Chapter 874
"I don't know much about it."
Bu Eun-seol spoke with an apologetic expression.
"I only know that he bears the name Chu-so, and that he deliberately allowed himself to be abducted by the Jungson Clan in his childhood to eventually consume them."
"I see."
Bu Eun-seol looked at Han Sang-ja's face with a concerned expression and asked,
"But what happened to your face? Did he attack you?"
Deep scars, as if flesh had melted away, marred his forehead and cheeks.
The once pure and clear visage had transformed into the weathered face of a battle-hardened veteran who had endured all manner of hardships on the battlefield.
"No."
Han Sang-ja replied with an utterly calm expression.
"I merely received Heavenly Punishment for attempting to measure Heaven's Will."
"You can read Heaven's Will?"
When Bu Eun-seol asked in surprise, Han Sang-ja replied composedly,
"Though it's only my first attempt, so it's not yet perfect."
Bu Eun-seol's mouth fell open.
Heaven's Will was not something one could read simply by wanting to—it required a power bestowed by Heaven itself.
Yet Han Sang-ja spoke as if he could pluck a book from a shelf, claiming he could read Heaven's Will whenever he wished?
"Is that truly something one can attempt?"
"Understanding Heaven's Will requires no qualifications."
Han Sang-ja spoke calmly.
"It's merely analyzing the present flow by simultaneously considering various variables."
Seeing Bu Eun-seol's dumbfounded expression, he patiently explained further.
"For instance, when an event occurs, there must inevitably be cause and effect behind it. I seek to understand and analyze those connections to predict the influence and outcome they may bring."
Bu Eun-seol's mouth hung open.
In the end, wasn't Han Sang-ja not reading Heaven's Will but attempting to predict the future by analyzing the present flow?
'Heavenly Mechanism Star.'
To his knowledge, such an ability was possible only for the Heavenly Mechanism Star, Chu-so.
'As expected, Brother Han must be the one who can oppose him.'
The sages of the Sage Forest.
There was no way they could have failed to grasp the extreme resentment and thirst for vengeance Chu-so harbored.
And Han Sang-ja was the successor who had inherited all the Sage Forest's teachings. Surely, he possessed the power and ability to stand against Chu-so.
Hadn't he, in reality, already been driven into a situation where he could no longer coexist with the Heavenly Mechanism Star under the same sky?
In the end, all of this was predestined fate.
"Then... are you in pain now?"
Though it was a somewhat blunt question, a warm light flickered in Han Sang-ja's eyes.
Despite his cold demeanor, Bu Eun-seol was meticulous and deeply affectionate. He was once again reminded of that kindness and warmth.
'If the Lord learns that the agony of Heavenly Punishment drives one to crave even death, he would never agree to this exchange.'
"Truthfully, this hardly qualifies as Heavenly Punishment."
Having gathered his thoughts, Han Sang-ja deliberately adopted a brighter expression.
"There's no pain—it's merely Heaven marking me, nothing more."
His natural reply finally eased the tension in Bu Eun-seol's expression.
"I see."
"Lord, I must find him and take my revenge."
Han Sang-ja rose from his chair and knelt before Bu Eun-seol.
"Please, lend me your aid."
"Brother Han. Rise."
"I beg of you."
Han Sang-ja bowed his head deeply.
"I will not rise until you grant your permission."
"It's not that I don't wish to help you, but I still have many matters to attend to."
Bu Eun-seol spoke frankly.
"I simply lack the capacity to prioritize your vengeance."
"What matters take precedence?"
Han Sang-ja asked with utmost sincerity.
"Tell me. I, too, am a sage of the Sage Forest. I can provide the information you seek."
For a moment, Bu Eun-seol's eyes gleamed.
The sages of the Sage Forest possessed mysterious knowledge and information unknown to the martial world until now.
Moreover, Han Sang-ja claimed he could read Heaven's Will—something even the sages could scarcely fathom.
If so, might he know something about his grandfather's bloodline?
"Do you know anything about the blood relative left behind by the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade?"
In the past, he would have first asked about the assassin who killed his grandfather.
But now that he knew there was a chance his grandfather's blood relative still lived, that took precedence.
"The blood relative of the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade..."
After pondering deeply, Han Sang-ja answered honestly.
"I have studied the history of the martial world, but that knowledge pertains only to the past."
Then he lowered his head.
"To be frank, this is the first I've heard that the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade even had a blood relative."
Bu Eun-seol hadn't asked with great expectations either.
If his grandfather truly had a living blood relative?
That would be far more crucial information than the shrouded circumstances of his own origins.
"Then I suppose you know nothing of the assassin who killed the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade either."
"That is correct."
Bu Eun-seol fell into brief contemplation.
Han Sang-ja was an exceptional sage, but he was still young and had never operated an intelligence network.
In other words, while he was well-versed in past events and knowledge,
he lacked deep understanding of the current martial world's affairs and key figures.
"You're right. At present, I don't know enough."
Han Sang-ja seemed to pierce through Bu Eun-seol's inner thoughts and spoke confidently.
"But within three years—no, within one—I will grasp the current martial world's dynamics and every significant figure."
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
Han Sang-ja undoubtedly possessed such capability.
"Then do you know anything about the True Demon or his familiars?"
"Of course. I know the secrets surrounding him."
For a moment, Han Sang-ja's eyes gleamed.
"Our organization has been actively researching the True Demon until very recently."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed.
The secrets of the True Demon.
That was invaluable information—utterly unknown to the martial world and impossible to uncover until now.
"But... didn't you say earlier that pertains to a heavenly secret?"
"Then how about this?"
As if he had already considered this, Han Sang-ja continued calmly.
"Each time I provide information of equivalent value, you grant one of my requests in return."
"A request, you say."
"With my current abilities, I can't even track the Heavenly Mechanism Star's headquarters, let alone his movements. Even if Lord were to mobilize the intelligence network under your command... given the Heavenly Mechanism Star's capabilities, we wouldn't be able to catch even a tail."
Han Sang-ja spoke calmly.
"Which is why the only thing I can do is locate and eliminate the factions connected to the Heavenly Mechanism Star one by one... forcing the main body to reveal itself."
"Brother Han, are you saying...?"
"Each time I provide Lord with valuable information... I ask that you deploy your forces to eliminate them in my stead."
Bu Eun-seol frowned.
"To mobilize troops for every piece of information exchanged is..."
"It will be worth it."
Han Sang-ja wore a confident expression.
"Of course, the judgment of its worth lies entirely with Lord."
Then, he proposed an unprecedented condition.
"If the information I provide turns out to be of little value, you are free to refuse assistance."
Having gone this far, Bu Eun-seol couldn't refuse.
"Very well. Speak."
The secrets of the True Demon.
At present, the likelihood that his grandfather's blood relative had become a Servant of the True Demon was extremely high.
Which was why he absolutely had to unravel the mysteries surrounding the True Demon, one by one.
"I would prefer a quieter location."
Though the guest hall of the Hidden Demon Pavilion was quiet enough, attendants occasionally roamed about, making it somewhat awkward for discussing secrets.
"Very well, let us relocate."
Bu Eun-seol led Han Sang-ja to a secret chamber discreetly installed within the grand conference hall.
"If the secrets of the True Demon you speak of prove valuable enough, I will assist you with one matter."
"Agreed."
Han Sang-ja responded immediately.
"It is said that the True Demon, sealed by the Baekri Clan, had its soul shattered and scattered across all worlds."
His voice was grave beyond measure.
"These are called the Demon-Sealing Fragments."
"Demon-Sealing Fragments."
"Indeed. The paradox is that the figures of the Baekri Clan are particularly vulnerable to these fragments."
"Vulnerable, meaning...?"
"That they are the most susceptible to corruption by the True Demon's soul."
It was a shocking revelation.
The very figures who had ceaselessly opposed the True Demon were the most likely to be tainted by its soul?
"The reason why the Baekri Clan is vulnerable to the Demon-Sealing Fragments remains unknown, but..."
Han Sang-ja continued without pause.
"In the past, the Three Realms exploited this weakness, using the fragments to strike at the Baekri Clan."
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
Though the Three Realms had been a formidable force,
it had been somewhat difficult to comprehend how they could oppose the Baekri Clan.
But now it made sense—the Three Realms had identified the Baekri Clan's weakness in advance and exploited it.
'So that's why the Baekri Clan couldn't hide their disappointment.'
The very faction they had created
had relentlessly targeted their weakness and plotted rebellion... It must have been more than just threatening—it must have been deeply disillusioning.
"This is certainly astonishing information, but..."
As Bu Eun-seol began to speak, Han Sang-ja shook his head.
"The story has only just begun."
Then he swiftly continued.
"It is said that gathering the Demon-Sealing Fragments scattered by the True Demon grants one the True Demon's complete power—Absolute Knowledge."
"Gathering the fragments? You speak as if they were mere objects."
"When those who possess the soul fragments kill one another, the fragments are absorbed."
Han Sang-ja explained calmly.
"And the one who fully absorbs all the fragments... gains the True Demon's knowledge, accumulated through countless cycles of reincarnation."
Bu Eun-seol couldn't help but scoff in disbelief.
This was what it meant to obtain the True Demon's power?
"Then, when the Baekri Clan sealed the True Demon..."
"They shattered the True Demon's absolute knowledge—memories accumulated through endless reincarnations—into fragments."
Bu Eun-seol lowered his head with a dejected expression.
And finally,
he found himself uttering the same words he had so often heard from his subordinates.
"It sounds like a tale from folklore."
The story of the Baekri Clan and the True Demon he had just heard felt unreal, as if it belonged to legend.
He had thought there was nothing left to surprise him,
yet the idea that the True Demon's absolute knowledge, accumulated through countless reincarnations,
had been scattered across the world in fragments was beyond imagination.
"Is such a thing truly possible?"
"Isn't the mere concept of retaining memories through endless reincarnations proof of something beyond human? The possibility is more than sufficient."
Han Sang-ja wore a solemn expression, as if speaking undeniable truth.
"Regardless, the Demon-Sealing Fragments still exist, and their bearers kill one another to obtain the True Demon's knowledge. And perhaps..."
He lowered his voice.
"That is the very reason why the Abyssal Forces have been running rampant in the Murim."
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
The Abyssal Forces existed within the Murim, but their motives remained obscure.
Factions, intelligence networks, financial power—
they lacked nothing. So what was their purpose?
Could it all be for the sake of obtaining the Demon-Sealing Fragments? It was impossible not to consider the possibility.
After a moment of deep thought, Bu Eun-seol asked the crucial question.
"Then, is there a way to distinguish those who possess the True Demon's fragments—the Demon-Sealing Fragments?"
"It is said that when those who possess the fragments exert their power, they can recognize one another."
"So a situation must arise where those with the fragments are forced to fight before they can identify each other."
"Correct. However..."
Han Sang-ja spoke in a hushed tone.
"This is merely my speculation, but I suspect the so-called Servants of the True Demon may also possess a significant number of Demon-Sealing Fragments."
"Then does that mean the Servants of the True Demon are also hostile toward one another?"
"Not necessarily. But I have begun to wonder if the Demon-Sealing Fragments do not merely represent knowledge... but perhaps the very power the True Demon possesses."
―"Killing one of the True Demon's servants wouldn't matter."
The words once spoken by the Old Man of the Sanctuary surfaced unbidden in his mind.
―"If you can do so, the True Demon himself would welcome it with open arms."
If these Demon-Sealing Fragments truly existed...
Then the Old Man's words, the raison d'être of the Abyssal Forces, and even all the inexplicable situations and actions in the current murim, including those of the Superlative Martial Experts—everything clicked into place at once.
"I merely thought it was the true nature of murim people," Bu Eun-seol said with a deep sigh as he finally spoke.
"That throughout generations, martial artists have pursued strength, staking their lives in endless battles."
Then he shook his head.
"But now... I can't help but wonder if it might be due to the Demon-Sealing Fragments."
Murim people ceaselessly fought in their pursuit of power.
Could it be that, since ancient times, their battles were never truly about martial arts—but rather, a struggle to seize these fragments?
That their combat instincts had been imprinted upon them from the very beginning?
"I had a similar thought," Han Sang-ja admitted with a sigh.
"That the True Demon allowed his soul to be torn apart by the Baekri Clan deliberately, creating the murim as we know it... and people would fight endlessly among themselves."
Bu Eun-seol swallowed hard.
An Absolute Evil and Absolute Demon that had existed since antiquity, endlessly reincarnating with its memories intact.
If such a being truly existed, it was entirely plausible it would orchestrate something like this.
"What do you think?"
After a long silence, Han Sang-ja posed the question again—asking whether the information he had shared was valuable enough to warrant Bu Eun-seol's aid.
"Of course," Bu Eun-seol replied without hesitation, his voice firm.
"It was more than sufficient—overflowing, even."
The knowledge Han Sang-ja had shared about the True Demon was something unheard of anywhere else in the murim.
Moreover, Bu Eun-seol couldn't shake the intuition that these Demon-Sealing Fragments might be deeply connected to his own past with his grandfather.
"If you have another question, then I suppose I owe you one more favor."
"I do."
"But... the Heavenly Punishment you suffered—was it because of today's events?"
A strange intuition struck Bu Eun-seol.
If Han Sang-ja had deciphered Heaven's Will and gained something from it, he would have mentioned that first before asking for help.
Yet all he had said was that he had read Heaven's Will—nothing more.
Which meant the Heavenly Punishment might have been inflicted...
Because he had calculated the time needed to meet Bu Eun-seol and relayed the secrets of the True Demon.
"Correct."
Han Sang-ja admitted it plainly.
"The moment I resolved to meet the Lord and speak of the True Demon, this scar formed on my face."
Bu Eun-seol was taken aback.
"Even if you might have changed your mind midway, the punishment still came in advance?"
"I am but an ordinary man," Han Sang-ja said, shaking his head.
"If there were a Divine Being who could instantly interpret and reveal Heaven's Will... then the moment they opened their mouth, the punishment would strike."
"A Divine Being who triggers Heavenly Punishment the instant they disclose Heaven's Will..."
Something flickered at the edge of Bu Eun-seol's thoughts, but it vanished before he could grasp it.
More than anything, the revelations about the True Demon had been so staggering that coherent reasoning felt nearly impossible.
"Then tell me how I can assist you."
Bu Eun-seol spoke calmly.
"The information you shared today is worth more than ten million gold—something I'd stake my life to obtain. So ask anything of me."
The knowledge Han Sang-ja had given was invaluable.
Thus, Bu Eun-seol was prepared to grant any request in return.
"This is merely a transaction, so I won't thank you."
"There is one thing I'm curious about."
"Surely you don't intend to ask for two favors?"
Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly.
"No. It's just... a question related to your vengeance against the Heavenly Mechanism Star. You need not answer."
"Speak."
"Then... does this mean the Heavenly Mechanism Star is not an enemy of the True Demon?"
Bu Eun-seol's expression was one of incomprehension.
"Fist Adept, one of the Eight Heavenly Servants, went to great lengths to hunt him down. And the Heavenly Mechanism Star himself told my subordinate that he intended to eradicate both the Baekri Clan and the True Demon. Naturally, I assumed he opposed them."
"You find it strange that such a man would annihilate the Sage Forest."
"Frankly, yes. If his goal was to oppose the Baekri Clan and the True Demon, shouldn't he have kept the Sage Forest as allies, regardless of any grudges?"
"No."
Han Sang-ja was firm.
"The Heavenly Mechanism Star's abilities surpass those of thousands of sages combined. He never needed the Sage Forest's help to begin with."
"Then let me ask one more thing. If the Heavenly Mechanism Star eliminates the Baekri Clan and the True Demon... wouldn't that be a good thing in its own way?"
The mere existence of those two bloodlines sowed chaos throughout the murim.
And though Bu Eun-seol was a mixed-blood descendant of both, he held no particular attachment to them.
If the Heavenly Mechanism Star were to remove them... wouldn't that be acceptable?
"The Heavenly Mechanism Star was never meant to exist in this world to begin with."
Han Sang-ja's tone was resolute.
"He is not only well-versed in all knowledge but possesses prophetic inclinations."
"And that's a bad thing?"
"Consider this—if the Heavenly Mechanism Star were to harbor ill intent... the havoc he could wreak would dwarf even the combined threats of the Baekri Clan and the True Demon."
If that brilliant mind turned toward malice?
The murim—no, the world itself—could face a catastrophe far greater than anything those two bloodlines had ever wrought.
"...I see your point."
Bu Eun-seol nodded in understanding.
"No further questions. What would you have me do?"
"The reason the Heavenly Mechanism Star could create the Yin-Killing Soul-Transferring Man... is undoubtedly because he borrowed the power of Ghost King Valley."
Ghost King Valley.
A sect led through generations by the King of Ghosts, ruler of the murim's spectral legions.
"Are you saying Ghost King Gal Hu-seung has joined forces with the Heavenly Mechanism Star?"
"Correct."
Han Sang-ja spoke with the gravest of expressions.
"Please kill the Ghost King."
Among the Four Gods and Seven Kings, there was one who—like the Four Divine Beasts—possessed power passed down through generations.
That man was none other than Gal Hu-seung, the Ghost King, said to wield boundless wickedness and Evil Qi at will.