Chapter 646
Murmurs filled the air.
The Hall Leaders gathered in the secret chamber installed within Bu Eun-seol's office kept glancing around and whispering incessantly.
They had never dreamed that such a concealed room existed within the Hidden Demon Pavilion.
—To think there was a hidden chamber like this in the Lord's office, where we've been coming and going day and night.
That such an exquisitely crafted mechanism had been installed within the Hidden Demon Pavilion—where they moved about so frequently—without anyone noticing sent shivers down their spines.
"There's something I must say first."
Once all the Hall Leaders had assembled, Bu Eun-seol spoke in a solemn voice.
"The Death Shadow War Unit has long been infiltrated by factions of the Three Realms. Because they can easily recruit people whenever necessary, we've had no choice but to remain constantly vigilant."
The Hall Leaders all nodded in agreement.
Even Myo Cheon-u—who, though not recruited by the Three Realms, could be considered Bu Eun-seol's closest confidant—had fallen victim to Wi Ji-hye-sang's machinations, becoming a spy and leaking information from the Death Shadow War Unit.
"Of course, the Three Realms may still approach any of you at any time. But I've decided not to worry about such things anymore."
Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly.
"Because you are my people."
The phrase "my people" was one commonly used by superiors toward their subordinates.
But when Bu Eun-seol uttered those words, something thick and warm seemed to rise in their chests.
Because those words were just another way of saying "family."
—We are the Lord's family.
No matter how disappointed or disheartened they might be.
Family offers unconditional support in any situation.
Though they didn't share blood, Bu Eun-seol had accepted his subordinates as family.
Which was why, even if they became spies.
Even if they made the wrong judgment and harmed him.
He had resolved not to blame them but to endure it.
Because they were family.
"There's no need to make such expressions."
Bu Eun-seol sighed deeply as he observed the moved expressions of the Hall Leaders.
"The one who should be asking for forgiveness first isn't you—it's me."
"What do you mean by that?"
Won Se-mun's eyes widened.
The Lord, who had always handled everything flawlessly.
Who cherished his subordinates like his own children—why was he asking for their forgiveness?
'And besides...'
Unlike usual, he was referring to himself as "I."
Didn't that mean he was speaking not as a figure of authority, but simply as a person?
"For a long time now, I've been infiltrating the Martial Alliance and operating there."
Bu Eun-seol met the gazes of the Hall Leaders as he spoke plainly.
"Seon-u Jin, the current Hall Master of the Absolute Saber Pavilion who recently attained Hall Master Rank in the Martial Alliance—that is me."
While those already aware of this fact, like Yu Un-ryong and So-yo, remained composed.
The Hall Leaders of the Death Shadow War Unit, who had been unaware, stared with eyes so wide they might tear.
"What are you saying, my Lord? That you're a Hall Master of the Martial Alliance?"
As Won Se-mun asked, Jo Nam-cheon added.
"Seon-u Jin... Isn't that the Martial Alliance figure who recently dealt with the Fist King, secured a Seat among the Four Gods and Seven Kings, and became a candidate for the Heavenly Martial Brigade's leadership?"
"That's correct."
"Hahahaha!"
Won Se-mun burst into laughter as if he'd lost his mind.
"Eh-hey, how does that make any sense? It's not like the Lord can use some kind of Clone Technique."
Jo Nam-cheon chimed in.
"Exactly. It doesn't add up at all. When Seon-u Jin was active, the Lord was right here with us."
"There was no need for a Clone Technique."
Bu Eun-seol nodded toward Seo Jin-ha, who sat to one side.
Click.
At once, Seo Jin-ha assumed Bu Eun-seol's form in disguise.
Instantly, the Hall Leaders' eyes grew even wider.
The Face Changing and Bone Shifting Art artificially adjusts muscles and skeletal structure to transform one's appearance.
While it could alter one's face.
Replicating someone's exact features and aura to perfection was an incredibly difficult feat.
Especially for the Hall Leaders of the Death Shadow War Unit, who had shared hardships with Bu Eun-seol for so long. No matter how flawless the disguise, they should have been able to sense something off.
But Seo Jin-ha had practiced hundreds, perhaps thousands of times.
To the point where he was indistinguishable from Bu Eun-seol.
"So you trained Hall Leader Seo extensively to take turns covering both roles."
At Wi Cheon-gyeong's words, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"Correct."
In an instant, the air in the secret meeting chamber grew as heavy as lead.
Those gathered here were true-blooded members of the Demonic Path.
And what Demonic Path practitioners despised most were spies—traitors who flitted about like bats.
That the superior they had believed to be a true Demonic Path disciple from Langya Pavilion, to whom they had pledged their lives.
Had been moving between the Martial Alliance as a spy all this time—it was impossible to believe.
—Hmm.
eight minutes passed, yet no one dared to speak recklessly.
From their perspective, it wouldn't matter even if Bu Eun-seol were a vicious Great Demon.
But the fact that Bu Eun-seol had entered the Martial Alliance, received their orders, and carried out their missions—
Such things were utterly unforgivable.
"Why did you do it?"
After a long silence, Wi Cheon-gyeong spoke in a choked voice.
"My Lord would never lust for power. There must have been a reason, right?"
"I was searching for my grandfather's killer."
Bu Eun-seol explained everything.
That the grandfather who had taken him in as an orphan was none other than the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade Bu Jan-yang, and that he had spent his childhood working as an undertaker by his side.
That his grandfather had been murdered by an unknown assassin, and that he had become the Ten Demonic Heir to seek revenge.
Only, he did not mention his father, Baekri Mu-ha, nor the matter of the Heavenly Darkness Star.
After all, nothing had been confirmed yet.
"Then... what happens to us?"
Jo Nam-cheon spoke in a low voice.
"Does that mean we, who serve under you... are neither of the Demonic Path nor the Righteous Path?"
Unlike the Peak Realm Members, who pledged unconditional absolute loyalty—
The Death Shadow War Unit's Great Masters were hot-blooded, unruly demonic warriors.
No matter the reason for hunting the assassin—
Bu Eun-seol's actions, crossing between both orthodox and unorthodox factions, were difficult to accept.
"I did not reveal this to bind you."
Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly.
"First, I wanted you to know the truth. Second, I wanted to give you a choice."
Another silence fell.
Only then did the Great Masters realize why Bu Eun-seol had told them this.
"If we no longer wish to follow you, My Lord... what becomes of us?"
At Wi Cheon-gyeong's question, Bu Eun-seol answered:
"You are free. If you wish to join another faction, I will send you there immediately. If you no longer want to remain in the Demon Hall, I will compensate you generously for your hardships."
He continued.
"Or you may enter the martial world and establish yourselves as regional lords. With your skills and reputation, you would be welcomed anywhere."
Though his answer was unprecedented, the expressions of the Death Shadow War Unit's Great Masters darkened further.
Watching them, Yu Un-ryong and Seo Jin-ha exchanged uneasy glances.
—Was it too much to ask, even for those loyal to Bu Eun-seol?
They understood.
Regardless of their devotion to him—
No one would want to walk a razor's edge between the orthodox and unorthodox factions.
Even after another half-quarter passed, the Great Masters remained silent, their faces heavy.
"Ah, you sons of bitches!"
Then Won Se-mun jabbed a finger at Jo Nam-cheon and Wi Cheon-gyeong.
"Get lost! You bastards aren't fit to serve the Lord anyway!"
He glared around and bellowed:
"Isn't the Lord still the Lord? Did he join the Martial Alliance for personal gain? He went for revenge, damn it! So what's with those shit-eating faces?"
Then he strode to Bu Eun-seol's side and jabbed his finger at the Great Masters again.
"My Lord, let's kick them all out. They were never trustworthy to begin with."
As Won Se-mun raged,
"You're too loud, so shut up."
Jo Nam-cheon snapped irritably.
"You brainless rice bucket. Who said we wouldn't serve the Lord? That's not what we're agonizing over!"
"Then what is it?"
"A simpleton like you wouldn't get it, so go sit in a corner somewhere! You're giving me a headache."
Then Wi Cheon-gyeong, who had been silently brooding, finally spoke.
"My Lord. May I ask one thing?"
"Speak."
"Are you of the Demonic Path... or the Righteous Faction?"
At that question, the light in Bu Eun-seol's eyes dimmed.
A demonic warrior? A righteous martial artist?
He had never felt any sense of belonging to either. The only reason he had entered the martial world was for revenge.
"I am merely a wanderer."
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath and spoke firmly.
"The Demon Hall, the Martial Alliance—to me, they are only temporary shelters."
It was an honest sentiment, but not what the Death Shadow War Unit's Great Masters wanted to hear.
Yet Bu Eun-seol had no desire to force them to stay.
They were demonic warriors, with lives of their own.
The path he had to walk was one of vengeance alone. He would not demand absolute loyalty from them simply because he was their superior.
"I see."
Wi Cheon-gyeong and Jo Nam-cheon. Seo Jin-ha and Yu Un-ryong. No Trace and So-yo. Even Tak Il-hon.
All of them wore expressions of anguish and bitterness.
They were not disappointed.
Because they understood Bu Eun-seol's heart.
Their hearts ached.
Why had he been so protective of his subordinates? Why had he valued their lives so dearly...?
It was because he had been walking that perilous path of vengeance all along.
Somehow, he had ended up gaining followers, and had treated them all with unwavering care, like cherished friends.
Because he himself was neither of the Demonic Path nor the Righteous Path—merely a wanderer.
One who sought to leave without harming anyone, vanishing once all was done.
"So the Martial Alliance unit members under your command knew as well."
At Wi Cheon-gyeong's question, Bu Eun-seol lowered his head.
"That's right. They knew my true identity, yet they nearly died protecting me."
His eyes darkened endlessly as he recalled Tae Mu-ryong trying to die in his place.
"So I told them everything. Before any of you."
"Then the Rejuvenating Soul Divine Pill and the Azure Spirit Stone Fluid at the Medicine King Faction back then—you used them for them."
"Yes."
Bu Eun-seol answered calmly.
"To me, they are no different from you."
"Forgive me."
Wi Cheon-gyeong, his eyes rimmed red, dropped to his knees.
"We failed to understand your heart, Lord, and spoke out of turn."
Only now could they truly grasp Bu Eun-seol's feelings.
To subordinates who would leap into fire at a single word of command.
The reason he had shared these truths with them was—
Because he feared they might be sacrificed without even knowing why.
Because he worried they might be dragged into his vengeance for no reason at all... He had fretted endlessly over this.
Thud.
Just as Jo Nam-cheon also knelt to speak—
"Lord!"
Won Se-mun, tears and snot streaming down his face, rushed forward and clung to Bu Eun-seol's leg, sobbing.
"We didn't even realize you were walking such a lonely, desolate path! We—we just kept sulking about how rarely we got to see your noble face!"
"Stand."
Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly.
"How is that your fault? It's my own failing."
"Lord! My lord!"
Won Se-mun wailed like a child.
"Don't worry! Demonic Path or Righteous Path—it doesn't matter! We'll protect you for the rest of our lives!"
Every pair of eyes in the conference room glistened with tears.
Demonic or orthodox—what did it matter?
Hadn't they all sworn long ago to devote their lives to Bu Eun-seol?
Sniff.
Even Bu Eun-seol's eyes reddened.
The boy who had left the funeral parlor alone for vengeance.
Who had wandered the martial world with nothing but a sword, relying on no one in this world.
Now, he had subordinates and comrades who would gladly give their lives for him.
Demonic Path, Righteous Path, Evil Path... What did such divisions even mean? What difference did it make?
For a long while, the only sound in the conference room was Won Se-mun's weeping.
The chaotic atmosphere in the conference room gradually settled.
Once everyone had composed themselves, the meeting began.
"So, what do you intend to do now?"
The first to speak was Protector Tak Il-hon.
"Lately, the atmosphere in the main hall has been... unusual. Some of the senior members seem reluctant to acknowledge your authority, Lord."
No Trace, leader of the Death Soul Squad, nodded in agreement.
"Indeed. I suspect this may be because the Demonic Heavenly Emperor himself has maintained an attitude of... seeming indifference toward you, Lord."
Bu Eun-seol had already been ambushed twice by external forces.
If such incidents occurred involving a successor, even if Bu Eun-seol remained passive,
the Demonic Heavenly Emperor should have taken immediate action.
Yet he consistently acted as if nothing were amiss, maintaining an aloof demeanor.
Because of this, the Martial Alliance's senior members had come to view Bu Eun-seol as someone who lacked the emperor's favor—a figure who could be replaced at any time.
"Moreover, this latest ambush... It was only possible because information was leaked from the main hall again."
While returning to the Demon Hall, Bu Eun-seol had been attacked—this time by the Supreme Emperor.
And according to the Death Soul Squad's analysis,
the one most likely to have exposed his movements was none other than the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
Otherwise, the Chief Doctrine Commander wouldn't have been able to receive Bu Eun-seol so leisurely.
But the biggest issue was this:
Even the Secret Shadow Pavilion—the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's direct intelligence agency and the supreme information organization of the Demonic Path—
still refused to share intelligence with Bu Eun-seol.
Which meant, in essence, that while the emperor had placed Bu Eun-seol in the position of successor, he had also stripped away a significant portion of his authority.
Much like he had done with the Chief Doctrine Commander, Yeop Hyo-cheon.
"That's why I called this meeting."
Bu Eun-seol's calm voice swept across the room.
"As you've all sensed, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor sees me as nothing more than a puppet. He doesn't truly consider me his successor."
The moment the words "Demonic Heavenly Emperor" were spoken, the atmosphere in the conference room grew even darker.
If the Number One of the Demonic Path were to impose sanctions...
Countless hardships would lie ahead, and Bu Eun-seol would never be able to grow within the Demonic Path.
"From now on, I intend to build a new stronghold," Bu Eun-seol said calmly.
"I have named it the Martial Soul Society."
Instantly, the air inside the conference room turned frigid.
A member of the Demon Hall—no, the future lord of the Demon Hall, the Martial Soul Lord—was declaring his intent to establish a new sect?
This was nothing short of rebellion.
If such words were to leak outside...
Bu Eun-seol would immediately be stripped of his position, and his very life could be in danger.
"You mean... a sect?" No Trace, the leader of the Death Soul Squad, asked cautiously, his expression one of disbelief.
"But establishing a sect is impossible, is it not? My Lord, are you not a disciple of Langya Pavilion?"
"To be precise, it is not a sect but a federation. Like the Demon Hall."
The tension in the room grew even heavier.
If Bu Eun-seol were to create a federation on par with the Demon Hall...
This was not merely a matter confined to the Demon Hall—it was an issue that could provoke opposition from the entire Demonic Martial World, no, the entire Orthodox and Unorthodox Martial World.
"So that's why you met privately with the Chief Doctrine Commander?" Seo Jin-ha interjected.
"To gauge whether he would impose sanctions on you like the Demonic Heavenly Emperor?"
"Correct."
A faint smile touched Bu Eun-seol's lips as Seo Jin-ha immediately grasped his intent.
"From now on, if I am to establish a new sect, there are many things I must accomplish. But if the Chief Doctrine Commander aligns himself with the Demonic Heavenly Emperor and seeks to restrain me... then it becomes utterly impossible."
In short, if the Chief Doctrine Commander did not stubbornly suppress Bu Eun-seol and instead treated him fairly according to the Demon Hall's rules and principles...
Then establishing a sect was not entirely out of the question.
—This...
The lords exchanged bewildered glances, unable to comprehend Bu Eun-seol's reasoning.
No matter how they looked at it, such a thing was impossible.
"It seems the very act of establishment is impossible," Wi Cheon-gyeong said cautiously.
"A federation is different from a sect. For a federation to be recognized, it must gain the approval of the existing martial world, no?"
"Hmm."
"Moreover, if a new federation were to emerge in the martial world... even if the Demon Hall does not oppose it, the Martial Alliance and the Black Path will fight tooth and nail to stop it."
Currently, the martial world maintained a precarious balance between the Orthodox and Unorthodox factions.
But if a new federation were to be formed...
Even if the Demon Hall ignored it, the Righteous Faction and the Black Path would never acknowledge its existence—
And would do everything in their power to prevent its establishment.
Because they were even more sensitive to shifts in power dynamics than the Demon Hall.
"I have a method in mind," Bu Eun-seol said, taking a deep breath.
"It will take time to secure a foothold in the martial world, but gaining recognition as a federation will not be impossible."
"What do you—"
"The one who ambushed me while I was returning to the Demon Hall was the Supreme Emperor of the Infinite Realm."
Bu Eun-seol's gaze was unfathomably profound.
"And within the martial world, there exists a being known as Neither-Human-Nor-Beast. Their origins are likely tied to the Demonic Cult, and until now, they have operated under various names and forms..."
As his words continued, the jaws of everyone in the conference room slackened.
It was too shocking a revelation—
And only then could they faintly grasp the reason Bu Eun-seol sought to birth a new federation.
Bu Eun-seol continued speaking, and the atmosphere in the chamber grew increasingly tense.
Creak.
The hidden door of the secret passage within the Hidden Demon Pavilion's grand conference hall swung open.
"Then, let us rest."
With those calm words, Bu Eun-seol rose and left.
As the door opened fully, the pale-faced lords slumped in their seats, utterly drained.
Inside that chamber, they had debated without rest for three full days and nights.
Bu Eun-seol's plan was so vast in scope—
They had no choice but to stay awake through the nights, endlessly researching and reviewing to ensure the plan's feasibility.
"Ugh..."
Even Yu Un-ryong, who had grown accustomed to prolonged meetings, looked ashen-faced.
The distant future—
Bu Eun-seol was already contemplating events so far ahead it was dizzying.
Right now, all he wanted was to collapse and sleep.
But he had no choice but to snap back to attention.
Now, under his own leadership—
He had to convene another Lord's Meeting to discuss the finer details of realizing Bu Eun-seol's plan.
"First, we integrate the Orthodox and Unorthodox Intelligence Network," Yu Un-ryong declared, his eyes suddenly sharp as if he hadn't been exhausted moments ago.
"The Martial Alliance's elite unit may be small, but it consists of the finest warriors personally trained by the Lord. They are also adept at refining high-level intelligence from within the Martial Alliance."
His gaze flickered between No Trace and Wi Cheon-gyeong as he spoke.
"If both intelligence networks merge into one flawless system..."
The meeting resumed without pause.
The plan to establish a new federation had already begun.
Now, all that remained was to charge forward without looking back.
And in the distant future—
The Demon Hall, the Martial Alliance, and the Martial Soul Society would stand as the Three Great Forces of the martial world.