Chapter 327
"Annoying."
Seo Jin-ha, who had been watching the scene, furrowed his brows and fiddled with the chopsticks he was holding.
He intended to unleash the One-Hand Life-Taking Art and drive Maeng Muk-geuk away in an instant.
Ah, no good.
But then, he bitterly smiled as he realized once again that he had lost his Internal Power.
He rose from his seat and shouted.
"An old has-been like you, shamelessly making a scene in broad daylight—how pathetic."
"What? A has-been?"
Enraged, Maeng Muk-geuk whipped his head around to glare at Seo Jin-ha.
"You lunatic. Are you so desperate to die?"
Just as Maeng Muk-geuk shot up from his seat and was about to approach Seo Jin-ha—
Thud. Thud.
The sound of someone ascending the inn's stairs echoed through the room.
The footsteps were so distinct and heavy that it sounded less like a person and more like something enormous moving.
Whoosh.
When the figure finally appeared at the top of the stairs, the inn seemed to darken for a moment.
The newcomer was a towering woman, nearly seven feet tall.
Her round features made her quite pretty, but her physique was rugged, as if trained in External Arts, and her forearms were as thick as logs.
"What the hell is this?"
Having likely heard Maeng Muk-geuk's tantrum while climbing the stairs, the woman frowned down at him with utter disdain.
"A rat in heat in broad daylight, huh?"
"What did you say?"
Though Maeng Muk-geuk was a martial master, he harbored deep insecurities about his short stature and unimpressive appearance.
So when this towering woman abruptly called him a "rat," his killing intent erupted like an active volcano.
"Looks like a bunch of lunatics lined up to die."
Maeng Muk-geuk took a step forward, standing before the woman.
But given her immense height and solid build, the contrast made him look even more pitiful.
"Hmph. Relying on sheer size to act tough, are we?"
Maeng Muk-geuk smirked and gathered his Internal Power. He intended to slash her down instantly with Blood Thorn.
"Twin Blood Wheels, Maeng Muk-geuk!"
Fearing the giant woman might get hurt, Seo Jin-ha sharply called out and stepped forward.
"If you want to play, go do it alone in the Great Desert. Do you want to die a stranger's death here?"
Maeng Muk-geuk's eyes flashed when Seo Jin-ha, despite knowing his name, boldly challenged him.
"Who the hell are you?"
"None of your business."
Maeng Muk-geuk glared at Seo Jin-ha, his eyes narrowing.
This sickly-looking brat, with not a trace of True Qi in him, had the nerve to step forward so arrogantly?
"You little—"
Just as Maeng Muk-geuk opened his mouth, the woman in front of him waved her hand dismissively.
"Stop yapping and get lost. I need to eat."
Instantly, killing intent surged in Maeng Muk-geuk's eyes.
He decided on the order.
First, deal with this insolent giantess. Then, turn that pretty-boy's face into a bloody pulp.
"Pathetic fools."
Maeng Muk-geuk flicked his fingers in an instant.
There was no need to use the Twin Blood Wheels—he would twist her Qi Vessels and muscles with the cruel technique Soul-Seizing Punishment.
Snap! Snap!
As the Finger Wind struck the woman's body, Maeng Muk-geuk sneered.
Soon, she would be writhing on the floor, screaming in agony.
"I showed mercy because you're a woman."
Just as Maeng Muk-geuk turned toward Seo Jin-ha with a cold smile—
"What the hell?"
The woman frowned as she examined the torn fabric of her clothes.
"You rip my clothes and think you can just run away?"
Then, her massive hand—like a pot lid—closed around Maeng Muk-geuk's head and began lifting him into the air.
"W-What the—?!"
As Maeng Muk-geuk flailed in shock, the woman bared her sharp teeth in a scowl.
"You dare put a hole in my new clothes?"
"You—you bastard!"
Maeng Muk-geuk drew his Blood Wheels from his back like lightning, slashing at the woman's forearm.
But as if she had anticipated the move, she had already set him down on the floor.
"Bastards like you only learn after getting beaten!"
With one hand, she slapped Maeng Muk-geuk across the face.
The strike was so fast and powerful—like a bolt of lightning—that he had no time to dodge.
SMACK! CRASH!
His face brutally struck, Maeng Muk-geuk's eyes rolled back as he collapsed on the spot.
Maeng Muk-geuk, once known as the Killing Star of the Great Desert, had been knocked unconscious by a single slap.
Hmm.
Seo Jin-ha watched the scene with a slightly stunned expression.
Maeng Muk-geuk was a renowned master of the Transcendent Realm, famous for years. Yet this woman had closed the distance in an instant and subdued him barehanded.
"Among these people, you're the only one with any real worth, it seems."
The woman extended her thumb toward Seo Jin-ha.
"Young man, you've got spirit. I like that."
She laughed heartily, like an old-timer who had roamed the martial world for decades, and casually approached him.
"Nice to meet you. I'm So Ok-rim."
She beamed at him, speaking in an informal tone right off the bat.
But there was no malice in her eyes.
"Is that so?"
Seo Jin-ha forced a smile and nodded.
He had his own sources of information, but the name So Ok-rim was entirely new to him.
"Well, I'm more often called by my epithet—Silver River Goddess."
Silver River Goddess.
At that moment, Seo Jin-ha's eyes widened.
So Ok-rim, the Heaven-Crashing Hand?
Two years ago, a female martial master had appeared like a comet in the martial world of Liangguang.
A woman of towering height and solid build, she had defeated renowned masters—both orthodox and unorthodox—as well as legendary figures of the past, all in a single breath.
What was shocking was her method.
She would always fell her opponents with a single strike before vanishing without a trace.
Every master who had fallen to So Ok-rim's hand had said the same thing:
"When she struck, it felt as if the heavens themselves were collapsing."
Thus, she had naturally been given the epithet Heaven-Crashing Hand.
"Hey! What kind of name is 'Crashing Heaven'? For a peerless beauty like her?!"
When So Ok-rim heard this, she had flown into a rage.
She then bestowed upon herself a new epithet—Silver River Goddess.
But even afterward, as she continued to defeat countless masters in a single blow, the martial world still referred to her as Heaven-Crashing Hand—or sometimes One Hand Crushing Heaven.
The problem was that, over time, it was shortened even further, until people simply called her Crashing Heaven.
"It's Crashing Heaven!"
"Crashing Heaven? That damn Crashing Heaven brat!"
Eventually, it was said that she would fly into a rage and start beating people up the moment she heard the word Crashing Heaven.
After wreaking havoc across Liangguang for about three months, she suddenly—and inexplicably—vanished.
Some said her madness had grown too severe, leading to her own downfall. Others claimed she had suffered grave internal injuries from facing too many masters and had left to recover.
But because she had stormed through the martial world in such a short time, few truly remembered her.
And yet—here she was, appearing out of nowhere in a shabby guest inn in the South Tree Forest?
"What's this? When someone greets you warmly, you should return the courtesy."
Realizing that So Ok-rim was the type to bulldoze through social norms, Seo Jin-ha had no choice but to clasp his hands in greeting.
"I am Seo Jin-ha. That over there is my close friend, Seol So-yo."
Seo Jin-ha belonged to the Celestial Slaughter Corps, carrying out missions in secret.
Since his name was entirely unknown in the martial world, he had no reason to hide it.
"I see. A fine name indeed."
She thrust out her thumb again and stepped closer to him.
"This must be fate. Let's share a table."
Without waiting for permission, she plopped herself down at their table.
Using informal speech upon first meeting was just the beginning—she didn't even bother asking for their opinion.
This was a woman who trampled etiquette underfoot without a second thought.
Seo Jin-ha shot Bu Eun-seol a troubled look.
"We were in the middle of an important discussion."
Trying to avoid escalating the situation, he spoke politely.
"Now that a seat has opened up, perhaps you'd prefer to dine over there?"
"That's too much."
So Ok-rim pointed at Maeng Muk-geuk, who was still unconscious, his front teeth shattered and blood trickling from his mouth.
"The only free seat is next to that monstrosity. You expect me to eat while staring at him?"
"Hmm."
As Seo Jin-ha hesitated, Bu Eun-seol gave a small nod.
"Have a seat."
"Now that's more like it. Your friend's got a straightforward personality."
So Ok-rim immediately settled in and called out to the waiter.
"Ten bottles of Green Fruit Wine over here!"
When the waiter hurriedly brought the wine, she downed an entire bottle in one go before speaking again.
"You seemed to recognize me earlier."
She flashed Seo Jin-ha a bright grin.
"Aren't you curious why I'm here?"
Seo Jin-ha found himself nodding before he could stop himself.
The woman who had turned the martial world of Liangguang upside down two years ago—only to vanish—had suddenly reappeared here? Of course he was curious.
"Do you know who the foremost sage and diviner of the martial world is?"
"You mean the Divine Calculator?"
The Divine Calculator.
Also known as the Foremost Sage of the Murim or the Foremost Diviner of the Murim.
No one knew his true name.
It was said he could divine the will of heaven and possessed wisdom beyond human limits.
Some even called him the Immeasurable One, for his knowledge was beyond reckoning.
However, the Divine Calculator never revealed himself openly in the martial world, moving in secrecy—so no one truly knew his whereabouts.
"Even if you paid a thousand gold to information networks, you still wouldn't be able to find him at all."
Rumors circulated that because he had divulged too much of Heaven's Will, the heavens had punished him—his entire family had been slaughtered, and he himself had contracted an incurable illness.
"Right. The Divine Calculator. That old man."
So Ok-rim smiled brightly as she spoke.
"I spent two years wandering the murim trying to find that old man."
"So, you're saying you found him?"
"Mhm. To find my destined partner."
Seo Jin-ha couldn't believe it.
The sage whose traces had been lost long ago—not only had she found the Divine Calculator, but she had even received an answer from him?
So Ok-rim bared her white teeth and said,
"That old man told me I'd meet my destined partner here."
'Destined partner?'
For a moment, Seo Jin-ha felt an ominous premonition.
Though So Ok-rim acted half-mad, her martial prowess was truly formidable.
Just the single slap she had delivered to Maeng Muk-geuk's cheek earlier was proof enough that Seo Jin-ha was in no condition to face her unscathed.
'Could she be targeting me?'
Just as Seo Jin-ha's already bloodless complexion turned even paler, So Ok-rim spoke with an air of innocence.
"That old man said he'd have skin so pale it would seem sickly, long hair draped down both sides... a peerlessly handsome androgynous beauty."
Especially when she mentioned the "sickly pale" part—she blatantly stared straight at Seo Jin-ha.
"By 'destined partner,' you mean..."
"Mhm. The person I'm going to marry."
When So Ok-rim giggled shyly, Seo Jin-ha felt the illusion of someone strangling his neck.
"Who would say something so absurd?"
"That old man."
"The Divine Calculator said that?"
"Yep."
Something was definitely off.
No matter how renowned the Divine Calculator was as the Foremost Sage of the Murim, capable of divining Heaven's Will—
To vividly describe the appearance of someone he had never even seen before and prophesy that he was her destined partner?
'Wait... Heaven's Will... If it's about Heaven's Will—'
The legend of the Foremost Sage of the Murim, the Divine Calculator, was no lie.
Seo Jin-ha, as if struck by a thought, glanced sideways at Bu Eun-seol—who was in disguise—and asked,
"By any chance, did he not say... 'skin as white as snow, strikingly handsome with piercingly beautiful eyes, pupils tinged with a red glow—a divine beauty like a heavenly god'?"
"Huh?"
So Ok-rim let out an involuntary gasp of surprise.
'How did he know?'
In truth, she had lied.
—Skin so pale it would seem sickly, long hair draped down both sides... a peerlessly handsome androgynous beauty.
This was just her twisting the words because she had taken a liking to Seo Jin-ha's appearance.
The Divine Calculator had actually described it exactly as Seo Jin-ha had just said.
"N-no! He said a sickly pale complexion and long hair split into two strands... an androgynous beauty!"
So Ok-rim waved her hands dismissively, her eyes and expression filled with fluster.
But there was no deceiving the eyes of the Third Squad Leader of the Heavenly Slaughter Unit.
'So it wasn't me after all.'
Regaining his composure, Seo Jin-ha looked at Bu Eun-seol and twitched his lips.
"I see. So he was the destined partner."
Feeling Seo Jin-ha's persistent gaze, Bu Eun-seol stood up from his seat.
"We've finished eating. Let's go."
Truthfully, Bu Eun-seol had just been about to pick up a barley bread and bring it to his mouth.
But upon hearing their conversation, he realized that So Ok-rim's destined partner was himself.
A sudden, unprecedented unease washed over him, prompting him to rise.
"We're leaving this village immediately."
Dragging Seo Jin-ha along, Bu Eun-seol hurriedly exited the guest inn and swiftly departed the village.
Then, gripping Seo Jin-ha's hand, he channeled his internal energy to lighten the man's body.
This way, even Seo Jin-ha—whose internal energy was depleted—could comfortably employ movement techniques.
Whoosh—
The two shot forward like a gale.
How long had they been running?
Bu Eun-seol, who had been using lightness art, gradually slowed to a stop.
"Why are we stopping?"
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol pointed at a great tree standing about a dozen yards ahead.
There, a towering woman stood, waving her hand with a bright smile.
It was So Ok-rim.
"What's going on?"
When Seo Jin-ha asked in shock, Bu Eun-seol wore a bitter expression.
"While we were using lightness art, she employed Roc's Boundless Journey and flew over our heads."
Seo Jin-ha's face darkened instantly.
His energy had diminished so much that he hadn't even sensed her presence passing overhead.
"No need to feel disheartened. I barely noticed her presence either."
"What?"
"She's... incredibly strong."
Seo Jin-ha couldn't hide his astonishment.
It was the first time Seo Jin-ha had ever heard the words "she's strong" come from Bu Eun-seol's mouth.
That reckless woman possessed such formidable martial prowess that even detecting her presence was difficult?
"What a coincidence? Running into you again here?"
Spotting Seo Jin-ha, she approached him with an innocent wave.
"Taking a break here? Want me to show you around? I know this area well."
Bu Eun-seol, who had been silently observing So Ok-rim's cheerful grin, spoke in a solemn voice.
"This is far enough."
He had seen the flicker of anguish pass through Seo Jin-ha's eyes.
"Do not follow us any further."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, So Ok-rim's eyebrows shot up.
"Hey, who do you think you are?"
"That's none of your concern."
"Why do you keep speaking so casually to me?"
So Ok-rim's voice dripped with irritation.
"Do you even know how high my status is? Actually, I—"
She waved her hand dismissively, cutting herself off.
"Forget it. Just stay out of it."
Then, a powerful gale surged, pushing Bu Eun-seol back.
No more words were needed.
Bu Eun-seol unleashed the Southern Peak True Fist with his left hand.
To conceal his identity, he used orthodox martial arts instead of Demonic Path Martial Arts.
"Tch, your martial arts are pathetic."
So Ok-rim tilted her head, effortlessly dodging the Southern Peak True Fist, and smirked—
Swish!
In the next instant, the force of Thirteenfold Qi Induction grazed her cheek.
Plip. Plip.
Her eyes widened as she stared at the crimson droplets falling to the ground.
She, who had been invincible until now, had been scratched on the cheek by a single technique?
"Hey. You."
Gradually, a chilling killing intent began to rise in her eyes.
"You dared to mar this flawless, snowflower-like skin of mine?"
From her massive, pot-lid-sized palm, an overwhelming energy surged like a heat haze.
"You made me bleed!"
In the crudest way possible, she expressed her outrage—then hurled a devastating fist energy straight at Bu Eun-seol's face.
It was as swift as Lightning Flash, its trajectory invisible to the naked eye.
So fast that even Bu Eun-seol couldn't evade it.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a crimson glint flashed in Bu Eun-seol's eyes, and a faint light emanated from his left fist.
Unable to dodge, he immediately deployed the Fist Demon Initial Manifestation.
BOOM!
With a deafening explosion, a shockwave of true qi erupted, soaring to the heavens as dust and debris scattered in all directions.
Whoosh.
As the wind cleared the dust, Bu Eun-seol and So Ok-rim stood facing each other.
So Ok-rim had taken a step back.
But Bu Eun-seol remained unmoved.
'Her internal power is extraordinary.'
Bu Eun-seol couldn't hide his surprise.
The counterforce transmitted through his fingertips told him her internal energy far surpassed four cycles.
"Wow, so your internal power is stronger than mine?"
So Ok-rim's eyes bulged.
Her internal energy, which had never been inferior even to past masters, had been pushed back by Bu Eun-seol's One Fist?
"What the hell did you eat to get this strong? Did you undergo Rejuvenation or something?"
Bu Eun-seol remained expressionless, giving no reaction.
She snorted, flexing her fists.
"Hmph, just because you've got some power, you think you're untouchable?"
Vwoooom!
A bizarre vibration resonated from her hands.
Simultaneously, a surge of true qi billowed like mist.
"Fine! Let this elder show you that there are heavens beyond heavens!"
Such words were usually spoken by legendary masters.
But So Ok-rim declared it with the arrogance of one who had become the Supreme Martial Lord.
"Take this!"
As she thrust her fist forward, countless points of light rose into the sky above Bu Eun-seol.
It was as dazzling and beautiful as if the Milky Way itself had descended.
Swoooosh!
In an instant, hundreds of those lights rained down upon Bu Eun-seol.
It was as though the stars themselves were crashing down from the night sky.
Bu Eun-seol stood firm.
Would drawing his Ink Sword or invoking the Willful True Binding to unleash the True Void be the answer?
No—that would only feel like defeat.
'I will not retreat.'
Instead, he deployed Shark Fist with his left arm and Blue Sect Twenty-Four Hands with his right.
Simultaneously, he executed Golden Ridge Step in rapid succession.
Shatter!
A crescent-shaped wave of immense force erupted from his body.
Fwooosh!
That overwhelming force erased the falling lights in an instant.
Rather than retreating, he had countered her ultimate move with Thirteen Night Chronicle in a single breath.
"What the—?!"
Perhaps stunned by the might of Thirteenfold Qi Induction, So Ok-rim leaped back, flailing her arms.
"Ugh—!"
Having barely deflected the force, her expression froze like ice.
"You—"
After a long silence, she finally shouted.
"Were you the Martial Emperor's successor?!"