Chapter 1129
Na Baek-hu extended both hands with an ingratiating gleam in his eyes.
"Then I shall escort you."
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
Because the Embroidered Uniform Guards who had landed behind him had brought forth a palanquin so opulent it seemed fit only for royalty.
The lacquered red frame was intricately adorned with golden cloud patterns, and at each of its four corners gleamed ornaments shaped like phoenix heads.
The ceiling was draped with silk curtains, and when sunlight struck them, silver ripples shimmered as if rays of light were descending through clouds.
At first glance, it was the kind of palanquin that would make commoners prostrate themselves, not daring to lift their heads—a quintessential imperial conveyance.
"No."
Bu Eun-seol wiped the sweat from his brow and forced a smile.
"I'm fine."
"Please do not refuse. It is our duty."
"It's not a refusal—it's a rejection."
"A rejection?"
For a moment, Na Baek-hu's expression hardened.
"Are you implying that you would deny the authority of an imperial relic?"
To reject a divine artifact bestowed by the princess in full view of the crowd?
This was not merely refusing a favor. It was undermining the princess' dignity.
Worse, it could be interpreted as an act of defiance against the entire imperial family, including the princess herself.
"Surely, this humble servant must have misheard."
The once-loyal glint in Na Baek-hu's eyes had, in that instant, turned utterly sinister.
"Isn't that so, Royal Son-in-Law?"
A dry swallow escaped involuntarily.
Bu Eun-seol's mind spun like lightning.
'This was given by the princess.'
This bracelet had not been bestowed by the emperor—it was a personal gift from the princess.
'Then I must go to the emperor.'
—This lowly one dares not presume to accept such a treasure. I humbly request His Majesty the Emperor to judge this matter personally.
If he did that?
He could display absolute loyalty and humility while rejecting the princess' gift—
And at the same time, present himself as a subject even more devoted to the emperor.
"All subjects are His Majesty's vassals."
Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands together with a reverent expression and invoked the emperor's name.
Na Baek-hu immediately adjusted his posture and listened intently.
"Shouldn't this matter also be judged by His Majesty the Emperor?"
Bu Eun-seol gazed at the distant sky with solemnity.
"How could a mere martial artist from the Martial World recklessly accept a divine artifact symbolizing the imperial family's authority and grace?"
Moved by the impassioned words, Na Baek-hu nodded deeply.
"A most judicious statement."
Then he spoke earnestly.
"In that case, at least allow us to escort you until His Majesty's decision is made. Royal Son-in-Law."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
"The emperor has not yet acknowledged me. Are you recognizing me as the Royal Son-in-Law?"
"My apologies, my lord."
"I shall personally submit a petition to the emperor. You may withdraw."
Though Bu Eun-seol spoke with the exaggerated expressions and tone of a Beijing Opera performer—
To Na Baek-hu, it seemed like nothing out of the ordinary, and he bowed calmly.
"Understood."
Then he cautiously added,
"Is there anything further you would command?"
Bu Eun-seol had been about to say no.
But when his eyes fell upon the embroidered insignia on Na Baek-hu's official robes—a blazing qilin woven with golden threads—
A sudden thought flashed through his mind.
'The imperial court is keeping a close watch on the Martial World's affairs.'
From his recent journey with the princess,
He knew that not only the Empress Dowager but even the emperor were highly alert to the Martial World's movements.
If so, the imperial court might possess information even the Death Soul Squad was unaware of.
'This man is a trusted military officer of the emperor.'
Perhaps he might know something about the Demonic Heavenly Emperor or the Heaven and Earth Divine Artifact.
But if he asked outright about the Heaven and Earth Divine Artifact, rumors could spread through the court.
So Bu Eun-seol framed his question differently.
"Might I inquire about any recent news from the Martial World?"
"News from the Martial World, you say?"
"I was wondering if you had any recent information or whereabouts regarding the Demon Palace Lord, Sado Mu-myeong."
"Sado Mu-myeong."
Na Baek-hu's expression turned troubled.
"Information regarding him is classified at the highest level. Even high-ranking officials cannot easily access it—how could this insignificant servant possibly obtain such intelligence?"
"Tsk, surely not."
Bu Eun-seol subtly flashed the bracelet given by the princess and feigned a cough.
"I had thought a Thousand-household Commander like yourself would surely know something."
A Thousand-household Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was by no means a low rank.
Moreover, Na Baek-hu was an Embroidered Uniform Guard with direct ties to the emperor—
He ought to possess high-level information.
"Soon, I shall have an audience with the emperor."
Bu Eun-seol's voice took on a suggestive tone.
"And when I explain the matter of Her Highness the Princess, I intend to mention the sole loyal officer who showed me goodwill."
Bu Eun-seol was a master of the Cock-Crowing and Dog-Stealing Art.
If he wished, he could assume the guise of any profession, perfectly replicating even the unique aura exclusive to its practitioners.
Right now, he was acting—
Just like a seasoned official well-versed in the ways of the court.
"But this humble servant..."
"Tsk, what a pity, Commander Na."
Bu Eun-seol clicked his tongue while gazing at the distant sky.
"Tailwinds do not always blow favorably..."
At that moment, Na Baek-hu saw the figures of the high-ranking officials he encountered daily superimposed over Bu Eun-seol.
The ministers of the court, who wielded influence through connections and swaggered with arrogance.
Wasn't the Bu Eun-seol before him now—
Displaying the very same demeanor typical of those powerful ministers?
'Even if he rejects the title of Royal Son-in-Law, he is still the one the princess bestowed a divine artifact upon.'
Sensing that he, too, could grasp a significant opportunity, Na Baek-hu took a deep breath as if steeling himself.
"My lord."
He stepped closer to Bu Eun-seol, bowed slightly, and spoke in a hushed voice.
"This humble one knows nothing of worth, but... there are rumors I've caught wind of in passing..."
A Thousand-household Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard addressing a martial artist of the Martial World as 'this humble one'?
Truly, his instincts were as sharp as a magpie's, and his actions as cunning as a fox's.
"The Demonic Heavenly Emperor has been repeatedly sending trusted subordinates to Ghost Capture Island for some time now."
"Ghost Capture Island?"
"Yes."
Bu Eun-seol blinked.
Even he, who knew the geography of the Central Plains better than anyone, was hearing this island's name for the first time.
"An island in uncharted waters, absent from maps and without known sailing routes."
Na Baek-hu's voice dropped lower.
"There's a peculiar fortress there. Every intelligence officer sent inside has died. So further investigations were halted."
'If he's repeatedly sending trusted subordinates...'
A strange thought occurred to Bu Eun-seol.
'Perhaps his disciple resides there.'
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor never discards a useful blade.
Within the fortress of Ghost Capture Island—
Could it be that the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's disciple, deemed too sharp to wield any longer, now dwelled?
"It's possible he's hidden some extraordinary treasure there as well."
Na Baek-hu began detailing everything he knew about Ghost Capture Island and the route to reach it.
"Fascinating."
Committing every word to memory, Bu Eun-seol clasped Na Baek-hu's hand, chuckled hoarsely, and nodded.
"I shan't forget Commander Na's kindness."
"You flatter this unworthy one."
Na Baek-hu beamed, bowing again.
"Merely being remembered by you, my lord, is honor enough."
As Na Baek-hu groveled incessantly, Bu Eun-seol patted his shoulder.
"Of course. Isn't that so?"
Then, with the satisfied nod of a man who'd just been crowned emperor, he smirked.
Uncharted waters, absent from maps and devoid of sailing routes.
In the cursed sea where storms and fog barred all passage, a solitary island of black basalt rose from the depths.
The world called it Ghost Capture Island—for it was said ghosts were imprisoned there.
Whoooosh— CRACK!
At the summit of the island's central mountain, lashed by torrential rain, stood a fortress.
Its twisted, colossal structure resembled a grotesque cage reaching for the heavens—too bizarre, too primal to be man-made.
The metal gates bore deep, jagged claw marks, as though some monstrous beast had raked its fury across them.
"Looks like a prison."
At the peak of Ghost Capture Island, a shadow shook its head while staring at the fortress gates.
Bu Eun-seol.
Having obtained the information from Na Baek-hu, he hadn't returned to the Demon Hall but came straight here.
The imperial court had countless eyes and ears, and factions he knew nothing of lurked everywhere.
When intelligence was acquired, acting swiftly left no room for complications.
Screeeech—
Channeling his internal energy, he forced the massive metal gates to creak open.
—Grrrrr, RAAAH!
Upon stepping inside, the roar of a starved beast seemed to echo from somewhere unseen.
The fortress interior didn't feel man-made.
It was as if the carcass of a gargantuan creature, hundreds of zhang in size, had fossilized, its bones and stones fused into a cavernous structure.
Black obsidian pillars and monstrous, unidentified bones intertwined chaotically, blurring the boundaries between walls and ceiling.
Through rib-like arches, the ashen sky peered down.
Step. Step.
Bu Eun-seol walked without pause.
The path coiled like a serpent, narrowing and widening in turns—likely leading toward the mountain's heart.
"It was built by humans."
Though the floor was sharp obsidian, as if carved by blades, the walls and ceiling were embedded with Night Shining Pearls.
Yet unlike those of the Central Plains, their light was blindingly bright, stretching Bu Eun-seol's shadow into a monstrous, twisted silhouette.
Deeper in, the stench of damp sea air, iron, and the faintest trace of putrid blood thickened.
At the spiral's end, in the deepest and vastest hollow of the fortress, stood pillars darker than condensed void.
Their surfaces were etched with cryptic sigils.
Clink.
And at the central pillar, a figure bound in chains came into view.
"So it is a prison."
As Bu Eun-seol's voice echoed through the hollow—
Flash!
From within the pillar, a pair of eyes flickered to life, brimming with ghostly energy.
Not a shred of reason remained—only the seething glare of a beast starved for destruction.
Clatter.
With every rattle of chains, muscles writhed like living stone, and thick black tendons bulged like serpents.
Matted hair spread like a mane, and the skin bore scars so deep they resembled armor—as if clawed relentlessly over years.
"You've cultivated demonic arts."
The man's gaze and aura alone betrayed mastery of an abominable demonic art.
"Are you a member of this hall?"
The disheveled man remained silent, glaring.
"Answer me."
Bu Eun-seol drew the Command Plaque from his robes.
"If you are of the Demonic Path—"
"Grrrr."
At the sight of the plaque, the man suddenly yanked at the shackles binding his wrists and ankles.
CRACK! TWANG!
With each pull, the pillars trembled, emitting ominous vibrations.
The chains stretched like taffy under his strength—yet whenever the sigils on the pillars flared, they snapped back into place.
"Are you Hall Master Sado's subordinate?"
"Hehehe."
The man suddenly burst into deranged laughter.
"KHAHAHAHA!"
After laughing for a long while, he fixed Bu Eun-seol with a piercing glare.
Bu Eun-seol swallowed dryly as he met those burning, feverish eyes.
"You're not making any sense."
The man's body was beast-like in size, his eyes overflowing with explosive madness.
And his entire posture conveyed a single message:
If you want answers, knock me down first.
"Fine."
Bu Eun-seol drew Ink Soul Sword.
"I'll ask you after I break you."
Flash!
In an instant, he slashed at the chains.
CLANG!
A strange metallic resonance rang out, and Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
Not even a scratch? The Ink Soul Sword could slice through diamond like tofu, yet it left no mark on these chains?
Zing!
When he struck again, the strange engravings on the pillar flared with intense light.
It seemed some mystical Art of Spells had been carved into the pillar, deflecting all force directed at the chains.
"Now this is what I'd call demonic learning."
Muttering under his breath, Bu Eun-seol gathered his strength, and a radiant glow began spreading across his body.
Sssshhh—
At the same time, a mist-like energy, white as fresh snow, unfurled from the Ink Soul Sword.
He was unleashing the full power of Misty Waves of Rivers and Lakes, a technique meant to restore all things to their natural state.
Crack, CRUNCH!
As the white sword energy spread like mist, the engravings on the pillar began fracturing—
Snap, snap!
—until finally, the pillar itself started splitting apart.
BOOM!
Bu Eun-seol immediately thrust the Ink Soul Sword into the fissure and poured an immense surge of Internal Energy into it.
RUMBLE, GROWL—
Once the infused energy surpassed eight sixty-year measure in magnitude, the entire pillar anchoring the chains collapsed in on itself.
Clank.
The man looked down at his own body.
Only the chains remained dangling from his arms—his body was now free to move.
"Hehehe."
In that instant, a thick, viscous mix of madness and Killing Intent seeped from the man's entire being.
White froth bubbled from his lips.
The engravings on the pillar hadn't just protected the chains—they had also suppressed the madness and Demonic Energy festering inside him.
"GAAAH!"
Assuming a grotesque stance, the man roared at the sky once more—
BOOM!
—then launched himself at Bu Eun-seol on all fours like a beast.
BAM! BAM!
Each time his legs kicked off the ground, dirt exploded upward like fireworks.
With explosive Movement Technique, he—
Snap!
—carved an unpredictable arc through the air, baring his fangs toward Bu Eun-seol's legs.
"This madness is nothing like Beast Martial Arts."
Though Beast Martial Arts also mimicked animalistic movements, they were ultimately rooted in cold, calculated martial principles.
But this man moved purely on instinct—like a rabid predator lunging for prey.
Snap!
Just as the razor-sharp teeth grazed his ankle, Bu Eun-seol sidestepped by half a pace.
CRUNCH!
Missing its target, the man twisted midair without losing momentum and hurled himself toward another pillar.
Defying gravity, he scaled the vertical surface like a spider before leaping from its peak once more.
"GRRROOOAAH!"
Tucking his limbs in, he curled into a massive boulder-like shape and plummeted toward Bu Eun-seol.
"Hm."
Bu Eun-seol raised a single finger.
He condensed the essence of Deflect Flowers and Receive Jade, intending to repel the falling man with amplified force.
But something unexpected happened.
Swish!
Dozens of solidified True Qi blades materialized from the spinning man's body—
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
—then instantly morphed into a giant clawed hand, crashing down upon Bu Eun-seol like a tidal wave.
'Emotion Severing Secret Art?'
This man, like Bu Eun-seol, had mastered the Emotion Severing Secret Art left behind by the Demonic Heavenly Emperor in the Ten Thousand Demonic Secret Archive.
Flick!
Bu Eun-seol twisted his body, narrowly evading the blades.
CRACK!
Instead of dissipating, the blades burrowed into the ground—
Hiss—
—then slithered like serpents, relentlessly targeting Bu Eun-seol's ankles.
'Fascinating.'
Curiosity stirred in him.
How had this crawling serpent technique been executed? What kind of function did it possess?
Slash!
In the end, Bu Eun-seol deliberately halted his movement.
The True Qi, now serpent-like, coiled around his wrists and ankles, forming shackles.
Hum.
His body grew heavy as waterlogged cotton, and his Extrasensory Perception dulled slightly.
'The Emotion Severing Secret Art has this kind of function?'
Unlike most Demonic Path techniques, the Emotion Severing Secret Art was broad and profound—training it for one or two years wouldn't raise its attainment.
Moreover, the version this man used was fundamentally different from the one stored in the Ten Thousand Demonic Secret Archive.
'There isn't just one Emotion Severing Secret Art—there are multiple variations... and this man has trained in it for a very long time.'
Meaning, he likely hadn't learned it from the archive—but directly from the Demonic Heavenly Emperor himself.
'This man might be the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's disciple.'
It was said the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's disciple wielded the Heaven and Earth Divine Artifact.
If so, he needed to confirm whether this man possessed it.
Clang!
Bu Eun-seol unleashed the Heavenly Light Endless Art, shattering the shackles of the Emotion Severing Secret Art.
Whoosh.
He extended a hand toward the man.
"Enough tricks. Let's get serious."
His calm expression and outstretched hand only deepened the fury and madness swirling in the man's pupils.
"Demonic... Heavenly... Emperor..."
Bu Eun-seol's fathomless gaze and composed demeanor—
That bearing bore an uncanny resemblance to the very one who had imprisoned him here.
"Why won't you release me—?!"
'The Demonic Heavenly Emperor?'
A flash of lightning erupted in Bu Eun-seol's gaze.
The one who had chained the man who mastered the essence of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's martial arts and imprisoned him on this Ghost Capture Island—
...was none other than the Demonic Heavenly Emperor himself.