Chapter 49
It was not loyalty.
Bu Eun-seol, who had entered the Ten Demonic Heirs Tournament alone and unaided.
After fighting his way through the Asura Battlefield where blood and flesh ran rampant, the place he ultimately chose was Langya Pavilion.
Not as a sect that taught martial arts, but as a nest he could return to.
"Hahaha."
Dan Cheong burst into laughter, as if he could not help it.
To the other disciples, it was a place that pursued the utmost limit of the martial way, but from Bu Eun-seol's perspective, it was simply a home to return to.
'Truly, as a disciple of the Main Pavilion, he is a child beyond compare.'
Pursuing the greatest strength regardless of danger. Was that not the foremost virtue that disciples of Langya Pavilion ought to possess?
Bu Eun-seol was a disciple suited to Langya Pavilion more than anyone.
"Very well. In exchange, the period you remain in the Slaughter-Seeking Squad shall be limited to one year."
Dan Cheong spoke calmly.
"If within that year you reach a level that satisfies you, leave the Slaughter-Seeking Squad and return."
"Understood."
"Then I shall formally request the Demon Hall to assign you as a member of the Slaughter-Seeking Squad."
At Dan Cheong's permission, Bu Eun-seol bowed deeply.
"I thank you for your permission."
"However, there is a problem."
"What might that be?"
"Your appearance is far too conspicuous."
"You mean me?"
Though he did not realize it himself, Bu Eun-seol's features were so peerless that the word handsome was insufficient.
Eyes like a flower forged of fire blooming within ice, a high-bridged nose, and pale skin. A body that seemed frail yet was firmly built...
Above all, an atmosphere of solitude and loneliness flowed from him, so unforgettable that once seen, it could never be erased from memory.
"Ahem."
Dan Cheong, who had been staring fixedly at Bu Eun-seol, let out a low cough and spoke.
"You are currently the most-watched newcomer among the Ten Demonic Heirs. If you carry out Slaughter-Seeking Squad missions while revealing a face anyone would remember, your identity will be exposed in no time."
He drew a secret manual from within his robes and placed it on the table.
On the worn cover, the characters for the Face-Changing Bone-Shifting Art were visible.
"Even a human skin mask cannot deceive a master with exceptional enhanced vision. But if you master this secret manual, you will be able to alter your appearance without awkwardness."
Dan Cheong let out a deep breath and said,
"Though it does consume one-tenth of your internal energy while active."
"Thank you."
As Bu Eun-seol accepted the book, Dan Cheong picked up the stacked documents again.
"Go. I will make arrangements so that you can depart at any time."
Dongting Lake.
Though the word lake is attached to it, it is in truth a river. It is merely that the waters of the Yangtze River flow in and out, making its shape appear like a lake.
Regions where river and lake are thus indistinguishable are called rivers and lakes, and this is the very origin of the term rivers and lakes that signifies the martial world.
"Whoa, whoa."
As the carriage racing along the main road slowly came to a halt, the sound of the horse's snorting rang out.
"We have arrived in Yueyang."
Along with the coachman's voice, the carriage door opened, and a tall, striking figure slowly revealed himself.
Had he just barely reached the age of twenty? A handsome young man, standing well over six feet tall with long flowing hair, emerged.
It was Bu Eun-seol, now officially a member of the Slaughter-Seeking Squad.
After leaving Langya Pavilion, he had been assigned to the Demon Hall's secret branch of the Slaughter-Seeking Squad located in Yueyang.
The area around Dongting Lake in Hunan was like a border between the righteous and unorthodox sects, a place where figures from both factions endlessly clashed and fought over interests.
Conversely speaking, it could be called a buffer zone where neither the Demon Hall nor the Martial Alliance could exert influence.
Bu Eun-seol intended to hone his martial arts while carrying out missions in this place where the power struggle between the righteous and unorthodox factions was fierce.
Crack.
As he tilted his neck, the sound of bones rang out.
'Perhaps I should have just used my lightness skill to come here.'
When martial artists undertake long journeys, they generally employ the Light Body Art.
Bu Eun-seol, whose internal energy had surpassed the level of sixty years of inner force, could likewise cover a thousand li in a day without difficulty.
But he had ridden the carriage at a leisurely pace, partly to read the secret manuals he had received from Dan Cheong and Wang Geol.
'Indeed... there are many martial artists here.'
Entering the city, Bu Eun-seol's eyes sparkled as he gazed at the marketplace lined with taverns.
Half of the passersby wore weapons, and their eyes gleamed sharply.
In particular, the window seats of the taverns overlooking the scenery of Dongting Lake were packed full of people who appeared to be martial artists.
"Young master, would you not care to come up to our tavern? The view is absolutely superb!"
At that moment, a boy who appeared to be a servant began his bluster in front of Bu Eun-seol.
"Our Gyeongha Pavilion is famous for having the most delicious food among the taverns in the neighborhood."
He seemed too young to be called a waiter, but his speech and manner were quite adept.
Bu Eun-seol, who had been looking into the bright-eyed waiter's sparkling eyes, shook his head.
"Not interested."
"Come now, do come up. Our tavern has the neighborhood specialty—thirty-year-aged special yellow wine. And our waiters don't ask for separate tips either!"
At those words, Bu Eun-seol frowned.
A place that serves decades-old wine and where you tip the errand boys. Wasn't that not a regular establishment, but a top-tier pavilion used only by the wealthy and high-ranking officials?
"Not interested."
When Bu Eun-seol waved his hand and refused, the waiter bowed his head as if disappointed.
"Then, young master, please be sure to visit Gyeongha Pavilion next time!"
As he watched the boy bow and turn away, Bu Eun-seol was suddenly struck by a strange feeling.
'Come to think of it, waiters are soliciting me.'
It was a situation he could never have imagined when he worked as an undertaker in Hwangju Prefecture.
Back then, he wore shabby clothes, not even proper undertaker's robes, and reeked of corpse odor...
'It must be the clothes.'
Right now, Bu Eun-seol was wearing genuine garments and a long robe made by the Capital Gongson Clan.
To conceal his identity, he had dressed himself up like a wandering nobleman touring the area around Dongting Lake.
'Back then, I had no need for good clothes. After just one day, they'd be soaked in the stench of death.'
Smiling bitterly, Bu Eun-seol stopped in front of a street stall displaying various bronze mirrors.
'It wasn't just the clothes.'
The reflection in the bronze mirror was no longer that of a gaunt, frail boy.
Now past his coming of age, his physique was not only imposing but had transformed into that of a handsome young man exuding refined elegance.
—A scion of a renowned clan?
—His features are quite striking. He could even be a Beijing Opera actor.
Every time he passed through the marketplace, he could hear people murmuring.
Having slowly made his way out of the marketplace, Bu Eun-seol shook his head quietly.
'I really must change my appearance.'
During the carriage ride, he had fully mastered the Face-Changing Bone-Shifting Art that Dan Cheong had given him.
'It would be best not to reveal my true appearance even to the branch members.'
They were all people of the Demon Hall, after all. There was no need to reveal his true affiliation or face.
Having organized his thoughts, Bu Eun-seol drew up his internal energy and activated the Face-Changing Bone-Shifting Art.
Crack.
The sound of bones rang out near his jaw and temples, and then his skin began to ripple like waves.
Though it was named the Face-Changing Bone-Shifting Art, it did not allow one to freely change one's face or alter one's skeleton.
A person's appearance changes impression with just a slight alteration of the eyes or a small change in facial shape.
In other words, the Face-Changing Bone-Shifting Art was simply the act of subtly moving the muscles and bones of one's original face to create a completely different face.
Pop, pop, pop.
Having shifted his facial muscles and bones, Bu Eun-seol raised his head.
In that brief moment, the dazzlingly handsome young man had vanished, and in his place stood an ordinary young man who could be seen anywhere.
By merely changing the shape of his nose, eyes, and jawline slightly, he could alter his appearance so naturally that even masters with exceptional vision would be unable to detect anything amiss.
"Shall I be on my way?"
Leaving the marketplace behind, Bu Eun-seol entered a winding alley and stopped in front of an old building at the end of the lane.
Hoehyeon Old Bookstore.
Above the building, an old signboard bearing about six characters hung precariously.
Judging by how faint the engraved characters had become, it appeared to be an old bookstore with quite a long history.
Creeeak.
As he opened the door with a screeching sound like a demon's cry, the interior of the old bookstore came into view at a glance.
'This is a fine place.'
Bu Eun-seol nodded as he gazed at the grand and spacious interior of the old bookstore, which called to mind the Scripture Pavilion of Shaolin.
To properly preserve books, one must manage light and humidity carefully.
Inside the old bookstore, only enough oil lamps to barely read by had been hung, and high-quality charcoal and salt had been placed throughout.
"Welcome."
As he pushed through the bookshelves densely lined with books and entered, a middle-aged man sitting at a table rose from his seat.
The middle-aged man wearing a dark blue long robe smiled warmly and spoke.
"Is there something you're looking for?"
He was Sang-ryang, the owner of Hoehyeon Old Bookstore and the branch leader who led the Slaughter-Seeking Squad Yueyang Branch.
"I've come to sell a book."
Bu Eun-seol answered in a voice that was perfectly nonchalant.
Before coming here, he had already heard everything from Wang Geol about how the Slaughter-Seeking Squad branch operated and how to make contact.
"What book would that be?"
At Sang-ryang's question, Bu Eun-seol took out a volume inscribed with the words Spring and Autumn Annals from inside his robes.
"Hmm."
Sang-ryang, who had accepted the book, narrowed his eyes.
'Too young.'
Though the true face was hidden by the Face-Changing Bone-Shifting Art, Sang-ryang saw through the fact that Bu Eun-seol was a young man barely past his coming of age.
'He doesn't look like he has any skill, either.'
Gazing at Bu Eun-seol's face, altered to look ordinary, he clicked his tongue inwardly.
Slaughter-Seeking Squad members were generally selected from those who were fearless and had extensive experience in the martial world.
Because of this, the Slaughter-Seeking Squad members who came in from the various sects were mostly in their thirties. No matter how young, they were in their late twenties.
'Well, it's not my concern.'
In any case, Sang-ryang belonged to the Demon Hall.
These were people whose originating sects were unknown. There was no need for exchanging names or introductions between them.
Since they were ghosts who officially did not exist, far from any sense of camaraderie, no one would so much as blink even if one of them died.
"Can it be sold?"
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Sang-ryang collected himself.
The book's condition was very good, but inside the characters for Spring and Autumn Annals, a red spider had been drawn. It was the mark signifying the Slaughter-Seeking Squad.
"Dear me, the book is damaged."
Sang-ryang's eyes flashed for a moment, then he clicked his tongue.
"In this state, it won't fetch a proper price. How much were you looking to sell it for?"
"Rather than money, I was thinking of exchanging it for another book. Would that be acceptable?"
"Heh heh heh. You truly do seem to love books. Ma-un."
At the middle-aged man's words, a young man who had been organizing something in the back came out.
"You called."
"Show him the old books in the back."
"Understood."
Following the man, Ma-un's guidance, Bu Eun-seol walked between the bookshelves for a long while, and finally entered the warehouse where old books were piled up.
Clunk.
As soon as he entered the warehouse, the entrance closed behind him with a thick iron door.
Ma-un pointed to the bookshelf and spoke in a low voice.
"I am Ma-un, the contact handler of the Yueyang Branch."
Taking out a letter from inside his robes and examining it, he nodded.
"Slaughter-Seeking Squad members are addressed by their assigned titles for convenience. You would be... Eighteen. Well, though there will likely be no occasion to call each other by name."
No emotion whatsoever was visible in Ma-un's expression or voice.
"Open the books and you will find missions. Choose one of them, and I will explain the details."
Before one knew it, the obsequious demeanor had vanished, revealing the bearing of a martial arts master.
Even if he was a contact handler, he too was a figure of the Demon Hall. He was not someone to be treated carelessly.
The books placed on the shelf numbered only six, and they were in quite clean condition, as if recently made.
Rustle.
When he opened the volume inscribed Extensive Records of the Taiping Era, unexpected characters unfolded on the first page.
—Ding designation, third reassignment. Five hundred silver taels.
Steal the Golden Bronze Incense Burner located at the residence of Three-Legged Wild Wolf, Go Jeok-san.
"It is a mission to infiltrate the Golden Guard Gate on Geummun Mountain and steal the Golden Bronze Incense Burner held by Go Jeok-san."
Ma-un began his explanation.
"However, I would advise against choosing it unless you know the geography of the Geummun Mountain region well. Since several theft attempts have already failed..."
He was explaining at a constant, mechanical pace.
"What does 'reassignment' mean?"
At Bu Eun-seol's question, Ma-un answered immediately.
"It is the number of times the mission has been issued. Either someone failed three times, or no one has taken on this mission for a long time, so it has been issued three times."
'Hmm.'
Swallowing his silence, Bu Eun-seol examined the other volumes.
The remaining four books likewise listed missions such as stealing demon weapons or treasures, or disruption missions using information.
And each time he opened a book, Ma-un explained it like a machine.
'These are meaningless.'
Frowning, he reached out toward the books once more.
'Is this the last one?'
Bu Eun-seol examined the book inscribed Book of Odes.
—C-grade, ninth reassignment. Three thousand silver taels.
Secretly dispose of Seok-jeong, the vice leader of the Soul-Stealing Hall within the Blood-Yin Cult.
"That one, you need not even look at."
Ma-un let out a heavy breath and shook his head.
"Because it is a C-grade mission."
"Am I not allowed to do it?"
"Can you not tell by looking?"
Ma-un raised the corners of his lips.
"A, B, C, D... Among them, C-grade missions or higher are usually chosen by seasoned members who have performed missions for at least three years."
Pointing at the Book of Odes, he spoke again.
"Seok-jeong is a master who has made his name known across the martial world for over ten years. He has dealt with many assassins in that time, so he absolutely cannot be handled by ambush alone. What I mean is, the three thousand silver taels are not written there for nothing..."
Ma-un could not finish his sentence.
Because a thread-thin smile had settled on the corners of Bu Eun-seol's lips.