Chapter 148
Chapter 148
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: The Price of Ambition
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“This is the end!”
Just as Seong-ryun’s palm was about to strike the head of the fallen Yu Un-ryong,
*Fwoosh!*
With a fierce gust of wind, a torrent of black sword energy rained down from the sky toward Seong-ryun.
“What is this!”
Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Seong-ryun hastily threw himself backward.
The downpour of sword energy then vanished as if washed away, and a man in white descended from the air like an immortal.
It was Bu Eun-seol.
“Who are you?”
Seong-ryun could not hide his shocked expression.
For the man who should have been fighting Wu Gang and the other Apricot Walkers to be here… did that not mean they had been defeated?
“Yu Un-ryong.”
Without delay, Bu Eun-seol approached Yu Un-ryong, who was leaning against a tree.
“You lost to him.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I haven’t lost yet! I’m just… taking a short break.”
He said as much, but the blood that had trickled from the corner of his mouth was dried and cracked.
His complexion was deathly pale, and his ragged breaths made it clear he had suffered severe internal injuries.
Even if he were to circulate his energy to heal, his condition was not one that could be mended instantly.
“I suppose you’ll have no objections if I fight him, then.”
At Bu Eun-seol’s question, Yu Un-ryong merely snorted without giving an answer.
Just then, Seong-ryun slowly approached from behind the fallen Bu Eun-seol.
“What happened to Senior Brother Wu?”
“He overestimated his own abilities.”
That short answer told Seong-ryun everything.
“I see. So that’s what happened.”
Swallowing his rage, Seong-ryun muttered in a low voice.
“Senior Brother Wu always supported and cheered for me.”
Taking a deep breath, he looked up at the distant sky.
“When I became a Great Righteous Master, and when I became a Green Bamboo Beggar… he rejoiced as if it were his own achievement.”
*Crack.*
As Seong-ryun clenched his fists, a killing intent as fierce as the sun flowed from his eyes.
He could not forgive Bu Eun-seol for killing the senior brother he so respected.
“Therefore, I will kill you.”
Bu Eun-seol nodded silently.
The world of Murim was a path woven from favor and resentment.
As long as one stood on this path, no one could escape the cycle of恩怨 (en-yuan).
*Shiiik.*
Bending his left leg slightly, Seong-ryun drew a half-circle and unleashed a series of palm techniques—from Hang-ryong-yu-hoe and Jam-ryong-mul-ryong to Yong-jeon-eo-ya.
*Whoooosh.*
As the full force of his Hang-ryong-jang poured out, the air around them seemed to vanish in an instant.
‘He’s strong.’
The might of Seong-ryun’s Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms.
It was in no way inferior to the famed divine weapons that shook the world.
Bu Eun-seol immediately drew his Muk-geom to counter the palm force.
With a whoosh, the wind from the sword and the shadow of the palm filled the reed field, and in a flash, Bu Eun-seol and Seong-ryun had exchanged over thirty blows.
It was as if they were performing a choreographed routine, neither giving an inch.
The initial exchange was fierce, but no clear victor emerged, only the sounds of ‘*Chik!*’ and ‘*Paang!*’ echoing through the air.
“……!”
However, after about a hundred exchanges, the tide of the battle shifted.
As Seong-ryun began to mix Pa-ok-gwon and Gal-mi-gwon with his Hang-ryong-jang, Bu Eun-seol was gradually forced onto the defensive.
*Kra-koom!*
In that moment, Seong-ryun once again unleashed the Hyeon-ryong-jae-jeon of his Hang-ryong-jang.
Bu Eun-seol swung his Muk-geom, attempting to push back the palm force and launch a counterattack.
*Whoosh!*
But suddenly, with a sound that tore through the air, the Hyeon-ryong-jae-jeon technique transformed into the Po-ho-bing-ha of the Pa-ok-gwon.
As a result, Bu Eun-seol’s Muk-geom, which had been aimed to neutralize Hyeon-ryong-jae-jeon, lost its target.
‘Changing a technique mid-execution?’
Evading Seong-ryun’s dizzying barrage of attacks, Bu Eun-seol narrowed his eyes.
‘That’s impossible.’
Once a technique was unleashed, it was difficult even to retract it.
Yet Seong-ryun was changing an unleashed technique into a move from a completely different martial art mid-motion.
*Chik!*
In that interval, the Pa-ok-gwon grazed his shoulder, and his sleeve scattered like dust.
But Bu Eun-seol did not retreat. Instead, he moved even closer.
‘There’s definitely something more to this.’
Bu Eun-seol had been holding back his sword all this time.
Had he unleashed the Mu-sang-cheon-ryu with his full power, he might have been able to fight on equal footing. But what Bu Eun-seol sought was not just victory.
A life-or-death battle.
It was an opportunity to find flaws in his martial arts or to develop his skills even further.
‘If I cannot advance here, I will never win my future battles!’
“I’m starting to see the end!”
As Bu Eun-seol continuously retreated, Seong-ryun, thinking he had seized the upper hand, had a triumphant glint in his eyes.
‘Just a little more!’
Mixing and unleashing all the martial arts of the Beggars’ Sect, Seong-ryun’s body surged with an endless supply of true qi.
It was because of the emotion called vengeance, which seemed to burn away his very soul.
‘Soon, I will be able to take the head of this vicious demon who harmed Senior Brother Wu!’
But he did not realize.
Blinded by the flames of vengeance, he failed to see that Bu Eun-seol’s eyes were relentlessly analyzing his every move.
*Swish.*
Grazed by the Hang-ryong-jang, the cloth on his shoulder was torn away.
Bu Eun-seol used Geuk-sok-mu-yeong to retreat, and Seong-ryun pursued him, rapidly unleashing his techniques.
*Chik.*
The Hang-ryong-jang that cut through the air this time transformed into the Eung-cheon-jo-beop.
A thin line of blood trickled down Bu Eun-seol’s cheek where the claw had grazed him.
‘From a palm technique to a claw technique, from the palm to the fingers…’
Observing Seong-ryun’s fingers, which transformed as naturally as flowing water, Bu Eun-seol finally understood.
‘So that’s how it is!’
Seong-ryun wasn’t changing techniques mid-motion, nor was he simply mixing them.
He was executing different martial arts techniques that could flow together naturally. Or rather, techniques that were mutually complementary.
For example, after using the Bi-ryong-jae-cheon technique, he would naturally descend, connecting it to a claw technique like an eagle snatching its prey.
Continuous and unbroken, adapting to the moment.
Martial techniques must flow without pause, executed at the right moment.
Seong-ryun was appropriately arranging techniques from different martial arts, making them seem as if they were a single art.
‘This man has deeply studied all of the Beggars’ Sect’s martial arts and has linked different techniques into a single cohesive whole!’
The moment he realized this, Bu Eun-seol’s eyes shone brilliantly, and a wave of heat seemed to wash over his body.
From Seong-ryun’s attacks, he had learned a profound martial principle that could never be gained through mere practice.
‘What is this now?’
As Bu Eun-seol’s expression gradually became more relaxed, Seong-ryun felt a sense of displeasure.
“Are you pretending to be relaxed!”
Drawing upon all his internal energy, Seong-ryun unleashed a continuous series of techniques.
*Swoosh.*
But suddenly, Bu Eun-seol’s movements changed.
He began to execute a fist technique with his left hand while simultaneously performing the Mu-sang-cheon-ryu with his right.
Lacking the time to weave different martial arts into one like Seong-ryun, he was attempting to make his fist and sword techniques complement each other by using them at the same time.
“What strange tricks are these.”
Seong-ryun leisurely mixed his Hang-ryong-jang and Pa-ok-gwon, pressing down on Bu Eun-seol.
*Whoosh!*
But something was strange. The moment he transitioned from Hang-ryong-jang to Pa-ok-gwon, Bu Eun-seol’s fist shot out, interrupting the technique.
“Hmph.”
When he tried to use Hang-ryong-jang again to crush Bu Eun-seol’s chest, the Muk-geom was already swinging for his head.
‘This bastard.’
As Bu Eun-seol masterfully linked his fist and sword techniques to cover his weaknesses, a chill ran down Seong-ryun’s spine.
‘Don’t tell me he learned the principle of using strengths to cover weaknesses from me?’
What Bu Eun-seol was displaying was clearly the martial principle Seong-ryun had been taught at the Murim Alliance.
“Tailor the technique to one's body…”
Muttering the doctrine of the Nang-ya-gak's practical martial arts, Bu Eun-seol threw a series of punches.
*Fwoosh!*
As four streams of fist energy rushed toward his face, Seong-ryun powerfully extended both palms.
“…adapt to the situation with ingenuity!”
“Not a chance!”
Seong-ryun unleashed his Hang-ryong-jang to dissipate Bu Eun-seol’s fist energy and tried to close in to strike with his Gal-mi-gwon.
But in that instant, Bu Eun-seol’s Muk-geom was already aimed at his lower abdomen.
“Ugh.”
Seong-ryun had no choice but to retreat, unable to execute his Gal-mi-gwon.
If he had forced the punch, he would have been serving his own abdomen up to Bu Eun-seol’s sword.
“Don’t make me laugh!”
Thinking that his own martial secrets had been stolen, Seong-ryun’s face turned beet red.
“You think a brat like you can execute the profound art of using strengths to cover weaknesses?”
This time, Seong-ryun transitioned from Hang-ryong-jang to Pa-ok-gwon with his left hand, and from Gal-mi-gwon to Eung-cheon-jo-beop with his right.
This was a profound martial skill similar to dividing one’s mind, and for Bu Eun-seol, it was like facing two masters from the Beggars’ Sect at once.
‘It’s working!’
Seong-ryun inwardly rejoiced.
As he unleashed the technique of using strengths to cover weaknesses with his full power, the rhythm of Bu Eun-seol’s techniques began to falter slightly.
‘His technique was created on the spot, so it still has flaws!’
Whenever Bu Eun-seol executed his sword and fist techniques simultaneously, a subtle opening appeared.
‘Could it be… he’s not deliberately showing me an opening, is he?’
Doubt surged within him.
The thought occurred that Bu Eun-seol might be intentionally revealing a weakness.
‘This man is too dangerous.’
Seong-ryun’s instincts screamed a warning.
This unknown man was like steel that grew harder with every clash.
He felt it would be better to flee than to continue fighting.
‘No. I must kill him.’
If he failed to deal with the Sip-ma-jeon-in this time, the elders would surely appoint another Green Bamboo Beggar as the Young Master.
Wouldn’t that make the death of Senior Brother Wu, who had sacrificed himself for him, all in vain?
‘I don’t care if it’s a trap. I just have to kill him!’
Seong-ryun no longer cared about a contest of skills or victory. He needed none of that.
He simply had to kill Bu Eun-seol.
*Kra-koom!*
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol once again unleashed his sword and fist techniques simultaneously.
As he did, his center of balance wavered, creating an opening near his side.
‘Now!’
Spotting Bu Eun-seol’s weakness, Seong-ryun shot out both palms.
*Paaaa!*
After pushing back Bu Eun-seol’s attack with his Hang-ryong-jang, Seong-ryun closed the distance with all his might.
He then immediately struck at Bu Eun-seol’s exposed side.
*Gwooooh!*
This was a technique he had recently created, Wi-mu-gu-ui, a single palm strike containing the entirety of his life’s energy.
‘I’ll crush your body even if I get injured!’
“Keok.”
A few drops of blood flew from Bu Eun-seol’s mouth as he was struck by the palm force.
But instead of being thrown back, his body moved even closer to Seong-ryun.
‘Damn it!’
In that instant, Seong-ryun knew.
This had all been a trap set by Bu Eun-seol.
Because the palm force he had unleashed had not struck Bu Eun-seol squarely. It was as if an unseen force had twisted his arm.
*Puk!*
With a slicing sound, the tip of the Muk-geom pierced through Seong-ryun’s chest.
*Click.*
As a staggering Bu Eun-seol sheathed the Muk-geom on his back, Seong-ryun stumbled backward, swaying heavily.
“How…”
Seong-ryun’s eyes widened as he clutched his chest.
Even if the opening had been a trap, he should have been able to dodge.
But his decisive attack had missed absurdly. And it was definitely not his own mistake.
“Why did I miss…”
Looking at Seong-ryun, whose eyes were wide with incomprehension, Bu Eun-seol spoke.
“Did you not see it.”
“See what…”
“I executed a Geom-geuk-se timed to the moment you unleashed your palm force.”
At that moment, Seong-ryun’s eyes trembled like ripples on water.
“A mere Geom-geuk-se… You’re telling me I couldn’t see it?”
Bu Eun-seol said with a solemn expression.
“It’s only natural. You were consumed by the sole thought of killing me.”
Instantly, Seong-ryun’s eyes wavered violently.
“Is that so.”
He nodded as if he had realized something.
If he lost this fight, he could not become the Young Master of the Beggars’ Sect.
This impatience and desperation had prevented him from seeing Bu Eun-seol’s hidden technique.
For Bu Eun-seol, the level of their martial arts meant nothing.
He was simply reacting to Seong-ryun’s killing blow, trying to survive…
Seong-ryun’s strike, intended solely to kill, had missed. Bu Eun-seol’s counter, born from a desperate struggle to live, had succeeded.
‘Was I the one who walked into the pit of my own destruction?’
As he understood everything, a deep sense of regret filled Seong-ryun’s eyes.
This fight was for his senior brother’s revenge, and it was also his chance to become the Young Master.
In other words, he had a desperate reason to win this fight.
“A beggar, and yet I was greedy…”
But that very desire had ultimately scattered his focus, causing him to make a fatal mistake at the last moment.
“……I was a fool.”
With those last words, Seong-ryun breathed his last.
So filled with regret was he that his eyes remained open even in death.
“Keok.”
As Seong-ryun fell, Bu Eun-seol coughed up the blood he had been holding back.
Even though he had deflected the force with his Geom-geuk-se, he had not been able to completely block Seong-ryun’s full-powered Wi-mu-gu-ui palm strike.
‘If I hadn’t reached the fourth level of the Ban-geuk-sim-gong… I would have been the one to die.’
A powerful protective energy, which guarded his body from external forces, was flowing through Bu Eun-seol’s entire meridian system.
If not for this, the moment the palm had struck, his meridians would have shattered and his organs would have ruptured.
“You’re a monster.”
Just then, the voice of Yu Un-ryong, who was leaning against a tree stump, came through.
“So you defeated Seong-ryun in the end.”
Though he was on the ground, he had witnessed the entire fight between Bu Eun-seol and Seong-ryun.
And he was now keenly aware of what a terrifying individual Bu Eun-seol was.
“I’d heard that the martial arts of the Nang-ya-gak are perfected through real combat… but this is the first time I’ve seen someone grow stronger while fighting.”
There was more admiration than animosity in Yu Un-ryong’s gaze.
Bu Eun-seol’s battle had been so fierce and desperate it could be said he had burned everything within him.
Regardless of the level of their martial arts, it was a sight that stirred the hearts of any who witnessed it.
“……”
Despite Yu Un-ryong’s words of admiration, Bu Eun-seol stood as still as a stone statue.
“Are your internal injuries that severe?”
Bu Eun-seol shook his head, his expression extremely grave.
“Incredibly powerful masters… are coming.”