
He was trying to figure out how Yu Un-ryong could have survived with most of his meridians severed and his internal organs ruptured.
"Bu Eun-seol. Are you also here to kill Seong-ryun?"
As Bu Eun-seol, lost in thought, nodded, Yu Un-ryong scoffed.
"Judging by your appearance, you haven't been pursued. So you were the one who killed Yeo Hwan-jin, the Grand Master of the Zhongnan Sect."
"That's right."
"Then you still have about two months left."
Yu Un-ryong said with a serious expression.
"But I'm out of time. So I will be the one to kill Seong-ryun."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm being hunted again. The pursuers found out that I'm alive and well."
"Who is hunting you?"
For a moment, it was as if hundreds of needles shot from Yu Un-ryong's eyes.
"The Myeol-hon-dae."
"The Myeol-hon-dae?"
Bu Eun-seol was surprised yet again.
The pursuers sent to cripple the Ten Demonic Disciples' martial arts were the Myeol-hon-dae?
"That's right. The Demonic Palace has tasked the Myeol-hon-dae with dealing with the Ten Demonic Disciples who fail to kill a Grand Master."
*So that's why the Commander of the Myeol-hon-dae personally gave the order to face the Grand Masters.*
While Bu Eun-seol narrowed his eyes, Yu Un-ryong trembled with a sense of betrayal and fury.
"In the end, the Ten Demonic Disciples can never escape this cycle without killing a Grand Master."
Staring intently at Bu Eun-seol, Yu Un-ryong gritted his teeth and said.
"Step aside and let me have Seong-ryun. I have to be the one to kill him."
Bu Eun-seol didn't answer immediately.
It wasn't that he was unwilling to yield. It was because he knew full well that with Yu Un-ryong's current skill, he couldn't kill a Grand Master.
"You think I can't beat him?"
Yu Un-ryong said, as if reading Bu Eun-seol's gaze.
"Fighting a Grand Master and evading pursuers, I've crossed the threshold of death many times. And those fierce battles have helped me in ways I can't describe."
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
The experience of fighting a powerful enemy with his life on the line would have been an immeasurable gain.
"I've been training my martial arts relentlessly all this time. I'm not the man I used to be."
When Bu Eun-seol still didn't respond, Yu Un-ryong bit his lip.
"If you refuse, I'll kill you first."
"You'll kill me?"
"I know. I know I can't beat you."
Yu Un-ryong had certainly grown much stronger than before. He could now sense just how powerful Bu Eun-seol was.
"But if I'm going to be killed by the Myeol-hon-dae anyway, I might as well have a tenacious fight with you. And what if I manage to injure you?"
Yu Un-ryong said coldly.
"Do you think you can face a Grand Master while injured?"
*I have no choice.*
If he refused, Yu Un-ryong would really fight him to the death.
In that case, it would be better to let him have his fill of fighting the Grand Master.
"It would be a shame to come all this way just to watch."
At those words, Yu Un-ryong grinned.
"Don't worry. There's a share for you too."
"My share?"
"That gloomy fellow from the Beggars' Union may look like he's alone, but he's actually being protected by masters from the Sal-gu-haeng."
The Sal-gu-haeng was an elite escort unit composed of masters selected from the Gae-geol-dan, which could be called the Beggars' Union's top fighting force.
They were typically dispatched to provide temporary protection when important figures of the Union were traveling, which is why they were given the special designation of *haeng* (troupe/procession) instead of *dan* (brigade) or *dang* (party).
"They're just hiding so secretly that you couldn't sense them."
"How do you know?"
"I've been watching for an opportunity to kill Seong-ryun for over ten days now."
"I see."
"If you can handle the masters of the Sal-gu-haeng, I will kill Seong-ryun. What do you say, Bu Eun-seol?"
There was no need for further conversation. The conclusion had already been reached.
Bu Eun-seol slowly nodded.
"Let's do that."
* * *
The weather was clear, without a single cloud in the sky.
After finishing his meal, Seong-ryun left the village and entered the path leading to Yeongpung Gorge. After walking for some time, he suddenly looked up at the distant sky and sighed.
"Is it about to begin?"
He could feel it.
He had realized some time ago that a blatant gaze and killing intent were following him.
The Sal-gu-haeng masters secretly escorting him seemed to have felt it too, as their movements had become even more covert.
*If I deal with a Ten Demonic Disciple, my status within the Union will change completely.*
Seong-ryun had originally been a second-class disciple from the Xiangzhou branch.
After competing with the most talented prodigies in the Beggars' Union, he was chosen as one of ten to take the Murim Alliance's Grand Master test. After passing five trials held by the Alliance, he finally became a Grand Master.
Afterward, although he was granted the title of "Cheong-juk-gae" (Blue Bamboo Beggar), a candidate for Young Lord of the Union, due to his outstanding martial arts... his origins were still that of a second-class disciple from the Xiangzhou branch.
He had no power base or elders within the Union to support him.
But as the current Lord of the Beggars' Union, No Bong, grew old, the Union began to seriously consider which of the Cheong-juk-gae would become the next Young Lord.
The relatively young regional and branch leaders wanted Seong-ryun, with his excellent martial arts and generous nature, to become the Young Lord.
However, the powerful elders and hall masters opposed this, pushing for the Cheong-juk-gae they had chosen themselves.
That was why the regional and branch leaders who supported Seong-ryun for Young Lord came up with a plan.
"How about dealing with one of the Ten Demonic Disciples who have been disturbing the martial world recently? If you manage to eliminate just one of them, even the elders won't be able to object."
Accepting the proposal, Seong-ryun deliberately exposed his movements and headed for Kaifeng, where the Jinmu Festival was being held.
However, since Yeo Hwan-jin and Pyeong Seo-un had been killed by those presumed to be the Ten Demonic Disciples, he had arranged for masters of the Sal-gu-haeng to be deployed as a precaution.
*Tatatatak.*
Twilight had fallen before he knew it, and a cool mountain breeze brushed past his hair.
As darkness settled, Seong-ryun stopped walking and lit a fire in a suitable spot.
Originally, he had planned to use his movement technique to cross the mountain pass to Henan before sunset.
But Seong-ryun changed his mind when he felt the faint killing intent following him.
His pursuer was bound to show themselves before the day was over. He would rest here and wait for his enemy.
*I wonder who will come.*
From the beginning, the skill gap between the Ten Demonic Disciples and the Grand Masters was too great for them to be considered worthy opponents.
As if to prove this, four of the Ten Demonic Disciples had reportedly challenged Grand Masters and been defeated.
However, the disciple from the White Horse Temple had fled after his defeat, and only two of the Ten Demonic Disciples had succeeded.
*I am different from Yeo Hwan-jin and Pyeong Seo-un.*
Those two were first-class disciples favored by their respective sects, so even when they trained their martial arts in the Murim Alliance, they lacked intensity.
But as a second-class disciple, he had devoted himself to martial arts more than anyone. Even if the one who had defeated Yeo Hwan-jin and Pyeong Seo-un came for him, he was confident of victory.
*Fwoosh.*
Just as that thought crossed his mind, a man in gray clothes descended from the air before him.
"......"
His hair was disheveled like a homeless man's and he was covered in grime, but his eyes held a strange, sinister energy.
What drew more attention than his eyes was the whip hanging from his waist.
The tip of the white whip, which had a dazzling sheen, stared fixedly at Seong-ryun, like a living white snake.
It was the White Horse Whip, which only the greatest masters of the White Horse Temple were permitted to carry.