Chapter 328
Chapter 328
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 328
Chapter Title: Descendant of the Star Emperor
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For a moment, Bu Eun-seol’s eyes wavered significantly.
The ultimate techniques of the Martial Emperor, who had left the martial world to meet a lonely end, had been lost four hundred years ago. They were passed down only to Bu Eun-seol, who had found the Martial Emperor's secret repository.
Yet, until now, not a single person who had seen the Thirteenth Night Story had been able to discern that it was the Martial Emperor’s art.
How could she have grasped the origins of the Thirteenth Night Story in a single glance when even the Grand Commander, a master of countless martial arts, had failed to recognize it?
“Heh heh, so you were this arrogant because you’re the successor of the Martial Emperor, huh?”
So Ok-rim cracked her knuckles and smirked.
“But you should know that even among the arts of the Eight Emperors, their quality depends on the user.”
Bu Eun-seol’s gaze flickered.
“The same Eight Emperors?”
“What, you thought you were the only special one?”
Smirking, she pointed at her own face with her thumb and said.
“I am the descendant of the Star Emperor, So Mu-bin. The great So Ok-rim.”
*Thud.*
Bu Eun-seol felt as if someone had just struck him on the back of the head.
A descendant of one of the Eight Emperors and Three Sages from four hundred years ago had appeared in this era? And not just a successor who inherited his martial arts, but a direct blood relative.
—You will soon find out.
The Sword Master’s words flashed through Bu Eun-seol’s mind.
Could the peerless prodigies he spoke of be the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Sages from four hundred years ago?
“How do you know the Martial Emperor’s arts?”
A bloody glint appeared in Bu Eun-seol’s eyes.
The Martial Emperor had met a lonely death in his later years, and unable to find a disciple to pass his skills to, he had created his secret repository.
So how could a descendant of the Star Emperor recognize the Martial Emperor’s techniques?
“You didn’t know?”
So Ok-rim grinned and said.
“The Thirteenth Night Story. It also incorporates the techniques of Slicing the Silver River in Two.”
“Incorporates?”
“Well, let’s just say that in their youth, the two great masters of martial arts joined forces to create a new technique… something like that.”
So Ok-rim’s words were astonishing.
The Martial Emperor and the Star Emperor had exchanged their martial arts, and the Thirteenth Night Story was an exclusive technique born from that exchange?
‘It doesn’t make sense.’
If their friendship was deep enough to share their exclusive techniques, which were as precious as life itself, it must have been immeasurably strong.
Then why did the Star Emperor simply stand by and watch when the Martial Emperor was framed?
Could it be that he believed the false rumors of the Martial Emperor being a spy and turned his back on him until the end?
‘Even if I ask, I won’t get a truthful answer.’
Though various doubts arose in Bu Eun-seol’s mind, he didn’t bother to ask.
There was no guarantee So Ok-rim would give him a truthful answer even if he did.
And if he couldn’t uncover her true intentions right now, there was no need to let her know he was suspicious.
“That has nothing to do with me.”
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
“Do not follow us any further. We have important business to attend to.”
“Important business? What’s that?”
“I cannot say.”
“Then I’m coming with you.”
So Ok-rim said, glancing at Seo Jin-ha.
“I can’t just let my fated partner go, can I?”
Seeing Bu Eun-seol’s resolute expression, she quickly added.
“The Divine Calculator. Don’t you know him? The sage who is said to perceive the will of the heavens above and comprehend the principles of the earth below?”
Bu Eun-seol frowned.
He didn’t believe So Ok-rim’s nonsense.
She had wasted two years searching for the Divine Calculator, who hadn’t shown himself for a long time, and it was all just to find a fated partner?
Did a master of her caliber truly have nothing better to do?
“Ah, it was a two-for-one deal.”
So Ok-rim, having read Bu Eun-seol’s thoughts, said as she wiped the tip of her nose.
“I had other things to look into as well.”
“Are you serious?”
“Of course.”
She said with a very serious expression.
“I told you, it took me two whole years to find that old man. I’m serious.”
Bu Eun-seol fell silent for a moment.
Everyone in the martial world knew that the Divine Calculator was a sage who could fathom the will of the heavens.
Moreover, his prophecies had never once been wrong…
If So Ok-rim had truly found the Divine Calculator and heard such a prophecy…
Then even Bu Eun-seol couldn’t simply dismiss her words.
‘A fated partner.’
After a moment of deep thought, Bu Eun-seol spoke.
“Then all the more reason you shouldn’t follow us.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Because I need to treat that fated partner of yours.”
Seo Jin-ha blinked, looking at Bu Eun-seol.
Wouldn’t saying something like that just pique her curiosity or increase the chances of her following them to the death?
But Bu Eun-seol had another intention.
If the Sword Master was right, rivals on his level would soon appear throughout the martial world.
If so, he needed to determine whether they were his enemies and what their objectives were.
‘It wouldn’t be a bad idea to find out if she’s really a descendant of the Star Emperor.’
It was possible that So Ok-rim harbored malicious intentions.
Or that she was connected to the shadowy forces he had constantly clashed with.
‘It’s also strange that she prides herself on her high standing.’
Even if she were a descendant of the Star Emperor from four hundred years ago, So Mu-bin himself wouldn’t have risen from his grave to teach her.
Yet she emphasized her standing… which could only mean she had a separate master of incredibly high rank.
‘It’s also strange for her to reveal she has another master while claiming to be the Star Emperor’s descendant.’
As Bu Eun-seol was lost in thought,
“Treat?”
So Ok-rim tilted her head and asked.
“You came all this way to treat an illness?”
Bu Eun-seol answered honestly.
“Not an illness, her dantian is shattered. She has lost the majority of her internal energy because of it.”
“Dantian…”
So Ok-rim, who had been staring blankly, widened her eyes.
“Aha, so you’re trying to open her upper dantian to restore her energy. Because her original energy was immense, right?”
As So Ok-rim instantly grasped his thoughts, Bu Eun-seol’s eyes narrowed.
To be well-versed in the principles of martial arts meant having a brilliant mind.
Though she appeared simple and aggressive on the surface, it could be a deliberate act to hide her true nature.
“That is correct.”
When Bu Eun-seol readily admitted it, So Ok-rim asked.
“So. Where are you headed? Potala Palace?”
“Guangyang Temple.”
“You mean the temple on Sera Ütse Mountain? That won’t work. That place specializes in external martial arts.”
“I’m going because I need the Great Perfection Mirror. I have to borrow it.”
“The Great Perfection Mirror? How do you plan on borrowing a temple’s treasure?”
“I brought the Thousand-Hand, Thousand-Eye Guanyin Statue.”
The Thousand-Hand, Thousand-Eye Guanyin Statue was one of the treasures formerly owned by Guangyang Temple.
However, it was stolen hundreds of years ago and had disappeared, only to be stored in the Demonic Cult’s treasury.
Yu Un-ryong, having anticipated Bu Eun-seol’s intentions, had prepared the statue in a pouch beforehand.
“But where on earth is your destination that you need the Great Perfection Mirror?”
Bu Eun-seol said without hesitation.
“The Sea of Clouds, Azure Spirit Palace.”
“The Azure Spirit Palace? You’re going there?”
So Ok-rim said with a look of surprise.
“I heard no one knows its true location.”
“I’ve already investigated it.”
“Wow, really? Then that’s great.”
So Ok-rim beamed with a pleased expression.
“I’ve been wanting to check that place out, too.”
She spoke of going to the most mysterious sect in all of Tibet as if she were visiting a neighborhood market.
“I can come with, right?”
So Ok-rim winked and tried to act cute.
“I can be surprisingly helpful, you know? Huh?”
“There is a condition.”
Bu Eun-seol, as if he had already thought of it, said in a firm voice.
“You will cooperate in obtaining the Great Perfection Mirror.”
“Well, of course.”
She flexed her biceps and said.
“I’m confident when it comes to smashing things.”
At that, Seo Jin-ha sent a telepathic message, half worry and half sigh.
「What are you thinking? Why would you agree to travel with that crazy woman?」
「Her claim of being a descendant of one of the Eight Emperors and Three Sages from four hundred years ago weighs on my mind.」
Bu Eun-seol didn’t completely trust the Sword Master’s words.
Just because he had grown into an exceptional figure, powerful individuals of equal ability would appear in the same era?
He especially didn’t believe in things like the will of the heavens or fate.
If something happened, he believed there had to be an inevitable reason for its occurrence.
「So that’s what it was.」
Only then did Seo Jin-ha nod, seeming to understand Bu Eun-seol’s thoughts.
Even if everything So Ok-rim said was true, the timing was just too coincidental.
「I understand. We’ll find out the truth as we travel together.」
“Very well. I permit you to accompany us.”
“This is going to be fun!”
At Bu Eun-seol’s words, So Ok-rim smiled brightly and said.
“Then let’s go now!”
***
In the northwestern region of Lhasa, a massive, brilliantly golden structure could be seen atop the Red Hill.
Potala Palace.
The headquarters of Tibetan Buddhism, this massive temple complex covered an area of about thirty thousand *pyeong*.
Divided into the Red Palace and the White Palace, its interior was said to contain over a thousand rooms, ten thousand stupas, and two hundred thousand Buddha statues.
When Seo Jin-ha saw the Red Hill where Potala Palace stood, she wanted to ascend it at once.
But their destination was not Potala Palace, but Guangyang Temple, located about twenty *li* to the northeast.
Seo Jin-ha, who had wanted to visit Potala Palace, could only smack her lips and turn away.
When they finally reached Sera Ütse Mountain, a rugged mountain path came into view.
Guangyang Temple was built starting from the middle of the mountain and extending to the summit.
Though it couldn't compare to the thirty-thousand-*pyeong* Potala Palace, it seemed several times larger than any temple one might find in the Central Plains.
When they finally reached the entrance, they saw lama monks standing guard sternly.
As Bu Eun-seol's group approached, they respectfully clasped their hands together.
“For what purpose have you come to our temple?”
“We are here to see the abbot, Great Monk Dagil.”
When Bu Eun-seol spoke politely, the lama monk bowed his head, looking troubled.
“This temple forbids the entry of outsiders. Please turn back.”
Guangyang Temple was an esoteric Buddhist temple that strictly prohibited outsiders.
At the lama monk’s response, Bu Eun-seol nodded as if he already knew.
“Then, please inform Great Monk Dagil that someone has come with Guangyang Temple’s treasure, the Thousand-Hand, Thousand-Eye Guanyin Statue.”
“The Thousand-Hand, Thousand-Eye Guanyin Statue, you say?”
The greatly surprised lama monk clasped his hands together.
“Please wait a moment.”
He then hurried inside the temple.
A short while later, an old monk appeared, leading dozens of lama monks.
He was the abbot of Guangyang Temple, Dagil.
“Did you say you brought our temple’s treasure?”
“That is correct.”
Bu Eun-seol took out a Guanyin statue made of jade from his robes.
Carved from a single large piece of jade, the statue was so exquisitely crafted that its dozens of arms looked as if they might come to life and move.
“It truly is our temple’s treasure.”
Great Monk Dagil asked.
“What is it that you require of our temple?”
Like the deeply enlightened old monk he was, he had already guessed that Bu Eun-seol would not give them the treasure without conditions.
“I wish to borrow the Great Perfection Mirror for a short while.”
“Our temple’s Great Perfection Mirror?”
“Yes.”
“That is impossible.”
Dagil said with a serious expression.
“The Great Perfection Mirror is a sacred treasure of our temple that cannot be taken outside.”
“I will only borrow it for four days. I swear I will return it without any damage.”
Bu Eun-seol said with a sincere look.
“If you wish, you may have masters from Guangyang Temple accompany me for the four days.”
“Hmm.”
Dagil pondered for a moment before shaking his head.
“Even so, I cannot allow our temple’s treasure to be taken outside.”
“I see.”
Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands as if he had no other choice.
“Then we will be on our way.”
“Wait.”
Dagil said hastily.
“Do you mean to say you will simply leave with our temple’s treasure in your possession?”
“From the beginning, this is a treasure I obtained legitimately. I brought it as payment for borrowing the Great Perfection Mirror.”
Bu Eun-seol said calmly.
“But since I am not borrowing the mirror, I cannot simply give it to you, can I?”
“To reiterate, that is a treasure that was stolen from our temple long ago.”
Dagil said with a polite yet firm expression.
“Leave it here.”
“I cannot give it to you unless you lend me the Great Perfection Mirror.”
“Benefactor.”
“We will be leaving now.”
Dagil’s eyes widened.
No one would simply stand by and watch as someone showed them a treasure passed down for generations, only to walk away with it.
But he couldn’t use force either.
If he did, Bu Eun-seol might instantly shatter the Guanyin statue.
“Benefactor. The Thousand-Hand, Thousand-Eye Guanyin Statue is an item our temple has long sought. I implore you to return it.”
As Dagil spoke again in an urgent tone, a faint smile appeared on Bu Eun-seol’s lips as he turned around.
“Then how about we make a wager?”
“A wager?”
Bu Eun-seol turned and pointed at So Ok-rim.
“There will be no master within the grounds of Guangyang Temple who can defeat her.”
For a moment, Dagil couldn’t hide his dumbfounded expression.
Guangyang Temple merely fell short of Potala Palace in terms of fame and scale.
The Vajra monks here, who specialized in ascetic practices, were all masters of outstanding martial arts.
And yet he claimed there was no one who could defeat this large woman?
“Are you saying, benefactor, that if any of our temple’s masters can defeat her in a one-on-one duel, you will give us the statue?”
“That is correct.”
Bu Eun-seol said with a confident expression.
“If anyone can defeat her in a best-of-three match, I will immediately return the statue.”
“And if our temple loses?”
“I will borrow the Great Perfection Mirror just once.”
A faint smile touched Dagil’s lips.
So Ok-rim’s aura seemed unusual, but Guangyang Temple had many who practiced unique external martial arts.
In other words, they were specialized in one-on-one combat.
‘He seems like a man who will… keep his promise.’
As the abbot of Guangyang Temple, he was not only spiritually advanced but also a very good judge of character.
Although Bu Eun-seol had an ordinary face, his eyes were firm and clear.
He was certainly not an evil man, and Dagil could surmise that he would keep his promise.
“Very well.”
Dagil nodded readily.
“Let us do that.”
「What on earth are you thinking?」
At Seo Jin-ha’s worried telepathic message, Bu Eun-seol gave a faint smile.
「This is another chance to confirm her identity.」
Originally, Bu Eun-seol had several plans.
He could exploit their inferiority complex and sense of rivalry with Potala Palace to obtain the Great Perfection Mirror.
Or he could reveal his identity as the successor to the Demonic Cult, allowing them to save face, and then negotiate with the Guanyin statue.
Furthermore, with Bu Eun-seol’s skills and his Extreme Speed, Formless Shadow, it wouldn’t be impossible to secretly infiltrate Guangyang Temple and take the Great Perfection Mirror.
But Bu Eun-seol had proposed a completely different method.
Because So Ok-rim had joined them.
So Ok-rim’s only appearance in the martial world was two years ago when she turned the Yanggwang area upside down for three months.
Through this match, he could gauge whether her personality was as terrible as the rumors claimed, or if it was an exaggeration or a facade.
‘And whether she is truly a descendant of the Star Emperor.’
He could only guess that her fist techniques were modeled after the Movement of Heavenly Ki. He couldn't be sure if they were the Star Emperor's fist techniques.
However, four hundred years ago, Guangyang Temple had been defeated by the Star Emperor when he visited.
Sects outside the Central Plains always developed their martial arts by studying the techniques of the masters who had defeated them…
Perhaps someone at Guangyang Temple could recognize the Star Emperor’s fist techniques.
「Her identity. I see.」
Realizing Bu Eun-seol’s plan, Seo Jin-ha wore an impressed expression.
When So Ok-rim had claimed her fist techniques were the Star Emperor’s art, Seo Jin-ha hadn’t even doubted her.
Because her techniques were just that incredible.
But Bu Eun-seol was cautious in all matters and did not trust others easily.
Though it was something one might easily believe, Bu Eun-seol had not let go of the suspicion that it could be a lie.
“What? Me?”
So Ok-rim, who had been listening to the whole conversation, frowned.
Bu Eun-seol had made a bet using her as collateral without her permission?
It was unlikely that her personality would allow her to accept it meekly.
“Why do I have to fight them?”
“Shouldn’t you do at least that much for your fated partner?”
Bu Eun-seol wore a faint smile.
“Or have you forgotten the condition for accompanying us?”
Only then did So Ok-rim let out a small “ah.”
To cooperate in obtaining the Great Perfection Mirror. That was the condition Bu Eun-seol had set for her to join them.
“Hmm. Well, I guess so.”
So Ok-rim smacked her lips as if she had no choice.
“Fine. But you have to help me a lot from now on, too.”
Her request for help seemed to refer to her relationship with Seo Jin-ha, whom she had designated as her fated partner.
“I will think about it.”
“Alright.”
So Ok-rim cracked her knuckles and stepped forward.
“Alright, who’s up?”
Dagil’s expression turned grim for a moment.
Either way, the Guanyin statue was on the line. He absolutely could not afford to go easy.
“Danpa.”
At Dagil’s call, a muscular Vajra monk, Danpa, stepped forward.
Not only was he born with immense physical strength, but he was also a master who had mastered the Vajra Dharma Merit Technique, which was similar to the Vajra Indestructible Body Technique, to the tenth stage and beyond.
In other words, no matter how powerful an attack was unleashed, he could not be knocked down. This wager was Guangyang Temple’s victory from the start.
But there was something Dagil didn’t know.
So Ok-rim was not only incredibly skilled in martial arts… but she was also a person who would use methods that other martial artists would shy away from, without a shred of hesitation.