Chapter 312
Thwump! Kwa-boom!
The Bullet King's stones shot forth with such speed they became nearly invisible to the naked eye.
Yet the masked men, employing the Floating Shadow Shifting Form, were naturally pushed left and right by the wind generated from the stones' trajectory.
No matter how formidable the Inner Energy Bullet Art might be, it was useless if it didn't hit its mark.
Through this unique method, the masked men were effectively neutralizing the Bullet King's ultimate technique.
"You must have studied quite hard to evade this old man's Inner Energy Bullet Art."
Bukgung Ryeong let out a hoarse chuckle instead, then closed the distance with a movement technique swift as lightning.
"But this is nothing more than a shallow trick."
As he instantly narrowed the gap, the masked men's bodies were once again forced aside by the Floating Shadow Shifting Form.
Yet in that brief moment, Bukgung Ryeong curled five fingers and unleashed a barrage of stones into the air.
Thwump! Thwump!
The scattered stone fragments traced gentle arcs, flying behind the masked men's bodies.
"...!"
Their pupils dilated in shock.
Because Bukgung Ryeong had fired the stones behind them, they were now being pushed forward instead.
"Die."
Meanwhile, a violent whirlwind of energy coiled around Bukgung Ryeong's five fingers.
At this extreme close range, there would be absolutely no way for the masked men to evade the Inner Energy Bullet Art.
"Stop!"
Bu Eun-seol, who had been watching from afar, suddenly shouted.
"They intend to self-destruct at close range!"
"Self-destruct?"
Bukgung Ryeong was taken aback, but realization soon dawned on him as he unleashed the Inner Energy Bullet Art.
Thwump! Thwump!
This time, the bullets he fired were not powerful enough to shatter bodies—instead, they pushed the masked men dozens of yards away.
A soft, wide-ranged strike of the Inner Energy Bullet Art.
Kwaaang!
The moment they were flung back, an earth-shaking explosion erupted, scattering the masked men's bodies in all directions.
Whooosh—
Trees and boulders within the blast radius melted like taffy.
"So it was true."
Bukgung Ryeong couldn't hide his astonishment.
They had feigned evasion of his Inner Energy Bullet Art with the Floating Shadow Shifting Form, luring him into close combat—only to attempt self-destruction?
The tactics employed by the masked men were so meticulously calculated that even Bukgung Ryeong, a veteran of countless battles, had failed to anticipate them.
"Was killing this old man truly so desperate a task that they would use their own bodies as bait?"
Before his muttering could even finish—
Shwaaarak!
They reformed their ranks, encircling Bukgung Ryeong once more.
Five masked men had perished in the explosion.
The remaining fifteen showed no fear, eagerly watching for an opportunity to die in a blast alongside him.
"Are you just going to stand there and watch?"
Bukgung Ryeong snapped irritably.
Dealing with them wasn't difficult.
But the sight of Bu Eun-seol perched on a tree, watching the battle with an utterly blank expression, was unbearably grating.
"You can handle them yourself."
"Hmph."
At Bu Eun-seol's reply, Bukgung Ryeong snorted and lightly extended his right hand.
Kuuuu—
A fierce light suddenly flickered in his palm as if the surrounding air itself was being sucked into it.
Fwoosh.
Simultaneously, the bodies of five masked men at the front of the formation floated into the air.
Bang!
With a flick of his finger, the air itself seemed to tear as the masked men were hurled away at tremendous speed.
Splat!
They collided with others behind them, sending blood spraying in all directions.
Bukgung Ryeong had lifted their bodies like stones and launched them.
Bang! Splat!
After hurling and detonating them half a dozen times, the thirty-odd assassins charging at him were completely wiped out.
"Haaah."
Bukgung Ryeong wiped the sweat beading on his forehead.
Even for one called the Bullet King, using human bodies as projectiles was an exceedingly taxing technique.
"Impressive."
Tap.
As Bu Eun-seol descended from the great tree, Bukgung Ryeong furrowed his brow.
"What brings you here?"
"I was just passing by."
"Hmph, do you expect this old man to believe that?"
Though the Beggar King Gu Hong-cheong was dead, Bukgung Ryeong still maintained good relations with the Beggars' Sect, supplying them with vast sums of money.
Moreover, he was the Murim's Lone Independent—one who always traveled alone. To ensure his movements couldn't be tracked, he used the Beggars' Sect's intelligence network to obscure his trail.
The probability of him and Bu Eun-seol crossing paths in these remote mountains was effectively zero.
"Don't tell me you've changed your mind."
A faintly pleased expression crossed Bukgung Ryeong's face.
He assumed Bu Eun-seol had been roaming the murim like him, hunting down the masked men's faction.
"Not a chance."
"Then how did you know their tactics in advance?"
Bu Eun-seol replied with a bitter expression.
"I was once attacked by assassins of the Wicked Incense in the past. They used the same method back then."
"Wicked Incense?"
"Well, something like that."
Bu Eun-seol brushed it off casually before asking him,
"Now you're not the one chasing them, but rather being hunted yourself?"
It was closer to a joke made in camaraderie.
No matter how alone he might be, he was still the Bullet King—a figure no faction could easily trifle with.
But Bukgung Ryeong gazed at the distant sky with a desolate expression.
"Not now... but there's no guarantee such a day won't come."
He had always roamed the martial world alone, pursuing the shadowy forces lurking behind the murim.
But their roots ran too deep. If things continued this way, the day might come when he would be the one being hunted.
Just as it had been for the Martial Emperor four hundred years ago.
"How exactly did you track down this old man's movements?"
"With enough money, even ghosts can be made to dance."
Understanding his meaning at once, Bukgung Ryeong shook his head.
"Right. It seems it's time to sever ties with the Beggars' Sect as well."
The current Sect Chief, No Bong, was rumored to be suffering from a grave illness.
But Bukgung Ryeong had known for a long time that it was a lie.
He hadn't dug deeper because he knew Gu Hong-cheong, but...
Seeing how easily Bu Eun-seol had found him, he now judged the Beggars' Sect's intelligence network to be unreliable as well.
"You must have a request for this old man."
Bukgung Ryeong had already pierced through Bu Eun-seol's intentions.
As the Heir of the Demon Hall, there was no way he would wander the martial world alone without reason. He had sensed that Bu Eun-seol must want something from him.
"Fine. I'll be blunt."
Taking a step closer, Bu Eun-seol cut straight to the point without hesitation.
"Let's fight."
"What?"
"A life-or-death match, I mean."
Bukgung Ryeong furrowed his brow deeply, staring at Bu Eun-seol as if he'd lost his mind.
A single glance at his eyes was enough to confirm this was no joke. But why would he seek such a duel?
"Are you serious?"
"I am."
"Have you mastered martial arts capable of defeating this old man?"
"Quite the opposite. I came prepared to die."
It was an honest answer.
Bukgung Ryeong, who had been staring intently into Bu Eun-seol's eyes, suddenly realized something and chuckled.
"Your spirit and mind have developed a fine crack. Either you can no longer advance your martial prowess, or your skills have regressed."
"How did you know?"
"Didn't I spend days with you in that damned Secret Vault?"
Seeing Bu Eun-seol's surprise, Bukgung Ryeong laughed hoarsely.
"Back then, your eyes were unwavering, firm. But now they flicker constantly... A clear sign your spirit is unsettled."
The eyes are the window to the soul.
Just by observing the subtle energy in Bu Eun-seol's pupils, Bukgung Ryeong had discerned the state of his spirit.
"You see clearly."
Bu Eun-seol admitted it readily.
"Due to certain reasons, my spirit has fractured, and hesitation arises when I unleash my martial arts."
"So?"
"The only way to purge it seems to be a life-and-death struggle."
"Hmph. And why should this old man indulge you?"
"Isn't this a fine opportunity to eliminate a vicious spawn of the Demonic Path before he harms the orthodox murim?"
Bukgung Ryeong let out a dry laugh at the remark, unsure whether it was jest or sincerity.
"Tempting as that offer is, there's something more urgent now."
"What do you mean?"
"Five of the Ten Weapons of the World have appeared."
The Ten Weapons of the World.
They were ten legendary odd weapons passed down through the ages in the martial world.
Not only did they possess immense power, but they were also said to bear a spiritual nature.
They could gauge their wielder's spirit and, when infused with internal energy, unleash unique and devastating force.
"If all ten had emerged, how could I not know of it?"
As the Heir of the Demon Hall, Bu Eun-seol commanded the Fleeting Moment Boat, Langya Pavilion, and the Kill-Seeking Unit—Demon Hall's covert operatives.
Had five of the Ten Weapons of the World surfaced in the martial world, word would have undoubtedly reached his ears.
"A treasure map leading to the Ten Weapons of the World was deliberately leaked to certain individuals. Naturally, you wouldn't know."
After a brief pause, Bukgung Ryeong dropped a bombshell.
"And those individuals... are renowned heroes of the orthodox path, wandering the martial world alone, just like this old man, to protect its order."
"So it's a trap deliberately set to lure old-timers like you to their doom?"
"Exactly."
He spoke through gritted teeth.
"This old man must retrieve them."
For martial artists, nothing was more coveted than martial arts manuals and divine weapons.
What they craved day and night was overwhelming martial might.
And if just wielding one of the Ten Weapons of the World could grant such power...
It was an irresistible temptation.
"Isn't the desire for divine weapons natural for any martial artist? Why must you stop them?"
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Bukgung Ryeong let out a bitter sigh.
"The outcome of treasure hunts is always nothing but ruin."
If word spread that a treasure map leading to five of the Ten Weapons of the World had surfaced, the martial world would undoubtedly be swept into a storm of blood.
Moreover, this treasure map was a deliberate trap laid by mysterious factions.
In the end, Bukgung Ryeong was determined to stop it—even if he had to act alone.
"Why must you be the one to stop it?"
"If they fight over it and all perish in an instant, the renowned heroes who once did good for the martial world will vanish in equal measure."
Bukgung Ryeong smiled bitterly.
"Even an old man like me, who's lived a few more years, must step forward, no?"
Day and night, he had been thinking of the martial world's safety.
Bu Eun-seol had no interest in the state of the martial world.
But seeing Bukgung Ryeong, willing to sacrifice himself to safeguard it, stirred a sliver of respect in him.
"Very well."
If Bukgung Ryeong was determined to risk his life for what he believed was right, there was no stopping him.
Taking a deep breath, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"Then, until next time."
Without hesitation, he turned to leave.
Whoosh—
But then, the Sound of Breaking Air rang out again, and this time, assassins clad in dark gray martial uniforms emerged around the clearing.
Their numbers easily exceeded three hundred.
Moreover, their eyes were lifeless, like rotting fish—likely drugged—and their bodies were laden with what appeared to be hidden weapon devices.
"What a nuisance."
Bu Eun-seol glanced at them indifferently before walking past.
There was no need to fight assassins who were clearly after Bukgung Ryeong.
"KAAH!"
But something strange happened.
With a thunderous cry, the assassins lunged—not at Bukgung Ryeong, but at Bu Eun-seol!
BAM! BAM!
In an instant, Bu Eun-seol unleashed the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon, sending the attackers flying.
"What is this?"
Rubbing his fist, Bu Eun-seol frowned at the assassins.
"Are they attacking anyone they see now?"
RATATATAT!
Instead of answering, the assassins activated their hidden weapon devices, firing at Bu Eun-seol.
He immediately prepared to use Return to Rightful Owner to deflect the projectiles.
FWOOSH!
But the barrage of hidden weapons suddenly turned into silver dust midair, scattering around him.
CLANK!
At the same time, assassins at the rear pulled out a massive hidden weapon device and fired at him.
SHWIP! SHWIP! SHWIP!
What they unleashed were ultra-thin Feather Needles.
Bu Eun-seol lightly dodged them with his footwork—
SWOOSH!
—only for the needles to abruptly change trajectory mid-flight and rain down on him.
'Magnets?'
Only then did Bu Eun-seol realize the silver powder clinging to him was highly magnetic.
To deal with his swift movement technique, the assassins had employed an unorthodox tactic.
But something was odd.
Even after Bu Eun-seol retreated to the clearing where Bukgung Ryeong stood, the assassins continued targeting only him, ignoring the elder entirely.
"Hahaha! So you've become their target too!"
From a distance, Bukgung Ryeong cackled as he watched.
"You were already on their kill list from the start."
"That makes no sense."
Bu Eun-seol furrowed his brow.
"If they wanted to attack me, they had plenty of chances. Why now?"
"Are you not the Heir of the Demon Hall? Of course they couldn't strike when you were within the palace or leading a large force."
Bukgung Ryeong smirked and gestured at the assassins.
"But now, you're wandering the Rivers and Lakes alone. Did you think they'd miss this opportunity?"
It was a reasonable deduction.
Bu Eun-seol had been clashing relentlessly with the masked factions.
Not to mention, he had dismantled their Blood Death Valley, the Five Poisons Sect, and Evil Fragrance...
At this point, it would be stranger if he weren't marked for execution.
'They seized the moment when the Kill-Seeking Unit wasn't around.'
Narrowing his eyes, Bu Eun-seol shouted at Bukgung Ryeong.
"So? You're just going to sit there and watch?"
The masked assassins surrounding the forest had swelled to over three hundred.
But Bukgung Ryeong only laughed and shook his head.
"Well, this is a fine chance to observe the martial arts of a future Demon Sovereign—one who'll surely bring calamity upon the orthodox Murim."
As if in revenge for earlier, he climbed atop a great tree and settled in, leisurely preparing to watch Bu Eun-seol fight.
"Fine."
Bu Eun-seol channeled his internal energy at full strength.
HUM—
Dark true qi surged from his back, towering into the sky.
He manifested a massive hand using the Willful True Binding.
SLASH!
At the same time, he swung his Ink Sword, unleashing sword qi that severed the great tree where Bukgung Ryeong sat in a single stroke.
Then, with the qi-formed hand, he hurled the felled tree straight into the crowd of assassins.
"What are you doing?!"
"My, my. How unfortunate that it landed there."
As Bu Eun-seol muttered with feigned innocence, Bukgung Ryeong swiftly leaped to another tree.
But as Bu Eun-seol continued felling trees with the same method, Bukgung Ryeong had no choice but to descend beside him.
"You bastard—"
Ping!
Before he could finish his sentence, a swarm of Feather Rain Needles poured down like a tempest from the assassins.
Bukgung Ryeong had intended to leisurely evade and observe, but each time he tried, Bu Eun-seol cut down another tree.
"Hmph."
With no way to spectate in peace, Bukgung Ryeong reluctantly activated his Movement Technique to escape.
But the assassins had already surrounded the clearing in a dense formation.
Worse, Bu Eun-seol kept dodging toward Bukgung Ryeong's position, forcing him inexorably into the fray.
"Y-you—!"
Fury burned through Bukgung Ryeong to the roots of his hair, but he had no means to shake off Bu Eun-seol, whose movement skills surpassed his own.
"You damn water ghost!"
In the end, he had no choice but to stand back-to-back with Bu Eun-seol and unleash his Inner Energy Bullet Art.
Huff... Huff...
A gruesome scene unfolded in the forest clearing.
Over three hundred corpses lay strewn in every direction, and at the center, two figures stood back-to-back, breathing heavily.
Bu Eun-seol and Bukgung Ryeong.
Together, they had cut down every last one of the three hundred assassins—each soaked in poison and wielding bizarre hidden weapons.
Though both had reached the Extreme Heaven Realm,
dealing with three hundred assassins drenched in toxins and armed with grotesque weapons was no easy feat.
"You shameless brat!"
Bukgung Ryeong wiped blood from his face and spoke in a low voice.
"Because of you, I got dragged into this mess for no reason."
"And whose fault is that?"
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"I sought you out for a duel and ended up cursed with bad luck."
"What did you say? Cursed?"
"It's already happened."
"How dare you say such a thing to my face!"
Bukgung Ryeong roared in anger.
"No wonder they call you the Mad Sword—you're as insane as the rumors say!"
"And for a man with a beard as white as yours, I've never met anyone as sharp-tempered and hotheaded as you, old man."
Bickering like this was the behavior of immature children.
One was the revered Heir of the Demon Hall, the other a Renowned Chivalrous Hero known throughout the orthodox murim for his solemnity.
Two men of utterly different paths and statuses, squatting side by side, squabbling like petty fools—
Had anyone witnessed this, they would have been too stunned to speak.
"..."
Silence fell briefly.
The two men, their energy spent, crouched again to steady their breathing.
"Hmph."
Bukgung Ryeong scoffed and turned his gaze to the distant sky.
"At any rate, judging by the way those bastards fought, it seems they're finally making their move to eliminate obstacles."
Dusting off his sleeves, he turned away.
"From now on, don't wander the Rivers and Lakes alone."
"Are you worried about me?"
"Well, if you envy my fate, suit yourself."
Though his tone was playful, Bukgung Ryeong's voice carried a deep loneliness.
He had roamed the murim alone his entire life, yet the true face of his enemy remained unseen. All he felt, as time passed, was the overwhelming gap in power.
Bukgung Ryeong.
Perhaps he sensed that his fate would be no different from the Martial Emperor's.
"Where are the Ten Weapons of the World hidden?"
Bu Eun-seol, lost in thought for a moment, spoke in a low voice as if he had reached a decision.
"Where is the Treasure Map?"
"What business is it of yours?"
"Truthfully, the reason I ventured into the Rivers and Lakes this time was to risk my life in a duel with you, old man."
Bu Eun-seol avoided Bukgung Ryeong's piercing gaze.
"But if something were to happen to you, wouldn't that trouble me as well?"
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
"If you go there alone, you'll just fall into a trap and die. Let's handle it together."
"A trap? What trap?"
Bu Eun-seol replied flatly.
"First, you'll be framed for the Treasure Map."
—The Bullet King, Bukgung Ryeong, used force to seize all Ten Weapons of the World!
If such rumors spread?
Not only would his reputation be shattered, but he would also face relentless pursuit from those coveting the weapons.
"And the second?"
"You've wandered alone for decades, haven't you? They know that—they'll tailor the trap accordingly."
"Hmm."
"With an ally, such traps can be easily broken. And the third—"
Bu Eun-seol pointed at his own face with his thumb.
"What they want may not be your death, but your honor."
"My honor?"
"Exactly. If the worst happens, shouldn't there be someone to take the blame?"
In other words, Bu Eun-seol was saying that if the worst came to pass, he would shoulder everything.
'This kid...'
A faint tremor flickered in Bukgung Ryeong's long, phoenix-like eyes.
His entire life had been devoted to protecting the murim's peace, yet no one had ever acknowledged him.
Nor had anyone welcomed his fiery, unyielding temperament.
Though he had maintained a long-standing friendship with the Beggar King, Gu Hong-cheong, it was born of mutual necessity, not true camaraderie.
But now—this Heir of the Demon Hall, a man of a completely different path, was willingly extending his hand to him.