Chapter 891

So-yo didn't possess extraordinary extrasensory perception like Bu Eun-seol. However, she had the acute intuition and hearing unique to assassins.

'Thirty paces away.'

As she abruptly rose to her feet, the Thousand-Li Voice Transmission reached her again.

[His martial arts are formidable. If you keep looking around like that, you'll wake him from his slumber.]

'That direction.'

Instead of replying, So-yo detected the direction from which the voice transmission originated and stealthily dashed out of the cave.

But in that brief moment, the shadow that had been thirty paces away concealed its presence and vanished in an instant.

Yet So-yo didn't stop. She continued sprinting in that direction.

Before she knew it, a fork in the path appeared before her.

[This way.]

The sender of the voice transmission, rather unexpectedly, guided So-yo toward their own location.

Whoosh!

Once she resolved to unleash her movement technique at full speed, she rapidly closed the distance.

However, the shadow's movement technique far surpassed So-yo's Body-Locomotion Martial Art.

A relentless chase ensued—close enough to feel within reach, yet always just beyond her grasp.

As she pursued the voice, So-yo suddenly found herself before a mystical forest she had never seen until now.

Given the faint glow emanating from within, it seemed the location had been concealed all this time by a unique boundary formation.

[Follow the footprints imprinted on the ground and enter.]

Upon passing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠through the forest, another hidden paradise unfolded before her.

It was as if the Secluded Valley where Bu Eun-seol and So-yo had been staying had been miniaturized into this breathtaking landscape.

Behind a small bamboo grove, near a tranquil pond, stood a house built of stone.

And before it, a white-haired elderly woman gazed at So-yo.

"You've found your way well, my daughter."

The old woman stared intently at So-yo's face before nodding slowly.

"Foolish child. Why would a beauty like you throw her life away, deceived by a man?"

So-yo blinked her large eyes in bewilderment.

She couldn't comprehend what the old woman was saying at all.

"Who...?"

"Have you forgotten your own mother's face already?"

So-yo had been born an orphan and raised by the White Rank Assassination Sect.

Moreover, the old woman's face looked well over a hundred years old, with not a single feature resembling hers.

Yet here she was, calling herself So-yo's mother and speaking so affectionately?

"You're saying you're my mother?"

"Yes, my child."

The old woman waved her hand dismissively as she spoke.

"All men are wolves. You must never trust them."

Seeing So-yo's utterly perplexed expression, the old woman instead blurted out something absurd.

"The more kindness you show them, the more affection you give them—in the end, you'll only be used."

It seemed the old woman had been secretly observing So-yo all this time.

'A formidable master.'

So-yo took a short, sharp breath.

To deceive not just her, but even Bu Eun-seol's senses—that was no small feat.

"Have you been watching me all this time?"

"Of course."

"How?"

When So-yo asked, the old woman replied in a voice brimming with pride.

"Didn't I always tell you? A lifetime spent fending off pesky men sharpened only my ability to conceal my presence."

The old woman's face was deeply wrinkled, her features twisted as if warped by time.

Even accounting for her age, she was hardly the kind of beauty men would persistently pursue.

'Her movement technique is one thing, but her Concealment Art is extraordinary.'

Ignoring the old woman's nonsense, So-yo focused on analyzing her physiological responses.

Yet no matter how much she heightened her senses, she detected nothing.

That alone was enough to deduce that the old woman's Concealment Art had reached the pinnacle of the Martial World.

"Are you currently using the Turtle Breath Grand Art?"

"Not the Turtle Breath Grand Art—it's a technique called the Colorless Flying Dust Method."

With Bu Eun-seol's guidance, So-yo had studied numerous Body-Locomotion Martial Arts and Hidden Stealth Secret Arts from the Central Plains Martial World.

But she had never even heard of the Colorless Flying Dust Method.

"After neglecting your martial arts for so long, you've finally taken an interest, have you?"

Noticing So-yo's curiosity about the Hidden Stealth Secret Arts, the old woman spoke in a delighted voice.

"If you wish, this mother of yours will impart this secret technique to you, along with a movement art. Master the Colorless Flying Dust Method, and you'll never be pursued by men again in your life."

"Really?"

So-yo's eyes sparkled.

Though the old woman's mind seemed unstable, her movement technique and Concealment Art were extraordinary.

If she could learn them...

She would never again collapse from exhaustion while following Bu Eun-seol.

"Of course. Within three years, I'll make you a master who commands the world."

"Three years..."

At the unexpected timeframe, So-yo shook her head.

"I have to protect him."

"Protect him from what? In all my years, I've never seen a young man as terrifyingly strong as him."

Astonishingly, the old woman had surpassed the realm of Tranquil Stillness.

She even possessed the ability to gauge the terrifying depths of Bu Eun-seol's martial prowess.

Realizing she was a master from Beyond the World, So-yo asked:

"Just who are you?"

"'Who am I?' A mother is just a mother."

Though the old woman's mind seemed unclear, So-yo sensed her temperament wasn't entirely unpleasant and pressed further.

"But surely you had an epithet in your youth, didn't you?"

"Hmm..."

After a moment's hesitation, the old woman gazed into So-yo's large eyes before speaking in a low voice.

"In the past, this mother was known by the epithet 'Snow Blossom Jade Swallow.' But my time in the Martial World was exceedingly brief, so few would remember that name."

She was wrong.

Snow Blossom Jade Swallow—Ja Su-ryeon.

She had been a renowned heroine of the Martial World who had flourished thirty years prior.

Back then, she had not only reached the pinnacle of lightness skill in the Martial World but had also been bestowed that epithet due to her breathtaking beauty.

"You... were the Snow Blossom Jade Swallow?"

So-yo was utterly astonished.

To think that Ja Su-ryeon, whose epithet perfectly captured her jade-like radiance and graceful figure, and whose elegant Movement Technique resembled a swallow in flight—

The woman who had once received countless marriage proposals from men—had become this withered old woman?

'The age doesn't add up.'

Back then, Ja Su-ryeon had been in her twenties. Even if generously estimated, she should be in her late fifties or early sixties now.

But the old woman before her had skin like the bark of an ancient tree, and her hair was as white as bleached roots.

No matter how much hardship she had endured, it was impossible for a person to age so drastically in such a short time.

"You're wearing a mask."

Only after staring for a long while did So-yo realize—

Ja Su-ryeon was wearing an exquisitely crafted Human Skin Mask.

"Haven't I always told you? You must always be wary of men."

Ja Su-ryeon's voice was icy.

"And the best way is to hide your face."

"But who is there to see you in this secluded valley where no one comes?"

"Hmph. 'No one comes,' you say? Didn't a filthy black-clad man just barge in here?"

So-yo shook her head.

"We only stumbled upon this place by accident."

"'We'?"

"I came with him—"

So-yo bit her tongue.

Ja Su-ryeon's mind was not clear. No amount of explanation would get through to her.

"From now on, you are forbidden from going outside."

Whoosh.

In that instant, Ja Su-ryeon closed the distance between them.

"Do you have any idea how long I've searched for you?"

The gap between them had been over thirty meters apart, yet she crossed it in the blink of an eye—without even a hint of preparatory movement.

"Your Movement Technique is incredible."

When So-yo praised her again, Ja Su-ryeon shrugged.

"This is nothing. Barely worth mentioning."

'So the rumors were true.'

Ja Su-ryeon wasn't just renowned for her beauty.

It was said that her Movement Technique was second only to the Swift Shadowless, Go Wol, who was hailed as the greatest master of movement in the world.

But since few had actually witnessed her skills firsthand,

many in the martial world dismissed it as mere exaggeration—tales spun by men smitten with her looks.

Yet seeing her technique now, So-yo realized the rumors were far from baseless.

If anything, her epithet, which emphasized her beauty, had understated her true abilities.

"Have you been living here all this time?"

So-yo observed the smooth, weathered stones of Ja Su-ryeon's house, shaped by years of exposure to the elements.

It was clear she had lived alone in this place for a very long time.

If a woman of her martial prowess and Movement Technique had remained active in the martial world...

Not only would she have built a formidable reputation, but she could have even established her own faction.

So why had she chosen to live like a recluse in this remote valley?

"Of course. I spent my whole life searching for you, only to end up waiting here in the end."

The old woman's voice was filled with raw longing.

So-yo could tell she had endured unspeakable suffering and looked at her with pity.

"Is it difficult living here?"

"It's fine. I go to Chengdu from time to time."

So-yo immediately understood.

With Ja Su-ryeon's extraordinary Movement Technique, the journey from this valley to Chengdu would take less than an hour.

She likely felt no inconvenience at all.

"Stay hidden here until that man leaves the valley. Then you won't be discovered."

Ja Su-ryeon sighed.

"After he's gone, Your mother will pass on her martial arts to you. Once you master them, you'll possess a Body-Locomotion Martial Art unrivaled in the world."

"I don't need to learn any more Movement Techniques."

"Nonsense. If you learn what I teach you, you'll be able to move three times faster than you do now."

For a moment, So-yo's eyes sparkled.

Three times faster than her current speed?

Wouldn't that make her the fastest in the martial world?

Ja Su-ryeon's mind might be clouded, but her martial arts were still intact.

If So-yo closed her eyes and learned from her...

She would be able to keep up with anyone, even Bu Eun-seol.

"But..."

After a moment of contemplation, So-yo shook her head.

"No, I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I have to protect him."

"'Protect'?"

Ja Su-ryeon stared in disbelief toward the direction where Bu Eun-seol was.

"That man is that strong—what exactly do you need to protect him from?"

"No. He's weak."

So-yo's voice was quiet.

"He pretends to be strong, but deep down, he hides a fragile heart."

She lowered her head.

"He's still just a child."

"You've been completely bewitched."

Ja Su-ryeon's expression was one of utter incomprehension.

"Are you serious?"

"Of course."

"Then that means... that wolf-like bastard deliberately showed you that side of himself. To enchant you."

"I don't care."

So-yo's voice was calm.

"I choose to stay by his side because I want to."

"Even if I forbid it?"

"Yes."

Ja Su-ryeon's eyes gleamed.

She realized there was no breaking So-yo's stubbornness.

"Fine. Then at least have a cup of tea before you go."

She gestured toward her house.

"I've waited for you all these years, living alone in this place. How could I let you leave without even sharing a cup of tea?"

When So-yo hesitated, Ja Su-ryeon pressed,

"What's the matter? Come inside already."

So-yo had been about to use her Movement Technique to return to Bu Eun-seol immediately.

But then she met Ja Su-ryeon's gaze— ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Her smile was gentle, but her eyes held a mixture of pain and regret.

Unable to refuse, So-yo relented.

"Alright."

The inside of Ja Su-ryeon's stone house was immaculate, with a separate kitchen for brewing tea.

Shortly after entering, Ja Su-ryeon handed So-yo a warm cup.

"Drink."

So-yo didn't drink the tea immediately, instead lightly touching it with the tip of her tongue.

It was a lingering habit from her assassin training—always checking for poison in food.

"Huhuhu, did you think this old woman would lace it with poison?"

Ja Su-ryeon, who had been chuckling softly, shook her head.

"Quite the opposite. It contains several spirit medicines that rapidly amplify internal power."

Having undergone assassin training, So-yo could distinguish between elixirs and poison with just the tip of her tongue.

And the woman's words were not a lie.

"Then."

So-yo took a small sip.

Immediately, her body grew hot, and a surge of fiery energy rose from her dantian.

Truly, it contained an elixir of exceptional potency.

"You should drink it all while it's warm. That way, the effects will spread evenly."

So-yo nodded and took another sip.

Shiver.

But after drinking the tea, her body began trembling faintly.

"How...?"

At her quivering voice, Ja Su-ryeon smiled faintly.

"What you drank was indeed tea infused with spirit medicine. Only, it was a little too generously dosed."

Like all medicines, the more potent the effect, the more toxic it became.

What happens if one consumes an overwhelmingly powerful elixir all at once? More often than not, the sheer intensity of its effects would knock the drinker unconscious instead.

"It was all for your sake."

Thud.

Unable to resist the sudden drowsiness—like a drunkard succumbing to sleep—So-yo slumped forward onto the table, completely passing out.

Ja Su-ryeon gently lifted her and laid her down on the bed inside.

"She should sleep soundly for about four hours."

Her fingers brushed softly through So-yo's hair, her eyes brimming with warmth.

"How could I let you slip away, only to fall back into the hands of those devilish men?"

When she stood up, her gaze was filled with malice.

"At any rate, someone with martial arts of that level would undoubtedly track her trail here in an instant."

Stepping outside, she instantly activated her movement technique.

Whoosh.

Her destination was the direction of the cave where Bu Eun-seol was staying.

"Just what is she up to?"

Bu Eun-seol slowly opened his eyes.

His extrasensory perception was so refined that he could faintly eavesdrop on another's telepathic transmissions.

The voice that had reached So-yo was gentle and devoid of malice—so what exactly was this woman planning?

To observe, he had pretended to be asleep.

"She's taking her time."

Leaving the cave, he followed So-yo's trail, walking steadily toward her location.

But suddenly, a fierce gust of wind swept through—and before him stood an elderly woman with snow-white hair.

Ja Su-ryeon.

'An astonishing movement technique.'

To evade his senses, which spanned hundreds of yards, and close the distance this swiftly?

'Judging by her appearance, she must be the one who sent the telepathic message.'

"Who are you?"

"Do not seek my daughter any longer."

"Daughter?"

"That's right."

Her voice was icy.

"Leave this place at once. Otherwise, two people will die."

"Two people? What do you mean?"

"I know your martial arts are formidable. But subduing me in an instant won't be easy."

Swish.

Retreating to a distance of about thirty feet in a flash, she continued.

"And the moment you attack, both my daughter and I will take our own lives."

"Daughter, you say."

Bu Eun-seol's expression was one of utter incomprehension.

"Are you claiming to be So-yo's mother?"

"That child's name is not So-yo."

Bu Eun-seol couldn't make sense of it.

Why would someone suddenly appear in this secluded valley, declaring herself So-yo's mother?

Moreover, wasn't there something unsettlingly vacant in her gaze?

"Tell me what you want from me."

"Are your ears stopped? I've been telling you to leave since the beginning."

"Why are you demanding I leave?"

Ja Su-ryeon replied coldly.

"I know you've been using that child. Exploiting her innocence for your own ends."

Though her words were baseless, they unexpectedly struck at the heart of Bu Eun-seol's guilt.

Admittedly, it was an exaggerated accusation—but from an objective standpoint, it wasn't entirely wrong.

'I did use So-yo's goodwill to establish and maintain the Death Soul Squad's information network.'

With a sigh, Bu Eun-seol nodded.

"That much is true." ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Good that you admit it so readily."

Ja Su-ryeon nodded as well.

"Then leave ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this place immediately. And never seek her out again."

"Elder."

Bu Eun-seol exhaled wearily.

"If So-yo wishes to leave, she may do so at any time. But I don't even know who you are."

"So?"

"Let me see her. Then I will depart."

"Don't play games with me."

Ja Su-ryeon's voice hardened.

"It doesn't matter who I am. All you need to do is let go of that pitiful child."

Bu Eun-seol sighed again.

The old woman's eyes were kind and calm.

Even if her mind wasn't entirely sound, it was clear she wasn't some vile villain.

"Hmm."

Suppressing the urge to resort to force, Bu Eun-seol spoke again.

"She is free to leave me whenever she chooses. But a third party cannot force the matter."

"Eloquent words. I'm sure you used such sweet talk to lure my daughter in."

From her sleeve, Ja Su-ryeon produced a pitch-black pill.

"If you truly mean what you say, can you swallow this?"

"What is it?"

"A pill that reveals the truth. Can you still say those words after taking it?"

Bu Eun-seol let out a quiet breath.

'She lies so smoothly.'

Even without swallowing it, the scent alone confirmed it was a poison core laced with extreme poison.

But thanks to having reached the threshold of Sage Among Poisons, even hundreds of such cores would have no effect on him.

'What should I do?'

At this moment, Bu Eun-seol had only—or rather, two choices disguised as one—to resolve the situation.

"Either subdue the old woman and interrogate her about So-yo's whereabouts."

"Or subdue the old woman and unfold the Empty Mind Spirit Communion to find So-yo's location directly."

"Fine."

But Bu Eun-seol chose a third option.

Namely, to follow the old woman's instructions exactly in order to find So-yo's trail.

Gulp.

He swallowed the poison pill whole, its noxious stench and all.

"Are you satisfied now?"

Ja Su-ryeon—who clearly hadn't expected him to actually ingest the poison—hurriedly tossed him an antidote pill while exclaiming,

"Did you even know what that was before swallowing it?"

"Must I know that too?"

The flustered woman let out a scoff upon seeing the clarity in Bu Eun-seol's eyes, finally realizing the situation.

"A Poison Person, were you?"

"No."

"Ridiculous. You claim not to be one after swallowing a Soul-Dissolving Bone-Eroding Pill and remaining perfectly unharmed?"

"I did as you asked. Now tell me where she is."

Ja Su-ryeon changed the subject again.

"Then, can you sacrifice a part of yourself for her?"

"What nonsense is that now?"

"Cut off a finger. Then I'll believe you."

"A finger?"

Bu Eun-seol gave a bitter smile.

Why were martial artists so obsessed with fingers?

"What do you need my finger for?"

"I told you—to prove your sincerity."

Ja Su-ryeon spoke firmly.

"If you truly mean what you say, if you care for that child... you wouldn't hesitate to lose a single finger, would you?"

"Must it be expressed through a finger?"

"Of course you won't do it."

Ja Su-ryeon curled her lips coldly.

"Because that child is worth less to you than a single finger."

Shhhk.

Bu Eun-seol drew the Ink Soul Sword and immediately swung it down toward his own finger.

Ja Su-ryeon, startled once more, shot out a Finger Wind to deflect the blade.

Clang!

The reverberation was strong enough to shatter bone—proof that his strike had been genuine.

Had her Internal Energy not been profound, that single move would have inflicted severe Internal Injuries.

"Why must you be so rash?!"

Though her mind was unwell, Ja Su-ryeon was a fundamentally kind-hearted person.

She had provoked him believing him to be a Poison Person—someone who would never dare sever their own hand, as doing so would regress their Poison Technique.

Yet he had swung without hesitation.

"Didn't you tell me to cut it?"

Seeing the calm in Bu Eun-seol's eyes, Ja Su-ryeon snorted, convinced she'd been deceived again.

"I see. You're skilled enough to fake it."

"..."

"Had I not stopped you, you would've halted your swing at the last moment anyway?"

Naturally, Bu Eun-seol—

was no fool who would actually cut off his finger for the sake of a deranged old woman whose words couldn't even confirm whether So-yo was truly in her care.

Yet he had swung without hesitation.

Because, like the Demonic Heavenly Emperor, he could read people's hearts.

He knew this old woman was no Evil Person, and so he had expressed his sincerity.

But Ja Su-ryeon stubbornly refused to relent.

"No more tricks this time."

She pulled out an orb from her sleeve.

A Soul-Seizing Pearl—an artifact capable of unleashing the formidable effects of the Soul-Seizing Art.

"Look at this."

As Bu Eun-seol's gaze fell upon the pearl, his Eye Glow reflected on its surface—

Crack.

—before the pearl shattered instantly.

His Martial Arts and Mental Power were simply too profound for any tool meant to disrupt Spirit and Mind to work on him.

"Are you a ghost?"

Ja Su-ryeon was stunned.

She had known his Martial Arts were formidable, but never in her wildest dreams had she imagined his Spirit and Mind defenses would be so grotesquely insurmountable.

"Enough of this."

"What?"

"I'll speak to her properly myself."

Bu Eun-seol sighed.

Because Ja Su-ryeon was not an Evil Person, nor was she someone who would harm So-yo.

He couldn't bring himself to be ruthless with her.

Had he sensed even a sliver of Malice?

He would have subdued her before she could utter another word, forcing her to reveal So-yo's location.

"What exactly are you trying to do?"

"I'll persuade her to leave me willingly. So tell me where she is."

Deep down, Bu Eun-seol too wished for So-yo to leave this life behind and live happily.

If this chance allows her to escape the blood-soaked Rivers and Lakes... that wouldn't be so bad.

"No."

"Why not?"

Ja Su-ryeon shouted.

"Aren't men like you—handsome, powerful—always the ones who use women and discard them in the most wretched ways?"

Hmm.

Bu Eun-seol couldn't hide his troubled expression.

It was often said that the Murim was filled with as many Eccentric Masters as there were grains of sand.

Put another way,

the martial world was teeming with every manner of eccentric and unwell individuals.

Indeed, in his travels through the Rivers and Lakes, he had encountered countless peculiar figures and learned how to handle them.

But unfortunately,

he had never before met someone like this old woman—kind-hearted yet mentally unsound.

Thus, he had no idea how to navigate this situation.

At least she's not completely mad, only somewhat gently deranged.

Fortunately, Ja Su-ryeon wasn't fully insane—just somewhat mentally clouded.

"Elder. You shouldn't force your eccentric philosophies on others or mistake them for universal truths."

"Silver-tongued, aren't you? He was the same."

Ja Su-ryeon's Eyeballs burned with Rage.

"Always speaking as if you mean every word, when in truth, it's all empty deception!"

Then she uttered something utterly shocking.

"All that nonsense about upholding the Laws of the Murim!"

"What are you talking about?"

Ja Su-ryeon pulled out a small Copper Mirror from her sleeve.

"What? This mirror shows your true form... and keeps you from forgetting who you originally were?"

Ja Su-ryeon shouted.

"Guardians of the world, yet simultaneously the Forgotten Ones of Murim? You abandoned your lives and names?"

Then she hurled the copper mirror she'd been clutching to the ground.

Clang.

Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened as he stared down at the mirror now lying on the floor.

From the copper mirror adorned with strange emblems and gemstones, wasn't an energy flowing that was eerily similar to the Soul-Demon Magic Energy wielded by that old man from the True Demon faction before?

'The Sanctuary.'

Those who had been clamoring all along about upholding the Laws of Murim—there was only one possible origin.

There could be no other but the Sanctuary.