Chapter 479
Chapter 479
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 479
Chapter Title: The Shadow's Sacrifice
-----------------------------------------------------------------
—He cannot close his eyes, even in death… (死不顚目).
The technique seemed to speak of the old man's current plight.
His body, having forcibly expelled its internal energy, should have ceased breathing long ago.
But due to some lingering regret... his soul could not find rest, clinging stubbornly to his physical form.
KABOOM!
With the explosion, an inky blade aura—no, an aura of death—scattered from the old man's stone blade in all directions.
*‘I, too, must use the Seven Forms of Blood Tears...’*
Just as Bu Eun-seol, watching the spreading blade aura, was about to extend his stone blade,
Fwoosh!
The spreading blade aura passed through the old man's body, then through Bu Eun-seol's... and then through everything that existed in this world.
Rumble.
Simultaneously, massive stones began to rain down from the ceiling.
Rumble.
The stone chamber collapsed.
“Ugh.”
As the dust settled, a space untouched by the falling rocks could be seen within the collapsed chamber.
Zzzing.
There stood Bu Eun-seol, arms outstretched.
He had deployed the Wish-Granting True Art to block the falling stones.
Since the chamber was built into the side of a cave, the falling rocks were not particularly large or heavy.
However, to protect the old man from harm, he had spread the Wish-Granting True Art wide to block the debris.
“Are you unharmed?”
Bu Eun-seol looked at the old man standing feebly in the corner of the chamber.
The old man's already withered body now resembled a skeleton.
This was because he had poured out not only the Reversal True Energy received from Bu Eun-seol but all the life force within his body to perform the blade art.
Drip.
The old man was not the only one to worry about.
Bu Eun-seol's body was covered in wounds, with blood dripping from the punctures.
As the Form of Dying with Eyes Wide Open spread, he, too, had unleashed the Seven Forms of Blood Tears.
But he couldn't completely block the old man's technique, and his entire body was engulfed in the blade aura.
Despite this, he had immediately deployed the Wish-Granting True Art to protect the old man from the falling rocks.
If Bu Eun-seol hadn't used the Form of Finding Life in Death.
And if the Reversal True Energy he had stored in the old man's body hadn't been severed mid-way...
Bu Eun-seol would have been torn to pieces and died.
*‘This is the power of the Seven Forms of Blood Tears.’*
As the fifth form, the ultimate technique of Dying with Eyes Wide Open, poured out, at that moment of life and death,
the blade formula of the Seven Forms of Blood Tears, along with the second form, Finding Life in Death, flashed through Bu Eun-seol's mind.
Finding Life in Death.
It is the second form of the Seven Forms of Blood Tears, a counterattack that defends against a fatal blow while simultaneously erasing the space where the enemy stands.
And this technique, true to its name, could find a sliver of hope in a situation of certain death.
It could be used as a life-saving ultimate technique.
Kwaaaaaaah!
The moment the fifth form of the Seven Forms of Blood Tears, the Form of Dying with Eyes Wide Open, unleashed by the old man, enveloped his entire body.
Bu Eun-seol used the Form of Finding Life in Death to create a blade ring, protecting his vital points.
This was how he managed to survive within the wave of blade aura.
“Kuh.”
Carefully pushing aside the fallen rocks, Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
Until now, the Seven Forms of Blood Tears he had performed were merely impressive postures.
The true power of the Seven Forms of Blood Tears surpassed the realm of the Way of the Blade, manifesting a power closer to a 'phenomenon'.
If this old man's internal energy had been intact? Not just the stone chamber, but the entire Cave of Repentance would have collapsed.
All the demonic practitioners here would have lost their lives and become wandering spirits.
“Who... are you?”
Just then, the old man, whose life force seemed depleted, regained his clarity and stared intently at Bu Eun-seol.
“That variation of the Form of Finding Life in Death you used... It is something that cannot be performed without knowing the entire blade formula.”
“I am Bu Eun-seol, a disciple of the Nangya Pavilion.”
As the old man's eyes cleared, Bu Eun-seol quickly revealed his identity.
“I happened to acquire the legacy of the elder Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade, which was left on Ghost Island.”
At those words, a faint light flickered in the old man's eyes.
He seemed to be pondering the truth of the statement.
Or perhaps he was slipping back into a dazed state.
“Elder, are you the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade?”
“...”
“I am not a spy for the Three Realms.”
Bu Eun-seol said urgently.
“I am the grandson of Bu Jan-yang, a mortician from the Hwangju Prefecture's constabulary. However, my grandfather was brutally murdered by a master who used a vicious demonic sword art.”
“...”
“I came to the martial world to avenge my grandfather. But the more I investigated the culprit... the more I began to wonder if the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-yang, and my grandfather were the same person.”
Bu Eun-seol spoke with an expression of utmost desperation.
“I have tried to speak with you before, Elder, but your mind was not clear, so we never had the chance to converse. If you doubt my identity, I will recite the entire blade formula of the Seven Forms of Blood Tears for you.”
The old man, with his dazed eyes, only gasped for breath, remaining silent.
Bu Eun-seol had no choice but to infuse the old man's body with Reversal True Energy once more.
He then began to recite the blade formula of the Seven Forms of Blood Tears.
But there was still no reaction.
*‘He might think that the Three Realms could have easily found the blade formula.’*
Bu Eun-seol urgently thought of another way.
His grandfather's identity. And his own. How could he possibly prove them?
“My grandfather...”
Suddenly realizing this was Shaolin, Bu Eun-seol spoke quickly.
“I believe he was a disciple of Shaolin. That is why he passed the Muscle-Tendon Change Classic down to me.”
He then began to recite the incantations of the Muscle-Tendon Change Classic.
At that,
“The Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade...”
The old man stared into the empty air with a vacant gaze.
Whether his mind was clouded or his life was fading... his expression was as if he were dreaming.
And he muttered something unrelated.
“The entire martial world is in his debt. It is because of his sacrifice that we have survived until now.”
A flash sparked in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
Those words meant that the old man was not the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade himself.
“Then, Elder, you are...”
Bu Eun-seol, about to ask, 'What is your relationship with the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade?', held his tongue.
The old man's gaze was not on him, but on the empty air.
“But in the end, he realized everything had gone wrong. So he tried to atone for everything with his death.”
“...”
“But we couldn't let him do that. He had already lost too much.”
*‘All of us?’*
Were there really that many people helping the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-yang?
Bu Eun-seol wanted to interrupt the old man and ask questions.
But the old man's energy was failing, and his murmuring voice grew quieter.
If he stopped him now, the old man might draw his last breath immediately.
“But deceiving the eyes of the Three Realms was not easy. The many people who had become his shadows died one by one... As a last resort, I crippled my own internal energy and entered the Cave of Repentance.”
The old man smiled faintly.
“The power of the Three Realms does not reach this place. Here, I could surely die as the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade.”
Thump.
Bu Eun-seol was shocked.
If his grandfather was the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade, why hadn't he abandoned that name?
He had always wondered how he had avoided being caught by a vast intelligence network like the Three Realms.
Because in the entire martial world, there was only one famous person named Bu Jan-yang: the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade.
But surprisingly.
There were people helping the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade.
And this nameless old man.
To protect him, he had willingly confined himself in the Cave of Repentance, playing the part of the real Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade.
“...You mean to say, Elder, you became the real Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade... and have been enduring this hardship?”
It wasn't a question, but a murmur that escaped his lips upon hearing such a shocking truth.
But the old man smiled faintly, as if he understood Bu Eun-seol's words.
“This was the only way to let him escape the blood-soaked martial world...”
“...”
“In the end, he faked his death through a meticulous plan... and successfully vanished. Never dreaming that 'he', whom he trusted more than anyone, would betray him...”
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
Although the words were rambling, he could grasp the general situation.
There were many people secretly helping the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade, and this old man was one of them.
And the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade had left the martial world by faking his death through a meticulous plan.
But when someone's betrayal threatened to expose the plan...
The old man, for the sake of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-yang.
Had willingly sacrificed himself, confining himself in the Cave of Repentance for his safety.
“Who was the one he trusted? Who betrayed him?”
The old man didn't answer Bu Eun-seol's question and started on another story.
“But I eventually made a mistake.”
He looked at Bu Eun-seol with pained eyes.
“The Three Realms eventually found me in the Cave of Repentance. I was deceived by a wicked person and taught him five forms of the Seven Forms of Blood Tears...”
The old man bit his lip as if recalling the memory.
“When there was nothing left to take, they brought someone who uses the Secret Art of Soul-Summoning Void Spirit and... my mind...”
Bu Eun-seol could now understand the whole situation.
The Three Realms had discovered that the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade was hiding here.
And through him, they learned that the real Bu Jan-yang was still alive.
And after extracting the Seven Forms of Blood Tears from him, when he was no longer of use,
they sent a master of mind arts like Hyuk-ryeon Eung to shatter the old man's spirit.
The mind-controlling art was so potent that even at death's door, the old man's clarity had not returned.
“He always wanted to atone for brutally killing innocent people.”
The old man looked at Bu Eun-seol with feeble eyes.
“Please, he must be safe...”
At that earnest and desperate voice, Bu Eun-seol squeezed his eyes shut.
The old man had sacrificed his entire life for the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade.
And even as he drew his last breath, he was worried only for the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade.
“He is probably safe.”
Bu Eun-seol said carefully.
“You no longer have to pretend to be the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade. I will take responsibility and return you to your family.”
For decades, he had been the shadow of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade, sacrificing himself for his life.
So it was only right that he should return to his family in the end.
“No.”
As if understanding Bu Eun-seol's words, the old man shook his head.
“Just in case he might still be alive... I must die under the name of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade.”
“Elder.”
“Bu Jan-yang.”
The old man suddenly stared intently at Bu Eun-seol, smiled brightly, and nodded.
“I hope... he safely left the martial world and lived happily.”
Ssshh.
With those words, the old man drew his last breath.
Bu Eun-seol lowered his head, his expression pained and sorrowful.
He held the old man's hands tightly.
“Elder...”
Bu Eun-seol's voice trembled with pain and anguish.
The Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-yang, must be his grandfather.
And his grandfather must have worked as a mortician as a form of atonement.
And that was only possible because of the sacrifice of this nameless old man before him.
For the sake of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade.
He had willingly chosen a life filled with pain and suffering.
And until his last moment, he prayed only for Bu Jan-yang's happiness.
“My grandfather...”
Suppressing his surging emotions, Bu Eun-seol held the nameless old man's hands and spoke in a soft voice.
“Lived with me... happily for a very long time.”
At that, a faint smile appeared on the lips of the deceased old man.
As if he had heard that Bu Jan-yang had lived a happy life.
The smile was peaceful, with no regrets.
Bu Eun-seol stepped out of the collapsed stone chamber.
He bowed respectfully once more toward the place where the nameless old man's body lay.
In the end, he couldn't find out the old man's real name or identity.
But even with a clear mind, he would never have revealed his identity.
Only for the sake of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-yang.
For the peace of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-yang, who might still be alive.
“I will let Shaolin take care of your remains, Elder.”
The nameless old man wished to die as the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade.
Knowing this, Bu Eun-seol could not retrieve the old man's body.
The shadow of the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-yang, who had made the martial world tremble in fear...
...had died a lonely death in the lightless Cave of Repentance.
After bowing, Bu Eun-seol stood up and bowed his head toward the stone chamber once more.
The old man was a benefactor who had saved not only Bu Jan-yang's life but also Bu Eun-seol's.
Without his sacrifice.
Bu Jan-yang could not have become a mortician, and Bu Eun-seol, who was freezing to death, would never have met Bu Jan-yang.
And to have dedicated his entire life to the happiness of another.
A person with such a spirit of sacrifice... deserves the respect of all under heaven.
*‘I must at least ask Shaolin about the truth behind this.’*
Originally, Bu Eun-seol had planned to meet him, whether he was the real Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade or his shadow.
And then leave Shaolin quietly.
But after meeting the nameless old man, his mind had changed.
He had to, at the very least, demand to know what Shaolin knew.
Bu Eun-seol was certain.
That his grandfather was the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-yang.
The Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade who had driven the entire martial world into terror.
He had actually sacrificed himself for the martial world, and to atone for those who died by his hand...
...he had spent his days cleansing the bodies of the dead.
Grind.
Bu Eun-seol closed the iron door and turned around.
The Cave of Repentance is part of Shaolin.
When they learn of his death, the high monks of Shaolin will personally collect his remains and offer prayers.
“In the end, the Cave of Repentance is managed by the Blood Shaolin. In that case, I must meet the abbot of the Blood Shaolin.”
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip.
If he had his way, he would smash through the Shaolin grounds right now and demand answers.
But he couldn't do that.
While he didn't know if his grandfather, Bu Jan-yang, was the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade, it was certain he was a Shaolin man.
He had passed on the life-nurturing secrets of the Muscle-Tendon Change Classic, which could only be learned by a Shaolin disciple.
If his grandfather was a Shaolin disciple, then he, too, could not treat Shaolin carelessly.
*‘I don't understand what kind of fate this is.’*
However, how his grandfather, a disciple of Shaolin, the foremost of the Orthodox Faction,
had learned the Heavenly Will Heart Art, the secret art of the Heavenly Emperor Shin Do-mu-bi,
and became the invincible bladesman who terrified the Demonic Martial World, rising to the position of Vice Lord of the Demonic Palace...
...was completely beyond his understanding.
*‘I will find Dam-jeung.’*
The current Shaolin Abbot had been ambushed, and the atmosphere was tense.
So, he planned to find the abbot of the Blood Shaolin, Dam-jeung, and ask him several things.
“We have to clear this quickly!”
Just then, he heard the murmuring of the demonic practitioners outside.
When Bu Eun-seol went outside, he saw the old men had rushed to the collapsed cave entrance and were clearing the rocks.
But with so many fallen rocks and their lack of internal energy, they couldn't work fast and were struggling.
“What are you doing?”
Seeing Bu Eun-seol walk out, pushing aside boulders weighing hundreds of pounds without even touching them,
“...”
the old men clearing the rocks froze, their eyes wide.
“He's alive.”
“See? I told you he'd be fine since his internal energy is intact.”
“Tsk, wasted our energy because of one guy.”
The old men glared at that 'one guy'.
They shot a sharp glare at Tak Il-hon, then grumbled and started walking back into the cave.
It seemed Tak Il-hon had persuaded the old men to clear the rocks to save Bu Eun-seol.
“Hah.”
Bu Eun-seol let out a deep sigh.
These were the great demonic masters who once made the martial world tremble in fear.
Infinitely more wicked and powerful than the old men in the Land of Absolute Heaven.
Seeing such men struggling to lift rocks one by one to save him...
...stirred an indescribable, strange feeling within him.
Could he still call these old men demonic practitioners?
Who, exactly, could define what is orthodox and what is demonic?
*‘Was it the same for my grandfather?’*
His grandfather had preached that concepts like demonic and orthodox, or good and evil, were flawed constructs created for human convenience.
And Bu Eun-seol, too.
As time passed, as he walked the path of the martial world.
The boundaries between the demonic and orthodox paths, between good and evil, were blurring in his mind.
“Wait, please stay where you are.”
Bu Eun-seol called out to the departing old men.
“Why?”
As the old men all stopped and turned their heads,
Zzzing!
Over a hundred tangible hands formed behind Bu Eun-seol's back.
He had deployed the Wish-Granting True Art.
In the past, this would have been an impossible feat, but after mastering the Secret Art of Elixir Refinement and condensing his internal energy,
he could use the powerful internal energy within his body with much greater finesse.
Chwararak!
As the true energy hands created by the Wish-Granting True Art passed through the old men,
Woooong!
A powerful vibration accompanied the mighty Reversal True Energy as it began to course through their meridians.
Although their dantians were destroyed and they couldn't accumulate internal energy, just having their meridians cleared once more.
Would allow all the old men in the Cave of Repentance to live long, healthy lives free of pain.
“Hmph, what a useless gesture.”
Even though Bu Eun-seol had cleared their meridians in an instant, the old men didn't seem particularly pleased.
“This young punk has so much internal energy he doesn't know what to do with it.”
“Exactly. If he has this much energy, he should be using it out there. Why waste it here?”
Seeing the old men grumble, Bu Eun-seol smiled and said.
“In the future, when I have finished all my business, I will return.”
Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands.
“At that time, I will escort you all outside.”
“Forget it.”
“We're more comfortable here.”
“If we go out, it'll just cause trouble for our descendants.”
The great demonic masters here grumbled and waved their hands dismissively.
They had already achieved the state of no-mind, abandoning all attachments.
To the point where even returning to the martial world seemed like a hassle.
Bu Eun-seol smiled and clasped his hands.
“Then.”
He turned toward the entrance of the Cave of Repentance to leave.
The height was immeasurably vast, and the walls were too smooth to use the Gecko Gliding Art.
But for Bu Eun-seol, the height was not a problem at all.
“Wait.”
Just then, a figure came running, out of breath.
It was Tak Il-hon.