Chapter 590
"Thorough indeed."
Do Cheon-rin clicked his tongue.
"Well, I suppose that's why they've managed to keep their identity hidden for centuries."
"Hmm."
"To require the blood of both of us... means they're selecting only the strongest among those who wield demonic swords. Isn't that an absurd standard?"
Do Cheon-rin shook his head with a baffled expression.
"How many in the Martial World even possess strength comparable to yours or mine?"
Had it been the past, Bu Eun-seol might have agreed with those words.
But considering all he had experienced so far...
The Martial World was filled with figures whose martial arts held no sway or who wielded mysterious powers beyond comprehension.
In other words, in the current Rivers and Lakes, martial prowess alone was not the absolute measure of a true master.
The Heavenly Venerable, the Earthly Killing Star, and even Baekri Mu-jo, leader of the Star Guard Corps—all layered unfathomable powers atop their martial arts.
Even Yang Seol-rin wielded a force entirely distinct from conventional martial techniques.
And Bu Eun-seol himself—
Was he not also holding Harmonization and the Two Spirit Energies as his final trump cards?
"Perhaps the criteria for strength isn't solely about martial superiority."
"Not solely about martial superiority?"
"There are many in the Martial World who possess mysterious powers."
Bu Eun-seol calmly recounted his encounters with the Heavenly Venerable, the Earthly Killing Star, and Yang Seol-rin.
"...If they scattered the demonic swords to find vessels for their Great Art or Esoteric Ritual Arts, then it's not just about raw strength. There must be specific conditions."
"It's as if the Martial World has regressed to an era where ritual arts ran rampant."
Do Cheon-rin shook his head repeatedly.
"Then even if you go to Cold Moon Island, why not send troops to Gangok District and uproot them entirely?"
"The Three Realms' information network still holds an overwhelming advantage."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"If word gets out that a large force is being mobilized toward Gangok District, they might even shut down Cold Moon Island."
"Hmm."
"At the very least, we must first investigate Cold Moon Island—what they're doing, what schemes they're brewing—before sending in troops."
"Sigh."
Do Cheon-rin took a deep breath.
As the Heir of the Demon Hall, Bu Eun-seol had exceptional and capable subordinates at his disposal. If he wished, he could mobilize thousands, even tens of thousands, of troops.
But against the Three Realms, such forces were utterly useless.
"So all this time, you've been fighting alone."
Do Cheon-rin could sense it—
That Bu Eun-seol had always faced them alone.
To oppose the Three Realms, with their formidable intelligence network and immeasurable influence,
Only a supreme master who had reached the Supreme Origin Realm, like him, could track them down one by one and defeat them in detail.
"Do you really have to do this?"
"What do you mean?"
"About the Three Realms."
For the first time in his life, Do Cheon-rin meddled in another's philosophy.
"There's no absolute need for you to stake your life to eliminate them."
"It's merely part of the process for my revenge."
Bu Eun-seol spoke impassively.
"I have no intention of letting those who treat people as chess pieces and conduct cruel experiments walk free."
"Hmm."
Do Cheon-rin shrugged helplessly.
Bu Eun-seol charged forward without hesitation, no matter the trial or how perilous the path.
Further interference would only be unnecessary nagging.
"Then, is there nothing more I can do to help?"
"Nothing. You've helped enough."
Bu Eun-seol replied flatly.
"This matter must be handled with utmost secrecy and discretion. After all, the Ghostly Realm is a faction we've never properly clashed with before."
"Whatever's on Cold Moon Island, you'll at least wipe out one branch of the Three Realms."
Do Cheon-rin took a deep breath and smirked.
"Come back safely."
Though worry weighed heavier, what Bu Eun-seol needed now was not concern but encouragement.
That was all Do Cheon-rin could offer him.
Before he realized it, Do Cheon-rin, too—
Just like Bu Eun-seol's close friends who had always stood by him—had come to place boundless trust in him.
Blood Wolf, So Jin-cheon.
That was the epithet and name of the one who had once wielded this Moon Shadow Demonic Sword.
A killer from the Azure Killing Sect, his talent in martial arts was extraordinary.
By his early twenties, he had devised his own Art of Killing—the Hundred-Kill Secret Techniques—reaching a level where he could undertake assassination missions.
A born rebel, he attempted to overthrow the sect leader and seize control of the Azure Killing Sect, only to be exposed and forced to flee.
After wandering the Martial World for a time, he joined the Old Dragon Stronghold in Shanxi and took up banditry.
His rebellious nature was inescapable—he betrayed the stronghold's chief, but this time, he succeeded in suppressing him and became its leader.
Yet a man like him, who thrived on bloodshed by nature, could never be satisfied with the life of a Green Forest Bandit.
In the end, it didn't take long before he abandoned his position as the bandit leader and returned to the Martial World. This time, he established his own small assassination sect.
He took on minor contract hits.
As he carried out his jobs, his martial prowess grew even stronger, and before he knew it, he had earned the epithet "Blood Wolf."
The problem was that, even while working as an assassin, he never hesitated to steal others' treasures or violate women's chastity.
After committing evil deeds for so long, his crimes were inevitably exposed, and eventually, a hefty bounty was placed on his head.
He was relentlessly pursued by bounty hunters and martial artists.
Damn it! If only I had learned proper martial arts!
So Jin-cheon gritted his teeth.
Though he had ample talent, he had no connection to the orthodox martial sects, and the only formal technique he had ever learned was the Hundred-Kill Secret Art from the Azure Killing Sect.
While carrying out assassinations, he had picked up various practical combat techniques, but in the end, he had never received proper martial training.
His innate talent never had the chance to fully blossom, and now, hunted by bounty hunters and martial artists, he was forced to live the life of a fugitive, never knowing when death might catch up to him.
But then, fortune finally smiled upon So Jin-cheon.
By sheer chance, he obtained a mysterious demonic sword.
This demonic sword possessed an extraordinary ability—simply swinging it unleashed powerful sword qi akin to sword aura.
For someone like him, who had never learned proper Divine Arts and Supreme Techniques, it was as if he had been given wings.
Hahahaha! I'm invincible now!
With his natural combat talent amplified by the demonic sword's power, So Jin-cheon was able to swiftly eliminate the martial artists and bounty hunters pursuing him.
There are... multiple demonic swords?
During this time, he also discovered that wielding the sword allowed him to sense the energy of other demonic sword owners and that each sword had different abilities.
Eventually, he crossed paths with the Western Lake Twin Demons, who were much like himself, and they quickly formed an alliance.
Let's work together to hunt them down and split the swords among us.
If they could obtain demonic swords with even greater abilities, conquering the Martial World wouldn't just be a dream.
And so, they lured other demonic sword owners into ambushes, attacking them all at once, and managed to acquire even more powerful swords.
But in the end, he met his demise at the hands of an overwhelming master—Do Cheon-rin—whose strength far surpassed anything the demonic swords could overcome.
Xi'an Prefecture, Secret Safehouse of the Demon Hall.
Bu Eun-seol, who had been reviewing So Jin-cheon's life story brought by So-yo, made a frustrated expression.
"Of all people, it had to be this bastard."
To deceive the eyes of the Three Realms, Bu Eun-seol had to perfectly mimic So Jin-cheon.
That meant, from the journey to Cold Moon Island onward, he would have to play the role of a ruthless villain.
"Are you leaving now?"
At So-yo's question from beside him, Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"If I head straight to Cold Moon Island like this, the flaws in my disguise will be exposed immediately. I need to create a perfect alibi and evidence first."
Bu Eun-seol and So-yo returned to the cliff where So Jin-cheon had been killed.
Then, he activated his Empty Mind Spirit Perception and meticulously examined the surroundings.
Fortunately, the traces of the fierce battle and the marks of the fall from the cliff were still intact.
"If I make it seem like I fell here but survived and climbed back up, that should work."
Bu Eun-seol instructed So-yo and the Death Soul Squad to carefully fabricate the evidence.
"Make it look like I fell off the cliff, barely survived, recovered below, and then climbed back up."
With this fabricated proof, it would sufficiently explain why So Jin-cheon's trail had gone cold here.
Once all preparations were complete, Bu Eun-seol—
Crack.
—activated the Face-Changing Bone-Shifting Art, transforming his face and physique into So Jin-cheon's.
"You... have to go alone?"
"That's right."
Bu Eun-seol met So-yo's gaze squarely as he spoke.
"The Return-to-One Realm is still an unknown entity with no discernible presence. You must never trace my steps or follow me."
So-yo's eyes darkened.
She knew Bu Eun-seol's martial prowess was extraordinary, but the Three Realms was a force that couldn't be overcome by martial skill alone.
And to face them—
Bu Eun-seol always had to go alone. With situations like this repeating over and over, So-yo's worries never seemed to ease.
"Ah, ah."
Bu Eun-seol, now disguised, recalled So Jin-cheon's voice from when he had recklessly charged at Do Cheon-rin and began mimicking it bit by bit using the Art of Rooster Calls and Dog Thieves.
"Good. This should do it."
"Be careful."
As So-yo looked at him with concern, Bu Eun-seol gave her a perfectly calm and composed smile.
"I will."
A thick night fog hung over the riverbank.
Disguised as So Jin-cheon, Bu Eun-seol bought a small boat and rowed himself toward Cold Moon Island.
Cold Moon Island? Absolutely not!
When he tried to hire a boat to take him there, the local ferrymen all refused in unison.
Cold Moon Island has long been a place where plague victims gather! And worse, if you go near it, evil ghosts will drag you straight to hell!
Bu Eun-seol surmised that this had been deliberately spread by the Return-to-One Realm.
'So that's why it hasn't been exposed.'
A place too secretive or too remote would only arouse people's curiosity.
But what if rumors spread that only plague patients lived on a desolate island?
No sane person would ever visit such a place.
Swoosh. Swoosh.
The small boat advanced ceaselessly forward.
Bu Eun-seol, rowing the oars, surveyed the surroundings with a detached gaze.
The landscape shrouded in thick night fog felt like wandering through a dream—
it exuded an almost surreal atmosphere.
'It must be created by a boundary formation or esoteric ritual arts.'
Though the bright sun shone and warm winds blew, the mist blanketing the water's surface showed no signs of dispersing.
This fog was undoubtedly conjured by a boundary formation or esoteric ritual arts.
'Hmm.'
With a suspicious expression, Bu Eun-seol continuously scanned the surroundings while tirelessly rowing.
How much time had passed?
Then, in the distance, small boats anchored along the shore came into view.
Immediately docking and stepping ashore, Bu Eun-seol saw a fishing village that could house around a thousand people.
'Is this a real village?'
After disembarking, Bu Eun-seol surveyed the village's perimeter.
One would expect Cold Moon Island to be densely guarded by masters of the Three Realms.
Yet, wasn't this just like any ordinary village, with all the proper trappings?
While walking and observing, a figure abruptly emerged from beside a tree on the opposite path.
"Welcome."
The one greeting Bu Eun-seol was none other than a young boy, no older than ten.
"You must have had a hard journey."
The boy's skin bore the raised, uneven marks and melted scars of a leprosy patient.
Despite his grotesque and unsettling face, the boy showed no trace of timidity, flashing a bright smile instead.
"I am Dae-bo."
"Dae-bo?"
So Jin-cheon was a sinister and ill-tempered figure.
Deliberately, Bu Eun-seol maintained an irritable tone and demeanor.
"Bring me the highest-ranking person on this island—not you."
"Understood."
The boy, Dae-bo, respectfully extended his hand.
"Please follow me."
Leading the way without hesitation, Dae-bo spoke amiably.
"Was it difficult to find a boat? The boatmen nearby rarely come here."
Despite his rustic appearance, Dae-bo's speech was surprisingly refined.
"Rumors say those who come to this island are taken by the Grim Reaper."
"Hmph. More like they just didn't want to come after hearing it's a place for the sick."
"No."
Dae-bo turned his head and smiled faintly.
"The Grim Reaper exists on this island. And if you enter, you truly will die."
"Ridiculous. Then am I already dead?"
"Of course not."
Dae-bo turned his head and grinned widely with bulging eyes.
"You, sir, have been granted permission to enter here."
Facing that smile, Bu Eun-seol felt an eerie chill.
Didn't that imply the Ghostly Moon Sect had already thoroughly investigated So Jin-cheon's movements?
'I couldn't have been exposed.'
Bu Eun-seol had meticulously fabricated So Jin-cheon's trail in preparation for such scrutiny.
In other words, the Ghostly Moon Sect had confirmed no irregularities in So Jin-cheon's movements and thus allowed entry.
'They must have placed surveillance at a level I couldn't detect.'
Lost in thought, Bu Eun-seol glared at Dae-bo's unabashed stare.
"Permission? Impudent brat. Do you even know who I am?"
"Aren't you Lord So Jin-cheon?"
"You knew?"
"Of course. We know everything."
"Then what does 'Supreme Martial Lord' inscribed on this demon sword mean? That I can truly become the Supreme Martial Lord?"
As Bu Eun-seol fired sharp questions without pause, Dae-bo smiled faintly.
"If you follow me, you'll hear the answers."
"Where are we going?"
"Sir, do you think becoming the Supreme Martial Lord is so easy?"
Dae-bo's face bore a bright smile, like a child who had just acquired a new toy.
"Be patient and follow me."
'He doesn't seem to have learned martial arts.'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flickered as they swept over Dae-bo's small frame.
No fluctuations of true qi could be sensed from his body. Yet his steps were as agile and swift as a martial artist's.
"Fine."
Bu Eun-seol tapped the Moon Shadow Demonic Sword at his waist and spoke coldly.
"If this turns out to be nonsense, you'd better be prepared."
Murmur, murmur.
Before they knew it, they had entered the bustling marketplace at the village center, where many people were coming and going.
The marketplace even had buildings like guest inns visible.
It was a bustling sight that made the island's reputation—known for leprosy patients and Grim Reapers—seem almost incongruous.
'This looks like a thriving fishing village where the catch never runs dry.'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the village.
Every single person had skin that was swollen or distorted, as if afflicted by leprosy.
Yet they lived on, laughing without any apparent discomfort or pain.
'Hmm.'
Before he knew it, Dae-bo had led him past the village, following a small path into the woods.
"Just how far are we going?" Bu Eun-seol snapped irritably.
Dae-bo bowed his head.
"We're almost there."
As they entered the forest, crisp, refreshing air seeped into his entire body.
Their destination turned out to be a clearing nestled in a mountain valley at the southernmost edge.
The place was so quiet that only the occasional chirping of birds could be heard, and a number of well-built stone cottages stood sparsely scattered about.
Dae-bo guided Bu Eun-seol to one at the very edge.
"This is where you'll be staying for the time being, my lord."
"You expect me to live here?"
"Yes."
Bu Eun-seol immediately scowled.
"There were perfectly good guest inns back in the marketplace. And you want me to stay in this empty mountain valley?"
"Of course, you're free to stay at an inn if you wish. But you wouldn't be able to train in martial arts there, would you?"
"Martial arts?"
"Indeed."
Bu Eun-seol, fed up with the endless questions, barked sharply.
"I came all this way because of that nonsense about the Supreme Martial Lord or whatever."
His hand rested on his sword hilt as if he might draw it at any moment, his glare fixed on Dae-bo.
"One more word game, and I'll take your head first."
Instead of answering, Dae-bo pulled out an old martial manual from his robes.
Moonshadow Sword Manual.
It was a sword manual containing the secret techniques of the Moon Shadow Demon Venerable, who once dominated the martial world.
Astonishingly, they had been keeping the very sword manual that belonged to the true master of the Moon Shadow Demonic Sword.
"You're telling me this is really the Moon Shadow Demon Venerable's sword manual?"
"Yes."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
'So they hand out manuals based on the sword you bring?'
If Do Cheon-rin had come with his Phantom Demon Sword, they would have undoubtedly presented him with the original manual of the Dream-Reaching Illusory Demon Sword, the true legacy of the Illusory Demon Venerable.
'But the Moonshadow Sword Manual doesn't quite match the claim of being the Supreme Martial Lord.'
Of course, mastering it would make one a top-tier master capable of dominating the martial world.
But it was still a far cry from what the Three Realms had hinted at—talk of the Supreme Martial Lord or the Sword of the Three Realms.
'But right now, I'm So Jin-cheon.'
Having made up his mind, Bu Eun-seol drooled slightly as he accepted the manual.
"This is really the Moonshadow Sword Manual...?"
Flipping through the pages in a frenzy, he nodded with a face full of delight.
"It does seem to be the genuine article."
"Inside the stone cottage, you'll find Fasting Pills prepared. Of course, if you prefer, you may purchase wine and food from the village..."
Dae-bo spoke in a low voice.
"But given the nature of this manual, you'll want to be extra cautious."
"Hmm."
Bu Eun-seol swiftly tucked the manual into his robes, then glanced around at the other thatched cottages nearby.
"What about those stone cottages? Is there someone else living here?"
"At the moment, only you, my lord."
"At the moment?"
"Yes."
"Who's in charge of this island? Who oversees this place?"
"That... you'll naturally come to know once you've mastered the sword manual."
Dae-bo smiled and bowed his head.
"Then I'll take my leave now."
With that, he turned and disappeared into the woods.
Bu Eun-seol had many more questions but swallowed them all.
If he were truly So Jin-cheon, he'd be too absorbed in the Moonshadow Sword Manual to think straight.
Asking too much about the island now would only arouse suspicion.
"Hmm."
Once Dae-bo was gone, Bu Eun-seol deliberately let out an exaggerated cry of joy and stepped into the stone cottage.
'This is far more unexpected than I imagined.'
His expression darkened as he entered.
They had lured martial artists here with talk of the Supreme Martial Lord and such.
Naturally, he had expected elite warriors from the Gui-il Realm to be stationed here, conducting thorough investigations and subjecting newcomers to various tests.
But instead, they just handed him a cottage and the Moon Shadow Demon Venerable's manual before leaving?
'I want to investigate this island immediately, but...'
For now, he had to play the part of So Jin-cheon—a man ecstatic and obsessed with the Moonshadow Sword Manual.
"Hahaha! The Moonshadow Sword Manual!"
Feigning manic laughter, Bu Eun-seol stepped inside.
The interior of the stone cottage was bare except for a table and an old bed, leaving plenty of open space—
A perfect setting for martial training.
'Something's off.'
Pretending to examine the manual, Bu Eun-seol discreetly observed his surroundings.
But he detected no sound of mechanical formations activating, no gaze of a hidden watcher.
'Someone is definitely—'
Yet his intuition was sounding the alarm.
Someone was observing this place. He was certain of it.