Chapter 603
Bu Eun-seol swallowed so hard his uvula visibly bobbed.
'This is entirely plausible.'
The Martial Venerable was known to be inseparable friends with the True Heaven Emperor, Shin Do-mu-bi.
If so, he must have entered this office in the Heaven and Earth Pavilion countless times.
He would either have known about the secret passage here or, even if he hadn't, would have easily discovered it.
'Then does that truly mean the corpse in the Ice Jade Coffin is the True Heaven Emperor?'
Bu Eun-seol closed his eyes and imagined it.
Shin Do-mu-bi had entered closed-door training due to an unforeseen accident or injury.
And the Martial Venerable had brought him here through the secret passage installed in the Heaven and Earth Pavilion, entombing him in the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade Coffin.
For the sake of the Righteous Faction's stability amid the coming chaos.
And the imagination that he had been impersonating the True Heaven Emperor all along, playing the role of the Alliance Chief.
The Twin Heavenly Emperors of Righteous and Demonic.
This term did not merely signify the Number One of the Demonic Path and the Number One of the Righteous Path.
It meant that figures capable of shifting the balance of the Murim had emerged simultaneously from both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths.
In other words, the current peace of the Murim was maintained precisely because these two absolute powerhouses stood side by side.
But what if the True Heaven Emperor had lost his life to an unforeseen accident—or an ambush? There would be more than enough reason to conceal it.
'The Demonic Heavenly Emperor?'
The only one who could possibly kill the True Heaven Emperor was the Demonic Heavenly Emperor alone.
'No, that can't be.'
If he had slain the True Heaven Emperor, he would never have kept it unannounced to the Murim.
Even if the True Heaven Emperor had died, it wouldn't have been by the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's hand.
'Then who the hell could it be?'
If someone could kill the True Heaven Emperor, they could just as easily slaughter the Three Demons and Three Venerables.
Excluding the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, no such absolute powerhouse existed in the current Murim.
'For now, let's set aside the assumption that the True Heaven Emperor is dead.'
Bu Eun-seol sank back into deep thought.
'Then is the Divine Calculator the same person as the Martial Venerable?'
The Divine Calculator had long been renowned as the Foremost Sage of the Murim, and his actions were entirely distinct from the Martial Venerable's.
Yet there was credibility to this line of reasoning.
After all, every major figure who had ever dominated the Murim had possessed another identity.
Even Bu Eun-seol himself was no exception.
'The Martial Venerable and the Divine Calculator—haven't both been renowned for ages?'
When Bu Eun-seol had encountered the Divine Calculator at Shaolin, he couldn't fathom why a grandmaster who governed the world like the Martial Alliance Chief would fabricate a fictional persona like the Divine Calculator.
But what if the Martial Alliance Chief was the Martial Venerable?
Then it wouldn't be so strange for him to also hold the identity of the Divine Calculator.
Maintaining the position of Martial Alliance Chief would require handling many matters under a different guise.
'Even if he hid this truth out of fear of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor... it's too excessive.'
Bu Eun-seol stared blankly into empty space.
No matter how terrifying the Demonic Heavenly Emperor was—
To conceal the death of the Number One of the Righteous Path for over a decade and prop up the Martial Venerable as the Alliance Chief? That was utterly nonsensical.
'Then perhaps this wasn't orchestrated at the Martial Alliance's level.'
Judging by the traces in the Pratyekabuddha Hall, no more than two people had come and gone.
If the Martial Alliance's high command had systematically concealed the True Heaven Emperor's death—
More figures would have been involved, and the cover-up would have been far more thorough.
'Unless it wasn't the Demonic Heavenly Emperor...'
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol realized there was one other person who could have killed the True Heaven Emperor.
The Seven Fingers Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-yang.
This peerless swordsman might have been capable of slaying the True Heaven Emperor.
'Is that why Grandfather mastered the Heavenly Robe Mind Art?'
Had Grandfather killed the True Heaven Emperor and stolen the Heavenly Robe Mind Art?
But then how could Mu-gyeol, the Divine Calculator's disciple, also wield it?
Could it be that the Divine Calculator had learned the Heavenly Robe Mind Art from the True Heaven Emperor long ago?
'In the end, the answer lies with the Divine Calculator.'
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
'But he will never agree to meet me again.'
There was a major obstacle to uncovering the truth this time.
The Divine Calculator would refuse to see him, and even if Bu Eun-seol tracked him down, he wouldn't be able to confirm whether the man was the Martial Venerable.
Moreover, given the Divine Calculator's abilities—even if he were the Martial Venerable—
He could fabricate hundreds of pieces of evidence to refute or deny it.
'Then the most credible possibility is still that the True Heaven Emperor handed over the Alliance Chief's position to the Martial Venerable for some reason, and the Martial Venerable holds the identity of the Divine Calculator.'
This was the most reasonable deduction Bu Eun-seol could make.
Yet even this had its flaws.
If the True Heaven Emperor had installed the Martial Venerable as his shadow—
Why go to the trouble of fabricating a fake corpse, entombing it in the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade Coffin, and concealing it beneath bizarre mechanical contraptions?
'Not like it's any of my business anyway.'
When he thought about it, he had come to the Martial Alliance to uncover the truth about the Three Realms and exact revenge.
The state of the Murim's power struggles and the truth behind the True Heaven Emperor were none of his concern.
'Time to go back.'
Whether the Martial Alliance Chief was the Martial Venerable or the Divine Calculator, whoever he might be—
Bu Eun-seol had no responsibility to answer for how the Righteous Faction operated.
And even if I knew the inside story, nothing would change.
Because the only thing I desire is revenge.
Martial Alliance, Hidden Moon Hall.
Upon receiving the report that Seon-u Jin had discovered traces of the supply warehouse and entered it, Gongson Dan-gyeong let out a deep sigh.
"This wasn't the conclusion I wanted."
Surprisingly, Gongson Dan-gyeong had known about the secret passage in the supply warehouse—the very one Bu Eun-seol had discovered—for a long time.
And she had been constantly observing whether anyone was using it.
"Elder said that aside from himself, the only ones who could find that passage were those who had mastered the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan."
Because, from the very beginning, she was one of the few who knew that the current Martial Alliance Leader was not the real True Heaven Emperor.
The biggest reason she had been able to rise to the position of Chief Strategist at such a young age was precisely because she knew the true identity of the man acting as the True Heaven Emperor—and because she had taken on the role of his supporter.
"What are the chances that Commander Seon-u stumbled upon the secret passage by accident?"
"None."
Her adjutant, Song Ryeong, shook her head.
"He swore that unless one understands the changes in the formation, not even the greatest martial artist of this era could ever find the secret passage."
"So the only possibility is that Commander Seon-u has mastered the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan and possesses at least three hundred years of Internal Power."
"That's correct. Even if we assume his Internal Power is sufficient, the idea that he has mastered the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan is absolutely impossible."
"Impossible...?"
Gongson Dan-gyeong's eyes flashed.
"No. In his case, it is possible."
"...What?"
"Because he has consistently accomplished things that were deemed impossible."
Her voice was low, and her eyes narrowed to slits.
"Investigate Commander Seon-u's movements over the past three months."
"Even the Ten Thousand Reflections Hall wouldn't be able to track his movements to that extent. As the Intelligence Commander, he's erased all traces of his activities flawlessly."
"Not at all. It can be done."
"How so?"
Gongson Dan-gyeong smiled faintly.
"Because we can just collect the debt from the Martial Soul Lord."
In the past, Bu Eun-seol had borrowed Gongson Dan-gyeong's information network to strike down Hyeokryeon Eung.
After much deliberation, she had agreed to his request.
And since Bu Eun-seol was a man who always repaid his debts, borrowing his information network for a while was hardly an unreasonable demand.
"But what if even the combined intelligence networks of both the Orthodox and Unorthodox factions fail to find anything?"
"Then there's no need to investigate further. Because that would mean he truly is a figure from the Three Realms."
"Do you trust Commander Seon-u that much?"
"Trust?"
Gongson Dan-gyeong's smile deepened into something inscrutable.
Seeing Song Ryeong's puzzled expression, she spoke in a low voice.
"If you believe in sweet words like that, you won't last long in this line of work."
A chilling white frost seemed to seep from Gongson Dan-gyeong's pupils.
The sight was so cold and ruthless that Song Ryeong unconsciously swallowed hard.
"Contact the Martial Soul Lord and request all the traces of major figures his Evil Soul Squad has uncovered over the past three months."
"Understood."
With a bow, Song Ryeong quietly left the office.
Bu Eun-seol received an odd message from Tae Mu-ryong.
Gongson Dan-gyeong, citing the repayment of a past debt, had requested the disclosure of all the movements of individuals investigated by the Evil Soul Squad over the last three months.
'She's certainly making a grand demand.'
Obtaining all the intelligence gathered by the Evil Soul Squad over three months meant that Gongson Dan-gyeong's information network and the Evil Soul Squad's intelligence would merge for that period.
It would allow her to scrutinize every event and movement of key figures across both the Orthodox and Unorthodox factions during those three months.
'She must be plotting something.'
Bu Eun-seol could sense it.
That Gongson Dan-gyeong had some purpose behind this request.
Moreover, there was no way she needed all the movements of individuals over three months.
She had clearly set the three-month period to extract information on a specific person hidden within that data.
'I have no choice.'
Gongson Dan-gyeong had also taken great risks to assist him.
Even if she demanded something far greater, he could never refuse.
"With all due respect..."
Though Bu Eun-seol had blocked sound with his inner force, Tae Mu-ryong spoke in an extremely quiet voice.
"The Chief Strategist may be suspecting you, Commander."
Tae Mu-ryong had been continuously monitoring the intelligence and movements coming into the Martial Alliance alongside the Peak Realm Members.
And he had sensed that Gongson Dan-gyeong's focus was not on external threats—but on someone inside the Martial Alliance.
"Perhaps that's possible."
When Bu Eun-seol agreed, Tae Mu-ryong cautiously added,
"Since we don't know what she's scheming, wouldn't it be better to refuse the information exchange?"
Then, he added one more thing.
"The Chief Strategist is an unpredictable figure. This matter could come back as a fatal problem in the future."
Bu Eun-seol gazed out the window for a moment in silence.
Gongson Dan-gyeong. Though they now shared the same boat, there was still no trust or faith between them.
For Bu Eun-seol, trust meant—
At the very least, the belief that she wouldn't stab him in the back.
But what if Gongson Dan-gyeong still harbored hidden motives? What if she continued to doubt him endlessly?
'This can't go on any longer.'
Gongson Dan-gyeong held an extremely high position as the Chief Strategist.
If someone as sharp as her persistently nurtured suspicions about the identity of Seon-u Jin—
The ultimate outcome would be disastrous.
If he intended to keep sharing the same boat with her, they needed at least a bare minimum of 'faith' between them.
As Bu Eun-seol remained silent, Tae Mu-ryong spoke with evident concern.
"Should I have the Unit Members discreetly investigate the Strategy Pavilion?"
"No, that won't be necessary."
Gongson Dan-gyeong was not only brilliant in strategy but also possessed the ability to deeply assess a person in a short time.
Meaning, she must have already analyzed the identity of Seon-u Jin.
'After all, Seon-u Jin is also a part of me...'
Bu Eun-seol, lost in deep contemplation, suddenly narrowed his eyes.
'So that's it.'
Having faintly grasped Gongson Dan-gyeong's thoughts, he finally spoke.
"Deliver a message to the Evil Soul Squad—approve Gongson Dan-gyeong's request. Tell them to provide her with any information she desires, without limitation."
"Is that wise?"
"Gongson Dan-gyeong is a woman of exceptional intellect."
Bu Eun-seol met Tae Mu-ryong's worried gaze and answered firmly.
"If this matter stems from her suspicions about me, then perhaps there's no longer a need for me to remain in the Martial Alliance."
"If that's the case—"
"If the situation turns unfavorable, withdraw from the alliance immediately."
Bu Eun-seol had prepared for the worst—
Whether it was an unavoidable crisis or a sudden exposure of his true identity, he had rigorously trained the Peak Realm Members once more.
In case of emergency, they would swiftly retreat from the Martial Alliance and reunite with him. He had already laid out multiple contingency plans.
"Understood."
"And... I'm sorry."
Bu Eun-seol wore an apologetic expression.
Mobilizing the intelligence network of the Peak Squad within the Martial Alliance to directly relay messages to the Evil Soul Squad in the Demon Hall—
To Bu Eun-seol, it was like gaining wings. But to Tae Mu-ryong and the other members, who hailed from the Righteous Faction, it was no different from treason.
"Please, never say such things."
Tae Mu-ryong smiled faintly.
"We are no longer martial artists of the Martial Alliance."
The Peak Realm Members were solely Bu Eun-seol's subordinates. They had completely abandoned any notion of being warriors of the Martial Alliance.
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol simply smiled.
For the sake of these men, who showed nothing but loyalty and sacrifice—
He had to rise higher, faster. He had to become someone no one dared to touch.
Several days later.
Song Ryeong, having thoroughly examined the information on individuals provided by the Evil Soul Squad, was reporting the results to Gongson Dan-gyeong.
"There was nothing particularly noteworthy, but..."
Song Ryeong handed over a thick dossier, her voice icy.
"One extremely strange detail was discovered."
Gongson Dan-gyeong swiftly skimmed through the dossier.
"Hmm."
"I don't understand why the Martial Soul Lord... would have any connection with Commander Seon-u."
The dossier Song Ryeong brought contained evidence that Seon-u Jin was linked to the Martial Soul Lord—
Even worse, it held damning proof that he was a spy of the Demonic Path.
If the Martial Soul Lord and Seon-u Jin were somehow connected, there was no way the Evil Soul Squad would have willingly handed over such information.
"I see."
Gongson Dan-gyeong smiled faintly.
"This confirms it, then."
"Confirms what?"
"Seon-u Jin."
She paused briefly before speaking in a voice colder than winter.
"He isn't a spy of the Three Realms. He is someone far beyond my expectations—a man of extraordinary ability."
"Even after seeing this evidence? His movements even overlap with the Martial Soul Lord's!"
"Of course."
Song Ryeong blinked in bewilderment.
"So you're saying we should just ignore this information?"
"Not at all."
Gongson Dan-gyeong curled her lips into a sweet smile.
"We'll make this into a grand spectacle. One that every senior member of the alliance will witness."
"Excuse me?"
"Commander Seon-u thought he had cleared himself of all suspicions due to Yeon Ja-gang's false accusations... but in reality, things are different. Right now, he's under the scrutiny and suspicion of the Three Realms."
"That... is true."
"But thanks to this, Commander Seon-u will definitively prove his innocence. From now on, not only the Three Realms—but no one in the alliance will ever be able to doubt him again."
Song Ryeong couldn't comprehend it.
With such irrefutable evidence in hand—
How could this instead make it so that Seon-u Jin would never be doubted again?
"I don't understand at all. Are you saying Commander Seon-u deliberately fabricated this evidence?"
Song Ryeong blinked her dull eyes in confusion.
"But that would mean he even manipulated the intelligence network of the Demon Hall, provided by the Martial Soul Lord himself!"
"Who knows? The man who secretly approached the Martial Soul Lord and forged a connection with the Chief Strategist... Perhaps he's capable of even that."
Gongson Dan-gyeong, who had been muttering under her breath, spoke calmly.
"Leak the information we've obtained now—discreetly—to the Elders' Hall."
"The Elders' Hall... Ah, I see."
Song Ryeong, who had been wearing a dazed expression for a moment, nodded in understanding as she grasped Gongson Dan-gyeong's meaning.
"The spies of the Three Realms embedded in our alliance must be concentrated among the high command... So if we use the Elders' Hall's information network, it will reach their ears the fastest."
"Exactly."
Even she, as the chief strategist, still couldn't distinguish all the Three Realms' pawns lurking within the Martial Alliance.
Because the roots the Three Realms had sunk into the alliance ran too deep.
They were like stagnant water—the more you dug into it, the more it reeked and burst forth with rot.
"If they have information that could bring down Commander Seon-u, they will never let that opportunity slip."
"But if we do this, Commander Seon-u will never follow the chief strategist again."
If he were to find out that Gongson Dan-gyeong had leaked this information?
Even if all misunderstandings were cleared, Seon-u Jin would never willingly remain under her.
"Not at all."
Gongson Dan-gyeong smiled faintly.
"This is a step toward making him truly my person."
"...What?"
"Because this will be the first act of trust I show him."
Song Ryeong couldn't understand.
And yet, she believed it would come to pass.
Gongson Dan-gyeong's predictions had never once been wrong so far.
The Star of Great Wisdom.
True to her epithet, she was the most cunning person in the world.
Hall of Martial Ascension, Yuk Jang-cheon's Office.
Yuk Jang-cheon had halted all his work and was staring at the opposite side of the room with an inscrutable expression.
Because seated across the reception table was Yuk Cheong-a.
"What brings you here?"
Yuk Jang-cheon smiled faintly.
Cheong-a coming to see him was a good sign. If it weren't a situation beyond her capabilities, she wouldn't have sought him out.
"I wonder if you've heard the rumors."
"Rumors?"
But contrary to Yuk Jang-cheon's expectations, Cheong-a hadn't brought good news.
"The rumors that Commander Seon-u has been summoned to the Council of Elders."
Yuk Jang-cheon's eyes narrowed.
For some time now, there had been whispers—that at the request of the Council of Elders, or more precisely, at the Jade Wall Hall Master's request, Commander Seon-u was being called to yet another Chief Department Heads Conference.
But Yuk Jang-cheon hadn't paid it much mind.
The Jade Wall Hall was a minor department under the Elders' Hall, responsible for settling expenses whenever leaders of Martial Alliance organizations at Hall Master Rank and below ventured into the Rivers and Lakes.
"Well, Commander Seon-u is wealthy to begin with. He might not even care about trivial expenses."
"You're misunderstanding. Do you think the Jade Wall Hall would summon him just because he embezzled public funds?"
Cheong-a's voice was soft.
"Incidentally, Commander Seon-u has never once claimed reimbursement from the alliance for his operational expenses while traveling the martial world."
"So?"
"If the Jade Wall Hall Master is personally intervening, there must be something concrete behind it."
"Hmph."
Yuk Jang-cheon shook his head.
"It hasn't even been that long since a similar incident occurred, and here they are repeating the same mistake."
He lifted his gaze to meet Cheong-a's.
"The lord of the Dragon Coil Hall and Yeon Ja-gang also schemed like this, only to end up ruined. How many times must they be humiliated before they learn?"
"You have remarkable faith in him."
"Cheong-a."
Yuk Jang-cheon smiled faintly.
"I know how clever you are, how much you can deduce. But there are things one can only understand with age."
He didn't possess his daughter's brilliant intellect.
But he had the judgment born of experience—and the ability to discern a person's true caliber.
"There are cases where even a ninety percent probability can't guarantee victory. But Commander Seon-u... is the kind of man who can overturn the odds even with just a ten percent chance."
"That's extraordinary faith."
"Faith? Hardly."
Yuk Jang-cheon curled the corner of his lips.
"This old man simply sees. How remarkable Commander Seon-u is. How exceptional a man he truly is."
Cheong-a smiled coldly.
"Doesn't it occur to you that such ability could also be used to betray you?"
"Why wouldn't it?"
Yuk Jang-cheon chuckled faintly.
"I've suspected for a long time that Commander Seon-u has been handling various matters with Chief Strategist Gongson."
Cheong-a couldn't hide her incredulous expression.
"If you knew, why did you let it go unchecked?"
"Because he's useful. And no matter what he does, I'm confident now."
Yuk Jang-cheon spoke plainly.
"If I hadn't had that kind of ability, I would've lost my life in the martial world long ago."
He laughed low under his breath.
"Do you know why the Nine Heavens Society betrayed me? Because no matter how much they wanted to stab me in the back, they lacked the ability to do so."
Cheong-a took a deep breath.
She had always thought him a simple, obstinate man.
That he was hot-tempered and incapable of handling people.
But the truth was, he was like an ancient demonic fox with hundreds of serpents coiled inside him.
"And my trust includes you as well."
An enigmatic statement.
After a long moment of thought, Cheong-a curved her eyes into crescents.
"Then it seems we'll be seeing each other again soon."
Instead of answering, Yuk Jang-cheon let a smile play at the corner of his mouth.
It was a smile strikingly similar to the one that had risen on Cheong-a's lips.