Chapter 576
Hall of Martial Ascension, Yuk Jang-cheon's Office
"Are you saying this now?"
Bu Eun-seol, who had been summoned by Yuk Jang-cheon, wore a bewildered expression.
The order he had just received was to lead the all members of the Supreme Pinnacle Unit to Mount Longzhong, where the Northern Scholar Tang Hui-do was staying, and escort him back to the Martial Alliance as an invited guest.
"That's correct. The Alliance has decided to invite him as the vacant head of the Nectar Bureau."
Seeing Bu Eun-seol's incomprehension, Yuk Jang-cheon clicked his tongue before continuing.
"It was decided at the Chief Department Heads Conference. With everything in turmoil because of recent events, the Alliance is hardly peaceful, wouldn't you say?"
"..."
"Most likely, they want you out of the Alliance until all investigations are concluded. Having the person at the center of the rumors wandering around would only keep drawing attention to the incident."
'There's something more to this.'
This wasn't a mission Yuk Jang-cheon had brought forward himself. Someone at the Chief Department Heads Conference had deliberately pressured this decision into existence.
"Hall Chief."
Bu Eun-seol spoke respectfully.
"Deputy Unit Leader Tae is still suffering under the Disciplinary Hall's scrutiny. Couldn't another unit be sent for this mission instead?"
"Did you not hear what this Hall Chief just said?"
"I understand. But I have no desire to take on this mission."
Until now, Bu Eun-seol had carried out every mission without complaint—even those that risked his life.
But for the first time, out of concern for Tae Mu-ryong, he was making a request of Yuk Jang-cheon.
"Isn't this a mission any unit could easily handle?"
Bu Eun-seol clasped his hands together once more.
"Hall Master, I beg of you."
"This Hall Chief would like to oblige, but... the timing is crucial now, wouldn't you say?"
"Timing?"
"I must show myself working diligently in times like these to make an impression."
A faint smile played at the corners of his lips.
"Especially now, with the Dragon Coil Hall's lord under scrutiny."
Because of the incident involving Yeon Ja-gang, Yong Myeong, the lord of the Dragon Coil Hall, was being questioned for his moral integrity.
In contrast, if Yuk Jang-cheon demonstrated fairness by sending even Bu Eun-seol away on a mission—
He could effortlessly topple a rival without lifting a finger.
'Yuk Jang-cheon!'
For the first time, Bu Eun-seol felt rage toward Yuk Jang-cheon.
This greedy man was only thinking of his own benefit.
"Bear with it a little longer. The end isn't far off now."
Yuk Jang-cheon smiled faintly as he spoke.
"In return, I promise this—your subordinate will be released without issue."
In truth, it wasn't Yuk Jang-cheon who had pushed for Tae Mu-ryong's exoneration, but Gongson Dan-gyeong.
Worse, despite Bu Eun-seol's plea, Yuk Jang-cheon had done nothing to help, prioritizing only his own safety.
Yet here he was, speaking as if bestowing a favor—perhaps assuming Bu Eun-seol didn't know.
"Understood."
Bu Eun-seol bowed politely before turning away, his eyes frozen like shards of ice.
Originally, even if he surpassed Yuk Jang-cheon, he had never intended to humiliate or ruin him.
But now, his mind had changed.
If this was a man who saw his subordinates as expendable tools, devoid of blood or tears—
Then he deserved to pay the fitting price.
'Hall Master Yuk. You've just driven a blade into my back.'
Bu Eun-seol made his decision.
Yuk Jang-cheon, swelling with dreams of becoming the next Leader—
He would raise him to the greatest heights, only to send him crashing down so utterly he would never rise again.
Bu Eun-seol immediately set out for Mount Longzhong with the Supreme Pinnacle Unit in tow.
Yet even as he left the Martial Alliance, he couldn't shake off a lingering unease.
So for the first time, he made an unreasonable request of Soyou.
—While I'm away on this mission, stay near the Martial Alliance and keep an eye on Tae Mu-ryong's movements. If anything happens to him, report to me at once.
No matter how formidable Soyou's abilities were, lingering near the Martial Alliance to monitor Tae Mu-ryong's situation—
Carried significant risk.
But knowing Bu Eun-seol's protective nature, she nodded without hesitation.
—Don't worry. If anything happens to him, I'll report it immediately.
—And have the Evil Soul Squad's members relay a message to Yu Un-ryong.
—What message?
—That thing I made with the Medicine King Faction's lord. If it's complete, have him bring it to me at once.
—Understood.
With that, Bu Eun-seol entrusted everything to Soyou and departed for Mount Longzhong.
Had he gone alone, with his ability to traverse a thousand li in half a day, he would have arrived in less than two days.
But since he had been explicitly ordered to bring the entire Supreme Pinnacle Unit, the mission now required over half a month.
Anxious, Bu Eun-seol relentlessly pushed the unit forward, employing Lightness Skill without pause.
To minimize rest, they skipped Chengdu entirely, sleeping outdoors as they pressed onward toward Mount Longzhong.
On the third day of their journey.
Flap!
As Bu Eun-seol was preparing to camp for the night with his unit members, the sound of large wings flapping reached his ears.
It was So-yo calling for him.
[Something terrible has happened.]
When Bu Eun-seol moved toward the sound, So-yo's Thousand-Li Voice Transmission reached him.
[Tae Mu-ryong. That man. He's been kidnapped.]
Snap.
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened as he sent back a transmission.
[What do you mean?]
[The Disciplinary Hall declared him innocent and released him. But the moment he was freed, he left the Martial Alliance, saying he would rejoin the Lord—only to be abducted.]
"Lord, what's wrong?"
Just as Jeong Jong-do approached to ask—
[I've already sent the Evil Soul Squad in pursuit. But too much time has passed...]
Realizing the urgency of the situation, Bu Eun-seol turned to Jeong Jong-do.
"Lead the unit members and proceed as slowly as necessary. I will regroup with you at Mount Longzhong."
BOOM!
With those words, Bu Eun-seol shot into the air with a thunderous burst.
It was the Ultimate Speed Shadowless, executed at Grand Perfection, amplified by Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
Thud.
Jeong Jong-do, who had never seen anything like it in his life, could only gape at the sky, stunned by the terrifying display of Light Body Art.
'Why? Just why?'
Bu Eun-seol's mind churned chaotically as he unleashed his Movement Technique, racing back like a madman.
'Why would he do such a thing? Tae Mu-ryong.'
Tae Mu-ryong was sharp—clever enough to deceive even the astute Yeon Ja-gang; Tae himself had great foresight.
He knew the Lord of the Dragon Coil Hall was grinding his teeth in fury.
He knew rumors were spreading about hidden evidence, and that eyes were bloodshot searching for it.
So why would he leave the Martial Alliance and try to regroup?
'Unless...'
A dreadful thought flashed through Bu Eun-seol's mind.
BOOM!
To erase it, he pushed his Movement Technique to its limits.
Ever since establishing the Evil Soul Squad's emergency contact system, Bu Eun-seol could track his subordinates' movements no matter where they were.
Finally entering Henan, he spotted faint smoke rising in the distance and immediately changed course.
Whoooosh!
Deep in the mountains, a low voice transmission reached Bu Eun-seol's ears.
[Lord, this is Flame Ghost of the Evil Soul Squad.]
Flame Ghost took the lead, transmitting as he moved ahead.
[Follow me.]
He pushed his Lightness Skill to the limit, surging forward.
Though incomparable to Bu Eun-seol, to ordinary martial artists, his technique was at the level of a Lightness Body Art grandmaster.
Ever since Tak Il-hon, the Protector, took charge of the unit's training—So-yo included—
every member's Lightness Skill had improved by leaps and bounds.
Deep in the Secluded Valley, Flame Ghost pointed toward a massive tower in the distance.
[There. The one who kidnapped him is Do Geum-ung—the infamous torturer known as the Human Butcher.]
'Human Butcher.'
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip.
A man whose torture techniques could make even an assassin—trained in Cold Heart Art—scream in agony, capable of flaying a man alive piece by piece.
Do Geum-ung, who treated people like meat so often he earned the epithet Human Butcher, had kidnapped Tae Mu-ryong?
[Understood. I'll handle this alone. Return to your post.]
Bu Eun-seol immediately shot toward the tower in the valley with his Movement Technique.
'This place—'
Flames flickered in his eyes as he arrived at the tower's entrance.
Only now did he see the characters inscribed there:
'Nine Demons.'
'Nine Demon Tower.'
A place rumored to have once been the cradle of Imperial Assassins, secretly trained by the Eastern Depot—where even government officials were slaughtered without hesitation alongside martial artists.
But when Gwak Do-yang, the former Left Chancellor, was falsely accused of high treason and exiled, assassins from the Nine Demon Tower had attempted to kill him.
The assassination failed. And when Gwak Do-yang was proven innocent and reinstated—
the Nine Demon Tower vanished without a trace.
Yet now, Do Geum-ung had kidnapped Tae Mu-ryong and brought him here, of all places?
Was that butcher actually from the Nine Demon Tower?
Rumble.
Without hesitation, Bu Eun-seol stepped inside.
Though the tower's exterior suggested ascending floors, the interior revealed a long, cavernous passage leading endlessly downward.
As he descended, a wide corridor—large enough for dozens to walk abreast—came into view.
The moment Bu Eun-seol stepped inside, the sound of Bell Striking echoed, and dozens of assassins poured out from the opposite end.
Astonishingly, the Nine Demon Tower—believed to have been annihilated—was fully operational once more.
"Intruder! Kill him!"
The moment the assassins spotted Bu Eun-seol, they unleashed a barrage of hidden weapons.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Bu Eun-seol deflected each projectile with his Ink Soul Sword, cutting down the assassins as he advanced.
But the assassins deployed a bizarre formation, not only weakening the power of his sword techniques but also overwhelming him with sheer numbers.
No matter how many he killed, they kept pouring in like cockroaches, endlessly filling the passageway.
'No time to waste!'
If he delayed here, Tae Mu-ryong could draw his last breath at Do Geum-ung's hands.
Bu Eun-seol no longer cared about maintaining the identity of Seon-u Jin.
Crackle—zzzt!
Suddenly, the assassins charging toward him turned into blocks of ice in an instant.
He had unleashed the Glacier Thousand Streams Art, freezing every assassin rushing through the passage.
Crunch—rumble.
Though they were elite assassins, none possessed the internal power to withstand the glacial energy of the Glacier Thousand Streams Art.
In moments, they were reduced to shattered ice sculptures. Bu Eun-seol sprinted forward without hesitation.
Rumble—
But before long, another gate opened ahead, and this time, assassins wielding black poison swords lunged at him.
Whoosh! Hwaaaak!
Yet they never got the chance to strike—they turned into charred husks before they could even attack.
Bu Eun-seol had channeled the Ultimate Fire Wheel Energy into his Great Stillness Heat River True Qi, incinerating them in a single breath.
"Kill him!"
But like cockroaches, the assassins were reinforced yet again.
Fwoosh—
Then, a purple flame bloomed from Bu Eun-seol's right hand.
It didn't matter what sword techniques they used, or how strong their martial prowess was.
To annihilate even the reinforcements surging from the rear of the passage, he unleashed the Great Stillness Heat River True Qi, amplified by Thunder Essence Divine Qi.
Fwoooosh—
As the Thunder Essence Divine Qi, radiating heat like the sun, cascaded over them, the assassins collapsed like melted puppets.
Groooan—
Even the iron gate behind them melted like taffy under the onslaught. Bu Eun-seol dashed downward without pause.
Huuuum—
But this time, an uncountable swarm of razor-sharp hidden weapons surged forth like a storm.
Likely, a sophisticated hidden weapon device had discharged them all at once.
Clink-clank!
Yet Bu Eun-seol didn't evade. Instead, he transformed into a solid block of ice and charged forward.
He activated the Great Spirit Ice Body, a defensive technique of the Glacier Thousand Streams Art, and tanked the barrage head-on.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Enduring the relentless baptism of hidden weapons, he finally reached a massive gate.
Clank.
Stepping inside, he found himself in an extremely narrow passage with a small door at the end.
And standing guard before it were two old men, as if they had been waiting.
One wore crimson robes, the other azure, their hair tied in childish twin braids—giving them the appearance of deranged elders.
But Bu Eun-seol halted, his expression tense.
He recognized them instantly.
The two were legendary former masters of the Orthodox Faction—the Red and Blue Freaks.
"Astonishing," murmured Yu Baek, the Red Freak, his voice low. "The Martial Alliance's chief wields both Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang Qi simultaneously."
No-gak, the Blue Freak, nodded in agreement.
"In today's martial world, no one can wield both at once. Who is he?"
The two exchanged puzzled glances, tilting their heads in confusion.
"So his identity is fake, then?"
"But that doesn't make sense either. The internal power he just unleashed exceeds three hundred years. How can someone maintain that while in disguise?"
Disguises typically drained one's energy about one-tenth of one's internal power—yet this young man had just demonstrated power surpassing three centuries of cultivation.
Did that mean he possessed over four hundred years of internal power?
As the two chatted leisurely, Bu Eun-seol gathered his energy once more.
Time was running out.
And he had no intention of sparing them just because they were figures of the Orthodox Faction.
"I don't know who you are," No-gak said with a faint smile, drawing a long staff from his waist, "but don't even think about passing through this door."
"We've been ordered to let no one through."
Bu Eun-seol stretched out his right hand instead of answering.
Whooosh—!
The scorching heat of the Hot River Great Essence True Qi, capable of melting even iron, surged toward the Red and Blue Freaks blocking the gate.
"Don't even think about it!"
The two spun their long staves like windmills.
In an instant, the overwhelming force of the Blazing Flame Grand Essence Divine Energy vanished without a trace.
Yin-Yang Twin Staves.
The long staves wielded by the Red and Blue Freaks possessed a mystical ability—they could completely nullify any external force directed at them.
Because of this peerless weapon's power, they had not burned to death even under the Hot River Great Essence True Qi, backed by over four hundred years of internal power.
Whoosh—! Clang-clang-clang!
This time, Bu Eun-seol unleashed the Glacier Thousand Streams Art, infused with Water Essence Divine Qi.
A transparent water dragon surged forth, swallowing the Red and Blue Freaks mid-swing.
"This brat is something else. If it weren't for us, no one could've stopped him."
Yet again, the Red and Blue Freaks neutralized even the Glacier Thousand Streams Art, layered with Water Essence Divine Qi, using the power of their Yin-Yang Twin Staves.
Snap!
Then, the moment they spotted an opening in Bu Eun-seol's stance, they thrust their staves forward, releasing razor-sharp internal energy.
Swoooosh—!
Eventually, Bu Eun-seol ceased his assault, halting the alternating surges of Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang.
No-gak chuckled, his voice dripping with amusement.
"No matter what martial arts you use, it's useless. You won't be getting past us."
There was not a single gap in the way they wielded their staves.
Blocking the gate in this narrow passageway, they swung their Yin-Yang Twin Staves like madmen, deflecting any force directed at them.
And the moment they saw an opening, they instantly switched from defense to offense, unleashing torrents of internal energy.
Even if Bu Eun-seol wanted to unleash the power of Harmonization, the relentless intermittent attacks made it impossible.
'Good.'
Bu Eun-seol drew upon the Blazing Flame Grand Essence Divine Energy once more and unleashed it.
Whoooosh! FWOOOOM!
As the overwhelming Extreme Yang True Qi surged forth, the two spun their Yin-Yang Twin Staves like windmills again.
"Hmph, I told you—useless."
"Let's see how long you can keep this up."
As Bu Eun-seol continued pouring out Extreme Yang True Qi, the two sneered.
Spinning the Yin-Yang Twin Staves in endless circles wasn't particularly taxing for them.
They could keep it up all day if they wanted.
But no matter how vast one's internal energy was, there was a limit to how much Extreme Yang Qi one could expend at such intensity.
Bzzzzzt—!
But then, something strange happened.
Despite having spun their staves for less than seven and a half minutes, beads of sweat began rolling down their foreheads.
'Why are we sweating?'
Though they were old, their internal energy surpassed four sixty-year cycles.
For masters of their caliber to break a sweat after only about seven and a half minutes—it made no sense.
Whoooosh—
Sensing something was off, the Red and Blue Freaks finally noticed a transparent energy current flowing from Bu Eun-seol's right hand.
It was invisible, intangible—yet it vibrated relentlessly, shaking their very organs.
It was the Ultimate Fire Wheel Energy embedded within the Hot River Great Essence True Qi.
This was an extremely narrow passageway.
And as the Hot River Great Essence True Qi continued spreading, the air inside grew unbearably hot.
"Ugh—!"
Before they knew it, Bu Eun-seol's body had transformed into a blazing red sun, while the Red and Blue Freaks swung their staves, sweat pouring down their faces.
Every breath they took now seared their lungs with scorching air, forcing them to hold their breath entirely.
As a result, the speed and power of their Yin-Yang Twin Staves weakened, growing sluggish.
'Now.'
Finally spotting an opening in their staff technique, Bu Eun-seol drew Ink Soul Sword.
Sshhhling—!
In that instant, a radiant light erupted from within the crimson sun.
Time seemed to freeze—then, the Red and Blue Freaks felt the illusion of the Death God's crimson claws closing around their throats.
The Ultra Fast Killing Sword Form—where the eyes delivered death first.
The Transcendent Meteor Chasing Moon Form had been unleashed.
Splurt—!
A fountain of blood erupted from the throats of the twin freaks mid-swing.
And so ended the final moments of the Red and Blue Freaks, who had once shaken the Murim with their Yin-Yang Twin Staves.
'So the Lord of the Dragon Coil Hall is using former masters of the Righteous Faction?'
Questions could wait.
Rumble—
Bu Eun-seol immediately pushed open the gate and rushed through the passage.
Squelch, squelch.
But as he entered the final corridor, filthy water flowed beneath his feet.
The last passage was like a sewer, its floor submerged in murky filth, while Night Shining Pearls embedded sparsely in the ceiling struggled to push back the darkness.
Crash! Tap-tap-tap!
Then, at the far end of the passage, a black shadow slipped out through the exit.
Judging by the swift movement technique and gaunt frame, it was likely Do Geum-ung—the one they called the Human Butcher.
"Stop!"
Bu Eun-seol immediately activated his movement technique to pursue him.
But then, his eyes caught an open iron-barred door to the left of the exit.
Through the bars, another black shadow was visible.
Creeeak—
Pushing open the iron door, Bu Eun-seol stepped inside to find interrogation tools laid out.
And at the far end of the filthy sewer-like wall, a figure knelt with arms bound—
Tae Mu-ryong.