Chapter 742
As the Two Spirit Energies and Internal Energy that had been blocked began to slowly return, Bu Eun-seol crossed his legs into the lotus position and closed his eyes.
To restore his shattered qi vessels and physical body.
To stabilize the immense power suddenly surging within him, he began circulating his qi.
Floating.
As he entered the State of Circulatory Meditation, his body levitated roughly three meters above the ground.
Flicker!
At that moment, among the one hundred and eight stars, the sole star shrouded in darkness—
Suddenly began emitting a faint glow.
Then, the countless stars floating in the darkness gradually started losing their light.
But Bu Eun-seol, with his eyes closed in meditation, could not witness this spectacle.
Zzzzzz.
While circulating his qi, Bu Eun-seol sensed an unfamiliar force stirring near the Jade Hall Acupoint in his middle dantian.
Though foreign, it merged seamlessly with his Original True Qi, circulating naturally through his body.
With each movement, it felt as though it was cleansing every joint and bone in his body.
'This isn't Metamorphosis and Bone Renewal.'
Flash!
When Bu Eun-seol opened his eyes again, golden light shimmered in his pupils.
Huuuung.
As he ceased his qi circulation, his body gently descended to the floor like a feather.
"..."
For a moment, Bu Eun-seol stared blankly down at his body.
This wasn't Metamorphosis and Bone Renewal.
Nor was it an augmentation of his Internal Power or a fusion of his existing energies.
Yet, he felt as though something within his body had changed.
As if his physical body and spirit had been shattered and meticulously reassembled.
"What in the world...?"
Something felt different.
But not knowing the reason left him only with a strange, eerie sensation.
"Well, I've regained my strength. That's what matters."
Just as that mysterious monk had said.
The mystical light flowing from the Martial Venerable's Treasury had healed his body.
That alone was enough.
Click.
At that moment, the darkness that had glittered like the cosmos vanished, leaving behind an ordinary stone chamber.
Simultaneously, the transparent Boundary-Prosperity Jade he had inserted somewhere fell back to the ground.
Clack.
Picking up the fallen jade, Bu Eun-seol furrowed his brow.
The Boundary-Prosperity Jade, which had previously shifted between two colors—
Now held a dazzling, indescribable radiance, shimmering with countless hues.
Had he not known it was the Boundary-Prosperity Jade, he might have mistaken it for a diamond reflecting light.
"Hmm..."
After swallowing a groan, Bu Eun-seol tucked the jade back into his robes—
"Ah!"
He gasped, his eyes widening in realization.
Only now did it dawn on him how much time had passed.
'I need to leave this place immediately.'
Clack.
Stepping outside, he swiftly organized the books before hastily exiting the Secret Vault.
If he delayed even a moment—
He might face an adversary he couldn't handle.
He might even cross paths with the Martial Venerable or Baekri Mu-jo.
'Thank goodness!'
Though another day had passed and it was now morning, fortunately, he sensed no presence of the Martial Venerable or Baekri Mu-jo.
Grrrr.
As he gathered his Internal Energy to activate his Movement Technique, the ground suddenly trembled.
'Something's different.'
Though he had only drawn upon Internal Energy at the Third Achievement Level—
The shockwave of his True Qi spread with startling clarity, as if he were wielding more than seventy percent of his Internal Energy.
His Internal Power hadn't increased by even a hair's breadth since before his injuries.
Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that something... had changed.
Kwa-rung!
With a thunderous boom, Bu Eun-seol's body became a streaking meteor across the sky.
And a quarter of an hour after his departure—
Whoooosh.
A mystical fog seemed to rise from the forest, revealing an elderly Copyist clad in gray robes.
It was the Martial Venerable, disguised as the Divine Calculator.
"So the Star Guard Corps, who'd been guarding this place nonstop, suddenly withdrew...?"
He already knew Baekri Mu-jo had ordered the Star Guard Corps to scour this area thoroughly.
But just yesterday, he'd received word that all the warriors of the Star Guard Corps had abruptly returned to the Martial Alliance.
The moment he heard the news, the Martial Venerable rushed to the Secret Vault.
Baekri Mu-jo was a man who pursued perfection in all things.
He would never halt an investigation until he found something conclusive here.
The moment the Star Guard Corps vacated the area entirely—
He must have decided to seal off the Secret Vault itself, ensuring no one could enter.
"I'll have to verify it myself."
He'd been itching to investigate why this place had been exposed and whether anyone had infiltrated it.
Zzzzzz.
Opening the gate of the Absolute Boundary hidden in the forest, the Martial Venerable stepped into the Secret Cave.
As he meticulously examined the interior, his eyes abruptly widened.
He'd anticipated it, but—
It seemed someone had indeed broken in. Traces of intrusion were unmistakable.
"A person untrained in martial arts...?"
Crouching low, he scrutinized the traces left behind, and an exclamation burst from his lips.
"This makes no sense."
Bu Eun-seol had entered this place with all his internal energy depleted.
After regaining his strength and realizing how much time had passed, he'd hurriedly left... Naturally, traces would remain.
But the Martial Venerable had no way of knowing that.
All he could conclude was that someone without martial arts training had infiltrated.
"Could I be mistaken?"
Zzzzzz.
A pure white light radiated from the Martial Venerable's pupils, resembling the glow Bu Eun-seol emitted when using Empty Mind Spirit Perception.
After studying the traces left in the chamber for a long while, he tilted his head in puzzlement.
"It's certain."
The intruder seemed entirely untrained in martial arts—their full weight had pressed into the floor with each step.
Traces remained as though they'd sweatily fumbled through the books on the shelves.
"Don't tell me..."
A foreboding premonition struck him. The Martial Venerable swiftly rearranged the books and activated a hidden mechanism.
Krrrrumble. Clack.
As the library moved, revealing two doors, he immediately entered the one on the left.
Upon opening it, he should have been greeted by a vast darkness dotted with countless stars shimmering in a kaleidoscope of colors.
But... there was no reaction. Just an ordinary stone chamber.
"Why?"
Zzzzing—
The Martial Venerable channeled his full power, pouring all his strength into the chamber.
Slowly, the stone walls darkened, transforming into the semblance of a night sky.
Upon closer inspection, the ceiling was embedded with countless transparent orbs, so fine they were nearly invisible to the eye.
From them, streams of multicolored light flowed in turns, weaving together to form a single breathtaking scene.
Huuuuum—
But before long, the lights flickered out, and the chamber reverted to its plain stone form.
"Hahahaha."
The Martial Venerable let out a hollow laugh.
"Has the power of the Boundary-Prosperity Jades stored in the Silver River Land... all vanished?"
The glimmers that had once sparkled in the darkness—
They were all Boundary-Prosperity Jades, vessels that had concentrated the power of the One Hundred and Eight Stars.
"An intruder with no martial arts came here and took them all."
Shudder.
His body trembled.
An assumption he didn't want to entertain surfaced in his mind.
"Has he already appeared?"
Since the Secret Vault's location had been exposed, he had long suspected Mu-gyeol.
But no.
For someone who had refined martial arts to that level—
It was impossible to leave traces as if they had no internal energy at all, let alone possess the ability to absorb the power contained within the Boundary-Prosperity Jades.
"If that man has come here... then all our plans must be completely revised."
Cold sweat drenched the Martial Venerable's face.
"In that case, there's no choice but to accelerate the stimulation of Bu Eun-seol."
The martial compendium of the Baekri Clan—the strongest of the Three Clans—and the Hidden Estate, said to contain a mysterious power.
The Martial Venerable had discovered it long ago, but unfortunately, the Hidden Estate was restricted to those of the Baekri bloodline alone.
To enter the Hidden Estate he had found—
He needed to awaken the Baekri power dormant within Bu Eun-seol.
Deep into the night, atop a certain pavilion, a shadow stood gazing at the star-studded sky.
[Hmm.]
The shadow lowered its head, staring at the moonlit reflection in the pond below before letting out a soft sigh.
[So, you've finally begun to realize fate.]
A faint smile curled on the shadow's lips as it nodded slowly.
[It's been a long time.]
A note of joy lingered in the shadow's voice as it gazed at the distant sky.
[Grow stronger, quickly. Only then can I too be completed...]
After a long moment of watching the stars, the shadow slowly turned away.
Having fully recovered, Bu Eun-seol left Henan and immediately returned to the Demon Hall.
During his absence, he had brushed against death multiple times before regaining his strength—yet no one knew of it.
And Bu Eun-seol himself had no intention of ever letting his subordinates find out.
Because they would grieve.
Because they would blame themselves for being unable to aid him.
'I'll handle the piled-up matters one by one.'
Even as he returned,
He issued orders for various tasks as if the gap in his absence meant nothing.
Demon Hall, Hidden Demon Pavilion. The grand conference room.
The leaders entered the meeting room like children given candy, grinning from ear to ear.
Because, for once, Bu Eun-seol was attending the meeting in person.
When Seo Jin-ha had been disguised as Bu Eun-seol, he too had not stayed in the Demon Hall, instead traveling the martial world to handle various affairs.
Thus, the leaders hadn't even been able to catch a glimpse of Seo Jin-ha's disguised face in the Demon Hall.
"Let us begin."
Once all the leaders had taken their seats, Bu Eun-seol gave a slight nod.
Wi Cheon-gyeong was the first to speak.
"The rebellion within the Dragon Splendor Merchant Guild has been swiftly dealt with, as you commanded."
"Hmm."
"And that pig-like Ye Dae-gwang's head has been severed and displayed as a warning."
Ye Dae-gwang, who had launched the rebellion, had imprisoned the merchant guild leader and his family.
Ye Eo-ryeong had fled their pursuit, setting out to seek help from the Golden Saber Sect, which had deep ties with her father.
But Ye Dae-gwang, already aware of this, had spent a fortune hiring assassins from the Short Life Sect and the Blood Claw Sect to eliminate her.
—Restore the Dragon Splendor Merchant Guild to its rightful state and expose Ye Dae-gwang's crimes to the world.
Upon his return to the Demon Hall,
Bu Eun-seol's first order was to resolve the matter of Ye Eo-ryeong, the sole daughter of the merchant guild, who was being hunted by assassins.
The Death Shadow War Unit mobilized in full force.
The Flying Demon Unit, under the Death Soul Squad, infiltrated the Dragon Splendor Merchant Guild and gathered complete intelligence on the internal situation.
Meanwhile, the three leaders of the Death Shadow War Unit led their forces to swiftly suppress Ye Dae-gwang and the troops under his command.
—Why... would the Demon Hall...?
Merchant Guild Leader Ye Dae-am couldn't comprehend the situation at all.
Martial world factions never moved their forces for such matters unless explicitly asked for help.
Especially in internal conflicts, justification was crucial—
Acting rashly could easily backfire, leading to the downfall of those who intervened.
Ye Dae-gwang had known this well.
He had thoroughly bribed the factions close to Ye Dae-am, tightened internal control, and only then launched his rebellion.
Yet out of nowhere, the Demon Hall—
Without any prior contact—had crushed the rebellion within their household?
But Ye Dae-gwang couldn't even resolve that curiosity.
Because he had been swiftly executed alongside his traitorous subordinates, his head hung at the gates of the Dragon Splendor Merchant Guild.
"This is a gift from our Lord to the Dragon Splendor Merchant Guild."
Wi Cheon-gyeong, having neatly resolved the rebellion, handed a command plaque bearing the seal of the Martial Soul Lord to Family Head Ye Dae-am.
"You're... giving this to our main house?"
Ye Dae-am's jaw dropped as he received the plaque.
With the Martial Soul Order Token in their possession—
Within the Demon Hall's territory, they could move freely without fear of interference or plunder, regardless of which sect might be watching.
No matter how brazen one was, this was beyond imagination.
"Even if you dare tug on a tiger's whiskers, no madman in this world would dare lay a hand on a merchant guild under the Martial Soul Lord's protection."
"It seems we owe this to having such a fine daughter."
"My daughter?"
Ye Dae-am blinked in astonishment.
Since when had that wild child of his formed ties with the young grandmaster of the Demonic Path, whose name shook the world?
"Indeed."
Wi Cheon-gyeong grinned before taking his leave.
When Ye Eo-ryeong heard the news belatedly, she immediately turned back toward the Dragon Splendor Merchant Guild instead of continuing to the Golden Saber Sect.
Ye Dae-am seized her the moment she returned and demanded,
"Eo-ryeong. What in the world happened?"
Ye Eo-ryeong suppressed her overwhelming emotions.
She had merely hired a mercenary band to repay the debt she owed Bu Eun-seol.
Yet not only had he quelled the rebellion within the Dragon Splendor Merchant Guild, but he had also gifted them a command plaque that would save them hundreds of thousands of taels in tolls each year.
"He... is my benefactor."
With her head bowed, Ye Eo-ryeong recounted everything that had transpired in a low voice.
Ye Dae-am's mouth fell open.
The Righteous Man within the Demonic Path? This man was more chivalrous than even the famed Renowned Hero!
"Eo-ryeong."
Noticing his daughter's flushed cheeks, Ye Dae-am realized she harbored tender feelings and spoke firmly.
"Though our family is counted among the Ten Great Merchant Guilds of the Central Plains, that is only because we have maintained the wealth accumulated over generations. Moreover, he is—"
"I know."
Ye Eo-ryeong bit her lip hard before replying,
"But I... just wish to see him one more time. He even promised to visit our estate."
Ye Dae-am sighed deeply.
Rumors said the young grandmaster of the Demonic Path possessed beauty so peerless it could make even the Three Beauties of the World pale in comparison.
Having met such a man... it was only natural for a girl to suffer a brief fever of the heart.
Wi Cheon-gyeong reported again.
"Afterward, the Dragon Splendor Merchant Guild pledged to voluntarily send one-tenth of their annual profits to the Lord's coffers every month."
"Refuse that offer. I didn't help them with any expectations in return."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Wi Cheon-gyeong scratched his head with an awkward expression.
"They're being stubborn. They say if we refuse, they'd rather join the Demon Hall outright..."
The Dragon Splendor Merchant Guild had maintained deep ties with the White Path Forces for generations.
If they suddenly defected to the Demon Hall? It might invite accusations of foul play.
"They say the righteous sects they were close to were of no help. They're practically threatening to convert to the Demonic Path if we refuse."
"Hmm."
After a moment of hesitation, Wi Cheon-gyeong suggested,
"Since the funds would come under the Lord's name anyway, why not discreetly divert the Dragon Splendor's contributions to the Martial Soul Assembly?"
"That could create a link between the Martial Soul Assembly and me."
"Understood. Then we'll simply accept it. Ah, and..."
Wi Cheon-gyeong cleared his throat.
"The young lady of the Dragon Splendor Merchant Guild, Miss Ye, has requested an audience with the Lord. She says you promised her a visit."
"I see. Tell her I'll visit at some point."
At that, Won Se-mun abruptly cut in.
"Lord, it might be better not to go."
"Why?"
"Merchant guild types are relentless. Once they get you into their estate, they'll stake their lives on making you their son-in-law."
Bu Eun-seol sighed.
Though Won Se-mun was prone to nonsense, this particular warning didn't sound entirely baseless.
"I'll keep that in mind."
Bu Eun-seol swiftly changed the subject.
"What of the Seven Great Leaders' movements?"
"As you commanded, we've been scouring both intelligence networks diligently, excluding the Star Guard Corps Leader. We should soon have a complete record of another Leader's whereabouts. However—"
Wi Cheon-gyeong took a deep breath.
"The fact that tracking their movements is this difficult suggests a high probability that, as you predicted, all Seven Great Leaders are affiliated with external forces."
His expression darkened as he continued.
"Rather than verifying whether the Seven Great Leaders were present in Hwangju Prefecture at the time, it would be faster to investigate if they colluded with outside factions. That's how deep this goes."
In other words, there was evidence or circumstances suggesting all Seven Great Leaders had contact with external forces.
Bu Eun-seol nodded gravely.
The Martial Alliance was a den of fiends surpassing even the Demon Hall—a cradle for hidden powers.
There was a high probability they were the Three Realms themselves.
That was why even Bu Eun-seol, who held the intelligence networks of both orthodox and unorthodox factions, struggled to trace the Seven Great Leaders' past movements.
"This won't be easy. Keep the networks active."
Once matters regarding the Dragon Splendor Merchant Guild and the Seven Great Leaders were settled, Yu Un-ryong brought up the main purpose of this Lord's Meeting.
"Another strange incident has been occurring recently."
Yu Un-ryong's expression was deadly serious as he spoke.
"People are dying en masse overnight, and it keeps happening relentlessly."
"Overnight?"
"Yes. And not in just one location—it's happening simultaneously across multiple regions."
"Has Ghost Child reappeared?"
"That's possible, but the patterns are distinctly different."
Yu Un-ryong frowned.
"First, the methods are crude. As if the perpetrators have no martial arts training whatsoever—not even close to Ghost Child's level."
"Like commoners did it?"
"Exactly. The weapons are always farming tools or kitchen knives—simple, everyday objects readily available nearby."
"Yet these incidents are happening on such a large scale?"
"Yes. As if villagers everywhere have collectively gone mad."
Strictly speaking, such cases fell under the Magistrate's Office's jurisdiction—hardly matters for the Demon Hall or Bu Eun-seol to concern themselves with.
But after Ghost Child's rampage,
Bu Eun-seol had realized the Three Realms were not limited to just one operative.
He had since been constantly monitoring and preparing for the emergence of other forces.
"Given that only evidence pointing to non-martial artists remains, with no way to identify the culprits... the probability leans toward the Three Realms or Neither-Human-Nor-Beast."
Bu Eun-seol nodded at Yu Un-ryong's words.
Only an organization capable of erasing all traces of simultaneous, widespread incidents in one stroke could achieve this—
Only the Three Realms or the Inhuman Beings could do it.
"At any rate, we must go to Hwangju Prefecture for the Seven Great Leaders' business."
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath and nodded his head.
"I'll personally investigate why these incidents are occurring."
He had already intended to track down the Seven Great Leaders' movements himself—the very trail the Death Soul Squad had supposedly uncovered for him.
Now, Bu Eun-seol resolved to look into these newly emerged, peculiar incidents as well.