Chapter 426
Chapter 426
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 426
Chapter Title: Awakening
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A gruesome scene unfolded in the front courtyard of the Seong Family Manor.
Though it was the largest manor in the vicinity, it was, in truth, nothing more than the humble estate of a local magnate in a provincial area.
Furthermore, because the manor was situated rather close to the constabulary, it did not employ many guards.
Perhaps for that reason, the guards’ skills were not particularly impressive.
In contrast, the demonic bandits who had stormed the manor were all highly skilled martial artists, numbering over a hundred.
Despite this, the master of the manor, Seong Mu-ung, was not particularly alarmed.
He was, in fact, a disciple from the School of Formations, a brilliant artisan and an expert in mechanisms and formations.
When he had first built the manor, he had installed various mechanisms and formations to repel external threats.
“This can’t be.”
But Seong Mu-ung’s composed expression soon twisted into one of shock.
Not a single mechanism or formation had activated when the bandits invaded.
It turned out that all the devices and formations installed in the manor had been destroyed.
And the culprit was none other than Gyo Cheon-ak, who had joined the manor a year ago as a martial arts instructor.
“What is the meaning of this!”
Seong Mu-ung, his acupoints sealed, lay collapsed in the courtyard, roaring in fury.
The bandits had scaled the manor walls as stealthily as assassins, brutally slaughtering the guards and the family’s servants.
The survivors had their acupoints sealed and were forced to their knees like traitors.
But what truly drove him mad with rage was that their leader was the martial arts instructor, Gyo Cheon-ak.
“I have treated you with nothing but sincerity until now. Why would you commit such a horrific act?”
“The master has done nothing wrong.”
Gyo Cheon-ak glanced at the subdued family members before pointing at Seong Su-ryeo, who was glaring at him.
“The fault lies with her.”
“Su-ryeo? What on earth did Su-ryeo do?”
“For a whole year, she pretended to flirt with me, but it turned out I wasn’t in her heart at all.”
Gyo Cheon-ak’s relaxed expression contorted into a grotesque mask.
“I was trying to live a decent life, trying to become a new man! But in the end, you all just saw me as a convenient martial arts instructor to be used!”
Seong Mu-ung’s mouth fell open.
He had always thought of him as a refined and skilled instructor.
Now he saw the man was a lunatic, incapable of distinguishing fantasy from reality.
“But what’s the point of saying all this now?”
Shaking his head, Gyo Cheon-ak raised his blood-soaked blade and let out a sigh.
“I’ll just have to quickly behead everyone in the manor and, as for that cute daughter of yours, I’ll play with her for a while before tossing her to my men.”
At those words, the color drained from Seong Mu-ung’s face.
Ordinary bandits would typically just steal valuables and flee.
But Gyo Cheon-ak was a madman who found infinite pleasure in brutally killing people rather than taking their possessions.
“I’ve talked for too long. Farewell.”
Just as Gyo Cheon-ak raised his bloodied blade to finally strike down Seong Mu-ung,
*Thud, thud.*
The sound of soft footsteps suddenly broke the silence of the manor’s courtyard.
Turning around, they saw a beggar with disheveled hair and a face covered in burn scars walking slowly toward them.
It was Mumu.
“You?”
Gyo Cheon-ak was greatly surprised.
The Seong Manor was not only close to the constabulary but also adjacent to the village.
For this reason, he had invaded the manor with extreme stealth, subdued its occupants, and locked the gates.
So how did this hideous beggar just walk in?
‘This man? Could he be a martial artist in disguise?’
His insolent tone and strange composure had always been grating.
But he had never felt any ripples of internal energy from him. Just in case, he had checked his acupoints several times, but there was nothing.
Could he truly be a martial arts master, skilled enough to deliberately conceal his power?
*Sssk.*
Just then, one of his subordinates, who had been hiding on the manor’s roof, stealthily approached Mumu from behind.
Watching this, Gyo Cheon-ak nodded and said,
“So, it seems you were a master in hiding after all?”
Mumu spoke in a low voice.
“Give up. The constables are already on their way to the manor.”
Gyo Cheon-ak’s eyebrows shot up.
If that were true, they needed to flee immediately.
“……!”
Mumu noticed Gyo Cheon-ak’s gaze fixated behind him and quickly spun around.
In that instant, the subordinate leaped from the roof, his sword grazing Mumu’s neck and slicing a deep gash in his forearm.
*Pshat!*
As blood spurted, Mumu’s body tumbled to the ground.
“Hahaha!”
Watching the scene, Gyo Cheon-ak burst into laughter.
Seeing Mumu’s slow and clumsy evasion, he realized the man was no martial arts master… just an ordinary person with sharp eyes and quick reflexes.
His subordinate seemed to realize it too, as he swung his sword repeatedly without fear.
*Pshat!*
Finally struck in the arm and leg, Mumu collapsed on the spot.
“What a funny fellow.”
Gyo Cheon-ak looked down at the fallen Mumu, a smirk playing on his lips.
“You didn’t report to the constabulary; you just rushed right over. Is that why you’re drenched in sweat?”
“What makes you think I came here alone?”
At Mumu’s calm words, Gyo Cheon-ak’s eyebrows twitched.
“Are you talking about that fat beggar you’re always with?”
“Perhaps.”
“Boss. We’ve got another one here.”
Just then, a subordinate who had been standing guard brought over a captured fat beggar.
It was Fatty.
“Mumu. I’m sorry. I was worried about you, so I followed and….”
‘Damn it.’
Mumu cursed inwardly.
He had rushed to the manor despite having no power, partly due to his explosive anger.
But it was also to buy time until Fatty could report to the constabulary and the soldiers arrived.
However, the terrified Fatty had blurted out the one thing he shouldn’t have.
“Hahaha.”
The quick-witted Gyo Cheon-ak roared with laughter.
“I see. That fat oaf never went to the constabulary.”
Snorting, he spoke coldly to his men.
“You lot, hurry up and gather the manor’s treasures. Prepare to leave.”
As his men nodded and dispersed, Gyo Cheon-ak smiled and looked down at Mumu.
This was the moment of greatest ecstasy in his life as a bandit.
He enjoyed cutting down terrified people far more than he enjoyed stealing their riches.
“For a beggar, you’ve always been so arrogant, haven’t you?”
He pointed his sword at Mumu, but the beggar’s expression remained unchanged.
“Oh. So that’s how it is.”
Gyo Cheon-ak had killed countless commoners in his time.
And occasionally, he had encountered strong-willed men who did not fear death.
But even those brave souls had something they couldn’t endure.
It was the suffering of those they cherished.
“I know your type all too well.”
*Flash!*
Gyo Cheon-ak’s blade glinted in the air.
*Thud.*
Fatty’s right ear fell to the ground, and blood began to gush out.
“Aaargh!”
Fatty, belatedly noticing his severed ear, began to scream in agony.
“I’m going to cut off this fat oaf’s ears and fingers, one by one, until you wail and beg me to stop.”
At Gyo Cheon-ak’s words, Mumu shouted.
“Just kill me.”
“You still don’t understand what I’m saying.”
*Flash!*
The blade’s light once again danced through the air, and this time, Fatty’s left ear dropped to the ground.
“Ugh.”
The pain was enough to make him lose consciousness.
But Fatty clenched his teeth and screamed no more.
He knew all too well that his screams would only torment Mumu further.
“These beggars have some strong loyalty. How touching.”
Gyo Cheon-ak sneered and spoke to his men.
“Bind that man in chains and douse him in oil.”
His men then took out the oil pouches they used for setting fires and began pouring the contents over Fatty’s body.
Gyo Cheon-ak cackled and said,
“Let’s see if you can keep that expression when this pig is roasted whole.”
“Please spare him.”
Finally, Mumu fell to his knees and bowed his head.
“Burn me to a crisp instead, just don’t kill him.”
“Your tone is still insolent.”
“Please spare him. I’m begging you.”
“Your eyes and your expression are still arrogant.”
“I’ll do anything. Please, I beg you, spare him.”
*Thump! Thump! Thump!*
As Mumu slammed his head against the ground, Gyo Cheon-ak beamed with satisfaction.
“Now that’s a much better sight.”
*Flick.*
And he immediately lit a tinderbox.
He had never intended to spare Fatty in the first place.
“Ugh.”
Watching the tinderbox burst into flames, tears streamed from Mumu’s eyes.
“Please, I beg you, please.”
Mumu pleaded again, banging his head on the ground.
“Don’t kill him.”
“Raise your head.”
At Gyo Cheon-ak’s command, Mumu lifted his head.
*Fwoooosh!*
Smiling, Gyo Cheon-ak threw the tinderbox at Fatty.
*Whirl…*
In that moment, the image of the spinning tinderbox seemed to fly in slow motion in Mumu’s eyes.
Very slowly, it drifted toward Fatty’s bound body.
*FWOOOOOSH…*
The moment the tinderbox made contact, flames erupted, and in an instant, Fatty’s body was engulfed in a massive fireball.
—I am sorry.
At that moment, the voice of a gentle mother echoed in Mumu’s mind.
Simultaneously, the entire world turned white, and the scenery around him began to change.
He saw burnt-out pavilions in every direction, and standing before him was a beautiful middle-aged woman.
—I am sorry.
*Fwoosh.*
But his mother’s beautiful form began to burn brightly like a candle.
—For leaving you with such sad memories…
The mother, who had been gazing at her child with a sorrowful face, suddenly emitted a brilliant light from her entire body.
*FWOOOSH.*
In an instant, she turned to ash and vanished.
As if she had never existed in this world.
—Aaaah!
The child reached out, crying out as he ran forward.
But his body was frozen, unable to move toward her.
The scene changed again.
The child was now in the arms of his father, who was running like the wind.
—Forget everything.
The father held the child tight.
—You must survive.
Finally reaching a secret passage inside a pavilion, the father hugged the child once more.
He then performed a grand technique, long lost to the martial world, and erased all the memories within his beloved child’s mind.
—Ugh.
But the moment he struck the crown of the child’s head, a silver radiance burst forth from his body.
It turned out that a mysterious spiritual power, from a Lama monk who had reached the Realm of Heavenly Beings, lay dormant within the child’s body.
The father had no choice but to pour his immense energy into the boy, forcefully suppressing the spiritual power.
—If you ever learn martial arts, this seal will one day break. I pray you never set foot in the martial world…
*Kukukuku.*
A great tremor echoed in his mind, and the entire world turned black.
—I see you were hiding in the snow.
When he opened his eyes again, he heard a warm voice.
His darkened vision gradually brightened, revealing a kind-faced, gaunt old man with a gentle smile.
—From now on, your name is Eun-seol.
Eun-seol (隱雪).
It meant ‘hidden in the snow.’
The old man had framed it not as the child freezing to death in the snow…
But as if they were playing hide-and-seek, and the child had hidden there.
It was not an act of pity for a dying child.
It was filled with the old man’s heart, which found even that sight to be lovely.
The child loved that name.
Eun-seol.
Taking his grandfather’s surname, he became Bu Eun-seol.
My name… is Bu Eun-seol.
*KRA-KOOM!*
At that moment, a thunderous roar erupted from Mumu’s body as a tremendous wave of energy began to swirl around him.
*KWOOOOOSH!*
That energy transformed into a colossal sword that soared to the very edge of the sky.
*Chiiii!*
Simultaneously, a white, cold mist poured from Mumu’s left hand, instantly extinguishing the flames that had been consuming Fatty’s body.
All of this had transpired in the time it took to blink an eye after the tinderbox had touched Fatty.
*Crack. Crackle.*
As all his memories returned, the formidable power dormant in his meridians and hidden acupoints…
Began to circulate through his energy channels, guided by his reawakened internal arts.
*Zzzzzing!*
Just then, a brilliant silver light spread out as a new stream of power began to blossom in his dantian.
With some of his memories restored, the mysterious power dormant in Bu Eun-seol’s meridians had manifested.
*KWOOOOOSH!*
Though only a fraction, that power surged like a tidal wave, merging with the internal energy circulating through his channels.
*Crack, crackle, crack.*
At the same time, the melted skin on his face cracked like a biscuit and, in an instant, began to revert to smooth, white skin.
As his ordinary body was instantly reforged into one that had reached the state of the Golden Essence of the Six Transformations.
His muscles and nerves were being recalibrated to match, and at the same time… another metamorphosis was taking place.
*FLASH!*
When Bu Eun-seol opened his eyes, a flash of light erupted from his body, soaring into the distant sky.
Spiritual Aperture Breakthrough.
As the mysterious power in his body merged with his internal energy, the Reverse-Polarity Heart Art finally broke through to the sixth stage…
It had now become nearly impossible for even a master of the Transcendent Realm to inflict any damage upon his spirit.
*Shudder.*
Watching this, Gyo Cheon-ak trembled like a leaf.
Though he was a bandit with exceptional martial skills, he had only just reached the peak of the expert realm.
A man who had only ever attacked commoners while evading pursuit from true masters.
When had he ever witnessed a martial artist who had reached such a realm?
How could the ripples of energy flowing from a human body soar all the way to the heavens?
*Woooong.*
Finally returned to his original form, Mumu—no, Bu Eun-seol—looked at Gyo Cheon-ak.
“I…”
Gyo Cheon-ak wanted to say something.
But no sound came from his lips.
*Drip, drip, drip.*
His body began to crumple like paper, his bones starting to twist.
It was a technique similar to the Heavenly Crushing Wheel that Sim Wol had once used.
The only difference was that instead of crushing a person in an instant…
It was being performed very slowly, allowing him to savor the terror and agony of death.
“Ugh…”
*Shwoooo.*
At last, with all the bones and muscles in his body contorted, Gyo Cheon-ak began to sway like a paper doll.
“Aaaaaaaargh!”
But his face remained intact, vividly expressing the hellish agony he was enduring.
*Crackle. Crumble.*
Gyo Cheon-ak’s grotesque body collapsed into a small ball and fell to the ground.
*CHWAAAAAK!*
Simultaneously, a web of internal energy spread out from Bu Eun-seol’s body in all directions.
Like sentient creatures, these strands of energy instantly reduced every bandit in the Seong Manor to a bloody pulp.
*Thud, thud.*
After dealing with the bandits in a single move, Bu Eun-seol looked at the subdued Seong Mu-ung and his family.
*Pak.*
He merely glanced at them, and their sealed acupoints were instantly released, their bodies feeling light again.
Bu Eun-seol looked at Seong Mu-ung’s clothes and opened his mouth.
“I’ll be borrowing some clothes.”
*Shhhhk! Whirl!*
As he extended his right hand, the fabric of Seong Mu-ung’s sleeve unraveled, forming thin threads.
*Float. Whirl!*
The threads flew to the unconscious Fatty’s head and began to suture his severed ears back on.
“It will hurt, but please bear with it for a moment.”
Fatty was unconscious and couldn’t even feel the pain.
Nevertheless, Bu Eun-seol reattached both ears with extreme care.
Then, placing a hand on his dantian, he began to pour in a powerful stream of Reverse-Polarity energy.
*Woong. Woooong.*
The potent and pure energy passed through all his channels and finally began to open his lesser meridians.
*Float.*
Fatty’s body began to rise into the air, and two white flowers started to bloom from the crown of his head.
Meridian Breakthrough.
If a martial artist achieved this, they could exert more than double their usual power, and if an ordinary person achieved it, they could live a long life free of illness.
Bu Eun-seol had not only used his energy unstintingly to heal Fatty’s body but had also infused him with immense power.
“We’ll meet again soon.”
Bu Eun-seol looked at the sleeping Fatty and smiled.
As he prepared to use his movement technique,
“Great warrior. Please accept my bow.”
Seong Mu-ung approached and offered a deep bow.
The rest of the family members also hurriedly lowered their heads.
“If it weren’t for you, Great Warrior…”
As Seong Mu-ung began to express his gratitude in a clear voice,
“I was only repaying a debt.”
“A debt?”
“Thanks to your daughter, I ate well and never went hungry.”
Bu Eun-seol looked at Seong Su-ryeo with a serene smile.
It was not the smile of Bu Eun-seol, the successor of the Demonic Path, the Lord of the Martial Soul.
It was a gesture of gratitude to her, the one who had shown kindness to Mumu, the blunt and strange beggar.
Seong Su-ryeo cried out without thinking.
“Mumu.”
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
He was Bu Eun-seol, but he was also Mumu.
He acknowledged that this short life as a beggar was a part of him, that the beggar was also a version of himself.
“Thank you for everything, Lady Su-ryeo.”
For the first time in his life, Bu Eun-seol spoke a woman’s name with gentle affection, a smile on his lips.
It was not the smile of the ruthless successor of the Demonic Path, the Lord of the Martial Soul.
It was the smile of a grandmaster of the Righteous Path, raised by his grandfather, Bu Jan-yang.
“Next time, for sure!”
Seeing that he was about to leave, Seong Su-ryeo urgently reached out a hand.
“Please, just visit one more time!”
Bu Eun-seol smiled and immediately executed his movement technique.
*Paang!*
As she watched him soar into the sky in a single bound, tears streamed down Seong Su-ryeo’s face.
The sorrow of being unable to follow him was too much to bear.
“Su-ryeo.”
Just then, Seong Mu-ung came to her side.
“That man is no ordinary martial artist.”
He gently patted his weeping daughter’s shoulder.
“Therefore… you must not stand in his way. Do you understand?”
Seong Su-ryeo just shook her head, tears continuing to fall.
She vowed that one day, she would surely meet him again.