Chapter 615
"What brings you all the way out here?"
Bu Eun-seol scanned their surroundings before asking in an even tone.
"If you wanted to see me, you could have just met me at the Martial Alliance."
By now, it was widely known that Seon-u Jin—his current alias—shared an exceptionally close bond with the Bullet King, having even learned the Inner Energy Bullet Art from him.
Given that they were both already within the Martial Alliance's grounds, there was no real need to call him out separately for a meeting.
"Heh. Even so, one must maintain boundaries between public and private matters."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I called you out for an entirely personal matter."
"Hmm."
A faint smile touched Bu Eun-seol's lips as he grasped the meaning behind Bukgung Ryeong's words.
"Perfect timing."
"Perfect timing for what?"
"I was planning to seek you out as well. There's something I wanted to ask."
Bukgung Ryeong's face twisted into a scowl.
"Seek me out? Since you're also affiliated with the Martial Alliance, you should address me as Honorary Guardian."
"Let's not bother with formalities when it's just the two of us."
Bu Eun-seol stepped closer and asked:
"Do you happen to know of any method to undo brainwashing?"
"Brainwashing?"
"What the Azure River Realm has been doing is brainwashing. A particularly bizarre kind."
Bu Eun-seol calmly explained how he had uncovered the Azure River Realm's secret facility and the methods they used to brainwash people.
Seizing the moment, he also recounted everything about A-yeon's situation.
Aside from his closest friend, Bukgung Ryeong was the person Bu Eun-seol trusted most.
The man had spent years standing alone against the Three Realms.
Not only that, but like Bu Eun-seol himself, he had long cast aside all prejudices between the Demonic Path and the Righteous Path.
Considering that Bukgung Ryeong was a Righteous Faction member to the bone—a Renowned Chivalrous Hero even honored with a Hero Stele by the Martial Alliance—his actions were unprecedented in martial history, breaking all conventions.
"Hmm."
Bukgung Ryeong listened in silence, his expression growing increasingly complex.
For his entire life, he had pursued the Three Realms until his feet were worn to the bone, yet he had never even uncovered their true objectives.
Yet in that same time, Bu Eun-seol had managed to grasp every detail—what kind of experiments each of the Three Realms conducted, what they sought to achieve.
And the nature of those experiments... was far more grotesque and horrifying than anything Bukgung Ryeong had ever imagined.
"What in the world do those bastards want?"
Bukgung Ryeong's face twisted with incomprehension as he asked.
"With that much power and influence, why would they devote themselves to such insane acts? Are they planning to wage war among themselves or something?"
"Unlikely. If their goal was war, they would have clashed on a massive scale long before now."
The Three Realms' power and influence were beyond measure.
Had they ever come into direct conflict, the martial world would have been destroyed ages ago.
"However, they all share one belief—that everything they do is to protect the martial world."
"Protect the martial world? Those bastards?"
It was the Three Realms who had been manipulating martial factions at will and conducting brutal experiments all this time.
So what, exactly, were they protecting the martial world from?
"From what I've gathered so far, it seems there exists an opposing force—either hostile to the Three Realms or standing against their principles—known as the Abyssal Forces."
"Abyssal Forces?"
Bu Eun-seol relayed everything he had learned from his encounter with Yang Seol-rin.
"Hahahaha!"
Bukgung Ryeong burst into hollow laughter as he listened.
The legendary Three Clans, long thought to be mere myths, were alive and active in the martial world.
The Three Realms, rather than being hidden, were closer to being an overt power—and beneath them lurked the Abyssal Forces, who had never once revealed themselves?
What kind of absurd reality was this?
"Just the tip of the iceberg."
Bukgung Ryeong gazed up at the sky and let out a deep sigh.
"So in the end, what we've seen of the martial world isn't even the whole picture."
His expression was one of devastation.
For years, he had stood unrivaled in the martial world, believing himself to possess broader knowledge and deeper insight than anyone else.
But looking back now, he realized he had understood less about the martial world's true state than even the Martial Alliance's intelligence operatives.
Seeing Bukgung Ryeong reeling from the shock, Bu Eun-seol steered the conversation elsewhere.
"Anyway..."
His expression turned grave as he asked again:
"Do you know anything about brainwashing?"
"Hmm. What exactly happens when someone is brainwashed?"
"I'm not certain of the details, but it's not just an additional personality. Their facial features and even skin color seem to change as well."
"Not just an additional personality, but their skin color changes too...?"
As Bukgung Ryeong stroked his chin, his gaze deepened.
A memory from over a decade ago surfaced in his mind.
"So that was the Azure River Realm's doing after all."
"You know something?"
"There is one thing that comes to mind."
His eyes grew distant, as if tracing the contours of that old memory.
"Twenty years ago, there was a time when Jong Gu-ryeong—then known as the Hermit of the Ends of the Earth—suddenly went mad."
The Hermit of the Ends of the Earth had been a Renowned Chivalrous Hero of the orthodox path and a Grand Master of the huqin.
"He went mad, you say?"
"Indeed. I discovered him burning down an entire unharmed village and immediately intervened. But contrary to common knowledge, Jong Gu-ryeong's martial arts surpassed my own."
The reason the Hermit was called a hero of the orthodox factions was simply because he was well-acquainted with the Righteous Faction's high command.
In truth, he had never been a particularly formidable martial artist.
And yet, such a man had reached a level that surpassed even the Bullet King, who at the time stood unrivaled in the murim?
"I thought he must have taken a drug that temporarily unleashed his latent strength. But no matter how long I stalled, his martial prowess remained genuine—far beyond what I could contend with."
"Then how did you survive?"
"Was the Hermit not a Grand Master of the huqin? And the huqin he owned was a genuine article crafted two hundred years prior by Master Xiangjiang."
Bukgung Ryeong let out a snort before continuing.
"He cherished that huqin as dearly as his own life. So I resolved that even if I were to die, I would at least shatter that damned instrument before I went."
"..."
"Of course, in doing so, I might also have found an opening in my enemy."
Bu Eun-seol couldn't suppress a wry laugh.
No wonder they got along so well.
That relentless persistence—refusing to yield even in the face of death, searching for any means to bring down the foe—was exactly the same as his own.
"So what happened?"
"I pretended to stagger back from his Night Rain on the Xiao and Xiang Rivers technique while smashing my way into his chamber. Then I seized the huqin stored inside."
Bukgung Ryeong furrowed his brows as if reliving the moment.
"Suddenly, his face twisted into something grotesque, and even his voice changed—as though he had become a different person."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
Hadn't A-yeon, who had pursued him earlier, also abruptly changed her face and voice?
"Then he began screaming, begging me not to destroy the huqin."
"And then?"
"Naturally, I smashed it without hesitation. After wailing for a while, he reverted to his original self."
"You're saying he returned to normal after the huqin was destroyed?"
"Precisely. And then he said this to me—"
"Like Master Xiangjiang before me, I sought to reach the pinnacle in both martial arts and musical artistry. But I made the wrong choice."
The Hermit gazed down at the shattered huqin with desolate eyes.
"The moment my lifelong obsession and aspiration were destroyed... I was finally able to regain my senses."
Then he gathered his inner energy.
"I shall atone for my sins with death. So I beg you... do not let my evil deeds be known to the murim."
No sooner had he spoken than his chest split open, blood surging nearly an inch high.
Without hesitation, he had severed his own heart meridian and taken his life.
"Hmm."
Having heard the full story, Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed.
"Then the way to break the brainwashing of someone with a split personality... is to destroy the target or aspiration they've yearned for their entire life."
At those words, Bukgung Ryeong allowed a faint smile.
'This one, indeed.'
With only a brief account of the situation—
Hadn't he instantly arrived at the same conclusion it had taken Bukgung Ryeong months of deep contemplation to reach?
'He can solve this.'
With this man's insight and analytical ability—
No matter how bizarre the case, he could unravel it in an instant.
"I, too, pondered it at length and reached a similar conclusion."
"I see."
Bu Eun-seol's expression darkened.
The thing A-yeon had been willing to stake her life to obtain—
The thing she had longed for all this time... was his affection, wasn't it?
Which meant, in the end—
The object of her obsession. Namely, he himself would have to disappear to free her from the brainwashing.
"Old man."
Bu Eun-seol spoke with the gravest expression yet.
"Join me in this plan."
"Join you in what?"
"Shouldn't we save her?"
Bukgung Ryeong frowned in disbelief.
"You're not even asking for help—you're telling me to join your plan? What nonsense is this?"
"The Sword Pavilion is an orthodox faction, not the Demonic Path."
"Hmph. As if you've ever cared about the divide between orthodox and unorthodox factions in the first place."
Though Bukgung Ryeong scoffed, his expression remained solemn.
A-yeon, the successor of the Sword Pavilion—
The fact that she had become a puppet of the Three Realms was no trivial matter.
"Fine, what's your plan then?"
As Bukgung Ryeong clicked his tongue and asked, Bu Eun-seol responded with a grave expression.
"What she blindly desires is me. She directly confessed that she threw herself into the Azure River Realm for that very purpose."
"So what? Are you seriously planning to marry her?"
"The opposite."
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath before speaking.
"I will die before her very eyes."
Bukgung Ryeong's face went blank.
Die before A-yeon? Was he saying he'd sacrifice his life to break her brainwashing?
"However, to execute this method, I'll need your assistance, old man."
Only then did Bukgung Ryeong grasp Bu Eun-seol's plan and nodded slowly.
"So you intend to fake your death deliberately."
"Correct. But she's in a state where her martial prowess and intelligence have been drastically heightened through brainwashing. No ordinary trick will deceive her."
Bu Eun-seol wore a self-deprecating smile.
"But if someone of the Bullet King's caliber were to step in, wouldn't it be entirely plausible for him to kill a mere heir of the Demon Hall like me?"
After slaying the Beggar King, Bu Eun-seol's martial achievements had never been publicly disclosed.
Thus, the world believed his skills barely placed him above the lowest ranks of the Four Gods and Seven Kings.
If the Bullet King made a move? She would undoubtedly judge him fully capable of killing Bu Eun-seol.
"Even if I intervene, do you really think we can easily deceive that girl's eyes?"
Bukgung Ryeong spoke with a serious expression.
"Someone of her caliber would undoubtedly verify your death thoroughly."
"Of course. But I have a useful secret technique at my disposal."
With an enigmatic smile, Bu Eun-seol drew upon the energy within his body.
A translucent light surged forth, radiating a mystical aura that spread around them.
"What in the world is this?"
Bukgung Ryeong's eyes widened.
What Bu Eun-seol had unleashed was none other than the Water Essence Divine Qi—a power only the Water God Neung-gyeong and the Deputy Palace Master Sa Cheong-ha of the Divine Water Palace could wield.
"Now that I think about it, how the hell did this happen? I meant to ask you back on Ghost Island."
Bukgung Ryeong wore a baffled expression.
"Why is a man like you wielding the Divine Water Palace's power?"
"It just... happened that way."
"Speak properly."
"Why? Feeling envious?"
"You brat! Aren't you curious? What kind of madness must one commit to manifest the Divine Water Palace's supreme purification technique?"
With no other choice, Bu Eun-seol briefly explained how he had obtained the Water Essence Divine Qi.
He recounted how Sa Cheong-ha, the deputy palace master, had been narrow-minded and cruel, scheming vile deeds until fortune emerged from misfortune.
"Hah!"
Bukgung Ryeong's jaw dropped.
A practitioner of the Demonic Path like him could assimilate the Water Essence Divine Qi, renowned as the purest force in the world?
Wasn't that fundamentally impossible?
"Are you even truly of the Demonic Path? How can someone who mastered Demonic Path Martial Arts absorb the Water Essence Divine Qi?"
"..."
"Don't tell me you're an androgynous person?"
As Bukgung Ryeong's eyes bulged, Bu Eun-seol scoffed and waved his hand dismissively.
"Don't spout nonsense."
"Then did you have masters from both the Righteous and Demonic Paths?"
"What are you talking about?"
"If you can assimilate the Water Essence Divine Qi to this extent, doesn't that mean you've mastered the supreme disciplines of both orthodox and unorthodox paths simultaneously?"
When Bu Eun-seol remained silent, Bukgung Ryeong gaped.
"Seems I'm right."
"What does it matter?"
"To teach someone of your caliber..."
Bukgung Ryeong's eyes widened further.
"It's the Heavenly Martial Emperor, isn't it? Right?"
"Have you lost your mind? I'm a disciple of Langya Pavilion."
"Then were you trying to infiltrate? The only ones reckless enough to simultaneously master orthodox and unorthodox martial arts are spies."
Orthodox and unorthodox martial arts cannot coexist—attempting to learn both at once risks regression in skill or dissipation of internal power.
That's why only spies would gamble their lives to master both.
"Save your sleep-talking for when you're actually asleep."
"Then what is it?"
"Mind your own business."
"Tell me. Even if you were the Heavenly Martial Emperor's disciple, this old man wouldn't care. No, I'd actually welcome it."
"If you keep spouting nonsense, I'm leaving."
Watching Bu Eun-seol's resolute expression, Bukgung Ryeong pursed his lips.
"How can I possibly trust this? The heir of the Demon Hall openly acting as the Martial Alliance's chief..."
He shook his head vigorously.
"If this gets out, you're finished in the Demonic Path. Do you understand?"
"If I'm ruined in the Demonic Path, it'll be your fault, old man."
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
"You're the only one who could betray me, aren't you?"
"You brat! Who said anything about betrayal? If I wanted to, I'd have dragged you before the Vice Alliance Leader and tortured you back then!"
"Then why do you keep interrogating me like some constable? And 'torture me'? What are you, a magistrate's officer now?"
After bickering back and forth for a while, the two men glared at each other before abruptly turning their heads away.
Though their ages differed, they were squabbling like childhood friends who refused to concede even a single word.
"Enough idle chatter. Listen closely."
Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly.
"One of the functions of this Water Essence Divine Qi is that it allows me to freely manipulate my internal organs."
In the past, at the third gate of the Heavenly Human Cult's Sword Tomb,
Bu Eun-seol had used the Water Essence Divine Qi to shift his organs, defending against a piercing soft sword and narrowly escaping death.
And now, he intended to use the same method to deceive A-yeon.
"Target my heart precisely with your Purple Lightning Golden Pellet. Then, I'll use this Water Essence Divine Qi to make it appear as though my heart has been pierced."
"Hmm."
Bukgung Ryeong stroked his chin.
If a superlative martial expert like the Bullet King had his heart pierced—who would dare doubt it?
But there was a problem.
The Bullet King was still the Bullet King.
"Impossible."
Bukgung Ryeong shook his head.
"Even if you could avoid a direct hit to the heart using the Water Essence Divine Qi... you would still suffer a fatal wound and die."
Taking a deep breath, a single golden iron sphere flickered into the air before him.
The Bullet King's signature weapon—the Purple Lightning Golden Pellet.
Pah!
With a single pellet, Bukgung Ryeong pierced a great tree more than a hundred feet away.
"Look closely."
Bu Eun-seol stepped forward to examine the tree.
On the front, there was indeed a small hole, just the size of the golden pellet.
But the exit wound on the other side was as large as a grown man's fist.
"Purple Lightning..."
Bukgung Ryeong's Purple Lightning Golden Pellet contained not only the Purple Dawn Shaking Thunder Energy and the force of wind and thunder,
but also an overwhelming rotational power.
Meaning—the moment the pellet struck flesh,
its violent spinning force would shred through surrounding muscles and organs alike.
"Hmm."
Bu Eun-seol fell deep into thought as he studied the tree.
"Is it impossible to throw it without the lightning energy?"
"Of course it's possible. But—"
Bukgung Ryeong's eyes narrowed.
"With her keen perception and intellect, she would immediately recognize it as an Inner Energy Bullet Art devoid of lightning power."
The Azure River Realm's brainwashing didn't merely enhance martial prowess.
By merging two personalities, it also sharpened observation and reasoning.
If it were A-yeon, she would see through such a deception instantly.
"You're right."
After a long moment of contemplation, Bu Eun-seol shook his head helplessly.
"But even if the odds are slim, we have no choice but to try."
"Why?"
"Because we must save her."
Bukgung Ryeong pressed further.
"Why risk your life to save that girl?"
His gaze sharpened to an unparalleled intensity as he stared at Bu Eun-seol.
"The Three Realms will continue brainwashing people. Will you stake your life each time to undo it?"
The Three Realms' victims were not limited to A-yeon alone.
And as a member of the Demonic Path, Bu Eun-seol had no obligation to risk his life for her.
"Old man, are you misunderstanding something?"
Bu Eun-seol met his gaze unwaveringly, his voice firm.
"You don't actually think I'm opposing the Three Realms to save the martial world, do you?"
"Then why save her?"
"I've crossed paths with Lady A-yeon many times. I cannot simply stand by while she's brainwashed and exploited by the Azure River Realm."
His tone grew solemn as he added,
"I simply do my best in the things I can."
—I simply do my best in the things I can.
Those words echoed in Bukgung Ryeong's mind for a long time.
Though he had somehow earned a place on the Hero Stele,
he had never taken pride in protecting the righteousness of the martial world or doing what was "right."
Bukgung Ryeong, too,
had merely done what he could—and given it his all.
"Right. Exactly."
As the realization of who Bu Eun-seol truly was struck him again, Bukgung Ryeong clapped his hands.
"Did this old man perform chivalrous deeds to live some saintly life? I just did what I wanted and had my fill of action."
A carefree smile spread across his face.
"People kept praising me as a 'Renowned Chivalrous Hero' or a 'great champion,' but every time, it made my skin crawl and my stomach turn."
His expression was calm as he continued,
"I just did what I wanted, that's all."
As if those words resonated deeply, Bu Eun-seol also allowed himself a rare smile.
"Precisely."
"You don't discriminate between orthodox and unorthodox, and like me, you act without hesitation... In that case, there is a way."
"What do you mean?"
"There's a perfect method to deceive that girl—without you having to prepare for death."
Bukgung Ryeong recalled the face of a young man whose demeanor was the polar opposite of Bu Eun-seol's.
If his prediction was correct... then the troubles of these two young grandmasters would be cleanly resolved.