A shooting star cleaved the obsidian sky, drawing a pure white arc before vanishing into the void.
In the dead of night, under the occasional flicker of starlight, a shadow moved through the dense forest of the deep mountains. After a brisk trek along a winding path that hugged the mountainside—lasting about as long as it takes to finish a meal—an ancient, weathered mountain gate finally emerged from the darkness.
Whoosh.
Passing through the gate, the shadow was greeted by a vast, unfolding garden.
Twinkle, twinkle.
A soft, spectral luminescence emanated from the flowers and plants. At first glance, it appeared as if the stars embroidered in the night heavens had been scattered across the earth.
Step, step.
Beyond the glowing garden stood a small shrine, constructed entirely of timber from floor to roof. Its architecture was unique, possessing a mysterious curvature unseen in the Central Plains.
Inside, amber oil lamps burned beneath the eaves, casting long shadows over a large altar that appeared to be carved from obsidian. Upon this altar lay a hemispherical metal object, resembling a great bell sheered in half. Inside roiled a murky liquid, shifting and churning on its own accord as if possessed by life.
Step, step.
The figure, after casting a reverent glance at the altar, moved past it into a corridor on the right.
It led to a vast square chamber supported by metal pillars that emitted a faint, pulsing light. The surfaces of these pillars were engraved with the Four Auspicious Beasts—the Qilin, the Vermilion Bird, and their kin—which glowed softly in the gloom. The ceiling was inscribed with unknown characters, while rows of Oracle Bone Script that were dizzying bordered the room.
Thud.
The shadow prostrated on the floor.
“The Orthodox and Demonic factions are mobilizing a large-scale investigation team to look into the kidnapping of children.”
The shadow paused, letting the weight of the news settle before continuing in a lower register.
“All of this is because he found the Five Poisons Sect and exterminated them.”
When no answer came from the darkness, the shadow spoke again, carefully.
“If left unchecked, this will greatly hinder the Great Work.”
Finally, a voice, incredibly low and faint, drifted from the depths of the room.
[Bu Eunseol.]
It was a calm voice, yet the tone and timbre shifted constantly, making it impossible to distinguish whether it belonged to a man or a woman. It was a sound that, once heard, etched itself into the memory forever.
[Is he not already the successor of the Demonic Palace?]
Bu Eunseol. One of the Four Gods and Seven Kings, a figure exerting massive influence over the Murim, and above all, the anointed successor of the Demonic Palace. Touching him meant the entire Demonic Palace would move in retaliation.
[Or do you intend to erase the Demonic Palace anew?]
The voice seemed to imply it possessed the power to wipe out the Demonic Palace, a place where the might of a million demons was concentrated.
“His martial arts are formidable, and his personality is known to be cold as ice… but he has an unexpected weakness.”
[Weakness?]
“It is the Ten Demonic Successors.”
The prostrated shadow spoke slowly, emphasizing each word.
“He seems attached to nothing, yet he holds a deep, unique affection for those ten warriors. Looking at his actions so far, every time he acted recklessly, it was to save them.”
The shadow pressed his forehead to the floor.
“If we use the Ten Demonic Successors, we can surely lure him out alone and kill him.”
A strange emotion seeped into the shifting voice.
[The most terrifying trap in the world is using affection as a snare…]
For the first time, the voice carried weight—an emotion of ancient grief and agony.
“…”
Silence stretched, heavy and suffocating. After a long stillness, the strange voice flowed again, so quiet it echoed only in the ears of the prostrated shadow.
***
Momentless Fleet.
Bu Eunseol looked down at a letter on his desk.
He was relentlessly operating the intelligence networks of the Pavilion and the Nine Assassination Squad to track the Evil Fragrance and the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-nyang. It was the only way to find traces of the culprit he sought.
Knock, knock.
The low voice of a maid interrupted his concentration.
“My Lord. A guest has arrived.”
“A guest?”
Clack.
Before he could answer, the door burst open. A dashing man in black martial robes strode in without hesitation. His long hair hung loose on both sides, framing a face that was androgynous yet strikingly attractive.
It was Seo Jin-ha.
“Busy?”
Seo Jin-ha glanced around the room.
“As expected of a successor’s office, it looks decent.”
Even though Seo Jin-ha was a Team Leader of the Heavenly Assassination Squad, a vast chasm in status existed between him and Bu Eunseol, the successor. Yet, he surveyed the room as if it were his own, then hopped onto the table, sitting in a posture of utter comfort.
Bu Eunseol regarded Seo Jin-ha’s nonchalance with indifference, returning to his letter.
“What brings you here?”
Seo Jin-ha smiled, showing off his bright white teeth, as he mentioned, ‘I’ve been given a furlough for about a month because there aren’t any special missions for the main squad for the time being.’ He glanced around again, anticipating the arrival of others. ‘Let’s also call Myo Cheon-woo and Yoo Woon-ryong. I’ll treat you all generously.’
“Hmm.”
When Bu Eunseol made a troubled expression, Seo Jin-ha’s eyes widened. “What, are you so busy you can’t even drink a cup of wine?”
“It’s not that. They also applied for vacation.”
“Huh? Where to?”
“Myo Cheon-woo took his squad members to Hainan. He said he would face the ocean waves with the palm technique he created recently.”
Recently, Myo Cheon-woo had selected talented members and was teaching them the essence of his palm arts. He had taken his leave specifically to train them properly in the harsh environment of Hainan.
“And Yoo Woon-ryong?”
“Yoo Woon-ryong went to Longquan in Zhejiang to oversee the Ten-Sectioned Staff production. He said he needs to find a master blacksmith.”
Yoo Woon-ryong, who authored the Ten-Sectioned Staff Diagram, identified a critical flaw in his invention. The chains that linked the segments, which were the joints of the weapon, were too weak. If an opponent found this weakness, they could aim at the joints and destroy the weapon immediately. To address this vulnerability, Yoo Woon-ryong planned to create new chain components.
“They have days off, but why on earth would they spend them like that?” Seo Jin-ha looked utterly absurd. “They should just rest comfortably. Did you instruct them to do this?”
“Absolutely not,” Bu Eunseol snorted. “I specifically told them to rest. However, both of them mentioned it was personal business and they intended to handle it during their vacation.”
“Hah, they’ve turned into complete workaholics,” Seo Jin-ha said, his shoulders drooping in dejection.
Myo Cheon-woo, who was naturally easygoing, was one thing… but to turn even Yoo Woon-ryong, a man who seemed unable to adapt to the Demonic Palace, into a workaholic?
“How on earth did you turn guys full of scoundrel temperament into loyal subordinates?”
“What do you mean?”
“Even Rootless Squad is like that, and Yoo Woon-ryong, who is rebelling against the world.” When Bu Eunseol did not respond, Seo Jin-ha muttered regretfully. “My main squad has strict discipline, so that’s understandable… but honestly, demanding unconditional loyalty through power and authority is not to my taste either.” He sighed deeply. “How can I make the guys in my team loyal subordinates like yours…”
Bu Eunseol, still writing, finally spoke, “There’ss no such thing as loyalty.”
“What?”
“What loyalty would those who eat by the sword have? They’re simply struggling not to die.” Bu Eunseol fixed his gaze on the ink drying on the page and continued calmly. “If there is something a leader must do, it is only to train his subordinates so they can come out alive in any situation.”
“…”
“That is the only duty of a commander who holds even one penny or one bit of power more than them.”
Seo Jin-ha stared blankly for a moment. Then, suddenly, he burst into laughter.
“Puh-ha-hat.”
Laughing for a long time, he nodded as if realizing something profound. “Was it that kind of method?”
“That kind of method?”
“Seeming indifferent but taking care of subordinates meticulously?”
“I do not take care of them.”
“Hehehe.” Seo Jin-ha smirked and stood up. “True, if I had a superior like you, I would’ve pledged loyalty with my life, too.” Despite the high praise, Bu Eunseol continued writing without reaction.
“Hmm.”
Shaking his head, Seo Jin-ha approached and slid the letter Bu Eunseol was writing toward himself. If anyone else had done this, they might have lost a hand. Bu Eunseol not only possessed a cold personality but also despised actions that crossed the line.
“What are you doing?” Despite receiving Bu Eunseol’s freezing gaze, Seo Jin-ha pointed to his own face with a nonchalant expression.
“What can you do? It’s a holiday.”
“…”
“You should at least keep me company.”
***
Stealth Demons Pavilion, Rooftop.
A bright full moon hung in the sky.
Bu Eunseol sat on the peak of the roof, which seemed to pierce the heavens. Beside him sat Seo Jin-ha.
In the past, Bu Eunseol had enjoyed drinking on the roof. He loved the view of the world below and the sense of openness that could only be felt in high places. However, after drinking with the Gong Clan Twin Demons at the Yueyang Branch of the Nine Assassination Squad, he had stopped.
The memory of their lonely, desolate last moments always surfaced here.
But was it a coincidence? Seo Jin-ha had brought good wine and abruptly led him up to this very spot.
Gulp, gulp.
Taking a long swig from the gourd bottle, Seo Jin-ha tossed it to Bu Eunseol. Even though he had brought plenty of wine, Seo Jin-ha insisted on drinking from the same vessel, passing one gourd back and forth.
Why on earth do you drink so uncomfortably?
An ordinary person would have asked why they shared a single bottle. But Bu Eunseol didn’t ask. He had felt for a long time that this was simply the way Seo Jin-ha drank with a close friend to whom he had given his heart.
Thud.
After drinking, Bu Eunseol tossed the gourd back. Drinking on a roof bathed in moonlight felt like sharing hundreds of words with open hearts, even in silence.
“Even with a vacation, it’s like this.” Seo Jin-ha sighed, looking into the dark liquid in the gourd. “There’s nothing particular to do.”
Smacking his lips, he burst into laughter. “By the way, that was impressive. Picking up the flowers of the Orthodox and Demonic factions, one in each hand, while being so busy.”
In an instant, Bu Eunseol’s face darkened. The memory of being tormented for days due to the ‘fiancée incident’ resurfaced.
“We are nothing to each other.”
“What do you mean? Nothing?”
“It was a desperate measure to cut off the rumors that I was looking for a bride.”
“Huh?”
“Otherwise, portrait albums would still be pouring into the Pavilion endlessly.”
“Even the Divine Maiden Palace made an official announcement that she is engaged to you.” Seo Jin-ha tilted his head playfully. “Thanks to that, the young men gathered at the Divine Maiden Palace to see the ‘One Glance Worth a Thousand Gold’ went back shedding tears of blood.”
“I did not get engaged.”
“What are you saying? Then why didn’t you deny it when the rumor spread?”
“There was a reason.” Bu Eunseol lowered his head, his expression gloomy. “An inevitable situation.”
Seo Jin-ha barely held back the laughter trying to burst from his chest. The Martial Soul Decree Master, who possessed peerless martial arts and overcame any crisis instantly, looking so frustrated?
“Don’t tell me you’re actually completely naive in this area?”
“What nonsense.”
“No, isn’t it? The Martial Soul Decree Master, who breaks through any difficulty with martial arts and intellect…” Seo Jin-ha grinned. “To think you can’t easily solve a problem of the opposite sex?”
“I solved it. In my own way.”
“Huh?”
“If I had acted cruelly, they would have become even more obsessed with me.” Bu Eunseol’s eyes narrowed. “There are many cool and wonderful people in the world. As time passes, they will realize that fact, too.”
“In other words, time is the medicine.”
“Correct.”
Seo Jin-ha crossed his arms. “But you know, what if they continue to wait for you even as time passes?”
“…”
“If they want only you until their hair turns white and they become bent-backed grandmothers. What do you intend to do then?”
“Until hair turns white…”
Silence hovered in Bu Eunseol’s eyes as he looked at the distant sky.
“If I can live until my hair turns white, that would truly be a miracle.”
His gaze and tone were like those of a child left alone in the world.
In an instant, Seo Jin-ha’s eyes reddened.
Bu Eunseol. What on earth are you thinking? What is your goal that you despair of life so much and regard your own existence as so fleeting?
Seo Jin-ha was a person richer in emotion than anyone else. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have harbored feelings of friendship for the ice-cold Bu Eunseol.
“By the way, how did you know to hit the Five Poisons Sect?”
After a long silence, he changed the subject while looking at Bu Eunseol’s profile reflected in the bright moonlight. “Even the leadership of the Palace didn’t know about the kidnapping of children. How did you find out?”
Thud.
Catching the gourd, Bu Eunseol drank deeply. Only after a long pause did he speak.
“The Heavenly Assassination Squad Captain must have told you to find out.”
“Haha. I really can’t beat you.”
Even though his inner thoughts were seen through at once, Seo Jin-ha laughed playfully. “As you know, our Squad Captain hates you very much. He’s also quite close with the leaders of the Ten Demonic Sects who don’t think well of you.” He further spoke with a bitter expression. “Knowing like a ghost that I’m close to you, he told me to ask. How you obtain information. How you operate that organization.”
“Right.”
After a moment of silence, Bu Eunseol lowered his voice.
“I investigated the Martial Righteous Alliance briefly.”
Then, he suddenly revealed a surprising truth.
“And by chance, I discovered a spy who had infiltrated the Alliance. He was a person from the Five Poisons Sect.”
Seo Jin-ha’s eyes widened.
Bu Eunseol investigated the Martial Righteous Alliance? Did that mean he sent a spy there, or infiltrated it himself? If such a fact became known, a great war could break out between the Demonic Palace and the Orthodox factions.
“Why are you telling me all that?” Seo Jin-ha asked, shocked.
“You promised.”
Bu Eunseol spoke with a nonchalant expression.
“That you wouldn’t stab me in the back.”
In an instant, Seo Jin-ha’s eyes wavered.
At least this body doesn’t stab someone in the back.
That was what Seo Jin-ha had said when he proposed to join forces with Bu Eunseol on Hell Island. And Bu Eunseol believed those words. Even now, after so much time had passed.
You trusted me all along.
Bu Eunseol always claimed he didn’t believe in friendship. But he firmly believed the words Seo Jin-ha said. Wasn’t that true friendship?
Barely suppressing the overwhelming emotion rising in his chest, Seo Jin-ha grumbled to hide his feelings. “Well, I’m sure you’ll handle it, but the leadership of the Palace and the Ten Demonic Sects are still keen on your moves.”
He took a deep breath. “Stop moving the intelligence organization for a while and rest. In the current state, whatever you do, you’ll be detected by them.”
“I cannot.”
“Why?”
“Because there is something I must find.”
“What on earth?”
When Bu Eunseol didn’t answer, Seo Jin-ha sighed. “You are already the successor of the Demonic Palace. Is there still something lacking?”
“Becoming the successor was also to operate an intelligence organization like now.” Bu Eunseol spoke with weary eyes. “But there are things I can’t find even with power like this.”
“What on earth are you trying to find?”
“…”
“Can’t you even tell me?”
“Because it is just something I must do.”
“Bu Eunseol.”
Seo Jin-ha looked straight at him with a serious expression. “Not as much as you, but I’m also a Team Leader of the Heavenly Assassination Squad with decent power.” His voice grew strong. “In short, it means I might accidentally obtain information you don’t know.”
Bu Eunseol, who had been silent for a long time, finally whispered the name.
“Evil Fragrance.”
“Evil Fragrance?”
“Yes. I must catch their tail.”
Seo Jin-ha’s expression became bizarre.
Evil Fragrance. They were called the grandmasters of hidden weapons, but that was it. They merely distributed sophisticated tools in the Murim. Assassins rarely showed themselves, nor did they exert any influence on the Murim. It was a faction that concealed its identity so thoroughly that its main base hadn’t been revealed for ages.
Why was Bu Eunseol looking for them?
Seo Jin-ha, looking into Bu Eunseol’s eyes, nodded slowly.
“Right, I see.”
No need to know the reason. Bu Eunseol had made up his mind to find the Evil Fragrance no matter the hardship. Then what Seo Jin-ha had to do was also decided.
Because that is what a friend is.
“I made the drinking party heavy with useless talk.”
Seo Jin-ha slowly stood up. “I’ll go back. I should enjoy my long vacation, too.”
Turning his head, he wore a bright smile. “Take care until I return.”
Before Bu Eunseol could answer, Seo Jin-ha triggered his movement technique, vanishing from the Stealth Demons Pavilion into the night.
“…”
Bu Eunseol stared at the empty space where his friend had been.
Friendship, unlike love, can be maintained even if it is one-sided. That is the greatness and the tragedy of friendship.
But because Bu Eunseol didn’t know that fact…
Soon, he would greatly regret the events of this day.