Chapter 231
Chapter 231
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 231
Chapter Title: The Price of Arrogance
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The carriage, having left Chengdu, traveled without rest and soon arrived at Hwanggye.
The specialty here was the roadside tavern overlooking the wide-open riverbank.
Though it was broad daylight, many people were gathered around the stall, drinking and enjoying the river breeze.
Hyeok So-jin, gazing out the window, smiled brightly and said,
“There's an old saying that the wine you drink by the Hwanggye River is sweeter than any poured by a beautiful woman.”
Bu Eun-seol was not one for such leisurely pleasures. Knowing it was a long shot, Hyeok So-jin spoke with excitement.
“Despite its name, Hwanggye, or Yellow Creek, this area has many springs with excellent water, so many travelers…”
“Let’s go.”
Bu Eun-seol gave a short nod.
“Since we’ve come this far.”
“Really?”
Hyeok So-jin, his face a picture of surprise, clapped his hands and said,
“Then we should hurry!”
Bu Eun-seol ordered the driver to stop the carriage and rose from his seat.
Seeing this, Hyeok So-jin spoke in a playful tone.
“But what’s the occasion? For you to suggest it first, Brother Bu…”
His lively expression faltered as a thought crossed his mind, and his eyes darkened.
This would be Hyeok So-jin’s last journey through the martial world.
Bu Eun-seol knew this and wanted to spend as much quality time with him as possible.
*Swish.*
Just then, a young man brushed past Bu Eun-seol.
For a fleeting moment, the young man's lips moved almost imperceptibly, but it was over in an instant.
“The view over there seems nice.”
When Bu Eun-seol pointed to the stall, Hyeok So-jin followed without a word.
As they walked toward the stall with a good view of the river, Bu Eun-seol scanned his surroundings and spoke in a low voice.
“A message came. The Lord has almost fully recovered. He also said not to worry.”
Bu Eun-seol had just received a report on the situation at Jeok-cheon-mak-ji from the young man who had passed them.
Thanks to the integration of Muhasuyujeong's intelligence network with Pung-un-dae, Bu Eun-seol could receive or send information from anywhere.
“I see. That’s a relief.”
“Perhaps the return of his grandson has given the Lord new strength.”
Bu Eun-seol’s words were uncharacteristically warm.
The two men shared a common bond, both having been raised by their grandfathers. Because of this, he understood Hyeok So-jin’s feelings all too well.
Looking slightly embarrassed, Hyeok So-jin sniffled.
“You don’t have to go to the trouble of relaying every message.”
Then he grinned, revealing his white teeth.
“My grandfather is a strong man. I wasn’t worried in the first place.”
The two walked shoulder to shoulder and entered the riverside stall.
Inside, the owner, a towel wrapped around his head, was roasting peanuts in a large pot.
“Is this all you have for snacks?”
As Hyeok So-jin licked his lips with a disappointed look, the owner grinned and said,
“Not just us, but all the stalls around here only serve peanuts roasted with dried peppers and spices.”
“Hmm.”
“Take a swig of Hwangju, then pop one of these spicy roasted peanuts in your mouth, and not even the gods could ask for more.”
The owner’s vivid description made Hyeok So-jin’s mouth water, and he nodded.
“I suppose we have to try it then. Three jugs of Hwangju over here, and a heaping plate of roasted peanuts, please.”
“Yes, yes, coming right up.”
The owner quickly brought over three bottles of Hwangju and a plate of roasted peanuts.
“Brother Bu, please accept a drink from me.”
Hyeok So-jin filled Bu Eun-seol’s cup to the brim with Hwangju.
He then seemed to fall deep in thought, his brow furrowing.
“They should arrive by the time we’ve had about three cups.”
“Your senses have grown quite sharp.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Brother Bu.”
*Gulp.*
Just as Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin were downing their third cup of wine,
*Fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh.*
A series of sharp, air-slicing sounds echoed through the area.
Not long after, dozens of martial artists appeared, surrounding the stall where Bu Eun-seol was seated.
Hyeok So-jin, who had been lifting his cup, frowned upon seeing the character ‘Hyeon’ (玄) embroidered on the martial artists’ uniforms.
“The Hyeoncheon Faction?”
The Hyeoncheon Faction was an unorthodox sect that had established a wide sphere of influence based around the Hwanggye area.
However, because they had connections with government officials and influence in the merchant world, they weren't recognized as a true Demonic Path sect.
But why had they come here with dozens of their men?
“I am Gwak Seung, leader of the Hyeoncheon Faction.”
Just then, a strapping man in ornate martial arts attire walked through the crowd of warriors and clasped his hands.
“Bu Eun-seol. You are Young Master Bu, correct?”
While the Hyeoncheon Faction couldn’t be called one of the Murim’s leading powers, Gwak Seung was still a hegemon who held sway over his region.
Despite this, his demeanor toward Bu Eun-seol was exceedingly polite.
“I am.”
When Bu Eun-seol nodded, a bright smile spread across Gwak Seung’s face.
“It seems spending all of my faction’s funds to buy information on your whereabouts was worth it.”
Seeing Bu Eun-seol’s puzzled expression, Gwak Seung’s eyes flashed as he spoke.
“I, Gwak Seung, leader of the Hyeoncheon Faction, wish to challenge you.”
Bu Eun-seol was silent for a moment.
To suddenly appear out of nowhere and issue a challenge?
As silence stretched in place of an answer, Gwak Seung calmly began to tell his story.
“For a long time, I have had an unresolved matter with the King of Beggars. I tried for years to find that old man, but the Beggars’ Sect’s interference made it impossible to track his movements.”
The rest of Gwak Seung’s long explanation could be summarized as follows.
Long ago, he had been humiliated by the King of Beggars, and since that day, he had dedicated himself to mastering his martial arts.
But no matter which intelligence organization he used, he could not find the King of Beggars. Just as he was about to give up on his revenge, he heard a rumor that Bu Eun-seol had killed him.
And so, Gwak Seung intended to challenge Bu Eun-seol with the power he had honed to face the King of Beggars.
*‘How ridiculous. He just wants to steal Brother Bu’s fame, doesn’t he?’*
Hyeok So-jin, listening from the side, looked utterly dumbfounded.
Gwak Seung’s entire story was just an excuse.
The simple truth was that he had been too afraid of the King of Beggars to ever dare challenge him.
—Bu Eun-seol killed the Grand Elder with the help of his faction.
—He perceived that the Grand Elder’s power had waned due to illness and challenged him.
—Bu Eun-seol, the King of Luck. He’s just a man who got lucky.
Gwak Seung must have heard the disgraceful nickname and rumors spread by the Beggars’ Sect.
And believing those rumors to be true, he was now boldly challenging Bu Eun-seol.
If he were to win this duel, he would instantly gain immense fame.
“Young Master Bu, you appeared in the Murim like a comet, defeating one Great Righteous Master after another, and finally writing a legendary chapter by taking down the King of Beggars.”
Gwak Seung praised Bu Eun-seol to the heavens.
That way, should he win, the fruits of his victory would be all the greater and sweeter.
“Since then, a small wish has grown in this Gwak Seung’s heart. It is to cross swords just once with a young grandmaster such as yourself, Young Master Bu.”
Though his was a small power, a challenge from the hegemon of a region carried great significance.
It meant that Bu Eun-seol held the highest honor… one that even a regional hegemon coveted and desired.
“Very well.”
Bu Eun-seol nodded readily and gestured toward the riverbank.
“This place is too cramped. Let’s move over there.”
*Rumble!*
At that, countless people who had been drinking at the surrounding stalls rose to their feet.
Bu Eun-seol was the rising star causing the biggest storm in the current Murim. And they could witness his fight right before their very eyes?
They could never miss such an opportunity.
*Boom!*
But then, something absurd happened.
Before the crowd could even get up from their seats to watch the fight, the victor had been decided.
“Ugh.”
Gwak Seung, struck by Bu Eun-seol’s Seven Forms of the Demonic Fist, had collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood.
“Keuk.”
“It has been a long time since you’ve trained your body.”
Bu Eun-seol said calmly, looking down at Gwak Seung, who had just vomited a mouthful of blood.
“When the body grows stiff, one cannot execute proper techniques. Hone your martial arts again, and then you may challenge me.”
“…I am ashamed.”
Defeated in a single blow, Gwak Seung’s face was beet red.
“Farewell.”
He clasped his hands, then turned without a backward glance and left with his men, his movement arts carrying him away.
“That was unexpected.”
Hyeok So-jin blinked and said,
“I never knew you could be so lenient, Brother Bu.”
The Bu Eun-seol he knew would never have let an opportunist like Gwak Seung walk away on his own two feet.
But this time, he had let him go with only minor internal injuries.
“Though the Hyeoncheon Faction is small, he is the leader of his own domain. He challenged me politely and showed me due respect.”
“Ah.”
Hyeok So-jin nodded.
“As the future successor of the Demonic Hall, you were showing magnanimity.”
“He is someone favorable to the Demonic Hall. There was no need to crush him so utterly and humiliate him.”
In other words, he had intentionally displayed a generous side to win the favor of the Hyeoncheon Faction’s leader.
*‘Wait… could it be?’*
As Hyeok So-jin blinked, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
Bu Eun-seol was a true martial artist who walked his own path, never considering a faction’s interests or an opponent’s pride.
But now, he was acting politically, as if he were already the successor to the Demonic Hall.
*‘So that was it.’*
Looking at Bu Eun-seol’s expression, Hyeok So-jin finally understood everything.
He understood why he had acted this way.
*‘You did it to teach me.’*
Hyeok So-jin, the future leader of Jeok-cheon-mak-ji, could no longer act like a wandering martial artist.
All his actions would represent his clan, and he would always have to choose the path most beneficial to it.
Bu Eun-seol was teaching him until the very end, so that he could become a great clan leader.
“Why are you doing all this?”
Hyeok So-jin’s voice was choked with emotion.
“Why do you go to such lengths for me…?”
“It was a promise to the Lord.”
He then turned away nonchalantly.
“We should get going now.”
Once again, Bu Eun-seol hid his kindness behind the excuse of a promise made with the Lord.
A man’s heart is not conveyed through words.
Knowing this all too well, Hyeok So-jin made a silent vow.
No matter what happened from now on, he would protect the man before him.
Even if it meant sacrificing his own life.
*Thump, thump, thump.*
But then, another unexpected situation arose.
The sound of dozens of footsteps echoed in unison as thirty martial artists, all wearing swords, approached the stall.
*‘Those men are…’*
Hyeok So-jin’s eyes widened.
All thirty men wore the white headbands characteristic of the Murim Alliance.
They were masters from the Murim Alliance.
At the head of the white-banded warriors stood a young man with an incredibly arrogant look and a middle-aged man with a solemn expression.
Both men exuded an extraordinary aura, suggesting they were martial artists of considerable skill.
“Hah.”
The arrogant-looking young man stared intently at Bu Eun-seol’s handsome features and spoke.
“So you’re Bu Eun-seol.”
When Bu Eun-seol didn’t respond, the young man’s lips curled into a smirk.
“I am Jo Bi-un.”
Jo Bi-un, the Flawless Sword.
He was one of the Seven Prodigies and Three Peaks, a rising star of the younger generation and a master of the swift sword.
Since the age of fifteen, he had been unrivaled in the Shanxi region, and now, well past twenty, he was said to possess skills comparable to the Murim Alliance's Great Righteous Masters.
Furthermore, he was the only son of Jo Cheon-wang, the Emperor Dragon Sword, commander of the Mucheon Corps—one of the Murim Alliance’s Seven Great Battle Groups.
The Murim Alliance provided constant protection for the immediate families of its leaders. Thus, he was always accompanied by an escort from the Alliance.
“There’s a rumor that you defeated several Great Righteous Masters in a row and even bested the King of Beggars. Is that true?”
Jo Bi-un’s expression was condescending.
It was understandable, as he had never once known defeat.
Moreover, he had witnessed Bu Eun-seol’s fist technique from afar when he defeated Gwak Seung.
To him, it had looked like a technique that relied solely on raw power… leading him to believe that Bu Eun-seol’s skills were not as great as the rumors claimed.
When Bu Eun-seol remained silent, he spoke again.
“What do you say? Care for a match?”
With a cold smile, he glanced at the sword at his waist and said,
“If you could withstand a few moves of my sword, you’d gain even greater fame.”
*‘He plans to use the Murim Alliance escort as a shield to gain the fame of having driven Brother Bu away.’*
Hyeok So-jin instantly saw through Jo Bi-un’s scheme.
Elite masters of the Murim Alliance surrounded Jo Bi-un, their eyes wide and alert.
On top of that, his backer was none other than the commander of the Mucheon Corps, one of the Murim Alliance’s Seven Great Battle Groups.
He knew Bu Eun-seol wouldn't fight him in a million years, so he was deliberately provoking him.
Even just gaining the reputation of having made Bu Eun-seol avoid a fight would be a considerable gain.
“Hmph.”
Bu Eun-seol turned away as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
“Are you scared? King of Luck?”
He brazenly used the disgraceful nickname created by the Beggars' Sect right to Bu Eun-seol’s face.
“To think you killed the King of Beggars with such dirty, cheap tricks, only to earn a name like that.”
Despite Jo Bi-un’s mockery, Bu Eun-seol still didn’t deign to reply and started to walk away.
“Hmph, seeing you tuck your tail and run, the rumor about you killing the King of Beggars must be a lie too. Hahaha!”
At that, Bu Eun-seol turned his head instead of answering.
And he smirked.
In that instant, Jo Bi-un’s face hardened.
When the handsome Bu Eun-seol looked down on him with that mocking smile, an indescribable sense of humiliation washed over him.
“You bastard!”
Jo Bi-un, trembling with rage, shouted.
But Bu Eun-seol simply quickened his pace, not even looking back.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Enraged, Jo Bi-un drew the sword from his waist and sent a gust of sword wind toward the back of his head.
It was a feint, meant to make Bu Eun-seol dodge and turn to face him.
And that… was the last move Jo Bi-un ever made in his life.
*Shing!*
As the sword wind rushed forward, the Ink Sword was already in Bu Eun-seol’s hand with the ring of steel.
*Flash!*
Simultaneously, without even turning around, he unleashed a brilliant streak of light.
The Meteor Chasing the Moon Form, as fast as lightning, had been unleashed.
“…”
Jo Bi-un stood frozen, his eyes wide open.
*Drip, drip, drip.*
At the same time, crimson droplets of blood began to fall from between his eyebrows, painting a bloody flower on the ground.
The Meteor Chasing the Moon Form had pierced him between the eyes in a single instant, killing him on the spot.
*Thud.*
When he finally collapsed backward,
“No!”
The Murim Alliance masters who witnessed the scene let out a cry that was almost a scream.
At the same time, the leader of the escort team at the front, Gu Dong-ak, drew his sword.
“Stop right there!”
With a thunderous roar, Gu Dong-ak moved like lightning to block Bu Eun-seol’s path.