Chapter 836
Baek Mu-seong's eyes widened as if he couldn't even comprehend why he had lost.
"So even the Bloody Tears Seven Forms passed down by the Three Realms have their limits."
The Buddhist Venerable clicked his tongue.
Then, he spoke to Baek Mu-seong, who remained kneeling on one knee, his head bowed with an empty gaze.
"I told you, didn't I? The Bloody Tears Seven Forms is a saber technique of death that only Bu Jan-yang can wield. Stealing the essence of his blade won't make it yours."
And then, he delivered the most humiliating words of all.
"If you want to survive in the Martial World from now on, you'd better beg the Azure River Realm to teach you another martial art."
Baek Mu-seong, still gripping the greatsword planted in the ground, said nothing—only letting his head drop lower.
"I raised you with my own hands since you were young, so I know you better than anyone. That's why I'll say this now..."
The Buddhist Venerable sighed before continuing.
"Never stand in this humble monk's way again."
"Hahahaha!"
Baek Mu-seong, who had been biting his lips, suddenly burst into coarse laughter.
"A humble monk? How can a vile, cunning wretch like you dare call yourself a man of the Buddhist Order?"
"If not this monk, then who else deserves to go to hell?"
The Buddhist Venerable spoke with solemn dignity.
"Ever since I learned the truth of Murim, I abandoned the precepts long ago. If there is something I must achieve, I will see it through, no matter what."
"..."
"If saving this crumbling world means rescuing countless lives... then I would break the Buddhist precepts hundreds of times over."
The Buddhist Venerable was making his own sacrifices.
For a man of the Righteous Faction, for a man of the Buddhist Order—
What he was doing was unforgivable, unthinkable.
Because even a single lifetime would not be enough to devote to it.
Yet he clung stubbornly to his unnaturally prolonged life, enduring and persisting.
"And it would be best if you left that place as soon as possible."
The Buddhist Venerable sighed as he spoke.
"In the end, you'll only be used and then die."
Having watched over and taught Baek Mu-seong since childhood, the Buddhist Venerable could see right through his thoughts.
Despite his gentle face, Baek Mu-seong was a born rebel who would never submit to power or authority.
The Three Realms would never tolerate such a person... and in the Buddhist Venerable's eyes, Baek Mu-seong's fate was already sealed.
"Isn't it the same for you?"
Baek Mu-seong suppressed his disgust as he spoke.
"A man who calls himself a high monk of the Buddhist School has used me all my life, discarding those who refuse to obey without hesitation."
"If that's what you believe, then you're not wrong."
The Buddhist Venerable's expression remained unchanged as he replied calmly.
"Still, since I was once your master, consider this my final piece of advice. Think carefully."
Baek Mu-seong's expression darkened with conflict.
Was the Buddhist Venerable truly a wicked old monster consumed by evil?
Or was he simply playing the villain without hesitation to save the world?
He couldn't tell anymore.
Whoosh.
With the Sound of Breaking Air, the Buddhist Venerable and the two masked figures vanished in an instant.
Only Baek Mu-seong remained in the empty mountain temple, a pitiful sight.
"Ghk... ghk... Heh... hehehe..."
Then, still bowing his head, Baek Mu-seong suddenly began to laugh—low and dark.
"Hahahahaha!"
His Mad Laughter erupted as he straightened his posture.
Click.
The pallor of his complexion instantly returned to normal, and the blood flowing from his wounds stopped in an instant.
"So blinded by greed that you couldn't even sense your disciple's true ability."
He had known from the start that the Bloody Tears Seven Forms he had learned was nothing but an empty shell.
Yet, in this battle, he hadn't used his true strength at all.
All to shatter everything at the critical moment—to send that old monster, swallowed by his own desires, crashing down...
He had endured this humiliation for that very purpose.
"The time always comes, sooner or later."
Snap.
As his laughter ceased, Baek Mu-seong's skin turned pale, and his gaze cleared.
He was already merging with a new persona, and because of it, his martial arts and wisdom had multiplied several times over.
All for the sake of what he desired.
Crouching low, biding his time—waiting for the moment to leap higher.
Running an alliance was an endeavor that demanded vast resources.
Not only did the officially affiliated warriors need food and supplies, but they also had to be paid their stipends.
On top of that, there were the costs of maintaining internal facilities, purchasing equipment, and the endless funds required for training warriors and supporting each organization's needs.
Thanks to the Seonhwa Merchant House's support, the Azure Heaven Alliance had secured its finances without issue.
But relying solely on the merchant house's aid was unsustainable.
They had to expand their influence and secure their own funds through various activities.
"Let's establish something like the Ten Thousand Blossoms Store in Sichuan as well—but in an even more advanced form."
Gongson Dan-gyeong, the newly appointed chief strategist of the Azure Heaven Alliance, set out for Chengdu in Sichuan alongside the alliance's Chief Steward—the true Seon-u Jin, heir to the Seonhwa Merchant House, though he now went by the name Dokgo Jin.
Accompanying them were the Peak Realm Members, the Azure Heaven Alliance's elite escort unit.
Not only were they the strongest in skill, but the Peak Realm was also deeply connected to the Death Soul Squad, which possessed an immense Information Network.
This allowed them to detect dangers faster than any other intelligence organization.
Gongson Dan-gyeong wandered through Chengdu with Dokgo Jin, analyzing commercial districts.
They gathered voluminous materials—as much as they desired—on finances and labor needed to operate the Azure Heaven Alliance.
"You've worked hard."
After nearly a full day of travel, she smiled at Dokgo Jin.
Seon-u Jin, who had disguised himself as Dokgo Jin, had altered his appearance to be even plainer and more refined than his original features,
now embodying the typical image of a prodigy from the commercial world.
"Not at all."
Dokgo Jin shook his head.
"The Chief Strategist has endured far more hardship than I."
"Since we have the chance, shall we stop for tea?"
Both Gongson Dan-gyeong and Dokgo Jin hailed from prestigious families—while they could skip meals, tea was something they indulged in frequently.
"Of course."
As Dokgo Jin nodded, Gongson Dan-gyeong pointed to an alley ahead.
"I noticed a teahouse down there earlier."
She took the lead, stepping into the alley.
Dokgo Jin chuckled softly and followed.
Saaah.
But something was strange.
The deeper they went, the hazier their vision became—until a thick fog began rising from all directions.
"Chief Steward Dokgo."
Startled, Gongson Dan-gyeong turned her head—but Dokgo Jin was already gone.
'A battle formation?'
She was stunned.
The formation laid out here was exquisitely intricate—
so advanced that even if she tried to set it up herself, it would take three or four days.
'No, this isn't just a formation... It's an Absolute Boundary.'
What surrounded her was something far more profound than dozens—no, hundreds—of overlapping ancient formations.
A technique of the Three Clans—one that could never be broken unless one knew the Formation-Breaking Art.
An Absolute Boundary.
'Absolute Boundaries can't be deployed in an instant.'
This alley hadn't been part of their planned route.
Even the teahouse had been chosen on a whim.
So who could have predicted their movements and laid out this formation?
Could she have stumbled into a trap meant for someone else?
'No... It's him. He's come.'
There were no coincidences in this world.
Only inevitability masquerading as chance.
She had deliberately gone out alone with Chief Steward Dokgo—
deliberately led them into this secluded alley—
as if it had all been deliberate.
Thud. Thud.
Then, from the depths of the fog, a shadow slowly emerged.
Gongson Dan-gyeong watched, tense, as the figure approached.
The virtuous do not seek you out; those who seek you are not virtuous.
This was an eternal truth.
Her expression hardened as she drew a dagger from her sleeve and raised her Internal Power.
Her treasured sword, Snow Shade,
when infused with Internal Energy, emitted a radiant white glow imbued with the power to sever evil.
Thus, it could not only repel wicked energies but also neutralize the effects of formations to some degree.
Flicker, flicker!
As the light from the dagger slowly pushed back the fog—
Thud.
The footsteps halted.
Then, piercing through the mist, a tall figure finally revealed itself.
A face as flawless as polished jade, lips curved in a smile as gentle as a spring breeze—
a young man stood before her.
His eyes were unfathomably deep, filled with a light of wisdom that seemed to see through all things in this world.
Gongson Dan-gyeong's body trembled faintly.
She knew in an instant.
The beautiful youth before her—
was the one she had been separated from at seven years old, taken by the Jungson Clan.
The one who had risked his life to save her.
The one said to hold all the wisdom and knowledge of the world, capable of prophesying the future itself—
the Heavenly Mechanism Star, Chu-so.
"Long time no see."
Chu-so's voice was affectionate, his expression still childlike.
"Have you been well?"
He acted as if meeting an old friend, utterly at ease.
"You haven't changed at all. Those big, round eyes of yours are just like when you were little."
Gongson Dan-gyeong, now in her thirties, maintained a youthful appearance that defied age.
But Chu-so seemed almost untouched by time, still bearing the face of a teenage boy.
"And still so clever."
Chu-so grinned, flashing white teeth.
"You came out alone on purpose, didn't you? You knew I'd come looking for you."
He, too, had already realized that Gongson Dan-gyeong had deliberately arranged this outing.
"Why?"
Gongson Dan-gyeong suppressed the emotions surging within her.
"Why did you deceive me?"
"Because it was fate."
Chu-so smiled faintly.
"You had to keep pursuing the Jungson Clan as the Martial Alliance's Chief Strategist. That was the only way to maintain balance."
"Balance?"
Killing Intent flickered in Gongson Dan-gyeong's eyes. She had guessed—he harbored an immense ambition.
"Don't be like that."
Chu-so spread his hands.
"It was for your sake too."
His tone and expression were utterly guileless.
Gongson Dan-gyeong bit her lip repeatedly, clenched her fists until they shook—anything to restrain the storm of emotions rising within her.
"For my sake?"
"Correct. You weren't supposed to manifest the power of the One Hundred and Eight Stars."
Chu-so uttered unexpected, shocking words.
"If you had wielded that power, you were fated to die."
When Gongson Dan-gyeong fell silent, Chu-so spoke in a gentle voice.
"I wanted you to live as long as possible."
Gongson Dan-gyeong replied coldly.
"You sent Fist Adept to kill me, and yet you claim it was for my sake? That you wanted me to live?"
"I wasn't trying to kill you."
Chu-so shook his head.
"I was afraid you'd revive as one of the One Hundred and Eight Stars and meddle in things you shouldn't... So I tried to kill him instead."
For a moment, Gongson Dan-gyeong was speechless.
"So you weren't trying to kill me...?"
"Exactly."
Chu-so spoke decisively.
"I was trying to kill Seon-u Jin."
A chill ran down her spine.
Chu-so had used her as bait to kill Seon-u Jin—that is, Bu Eun-seol.
"Why?"
"Because you love him."
Chu-so clicked his tongue.
"Because meeting him changed you."
Shockingly, he knew that Gongson Dan-gyeong had fallen for Seon-u Jin and that her heart had shifted because of him.
"You were observing me?"
"I could tell just by looking at the sky."
Chu-so pointed upward and grinned playfully.
"You're a figure who stands proudly as one of the great stars, after all."
Gongson Dan-gyeong couldn't tell whether Chu-so was speaking the truth or lying.
"...It wasn't because of the pain I endured."
Lowering her head, she spoke in a quiet voice.
"It was for the children captured by the Jungson Clan."
When she lifted her gaze, her scream was wretched.
"It was for revenge—for you, who sacrificed yourself for me!"
That anguished voice echoed through the air for a long time.
"I know."
After a long silence, Chu-so wore an apologetic expression.
"That's why I came like this."
He extended a hand and smiled brightly.
"Now, come with me."
"What?"
"You don't need to take revenge on the likes of the Jungson Clan anymore."
"The likes of the Jungson Clan?"
At those words, Gongson Dan-gyeong's eyes widened as if she had realized something.
"Don't tell me—"
"Correct."
Chu-so spoke calmly.
"I've already taken control of the Jungson Clan. Even if you strike them down now, they're nothing but empty husks."
Then he sighed.
"I let myself be captured by them on purpose. To catch a tiger, you must enter its den."
His expression was unnervingly indifferent, as if he were discussing someone else's affairs.
"Of course, there was one more reason."
"..."
"The Heavenly Mechanism Star has always been a possession of the powerful. Once its energy fully manifests, its bearer is hunted down like prey."
Chu-so bared his teeth in a smile.
"But back then, the Jungson Clan had gathered candidates for the Heavenly Mechanism Star, didn't they? By surrounding myself with those children, I could conceal my own energy."
He deliberately slumped his shoulders.
"I was young and powerless back then. I needed a place to hide safely and build my strength."
It was a terrifying admission.
At barely six or seven years old, Chu-so had deliberately allowed himself to be captured by the Jungson Clan—
To hide from those who sought him.
To prevent the Heavenly Mechanism Star from being coveted.
And like a parasitic organism,
He had burrowed into the Jungson Clan, devouring them one by one from within.
"Can't you understand me?"
Chu-so put on a pitiful expression, as if seeking sympathy.
"Being born as the Heavenly Mechanism Star comes with a weak body. Severed Meridians—akin to Heavenly Punishment—are a given, and most die young."
Then he added,
"And to protect myself from the tyranny of the powerful, I had to prepare and plan for many things since childhood."
His voice carried a persuasive pull, as if drawing in the listener's very soul.
"Though I dragged you into this process, I never had ill intentions. I mean it."
"..."
"Come with me."
Chu-so stretched out his hand once more.
"If you do, there'll be no more hardship or suffering."
Had it been before she met Bu Eun-seol—before she had gone through all these trials—
Perhaps she would have believed Chu-so's words.
Perhaps she would have taken his hand and sought that carefree utopia.
But now she knew.
That no such place existed in this world.
That everyone, in the end, only sought to manipulate others for their own goals.
That Chu-so was no longer a person of truth.
"You had no ill intentions?"
Gongson Dan-gyeong wore a sad smile.
"Even now, as you speak to me with a voice laced with the Returning Soul Spirit-Control Great Art?"
In an instant, Chu-so's smile vanished.
"You knew?"
He scratched his forehead awkwardly and chuckled.
"That Great Art vanished five hundred years ago... And yet you noticed. As expected, the Martial Alliance has no shortage of secret manuals, huh?"
Drip.
At the sight of Chu-so's wickedness, Gongson Dan-gyeong finally shed the tears she had been holding back.
Not because he had deceived her—
But because the years she had lived for his sake now felt hollow.
"So many people died... because of me alone."
She stared at Chu-so with empty eyes.
"A thousand martial artists who were willing to fight for my revenge died."
"That wasn't because of you—it was because of the intel that reached the Jungson Clan."
Chu-so spoke as if he found the accusation unfair.
"Honestly, I tried convincing them several times that the Blood Heaven Blood Fate Corps you trained wasn't anything special. But the Jungson Clan must've been afraid. The mere idea of a force capable of threatening them was enough."
There wasn't a trace of remorse on his face. If anything, he seemed to be saying he had done all he could.
"Forget about the Jungson Clan now."
Then he added a cryptic remark.
"They were nothing more than fallen specters, after all."
"Is that all you have to say?"
Realizing there was no wavering in Gongson Dan-gyeong's gaze, Chu-so let out a deep sigh.
"You've always been far stronger-willed than anyone, no matter how fragile you appeared."
"What are you trying to do? What do you want?"
Gongson Dan-gyeong steadied her emotions and asked calmly.
She had to uncover why Chu-so had done all this.
"Ah, I forgot to mention that, didn't I?"
Chu-so shrugged his shoulders before declaring boldly:
"I'm going to become the master of the Laws."
"The Laws?"
"Everyone thinks they live by their own will, that they think freely... but in truth, the people of this world are bound by certain Laws, wouldn't you say?"
"..."
"Ah, too abstract?"
Chu-so grinned playfully.
"Let me put it simply—I'll eliminate irrational existences like the Baekri Clan and the True Demon."
Gongson Dan-gyeong's eyes widened.
She knew the True Demon was evil.
But why would he call even the Baekri Clan—who opposed them—an irrational existence?
"I've told you all I can for now."
Chu-so sighed regretfully before making one last offer.
"Let me ask you one final time. Take my hand."
"No."
"Fine. Understood."
Clapping his hands together, Chu-so spoke with a hint of disappointment.
"Then you're now my enemy."
Kwoong.
At the same moment, thirteen shadowy figures emerged around them.
Shrouded in a gray mist, their features were indiscernible—but the overwhelming pressure they exuded was unmistakable.
These were martial artists capable of tearing apart heaven and earth.
Superlative Martial Experts.
"Let me warn you in advance—even if you gathered every martial artist in Chengdu... you still wouldn't be able to defeat him, the one controlling the Yin-Killing Soul-Transferring Man."
Chu-so spoke as if it were all a game.
"Honestly, you should've just come with me from the start."
"Then just kill me and be done with it."
Gongson Dan-gyeong spoke then.
"Don't touch anyone else around me."
"..."
"Promise me. Hurry."
Chu-so let out a hollow laugh.
Only now did he realize the true reason she had come here.
"Seon-u Jin. Is he really that precious to you?"
"Answer me."
"Sorry, but I can't make that promise."
"Then you won't be leaving either."
Gongson Dan-gyeong drew a crimson rod from her robes—the Shadow-Reflection Magic Lantern.
"You and I will die together here."
"How foolish."
Chu-so sighed deeply, shaking his head.
"Did you really think a book containing ancient Secret Arts like the Dao Image was hidden in the Martial Alliance?"
"What?"
The revelation struck her like a thunderbolt.
Then... had obtaining that ancient manual also been part of Chu-so's scheme?
"Still, I do like that you've grown ruthless enough to attempt Mutual Destruction with me."
After studying her with an inscrutable gaze, Chu-so turned away.
"Well then, goodbye."
Without hesitation, he vanished into the mist.
Gongson Dan-gyeong stood frozen, the Shadow-Reflection Magic Lantern clutched in her hand, her expression hollow.
For decades, she had lived with vengeance in her heart.
All of it—for the sake of the benefactor who had saved her, the one who had been dragged away smiling.
For Chu-so's revenge.
Not a single day had passed where she hadn't thought of how miserably he must have died.
But it had all been a lie.
All this time, she had been nothing more than a puppet dancing on Chu-so's strings.
'What have I been living for...?'
As she stood there dazed, a massive shadow emerged from the mist with heavy, thudding footsteps.
Chu-so had shown her no mercy.
To kill her, he had sent the Yin-Killing Soul-Transferring Man—a monstrous construct created by the sages.
Thud. Thud.
The creature stood over seven feet tall, its pupils frozen like ice, radiating cold energy.
Its gaze was lifeless, devoid of emotion, and its movements were deliberate.
But the most horrifying part was its composition.
Though shaped like a human, its body was assembled from wood, stone, animal carcasses, and entrails—things that should never form a living being.
Swoosh.
With mechanical precision, it began scrutinizing Gongson Dan-gyeong's body and surroundings, as if analyzing her for the perfect killing strike.
Kwoong.
The Yin-Killing Soul-Transferring Man advanced slowly.
Having discerned that Gongson Dan-gyeong's martial prowess was lacking, it made no move to use martial arts—only raising its hands to tear her apart.
'If he knew everything... why did he come?'
Men like Chu-so never saw short-term pawns as anything more than disposable tools.
And if he truly wanted her dead? He wouldn't have needed to appear here at all.
So why had he taken the bait? Why reveal himself?
—"Honestly, you should've just come with me from the start."
'It wasn't me!'
A flash of realization exploded in Gongson Dan-gyeong's eyes as she recalled Chu-so's words.
'He was targeting him!'
Chu-so had known Seon-u Jin would come here—he had predicted it clearly.
And now, once again, he was after his life.