Chapter 1266
The Black Serpent Tower's leader wore an expression of utter disbelief.
Even after pleading so desperately, to be coldly rejected like this?
"Do my words sound like lies to you?"
"......"
"You truly are a heartless one. Fine."
As if having resolved herself, the Black Serpent Tower's leader suddenly spun her body in a full circle.
Rustle.
In that instant, the veil covering her face vanished, and the dim interior seemed to brighten all at once.
The man who beheld her visage widened his eyes in shock.
He had seen countless peerless beauties in his time—women whose charms were so incomparable they could be called the finest under heaven without exaggeration.
And the phrase "incomparable charms" was, in truth,
a way of acknowledging that beauty was profoundly subjective and could never be flawless.
But the woman before him was different.
She was perfection incarnate—the very embodiment of beauty itself, fitting the word flawless to the letter.
Her height was neither too tall nor too short, her facial proportions and symmetry so precise that not a single misalignment could be found.
Her skin was translucent as if infused with light, yet carried no coldness.
Her large, deep eyes seemed capable of pulling one into an abyss with a single glance, yet they brimmed with warmth.
The lines of her body were elegant yet refined, every movement like that of a divine sculpture brought to life.
The aura she exuded was pristine and refreshing, as if purifying the very air around her.
Every element combined in perfect harmony, elevating each individual aspect of her beauty to its absolute zenith.
The Black Serpent Tower's leader did not merely belong to the category of a beautiful woman.
She was the very ideal of feminine perfection that every man had secretly held in his heart.
"Will you still refuse me now?"
With a faint smile, the Black Serpent Tower's leader asked in a confident voice.
Though she was openly tempting him, her expression held neither vulgarity nor overt seduction.
With nothing but her exquisite beauty alone,
she shook the man's heart more powerfully than any gesture could,
delivering a proposal sweeter and more lethal than a hundred words.
Glug.
The man filled his cup to the brim with liquor and downed it in one gulp.
Watching this, the Black Serpent Tower's leader smiled with satisfaction.
That series of actions—
they were nothing less than silent reverence and praise for a beauty beyond words.
"So the Black Serpent Tower is also a faction of the Abyssal Forces."
The man set down his cup and muttered under his breath.
"Another bastion to tear down, then."
"You must be eager to unleash the impulses you've suppressed all this time,"
the Black Serpent Tower's leader whispered.
"A beautiful woman has always been an object of conquest, after all."
"You speak as if you know everything about me."
"That hardly matters."
Slowly stepping forward, she closed the distance until her breath mingled with his.
Even if he reached out his hand—
her entire body declared that she would never refuse.
"What matters is that tonight, I will be utterly devoted to you."
Her low whisper carried an expectant gaze as she waited for his next move.
But he did nothing.
"I understand."
The Black Serpent Tower's leader took another step forward, as if resigned.
"Sometimes, it takes great courage to reach for a beautiful woman."
As she gradually narrowed the gap between them,
the masked man finally rose from his seat, as if unable to restrain the desires and impulses surging within him.
The Black Serpent Tower's leader smiled in satisfaction.
In the end, it was always like this.
No man could ever refuse her.
Whoosh.
But then, the unexpected happened.
Thud. Thud.
The man who had stood up merely brushed past her as if she were nothing.
"What are you doing right now?"
Flustered, the woman demanded an answer. The masked man replied,
"I ran out of liquor."
The table was indeed empty of bottles.
As it turned out, the man had drunk—
not to praise the Black Serpent Tower's leader's beauty, but simply because he was thirsty.
And the reason he had stood up was to fetch more liquor.
Shiver.
Her body trembled as if she had been insulted by the masked man's attitude.
"Are you mocking me right now?"
"How is fetching liquor an insult to you?"
"You're deliberately acting indifferent!"
"Deliberately?"
At her words, the masked man couldn't help but let out a dry laugh.
"Hasn't it always been said that a woman should guard against the sin of pride in her own beauty?"
He clicked his tongue and continued,
"No matter how fair a woman may be, if she flaunts her beauty with arrogance... it only tarnishes that very loveliness."
The man possessed a will as unshakable as a Buddhist monk's—
unmoved even by the temptation of a beauty so stunning it could shake heaven and earth.
"Don't wait for me. Fetching liquor is a hassle, so I might as well go downstairs and drink there."
"Martial Soul Lord!"
Finally unable to endure the humiliation, the Black Serpent Tower's leader lashed out sharply.
"They say you have so little interest in women that people suspect you're impotent—it seems the rumors were true!"
The masked man's identity, of course, was none other than Bu Eun-seol.
And the Black Serpent Tower's leader had approached him fully aware of who he was.
"So you did know me after all."
Bu Eun-seol smiled.
"Demanding to see the orb..."
Though his voice was gentle, his gaze grew increasingly sharp.
"You wanted to confirm whether I had truly restored India's Sacred Artifact."
"I really—"
"Claiming it might be the keepsake of parents murdered by the Blood Serpent Chamber's leader was a brilliant touch. No matter how much one investigates, it can't be verified, and it makes a perfect excuse to demand to see the orb."
A bloody light had already begun to rise in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"But every single person who has lied to my face until now has died."
"Are you saying you'll kill me?"
"Not at all."
"Why not?"
Bu Eun-seol withdrew the glint in his eyes and spoke in a low voice.
"Because killing you would sever the chain leading to your master."
"If you want to uncover my master, I'd actually welcome it."
The Black Serpent Tower's leader replied in a suggestive tone.
"Take me in. If you do, you'll learn everything."
"I already refused."
"To be honest, it's true that I tried to seduce you. But my intention wasn't to force your submission."
She gazed at Bu Eun-seol with a look of sincerity.
"I... have actually admired you for a long time."
"What are you talking about?"
"Tempting you to confirm the state of the jewel wasn't my own will. But after that, deciding to follow you—that was entirely my choice, my true feelings."
Staring straight into his eyes, she continued in a trembling voice.
"After all, I'm nothing but a puppet. If I'm just going to be used like this... I'd rather have someone who'll protect and embrace me for life."
"So."
Bu Eun-seol furrowed his brow.
"You're saying that confirming the jewel was someone else's order, but your seduction was genuine?"
"That's right."
"Fine."
He nodded.
"Then tell me. Who is behind you? How did you gain control of the Black Serpent Tower?"
"I already told you."
She smiled.
"I admire you. And I want you to protect and embrace me for life."
"You'll only talk if I take you in?"
"Exactly."
She boldly took another step forward.
"If I tell you everything now, you'll never accept me. A woman with too many secrets is nothing but trouble."
"I swear."
"There's nothing as hollow as a man's oath."
Bu Eun-seol found it absurd.
"So you think embracing you is a more reliable guarantee than an oath?"
"It's not just a feeling—it's the truth."
Her eyes burned with conviction.
"At least, when it comes to the Martial Soul Lord."
"Why are you so sure?"
Her large eyes sparkled like starlight.
"You've never formed a bond with any woman before, have you?"
Surprisingly, the Black Serpent Tower's leader knew.
Despite Bu Eun-seol's reputation for romantic entanglements and even an engagement,
he had never once engaged in physical relations with any of them.
"If you form a physical bond with me? There's no covenant more unbreakable than that."
"You've investigated me in detail."
"You have no idea how wretched it is to survive as a woman running an intelligence organization."
She lowered her head.
"If you truly despise physical intimacy, then just hold me for a moment."
Then, blushing shyly, she added,
"That alone would be enough for me."
Her gaze was so sincere it was hard to believe she was lying.
And if a brief embrace was all it took to uncover her master?
That wouldn't be such a bad deal.
Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.
"Do you understand my feelings now?"
"I understand."
Bu Eun-seol nodded coolly.
"I refuse."
"...Why?"
"I just don't want to."
"Is my face that unattractive?"
"It's not a matter of preference."
He shook his head.
"After meeting so many women, I've learned one thing."
"And what's that?"
"If you truly like someone, at the very least, you wouldn't raise your Internal Power or stay on guard in front of them."
She lowered her head, wearing an aggrieved expression.
"You think I raised my Internal Power? That's ridiculous—"
"Let me correct myself. Soul-Demon Magic Energy."
A frigid silence fell.
Shaak.
A presence spread through the darkness like red flowers blooming in the night.
At the same time, the innocent woman who had been hanging her head in sorrow had transformed into a bewitching seductress.
It was as if a simple country girl had, in the blink of an eye, turned into a temptress who could enchant men with a single glance.
"How did you know? My Maheegisin doesn't emit any trace of demonic energy."
"The True Demon Palace is full of all sorts of wicked arts."
Bu Eun-seol shrugged.
"If there's a technique that steals a woman's heart in an instant, why wouldn't there be a method to turn a man into a puppet with just a touch?"
"Hohoho!"
She suddenly burst into laughter.
"You deduced the function of Maheegisin just from that? Martial Soul Lord. You belong not in the Demon Hall, but on a fortuneteller's mat."
When Bu Eun-seol remained silent, she slowly turned away.
"I'll admit defeat this time."
"So you're giving up on seeing the jewel and leaving?"
"It was just bait to lure me out anyway. What's the point of seeing it?"
Only now did the Black Serpent Tower's leader realize—
Bu Eun-seol was here
to use the jewel to draw out the mastermind behind Nan Seong-wang.
"Take care on your way."
Since he had already uncovered her master, there was no need to kill her.
Bu Eun-seol let her leave unharmed.
"Forgive me for not seeing you out."
"Martial Soul Lord."
She paused at the doorway and glanced back.
"You'll regret refusing my offer for the rest of your life."
With that curse, she vanished in an instant.
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath as he watched her disappear.
"It was the Empress Dowager."
The mastermind who had supplied Nan Seong-wang with a vast intelligence network—
was none other than the Empress Dowager herself.
"She's the only one who could peer into my nature."
He took out the jewel from his robes.
He had deliberately stayed here, taking out the jewel and checking it under the moonlight—all to lure out the one pulling the strings.
And the one who appeared was none other than the Black Serpent Tower's master, a woman wielding unfathomable demonic power.
Her emergence wasn't meant to shatter his resolve or genuinely seduce him.
It was all about Bu Eun-seol's unique constitution.
A plausible story, vengeance, a woman's affection—they had sought to exploit it all to unleash the True Demon's Secret Arts.
"Perhaps..."
Bu Eun-seol gazed at the distant sky.
"Even the New Bloodline project was orchestrated by the Empress Dowager."
His eyes darkened as he sank deeper into thought.
In any case, the Grand Design had already reached its final stages, hurtling toward its inevitable conclusion.
One of them was bound to meet ruin.
Upon returning to Demon Hall, Bu Eun-seol sensed something peculiar in the air.
The currents of the Martial World had subtly twisted, as if an invisible hand were stirring the heavens, summoning storm clouds.
Rumors about him had begun to spread.
"The Martial Soul Lord pretends to be a sage on the outside, but inside, he's black as sin."
At first, the whispers were mere petty slander.
But soon, like wildfire across a dry plain, they spread uncontrollably.
"His rise has disrupted the Martial World's stable power structure, and countless factions—both Orthodox and Unorthodox—have suffered heavy losses!"
Prominent figures from the Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic factions—even former leaders—whispered behind his back, spreading malicious rumors as if they alone knew some hidden truth.
A man who had soared to prominence without a single setback, a young grandmaster who had dominated the martial world from the moment he appeared—there was no shortage of those who bore him ill will.
Though clearly fabricated, the rumors spread like wildfire.
Martial artists, ever hungry for scandal, eagerly passed them along, each retelling adding new layers of exaggeration.
Demon Hall, Hidden Demon Pavilion—Bu Eun-seol's office.
Cut off from the clamor outside, he silently continued wielding his brush.
The martial world's unrest was unusual.
Left unchecked, it could tarnish his reputation.
Yet his gaze remained unshaken.
He cared not if the entire world pointed fingers or spat at him.
The only thing that mattered was the task at hand.
Day and night, he remained cloistered in his office, coordinating the Grand Design alongside Yu Un-ryong.
Drawing new lines on maps, revising countless strategies—
He was laying the groundwork for feats beyond the imagination of ordinary martial artists.
Time passed.
Just as the rumors began to fade—
A letter from the Death Soul Squad lay on his desk.
"I think it's time I settled down."
The handwriting was rough, the message brief yet striking.
The sender was none other than Heuk-pyo.
The Wandering King, a young grandmaster who commanded the martial world beyond the frontier—suddenly deciding to start a family?
"I'll be back shortly."
After reading the letter, Bu Eun-seol entrusted all his ongoing covert operations to Yu Un-ryong and immediately set off for Tibet.
The place he arrived at after flying swiftly was—
A remote mountain village, not even marked on any map, beyond a wasteland where not a single blade of grass grew properly.
'In a place like this?'
Though puzzled, Bu Eun-seol slowly climbed the slope toward the address in the letter.
Then, he had to rub his eyes in disbelief.
Before a crumbling hut, under the blazing sun, a young man was tilling the soil.
His coarse hemp clothes were caked in dirt, and in his hands was a worn-out hoe.
"Heuk-pyo."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened as he stared at the young man.
His face, drenched in sweat, was much darker than before, but his eyes were more serene than ever.
Heuk-pyo, the Wandering King whose fame had once echoed across the Central Plains and beyond—
Now toiling away in this desolate wasteland, where not a soul could be seen.
"My Lord!"
Spotting Bu Eun-seol, Heuk-pyo flung the hoe aside and ran toward him with a bright smile.
"When did you arrive?"
Even when the entire martial world had condemned him, Bu Eun-seol hadn't batted an eye—
Yet now, faced with this unexpected sight, he was momentarily speechless.
"So, you've been well."
After staring at Heuk-pyo's beaming face, Bu Eun-seol quickly composed himself and spoke flatly.
"The scenery here is quite beautiful."
"Isn't it? I was so enchanted by this place that I decided to settle down here!"
"I see."
Though he nodded, Bu Eun-seol's expression remained troubled.
The scenery was beautiful—but there was absolutely nothing else around.
To survive, one would have to cultivate the land or practice grain abstinence.
"Life in the martial world is never smooth sailing, is it?"
Perhaps sensing Bu Eun-seol's concern, Heuk-pyo scratched his head sheepishly.
"After drifting from place to place, getting tangled in grudges... I figured the best place to stay would be somewhere quiet, with no people around."
"A wise decision."
As Bu Eun-seol nodded, Heuk-pyo took his hand and led him forward.
"You came at the perfect time. It's just about dinner—"
Following him, Bu Eun-seol saw a small house surrounded by a stone wall.
White smoke curled from the chimney—dinner was being prepared.
"Jade Youth, you're here?"
As Heuk-pyo pushed open the gate, a voice as smooth as rolling pearls called from inside.
The door opened, revealing a woman dressed in simple hemp clothes.
"My Lord, this is the woman who will soon be my wife."
As Heuk-pyo gestured toward her, Bu Eun-seol straightened his robes and bowed deeply.
"I am Bu Eun-seol, his sworn brother."
When he raised his head, he was met with the sight of an indescribably beautiful woman.
Though her face bore not a trace of makeup, the light lingering in her pupils and skin marked her as nothing less than a peerless beauty—a woman whose loveliness could topple nations.
Standing side by side with Heuk-pyo, they looked like a pair bestowed by the heavens, perfectly matched...
But Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened as if he had swallowed Extreme Poison.
The woman before him—
Just days ago, in an inn in Sichuan—
She had seduced him, demanding he hand over the precious jewel.
A devastating beauty capable of shaking empires.
The master of Black Serpent Tower.