Chapter 1007
Seo Jin-ha stepped out of the Demon Hall with an unburdened expression.
After gazing up at the imposing grandeur of the Demon Hall, which overlooked the world below, he let out a soft pah sound and unleashed his Lightness Art.
Kwa-woo-woo!
Until now, he had not only flawlessly played the role of Peak Leader Seon-u Jin but also that of Bu Eun-seol, the Martial Soul Lord.
He had already mastered most of Bu Eun-seol's martial arts—Formless Heavenly Flow, the Willful True Binding, and Swift Shadowless.
Though there was still a gap in martial prowess due to differences in innate talent and comprehension,
it was undeniable that he had already reached the level of a young master.
Kwa-woong!
Swiftly leaving Chengdu behind, he headed north without pause before eventually veering into the depths of the mountains.
Then, he ascended a towering cliff.
At its peak stood a sturdy hermitage.
Inside, there was enough food and water to last a month, various necessities for daily life, and a large wooden chest that resembled a treasure box.
"Now begins the final journey."
Seo Jin-ha's eyes narrowed.
"It's time to complete the Secret Art that will kill him."
From his thinly lidded eyes spread a killing intent more ruthless and razor-sharp than anything seen before.
In truth, he had a secret.
Just as Bu Eun-seol had entered the Martial World for revenge, so too had Seo Jin-ha stepped into the martial realm with vengeance burning in his heart.
His father, Seo Mu-woong, had been a second-rate swordsman who never made a name for himself in the martial world, running a small martial hall in Jeongju.
But Seo Jin-ha possessed exceptional talent, and under his father's guidance, he systematically trained in swordsmanship and martial arts.
Seo Mu-woong had wanted to send his gifted son to a prestigious sect, but Seo Jin-ha refused.
—Rather than learning the sword arts of a renowned sect, I wish to further refine the swordsmanship you've taught me, Father.
With his innate martial talent, any sect would have welcomed him with open arms.
But he could not leave his father's side.
Because Seo Mu-woong had long suffered from a lung disease that worsened over time, and three years ago, he could no longer even manage the martial hall.
Seo Jin-ha spent his days chopping wood to support their livelihood and his nights caring for his father,
all while steadily honing the second-rate swordsmanship his father had passed down to him—the Drunken Cloud Sword Art.
—The Essence-Draining Sword has appeared.
Then, a rumor that shook the martial world spread like wildfire.
One of the treasures martial artists dreamed of possessing—the Essence-Draining Sword—had surfaced.
Hidden within its scabbard was the legendary Concealed Resentment Sword Manual, a manual rivaling even the Fire Rain Sword.
Obtaining it would instantly elevate one to the status of a swordsman who could dominate the world.
—Chase Yeop Jeokhwa!
And the one who had obtained the Essence-Draining Sword was none other than Yeop Jeokhwa, a master of the Lightness Art and the so-called Myriad Phenomena Divine Thief.
When Seo Mu-woong heard this rumor,
he seemed to have made up his mind. While Seo Jin-ha slept, he dragged his exhausted body out of the house.
When Seo Jin-ha realized his father was gone, he panicked,
but a letter had been left behind, promising his return within a month.
Above all, he believed his ailing father couldn't have gone far, so he waited in silence.
And a month later, his father returned as promised.
With a sword in hand.
"Jin-ha. This is the Essence-Draining Sword."
"How did you—?"
"I received it from Yeop Jeokhwa himself."
Seo Mu-woong smiled brightly and recounted a story from the past.
In his youth, when Seo Mu-woong had wandered the Martial World,
he once encountered a wounded Yeop Jeokhwa in a small Tatar village and saved him.
At the time, Yeop Jeokhwa had given him his personal token, the Myriad Phenomena Token, promising to fulfill any request in the future.
So when Seo Mu-woong heard the rumor that Yeop Jeokhwa had obtained the Essence-Draining Sword, he tracked him down
and presented the token to claim the sword.
"Master this, and you will become a martial artist who can dominate the world."
Seo Mu-woong spoke with conviction.
"You won't even need to seek out another master."
Seo Jin-ha was overjoyed, but unease gnawed at him.
The Essence-Draining Sword was a treasure of the world.
Martial artists would rather die than surrender such a divine blade to another.
Yet Yeop Jeokhwa, the Great Thief,
had handed over such a treasure without hesitation, all to honor a promise made over twenty years ago?
Even if he had given it up, who could guarantee that no pursuers would follow?
"Don't worry. No one knows I have the Essence-Draining Sword, and Yeop Jeokhwa said he would continue to be pursued."
"Is that so?"
"Here, go buy some wine with this."
Seo Mu-woong, for some reason, handed Seo Jin-ha a sizable silver coin and told him to fetch wine.
"I'd like some good wine for once. Go to Taehwaru and bring back three geun of Yellow Rice Wine."
Seo Jin-ha's expression darkened with concern.
His father's lung condition was severe—he absolutely should not, and could not, drink.
But seeing how much older his father had grown in just a month, he had no choice but to nod in reluctant agreement.
"Understood."
Seo Jin-ha turned and headed toward Taehwaru.
But before even a quarter of an hour had passed since his departure—
The Fierce Tiger Three Ghosts, infamous throughout the Martial World for mastering the most vicious tracking and torture techniques, arrived at Seo Mu-woong's home.
"Hand over the Essence-Draining Sword!"
"Nonsense!"
Seo Mu-woong drew the Essence-Draining Sword and resisted fiercely.
But a man weakened by lung disease, skilled only in second-rate swordsmanship, stood no chance against the notorious masters of the Martial World.
In the end, he was left with grievous wounds, and the sword was torn from his grasp.
"Hmph... No wonder. How could a mere eighth-rate swordsman like you have held onto the Essence-Draining Sword?"
Wang Ho, the eldest of the Fierce Tiger Three Ghosts, inspected the sword's scabbard before sneering.
"Yeop Jeokhwa... Truly fitting for a Great Thief. How clever."
"What are you talking about?"
As Seo Mu-woong's eyes widened, Wang Ho scoffed and tossed out a worn piece of paper that had been hidden in the sword's hilt.
"Thanks to you being the decoy, Yeop Jeokhwa slipped out of Zhengzhou without a hitch."
The Concealed Resentment Sword Manual supposedly hidden within the Essence-Draining Sword had been nothing but an elaborate fake, filled with nonsense techniques.
Shing!
Wang Ho drew his blade and carved through Seo Mu-woong's abdomen.
"Consider this punishment for wasting our time."
The Fierce Tiger Three Ghosts tortured him mercilessly before leaving—simply because they resented being made to chase a false lead.
Crash!
When Seo Jin-ha returned with the wine, he found Seo Mu-woong on the brink of death, his body in ruins.
"Father!"
"Jin-ha."
The dying man smiled sorrowfully.
"I'm sorry."
"What happened?!"
Seo Mu-woong relayed the events in brief.
How Yeop Jeokhwa, who had sworn to repay his life debt, had instead used him as bait to shake off pursuers and escape Zhengzhou.
"You... knew."
The moment Seo Jin-ha saw the hollow emptiness in his father's resigned gaze, he understood everything.
Even if his martial skills were lacking—
His father was wiser, more prudent, and more insightful than anyone he knew.
There was no way he wouldn't have seen through Yeop Jeokhwa's treachery.
In the end... his father had accepted the sword and returned home, knowing full well that betrayal was possible.
"Why...?"
"If Yeop Jeokhwa truly was a man who repaid his debts, you would have obtained the Concealed Resentment Sword Manual and become a master of the Martial World."
Seo Mu-woong averted his son's gaze.
"But if he had the heart of a jackal..."
Then, in a whisper, he murmured:
"Then my son would be free to soar through the Martial World."
Seo Mu-woong had known.
That if he continued clinging to life in this wretched, pain-ridden state—
He would only ruin his beloved son's future.
If Jin-ha didn't receive proper martial instruction before growing older—
He would never master Advanced Internal Energy or Advanced Martial Arts, and his brilliant talent would be buried forever.
Yet he couldn't bring himself to take his own life...
So he had gambled on this opportunity to seek out Yeop Jeokhwa.
If he truly obtained the Essence-Draining Sword, all would be well.
But even if he died as bait—
His son, shackled by a sickly father, would finally be free to spread his wings.
"Father..."
Seo Jin-ha wept tears of blood, shaking his head.
"Please... don't leave me."
"At best, I had only a few years left."
Seo Mu-woong spoke firmly.
"But if those few years were wasted... you would never have a body capable of learning Advanced Martial Arts."
Then he gently smoothed his weeping son's disheveled hair.
"This old man has only ever been a burden to you."
With an apologetic smile, he caressed his beloved son's cheek.
"Even in the end... I'm leaving you with nothing but pain."
"Father."
"Bury your grief for me deep in your heart..."
As Seo Mu-woong stroked his son's face, a bright smile touched his lips.
"And become a bird that flies freely across the vast blue heavens."
With those final words, he quietly drew his last breath.
Seo Jin-ha clutched his father's blood-soaked body tightly.
Though his breath had ceased, his embrace was still warm.
From that day onward, Seo Jin-ha's life changed.
—Everything else can come after revenge.
To destroy the treacherous Yeop Jeokhwa and the Fierce Tiger Three Ghosts who had slaughtered his father—
Instead of joining an orthodox sect as his father had wished, he entered the Black Blood Gang, the most ruthless lineage of assassins among the Unorthodox Factions.
Not only did they train brutal killers, but they also operated an intelligence network rivaling even the great alliances—
All for the sake of taking countless contracts.
—You lack killing intent, and your personality is too rigid. You'll never make it as an assassin.
At the First Instructor's words upon seeing Seo Jin-ha willingly join—
"Then I'll create what I lack and polish away my rigidity."
Seo Jin-ha met their gaze squarely as he spoke.
"You're quite the piece of work."
The instructors of the Black Blood Gang recognized not only that Seo Jin-ha possessed once-in-a-generation talent—but also that he sought to become an assassin for the sake of avenging his father.
So they took him in.
And subjected him to merciless training.
"The foundation of an assassin is the ability to smile. If you radiate such a cold, chilling aura, everyone will suspect you."
From that day onward, Seo Jin-ha had to relearn how to smile.
He had to smile while eating.
He had to smile even under torture.
His demeanor had to remain perpetually carefree, his tone and gaze deliberately languid.
Only then could he become an assassin who could infiltrate anywhere without arousing suspicion.
"In the end... we couldn't keep him."
Having been systematically trained in swordsmanship and physical conditioning by his father since childhood—on top of his innate genius—Seo Jin-ha was too extraordinary.
The instructors who had sought to mold him into the First Assassin shook their heads.
If he were to properly master martial arts, he would undoubtedly become one of the era's superlative martial experts, dominating the world.
It would be a waste for such a prodigy to remain merely an assassin.
"They're selecting the Ten Demonic Heirs."
Then, shocking news spread through the martial world.
The Demon Hall was selecting the Ten Demonic Heir to counter the Great Righteous Experts of the Martial Alliance.
"You must enter the Ten Demonic Heirs Tournament."
If he survived the tournament?
Not only would he become a formidable master within three years—he would instantly rise to the Demon Hall's upper echelons, gaining access to its vast intelligence network.
"Go."
Surprisingly, the Black Blood Gang let him leave without resistance.
In truth, the assassins gathered there were all men with bitter pasts of their own.
When they realized that the young Seo Jin-ha had come seeking vengeance—and that they could not contain his boundless potential—they made arrangements for him to enter the tournament.
"You must never reveal your ties to our gang. That is the condition."
Seo Jin-ha bowed deeply.
"Once my vengeance is complete, I will return to you, Elders."
"No need. You are destined to shake the martial world one day. If your connection to us becomes known, it will only tarnish your reputation."
Leaving the Black Blood Gang in silence, Seo Jin-ha applied for the Ten Demonic Heir under his real name.
With his exceptional physique, he cleared the First Trial effortlessly and was sent to Ghost Island.
And he was the first to realize why the Demon Hall had summoned them there—
To test them through mutual slaughter.
"Then I'll just kill them all first."
He infiltrated Hell Island in secret, rooting out and eliminating spies planted by the Righteous Faction.
Then, using Eun Seol-ryeong, a disciple of the Five Poisons Sect who had become a training overseer for the Hell Blood Citadel, he obtained lethal poison—
And attempted to slaughter every trainee on the island.
"You tried to kill all the trainees before the Third Trial even began—using a girl from our main hall's martial division."
During the selection of the Ten Demonic Heirs, Jeok Ya-hon, the Vice Fortress Lord of Hell-Blood Citadel, spoke to Seo Jin-ha.
"The most terrifying poison in this world is a Poison Heart. You are perfectly suited to master our fortress's Poison Art."
Thus, Seo Jin-ha became one of Hell-Blood Citadel's Ten Demonic Heirs.
His talent was extraordinary, and Jeok Ya-hon cherished him.
"You can never become this fortress's successor, so go to the Demon Hall instead."
Knowing that Gongya Geuk's opposition would prevent Seo Jin-ha from inheriting Hell-Blood Citadel despite his brilliance, Jeok Ya-hon pulled strings to place him in the Demon Hall's elite Special-Class Unit—the Heaven Slayers.
"Now I can finally hunt them down."
Seo Jin-ha was overjoyed.
With the intelligence network of the Demon Hall's Heaven Slayers, he could track down every assassin involved in his father's murder—
Including Yeop Jeokhwa.
"What kind of intelligence organization can't even utilize its own network?"
But there was something Seo Jin-ha hadn't anticipated.
Being a Heaven Slayer didn't grant him unrestricted access to the Demon Hall's supreme intelligence division—the Secret Shadow Pavilion.
In fact, becoming a unit member only tightened the restrictions on the information he could obtain.
Those tasked with highly classified missions were given only the most limited intelligence—
To prevent leaks.
But then, an opportunity arose.
Bu Eun-seol, another former Ten Demonic Heir, was also wandering the martial world for vengeance.
And as he moved between the Martial Alliance and the demonic factions, he needed someone to help him craft a flawless cover.
"If I aid him, I can access the Death Soul Squad's intelligence."
Bu Eun-seol was devising an elaborate plan to turn the Death Soul Squad into the demonic path's foremost intelligence organization—
All to find the murderer who had slain the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-yang.
By assisting him, Seo Jin-ha could naturally exploit the Death Soul Squad's network for his own ends.
"Found them."
Through the Death Soul Squad's intelligence, he located the Fierce Tiger Three Ghosts—the brothers who had brutally murdered his father.
"We were deceived by Yeop Jeokhwa!"
They died in excruciating agony, still protesting their innocence until the end.
—"We were deceived too! We only realized later that Yeop Jeokhwa was the one who leaked the fake location of the Essence-Draining Sword!"
Not only that—they had suffered near-fatal hardships themselves after obtaining the counterfeit sword.
Seeking treasure was the nature of martial artists.
Yeop Jeokhwa had used not only Seo Jin-ha's father but even the Fierce Tiger Three Ghosts as pawns to safely claim the true Essence-Draining Sword for himself.
—"Ah. Is that so?"
Seo Jin-ha was filled with rage, yet he nodded with a laugh.
—"Don't worry. Yeop Jeokhwa will soon follow you to the grave."
After beheading the Fierce Tiger Three Ghosts and offering their heads at his father's grave, Seo Jin-ha resumed tracking Yeop Jeokhwa's movements.
But no matter how extensively he mobilized intelligence networks, Yeop Jeokhwa's trail had gone cold.
During this time, he continued shuttling across the Martial World as Bu Eun-seol's shadow, living a double life on his behalf.
And gradually, he came to understand.
That Bu Eun-seol, too, was an avenger.
Moreover, like himself—whose heart was soft, not hardened—Bu Eun-seol remained fragile, exhausting himself to protect those around him.
—"No, he's even worse off than I was."
Had Bu Eun-seol been the type consumed solely by vengeance, Seo Jin-ha wouldn't have cared.
But Bu Eun-seol prioritized others over his own revenge.
Even if it meant breaking himself. Even if it meant shattering his own heart.
He pursued vengeance while still striving to shield those beside him.
—"A tenderhearted avenger..."
Before he realized it, Seo Jin-ha had developed a profound camaraderie with Bu Eun-seol.
Even if he failed to avenge his father, he now wished to protect Bu Eun-seol at all costs.
And then, just as time flowed relentlessly forward...
The Death Soul Squad's intelligence network finally located Yeop Jeokhwa—the man who had manipulated and murdered his father.
—"The White Sword Sect Leader. So he was Yeop Jeokhwa all along."
After obtaining the Essence-Draining Sword and leaving Jeongju, Yeop Jeokhwa had vanished without a trace.
Some claimed he'd fallen to his death from a cliff while evading pursuit.
Others whispered that he'd assumed a new identity, retreating deep into the mountains to live anew.
But the truth was far more calculated.
After securing the sword, Yeop Jeokhwa had secretly nurtured a faction of his own—
A guild of mercenary swordsmen who would undertake any task for the right price.
He had become the leader of the White Sword Sect.
—"Yeop Jeokhwa didn't become the White Sword Sect Leader. The Sect Leader created Yeop Jeokhwa as a second identity."
Upon investigation, it became clear: Yeop Jeokhwa had always been the Sect Leader's alternate persona.
—"I can't strike yet."
Seo Jin-ha gritted his teeth.
Though his father's vengeance had been years in the making,
Bu Eun-seol was still risking his life moving between the Martial Alliance and the Demon Hall.
Moreover, Yeop Jeokhwa—now wielding the Essence-Draining Sword—was assessed to have reached the Extreme Heaven Realm.
For now, revenge would have to wait.
But Bu Eun-seol had since retired from espionage, and Seo Jin-ha's own martial prowess now bordered on the threshold of the Extreme Heaven Realm.
No more delays.
He would leave the Demon Hall, crush the White Sword Sect where Yeop Jeokhwa lurked, and finally fulfill his long-awaited vengeance.
Seo Jin-ha exhaled deeply, emerging from his memories.
Yeop Jeokhwa was not only stronger than him but also in possession of the Essence-Draining Sword—a divine blade of legend.
His chances of victory were slim, and with time, the gap between them would only widen.
"I've abandoned all thought of winning."
To develop a martial art capable of killing Yeop Jeokhwa, he had built this thatched cottage, stockpiling provisions for the long haul.
"Unfortunately, time isn't on my side either."
Seo Jin-ha gazed at the distant sky.
His martial arts had yet to breach the Extreme Heaven Realm.
Acting as Bu Eun-seol's shadow had accelerated his growth, but paradoxically, it had also stagnated his progress.
To ascend to such a transcendent realm,
One must not only refine their techniques but ceaselessly reflect inward—
Forging a path entirely their own.
Yet by mimicking Bu Eun-seol's mannerisms and actions, he had become little more than a second-rate copy.
He could play the part of "Seon-u Jin," but achieving a qualitative leap in martial prowess? Impossible.
"There's only one way left."
Fortunately, with Bu Eun-seol's aid,
With Bu Eun-seol's insights and secret arts, he had mastered the Willful True Binding and Thirteenfold Qi Induction—supreme secret arts bridging both orthodox and unorthodox paths.
The role of "Seon-u Jin" no longer mattered; the Death Soul Squad would erase all traces of that identity.
All that remained now was either:
Cultivating his strength here until he could confront Yeop Jeokhwa—or devising a method to kill him regardless.
But Yeop Jeokhwa held the Essence-Draining Sword, and as the White Sword Sect Leader, his power far surpassed Seo Jin-ha's.
He was no Divine Being like Bu Eun-seol, nor did he possess any means to rapidly elevate his strength.
Which left only one path.
Mutual Destruction. Even if it cost his life, he would drag Yeop Jeokhwa down with him.
Demon Hall, Hidden Demon Pavilion—Inner Sanctum.
After listening to a lengthy report from a covert operative, Bu Eun-seol gave a slow nod.
His bad instincts were never wrong.
The sole consolation was that Seo Jin-ha cared more for others than himself.
Otherwise, he would've long since cast everything aside and left the Demon Hall without a second thought.
Rising with solemn deliberation, Bu Eun-seol spoke in a voice like winter's heart.
"Summon Un-ryong."