Chapter 351
"You dare counter me?"
When Bu Eun-seol extended his fist energy, it was Ok Yu-ha's turn to fail to conceal her astonishment.
A mere youth in his early twenties had the audacity to raise his internal energy and boldly intercept her opening strike—daring to cross swords with her in martial arts?
Boom!
The moment his finger sword clashed with her fist, a thunderous explosion erupted.
Yet, an unexpected outcome unfolded.
With a stifled groan, Ok Yu-ha—who had attacked first—was forced back four full steps.
"How can her martial arts be so refined, yet her internal energy be this shallow?"
Bu Eun-seol couldn't hide his bewilderment at this unforeseen result.
A single glance at Ok Yu-ha's sword technique was enough to recognize it as the pinnacle of swordsmanship, a realm few could ever hope to reach.
But her internal energy barely amounted to a single sixty-year cycle of cultivation?
"Could her energy have deteriorated?"
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
Internal energy was like water—once lost, it drained away in an instant. There was no way to precisely retain only sixty years' worth.
"You...!"
Ok Yu-ha, too, stiffened in shock, her complexion paling.
Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined Bu Eun-seol would dare counter her attack—inside the Sword Pavilion, no less.
"Elder. Head of Still Heart Courtyard."
At that moment, the door burst open, and a disciple rushed in urgently.
"The condition of the Young Pavilion Lord is critical!"
"What?"
"Daoist Master Chung-hyeon, who has been treating her, says that relying solely on his strength alone is impossible..."
Fortunately, the Sword Pavilion had the presence of Wudang's Elder, Chung-hyeon.
Not only was his martial arts profound, but his medical skills were extraordinary.
Upon hearing that A-yeon had yet to regain consciousness, he had been treating her alongside the Medicine Stone Courtyard's master.
"Impossible alone? The Medicine Stone Courtyard has so many disciples—how is this happening?"
Ok Yu-ha's sharp outcry was followed by her storming out of the hall.
Her attitude—as if nothing had just transpired—and her irritable, reckless tone were hardly befitting of a leader of the Sword Pavilion.
"Utterly frivolous. She really does act like a twenty-year-old brat."
Bu Eun-seol watched her leave, then shook his head in disbelief.
Just as he was about to depart from the Cloud Lotus Pavilion—
"Young Hero."
Elder Nun Neung-in, who had been standing silently, spoke to him.
"Please try to understand the Head of Still Heart Courtyard."
"What does it matter whether I understand her or not?"
Bu Eun-seol responded curtly.
Originally, because of A-yeon's upright character, he had held the Sword Pavilion in high regard.
But after witnessing the behavior of Ok Yu-ha—both the current Head of Still Heart Courtyard and the former Sword Empress—his impression had completely soured. Naturally, his tone turned icy.
Elder Nun Neung-in, sensing his feelings, spoke carefully.
"To be frank, she has long suffered from an affliction of the heart. That is why she harbors extreme disgust toward men."
Bu Eun-seol's expression twisted in disbelief.
A grandmaster of the Mystic Path, afflicted by a sickness of the heart?
"That can't be."
Seeing his skepticism, Elder Nun Neung-in murmured in a low voice,
"It's the truth. Because of this affliction, she ultimately never ascended to the position of Pavilion Lord."
Her expression was bitter as she continued,
"That is why our Sword Pavilion has gone decades without a Pavilion Lord."
Bu Eun-seol felt a flicker of doubt.
—The Pavilion Lord is in secluded training.
That was what A-yeon had told him when they first met.
But now it turned out the position had been vacant all along?
"They must have been keeping it a secret."
After the Sword Empress's appearance, the identity of the Sword Pavilion's Pavilion Lord had never been revealed.
A-yeon, seeing no need to disclose the sect's internal affairs to an outsider, might have simply chosen to say that.
But this raised another question—
Who, then, was leading the Sword Pavilion now?
As Bu Eun-seol sank into deep thought,
"When she sees a man, she unintentionally speaks with thorns. Please try to understand."
Elder Nun Neung-in spoke softly.
"In truth, our Sword Pavilion has not admitted a single man in decades."
Bu Eun-seol couldn't help but retort incredulously,
"Are you saying Wudang's members aren't men?"
"Wudang's elders are Daoist cultivators, are they not?"
Elder Nun Neung-in shook her head.
"Monks and Daoists are all part of the Mystic Sects. Naturally, we do not consider them men in the traditional sense."
"So she really is afflicted with a sickness that makes her despise men?"
Bu Eun-seol couldn't hide his disbelief.
Judging by Elder Nun Neung-in's expression, this was no lie. The Sword Empress—once so revered by the Righteous Path—had fallen ill with a hatred for men?
"Even if it's true, it's none of my concern."
Bu Eun-seol nodded indifferently.
"Very well. I'll take my leave now."
"Wait."
Elder Nun Neung-in extended a hand to stop him.
"Do you not wonder why this old nun has revealed such a shameful secret of our sect to you?"
"I don't."
"This humble nun wishes to ask for your help in saving A-yeon."
From the moment she had first appeared, Elder Nun Neung-in had taken Bu Eun-seol's side, her words and actions gentle.
As the highest elder of the Sword Pavilion, her consistent politeness made Bu Eun-seol suppress his irritation and reply,
"What could I possibly do to help?"
"Earlier, Daoist Master Chung-hyeon said, 'Impossible alone.'"
Elder Nun Neung-in spoke calmly.
"Despite our sect's thousands of disciples, he said 'alone'—meaning he requires the strength of a man. Specifically, Yang-Strength True Qi."
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
Elder Nun Neung-in was not only reasonable but also remarkably perceptive.
"In that case, are you not the only one in our Sword Pavilion capable of wielding Yang-Strength True Qi?"
Great Sword Mountain was far from Chengdu, perched atop a peak so high that even ordinary people struggled to climb.
Summoning a martial artist with profound internal energy on such short notice was impossible.
Elder Nun Neung-in was trying to keep Bu Eun-seol here—just in case.
"Hmm."
Bu Eun-seol, who had been lost in deep thought, suddenly brightened his eyes and spoke.
"Didn't I tell you earlier? I've mastered the Ice Art."
Those who cultivate cold-aligned mental techniques cannot produce Yang-Strength True Qi.
Since Bu Eun-seol had infused A-yeon with Cold Ice True Qi, he naturally shouldn't be capable of wielding Searing Yang Qi.
"Impossible."
Yet Elder Nun Neung-in smiled faintly.
"Haven't you cultivated a mental method that allows you to wield both Yin-Yang Qi?"
"What nonsense is that?"
When Bu Eun-seol feigned ignorance, she replied calmly,
"During your clash with the Head of Still Heart Courtyard earlier, didn't you use ordinary Internal Power rather than Cold Ice True Qi?"
If Bu Eun-seol insisted he only knew the Ice Art, he should have drawn upon Cold Ice True Qi when confronting Ok Yu-ha as well.
Yet he had simply channeled ordinary Internal Power to use his fist power.
Having witnessed this, Elder Nun Neung-in had discerned that Bu Eun-seol possessed a mental method enabling him to wield both polarities.
'Impressive.'
Bu Eun-seol gave an almost imperceptible nod.
'In that case...'
Just as the thoughts swirling in his mind were reaching their conclusion—
"Until we determine A-yeon's condition, could you remain at our pavilion for a while?"
Elder Nun Neung-in spoke again.
"This humble nun makes this request of you."
As the elderly nun approached and bowed so deeply her aged frame nearly touched the floor, Bu Eun-seol released a heavy sigh.
'Wasn't saving her the reason I came all this way anyway?'
Rustle.
At that moment, hurried footsteps sounded as the entrance door swung open once more.
Ok Yu-ha stormed in, her eyes blazing with fury.
She marched straight to Bu Eun-seol and shouted again,
"You will take responsibility for this!"
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
Ok Yu-ha ground her teeth before hissing sharply,
"That girl is dying because of your Cold Ice True Qi!"
"Explain yourself calmly. What exactly do you mean?"
Just as Bu Eun-seol opened his mouth to respond—
"Limitless Mercy Buddha."
A middle-aged Daoist priest emerged behind her.
Though his body was gaunt, his eyes shone with childlike clarity, and his face bore a faint rosy glow.
This was Daoist Master Chung-hyeon, the Wudang Elder residing at Sword Pavilion.
Having exhausted his True Qi treating A-yeon, his complexion looked pallid, and thick beads of sweat continuously dripped from his forehead.
"Head of Still Heart Courtyard. Is this how you should berate a young man who performed a heroic deed?"
"Heroic? Isn't that girl dying precisely because he infused her with Cold Ice True Qi?"
"Head of Still Heart Courtyard. Had this young man not infused his Cold Ice True Qi, her meridians would have melted away long before reaching this place."
Daoist Master Chung-hyeon offered Bu Eun-seol a faint smile.
"Though unrelated to Sword Pavilion, this youth carefully placed her in a coffin and transported her thousands of li while continuously infusing her with his Qi."
Then, turning back to Ok Yu-ha, he sighed.
"That alone warrants Sword Pavilion kneeling in gratitude. How then can you shout at him like this?"
The Daoist Master's words were logical and reasonable.
Ok Yu-ha surely recognized this truth in her heart.
Yet whether due to her afflicted mind, what spilled from her lips were more unreasonable arguments.
"Our sect has always defended Murim. Isn't bringing our injured successor here the most natural duty?"
Choosing not to engage further with her obstinacy, Daoist Master Chung-hyeon addressed Bu Eun-seol instead.
"A-yeon had long been suffering from a faint Inner Demon. Exposure to the Mind-Seizing Art deepened that affliction until the damage manifested physically."
He calmly explained A-yeon's condition.
"With the Head's assistance, we assessed her Qi flow and first healed the physical damage. But your Ice Art runs too deep—we failed to fully restore her."
"You're saying my Ice Art relates to her condition?"
"A-yeon was born with a Yang Radiance Body containing extreme yang energy—the very foundation of her vitality."
Daoist Master Chung-hyeon sighed heavily.
"But when her bloodline neared freezing from that profound Ice Art, her yang flames were completely extinguished."
In short, while the Glacier Thousand Streams Art had prolonged her life, it now prevented her awakening.
"Yet all mental methods cultivated by Sword Pavilion disciples belong to the Profound Yin lineage—none can reignite her yang flames now."
The Daoist Master wiped his sweaty brow with his sleeve.
"This old Daoist has expended too much True Qi. I'll need forty-nine days of secluded meditation to recover."
His gaze grew earnest as he stared at Bu Eun-seol.
"If her yang flames aren't rekindled within days, she won't survive beyond four."
Bu Eun-seol fell silent.
Elder Nun Neung-in's prediction had struck true.
"Sword Pavilion has many masters. Why has only the Daoist Master wasted his Pure Cultivation Energy?"
To Bu Eun-seol's question, Daoist Master Chung-hyeon answered plainly,
"Let this old Daoist ask you—why did you travel thousands of li from Pyeongdo to Great Sword Mountain to save her?"
When Bu Eun-seol didn't immediately respond, the Daoist Master smiled gently.
"This old Daoist shares your heart."
Clasping his hands together, he continued,
"For the sake of our sect's honor and this old man's dignity, please infuse her with your Qi—"
His words broke off as he suddenly swayed unsteadily.
His True Qi had been depleted to such an extent that he no longer even had the strength to stand normally.
"Daoist Master."
As Elder Nun Neung-in and Ok Yu-ha rushed over, Daoist Master Chung-hyeon waved his hand dismissively.
"It's nothing serious. I only regret that this humble Daoist lacked the ability to save her."
He showed no concern for his own condition, worrying only about A-yeon.
Watching this, Bu Eun-seol suddenly recalled Song-ak, the Great Righteous Master of Wudang.
Song-ak was a man of remarkable purity—someone he had met around the same time as A-yeon.
Moreover, he was one of the rare individuals who had shown him kindness, transcending the divide between Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths.
'The people of Wudang are generally decent, it seems.'
Just then, Elder Nun Neung-in pointed at the disciples and snapped,
"What are you all standing around for? Escort the Daoist Master to Medicine Stone Courtyard at once!"
"Yes, yes!"
Only then did the disciples snap out of their daze, supporting the exhausted Daoist Master as they hurried outside.
"What exactly are you doing right now?"
Ok Yu-ha's eyes flared like axes as she shouted at Bu Eun-seol.
"If you've heard the situation, why aren't you treating A-yeon immediately?!"
'Truly beyond saving.'
A deep sigh escaped Bu Eun-seol.
No matter how youthful her appearance, Ok Yu-ha was a woman nearing sixty.
Yet here she was, throwing a tantrum like a child who couldn't distinguish heaven from earth? Bu Eun-seol was so far beyond anger that laughter nearly burst from him.
'Am I supposed to understand her mental illness too?'
Bu Eun-seol had no ties to Sword Pavilion whatsoever.
Even if Ok Yu-ha were stricken with a terminal illness rather than a mental one, he had no obligation to indulge her.
"Head of Still Heart Courtyard. Even in this situation, you dare spout such senseless words?"
"Wh-what did you say?"
Ignoring her reaction, Bu Eun-seol spoke in a stern voice.
"Even the Wudang Sect Leader disregarded his own well-being to prioritize another. How can someone who should be an elder of Sword Pavilion spew such deluded nonsense?"
"Deluded?"
Killing Intent swirled in Ok Yu-ha's pupils.
"You dare insult this lady—"
"Listen well!"
Bu Eun-seol's thunderous voice cut her off as he continued coldly.
"I will treat Lady A-yeon. But not because you're barking orders—because I refuse to let the Wudang Daoist Master's efforts go to waste."
"Do you truly believe you have the right to dictate terms to this lady?!"
Enraged, Ok Yu-ha struck out again.
Swish!
With a razor-sharp Sound of Breaking Air, her sword-finger strike shot toward Bu Eun-seol's throat once more.
But as if he had anticipated this very move, the Forgetful Shattering Together technique erupted from his left fist.
Boom!
A deafening explosion sent Ok Yu-ha staggering back.
Though he had only channeled thirty percent of his Internal Power, by preemptively seizing the sword's trajectory, he had dealt her a significant blow.
"At your age, if you still can't distinguish reason from impulse and attack recklessly, who would ever follow you sincerely?"
In that instant, an overwhelming aura—solemn and majestic enough to crush Mount Tai—radiated from Bu Eun-seol's entire body.
This was not the energy of some wandering rogue.
—Still incapable of discerning reason, are you? And you call yourself Sword Pavilion's future successor?
For a moment, Ok Yu-ha's ears seemed to ring with the voice of someone who had sternly reprimanded her decades ago.
"You..."
Her expression dazed, as if caught in a dream, she stared at Bu Eun-seol, whose presence now dominated the room like a force of nature.
His topknot and plain features gave no hint of grandeur, but his elongated, solemn eyes burned like a phoenix's, and his entire body exuded the majesty of a dragon.
That image overlapped with one buried deep in her heart—a man she could never forget, even in death.
The face of someone she loathed beyond measure, yet could never erase from memory—the peerless demonic swordsman of the Demonic Path...
"Bu Jan-yang."
'Bu Jan-yang?'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
Why had his grandfather's name suddenly leapt from her lips?
"Why didn't you keep your promise?"
Unconsciously, her body trembled as she spoke in a low voice.
Ok Yu-ha's gaze seemed fixed on some distant place, no longer seeing Bu Eun-seol at all.
"Why... why did you slaughter our sect's elders so ruthlessly—"
"Head of Still Heart Courtyard!"
Elder Nun Neung-in shouted sharply and slapped Ok Yu-ha across the face.
With a crisp crack, the elder nun sternly barked,
"Snap out of it!"
Jolted back to her senses, Ok Yu-ha looked around wildly.
"I was..."
Finally realizing her mistake, she whirled around and fled the room in haste.
An awkward silence lingered until Elder Nun Neung-in spoke to Bu Eun-seol.
"My apologies."
She stared at the door Ok Yu-ha had exited through, shaking her head slowly.
"Her illness has never been this severe before. To lose her composure and act so unreasonably..."
A bitter smile crossed her lips.
"This humble nun offers apologies on behalf of her discourtesy."
Bu Eun-seol seemed lost in thought for a moment before speaking.
"Seven Fingers Demonic Blade."
He locked eyes with Elder Nun Neung-in and asked pointedly,
"Did Head Ok Yu-ha's mental illness stem from the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-yang?"
The deduction was obvious.
In the past century, only one man had made the name "Bu Jan-yang" infamous throughout Murim—the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade himself.
"That's correct."
After a brief silence, Elder Nun Neung-in nodded.
"During her travels in the martial world, she suffered grave injuries while dealing with the Blood Sword of Northern Han. By chance, the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade happened upon the scene and saved her—or so she claimed."
Her brow furrowed deeply.
"As you know, men of the Demonic Path are cunning and treacherous. Most likely, he conspired with the Blood Sword of Northern Han to shake that child's mind."
Bu Eun-seol's lips twisted into a bitter smile.
"At that time, the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade Bu Jan-yang was no peerless demonic swordsman reigning supreme over the Demonic Path. Are you suggesting he schemed to manipulate the mind of Sword Pavilion's heir?"
"Our sect has always eradicated evil. Moreover, our sword techniques are the bane of the Demonic Path. He sought to destroy us before we could threaten him in the future."
Elder Nun Neung-in spoke with a voice heavy with regret.
"He used Director Ok, who was the successor at the time, to arrange a meeting with the Sword Pavilion's Seven Great Elders—and then slaughtered them all in a single, brutal stroke."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
"You're saying he murdered the Sword Pavilion's elders?"