Chapter 426
A horrific scene unfolded in the front courtyard of Seong Family Manor.
Though it was considered the largest manor in the vicinity, to be brutally honest, it was merely the estate of a minor local figure in the outskirts.
Moreover, since Seong Family Manor was quite close to the Magistrate's Office, they hadn't employed many Guardian Warriors.
Perhaps because of that, the warriors' skills weren't particularly impressive.
In stark contrast, the band of bandits raiding the manor all possessed exceptional Martial Arts, and their numbers exceeded a hundred.
Yet, Seong Mu-ung, the lord of Seong Family Manor, didn't panic.
In truth, he was a disciple of the Formation Path Sect, a master blacksmith and an expert in Mechanism Formations.
When he first built the manor, he had installed various mechanical devices and Battle Formations to defend against External Enemies.
"How could this be?"
But Seong Mu-ung's composed expression quickly twisted into shock.
Despite the bandits' invasion, none of the Mechanism Formations had activated.
Upon closer inspection, all the mechanical devices and Battle Formations installed in the manor had been sabotaged.
And it was the doing of Gyo Cheon-ak, who had entered Seong Family Manor a year ago as a Martial Arts instructor.
"What in the world is this?!"
Seong Mu-ung, pinned down in the front courtyard with his Blood Circuits suppressed, roared in fury.
These bandits had scaled the manor walls like assassins, mercilessly slaughtering the Guardian Warriors and dependents.
They subdued the Blood Circuits of the survivors, forcing them to kneel like condemned traitors.
But what truly drove him to the brink of madness was the fact that Gyo Cheon-ak, their Martial Arts instructor, was their leader.
"After all the sincerity with which I treated you... Why would you commit such a horrific act?"
"The lord has done no wrong."
Gyo Cheon-ak glanced at the subdued dependents before pointing at Seong Su-ryeo, who was glaring at him.
"The wrong was committed by her."
"Su-ryeo? What on earth did she do?"
"For a whole year, she kept pretending to flirt with me, only to show no real interest at all."
Gyo Cheon-ak's face, which had been wearing a leisurely expression, twisted grotesquely.
"I tried to live decently, to become a better man! But in the end, you all just saw me as a convenient Martial Arts instructor to exploit!"
Seong Mu-ung's mouth fell open.
Until now, he had thought of Gyo Cheon-ak as a dignified and outstanding Martial Arts instructor.
But now, he realized the man was a lunatic who couldn't even distinguish Delusion from Reality.
"What's the point of saying all this now?"
Gyo Cheon-ak shook his head, raised his bloodstained blade, and let out a sigh.
"I'll just swiftly behead everyone in the manor and take that lovely daughter of yours to play with for a while before tossing her to my men."
At those words, Seong Mu-ung's face darkened.
Ordinary bandits would usually just plunder valuables and flee.
But Gyo Cheon-ak was a madman who took boundless pleasure in brutally killing people rather than stealing.
"I've rambled long enough. Farewell."
Just as Gyo Cheon-ak raised his bloodstained blade to behead Seong Mu-ung—
Thud. Thud.
Suddenly, the sound of soft footsteps echoed through the eerily silent front courtyard of the manor.
When he turned, he saw a beggar with disheveled hair and a face covered in burn scars slowly walking toward them.
It was Mumu.
"You?"
Gyo Cheon-ak was stunned.
Not only was Seong Family Manor close to the Magistrate's Office, but it was also adjacent to the village.
That was why he had raided the manor with extreme secrecy, subdued everyone, and locked the gates.
So how had this hideous beggar suddenly appeared inside?
'This bastard... Could he be a Murim expert hiding his true identity?'
His insolent tone and eerie composure had always been unsettling.
But no shockwave of True Qi emanated from him. Just in case, Gyo Cheon-ak had pressed his Blood Circuits multiple times to check—but found nothing.
So was he saying this man was a Murim Master skilled enough to deliberately conceal his Martial Prowess?
Shhh.
Just then, one of his subordinates, who had been hiding atop the manor's pavilion, stealthily approached Mumu from behind.
Noticing this, Gyo Cheon-ak nodded and spoke.
"So, it seems you were a hidden master after all?"
Mumu replied in a low voice.
"Give up. The constables are already rushing toward Seong Family Manor."
Gyo Cheon-ak raised an eyebrow.
If that were true, they would have to flee immediately.
"..."
Mumu, sensing Gyo Cheon-ak's gaze fixed behind him, swiftly turned his body.
At that moment, a blade from a subordinate who had leapt down from the roof grazed his neck and carved deeply into his forearm before passing through.
Splat!
Blood sprayed as Mumu's body tumbled to the ground.
"Hahaha!"
Gyo Cheon-ak burst into laughter as he watched.
Seeing Mumu's sluggish, clumsy evasion, he realized—this man was no Murim Master... just an ordinary fellow with sharp eyes and quick reflexes.
His subordinate seemed to realize it too, swinging his blade relentlessly without fear.
Swish!
Finally, after taking slashes to his arm and leg, Mumu collapsed where he stood.
"What a ridiculous fool."
Gyo Cheon-ak curled his lips as he looked down at the fallen man.
"You didn't even report to the constabulary—just came running straight here. That's why you were drenched in sweat, wasn't it?"
"Why do you think I came alone?"
At Mumu's calm words, Gyo Cheon-ak's eyebrows shot up.
"You mean that fat beggar who's always stuck to you?"
"Who knows?"
"Boss! We've got another one here!"
Just then, one of the subordinates standing guard at the manor dragged over a plump beggar—none other than Fatty.
"Mumu... I'm sorry. I got worried about you and followed, but then—"
Damn it.
Mumu inwardly cursed.
He had rushed into the manor despite having no real ability—partly because of the rage boiling inside him, but also to buy time. Time until Fatty could report to the constabulary and the soldiers arrived.
But now, terrified, Fatty had blurted out exactly what he shouldn't have.
"Hahaha!"
Gyo Cheon-ak, sharp as ever, let out a coarse laugh.
"So. This fatty never made it to the constabulary."
Snorting, he coldly ordered his men:
"All of you, hurry and gather the manor's treasures. Prepare to leave."
As the subordinates nodded and scattered, Gyo Cheon-ak grinned down at Mumu.
This was the moment that filled him with the greatest joy during his raids.
He enjoyed cutting down terrified people far more than stealing their valuables.
"Acting all high and mighty for a beggar, weren't you?"
He pressed his blade forward, but Mumu's expression remained unchanged.
"Oh? So that's how it is."
Gyo Cheon-ak had slaughtered countless commoners in his time.
Occasionally, he'd even encountered stubborn men who didn't fear death.
But even those unyielding men couldn't endure one thing—the suffering of those they cared about.
"I know your kind well."
Flash!
As Gyo Cheon-ak's blade gleamed through the air—
Thud.
Fatty's right ear fell to the ground, blood gushing forth.
"AAAHH—!"
Staring at his severed ear in delayed horror, Fatty began screaming in agony.
"I'll keep cutting off this fatty's ears and fingers, one by one, until you're begging and crying for mercy."
At Gyo Cheon-ak's words, Mumu shouted:
"Just kill me instead!"
"You still don't understand me."
Flash!
Another streak of light cut through the air—this time, Fatty's left ear dropped to the ground.
"Ugh—!"
The pain was enough to make his mind go blank.
But Fatty clenched his teeth and refused to scream again.
He knew—the more he wailed, the more Mumu would suffer.
"Beggars and their loyalty. How touching."
Gyo Cheon-ak smirked and turned to his men.
"Chain him up, then douse his entire body in oil."
The subordinates immediately pulled out oil pouches, normally used for lighting fires, and began pouring them over Fatty's body.
Gyo Cheon-ak cackled.
"Let's see if you keep that expression when this pig turns into roasted meat."
"Spare him."
At last, Mumu dropped to his knees and bowed his head.
"Burn me alive right now—just don't kill him."
"Still talking like you're above me."
"Please spare him. I beg you."
"Your eyes and face still look arrogant."
"I'll do anything. Please, spare him."
Thud! Thud! Thud!
As Mumu smashed his forehead against the ground and pleaded, Gyo Cheon-ak grinned in satisfaction.
"Now this is more like it."
Click.
He immediately lit a firestarter.
He had never intended to let Fatty live in the first place.
"No—!"
Watching the flames roar to life, tears streamed from Mumu's eyes.
"Please—please, I'm begging you!"
He slammed his head against the ground again and again, desperate.
"Don't kill him."
"Raise your head."
At Gyo Cheon-ak's command, Mumu lifted his head—
Whoosh!
With a laugh, the man hurled the flaming torch straight at Fatty.
Swish—
In that instant, Mumu's eyes tracked the spinning torch as it flew in slow motion.
Ever so slowly, inch by inch, it arced toward Fatty's bound body.
Whoooosh...
The moment the torch made contact, flames erupted, and in the blink of an eye, Fatty's body was engulfed in a raging inferno.
—I'm sorry.
At that moment, a gentle mother's voice echoed in Mumu's mind.
Simultaneously, the world turned white, and the scenery around him began to shift.
Burnt pavilions stretched in every direction, and before him stood the elegant figure of a middle-aged woman.
—I'm sorry.
Crackle.
But soon, his mother's beautiful form ignited like candlelight, blazing fiercely.
—For leaving you with such sorrowful memories...
Her sorrowful gaze fixed on the child, she suddenly radiated an intense light from every inch of her skin—
Whoooosh!
—and in an instant, she crumbled to ash, vanishing as though she had never existed.
—Aaaah!
The child stretched out his hands, wailing as he tried to run toward her.
But his body had frozen stiff, refusing to move.
The scenery shifted again.
Now the child was cradled in his father's arms, racing like the wind.
—Forget everything.
His father held him tightly.
—You must survive.
Finally reaching a hidden passage inside the pavilion, his father embraced him one last time.
Then, invoking the Great Art sealed within the Murim, he erased every last memory from the child's mind.
—000
But the moment his father struck the crown of his head, a silvery light erupted from the child's body.
It turned out, the child's body harbored the Divine Power of a Lama Monk—a power that had reached the Heavenly Human Domain.
With no choice, the father poured forth his immense Internal Power, forcibly suppressing the Divine Power.
—If you ever learn martial arts, this seal will break one day. I pray you never step into the world of Murim...
Rumble...
A deep reverberation shook his mind, and the world plunged into darkness.
—So you were hiding in the snow.
When his eyes opened again, a warm voice greeted him.
His vision gradually brightened, revealing the kindly face of a gaunt old man smiling down at him.
—From now on, your name is Eun-seol.
Eun-seol.
Hidden in the snow.
The grandfather hadn't said the child was freezing to death in the snow—
He had phrased it as though they were playing hide-and-seek, and the child had simply hidden there.
It wasn't pity for a boy on the verge of death.
It was the old man's heart, so full of love that even that sight seemed endearing to him.
The child adored the name.
Eun-seol.
Taking the old man's surname—Bu Eun-seol.
My name... is Bu Eun-seol.
CRACK!
At that moment, a thunderous roar erupted from Mumu's body as an enormous Shockwave began swirling violently.
BOOOOM!
The Shockwave took the form of a colossal sword, soaring to the heavens.
SHIIING!
Simultaneously, a blinding white Cold Energy surged from Mumu's left hand—instantly extinguishing the flames devouring Fatty's body.
The time that had passed since the torch touched Fatty's body?
No longer than the blink of an eye.
With all his memories restored, the vast Internal Power lying dormant in his Meridians and Hidden Acupoints—
began circulating through his body once more, guided by the awakened Internal Energy Method.
ZIIING!
Then, a brilliant silver radiance burst forth as a new power blossomed from his Dantian.
The mysterious force slumbering within Bu Eun-seol's Meridians had manifested—triggered by the fragments of his regained memories.
BOOOOM!
Though only a trickle, that power surged in like a Tidal Wave, merging with the True Qi coursing through his Meridians.
Crackle, crackle.
At the same time, his melted facial skin split like dried pastry—before rapidly regenerating into flawless white flesh.
His ordinary body transformed in an instant into one that had reached the Body Integration Golden Source realm.
As his muscles and nerves realigned themselves—
Metamorphosis and Bone Renewal was occurring once again.
FLASH!
The moment Bu Eun-seol opened his eyes, a dazzling light erupted from his body, shooting straight into the distant sky.
Spiritual Aperture Breakthrough.
The moment the mysterious power within him fused with his Internal Energy, the Reverse Extreme Inner Method finally shattered the Sixth Layer—
...
Even a master of the Martial Extreme Realm would find it nearly impossible to inflict any meaningful damage upon his spirit and mind now.
Shiver.
Gyo Cheon-ak, who had been watching this unfold, trembled uncontrollably as if struck by a sudden chill.
Though he had come from a bandit background and possessed formidable martial skills, he had only recently reached the Peak Realm.
A man who had spent his life evading the pursuit of Murim masters, preying only on helpless commoners—
When had he ever witnessed a martial artist who had attained such heights?
How could the pulsations of True Qi surging from a human body soar all the way to the heavens?
***
Finally, Mumu—no, Bu Eun-seol—who had returned to his original form, turned his gaze upon Gyo Cheon-ak.
"I—"
Gyo Cheon-ak tried to speak, but no sound escaped his lips.
Crinkle... crinkle...
His body began to crumple like paper, his bones twisting unnaturally.
It resembled the technique Sim Wol had once used—the Sky Shattering Extreme Wheel.
The only difference was that instead of crushing a person instantly,
it unfolded slowly, deliberately... allowing him to fully savor the terror and agony of impending death.
"..."
Whoooosh.
Once every muscle and tendon in his body had contorted beyond recognition, Gyo Cheon-ak swayed like a puppet made of paper.
"GAAAAAAH!"
Yet his face remained intact, vividly expressing the hellish torment wracking his body.
Thud. Rustle.
His grotesquely deformed body collapsed into a small, crumpled ball before hitting the ground.
Splaaash!
At the same time, spiderweb-like strands of True Qi erupted from Bu Eun-seol's body, spreading outward in all directions.
Like sentient beings, the strands of energy instantly reduced every last bandit in Seong Manor into pulverized masses of flesh.
Thump.
Having annihilated the entire horde in a single strike, Bu Eun-seol turned his gaze toward Seong Mu-ung and his family, who had been whose acupoints had been sealed.
Snap.
With just a glance, the restraints binding them shattered, and their bodies lightened.
Bu Eun-seol studied Seong Mu-ung's robes before speaking.
"I'll borrow some cloth."
Rip! Whiiiir!
As he extended his right hand, the fabric of Seong Mu-ung's sleeve unraveled, transforming into fine threads.
Float. Whiiiir!
The threads flew toward Fatty's unconscious form, stitching his severed ears back into place.
"It'll hurt, but bear with it a little."
Fatty, still unconscious, couldn't even register the pain.
Nevertheless, Bu Eun-seol worked with meticulous care, reattaching both ears perfectly.
Then, placing a hand over Fatty's Qi Sea Acupoint, he began pouring an immense surge of Reverse Polarity True Qi into him.
***
—Huuuu...
—Huuuu...
The pure, overwhelming energy coursed through every meridian in Fatty's body, eventually piercing even his Fine Meridians.
Float.
Fatty's body began to levitate, and from the crown of his head, two white flowers bloomed.
Opening the Fine Meridians.
For martial artists, this meant wielding more than double their usual power.
For ordinary people, it granted lifelong health and longevity.
Bu Eun-seol had not only restored Fatty's body without hesitation—he had also infused him with immense internal power.
"We'll meet again soon."
Bu Eun-seol gazed at the sleeping Fatty, a faint smile touching his lips.
Just as he prepared to activate his Movement Technique—
"Great Hero. Please accept this humble one's bow."
Seong Mu-ung approached and performed a deep, reverent bow.
His family hastily followed suit, lowering their heads.
"Had it not been for the Great Hero—"
As Seong Mu-ung began expressing his gratitude in a resonant voice,
"I was merely repaying a debt."
"A debt?"
"Thanks to your daughter's kindness, I never went hungry."
Bu Eun-seol's gaze lingered on Seong Su-ryeo as a serene smile formed on his lips.
This was not the smile of the Heir of the Demon Hall, the Martial Soul Lord Bu Eun-seol.
It was gratitude—toward the girl who had liked Mumu, the gruff and eccentric beggar.
Seong Su-ryeo cried out without thinking.
"...!"
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
He was Bu Eun-seol, but he was also Mumu.
He acknowledged that this brief life as a beggar had been part of his existence—that the beggar, too, had been him.
"Thank you... for everything, Miss Su-ryeo."
For the first time in his life, Bu Eun-seol called a woman's name with warmth, his smile deepening.
This was not the cold, ruthless smile of the Demonic Path's successor, the Martial Soul Lord.
It was the smile of an Orthodox Grandmaster—raised by his grandfather, Bu Jan-yang.
"Next time—!"
Seeing him about to leave, Seong Su-ryeo desperately reached out.
"Please, just once—come back to see me!"
Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly before instantly activating his Movement Technique.
Boom!
Watching his figure soar into the sky in an instant, Seong Su-ryeo's tears fell in heavy drops.
The sorrow of being unable to follow him was unbearable.
"Su-ryeo."
Seong Mu-ung approached her then.
"That man is no ordinary martial artist."
Gently patting his weeping daughter's shoulder, he spoke softly.
"So... you must not stand in the way of his path. Do you understand?"
Seong Su-ryeo could only shake her head, tears streaming down her face.
Yet in her heart, she vowed—
Someday, without fail... I will see him again.