The unexpected appearance of Jin Seol left Shim Wol unable to hide his shock.
“You.”
As Shim Wol’s eyes widened, Jin Seol spoke in a calm voice. “Stop committing more sins.”
“How…” Shim Wol, visibly shaken, stared at her. “How did you find out?”
“That’s not important.”
“Is that so?” Shim Wol spat, his voice bitter. “The Martial Soul Command Lord told you, didn’t he? Did you dig into my affairs with him?”
“Do you think so?”
“It wasn’t?”
“No.”
“Then how did you track me?”
Jin Seol sighed. “I went to the Shadow Pavilion.”
After meeting Bu Eunseol, she had gone to Majeon’s top intelligence organization, the Shadow Pavilion.
She personally requested the Pavilion Master to investigate Shim Wol’s actions. Because she didn’t fully believe Bu Eunseol’s words. She needed to confirm the truth about her betrothed with her own eyes.
“I know you consumed a drug that amplifies power and killing intent.” Unlike her usual cold demeanor, Jin Seol’s eyes were filled with pity and sorrow. “That’s why you’ve been doing this.”
She tried her best to persuade him. “This alone is enough for leniency. I’ll help you.”
“Ridiculous,” Shim Wol sneered coldly. “Even with leniency, this isn’t something that can be overlooked. Even if my master intervenes, I’d be locked in the Demonic Abyss for at least ten years.”
“I’ll wait for you,” Jin Seol said calmly. “I’ll wait for you until then. So, let’s return together.”
Shim Wol’s eyes wavered.
Jin Seol rarely expressed emotions and never spoke idly.
If she said she’d wait, she truly would—whether ten or twenty years.
“Truly?” he asked.
“Of course.” She extended her hand with a pleading expression. “Come back. It’s not too late.”
“Who says you can just leave?” Baek Susu shouted, her face filled with rage. “Without this sect leader’s permission, that demon will not leave!”
“Sect Leader Baek,” Jin Seol said calmly. “I’ll resolve this matter. And I’ll compensate for your disciples’ deaths. So…”
“How can you compensate for the lives of the dead?” Baek Susu roared.
Jin Seol replied firmly, “Sect Leader Baek, if you provoke him, not a single disciple of the Green Fragrance Sect will survive.”
“If I cower at such threats, this sect wouldn’t have lasted in the martial world…” Baek Susu’s words were cut off.
Whoosh.
Suddenly, her body, along with a dozen disciples, floated into the air.
“You talk too much,” Shim Wol said.
“Shim Wol!” Jin Seol, alarmed, reached out to him. “Come back. I swear on my life to keep that promise.”
For a moment, Shim Wol stared at her hand.
If he took that soft, warm hand, he could truly win her heart.
He might not gain the Demon Emperor’s martial art, but he could possess this beautiful woman’s heart entirely.
Shim Wol smiled.
And then, an utterly unexpected response slipped from his lips. “I refuse.”
Crunch.
One of the floating disciples’ bodies shattered like dry straw, blood spraying and falling to the ground.
Thud.
Looking at the disciple’s mangled corpse, Shim Wol clicked his tongue. “Jin Seol, you’re gravely mistaken.”
He sneered down at her. “Do you think every man loves you just because people call you the Flower of Majeon?”
“…”
“Do you think I clung to you because I truly loved you? Ridiculous!” Shim Wol scoffed. “It was only because of the conditions you represent.”
“Shim Wol.”
“To win your heart, I practiced tirelessly,” he said, taking a deep breath and gazing at the distant sky with a wronged expression. “Your wet nurse, your maids—I won them all over to learn your tastes and personality, crafting a plan to suit them…”
Crack.
Shattering the stone pavement beneath him, Shim Wol’s eyes burned with resentment. “Like a male courtesan!”
A single tear rolled down Jin Seol’s cheek.
Shim Wol wasn’t the man of her dreams.
But he was kinder than anyone, gentle and warm. She had intended to make him the foremost demonic master and rely on him for life.
To think it was all just a performance to gain the Demon Emperor’s martial art?
“I see,” Jin Seol said, lowering her head.
Bu Eunseol had been entirely right.
All this time, she had been dreaming, unaware of Shim Wol’s true, sinister nature.
“Call your allies. I’ll kill them all at once,” Shim Wol said, assuming she had brought elite sect warriors since she had tracked him.
But an unexpected reply came. “There are none.”
Jin Seol kept her head bowed. “If there were, I wouldn’t have tried to persuade you.”
She had come alone, genuinely believing she could convince him.
It was touching to Shim Wol, but he smirked maliciously. “Heh, thanks to this naive princess, things just got easier.”
Splatter!
As he unleashed his power, another floating disciple turned to blood, raining down.
Jin Seol’s eyes filled with despair.
Raised with the care and love of the sect’s leaders, she had risen to the Flower of Majeon position. But her worldly experience was lacking, and she couldn’t read people well. Like a naive child, she had impulsively come to persuade him without a proper plan.
‘I should have listened to him.’
Only now did she understand why Bu Eunseol had said those things.
It wasn’t arrogance or certainty about Shim Wol’s character. He was worried because she couldn’t handle this alone.
“I’ll show you for real,” Shim Wol said, spreading his arms with a smile. “The extent of my power!”
He unleashed the suppressed killing intent and rage without restraint.
Boom!
A red light burst forth, and invisible shockwaves swirled outward.
He intended to fully wield his supreme technique to brutally kill the Green Fragrance Sect and Jin Seol.
***
Flip, flip.
In his office, Bu Eunseol was leafing through documents.
While he was out in the martial world, Myo Cheonwoo and Yoo Unryong managed the Death Shadow Corps perfectly.
Upon returning to the sect, he took over their duties again.
‘It’s about time to let go.’
Looking at the documents, Bu Eunseol nodded.
With Myo Cheonwoo and Yoo Unryong working together, there was little difference from his own management. They were running the Death Shadow Corps exceptionally well.
‘If even the Death Spirit Corps is functioning properly…’
Bu Eunseol smiled with satisfaction.
He could gradually step back from sect duties, focus on the intelligence network, or roam the martial world freely.
Knock, knock.
A knock came, followed by Yoo Unryong’s voice. “It’s Yoo Unryong.”
“Come in.”
As Yoo Unryong entered, he hesitated upon seeing Bu Eunseol. “Something’s up.”
“What is it?”
“As your aide, this might be overstepping, but I tried not to pry.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You told Jin Seol everything, didn’t you?” Yoo Unryong paused before continuing. “I was worried that exposing Shim Wol would put her in a difficult position.”
“That’s right.”
“I thought so,” Yoo Unryong said, his expression grave. “I’ve always felt you understand everything well, but you’re clueless about a woman’s heart.”
“What do you mean?”
“You thought you were being considerate, but women see it differently. She probably felt humiliated.”
“…”
“And women value reputation and face, sometimes more than life itself.”
A bad feeling crossed Bu Eunseol’s mind. “No way.”
“Yes,” Yoo Unryong said, his face dark. “Jin Seol left the sect to track Shim Wol.”
Bu Eunseol shot to his feet.
Jin Seol was not only brilliant but also close to the sect’s leaders.
He had believed she wouldn’t act rashly or make foolish moves.
But he had overlooked something.
Before being the sect’s Flower, she was an ordinary woman who cared about others’ opinions and reputation.
“Where did she go?”
“I don’t know,” Yoo Unryong said, taking a deep breath. “But I asked the Death Spirit Corps to track her, just in case. I know it’s overstepping…”
“You did well,” Bu Eunseol said, gripping Yoo Unryong’s shoulder.
Whoosh!
He unleashed his lightness technique, bursting through the door.
‘She made the worst choice, Jin Seol.’
Soaring through the air, leaving the sect behind, Bu Eunseol shouted inwardly.
‘I hope I’m not too late!’
***
“I’ll kill you in one strike!”
Wrapped in a bloody glow, Shim Wol grinned, baring his fangs, looking like a demon ready to devour.
Swish!
A sharp sound cut through as two radiant beams shot from Baek Susu’s hand while Shim Wol was distracted, swiftly throwing hidden blades.
Ping.
One blade was deflected by the shockwaves emanating from Shim Wol.
Thud.
But the other struck Jin Seol’s shoulder.
Baek Susu had aimed one at Shim Wol and the other at Jin Seol.
Drip, drip.
Blood flowed, but Jin Seol felt no pain.
He was once the man she loved.
But it was all an act, and he was a demon slaughtering innocents.
“That expression…” Seeing Jin Seol’s heartbroken look, Shim Wol’s eyes sparked with fire. “You only made that face for him!”
As his rage and killing intent surged, a red haze rose from his body. The Green Fragrance Sect had three hundred disciples, but none dared challenge him.
Even Baek Susu, the sect leader, remained floating in the air.
“Kill me first,” Jin Seol said, stepping forward boldly. “That’s why I came.”
Shim Wol’s eyes flickered slightly.
Her unwavering, noble gaze, her pure and radiant beauty—it was enough to shake even his cruel heart.
‘I was half-sincere.’ Saying he approached her only for the Demon Emperor’s martial art was a lie.
If that were true, he’d never have accepted Jeok Bung’s plan.
Meeting Jin Seol in the sect, he found her breathtakingly beautiful and had harbored feelings for her. If he hadn’t consumed the inner core, if he could have controlled his killing intent… he would have chosen her without hesitation.
‘Why not leave the martial world with her?’
For a moment, Shim Wol’s mind cleared, and he felt conflicted. Having slaughtered countless civilians and martial artists, there was no turning back. But what if he abandoned everything and left with her? If he gave it all up, wouldn’t she follow him sincerely?
‘Maybe…’ Shim Wol took a deep breath and approached her.
If she accepted his proposal, if they could leave together…
He was ready to abandon all his ambitions.
But something unexpected happened.
Stab!
As he drew near, Jin Seol, seemingly resigned, drew her sword like lightning and pierced his throat.
It was so swift that Shim Wol, despite his open eyes, couldn’t dodge.
It was the deadly swift sword technique taught to her by the Demon Emperor, the Meteor Strike.
“So that’s how it is,” Shim Wol said, looking at the sword in his throat.
“Nothing goes my way.”
Not only his body but his eyes radiated a red haze.
Crack, crack.
His body grew slightly, red mist spreading from him.
As the last shred of reason, shaken by Jin Seol’s heart, vanished, he became a true demonic master.
Snap.
The sword in his throat shattered like a brittle snack.
“Mastering the Heaven-Breaking Rift Palm cloaks the body in an aura that deflects any attack, not just external force.”
Jin Seol’s sword couldn’t pierce the power of the Heaven-Breaking Rift Palm and shattered. With the blade broken, it looked as if the hilt was buried in his throat.
“You’ll die last.”
Tap.
Shim Wol sent a gust, sealing a pressure point below Jin Seol’s neck.
She could move only her face, her body completely paralyzed.
Whoosh.
A floating disciple was moved above her head.
Shim Wol unleashed his power again.
Crunch. Splatter!
The disciple’s body crumpled like paper, blood pouring like a waterfall.
Right over the paralyzed Jin Seol’s head.
“I’ll drench you in the blood of all three hundred Green Fragrance Sect disciples.” Despite his terrifying words, the disciples couldn’t move a finger.
This was already hell, and Shim Wol was its ruling demon king.
Splatter!
Another swipe, and a disciple’s body twisted, spilling blood.
But Jin Seol’s paralyzed eyes remained unchanged.
“Still not enough to break that haughty gaze?”
Splatter! Thud!
Shim Wol brutally killed another disciple above her head. Her hair was soaked in sticky blood, her body covered in fluids and organ fragments.
Yet she stood firm, staring at Shim Wol without fear or submission.
“Impressive. No wonder you’re the Flower.”
An ordinary woman would have lost her sanity, but Jin Seol stood unwavering, eyes open.
“Good. I have an even better idea,” Shim Wol said, giving her a cruel smile. “Using the Heaven-Breaking Rift Palm to shake your brain’s meridians will turn you into an idiot.”
Step, step.
“No matter the Demon Emperor, he won’t discern the cause of a damaged brain meridian.”
Riiip.
Tearing the clothes at her shoulder, he grinned cruelly. “You’ll be defiled by the Shadowless Killer here and driven mad by the shock. Yet I’ll proceed with the marriage as planned.”
Jin Seol trembled at his vile plan.
He intended to assault her, render her mindless, and then marry her, posing as a devoted man who loves his tragic fiancée.
That way, the Demon Emperor would have no choice but to give him the martial art manual.
“We’ll have our wedding night here first.”
Shim Wol smiled at the terrified Baek Susu and her disciples. “After I deal with them.”
Tears streamed from Jin Seol’s eyes.
Fear of what was to come and regret for her foolish past.
A man’s face flashed in her mind.
‘Was hiding my feelings a mistake?’
Jin Seol was fiercely proud.
She believed her destined partner should be worthy of receiving the Demon Emperor’s martial art.
She had been certain Bu Eunseol would propose to her.
But over time, she realized it was a delusion.
Bu Eunseol.
That steadfast man wouldn’t spare her a glance, even if offered the martial art of the world’s greatest.
He wouldn’t marry for his own gain.
Like a true seeker, he’d walk his path, striving endlessly.
‘So I chose differently.’
Unlike Yeon Soha of the Divine Maiden Palace, Jin Seol had no desire to cling to Bu Eunseol.
She didn’t want to openly express her feelings or beg for love.
‘I didn’t want to force someone who doesn’t love me.’
Instead, she tried to forget Bu Eunseol.
And she promised her future to Shim Wol, who treated her kindly, to move on.
But now she realized.
She was only afraid of rejection, unable to be honest with her feelings.
Like Yeon Soha or Dan So-ok, she had wanted to express her heart and wait for Shim Wol.
‘But it’s all over.’ Resigned, Jin Seol closed her eyes.
Boom!
A thunderous sound echoed from the distant sky.
It was the explosive sound of compressed air from rapid movement.
Crash!
Another thunderclap, and a gray lightning bolt sliced through the air, landing opposite Shim Wol.
Crackle.
The figure that fell from the sky had tattered clothes from his swift movement, his body shimmering with inner energy.
But his eyes were filled with spirit, and his presence radiated unapproachable majesty.
It was Bu Eunseol.
