Chapter 308
Chapter 308
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 308
Chapter Title: A Fleeting Peace
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Bu Eun-seol asked, a look of confusion on his face.
“Why?”
“Why, you ask?”
A perfectly peaceful smile graced Yeong Mun-ho’s lips.
“Isn’t tasting death once enough? Even if I were to recover my internal energy, it wouldn’t be of much use compared to the others.”
“Yeong Mun-ho.”
“Don’t look at me like that. I’m satisfied with my life now.”
He smiled brightly and pointed at the thatched hut.
“There are many good medicinal herbs around this Seven Swords Ridge. If I gather and sell them, I can make enough money for a drink at the tavern now and then.”
As he spoke, a faint, twilight-like glow filled his eyes.
“Then, when I’m older, I’ll meet a simple woman and start a family. We might not have much, but we’ll have children and live each day… happily.”
A smile touched Bu Eun-seol’s lips as he heard those words.
In truth, he too had dreamed of such a life since he was young.
Even without money, even if life was a little lacking, if only he could live happily with his grandfather again…
He would have no regrets, even if it meant abandoning his current status, martial arts, and power.
“A good plan.”
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
Yeong Mun-ho had already found happiness.
To drag him back into the blood-soaked world of martial arts, back to the Demonic Sect, would be to ruin his life.
“Then I will be going.”
Bu Eun-seol turned without any lingering attachment, wishing him well.
“Live well. Be happy.”
“Wait.”
Just as he was about to turn away, Yeong Mun-ho wiped his nose and said.
“Still, since we’ve met after so long, how about we have a drink before you go?”
“A drink?”
“I’ve brewed some Hundred-Herb Wine with the herbs that grow around Seven Swords Ridge. It tastes quite good.”
A faint smile appeared on Bu Eun-seol’s lips.
He preferred wine over tea. And if he were to share a drink with Yeong Mun-ho, the Sip-ma-jeon-in he had searched so long for, the wine would be all the more fragrant.
“I will.”
“Then, wait just a moment. I’ll go buy some food to go with it.”
“Just the wine will be fine.”
“Still, how can I serve only wine to a guest who’s come all this way? Just wait a bit.”
As he started limping toward the wicker gate, Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
“Then I’ll catch a bird. It’ll make a good side dish when grilled over charcoal.”
Yeong Mun-ho waved his hands and jumped back.
“I’m gathering herbs in these deep mountains because I hate killing, what are you talking about? If I wanted to catch birds, I would have become a hunter.”
“You don’t eat meat just because you’ve left the martial world?”
“That’s not it. I just don’t like harming animals with my own hands.”
“I’ll be the one to catch it.”
“It’s the same thing. If you hunt an animal, you’ll reek of blood too.”
It seemed that not only had he completely left the martial world, but he had also come to despise the stench of blood, much like a Buddhist monk.
“The smell of blood is particularly noticeable when you drink Hundred-Herb Wine… That’s why.”
As Yeong Mun-ho averted his gaze in embarrassment, Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly.
“Then I’ll go to the village. I’ll be faster, anyway.”
Yeong Mun-ho let out a chuckle.
“Alright. Go on.”
Bu Eun-seol descended to the village in an instant and bought various delicious side dishes.
Worried they might run out of wine, he also got a jug of forty-year-old Yellow Wine.
‘Will I ever be able to live like that?’
A smile formed on Bu Eun-seol’s lips as he recalled Yeong Mun-ho’s peaceful face.
Yeong Mun-ho, who had joined the Sip-ma-jeon-in project with the ambition of reigning at the pinnacle of the demonic path.
He finally broke through the brutal trials to become one of the Sip-ma-jeon-in, but that was only the beginning.
It was a situation where if he didn’t kill one of the powerful Great Righteous Masters ranked above him, he himself would be killed.
Perhaps it was from that point on that he began to feel disillusioned with this heartless martial world.
And instead of using all his strength to kill a Great Righteous Master, he must have prepared a plan to leave it all behind.
He finally left the martial world quietly, but lost most of the internal energy he possessed.
Yet, his expression was more at ease and happier than when he had wielded immense power.
—Seol. This is your grandfather’s last request.
At that time, his grandfather, Bu Jan-yang, dying in a wretched state, had used his last ounce of strength to say to Bu Eun-seol.
—When I die, go far away.
It was not for Bu Eun-seol to seek revenge,
but Bu Jan-yang’s final wish for him to live an ordinary life.
But paradoxically, Bu Eun-seol chose a path completely opposite to that wish.
He unhesitatingly chose a path stained with blood for the sake of revenge and is striving to become a martial artist who will not lose to anyone.
And not a single day went by when he wasn't doing his utmost to find the fiend who killed his grandfather.
‘It’s not the life my grandfather wanted.’
Bu Eun-seol would rather take his own life than live under the same sky as that fiend.
But seeing Yeong Mun-ho’s peaceful appearance, he suddenly wondered if this was the right path to take.
Along with his grandfather’s last plea.
‘Useless sentimentality.’
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
He had only been momentarily captivated by Yeong Mun-ho’s peacefulness.
After parting with him, he had to once again scour the martial world to find the fiend who killed his grandfather.
And he had to, without fail, catch the tail of the forces connected to him.
*Swoosh.*
Unleashing his movement arts in a single breath, Bu Eun-seol once again ascended Seven Swords Ridge, where Yeong Mun-ho’s hut stood.
*Clang.*
The moment he arrived at the hut, Bu Eun-seol dropped the jug of wine and the food he was carrying.
An unbelievable sight was unfolding before his eyes.
“Ugh.”
Blood dripped from Yeong Mun-ho’s lips as he clutched the greatsword embedded in his chest with both hands.
And in front of him, a large man was impassively pushing the greatsword deeper into his chest.
It was the same man who had destroyed the Black Wind Fortress in an instant.
“Oh? It’s you…”
Just as the man smiled in recognition upon seeing Bu Eun-seol,
*Chaang!*
A crimson spark flashed above the man’s head.
Bu Eun-seol’s Muk-geom, striking like lightning, had clashed with the man’s greatsword in mid-air, creating millions of sparks.
It was astonishing.
The man had shown no sign of attack, yet he had blocked Bu Eun-seol’s Thunderclap Strike in a single motion.
“A pity. So you were of the demonic path after all?”
*Chiiik.*
Not only had this simple-looking man blocked Bu Eun-seol’s surprise attack,
but he was also lightly pushing back the Muk-geom, which was imbued with fifty percent of his internal energy.
That single exchange showed that his swordsmanship and internal energy were in no way inferior to Bu Eun-seol’s.
“You were hiding your immense killing intent and fury beneath a clear aura.”
As the man muttered softly, as if peering into Bu Eun-seol’s soul,
*Woooong!*
Hundreds of strands of black true energy soared into the sky from Bu Eun-seol’s body.
Vicious fury and killing intent.
As those emotions took hold of his mind, the As-You-Will True Art was naturally unleashed.
“Die.”
Just as the sharp true energy was about to envelop the man’s body,
*Thud.*
A dull sound came from behind Bu Eun-seol.
Yeong Mun-ho, having lost too much blood, had collapsed.
*Gush.*
A large amount of blood was pouring out from his body, his Danzhong acupoint pierced.
“Where are you looking?”
*Swish!*
In that interval, the man’s greatsword curved strangely and swept toward Bu Eun-seol’s neck.
*Chiiing!*
But the greatsword stopped in mid-air, as if entangled in black threads.
The As-You-Will True Art had instantly reflected his will, changing the form of his true energy.
“Incredible. To materialize internal energy like this.”
The true energy Bu Eun-seol had unleashed was not only as hard as diamond but also moved as naturally as a living creature.
“To freely change the form of materialized true energy like this, and to maintain a solid shape… it would require an unimaginable amount of internal energy.”
The man, who had exclaimed in admiration at Bu Eun-seol, nodded.
“It seems I’ll have to stop you from using your internal energy first.”
*Swaaek!*
The man swung his greatsword, severing the strands of true energy created by the As-You-Will True Art, and aimed for Bu Eun-seol’s neck once more.
*Paang!*
At that moment, a red aura erupted from Bu Eun-seol’s entire body, and then,
*Kwaaaah!*
A formidable fist energy surged from his left fist like Mount Tai.
He had unleashed the Thousand Hands Void Shatter, the ultimate destructive technique of the Seven Forms of the Demonic Fist, capable of shattering a pavilion in a single blow.
“Ugh.”
The man, seemingly not expecting Bu Eun-seol to unleash such tremendous fist energy at such close range, hastily defended with his greatsword.
*Kuuung!*
Struck by the Thousand Hands Void Shatter, the man was sent flying back more than twenty yards.
Bu Eun-seol had no time to watch him.
“Yeong Mun-ho.”
Bu Eun-seol quickly rushed to the fallen Yeong Mun-ho and pressed the acupoints on his chest.
Then, holding him, he leaped into the air.
*Swaaek!*
Becoming a streak of light, Bu Eun-seol passed the village in an instant and headed for Seongdo.
He arrived at a manor that served as a secret base for the Ninth Assassination Squad.
All members of the Ninth Assassination Squad undertake missions that hover on the brink of death.
Therefore, a skilled physician was always on standby near the secret base, and a considerable stock of potent elixirs was kept on hand.
*Boom!*
Upon arriving at the manor, Bu Eun-seol threw a thunderous punch, blasting the main gate open.
As the earth-shaking explosion erupted, the squad members and the branch chief inside the secret base rushed out in surprise.
“Y-You are…”
The members of the Ninth Assassination Squad were elite operatives who carried out the most covert and secretive missions.
Moreover, by the order of their new squad leader, they had secretly shifted their allegiance from the Chong-gyo-ryeong to Bu Eun-seol.
Thus, they were all familiar with the appearance of their leader, Bu Eun-seol.
“Squad Leader, what brings you here…”
“A physician…”
As the branch chief approached with his hands clasped, Bu Eun-seol shouted urgently.
“Quickly!”
The Henan branch of the Ninth Assassination Squad was in an uproar due to Bu Eun-seol’s sudden arrival.
The branch’s secret elixir storage was thrown wide open, and Henan’s greatest physician, a man who wouldn’t treat a patient even for a thousand gold pieces without repeated begging, was dragged out barefoot to treat the patient.
Yu Cheong-sim.
Yu Cheong-sim’s skills were indeed legendary, and the branch was equipped with the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Fluid, an elixir said to bring the dead back to life.
However, Yeong Mun-ho’s chest had been pierced by a greatsword, causing massive blood loss, and his heart meridians had been shattered by a powerful internal force.
Even if a Great Divine Immortal had come, and not Yu Cheong-sim, there would have been no way to save him.
“S-Sir…”
Yu Cheong-sim looked at the gasping Yeong Mun-ho, his face pale, then bowed his head to Bu Eun-seol.
“I have done everything in my power to treat him, but his injuries are too severe…”
Yu Cheong-sim trembled, not daring to lift his face.
Bu Eun-seol’s eyes were completely bloodshot, and a haze of black true energy shimmered around his entire body.
Having treated countless martial artists, he could roughly guess what kind of martial prowess Bu Eun-seol possessed.
And that his identity and status were unimaginably high.
“I t-truly did my best.”
Just then, Yeong Mun-ho, lying on the bed, faintly opened his eyes.
“Bu Eun-seol.”
“Yeong Mun-ho.”
Bu Eun-seol’s gaze instantly returned to normal as he quickly supported Yeong Mun-ho’s body.
He placed his hand on his Myeongmun acupoint and infused him with Reverse-Polarity True Energy.
All he could do now was to prolong his life, even if just for a little while, by injecting him with pure Reverse-Polarity True Energy.
“It’s no use. Don’t waste your energy.”
Yeong Mun-ho tried to push his arm away, but Bu Eun-seol didn’t budge and continued to infuse his energy.
Bu Eun-seol’s eyes, as he ceaselessly injected his energy, were, as always, frozen and cold.
But in Yeong Mun-ho’s eyes, he looked like a child holding back tears.
“Everyone knew. That you look ruthless, but you’re not really like that.”
A smile played on Yeong Mun-ho’s lips, as if he was recalling their time in the Hellish Map.
To the Sip-ma-jeon-in, the Hellish Map was a place they never wanted to remember again…
Yet, it was also a place that brought back some distant, faint memories.
*Gag.*
As Yeong Mun-ho coughed up blood, Bu Eun-seol’s gaze darkened further.
“It’s alright. I was fated to die long ago anyway.”
Forcibly swallowing the blood that rose in his throat, Yeong Mun-ho smiled brightly and said.
“In fact, I’ve lived well on borrowed time until now…”
He turned his body and raised a hand, slowly lowering Bu Eun-seol’s hand that was infusing energy.
Then he smiled, ever so gently and kindly.
“It’s true… isn’t it?”
The light in Yeong Mun-ho’s eyes, which were smiling as brightly as a child’s, was gradually fading.
Without the infusion of Reverse-Polarity True Energy, his life force was slowly extinguishing.
“Don’t blame yourself.”
Yeong Mun-ho knew.
He knew that Bu Eun-seol would blame himself greatly for his death. If he hadn’t come looking for him…
He would regret for the rest of his life, wondering if he might have lived.
“That’s just the life of a martial artist who lives by the sword. The present, and the future… all stained with sorrow and misfortune.”
—Why do martial artists deny their past?
—Because the past of martial artists who live by the sword is stained with sorrow and misfortune.
Only then did Bu Eun-seol understand the meaning of the words his grandfather, Bu Jan-yang, had once told him.
The lives of those in the martial world—past, present, and future—are lived with the blood of countless others on their hands.
And such a life is inevitably shrouded in sorrow and misfortune.
Bu Eun-seol too had lived such a life, and would continue to do so.
Because the blood of countless people stained his hands.
Because that is the life of a martial artist.
Yeong Mun-ho, taking a ragged breath, gave Bu Eun-seol a bright smile.
“Thank you… for finding me. Bu Eun-seol.”
The smile on Yeong Mun-ho’s lips slowly froze after he uttered his final words.
*Thud.*
At the same time, his hand, which had been holding Bu Eun-seol’s, fell limply to the ground.
Yeong Mun-ho of the Sa-ryeong-mun, one of the Sip-ma-jeon-in.
He possessed outstanding talent, but his heart was too soft to be a martial artist.
He lost his martial arts and became an herb gatherer, finally finding peace… but in the end, his life was cut short by the attack of an unknown man.
“Yeong Mun-ho.”
Bu Eun-seol very carefully took Yeong Mun-ho’s hand that had fallen lifelessly.
And with a trembling hand, he closed his eyes.
“……”
Then, a faint smile once again bloomed on Yeong Mun-ho’s lips.
That smile was so peaceful and gentle, it seemed to light up the entire world.
But in Bu Eun-seol’s world, all light had vanished. His vision was merely submerged in a darkness blacker and deeper than despair.
*Rumble…*
The ground shook, and black true energy once again rose from his body.
It was absolutely unforgivable.
That man who had playfully pushed the greatsword in, murdering Yeong Mun-ho.
Even chewing on every last piece of his bones wouldn't be enough to quell his anger.
*Kwaang!*
With an explosive sound, Bu Eun-seol’s body shot up into the sky.
He became a streak of black light and disappeared into the western sky.
He was returning to Seven Swords Ridge to hunt down that man.