Chapter 183
Chapter 183
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 183
Chapter Title: The Medical Soul Madman
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“Brother Bu. Why… why didn't you even let him take his own life?”
As Hyeok So-jin spoke with regret, Bu Eun-seol replied with a cold expression.
“If the remaining members of the Yeom-hon-dae had seen him take his own life, they would have fought to the death.”
Only then did Hyeok So-jin let out a sound of understanding.
What if Yo Bul-beom had laughed heartily and taken his own life with a show of defiant spirit?
The Yeom-hon-dae’s morale would have soared, and they would have resisted with their lives on the line.
“Thank you.”
Just then, Geuk Hye-ryeong walked out from among the disciples of the Mu-ha-su-yu-jeong, who were lined up in formation.
“Supporting you was a choice I will never regret.”
When a great enemy had invaded, Bu Eun-seol had willingly stepped forward alone to protect the Mu-ha-su-yu-jeong.
That was a demonstration of trust as precious as life itself.
“Whether you become the successor to the Demonic Cult or not… our sect will stand by your side forever.”
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol simply gave a slight bow.
That dignified and solemn posture alone conveyed a deeper trust than hundreds of vows. It also showed the majesty of a next-generation grandmaster of martial arts.
Standing tall, Bu Eun-seol scanned his surroundings before slowly turning around.
Having fulfilled all the commands given by the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, he intended to return to the Demonic Cult.
* * *
After leaving Guilin, Bu Eun-seol rested at a nearby inn before boarding a ship.
He planned to travel north along the banks of the Three Rivers to Changsha, where the Demonic Cult was located.
In truth, both Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin had sustained considerable injuries in their battle against the Yeom-hon-dae.
Hyeok So-jin, in particular, suffered from significant internal injuries, having fought while continuously unleashing his Divine Fever Demonic Ki at full power.
After staying at an inn with Bu Eun-seol for three days to slowly recuperate, his internal energy gradually recovered.
However, to ensure a complete recovery, they decided to take a leisurely boat trip rather than rush.
A bustling crowd.
The village near the port, where ships came and went, was crowded with people from all over.
Upon entering the marketplace, Bu Eun-seol used his Face-Changing and Bone-Altering Art to slightly alter his features.
Not only was his handsome appearance too conspicuous, but most of the armed martial artists filling the marketplace were from the Orthodox Faction.
*Crack.*
With a faint sound, Bu Eun-seol’s face transformed into that of an ordinary, mature-looking man.
“I’m not changing mine.”
Hyeok So-jin, who had been watching, said with a look of distaste.
“I haven’t been active in the martial world, and I’ve been cooped up with old folks all this time. No one will recognize me.”
“Do as you please.”
Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin wandered around, looking for an inn with empty seats.
But all they could see through the windows were inns packed with customers.
“There are no seats.”
Just as Hyeok So-jin let out a soft sigh while looking around,
“Let’s go there.”
Bu Eun-seol pointed to an alley slightly away from the main marketplace.
A small tavern was situated there. Though it was a shabby, small establishment that clearly sold cheap food, they were not in a position to be picky.
“Hmm.”
Hyeok So-jin grunted as he looked at an empty window seat.
He was not only a picky eater but also placed great importance on the ambiance of where he dined.
In the past, he would have gone to great lengths to find a high-end inn, but now he shrugged as if he had no choice.
“Very well.”
Entering the single-story tavern, they found it filled with a mix of merchants carrying bundles and armed martial artists.
As soon as he sat down, Hyeok So-jin called over a servant.
“Bring the best liquor you have and every dish you can make.”
It was a clear and simple order, the most one could ask for in such a cheap tavern.
The young servant bowed his head and, a short while later, returned with plates, setting down the food and drinks on the table where Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin were seated.
“Huh?”
Just then, an annoyed voice came from a group at an adjacent table.
“Hey, didn’t we order first?”
When Hyeok So-jin turned his head, he saw two young men who were twins, a sickly and haggard-looking young man, and a beautiful young woman.
None of them were exceptionally handsome, but their features were well-proportioned, and their eyes were full of spirit.
Judging by their attire and aura, they seemed to be children of a prestigious family.
“Looking at the dishes, I think those are what we ordered.”
As one of the twin youths scowled again, the servant, looking over the table, scratched his head and spoke cautiously.
“My apologies. It’s true you arrived first, but this gentleman here placed his order first.”
Although Bu Eun-seol’s party had arrived later, Hyeok So-jin had ordered the moment he sat down.
The other group, after much deliberation, had also ordered ‘every dish and all the liquor you can make,’ which led to the misunderstanding.
“I see.”
The young man, finally understanding the situation, licked his lips.
He hadn’t even considered that their order might be delayed because the inn was so crowded.
There were still many customers who hadn’t received their food, so it would likely be a long wait for their order to arrive.
*They must have traveled a long way.*
Bu Eun-seol could see that the young group was extremely tired and quite hungry.
“We are in no hurry, so please serve that table first.”
Bu Eun-seol had come to the inn not to sate his hunger but to listen to the rumors of the martial world.
At his gesture of yielding, not only the servant but also the group of young people at the other table looked surprised and waved their hands in refusal.
“No, you don’t have to do that…”
“It’s fine. We are not in a rush.”
As Bu Eun-seol calmly waved his hand, the young people all bowed slightly to express their gratitude.
“Thank you.”
Bu Eun-seol gave a quiet nod and turned his gaze back out the window.
Just then, the conversation of some martial artists sitting at a distance reached his ears.
—Have you heard the rumor?
—What rumor?
—The one about the Medical Soul Madman, Gongson Gu-reung. That madman has reappeared in the martial world.
The Medical Soul Madman. Gongson Gu-reung.
He dressed like a physician, but he was a crazed killer who dissected living people.
The number of commoners who had died at his hands already exceeded three hundred.
Furthermore, he had become increasingly brazen, attacking and slaughtering young martial artists. At that point, not only the Orthodox Faction but also various sects of the Demonic Path had issued kill orders for him.
However, he skillfully evaded the pursuit of numerous factions and continued to roam the martial world.
Finally, when it seemed that even the Demonic Cult and the Murim Alliance would take action, he had suddenly vanished ten years ago.
And now that crazed killer had reappeared in the martial world?
*The Medical Soul Madman.*
Recalling the register of past martial artists he had seen at the Nine Kills Brigade branch, Bu Eun-seol narrowed his eyes.
The Medical Soul Madman was known for flaying and dissecting perfectly healthy young people for no reason.
*But it was said he was not mad for slaughter, but for martial arts.*
The truth, however, was different.
According to the Nine Kills Brigade's intelligence, the reason the Medical Soul Madman dissected living people was not because he took pleasure in slaughter.
He had dissected people alive to study the principles of martial arts and the weaknesses of the human body.
Much like Bu Zan-yang and Bu Eun-seol, who studied the cause of death by examining the wounds on corpses.
“We’ll have to be careful, too.”
Hyeok So-jin, having overheard the martial artists' conversation, smirked.
“They say that madman enjoys dissecting the bodies of the martial world’s young masters most of all, don’t they?”
The decisive reason Gongson Gu-reung became a public enemy of the martial world was that he had captured and dissected alive the young rising stars of both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Factions.
Presumably, examining the bodies of martial artists was far more useful for his martial arts research.
“Indeed.”
Bu Eun-seol nodded, silently listening to the ongoing conversation.
But aside from the appearance of the Medical Soul Madman, there were no other significant rumors.
*The Medical Soul Madman. The Medical Soul Madman…*
Bu Eun-seol narrowed his eyes.
A crazed killer who dissected young people alive to enhance his martial arts.
His skills were said to be below the Transcendent Realm, but according to the Nine Kills Brigade’s intelligence, he was a formidable master who had entered the Transcendent Realm long ago.
Moreover, he possessed an elusive movement technique and a secret art of vanishing without a trace…
He could be called a master not only of martial arts but also of evasion.
*Why is he smiling?*
Hyeok So-jin tilted his head as he saw Bu Eun-seol, lost in deep thought, with a faint smile on his lips.
*What is he planning now?*
By now, he could be considered an expert on Bu Eun-seol.
He knew all too well that when the rarely smiling Bu Eun-seol did smile, something unpredictable was about to happen.
After finishing their meal, Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin arrived at the pier and boarded a ship.
The cargo-passenger vessel, built as a merchant ship, was large enough to accommodate over a hundred passengers with room to spare.
As the weather was clear, most of the passengers were on deck, enjoying the scenery.
“…”
Bu Eun-seol was gazing endlessly at the flowing river water.
The bloody battle with the Lord of the Yeom-hon-dae had given him immense insight, and whenever he had free time, he would reflect on the situation.
*The Divine Spirit Gate was not bound by the framework of the spear as a weapon.*
Yo Bul-beom of the Divine Spirit Gate, much like Bu Eun-seol’s Formless Celestial Flow, was not constrained by the limitations or techniques of his weapon.
This aspect had presented a great crisis, something Bu Eun-seol had never felt from the enemies he had fought until now.
*I may have been underestimating the martial arts of the Ten Demonic Sects.*
The White Horse Temple and the Hell Blood Castle had their specialties in unorthodox methods and poison arts.
For Bu Eun-seol, who found his enemies' weaknesses during battle, such traits were prime targets.
But seeing the spear arts of the Divine Spirit Gate, he was keenly aware that he had misjudged the martial arts of the Ten Demonic Sects until now.
*If our internal energy had been equal, I would not have won so easily.*
Yo Bul-beom had far more experience in the martial world than Bu Eun-seol and was a master who had trained in the formidable peerless art of the Divine Spirit Spear for over twenty years.
His veteran experience and combat management created a gap that Bu Eun-seol, who had just passed his coming-of-age, could not easily close.
Night fell before long.
As the wind died down, a thick fog settled over the river.
The towering fog all around seemed to have transformed the entire world into a distant dream.
“Brother Bu.”
Just then, Hyeok So-jin, who was beside him, spoke up.
“The river flows endlessly, its current unbroken, so why can't a person endlessly improve?”
It was a very sudden question.
If an ordinary person had heard it, they would have burst out laughing or been utterly baffled.
But Bu Eun-seol fell into thought with a serious expression.
Hyeok So-jin's question had pointed to a profound aspect of martial arts.
“If one could improve without limit, one would no longer be human, but a part of nature.”
Bu Eun-seol said in a low voice after finishing his thoughts.
“Humans are born with both an incomplete spirit and an incomplete body. That is why they strive to overcome that incompleteness.”
As he spoke, his gaze followed the flow of the waves below the railing.
“Of course, the river cannot become a person. But a person can transform into not only a river, but anything.”
Hyeok So-jin furrowed his brow as if in deep thought, then shook his head.
“I don't understand. How can a person transform everything into something else?”
“Everything you see is a phenomenon that manifests through your spirit.”
Bu Eun-seol explained calmly.
“If you are obsessed with martial arts, the river will appear in the form of martial arts. If you are obsessed with a beautiful woman, the river might appear as a woman's body.”
Every word Bu Eun-seol spoke was filled with profound meaning.
“Those who learn supreme martial arts sometimes fall into frustration or despair, or are seized by fear. Do you know why?”
When Hyeok So-jin shook his head, Bu Eun-seol answered.
“Because while their bodies may have reached their limit, their spirits have not yet reached that same state.”
His voice was utterly calm.
But Bu Eun-seol’s gaze upon Hyeok So-jin was so sharp it seemed to pierce through to his very soul.
“You have consistently learned outstanding martial arts and perfected your body. But the fortitude of your spirit has not yet caught up.”
“...!”
“Your martial arts are just on the cusp of the Transcendent Realm. To reach a stable state, you must train not only your techniques but also temper your heart to be as hard.”
In that moment, Hyeok So-jin’s body trembled as if he had realized something.
Bu Eun-seol was strong.
The reason was not just his superior martial arts, but the unparalleled fortitude of his spirit.
*Brother Bu has not only trained his martial arts but has also rigorously trained his own spirit.*
If that were not the case, his body might have grown stronger, but he could not have shown such rapid progress in his martial arts.
“Thank you, Brother Bu.”
Hyeok So-jin bowed his head deeply.
He had outstanding martial arts masters, including the Phantom Demon, but he had only learned the basic forms and principles.
He had not yet been taught the profound mysteries of martial arts.
But Bu Eun-seol, throughout their journey in the martial world, was teaching Hyeok So-jin how to comprehend all phenomena beyond the physical as principles of martial arts.
It was a process that would later enable Hyeok So-jin to awaken to the ultimate truth of martial arts on his own.
“Ah?”
Just then, the young people who had come out of their cabins spotted Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin and approached with bright smiles.
“We meet again.”