Chapter 257
Gwak Seong doubted his ears for a moment.
"What did you say?"
"I said I refuse."
Gwak Seong's jaw dropped in disbelief.
"Are you seriously willing to make an enemy of our pavilion over a dying traitor?"
Then, a hollow smile crept onto his lips.
"You should weigh your options carefully. Don't make a decision you'll regret."
In that instant, a glint of contempt flashed in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"Was the position of Heir of the Demon Hall meant to be one where you sell others out for profit?"
"So what? Are you saying you'll fight our Blood Lord now?"
"If you wish."
"Hahahaha!"
Gwak Seong pressed a hand to his forehead and laughed, utterly dumbfounded.
"They call you the Mad Sword, but it seems you've truly lost your mind."
The two hundred assassins he had brought were not just any killers—they were the Ultimate Assassin Pavilion's finest elite soldiers, capable of wiping out not only the Twelve Branches but any martial sect in a single sweep.
Even if one of the Four Gods and Seven Kings had come instead of Bu Eun-seol, victory would have been impossible.
"You're dreaming a futile dream."
At that moment, Seok U-haeng, who had been staggering against the waterway wall, smiled faintly.
"I won't die by anyone's hand."
Unnoticed, a thin, faint silver thread had appeared in his grip.
And that thread stretched across the walls and floor of the waterway.
"We're all going together..."
"How childish, Seok U-haeng. Are you putting on a bluff?"
Gwak Seong, who had been watching Seok U-haeng, sneered instead.
"To collapse an entire waterway of this scale, you'd need an enormous amount of gunpowder. Even if the Twelve Branches have connections with the Government Office, that's impossible."
"Heh heh heh... Hahahaha!"
Seok U-haeng pointed at Gwak Seong and burst into raucous laughter, as if thoroughly amused.
Tap.
His laughter ceased abruptly, and he muttered softly while staring into the empty air.
"From the start, becoming the supreme leader of the Twelve Branches in such a short time was impossible. Don't you agree?"
In that instant, Gwak Seong's eyes widened.
Now that he thought about it, it was strange.
No matter how exceptional Seok U-haeng was as one of the Ten Demonic Heirs, swallowing an entire faction like the Twelve Branches alone in such a short time was unthinkable.
Which meant another force had intervened—and the likelihood that this entire waterway had been turned into a massive trap was not zero.
"W-Wait!"
Only then did Gwak Seong realize explosives had been planted in the waterway, and he stretched out a hand in panic.
"Seok U-haeng. Regardless of anything, aren't you still a disciple of our pavilion?"
A forced smile spread across his face as he slowly approached.
"First, since you're not in good condition, let's get you treated before we talk."
Gwak Seong's expression was desperate.
He had brought all his elite assassins to wipe out the Twelve Branches.
If this underground waterway collapsed now...
The Ultimate Assassin Pavilion's elite forces would vanish in an instant.
"It's already too late."
Tug.
Without hesitation, Seok U-haeng pulled the silver thread.
Rumble—
The ground began to shake, and the entire underground waterway started collapsing.
"Retreat!"
Gwak Seong let out a scream-like shout and dashed toward the opposite side.
But no matter how fast he moved with his movement technique, escaping a collapsing waterway was uncertain at best.
"Aaaargh!"
Soon, the assassins who had tried to flee toward the exit were crushed beneath falling rocks, their agonized screams filling the air.
Seok U-haeng had truly prepared enough explosives to bring down this massive underground waterway.
CRASH!
At that moment, a boulder the size of a house began falling toward Seok U-haeng's head.
Yet he made no move to dodge, his empty gaze fixed on the void.
Whoosh—
But then, Bu Eun-seol moved like lightning, unleashing his movement technique.
BOOM!
At the same time, he intercepted the boulder plummeting toward Seok U-haeng.
"...?"
For an instant, Bu Eun-seol's expression twisted strangely.
The moment the massive boulder—weighing tens of thousands of pounds—touched his hand, it stopped midair as if frozen in place.
"I knew you'd do that."
Seok U-haeng watched him and smiled faintly.
"You're only cold on the outside."
Bu Eun-seol's brow twitched.
Only then did he realize—the spot where Seok U-haeng stood was the only safe zone.
"You did the same at Longsword Mountain Manor. Acted like you didn't care at all, but in reality, you drew attention so Myo Cheon-u and I could escape."
Seok U-haeng's lips curled into a smile, as if recalling Bu Eun-seol's actions at the manor.
"Even went so far as to risk your life facing the Great Righteous Experts back-to-back..."
"Seok U-haeng."
When Bu Eun-seol called his name in a low voice, Seok U-haeng sighed deeply.
"You want to know... where I got Wicked Incense's hidden weapon, don't you?"
His dim eyes studied Bu Eun-seol before he shook his head.
"Sorry. I don't know either."
"What?"
"I only knew that they were aware you were tracking Wicked Incense's trail."
"They?"
"Yes. They said... if they sent Wicked Incense's hidden weapon, you would definitely come here."
Seok U-haeng smiled faintly.
"They arranged for this entire place to collapse. But I secretly prepared a safe zone without their knowledge."
It was a consideration to ensure Bu Eun-seol wouldn't die meaninglessly.
He had only ever wanted to win against him just once. He didn't hate him.
Bu Eun-seol, who had been listening silently, asked again.
"Who exactly are they?"
"I don't know. I investigated them secretly many times... but I couldn't uncover their identity. Yet, they knew a great deal about me."
Seok U-haeng shook his head.
"They promised me they'd give me the means to defeat you. That's how they helped me seize control of the Twelve Branches and even gave me the Heavenly Evil Demon Art."
Bu Eun-seol clenched his fist.
If they had exploited Seok U-haeng's competitive drive against him... then they must have been meticulously gathering intelligence on the Ten Demonic Heirs for a long time.
Not only that—they knew he was pursuing Wicked Incense, and they used Wicked Incense's hidden weapons as bait to lure him here.
They either possessed an intelligence network surpassing even the combined forces of the Orthodox and Unorthodox Martial World... or they were a faction powerful enough to manipulate Wicked Incense itself.
'Still out of reach, then.'
Just as Bu Eun-seol bit his lip in anger, Seok U-haeng smiled faintly.
"But there was one thing they didn't know."
"And what was that?"
"That you wouldn't kill me."
Even while fighting the Elite Assassins of the Ultimate Assassin Pavilion, Bu Eun-seol had tried to protect him.
Recalling that moment, an indescribable surge of complicated emotions welled up in Seok U-haeng.
Truthfully, he had liked Bu Eun-seol from the beginning.
If only it hadn't been for his pride as a martial prodigy... and his ambition to reach the pinnacle of the Demonic Path...
Perhaps Seok U-haeng would have been the first to extend his hand to Bu Eun-seol.
"Didn't you hate me?"
"Ever since Hell Island, I've been relentlessly trying to kill you..."
Gurgle—
Suddenly, Seok U-haeng coughed up dark red blood.
From the moment he activated the mechanism, he had been channeling his internal energy to sever his own heart meridian.
Yet, the vicious Heavenly Evil Demon Art—a heterodox technique—had clung to the last thread of his life force, barely sustaining him.
"Seok U-haeng."
"I have no regrets..."
The light in Seok U-haeng's eyes faded as he gazed at Bu Eun-seol.
"It's just... I regret not dying by your hand..."
And then, he quietly breathed his last.
Rumble—
At that moment, the tremors ceased, and the collapse of the underground waterway stopped.
No more screams could be heard.
The Ultimate Assassin Pavilion had mobilized all its elite assassins to wipe out the Twelve Branches—
And now, thanks to the traps set in the waterways, those elites had all perished in an instant.
It would take the Ultimate Assassin Pavilion a considerable amount of time to recover from this blow.
"Seok U-haeng."
Bu Eun-seol gently closed Seok U-haeng's wide-open eyes and spoke in a low voice.
"I never hated you, not even once. In fact... I always felt a sense of kinship with you."
Bu Eun-seol, who had fought a long and solitary battle, had always regarded the other Ten Demonic Heirs—those who shared his fate—as... kindred spirits.
"As if we had been close friends... from the very beginning."
Seok U-haeng, slumped against the stone wall with his breath stilled, gave no reply.
But as Bu Eun-seol spoke, the faintest trace of a smile seemed to linger on his lips.
Death Shadow Pavilion - Bu Eun-seol's Office
Outwardly, he maintained his usual routine, as if nothing had happened.
Though he had been present at the massacre that shook the Martial World—the annihilation of the Ultimate Assassin Pavilion's elite assassins—no one knew of his involvement.
After erasing his tracks using the Fleeting Moment Boat's intelligence network, even the Demon Hall seemed unable to trace his movements easily.
Thanks to that, despite being at the center of an earth-shattering incident, no one knew Bu Eun-seol had been there.
Pause.
Bu Eun-seol's hand, which had been writing an official letter, suddenly stilled.
The events of that day resurfaced in his mind unbidden.
The mysterious faction that had manipulated and used Seok U-haeng.
They were undoubtedly connected to Wicked Incense, the very target he had been pursuing.
Crack.
His grip tightened around the brush, and the shaft shattered into dust.
Though he appeared to be living a peaceful life, a raging fire burned fiercely within his chest.
"I will track them down..."
A bloody light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
Those who dared to weave threads into others' fates and pull them like puppets—he had resolved to cut them all down.
Knock, knock, knock.
At that moment, a series of knocks sounded at the door, followed by a low, indifferent voice.
"Great Lord, it is Wi Cheon-gyeong."
"Enter."
The door opened, revealing the tall figure of Wi Cheon-gyeong, his bangs slightly covering his forehead as he respectfully clasped his hands.
"A letter from the Fleeting Moment Boat'sInformation Warfare Unit, addressed to the Great Lord."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed as he examined the contents of the envelope.
The letter succinctly stated that the ones who had burned down Seong Family Ironworks... were from the Government Office.
"Great Lord. Has something happened?"
Wi Cheon-gyeong cautiously inquired, observing Bu Eun-seol's grave expression.
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol handed him the letter.
Then he asked:
"What do you think?"
Wi Cheon-gyeong was not only as experienced in the Martial World as Bu Eun-seol but also possessed a calm temperament and sharp insight.
After carefully reading the letter, Wi Cheon-gyeong spoke cautiously.
"Consumption Sickness broke out... and the Government Office burned down an entire village, you say?"
Having grasped the situation, he nodded slowly.
"Of course, it's not entirely unheard of to burn the bodies when a plague causes mass deaths..."
"Consumption sickness is treated as a plague."
"However, those infected with plague are expected to avoid contact with others first."
"It's not standard practice to immediately burn the dead just because some have perished from it."
"The government offices teeming with rice-brained bureaucrats wouldn't proceed so swiftly without reason."
Wi Cheon-gyeong shook his head.
"If the letter's contents are true, it appears some faction has colluded with the government offices."
Bu Eun-seol nodded in agreement.
"That aligns with my thoughts."
Indeed, using vicious poison to simulate a plague outbreak in that region was hardly a novel scheme.
The puzzling aspect was why this faction had gone to the trouble of mobilizing the 'government offices.'
Whether orthodox or unorthodox factions, none would involve government offices simply to burn a village.
'Does that mean the government offices themselves orchestrated this?'
It wasn't an entirely baseless deduction.
From the perspective of martial artists, government officials were mere leeches—
Those who, under the pretense of "bearing Heaven's virtue," eagerly sucked the lifeblood from the common people.
Moreover, hadn't there been numerous attempts throughout history where the imperial court established secret organizations to manipulate the martial world?
"Understood. I'll take my leave now."
Wi Cheon-gyeong bowed his head and departed.
Several days later.
An abrupt rumor spread through the Demon Hall.
Sindo Un-hwi of the Extinction Palace, who had been handling successor candidate missions, had stepped down from his position.
—"I hereby renounce my candidacy for successor."
Bu Eun-seol and Do Cheon-rin had long since completed their assignment slip missions.
Moreover, the prominent candidate Wi Ji-hye-sang had withdrawn, while Yong Jeok-bi had met his end at Seok U-haeng's hands.
Under these circumstances, even if Sindo Un-hwi miraculously rebuilt his neglected sect, his chances of becoming successor were nonexistent.
—"In the end, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor will have no choice but to intervene."
Traditionally, the Demon Hall's successor required majority support from the Demonic Path Ten Gates, coupled with supreme martial prowess and qualifications.
Yet the majority's support leaned toward Do Cheon-rin.
The undisputed martial supremacy belonged to Bu Eun-seol.
Thus, the Demon Hall remained deadlocked in selecting a successor, prolonging the decision beyond expectations...
Ultimately, only the Demonic Heavenly Emperor could resolve this impasse.
—"I shall issue a mission to determine this palace's successor."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor finally decreed.
—"Under the Blood Mist Corps' command, annihilate the Black Alliance. Between the two, the one who achieves greater merit shall inherit the successor position."
When this decree spread, the Demon Hall's inner circles reacted with mild bewilderment.
—"The Black Alliance? So suddenly?"
Originally, the Black Alliance had been a minor coalition of bandit groups based in a remote corner of Qinghai Province.
But over a decade, they rapidly expanded, absorbing bandits and pirates throughout Qinghai.
They even taught martial arts to their lowliest foot soldiers and established connections with intelligence networks.
The once-disorganized bandit groups gradually developed the structure of a proper faction.
Now, they stood as a formidable force dominating Qinghai Province.
The Demon Hall officials' confusion stemmed from one simple fact:
However large the Black Alliance grew, their influence as a martial faction remained negligible.
Granted, given their growth trajectory, establishing martial prestige was only a matter of time.
But to determine the successor through a large-scale military campaign requiring urgent troop deployment?
From that day onward, a covert rumor circulated among the Demon Hall's high command:
—"They say it's the Bloodflame Blade Family's scheme."
Unable to match Bu Eun-seol's martial supremacy, Do Cheon-rin allegedly conspired with the Ten Gates' leaders who supported him to orchestrate this.
As if confirming the rumor, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor issued only the deployment order.
Afterward, he neither convened meetings nor even mentioned the matter again.
—"This won't be an easy battle."
The Blood Mist Corps was a small combat unit within the Demon Hall, numbering three thousand. The Black Alliance's forces totaled thirty thousand.
Although they taught martial arts, their foot soldiers barely surpassed third-rate proficiency.
Thus, the Blood Mist Corps—composed of formally trained martial artists—and the Black Alliance's forces were roughly matched in actual combat capability.
—"Execute immediately upon the Blood Mist Corps Leader's return."
Corps Leader Jwa Dae-baek was returning from Beyond the Pass, his arrival expected in approximately a month.
Thus, one month later, Bu Eun-seol and Do Cheon-rin—the two successor candidates—would join the Blood Mist Corps to annihilate the Black Alliance and determine the successor.
Thud. Thud.
Under the scorching sunlight, a middle-aged man approached the Demon Hall's entrance.
His robust physique carried an amiable smile.
The treasured sword at his waist emitted an unusual five-colored gleam.
"How may I assist you?"
At gatekeeper Mo Gwang's inquiry, the middle-aged man grinned, revealing white teeth.
"I've come to see Langya Pavilion's Ten Demonic Heir, young hero Bu."
"Langya Pavilion's Ten Demonic Heir...?"
Mo Gwang blinked, then made a small sound of realization.
"You mean Death Shadow Squad Leader Bu Eun-seol, Commander Bu?"
"Indeed."
"Was an appointment arranged?"
"Not exactly."
Beside Mo Gwang, Jang Sam subtly signaled caution.
Demon Hall commanders weren't figures one could casually request to see.
Moreover, Death Shadow Squad Leader Bu Eun-seol was both a successor candidate and a first-rate commander—a high-ranking official.
Even if a general-level figure from the Ten Gates sought an audience, they couldn't recklessly grant entry.
"Worry not."
Reading their hesitation, the middle-aged man leisurely lifted a brush from the desk.
"Simply deliver my visitor's log. That will suffice."
Swish. Swish.
Without hesitation, he inscribed his name in the log.
—Thousand Swords Society, Yu Hwaryeong.