Chapter 398
Upon returning to the Demon Hall, Bu Eun-seol was busy handling various tasks that had piled up during his absence.
After meeting the Divine Calculator, Bu Eun-seol had gained a new goal. And to achieve it, he would have to leave the Demon Hall for a long time.
Moreover, around the same period, the assassin So-yo—who had left the White Rank Assassination Sect—and the child she had brought with her had entered the palace.
Before heading to Shaolin, he had sent a letter to Yu Un-ryong, instructing him to ensure So-yo and the child could safely enter the Demon Hall.
Upon receiving the letter, Yu Un-ryong immediately dispatched Won Se-mun, sending his squad into the martial world to escort So-yo and the child into the palace—coincidentally around the same time Bu Eun-seol had returned.
The child So-yo had brought looked strikingly similar to her, as if they were sisters, with an exceptionally adorable appearance.
The problem was that Yu Un-ryong had, of all people, entrusted So-yo's escort to Won Se-mun—the most reckless ruffian in the entire Demonic Path.
"Just what is your relationship with our Lord?"
It seemed Won Se-mun had grilled So-yo about this and that while bringing her to the Demon Hall.
And So-yo had given a "brief" answer—which ultimately led to disaster.
"Our Lord has brought in a daughter he had with Lady So-yo, intending to take responsibility for her for the rest of his life!"
According to Won Se-mun, Bu Eun-seol had been tormented by guilt over abandoning the child, and so he had finally brought So-yo and their daughter into the Demon Hall.
"Since when did a dog's mouth grow fangs?"
Naturally, the high-ranking officers of the Death Shadow War Unit didn't believe Won Se-mun's words.
But So-yo's manner of speech, her behavior, even her aura... Wasn't she the spitting image of Bu Eun-seol?
Though she was far too thin, her features were undeniably cute, and she carried the peculiar charm unique to the Semu people.
And the daughter she had brought looked exactly like her... Somehow, Won Se-mun's words were starting to sound convincing.
But the one person who remained completely unaware of this situation... was Bu Eun-seol himself.
As he moved around the Demon Hall to attend to his duties, he found himself subjected to strange gazes he had never encountered before.
These weren't the usual looks of reverence and awe—but something far more peculiar, as if the back of his neck was itching with unseen scrutiny.
Though puzzled, Bu Eun-seol dismissed it without much thought.
During his days as a vagrant, he had endured scorn. As an undertaker, he had faced disdain.
Now, as the successor, he received admiration and respect—but that, too, was fleeting.
He had never lived his life caring about others' gazes. No matter how people looked at him, he remained unfazed, walking with unshaken dignity.
But this time, such indifference was a mistake.
If the majority of people were staring at him strangely, he should have asked why.
Rustle, rustle.
While heading to his office to handle the backlog of work that had accumulated since his return—
Suddenly, the high-ranking officers of the Death Shadow War Unit (excluding Yu Un-ryong) swarmed toward him.
"What is the matter?"
At Bu Eun-seol's question, Myo Cheon-u—pushed forward by the others—cleared his throat and asked:
"Lady So-yo has entered the palace with a child."
"I am aware."
Receiving that indifferent reply, Myo Cheon-u steeled himself and cut straight to the point.
"Did you really say you'd take responsibility for life?"
He was referring to the responsibility for the child So-yo had brought.
The two were destined to be hunted by the White Rank Assassination Sect for the rest of their lives, and Bu Eun-seol had to bring So-yo into the Evil Soul Squad as a deputy commander.
But unfortunately...
Bu Eun-seol was not the type to explain things in meticulous detail, and he had far too much work piled up.
So, with an unconcerned expression, he simply nodded.
"That is correct."
A brief silence fell.
Myo Cheon-u and the other officers narrowed their eyes, then nodded solemnly.
Then, like bugs scattering in all directions, they dispersed just as quickly as they had arrived.
"It's a late decision, but a manly one."
Myo Cheon-u, who had been frozen stiff, finally regained his composure and thrust out his thumb.
"I support you."
Then he, too, quietly left.
The strange occurrences didn't end there.
"Lord."
While Bu Eun-seol was seated in his office reviewing letters, Dan So-ok—who had never visited him before—suddenly appeared.
Without preamble, she placed an envelope on his desk.
"A letter from Big Sister So-ha."
"So-ha?"
Only after opening the letter did Bu Eun-seol realize it was from Yeon So-ha, the Young Palace Lord of the Divine Maiden Palace.
"My husband is a hero of the world... Even if you take three wives and four concubines, I shall never resent you. However, if such matters arise in the future, please discuss them with me—your main wife—first."
As Bu Eun-seol read the letter, his expression was that of a man who had just discovered a giant fly floating in his soup.
"What in the world is this nonsense?"
"You went too far. No matter what, how could you treat such a sick child like that—"
Dan So-ok tried to say something more but shook her head instead.
"At least Father is away beyond the pass, so that's fortunate... But in any case, make sure this matter never leaks outside the Demon Hall. That's all."
Before Bu Eun-seol could respond, Dan So-ok swiftly exited the room.
Standing there dumbfounded, Bu Eun-seol furrowed his brow. What on earth was she talking about?
Knock knock.
Just then, Yu Un-ryong's voice came from behind the door, accompanied by knocking.
"It's Yu Un-ryong."
"Come in."
As the door opened, Yu Un-ryong appeared, clad in a gray-tinged Confucian robe, holding the hand of a small shadow beside him.
The child looked about seven years old.
She had doe-like, gentle eyes and an exceptionally pretty face.
But she seemed gravely ill—her complexion was deathly pale, and her skin had taken on a sickly dark hue.
If left untreated, her life appeared to be in imminent danger.
Bu Eun-seol instantly recognized that this was the child So-yo had brought.
"I've completed preparations for the treatment."
Yu Un-ryong spoke with an uncharacteristically tender expression.
"Lady So-yo and the leader of the Evil Soul Squad will arrive shortly with Myo Cheon-u."
Those two were both Transcendent Realm Masters with over two hundred years of internal energy.
Add Bu Eun-seol, So-yo, and Yu Un-ryong to the mix, and that made five Masters with at least three sixty-year cycles of internal power gathered in one place.
"If you're conducting the treatment in the prepared quarters, why bring her all the way here?"
"This child has been too weak to eat properly, so her stamina is severely depleted. What if she can't withstand the True Qi we're about to infuse?"
"That won't happen."
Bu Eun-seol replied calmly.
"I will direct the True Qi Guidance myself. I'll regulate the infusion so it doesn't strain her body—no need to worry."
"But what if something goes wrong? There's always a chance of mishap."
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
Yu Un-ryong smiled warmly and gently tugged the child forward.
"Hold her once."
"Why?"
"'Why?' How heartless can you be?"
Yu Un-ryong's voice trembled as if shocked.
"Can't you even do that much as her father?"
"Father?"
"Yes."
"Ah."
Only then did Bu Eun-seol understand everything.
He didn't need to ask for context. There was only one lunatic in the Death Shadow War Unit who would spout such nonsense.
"Won Se—no, where is that twin-sword bastard?"
Won Se-mun nearly became the first person in Death Shadow War Unit history to be imprisoned for running his mouth.
Dan So-ok, furious enough to see red, had tried to throw him into the prison using her authority as the Mistress of Secrets.
Had the other unit leaders not swarmed in to stomp and beat him senseless—
Had Dan So-ok's rage not subsided just enough—
He would've languished in prison for a long time.
"Let's begin."
Around the time Won Se-mun was lying battered in the Medicine King Faction—
The five gathered for the child So-yo had brought began infusing their internal energy, following the secret method provided by the Divine Calculator.
Though Jo Nam-cheon and Wi Cheon-gyeong weren't strictly necessary, they stood guard solemnly as Protectors upon hearing about the energy infusion.
"Done."
After an hour, they ceased the infusion, wiping their sweat with faint smiles.
The child's sickly dark skin had turned pale, and vitality radiated from her entire body.
The Greater Yin Severed Meridians that had threatened her life for so long had finally been cleansed away.
Afterward, at Bu Eun-seol's suggestion, So-yo became the Vice Chief of the Evil Soul Squad.
Her personality was composed and exceptionally perceptive. Not only that, she had mastered movement arts transcendent enough to shadow Bu Eun-seol undetected.
There was no one in the entire Murim more qualified to be the Vice Chief of the Evil Soul Squad than her.
However, the Evil Soul Squad was an unofficial, secret squad Bu Eun-seol had established.
Thus, she wasn't formally registered in the Demon Hall—only listed as a martial instructor in the Hidden Demon Pavilion, much like So-okrim.
As for the child So-yo had brought, she became an attendant assisting with menial tasks in the Hidden Demon Pavilion.
But that was merely a nominal position. Bu Eun-seol summoned renowned scholars and artists from the Demon Hall to teach her literature, arts, and martial techniques.
So that, if she wished, she could leave the Demon Hall at any time—to choose her own path in life.
Having cleared his backlog of duties, Bu Eun-seol convened another Lord's Meeting.
However, No Trace, the Chief of the Evil Soul Squad, and Vice Chief So-yo did not attend.
As members of a covert squad, they remained out of sight unless extraordinary circumstances demanded otherwise.
Especially for So-yo, extensive training was necessary.
The Evil Soul Squad Bu Eun-seol had established was fundamentally different from ordinary intelligence organizations.
Having spent her life beyond the frontier, So-yo needed to learn the political landscape of the Central Plains, along with the knowledge, military strategy, battle formations, and martial arts required to serve as vice chief of the Evil Soul Squad.
It would take a considerable amount of time.
Yet once So-yo completed all her training, she would become an immense asset to Bu Eun-seol.
Thud.
Won Se-mun, burdened by guilt toward Bu Eun-seol, had entered the conference hall and taken his seat earlier than usual.
As the Unit Leaders gathered, Bu Eun-seol calmly recounted the events he'd experienced.
"Contrary to common knowledge, the Divine Calculator was no mere sage of the murim."
He revealed that the Divine Calculator was deeply entangled in martial world politics—a figure powerful enough to manipulate even Shaolin, hailed as the foremost among the Nine Great Sects and One Gang.
More startlingly, Bu Eun-seol shared his deduction: there was a high probability the Divine Calculator held a dual identity as both the Martial Alliance Chief and Jeong Cheon-je, the supreme master of the Righteous Faction.
"Well, historically, leaders of orthodox and unorthodox factions always maintained secret identities," Yu Un-ryong remarked with a grave expression after hearing everything.
"But that very fact might be part of his scheme."
"Scheme?"
Beside him, Myo Cheon-u blinked. Yu Un-ryong's eyes sharpened as he explained:
"The Divine Calculator is renowned precisely for being the wisest, most knowledgeable figure in the murim."
"Naturally."
"Such a man would never carelessly leave traces allowing others to deduce he's the Martial Alliance Chief."
The assembled leaders nodded in unison.
The Divine Calculator was a figure capable of predicting every move Bu Eun-seol made within Shaolin. Would someone like him clumsily reveal clues about his identity?
If so, it was far more likely to be intentional misdirection.
"Of course, the probability remains high that he's among the highest echelons of the Righteous Faction's leadership," Yu Un-ryong continued.
"Setting aside how he immediately sent Gratitude Coins to the Namgung Clan to investigate the Artificial Internal Core incident—arbitrarily mobilizing Shaolin's covert operatives would require either supreme authority or an exceptionally close relationship with the Shaolin Abbot."
"Hmm."
Myo Cheon-u, arms crossed, shook his head.
"Terrifying when you think about it. Essentially, every orthodox and unorthodox sect is infiltrated by spies, and the murim's leaders have always treated this as normal."
The Unit Leaders nodded grimly in agreement.
This explained why neither the Demonic Heavenly Emperor nor the Martial Alliance Chief had reacted strongly when their embedded spies were exposed or when incidents like the Artificial Internal Core surfaced.
They'd already known all along.
Then Wi Cheon-gyeong, who had been listening silently, spoke with unusual solemnity:
"Then, my Lord—do you not suspect us?"
His razor-sharp gaze swept across the room.
"Couldn't there be turncoats among us—agents recruited by the Martial Alliance or those freaks?"
The question might have seemed absurd.
Yet given Bu Eun-seol's recent experiences, it was a perfectly valid concern.
Silence lingered.
Then Bu Eun-seol responded in a quiet yet ironclad voice:
"I don't suspect you."
Instantly, the eyes of every Unit Leader—including Wi Cheon-gyeong—rippled like disturbed water.
Bu Eun-seol was renowned for his ruthlessly cold, hyper-rational disposition.
For such a man to express unconditional, limitless trust in them—
How could they not be moved?
"You've all been outcasts your entire lives."
But their warm feelings evaporated instantly at his next words:
"No deranged faction would ever recruit the likes of you as spies."
The Death Shadow War Unit's unit leaders included Myo Cheon-u and Yu Un-ryong, Ten Demonic Heirs who had been shunned by their sects, as well as former Rootless Squad members mocked for their lack of lineage.
These were individuals uniformly rejected by their original sects, people who couldn't care less about murim politics.
No matter how wealthy or powerful an organization might be... only a fool would recruit rootless vagabonds as spies.
"Ahh..."
The Unit Leaders collectively exhaled in bitter indignation, finally understanding.
Bu Eun-seol's trust wasn't blind faith—it was grounded in irrefutable logic.
"Speaking of which," Jo Nam-cheon abruptly interjected, "shouldn't we name her?"
"That little girl Vice Chief So brought in, I mean."
The corners of the commanders' lips curved into smiles as they recalled the little girl So-yo had brought.
Even within the perpetually austere atmosphere of the Hidden Demon Pavilion, the mere presence of an innocent child serving as a maid was enough—
to brighten the gloomy mood of the Death Shadow War Unit's warriors.
It wasn't just her appearance. It was her aura, as if she embodied all the purity and adorableness in the world.
"Just like Vice Chief So, no one's given her a proper name yet, so we've just been calling her Momo or Susu."
Bu Eun-seol crossed his arms.
No matter how you looked at it, it was strange for a child affiliated with the Demon Hall to be called "what's-her-name."
At that moment, Myo Cheon-u turned to Yu Un-ryong.
"You're the Sanghak Unit Commander, aren't you? Why don't you come up with a good name for her?"
"Me?"
Yu Un-ryong hesitated briefly before shaking his head.
"How could I dare? Naturally, it should be our Death Shadow War Unit's leader who names her."
"If it were a martial technique, maybe. But names aren't my forte."
Silence fell over the meeting hall again at Bu Eun-seol's words.
Then Won Se-mun spoke up.
"Since Miss So-yo treats her like a little sister, why not give her the surname 'So'?"
"That's a good idea. And the given name?"
As Yu Un-ryong nodded, Won Se-mun stammered.
He hadn't thought that far ahead.
"Well... since she's been a bit sickly lately... how about 'Ok-rim,' meaning 'grow strong like Lord Guan'?"
Thwack!
"Hey, are you joking?"
Jo Nam-cheon smacked the back of Won Se-mun's head as he spoke.
"You can’t just use Instructor So’s name!"
"Tch, then you suggest something!"
"Hmm. Surname 'So,' and since her eyes are pretty... how about 'Ban'?"
"So Ban? Ugh, seriously?"
Thwack!
"Then how about 'So Nogo', meaning 'devote yourself to martial training'?"
Thwack!
"Or 'So Banggwan', meaning 'see the world broadly'!"
As Won Se-mun and Jo Nam-cheon took turns spouting nonsense and smacking each other's heads, the other commanders' expressions darkened further.
—No wonder the Lord trusts us.
Even if the Three Realms were fools who knew nothing of the world, they'd never recruit idiots like these as spies.
"We'll decide on a name later."
As the nonsense continued, Bu Eun-seol rose from his seat and cut them off.
"Then this meeting is adjourned."
After concluding the Lord's Meeting, Bu Eun-seol returned to his office.
But something felt off.
He stared blankly into the air for a moment before suddenly—like a thief searching for stolen goods—he began meticulously combing through every corner of the room.
He closed his eyes at times, crouched low to scrutinize the floor.
"Well made."
Muttering softly, he approached the bookshelf and turned a few volumes upside down.
Creak—
A section of the wall flipped over, revealing a hidden chamber.
Its ceiling and walls were lined with thick metal—once the door was closed, not even the most skilled master could eavesdrop on conversations inside.
"So? Do you like it?"
Inside the chamber, Yu Un-ryong stood with a faint smile, watching Bu Eun-seol.
"This time, I'm genuinely surprised."
Yu Un-ryong shrugged as he glanced around the hidden room.
"You asked me to build a secret chamber in your office before you even returned."
Earlier, while relaying information about So-yo, Bu Eun-seol had also given Yu Un-ryong another covert order—
to construct a sturdy, concealed chamber within his office.
And Yu Un-ryong had carried it out flawlessly, creating both the hidden passage connecting to the meeting hall and this secret room.
After all, in Bu Eun-seol's absence, Yu Un-ryong not only acted as his proxy in all major affairs—he also had unrestricted access to his office.
"Not bad."
As Bu Eun-seol nodded and stepped inside, the wall slid shut behind him with a heavy clunk.
"But in the end... there's someone suspicious among us, isn't there?"
Yu Un-ryong's voice was cautious, his expression shadowed.
"Among the Death Shadow War Unit's commanders, I mean."
A brief silence followed.
Bu Eun-seol exhaled deeply, his gaze fixed on empty air.
"For now, it's just a possibility. Nothing confirmed."
In the past, during Bu Eun-seol's visit to the Fire Rain Sword Sect, Wi Ji-hye-sang had asked:
—Have you found the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars yet?
At the time, that information was known only to the commanders Bu Eun-seol trusted most.
Back then, he'd assumed Wi Ji-hye-sang had stumbled upon it by chance—that it was just a ploy to sow discord among his subordinates.
But after this journey through the martial world, Bu Eun-seol realized it hadn't been mere wordplay.
Only he and his commanders had known about his solo mission to find the Divine Calculator.
Yet, as if lying in wait, hadn't the Murim Alliance and Jo Cheon-wang moved immediately in response?
—I trust them.
That was what Bu Eun-seol had told his commanders.
But it had been a lie.
In truth, he'd concluded there was a high probability—
that a spy lurked among them.