Bu Eunseol’s eyes flashed as he grasped the entire situation.
Even if Mu Gyeol hadn’t instigated the black-masked man, he was at least connected to that faction in some way.
“Well, it makes sense. There’s no way he could face someone on the level of the Martial Venerable alone.”
Even back when he came asking for help.
At the time, Bu Eunseol had thought: Isn’t he struggling alone to uncover the suspicious circumstances of his master’s death?
But that couldn’t be the case.
To confront a colossal figure like the Martial Venerable, one would absolutely need a large number of people or an entire faction. Most likely, the black-clad masked men were either aligned with Mu Gyeol’s intentions or perhaps they were spies infiltrated by a faction whose goal was to bring down the Martial Venerable.
“I need to search this secret vault quickly before the Martial Venerable arrives.”
The Martial Venerable had already permitted an external intruder once. That meant he would surely have prepared far stricter security measures than before. Moreover, he might already be sensing something unusual and heading here right now.
Ziiing.
Raising his Void Heart Command, Bu Eunseol began ransacking the office.
Unlike before, there were no special stone chambers or warehouses storing anything noteworthy. Even after employing the Wind-Cloud Divine Qi, he couldn’t find anything at all.
“No, of course I wouldn’t find it.”
Having realized something, Bu Eunseol let a faint smile cross his lips.
A story he had once read in a book from the past came to mind.
As a child, he had enjoyed reading the Buddhist scriptures his grandfather kept. They contained a great many fascinating parables.
One of those scriptures held a particularly amusing tale.
A man had accidentally obtained an extremely rare and priceless bead—one that could make him rich in an instant. But fearing thieves would steal it, he lived every day in constant anxiety.
‘Do you know the most perfect way to hide a treasure?’
In the end, the man sought out a wise sage renowned for his intelligence and asked how to conceal a treasure perfectly.
The sage replied:
‘Build a treasure vault. Then, instead of storing the treasure inside it, place it somewhere people pass by frequently.’
Struck by the sage’s ingenious plan, the man slapped his knee in realization. He immediately returned home and constructed an exceptionally sturdy treasure vault within his estate.
Then he casually left the bead in the most trafficked guest hall.
Once the estate owner had built the treasure vault, thieves ransacked it relentlessly but could never find the treasure.
Yet the man remained uneasy.
Though he had hidden it perfectly as the sage advised, leaving it in a place where people came and went made every single day filled with anxiety.
In the end, wasting away with worry, the man returned to the sage once more to seek another method.
The sage answered:
‘You have already become rich, and countless people pass by and guard your treasure—why worry so much?’
The man gained great enlightenment from those words.
He immediately picked up the bead from his home and threw it into the river.
When Bu Eunseol had read that sutra as a boy, he couldn’t help but marvel.
Not only did the story impart many insights, but the sage’s initial suggestion—that to hide something, one must strike at the blind spots of countless people—was an ingenious plan that pierced straight to the core.
‘To hide a treasure perfectly, don’t put it in the treasure vault.’
With a smile still on his lips, Bu Eunseol immediately stepped outside and unfolded his Void Heart Command.
The forest path leading here required clashing Three Divine Energies to enter—a space completely isolated from the outside.
In other words, that alone provided sufficient security. There was no need to create a treasure vault that would become the thieves’ target.
Just as there is no lock in the world that cannot be opened, no matter how many layers of security one stacks, it will eventually be breached.
“This is…”
Spotting something on a tree at the entrance, Bu Eunseol’s eyes sparkled.
It was an utterly ordinary tree, yet it bore an extremely faint line as thin as a hair.
When Bu Eunseol extended his hand toward the tree while unfolding the Heavenly Mirror Heart Sutra,
Click.
The tree’s surface opened like a door, revealing a small compartment.
Inside lay a small wooden box.
Snap.
Opening it, Bu Eunseol’s eyes gleamed.
“Spring and Autumn.”
Here was another torn fragment of the Spring and Autumn Annals that the Heavenly Emperor was said to have left behind in the past.
Carefully reading the characters written on the torn paper, Bu Eunseol’s eyes lit up.
“Got it.”
An involuntary exclamation escaped him.
Through this Spring and Autumn fragment, he had finally obtained the key that would allow him to safely leave the Martial Alliance under the identity of Seon Woojin, something that had remained unsolved until now.
***
‘I will now activate the Clear Heart Token.’
Upon returning to the Martial Alliance, Bu Eunseol took an utterly shocking course of action.
The Clear Heart Token.
An inspection decree directly under the Alliance Leader’s authority—one that had never once been invoked since its creation.
—There are unauthorized secret organizations within the Alliance.
Leading the Supreme Corps members and the operatives of the Intelligence and Secret Affairs Division, Bu Eunseol began turning every organization in the Martial Alliance upside down.
The heads of the investigated organizations protested furiously, but Bu Eunseol responded:
—Those secret organizations carry out cruel and unethical missions without hesitation—missions that cannot be considered the work of our Alliance’s martial artists.
And he added one more thing.
—Moreover, some of them show signs of collaborating with external forces. If you evade the investigation… it will only invite greater suspicion.
At those words, the heads of each organization had no choice but to fall silent and cease their protests.
The crime of colluding with external forces was a grave offense that could never be brushed aside with mere words. They risked being accused on trivial pretexts and punished severely.
Once protests from the organizations ceased, Bu Eunseol resumed the investigation.
But the high-ranking elders could not simply stand by and watch.
For the benefit of the Martial Alliance, or for their own benefit, most of the Alliance’s top brass secretly operated clandestine organizations. Those organizations handled missions that absolutely could not be exposed to the outside world.
If the head of the Intelligence and Secret Affairs Division, Seon Woojin, began exposing them publicly?
An unbearable catastrophe would unfold.
—Lord Seon. Have you gone mad?
Even the elders, unable to bear it any longer, began condemning Bu Eunseol.
No matter how much authority the inspection decree granted him, no matter how righteous his intentions, he was still a martial artist belonging to the Martial Alliance. Conducting a public investigation into the corruption of secret organizations—one that would embarrass the Alliance if revealed externally—was utterly absurd.
—If we do not handle this openly, the secret organizations will not disappear, and the same incidents will only repeat.
Bu Eunseol explained calmly.
—If you intend to oppose the Clear Heart Token, you had best steel yourselves.
Because any opposition would simply be seen as proof of collusion with external forces, whenever anyone tried to object, he immediately brandished the Clear Heart Token and branded them as collaborators.
As a result, no one in the Martial Alliance could stop Bu Eunseol’s rampage.
When matters reached this point, even Gongsun Dankyung summoned Bu Eunseol to express her concern.
“Lord Seon. Just because you’ve uncovered corruption in the secret organizations doesn’t mean you should broadcast it like this.”
Summoned to the Silver Moon Pavilion, Gongsun Dankyung’s expression was grave beyond measure.
“You’ll see once you investigate that most of those secret organizations are tied to the Alliance’s high-ranking elders. Without evidence strong enough to take them all down at once, rashly stirring them up will only bring a backlash.”
“Including the Chief Inspector?”
“Lord Seon.”
“You need not worry.” Bu Eunseol spoke somewhat coolly. “Because I will absolutely not touch any organization connected to the Chief Inspector.”
“Do you think I’m opposing this because I fear you’ll touch me, this Chief Inspector? Right now, your actions are making the Alliance’s elders…”
Gongsun Dankyung, in the middle of speaking, closed her mouth.
She realized that Bu Eunseol’s gaze had sunk into an icy coldness.
That meant this inspection was being carried out according to an extremely meticulous plan.
Given Seon Woojin’s outwardly gentle yet inwardly strong personality, no amount of opposition would stop him.
It was as clear as day.
“I understand.”
In the end, Gongsun Dankyung let out a sigh and shook her head.
“Sorry for taking up your busy time.”
“Not at all.” Bu Eunseol replied calmly and evenly.
“Then.”
He clasped his hands together and left the office.
Gongsun Dankyung’s gaze, watching the spot where Bu Eunseol had departed, rippled like water.
She knew well that Seon Woojin would weave a deep and far-reaching plan before moving with meticulous thoroughness.
She had always believed they were on the same side, believed that they could never become enemies.
But only today did she realize.
That man regarded her merely as a direct superior—nothing more.
‘In the past, I wouldn’t have cared how you felt, but…’
Unable to finish the rest of her thought, she lowered her long eyelashes.
Because of the incident with the Fist Man, Gongsun Dankyung had come to genuinely like Seon Woojin.
Yet he was growing colder by the day.
The expression on Gongsun Dankyung’s face as she stared after Bu Eunseol’s departing figure looked endlessly forlorn.
Martial Alliance, Heaven and Earth Pavilion.
For nearly the past ten years, this place had always remained empty unless something special occurred as the Martial Alliance Leader the Heavenly Emperor had repeatedly gone into secluded training, setting aside the Alliance’s affairs.
But today, for the first time in a long while, numerous martial artists were coming and going inside, and servants were cleaning.
Because, after so long in seclusion, the Martial Alliance Leader had emerged from closed-door training and was now handling business in the Heaven and Earth Pavilion.
The sole reason for his return after such prolonged seclusion was one: The head of the Intelligence and Secret Affairs Division, Seon Woojin, who was turning the Martial Alliance upside down.
“Lord Seon has arrived.”
At the low voice of the guard at the door,
“Let him enter.”
An incomparably deep and resonant voice replied.
Click.
The door opened, revealing the interior of an antique office.
Bookshelves packed with volumes filled the space, and a detailed map showing the locations and spheres of influence of the Central Plains’ factions hung in the center.
Bu Eunseol had once entered this place through a secret passage in the past thus, the interior scenery was neither surprising nor novel to him.
What was astonishing was the aura of the man seated in the office—the Heavenly Emperor, or rather, the Martial Venerable.
‘Incredible.’
Bu Eunseol swallowed a short breath.
Had his martial arts advanced dramatically in the meantime? Or had he simply been concealing his aura all along?
The aura emanating from the Martial Venerable, now acting in the role of the Heavenly Emperor in this office, was completely different from what he had shown before.
His gaze was utterly serene, yet the moment their eyes met, it felt piercing enough to see straight through one’s soul. His breathing was so still it seemed he wasn’t breathing at all, yet it felt as though he were drawing in the energy of the entire world.
‘So I’m still not his match.’
He had dealt publicly with the Spear-Wielder sent by the Eastern Division for Yoo Unryong’s sake.
Even though he must know about it, the Martial Venerable’s gaze toward him had hardly changed from before.
‘He’s already transcended it.’
Though the Martial Venerable had wandered the martial world alone, he was the Heavenly Emperor’s sworn brother and had shared much interaction with him.
He must be well acquainted with the martial world’s mysterious factions. Surely he had long been striving to break free from the boundaries of the Limitless Realm.
“Come in.”
The Martial Venerable, wearing the appearance of a refined middle-aged man playing the role of the Heavenly Emperor, gestured with his hand.
“Take a seat.”
Even as he wore a gentle smile, the moment he lightly extended his hand, an overwhelming pressure—like looking up at a massive mountain—bore down.
Once Bu Eunseol sat, the Martial Venerable spoke calmly.
“You must be busy with many matters, so I’ll keep it brief.”
Suddenly, the Martial Venerable ceased imitating the Heavenly Emperor’s voice and spoke in his original hoarse tone.
“Cease activating the Clear Heart Token any further.”
He neither raised an energy barrier to block external sound nor used voice transmission.
It was as though he were employing a divine technique like Radiant Insight Mind Transmission, instantly projecting his voice directly into the mind.
“You’ve probably already noticed, but this Alliance is not merely the Three Realms—various organizations are intertwined, making it difficult to distinguish friend from foe.”
“…”
“And this Martial Alliance has been passed down through generations alongside the history of the martial world. Do you understand what I mean?”
The Martial Venerable was saying that the Martial Alliance was not merely an alliance of the righteous sects, but the stronghold of supreme experts and formidable organizations.
“The moment you start tearing it apart, something uncontrollable will happen. It would be tantamount to thrusting a blade directly at them.”
As Bu Eunseol opened his mouth to speak, the Martial Venerable cut him off.
“Not only that—you are also touching the organizations I have secretly nurtured. Do you understand?”
In short, the Martial Venerable was saying that Bu Eunseol was not only meddling with various factions but with him as well.
“Isn’t a certain level of sacrifice necessary to deal with shadowy forces like the Three Realms?” Bu Eunseol spoke with an unconcerned expression. “That must be why you planted me in the Martial Alliance in the first place.”
“Wasn’t your goal the Seven Great Division Commanders?”
A divine light exploded from the Martial Venerable’s eyes.
“You said your sole purpose was the culprit.”
“Correct. This is merely one method toward finding the culprit.”
Bu Eunseol continued. “No matter how much I mobilized intelligence organizations, I could never perfectly track the Seven Great Division Commanders’ movements. In the end, this was the only way left.”
“It’s useless.” The Martial Venerable stated firmly with cold eyes. “If it could be found that way, I would have done it long ago.”
“Even if this method fails to uncover the culprit, wouldn’t it at least drive out the Three Realms that have nested within the Martial Alliance?”
“‘Driving them out’ is nonsense.”
The Martial Venerable wore a resolute expression.
“Those in the darkness are the true body. The ones exposed in the light are merely parasites clinging to them.”
A shocking statement.
In other words, the main base of the Three Realms was the Martial Alliance itself. Did that not mean even the position of Alliance Leader was nothing more than an attractive façade?
“The Heavenly Emperor governed the martial world as the foremost of the righteous path and accomplished countless feats.”
Bu Eunseol asked, “Are you saying even he was merely a puppet of the monster called the Martial Alliance?”
“It seems you still don’t grasp the situation.”
“…”
“If you provoke me once more or insult my sworn brother… our agreement ends immediately.”
As the Martial Venerable flashed an displeased look, Bu Eunseol nodded.
“I understand what you mean, but I’ll handle it my way.”
And he declared firmly.
“I’ve already devised my own method to eradicate them.”
“We’re not understanding each other.”
The Martial Venerable’s expression grew utterly ferocious.
“Do I look like I’m making a request right now?”
His chilling voice swept through Bu Eunseol’s mind like a frigid north wind.
“If you keep acting on your own, in the end they will cut off your limbs first.”
Crimson light swirled in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
Though he said “they,” the one actually restraining his limbs was the Martial Venerable himself.
In other words, he was threatening Bu Eunseol with the lives of the Supreme Corps members.
“Wasn’t that our original agreement?”
Seeing Bu Eunseol’s gaze shift, the Martial Venerable seemed to believe the threat had landed. He spoke in a leisurely tone.
“From the beginning, we agreed to focus solely on finding the culprit hidden among the Seven Great Division Commanders.”
Then he assumed an extremely solemn expression.
“Do not use the excuse of a new method to find the culprit. Let me say it again: this approach causes me great harm as well.”
The Martial Venerable hammered the point once more.
“If you continue stirring things up like this, consider our cooperation finished.”
Bu Eunseol clenched his fist tightly.
Then, with an expression that seemed to say he had no choice, he spoke.
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
“Then go.”
After offering a courteous farewell, Bu Eunseol left the Heaven and Earth Pavilion office with his fist still clenched.
Thud. Thud.
Once outside, he halted his steps.
Gazing at the distant sky, he wore a cold smile.
‘You’re still dreaming.’
Bu Eunseol’s eyes burned like glowing charcoal.
The plan was already being executed step by step.
Soon the Martial Alliance would split in two, and he would leave this place forever.
***
The activation of the Clear Heart Token was halted.
Officially, it was announced that all secret organizations within the Alliance had been identified and corrected. In reality, however, the Martial Venerable had applied pressure, and Seon Woojin had yielded.
But the timing was slightly delayed.
Some of the secret intelligence regarding the Martial Alliance’s internal organizations that Seon Woojin had investigated leaked to the outside. When such an incident occurred, the leaders operating the Alliance’s secret organizations slowly began to move.
In the end, because of this incident, Seon Woojin had thoroughly offended the factions lurking within the Alliance.
Martial Alliance, Rejuvenation Hall.
It was an elegant pavilion located within the Elders’ Hall.
Throughout the generations, the righteous martial world had always been strongly influenced by its elders. They had always been the core driving sects and factions forward.
The Martial Alliance was no different in that regard.
Though there was clearly an Alliance Leader, the structure made it impossible to ignore the elders’ influence.
Previously, all organizations ultimately answered to the Alliance Leader but not long ago, at the Elders’ Hall’s request, the Alliance Leader had permitted a change in the Martial Alliance’s structure allowing each organization’s head to choose their affiliation as desired.
As a result, only about one-third of the organizations under the Alliance Leader remained.
Afterward, the forces were divided under the Elders’ Hall and the other top elders of the Martial Alliance.
Thud. Thud.
The Martial Venerable, wearing the Heavenly Emperor’s appearance, headed straight for the Rejuvenation Hall in the Elders’ Hall without hesitation.
There, an old man resembling an immortal sat in the pavilion enjoying tea.
He was called the Venerable Master and was the figure who represented the opinions of the Martial Alliance’s elders.
Very few knew his true identity, however.
He was not a righteous faction figure active in the open, but belonged to a secret organization.
“Alliance Leader.”
The Venerable Master spoke with a calm smile.
“It’s been a while.”
“Venerable Master.”
After the Martial Venerable gave a light salute, the Venerable Master smiled faintly.
“You must be busy, so I’ll get straight to the conclusion.”
“…”
“No matter what else, the conclusion of the Elders’ Council is that the Intelligence and Secret Affairs Division Head can no longer be left unchecked.”
The Martial Venerable let out a low groan.
For such words to come from the Venerable Master meant the decision was final. Even the Martial Venerable, acting as Alliance Leader, could not overturn it.
“Mmm.”
Swallowing another groan, the Martial Venerable nodded.
“There’s no helping it.”
As long as the Clear Heart Token existed, such incidents could repeat.
And if it happened again?
It could no longer be resolved with just a few words as it was now.
“I, this Alliance Leader, will handle this matter over time.” The Martial Venerable spoke gently. “I personally granted the Clear Heart Token to Lord Seon. And he merely carried out his duties diligently, did he not?”
He added, “Let us handle Lord Seon after giving it some time.”
“Even if we leave Lord Seon alone…”
The Venerable Master clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“The Chief Inspector will become the problem.”
“The Chief Inspector?”
“Doesn’t Lord Seon have a particularly close relationship with Chief Inspector Gongsun? In the end, handling things this way… won’t the past repeat itself?”
Among the secret organizations that Bu Eunseol had quietly torn apart while activating the Clear Heart Token, not a single one was connected to Gongsun Dankyung.
That fact had undoubtedly offended them.
“Of course, considering the Alliance Leader’s position and face, we are not demanding that Lord Seon be removed immediately. One cannot expel such a high-ranking figure so abruptly.”
“Then…”
“Chief Inspector Gongsun’s organization is formidable. Especially that Blood Heaven and Fate Corps.”
The Martial Venerable’s eyes flashed.
Only then did he clearly understand the meaning behind the Venerable Master’s words.
‘Before decisively dealing with Lord Seon, shouldn’t we first clean up the Chief Inspector’s forces anyway?’
It was a valid point.
To deal with Seon Woojin, her power base had to be dismantled first.
No matter what anyone said, within the Martial Alliance, Seon Woojin’s greatest backer was Gongsun Dankyung.
‘Faster than I expected.’
The Martial Venerable took a deep breath.
Bu Eunseol, acting as Seon Woojin, was destined to leave the Martial Alliance anyway and he had already resolved to deal with Gongsun Dankyung’s secret organization someday.
He had simply wanted to postpone that timing.
Because both Bu Eunseol and Gongsun Dankyung were highly capable individuals who were extremely useful.
Bu Eunseol had only revenge as his goal and tried to avoid involvement in the martial world’s political situation—including the Martial Alliance—as much as possible.
Likewise, Gongsun Dankyung was consumed by vengeance and desired nothing but the Jungson family.
‘Bu Eunseol. You made a grave mistake this time.’
Bu Eunseol, who had once cried out only for revenge, had changed from his original self.
Before long, under the identity of Seon Woojin, he had begun influencing the martial world’s political landscape and ultimately attempted to dig into the true nature of the Martial Alliance. In the end, the forces entrenched within the Martial Alliance could not forgive Seon Woojin for arbitrarily stirring up the interior as he pleased.
They even resolved to strike at Gongsun Dankyung, who had been steadily building her own power base solely for the sake of revenge.
