Chapter 297
"There's no need to worry. Really."
Seo Jin-ha smiled calmly.
Bu Eun-seol, who had always been cold and indifferent, was now willing to throw away everything he had for his sake.
For a man, simply gaining one true friend is enough to make his heart swell with pride.
How much more so when that friendship comes from someone like Bu Eun-seol?
What more could he possibly ask for?
"The tendon near his heel was severed in a rather messy state."
Seeing Seo Jin-ha's resolute demeanor, Gyo Jung-hak, the Hall Leader of the Medicine King Hall, spoke with an apologetic expression.
"I did my best to reconnect it, but... the blood circulation in that area was never optimal to begin with. The prognosis isn't favorable."
"So there's no chance of recovery?"
"I can't say for certain. But..."
Gyo Jung-hak took a deep breath before continuing.
"If we continue treatment with high-quality medicine, there's still a possibility. Don't lose hope just yet."
"Right. Wounds like these heal with time. It'll return to normal eventually."
The more nonchalantly Seo Jin-ha spoke, the darker Bu Eun-seol's gaze grew.
"What about his Internal Power?"
"That... well, it's recovered somewhat. Thanks to the Spirit Pill you gave him."
Bu Eun-seol didn't believe him.
He immediately seized Seo Jin-ha's Pulse Gate.
"What are you—?"
Without answering, Bu Eun-seol channeled Reverse Polarity True Qi into him.
As Bu Eun-seol's True Qi surged into his body, Seo Jin-ha felt dizzy, as if blood were rising from his stomach.
But he gritted his teeth and forced himself to endure the pain, trying to accept the invasive energy.
Yet the remaining Internal Power was only about ten or twenty percent of his usual capacity.
Moreover, the True Qi Bu Eun-seol had injected vanished without a trace, like a stone dropped into the depths of the sea.
"His Internal Power has drastically diminished."
Gyo Jung-hak spoke with a bitter expression.
"I've been examining his pulse continuously, but most of his Internal Power has already dissipated. Still, he insists he's fully recovered... So I decided to wait and see."
Noticing Seo Jin-ha's face turning pale, Gyo Jung-hak adopted a grave expression.
"This happened because his Dantian was recklessly torn apart. The Azure Spirit Stone Fluid and the Concealed Demon Spirit Pill healed his wounds, but... a significant portion of his Internal Power was already lost."
After a low cough, he continued.
"Had it been just that, I might have been able to restore him somehow. But the Internal Energy method he cultivated is fundamentally rooted in Poison Art, making it impossible for me to intervene."
Seo Jin-ha had mastered the Hell Flame Burning Art, a technique that absorbed countless poisons and burned them to amplify his Internal Power.
It was the highest secret art of Hell Blood Citadel, allowing one to absorb poison without becoming a Poison Person.
However, its circulation method and the very nature of its True Qi were completely different from ordinary martial arts, rendering conventional treatments useless.
A heavy silence settled over them.
As the oppressive air lingered, Seo Jin-ha forced an awkward smile.
"Well. It's not like I could've hidden this forever."
He deliberately maintained a bright expression.
If he showed pain, Bu Eun-seol would only suffer alongside him.
"I should've listened to you instead of acting recklessly. Now look at me."
Seo Jin-ha spoke playfully.
"Since I'm practically a cripple now, all that's left is retirement."
Though his body had recovered, the loss of most of his Internal Power meant he could no longer remain in the Celestial Slaughter Corps.
No—there was no place for him in the Demon Hall at all.
"I've already petitioned the Chief Doctrine Commander to transfer you to my Death Shadow War Unit."
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol spoke impassively.
"I've prepared quarters for you in the Hidden Demon Pavilion. Once you've recovered, come there."
Friendship sometimes brings a cruelty so wretched it borders on tragedy.
Because friends must stand as equals, gazing at one another from the same height. If one sacrifices and lowers themselves, the balance is lost, and the bond can never be comfortable.
"I don't need your pity."
Suppressing his emotions, Seo Jin-ha replied with feigned indifference.
"My path is mine to walk."
"Who said anything about pity?"
Bu Eun-seol's tone remained flat.
"Soon, your Internal Power will be fully restored."
"What? How?"
"Don't rush. There are ways."
Seo Jin-ha shook his head as if realizing something.
"I won't go to Hell Blood Citadel."
A disciple's Internal Energy shares the same origin as their master's.
The only one who could thoroughly examine and restore Seo Jin-ha's foundational Internal Energy was Gongya Geuk, the Poison Saint and lord of Hell Blood Citadel—the man who had taught him.
Seo Jin-ha assumed Bu Eun-seol intended to plead with Gongya Geuk to restore his power.
"I severed all ties with Hell Blood Citadel when I joined the Celestial Slaughter Corps."
"Did you really think I'd tell you to relearn Hell Blood Citadel's Internal Power?"
"That's not it?"
Bu Eun-seol exhaled through his nose before speaking indifferently.
"Stop overthinking it. Once you've recovered, pack your things and head to Langya Pavilion."
"Langya Pavilion?"
"If you want to restore your Internal Power, you'll need to loosen your stiffened joints and tendons first."
Bu Eun-seol's expression remained unreadable.
"Before I returned, I made arrangements with them. Even if your Internal Power recovers, it'll be useless if your body remains rigid."
Though Bu Eun-seol had gone through hell and back to save Seo Jin-ha's life, his condition was far too severe.
Anticipating the possibility that his Internal Power might never return, Bu Eun-seol had prepared a contingency plan.
"But Langya Pavilion...?"
The sect leaders of the Demonic Path Ten Gates each possessed extraordinary abilities.
Among them, Ak Mu-ryeong, the lord of Langya Pavilion and one of the Three Demons, was regarded as the strongest of the Three Demons and Three Honored Ones.
Even so, there was no way he could restore the Internal Power of someone who had cultivated Hell Blood Citadel's Poison Art.
"Bu Eun-seol..."
"You can look forward to it."
Bu Eun-seol met Seo Jin-ha's gaze with solemnity.
"I'll work you to death until you start missing your days in the Celestial Slaughter Corps."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away.
Clatter.
Seo Jin-ha stared blankly at Bu Eun-seol's retreating figure.
Gyo Jung-hak, the Hall Leader of the Medicine King Faction, was one of the top five physicians in the Murim world.
Yet even he had been helpless in this situation. Just what method could possibly restore his Internal Power?
Seo Jin-ha, who had been staring blankly at the door, finally spoke.
"Is there any way to restore my Internal Power besides going to Hell Blood Citadel?"
"Hmm... It might be possible if the Langya Pavilion possesses something like the Supreme Spirit Immortal Fruit or an elixir of comparable value."
Seo Jin-ha's expression turned incredulous.
The Supreme Spirit Immortal Fruit was a legendary elixir said to appear only once every thousand years.
Moreover, hadn't there already been fierce disputes among the higher-ups over the one recently obtained?
Even if the Langya Pavilion's fortunes had improved lately, it was only due to support from the Fleeting Moment Boat.
There was absolutely no way they would have such an elixir.
"Don't worry. The Martial Soul Lord isn't trying to obtain some miraculous panacea."
"...What?"
"When he first brought you here, he asked me something. Whether Internal Power could be restored after the dantian had been so thoroughly ravaged."
Gyo Jung-hak smiled faintly.
"I told him it was impossible without the Supreme Spirit Immortal Fruit. And you know what he did? He chuckled and said—"
—Good. That means I can discard it without regrets.
Seo Jin-ha tilted his head, mulling over those words.
"What does that mean?"
"How should I know? Even I can't fathom what goes on in that man's mind."
Gyo Jung-hak's lips curled into an enigmatic smile.
"But even I... find myself wanting to believe in him."
Had anyone else said such a thing, Seo Jin-ha would have dismissed it as a joke.
But Bu Eun-seol was a man who would uphold his word even if the heavens collapsed.
If he had made a promise, then it would be fulfilled.
Even Gyo Jung-hak believed that much.
"I suppose I'll have to impose on the Medicine King Faction for a while longer."
Seo Jin-ha wiped his nose and let out a deep breath before grinning.
"If I don't recover quickly and return to the Langya Pavilion, I have a feeling he'll come back just to nag me."
Under Bu Eun-seol's direction, a Supreme Military Command meeting was convened in the Hidden Demon Pavilion.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor was in seclusion, and the Chief Doctrine Commander had entrusted all matters regarding this incident to Bu Eun-seol.
—The Azure Spirit Stone Fluid was costly enough that I will make you work to repay its value.
This Supreme Military Command meeting was also the first order Yeop Hyo-cheon had given Bu Eun-seol.
—The Four Flames Alliance isn't the true mastermind either.
This was the conclusion the Celestial Slaughter Corps had reached after meticulous investigation under Bu Eun-seol's command.
How could a financially strained alliance of unorthodox factions possibly afford to rebuild Blood Death Valley?
It was because they had drawn funds from the Golden Accumulation Trading Company in Fujian.
Which meant there was another force behind the Golden Accumulation Trading Company.
—Martial Soul Lord ordered the annihilation of every last one who dared lay hands on this hall's Special-Grade unit.
Those who attacked the Demon Hall's heir and Celestial Slaughter Corps leader Seo Jin-ha.
To ensure their complete eradication, supreme command authority had been granted to Bu Eun-seol.
Normally, Supreme Military Command meetings were attended by hall masters, unit leaders, and First-Grade Commanders.
But Bu Eun-seol had excluded hall masters and unit leaders, summoning only ten First-Grade unit commanders.
—Since he only called us, it doesn't seem like he's planning anything major yet...?
The ten First-Grade Commanders gathered in the Hidden Demon Pavilion's meeting room exchanged puzzled glances.
Unconcerned, Bu Eun-seol asked for their opinions on the next steps following the Four Flames Alliance incident.
"It's troublesome that we can't immediately strike the Golden Accumulation Trading Company."
"Shouldn't we first gather proper intelligence through the Secret Shadow Pavilion before acting?"
"Alternatively, we could shake down the unorthodox factions connected to the Four Flames Alliance for answers."
But the discussions in the meeting room were nothing more than meaningless debates.
None of them cared even slightly about who had attacked Seo Jin-ha.
Some saw this as an opportunity to bolster their unit's prestige and earn merit.
Others simply wanted to delay mobilization, using the lack of a confirmed mastermind as an excuse.
"Listen."
Having heard all their arguments, Bu Eun-seol spoke in a low voice.
"From this moment, this lord will mobilize all forces to wipe out the Golden Accumulation Trading Company."
The commanders' eyes widened in shock.
"You intend to strike the Golden Accumulation Trading Company directly?"
"Correct."
At Bu Eun-seol's resolute answer, the hall masters paled.
—Has the lord lost his mind?
Even for the Demon Hall, deploying troops to attack a trading company without solid evidence or justification was unthinkable.
The Golden Accumulation Trading Company had ties not only to orthodox and unorthodox factions but also to government offices. Provoke them carelessly, and even the imperial army might intervene.
Moreover, large merchant guilds like this maintained considerable martial force of their own—annihilating them would require a massive deployment.
Such an operation demanded meticulous consideration of countless factors.
—Someone has to stop him.
The commanders exchanged uneasy glances, cold sweat dripping down their backs.
Even the thugs of the Black Syndicates weighed a target's status and connections before acting...
Yet here was Bu Eun-seol, declaring he would mobilize troops without hesitation and crush the trading company in one stroke?
"My lord, the Demon Hall must have proper justification to attack the Golden Accumulation Trading Company."
Finally, Seok Sa-myeong, commander of the Demon Soul Unit, spoke cautiously.
"Pursuing an overbearing path is admirable, but merchant guilds are different from martial factions. Without concrete evidence or justification, the backlash against our hall will be severe."
"Exactly. Wiping out a single merchant guild isn't the issue—but the moment we do, this hall will face immediate condemnation."
Several other commanders voiced their opposition, but Bu Eun-seol cut them off with a sharp wave of his hand.
"What is certain is that the Golden Accumulation Trading Company funded the Four Flames Alliance. They are undoubtedly connected to the Blood Death Valley incident."
"But merchant guilds funding martial factions is commonplace, isn't it? The Golden Accumulation Trading Company's funds don't flow solely to the Four Flames Alliance."
They weren't wrong.
As a major trading company, the Golden Accumulation Trading Company supplied substantial silver not only to government offices but also to numerous orthodox and unorthodox factions every year.
Annihilating them solely for funding the Four Flames Alliance made no sense.
"With just that level of evidence—"
"Evidence?"
Bu Eun-seol's gaze turned razor-sharp.
"During this Blood Death Valley incident, they targeted Bu Eun-seol and abducted Seo Jin-ha."
"That is no different from directly attacking the Demon Hall itself."
"This lord was assaulted, and the leader of the Heaven Slaughter Battle Unit, who represents our hall, barely escaped with his life."
"We don't need evidence. We'll wipe them out first and fabricate the proof afterward."
Upon hearing those words, Seok Sa-myeong's face turned pale as he opened his mouth.
"You mean to eliminate the merchant group first and then forge the evidence?"
"What excuses can the dead make?"
From Bu Eun-seol's pupils surged an overwhelming pressure—one that could only be seen in the greatest of demonic beings.
—His demonic energy has already reached its peak.
The commanders' faces all drained of color.
The Bu Eun-seol they had known was merely ruthless, but who could have guessed that in truth, he possessed a demonic nature that would cut down all who defied him?
"We fully understand the reason for your wrath, Lord."
Seok Sa-myeong wiped the sweat from his brow and cautiously spoke again.
"However, to strike against the merchant group—"
"There is no need for further discussion. This lord has already made his decision."
Bu Eun-seol rose from his seat. His cold gaze swept over the assembly as he spoke.
"We will remind the Murim once more what happens when they dare to touch our hall."
Though the commanders could not fully accept it, they had no choice but to bow their heads.
Bu Eun-seol had already received authority from Yeop Hyo-cheon to mobilize the Demon Hall's forces.
There was no point in voicing dissent—it would only earn them the future successor's displeasure.
"This concludes the meeting."
Rustle.
As the meeting adjourned, the commanders all rose and saluted.
However, the expressions on their faces as they left the Hidden Demon Pavilion were far from pleased.
—Because of him, the entire hall could be overturned.
To wipe out a massive merchant group like the Golden Accumulation Trading Company without so much as batting an eye...
They couldn't shake off the faint unease rising in the depths of their hearts.
Alone in the now-empty conference hall, Bu Eun-seol stood tall.
His hands clasped behind his back, his indifferent posture almost seemed as if he were waiting for someone.
Creak.
About a quarter of an hour later, the door opened.
A man in dark blue robes and another clad in the black-and-gold commander's uniform of the Demon Hall entered side by side.
Yu Un-ryong and Myo Cheon-u.
"Is it true, Bu Eun-seol?"
Myo Cheon-u hurried forward, urgency in his voice.
"The moment the Supreme Military Command meeting ended, rumors spread like wildfire—that you're leading the first-rate commanders to attack the Golden Accumulation Trading Company."
Before Bu Eun-seol could respond, the conference hall's door opened once more.
A middle-aged man in black martial attire, a scar running down his face, stepped inside.
It was So Ja-myeong, the leader of the Kill-Seeking Unit.
"Who is this?"
As Myo Cheon-u tilted his head in confusion, Bu Eun-seol answered in his stead.
"Commander So Ja-myeong of the Kill-Seeking Unit."
"The Kill-Seeking Unit?"
By now, both Myo Cheon-u and Yu Un-ryong were well-established figures within the Demon Hall—they knew exactly what the Kill-Seeking Unit did.
"Why is the Kill-Seeking Unit leader here...?"
As Myo Cheon-u blinked in surprise, So Ja-myeong smirked.
"Our unit has now been placed under the direct command of the Martial Soul Lord."
"The Kill-Seeking Unit has become a direct subordinate unit of the Death Shadow War Unit?"
"Since the Martial Soul Lord is the Death Shadow War Unit... Well, you could say that's not entirely wrong."
Myo Cheon-u, still blinking rapidly, turned to Bu Eun-seol with his mouth agape.
"What is this about? Why has the Kill-Seeking Unit become a direct unit?"
The Kill-Seeking Unit was a secret unit tasked with officially unacknowledged missions.
For a group that had been covertly assigned under the Chief Doctrine Commander's jurisdiction to suddenly fall under Bu Eun-seol's command—
"It was necessary."
At his brief explanation, Myo Cheon-u and Yu Un-ryong's expressions darkened rapidly.
Though they were his closest adjutants, the truth was, they had no idea what Bu Eun-seol was planning—what he had been doing all this time.
"I suppose it's time you knew."
Bu Eun-seol exhaled a low sigh as he met their eyes, brimming with discontent.
"Myo Cheon-u, Yu Un-ryong. That includes you two."
Drawing a deep breath, he spoke in a quiet voice.
"The reason I've been operating a separate intelligence network until now... was solely to track down Wicked Incense."
"Wicked Incense?"
"Yes."
Bu Eun-seol's expression turned bitter as he rubbed his chin.
"But every time I found a lead, they severed the trail with astonishing precision. Seo Jin-ha also fell into a trap while pursuing Wicked Incense."
Then, in a composed tone, he continued his explanation.
How he had been relentlessly hunting Wicked Incense, investigating the Holy Iron Faction and the Martial Alliance, and how that had led him to uncover and annihilate the Five Poisons Sect.
"You mean to say that as you searched for Wicked Incense, all these shadowy factions started emerging one after another?"
After listening in silence for a long while, Myo Cheon-u and Yu Un-ryong exchanged glances, stunned.
Not only was it shocking that such an organization existed within the Murim, but the fact that Bu Eun-seol had been chasing them all this time—
"Why are you hunting Wicked Incense in the first place?"
At Myo Cheon-u's question, Bu Eun-seol fell silent.
He had never told anyone his reason for pursuing Wicked Incense—not even So Ja-myeong, with whom he had discussed many covert matters.
—I didn't want to drag others into danger for my personal affairs.
But after what happened to Seo Jin-ha, Bu Eun-seol realized how wrong that mindset had been.
He was no longer alone. He had countless subordinates and close friends willing to sacrifice themselves in his stead.
If that was the case, then he should trust them, pool their strength, and face this together.
That was the only way to protect them—to prevent them from suddenly falling into peril.
"The one who killed my grandfather—the only blood relative I had—used Wicked Incense's hidden weapon."
"Your grandfather?"
"Yes. Until now, I lived alone with him. Tending to the corpses reported to the constabulary, carefully washing and preparing those who died without kin."
A bloody glint flickered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes as he stared into the void.
"And they brutally murdered my grandfather—who lived quietly, peacefully."
A long silence flowed between them.
Myo Cheon-u, Yu Un-ryong, and even So Ja-myeong nodded in understanding.
No lengthy explanation was needed.
The sheer anguish radiating from Bu Eun-seol—so raw it seemed he might soon shed tears of blood—felt like it could tear apart the heavens, and the rage simmering beneath threatened to bring the earth itself crashing down.
Revenge.
Bu Eun-seol intended to hunt down the one who had killed his grandfather and exact his revenge.