Chapter 682
"Commander Seon-u."
Gongson Dan-gyeong's gentle voice came from beyond the door.
"Are you asleep?"
"No, I'm not."
Bu Eun-seol hastily straightened his robes and opened the door.
There stood Gongson Dan-gyeong, holding a small serving tray tray.
On it were snacks—rice cakes, fruits, and the like.
"I brought some refreshments."
Her expression carried a hint of apology.
"You must have suffered through the night at the Heavenly Star Retreat."
'To be acknowledged like this—it moves me to tears.'
Bu Eun-seol swallowed a sigh.
He had willingly agreed to the test meant to evaluate him as a prospective son-in-law, not forgetting Gongson Dan-gyeong's request.
But that place—
It was beyond mere "suffering."
Had anyone else entered instead of Bu Eun-seol, they would have been reduced to bleached bones in an instant, given how perilous the gates had been.
'Could she have been involved in its design as well?'
The regret and pity in her eyes suggested she knew exactly how grueling it had been.
Considering Gongson Dan-gyeong's meticulous personality—
It was possible she had helped design the Heavenly Star Retreat in her youth, alongside Gongson Hwa-uk.
"What parent wouldn't seek an outstanding match for their child?"
"Calling it 'seeking a match' is a bit much. The gates you accidentally entered and broke through, Commander Seon-u... were designed for someone who might one day become the Number One of the Righteous Path."
Gongson Dan-gyeong even knew that Bu Eun-seol had stumbled into the wrong gates.
But what surprised Bu Eun-seol more than that was the term she had chosen.
"The Number One of the Righteous Path?"
"Yes. My father poured all his skills and wisdom into those gates. He was confident that only someone who could rise to that level would ever pass through them."
Bu Eun-seol's expression turned blank.
"Then I must have survived by sheer luck."
"Not at all."
Gongson Dan-gyeong smiled beautifully.
"From the moment I heard there was a chance the Heavenly Star Retreat might collapse and allow someone inside, I believed in you. I knew you would pass through without issue."
Bu Eun-seol suppressed his bewilderment.
She was insisting that he could clear a trap designed for the future Number One of the Righteous Path.
"I told you before. I believe in your latent potential."
As if reading his thoughts, Gongson Dan-gyeong spoke calmly.
"If I didn't have that much faith..."
Bu Eun-seol naturally expected her to repeat what she had said earlier—
"I wouldn't have chosen you over the Martial Venerable, Commander Seon-u."
But instead, she said in a sweet voice:
"I wouldn't have even considered bringing you to the main house."
Her eyes and voice were those of a woman treating him as her true betrothed.
'A dream.'
She was living in a dream.
A sweet dream—bringing home an exceptional lover who could become the next greatest under heaven, receiving her father's blessing...
And Bu Eun-seol had made that dream come true.
'But it's time to wake up.'
Bu Eun-seol spoke with utmost detachment.
"I see. The Chief Strategist once said that people may betray you, but ability never does."
She didn't trust Seon-u Jin—she trusted Seon-u Jin's ability.
Bu Eun-seol had coldly redirected her words, forcing her back to reality.
"You must think me a heartless woman."
Gongson Dan-gyeong, having seen through his intent, wore a slightly bitter smile.
"But if anyone had lived my life, they would have developed the same conviction."
'Now that I think about it, what could have happened to make her an enemy of the Infinite Realm?'
Before coming to the Gongson Clan, he had assumed—
There must have been some issue with her family.
Because for a prodigy like Gongson Dan-gyeong to be wary of her own kin was unusual.
But in reality—
Gongson Hwa-uk and his wife were virtuous, learned, and of impeccable character.
They were not the type to raise their child poorly or invite grudges from others.
Moreover, observing the household—
Gongson Dan-gyeong was beloved not just by her parents but by the servants as well, having grown up in an environment lacking nothing.
So why did she harbor such deep resentment?
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought up such heavy talk when you've come all this way."
With an apologetic expression, Gongson Dan-gyeong picked up a piece of fruit.
"Try one. They're quite sweet and delicious."
"I'll help myself later."
"Don't refuse."
She spoke shyly.
"It's my way of thanking you."
Seeing that smile, Bu Eun-seol felt a pang in his heart.
Since arriving at the Gongson residence, Gongson Dan-gyeong had transformed from the cold, precise Chief Strategist into a bashful young girl.
Perhaps this was her true self—the one she had been hiding all along.
'It's none of my concern.'
Whatever Gongson Dan-gyeong's circumstances might be, they were her private affairs.
Something Bu Eun-seol could not—and should not—interfere with.
"This ends today."
Gongson Dan-gyeong spoke as if to reassure him.
"When we return to the Martial Alliance tomorrow, I'll revert to how I was before. No different from usual."
"Understood."
"And I'll make you one more promise."
Gongson Dan-gyeong said—
"When Commander Seon-u is in danger, I will never turn away. Because you helped me when I was in crisis."
"There's no need for that."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head firmly.
"Even if I'm in danger, don't ever think about helping me."
A foreboding premonition had seized him—what if, in the future, Gongson Dan-gyeong's sense of obligation led her to shoulder his peril in his stead?
"Promise me this. Without fail."
Seeing the intensity in Bu Eun-seol's expression, Gongson Dan-gyeong blinked blankly before nodding.
"Very well. Even if Commander Seon-u is in danger, this Chief Strategist will not intervene."
But then, as if the words struck her as absurd, she let out a stifled chuckle.
"Commander Seon-u, you can be quite eccentric at times."
Unable to suppress her laughter, she flashed a bright smile, revealing her teeth.
It was a pure smile—one untainted by calculation or speculation, something she had never shown before.
Stretch.
She arched her back, as though waking from a long slumber.
"That was a sweet furlough."
For a moment, Bu Eun-seol stared at her, dazed. And for the first time, he realized just how beautiful Gongson Dan-gyeong was.
The return to the Martial Alliance was not a simple affair.
Bu Eun-seol was treated as though he were the Gongson Clan's true son-in-law—not only did Gongson Hwa-uk and his wife come to see him off, but so did all the household's dependents.
Their faces were filled with joyous smiles.
After all, the Heavenly Star Retreat, built to screen prospective sons-in-law, had been closed.
The fact that the place, which had taken ten years to construct, had been shut down after Seon-u Jin's visit—
Undoubtedly, it meant the selection had been decided.
In truth, it had collapsed due to Bu Eun-seol's power, but the unaware dependents could only be happy.
Once the carriage departed, Gongson Dan-gyeong reverted to her usual cold demeanor.
Neither of them spoke.
It had been nothing more than a fleeting, sweet dream.
Upon returning to the Martial Alliance, Gongson Dan-gyeong threw herself into her duties.
Meanwhile, Bu Eun-seol switched identities with Seo Jin-ha and immediately set off for Tibet.
Whoosh!
Without stopping to rest or even take a sip of water, Bu Eun-seol raced toward Sera Utse Mountain, where Guangyang Temple stood, using his Lightness Skill.
Though the map Gongson Hwa-uk had provided was highly detailed, the terrain seemed to have shifted slightly, revealing discrepancies here and there.
But by invoking his Empty Mind Spirit Perception, Bu Eun-seol navigated without much difficulty, eventually locating the Secluded Valley deep within Sera Utse Mountain, just as the map indicated.
"Hmm."
A massive boulder stood at the valley's entrance, its surface carved with chaotic Tibetan script.
Likely a warning—Danger. Do not enter. Turn back.
Zzzziiing.
As he stepped inside, mist rose from all directions, and a dizzying sensation overtook him, as though heaven and earth had flipped.
'A boundary formation modeled after Zhuge Wuhou's Eight Formation Diagram.'
Bu Eun-seol dismantled the formation step by step, following the decryption method noted on the map.
Yet occasionally, he encountered obstacles—as if someone had deliberately altered the formation.
'Has the formation changed on its own?'
Over time, shifts in the surrounding terrain could warp the formation's structure.
Surveying his surroundings, Bu Eun-seol advanced calmly, one step at a time.
With his mastery of the Formation-Breaking Art, even if the formation had changed, he could adapt and press forward.
Ssssshhh.
As the mist began to clear, unease crept over him.
It was as though something that should never have existed in this world was slowly revealing itself.
When the fog finally dissipated completely, Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened.
Before him stood a massive boulder, roughly 30 feet in height.
And embedded deep within its center was an elderly monk.
His face, unwashed for decades, was caked in grime and soot, his beard jutting out wildly, nearly obscuring his features.
Only the shape of his face remained intact—his body had almost fused with the rock, making it impossible to tell whether he was alive or dead.
'Is he dead?'
Even as Bu Eun-seol approached, he detected no signs of life.
Just as he reached out to infuse the monk with Reverse Polarity True Qi—
Flicker!
The monk's eyes slowly opened.
A mystical light flickered intermittently in his large, unfocused pupils.
They bore a striking resemblance to the gaze of Cheon Jeon-je, whom Bu Eun-seol had seen during the Hero Stele's inauguration ceremony.
'He's blind.'
Though a mysterious radiance shimmered in his eyes, there was no focus in his pupils.
The monk had long lost his sight.
Bu Eun-seol wanted to speak, but his lips refused to part.
He had pondered countless questions before arriving here.
Was this the Tibetan monk who had stayed in the Western Hall during my childhood?
If not, should I ask if he knows Baekri Mu-ha?
But then, the monk's lips parted slowly.
"You've come."
Astonishingly, despite his blindness, the monk seemed to sense and recognize Bu Eun-seol.
"You know me?"
The old monk embedded in the massive boulder faintly smiled.
"Seeing you possess the Primordial Chaos Subtle Qi that this penniless monk imparted... you must be Sword River, no?"
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the old monk unleashed his internal energy, stirring a faint wind around Bu Eun-seol's body.
Then, as if meticulously examining him from head to toe, he nodded slowly.
Astonishingly, the old monk had mastered a unique technique—using shockwaves of internal energy to perceive in place of sight.
"You bear a striking resemblance to my sworn younger brother."
"Sworn younger brother?"
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath and asked again,
"You know me?"
"Know you?"
The old monk replied in a flat tone.
"Aren't you the son of this penniless monk's sworn brother, Baekri Mu-ha? Aren't you Baekri Geom-ha?"
In an instant, Bu Eun-seol's eyes trembled violently.
Baekri Geom-ha.
That was his true, original name.
Crack.
The heavens and earth seemed to spin violently, and his legs lost strength.
Clutching his dizzying thoughts, Bu Eun-seol forced himself to speak again.
"How can you be so certain I am Baekri Geom-ha?"
"Under heaven, this penniless monk has imparted the Primordial Chaos Subtle Qi to none but you."
Primordial Chaos Subtle Qi.
That surging energy that occasionally flared within his mind—was it truly a power passed down by this old monk?
"Then... who killed my father?"
"Jeong Cheon-je."
The old monk's voice turned gravelly.
"Jeong Cheon-je, Shin Do-mu-bi—he was the one who killed your father."
Thud.
It felt as though the back of Bu Eun-seol's skull had been split open.
Jeong Cheon-je? The Number One of the Righteous Path killed my father?
Abbot Dam-jeung had said Jeong Cheon-je knew the secret of his father's death—not that he was the murderer.
Yet now, he was being called the true culprit?
What kind of madness was this?
Why would Jeong Cheon-je kill my father?
Baekri Mu-ha, once called the Murim's First Beauty, was known as a member of the Righteous Faction.
'Successor of the Three Realms.'
The Divine Calculator had said his father, Baekri Mu-ha, was the successor of the Three Realms.
Did that mean he was killed because his dual identity—a Righteous Faction member secretly tied to the Three Realms—was exposed?
"Was it because he was framed as the Heavenly Darkness Star?"
Bu Eun-seol spoke without thinking.
Abbot Dam-jeung of Blood Shaolin had claimed his father was falsely branded as the Heavenly Darkness Star before his death.
This was an uncharacteristic slip for Bu Eun-seol, but in his turmoil, he didn't even realize it.
"Correct."
The old monk's voice was wretched.
"He framed my sworn brother as the Heavenly Darkness Star."
Bu Eun-seol's vision darkened.
Heavenly Darkness Star.
One of the One Hundred and Eight Stars, foretold to bring destruction to the murim and plunge the world into ruin.
So it was true—his father, Baekri Mu-ha, had died under the unjust stigma of being the Heavenly Darkness Star.
"How... How could he be framed like that?"
"My sworn brother possessed power transcendent enough to destroy the murim. And above all else—"
The old monk paused, then sighed and shook his head.
"There was no one in the murim who would disbelieve the words of the Number One of the Righteous Path."
"Jeong Cheon-je...!"
A bloody light ignited in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
At the same time, a pitch-black killing intent surged violently from within him.
"Then... my mother too... Did she die by his hand? My entire family?"
"Yes. My sworn brother fought with everything he had... but Jeong Cheon-je had held back. There were traces of every dirty trick imaginable."
The old monk's voice was rough as he answered Bu Eun-seol's outcry.
"Jeong Cheon-je, Shin Do-mu-bi—he is no Righteous Path's Number One. He is a demon. He was the one who mercilessly razed Saha Manor to the ground."
Spin, spin.
His head swam, blood pooling beneath his feet as if draining from his body.
Never once in his martial training had he lost strength and knelt. Even when losing consciousness, his body had never collapsed.
But now, he couldn't endure it.
Thud.
At last, Bu Eun-seol dropped to his knees, hands braced against the ground.
"Father... Mother..."
He could barely recall his father's face, but his mother's remained elusive.
Only a faint memory remained—his mother burning away like a raging flame in death.
And the butcher behind it all was Jeong Cheon-je?!
Bu Eun-seol clenched his teeth so hard they nearly shattered.
'I must regain my senses.'
There was still a mountain of questions left to ask.
He didn't even have the luxury of losing himself to grief.
"How did you survive?"
The old monk spoke again.
"We searched every corner... yet found no one."
"My father... hid me in a secret chamber... and erased all my memories."
"If you lost your memories, how do you know this?"
Bu Eun-seol explained that while all of his memories were gone, fragments occasionally surfaced.
"I see... So that's how it was."
The old monk murmured in a low voice.
"It must have been the only choice... to keep you alive."
Bu Eun-seol steadied his breath and asked,
"Saha Manor... Was that manor truly where my parents lived?"
"Yes."
Just as he thought.
Those ruins—Saha Manor—had been his parents' home, the place where he was born.
"This penniless monk rushed to Saha Manor the moment he heard of the attack. But by then... it was already reduced to ruins."
The old monk continued.
"Yet I searched for you for a long time. Because you were never destined to die young. Because the star that symbolizes you was shining brightly."
He struggled to continue speaking.
"But even after scouring the entire Central Plains, I couldn't find you. So I came here, where the Great Natural Qi flows."
The old monk took a deep breath and said,
"This place is the most suitable for completing the Transformation Divine Record."
"Transformation Divine Record."
Only then did Bu Eun-seol realize the old monk's true identity.
"You are the sect leader of the Nothingness Sect, Venerable."
The Nothingness Sect—
A secretive sect that branched off from Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism, known for its unique cultivation methods that grant profound Martial Arts and Divine Power.
Especially the Nothingness Sect's Supreme-grade Absolute Art, the Transformation Divine Record, was said to be a qi technique that transcended the limits of Buddhist martial arts, much like Shaolin's Prajna Great Power.
"That's right. This monk is Takma."
The old monk—Takma—smiled faintly.
"And at your father's request, I came to the Central Plains to heal you."
Takma means "savior of all beings" in Tibetan, and indeed, as the Living Buddha of Tibet, he had saved countless people.
Later, he formed a bond with Baekri Mu-ha, the Murim's First Beauty, and came to heal his frail son—Baekri Geom-ha.
"From now on, I shall serve you, Venerable."
Bu Eun-seol spoke respectfully.
If Takma had been sworn brothers with his father, then by rights, he was like an uncle to him.
"But you cannot stay here now."
Takma, who had been gazing at the distant sky, suddenly widened his eyes.
"You must leave this place quickly."
"What do you mean?"
"This monk has been hiding here, concealing the will of heaven while refining the Transformation Divine Record. If you remain, your true identity will be exposed."
"If my presence here exposes me..."
"Because you are the foremost of the One Hundred and Eight Stars—the Heavenly Might Star."
"I... am the foremost of the One Hundred and Eight Stars?"
Bu Eun-seol had always wondered if he might be the Heavenly Darkness Star.
But the Heavenly Might Star—the leader of the One Hundred and Eight Stars?
"Train your strength. And seek out Jeong Cheon-je. He has been hiding in the Central Plains Martial World, concealing his true identity."
"They say Jeong Cheon-je is dead. I saw his corpse."
Takma's gaze turned strange.
"How did you confirm that?"
Only then did Bu Eun-seol snap back to his senses.
He remembered that he was affiliated with the Martial Alliance—and that he must never reveal this to anyone.
"While wandering Tianshan in the past, I discovered a Secret Cave with a peculiar mechanism. Inside, I saw Jeong Cheon-je's corpse."
"That is a fake."
Takma spoke decisively.
"Jeong Cheon-je is alive."
He looked up at the sky, then his eyes flashed.
"Go now. If you delay, not only this monk but even you will be in danger."
"Why would I be in danger?"
"Your power as one of the One Hundred and Eight Stars has not yet awakened. But if you remain exposed to the Great Natural Qi here, your presence will eventually be revealed."
This was a place where the Great Natural Qi flowed.
If a member of the One Hundred and Eight Stars stayed here, it would immediately disrupt the workings of heaven's will.
"It doesn't matter."
Bu Eun-seol spoke confidently.
"I have trained diligently in Martial Arts. If I join forces with you, Venerable, we can defeat any enemy."
"Now is not the time."
Takma's expression grew urgent.
"Their forces are vast beyond imagination. With your current Martial Arts, you cannot oppose them."
"Who are they?"
"I do not know. What is certain is that the faction known as the Three Realms and Jeong Cheon-je are one and the same."
"The Three Realms and Jeong Cheon-je...?"
"Indeed. I will complete the Transformation Divine Record within three years and come for you. Until then, train and wait."
"Venerable."
"Hurry. There is no time."
Takma's eyes, fixed on the distant sky, were filled with urgency.
Bu Eun-seol had no choice but to nod.
"Understood."
He bowed deeply.
"Take care of yourself until we meet again."
"Yes. Let us meet again in three years."
Takma rolled a boulder the size of a house back into place and disappeared inside.
Bu Eun-seol stared blankly at the sight before finally leaving the Secluded Valley.
Then he swiftly made his way out of the Sakrab-Orab Mountains.
KRA-BOOM! PAAAH—!
Fearing that Takma might be in danger, Bu Eun-seol ran without rest for nearly two hours.
CHIIIIK—
But suddenly, he halted his Movement Technique and stopped.
A strange thought had flashed through his mind.
"Father clearly said he abandoned his power of his own will."
According to Bu Eun-seol's memory, his father had willingly discarded his strength—even the Sword Path.
So how could he have fought Jeong Cheon-je?
"Moreover, the Primordial Chaos Subtle Qi wasn't taught—it was implanted."
The energy lingering near Bu Eun-seol's Brain Gate Acupoint wasn't cultivated through any technique—
It had been forcibly injected into him by someone.
Takma, the sect leader of the Nothingness Sect and a Grandmaster of Martial Arts,
Would never confuse the words "implanted" and "taught."
Moreover, the energy implanted in his body was hidden so thoroughly that even Bu Eun-seol couldn't detect its traces.
Even when he used Harmonization,
The Primordial Chaos Subtle Qi remained dormant—so perfectly concealed that it never manifested.
Yet Takma had sensed it immediately?
That was impossible, even if he were the World's Greatest Martial Artist. It made no sense from the start.
"Then he didn't determine my identity through the Primordial Chaos Subtle Qi—he already knew who I was."
In the end, Takma had known in advance that Bu Eun-seol would come here—
And that he was the child of Baekri Mu-ha.
"A fake."
In that moment, Bu Eun-seol realized.
His failure to suppress his emotions had blinded him to the truth—
Takma was an imposter.