Chapter 82
Whoosh.
With the Sound of Breaking Air, a figure clad in white robes unfurled a cloud-like Movement Technique as they descended from the sky.
"Hahaha! Truly sharp eyes, I see."
The revealed figure was a man dressed in white, a longsword sheathed at his waist.
"I happened to pass by and witness this duel. But I couldn't very well intervene midway."
His gaze was remarkably clear, and his gleaming white teeth were striking every time he smiled.
His amiable appearance was the kind that would naturally inspire goodwill in anyone who saw him, but Bu Eun-seol wore an expression as if stifling a yawn.
"I see."
Then, as though utterly disinterested, he turned away.
The man followed Bu Eun-seol as he walked off and spoke again.
"Did you take care of all these Blood Ghosts as well?"
"..."
No answer came, but the man persisted undeterred.
Judging by the situation, it seemed the man had arrived around the time Bu Eun-seol was engaged in his final confrontation with Yangmyeong.
"To kill the Blood Ghost Society's Hall Leader, Yangmyeong, in a single strike... The martial world will soon be turned upside down."
Bu Eun-seol didn't even glance back, but the man continued trailing him, undeterred.
"With skills like yours, why didn't you show your true strength during the Martial Arts Tournament?"
"Do you know me?"
Finally, Bu Eun-seol spoke, and the man chuckled softly as he closed the distance.
"I've been watching you closely since the Martial Arts Tournament."
"So you were a spectator."
Bu Eun-seol turned his head away again, as if bored.
At this, the man shrugged his shoulders as if resigned and said,
"I am a disciple of the Thousand Swords Society."
"The Thousand Swords Society?"
Heuk-pyo, who had been walking alongside them, widened his eyes in shock.
The Thousand Swords Society.
It was a legendary sword faction that had been passed down through generations in the martial world.
Traditionally, the Righteous Path had the Nine Great Sects and One Gang and the Eight Great Families, while the Demonic Path had towering factions like the Demon Hall and the Demonic Path Ten Gates, all producing figures who left their mark on history.
Their meticulously refined martial arts, systematic teaching methods, and the sheer number of disciples they nurtured inevitably resulted in a dense concentration of Masters.
Even those peerless swordsmen who stood alone in the Rivers and Lakes, unaffiliated with any sect—whether Orthodox or Unorthodox—eventually realized this truth and gathered under a shared purpose.
"What if we gathered those unaffiliated, peerless Masters, shared our sword techniques, and helped each other grow?"
Had they belonged to a major faction, passing down their secret sword arts to others would have been unthinkable.
But the swordsmen who gathered in the Thousand Swords Society were unaffiliated with any faction, having each forged their own path in the sword. They saw no difficulty in sharing their Ultimate Arts.
In the end, ten swordsmen—known to be mad for the blade—finally established a small sword faction, and that was the birth of the Thousand Swords Society.
"Are you saying you're a swordsman of the Thousand Swords Society, Great Hero?"
Though rumors abounded, the Thousand Swords Society was like a divine dragon hidden in the clouds—rarely revealing itself. And yet, here stood one of its mysterious swordsmen?
"Hahaha. Don't misunderstand. I'm merely a disciple of the Seventh Seat, nothing more."
"A disciple?"
"Indeed."
The man, flashing his white teeth, clasped his hands together toward Bu Eun-seol and Heuk-pyo.
"Yu Hwa-ryeong, disciple of the Thousand Swords Society's Seventh Seat, the venerable Uhak."
Uhak was a Master from the previous generation, renowned for his terrifying Fast Sword technique.
At this, Bu Eun-seol, who had remained silent until now, suddenly sharpened his gaze.
"So. You've come to fight me?"
"Hahaha. Why would I?"
The man, Yu Hwa-ryeong, laughed and shook his head.
"Due to my own incompetence, I've mastered less than half of the sword techniques my teacher imparted to me. If I were to face you, I'd lose a hundred times out of a hundred."
"Then you have some other business?"
"Hahaha! Must one always have business to strike up a conversation in the Rivers and Lakes...?"
Before he could even finish speaking, Bu Eun-seol turned away again, prompting Yu Hwa-ryeong to hastily raise a hand.
"Impatient, aren't you? Fine! I'll be direct."
Having quickly grasped Bu Eun-seol's cold temperament, Yu Hwa-ryeong glanced around before lowering his voice.
"I've had my eye on you since the Martial Arts Tournament."
"..."
"Your swordplay is unique, and your Killing Intent runs deep—so much so that I wondered if you might be a villain. Yangmyeong's questionable forfeiture in the finals only deepened my suspicions."
Yu Hwa-ryeong met Bu Eun-seol's gaze firmly as he spoke.
"But now, after this, I'm certain. You're no villain—you're a man of the Righteous Path."
In that moment, Heuk-pyo, standing beside Bu Eun-seol, had to suppress an incredulous expression.
'Well, I suppose it would look that way.'
Bu Eun-seol had cut down none other than the Hall Leader of Hell Blood Citadel without hesitation.
Even if he spat and cursed while denying it, anyone would still assume he was a man of the Righteous Path.
"Though you didn't gain much fame from the tournament, don't be disheartened. After slaying the Hall Leader of Hell Blood Citadel, your name will soon spread far and wide."
"You talk too much."
Bu Eun-seol's expression was one of boredom.
Despite his earlier claim of being direct, Yu Hwa-ryeong had been rambling on about nothing of importance.
"Whether it's the Righteous Path or the Unorthodox Path, I don't care. Such things mean nothing to me."
Yu Hwa-ryeong's expression flickered with surprise.
A true follower of the Righteous Path would never say such a thing. Bu Eun-seol had just implicitly revealed himself as a man of the Demonic Path.
Click.
As Heuk-pyo stepped ahead and opened the carriage door, Yu Hwa-ryeong spoke urgently.
"Whether you're of the Righteous Path or the Unorthodox Path, or even someone standing between the two—it doesn't matter!"
As if having resolved himself, Yu Hwa-ryeong spoke with conviction.
"Our Thousand Swords Society also stands between the two. As long as you're not a wicked Evil Person with malicious intent, it makes no difference."
Having danced around the subject until now, he finally cut to the chase.
"Then come with me to Sichuan."
"Sichuan?"
"Soon, the Second Seat, Martial Uncle Seok, and my master will be hosting a regular gathering."
Wondering what this was about, Bu Eun-seol turned his head—only for Yu Hwa-ryeong to nod knowingly, as if he had anticipated the reaction.
"Right now, our society is searching for outstanding prodigies capable of fully inheriting the newly created sword technique."
Taking a step closer, he lowered his voice.
"Someone exactly like you."
Heuk-pyo's eyes gleamed upon hearing those words.
The Thousand Swords Society was a legendary sword hall founded long ago by ten peerless swordsmen who united under a shared purpose.
And if they had created a new sword technique? It must be an ultimate sword art, one that could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the supreme techniques of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang and the Eight Great Families.
Yet Bu Eun-seol shook his head firmly.
"I already belong to a school. I have no intention of taking another."
"Don't worry. This isn't about formally accepting a master-disciple relationship."
"What do you mean?"
"Our society was originally founded to transcend the orthodox and unorthodox factions, to create and pass down exceptional sword studies. Of course, over the generations, we've taken in disciples to sustain the society... but the original intent remains."
"Get to the point. If you keep skirting around it, I won't continue this conversation."
At Bu Eun-seol's cold retort, Yu Hwa-ryeong sighed and answered as if left with no choice.
"A new sword technique was created, but none of our society's disciples could master it."
Yu Hwa-ryeong let out a deep sigh, lowering his head as if ashamed.
"So the Second Seat ordered us to scour the martial world and find a once-in-a-generation prodigy capable of learning it. That's why I came to this Martial Arts Tournament."
"That makes no sense."
Bu Eun-seol laughed coldly.
"You're saying that as long as someone has talent, their background doesn't matter, and you'll teach them your sword studies? Is the Thousand Swords Society some kind of charity?"
"You don't understand."
Yu Hwa-ryeong shook his head at Bu Eun-seol's words.
"The martial world is a place where talent alone can grant you immense benefits."
"..."
"If a peerless swordsman created an extraordinary sword technique but had no prodigy to inherit it—or if the prodigy had no interest in learning it—what do you think would happen?"
A faint smile touched his lips.
"That swordsman would kneel and beg to take on a disciple. That's just how the martial world is."
He wasn't wrong.
If a master was exceptional, one could plead and bargain to learn from them.
But no matter how hard one searched, a prodigious disciple could only be taken in if fate allowed it.
Hadn't even the Demon Hall held the Ten Demonic Heirs Tournament just to secure such talents?
"Young Master."
At that moment, Heuk-pyo whispered quietly to Bu Eun-seol.
"Isn't the reason you're traveling the martial world to grow stronger? If so, why not accept his offer?"
Yu Hwa-ryeong added another word.
"And even if I take you there, it doesn't guarantee you'll be taught our society's sword studies."
"Huh?"
When Heuk-pyo looked startled, Yu Hwa-ryeong gave a bitter smile.
"Whether the technique is passed down depends on whether the masters deem you worthy. My role is simply to bring back prodigies like you."
"Let me ask one thing."
Yu Hwa-ryeong nodded with a smile at Bu Eun-seol's words.
"Ask away."
"If you truly sought only talented individuals without conditions, simply spreading rumors that the Thousand Swords Society was searching would have drawn countless martial artists."
Bu Eun-seol's sharp gaze bore down on Yu Hwa-ryeong as he continued.
"Yet you deliberately send disciples to scour the martial world for prodigies? That doesn't add up."
"A sharp observation."
Yu Hwa-ryeong nodded in acknowledgment.
"But the reason can only be revealed after you agree to join the Thousand Swords Society. Or, more precisely, just before entering the society's gathering."
After a moment of deep thought, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"So it's not just about talent. There's a specific condition."
"Quick on the uptake! Exactly."
Yu Hwa-ryeong slapped his knee and nodded.
"I can't disclose that condition to someone who hasn't even come to our society yet. Rumors would spread."
"Hm."
Though all his doubts had been resolved, Bu Eun-seol didn't answer immediately.
He hadn't even fully mastered Langya Pavilion's martial arts yet. Moreover, the Thousand Swords Society stood between the orthodox and unorthodox factions—a gathering of sword-obsessed madmen.
Was their sword technique truly something he needed?
"Just so you know, I'm not the only one searching for a prodigy to inherit the technique."
When Bu Eun-seol didn't respond at once, Yu Hwa-ryeong spoke in a suggestive tone.
"I've heard my senior brothers are already scouting for and bringing in masters from the Nine Great Sects and One Gang and the Eight Great Families. Rumor has it the eldest senior brother is even bringing a Great Righteous Expert from the Mount Hua Sect."
Yu Hwa-ryeong's expression turned serious as he addressed Bu Eun-seol.
"Going to our society won't be a bad thing for you. Why not come with me to Sichuan?"
Originally, Bu Eun-seol had intended to refuse.
But the moment he heard that various righteous faction masters would gather at the Thousand Swords Society, his thoughts shifted.
'If I play this right, I might get to see the masters of the Nine Great Sects and the Eight Great Families.'
From the perspective of righteous faction masters, the Eastern Drifters, Western Wanderers was a rogue market buried deep in the Hell Blood Citadel's territory.
That was why most renowned righteous faction experts hadn't attended the Martial Arts Tournament.
He had long wanted to witness the true strength of these famed martial artists firsthand.
'Not to mention, this is a perfect chance to investigate the Thousand Swords Society—something only rumors have spoken of until now.'
"Fine. I'll go."
"Excellent decision!"
Yu Hwa-ryeong's mouth stretched wide in delight as Bu Eun-seol agreed readily.
"You won't regret coming to our society!"
"I doubt I will."
Bu Eun-seol's lips curled into a cold smile.
Now he was heading to Sichuan, intent on crossing blades with the Righteous Path's Masters.