Chapter 811
"What did you say?"
The Old Man in Blue had been confident from the start that Bu Eun-seol could never refuse the Covenant.
Because that young man surely had some inkling of his martial prowess.
Having glimpsed that unfathomable realm, he must have known that resistance was impossible.
"Do you truly wish to die?"
"That is not it."
Bu Eun-seol deflected the question.
"You called yourself a messenger, so I assume you are speaking on behalf of someone else's interests."
"That is correct."
"Thank you. Even so, you have answered me honestly all this time."
When the Old Man in Blue readily admitted it, Bu Eun-seol bowed politely as he spoke.
Even though the Old Man in Blue had no reason to do so.
He knew full well that the old man had been sincere in his responses.
"To be honest, I have no desire to be bound by anyone's restrictions just yet."
If he were to accept the Covenant?
It was certain that his future actions would be severely constrained.
Bu Eun-seol's purpose was to find the murderer who had killed his grandfather.
But if he were forced to obey someone's orders unconditionally... there might come a time when he would be prevented from avenging his grandfather.
Moreover, the Old Man in Blue had called himself a messenger, acting on someone else's will.
That meant he likely had no real authority to make decisions. There was nothing to negotiate with him.
"Hahaha."
Despite the resolute refusal, the Old Man in Blue instead smiled.
"Good. That much defiance is fitting for someone your age who is worthy of receiving the Covenant."
The old man, who now wore an almost pleased expression, nodded slowly.
"Of course, if you continue to build your influence and grow stronger, you might be able to hold out for a while."
"..."
"But before long, you will come to realize—with a cry of despair—that those powerful enough to remain outside the Covenant meet only the most wretched of ends."
A light unlike anything before blazed in the Old Man in Blue's eyes.
"Of course, there is another way. If you were to become a Great Demon devoid of emotion... perhaps you could escape that suffering."
For a moment, Bu Eun-seol's expression hardened.
He realized that the Old Man in Blue was not threatening him.
He was genuinely offering it as a possible path.
"Why are you helping me?"
"Was I that obvious?"
The Old Man in Blue admitted frankly.
"This old man has always liked clever, defiant young men like you. And I would prefer to see you live as long as possible."
Bu Eun-seol let out a sigh.
Even knowing that the Old Man in Blue was merely a messenger, he couldn't help but say it.
"Tell the one who wishes me to join the Covenant this: my terms are simple."
Bu Eun-seol spoke decisively.
"Bring me the killer of my grandfather, the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade Bu Jan-yang—and the person who desecrated his remains. Do that, and I will offer not just my allegiance, but my very life."
"Do you still not understand?"
The Old Man in Blue shook his head as if pained.
"You have limitless potential. There is no need to fixate on such things."
Then, as if persuading him, he added:
"Those things will only destroy your life."
"My life was destroyed long ago."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was lower than ever.
"There is only one purpose to my life: to eliminate the murderer who killed my grandfather and those who defiled his remains."
"Do you believe Bu Jan-yang did only righteous deeds?"
The Old Man in Blue spoke with a sorrowful expression.
"In the Murim of his time, no one had killed more people than Bu Jan-yang."
"My grandfather must have made mistakes. Perhaps he committed acts he regretted for the rest of his life."
"You know well."
"What does that matter?"
A bloody light shimmered in Bu Eun-seol's pupils.
"My grandfather was my everything. My only world, my hope, the reason I lived."
"Bu Eun-seol."
"I don't care how mighty you are, or what power you wield over the Murim."
From Bu Eun-seol's eyes radiated a light that seemed capable of shattering the world itself.
"If the murderer is the heavens, I will cut down the heavens. If it is the earth, I will erase the earth."
It was an illogical statement.
But at last, the Old Man in Blue understood.
Just how deep Bu Eun-seol's grudge ran.
And the resolve with which he had lived until now.
"What a pity."
The Old Man in Blue shook his head.
"I had no particular feelings toward you. No—if anything, I had hoped you would survive to the end... and become an outstanding figure, a pillar of the Murim."
Then, slowly, he extended his right hand.
"But in the end, this is the conclusion we've arrived at."
Krrrk—
Suddenly, the world turned pitch black, and Bu Eun-seol began sinking into a viscous liquid.
"Try enduring my power."
Black fog seeped from the Old Man in Blue's pupils.
"And regret it in hell."
At the same moment, Bu Eun-seol plummeted endlessly into an abyssal darkness.
A Mindscape had unfolded.
'How tedious.'
Even boredom flickered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
To those of Murim, a Mindscape was an utterly unfamiliar and unstoppable assault.
But he had already experienced Mindscapes to the point of being sick of them—now, most forces barely affected him.
Swoosh—
As he endlessly sank into the abyss, Bu Eun-seol began forcing his way out of the darkness through sheer will.
Drip. Drip-drip.
But the black liquid suddenly clung to his body like leeches, refusing to let go.
Whoosh—
A fierce wind erupted from Bu Eun-seol's body, gradually peeling away the clinging liquid.
Wind & Cloud Divine Qi.
This mysterious force of nature, even without conscious activation, instinctively reacted to foreign energies.
'I can't reveal this.'
KWAOOO—!
To conceal the nature of the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi, Bu Eun-seol deliberately unleashed the Willful True Binding simultaneously, emitting violent waves of True Qi.
Thud.
The moment Bu Eun-seol escaped the darkness, the Old Man in Blue nodded approvingly.
"Good. I didn't expect you to fall so easily."
Before he knew it, a massive silver sphere shimmered in the sky.
Inside the moon-sized orb, a swirling galaxy of tiny stars glittered.
The Old Man in Blue had anticipated Bu Eun-seol's escape and had already unleashed Limitless Power.
FWOOSH—
Before Bu Eun-seol could even think, the colossal sphere came crashing down toward him.
In that instant, vibrations rippled through the world, distorting the surroundings.
Just as the sphere of light was about to engulf him—
"Haahp!"
Bu Eun-seol stretched out both arms, and five-colored radiance erupted as all the power within him surged forth.
Harmonization.
KWAANG—!
But the Harmonization failed to erase the sphere, vanishing in an instant.
FWOOSH—
Bu Eun-seol unleashed Harmonization again in rapid succession.
Ever since obtaining the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi,
he could now release Harmonization up to three times in a row if he willed it.
KRRRK—
Exposed to another consecutive burst of Harmonization, the sphere warped, scattering light in all directions.
FLASH—
In an instant, the blinding light that had dyed the world white—and the massive sphere that sought to consume Bu Eun-seol—vanished without a trace.
"..."
The Old Man in Blue's eyes widened in disbelief.
His perpetually relaxed expression stiffened completely,
and the faint smile at the corners of his lips disappeared entirely.
It wasn't just shock at Bu Eun-seol's unexpected martial prowess—
something far more startling had flashed through his mind.
"Sado Mu-myeong. He played me for a fool."
Previously, the Old Man in Blue had matched the Demonic Heavenly Emperor by manifesting a Phase.
But Bu Eun-seol had escaped his Phase with ease.
If Bu Eun-seol could slip past a Third Layer Phase so effortlessly, there was no way the Demonic Heavenly Emperor would struggle against a mere Fourth Layer Phase.
"I see. So that's it. He deliberately made it seem like we were equals."
Having realized everything, the Old Man in Blue let out a hollow laugh.
"Murim's martial arts have progressed tremendously in this time."
But he had no time to muse leisurely.
FLASH—
In that brief moment, Bu Eun-seol had already pinpointed his opening and unleashed the Transcendent Meteor Chasing Moon Form.
Since the Old Man in Blue had struck first, Bu Eun-seol had no hesitation in aiming for his neck.
Sschk—
The Old Man in Blue's head was severed in a single stroke by the Ink Soul Sword.
Yet he did not die.
This was still his Mindscape.
As long as his power remained unbroken, the Transcendent Meteor Chasing Moon Form could not deliver true death to his physical body.
"There's no need for us to fight to the death."
The Old Man in Blue shook his head as he regarded Bu Eun-seol, who radiated Killing Intent.
"Let us end it here."
"You're giving up?"
"I am."
The Old Man in Blue looked at Bu Eun-seol with a bitter expression.
"But do not forget. You have rejected the Covenant."
Whoosh!
At the same moment, the Old Man in Blue dispersed into countless points of light, scattering in every direction.
Bu Eun-seol unleashed his extrasensory perception, attempting to track him, but the old man had vanished completely—as if evaporated into thin air.
"So, they're finally beginning to reveal themselves."
Bu Eun-seol let out a deep sigh as he stared at the empty space where the Old Man in Blue had stood.
Ever since Incheon had appeared,
the hidden forces and figures lurking in the murim's abyss had begun emerging, one by one.
"Either way, a clash is inevitable."
He had no intention of submitting to the system they had established.
Rather, to exact his revenge, he would have to shatter it all.
"I won't avoid it—not ever."
This had been his resolve ever since he defeated Fist Adept.
No matter what forces emerged, no matter how powerful an opponent appeared,
Bu Eun-seol would not back down. He would silently, steadfastly do what needed to be done.
Unlike the Demonic Path Murim,
the Orthodox Murim had—
long before raising the Great Righteous Experts—
freely shared their secret arts, selecting prodigies under the joint heir program to pass down their martial knowledge.
Thanks to this, the Martial Alliance had flourished beyond the Demon Hall's reach,
and its ranks of experts who mastered superior martial arts far outnumbered those of the demonic factions.
Moreover, orthodox practitioners were accustomed to complementing each other's techniques rather than hoarding them,
so the Martial Alliance's Scripture Archive Pavilion and Pratyekabuddha Hall housed the accumulated martial wisdom of every orthodox sect without reservation.
The first floor contained not only martial manuals but also various texts, while the second floor onward stored superior martial arts that could make one's name in the Rivers and Lakes.
And on the third floor, secret manuals inscribed with supreme techniques—ones capable of trampling the martial world beneath one's feet—were displayed.
Furthermore, though not visible from the outside, the Pratyekabuddha Hall had a fourth floor.
It was said that the secret manuals there contained the insights of past alliance leaders.
For this reason, access was strictly controlled.
Even the most senior members could not enter without permission from Daoist Mok, the overseer of the Pratyekabuddha Hall—
only the alliance leader and vice alliance leader were exempt.
At the hour when the blazing solar radiance hung highest in the sky,
Thud. Thud.
A figure in white garments walked toward the Pratyekabuddha Hall.
His features were unremarkable, his face devoid of any striking characteristics.
Yet embroidered on his sleeves was the phoenix insignia, symbolizing the highest-ranking officials of the Martial Alliance.
It was none other than Bu Eun-seol, disguised as Seon-u Jin, chief of the Secret Intelligence Bureau.
Creak.
As he reached the pavilion's entrance, the doors swung open on their own, revealing a young martial artist in scribe's attire bowing deeply.
"Welcome, Chief."
As a high-ranking member of the Martial Alliance, Seon-u Jin
could freely enter up to the second floor of the Pratyekabuddha Hall with prior notice.
Once a year, he was even permitted to grant access to subordinates who had rendered great service.
"We've been expecting you. Please, come inside."
Following the young martial artist's guidance, Bu Eun-seol stepped into the pavilion.
He had sent word ahead to announce his visit.
—I was far too ignorant of the murim's history.
Bu Eun-seol was the undisputed leader of the martial world's foremost intelligence organization.
Yet he knew little of its history—nor had he ever considered it particularly important.
The past was just the past.
He had always believed the present mattered more.
But now, he finally understood.
The murim was a place where history repeated itself.
A place where one could never truly escape the influence of the past.
"You may move freely up to the second floor."
At the young martial artist's words, Bu Eun-seol gave a slight nod.
Then he headed toward a bookshelf tucked away in a corner of the first floor.
There, volumes upon volumes of records detailing the murim's history were densely packed.
But it seemed no one had bothered to delve into them—
most of the books remained untouched, their pages pristine.
Rustle.
Bu Eun-seol pulled out a text chronicling the murim's earliest history and began reading.
Though it contained no mention of the Baekri Clan or the True Demon, it meticulously documented countless unexpected events.
His expression grew increasingly absorbed as he flipped through the pages.
Thud. Thud.
Then, an unfamiliar set of footsteps echoed from within.
Turning his head, he saw an elderly man with long, neatly combed-back hair approaching.
It was none other than the chief of the Forest Pavilion—Daoist Mok, the overseer of the Pratyekabuddha Hall.
"Pavilion Lord."
Bu Eun-seol offered a polite bow, and Daoist Mok returned it with a warm nod.
"Chief Seon-u."
"What brings you here?"
Daoist Mok smiled cheerfully and answered frankly.
"I heard Chief Seon-u had come, so I thought I'd drop by to see you."
Mok Do-in had shown an extraordinary level of interest in Seon-u Jin up until now.
Of course, it could simply be the interest of a high-ranking Martial Alliance elder. But Bu Eun-seol's intuition told him there was something more lurking beneath the surface.
'What exactly does he want from me?'
If the old man had some kind of request, he could have just spoken openly—or at least conveyed his intentions discreetly.
Yet Mok Do-in had never once revealed his true thoughts.
Just as Bu Eun-seol was lost in contemplation, Mok Do-in spoke.
"Hoh."
Before Bu Eun-seol could even respond, the old man chuckled while scanning the bookshelves.
"This is the first time I've seen one of our Alliance's elites reading the books displayed here."
Every shelf in this place was filled with texts chronicling the history of the martial world.
Bu Eun-seol answered honestly.
"After wandering the Rivers and Lakes, I realized how ignorant I was of martial history."
"And why study history?"
"Because the history of the martial world repeats itself. If I understand the past, perhaps I can predict the future to some degree."
"Indeed."
Mok Do-in nodded, his smile warm and approving.
"To realize that so early—impressive."
Then he gently patted Bu Eun-seol's shoulder.
"I won't disturb you further. Keep reading, and take care."
"Thank you."
As Mok Do-in turned away with a smile, Bu Eun-seol returned a faint smile of his own and turned back to the bookshelf, resuming his reading.
Chill.
Yet despite the smile on his face, Bu Eun-seol's expression had frozen solid in an instant—cold as ice.
'The Martial Alliance isn't just a den for the Three Realms.'
A sharp glint flashed in his pupils.
'Mok Do-in... were you the messenger?'
This was astonishing.
That old man in blue who had once sought him out—
The one who claimed to deliver messages from certain factions—
Was none other than the Forest Pavilion's chief, Mok Do-in?
'Touching my shoulder was a grave mistake.'
He could still feel the lingering pressure of Mok Do-in's fingertips on his shoulder.
In the past, Bukgung Ryeong had once discerned Bu Eun-seol's disguise simply by touching his shoulder.
Because Bukgung Ryeong had reached the pinnacle of martial arts involving finger techniques—
And with just the sensation of his fingertips, he could extract vast amounts of information.
After learning that,
Whenever Bu Eun-seol assumed a disguise,
He altered not just his face, but even the contours of his body and muscles.
Because if someone touched him,
They might detect something amiss.
But Mok Do-in hadn't changed the shape of his muscles—and Bu Eun-seol, having obtained the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi, now possessed extrasensory perception that transcended human limits.
That was how he had instantly recognized—
That the fingers resting on his shoulder now were identical to those of the old man in blue who had touched him before.
'This can't go on.'
Bu Eun-seol knew.
His time within the Martial Alliance was running out.
'I must leave this place soon.'
At last,
He resolved to abandon the identity of Seon-u Jin—
And depart from the Martial Alliance.
Dark Grand Hall.
The ceiling, towering high above, was carved with the agonized faces of suffering people.
Blue torches burned atop massive pillars scattered throughout the hall.
At the center stood a towering stone altar, upon which rested a solitary coffin made of metal.
Bubble... drip... drip...
Unbelievably, white foam and crimson blood seeped out from the coffin's seams.
How much time had passed?
Clank.
With a heavy metallic sound, the coffin's lid—at least three feet thick—swung open.
A torrent of bright red blood spilled out, cascading onto the floor.
Splaaash.
At the same time, a pale hand shot upward.
Its nails were pitch black, and dark red veins spiderwebbed across the back of the hand.
Whoosh.
Blood gushed in all directions as the upper body of a man—his muscles carved like sculpture—emerged from the coffin.
The blue light from the torches barely reached this spot,
Making his features indistinct—save for his crimson eyes, which blazed in the depths of the darkness.
"Your recovery speed seems even faster now."
At the words of the shadow prostrated below the hall,
[Ugh...]
The man inside the coffin let out a short, guttural groan.
Just that single utterance made the entire hall tremble, as if the air itself had evaporated.
"And we've found another one."
Flash.
Instantly, the crimson eyes flaring in the darkness ignited with flame.
Shhhk.
As the man rose from the coffin, his towering frame—over six feet tall—revealed sharp, defined contours.
Fwoosh.
Flames, as if killing intent given form, erupted from his eyes and fingertips.
Rumble.
An oppressive force capable of splitting mountains radiated from the shadow staring into the void.
Even without fully recovering,
He was preparing to step back into the Rivers and Lakes.