Chapter 179
Time flowed swiftly like a rushing stream.
The Fleeting Moment Boat was a female-only sect with no history of men residing within its walls for extended periods.
Yet Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin had not only broken that taboo but also brought about subtle changes here.
Murmur, murmur.
At the White Lotus Pavilion, where the training grounds and martial manuals were housed, disciples of the Fleeting Moment Boat had gathered in rows.
The martial arts library, once filled primarily with feminine techniques, movement arts, and sound-based martial arts, now housed newly added demonic supreme techniques that could unleash formidable power with relative ease.
"Since the Lute Flashing Hands primarily utilizes sleeve techniques, you must avoid excessive use of true qi. Heaven-Reversing Force Exhaustion—that is, focus your efforts on redirecting the enemy's attack and draining their strength..."
Meanwhile, in front of the training grounds, disciples who had read through all the manuals lined up before Hyeok So-jin to receive direct instruction on practical applications and foundational forms.
Unlike the light, feminine martial arts they had learned until now, they were being taught the solemn and domineering techniques of the Demonic Path—and by none other than a successor of the Demonic Path Ten Gates themselves!
Fearing they might miss this golden opportunity, not only the martial instructors of the Fleeting Moment Boat but even ordinary disciples had flocked like clouds.
'Damn it all.'
Hyeok So-jin wore an exasperated expression as he watched the ever-growing crowd of disciples.
'I don't even have time to refine my own martial arts.'
The only reason he had overcome his laziness was his burning desire to develop his skills and grow stronger.
Yet here he was, playing the role of a martial instructor—something fate had never intended for him?
"Hmm."
Only as the sun began to set did the long line of disciples finally disappear.
"Phew."
Letting out a sigh, Hyeok So-jin lifted the teacup from the table at the edge of the training grounds and gulped down the cold tea with a weary face.
"Young Master, I still don't understand the principle of 'Nothing That Does Not Move' from the Ice Soul Illusion Killing Sword Manual..."
But before he could even finish the tea, another disciple of the Fleeting Moment Boat approached—this time, carrying the sword manual itself.
'Haha...'
Hyeok So-jin's eyes, fixed on the setting sun, lost focus.
Like a bell that chimes when shaken, he mechanically began explaining the principles once again.
—But what exactly is that Langya Pavilion guy doing?
In stark contrast to Hyeok So-jin, Bu Eun-seol's daily routine was leisurely.
Every day, he took Geuk Hye-bin out to explore the surroundings of the Fleeting Moment Boat or crouched beside her to observe insects and other small creatures.
—They say he's teaching the Young Mistress martial arts?
—Then why does he spend all his time wandering around like that?
The disciples of the Fleeting Moment Boat exchanged whispers, casting strange glances at Bu Eun-seol as he roamed about with Geuk Hye-bin as if they were on a scenic tour.
Even Geuk Hye-ryeong, who had been listening to reports of Bu Eun-seol's activities from her trusted subordinates in her residence, the Refined Gold Pavilion, wore a puzzled expression.
"That man claims to be teaching a demonic killing method, yet he spends every day gallivanting around?"
"Indeed, my lady."
"Hmm."
Geuk Hye-ryeong exhaled a troubled sigh.
Nearly a month had already passed.
A demonic killing method—a finishing move designed to sever an enemy's breath without fail—was extremely difficult to master due to its overlapping forms.
Even with daily training, mastery was arduous. Yet here he was, idly wandering about as the month drew to a close?
'Wait, could it be...?'
At that moment, a peculiar thought flashed through Geuk Hye-ryeong's mind.
'Is he trying to win her favor by taking her out every day?'
Bu Eun-seol possessed looks and an aura that could captivate any woman.
No matter how innocent the girl... there was no rule saying she wouldn't fall for him.
'This brat! Don't tell me he gained the allegiance of the Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying faction through such methods?'
Now that she thought about it, the fact that he traveled the martial world with the grandson of Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying was suspicious from the start.
Undoubtedly, he was scheming something, using that bewitching appearance of his.
"That bastard!"
As the thought took hold, Geuk Hye-ryeong shot to her feet and shouted.
"Where is that Bu Eun-seol right now?!"
Near the western gardens of the Fleeting Moment Boat.
The scenic area was graced by a valley cascading down a low cliff.
Below, Geuk Hye-bin was splashing in the water with her skirts hitched up, while Bu Eun-seol stood at a distance, watching her.
Tap, tap.
Then, from afar, the sound of light footsteps approached, accompanied by a small shadow.
Though her skin was as rough as ancient bark, the old woman's gait and sharp eyes were as swift and keen as any young man's.
It was none other than Geuk Hye-ryeong.
'So the promise he made to me was nothing but a joke to him?!'
Flames of fury sparked in her eyes as she spotted her granddaughter playing in the valley with her pants rolled up.
Just then, Geuk Hye-bin, standing waist-deep in the water, noticed her and approached with a bright smile.
"Aah."
The sight of those large, sparkling eyes brimming with joy forced Geuk Hye-ryeong to swallow her rising anger.
"Yes. You seem to be enjoying yourself."
"What brings you here?"
As Bu Eun-seol approached with an indifferent expression, Geuk Hye-ryeong's face hardened like stone.
"What exactly are you doing here?"
"Training."
"Training?"
At that moment, the suppressed rage surged to the crown of her head.
Had Geuk Hye-bin not been clutching her sleeve, she would have smashed Bu Eun-seol's skull right then and there.
"I see. So Langya Pavilion has some secret technique for cultivation in water, does it?"
"It's not cultivation."
"Not cultivation? Then what in blazes are you doing here?"
"If I had to put it into words, I'd call it character education."
"Character education?"
"Indeed."
Bu Eun-seol gestured toward the valley stream, his voice calm.
"That child may seem upright at heart, but in truth, she knows nothing of how to live among people."
"What nonsense is this?"
"Growing older doesn't mean one's character matures on its own. Especially with children—their nature must be nurtured with proper values."
Geuk Hye-ryeong's eyes widened at these unheard-of words.
'It sounds both absurd and oddly serious at the same time.'
Yet Bu Eun-seol's clear gaze showed no hint of deception.
After a brief pause, Geuk Hye-ryeong pressed further.
"I still don't understand. Can you explain it plainly?"
"That child's experiences have been far too limited. That's why a proper character never took root."
Bu Eun-seol spoke with solemnity.
"Raising a child right requires pouring in that much care. But sadly, it seems Fleeting Moment Boat failed in that regard."
"Preposterous! Are you saying I raised this child wrong?"
Geuk Hye-ryeong's tone dripped with refusal.
"I've had Bin taught by not only the finest minds under my roof but also renowned masters from various fields whom I invited to teach her! And you claim she wasn't raised properly?"
"They imparted knowledge in their specialties—nothing more. They didn't shape the child's inner self."
"Shape her inner self? What kind of drivel is that?"
"Children emulate those they spend the most time with."
Here, Bu Eun-seol's eyes darkened as if recalling memories of his own past.
"A child raised by a grandfather takes after the grandfather. One raised by parents takes after the parents. But this child had neither."
For the first time, Geuk Hye-ryeong's thoughts tangled in complexity.
Apart from caretakers who tended to her basic needs, Geuk Hye-bin had been instructed by the greatest masters of each discipline.
But that was all.
Burdened by the demands of leading Fleeting Moment Boat, Geuk Hye-ryeong had rarely spared time for her.
"Then Bin is...?"
"Despite receiving elite education, she grew up lacking human warmth. Because no one truly influenced her."
Originally, Bu Eun-seol had planned to reshape much of Geuk Hye-bin's docile nature by exposing her to nature's laws.
But upon recalling how she'd "saved" a rabbit from a hawk's grasp, he realized it wasn't innocence or compassion at work.
'Zero capacity for empathy—she merely simply acted.'
Had she pitied the rabbit and sought to help?
At the very least, she'd have carefully pried loose the hawk's talons embedded in its back.
Instead, Geuk Hye-bin had unceremoniously yanked them free.
The result? The rabbit's hide peeled off and blood poured out.
At first, Bu Eun-seol had dismissed it.
Only later did he grasp that no child capable of empathy would act so.
"This child is severely deficient in empathy."
"Empathy?"
"Correct. Simply put, she's been helping others out of habit—without feeling a thing."
"But why...?"
"Because that's how she could get attention from the Pavilion Master and the people around her."
Geuk Hye-ryeong trembled as if struck by a shock.
Her beloved granddaughter, clutching tightly to her sleeve.
The child she had believed to be noble-hearted and altruistic—was she truly devoid of emotion?
"If even one person had properly given her warm love, she wouldn't have turned out like this."
As Bu Eun-seol spoke, an ache throbbed in his chest.
'I was the same, after all...'
Bu Eun-seol, an orphan.
He had never received love from anyone. He had only struggled day by day to avoid starving to death.
Cast into a desolate world, forced to live in isolation, emotions had been a luxury to him.
Had he not met his grandfather, Bu Jan-yang—
Had he not received that boundless warmth—
Bu Eun-seol would still have been an unfeeling being, both toward others and... toward himself.
'But now...'
Inwardly, Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
By the time Bu Jan-yang met his wretched end, Bu Eun-seol's personality had already begun regressing toward his childhood self.
Had he not forged bonds in the Martial World with people like Heuk-pyo, Tang Gon, and Namgung Un...
He would have fully reverted to the frozen, emotionless disposition of his orphaned days.
"So, you took her out to play?"
"Not just play—I instilled proper values in her. How to appreciate nature's beauty, how to observe the lives of wild animals..."
Bu Eun-seol paused briefly before continuing.
"And I showed her how people interact and live alongside one another."
His gaze, fixed on the distant sky, deepened endlessly with longing.
All these lessons were things he had learned from his grandfather, Bu Jan-yang.
"I see. So that's what happened."
Realizing her grave mistake, Geuk Hye-ryeong pulled Geuk Hye-bin, still clutching her sleeve, into a tight embrace.
"This old woman has done you such terrible wrong."
She should have spent even a little more time with her granddaughter rather than managing the Fleeting Moment Boat.
More than having renowned scholars educate her, more than providing fine clothes and food—
She should have held her hand at least once, taken her outside to see the world.
"Ah."
At this, Geuk Hye-bin shook her head, her expression sullen.
She, who had always mechanically worn a bright smile—
Thanks to Bu Eun-seol's guidance over the past month, she had finally gained the slightest ability to empathize with others' hearts.
"I'm sorry, so sorry, Bin."
At last, tears spilled from Geuk Hye-ryeong's eyes, frozen like glaciers until now.
After her son and daughter-in-law met an untimely death, Geuk Hye-ryeong had expanded her influence through covert dealings with the Orthodox and Unorthodox factions' powerhouses.
All so she could one day pass down a stronger Fleeting Moment Boat to Geuk Hye-bin.
Yet in the end, it had only ruined the child.
"Ah... Ah..."
As Geuk Hye-ryeong wept, tears also streamed from Geuk Hye-bin's eyes.
For the first time, she truly felt the depth of Geuk Hye-ryeong's love for her.
The valley became a sea of tears in an instant.
"..."
Watching silently, Bu Eun-seol turned and quietly walked out of the valley.
His retreating figure looked infinitely lonely—but with Geuk Hye-ryeong and Geuk Hye-bin wrapped in each other's arms, no one saw it.
Bu Eun-seol had achieved the best possible outcome for Geuk Hye-bin—without teaching her the Killing Law.
Yet Geuk Hye-ryeong made no promises to support him outright or send word to the Demon Hall on his behalf.
However, from that day onward, massive funds flowed into Langya Pavilion and the Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying Sanctuary.
Neither sect was particularly well-off.
Especially Langya Pavilion, which maintained no external influence and focused solely on the Martial Way—its finances had long suffered chronic deficits.
By generously funding both sects, Geuk Hye-ryeong effectively declared her support for Bu Eun-seol to the entire Martial World.
Thud. Thud.
Having left the valley, Bu Eun-seol walked toward the heart of the Fleeting Moment Boat.
Though his steps seemed indifferent, he had quieted his spirit and mind, drawing up his Internal Energy.
His body and spirit had merged into perfect unity, and an aura of True Qi shimmered around him like heat haze.
His footsteps finally halted before the training grounds of the White Lotus Pavilion.
With all matters resolved, he would soon depart the Fleeting Moment Boat. But before that—he intended to resume the long-deferred duel.
