Chapter 956
'Is this a coincidence?'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed as he detected the bizarre gaze.
Only the disciples of the Wind God Palace could sense the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi.
How could these India merchants wandering the marketplace possibly detect it?
'India is a land where peculiar Secret Arts and Sorcery thrive.'
Unlike the Central Plains Martial World, India did not prohibit the Art of Spells or Sorcery.
Instead, martial arts and Esoteric Ritual Arts steeped in religious traditions flourished there.
Perhaps even in this very marketplace.
He couldn't rule out the possibility that someone with an extraordinary ability to sense the energy of Wind & Cloud Divine Qi might be present.
'I should be cautious.'
Feeling uneasy, Bu Eun-seol ceased dispersing the divine energy.
With an indifferent expression, he surveyed his surroundings.
Then, blending into the crowds of vendors hawking their wares, he slipped away from the area.
Just as he was finally emerging from the bustling marketplace—
"Hello!"
A petite girl approached Bu Eun-seol.
Her face was speckled with large spots,
as if bruised, making it impossible to discern her original features.
Yet her eyes sparkled like starlight, and her teeth were pearly white, so she didn't appear unattractive.
"You're from the Central Plains, right?"
The girl spoke fluent Han language, greeting him with a friendly expression.
"The area around Nashik City isn't just beautiful—there are many amazing spots most tourists don't know about."
She winked and continued in a suggestive voice.
"Of course, once you step just outside this city, you'll find plenty of people offering to guide you to scenic spots. But they can't speak Han properly."
The girl was a tour guide who made money by showing visitors around Nashik City.
These guides, sometimes called "tour guides," not only shared the history of famous sites
but also led tourists to hidden scenic spots known only to locals, making them invaluable to travelers from afar.
"But I can speak Han. That's a huge advantage, isn't it?"
Upon closer inspection, her eye color was the only unusual feature—her facial structure and skin tone were closer to that of the Han people.
She was likely of mixed blood, with Han and another lineage.
"Understood."
Without hesitation, Bu Eun-seol retrieved a silver tael from his pouch and handed it to the girl.
"I'll hire you, then."
Nashik City was far too vast to search every corner.
If he couldn't quickly locate the Absolute Boundary,
it would be wiser to rely on a local guide familiar with the area.
"Great choice!"
Beaming, the girl swiftly pocketed the silver tael, then confidently extended her hand again.
"The guiding fee is one tael per day. Payment upfront."
"I just gave you one."
"That was before the contract. So that was just a gesture of goodwill."
As Bu Eun-seol gave a wry smile, the girl scrutinized his appearance.
Disguised as Seol-so, his features were utterly unremarkable.
Moreover, having traveled to India in a flash using Lightness Skill, his clothes were covered in dust and his overall appearance was shabby.
Though his pouch seemed well-stocked,
it might not indicate wealth—perhaps he had brought his life savings.
Among Central Plains travelers visiting India, such people were not uncommon.
"Fine."
The girl sighed as if resigned.
"You don't seem like someone who can afford gestures, so I'll count this as payment for a full day."
Watching her make unilateral judgments and decisions, Bu Eun-seol couldn't help but chuckle.
Lately, he had been clashing endlessly with the martial world's strongest
and the Abyssal Forces, his days drenched in blood.
But seeing this young girl striving to make a living as a guide
cleared his mind, as if the scent of blood clinging to his clothes had faded slightly.
"Your name?"
"Huh?"
"Shouldn't you tell me what to call you?"
When Bu Eun-seol smiled, baring his teeth, the girl stared blankly for a moment.
His face was so plain—how could his smile be so dazzling?
"No name?"
When he asked again,
the girl finally shook her head, snapping out of her daze, and answered in a soft voice.
"A-wan."
"I see."
"And you, Young Master?"
"I am Seol-so."
Then Bu Eun-seol took out another silver tael from his pouch and handed it to the girl, A-wan.
"Then I'll be in your care."
"No, it's fine."
A-wan waved her hands dismissively.
"Exploring all the famous spots in Nashik City would take days. Save your money."
Bu Eun-seol nodded and put the silver tael back.
"Understood."
"Shall we begin the tour?"
A-wan asked with a lively expression.
"Is there any particular place you'd like to visit? The reason you came to Nashik City must be to see Dara-Mil Valley, right?"
Before Bu Eun-seol could even respond, she chattered away without pause.
"Dara-Mil Valley has the legendary Maya Forest. But in reality, Maya Forest is actually—"
"There's only one place I want to go."
"Huh?"
"A well-known spot among people, yet one that's rarely visited or only frequented during specific seasons."
So far, the places where Absolute Boundaries had been discovered were either the strongholds of special sects—
Or locations like seasonal attractions—places famous in their own right but only crowded during certain times.
In other words, every place where an Absolute Boundary had existed was—
A quiet, secluded spot that was nonetheless known to the world.
'This might be the condition for maintaining an Absolute Boundary.'
The commonality among these places couldn't be mere coincidence.
Perhaps it was even a necessary requirement for sustaining an Absolute Boundary.
'Especially since some of the Baekri Clan's Secret Vaults were said to function as devices that maintain Absolute Boundaries.'
Based on these observations, Bu Eun-seol formed a hypothesis.
Unlike Battle Formations, did Absolute Boundaries require continuous infusions of power or the fulfillment of specific conditions?
For example, paradoxically, they might need to be in publicly known locations or require periodic visits from outsiders.
'I can only hope my assumptions are correct.'
Scouring every inch of Nashik City could take months.
That's why he intended to prioritize places that fit these conditions first.
"A well-known spot among people... yet rarely visited or only frequented during specific seasons."
A-wan's eyes widened as she murmured to herself.
In all her time as a guide, she had never once encountered a tourist who made such a request.
"Does such a place not exist?"
"Well, it does, but..."
A few locations came to A-wan's mind.
However, most of them were places tourists couldn't enter.
"But there's no way for you to go inside, Young Master."
"Why can't I enter?"
"Because those places are currently—"
Thud, thud.
Just then, a group of men with menacing expressions began approaching from a distance.
"Quick, avert your gaze."
The girl grabbed Bu Eun-seol's arm and whispered urgently.
"Those are warriors from the Iron Elephant Sect, under the Iron Elephant King's command."
The Iron Elephant King.
One of the Eight Overlords of India and the Sect Leader of the Iron Elephant Sect, a Master who had mastered the foremost External Arts in India.
In particular, the Eight Elephant Art he had devised—
An External Art infused with profound religious symbolism—was said to rival the Underworld Jade Blood Aura of the Eternal Blood Demon, renowned as the greatest External Art in Murim.
"The Iron Elephant King rules over Nashik City... If you provoke them, there's no way you'll survive."
As A-wan whispered—
One of the men approached and began spouting strange, incomprehensible words at Bu Eun-seol.
Bu Eun-seol furrowed his brow.
Judging by the man's sharp tone and prolonged ranting, it didn't seem like friendly conversation.
"What is he saying?"
A-wan cautiously replied with a fearful expression.
"He's telling us to follow them."
"For what reason?"
"He didn't say. Perhaps... he might have noticed the hefty money pouch you were carrying earlier."
"He wants money?"
"They consider everything in Nashik City their property. They often extort money from lone travelers like you, Young Master."
A-wan clenched her fists and mustered her courage.
"Let me try to talk to them."
Just then, the man barked something else.
When A-wan bowed her head and spoke carefully and earnestly—
Smack!
The man suddenly slapped her across the face, his expression turning even uglier.
He was likely telling her to stay out of it.
The moment Bu Eun-seol's gaze darkened, A-wan frantically waved her hands.
"I'm fine, Young Master."
She was anything but fine.
Even without circulating his Internal Power—
Being struck by the man's massive, pot-lid-like hand—built like a mountain of muscle—was no small matter.
As if to prove it, A-wan's cheek flushed red and swelled up instantly.
"You don't need to involve yourself in this."
As Bu Eun-seol stepped forward with a stern expression, A-wan hastily shook her head.
"No! Even if you've trained in martial arts, it's the same."
Then, in a low voice, she whispered urgently:
"You must not provoke them."
With that, she pulled out all the silver taels she had on her and handed them to the man, speaking rapidly in India's language.
But the man's eyes only grew fiercer, and his foot shifted slightly.
This time, he wasn't aiming to slap her—he was about to kick her with full force.
Whoosh!
Just as the man's thick leg lifted off the ground to kick A-wan square in the stomach—
Crack.
A clear, crisp sound of bone suddenly echoed through the air.
At the same time, the man who had been mid-kick blinked in a daze, his expression blank.
Before he even realized it, his knee had been twisted backward.
"Uh... uh."
Too stunned to even scream, the man staggered backward, limping.
"To think you'd try to kill a young girl without hesitation."
A bloody light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's pupils.
A martial artist, using his strength to kick a defenseless girl?
A blow like that would either kill her instantly or leave her grievously wounded, if she was lucky enough to survive at all.
"I have no intention of letting vermin like you walk away unscathed."
Step. Step.
As Bu Eun-seol slowly advanced,
"Tat afasalbattu!"
The panicked men babbled something in their own tongue. Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"Right."
Then, baring his teeth in a smile, he said,
"Even if our languages differ, there's still an excellent way to communicate."
Crunch.
The moment Bu Eun-seol focused his gaze, a sickening crack resounded—and in the next instant, the foot of the man standing at the front was driven straight into the ground.
By terrifying internal energy.
His perfectly intact leg had been mercilessly hammered into the earth like a nail.
"GAAAHH!"
As the man let out a bloodcurdling scream, the thugs behind him all drew their weapons.
Their stances were solid, their attack and defense perfectly harmonized—they truly did seem to be disciples of the Iron Elephant King's sect.
"To think you'd stoop to banditry despite mastering martial arts of this level."
A solemn light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes as he regarded them.
Snap. Snap. Snap.
Then, the men's arms began twisting unnaturally.
He didn't even need to lay a hand on them.
Once again, he was using his internal energy—this time to crush their right hands into mangled ruin.
"Y-Young Master!"
A-wan cried out in alarm.
"If you provoke them...!"
—Huuu, AAAAAAGH!
Amid the agonized screams, the men convulsed violently.
Every single one of their right hands had just been obliterated.
"Ugh... ughhh..."
Overcome with pain, they clutched their arms and began sobbing uncontrollably.
Bu Eun-seol normally avoided harming the weak.
But these men had tried to kill a powerless girl without a second thought.
That alone was reason enough to punish them by rendering one of their arms useless.
"Vermin who prey on innocent commoners don't deserve the use of both arms."
Turning his head, Bu Eun-seol spoke to A-wan.
"A-wan, relay my words to them."
"..."
"Tell them I'll be staying in Nashik City for a while. If they have any complaints, they can tell Sang Do-gang-cheon to come find me himself."
The Iron Elephant King was the ruler of Nashik City, commanding a force of a hundred thousand—one of the Eight Overlords of India, a man so fearsome that even birds dared not fly over his domain.
And yet, Bu Eun-seol was calling his name as casually as one would a stray dog?
Trembling in fear, A-wan couldn't bring herself to repeat those words and instead hung her head.
And who could blame her? She had seen countless martial artists from the Central Plains come here, flaunting their skills and acting recklessly—only to be slaughtered by the Iron Elephant King's elite forces.
Moreover, the Iron Elephant King never forgave those who harmed his subordinates.
To lay a hand on his warriors was to lay a hand on him.
No matter how minor the offense, he would pursue the offender to the ends of hell and exact vengeance.
So if she were to openly relay such an insult to them?
Even if Bu Eun-seol could fly, he would never escape India alive.
"Tell them."
"I can't, Young Master."
A-wan shook her head.
"If I do, you'll be killed in India—so thoroughly that not even your bones will remain."
"It's fine. Tell them."
Bu Eun-seol's gaze was unwavering.
"If you don't, these bastards will come looking for me—and they'll hurt innocent commoners again in the process."
Seeing the resolve in his eyes, A-wan shuddered but reluctantly began translating his words into their language.
Shiver. Shiver.
The Iron Elephant Sect's warriors trembled violently, yet they glared at Bu Eun-seol with burning hatred.
They must have felt utterly humiliated—and were likely already planning to report this to the Iron Elephant King.
"Get lost."
Even if they didn't understand his words, they somehow grasped the meaning.
Scramble.
The warriors of the Iron Elephant Sect turned and fled.
"Young Master."
Still shaking with fear, A-wan held out the silver taels.
"Please, take this back."
"No, keep it."
"No, I can't keep it."
She bowed her head pleadingly.
"If I continue serving as your guide, my entire tribe will be slaughtered."
"Your tribe?"
Realizing her slip of the tongue, A-wan quickly shook her head.
"I-I mean... my family."
"Hmm."
Seeing her trembling in fear, Bu Eun-seol felt somewhat apologetic.
The masters of the Iron Elephant Sect would undoubtedly seek revenge—not just against him, but against A-wan as well.
'Even if she gives them my name, it won't make a difference.'
A-wan was just a girl from India, guiding tourists to make a living.
There was no way she would know the name of the Grandmaster of the Central Plains' martial world, the Martial Soul Lord.
'Even the Command Plaque would be useless here.'
In the Central Plains, the Martial Soul Order Token held authority no less than the Emperor's gold plaque.
But in this distant foreign land, it held no power whatsoever.
'In that case...'
Having resolved not only to pursue the Absolute Boundary but also to settle this matter, Bu Eun-seol said,
"Don't worry. I'll make sure no harm comes to you."
He pulled out nearly forty silver taels from his sleeve and handed them to A-wan.
"Don't concern yourself with me anymore. Forget what happened today."
After scanning his surroundings, Bu Eun-seol prepared to activate his Movement Technique and leave.
Whoosh.
But just then, three or four more men suddenly closed in around him.
Though they were men, they wore their long hair tied in twin braids like women, adorned with ornaments engraved with peculiar emblems all over their bodies.
They had approached swiftly and silently, like flowing water.
Compared to the Iron Elephant Sect men from earlier, these clearly practiced martial arts of a far higher caliber.
'This doesn't look good.'
In lands beyond the frontier, he had no choice but to act with extreme caution.
A single misstep could escalate this from a martial world dispute into a conflict between nations.
Moreover, since Bu Eun-seol currently had no access to his intelligence network, the situation was even more disadvantageous.
'But if they start a fight, I won't back down.'
Up until now, Bu Eun-seol had feared neither heaven nor earth, reigning supreme in the martial world.
Even if it wasn't just the Iron Elephant King—
Even if all Eight Overlords of India came at him at once, he wouldn't so much as blink.
"If you're going to make a move, get on with it."
Bu Eun-seol extended his hand calmly.
But then, a middle-aged man with an oddly tied-up head suddenly pushed through the group and gestured at him.
"You, come."
Surprisingly, the man was speaking in Chinese.
"Come with us."
However, his expression was insolent, his speech clumsy, and his words chopped off at both ends—
Making it impossible to understand what he was trying to say.
"What are you talking about?"
"Follow. Then you know."
Bu Eun-seol's brow furrowed.
If they had business with him, proper etiquette dictated they first declare their identities before speaking.
Yet this man not only spoke incoherently but also demanded his own agenda without explanation.
"I'm busy. If you have business, state it here."
At the cold reply, the braided middle-aged man raised his voice.
"You, womanizer."
"What?"
"I saw you cheating on someone."
The man continued in a low voice.
"We received a prophecy. You were cheating on someone."
Though he could speak Chinese, Bu Eun-seol couldn't make sense of what he was saying.
"I don't understand what you mean."
"So follow."
"What?"
"Keep prophecy. Keep promise."
As Bu Eun-seol's expression grew increasingly grim, A-wan stepped forward and spoke to the middle-aged man in their native tongue.
The man wore a defiant look, but A-wan kept chattering incessantly.
After a moment, the man's face went blank, then he reluctantly extended his hand and began speaking with sudden seriousness.
After a lengthy exchange, A-wan's expression gradually shifted.
"Young Master."
She turned to him with an utterly grave look.
"You must go with them."
"Why?"
"Earlier, you said you were looking for places that were famous but rarely visited... or where travelers only stayed for a certain period, didn't you?"
"And?"
A-wan pointed at the middle-aged man's face.
"One of those places is Anila Mountain—Samana Valley, where they live."
"Samana Valley?"
"Yes. They are the Vayura Tribe, once known as one of the Four Sacred Tribes—the 'Wind Tribe.'"
'Wind Tribe.'
Only then did Bu Eun-seol realize how the men in the marketplace had detected his Wind & Cloud Divine Qi.
Given that they were called the Wind Tribe, they must possess a power intrinsically linked to the divine energy.
"Earlier, it seemed like they were demanding something from me."
At Bu Eun-seol's words, A-wan nodded and spoke to the middle-aged man again.
After another long exchange, she turned back with a startled expression.
"They're asking if you're the Wind Cloud Prince who came from the Central Plains."
Bu Eun-seol's face went blank.
The term "Wind Cloud Prince" sounded as though it referred to him—the wielder of the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi.
"What is this Wind Cloud Prince?"
"A figure from prophecy," A-wan explained.
"Two hundred years ago, all Four Sacred Tribes—including the Vayura Tribe—received a prophecy. It foretold that the Wind Cloud Prince would retrieve the lost Sacred Artifact and restore the glory of all the tribes."
"Sacred Artifacts?"
Bu Eun-seol furrowed his brow, and the middle-aged man stepped forward again, chattering animatedly.
"Mm, mm! Awa-kkachami!"
A-wan nodded repeatedly as she listened to them, then turned back to Bu Eun-seol.
"After hearing that prophecy, the Vayura Tribe has been guarding the outskirts of Nashik City every single day. And they clearly saw you wielding the power of the wind."
Bu Eun-seol nearly let out an incredulous laugh.
How in the world did they learn the Han language so poorly that they'd describe me using the wind's power as...
"Cheating on someone"?
"Who are you?"
At Bu Eun-seol's question, A-wan relayed it in India's tongue.
The man then pointed at himself and declared loudly:
"Hokason! Hokason!"
It seemed the middle-aged man's name was Hokason.
'So the ones watching me earlier were from this tribe.'
Bu Eun-seol finally pieced it together.
When he had spread the Wind & Cloud Divine Qi earlier to search for the Absolute Boundary, they must have sensed it—and now they were convinced he was the Wind Cloud Prince.
'The place where this tribe lives and the likely location of the Absolute Boundary overlap...'
He felt an eerie pull of fate.
After a brief moment of contemplation, he nodded.
"I can't promise to retrieve the Sacred Artifacts. But I'll accept the invitation."
Hokason grinned broadly and nodded.
"Refusal is welcome. Very welcome!"
The middle-aged man's Han speech was nearly gibberish—yet, absurdly, he seemed to understand Bu Eun-seol perfectly.
"Lead the way."
Bu Eun-seol extended his hand, but Hokason pointed at A-wan instead.
"Yona Tribe—forbidden."
"Yona Tribe?"
"Yes. Yona Tribe—traitors. Sacred land is forbidden."
Bu Eun-seol frowned.
This guide girl is a descendant of the Four Sacred Tribes?
"Is this true?"
At his question, A-wan bowed her head deeply.
"Yes. Because our Yona Tribe committed a great sin, we cannot live in the sacred valley of Samana where the other tribes reside... Instead, we wander around Nashik City like this."
"What do you mean? What sin?"
"The loss of the Sacred Artifacts by the three tribes, including the Vayura Tribe—it was all the doing of our ancestors. Because of that, the Four Sacred Tribes, who once ruled India, lost their power and fell into ruin..."
According to A-wan's explanation—
The Four Sacred Tribes were all born with mystical abilities, and this was possible because of the Sacred Artifacts each tribe possessed.
But the Yona Tribe could wield power without a Sacred Artifact, making them the strongest among the Four Sacred Tribes.
Then, two hundred years ago—
The Yona Tribe stole the Sacred Artifacts the other tribes guarded and hid them in an unknown location.
The tribes searched desperately but never recovered them.
'So the reason the Four Sacred Tribes fell two hundred years ago was because the Yona Tribe stole their Sacred Artifacts.'
Only now did Bu Eun-seol understand why the Four Sacred Tribes that had once dominated India had collapsed.
Had that not happened—
India would still be thriving under their rule, and the Eight Overlords would never have dared seize control as they had now.
"Because of that sin, we were banished from the sacred lands where the other tribes reside. Now we're just a wandering group of outcasts around Nashik City."
A-wan lowered her head further.
"Not only that, but our tribes were cursed by the others—we lost our powers, and we're born with disfigured faces."
"I see."
Bu Eun-seol nodded.
Curses were rarely spoken of in the Central Plains.
But India was a land where many tribes worshipped sacred forces—and among them, the Four Sacred Tribes had once wielded the greatest power, ruling over all.
It wasn't impossible that they truly could cast such a curse.
'The Four Sacred Tribes...'
Feeling that pull of fate once more, Bu Eun-seol nodded again.
"I'll accept the invitation—"
Then, to the middle-aged man, he added:
"—but on two conditions."
"Speak."
"First—A-wan comes with us."
The middle-aged man immediately burst into loud protests.
After listening, A-wan translated:
"He says there's someone else—including the chieftain—who speaks Han fluently, so not to worry."
"That doesn't matter."
From the moment he learned A-wan was a descendant of the Four Sacred Tribes—a Yona—
He had already decided to take her.
Partly because of an instinctive feeling...
But also because he suspected the Iron Elephant King's men might come after her.
"If she doesn't come, neither do I."
The middle-aged man seemed to understand. He turned and argued with his companions for a long while.
"Fine."
When the middle-aged man finally nodded, A-wan spoke.
"He says to state your second condition."
Bu Eun-seol pointed at Hokason.
"Shut his mouth."
"Huh?"
With the utmost solemnity, Bu Eun-seol declared firmly:
"If that man utters one more word of butchered Han speech... I'm not going to Samana Valley."