Chapter 1238
Bu Eun-seol felt both astonished and bewildered.
"How did you know that?"
"That man told me."
When the female Taoist pointed to the man who had just died, his brow furrowed deeply.
He couldn't decide whether to believe her words or not.
"He said that though the Flower Cloud Trading House suddenly helped him open a proper dumpling shop... in the end, his wife changed, and he spent every day in the warehouse, drenched in blood while butchering human flesh."
The details were far too vivid to dismiss as nonsense.
Clicking her tongue as if pitying the man, she continued,
"In the end, since he butchered human flesh, it's no different from having slaughtered countless people and accumulated evil karma."
In an instant, Bu Eun-seol's gaze darkened.
Back when he had unleashed the Bloody Tears Seven Forms at the Yangguan Branch, he too had seen people's evil karma taking the form of serpents.
Did that mean she could see such things without the Bloody Tears Seven Forms or chains?
'Evil... I see.'
Rolling the word evil karma in his mind, Bu Eun-seol soon grasped how this female Taoist could possess such an ability—and what her true identity might be.
But he gave no outward sign of this realization and remained silent.
"In the end, those behind this scheme used the poor to maintain their own secrets."
"You can communicate with the dead?"
Bu Eun-seol asked with a meaningful expression.
"Are you saying there truly exists a soul-summoning art in this world?"
If one could speak to the dead—couldn't he simply summon his grandfather's spirit and easily uncover the murderer?
Even if the spirit didn't reveal the killer's identity, he could still ask many other things.
"How should I know?"
"Then how did you converse with the dead?"
"It wasn't a conversation."
The female Taoist shook her head.
"Even at the moment of death, a person's consciousness lingers briefly. And once their breath is cut off, the barriers of their spirit and mind temporarily vanish. I merely took advantage of that fleeting moment to peer into their spiritual core."
She hadn't used some mystical Taoist art or divine power.
Much like how Bu Eun-seol employed Phantom Restoration,
she had wielded a force akin to the Mind Seizing Secret Art—rooted in martial principles.
'Such an ability would be an immense help in resolving this matter.'
Even if they went to the Flower Cloud Trading House,
those involved were likely bound by a Restrictive Seal that would kill them if they revealed secrets—and even if not, no one would willingly divulge information.
Having her along would be a great advantage.
"Will you continue following me?"
"Hmm?"
The female Taoist, with an utterly guileless expression, busily slung her bamboo box over her shoulder again.
"I should be going now."
This was absurd.
She had clung stubbornly before,
but the moment he considered her useful enough to travel together, she was already preparing to leave?
'She has an agenda.'
Having wandered the Martial World long enough to encounter all manner of eccentrics and countless human spectacles,
Bu Eun-seol instinctively sensed that this female Taoist was observing him for some purpose—that she wanted something from him.
"They've been killing innocent people to create Human Flowers."
After a brief hesitation, Bu Eun-seol spoke.
"Let us journey together and uproot them."
"Are you a chivalrous hero of the Martial World?"
The female Taoist posed a meaningful question.
"Do you roam the murim like this to help the innocent?"
"There is some intention to save people."
Bu Eun-seol answered honestly.
"But all of it is for the sake of revenge."
"Revenge?"
"Yes. I'm pursuing them to find the murderer who killed my grandfather."
Since she was a Righteous Faction figure with a benevolent aura, he should have played the part of a renowned hero to secure her help.
So why had he mentioned revenge?
Rustle.
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol turned slightly,
dispelling his disguise and restoring his original appearance.
Unlike ordinary disguise techniques, the Darkness Secret Arts transformed one's features like rippling water—he had merely concealed his true face.
'Not only can she see into the spiritual core of the dead...'
Even if she couldn't read minds, she could at least discern good and evil, truth and falsehood.
'She must already know who I am.'
Certain that she recognized him, he revealed his true form.
"So that's your real face."
"It is."
As expected, the female Taoist showed little surprise, merely nodding at his appearance.
"Very well."
Perhaps satisfied by his honesty, she nodded briskly.
"Let's travel together."
"Agreed."
Bu Eun-seol bowed politely.
"I am Bu Eun-seol, a disciple of Langya Pavilion."
"I am Heo Ju."
Heo Ju—derived from an old tale in Zhuangzi—refers to an empty boat that no one steers.
The expression comes from the idea that even if such a boat drifts and bumps into others, no one grows angry.
In other words, she seemed to regard herself as nothing more than an empty vessel, something transient and insignificant, flowing like water.
"An unusual Taoist name."
A faint smile played on Bu Eun-seol's lips, though his true thoughts remained hidden.
"Then I'll simply call you Taoist Heo Ju."
"As you wish."
"Let's go."
Bu Eun-seol activated his Land-Flying Technique, soaring into the sky in an instant.
Yet Taoist Heo Ju simply stood there, staring blankly up at him.
"Aren't you coming?"
"I can't fly through the sky."
She had mastered astonishing secret arts, yet unfortunately, her internal energy wasn't profound enough to perform the Land-Flying Technique.
"Which sect's expert do you hail from?"
Though he had already vaguely guessed her origins, he deliberately asked.
In such a situation, not inquiring about her background and cultivation would have been far too unnatural.
"Probably an inheritor of a sect whose lineage was lost."
"I don't belong anywhere. I just cultivate body and mind by following the mountains and streams, so I've attained communion with the spirits."
"I see."
Bu Eun-seol asked no further.
Whoosh—
Lifting Taoist Heo Ju into the air, he shot eastward at full speed.
By now, the darkness had gradually begun to recede.
The eastern sky shifted from deep indigo to pale blue, and just as a crimson glow began to spread beyond the horizon—
A massive estate unfolded before his eyes.
Flower Cloud Trading House.
The largest merchant house dominating the region of Giranbu.
A stately three-story pavilion stood imposingly at its center, flanked by dozens of warehouses and servants' quarters arranged in perfect order.
The surrounding walls stood at least ten feet high, and the main gate was crafted from sturdy wood lacquered in vermilion.
A pair of stone lions stood majestically before the entrance, and beyond them stretched a courtyard spacious enough to accommodate hundreds of servants with ease.
Tap.
Bu Eun-seol, who had been observing the Flower Cloud Trading House from above, did not enter directly.
Instead, he deliberately descended before the main gate and knocked.
"Who goes there?"
A drowsy-eyed servant, rubbing his eyes, emerged to answer.
Bu Eun-seol regarded him indifferently before responding—not with words, but by producing an ancient, weathered command plaque.
Martial Soul Order Token.
Once, it had merely been proof of his status as the Heir of the Demon Hall...
But now, it had become a symbol of absolute authority, equal to the prestige of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor—the man hailed as the foremost master of this era.
"What... what is this?"
When would a mere servant of a trading house ever have laid eyes on the token of the Martial Soul Lord?
Blinking in confusion, the man stammered his question.
"Deliver this plaque to your master."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was low.
"The Martial Soul Lord wishes to see his face."
"T-The Martial Soul Lord?!"
Only then did the servant's gaze dart between Bu Eun-seol and the plaque before he recoiled as if he had seen a ghost.
"P-Please wait just a moment!"
When faced with the Martial Soul Order Token, even the sects of the Demonic Path had no choice but to prostrate themselves—while the elders of the Orthodox Sects dared not act rashly, forced to pay their respects.
What hope did a mere merchant's servant have?
Crash!
The servant's legs tangled, sending him sprawling—but he scrambled back up in a panic and bolted inside.
Before eight minutes had passed, the gates swung open, and a middle-aged man came rushing out.
He appeared to be in his mid-fifties.
Clad in a deep indigo robe with a silk sash tied at his waist, his round face bore a well-fed plumpness, and beads of sweat dotted his forehead.
The very image of an affluent merchant, slick with worldly shrewdness.
"I am Yang Gwon, chief steward of the Flower Cloud Trading House."
The moment he reached Bu Eun-seol, he immediately bent into a deep bow—
No, it was closer to a full prostration.
"To behold the Martial Soul Lord's peerless visage in person is an honor spanning three lifetimes."
His voice trembled.
A mix of fear and reverence.
Rumors in the martial world had a tendency to inflate reality several times over.
The recent incident at Yangguan Branch had been distorted beyond recognition—
Whispers now claimed that over fifty thousand masters from both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths had swarmed the branch...
Only to be reduced to dust without a single bone left intact.
"Where is your master?"
At Bu Eun-seol's icy question,
"Well..."
Yang Gwon cautiously lifted his head.
"The Sect Chief is currently away on business and has yet to return. For now, this humble one oversees all affairs of the trading house."
"You oversee the trading house's affairs?"
Bu Eun-seol's gaze sharpened.
"Indeed."
Yang Gwon bowed his head once more.
"Please, follow me first."
He led Bu Eun-seol deep into the estate.
Passing through the expansive courtyard and down a corridor, they arrived at a small pond.
At its center stood an elegant pavilion—octagonal roof, vermilion pillars, and railings adorned with intricate carvings.
Red carp glided lazily through the water, and a thick morning mist drifted above the surface.
"Bring tea."
As Yang Gwon ordered a maid to serve tea, Taoist Heo Ju waved her hand.
"This humble Taoist does not drink tea."
Only then did Yang Gwon—who had been wearing a tense expression—notice the peculiar female Taoist accompanying Bu Eun-seol.
'And who is this woman?'
His eyes lingered on Taoist Heo Ju, who carried a bamboo box on her back, before he shook his head.
If the Martial Soul Lord kept her by his side, she must be someone extraordinary.
"May I ask... what brings you here?"
His voice was cautious.
"Might I inquire as to why you seek the Sect Chief?"
Bu Eun-seol remained silent for a moment.
His piercing eyes studied Yang Gwon's face before he slowly, heavily, spoke.
"Explain why the Flower Cloud Trading House extracts essence blood from people to cultivate Human Flowers."
For an instant, Yang Gwon blinked in utter bewilderment.
"Human... Flowers? What are those?"
"You don't know?"
"I—I've never heard of such a flower in my life."
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol's pupils turned yellow.
Yang Gwon's pulse, breathing, pupil dilation, the faint tremors in his muscles... He was analyzing every physiological response.
'Hmm.'
Yang Gwon's heartbeat remained steady.
Though he was sweating, it stemmed from fear—not deceit.
'He's telling the truth.'
This man was truly just an ordinary merchant who knew nothing of the Human Flower.
'He's completely unaware... of the dark deeds unfolding within this trading house.'
His gaze swept discreetly across the compound.
The spacious courtyard, orderly buildings, servants coming and going.
A thorough investigation of the interior would be needed, but for now, nothing seemed amiss.
Then, in that moment—
"Good heavens, what kind of grudge has that old man sweeping the ground incurred?"
Taoist Heo Ju's voice rang out from behind.
Bu Eun-seol turned his head.
Before a shabby outbuilding stood an elderly man clutching a broom, sweeping the ground.
His back was bent, draped in tattered gray robes. White hair sparse over emaciated limbs, he looked ready to collapse any second.
"Grudge?"
Bu Eun-seol tilted his head.
"That old man?"
However one looked, he appeared to be nothing more than a withered servant with skeletal limbs.
Taoist Heo Ju's eyes burned with certainty as she declared:
"He's killed thousands—no, tens of thousands of people."
At her words, the old man recoiled in shock, waving his hands frantically.
"Are you speaking of this humble one?"
"Yes."
"This lowly servant belongs to—"
Midway through his bowing apology, the old man suddenly thrust the tip of his broom at Taoist Heo Ju's throat.
Though he'd stood across the courtyard moments earlier without moving—
He'd closed the distance in an instant to attack.
But something was faster.
Clang!
Bu Eun-seol materialized before Taoist Heo Ju, intercepting the broom's strike with the Ink Soul Sword.
Vibrations rippled through the blade from the mere impact against a broom, transmitting terrifying force.
Outwardly just a frail old man, he'd unleashed internal energy akin to a compressed mountain.
"So the true master of Flower Cloud Trading House was here all along."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed.
This old man was the shadow ruler behind it all.
Whoosh—CRACK!
Stones from the courtyard suddenly shot skyward before exploding outward in all directions.
The Life-and-Death Combat Formation had activated.
"Binding Formation Arts."
The old man chuckled dismissively at the sight.
"How amusing. Even Hall Master Sado wouldn't dare face this old one alone."
An outrageous claim.
Yet Bu Eun-seol didn't take it as empty boasting.
Bu Eun-seol couldn't sense any energy from the old man's body.
Either he'd achieved perfect harmony with nature—or possessed energy beyond Bu Eun-seol's perception.
"One of the Eighteen Radiant Souls?"
At Bu Eun-seol's question, the old man cocked his head.
"Tsk."
Then shook it with a pitying expression.
"I thought killing one brat would suffice."
Clicking his tongue, he extended his left palm and sighed.
"Now I must exterminate everyone connected to you."
Fwoooosh!
Brilliant light erupted from his palm.
Simultaneously, everyone within the compound began coughing blood and collapsing.
Swish!
Bu Eun-seol instantly unleashed the Quick Sword Form, but—
Thud.
Everyone in the compound had perished.
Or so it seemed.
Sssk.
Though their breathing had ceased, they began rising slowly in grotesque postures.
Half-Spirit Beings.
Every member of Flower Cloud Trading House's household—
Were neither dead nor alive, beings caught at the Ghost Gate.
Thump.
From the rooftop, Taoist Heo Ju set down her bamboo case, forming hand seals while chanting low incantations.
Click-clack, click-clack!
Talisman-covered poles sprang from her bamboo case like unleashed arrows.
"I'll handle them—subdue him!"
Fwap-fwap-fwap-fwap-fwap!
With her cry, the talismans shot forth, embedding themselves into the Half-Spirit Beings.
These talismans dwarfed her previous ones in power—
The Half-Spirit Beings stood frozen.
Oooooom.
Taoist Heo Ju maintained her stance, continuously channeling energy to sustain the talismans' power.
"Hurry!"
At her urging, Bu Eun-seol drew the Ink Soul Sword and attacked.
"Martial Soul Lord—you've been shaking the martial world lately."
Sssht!
The old man dodged effortlessly, snorting.
"Let's see how far you've truly come."
Like the era's superlative martial experts, he received Bu Eun-seol's strikes with unsettling ease.
'This won't be simple.'
The Eighteen Radiant Souls remained an unfathomed abyss even to Bu Eun-seol.
And if his grandfather had been among them, their power would be formidable indeed.
Fwoooosh!
Crimson light erupted again from the old man's left hand.
The radiance surged upward, reaching even the heights where the Life-and-Death Combat Formation hovered.
KWAOOOOW!
The crimson light surged forth, crashing down not only upon Bu Eun-seol but also upon Taoist Heo Ju.
It was as though the old man could—
with just the palm of his hand—
unleash an infinite torrent of light capable of shattering everything in its path.
No... this is martial arts.
Yet Bu Eun-seol instinctively understood that what the old man wielded was not some supernatural power or enchanted artifact, but pure martial prowess.
PAAH!
Without wasting another moment in thought, he immediately activated Harmonization, dissolving the waves of light cascading toward himself and Taoist Heo Ju.
PA-PA-PA-PA!
The number of light particles erupting from the old man's palm only increased with each passing second.
And every time they collided with the Ink Soul Sword, they sent violent tremors through Bu Eun-seol's body.
Limitless Power.
The old man had reached the pinnacle of martial arts—
so much so that even the most casual movements unleashed strength that transcended human limits.
As Bu Eun-seol deflected the relentless streams of light, he spun the Ink Soul Sword in a rapid flourish—
FLASH! FLASH!
—before releasing his own blinding radiance, flooding the world in white.
He had unleashed Harmonization in rapid succession to counter the old man's Limitless Power.
"This..."
The old man's eyes narrowed as he watched the light dissipate under Harmonization.
"A coincidence?"
He muttered under his breath.
"Well, it's not exactly an original principle."
Then, raising his right palm this time—
FWOOOSH!
—an even greater storm of light erupted.
This was no mere barrage—it was a colossal mass of radiance that even Harmonization could not fully negate.
SHOOOOOO...
But then, something strange happened.
The crimson light vanished abruptly, and the surrounding scenery began to fade, as though drained of color.
Bu Eun-seol had activated the power of World and Realm Annihilation.
"Astonishing."
The old man's expression shifted to one of genuine surprise as he instantly assessed Bu Eun-seol's condition—a body barely containing 120 Years of Internal Energy.
"How is this possible?"
The Void Extreme Realm was an unprecedented stage in the martial world, one no one had ever reached before.
Even the old man, who had faced countless martial masters in his time, could not help but be stunned.
"But you're far too arrogant."
Realizing that even Bu Eun-seol's strength had been drained, the old man smirked—
PIIING!
—and flicked a razor-sharp Finger Wind straight toward Bu Eun-seol's forehead.
"Did you think you could win in a contest of pure martial arts?"
THWIP!
At the same time, a blade's edge erupted from beneath Bu Eun-seol's chin.
The Finger Wind had been a feint.
In the blink of an eye, the old man had closed the distance and unleashed a Demon Sword Form—an upward slash identical to the one used by the masked assassin who had killed Bu Eun-seol's grandfather.
The very same swordsmanship employed by the mute Masked Man who had once carried the memories of the Eighteen Radiant Souls.
So the members of the Eighteen Radiant Souls all train in the same sword forms and hidden weapon techniques.
Bu Eun-seol immediately activated his Movement Technique, retreating in an instant.
Even if he blocked this sword form, the follow-up variations would be far deadlier—
a sudden shift to pierce his eyes, or an unseen thrust to his abdomen.
The only safe option was to widen the distance entirely, escaping the range of the sword's influence.
"You recognize this sword form."
The old man's eyes gleamed.
"You've fought someone else who used it."
Then, with a casual flick of his sleeve—
"Then perhaps you've seen this technique as well?"
It resembled Iron Sleeve Technique, but instead of spreading in crisscrossing waves, dozens of needle-like projections shot forth like a storm of sharpened blades.
Good.
Bu Eun-seol saw through the old man's intent—not only was his martial skill peerless, but every second brought another relentless follow-up.
So instead of dodging, he stood still, waiting for the attacks to reach him.
The moment the energy sought to pierce his pressure points—
BUZZZZ—PA-PA-PA-PA!
—the tip of the Ink Soul Sword trembled before slashing down in a single motion.
He had deliberately invoked Return to the Original Owner, forcing a direct clash of power against power.
FWAAH!
But something unexpected happened.
The energy that met his blade writhed like a living serpent, coiling not to pierce his body but to burrow into it.
How could such a supernatural trick be performed within the space of World and Realm Annihilation?
His martial arts are truly extraordinary.
The old man before him—
was wielding techniques more profound than any opponent Bu Eun-seol had ever faced.
FWOOOSH!
The sharp energy drilled into his chest, targeting a major pressure point—but failed to pierce through.
Because he was still wearing the Protective Clothing given to him long ago by Yu Un-ryong.
SSSSS...
Even so, white smoke rose from the garment.
Worse, the energy contained five distinct streams of internal force, surging inward as if to melt his Meridians—
but the moment they touched his Reverse Polarity Heart Method, they instantly dissolved.
"You've mastered an incredible divine technique. For your internal energy to surpass even mine in purity..."
As he spoke, the old man slid his left foot forward slightly, kicking up a pebble from the ground.
Bu Eun-seol twisted aside to evade—but the old man seized the opening, thrusting his broomstick toward his throat.
CLANG!
Sword and broom collided.
Both figures staggered back from the impact—
though the old man was forced six steps farther, proving that even at equal levels of internal energy, the purity of Reverse Polarity Heart Method overwhelmed his own Internal Energy Method.
CLICK.
Bu Eun-seol planted the Ink Soul Sword firmly before him, a faint smile playing at his lips.
This was exhilarating.
To fight a master of such heights using nothing but martial arts, to clash in a contest of pure internal energy—
It reminded him of when he had first emerged into the Martial World as the Ten Demonic Heir,
when he had fought opponents a step above him through Practical Combat Martial Arts, feeling that scorching intensity, that relentless ferocity.
SSSSS...
A pale aura rose from his body.
The battlefield, where blood flows freely, was the only place where he could feel the meaning of existence—that unique temperament and Killing Intent now blooming within him.
And he could sense it.
That with this final clash—
The long-concealed secret of the Eighteen Radiant Souls would finally be revealed.