Chapter 430
Singular Light Pavilion, Yeop Hyo-cheon's Office.
There, the Chief Doctrine Commander Yeop Hyo-cheon and Bu Eun-seol sat facing each other, sipping tea.
This private meeting had been requested by Yeop Hyo-cheon.
Because of that, Bu Eun-seol remained silent, quietly drinking his tea without a word.
By the time the tea had nearly run dry, Yeop Hyo-cheon's lips finally moved.
"Before I knew it, this is already the second time. The Demonic Path Ten Gates, which uphold the Demon Hall, have declared Gate Sealing."
There was something pointed in his words.
Bu Eun-seol set down his teacup indifferently and spoke.
"Gate Sealing was something the Hell Blood Citadel mentioned by the Hell Blood Citadel itself. The Demon Governance Council hasn't even begun yet, has it?"
Yeop Hyo-cheon stared intently at Bu Eun-seol.
The one with nothing to lose here was Bu Eun-seol.
It seemed only right that the initiative today should naturally be handed over to the guest.
"Martial Soul Lord, are you not the successor who will one day bear the responsibility of this palace?"
Yeop Hyo-cheon narrowed his eyes slightly as he spoke.
"Other places aside, if the Hell Blood Citadel undergoes Gate Sealing, it will cause significant disruption to the operations of the palace."
"If the Hell Blood Citadel is sealed, the palace's financial power will suffer a considerable void. Not only that, but we will also lose all the groundwork we've laid in Guizhou."
Yeop Hyo-cheon continued in a low voice.
"Already, the Hell Blood Citadel has lost about one-third of its elite forces due to the Great Cloud Forest incident. If punishments like this continue, the political landscape of the Demonic Path's martial world will undergo a massive shift."
Bu Eun-seol cut straight to the point.
"Then, are you suggesting, Chief Doctrine Commander, that we simply cover up the crimes committed by the Hell Blood Citadel?"
His expression was grave as he spoke.
"I've wiped out every last one of the orthodox factions that have been targeting me, the ones who helped create the Soulless Ones in the martial world, and even the merchant groups that funded them. Yet, are you saying we should leave the Hell Blood Citadel untouched?"
"It's not accurate to say the entire Hell Blood Citadel is guilty of creating the Soulless Ones. At most, they provided the manpower and poisons needed to manufacture them... That was solely the doing of the Gongya City Lord."
Yeop Hyo-cheon smiled faintly.
"Well, I'm sure the Lord already knows that... which is why you haven't wiped out the Hell Blood Citadel in one stroke and instead called for the Demon Governance Council."
"I don't understand what you're trying to say."
He knew, but feigned ignorance.
It was to drive home the point that the one who made the first move would be at a disadvantage.
Eventually, Yeop Hyo-cheon got to the heart of the matter.
"The Hell Blood Citadel's crimes are already known throughout the martial world. They've lost about one-third of their elite forces, and their sphere of influence has drastically shrunk. They've been punished enough. Moreover, the root of all this can be attributed to the Gongya City Lord's unilateral actions."
"Given the circumstances, there's no need to hold the Demon Governance Council. Why not settle this by having the Gongya City Lord step down from his position?"
Yeop Hyo-cheon took a sip of tea to wet his throat.
"Frankly, if it comes to this, the palace won't be able to support you, Lord. In fact, your own standing might become precarious."
"And what exactly do you mean by that?"
"Because of this faction called the Infinite Realm, both the righteous and demonic paths are suffering from spies infiltrating their ranks, aren't they?"
Bu Eun-seol's eyebrows rose slightly.
He hadn't expected Yeop Hyo-cheon to bring up the Three Realms first.
Moreover, he specifically named the Infinite Realm, not the Three Realms. That could mean one of two things.
Either he truly had no connection to the Three Realms... or he was linked to the Azure River Realm or another division of the Three Realms.
Yeop Hyo-cheon seemed to guess the turmoil in Bu Eun-seol's mind, as the corners of his lips curled up.
"Even the Sect Chief of the Beggars' Sect was a spy."
Then, he continued leisurely.
"But if you keep pulling out the very pillars that support this palace... wouldn't people start to suspect your intentions as well, Lord?"
For a moment, Bu Eun-seol's brow twitched.
The only ones who knew that No Bong was a spy of the Three Realms were Namgung Un, who had helped him deal with the Beggars' Sect's affairs, and the leaders of the Death Shadow War Unit.
No one else had any knowledge of it. Yet, Yeop Hyo-cheon had figured out that No Bong was a spy?
As if reading Bu Eun-seol's surprise, Yeop Hyo-cheon smiled faintly.
"Wouldn't that make even the palace's successor a target of suspicion? People might start wondering if you're a spy too."
Nonsense.
Even if it were revealed to the world that No Bong was a spy, there wasn't a single person in the Demon Hall who would look at Bu Eun-seol that way.
—If you refuse to heed my words, I could always reveal that it was you, under the alias Seol-so, who killed No Bong.
Yeop Hyo-cheon was threatening Bu Eun-seol in this manner.
"That could very well be the case."
Yet Bu Eun-seol nodded with an indifferent expression.
He already had the dual identity of Seon-u Jin and had even crafted a perfect shadow persona. At this point, the identity of Seol-so held no meaning or value to him whatsoever.
"In that case, something amusing might happen."
—Such threats won't work on me.
That was the essence of Bu Eun-seol's reply.
"Don't misunderstand."
Yeop Hyo-cheon laughed as he spoke.
"The fact that you are not a man who bends to threats or external pressure is something the entire world knows. What this Cult Leader is saying is merely a request."
His gleaming eyes emitted an eerie light.
"Soon, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor will conclude his closed-door training and return. But if the Demon Hall is in disarray, it won't look very good, now will it?"
Bu Eun-seol gave no response.
In truth, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor emerging from seclusion was hardly a special event.
Whether he entered closed-door training or not—
Unless something extraordinary occurred, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor remained secluded within the Holy Demon Pavilion, delegating most affairs to Yeop Hyo-cheon.
The only thing that puzzled Bu Eun-seol was why Yeop Hyo-cheon was bringing up the Demonic Heavenly Emperor now, of all times.
'Is that it?'
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor was an existence that symbolized chaos.
Even if an incident like the current one had occurred, he would not take sides—not with Bu Eun-seol, not with the Hell Blood Citadel, not with anyone.
Ultimately, Yeop Hyo-cheon was signaling that his proposal carried the weight of a broader, strategic perspective.
'If the Hell Blood Citadel seals the sect's gates, does that truly mean the Demon Hall's operations will face difficulties?'
His true intentions remained unclear.
Yeop Hyo-cheon was not a man who revealed his inner thoughts.
Still, there were things Bu Eun-seol could infer.
The Twin Heavenly Emperors of Righteous and Demonic had long been aware of the Three Realms' existence... and their repeated seclusions were likely not unrelated to them.
Otherwise, two supreme masters who had reached the pinnacle of the Martial Extreme Realm would not have continuously secluded themselves.
'At first, I simply thought they were attempting to challenge the Heavenly Will Realm.'
The realm beyond the Martial Extreme—where one could comprehend the will of heaven and merge with nature like an ancient being.
Yet, in the entire history of the martial world, no warrior had ever reached such heights.
Because of this, Bu Eun-seol had always assumed that the Twin Heavenly Emperors, who stood above all in the martial world, continued their seclusions for that very reason.
Just then, Yeop Hyo-cheon, who had been watching Bu Eun-seol intently, spoke again.
"It's hardly a reward, but... if you wish, you may take back the Kill-Seeking Unit."
The Kill-Seeking Unit Bu Eun-seol had handed over to Yeop Hyo-cheon was effectively a shell—its duties had long been taken over by the Death Soul Squad.
But reclaiming So Ja-myeong, a capable figure, instead of the Kill-Seeking Unit had always been Bu Eun-seol's desire.
"Very well."
Bu Eun-seol, who had been deep in thought, nodded.
"Let it be so."
"A wise decision."
Yeop Hyo-cheon smiled faintly.
"In any case, the Kill-Seeking Unit will be disbanded. Just have Squad Leader So return."
So Yeop Hyo-cheon had discerned that the Kill-Seeking Unit Bu Eun-seol had given him was hollow.
From his perspective, the unit was nothing more than cumbersome baggage.
After all, he already commanded the Secret Shadow Pavilion—the Demonic Path's foremost intelligence organization.
"My thanks."
Bu Eun-seol rose calmly from his seat and clasped his hands.
"Quite the shocking affair, isn't it?"
Yeop Hyo-cheon's voice took on a meaningful tone.
"That the Hyeokryeon Hall Master was the spy who gave an artificial dantian to Sim Wol."
Bu Eun-seol maintained his composed expression.
Most of the Demon Hall's high command, like Gongya Geuk, were either aware of the Three Realms or had their own intricate ties to them.
And Bu Eun-seol suspected that even the Supreme Cult Commander, Yeop Hyo-cheon, was no exception.
"Spies exist everywhere."
'Is that so?'
"Before long, we will root out not only the spies within our ranks but also those colluding with external factions."
"Nothing would please me more."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Yeop Hyo-cheon smiled faintly.
"This Cult Leader is striving toward that end as well... Should you require anything, do not hesitate to ask."
"I appreciate it. Then—"
Bu Eun-seol turned away coldly.
In the end, the Demon Hall was the Demon Hall, and the Demonic Path was the Demonic Path.
It no longer mattered what the Supreme Cult Commander or the Demonic Heavenly Emperor thought.
Unless one possessed power—ability—that surpassed the Three Realms... even if one sought to pluck out their roots, it would be futile.
And if he couldn't immediately forge a force capable of surpassing them...
Then all that remained was to dismantle them piece by piece, steadily and meticulously.
After the storm of blood that had swept through the martial world—triggered by the affairs of the Great Cloud Forest, Hell Blood Citadel, Changbai Trading Company, and Sword Forest Valley—peace had finally returned.
Moreover, for the first time in the history of the Demon Hall,
the Demonic Governance Council—convened by the Heir of the Demon Hall to discuss the punishment of the leaders of the Demonic Path Ten Gates—never took place.
This was because, upon the Supreme Cult Commander's proposal, Gongya Geuk stepped down from his position as fortress lord, taking full responsibility and bringing the matter to a close.
Before long, spring arrived, bringing budding sprouts and cool breezes.
As the weather warmed, even the beggars of Byeokgye Village began to show signs of vitality in their faces.
Spring was the season the beggars welcomed most.
After enduring the bitter cold all winter without a proper meal, the warmth of spring drove away the chill—
And even the stinginess of people's hearts thawed somewhat.
"Hey, you!"
But unfortunately, it wasn't just kindness that returned to Byeokgye Village.
THUD!
A massive fist tore through the air and struck the faces of the elderly beggars.
"You damn bastards! If beggars stop begging just because they're in pain, who's gonna feed you? Get your asses out there and work!"
With the arrival of spring, the old beggars of Byeokgye Village were, without fail, beaten by Black Bear.
Because while everyone else went out to beg, the elderly still huddled like it was winter.
Branch Chief Black Bear.
He was originally a thug from the Black Syndicate.
But after a brawl with a rival gang left his knee injured, he had to leave the underworld.
The only skills he knew were extortion, threats, and brutally beating people—yet Black Bear had found his own way to survive in this world.
By dominating the beggar colony of Byeokgye Village, he lived off what they begged.
At first, a few beggars resisted, but Black Bear had innate physical strength and the cruelty he'd honed in the syndicate.
Eventually, he bent them to his will, becoming the self-styled "king" of Byeokgye Village and living a life he found satisfying.
"Branch Chief. Isn't this going too far?"
At that moment, a slightly plump young beggar stepped forward, blocking Black Bear.
"You know as well as I do that the elderly can't move as quickly even when spring comes, right?"
Black Bear's eyebrow twitched.
This had to be the sixth or seventh time now.
Fatty—who used to cower more than anyone—had been defying him with increasing frequency.
"Besides, they're in so much pain they can barely walk. Can't you give them more time until the weather fully warms up?"
In the past, Fatty wouldn't have dared to even meet his eyes.
But now, he stood tall, arguing back.
"You little shit, who's the Branch Chief here—you or me?"
THUD!
Black Bear's fist shot toward Fatty's face again.
Before, a single punch would've knocked him out for half a day.
But now, Fatty merely turned his head slightly and stood firm.
'What the hell? Did this bastard get his hands on some mountain ginseng at Sungajang?'
Not long ago, a group of bandits had raided Sungajang, and Fatty had reportedly reported them to the authorities, driving them out.
Because of this, Sungajang had repeatedly tried to recruit him as a servant, but Fatty refused, insisting on staying true to his beggar's duty.
The problem was, ever since the Sungajang incident, Fatty had been rapidly losing weight and his complexion had improved.
And now, he was even shrugging off punches that could smash thick wood?
"Tch, this bastard's really getting out of hand."
Black Bear finally drew the dagger at his waist.
"Fatty. Let's see if a blade can pierce that gut of yours, huh?"
Seeing the gleaming edge, Fatty flinched and backed away in fear.
No matter how tough his body had become, he still couldn't stop a blade.
"B-Branch Chief..."
"You're really asking for it. Boys! Grab his arms and legs!"
At Black Bear's command, his lackeys lunged to seize Fatty.
"Let go of me!"
But then something strange happened.
The moment Fatty exerted his strength, the burly henchmen were flung aside like ragdolls.
'This guy...?'
Black Bear had only meant to intimidate him.
But seeing Fatty's unexpected strength, he changed his mind.
'If I don't break this bastard's limbs now, it won't be long before he takes my place as Branch Chief.'
Just as Black Bear, eyes wild with rage, raised his dagger and advanced—
RUMBLE—
The sudden sound of a stampeding herd of oxen filled the air as an enormous group of laborers—
Along with wagons loaded with materials—began pouring into Byeokgye Village.
"W-what the hell?"
Black Bear, bewildered, shouted at the workers.
"Who the hell are you people?"
THUD. THUD.
Then, from among the laborers, a tall man in scholarly robes strode forward.
His sharp yet profound gaze gave off the aura of a brilliant strategist—one whose wisdom was unmistakable at a glance.
"Excuse me, but where might I find... ahem... Lord Fatty?"
'Lord Fatty?'
Black Bear's eyes widened in utter disbelief.
Since when did anyone in this godforsaken world address a beggar with the honorific "nim"?
"That... would be me."
At that moment, Fatty—his cheeks still flushed red from Black Bear's beating—stepped forward toward the official.
"Hah. You're... not as plump as I expected."
The scholarly man bared his white teeth in an innocent smile.
"While the manor is under construction, you and the rest of Byeokgye Village will stay in a reserved chamber at the Cloud Fragrance Inn. I've made the arrangements in advance."
When the official gestured toward the carriage waiting at the entrance, Fatty tilted his head in confusion.
"Manor? What manor?"
"Here in Byeokgye Village... a grand estate is being built for the Manor Lord and his subordinates to reside comfortably."
"Manor Lord? Subordinates?"
Fatty gaped.
"Are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else?"
"I came precisely for the right person. Ah, and this—"
The man opened a small wooden case from his sleeve.
When Fatty unfolded the envelope inside, he found an exquisitely crafted ivory plaque bearing the name Bu Bok-un.
"What... what is this?"
"Fatty—no, Lord Bu's identity plaque. Proof of your status."
"This... is my identity plaque?"
Fatty's eyes bulged.
If nameless orphans could have one wish... it would be to possess an identity plaque—tangible proof they existed in this world.
But drifters had no means to obtain one. Even for adults, securing an identity plaque required both government connections and a fortune.
So why had this been made for him—out of nowhere?
"Why...?"
Fatty shook his head, his expression uncomprehending.
"Why would you give this to me?"
"For saving the Murim."
"...What?"
"You saved the Murim."
Fatty blinked rapidly, his mouth hanging open.
"...Me?"
"Yes."
The official nodded solemnly.
"Had it not been for Lord Bu's noble deeds, by now... no, the entire Murim would have been torn apart and shattered into pieces."
Fatty couldn't fathom it.
What in the world had he done to save the Murim?
"Once the manor is complete, attendants and servants will be assigned to serve you. The administrators will handle everything, so you needn't worry."
The official turned to leave, then paused with a soft "Ah."
His gaze swept over the beggars of Byeokgye Village watching him.
"Which one of you is Black Bear?"
At that, Black Bear—who had been staring blankly—jolted to attention.
'Is he going to reward me too?'
If Fatty was getting a manor for no reason... maybe he would be gifted a lavish annex like the Epang Palace?
"That's me!"
Saliva dribbling, Black Bear rushed forward with a radiant grin.
"It's me! I'm Black Bear!"
"Black Bear?"
"Yes!"
A fist suddenly filled his vision.
It flew toward him lightly—yet the moment it pressed against his right cheek—
THUD! CRASH!
Black Bear hurtled backward in a straight line, smashing through the thatched cottage over thirty yards away.
"Guh—!"
Collapsed in the wreckage, he writhed in agony, his face twisted in pain.
His cheek burned as if set aflame, and his entire jaw felt like every tooth had been ripped from its roots.
"Drag that wretch back here."
At the official's command,
Scrape—scrape—
The armed escorts standing behind him seized Black Bear by the hair and hauled him forward.
"P-please, spare me!"
"Considering the atrocities you've committed, you should be executed on the spot."
The official glared down at him with icy severity.
"But... doing so would diminish the glory of Lord Bu's benevolent deeds."
He pointed at Fatty and spoke with frigid finality.
"From this day forth, you will serve Lord Bu with unwavering loyalty. That is the only way you keep your life."
"Y-yes, sir!"
Satisfied, the official nodded, then added:
"Oh, and the Black Syndicate members you'd become acquainted with in Byeokgye Village? They've all been... relocated elsewhere. Keep that in mind."
Tremble—tremble—
Black Bear couldn't believe it.
The black-clad man before him was a martial Master of a caliber he'd never encountered in his life.
Not only that—he commanded enough wealth to mobilize hundreds of workers at once...
And as if to ensure no resistance, he'd wiped out the entire local Black Syndicate in one stroke.
"And one more thing—"
The official looked down at Black Bear and smiled coldly.
"Learn to open your eyes properly."
Then he turned to Fatty and clasped his hands respectfully.
"Lord Manor, I shall take my leave now."
As the official turned to depart, Fatty—no, Bu Bok-un—finally understood.
—"Open your eyes properly."
Wasn't that the very phrase Black Bear had snarled every time he beat Mumu senseless?
"Wait—!"
Bu Bok-un rushed forward, his voice trembling.
"Is... is he doing well?"
At the question—now that everything had clicked into place—the official, Yu Un-ryong, flashed his white teeth in a radiant smile.
"Of course he is."