Chapter 108
Bu Eun-seol also wore a dazed expression as he stared at Wang Jeong, who had breathed his last with a ghastly look on his face.
A master like Wang Jeong had been instantly killed by a casually executed Fist Demon Seven Forms?
'Was it because he was struck at the Life Gate Acupoint?'
The Life Gate Acupoint.
Literally meaning "the gate of life."
It was the most crucial point on the Governing Vessel, which supervised all yang meridians—the very nexus that regulated all qi and blood within the human body, even governing the state of the kidneys and the spirit.
In truth, it was simply that the sheer might of the Fist Demon Seven Forms had been so overwhelming that his internal energy had surged through the Governing Vessel.
But Bu Eun-seol mistakenly believed it was merely due to Wang Jeong being unlucky enough to be struck at the Life Gate Acupoint.
"Is... is he dead?"
At Heuk-pyo's words, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"The matter is settled. Let's return."
"W-wait!"
Just then, the masked man—Namgung Un—whose Demon Blood Point had been suppressed, let out a loud shout.
"Uuuugh!"
Bu Eun-seol, who had been silently watching him bellow, flicked his fingers.
Tap tap tap!
In an instant, the sealed acupoints were released, and Namgung Un, who had been collapsed on the ground, wiped away his sweat and stood up.
"Thank you. Thanks to you—!"
He clasped his hands together, but Bu Eun-seol had already slipped out of the ravine.
"W-wait! Just a moment!"
Namgung Un scrambled after Bu Eun-seol in a fluster.
"Hey, you! Let's talk for a second."
When Bu Eun-seol gave no reply, he tried again.
"Where are you from, mister?"
"..."
Receiving no response this time either, he sidled up to Heuk-pyo instead and began blustering.
"Ah, Young Hero! You're here too! I'm Namgung Un of the Namgung Family. If it's alright, I'd like to at least exchange names."
Heuk-pyo scratched his head.
Regardless, this was a scion of the Namgung Clan. For someone like that to tag along like a pushy waiter, he had no choice but to respond politely.
"I-I'm merely my young master's attendant."
"Ah, I see. Then, where is he from?"
"My young master... is a wanderer affiliated with the Red Sky Curtain Branch."
"A wanderer?"
"Yes. Though he only registered yesterday."
Namgung Un blinked rapidly.
How could a master so young and formidable be selling his skills as a mere wanderer?
"If he's a wanderer from the Red Sky Curtain Branch... does that mean he's heading back there now?"
When Namgung Un persisted with his questions, Bu Eun-seol—clearly annoyed—suddenly activated his movement technique.
"Y-young master!"
As Bu Eun-seol swiftly dashed away, Heuk-pyo hurried after him.
Though he could hear shouts from behind, Heuk-pyo ignored them and kept pace with Bu Eun-seol.
Third floor of the Scripture Instruction Hall, the Hall Master's office.
When Bu Eun-seol returned, Dam Yu-yeon couldn't hide her slightly startled expression.
Wang Jeong, who had made countless wanderers and masters taste bitter defeat—had he really been dealt with in a single outing?
"I thought you were new to the martial world... but it seems you're quite experienced."
Dam Yu-yeon knew.
The reason Wang Jeong had been so difficult to capture was not just because he was sharp-witted and cunning, but because he was a master with extensive experience in the martial world.
She had assumed Bu Eun-seol was merely a wanderer with strong martial prowess and had sent him to fight Wang Jeong, who relied on all manner of schemes and traps.
But when he had unexpectedly eliminated him in one strike, her face stiffened in surprise.
"It was nothing special."
"How impressive."
Swallowing a bitter smile, she picked up a purple tassel from the desk—one meant to be worn at the waist—and held it out.
"What is this?"
"This tassel proves that Young Hero Seol is now a high-level wanderer. If you go to the counter downstairs, you'll receive your reward for eliminating Wang Jeong."
"Understood."
Bu Eun-seol nodded, fastening the tassel to his waistband.
"Then give me the next job."
"You want to take on another job right away?"
"That's right."
"You're really in a hurry, aren't you?"
Dam Yu-yeon's lips curled into a cryptic smile.
But then, as if she had been waiting for this, she pointed to one of the envelopes piled on the desk.
"In that case, handle this task."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened as he looked at the envelope she handed him.
"The Life-Preserving Divine Pearl?"
During his time in the Kill-Seeking Unit, Bu Eun-seol had become well-versed not only in the affairs of the martial world but also in the secrets of various sects.
Yet the Life-Preserving Divine Pearl was a treasure he had never even heard of before.
"The Life-Preserving Divine Pearl isn't a treasure widely known in the martial world."
Dam Yu-yeon maintained a faint smile.
"It's kept in the Divine Maiden Palace, one of the Seven Great Secret Palaces of Murim."
The Divine Maiden Palace.
Among the Seven Great Secret Palaces, it was one of the mysterious sects composed entirely of women.
However, the Divine Maiden Palace strictly forbade outsiders from entering—a place Bu Eun-seol couldn't even approach.
"You can't possibly be telling me to steal a treasure from the Divine Maiden Palace."
The Divine Maiden Palace wasn't counted among the Seven Great Secret Palaces for nothing.
Though it was a sect of women, their martial arts were extraordinary, and the Palace Master was an unparalleled Master who had reached the Extreme Heaven Realm.
No matter how strong Bu Eun-seol was, he couldn't breach the Divine Maiden Palace alone.
"Of course not."
Dam Yu-yeon laughed lightly.
"The method of obtaining the Life-Preserving Divine Pearl is simple. You just have to pass a trial provided by the Divine Maiden Palace."
Bu Eun-seol furrowed his brow.
"You're saying they'll give it to me just for passing a trial?"
"Naturally. However, the trial itself is quite difficult, and the opportunity is rare. That's why no one has ever obtained the Life-Preserving Divine Pearl so far."
"No matter how difficult it is, it's just retrieving an orb. Are you saying that qualifies as a challenging assignment?"
She gave him a look as if he were missing the obvious.
"The reward alone is a staggering three hundred thousand taels. Just the amount should tell you how difficult it is, no?"
"I don't understand. With three hundred thousand taels, you could buy any rare orb, no matter how precious."
"Merely holding the Life-Preserving Divine Pearl for a short time clears the skin and smoothes fine wrinkles. It has quite the cosmetic effect, you see."
'Spending three hundred thousand taels just to smooth out a few wrinkles?'
As if reading his thoughts, Dam Yu-yeon smiled sweetly.
"Those with high status and prestige don't care about cost. If they believe something is worth it, they spend without hesitation."
Looking at her meltingly sweet smile, Bu Eun-seol could intuit one thing:
Dam Yu-yeon absolutely did not want him to succeed.
'She's transparent.'
But without showing any reaction, he tucked the envelope into his robe and replied indifferently.
"Understood. I'll handle it immediately."
Daeso Inn, near the Silent Sky Lonely Earth.
Seated by the window on the second floor, Bu Eun-seol was having lunch with Heuk-pyo.
Heuk-pyo, slurping noodles with his chopsticks, kept glancing at Bu Eun-seol's expression.
Because ever since receiving the envelope, Bu Eun-seol's mood had visibly darkened.
"Young Master."
Heuk-pyo cautiously addressed Bu Eun-seol, who was stiffly downing a cup of wine.
"Is the food not to your liking?"
"It's fine."
"I see. That's a relief."
Even so, Heuk-pyo stole another glance before speaking again.
"Young Master, your expression is troubled. I wondered if something unpleasant had happened."
"Was it that obvious?"
Bu Eun-seol had, for once, turned his awareness inward rather than outward.
He wanted to grow endlessly stronger.
To do so, he needed a battle—one that would push him past his limits, against a Master who was neither overwhelmingly stronger nor weaker than him.
And then, as if by fate, he had met Jeong Cheon at the Wanderers' Market. Bu Eun-seol sensed that the man's skills surpassed his own.
If he could fight him in an all-out battle, he would undoubtedly reach a higher realm.
'To fight him, I'm taking jobs at the Wanderers' Market...'
Truthfully, this wasn't behavior that suited Bu Eun-seol's nature.
Whether through schemes or sheer force, he would have found a way to force a duel with Jeong Cheon in the shortest time possible.
Yet this time, he was silently completing assignments to become a Special-Grade Mercenary, just as Jeong Cheon had asked.
The problem was—he didn't understand why he was doing this.
"I was just thinking."
"About what, if I may ask?"
"Whether I should provoke Jeong Cheon and force a fight... or continue handling these assignments. That's all."
"I see."
At last, Heuk-pyo nodded as if everything made sense.
"Young Master, you're debating whether to keep doing this work?"
"That's right."
"How about simply continuing to take on jobs?"
Heuk-pyo spoke in a composed voice.
"With Young Master's skills and intellect, you could instantly settle things with the Sky-Crossing Office Lord. Yet you chose not to."
"..."
"I believe that's because you instinctively understand one can grow stronger not just through direct confrontations, but through various other means."
"Growing stronger through various experiences?"
"Exactly."
Heuk-pyo explained smoothly as flowing water.
"I've lived as a wanderer since childhood. What made me strong wasn't just battles—it was diverse experiences."
—Couldn't martial arts be advanced through insights gained from various experiences?
This was what Heuk-pyo wanted to convey to Bu Eun-seol.
"That might be true."
Hearing Heuk-pyo's words, Bu Eun-seol felt the tangled threads in his mind neatly unravel.
There was no need to stubbornly insist on combat alone. One could develop martial arts through insights gained from experiencing and resolving various matters.
"Hmm."
Bu Eun-seol chuckled low before speaking.
"At times, you sound like an old sage who's mastered all worldly affairs."
"Really? Back at the Wandering Drifters, people often called me an old soul in a young body. Hehe."
After indulging in some bluster, Heuk-pyo suddenly frowned as if remembering something.
"By the way, my intuition seems correct."
"About what?"
"The Scripture Instruction Hall Master. Her expression showed she doesn't wish for Young Master's success."
Heuk-pyo had already noticed it too.
Scripture Instruction Hall Master Dam Yu-yeon. Aware of Bu Eun-seol's exceptional martial prowess, she deliberately assigned jobs that couldn't be solved by martial arts alone.
"Frankly, all this talk about 'tests' makes me uneasy. Wouldn't it be better to cautiously enter the Divine Maiden Palace as a thief?"
"Impossible."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"The Divine Maiden Palace houses not only martial experts but also adepts thoroughly versed in mechanical engineering. Blindly searching for treasures without knowing their location would only get us caught or trapped."
"You think so?"
Heuk-pyo's shoulders slumped weakly.
"There's another problem. Even if we wanted to take that test, the Divine Maiden Palace doesn't accept outsiders at all, does it?"
Just then, a clear voice rang out from somewhere.
"Oh? It's you!"
Turning his head, they saw a man in white robes with his face also veiled by white cloth pointing at Bu Eun-seol.
It was Namgung Un, whom they'd encountered earlier.
"Meeting again here? What a coincidence!"
"A coincidence you orchestrated, no doubt."
Bu Eun-seol had sensed him persistently following them ever since Buddha Peak Mountain.
However, since he maintained a certain distance and showed no apparent malice, Bu Eun-seol had simply let him be.
"So you knew."
At Bu Eun-seol's cold response, Namgung Un coughed awkwardly.
"You helped me back then, yet I never properly thanked you. So I..."
"I didn't help you intentionally. Don't trouble yourself over it."
As Bu Eun-seol rose to leave, Namgung Un spread his hands to stop him.
"Wait."
Then, pointing to his waist, he said:
"As of yesterday, I've also become a wanderer affiliated with Silent Sky Lonely Earth."
A purple tassel hung from his waist—the same mark signifying a high-grade wanderer of Silent Sky Lonely Earth that Bu Eun-seol carried.
"After passing several tests, they gave me this tassel on their own."
The reckless scion of the Namgung Clan was truly different indeed.
Who else from the Eight Great Clans would casually register as a wandering mercenary, something even their servants wouldn't do?
But Bu Eun-seol showed no interest as he stood.
"Wait, brother. I still have something to—"
"If you have something to say, speak directly. Don't hide behind veils."
Facing Bu Eun-seol's icy gaze, Namgung Un bowed his head.
"Understood."
With a sigh, he removed the cloth covering his face.
Just past twenty years old? The handsome features of a youth who'd barely shed his boyishness were revealed.
"Ahem... Certain circumstances led me to venture into the martial world alone..."
Namgung Un spoke with an embarrassed expression.
"But this incident made me realize something. That affairs of the martial world can't be handled by martial prowess alone. Above all, one must accumulate experience in the martial world."
With utmost sincerity, Namgung Un addressed Bu Eun-seol:
"I wish to travel with you."