Chapter 830
The Martial Venerable once again left the Martial Alliance under the pretext of entering closed-door cultivation.
Such a decision would erode the support of the martial artists within the Alliance and send public opinion plummeting to disastrous levels.
Yet the Martial Venerable was a figure who acted strategically, piercing through the shallow psychology of the fickle masses.
He knew all too well that if the controversial figure remained within the Alliance, the spark of dissent would only grow.
Even if it meant enduring criticism, he understood that temporarily entering seclusion was ultimately the wiser choice.
Of course, it wasn't merely to quell the unrest.
In this situation, his absence would reveal how the factions lurking within the Martial Alliance would react—
It was to discern who truly followed him and who harbored enmity.
"Hah..."
The Martial Venerable, who had been gazing at the distant sky, let out a deep sigh.
Having even dismissed his closest aides, he secluded himself in a remote mountain valley to steady his mind.
His once-straight back was now hunched as if bearing a heavy burden, and his eyes, fixed on the void, were utterly empty.
Crouched like a wounded beast, he could no longer endure the suffocating frustration and lightly activated his movement technique, ascending the mountain.
Before he knew it, he had arrived at a cliff deep within the mountains, leaning against a boulder bathed in moonlight.
"Has my mind rusted so thoroughly now?"
Neither Seon-u Jin, Gongson Dan-gyeong, and Bukgung Ryeong's departure from the Martial Alliance—
Nor Bukgung Ryeong's establishment of the Azure Heaven Alliance had been events he anticipated.
"Why does Heaven refuse to understand my heart?"
Because of this incident—
The grand plans he had meticulously built over time had all crumbled, and as the Alliance Chief, he had lost his authority.
But what tormented him most of all...
Was that there was not a single soul to whom he could bare his true feelings.
'It wasn't merely for my personal greed.'
Betraying the sworn brother he had cherished more than life itself, persuading and manipulating countless individuals—
Had not been for his own glory, but for the sake of his own vision of the Greater Righteousness.
Because the ordinary path would never suffice.
Because he knew all too well the 'Laws' that the world remained ignorant of.
'And to think Mu-gyeol was his disciple...'
The betrayal of Mu-gyeol, his beloved disciple, had also been a shock.
Despite having numerous trusted subordinates, he had always distrusted and doubted others.
Yet, in his heart, he had placed his faith in Mu-gyeol.
Otherwise, he would never have entrusted him with the many covert operations he had been conducting.
But Mu-gyeol had been the sworn brother's disciple.
He would never forgive him.
Swoosh—
As the Martial Venerable rose to his feet, an empty sigh spilled from his lips.
"When did this body become a villain of the world?"
He wanted to summon Mu-gyeol and ask—
Did you truly believe I coveted our sworn brother's martial arts and Internal Power so desperately that I stole them?
But it was impossible.
After the incident involving Seon-u Jin and Gongson Dan-gyeong, Mu-gyeol had secretly left the Martial Alliance, vanishing without a trace thereafter.
Fully aware of the intelligence network he operated, Mu-gyeol would remain unfindable unless he wished to be found.
Ziiing—
Then, abruptly, faint lights began gathering in the space behind the Martial Venerable.
At first, they appeared as mere specks of light, but they gradually expanded, their forms and colors shifting incessantly.
As the radiance grew brighter—
Before long, a distinct shape began forming at its center.
The outline sharpened further, and like something rising from water, a human figure took perfect form.
The Martial Venerable could only widen his eyes in shock.
No matter how unsettled his Spirit and Mind might be—
How could he have failed to sense someone approaching right before him? How was this possible?
'The Demonic Heavenly Emperor?'
At present, the only master in the martial world capable of evading his perception was the Demonic Heavenly Emperor.
'No... No.'
The shadow before him radiated an otherworldly Qi Wave—one that should not exist in this realm.
And that Qi Wave froze the surrounding air, pressing all existence into darkness.
[Martial Venerable, Danmok Gi.]
Yet the figure shrouded in light spoke words he had never anticipated.
[Will you become the Lord of Martial God Heaven?]
The Martial Venerable's pupils trembled like rippling water.
Martial God Heaven.
Was it not one of the Four Divine Heavens—a realm above even the Human Heavens that roamed the martial world, wielding absolute martial arts?
Servants of the True Demon.
'Have the Four Divine Heavens appeared in the martial world?'
For three hundred years, the Four Divine Heavens had not manifested in the martial world.
Yet now, not only had they emerged without warning, but they had also chosen him as their successor?
"Was the reason they hadn't appeared until now... not due to a Restrictive Seal like the Human Heavens, but because they were searching for a successor?"
At the Martial Venerable's words, the shadow sneered.
[You know much.]
Then, with an indifferent voice, it nodded.
[From our Heaven's perspective, that is indeed the case.]
The Martial Venerable's eyes flashed.
Judging by its tone, the shadow seemed not to be the Martial God Heaven Lord himself, but a subordinate delivering a message.
"Are you saying the Martial God Heaven Lord has chosen me as his successor?"
[Close enough. You will inherit the power of our Heaven.]
The Martial Venerable took a deep breath.
Even the Human Heavens were terrifyingly powerful beings beyond the martial world's capacity to handle.
Yet now, the incomparable Four Divine Heavens were selecting him as their successor?
"I fail to see what you could have seen in me to elevate me as the Martial God Heaven Lord. Don't tell me you've been observing me all this time."
[Danmok Gi.]
The shadow spoke irritably.
[All you need to do is answer yes or no.]
'Martial God Heaven...'
If he obtained the power of the Martial God Heaven Lord, he could instantly rebuild all the plans that had collapsed until now.
Moreover, it would allow him to suppress those insolent old monsters of the Elders' Hall in one fell swoop.
'But I don't know how much these bastards already know about me.'
"I refuse."
Contrary to his inner thoughts, the Martial Venerable spoke coldly.
"Why would I need to become a Servant of the True Demon?"
To the outside world, he was a master of all martial arts, and with Jeong Cheon-je gone, he was now the Number One of the Righteous Path.
Becoming a Servant of the True Demon, an entity said to bring ruin to the world, was utterly absurd.
[Is that why someone who claims to lack nothing has been desperately searching for the Baekri Clan Secret Vault?]
The shadow uttered words so shocking they could have made the Martial Venerable's face burn with shame.
[You've been searching like a madman for the key to break the Baekri Clan's Absolute Boundary.]
'At least they haven't discovered that I've been acting as Jeong Cheon-je.'
Under the guise of the Divine Calculator, the Martial Venerable had been relentlessly searching for the Baekri Clan Secret Vault.
The True Demon, wary of the Baekri Clan, must have been seeking the vault long before he had.
So it wasn't entirely surprising that the Servants of the True Demon had noticed his pursuit.
'Right now, I need power.'
The Martial Venerable clenched his fist.
After coming this far...
After betraying even the sworn brother who had saved his life, pushing him into the abyss of death—
He couldn't let it end like this.
"How curious."
Suppressing the turbulent thoughts in his mind, the Martial Venerable narrowed his sharp eyes with a composed expression.
"Offering the power of the True Demon to someone seeking the Baekri Clan's strength? Is the Martial God Heaven Lord truly so magnanimous?"
[You truly talk too much.]
The shadow replied coldly.
[I know why you're hesitating. But in the end, the Lord of Heaven will learn everything.]
'Not "knows," but "will learn"...'
Just as the Martial Venerable's mind raced like lightning—
[If anything, it's only because you sacrificed those around you without hesitation and endured the Covenant to the end that this fortune has come to you...]
The shadow turned away, as if there was nothing left to say.
[Your silence tells me you refuse.]
'That means I'm not the only candidate for successor.'
The Martial Venerable tightened his fist.
Rather than clinging to the uncertain hope of finding the Baekri Clan Secret Vault...
Becoming one of the Four Divine Heavens immediately was, without a doubt, the superior choice.
'But becoming a Servant of the True Demon...'
The martial world didn't know.
They didn't understand what it truly meant to become one.
But the Martial Venerable did.
He knew exactly what it meant to become a servant of one beyond the Human Heavens—and what consequences would follow.
'No. I can overcome it.'
Having made his decision, he spoke calmly.
"I'll do it."
He shouted once more at the shadow.
"Take me to the Martial God Heaven."
[Not take you. You must go yourself.]
"Where is it?"
The shadow replied in a low voice.
[Ghost Island.]
Ghost Island.
The place where, in the past, the Ten Weapons of the World had been used as bait, leading to a brutal massacre involving the Bullet King and Renowned Heroes...
Where Bu Eun-seol had obtained Bu Jan-yang's sword hilt and the Bloody Tears Seven Forms, which had been secretly hidden.
[Do you have the resolve to go?]
The Martial Venerable nodded.
"Of course."
For now, this was the best course of action.
Everything he had planned had already crumbled.
Becoming the Martial God Heaven Lord would allow him to recover it all in an instant.
Azure Heaven Alliance, Grand Conference Hall.
A middle-aged woman with sharp, handsome features sat there, clad in snow-white robes as pure as snowflakes.
It was none other than So Yeong-hwa, the Sect Leader of the Snowflower Sect.
As soon as the Azure Heaven Alliance's founding ceremony began, she had arrived—as if she had been waiting—to seek out Seon-u Jin, now a Peak Leader.
"Sect Leader."
When Bu Eun-seol, disguised as Seon-u Jin, greeted her warmly, So Yeong-hwa spoke.
"I trust you've been well all this time."
Not only could So Yeong-hwa still not gauge Seon-u Jin's aura,
But seeing the faint aura of a Grandmaster emanating from him, she nodded in satisfaction.
"Yes, and you?"
"I have."
"The reason I've come to find you is to finally discuss the matter of your lifelong commitment."
So Yeong-hwa's expression turned solemn.
"You defied the Divine Calculator's advice to never sever ties with the Martial Alliance and joined the Azure Heaven Alliance... all for Hyang-a's sake. She insisted she must follow her future husband."
Her gaze, fixed on Bu Eun-seol in his Seon-u Jin disguise, was utterly composed as she continued.
"Now that my sect has broken the Restrictive Seal and begun stretching its limbs, so to speak, and staked the survival of my sect on this new coalition... shouldn't you give me a clear answer?"
Bu Eun-seol had never once contacted the Snowflower Sect to urge them to join the Azure Heaven Alliance.
But the moment So Yeong-hwa heard rumors of Seon-u Jin's membership, she swiftly enrolled her sect as well.
And now, she was pressing him for an answer.
"Sect Leader, I—"
"Ah, forgive me. I shouldn't be demanding an answer from you."
As So Yeong-hwa cut him off, Bu Eun-seol was reminded once again of one thing:
The people of the Snowflower Sect never—
listened to more than a word or two of what others said.
"Hyang-a will be here soon. You can give her your definitive answer."
So Yeong-hwa's expression turned bitter.
"That's why I came here in the first place."
It seemed even the fiery-tempered So Yeong-hwa couldn't resist her daughter's stubbornness.
'This is trouble.'
So Eun-hyang was blindly devoted in matters of affection—
and even more hot-tempered than the Great Demons, whose emotions were impossible to read.
In the past, simply because he hadn't given a clear answer, she—
"Didn't she slaughter all the Martial Alliance Elders before taking her own blade to her throat?"
That was no mere threat.
Because she was precisely the kind of person who would carry out such words without hesitation.
"This time, it would be wise to give her a clear answer. Even I, as her mother, can't rein in that child's temperament."
So Yeong-hwa rose from her seat.
"Ah, and I also intend to attend the founding ceremony."
"Sect Leader, I—"
"I must go meet with the Northern Palace Alliance Leader now. Do speak with her properly."
And before Bu Eun-seol could even respond, she spun on her heel and vanished.
Hmm.
Bu Eun-seol sank into deep contemplation.
He had overcome every trial without surrender or despair.
No matter how impossible the challenge, he had always unraveled it with ingenious schemes.
But matters involving women were different.
I don't understand.
Gongson Dan-gyeong's situation had driven this truth painfully home.
That he could neither fathom nor predict a woman's heart.
Grandfather...
Unbidden, Bu Jan-yang's face surfaced in his mind.
Even his grandfather, who could read and anticipate everything, had never once imparted any wisdom regarding women.
Perhaps even Grandfather struggled with the same problem...
And then an absurd thought struck him.
...and never found the answer, even in his twilight years.
Knock knock.
Just then, the sound of rapping echoed through the conference hall.
Bu Eun-seol instinctively knew—So Eun-hyang had come.
"Who—"
Slam.
Before he could finish asking, the doors swung open, and a stunning beauty clad in a rose-hued palace dress strode in.
Her glossy black hair cascaded down to her waist, and her skin was like translucent white jade, her eyes a striking contrast of dark and light.
Especially those irises—shimmering with shifting hues under the light, as if starlight had been scattered across the depths of a tranquil lake, exuding an otherworldly mystique.
It was none other than So Eun-hyang, the Snowflower Sect's Young Sect Leader.
"Husband."
The moment she entered, So Eun-hyang rushed forward and threw her arms around him.
As her soft embrace enveloped him, he felt as though he were cradling a cloud—her touch delicate, the faint scent of fresh fruit teasing his nose.
"I missed you."
She buried her face against his chest, nuzzling deeply, and Bu Eun-seol stiffened like a stone statue.
"Husband?"
Only then did he snap back to his senses, gently pushing her away as he offered a polite bow.
"You've been well, I trust. Young Sect Leader So."
"What's this? Such formalities."
So Eun-hyang glared at him, her eyes brimming with hurt.
"Anyone would think you were greeting a complete stranger."
"My apologies. It's just that I—"
"I know you're shy. But it's high time you changed, don't you think?"
"I don't particularly intend to—"
"No. I will. I'll be more proactive from now on."
Cutting him off mid-sentence, So Eun-hyang flashed a radiant smile, her pearly teeth on full display.
For a moment, the dim conference hall seemed to brighten.
But in stark contrast, Bu Eun-seol's expression darkened visibly.
Because her relentless, shocking declarations showed no sign of stopping.
"After all, we'll soon be husband and wife."
Perhaps slightly embarrassed, she lowered her head, twirling a lock of hair between her fingers.
I need to regain my composure.
Bu Eun-seol spoke with utmost calm.
"The Azure Heaven Alliance has now held its Founding Ceremony, Young Sect Leader So."
"Which is why we should marry quickly."
Once again, she sliced through his words.
"During the unstable period after a sect's founding, packs of jackal-like factions might pounce, thinking they can take a bite for themselves."
"That won't be an issue. The Azure Heaven Alliance Leader is a man of great virtue, and he has already formed close alliances with numerous factions and noble families—"
"It's not just about the Azure Heaven Alliance."
She interrupted him yet again.
"Though my sect has joined the alliance, I still lack justification to stay here long. So we must hold the ceremony soon."
"Young Sect Leader So."
"Are you refusing me?"
"That's not—"
"I'm joking."
So Eun-hyang winked, her large eyes twinkling.
"You told me to wait until everything was settled, didn't you?"
"..."
"I'll wait until I'm a hunched old granny."
Bu Eun-seol felt as though his soul might leave his body.
One moment, she shoved him into a blazing pit—the next, she pulled him out to soothe and coax him. Her skill in wringing a man's spirit dry was on par with the Demonic Heavenly Emperor himself.
"What's with that face? You haven't forgotten your promise, have you?"
Bu Eun-seol had indeed made that vow. And he had never once broken his word.
At the time, it had been to maintain Seon-u Jin's identity.
But a promise was a promise.
Can I truly live an ordinary life after my revenge?
Many women had set their hearts on him.
Yet he had never reciprocated.
It wasn't a matter of like or dislike—he simply couldn't guarantee their lives.
From the coldest, most objective standpoint, the probability of death far outweighed the chance of success.
Above all... am I not someone unworthy of happiness?
He had walked the path of carnage, drenched in blood, solely for vengeance.
Could he truly cast aside the tangled web of favors and grudges in the martial world and build a happy life?
Bu Eun-seol could say with certainty—
Such a thing would never come to pass.
"Have you changed your mind?"
As Bu Eun-seol's gaze grew infinitely dark, So Eun-hyang stepped closer.
She was quite tall.
Though Bu Eun-seol stood well over six feet, the difference in their eye levels was barely more than a handspan.
And within those large, luminous eyes brimmed pure sincerity and affection.
No matter how reckless she might be, no matter how volatile her temper, her feelings toward him were undeniably genuine.
—Don't follow in your grandfather's footsteps.
Suddenly, the words of the Divine Beast Palace Lord, Neung-gyeong, surfaced in his mind.
She had once shed pearl-like tears while reminiscing about his grandfather, then earnestly advised him:
—Live a life different from his.
It had been a plea for him to find someone to love and build a happy family.
At the time, Bu Eun-seol had agreed.
But only now did he truly realize—
That he had no right to happiness.
Yet the reason he had said those words back then...
Was because, deep in the recesses of his heart, there had been a longing—a desire to build a happy home.
"Lady So. I'll be honest with you."
Having steeled himself, Bu Eun-seol spoke—
Not in the voice and manner of Seon-u Jin, but in his own.
"Only now have I realized... that I, too, harbor a desire to build a family."
"Then you should do it."
"I can't. Because I'm unworthy."
Cutting her off with firm finality, Bu Eun-seol met her gaze with utmost solemnity.
"To imagine a happy family... is something I dare not even contemplate."
His voice and eyes were so unbearably desolate—
Like a child weeping alone in a landscape where everything else had vanished.
Even the normally brash So Eun-hyang found herself at a loss for words, sensing the shift in his aura and gaze.
That infinitely sunken gaze and lonely atmosphere...
It spoke volumes of the Asura Battlefields he had survived,
The relentless self-reproach and suffering he had endured.
"Truthfully, I don't want to interfere with your work, my lord."
After a long silence, So Eun-hyang spoke with equal gravity.
"Just being able to see you like this from time to time... is enough to make me happy."
As Bu Eun-seol opened his mouth to respond, she shook her head and whispered softly,
"I only came because I wanted to hear you reaffirm that promise. That's all."
"Lady So."
"Can't I?"
Her pupils shimmered like shattered gemstones.
"It must seem strange, doesn't it? That I'd cling to you like this just because you saved me once."
Bu Eun-seol found himself nodding despite himself.
So Eun-hyang had never seen his true self, nor had she witnessed any grand martial prowess or background.
She had simply fallen for a mere Third-grade Commander of the Martial Alliance.
"Women sometimes feel fate. And we believe in it."
"..."
"I'm certain you're my destiny. And I believe that this waiting... will one day bear fruit."
'Can someone truly love another so deeply after just one meeting?'
Bu Eun-seol sighed inwardly.
So Eun-hyang hadn't blindly fixated on him—she had nurtured genuine affection.
And the same likely held true for all the women who had ever shown him kindness.
Each must have believed their bond with him was fated. That was why they had dared to be bold.
"But I can't force that belief onto others."
Then, So Eun-hyang spoke again.
"Very well. Let's consider the betrothal null and void."
Though her nature was a mix of mischief and purity, she was undeniably a good woman.
She had sensed the darkness in Bu Eun-seol's heart and chose not to impose her affections further.
"Thank you."
Bu Eun-seol expressed his gratitude sincerely.
"For understanding my circumstances."
"But since I've come all this way... may I see it?"
So Eun-hyang widened her large eyes.
"You promised. That next time, you'd show me your true face."
—Next time we meet, show me your real self.
She had said something like that when parting at Seolhwa Gate.
But he had never actually agreed.
Because she had quickly excused herself right after saying it.
"Lady So."
"The fact that you're still maintaining the same appearance in the Azure Heaven Alliance means you intend to keep that identity, doesn't it?"
Bu Eun-seol couldn't hide his exasperated expression.
"After calling off the betrothal, is there really a need to—"
"I just want to see you. Is that so wrong?"
"If my true identity were exposed, it could cause significant chaos."
"Do you think I'd go around spreading it if I saw your real face?"
So Eun-hyang turned her head away, visibly hurt.
"How cruel. To think you'd see me as that kind of woman."
Knock knock.
Just then, another set of knocks sounded at the door, followed by Jeong Jong-do's voice.
"Commander, the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace Lord requests an audience."
The Blazing Flame Sacred Palace Lord, Jeok Mu-mi.
During his time as a Third-grade Commander of the Martial Alliance, he had been invited to the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace,
Where he obtained the legacy of the Blazing Flame Holy Venerable and mastered the Hot River Great Essence True Qi.
He had also aided the Young Palace Lord Jeok Mu-mi in rescuing the palace from the Three Realms' control.
Thanks to that, he had brought the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace into the Martial Alliance's fold, and his achievements paved his path to continuous promotions.
—If ever... you require this palace's strength, call upon us.
On the day of his departure, Jeok Mu-mi had said this to Bu Eun-seol.
—That is the condition for our alliance with the Martial Alliance.
Jeok Mu-mi had known Bu Eun-seol wasn't truly of the Martial Alliance—had even known of his other identity—
Yet she had shown deep loyalty, leaving Bu Eun-seol deeply moved.
And now, after he had joined the Azure Heaven Alliance under the guise of Seon-u Jin, she had come in person?
"Escort her in with due respect."
At Bu Eun-seol's command, the door opened, and in strode a stunning beauty clad in robes as vibrant as flickering flames.
It was none other than Jeok Mu-mi, the Palace Lord of the Blazing Flame Sacred Palace.
Yet Bu Eun-seol remained unaware—
unaware that the moment Jeok Mu-mi appeared,
the corners of So Eun-hyang's eyes, standing behind him... had arched upward to the very heavens.