Chapter 954
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed as he gazed at the Saint.
And he recalled the circumstances of that time.
"Why did only the young survive?"
At the time, examining the corpses in the graveyard, Bu Eun-seol couldn't comprehend it at all.
If one could absorb disease and life force?
There would be no need to go through the trouble of sparing only the young.
Especially for martial arts like the Essence-Absorbing Great Method, which encompasses all the mysteries of absorption arts.
When stopped midway, the counterforce either injures the practitioner or prevents them from fully unleashing the absorption's mysteries.
Leaving even a certain amount behind is absolutely avoided—the principle is to drain everything without residue.
Why on earth were only the young left alive?
Could it be an act of mercy because he couldn't take their lives?
"No, that can't be."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
That was impossible.
If that were the case, there would be no reason to kill only the elderly.
Moreover, the fact that only the young survived suggested there was a specific reason.
"I need to verify this first."
To track the Saint's movements.
He had to properly grasp exactly what scheme the man was plotting, what he was setting in motion.
In the end, Bu Eun-seol took his time to thoroughly investigate Sang-an Village once more.
Especially when he scrutinized those who had survived the plague, strange details began catching his eye one by one.
At first, he had assumed it was simply that "the young" survived, but upon closer observation, the age groups of the survivors were sharply divided by gender.
Among the men, some were nearing their forties, but among the women, not a single one had passed thirty.
For the survivors' ages to be so distinctly split by gender like this—
It was powerful evidence of intentional selection—that someone had artificially filtered the survivors.
"In the end, it was deliberate. Men were spared up to their forties, women only up to their thirties."
A sharp glint flashed through Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
'If I examine the survivors' bodies closely, I should be able to pinpoint the exact cause.'
The human body does not lie.
After much deliberation, Bu Eun-seol disguised himself as a wandering physician and returned to Sang-an Village.
Mountain villages like this had no proper doctors, and even if they did, treatment and medicine were prohibitively expensive.
The poor couldn't even afford to visit a physician.
But wandering physicians treated the sick for free or prescribed medicine at low cost.
So villagers had no choice but to welcome their visits eagerly.
Murmur, murmur.
A long line stretched before the small, makeshift clinic set up at the village entrance.
And there, disguised as an ordinary middle-aged physician, Bu Eun-seol received the patients.
Since the plague had already struck Sang-an Village once, the fear lingered that it could return at any time.
When word spread that a wandering physician had set up a clinic, the villagers rushed there in droves.
'I couldn't uncover why the survivors' ages differed so drastically by gender. But...'
After several days of meticulously checking the villagers' pulses, Bu Eun-seol made a startling discovery.
'I've definitely found the reason they could survive the plague.'
Strangely enough, inside the bodies of the survivors—
A powerful energy, forcibly injected by someone, had taken root within them.
A transcendent yet alien force—none other than a Demon-Sealing Fragment.
'So the reason they survived was because of the Demon-Sealing Fragment.'
If he hadn't posed as a physician to examine their bodies closely?
He would never have detected this energy.
The energy the Saint had implanted was that covert—
So subtle that even physicians with exceptional senses or martial artists couldn't perceive it.
If Bu Eun-seol hadn't encountered the energy of Demon-Sealing Fragments and Soul-Demon Magic Energy multiple times before?
He would never have been able to detect it.
'But why go to such lengths?'
There was nothing the True Demon stood to gain by implanting such energy in ordinary civilians.
So why had the Saint planted energy akin to a Demon-Sealing Fragment—
Inside the bodies of common folk who weren't even martial artists?
'Let me examine it again with the Heavenly Robe Mind Art.'
Zzzing.
To trace the origin of that power.
As he pretended to check their pulses and activated the Heavenly Robe Mind Art, something astonishing happened.
The energy was flowing along his fingers, burrowing into his meridians—wasn't it?
As if it were a living entity with its own will—
The moment its existence was detected, it immediately attacked Bu Eun-seol, who had discovered it.
'How dare you—'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed.
Before he knew it, the force had transformed infinitely, shaking his meridians as if trying to sever them.
Whoosh.
He immediately drew upon his Internal Energy to push it back.
But wasn't that energy constantly shifting its form and even its attributes to resist him?
'Good.'
Hwiiing—
The moment he fully aligned the energy within his body, a momentary burst of five-colored light radiated from him.
Harmonization.
By enveloping himself in the Harmonization that annihilated all existence, he burned away the bizarre force attempting to burrow into him.
Psssh.
Finally, the invasive energy dispersed into wisps of smoke.
Tap.
A bead of sweat formed on Bu Eun-seol's forehead.
'Had it not been for the Power of Harmony, that would have been truly dangerous.'
The Demon-Sealing Fragments implanted in these people were on an entirely different level from previous ones.
Their unpredictable nature allowed them to shift attributes without pause.
Had he not suppressed them instantly with the Power of Harmony, completely eradicating them might have been impossible.
"Physician, didn't you just see a flash of light?"
At the question from the man lying back down, Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"The lingering effects of your illness are causing hallucinations."
After hastily dismissing the patient, Bu Eun-seol bit his lip.
'So this means every survivor in Sang-an Village has this same force embedded in their bodies.'
To extract the invasive energy from these survivors, he would need to stay here for at least three more days.
For Bu Eun-seol, who had only a month left under the Demonic Heavenly Emperor's orders—
It was time both precious and painfully scarce.
Yet he did not hesitate.
'I'll save the villagers first.'
If there were those in need, he would never turn away.
If he ignored this situation, would he even have the qualification to avenge his grandfather?
It was precisely because of this unwavering belief—
That he had been able to persevere for so long, relentlessly pursuing his goal.
And so, Bu Eun-seol continued diagnosing the villagers, eradicating—
The alien and bizarre forces embedded within them through Harmonization.
It was grueling, exhausting work.
Yet he gave his best effort, absorbing and burning away the energy within their bodies again and again.
Not only did this slightly shorten the time required to manifest Harmonization,
But its might also grew stronger—
Though in his frantic efforts to save the villagers, he failed to notice this change.
"You erased it?"
Upon hearing Bu Eun-seol's words, the Saint wore a somewhat dazed expression.
The energy he had implanted was not something that could simply be erased like that.
Yet this man spoke of eliminating it as effortlessly as swatting a bug?
"Hahaha."
After a long moment of contemplation, the Saint suddenly burst into clear laughter.
His expression was one of immense delight, as if he had stumbled upon a hidden treasure.
"If you can annihilate that energy, then you certainly have the qualifications."
The Saint nodded with utmost satisfaction.
"I'll tell you. The True Demon's purpose—and my true nature."
It was an unexpected offer.
Bu Eun-seol had assumed their next step would be a bloody battle—
Yet upon hearing that the man had purged the foreign energy akin to Demon-Sealing Fragments from the villagers' bodies,
The Saint was now willingly answering all his questions?
"Will you listen?"
The Saint's smile was refreshing.
"To that answer."
"Of course."
He had only intended to deduce the origins of the Saint's Martial Arts and Internal Energy through combat.
There was no means to forcibly pry open the man's mouth to begin with.
If he was offering the truth willingly, there was no reason to refuse.
"Then I must prepare tea."
The Saint grinned before gesturing to the table in front of the Thatched Cottage.
"Wait here a moment."
Without waiting for a reply, he immediately turned and headed toward the kitchen inside the cottage.
Since the door was wide open—
Bu Eun-seol could clearly observe the Saint preparing tea.
The Saint slowly reached out and opened a wooden box inside the kitchen.
Within it lay aged tea leaves, as if they had silently endured the weight of time.
Plucking a single leaf with his fingertips, the Saint brought it to his nose and took a faint breath.
Strangely, Bu Eun-seol could also smell it—
The scent of rain-soaked mountain soil, the warmth of sun-dried grasslands, and a cozy, comforting fragrance.
Click.
The Saint took out an antique-style teacup and, using his Internal Energy, boiled the water in an instant.
As the leaves steeped in the hot water began to unfurl one by one,
they resembled tiny spirits regaining life, stretching their limbs in a languid yawn.
Click, swish swish.
Every movement the Saint made while brewing the tea was restrained, devoid of any excess—
as if he were pouring his entire life force into crafting this single cup.
Bu Eun-seol could only watch, spellbound, with a reverence bordering on devotion.
'This man...'
Though it was merely the act of brewing tea, there was an almost magnetic pull to it, as if it could draw in one's very soul.
Each motion seemed to reflect the weight of a life long-lived.
'He is absolutely not of middle age.'
The movements of a true Adept transcend mere action, elevating themselves into art—imbued with the essence of their very being.
Watching the Saint pour the tea, Bu Eun-seol could surmise one thing:
This man had lived a life far beyond the span of ordinary people.
"Drink."
Once the tea was complete, the Saint set the cup before Bu Eun-seol.
Truthfully, whether the Saint had brewed it or not,
Bu Eun-seol had never intended to take a sip.
But having witnessed the process, he found himself unable to refuse.
This was a cup that seemed to contain a soul.
Swish.
The moment the tea touched his throat, a dazed sensation filled Bu Eun-seol's head.
Though it was merely warm liquid entering his mouth, an indescribable thrill and lingering sensation spread through his entire body.
"Hoho."
The Saint smiled in satisfaction at the sight before carefully sipping his own tea.
Then, as if to savor the lingering taste, he closed his eyes and heightened his senses, immersing himself in the moment.
"What is this tea made of?"
Bu Eun-seol had tasted teas brewed by Grand Masters many times before.
Among them were Masters whose skills encompassed the heavens, and those who had dedicated their entire lives to perfecting the art of tea leaves.
But he could say with absolute certainty—
Compared to this single cup he had just drunk,
every other tea he had ever tasted might as well have been flavorless water.
"If you ask what it is made of..."
At Bu Eun-seol's question, the Saint remained silent for a long while, savoring the taste with closed eyes,
before letting out a deep sigh and slowly opening them again.
"I suppose you could say it is made of long, regret-filled years."
"I don't understand."
"You will soon."
The Saint smiled.
"Because I am about to tell you the reasons."
"..."
"Have you ever wondered about the True Demon's purpose?"
When Bu Eun-seol nodded, the Saint spoke in an impossibly low voice.
"To put it simply, he seeks to create a new world."
"A new world."
Normally, such words were used by those plotting treason.
But the True Demon would never scheme for something so trivial.
A being who had dominated the world through countless cycles of reincarnation—
would he truly aim for something as petty as a throne?
No, considering his unfathomable knowledge and the lives he had lived... there was nothing more hollow and meaningless than a mere imperial seat.
"If you wish to easily grasp the meaning behind the True Demon's 'new world'... then listen to the purpose of the Baekri Clan."
The Saint spoke in a calm voice, as if intending to unravel Bu Eun-seol's doubts.
"The Baekri Clan's purpose is to preserve the current world."
Then, he continued evenly.
"And the True Demon seeks to create a new one. Do you understand now?"
To preserve the world?
Or to forge a new one?
As these opposing meanings imprinted themselves in his mind, Bu Eun-seol faintly grasped what the Saint was implying—
and what it truly signified.
"Like the Demon-Sealing Fragments left within the bodies of the young..."
Thud-thud, thud-thud.
His heart pounded as if it might tear apart.
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened in disbelief as he spoke.
"Are you saying... that creating a new world means creating new people?"
"Correct."
The Saint's expression turned solemn.
"The True Demon has always used his Familiars to cull the weak at birth. So that the next generation may be born even slightly stronger."
Then came the unbelievable words.
"His true desire is for every person in this world to become like him. In mind... and in body."
"A mind and body... like his?"
"Think of it as sowing seeds. That may make it easier to understand."
The moment those words registered, something flashed through Bu Eun-seol's mind.
At last, he fully understood the meaning behind the Saint's words.
"So you mean he intends to change not this generation, but the next?"
"Precisely."
Bu Eun-seol inhaled deeply with an utterly bewildered expression.
Only now had all the secrets unraveled.
The reason the Saint left behind something akin to a Demon-Sealing Fragment within the bodies of the young—
It wasn't to alter their minds and bodies immediately...
But to plant seeds that would turn the children they would bear and raise—
The next generation yet to be born—into Servants of the True Demon.
"You're saying that if the True Demon infects the current generation's youth, its influence will extend to their descendants?"
"Correct."
"Then he... might as well be called a god."
Bu Eun-seol stared at the Saint with unfocused eyes.
To manipulate the current generation's youth and pass down that corruption and curse for generations—
Wasn't such an ability something only a god could wield?
"Not at all. It's hardly a difficult feat."
The Saint spoke impassively.
"Techniques like the Innate Reversal Art or the Body Replacement Art—great rituals and spells that mold unborn children into Heavenly Martial Bodies or Imperial Physiques—are already well-documented within the Murim, are they not?"
"But those are, at the very least, arts performed on fetuses."
"It's the same principle. The Innate Reversal Art itself originated from ancient forbidden techniques that alter the physique."
The Saint dismissed it as trivial.
"The True Demon has accumulated vast knowledge through countless cycles of reincarnation... Adapting ancient forbidden arts into something new would hardly be difficult for him."
An Absolute Evil that has existed since the dawn of time.
A True Demon who retains memories across endless rebirths—
Not only could he wield ancient forbidden techniques,
But devising even greater Secret Arts would be nothing to him.
"Then one of the conditions for implanting those seeds... must be contracting a severe illness like the plague."
"Exactly."
The Saint nodded.
"Only when the body is weakened by such a grave illness can it finally accept the seed. Like evolving in the face of death."
"But I still don't understand."
Bu Eun-seol pressed further.
"If he's such a formidable being, capable of freely creating ancient forbidden arts... why was his soul torn apart by the Baekri Clan, and why hasn't he fully manifested even now?"
"Just as nature dictates, all power comes with restrictions. Even he, a being of flesh and blood, could not escape those limits."
The Saint gazed at the distant sky.
"So he sought a way to surpass them. Through a method so ingenious, no one could have anticipated it."
"And what was that?"
"To harness the power of his greatest enemy—a force close to his own."
Then the Saint revealed yet another truth—
One so shocking that even Bu Eun-seol could scarcely endure it in his right mind.
"He wondered: What if he could wield both the Baekri Clan's Manifestation Art Energy and his own Soul-Demon Magic Energy simultaneously? Wouldn't that allow him to perform a Great Art that transcends all restrictions?"
"Then that means..."
"Precisely. He captured members of the Baekri Clan and turned them into puppets—vessels capable of wielding arts that surpass human limitations."
The Saint, who had been staring at the sky, lowered his gaze to Bu Eun-seol.
"That is the true nature of those you call Saints."
Thud.
An impact too immense to withstand forced Bu Eun-seol's head to drop.
The Saint—whom he had believed to be nothing more than a Servant of the True Demon,
Sucking the life force of the young and spreading grotesque plagues to slaughter the elderly—
Had actually been a puppet crafted by capturing members of the Baekri Clan,
All to execute a forbidden Great Art
And turn every child born in the future into Servants of the True Demon...
How could such a thing be possible?
Suddenly, realization struck Bu Eun-seol, and he spoke.
"The Demon-Sealing Fragments... Is that why the True Demon consumed you?"
"You're sharp."
The Saint nodded.
"The Baekri bloodline is vulnerable to Demon-Sealing Fragments. The deeper one cultivates Manifestation Art Energy, the more susceptible they become."
"Then... you were once a member of the Baekri Clan?"
The Saint formed a lonely smile.
"Perhaps in the past."
"What do you mean?"
"I've lost most of my memories."
His eyes flickered between clarity and haze.
"Even so, I'm among the fortunate ones."
The Saint continued calmly.
"Most Saints move as mere puppets of the True Demon. None besides me retain clear consciousness and fragments of their past."
"You regained it yourself?"
"Not exactly."
He sighed before continuing.
"Over thirty years ago, I fought someone and was brought to death's doorstep. When I barely survived and regained my senses, fragments of my memories had returned."
The Saint's pupils darkened into an abyss.
"Now... all I can recall is the name of the one I fought, lingering in those shattered remnants of memory."
"Who was it?"
The Saint's gaze sank into endless depths as he answered.
"The First Beauty of the Martial World—Baekri Mu-ha."