At Bu Eunseol’s words, Yoo Unryong’s gaze turned cold.
“Did you dig into my past?”
“Hardly digging. It seems the sect keeps detailed records on the Ten Demonic Warriors separately.” Bu Eunseol pushed a book across the desk toward him.
Yoo Unryong hurriedly picked it up.
The book detailed his origins, family background, and even the reasons why he, a scion of an illustrious family, chose to become one of the Ten Demonic Warriors.
“Why do you have this?” he demanded.
“You’ve officially become a squad leader of the Death Shadow Corps, under my direct command,” Bu Eunseol replied.
Yoo Unryong’s stern expression softened slightly.
It was only natural for a superior to have access to their subordinate’s personal information.
Tap.
Setting the book down, Yoo Unryong spoke coldly, “So?”
“Sit out the Hainan mission.” The abrupt order made Yoo Unryong frown.
“Are you saying my strength isn’t needed?”
“Far from it,” Bu Eunseol said with utmost seriousness. “This time, your strength is absolutely essential.”
Yoo Unryong’s brow furrowed further.
Bu Eunseol’s manner of speaking—delivering critical points first and explaining later—was effective at holding attention, but it frustrated Yoo Unryong to the point of suffocation.
“This could be a matter of life and death for me, Myo Cheon-woo, and every member of the Death Shadow Corps,” Bu Eunseol continued calmly.
Yoo Unryong listened in silence, his expression growing increasingly grave.
***
Hainan Island, Oji Mountain.
Though called a mountain, it was closer to a range of interconnected peaks.
The area was dotted with numerous caves, home to cave-dwelling Miao tribes forming small villages. Life in the caves might seem impoverished, but it was surprisingly comfortable—cool in summer and warm in winter.
Whistle.
A dry, biting wind swept across the mountainside.
The normally peaceful villages of Oji Mountain were now steeped in unprecedented tension. Since dawn, dozens of warriors had poured in, scouring the villages with fiery determination. Clad in black robes, their eyes sharp and movements swift, they were the Extinction Corps, a second-class division of Majeon.
“Nothing here,” said Gok Jindong, the Extinction Corps Leader, shaking his head as he prepared to leave.
Gallop.
At that moment, another group of thirty or so warriors ascended the mountain path.
Dressed in white robes with blue-tasseled swords at their waists, they were the Righteous Sword Division, a second-class sword division of the Martial Alliance.
As Majeon and the Martial Alliance’s divisions faced each other, the villagers trembled in fear.
The standoff, which began a month ago, had only intensified. The growing conflict between the two forces was a powder keg ready to explode.
The villagers knew all too well what would happen if a clash erupted.
Clang!
Spotting the Righteous Sword Division, the Extinction Corps members drew their blades instantly.
“Get lost, you filthy dogs,” Gok Jindong sneered at the Righteous Sword Division. “They swarm like jackals after our sect’s information.”
Kwak Ryeop, the Righteous Sword Corps Leader, gave a cold smile. “What does it matter who got the information first?”
“What did you say?” Gok Jindong snapped.
“Even if we got it late, results are what count,” Kwak Ryeop replied.
“Ridiculous,” Gok Jindong said, his eyes glinting with icy malice. “Are you trying to play word games with me?”
“What, you want a fight?” Kwak Ryeop retorted.
“A fight? No, I’ll just slaughter you all.” At Gok Jindong’s provocation, Kwak Ryeop’s smile deepened.
“Have you gotten approval for that? Acting recklessly might land all the blame on your superiors.”
“Kill you all and bury the evidence. Problem solved,” Gok Jindong shot back.
“Oh, that sounds fun. A fine plan,” Kwak Ryeop said, raising his hand.
Clang.
The Righteous Sword Division members drew their swords in unison.
Just as the two divisions were about to clash—
Gallop.
With a gust of wind, dozens of warriors descended from the air. Roughly fifty in number, they wore the black robes of Majeon, led by a strikingly handsome young man.
It was Bu Eunseol and the Death Shadow Corps.
“The Extinction Corps,” Bu Eunseol muttered, recognizing Gok Jindong.
Myo Cheon-woo, standing beside him, remarked, “Those others are from the Martial Alliance, aren’t they?”
Instantly, Kwak Ryeop tensed.
‘A trap?’ The sudden appearance of at least fifty warriors was alarming. If they surrounded and attacked, it would mean total annihilation. ‘Damn it! No wonder they were so bold.’
As Kwak Ryeop reached for a signal flare, Bu Eunseol commanded his members, “Clear the way.”
“Let them pass.”
“Wait! What are you saying?” Gok Jindong roared. “Are you letting those Martial Alliance dogs go free?”
“We’re not here to fight them,” Bu Eunseol replied.
“What?”
“Are you prepared to take full responsibility for this?” Bu Eunseol asked.
Gok Jindong bristled at being spoken to so dismissively. “Responsibility? Are you mad? Who do you think—”
Jo Namcheon stepped forward with a sigh. “Corps Leader Gok, the Death Shadow Corps is here as a first-class division.”
“What?”
“Don’t you see the insignia on our leader’s shoulder?”
Only then did Gok Jindong notice the dragon-embroidered insignia on Bu Eunseol’s shoulder, his eyes widening. Since when had the Death Shadow Corps become a first-class division?
As he stood speechless, Bu Eunseol waved a hand at Kwak Ryeop and the Righteous Sword Division. “Go.”
Kwak Ryeop couldn’t fathom Bu Eunseol’s attitude.
But seeing no hostility in his eyes, he clasped his hands respectfully. “Very well.”
As Kwak Ryeop and the Righteous Sword Division departed, Bu Eunseol turned to Gok Jindong. “Where is the Cheonsal Leader?”
Gok Jindong’s eyes bulged.
The Cheonsal Leader’s command over all divisions here was top-secret.
‘So the Death Shadow Corps is the additional first-class division sent as reinforcement?’ He felt like crying. The Death Shadow Corps, filled with the lowlife warriors of Majeon he’d always mocked, was now a first-class division?
And wasn’t Bu Eunseol just a parachuted successor candidate who gained his position through connections?
“Where is he?” Bu Eunseol pressed.
Snapping out of his daze, Gok Jindong answered, “Near Clear Stream Cave.”
“Lead the way.”
“Y-Yes.”
Passing a cascading waterfall, they reached an area of folded rock formations. Deep within, a wide clearing appeared before a massive cave, filled with tents and wooden makeshift shelters.
Gok Jindong pointed to a central tent. “The Cheonsal Leader is there.”
Cheonsal.
It was practically the symbol of Majeon.
Unlike the Amcheondae or Myeonhon, which handled covert missions, the Cheonsal took on public tasks.
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath.
Inside that tent was the leader of the sect’s most elite division.
“Hmph.” With a low grunt, Bu Eunseol stepped into the tent without hesitation.
Unlike the cool air outside, the tent’s interior was heavy, like molten lead. The space was vast, with a long rectangular table at the center.
A warrior stood there, examining a map.
He wore an iron mask, his frame sturdy yet sharp, like a blade dyed black.
This was Wi Muyeom, the Cheonsal Leader, whose name resounded across the martial world.
“Death Shadow Corps Leader Bu Eunseol greets the Cheonsal Leader,” Bu Eunseol said, clasping his hands.
Wi Muyeom’s gaze shifted to him, and the air in the tent seemed to freeze.
‘He doesn’t like me.’ Bu Eunseol sensed faint hostility in Wi Muyeom’s eyes.
It was understandable.
In the past, the Cheonsal’s deputy leader had allied with the Hell’s Blood Fortress to send Seo Jinha to the Dongpyoseorang Contest. That plan required Wi Muyeom’s tacit approval.
‘Think carefully. If you yield this opportunity, you could put both the Hell’s Blood Fortress and our deputy leader in your debt.’
Those were Seo Jinha’s words, then known as Mu Samrang, at the assembly.
But Bu Eunseol had rejected the offer outright and claimed the Yeongsasin Sword. This ruined the Hell’s Blood Fortress’s plans and humiliated the Cheonsal’s deputy leader.
Naturally, Wi Muyeom, the Corps Leader, had no reason to view Bu Eunseol favorably.
“I asked for a first-class division…” Wi Muyeom’s voice, low but resonant like a temple bell, echoed from behind the iron mask. “And they created one to send.”
Bu Eunseol remained silent. It wasn’t entirely wrong.
After staring at him, Wi Muyeom pointed to the map on the table. “I’ll assign you the Extinction Corps and the Venom Eye Division, both second- and third-class divisions.” In a solemn tone, he continued, “Station yourself near Hatch Peak. Block anyone trying to escape or enter Oji Mountain through that route.”
It was an incomprehensible mission.
A first-class division had the authority and capability to act independently. Yet he was given two lesser divisions and tasked with merely guarding a pass?
“Understood,” Bu Eunseol replied.
He didn’t question it. He knew Wi Muyeom wouldn’t explain even if asked.
“Execute it immediately upon leaving this tent.”
“Understood.” Bu Eunseol clasped his hands and left the tent.
Returning to where his members stood in formation, he relayed the orders.
“What did he say, Leader?” Jo Namcheon asked.
In a low voice, Bu Eunseol replied, “We’re to guard the pass near Hatch Peak.”
“Guard a pass? Not search?” Jo Namcheon and the members looked puzzled. A first-class division, sent all this way, tasked with merely holding a pass?
Won Semun, who had been listening silently, wrinkled his nose. “Leader, something feels off.” Scratching his head, he added, “Could it be that your rapid rise has made you a target, even for the Cheonsal Leader?”
Strictly speaking, he wasn’t wrong.
Bu Eunseol was still a successor candidate, competing with others from the Ten Demonic Sects. To the sect’s established warriors, he was a parachuted leader who used his connections to secure his position.
His meteoric rise only made him less likable.
“Perhaps,” Bu Eunseol replied nonchalantly.
This time, Myo Cheon-woo spoke up. “Could it be a trap?”
“A trap?”
“What if Hatch Peak is a route the Martial Alliance’s sword divisions use for an all-out assault, or a terrain impossible to defend against the Heavenly Thief?” Myo Cheon-woo’s brow furrowed deeply. “What if they’re setting us up to take the fall?”
It was a plausible theory.
The Heavenly Thief matter was being personally overseen by the Cheonsal Leader, one of the sect’s three great divisions. If he failed, he’d need a scapegoat. And Bu Eunseol, a rapidly promoted successor candidate, was the perfect target.
“No, Hatch Peak is far from Oji Mountain,” Bu Eunseol said. “It’s not a place where conflict with the Martial Alliance is likely.”
“Then why?” Myo Cheon-woo pressed.
“Whatever the Cheonsal Leader’s intentions, it’s not your concern,” Bu Eunseol said dismissively. “We just do our job.”
“Leader, let me speak to the Cheonsal Leader,” Wi Cheongyeong interjected.
As Wi Muyeom’s half-brother, their relationship wasn’t great, but it wasn’t so strained that he couldn’t approach him.
“No need,” Bu Eunseol said.
“Leader—”
“Don’t worry. We’re here as a first-class division.” For some reason, Bu Eunseol flashed a bright smile. “Even if it’s the Cheonsal Leader’s order, I bear full responsibility for our actions.”
His smile was dazzling, but it sent a chill through the members.
It resembled the grim smile of a reaper toying with lives.
‘Well, the leader will handle it.’ The members exchanged glances and nodded. Bu Eunseol was not only cunning but always prepared for multiple scenarios.
Surely, he had a far-reaching plan this time too.
“Inform the Extinction and Venom Eye Divisions,” Bu Eunseol told his members. “They’re under our command now. Tell them to prepare to move.”
Won Semun stepped forward with a grin. “I’ll deliver the message right away!”
Shortly after, Gok Jindong, watching his Extinction Corps members, grimaced as if he’d bitten into a rotten persimmon. Won Semun had approached, grinning, and delivered shocking news.
“Corps Leader Gok! We’re on the same boat now!” It turned out the Cheonsal Leader had placed the Extinction and Venom Eye Divisions under Bu Eunseol’s Death Shadow Corps.
‘I came here to make a name for myself!’ Their mission was to guard a single pass the Martial Alliance might use.
‘To get stuck with these bastards.’ Gok Jindong had hoped to distinguish himself here and rise to a first-class division. Now, he was aboard the sinking ship that was the Death Shadow Corps?
“Corps Leader Gok,” Won Semun called playfully from among the Death Shadow Corps members. “Our leader says to move out now!”
The Extinction and Venom Eye Divisions, along with the Death Shadow Corps, relocated to Hatch Peak and stationed themselves at the pass. Bu Eunseol, seemingly intent on resting comfortably, had the Extinction and Venom Eye Divisions guard the pass while the Death Shadow Corps set up camp halfway up the peak.
‘This might be for the best.’ Gok Jindong inwardly sighed in relief.
Being with the Death Shadow Corps was uncomfortable, especially with Won Semun constantly teasing him. Moreover, Bu Eunseol issued an incomprehensible order.
“Light fires and drink if you want. No one’s coming here anyway, so let the members rest.” Gok Jindong doubted his ears.
Lighting fires and drinking in a place where no one would come?
Wasn’t that blatantly defying the Cheonsal Leader’s orders?
