Chapter 257
Chapter 257
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 257
Chapter Title: The Final Test
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Gwak Seong momentarily doubted his own ears.
“What did you say?”
“I said, I refuse.”
Gwak Seong’s mouth fell open in disbelief.
“Are you saying you'll make an enemy of my Pavilion for a half-dead traitor?”
He then let out an empty smile.
“You'd better calculate your odds carefully. Don't make a decision you'll regret.”
A look of contempt flashed in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
“Was the position of the Demonic Cult's successor always one gained by selling out others?”
“So? Are you saying you intend to fight me, the Blood Master, right now?”
“If you wish.”
“Hahahaha.”
Gwak Seong laughed, covering his forehead as if the situation was absurd.
“They call you the Mad Sword, and it seems you've truly gone mad.”
The two hundred assassins he had brought were the finest elites of the Geuk-sal-mil-gak, capable of wiping out not just the Sib-i-ji, but any sect in a single blow.
Even if another master from the Four Gods and Seven Kings had come instead of Bu Eun-seol, victory would have been impossible.
“What a foolish dream.”
Just then, Seok U-haeng, who had staggered to lean against the waterway wall, broke into a smile.
“I will not die by anyone's hand.”
In his hand, a thin, faint silver thread had appeared.
And that silver thread was connected to the walls and floor of the waterway.
“We're all going down together…”
“How childish, Seok U-haeng. Are you bluffing?”
Gwak Seong, watching Seok U-haeng, simply sneered.
“To bring down a waterway of this size, you would need an enormous amount of gunpowder. Even for the Sib-i-ji, with its government connections, that would be impossible.”
“Heheheh… Hahahaha!”
Seok U-haeng pointed at Gwak Seong and laughed heartily, as if in triumph.
*Snap.*
His laughter ceased, and he gazed into the distant emptiness, murmuring softly.
“Becoming the leader of the Sib-i-ji in such a short time was impossible from the start. Wasn't it?”
Gwak Seong's eyes widened.
Looking back, it was strange.
No matter how exceptional Seok U-haeng was as a Sip-ma-jeon-in, it was impossible for him to have swallowed a force like the Sib-i-ji all by himself in such a short period.
That meant another power must have been involved, and the possibility of the entire waterway being turned into a giant trap was not out of the question.
“W-Wait!”
Finally realizing that explosives had been planted in the waterway, Gwak Seong reached out a hand.
“Seok U-haeng. No matter what, you are still a disciple of my Pavilion, are you not?”
He approached slowly, a forced smile plastered on his face.
“First, you're not well. Let's get you treated, then we can talk.”
Gwak Seong's expression was desperate.
He had brought all his elite assassins to wipe out the Sib-i-ji.
In this situation, if the underground waterway collapsed?
The elite forces of the Geuk-sal-mil-gak would be wiped out in an instant.
“It's already too late.”
*Tug.*
Seok U-haeng pulled the silver thread without hesitation.
*Rumble...*
The ground began to shake, and then the entire underground waterway started to collapse.
“Get out!”
Gwak Seong screamed and dashed in the opposite direction.
But no matter how fast he moved, it was uncertain if he could escape a collapsing waterway.
“Aaargh!”
The assassins trying to escape toward the exit were crushed by rocks, their terrible screams filling the air.
Seok U-haeng truly had prepared enough gunpowder to bring down this massive underground waterway.
*CRASH!*
At that moment, a boulder the size of a house began to fall toward Seok U-haeng.
But he seemed to have no intention of moving, merely staring into the void with empty eyes.
*Fwoosh!*
But just then, Bu Eun-seol moved like lightning.
*THUD!*
He caught the boulder that was falling toward Seok U-haeng.
“...?”
A strange expression crossed Bu Eun-seol's face.
The moment the massive boulder, which must have weighed tens of thousands of catties, touched his hands, it stopped as if suspended in mid-air.
“I knew you would.”
Seok U-haeng watched him and smiled faintly.
“You only act cold on the outside.”
Bu Eun-seol's eyebrow twitched.
Only then did he realize that the spot where Seok U-haeng stood was the only safe zone.
“You did the same at the Jang-geom-san-jang. You acted completely uninterested, but you were actually drawing their attention so Myo Cheon-u and I could escape.”
A smile played on Seok U-haeng's lips as if recalling Bu Eun-seol's actions at the Jang-geom-san-jang.
“Risking your life to fight those Dae-ui-go-su one after another…”
“Seok U-haeng.”
As Bu Eun-seol called his name in a low voice, Seok U-haeng sighed and spoke.
“You want to know where I got the Sa-hyang's hidden weapon, don't you?”
He looked at Bu Eun-seol with fading eyes and shook his head.
“I'm sorry. I don't know either.”
“What?”
“They just knew you were on the Sa-hyang's trail.”
“They?”
“Yes. They said if they sent that hidden weapon… you would definitely come here.”
Seok U-haeng smiled faintly.
“They arranged for this entire place to collapse. But I secretly created a safe zone without their knowledge.”
It was a consideration to ensure Bu Eun-seol would not lose his life in vain.
He had only wanted to win, just once. He had never hated him.
Bu Eun-seol, who had been listening in silence, asked again.
“Who are they?”
“I don't know. I tried to investigate secretly several times… but I couldn't uncover their identities. But they knew a lot about me.”
Seok U-haeng shook his head.
“They promised they could help me defeat you. They helped me take control of the Sib-i-ji and gave me the Cheon-sa-yu-ma-gong.”
Bu Eun-seol clenched his fists.
To be able to exploit Seok U-haeng's rivalry with him… they must have been thoroughly gathering information on the Sip-ma-jeon-in for a long time.
Furthermore, the fact that they knew he was chasing the Sa-hyang and used its hidden weapon as bait to lure him here…
Meant they either possessed an intelligence network superior to the Orthodox and Unorthodox Factions combined, or they were a power that could even control the Sa-hyang.
‘Are they still beyond my reach?’
As the furious Bu Eun-seol bit his lip, Seok U-haeng offered a faint smile.
“But there was something they didn't know.”
“What was that?”
“That you wouldn't kill me.”
Bu Eun-seol had been willing to fight the elite forces of the Geuk-sal-mil-gak to protect him.
Recalling that scene, Seok U-haeng was overcome with a complex mix of emotions that he couldn't put into words.
In truth, he had liked Bu Eun-seol from the very beginning.
If only he hadn't possessed the pride of a martial arts genius and the ambition to reach the pinnacle of the demonic path…
Perhaps Seok U-haeng would have been the first to extend a hand to Bu Eun-seol.
“Didn't you hate me?”
“…”
“Ever since the Isle of Hell, I've been relentlessly trying to kill you…”
*Cough.*
Suddenly, Seok U-haeng coughed up dark red blood.
When he had activated the mechanism, he had circulated his internal energy to sever his own heart meridian.
And yet, the dreadful evil art known as the Cheon-sa-yu-ma-gong had been clinging to the last thread of his life.
“Seok U-haeng.”
“I have no regrets…”
The focus in Seok U-haeng's eyes faded as he looked at Bu Eun-seol.
“My only regret is that I couldn't die by your hand…”
And then, he quietly breathed his last.
*Rumble…*
At that moment, the tremors stopped, and the collapse of the waterway ceased.
The screams were heard no more.
The Geuk-sal-mil-gak had brought all of its elite assassins to wipe out the Sib-i-ji.
And thanks to the trap set in the waterway, those elites had all perished at once.
It would take a very long time for the Geuk-sal-mil-gak to recover its strength.
“Seok U-haeng.”
Bu Eun-seol closed Seok U-haeng's staring eyes and spoke in a low voice.
“I never once hated you. In fact, I always felt a sense of kinship with you.”
Bu Eun-seol, who had fought a long and lonely battle.
He had always thought of the Sip-ma-jeon-in, who shared a similar fate, as his own kind.
“Like an old friend… one I've known for a long time.”
Seok U-haeng, who had died leaning against the stone wall, gave no answer.
But upon hearing Bu Eun-seol's words, a smile seemed to grace his lips.
* * *
The Sa-yeong-gak. Bu Eun-seol's office.
On the surface, he was going about his daily routine as usual.
Though he had been at the site where the elites of the Geuk-sal-mil-gak—a force that had shaken the Murim—were annihilated, no one knew.
After he had concealed his tracks using the intelligence network of the Mu-ha-su-yu-jeong, it seemed even the Demonic Cult could not easily trace his movements.
Thanks to this, despite being involved in such a world-shaking event, no one knew Bu Eun-seol had been there.
*Halt.*
Bu Eun-seol's hand, which had been writing a letter, paused.
The events of that day had suddenly resurfaced in his mind.
The mysterious faction that had manipulated and used Seok U-haeng.
They were surely connected to the Sa-hyang he was chasing.
*Crack.*
As he tightened his grip on the brush, the handle crumbled into dust.
He appeared to be living a peaceful life, but a furious flame was blazing in his heart.
“I will find you, no matter what…”
A bloody glint appeared in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
Those who pulled the strings of others' fates, manipulating them like puppets. He resolved to cut them all down.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
Just then, a knock on the door was followed by a low, grim voice.
“Lord, it is Wi Cheon-gyeong.”
“Come in.”
The door opened to reveal Wi Cheon-gyeong, a tall man with long bangs, who clasped his hands respectfully.
“A letter for you, Lord, from the intelligence unit of the Mu-ha-su-yu-jeong.”
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed as he read the letter from the envelope.
The letter concisely stated that the ones who had burned down the Seong-ga-cheol-jang were government officials.
“Lord. Is something wrong?”
Wi Cheon-gyeong asked cautiously, observing Bu Eun-seol's grave expression.
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol handed him the letter.
And asked.
“What do you think?”
Wi Cheon-gyeong not only had as much experience in the Jianghu as Bu Eun-seol, but he also had a calm personality and was an excellent strategist.
After calmly reading the letter, Wi Cheon-gyeong spoke carefully.
“So, because of a tuberculosis outbreak… the government officials burned down an entire village.”
Having grasped the situation, he nodded.
“Of course, it's not entirely unheard of to burn bodies when people die in droves from a plague…”
Tuberculosis is treated as a plague.
However, the first step is to quarantine those infected.
They don't immediately burn down a place just because someone died from it.
“The government, filled with incompetent fools, would never handle something so swiftly and efficiently.”
Wi Cheon-gyeong shook his head.
“If the letter is true, it seems some other faction has colluded with the government.”
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
“My thoughts exactly.”
In fact, using a vicious poison to fake a plague in an area was not a new tactic.
The strange part, however, was that this faction had specifically mobilized the ‘government’.
After all, no sect, whether Orthodox or Unorthodox, could command the government to burn down a village.
‘Does that mean the government itself orchestrated this?’
It wasn't an entirely baseless deduction.
From the perspective of martial artists, government officials—with their talk of Seung-cheon-ji-deok…
…inheriting virtue from heaven—were nothing but leeches obsessed with sucking the people dry.
Furthermore, it wasn't unheard of for the imperial court to create secret organizations to control the Murim.
Such attempts had happened quite frequently throughout history, had they not?
“I understand. You may leave.”
Wi Cheon-gyeong bowed his head and left.
A few days later.
Sudden news spread throughout the Demonic Cult.
Sin Do-un-hwi of the Myeol-in-gung, who was in the middle of his mission as a successor candidate, had withdrawn from the race.
—I will forfeit my position as a successor candidate.
Bu Eun-seol and Do Cheon-rin had completed their missions long ago.
Furthermore, Wi Ji-hye-sang, a strong candidate, had withdrawn, and Yong Jeok-bi had been killed by Seok U-haeng.
In this situation, even if he brilliantly rebuilt the neglected sects, Sin Do-un-hwi's chances of becoming the successor were nonexistent.
—In the end, the Ma-cheon-je will have to step in.
Traditionally, the successor of the Demonic Cult had to have the support of more than half of the Ten Demonic Sects, as well as possess supreme martial prowess and qualifications.
However, the one with the majority's support was Do Cheon-rin.
The one with overwhelming martial prowess was Bu Eun-seol.
Because of this, the Demonic Cult still hadn't chosen a successor, and the selection process was dragging on longer than expected…
In the end, the only one who could resolve all this was the Ma-cheon-je.
—I shall issue a mission to decide the successor of this Cult.
The Ma-cheon-je finally gave the order.
—Under the command of the Hyeol-mu-dan, you are to annihilate the Heuk-ryeon. Between the two of you, the one who achieves the greater merit will be named successor.
When the order was delivered, the reaction within the Demonic Cult was one of some bewilderment.
—The Heuk-ryeon? So suddenly?
The Heuk-ryeon was originally an alliance of small bandit groups based in a small region of Qinghai.
But over the past decade, it had grown rapidly, absorbing bandits and pirates from all over Qinghai.
They even taught martial arts to their lowest-ranking grunts and established connections with intelligence organizations.
The once-disorganized bands of thieves had gradually begun to take the shape of a proper sect.
And now, they had become a respectable power that held considerable sway in the Qinghai region.
There was only one thing that puzzled the members of the Demonic Cult.
No matter how large the Heuk-ryeon had become, its influence as a Murim sect was negligible.
Of course, given their growth rate, it was only a matter of time before they became a force to be reckoned with in the Murim.
But to decide the succession through a battle that required dispatching a large-scale force?
From that day on.
A secret rumor began to circulate among the high-ranking members of the Demonic Cult.
—They say it's a scheme by the Hyeol-yeom-do-ga.
The rumor was that Do Cheon-rin, unable to match Bu Eun-seol's martial prowess, had conspired with the leaders of the Ten Demonic Sects who supported him to devise this plan.
As if to prove the rumor, the Ma-cheon-je had only issued the order to dispatch the troops,
and afterward, he never held a meeting about it, nor did he even mention it again.
—This will be a difficult fight.
The Hyeol-mu-dan was a small corps within the Demonic Cult, with a force of three thousand. The Heuk-ryeon's forces numbered a staggering thirty thousand.
However, although they had been taught martial arts, the skills of the low-level grunts barely surpassed the third-rate level.
In other words, the true combat strength of the Hyeol-mu-dan, composed of formally trained warriors, was actually comparable to that of the Heuk-ryeon.
—The mission will commence as soon as the Commander of the Hyeol-mu-dan returns.
The Hyeol-mu-dan Commander, Jwa Dae-baek, was currently returning from outside the pass, and his estimated arrival was about a month later.
Meaning, in about a month, Bu Eun-seol and Do Cheon-rin.
The two successor candidates would annihilate the Heuk-ryeon alongside the Hyeol-mu-dan and, in doing so, decide the succession.
* * *
*Step, step.*
Under the hot sun, a middle-aged man was walking toward the entrance of the Demonic Cult.
He had a sturdy build and a kind smile on his lips.
The sword at his waist seemed to be an extraordinary treasure, emitting a five-colored light.
“How may I help you?”
In response to the question from Mo Gwang, the gate guard, the middle-aged man revealed his white teeth in a smile.
“I've come to see Young Master Bu, the Sip-ma-jeon-in of the Nang-ya-gak.”
“The Sip-ma-jeon-in of the Nang-ya-gak…”
Mo Gwang blinked, then let out a sound of realization.
“Are you referring to Lord Bu Eun-seol, the Lord of the Sa-yeong-dae?”
“That's right.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
“I do not.”
At that, Jang Sam, who was standing next to Mo Gwang, gave him a look.
A Lord of the Demonic Cult was not someone you could see just by asking.
Furthermore, Lord Bu Eun-seol was a successor candidate and a high-ranking official with the status of a First-Class Lord.
Even if a general-level figure from the Ten Demonic Sects came to visit, they couldn't just be let in.
“Don't worry.”
Seeing the look the two exchanged, the middle-aged man slowly picked up the brush on the table.
“You only need to deliver my entry in the guestbook.”
*Swish, swish.*
And without hesitation, the middle-aged man wrote his name in the guestbook.
—Cheon-geom-hoe, Yu Hwa-ryeong.