Chapter 408
Bu Eun-seol, having left the Martial Alliance, immediately visited the Western River Branch of the Martial Alliance, where the Fire Essence Stone had been stolen.
"The Peak Realm Unit? What's that?"
However, the guards at the branch were completely unaware of the newly established Peak Realm Unit.
Not only had the establishment of the Peak Realm Unit not been officially announced to the branch, but Seon-u Jin's appearance and demeanor were also far too ordinary.
Even after showing the Command Plaque symbolizing his rank as a Third-grade Commander, the guards still wore expressions full of suspicion.
Creak.
Just then, the inner door opened, and a middle-aged man in dark blue robes stepped out, clasping his hands together toward Bu Eun-seol.
"Commander Seon-u, here to investigate the theft on behalf of the Alliance, correct?"
The middle-aged man was Choi Seung, the deputy head of the Western River Branch, also known as the Five-Measure Sword.
"Yes. I am Seon-u Jin, in charge of the Peak Realm Unit."
As Bu Eun-seol politely clasped his hands in return, Choi Seung also bowed slightly in greeting.
"I am Choi Seung, deputy head assigned by the branch leader to assist with the investigation."
Then, extending his hand, he guided Bu Eun-seol inside.
"Please, come in. I'll show you the way."
"Thank you."
Bu Eun-seol entered with a faint smile.
Before stepping into the martial world, he had instructed his unit members on one crucial matter: to send official notices to each branch via the Ten Thousand Reflections Hall, announcing his visit and requesting cooperation.
'Had I not sent the notice in advance, I would've wasted ages just trying to get inside the branch.'
If he had been someone like Cheon Hwa-in—a figure renowned in the martial world with backing from the Martial Alliance—even as a mere Third-grade Commander, he would have been treated with utmost respect.
But Bu Eun-seol had neither influence nor reputation.
Moreover, the Peak Realm Unit was a newly established, third-grade unit of the Martial Alliance. Had he not sent the notice beforehand, the investigation itself might have been impossible.
"How may I assist you?" Choi Seung asked.
Bu Eun-seol replied, "Just show me the warehouse where the Fire Essence Stone was stolen."
"Very well."
Without hesitation, Choi Seung led him to the Western River Branch's weapon warehouse.
Inside, the spacious warehouse was about one-third empty.
Since the Western River Branch was located deep within Righteous Faction territory, it held very few hidden weapons or firearms.
Even those that were present were scarce, barely enough to maintain appearances.
"It's quite empty."
"There's no need to keep it fully stocked," Choi Seung answered, his expression brimming with pride.
The Martial Alliance was the embodiment of the orthodox martial world's power. No matter how bold an individual or faction might be, none would dare attack a branch, or so he believed.
'What a mess.'
Had this been a branch of the Demon Hall, Choi Seung—and even the branch leader—would have lost their heads on the spot.
But it wasn't Bu Eun-seol's place to meddle in the affairs of the Martial Alliance's branches. He nodded faintly with a subtle smile.
"I see."
"This is the warehouse where the Fire Essence Stone was stored."
As Choi Seung unlocked the aged iron gate with a key, a stone chamber came into view, lined with various metal containers.
Among them was an empty space—likely where the Fire Essence Stone had been kept.
Bu Eun-seol stepped inside the stone chamber and carefully examined the spot where the stone had been placed.
'Even worse than the constabulary's investigators.'
Not only were there traces left by the thief, but the chamber was also littered with haphazard marks, likely from the branch's own investigators.
'They even ruined the most crucial clue—the footprints.'
Bu Eun-seol suppressed a bitter smile.
Because of their reckless investigation methods, they had failed to properly track even the most basic traces of the thief.
'Then again, it's not like they'd assign a competent investigator to something like a Fire Essence Stone theft.'
Zzzing.
Bu Eun-seol immediately activated Empty Mind Spirit Communion.
A white light flowed from his eyes, revealing traces that had been invisible to the naked eye with startling clarity.
'Not the work of a professional thief.'
Bu Eun-seol's gaze sharpened as he meticulously studied the remaining traces.
Bold thieves who could break into a Martial Alliance warehouse were rare in the martial world. The only likely candidates would be professional thieves known as Divine Thieves.
But Divine Thieves each had their own unique methods.
As such, after a theft, they would meticulously erase all traces left at the scene.
Yet here, countless traces of the culprit were densely packed, left undisturbed.
In other words, the one who stole the Fire Essence Stone was a complete novice, with almost no skill in thievery.
'A solo act by an amateur. This just got easier.'
Using Empty Mind Spirit Perception, Bu Eun-seol stored the thief's physical characteristics and habits in his mind.
"I've seen enough. Thank you."
"That's all?"
"Yes."
Choi Seung blinked in bewilderment.
"If you wish, I can show you the initial investigation records from our branch."
"No, that won't be necessary."
Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands politely.
"Then I'll take my leave."
With that, Bu Eun-seol immediately departed the Western River Branch and used Lightness Skill to head straight for the Huixian Branch.
Judging by the traces left in the Western River Branch's warehouse, the thief who stole the Fire Essence Stone was a martial artist with exceptional Lightness Skill.
Despite being a novice who had never stolen before, the thief had boldly infiltrated the Martial Alliance and brazenly made off with the Fire Essence Stone.
And not long after committing the crime, they struck again—this time ransacking the Huixian Branch's warehouse in quick succession.
After that, the thefts of Fire Essence Stones ceased. Which meant that by investigating the Huixian Branch, Bu Eun-seol might uncover why the thief had stopped stealing them.
"Pardon me."
Upon arriving at the Huixian Branch, he was greeted by its Chief Steward, the Northern Scholar.
"You must be Commander Seon-u, the Peak Leader dispatched by the Alliance?"
"That is correct."
Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands respectfully before continuing.
"For the investigation, may I examine the warehouse that was robbed?"
"I'll guide you there myself."
The Northern Scholar promptly led him to the warehouse.
'It's different here.'
Unlike the Western River Branch, the Huixian Branch was located close to a Demon Hall outpost.
As a result, its armory stored a considerable number of concealed weapons and armaments.
Moreover, the amount of Fire Essence Stones kept here was dozens of times greater than that of the Western River Branch.
'At the very least, thirty jin.'
Bu Eun-seol shook his head slightly as he examined the empty metal chest.
The Fire Essence Stones stored in this branch were at least ten times more abundant than those in the Western River Branch.
'That's why they stopped raiding the Alliance's warehouses.'
Thirty jin of Fire Essence Stones would be enough to cremate a thousand corpses all at once.
The thief had stolen more than enough from the Huixian Branch—so they had no reason to continue.
As Bu Eun-seol meticulously combed through the warehouse with his Empty Mind Spirit Perception, a flash of insight crossed his eyes.
'The same person's handiwork.'
The intruder who had broken into the Huixian Branch's armory was the same individual who had looted the Western River Branch's warehouse.
Height: approximately five feet eight inches. Not only was their Lightness Skill exceptional, but they were also likely a master of either the Hand Art or Palm Art.
The evidence lay in the shattered locks of the sturdy iron gate and the metal chest—crushed by sheer finger strength.
'It seems they conducted a proper investigation here.'
Unlike the Western River Branch, the Huixian Branch had preserved the thief's traces intact, without any damage.
This allowed Bu Eun-seol to uncover not only the culprit's physical characteristics but also a crucial lead.
'On the run...'
A faint smile curled at the corner of his lips as he crouched down, scrutinizing the floor.
There, mixed with the dirt, were tiny remnants of gravel and wood splinters.
Meaning—the culprit wasn't staying in Chengdu. They were hiding deep in the mountains.
'If they've gone into hiding in the mountains... they must be pursued by a large number of hunters. In other words, they're being chased by a martial faction or organization.'
But a question lingered.
If the thief was being pursued so relentlessly that they had to hide in the mountains—why would they risk raiding the Martial Alliance's armory?
Unless they had a death wish, such recklessness made no sense.
'Then there's only one explanation.'
Even while being hunted, the culprit had a desperate, life-or-death reason to obtain the Fire Essence Stones—no matter the cost.
'Could the thief who stole the Fire Essence Stones and the murderer who burned the vagrants alive be different people?'
Until now, Bu Eun-seol had assumed there was a high probability that the thief and the murderer were the same person.
But the thief was currently hiding in the mountains, evading relentless pursuers.
Would someone in that situation really take the stolen Fire Essence Stones and use them to burn vagrants alive?
Such actions were utterly implausible for a fugitive being hunted by a large force.
'No. I must keep all possibilities open.'
From the start, raiding an Alliance warehouse while being pursued was already abnormal behavior.
When conducting an investigation, one must always consider every conceivable angle.
If you arbitrarily dismiss certain possibilities?
The entire line of reasoning could veer completely off course.
"Thank you for your cooperation."
Having finished his investigation of the Huixian Branch, Bu Eun-seol immediately dispatched letters to the Death Soul Squad and the Peak Leaders.
—Investigate whether any factions in the martial world have recently mobilized large forces or dispatched hunters.
Then, he rented a room at the busiest guest inn nearby to rest.
Within a few days, replies arrived from both sides.
As he read through the letters, his brow furrowed.
Neither the Orthodox nor Unorthodox Paths had shown any signs of pursuing anyone or mobilizing troops.
'So it's not a Central Plains faction.'
Bu Eun-seol considered it more likely that the culprit was being pursued by a faction from Beyond the Frontier rather than assuming any martial sect had been overlooked.
'This makes no sense.'
According to the Alliance's investigation, the serial murderer who had been burning vagrants alive had used Fire Essence Stones.
But after examining both Alliance branches, Bu Eun-seol concluded that the probability of the thief and the murderer being the same person was slim.
Because the thief was someone who had repeatedly gone into hiding in the mountains to evade a large number of pursuers.
But what if the culprit was from a faction Beyond the Frontier? What if they had an absolute reason to steal Fire Essence Stones and burn vagrants alive?
"Perhaps they went through with it despite the danger," Bu Eun-seol thought.
'If they needed a large quantity of Fire Essence Stones, they would have had no choice but to target the Martial Alliance branches.'
Fire Essence Stones were exorbitantly expensive, capable of generating intense heat in an instant.
Because of their danger, they weren't something one could simply buy in bulk, no matter how wealthy they were.
Which meant the thief needed a massive amount of Fire Essence Stones, and raiding the Martial Alliance branches was an unavoidable decision.
'There's a clear purpose behind this. There must be a reason they had to do it this way.'
Bu Eun-seol's mind began spinning at the speed of light.
He realized that the culprit stealing the Fire Essence Stones and burning the vagrants alive wasn't doing it for simple theft or sadistic pleasure—
This was an act with a definite goal and purpose.
'Then...'
Bu Eun-seol pulled out a map and spread it across the table.
'If the one who stole the Fire Essence Stones is the same person burning the vagrants... then logically, they would have stolen the stones first before setting the vagrants ablaze.'
After staring at the map for a long while, a flash of insight crossed Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"They're moving south."
Assuming the culprit was the same person, they had obtained the Fire Essence Stones from the Western River Branch, then committed their crimes in a nearby vagrant settlement.
Next, they moved to the Huixian Branch, then once again sought out a nearby vagrant village to carry out another massacre.
Following that path, it was clear they were moving south—stealing Fire Essence Stones and burning vagrants along the way.
"They won't need any more Fire Essence Stones now."
Unlike the Western River Branch, the Huixian Branch had stored over thirty jin of Fire Essence Stones.
By now, the culprit would be searching for a safe place to burn vagrants while evading pursuers and martial artists.
Still lost in thought as he studied the map, Bu Eun-seol pointed at one location.
Wuirak Village.
It was a place similar to Grave Village, where sick and aging vagrants gathered.
A place rarely visited by outsiders—perfect for avoiding prying eyes.
Bu Eun-seol narrowed his eyes.
If his prediction was correct, the culprit would appear here.
With a gust-like burst of Lightness Skill, Bu Eun-seol immediately set off toward Wuirak Village.
As he moved toward the outskirts, far from Chengdu, small shacks and crumbling thatched houses came into view.
Though it resembled a village in structure, filth and garbage were strewn everywhere.
Most of the vagrants sat slumped against walls, devoid of energy.
"I'd like to ask you something."
Bu Eun-seol approached an old man who seemed relatively coherent among the many vagrants.
But the old man's gaze was unfocused, as if he couldn't see anything at all.
Yet his body trembled intermittently—as if he was terrified of Bu Eun-seol.
'Strange.'
Vagrants of this age usually didn't fear martial artists so much.
But this old man was shaking like he was facing a demonic murderer.
"Have you seen anyone suspicious around here?"
As Bu Eun-seol stepped closer—
Drip, drip.
The old man pissed himself right where he sat. Not only that, his body trembled violently, like a leaf in the wind.
An utterly abnormal reaction.
'Don't tell me—'
Bu Eun-seol leaned in close and demanded:
"Where is he?"
"If you don't answer, more people will die."
At his shout, the old man raised a trembling hand and pointed toward a distant mountain.
Whoosh!
Bu Eun-seol immediately activated his Movement Technique and shot toward the mountain.
Even while using the technique described in the secret manual given by the Divine Calculator, his body surged forward in leaps of over one hundred feet at a time.
Whoom! Groan!
As soon as he entered the forest's edge, a low, sinister vibration echoed through the air.
Bu Eun-seol instantly recognized it—the sound of palm force being unleashed with tremendous internal power.
Rustle.
Dashing deeper into the forest, he arrived at a clearing where the vibrations were coming from.
There, charred corpses were piled like a mountain.
And in front of them—
A disheveled freak in black robes and a middle-aged man in beggar's clothes were locked in close combat, exchanging rapid palm strikes.
'That man—?'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened as he recognized the middle-aged beggar.
Wasn't that In-guk—the very same man who had infiltrated the Beggars' Sect and taught martial arts to him and Namgung Un?
Hiss!
At that moment, a strange Sound of Breaking Air rang out as white smoke began rising from the freak's black-robed hands.
As the acrid smoke spread, In-guk faltered, his palm technique losing its precision.
Seizing the opening, the freak unleashed a barrage of Palm Energy.
Bam! Bam!
Struck twice in the chest, In-guk was sent flying and crashed into a great tree thirty feet away.
"Stop!"
Bu Eun-seol shouted and instantly threw a hidden dagger.
Flash!
The dagger flew with astonishing speed and precision, embedding itself directly in the center of the freak's chest.
Thwack!
Yet the oddity showed no signs of injury whatsoever—instead, it instantly unleashed its Lightness Skill and fled skyward.
"I won't let you escape."
Just as Bu Eun-seol was about to activate his own Lightness Skill—
"Ghk—!"
Black blood suddenly gushed from In-guk's mouth as he slumped against the tree trunk.
Seeing this, Eun-seol abandoned the pursuit.
Among all the figures Eun-seol had encountered during his time in the Beggars' Sect, In-guk had been the most honest and diligent.
He couldn't just let such a man die like this.
"Are you alright?"
He immediately rushed to In-guk's side and channeled his Internal Energy into the man's Spirit Platform Acupoint.
Huuuung—!
As the pure Reverse Polarity True Qi flowed into him, the collapsed In-guk weakly opened his eyes.
"..."
But as Eun-seol continued infusing energy while assessing In-guk's condition, his own eyes widened in shock.
The meridians in In-guk's body, struck by the oddity's Palm Energy, had melted away like strands of dough.
'Extreme Yang Force?'
Unbelievably, the black-clad oddity had wielded a Palm Energy infused with Extreme Yang Force—a technique so rare in the Martial World that it could melt even metal.
In-guk's meridians had been utterly dissolved by the Extreme Yang Palm Force, leaving him in a state where not even a Great Luo Immortal could save him.
"Ugh..."
Was this the phenomenon of Terminal Lucidity?
As Eun-seol continued pouring in Reverse Polarity True Qi, In-guk let out a faint groan and opened his eyes.
"I'm already finished... Don't waste your precious True Qi. Just go."
Even in death, In-guk was worried about Eun-seol pointlessly exhausting his energy.
"Who was that man?"
"I don't know... He suddenly started capturing the vagrants of Wuirak Village one by one... burning them alive here."
In-guk gazed weakly at Eun-seol as he spoke.
"Those poor, helpless vagrants... who had done no wrong."
His head drooped, his eyes lifeless.
"I tried to stop him... but it wasn't enough."
"You've trained in Martial Arts, haven't you? Why were you staying here?"
Eun-seol was curious—In-guk had clearly mastered the Beggars' Sect's formidable techniques, so why had he been living among vagrants in Wuirak Village?
At that, In-guk managed a faint smile.
"I did learn some Martial Arts in the past... but in the end, a beggar is still a beggar, isn't he?"
After the Beggars' Sect was Sealed, In-guk had left.
He was a man who stayed true to the duty of a beggar.
He refused to sell his skills for money, instead picking up his bowl and returning to begging.
Drifting aimlessly, he eventually found himself in Wuirak Village, a settlement of vagrants.
Though he no longer had the comfortable beds or warm meals of the Beggars' Sect... just being free from the ruthless Martial World had brought him peace and happiness.
But when the oddity suddenly appeared and attacked the vagrants, In-guk had risked his life to fight back.
"You have good eyes."
"Not long ago... I had taught a beggar with eyes as clear as yours."
In-guk's face twisted in pain as he spoke.
"But because he had stepped into the sinful Rivers and Lakes... I had to kill him with my own hands."
Tears spilled from his eyes.
Even in death.
In-guk, with his simple nature, had never escaped the guilt and torment of killing two innocent young beggars—by his own hands.
Taking a deep breath, Eun-seol spoke in a low voice.
"They didn't die."
"What...?"
Crk—!
Instantly, Eun-seol activated the Face Changing and Bone Shifting Art, transforming into the beggar he had disguised himself as during his infiltration of the Beggars' Sect.
"Do you remember? I was that No Sam."
In-guk's eyes flickered in disbelief.
"How...? Am I dreaming?"
"I was actually a unit commander of the Martial Alliance, infiltrating the Beggars' Sect."
Seeing In-guk's stunned expression, Eun-seol had no choice but to weave a well-intentioned lie.
"We received intelligence that the Beggars' Sect was involved in wrongdoing, so I disguised myself as a beggar to investigate."
"Investigate...?"
"Yes. The comrade who acted with me is also safe."
Tears of joy streamed from In-guk's eyes.
All this time, he had suffered under the crushing guilt of killing two innocent beggars.
But now, to learn that both were alive—and unit commanders of the Martial Alliance?
When Eun-seol met his gaze with the same guileless eyes he'd had as a beggar—
"I see... I see."
Only then did In-guk finally release all his pain, shedding tears of relief.
"What a relief..."
They were tears of joy and deliverance.
"Truly... a relief."
As he spoke, the light in In-guk's eyes slowly dimmed.
His breath had only been sustained this long by the Reverse Polarity True Qi.
His meridians had been completely severed by the Extreme Yang Palm Force, and his organs were already cooked from within.
"If you're an envoy of the Martial Alliance..."
In-guk smiled peacefully and spoke in a faint voice.
"Please... catch that Assassin Monster. So that no more innocent vagrants... have to die."
Even in death, his concern was for the helpless.
"...I leave the rest to you."
With those final words, In-guk breathed his last.
A radiant smile, like that of a Buddha, lingered on his lips.
In-guk—once a Hall Leader of the Beggars' Sect, yet one who had longed for the simple, peaceful life of a beggar.
At last, he had left the desolate Martial World behind and found his peaceful rest.