The unexpected reply caused Seok Gyeong-ja to speak with an expression of incomprehension.
“That demon, you mean?”
Gwijin-ja shook his head.
“To call him a demon… look at his eyes. There is neither demonic energy nor malice in them.”
“Wasn’t the same true of that demon as well?” Seok Gyeong-ja bit his lip. “He must have been cleverly disguising himself as good-hearted, only to annihilate our forest once more.”
“A man who showed mercy even to the Yin-Soul Killing Men, you say?”
Seok Gyeong-ja turned his head away.
As Gwijin-ja had pointed out, the Yin-Soul Killing Men had only their joints injured and rendered immobile—their lives were not in danger.
To precisely control one’s strength and harm only the joints of an attacking enemy is far more difficult and demanding than simply severing their head in a single stroke.
With that one exchange, Gwijin-ja had seen through Bu Eunseol’s fundamentally kind nature.
“He might be deliberately hiding sinister intentions and acting this way on purpose.”
“Enough. If he truly intended to kill us, there is no question—he could have slaughtered every last one without effort.”
“What do you-”
“Look.” Gwijin-ja pointed at Bu Eunseol and said, “Look at the energy flowing through his body.”
Seok Gyeong-ja studied Bu Eunseol intently for a long while.
As descendants of sages, they had mastered knowledge from both East and West, ancient and modern, and could read energies imperceptible to ordinary people.
“I see nothing particularly unusual.” Seok Gyeong-ja shook his head.
No matter how he looked, no distinctive energy stood out.
“You still lack in cultivation.”
Gwijin-ja clicked his tongue and continued,
“If you cannot feel it, naturally you cannot understand.”
When the seemingly cryptic reply came, Seok Gyeong-ja blinked.
He focused his vision once more to observe Bu Eunseol… yet all he sensed was an utterly ordinary energy.
No particular characteristics could be found.
“This disciple cannot tell. Only that it is completely without distinguishing features—utterly ordinary….”
As he spoke, Seok Gyeong-ja’s eyes suddenly widened.
Utterly ordinary.
How could a master who had mastered such formidable martial arts possess such an ordinary aura?
How could he be more perfectly ordinary than a mere herb gatherer or woodcutter?
“So that’s it.”
Seok Gyeong-ja finally nodded as though realization had dawned.
“Everything is perfectly intertwined. There is, after all, a limit to concealment.”
There is a limit to hiding what exists.
But when things are perfectly intermixed, their traces become impossible to find.
It was the very principle of supreme martial arts.
At Seok Gyeong-ja’s murmur, Gwijin-ja shook his head.
“It is not mere intermixture. Heterogeneous and opposing forces are embracing one another, achieving perfect harmonious balance.”
Gwijin-ja gazed at Bu Eunseol and said, “His energy follows the mystery of yin and yang: when one side flourishes, the other declines. And in this world, there is only one power capable of achieving such perfect balance.”
“What is it?”
“The Mixed Demonic Magic Energy.”
Gwijin-ja declared, “Only the True Demon’s Mixed Demonic Magic Energy can perfectly control such intermixed forces.”
Thud.
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened.
It was the exact same thing the old man had said earlier.
‘Am I truly carrying the blood of the True Demon?’
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath.
Every circumstance pointed to him being of the True Demon’s bloodline.
‘But.’
Analyzing the situation coldly, he shook his head.
‘Could they all be mistaken?’
The rest of the world might be ignorant, but his grandfather would have known the truth.
If he himself were truly the blood kin of the True Demon—destined one day to destroy the martial world and plunge everything into chaos—his grandfather, who cherished even the life of a single blade of grass or insect, who treated even the corpses of the dead with the respect due the living—would never have raised him.
‘Of course, it’s possible Grandfather was confident he could suppress the Mixed Demonic Magic Energy and thus raised me.’
But there was a second, more certain reason.
The Demon Emperor.
If the sages could discern at a glance that he carried the True Demon’s blood, how could the Demon Emperor—whose very existence was spent in seclusion repeatedly defeating the strongest in the martial abyss—possibly fail to notice?
He would never leave such a spark—one capable of turning the entire martial world into a sea of fire—unattended.
“It cannot be.”
Having organized his thoughts, Bu Eunseol shook his head.
“If I truly carried the True Demon’s bloodline, even if the rest of the world remained ignorant, the Demon Emperor would have known.”
At Bu Eunseol’s words, Gwijin-ja shook his head.
“Martial artists cannot help but be unaware.”
Then, in a grave voice, he continued, “But the sages of this forest have not only studied all knowledge existing in the world—we have studied human beings across generations. That is why we can recognize it.”
“Human beings, you say.”
“Of course that includes Baekri and the True Demon. They, too, are undeniably human.”
He continued with a calm expression.
“The sages of this forest can sense the energies existing in this world, as well as various energies invisible to ordinary people.”
“Then does that truly mean I carry the True Demon’s energy?”
“Of course.”
He pointed at Bu Eunseol’s arm.
“Isn’t there a faint trace of Mixed Demonic Magic Energy wrapped around your left arm?”
“My left arm.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol understand the situation.
Before coming here, he had encountered the old man who was a retainer of the True Demon clan.
The old man had attacked him, and in the process, a portion of the Mixed Demonic Magic Energy had been absorbed into his arm.
Gwijin-ja had sensed it with ghostly precision and even realized that multiple energies were intermixed within his body.
That was why he had become convinced Bu Eunseol was of the True Demon’s bloodline.
‘It would be better to speak honestly and seek answers.’
The small pupils visible between Gwijin-ja’s drooping willow-like eyebrows were as clear and transparent as a child’s—he could never appear as an evildoer.
After taking a deep breath, Bu Eunseol explained everything in detail.
“I happened to defeat an old man who could be called a retainer of the True Demon clan. It seems that, at that time, a portion of what is called Mixed Demonic Magic Energy was absorbed into me.”
Gwijin-ja, who had listened attentively, shook his head.
“No matter how exceptional one’s martial arts, it is impossible to absorb Mixed Demonic Magic Energy.”
Then he stated firmly, “Unless there exists a human being capable of stably containing countless forces within their body without exploding.”
Bu Eunseol was rendered speechless.
A human who could contain countless forces without their body bursting apart.
Wasn’t that precisely referring to himself?
“I have mastered the martial arts of the righteous, demonic, Buddhist, and Confucian schools all at once…”
After another deep breath, he spoke calmly.
“And within my body resides the power of three of the Four Divine Energies.”
“What?” Gwijin-ja shook his head in disbelief. “How could such a thing be possible?”
“I do not know. It simply happened.”
Gwijin-ja spoke with a solemn expression.
“Such a thing does not occur by accident. And it absolutely cannot happen in a short period of time.”
He continued, “If your words are true, there must have been a process that enabled you to possess such power.”
“A process.”
Bu Eunseol wore a dazed expression.
Suddenly, it occurred to him that perhaps Gwijin-ja could accurately explain his own origins.
‘Since I’ve already spoken this much, I might as well tell everything.’
Ever since he had heard that he was a shadow deliberately created by Baekri Muha, he had completely discarded any attachment to questions about his origins.
Yet now, meeting a sage who seemed to know everything… he found himself wanting to ask about his own wretched fate.
“In truth, I was an orphan taken in by my grandfather. Then a vicious man killed Grandfather… and I entered the martial world for revenge.”
Bu Eunseol recounted his past life and circumstances in detail.
“As I continued my journey through the martial world, I was constantly mistaken for the Heaven-Dark Star, and until recently I was convinced I was of Baekri’s bloodline.”
“Baekri?”
“Yes. I believed myself to be of Saha Manor Lord Baekri Muha’s bloodline… but I later learned—too late—that I was actually a shadow created to protect the true Baekri descendant.”
Bu Eunseol shook his head with a confused expression.
“But now I hear that I am of the True Demon’s bloodline… honestly, I no longer even know who I am.”
Gwijin-ja wore a stunned expression.
To think this young man, whom he had been certain carried the True Demon’s blood, had such a complicated history.
“Since you have spoken so openly without hiding anything, this Forest Lord shall also speak frankly.”
Gwijin-ja began calmly.
“Thirty-some years ago, this forest was annihilated by Seven-Finger Demon Blade… and the surviving sages, after much deliberation, entered Diecai Mountain.” He continued calmly, “Only this Diecai Mountain possessed an annihilation formation capable of perfectly defending against his attacks.”
“Then-”
When Bu Eunseol opened his mouth as though realizing something, Gwijin-ja nodded.
“Correct. All the information this forest possesses about the martial world is frozen thirty years in the past. If anyone ventured out… the location of this forest could be exposed.”
After a deep sigh, Gwijin-ja said, “That is why we do not accurately know about the blood calamity at Saha Manor that you mentioned, nor about Baekri Muha, who was once called the greatest secret of the martial world.”
Baekri Muha’s activities coincided with the period when Grandfather had retired.
Thus, the Sage Forest remained unaware of Saha Manor’s blood calamity or of Baekri Muha in detail.
“However….”
Gwijin-ja began to relate something astonishing.
“If Baekri Muha truly was a descendant of Baekri, as you say, he could never have established a place called Saha Manor and lived among people.”
“Why not?”
“Though it is said that the Baekri clan vanished suddenly three hundred years ago… the reality is different.”
A profound light flowed from Gwijin-ja’s eyes.
“They merely changed their system and method of operation. Using the secret art of Absolute Boundaries, they concealed themselves and scattered roots across the martial world.”
“Using Absolute Boundaries to secretly take root across the martial world….”
That matched exactly what the one named Dead Man—whom he had met at the Wind God Palace and who was one of the True Demon’s kin among the Eight Human Heavens—had said.
Which meant the Baekri clan had not disappeared.
Even at this very moment… they continued to quietly preserve their lineage somewhere in the martial world.
“I once met a man named Dead Man, one of the Eight Human Heavens and a kin of the True Demon.” Bu Eunseol spoke in a low voice. “And he spoke of the Baekri clan as though they were a calamity upon the martial world.”
Gwijin-ja nodded.
“If one insists on categorizing, neither Baekri nor the True Demon can be neatly divided into good and evil—that is likely why he spoke that way.”
“Why?”
“The True Demon’s kin have never caused any great calamity to the martial world. Of course, they have restricted, manipulated, and killed martial artists… but it never reached the level of a true blood calamity.”
Gwijin-ja sighed.
“On the other hand, the Baekri clan will stop at nothing—commit any act—necessary to eradicate the True Demon and his kin. In fact, several of the blood calamities that have occurred in the martial world… are rumored to have been orchestrated by Baekri behind the scenes.”
“Rumored—you mean it has not been definitively confirmed?”
“There exist records in ancient secret texts containing such accounts. But the truth is known to no one.”
Bu Eunseol wore a dazed expression.
If that were true, then there was ample room to view the Baekri clan—who would commit any deed—as evil.
‘Wait a moment.’
Something felt off.
Gwijin-ja had said the True Demon’s kin had committed no great harm.
Then what of their leader, the True Demon himself?
According to the book left by Yohee, the ancestral founder of the Divine Maiden Palace, wasn’t he described as a demon and the embodiment of evil from the primordial age?
‘Moreover, even knowing I carry Mixed Demonic Magic Energy, the Forest Lord maintains a friendly attitude.’
A chill ran down his spine.
It occurred to him that perhaps the Sage Forest itself might be connected to the True Demon’s kin—or their followers.
‘Was I too hasty?’
Until now, Bu Eunseol had been able to instinctively distinguish good from evil, and that instinct had never once failed him.
Because he had trusted that intuition too much, this time he had been far too careless in revealing his entire history to Gwijin-ja.
“Heh heh heh.”
But then Gwijin-ja spoke unexpectedly.
“It is not unreasonable for you to think that way. But do not worry.” With a gentle smile, he continued calmly, “This forest has maintained neutrality throughout the generations. I spoke only from that perspective.”
Astonishingly, he had completely read Bu Eunseol’s thoughts.
“If you feel suspicion, then speak no more. I will never reveal what you have told me, so there is no need to worry.”
Bu Eunseol’s suspicion of Gwijin-ja was not solely because he remained friendly despite knowing about the Mixed Demonic Magic Energy.
‘Even for a sage who has attained the Way… could he truly treat the grandson of the enemy who brutally slaughtered his martial brothers and sisters with such kindness?’
The Sage Forest had been exterminated by his grandfather, and these people were the survivors.
No matter how enlightened they were in the Way, could they truly show such gentle care to the heir of their archenemy’s legacy?
“I will answer the questions you now hold after our entire conversation has concluded.”
Even now, Gwijin-ja saw straight through Bu Eunseol’s heart.
‘He is a trustworthy person.’
Bu Eunseol’s intuition raised its head once again.
Just as his first impression had been, he felt certain that Gwijin-ja was someone worthy of trust.
Moreover, he had already revealed what could be considered his greatest secret: the intermixed forces within his body.
At this point, stopping the conversation or harboring suspicion would gain him nothing.
“Then… as the old man said earlier, is it possible that I truly am of the True Demon’s bloodline?”
At Bu Eunseol’s question, Gwijin-ja showed a faint smile and extended his hand.
“Let us examine once more with clarity. Come into the forest.”
At Gwijin-ja’s words, Seok Gyeong-ja paled in shock and shook his head violently.
“Forest Lord. Have you forgotten he is Bu Zhanyang’s grandson?”
“I merely wish to converse. He is absolutely not someone who would bring harm to this forest.”
“Then why not converse here?” Seok Gyeong-ja pleaded earnestly. “Rather than let him enter the forest, please cut off my head instead.”
Gwijin-ja let out a sigh.
It was not unreasonable for Seok Gyeong-ja to worry.
Like everyone in the Sage Forest, he was someone who had barely escaped death at Seven-Finger Demon Blade’s hands. Moreover, the true annihilation formation of the Sage Forest had not yet been deployed.
If they allowed him inside and he suddenly turned hostile, they knew full well they could never stop this young grandmaster with his terrifying martial prowess.
“Very well. Then let us examine him here.”
Murmur murmur.
Meanwhile, the disciples of the Sage Forest had begun gathering one by one at the entrance.
Before long, a crowd of forty or fifty had formed.
After glancing over the assembled disciples, Gwijin-ja approached Bu Eunseol closely.
He examined his five sense organs clearly, then inspected his bone structure once more, and finally extended his fingers to take his pulse like a physician.
“Hoo.”
Each time he shifted his fingers, Gwijin-ja let out exclamations.
“This is impossible.”
“What do you mean?”
“You are neither of Baekri’s bloodline nor the True Demon’s. To begin with, your body is utterly ordinary—one incapable of receiving either Divine Energy or Mixed Demonic Magic Energy.”
Gwijin-ja furrowed his brow.
“Yet how such a thing is possible, I cannot fathom.”
“What is wrong?”
“To put it simply, you possess an utterly ordinary body….” Gwijin-ja continued as though unable to comprehend. “Yet thanks to stably intermixing all manner of forces, you have become a body capable of accepting any kind of energy.”
Then, with a solemn expression, he said, “Such a body cannot be created artificially. Even if a method existed, it could never be achieved in a short time.”
Gwijin-ja’s eyes narrowed.
“Unless one had received training from childhood in intermixing the secret arts and mind methods of both righteous and demonic schools.”
Bu Eunseol swallowed dryly.
As Gwijin-ja said, from childhood he had been infused with the secret arts and mind methods of both righteous and demonic schools.
But that had merely been his grandfather exerting every effort in various ways to heal his frail body.
Even the fact that all of it—including breathing techniques—were martial arts methods had only become clear to him after he entered the martial world.
‘So all of that was training to transform the body into one capable of accepting any power.’
He felt confused.
‘Could Grandfather have done it intentionally?’
Bu Eunseol clenched his fist tightly.
No, that could not be.
Until the moment he drew his last breath, Grandfather had only ever wished for him to live an ordinary, happy life.
It was absolutely impossible.
“My body was always weak.” Regaining his composure, Bu Eunseol answered. “That is why Grandfather infused me with various forces.”
“Your body was weak, so he infused various forces….”
“Then isn’t it possible this happened by chance?”
“If it had been any other martial artist, this Forest Lord might have said it could be coincidence.”
Gwijin-ja stared straight at Bu Eunseol.
“But for a supreme grandmaster like Bu Zhanyang—someone of such unparalleled martial wisdom—how could he possibly fail to calculate such an outcome?”
A philosopher like Bu Zhanyang would never carelessly transmit such forces and martial arts without understanding their principles.
Which meant, in the end, Bu Zhanyang had deliberately and continuously infused opposing forces… transforming Bu Eunseol into a body capable of accepting any power whatsoever.
As though he had known from the beginning that one day he would become a martial artist.
As though he had anticipated that he would learn countless martial arts.
