Chapter 482
Razor-thin beams of light radiated from Dam-jeung's pupils.
At last, the past deeds of the Demon Path's Foremost Bladesman—a master of the Demonic Path who had achieved all its glories as the Deputy Hall Lord of the Demon Hall—were coming to light.
The Great Killing Star who had plunged Murim into terror. The Invincible Saber Master.
"At that time, this humble monk was the Lecturing Monk of Blood Shaolin, responsible for managing the scripture repository and teaching sutras and treatises."
Dam-jeung's eyes darkened as if recalling events from long ago.
"But then one day, masked figures of unknown origin and countless boys arrived at Blood Shaolin."
It was utterly incomprehensible.
People who weren't even Shaolin disciples had swarmed in to teach not only the Shaolin Supreme Arts but also the Demonic Auxiliary Arts stored within Blood Shaolin?
He had repeatedly asked the abbot for reasons but received no answers.
Yet Dam-jeung was not only intensely curious but also a man of exceptional intellect and insight.
Sensing something amiss in Blood Shaolin, he began investigating in secret. And eventually, he uncovered the entire truth.
—A calamity heralding the Final Extinction of Murim, one that no one could stop, would arise from the Demonic Path.
Mo-ryun, the Seeker of Dharma—former teacher of the previous Martial Alliance Leader Cheol Mu-hon—who possessed the ability to discern heavenly secrets.
He had prophesied that a calamity destined to annihilate Murim was approaching.
—Then what must we do?
When Cheol Mu-hon asked Mo-ryun, the only answer he received was: "It cannot be stopped."
He even admitted they couldn't determine whether it stemmed from the rise of the forces of the Three Realms, who had dominated Murim for generations, or the birth of a new Great Demon.
—We have no choice but to pool all our resources to nurture a figure capable of controlling the Demonic Path from our side!
If the reason couldn't be understood...
They devised a plan to dominate the Demonic Path from the outset, suppressing any such seeds before they could sprout.
Cheol Mu-hon discussed this matter with Hong Yeop, then the abbot of Shaolin.
Eventually, those who held sway over Murim at the time gathered in secret to deliberate.
And the outcome?
They would scour the world for prodigies, then cultivate the Demonic Path's supreme master from within the orthodox factions, thereby severing the root of the calamity arising from the Demonic Path.
A brilliantly inventive yet perilous plan.
—Create an Invincible Saber Master whom none could rival, one who would dominate the Demonic Path while cutting off the seeds of annihilation.
That was the Absolute Demon Saber Project.
By forging an Invincible Saber Master who embodied the pinnacle of Demonic Path Martial Arts, they would uncover and eliminate—in advance—the faction or individual lurking within the Demonic Path that would bring about Murim's destruction.
For the Absolute Demon Saber Project to succeed, they needed a prodigy unparalleled in martial talent, aptitude, stamina, and insight.
But the project's initial phase ended in failure.
Even with the finest innate gifts, the most crucial element was one's mental fortitude.
For they had to master the Demonic Secret Arts without ever succumbing to Demonic Nature.
In the end, Cheol Mu-hon found the solution within Blood Shaolin.
—We shall nurture the greatest prodigies within Blood Shaolin!
The warrior monks of Blood Shaolin could master the Demon Sect Secret Arts while maintaining minds as serene as Clear Mirror Still Water and hearts aflame with Buddhist devotion.
This was possible due to Blood Shaolin's unique mind-strengthening secret arts and the Stillness Ground where they could be honed.
Once the method was decided,
the most exceptional prodigies and instructors from across the world gathered once more at Blood Shaolin.
—We must not select just one outstanding prodigy. We need prodigies who can rise to key positions across both orthodox and unorthodox factions. And we must also choose those who will support the Absolute Demon Saber.
For the Absolute Demon Saber Project to succeed, two additional conditions had to be met first.
They needed shadows to perfectly craft the identity and history of the one who would become the Demonic Path's Peerless Saber Master.
And they needed allies—those who would ascend to pivotal positions across both factions to assist and supplement him.
"In the end, all the world's prodigies gathered at Blood Shaolin, where they trained not only in the orthodox factions' supreme arts but also the scattered Demon Sect Martial Compendium stored there, according to their talents and dispositions."
As Dam-jeung reminisced about the past, untold secrets of Murim flowed incessantly from his lips.
"And among them were those who became shadows of the Absolute Demon Saber, as well as those who became inheritors of mysterious sects with unknown locations."
"Then you also taught them the Shaolin Supreme Arts?"
"Indeed. To master the Demon Sect Martial Compendium without being corrupted by the Demonic Path, they first had to learn our temple's martial arts to maintain steadfastness of spirit and mind."
"Did you also impart secret arts like the Tendon Transformation Sutra?"
"This humble monk cannot know such things. However..."
Dam-jeung's gaze deepened as if recalling those times.
"Given that the project concerned Murim's very survival, if it was necessary... the abbot would have permitted their transmission."
Only then did Bu Eun-seol feel one of his long-held questions resolve.
Why the Wicked Incense Master had wielded the Prajna Great Power.
He too must have been a figure from Blood Shaolin who had entered Wicked Incense under the Absolute Demon Saber Project.
"Who exactly are these beings that will bring about Murim's annihilation?"
"That, I do not know."
"If even you don't know, then who does?"
"All these facts are what this humble monk uncovered through secret investigations over many years. No one would have guessed that a mere Lecturing Monk would persist so doggedly in his inquiries. And..."
He paused for a moment, exhaled a deep sigh, and spoke.
"Because no one knew this humble monk was aware of the Absolute Demon Saber Project... that was the only reason I survived."
"What do you mean by that?"
Dam-jeung replied in an unbearably heavy voice.
"Every person involved in that project was either murdered or disappeared."
Thud.
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
Even as he listened to Dam-jeung's account, one question had lingered in his mind.
No matter how tight the security was, if they had carried out a project of this scale—
After all this time, shouldn't there be at least one or two others who knew about the Absolute Demon Saber Project?
Yet, in the entire martial world, not a single soul remained who knew of it? That made no sense.
"You're saying they were all killed?"
"The only ones this humble monk knew of were the Iron Alliance Leader and the Abbot. But most likely... they are all dead."
A flicker of rage ignited in Dam-jeung's pupils.
"All the great masters who once ruled the martial world—those connected to the Absolute Demon Saber Project—were either killed or vanished. Without leadership, the project ultimately failed."
Clenching his fist, he spat out the words as if coughing up blood.
"Even our Blood Shaolin senior brothers—all of them!"
Dam-jeung's eyes burned with a resentment no Buddhist should ever reveal—
No, a resentment that should never be seen at all.
"If this humble monk hadn't been assigned to retrieve scriptures from the Western Regions back then... Or if it had been known that a mere Lecturing Monk was aware of the Absolute Demon Saber Project..."
His voice was heavier than stone.
"I would never have survived."
So that's how it was.
Only now did Bu Eun-seol understand why Dam-jeung was so desperate to rebuild Blood Shaolin—even if it meant forcibly reforming criminals.
Though a monk, his heart was filled with the same relentless thirst for vengeance as Bu Eun-seol's.
Moreover, Blood Shaolin was an existence that could never be revealed to the outside world.
Even if its disciples had been massacred, there was no one to whom they could plead their injustice. The incident itself had to be buried in silence.
"...Hm."
Hearing Dam-jeung's circumstances, Bu Eun-seol felt a solemn weight settle in his chest.
In the end, Dam-jeung was the only one who knew of the Righteous Faction's secret Absolute Demon Saber Project—
And the sole survivor of Blood Shaolin.
So this is why so many past masters of the Righteous Faction vanished without a trace or died of inexplicable illnesses.
Many of the previous generation's Righteous masters had mysteriously disappeared—just like the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade—or simply vanished overnight.
And now, the reason was the Absolute Demon Saber Project.
Then that means... aside from the Three Realms, there's another shadow force in the martial world?
Bu Eun-seol's gaze darkened.
Even for the Three Realms, silently assassinating the leadership of the Righteous Faction—the Martial Alliance Leader and the Shaolin Abbot—was no easy feat.
No... it's possible if the Three Realms united.
If the Three Realms hadn't been divided as they were now—if they had banded together for a single purpose—
Such a thing might have been possible.
"Did you investigate?"
Though once a mere Lecturing Monk, Dam-jeung was now the rightful abbot of Blood Shaolin.
Surely, he must have tried to uncover the butcher who massacred them.
"Of course. Even after decades of searching, I couldn't even identify the culprit."
"Then why not track down the prodigies who underwent the training? If you found them, you might have found the killer."
"That was impossible."
"Because they must have taken root in the Demonic Path by then. You couldn't openly search for them, I suppose."
"That was part of it. But there was a greater reason."
Dam-jeung furrowed his brow.
"What kind of prodigy would willingly stake their life to master the martial arts of both the Righteous and Demonic Paths—living their entire life as a double spy?"
"...You can't be serious."
"It's true. They were all Heavenly Orphans—most of them taken by force or deception."
Dam-jeung shook his head.
"Though they trained in martial arts within Blood Shaolin, in truth, they lived like beasts in the Stillness Ground—a place even harsher than Repentance Cave."
"..."
"When the leadership was wiped out and the chain of command collapsed, most of them likely felt... liberated."
Bu Eun-seol let out a deep sigh.
What had begun as a noble cause to save the martial world had ultimately become a project of unspeakable cruelty.
"But there was hope. Even after the leadership's demise, I found traces of a few who still sought to carry out the Absolute Demon Saber Project."
Dam-jeung continued with a startling revelation.
"Yet by the time I tracked them down, they had either been exposed and executed... or had vanished without a trace."
"So there were traitors among them."
"Indeed. To escape the Absolute Demon Saber Project, they had to kill even their own comrades—those who knew their true identities."
Dam-jeung narrowed his eyes.
"And this humble monk... always suspected one man."
"Who?"
"The Seven Fingers Demonic Blade—Bu Jan-yang."
A blade-like glint flashed in Dam-jeung's eyes.
"He had an obscure past, appearing in the Martial World like a comet only to vanish abruptly. After indiscriminately slaughtering figures from both Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths."
"Hmm."
"During our continued investigation, a man claiming to be the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade came to Blood Shaolin. And voluntarily entered Repentance Cave."
Dam-jeung's gaze grew infinitely profound.
"He had indeed mastered the Blood-Tear Seven Forms, proving their authenticity before the abbot and myself. Once recognized as the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade, he willingly shattered his Internal Power and entered prison."
Dam-jeung took a deep breath, staring intently at Bu Eun-seol.
"But I knew. The truth that he wasn't the real Seven Fingers Demonic Blade."
"How could you tell?"
"Because I'd seen the real one."
Swish.
Dam-jeung pulled back his monk's robe to reveal his shoulder.
The skin there was stained dark, as if all vitality had been drained from it.
It was a Brand left by the Sword Qi of the Blood-Tear Seven Forms.
"You met him personally?"
"Indeed. Though he wore a mask... I happened to witness him slaughtering the Three Swords of Central Henan. And received this wound when I tried to intervene."
Dam-jeung shook his head as if dismissing a pointless memory.
"Regardless, only after the fake Seven Fingers Demonic Blade entered Repentance Cave did I realize—the real one still lived, and he might be the central figure of the Absolute Demon Saber Project."
"..."
"For a Demonic Path figure to not only know Blood Shaolin's exact location but also the true 'Repentance Cave' where we confine Demonkin... That's impossible unless—"
A Demonic Path member who knew Blood Shaolin's location.
The probability was high they belonged to the Absolute Demon Saber Project.
Moreover, someone willing to sacrifice their entire life for the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade.
Didn't that suggest the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade was a righteous man? The project's core figure? Such thoughts bordered on madness.
"You imprisoned him knowing he was fake?"
"How could I stop such a man? One who voluntarily shattered his Internal Power and sacrificed his entire existence."
Dam-jeung spoke with clouded eyes, voice thick with regret.
Hearing this, an indescribable emotion surged through Bu Eun-seol.
The Nameless Old Man too had been an extraordinary figure who could have left his mark on the Martial World.
Yet he'd sacrificed his life to protect Grandfather.
Bu Eun-seol himself now walked a razor's edge between Demonic Path and Righteous Faction, with Seo Jin-ha—another exceptional talent—as his shadow.
And Seo Jin-ha too would sacrifice himself without hesitation if Bu Eun-seol were endangered.
'I must never allow such a thing to happen.'
Bu Eun-seol renewed his resolution.
He would yield to no faction, to no one. He would never let another's life be sacrificed for his sake.
"You asked about the relationship between the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade and Blood Shaolin."
Dam-jeung exhaled deeply.
"This is all I know."
Bu Eun-seol drew a long breath.
If Dam-jeung's deductions were correct:
The Seven Fingers Demonic Blade was a Righteous Faction spy artificially created by the Absolute Demon Saber Project.
To gain the Demonic Path's trust, he slaughtered Righteous figures—until disgusted with his life, he abruptly left the Martial World.
Thanks to sacrifices like the Nameless Old Man's, he now lived quietly.
'But if Grandfather is the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade... He'd never abandon the Martial World for such reasons.'
Bu Jan-yang was a man of unparalleled responsibility and conviction.
He might complete his mission and atone through death, but... he'd never abandon a sacred duty to save the Martial World midway.
"—The entire Martial World owes him. His sacrifice is why we've survived this long..."
The Nameless Old Man had clearly said the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade's sacrifice allowed martial artists to live.
Meaning...
Even if Dam-jeung's deductions were entirely correct, the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade must have had another reason for leaving.
"So you conspired with the Martial Alliance Chief to test me."
Having organized his thoughts, Bu Eun-seol subtly guided the questioning.
"To pursue the murderer who harmed Blood Shaolin, you'd need an intelligence network like the Martial Alliance's."
Though Shaolin is called the Orthodox Faction's leader, unfortunately it lacks ears throughout the Martial World's sects.
Especially Dam-jeung, hunting the butcher who massacred Blood Shaolin—he'd desperately need an exceptional intelligence organization.
The Divine Calculator. No—he'd have no choice but to ally with Zheng Tianji.
"That's irrelevant."
Dam-jeung stared piercingly at Bu Eun-seol.
"Then let me ask you this."
His expression showed genuine incomprehension.
"Why are you searching for the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade?"
The question was unexpected.
Back then, the Divine Calculator had seemed to know Bu Eun-seol's identity and reasons for seeking his grandfather.
Yet Dam-jeung asked this? Did that mean no information had been shared between them?
"Don't worry. This Blood Shaolin holds no influence over the Martial World's affairs."
Dam-jeung seemed to have read Bu Eun-seol's thoughts as he spoke calmly.
"Our sole purpose is to protect Shaolin. This humble monk only keeps his ears open to matters concerning the perpetrators who once attacked our main temple."
Bu Eun-seol gave a slight nod.
Blood Shaolin possessed formidable power, yet they were not an overt force that exerted overwhelming influence over the martial world.
Even if Bu Eun-seol were not the Martial Soul Lord but an immortal, they would have no reason to interfere—nor would anything change.
Their existence was solely for the protection of Shaolin.
In other words, Blood Shaolin were the shadow guardians who concerned themselves only with Shaolin's affairs, a secret weapon that emerged only in times of crisis.
"Well? After hearing this humble monk's secret history and the confidential matters of Blood Shaolin, surely you don't intend to keep your own circumstances hidden, do you?"
"Hmm."
Bu Eun-seol let out a thoughtful hum and studied Dam-jeung.
For a high monk of Shaolin, he was eccentric, frivolous, and the type who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
Yet he didn't seem deceitful or malicious.
Moreover, the fact that he had shared the Absolute Demon Saber Project meant he didn't consider Bu Eun-seol an enemy.
'He's different from my first impression.'
Bu Eun-seol found himself somewhat liking Dam-jeung, whom he had initially assumed to be a vicious and monstrous monk.
It was a strange kinship—the recognition of another eccentric who pursued a singular goal with unwavering determination.
'However... there's one glaring, absurd flaw in his story.'
In truth, Bu Eun-seol had noticed one critical inconsistency in Dam-jeung's account.
But he chose not to press the issue.
If Dam-jeung had spoken truthfully about what he knew... pointing out that flaw would only lead to him being unable to provide an accurate answer.
'This is something I'll have to investigate myself as soon as I leave Shaolin.'
Having settled his thoughts, Bu Eun-seol finally spoke.
"Bu Jan-yang, the undertaker who worked in Hwangju Prefecture... was my grandfather."
After a brief silence, Bu Eun-seol answered honestly.
"And he was murdered by an unknown master of the Demonic Path. I entered the martial world to hunt down his killer."
He then explained his circumstances plainly—how he had pursued vengeance for his grandfather, how he had discovered that the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade's movements overlapped significantly with Bu Jan-yang's past.
"Hoh."
Dam-jeung let out a sigh, his eyes narrowing with unprecedented depth.
Only now did he realize that the madness constantly radiating from Bu Eun-seol's body was, in fact, the burning desire for revenge.
"So that's how it was."
The Heir of the Demon Hall made no distinction between orthodox and unorthodox factions.
He wandered the desolate and brutal martial world solely to avenge the cruel death of his grandfather, Bu Jan-yang.
"Karmic retribution. Truly, karmic retribution."
Dam-jeung exhaled deeply.
Had Bu Eun-seol entered the martial world under better circumstances, he might have become a Renowned Hero who upheld its righteousness.
But instead, he had stepped into this world driven by vengeance, and now this unparalleled prodigy had been swept into the currents of the Demonic Path.
"So the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade, who vanished without a trace, might have been the undertaker Bu Jan-yang."
Dam-jeung nodded slowly before releasing another sigh.
"Unfortunately, there's no way to confirm whether the two were the same person."
Bu Eun-seol nodded in understanding.
If his grandfather had been a peerless prodigy raised by the Righteous Path as a demonic warrior...
Then the moment he became part of the Absolute Demon Saber Project, all records related to him would have been destroyed.
"I see."
His intuition had always whispered that his grandfather was the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade.
And since his grandfather was connected to Shaolin, he had believed that speaking with its high-ranking members would reveal the truth.
After countless hardships, he had finally managed to converse with Dam-jeung—yet even now, he couldn't uncover the full truth. The disappointment weighed heavily on him.
"Hmm."
Was it because of that sorrowful, desperate expression? Or because he recognized the sincerity in Bu Eun-seol's words?
Dam-jeung's previously indifferent brow twitched slightly.
After a moment of deep contemplation, he nodded as if recalling something.
"Among the prodigies who entered Blood Shaolin at that time, there was one who stood out above all others."
Dam-jeung, who had briefly stepped away, now handed Bu Eun-seol an old book.
"While training in martial arts, he never stopped reading Buddhist scriptures. Whether it was to refine his spirit and mind or simply a hobby, I cannot say."
"What is this?"
"From the moment he completed his training in the Stillness Ground and earned the right to enter Blood Shaolin's Scripture Pavilion, he constantly borrowed this book to read."
Dam-jeung narrowed his deeply wrinkled eyes.
"Then, as if frustrated, he began annotating it like a commentary. This humble monk found it admirable and deliberately pretended not to notice..."
Bu Eun-seol hastily flipped open the book.
The cover was written in Sanskrit, which he couldn't decipher.
But as he turned the pages, he saw neat annotations and interpretations written in precise regular script beside the Sanskrit text.
"Ah—"
Bu Eun-seol's body trembled as he stared at the small characters.
The handwriting that had translated the Sanskrit was none other than his grandfather's.
"Grandfather..."
His eyes reddening, Bu Eun-seol clutched the Sanskrit scripture tightly to his chest.
His suspicions had been correct.
His grandfather had been part of the Absolute Demon Saber Project.
Considering his skill and martial prowess, it was certain—he had been the central figure of the plan.
He had become the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade to fulfill the martial world's structure, only to lose his life at the hands of the Three Realms in the end...
A peerless martial artist with a tragic fate.
That man had been his grandfather, Bu Jan-yang.