Bu Eunseol gathered the Supreme Branch members for a meeting.
He announced he would go out into the martial world to investigate the forces behind the Three Poison Sect.
He instructed the members to continue gathering related information and to use the Mankyeong Hall’s communication network while employing the Supreme Branch secret code to prevent others from understanding the content.
With this system in place, the Supreme Branch would serve as an excellent set of eyes and ears for monitoring the righteous martial world’s movements while Bu Eunseol was away.
The only regret was that he couldn’t discuss the Three Realms’ infiltration of the Martial Alliance with them.
Clatter, clatter.
The carriage carrying Bu Eunseol slowly left Henan.
It was time to return to his role as Majeon’s heir.
To do so, he needed to make contact with the Death Spirit Corps.
To maintain his identity as a Martial Alliance leader, he needed to create a separate trail for Seon Woojin.
‘But this is only a temporary measure.’ A glint flashed in Bu Eunseol’s eyes as he gazed at the distant sky. ‘I’ll return to Majeon and create a shadow.’
Going forward, he would need to operate between Majeon and the Martial Alliance, handling various tasks. To do so, he needed not just the Death Spirit Corps but a perfect shadow to act as his double.
Upon entering Chengdu, Bu Eunseol stopped at an inn to rest.
As Seon Woojin, he had handled numerous tasks for the Martial Alliance.
The role of a spy was far more mentally and physically taxing than he had anticipated.
The Martial Alliance was filled with masters surpassing him, and Seon Woojin wasn’t fully trusted.
Concealing his identity as Majeon’s heir while operating as a Martial Alliance leader was no easy task for Bu Eunseol.
Fortunately, the Seon Woojin created by the Divine Merchant was not only highly capable but also a merchant world figure.
Thus, even when achieving unexpected successes or displaying remarkable abilities, he could attribute it to the merchant world.
Using wealth to manipulate intelligence networks didn’t draw suspicion or require him to tread carefully.
Moreover, he could boldly rent an entire annex of an inn—something a third-rank leader’s salary couldn’t afford—without raising eyebrows.
“Phew.” After resting for a day and night, he fully recovered his weary mind and body.
He left the annex and went to the inn’s second floor for a meal.
‘Somehow, I’ve ended up a spy.’
Sipping tea while looking out the window, Bu Eunseol suddenly felt the irony of his situation.
Was this fate?
He had clashed with and eliminated Three Realms spies embedded in various sects.
Yet now, he himself had become a spy, moving between Majeon and the Martial Alliance.
[My Lord, this is Seong Gok from the Death Spirit Corps.]
At that moment, a low voice transmission from a Death Spirit Corps member reached Bu Eunseol’s ears.
[Deputy Leader Yoo has requested your presence at a nearby safehouse.]
‘Yoo Unryong is here?’
A spark of interest flashed in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
He was about to return to Majeon soon. For Yoo Unryong to secretly summon him outside meant something significant had occurred.
[Lead the way.]
Leaving the inn immediately, Bu Eunseol followed Seong Gok to a manor on the outskirts of Chengdu.
The Song Manor.
Known as the residence of a retired official, it was actually a secret safehouse established by Majeon.
Knock, knock, knock.
Guided by Seong Gok, Bu Eunseol knocked on the manor’s gate.
When the door opened, a servant naturally led him inside.
Entering the guest hall, the servant touched a hanging scroll on the wall.
Rumble.
A hidden passage revealed itself within the guest hall.
Bu Eunseol calmly entered, finding a sturdy iron door at the end of the passage, leading to a secret chamber.
As the door opened, bright oil lamps illuminated the room, revealing two familiar faces.
“Bu Eunseol!” Seo Jinha, sitting at a table with Yoo Unryong, rushed over and clasped Bu Eunseol’s hands. “It’s been so long!”
Letting out a cheer, Seo Jinha examined Bu Eunseol and exclaimed in admiration.
“You’ve grown even stronger.”
“Have you fully recovered your strength?” Bu Eunseol asked.
“Of course!” Seo Jinha shrugged and channeled his inner energy.
Having fully opened his upper dantian, a teal glow emanated not just from his forehead but his entire body.
“You’ve become… far stronger than expected,” Bu Eunseol said, unable to hide his surprise. “What happened?”
The waves of true energy emanating from Seo Jinha surpassed the level of a Four-Armored Master by far.
His inner energy had more than doubled compared to before.
“The Palace Lord took great care of me. Not only did he teach me the Ten Thousand Transformations Wheel, but he also treated my lower dantian with numerous miraculous elixirs.”
The Azure Cloud Sea Palace had not only taught Seo Jinha advanced inner energy techniques but had also devoted great effort to healing his damaged sea of energy. With his upper dantian opened and his original dantian partially restored, his inner energy had grown exponentially.
“But why are you here?” Bu Eunseol asked. “If you’ve recovered, you should return to Majeon.”
Yoo Unryong answered, “Seo Jinha isn’t returning to Majeon. He shouldn’t return.”
Approaching Bu Eunseol, Yoo Unryong said firmly, “You’ve worked hard to secure the Martial Alliance leader position, haven’t you? To maintain it, you need not the Death Spirit Corps but a perfect shadow to act in your place.”
He pointed to Seo Jinha.
“And the perfect candidate has just returned.”
Yoo Unryong, who had closely monitored Bu Eunseol’s movements alongside the Death Spirit Corps leader, had recognized the need for a shadow to maintain Bu Eunseol’s dual identity.
“You’re entrusting this to Seo Jinha?”
“Yes,” Yoo Unryong said decisively. “The only one who can perfectly maintain your dual identity is Seo Jinha.”
Upon hearing that Seo Jinha had returned from the Azure Cloud Sea Palace, Yoo Unryong had summoned him not to Majeon but to a safehouse near Chengdu, where Bu Eunseol was.
This was because there were signs that spies had infiltrated the Death Shadow Corps’ leadership.
Yoo Unryong had chosen Seo Jinha as the shadow to perfectly maintain Bu Eunseol’s dual identity, confident that he could act as both Bu Eunseol and Seon Woojin without arousing suspicion.
“You’ve just recovered your strength after great hardship. I’ll find another suitable candidate,” Bu Eunseol said, declining.
Seo Jinha smiled calmly. “Even if I return to the Death Shadow Corps, my position there is awkward, isn’t it?”
“…”
“Being your shadow and roaming the martial world sounds more interesting than being a Death Shadow Corps leader.”
It sounded simple, but it was an incredibly difficult path.
When Bu Eunseol was in Majeon, Seo Jinha would need to act as Seon Woojin, either wandering the martial world or staying in the Martial Alliance.
This meant mastering everything about Bu Eunseol and Seon Woojin—their demeanor, speech, habits, and even martial arts—perfectly.
Such a spy’s path was an excessively harsh choice for Seo Jinha, who had just reached the cusp of the Supreme Realm.
“Seo Jinha,” Bu Eunseol said, shaking his head. “This is my personal matter. Even if you do this, no one will acknowledge it, and there’s no glory to be gained.”
“As a rising talent, haven’t you already achieved all the glory?” Seo Jinha replied, waving his hand dismissively. “Then being your shadow and following in your footsteps sounds pretty fun.”
Seo Jinha had achieved remarkable martial prowess, was sharp-witted, insightful, and adept at improvisation.
If he returned to Majeon, he could accomplish great things and rise to high positions.
Yet, he was willingly choosing to live as Bu Eunseol’s shadow.
“Is it because you think I’m not enough?”
“No, it’s not that. It’s just…”
“Then that’s settled,” Seo Jinha said with a grin, showing his white teeth. “Leave it to me. That’s all there is to it.”
“It could be dangerous.”
“Haha. Isn’t that the life of a warrior? We’re not wielding swords to chop vegetables in an inn’s kitchen.”
Seo Jinha’s joke was meant to ease Bu Eunseol’s guilt and burden.
Knowing this, Bu Eunseol could no longer object.
“Thank you.”
For the first time, Bu Eunseol expressed his gratitude to Seo Jinha.
No one in the world would want to live as another’s shadow. Yet, Seo Jinha was willingly sacrificing himself.
All to help Bu Eunseol.
“I’ll make sure this doesn’t become a long ordeal and resolve it as quickly as possible,” Bu Eunseol said firmly.
He had become a Martial Alliance leader to uncover the truth behind the Martial Alliance.
He would finish everything as quickly as possible, shed his dual identity, and free Seo Jinha from this harsh mission.
Ahem.
As a warm light of friendship shone in Bu Eunseol and Seo Jinha’s eyes, Yoo Unryong cleared his throat.
“Then, from now on, we need to train Seo Jinha to perfectly become both Bu Eunseol and Seon Woojin.” Smiling at Seo Jinha, he added, “I’m a bit jealous. To do that, you’ll get to learn not only Seon Woojin’s martial arts but also Bu Eunseol’s true techniques, right?”
“Is that how it works?” Seo Jinha said with a faint smile.
To mimic Seon Woojin, mastering throwing knife techniques and grafting techniques was a given.
But to mimic Bu Eunseol, he would also need to learn his speech, habits, and, in emergencies, his true techniques.
“This might take a while,” Seo Jinha said, shrugging.
With his talent and inner energy, learning Bu Eunseol and Seon Woojin’s martial arts wouldn’t take long.
But unlike martial arts, mastering speech, behavior, and minor habits would require significant time.
It necessitated prolonged observation since people aren’t fully aware of their own habits and behaviors.
“No need to worry about that,” Yoo Unryong said, placing a book on the table from his robes. “I prepared all the information on Bu Eunseol in advance, just in case.”
Grinning, he added, “Since Seon Woojin is a newly created persona, there aren’t many major habits to learn. If you master this, you can significantly cut down the time.”
Bu Eunseol opened the book Yoo Unryong had placed on the table.
It contained detailed information on habits and speech patterns even Bu Eunseol hadn’t been aware of.
“Wow, when did you compile all this?” Seo Jinha asked, peering at the book alongside him.
Yoo Unryong rubbed his nose. “This is the kind of work I do in Majeon.”
“I heard bits and pieces, but you’re a Bu Eunseol fanatic, aren’t you?” Seo Jinha teased, patting Yoo Unryong’s shoulder. “This level of detail requires daily observation.”
“Fanatic? What nonsense. I’m just…” Yoo Unryong trailed off, looking embarrassed as his inner thoughts were exposed.
Watching them, Bu Eunseol quietly smiled.
Seo Jinha was treating Yoo Unryong with the same warmth and ease he had shown Bu Eunseol.
These two were the people Bu Eunseol trusted most.
If they joined forces, they could achieve the unexpected.
‘Soon, a perfect dual identity will be created.’
Bu Eunseol smiled faintly.
With these two by his side, he believed he could overcome any trial.
***
Seo Jinha didn’t return to Majeon and began training at the Song Manor.
He needed to master various martial arts, such as the Wishful True Binding and throwing knife techniques, to a certain level.
Moreover, to become a perfect shadow for both Bu Eunseol and Seon Woojin, he had to not only fill his mind with information and knowledge but also fully embody them.
No flaws could be revealed in any situation.
Additionally, Bu Eunseol shared information about another faction within the Three Realms—the Clear River Realm—with Yoo Unryong and Seo Jinha.
“As expected.”
Yoo Unryong had suspected the Three Realms’ factions were in competition since learning they were divided into three.
If that weren’t the case, no one in the martial world could oppose their will, and Bu Eunseol would have been eliminated by the Three Realms long ago.
“This might actually be a good thing,” Seo Jinha said with a laugh. “The enemy of our enemy could become our ally.”
Bu Eunseol didn’t think the Three Realms’ structure was that simple.
But he didn’t contradict Seo Jinha. Since nothing had been fully uncovered yet, a hopeful outlook wasn’t unwarranted.
Leaving the Song Manor, Bu Eunseol headed alone to Majeon.
He had been away from the Death Shadow Corps too long while handling Martial Alliance affairs.
Even with Yoo Unryong and Myo Cheonwoo perfectly managing operations, there were tasks only he could handle.
In particular, Bu Eunseol’s presence was the Death Shadow Corps itself. If he didn’t periodically show his face, the members’ morale would plummet.
‘Tch.’
Stopping at a relay station on his way to Majeon, Bu Eunseol let out a low exclamation, sensing something.
He felt a gaze observing him.
It was so subtle that an ordinary martial artist would never notice.
‘The Martial Alliance again?’
Bu Eunseol was still traveling openly as Seon Woojin, without concealing his movements.
Thus, the only ones who would track him were from the Martial Alliance.
‘Not a good sign.’
It had only been a few days since he left the Martial Alliance.
To have a tracker attached immediately, even after achieving success, suggested that someone among the higher-ups suspected him.
‘I need to confirm.’
Leaving the relay station, Bu Eunseol slowly moved to a teahouse.
Even as he did, a bitter thought crossed his mind.
‘Majeon is indeed a different world.’
In Majeon, achieving success was enough.
But in the Martial Alliance, even if you succeeded, every procedure had to be transparent. Until you earned absolute trust, no matter your position or affiliation, you could be under surveillance.
‘It must be because of their banner of justice.’
In Majeon, strength was justice, whether you were a spy or otherwise.
But in the Martial Alliance, no matter how exceptional you were or how many achievements you made, they wouldn’t tolerate those who strayed from the righteous path or committed injustice.
“Welcome!”
Bu Eunseol entered a bustling inn to identify the covert tracker.
‘If I went to a quiet teahouse, they wouldn’t follow.’
If he had entered a secluded inn or teahouse to identify the tracker, they would likely stay outside and wait.
Even with perfect disguises, there was a risk of suspicion or exposure.
But in a crowded inn like this, the tracker would have no choice but to enter.
In such a chaotic environment, there was a chance of making covert contact with someone.
‘Not bad.’
Though Bu Eunseol entered the inn, the tracker’s gaze didn’t follow.
Spreading his beastly senses with a deep breath, he realized the gaze was coming not from the inn but from the one across the street.
To avoid detection, the tracker was observing from a safe distance in the opposite inn.
‘They know the art of spying well, but their martial prowess is lacking, so they haven’t learned something crucial.’
The observer should also hide in a crowded place.
No matter the distance, observing from a quiet inn like that meant a master with keen senses could detect their gaze.
Of course, this only happened because they hadn’t anticipated Bu Eunseol being a master of the Supreme Heavenly Realm.
If they had known he was a supreme master overseeing the martial world, they would never have sent such a low-skill tracker.
‘Let’s see.’ Bu Eunseol casually glanced out the window.
In that moment, he spotted a shadow awkwardly averting its gaze.
‘The enforcement officer?’
Discovering the identity of the covert tracker, Bu Eunseol couldn’t hide his surprise.
Jongjeong Yak.
The woman who, alongside him as Seolso, had uncovered corruption in the Enforcement Hall’s deputy leader and the Secret Flower Garden, now an Inspection Hall member, was tracking him.
‘It must be the Ascendant Martial Hall Master or the Lotus Hall Master.’
A dark glint passed through Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
Jongjeong Yak specialized in rooting out spies.
Her presence meant they weren’t just monitoring his actions but suspecting his very identity.
To suspect a third-rank leader of a newly formed corps after just a couple of achievements?
The only ones who would do so were Yuk Jangcheon or Yuk Cheongah.
