Chapter 383
Jin Seol, who held the position of Upper Blossom, had surprisingly many duties within the Demon Hall.
The Demon Hall, with its massive scale, had numerous events and ceremonies constantly scheduled.
And overseeing all of them fell solely on Jin Seol's shoulders.
"Place this over there. Since the Supreme Cult Commander's movement line passes through here, put this here. Position the guards in this direction. The noon sun will shine directly here..."
She managed event schedules and personally arranged all necessary equipment and personnel.
"That won't do. The Great Sea Saber that the newly appointed Bloodwind unit leader will receive weighs over roughly sixty-five pounds, so first-tier guards must be the ones to carry it."
It was also her responsibility to tailor the atmosphere to match the dignity of each event or ceremony, as well as to train the personnel assigned to them.
"Upper Blossom Jin."
As Jin Seol was giving various instructions to the martial artists, a young attendant approached and bowed her head.
"The Martial Soul Lord has summoned you."
"What did you say?"
"The Martial Soul Lord is looking for you."
Jin Seol frowned.
Why would Bu Eun-seol be looking for her? Could it be that he was coming to confront her about what had happened a few days ago?
"Escort the Lord to the Radiant Sun Pavilion—no, to the Snow Lotus Pavilion. I'll be there shortly."
"Understood."
After the attendant left, Jin Seol issued a few more instructions to the martial artists before making her way to the Snow Lotus Pavilion.
When she entered the reception hall, she found a breathtakingly handsome man sitting there with perfect composure. It was Bu Eun-seol.
"Upper Blossom Jin."
"Martial Soul Lord."
Jin Seol greeted him with respectful but stiff formality.
"What brings you here?"
"I came because I have something to ask you."
"Please, go ahead."
Taking a deep breath, Bu Eun-seol spoke with the utmost seriousness.
"Sim Wol. Is there no way you can part with him?"
The completely unexpected words made Jin Seol's expression harden.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Exactly what I said."
Bu Eun-seol's tone was deadly serious.
"I'm asking if you can't leave him."
"Why should I have to?"
Then, words she could never have imagined hearing began to seep into Jin Seol's ears.
"He has colluded with an outside faction. Not only that, he has mercilessly slaughtered innocent civilians."
The shock was so great that Jin Seol's thoughts momentarily froze.
"He slaughtered civilians? Him?"
"That's right."
Bu Eun-seol's expression remained grave.
"He is the Shadowless Killing Ghost."
The successive shocking revelations made Jin Seol feel as though someone were strangling her.
She tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come out properly.
"Your joke has gone too far."
After a long pause, Jin Seol spoke in an icy, detached voice.
"You're saying that man, who couldn't even kill a fly properly, is the Shadowless Killing Ghost?"
She shook her head.
"You may be the Martial Soul Lord, but I've been in the Demon Hall far longer than you. And I've known him for quite some time."
"If he had such ruthless tendencies, he wouldn't be in the Myriad Learning Society—he would have already become the successor of the Demon Hall."
"I acknowledge that."
The reason Sim Wol had never gained Jeok Bung's recognition was that he lacked the killing intent—the most essential quality for a member of the Demonic Path.
If he had possessed the ruthless killing intent necessary to slaughter civilians?
From the very beginning, he would have mastered Jeok Bung's martial arts and risen as a candidate for succession.
"But it's the truth. And he has consumed an Internal Core that amplifies internal power and killing intent."
'An Internal Core that amplifies internal power and killing intent?'
She had never even heard of such a thing existing in the martial world, not even as a joke.
But Bu Eun-seol wasn't the type to jest, so it must truly exist.
For a moment, a storm of emotions raged within Jin Seol.
"You're saying you have proof."
"I do."
"Then proceed as you see fit. Why come to me and say all this?"
Bu Eun-seol stared directly into her lake-like eyes.
"If every crime is laid bare, Upper Blossom Jin, you—as his fiancée—will share in the disgrace."
In the end, Bu Eun-seol was telling her this beforehand for her sake.
"You're being foolish, my Lord."
Jin Seol's voice was cold.
"Did it not occur to you that I might agree—only to secretly warn him of this?"
Since the two were engaged, it was possible she might tip him off.
But Bu Eun-seol shook his head firmly.
"Then I would have misjudged you."
Jin Seol could no longer maintain her composure, her body trembling faintly.
Because in that moment, she understood why Sim Wol had become a murderous fiend—why he had made such a choice.
The Martial Soul Lord, revered and admired by all young warriors of the Demonic Path.
Standing before that radiant Divine Being, anyone would seem insignificant in comparison.
'Not that I ever cared about such things.'
Jin Seol bit her lip.
She had never intended to marry some hero worshiped by the masses.
Her choice of Sim Wol over Bu Eun-seol hadn't been made thoughtlessly.
She had believed that with a man so tenderly understanding of her heart—so considerate—she could surely find happiness.
"Is there no way you can forgive him?"
Jin Seol's voice was filled with a desperation she had never shown before.
"He did it because he loved me too much. That's why he was jealous of you..."
At those words, Bu Eun-seol let out a deep sigh and shook his head.
"Had that been the case, this Lord would never have told you to part ways with him."
"W-what do you mean by that?"
"If his intentions had been pure—no, if it had been at least out of a desire to grow stronger... he would never have told you to leave him, Young Lady Jin."
"What are you saying? He—"
But for some reason, her voice faltered, unable to continue.
As if waiting for this moment, Bu Eun-seol's dagger-like words pierced deep into her heart.
"According to my investigations, he approached you under direct orders from the Elders' Hall Lord."
In the end, it meant Sim Wol had not loved her—he had loved the conditions she possessed.
Jin Seol bit her lip.
'He speaks as if he knows everything in the world.'
For a moment, defiance flared within her.
"Will you grant me a few days?"
"I can give you all the time you need, but..."
Bu Eun-seol hesitated before speaking again.
"Do not attempt to decide anything on your own from this point onward."
"What do you mean?"
"You are an exceptional woman, but you still do not understand the ways of the world. Especially when it comes to Sim Wol—"
"I understand. I'll do as you say."
Jin Seol cut him off coldly.
"But give me those few days. And in that time, Lord, you must simply watch and do nothing. Can you promise me that?"
After a brief pause, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"Very well."
Then, with his hands clasped behind his back, he turned and left.
Jin Seol watched his retreating figure calmly before biting her lip again.
'He'll just assume his judgment is correct, no matter what. He always has.'
It irked her that Bu Eun-seol had so casually passed judgment on Sim Wol.
His extraordinary intellect sometimes bordered on arrogance and self-righteousness.
'I'll show you that even you can be wrong.'
Even if everything had been orchestrated by Jeok Bung... surely, in the end, Sim Wol had truly loved her.
And if all of it had been false? Jin Seol was certain she would have known.
Resolved, she turned on her heel.
To uncover the truth about Sim Wol.
She headed toward a certain hall—one she had never visited before, where a certain figure resided.
At the same time, in a secret chamber of the Myriad Erudition Hall.
"So it was because of him after all."
Sim Wol trembled with rage.
After slaughtering a group of commoners, his mood had improved, and the killing intent surging through his body had nearly dissipated.
He had been ready to resume his affectionate advances toward Jin Seol—
But suddenly, she was avoiding him, using illness as an excuse to refuse his visits.
Now, even the mere thought of Bu Eun-seol's face made his fury surge.
Thanks to nearly melting the artificial Internal Core within him, his internal power had more than doubled.
And with it, he could now freely wield Jeok Bung's martial arts—ones he had never been able to use before.
'With this level of martial arts, I could definitely kill him.'
Yet it frustrated him beyond measure.
Though he had slaughtered martial artists and commoners alike, refining much of the Internal Core within him and greatly enhancing his martial prowess—
He still couldn't strike Bu Eun-seol down directly.
'No choice, then.'
As his rage reached its peak, the urge to kill rose once more.
The stronger his martial arts grew, the less satisfying it felt to merely burn down small villages.
"I'll wipe them out. Every last one."
By coincidence, Baek Jeon-cheon had left Beyond the Pass on business, and all the intelligence networks of the Myriad Erudition Hall were now under his control.
"A women's sect. I'll destroy a women's sect."
He wanted to slaughter martial artists who were women.
To be precise, he wanted to brutally massacre women who resembled Jin Seol.
Thud. Thud.
Entering the Myriad Learning Society's secret chamber where all intelligence of the Demon Hall was gathered, he searched for the records detailing the movements and factions of the martial world.
'That one will do.'
His gaze settled on none other than—the Clear Fragrance Sect.
A long-standing women's sect renowned for its exceptional sword techniques and movement arts.
However, having failed to produce any outstanding disciples, it was treated as little more than a second-rate faction in the martial world.
Moreover, fitting for a sect composed of women, its headquarters were located far from Chengdu—making it the perfect target for a quiet massacre.
'Baek Jeon-cheon will return soon, so I should make the most of this...'
Sim Wol licked his dry lips with a crimson tongue.
Once Baek Jeon-cheon returned, he wouldn't be able to run amok like this.
This was his last chance to indulge his bloodlust freely.
The Clear Fragrance Sect was nestled deep within the valleys of Great South Mountain.
Its founder, Wol Ha-ryeong, had originally been a disciple of the Jade Pool Immortal Palace.
But rather than cultivating the Dao, she had preferred wandering the martial world as a wandering knight-errant. As she grew older, she retired to Great South Mountain.
Settling in Clear Fragrance Valley, she created a sword art inspired by the breathtaking scenery.
By chance, young maidens passing by became her disciples, learning her techniques.
That was said to be the origin of the Clear Fragrance Sect.
Yet, unfortunately, the sect had never found a disciple capable of fully mastering its extraordinary sword techniques.
Though it had continued accepting disciples generation after generation, the Clear Fragrance Sect had ultimately become just another second-rate faction in the martial world.
Whoosh.
The shadow that had sliced through the night air stood tall at the cliff's edge overlooking the Clear Fragrance Sect.
Clad entirely in black night-robes with a face veil, the figure's eyes were clear and sharp—yet their pupils were bloodshot, radiating an indescribably sinister energy.
It was Sim Wol.
"Such a peaceful place."
As he gazed down at the Clear Fragrance Sect, a searing killing intent bloomed in his eyes.
A murderous heart, burst open by jealousy and rage. This was his chance to vent it all—to purge himself before returning to cold composure.
Until he married Jin Seol and obtained the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's martial arts, he had to suppress his true nature and bloodlust.
Fwip.
Sim Wol's shadow, having cleaved through the night, stood abruptly before the sect's great gate.
"Who goes there?"
Two Clear Fragrance Sect disciples guarding the gate suddenly moved to block him.
"At this late hour, what business—"
But their words never finished.
Crunch.
As Sim Wol slowly raised his right arm, the sound of snapping bones mingled with a rising crimson mist.
Simultaneously, the two disciples' bodies began crumpling like discarded toys.
Heaven-Shattering Yin Wheel.
The true martial art of the Blood Demon Jeok Bung—unstoppable, unblockable—unfolded from his hand.
Squelch.
An invisible, transparent force stretched out and flattened the disciples' flesh-and-bone bodies like paper in an instant.
Thud. Thud.
As Sim Wol stepped past the gate,
"Who's there?"
Another disciple spotted him and shouted.
Splurch.
But instead of answering, Sim Wol extended his hand—
SPLAT!
A crushing force exploded through the disciple's body, spraying blood in all directions as—
Plop.
A mangled, gory mass of flesh and blood splattered onto the ground.
It was said that when Jeok Bung struck, all enemies before him simply vanished—
Leaving behind only fine sprays of blood, like foam on waves.
The overwhelming force crushed human bodies so thoroughly that almost no byproducts remained—just a mist of blood.
"Still far from mastery."
Sim Wol gazed regretfully at the pulped remains.
Had Jeok Bung acted, the sheer pressure would've left nothing but those blood sprays—no mangled flesh at all.
"Can't expect too much from the first attempt."
A faint smile touched his lips.
This was a martial art he hadn't dared use before consuming the Internal Core. With time, he'd refine it further.
And once he mastered the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's techniques... he could surpass even the greatest demons—perhaps even the greatest in the world.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Suddenly, alarm bells clanged wildly as—
"Intruder!"
Dozens of disciples, swords drawn, poured into the courtyard from all sides.
The sect's standby forces had mobilized at once.
"Good."
Sim Wol's smile deepened at the sight.
Huumm.
As he channeled the immense Internal Power surging through his meridians into both palms, the thickening force became visible in the air.
Jeok Bung's secret martial art.
Outwardly, it seemed like brute force—
But in truth, it wielded profound principles, generating overwhelming might from the tiniest exertion.
He was using only three-tenths of his power.
Yet it effortlessly reduced the charging disciples of the Clear Fragrance Sect to bloody pulp.
Plop. Plop. Plop.
Twenty-odd disciples became gory heaps in less time than it took half an incense stick to burn.
Creeak.
Then, far ahead, a hall door slid open—
An elderly man in white robes emerged, followed by dozens of disciples.
Though his hair was white, his eyes brimmed with vitality, and an aura like a drawn sword radiated from him.
Baek Su-su, Sect Leader of the Clear Fragrance Sect.
"What grudge do you bear against us to commit such slaughter?!"
As Baek Su-su roared at the carnage, Sim Wol's eyes curved into crescents.
"Since when does killing need a reason?"
"What—?!"
"If I had to name one... it's that you made my murderous intent arise."
Sim Wol's eyes now burned crimson, his voice splitting into something dark and guttural.
Jeok Bung's martial arts were the cruelest, most destructive of the demonic path.
Like the Killing Sword, they required immense killing intent—and the deeper one trained, the more brutal the mind became.
Before reaching the Extreme Demon Realm, Jeok Bung himself couldn't sleep without daily bloodshed.
And Sim Wol had also consumed an Artificial Inner Elixir—one that fused into his body, amplifying savagery.
In sheer cruelty and ferocity, he now surpassed even Jeok Bung in his prime.
"I am the Shadowless Killing Ghost."
"So you're the demon!"
Sim Wol burst into laughter at Baek Su-su's cry.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
He liked the word "demon."
A being of pure malice and cruelty, capable of destroying anything—that was a demon.
"Shall we begin?"
Just as Sim Wol prepared to unleash carnage—
"That's enough."
Whoosh.
With the sound of splitting air, a woman in light attire descended beside Baek Su-su.
Her frozen eyes seemed to swirl with blizzards, and an unapproachable light enveloped her.
Jin Seol had arrived.