Myo Cheonwoo and Yoo Unryong had returned from their long leave and were back to their duties.
Heeding Seo Jinha’s advice, Bu Eunseol temporarily halted his intelligence operations. Instead, he recalled all external intelligence forces to Majeon.
‘Resolving nearby issues first isn’t a bad idea.’
The presence of spies in Majeon was no secret.
If the Martial Alliance’s Flower Secret Master had prepared spies for decades, there were likely spies in high positions within Majeon as well. Whether spies existed or not was irrelevant to Bu Eunseol. He only sought those potentially linked to Sahyang.
“My Lord.” A lively, playful voice came from outside. “Your humble servant, Myo Cheonwoo, enters!”
The door opened, and a sturdy man with bright eyes stepped in—Myo Cheonwoo.
“What is it?”
“A letter came from the Shadow Pavilion. I brought it.” Taking the envelope from Myo Cheonwoo, Bu Eunseol saw the seal of the Cheonsal.
It was from Seo Jinha.
—Found traces of Sahyang in Blood Serpent Valley. Will contact again once confirmed.
The concise message, written in hasty script, suggested Seo Jinha had quickly sent the information before returning to Blood Serpent Valley. As Bu Eunseol read the letter, a sense of foreboding flashed through his mind.
Blood Serpent Valley.
Located in Shandong’s Podaesan, it was a notorious poison clan.
Podaesan was a blessed land abundant with spiritual herbs. Blood Serpent Valley had begun using these herbs to create bizarre poisons unseen before.
The infamous Blood Corpse Poison.
—Blood Serpent Valley cannot be ignored!
A terrifying poison that turned the blood of the afflicted into venom. The Blood Corpse Poison.
When this poison spread through the martial world, it harmed not only martial artists but also civilians and livestock. Unable to tolerate this, the masters of the Righteous and Demonic Alliance swiftly eradicated Blood Serpent Valley. A sect that once dominated an era had vanished into history. And now it had been revived?
‘It must have been rebuilt with the support of a powerful force, like the Five Poisons Sect.’
Bu Eunseol’s expression grew grave.
The problem was that Seo Jinha had uncovered this secretive faction’s trail alone. It was highly unlikely that Seo Jinha’s intelligence network, active only during his leave, had stumbled upon this.
‘They deliberately lured him.’ Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed. Some force had intentionally leaked information to Seo Jinha, drawing him in.
‘I shouldn’t have spoken.’
Regret surged within him.
He had mentioned Sahyang to Seo Jinha because, as the leader of the Cheonsal, he handled vast amounts of information. He had only hoped Seo Jinha would share any relevant intel gathered during his missions. Who could’ve known he’d pursue Sahyang’s traces during his leave?
‘If Blood Serpent Valley was rebuilt long ago like the Five Poisons Sect, its roots and power must be unimaginable.’
Bu Eunseol clenched his fist.
This was beyond Seo Jinha’s ability to handle. Moreover, wasn’t Sahyang always connected to the righteous factions?
“What’s wrong?” Myo Cheonwoo asked, noticing Bu Eunseol’s grave expression. “You look troubled.”
“It’s nothing.” As Bu Eunseol shook his head, Myo Cheonwoo’s face showed disappointment.
“Bu Eunseol. I, and everyone here, are your subordinates.”
“I never said otherwise.”
“A subordinate exists to carry out their superior’s will.” Taking a breath, Myo Cheonwoo spoke words he’d long held in his heart. “I don’t expect you to trust or rely on us overnight. But if there’s a burden, can’t we share it as your subordinates?”
Myo Cheonwoo’s eyes burned with fervor. They were similar to the passionate eyes of Seo Jinha, who held deep friendship. And that pained Bu Eunseol.
Seo Jinha, Myo Cheonwoo…
Both would sacrifice their lives for friendship.
But Bu Eunseol didn’t want anyone to suffer because of him. That’s why he had vowed never to share a friendship with anyone.
“If such a matter arises, I’ll tell you.” Avoiding Myo Cheonwoo’s fervent gaze, Bu Eunseol replied in a cold, emotionless voice.
“As your superior.”
“…Understood.” Myo Cheonwoo, suppressing his disappointment, turned and left.
Days later, Bu Eunseol returned from a walk around the Crimson Blossom Pavilion to clear his mind.
On his desk lay a thin envelope.
A flash of light sparked in his eyes.
Swish.
He carefully examined the envelope with a serious expression. The end was slightly bulky, as if containing something thick.
Opening it slowly, he instinctively sensed one thing.
The foreboding he had felt before had become reality.
Thud.
A heavy object fell from the envelope onto the desk.
It was a freshly severed ear.
Bu Eunseol instantly recognized it as Seo Jinha’s.
The ear that had listened to him just days ago while drinking on the roof.
Now it lay brutally severed, enclosed in the envelope.
—If you want him alive, come to Blood Serpent Valley alone.
A brief note was included.
But something was odd.
Bu Eunseol could send Majeon’s forces, ignoring the note’s contents. Yet the letter contained only that single line, with no further threats.
They were certain Bu Eunseol would come alone.
‘They know me well.’ Not only did they understand his personality thoroughly…
They were confident that if he sent Majeon’s forces, they could vanish without a trace.
‘There’s no choice.’ Bu Eunseol gazed at the black sword hanging on the wall.
To find Sahyang’s traces.
To save Seo Jinha.
He had to go to Blood Serpent Valley alone, without informing anyone.
***
Leaving Majeon, Bu Eunseol used his movement technique at full speed, arriving at Podaesan, home to Blood Serpent Valley.
The Hanzhong region, where Podaesan was located, was a dense cluster of mountains, perfectly described as a sea of peaks.
Podaesan’s name didn’t come from its sack-like shape.
Hundreds of years ago, a sage named Podaesan had cultivated the Dao here.
Sage Podaesan, with his exceptional medical skills and spiritual power, had healed the sick in the region.
To honor him, the mountain was named Podaesan. But the beautiful legend of Podaesan became a symbol of terror when the sinister poison clan, Blood Serpent Valley, took root.
Blood Corpse Poison.
A poison that turned the blood of the afflicted into venom. Because of it, the area became a desolate wasteland devoid of human life.
Rustle.
Bu Eunseol, racing to the entrance of Blood Serpent Valley, frowned.
“They’re at it again.”
Blood Serpent Valley, long since eradicated, had been perfectly rebuilt. However, its interior resembled a livestock ranch rather than a martial sect. He also saw large glass tubes, like those he had seen with Jongri Sayu in the underground city.
‘They’re different.’ Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed as he examined the glass tubes.
Unlike the red liquid-filled tubes in the underground city, these were filled with black liquid. They were likely researching ways to transform people with poisons rather than elixirs.
‘I don’t understand.’ They were obsessively studying drugs to enhance physical strength.
A force capable of restoring an eradicated sect in an instant would be akin to the supreme ruler of the martial world.
Why develop such drugs?
‘Unless…’ Bu Eunseol’s mind raced.
Perhaps they weren’t a single unified force. If their power was fragmented, they might need to bolster their forces to check each other.
‘Or there’s an enemy even they can’t defeat.’ Bu Eunseol shook his head.
These were mere speculations. The truth was unknown.
In retrospect, despite all they’d done, little had been uncovered about them.
‘No need to rush. I’ll take them down one by one.’ No matter how formidable, restoring a fallen sect required immense resources. By dismantling them one by one, they’d eventually reveal their tail.
—One wrong step, and you’ll follow the same path as the Martial Emperor.
The lament from the Martial Emperor’s Vault suddenly came to mind.
Four hundred years ago, the Martial Emperor, unjustly accused, had to leave the martial world in despair. Even a supreme master like him couldn’t stop a force with influence across the martial world.
To eradicate them, one had to amass overwhelming power and sweep them away in one stroke.
Rustle, rustle.
A strange sound echoed, and figures in black, glossy bandages covering their entire bodies, including their faces, appeared.
They wielded large, curved blades resembling sickles.
It was as if giant stag beetles with sharp jaws were swarming out.
Shing.
Bu Eunseol drew his black sword, facing the charging figures.
No need for words.
He had to cut them down quickly and rescue Seo Jinha.
Slash!
His sharp sword techniques created a vast curtain, felling the front line of figures. But the charging figures, undeterred, roared and attacked. Some leaped over their comrades’ corpses to charge.
It was like a massive black wave crashing overhead.
Whoosh!
As countless figures swung their curved blades in unison, a chilling sound of tearing air echoed skyward. The scene was terrifying, but Bu Eunseol swung his black sword like a windmill, cutting down figure after figure.
It was as if black insects were being shredded by a rapidly spinning blade.
Rustle, rustle.
But the number of figures pouring forth seemed endless. Their bodies, as if tempered by drugs, were incredibly resilient, showing no fear or dread.
Even when fatally wounded, they attacked relentlessly before collapsing.
Slash!
His swift sword strikes caused blood to spurt from the figures’ carotid arteries. Their blood was murky and viscous, flowing far slower than a normal human’s.
‘They can’t mass-produce Bound Asuras.’
If these figures were like Gu Juhon, Bound Asuras who wouldn’t die unless their heads were severed or their vital blood drained, Bu Eunseol couldn’t have handled so many.
Conversely, their goal might be to mass-produce Bound Asuras like Gu Juhon.
If that were possible, they wouldn’t need to lure Bu Eunseol; they could sweep Majeon with thousands of such warriors.
Hiss!
In the time it took an incense stick to burn, Bu Eunseol had cut down over a hundred figures.
Yet their numbers showed no sign of dwindling.
“Huff.” Bu Eunseol’s breaths grew heavy.
‘They’re trying to exhaust my energy.’
The figures had surrounded him, advancing and retreating repeatedly. This tactic was used to deplete an opponent’s energy before launching a full assault.
Slice!
Normally, he could’ve felled dozens in a single strike, but their tangled formation limited him to wounding only a few.
“Huff.” Regulating his inner energy, Bu Eunseol gathered his strength and unleashed another sword technique.
The relentless slicing sounds echoed, and blood sprayed like rain. But the figures moved like swarming insects, ceaselessly swinging their curved blades. As time passed, a metallic taste began to rise in Bu Eunseol’s mouth. If their numbers didn’t decrease, he’d eventually collapse from exhaustion.
“Fine!” With a thunderous shout, Bu Eunseol channeled his immense inner energy into his black sword.
Hum!
A low vibration accompanied a surge of dark sword energy soaring skyward.
Absorbing the Ban-geuk Energy, the black sword unleashed a sword aura that rose five jang high.
Hum! Hum!
It wasn’t just sword aura—it resembled a black dragon ascending with a pearl.
Slash!
As the Supreme Heavenly Flow, infused with sword aura, unfolded, the figures’ formation began to collapse with a rupturing sound. Each swing of the living sword aura felled dozens of figures at once.
How much time had passed?
Thud, thud.
The black shadows that had darkened the surroundings gradually vanished. The wall of flesh blocking the entrance had finally crumbled.
Thud, thud.
Blood rained down from the sky.
The powerful sword aura had severed the figures’ necks, causing their blood to spray upward.
Gush, gush.
Blood flowed like a stream on the ground, with piles of bodies stacked like mountains.
Step, step.
Three figures approached through the pool of blood.
Their appearances, heights, attire, and even expressions were indistinguishable from one another.
“Impressive.” The three spoke simultaneously. “Even if they’re just shells, to defeat so many Bound Asuras without a scratch…”
Bu Eunseol felt an unpleasant itch, as if insects were crawling in his ears. Their voices, perfectly synchronized, created a strange vibration.
“The Cheon Clan Triplets?” Bu Eunseol instantly identified the three identical figures.
Triplets were rare among martial masters, and only one group could speak in such perfect unison.
“Correct. We are the Mad Heaven Triad.”
The Mad Heaven Triad.
Known as the Cheon Clan Triplets, they were not only formidable in martial arts but possessed a unique ability.
Complete sharing of body and spirit.
If one felt physical pain, the other two felt it identically. Even emotions like joy or sorrow—they shared everything.
Bu Eunseol nodded, as if realizing something.
“That’s why they’re unscathed.”
