Chapter 849
A flash of light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's pupils.
"Ghosts are just a metaphor. It's entirely possible."
This picture book was as thin as a cicada's wing—so fragile that it might crumble at the slightest touch—and appeared to have been made at least three or four hundred years ago.
If his assumptions were correct...
Then the existence that turned people into monsters had been in the martial world for a long time.
And those beings were likely connected to the gradually emerging Servants of the True Demon, or perhaps even transcendent entities like Heavenly Mechanism Star.
"But I can't understand it."
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
"If that's the case, why have such beings remained unknown until now?"
The Three Realms, which had dominated the martial world for generations.
And the factions lurking in the Abyss had also begun revealing themselves one after another in the martial world... So why had those forces remained unknown?
If such beings existed in the martial world, how could they have stayed hidden?
'Then...'
A sudden thought crossed Bu Eun-seol's mind.
Even in the current situation, there was one faction that had never revealed itself.
The very ones who had forced the Covenant upon him.
'Naturally, those ghost-like figures must belong to the same faction as those who imposed the Covenant.'
The Old Man in Blue's true identity was Daoist Mok, the caretaker of the Pratyekabuddha Hall.
If that was the case, then perhaps those who carried out such deeds were also one of the forces lurking within the Martial Alliance? That was the maddening thought that struck him.
'It's possible.'
That Old Man in Blue had confidently declared that terrifying consequences would follow if the Covenant was refused.
And the current situation had a high probability of being the very disaster he had warned about.
"Whether it's the Martial Alliance or not, one thing is certain... Such beings have existed in the martial world for generations."
Bu Eun-seol's expression darkened.
Because that meant this was by no means an isolated incident.
"...?"
But on the last page of the book, there was a tiny, faintly inscribed line of text.
"The sage resides in the mountain where the lake reflects..."
It was so thin and minute that only a master of Bu Eun-seol's caliber could have detected it at all.
"...layered and wrapped in silk?"
Moreover, the characters were heavily damaged, forcing Bu Eun-seol to piece together the remaining fragments as best he could.
"Then..."
After a long moment of contemplation, Bu Eun-seol's sharp eyes narrowed.
He had realized what these words signified.
"They're indicating the location of the sages who wrote this book."
In the current martial world, the only one worthy of being called a sage was the Divine Calculator.
But just a few decades ago, the martial world had been filled with countless sages.
Yet at some point, they had vanished without a trace, as if evaporated, never to show themselves in the world again.
"Are they there?"
The words were like a cipher, but...
Bu Eun-seol instantly grasped the location hinted at by these lines.
"Guilin's Stacked Brocade Mountain."
A mountain where water reflects, layered like colorful silk.
In all the Central Plains, there was only one such place—Stacked Brocade Mountain in Guilin.
"I'll have to go there."
Bu Eun-seol returned to his office with heavy footsteps.
In the end, the martial world had been home to bizarre figures who manipulated people for generations.
And the sages had known of their existence.
If so, he needed to head to Stacked Brocade Mountain quickly and resolve this matter.
"Lord."
But upon returning to his office, Wi Cheon-gyeong delivered astonishing news.
"Bu Bok-un is getting married."
Bu Bok-un.
At the sound of that name, the shadow over Bu Eun-seol's face lifted slightly, and a faint, sunlit smile appeared.
Fatty, who had once been a beggar in Byeokgye Village.
He was the benefactor who had saved Bu Eun-seol when he lay collapsed by the river, bereft of memory.
The gruff, emotionless beggar who had given him the name Mumu, treating him like a brother.
In Bu Eun-seol's life, aside from his grandfather...
He was the only person who had saved his life, shared food with him, and given him warmth.
'I couldn't go see him.'
Yet Bu Eun-seol had been unable to visit him.
Because he lived a life of blades and bloodshed in the martial world.
What if harm came to him? What if his peaceful life was disrupted? He had only ever received updates through subordinates, ensuring he was well.
But now, he was getting married?
"To whom?"
"The Marvelous-Hand Divine Physician, Gu Yak-bing—young, beautiful, and said to have reached divine mastery in medical arts."
"Marvelous-Hand Divine Physician."
Bu Eun-seol's smile deepened.
"A well-matched pair."
Bu Bok-un had an amiable personality, abundant kindness, and a natural talent for business.
After Bu Eun-seol built him a grand manor and provided financial support, he expanded his connections through numerous acts of charity.
Before long, he had become one of Jinan's most prominent magnates.
"Send a congratulatory gift discreetly."
Even as he said this, a deep pang of regret lingered.
Wi Cheon-gyeong, sensing Bu Eun-seol's feelings, cautiously spoke up.
"It's not just any day—it's a once-in-a-lifetime wedding. Wouldn't it be better to attend quietly?"
All the subordinates of the Death Shadow War Unit knew through Yu Un-ryong just how important Bu Bok-un was to Bu Eun-seol.
And they also knew that despite how much he longed to see him, he had never been able to visit.
"If the Lord personally offers his congratulations, Manor Lord Bu would be happier than with any gift."
"Hmm."
Bu Eun-seol let out a contemplative hum.
As Wi Cheon-gyeong said, it was a once-in-a-lifetime wedding... Surely it wouldn't hurt to go secretly and just catch a glimpse of his face.
"Very well."
Bu Eun-seol gave a slight nod.
"Then I'll just go for a brief look and return."
"Understood."
Wi Cheon-gyeong smiled.
"I'll request the Death Soul Squad to thoroughly conceal the Lord's movements."
The entrance of Golden Orchid Manor was adorned with red silk, and large crimson lanterns lined the path.
The road leading from the great gate to the garden was decorated with splendid flowers, while inside, guests had gathered thick as clouds.
Outside the gate, people still waited in line, unable to enter just yet.
All because the master of Golden Orchid Manor was getting married.
Not only was he remarkably young, but he was also a man of ceaseless benevolence.
When disasters like droughts or floods struck, he would open his warehouses to distribute food.
He invited physicians to treat the sick, ensuring they received care.
He helped impoverished children attend school so they could gain knowledge.
And for the most talented among them, he provided support so they could continue their studies in greater cities like Chengdu.
This wasn't merely because he was wealthy.
He understood that a village thrives when its people are healthy, and that educating children cultivates capable individuals.
And that those individuals would, in turn, greatly benefit the village.
So when news spread that such a man was marrying, not only the villagers but also the Government Office and the commercial world—who were well aware of his good deeds—sent envoys.
Truly, an endless procession of well-wishers continued to arrive.
"The groom's entrance!"
Before long, the wedding ceremony began at Golden Orchid Manor.
In the garden was a vast pond, its surface covered in full-blooming red lotuses.
On the central stage, numerous musicians played instruments, stirring excitement.
Clomp, clomp.
Then, the master of the manor, Bu Bok-un, strode forward with a radiant smile, dressed in wedding robes embroidered with red and gold thread.
The bride wore a red chima skirt adorned with golden threads, her head crowned with a beautiful golden crown.
Since both were orphans, they did not offer wine to ancestral elders or parents.
Instead, they simply bowed to each other in mutual respect.
"Why would Manor Lord Bu take a rootless physician as his wife?"
Yet some guests from the commercial world and Government Office muttered regretfully as they watched the ceremony.
"No matter how beautiful her looks or how good her character, it's still a bit of a waste for Manor Lord Bu."
Bu Bok-un was the lord of Golden Orchid Manor, having amassed wealth that ranked among the top in the seven surrounding provinces.
And yet he was marrying some nameless wandering physician?
"Now, now, let's not say such things. Hasn't she been a fine physician, so moved by Manor Lord Bu's character that she treated the sick for free?"
A middle-aged man with a goat-like beard spoke in a low voice.
"And calling the Marvelous-Hand Divine Physician, Physician Gu, a 'wanderer' isn't quite accurate."
Gu Yak-bing, the Marvelous-Hand Divine Physician.
Not only had she cultivated outstanding martial arts, but by her thirties, she had also mastered medical arts so profound she was called "divine."
However, she typically demanded hefty sums in exchange for her miraculous treatments, making her a physician who mainly served the wealthy.
But by chance, she had formed a bond with Golden Orchid Manor and was deeply moved by Bu Bok-un's character and benevolence.
From that day on, Gu Yak-bing stayed at the manor, treating countless patients free of charge.
And now, she had finally become his wife.
'That's just like him.'
Disguised, Bu Eun-seol watched the wedding from a corner, a faint smile on his lips.
Bu Bok-un was inherently warm and gentle by nature, possessing an energy that brightened those around him.
Moreover, ever since Bu Eun-seol had used his formidable internal energy to perform the Opening the Fine Meridians technique on him,
Bu Bok-un's Five Viscera and Six Bowels had become as clean as a baby's, restoring their proper function. His bloated flesh had receded,
his skin had improved,
and he had transformed into a man whose appearance naturally drew goodwill from all.
The bride, too, was as beautiful as a flower, and together, they were so well-matched that just looking at them evoked a contented smile.
The wedding proceeded splendidly, and before long, night fell.
Murmur, murmur.
After drinking heartily with the guests, Bu Bok-un stepped into his room to change into more comfortable clothes.
But when he opened the door, a man clad in gray robes stood imposingly before him.
It was Bu Eun-seol, now restored to his original appearance.
"You...!"
Startled, Bu Bok-un rushed forward and pulled Bu Eun-seol into a fierce embrace.
"How long has it been?!"
Without a word—yet with burning intensity—
Bu Eun-seol returned the embrace, gripping him tightly.
Though they had not been born of the same parents... they were already no different from brothers bound by blood.
"Have you been well?"
His voice was somewhat brusque, low.
Endlessly desolate.
Hearing that icy tone, Bu Bok-un's eyes suddenly welled up with tears.
That cold, detached voice he had longed to hear so much.
Eyes so still they seemed frozen.
An atmosphere as frigid as ice and infinitely lonely.
Wasn't this the very face of his dear friend he had yearned to see, even in dreams?
"Of course."
Bu Bok-un wiped his cheek and quickly composed himself before speaking.
"I've been doing very well."
He knew.
That Bu Eun-seol, despite missing him so desperately, had deliberately stayed away.
That he had restrained himself, over and over, to avoid disrupting Bu Bok-un's peaceful life.
"And you? Has everything been alright?"
"Of course. I haven't missed a single meal, and I've been living very healthily."
"Good. That's good."
Bu Bok-un stared at Bu Eun-seol with a proud expression before suddenly letting out an Ah!
"Look at me, forgetting my manners. Wait just a moment."
He said with a laugh.
"Let me introduce you to my wife."
"No, it's fine. I saw the two of you during the wedding ceremony. You make a well-matched pair."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head, smiling.
"I only came quietly to offer my congratulations. And now, I must leave soon."
"So soon...? Just like that?"
Bu Bok-un couldn't hide his disappointment.
He had thought that, having come all this way, they would at least spend half a day together.
"Bok-un."
Bu Eun-seol's voice was affectionate, yet solemn.
"The martial world will grow more treacherous than ever. So... forget about me, and live happily."
"What kind of talk is that?"
"I am nothing but a martial brute, bound by grudges and drenched in blood. A man who does not belong in your world."
Bu Eun-seol's expression darkened as he shook his head—then, suddenly, he smiled brightly.
"Be happy."
"You..."
At those words, Bu Bok-un finally let out the tears he had been holding back.
"Is that all you have to say after coming to see me after so long?"
He knew.
Just how lonely and solitary Bu Eun-seol's path had been. And how much he had missed him.
He could tell just by looking at his face.
Because even that cold, detached man had tears in his eyes.
"Never say such things to me again."
Bu Bok-un wiped his tears and raised his voice, as if to cover his emotions.
"Have you forgotten what kind of man I am? The 'Fatty Lord' who survived under that viper Black Bear's clutches in Byeokgye Village."
"Bok-un."
"And though I did receive your help, I've now become a wealthy merchant of repute in Jinan."
He thumped his chest as he spoke.
"I have connections not just with the government office and the commercial world, but even within the martial world."
Then, gripping Bu Eun-seol's hand, he pleaded earnestly.
"So... never say such things again."
Bu Bok-un did not know.
The kind of enemies Bu Eun-seol was facing.
That they were the martial world's superlative experts and the Abyssal Forces—entities even thousands of troops could not stop.
"Very well. I won't say such things again."
But Bu Eun-seol nodded, offering a gentle lie.
He had no choice.
"And I'll visit again when I have time."
"Really? You promise?"
"Of course."
It was the first lie Bu Eun-seol had ever told.
But Bu Bok-un, unaware, clasped his hands together with a happy expression.
Because Bu Eun-seol was a man who treated promises as sacred.
"Then, take care."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, Bu Bok-un reluctantly released his grip, his face full of reluctance.
"You too. Stay healthy."
Between men of honor, few words were needed.
The two exchanged hundreds of unspoken sentiments in that fierce embrace, their gazes conveying a farewell far longer than any words.
All they wished was for each other to remain well until the day they met again.
Click.
Bu Eun-seol left quietly.
Bu Bok-un did not watch him go.
If he saw his retreating figure—
He would only remember that back as the last image of him.
Until the day they met again.
Bu Bok-un wanted to remember Bu Eun-seol's face—calm, smiling, looking at him.
He had no idea... that it would take so long for that day to come.
'He will be fine.'
Having left Bu Bok-un's residence, Bu Eun-seol donned his mask once more.
Seeing Bu Bok-un's face had lifted his spirits, yet at the same time, an unbearable loneliness surged into his chest.
Golden Orchid Manor was stocked with fine wine for the guests, but he could not drink here.
For the sake of the friend he would give everything for without hesitation—he had to stay far away.
Thud. Thud.
Bu Eun-seol slowly made his way out of the manor, intending to drown his loneliness with strong liquor.
Just as he stepped beyond Golden Orchid Manor's gates and into a dim alley—
"You there."
A low voice called out from behind him.
When he turned, he saw a breathtaking beauty clad in an extravagant palace dress of white and blue, her trembling eyes fixed on him.
It was Seong Su-ryeo, the only daughter of the Seong Family Manor.
"You're Mumu, aren't you?"
Astonishingly, she had recognized him—despite the disguise and the mask—merely by his silhouette. She had chased after him in haste, all the way to this secluded alley.
"It is you, isn't it?"
Seong Su-ryeo's body trembled as she stared directly into Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"In this world, there's only one person with such desolate eyes."
"You've mistaken me for someone else."
Bu Eun-seol feigned ignorance and turned to leave.
"Wait!"
She grabbed his sleeve in desperation.
"Please, answer me honestly."
Her gaze was unbearably earnest.
If he coldly turned away now, her heart would bear a wound that would never heal.
"I'm begging you."
Her trembling eyes held the weight of countless nights spent in tears, waiting.
'How can one defy the threads of fate?'
Seong Su-ryeo had not fallen for the Martial Soul Lord—a peerless master of the Demonic Path, devastatingly handsome and mighty.
No, she had loved Mumu—a scarred beggar with no memories, who spoke in blunt, unfeeling words.
This was a force beyond Bu Eun-seol's control, the capricious whim of the gods who governed love.
"...Yes."
At last, Bu Eun-seol removed his mask and met her gaze.
"Have you been well, Miss Su-ryeo?"
"Mumu!"
Overcome with relief and joy, she threw her arms around him.
"Mumu! Mumu!"
Hot tears soaked into his chest.
He understood the depth of her sorrow, the years she had spent waiting.
And so, for the first time, Bu Eun-seol held a woman gently, patting her back in comfort.
"Don't cry."
Never before had he embraced someone tenderly or whispered kind words.
But he could not refuse Seong Su-ryeo.
She was the one who had cared for Mumu—the stoic beggar of Byeokgye Village, who had cared about no one but Bu Bok-un.
Before her... he could not remain the Martial Soul Lord, the Grandmaster who shook the heavens.
He could only be Mumu.
"I thought... just seeing you once would be enough," she sobbed like a child, her face buried in his chest.
"But my father said that wish would never come true."
"Miss."
"So I prayed every day. Beneath the moonlight, I begged the heavens to let me see you just once."
She lifted her head, her doe-like eyes locking onto his.
"The heavens are not unkind. They granted my wish at last."
Slowly, she pulled away from his embrace.
"Now... I have no regrets."
She knew, of course.
That they could never be.
All she had wanted was to see him one more time—to meet his eyes, to speak with him.
And now that her wish had been fulfilled, she claimed to have no regrets.
But almost immediately, she regretted those words.
"No... that's not true."
A single meeting would never be enough.
No—she realized this longing would never fade.
"I love y—"
Zzzing.
At that moment, something deeply unsettling flickered through Bu Eun-seol's mind.
Simultaneously, Seong Su-ryeo's large pupils abruptly constricted—
Then began trembling violently, as if splitting apart.
"Miss Su-ryeo."
Click.
In an instant, her eyes had multiplied to three, and her neck twisted at an unnatural angle as she stared at him with a grotesque expression.
It was as if someone were puppeteering her body like a toy.
"Snap out of it."
Alarmed, Bu Eun-seol immediately pressed her acupoints.
But his sharp strikes failed to seal her meridians—instead, a strange energy began seeping from her body.
[Huuuurgh...]
Her clear, melodious voice had warped into a guttural, beast-like growl.
Shake. Shake.
She thrashed her head as if in agony.
Yet with each movement, her expression and gaze shifted unnaturally.
'The coachman.'
At last, Bu Eun-seol understood what was happening to her.
Just like the coachman he had encountered before—
She was losing her sense of self, transforming into a mindless killing machine.
'No.'
The Dragon-Subduing Soul-Expelling Blast unleashed by that coachman had scorched hundreds of feet of ground.
If her body exploded here, the guests at Golden Orchid Manor would be caught in the devastation—
And Bu Bok-un's wedding would be bathed in blood.
"Forgive me."
In desperation, Bu Eun-seol swept her into his arms.
BANG!
Launching into mid-air, he unleashed his Movement Technique at full power.
He could not allow anyone to suffer or be harmed because of him.
Even at the cost of his life—he had to prevent it.
