Chapter 210
Bu Eun-seol and the Death Shadow Squad members swiftly departed from Lost Soul Valley.
They traveled endlessly westward until arriving in Guizhou Province.
Even after reaching Chengdu, Bu Eun-seol pressed onward without pause until they arrived at the Wandering Drifters—home to Guizhou's largest Ronin Market.
Only upon arriving here did Bu Eun-seol finally rent out an entire VIP wing of a high-class inn to let the entire squad rest at once.
"Bu Eun-seol. Why the hell did we come here?"
While the squad members were all resting, Yu Un-ryong approached Bu Eun-seol with a question.
"Are you so short-handed that you plan to buy mercenaries with money now?"
When no answer came, his face twisted with arrogance as he stared at Bu Eun-seol.
"Or is there someone here you plan to recruit?"
"Shut up."
Myo Cheon-u scolded Yu Un-ryong for his incessant questioning.
"He must have a plan. Just wait a little longer—must you make a fuss over every little thing?"
"What did you say? A fuss?"
As a sharp glint flashed in Yu Un-ryong's eyes, Myo Cheon-u snorted.
"What? Want another round?"
"Gladly."
From the moment they left Lost Soul Valley until arriving here, Myo Cheon-u and Yu Un-ryong had clashed and fought every single night.
However, their skills were so evenly matched that neither could gain a decisive advantage.
If today it seemed Myo Cheon-u barely scraped a victory, the next day Yu Un-ryong would claim a narrow, hard-fought win by half a move.
"No need to wait. Follow me now."
Yu Un-ryong no longer directed his hostility toward Bu Eun-seol.
Instead, that burning competitive spirit had shifted entirely toward Myo Cheon-u.
Having fully mastered the Essence of Palm Arts from the Extinction Palace and continuously striving to surpass the Heaven Overturning realm after the Longsword Mountain Manor incident, Myo Cheon-u was now evenly matched with Yu Un-ryong—who had bitterly honed his skills and rapidly advanced his martial arts to the True Realm.
Myo Cheon-u and Yu Un-ryong.
At last, the two had found true rivals who could push each other to greater heights.
"Oh-ho, another match today?"
As Myo Cheon-u chuckled, Yu Un-ryong glared at him with dark eyes.
"Of course. Today, I'll definitely smash that insufferable face of yours."
At this, the resting Death Shadow Squad members perked up.
Then, as if waiting for this moment, Jo Nam-cheon began circulating among the squad with a wooden box hanging from his neck.
"Alright, they're fighting again today! Place your bets!"
Immediately, Won Se-mun and the others eagerly pulled out their coin pouches and started placing wagers.
"Last time, Brother Myo was a fraction ahead—he'll win again, right?"
"Nah. I saw Brother Yu practicing the White Horse Whip Art all night. Today might be different."
Hearing the squad openly betting on their fight, Yu Un-ryong roared like thunder.
"You think this is some damn spectacle for you? Cut it out right now!"
Myo Cheon-u grinned and taunted him.
"Losing your nerve? Afraid you'll lose?"
"What?"
"I'll bet on myself winning too."
He then dropped a hefty gold tael into Jo Nam-cheon's wooden box.
"That should cover over a hundred silver taels. I don't need the money—split it fairly among those who bet on me."
The squad erupted with cheers and scrambled to place their bets on Myo Cheon-u.
"Fine. You bastard... Today, I'll make sure to kill you."
Feeling the competitive fire, Yu Un-ryong yanked out his coin pouch and hurled the entire thing.
"I'll wager a thousand taels! Anyone who bets on me gets a share of this!"
—Whoooaaah!
The squad's uproar grew even louder.
Even those who usually never bet now eagerly threw in their stakes.
"Ugh. What a mess."
Watching from a distance, Hyeok So-jin pressed a hand to his forehead and muttered.
"Reminds me of the past. Back at the main hall, all us young ones were obsessed with gambling—couldn't think straight."
Slumping his shoulders, he turned to Bu Eun-seol.
"All this noise is fine, but... is this really okay? They fight almost every day. What if things go too far?"
"Let them be."
Bu Eun-seol nodded indifferently.
"It's part of forming bonds."
"Bonds?"
"Yes."
As Ten Demonic Heirs, they could belong nowhere—even their own sects rejected them.
But because of Bu Eun-seol, these two had found a home in the Death Shadow Squad.
And now... they were forging their own concept of camaraderie in their own way.
"I see. That makes sense."
Hyeok So-jin nodded as if realizing something.
The Death Shadow Squad members had once been scorned and ostracized under the name "Martial Root Squad."
The same was true for Myo Cheon-u and Yu Un-ryong. The two and the squad members shared an unspoken sense of kinship.
They were blending together in their own way.
"Take the day off tomorrow. Take the unit members out for drinks."
Bu Eun-seol pulled out a ten-thousand-nyang banknote from his robes and handed it to Hyeok So-jin.
"Since the bet was just an excuse to drink anyway. You've worked hard—take them to a high-class tavern and let them drink their fill."
"Brother Bu, won't you come with us?"
At that, Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly.
"I have business to attend to."
Turning away, he stepped out of the guest inn.
Once outside, Bu Eun-seol stopped by a relay station, purchased a carriage, and headed toward the outer perimeter of the Bu Estate.
After traveling for some time, the carriage came to a halt before a massive settlement resembling a village, standing desolate in the open fields.
It was the entrance to Guizhou's largest Wanderers' Market—the Eastern Drifters, Western Wanderers.
"It's been a while."
Bu Eun-seol narrowed his eyes as he stepped through the market's entrance.
He had many memories tied to this place.
It was where he had first set foot after leaving the Kill-Seeking Unit to venture into the martial world. Here, he had obtained his beloved weapon, the Ink Sword, through the Martial Arts Tournament.
Not only that, but he had also gained the services of the brilliant and resourceful information broker, Heuk-pyo, and reunited with Seo Jin-ha.
And from the so-called former disciple of the Langya Pavilion—the Wolf Lord, Domyeong—he had acquired the terrifying martial manual, the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon.
Of course, not all his memories here were pleasant.
He had killed Yangmyeong, the leader of the Hell Blood Citadel's Blood Ghost Society, in a duel where the Ink Sword was at stake, earning the enmity of the Hell Blood Saint in the process.
But the overwhelmingly positive experiences far outweighed the bad, leaving Bu Eun-seol with no choice but to regard the Eastern Drifters, Western Wanderers with favor.
Bustle, clamor.
The market was even more prosperous now than when Bu Eun-seol had participated in the tournament.
Many new pavilions had been erected in the intervening time, and the place was lively with wandering martial artists seeking work and merchants hawking their wares.
Bu Eun-seol made his way toward the pavilion where wanderers gathered to receive commissions.
But he soon shook his head. There was no need to go through cumbersome procedures when he could obtain information faster and more accurately another way.
The Garden Forest Pavilion.
This was where the Wolf Lord, Domyeong, resided.
"How may I assist you?"
A wandering martial artist guarding the front of the pavilion asked, and Bu Eun-seol replied indifferently.
"I've come to see the Wolf Lord."
The guard scrutinized Bu Eun-seol's appearance before shaking his head.
"The Wolf Lord is currently away. If you visit the Lantern Hall, you may be able to arrange an appointment for a later date."
Bu Eun-seol lifted his gaze, studying the Garden Forest Pavilion.
His extrasensory perception detected faint traces of presence—proof that the Wolf Lord was undoubtedly inside.
Most likely, they were refusing entry because he had no prior appointment.
"Understood."
Rather than argue with the guard, Bu Eun-seol immediately turned away.
Then, activating his movement technique, he stealthily ascended to the rooftop of the pavilion.
Concealing both his presence and form completely, Bu Eun-seol's shadow seeped into the building through a window like a ghost.
Swift Shadowless.
This body-locomotion martial art, created by the Great Thief Go Wol, suppressed presence and the sound of breaking air to evade pursuit, allowing the user to infiltrate anywhere like a specter.
Moreover, since it enabled directional shifts even while executing movement techniques, it made dodging ambushes or attacks from pursuers effortless.
Shhh, shhh.
Though the pavilion was crowded with people, not a single soul noticed Bu Eun-seol as he made his way toward the office.
Swish, swish.
Stepping inside, he found a spacious desk where a middle-aged man with refined features was writing an official letter, brush in hand.
It was none other than the Wolf Lord of the Eastern Drifters, Western Wanderers—Domyeong.
"Hoh."
Domyeong, who had been steadily writing, suddenly let out a low sigh and set down his brush.
Then, gazing into the empty air, he spoke in a quiet voice.
"Though this Wolf Lord's doors are always wide open, why must you enter like a thief in the night?"
Remarkably, Domyeong had instantly detected Bu Eun-seol's concealed presence.
'So the Wolf Lord has also reached the Empty Mind Spirit Communion.'
In the past, Domyeong had revealed himself as a disciple of the Langya Pavilion.
That meant he, too, had deeply mastered the pavilion's foundational martial art—the Way of the Beast.
Given his age and skill, it would have been stranger if he hadn't attained the Empty Mind Spirit Communion.
"It's been a long time, Wolf Lord."
Slowly, Bu Eun-seol emerged from the shadows.
"You truly are a man who knows how to startle others."
Domyeong chuckled as he spoke.
"Though they say human potential is limitless, to advance so far in such a short time..."
Astonishingly, he was gauging the terrifying progress of Bu Eun-seol's martial prowess.
'The Wolf Lord's martial arts have reached such heights.'
Looking back, even during their first meeting, Domyeong had demonstrated the Six Harmonies Voice Transmission—a technique requiring internal power more than three sixty-year cycles' worth.
Though Bu Eun-seol's martial prowess had advanced frighteningly, Domyeong had not been idle either. He was undoubtedly still a master one step ahead.
"By the way, I heard you've become a Chief of Demon Hall. Quite the formidable successor prospect."
Domyeong smiled faintly as he spoke.
"You didn't come to this barren Guizhou for sightseeing. You're here to find Heuk-pyo, aren't you?"
"That's correct."
The reason Bu Eun-seol had come to Guizhou.
He had chosen Heuk-pyo as his final ally.
"You're a step too late. That boy isn't at the main lodge right now."
"Did he take a job and leave?"
Domyeong nodded heavily.
"He went to subdue the Wind Tiger Gang entrenched on Fanjing Mountain."
The Wind Tiger Gang.
Though they called themselves a martial faction, they were nothing more than a band of mountain bandits who claimed Fanjing Mountain as their territory, extorting passage fees from merchants traveling through.
Despite having no lineage and committing nothing but wicked deeds, the Wind Tiger Gang had managed to survive in Guizhou for so long for one simple reason—
Their hideout was deep in Fanjing Mountain, far from the influence of the orthodox factions. No sect cared enough to root out a den of unorthodox scum buried in the backwaters of Guizhou.
"The Wind Tiger Gang?"
Bu Eun-seol tilted his head slightly, murmuring under his breath.
"Did the nearby merchant groups pool their money, unable to endure them any longer?"
"No, it was a request from the Heavenly Grace Forest, a medical house in Yizhou. The Forest Lord's only daughter, Jang Seol-a, was raped and murdered by the Wind Tiger Gang leader's son."
Fanjing Mountain was rich in medicinal herbs.
Because of this, the physicians of Heavenly Grace Forest often gathered herbs there, avoiding the bandits of the Wind Tiger Gang.
Even if caught, the gang's martial artists would merely extort money because they were physicians and let them go.
But this time, among the herb gatherers was Jang Seol-a, the Forest Lord's only daughter—and by misfortune, she was spotted by Wang Pung-gang, the gang leader's son.
In the end, Wang Pung-gang, captivated by her beauty, committed an unspeakable atrocity.
"Because of that, the Forest Lord sold all his assets to gather a fortune—a thousand gold—to hire the wanderers of our lodge. He demanded Wang Pung-gang's death."
"I see."
Just as Bu Eun-seol nodded, having grasped the situation—
Knock knock.
A young attendant's voice sounded from beyond the door.
"Lord Wolf, the elders of the Carefree Sect you promised to meet have arrived."
"Understood. I'll be out shortly."
Domyeong answered quietly, then turned an apologetic look toward Bu Eun-seol.
"My apologies. You can hear the details from Money Manager Ok. I'm a bit busy at the moment."
"Understood. Thank you."
"No need for thanks. If you ever need the lodge's strength, come find me anytime."
Lantern Light Hall.
This was the residence of Ok Ho-bang, the money manager who handled all finances for the Eastern Drifters, Western Wanderers.
"It's been a while, Young Master Bu."
Ok Ho-bang greeted Bu Eun-seol with a mix of warmth and unease.
And for good reason—in the past, he had tried to kill Bu Eun-seol and suffered dearly for it.
Had it not been for Heuk-pyo's desperate plea, he wouldn't be standing in the Lantern Light Hall now, but lying cold inside a coffin.
"Ah—no, I suppose I should call you Vice Chief Bu now."
True to his position in the Eastern Drifters, Western Wanderers, Ok Ho-bang was well-versed in the news and intelligence of the martial world.
"It doesn't matter. Call me as you please."
"Of course, of course."
Clasping his hands respectfully, Ok Ho-bang asked carefully,
"You've come to find Sa-ha again, haven't you?"
Sa-ha—that was Heuk-pyo's birth name.
"Yes."
"That boy is at Mount Fanjing now."
"I've heard the general details from the Wolf Lord."
Bu Eun-seol's voice carried a note of confusion.
"But Heuk-pyo is an intelligence wanderer. Why did he involve himself in another sect's fight?"
Ok Ho-bang let out a deep sigh.
"That boy's martial prowess has grown explosively these past few years. Even our lodge's Special-Grade wanderers can't match him now."
A faint smile touched Bu Eun-seol's lips.
Before sending Heuk-pyo to the Eastern Drifters, he had written him a dagger manual—The Essence of Sword Study.
And clearly, Heuk-pyo had mastered it well.
"After his skills improved, he quit being an intelligence wanderer and became a combat wanderer, taking on the most dangerous missions others refused."
"Why?"
"Well... he said that when you returned, he had to be strong enough to stand by your side."
A subtle shift flickered in Bu Eun-seol's ever-expressionless gaze.
Sincerity.
Heuk-pyo was not only talented and diligent—he revered Bu Eun-seol like the heavens themselves.
His loyalty could only be described as absolute devotion.
"What's the current situation?"
"Truthfully... it's not good."
Bu Eun-seol frowned at Ok Ho-bang's darkened expression.
Did this mean even Heuk-pyo, who surpassed Special-Grade wanderers, was in danger?
His voice lowered, grave.
"Explain in detail."