Chapter 423
"Damn it, you little bastard! Shut the hell up!"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Deep in slumber, lost in a dream, Mumu was jolted awake by rough curses and a flurry of kicks aimed at him.
When he opened his eyes, five or six beggars were stomping on him relentlessly.
They were the beggar gang from Byeokgye Village, who should have been asleep.
"You bastard! Because of your screaming, none of us can sleep!"
Mumu had shouted loudly in the shack, finally rousing the beggars from their sleep.
Hunched over, Mumu endured the kicks.
For some reason, he was used to being beaten like this.
"What the hell's wrong with you? Why do you start screaming like a madman every night?"
After venting their anger with a barrage of kicks, the beggars, their fury somewhat spent, grumbled as they returned to their spots.
"Mumu. You okay?"
Fatty sighed as he approached Mumu, whose body was now covered in footprints.
"I told you—you should try eating dog droppings."
Since Mumu kept screaming in his nightmares every night, Fatty had suggested dog droppings as a remedy.
Beggars, unable to afford proper medicine, often used dog droppings as a folk cure.
White dog droppings were said to treat boils, while black dog droppings were believed to loosen cramped muscles and help detoxify the body.
Fatty probably thought Mumu's sleep-talking was due to all the beatings he endured.
But Mumu, unwilling to eat dog droppings, silently bore the abuse as always.
"Anyway, I'm going back to sleep."
As Fatty waved and left, Mumu crouched in front of the shack and stared at the distant sky.
Deep pain flickered in his eyes, now wide awake.
Every single night, without fail, he had the same dream.
And every time, he could never remember how it ended. Only an oppressive, endless loneliness remained, tightening around his chest like a vice.
Could this dream be my past?
If that child in the dream was truly his younger self... did that mean he was once the son of a noble family?
If so, then there must have been parents who held him warmly, who looked at him with loving eyes.
And that thought only made his heart ache even more.
Why have I lost my memories? Why am I living like this?
Who... am I?
In the end, Mumu spent the night wide-eyed, his face twisted in anguish.
Every time he woke from the dream, an unbearable pain and loneliness crashed over him.
And that torment lasted until dawn.
The atmosphere in the Death Shadow War Unit was uneasy.
It had been a long time since Bu Eun-seol had returned to the Demon Hall.
The Death Shadow War Unit was practically an extension of Bu Eun-seol himself. His prolonged absence left a growing void, and unease festered among those left behind.
"When the hell is the Lord coming back?"
Won Se-mun clicked his tongue as yet another Lord's Meeting proceeded without Bu Eun-seol.
"He hasn't been away this long since that old man who throws stones."
The "old man who throws stones" was a reference to the Bullet King.
Jo Nam-cheon chimed in.
"You don't think something's happened, do you? Should we call the Death Soul Squad leader?"
The other lords nodded in agreement.
Their expressions were uniformly weary and filled with concern.
Bu Eun-seol's extended absence had drained their morale.
"The Lord is on a secret mission."
Yu Un-ryong spoke up as if he had no choice.
"It's just... an issue so sensitive that he couldn't inform any of you."
"A secret mission?"
Won Se-mun tilted his head.
"What kind of mission? And why were you the only one told?"
The others in the hall exchanged puzzled looks.
Ever since the Death Shadow War Unit stabilized, Bu Eun-seol had always discussed missions with the lords beforehand.
So why hide one now? It was only natural for them to be suspicious.
"Well... it's a woman problem."
Yu Un-ryong coughed awkwardly.
"Every time the Lord steps into the martial world, he ends up entangled with women—just like with Young Palace Master Yeon. And this time... it's a particularly troublesome situation. He went to resolve it."
"Ah."
Finally, the lords of the Death Shadow War Unit nodded in understanding.
—Of course. That's just like our Lord.
The martial world had no shortage of famously handsome men.
But finding someone as beautiful as Bu Eun-seol, with an intense masculine aura coexisting so perfectly, was nearly impossible.
And his presence was even more extraordinary.
There was no other man whose mere gaze could captivate the soul in an instant.
"Must be tough... even for our Lord."
At Won Se-mun's muttering, the other lords nodded in unison.
For Bu Eun-seol, women were like a bottomless well—no matter how many times he thought he had resolved the issue, it just kept bubbling up again.
"Wouldn't it be easier if he just looked average like me? No annoying troubles."
At Won Se-mun's follow-up remark, the other lords shook their heads in unison.
No matter how he thought about it, that simply wasn't the case.
"Then it seems this will take quite some time."
At that moment, Wi Cheon-gyeong shrugged his shoulders and spoke up.
"The Lord is skilled in all other matters, but he's rather poor at understanding the hearts of women."
"Well, it's true—that's the one thing our Lord struggles with the most."
The leaders each chuckled and nodded in agreement.
As the conversation about Bu Eun-seol blossomed, the atmosphere in the meeting room grew softer and livelier.
Yu Un-ryong, smiling faintly, straightened the stack of books in his hands and spoke.
"Well then, let's conclude today's meeting here. Dismissed."
At that, the leaders noisily filed out of the meeting room, chatting among themselves.
Once the room was empty, Yu Un-ryong—who had been smiling as he tidied the books—suddenly stilled his hands.
And his eyes darkened endlessly.
'I should have stopped him.'
Yu Un-ryong, who had placated the Deputy Leaders with lies, was now drowning in bitter regret.
Hyeokryeon Eung was not only the Guardians' Faction Master of the Demon Hall, a figure of supreme status—
He had also boldly used his position as the Royal Tutor of Prince Wei's Residence to lure Bu Eun-seol away.
Which meant he wielded power so immense that he could discard both those titles without hesitation.
Not only that, it also meant he possessed martial arts so formidable that he considered summoning Bu Eun-seol alone to be a trivial matter.
'Just because he's exceptional doesn't mean he always makes the right choices.'
Yu Un-ryong bit his lip.
He shouldn't have sent him alone. No—he shouldn't have sent him at all.
They should have thoroughly investigated Hyeokryeon Eung first, then proceeded with caution.
Only after Bu Eun-seol went missing did Yu Un-ryong fully grasp the gravity of his mistake.
'How long can we hold out?'
For now, they had managed with lies, but if too much time passed, his disappearance would inevitably be exposed.
'If something has happened to you... what am I supposed to do?'
Just then, the meeting room door opened, and a disheveled head of short hair popped in. It was Myo Cheon-u.
In an instant, Yu Un-ryong swiftly schooled his expression.
"What is it?"
"Hey, about that—"
"Hm?"
Myo Cheon-u pouted slightly as he spoke.
"Out of all the leaders, shouldn't I be the one who knows best about women's issues?"
"Next time, if it's that kind of problem, make sure to consult me, alright?"
"Stop talking nonsense and get out. I'm busy."
When Yu Un-ryong averted his gaze, Myo Cheon-u puckered his lips in displeasure and left again.
'This is tormenting. I wonder if he felt the same way.'
It was almost certain that among the leaders of the Death Shadow War Unit, there was a spy.
And the most likely candidate was Myo Cheon-u.
Yet, until now, Bu Eun-seol had acted calmly and composedly, without showing any sign of his feelings.
'No—now isn't the time for these thoughts.'
Yu Un-ryong shook his head and steeled himself.
Right now, worrying about Bu Eun-seol wasn't what he needed to do.
The priority was managing the Death Shadow War Unit so that his absence wouldn't be noticed.
'The only silver lining is that Seo Jin-ha's training is complete.'
Seo Jin-ha had finished his training far sooner than expected.
And in Bu Eun-seol's absence, he had been diligently leaving traces of his activities as Seon-u Jin, the Peak Realm Leader of the Martial Alliance.
If Bu Eun-seol returned safely and resumed his role as a Deputy Leader of the Martial Alliance—
Seon-u Jin would revert to being Bu Eun-seol, leaving behind the records of the Demon Hall's heir.
'All I can do is hope that Deputy Leader So finishes her training quickly.'
According to No Trace of the Death Soul Squad, So-yo not only possessed exceptional insight but also outstanding Tracking Arts.
But for her—once an assassin—to become the Deputy Leader of the Death Soul Squad, overseeing intelligence in the field—
She needed not only to master the political landscape of the Central Plains Martial World and the key figures within it, but also to acquire the knowledge and skills of an intelligence administrator.
Because of this, it was taking far longer than anticipated.
If she could complete all her training and step into the Rivers and Lakes... she might somehow find Bu Eun-seol's whereabouts.
'Please, just come back safely. Bu Eun-seol.'
In the past, Yu Un-ryong's most fervent wish had been to become the foremost figure of the Demonic Path.
But ever since coming to the Demon Hall, the only wish he prayed for was this—
Bu Eun-seol's safe return.
Hell Blood Citadel, Blood Phoenix Pavilion.
Long drapes veiled the interior of the bedchamber, and within them loomed a massive shadow reclining against the cushions.
His skin glistened with an eerie luster, and his eyes sparkled like crystal.
A demonic elder (noyoma) past ninety yet still vigorous, single-handedly steering Hell Blood Citadel—
None other than Gongya Geuk, Lord of Hell Blood Citadel.
"Well, well—it's been a while."
Lying at an angle and puffing on his long pipe, Gongya Geuk gazed down as he spoke.
Below the drapes stood a masked figure clad in a strange, shimmering garb—from fingertips to toes, entirely concealed. From a distance, it looked as though a single shadow stood towering there.
"What business brings the emissary of the ever-busy Infinite Realm to these humble quarters?"
Gongya Geuk, who resembled nothing less than a Great Evil, reclined at an angle, intermittently exhaling plumes of smoke.
His languid posture called to mind a monstrous behemoth steeped in lethargy.
An ordinary man wouldn't have dared meet his gaze, but the Masked Man's eyes brimmed only with indifference.
"An opportunity has arisen to remove the Martial Soul Lord from his position as the Demon Hall's successor."
At that, Gongya Geuk smirked.
"That hardly seems like a task for this fortress lord to undertake."
"It wouldn't be possible unless the Martial Soul Lord were... absent."
"Hohoho. Absent, you say? Has he gone missing, then?"
Gongya Geuk let out a rumbling laugh, and the Masked Man nodded.
"Precisely."
"Hoh."
A sigh escaped Gongya Geuk's lips.
"A rather dull jest, if you ask me."
"The man himself intervened."
In an instant, Gongya Geuk recalled a certain figure.
Fierce as a tiger at first glance, yet his pupils shimmered with wisdom.
The Guardians' Faction Master of the Demon Hall, the Royal Tutor of Prince Wei's Residence—and the very man who pulled the strings behind the Infinite Realm.
"Him, you say?"
"Indeed. Thanks to him, the Martial Soul Lord suffered a fatal wound and fell from the Ten-Thousand-Zhang Cliff."
"Hmm... A fatal wound, you say? Missing?"
A razor-sharp glint flickered through Gongya Geuk's crescent-moon eyes.
"Well, if he personally intervened, even the Martial Soul Lord's grandfather wouldn't have stood a chance."
Then, as if struck by a thought, he smirked again.
"But this 'missing' business is troublesome. In the end, we still don't know whether the Martial Soul Lord is truly dead or not, do we?"
The Masked Man answered with an indifferent expression.
"If we convene the Demon Governance Council during his absence and secure a majority vote, that should settle the matter, no?"
"Hmm. And how do you expect anyone to believe he's truly missing?"
In truth, Gongya Geuk already knew Bu Eun-seol had vanished.
He had eyes and ears planted deep within the Demon Hall.
Moreover, just by observing the recent atmosphere in the Death Shadow War Unit, it was obvious something had happened to Bu Eun-seol.
Clack.
Instead of answering, the Masked Man opened a small box resting on the table.
Inside lay a sword, its blade and hilt both stained black—Bu Eun-seol's Beloved Sword, the Ink Sword.
"You understand what a sword like this means to a man like him."
Gongya Geuk nodded.
Though the Martial Soul Lord was a man of formidable intellect, he wasn't the type to play games with his own Beloved Sword as bait.
The fact that the Infinite Realm's emissary had kept it in his possession for so long without Bu Eun-seol reclaiming it—
That could only mean he was either missing... or beyond recovery.
"Well, he lasted longer than expected."
Gongya Geuk bared his teeth in a grin.
"Shall we proceed, then?"
"Considering the goodwill we've built, of course I should oblige... but there is a slight complication."
"And that is?"
"The Martial Soul Lord enjoys the absolute support of three sects among the Demonic Path Ten Gates, does he not?"
His smile turned sly as he continued.
"Langya Pavilion is one thing, but the Fleeting Moment Boat and the Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying Sanctuary would stake their lives to back him."
"With those two sects standing firm behind him, the other sect leaders won't easily give their consent."
"That won't be an issue."
From behind the lustrous mask, a low, eerie voice slithered forth.
"The Fleeting Moment Boat and the Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying Sanctuary will soon plunge into ruin. And with that, Langya Pavilion's influence will wane as well."
"Oh-ho."
Gongya Geuk's eyes gleamed.
"You've already made your move against them?"
The Masked Man ignored the question and shifted the topic.
"If you doubt me, observe the developments. Once the time is right, you may proceed as you see fit."
Gongya Geuk's eyes narrowed into crescents.
From his perspective, the Masked Man's offer was too favorable to refuse.
"Very well."
Once the answer came, the Masked Man nodded and slowly turned away.
His form dissolved like mist, crumbling into dust before vanishing like a ghost.
"Heh heh heh..."
Gongya Geuk watched the Masked Man disappear, then nodded to himself.
"He must be serious."
Then, in a low voice, he murmured:
"Martial Soul Lord... There's still no sign of your return, is there?"
From behind the curtains, near the incense burner, a deferential voice answered:
"None at all. The Death Shadow War Unit has confirmed it multiple times."
"How entertaining."
Gongya Geuk took a deep drag from his long pipe before speaking again.
"First, let's watch the Fleeting Moment Boat and the Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying Sanctuary crumble. Then... we'll pay the Demon Hall a visit."
Whoosh.
He exhaled a thick cloud of white smoke, enough to fill the room, and continued:
"Might as well replace the successor while we're at it."
If the Infinite Realm guaranteed it, then the Fleeting Moment Boat and the Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying Sanctuary would fall.
All Gongya Geuk had to do was watch—and then, when the time came, quietly propose the motion.
Just as always, he would remain neutral.
After all, he had maintained good relations with a figure from the Three Realms all this time.
And Hyeokryeon Eung was proof of that.