Chapter 822
Drip, drip, drip.
After walking for a long while, the sound of a flowing river reached his ears before he realized it.
Beyond the forest ahead, the riverbank would come into view.
Gongson Dan-gyeong had likely planned to escape via that river—or perhaps to die rather than surrender.
Crash, rustle.
As the forest came into sight, Bu Eun-seol unfurled the Willful True Binding once more and began felling the trees.
Float.
The severed trees hovered in midair.
As the blades of true qi began meticulously cutting the wood again, joints and seams formed until a single shape took form.
It was a coffin.
Whisper, whisper.
Bu Eun-seol could have crafted the coffin swiftly if he wished.
But he was taking his time, pouring his devotion into creating an exquisitely refined coffin with utmost care.
All the while, she lay as if asleep in his arms.
In the past, he might have used the Glacier Thousand Streams Art to lightly freeze her body.
But now, there was no need.
With his Internal Power having reached ten cycles and the Three Divine Powers at his disposal, he could reach the Gongson Clan in less than a day.
"You'll be home soon," Bu Eun-seol murmured tenderly, as if speaking to a lover, while gazing at the coffin taking shape in the air.
"Rest easy there."
Gongson Dan-gyeong wore a peaceful expression, as though merely sleeping.
The sunlight was bright, the breeze refreshing.
Even in death, the world around her remained beautiful and abundant—why, he couldn't fathom.
"You've shouldered too much all this time. Perhaps it's good to rest awhile by your parents' side."
In his eyes, fixed on the distant sky, a bloody radiance flickered like raging flames.
"While you rest there, I'll take care of every last one who dared lay a hand on you."
His objective had shifted.
First, deliver her body to the Gongson Clan without delay—then leave the Martial Alliance immediately.
Under the guise of Seon-u Jin.
Track down every last person who had harmed Gongson Dan-gyeong and slaughter them all without exception.
Creak.
Finally, as the coffin was completed, Bu Eun-seol carefully laid her inside.
Ssssssss—
At that moment, the world darkened, and pitch-black shadows swarmed densely around Bu Eun-seol.
The Masters of the Jungson Clan, having traced Gongson Dan-gyeong's whereabouts, had converged upon this place.
Their numbers totaled five hundred.
These were all warriors who could wield the power of the One Hundred and Eight Stars through the Boundary-Prosperity Jade or the Yang Essence Ritual.
In terms of martial might, they were equivalent to five thousand ordinary troops.
Screech.
Yet Bu Eun-seol acted as though he didn't see them, gently settling Gongson Dan-gyeong inside before closing the coffin lid.
Thud.
Then, shouldering the coffin, he began walking forward once more.
—Charge!
As if recognizing Bu Eun-seol disguised as Seon-u Jin, they launched an all-out assault.
Empowered by the One Hundred and Eight Stars, the surrounding roughly a thousand feet of ground darkened, and bizarre forces surged around his body.
Yet neither the black energy rising from the ground.
Nor the power of the One Hundred and Eight Stars blanketing hundreds of feet.
Could touch Bu Eun-seol.
Splurt.
Simultaneously, the throats of the charging Jungson Clan Masters erupted in sprays of blood.
Bu Eun-seol's extrasensory perception had already enveloped the entire forest.
Not a single breath, not a single movement of the Jungson Clan's warriors escaped his notice.
Because he had to slaughter them all.
Not a single one could be left alive.
Splaaash!
The Willful True Binding, sensing his intent—the blade of black true qi.
Severed their necks, transcending the constraints of space and distance.
Long ago, Bu Eun-seol had not only reached the Beyond-Limit Return to Origin realm but had also attained the Extreme Realm in Internal Power.
Splurt! Slice!
With each step he took bearing the coffin, the warriors who rushed at him collapsed without even a scream, blood gushing from their throats.
—Ugh.
The Jungson Clan warriors, who had been fiercely attacking, suddenly hesitated and froze mid-movement.
He was merely walking with serene, flowing steps, like water.
Yet heads kept falling ceaselessly.
No flash, no form.
They couldn't even perceive what kind of attack was unleashed, let alone how their necks were being severed.
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
The Willful True Binding Bu Eun-seol wielded was no different from that of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
The fury erupting within him merged with the divine function of the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi.
Transcending the limits of distance, the Willful True Binding had become nothing less than the very essence of demonic terror.
Step, step.
Unconcerned, Bu Eun-seol continued walking, his hollow eyes never sparing them a glance.
The space around him seemed severed from the world, his footsteps irregular and slow.
Unresponsive to the sounds and movements around him, as though retreating into a world of his own...
Whoosh!Fwoooosh!
Regardless, the necks of the Jungson Clan warriors continued to fall without end.
Thud.
In the end, of the five hundred troops, fewer than a hundred remained.
A massive force—one that could have shattered even a great martial sect in a single strike—
Had been utterly annihilated by a single man in less than the time it takes to finish a meal.
—That man is the Death God.
Stagger, stagger.
The surviving warriors, gripped by terror, instinctively took steps backward without realizing it.
"What is this?"
A low voice spoke, and a shadow arrived behind the warriors.
The figure carried a large bundle on his back like a traveling merchant, wearing a bizarre ceremonial hat.
At a glance, it was clear—this was the commander who had led the Jungson Clan's great army.
"Sword King, Seon-u Jin. How is a young Grandmaster of the Righteous Path using the True Qi Martial Arts of the Demonic Path?"
The middle-aged man had discerned the technique Bu Eun-seol used—
The blade of True Qi, moving at speeds invisible to the eye, was unmistakably the martial art of the Demonic Path.
"I don't know how you managed this, but—"
The middle-aged man couldn't finish his sentence.
The sky darkened abruptly, and a blade hundreds of feet in size descended upon his head.
Mind Sword.
It had been materialized through the Willful True Binding, taking on a colossal form.
Kwoong!
A jade-green energy erupted from the middle-aged man's body as he caught the Mind Sword with both hands.
Earth Strength Star.
Within his Domain, the middle-aged man possessed the power of the Earth Strength Star—an unbreakable force, impervious to any external strength.
"Hmph. No matter what you do, you cannot shatter this body—"
His words were cut short.
Crackle, crackle—
Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet split apart, and—
Shooooooo!Kwaaaaaa!
His body was driven endlessly downward, buried deep into the earth.
Bu Eun-seol had poured out over ten cycles worth of Internal Energy, forcing the middle-aged man's body into the abyss below.
"Aaaaah!"
From the bottomless black pit, the man's agonized screams echoed.
The earth continued to split, and the desperate cries gradually faded into the distance.
That unbreakable body of the Earth Strength Star was being crushed deeper and deeper into the earth.
"..."
Before long, the screams could no longer be heard.
It was impossible to guess just how far down he had been buried.
The warriors trembled in terror.
They did not possess the true power of the One Hundred and Eight Stars—only a temporary fragment of it.
There was no way they could defeat Bu Eun-seol, with his monstrous martial arts and overwhelming Internal Energy.
No—even if he merely lifted a finger, they would die.
Shiver, shiver.
The warriors stood frozen like statues, their bodies trembling faintly.
Even if they resolved themselves to a glorious last stand, they wouldn't even leave a scratch on him.
Their bodies had frozen stiff from sheer helplessness and terror.
—To think the Sword King Seon-u Jin was such a monster.
That became the last thought the warriors would ever have.
Thud, thud, thud.
Before they knew it, the remaining hundred warriors' heads tumbled to the ground like fallen leaves.
Five hundred troops.
The warriors of the Jungson Clan, dispatched to destroy the Blood Heaven Blood Fate Corps—
Had been completely exterminated by Bu Eun-seol's hand.
"For now, this will suffice."
Bu Eun-seol murmured softly.
"Once I have settled all matters with the Martial Alliance, I will hunt down every faction that dared touch the Chief Strategist and wipe them from existence."
Whoooosh—
A fierce wind surged around Bu Eun-seol's body.
The Land-Flying Technique, combining his immense Internal Energy with the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi, unfolded.
Swoooosh.
Bu Eun-seol rose into the sky, his posture rigid.
Two hundred feet, three hundred feet, four hundred feet...
Finally reaching a dizzying height where the surrounding landscape could be taken in at a glance, he—
Moved forward like an immortal riding the clouds.
Thanks to the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi, no sound of wind or tearing air could be heard.
It was as silent as sitting in the teahouse, gliding forward in perfect stillness.
"All this time, I've felt so terribly sorry. It felt as though I was using you for my own purposes."
Even as he traveled toward the Gongson Clan, Bu Eun-seol spoke to Gongson Dan-gyeong as if she were still alive—
As if she could still hear him from within the coffin.
It is said that when a person dies, they do not immediately realize their own death.
For a time, their spirit lingers near their lifeless body, able to hear the words of the living.
And so, Bu Eun-seol continued to speak to Gongson Dan-gyeong, who had breathed her last in his arms—
So that she would not have to journey to the Underworld in loneliness.
"I too entered the Martial Alliance for revenge, just like you."
Bu Eun-seol spoke in a low voice as he gazed at the scenery unfolding beyond the white clouds.
"My grandfather took me in as an orphan and raised me with love. But as it turned out, he was a retired martial artist... who was murdered by an unknown assassin."
Gliding through the sky with the Earth Wandering Immortal Art—a technique surpassing ordinary Lightness Skill—he continued his story.
"I thought the killer belonged to the Demonic Path, so I joined the Demon Hall and became one of the Ten Demonic Heirs. But after countless hardships, when I finally found a lead to the culprit... they turned out to be one of the Seven Great Leaders of the Martial Alliance."
Bu Eun-seol vented his frustration at having been unable to exact revenge even now.
"Whether it's the Righteous Path or the Demonic Path, it matters not to me. If I can just take vengeance on the brutal killer who murdered my grandfather... I would do anything."
Rustle.
At that moment, a subtle movement came from within the coffin.
But Bu Eun-seol wasn't particularly startled.
It was common for a corpse's limbs to move when rigor mortis set in.
Perhaps her soul had heard everything and was now departing for the heavens.
Whoosh.
All the while, his body continued cutting through the open sky.
No matter how exceptional one's Lightness Skill, flying endlessly through the air while carrying a heavy coffin was impossible.
But thanks to his unparalleled internal energy—cultivated over ten cycles—and the power of the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi...
Bu Eun-seol could part the heavens as serenely as a soaring bird.
Whoosh.
Before he knew it, the Gongson Clan's manor below had shrunk to a mere speck.
Swoosh.
Bu Eun-seol descended not toward the main gate, but toward the Inner Courtyard where Gongson Hwa-uk resided.
There was no need to show the servants Gongson Dan-gyeong's death prematurely.
Zzzzt.
But then, something bizarre happened.
As he tried to land in the Gongson estate, an inexplicable force surrounded him like an invisible wall, barring his descent.
'No choice.'
Crackle—!
Purple lightning erupted from Bu Eun-seol's body.
He unleashed his Thunder Essence Divine Qi, attempting to forcibly break through the boundary formation laid over the Gongson estate.
Flash! Crackle—!
Bu Eun-seol channeled the Thunder Essence Divine Qi downward.
Yet, astonishingly, the transparent barrier refused to shatter easily.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Not only that—suddenly, the sound of bell striking rang out, and servants began pouring out from within the Gongson estate.
'A non-martial clan has security this tight?'
Just as Bu Eun-seol was baffled—
Rumble.
Before he knew it, the gathered servants had lifted their heads, glaring at him with blazing eyes as he hovered midair.
'No other way.'
Reluctantly, Bu Eun-seol descended toward the main gate.
Creeak.
The gate swung open, and dozens of servants rushed out, surrounding him.
Judging by their movements and gazes, each was undoubtedly a martial master of considerable skill.
"Greetings."
After setting down the coffin, Bu Eun-seol bowed politely to the servants.
"You are...?"
The servants brightened upon recognizing the face of Seon-u Jin—Bu Eun-seol's current disguise.
"Young Master Seon-u, is it not?"
Seon-u Jin and Gongson Dan-gyeong were publicly acknowledged as a couple.
After all, even Gongson Hwa-uk had approved of their relationship.
In essence, he was practically the Gongson Clan's prospective son-in-law.
"But why didn't you come through the main gate? Using Lightness Skill to enter the main estate..."
"My apologies. I was in a hurry to see the Family Head and made a grave mistake."
"But that is...?"
The servants paled as their eyes fell upon the coffin Bu Eun-seol had set down.
Why would the young man the eldest daughter's husband, the future son-in-law of the Gongson Clan...
be carrying what looked like a freshly made coffin?
"This is..."
Just as Bu Eun-seol lowered his head and opened his mouth—
"Who has arrived?"
A deep, powerful voice rang from within.
A middle-aged man with jade-like features and an elegant middle-aged woman walked out side by side.
It was none other than Gongson Hwa-uk and his wife.
"Well, what brings you here so suddenly?"
Gongson Hwa-uk's face lit up when he spotted Bu Eun-seol, and he moved to approach.
But then, he froze mid-step.
Bu Eun-seol's gaze was unbearably dark.
And above all—he had seen the coffin placed beside him.
"What... is this coffin?"
As Gongson Hwa-uk's expression stiffened, Bu Eun-seol bowed his head once more.
During his journey here, he had agonized endlessly over what to say in this very moment.
He had resolved to explain calmly, to minimize the shock to the couple.
But now, faced with Gongson Hwa-uk's expression, the words wouldn't come easily.
"Family Head."
After a long hesitation, Bu Eun-seol finally bowed his head with utmost solemnity.
"I apologize."
Stagger.
At that moment, Ok Jeong-yeong, the wife standing beside Gongson Hwa-uk, clutched her forehead and swayed unsteadily.
Just from Bu Eun-seol's expression alone, she had realized whose body lay inside that coffin.
"What... are you saying right now...?"
Ok Jeong-yeong's voice trembled with anguish.
The couple had already lost a beloved daughter once, long ago.
And though this one was adopted, they had believed Heaven had granted them another chance—raising her with even greater love.
But... for this daughter, too, to return as a corpse?
"D-Dan-gyeong...?"
Ok Jeong-yeong stumbled forward toward the coffin.
Then, with trembling hands, she carefully lifted the lid.
"Dan-gyeong!"
Inside, Gongson Dan-gyeong lay as if asleep, her eyes closed in serene repose.
When the outer shroud was pulled aside—
Her clothes were torn in places, stained with dark blood, as though she had endured terrible suffering.
"Dan-gyeong—!"
Ok Jeong-yeong's heart-wrenching scream echoed through the Gongson estate.
The wailing of parents who had lost their child froze time itself, evaporating even the air around them.
"How could you—?!"
Her sobs cut off abruptly as she collapsed, unconscious.
"My lady."
Gongson Hwa-uk steadied his wife before turning to the attendants.
"Take her inside."
The servants rushed over and carefully carried Ok Jeong-yeong back into the estate.
Gongson Hwa-uk took a deep breath and slowly approached the coffin.
No matter how many times he blinked or wiped his eyes—
The figure inside was unmistakably his daughter, Gongson Dan-gyeong.
"What happened?"
At his question, Bu Eun-seol answered with a pained expression.
"The Chief Strategist was ambushed."
"By whom?"
"Troops from the Jungson Clan—one of the Three Great Martial Families."
"The Jungson Clan?"
Gongson Hwa-uk's eyes flashed.
"You're telling me a clan of legend attacked Gyeong-i?"
"Yes."
"Then they must have sent those who wield the power of the One Hundred and Eight Stars."
"You knew?"
It was astonishing.
Gongson Hwa-uk had never shown the slightest interest in Murim affairs.
And yet, despite the Gongson family not even being a Martial Clan, he was aware of the Jungson Clan's movements?
"This..."
Just then, Gongson Hwa-uk's pupils sharpened as he scrutinized Dan-gyeong's body inside the coffin.
"What's wrong?"
Even at Bu Eun-seol's question, Gongson Hwa-uk remained lost in thought, as though piecing together some deep realization.
After standing motionless for a long moment, he finally turned to Bu Eun-seol and spoke.
"What do you intend to do now?"
"I plan to leave the Martial Alliance. And... I will hunt down every last person who harmed the Chief Strategist—including the Jungson Clan—and make them pay."
"I see."
Gongson Hwa-uk nodded slowly.
"Very well."
Whoosh.
Then, using his internal energy, he lifted the coffin containing his daughter's body with the utmost care.
"The rest is for this Family Head to handle. You may go now."
"Family Head."
Bu Eun-seol wanted to offer words of comfort to Gongson Hwa-uk, who must have been devastated.
But he hesitated.
Because the man's expression was eerily composed.
He didn't look like someone who had just lost a beloved daughter.
'The grief is too overwhelming—he can't even express it.'
During his time as an undertaker, Bu Eun-seol had seen countless people like this.
Parents who had lost their children, in particular, often became unnaturally calm—so shocked that they couldn't even feel pain.
Instead, they would fret over the exhaustion and hardship of the undertakers performing the rites.
Because, in their hearts, even the capacity to grieve had been utterly extinguished.
"I'm sorry."
Bu Eun-seol bowed in shame.
"Once I've settled everything, I will return and pay my respects to you, Family Head."
He clasped his hands together in a final salute.
"Then."
"Commander Seon-u."
Gongson Hwa-uk's voice resonated softly.
"Don't worry. Everything will be all right."
Bu Eun-seol froze mid-step.
He was the one who needed comfort—so why was he offering reassurance?
"Yes. I will do my utmost until the very end."
Bu Eun-seol bowed once more before turning sharply and striding out of the Gongson estate.
His eyes, fixed on the distant sky, burned like the sun itself.
"Martial Venerable!"
The Jungson Clan was Dan-gyeong's enemy—of course, they had to be destroyed.
And the one who had ordered them to attack her—the Martial Venerable—would be dealt with as well.
Flutter.
Just then, a hawk descended from the sky, circling Bu Eun-seol before landing gracefully.
It was a pigeon message service hawk—used by the Death Soul Squad to deliver urgent missives.
Rustle.
As Bu Eun-seol unfurled the letter tied to its leg, his eyes flashed.
The message contained the reply he had been waiting for.
The final piece of his long-laid plans had now fallen perfectly into place.
From this moment on—it was time to strike back.