Chapter 380
Chapter 380
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 380
Chapter Title: Revelations and Regrets
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“It’s still strange.”
Just then, Jo Nam-cheon spoke, wrinkling his nose.
“No matter how you look at it, Lady Jin was someone who had marriage talks with the Lord… It's just odd that she suddenly got engaged.”
Wi Cheon-gyeong, not Bu Eun-seol, answered.
“The Lord has already exchanged betrothal gifts with the Young Mistress of the Divine Maiden Palace and Lady Dan. Even if she had feelings for him, she must have given up on them.”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
Jo Nam-cheon said, tilting his head.
“That's why I'm wondering if Lady Jin didn't just get engaged to some unworthy man in a fit of pique.”
It was a rather absurd thing to say.
But was it just a feeling? For some reason, the Grand Commanders felt there was some truth to his words.
“Enough.”
As the Grand Commanders' attention seemed to be focusing on another useless matter, Bu Eun-seol cut in.
“Do not speak another word about Lady Jin's engagement. It is disrespectful to her, and to both parties involved.”
At Bu Eun-seol's solemn command, the Grand Commanders reluctantly clasped their hands.
“Understood.”
After the meeting, Bu Eun-seol left the Subjugation Hall and headed for the Shadowless Pavilion.
From the incident with the artificial inner cores, he had learned that spies from the shadowy forces had infiltrated the leadership of various orthodox and unorthodox factions. The Demonic Cult would surely be no exception.
He was on his way to see the master of the Shadowless Pavilion, who held all the Demonic Cult's information networks, to discuss the matter further.
“My Lord.”
Just then, a strapping man in dark blue martial arts attire appeared on the path ahead.
His eyes were clear and deep, sparkling with the light of wisdom. He had a clean-cut face that anyone would find agreeable.
It was Shim Wol.
“It's been a while.”
As Bu Eun-seol greeted him warmly, Shim Wol offered a gentle smile.
“Indeed. I don't know how long it's been.”
Then he laughed, seemingly bashful.
“It feels like only yesterday that you entered the cult as one of the Ten Demonic Disciples, my Lord, and now you've become the successor.”
“Indeed.”
Shim Wol had treated Bu Eun-seol quite well back when he was one of the Ten Demonic Disciples.
Of course, he didn't know if it was on Jeok Bung's orders, but he had always left a good impression on Bu Eun-seol.
“Congratulations. I heard the news a bit late.”
As Bu Eun-seol offered his congratulations, Shim Wol bowed his head, looking embarrassed.
“My apologies. She was, after all, someone who had marriage talks with you, my Lord, but somehow…”
“There's no need to worry about it.”
In truth, Bu Eun-seol felt just as awkward.
After a moment of silence, Bu Eun-seol took a porcelain bottle from his robes and offered it to him.
It was the Myriad Spirit Jade Elixir, a gift from Dan Cheong when he left the Wolf Fang Pavilion.
—*She told me to drink it at the Muha-suyu Pavilion. But it's not like I have any reason to travel the world.*
Bu Eun-seol recalled Dan Cheong's gentle yet languid smile and said,
“It's a small token, a personal gift.”
Giving a gift for an engagement, not a wedding, was something only extremely close friends would do.
Shim Wol waved his hands and shook his head.
“No, it's quite all right.”
“It's nothing much. Please accept it as a sign of my sincerity.”
When Bu Eun-seol offered the glass bottle again, Shim Wol had no choice but to accept it.
“Then, I'll accept it with thanks.”
*Zing.*
But something was strange.
The moment their hands brushed, Bu Eun-seol's pupils dilated.
It was the same unpleasant and peculiar sensation he had felt from those who carried artificial inner cores.
*‘How could it be?’*
Shim Wol was the disciple of the Blood Demon, Jeok Bung.
What could he possibly lack to store a demonic object like an artificial inner core inside his body?
Besides, Shim Wol's eyes were clear and pure, showing no sign of such a thing.
“Is something wrong?”
“It's nothing.”
Bu Eun-seol smiled and clasped his hands.
“Well, I have urgent business, so I must be on my way.”
Shim Wol also clasped his hands and hurriedly returned the gesture.
Bu Eun-seol's gaze deepened as he walked briskly past Shim Wol.
*‘Shim Wol.’*
If he had taken an artificial inner core, did that mean the Grand Elder had also joined hands with those shadowy forces?
Or had Shim Wol taken it as part of some personal deviation, some plan of his own?
Bu Eun-seol considered this for a moment.
He possessed the Heavenly Will Heart Art, which allowed him to temporarily synchronize with another's internal energy flow.
He also had the authority to summon Shim Wol at will. Though he was Jeok Bung's disciple, his rank was merely that of a warrior belonging to the Manbak Hall.
“…”
Lost in deep thought, Bu Eun-seol finally shook his head.
He turned from his path to the Shadowless Pavilion and headed for the Dokmyeong Pavilion, where the Supreme Commander, Yeop Hyo-cheon, resided.
Whether Shim Wol had taken the inner core or not wasn't the most important thing.
He was trying to find a more fundamental problem.
When he arrived at the Dokmyeong Pavilion, the Supreme Commander, Yeop Hyo-cheon, greeted him as if he had been expecting him.
“Supreme Commander.”
“Lord of the Martial Soul.”
Yeop Hyo-cheon wore a faint smile, as if greeting an old friend.
“I don't know how long it's been since I've had a private audience with you, my Lord. You are always so busy.”
A faint light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
Yeop Hyo-cheon's tone made it seem as if he suspected Bu Eun-seol had been secretly traveling the martial world.
“My apologies.”
“No need for apologies. Your busyness means you are handling many matters for the cult.”
Yeop Hyo-cheon said with a smile.
“So, what brings you here?”
“Some time ago, you told me that to become the master of the Demonic Cult, I had to marry Lady Jin.”
“I did. And?”
Bu Eun-seol didn't beat around the bush and asked directly.
“Could you tell me the reason for that now?”
“Heh heh.”
Yeop Hyo-cheon chuckled faintly.
“You're not the type to regret past events, my Lord… Nor are you worried now that you might not become the master of the cult, are you?”
He had seen through Bu Eun-seol's disposition perfectly.
“Which means…”
Yeop Hyo-cheon, lost in thought for a moment, stroked his chin and said,
“The reason for such a question wouldn't be about Lady Jin… It must be that there's a problem with the disciple from Manbak Hall.”
A sharp deduction.
Bu Eun-seol was slightly surprised but didn't show it and asked again.
“The statement that I must marry Lady Jin to become the master of the cult… could you explain it now?”
“Hmm.”
Yeop Hyo-cheon let out a leisurely hum.
Though they were all part of the same Demonic Cult, this was still a place where the logic of power came first.
Realizing he held the upper hand, Yeop Hyo-cheon's demeanor became even more relaxed.
“At the time, I made that suggestion out of concern for you, my Lord.”
Yeop Hyo-cheon said with a disappointed expression.
“But didn't you reject that offer flatly? And then, as if to make a point, you exchanged gifts with the Young Mistress of the Divine Maiden Palace and Lady Dan of the Secret Fragrance Order.”
Bu Eun-seol gave a bitter smile.
He thought the man was magnanimous, but…
Like a true elder of the Demonic Cult, he was using his advantageous position to make Bu Eun-seol bow his head.
“My reason for looking into this is not simply because I regret my decision.”
“I know. As I said, you must have discovered some problem with the disciple from Manbak Hall.”
Yeop Hyo-cheon smiled faintly.
“But that is your personal judgment, my Lord. And even for me, how can I rashly give away important information?”
Even if Shim Wol were plotting treason, he had no intention of revealing anything easily.
“What must I do?”
Realizing Yeop Hyo-cheon wanted something, Bu Eun-seol asked immediately.
“If there is something you wish to command, I will listen.”
“The Nine Killers Division.”
Yeop Hyo-cheon didn't beat around the bush either and said immediately.
“The Nine Killers Division, which was once under my command, has somehow become your loyal unit.”
“…”
“Moreover, with your immense financial power and support, you've more than tripled its size.”
Yeop Hyo-cheon wore a faint smile.
“I'll have to take that division back.”
The Nine Killers Division was Bu Eun-seol's top secret unit, and its duties were of great importance.
If he were to lose them, it would be like having one of his wings clipped.
Furthermore, the current Nine Killers Division had been expanded to over three times its original size through Bu Eun-seol's immense financial support and separate training.
And he planned to swallow it whole?
“Very well.”
But Bu Eun-seol nodded readily.
Yeop Hyo-cheon looked slightly surprised.
He had thought that, given the importance of the Nine Killers Division, Bu Eun-seol would never agree.
“Are you serious?”
“I am.”
“I don't know what you're thinking.”
From Bu Eun-seol's perspective, giving up the Nine Killers Division was something he could never allow.
Yet he was giving it up without hesitation?
After a moment of thought, Yeop Hyo-cheon nodded.
“In any case, very well. You're not a man who goes back on his word, are you, my Lord?”
“Of course.”
“Then I shall tell you the reason.”
After a brief silence, he spoke in a low voice.
“If you marry Lady Jin, you can obtain the Heavenly Demon's true martial arts.”
It was a completely unexpected answer.
Marrying Jin Seol would allow him to obtain the Heavenly Demon's true martial arts?
“Lady Jin is a child the Heavenly Demon himself brought to the cult some twenty years ago. And he cherishes her like a daughter.”
Yeop Hyo-cheon said calmly.
“And the Heavenly Demon promised Lady Jin. That he would surely pair her with the number one martial artist of the demonic path.”
Only then did Bu Eun-seol grasp the full situation.
The Heavenly Demon had, in essence, publicly declared that he would pass down his true martial arts to whoever married Jin Seol.
All to find the number one martial artist of the demonic path as a partner for Jin Seol.
After all, inheriting the Heavenly Demon's martial arts would drastically increase one's chances of becoming the next number one.
*‘Does the Supreme Commander want me to become the master of the Demonic Cult?’*
Yeop Hyo-cheon had always hidden his true intentions when dealing with him.
Yet, surprisingly, he had pushed for the marriage with Jin Seol to make him the number one martial artist of the demonic path?
“Do you understand my intentions now?”
Having seen through Bu Eun-seol's thoughts, Yeop Hyo-cheon once again put on a disappointed expression.
“I simply wished for you to become the number one martial artist of the demonic path as soon as possible. That is why I pushed for that marriage.”
Yeop Hyo-cheon's eyes crinkled slightly as he smiled.
His smile and gaze were so deep and distant that Bu Eun-seol couldn't even begin to fathom their depths.
“Thank you. I have understood.”
Having finished his thoughts, Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands.
“As promised, I will immediately begin the process of returning the Nine Killers Division to you.”
“Do so.”
“Then.”
Bu Eun-seol bowed politely once more and went outside.
His expression was endlessly dark as he left the Dokmyeong Pavilion.
He had learned the secret about Jin Seol, but for some reason, the conversation with the Supreme Commander had left his heart feeling heavy.
If the Heavenly Demon was chaos itself, the Supreme Commander was like a well filled with black ink.
So black and dark that no matter how hard he peered into it, he could not see its depths.
***
The Demonic Cult, Hall of Communications.
This place was, officially, where various letters and documents coming into the Demonic Cult were stored.
And deep within the Hall of Communications was the secret base of the Demonic Cult's clandestine unit, the Nine Killers Division.
Bu Eun-seol had first met So Ja-myeong here to bring the Nine Killers Division under his command.
And now he had returned to part with him.
“Your prediction was correct, my Lord.”
So Ja-myeong, who had been listening silently to Bu Eun-seol's story, said with a sigh.
“That the Supreme Commander would one day demand the return of the Nine Killers Division.”
From the moment he took the Nine Killers Division under his command, Bu Eun-seol had predicted that the Supreme Commander would one day take them back.
The Nine Killers Division was the Demonic Cult's top secret unit.
He couldn't keep them secretly under his command, hidden from the Supreme Commander's eyes, forever.
“What is the status of the Soul Reapers Division?”
“It's about ninety percent complete. You probably won't notice any difference in intelligence gathering or the members' abilities compared to the original Nine Killers Division, my Lord.”
In preparation for this day, Bu Eun-seol had already recruited the most capable members of the Nine Killers Division and created a new secret unit, the Soul Reapers Division.
In the end, all the Supreme Commander would get back was the commander of the Nine Killers, So Ja-myeong, and the less-than-capable original members.
“This will be a rather long farewell.”
Now that command had returned to the Supreme Commander, it would be difficult for So Ja-myeong and Bu Eun-seol to contact each other.
For a while, they would have to avoid even seeing each other's faces.
“Muhn will do a better job than I ever could.”
In preparation for this day, So Ja-myeong had raised Muhn as if he were his own shadow.
He was confident Muhn would lead the Soul Reapers Division well, making it a secret unit that surpassed the Nine Killers.
“It's just a shame that we haven't found someone to be the vice-commander.”
So Ja-myeong wore a bitter expression.
If the commander managed the division as a whole,
the vice-commander needed outstanding analytical skills, as well as superb lightness techniques and stealth arts to maintain close contact with Bu Eun-seol, relaying various pieces of information and consulting with him.
So far, So Ja-myeong had not found a suitable candidate for vice-commander to support Muhn.
“Don't worry. I'll take my time and find someone.”
Bu Eun-seol wore a faint smile.
“Before you go, let's all have a drink together.”
“A drink… you say?”
“Haven't I grown quite close with the commanders over this time?”
“But, will it be all right? Won't the Supreme Commander think you're breaking your promise?”
“The Supreme Commander isn't so heartless as to be bothered by us having a farewell drink.”
At that, So Ja-myeong wore a faint smile, just like Bu Eun-seol.
“Understood.”
Bu Eun-seol left his regrets behind and departed the Hall of Communications.
It would only be for a short while, anyway.
Before long, the Nine Killers Division would be back in his hands.
The Supreme Commander wouldn't hold on for long to a unit that was now just a shell of its former self and cost a fortune to maintain.
“Lord of the Martial Soul.”
As Bu Eun-seol left the Hall of Communications and was about to return to the Subjugation Hall, he ran into a woman dressed in light, apricot-colored robes.
It was Jin Seol.
“Lady Jin.”
Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands lightly.
There are women in the world called peerless beauties, and each possesses her own unique character.
Jin Seol's character was coldness.
She seemed not a creature of flesh and blood, but a statue carved from crystal.
She looked as if she would never get angry, cry, or laugh.
In fact, no one in the Demonic Cult had ever seen her laugh heartily or cry.
Even when she came to confront Bu Eun-seol during the past commotion about their engagement, she had been greatly angered, yet she had only shown a gaze slightly colder than usual.
If there was anyone who had seen her cry and laugh… it would only be the Heavenly Demon, who had cared for her since she was a child.
“I heard the news. Congratulations.”
Originally, Bu Eun-seol had not intended to offer her his congratulations.
If it was certain that Shim Wol had taken an artificial inner core, and if he was connected to the shadowy forces…
…then Bu Eun-seol was in a position where he couldn't just leave him be.
But upon facing Jin Seol, he found he couldn't bring himself not to congratulate her.
“Thank you.”
As Bu Eun-seol offered his polite congratulations, Jin Seol lightly clasped her hands.
“You also exchanged betrothal gifts, my Lord. I wasn't able to congratulate you then.”
As she continued to speak, her gaze and voice seemed to grow colder.
They hadn't even had a proper conversation, but Bu Eun-seol avoided her gaze like a child who had done something wrong and clasped his hands.
“Well then.”
Bu Eun-seol, trying to leave, hesitated.
Jin Seol was staring intently at him with a cold gaze.
*‘Hmm.’*
Ignoring her gaze felt somehow awkward. In the end, unlike his usual self, Bu Eun-seol asked with an embarrassed expression.
“Is there… something you wish to say?”
Jin Seol found him truly strange.
His looks, martial arts, and intellect—he lacked nothing. So why was he so awkward when dealing with women?
Jin Seol found that side of Bu Eun-seol incredibly frustrating.
*‘So he really never had any feelings for me.’*
Organizing her thoughts, Jin Seol shook her head.
“There's nothing.”
“I see. Then, if you'll excuse me.”
Bu Eun-seol quickly fled the scene as if he had seen a plague demon that would cause disaster if he got too close.
Jin Seol stood still like a statue, blankly watching Bu Eun-seol's retreating back.
*‘When did it start?’*
She first met Bu Eun-seol when he came to the Demonic Cult as one of the Ten Demonic Disciples, having just completed his training.
At the time, due to the insistence of the White Horse Monastery, he had fought a five-move match against Go Gun-pyeong, the Grand Commander of the Black Dragon Division, and had barely escaped with his life.
*‘What a strange person.’*
A man who had only recently learned martial arts had survived an attack from the Grand Commander of the Black Dragon Division, a renowned figure in the martial world, and come out unscathed?
—*What a madman. To think he can look me straight in the eye and talk back.*
Not only that, but the Grand Elder, Jeok Bung, who was stingy with praise, had lauded him.
One of the Ten Demonic Disciples, with looks fit for a stage actor… had defied Jeok Bung, a peerless grand demon ranked among the Three Demons.
Perhaps that was when her curiosity was first piqued.
After that, they met several times, but only ever exchanged nods as they passed.
Finally, when he became the successor of the Demonic Cult… and the Supreme Commander forced the issue by arbitrarily exchanging their birth details, she was finally able to look at him properly.
He was surrounded by several women, caught in a difficult situation.
For some reason, that made Jin Seol angry too.
—*He's going to be my man anyway.*
Jin Seol had been confident.
Because he would have to marry her to inherit the Heavenly Demon's true martial arts.
She believed that even if he didn't know now, once he learned the truth, he would surely marry her.
But that expectation was brutally shattered.
Bu Eun-seol exchanged betrothal gifts with Yeon So-ha, the Young Mistress of the Divine Maiden Palace, and Dan So-ok, the Lady of the Secret Fragrance Order, and became engaged.
And after that, something else unexpected happened.
—*Lady Jin. How about getting to know my disciple?*
Suddenly, the Grand Elder, Jeok Bung, had stepped in to act as a matchmaker.
The prospective partner was none other than his registered disciple and a student of Manbak Hall, Shim Wol.
She had also run into him a few times here and there, but held no particular feelings for him.
—*It is this old man's earnest request. Could you not meet him just once?*
But when the Grand Elder pleaded with her, Jin Seol had no choice but to meet him once.
Jeok Bung had always treated her like a granddaughter, after all.
—*It's a pleasure to meet you.*
Meeting him was truly different.
Shim Wol was not only handsome and proper in character, but he also understood her heart so well.
A woman is happiest when she feels loved. She felt that if she spent her life with him, she would be happy.
*‘He'll be better than that blunt man.’*
As time passed, she found herself slowly opening her heart to Shim Wol's kindness and consideration.
And finally, she accepted his proposal and they became engaged.
But Jin Seol realized.
She had made that choice only because she hadn't seen Bu Eun-seol for a long time.
Now that they were face to face, her heart was shaking uncontrollably.
*‘Did I do something so childish just to forget him?’*
Jin Seol had no choice but to admit it.
That she had always been in love with that blunt man. Her engagement to Shim Wol was nothing more than a desperate attempt to forget him.
*‘But it's too late now.’*
She wanted to call him back right now and confess her feelings.
But there was no turning back.
She was engaged to Shim Wol.
For the rest of her life, she could never again express the feelings of love she held for that man.
Watching Bu Eun-seol's retreating back, Jin Seol bit her lip.
She mustn't think such thoughts anymore.
This was truly the end.
*‘Goodbye. And I hope we never meet again.’*
Jin Seol took a deep breath.
And slowly turned away.
But how could she have known?
That as she suppressed her uncontrollable emotions, someone was watching from afar.
Her own fiancé, the man to whom she had promised her future.