Chapter 1100
"Martial Soul Lord, Bu Eun-seol."
With dignified steps, Bu Eun-seol entered and clasped his hands together respectfully toward the assembled crowd.
"First, I extend my deepest gratitude to all of you for attending this World Conference, convened under my leadership."
Considering the status of the Martial Soul Lord—
those gathered here were, in truth, insignificant figures—
yet he maintained an attitude of utmost courtesy.
"The reason I summoned the leadership of each faction from afar is to resolve the incidents currently plaguing the martial world in one decisive stroke."
The assembled leaders exchanged peculiar expressions.
They held no decision-making authority.
No matter how many days they spent in meetings, they could decide nothing—
they were mere messengers, relaying the discussions to their respective faction leaders.
"There is not a single person here who does not wish to see these recent incidents resolved."
Elder Nun Hyeon-gong was the first to speak.
But silence lingered afterward.
Elder Nun Hyeon-gong, at least, bore the pride of the orthodox faction and held a position of some standing within the Emei Sect—
so she alone offered this much cooperation.
The martial artists from the other factions had no intention of participating earnestly; they were merely here to listen.
"My hall has already completed its investigation and identified the culprits."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Elder Nun Hyeon-gong's eyes widened.
"You mean the ones who kidnapped the children?"
"Both."
Bu Eun-seol's reply was firm.
"Including those who circulated the counterfeit currency."
"And who might they be?"
As Elder Nun-gong leaned urgently over the table, Bu Eun-seol shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the martial artists seated in the conference hall.
"I would like to tell you plainly, but—"
"After all, those present today are nothing more than messengers who can relay the results of this meeting."
"Anyone can make claims."
At that, Yeon Mu-sang, the leader of the Black Path Alliance's Guhon Pavilion, shook his head.
"Don't we need concrete evidence before the factions will act?"
The others smirked and nodded in agreement.
In truth, no one knew whether Bu Eun-seol had proof or not.
Even if he did, all they needed was the information from his lips—
there was no need to submit to the Martial Soul Lord's command or cooperate with him.
"Concrete evidence, you say."
Though Yeon Mu-sang's tone was insolent, Bu Eun-seol only smiled.
"So you do not trust my word."
"'Distrust' is a strong term."
Yeon Mu-sang spoke boldly.
"I merely said that the factions will only move with solid proof."
"I see. I understand your meaning now."
Suddenly, Bu Eun-seol's voice turned decisive.
"All those who attended without proper authority—leave this hall at once."
The atmosphere in the conference room turned icy.
His words amounted to expelling everyone present from the Hwanwoo Pavilion.
"If that happens, this World Conference will collapse entirely, will it not?"
At that moment, Jeong So-woon, leader of the White Lotus Hall, clicked his tongue.
"This matter cannot be handled emotionally. Are we not the only ones who attended the conference?"
He glanced around the room.
"Only by sharing the intelligence gathered by the Death Shadow War Unit can we hope to receive aid from the various factions."
His words were undeniably true.
The Death Shadow War Unit had spent vast resources and manpower to convene this World Conference.
Even if the attendees lacked decision-making power and sought only the information he possessed—
to send them all away now would be to waste a fortune and become the laughingstock of the martial world.
"I thought the Martial Alliance, at least, would understand the situation, but—"
Bu Eun-seol clicked his tongue.
"It seems the Ten Thousand Reflections Hall has no interest in this matter whatsoever."
"What do you—"
Just then, murmurs rose from outside, followed by the voice of Yu Un-ryong.
"The leaders of the Wudang Sect, the Beggars' Sect, and the Mount Hua Sect are entering."
His voice continued without pause.
"The Martial Soul Society Leader, the Azure Heaven Alliance Leader, and the Family Heads of the Eight Great Families have arrived at the hall."
Instantly, the faces of those in the conference room darkened.
The orthodox factions—who had shown no interest in the World Conference, nor any intention of attending—
had suddenly descended upon them all at once?
"Escort them to the inner Hidden Demon Pavilion conference room."
Bu Eun-seol's low command was followed by a sweeping glance at the assembled crowd.
This was not a conference room—
merely a stage to display the Death Shadow War Unit's authority to those unable to attend the World Conference.
"My Lord."
Yeon Mu-sang spoke urgently.
"Would it not be better to extend the conference duration slightly?"
He bowed obsequiously.
"Allow us to relay the discussion so that our alliance leader may visit again."
Elder Nun Hyeon-gong of the Emei Sect nodded in agreement.
"Indeed. For a matter of this scale, our sect leader would surely reconsider."
The other unorthodox faction masters and Black Path Alliance experts also nodded one after another.
"If you grant us more time, we will return and convey your words."
Bu Eun-seol let out a derisive snort.
If he yielded to their insolence and sent formal invitations anew—
the authority of the Martial Soul Lord would crumble into dust.
It would be tantamount to admitting that the Martial Soul Lord could be ignored—that they could act as they pleased.
"Unnecessary."
"My Lord."
Jeong So-woon of the White Lotus Hall spoke anxiously.
"With the alliance's aid, would the matter not be resolved more easily? Grant us time."
If most orthodox factions attended the World Conference while the Martial Alliance stayed away—
what greater humiliation could there be?
When Bu Eun-seol remained silent, Jeong So-woon resorted to pleading.
"If we send a carrier hawk, we can reach him within a day or two. The leadership could arrive here within five days at the earliest."
"Impossible."
Bu Eun-seol let out a cold snort before speaking.
"We gave prior notice, and the leaders of other sects have already arrived here."
"Lord."
"You are mere messengers without decision-making authority. You have no right to attend this conference—leave."
The resolute reply made Jeong So-un grit his teeth in frustration before shouting,
"You clearly knew in advance that only messengers from each sect would come, so why did you deliberately allow us into the Demon Hall in the first place?"
The Death Shadow War Unit had screened the representatives sent by each sect, directing some to the Hwanwoo Pavilion while those genuinely intending to participate in the World Conference were sent to the Hidden Demon Pavilion.
In other words, they had already identified which sects had sent mere messengers and which had sent their true leaders.
If they were going to turn them away like this, why not just refuse them entry from the start?
Did they deliberately bring them inside the Demon Hall just to humiliate them?
"There are two reasons," Bu Eun-seol replied with a faint smile.
"First, this World Conference can only be resolved if the factions truly willing to cooperate join forces."
Then, slowly, he turned away.
"For the second reason, ask the Sanghak Unit Commander."
With only that single remark, Bu Eun-seol turned without hesitation and strode toward the Hidden Demon Pavilion, where the true World Conference was being held.
"The second reason is simple," Yu Un-ryong spoke up then.
"This matter requires the combined efforts of the entire martial world. Even His Majesty the Emperor has decreed that since this crisis originated from the martial world, it must be resolved by martial artists themselves."
"That reasoning is flawed!" Jeong So-un retorted, his face twisted in fury.
"If that's the case, shouldn't we have been allowed to attend as well?"
"That's precisely why the World Conference was convened," Yu Un-ryong answered calmly.
"But sects like the Martial Alliance, Emei, Black Path, and the Unorthodox Faction sent messengers instead of their leaders."
At that moment, the expressions of the gathered messengers stiffened.
Though the Emperor himself had issued a decree, the actual leaders of each faction had refused to show themselves.
Bu Eun-seol had already uncovered the identities of the organizations circulating counterfeit currency and kidnapping children through an intelligence network beyond imagination.
And to resolve this, he had expended vast resources and manpower to organize the World Conference.
Yet, the leaders of these factions had evaded responsibility, mockingly sending only messengers in their stead.
Now, the factions they represented had no choice but to unilaterally accept the conference's outcome.
"Once the conference concludes, we will relay the results to each sect," Yu Un-ryong said with a faint smile before turning away.
"Then, please wait outside the Demon Hall."
As even he left the Hwanwoo Pavilion, the faces of the messengers darkened.
—From now on, we won't even be able to utter a word of protest and must obey the Martial Soul Lord's commands.
What infuriated them even more was that—
Even if they silently complied with the conference's decisions...
They could not escape condemnation for having forsaken the Greater Righteousness due to personal feelings and arrogance.
Hidden Demon Pavilion, Grand Conference Hall
Gathered there were Bu Eun-seol, Dam Yu-yeon—the strategist of the Martial Soul Assembly—and Gongson Dan-gyeong, the chief strategist of the Azure Heaven Alliance.
Alongside them were the leaders of the Eight Great Families and the Eight Major Sects and One Gang (excluding Emei).
When Bu Eun-seol first proclaimed this World Conference, he had made one thing explicitly clear:
"The World Conference must be attended solely by the leaders of each faction."
There was no need to announce their attendance in advance—if they intended to participate, they were to personally appear at the Main Hall on the day of the conference.
This was a stratagem to exclude those like the Martial Alliance and the Emei Sect, who sought to disregard him entirely.
A faction's leader was always under the threat of assassination, so their movements were kept strictly confidential even within their own sects.
Since they had secretly come alone to the Demon Hall to confirm their attendance...
Even if the Martial Alliance or other intelligence organizations had been monitoring their movements—
There had been no way to detect their tracks beforehand.
"...In the end, the ones who kidnapped the children were the Jungson Clan—one of the legendary Three Great Martial Families," Bu Eun-seol shared all the information he had gathered so far with the assembled leaders.
"How in the world did you obtain such intelligence?"
Namgung Jeong, the Family Head of the Namgung Clan, asked skeptically. Bu Eun-seol answered,
"We coincidentally captured a member of the Jungson Clan and extracted the information."
In truth, such a feat should have been impossible.
The reason the Three Clans had been able to conceal their identities for generations was due to the ancient Mind Seizing Secret Art and Restrictive Seals imposed on their disciples.
But Bu Eun-seol, wielding the power of the Saint Among Poisons, had cracked open those ironclad seals.
While tracking the traces of the White Snow Wandering Troupe—as So-ho had informed him—they had captured its leader alive.
Through him, they had uncovered the Jungson Clan's stronghold.
Of course, interrogation had been impossible.
The moment he tried to speak, the Restrictive Seal would have caused his head to explode.
So Bu Eun-seol induced a near-death state in him and then used the Heavenly Robe Mind Art to read his body like a scripture.
The circulation of his internal energy, the foundation of his mental cultivation, even the process of his physical training—every piece of information hidden within the subtlest flows was absorbed without exception.
—The Jungson Clan must have artificially cultivated the One Hundred and Eight Stars through a specific climate, environment, and unique medicinal concoctions.
Traces of extreme cold, rare poisonous herbs, and certain minerals were distinctly present in his body.
In the end, he was a being artificially created through a special environment and drugs.
Once the analysis of the physical traces was complete, Bu Eun-seol simply observed the man in silence.
At fixed intervals, the man displayed signs of unease or traced strange patterns in the air with his fingers—minor habits ingrained in him.
Through these unconscious actions, Bu Eun-seol deduced their lifestyle and routines.
Eventually, the man released his own pressure points and committed suicide.
But by then, Bu Eun-seol had already pieced together all the clues and raided the experimental site.
He had uncovered that the Jungson Clan's stronghold was spread across numerous troupes scattered throughout the Central Plains—
And at the same time...
He had obtained proof that the Jungson Clan had been traveling across every corner of the land and systematically abducting children with special constitutions capable of inheriting the power of the One Hundred and Eight Stars.
At that moment, Daoist Master Jang Gyo of the Wudang Sect—Yeong-cheong—spoke with utmost gravity:
"Then what of the counterfeit imperial decree incident? Unless we resolve that matter, we cannot prevent the Imperial Palace's intervention."
Bu Eun-seol gave a slight nod toward Yu Un-ryong, who then distributed booklets to each sect leader present.
"These are records of the atrocities the Jungson Clan has committed over generations."
The booklets detailed how the Jungson Clan had abducted countless children, deliberately targeting impoverished commoners and vagrants to conceal their crimes. They also meticulously documented the clan's cruel experiments to artificially create the One Hundred and Eight Stars.
"The legendary Three Clans... were capable of such evil?"
The assembled leaders shook their heads in disbelief.
The Three Great Martial Families had become legends not only because of their mysterious power and deeds but also because they had repeatedly saved the martial world from crisis. Yet now, it was revealed that for generations, they had been kidnapping children and conducting horrific experiments?
"But there's no evidence regarding the counterfeit decree."
Yeong-cheong frowned as he flipped through the booklet.
The counterfeit decree incident was just as critical as the child abductions. It had provoked the Emperor's wrath and forced the Imperial Palace to intervene in martial affairs. Yet no matter how thoroughly they searched, the booklet contained no evidence linking the Jungson Clan to the counterfeit decree.
"Correct."
Bu Eun-seol nodded calmly.
"There is no evidence regarding the counterfeit decree."
Then, he delivered a staggering revelation:
"Because they were never responsible for it in the first place."
"What do you—?"
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath, surveying the room before speaking with solemn finality:
"The counterfeit currency incident... was fabricated by me."
The conference hall froze.
To the martial world, counterfeit currency circulation was an even graver matter than the child abductions. It had not only escalated tensions between the Imperial Palace and the martial factions to a breaking point but also inflicted catastrophic losses across the entire martial world.
And now, they were being told... all of it had been orchestrated by Bu Eun-seol?
"Lord."
Monk Gong Hye, the Shaolin Temple's acting representative in place of the abbot, widened his eyes in disbelief.
"Do you understand the implications of what you've just said?"
If it became known that Bu Eun-seol had deliberately instigated the counterfeit currency incident—
The Emperor's fury would be unstoppable. Bu Eun-seol would be executed for treason. Worse, every leader present would be implicated as his co-conspirators, and the Emperor would distrust the martial world from then on.
"Do you truly not realize what will happen if this is exposed?"
Gong Hye, abandoning all pretense of monastic dignity, stamped his foot and roared, veins bulging in his neck.
"To catch one Jungson Clan, you deceived the entire world—even provoked the Emperor's wrath? Are you trying to drag all martial factions into the abyss with you?"
"The Jungson Clan has controlled for generations the Righteous Faction, the Unorthodox Faction, the Demonic Path, the Upper Realm, and even the Government Office."
Bu Eun-seol's expression remained unreadable.
"If their spies leak the details of this meeting... our entire plan will fail."
His piercing gaze swept across the room, glowing with an eerie light.
"That is, unless every person here is fully committed to absolute secrecy."
Half of those present at this World Conference had come not to risk their lives cooperating with Bu Eun-seol, but to decide their future course based on his information.
Now, faced with this revelation, they had only two choices—betray him or be forcibly complicit.
If this truth were ever exposed, they would all be condemned as traitors alongside him.
Thus, they had no choice but to stake their lives on silence and cooperation.
"Martial Soul Lord."
Namgung Jeong, Family Head of the Namgung Family, spoke with a pained expression.
"I understand you orchestrated this to ensure secrecy and maximize our chances against the Jungson Clan. But because of this, the Righteous Faction will never trust you again. Are you prepared to bear that?"
His voice grew heavier.
"Moreover, once this is over, if anyone reports you to the Imperial Palace, we will all be branded rebels."
"That won't happen."
Bu Eun-seol's response was chillingly calm.
"If it does, I will take full responsibility for all crimes."
"You mean that?"
"I do."
Bu Eun-seol took a slow breath.
"Condemn me, betray me—it doesn't matter. If it means eradicating the Jungson Clan and ending their child abductions..."
His eyes hardened with resolve as he faced the assembly.
"I will gladly offer my life."
A suffocating silence filled the hall.
Unfathomable.
None could comprehend Bu Eun-seol's true intentions.
—He must be scheming something.
His martial prowess surpassed generations, rivaling even the greatest experts of the era. His stratagems had achieved the impossible where others had given up.
Yet—
—What is this aura around him?
Where Bu Eun-seol stood, it was as if he occupied an unreachable peak, towering beyond mortal reach.
His gaze was serene, yet within it lay an abyss of solitude—devoid of joy, devoid of sorrow.
A lone figure standing at the boundary between light and darkness, an outcast forsaken by both worlds.
Confronted with that sorrow-laden gaze and anguish-filled presence,
the onlookers found themselves sinking into a strange, melancholic reverie.
No matter how vast the world may be—
who could truly understand the emptiness of a martial artist,
the bitter regret,
the lamentation and grief...
Who could ever comprehend such suffering?