Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: A New Face, A New Mission
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It was not loyalty.
Bu Eun-seol had entered the Ten Demon Champions tournament all alone.
After fighting through a battlefield of blood and gore, the place he finally chose was Nang-ya-gak.
Not as a sect that taught martial arts, but as a home he could return to.
"Hahaha."
Dang Cheong burst out laughing as if she couldn't help it.
To the other disciples, it was a place to pursue the pinnacle of martial arts, but to Bu Eun-seol, it was simply a home to return to.
'Truly, as a disciple of our sect, he is as good as they come.'
To pursue the greatest strength, regardless of the danger. Was that not the foremost virtue a disciple of Nang-ya-gak should possess?
Bu Eun-seol was a disciple better suited for Nang-ya-gak than anyone else.
"Very well. However, your time in the Gu-sal-dae will be limited to one year."
Dang Cheong said calmly.
"If, even within that year, you reach a level you're satisfied with, you are to leave the Gu-sal-dae and return."
"Understood."
"Then I will make a formal request to the Demonic Cult and have you assigned as a member of the Gu-sal-dae."
At Dang Cheong's permission, Bu Eun-seol bowed deeply.
"Thank you for your permission."
"However, there is a problem."
"What might that be?"
"Your appearance is too conspicuous."
"Me?"
Though he himself didn't realize it, Bu Eun-seol's looks were so peerless that 'handsome' was an understatement.
Eyes like flowers of fire blooming within ice, a sharp nose, and pale skin. A physique that looked delicate yet was firm...
Above all, he exuded a lonely and solitary aura, unforgettable after a single glance.
"Ahem."
Dang Cheong, who had been staring intently at Bu Eun-seol, cleared her throat and spoke.
"You are currently the most prominent rising star among the Ten Demon Champions. If you carry out missions for the Gu-sal-dae with an appearance that anyone would remember, your identity will be exposed in no time."
She took a secret manual from her robes and placed it on the table.
On the worn booklet, the characters for the Face and Bone Alteration Art (換面易骨術) were visible.
"Even a human-skin mask cannot deceive a master with keen eyes. But if you learn this art, you will be able to change your appearance without it looking unnatural."
Dang Cheong said with a deep sigh.
"Although it does consume a tenth of your internal energy while you maintain it."
"Thank you."
As Bu Eun-seol took the booklet, Dang Cheong picked up the pile of documents again.
"You may go. I will make arrangements so you can leave at any time."
***
Dongting Lake.
Though it was called a lake (湖), it was actually a river. It only appeared lake-like because the waters of the Yangtze River (長江) flowed in and out of it.
A region like this, with no clear distinction between river and lake, is called Jianghu (江湖), which is the origin of the word used to refer to the martial world.
"Whoa."
As the carriage traveling along the main road slowly came to a halt, the sound of a horse snorting echoed.
"We've arrived in Yueyang."
With the coachman's voice, the carriage door opened, and a tall, handsome figure slowly emerged.
Had he just reached the age of maturity? A handsome young man, well over six feet tall with long, flowing hair, revealed himself.
It was Bu Eun-seol, now an official member of the Gu-sal-dae.
After leaving Nang-ya-gak, he was assigned to the Gu-sal-dae's secret branch of the Demonic Cult, located in Yueyang.
The area around Dongting Lake in Hunan Province was a borderland between the sects of the Orthodox and Unorthodox Factions, a place where figures from both sides constantly clashed over their interests.
In other words, it was a buffer zone where neither the Demonic Cult nor the Murim Alliance could exert their influence.
Bu Eun-seol intended to hone his martial arts by carrying out missions here, where the power struggles between the Orthodox and Unorthodox Factions were fierce.
*Crack.*
A cracking sound echoed as he tilted his neck.
'Perhaps I should have just used my lightness technique to get here.'
When martial artists traveled long distances, they generally used lightness techniques.
Bu Eun-seol, whose internal energy had surpassed a sixty-year cycle, could also traverse a thousand li in a day without difficulty.
However, he had taken a leisurely carriage ride to read the manuals he had received from Dang Cheong and Wang Geol.
'Indeed... there are many martial artists here.'
Entering the provincial capital, Bu Eun-seol's eyes sparkled as he looked at the marketplace lined with taverns.
Half of the passersby were armed with weapons, their eyes sharp and intense.
In particular, the window seats of the taverns overlooking Dongting Lake were packed with people who appeared to be martial artists.
"Young Master, won't you come up to our tavern? The view is absolutely splendid!"
Just then, a boy who looked like an attendant chattered playfully in front of Bu Eun-seol.
"Our Gyeongha-ru is famous for having the most delicious food among all the taverns in the area."
He seemed too young to be a waiter, but his speech and actions were quite skillful.
Bu Eun-seol looked into the bright-eyed waiter's eyes and shook his head.
"Not interested."
"Don't say that, please come up. Our tavern has a local specialty, a thirty-year-aged premium yellow wine (黃酒). And our waiters don't ask for separate tips!"
At those words, Bu Eun-seol furrowed his brow.
A place that served decades-old wine and where attendants were given tips. Wasn't that a high-class establishment used only by the wealthy or high-ranking officials, not a place with common seating?
"Not interested."
When Bu Eun-seol waved his hand in refusal, the waiter bowed his head in disappointment.
"Well then, Young Master. Please be sure to visit Gyeongha-ru next time!"
Watching the boy bow and turn away, Bu Eun-seol was suddenly struck by a strange feeling.
'Come to think of it, waiters are trying to solicit my business.'
It was a situation he could never have imagined when he worked as a corpse washer at the Hwangju government office.
Back then, he wore shabby clothes, not a proper uniform, reeking of the stench of corpses...
'It must be the clothes.'
Bu Eun-seol was now dressed in genuine clothes and a robe made by the Gongsun family of the capital.
He had dressed like a carefree loafer visiting the Dongting Lake area to conceal his identity.
'Back then, I didn't need good clothes. The stench of corpses would soak into them after just one day.'
Smiling bitterly, Bu Eun-seol stopped in front of a stall displaying various bronze mirrors.
'It wasn't just the clothes.'
Reflected in the bronze mirror, he was no longer a scrawny, delicate boy.
Having reached the age of maturity, his physique was not only imposing but had transformed into that of a handsome young man exuding a refined elegance.
—Is he the son of a noble family?
—He's quite handsome. He could be a Peking opera actor.
The sound of people whispering followed him as he walked through the marketplace.
Slowly making his way out of the marketplace, Bu Eun-seol quietly shook his head.
'I really have to change my appearance.'
During the carriage ride, he had already mastered the Face and Bone Alteration Art that Dang Cheong had given him.
'It would be best not to reveal my true appearance to the people at the branch office, either.'
They were all members of the Demonic Cult anyway. There was no need to reveal his true affiliation or face.
Having organized his thoughts, Bu Eun-seol drew upon his internal energy and performed the Face and Bone Alteration Art.
*Crack.*
A cracking sound echoed from his jaw and temples, and his skin began to ripple like water.
Although it was called the Face and Bone Alteration Art, it couldn't be used to freely change one's face or alter one's skeleton at will.
A person's appearance could be changed by slightly altering the shape of their eyes or the contours of their face.
In essence, the Face and Bone Alteration Art worked by subtly shifting the muscles and bones of the face to create an appearance completely different from the original.
*Pop, pop, pop.*
After shifting his facial muscles and bones, Bu Eun-seol lifted his head.
The dazzlingly handsome young man was gone, replaced by an ordinary-looking young man one could see anywhere.
By slightly altering his nose, eyes, and jawline, he could change his appearance so naturally that even masters with keen eyes would not notice anything amiss.
"Time to get going."
Leaving the marketplace, Bu Eun-seol entered a winding alley and stopped in front of a worn-down building at its end.
Hoe-hyeon Ancient Bookstore.
Above the building, a worn sign about six characters long hung precariously.
Judging by the faded characters, it seemed to be a bookstore with a long history.
*Creeak.*
As he opened the door with a screech like a wailing ghost, the bookstore's interior came into view.
'A fine place.'
Bu Eun-seol nodded, looking at the grand and spacious interior, reminiscent of Shaolin's Scripture Pavilion.
To properly preserve books, light and humidity must be carefully controlled.
Inside, only enough oil lamps to barely read by were hung, and high-quality charcoal and salt were placed here and there.
"Welcome."
As he navigated through the densely packed bookshelves, a middle-aged man sitting at a desk stood up.
The middle-aged man, dressed in a dark blue robe, smiled warmly and spoke.
"Is there something you're looking for?"
He was Sang Ryang, the owner of Hoe-hyeon Ancient Bookstore and the head of the Gu-sal-dae's Yueyang branch.
"I've come to sell a book."
Bu Eun-seol replied in a nonchalant voice.
Before coming here, he had already heard from Wang Geol how the Gu-sal-dae branches operated and how to make contact.
"What kind of book?"
In response to Sang Ryang's question, Bu Eun-seol took out a book from his robes with the title *Spring and Autumn Annals* written on it.
"Hmm."
Taking the book, Sang Ryang narrowed his eyes.
'Too young.'
Although he had hidden his true face with the Face and Bone Alteration Art, Sang Ryang discerned that Bu Eun-seol was a young man who had just passed the age of maturity.
'He doesn't look very skilled, either.'
Looking at Bu Eun-seol's ordinary-looking face, he inwardly clicked his tongue.
Members of the Gu-sal-dae were generally selected from those who were fearless and had extensive experience in the martial world.
Therefore, most Gu-sal-dae members sent from various factions were in their thirties, or at the very least, their late twenties.
'Well, it's none of my business.'
Sang Ryang was part of the Demonic Cult, after all.
These operatives were individuals whose faction of origin was unknown. There was no need for names or introductions between them.
As ghosts who didn't officially exist, they felt no camaraderie and wouldn't even bat an eye if one of them died.
"Can you buy it?"
Bu Eun-seol's words brought Sang Ryang back to his senses.
The book was in excellent condition, but inside the characters for *Spring and Autumn Annals*, a red spider was drawn. It was the mark of the Gu-sal-dae.
"Oh dear, the book is damaged."
Sang Ryang's eyes glinted for a moment before he clicked his tongue.
"I can't give you a good price for it like this. How much are you selling it for?"
"Instead of money, I was thinking of trading it for another book. Would that be acceptable?"
"Hahaha. You seem to be a true book lover. Ma Un."
At the middle-aged man's call, a young man who had been organizing something in the back emerged.
"You called?"
"Show him the old books in the back."
"Understood."
Guided by the man, Ma Un, Bu Eun-seol walked between the bookshelves for some time before finally entering a warehouse where old books were stacked.
*Thud.*
As they entered the warehouse, the entrance was sealed by a thick iron door.
Ma Un pointed to a bookshelf and spoke in a low voice.
"I am Ma Un, the contact for the Yueyang branch."
He took a letter from his robes, examined it, and nodded.
"For convenience, we refer to Gu-sal-dae members by their code numbers. You will be... Number Eighteen. Not that we'll have much occasion to call each other by name."
Ma Un's expression and voice were devoid of any emotion.
"Open a book, and you will find a mission. Choose one, and I will explain the details."
His once-obsequious demeanor was gone, replaced by the bearing of a martial arts master.
Even if he was just the contact, he was still a figure from the Demonic Cult. Not someone to be taken lightly.
There were only six books on the shelf, all of them in pristine condition as if recently made.
*Fwip.*
He opened a book titled *Extensive Records of the Taiping Era*, and on the first page, unexpected characters were written.
—Jeong-ho, third posting. Five hundred nyang of silver.
Steal the Gilt-Bronze Incense Burner from the residence of Go Jeok-san, the Three-Legged Wild Wolf.
"The mission is to infiltrate the Geumwi Sect on Mount Geummun and steal the Gilt-Bronze Incense Burner in Go Jeok-san's possession."
Ma Un began his explanation.
"However, I would advise against choosing it unless you are familiar with the geography of the Mount Geummun area. There have already been several failed attempts..."
He was explaining at a steady, mechanical pace.
"What does 'posting' mean?"
Ma Un answered Bu Eun-seol's question immediately.
"It's the number of times the mission has been issued. It means either someone has failed three times, or no one has taken the mission for so long that it's been posted three times."
'Hmm.'
Swallowing a groan, Bu Eun-seol looked at the other books.
The other four books also listed missions involving stealing demonic weapons or treasures, or causing disruptions using information.
And each time he opened a book, Ma Un would explain mechanically.
'This is meaningless.'
Frowning, he reached for another book.
'Is this the last one?'
Bu Eun-seol examined the book titled *Classic of Poetry*.
—Byeong-ho, ninth posting. Three thousand nyang of silver.
Covertly eliminate Seok Jeong, the vice-leader of the Soul-Stealing Hall of the Hyeoreum Heretical Cult.
"There's no need to even look at that one."
Ma Un let out a heavy breath and shook his head.
"Because that is a Byeong-ho mission."
"Am I not allowed to take it?"
"Can't you tell just by looking?"
Ma Un's lips curled into a smirk.
"Gap, Eul, Byeong, Jeong... Missions ranked Byeong-ho or higher are usually chosen by seasoned operatives who have performed missions for at least three years."
He pointed at the *Classic of Poetry* and spoke again.
"Seok Jeong is a master who has made a name for himself in the martial world for over a decade. He has dealt with many assassins, so he can't be taken down with a mere surprise attack. There's a reason the reward is three thousand nyang..."
Ma Un couldn't finish his sentence.
Because a faint smile had appeared on the corner of Bu Eun-seol's lips.