—It is unknown when they were created or who their true leader is. However, for generations, the Murim has been under their invisible thumb.
This tome was no mere martial arts manual; it was a detailed chronicle of the shadowy forces that had devoured the Murim four centuries prior. As Bu Eunseol scanned the text, his eyes narrowed, a cold realization settling in his chest.
Could the parallels be a mere coincidence?
Four hundred years ago, just as now, phantom figures with no allegiance and unknown origins had roamed the Gangho, sowing chaos.
Even the Martial Emperor could not defeat them?
Bu Eunseol shook his head in disbelief.
Martial Emperor Seop Mu-heun. He was one of the legendary Eight Emperors and Three Stars who had dominated that era. Supreme masters capable of opposing him would have been rare anomalies even in that golden age of martial arts. Yet, this text claimed that multiple entities existed who possessed martial arts rivaling the Martial Emperor himself.
This Emperor attempted to inform the Martial Righteous Alliance and various Righteous sects of this fact to root out their forces. But their influence transcended both the Righteous and Demonic paths, dominating the very infrastructure of the Murim. Instead of hunting them, it was the Martial Emperor who found himself cornered.
So that is why he vanished so suddenly.
Despite possessing immense martial prowess, the Martial Emperor had cultivated neither close friends nor a political faction, chastising the Murim alone like a solitary divine dragon. In the end, he was framed by massive forces he could not handle single-handedly. Unable to clear his name, he had disappeared into the mists of history.
To face Seop Mu-heun, a genius who could pen a manual immediately after seeing a martial art once…
Having finished the Martial Emperor’s Secret Record, Bu Eunseol closed the book with a heavy sigh. Just who were these forces that controlled the Murim four hundred years ago without ever revealing their faces?
“Well, is there some peerless divine art inscribed within?”
Perhaps driven by curiosity, Bukgung Ryeong stepped closer, eyeing the Martial Emperor’s Secret Record in Bu Eunseol’s hands.
“Hah… it is a mirror of the current Murim.” Bukgung Ryeong, having read the text alongside him, let out a long breath and muttered, “It reads like a prophecy of our current plight. Specifically, the tale of those phantoms behind the masks.”
“Masked men…”
At those words, Bu Eunseol recalled the mysterious figures he had encountered thus far. They uniformly possessed outstanding martial arts and commanded intelligence organizations capable of evading the pursuit of even the Gathering Demons Manor or the Wind and Cloud Squad. Even when he had battled the Mind-Controlling Madman, hadn’t they poured out tremendous internal energy surpassing his own?
“It seems you have seen them.” Seeing the shadow pass over Bu Eunseol’s expression, Bukgung Ryeong’s eyes flashed. “Have you not?”
“I have.”
At Bu Eunseol’s confirmation, the old man inhaled deeply.
“Do you know why this old man allied himself with Gu Hong-cheong, that ambitious old badger?”
“…”
“Because we discovered a force plotting in the dark, and we sought to catch their tail.”
Bu Eunseol felt a flicker of puzzlement. It was true that solitary walkers of the Murim like Bukgung Ryeong needed connections with major intelligence organizations. But the Beggar King was merely a Supreme Elder offering advice, not the ruling Sect Leader of the Beggars’ Sect.
“They have planted their spies in every sect of the Righteous and Demonic paths. Just like the history written here.”
“Are you saying the Sect Leader of the Beggars’ Sect is their spy?”
“We cannot know for certain. However, the report that he was bedridden with a strange illness… that was a lie.”
It was common knowledge that No Bong, the Sect Leader of the Beggars’ Sect, had been incapacitated for a long time due to a mysterious disease. To hear it was a fabrication changed the entire board.
“Then the Beggar King could also have been a spy.”
“That is impossible. Because he was the one who realized the existence of those manipulating the Murim from the shadows before I did.”
Since Gu Hong-cheong was the Supreme Elder of the Beggars’ Sect—the head of the Righteous intelligence network—he had access to high-level information. Bukgung Ryeong had chosen the competent Supreme Elder as a collaborator over the unstable Sect Leader.
“That is why he always desired a strong Beggars’ Sect.” Bukgung Ryeong wore a gloomy expression. “Of course, I cannot claim he had no personal ambition.”
To clear away the dark clouds lurking in the Murim, absolute strength was required. Gu Hong-cheong had wanted to elevate the Beggars’ Sect to the leadership of the Righteous Faction to drive out the shadow controllers.
“If you knew there was a force trying to control the Murim, why did you not inform the other sects?”
“Do you think we didn’t?”
Sighing deeply, Bukgung Ryeong pointed to the Martial Emperor’s Secret Record.
Even a supreme master like the Martial Emperor, who possessed broad connections with the leadership of various sects, met such a miserable end. With just the power of Bukgung Ryeong and Gu Hong-cheong, it was impossible to even grasp their tails.
“If we provoked them clumsily, we would be counterattacked. We had to be cautious until we found definite evidence and identified their core leadership.”
“I see.”
“But how did you come to know of the existence of those mysterious masked men? Their actions are always secretive; few even know they exist.”
“I merely bumped into them by chance.”
“By chance?”
Bu Eunseol spoke calmly. “Whenever something happened, men wearing masks would appear. So I tried to fight them properly, but they fled every time.”
“You tried to fight, but the masked men fled?”
“Correct.”
“Hah.”
Bukgung Ryeong looked at Bu Eunseol with fresh eyes.
This brat knows no fear. I suppose he doesn’t even blink an eye at this old man either.
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth without him realizing it. Thinking about it, Bu Eunseol closely resembled himself in his youth. The handsome appearance, the outstanding martial arts, and the guts that knew no fear of heaven or earth. And above all, the trait of rushing into a fight without hesitation, regardless of the opponent’s stature.
Young people with such spirit are rare in the current Murim.
Indescribable emotions welled up in Bukgung Ryeong’s chest. The young rising stars he had met until now were all sycophants who flattered him or sought connections for profit. But Bu Eunseol was different. He paid no heed to politics and walked only his own path.
To think such an outstanding figure appeared in the Demonic Path of all places.
Bukgung Ryeong felt a pang of regret. To think he would feel such kinship with a rising star of the Demonic Path.
“This old man has walked the Gangho alone until now, trying to protect the righteous spirit of the Murim,” Bukgung Ryeong confessed, speaking words knotted deep in his heart. “But all that remains is distrust of humans.”
At a glance, the world seemed peaceful, but the undercurrents of the Murim were indescribably treacherous. Spies lurked everywhere in the Righteous and Demonic paths, and those of unknown identity were stirring up chaos. In such a situation, roaming the Murim alone to chase them was an impressive feat in itself.
“If I take one wrong step, I will have to end my life quietly like the Martial Emperor.”
Bu Eunseol nodded unconsciously. If the words of the Martial Emperor’s Secret Record were true, the roots of those masked men had gripped the Murim for centuries. No one knew how far their branches extended. Touching them carelessly could alert the snake in the grass, leading to an irreversible counterattack.
“I spoke useless words.” Shaking his head, Bukgung Ryeong looked around the interior of the vault. “Well, let us part ways here.”
“You intend to just leave?”
Bu Eunseol blinked in surprise. Hadn’t this man been rampaging with killing intent because Bu Eunseol killed Gu Hong-cheong? To leave with the enemy standing right in front of him seemed contradictory.
“Hehehe.” Bukgung Ryeong showed a lonely, weary smile. “You haven’t left the secret vault yet.”
Although conveyed only through a look earlier, Bukgung Ryeong had implicitly promised not to attack until they broke through all the traps. Now, all traps were cleared. If he hardened his heart, he could try to kill Bu Eunseol immediately. Yet he intended to leave quietly.
“If we are fated, we shall meet again.”
Turning with a deep sigh, Bukgung Ryeong paused. “There is one thing I am curious about.”
“Speak.”
“Did he… regret it?”
Bukgung Ryeong knew well that Gu Hong-cheong was consumed by ambition. Because he couldn’t abandon that terrible desire, he exposed a flaw in his spirit and was defeated by Bu Eunseol. So he wondered if, in his final moments, the old beggar regretted harboring that persistent lust for power.
“He did not regret it.”
Exhaling a short breath, Bu Eunseol spoke in a low voice. “Rather, he left satisfied that Deputy Sect Leader Hae Pung could not become the Sect Leader due to his death, and that countless strongmen would target me.”
“Hehehe. Just like the King of Beggars, he left a desperate curse behind.”
Bukgung Ryeong wore a comfortable smile. Beggar King Gu Hong-cheong. True to his name, he had met a dignified death without looking back.
“Will you not regret it?”
Bu Eunseol spoke clearly. “A golden opportunity like today will not come again.”
Understanding the meaning—that Bukgung Ryeong was passing up a chance to kill him—the old man remained silent for a long moment before slowly speaking.
“Gu Hong-cheong fought to his heart’s content with a peerless genius possessing a burning martial soul, and was defeated without regret.” A dry smile flowed onto Bukgung Ryeong’s lips. “So what lingering regret could there be for me?”
It was his honest feeling.
Bu Eunseol also kept silent before speaking in a calm tone. “Most figures of the Righteous Faction do not act their age… but there are exceptional individuals as well.”
“Hahahaha.”
Bukgung Ryeong burst into laughter. He realized that was the apology this young man, stiff as a wooden block, had thought up in his own way.
“The Murim looks peaceful, but in reality, it is a perilous place. That is likely the same for the Demonic Path as well.” A streak of emotion brushed past Bukgung Ryeong’s eyes, which had been consistently calm. “Someday, you too will clash with them.”
“That will not happen.” Bu Eunseol shook his head. “I have no interest in the political situation of the Murim.”
“Hehehe. You still do not know the physiology of the Gangho well.” Bukgung Ryeong smirked. “From the moment you killed Gu Hong-cheong, you have already become a figure who sways the political tides. The forces controlling the Murim… will never leave you alone.”
He looked up at the empty void and muttered, “I have delayed too long. So it was my fate not to go to the Thousand Sword Society after all.”
Thousand Sword Society.
The place that had taught Bu Eunseol the Mastery Radiance Sword Control and asked him to kill the demon who slaughtered all ten seats, including the Society Leader.
In that instant, a strange thought flashed through Bu Eunseol’s mind. Could the demon they spoke of be connected to the masked men who had appeared so far?
Boom.
Wearing a final smile, Bukgung Ryeong opened the door opposite the library and vanished. Watching his retreating back, Bu Eunseol intuitively felt that his connection with the figure named Bukgung Ryeong did not end here.
“Can’t be helped.” Bu Eunseol shook his head.
Once one steps into the Murim, no one can be free from gratitude and grudges. As long as life remains, one must endlessly clash with others and move forward.
“I really have delayed a lot of time.”
Bu Eunseol turned with a lighter expression. The Martial Emperor’s Secret Vault had turned a terrifying enemy called the Projectile King into a tolerable connection. That was a stroke of luck.
“I read it well.”
Bu Eunseol tried to place the Martial Emperor’s Secret Record back on the shelf.
Shift.
Just then, a strange sensation registered.
He had merely closed the book and tilted it slightly, but the center of gravity transmitted to his fingertips changed. It was a variance lighter than a small ant, but to Bu Eunseol, who possessed superhuman balance, the anomaly was as obvious as a boulder.
“The center of gravity changes when the book is tilted…?”
Examining the Martial Emperor’s Secret Record closely, Bu Eunseol touched each page one by one. Then, by chance, he detected that the very last page was infinitesimally thicker than the others.
Vwoom!
Raising the True Knot of Will Manifestation, Bu Eunseol created a minute blade finer than a hair at his fingertip.
Rip!
The blade sliced the thin paper vertically into two layers. Inside the split paper lay a sheet so thin it appeared transparent.
“This is…”
On the transparent paper, characters so small they required extreme visual enhancement to see were densely engraved.
—The process of reaching the extremity of divine arts is like rowing a boat in a raging sea where one cannot see an inch ahead.
Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed as he read the opening phrase.
—In the end, one has no choice but to navigate using the tangled emotions, like tens of thousands of threads, as a compass.
As Bu Eunseol read down the characters written on the paper, his gaze sharpened.
Martial Emperor’s Silent Awakening.
On the last page of the Martial Emperor’s Secret Record, the Martial Emperor had secretly inscribed the enlightenment he realized in his twilight years.