Chapter 1038
Jin Seol's body had become like a porcupine's, bristling with sharply scattered hidden weapons.
"Lady Jin."
Bu Eun-seol reached out, recognizing the weapons embedded in her body as Body-Piercing Thorns.
Normally, the surface of Body-Piercing Thorns was covered in fine, razor-sharp barbs.
Once lodged in flesh, those barbs would hook into the tissue, making them impossible to remove easily.
Zziing.
But Bu Eun-seol possessed terrifying Internal Energy and the Heavenly Robe Mind Art, which allowed him to peer into the human body's inner workings.
Wooong.
Having even opened the Internal Energy stored in his Internal Core, Bu Eun-seol blunted the countless microscopic barbs of the Body-Piercing Thorns lodged in her organs.
Once they had finally been smoothed into bead-like shapes, he safely expelled them from her body.
Tap-tap-pat!
As the Body-Piercing Thorns scattered in all directions—
Thud.
—Jin Seol collapsed to the ground as if her body had given out.
Bu Eun-seol swiftly caught her.
"Lady Jin."
"My Lord..."
The light in Jin Seol's eyes had faded.
Over the four days she had spent forcing her way through bloodied paths to reach this place, she had suffered countless fatal wounds.
That she had clung to life until now was nothing short of a miracle.
"You've come..."
Jin Seol's unfocused eyes wandered weakly.
"But... I can't see you."
The Body-Piercing Thorns had damaged her optic nerves, robbing her of sight.
"Endure just a little longer."
Bu Eun-seol unleashed Finger Wind, sealing thirty-six major acupoints before placing Azure Spirit Stone Fluid and Spirit Medicine into her mouth.
A flush of color briefly returned to her pallid face, but her vitality continued to drain away.
'Why isn't it working?'
Bu Eun-seol was stunned.
These two medicines—
—were Spirit Medicines capable of reviving even those clinging to life by a single thread.
But Jin Seol's life force had already bled out entirely, rendering them ineffective.
"Don't... trouble yourself."
Her body grew colder, the light of life dimming within her.
Until now, she had endured solely by the sheer will to see Bu Eun-seol one last time, refusing to let her soul depart her flesh.
"Lady Jin."
His expression grim, Bu Eun-seol supported her body and placed a hand against her back.
There was nothing more he could do.
All that remained was to infuse her with True Qi, allowing her to speak her final words in peace.
"I'm sorry..."
Blind now, Jin Seol spoke in a faint voice.
"I only ever... burden you."
"Don't say such things."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
Hadn't all of this happened because of him?
"I still haven't even..."
He had meant to say, 'I still haven't repaid the kindness you showed me.'
But Jin Seol would not have wanted to hear such words.
So instead, he changed his phrasing.
"We've been... good companions... for years."
At that moment, Pursuing Ghost, who had been observing the scene, called out to Bu Eun-seol.
"Martial Soul Lord."
His tone was arrogant.
"That woman is now a traitor to our Demon Hall. Do you understand the consequences of aiding such a person?"
"......"
"Even if you are the Lord—"
Pursuing Ghost could say no more.
"Ugh—Ghk!"
His body abruptly lifted into the air—
"GAAAH—!"
—and with a single scream, he was reduced to a pulped mass of blood.
Until now, Bu Eun-seol had suppressed the power of the Saint Among Poisons, even in life-or-death moments.
The toxicity was too overwhelming, too cruel—capable of erasing even corpses from existence.
No matter how wicked a person was, they still had the right to be buried whole.
That had been his grandfather's teaching.
But when Pursuing Ghost dared to smirk at Jin Seol's impending death—
Bu Eun-seol didn't even glance at him before turning his body into blood in an instant.
Fwoosh—Splurt.
The surrounding warriors of Abyss Blood, who had encircled them, fell deathly silent at this brutality.
Pursuing Ghost had been the leader of the Demon Hall's covert forces, boasting martial prowess that had reached the Extreme Heaven Realm.
Yet he had been reduced to a puddle of blood without Bu Eun-seol so much as lifting a finger?
Ignoring the warriors entirely, Bu Eun-seol asked again:
"Why didn't you hide?"
Jin Seol was a clever woman.
Had she chosen to conceal her trail from West Lake onward, avoiding the Demon Hall, she could have easily evaded pursuit.
But she had deliberately returned to the Demon Hall—and because of that, she had been unable to shake off her pursuers.
"I had something... to tell you."
Her voice was calm.
"After learning the truth... I went to the Elder's quarters and investigated endlessly. I thought... perhaps there might be something... that could help you."
"Lady Jin."
"The Elder... is not of the Demonic Path."
The shocking statement made Bu Eun-seol's eyes widen.
The Number One of the Demonic Path—not a demonic practitioner?
"Examine the vase... beside the bed in the quarters where I stayed. Then... you will know the truth."
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip.
In the end, Jin Seol had abandoned her life and returned to the Demon Hall—just to deliver information that might aid him.
'This is all my fault.'
His face twisted in anguish.
What if he had never told her that truth?
She would have lived peacefully as the Upper Blossom, never knowing the cruel reality.
"May I... touch your face?"
Jin Seol's voice trembled as she spoke.
"Since I can't see you... I'd like to feel you... with my hands."
Her cheeks flushed crimson with embarrassment.
Even in the face of death.
One could only imagine how much she had hesitated and gathered her courage before uttering those words.
"Lady Jin."
Only now could Bu Eun-seol feel just how deeply Jin Seol had loved him.
Beneath those cold, cynical eyes—
She had always concealed a love and longing as scorching as the sun.
"Of course."
With trembling hands, he clasped her palms and pressed them against his cheeks.
"Why are you crying?"
Hot tears streamed down Bu Eun-seol's face.
Guilt for failing to protect her.
And resentment toward himself—for knowing her feelings all along yet never accepting them.
"Don't apologize."
Jin Seol's voice, usually so icy, was now warm and tender.
"Haven't you always treated this inadequate woman with kindness? It's just... I was the one who foolishly overstepped my bounds."
"Lady Jin."
"Now that I listen closely, your voice is quite pleasant."
A faint smile graced her lips.
"I used to think it was too cold and emotionless..."
A voice he had always considered detached and frigid—only now did he realize.
It was merely that he had dulled his own emotions.
Yet toward others, he had always shown deep care and consideration.
Kurung. Paaaah—
Just then, tremors erupted from all directions as over a hundred martial artists descended from the sky.
Following the Abyss Blood, reinforcements had arrived.
The masters of the Torrential Rain Pavilion.
"You..."
Even in the face of death—
Blinded, Jin Seol confessed with all her heart.
"...I truly loved you."
And those became her final words.
"......"
Bu Eun-seol lowered his head.
Gently, he closed Jin Seol's vacant, unfocused eyes.
Looking back, theirs had been a long and winding bond.
During his days as the Ten Demonic Heir, when he had come to the Demon Hall to take the five-stance test—
She had tended to his injuries under Jeok Bung's orders.
Back then, I never imagined our connection would stretch this far.
Since then, Jin Seol had harbored unrequited love for Bu Eun-seol.
But her fierce pride made it impossible for her to accept that he would never return her feelings.
In the end, she became engaged to Sim Wol, who seemed to love her—only for him to later reveal it as a political marriage for ambition.
Both Jin Seol and Sim Wol had made grave mistakes.
One had spiraled into irreversible self-destruction, while the other drowned in an inescapable mire of guilt.
Afterward, Jin Seol abandoned even her position as Upper Blossom, drifting through life as if turning her back on the world.
Though she realized her feelings for Bu Eun-seol were genuine, there was nothing she could do.
Unlike other women, she couldn't cast aside her pride and cling to him.
"What was it about me that made you yearn so desperately?"
Bu Eun-seol hadn't disliked her either.
Had he not entered the Martial World to avenge his grandfather—
Perhaps, upon their first meeting, he might have fallen for her.
When he regained consciousness after suffering grievous injuries, the first face he saw—Jin Seol's—
Had been like an angel descended from heaven.
But back then, consumed by vengeance, he had forcibly suppressed personal emotions.
Later, when Yeop Hyo-cheon suggested that marrying her would bring great benefits and even sent a marriage document to arrange a match—
He had grown inexplicably resentful toward her.
As time passed, their hearts kept missing each other, until they could no longer bridge the gap.
"If only our lives hadn't taken such twisted paths."
Bu Eun-seol bared his heart to her lifeless form.
"If we had met as just an ordinary man and woman..."
The boy lost in the abyss of vengeance—
Had discovered a flower of ice, noble and hidden away by the foremost master of the Demonic Path.
Had it not been for blood and hatred, they might have recognized each other's souls at first glance.
But the whirlwind of fate tore them apart, leaving them on opposite banks of an uncrossable river of tragedy—
Until, in the end, they stood facing each other as cruel mirrors of destiny.
"I, too, have always..."
But Jin Seol could no longer hear him.
Her body had already grown cold.
Still, Bu Eun-seol kept speaking, as if her spirit might yet listen.
"Martial Soul Lord."
From a distance, Jwa Pyeong-ji, leader of the Torrential Rain Pavilion, approached and spoke.
"She was a rebel who refused judgment and extended her venomous hand to slaughter warriors of the main hall."
Without even looking at him, Bu Eun-seol asked in a low voice:
"Are you also part of Hall Master Sado's secret faction?"
"Indeed."
The martial artist stepped forward, his expression unyielding as he saluted.
"Jwa Pyeong-ji, leader of the Torrential Rain Pavilion, tasked with hunting down rebels."
Then, his voice turned frigid.
"If you interfere, you will forfeit your position as the hall's successor."
"Successor."
Bu Eun-seol's face twisted in bitter amusement.
"Heir of the Demon Hall..."
To exact vengeance, he had joined the Demon Hall, becoming the Ten Demonic Heir—and later, its heir.
All to gain the intelligence network he so desperately needed to hunt the murderer.
Yet in the end, it had cost him countless lives. All because of that title.
"Correct. Are you not the next hall master?"
Jwa Pyeong-ji smirked.
"You have many enemies. Only by keeping that position can you survive under the hall's shadow—is that not so?"
Under normal circumstances, no matter how high-ranking a member of the Demon Hall's covert organization might be,
they would never have dared to speak such insolent words to Bu Eun-seol's face.
But after the Fire Rain Sword Sect and Extinction Palace were forcibly sealed, support for the Martial Soul Lord within the Demonic Path had plummeted.
Not only that—when the Golden Vajra Demon Ancestor's subordinate appeared before him while he was in private audience with the Demonic Heavenly Emperor,
declaring they would surely kill Bu Eun-seol, the rumor had spread like wildfire among the secret organizations.
Having lost the backing of the demonic factions and now even aiding Jin Seol, who had become a traitor... They judged that everything was already over.
Drip.
Suddenly, Jwa Pyeong-ji's body collapsed as if melting into a puddle of blood.
Bu Eun-seol had unleashed the power of the Saint Among Poisons once more, dissolving his body in an instant.
Drip, drip, drip...
Horrifyingly, the blood began flowing toward the feet of the waiting Torrential Rain Pavilion martial artists.
"Martial Soul Lord, have you lost your mind?!"
The Torrential Rain Pavilion warriors shouted loudly.
They had no intention of fighting Bu Eun-seol—they had only come to retrieve Jin Seol's body and return to the Demon Hall.
No matter how much Jwa Pyeong-ji had provoked him, to cut down the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's direct subordinate in a single stroke?
"Do you not realize that this will mean your death as well?"
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor's secret organization was an extension of the Emperor himself.
Had he not received the Life and Death Palm Decree simply for eliminating the Secret Moon Division, an organization that had thrown themselves at him without reason?
If he dared lay a hand on them, even the Martial Soul Lord would not escape unscathed.
"The successor's position..."
A bloody light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's pupils.
"I decline."
He was sick of it.
Sick of trying to decipher the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's intentions.
He was afraid.
Afraid of not knowing when his subordinates might be slaughtered by the Emperor's hand.
He was disgusted.
Disgusted by his own powerlessness—by the fact that he had driven Jin Seol to her death and failed to save her.
"Lord, even those words are treason against the Demonic Heavenly Emperor. Do you understand?"
Despite their shouts, Bu Eun-seol remained motionless, his expression blank.
The Torrential Rain Pavilion warriors exchanged glances, realizing this was a golden opportunity.
Whoosh!
They formed ranks and unleashed a barrage of attacks upon Bu Eun-seol.
But that was the wrong choice.
They should have left quietly without provoking him.
They should have fled while he was still lost in grief, his head bowed.
Whoosh! Thud.
In less than eight minutes,
all the Torrential Rain Pavilion warriors surrounding him had melted into pools of blood.
Unconcerned, Bu Eun-seol kept his gaze fixed solely on Jin Seol.
"If not for me... you wouldn't have died."
A deep guilt weighed on him.
"I stirred up unnecessary trouble and drove you to your death."
What if he had never told her about Ja Su-ryeon's story?
What if he had never revealed that her memories had been tampered with?
Jin Seol would have continued her peaceful life under the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, carrying out her duties as the Upper Blossom.
But because of his half-baked compassion—
Because of his arrogance in thinking he was acting for her sake—
He had shattered her tranquil existence.
He had made her doubt and investigate the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
"It would have been better to let her live in blissful ignorance..."
Bu Eun-seol, who had been staring at the distant sky, lifted Jin Seol into his arms and rose into the air.
Though it was far too late,
he would now take her to her mother.
Thud. Thud.
After felling a tree and crafting a coffin in an instant, he gently laid her inside.
Kwa-woooom!
A streak of light split the clear sky as Bu Eun-seol, now a flash of brilliance, raced toward Mount Jangbaeksan, where Ja Su-ryeon resided.
To ensure her remains remained unharmed, he wrapped her in a layer of Protective Astral Energy as he sped forward.
How long had he flown?
At last, he arrived at Mount Jangbaeksan.
In the past, Bu Eun-seol had stumbled upon a narrow dark cave here,
leading him to the Secluded Valley, a hidden realm brimming with mystical wonders.
'It's even more beautiful now.'
The moment he emerged from the cave's darkness, an air so pure and refreshing—unlike the turbid atmosphere of the mundane world—enveloped his entire body.
Flowers of every hue bloomed in abundance, and towering trees bore mysterious fruits.
Their surfaces were etched with faint golden patterns, as if taking a single bite would grant one divine energy.
At the heart of the valley, a majestic waterfall roared,
its cascading waters forming a deep, azure pond, surrounded by white mist rising like fog.
"The Valley of Eternal Spring."
Carved into a massive stone at the entrance were words etched by blade—
undoubtedly So-yo's handwriting.
It seemed that while living with Ja Su-ryeon, she had given the valley this name.
Whoosh.
Without delay, Bu Eun-seol headed straight for the stone house where Ja Su-ryeon resided.
Once a gloomy structure serving only as shelter,
it was now adorned beautifully, with a small pavilion and pond added in front.
This, too, must have been So-yo's doing—prepared for Ja Su-ryeon.
"What brings you here?"
Fortunately, the moment Bu Eun-seol arrived, Ja Su-ryeon sensed his presence and emerged slowly from the stone house.
Her eyes, unlike before, were clear and sharp.
It seemed her madness had nearly healed during her time living with So-yo.
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol bowed respectfully to Ja Su-ryeon.
Then, with detached calm, he set down the coffin and spoke in a grief-laden voice.
"Would you examine this for me?"
Ja Su-ryeon, instantly grasping his meaning, trembled at the corners of her eyes as she looked at the coffin.
"You've found my daughter, then?"
Bu Eun-seol couldn't answer.
How could he say he'd "found" her when he was delivering a corpse?
Ja Su-ryeon stared intently at Bu Eun-seol's expression, then began shaking.
"You're saying she's dead?"
Without answering, Bu Eun-seol stepped aside so she could inspect the coffin's contents.
With trembling hands, she opened it.
After gazing at Jin Seol's face for a long moment,
"Yes."
clear tears began streaming down her face.
Human instinct was truly mysterious.
Even though she'd lost this child in infancy, and now saw her as an adult,
she could recognize her own flesh and blood with absolute certainty.
"Who killed her?"
Ja Su-ryeon immediately saw that Jin Seol's body wasn't just bloodied—she'd exhausted her qi reserves before meeting this wretched end.
Her voice was a blade of anguish.
"Who murdered my child?!"
"It was because of me."
Bu Eun-seol lowered his head.
"She died because of me."
"Nonsense!"
Ja Su-ryeon seized Bu Eun-seol's collar and screamed with raw agony.
"Speak plainly! Who truly killed her?!"
"The Demonic Heavenly Emperor."
After a long silence, Bu Eun-seol spoke through clenched teeth.
"In the end, it was his doing."
Ja Su-ryeon nodded calmly, unsurprised.
This was the precious child she'd searched for all her life.
If someone killed such a child... whether it was the Number One of the Demonic Path or the King of Hell himself, vengeance was mandatory.
"Then I'll take my leave."
Bu Eun-seol bowed again.
"My apologies for bringing such grievous news."
Just as Ja Su-ryeon furrowed her brow to speak—
Whoosh!
A faint wind stirred around the Secluded Valley as a small shadow descended from the sky toward the Thatched Cottage.
So-yo, who'd been practicing the Light Body Technique nearby at Ja Su-ryeon's behest, had returned.
"You're going to Demon Hall?"
So-yo sprinted to Bu Eun-seol.
The moment she'd entered the valley,
she'd overheard their conversation.
That alone proved
how vastly her Lightness Art and martial skills had advanced.
"You can't go."
"Don't concern yourself."
Bu Eun-seol regarded her impassively.
"Stay here and assist Senior Ja with the arrangements."
So-yo had shadowed Bu Eun-seol for years.
One glance at his expression told her his thoughts.
"You're planning to confront the Demonic Heavenly Emperor about this."
"......"
"That act itself is a challenge. Don't."
"He's not a god."
Bu Eun-seol's voice turned glacial.
"If I can't even hold him accountable for this, I've no reason to remain in Demon Hall."
"Then I'm coming with you."
"No."
He shook his head.
"Your presence would only become a liability if things turn violent."
"It's fine. I've grown stronger."
So-yo spoke with conviction.
"I won't hold you back."
Before, no matter how much her skills improved, she'd been inadequate against the world's true masters.
But under Ja Su-ryeon's guidance, she'd achieved sudden enlightenment—
her martial prowess had skyrocketed alongside her Lightness Art.
"Still no."
Bu Eun-seol was adamant.
"That's an order."
"...Understood."
So-yo nodded reluctantly, watching the icy flames in his eyes.
She knew better than anyone—once he decided something, he never wavered.
If he died...
She'd just handle all the aftermath before following him.
"Why are you the one confronting him?"
Ja Su-ryeon, who'd been listening quietly, finally spoke in confusion.
"What was my daughter to you?"
"A close friend."
"Friend?"
"Yes. One I owed a debt of the heart."
Ja Su-ryeon frowned and shook her head.
"Then stand down. This is a mother's duty."
"And her death was my fault."
"What?"
Bu Eun-seol continued with visible pain.
"I unsettled her mind. She could've lived peacefully if I'd left her alone... but my arrogant notion of revealing the truth ruined her life."
"Explain."
Calmly, Bu Eun-seol recounted everything—
how he'd told Jin Seol her birth mother might still live,
how the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had erased memories,
every detail.
Ja Su-ryeon listened silently, then sighed in realization.
"So she loved you."
When Bu Eun-seol didn't deny it, she shook her head.
"If it's guilt driving you, stop."
Her voice turned steely.
"A parent must avenge their child."
"This is my responsibility."
Crimson light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's pupils.
"For my subordinates' sake too."
He'd agonized over this for years.
When would he surpass the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's power?
How long would it take?
Would more subordinates die or fall prey to his schemes meanwhile?
Only now did he understand:
Time wasn't on his side.
—If the Demonic Heavenly Emperor threatens my people again...
He couldn't remain in Demon Hall forever, paralyzed by dread.
He couldn't wait indefinitely for perfect conditions.
That's why he'd resolved long ago:
—I'll force a life-or-death reckoning with him alone.
Now, Bu Eun-seol was determined
to clash with the Demonic Heavenly Emperor at any cost,
and see his will through to the end.