Chapter 354
"Master..."
A-yeon clasped her hands together and bowed her head deeply.
"Could you honestly tell me about what's happened up to now?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
A-yeon took a deep breath as she met Ok Yu-ha's uneasy gaze.
"I've heard that you... loved a man. That you could have ascended to the position of Pavilion Lord, but instead, you abandoned your dharma name and willingly lowered your status."
"Who told you such things?"
As Ok Yu-ha's eyes sharpened, A-yeon spoke cautiously.
"I... No—every disciple of the Sword Pavilion knows this."
"What?"
"That the choice you made was forced upon you by the Supreme Elder. That you were made to take the Bright Silver Divine Pill against your will... and that it only worsened the sickness in your heart."
The Bright Silver Divine Pill was a spiritual pill that forcibly chilled the body, mimicking the effects of the Cold Heart Art.
But taking it led to suffering from delusions and hallucinations, ultimately weakening one's mental power.
Ok Yu-ha's voice trembled as if struck by shock.
"Where in the world did you hear such things?"
"I happened to overhear the Medicine Stone Courtyard Master and the Immortal Flower Garden Master speaking of it."
Then she added one more thing.
"Not only that, but they also said it was wrong for the Supreme Elder to deliberately leave the position of Pavilion Lord vacant and unilaterally lead the Sword Pavilion."
"They said that?"
"There are no secrets in the Sword Pavilion, are there?"
A-yeon's words were no exaggeration.
The Sword Pavilion was situated in the secluded Great Sword Mountain, utterly detached from the secular world.
Any story that spread within its walls simply circled and recirculated within them.
After a moment of hesitation, A-yeon spoke honestly.
"To be frank... my inner demon arose for the same reason."
Silence fell.
As a deathly stillness settled, A-yeon regretted her confession.
Beyond the shame, she couldn't bear to see the look of deep disappointment on her master's face.
But an unexpected reply came.
"That you fell into an inner demon because of a man named Bu Eun-seol—that is something every disciple of the Sword Pavilion already knows."
"How did you—?"
"Are there not supposed to be secrets in the Sword Pavilion?"
Ok Yu-ha let out a dry chuckle before continuing calmly.
"You've occasionally called his name in your sleep."
A-yeon's face flushed red.
The things she had believed were her own secrets... had already been openly known.
"Do you love him?"
At Ok Yu-ha's blunt question, A-yeon's face burned even hotter.
"I don't know. It's just that whenever I close my eyes, his face appears."
Ok Yu-ha smiled faintly, a dry expression on her lips.
"What kind of man is he?"
"He's the heir of the Demon Hall. As the rumors say, he's extremely intelligent and his martial arts are formidable."
"Not that."
Ok Yu-ha's smile remained faint.
"Not what others say of him. Tell me what you felt."
For a moment, A-yeon's eyes wavered.
But under Ok Yu-ha's gaze, which seemed to understand everything, she lowered her head and spoke in a quiet voice.
"He seems like a child hiding deep sorrow in his heart. He looks at the world coldly, but... in truth, his heart is warm."
"How did you know that?"
"I just... don't know. It's simply how he seemed to me."
"That's how it usually is."
Ok Yu-ha let out a deep sigh.
"When you truly come to love someone, you see things in them that others cannot."
That, too, was her own experience.
"The man who moved this master's heart was a righteous and just man."
Then, staring into the empty air, she added:
"But his true nature was that of the Killing Star—a brutal Great Demon who slaughtered masters and spread poison throughout the Murim."
After taking a deep breath, she spoke with visible pain.
"He used this master to set a trap... and slaughtered the Sword Pavilion's elders in the most gruesome way."
A-yeon covered her mouth.
She had never imagined that her master, always so cold and composed, carried such a painful past.
"Unaware of the truth, this master begged him. To abandon everything, to leave the martial world with me... to live in hiding together."
Ok Yu-ha took another shuddering breath before continuing.
"I told him that if he would only do this, I would look only at him for the rest of my life... live only for him."
It was too shocking, too sorrowful.
That her master, always as cold as ice, had once made such a passionate, desperate plea—
And that the man she loved had used that very devotion to craft a vicious trap...
"But he deceived me to the end. The elders' true target was this master, unconscious and helpless. And he swore he would bring the evidence back to the Sword Pavilion."
Ok Yu-ha's eyes trembled uncontrollably.
"This foolish master believed his words yet again. That he was a man of his word, that he would surely find the evidence."
And once he brought that evidence, she would abandon both her Buddhist name and her status as Sword Pavilion's successor... to follow him."
Ok Yu-ha's voice shook violently as she stared into empty space.
"As time passed, I too grew older. But I feared... that if he returned, he might not recognize me."
Pausing briefly, Ok Yu-ha fixed her gaze on the void and spoke.
"So... I learned the Water Moon Palace's Green Bin Flower Moisture Great Method—a technique that sacrifices internal power to restore youth."
The reason the former Sword Empress's internal power had been so diminished.
It was because she had mastered the Water Moon Palace's mysterious great method, the Green Bin Flower Moisture Great Method, which traded internal power to maintain a youthful appearance.
Because she had believed—truly believed—that he would keep his promise and return... she had squandered even her lifeblood-like internal power to preserve her beauty.
"But he never came."
Ok Yu-ha's pupils trembled.
She had clung to that single promise.
For thirty years, she waited for him—the man who had slaughtered all the elders of the sect while her consciousness was lost.
Yet in the end, that faith had been betrayed.
And so, unable to endure it any longer, her heart had become diseased.
"I have never spoken of this to anyone in my life."
Ok Yu-ha sighed with a devastated expression before turning her gaze to A-yeon.
"Do you understand why I am telling you this?"
"I do not."
"It is so that you do not repeat this master's same mistake."
Ok Yu-ha was filled with regret.
She should never have trusted the words of a man from the Demonic Path.
She should not have acted on her emotions. She should have suppressed that tender affection and killed that man—the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade—when she had the chance.
"So that's what happened?"
Just then, a man's low voice came from beyond the door.
"Who is there?!"
As Ok Yu-ha shouted—
Creak.
The door opened, revealing a dark silhouette. It was Bu Eun-seol, disguised as Seol-so.
"You are—?"
"My apologies for eavesdropping. But this was something I had to hear."
When Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands together, Ok Yu-ha's expression twisted strangely.
"Something you had to hear?"
"The man Ok Headmaster spoke of—wasn't that the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-yang?"
Ok Yu-ha was not particularly surprised.
After all, she had previously shouted "Bu Jan-yang!"
The real question was why this man, who had pretended to leave Sword Pavilion, had hidden here and eavesdropped on their conversation.
"What does that have to do with you?"
"If I learn the truth, I might be able to resolve Ok Headmaster's grievances."
Bu Eun-seol had been tracking the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade Bu Jan-yang's whereabouts all along.
But upon discovering that Ok Yu-ha had a deep connection to him, he couldn't possibly leave without uncovering the truth.
That was why he had said he would treat A-yeon and leave, only to secretly infiltrate this place again and listen in on Ok Yu-ha and A-yeon's conversation.
This was possible not only because of his high martial prowess but, more importantly, thanks to the Langya Pavilion's supreme Body Movement Martial Art—the Ultimate Speed Shadowless.
"From what the Headmaster said, he killed the elders while you were unconscious... and claimed it was to save you. Is that correct?"
"Do you take me for a fool? Or do you think this Pavilion is a joke?"
Ok Yu-ha glared at Bu Eun-seol with icy eyes.
"I asked why you hid here and eavesdropped on this lady's words."
Once again, she referred to herself as "this lady."
As shame and fury surged within her, the sickness in her heart flared once more.
"I already told you. If I know the truth, I might be able to dispel Ok Headmaster's grievances and resentment—"
"If you keep spouting nonsense, I will sound the Bell Striking at once."
"Then I have no choice."
Bu Eun-seol drew a single dagger from his robes.
It was the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade's beloved weapon—Journey Path.
"That is—!"
"Will you speak to me now?"
"He... is he alive?"
Ok Yu-ha approached Bu Eun-seol with a trembling voice.
"Where... where is he?"
"Headmaster, calm yourself."
"Tell me! How in the world—"
"If you keep shouting like this, the other disciples will come rushing in, and I will have no choice but to leave."
Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly.
"And if that happens, Ok Headmaster will never learn the truth of that day."
Ok Yu-ha's body shook.
If Bu Eun-seol left now, she would never be able to resolve the resentment that had festered in her heart for thirty years.
"What are you trying to say?"
"Everything about the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade."
"Don't you know more about that?"
Bu Eun-seol answered with partial honesty.
"It is true that I inherited the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade's Ultimate Art. But even I am still searching for traces of his hidden past."
"This makes no sense."
"I saved the Ghost Sect's successor without conditions, and even now, I seek to resolve Headmaster's grievances. Can you not trust me on that alone?"
Bu Eun-seol had never pleaded with anyone before.
But in order to track down the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade's whereabouts—and to hear the truth about him from Ok Yu-ha—there was no other way.
After all, there was no method to force her lips open.
"Didn't you just say you would tell me the truth about the elder's death?"
At Ok Yu-ha's words, Bu Eun-seol suppressed a bitter smile.
"Correct. If you wish to know that first, I can start with the events of that day."
Ok Yu-ha quickly spoke.
"What I said earlier was all there was to it. When I arrived at Guan Shrine, where I was supposed to meet him, I felt a sharp sting in my back—then my pressure points were sealed."
She took a deep breath before continuing.
"When I opened my eyes again, nine corpses were gruesomely strewn across the shrine. They were the Nine Great Elders of our sect, who had secretly followed me, knowing I was meeting him."
Bu Eun-seol, deep in thought, asked:
"How were the Nine Great Elders lying when they fell?"
"Countless tiny holes riddled their entire bodies. He must have created hundreds of Blade Rings and slaughtered them all at once."
"And the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade—was he unharmed?"
"Far from it. He too was drenched in blood."
Ok Yu-ha spoke with pride.
"Our sect's sword techniques are the pinnacle of the Demonic Sword Arts, after all."
"I see."
Having heard everything, Bu Eun-seol finally grasped the hidden truth of that day.
"The Seven Fingers Demonic Blade indeed unleashed his technique to save you. And the Nine Great Elders, unable to evade it, were annihilated in a single strike."
"How can you prove that?"
Bu Eun-seol reached for the Ink Sword—but when A-yeon widened her eyes and stared intently, he instead extended his hand toward Ok Yu-ha.
"Lend me your sword for a moment."
"What are you talking about?"
"Just for a short while. I'll prove it immediately."
Ok Yu-ha frowned, but seeing the gravity in Bu Eun-seol's gaze, she drew the treasured sword from her waist and handed it to him.
"My thanks."
Gripping the sword, Bu Eun-seol channeled his Internal Power and spoke.
"Watch closely."
Then, he executed the Blade Essence of Life Returns to Death, the first form of the Bloody Tears Seven Forms.
Hundreds of Sword Rings began to rise beneath his feet.
Swish.
Bu Eun-seol effortlessly pierced through the hundreds of razor-sharp Sword Rings, sending one soaring toward the roof.
Whoosh.
It transformed into a streak of light, piercing through the ceiling and vanishing into the distant sky.
"As a Master of the sword, you should be able to discern the truth of that day just by witnessing this technique's foundation."
Watching the technique unfold, Ok Yu-ha trembled.
Even seeing it with her own eyes, she could scarcely believe it.
That man—who had always been a treacherous Great Demonic Person, yet whom she could never forget—had actually been... a righteous figure?
"He... truly only meant to save me?"
Though her Internal Power had waned, she was still a Master who had devoted her life to the Sword Dao.
In an instant, she grasped the profundity of the technique Bu Eun-seol had displayed.
If the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade had truly intended to kill the Nine Great Elders—why bother riddling their bodies with hundreds of holes? He could have simply severed their heads in one stroke.
But he hadn't.
That was why his own body had been torn apart by countless wounds from the Sword Rings.
"The Nine Great Elders bore the marks of Sword Rings piercing their entire bodies, and Bu Jan-yang too was drenched in blood. That was because he unleashed Life Returns to Death in an attempt to force the elders—who sought to kill you—to retreat."
Bu Eun-seol exhaled slowly.
"But before he could complete the technique, the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade stood firm within that storm of blades, covered in blood. He hoped, even then, that the Nine Great Elders would turn back."
Yet the elders pressed forward, determined to kill Ok Yu-ha, breaking through the Blade Rings—only to be annihilated by the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade.
"I can't understand."
Ok Yu-ha's eyes widened.
"Then why didn't he show me this technique? If he had, the false accusations would have been cleared immediately."
"He couldn't have."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was low.
"Had you learned the truth, you would have despised the Sword Pavilion and left at once. And that... was never the conclusion he wanted."
"Nonsense!"
Ok Yu-ha shook her head.
"Had he revealed the truth, I would have followed him without hesitation! How could that not be the conclusion he wanted?"
Bu Eun-seol fell silent.
—The Seven Fingers Demonic Blade wanted you to remain in the Sword Pavilion.
He conveyed that meaning only through his gaze.
To speak those words aloud would have been far too cruel to her.
"Had the truth come to light, you would have loathed the sect. He chose to bear the false accusations rather than tarnish the Sword Pavilion's honor."
"The Nine Great Elders..."
Ok Yu-ha's gaze dimmed once more.
"...Was that really it?"
At last, she understood the hidden truth.
At that time, the Sword Pavilion had implicitly stood at the forefront of the Orthodox Murim, surpassing even the Nine Great Sects and One Gang.
But when that successor fell for the Great Killing Star of the Demonic Path and tried to betray the sect... they would rather kill her to cleanly erase the scandal.
"Keeping me alive was also to properly raise the next successor, wasn't it?"
All the Elders except the highest-ranking Neung-in Elder Nun had died at once.
With that incident, most of the Sword Pavilion's martial arts were severed, so they had no choice but to spare Ok Yu-ha, who had inherited their teachings.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Tears streamed from Ok Yu-ha's eyes.
Even now, thirty years later, she had unraveled the whole truth—yet all that remained was disillusionment toward the sect.
"So he really didn't betray me after all."
The venomous hatred that had festered in her heart now melted into tears.
Deep down, she had known.
That he could never have been a cruel Great Demon. That there must have been some unavoidable reason.
That was why, all this time, she had been able to wait for the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-yang.
Collapsed on the floor, she stifled her sobs.
Swish.
Bu Eun-seol turned away.
There was no longer any need to question Ok Yu-ha about the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade.
She had loved him, and he had willingly become a villain for her sake.
What more was there to ask between them?
Creak.
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol's extrasensory perception detected a presence on the roof. It was an extremely faint biological reaction, as if someone was using the Turtle Breath Grand Art.
'Undoing what one tied...'
He smiled faintly instead.
Then slowly walked toward the exit.
"Are you leaving?"
At that moment, A-yeon—who had remained silent all this time—finally spoke.
"You were the one who saved me."
She had already realized the man who infused her with True Qi was Bu Eun-seol.
That overwhelming Internal Power, unimaginable for someone so young. And those eyes, burning with warrior spirit yet shadowed by profound sorrow.
A-yeon was glad.
The man she had kept in her heart... had traveled thousands of li to Great Sword Mountain to save her after she was struck down by the Black-and-White Witch.
And without hesitation, he had poured his energy into her, saving her life.
"Thank you. Truly."
Realizing she had seen through his disguise, Bu Eun-seol replied in his true voice.
"We've had our share of ties. I couldn't just pass by. Farewell."
Then he opened the door and vanished like the wind.
A-yeon's eyes were filled with conflicting feelings—both "unforgotten" and "delusion."
She ached for the departed Bu Eun-seol, yet couldn't grasp what she should do next.
"So that was him."
Ok Yu-ha, who had been weeping silently, steadied herself and rose.
Though her eyes were still red-rimmed, they now shone brilliantly—as if a long-festering wound had finally healed.
"I've been mistaken all this time."
At last, she realized her error.
If she had truly loved the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade, she shouldn't have waited for his promise.
She should have followed him without hesitation, faced every obstacle and hardship by his side.
Had she done so, he might have opened his heart to her—taken her hand and left the murim together.
But she hadn't, and so she lost the love she yearned for.
"Regret and resentment, once rooted, will haunt you for life as an Inner Demon."
Ok Yu-ha spoke calmly to A-yeon.
"Go to him. Speak your heart, so you'll have no regrets."
"...And save him."
"Save... him?"
Ok Yu-ha gazed into the distance and murmured,
"Now that I've shed the sickness that tormented me for so long, my senses have sharpened."
Then she looked at A-yeon.
"The Supreme Elder has been watching everything from the rooftop. That's why he left so quickly."
"the Abbess... was here?"
"Yes. Now that she knows he's the successor of the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade, she'll never let him leave peacefully."
"Why? He only saved my life!"
"Do you still not understand?"
Ok Yu-ha's face twisted in anguish.
"I loved a man of the Demonic Path and became a cripple. Now the same is happening to you—how could she stand by and watch?"
A-yeon's face paled.
The Supreme Elder, Neung-in Elder Nun, had lamented Ok Yu-ha's fate her entire life.
She would never allow history to repeat itself under her watch.
"The Supreme Elder will likely dispatch both the Flame Flower Team and the Lotus Flower Team to capture him."
These were the Sword Pavilion's elite disciples, trained to execute its supreme battle formation—the Void Extinction Martial Formation.
No matter how formidable Bu Eun-seol's martial arts were, he couldn't possibly face them all.
"Do you want to save him?"
"Of course... He saved my life. I must repay the debt."
After a deep breath, Ok Yu-ha spoke solemnly.
"Then you must make a choice."
"What choice?"
As A-yeon asked, Ok Yu-ha's voice grew grave.
"You know well—over half our sect's disciples are loyal to the Supreme Elder."
Then, with a pained sigh, she added:
"If you try to save that man... Sword Pavilion disciples will end up killing each other."