Chapter 306
Bu Eun-seol's pupils had turned transparent after hearing the entire story.
The Bu Jan-yang remembered by martial history was a Killing Star who had mercilessly slaughtered countless masters from both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths—
A peerless Grandmaster of the Demonic Path whose saber techniques had reached the pinnacle of the Saber Path.
But in reality, he was not a killer. Instead, he was a saber-wielding wanderer steeped in emptiness?
'This is confusing.'
It was said that the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade used the Indian Yoga Art and Wicked Incense's hidden weapons.
And his grandfather had lost his life to someone who wielded the Indian Yoga Art and Wicked Incense's hidden weapons.
Because of that, Bu Eun-seol had assumed the two were different people sharing the same name, harboring enmity toward each other.
But judging from what he had just heard, unless they were sworn enemies, Bu Jan-yang was not the kind of person who would kill his grandfather.
No—rather, the likelihood that they were the same person was far higher.
'The Seven Fingers Demonic Blade... was Grandfather.'
There was no proof.
But after hearing Jongri Sa-hyeon's entire account, Bu Eun-seol could intuit that the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade was his grandfather, Bu Jan-yang.
Outwardly, he wore the face of a ruthless demonic swordsman, but in truth, his gaze was hollow, his bearing calm...
A peerless saber master of the Demonic Path who had subdued the Needle King—then unrivaled in his prime—in just nine martial forms.
Bu Eun-seol had sensed it: that Seven Fingers Demonic Blade Bu Jan-yang was his grandfather.
'But...'
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
This was not something he could be certain of based on intuition alone. No—he shouldn't be certain.
The Seven Fingers Demonic Blade known to the world was not only a man of brutal temperament but also the Great Killing Star who had slaughtered countless masters from both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths.
Yet now, it turned out he had been a disciple of Shaolin and the Deputy Hall Lord of the Demon Hall?
Even if he conceded a hundred times that it was true, the only question remaining was—why?
Seven Fingers Demonic Blade Bu Jan-yang.
He was a man who had achieved every glory a martial artist could attain. Why had he been walking this path, hiding from the eyes of others?
'Could it be... the Demonic Heavenly Emperor knew all of this?'
What if, during their private audience before the inauguration, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had told him this story?
Bu Eun-seol would never have believed it.
'That's why he told me to find out for myself...'
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor had warned him not to seek the truth through the words of others.
Had he said that because he already knew everything? Or was it simply a lesson about the truths of the martial world?
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor—just what was he thinking?
'I don't know. I don't know anything.'
He felt sick to his stomach.
The only certainty was that his grandfather had not been an ordinary undertaker—he had been a martial artist.
To exact revenge, he would have to uncover not only the traces his grandfather had left behind... but also the tangled web of favors and grudges surrounding him.
'But that doesn't matter.'
He had already resolved to cut down not just his grandfather but everyone involved in this affair.
According to the clues the Needle King had provided, there had been an unknown conflict between the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade Bu Jan-yang, the White Horse Monastery, and the Death Command Gate.
And since his grandfather Bu Jan-yang had mastered the Tendon Transformation Sutra, it was certain he had been a disciple of Shaolin.
That left only two options:
Either investigate the White Horse Monastery and the Death Command Gate—or take the time to investigate Shaolin.
'I'll deal with them in order.'
Bu Eun-seol made up his mind.
He would start by investigating the White Horse Monastery and the Death Command Gate.
Now that he had become the Heir of the Demon Hall, he would have to bring those two sects under his influence anyway.
If he didn't secure the support of the majority, someone could stab him in the back at any moment.
—The position of heir is a dangerous one.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor had said this to him during the inauguration.
And those had not been empty words. If, as the official heir, he did not possess the strength and authority befitting the title?
A blade could come flying at his back at any time.
"Thank you."
Having sorted through the thoughts swirling in his mind, Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands together.
"This has been of great help."
Those words were no mere courtesy.
Thanks to Jongri Sa-hyeon, he had learned for the first time of the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade's true nature—unknown to the rest of the martial world.
"If it helped, then I am glad."
Jongri Sa-hyeon smiled warmly.
"I've prepared a place for you to rest. Stay and recover your strength before you go."
"No. There are urgent matters I must attend to—I must leave."
"At this hour?"
Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly as he pressed his palms together.
"If I move a little faster, won't the martial world stabilize sooner?"
It was a common greeting among the renowned heroes of the Orthodox Path—one often mimicked by rising talents of the younger generation.
"Hohoho."
Jongri Sa-hyeon chuckled deeply and nodded.
"Originally, this old man intended to perform the Primordial Golden Needle Art on you—to lessen some of my debt to Shaolin. But seeing your internal power now, that would have been a futile effort."
Then, gazing at Bu Eun-seol with satisfaction, he added:
"Until now, the only young ones who have impressed these old eyes were the Alliance Lord's youngest disciple... and the Sword Sovereign's senior disciple, known as the Heavenly Sword."
The True Heavenly Emperor had five disciples, with the eldest and youngest separated by more than twenty years in age.
"Among them, the youngest disciple's sword art is at a level that could astonish heaven and earth, and his martial prowess is said to rival that of the Four Gods and Seven Kings."
"Moreover, the disciple known as Heavenly Sword, who inherited all of the Sword Sage's sword techniques, was rumored to be so skilled that he was called the Second Sword Sage."
"However, one is a disciple of the Heavenly Emperor, and the other is a disciple of the Three Honored Ones."
"Their statuses are so exalted that they are said to conceal their traces and move through Murim in secrecy."
'Their strength must have also broken through the Transcendent Realm.'
Jongri Sa-hyeon had likely gauged the level of Bu Eun-seol's internal energy during their earlier clash.
Yet, comparing Bu Eun-seol to those two—
This indirectly suggested that they, too, had surpassed the Transcendent Realm.
"But among them, you stand out as the unrivaled phoenix among chickens."
Jongri Sa-hyeon's gaze now held the warmth of a grandfather looking at his future son-in-law.
"Once you finish your business, come visit our main house again."
Placing a gentle hand on Bu Eun-seol's shoulder, he smiled benevolently.
"Now that a dragon among men like you has appeared, I should stop sending Sa-yu out into the treacherous martial world."
If he stayed any longer, he might find himself trapped in an arranged marriage.
Bu Eun-seol hastily rose and clasped his hands in farewell.
"Then, I shall take my leave."
Retracing his steps, he exited the manor and found himself on a path lined with plum blossoms in full bloom.
And there, standing beneath them, was a beautiful woman in white palace robes, her hair elegantly pinned up—Jongri Sa-yu.
"Are you leaving now?"
"Yes."
"Did you finish speaking with Grandfather?"
"Yes."
A brief exchange, followed by silence.
Jongri Sa-yu gazed at the distant moonlight before turning back to Bu Eun-seol, her face flushed.
"I'll wait for you."
Her expression was uncannily similar to the way Yeon So-ha had once looked at him in the Divine Maiden Palace.
A chill ran down Bu Eun-seol's spine, and he shook his head.
"Don't wait."
"Huh?"
"I must undertake dangerous tasks in the future—ones where I cannot guarantee my own survival. And in all likelihood, they will not end well."
It was a tactful rejection, but also a sincere one.
Yet Jongri Sa-yu only smiled and took a step closer.
Her large, slender eyes, reflecting the moonlight, seemed to hold all the beauty in the world.
Bu Eun-seol stared at her face with a tense expression.
Then, she closed her eyes and slightly pursed her rosy lips—clearly asking for a kiss.
But Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath and clasped his hands again.
"Then, I shall go."
When she opened her eyes, Jongri Sa-yu let out a soft laugh.
Though she felt a twinge of disappointment, she found Bu Eun-seol's gentlemanly demeanor deeply endearing.
"You must return. If you don't, I'll come find you at Shaolin."
With that sweetly threatening whisper, her face flushed red.
"Take care of yourself until we meet again."
Then she turned and hurried back into the manor.
Feeling another chill down his spine, Bu Eun-seol swiftly left the estate.
At the very least, he had concealed his true identity under the alias Baek Mu-seong...
But he had no way of predicting what repercussions that might bring in the future.
After leaving Chimju, Bu Eun-seol immediately deployed his Lightness Skill and headed for the Demon Hall.
The Spectral Sect and White Horse Temple.
According to Jongri Sa-hyeon, they had once inflicted fatal wounds upon the young Seven Fingers Demonic Blade forty years ago.
Of course, back then, he had not yet risen to the position of Deputy Hall Lord in the Demon Hall. But how had such a fact remained completely unknown in Murim?
This could only mean the two sects had deliberately kept their attack on the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade a secret.
Bu Eun-seol resolved to uncover the reason.
'There must be a purpose behind hiding it.'
At the time, the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade Bu Jan-yang had been nothing more than the Great Killing Star—a man of brutal methods.
He had neither clashed with nor had any connection to the Demonic Path Ten Gates.
Yet now, Jongri Sa-hyeon had revealed that the White Horse Temple and Death Command Gate had indeed confronted him.
Had this been the past, Bu Eun-seol would have agonized over how to investigate these two sects.
But now, as the Heir of the Demon Hall and the Martial Soul Lord, he had more than enough authority to look into such matters.
Tsu-tsu-tsu-tsu!
Deploying the Ultimate Speed Shadowless technique, Bu Eun-seol's figure sliced through the sky, soaring past mountains and fields.
—Eeek!
A single, piercing scream faintly reached Bu Eun-seol's ears as he sped forward.
It was the sound of someone's last breath—short, yet saturated with agony.
Whoever it was had clearly died in excruciating pain.
—Eeek! Eeek!
The screams didn't stop—they echoed one after another.
Given the brief intervals between them, it was clear that a large number of people were meeting horrific deaths.
"That area... Nangrim Mountain."
Bu Eun-seol paused his movement technique and surveyed the surroundings.
The screams had come from deep within the distant Nangrim Mountain.
The only possible reason for a large number of people to gather in such a place was one.
'Bandits... Black Wind Fortress, perhaps.'
Nangrim Mountain housed a mountain stronghold occupied by bandits so vile they couldn't even be called the Green Forest Bandits.
Black Wind Fortress.
Rumors said it was a den of retired or crippled assassins.
And as if to prove those rumors true, their methods were cruel and meticulous, their temperaments so savage and greedy...
They didn't just target merchant caravans—they indiscriminately preyed on civilians as well.
Enraged, nearby factions of the Righteous Path had attempted to subjugate Black Wind Fortress multiple times. But the terrain of Nangrim Mountain was treacherous to begin with.
Moreover, leveraging their assassin backgrounds, they had installed vicious hidden weapon devices along the mountain paths.
They had also built decoy strongholds and laid numerous traps.
Because of this, the factions that attempted to wipe them out suffered heavy losses instead, failing one after another.
'But this is strange.'
If a large number of masters from the Righteous Path were currently exterminating the stronghold, the screams should have come all at once.
Yet the screams sounded as if they were being executed one by one—wasn't that the case?
'Hmm.'
In the past, he wouldn't have spared even a speck of attention for such matters.
But now, as the Heir of the Demon Hall, he had to meticulously observe and analyze the movements of not just the Demonic Path, but also the Righteous Faction, the Black Path, and the rest of the martial world.
Tzzzt!
Bu Eun-seol immediately turned and swiftly moved toward the source of the screams.
As he advanced, the faint screams gradually lessened until they finally ceased altogether.
Yet with his acute senses, Bu Eun-seol pinpointed the origin without hesitation.
Passing through the dense forests of Nangrim Mountain, he arrived at an open secluded valley where sturdy strongholds stood scattered about.
Thud.
Landing on the ground and scanning the area, Bu Eun-seol let out a low hum.
The scene before him was a true sea of corpses and blood.
Around five hundred bandits and their dependents had all been reduced to gruesome corpses.
"A greatsword was used."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed as he examined the scars on the bodies.
The fatal wounds were punctures in the center of the chest—made by a grotesquely large greatsword as thick as a man's forearm.
But the scars bore another distinct characteristic.
The strikes had deliberately avoided vital points, ensuring the victims suffered excruciating pain before death.
"A pleasure killer?"
Sword strokes reflect the will of the spirit and mind.
If this had been done out of deep-seated hatred to inflict suffering, the scars wouldn't have been this clean.
Yet despite the greatsword having shattered spines and ribcages, the death points had been meticulously avoided.
Which meant the bandits had been killed with cold, methodical precision.
"And by a single person."
Every corpse bore identical, precisely placed wounds—without even a sliver of deviation.
This wasn't the work of an army that had massacred Black Wind Fortress, but a single master of terrifying skill.
"...!"
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol's pupils dilated.
Only now did he sense someone standing behind him.
'Impressive.'
His extrasensory perception extended nearly a thousand feet.
Even if he had been distracted examining the corpses... to approach this close without him detecting their presence?
Bu Eun-seol slowly turned.
There, standing in the darkness untouched by moonlight, was the shadow of a man.
He stood well over seven feet tall, with the shoulders and back of a bear and the waist of a tiger. In his hand, he held a greatsword that must have weighed more than 130 pounds—yet he wielded it as lightly as a pair of chopsticks.
This wasn't the result of internal energy, but innate divine strength.
Swish.
The shadow slid forward, stepping into the moonlight to reveal himself.
Instantly, Bu Eun-seol's eyes flickered with intrigue.
Despite his colossal, mountain-like physique, his features were straight and kind, his lips curled in a smile devoid of malice.
But his pupils were unnaturally large, his eye glow shining so brightly it bordered on eerie—hinting at a trace of madness.
"Huh? I thought I killed everyone."
As the man took another step closer, spiderweb-like tendrils of formless qi spread out, coiling around Bu Eun-seol's body.
'So this is how it was.'
Now Bu Eun-seol understood how hundreds of Black Wind Fortress bandits had fallen to a single man.
Using that bizarre formless qi, he had immobilized them, rendering them unable to move—then slaughtered them one by one.
"Remarkable."
Bu Eun-seol exhaled in admiration.
Among the rising talents of the younger generation, he had never encountered anyone remotely close to his own level.
Yet this man before him possessed martial prowess so astonishing he could deceive even Bu Eun-seol's senses—even though Bu Eun-seol had entered the Extreme Heaven Realm.
Just where had such a master come from?