Kwoong.
As the gates of Majeon opened, a black-painted eight-horse carriage swiftly sped down the official road. Inside the carriage, a man dressed in a luxurious martial robe gazed out the window, lost in thought.
It was none other than Bu Eunseol.
‘The rumors must have already spread.’
It had been a long time since he ventured into the martial world alone without concealing his identity. And this fact would undoubtedly have reached every intelligence organization in both the righteous and demonic factions.
‘And those who see me as an enemy won’t miss this opportunity.’
If safety were his top priority, he would have kept escorts with him until just before reaching Namanbu.
But Bu Eunseol wanted to use this opportunity to find out.
Who his enemies were.
And the extent of their intelligence and martial prowess.
‘It’s possible the one in Myogaso isn’t really the Divine Mountain Sage.’
In truth, Bu Eunseol wasn’t holding high expectations for this journey. Of course, the intelligence network of the Affectionate Blossom Sect was the best among the Ten Demonic Sects.
But his target was the Divine Mountain Sage, known as the Sage of the Martial World.
The chances of pinpointing the location of the foremost sage, who could not be found unless he revealed himself, were nearly nonexistent.
‘Of course, tracking a person’s whereabouts doesn’t rely solely on intelligence. Sometimes, it’s a matter of chance or a small mistake that leads to discovery…’ But he didn’t believe a figure called a sage would make a mistake or reveal their traces by mere coincidence.
‘That leaves one conclusion.’
If the Divine Mountain Sage was truly in Myogaso?
He must have deliberately revealed his whereabouts.
To summon Bu Eunseol, who possessed the Boeun Coin.
Rumble.
The carriage raced on day and night without rest.
Having left Majeon’s sphere of influence, it continued for several more days, finally arriving at a bustling village near Namanbu.
“I’ll take it from here.” At Bu Eunseol’s words as he stepped out of the carriage, the young driver bowed respectfully.
Step, step.
Without disguising himself, Bu Eunseol walked into the crowded marketplace.
He could feel the curious and admiring gazes from all directions. But those gazes soon shifted to the glossy black sword at his side.
“…”
The attention directed at him gradually dissipated.
To commoners, martial artists were akin to ferocious beasts. Lingering too close could entangle them in a fight, leading to devastating injuries or losses they couldn’t bear.
‘Hm.’ As Bu Eunseol headed toward a distant inn, a glint flashed through his eyes.
Upon entering the marketplace, his heightened senses began to sound an alarm.
The narrow alley was lined with merchants’ stalls, with countless people passing through.
A woman grilling dumplings while carrying a child on her back. An old man haggling over vegetables. A middle-aged man loudly calling out to attract customers. Groups of travelers hurrying by…
Among this crowd, a sharp killing intent arose.
Yet Bu Eunseol continued walking calmly, as if he sensed nothing.
At that moment,
Swish!
A faint sound of air being pierced rang out.
To Bu Eunseol’s ears, it was as loud as thunder.
Whoosh!
As he swiftly tilted his head, a sharp dagger embedded itself into the wall.
A small child passing by had thrown the dagger at him with a silent, soundless technique.
Clang!
At the same time, an old man passing by drew a sword hidden in his cane and thrust it at Bu Eunseol.
Swish!
Simultaneously, the woman with the child on her back lowered her head, and countless fine poisoned needles rained down.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a cloud of acidic powder fell from the sky like mist.
It turned out the assassins had been hiding among the crowd in the marketplace, waiting for Bu Eunseol. And as he passed by, they unleashed their deadly techniques without regard for the safety of the commoners.
‘They hid well.’ Bu Eunseol was slightly surprised by the ambush.
Nangyang’s Beast Way, which could even sense the flow of air, was a martial art specialized for ambushes. Yet this attack showed no signs beforehand, and he didn’t even hear the sound of air being cut until the assault was upon him.
More impressively, they blended seamlessly among the ordinary commoners without arousing suspicion. This meant these assassins were top-tier, having mastered secretive techniques like the Silent Shadow Art.
‘They’ve studied me thoroughly.’
If he used his martial arts carelessly, innocent commoners could be harmed.
They had perfectly grasped even his temperament.
‘If I hadn’t learned the Heavenly Glacial Secret, counterattacking would have been difficult.’
White frost was already emanating from Bu Eunseol’s left hand. He had invoked the Heavenly Glacial Secret, the ultimate ice technique of the Great Glacier Emperor.
Shwooo!
An astonishing scene unfolded.
As Bu Eunseol extended his left hand, the incoming projectiles and acidic powder instantly turned into ice fragments and fell to the ground.
“…”
The assassins who launched the ambush froze in place momentarily.
They had anticipated the attack might not succeed.
Their plan was that if Bu Eunseol counterattacked, they would use the passing commoners as shields, turning the area into chaos. But not only had their projectiles and poisons turned to ice dust, their own bodies were frozen in an instant.
‘Such an ice technique.’
To emit such a powerful icy energy, targeting only the assassins who attacked him, with precision that seemed to freeze the very sky. Even among the many ice technique masters in the martial world, such a divine feat was not something just anyone could perform.
Clang!
The frozen assassins summoned their inner energy to resist the icy force and broke free from the ice in an instant.
But in that moment, Bu Eunseol’s left hand flicked repeatedly.
Ping, ping, ping!
Sharp ice shards shot out, piercing their hearts.
Thud. Thud.
The assassins, disguised as commoners, collapsed like logs, impaled by the ice.
“…”
The passing commoners wore stunned expressions.
To them, it looked like perfectly fine people had collapsed to the ground for no reason.
‘That should do it.’
Nodding as he scanned the assassins’ bodies, Bu Eunseol moved on.
Thanks to the fine, sharp ice shards that pierced them, their bodies bore no visible wounds or traces. The ice that passed through their bodies melted instantly, so no matter how closely examined, no one could determine what technique had killed them.
‘They must be trying to analyze my martial arts through this ambush.’
The purpose of assassins launching an attack they knew wouldn’t kill him was obvious. They were meticulously studying the level and methods of his martial arts.
‘But they won’t find any traces.’
When the Heavenly Glacial Secret was used, all moisture in the body would freeze. This caused bodily tissues to be damaged and destroyed, making it impossible for even the greatest masters to find traces of the technique.
Step, step.
Bu Eunseol calmly passed through the fallen assassins and commoners, heading toward the inn ahead.
Even on the third floor, the inn was packed with customers, with no empty seats in sight.
“Sir, there are no empty tables. You may have to share…” Instead of responding, Bu Eunseol handed a heavy silver coin to the waiter. “…If there’s no seat, we’ll make one. Please wait a moment!”
The waiter rolled up his sleeves, eyes wide, and rushed inside to confer with the manager. Soon, an empty table was prepared on the third floor.
“Please sit here, sir.”
Taking his seat, Bu Eunseol ordered five bottles of yellow wine and three dishes.
He sat quietly, sipping his wine.
The reason for coming to a crowded inn was to naturally overhear various news and information.
‘Hm.’
As he brought the wine cup to his lips, Bu Eunseol slightly furrowed his brow.
As the wine entered his stomach, he felt an uncomfortable sensation gathering in his dantian.
The wine was poisoned.
‘Interesting.’
Bu Eunseol gazed at the bottle of poisoned wine.
In a large inn like this, poisoning the food or drink was easy.
The poison could be added in the kitchen during preparation, slipped in by the waiter, or even secretly added by someone approaching as the dishes were carried.
Gulp.
Knowing the wine was poisoned, Bu Eunseol took another slow sip, savoring it.
A rough, fishy aroma lingered on his tongue.
‘Using Blood Scorpion Powder so blatantly suggests it’s the righteous factions.’
The righteous factions typically used poisons derived from plants like herbs or mushrooms, while demonic factions preferred poisons extracted from animals like scorpions or snakes. Moreover, poisons used by the righteous factions generally acted slowly, while those used by the demonic factions were lethal and fast-acting.
Blood Scorpion Powder, made from the venom of a poisonous scorpion, was a representative poison of the demonic factions…
Ironically, it was also the poison most commonly used by righteous factions when disguising themselves as demonic figures.
‘I need to find out which faction this is.’
As the heir of Majeon, it wasn’t surprising that the righteous factions targeted him.
But up until now, he had rarely made enemies with the righteous factions. In fact, he had clashed far more with demonic factions, making an attack from the righteous factions quite curious.
Swish!
At that moment, a sharp dagger flew toward Bu Eunseol.
It was thrown by an assassin disguised as a merchant sitting far away.
Clang!
But with a clear metallic sound, the dagger was sent back, embedding itself in the merchant’s throat.
Bu Eunseol had used the chopsticks in his hand to perform the Return to Origin technique, redirecting the dagger.
Swish!
At the same time, an elderly couple seated behind Bu Eunseol simultaneously swung poisoned swords at him.
Flash!
With a streak of light cutting through the air, blood spurted from the necks of the attacking couple.
Using the same chopsticks, Bu Eunseol had executed the Meteor Chasing the Moon technique, severing their throats.
Rumble.
In the meantime, all the customers on the third floor of the inn fled.
As soon as blades were drawn, they quickly evacuated.
Swish!
Those who remained on the third floor were all assassins targeting Bu Eunseol.
Without a hint of fear, they swung their poisoned swords and charged.
Bang! Crash!
Soon, with a loud explosion, the third floor of the inn was completely shattered, and dozens of frozen corpses were flung out through the windows.
Their skills were impressive, but they were no match for Bu Eunseol.
“Oh no…” The inn’s manager, looking at the destroyed interior and the pierced roof, knelt and wailed. “We’re ruined!”
Few martial artists would compensate for the damage caused by fighting in an inn.
In that sense, the inn’s owner was incredibly fortunate.
“Take this.” Bu Eunseol handed a stack of promissory notes to the collapsed manager. “This should be enough to rebuild the inn.”
The manager’s eyes widened as he took the notes.
“You’re… giving this to us?”
The amount Bu Eunseol offered wasn’t just enough to rebuild the inn.
It was sufficient to cover the losses from not operating during the reconstruction.
“Thank you, thank you!” The manager and all the staff bowed deeply to Bu Eunseol as he left.
Among martial artists who destroyed inns, he was likely the first to leave with such warm gratitude.
Thereafter, Bu Eunseol continued to face relentless attacks from assassins. They had no hesitation in launching ambushes in broad daylight, particularly in crowded marketplaces or inns.
At first, he thought they chose such places for ease of escape and ambush.
“Ugh…”
But when they began using explosives in their attacks, commoners and merchants were caught in the crossfire. No, it wasn’t even aimed at Bu Eunseol—they were recklessly firing explosive projectiles as if targeting the commoners themselves.
Crack.
Having instantly frozen the assassins, Bu Eunseol looked down at them with cold eyes.
“So that’s how it is.” Finally understanding the assassins’ intentions, Bu Eunseol muttered in a low voice. “If they had just told me outright, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Bloodlust flickered in his eyes as he looked at the commoners collapsed around the marketplace.
“They’re telling me to stick to quiet, uninhabited places.”
But the frozen assassins could no longer respond.
The reason the assassins kept attacking from within crowds of commoners. It was an unspoken pressure for Bu Eunseol to avoid cities and travel only through remote paths.
“No choice, then.”
If they kept sending assassins relentlessly?
A collapsed building could be compensated with money. But if commoners continued to be caught in their ambushes and injured…
That was something Bu Eunseol, beyond concerns of fame or honor, could never accept.
“It’s going to be a long journey.” Sighing deeply, he gazed at the distant sky.
He would now have to avoid cities and villages, camping outdoors to reach Myogaso.
Step, step.
Looking at the marketplace filled with the acrid smell of gunpowder, he slowly turned and walked out of the village at a deliberate pace.
So that the assassins pursuing him could clearly see.
Shaaa.
Rain fell from the sky.
Walking through the fields, Bu Eunseol looked up at the gray-tinted sky. The raindrops were as large as red beans, suggesting it wasn’t a passing shower.
“Hm.” Scanning his surroundings, Bu Eunseol spotted a flickering light among the trees in the distance.
Swish!
Unfurling his movement technique, he swiftly passed through the forest and saw a dilapidated temple at the foot of the mountain.
Entering through the gate, he found a shrine housing a large Buddha statue. Inside, a golden Buddha statue, its paint peeling, stood on a platform, with a candle burning to one side. Beneath the platform, crouched with its back to the statue, was a gaunt shadow.
It was a young girl with her hair tied back, reaching down to her shoulders.
She was pitifully small and thin, with a silver short bow slung across her back. Having trained in martial arts, she could sit alone in such a remote mountain temple.
“There was a guest here.” Careful not to startle the girl, Bu Eunseol spoke in a low voice. “I’ll just take shelter from the rain and leave.”
The girl with the short bow made no response, sitting motionless.
Shaaa.
Bu Eunseol turned his gaze to the sky, pouring rain through the holes in the roof.
How much time had passed?
Chirp, chirp.
With the chirping of birds, the overcast sky cleared, revealing a bright sun as if nothing had happened.
“A passing shower.” Muttering to himself, Bu Eunseol quietly left the shrine.
Flap.
But a piercing sound rang out, and soon, about fifty warriors in black assassin garb descended from the air to the temple’s entrance.
‘It’s starting now.’ Bu Eunseol narrowed his eyes.
Having traveled through remote paths devoid of people, the assassins had finally revealed themselves in full.
‘Impressive skills.’
Even with the sound of rain masking their approach, he hadn’t sensed their presence until they were within a hundred paces.
These fifty assassins all possessed skills worthy of making a name in the martial world.
Moreover, powerful energy radiated from them, suggesting they weren’t typical assassins who relied on ambushes but warriors who could face enemies head-on with overwhelming force.
Shing.
Seeing the assassins’ formidable prowess, Bu Eunseol drew his black sword with a pleased expression.
A strong enemy meant a life-or-death battle. That could be an opportunity to further enhance his martial prowess.
Step.
At that moment, the gaunt girl inside the shrine turned and walked forward. Her appearance, revealed in the dim shrine, was striking.
Her skin was extremely pale, her eyes a grayish hue.
Her hair, catching the sunlight, wasn’t pure black but mixed with a faint blue sheen.
‘Not a Central Plains native.’
It turned out the gaunt girl was a Westerner.
“Stay out of this.” As Bu Eunseol spoke,
“It’s my business.” The girl cut him off curtly, walking past him toward the assassins.
The apparent leader of the assassins stepped forward and spoke.
“Little Demon. How far did you think you could escape?”
“…”
“If you hand it over now, we might spare your life.”
‘Little Demon.’
Overhearing their conversation, Bu Eunseol nodded unconsciously.
Soyo.
The name suited the gaunt girl with silver eyes perfectly.
“No.”
The girl called Soyo replied shortly, and a killing intent flashed in the assassin’s eyes.
“Then there’s no need for further words.”
Click.
All the assassins drew identical black short bows.
Their shape and size matched the silver short bow the gaunt girl carried.
This meant the girl was undoubtedly from the same assassin sect as them.
Twang!
Half of the fifty assassins aimed at the girl, while the other half fired arrows diagonally into the sky.
Pop!
The dozens of arrows split into hundreds, transforming into sharp short needles that rained down from the sky and directly ahead.
‘Hundred-Split Arrows. The Hundred-Split Assassin Sect.’
Seeing a single arrow split into a hundred needles, Bu Eunseol realized these were assassins from the legendary Western Hundred-Split Assassin Sect.
A major sect comparable to the Extreme Slaughter Sect, one of the Ten Demonic Sects’ assassination schools.
‘Why have they come to the Central Plains?’
The Hundred-Split Assassin Sect specialized in exceptional archery and movement techniques. Each member was a top-tier assassin, and they were known to operate solely in the Western Regions.
Why had these unique assassins ventured into the Central Plains?
