Chapter 809
"Amitabha."
The Buddhist Venerable, with his palms pressed together, gazed at Bu Eun-seol and smiled warmly.
"It's been a while, Benefactor."
"Great Master."
Though their paths diverged,
Bu Eun-seol bowed with utmost respect.
Even when they had met under the guise of Seol-so within the Martial Alliance,
not only had the venerable mistaken him for a rising talent of the righteous faction and imparted martial insights,
but when they met in his true identity,
the Buddhist Venerable had once saved him from an unavoidable ambush by the Heavenly Venerable.
"What brings you here, Great Master?"
Yet Bu Eun-seol couldn't help but regard him with wary eyes.
After deliberately revealing his whereabouts publicly, of all people, the Buddhist Venerable had come as if waiting for him?
If so, it meant he had been mobilizing intelligence networks to track his movements.
Could he not be one of those superlative martial experts secretly targeting him while concealing his identity?
"I heard you've accomplished something remarkable. That's why I came specially."
A look of admiration surfaced in the Buddhist Venerable's eyes.
He likely knew about Bu Eun-seol's defeat of the Spear Master.
'This was unavoidable.'
Bu Eun-seol's expression turned bitter.
His fight with the Fist Adept had been sudden, and the battle had been perfectly concealed,
so only their own people, including Langya Pavilion's inner circle, knew of it.
But the Spear Master had appeared with the Eastern Depot at his back, and Bu Eun-seol had fought to protect Yu Un-ryong and the others.
In other words, it was practically a public battle, so such news spreading through various intelligence networks was inevitable.
'You've brought a tail with you.'
Bu Eun-seol sensed faint traces of presence hidden in the forest behind the Buddhist Venerable.
Given the weak qi, it was likely a low-ranking disciple of Shaolin.
"You say 'remarkable'..."
Bu Eun-seol began to speak but paused as if remembering something.
"Actually, I had been meaning to seek you out as well. There are many things I wished to ask."
Deliberately shifting the conversation by posing questions to the Buddhist Venerable served two purposes.
First, to block any attempt by the venerable to extract information about the Spear Master or his own martial prowess under the guise of praise.
Second, during their last encounter, the Buddhist Venerable had left abruptly, citing time constraints, without exchanging more than a few words.
If he intended to do the same this time,
Bu Eun-seol would steer the conversation himself,
quickly firing off questions to get his answers.
"Would it be all right if I asked you about those things now?"
As if seeing through his intent, the Buddhist Venerable gave a faint smile and nodded.
"Ask away."
"Thank you."
Drawing a deep breath, Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly.
"Do you know of the existence called the True Demon?"
"I do."
"Then why didn't you stop him?"
The Buddhist Venerable sighed and shook his head.
"Sadly, this old monk is too aged. I can't speak for an Evil Path devotee or a believer... it would be beyond me to transcend the limits of the human and heavenly realms."
'Even a holy monk of the Buddhist Order lies?'
Among the Three Demons and Three Venerables,
the Buddhist Venerable was not only the eldest but also one whose true martial prowess remained unverified.
Most ranked the Martial Venerable first and the Sword Sovereign last because—
"The foremost among the Three Demons and Three Venerables is naturally the Martial Venerable, with the Sword Sovereign at the bottom."
—as Wi Ji-mua had once told his disciples at the Fire Rain Sword Sect.
He placed the Martial Venerable at the pinnacle and the Sword Sovereign at the lowest.
People thus assumed the Buddhist Venerable must rank somewhere in between.
But there was a shocking omission—Wi Ji-mua's follow-up remark had been left out as rumors spread.
"However, the Buddhist Venerable's prowess cannot be measured. Because where his true strength lies... is fundamentally unknowable."
This statement had two reasons behind it.
First, the Buddhist Venerable had never publicly demonstrated his Limitless Power.
But having been called a holy monk for over a century before the Three Demons and Three Venerables even emerged,
it was assumed he had entered the Martial Extreme Realm.
And one could only speculate that his Limitless Power was rooted in the compassionate martial arts of the Buddhist Order.
Second, he had never revealed his true capabilities.
Only once, over a decade ago,
had he clashed with the Blood Demon Jeok Bung, who suffered a narrow defeat—proving at least that he wasn't the weakest among the Three.
But whether his compassionate nature had allowed that slight victory,
or if it reflected his genuine strength, remained unclear.
'He must be on par with the Martial Venerable.'
Yet Bu Eun-seol judged that the Buddhist Venerable possessed strength rivaling the Martial Venerable's.
In the past, with just a few words,
he had imparted insights that amplified the power of the Martial Emperor's supreme technique, the Thirteenfold Qi Induction.
And not long ago, he had driven off the terrifying Heavenly Venerable in a single move, as one would chase off a dog.
"You're being modest."
In the end, Bu Eun-seol framed the venerable's words as humility.
Because he wanted to keep hearing answers to his many questions.
So he didn't press whether it was genuine modesty or truth.
"As a living witness to martial history, Great Master, even without martial arts, you stand in a position to guide countless people."
The Buddhist Venerable smiled gently.
"That is precisely why this old monk has come."
Then he continued calmly.
"My martial skills may be unremarkable, but I've strived tirelessly to nurture pillars for the murim. And that..."
A profound light gleamed in the Buddhist Venerable's narrowed eyes.
"...was to protect this world and its people from fallen factions."
"By 'fallen factions,' do you mean the Three Realms?"
The Buddhist Venerable gave an enigmatic reply.
"Can the fallen factions of the martial world possibly be limited to just them?"
His eyes flashed as he continued speaking.
"Take the Eight Heavenly Servants alone—they recklessly stir up the martial world, seeking to bend the world to their will."
"Are the Servants of the True Demon not inherently evil?"
Bu Eun-seol furrowed his brow.
"It seems somewhat contradictory to call them 'fallen.'"
"Not all of the True Demon's Servants can be called evil. They each hold their own convictions."
"Convictions, you say?"
"They simply yearn for the True Demon's resurrection. Though among them, some harbor different intentions."
The words were astonishing.
If true, it meant the Servants weren't unanimously devoted to his resurrection—
That some subordinates concealed ulterior motives?
"When you spoke of protecting the world from fallen factions... were you saying you've been cultivating warriors to oppose the Eight Heavenly Servants?"
"I won't deny it."
A flash of light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's hawk-like eyes.
So the Buddhist Venerable had secretly been nurturing superlative martial experts all this time?
"Surely you don't mean the Golden Upright Divine Dragon, Baek Mu-seong?"
"Of course not."
The Buddhist Venerable shook his head with a pained expression.
"You know this too, don't you. To perfectly execute any plan... the foremost condition is ensuring its details never leak to outsiders."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed to slits.
He'd realized that "any plan" referred to the Absolute Demon Saber Project.
'But that makes no sense.'
Though the project had been planned under the leadership of former Martial Alliance Leader Cheol Mu-heun... it was carried out at Shaolin.
There was no way the Buddhist Venerable wouldn't know of it.
No—he must have been deeply involved.
Yet the Absolute Demon Saber Project was executed decades ago and ended in failure.
The timeline didn't match accepting Baek Mu-seong as a disciple.
"Taking on a secular disciple so late was partly due to someone's request, but also an effort to divert attention."
Hearing this, Bu Eun-seol felt a chill.
Ultimately, the Buddhist Venerable hadn't accepted Baek Mu-seong as a disciple by choice—
He'd deliberately taken him in to scatter outside attention, hadn't he?
Judging by the Buddhist Venerable's agonized expression as he faintly closed his eyes, this seemed true.
'Then besides the Absolute Demon Saber Project, something else was recently underway...'
A profound light flowed from Bu Eun-seol's pupils as he sank deep into thought.
'And Baek Mu-seong was accepted as a disciple for that purpose?'
At last, Bu Eun-seol understood why the Buddhist Venerable—
In his twilight years—had taken on such a young disciple, and a secular one at that.
And why Baek Mu-seong, despite having such an exceptional master, had secretly wandered the martial world.
'A sacrificial piece.'
To the Buddhist Venerable, Baek Mu-seong was a pawn meant to be sacrificed.
And Baek Mu-seong must have known this fact all too well.
'Perhaps his wandering the martial world performing good deeds was a desperate struggle to prove he wasn't just a disposable piece.'
"Venerable One."
Bu Eun-seol exhaled a deep sigh, brushing aside the thoughts rising in his heart.
That Baek Mu-seong had no choice but to succumb to the Three Realms' temptations—
From another perspective, wasn't this entirely the Buddhist Venerable's fault?
"How could a compassionate Buddhist monk commit such cruelty?"
These weren't words the Martial Soul Lord—successor to the Demon Hall—should be saying.
But knowing Baek Mu-seong's tender heart so well, the words had slipped out unbidden.
"If this old monk doesn't go to hell, who will?"
The Buddhist Venerable spoke with a devastated expression.
"The Absolute Demon Saber Project's leak cost countless prodigies their lives. I couldn't repeat such mistakes."
Only now did Bu Eun-seol realize:
"You didn't merely cooperate—you co-led the Absolute Demon Saber Project with former Alliance Leader Cheol Mu-heun, didn't you?"
Instead of answering, the Buddhist Venerable closed both eyes.
A silent affirmation.
'So that's how it was.'
The Buddhist Venerable had been a central figure in executing the Absolute Demon Saber Project.
The project failed, surely claiming countless lives in the process.
And because of this, the Buddhist Venerable had carried this burden his entire life.
"Even before that... everything was failure."
The Buddhist Venerable spoke in a low voice.
"After several setbacks, we finally devised what seemed a perfect plan... only for all the prodigies who might have reached the Absolute Demon Saber to be sacrificed at once."
Shaking his head as he murmured, he added:
"But the greatest reason for failure... was Mo-ryun's erroneous prophecy from the start."
A thought flashed through Bu Eun-seol's mind.
"Don't tell me the present—"
"Correct."
The Buddhist Venerable nodded.
"Mo-ryun prophesied the Final Extinction would come in this very generation."
His eyes, gazing at the distant sky, brimmed with profound regret.
Seeing this expression, Bu Eun-seol realized something.
"Then... you don't mean you've restarted the Absolute Demon Saber Project?"
"Indeed."
The Buddhist Venerable's voice grew quieter.
"Learning from past failures, we prepared a new Absolute Demon Saber Project. And at last, we succeeded."
Bu Eun-seol couldn't close his parted lips.
The Absolute Demon Saber Project had failed catastrophically—it should never have been attempted again.
Yet a philosopher like the Buddhist Venerable was repeating the same sins.
"Ah."
Then, as he gazed at the distant sky, the Buddhist Venerable uttered cryptic words:
"So it comes to this again."
He shook his head ruefully.
"But this time, I must create time where there is none."
'Who's observing this situation?'
Bu Eun-seol expanded his extrasensory perception, but detected only one faint presence concealed in the forest.
"We have no time, so I'll state my business plainly."
The Buddhist Venerable uttered words that were nothing short of shocking.
"You must also participate in the new Absolute Demon Saber Project."
"What do you mean by that?"
Bu Eun-seol couldn't comprehend it.
The Buddhist Venerable himself had declared that the new Absolute Demon Saber Project had already succeeded.
So why was he suddenly asking him to join it?
"As their overseer and administrator—their leader."
The Buddhist Venerable nodded toward the forest.
Then, a man carrying a greatsword slowly revealed himself.
Bu Eun-seol was slightly startled.
He had sensed the presence earlier but assumed it was just a weak Shaolin disciple.
But now that the man had stepped forward—
He was a master with far more formidable qi than expected.
"Well?"
"Leader..."
Hearing that word, Bu Eun-seol could guess how the Buddhist Venerable had restarted the Absolute Demon Saber Project.
The previous project had failed because it sought only a single candidate.
This time, it was clear they had selected multiple candidates and ranked them by strength.
"Great Master. Are you telling me to defect to the Righteous Faction now?"
"What meaning do orthodox and unorthodox factions hold for a you?"
The Buddhist Venerable spoke calmly.
"Was it not for revenge?"
A spark flickered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
So it was like that.
The martial world's highest figures had known his identity—and his relationship with his grandfather—all along.
Even this so-called Living Buddha, this Buddhist Venerable.
"How can a man of the Buddhist Order speak of revenge?"
At his needle-sharp words, the Buddhist Venerable instead smiled quietly.
"Long ago, when I first prepared the Absolute Demon Saber Project, this old monk was already prepared to descend into hell."
That smile was utterly serene—
But to Bu Eun-seol's eyes, it looked more wretched than tears.
He's broken.
Bu Eun-seol could feel it.
The Buddhist Venerable had lived too long.
And swallowed by the regrets and remorse of past failures... he had ultimately become a monster.
A ghost clinging to the desperate obsession of undoing his past mistakes.
"If you're making such an offer, does that mean there's something in it for me?"
"Speak your desire."
Bu Eun-seol answered without hesitation.
"I want the murderer who killed my grandfather."
"This old monk also investigated that incident for a long time. But in the end, I never uncovered the truth."
The Buddhist Venerable exhaled a deep sigh.
"I can say with certainty that no one but the murderer knows the exact truth of the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade's death."
"What do you mean by that?"
"If even after all this time, no clues have been found, there's only one possibility."
The Buddhist Venerable's voice turned murky.
"It wasn't the work of any faction or sect—but the act of an individual with a personal motive."
Then he added,
"Lord Bu's saber technique was unmatched in the world. In truth, the very fact that he was brutally killed by someone is bizarre in itself."
Bu Eun-seol's expression darkened.
If even a figure like the Buddhist Venerable spoke with such certainty—
Then his grandfather's death was no simple matter. There had to be an extremely complicated story behind it.
"However, it was undoubtedly the Ghost Sun Sect who took the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade's corpse."
"Ghost Sun Sect."
Bu Eun-seol clenched his fists.
That much was already obvious.
But the thought of them laying hands on his grandfather's remains made fury surge through him again.
I don't care about the rest—but I will destroy the Ghost Sun Sect!
"He cannot be the leader."
Suddenly, the silent man spoke, staring at Bu Eun-seol.
"You're more shallow than I thought. Your Spirit and Mind just crumbled."
Bu Eun-seol raised an eyebrow.
He had perceived the state of his Spirit and Mind, which had reached the Spiritual Aperture Breakthrough?
As their gazes clashed, a bizarre glint flashed in the greatsword-wielder's eyes.
He's mastered some strange Great Art.
Not only was the man's martial arts formidable—he seemed to have trained in a special ritual or Secret Art that allowed him to peer into an opponent's spiritual state.
Hmph.
Meeting his gaze, the man gave Bu Eun-seol a cold smile.
He was provoking him—testing him for a fight.
"That is why he is strong."
At that moment, the Buddhist Venerable smiled faintly.
"Only those with such deep emotions can reach the pinnacle of martial arts. Like the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade."
The man said nothing—
But his furrowed brow made it clear he disagreed.
"I'm not interested."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was firm.
"Administrator, overseer—whatever it is, I won't involve myself in such affairs."
He understood now.
The Buddhist Venerable was no benevolent figure of the Buddhist Order—he was a ghost shackled to the past.
Much of Bu Eun-seol's respect for him had faded during this conversation.
"Frankly, I don't care. Whether it's the True Demon or the martial world's Final Extinction."
At his icy response, the Buddhist Venerable sighed regretfully.
"Should you not carry on the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade's will?"
Disgust rose in Bu Eun-seol's throat as the Buddhist Venerable invoked his grandfather to persuade him.
"My grandfather regretted his past."
His gaze sharpened like a blade's edge.
"If he hadn't, he wouldn't have hidden his identity and worked as an undertaker."
The Buddhist Venerable sighed as he met Bu Eun-seol's frozen stare.
He had realized—Bu Eun-seol would never join his plan.
"Those who cling to the past lose the present. Those bound by the past drown in suffering."
The Buddhist Venerable smiled benevolently.
"Do you understand this old monk's words?"
"Hah."
Bu Eun-seol laughed lowly.
He could no longer stomach the Buddhist Venerable's hypocrisy.
In the end, he... abandoned the polite speech he'd maintained until now and spoke in his original icy voice.
"It seems even Your Eminence cannot escape that Natural Order."
In that moment, the Buddhist Venerable's expression transformed instantaneously.
No longer did he resemble the benevolent Living Buddha.
Rather, his face twisted into something grotesque—like a newborn infant tasting the bitter, astringent dregs of tea for the very first time.