Wi Cheon-gyeong looked as if he had been struck on the back of the head. He shook it off, dazed, before finding his voice.
“But why join forces to kill the Peerless Phantom Divine Thief?”
“Only then will the secrets of the Righteous and Demonic paths remain buried.”
Bu Eunseol muttered the words while gazing at the distant sky, his expression unreadable.
“If either side monopolizes the Thief, every secret the other side has hidden will be exposed to the world.”
“Then why on earth did you make our squad and the Life-Severing Squad play around and act negligent?” Myo Cheon-woo stammered, clearly flustered.
Bu Eunseol offered a cold smile. “Only then would the Thief pass through here.”
Seeing that smile, goosebumps prickled along Myo Cheon-woo’s arms. The realization of Bu Eunseol’s strategy finally dawned on him.
“Because the two forces joined hands, the Thief wouldn’t last long against the pressure. And since this place has been neglecting guard duty and holding drinking parties all along…”
“Correct.” Bu Eunseol’s smile turned confident. “He will surely pass through here.”
The Peerless Phantom Divine Thief must have been watching this area closely from above. When the pressure mounted, he would inevitably seek the point of least resistance to make his escape. That was precisely this area around Guanmao Peak.
“So that’s why you sent Yoo Woon-ryong…”
Finally grasping the full scope of Bu Eunseol’s machinations, Myo Cheon-woo looked stunned. The plan was ingenious, yet recklessly dangerous. If things hadn’t gone according to design—if the Demonic Palace and Martial Righteous Alliance hadn’t cooperated, or if a battle had broken out due to impatience—it could have triggered an all-out War between the Righteous and Demonic factions.
“You should have told me beforehand,” Myo Cheon-woo gasped, his breath hitching. “One wrong step and we would have fallen into the abyss.”
“If I did, the information would have leaked. Just like the Peerless Phantom Divine Thief matter.”
Piiiiing!
A signal flare shrieked into the nearby sky, painting a streak of red against the clouds.
Just as Bu Eunseol had predicted, that flare was not a call for reinforcements, but a marker fired by pursuit teams that had pinpointed the target’s location.
“It seems the Martial Righteous Alliance caught the Thief’s tail first.”
Just as Myo Cheon-woo muttered the words—
Whish!
A sound like tearing canvas erupted from the distant sky. A streak of shadow cut through the void, disappearing in the opposite direction.
The Peerless Phantom Divine Thief.
That terrifyingly fast shadow could be no one else.
Thud-thud-thud!
Simultaneously, the vibration of dozens of footsteps rushing toward them trembled through the earth.
“Myo Cheon-woo!”
Bu Eunseol’s voice cracked like a thunderclap. “Command the members and stop all pursuit teams coming this way!”
Rumble!
With movement techniques reminiscent of a lightning strike, Bu Eunseol surged forward, chasing the disappearing shadow of the Thief into the distance.
“You heard the order!”
At Myo Cheon-woo’s shout, the Deathly Shadow Squad members let out beast-like roars.
“From now on, we must block all the trash coming this way! Third Team, take the lead! Second Team, flank!”
Myo Cheon-woo commanded the members with perfect order, establishing a defensive line instantly.
Thud-thud-thud!
Dozens of shadows poured toward them from the distance. The white headbands adorning their foreheads identified them clearly: masters of the Martial Righteous Alliance Sword Squads.
“Block them!”
At Myo Cheon-woo’s command, the Deathly Shadow Squad formed their ranks and charged, a tide of darkness crashing against the incoming wave.
***
Whish!
Two streaks of shadow shot through the forest like released arrows.
The one ahead was the Peerless Phantom Divine Thief. Pursuing him was Bu Eunseol.
Fast.
The speed of the figure ahead was truly godlike. Even Bu Eunseol, having pushed his Shadowless Supreme Speed to its absolute limit, could not easily close the gap.
He is injured.
Red droplets occasionally scattered into the air from the fleeing shadow, painting the leaves crimson. Yet despite suffering a fatal injury, the Thief moved with a desperate velocity that defied logic.
But I am confident in endurance.
With his profound internal energy, Bu Eunseol could maintain his maximum speed for over half a day.
Whirrr!
Realizing he was being gained upon, the Thief’s movement technique became more complex. He darted into the dense forest like lightning, then leaped over cliffs using Fish Leaping to the Heavenly Gate, disappearing and reappearing in flashes.
“Useless.”
Perhaps due to the injury, the Thief could not completely suppress his noise and presence. No matter how much the distance widened, he was instantly detected by Bu Eunseol’s Void-Shattering Insight.
Rumble.
The Thief’s movement, which had been shooting forward like a bolt of electricity, began to sputter. Finally, his momentum failed him under a sheer cliff. He collapsed against the rock face, gasping for breath.
“Haa… haa…”
Thud.
Bu Eunseol landed moments later, narrowing his eyes as he took in the fugitive’s appearance.
The Peerless Phantom Divine Thief, a legend who had vanished for decades, possessed a sage-like demeanor and clean-cut features that belied his profession. However, clear blood flowed freely from his left chest, and the light in his eyes was rapidly fading.
Suffering a fatal wound, his life was extinguishing like a candle in a gale.
“You are…”
The Thief, chest heaving, pointed a trembling finger at Bu Eunseol’s face.
“What is your relationship with Go Wol?”
The Peerless Phantom Divine Thief, the Number One thief under the Heavens, instantly recognized the movement technique of Go Wol, a master who had once stood shoulder to shoulder with him.
“He is the master who taught me movement techniques.”
“Movement technique master, you say.” The Thief’s eyes narrowed amidst his gasps. “I heard he returned to the Wolf Fang Pavilion in his later years. Then you must be a figure of the Wolf Fang Pavilion.”
“I am.”
“It is useless.” The Thief gritted his teeth. “No matter what you do, this old man will absolutely not open his mouth.”
Bu Eunseol smiled broadly. “Do not open it. Please, keep it shut tight.”
“What?”
“If I hear secrets from you… won’t I also be chased by the Righteous and Demonic paths for the rest of my life?”
“W-What?”
At the unexpected answer, the Thief blinked, confusion overriding his pain. “Strange fellow. If you don’t even want to know the secret, why did you chase me?”
“Because of your appearance, the Palace fell into chaos. The successor battle turning into a mud fight is a bonus,” Bu Eunseol spoke calmly. “No need for me to use my hands. Die quickly.”
“…Judging by your actions, you aren’t one of them.”
Them?
Just as Bu Eunseol’s face hardened—
“A life bound to die anyway…” The Thief sighed deeply, looking up at the distant sky. “I should at least resolve the knot of resentment in my heart before I go.”
Swallowing a hot breath, he spoke in a low voice. “This old man never saw any register listing the spies of the Righteous and Demonic paths. I only spread rumors that I saw it.”
“You were crazy enough to invite the wrath of the entire Murim?”
“Hehehe.” Deep regret etched itself into the Thief’s fading eyes. “It was just a shield to divert their attention. Because this old man’s movement technique is number one under the heavens.”
It was incomprehensible. Maintaining a fugitive life for decades just to focus attention on himself?
“Aren’t you curious who they are?”
“Not interested.”
“Why?”
“I have no interest in the political situation of the Murim. And there are things in the world better left unknown…”
Bu Eunseol, who was about to continue speaking with a smile, frowned. Only then did he discover the unique hidden weapons embedded in the Thief’s back like the quills of a hedgehog.
Whoosh!
As Bu Eunseol reached out, the minute fragments embedded in the flesh were sucked into his hand. He had extracted them instantly using the powerful Void-Grasping Art.
“Don’t tell me…”
The short needles possessed very fine barbs, like thorns. The only place in the Murim capable of manufacturing such precise instruments of death was the Evil Fragrance.
“Evil Fragrance…”
A light redder than fresh blood rose in Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
The hidden weapon of the Evil Fragrance—the same weapon that had killed his grandfather, Bu Jan-nyang.
Why was it embedded in the Peerless Phantom Divine Thief’s back?
Don’t tell me the person who killed grandfather… was chasing the Thief?
“Rotting Flesh Decaying Blood…”
The fragments were coated in a blue liquid. It was an extreme poison of the Rotting Flesh Decaying Blood family.
In an instant, a crimson radiance rose like a haze from Bu Eunseol’s pupils.
“Who…”
Emitting a blood-light like fog from his eyes, Bu Eunseol spoke with a voice that rumbled like thunder.
“Threw this hidden weapon!”
Sssss.
As his true energy burst out uncontrollably, fueled by rage, the metal fragments in Bu Eunseol’s left hand melted instantly.
“I asked who used this hidden weapon!”
“What are you saying?”
“The hidden weapon of the Evil Fragrance…!”
But the Thief’s eyes were already growing dim. The poison had spread throughout his body, and he had lost too much blood. If not for his profound internal energy, he would have become a lonely ghost long before Bu Eunseol caught him.
“Answer before you die!”
Bu Eunseol slammed his palm onto the Thief’s Mingmen acupoint and infused his true energy.
Crunch!
Just then, the sound of something hard breaking echoed from the Thief’s mouth. Like a trained assassin, he had crushed a false tooth containing poison hidden in his molar.
Tremble.
As the secondary poison ravaged his system, the Thief’s eyes dimmed further. His last remaining life force was guttering out.
“Speak!”
Suppressing his soaring emotions, Bu Eunseol forced his internal energy into the dying man.
Whoosh.
As pure Polarity Reversal True Energy, containing both Yin and Yang essences, flooded the meridians via the Mingmen acupoint, a faint lucidity returned to the Thief’s eyes.
“The one who coated the Rotting Flesh Decaying Blood poison and shot the Evil Fragrance hidden weapon at you. Who on earth is he!”
“Rotting Flesh Decaying Blood… Evil Fragrance…”
Hearing Bu Eunseol’s desperate demand, a subtle light rose in the Thief’s gaze.
“Tianzhu Flexibility Art…”
Bu Eunseol felt as if his chest would burst from the heat of his own blood. The Thief was describing a characteristic of the killer that Bu Eunseol hadn’t even mentioned.
“Correct. The one who uses Evil Fragrance hidden weapons and the Tianzhu Flexibility Art. Who is he?”
“Seven-Fingered…”
The Peerless Phantom Divine Thief, staring at the distant sky with unfocused eyes, whispered the words.
“…Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-nyang.”
Leaving those words hanging in the cold air, he breathed his last.
Focus disappeared from Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade, Bu Jan-nyang.
Was that not the Deputy Palace Master of the Demonic Palace who went missing long ago… and a legendary saber user who bore the exact same name as his grandfather?
Could it be that the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade was still alive, and he was the killer who murdered his grandfather?
Or is grandfather the Seven-Fingered Demonic Blade Bu Jan-nyang?
That was impossible.
The breathing technique Bu Jan-nyang had taught him from childhood was the Classics of Changes in Muscle and Tendon, the supreme divine art of the Righteous Faction. How could a legendary master of the Demonic Path learn Shaolin’s holiest text, which had never been leaked to the outside world?
Did grandfather not have all ten fingers, warm with body heat?
But…
Doubts gnawed at him.
How could a master who learned Shaolin’s ultimate divine art be a lowly mortician of the Constabulary, a job even vagrants shunned?
In the end, Bu Eunseol realized he did not know his grandfather’s true identity at all.
Whish!
Just then, a black cloud soared from the distant sky and plummeted to the ground.
Thump!
The figure wearing a glistening, strange martial uniform was none other than Wi Mu-yeom, the Heavenly Assassination Squad Captain.
“Peerless Phantom Divine Thief!”
Wi Mu-yeom looked alternately at Bu Eunseol and the corpse, his voice booming. “What on earth happened?”
“…”
Bu Eunseol stood with unfocused eyes, deaf to the world.
“Do you not hear this Squad Captain’s words?”
Only then did Bu Eunseol slowly turn his head.
“Someone was fleeing near Guanmao Peak, so I pursued.” He spoke weakly, his voice devoid of spirit. “But he suddenly stopped his movement technique here, and died just like that.”
“Did you hear anything from him?”
Bu Eunseol shook his head. “I heard nothing.”
Wi Mu-yeom stared piercingly at Bu Eunseol, attempting to discern the truth. A strange power seemed to extend from his gaze, scanning the young man thoroughly. But Bu Eunseol remained motionless, maintaining his vacuous stare.
“Mm.”
After a deathly silence, Wi Mu-yeom swallowed a groan and turned away to examine the body.
The stab wound near the heart is the fatal one.
His eyes narrowed. The weapon that had dug into the heart was very thin. Judging by the shape, it wasn’t a standard blade but closer to a soft sword commonly used by Righteous masters.
There is no master using a soft sword in the Palace.
Then he examined the back and frowned. Flesh that seemed to have been struck by hidden weapons was rotting away.
Extreme poison of the Rotting Flesh Decaying Blood family?
Wi Mu-yeom grimaced. Because the flesh had begun to rot so rapidly, he couldn’t determine what specific hidden weapon had been used.
Mm.
The stab wound had slightly missed the heart, but the bleeding was catastrophic. It looked as if every drop of blood in the body had been drained.
The key is when they encountered each other.
Wi Mu-yeom calculated the time the Thief had fled using full-force movement techniques. He wouldn’t have died immediately upon arriving here. If Bu Eunseol was present at the moment of death… they must have exchanged at least a few words.
Hmph.
Wi Mu-yeom’s eyes turned sharp. Since no one else witnessed the scene, the truth would remain buried with the dead.
Rumble!
White lightning seemed to strike from the clear sky, and a man in white martial attire descended from the air. It was Lee Se-cheon, the Heavenly Sword Corps Captain who led all the Sword Corps of the Martial Righteous Alliance.
“Damn.”
Discovering the Peerless Phantom Divine Thief turned into a cold corpse, Lee Se-cheon wore a dismayed expression.
Thud. Tap-tap-tap.
Heavenly Assassination Squad members and Heavenly Sword Corps members arrived one by one, lining up behind their respective leaders. With the corpse and Bu Eunseol in the center, masters of both the Righteous and Demonic factions confronted each other.
Heavy silence flowed instantly, the atmosphere becoming extremely hostile.
“And you are?” Lee Se-cheon asked, staring intently at Bu Eunseol.
No answer returned.
“It seems you discovered the Thief first.” Lee Se-cheon twitched his eyebrow and asked persistently, but Bu Eunseol kept his silence. There was no need to kindly explain the situation to a Corps Captain of the Martial Righteous Alliance.
“Hmph.”
Groaning, Lee Se-cheon looked at the corpse. “Corps Captain Wi. Since we promised to pursue jointly, checking the corpse should be fine, right?”
Wi Mu-yeom didn’t answer, but he didn’t stop him either.
“Hah.”
Approaching slowly, Lee Se-cheon couldn’t close his mouth as he inspected the scars. Examining the sharp stab wound penetrating near the heart, his eyes blurred with confusion.
Not a method of the Demonic Path.
It seemed vicious at a glance, but the technique penetrating the heart was closer to Righteous sword arts. Demonic sword arts typically included dragging or twisting motions to maximize lethality. But this trace showed a clean, rapid penetration and retrieval.
A completely incomprehensible situation.
Lee Se-cheon had discovered traces of the Thief almost simultaneously with Wi Mu-yeom. But the Thief’s stealth art was peerless, and they had lost him for a moment. Now, he was a cold corpse, killed by an unknown hand using an unknown method.
“I cannot tell who killed him. The Alliance will retrieve the body to investigate the proper cause of death.”
At Lee Se-cheon’s words, the Heavenly Assassination Squad Captain snorted. “Nonsense.”
Wi Mu-yeom spoke in a low, firm voice. “The Palace retrieves his body.”
“So… it comes to this eventually.”
Light flashed in Lee Se-cheon’s eyes. A frontal collision was unavoidable.
But just then—
Sssss!
White smoke began to rise from the Peerless Phantom Divine Thief’s body. Simultaneously, the skin of the entire corpse began to bubble and melt, turning into crimson gore that sloughed off the bones and flowed onto the floor.