Chapter 1009
Bu Eun-seol's first trainee was Yu Un-ryong.
After setting up a wooden dummy formation—the kind used in Langya Pavilion—in a clearing some distance from the thatched cottage,
and meticulously layering it with several other battle formations he knew,
Bu Eun-seol called for Yu Un-ryong, holding a bundle in his hand.
"What?"
After listening to Bu Eun-seol's explanation for a while, Yu Un-ryong's jaw dropped to his stomach.
He had been expecting some incredible martial art to be passed down,
or some terrifyingly grueling training regimen to follow.
But this? Basic training? And not just any basics—sensory training, the kind done when first entering martial arts?
"Did I hear wrong?"
"......Then I'll explain again."
Bu Eun-seol extended his hand and calmly repeated.
"This is a modified wooden dummy formation I've devised for immediate sensory training."
Wooden dummy formations were a type of human-shaped formation where wooden dummies inside would attack those within.
The most famous example was the One Hundred and Eight Bronze Men Formation, hidden in Shaolin's secret caves, which used mechanical formations to eliminate intruders.
"Are you serious?"
"What part of it isn't?"
"You're telling me to train in a wooden dummy formation now?"
Yu Un-ryong grumbled.
Even if the gap in their martial prowess was incomparable, his understanding and depth of martial arts—enough to independently complete the Ten-Section Staff Diagram—had reached a level where he could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the great masters who ruled the martial world.
And yet, he was being told to enter a wooden dummy formation, the kind used to grasp the fundamentals when first starting martial arts?
Wasn't this the same as telling a grown man to crawl around like a newborn baby again?
"Why the hell?"
At Yu Un-ryong's question, Bu Eun-seol's expression turned utterly serious.
"You need to learn how to use your body more."
Yu Un-ryong would analyze and assess every minor move before executing a single technique.
Of course, constantly thinking and analyzing during combat wasn't inherently bad—
Bu Eun-seol himself never stopped thinking and analyzing even in the heat of battle.
But Yu Un-ryong's process of analyzing and thinking before acting was far longer than Bu Eun-seol's.
And above all, he was extremely wary of stepping outside predetermined frameworks.
"Isn't it natural to analyze the situation in your head before fighting?"
"Try it."
"Try what?"
"Try doing that inside this wooden dummy formation."
Bu Eun-seol's face was solemn.
"Don't use your Ten-Section Staff or internal energy. Break all the wooden dummies inside the formation and come out using only your senses and physical strength."
Then he handed Yu Un-ryong the bundle he'd been holding.
Unwrapping it revealed a gourd bottle filled with clear water and a fasting pill.
"And this is for...?"
"I've set it up so you can't leave for three days. Of course, even after that, you'll need to voluntarily continue training inside."
Bu Eun-seol pointed to the entrance of the formation.
"If you still haven't adapted to the wooden dummy formation after three days, this training will be a failure."
When Yu Un-ryong hesitated, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"If you don't want to, go back to Hidden Demon Pavilion. I won't stop you."
Yu Un-ryong opened his mouth to argue,
but under Bu Eun-seol's unyielding gaze, he finally slumped his shoulders and stepped inside the formation.
"Fine, fine. I'll go in, happy?"
With the expression of a man who had resigned himself to fate, he entered the wooden dummy formation Bu Eun-seol had prepared.
Creak—
The surroundings instantly darkened, and human-shaped wooden dummies began appearing all around him.
"Wow, it really is a wooden dummy formation."
Yu Un-ryong let out a deep sigh and weakly raised his hands.
"To think I'd be entering one of these at my age..."
Even if he wasn't using internal energy or weapons,
he was a young grandmaster of martial arts who had invented a new weapon technique for the martial world.
And yet, he was being told to fight mere wooden dummies? This was downright insulting—
Thwack!
Stars suddenly burst before his eyes, and something warm trickled down from his nose.
A wooden dummy had closed the distance without a sound, striking him right under the nose.
Wipe.
Yu Un-ryong wiped the blood from his nose and widened his eyes.
"I didn't sense the wooden dummy's punch?"
Whoosh!
In that instant, fists and kicks rained down on his stomach and thighs.
Without even time to wipe his bloody nose, Yu Un-ryong twisted his body to evade.
Bam bam bam bam!
But as if predicting his movements, thirty-one consecutive punches suddenly poured toward his face.
"What kind of wooden dummy throws thirty-one punches in one go?!"
Without a second thought, Yu Un-ryong flung himself to the ground and rolled.
Thud thud thud!
Dozens of stomping shadows poured down like rain.
Though they were just wooden blocks, the force behind them was no different from the kicks of a master wielding several centuries' worth of internal power.
'I'll die!'
Feeling his life threatened,
he barely managed to evade by rolling across the ground like a madman twenty times.
Thump!
Springing up like a carp leaping from water, Yu Un-ryong adopted a stance with an extremely grave expression.
Then he calculated the changes in the formation's mechanics.
"This isn't an ordinary wooden dummy formation..."
His pupils lost focus as he quickly grasped the nature of the formation.
"You overlaid the wooden dummy formation on the Venerable of Myriad Phenomena's Ten Thousand Calamities Illusion Formation?!"
Bu Eun-seol hadn't just set up Langya Pavilion's standard wooden dummy formation.
The moment one entered, their spirit and mind would scatter, forcing them to face powerful enemies conjured by their own imagination—
He had superimposed the wooden dummy formation onto the Ten Thousand Calamities Illusion Formation, created by the Venerable of Myriad Phenomena, a legendary eccentric of the martial world.
"No choice. To survive, I'll have to use my internal energy..."
Ugh. Whirr.
But then light began to seep from the ground, and in an instant, his internal energy scattered.
Bu Eun-seol's nature was meticulous to the extreme.
Just in case Yu Un-ryong tried to muster his internal energy—
He had even incorporated a battle formation from the Imperial Palace's martial arts, one designed to disperse internal energy.
"Hey! How the hell am I supposed to fight these monsters without any internal energy?!"
Rumble, rumble.
In the meantime, the wooden puppets began gleefully pummeling Yu Un-ryong.
Though he had established his own school of martial arts, he had never deeply mastered the Fist Palm Finger Art.
"Bu Eun-seol!"
He kept shouting, but no answer came.
Thud, thud, thud.
For a while, he rolled across the floor, trampled under the wooden puppets.
When the assault finally paused—
"Alright."
Staggering to his feet, Yu Un-ryong quickly began drawing lines on the ground to dismantle the formation.
He was a strategist of the Death Shadow War Unit, having read ten thousand books.
Unraveling three or four formations in one go was well within his capabilities.
"Hmph. No matter how impressive the formation..."
But as he crouched down, brimming with confidence, analyzing the formation's changes—his pupils lost focus.
"Huh?"
The moment he actually tried to dismantle the Ten Thousand Calamities Illusion Formation—
He realized it wasn't just that. Alongside the Gongson Clan's No Trick Life-Stealing Formation, eleven ancient battle formations had been layered on top of it.
"...So that's why he said three days."
A formation of this level would take at least three days to dismantle, even if he gave it his all.
Either way, the time he'd be trapped remained unchanged.
Crunch, crunch.
Meanwhile, the wooden puppets were approaching, their eyes gleaming crimson.
"This isn't a puppet formation—it's a murder formation."
Yu Un-ryong's eyes widened.
Normally, he could shatter these things with a flick of his finger, but...
Right now, not only was his internal energy sealed, but even the innate physical strength of Beast Martial Arts was unusable.
He was truly left with nothing but his bare body to face them.
Myo Cheon-u was honest and straightforward.
Because of that temperament—
His fighting style also lacked trickery, purely relying on direct confrontation.
Even when unleashing the Seal-Destroying Palm, one of the great palm techniques of the demonic path's palm arts, he followed the same principle.
He rarely employed feints or subtle maneuvers—
Instead, he always charged head-on, using brute force to topple his enemies.
"Alright, I'm ready."
Inside a wide clearing in the forest—
Myo Cheon-u stared at Bu Eun-seol with blazing eyes.
He was a passionate man, his heart burning hotter than anyone else's.
When Bu Eun-seol had called them not just to enhance Seo Jin-ha's martial arts but also to teach them individually—
—It's been a while since I've felt this fired up.
His martial soul burned like wildfire, and he had rushed here first.
"Just tell me what to do. I'll train like my life depends on it."
When Myo Cheon-u spoke with fervent determination, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
And then came the unexpected words.
"Succeed in telling a lie."
"What?"
"Tell a lie."
Bu Eun-seol spoke with utmost seriousness.
"The target doesn't matter. Whether it's me or someone else here—just succeed."
"What kind of nonsense is this?"
Myo Cheon-u blinked in confusion for a long moment.
"Didn't we gather here to train in martial arts?"
"Correct."
"Then why lying?"
Bu Eun-seol asked,
"Do you even know how to lie?"
"Who in this world doesn't?"
"Then do it."
"Huh?"
Bu Eun-seol stared at him with unwavering intensity.
"Right now. Try."
When Myo Cheon-u's eyes widened, Bu Eun-seol's sharp gaze pressed further.
"Can't do it?"
"I..."
After a brief struggle, Myo Cheon-u spoke with a grave expression.
"I hate you."
"Failure."
"Wait, hold on—"
Myo Cheon-u waved his hands frantically before trying again.
"Actually, I'm the son of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor."
"......"
"What? I clearly lied just now!"
When Myo Cheon-u protested indignantly, Bu Eun-seol snorted.
"A lie only counts if the other person believes it. What you just said was pure nonsense."
Myo Cheon-u stammered, trying to argue, but soon his face paled.
After observing him for a long moment, Bu Eun-seol sighed deeply.
"You've never done it before."
Myo Cheon-u's face flushed red, struck right in his weak spot.
Looking back, he had no memory of ever lying in his life.
He had always been honest, acting without a shred of shame.
He had never even felt the need to lie.
Hell, when the Extinction Palace promised to send him to Bu Eun-seol if he endured their torture—
Hadn't he agreed without hesitation?
"Wait, what does this have to do with improving martial arts?"
"To face a stronger enemy, you must also know how to deceive them. An attack that doesn't land is nothing but wasted movement."
It made sense, yet it also didn't.
As Myo Cheon-u stood there dumbfounded, Bu Eun-seol spoke decisively.
"And if you want to lie, at least learn to control your physiological reactions first. You have to sound more truthful than the truth itself."
"What?"
"There's no need to turn red or spike your heart rate just because you're lying."
Only then did Myo Cheon-u grasp Bu Eun-seol's intention.
Martial artists all possessed keen senses, gathering information even from an enemy's physiological responses.
In other words, even in the midst of battle, they were constantly collecting data—
Using it to gauge their opponent's condition, find openings in their attacks, or calculate the perfect moment to counter.
But until now, he had never given such matters any thought.
"Right, I've been too complacent."
Finally comprehending everything, Myo Cheon-u nodded.
"Fine. Let's give it a try. A proper lie."
From that day onward,
Myo Cheon-u poured all his effort into practicing deception.
But his target wasn't Bu Eun-seol.
From the start, Bu Eun-seol wasn't just exceptionally observant and insightful—
Now that his martial prowess had skyrocketed, he possessed the ability,
much like the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, to discern an opponent's spirit and mind through their physiological reactions.
Even if Myo Cheon-u were a master of lies, deceiving him would be nearly impossible.
After much deliberation, Myo Cheon-u ended up approaching Seo Jin-ha, Yu Un-ryong, and Do Cheon-rin—each training in different locations—
and relentlessly practiced lying to them.
"Stop barging into the battle formation. You're disrupting the Wooden Man Formation's function."
"Get lost."
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
But it didn't work.
No—just one look at his face, and they could tell he was trying to spew nonsense.
"I was too clumsy."
After days of failing to successfully lie, Myo Cheon-u lay sprawled on the edge of a dizzyingly high cliff, utterly despondent.
Only now did he realize
just how transparent his physiological reactions were to others.
'I've been lucky until now.'
If he fought against the world's strongest with such honesty? Only defeat would await him.
"I'll do it!"
Myo Cheon-u pushed himself up and shouted toward the rising sun.
"I will succeed at lying!"
He was a man with a heart fiercer than anyone else's.
Once he set his mind to something, he would stake his life to achieve it.
Several days passed like this.
Bu Eun-seol sat inside the Thatched Cottage, continuously writing something down.
Clatter.
Then, the door suddenly opened, and Seo Jin-ha came looking for Bu Eun-seol.
"Bu Eun-seol."
With an extremely grave expression, he spoke.
"I don't care about anything else, but stop Myo Cheon-u's training."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"What's this 'lying training' nonsense, exactly?"
"Don't interfere. He's doing it because he needs to."
Seo Jin-ha shook his head.
"Stop it. Turns out, there's a reason that guy can't lie."
"A reason he can't lie?"
Taking a deep breath, Seo Jin-ha spoke with an unbearably somber expression.
"It was his late mother's dying wish."
"Dying wish?"
"She'd saved up money from a lifetime of peddling to open a small inn, but she got swindled."
With sorrowful eyes, he recounted Myo Cheon-u's hidden past.
"In the end, the grief made her ill, and she passed away. And just before she died, she made Myo Cheon-u promise never to deceive or lie to others."
Seo Jin-ha went on to share the entirety of Myo Cheon-u's tragic history—so heartbreaking it was impossible to listen to without tears.
"......That's why he ended up like this, unable to lie."
"How did you come to know this story?"
"Myo Cheon-u was writhing in agony, so I asked him about it over drinks when we stopped by Chengdu."
Seo Jin-ha wiped his nose and shook his head.
"And then, for the first time ever, he spilled his family's hidden past to me. He'd never told anyone before—not even you."
"I see."
Bu Eun-seol nodded repeatedly as if convinced, and Seo Jin-ha looked satisfied.
"You understand now, right? Then I'll be going."
Just then, Bu Eun-seol spoke up.
"Since you're here, pass a message to Myo Cheon-u."
He addressed Seo Jin-ha calmly.
"Tell him he's achieved enough—he can stop the training now."
"Achieved?"
Seo Jin-ha blinked for a long moment.
"What do you mean?"
Bu Eun-seol's face remained impassive as he replied.
"That guy. He's an orphan."
"What?"
"He grew up in a fairly well-known beggar gang in Suzhou. Thanks to that, he didn't starve like most orphans and grew up just fine."
In an instant, Seo Jin-ha realized.
Do Cheon-rin and Yu Un-ryong were too hard to fool... so Myo Cheon-u had chosen him as his training target.
"You damn bastard!"
Roaring, he rolled up his sleeves and stormed out toward the cliff.
No doubt, he'd be wrestling with Myo Cheon-u for a while.
Unconcerned, Bu Eun-seol turned and walked deeper into the forest.
The next person to train was none other than Do Cheon-rin.
"I'm different from those fools. There's nothing for me to learn."
Do Cheon-rin spoke with a face full of pride.
"I was raised studying the art of kingship from childhood. In short, the very foundation of my life is different from theirs."
Then he cleared his throat.
Ahem. "Since this isn't the Muhon Society, I'll speak in my usual tone. It's ridiculous to keep calling myself 'Society Lord' in front of those brats."
"Of course. Speak as you please."
Bu Eun-seol nodded, and Do Cheon-rin continued.
"Though I lead the Rogue Vanguard, even that is merely a process to fill in my shortcomings. After all, I am destined to govern the martial world."
With an exceedingly proud expression, he declared:
"Insights and enlightenment passed on by others are only necessary for dullards like them."
"......."
"As I continue training, I will inevitably reach a stable realm."
Do Cheon-rin hadn't come here to train—he'd only joined because he heard the four of them were training together
and thought he might get a chance to cross swords with Bu Eun-seol.
From the start, he'd never intended to gain any insights or enlightenment.
"Right."
Bu Eun-seol nodded indifferently.
"I suppose there's no need for you to gain insights or enlightenment through me."
"I'm glad you understand."
"But you still need training."
"Training? What kind of training?"
Bu Eun-seol spoke solemnly.
"Try making Seo Jin-ha, Myo Cheon-u, and Yu Un-ryong your subordinates."
"What?"
"You studied the art of rulership, so it shouldn't be difficult, right? You must have cultivated the ability to command others since childhood."
In an instant, Do Cheon-rin's expression hardened.
"Are you mocking my past self now?"
Ever since his days as the Ten Demonic Heir, he had tried to bring exceptional figures like Bu Eun-seol under his command.
But all those attempts had failed—instead, he had ended up as a loyal subordinate under Bu Eun-seol.
Not that being a subordinate was any different from being a close friend.
After all, Bu Eun-seol was a Divine Being whose martial prowess was beyond comparison, so there was no shame in it.
But now, of all times, he was being told to make Seo Jin-ha and the others his subordinates?
"What kind of training is this supposed to be?"
At Do Cheon-rin's question, Bu Eun-seol replied,
"True strength doesn't come from individual ability alone—it comes from leading others forward. You've commanded the Rogue Vanguard before, so you should know that better than anyone."
Then he added,
"This training is necessary to cultivate the ability to govern the martial world in the future."
Do Cheon-rin nodded.
Until recently, he had believed that the current martial world was merely a playground for the Superlative Martial Experts, where numerical superiority meant nothing.
But after battling the Baekri Clan and the Servants of the True Demon, and after leading the Rogue Vanguard, he had realized the truth.
Since ancient times, countless powerful warriors had gathered armies and built formidable forces for one reason alone:
In the martial world, there existed secret techniques like the Mind's Eye Mirror, capable of countering even the strongest experts with sheer numbers—and thus, the decisive factor in victory ultimately lay in the superiority of forces.
And Bu Eun-seol had commanded vast armies as effortlessly as moving his fingers.
If he were ordered to lead tens of thousands of troops right now? It would still be difficult.
"In the end, the tides of the world are determined by the flow of those forces."
Bu Eun-seol continued,
"No matter how powerful a warrior is, they cannot defy that current. You will one day become a leader who commands great armies, so..."
"Fine."
Do Cheon-rin cut him off, extending his hand.
"So all I have to do is make those bastards submit to me, right?"
"Correct. You may use force or persuasion—gold, coercion, whatever means necessary."
"But... aren't they your subordinates anyway?"
Do Cheon-rin crossed his arms.
"How am I supposed to suddenly steal away people loyal to you? This isn't training—it's just unreasonable."
"What, are you lacking confidence?"
Bu Eun-seol smiled.
"Or are you making excuses in advance, preparing to convince yourself that failure was inevitable?"
Twitch.
In an instant, veins bulged like worms at Do Cheon-rin's temples.
His pride was stronger than anyone's.
Hadn't even Do Mu-jeok, the head of the Bloodflame Blade Family, failed to break his stubbornness and instead exiled him from the family?
"It's not fear of failure—I'm just pointing out the odds."
Do Cheon-rin's eyes burned fiercely as he spoke.
"Fine. Don't complain later when they become my subordinates, not yours."
"I'll look forward to it."
"Hmph."
When Bu Eun-seol flashed an uncharacteristically sly smile, Do Cheon-rin snorted coldly and turned away.
After that, Do Cheon-rin began relentlessly attempting to persuade them during their training.
But—
"No, thanks."
"I don't have time to chat with you right now."
Seo Jin-ha and Yu Un-ryong were too absorbed in honing their martial arts,
"You came at the perfect time. Actually, there's a secret I've been meaning to tell you..."
And every time he met Myo Cheon-u, the man would spout nonsense or spin tall tales.
Shudder.
Do Cheon-rin trembled.
Days had passed, and he hadn't managed to sway a single one of them.
No—in all his life, he had never been treated with such disregard.
Even his father, Do Mu-jeok, who had repeatedly berated and exiled him for losing to Bu Eun-seol, had at least acknowledged Bu Eun-seol's greatness—never once blaming him for incompetence.
But these bastards... they were simply impossible to reason with.
"These lowly, worthless creatures!"
Was it because he had spent so long dealing with rough-mouthed rogues?
Or was it their sheer indifference and coldness?
Standing before the cave he was using as his quarters, trying to suppress his fury, Do Cheon-rin spat out the crudest curses he had ever uttered in his life.
"These beasts worse than animals! Wretched brats who should starve to death on some Remote Island!"
He raised his hands to the sky and roared.
"Why won't you even pretend to listen to me?!"
He was furious.
After all his efforts—
After all he was—
After all he had done—
The world—no, those damn bastards—didn't acknowledge him at all.
They just silently went about their own business, didn't they?
After much deliberation, Do Cheon-rin finally declared:
"Then let's settle ranks through martial arts! Bring it on!"
He challenged each of them to a duel.
But Yu Un-ryong was too busy going in and out of the Wooden Man Formation, Myo Cheon-u kept spewing nonsense, and Seo Jin-ha? He was just endlessly repeating some incomprehensible basic sword drills!
"Gaaah!"
Ignored yet again, Do Cheon-rin let out a furious cry and stormed back to his cave.
His patience had reached its limit.
At this point, it would be more satisfying to just cut them down in one stroke than to bother making them his subordinates.
"...Right. I must calm my mind."
Do Cheon-rin closed his eyes and began meditating.
He had always believed that composure was the mark of a true warrior, that meticulous calculation was the key to victory.
To let his convictions waver over something like this—
"Ugh."
But the infuriating faces of those bastards kept flashing before his eyes.
And something inexplicable was surging up in his chest.
"I will straighten out your rotten minds, no matter what!"
Do Cheon-rin, who had abruptly risen from his meditation, could no longer suppress his fury and roared.
"Even if it takes ten years—a hundred years! I'll haunt you like a vengeful ghost until I've fixed those damned twisted minds of yours—!"