Chapter 235
Chapter 235
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 235
Chapter Title: Man Proposes, Heaven Disposes
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Suppressing his emotions with a deep breath, Hyeok So-jin spoke.
“Yu Hyeok-sim knew we wouldn’t accept his offer.”
“He knew?”
“Yes. Showing us the Cheong-hwa-yeon-ok was merely a ruse to lure Brother Bu out.”
“What do you mean?”
“Now that Ji-ok-hyeol-seong has been eliminated from the candidacy for the succession of the Ma-jeon, they no longer have a justification to attack Brother Bu. So… they resorted to this method.”
Hyeok So-jin gritted his teeth.
“To make Brother Bu attack them first.”
Bu Eun-seol’s Ya-su-do was sensitive enough to surpass even the most advanced eavesdropping arts.
He must have already heard everything that was said at the banquet, including Hyeok Gong-baek and Hyeok So-jin’s refusal of the offer.
“Brother Bu not only knows no fear, but he also never wants to see others come to harm because of him.”
Hyeok So-jin bit his lip.
Ji-ok-hyeol-seong had seen through his character and meticulously laid this trap.
“Whenever Yu Hyeok-sim appears in the martial world, he always brings the entire Dok-ma-jeon with him.”
Realizing the situation, Hyeok Gong-baek exclaimed urgently.
“I’ll dispatch the Sa-hon-dae at once.”
“You mustn’t.”
“Mustn’t?”
“If you do, it will appear as though Brother Bu and our fortress joined forces to kill Ji-ok-hyeol-seong’s masters for no reason.”
Hyeok So-jin maintained his composure as he spoke.
“Publicly, Ji-ok-hyeol-seong simply came to our fortress to propose an exchange for the Cheong-hwa-yeon-ok, did they not?”
“Hmm.”
“Furthermore, for Ji-ok-hyeol-seong to have planned to eliminate Brother Bu in this manner, they must have coordinated with the other Ten Demonic Sects.”
Hyeok Gong-baek fell into a thoughtful silence.
Hyeok So-jin’s words were flawless.
“Are you suggesting we just stand by and do nothing?”
“No.”
Hyeok So-jin said without hesitation.
“Please summon the Sa-hon-dae.”
Hyeok Gong-baek blinked.
Just moments ago, he had vehemently opposed sending the Sa-hon-dae, and now he was asking for them?
“...Is that your intention?”
Looking at Hyeok So-jin’s expression of firm resolve, Hyeok Gong-baek realized something and nodded.
“Very well. Go quickly with the Sa-hon-dae.”
* * *
Yu Hyeok-sim emerged from Jeol-cheon-myeol-ji.
Using his movement arts, he instantly left the fortress’s territory and sped through a quiet forest.
*Shhh. Thud.*
Finally, as he was about to exit the forest and a wide road came into view,
*Grin.*
Yu Hyeok-sim looked at the scene in the distance and smiled, revealing his white teeth.
The plan was a success.
Because the one standing there, blocking the road with his arms crossed, was none other than Bu Eun-seol.
*Swoosh.*
Yu Hyeok-sim, who had been moving rapidly, immediately landed on the ground.
“Well, if it isn’t the successor of the great Nang-ya-gak.”
He stepped forward and said with a sinister smile.
“So, what brings you here?”
“I was curious about that Cheong-hwa-yeon-ok you mentioned.”
“Hehehe.”
A chilling killing intent flowed from Yu Hyeok-sim’s eyes as he laughed softly.
“Anyone watching would think you and I are the closest of friends. Hahaha.”
“Do we need to be friends for me to see it?”
His laughter ceased abruptly, and he glared fiercely at the impassive Bu Eun-seol.
“Do you think a whelp who has not only interfered with my fortress’s affairs but also killed the master of the Hyeol-gwi-dang has the right to speak to me?”
“That reminds me, I was curious.”
But Bu Eun-seol changed the subject.
“Hwa-u-geom-mun and Hyeol-yeom-do-ga wouldn’t have participated in such a petty scheme.”
With a strange smile, he looked down at Yu Hyeok-sim and spoke in a low voice.
“Did Baek-ma-sa and Sa-ryeong-mun, who were stripped of their candidacy, join forces? Or did Geuk-sal-mil-gak and Myeol-in-gung feel threatened?”
“Hahahaha!”
Yu Hyeok-sim threw his head back and roared with laughter.
“If you’ve figured that much out, then there’s no need for more words.”
He then gave a slight nod, and the bushes all along the mountain path rustled at once.
Simultaneously, a dark mist seemed to rise from the ground as black shadows began to materialize one by one.
They were the poison masters of the Dok-ma-jeon, the most grotesque and cruel poison users in Ji-ok-hyeol-seong.
“Since you killed Geol-wang, I made a special effort to bring the entire Dok-ma-jeon.”
Yu Hyeok-sim narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice.
“If you kneel and apologize for your transgressions against my fortress right now, I will graciously send you back to the Ma-jeon.”
The Dok-ma-jeon was Ji-ok-hyeol-seong’s elite unit, a formidable force that couldn’t even be compared to the Naeng-hyeol-gwi he had fought before.
Even if Bu Eun-seol had reached the perfected state of the Supreme Heavenly Realm, he could never face them alone.
Ji-ok-hyeol-seong had prepared to kill Bu Eun-seol with absolute certainty, leaving no room for error.
“Stop spouting nonsense and make your move.”
“Fine. Then let’s begin.”
Just as Yu Hyeok-sim extended his hand with a confident expression,
*Flash! Thud.*
A violet lightning bolt struck from the sky, and suddenly, dozens of warriors landed as if descending from the heavens.
They wore martial uniforms that shimmered with a violet luster and had violet masks covering their faces.
It was the Sa-hon-dae, the ultimate military force of Jeol-cheon-myeol-ji.
“Brother Bu.”
A shadow in blue robes landed beside Bu Eun-seol. It was Hyeok So-jin.
His eyes and expression were filled with a grim determination, as if he had made a solemn vow.
“This is not a matter for you to step into.”
Hyeok So-jin said in an exceptionally serious tone.
“This affair is mine and mine alone.”
“How unfortunate.”
Upon seeing Hyeok So-jin and the Sa-hon-dae, Yu Hyeok-sim revealed his teeth and smiled.
“The Fortress Lord did a poor job raising his grandson. It seems Jeol-cheon-myeol-ji will end with this generation.”
“This has nothing to do with them.”
Hyeok So-jin said in a firm voice.
“We were all just excommunicated from Jeol-cheon-myeol-ji on our way here.”
For a moment, Yu Hyeok-sim’s face hardened.
Hyeok So-jin and the Sa-hon-dae had forsaken their status and positions in Jeol-cheon-myeol-ji to come here and help Bu Eun-seol.
“What a bizarre stunt.”
Yu Hyeok-sim, having regained his composure, said.
“Do you think that even if you were excommunicated, Jeol-cheon-myeol-ji can escape responsibility?”
“Not entirely, perhaps.”
Hyeok So-jin swept his sharp gaze over Yu Hyeok-sim.
“But it will at least eliminate the pretext that our entire fortress intervened to destroy Ji-ok-hyeol-seong.”
Taking a deep breath, Hyeok So-jin spoke softly.
“As long as the fortress’s lineage is preserved, it doesn’t matter. As long as we survive… we can always rise again.”
Faced with this unexpected turn of events, Yu Hyeok-sim was flustered.
Hyeok So-jin and the Sa-hon-dae were willing to sacrifice themselves to protect Bu Eun-seol’s life.
“Go back.”
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol spoke in a low voice.
“Don’t do anything foolish.”
“Brother Bu.”
“It’s enough.”
Bu Eun-seol looked at Yu Hyeok-sim and smiled faintly.
“After all, the Cheong-hwa-yeon-ok is in my hands.”
“Hmph, what kind of sleep-talking nonsense is this?”
As Yu Hyeok-sim snorted, Bu Eun-seol held out a necklace with a blue jade hanging from his neck.
“How do you—!”
Seeing the necklace, Yu Hyeok-sim jumped and hastily took out the wooden box he had tucked away.
“…”
His eyes widened.
When he opened the box, the Cheong-hwa-yeon-ok was still inside, perfectly fine. Then what was the Cheong-hwa-yeon-ok in Bu Eun-seol’s hand?
“So this was the Cheong-hwa-yeon-ok after all.”
Bu Eun-seol, who had been carefully observing Yu Hyeok-sim’s expression, nodded.
He then unfastened the necklace and handed it to Hyeok So-jin.
“Go and give this to the Fortress Lord. Tell him this is the Cheong-hwa-yeon-ok.”
“Brother Bu. What… what is going on?”
“I just wanted to confirm it. To see if this really was the Cheong-hwa-yeon-ok.”
Using his Gong-pa-sim-an, Bu Eun-seol had already heard everything Yu Hyeok-sim said.
—Only two Cheong-hwa-sin-yeon have been passed down in the martial world. One was at Mu-ha-su-yu-jeong, but it was lost…
Hearing those words, he had suddenly recalled the necklace Dan So-ok had given him.
An extraordinary blue jade, visible at a glance. Moreover, it always radiated a warm energy.
However, he hadn't known exactly what a Cheong-hwa-yeon-ok was.
So he had blocked Yu Hyeok-sim’s path to confirm it.
“I’ve had it for a while.”
Swallowing the words, ‘Though I can’t say it’s mine,’ Bu Eun-seol looked at Yu Hyeok-sim and nodded.
“Thank you. For confirming it.”
Yu Hyeok-sim felt like his head would explode.
How could Bu Eun-seol possess the other piece of the Cheong-hwa-yeon-ok that had disappeared long ago?
‘Geuk-hye-ryeong. Did that old man lie? No, that can’t be.’
The Cheong-hwa-yeon-ok had disappeared from Mu-ha-su-yu-jeong decades ago.
It was impossible that he would have been telling such a lie for decades just to deceive them.
“And tell the Hell Fortress Lord,”
Bu Eun-seol’s eyes, as he looked down at Yu Hyeok-sim, glinted like blazing flames.
“that since he has interfered with my path at every turn… I will no longer stand by and watch.”
“Hmph, and what will you do if you don’t stand by and watch?”
“Worrying about what I will do is a problem for later.”
Bu Eun-seol said in a composed voice.
“Today’s events will be reported to the Heavenly Demonic Emperor in full detail. There will be no need for me to say a word.”
Yu Hyeok-sim’s expression changed drastically.
Ji-ok-hyeol-seong had repeatedly suffered setbacks by provoking Bu Eun-seol, ultimately losing even their candidacy for the Ma-jeon’s succession.
Today’s incident would undoubtedly tarnish Ji-ok-hyeol-seong’s prestige even further. No, if word of this reached the Heavenly Demonic Emperor’s ears, it could lead to uncontrollable consequences.
Then, Bu Eun-seol muttered in a voice mixed with contempt and ridicule.
“So this… was the extent of the great Ji-ok-hyeol-seong.”
Yu Hyeok-sim’s body trembled, but he couldn’t say a word.
In truth, this entire plan to use Hyeok Gong-baek’s illness as a weakness to isolate Bu Eun-seol from Jeol-cheon-myeol-ji was something he had carried out on his own.
—Bu Eun-seol. Whether we kill him or weaken the power of Jeol-cheon-myeol-ji, this plan is guaranteed to succeed in one of the two!
He had boasted and assured the Hell Fortress Lord. Because it was a plan that could not possibly fail.
Even if it did fail, it would only mean returning with the Cheong-hwa-yeon-ok.
But with Bu Eun-seol possessing a Cheong-hwa-yeon-ok… something completely unexpected had happened.
Yu Hyeok-sim looked up at the sky with a devastated expression.
Man proposes, but Heaven disposes. In the end, the success of all things is governed by the heavens.
Far from succeeding, his plan had dragged Ji-ok-hyeol-seong’s honor through the mud…
The moment he returned to Ji-ok-hyeol-seong, he would have to offer his own neck.
* * *
A wide earthenware pot sat over a brazier, filled with clear water.
When a single, blood-red leaf was placed into it, the water suddenly began to boil furiously, turning a shade of red.
It was a Hong-gwan-yeop, a leaf plucked from the Hwa-ryeong-mok, the tree that bears the Hwa-ryeong-sin-gwa.
Upon learning that Hyeok Gong-baek was afflicted with Pa-geum-jeol-jeung, Jeol-cheon-myeol-ji had spent a fortune to acquire this Hong-gwan-yeop.
*Bubble, bubble.*
As the water boiled, a blue-hued jade was placed inside.
It was the Cheong-hwa-yeon-ok, a legendary treasure of which only two remained in the martial world.
*Sizzzle.*
As the water in the pot touched the Cheong-hwa-yeon-ok, it hissed and let out a white steam, instantly transforming into a red, viscous liquid.
This was the Hong-ok-sin-su, said to be able to completely cure any ailment affecting the body’s meridians and nerves.
*Click.*
When the Cheong-hwa-yeon-ok was lifted out, its blue light had vanished, leaving it transparent.
Having lost the spiritual energy within, it had become an ordinary stone.
After drinking the Hong-ok-sin-su, Hyeok Gong-baek was completely cured of his Pa-geum-jeol-jeung as if it had been washed away.
“I don’t know how to express my gratitude.”
His health restored, Hyeok Gong-baek had regained the majestic presence of a World-Transcending Demonic Lord.
“Tell me. How can I possibly repay the debt I owe you?”
Bu Eun-seol, with a faint smile, answered calmly.
“I was merely repaying the debt I owed to So-jin.”
“A debt.”
Hyeok Gong-baek suppressed his overwhelming emotions and let out a deep sigh.
This young grandmaster always wore a cold expression and showed no mercy to his enemies.
But he always protected those he considered his own as if they were his own life.
“All I asked of you was to awaken my grandson’s dormant heroic spirit.”
Hyeok Gong-baek, unable to hide his moved expression, opened his mouth.
“But you have gifted So-jin with precious experiences and teachings that no amount of money can buy. Not only that, but you have also guided his martial arts to an infinitely higher realm…”
Pausing for a moment, Hyeok Gong-baek bowed his head respectfully toward Bu Eun-seol.
“Thank you, truly.”
The legendary great demon, Hyeok Gong-baek, who had never bowed his head even to the Heavenly Demonic Emperor.
The lord of Jeol-cheon-myeol-ji, one of the Ten Demonic Sects, was bowing his head to Bu Eun-seol in gratitude.
The next day.
Thousands of people were lined up before the main gates of Jeol-cheon-myeol-ji.
Hyeok Gong-baek, along with every warrior and member of Jeol-cheon-myeol-ji, stood there solemnly.
“Brother Bu.”
Hyeok So-jin bowed his head and performed a deep bow to Bu Eun-seol, who was about to turn away.
“Until the day we meet again, please take care of yourself.”
A light as hot as a furnace blazed in his eyes.
Until now, Bu Eun-seol had been a strict teacher and a companion.
And he had been like a parent, nurturing his wisdom and martial arts to grow ever stronger.
“Continue to strive relentlessly.”
Bu Eun-seol nodded calmly and clasped his hands toward Hyeok Gong-baek.
“Then, I shall take my leave.”
As Bu Eun-seol showed his respects, Hyeok Gong-baek also clasped his hands respectfully.
*Thud.*
At that, every warrior of Jeol-cheon-myeol-ji respectfully paid their respects.
It was a gesture for the benefactor who had restored the glory of Jeol-cheon-myeol-ji, which had once commanded the entire martial world…
And it was a show of reverence for the future ruler of the Demonic Path, who would one day lead its million followers.