Chapter 299
Hoedang Mountain.
Since ancient times, this place has been imbued with auspicious energy, its majestic peaks resembling a dragon ascending to heaven and a phoenix dancing in flight.
Here stands the prestigious Eunja Forest, an academy that has produced renowned scholars for generations.
Currently, the Forest Lord of Eunja Forest is Master Moon, a former Grand Scholar who passed the highest civil service examination in his youth, served in office, and then retired to his hometown in his later years.
His scholarship is so profound that not only scholars from all over but also the sons of high-ranking officials flock to study under him.
But one day, a scholar arrived at Eunja Forest and requested a scholarly debate with Master Moon.
At first, he was naturally refused and gently turned away.
However, this scholar was versed in all fields—the philosophies of the Hundred Schools of Thought, astronomy and geography, medical classics, the study of divination, miscellaneous arts...
There was no discipline in which he was not thoroughly proficient.
—"Master Moon requests your presence."
Eventually, upon hearing of this, Master Moon personally summoned the scholar to meet him.
Within the Confucian Grove, at the Hidden Sage Pavilion.
Two figures sat facing each other across a small table.
One was an elderly man with graying hair.
Dressed in a blue robe, the old man's eyes were clear and brimming with vitality.
He was none other than the Forest Lord of the Confucian Grove and former Grand Scholar of the Imperial Cabinet—Master Moon.
"Hohoho."
Master Moon let out a hearty laugh as he observed the scholar seated before him.
They had only exchanged brief pleasantries so far.
Yet the scholar's learning was so exceptional it seemed to reach the heavens... and his handsome features were matched by an elegant grace.
Truly, he was a talent fit to uphold the governance of the nation.
"I cannot fathom why someone like you has not taken the state examination and remains in obscurity."
As Master Moon stroked his lush beard, the scholar smiled and replied.
"Are you curious?"
"Indeed."
"Then..."
The scholar carefully rose from his seat.
Then, he thoroughly scanned the interior of the room where they conversed.
"Huuu..."
As the scholar took a deep breath, a transparent energy flowed from his body and began to dominate the space around them.
Astonishingly, this young scholar was a martial arts master of such caliber that he could erect a barrier of true qi, isolating their voices from the outside world.
"Because I am the Martial Soul Lord of the Demon Hall."
"The Demon Hall?"
Master Moon tilted his head in confusion.
"The Demon Hall... You mean that alliance of the Demonic Path?"
"Correct."
"Why would a martial artist of the Demonic Path come here?"
The scholar—Bu Eun-seol—allowed a faint smile to touch his lips.
"This Confucian Grove was built long ago under the direct patronage of the imperial court, was it not? If I were to lead a large force here and raze it to the ground, the Demon Hall's standing would suffer."
"I... I don't understand."
Master Moon swallowed dryly before speaking.
"Why would the Demon Hall consider this grove an enemy?"
"Because you, Master Moon, are the Incense Master of Wicked Incense—the most enigmatic assassin sect in the martial world."
For a long moment, silence filled the Confucian Grove.
"Hohoho."
Master Moon let out a hollow laugh, then shook his head.
"If someone like you is making such a bold claim... you must have solid evidence, no?"
"Fortunately, the Golden Accumulation Trading Company left behind many traces. Likely because their dealings with Wicked Incense made them uneasy."
"I see."
Master Moon sighed and shook his head again.
"I opposed doing business with that miser from the start. But my objections were ignored..."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed.
Master Moon was the leader of Wicked Incense. Yet his words implied someone stood above him.
'Is there someone pulling the strings behind him? Or...'
Just as Bu Eun-seol sank into thought, Master Moon spoke again.
"I had heard the successor of the Demon Hall was persistently pursuing our sect."
His sighing eyes suddenly gleamed like the edge of a blade.
"But why? Our sect bears no grudge against you."
"A hidden weapon."
As Bu Eun-seol continued, his eyes brimmed with resentment and indignation.
"A hidden weapon capable of firing ninety-eight projectiles in a single strike—only Wicked Incense could have crafted it."
"A hidden weapon that fires ninety-eight projectiles in one strike?"
"Yes."
A fierce light erupted from Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"I am searching for the one who wielded it."
"You mean to tell me you've been relentlessly hunting our sect all this time just to ask about that?"
Master Moon wore an expression of utter disbelief.
Wicked Incense had never targeted figures from Langya Pavilion or the Demon Hall. Why, then, was Bu Eun-seol so fixated on finding the wielder of such a weapon?
"I am searching for a person."
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath before speaking slowly.
"Someone who coated Wicked Incense's hidden weapons with Flesh-Rotting Blood-Decay Poison, mastered the Indian Yoga Art, and cultivated a terrifying demonic sword technique."
"Flesh-Rotting Blood-Decay..."
Master Moon's eyes narrowed to slits.
Merely hearing those words seemed to make him recall who that person was.
"Why are you looking for him?"
Bu Eun-seol inwardly sighed in relief.
Master Moon clearly knew the killer. That was why he could refer to him as 'him.'
"It is a personal matter. I would be grateful if you could tell me."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was nothing if not courteous.
But his eyes were filled with a murderous intent as dark as ink.
It was clear that he would resort to any means necessary if he didn't get an answer.
"I have no intention of making an enemy of Wicked Incense."
Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly.
"Nor do I care who stands behind Wicked Incense, or why they're stirring up Murim."
He meant it.
Who had secretly planted elite spies within both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths?
Who were these factions rebuilding annihilated sects or researching bizarre medicines while wreaking havoc in Murim? What did they truly want?
Honestly, Bu Eun-seol couldn't care less.
As long as he could find the butcher who had brutally harmed his grandfather, Bu Jan-yang...
It didn't matter what happened to Murim.
"Hahahaha."
Master Moon burst into laughter.
From his perspective, there was no way he could take Bu Eun-seol's words at face value. And even if he knew, he couldn't speak of it.
"Even if I said I didn't know, I doubt you'd believe me."
"I'd prefer it if that weren't the case."
Behind Bu Eun-seol, a terrifying energy began to rise like heat haze.
"I'd rather not burn all of Yulin to the ground."
"And do you think you can handle the consequences?"
Master Moon's voice remained composed.
"This grove was personally built by the previous imperial family. Moreover, the children of high-ranking officials from Beijing reside here."
He smiled faintly before his expression turned hollow.
"And yet, you speak of burning it down? Are you serious?"
"They say you excel in scholarship, yet you clearly lack the ability to read people."
The energy rising behind Bu Eun-seol gradually solidified, taking the form of a massive black dragon's head.
And in the next instant, it looked ready to devour Master Moon whole.
At the same time, a crimson glow—darker than blood—flared in Bu Eun-seol's pupils.
"Does it seem like I can't?"
Only then did Master Moon catch a glimpse of the depths of Bu Eun-seol's spirit and mind.
'Is he crossing from the Middle Path—or perhaps the Extreme Path—into the Demonic Path?'
As a master in his own right, he could sense that Bu Eun-seol's spirit had already stepped onto the threshold of Entering the Demonic Path.
'A man who wouldn't bat an eye at slaughtering tens of thousands to achieve his goal.'
But he, too, was no ordinary figure.
As the leader of Wicked Incense, a legendary assassin clan that had remained hidden for centuries, he wasn't the type to yield to threats.
"A pity, but I truly don't know."
"How unfortunate."
Bu Eun-seol's expression was genuinely regretful.
"Then I'll have to extract the answer from your flesh."
"Hohoho. I'm well aware you're a formidable master."
Master Moon smiled faintly.
"But have you forgotten where you stand?"
Click.
In that instant, the sound of a mechanism echoed—and Master Moon vanished.
The floor had swallowed him whole in the blink of an eye.
Bu Eun-seol wasn't particularly surprised.
He had suspected the presence of mechanisms beneath the floor the moment he arrived.
"So, it really is connected to that place."
The mechanisms installed here bore an uncanny resemblance to the mysterious ones he had seen with Yu Hwaryeong in the Underground Castle.
Wicked Incense wasn't just capable of crafting intricate hidden weapons—it was a gathering place for adepts of Mechanism Formations.
Perhaps the mechanisms in the Underground Castle had been installed by Wicked Incense.
Thud.
Bu Eun-seol stomped his foot, and with a deep tremor, the mechanism's door opened instantly.
Beyond that pitch-black entrance lay the path to Wicked Incense's hidden headquarters, long concealed within Yulin.
Whoosh.
Without hesitation, Bu Eun-seol leaped into the dark abyss.
"Martial Soul Lord... Truly..."
Master Moon, walking swiftly through the dim passageway, let out a sigh.
Bu Eun-seol's gaze, his presence—already, he carried the bearing of a superlative martial expert who could look down upon the world.
"A peerless genius said to rival even him..."
Master Moon's heart pounded.
Since ancient times, the supreme martial experts who had seized the world had all cultivated earth-shaking martial arts by their twenties.
And Bu Eun-seol was undoubtedly one such powerhouse.
"They say he killed the Beggar King at such a young age. The rumors don't do him justice."
The moment he recalled Bu Eun-seol's icy, motionless pupils, a chill ran down his spine.
That ruthless gaze carried the momentum of a Great Demon—one who could slaughter thousands without blinking.
Even Master Moon couldn't help but shudder.
"He's undoubtedly a madman."
No sane person would dare storm this place alone, knowing it was Wicked Incense's domain.
This was clearly the act of a madman who would spare nothing to achieve his goal.
"This is someone I cannot face. Someone I shouldn't face."
Clunk.
As he reached the end of the passage, the door swung open with the sound of mechanisms.
A serene landscape unfolded before him.
Small buildings dotted the area, along with a forge, pavilions for rest, and even a well.
Outwardly, it resembled a peaceful village—but in truth, it was the birthplace of the most terrifying hidden weapons in the world.
This was the true headquarters of Wicked Incense.
Tucked away like a second skin within Yulin, a haven for scholars with no apparent ties to Murim...
No intelligence network had ever managed to uncover its location.
'I must inform the Incense Master immediately.'
Just as Master Moon hurried toward Wicked Incense's inner sanctum—
"Too late."
A man stood leaning against a tree, arms crossed.
Bu Eun-seol.
"How did you—"
"After hiding their headquarters for centuries, did you really think I wouldn't investigate before coming?"
Bu Eun-seol uncrossed his arms and strode forward slowly.
"One last question."
His tone, which had been courteous until now, turned razor-sharp, as if it could split the heavens.
"Who is he?"
"Do you really think I'd tell you?"
Master Moon roared, stamping his foot on the ground.
Thud.
At that, the people who had been leisurely wandering inside Wicked Incense halted their movements—
Swish.
—and slowly turned their bodies.
The man hammering in the forge. The boy crouching by the roadside. The elderly resting in the pavilion, enjoying the breeze.
All of them stared at Bu Eun-seol with icy expressions.
Only now was it clear—every single person here was an assassin of Wicked Incense.
Clank. Zzzzzzz.
At the same time, bizarre metallic tubes jutted out from all corners of the village.
Likely hidden weapon devices, designed to repel intruders.
"You know these are useless."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was frigid as he observed the mechanisms around him.
"These traps are meant for large-scale invasions."
Master Moon bit his lip.
Bu Eun-seol was right.
Every device here was built to stop an army.
Who could have imagined that someone would dare invade Wicked Incense alone?
Against a single intruder like Bu Eun-seol, they were powerless.
"Attack."
Yet Master Moon gave the order without hesitation.
Even if the hidden weapons were ineffective, this place was filled with elite assassins.
There was no way Bu Eun-seol could face them all alone.
Shwaaaak!
A barrage of hidden weapons fired—but Bu Eun-seol was already gone.
Flash!
Having slipped past the traps, his Ink Sword erupted with flame.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
They didn't even have time to scream.
With every swing of Bu Eun-seol's blade, blood sprayed, and dozens of heads thudded to the ground.
BOOM!
Realizing they couldn't match his elusive movement technique, the assassins detonated the firebombs planted throughout the area.
But Bu Eun-seol's shadow had already escaped the blast radius.
BOOM! BOOM!
They sacrificed their own, setting off bomb after bomb—but it was futile.
Instead, the spreading smoke only helped Bu Eun-seol conceal himself as he unleashed indiscriminate sword strikes.
Shing!
When they realized hidden weapons and bombs were useless, the assassins drew their swords and closed in.
'Righteous Faction sword techniques.'
A glint flashed in Bu Eun-seol's eyes as he observed their attacks.
Like the assassins who had ambushed him at Seong Family Ironworks, they wielded modified orthodox swordplay.
"I have no questions for you."
Black mist seeped from Bu Eun-seol's body as he watched them.
Zzzzzzz!
The mist condensed into his left fist, compressing into a dense force.
Sssshk!
When he thrust his palm forward, five streaks of razor-sharp energy erupted—manifested true qi, shaped into blade-like forms through the Willful True Binding.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
With dull thuds, the five streaks skewered dozens of assassins like meat on a spit.
"Now!"
Assassins closed in from behind, unleashing a flurry of sword strokes.
But without even turning, Bu Eun-seol flicked his left hand again.
CRACK!
A deafening blast sent the attackers flying, their bodies reduced to bloody pulp.
He had mimicked the Bullet King's Inner Energy Bullet Art.
BOOM! BOOM!
As massive, tangible Finger Winds surged forth, the assassins were flung backward like ragdolls.
With his spirit and mind once again aligned with the Demonic Path, there were no restrictions on his use of the Willful True Binding.
The sheer brutality of his attacks—merciless and overwhelming—made even the hardened assassins falter.
The sight of Bu Eun-seol impaling men whole with Willful True Binding struck terror into even the most seasoned killers.
Some of the younger assassins froze, their will to fight shattered.
—He's alone! Don't fear him—attack!
At Master Moon's command, the veteran assassins stepped forward.
And once again, their blades flashed.
Whiiish!
The reason Wicked Incense had remained hidden for a century wasn't just their development of excellent hidden weapon devices—
Fwoosh! Piiing!
—but because they had always nurtured the finest assassins.
As they threw themselves at him, blood finally began to spill from Bu Eun-seol's body.
Their Assassin Secret Arts, combined with hidden weapons, were devastating.
'How tedious.'
Yet as he watched them charge, Bu Eun-seol only felt boredom.
'I only need the information on the killer. Why throw your lives away?'
He was sick of it.
Swinging his sword. Moving his body to fight.
He just wanted to stand still and swat these flies as they came.
That was all he imagined.
Oooooze...
And in response, dark true qi seeped from his body, spreading outward.
It took shape—massive, glistening tendrils, as if some unknown monstrosity loomed behind him.
Willful True Binding.
The purified essence of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's ultimate technique had finally begun to bloom within Bu Eun-seol's flesh.