Chapter 418
Chapter 418
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 418
Chapter Title: The Perfect Shadow
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Yuk Jang-cheon wore an expression of surprise.
“Must you? Without even resting?”
“Is it not the duty of this unit to handle the major and minor affairs of the martial world? Even if there are no immediate gains, we can still gather various pieces of information.”
“Hahaha.”
Yuk Jang-cheon smiled.
“Do as you see fit. However.”
He then drove a subtle point home to this young man overflowing with ambition.
“Do not forget that it was I, not the Grand Council, who approved this mission.”
“Of course.”
“If you need support, speak at any time.”
“Thank you.”
After Bu Eun-seol left, a brief silence fell over the office.
Yuk Jang-cheon, who had been staring into the air for some time, spoke in a low voice.
“Well, what do you think?”
*Ssk.*
A secret door, hidden by a bookshelf, slid open, and a woman in blue robes walked out. It was Yuk Cheong-a.
“This father of yours certainly wants to keep him by my side.”
“I think we have to admit he’s a man who defies common sense. Seeing how he actively seeks out missions to undertake, it seems he’s more ambitious than he appears. But…”
Yuk Cheong-a said in a low voice.
“I still think we need to verify him one more time. The matter with the Dang Clan, for instance. I find it suspicious that a man of his caliber has remained hidden in the Upper Realm until now.”
“Hasn’t the Myriad Sceneries Hall already investigated him hundreds of times?”
“The Myriad Sceneries Hall’s intelligence network is formidable, but much of its information is verified only through documents. That’s why there are always many things that need to be re-confirmed in person.”
“Hmm.”
“At this rate, he will soon become a Second-Rank Unit Leader and will be formally assigned a permanent affiliation. If not now, a situation may arise where we cannot investigate him even if we wanted to.”
“In your view, does he seem like someone who requires investigation?”
Yuk Cheong-a answered firmly.
“Yes.”
After a moment of contemplation, Yuk Jang-cheon nodded.
“We must find the right person for the job.”
“I’ve already selected someone.”
Yuk Cheong-a handed him a small booklet.
“There is a Discipline Officer who tenaciously uncovered that the former Vice Hall Master of the Discipline Hall and the Head of the Harmony Garden were spies. She is now part of the Inspection Hall.”
Opening the booklet, he saw the detailed history of the ambitious and zealous Discipline Officer who had once searched for the Violet Amethyst Elixir with Bu Eun-seol, then disguised as Seol-so.
The name was Jong Jeong-yak.
***
Bu Eun-seol gathered the members of the Apex Unit for a meeting.
He announced that he would be heading out into the martial world to uncover the identities of the forces behind the Three Poisons Sect.
He ordered the unit members to continue investigating related information.
Furthermore, to maintain contact at all times, they were to use the Myriad Sceneries Hall’s communication network spread throughout the martial world.
However, to prevent others from deciphering their messages, they were to create and use a secret code unique to the Apex Unit.
Just establishing this system would allow the Apex Unit to serve as excellent eyes and ears for the Orthodox Faction, enabling them to grasp the movements of the martial world while Bu Eun-seol was away.
The only regret was his inability to discuss the matter of the Three Realms’ forces that had infiltrated the Martial Alliance with them.
*Clip-clop.*
The carriage carrying Bu Eun-seol slowly made its way out of Henan.
It was time to return to his role as the heir of the Demonic Halls.
To do so, he needed to make contact with the Four Souls Unit.
To maintain his identity as a Unit Leader of the Martial Alliance, he had to create a separate trail of activities for Seon Woo-jin.
‘But this is merely a temporary solution.’
A glint flashed in Bu Eun-seol’s eyes as he gazed at the distant sky.
‘I will return to the Demonic Halls and devise a plan to create a shadow.’
From now on, he would have to travel between the Demonic Halls and the Martial Alliance, handling various tasks.
For that, he needed not the Four Souls Unit, but a shadow who could become his perfect double.
Upon entering Chengdu, Bu Eun-seol stopped at an inn to rest for a while.
Until now, he had handled many tasks within the Martial Alliance under the identity of Seon Woo-jin.
And the act of espionage consumed more mental energy than expected, leading to extreme physical fatigue.
The Martial Alliance was filled with masters who surpassed him. Moreover, the persona of Seon Woo-jin was not yet completely trusted.
To perfectly conceal his identity as the heir of the Demonic Halls while acting as a Unit Leader of the Martial Alliance…
It was by no means an easy task, even for Bu Eun-seol.
Fortunately, the Seon Woo-jin persona created by the Divine Calculator was not only highly capable but also a figure from the Upper Realm.
Therefore, even when he achieved unexpected merits or displayed outstanding abilities, he could attribute them to his background in the ‘Upper Realm.’
He also didn’t have to worry about arousing suspicion or feeling anxious about using his wealth to command an information organization.
And just like now, he could rent out an entire private wing of an inn—something a Third-Rank Unit Leader’s salary couldn’t possibly afford—without a second glance.
“Hoo.”
After a full day and night of rest, his exhausted mind and body were completely refreshed.
He left the private wing and went up to the second floor of the inn for a meal.
‘Somehow, I’ve ended up becoming a spy.’
Gazing out the window while sipping tea, Bu Eun-seol suddenly felt the irony of his situation.
Was this also fate?
He had clashed with and eliminated spies of the Three Realms who had embedded themselves in various factions.
Yet now, he himself had become a spy, moving between the Demonic Halls and the Martial Alliance…
「Young Lord. This is Seong-gok of the Four Souls Unit.」
Just then, the low telepathic voice of a Four Souls Unit member reached Bu Eun-seol’s ears.
「Unit Leader Sanghak has summoned you to a nearby safe house.」
‘Yu Un-ryong is here?’
A curious light flickered in Bu Eun-seol’s eyes.
He was due to return to the Demonic Halls soon anyway. For Yu Un-ryong to come out and summon him secretly…
Did that not mean a significant event had occurred?
「Lead the way.」
Bu Eun-seol immediately left the inn and, guided by Seong-gok, headed toward a manor on the outskirts of Chengdu.
Song Family Manor.
This place was known as the residence of a retired official.
In reality, however, it was a secret safe house established by the Demonic Halls.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
Guided by Seong-gok, Bu Eun-seol knocked on the manor’s gate.
When the gate opened, a maid naturally led him inside.
Upon entering the guest hall within the manor, the maid touched a scroll hanging on one of the walls.
*Rumble.*
A hidden secret passage within the guest hall was revealed.
As Bu Eun-seol calmly stepped inside, he saw a hidden chamber with a sturdy iron door at the end of the passage.
Opening the door revealed a brightly lit room with oil lamps, and inside, a welcome face. In fact, there were two.
“Bu Eun-seol!”
Seo Jin-ha, who had been sitting at a table with Yu Un-ryong, spotted Bu Eun-seol and rushed over to grasp both his hands.
“It’s been too long!”
He let out a cheer, then looked Bu Eun-seol up and down before exclaiming in admiration.
“You’ve grown even stronger.”
“Have you fully recovered your internal energy?”
“Of course!”
Seo Jin-ha squared his shoulders and drew upon his internal energy.
Having completely opened his upper dantian, a cyan glow emanated not from his glabella, but from his entire body.
“You’re… far more powerful than I expected.”
Bu Eun-seol couldn’t hide his surprise.
“What on earth happened?”
The wave of true qi flowing from Seo Jin-ha’s body far surpassed the level of four cycles of sixty years.
He had achieved a level of internal energy more than double what he had before.
“The Palace Lord took great care of me. Not only did she pass down the Ten Thousand Transformations Dharma Wheel, but she also treated my lower dantian with many precious elixirs and miraculous medicines.”
At the Cloud Sea Jade Spirit Palace, they had not only provided Seo Jin-ha with an internal arts manual but had also devoted all their efforts to healing his damaged sea of qi.
With his upper dantian opened and his original dantian partially restored, his internal energy had grown exponentially.
“But why are you here?”
Bu Eun-seol asked.
“If your body has recovered, you should have returned to the Demonic Halls.”
Yu Un-ryong answered that question.
“Seo Jin-ha is not going to the Demonic Halls. No, he must not go.”
Yu Un-ryong approached Bu Eun-seol and spoke firmly.
“You worked hard to obtain that position as a Martial Alliance Unit Leader, didn’t you? To maintain it, you need not the Four Souls Unit, but a perfect shadow to take your place.”
He then pointed at Seo Jin-ha.
“And as luck would have it, the perfect candidate has just returned.”
Yu Un-ryong, who, along with the leader of the Four Souls Unit, was the only one who had meticulously tracked Bu Eun-seol’s movements.
He, like Bu Eun-seol, had recognized the need for a shadow to maintain the dual identities.
“You’re entrusting that role to Seo Jin-ha?”
“Yes.”
Yu Un-ryong said resolutely.
“The only shadow who can perfectly maintain your dual identities is Seo Jin-ha.”
Upon hearing that Seo Jin-ha was returning from the Cloud Sea Jade Spirit Palace, Yu Un-ryong had summoned him not to the Demonic Halls, but to the safe house near Chengdu where Bu Eun-seol was staying.
This was because several pieces of evidence suggested there was a spy among the unit leaders of the Four Shadows Hall.
And Yu Un-ryong had chosen Seo Jin-ha as the shadow who would perfectly maintain Bu Eun-seol’s dual identities.
He was confident that Seo Jin-ha could become a perfect Bu Eun-seol and Seon Woo-jin without arousing anyone’s suspicion.
“He just managed to recover his internal energy after such a long and arduous time. I will find another suitable person.”
As Bu Eun-seol declined, Seo Jin-ha smiled serenely.
“My position in the Four Shadows Hall would be awkward anyway, wouldn’t it?”
“…”
“And roaming the martial world as your shadow seems more interesting.”
The words were simple, but the path was incredibly difficult.
If Bu Eun-seol was at the Demonic Halls…
Seo Jin-ha would have to wander the martial world as Seon Woo-jin. Or he would have to be inside the Martial Alliance.
That meant, from start to finish… he would have to perfectly master the attitudes and speech of both Bu Eun-seol and Seon Woo-jin.
And their habits, their martial arts, everything.
This path of a spy was an incredibly harsh choice for Seo Jin-ha, who had only just reached the cusp of the Transcendent Realm.
“Seo Jin-ha.”
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
“This is my personal affair. No one will recognize you for doing this, nor will you gain any glory.”
“You’ve already achieved all the glory a member of the younger generation could hope for, haven’t you?”
Seo Jin-ha waved his hand as if to say it didn’t matter.
“In that case, following your footsteps as your shadow should be quite interesting.”
Seo Jin-ha possessed outstanding martial prowess, a brilliant mind, sharp insight, and was adept at improvisation.
If he were to return to the Demonic Halls?
He could achieve great merits and rise to a high position.
But he was willingly declaring that he would live as Bu Eun-seol’s shadow.
“Is it because you think I’m not enough?”
“That’s not it. It’s just…”
“Then that settles it.”
Seo Jin-ha grinned, revealing his white teeth.
“Then leave it to me. That’s all there is to it.”
“You don’t know what dangerous situations might arise.”
“Hahaha. Isn’t that just the life of someone who lives by the sword? We’re not carrying these blades to chop vegetables in an inn’s kitchen, are we?”
Seo Jin-ha’s joke was meant to alleviate Bu Eun-seol’s feelings of apology and burden.
Knowing this, Bu Eun-seol could no longer object.
“Thank you.”
For the first time, Bu Eun-seol said thank you to Seo Jin-ha.
No one in the world wants to be another’s shadow. Yet, he was willing to sacrifice himself.
Solely to help Bu Eun-seol.
“I will handle this as quickly as possible so that this will not be a long road for you.”
Bu Eun-seol said with conviction.
He had become a Unit Leader of the Martial Alliance to uncover its true nature.
He intended to finish everything as quickly as possible, shed his dual identity, and free Seo Jin-ha from this harsh duty.
“Ahem.”
As a warm light of friendship flowed between Bu Eun-seol and Seo Jin-ha, Yu Un-ryong cleared his throat.
“Then, from now on, we must begin training so that Seo Jin-ha can become a perfect Bu Eun-seol and Seon Woo-jin.”
He then spoke to Seo Jin-ha with a smile.
“Still, I’m envious. To do that, you’ll not only have to learn Seon Woo-jin’s martial arts but also Bu Eun-seol’s true arts, won’t you?”
“Is that how it works?”
Seo Jin-ha smiled faintly.
It was natural that he would have to train in the art of flying daggers and the Art of Flower Transformation to imitate Seon Woo-jin.
But beyond that, to imitate Bu Eun-seol, he would have to master his speech, habits, and even his true arts to be used in emergencies.
“This is going to take some time.”
Seo Jin-ha said with a shrug.
With his comprehension and internal energy, it wouldn’t take long to learn the martial arts of Bu Eun-seol and Seon Woo-jin.
However, unlike martial arts, it would take a great deal of time to master their speech, actions, and minor habits.
That would require long observation, as people are often unaware of their own habits and behaviors.
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
Yu Un-ryong took a book from his robes and placed it on the table.
“I anticipated this and have already compiled all the information on Bu Eun-seol.”
He then said with a grin.
“The persona of Seon Woo-jin was just created, so he won’t have any major habits. In other words, if you master this, you can significantly shorten the time required.”
Bu Eun-seol opened the book Yu Un-ryong had placed on the table.
Inside, all sorts of information were meticulously recorded, including habits and speech patterns that he himself was not even aware of.
“Wow, when did you write all this?”
Seo Jin-ha, who had leaned in to look at the book with him, asked, and Yu Un-ryong casually wiped his nose.
“This is the kind of work I do at the Demonic Halls.”
“I’ve heard bits and pieces, but you’re a Bu Eun-seol fanatic, aren’t you?”
Seo Jin-ha laughed and clapped Yu Un-ryong on the shoulder.
“To this extent, you must have been observing him every single day, right?”
“A fanatic? What nonsense. I was simply…”
“It’s okay, it’s okay. I was the same at first.”
Seo Jin-ha pulled Yu Un-ryong closer by the shoulder and whispered softly.
“I wondered if my martial arts would improve if I followed that guy, so I observed him meticulously, from one to ten, you know?”
For a moment, Yu Un-ryong fell silent with an awkward expression, as if his true intentions had been exposed.
Watching them, Bu Eun-seol smiled quietly.
Just as he had done with him, Seo Jin-ha was treating Yu Un-ryong with his easygoing personality and unique sense of comfort.
These two were the people Bu Eun-seol trusted most.
If they joined forces, they would be able to accomplish unexpected feats.
‘Soon, a perfect dual identity will be created.’
Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly.
As long as those two were with him… a belief took root that he could overcome any trial.
***
Seo Jin-ha did not return to the Demonic Halls but began his training at the Song Family Manor.
He needed to master various martial arts, such as the True Art of Wishful Thinking and the art of flying daggers, to a certain level.
Furthermore, to become the perfect shadow of Bu Eun-seol and Seon Woo-jin…
He had to not only fill his mind with various pieces of information and knowledge but also completely embody them.
No flaws could be revealed, no matter the time or situation.
Bu Eun-seol also told Yu Un-ryong and Seo Jin-ha about another force among the Three Realms.
The Azure River Realm.
—So that was it.
From the moment he heard that the Three Realms were divided into three factions, Yu Un-ryong had always suspected they were in competition with each other.
If that weren’t the case?
No one in the martial world could have defied their will… and Bu Eun-seol himself would have been annihilated by the Three Realms long ago.
—Isn’t that for the better?
Seo Jin-ha said with a smile.
—The enemy of our enemy could become our ally.
Bu Eun-seol didn’t think the Three Realms had such a simple competitive structure.
But he didn’t voice his disagreement with Seo Jin-ha’s words. Since nothing had been clearly revealed yet…
It was probably fine to hold onto a hopeful outlook.
Bu Eun-seol left the Song Family Manor and once again headed for the Demonic Halls alone.
He had left the Four Shadows Hall unattended for too long while handling matters in the Martial Alliance.
No matter how perfectly Yu Un-ryong and Myo Cheon-u managed their duties, there were tasks that only he could perform.
In particular, Bu Eun-seol’s presence was the Four Shadows Hall itself. If he didn’t show his face periodically, the morale of the members would plummet.
‘Damn.’
Stopping at a post station on his way to the Demonic Halls, Bu Eun-seol sensed something and let out a low curse.
He could feel a gaze observing him from somewhere.
It was so subtle that an ordinary martial artist would never have noticed it.
‘The Martial Alliance again.’
Bu Eun-seol was still traveling as Seon Woo-jin without concealing his tracks.
Therefore, the only ones who would be trailing him were from the Martial Alliance.
‘This is not a good sign.’
It had only been a few days since Bu Eun-seol left the Martial Alliance.
For a tracker to be assigned to him immediately, even after he had achieved a merit…
Wasn’t that proof that someone in the Martial Alliance’s leadership suspected him?
‘I need to confirm this first.’
Bu Eun-seol left the post station and slowly moved toward a teahouse.
As he did, a bitter thought crossed his mind.
‘This is certainly a different world from the Demonic Halls.’
In the Demonic Halls, if you achieved merit, that was all that mattered.
But in the Martial Alliance, even if you achieved merit, every procedure had to be transparent.
Furthermore, until you gained absolute trust, you could become a target of surveillance, no matter your position or affiliation.
‘It must be because of their banner of justice.’
In the Demonic Halls, whether you were a spy or something else, as long as you had power, that was justice.
But the Martial Alliance would not tolerate anyone who did not walk the righteous path or committed injustice, no matter how outstanding or accomplished they were.
“Welcome.”
The place Bu Eun-seol entered was a bustling inn.
He did so to identify the tail who was secretly following him.
‘If I had entered a quiet teahouse, they wouldn’t have followed me in.’
If he had entered a quiet inn or teahouse to confirm his tracker?
That person would have waited outside instead of entering.
No matter how perfect their disguise, there would be a chance of arousing suspicion or being discovered.
But in a bustling inn like this, they would have no choice but to enter.
This was because there was a chance he might use the chaotic situation to make a secret rendezvous with someone.
‘Quite skilled.’
Even after Bu Eun-seol entered the inn, the tail’s gaze did not follow.
As he took a deep breath and spread the senses of the Way of the Beast, he realized the gaze was not in this inn, but in the one across the street.
To reduce the chance of being discovered, they were safely observing from the inn on the opposite side.
‘This person knows a lot about espionage. However, their martial skill is not high enough, so they haven’t learned what’s truly important.’
An observer should also hide in a crowded place.
No matter the distance, if one observes from a quiet inn like that?
A master with superior senses would be able to detect their gaze. They didn’t know that.
Of course, this mistake was made because they hadn’t even imagined that Bu Eun-seol was a master who had reached the Transcendent Heaven Realm.
If they knew he was a master who could look down upon the martial world? They would never have assigned a tracker of such a low skill level.
‘Let’s see.’
Bu Eun-seol casually turned his gaze out the window.
Instantly, he spotted a figure who awkwardly averted their gaze.
‘A Discipline Officer?’
Discovering the identity of the observer secretly following him, Bu Eun-seol couldn’t hide his surprise.
Jong Jeong-yak.
The woman who had worked with him to expose the corruption of the Vice Hall Master of the Discipline Hall and the Head of the Harmony Garden, and had since become a member of the Inspection Hall, was the one tracking his movements.
‘It must be either Hall Master Deungmu or Hall Master Yeonseong.’
Bu Eun-seol’s eyes darkened.
Jong Jeong-yak was a person specialized in rooting out spies.
Sending her meant that they were not just monitoring his activities… but doubting his very identity.
The ones who would suspect a Third-Rank Unit Leader of a newly formed unit in the Martial Alliance, who had only just achieved a couple of merits…
Such people could only be Yuk Jang-cheon or Yuk Cheong-a.