Chapter 445
Bu Eun-seol immediately unleashed his Lightness Art and raced toward Yunnan.
When he pushed the Ultimate Speed Shadowless technique to its limits, he shot forward with such velocity that it seemed as though he were employing the legendary Shrinking-Earth Technique, folding the ground beneath his feet.
Whoosh!
Without even pausing to drink a single sip of water, he continued running relentlessly, circulating his qi until he finally reached the outskirts of Nanhua in Yunnan.
"This way."
The moment he entered the forest, Soyao vanished without a trace.
Bu Eun-seol had ordered her to guide him only as far as the vicinity where Blood Vajra might be found before departing.
If Blood Vajra were to detect Soyao's concealed presence and mistake her for an Escort Corps member, the consequences would be dire.
Blood Vajra was a man who kept his word without fail. If he were to mistake her for an escort, he would undoubtedly take his own life on the spot.
"You've done well, Soyao."
Bu Eun-seol expanded his Extrasensory Perception, then mustered his strength once more to resume his Lightness Art.
'Is that the place?'
He swiftly moved toward the depths of the forest, where he sensed a dense concentration of presences.
Finally arriving at a clearing deep within the woods, he saw dozens of people surrounding a bloodied monk.
It was unmistakably Blood Vajra—and the martial artists who bore grudges against him.
'Thank goodness he's unharmed.'
Suppressing his presence, Bu Eun-seol immediately concealed himself behind a tree.
If he were to reveal himself in such a situation?
Blood Vajra would undoubtedly strike his own Heavenly Spirit acupoint and end his life on the spot.
"Blood Vajra! Do you remember me?"
Among the martial artists encircling Blood Vajra, a pockmarked man gripping an axe spat out his words as though vomiting blood.
"I am Han Sang of the Iron Axe—the man who lost his one and only elder brother to your hands."
Blood Vajra nodded in acknowledgment.
"I know. Han Su-gyeom, the Acidic Scholar, died from a single palm strike of mine."
Han Su-gyeom had been a man who, upon witnessing Blood Vajra slaughtering members of the Righteous Faction, had challenged him in the name of upholding justice in the Martial World.
But he had been no match for Blood Vajra—perishing instantly from a single strike.
And now, his younger brother, Han Sang, had come seeking vengeance.
"You must be prepared."
Blood Vajra pressed his severed left finger against his right hand in a gesture of prayer and spoke calmly.
"Take your revenge. I will not resist in the slightest."
"Don't mock me!"
Han Sang brandished his axe, his face twisted with indignation as he roared.
"You slaughtered heroes across the land without hesitation—and now you dare play the saintly monk?"
With a swing, Han Sang brought his axe down toward Blood Vajra's neck.
Yet Blood Vajra remained perfectly still, his eyes closed, his expression serene.
Thud.
In the end, Han Sang stopped his blade mid-swing.
"My elder brother lived his whole life doing what was right—he showed mercy to those who did not resist!"
Then, as if his fury were bursting forth, he shouted:
"How could I betray the principles he upheld his entire life—all for the sake of revenge?!"
CRASH!
He swung his axe, smashing a distant boulder to pieces before turning away.
Next, a powerfully built man with massive fists stepped forward and bellowed:
"Peerless Hand Cloud Dart Jo Uk was my younger brother. You killed him."
"That is correct. Peerless Hand Cloud Dart did indeed die by my palm."
Though Blood Vajra spoke composedly, his appearance was utterly wretched.
For over a month, he had been beaten and slashed by countless members of the Righteous Faction—there was not a single unharmed spot left on his body.
The large man struck Blood Vajra across the face with a pained expression.
"My brother, too, lived his entire life as an honorable member of the Righteous Faction—he never killed those who did not resist."
Slap! Slap!
Tears streamed from the man's eyes as he struck Blood Vajra's face again and again.
"You owe your life to that very principle, Blood Vajra! Ptui!"
Finally, he spat in contempt before turning away.
From afar, Bu Eun-seol let out a deep sigh.
To those who cultivated martial arts, enduring such humiliation was worse than death.
Yet Blood Vajra remained standing, his expression pained but unyielding.
Then, an elderly Daoist with a Wudang sword strapped to his back stepped forward.
It was Daoist Master Chungyeop of Wudang.
"Blood Vajra. You killed my master, Daoist Master Unheo. Do you remember?"
"Indeed. Master Unheo died by my hand."
"Why did you kill my master?"
"He believed he could reform this humble monk. But he failed—and in the end, I struck him down."
For the first time, Blood Vajra revealed something he had never spoken of before.
"This humble monk has never once attacked another preemptively. The sole evil deed I have ever committed... was killing Master Unheo."
Blood Vajra closed his eyes and bowed his head.
"Had I not struck first that day, I would surely have been defeated."
Shing!
Daoist Master Chungyeop immediately drew his sword.
"Blood Vajra. For years, I dreamed of the day I would take revenge upon you. But by the time I emerged into the Martial World, you had already returned to Langya Pavilion—and so my vengeance went unfulfilled."
Blood Vajra silently closed his eyes.
Daoist Master Chungyeop swung his sword at Blood Vajra's throat in one swift motion.
Clang! Thud.
Yet the sharp blade shattered like a brittle biscuit before it could even touch Blood Vajra's neck.
Daoist Master Chungyeop had deliberately channeled his Internal Power to shatter his own sword into fragments.
"Master Unheo grieved endlessly over the fact that such a prodigious talent had fallen to the Demonic Path—and yet, he staked his very life on redeeming you."
"And now, at last, he has succeeded. How could I, his disciple, possibly undo his life's work?"
He gazed at the distant sky before turning away.
"With this, let us sever the karmic bond between you and our sect."
Bu Eun-seol, who had been silently observing everything from hiding, was deeply moved.
As expected of the Wudang Sect.
Daoist Master Chungyeop had recognized Blood Vajra's genuine repentance and chosen to halt his vengeance, thereby honoring his master's final wish with dignity.
And Bu Eun-seol was not the only one moved.
Rustle—
More than half of the gathered martial artists who had witnessed the scene turned and departed.
They had been swayed by Daoist Master Chungyeop's noble conduct—but they also recalled one undeniable truth:
—Blood Vajra had never once struck first against anyone, save for his fellow disciples of Heavenly Dragon Temple.
In truth, every life Blood Vajra had taken had been in self-defense—against those who had attacked him under the pretense of "redeeming" or "punishing" him.
In the end, his only crime was defending himself.
A long silence settled over the forest.
But then, a one-eyed woman stepped forward toward Blood Vajra.
"Do you remember Iron-Masked Wanderer Jo Ui-jeong?"
"I do."
"He was my husband."
The one-eyed woman drew her sword.
"He was a man who had nothing to do with you. Why did you kill him?"
Blood Vajra hesitated briefly before clasping his hands together.
"This humble monk has nothing to say."
In truth, while Jo Ui-jeong had been widely known in the Martial World as a Renowned Chivalrous Hero, his true nature was that of a man obsessed with women and wealth.
Moreover, he had secretly operated an intelligence network, sowing discord between sects and profiting from the chaos.
The reason Blood Vajra had killed him was simple: Jo Ui-jeong had led his subordinates in an ambush, seeking to bolster his own reputation by slaying the infamous monk.
Had Blood Vajra exposed these facts, Jo Ui-jeong's posthumous reputation would have crumbled into ruin.
But Blood Vajra remained silent—to protect the honor of a man already dead.
"After my husband died, I lost everything. Bandits stripped me of my wealth—and my eye."
The one-eyed woman advanced toward Blood Vajra as she spoke.
"But you, Blood Vajra—you suddenly pretended to repent, embarking on a penitential journey all the way to Yunnan. And the fools of the martial world, taken in by your act, spat at you or struck you once before forgiving you."
'This is dangerous.'
Seeing the murderous glint in the woman's eye, Bu Eun-seol gripped the hidden dagger in his sleeve.
He had realized—she had not come for justice. She had come to kill.
"But I—!"
The one-eyed woman spat her words like blood.
"I will never forgive you!"
With heavy, deliberate steps, she closed the distance and raised her longsword high into the air.
It was an exceptionally sharp Treasured Sword—one that even Blood Vajra, with his profound Internal Energy, would be unable to block.
From afar, Bu Eun-seol had no choice but to prepare to throw his dagger.
No matter what Blood Vajra might say later, saving him took priority.
Clang!
A clear metallic sound rang out as the one-eyed woman's sword was deflected—but not by Bu Eun-seol's dagger.
Instead, a veiled woman in yellow robes, one of the martial artists who had not yet left, had picked up a stone and knocked the blade aside.
"Pure-Souled Beauty. You have no shame."
The woman in yellow stepped forward, sighing as she faced the one-eyed woman.
"Iron-Masked Wanderer Jo Ui-jeong was not the hero the martial world believed. He committed countless evil deeds. And he died because he led his men in a vicious ambush against Blood Vajra—all for the sake of fame."
"Yet Blood Vajra never spoke a word to tarnish his name. Knowing this, how can you still seek vengeance?"
Shockingly, the woman in yellow was not only aware of Jo Ui-jeong's crimes—she knew every detail of how he had died at Blood Vajra's hands.
"Though he was called Blood Vajra, he never once struck first—save for Master Unheo."
Her beautiful eyes bore into Pure-Souled Beauty.
"And your ruin was not the work of bandits. You lost everything because you tried to seduce the leader of the Blood Paeng Gang—only to have your schemes backfire, leaving you stripped of your wealth."
"Wha—what?!"
"As for your eye—that injury came not from any righteous act, but from your failed attempt to seduce Nam Ja-ryong, the Righteous One of the Martial World. His fiancée, Cho Jeong, was the one who took your eye."
"Who the hell are you to meddle in others' affairs?!"
The Pure-Souled Beauty, unable to contain herself, raised her treasured sword as she glared at the woman in yellow.
"Stay out of this and get lost!"
"This Lady also came to take revenge on Blood Vajra. Naturally, anyone has the right to interfere in his matters, don't they?"
"You—!"
"Moreover, I cannot stand by and watch as you fabricate crimes to justify killing him. The one who truly deserves vengeance is someone else."
The Pure-Souled Beauty trembled, yet she dared not swing her sword.
Because from the woman in yellow's body surged a razor-sharp Formless Qi—something only the greatest sword masters could unleash.
"Who are you?!"
The Pure-Souled Beauty shrieked in fury.
"I do not fight nameless nobodies. If you wish to cross blades, reveal your name."
"You are not qualified to know my name."
"What did you say?!"
The woman in yellow spoke coldly.
"If you insist on drawing your sword, I will not refuse."
But the Pure-Souled Beauty dared not raise her blade and instead retreated.
Instinctively, she knew—there was no way she could defeat this woman.
"Just you wait!"
With that, she immediately activated her Lightness Skill and fled.
The woman in yellow turned her gaze to the remaining martial artists and spoke.
"Among those still here, is there even one whom Blood Vajra attacked without reason?"
Silence fell over the crowd.
Not a single one could claim that Blood Vajra had struck them down without cause.
"Did you not come here for revenge?"
Blood Vajra, seeing the woman in yellow defend him, instead adopted a solemn expression.
"If you did not come for vengeance, then leave."
"Far from it. I, too, came for revenge."
She stepped closer to him and said,
"In the past, you fought a female swordsman known as the Long-Grieving Swordswoman and inflicted fatal wounds upon her."
"That is correct. I remember."
"You believed she had challenged you merely to gain fame. But in truth, she sought to avenge a chivalrous hero of the Righteous Path—Sama Yu, known as the Ghost-Frightener."
The woman in yellow fixed Blood Vajra with a grave stare.
"Yet you, for no reason other than that she attacked you, dealt her a grievous injury. Do you admit this?"
"I admit it."
Blood Vajra bowed his head.
"At the time, I had just completed my Heart Technique and had fallen into the Demonic Path, unable to control my killing intent. I did not understand the value of life and abused my martial arts."
"In the end, the Long-Grieving Swordswoman succumbed to her wounds and died—all because she sought vengeance."
Blood Vajra clasped his hands together.
"Your accusation is just. I will not resist. Take your revenge."
But the woman in yellow shook her head.
"To say you are evil simply because you killed those who attacked you, or because you once walked the Demonic Path... That would be too simplistic."
"What are you trying to say?"
"This Lady merely wished to confirm whether you had truly repented... or if you intended to unleash another storm of bloodshed."
She let out a deep sigh.
"But you have indeed changed. You are willing to lay down your life to atone for your past sins."
Slowly, she turned away.
"Killing you now would only stain my hands with the disgrace of slaying one who does not resist. I shall withdraw as well."
With those brief words, the woman in yellow turned to leave.
Faced with her solemn gaze, the remaining martial artists also turned away.
Among them were those who truly sought revenge, but most had come merely to claim the fame of killing Blood Vajra.
Yet under the woman's dignified and noble presence, they all departed without a word.
'So it was her.'
Bu Eun-seol, hidden in the shadows, watched the woman in yellow and exhaled in relief.
Unlike the others, he could discern her true identity.
After all, he had long been familiar with the snow-white scabbard at her waist—and the treasured sword it held.
She was none other than A-yeon, a disciple of the Sword Pavilion.
'She came here deliberately... for my sake.'
For the first time, Bu Eun-seol felt profound gratitude toward her.
'She knew the elder was my master, so she came to help.'
A-yeon had always carried a great debt toward Bu Eun-seol.
Moreover, when she had once challenged him to a duel at the Hidden Demon Pavilion, she had questioned the terrifying depth of his internal energy—wondering just what kind of Internal Energy Method he had cultivated.
At the time, Bu Eun-seol had honestly told her: he had learned it from Blood Vajra of Langya Pavilion.
And now, seeing his master-like figure in peril... A-yeon had willingly stepped forward to aid him.
'Thank you. I will not forget this kindness.'
Bu Eun-seol was deeply moved. His gratitude toward A-yeon swelled within him.
When A-yeon pointed out Pure-Souled Beauty's faults and persuaded the remaining martial artists to rescue Blood Vajra from danger—
He was so overjoyed he wanted to rush over and embrace her in gratitude right then and there.
Once everyone had left, only a thick silence lingered in the forest clearing.
Blood Vajra, who had been standing motionless for a long while, finally let out a deep sigh and spoke in a low voice,
"Come out."
His gaze was fixed directly on the tree where Bu Eun-seol was hiding.
Bu Eun-seol.
The concealed Bu Eun-seol couldn't hide his astonishment.
After enduring countless trials on his journey to Yunnan, Blood Vajra's body was in complete disarray.
His Internal Power was unstable, his flesh battered—how had he noticed?
"Venerable One."
Bu Eun-seol emerged from the great tree and bowed deeply at the waist in reverence.
"How did you know?"
Bu Eun-seol's concealment had surpassed even the state of Return to Plainness, reaching the realm of Tranquil Stillness—a level where even a master of the Martial Extreme Realm would struggle to detect him.
Yet Blood Vajra, grievously injured with barely an unscathed spot on his body, had instantly sensed his presence.
"My body may be exhausted from the journey, but my Spirit and Mind have grown clearer, and my senses sharper."
Blood Vajra regarded him with an indifferent tone.
"Sharp enough to feel the shockwave of your uncontrolled emotions from afar."
Astonishingly, he hadn't detected Bu Eun-seol's hidden presence—he had sensed his failure to restrain his emotions.
It was as if he had awakened the Heaven Peering Eye, one of the Six Supernatural Powers spoken of in the Buddhist Order.
"I was certain I had conveyed the message properly."
"That's why I came alone."
Bu Eun-seol kept his head lowered, not daring to meet Blood Vajra's solemn gaze.
"Venerable One, you are the master who taught me the Internal Energy Method—a technique as vital to me as life itself. Escorting you on your final journey is only natural."
Guarding a master's final departure is a disciple's duty—his bounden obligation.
Once again, Bu Eun-seol emphasized that Blood Vajra was his teacher.
"Master, you say..."
Blood Vajra sighed, his eyes lifting to the distant sky.
"I've told you repeatedly—it was merely a promise to Pavilion Lord Ak. There is no debt or obligation between us."
"You may call it a debt, but to me, you gave me the strength to survive in the Martial World."
"Strength to survive?"
"An infant cannot grow alone. You nurtured me, gave me the power to endure and thrive in the Rivers and Lakes. How could I ever forsake such kindness?"
Blood Vajra drew a deep breath.
The face of Great Master Jeongyeong—the abbot of Heavenly Dragon Temple, his own master and parent in all but blood—rose in his mind.
"Hmm."
Great Master Jeongyeong had raised him from infancy, swaddled in cloth when he was first brought to the temple.
Even this Penitential Journey to Heavenly Dragon Temple was for the sake of kneeling before his master in atonement—not to reclaim his place as a disciple, but to repent.
And now, Bu Eun-seol stood beside him, declaring that he, too, would uphold the duty of a disciple.
How could he possibly refuse?
"Seems you've sharpened your tongue along with your blade."
"All thanks to you, Venerable One."
Recognizing the tacit permission in those words, Bu Eun-seol allowed a relieved smile to surface as he stepped closer.
Fwoosh.
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol's Extrasensory Perception flared in warning.
An enormous number of figures had silently woven a net around them.
He didn't need to see them to know—
They were assassins of the Three Realms.
'So you've made that decision after all.'
His expression darkened as he gazed at the distant sky.
'Myo Cheon-u.'
The only ones who knew Bu Eun-seol had left to protect Blood Vajra were the Death Shadow War Unit's Great Lords.
And among them, Myo Cheon-u had long been known to be colluding with external forces.
The Supreme Cult Commander had reinstated the Kill-Seeking Unit's Great Lord So Ja-myeong—
And the covert task entrusted to him was uncovering the traitor within the Death Shadow War Unit. He had completed that mission flawlessly long ago.
Swish. Swish. Swish.
In the blink of an eye, assassins clad in black martial uniforms encircled Bu Eun-seol and Blood Vajra completely.
Their numbers—roughly a hundred.
Judging by the aura emanating from their bodies, their strength was on an entirely different level from the Three Realms assassins they had faced before.
'Or perhaps they've finally decided to end this.'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes grew dangerously cold as he assessed the situation.
If they had wanted to ambush him, there had been plenty of opportunities before now.
Yet they had only revealed themselves after he met Blood Vajra.
They had calculated that the injured Blood Vajra couldn't fight properly—and that Bu Eun-seol would prioritize his safety above all else.
In other words, the mastermind behind this—
Possessed strategic brilliance enough to predict that Blood Vajra would distract Bu Eun-seol's Mental Power—
And was someone who understood his personality inside and out.