The next day, inside the meeting room of Star Guard Pavilion.
Seo Muk, the deputy leader of the Star Guard Division, blinked several times.
The reason was the young commander standing before him.
‘I’ve decided to join the Ascendant Martial Hall,’ Bu Eunseol had declared.
Seo Muk had naturally assumed Bu Eunseol would join the Star Guard Division.
Ascendant Martial Hall, a place tasked with cleaning up after Longevity Hall or handling trivial matters not addressed in the general assembly meetings. To think Bu Eunseol would choose to become a second-rank captain there?
“Ascendant Martial Hall was originally a place for training the lower-tier warriors of our alliance,” Seo Muk began, his expression calm. “But the seven commanders changed the policy, ordering their captains to directly train all warriors. Since then, Ascendant Martial Hall’s position has become somewhat ambiguous.”
Staring directly into Bu Eunseol’s eyes, he continued, “Almost as if you’ve chosen a place that’s neither here nor there.”
“…”
“Are you aware that Commander Baekri holds you in high regard?” Seo Muk said with a sigh, as if he could see through Bu Eunseol’s innermost thoughts. “Our corps has no shortage of talented individuals, but few catch the leader’s eye.”
He spoke in a solemn tone, as if issuing a final warning. “If you have grand ambitions, joining our corps would be a far better choice.”
He was confident that if Bu Eunseol had ambition, joining the Star Guard Division would be the faster path to success.
“I’m deeply honored that both the leader and deputy leader think so highly of me,” Bu Eunseol said respectfully, clasping his hands. “But I’ve already made my decision.”
Creak.
At that moment, the door opened, and a burly middle-aged man, reminiscent of a small mountain, stepped inside.
It was Yuk Jangcheon, the commander of Ascendant Martial Hall.
“Commander,” Seo Muk greeted.
“Deputy Leader,” Yuk Jangcheon returned lightly.
As Yuk Jangcheon took his seat, Seo Muk asked, “What brings you here, Leader?”
“Even if it’s an informal ceremony, how could I miss the appointment of a commander joining my division?” Yuk Jangcheon replied.
“You’re giving this far too much attention,” Seo Muk said with a slight smirk. “For a second-rank captain, no less.”
Yuk Jangcheon responded with a faint smile. “Isn’t Leader Seon a talent who, after joining our division alone, has achieved great merits multiple times?” Looking directly at Seo Muk, he continued, “When such an exceptional talent joins our division, how could I not pay close attention?”
“Well, I suppose Commander Yuk could use some outstanding talent under his command,” Seo Muk remarked, his words laced with sarcasm, implying that Yuk Jangcheon’s division lacked such individuals.
Yuk Jangcheon’s expression shifted at Seo Muk’s borderline insolent attitude.
In terms of hierarchy, Yuk Jangcheon, as a division commander, outranked Seo Muk, a deputy leader. But in terms of real power, the gap between them was insurmountable—so much so that Yuk Jangcheon couldn’t even retort immediately to such a provocative comment.
“Leader Seon,” Seo Muk said coldly, turning his gaze to Bu Eunseol. “Are you sure you won’t regret this?”
“I’m certain,” Bu Eunseol replied.
“Very well,” Seo Muk said, standing with a faint smile. “As of this moment, you are officially a second-rank captain of Ascendant Martial Hall.”
With a curt nod to Yuk Jangcheon and no customary congratulations, Seo Muk turned and left the meeting room.
Crunch.
As Seo Muk departed, Yuk Jangcheon gritted his teeth. To be humiliated like this in front of his new subordinate, Bu Eunseol?
“He’s not wrong,” Yuk Jangcheon said in a low voice, regaining control of his emotions with a deep breath. “Being part of the Star Guard Division is indeed a more stable path than serving under me.”
“Soon, Deputy Leader Seo will have to bow to you, Leader,” Bu Eunseol said calmly. “I’m certain of it.”
His words were a bold assurance that Yuk Jangcheon would one day rise to the vacant position of Martial Spring Corps Leader.
“I’ll trust in your words,” Yuk Jangcheon said, nodding and placing a hand on Bu Eunseol’s shoulder. “In return, I’ll spare no effort in supporting you fully.”
“Thank you,” Bu Eunseol replied.
Yuk Jangcheon was indeed a man of integrity. Starting the day after Bu Eunseol’s appointment as a second-rank captain, Yuk Jangcheon sent Yuk Cheongah to assign new missions to help Bu Eunseol quickly build his achievements.
***
Inside the meeting room of the Supreme Pavilion.
Bu Eunseol and his subordinates were gathered. At the head of the table, Yuk Cheongah spoke in a low voice.
“Your mission is to pursue the Blood-Burning Yin Demon, a criminal our alliance has been unable to capture for years,” she said.
Despite being a commander herself, she had come personally to deliver the mission—a clear sign of Yuk Jangcheon’s intent to help Bu Eunseol accumulate merits swiftly.
“He’s known to be elusive, but in truth, he’s been committing atrocities while constantly changing his identity,” Yuk Cheongah continued.
“Is tracking him down all we need to do?” Bu Eunseol asked.
Yuk Cheongah’s eyes curved into crescents. “If that were the case, I wouldn’t have come in person. I’d have sent a missive.”
With a faint smile, she glanced at Bu Eunseol and Tae Muryong. “I’ve heard that the Blood-Burning Yin Demon has evaded our alliance’s pursuit because he leads a coalition of notorious villains known as the martial world’s public enemies.”
In other words, the mission was not just to capture the Blood-Burning Yin Demon but to take down his entire network.
“I believe Leader Seon and the Supreme Corps can achieve even greater feats,” Yuk Cheongah said.
The Blood-Burning Yin Demon was rumored to have reached the peak of martial prowess long ago. However, Yuk Jangcheon and Yuk Cheongahhad thoroughly investigated Seon Woojin, Bu Eunseol’s alias. They knew he had not only reached the peak but had also mastered various eccentric foreign martial arts. Thus, they entrusted him with this challenging mission, confident in his ability to succeed.
“Of course,” Bu Eunseol said, clasping his hands calmly. “I won’t disappoint you.”
“I’m counting on you,” Yuk Cheongah said before leaving the room.
As she exited, Tae Muryong let out a peculiar sigh. “So, we’re truly under Commander Yuk’s direct command now.”
His voice carried a tinge of regret, as if wondering why they hadn’t joined the Star Guard Division.
“Feeling disappointed?” Bu Eunseol asked.
Tae Muryong scratched his cheek, embarrassed. “I’d be lying if I said no.”
Jeong Jongdo spoke up in a low voice. “The commander must have a plan, right?”
Bu Eunseol nodded and spoke candidly. “Even if I joined the Star Guard Division and quickly built merits, I’d only reach the rank of first-rank captain. No matter how much time passes, I’d likely remain a captain.”
Sweeping his gaze over his subordinates, he continued with conviction, “But if Commander Yuk is appointed as the Martial Spring Corps Leader… I could rise to deputy leader. As you know, that’s a position that answers only to the alliance leader and the corps commanders—a truly high-ranking role.”
His words left his subordinates speechless. In the martial alliance, no matter how talented one was, advancing beyond the commander rank was nearly impossible without an open position. But Bu Eunseol wasn’t just aiming for the highest available position—he was forging a path to create one.
‘We need to set our sights higher,’ Tae Muryong, Jeong Jongdo, and the other members thought.
They had once believed that becoming members of a first-rank division was enough. But their leader, Bu Eunseol, was aiming for the pinnacle of what a young martial artist could achieve. They, too, would need to adjust their ambitions.
‘Let’s climb to heights others can’t reach!’
A grand ambition began to take root in the hearts of the Supreme Branch members.
***
Okryeong Mountain.
Located in Wonju Prefecture, Gangseo, this renowned mountain was said to be filled with spiritual energy, attracting Taoist priests and monks for training. Its clear, pristine waters also made it a hub for breweries and taverns selling fine liquor.
After leaving the martial alliance, Bu Eunseol combined intelligence from the Mankyeong Hall with information gathered by the Death Spirit Corps. Thanks to his promotion to a second-rank division, the Supreme Branch had access to a wealth of new information. When combined with the Death Spirit Corps’ intelligence network, they located the Blood-Burning Yin Demon—whose whereabouts had long eluded the alliance—far more quickly than expected.
‘A yin demon running a brewery? No wonder he was hard to find,’ Bu Eunseol thought, nodding as he sipped liquor in a tavern, disguised as a traveler while scouting the village.
Remarkably, the Blood-Burning Yin Demon had set up a respectable brewery near Okryeong Mountain, posing as its owner to evade pursuit. But that alone wasn’t enough to completely throw off the martial alliance. He had also created a secret passage connecting the brewery to the mountain, using it exclusively for his depraved acts.
‘The absence of the Beggar Sect’s intelligence network is significant,’ Bu Eunseol mused.
The Beggar Sect, undeniably the largest information network of the righteous sects, had created a massive intelligence gap when they sealed their gates. The martial alliance had tried to compensate by expanding the Mankyeong Hall and reorganizing various intelligence units, but the gap remained.
‘If the Beggar Sect hadn’t closed off, finding a yin demon hiding in a brewery wouldn’t have been so difficult,’ Bu Eunseol thought.
Beggars were everywhere in the Central Plains, and the alliance had recruited some to mimic the Beggar Sect’s network. But they couldn’t replicate the Beggar Sect’s vast intelligence capabilities.
‘He’ll come out soon,’ Bu Eunseol predicted.
The Blood-Burning Yin Demon, holed up in his brewery, was cautious and never let his guard down—a sign he was waiting for an opportunity to commit another crime.
‘Yin Demons have no chance of redemption,’ Bu Eunseol thought.
Yin Demons, driven by periodic lust, committed atrocities at regular intervals without remorse, their crimes growing bolder over time. Even Bu Eunseol’s grandfather, Bu Zhanyang, who rarely flinched, would erupt in fury at the sight of a body defiled and murdered by a yin demon.
“Robbers only steal the wealth of commoners, but Yin Demons steal their very souls!” he had once declared.
Thus, Bu Eunseol despised Yin Demons and had killed every one he encountered since entering the martial world. Now, he was preparing to send another to the depths of hell.
Rustle.
His prediction was spot-on. As night deepened, the Blood-Burning Yin Demon slipped into the secret passage in the brewery. Emerging near Okryeong Mountain, he began to move swiftly using qinggong.
But something was odd. Instead of heading to another village through the passage, he lingered near it.
‘Interesting,’ Bu Eunseol thought, his eyes glinting.
He realized the Blood-Burning Yin Demon was deliberately trying to lure him out.
‘There’s no way he detected my surveillance. So, there must have been a flaw in our investigation,’ he thought, curiosity piqued.
How had the Blood-Burning Yin Demon noticed he was being watched?
“Come out, you young pup!” the Blood-Burning Yin Demon suddenly shouted. “I know you’re there!”
“Impressive,” Bu Eunseol said, stepping forward confidently.
“How did you know?”
Before the Blood-Burning Yin Demon could answer, the secret passage’s door opened, and dozens of people emerged—tavern owners, workers, and most of the merchants from the village market.
“So that’s it,” Bu Eunseol said, nodding in admiration. “I wondered why so many merchants set up stalls in such a remote village.”
It turned out that most of the merchants in the market were in league with the Blood-Burning Yin Demon.
‘They must have mastered techniques like the Art of Deceptive Enlightenment,’ Bu Eunseol observed.
The merchants had perfectly played their roles, arousing no suspicion. With so many collaborators, the Blood-Burning Yin Demon had been able to detect and evade the martial alliance’s pursuit.
‘Of course, that’s the only way,’ Bu Eunseol thought.
Villains labeled as martial world public enemies couldn’t easily escape organizations like the martial alliance or the demonic sects alone. By banding together, they had managed to elude capture.
“I heard the Blood-Burning Yin Demon amassed astronomical wealth through plundering,” Bu Eunseol said. “So, you used that money to rally other fugitive villains.”
“Where are you from?” the Blood-Burning Yin Demon demanded.
“The martial alliance,” Bu Eunseol replied casually.
The Blood-Burning Yin Demon frowned. “This village is done for.”
“No need to worry about that,” Bu Eunseol said. “Your long life on the run is about to end.”
“Hmph,” the Blood-Burning Yin Demon scoffed, shaking his head. “Don’t talk nonsense. You think I don’t know you came alone to claim credit?”
The disguised merchants observed Bu Eunseol closely, confirming he had no allies and hadn’t contacted anyone outside.
“You’ve got a solid system,” Bu Eunseol said, impressed. “Being able to detect even external communications.”
The Blood-Burning Yin Demon tilted his head. “Let’s kill this guy and get out of here.”
At his signal, the villains following him drew their weapons.
“Attack!”
Over thirty villains charged at Bu Eunseol.
‘Too bothersome. I’ll freeze them all with Heavenly Glacial Secret,’ Bu Eunseol thought.
Though the villains had gained experience and coordination while evading pursuit, to Bu Eunseol, they moved as slowly as children. Too lazy to deal with them individually, he extended his left arm.
Crackle.
Frost coated Bu Eunseol’s hair, and a white aura poured forth—the ultimate technique of the Glacier Emperor, Heavenly Glacial Secret.
Whoosh!
The dozen villains charging at him froze in place instantly, their weak inner energy unable to resist. They turned into lifeless statues in a heartbeat.
“What is this?!” the remaining villains cried, leaping back in panic.
Having fought countless battles across the martial world, they had never heard of a frost technique that could freeze people in an instant—not even as a joke.
“R-run!” they shouted, realizing Bu Eunseol was a master beyond their reach. They fled without looking back.
“If you can escape my grasp, I won’t pursue you,” Bu Eunseol said, unleashing Heavenly Glacial Secret again.
Since freezing them with this technique left no visible wounds, he poured out his extreme yin energy without restraint. But then, a searing heat, like the sun, surged in his dantian, and something strange happened.
“Argh! Aaaagh!”
Instead of freezing, the villains struck by the white aura screamed in agony, writhing on the ground.
“Ugh!”
Their skin melted like taffy, and their bodies collapsed as if boneless.
Why had Heavenly Glacial Secret caused this?
Bu Eunseol examined the bodies with a grave expression. Though their exteriors were frozen by Heavenly Glacial Secret, their insides had melted completely due to an overwhelming surge of extreme yang energy.
Yeolha Great True Energy.
Its ferocious power had mixed with Heavenly Glacial Secret, causing this catastrophic effect.
“How…” Bu Eunseol muttered, looking at his hands.
White and red energies flickered alternately, and his inner breath grew unsteady—a mild symptom of qi deviation.
Watching the thirty villains die horrifically, the Blood-Burning Yin Demon fled without looking back, using his movement technique.
Bu Eunseol tried to pursue, but a sharp pain tore through his meridians, as if he had misused his inner energy.
‘I can catch him anytime,’ he thought, calming his mind and circulating the Ban-Geuk Method.
A majestic golden light enveloped his body, gradually stabilizing the chaotic energies. The Prajna Great Power suppressed the turmoil within him during this crisis.
“Ugh,” he groaned. Though the immediate danger passed, he still felt discomfort and dizziness. Extreme yin and yang energies alternated through his yin-yang meridians.
“So that’s it,” Bu Eunseol realized. His body was in trouble.
The battle with Thunder God had reawakened the dormant energies of the Yeolha Holy Saint and Supreme Fire Ring Aura within him. The problem was that these energies were immensely powerful and clashed with the equally potent Heavenly Glacial Secret in his body.
“I’ve taken in too many conflicting martial arts and techniques,” he muttered.
Martial arts demanded purity of mind and restraint of desire. Attempting to master multiple disciplines could cause energy to flow backward, damaging the body. Righteous and demonic martial arts pursued entirely different paths, making them incompatible within one body.
Yet Bu Eunseol had mastered the ultimate techniques of both righteous and demonic paths, along with foreign martial arts capable of wielding extreme yin and yang energies. With the wild, untamed energy of Yeolha Great True Energy rampaging like a wild horse, all the techniques and energies in his body had become entangled.
“This isn’t something I can resolve easily,” Bu Eunseol said, gazing solemnly at the distant sky.
If he didn’t address this quickly, his identity as Seon Woojin—and his ability to face powerful enemies—could collapse.
“There’s no other way,” he concluded.
The only ones who could understand his mastery of diverse martial arts were those who had raised him—Nangyang Pavilion. To resolve this, Bu Eunseol had to return to the source of his martial arts.
[Soyo.]
Using the thousand-mile voice transmission, Bu Eunseol called out. Within moments, a faint shadow appeared nearby.
“Are you okay?” Soyo, hidden nearby, asked with concern, noticing Bu Eunseol’s pale complexion. “Are you hurt?”
“It’s not an injury. I misused my inner energy and sustained a slight internal wound,” Bu Eunseol said with a gentle lie. “I need to return to Nangyang Pavilion for a while. Contact Seo Jinha and tell him to pursue the escaped the Blood-Burning Yin Demon.”
“Got it,” Soyo replied calmly, still hidden. “Take care.”
Her brief words carried deep affection and concern.
“I’ll be back,” Bu Eunseol said, leaping into the air.
Time was of the essence. If he didn’t diagnose and treat his condition soon, his martial prowess could diminish significantly.
‘This might be a blessing in disguise,’ he thought.
As the legitimate heir of Nangyang Pavilion, Bu Eunseol was destined to succeed Ak Muryeong as its leader. His current martial level had reached the gentle peak of transcendence, and his inner energy was unrivaled in the current era.
In other words, Bu Eunseol was ready to master the ultimate techniques of Ak Muryeong, the strongest of the Three Demons.
