Chapter 166
Bu Eun-seol stepped out through the main gate of the Holy Demon Pavilion.
Yet the sight that unfolded before him was unexpected.
Thirty-some martial artists stood in respectful silence before the Holy Demon Pavilion.
Judging by the twin dragons vying for a pearl embroidered on their sleeves, they were likely the high-ranking leaders of various factions, awaiting the summons of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
—So this is the disciple from Langya Pavilion, the one who arrived this time.
The martial artists' gazes, fixed on Bu Eun-seol as he emerged, were uniformly laced with derision.
"A pity, but the title of successor isn't something one can earn through martial prowess alone."
As someone among them muttered, a low voice chimed in agreement.
"Preposterous. How could a disciple of Langya Pavilion ever become the successor of the Demon Hall?"
The position of the Demon Hall's successor required subjugating more than half of the Demonic Path Ten Gates and securing their forces and support.
But Langya Pavilion focused solely on the Martial Way, neither expanding its influence nor engaging with other demonic sects.
In short, they had sequestered themselves for the sake of martial arts. And now, their inheritor was a candidate for the Demon Hall's succession?
From their perspective, it was unacceptable.
"Young Hero Bu."
Just then, a figure in soft pink emerged from the gathered martial artists, approaching Bu Eun-seol.
A beautiful woman clad in fluttering blue robes, her hair adorned with golden ornaments—Dan So-ok, the treasured young lady of the Jipma Manor, whom Bu Eun-seol had once saved from assassins during his time in the Kill-Seeking Unit.
"So it truly was you—the Ten Demonic Heir from Langya Pavilion."
As Dan So-ok smiled brightly, revealing pearly teeth, Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands together.
"It's been a while."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
The martial artists watching from a distance tilted their heads in confusion as Dan So-ok greeted Bu Eun-seol with familiarity.
—Isn't that Lord Dan, rumored to be the next Chief Inspector of the Demon Hall?
—The young lady who's always by the Jipma Manor Lord's side—how does she know the Ten Demonic Heir from Langya Pavilion?
Thud, thud.
Then, a figure approached, flanked by dozens of elite guards.
The martial artists' expressions shifted.
Only a select few could march into the Holy Demon Pavilion—where the Demonic Heavenly Emperor resided—leading a retinue of dozens.
Rustle.
The guards halted before Bu Eun-seol, forming a solemn line.
At the same time, the ranks parted, and a towering middle-aged man in black robes strode forward.
Immediately, the martial artists before the Holy Demon Pavilion bowed their heads in hurried respect.
Whoosh.
The giant of a man stepped toward Bu Eun-seol and spoke.
"You are Bu Eun-seol?"
An overwhelming majesty radiated from his entire being.
"That is correct."
As Bu Eun-seol answered courteously, Dan So-ok whispered softly.
"My father, who oversees the Jipma Manor—Dan Wol-hon, the Manor Lord."
Dan Wol-hon, the Defying-Heaven Night Star.
He was the lord of Jipma Manor, commanding all military forces of the Demon Hall except for the direct troops under the Demonic Heavenly Emperor and the Elders' Hall.
"Bu Eun-seol, disciple of Langya Pavilion, greets the Jipma Manor Lord."
Dan Wol-hon gave a slight nod, then spoke in a low voice.
"I heard you saved Ok-i at the risk of your life."
"I merely fulfilled my duty."
Dan Wol-hon glanced around briefly before placing a hand on Bu Eun-seol's shoulder.
"Let us relocate first."
Then, with surprising familiarity, he guided Bu Eun-seol away.
The martial artists watching this scene were stunned.
—The Inheritor of Langya Pavilion is acquainted with the Jipma Manor Lord?
The Manor Lord, one of the ten most influential figures in the Demon Hall's hierarchy, treating Bu Eun-seol with such warmth?
"..."
The martial artists who had been looking down on Bu Eun-seol averted their gazes as if nothing had happened, coughing awkwardly.
Jipma Manor, Refined Demon Pavilion.
This hall was reserved for hosting meritorious individuals or honored guests.
Dan Wol-hon had brought Bu Eun-seol before the Refined Demon Pavilion.
Was he planning to hold a grand banquet in his honor?
But the interior of the pavilion was empty—no feast had been prepared.
Not only that, but the friendly expression Dan Wol-hon had worn earlier had also vanished without a trace.
Yet Bu Eun-seol stood firm in the silence, as if he had anticipated everything.
"You don't seem surprised."
Dan Wol-hon's tightly sealed lips slowly parted.
"Then you must already know why I've brought you here."
"As I've said before, it was merely the duty entrusted to me."
Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands together and bowed once more.
"Nevertheless, you have shown me such kindness, for which I can only express my gratitude."
Dan Wol-hon's expression remained frigid.
"To be frank, today's events were not of my own will—it was So-ok's request."
After a brief pause, he continued.
"After learning that you were heading to the Demon Hall to have an audience with the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, she pleaded with me every single day."
Bu Eun-seol had already guessed as much.
The sudden hospitality from the Jipma Manor Lord was due to Dan So-ok's intervention.
Though he was a candidate to succeed the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, Bu Eun-seol had no foundation or backing within the Demon Hall yet.
She, well aware of that fact, had asked Dan Wol-hon to ensure Bu Eun-seol's dignity was upheld.
"Moreover, So-ok even anticipated that the high command would gather when you emerged from your audience with the Demonic Heavenly Emperor. Do you understand what that means?"
Bu Eun-seol gave a slight nod.
As someone considered for the position of future Chief Marshal, Dan So-ok would have easily predicted his movements within the Demon Hall.
Dan Wol-hon's gaze grew increasingly intense.
"Though the Langya Pavilion may hold great prestige in the Murim, from the Demon Hall's perspective, it is merely the lowest rank among the Demonic Path Ten Gates. Nothing more, nothing less."
His sharp eyes swept over Bu Eun-seol's face.
"If you were to leave after merely receiving the succession approval, some among the high command might even dispatch troops after you."
Being a candidate to succeed the Demonic Heavenly Emperor was a position fraught with immense danger.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor would consider all of it a trial for succession.
"So-ok was worried about that and thus compelled me to step in. Do you understand?"
"I see. I sincerely thank you for your consideration."
"Consideration?"
In that instant, Dan Wol-hon's gaze turned icy.
"Is that all you have to say?"
"..."
"That child has never begged anyone in her life, nor has she ever knelt before another."
His pupils gradually dilated as he spoke.
"Yet to help you, she knelt before me—her own father, who had been firmly opposed—and pleaded until the very end."
A murderous aura slowly seeped into Dan Wol-hon's eyes.
"Thanks to my hospitality, you were able to leave the Demon Hall safely. And yet, all you offer is a mere word of thanks?"
A faint twitch flickered between Bu Eun-seol's brows.
He had received kindness and had expressed genuine gratitude. What more was he supposed to do?
"Then, is there anything further you would have me do?"
This time, it was Dan Wol-hon's brow that twitched.
Even the high command of the Demon Hall treated him with caution and bowed their heads. Yet this mere young disciple of the Langya Pavilion dared to stand stiff-necked and question him?
"It seems you've grown presumptuous after becoming a candidate for the Demon Hall's succession."
Dan Wol-hon's pupils burned crimson.
The Jipma Manor held a position akin to the supreme commander of the Demon Hall's entire military force.
And yet, Dan So-ok—the future Chief Marshal, his treasured daughter raised as delicately as jade—had knelt for the sake of a mere martial artist...
It was nothing short of a grievous blow to his pride.
"What the Demon Hall is, and what kind of man I am... Allow me to personally instruct you."
Crack.
With a light flick of his hand, a sharp sound echoed from Bu Eun-seol's spine.
Dan Wol-hon was using his overwhelming Internal Energy to force Bu Eun-seol to bend at the waist.
"When expressing gratitude to someone of my standing, you must bow. Do you understand?"
Whoosh.
At that moment, crimson sparks began blooming across Bu Eun-seol's entire body.
Simultaneously, his pupils filled with a red deeper than blood—the Extreme Counter-Blood Radiance.
Had he been asked politely, he would have willingly lowered his head.
But the moment Dan Wol-hon tried to force him, resistance surged instead.
As Bu Eun-seol remained rigidly upright, Dan Wol-hon's thick brows shot upward.
"Judging by your attitude... Are you truly refusing to bow?"
"I will not bow."
"What did you say? Will not?"
"No one can force my decisions."
Grrind—
A faint glow emanated from Bu Eun-seol's entire body, pushing back against the crushing force Dan Wol-hon exerted.
'How dare this brat...?'
Dan Wol-hon, his anger simmering beneath the surface, doubled the intensity of his Internal Power.
Crack.
As the crushing pressure of a towering mountain poured down, the sound of bones creaking once again resonated from Bu Eun-seol's body.
Yet despite that, his head and back remained rigidly upright, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on Dan Wol-hon.
'He's enduring half my Internal Power?'
The level of Internal Energy Dan Wol-hon was currently exerting surpassed 120 years.
And yet, Bu Eun-seol was still standing tall, meeting his eyes without yielding.
'Don't tell me this bastard's Internal Power exceeds 120 years?'
Dan Wol-hon's eyes widened in disbelief.
The Demon Hall was a place where prodigies gathered like clouds.
Even so, there wasn't a single person over the age of twenty who possessed such a level of Internal Energy.
"Fine. This Manor Lord will show you that there are heavens beyond the heavens!"
Booooom.
A deep, resonant bell-like sound reverberated as an intense surge of True Qi erupted from Dan Wol-hon's body.
Crunch. Groooan.
At the same time, the ground beneath his feet caved in, and not just the garden—the entire Refined Demon Pavilion began to tremble.
The True Qi bursting from his entire body twisted into a violent whirlwind, shredding the flowers and trees in the garden. The sound of thick trees splintering echoed through the air.
"Kneel!"
Dan Wol-hon's thunderous roar was accompanied by a strange light flickering in his pupils.
Bu Eun-seol's body glowed crimson, and instead of buckling, he straightened his posture even further.
'This is impossible.'
A bizarre thought surged through Dan Wol-hon's mind.
Does this bastard's Internal Energy surpass Three Sixty-Year Cycles? If so, then he isn't some young man—he must be a hidden master from a previous generation, secretly wearing the skin of a youth!
"Father?"
At that moment, a clear, melodious voice rang out as a woman stepped into the garden before the Refined Demon Pavilion.
It was Dan So-ok.
The instant she appeared, the pupils of both Bu Eun-seol and Dan Wol-hon trembled violently, like ships caught in a storm.
Simultaneously, their eyes widened as they locked gazes with each other.
"...!"
"...!"
As their stares tangled in midair, their expressions turned grave, their pupils narrowing to slits.
Then, as if by prior agreement, they withdrew their Internal Energy in an instant.
Whoosh.
With the sound of dissipating wind, the storm vanished, and the trembling earth swiftly regained its stillness.
"..."
An eerie silence lingered for a while.
Amid that quiet, Bu Eun-seol remained indifferent, but Dan Wol-hon kept nervously glancing at Dan So-ok's reaction.
"Father."
"Hm?"
"Why were you using your Internal Power on Young Hero Bu?"
Though she had been unable to cultivate martial arts due to her constitution, her insight and knowledge were no less than that of any martial artist.
"..."
"Father?"
When Dan Wol-hon avoided answering and feigned ignorance, Dan So-ok pressed again.
"May I ask why you were using your Internal Power on Young Hero Bu?"
In that instant, rage surged within Dan Wol-hon's mind.
Dan So-ok had always maintained a quiet demeanor since childhood, rarely ever showing emotion.
And now, this well-mannered daughter of his was glaring at him with dagger-like eyes over something like this?
'Because of this bastard...!'
And that fury was directed not at Dan So-ok—but at Bu Eun-seol.
As Dan Wol-hon shot him a murderous glare, Bu Eun-seol reluctantly offered an excuse.
"The Manor Lord was merely testing my Internal Power for a moment. Pay it no mind."
At that, Dan Wol-hon instantly softened his gaze and nodded at Dan So-ok.
"Yes, that's what happened."
"Testing his Internal Power? But why would you—"
"Well..."
The authority that had once filled Dan Wol-hon's eyes had now vanished without a trace.
"His Internal Energy was stronger than expected..."
Though he was the Manor Lord of the Jipma Manor, capable of forcing even a million demonic practitioners to their knees with a single glance, before his daughter's relentless questioning, he was nothing more than a flustered fool.
"In any case, he's quite impressive, this one."
In an attempt to restore his crumpled dignity, Dan Wol-hon approached Bu Eun-seol and patted his shoulder with a friendly expression.
"Your skills are remarkable. You'll make a fine Heir of the Demon Hall before long."
As he forced out insincere praise, Dan Wol-hon's gaze grew increasingly hollow.
In contrast, Dan So-ok's eyes sparkled with vitality as she chattered excitedly.
"Right? Even when hundreds of assassins surrounded us in Yueyang, Young Hero Bu protected me without hesitation."
The moment she praised Bu Eun-seol, flames erupted once more in Dan Wol-hon's eyes.
'This pretty-faced bastard has bewitched my So-ok!'