Chapter 824
Since the Martial Alliance's Grand Martial Training Ground was hosting a public meeting, countless spectators were watching with wide eyes.
No matter what schemes one might devise, everything would be exposed—rendering any effort utterly futile.
Moreover, Bu Eun-seol was currently imprisoned and subdued within the Prison.
Even after such a decision had been announced, he couldn't even protest and had no choice but to await his punishment.
Murmur, murmur.
By noon, the Grand Martial Training Ground was packed with countless martial artists.
They had gathered to deliberate on the matter concerning Seon-u Jin, the chief of the Secret Intelligence Bureau.
A large podium had been erected at the training ground, furnished with a table and chairs.
The setup was no different from that of a grand council meeting.
Thud, thud.
One by one, numerous high-ranking figures ascended the podium and began taking their seats.
They were all the leaders of the Alliance's halls, branches, and divisions, as well as the Martial Alliance's elders—its most esteemed figures.
Step, step.
Then, a tall, middle-aged man clad in white robes appeared on the training ground.
Jeong Cheon-je—Shin Do-mu-bi.
The current Martial Alliance chief had made his appearance.
Whoosh.
As the chief stepped forward, all the high-ranking figures rose from their seats and bowed in respect.
"Everyone, be seated."
His voice, his qi, his presence, the look in his eyes—
It was so indistinguishable that even if the real Shin Do-mu-bi had returned from the dead, one wouldn't have been able to tell the difference.
"Let us now begin the discussion regarding the disciplinary measures against Seon-u Jin, chief of the Secret Intelligence Bureau."
At last, the grand council meeting to decide Seon-u Jin's punishment had commenced.
"Chief of the Secret Intelligence Bureau, Seon-u Jin—step forward."
At Bukri Seung's call, from below the training ground—
Seon-u Jin, restrained by the Disciplinary Hall's masters, slowly ascended the podium.
His steps were unsteady, as his acupoints had been sealed by the Martial Venerable.
Whoosh.
Once Seon-u Jin stood tall before the assembled high-ranking figures, Jeong Cheon-je—
No, the Martial Venerable—spoke in a solemn voice.
"Seon-u Jin. Do you admit to being a spy of the Demonic Path?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Do you intend to deny it?"
Seon-u Jin silently glared at the Martial Venerable.
—On the contrary, I suspect the chief himself is the spy.
What would happen if I shouted that right now?
—Just examine whether the chief has disguised himself or not. If so, I'll say no more.
It would be pointless.
The Martial Venerable had surely prepared countermeasures in advance.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have convened this grand council meeting before so many witnesses.
Right now—
The Martial Venerable was fully prepared to expose the true identity of the man known as Seon-u Jin to the entire world.
"I'm not denying it—I'm asking."
Ultimately abandoning his plan to expose the Martial Venerable's true identity, Bu Eun-seol questioned,
"I don't understand why you're calling me a spy. Do you have proof?"
Instead of answering, the Martial Venerable nodded toward a masked man standing far below the podium.
He was the leader of the Azure Dragon Hall—the chief's personal covert unit.
Since members of such a secretive unit couldn't openly reveal themselves—
He had temporarily donned a mask to appear before the crowd.
Step, step.
The Azure Dragon Hall leader ascended the podium, bringing along a man whose face was concealed behind a mask.
The Martial Venerable glanced between the two before nodding.
"Remove his mask."
As the Azure Dragon Hall leader pulled off the mask—
—Gasp!
Exclamations of shock erupted from all directions.
The masked man's face was identical to that of Seon-u Jin standing on the podium.
"According to the Azure Dragon Hall leader, this man is Seon-u Jin."
The Martial Venerable spoke gravely as he stared at Seon-u Jin—
No, at Bu Eun-seol.
"The true heir of the Seonhwa Merchant House—the real Seon-u Jin."
The masked man was none other than—
The genuine Seon-u Jin, whom the Martial Venerable had painstakingly raised in secret for years, concealing his movements to maintain his dual identity.
Murmur, murmur.
The murmurs among the martial artists below the training ground grew uncontrollably.
They had doubted it all along, but—
Who would've thought the chief had secured and brought forth the real Seon-u Jin?
By presenting him here in the flesh—
The Seon-u Jin detained by the Disciplinary Hall could no longer provide any evidence proving he wasn't the real one.
"Now, speak truthfully."
The Martial Venerable's voice was low.
"Who you truly are, and what you want and why you infiltrated this Alliance."
As the one holding the identity of the Divine Calculator—
The Martial Venerable was not only highly intelligent but also meticulous in nature.
To ensure Bu Eun-seol couldn't resort to any excuses or tricks here—
He had brought forth the real Seon-u Jin, whom he had nurtured for so long.
"If you confess everything truthfully now, I will acknowledge it as a voluntary admission of guilt and reduce your punishment."
"..."
A silence as heavy as death settled over the Grand Martial Training Ground.
The man who had played the role of the Secret Intelligence Bureau chief all this time—
Just who was he, really?
How could a spy of the Demonic Path rise to the position of bureau chief without anyone knowing?
"I—"
Then, Seon-u Jin spoke.
"—am Seon-u Jin."
Murmur, murmur.
Once again, the training ground erupted in murmurs.
At this very moment, the Grand Martial Training Ground was filled with the Martial Alliance's high-ranking figures and all its forces.
And yet, even now, he dared to act defiantly and make such a claim?
"Because..."
He pointed at Seon-u Jin across from him with his finger.
"That man is an impostor."
Martial Venerable let out a low laugh, as if finding the situation absurd.
"I gave you a chance, but it seems there's no helping it."
Then he spoke to Bukri Seung.
"Vice Alliance Leader. Break his disguise at once."
Bukri Seung nodded.
Not only was his Internal Energy second only to Buddhist Venerable within the Righteous Faction,
but when it came to acupoint sealing, he was the most accomplished figure in the martial world.
If he were determined to verify a disguise? There would be absolutely no way to hide it.
"How deeply disappointing."
Bukri Seung approached the Grand Martial Training Ground with a solemn expression.
"I trusted you all along. Even when suspicions of being a spy were raised repeatedly, you always cleared them flawlessly."
Then he sighed heavily.
"But it seems that trust was entirely misplaced."
Bukri Seung raised his Internal Power.
With an expression of utmost sorrow, he extended his hand.
"Do you have any last words?"
"I, too, believed you were a fair man, Vice Alliance Leader. So I only ask that you reveal the truth clearly and unmistakably."
"Very well."
Tap.
Bukri Seung pressed his index finger against the exact center of Seon-u Jin's nape—
the hollow where the skull and spine met: the Wind Mansion acupoint.
All Yang Qi in the body surges upward through this Blood Circuit to the crown of the head.
Thus, sealing this acupoint could block Internal Energy flowing to the face.
But if Internal Energy were mistakenly poured into this point? It was a Death Point, instantly fatal.
No one would press here to verify a disguise.
But Bukri Seung was one of the world's foremost masters of acupoint sealing.
With precise control, he instantly blocked only the energy flowing to the face.
"..."
Yet something strange happened.
Despite accurately sealing the Wind Mansion acupoint, neither his face nor his disguise changed.
"Alliance Leader."
Bukri Seung turned to Martial Venerable with a baffled expression.
"Commander Seon-u is not using a disguise."
"What do you mean—"
Martial Venerable tilted his head slightly before speaking in a low voice.
"Could he be wearing a Human Skin Mask or using some other method of transformation? Examine him thoroughly for traces."
"Understood."
Turning back, Bukri Seung scrutinized Seon-u Jin's face once more.
After a long while of inspecting his features and checking his acupoints, he shook his head.
"There are no signs of transformation. It's completely clean."
"Surely not."
Martial Venerable, deep in thought, spoke again.
"Check if he's altered his face surgically."
"Absolutely not."
Bukri Seung's reply was firm.
"There are no traces of blade work on his face either."
"That can't be."
With an expression of disbelief, Martial Venerable immediately extended his hand, summoning his Internal Energy.
A transparent Shockwave of True Qi spread out, coiling around the impostor Seon-u Jin standing on the Grand Training Stage.
'Nothing.'
There was truly nothing.
Not only was there no disguise, but there were no traces of him having raised his Internal Energy either.
If he had deliberately used a blade to reshape his face? That wasn't the case either.
He truly bore the face of Seon-u Jin.
'Unless...'
A white light flickered in Martial Venerable's pupils.
At the same time, a transparent hand formed of Internal Energy began sweeping over Bu Eun-seol's body.
He activated the Heavenly Robe Mind Art, probing the flow of Bu Eun-seol's Internal Energy.
'This bastard!'
The corners of his eyes trembled faintly as he withdrew the technique.
The current Seon-u Jin—
was not subdued by the Heart-Sealing Acupoint Method he had applied earlier.
Instead, someone had sealed his dantian using an utterly ordinary technique.
Which meant...
'A swap?'
Martial Venerable shook his head.
Precisely in anticipation of such a possibility—
he had personally gone to the Prison to verify Bu Eun-seol disguised as Seon-u Jin.
And afterward, to prevent any chance of substitution, he had ordered the Prison to be heavily guarded for twelve double-hours.
So how could a swap have happened?
"Will you believe me now?"
Seon-u Jin smiled.
Seeing that smile, the scattered fragments in Martial Venerable's mind began fitting together.
'Then—!'
Martial Venerable summoned his Internal Energy, stirring a Micro-wind.
Whoosh.
Seon-u Jin's disheveled hair lifted into the air, revealing his earlobe—
where a tiny, distinct blood mark was clearly visible.
'So that's it.'
Martial Venerable's expression turned hollow.
The man he had assumed was Bu Eun-seol—
was in fact the real Seon-u Jin,
the Young Clan Head of Seonhwa Merchant House,
whom he himself had raised.
[How did you—]
As Martial Venerable sent the Voice Transmission,
the real Seon-u Jin—whom he had mistaken for Bu Eun-seol—responded in kind.
[Didn't you treat me like a dog, Elder? Keeping me locked away in darkness forever?]
Seon-u Jin stared straight at Martial Venerable as he spoke.
[But he promised me freedom. That I wouldn't have to hide for the rest of my life—that I could walk in the light.]
Martial Venerable was so furious, smoke might as well have poured from his ears.
'I've raised a traitor.'
Gazing into Seon-u Jin's hate-filled eyes, Martial Venerable clenched his fist tightly.
Only now...
Could he finally understand why the real Seon-u Jin, whom he had secretly brought into the Martial Alliance to topple Bu Eun-seol, stood before his very eyes.
And how Bu Eun-seol had managed to escape from the prison.
Because...
The one who had covertly brought the real Seon-u Jin into the Martial Alliance.
The one who had ordered Bu Eun-seol, already imprisoned, to be watched for twelve double-hours.
They were one and the same person.
"Vice Alliance Leader."
At that moment, the real Seon-u Jin turned to Bukri Seung and spoke in a clear, resonant voice.
"Shouldn't we now verify the identity of the one impersonating me?"
Bukri Seung nodded and addressed the Alliance Leader.
"It seems we must now inspect the person you brought with you, Alliance Leader."
The Martial Venerable remained silent.
He knew all too well who the Seon-u Jin he had brought truly was.
'Mu-gyeol.'
Unable to suppress the fury surging within him, the Martial Venerable clenched his fists.
'Why in the world would that bastard—?'
"There's no need for verification."
Just then, the fake Seon-u Jin strode steadily toward the center of the Grand Training Stage.
And immediately released his disguise.
Crack.
His face contorted, revealing the handsome, jade-like face of a man.
It was none other than Mu-gyeol, known to all as the Alliance Leader's disciple.
'Danmok Gi. Did you truly not foresee this outcome?'
He stared piercingly at the Martial Venerable, the corner of his lips curling upward.
And recalled the moment he had confronted Bu Eun-seol in private.
Flames seemed to leap from Mu-gyeol's eyes as Bu Eun-seol handed him the torn piece of paper.
It was a fragment of the Spring and Autumn Annals left behind by his master, Jeong Cheon-je.
Peeling back one layer of the paper, another smaller slip sprang free.
And there, written in Jeong Cheon-je's own hand, were these words:
―[Earlier sections omitted]... In the end, my sworn elder brother had to wander the martial world in my stead to complete the Grand Design.
I entrusted everything to him, relied on him—even imparting all the martial arts I had mastered in the Golden Thread Hidden Vault so he could accomplish the impossible.
...[Middle sections omitted].
Yet when he returned from Tibet, grievously wounded,
I sacrificed my own Internal Power to save him—only to discover it was all a ploy to seize my Golden Cicada True Qi.
Though I realized the truth too late... I showed no sign.
After all, time cannot be reversed. A burning tree must return to ashes—such is the Natural Order.
In the end, his deceit and betrayal shattered all our plans.
But we bury failure in the past, and place our hope once more in the future that awaits... [Later sections omitted].
Mu-gyeol's pupils trembled violently as he read the letter.
His master, Jeong Cheon-je—the undisputed Number One of the Righteous Path, a peerless Grandmaster who had never bowed to anyone—
Had suffered an inexplicable decline in his Internal Power and been plagued by a mysterious affliction.
And all along, the Martial Venerable had feigned injury to steal his master's Golden Cicada True Qi?
His betrayal had ruined everything?
So his master's suffering... was all because of the Martial Venerable?
Shudder.
Mu-gyeol could never forgive him.
"Will you help me now?"
At Bu Eun-seol's question, Mu-gyeol set the letter down with trembling hands.
Grind.
He bit his lips so hard the flesh split, blood trickling down.
"Of course I'll help."
As he swallowed the blood, a crimson light deeper than blood itself surged in his eyes.
"I'll make sure the Martial Venerable falls."
He exhaled ragged breaths, as though struggling to contain the fury threatening to erupt.
"Hall Leader Mu."
Noticing the pity in Bu Eun-seol's gaze, Mu-gyeol waved a hand and regained his composure.
"It's fine. I'd suspected as much. Only..."
Suppressing his anguish, he let out a bitter smile.
"It's agony knowing my master endured such pain for so long because of that vile man."
After a deep breath, he picked up the letter Bu Eun-seol had given him again.
A sharp glint flashed through his eyes as he scrutinized its contents.
"I've thought of a better method than what you've devised."
Setting the letter down, Mu-gyeol spoke with conviction.
"A way to ensnare Danmok Gi—more thoroughly than ever."
The linchpin of Bu Eun-seol's plan had always been
The whereabouts of the real Seon-u Jin, whom the Martial Venerable had kept hidden away.
His very existence was
Irrefutable proof that the head of the Martial Alliance's Secret Intelligence Bureau, Seon-u Jin, was a spy—an inescapable noose.
Which was why Bu Eun-seol had sought Mu-gyeol's help to track the man down before the Martial Venerable could.
"You intended to find and hide the real Seon-u Jin before the Martial Venerable could bring him into the Martial Alliance and play his tricks. Isn't that so?"
"Correct."
"No need for that."
Mu-gyeol's lips curved.
"The real Seon-u Jin despises the Martial Venerable."
Then he made a startling proposal.
"If we exploit that hatred, we needn't just conceal his whereabouts—we can recruit him to aid you and strike back at the Martial Venerable."
"Is that even possible?"
"He bitterly regrets being chosen by the Martial Venerable in his childhood. Because of that, he's spent his entire life under surveillance, forced to live in the shadows."
The Martial Venerable had taken Seon-u Jin, Seon-u Jin of the Seonhwa Merchant House, as his disciple when he was young.
At first, Seon-u Jin had been overjoyed.
After all, he had become the disciple of a Grandmaster whose name resounded throughout the Central Plains martial world.
But it didn't take long for him to realize—
That all of this was merely groundwork for the Martial Venerable's desire to create a flawless double identity.
That he himself was nothing more than a tool.
And as time passed—
When Bu Eun-seol finally took on the identity of Seon-u Jin,
The Martial Venerable confined the real Seon-u Jin to a hidden location, ensuring he could never step foot outside.
Thanks to that, Bu Eun-seol was handed a perfect identity that no one could doubt—
But the real Seon-u Jin was left to suffer endlessly.
"If you promise him freedom... No, if you give him the belief that he can escape the Martial Venerable's grasp, he will undoubtedly cooperate. Can you do it?"
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"I'll promise him a life free from the Martial Venerable's torment, a chance to walk in the light."
For a long time, Bu Eun-seol had envisioned a new righteous faction alliance—the Azure Heaven Alliance—and was now putting that plan into motion.
Not only that, but he also commanded exceptional subordinates and an immense intelligence network...
Ensuring the real Seon-u Jin could live openly wasn't an impossible task.
"But there's still one major problem left."
Mu-gyeol's expression darkened as he asked,
"Danmok Gi—didn't he implant the Three Corpse Worms in the Peak Realm Members? Those are Poison Parasites with no known antidote."
He was the Martial Venerable's right-hand man, privy to his every move.
Of course, he knew the Martial Venerable had poisoned the Peak Realm Members with the parasites.
"I've already dealt with it."
The answer came so easily that Mu-gyeol let out a hollow laugh.
"How? If you'd detoxified them, he would've noticed."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"Doesn't it suffice if the Poison Parasites remain alive?"
Hearing that, Mu-gyeol's mouth fell open as if he'd realized something.
"Don't tell me you..."
"That's right."
Bu Eun-seol patted his stomach.
"All the Poison Parasites are inside me now."
When Bu Eun-seol had returned to the Martial Alliance, he gathered the unit members and detoxified them of the Poison Parasites first.
Naturally, the members had looked uneasy. If this were discovered, the Martial Venerable would know.
—You needn't worry about us.
Tae Mu-ryong and all the other members shook their heads with concern in their eyes.
What if the Martial Venerable found out they'd been detoxified? Everything Bu Eun-seol had planned would be ruined.
—There's no need to worry.
Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly.
—He will never find out.
During that time, Bu Eun-seol had studied countless texts and poison techniques.
But he had found no way to sever the spiritual link between the Three Corpse Worms and their caster.
No—there was simply no way to find one.
It was that there was no solution—not when the Martial Venerable, the Foremost Sage of the Murim, had guaranteed it.
'If I can't detoxify them... what if I just absorb them into my body instead?'
After much deliberation, Bu Eun-seol had devised an ingenious method.
Having attained the Poison Saint Body, he could neither be harmed by any poison nor fail to detoxify any poison.
Meaning, even if the Three Corpse Worms entered his body, they could do him no harm.
—Absolutely not.
The members had desperately tried to stop him.
At least, until Bu Eun-seol proved he had indeed achieved the Poison Saint Body.
—When did you even reach the Poison Saint Body...?
Once they grasped the situation, the members couldn't hide their shock and admiration.
Bu Eun-seol had never trained in poison techniques before.
To ensure no intelligence organization could trace his movements, they had meticulously tracked his every step.
Yet in none of his past activities had there been any opportunity for him to learn or refine poison arts.
So how—when—had he reached the Poison Saint Body, a stage just below the Sage Among Poisons?
—We don't have time. Let's hurry.
Once he had convinced them, Bu Eun-seol employed the Poison-for-Poison Transfer Method—
Drawing every last Three Corpse Worm from the members' bodies into his own.
Hearing Bu Eun-seol's explanation, Mu-gyeol's mouth fell open just as the Peak Realm Members' had back then.
"If you transferred the Three Corpse Worms into your own body, that means you've mastered a terrifying poison technique... When in the world did you learn such a thing?"
Bu Eun-seol brushed it off vaguely.
"I didn't learn poison techniques. I studied various methods to detoxify them, and in the process, ended up absorbing many poisons."
"Well, whatever. It's fine."
Mu-gyeol pressed further.
"Your plan is flawless, but there's one obstacle left."
"And what would that be?"
"The fact that Danmok Gi has another identity—the Divine Calculator."
The Foremost Sage of the Murim.
That title wasn't simply due to his exceptional wisdom.
He could unravel any difficult problem in an instant and predict future events with uncanny accuracy.
"He's prepared to defend against every arrow aimed at him. And who knows? He may have already devised a strategy to completely dismantle your plans."
"You're right."
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"But he is not a god."
"What do you mean?"
"No matter how brilliant a person is, there are things even they cannot foresee."
"Then...?"
"It's already happened."
A faint smile curled at the corner of Bu Eun-seol's lips.
Mu-gyeol couldn't understand.
Just what could have happened—
That even the Divine Calculator, the man known as the wisest in the world—
Could never have predicted?