Chapter 236
Bu Eun-seol didn't take a carriage. Instead, he unleashed his Lightness Art in one breath and left Lanzhou behind.
Though he turned away without a word, his heart felt slightly hollow.
Hyeok So-jin had been his companion all this time—a loyal subordinate, almost like a disciple who had inherited his Warrior Spirit.
He had wanted to roam the murim together for the rest of their lives, but Hyeok So-jin was the next Sanctuary Master of the Heaven-Severing Earth-Ending Sanctuary.
His duty was to care for the aging demonkin while researching and advancing the countless Demonic Path Martial Arts he had acquired there.
'I lingered longer than I thought.'
The unexpected appearance of Yu Hyeok-sim.
And above all, he had to confirm whether the Azure Blossom Soft Jade he carried could completely cure Hyeok Gong-baek's illness.
What if it didn't work?
Then he would truly have to storm the Hell Blood Citadel and take it by force.
'I owe her a debt.'
Bu Eun-seol gazed at the now-transparent jade necklace and forced a bitter smile.
When he created the Crimson Jade Divine Water, all the spiritual energy within the Azure Blossom Soft Jade had drained away, leaving it completely clear.
In other words, it had become nothing more than a worthless stone.
'I'll have to repay her.'
At the time, Dan So-ok had merely lent him this necklace. But now that he had exhausted its entire utility...
He absolutely had to settle that debt.
'It's troubling, though.'
Bu Eun-seol's lips twisted wryly.
Since he had used the priceless treasure that was the Azure Blossom Soft Jade, figuring out how to repay the debt was another problem.
Moreover, when he thought of Dan So-ok's eyes, brimming with affection, his chest tightened.
What she wanted wasn't money or material things.
'I'll think about it later.'
As Bu Eun-seol, his mind in turmoil, gathered his internal energy to kick off the ground—
—Ack!
A faint scream brushed past his ears from somewhere.
It was so faint that no one but Bu Eun-seol, who had trained in the Way of the Beast, could have detected it.
'Roughly a thousand feet away—a woman's stifled, abrupt scream.'
Bu Eun-seol's gaze turned toward the depths of the distant forest.
A woman's scream echoing through the remote mountains, where even human presence was scarce.
He didn't need to see it to know exactly what was happening.
'A woman's been abducted.'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes darkened.
—This isn't your duty!
The solemn, shadowed gaze of Bu Jan-yang from the past surfaced in his mind—back when they had examined corpses together.
Among all the bodies they had prepared for burial, the most gruesome were always those of women who had been violated.
The traces of brutal violence.
Because of those vile acts committed for pleasure, the marks of agony and torment remained vividly across their entire bodies.
Even Bu Jan-yang, who had embalmed countless mutilated corpses alongside Bu Eun-seol, forbade him from looking at the bodies of violated women.
Pahng!
Bu Eun-seol, who had been cutting through mid-air, instantly changed direction and plunged into the forest where the scream had originated.
Kwa-oooh!
In a single breath, he surged upward into the air, releasing a thunderous Sound of Breaking Air.
By making such a loud noise, he could at least delay the evil act from unfolding any further.
Pahat!
The moment he burst into the depths of the forest, he spotted a small pond—and in front of it, a repulsive-looking man tangled with a woman whose clothes had been torn.
The scream from earlier must have erupted from the woman's mouth, now pinned beneath the man.
"Who the hell are you?!"
The man, his eyes bloodshot, seemed to have only just noticed the Sound of Breaking Air Bu Eun-seol had unleashed. He hastily grabbed the clothes he had discarded.
"You bastard...!"
"You're filthy. Cover yourself first."
Bu Eun-seol, who had descended from the sky like a divine being, flashed a cold, murderous intent in his eyes unlike anything seen before.
If a gaze could kill, the man's neck would have already been severed by Bu Eun-seol's stare alone.
"Unless you want to die naked."
The man hurriedly pulled on his clothes, then drew a sharp blade from his waistband.
"Mind your own damn business and get lost!"
Immediately, he unleashed a vicious Killing Move toward Bu Eun-seol.
Shwaaaak!
Five strands of razor-sharp sword qi poured forth like a net, mercilessly enveloping Bu Eun-seol's body.
The man's saber technique wasn't just sharp—it was ferocious, clearly surpassing even the Peak Realm.
"The Blood Slaughter Blade Art of the Black Robe Sect."
Bu Eun-seol instantly recognized the technique the repulsive man had unleashed—the supreme saber art of the Black Robe Sect, the Blood Slaughter Blade Art.
"If you're a wicked fiend of the Unorthodox Path, there's nothing more to say."
Oooong...
A faint light flickered around Bu Eun-seol's left fist as he watched the incoming saber strikes.
Kung.
A tremor shook the entire forest.
At the same time, the spiderweb-like saber qi vanished in an instant—
And so did the repulsive man who had been unleashing it.
Pududuk.
Birds scattered from a tree over three hundred feet away, and leaves rained down in a flurry.
Bu Eun-seol had used the Fist Demon Initial Manifestation to blast the man's body over three hundred feet away, where it exploded.
Tok. Tok.
Around the great tree, crimson fragments and bodily fluids splattered in all directions.
The man's body, struck by the Fist Demon Initial Manifestation, had burst apart as though detonated, scattering everywhere.
Shudder.
The woman who had been staring at Bu Eun-seol trembled violently, clutching her torn clothes.
Perhaps from using his Internal Power in a state of fury, a blood-red Extreme Counter-Blood Radiance had pooled in Bu Eun-seol's pupils.
Even across his entire body, crimson points of light were blooming.
To the eyes of an ordinary civilian, his appearance was no longer human—it was akin to a Death God descending upon the mortal world.
"Ah... Aaah..."
As if struck by immense shock, the woman's eyes brimmed with terror, her lips tinged blue.
"Do not worry."
Bu Eun-seol, attempting to reassure her, slowly removed the long robe draped over his body.
He meant to cover her exposed skin, torn as her garments were.
But in that very moment—
Time seemed to freeze. Heaven and earth fell silent.
Simultaneously, Bu Eun-seol's mind accelerated dozens of times over, his razor-sharp Extrasensory Perception splitting the infinitesimal instant between moments, cleaving it again and again.
Fwip!
From somewhere, a small object hurtled toward him at a ferocious speed.
As if unbound by the constraints of time and space, the projectile moved at hypervelocity—its target: the space between Bu Eun-seol's brows.
Swish!
Bu Eun-seol twisted his body swiftly—
BOOM!
An explosive sound erupted as the massive boulder behind him shattered with a deafening blast.
"Hoh! To dodge that."
A voice aged and hoarse echoed in all directions before a small shadow slowly descended to the ground.
It was an elderly man in white robes, his features sharp—deep-set eyes, a prominent nose bridge, and an austere countenance.
Though his body was gaunt and wrinkled, his face bore traces of what must have been considerable handsomeness in his youth.
"Hmm."
The old man exhaled deeply, his gaze sweeping up and down Bu Eun-seol's striking features.
"With looks like yours, you could have any woman you desire. What could possibly drive you to commit such depravity?"
Bu Eun-seol frowned.
Now it was clear—this old man had mistaken him for the one attempting to assault the woman.
"It was not me."
"Hohoho. Not you, you say? Then who else could it have been?"
Without bothering to assess the situation, the old man rashly pinned the crime on Bu Eun-seol.
"..."
Bu Eun-seol's brow furrowed further.
Pointing out the shattered remains of the man now scattered three hundred feet away wasn't even worth the effort.
"Are you blind?"
It was a remark criticizing the old man's failure to calmly grasp the circumstances.
But the white-robed elder misinterpreted it—believing Bu Eun-seol had mocked him in the way martial artists often did:
"You have eyes, yet fail to recognize a man when you see one."
His expression darkened instantly.
"Judging by your martial arts and appearance, you're no ordinary fool..."
Then, with solemn gravity, he declared:
"Even if you were nobility—prince or minister—it matters not. A crime demands punishment!"
From the old man's body, an intense haze of Killing Intent seethed upward.
At this point, even the most arrogant figure would have explained the misunderstanding.
But Bu Eun-seol held an extreme contempt for those who oppressed others with martial might or wielded power tyrannically.
Even knowing the old man's momentum could swallow heaven and earth whole, he sneered.
"Now I see—blind and deaf."
"Insolent brat. Do you know who stands before you?"
"I care not."
"Kuhahaha!"
The old man threw his head back in uproarious laughter, then slowly raised a bony finger to point at Bu Eun-seol.
"You've got nerve, I'll give you that."
At the same time, an indescribably powerful Energy began gathering at the tip of that finger.
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened slightly as he watched.
Only now could he guess the old man's true identity.
"The Bullet King..."
The Bullet King—Bukgung Ryeong.
One of the Four Gods and Seven Kings, a master who wielded the Inner Energy Bullet Art with terrifying proficiency, backed by immense Internal Power.
It was said he could imbue a single leaf with the force of a cannonball—
That with but a thought, he could reduce an iron house to rubble in a single strike.
A Peerless Grandmaster of the Extreme Heaven Realm, and now—
A Superlative Martial Expert of the Righteous Path stood before him.
"Indeed. This old man is Bukgung Ryeong."
As Bu Eun-seol recognized him, the white-robed elder—Bukgung Ryeong—curled his lips upward.
"When you arrive in the Underworld, tell the King of Hell exactly who sent you."
Bukgung Ryeong drew a short breath—
And a single pebble at his feet floated into the air.
Then, with a light flick of his finger, charged with concentrated force—
KWAOOOOM!
A streak of Lightning Flame pierced through Bu Eun-seol—
Or so it seemed.
Fzzzt.
Bu Eun-seol's body, having executed the Ultimate Speed Shadowless, became a faint shadow as he shifted leftward.
Swish!
The stone grazed his cheek—
KWAANG!
—before smashing into the massive boulder behind him with another thunderous explosion.
Rumble...
The boulder's surface split apart, the very ground shaking as if struck by an earthquake.
'So this is his power.'
Bu Eun-seol couldn't conceal his astonishment this time either.
A single small pebble had struck a towering boulder hundreds of feet high, shaking the mountains and rivers?
As the reputation suggests.
The title of Bullet King was not passed down in vain.
"Hah, and you dodged that too?"
Bukgung Ryeong, too, failed to hide his surprise when Bu Eun-seol evaded his strike.
Because in the movement Bu Eun-seol had displayed, he sensed something that faintly surpassed the Transcendent Realm.
"Hmph. For a lecher, you've trained your martial arts diligently."
Only then did Bukgung Ryeong click his tongue, realizing this man's martial prowess was no ordinary level.
"What a shame. With that face and such outstanding martial skills... to become a vile lecher committing evil deeds."
Each time he called Bu Eun-seol a lecher, Bu Eun-seol's gaze grew sharper.
"You're no nameless junior. What is your name?"
Bu Eun-seol was in a situation where he absolutely could not reveal his identity.
Because Bukgung Ryeong was none other than the Beggar King Gu Hong-cheong's closest, most inseparable friend.
But he knew no fear, nor was he the kind of man to grovel for his life by hiding his identity.
"Langya Pavilion disciple, Bu Eun-seol."
"Langya Pavilion... Bu Eun-seol?"
Bukgung Ryeong rolled his eyes for a long moment before they abruptly widened.
"Was it you—that brat who recently struck down Gu Hong-cheong, that old fool?"
"It was."
KWA-RU-RU-RUNG!
In that instant, a storm of True Qi erupted from Bukgung Ryeong's body.
"So, it is you!"
Killing intent surged in Bukgung Ryeong's eyes.
Before him stood the spawn of the Demon Path who had harmed his sworn friend of decades.
Moreover, having only recently returned to the murim after a long absence, he hadn't heard the recent rumors.
Thus, he still believed Bu Eun-seol had assassinated the Beggar King through underhanded means.
"You're prepared, I trust?"
"Let's postpone the fight."
"Don't make me laugh. You won't escape."
"Truly, you're a perverse villain."
"What? A villain?"
"Or do you have some twisted pleasure in seeing others tremble in fear?"
Bu Eun-seol snapped irritably before draping his outer robe over the shivering woman beside him.
"Because of your incessant provocations, she's been trembling in terror this whole time."
At that moment, Bukgung Ryeong's eyes wavered.
Not only was Bu Eun-seol's gaze filled with righteous energy, but the woman's eyes held no hostility or fear toward him.
Ah. I've made a mistake.
Only then did he realize Bu Eun-seol hadn't been attempting to assault the woman—he had been helping her.
But that was separate from the matter concerning Gu Hong-cheong.
No matter what, he could never let live a Demon Path spawn who had cowardly ambushed his dearest friend.
"Hmph, even if you're not a lecher, it changes nothing. I've already resolved to kill you."
"As you wish."
Bu Eun-seol gestured to the still-shivering woman.
"Take her to the nearest village first."
"Playing the sympathy card now? Why should I do that?"
"The murim is full of those blind and deaf to the truth."
Bu Eun-seol smiled coldly.
"If I carry her to the village myself, won't I just be attacked again by fools like you—blind and deaf to reason?"
Bukgung Ryeong's face flushed red.
Bu Eun-seol was mocking him for his rashness, for failing to calmly assess the situation.
"Fine. I'll be back in a single step. Don't you dare run."
Holding the woman in his arms, Bukgung Ryeong wore a confident expression.
"Even if you do, it's pointless. You'll never evade my pursuit."
PA-PANG!
With that, he shot forward at an incredible speed, the woman still in his grasp.
"Haa..."
Once Bukgung Ryeong had left, Bu Eun-seol exhaled deeply and wiped his sweat.
Though he had maintained a composed expression, he had been severely tense.
Bukgung Ryeong was a master on an entirely different level from Gu Hong-cheong, the so-called Beggar King.
He had long since reached the Extreme Heaven Realm, and his strength ranked among the upper echelons of the Four Gods and Seven Kings.
If they fought now—utter defeat was certain.
There was no room for luck.
"Bullet King, huh..."
Yet Bu Eun-seol's gaze remained unshaken.
He had never fought a battle with guaranteed victory. Every time, he had carved a path through death itself.
Even if he had to wage a bloody battle against the Bullet King, he believed—there would always be a way.
CRACK.
Just then, a faint crumbling sound came from behind him.
Turning his head, he saw black fissures spreading across the massive boulder like spiderwebs.
Having endured two impacts from Bukgung Ryeong's pebble, the boulder's surface was fracturing, cracks forming.
THUD. CRUMBLE.
Finally, fragments of the boulder cascaded down like a waterfall, kicking up clouds of dust in all directions.
THUD.
As the dust settled, a faint light became visible near the boulder.
Sensing something unusual, Bu Eun-seol approached the shattered rock.
"This—"
Inside the collapsed boulder, a smooth iron door was revealed.
BOOM!
When Bu Eun-seol struck the boulder once more, the surface fully crumbled away, exposing the door within.
Martial Emperor.
Only two characters were engraved upon the iron door:
Martial Emperor.