Chapter 393
Chapter 393
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 393
Chapter Title: The Divine Calculator's Test
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‘I have no choice but to trust him for now.’
In truth, these were concerns he had wrestled with ever since he began his search for the Divine Calculator.
Realizing he had no other option, Bu Eun-seol slowly opened his mouth.
“Who killed Bu Jan-yang, the investigator from the Huangzhou Constabulary?”
A moment of silence fell on the other side. After a long pause, an aged voice drifted from behind the door.
“He himself did.”
Instantly, a flicker of anger appeared in Bu Eun-seol’s eyes.
He already knew that his grandfather had intentionally allowed the killer to strike him down to protect him.
But that wasn't the point of his question. Wasn't he obviously asking for the identity of the assailant who had so brutally attacked his grandfather?
“Are you trying to play games with me?”
“It is the truth.”
A quiet strength laced the voice coming from behind the door.
“He gave up on his own life. To protect someone.”
“I already know that.”
Bu Eun-seol suppressed the emotions welling up inside him and spoke coldly.
“I am asking for the name of the person who attacked Bu Jan-yang.”
“How unfortunate.”
A sigh-laden voice came from behind the door.
“But your question has been answered.”
“I see.”
Bu Eun-seol nodded his head, surprisingly compliant.
“Is it over?”
At Soyo’s question, Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
“It’s not over yet.”
With those words, he threw a punch, striking the sturdy wooden door before him.
*Crash! Splinter.*
With a loud bang, the solid wooden door shattered like a cracker.
*Crackle.*
A strange energy flashed in the air and scattered in all directions. A peculiar formation had been placed on the wooden door.
At the same time, the figure of an old man squatting inside came into view.
*Thud, thud.*
As dust filled the thatched hut, Bu Eun-seol, cloaked in black true energy, stepped inside.
His eyes were completely black, and the sharp waves of his true energy soared to the heavens.
“If you know that much, you must also know who the killer is.”
*Swoosh.*
Bu Eun-seol moved right in front of the old man and spoke in a low voice, like that of a death god.
“Who is the killer?”
There was no need for threats like ‘speak or you will die.’
Bu Eun-seol’s gaze and his voice.
They were more than enough to convey his intent to make the man neither live nor die for eternity if he did not speak the truth.
*Tremble, tremble.*
The squatting old man shivered and slowly raised his face.
The face of an old man covered in liver spots was revealed. It was a common face, the kind one might see at any village entrance.
“Please spare me!”
But an unexpected answer came from the trembling old man's lips.
“I was only answering as I was told.”
Bu Eun-seol’s eyes, which had been seething with black mist, wavered greatly.
What in the world was this situation?
“I was blinded by a single piece of gold and dared to do such a thing.”
Not daring to meet Bu Eun-seol’s eyes, the old man prostrated himself and stammered.
“I am just a wandering fortune teller… A month ago, an old man who looked like an immortal gave me a piece of gold and told me something.”
“…”
“He showed me a coin identical to the one the great warrior has… and told me to read the fortunes of those who present that coin here in a month’s time.”
The old man, who had lifted his head, quickly lowered it again upon seeing Bu Eun-seol’s blackened eyes and pointed to the left wall.
Written there in dense script was the secret remedy to cure the Severed Yin Meridians, the very one he had just told Soyo.
And also the answer to the question about the death of Investigator Bu Jan-yang of the Huangzhou Constabulary.
“Where is that old man?”
“I-I don’t know.”
Bu Eun-seol stared down at the old man.
What if this old man’s words were all true? Then the Divine Calculator had predicted his and Soyo’s visit a month ago.
He had intentionally set up a fake.
‘He gave Soyo a proper answer, but gave me a nonsensical one?’
A glint flashed in Bu Eun-seol’s eyes.
Could it be that the Divine Calculator disapproved of him using the Coin of Gratitude?
Was that why he was trying to reclaim it? Because he was a man of the demonic path?
Then what was this farce? He must have known that there was no way he would simply accept this ridiculous answer and leave.
“I-I’ll return this.”
The old man, in a trembling voice, respectfully offered the Coin of Gratitude that was in the container to Bu Eun-seol.
Bu Eun-seol stared at the coin.
At that moment, a subtle light flickered in his eyes, but the old man did not see it.
“Where did you meet that old man?”
As Bu Eun-seol’s terrifying aura vanished and his tone softened, the old man looked slightly relieved and said.
“It was a small village in Deng-Dengfeng County.”
“Dengfeng County.”
Bu Eun-seol narrowed his eyes.
Was it a coincidence? Henan’s Dengfeng County was home to Mount Song, where the leader of the orthodox factions, Shaolin, was located.
Could the Divine Calculator be hiding in Shaolin?
Bu Eun-seol once again stared at the Coin of Gratitude resting on the old man’s wrinkled palm.
And he slowly took it in his hand.
‘As I thought.’
Realizing something, Bu Eun-seol pushed the Way of the Beast to its absolute limit.
His pupils dilated greatly, and a white light began to flow from them.
Emptied Mind, All-Seeing Spirit. He was using his superior senses to meticulously examine the Coin of Gratitude.
‘This is.’
A glint shone in Bu Eun-seol’s eyes as he traced the pattern on the coin.
Two hundred and fifty (二百五十).
Incredibly, the coin Bu Eun-seol had received back had characters etched on it, as if with a fine needle.
Bu Eun-seol stared intently at the still-trembling old man.
After a moment of thought, he took the old man’s hands in his.
“My apologies. Unaware of the circumstances, I nearly caused you great harm, elder.”
“N-Not at all, you’re too kind.”
As the old man smiled awkwardly, Bu Eun-seol’s lips curved up.
Then, without another word, he and Soyo left the thatched hut.
*Thud, thud.*
After leaving Myogaso, Bu Eun-seol asked Soyo.
“Are you going to save the child suffering from the Severed Yin Meridians?”
*Nod.*
When she nodded, Bu Eun-seol spoke again.
“And after that?”
*Shake, shake.*
Soyo shook her head.
She had no goal beyond that. Moreover, the Hundred-Rank Assassins' Guild would never leave her alone.
As long as she was breathing, she would likely face their endless pursuit.
“Come to my palace.”
Bu Eun-seol said calmly, looking at Soyo.
“Gathering five masters with three sixty-year cycles of internal energy in the Central Plains, where you have no connections, will be a difficult task.”
Bu Eun-seol gave a faint smile.
“You saved me with that in mind, did you not?”
She had not fled during his fight with King Jocheon but had watched until the end, and when the ambusher appeared, she had risked her life to help him.
It was because she had foreseen the possibility that the Coin of Gratitude alone might not be enough to cure the Severed Yin Meridians.
What if she couldn’t meet the Divine Calculator?
Or what if, even after hearing his answer, the conditions were something she couldn't fulfill?
But the successor to the Demonic Palace would surely be able to help.
In other words, despite her youthful appearance, Soyo was a person of remarkable intelligence and insight, no less than Bu Eun-seol himself.
“That’s not the only reason I saved you.”
Soyo said in a low voice.
“It was to repay a debt.”
“I see.”
Bu Eun-seol nodded and said.
“Bring the child to my palace. I will cure the Severed Yin Meridians… and I will keep them safe for the rest of their life.”
“For life?”
“That’s right. Even if I am not there, even if I die. I will take responsibility for ensuring that child’s life is peaceful.”
“Why?”
“Because you saved me. Shouldn't I repay the debt of my life?”
“You.”
Soyo whipped her head around and muttered in a low voice.
“You’re… quite sly.”
She knew it too.
His promise to take responsibility for the child she saved for life. It was a means to bring her to the Demonic Palace.
After all, the only places that could fend off the pursuit of the strongest assassins' guild in the Western Regions were the Martial Alliance and the Demonic Palace.
“Sly?”
“You’ve made it so I can never leave your side.”
“You misunderstand. That’s not what I meant…”
As Bu Eun-seol waved his hands dismissively, Soyo’s silver eyes sparkled, and her cheeks flushed.
“It’s okay.”
“What is?”
“I’ll never leave you.”
They were touching words.
But upon hearing them, Bu Eun-seol’s expression grew extremely dark.
And in an utterly serious tone, he said.
“My apologies. Please forget everything the Lord of this Palace has said until now…”
“You need me.”
Soyo was not so different from Bu Eun-seol.
Just by looking at his expression, at his eyes… she could feel that he needed her abilities.
“I’ll help you.”
Soyo’s voice was flat and as cold as a northern winter wind.
Just like Bu Eun-seol’s voice in his younger days.
But her eyes seemed to hold the warmth of a spring breeze.
Bu Eun-seol avoided her direct gaze and cleared his throat.
“Then I will explain precisely. I have created a secret intelligence unit, but the unit leader who will command them in the field…”
“I’ll do it.”
Soyo nodded.
“That’s what you want, right?”
Bu Eun-seol could not refuse.
Even if he searched the entire martial world, it would be impossible to find a unit leader for the Soul-Crushing Brigade as capable and in tune with him as she was.
“Then, take this.”
Bu Eun-seol handed Soyo the token he carried.
“If you take this to the nearest post station, my subordinates from the palace will come to meet you.”
He then continued.
“I will send word of the situation so that you will have no discomfort at the Demonic Palace. Rest comfortably there.”
Soyo looked at Bu Eun-seol and said in a low voice.
“You’re going to Mount Song to catch the Divine Calculator, aren’t you?”
Amazingly, Soyo had seen through all of Bu Eun-seol’s thoughts.
“You knew?”
“No matter how much one wears clothes soaked in the scent of an old man, the smell of a young person’s skin is different.”
Her sense of smell seemed to be on par with a dog’s.
To have smelled the true scent of flesh from beneath the fake Divine Calculator's clothes.
“And there was no need to mention meeting him in Dengfeng County.”
“Mm.”
Bu Eun-seol nodded in agreement.
“I believe he is testing me. He is.”
It was only after accepting the coin from the fake Divine Calculator that Bu Eun-seol realized the man was a martial arts master.
Two hundred and fifty.
Hadn't the Coin of Gratitude he received back been inscribed with minute characters that could only be detected by the Emptied Mind, All-Seeing Spirit?
In essence, the Divine Calculator had given Bu Eun-seol a new Coin of Gratitude through the fake.
And since he had even left the clue that he was in Dengfeng County… it was clearly a message for him to come and find him again.
“Though you possess outstanding abilities, you will need training to become a member of the intelligence unit.”
Bu Eun-seol changed the subject.
“Go to my palace and rest for now. We can discuss what comes after that later.”
“Okay.”
The two parted ways.
Bu Eun-seol to Shaolin Temple, Soyo to the Demonic Palace.
And at that moment, in the thatched hut where the fake Divine Calculator had been…
“Master. You have chosen quite a difficult opponent.”
The fake Divine Calculator muttered to himself as he looked at the distant sky.
“That man doesn't seem like the type to move according to Master’s intentions.”
The voice that came out was not that of a decrepit old man, but of a strong and clear-spoken man.
“Well, if that too is fate, then it is fate.”
Stretching, the fake Divine Calculator slowly removed the human-skin mask he was wearing.
The face of a dazzlingly handsome middle-aged man was revealed.
His thick, dark eyebrows and high-bridged nose rose like Mount Tai, and the pair of eyes nestled between them were long like a phoenix's and full of dignity like a dragon's.
And his appearance and aura… bore a striking, if subtle, resemblance to Bu Eun-seol.
* * *
Upon arriving in Chengdu, Bu Eun-seol immediately relayed the information about Soyo to Yu Un-ryong.
There was no guarantee that the assassins from the Hundred-Rank Assassins' Guild would not attack again, and he needed to make preparations so the child could be treated as soon as he returned to the Demonic Palace.
And Bu Eun-seol gave Yu Un-ryong one more secret order.
It was something known only to Bu Eun-seol and Yu Un-ryong… a matter of great importance that had to be revealed at the Demonic Palace.
*Swoosh.*
Having delivered all the news, Bu Eun-seol used his movement technique and immediately headed for Mount Song, where Shaolin was located.
After meeting the fake Divine Calculator, he had a premonition.
The Divine Calculator was testing him.
The fake he met at Myogaso was no ordinary fortune teller, but a peerless master who had attained incredible martial prowess.
‘To have instantly and secretly carved letters finer than a strand of hair onto the Coin of Gratitude… indeed.’
Otherwise, it would have been impossible to etch such a minute trace on the surface of the returned coin, one that could barely be detected with the Emptied Mind, All-Seeing Spirit.
‘I will gladly accept.’
The Divine Calculator was no mad old man. There must have been a clear purpose behind this act.
And only by passing his test would he grant him an audience.
‘I don’t know what his purpose is, but I will definitely get my answer.’
Bu Eun-seol was filled with anticipation.
The question that had long plagued him.
He believed he would finally get the answer to: who was the killer who murdered his grandfather?
Otherwise, there was no way the Divine Calculator would know of Bu Jan-yang, an investigator working in a remote village in Huangzhou.
And if he could get that answer… he would willingly follow the Divine Calculator, even if it meant being dragged to hell.
*Swoosh.*
Running day and night without rest, Bu Eun-seol finally arrived in Dengfeng County, home of Shaolin.
Without taking even a moment’s rest, he immediately ascended Mount Shaoshi. However, he hid the Black Sword, which could reveal his identity, in a secret place.
“…!”
As he neared the mountain gate of Shaolin Temple on Mount Shaoshi, he saw countless people walking there.
They were worshippers, coming to Shaolin Temple to burn incense and pray for good fortune.
‘The timing is right.’
Shaolin Temple was currently accepting an unusually large number of worshippers.
As a result, Mount Shaoshi was bustling with people heading to the temple to offer incense.
The Divine Calculator had likely predicted the timing of Bu Eun-seol’s arrival at Myogaso and Shaolin, and had planned this accordingly.
*Crackle.*
Standing before the stone steps, Bu Eun-seol immediately used a disguise to change into the appearance of Seol So.
When he finally entered Shaolin Temple, he saw the magnificent interior of the monastery, filled with numerous worshippers.
‘Normally, I would never have been able to enter Shaolin like this.’
Although the Shaolin grounds were vast, it was not like the Martial Alliance, a sprawling area where various people mingled.
He was in a situation where he had to enter alone in disguise to hide and investigate.
But Shaolin’s security was even tighter than the Martial Alliance’s, and it was teeming with formidable masters.
In other words, carrying out such an act in Shaolin was an impossible task.
But with the grounds filled with worshippers like this, he could walk around freely even in broad daylight.
‘So this is Shaolin.’
As Bu Eun-seol looked around the grounds, he felt a strange sensation.
Originally, Bu Eun-seol and Shaolin had no connection whatsoever.
But his grandfather, Bu Jan-yang, was definitely from Shaolin. And within his own body resided the Great Prajna Power, Shaolin’s ultimate strength.
Since entering the martial world, Shaolin had become a sect from which he was inseparable.
*Murmur, murmur.*
As he reached the front of the Main Buddha Hall, he heard the murmuring of a large crowd.
The main gate was wide open, and many worshippers were going inside.
Bu Eun-seol naturally entered the hall and offered incense.
‘Security isn’t too tight up to this point.’
He could move about freely without any particular restrictions up to the Main Buddha Hall, where the worshippers were allowed.
‘Let’s see how far I can go.’
Wandering around the inside of Shaolin like a tourist, Bu Eun-seol naturally moved deeper in.
He soon passed two courtyards and reached a place where a large monks’ residence was built.
Suddenly, monks in robes appeared to his left and right and put their palms together.
“Amitabha.”
The monk on the left, after chanting the Buddha’s name, spoke politely.
“This is where the disciples of this temple train. Outsiders are not permitted to enter.”
“My apologies. I was looking around and lost my way.”
Bu Eun-seol also bowed respectfully and turned around.
He then spread his extrasensory domain to survey his surroundings as he walked slowly away.
‘The security is tight.’
As he expanded his sensory domain, he could feel the energy of the monks inside the halls and residences.
Moreover, they all seemed to have mastered outstanding divine arts, as faint yet tenacious waves of true energy emanated from their bodies.
As long as they were on high alert, the probability of being discovered, no matter how stealthily he moved, was high.
‘I’ll have to wait until nightfall.’
No matter how skilled the warrior monks were, they would have to sleep at night. Infiltrating at night would be much easier than in broad daylight.
“Not at all.”
Just then, a clear female voice came from the opposite direction.
Looking up, he saw an old monk with long, drooping eyebrows and a beautiful woman in a dark blue martial uniform walking towards him, engaged in conversation.
“My father always laments that he cannot visit in person.”
The woman seemed to be on friendly terms with the old Shaolin monk, chatting away without pause.
‘It’s her.’
Recognizing the woman’s face, Bu Eun-seol paused for a moment.
He didn't know the old monk beside her, but he certainly knew who the woman was.
She was the apple of the Sichuan Tang Clan Lord's eye, and the younger sister of his first friend, Dang Gon: Dang Cheong.
“You must be busy, so please go on with your business.”
The quick-witted Dang Cheong sensed that the old monk had urgent matters to attend to and gestured with her hand.
“While my attendants carry the luggage, I’ll look around the temple grounds a bit.”
It seemed Dang Cheong had not just come to offer incense but had also made a large donation in the Tang Clan's name.
“Then I shall take my leave for a moment.”
The old monk offered a common smile and departed.
Bu Eun-seol watched the scene impassively as he walked past her.
“…!”
But at that moment, as Bu Eun-seol passed by, Dang Cheong’s expression hardened slightly. At the same time, a strange emotion flickered in her eyes.
“Wait.”
Dang Cheong approached the passing Bu Eun-seol and cupped her fist.
“Excuse me.”
Dang Cheong scanned Bu Eun-seol with a very polite but sharp gaze and said.
“My name is Dang Cheong, from the Tang Clan.”
Bu Eun-seol was a little surprised that she had spoken to him, but he replied with an indifferent expression.
“What is it?”
“Forgive my impertinence, but may I ask for your name, Young Hero?”
A strange thought occurred to Bu Eun-seol.
He had deliberately hidden his Black Sword and worn clothes with wide sleeves, like a member of a merchant guild, to enter Shaolin.
Merchants often donated large sums to temples to gain more wealth and fortune. As such, they were a common sight among the worshippers.
Moreover, Bu Eun-seol, having mastered the Art of Mimicry, exuded the air of a merchant to any observer.
Yet Dang Cheong had addressed him as ‘Young Hero’ at a glance.
“That is indeed an impertinent question.”
Bu Eun-seol had originally intended to give a fake name.
But Dang Cheong’s eyes were sparkling too brightly. He had a gut feeling that any lie would be seen through.
“I’m not sure what this is about, but I must refuse.”
“You can’t even tell me your name?”
Dang Cheong’s eyes glittered as she took a step closer, took a deep breath, and said.
“Then may I ask what you do?”
“I just run a small shop near the Southern River. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
After his short reply, Bu Eun-seol walked past her at a quick pace.
But suddenly, a cold telepathic message reached his ear.
「Are you going to pretend you don't know me now that our paths have diverged?」
As Bu Eun-seol quickened his pace, pretending not to have heard, Dang Cheong’s confident telepathic message came again.
「Lord of the Martial Spirit. Bu Eun-seol.」
Bu Eun-seol was not one to be easily surprised. But this time, he was truly startled.
His Face-Altering Bone-Changing Art was flawless, and he had perfectly mastered the Art of Mimicry as well.
So how could she have recognized him in an instant?