Chapter 150
Chapter 150
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 150
Chapter Title: Geol-wang
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Ten men clad in yellow robes.
They were members of the Pung-un Unit, the same ones who had secretly shadowed Bu Eun-seol and delivered news of Baek-yeon.
"Are you all right?"
Jang Mu-hyeok, the leader of the Pung-un Unit's fourth squad, sent a telepathic message to Bu Eun-seol.
'There is a Guan Di Temple about thirty *li* to the southeast. We've dug a hidden burrow nearby. Flee there at once!'
Hearing Jang Mu-hyeok's message, Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"I will fight too."
Though they specialized in intelligence gathering, the Pung-un Unit were still elite disciples of Nang-ya-gak. Each was skilled enough to take on a hundred men.
But the old man's terrifying power was not something ten members of the Pung-un Unit could stop.
An insurmountable, distant wall.
Bu Eun-seol sensed that the old man before him possessed an aura no less powerful than that of the strongest masters he had ever encountered.
"Don't worry. I have no intention of fighting that old monster."
'Old monster?'
Jang Mu-hyeok looked at the dried blood on Bu Eun-seol's lips and sent another message.
"Your internal injuries are severe. You must escape."
"What's this? Who are you lot?"
The old man's gaze, crackling like blue lightning, swept over Jang Mu-hyeok and the Pung-un Unit members.
"Don't tell me you came to save him."
Jang Mu-hyeok stepped forward and spoke loudly.
"Geol-wang. You are an elder of the Orthodox Faction. Is it right for you to act so recklessly?"
'Geol-wang?'
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
He had finally realized the identity of the mysterious old man.
'That old man is Geol-wang, Gu Hong-cheong, one of the Four Gods and Seven Kings!'
Geol-wang, Gu Hong-cheong.
The current Grand Elder of the Beggars' Sect, a master from two generations past, well over a hundred years old.
Despite his immense seniority and martial skill, he did not stay at the main headquarters in Kaifeng to be treated as an elder, instead wandering aimlessly like a beggar.
The king of beggars, who could not be found even with the Beggars' Sect's full intelligence network.
One would expect Geol-wang to be a stooped, ancient man, but surprisingly, he maintained the appearance of a hale, elderly man in his prime.
"I asked who you are."
"Why would our identities matter?"
Jang Mu-hyeok said calmly.
"No matter how far the laws of the martial world have fallen, should an adult interfere in a children's fight?"
Like a true squad leader of the Pung-un Unit, Jang Mu-hyeok reminded Geol-wang of his high status without provoking him.
"If this gets out, the Beggars' Sect will not escape criticism."
As one of the Four Gods and Seven Kings, his seniority was at the very pinnacle of the martial world.
So, if Geol-wang were to personally strike Bu Eun-seol? It would be no different from an adult striking a newborn baby.
"You speak well, boy. Are you saying there are no laws in a children's fight?"
Geol-wang, Gu Hong-cheong, glared, his voice coarse as he roared.
"Or is it the law of the martial world for two to attack one?"
"We did not attack him two-on-one."
Just then, Bu Eun-seol stepped forward, and Gu Hong-cheong glared daggers at him.
"Do you dare lie before me?"
"It is true that I came here after dealing with the masters at the apricot grove."
"And?"
"But when I arrived, the other Sip-ma-jeon-in was already defeated and collapsed by Seong-ryun's hand. That is why I stepped in."
The old man snorted.
"Then where is the one who came first?"
"He was severely injured and left immediately."
"Hahaha."
A blue, electric glint flashed in Gu Hong-cheong's eyes again.
"So, in the end, two of you ganged up on one, and one of you got injured and scurried away."
*Crack.*
As Gu Hong-cheong drew upon his internal energy, the sound of cracking bones echoed from his body, and a pure white light shot up, piercing the night sky.
'Materialized internal energy...'
The Four Gods and Seven Kings, ranked just below the Twin Celestial Emperors and the Three Demonic, Three Honored Ones.
Gu Hong-cheong, a member of that group, possessed terrifying skills that lived up to his reputation.
"Flee, now. Once he makes his move, you won't be able to escape."
Jang Mu-hyeok's telepathic message came again.
"Escaping quickly is the best way to help us."
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip.
With his severe internal injuries, he would be of little help even if he fought alongside the Pung-un Unit members.
"Hmph. Exchanging telepathic messages like rats. Just as I thought, you're all seeds of the demonic path."
As expected of a fearsome master, Geol-wang had instantly detected Bu Eun-seol and Jang Mu-hyeok's telepathic conversation.
"Hehehe. Excellent. Just excellent."
Behind Gu Hong-cheong, who radiated killing intent, it felt as if an old monster of an unknowable form was floating.
"Leave now!"
Jang Mu-hyeok's urgent message came once more.
"Go!"
"Every last seed of the Ten Demonic Sects must be wiped out!"
With a thunderous roar, Geol-wang unleashed a palm strike like a bolt of fire.
"Kughh."
There was no choice.
With a pained groan, Bu Eun-seol immediately used his movement technique.
*Rumble! Craaack!*
As Bu Eun-seol shot forward, a series of earth-shattering explosions erupted behind him.
Even if the entire Pung-un Unit of Nang-ya-gak had been there, stopping Geol-wang would have been impossible. Their only hope was to survive and escape.
*Fwoooosh!*
Converting his Geuk-sok-mu-yeong, a technique of extreme stealth, entirely into speed, a tremendous sonic boom echoed every time Bu Eun-seol dashed forward.
'There it is!'
Arriving at the Guan Di Temple in an instant, Bu Eun-seol found a deep pit dug in front of it.
Without hesitation, he leaped into the pit and saw a small space inside.
*Shhhhk.*
One of the beggars crouching near the temple immediately covered the pit with dirt after Bu Eun-seol entered and then vanished.
Unable to create a hiding spot in the open plains near Yeongpunghyeop, they had devised this ingenious shelter.
*Whoooosh...*
The moment Bu Eun-seol entered the pit, a sky-tearing sonic boom sounded from above.
Gu Hong-cheong had already arrived.
"Where are you hiding!"
Having lost Bu Eun-seol's trail near the Guan Di Temple, Gu Hong-cheong began to search the area meticulously, as if picking out lice.
But no matter how hard he looked, he could not sense Bu Eun-seol's presence.
"Strange. The trail definitely went cold around here."
Gu Hong-cheong's senses were sharp enough to detect a mole more than a hundred paces away.
Furthermore, martial artists unknowingly emit a faint trace of the internal energy accumulated in their bodies.
Because of this, even if one were to hide by digging into the ground, it would be impossible to deceive Gu Hong-cheong's senses.
"You can run, but you can't hide."
Unable to find any trace of Bu Eun-seol, Geol-wang shouted.
"I will find you, no matter what!"
*Boom!*
With another sonic boom, Gu Hong-cheong used his movement technique and vanished.
Hiding in the pit, Bu Eun-seol exhaled as he left.
'It was fortunate that I reached the state of Banbak-gwijin.'
Banbak-gwijin, a state where one's extraordinary presence reaches its peak and is then erased, concealing even one's physical aura.
Had he not reached this state, the natural overflow of his internal energy would have ultimately led to his discovery by Gu Hong-cheong.
"Ugh."
With the tension gone, Bu Eun-seol laid himself down properly.
His qi and blood were in turmoil and his internal organs had been displaced, causing blood to trickle from his lips with the slightest movement.
'An injury this severe... might be irreversible.'
The internal injuries Bu Eun-seol had sustained were grave.
His organs had lost their elasticity and kept shifting out of place, and his internal energy was completely depleted.
Suddenly, Bu Eun-seol took out the medicine bottle Yu Un-ryong had given him.
"..."
The only people Bu Eun-seol trusted were those from Nang-ya-gak and his close friends.
Had anyone else given him the medicine bottle, he would never have taken the pill.
But while Yu Un-ryong was aggressive, he was not the type to hatch sinister plots.
Gazing at the bottle, Bu Eun-seol swallowed the golden pill inside without hesitation.
"Mmm."
The moment he swallowed the pill, his entire body grew hot, and a stream of heat rose from his dantian.
Bu Eun-seol used that power to reignite his depleted internal energy.
*Woooong.*
As he circulated his energy deep underground, he felt a cozy warmth, like a baby in its mother's womb.
As his body and mind stabilized, the millions of scattered strands of his internal energy began to flow back to his dantian like running water.
*Sssss.*
At the same time, heat began to emanate from Bu Eun-seol's chilled body.
The heat gradually intensified until it was visible, eventually forming a faint shadow.
The internal energy flowing through his body was beginning to take shape.
This phenomenon indicated that Bu Eun-seol's Ban-geuk-sim-beop had surpassed the fourth stage and entered the initial phase of the fifth.
*Wooooong.*
But unaware of this, Bu Eun-seol simply kept his eyes closed and continued to circulate his energy.
How much time had passed?
*Tuk. Tuk. Tuk.*
The distinct sound of dripping water reached Bu Eun-seol's ears.
It was the sound of a few drops of water falling on dry earth.
Hearing it, Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
It was a sound that could only be heard by someone who had mastered the Gong-pa-sim-an, a technique that could expand the senses of Ya-su-do through vibrations and waves.
'My lord?'
Realizing it was a call for him, Bu Eun-seol rose to his feet.
*Fwoosh!*
Leaping from the deep pit, his body shot through the earth and into the sky.
'Whoa.'
Soaring into the air, Bu Eun-seol was inwardly stunned.
He had merely pushed off the ground to get out of the pit. But to burst through the earth and still soar more than ten yards into the air?
'My internal energy has increased again.'
Bu Eun-seol felt a sense of strangeness beyond mere surprise.
For his internal energy to increase every time he healed an injury... according to martial theory, it was absolutely impossible.
'After this is over, I must go see Elder Hyeol-geum-gang.'
*Thud.*
As Bu Eun-seol landed, a middle-aged man in scholar's robes was standing there.
It was Baek-yeon, the Lord of the Pung-un Unit.
"My lord!"
Until now, Bu Eun-seol had kept his emotions under tight control.
But upon seeing Baek-yeon's face, his composure shattered in an instant.
The members of the Pung-un Unit who had been sacrificed for him came to mind.
"Is your body all right?"
As Baek-yeon's gentle voice echoed in his ears, Bu Eun-seol bit his lip until it bled.
"The Pung-un Unit members... what happened to the ones who helped me?"
Barely suppressing his emotions, Bu Eun-seol's gaze was desperate and urgent.
Baek-yeon patted his shoulder, calming him.
"Calm yourself."
"Are they safe?"
When Bu Eun-seol asked again, Baek-yeon nodded with an incredibly somber expression.
"Only two of the members survived."
Bu Eun-seol lowered his head, his eyes losing focus.
It meant that eight members of the Pung-un Unit had died in battle.
"There is no need to grieve. They simply did their duty as members of the Pung-un Unit."
"How can I think of it that way?"
Bu Eun-seol had deliberately avoided returning to Nang-ya-gak, wanting to handle things without Baek-yeon's help.
But that decision had led to an unexpected outcome.
Defeating Seong-ryun was one thing, but it had brought out the unforeseen super-master, Gu Hong-cheong. And that crisis led to the sacrifice of the Pung-un Unit.
"It's all my fault."
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip.
"If I had returned to Nang-ya-gak, if I had accepted your advice, my lord... the Pung-un Unit members would not have lost their lives in vain."
"Their deaths were not in vain."
Baek-yeon said calmly.
"You are the successor who will one day lead Nang-ya-gak. They willingly sacrificed themselves to protect its future."
When Bu Eun-seol still couldn't lift his head, Baek-yeon let out a low sigh.
"Do you remember? How I initially tried to stop you from venturing into the martial world?"
"..."
"To be honest, your chances of winning against the Dae-ui-go-su were almost nonexistent. That's why I tried to free you from the shackles of the Sip-ma-jeon-in."
Baek-yeon continued with a heavy sigh.
"But your growth far exceeded my expectations. You won your one-on-one duel with Yeo Hwan-jin, and this time, you dealt with Seong-ryun."
"My lord."
"You have always done better than I expected, which is why I stopped interfering. I only ordered the unit members to report on your movements."
As he said the words 'unit members,' a pained look flickered in Baek-yeon's eyes.
Every member of the Pung-un Unit was a talent he had personally nurtured.
No matter how composed he was, he could not be indifferent to the life and death of his men.
"Geol-wang's appearance was an unforeseeable, unavoidable event. If we had known, I would have deployed the Changsin Unit in advance, or called for the Vice-Lord."
Fury blazed in Baek-yeon's eyes.
Anyone who touched a disciple of Nang-ya-gak faced only one fate: annihilation. Their entire clan would be erased from the martial world.
If Geol-wang had attacked Bu Eun-seol without reason? Even if heaven and earth were to fall, the Beggars' Sect would be annihilated.
Not even Geol-wang, with his fearsome status as one of the Four Gods and Seven Kings, would have been safe.
'But...'
Right now, they couldn't do that.
After all, Bu Eun-seol and Yu Un-ryong had both fought Seong-ryun in the same place.
Unless the deceased Seong-ryun came back to life to testify, they would be framed for a joint attack.
There was no justification to destroy the Beggars' Sect.
"I'm sorry."
Understanding Baek-yeon's inner thoughts, Bu Eun-seol bowed his head.
"You have nothing to be sorry for."
His expression hardening again, Baek-yeon spoke calmly.
"I'll say it again: no one could have predicted Geol-wang's appearance. So there's no need to feel guilty or disheartened."
Seeing Baek-yeon again after so long, he was just the same.
In the past, and even now, he still cherished and worried about Bu Eun-seol.
"My lord."
Bu Eun-seol lowered his head.
The truth was, he had been confident that he had accomplished everything on his own until now.
But the reality was completely different.
He had been venturing through the martial world under the protection of Nang-ya-gak and the consideration of Baek-yeon all along.
"I know. I know why you're suffering."
Baek-yeon placed a hand on Bu Eun-seol's shoulder.
"Those who reach the pinnacle of the martial world all walk their path alone. And I know you aim to become such a supreme warrior."
Baek-yeon let out a low breath.
"But even they had clans they belonged to, masters and martial brothers. They didn't achieve everything alone through solitary enlightenment, like the Buddha."
Realizing the truth in Baek-yeon's words, Bu Eun-seol bowed his head deeply.
"I... was arrogant, my lord."
Bu Eun-seol had chosen Nang-ya-gak and called it his 'home'.
There was no need to be ashamed of receiving help from family living in the same home.
In fact, he should have been proud.
To have people who would protect and cherish him, even at the cost of their own lives...
He should be proud of having chosen a clan like Nang-ya-gak.
"As long as you understand."
Baek-yeon said with a solemn expression.
"From this day forward, you just need to become stronger. So that you never have to entrust your fate to the powerful again."
In that moment, an intense light, like the blazing sun, shone in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
Geol-wang. He resolved to make that arrogant old man kneel at his feet.
"I will become stronger. I swear it."
As the fire returned to the disheartened Bu Eun-seol's eyes, Baek-yeon sighed in relief.
'Thank goodness.'
Bu Eun-seol, who had always soared to new heights, achieving ever-greater martial arts through his innate competitive sense and tenacity.
But if this incident had dealt a blow to his spirit, even the martial arts he had achieved could regress.
This was the very reason Baek-yeon had come down from Nang-ya-gak to find Bu Eun-seol himself.
"In truth, this was never something you could have handled alone from the beginning."
After a moment of thought, Baek-yeon slowly began to speak.
"I will be honest with you. There is something I have yet to tell you."