“I don’t know very much.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with an apologetic expression.
“I only know that he bears the name Chu So, and that he deliberately allowed himself to be kidnapped by the Jungson family in his childhood so that he could devour them from within.”
“I see.”
Bu Eunseol looked at Han Sangja’s face and continued with a worried tone.
“But what happened to your face? Were you attacked by him?”
Deep scars, as though flesh had melted away, marred his forehead and cheeks.
The once clear and innocent features had transformed into the weathered visage of a veteran who had endured every hardship of the battlefield.
“No.”
Han Sangja replied in an utterly calm voice.
“I merely suffered heavenly punishment for attempting to fathom the secrets of heaven.”
“You can actually read the secrets of heaven?”
When Bu Eunseol asked in astonishment, Han Sangja answered evenly.
“It’s only my first attempt, so it is far from perfect yet.”
Bu Eunseol’s mouth fell open.
The secrets of heaven were not something one could read simply by wishing to; it required a power bestowed by the heavens themselves. Yet Han Sangja spoke as though he could pull out and peruse the secrets of heaven from a bookshelf at any moment he desired.
“Is that truly something achievable just by attempting it?”
“There is no such thing as qualification when it comes to understanding the secrets of heaven.”
Han Sangja said calmly.
“I simply consider various variables simultaneously and analyze the current flow.”
When Bu Eunseol stared blankly, he explained further in a composed manner.
“For example, when any event occurs, there must inevitably be a chain of cause and effect attached to it. I understand and analyze those relationships to predict the influences and outcomes that will follow.”
Bu Eunseol’s mouth fell open again.
In the end, Han Sangja wasn’t truly reading the secrets of heaven—he was merely attempting to predict the future by analyzing the present flow, wasn’t he?
‘The Heavenly Mechanism Star.’
As far as he knew, only the Heavenly Mechanism Star, Chu So, possessed such an ability.
‘As expected, Brother Han must be the one capable of standing against him.’
The sages of the Sage Forest would surely not fail to fathom the extreme grudge and thirst for vengeance that Chu So harbored.
Han Sangja was the successor who had inherited the full purification of the Sage Forest. He undoubtedly possessed the strength and capability to confront Chu So.
In truth, hadn’t he already been driven into a situation where he could no longer live under the same sky as the Heavenly Mechanism Star?
In the end, all of this had been a predestined fate.
“Does it not hurt right now, then?”
Though the question was somewhat blunt, warm light flowed from Han Sangja’s eyes.
Despite his cold expression, Bu Eunseol was attentive and deeply caring. He was newly feeling that gentleness and warm affection.
‘If the Lord learns that the pain of heavenly punishment is enough to make one crave even death, he will never agree to this deal.’
“In truth, this level cannot truly be called heavenly punishment.”
Having finished his thoughts, Han Sangja deliberately put on a bright expression.
“There’s no pain at all. It’s merely the heavens leaving a mark, so to speak?”
When he answered so naturally, Bu Eunseol’s expression finally softened.
“I see.”
“My Lord, I must find him and take revenge.”
Han Sangja stepped down from the chair and knelt before Bu Eunseol.
“Please help me.”
“Brother Han. Stand up.”
“I beg you.”
Han Sangja bowed his head fully.
“I will not rise until you grant permission.”
“It is not that I do not wish to help you, Brother Han. I simply have too many tasks that must be done first.”
Bu Eunseol spoke honestly.
“I lack the capacity to prioritize your revenge.”
“What are those priorities?”
Han Sangja asked with utmost earnestness.
“Tell me. I too am a sage of the Sage Forest. I can provide whatever information the Lord desires.”
For a moment, Bu Eunseol’s eyes flashed.
The sages of the Sage Forest possessed mysterious knowledge and information unknown to the rest of the martial world until now. Moreover, Han Sangja claimed to read heavenly secrets that even other sages could scarcely fathom.
If so, might he not also know about his grandfather’s bloodline?
“Do you know anything about the bloodline left behind by the Seven-Finger Demon Blade?”
In the past he would have first asked about his grandfather’s killer.
But now that he had learned there was a chance his grandfather’s blood kin still lived, that became the priority.
“The Seven-Finger Demon Blade’s bloodline…”
Han Sangja pondered for a moment before answering frankly.
“I have studied the history of the martial world, but that is merely knowledge of the past.”
He lowered his head.
“To be honest, this is the first time I’ve even heard that the Seven-Finger Demon Blade had any blood descendants.”
Bu Eunseol hadn’t asked with great expectation.
If his grandfather truly had living blood kin…
That would have been treated as far more important information than even the hidden truth of his own origins.
“Then you know nothing of the one who killed the Seven-Finger Demon Blade, either.”
“That is correct.”
Bu Eunseol pondered for a moment.
Han Sangja was an outstanding sage, but he was still young and had never operated an information network. In other words, while he was erudite regarding past events and knowledge… he did not yet possess deep understanding of the current martial world’s situation or its people.
“You’re right. Right now I do not know properly.”
Han Sangja saw through Bu Eunseol’s thoughts and spoke confidently.
“But within three years—no, within one year—I will be able to grasp the entire current state of the martial world and all its figures.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
Han Sangja certainly possessed such ability.
“Then do you know anything about the True Demon, or perhaps his kin?”
“Of course. I know secrets concerning that being.”
Han Sangja’s eyes gleamed for an instant.
“Until recently, our forest conducted active research on the True Demon as well.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes sharpened.
Secrets about the True Demon was information that had never been revealed to the martial world and could not even be discovered.
“But… didn’t you say earlier that such things fall under the secrets of heaven?”
“Then how about this?”
Han Sangja continued calmly, as though he had already prepared the suggestion.
“Each time I provide information of sufficient value, the Lord grants one of my requests in return.”
“What sort of request?”
“With my current strength, I cannot even locate the Heavenly Mechanism Star’s main base, let alone trace his movements. Even if the Lord mobilized all the information networks under your command… with the Heavenly Mechanism Star’s ability, no tail would ever be caught.”
Han Sangja spoke evenly.
“Therefore, the only thing I can do is locate the forces connected to the Heavenly Mechanism Star one by one, eliminate them… and force the main body to reveal itself.”
“What you mean, Brother Han, is…”
“Each time I provide valuable information to the Lord… the Lord will use your forces to handle those groups in my place.”
Bu Eunseol looked troubled.
“Moving troops merely in exchange for a single piece of information is…”
“It will be worth that much.”
Han Sangja wore a confident expression.
“Of course, judging the value is entirely the Lord’s prerogative.”
And then he presented an extreme condition.
“If you judge the information I provide to be of little worth, you need not help.”
Having heard this much, Bu Eunseol could no longer refuse.
“Very well. Speak.”
Secrets of the True Demon.
The probability that his grandfather’s blood kin had become one of the True Demon’s kin was extremely high. Therefore, he had to unravel the truth about the True Demon step by step.
“I would prefer a quieter place.”
Though the guest room in the Suppressed Demon Pavilion was quiet, servants occasionally passed through, making it somewhat unsuitable for discussing secrets.
“Very well. Let us move.”
Bu Eunseol led Han Sangja to a hidden chamber secretly installed within the grand meeting hall.
“If the secret of the True Demon you speak of truly holds such value, I will assist you in one matter.”
“Excellent.”
Han Sangja answered immediately.
“The True Demon who was sealed by the Baekri Family family had his soul shattered and scattered across every realm.”
He spoke in an extremely grave voice.
“Those fragments are called ‘Sealed Demon Fragments’.”
“Sealed Demon Fragments.”
“Indeed. Paradoxically, it is the people of the Baekri Family who are especially vulnerable to these Sealed Demon Fragments.”
“Vulnerable in what sense?”
“It means they are the ones most easily corrupted by the True Demon’s soul.”
The explanation was shocking.
The Baekri Family clan, who had constantly opposed the True Demon, were instead the most likely to be consumed by the True Demon’s soul?
“Though the reason the Baekri Family people are vulnerable to Sealed Demon Fragments remains unknown…” Han Sangja continued without pause. “In the past, the Three Realms exploited precisely this point and used the Sealed Demon Fragments to strike at the Baekri Family family.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
Though the Three Realms possessed tremendous power, it had been somewhat incomprehensible that they dared oppose the Baekri Family. But now it turned out the Three Realms had identified the Baekri Family weakness in advance and attacked by exploiting it.
‘So that’s why the Baekri Family felt such profound disappointment.’
The very force they had created had persistently dug into their weakness and attempted rebellion. It went beyond mere threat—it was deep disappointment.
“It is certainly astonishing information, but…”
When Bu Eunseol opened his mouth, Han Sangja shook his head.
“The story is only beginning.”
He continued rapidly.
“If one gathers the Sealed Demon Fragments that the True Demon scattered, one can obtain what can be called the True Demon’s complete power… Absolute Knowledge.”
“Gather the fragments? Are you saying they are physical objects?”
“When those who possess pieces of the soul kill one another, the fragments are absorbed.”
Han Sangja explained calmly.
“And the one who fully absorbs every fragment… gains the knowledge the True Demon accumulated through countless cycles of reincarnation.”
Bu Eunseol could not hide his bewilderment.
So that was what it meant to obtain the True Demon’s power?
“Then the fact that the Baekri Family sealed the True Demon means…”
“They shattered into fragments the absolute knowledge the True Demon had acquired through endless reincarnation while retaining his memories.”
Bu Eunseol dropped his head with a hollow expression.
In the end, he himself uttered the words he had always heard only from his subordinates.
“It feels as though I’m listening to a tale from legend.”
The story of the Baekri Family and the True Demon he had heard so far felt unreal enough to be called legend.
He thought there could be no greater surprise, yet the tale that the True Demon’s absolute knowledge, accumulated through repeated reincarnation, had been scattered across the world in the form of fragments was beyond imagination.
“Is such a thing truly possible?”
“To begin with, merely retaining memory while endlessly reincarnating already makes one an existence beyond human, does it not? The possibility is more than sufficient.”
Han Sangja wore a solemn expression as though speaking the truth.
“In any case, the Sealed Demon Fragments still exist today, and those who possess them are killing one another to obtain the True Demon’s knowledge. And perhaps that is…” He continued in a low voice. “…precisely why abyssal forces have constantly run rampant in the martial world.”
Bu Eunseol nodded.
Though abyssal forces existed in the martial world, their purpose had always been vague.
Power, information networks, wealth…
What could possibly be lacking for them? What was their true objective?
It was impossible not to wonder whether everything was for the sake of acquiring Sealed Demon Fragments.
After pondering deeply, Bu Eunseol asked the crucial question.
“Then is there any way to distinguish those who possess the True Demon’s Sealed Demon Fragments?”
“When those who hold Sealed Demon Fragments manifest their power, they can recognize one another.”
“So only when those who possess Sealed Demon Fragments fight does the situation arise where they can identify each other.”
“Correct. However…”
Han Sangja spoke in a low voice.
“This is merely my conjecture, but I suspect that those called the True Demon’s kin are individuals who possess a large quantity of Sealed Demon Fragments.”
“Then does that mean the True Demon’s kin are also hostile to one another?”
“That is not what I mean. Merely… I began to wonder whether Sealed Demon Fragments do not simply represent knowledge, but perhaps signify the very power the True Demon possesses.”
—Hahaha, even if you kill them, it would be fine.
The words once spoken by the old man of the Sacred Domain came back to him unbidden.
—If you are capable of it, the True Demon himself would be delighted.
If Sealed Demon Fragments truly existed…
Then the old man’s words, combined with the very reason for the existence of abyssal forces until now, would instantly explain every incomprehensible situation and action in the current martial world—including those of superhumans.
“I simply thought it was the true nature of martial artists.”
Bu Eunseol let out a deep sigh as he spoke.
“For generations, martial artists have pursued strength and risked their lives in battle.”
Then he shook his head.
“But perhaps… that too is because of the Sealed Demon Fragments.”
Martial artists endlessly pursue strength and fight.
Could it be that, since ancient times, the struggle to seize the Sealed Demon Fragments has been the cause? Might the martial artists’ battle instinct have been imprinted from that very era?
“I had similar thoughts.”
Han Sangja said with a sigh.
“The True Demon deliberately allowed his soul to be torn apart by the Baekri Family, and as a result the martial world came into being… and people fought one another.”
Bu Eunseol swallowed hard.
An absolute evil, an absolute demon who had existed since primordial times, reincarnating endlessly while retaining memory.
If it were such an existence… it truly seemed capable of orchestrating such a thing.
“What do you think?”
After a long silence, Han Sangja asked Bu Eunseol in return.
He was asking whether the information he had provided so far held sufficient value to warrant assistance.
“Of course.”
Bu Eunseol answered readily without long deliberation.
“It was more than enough—overflowing with value.”
The information Han Sangja had given about the True Demon was something that could not be heard anywhere else in the martial world.
Moreover, regarding the Sealed Demon Fragments…
An intuition struck him that they might be closely connected to his grandfather’s past as well.
“If I ask anything more out of curiosity, I suppose I must grant you one additional request.”
“That is correct.”
“But… the heavenly punishment on your face—surely it did not occur because of today’s events?”
A strange premonition came over Bu Eunseol.
If Han Sangja had read the heavenly secrets and gained something from it… he would have spoken of that first before seeking help. Yet he had only mentioned reading the secrets and said nothing further.
Then the reason for receiving heavenly punishment…
Might it not be because he calculated the time needed to meet him and to convey the story of the True Demon?
“That is correct.”
Han Sangja honestly admitted.
“The moment I resolved to meet the Lord and speak of the True Demon, these scars appeared on my face.”
Bu Eunseol was astonished.
“Even if you changed your mind midway, the heavenly punishment arrives in advance?”
“I am still merely a mortal man.”
Han Sangja shook his head.
“If there were a divine being who could instantly interpret and reveal the secrets of heaven… heavenly punishment would strike the instant they opened their mouth.”
“A divine being upon whom heavenly punishment falls the moment they reveal the secrets of heaven…”
Something seemed to flicker in Bu Eunseol’s mind, only to vanish again.
Above all, the story about the True Demon was so shocking that he could scarcely think normally.
“Then how may I assist you?”
Bu Eunseol said calmly.
“The value of the information you conveyed today is worth more than ten million gold and cannot be bought. So speak freely—anything.”
The information Han Sangja had given was worth risking his life to obtain.
Therefore Han Sangja could request virtually anything from Bu Eunseol.
“This is merely a transaction, so I will not say thank you.”
“There is one thing I am curious about.”
“Surely you do not intend to grant two requests?”
Bu Eunseol gave a faint smile.
“No. I ask only because it concerns your revenge against the Heavenly Mechanism Star… so you need not answer if you do not wish.”
“Please ask.”
“Then, is the Heavenly Mechanism Star not someone who stands against the True Demon?”
Bu Eunseol spoke with an expression of incomprehension.
“Among the Eight Human Heavens, the Fist Man went to such lengths to hunt down the Heavenly Mechanism Star. Moreover, the Heavenly Mechanism Star told my subordinate that he would eradicate both the Baekri Family and the True Demon. Because of that, I naturally assumed until now that the Heavenly Mechanism Star was an enemy of the True Demon.”
“For such a Heavenly Mechanism Star to have swept away our forest is what makes it strange…”
“Honestly, yes. If he intended to oppose the Baekri Family and the True Demon, no matter what grudge he held, would he not at least maintain a cooperative relationship with the Sage Forest?”
“No.” Han Sangja said. “The ability of the Heavenly Mechanism Star surpasses the combined power of the thousands of sages in our forest. From the beginning, he is an existence that has no need whatsoever for our forest’s assistance.”
“Then let me ask one more thing. If the Heavenly Mechanism Star eradicates the Baekri Family or the True Demon, would that not, in its own way, be no bad thing?”
The mere existence of the Baekri Family and the True Demon already brings great chaos to the martial world. Moreover, though Bu Eunseol was of mixed blood from both clans, he bore them no particular affection.
If the Heavenly Mechanism Star were to clean them up… it did not feel like a bad outcome.
“From the very beginning, the Heavenly Mechanism Star is an existence that should never have appeared in this world.”
Han Sangja said firmly.
“Not only is he versed in all knowledge of the world, but he also possesses a prophetic disposition.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Consider this. Should the Heavenly Mechanism Star ever harbor ill intent… he could perpetrate horrors far worse than anything the Baekri Family and the True Demon combined could achieve.”
If such an outstanding reader of heavenly secrets turned to evil?
The martial world—the entire world—could face chaos greater than anything caused by the Baekri Family and the True Demon.
“That makes sense as well.”
Bu Eunseol nodded as though he understood.
“I have no more questions. What would you have me do?”
“The reason the Heavenly Mechanism Star was able to create Yin-Soul Killing Men must surely be because he borrowed the power of the Ghost King Valley.”
Ghost King Valley.
It was the sect led by the Ghost King, the king of ghosts who had been passed down through the generations in the martial world.
“Are you saying the Ghost King, Gal Hu-seung, joined hands with the Heavenly Mechanism Star?”
“Correct.”
Han Sangja spoke with utmost seriousness.
“Please kill the Ghost King.”
Among the Seven Kings and Four Gods, just like the Four Gods, there was one who possessed power inherited through the generations.
He was none other than Gal Hu-seung, the Ghost King, who wielded ten thousand evils and malevolent energy with complete freedom.
