Bu Eunseol opened his mouth with a puzzled expression.
“Why?”
“Why, you ask?” A serene smile hung on Yeong Munho’s lips. “Isn’t tasting death once enough? Even if I recover my internal energy, it wouldn’t compare to the others’ level.”
“Yeong Munho.”
“Don’t look at me like that. I’m content with my life now.” He grinned broadly, pointing to the hut. “There are plenty of good herbs around Seven Swords Ridge. Gathering and selling them earns enough for a drink at an inn now and then.”
His eyes, as he continued speaking, shimmered with a faint, twilight-like glow.
“When I grow older, I’ll meet a simple woman, start a family. Life might be modest, but I’ll have children, and day by day… I’ll live happily.” Hearing this, a smile also formed on Bu Eunseol’s lips.
In truth, he had dreamed of such a life since childhood.
Even if he had no money, even if life was a bit lacking, if he could live happily with his grandfather again…
He wouldn’t regret abandoning his current status, martial arts, and influence.
“That’s a good plan.” Bu Eunseol nodded.
Yeong Munho had already found happiness. Dragging him back to the blood-soaked martial world, to Majeon, would only ruin his life.
“Then I’ll take my leave.” Turning without lingering, Bu Eunseol wished him well.
“Live well. Be happy.”
“Wait.” As he turned to leave, Yeong Munho rubbed his nose and said, “Since we’ve met after so long, how about a drink before you go?”
“A drink?”
“I brewed some Hundred Herb Wine with the herbs around Seven Swords Ridge. It’s quite good.” A faint smile curved Bu Eunseol’s lips.
He preferred liquor over tea. And sharing a drink with Yeong Munho, the Ten Demonic Warrior he’d sought for so long, would be especially fragrant.
“Alright.”
“Wait a moment. I’ll go get some snacks.”
“Just the wine is fine.”
“But for a rare guest, how can we just drink? Wait a bit.” As Yeong Munho limped toward the wicker gate, Bu Eunseol shook his head.
“Then I’ll catch a wild bird. Roasted over charcoal, it’ll make a good snack.” Yeong Munho waved his hands, jumping in protest. “I live deep in the mountains gathering herbs because I hate killing. What are you saying? If I wanted to hunt, I’d be a hunter.”
“You left the martial world, so you don’t even eat meat?”
“It’s not that. I just don’t like wielding a blade to harm animals.”
“I’ll do the hunting.”
“It’s the same. If you hunt, the stench of blood will cling to you.” Not only had he completely left the martial world, but he seemed to abhor even the smell of blood, like a Buddhist monk. “When drinking Hundred Herb Wine, the scent of blood feels especially sharp… that’s all.”
As Yeong Munho averted his gaze, embarrassed, Bu Eunseol smiled faintly.
“Then I’ll go to the village. I’m faster anyway.”
Yeong Munho chuckled. “Alright, go.”
Bu Eunseol swiftly descended to the village, buying various tasty snacks. Fearing the wine might run short, he also brought a jug of forty-year-old yellow wine.
‘Will I ever live like that someday?’ Recalling Yeong Munho’s peaceful face, a smile spread across Bu Eunseol’s lips.
Yeong Munho, who had joined the Ten Demonic Warriors plan with ambitions to rule the demonic path. He became one after passing brutal trials, but that was only the beginning. To survive, he had to kill one of the formidable righteous masters above him, or die himself.
Perhaps from that moment, he grew disillusioned with the merciless martial world. Instead of killing a righteous master with all his strength, he planned his escape from the martial world.
And though he quietly left, he lost most of his internal energy. Yet his expression was more at ease, happier than when he wielded great power.
—“Seol-ah… this is your grandfather’s final wish.”
At that time, as his grandfather Bu Zhanyang lay dying in a wretched state, he had said with his last strength,
—“When I’m gone… go far away.”
It was likely Bu Zhanyang’s final wish for Bu Eunseol to live an ordinary life, not one driven by revenge.
But ironically, Bu Eunseol chose the opposite path.
He chose a blood-soaked road for vengeance without hesitation, striving to become an unmatched martial artist. Not a single day passed without him dedicating himself to finding his grandfather’s killer.
‘It’s not the life grandfather wanted.’
Even if he ended his own life, Bu Eunseol had no intention of living under the same sky as that murderer. But seeing Yeong Munho’s peaceful demeanor made him wonder if this path was right.
Along with his grandfather’s final plea.
‘Useless sentimentality.’ Bu Eunseol shook his head.
He was only briefly swayed by Yeong Munho’s peaceful appearance. After parting with him, he would stir the martial world again to find his grandfather’s killer.
And he would seize the tail of the forces involved.
Whoosh.
Using qinggong, Bu Eunseol returned to Seven Swords Ridge, to Yeong Munho’s hut.
Clang.
Upon arriving, Bu Eunseol dropped the jug of wine and snacks to the ground.
An unbelievable scene unfolded before him.
“Ugh…”
Yeong Munho, blood dripping from his mouth, clutched a greatsword lodged in his chest with both hands.
And before him stood a towering man, calmly driving the greatsword deeper.
It was the same man who had single-handedly destroyed the Black Wind Stronghold.
“Oh? It’s you…”
As the man saw Bu Eunseol and smiled warmly,
Clang!
A crimson spark erupted above the man’s head.
Bu Eunseol’s black sword, striking like lightning, clashed with the man’s greatsword in midair, scattering countless sparks. Astoundingly, the man showed no sign of attack, yet blocked Bu Eunseol’s thunderous strike with ease.
“Pity. So you’re demonic after all?”
Scrape.
This seemingly simple man not only blocked Bu Eunseol’s sudden strike but also effortlessly pushed back his black sword, imbued with fifty percent of his internal energy.
That single move showed his swordsmanship and internal energy were no less than Bu Eunseol’s.
“You hid fierce killing intent and rage behind a clear aura.” As if peering into Bu Eunseol’s soul, the man muttered softly,
Wooong!
Hundreds of dark energy strands soared skyward from Bu Eunseol’s body.
Fierce anger and killing intent.
As those emotions consumed him, the Wishful True Binding naturally unfolded.
“Die.” As sharp energy enveloped the man’s body,
Thud.
A dull sound echoed from behind Bu Eunseol.
Yeong Munho, bleeding profusely, collapsed.
Gush.
Blood poured from his pierced mid-chest.
“Where are you looking?”
Flash!
The man’s greatsword curved strangely, slashing at Bu Eunseol’s neck.
Clang!
But the greatsword stopped in midair, as if entangled in black threads. The Wishful True Binding instantly reflected his will, altering the energy’s form.
“Impressive. Materializing internal energy like this.” The energy strands Bu Eunseol unleashed were not only diamond-hard but moved naturally like living creatures. “Freely shaping materialized energy and maintaining it like a solid object… that requires unimaginable internal energy.”
The man, marveling at Bu Eunseol, nodded.
“I’d better keep you from using your internal energy.”
Swish!
Shaking his greatsword, the man severed the energy strands formed by the Wishful True Binding and aimed for Bu Eunseol’s neck again.
Boom!
At that moment, red energy surged from Bu Eunseol’s body,
Crash!
His left fist unleashed a mountain-like force, the Heaven-Shattering Fist of the Seven Demonic Fists.
“Ugh.” Unexpecting such immense force at close range, the man instinctively blocked with his greatsword.
Boom!
Struck by the Heaven-Shattering Fist, the man was flung twenty zhang away.
Bu Eunseol had no time to watch.
“Yeong Munho.” Rushing to the fallen Yeong Munho, Bu Eunseol pressed his chest acupoints.
Holding him, he leaped into the air.
Swish!
Like a shooting star, Bu Eunseol sped past the village toward Chengdu.
He arrived at a manor, the secret branch of the Nine Deaths Squad.
The Nine Deaths Squad undertook life-threatening missions. Thus, skilled physicians were always on standby near the secret branch, with potent elixirs prepared.
Crash!
Bursting through the manor’s gate with a thunderous punch, Bu Eunseol startled the branch members and leader, who rushed out.
“You are…” The Nine Deaths Squad were elite agents handling the most covert missions.
Moreover, they had secretly shifted allegiance to Bu Eunseol under the Chief Instructor’s orders. Thus, they were all familiar with their leader Bu Eunseol’s appearance.
“What brings the Lord…”
“Physician…” As the branch leader approached, clasping his hands, Bu Eunseol urgently shouted, “Now!”
The Henan branch of the Nine Deaths Squad was in an uproar over Bu Eunseol’s sudden visit.
The secret elixir storage was fully opened, and Yu Cheongsim, Henan’s greatest physician, who treated patients only after much pleading and payment, was dragged out barefoot to tend to the patient.
Yu Cheongsim’s skill was legendary, and the branch had the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Elixir, known for reviving the near-dead.
But Yeong Munho’s chest was pierced, losing massive blood, and his heart meridians were shattered by immense internal energy.
Even an immortal sage couldn’t save him.
“My Lord…” Pale-faced, Yu Cheongsim looked at Yeong Munho, gasping for breath, and bowed to Bu Eunseol. “I did my utmost, but the wounds are too severe…”
Unable to lift his face, Yu Cheongsim trembled.
Bu Eunseol’s eyes were blood-red, and dark energy haze rose from his body. Having treated countless martial artists, Yu Cheongsim could guess the extent of Bu Eunseol’s prowess.
And his status and position were unimaginably high.
“I truly did my best.” At that moment, Yeong Munho, lying on the bed, faintly opened his eyes.
“Bu Eunseol.”
“Yeong Munho.” Bu Eunseol’s eyes instantly cleared as he quickly supported Yeong Munho’s body.
Placing his hand on the Life Gate acupoint, he infused Ban-geuk Energy. All he could do now was inject pure energy to prolong his life slightly.
“It’s no use. Don’t waste your energy.” Yeong Munho tried to push his arm away, but Bu Eunseol, unmoving, continued infusing energy.
His eyes, as always, were coldly still.
But to Yeong Munho, they seemed like those of a child holding back tears.
“Everyone knew. You seem cold, but you’re not.”
Recalling Hell Island, a smile crossed Yeong Munho’s lips. For the Ten Demonic Warriors, Hell Island was a place they never wanted to remember…
Yet it also held faint, nostalgic memories.
Gush.
As Yeong Munho coughed up blood, Bu Eunseol’s eyes darkened further.
“It’s fine. I should’ve died long ago.” Swallowing the blood forcibly, Yeong Munho smiled faintly. “I’ve lived well enough as a bonus…”
Twisting his body, he gently lowered Bu Eunseol’s hand, still infusing energy.
With an infinitely soft and kind smile, he said,
“Right… isn’t it?”
Yeong Munho’s childlike, clear smile faded as his eyes lost their light.
Without the Ban-geuk Energy, his life force ebbed away.
“Don’t blame yourself.”
Yeong Munho knew.
His death would cause Bu Eunseol great self-reproach. If he hadn’t come…
Would he have lived? That regret would haunt him forever.
“The life of a martial artist bearing a sword is like that. The present, the future… all stained with sorrow and misfortune.”
—“Why do martial artists deny their past?”
—“Because the past of those bearing swords is stained with sorrow and misfortune.”
Only now did Bu Eunseol understand the meaning of his grandfather Bu Zhanyang’s words.
The lives of martial artists—past, present, and future—require staining their hands with the blood of countless others. And such a life is inevitably shrouded in sorrow and misfortune. Bu Eunseol had lived such a life and would continue to do so.
Because his hands were stained with the blood of many.
Because that was the life of a martial artist.
Breathing heavily, Yeong Munho showed Bu Eunseol a radiant smile.
“Thank you… for finding me, Bu Eunseol.”
With his final words, the smile on Yeong Munho’s lips slowly stiffened.
Yeong Munho, a Ten Demonic Warrior of the Death Command Sect.
He had exceptional talent but was too soft-hearted to be a martial artist. Losing his martial arts and becoming an herbalist, he finally found peace… only to meet his end by an unknown man’s attack.
“Yeong Munho.” Bu Eunseol gently held Yeong Munho’s limp hand.
With trembling hands, he closed his eyes.
“…” Then, a faint smile bloomed on Yeong Munho’s lips again.
That smile, so peaceful and gentle, seemed to light up the entire world. But Bu Eunseol’s world lost all light. His vision sank into darkness deeper than despair.
Rumble…
The ground shook as dark energy rose from his body again.
He couldn’t forgive.
The man who playfully drove a greatsword into Yeong Munho, killing him.
Even crushing every bone wouldn’t sate his anger.
Boom!
With an explosion, Bu Eunseol’s body soared into the sky.
A streak of black light, he vanished into the western sky.
He was heading back to Seven Swords Ridge to pursue that man.
***
Crash!
Surrounded by black light, Bu Eunseol reached Seven Swords Ridge in an instant.
Before Yeong Munho’s hut stood the same man, towering.
“I knew you’d come back.” As if waiting, the man’s large eyes sparkled with a smile. “I made sure he wouldn’t survive.”
His smile was so pure it felt innocent.
But to Bu Eunseol, it looked like a sinister monster licking its lips.
“Why…” Swallowing the blazing black rage, Bu Eunseol spoke.
He had questions before he turned this man to dust.
“Why did you kill him?”
“Shouldn’t you ask who I am first?” Bu Eunseol’s dark eyes wavered.
Could there be a tangled grudge between this man and Yeong Munho? Or a deep-seated enmity from their ancestors? Meeting Bu Eunseol’s piercing gaze, the man sparkled his clear eyes and pointed to his face.
“I’m the Heavenly Sword.”
Golden Divine Eye, the Heavenly Sword.
The youngest disciple of the Sword Venerable, Heonwon Damcheong, one of the Three Venerables.
Inheriting the Sword Venerable’s most mysterious sword techniques, known as the foremost sword of the righteous path…
A new-generation master called the second Sword Venerable.
This towering man was the Heavenly Sword.
“And…” the Heavenly Sword grinned, showing white teeth. “I’m also one of the eighteen righteous masters chosen by the Martial Alliance.”
Thud.
Bu Eunseol’s eyes shook as if struck.
The eighteen righteous masters were mostly known to be exceptional disciples from the Nine Great Sects or Eight Great Families.
But something was odd.
The information provided by the Demon Emperor and gathered through intelligence networks was extremely limited.
‘So that’s why.’ Only now did Bu Eunseol understand why information on the eighteen righteous masters was so scarce.
Why their identities weren’t fully revealed.
They were dragon-like figures with lofty status, secretly roaming the martial world. A disciple of the Sword Venerable, like the Heavenly Sword, was among them.
“Now you get it?” the Heavenly Sword, smiling brightly, said, “Your demonic Ten Demonic Warriors killed righteous masters living quietly, didn’t they?”
“…”
“On our righteous side, can’t we kill the Ten Demonic Warriors for revenge?”
Bu Eunseol could feel it.
Though his eyes were clear, they were tinged with madness.
He would do anything to uphold his beliefs.
“He left the martial world, so you shouldn’t kill him. You don’t have such lukewarm hopes, do you?” The man grinned, showing his teeth.
“Once you step into the martial world, grudges don’t vanish. Not until death.”
The martial world.
A hell where those bound by the chains of grudges must swing their blades at each other.
Once you step in, there’s no escaping those chains.
Shing.
Instead of answering, Bu Eunseol drew his black sword.
He’d known such truths long ago.
From the moment he stepped into this hell, he resolved to destroy everything. If fate’s chains bound him, he’d move forward, bound and all.
But now, he realized he hadn’t destroyed anything properly.
Wooong.
His dark heart turned into black energy, swirling around him. Facing Bu Eunseol’s terrifying aura, the Heavenly Sword nodded with a smile.
“I thought only those guys could match me among my peers… but there’s another.” Referring to ‘those guys,’ there were other young righteous masters equal to the Heavenly Sword.
In other words, more prodigies capable of rivaling Bu Eunseol.
“There’s a crazy guy in the demonic path. That’s you…”
His words didn’t finish.
Bu Eunseol, a black cloud, slashed at his neck.
