Chapter 217
The Pear Blossom Villa stood utterly empty.
The Death Shadow Squad, having completely annihilated the Beggar Corps, had withdrawn en masse to the Demon Hall under Bu Eun-seol's orders.
There were two reasons for this.
First, having staked their lives to crush the Beggar Corps and shatter the Beggars' Sect's prestige in a single stroke—
If the Death Shadow Squad remained at the Pear Blossom Villa any longer, it would only give the Beggars' Sect grounds to launch a full-scale offensive.
But the truly crucial reason was the second one. Only by remaining alone could Bu Eun-seol ensure the Beggar King would come to him without hesitation.
Whoooosh.
A desolate wind swept through the vacant manor.
With the Death Shadow Squad gone, the villa seemed to have reverted to its former state—a bleak, abandoned ruin.
Creeeak.
Just then, an inner door opened, and a young man carrying a tray with a teapot and cups walked toward the pavilion in the garden.
It was Heuk-pyo.
Near the pavilion sat a man in perfect stillness, deep in meditation. It was Bu Eun-seol.
At least have some cool tea while you're at it...
For three days straight, Bu Eun-seol had meditated without pause—like an ascetic monk, abstaining not just from food but even water.
Unable to bear it any longer, Heuk-pyo had prepared Cold Fragrant Tea and set it nearby.
Ssshh.
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol slowly opened his eyes.
Though he hadn't drunk a single drop in three days, his eyes brimmed with vitality, and his skin glowed with vigor.
"M-my apologies."
As Bu Eun-seol's eyes opened, Heuk-pyo scratched his head awkwardly.
"I just thought... if I left something cool nearby for when you woke... Young Master would want to drink something refreshing first..."
He stammered, as if worried he had disrupted Bu Eun-seol's meditation.
"You weren't the reason I woke."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head indifferently.
"I was already thirsty."
"Ah, I see. That's a relief."
Heuk-pyo smiled and carefully poured the Cold Fragrant Tea into a cup.
Bu Eun-seol sipped slowly, then gazed at the distant sky.
Unlike before, his eyes had sharpened slightly, as though sensing something.
"The Beggars' Sect's intelligence network is truly impressive."
Heuk-pyo, also looking at the horizon, wore a troubled expression.
"If they know you're here alone... might they not send another vanguard of the Beggars' Sect?"
"They already suffered disgrace using such tactics once."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"The righteous factions place great importance on face and prestige. They wouldn't resort to such cowardly, humiliating strategies a second time."
Then, murmuring as he stared into the distance:
"By now, their intelligence would have uncovered my identity and purpose entirely."
"Then...?"
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath and nodded.
"The Beggar King will come to me. Alone."
Thud. Thud.
As if to prove his words, faint footsteps echoed from somewhere.
Deep internal power brings stillness; exceptional Lightness Skill leaves almost no sound in one's steps.
Thus, martial artists can gauge a person's weight, stride—and even the depth of their martial arts—just by the sound of their footsteps.
An extraordinary master...
Bu Eun-seol's expression flickered with surprise as he listened.
When body and mind become one, the speed and length of each step stabilize into perfect consistency.
The footsteps approaching now were as precise as machinery—not a single variation in pace or stride. It was proof that this person possessed all the hallmarks of a true Murim master.
Thump.
The footsteps halted just beyond the villa's great gate.
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol sensed an overwhelming surge of true qi.
The internal power of the one standing outside the gate was so profound it could alter the very flow of the air.
Had the Beggar King finally arrived?
Strange...
Yet Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
The energy beyond the gate was formidable, but it lacked the overwhelming, tyrannical presence he had felt from the Beggar King.
Just as he frowned in puzzlement, his gaze fixed intently on the gate—
Creeeak.
The gate swung open, revealing a solitary figure.
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened at the sight.
The shadow belonged to a young monk clad in monastic robes.
"...!"
The moment their eyes met in the empty air, both Bu Eun-seol and the monk's pupils dilated simultaneously.
A single glance was all it took to recognize each other's true nature.
"You are the Ten Demonic Heir from Langya Pavilion—Lord Bu, correct?"
As Bu Eun-seol nodded, the monk pressed his palms together and spoke.
"This humble monk is Gwang-yeon, a disciple of Shaolin."
Introducing himself, Gwang-yeon offered Bu Eun-seol a faint smile.
"And also one of the Great Righteous Experts selected by the Martial Alliance."
—Though he remains a Sweeping Monk, he is Shaolin's Greatest Prodigy.
These were the words Song-ak, the Wudang Sect's Great Righteous Expert who had once crossed blades with Bu Eun-seol, had used to describe Gwang-yeon.
And now, face to face with him, Bu Eun-seol realized two things.
First, Gwang-yeon's skill far surpassed Song-ak's.
Second, the Beggars' Sect had no intention of letting him fight the Beggar King.
"Since when did Shaolin act on the Beggars' Sect's behalf?"
"Amitabha."
Gwang-yeon pressed his palms together once more.
"Has not Lord Bu's path always demanded the blood of countless lives?"
He spoke as if reproaching Bu Eun-seol for targeting the Beggar King.
"This humble monk merely wishes to prevent that from happening."
"Everyone has their own circumstances."
Bu Eun-seol, waving his hand dismissively, drew up his True Qi and stepped forward.
"No need for lengthy words. Come at me."
The two were the pinnacle of the younger generation—one from the Demonic Path, the other from the Righteous Faction.
Under normal circumstances, even if filled with malice, they would have exchanged a few formal greetings.
But sensing that Gwang-yeon's words might drag on, Bu Eun-seol cut straight to the point without hesitation.
"Very well."
A faint smile played on Gwang-yeon's lips as the heat haze of his True Qi thickened visibly around him.
"Let me be clear—this is not a friendly spar."
His expression turned grave as he addressed Bu Eun-seol.
"I intend to cripple your martial arts with everything I have. So I urge you to do the same."
Having said this, Gwang-yeon slowly lowered both arms. It was a relaxed stance, one that seemed full of openings for a martial artist about to fight.
Yet to Bu Eun-seol's eyes, that very ease felt more threatening than any fierce posture.
"Heuk-pyo."
"Yes."
"Leave Kaifeng immediately."
"I will stay by your side, Young Master."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head at Heuk-pyo's words.
"If you do, He won't be able to accept defeat even in death."
Then, pointing at Gwang-yeon, he added:
"If you remain here, his focus will be split between two targets. And there's no guarantee he won't strike at a critical moment... My mental power would also be divided."
"Truly, Corpse Lord Bu is worthy of being called a Master of the Martial World."
Gwang-yeon let out an admiring sigh and fixed Heuk-pyo with a piercing stare.
"However, if you leave with a gloomy or worried expression, it will also drain Corpse Lord Bu's mental power."
Then, with a gentle smile, he said:
"In such cases, showing trust before departing would be of great help to Young Hero Bu."
It seemed Gwang-yeon was just as adept at human psychology as Bu Eun-seol.
Heuk-pyo, sensing the logic in Gwang-yeon's words, forced a bright smile and said:
"Do well and return. I'll be waiting for you, Young Master."
Then, without delay, he activated his movement technique and swiftly left Pear Blossom Villa.
"An impressive movement technique."
Gwang-yeon watched the trajectory of Heuk-pyo's rapid ascent into the sky with admiration.
"At that level, he'll likely become one of the Martial World's foremost masters of lightness skills before he turns thirty."
Then, sensing Bu Eun-seol's icy gaze, he chuckled and extended a hand.
"This humble monk has been long-winded. You may strike first."
"You were the one who sought me out."
"Very well."
Without further hesitation, Gwang-yeon lightly threw a single fist forward.
Swiish!
The sound of breaking air was barely audible.
Yet the sheer force behind that punch—enough to pierce through cascading steel—bore straight into Bu Eun-seol's chest.
It was the Hundred-Step Divine Fist, a signature technique of Shaolin.
Bu Eun-seol did not dodge. Standing firm, he unleashed the Fist Demon Initial Manifestation, slashing through the incoming force with his own.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion erupted as shockwaves rippled outward, forcing both Bu Eun-seol and Gwang-yeon to take a step back.
"Oh?"
Gwang-yeon's eyes widened in surprise.
"Your internal power is astonishing, Corpse Lord Bu."
He had been swaddled in cloth when brought to Shaolin Temple. Moreover, born with the Divine Yin Severed Meridians, he would have died had he not been taught the Tendon Transformation Sutra.
Resigned to fate, the Shaolin Abbot personally performed the Marrow Cleansing ritual and imparted the sutra to him.
As a result, his internal energy was unmatched within Shaolin, save for a select few Masters—
Yet here was Bu Eun-seol, close to him in age, displaying a level of internal power on par with his own?
'As expected of Shaolin.'
But Bu Eun-seol wasn't overly surprised.
Shaolin's internal arts were the foremost of the Righteous Path.
Gwang-yeon had trained in internal energy since an even younger age, so it was only natural his power would be formidable.
"Be careful!"
Gwang-yeon pressed his palms together, then spread both hands forward.
Fwip!
In that instant, eight hand shadows enveloped Bu Eun-seol's entire body.
It was the Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm, one of Shaolin's Seventy-Two Supreme Arts.
"Hmph."
Bu Eun-seol snorted briefly and countered with the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon, erasing the palm shadows one after another.
But the Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm spread far faster than his fists could strike.
Swish-swish-swish!
Before he knew it, Gwang-yeon's hand shadows had multiplied to thirty-two.
Normally, the more intricate the palm technique's variations and the more complex its strikes, the more the internal energy would disperse.
Yet despite conjuring thirty-two hand shadows, Gwang-yeon's Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm maintained dense internal energy in every single one.
Tzzt-tzzt-tzzt!
As the palm technique grew increasingly intricate, Bu Eun-seol ceased countering and instead activated Swift Shadowless, slipping out of its range.
His intent was to evade while meticulously analyzing Shaolin's supreme art.
Whoosh!
But in that brief moment, the hand shadows had multiplied to seventy-two, already cutting off all avenues of retreat.
'Good!'
Realizing he couldn't fully evade the Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm, Bu Eun-seol's pupils dilated as light surged around his fists.
Bam-bam-bam-bam!
Simultaneously, his fists began clinging to Gwang-yeon's palm strikes like iron filings drawn to a magnet.
Unable to shake off the endlessly multiplying hand shadows, Bu Eun-seol once again resorted to the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon to dismantle Gwang-yeon's Palm Technique.
Whoosh—CRACK!
For a while, the two exchanged Martial Forms at close range.
But while Bu Eun-seol's Martial Forms gradually accelerated, Gwang-yeon's, in contrast, grew more measured.
Though the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon was a formidable Fist Technique, it couldn't possibly compare to the time Gwang-yeon had spent honing the Seventy-Two Supreme Arts.
In Fist Techniques, Bu Eun-seol still couldn't surpass Gwang-yeon.
'Every single Martial Form contains dozens of variations.'
Even in the heat of battle, Bu Eun-seol could analyze and comprehend the principles behind his opponent's Martial Arts.
But Shaolin's Martial Arts embedded profound Martial Principles and transformations into every Martial Form—something even Bu Eun-seol couldn't fully grasp in such a short time.
Ssshhhk—
Realizing he couldn't shatter Gwang-yeon's Palm Technique in one go, Bu Eun-seol drew the Ink Sword.
Flash!
The moment he unleashed his Sword Techniques, a dazzling radiance erupted, and the hand shadows weaving through the air vanished in an instant.
Then, before anyone could react, the sharp tip of his sword pierced toward Gwang-yeon's throat.
"Hoh!"
Gwang-yeon, visibly startled, shifted his footing.
His figure blurred—then reappeared at Bu Eun-seol's flank in the blink of an eye.
This was the miraculous skill of Buddha Shadow Divine Step, Shaolin's supreme Footwork Technique.
Swish!
But the cascading brilliance of Bu Eun-seol's Ink Sword blocked Gwang-yeon's retreat, layer upon layer.
Now, the tables had turned.
"Excellent!"
Realizing he couldn't evade Bu Eun-seol's Sword Techniques, Gwang-yeon curled his middle finger.
Simultaneously, he unleashed a surge of formidable Internal Energy, flicking his finger repeatedly.
Thwip! Thwip!
A sound like bending bamboo snapping back echoed as razor-sharp Finger Winds began erasing the sword shadows one by one.
This was Shaolin's representative Ultimate Art—Divine Finger Flick.
Flash!
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol's Ink Sword split the air once more.
A heavy, swift Sword Stroke, thick as a Heavy Sword, descended like storm clouds, followed by a cross-shaped blade force.
He had unleashed Meteor Chasing Moon and Waning Moon Morning Star in rapid succession.
"Hmph!"
Judging that Divine Finger Flick couldn't repel Bu Eun-seol's Sword Stroke, Gwang-yeon's body became enveloped in a solemn Buddhist radiance.
"Beware!"
With a thunderous roar, he thrust forward not a fist or palm—but his right hand twisted into an odd, claw-like seal.
CRACK!
At the same time, sharp Palm Energy, like the claws of a beast, tore through the Sword Stroke and pierced toward Bu Eun-seol's flanks.
Lion Muni Seal.
This was one of Shaolin's supreme Ultimate Arts—something impossible to execute without Three Sixty-Year Cycles of Internal Energy.
'It's similar to the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon.'
Gwang-yeon freely redirected his Palm Energy, blocking the Sword Strokes while counterattacking.
In other words, Shaolin's Fist and Palm Learning contained the same Martial Principle as the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon—Borrowed Force Manipulation. That was how he could freely control the force he unleashed.
Shink!
As the Lion Muni Seal descended, a purple lightning bolt seemed to strike the ground.
Bu Eun-seol had unleashed the Peerless Thunderbolt, a Killing Sword technique of Extreme Speed.
Clang!
Severing the Palm Energy, Bu Eun-seol pushed his Movement Technique to its limits, closing the distance in an instant.
Simultaneously, his blade condensed—then struck simultaneously at Gwang-yeon's crown and Dantian.
Swish!
Instead of dodging, Gwang-yeon clasped his hands together, a faint light spilling from them.
BAM!
Then, spreading his palms wide like a fan, a metallic screech erupted as Bu Eun-seol's body was flung back thirty feet.
This was the Great Power Vajra Palm, the most ferocious among Shaolin's Palm Techniques.
Thud!
But Bu Eun-seol closed the distance again, unleashing another Sword Stroke.
The two spun like tops, their movements a dizzying blur.
Bu Eun-seol continuously deployed Sword Techniques, but Gwang-yeon's Palm and Fist Techniques intercepted every Martial Form without fail.
Shaolin's Martial Arts were as sticky as glue and as deep as the sea. No matter what Attack Forms were unleashed, they were deflected with ease.
'Shaolin's Martial Arts are the polar opposite of Demonic Path Martial Arts.'
If Demonic Path Martial Arts were a sharp blade, Shaolin's Martial Arts were like thick cloth that could gently wrap around it.
No matter what Martial Arts were used, they could be redirected without Killing Intent, channeled away by profound Internal Energy.
That was why Bu Eun-seol's Demonic Sword Arts, focused on Killing Moves, kept being blocked.
'It's still not enough.'
With only the Martial Arts he had used so far, he couldn't defeat Gwang-yeon.
If this battle continued, the frustration of having his Martial Forms repeatedly blocked would consume his Spirit and Mind with lethargy.
Huuuung—
At that moment, a low vibration hummed as Bu Eun-seol's Sword Strokes slowed.
The rain-like barrage of light points faded, and the Ink Sword wobbled like deflated rubber.
Rustle—
Gwang-yeon's loose monk robes began to puff up, taut as if filled with wind.
The night before a storm is the calmest and most serene. He sensed that Bu Eun-seol was about to unleash his most devastating Martial Forms.
BOOOOM!
The Qi Energy surging from Bu Eun-seol's body became a furious whirlwind, shooting skyward.
At the same time, a faint radiance began spilling from his entire being.
He was preparing to use the Eighth Form of the Formless Heavenly Flow—Lament by the River, the technique he had honed to defeat the Beggar King.