Chapter 191
Unless they shattered White Impermanence's White Mist Continuous Waves, Jegal Seo-un and his party had no choice but to await death, trapped within the poisonous mist.
"Ugh..."
Groans erupted simultaneously from the mouths of all four men.
They had truly reached their limit.
Though they somehow managed to block the relentless onslaught of attacks, their minds grew increasingly hazy under the thickening miasma of poison.
'In the end... it's impossible.'
Jegal Seo-un bit his lip.
Never before had his strategies failed to resolve a situation—yet this single miscalculation had not only endangered his own life but also those of his closest friends.
Had they not brought Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin along, they would have met a gruesome death without even putting up a fight.
'It's over now...'
As the last of his internal power, which had been holding back the poison's energy, finally drained away, Jegal Seo-un loosened his grip on the Six Harmonies Fan.
Just as he was about to close his eyes—
WHOOSH!
A tremendous gust of wind suddenly roared forth, strong enough to puff up both his cheeks.
Before he knew it, Bu Eun-seol had intervened, conjuring a massive whirlwind that sent the White Mist Continuous Waves spiraling into the sky.
It was the third ultimate technique of the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon—Forgetting Self and Shattering Together.
"What is this?!"
White Impermanence's eyes bulged in shock.
How could a mere human create a wind akin to a dragon's whirlwind with a single strike?
"Now's the time!"
With the White Mist Continuous Waves shattered, Jegal Seo-un snapped back to full alertness and swung his Six Harmonies Fan.
Following his lead, the rest of the party mustered their remaining strength and brandished their weapons once more.
'These bastards?!'
Left with no choice, White Impermanence had to personally counter the renewed assault from Jegal Seo-un's group, who were now fighting with everything they had.
But there was another problem.
Bu Eun-seol, who had just disrupted the mist, wasn't joining the battle—instead, he stood there with blazing eyes, staring straight at White Impermanence.
'Why the hell is he just watching?!'
Under that piercing gaze, White Impermanence's focus wavered, and his movements began to falter.
THUD!
Before long—after thirty or so moves—Moyong Gyeong's keen sword found an opening and pierced through his lungs.
SLASH!
Jegal Seo-un's Six Harmonies Fan, fluttering like the wind, carved deep into his flank.
CRACK!
The Hwangbo brothers' Heavenly King Three Fists struck his Life Gate Acupoint and Great Vertebra Acupoint with devastating force.
That marked the end of White Impermanence, the terror of the Liangguang region for decades.
Though they were merely young talents of the rising generation, the combined might of the Jegal, Moyong, and Hwangbo families' supreme arts had sealed his fate...
Perhaps it wasn't such a pitiful way to die.
"Out of my way!"
Black Impermanence, witnessing his partner's gruesome demise, felt his limbs grow numb and his heart pound wildly.
Truthfully, he had already considered fleeing multiple times.
But Hyeok So-jin, drenched in blood and unleashing a storm of supreme techniques, clung to him like a vengeful water ghost, refusing to let go.
"Get lost!"
Enraged, Black Impermanence unleashed his Black Force Demon Claw with the ferocity of an erupting wildfire.
SHRIEK!
Five streaks of shadow strikes tore through the air, unerringly pursuing Hyeok So-jin no matter which way he dodged.
His clothes were shredded, his body slick with blood.
Yet Hyeok So-jin, eyes wide and unyielding, continued to press forward, stubbornly blocking every possible escape route.
"You damned leech! Move, I said!"
As Bu Eun-seol and Jegal Seo-un's group closed in, Black Impermanence lashed out with a desperate, all-or-nothing strike.
BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM!
A storm of inky-black Black Force Demon Claw shadows, bursting forth like streaks of dark lightning, engulfed Hyeok So-jin's body.
Seizing that moment, Black Impermanence spun around.
He had chosen to flee, even if it meant sustaining severe injuries.
"Heh. Where do you think you're running?"
But that was his fatal mistake.
Hyeok So-jin's True Body Supreme Art—the pinnacle demonic technique of the Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying lineage—was the Divine-Rending Demonic Qi, capable of freely manipulating any force.
Though he had only reached the Sixth Level of mastery, preventing him from redirecting the continuous assaults of a master like Black Impermanence...
What about a single, decisive strike?
BZZZT!
As the torrent of Black Force Demon Claw energy bore down on him, violet flames erupted across Hyeok So-jin's body.
In an instant, those flames coiled around the incoming force—then hurled it straight back.
THUD-THUD-THUD!
The razor-sharp energy of the Black Force Demon Claw struck Black Impermanence's back in a straight line—from his Body Pillar Acupoint down to his Life Gate Acupoint.
"GAAAH—!"
The moment his own technique struck his back, Black Impermanence collapsed, unable to even activate his movement technique.
"Ugh...!"
He scrambled to rise, but Hyeok So-jin was faster.
CLICK.
The tip of a treasured sword pressed against Black Impermanence's throat as Hyeok So-jin spoke in a solemn voice.
"In your next life, don't become an Enemy of the Murim. Be born with white teeth instead."
"What nonsense—!"
Black Impermanence's words were cut short.
Hyeok So-jin's blade severed his carotid artery in one swift motion.
CLICK.
Sheathing his sword, Hyeok So-jin slumped his shoulders and let out a ragged groan.
"Ugh..."
His skin was in tatters from the Black Force Demon Claw, and his dantian throbbed as if tearing apart from exhaustion.
But he squared his shoulders.
After all, he had faced Black Impermanence—a Transcendent Realm master he wouldn't have dared challenge before—alone and emerged victorious.
'Of course, it would've been tough if Brother Bu hadn't been watching my back...'
He lifted his head to the sky, where dawn was already breaking.
The light of the morning sky reflected transparently in Hyeok So-jin's pupils, gradually driving away the darkness.
For a moment, he felt a rare tranquility.
He was savoring the Insight he had gained through a life-and-death battle.
"Young Hero Bu, Young Hero Hyeok."
Just then, Jegal Seo-un cautiously approached the two.
Behind him trailed the rest of the party, unable to hide their astonishment.
Only the Hwangbo brothers and Moyong Gyeong, who had subtly looked down on Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin, hung their heads in shame.
"You two—"
As Jegal Seo-un opened his mouth with a moved expression—
"...!"
Bu Eun-seol's extrasensory perception blared like an alarm.
A sensation like a venomous viper slithering across the nape of his neck—and from somewhere, a sharp gaze prickled his senses.
Whoosh!
In an instant, Bu Eun-seol heightened all his Beast Path senses.
His pupils dilated unnaturally, spilling an eerie light as he detected the energy of every living being within roughly eight hundred feet.
Thud!
Kicking off the ground, Bu Eun-seol shot roughly eight hundred feet in a single leap, plunging deep into the shadowed forest.
In one breath, he stood before a towering great tree, spreading both hands.
Simultaneously, cold, razor-sharp throwing daggers shot from his sleeves.
Swish!
Like meteors streaking through the night sky, the daggers hurtled toward the tree—
Clang! Clang!
A strange metallic resonance echoed before the daggers abruptly clattered to the ground.
Shhh.
At that moment, a faint shadow flickered atop the tree's branches.
A masked figure clad in an eerie night suit, blending seamlessly into the darkness.
'Those bastards again.'
Bu Eun-seol understood in an instant.
How the Suspicious Madman had evaded pursuit from both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths.
How Black and White Impermanence had appeared alongside him at the same time.
"...!"
The masked man's gaze locked onto the Ink Sword strapped to Bu Eun-seol's back, and an uncanny light spilled from his eyes.
There was something unsettlingly familiar about his sharp, hawk-like eyes.
"Who are you?"
Instead of answering, the masked man lightly swept a long finger through the air.
Boom—!
A colossal shockwave erupted, followed by overwhelming pressure crashing down from the void.
It felt as though an immeasurable Internal Power was crushing his entire body.
'Ghk—!'
The force was so immense his body bent, his vision blurring.
'This Internal Power...!'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
The masked man's energy was on par with Demon Gathering Bureau Head Dan Wol-hon—an overwhelming, monstrous level.
Bu Eun-seol summoned every ounce of his strength, forcing the Counter-Polar Internal Art to surge.
Crack—!
A crimson energy erupted from his entire body, blazing into the night sky.
Straightening his posture, Bu Eun-seol glared up at the great tree—but the masked man had already vanished.
"Brother Bu!"
Hyeok So-jin's shout rang out as Jegal Seo-un and the others arrived in his wake.
"What in the world happened?"
As Hyeok So-jin landed beside him, Bu Eun-seol answered quietly,
"There was a masked man."
"Again?"
Jegal Seo-un descended from the air, stepping closer.
"What's the matter?"
"Someone was hiding here."
"Here...?"
Jegal Seo-un paled as he followed Bu Eun-seol's gaze to the great tree.
This was a forest roughly eight hundred feet from the battlefield. And hadn't Bu Eun-seol just exhausted his stamina and energy in a life-or-death fight?
Yet he had instantly detected a master lying in ambush at this distance...
'This is martial prowess beyond our ability to even assess.'
This wasn't just Jegal Seo-un's thought—Moyong Gyeong and the Hwangbo brothers shared the same realization.
"Young Hero Bu. I don't know how we can ever repay you for your help."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"Don't trouble yourself. I didn't do it for you."
"What do you...?"
"It was just a journey through the Rivers and Lakes."
A journey through the Rivers and Lakes.
Countless martial artists spoke of such journeys, and many even undertook them.
After all, simply wandering the martial world could be called a journey.
But to Bu Eun-seol, a true journey meant facing—and overcoming—the trials a martial artist must endure, refining oneself in the process.
It was a blazing path that the pampered direct descendants of the Eight Great Clans could never dare emulate.
"Just a fleeting bond, nothing more."
With a calm nod, Bu Eun-seol turned to leave—but Moyong Gyeong stepped forward, clasping his hands.
"You two saved us—ignorant of the martial world's dangers, acting like newborn pups. How can we let you leave like this?"
Then Hwangbo Cheon-gyeong and his brother also stepped forward, pressing their palms together.
"He's right. Grant us the chance to repay this debt."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"If you truly believe you owe a debt... then forget about it."
With a dry smile, Bu Eun-seol turned away impassively.
"That would be the way to repay it."
He immediately activated his movement technique and left the forest.
Hyeok So-jin also prepared to follow using his own movement technique, but then paused as he looked down at his blood-soaked body. With a gloomy expression, he spoke.
"By any chance..."
At this, Jegal Seo-un's party eagerly nodded in unison.
"Speak freely, Benefactor."
"Do you happen to have any usable Golden Wound Salve?"
The absurd request left the group blinking at each other in bewilderment.
From behind them, Jegal Seo-rin hastily produced a yellowish bottle from her robes.
"It's White-Knot Ointment from the Hanlim Medical House."
"My thanks."
Hyeok So-jin received the medicine with both hands clasped together.
"Let's keep our collaboration in this matter a secret, if possible. That would be best for all involved."
The party had witnessed Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin's true martial prowess and the True Body Supreme Art.
They already understood these two were successors from the Demonic Path Ten Gates.
"What does it matter?"
Hwangbo Cheon-gyeong thumped his chest as he spoke.
"Though our paths differ, haven't many heroes in Murim formed Golden Bonds of Friendship?"
Hwangbo Je-gyeong hastily nodded in agreement.
"Exactly. Since fate has brought us together, why not cultivate this connection?"
Hyeok So-jin gave a bitter smile.
When they'd thought them worthless, they'd treated them with such contempt...
Yet the moment they recognized their martial excellence and status as demonic successors, their attitudes transformed completely.
'If I were to form bonds, wouldn't I choose the Jegal siblings over you lot?'
The Jegal siblings had treated them without prejudice, judging solely by the skills they'd demonstrated with their own eyes.
Moreover, given the current martial world's climate, peaceful interaction between the Demonic and Righteous Paths remained impossible.
Hyeok So-jin saw no reason to take risks forming hollow connections with the likes of the Hwangbo brothers.
"Our circumstances are... complicated."
After glancing meaningfully at the Jegal siblings with a faint smile, Hyeok So-jin clasped his hands together.
"Let's meet again when opportunity permits."
Instantly, Moyong Gyeong and the Hwangbo brothers' faces flushed with embarrassment.
Though not stated outright, Hyeok So-jin's gaze had remained fixed on the Jegal siblings - his meaning couldn't be clearer.
Whoosh!
He immediately activated his movement technique, vanishing in the same direction as Bu Eun-seol.
"..."
Everyone except the Jegal siblings wore bitter expressions as they watched him disappear.
If there was any consolation, this incident had taught them a valuable lesson...
Henceforth, they would never judge people solely by appearances and reputation again.
—The rising talents of the Jegal, Moyong, and Hwangbo Clans have eliminated the Suspicious Madman and Black & White Impermanence!
—They were Sickly Jegal Seo-un, Lightning Flash Sword Moyong Gyeong, and the Heaven-Shaking Twin Fists - the Hwangbo Clan's third and youngest sons!
For a time, the martial world buzzed with tales of the Three Great Families.
The Suspicious Madman, who had masqueraded as a physician while slaughtering innocent villagers and young martial artists.
Black and White Impermanence, expelled from Ghost Gate, who had plagued the martial world with atrocities for over twenty years.
That mere rising talents from the Three Great Families could eliminate such Great Demonic Persons?
—Impossible.
If nothing else, Black and White Impermanence were known to have reached the Transcendent Realm long ago.
For five direct descendants (not even young clan heads) from the Three Great Families to defeat three Transcendent Realm masters was unthinkable, even in one's wildest dreams.
—Their defeat of the Suspicious Madman and Black and White Impermanence has been confirmed!
Yet various intelligence organizations verified that Jegal Seo-un's party had indeed ambushed them at Ujung Mountain's pass and emerged victorious.
But their subsequent actions proved puzzling.
After defeating those terrifying demonic figures, the Jegal siblings, Moyong Gyeong, and Hwangbo brothers all entered closed-door training simultaneously upon returning to their clans.
—Were they severely injured?
Why would heroes who had achieved such glorious feats and stood to gain immense fame suddenly seclude themselves?
Countless speculations circulated among intelligence networks and sects, but none received satisfactory answers.
A cramped tavern in a small village.
"Hahaha."
Hyeok So-jin drained his cup and laughed heartily.
"Gaining more fame than they can handle has become their poison instead."
Jegal Seo-un's group hadn't possessed the skill to kill even the Suspicious Madman alone.
Yet rumors claimed they'd eliminated both him and the formidable Black and White Impermanence simultaneously...
The overwhelming fame and martial prestige they'd gained made it impossible for them to show their faces publicly.
"Still, clever move with the closed-door training bit."
Hyeok So-jin smirked.
Since they truly lacked such capabilities...
Their only option was to train in seclusion until their skills matched their reputation.
"Regardless, Brother Bu made the right choice. Had we not gotten involved, we'd have truly missed out on a proper Jianghu experience."
Despite Hyeok So-jin's chatter, Bu Eun-seol silently continued drinking.
After finally emptying the last jug, Bu Eun-seol stood up.
"Time to depart."
"Where are we going?"
Bu Eun-seol looked down at Hyeok So-jin with indifferent eyes.
"The Demon Hall."