Chapter 437
Chapter 437
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 437
Chapter Title: The Thunder God
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*Clack, clack.*
The carriage, traveling along the main road, was now entering Yeongnyeong Prefecture.
Inside, a man with a gentle demeanor, dressed in a white martial artist's uniform, sat looking out the window. It was Bu Eun-seol.
Having left the Southern Wilds, he had passed the edge of Yunnan and was now on his way to Sichuan.
‘Things went unexpectedly well.’
A smile touched the lips of Bu Eun-seol as he gazed out the window.
Jeok Mu-mi, now the Lord of the Scorching River Palace, had immediately sent an envoy to the Martial Alliance, expressing her intent to join…
This achievement would likely earn him the rank of Second-Rank Commander in one fell swoop.
‘If that happens, I’ll have to decide on my affiliation.’
Bu Eun-seol’s eyes narrowed.
Should he go to the Martial Ascension Hall?
Or perhaps the Star Guard Division?
The Seven Great Divisions of the Martial Alliance were, in name and reality, the seven pillars that supported the organization, wielding immense power.
Moreover, Baekri Mujo, the head of the Star Guard Division, held a considerable liking for him.
Bu Eun-seol, too, felt an inexplicable connection to the Star Guard Division Head…
If he were to serve under him, he could steadily rise through the ranks without interference from other factions.
‘But…’
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
His goal was not promotion.
It was to uncover the Three Realms organization that had infiltrated the Martial Alliance and find the person among the seven division heads suspected of killing his grandfather.
A stable rise in rank.
That was not what Bu Eun-seol wanted at all.
‘What if I go to the Martial Ascension Hall?’
Yuk Jang-cheon was aiming for the position of Division Head of the Heavenly Martial Division, which had become vacant after Jo Cheon-wang stepped down.
Because of this, he was desperate to accumulate accomplishments.
This was because, in the Martial Alliance, the achievements of a subordinate were considered the achievements of their commander.
Therefore, Yuk Jang-cheon had always wished to recruit outstanding subordinates… and now, he desperately needed a talent like Seon Woo-jin, who fit the bill perfectly.
What if he chose the Martial Ascension Hall?
Thanks to Yuk Jang-cheon's desperation for achievements, Bu Eun-seol would be able to monopolize various missions.
If he continuously built up accomplishments, and Yuk Jang-cheon finally became the head of the Heavenly Martial Division?
‘I could become the right-hand man of a Division Head of the Seven Great Divisions.’
From Yuk Jang-cheon’s perspective, Bu Eun-seol, who had risen from the bottom and achieved great things.
He would have no choice but to trust him more than anyone else.
Furthermore, the only notable talents under him were his only daughter, Yuk Cheong-a, and a few others. But he wouldn't give the position of Vice Division Head to his daughter or the old elders.
Perhaps Bu Eun-seol could even rise to the incredible position of Vice Division Head.
—Should he take the stable path? Or should he take a risk?
Upon reaching this conclusion, Bu Eun-seol didn't even need to think about it.
He had no intention of maintaining a stable position in the Martial Alliance from the start.
‘Most importantly, Hall Master Yuk is not a member of the Three Realms.’
What if Baekri Mujo, the head of the Star Guard Division, was a member of the Three Realms?
With some luck, he might be able to lead Bu Eun-seol into the Three Realms.
But there was no telling when that time would come, and his position might be insignificant.
Because the Three Realms only recruited individuals they deemed necessary.
What if Bu Eun-seol failed to attain any significant position?
Even if he were recruited by the Three Realms, he might end up as a mere nobody.
‘I will make Yuk Jang-cheon the head of the Heavenly Martial Division!’
Bu Eun-seol made his decision.
He would enter the Martial Ascension Hall, continuously accumulate achievements, make Yuk Jang-cheon the head of the Heavenly Martial Division… and become his right-hand man.
This would grant him more power than growing steadily under the head of the Star Guard Division.
And if he was lucky, it would be an opportunity to make contact with the higher-ups of the Three Realms more quickly.
‘The best-case scenario would be to attract the attention of the Three Realms and receive an offer of recruitment before Hall Master Yuk becomes a Division Head.’
As the successor to the Demonic Hall, Bu Eun-seol had to take responsibility for the Demonic Hall and the future of the Demonic Path, so he would inevitably have to refuse the Three Realms' offer flatly.
But it was different under the identity of Seon Woo-jin.
Even if he accepted their recruitment, there would be no restrictions.
Therefore, Bu Eun-seol desired to be recruited into a high position by a key figure of the Three Realms even more than he desired a high position in the Martial Alliance.
“We have arrived.”
The carriage stopped upon reaching the bustling city of Chengdu, and the coachman's voice was heard.
Bu Eun-seol opened the door and stepped out of the carriage.
But then,
*Flap, flap.*
A strange sound cut through the air from the distant sky.
It sounded like the flapping of a bird's wings.
But it was actually a type of signal used by the members of the Soul Annihilation Unit to announce their presence.
‘The Soul Annihilation Unit…’
“Thank you for your hard work.”
After generously paying the fare, Bu Eun-seol headed back out of Chengdu.
He immediately used his lightness art to move toward the source of the flapping sound.
By the time he reached a clearing in a deep forest, the sound had ceased.
Scanning the clearing, Bu Eun-seol’s gaze fell upon a rock resting naturally next to a large tree.
“Long time no see.”
A very small, low voice came from the rock.
It was Soyo's voice.
She had finally completed all her training in martial arts and knowledge as the vice-commander of the Soul Annihilation Unit and had emerged into the world.
“Is your training complete?”
“Yes.”
Her voice was so quiet it was barely audible.
She was speaking in a whisper so faint that anyone but Bu Eun-seol, who had mastered the Beast Arts, would have had trouble hearing it.
“There’s no one within a hundred paces. There’s no need to hide and talk like this.”
“You always have to be careful. And…”
Soyo's voice was barely a whisper, tickling Bu Eun-seol’s ear.
“I’m your subordinate, right? Speak comfortably.”
“Hmm.”
She had a point.
Although Soyo was older, they wouldn't be seeing each other for just a year or two, so it was best to establish a clear hierarchy.
“Very well.”
Bu Eun-seol nodded and spoke calmly.
“But what brings you here? There was no need to come all this way to join me.”
Soyo's voice flowed from the small rock.
“I came here immediately because something urgent came up.”
“Urgent?”
“They say the Martial Alliance has secretly sent an investigation team.”
“An investigation team?”
“Because you secured the alliance with the Scorching River Palace so quickly. They said the process itself was too suspicious… so they sent a special investigation team from within.”
Soyo’s voice was calm, but her words were chilling.
“The special investigation team is just an excuse. We believe there’s a high probability that someone from the high command sent an assassination squad.”
“An assassination squad.”
“Yes. Our unit investigated, and it turns out this special investigation team is composed of individuals not officially registered with the Martial Alliance.”
A flash of light crossed Bu Eun-seol’s eyes.
He remembered the blue-eyed man who had once been part of the Martial Alliance.
He too, despite having a relatively high rank and excellent martial arts skills, had carried out assassination missions without being officially registered with the Alliance.
And now, the Martial Alliance high command had sent a special investigation team made up of unregistered individuals?
“The Three Realms.”
Bu Eun-seol nodded, understanding something.
Perhaps this incident with the Scorching River Palace had made the Three Realms suspicious of the identity of Seon Woo-jin.
They might be using their people within the Martial Alliance to investigate thoroughly, or perhaps to eliminate him.
“The Three Realms, lurking within the Martial Alliance, have made their move.”
“That’s right. We suspect the same. However, it might not necessarily be because of the Scorching River Palace incident.”
“I see. Was I too complacent?”
Bu Eun-seol gave a bitter smile.
“Even if it wasn't for the Scorching River Palace, this was a mountain I would have had to cross eventually.”
It seemed he had thought of the Martial Alliance as too simple a coalition.
The Three Realms had made their nest at the very top of the Martial Alliance.
And from their perspective, if they found a promising sprout, they might think of cultivating it.
But on the other hand… they might see it as a troublesome sprout.
“If they’ve already established a stable structure, they wouldn’t want a new, outstanding individual to emerge.”
Soyo nodded.
“Probably. It seems the Three Realms want to operate their organization within the Martial Alliance in a stable manner, just as it is now.”
The emergence of a new talent must have been a great annoyance to the Three Realms.
Perhaps the special investigation team was a plan to find some pretext… to kill Bu Eun-seol without a trace.
For a lone Third-Rank Commander wandering the world, it would be easy to fabricate reasons and evidence.
“You have to avoid them.”
Soyo said.
“We don’t know what they might do.”
“I can’t.”
After a moment of thought, Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
“If I secretly return to the Martial Alliance while evading their pursuit, I will immediately arouse suspicion.”
The Three Realms must have perfectly tracked his movements and sent the investigation team by predicting his return route.
But what if Bu Eun-seol suddenly changed his route and shook them off?
Not just the Three Realms, but all the high command of the Martial Alliance might become suspicious.
If that happened, every single one of his movements might be under constant surveillance from then on.
“So you’re going to confront them?”
“I don’t know. I’ll just have to hope they’re an ordinary investigation team.”
Bu Eun-seol gave a wry smile.
In truth, there was no chance of that.
If they were, they wouldn't have been caught by the Soul Annihilation Unit's surveillance network, and there would be no need to investigate someone who was diligently returning to the Martial Alliance out in the open.
“Your dual identity is important, but not more important than your life.”
At Soyo's words, Bu Eun-seol looked up at the distant sky.
He couldn't deliberately shake their pursuit, nor could he just stand by if they tried to poison him or frame him…
There seemed to be no way out.
“A shame. If I can just get through this, I’ll become a Second-Rank Commander, make my mark on the Martial Alliance, and even the Three Realms won’t be able to move against me so easily.”
Bu Eun-seol had only fabricated his movements to avoid the suspicion of the Martial Alliance.
He had never considered the Three Realms nested within it.
The position of a Third-Rank Commander of a low-level unit offered no guarantees whatsoever.
He should have acted with this in mind, but it was already too late.
“First, go to Seo Jin-ha and tell him.”
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
“Tell him to stop creating my backstory for now. I may not be able to use the identity of Seon Woo-jin anymore.”
Soyo nodded with a grave expression.
She understood that Bu Eun-seol was preparing for the worst-case scenario.
*Rumble.*
But suddenly, the clear sky seemed to turn gray.
At the same time, an unknown energy began to blanket the forest.
“Get away, now.”
Bu Eun-seol said, taking a deep breath.
“An incredible master has arrived. It must be them.”
Bu Eun-seol could feel it instinctively.
The unknown energies that covered both the sky and the forest.
He knew it was because a master with immense killing intent had detected him.
“Okay.”
As Soyo replied, she vanished completely.
Even Bu Eun-seol, who had pushed his Beast Arts to the limit, found it difficult to sense her disappearance.
‘With a lightness art of that level, she can at least escape from any situation.’
The reason Soyo's training had been so long.
It was because Bu Eun-seol had prioritized her safety above all else.
He had ordered Mu-heun, the head of the Soul Annihilation Unit.
He had instructed him not to let her leave her seclusion until she had achieved a level of stealth and lightness art comparable to his own.
To travel the world together.
It meant there was always a possibility of encountering an enemy stronger than himself.
Therefore, only when Soyo's lightness art and stealth skills reached at least a similar level… could she escape safely, even if something happened to Bu Eun-seol himself.
“Hmm?”
But something was strange.
As Soyo left, it felt as if the ominous energy that had spread through the forest was moving to follow her.
‘Could it be that the target is Soyo?’
*Flash!*
Bu Eun-seol immediately pushed his Beast Arts to their absolute limit.
As his hyper-senses covered a distance of over a hundred paces, a white light flowed from his pupils.
*Flash!*
And finally, sensing the energy pursuing Soyo in the distant sky, Bu Eun-seol instantly launched a throwing dagger.
*Rumble!*
As the dagger soared into the air, a clap of thunder suddenly echoed from the clear sky, and then,
*Craaack!*
A bolt of white lightning struck the rock where Bu Eun-seol had been standing.
*Boom!*
The rock struck by the lightning was shattered beyond recognition.
*Whoooosh!*
At the same time, another bolt of lightning struck the ground, and within it, the silhouette of a figure could be seen.
*Flash!*
Without hesitation, Bu Eun-seol immediately threw another dagger.
Since the enemy had already revealed their hostility, there was no need to even ask their identity.
*Crackle.*
But a white flame flashed, and the thrown dagger stopped in mid-air.
The space where the white flame sparked was distorted as if seen through water.
It was as if time itself had stopped in that one spot.
*Clang. Sizzle.*
The dagger broke, and the figure, surrounded by white flames and light, slowly revealed itself.
It was a man with long, unbound hair, wearing a black robe that had a strange sheen.
He was over seven feet tall, and his limbs were so freakishly long that he resembled an elongated wooden doll.
Yet, he didn't look weak at all.
On the contrary, his entire body seemed as sturdy as if it were woven from solid metal.
A peculiar feature was that his eyes, which should have been sparkling between his long hair, were tightly shut.
“There’s nowhere you haven’t reached your hands, is there?”
The black-robed man's voice was so low and hoarse that it sounded less like a human speaking and more like the hissing of a snake.
‘He’s incredibly strong.’
Bu Eun-seol’s senses screamed a warning.
He couldn't sense anything about the black-robed man standing before him, not even the level of his internal energy.
That meant he was either his equal or possessed skills far superior.
Where on earth did such a master appear from?
“I will grant you mercy.”
The black-robed man said with his eyes still closed.
“Tell me where the one who just fled went… and I will kill you without pain.”
To his surprise, it was clear that the black-robed man had been chasing Soyo, not Bu Eun-seol.
To have seen through Soyo's stealth, which even Bu Eun-seol himself had difficulty sensing.
Who in the world was this man?
“You will kill me without pain. You bestow a great favor upon me.”
Right now, Bu Eun-seol was in his identity as Seon Woo-jin. He spoke in a clear voice.
“But it seems you have some misunderstanding, sir.”
Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands and spoke with a polite expression.
“I am a commander belonging to the Martial Alliance.”
“Yes, the Martial Alliance.”
The black-robed man gave a sneering smile.
“There are plenty in the Martial Alliance.”
*Swoosh.*
At the same time, he opened his tightly shut eyes.
His pupils were as transparent as white clouds, and within them, blue lightning seemed to strike endlessly.
“Wretches like you, hiding your true identities!”
As the black-robed man roared, flashes of lightning that seemed to have been plucked from the clouds sparked all over his body.
The radiance was so bright it seemed it would blind anyone who looked, and his white eyes were a mix of killing intent and madness.
*Craaackle!*
Simultaneously, with a sound like thunder, the space around the black-robed man began to turn black.
The energy flowing from him had scorched the bushes and all the surrounding trees black.
Watching this, Bu Eun-seol’s eyes widened.
‘Annihilating Swift Thunder…’
Only then did he realize the black-robed man's identity.
‘The Thunder God.’
Born with the Body of the Thunder Spirit, able to wield the Spirit Energy of Thunder and Lightning, the most powerful energy between heaven and earth…
And capable of unleashing an infinite storm of the unstoppable and inescapable power of destruction, the Annihilating Swift Thunder.
The Thunder God, one of the Four Gods, Seven Kings, had suddenly appeared.