Chapter 183
"Brother Bu. Why... did you not even allow him to take his own life?"
As Hyeok So-jin spoke with a pained expression, Bu Eun-seol replied with an icy demeanor.
"Had they witnessed him taking his own life, the remaining Soul-Flame Corps members would have fought to the death."
Only then did Hyeok So-jin let out a quiet "Ah."
What if Yo Bul-beom had laughed hoarsely, displaying indomitable spirit as he ended his own life?
The Soul-Flame Corps would have been filled with soaring morale, resisting with desperate fury.
"Thank you."
At that moment, Geuk Hye-ryeong stepped forward from the ranks of the Fleeting Moment Boat disciples.
"Supporting you was never a choice I would regret."
When a formidable enemy invaded, Bu Eun-seol willingly stepped forward alone to protect the Fleeting Moment Boat.
It was akin to demonstrating trust as precious as life itself.
"Whether you become the Heir of the Demon Hall or not... this pavilion will forever stand by your side."
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol gave a light bow.
That dignified and solemn posture alone conveyed deeper trust than hundreds of oaths—and the majesty befitting the next Grandmaster of Martial Arts.
Standing tall, Bu Eun-seol swept his gaze across the surroundings before slowly turning.
Having fulfilled all the orders given by the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, it was time to return to the Demon Hall.
After leaving Guilin, Bu Eun-seol rested at a nearby guest inn before boarding a boat.
They planned to travel north along the Three Rivers toward Changsha Prefecture, where the Demon Hall was located.
In truth, both Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin had sustained considerable injuries during the battle with the Soul-Flame Corps.
Hyeok So-jin, in particular, had suffered no small internal injury from continuously deploying the Divine-Rending Demonic Qi at full strength throughout the fight.
After three days of recuperation at the inn with Bu Eun-seol, his Internal Power gradually recovered.
But rather than rushing to fully heal, they opted for a leisurely boat journey.
Buzz, buzz.
The village near the bustling port was crowded with people gathered from all directions.
As they entered the marketplace, Bu Eun-seol subtly adjusted his face using the Face-Changing Bone-Shifting Art.
Not only was his striking beauty too conspicuous, but most of the martial artists filling the marketplace—armed with weapons—belonged to the Righteous Faction.
Crack.
With a faint sound, his appearance shifted to that of an ordinary, weathered-looking man.
"I won't change mine."
Hyeok So-jin, watching this, grimaced and spoke.
"I've never been active in the Martial World and have spent most of my time holed up with old men. No one would recognize me anyway."
"Do as you please."
Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin wandered around, searching for an inn with vacancies.
But peering through the windows, they saw only packed establishments.
"No seats available."
Just as Hyeok So-jin let out a quiet sigh while scanning the area,
"Let's go there."
Bu Eun-seol pointed toward an alley slightly removed from the marketplace.
There stood a small, shabby-looking tavern. At a glance, it seemed to serve cheap food, but they were in no position to be picky.
"Hmm..."
Hyeok So-jin let out a dissatisfied hum as he eyed the empty window seat.
He was particular not just about taste but also the ambiance of dining establishments.
In the past, he would have stubbornly sought out a high-class inn, but now he shrugged as if resigned.
"Fine."
Entering the single-story tavern, they found it filled with merchants carrying bundles and martial artists armed with weapons.
The moment they sat down, Hyeok So-jin called over a server.
"Bring us the best wine you have and every decent dish you can serve."
It was the most straightforward order one could make in such a cheap tavern.
The young server bowed and soon returned, placing dishes and wine on their table.
"Huh?"
Just then, an irritated voice came from a nearby table.
"Hey, didn't we order first?"
Hyeok So-jin turned his head to see a group seated there—two twin youths, a sickly pale young man, and a woman in her prime.
None of them were particularly handsome, but their features were well-proportioned, their eyes brimming with vitality.
Judging by their attire and demeanor, they seemed to be scions of a renowned clan.
"Looking at the dishes, these seem to be what we ordered, no?"
As the twin youth frowned and spoke again, the server, scratching his head, cautiously replied.
"My apologies, sirs. You did arrive first, but this table placed their order before you."
Though Bu Eun-seol's party had arrived later, Hyeok So-jin had placed their order the moment they sat down.
After much deliberation, they had ordered everything the inn could serve—food and liquor alike—which had led to the misunderstanding.
"I see."
Only then did the young man grasp the situation and swallow his irritation.
In the crowded inn, he hadn't even considered that orders might be delayed. With many patrons still waiting for their meals, it would likely take quite some time before their own arrived.
They must have traveled a long way.
Bu Eun-seol noted how exhausted the young group looked—and how ravenous.
"We're in no hurry. Serve them first."
Bu Eun-seol hadn't come to the inn to sate his hunger, but to gather rumors from the martial world.
When he yielded, not only the waiter but the young men at the table looked startled, hastily waving their hands in refusal.
"No, there's no need to go that far—"
"It's fine. We aren't pressed for time."
Bu Eun-seol dismissed them with a casual wave, and the youths bowed slightly in gratitude.
"Thank you."
With a nod, Bu Eun-seol turned his gaze back to the window.
Just then, the conversation of martial artists seated some distance away reached his ears.
"Have you heard the news?"
"What news?"
"The Suspicious Madman—Gongson Gu-reung. That lunatic has reappeared in the martial world."
The Suspicious Madman. Gongson Gu-reung.
A deranged killer who dressed like a wandering physician but dissected living people while they still breathed.
The number of civilians slaughtered by his hands alone exceeded three hundred.
And lately, he had grown bolder, targeting young martial artists for his atrocities. By now, not only the righteous factions but even several sects of the Demonic Path had issued Execution Orders for him.
Yet he evaded pursuit effortlessly, continuing to wreak havoc across the martial world.
When even the Demon Hall and the Martial Alliance showed signs of mobilizing against him, he vanished without a trace a decade ago.
And now, that deranged butcher had returned?
The Suspicious Madman...
Bu Eun-seol narrowed his eyes, recalling the Registry of Martial Figures he had seen in the Kill-Seeking Unit's archives.
The Suspicious Madman was infamous for flaying and dissecting healthy young men—without reason, or so it seemed.
But he wasn't driven by bloodlust. He was obsessed with martial arts.
The truth, however, was different.
According to the Kill-Seeking Unit's intelligence, Gongson Gu-reung didn't carve open living bodies for the thrill of slaughter.
He did it to study the principles of martial arts and the weaknesses of the human body.
Much like how Bu Jan-yang and Bu Eun-seol studied causes of death by examining scars on corpses.
"We should be careful too."
Hyeok So-jin chuckled darkly after overhearing the martial artists' conversation.
"That lunatic adores dissecting the bodies of young martial masters, doesn't he?"
The decisive reason Gongson Gu-reung had been branded an Enemy of the Murim was his habit of capturing rising talents from both orthodox and unorthodox factions and dissecting them alive.
Likely because studying martial artists' bodies made researching martial techniques far easier.
"I see."
Bu Eun-seol nodded silently, listening to the murmurs around them.
But aside from the Suspicious Madman's return, there were no other notable rumors.
The Suspicious Madman... The Suspicious Madman...
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed further.
A deranged killer who dissected the young alive in his pursuit of martial prowess.
Though his strength was said to fall short of the Transcendent Realm, the Kill-Seeking Unit's intelligence confirmed he had long since broken into it—an enormous master.
Add to that his elusive movement techniques and vanishing tricks...
He was a man who had mastered not just martial arts, but the art of escape itself.
Why is he smiling?
Hyeok So-jin tilted his head as he noticed Bu Eun-seol lost in thought, a faint smile playing on his lips.
What scheme is he brewing now?
By now, he considered himself something of an expert on Bu Eun-seol.
He knew all too well—when the usually stoic Bu Eun-seol smiled, something unpredictable was about to unfold.
After finishing their meal, Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin arrived at the dock and boarded their ship.
The merchant vessel, refitted as a passenger ship, was large enough to carry over a hundred travelers with room to spare.
The fine weather had drawn most passengers up to the deck to enjoy the scenery.
"..."
Bu Eun-seol gazed absently at the flowing river.
His life-or-death battle with the leader of the Soul-Flame Corps had granted him profound insights. Whenever time allowed, he would revisit that moment in his mind.
'The Death Command Gate wasn't constrained by the conventional limitations of spears.'
Just like Bu Eun-seol's Formless Heavenly Flow, Yo Bul-beom of the Death Command Gate hadn't been bound by the restrictions of his weapon or techniques.
This realization had instilled in Bu Eun-seol a sense of crisis unlike anything he'd felt from previous opponents.
'Perhaps I've been underestimating the martial arts of the Demonic Path Ten Gates.'
The White Horse Monastery and Hell Blood Citadel each had their own specialties—exploitative techniques and poison arts.
For Bu Eun-seol, who sought out his enemies' weaknesses in battle, these traits had made them ideal prey.
But witnessing the spear techniques of the Death Command Gate made him acutely aware that he had misjudged the martial arts of the Demonic Path Ten Gates until now.
'Had our internal energy been equal, I wouldn't have won so easily.'
Yo Bul-beom had far more experience in the Martial World than Bu Eun-seol and was a master who had honed the terrifying Ultimate Art of the Evil Spirit Spear for over twenty years.
That seasoned expertise and combat adaptability were gaps Bu Eun-seol, barely past twenty, couldn't bridge so quickly.
Before he knew it, night had fallen.
As the wind died down, a thick fog settled over the river.
The towering mist surrounding them made the world feel like a distant dream.
"Brother Bu."
Hyeok So-jin, who had been standing beside him, finally spoke.
"The river flows endlessly without pause—so why can't people progress without limits?"
The question was abrupt.
An ordinary person might have laughed or been baffled by its absurdity.
But Bu Eun-seol fell into deep thought with a serious expression.
Because Hyeok So-jin's question touched upon the profound mysteries of martial arts.
"If one could progress without limits, they would no longer be human—they'd become part of nature itself."
After a moment of contemplation, Bu Eun-seol lowered his voice.
"Humans are born incomplete, both in spirit and body. That's why we strive to overcome that imperfection."
As he spoke, his gaze followed the rippling currents beneath the railing.
"Of course, a river can never become human. But a person can transform into anything—not just a river."
Hyeok So-jin furrowed his brow, deep in thought, before shaking his head.
"I don't understand. How can a person transform into anything else?"
"Everything you perceive manifests through the lens of your spirit and mind."
Bu Eun-seol explained calmly.
"If you obsess over martial arts, the river may appear to you as a martial form. If you obsess over a beautiful woman, it may take the shape of her body."
Each of Bu Eun-seol's words carried profound meaning.
"Those who study Advanced Martial Arts often fall into despair, frustration, or fear. Do you know why?"
When Hyeok So-jin shook his head, Bu Eun-seol answered.
"Because even if the body reaches its limits, the spirit and mind have yet to attain that same realm."
His tone was indifferent.
But the sharpness in Bu Eun-seol's gaze as he looked at Hyeok So-jin seemed to pierce straight through his very core.
"You've trained in exceptional martial arts, refining your body to near-perfection. But the steadfastness of your spirit hasn't kept pace."
"...!"
"Your martial arts have just barely entered the Transcendent Realm. To stabilize your foundation, you must temper not just your techniques—but your mind as well."
For a moment, Hyeok So-jin trembled as if struck by sudden realization.
Bu Eun-seol was strong.
Not just because of his martial prowess, but because the unshakable firmness of his spirit surpassed all others.
'Brother Bu didn't just train his martial arts—he honed his spirit with relentless discipline.'
Had he not, his body might have grown stronger, but he never would have reached such profound heights in the True Martial Scripture so quickly.
"Thank you, Brother Bu."
Hyeok So-jin bowed deeply.
Though he had studied under masters like the Illusion Demon, he had only learned the basics of martial arts and doctrine—never the deeper mysteries.
But through their travels in the Martial World, Bu Eun-seol had been teaching him to perceive all phenomena through the lens of martial principles.
This process would one day allow Hyeok So-jin to awaken to the ultimate truths of martial arts on his own.
"Huh?"
Just then, a group of young men who had emerged from the cabins spotted Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin.
With grins, they approached.
"What a coincidence meeting you here."