Huidang Mountain
Since ancient times, an auspicious aura has enveloped this place, its majestic peaks resembling a dragon ascending or a phoenix dancing.
Here lies Eunjarim, a place renowned for producing distinguished scholars through the generations.
The current head of Eunjarim is Master Mun Dae, a grand scholar who once passed the imperial examination and held high office but retired to his hometown in old age, declining further government posts.
His scholarship is so profound that not only local students but also the children of high-ranking officials flock to study under him. One day, a young scholar visited Eunjarim and requested a discussion of knowledge with Master Mun Dae.
At first, he was naturally refused and politely dismissed.
But this scholar was versed in the Hundred Schools of Thought, astronomy, geography, medicine, divination, and miscellaneous studies—there was no field in which he was not proficient.
—“Master Mun Dae requests your presence.”
Hearing of this, Master Mun Dae invited the scholar for a personal meeting.
Inside Eunjarim, at the Hidden Sage Pavilion. Two figures sat facing each other across a small table.
One was an elderly man with graying hair.
Dressed in a blue robe, his eyes were clear and filled with an air of distinction.
He was the head of Eunjarim, a former Grand Secretary of the Imperial Cabinet, Master Mun Dae.
“Hohoho.” Master Mun Dae let out a hearty laugh, looking at the scholar seated across from him.
They had only exchanged brief pleasantries.
Yet the scholar’s knowledge seemed to touch the heavens, and his refined appearance was matched by an elegant demeanor. Truly, he was a talent capable of upholding the affairs of the state.
“I cannot fathom why a man of your caliber lingers in obscurity instead of taking the imperial examination.” As Master Mun Dae stroked his splendid beard, the scholar smiled and said, “Are you curious?”
“Indeed.”
“Then…” The scholar cautiously rose from his seat.
He carefully surveyed the interior of the room where they were conversing.
Hiss.
As the scholar took a deep breath, a translucent energy emanated from his body, enveloping the space. Astonishingly, this young scholar was a martial arts master of such skill that he could create a barrier of energy, isolating sound from the outside.
“Because I am the Martial Soul Command Lord of Majeon.”
“Majeon?” Master Mun Dae tilted his head.
“You mean… the coalition of demonic martial artists?”
“Correct.”
“Why has a martial artist of the demonic path come here?”
The scholar, Bu Eunseol, gave a faint smile.
“Wasn’t this Eunjarim directly established by the imperial court long ago? If I led a large force to raze this place, it would put our sect in a difficult position.”
“I don’t understand.” Master Mun Dae swallowed hard and said, “Why would Majeon consider Eunjarim an enemy?”
“Because you, Master Mun Dae, are the head of Sahyang, the most mysterious assassin sect in the martial world.”
A heavy silence fell over Eunjarim.
“Hohoho.” Master Mun Dae let out a hollow laugh and shook his head. “If a man like you makes such a bold claim… you must have solid evidence.”
“Thanks to the Golden Enemy Merchant Group leaving many traces. Perhaps they were uneasy about their dealings with Sahyang.”
“I see.” Master Mun Dae sighed and shook his head. “I opposed dealing with that miser from the start. But it wasn’t accepted…”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes gleamed.
Master Mun Dae was the head of Sahyang. Yet, his words implied someone above him?
‘Is there a mastermind behind him? Or…’ As Bu Eunseol sank into thought, Master Mun Dae spoke.
“I’ve heard you, the heir of Majeon, have been relentlessly pursuing our sect.” His eyes flashed with a blade-like glint as he sighed. “Why? There’s no enmity between our sect and you.”
“Hidden weapons.” Bu Eunseol’s eyes were filled with resentment and anguish as he continued. “Only Sahyang could craft hidden weapons capable of firing ninety-eight projectiles in a single move.”
“Ninety-eight hidden weapons in one move?”
“Yes.” A frenzied light burst from Bu Eunseol’s eyes. “I’m searching for the one who used those weapons.”
“You’ve been doggedly tracking our sect just to ask about that?” Master Mun Dae’s expression was one of disbelief.
Sahyang had never targeted anyone from Nangyang Pavilion or Majeon. Why was Bu Eunseol seeking someone who used such weapons?
“I’m looking for a person.” Taking a deep breath, Bu Eunseol spoke slowly.
“Someone who coated Sahyang’s hidden weapons with the poison of Rotten Flesh and Decaying Blood, mastered the Tianzhu Confucian Fist, and achieved mastery in demonic swordsmanship.”
“Rotten Flesh and Decaying Blood poison…” Master Mun Dae’s eyes narrowed.
The mere mention of Rotten Flesh and Decaying Blood poison seemed to spark recognition of the person.
“Why do you seek him?”
Bu Eunseol sighed inwardly with relief. Master Mun Dae clearly knew the culprit. That’s why he referred to “him.”
“It’s a personal matter, so please tell me.” Bu Eunseol’s voice was exceedingly polite.
But his eyes were filled with dark killing intent. If he didn’t get an answer, he looked ready to do anything.
“I have no intention of making an enemy of Sahyang.” Bu Eunseol said calmly. “I don’t care who’s behind Sahyang, why they stir the martial world, or what they want.”
He was sincere.
Who had planted skilled spies in both righteous and demonic factions? Who rebuilt destroyed sects or researched strange drugs to disrupt the martial world? What did they want?
Honestly, Bu Eunseol didn’t care.
If he could find the fiend who brutally killed his grandfather, Bu Zhanyang…
The fate of the martial world was irrelevant.
“Hohoho.” Master Mun Dae burst into laughter.
From his perspective, he couldn’t take Bu Eunseol’s words at face value. Even if he knew, he couldn’t say.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I said I didn’t know.”
“I’d prefer that not to be the case.” A terrifying aura rose like a haze behind Bu Eunseol. “I don’t want to burn Eunjarim to the ground.”
“Can you handle the consequences?” Master Mun Dae spoke in a relaxed tone. “This place was directly established by the former imperial court. Moreover, it houses the children of high-ranking officials from Beijing.”
Smiling faintly, he said with a hollow expression, “You’d burn this place? Are you serious?”
“They say you’re a great scholar, but you’re terrible at reading people.” The aura rising behind Bu Eunseol grew sharper, forming the shape of a giant black dragon’s head.
It looked ready to devour Master Mun Dae’s head at any moment. At the same time, a blood-red glint, darker than blood, flashed in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
“Do you think I can’t?” Only then did Master Mun Dae glimpse the depths of Bu Eunseol’s psyche.
‘He’s transitioning from the middle path to the extreme demonic path.’ As a skilled master himself, he could tell Bu Eunseol’s psyche was on the verge of entering the demonic state. ‘He’s someone who wouldn’t blink at killing tens of thousands to achieve his goal.’
But he was the head of Sahyang, an assassin sect that had remained hidden for centuries.
He wasn’t one to yield to Bu Eunseol’s threats.
“It’s a pity, but I truly don’t know.”
“Regrettable.” Bu Eunseol’s expression was genuinely sorrowful.
“Then I’ll have to ask your body.”
“Hohoho. I know you’re a formidable master.” Master Mun Dae smiled faintly. “But have you forgotten where you are?”
Clank.
With the sound of a mechanism, Master Mun Dae’s figure vanished. The floor had swallowed him instantly.
Bu Eunseol wasn’t surprised.
He had suspected a mechanism was installed when he entered.
“As expected, it’s connected to that place.”
The mechanism here closely resembled the mysterious ones he had seen in Yuhwaryeong and the underground city. Sahyang not only crafted intricate hidden weapons but was also a gathering of masters in mechanisms and formations…
Perhaps the mechanisms in the underground city were set up by Sahyang.
Boom.
When Bu Eunseol stomped the ground, a loud vibration opened the mechanism’s door. Entering that dark gate would lead to Sahyang’s true base, disguised within Eunjarim.
Whoosh.
Without hesitation, Bu Eunseol leaped into the dark hole.
“The Martial Soul Command Lord… truly…” Master Mun Dae, hurrying through the dark passage, let out an exclamation.
Bu Eunseol’s gaze and aura. He already possessed the demeanor of a supreme master overlooking the world.
“A peerless genius comparable to him.”
Master Mun Dae’s heart raced.
Since ancient times, supreme masters who dominated the world honed earth-shaking martial arts in their twenties.
And Bu Eunseol was such a master.
“They say he killed the Beggar King in his youth. He’s even greater than the rumors.”
Recalling Bu Eunseol’s icy eyes sent a chill down his spine. That ruthless gaze, the aura of a great demon who could kill thousands without blinking.
Even Master Mun Dae felt a shiver.
“He’s definitely a madman.” A sane person wouldn’t storm Sahyang’s base alone, knowing what it was.
He was clearly a lunatic who placed nothing above his goal.
“He’s not someone I can face. Nor should I try.”
Click.
Reaching the end of the passage, a mechanism opened a wide door.
A tranquil scene appeared.
Small buildings, forges, pavilions for rest, and wells were scattered about. It looked like a peaceful village, but in reality, it was the place crafting the world’s most fearsome hidden weapons.
This was Sahyang’s true base.
Attached like one body to Eunjarim, the cradle of scholars, unrelated to the martial world…
No intelligence organization could have found Sahyang’s stronghold.
‘I must inform the sect leader quickly.’ As Master Mun Dae hurried toward Sahyang,
“Too late.”
A man with arms crossed leaned against a tree. It was Bu Eunseol.
“How did you—”
“Coming to the hidden base of Sahyang, which has remained concealed for centuries, you think I wouldn’t investigate?” Uncrossing his arms, Bu Eunseol approached slowly.
“I’ll ask one last time.”
His once-polite tone turned sharp and oppressive, as if it could tear the heavens.
“Who is he?”
“You think I’ll tell you?” Master Mun Dae shouted and stomped the ground.
Boom.
The people leisurely wandering in Sahyang froze, then slowly turned.
A man hammering in a forge. A boy crouching by the roadside. Elders cooling off in a pavilion.
All turned to Bu Eunseol with cold faces.
Now it was clear: everyone here was an assassin of Sahyang.
Clank. Whirr.
Strange metallic tubes emerged across the village. Likely hidden weapon devices designed to counter external enemies.
“You know they’re useless.” Looking at the devices, Bu Eunseol said coldly. “These are for repelling large forces.”
Master Mun Dae bit his lip.
Bu Eunseol was right.
The devices were meant to fend off massive armies. They had never imagined someone would storm Sahyang alone.
Against Bu Eunseol, alone, they were powerless.
“Attack.” But Master Mun Dae shouted without hesitation.
Even if the devices couldn’t function fully, Sahyang had many skilled assassins. Bu Eunseol alone couldn’t possibly handle them.
Whoosh!
Hidden weapons rained down, but Bu Eunseol was already gone.
Flash!
His black blade flared, passing through the device-laden area.
Thud, thud, thud.
There was no time to scream.
Each swing of Bu Eunseol’s sword sent blood spraying as dozens of heads fell.
Boom!
Unable to keep up with Bu Eunseol’s elusive movement, they detonated planted explosives. But his shadow was already beyond the blast radius.
Boom! Boom!
They detonated more explosives, disregarding friendly casualties, but it was futile.
The spreading smoke only aided Bu Eunseol, allowing him to unleash indiscriminate sword strikes while concealed.
Clang!
Realizing hidden weapons and explosives were useless, the assassins drew swords and engaged in close combat.
‘Righteous sect swordsmanship.’ Seeing their techniques, a glint flashed in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
Like the assassins who attacked at Hell’s Blood Fortress, they used modified righteous sect swordsmanship.
“No need to question you.” As black mist rose from Bu Eunseol’s body, he glared at the sword-wielding assassins.
Whirr!
The black mist condensed into his left fist.
Slash!
With a fierce extension of his fist, five sharp streams of energy shot out. He had unleashed tangible energy in the form of long blades using the Wishful True Binding (Yeoui Jingyeol).
Thud, thud, thud.
With a dull sound, the five streams pierced dozens of charging assassins like skewers.
“Now!” Assassins who had crept behind Bu Eunseol unleashed sharp sword techniques.
But without turning, he flicked his left hand again.
Boom!
With a thunderous sound, the attackers were reduced to bloody pulp and flung back. He had mimicked the explosive internal energy technique of the Bullet King.
Boom! Boom!
As massive tangible energy waves poured out, the assassins’ bodies were flung back like toys. With his psyche re-entering the demonic path, he wielded the Wishful True Binding without restraint.
—Ugh…
The assassins faltered under his merciless, overwhelming attacks. His method of skewering entire bodies with the Wishful True Binding instilled fear even in seasoned assassins.
Some younger assassins froze, losing the will to resist.
—He’s alone! Don’t fear, attack!
At Master Mun Dae’s shout, experienced assassins stepped forward.
They unleashed sharp sword techniques again.
Swish!
Sahyang had operated in secrecy for a century, not only due to advanced hidden weapon devices…
But because they consistently trained exceptional assassins over generations.
Whoosh! Ping!
As they attacked with resolve, blood began to spray from Bu Eunseol’s body. Their assassin techniques, combined with hidden weapon devices, were formidable.
‘Tiresome.’ But seeing the charging assassins, Bu Eunseol felt bored. ‘I just need the fiend’s information. Why risk their lives to fight?’
He grew weary.
Of swinging his sword. Of moving to fight. He wanted to stand still and kill these buzzing flies.
Bu Eunseol merely imagined this.
Hum!
Black energy spread from his body in all directions.
The energy materialized into massive, glossy black tentacles. It was as if an unknown monster loomed behind Bu Eunseol.
The Wishful True Binding.
The essence of the Demon Emperor’s ultimate technique began to manifest in Bu Eunseol’s body.
