Chapter 381
"For her to make such an expression!"
From a distance, Sim Wol watched, his eyes brimming with the glow of envy.
Jin Seol, who had always maintained an indifferent expression in front of him—speaking only when necessary and keeping her words curt—had never once changed her demeanor, not even during their engagement ceremony.
Yet now, merely locking eyes with someone, she couldn't control her emotions and was visibly shaken?
"Only until I obtain the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's martial arts!"
Sim Wol gritted his teeth.
From the beginning, he had been Jeok Bung's disciple, strategically entering the Myriad Learning Society to become the next successor of the Demon Hall.
The Myriad Learning Society was a place that interacted more closely with the high command than any other, overseeing various events within the Demon Hall.
If he could handle affairs here and leave a lasting impression on the leadership, wouldn't he secure an overwhelmingly advantageous position in the future struggle for succession?
—"We begin the Ten Demonic Heirs Plan."
But from this point onward, things spiraled out of control.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor had abruptly initiated the Ten Demonic Heirs Plan.
And wasn't he now pitting those selected through it against masters of the Greater Righteousness—and then further forcing them to compete with the contenders from the Demonic Path Ten Gates?
—"The Demonic Heavenly Emperor intends to choose his successor from either the Demonic Path Ten Gates or the Ten Demonic Heirs."
In the end, Jeok Bung, the Hall Master of the Elders' Hall, reached his conclusion.
—"Originally, I had planned to recommend you as a successor candidate... to make you the master of the Demon Hall. But that is no longer possible."
Both the Demonic Heavenly Emperor and the Elders' Hall Master had the authority to designate successor candidates.
Jeok Bung had initially intended to pit Sim Wol against the contenders from the Demonic Path Ten Gates, but he changed his plans.
Because of Bu Eun-seol.
The outcome of pitting Sim Wol against that unfathomable, once-in-a-generation prodigy was far too predictable.
—"From now on, practice winning the heart of Upper Blossom Jin."
Jeok Bung then revealed a great secret to him.
He shared astonishing information—that by marrying Jin Seol, Sim Wol could inherit the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's exclusive martial arts.
—"You expect me to steal a woman's heart just to become the Number One of the Demonic Path?"
When Sim Wol refused, Jeok Bung coldly replied:
—"Right now, it's unclear how things will unfold, but that disciple from Langya Pavilion will undoubtedly become the successor. His talent isn't merely limited to martial arts."
Jeok Bung could see at a glance that Bu Eun-seol was an extraordinary figure.
Though his bone and muscle structure was ordinary, he possessed an innate martial talent, an exceptional intellect, and even wisdom and insight rivaling that of someone over a hundred years old.
And in the end, just as Jeok Bung had predicted, Bu Eun-seol ascended to the position of successor.
Even without the support of the Demonic Path Ten Gates, wasn't he gradually establishing a stable framework for succession?
—"These contain every detail about Upper Blossom Jin's personality and inclinations."
Eventually, Jeok Bung handed Sim Wol a box filled with scrolls.
Inside were records of Jin Seol's favorite things, her food preferences, her preferred speech patterns and mannerisms—truly, every piece of information related to her.
"So he wants me to sell my body like a prostitute?"
Sim Wol clenched his teeth.
Wasn't what Jeok Bung was ordering him to do no different from the work of a male prostitute?
"No—I must do this."
But the moment he recalled Bu Eun-seol's face, his chest turned ice-cold.
No matter how hard he tried, he could never match his martial arts or intellect.
In the end, the only way to rise to the position of Number One of the Demonic Path was to obtain the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's martial arts—even if it meant resorting to such methods.
—"Under... stood."
In the end, Sim Wol took hold of the scroll.
From then on, he memorized the contents of that box hundreds, thousands of times.
Through grueling practice, he mastered the speech, posture, and atmosphere that would appeal to Jin Seol.
And finally, after winning her heart and even securing an engagement...
That greedy successor was now making advances toward a woman who was to become another man's wife.
A dark grudge seeped from Sim Wol's eyes as he clenched his jaw.
"If this is how it's going to be, then I, too, have no choice but to become a petty man."
In truth, Bu Eun-seol had merely greeted Jin Seol.
But to Sim Wol, blinded by jealousy, it looked like the act of a villain stealing another's lover.
"From now on, I'll use every means possible to mess with you!"
Sim Wol's eyes, consumed by envy, burned like an active volcano.
The Blood Demon, Jeok Bung.
Once a Great Demon who destroyed everything that displeased him, he had now grown considerably older.
As a result, he no longer involved himself in the affairs of the martial world and instead entered the Demon Hall—the concentrated might of the Demonic Path—as its highest-ranking elder.
And there, he wielded immense authority.
Authority.
It was more addictive and craved than even opium.
Jeok Bung exploited the subtle discord between the Demonic Path Ten Gates—who held tremendous influence in the Demonic Path—and the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, a superlative martial expert, to enjoy an unshakable position within the Demon Hall.
But now, circumstances had changed.
With the emergence of Bu Eun-seol, the successor of the Demon Hall, the once-impenetrable fortress of authority began to tremble.
Originally, Jeok Bung had maintained close ties with the leaders of the Demonic Path Ten Gates, acting as a mediator between them and the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
But once Bu Eun-seol appeared, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, as if having fulfilled all his duties, tossed the affairs of the Demon Hall to the Supreme Cult Commander and entered closed-door training.
And wasn't Bu Eun-seol now refusing to yield to the pressure of the Demonic Path Ten Gates, instead engaging in a battle of strength and gradually subduing them one by one?
With things unfolding this way, Jeok Bung found himself with nothing left to do.
And he instinctively realized that if Bu Eun-seol became the master of the Demon Hall, he would be relegated to the status of a forgotten old man in the back rooms.
"I chose the wrong disciple."
As Jeok Bung sat at the table sipping tea, a bloody light flickered in his eyes.
He already had three disciples, all of whom had risen to the positions he desired and were now assisting him in maintaining his authority.
And finally, he had taken on Sim Wol as his last disciple to crown that pinnacle.
Yet contrary to his expectations, Sim Wol had failed to achieve any remarkable feats—precisely because of the wall named Bu Eun-seol.
"So in the end, I must obtain the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's martial arts, is that it?"
In the past, Jeok Bung had believed himself undefeatable by anyone. There had even been a time when he prided himself as the greatest under heaven.
But upon meeting the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, that pride had crumbled.
He was an existence akin to a celestial wheel, a figure entirely unaffected by the "phenomena" Jeok Bung wielded.
In other words, he realized that as long as the Demonic Heavenly Emperor existed, he himself was only the number two.
"I've spoon-fed you this much—surely you'll do well from now on."
However, if Sim Wol were to marry Jin Seol, the situation would change.
What if he inherited the martial legacy of the Number One of the Demonic Path, who surpasses Jeok Bung himself?
Sim Wol's martial arts would then become equal to Bu Eun-seol's—or perhaps even surpass him.
The position of successor was one that could change at any moment. Hadn't Bu Eun-seol himself openly declared that he would accept a challenge from anyone?
If Sim Wol's martial arts surpassed his, and if he built a faction strong enough to oppose the Martial Soul Lord—
Sim Wol could seize Bu Eun-seol's position as successor in one swift move, and Jeok Bung himself would be able to grasp even greater authority.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door, followed by a low voice.
"Master, it is I."
It was Sim Wol's voice.
An unscheduled visit from his disciple.
Originally, Sim Wol had always referred to Jeok Bung as "Elder."
But ever since he began receiving instruction in the True Body Secret Studies, he had boldly started calling him "Master."
'He's grown quite a bit.'
"Enter."
Under normal circumstances, he would never have permitted an unannounced visit.
But now, he welcomed it gladly.
Soon enough, this disciple would inherit the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's legacy and become a treasure that would grant him immense power.
"Well?"
Jeok Bung lightly tapped the lid of his teacup as he spoke.
"Tell me, are the preparations proceeding smoothly?"
His tone feigned fatherly concern.
But as his voice reverberated within the room, Sim Wol felt as though his stomach were burning and his bones shrinking.
The Blood Demon, Jeok Bung.
This Great Demon, whose killing intent and martial arts had reached the very heavens, infused even a single spoken word with boundless internal power.
"That's..."
Seeing Sim Wol's troubled expression, Jeok Bung's eyes widened.
"What is the matter?"
Clink.
As Jeok Bung flicked the teacup lid, Sim Wol swallowed dryly before speaking.
"Bu Eun-seol. It's about him."
"Bu Eun-seol?"
The moment that name left Sim Wol's lips, Jeok Bung's face twisted in displeasure.
"What about him?"
"It seems he has set his sights on the woman who is to become my wife."
Jeok Bung narrowed his eyes.
"What do you mean by that?"
Though his voice grew quieter, the pressure intensified.
Sim Wol forced his stiffened body to straighten as he replied.
"Just moments ago, he met with Upper Blossom Jin. But whatever he did in that brief time, she seemed deeply shaken afterward."
Sim Wol clenched his fists.
"He may have used Voice Transmission to exchange words with her."
"Tch."
Jeok Bung let out a sigh, his expression full of disdain.
"Did I not tell you to hasten the royal marriage? Why have you been dragging your feet all this time?"
Under Jeok Bung's scolding, Sim Wol forced a smile.
"Winning her heart was no easy task."
"Surely even you, Master, are well aware of how cold her personality is?"
Hmph.
Jeok Bung snorted in dissatisfaction.
"That Martial Soul Lord brat hasn't lifted a finger, yet women line up to throw themselves at him..."
He left the rest unsaid, but Sim Wol understood the implication.
—And here my disciple has been employing every trick in the book to win a woman's favor, yet it still takes him so long.
That was what Jeok Bung meant.
Suppressing his humiliation, Sim Wol bowed his head.
"Have I not exerted every effort, as you commanded, to steal her heart? But—"
"Enough. Let us speak no more of this."
Jeok Bung coldly cut him off.
At that, fury surged in Sim Wol's downcast eyes.
Originally, the two had been very close.
Though young, Sim Wol possessed the talent to one day inherit everything from Jeok Bung.
But ever since Bu Eun-seol appeared, everything had changed.
—A lacking brat.
The disciple he had once been so proud of now seemed somehow inadequate, deficient.
Moreover, no matter how much time passed, there was not the slightest sign that Sim Wol could surpass Bu Eun-seol, who was merely a Ten Demon Hall member.
In the end, after much deliberation, Jeok Bung had devised a plan to use Jin Seol to make Sim Wol the Demonic Heavenly Emperor—
And now even that was being delayed.
—Miserly old man. Whose fault is it that things have come to this?
But Sim Wol, too, harbored grievances against Jeok Bung.
Though Jeok Bung had raised him into a strong martial artist, he had stubbornly refused to teach him the True Body Supreme Art.
The excuse was that Sim Wol's internal power was still insufficient to wield it—
But from Sim Wol's perspective, it seemed as though Jeok Bung was hoarding the True Body Secret Studies like a miser.
'If you had just taught me the True Body Martial Arts sooner, none of this would have happened!'
Sim Wol forcibly swallowed his rising fury.
After all, he had only recently been granted instruction in Jeok Bung's secret arts—partly due to his progress in handling matters concerning Jin Seol and partly because his internal power had grown.
But the Super Extreme Martial Arts required at least ten years of grueling training to master.
And so, even this belated instruction filled Sim Wol with deep resentment.
"Master, this is not a matter to be taken lightly."
Sim Wol forcibly suppressed his rising discontent and bowed his head once more.
"Bu Eun-seol—if that man were to discover her secret, wouldn't he interfere with our plans?"
"Interfere?"
"The martial arts of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor. If he were to learn of this truth..."
"Hmph."
Jeok Bung looked down at Sim Wol with an expression of utter disdain.
"You still don't understand him at all."
"Pardon?"
"If he were the kind of man who sought women to gain martial arts, he would have long since accepted my offer to join me."
Jeok Bung's gaze was as cold and still as an ancient glacier.
"That man is a true martial artist who pursues only the utmost limits of the Martial Way, without distraction. Even if he were to learn the truth of the secret manual, he wouldn't so much as bat an eye."
Jeok Bung was not a man who gave praise lightly.
Hadn't he merely said "not bad" when faced with Do Cheon-rin, the most talented successor among the Demonic Path Ten Gates?
Yet when it came to Bu Eun-seol, he spared no words of admiration.
And here he was, speaking so highly of him in front of his own disciple—his rival.
"Bu Eun-seol—even if he knows Jin Seol's secret, you still say so?"
"It's not a matter of if he knows—he already does."
Jeok Bung snorted derisively.
"He has already met with the Supreme Cult Commander. And he must have heard everything about Jin Seol, the Upper Blossom."
"You know him well. Better than I, your own disciple."
As Sim Wol clenched his fists, Jeok Bung spoke coldly.
"Haven't I always told you? To face an enemy, you must first understand them."
Sim Wol bit his lip.
Swallowing the flood of emotions rising within him, he spoke.
"Regardless, if he interferes, everything will be ruined."
"Is that what you call reasoning?"
A crimson light flickered in Jeok Bung's eyes.
"If you cannot overcome even this much on your own, then even if you obtain the martial arts of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor... you will never become the master of the Demon Hall."
Crack.
A sound like grinding bone escaped from Sim Wol's spine.
The overwhelming pressure radiating from Jeok Bung's voice forced his entire body to contort.
"I... understand."
Sim Wol bowed his head, biting the inside of his lip until blood welled.
Humiliation.
Every word from Jeok Bung was nothing but an unforgivable insult to him.
It wasn't as if the words were wrong—but from his perspective, they were nothing short of degrading.
"I will handle everything myself. Everything."
Creak.
Sim Wol straightened his bent body in an instant, clasped his hands together, then turned and strode out with rigid courtesy.
Jeok Bung watched him go, then shook his head.
"Wrong."
Originally, Sim Wol had not been a man of martial talent—but of deep wisdom and exceptional foresight.
Yet after everything was thwarted by Bu Eun-seol, he was losing both his brilliant intellect and his composure.
In the end, he was abandoning his own strengths, trying instead to emulate Bu Eun-seol.
"And yet... his internal power has more than doubled."
Normally, the boy wouldn't have been able to resist his pressure—he would have collapsed face-first.
But now, he had endured to the end without kneeling, then walked away?
"Judging by the look in his eyes, this power wasn't cultivated—it was absorbed from an external source."
Jeok Bung had already deduced that Sim Wol's sudden increase in strength came from consuming some kind of spirit medicine.
After all, Sim Wol was a disciple he had personally raised.
"At least his rapid progress in the True Realm is fortunate, but..."
Jeok Bung furrowed his brow.
If he didn't reach the Extreme Heaven Realm soon, even mastering the martial arts of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor would be meaningless.
The reason he had withheld the Divine Arts and Supreme Techniques from Sim Wol for so long was precisely because they could only be unleashed by someone who had reached at least the Extreme Heaven Realm.
Yet Sim Wol had broken through the barrier of the Transcendence Realm using power gained from an external source.
That was why he had finally passed on his secret arts—but even so, it was far from perfect.
"He wouldn't have secretly consumed something like the Supreme Spirit Immortal Fruit."
As Jeok Bung stroked his chin, a volcanic light flickered in his eyes.
Some thought had struck him.
"...No matter how I look at it, I raised this disciple wrong."
Clicking his tongue, Jeok Bung suppressed his rising anger and sat back down.
Then, slowly, he sipped the now-cold tea.
The fragrant aroma still lingered in his mouth—so why did the aftertaste taste so bitter?
Meanwhile, Bu Eun-seol had left the Demon Hall with the leaders of the Death Shadow War Unit, heading toward the banquet hall of Yeonghwa Inn.
It was both a farewell gathering for Squad Leader So Ja-myeong of the Kill-Seeking Unit and a rare opportunity for all the leaders to dine together.
Once the meal ended, Bu Eun-seol and the leaders stepped out of Yeonghwa Inn—though their faces were filled with reluctance.
"My Lord, a fine tavern has recently opened nearby."
At that moment, Won Se-mun spoke with an eager expression.
"How about we have another drink there?"
"You mean the Pavilion of Complete Joy?"
At Jo Nam-cheon's words, Won Se-mun nodded.
"Exactly. What do you say? There's no better place for a drink than the Pavilion of Complete Joy."
The front of the Pavilion was adorned with a beautiful garden and a small pond.
Surrounding it were pavilions where one could drink beneath the moonlight while admiring the scenery through the windows.
"That sounds acceptable."
When Bu Eun-seol nodded, Won Se-mun eagerly took the lead like a waiter.
"Come, come, follow me!"
Upon arriving at the Pavilion, the attendants guided Bu Eun-seol's party to the third floor.
Not only did it have the finest view, but the seating fee was so exorbitant that even wealthy merchants rarely ascended.
Yet as Bu Eun-seol and his companions reached the third floor, they saw a strikingly handsome man and a breathtaking beauty seated by the window.
Sim Wol and Jin Seol.