Chapter 281
Chapter 281
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 281
Chapter Title: First Impressions
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The Geuk-sok-mu-yeong he had mastered was the movement art of Go Wol, a master thief. It was an unparalleled technique for silent infiltration and concealing one’s presence.
However, after leaving Neung Jo-un’s quarters, Bu Eun-seol did not use the technique. Instead, he walked with a confident stride.
‘I must act as if I’m naturally looking around the interior.’
The very reason Bu Eun-seol had used Jong Jeong-yak to enter the Murim Alliance was to obtain an identity that would allow him to move about openly like this.
The Murim Alliance was, after all, the Murim Alliance.
It was a coalition of the Orthodox Factions, a gathering place for countless talented individuals and masters of fearsome martial arts.
What if Bu Eun-seol had relied solely on his martial arts and movement techniques to roam about recklessly?
He could be instantly discovered or attacked by masters more skilled than himself.
‘I don’t have much time left.’
Furthermore, the time Bu Eun-seol could stay in the Murim Alliance was extremely limited.
Within that time, he had to meticulously search the Alliance’s grounds and confirm if there was any connection to Sa-hyang.
*Thump, thump.*
As if on a leisurely stroll, Bu Eun-seol glanced at the pavilions and buildings around him, sometimes walking right up to their fronts.
Occasionally, when he tried to enter deeper areas, guards would stop him.
But as he didn't try to get too close to the buildings and simply wandered slowly, they soon lost interest.
The Murim Alliance was even larger than the Demon Sanctum. A month would not be enough to thoroughly investigate its interior.
Moreover, places where martial arts manuals were stored or where the leaders resided were off-limits to even approach.
Thus, Bu Eun-seol was wandering as if on a walk, selecting places he could enter and investigate later without being discovered.
And whenever he found a suspicious location, he would use his Gong-sim-tong-ryeong to check for any mechanisms.
‘I shouldn’t rely on the information I already have.’
In truth, he had asked Gu-sal-dae’s leader, So Ja-myeong, for a detailed map of the Murim Alliance’s internal structure, which he had committed to memory.
But that was merely to avoid places where the Alliance Leader and other high-ranking members might be.
He was not relying on it, instead trusting his own instincts to investigate the interior.
‘An abandoned warehouse?’
As his eyes swept quickly over the buildings, Bu Eun-seol gazed at a large structure in the distance.
It was a warehouse for storing broken weapons and damaged supplies.
A place where not only the warriors of the Murim Alliance but also ordinary laborers could enter without restriction. It was not suitable for hiding anything.
But Bu Eun-seol’s perspective was different.
—The basics of a search start with investigating the place no one would suspect.
Neung Jo-un had said that before.
And he was right. To avoid wasting time, a search should begin in the most unlikely of places.
Approaching the warehouse, Bu Eun-seol used his Gong-sim-tong-ryeong to meticulously scan the building’s exterior.
‘There’s something here.’
When he heightened his hearing, he could faintly discern the subtle mechanical sounds of springs and chains moving.
Bu Eun-seol cautiously entered and thoroughly inspected the interior.
‘Something’s strange.’
The inside was quite spacious, with separate rooms for storing supplies by category.
Despite the structure allowing for ample space, the layout was a mess, resulting in a lot of wasted areas.
‘A structure like this often has many hidden spaces.’
Taking a deep breath, Bu Eun-seol focused his mind.
He was about to use his Gong-sim-tong-ryeong once more to find the hidden mechanism.
‘There it is.’
Bu Eun-seol opened the door of a stone chamber located at the far end of the warehouse.
The room was empty, its floor paved with bluestone slabs.
‘It was the floor.’
To the naked eye, there was no difference, but to Bu Eun-seol, who had activated his Gong-ryeong-sim-tong, a few of the bluestone slabs appeared to be a completely different color.
‘I’m supposed to step on them in order.’
Finding the traces of footprints, Bu Eun-seol stepped on the bluestone slabs in sequence.
*Grindddd.*
A section of the stone chamber wall then receded, creating a small passage.
Just as he was about to enter,
“……!”
His Gong-pa-sim-an sounded an alarm.
Bu Eun-seol immediately stepped on the bluestone slabs in reverse order. The wall reappeared, and the passage closed.
*Flick.*
He then stepped outside and hid his body behind a pillar facing the stone chamber.
*Click.*
Simultaneously, with the sound of a door opening, someone approached the stone chamber where Bu Eun-seol had been.
*Thump, thump.*
The person was dressed entirely in white robes and wore a white mask over their face.
Their features were hidden, but the aura emanating from their entire body was chillingly sharp, as if made of ice.
Just as the masked person was about to enter the stone chamber with the secret passage,
“Strange.”
They tilted their head, then abruptly fired a series of finger winds toward the pillar where Bu Eun-seol was hiding.
*Fwish! Fwish! Fwish!*
A total of eighty-one finger winds shot out in succession.
The winds, swirling through the air like a storm, instantly curved and began to pass through the space where Bu Eun-seol was concealed.
“……Was I mistaken?”
The masked person stared into the darkness and tilted their head.
Then, they entered the stone chamber and began to step on the bluestone slabs in sequence.
A low rumbling sound was heard as the arrangement of the bluestone slabs on the floor began to change.
“Getting worked up over nothing.”
Muttering in annoyance, they left the warehouse.
“Hoo.”
Once the masked person was gone, Bu Eun-seol re-emerged from the darkness.
*Vmmmm.*
A large formation of black qi, big enough to cover his entire body, had materialized in the air before him.
He had deployed the Yeo-ui-jin-gyeol to silently block the masked person’s powerful finger winds.
‘If I didn’t have the Yeo-ui-jin-gyeol, I would have been discovered instantly.’
The finger wind technique displayed by the masked person was truly unparalleled in the martial world.
Furthermore, the skill of firing eighty-one finger winds in a single breath was unique to only one person in the Murim.
‘The Eun-ha-cheon-ryong-ji. So he was the Vice-Master of the Law Enforcement Hall.’
The one who used a technique that fired eighty-one finger winds in a single strike was none other than the master of finger techniques known as the Sip-ji-mu-ssang,
and the Vice-Master of the Murim Alliance’s Law Enforcement Hall, Danri Muk.
‘Is he also connected to Sa-hyang? Or perhaps…’
Bu Eun-seol’s heart pounded.
What if Danri Muk was connected to Sa-hyang? What if what he had hidden here were Sa-hyang’s hidden weapons?
If so, Bu Eun-seol had just found a person who could lead him straight to Sa-hyang.
‘I should return for now.’
Martial artists with deep internal energy only sleep soundly for an hour or so at most.
If he kept Neung Jo-un asleep for too long by pressing his acupoints, he would immediately notice something was wrong.
*Ssssss.*
Returning to Neung Jo-un’s quarters, Bu Eun-seol deployed his Yeo-ui-jin-gyeol and lightly released the pressure on the acupoints.
“Umm.”
Neung Jo-un’s eyes fluttered open, and he sat up, looking around.
“Did I doze off for a moment?”
He rose carefully and peered into the room through a crack in the door.
He saw the form of Bu Eun-seol sleeping peacefully. Looking at the moon outside the window, it seemed he had been out for about an hour.
‘I don’t really need to be this wary of him.’
With a bitter smile, he shook his head.
‘Or am I becoming like the Law Enforcement Junior Master?’
Bu Eun-seol was a special-grade wanderer from Jeok-cheon-mak-ji.
He was a wanderer vouched for by Su-gyeong-jeon’s master, Dam Yu-yeon, and it was Jong Jeong-yak herself who had pleaded for him to join the Murim Alliance.
To plan all of this in advance and infiltrate would be an incredibly difficult feat.
Besides, someone with ill intentions would not go through such a route to enter the Murim Alliance.
‘I suppose I must be cautious, given the gravity of the situation.’
Shaking his head, Neung Jo-un settled back into his chair.
The next day.
Jong Jeong-yak came to the quarters where Neung Jo-un was staying early in the morning.
“Did you rest well?”
Though she wore no makeup, the clean martial arts uniform alone made her features seem all the more beautiful.
“Law Enforcement Junior Master.”
Neung Jo-un, who was sitting at a table drinking tea, cupped his hands in greeting.
“How did things go?”
A confident smile graced Jong Jeong-yak’s lips.
“The Yuanju said he will soon persuade the Hall Masters and convene the Council of Ten.”
“Ah, that’s a relief.”
Neung Jo-un let out a sigh of relief.
Just the rumor of the Council of Ten being convened would prevent Danri Muk from easily pressuring Jong Jeong-yak.
And if Bu Eun-seol’s testimony was accepted at the council, the Inspection Hall would begin an investigation into Danri Muk.
“And Master Seol?”
“He is still resting in his room.”
Jong Jeong-yak knocked lightly on the door.
“Master Seol. Are you awake?”
Bu Eun-seol, who had been sitting on his bed cultivating his energy, slowly opened his eyes and spoke.
“Come in.”
“I have good news. The Council of Ten is…”
“I heard from outside.”
“I see.”
Her face visibly lighter, she spoke to Bu Eun-seol.
“Then let’s go get something to eat.”
The Murim Alliance, much like the Demon Sanctum, had several dining halls befitting its scale.
The only difference was that in the Demon Sanctum, one ate at a designated place according to rank.
In contrast, in the Murim Alliance, anyone could eat comfortably at any dining hall, as long as there was a seat. This was because the same food was served regardless of status or rank.
‘This, at least, I like.’
Bu Eun-seol smiled inwardly.
The Demon Sanctum, where loyalty was secured through the logic of power and authority, was strict about differentiating the food distributed according to rank.
But the Murim Alliance was created under the pretext of upholding justice in the martial world.
They had to present a superficially humble appearance, especially those of high status and rank, which was why they employed such a policy.
“Please sit here.”
Jong Jeong-yak guided Bu Eun-seol to an empty table.
On it was a large plate piled high with rice and side dishes of tofu and greens.
On one side, there was also a large pot filled with a rich broth, though it contained little meat.
*Shovel, shovel, munch, munch.*
Perhaps from his exertions in the martial world, Neung Jo-un was eating voraciously.
Bu Eun-seol, however, had only taken a bowl of broth and was sipping it slowly.
‘Strange.’
As Bu Eun-seol ate quietly, a flash of light glinted in his eyes.
An unidentifiable, sticky gaze seemed to be fixed on the back of his head.
‘Is it a master I cannot detect?’
A chill ran down his spine.
To be unable to find the source of the gaze even when pushing his Ya-su-do to its limits?
‘Does this mean someone from the upper echelons is watching me?’
Just as Bu Eun-seol, sensing something, gave a faint nod,
“Well, well, look who it is.”
A group of five men in blue martial arts uniforms approached Neung Jo-un, pointing at him.
They were warriors from the Law Enforcement Hall, under Danri Muk.
“If it isn’t the high-and-mighty Law Enforcement Junior Master and her adjutant.”
The Law Enforcement Hall wielded immense power, so most of its members were disciples of the Nine Factions and One Sect or descendants of the Eight Great Families.
For a group of upstarts to suddenly become Law Enforcement Junior Masters and wield the same authority as them was an unbearable slight.
Jong Jeong-yak and Neung Jo-un, in particular, had no backing or faction, so they were especially ostracized.
Furthermore, as rumors spread that Jong Jeong-yak was getting close to the Hwa-mil-wonju and investigating the Law Enforcement Hall…
The warriors of the Law Enforcement Hall had begun to openly ignore and exclude Jong Jeong-yak and Neung Jo-un.
“Go on your way.”
Neung Jo-un spoke with annoyance, his mouth full of rice.
“They say even dogs aren’t bothered when they’re eating.”
The leader of the group of five, a man named Baek Yeong-do, smirked at Neung Jo-un.
“I don’t know. I can’t quite tell if you’re a puppy or a person.”
He then pointed to Bu Eun-seol, who was sitting opposite him.
“Is that the rumored wanderer?”
“Why? Are you planning to do something about it here?”
Neung Jo-un retorted coldly.
“Afraid your wrongdoings will be exposed when the investigation starts?”
“Nonsense!”
For a moment, Baek Yeong-do’s fist clenched tightly, but he quickly relaxed it.
This was the Murim Alliance. No matter how much he disliked them, he couldn't cause a scene here.
“Don’t mind them.”
Jong Jeong-yak, who had been silent until now, waved her hand dismissively at Neung Jo-un.
“They might all be fired soon anyway.”
“What did you say?”
Enraged, Baek Yeong-do shouted and started to approach her, when,
“That was a good meal.”
Bu Eun-seol abruptly stood up from his seat, blocking Baek Yeong-do’s path.
“Wh-what is it?”
“Excuse me.”
Bu Eun-seol held out his empty dishes toward the man’s chest.
Baek Yeong-do had no choice but to step aside.
“Let’s go together.”
As Neung Jo-un started to get up, Bu Eun-seol gestured with his hand.
“It’s fine. Take your time and eat.”
Then he walked away with his dishes.
Baek Yeong-do glared at Bu Eun-seol’s back and exchanged a look with his group.
With sinister smiles, they headed for the exit while Bu Eun-seol was putting his dishes away.
—Let’s see if they can still smile when that bastard is sprawled on the ground.
*Thump, thump.*
Just as Bu Eun-seol, having returned his dishes, walked over, Baek Yeong-do and another Law Enforcement Hall warrior, Eun Jung-hwi, roused their internal energy.
The two were masters of Geum-jong-jo, an external martial art that made their bodies as hard as steel.
No matter how skilled a master was, they couldn’t emerge unscathed from a physical collision.
‘Here they come.’
As Bu Eun-seol stepped out the door, Baek Yeong-do and Eun Jung-hwi braced their energy.
Then, channeling their resentment towards Jong Jeong-yak and Neung Jo-un, they slammed their shoulders into him.
Their intention was to make Bu Eun-seol look pathetic, thereby humiliating Jong Jeong-yak and Neung Jo-un.
“Master Seol!”
Jong Jeong-yak, realizing their plan a moment too late, shouted, but it was already over.
*Thud.*
A low thud echoed as shoulder met shoulder.
Simultaneously, with a clatter, two men fell spectacularly to the ground.
However, the ones who fell were not Bu Eun-seol, but Baek Yeong-do and Eun Jung-hwi, who had intentionally initiated the collision.
“Ughhh.”
Lying on the ground, the two grimaced in pain, tears welling in their eyes.
The impact had been so strong that both of their shoulders were dislocated.
‘Did Master Seol also learn external martial arts?’
Jong Jeong-yak and Neung Jo-un, who had rushed over, exchanged bewildered glances.
To collide with two masters of external arts who had fully roused their energy and end up dislocating their shoulders instead?
“Are you two alright?”
As their companions came over to help them up,
“Argh!”
The two let out another loud groan.
When their companions tried to help them, the meridians near their dislocated shoulders flared with a pain so sharp it felt like they were being torn.
“A-are you okay?”
“Ughhh.”
Despite their friends’ concern, the two could only let out whimpering groans of pain.
The onlookers watched with a mixture of surprise and bewilderment.
Baek Yeong-do and Eun Jung-hwi, known as outstanding young warriors of the Law Enforcement Hall, were crying without a shred of dignity, unable to bear the pain?
“This isn’t helping. Let’s get them to the Ui-seon-dong first.”
Their companions managed to help the two whimpering men up and left the dining hall.
*Thump, thump.*
Then, with the sound of soft footsteps, a stocky, round-faced middle-aged man approached Bu Eun-seol.
His chest and back muscles were so large and brawny that from the side, he resembled a large roly-poly doll.
‘A master.’
A flash of lightning crossed Bu Eun-seol’s eyes.
The middle-aged man’s martial prowess was like that of a great mountain, and an energy capable of tearing heaven and earth flowed from his hands.
“Your hands are very fast.”
The middle-aged man looked at Bu Eun-seol and asked in a low voice.
“What is your relationship with the Chil-hyeon-mun?”
“What do you mean?”
“Hahaha. Was that qi technique you just used not the Yeol-su-do-seon of the Chil-hyeon-mun?”
Bu Eun-seol feigned a look of surprise.
“How did you know that?”
The Chil-hyeon-mun.
It was once an orthodox sect that held sway in the Yanggwang martial world.
But due to internal strife, the sect’s core masters all died at once.
With all the masters who could pass down the essence of their martial arts gone, the Chil-hyeon-mun gradually fell into decline and was now a forgotten, ruined sect.
And Bu Eun-seol had acquired the martial arts of the Chil-hyeon-mun from the Martial Emperor’s Archives.
“Hahaha. So you were a disciple of the Chil-hyeon-mun. No wonder your martial arts are so strong.”
The middle-aged man nodded as if he finally understood.
In the past, the masters of the Chil-hyeon-mun had been quite powerful.
He was mistaken, thinking that the long-vanished Chil-hyeon-mun had finally restored its secret arts and produced a disciple like Bu Eun-seol.
“Since you seem to be from a clear orthodox lineage, I will let this matter pass for today.”
“……”
“However, if you ever use your martial arts recklessly within this Alliance again… it will be your two shoulder bones that are shattered.”
As his last words fell, a powerful aura emanated from the middle-aged man’s entire body, pressing down on Bu Eun-seol.
‘Formless energy.’
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol’s pupils flashed red.