Chapter 697
Bu Eun-seol concealed his inner surprise and shook his head.
"The opposite. It was the martial arts I used that drove his spirit and mind into death."
That, too, was half-true.
After all, he had ultimately used his grandfather's Bloody Tears Seven Forms to push the Heavenly Venerable beyond the abyss—into complete death.
"I see."
"If I was suspected of being the Heavenly Darkness Star, shouldn't the Martial Alliance have kept me out all the more?"
Bu Eun-seol changed tactics.
Rather than giving any answers to the Martial Venerable, he continued to barrage him with questions.
"I told you. It was merely for confirmation."
The Martial Venerable spoke calmly.
"I've known for a long time that you are not the Heavenly Darkness Star."
"For a long time?"
"Indeed."
"That implies you knew of my background."
The Martial Venerable replied evenly,
"This old man has long been searching for traces of the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade."
"Why?"
"I judged that he stood on a higher path than even Sado Mu-myeong, who is called the Demonic Heavenly Emperor. His demonic arts were something no one could stop."
"..."
"Though he vanished, I sensed he was alive somewhere. And after a long, long pursuit, when I finally found him..."
The Martial Venerable's gaze deepened.
"...he was tending to corpses, raising some child."
For a moment, a faint glint flashed in Bu Eun-seol's pupils.
According to Ak Mu-ryeong, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had also found his grandfather long ago and had discerned his existence.
Yet the Martial Venerable had also tracked down his grandfather?
'So that's how it was.'
Bu Eun-seol wore a dazed expression.
He had thought they were simply living ordinary days, grandfather and grandson.
But in truth, the superlative martial experts of the Murim had long since found his grandfather and had been watching them all along.
'That makes sense.'
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor had known of his relationship with his grandfather yet left without acting.
Then the Martial Venerable—the strongest of the Three Demons and Three Venerables, the Foremost Sage of the Murim—
It wouldn't be strange at all if he, too, had grasped the entire inside story and simply walked away.
"For a long time, I observed the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade, striving to create an opportunity to fight him. Then, out of nowhere..."
The Martial Venerable continued,
"...I learned that the child he was raising was of Baekri Mu-ha's bloodline."
"How?"
"Sado Mu-myeong."
The Martial Venerable spoke plainly.
"He suddenly appeared. And he said the child the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade was raising was the son of Baekri Mu-ha, who had once possessed the greatest martial prowess of his era."
Then he uttered something shocking.
"And he tried to kill you. But because of Bu Jan-yang, he couldn't."
"Why would he try to kill me?"
"That, I don't know. After that, their conversation shifted to Voice Transmission."
The Martial Venerable's voice lowered.
"However, Sado Mu-myeong—that man thoroughly examined your body in front of Bu Jan-yang. Exchanged a few more words via Voice Transmission, then simply left."
Bu Eun-seol was bewildered.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor had tried to kill him? Then why hadn't he acted when they met privately during his time as the Ten Demonic Heir?
'In the end, the Martial Venerable found Grandfather before the Demonic Heavenly Emperor did and waited, watching for a chance to fight... Then suddenly, the Demonic Heavenly Emperor appeared and learned the truth.'
There were many holes in that account.
But he couldn't pick them apart now. There were more important questions to ask.
"Who attacked Saha Manor? Who killed my parents?"
"I don't know that either."
The Martial Venerable shook his head faintly.
"After overhearing that, I began investigating Saha Manor and Baekri Mu-ha."
In the end, the Martial Venerable—
Was saying he knew nothing about the truth of Saha Manor or his parents' deaths.
'Dam-jeung said Jeong Cheon-je knew the truth about my father's death.'
Bu Eun-seol immediately wanted to ask about that.
But doing so would reveal right away that he had met Dam-jeung.
'First, I'll probe with more questions.'
Having settled his thoughts, Bu Eun-seol spoke again.
"Had you no connection at all with my father or mother?"
"None. I only knew Baekri Mu-ha was a figure of immense influence in the Murim and sought, belatedly, to uncover his true identity."
"What was Baekri Mu-ha's true identity?"
Bu Eun-seol posed the question but held little expectation.
The Martial Venerable wouldn't answer so readily.
Yet contrary to expectations, he replied without hesitation.
"Baekri Mu-ha was a terrifying figure. His martial arts were so formidable, he was called the world's greatest of his era."
The Martial Venerable paused briefly, then spoke with an expression of incomprehension.
"Above all, he held an astonishing status—he was the successor of the Three Realms, who dominate the Murim."
"How could the world's greatest master become the successor of the Three Realms?"
"Precisely because he was the Three Realms' successor, he could become the world's greatest. With their power, cultivating the world's strongest would be possible."
The Martial Venerable's answers were nothing more than 'predictions.'
Bu Eun-seol asked another question.
"Then why did that person die?"
This too was not a question he expected an answer to, yet the Martial Venerable answered readily.
"It seems he tried to change the creed and course of action that the Three Realms had upheld for centuries."
Then he added,
"Though this is merely my speculation, not a certainty."
In short, the Martial Venerable was saying that Baekri Mu-ha, despite being the successor of the Three Realms, had acted contrary to their creed—
And thus was killed by them.
'Does this mean Great Master Dam-jeung lied?'
Dam-jeung had claimed that the only one who knew the truth about the death of his father, who had been driven to the Heavenly Darkness Star was Jeong Cheon-je.
Yet the Martial Venerable, though not explicitly naming them—
Was implying that the Three Realms had killed his father.
'He is Jeong Cheon-je's sworn brother.'
Of course, there was also the possibility that Jeong Cheon-je had hidden the truth of the Death Chamber even from his closest sworn brother.
But would the Martial Venerable, so relentless in uncovering facts—
Have failed to press Jeong Cheon-je for details about the Death Chamber?
That likelihood seemed slim.
'If Great Master Dam-jeung's words are true...'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed.
Then there was a high probability that everything the Martial Venerable had said so far was untrue.
"You seem to think there's another reason."
Now, the Martial Venerable was reading Bu Eun-seol's thoughts not just through his words, but through his gaze as well.
"You doubt this old man's words. And you're hiding something yourself."
Given that the Martial Venerable held the dual identity of the Foremost Sage of the Murim—
His martial prowess and wisdom had reached a realm beyond what ordinary people could even fathom.
Moreover, the moment Bu Eun-seol let his guard slip or revealed even a hint of emotion—
The Martial Venerable was eerily deducing multiple truths from it.
'If I keep my cards hidden while questioning him, I'll gain nothing in the end.'
If he concealed everything he knew and continued questioning the Martial Venerable—
He realized he would ultimately have nothing to ask.
Even if the Martial Venerable lied, Bu Eun-seol would have no way to verify it.
In that case, the better approach was to lay down at least one card he held—
And listen to how the Martial Venerable responded.
That way, the chances of uncovering the truth would be marginally higher.
In the end, Bu Eun-seol played one of his cards.
"Where exactly is Jeong Cheon-je hiding?"
The Martial Venerable frowned.
"Hiding?"
"Great Master Dam-jeung said he saw Jeong Cheon-je not long ago."
Bu Eun-seol stared intently at the Martial Venerable.
The only thing he could do now was rely on his intuition—
To discern whether the man was speaking the truth or lying.
"And he also said it was Jeong Cheon-je who killed Baekri Mu-ha."
He mixed a lie into the truth.
If the Martial Venerable knew something—
He would immediately refute it.
"Impossible."
A strange light flickered in the Martial Venerable's pupils.
It was impossible to tell whether it was his natural eye glow—
Or the divine light he had crafted to mimic Jeong Cheon-je's.
"If you saw him yourself, why would you say such a thing?"
The Martial Venerable's gaze shifted to the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade Coffin standing behind him.
"You entered this passage and saw my sworn brother's corpse, didn't you?"
"Is that truly Jeong Cheon-je's corpse?"
"What kind of question is that?"
"I didn't get a close look at the corpse. I only saw it from the outside."
"Ah, so that's why there were traces of the mechanism being tampered with."
"Yes. It suddenly turned into a block of metal, so I couldn't examine the corpse in detail."
Bu Eun-seol continued,
"To be honest, it's hard to believe that Jeong Cheon-je was killed by anyone at all. And—"
He had intended to ask about the sword marks on the surface.
But before he knew it, those marks had been erased—
The faint traces of the sword strokes now polished smooth.
Bu Eun-seol realized the Martial Venerable had wiped them away.
'He doesn't want me asking about the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan style.'
Understanding the Martial Venerable's intent, Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"In any case, that's how it is."
"Indeed. This old man thought the same."
The Martial Venerable walked toward the now-metallic Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade Coffin.
"There is no one in this world who could kill my younger brother."
Clank.
As he placed his hand on it, faint lines appeared across the solid metal—
And the metal plates covering the coffin began shifting downward.
Gradually, the transparent form of the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade Coffin was revealed once more.
"See for yourself. With your own eyes."
Bu Eun-seol stepped closer and examined Jeong Cheon-je's corpse.
"This—"
His eyes widened.
So shocked that he nearly stumbled backward.
Jeong Cheon-je lay peacefully inside the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade Coffin—
No, he appeared to be lying peacefully.
Upon closer inspection, his corpse was completely split in half from the back of his head downward.
In other words, it only looked like he was resting undisturbed.
In reality, from his skull to his spine—
He had been cleanly cleaved in two, the entire back half of his body missing.
"I must remain calm."
Suppressing his shock, Bu Eun-seol examined Jeong Cheon-je's corpse once more.
Even the seemingly intact front was not in perfect condition.
His arms, legs, and torso bore the marks of countless martial techniques—including those of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars—etched into his flesh.
'For so many martial arts to be carved into a single human body...'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened to the point that his astonishment threatened to spill over.
How was such a thing even possible?
"Is this truly Jeong Cheon-je himself?"
"If it weren't him, how could anyone endure so many martial techniques and still remain in one piece?"
Without realizing it, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
Each mark left on the corpse was the remnant of a terrifying, peerless martial art—one capable of shattering mountains.
If it hadn't been a master of Jeong Cheon-je's caliber...
Surviving such an onslaught of techniques while maintaining a semblance of wholeness would have been impossible.
'Could the Return-to-One Realm have killed him?'
The Return-to-One Realm collected the corpses of past masters and used mysterious Great Arts to replicate their martial arts.
For them, restoring the techniques of past—or even earlier—generations of masters wouldn't be unthinkable.
"The Return-to-One Realm."
At that moment, the Martial Venerable nodded as if he had read Bu Eun-seol's thoughts.
"They restore martial arts by using the physical bodies of past masters. And perhaps..."
He left the rest unsaid, but the implication was clear.
Even the Martial Venerable believed it highly likely that the Return-to-One Realm were responsible for Jeong Cheon-je's death.
"Are you saying Great Master Dam-jeung lied?"
"I can't say for certain. It's possible someone merely imitated my brother."
The Martial Venerable spoke with a troubled expression.
"And yet, here his corpse lies, unmistakably before us."
This, of course, was a blatant lie.
The Martial Venerable had already discovered the Boundary-Prosperity Jade in Jeong Cheon-je's earlobe—proof that he might still be alive.
But he chose not to reveal this truth to Bu Eun-seol.
'Their stories are too different.'
Bu Eun-seol was equally confused.
He had thought that meeting the Martial Venerable would either expose his despicable mask or reveal where the living Jeong Cheon-je was hidden.
But the Martial Venerable's demeanor showed no signs of anticipating such revelations.
'Even if he's lying now, there's no way for me to confirm it.'
Swallowing his tangled emotions, Bu Eun-seol pressed further.
"So, do you intend to take revenge on them?"
"Not me. You must do it."
The unexpected answer made Bu Eun-seol frown.
"What do you mean?"
"The position of Martial Alliance Chief comes with too many restrictions. Prestige and hierarchy must be maintained, so any action taken as chief invites relentless scrutiny and investigation."
'I see.'
As the Divine Calculator, the Martial Venerable had manipulated many sects from the shadows.
But in that role, he couldn't exert direct influence over the Martial Alliance—the very heart of the Orthodox Martial World.
"The reason I've clashed with the Three Realms is because they've harmed innocent civilians."
But Bu Eun-seol had no intention of confronting the Three Realms solely to avenge Jeong Cheon-je.
"Nothing has been definitively proven about their actions yet... I have no reason to recklessly charge in."
"You're lying."
The Martial Venerable spoke leisurely.
"Who do you think took the corpse of Seven Fingers Demonic Blade Bu Jan-yang, the one you buried?"
Bu Eun-seol's pupils flashed.
The Martial Venerable already knew—the ones who had stolen his grandfather's remains were none other than the Return-to-One Realm.
'Of course.'
The one bitter regret in Bu Eun-seol's life—
Was failing to honor his grandfather's final wish, instead meticulously preparing the corpse for burial.
The Martial Venerable knew Bu Eun-seol had entered the Rivers and Lakes for revenge, that his resolve was absolute.
He had even risked his position as successor, infiltrating the Martial Alliance as a spy—there was no way he would let the Return-to-One Realm, who had desecrated his grandfather's remains, go unpunished.
Then, the Martial Venerable delivered another shocking statement.
"My brother died within the Heaven and Earth Pavilion. Meaning, the faction secretly rooted in the Martial Alliance... is most likely the Return-to-One Realm."
In an instant, Bu Eun-seol clenched his fists.
He had known from the moment he entered the Martial Alliance that the high command of the Three Realms had infiltrated it.
But for them to be the Return-to-One Realm...
If that was true, then within the Martial Alliance—
There might be someone who had stolen his grandfather's remains.
"You were fated to destroy the Three Realms from the start."
The Martial Venerable's gaze was filled with conviction.
"This is merely my speculation, but Baekri Mu-ha's long-cherished wish must have been to annihilate the Three Realms. Instead, he was falsely branded the Heavenly Darkness Star and unjustly killed."
He spoke calmly.
"Is it not natural for a son to fulfill the unfinished wish of his father?"
As the Martial Venerable said, Bu Eun-seol's confrontation with the Three Realms was nothing less than fate.
But he maintained only silence.
Because he felt something peculiar.
—All truths should be sought firsthand, not through the words of others.
Had the Demonic Heavenly Emperor imparted that truth to him, foreseeing that he would one day meet the Martial Venerable?
Was it to prevent him from being deceived and turned into a puppet?
Because... he had to become a puppet of his own making.
'Is this suspicion too excessive?'
"You still doubt me."
Hearing the Martial Venerable's murmur, Bu Eun-seol nodded honestly.
"Of course. Not once have I ever set aside my suspicions of you."
"Naturally, you can't trust anyone."
The Martial Venerable spoke calmly.
"But the same goes for me. I can't trust anyone in the alliance. It wouldn't be strange if any of them had been recruited by the Three Realms at any moment."
Then he added one more thing.
"Like Baek Mu-seong."
Bu Eun-seol, who had been watching the Martial Venerable, drew a deep breath.
He, too, had already guessed that Baek Mu-seong had defected to the Three Realms.
"Only you and Chief Strategist Gongson—the two of you bear such deep-seated grudges against the Three Realms... that you won't succumb to their temptations."
He spoke with a trace of loneliness.
"Truthfully, there aren't many trustworthy figures around me."
Bu Eun-seol didn't believe those words.
If he truly trusted Gongson Dan-gyeong that much—if he had faith in that brilliant woman—
Then he wouldn't be scheming in secrecy, hiding his movements as he was now. He would have consulted her on everything.
'Despite his face, which exudes righteous indignation, he's a man with ten snakes coiled in his belly.'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed.
Otherwise, he would never have been able to maintain his double identity as the Foremost Sage of the Murim.
"It doesn't matter if you don't trust me. I don't fully trust you either."
The Martial Venerable added,
"In fact, when I first heard you were searching for the Gratitude Coin, I didn't even want to meet you. Regardless of whether you were the Heavenly Darkness Star, you were still a figure from the Demonic Path."
"..."
"But I changed my mind when I realized you had virtuous roots."
The Martial Venerable sighed deeply.
"All I need is to eradicate the Three Realms entrenched within the Martial Alliance."
His gaze seemed utterly sincere.
As if he could do anything—so long as it meant shaking off the shadows of the Three Realms that had turned the alliance into a den of demons.
Even knowing Bu Eun-seol doubted him, he showed not the slightest instability.
"We share the same purpose, don't we?"
The Martial Venerable spoke persuasively.
"I don't expect trust. I only hope that, as you stir up the alliance now... like the Infinite Realm... in the end, all those rooted deep within will be dragged into the light."
Bu Eun-seol remained silent.
He couldn't trust the Martial Venerable.
But regardless, it was certain they had a common goal, so there was no need to break their alliance.
"Let's leave that aside for now."
Bu Eun-seol calmly pressed on with his questions.
"By what means did the Three Realms frame my father as the Heavenly Darkness Star? For a man of his caliber, it shouldn't have been easy to corner him without evidence."
According to the fake Takma's words,
Jeong Cheon-je had branded Baekri Mu-ha as the Heavenly Darkness Star,
and since no one would doubt the word of the Number One of the Righteous Path, it had come to pass.
But looking back, that made no sense. Bu Eun-seol was asking the Martial Venerable about that very point again.
"Power, most likely."
The Martial Venerable gazed at the distant sky and shook his head.
"From what I know, Baekri Mu-ha possessed abilities far surpassing human limits. It was said to be a power so immense that neither martial arts nor the Art of Spells could express it... and because of that, he must have inevitably drawn suspicion as the Heavenly Darkness Star."
'That's not it.'
Once again, the Martial Venerable's opinion differed.
And he kept using phrases like
'from what I know' or 'I suspect,'
subtly revealing that he didn't know the exact truth about Baekri Mu-ha or the Saha Manor incident.
In the end, both Takma and the Martial Venerable—there was a high probability that neither was speaking the full truth.
"Abilities?"
Bu Eun-seol frowned as he mulled over the Martial Venerable's words.
"Are you saying that just because he had abilities superior to others, such a thing was possible?"
"'Just'...? You still know nothing."
The Martial Venerable stared into the void with a scornful expression.
"Throughout history, those of the Martial World have envied and killed countless Divine Beings... simply for being different from them, for possessing power beyond theirs."
He continued,
"Simply for being different. For being superior. And that is the endlessly repeating history of the Martial World."
Bu Eun-seol sensed a faint trace of anger in the Martial Venerable's voice and felt puzzled.
'Was the Martial Venerable himself once persecuted by those of the Martial World?'
Most righteous faction masters are revered by all and rise to high positions.
Of course, the Martial Venerable had always wandered alone, devoted to the Martial Way, so he had no particular ties with the leadership of various sects.
Yet the righteous faction generally viewed him favorably.
So why did he feel such anger at those words?
"Even if such history has repeated itself, I cannot agree that the people of the martial world are foolish and ignorant."
"Whether you agree or not is irrelevant. Even now, they endlessly covet weapons that will lead the world to its end."
The Martial Venerable spoke words yet again that defied expectation.
"In fact, there's a high probability that Baekri Mu-ha was also branded as the Heavenly Darkness Star because he wielded such a weapon. Though human potential is said to be limitless, a body of flesh and blood has clear limitations."
"Are you speaking of the Black Divine Artifact?"
"So you already know of the Black Divine Artifact."
"I do."
When Bu Eun-seol readily admitted it, the Martial Venerable continued.
"You dealt with the Black Divine Artifact wielded by the Mount Hua Sect's elder, so you must understand its power well. Just how formidable its abilities are."
"You sent me there deliberately."
Only then did Bu Eun-seol realize.
"You wanted me to learn about the Black Divine Artifact."
"That was part of it, yes. But above all, it was to further your martial prowess."
The Martial Venerable said something astonishing.
"The more you rise within the alliance, the weaker the Three Realms' influence entrenched within it will become. And they won't leave you be."
After a brief pause, he spoke again.
"The same was true when I sent you to the Snow Blossom Gate."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I know you've trained in the martial arts of the North Sea Ice Palace. If you master the Ice Essence Snow Blossom Energy of the Snow Blossom Gate, your Extreme Yin Art will soon reach the Extreme Realm."
Bu Eun-seol blinked.
The Martial Venerable had deliberately assigned him difficult missions to advance his martial arts?
It was a situation he couldn't comprehend.
"I told you. It was for the shared goal of opposing the Three Realms. So don't get too moved."
"Aren't you afraid of my growth?"
At that question, the Martial Venerable curled the corner of his lips.
"Even if you trained for a hundred years, you'd never surpass me."
"Your confidence is remarkable."
Bu Eun-seol had no choice but to acknowledge it.
Though he didn't know the Martial Venerable's true intentions,
he had revealed hidden truths about the martial world, like the Black Divine Artifact,
while also striving to advance Bu Eun-seol's martial prowess.
"Then why did you accept Baek Mu-seong and summon Mu-gyeol?"
Bu Eun-seol asked, as if he couldn't understand.
"That only increases the likelihood that I won't become the leader."
"That's precisely why I wanted to see you in person."
The Martial Venerable's expression turned grave.
"Originally, I summoned him to elevate you to the position of leader. But you must never become the captain of the Martial Heaven Unit."
It was something he had already anticipated.
In fact, even if the Martial Venerable offered him the position, he would have had to refuse.
Yet he deliberately feigned indignation and exclaimed,
"So you're breaking your promise after all?"
"Not at all. On the contrary, I intend to keep it."
Shaking his head, the Martial Venerable took a deep breath.
"As you well know, the position of leader isn't just about immense authority. For someone like you, who must traverse the martial world, it could become a significant constraint."
"..."
"If you become the leader, you'll have to spend most of your time within the alliance. The more subordinates and power you gain, the more responsibilities you'll have to manage."
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
He had already discerned that the position of leader
wasn't simply about gaining great power.
In fact, he was almost grateful that the Martial Venerable had broached the subject first.
"You're constantly moving between the Demon Hall and the Martial Alliance... Even if you have exceptional Shadows, even if you erase your tracks perfectly, a long tail will eventually be stepped on."
The Martial Venerable's eyes flashed as he asked,
"Do you still want the position of leader so badly?"
Becoming the leader would grant him immense power and authority.
But behind it lay heavy responsibility and surveillance.
"Let me say it again—what you want and what I want are the same. So think carefully before you answer."
The annihilation of the Ghostly Return Realm.
That was the only thing the Martial Venerable cared about.
"Very well."
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"Then give me another position."
"Judging by your expression... you've already anticipated this."
The Martial Venerable narrowed his eyes.
"You predicted this situation and prepared for it."
"I had my suspicions."
Bu Eun-seol didn't mince words.
"After seeing how the Demon Hall operates."
Immense power comes with immense responsibility.
Bu Eun-seol had split the Demon Hall's authority into three, shielding himself and his Death Shadow War Unit subordinates from the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
The same was true for the Martial Alliance.
Even if he became the leader, unless he divided the Martial Alliance's power structure like the Demon Hall,
he could be manipulated by those with overwhelming authority at any moment.
To prevent that from happening, Bu Eun-seol couldn't afford to become the captain of the Martial Heaven Unit.
"What position do you want?"
At the Martial Venerable's question, Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
Ever since realizing he couldn't become the leader, he had pondered this.
Was there a position with authority comparable to the leader's, yet with fewer constraints and more freedom?
And in the end, the answer had already been decided.
"Give me the position of chief of the Secret Intelligence Bureau."