Chapter 1122
"What the hell are these things now?"
The towering giant, standing well over nine feet tall, licked his lips as he eyed Princess Hui-jeong, whose face was concealed behind a veil. A sinister grin spread across his face.
"What a windfall."
"It was getting dull without any women in this temple."
"How dare you?!"
Princess Hui-jeong's voice rang out sharply.
"Cut them down!"
Whoosh—
The Embroidered Uniform Guards immediately drew their swords, slashing at the man's vital points.
Clang! Clang!
The giant's body, honed to the extreme through external martial arts, bulged with muscles on the verge of bursting, his skin radiating an eerie sheen. In truth, his flesh was harder than steel—so much so that the blades rebounded off him.
"Impervious to Blades."
As the guards recoiled in shock, the giant bellowed:
"Where do you think you're going?"
Thud!
With a hand the size of a cauldron lid, he seized a guard's head and swung him like a flail.
Crash! Splat—!
The bodies of the surrounding guards shattered like broken pottery.
"Hmph. Weaklings."
Once the body and bones of the warrior in his grip were reduced to pulp, he grabbed another.
Though the Embroidered Uniform Guards were unyielding warriors who would never bend, the sheer brutality of the giant—wielding intact warriors as weapons—froze them in terror.
"Step aside."
Then, Mo Il-chung stepped forward.
Having earned great merit, he had been granted access to the Imperial Palace Secret Repository, where he mastered the Soul-Severing Palm, a technique capable of unleashing razor-sharp palm energy.
Boom! Crack-crack-crack!
Moving with ghostly agility, he unleashed a flurry of palm strikes.
Thud. Thud.
Though the giant's body had resisted swords, blood now seeped from every spot struck by Mo Il-chung's palm energy.
But the wounds were shallow.
Rather than weakening the giant, Mo Il-chung's attacks only enraged him further.
"You damn rat!"
Huff-huff-huff!
Swinging his massive fists wildly, the giant charged at Mo Il-chung like a mad beast.
Mo Il-chung seemed panicked, retreating while continuously releasing palm energy.
'He's hiding his true power.'
Bu Eun-seol exhaled softly.
Though Mo Il-chung appeared to be fighting with everything he had, he was actually conserving his internal power and deliberately holding back lethal techniques.
"Out of my way!"
As the battle dragged on, Princess Hui-jeong grew visibly irritated and swung her sword.
Slash-slash-slash!
She unleashed the Killing Sword, a technique designed to sever life in a single strike, carving into the giant.
Yet she failed to land a fatal blow.
The giant continued to fight in a frenzied state.
Slash-slash-slash! Thud!
Though both Princess Hui-jeong and Mo Il-chung pressed their assault, the battle remained deadlocked.
The giant's external martial arts had reached the First Astral-Energy Form, rendering even the Internal Heavy Hand Technique ineffective against him.
'No choice.'
At this rate, they could fight all day without a victor.
Flick.
Finally, Bu Eun-seol covertly unleashed Finger Wind, striking the giant's Life Gate Acupoint.
Though the giant's Inner and Outer Vajra Body could deflect or neutralize any attack, Bu Eun-seol's Finger Wind carried immense internal power infused with the Heavenly Light Endless Art.
Psssh—
A faint sound, like air escaping a leather pouch, whispered through the air.
Thud.
The radiant sheen of the giant's skin vanished in an instant.
A single strike from Bu Eun-seol's Finger Wind had shattered his external arts completely.
"His external defense is broken!"
Princess Hui-jeong, mistaking the collapse as the result of her own attacks, let out a triumphant cry and redoubled her assault.
Clang! Clang!
Unable to withstand the barrage, the giant's body rang out like struck metal.
Then, finally—
Squelch.
Princess Hui-jeong's treasured sword severed his neck, sending a fountain of blood gushing forth.
Boom!
At the same moment, Mo Il-chung's Soul-Severing Palm shattered the giant's Lower Dantian into fragments.
Groooan—
Like a felled tree, the giant collapsed, his head smashing into the ground as he breathed his last.
"So much for external martial arts."
Pleased with the battle, Princess Hui-jeong sheathed her sword with a satisfied smirk.
"Now, let's head to the opium fields and burn them all to the ground."
Leaving the temple, they made their way to the opium fields.
But upon arrival—
Rustle.
This time, warriors clad in black emerged like mist rising from the ground.
Their skin and pupils were stained pitch-black—clear signs of Poison People who had mastered an extreme Poison Art.
"They look strong."
Princess Hui-jeong turned to Bu Eun-seol.
"Stay out of sight. You're a nuisance."
"Understood."
Bu Eun-seol immediately bowed his head and activated his stealth technique.
"Cut them down!"
Another battle erupted.
Princess Hui-jeong and the Embroidered Uniform Guards possessed martial prowess capable of crushing small factions.
Moreover, with Bu Eun-seol secretly suppressing the Poison People's techniques from the shadows, the enemies were reduced to little more than moving scarecrows. Once again, they were effortlessly defeated.
'This is too strange.'
As he observed, Bu Eun-seol felt an overwhelming sense of unease.
The Empress Dowager and her inner circle had allied with the Three Realms and the Servants of the True Demon—some of the most formidable forces in the martial world.
Yet they entrusted the management of a major financial asset like the opium fields to such weak warriors?
It made no sense.
"So this is all the Martial World's so-called 'masters' amount to. The rumors were grossly exaggerated."
Though it was the kind of remark one would make without ever having met a true master of the Martial World,
Mo Il-chung bowed his head as if to humor Princess Hui-jeong.
"Indeed. Truthfully, the martial arts of those in the Martial World are nothing extraordinary."
She let out a light chuckle before issuing him a command.
"Burn all the opium fields in Black Cloud Valley."
With such an imperial decree given, the Embroidered Uniform Guards should have immediately set the opium fields ablaze and moved on to the next location.
Yet, they stood motionless, as if they hadn't heard a word.
"Captain Mo, did you not hear this princess's words?"
"I heard them perfectly well."
Mo Il-chung surveyed their surroundings with a peculiar smile.
"Given the scale of the bloodshed here, now would be the perfect time to take the princess to the Empress Dowager."
"What did you say?"
"Did you not know?"
Mo Il-chung and the Embroidered Uniform Guards wore sinister grins.
"We all pledge our loyalty to the Empress Dowager."
'So it was like this after all.'
Bu Eun-seol rubbed his forehead.
That strange sense of unease he had felt from the beginning—
It was because every single Embroidered Uniform Guard accompanying them had been secretly planted as the Empress Dowager's spies.
They had planned all along to use this opportunity to abduct Princess Hui-jeong and deliver her to the Empress Dowager.
'So this was their intention from the start.'
Finally understanding the Emperor's entire scheme, Bu Eun-seol let out a sigh.
The reason Princess Hui-jeong had been used as bait—
It was to eliminate not only the Empress Dowager's secret organization but also all the spies she had embedded within the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
"Do you truly believe you have the strength to accomplish that?"
Princess Hui-jeong confidently drew her treasured sword.
Given their performance in Black Cloud Valley, the Embroidered Uniform Guards' skills were negligible, and even Captain Mo Il-chung's Internal Power was nothing remarkable.
'As if that's possible.'
Bu Eun-seol scoffed inwardly.
The naive princess hadn't realized that they had been holding back in every fight until now.
"Assassin. Come out."
Mo Il-chung spoke toward where Bu Eun-seol was hiding.
"Given that the Grand Scholar personally ordered it, you must not be an assassin but someone secretly assigned to guard the princess, correct?"
Kiiing—
A bizarre radiance surged from Mo Il-chung's body.
He had unleashed the Nether River Qi, an Imperial Palace Secret Art specifically designed to dismantle the Internal Power of martial artists.
"Ah, so you've crawled back into the Empress Dowager's service and entered the Imperial Palace Secret Repository again."
Princess Hui-jeong sneered as she looked at Mo Il-chung.
"But that trick only works on martial artists."
Having mastered the Imperial Palace Secret Arts herself, she was unaffected by Nether River Qi.
It only worked on martial artists who gathered their energy in the Lower Dantian.
"Of course. I never intended to use it on Your Highness."
KWA-WOONG!
As Nether River Qi spread in all directions, the surrounding air shifted.
Thud.
At the same time, Bu Eun-seol, who had been concealed, staggered and revealed himself beside the princess.
He made sure to wear an appropriately flustered expression to play along with Mo Il-chung's act.
"I'll just quietly walk away."
Bu Eun-seol spoke to Mo Il-chung as if pleading.
"I only took this job because I was blinded by a kwan of gold. I'll keep my mouth shut about this—just let me go."
"Hehehe. Dream on."
Mo Il-chung laughed.
"If the princess dies, we'll need a culprit, won't we?"
Bu Eun-seol smacked his forehead.
"So that's why you deliberately took down the martial artists at the temple and revealed your true colors here."
"Correct."
Mo Il-chung grinned malevolently.
"Everything will be pinned on you—the assassin hired by the Grand Scholar."
"Hmm."
Swoosh.
Bu Eun-seol, rubbing his temples, sighed as he looked at Mo Il-chung and the Embroidered Uniform Guards.
"In the end, you lot were just bait too."
"What?"
"Someone of the Empress Dowager's stature wouldn't set up such a sloppy trap."
Bu Eun-seol exhaled deeply.
Not only had the Empress Dowager allied with the Three Realms and the Servants of the True Demon,
but she also commanded formidable forces like the Yellow-Robed Agents, who could unleash power comparable to Limitless Power through Imperial Court Martial Arts.
And yet, knowing full well that this was a scheme by the Emperor or the Grand Scholar,
there was no way she would entrust the disposal of the princess to the likes of Mo Il-chung.
"She must have had you start with Black Cloud Valley—far from the Central Plains—to ensure we couldn't return to the capital immediately."
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
"You lot wouldn't understand."
Bu Eun-seol sighed again.
Dealing with Mo Il-chung and the Embroidered Uniform Guards before him was trivial.
But the Empress Dowager was no opponent to be taken lightly.
She must have already deduced that the so-called "master from Haejin" was actually a Martial World expert assigned to protect the princess.
Undoubtedly, she would send forces that he could not face alone—
that much was as clear as fire.
'I must not mobilize Martial World forces.'
Bu Eun-seol exhaled deeply.
'This is a conflict of the Imperial Palace.'
This battle was a proxy war between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager—
To protect the princess, he could not call upon the Demon Hall, the Soulless Society, the Azure Heaven Alliance, or any other faction.
If he were to mobilize Martial World forces?
From that day onward, he would become the Empress Dowager's target.
"Seriously... I have to escort her back to the capital alone?"
Bu Eun-seol would have to carve a bloody path back to the capital with the princess—alone.
"Hmm."
Mo Il-chung narrowed his eyes at Bu Eun-seol's composed expression.
"You're awfully confident."
Then, with a sharp gaze, he scrutinized Bu Eun-seol from head to toe.
"Since the Grand Scholar recommended you, you must have some hidden card up your sleeve, no?"
Mo Il-chung curled his lips into a cruel smile.
"Even if you're some peerless master, you'll die here today."
Whoosh.
As Mo Il-chung raised his hand—
BANG!
Not just from him, but from every single Embroidered Uniform Guard, a mysterious radiance erupted.
Astonishingly, every last one of them—
Had mastered the Imperial Palace Secret Art known as Nether River Qi, designed to suppress martial artists' internal energy.
'So they prepared their trump card after all.'
Huuuuum.
The Nether River Qi unleashed by thirty-two elite imperial masters—
Was powerful enough to instantly drain the internal energy of even a Martial Extreme Realm master.
Unfortunately for them, their opponent was Bu Eun-seol.
BOOM!
With an explosive sound, not just the Embroidered Uniform Guard masters but even the formidable Mo Il-chung—
Were sent flying a full zhang into the air before crashing down like sacks of grain.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Rolling across the ground in disgrace, they coughed up bright arterial blood before collapsing like felled timber.
In a single move, Mo Il-chung and his entire contingent had been annihilated.
'To think they'd use the exact same method as that Jeong Myeong fellow.'
The Nether River Qi mastered by all the guards functioned identically to the Tathagata True Qi used by the Buddhist Venerable's secular disciple Jeong Myeong—
A technique that caused internal energy collisions to neutralize an opponent's power.
But against Bu Eun-seol, who'd already broken through such tactics in the Land of the Ultimate Void by mastering the Counterflow Fusion Art—
Their attempt became an act of suicidal folly.
When the Nether River Qi rebounded, their own heart meridians ruptured from the backlash, killing them instantly.
"How—?"
Princess Hui-jeong's jaw dropped at the sight.
The combined Nether River Qi unleashed by Mo Il-chung and the guards—
Had produced energy fluctuations even she, trained in Imperial Palace Secret Arts, would have struggled to withstand.
Yet this seemingly frail assassin had reflected it all in an instant?
"What in blazes did you just do?"
Bu Eun-seol gave an evasive answer to the princess's question.
"The martial world has techniques specifically designed to counter Imperial Palace martial arts."
"Has it now?"
"Your Highness, listen carefully from this point onward."
Bu Eun-seol looked down at the princess with his usual piercing gaze and tone.
"The journey back will now become a blood-soaked path."
"A blood-soaked path?"
The princess let out a derisive chuckle.
"Do you think Chengdu only has government troops?"
"Well, I imagine there are secret organizations and martial artists lurking about. But it won't matter."
Bu Eun-seol spoke with finality.
"Just as you made your preparations, the Empress Dowager will have laid meticulous plans of her own."
"Hahahaha!"
Suddenly, the princess burst into laughter.
"This princess has survived the blood-soaked power struggles of the imperial court. However treacherous the martial world may be, to my eyes it's just foolish brawling between martial artists."
She reached into her robes and extended her hand.
Piiiiii!
A brilliant light streaked skyward before exploding into a signal flare so bright it illuminated the midday sun.
"The Golden Dragon Guards will arrive shortly."
Her voice was calm.
"The Empress Dowager must have anticipated this failure—she'll now deploy all those secret forces she's been hoarding like treasure."
Then she stared directly at Bu Eun-seol.
"Did you truly think this princess was some empty-headed brat? If so, then my deception succeeded."
"You've been deliberately playing the unruly brat all this time?"
"Naturally."
Bu Eun-seol couldn't help a wry laugh.
They said imperial court intrigues surpassed martial world conflicts in brutality.
All this time, while pretending to be a reckless troublemaker, Princess Hui-jeong had been coiled like a Hidden Dragon—
Waiting for the opportunity to topple the Empress Dowager.
"I'll admit I underestimated the imperial court's intrigues."
Bu Eun-seol's expression turned grave.
"But it won't be easy. Battles in the martial world are fundamentally different from palace conflicts."
The Empress Dowager had long cultivated ties with martial world factions, using their strength to build formidable forces.
Even if Princess Hui-jeong commanded—
An elite unit of guards from the Imperial Palace Secret Repository who had been secretly and rigorously trained—
Escaping the Empress Dowager's grasp would prove difficult.
"This princess will handle that."
A faint smile played on Princess Hui-jeong's lips.
"Now, attend to your own duties."
Whoosh.
Just then, golden light shimmered across the distant sky as—
Shuuu shuuu shuuu!
Martial artists in resplendent uniforms began descending one after another.
Four of them carried an ornate palanquin.
The princess's secret elite unit—the Golden Dragon Guards.
"Your Highness."
Cheol-yeong, leader of the Golden Dragon Guards, bowed deeply.
"The Empress Dowager's forces are converging on this location as we speak."
"Hmm."
"Allow us to escort you from here."
Nodding, the princess turned her gaze back to Bu Eun-seol.
"If the Grand Scholar recommended you, you must be a martial artist of some renown."
"......"
"Return safely."
Swish!
With those final words, Princess Hui-jeong entered the palanquin and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Bu Eun-seol stared blankly at the empty space for a moment.
"Impressive. She's truly prepared to challenge the Empress Dowager."
The princess's reputation as an incorrigible brat wasn't newly minted.
Yet in reality—
Since childhood, she'd been biding her time, claws sheathed, waiting to kill the Empress Dowager, who tormented the emperor?
"Such formidable resolve."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"No wonder she's survived the imperial court."
Survival of the fittest—
That truth held equal weight in palace corridors.
Her survival proved her capability beyond doubt.
"But the Grand Scholar's reputation is at stake here."
He'd prefer to turn back now.
Yet he couldn't bring himself to believe—
That overconfident princess could possibly defeat all the Empress Dowager's forces.
"If I'm going to repay a debt, I should do it properly."
WHOOSH!
Bu Eun-seol instantly propelled himself toward the spot where Princess Hui-jeong had vanished.