Chapter 663
Thud.
The shock was so overwhelming that Bu Eun-seol felt the back of his neck burn and his eyes bulge as if they might pop out of their sockets.
"What do you mean by that?"
Bu Eun-seol spoke in a low voice.
"You were part of the Return-to-One Realm?"
"No. I was..."
A long shadow fell over Man-wol's deep pupils.
"Just a tool."
"A tool."
That single word allowed Bu Eun-seol to grasp the gist of her circumstances.
"So, for the Return-to-One Realm's Great Art that extracts abilities from corpses, Miss Man-wol is an indispensable component?"
"Yes."
Man-wol gazed at the distant sky as she murmured her reply.
"Someone who was once part of the One Hundred and Eight Stars. And someone born under the same stars. I can connect the two."
"So, you're a kind of... shamanic vessel, or divine maiden."
"Correct."
Man-wol's lips curled into a faint, sorrowful smile.
"I am a shrine maiden."
"Then..."
At last, Bu Eun-seol understood why the masked men had bound her with red threads and arranged mysterious treasures around her.
"Wait, if that's the case—"
His mind raced.
Man-wol was not affiliated with the Jungson Clan.
The Return-to-One Realm's masked men who had abducted her bore traces of a desperate battle.
And the Jungson Clan's servants, who could absorb the power of the One Hundred and Eight Stars...
Had erected a bizarre barrier to prevent anyone from entering this forest.
'A third faction is involved.'
Finally, the situation became clear.
In short, the Jungson Clan and the Return-to-One Realm had likely joined forces to abduct Man-wol from some other faction.
And to carry out their Great Art undisturbed...
The Jungson Clan had deployed a boundary formation here to block outsiders.
Meanwhile, the Return-to-One Realm must have immediately used Man-wol to awaken someone who had undergone the Blood Emperor's Great Art.
'Neither-Human-Nor-Beast.'
Only now did Bu Eun-seol realize how the Return-to-One Realm's absurd Great Art could even be possible.
The Demonic Cult—a cradle that birthed the Demon Gate Great Method, a sect shrouded in religious mystique, synonymous with terror and awe, where martial arts transcended human limits.
If she was their shrine maiden... then she could bridge the power of the One Hundred and Eight Stars, transcending past and present.
"I'm sorry."
As if reading his thoughts, Man-wol spoke again.
"About my past... I'd rather you didn't ask."
Why would a shrine maiden of the Inhuman Beings, who were believed to be descendants of the Demonic Cult—be wandering alone?
Why had she been abducted by the Return-to-One Realm and the Jungson Clan?
If he knew the answers...
Bu Eun-seol could prepare for far greater threats and secure an informational advantage over any faction.
"Understood."
But Bu Eun-seol simply smiled faintly and nodded, as if it were no great matter.
He wasn't cruel or ruthless enough to hound a woman who had become prey to countless factions, fleeing for her life, just to extract information.
In time, as he dealt with the Three Realms, he would inevitably uncover the truth.
"The Return-to-One Realm has truly gone too far. Abducting a maiden to connect the living and the dead."
His words were bluster, meant to ease the weight on Man-wol's bowed head.
But her unexpected reply caught him off guard.
"The Return-to-One Realm's Lord of Heaven changed over a decade ago. And he... is a truly terrifying person."
'The Realm Lord.'
Myeong-un, who had once been part of the Return-to-One Realm, had informed Bu Eun-seol that the Return-to-One Realm Lord had changed as if he were a different person.
But Man-wol was claiming the Return-to-One Realm Lord had changed more than ten years ago?
"The Return-to-One Realm Lord can be replaced?"
Bu Eun-seol couldn't hide his astonishment.
"Or are you saying the Three Realms select their leaders through some kind of succession battle?"
"I only sensed that he changed."
Man-wol's gaze grew distant.
"I saw him when I was young."
"Then..."
"Yes. That truth... is something only I know in this world."
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
This was beyond comprehension.
Mocking the Infinite Realm, which ruled the world.
Neither-Human-Nor-Beast, who gradually dispatched Ghost Children. And this shrine maiden, of that fearsome faction, which inherits the Demonic Cult's orthodox lineage...
She wandered Murim alone, pursued by the Three Realms and the Jungson Clan, and had sensed the change in the Return-to-One Realm Lord all by herself.
"I don't even know where to begin making sense of this."
Bu Eun-seol spoke as if utterly lost.
"If you know the Return-to-One Realm Lord, how did you end up captured by his people?"
"..."
"Is that also something I can't ask?"
As Man-wol remained silent, her expression pained,
"My apologies. I shouldn't have pressed you."
Seeing Bu Eun-seol's bitter expression, Man-wol spoke apologetically.
"Don't worry."
"..."
"You'll uncover everything in time."
"Is that the perspective of a shrine maiden speaking?"
Suppressing his stifled emotions, Bu Eun-seol forced out a joke.
He couldn't bear to leave that beautiful girl standing there, looking as though she carried the weight of the world's sorrows on her shoulders.
"Well..."
Man-wol smiled faintly.
The moment her lips, which had been set in a perpetual gloom, curved upward, it felt as though the entire world brightened.
"Miss. If you don't mind, won't you come with me?"
"W-What did you say?"
As her face flushed red, Bu Eun-seol hastily waved his hands.
"No, no—I only meant that the Return-to-One Realm or the Jungson Clan might harm you again."
His voice was calm, measured.
"I have the confidence to protect you safely, no matter which faction in the martial world comes after you."
Then, with blunt honesty, he added:
"And, well... I thought I might be able to get your help in return."
Man-wol—she was, after all, a shrine maiden of Neither-Human-Nor-Beast. She must possess some kind of mystical power.
Hadn't she even briefly halted the movements of that thing wearing the Blood Emperor's shell?
If he could secure her aid, many of his current obstacles would become far easier to overcome.
"I can't stay anywhere."
"Why not?"
"Because I..."
Her pupils shimmered like gemstones, as if filled with clear, unshed tears.
"...bring misfortune and tragedy wherever I go."
She was smiling, but her eyes wept silently, brimming with sorrow.
Bu Eun-seol wanted to say something—anything—but no words came to him.
"It's alright. This is my fate."
"Fate can be shattered."
Man-wol gazed at his flustered expression and smiled wryly.
"If you truly wish to help me... grow stronger. Strong enough that no one in this world can stand against you."
"..."
"Then you'll be able to save me."
The forlorn smile she left him with made her seem like a caged bird, trapped by some unseen captor.
'Is their leader toying with her?'
It was more intuition than thought.
The leader of Neither-Human-Nor-Beast was an utterly cruel and sinister existence.
Wasn't it possible that, for some twisted reason, they had abandoned Man-wol in the martial world alone, subjecting her to suffering?
Perhaps they even took pleasure in watching her writhe in agony.
"Well then."
Slowly, Man-wol turned away.
Bu Eun-seol couldn't bring himself to stop her.
Though he had restrained himself to protect her, limiting his movements and holding back his martial techniques...
He had still struggled against a mere shell of one of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars.
He wasn't yet strong enough to face anyone and everyone—which meant he had no right to promise her salvation.
"Blood Emperor."
Bu Eun-seol clenched his fists, staring at the distant sky.
He resolved then to pursue that four-hundred-year-old specter and avenge that defeat.
"First, I must return to the Martial Alliance."
His gaze sharpened endlessly as it remained fixed on the heavens.
This mission had been personally assigned by the Martial Venerable.
And a man like him wouldn't have issued such an order without knowing the identity of the faction they were pursuing.
'Moreover, if even the Chief Strategist is in league with them...'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes turned icy.
If Gongson Dan-gyeong was also aligned with the Martial Venerable's intentions... then there would be no further reason for him to remain within the Martial Alliance.
Martial Alliance, Hidden Moon Hall. Gongson Dan-gyeong's Office.
Upon returning to the Martial Alliance, Bu Eun-seol immediately requested a private audience with her.
The mission at Seo-ryeong Mountain.
It was a perilous task—one that could have cost the life of even the most skilled master affiliated with the Alliance.
After all, forces from the Jungson Clan, one of the Three Clans, had appeared, and even a specter wielding the physical body of the Blood Emperor—one of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars—had emerged.
And he needed to confirm whether the Chief Strategist was aware of this... and gauge her reaction.
"...That's how it unfolded."
Bu Eun-seol recounted the events at Seo-ryeong Mountain in a composed tone.
He detailed the appearance of the Jungson Clan's agents and how they, too, were capturing members of the One Hundred and Eight Stars to conduct grotesque experiments.
"The Jungson Clan?"
But the response he received was unexpected.
Gongson Dan-gyeong, who always maintained an aloof, unshakable calm, seemed subtly shaken.
Her voice trembled faintly, and her gaze wavered like rippling water.
Bu Eun-seol sensed something amiss but replied evenly.
"Yes. The man identified himself as a member of the Jungson Clan and claimed he could absorb the power of the One Hundred and Eight Stars."
"And... what happened?"
"After a fierce battle, I barely secured victory. But in the end, I still had to retreat."
However, he omitted the fact that he had met Man-wol—and that she might be a shrine maiden of Neither-Human-Nor-Beast.
Because a decision had to be made.
What if she shared the same views as the Martial Venerable?
Then it would mean he could no longer stay with them—that he had to prepare to leave the Martial Alliance at once.
"I see."
Gongson Dan-gyeong's pupils lost focus after hearing the full story.
It was a desperate struggle to swallow back the grief and rage she couldn't possibly conceal.
'So they've also made their move into the Murim.'
Even after eliminating the Infinite Realm, they were still interfering in martial affairs.
Perhaps the Jungson Clan had merely used the Infinite Realm as pawns to abduct a child bearing the power of the Heavenly Mechanism Star.
"Then the Martial Venerable either intended this mission as a test... or he has some other hidden objective."
Having barely regained her composure, she not only reached the same conclusion as Bu Eun-seol—
But had also coldly deduced the state of his heart.
"After this incident, Hall Leader Seon-u may have resolved that he can no longer stand alongside the Martial Venerable."
Bu Eun-seol remained silent, confirming it with his stillness.
Gongson Dan-gyeong drew a deep breath.
"Then this Chief Strategist must also choose her path, it seems."
What made Gongson Dan-gyeong terrifying wasn't her brilliant intellect—but the frightening speed at which she could perceive others' emotions.
Having instantly grasped Bu Eun-seol's feelings and hidden thoughts, she sank into deep contemplation.
How much time passed?
At last, her crimson lips parted slowly.
"This Chief Strategist..."
With the gravest expression, she spoke.
"—will stand with Hall Leader Seon-u, not the Martial Venerable."
It was an unexpected answer.
The Martial Venerable was, after all, the leader of the Martial Alliance, and his martial prowess was beyond comparison.
If Seon-u Jin were weighed against him on a scale, there wasn't a single aspect where Seon-u Jin surpassed him.
The thread she ought to cling to should have been the Martial Venerable, not Seon-u Jin.
A prodigy like her couldn't possibly be unaware of this. Why, then, would she declare she would side with him?
"Because there is something I must accomplish."
Gongson Dan-gyeong, having read his thoughts, answered.
"My cooperation with the Martial Venerable was solely because I needed the position of Chief Strategist."
"You achieved your goal... and now you need a blade you can wield directly."
"I won't deny it."
Gongson Dan-gyeong nodded.
"The reason I sought the title of Chief Strategist was only to obtain a sharp sword."
Then she added one more thing.
"The Martial Venerable could be called a treasured sword... but unfortunately, he is far too heavy for this Chief Strategist to wield."
"Why are you so certain I would become your blade?"
"I'm not certain. I've merely made my choice."
Her voice was unfathomably deep and low.
"Because there is a goal I must achieve."
Bu Eun-seol couldn't discern what Gongson Dan-gyeong's purpose was. The only certainty was that she didn't seem to be lying.
"Then all the more reason you shouldn't choose me."
Gongson Dan-gyeong let out a sigh.
She realized that to persuade someone as sharp as Seon-u Jin—
She would have to reveal some of the secretive knowledge only she possessed.
"I told you before. That the Martial Venerable is devoted solely to the Righteous Faction."
"That's correct."
"It's a lie."
Gongson Dan-gyeong's gaze grew infinitely deeper.
"I don't believe the Martial Venerable acts for the sake of the Murim."
Then she uttered something shocking.
"Secondly, there is a high probability the Martial Venerable is either a member of the Three Clans... or closely tied to them."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
The Martial Venerable, who had stood unrivaled in the Murim for so long—was suspected to be affiliated with the Three Clans?
"Is the Martial Venerable not surnamed Danmok?"
"A surname is just a surname."
Gongson Dan-gyeong exhaled sharply through her nose.
"Just as someone bearing the name Yangseol or Baekri wouldn't necessarily be a member of the Three Clans."
Her tone was resolute.
"But only those of the Three Clans can read Heaven's Will."
"You're saying the Martial Venerable can read Heaven's Will."
"Correct."
"How can you be certain?"
"I can't tell you that. However..."
Gongson Dan-gyeong paused briefly before continuing in a hushed voice.
"I can tell you this—there exists in this world a Precious Artifact capable of altering Heaven's Will."
In short, Gongson Dan-gyeong was implying that there was a treasure or Dharma Instrument capable of changing Heaven's Will—
And through it, she had confirmed that the Martial Venerable was someone who could read it.
In truth, the Martial Venerable had been interpreting Heaven's Will through Wooden Buddha... but unaware of this inside story, Gongson Dan-gyeong—
Gongson Dan-gyeong was convinced that the Martial Venerable was a figure from the Three Clans.
"From the beginning, our cooperation wasn't built on trust as collateral. To be honest, even the truth behind Jeong Cheon-je's death isn't certain."
Now it was clear—Gongson Dan-gyeong, just like Bu Eun-seol, had been harboring doubts about the authenticity of the Martial Venerable's words all along.
"But none of that was the reason I chose Commander Seon-u."
At those words, Bu Eun-seol couldn't help but ask,
"Then what was the reason?"
"This Chief Strategist has never once failed in gauging someone's ability."
After a long silence, Gongson Dan-gyeong spoke in a firm voice.
"Except for exactly two times."
Gongson Dan-gyeong, born with the Star of Great Wisdom,
possessed the power to see through the abilities of others with perfect clarity.
But that ability had failed her twice.
First, with Heavenly Secret Star Chu-so, the one who had saved her in her childhood.
And the second—was Seon-u Jin, standing before her now.
"I believe in you."
Gongson Dan-gyeong's voice rose slightly.
"Commander Seon-u. Your abilities are not limited to what is visible. You possess unfathomable, infinite potential."
In short, Gongson Dan-gyeong believed
that Seon-u Jin's potential surpassed even that of the Martial Venerable.
"Now do you understand why I chose you, Commander Seon-u, over the Martial Venerable?"
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
"So, in the end, you chose me based on nothing more than a gamble-like intuition."
"If it's a gamble, even better."
Her usual indifferent expression melted away.
Her eyes, slightly upturned like a cat's, shimmered violet, brimming with confidence.
"I've never lost a gamble in my life."
Bu Eun-seol was taken aback by Gongson Dan-gyeong's provocative demeanor.
'A woman as unpredictable as a phoenix.'
He had thought he had her somewhat figured out by now,
but there were still hidden facets he couldn't grasp.
"If Commander Seon-u continues to carry out missions under this Chief Strategist as you have been..."
She raised her eyes slightly as she spoke.
"...then this Chief Strategist will do her utmost to ensure you become the leader of the Heavenly Martial Brigade."
Her voice was teasing, like the warm breeze of spring.
"As you know, I'm not one to reveal my true thoughts to others."
Gongson Dan-gyeong's eyes sparkled as she spoke in a sweet voice.
"But to secure you, Commander Seon-u, I've laid bare everything I've kept hidden in my heart. I'd appreciate it if you kept that in mind."
Bu Eun-seol was spellbound.
A rich floral fragrance seemed to rise from Gongson Dan-gyeong's lips, and her eyes felt as though they were pulling at his very soul.
"Will you accept this Chief Strategist's proposal?"
Her gaze was languid and intoxicating—enough to make any man falter—
but Bu Eun-seol remained utterly composed, lost in thought.
'She is not one to break her promises.'
Gongson Dan-gyeong was not only brilliant but also a woman of considerable integrity.
She had kept every promise she made—both to Bu Eun-seol and to Seon-u Jin.
'I just need to think from her perspective.'
If Bu Eun-seol were forced to choose between staying in the Murim Alliance and siding with either the Martial Venerable or Gongson Dan-gyeong—
'I, too, would choose her.'
Once the answer became clear, Bu Eun-seol nodded without hesitation.
"Very well."
Then, in a resolute voice, he said,
"From now on, I will trust and follow the Chief Strategist."
"You've made the right choice."
The moment Bu Eun-seol made his decision,
the bewitching aura that had threatened to steal his soul vanished, and Gongson Dan-gyeong's demeanor turned cool and composed once more.
"Then, for now, continue pretending to comply with the Martial Venerable's tasks. That's the only way you can become the leader of the Heavenly Martial Brigade."
In other words, he was to keep following the Martial Venerable's orders as before.
That could prove extremely dangerous.
The Martial Venerable had intimate knowledge of the Murim's shadow forces—unknown even to Gongson Dan-gyeong or Bu Eun-seol—
and could exploit him at any moment through these missions.
"Understood."
But Bu Eun-seol nodded without hesitation.
The risk was worth it. If he became the leader, he could swiftly investigate the movements of the other leaders.
With the help of a prodigy like Gongson Dan-gyeong, he would undoubtedly become a unit leader and find the culprit.
"I won't thank you. This is simply a matter of necessity—of trusting in each other's abilities."
Gongson Dan-gyeong smiled.
"Let's continue working well together, Commander Seon-u. I'll report this matter appropriately to the Martial Venerable."
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
She knew the Martial Venerable better than he did—she would handle the report suitably.
"Understood."
Then he respectfully clasped his hands together.
Gongson Dan-gyeong had revealed her true intentions for the first time, forging a genuine alliance with Bu Eun-seol.
Even if this was temporary, it held enough value for now.
'Just wait.'
As Bu Eun-seol stepped out of the Hidden Moon Hall, a blazing heat akin to the sun's radiance flickered in his eyes.
Now, he would hunt down the specter who fed on human blood—the Blood Emperor—and cut off his lifeline for good.