Chapter 239
At that moment, a single realization flashed through Bukgung Ryeong's mind.
'Surely... that place can't also be accessible to only one person?'
From the beginning, this was a place only a chosen individual could enter alone.
But what if two people stepped into that Secret Vault again?
The maddening thought struck him—wouldn't the traps inside activate once more?
"Ugh—!"
Bukgung Ryeong's heart raced.
With a powerful shout, he poured all his strength into sprinting forward.
Fortunately, Bu Eun-seol had burned away the poisonous mist blocking the path to the entrance with his bizarre sword techniques, leaving the way ahead clear.
Hahp!
Finally evading every obstacle, Bukgung Ryeong reached the entrance first and hastily threw open the door, stepping inside.
"Hurry!" he shouted.
But Bu Eun-seol, who had unleashed Returning God Destroying Earth only to be trapped again within the poisonous mist, gave no reply.
"Dead, then."
No movement could be sensed through the toxic mist.
Most likely, the moment Bu Eun-seol had been engulfed, he had expended his last reserves of spiritual energy to unleash Searing Yang Qi as Sword Qi.
"At least I should retrieve the corpse..."
Just as Bukgung Ryeong turned to rush back outside, his body froze.
Sssssssssss—
Through the open iron gate, a vicious wave of toxic mist came pouring in.
The toxic mist filling the Grand Hall was being sucked toward the open gate like a vortex. If this continued, even the inner chamber would soon be submerged. Bukgung Ryeong had no choice but to shut the gate.
Krrrrr—
"Hah... hah..."
After sealing the gate, he gasped for breath.
Then, with a tense expression, he surveyed his surroundings.
Truthfully, he had little interest in the Martial Emperor's Secret Manual.
It was the traps installed here...
Even Bukgung Ryeong, hailed as the Bullet King and revered across the Martial World, could not easily bypass them.
Having spent an entire day without even a sip of water while navigating the deadly mechanisms, his body and mind were utterly exhausted.
"Since I entered alone... they didn't activate."
Letting out a sigh of relief, he suddenly recalled Bu Eun-seol's face and exhaled heavily.
"Well... better this than dying by my hand. At least it'll be less painful."
After all, the moment he left this place, Bukgung Ryeong would have to kill Bu Eun-seol.
In his position, leaving the man entombed within the collapsing Grand Hall was the more merciful choice.
"A pity, though."
Not only was his appearance exceptional, but his martial prowess, wisdom, composure, and quick-wittedness...
Bu Eun-seol was a flawless prodigy, lacking in nothing.
"If only he hadn't killed that old man with such underhanded methods... I would've staked my life to save him."
He knew nothing of Bu Eun-seol's terrifying depth of Internal Energy or the Willful True Binding.
Moreover, having heard none of the recent rumors circulating the Rivers and Lakes, he still believed Bu Eun-seol had slain the Beggar King through dirty means.
"...!"
But something was wrong.
With every step he took, he felt as though he were sinking.
Sensing something amiss, he tried to activate his Lightness Skill—only to find his legs rooted to the ground as if nailed in place.
"What is this?"
Sssssss—
Upon closer inspection, the floor was made of golden sand, continuously flowing downward like water.
Quicksand. Before he knew it, the solid ground had transformed into a shifting, liquid-like expanse.
"Tch."
Bukgung Ryeong attempted to leap free in one motion.
But the suction force of the quicksand defied all expectations.
"Damn."
Under normal circumstances, no amount of pressure could have stopped him from soaring upward in an instant.
But now, his dantian was on the verge of tearing apart from exhaustion. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't wrench himself free.
"At this flow rate... it shouldn't be a problem."
Regaining his Calm, Bukgung Ryeong assessed the quicksand.
Fortunately, the sinking speed wasn't too severe. If he circulated his true qi lightly once, escaping shouldn't be difficult.
Piiing!
But then, something astonishing happened.
With a sharp Sound of Breaking Air, Steel Threads erupted from the quicksand, tightly coiling around both his legs.
"What—?!"
Startled, Bukgung Ryeong channeled his strength—but his legs, bound by the Steel Threads, refused to budge.
"Hahaha..."
Realizing something, he let out a sigh.
"This old man... lacks sharpness."
He had always destroyed everything with a single finger.
Because of that, he never needed to be faster than others. He didn't need agility to seize the Advantage.
But the traps here tolerated not a single moment of carelessness.
And now, his deeply rooted arrogance had ensnared him once more.
Shiiing!
At that moment, a metallic screech echoed as a pitch-black sword shot out from the gap in the iron gate.
Shriiiik!
Flames sparked as the blade carved through the gate's seam, splitting it vertically. The door swung open, revealing a tall, imposing shadow—Bu Eun-seol.
"How—?"
Bukgung Ryeong couldn't hide his shock.
Clearly, Bu Eun-seol had been trapped in poison fog, frozen in place.
Yet how had he managed to enter here completely unharmed?
Thud. Thud.
Slowly walking forward, Bu Eun-seol gazed coldly down at Bukgung Ryeong, whose legs were bound by the Steel Threads as he sank into the quicksand.
"Your legs are tied up below."
Holding the Ink Sword, Bu Eun-seol seemed to peer straight through the quicksand, instantly grasping Bukgung Ryeong's predicament.
"Wait a moment!"
Bukgung Ryeong let out a near-scream.
If Bu Eun-seol were to draw his sword right now—
He wouldn't even have a chance to resist before being cut down in a single stroke, reduced to a Wandering Spirit.
"You mean to kill me, then."
"..."
Bu Eun-seol gave no reply. For a long moment, he simply stared blankly at Bukgung Ryeong before—
Whoosh!
—unleashing his Lightness Skill, leaping over the quicksand in an instant.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he continued walking forward.
"Why aren't you attacking?"
Bukgung Ryeong couldn't comprehend this behavior at all.
"In this state, you could easily take my head, couldn't you?"
If he drew his sword now, not only would he no longer be threatened, but he would also gain the immense honor of having slain two of the Four Gods and Seven Kings.
Why would he kick away such staggering fame—something any martial artist would dream of?
Thud. Thud.
Without answering, Bu Eun-seol simply walked further inside.
"Do you think acting like this will make me spare you?"
Bukgung Ryeong raised his voice.
"Do you think I'll forgive you?"
"Who's forgiving whom?"
Bu Eun-seol's expression twisted with disdain.
"You killed Gu Hong-cheong, that old bastard, with some filthy trick, didn't you?"
"I'm well aware that most of the Righteous Faction's so-called 'personages' don't act their age. So shut your mouth."
"What did you say?! You really—!"
"Are you not only blind and deaf, but also incapable of meeting people properly?"
The words were utterly insulting, yet Bukgung Ryeong's expression shifted to one of bewilderment.
—Now I see. You're blind and deaf.
That was what Bu Eun-seol had said when he was mistaken for an assassin.
But now he added that Bukgung Ryeong hadn't even met people properly? Did that mean he had misunderstood him again?
'This brat...'
Looking back, from the very first meeting, he had been the type to strike without hesitation, even knowing Bukgung Ryeong's identity.
'He's definitely not the kind to pull dirty tricks.'
He had felt it all along as they navigated the traps together.
Though blunt and lacking in warmth, Bu Eun-seol was not the kind of man who would assassinate the Beggar King with underhanded methods.
"Fine, whatever! Why aren't you killing me?!"
As Bukgung Ryeong shouted in desperation, Bu Eun-seol let out a quiet sigh.
"You thought I was trapped in poison fog and tried to come back out to save me, didn't you?"
"What?"
"Blind, deaf, and ill-tempered—but at the very least, you know how to act like a human being. That's the only reason I'm not killing you."
Bukgung Ryeong's eyes widened.
So this young man hadn't just remained unharmed while trapped in poison fog—he had been watching Bukgung Ryeong's actions the entire time?
"Then why not help me?"
"Not killing you is the extent of my goodwill. Don't expect any further favors."
With that, he turned away indifferently.
Still half-buried in the quicksand, Bukgung Ryeong suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha!"
Squelch! Twang!
Amid the laughter, the sound of snapping Steel Threads rang out as he freed himself in an instant.
"You're a real odd one, aren't you?!"
Standing beside Bu Eun-seol now, Bukgung Ryeong stared at him with blazing eyes.
"Of course, you're not the type to kill someone with vile tricks."
In truth, he had been recovering his Internal Power while talking to Bu Eun-seol.
And if Bu Eun-seol had shown even the slightest hint of taking advantage of his predicament—
He would have instantly unleashed his Inner Energy Bullet Art and blown his head off.
But Bu Eun-seol was not a petty or underhanded man.
If anything, in his eighty years of life, he was the most stubbornly principled person Bukgung Ryeong had ever met.
Such a man would never resort to ambush.
"Now I finally see your true nature."
Bukgung Ryeong exhaled in admiration.
Warrior Spirit.
Though arrogant, this young Rising Talent of the Younger Generation from the Demonic Path was the very embodiment of a Warrior Spirit.
"Let me ask you one thing."
Finally, Bukgung Ryeong voiced the question weighing on his mind.
"I know you're not the kind to pull dirty tricks. But... no matter how I look at it, you shouldn't have had the strength to kill that old man."
He could tell Bu Eun-seol had just barely stepped into the Extreme Heaven Realm.
But at that level, there was no way he could have defeated Gu Hong-cheong.
"How did you beat him?"
As Bukgung Ryeong laid bare his thoughts, Bu Eun-seol let out a sigh and answered.
"He was far too consumed by ambition."
It was a brief reply.
Yet with those few words, Bukgung Ryeong understood exactly how Bu Eun-seol had dealt with Gu Hong-cheong.
"I see. So that's how it was."
No doubt, Bu Eun-seol had exploited Gu Hong-cheong's ambition, provoking him until that unshakable spirit and mind crumbled.
Moreover, given his great courage and exceptional wisdom, he must have also prepared a countermeasure capable of breaking through the Beggar King's Nine Flower Flash Hands.
"By this age, most men cast aside trivial desires like fame and profit."
Bukgung Ryeong sighed and muttered under his breath.
"Gu Hong-cheong—that old man never once abandoned his ambition to become the Sect Chief."
He knew Gu Hong-cheong better than anyone. That was why he couldn't suppress his pity.
"But that wasn't for his own glory. It was for the revival of the Beggars' Sect."
"That, too, was merely ambition."
"What did you say?"
After uttering those words, Bu Eun-seol stepped further inside.
Thud. Thud.
As if discerning there were no more traps, his footsteps were unhesitating.
"That, too, was ambition..."
Repeating Bu Eun-seol's words, Bukgung Ryeong wore a bitter smile.
He realized this wasn't spoken to mock Gu Hong-cheong—it was a statement born from deep experience and insight.
"Truly, there's no one quite like this old soul."
Chuckling, he quickened his pace to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with Bu Eun-seol.
With that, he made it clear he had let go of the hostility he once held toward him.
"So this is the Martial Emperor Secret Repository."
Passing through the door at the end of the passage, they were met with a vast space.
It resembled a book repository, densely packed with towering bookshelves.
On one side, a clear underground stream flowed beside a washing basin, and nearby stood a warehouse stacked with Fasting Pills.
Bu Eun-seol and Bukgung Ryeong drank their fill of the cool, refreshing water.
Most of the Fasting Pills had rotted beyond consumption, leaving barely any edible ones.
While rummaging through the warehouse, Bukgung Ryeong discovered glass jars filled with honey.
"These should still be good, right?"
Unlike other foods, honey could remain edible for centuries if stored properly.
The two selected jars in good condition and slowly savored the honey.
As the water and honey entered their bodies, their minds grew sharper, and vitality surged through their flesh.
Not only that—their scattered wounds healed in an instant, and a thread of heat began rising from their dantians.
"This... isn't ordinary honey."
Bukgung Ryeong examined a jar of the clear honey intently.
"It's undoubtedly the legendary Jade Phoenix Honey."
"If it's Jade Phoenix Honey..."
Bu Eun-seol recalled reading about the effects of spirit beasts in a book from the Kill-Seeking Unit's archives.
As the honey's properties came to mind, he tucked one well-preserved jar into his robes for later.
"Still, compared to this, the secret manuals here are disappointingly plain."
Bukgung Ryeong shook his head with a dissatisfied expression as he rifled through the bookshelves.
Though the shelves held secret manuals of the Righteous Faction's Superior Martial Arts, none stood out as extraordinary by his standards.
"Hmm."
Bu Eun-seol, too, let out a low hum while scanning the shelves.
Though he had stepped into the threshold of the Extreme Heaven Realm, he had already transcended techniques and forms.
In fact, he had little interest in orthodox martial arts to begin with.
"So it seems the rumors were true."
Bukgung Ryeong muttered as if recalling something.
"The Martial Emperor once said that even ordinary martial arts, if mastered perfectly, could unleash tremendous might."
The Martial Emperor had always faced formidable foes with ordinary martial arts, claiming the secret lay in "perfect mastery."
Seop Mu-heun, the Martial Emperor.
He was a prodigy capable of mastering any martial art in an instant.
No matter how difficult the technique, he could learn it with absurd ease—hence his use of the phrase "perfect mastery."
In fact, Seop Mu-heun could instantly transcribe any martial art he witnessed into a manual.
There was even a legendary tale of Go Tae-un, the Hainan Sect's leader, who demonstrated the Hainan Sword Technique and dared him to compose a manual on the spot.
Seop Mu-heun immediately wrote down the Hainan Sword Manual in a single breath.
So astonished was Go Tae-un that he apologized and burned the manual himself.
"Absurd. So he's saying we should master these manuals as perfectly as he did and become Martial Emperors ourselves...?"
Bukgung Ryeong shook his head with a baffled expression.
"His talent was so monstrous, he never learned how to teach others properly."
Just then, Bu Eun-seol pulled out a large tome from the far end of the shelves.
Martial Emperor Secret Record.
Its cover was immaculate, untouched by human hands, as if it had never been opened.
—How unjust! How infuriating!
The opening passages of the Martial Emperor Secret Record were filled with words of grievance and indignation.
—I strove to uproot the forces corrupting the murim, yet no matter how many I tore out, they never ceased... In the end, I was framed and pursued.
The book detailed the factions that had infiltrated the murim four hundred years ago.