Chapter 487
Bu Eun-seol and Gongson Dan-gyeong cautiously stepped into the formation.
Sssssss—
The interior of the Heaven-Defying Cloud-Chaos Confusion Formation was filled with a grayish fog so thick that not an inch ahead was visible.
This fog didn't just obscure vision—it dulled even the sensations within one's own body.
No matter how exceptional one's martial arts were, unleashing their full potential was impossible. Even if an enemy brushed past right beside them, detecting their presence was difficult.
Swish!Whoosh!
Yet, despite the suffocating darkness and sensory disarray, Bu Eun-seol and Gongson Dan-gyeong moved with precision, eliminating the assassins they encountered one by one.
Because the Heaven-Defying Cloud-Chaos Confusion Formation had been layered, they had to unravel six hundred variations before they could either escape completely or reach their desired destination.
Gongson Dan-gyeong took the lead at first, as she had memorized the first three hundred variations.
But once they moved beyond the known patterns, she could no longer discern the directional shifts.
From then on, she stayed close to Bu Eun-seol's side, carefully advancing forward.
"Hah... hah..."
Both of them were breathing heavily.
By now, they had unraveled over four hundred variations and slain more than three hundred assassins.
Though Gongson Dan-gyeong was a prodigy with extraordinary intellect, her martial prowess fell short in comparison.
As a strategist who calculated everything with her mind, she had no prior experience in life-or-death battles like this.
"...I'm exhausted."
Eventually, Gongson Dan-gyeong removed her veil.
She had sustained numerous wounds, large and small, while fighting alongside Bu Eun-seol to eliminate the assassins trapped within the formation.
Fortunately, she carried high-quality medicines worthy of being called spirit elixirs, allowing her to endure—barely.
The real problem was mental fatigue.
For someone who had never experienced true combat before, being trapped in a formation and constantly cutting down assassins was grueling.
Even for a seasoned martial artist, this would have been a brutal ordeal.
Her body remained in a state of unrelenting tension, while her fighting spirit gradually waned.
Cutting down a person was nothing like slicing meat.
Gongson Dan-gyeong had never once in her life driven a sharp weapon into another's flesh, severing muscle, organs, or bone.
And yet, here she was, waging a battle bordering on mass slaughter through the formation...
Her killing intent steadily diminished, and even her fighting spirit began to fade.
With her mind exhausted first, her body lost vitality, refusing to move as she willed.
"Commander Seon-u, you're truly remarkable."
Gongson Dan-gyeong shook her head with a weary expression.
"No matter how accustomed one is to battle, even they would tire under these conditions."
Yet Bu Eun-seol showed no signs of fatigue, despite having cut down more than twice as many assassins, and his killing intent remained undiminished.
It was as if he could slaughter a thousand—no, ten thousand—without so much as blinking.
"Commander Seon-u, despite your youth, you seem to have extensive combat experience."
"It's likely because I've mostly fought bandit hordes," Bu Eun-seol replied flatly.
"Even the smallest bandit groups number at least three hundred. If you include their dependents, they easily exceed five hundred."
"Dependents? Then... do you mean you wiped out entire bandit groups?"
"Correct. For a time, that's what I did."
The identity of Seon-u Jin was meticulously crafted—any extraordinary feat he performed had a plausible backstory.
This was because the Divine Calculator, a peerless master, had spent twenty years pouring vast wealth and manpower into creating this fictional persona, leaving no detail overlooked.
"Bandits are like weeds—no matter how many you uproot, they always grow back."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was resolute.
"Unless you eradicate them completely when you strike, they'll sprout again in no time."
Even his voice seemed to carry the stench of blood.
Gongson Dan-gyeong felt dizzy and shook her head.
"Merchant group work isn't easy either."
After resting briefly, the two resumed their advance.
Stretching out her hand, she felt a wall and leaned against it, exhaling heavily.
"Let's rest a little longer before moving."
"Understood."
Bu Eun-seol nodded and moved closer to her, keeping watch on their surroundings.
"I truly can't fathom which faction would orchestrate something like this."
Bu Eun-seol spoke in a tone that suggested utter bewilderment.
"No matter how much money these assassins were paid, targeting the Martial Alliance's high command makes no sense."
Gongson Dan-gyeong shook her head.
"The murim has many assassin groups that operate in the shadows. If they were absolutely certain they wouldn't be exposed, they might accept such a contract."
She's feigning ignorance.
Bu Eun-seol suppressed a bitter smile.
There was no way someone of her standing—practically the Martial Alliance's chief strategist—wouldn't know of the Three Realms' existence.
She was likely giving him vague answers because she assumed Bu Eun-seol was just a low-ranking figure.
"In any case, once we escape safely, we'll make sure they pay the price they deserve."
Part 2/4
Just then, a blade flashed from somewhere, aiming straight for her throat.
"Watch out!"
Swish!
Bu Eun-seol instantly drew his sword and stepped in front of her, blocking the attack.
Then, with a swift motion, he unleashed a sword technique, cleanly severing the assassin's head.
Schlick!
The moment Bu Eun-seol beheaded the assassin—
Thunk!
A sharp blade suddenly thrust out from behind Gongson Dan-gyeong's retreating figure.
"Ah—!"
She moved like lightning, dodging the strike and swinging her own sword in retaliation.
Thud!
Fortunately, she subdued the assassin, but not before taking a slash to her shoulder.
"This is bad. We don't have any medicine left."
Bu Eun-seol quickly pressed on her acupoints to stop the bleeding, then tore off a piece of his sleeve to bandage the wound.
"From now on, stay close to me as we move."
At his words, Gongson Dan-gyeong nodded and pressed herself tightly against him.
Seeing her face smeared with blood and sweat, Bu Eun-seol felt an inexplicable pang of guilt.
Seon-u Jin wasn't a master of the Extreme Heaven Realm, so he couldn't extend the Moment of Time indefinitely.
That was why, even though he had clearly foreseen the ambush, he couldn't prevent it.
"Let's rest for just a little longer."
Muttering softly, she closed her eyes as if overwhelmed by exhaustion.
"I can't walk anymore. I'll just close my eyes for eight minutes."
"Understood."
The moment he replied, she fell into a deep sleep.
Bu Eun-seol stared at her sleeping face for a moment, lost in thought.
'Should I just kill them all?'
With his abilities, wiping out every assassin gathered here in one go wouldn't be difficult.
'I wouldn't even need to use the Willful True Binding. If I use the Glacier Thousand Streams Art, there'd be no trace left.'
After a brief hesitation, he shook his head.
'No, the traces aren't the problem.'
Gongson Dan-gyeong wasn't just some ordinary woman—she was the Martial Alliance's Chief Strategist.
If assassins started dropping dead inexplicably, what then?
She would undoubtedly investigate until she made sense of it.
'Besides...'
Bu Eun-seol shook his head again as another thought crossed his mind.
In any case, given the current situation—
The best course of action was for Seon-u Jin to accompany Gongson Dan-gyeong underground using his own abilities.
'Hmm.'
Bu Eun-seol gazed at Gongson Dan-gyeong, her long lashes lowered as she slept.
Now that he looked closely, her face was slender yet with slightly plump cheeks, making her appear much younger than she likely was.
'The sisters' auras are completely different.'
If Gongson Dan-a was a peony, Gongson Dan-gyeong was more like a magnolia—subtle yet fragrant.
Unlike her younger sister, she lacked flamboyance, but her calm and elegant demeanor carried a strangely unique beauty.
"Looking at you, Commander Seon-u, reminds me of my younger sister."
Just then, Gongson Dan-gyeong murmured softly, her eyes still closed.
"That child showed genius in everything from a young age. No matter what she did, she was faster than me—even her beauty was incomparable."
Gongson Dan-gyeong wasn't the type to reveal her innermost thoughts to others.
But exhaustion, both physical and mental, combined with being trapped in the Absolute Formation for so long, seemed to have weakened her resolve.
"The only things I could pride myself on were my composure and memory. So I memorized every book in the main house, over and over. Since I couldn't match her in martial arts or looks, I had to win with my mind."
A bitter smile touched her lips.
"When I was appointed Chief Strategist, I thought I'd finally surpassed her. But looking at myself now... I'm still the same."
The Heaven-Defying Cloud-Chaos Confusion Formation didn't just dull the senses—it also induced hallucinations and amplified emotions.
After being trapped for over two double-hours, she seemed unable to control her emotions anymore.
"Looking back, I've never truly beaten her even once."
Her voice and gaze no longer belonged to the Martial Alliance's formidable strategist—just a beautiful woman weighed down by her own thoughts.
Even in the darkness, her beauty was dazzling, but Bu Eun-seol's expression remained indifferent.
"Are you saying even the Chief Strategist feels inadequate?"
"Of course. My sister was not only talented in martial arts, but she was also truly beautiful. When she was around, I was often treated as if I didn't exist."
"Hmm."
"You don't believe me?"
"I believe you."
Now it was clear—she harbored deep-seated inferiority toward her younger sister, Gongson Dan-a.
Wanting to ease her mood, Bu Eun-seol offered words of consolation.
"Beauty is subjective, isn't it? Depending on the person, there are surely those who would hold you in higher regard."
"If you ever met my sister, you wouldn't be able to say that."
Gongson Dan-gyeong's voice was self-deprecating.
"Commander Seon-u, you've been busy running merchant groups Beyond the Frontier, so you probably haven't met many beauties, have you? Am I right?"
Bu Eun-seol closed his mouth.
In truth, he was the man who had encountered the most stunning beauties in the Murim.
He had seen Gongson Dan-a's face up close—so close their noses nearly touched—with his head resting on her knee, gazing at her until it felt like his eyes would bleed.
He had spent considerable time with Yeon So-ha, who was said to rival Dan-a, both at the Divine Beast Palace and the Demon Hall.
He had also encountered A-yeon, Dan So-ok, and Jin Seol—known as the Flower Among Demons—countless times at the Demon Hall, all of whom possessed beauty no less striking.
In the underground tunnels of Shaolin, he had been with Tang Cheong, hailed as Sichuan's Greatest Beauty.
There was also the ever-present Xiao Yao, a woman of exotic and mysterious allure.
And he had even laid eyes on the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace Mistress, Jeok Mu-mi, whose Southern Barbarian beauty held its own unique charm.
Each of them radiated a different kind of allure—it was impossible to say who was more beautiful.
And in Bu Eun-seol's eyes, Gongson Dan-gyeong was no different.
Perhaps that was simply because he had never been the type to dwell on a woman's beauty or lack thereof.
"Isn't it common for the peony to obscure the magnolia?"
His words were calm, but his consolation was sincere.
"To be honest, I've never been good at distinguishing the beauty of women. But everyone in the alliance praises the Chief Strategist's exceptional grace."
His clear eyes held no deceit.
For a fleeting moment, surprise and confusion flickered across Gongson Dan-gyeong's face.
But it lasted only an instant before her expression smoothed back into its usual composure.
"Thank you."
She straightened, as if gathering strength, and spoke again.
"Then let's proceed."
Rising to her feet, she stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Bu Eun-seol.
"Since I can still wield my sword, let's fight together."
"Chief Strategist—"
"It's fine. You've taken quite a few injuries yourself, Commander Seon-u."
And she wasn't wrong. Bu Eun-seol had no choice but to endure several strikes from the assassins' blades—after all, he had to maintain his guise as Seon-u Jin.
Gongson Dan-gyeong, aware of the severity of his wounds, wanted to fight alongside him.
She was a proactive woman, not one to rely solely on others.
Perhaps that was because she had always accomplished everything on her own.
But in the end, disaster struck.
The moment she stood beside him, the assassins—having sensed a shift in their formation—poured forth in waves.
Thwip! Thwip!
In an instant, multiple scratches marred her body.
Yet Gongson Dan-gyeong showed no fear, meeting the assassins with everything she had.
"I'll handle this."
Seeing her in danger, Bu Eun-seol swiftly hurled a hidden blade.
But among the assassins, one moved with exceptional speed.
Using his comrades as shields, he deftly evaded the attack and relentlessly pursued Gongson Dan-gyeong.
'Must be their group leader.'
If a thousand assassins had swarmed them, there had to be someone commanding a portion of them.
That exceptionally skilled assassin was undoubtedly a group leader.
Crack!
With just one elite leader appearing, the assassins' movements shifted entirely from before.
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip.
'No choice.'
If they didn't escape this crisis, surviving alone would be meaningless.
Reluctantly, Bu Eun-seol doubled his internal power and unleashed Master Unhindered's True Body Supreme Art—the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms.
Swish! Slash!
Poisoned blades rained down on Bu Eun-seol's body.
But the sword strokes they unleashed spun violently in midair before hurtling back toward them.
'Disperse the strong force, gather the weak, and rotate it back.'
This was the decisive stroke of the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms—Shared Mystery.
"Agh!"
The assassins who had unleashed their attacks all at once were struck by their own force, collapsing to the ground.
'The formation has crumbled significantly.'
The fog lifting and his senses returning confirmed that part of the formation had been destroyed.
That meant they had to move toward the underground tunnel as quickly as possible.
"Chief Strategist, this way!"
Bu Eun-seol charged forward, breaking through the encirclement, and she followed close behind.
Bracing himself for further injuries, he pushed forward with all his might.
The assassins unleashed their assaults, but he endured the lesser strikes with his body—and for the unavoidable ones, he redirected them with the Iron Sword Thirteen Forms.
'There.'
Finally spotting the mechanism leading underground, Bu Eun-seol shoved Gongson Dan-gyeong in first before diving in himself.
Clang! Thud!
As the door sealed shut, both of them gasped for breath.
"Hah... hah..."
Gongson Dan-gyeong looked utterly drained.
Despite all she had endured until now, this was the first time she had faced a life-or-death crisis so dire.
"That was truly incredible."
Even in this state, she praised Bu Eun-seol's swordsmanship.
"Was that Master Unhindered's Iron Sword Thirteen Forms earlier?"
"Yes."
"It seemed... altered in some way."
When Bu Eun-seol's expression flickered with surprise, she let out a soft chuckle.
Gongson Dan-gyeong spoke in a languid tone, "Did you truly believe the Chief Strategist would employ someone without thoroughly assessing them first?"
Her voice remained soft as she continued, "Nor did I select Commander Seon-u solely because he could develop the Ten Thousand Blossoms Store and discern forgeries."
Bu Eun-seol feigned ignorance. "I don't follow."
"This mission required absolute secrecy. As such, I had to thoroughly investigate Commander Seon-u's martial prowess, personality—everything—in advance."
A faint smile played on Gongson Dan-gyeong's lips as she elaborated.
Bu Eun-seol, who had been silently listening, could no longer conceal his astonishment.
If she could visually distinguish a counterfeit Moonlit Pine Radiance Painting—something even experts struggled with—
If estimating that identifying all forgeries in the Ten Thousand Blossoms Store would take roughly a day—
If she knew Bu Eun-seol was the type to keep secrets, possessed hidden martial prowess formidable enough to protect himself even in crisis—
If she had even predicted that any attack would begin in So-ho's warehouse—
'So this is what it means to be a Chief Strategist.'
Hearing her explanation, Bu Eun-seol's mind sharpened.
Had he underestimated Gongson Dan-gyeong earlier—had he altered the battle formation or covertly eliminated the assassins—
She would have noticed instantly, and suspicion would have fallen on him.
"But you couldn't have anticipated that I could replicate the Heaven-Defying Cloud-Chaos Confusion Formation."
Had Bu Eun-seol failed to layer the formation—
They would have been overwhelmed by the assassins and captured immediately.
Meaning, she must have prepared a contingency plan to fend off the assassins even without the formation.
"Of course, there was a backup plan. But since Commander Seon-u brilliantly layered the formation, there was no need to resort to it."
Bu Eun-seol remarked, relieved, "If you foresaw the ambush, you must have also prepared a way to wipe them out in one sweep."
Gongson Dan-gyeong's expression turned solemn. "No. There was no such plan."
"None?"
"This Chief Strategist merely believed the Star Guard Corps Leader would come without fail."
Bu Eun-seol's jaw slackened in disbelief.
'She had considered even that, yet pretended ignorance so effortlessly?'
As if reading his thoughts, she replied calmly, "Their power and influence are formidable. Had we stationed troops near So-ho or prepared countermeasures for a sudden attack..."
Her expression darkened as she shook her head.
"They would never have dared to strike."
"By 'they,' you mean...?"
"That, I cannot disclose."
Her tone brooked no argument, so Bu Eun-seol shifted the topic.
"So your plan was to trust me alone and hold out until the Star Guard Corps Leader arrived?"
"How modest of you."
She smiled faintly before continuing, "Though Commander Seon-u's martial prowess isn't widely known in the Rivers and Lakes, I was well aware of its caliber. And above all..."
She paused, exhaling softly.
"Had I brought along a renowned master, they would never have risked an ambush. But since Commander Seon-u's true strength remains obscure, you were the perfect candidate for this operation."
"I don't understand."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"What reason could justify deliberately inviting such danger?"
"Because confirmation was necessary."
"Confirmation of what?"
"Three things. First, whether the enemy's intelligence network surpasses mine. Second, whether they truly intend to kill me given the chance. And lastly..."
A flash of light flickered in Gongson Dan-gyeong's eyes.
"Whether there truly is a traitor within the Grand Strategy Hall—just as Commander Seon-u suggested."
A leaden silence filled the underground warehouse.
After staring blankly into the air, she spoke again.
"I have many matters to handle moving forward. That's why I had to confirm these three things without fail."
Bu Eun-seol swallowed dryly.
Only now did he understand how she had become the youngest Chief Strategist.
To grasp the enemy's intentions—
To gauge the balance of intelligence and root out traitors—
She had staked her life on this gamble.
In the end, this entire ordeal was part of her meticulous scheme.
And Bu Eun-seol?
Merely a puppet placed upon the board.
A useful puppet—his abilities and potential all coldly calculated.
'A terrifying woman.'
He inwardly sighed.
'Chillingly so.'
Every action she had shown thus far was undoubtedly premeditated.
Her feigned confusion in the Heaven-Defying Cloud-Chaos Confusion Formation—
Her deliberate mention of Gongson Dan-a to expose her own insecurities—
All of it was a calculated act.
To test whether Bu Eun-seol was trustworthy.
To verify whether he was susceptible to lust or impulsive behavior.
And had he shown even a hint of impropriety or disrespect—
She would have undoubtedly deployed a trump card to eliminate him.
'In that case, I should play my part as well.'
Having lived in the Demon Hall—a den of schemes, stratagems, and treachery—
Gongson Dan-gyeong's elaborate machinations felt almost natural to him.
One must measure the enemy's strength. One must confirm the presence of traitors. Only then can one survive.
But now, his identity was that of Seon-u Jin, a Peak Leader of the Martial Alliance.
Having learned that the Chief Strategist had deliberately orchestrated this life-risking plan—
He had to react accordingly.