Chapter 407
"Haa."
Bu Eun-seol inhaled deeply as he stepped out of the Sacred Guard Pavilion.
Until now, he had encountered masters who stood at the pinnacle of the martial world and had witnessed their martial prowess firsthand.
The Sacred Sword, Baekri Mu-jo.
But he was different from all the other experts Bu Eun-seol had met before.
Not because of overwhelming martial might or extraordinary phenomena, but because of a unique quality inherent to the man himself.
Harmonious Qi (Harmonious Qi).
It referred to the harmonized energy between heaven and earth—an aura typically seen only in those who had attained a Dharma Body, like a Buddha who had reached enlightenment through prolonged ascetic practice.
Yet Baekri Mu-jo carried no flaws that a human ought to possess.
Instead, he embodied perfect Harmonious Qi, the energy of harmony between heaven and earth.
'As a department head in the Martial Alliance, it's unlikely he underwent ascetic training. Then does that mean he has never once experienced failure or setback in his life?'
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
His grandfather, Bu Jan-yang, had once said that humans were beings capable of growth precisely because they were imperfect.
—But what if someone appeared who had never failed even once since birth?
When Bu Eun-seol had asked that, his grandfather had answered:
—If someone has never experienced failure or setback even once, then they are nothing less than a Divine Being bestowed by the heavens. Naturally, they would be cloaked in the harmonized energy between heaven and earth.
But Bu Jan-yang had been adamant.
—However, such a thing is impossible. Because a perfect human cannot exist.
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
If his grandfather's words were accurate, then Baekri Mu-jo was either a true Divine Being sent by the heavens... or he was manifesting a false Harmonious Qi.
"Whatever the case, the martial world is vast."
Even after successively defeating the Beggar King, the Illusion King, the Descendant of the Flame Emperor, and No Bong, the Descendant of the Blood Emperor, Bu Eun-seol had been confident that he could face any master in the martial world in a life-or-death battle.
But after meeting Wi Ji-mua and the Divine Calculator, he realized just how far he still had to go.
And now, having encountered Baekri Mu-jo...
He understood that the martial world's strongest could not be defined by martial prowess alone. There was something more to them.
"At least one thing is certain—the power Baekri Mu-jo displayed wasn't a 'phenomenon' arising from the Martial Extreme Realm."
Most likely, Baekri Mu-jo had personally arranged not just the furnishings in the reception hall but the placement of every object within the entire pavilion.
Perhaps the pavilion itself had even been constructed under his direction.
Every trace left inside and outside the building meticulously revealed Baekri Mu-jo's martial arts and disposition—his pursuit of harmony.
And that 'harmony' was not a 'phenomenon' manifested upon reaching the Martial Extreme Realm... but rather a result of his nature—so refined and close to Perfect Return to Origin that he was called the Sacred Sword.
—There are still many superlative martial experts in the martial world you know nothing of. And there are martial arts that transcend even the stages one must inevitably pass through.
The words Cheon Un-gwang had spoken when teaching him the Nine Dragons Flashing Thunder resurfaced in his mind.
At the time, he had thought it was merely a metaphor referring to the descendants of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars... but looking back, it seemed more like a reference to the characteristics of hidden superlative experts in the martial world.
'Martial arts that transcend even the necessary stages of cultivation.'
Perhaps Baekri Mu-jo had also mastered such martial arts.
If that were the case...
Then Baekri Mu-jo, too, had to be considered a suspect in his grandfather's murder—someone who needed to be thoroughly investigated the moment he gained authority.
"I don't like the thought."
Bu Eun-seol smiled bitterly.
He didn't know what kind of person Baekri Mu-jo was, but he felt no hostility from him.
To be more precise, the man evoked an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
Almost like... So-yo.
"What am I even thinking?"
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
The one who killed his grandfather could be wearing any mask. He could never judge someone based on something as vague as an inexplicable 'sense of familiarity'.
The Martial Alliance, given its vast scale, held numerous conferences.
There was the Great Council, convened by the Alliance Leader and attended by the highest echelons of the Martial Alliance, including the Elders' Hall Master and the Hall Masters.
The Longevity Conference, where only elders and senior council members gathered.
The Chief Department Heads Conference, convened by a Hall Master or the Chief Strategist and attended by all department heads.
And the Regional Department Heads Conference, where hall-level officials summoned the heads of relevant departments to discuss major and minor affairs.
Martial Alliance, Hall of Ascending Martial.
Here, under the supervision of the Hall Master Yuk Jang-cheon, a Regional Department Heads Conference was being held.
But the atmosphere in the conference room was strange.
The attending department heads kept frowning and glancing toward one corner of the room.
There sat the newly appointed leader of the Pinnacle Squad, a third-grade unit under the Sacred Guard Division—Seon-u Jin.
—Even so, to allow the leader of a newly established third-grade unit to attend a Regional Department Heads Conference...
Of course, they were well aware that the Pinnacle Squad's affiliation was in limbo.
It was a pitiable situation, yet they still looked down on him. They disapproved of the fact that someone from a merchant background had risen to become the Pinnacle Squad's leader.
"No matter how you look at it, he doesn't seem like a Master capable of surpassing Cheon Hwa-in, one of our Great Righteous Experts."
The Hall Leaders had only heard stories about how he had been selected as a Commander.
Moreover, the qi emanating from his body was utterly ordinary, and his frame was far too slender.
—Could he have bought his position with money?
Because he had transformed the temporary barracks in the northern bamboo forest into an extravagant manor, such suspicions were gaining credibility.
And there was a second reason.
Even though he belonged under the Star Guard Corps Leader's jurisdiction, the very fact that he had to attend the Regional Department Heads Conference of the Hall of Martial Ascension to receive his assignments was distasteful.
A Third-grade Commander of the Star Guard Corps attending a conference meant only for Hall Leaders under the Hall of Martial Ascension... There was no way this could be viewed favorably.
"Ahem."
Several Hall Leaders made no effort to hide their discomfort, letting out dissatisfied, pointed coughs.
Yet Bu Eun-seol sat there impassively, as if he hadn't noticed anything.
Truthfully, this wasn't his first conference.
So far, Bu Eun-seol had attended three Regional Department Heads Conferences—and all three times, he had simply sat there like an empty sack of barley.
'Unexpectedly, things are turning out to be difficult.'
Bu Eun-seol wore a bitter smile.
The Martial Alliance was a place where background and connections mattered above all else, and where subtle power struggles between the old and new generations played out.
In the eyes of the younger faction, the Pinnacle Squad was a unit created by the old guard, so they had no intention of embracing him warmly.
"The final agenda item," announced Yuk Cheong-a, Hall Leader of the Yeonseong Hall, in a quiet voice.
"Recently, there have been a series of thefts occurring in our Western River Branch and Huixian Branch, among others."
"Thefts, you say?"
Yang Baek-mun, Hall Leader of the Eightfold Hall seated across from her, furrowed his brow.
"Is that Thousand-Face Divine Thief up to his tricks again?"
Until now, the only bold thief who had ever dared to rob Martial Alliance branches was Yu Cheong-rim, known as the Thousand-Face Divine Thief.
Rumors had spread far and wide about how he used his ability to instantly alter his appearance to plunder not just the Martial Alliance but even the Imperial Palace's treasuries.
"Most likely not," Yuk Cheong-a replied firmly.
"The Fire Essence Stones stored in the weapon warehouses of each branch were stolen."
"Fire Essence Stones?"
The Hall Leaders frowned in bewilderment.
Fire Essence Stones were used to instantly produce intense flames—either for cremating bodies or for strategic large-scale fires.
But to infiltrate a Martial Alliance branch with great difficulty just to steal Fire Essence Stones?
"Why in the world would someone steal Fire Essence Stones?"
At Yang Baek-mun's question, Yuk Cheong-a answered quietly,
"It may not be unrelated to the recent murders of vagrants."
Lately, across the Central Plains, there had been a string of incidents where large numbers of vagrants were burned to death.
At first, it was assumed to be mere accidents.
But it was later discovered that the burned vagrants had their blood circuits sealed before being set ablaze by Fire Essence Stones.
In other words, a murderer had emerged—one who deliberately burned vagrants alive.
And around the same time, Fire Essence Stones were stolen from Martial Alliance branches...
The two incidents were likely closely connected, if not the work of the same individual.
"Isn't that a matter for the Government Office to handle?"
At Yang Baek-mun's words, Yuk Cheong-a shook her head.
"If the thief who stole the Fire Essence Stones and the murderer burning vagrants alive are the same person, we can't simply leave it to the Government Office."
"Hmm..."
Yang Baek-mun let out a contemplative hum.
Regardless of anything else, a thief who dared to rob a Martial Alliance branch's warehouse had to be caught.
Not only would the Alliance's prestige suffer, but other bold criminals might imitate such acts.
"This is troublesome," Yang Baek-mun muttered, rubbing his forehead.
"Just because Fire Essence Stones were stolen from our branches... now we must mobilize the Alliance's elite martial artists to catch a petty thief?"
The other Hall Leaders nodded in agreement.
Not only did it seem beneath them, but uncovering the truth behind the vagrants' deaths would bring neither profit nor fame.
—If it were the Flower-Plucking Lecher, that would be a different story.
The evil deeds committed by the Flower-Plucking Lechers stirred public outrage.
Capturing them would earn considerable renown.
But catching a petty thief or an arsonist targeting vagrants... No one would even care.
"Is there no Hall willing to take on this case?"
Silence filled the room at Yuk Cheong-a's question.
Stepping forward to catch a petty thief would only be humiliating.
"There is a suitable candidate."
At that moment, Pung Jung-seon, Hall Leader of the Righteous Day Hall, pointed toward Bu Eun-seol sitting in the corner of the conference room.
"Wasn't the Pinnacle Squad created precisely for handling matters like this? I can think of no more fitting task."
The Hall Leaders chuckled and nodded in unison.
"What a perfect assignment."
"Doesn't this align perfectly with the original purpose of its establishment?"
Amidst the hall leaders' derisive murmurs, a low, solemn voice cut through.
"Peak Leader."
It was Yuk Jang-cheon, Hall Master of the Hall of Ascending Martial Arts, who spoke.
"Will you take responsibility for apprehending the perpetrator of this theft?"
"I will."
As Bu Eun-seol stepped forward without hesitation, the sneers curling the hall leaders' lips grew more pronounced.
"A commander of his standing eagerly accepting a mission to catch petty thieves—how unbecoming."
"He must be truly desperate."
Ignoring their whispers with visible effort, Yuk Jang-cheon pressed, "Are you certain?"
"I am."
Yuk Jang-cheon nodded. "Then the Peak Squad shall handle this matter."
With that, the Regional Department Heads Conference concluded.
Bu Eun-seol remained seated long after all the hall leaders had filed out of the conference room.
Click. Click.
Stepping calmly out of the Hall of Ascending Martial Arts, he spotted two figures standing side by side in the garden ahead, their heads bent close together—Yuk Jang-cheon and Yuk Cheong-a.
"Well then."
As Bu Eun-seol gave them a slight bow and turned to leave,
"Don't lose heart."
Yuk Jang-cheon's deep voice resonated in his ears.
"There will be no shortage of opportunities to distinguish yourself with greater missions."
Truthfully, such hopes were futile.
Any mission offering real merit would never be entrusted to the Peak Squad by the hall leaders.
Yet Yuk Jang-cheon recognized Bu Eun-seol's considerable martial prowess and strategic mind, believing wholeheartedly in his potential.
Hence his words—a wish for the young man not to be crushed by sneers and discrimination.
"My thanks."
Seeming to grasp Yuk Jang-cheon's goodwill, Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly and clasped his hands again.
"Then—"
"Commander Seon-u, please let me know if you require any assistance."
Yuk Cheong-a's eyes curved into crescents as she interjected brightly.
"Anytime at all."
"Understood."
With another light bow, Bu Eun-seol departed the hall.
'Even if I execute this mission flawlessly, they'll never willingly assign me another.'
The Peak Squad had been created solely to recruit Cheon Hwa-in, with Gu In-jeong at its core.
But with all plans unraveled and leadership falling to Bu Eun-seol—an outsider from the Upper Realm, no less, and not even a Mount Hua Sect disciple—the alliance had no intention of nurturing him.
From now on, and henceforth,
the missions allocated to the Peak Squad would remain trivial at best.
'Is this the difference between the Righteous and Demonic Paths?'
Unlike the Demon Hall, which valued strength and capability above all, the orthodox factions prioritized connections and patronage.
In organizations like the Martial Alliance—where high command actively promoted their own sects—no one survived on merit alone.
To climb higher?
One needed influential strings to pull.
—Anytime at all.
Now Bu Eun-seol understood why Yuk Cheong-a had spoken with such confidence.
As the youngest hall leader with Yuk Jang-cheon's formidable backing,
and having spent her entire childhood within the alliance, her network was undoubtedly vast.
Grasping her lifeline could provide the foothold he needed to ascend properly.
Click. Click.
Exiting the hall at a brisk pace, Bu Eun-seol headed north toward the Bamboo Forest near the northern gate.
"The mission has been assigned."
Peak Squad meeting chamber.
After gathering all unit members, Bu Eun-seol calmly relayed the details of their new task.
Tae Mu-ryong and Jeong Jong-do's faces darkened instantly—
they too immediately grasped the Peak Squad's, and Bu Eun-seol's, predicament.
"To assign such a mission... It seems high command has no intention of maintaining the Peak Squad's existence."
Tae Mu-ryong frowned deeply as he spoke.
"Even if we resolve this, the probability of receiving further assignments remains low."
An assessment that aligned perfectly with Bu Eun-seol's own thoughts.
Then Jeong Jong-do murmured meaningfully, "In that case, shouldn't we actually consider approaching Hall Leader Yuk?"
"Why would the commander need to seek out Hall Leader Yuk?"
When Tae Mu-ryong questioned him, Jeong Jong-do exhaled heavily and met Bu Eun-seol's gaze.
"She's an ambitious figure... She might be willing to nurture you, Commander."
Bu Eun-seol fell briefly into thought.
Truthfully, his position as a Martial Alliance commander was merely temporary.
Wouldn't leveraging Yuk Cheong-a to secure proper missions while rapidly ascending be a viable strategy?
'No. That path is unacceptable.'
After careful consideration, Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
Relying solely on connections to climb wasn't the answer.
To become core personnel in any organization, one's capabilities must be broadly recognized.
Moreover, if he exploited Yuk Cheong-a for convenience, wouldn't she too seek to use him in turn?
Moreover, it would be difficult to refuse the demands of someone who had helped him, and worse, he might end up becoming her puppet.
"All we need to do is slowly prove that this unit possesses exceptional capabilities."
Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly.
"It's simply that the opportunity hasn't come yet. There's no need to be impatient."
His voice and gaze were gentle, yet they had the power to sway hearts.
He had already led the Death Shadow War Unit through countless obstacles and trials.
Because of this, an aura capable of moving ten thousand people flowed naturally from him.
"This matter—I, the Great Leader, will personally take to the Rivers and Lakes to resolve."
Bu Eun-seol spoke composedly.
"As instructed until now, use the intelligence network of the Ten Thousand Reflections Hall to gather information, but maintain a system where you can contact me at any time."
The Ten Thousand Reflections Hall was the Martial Alliance's highest intelligence organization, similar to the Demon Hall's Secret Shadow Pavilion.
However, unlike the Secret Shadow Pavilion, which disclosed information only to select high-ranking officials, the Ten Thousand Reflections Hall provided intelligence to any martial artist affiliated with the Martial Alliance.
Of course, the level of information accessible varied depending on one's rank.
"From now on, this unit will become an Information Warfare Unit."
Until now, Bu Eun-seol had trained his elite unit not only in martial prowess but also in knowledge of the martial world's affairs—
And even in the secrets of how to sift and refine intelligence.
The unit members had felt puzzled but followed his orders faithfully without question.
And now, it turned out all of that had been to mold them into an Information Warfare Unit?
"But... is that really alright?"
Tae Mu-ryong asked with a worried expression.
He had guessed Bu Eun-seol's intentions in forming an Information Warfare Unit.
"The Great Leader will personally go out into the martial world, while we remain here merely sorting through information..."
"If martial force were needed, the Martial Alliance would have dispatched a combat unit without hesitation."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes gleamed with the light of wisdom.
"What the Alliance demands of me is, quite literally, to handle all major and minor affairs of the martial world. If I were to drag the entire unit around for such matters..."
He paused briefly, his expression resolute.
"...we would be seen as nothing more than a useless unit. A wasteful force that pointlessly herds its members around for trivial matters."
Then, in a firm yet composed voice, he continued.
"But if this unit becomes an Information Warfare Unit, the story changes."
Taking a deep breath, he surveyed the members before speaking.
"The entire unit will work together to analyze and refine intelligence gathered from the Ten Thousand Reflections Hall to resolve missions. Witnessing this process, no one would dare call the elite unit useless."
In the silent meeting hall of the elite unit, Bu Eun-seol's gentle yet powerful voice resonated once more.
"In other words, this unit will become something the Martial Alliance has never had before—an intelligence agency dedicated to handling all affairs of the martial world."
The members all wore dazed expressions.
—An intelligence agency... I see.
Not long ago, when the Beggars' Sect was sealed, the Martial Alliance and the other Righteous Sects had effectively lost one of their finest intelligence organizations.
With a gaping void left in the orthodox faction's intelligence network, the Martial Alliance had recruited a large number of intelligence operatives to fill the void.
But even so, it wasn't a situation where the shortage could be instantly resolved.
In other words, Bu Eun-seol had devised a way for the elite unit to survive—
In the deadly jungle that was the Martial Alliance, where one couldn't even compete without connections.
"I... I see."
Tae Mu-ryong spoke with the dazed expression of someone who had just woken from sleep.
"After all, the elite unit wasn't created out of necessity, but to handle matters that couldn't be resolved through martial force alone."
Jeong Jong-do nodded in agreement.
"The Great Leader intends to position the elite unit as a direct intelligence agency linking him to the Martial Alliance—ensuring swift mission resolution while emphasizing that every member is engaged in meaningful work."
Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly, pleased that Tae Mu-ryong and Jeong Jong-do had grasped his intentions perfectly.
"Precisely."
"But if that's the case, is there really a need for such grueling training as we've had until now?"
Jeong Jong-do asked again.
The training they had undergone so far wasn't merely that of an Information Warfare Unit—it had been even harsher than that of an Armed Brigade.
"Of course, for now, we are an Information Warfare Unit. But if martial force is required, we must be capable of becoming an Armed Brigade as well."
Bu Eun-seol answered without hesitation.
"In other words, this unit must become all-rounders. Only by becoming an indispensable, irreplaceable force within the Martial Alliance can we survive without relying on connections."
Bu Eun-seol was meticulously preparing a plan to survive in the Martial Alliance—a place rampant with favoritism and seniority—
Solely through sheer capability.
Thump-thump.
The members' hearts pounded.
Their blood surged wildly, their hearts threatening to burst.
—The Great Leader... is the real deal!
They could instinctively sense it.
With Bu Eun-seol's ability and wisdom, he would undoubtedly rise to the top.
The elite unit would not remain a mere force handling miscellaneous affairs of the martial world—
It would become a faction capable of overturning the martial world's landscape and swaying its tides.
"Can you do it?"
At Bu Eun-seol's gentle question—
—We pledge our loyalty!
As if in unison, the members clasped their hands together and shouted loudly.
Now, the elite unit was stretching its limbs. From this point on, it would have to leap to great heights—with every ounce of its strength.