Hong Hyeon.
As the martial uncle of the previous Shaolin Abbot, he commanded the highest seniority within the Orthodox Murim, revered by all as a Living Buddha. It was said that he had mastered the Classics of Changes in Muscle and Tendon to a divine realm, allowing him to maintain the vigorous appearance of an immortal despite having lived for over two centuries.
The Three Venerables.
Excluding the Twin Heavenly Emperors of the Orthodox and Demonic factions who stood at the apex of existence, he was one of the Three Venerables who had reached the very pinnacle of martial arts—a living legend.
This was the Buddhist Venerable, Great Master Hong Hyeon.
“Is something troubling you?”
“It is nothing.”
Bu Eunseol shook his head, dismissing the concern, though the old monk’s words from the previous day still resonated in his mind like the tolling of a great bell.
When the crisis comes, become an unshakeable pillar. No matter where you stand.
The monk had not asked him to protect the Orthodox Murim. He had simply asked him to become a pillar, to stand firm wherever he found himself when the calamity arrived.
Did he see through my true identity?
From Bu Eunseol’s perspective, keeping this promise to Great Master Hong Hyeon was not a difficult task.
No matter where I stand…
It sounded as if the monk had considered Bu Eunseol’s unique position. It was a promise that favored him, one that carried no burdensome chains.
Bu Eunseol was the successor of the Demonic Palace.
If the Murim truly fell into crisis? He simply had to become a pillar of the Gangho as the successor of the Demonic Palace.
At that moment, Jong Jeong-yak spoke again, breaking his reverie.
“Young Hero Seol. I fear we will be late again today; the document organization is taking longer than anticipated.”
Jong Jeong-yak and Neung Jo-un were in the midst of compiling every scrap of evidence regarding Dan-ri Muk’s corruption ahead of the Ten Righteousness Conference. Since they lacked a single decisive smoking gun, their strategy was to overwhelm the Hall Masters with enough circumstantial evidence to sow irrevocable doubt.
“The Ten Righteousness Conference will convene very soon. Please bear with the frustration just a little longer.”
Bu Eunseol nodded. “There is no need to worry about me. Please, attend to your duties.”
***
Night draped the world in darkness once more.
Slipping secretly out of his quarters, Bu Eunseol unfolded his movement technique, ghosting toward the outskirts of the Northern Gate. He intended to investigate the abandoned warehouse he had been unable to enter previously.
Whoosh.
He moved with haste this time. Gliding past the guards patrolling the perimeter and weaving silently between the buildings, he finally arrived inside the abandoned warehouse again.
As expected, someone has been here.
When he expanded his Spirit Communion of the Empty Mind to inspect the bluestone floor, fresh footprints appeared vividly in his mind’s eye. It seemed the intruders had entered with peace of mind, seeing no further signs of tampering.
Rumble.
Stepping carefully inside, Bu Eunseol furrowed his brow deeply. He had expected to find caches of spiritual medicines, lethal poisons, or perhaps the Evil Fragrance’s hidden weapons.
Instead, the shelves were lined with expensive night-luminescent pearls, gold, and promissory notes.
I don’t understand.
If one wished to embezzle money for personal use, they could simply store it in their private residence or a secure secret vault. Why did Dan-ri Muk store such vast amounts of treasure here? And in an abandoned warehouse that even low-ranking martial artists could easily access?
If that is the case…
Just as Bu Eunseol’s mind began to race—
Creak, rumble.
With the grinding sound of the mechanism, the door opened and five shadows slipped inside.
Although they all wore masks, Bu Eunseol recognized them instantly by their builds; they were the martial artists from the Law Enforcement Hall who had picked a fight with him not long ago.
“Damn it, this is annoying every single time.”
Each of them held a bundle. They scanned the surroundings, checked the empty shelves, and deposited their loads. Judging by the heavy clinking sounds, it was clear that their bundles also contained expensive jewels or valuables.
“We’re done, let’s go.”
“My body feels stiff as a board. I need a drink before I hit the sack.”
They whispered complaints among themselves before slipping back out of the secret warehouse.
Bu Eunseol, observing them from the darkness, nodded faintly. The nature of this operation finally clicked into place.
They are using this secret warehouse like a delivery depot.
The abandoned warehouse was a place any martial artist of the Martial Righteous Alliance could enter without restriction. In other words, its accessibility made it the perfect drop-off point where anyone could leave or retrieve items without drawing suspicion to a specific individual.
I can catch the tail.
Since the delivery men had made their deposit, the collectors would arrive soon. Bu Eunseol concealed his presence in the shadows and waited with infinite patience.
How much time had passed?
Rumble.
Once again, the mechanism ground into motion, and the door to the secret warehouse opened. Two men entered, clad in the standard martial robes of the Martial Righteous Alliance.
They aren’t Alliance martial artists.
Bu Eunseol sensed it immediately.
They wore the uniforms, but they were decidedly not members of the Alliance. Although dressed as low-ranking warriors, their gait and the aura they radiated bordered on the Transcendence Realm.
“Hmph.”
The two men inspected the bundles left by the Law Enforcement Hall members and quickly tucked them into their robes. Then, they exited the warehouse as if nothing had happened.
I must pursue them.
Bu Eunseol shadowed the two men silently.
After walking for a while, they stopped in front of a building near the Northern Gate. It was a general lodging house where merchants or outsiders visiting the Alliance typically stayed. Entering the lodging, they familiarly changed their clothes.
Now dressed as merchants, they bypassed the lodging reception and exited the Martial Righteous Alliance through the Northern Gate, moving past the sentries with practiced ease.
Natural. This isn’t their first time.
As he followed them out, a guard at the Northern Gate questioned Bu Eunseol.
“Where are you headed, sir?”
“Just stepping out to grab a drink nearby.”
“I see. Please write your name in the log before you go.”
Bu Eunseol quickly scribbled a name with the brush. Meanwhile, the two men who had slipped out of the Alliance immediately unfolded their lightness arts, accelerating away.
Bu Eunseol began his pursuit in earnest.
Whoosh. Tap.
The two men quickly passed through the village. Judging by their speed and direction, they weren’t heading to a nearby rendezvous point but were traveling to another province entirely.
I have no choice.
Bu Eunseol had to return to the Martial Righteous Alliance before the day ended. He couldn’t chase them indefinitely to see their final destination.
Making up his mind, he surged his internal energy, doubling his speed to overtake them rapidly and block their path.
“Halt.”
The two men, who had been sprinting across the treetops, landed on the ground with surprised expressions.
“…”
They stared at Bu Eunseol’s appearance for a moment, exchanged glances, and nodded. Then, without a word of negotiation, they split left and right and suddenly extended their palms.
Vwoom!
Their martial arts were extremely peculiar.
The one on the left extended both palms toward Bu Eunseol in an attack stance, while the one on the right assumed a defensive posture as if to receive the palm force.
Bang!
Simultaneously, a mysterious and immense force slammed into Bu Eunseol. It felt as if he had been struck by an invisible sledgehammer.
Thud, thud.
As dust clouds billowed in all directions, the two men smiled with grim satisfaction.
“This isn’t Central Plains martial arts.”
Pat, pat.
As the dust settled and Bu Eunseol calmly brushed off his clothes, their eyes widened in shock.
“The power is as formidable as the bizarre stance.”
Bu Eunseol looked down at the torn fabric on his chest and nodded approvingly.
“A lesser master would have had their chest crushed by that single combined move.”
Pa-pat!
Startled, the two men tried to attack Bu Eunseol again with their twin palms. But their movements froze mid-action.
Whish!
Bu Eunseol had vanished from their sight.
Pow! Pow!
With the dull sound of impact, the two men collapsed forward clumsily. Bu Eunseol had moved behind them in the blink of an eye and delivered a single punch to each of them.
“Urgh.”
They immediately vomited black blood, their insides twisting in agony. The strikes looked like light taps, yet they felt as if they had been hit by a massive iron block. Furthermore, the internal energy imbued in the punches was so potent that their protective qi shattered instantly, inflicting severe internal injuries.
“Who… who are you?”
Bu Eunseol’s eyebrows twitched slightly upon hearing their voices. At first glance, they spoke fluent Han Chinese, but a distinct, foreign accent laced their words.
“I ask the questions.”
Bu Eunseol spoke in a low voice, channeling his internal energy to pressure them.
“Where did you bastards come from?”
A vicious light gleamed from their foreheads as they glared at Bu Eunseol.
Shoot!
Simultaneously, they vanished from sight. However, Bu Eunseol’s super-sensory perception had already located them launching themselves into the air.
“Die!”
The two men extended their palms at the same time. The ground where Bu Eunseol stood cracked, and a storm-like palm force rained down explosively.
Thousand Hands Tathagata Palm.
The palm technique they unfolded was reminiscent of the Thousand Hands Tathagata Palm used by the Buddhist Venerable Hong Hyeon.
In that instant, Bu Eunseol instinctively drew upon the Martial Emperor’s Silent Awakening and unfolded the Qi of Thirteen Provocations.
Originally, he intended to use the One Punch of the Lofty Realm with his left hand and the Autumn Mountain Immortal Stride with his legs. But the enlightenment imparted by the Buddhist Venerable flashed through his mind.
Create a new martial art from an existing one…
Impermanence of All Things.
All things are constantly in flux and do not remain in a single form. Just as the laws of nature are created and destroyed moment by moment, was there a need to fix a martial art into a rigid form?
Flash!
Bu Eunseol, seizing enlightenment, eyes gleaming, thrust his fist forward.
It looked like a simple punch, but in reality, it contained the variations of both the One Punch of the Lofty Realm and the Autumn Mountain Immortal Stride fused within a single move.
Swish!
A massive, crescent-shaped force erupted from his left shoulder.
Hwa-a-ak!
It completely erased the palm force raining down from the sky. Then, tracing a red line across the necks of the two men floating in mid-air, it flew far into the night sky.
Thud. Pshhh-shoot!
Blood sprayed like fountains from their necks as they landed on the ground.
“A Martial God… indeed.”
With a short gasp, they collapsed simultaneously. Despite pouring out immense palm force, they couldn’t stop a single strand of energy unleashed by Bu Eunseol and died instantly.
“Hm.”
Bu Eunseol looked rather bewildered by the unexpected power. He had only intended to lightly push away their palm force… so why had such massive power erupted?
The Qi of Thirteen Provocations possess such power?
Only then did Bu Eunseol realize how the Martial Emperor had conquered the world using simple bare-handed martial arts. He hadn’t used different body parts like Yeop Hyo-cheon; instead, he had layered thirteen different martial arts into a single move and unleashed them as one.
The Martial Emperor, like the Buddhist Venerable, had also reached the realm where he could alter the principles of martial arts.
Bu Eunseol finally understood the essence of the Qi of Thirteen Provocations left by the Martial Emperor. Not only could it unleash a mighty force surpassing the sharpness of divine weapons, but offense and defense were perfectly harmonized, creating a flawless martial art that required no preparation for an enemy’s counterattack.
That was the Martial Emperor’s unique martial art, the Qi of Thirteen Provocations.
If I had mastered Orthodox martial arts, I probably would have thought the Martial Emperor’s arts were the best.
Inside Bu Eunseol’s spirit, the understandings created by the greatest grandmasters of both the Orthodox and Demonic paths were mixed together. Because of this, he did not cling to the highest realms of either Demonic or Orthodox arts but aimed to unite the two to reach a new horizon.
Someday, I will surely achieve it.
However, now was not the time to deeply research martial theory. Taking a deep breath, Bu Eunseol began to examine the two corpses thoroughly.
“Masters from beyond the Great Wall?”
Internal cultivation methods from outside the Great Wall primarily used the Upper Danjeon, so practitioners didn’t accumulate immense true qi in the Lower Danjeon. Thinking back, they showed almost no physical reactions typical of using internal energy, such as pupil dilation or accelerated blood flow.
“They increased their power with the help of drugs like Human Flower.”
Their martial prowess hadn’t reached the Transcendence Realm naturally. They had simply boosted their internal energy drastically using the power of special drugs.
“They don’t seem to be Han Chinese. Where on earth did they pop out from?”
No matter how much he looked, there were no clues in their martial arts or clothing. Hadn’t they even used a bizarre palm technique that Bu Eunseol was seeing for the first time?
“I have no choice.”
Smacking his lips in disappointment, Bu Eunseol stood up. Even if he couldn’t get a clue from them, he still had a card to play.
The Ten Righteousness Conference would open soon. If Dan-ri Muk’s true identity were revealed in detail, the identity of these men would likely come to light as well.
“It’s just a set procedure anyway.”
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath.
Although Jong Jeong-yak was an outstanding martial artist, circumstantially, she wouldn’t be able to find evidence to completely bind Dan-ri Muk. From the beginning, he had resolved to find the evidence of Dan-ri Muk’s corruption himself.
After all, this investigation of the Martial Righteous Alliance had another purpose besides finding the connection to the Evil Fragrance.
***
A few days later.
Bu Eunseol moved with Jong Jeong-yak to a place adorned with a signboard reading Inspection Hall.
The Ten Righteousness Conference was finally convening.
Upon entering, seven people sat around a large table inside the Inspection Hall. They were the Inspection Hall Master, the Flower Secret Garden Master, and five Hall Masters summoned specifically for the Ten Righteousness Conference.
And standing tall in front of them was a middle-aged man in white martial robes. He had a lush beard and a very impressive physique that commanded the room. However, his eyes were too narrow and long, giving him a slightly gloomy, reptilian impression.
It was Dan-ri Muk, the Deputy Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall.
“Everyone is here.”
Jeong Ji-ryong, the Inspection Hall Master sitting in the center, nodded.
“Then, we shall begin the Ten Righteousness Conference.” Looking down at the papers on the table, he addressed Jong Jeong-yak. “Is everything written here true?”
“It is.”
“And the evidence to prove it?”
Jong Jeong-yak pointed to Bu Eunseol. “This is the wandering vagrant from Silent Heaven, Desolate Earth, Young Hero Seol, who will testify regarding this matter.”
Bu Eunseol stepped forward and clasped his hands together in a respectful salute.
“I am Seol So, a wandering vagrant from Silent Heaven, Desolate Earth.”
“Hmm.”
Having apparently heard all about Bu Eunseol’s background, Jeong Ji-ryong spoke in a low voice. “Tell us everything you saw.”
Nodding, Bu Eunseol explained in detail everything from the events at the Superior River Escort Agency, through the Secret Market, to what happened at the Song Clan Manor.
Jeong Ji-ryong then turned to Dan-ri Muk. “If you have anything to say, speak.”
“Young Hero Seol. Since you are a wandering vagrant, you must have come here for money.”
“That is correct.”
“How much did you receive?”
“By contract, I cannot disclose that to others.”
Dan-ri Muk smiled thinly. “Since they call you a Special-Grade Wandering Vagrant, you must have received at least ten thousand taels. Isn’t that so?”
“Correct.”
“Then how can we trust the testimony of a wandering vagrant who sells himself for money?”
Scanning Bu Eunseol with cold eyes, Dan-ri Muk continued. “If I had paid you more, you might have given different testimony. Is that not so?”
“That is correct.”
“It’s good that you admit it honestly.”
Dan-ri Muk then looked at Jeong Ji-ryong and spoke with gravitas.
“This Deputy Hall Master has served the Martial Righteous Alliance for twenty years.” He sighed, looking at Jong Jeong-yak with feigned disappointment. “I also supported the Law Enforcement Junior Commander’s policy of selecting outstanding young people to display their abilities. But this is the only treatment left for me.”
As expected of the Deputy Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall. Not only was his voice persuasive, but his logic fit, and there was no forcefulness in his speech to betray guilt.
Dammit, this is troublesome.
Neung Jo-un, watching from a distance, swallowed dry saliva. If the meeting ended like this, instead of investigating Dan-ri Muk, Jong Jeong-yak would be the one forced to step down from her position as Law Enforcement Junior Commander.
“Is there no other evidence?” Jeong Ji-ryong asked Jong Jeong-yak.
She approached confidently and presented a ledger. “Of course there is.”
She hadn’t just entered the Martial Righteous Alliance and waited idly for the Ten Righteousness Conference to open. She intentionally spread rumors about the Conference convening and brought in a witness to induce Dan-ri Muk to destroy evidence.
With the help of the Flower Secret Garden Master, she had secured evidence that the martial artists of the Law Enforcement Hall had embezzled money under Dan-ri Muk’s orders.
“This is evidence that the Deputy Hall Master has been siphoning off the Alliance’s assets.”
Jeong Ji-ryong took the ledger Jong Jeong-yak offered.
Watching this, Dan-ri Muk actually smirked.
“Look here, Law Enforcement Junior Commander. Does that ledger contain evidence that I did it?”
“What do you mean?”
“What’s written there is likely evidence that the Law Enforcement Hall martial artists embezzled money, isn’t it?”
Surprisingly, Dan-ri Muk seemed to have grasped exactly what evidence Jong Jeong-yak had submitted.
“Didn’t they execute it under the Deputy Hall Master’s orders?”
“Not at all.”
The look in Dan-ri Muk’s eyes as he gazed at Jong Jeong-yak was full of confidence.
“That was their deviation. If I intended to embezzle, I would have taken it directly. Why would I order my subordinates to do it?”
Bu Eunseol, watching the scene, nodded faintly.
Only now did he understand why Dan-ri Muk hadn’t stored the money in his personal residence or warehouse but had built a secret mechanism in the abandoned warehouse. It was to facilitate transactions, yes, but primarily because it was easy to deny involvement if discovered.
“Well, I admit I failed to manage my subordinates properly.” Dan-ri Muk looked at Jeong Ji-ryong with an expression of deep injustice. “But to say that is evidence that I did it…”
“The evidence is right here.”
At that moment, Bu Eunseol pulled several letters from his chest pocket.
“This contains the content of the orders given by the Deputy Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall.”
“What? What nonsense is that?”
Regardless of whether Dan-ri Muk jumped in shock or not, Bu Eunseol handed the letters to Jong Jeong-yak.
“These are the documents the Law Enforcement Junior Commander asked me for the other day. I found them by chance in the abandoned warehouse.”
Jong Jeong-yak blinked. She couldn’t comprehend what Bu Eunseol was saying.
“What do you…”
[Take them. Helping you was part of the additional contract terms.]
Hearing Bu Eunseol’s telepathic message, Jong Jeong-yak was flustered. However, as she scanned the documents Bu Eunseol handed over, a look of shock crossed her face. She immediately handed them to the Inspection Hall Master, Jeong Ji-ryong.
Buzz, buzz.
The expressions of Jeong Ji-ryong and the Hall Masters stiffened as they looked at the documents.
There, the circumstances of Deputy Hall Master Dan-ri Muk embezzling money… and the evidence that he ordered his subordinates to pile the money in the abandoned warehouse were clearly written—and in his own handwriting, no less.
That bastard…
As Dan-ri Muk glared with bloodshot eyes, Bu Eunseol smiled faintly, revealing his white teeth.
Though he was in disguise, it was a smile that somehow revealed a trace of dignity. But to Dan-ri Muk’s eyes, it looked like the smile of a water ghost dragging a person down to hell.
“It’s a lie!”
Dan-ri Muk shouted loudly.
“Where is the proof that those letters were written by me!”