Chapter 254
Chapter 254
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 254
Chapter Title: The Twelve Zodiacs
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*Shing.*
Bu Eun-seol drew the Black Sword and unleashed his swordsmanship.
*Chwarararak!*
Unlike usual, the sword forms he unleashed were simple and lacked variation.
But the techniques themselves were so fast that the assassins had no time to evade.
*Patpat!*
The assassins within the range of his sword strikes spewed blood from their necks and collapsed like logs.
*Swishswishswishswishswish!*
The remaining assassins widened the distance again, showering Bu Eun-seol with hidden weapons.
*Boom!*
This time, however, the projectiles exploded before reaching Bu Eun-seol, releasing a cloud of white smoke.
A foul odor spread in all directions, suggesting the smoke was mixed with a power-scattering powder designed to diminish internal energy.
"Hmph."
The smoke spread, gradually obscuring even the figures of the assassins.
*Whoom!*
As he raised his internal energy, a formidable flow of true qi emanated from the Black Sword.
He was about to use the Seventh Form of the Formless Celestial Flow, Hoisin Myeolji, which used intense flame qi to incinerate all poisons.
*‘No.’*
In that moment, a flash of insight struck Bu Eun-seol.
*‘Haven’t they already investigated me thoroughly?’*
The tactic of showering hidden weapons from a distance, and the close-range suicide attacks, were all designed to counter his Formless Celestial Flow.
If so, there was no way they wouldn't know about Hoisin Myeolji, the technique that instantly incinerated poisons.
*Fwoosh!*
Bu Eun-seol immediately retreated twenty paces.
Then, he raised his powerful flame qi and flicked a finger wind.
*BOOM!*
With an explosion, the smoke that had spread everywhere instantly erupted into flames.
Simultaneously, a heat intense enough to melt iron, along with clumps of fire like molten wax, spread in all directions.
*Sizzzle.*
The flames continued to burn fiercely even after hitting the ground.
It seemed the mist contained not only the power-scattering powder but also a specially concocted flammable substance.
*‘Just as I thought.’*
What if he hadn't retreated and had tried to dispel the poisonous mist with Hoisin Myeolji?
Bu Eun-seol would have been caught in the blast and suffered severe injuries.
*‘So they’ve completely grasped the characteristics of the Formless Celestial Flow….’*
Bu Eun-seol had only used Hoisin Myeolji once, on his journey to be recognized as the successor.
After that, he had used it only against the masters of the Hell Blood Fortress.
This meant they had clearly been investigating him meticulously for a long time.
*Shhhk.*
As the smoke cleared, the remaining assassins strode through the blazing flames and surrounded Bu Eun-seol once more.
Their eyes showed no fear or hesitation.
Only the will to kill him until their last breath remained.
*‘Investigating me hundreds of times is useless.’*
A sharp glint shot from Bu Eun-seol’s eyes as he watched the menacing assassins approach.
The information they gathered in the past is useless now.
Because every single day, without pause, he grows stronger. Constantly.
*Click.*
Bu Eun-seol suddenly sheathed the Black Sword. Then, he raised his internal energy to its absolute peak.
*Whoooosh!*
A sharp wind began to blow from his entire body.
At the same time, a keen energy started to flow from his arms and legs.
The Thirteen Nocturnal Arts.
He was using the ultimate secret art of the Martial Emperor, which, when mastered, could unleash thirteen separate streams of force.
*Swaaaack!*
Bu Eun-seol’s body became a streak of light, flashing past the assassins.
Each time, blood spurted as the assassins fell like bundles of straw.
*CRACK! RUMBLE!*
The sound of thunder echoed across the darkened sky.
The sound alone was enough to hint at the ferocity of the aura and force Bu Eun-seol was unleashing.
The assassins resisted fiercely with hidden weapons and explosives, but it was futile.
The Thirteen Nocturnal Arts might seem like multiple martial arts being used at once, but in reality, it was a single, harmonious display of offense and defense.
The moment the keen force swept past them, the assassins’ bodies were torn apart as if slashed by a sharp sword.
Moreover, because of that keen force, none of their attacks could ever reach Bu Eun-seol’s body.
*Thud. Thud.*
The assassins’ corpses piled up all around like fallen leaves.
The assassins' eyes, which had been as cold and mechanical as machines, began to waver like ripples on water.
They had investigated Bu Eun-seol thoroughly, but how could they have ever known?
That his progress in martial arts, honed even during the time he ate and slept, had far surpassed the level of those called geniuses.
And that, in the meantime, he had also inherited the true teachings of the Martial Emperor, the strongest master of the Orthodox Faction from four hundred years ago.
*Boom. Boom.*
As the force pouring from Bu Eun-seol's body transformed into three streaks of lightning, more assassins fell helplessly.
In a flash, fewer than ten of the hundred or so assassins remained.
"Hoo. Hoo."
Bu Eun-seol gasped for breath.
The Thirteen Nocturnal Arts possessed an almost miraculous power, but it was the art of exquisitely weaving various Orthodox martial arts into a single whole.
As such, the consumption of mental and internal energy was extreme.
Then, a few assassins stepped forward and drew their swords.
*Clang!*
The swords they drew were oddly-shaped, with four edges instead of two.
They began to unleash a unique swordsmanship to counter Bu Eun-seol's Thirteen Nocturnal Arts.
*Clang! Ch-ch-clang!*
Their swordsmanship, executed like a joint attack, was surprisingly formidable.
Not only did they exploit openings with quick, concise movements, but they also created a wide sword screen to block his force whenever the Thirteen Nocturnal Arts descended.
They also unleashed a barrage of bizarre killing techniques, sealing off Bu Eun-seol's lightning-fast movements.
*‘Orthodox martial arts?’*
Bu Eun-seol couldn't hide his surprise as he observed the swordsmanship flashing past him.
Their sword techniques not only slashed horizontally and vertically but also involved many digging and twisting motions.
At a glance, it looked like the vicious swordsmanship of the Demonic or Unorthodox Factions, but that was merely a deliberate concealment.
The roots of their swordsmanship were, in fact, closer to the martial arts of the Orthodox Faction.
*‘If I hadn't studied the Orthodox secret manuals in the Martial Emperor's archives, I wouldn't have been able to see through to their roots.’*
The Martial Emperor had created the Thirteen Nocturnal Arts based on the main branches of Orthodox martial arts.
And Bu Eun-seol, having mastered its essence, could instantly discern the unique properties of Orthodox techniques.
*Fwip!*
As if to prove it, the sword techniques that rained down like lightning suddenly curved sharply, aiming for Bu Eun-seol’s vital points.
If it were a Demonic or Unorthodox art, it would have struck for the vital points directly without tracing such a wide arc.
The assassins were using those bizarre, oddly-shaped swords to hide the trajectories of their Orthodox techniques.
*‘They’ve deviated from the original sword path, so their power has been greatly diminished.’*
The assassins had modified Orthodox swordsmanship to resemble the bizarre and unpredictable sword arts of the Unorthodox Faction.
In other words, by altering the original sword intent, they were unable to unleash its true power.
*Shing!*
Having grasped all the assassins’ weaknesses, Bu Eun-seol drew the Black Sword again.
And suddenly, he unleashed his swordsmanship towards the sky.
*Swishswishswishswish!*
The hundreds of strands of sword qi that shot toward the dark sky suddenly split left and right, like living creatures.
At the same time, they began to descend upon the masked men on the ground like two currents of water.
He had unleashed the Fourth Form of the Formless Celestial Flow, Nongjo Yeonun, which allowed him to freely manipulate his sword qi.
*Swish! Swish! Swish!*
The assassins swung their swords with all their might.
But they couldn't block Bu Eun-seol’s sword qi, which he had unleashed after discerning all their weaknesses.
*Papapapak!*
The keen strands of sword qi swept over their bodies like living flood dragons.
*Thump.*
Without a single exception, the assassins collapsed to the ground at the same moment.
*Step. Step.*
Bu Eun-seol slowly approached and removed the masks from the fallen assassins.
At the same time, his eyes widened slightly.
"…!"
The assassins' faces were completely flayed, with blood and pus matted on the raw flesh.
They had peeled off all the skin on their faces to hide their identities.
An ordinary martial artist would have grimaced at the cruel and gruesome sight, but Bu Eun-seol calmly observed their bodies.
*‘They’ve been taking a special poison for a long time.’*
As if they had been ingesting poison for years, the assassins' teeth were corroded like rusted iron.
Crouching down, he then examined the assassins' clothing, weapons, and shoes in detail.
But there were no clues on any of the items that could suggest their identities.
"So Sahyang is connected to the Orthodox Faction…."
It wasn't a complete loss, however.
The assassins had all used modified martial arts from the Orthodox Faction.
This meant the link to Sahyang was an entity closer to the Orthodox Faction than the Demonic Path.
"I must climb higher."
With his current status, he couldn't even investigate all the sects of the Demonic Path, let alone the Orthodox Faction.
*Grind.*
A bloody glint appeared in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
In the end, it was his destiny to rise to the top.
***
Bu Eun-seol returned to the Demonic Sanctum.
As things stood, it was impossible to catch Sahyang's tail in one go.
Moreover, if they were truly connected to the Orthodox Faction, he could not act rashly.
He was still just a candidate for the succession of the Demonic Sanctum.
Though it was the holy land of all demons under heaven, it was not a place that gave unconditional support and encouragement to a mere candidate.
*‘First, I need to cover my tracks.’*
The first thing Bu Eun-seol did was to create diversions so that no intelligence organization could easily track his movements.
He was now a figure who could influence the state of the martial world.
Therefore, many intelligence organizations would be keeping a close watch on his every move.
He was using the information network of Muhasuyujeong to constantly spread false information in the martial world, concealing his whereabouts.
*Knock, knock.*
Just then, someone knocked on the door of his office.
"Daeju. It's Jo Nam-cheon."
"Come in."
*Slide.*
The sliding door opened, and Jo Nam-cheon, with his scraggly beard, trudged in.
With his unkempt beard and many wrinkles, he looked to be in his forties. But in reality, he was a man not yet thirty.
"What is it?"
"Well, you see."
At Bu Eun-seol's question, Jo Nam-cheon scratched his head and fumbled inside his robes.
"Actually, in the past, I was part of the Twelve Zodiacs for a bit."
A peculiar light gleamed in Bu Eun-seol’s eyes.
The ever-affable Jo Nam-cheon was formerly a dark fixer who handled all sorts of dirty work in the underworld?
"And?"
"This came for you, Daeju."
Jo Nam-cheon took a letter from his robes and carefully placed it on the table.
"Someone sent a letter to you, Daeju, through the Twelve Zodiacs' information network."
"A letter?"
"Yes. And the sender is the Twelve Zodiacs'… Grand Chieftain."
"Grand Chieftain?"
Originally, the Twelve Zodiacs had no leader and was closer to a cell-based organization with a haphazard information and command structure.
But now, a Grand Chieftain?
"Apparently, their system was recently reorganized, and they now have a Grand Chieftain."
Jo Nam-cheon said, scratching his head.
"Since they mainly operate in the underworld, they call the supreme leader who manages the entire Twelve Zodiacs the Grand Chieftain."
Jo Nam-cheon looked at the letter on the table and said.
"Besides, seeing as they delivered it precisely to you through me, it doesn't seem like a prank."
Bu Eun-seol picked up the letter.
Just then, a commotion could be heard from outside. It seemed the unit members had returned to the Sa-yeong-gak after their training.
*Clatter.*
Just then, a fierce-looking man burst through the open door. It was Won Se-mun.
"Daeju!"
"Won Se-mun. Why the fuss again?"
Jo Nam-cheon said chidingly.
"Did you have another crazy dream and come running to the Daeju?"
"Shut up!"
Won Se-mun shot a glare at Jo Nam-cheon and spoke to Bu Eun-seol.
"Something big has happened, Daeju!"
"What is it?"
At Bu Eun-seol's question, Won Se-mun pursed his lips.
"The successor of Geuksal Milgak has been assassinated."
For a moment, Bu Eun-seol couldn't believe his ears.
"What did you say?"
"The successor of Geuksal Milgak, Yong Jeok-bi. He's been killed."
A brief silence fell over the office.
Yong Jeok-bi, the successor of Geuksal Milgak. Why would the chosen prodigy of that grand assassination sect suddenly be dead?
"The successor of Geuksal Milgak was apparently on a solo mission to strike at the Twelve Zodiacs."
Won Se-mun said, looking at Bu Eun-seol.
"But... he was killed by them instead. What's more, the Twelve Zodiacs used a security escort agency to send Yong Jeok-bi's head to Geuksal Milgak. The main sanctum is in an uproar because of it."
—The Twelve Zodiacs?
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol and Jo Nam-cheon exchanged glances.
And as if by agreement, they both looked down at the envelope on the table.
*Rip.*
He tore open the envelope, but there was nothing inside.
"Huh?"
Jo Nam-cheon stared at the envelope with a bewildered expression.
"That's strange. This envelope definitely has the Grand Chieftain's seal on it."
Won Se-mun asked the baffled Jo Nam-cheon.
"Grand Chieftain? Who's that?"
"Well..."
Just as Jo Nam-cheon was explaining the situation to Won Se-mun,
"…!"
A flash glinted in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
A subtle sensation had been transmitted to his fingertips as he held the envelope.
It was a minuscule trace that only Bu Eun-seol, a master of the Ya-su-do, could feel.
*Rip.*
Tearing the outer layer of the envelope, he found a short needle, thinner than a strand of hair, hidden within the paper.
It was so resilient that it returned to its original shape even when bent with his fingers, and its surface was covered in microscopic barbs.
*Flash!*
In that instant, a heat intense enough to melt steel radiated from Bu Eun-seol's eyes. At the same time, his heart began to pound uncontrollably.
This unique short needle, not commonly seen in the martial world.
Wasn't this the hidden weapon of Sahyang?