“Good. Then how can we help?”
At Myo Cheon-woo’s question, Bu Eunseol exhaled a long, steady breath. The visceral rage that had radiated from him only moments ago evaporated like morning mist, replaced by his signature icy calm.
“The reason we failed to catch them, even after seizing their tail, is that they were always one step ahead.”
From the Seong Clan Ironworks to the Martial Righteous Alliance, whenever Bu Eunseol found a clue, the enemy severed their connection instantly, leaving him grasping at phantom limbs.
But this time would be different.
He would no longer chase them alone. He intended to leverage every ounce of his status and power to drag them into the light.
“I intentionally declared at this meeting that I would strike the Golden Accumulation Merchant Guild. By now, that declaration has surely reached their ears.”
Bu Eunseol’s voice dropped an octave, heavy with intent.
“But I am not going.”
Myo Cheon-woo, who had been listening with furrowed brows, nodded in realization. “Sounding east to strike west.”
“More like beating the grass to startle the snake,” Yoo Woon-ryong interjected with a smirk.
In the Murim, ‘beating the grass’ was often a warning against rash action that might alert an enemy. In the art of war, however, it was a proactive tactic: creating a disturbance to force a concealed enemy to break cover. Bu Eunseol’s target appeared to be the Merchant Guild, but his true aim was to provoke the masterminds lurking in the shadows.
“It could be called a diversionary operation,” Bu Eunseol admitted. “Because I will send troops to the Golden Accumulation Merchant Guild.”
“I understand the logic, but… will they be fooled?” Yoo Woon-ryong crossed his arms, his expression serious. “Striking a merchant guild without explicit justification is a political nightmare. They might see through the provocation.”
“They won’t.” Bu Eunseol’s tone was absolute. “I mobilized the Heavenly Assassination Squad to annihilate the Four Harmonies Alliance without a second thought. I aimed my sword at a Squad Captain of the Demonic Palace to save Seo Jin-ha.” A faint, dangerous smile touched his lips. “They will judge that I am not only enraged but fully capable of committing such reckless acts.”
“…”
“Because there is a genuine possibility I might do it, they will be forced to erase their traces.”
To save Seo Jin-ha, Bu Eunseol had challenged the captain of the Heavenly Assassination Squad—a symbol of the Demonic Palace itself. There was no way the enemy hadn’t heard the rumors. They would profile Bu Eunseol as a man who charged forward blindly when provoked.
“Don’t tell me,” Yoo Woon-ryong began, eyes widening, “were the events leading up to this… all deliberate? Did you act reckless just to deceive them now?”
Bu Eunseol remained silent.
In truth, the confrontation with the Heavenly Assassination Squad hadn’t been a pre-calculated maneuver. No matter how brilliant his intellect, he couldn’t have scripted such chaos. He had been genuinely enraged. He was simply repurposing that history as a strategic asset.
“You intend to deceive those who possess superior information and power,” Myo Cheon-woo muttered. “To find the real enemy.”
“Correct.”
“But the method is flawed. Even if you send troops right now, it’s too late.” Myo Cheon-woo shook his head. “If they are skilled enough to cut their tail the moment you pursue, they have likely already begun scrubbing the Golden Accumulation Merchant Guild clean.”
“Of course.” Bu Eunseol turned to So Ja-myeong, who had been standing like a shadow in the corner. “What is the movement of the Guild?”
“As you expected…” So Ja-myeong spoke slowly, his voice grave. “According to the squad members’ report, a large number of people have already secretly slipped out of the Golden Accumulation Merchant Guild and are heading to a secondary location.”
“What?” Myo Cheon-woo blinked in surprise. “You already deployed squad members?”
Bu Eunseol nodded calmly. “When I struck the Heavenly Assassination Squad and the Four Harmonies Alliance, we already knew funds had been funneled through the Golden Accumulation Merchant Guild.”
A sharp light, piercing and cold, flowed from his eyes as he stared into the void.
“From that moment, I instructed the Nine Assassination Squad Captain to monitor the Guild. I knew they would try to sever the connection the moment the Four Harmonies Alliance fell.”
Until now, the enemy had always been a step ahead. But Bu Eunseol had used their superior intelligence against them, predicting their retreat before they even decided to move.
“We haven’t found direct evidence of a connection to the Evil Fragrance yet… but we have definitely secured proof of funding for the Four Harmonies Alliance and various other assassin sects.”
“So you caught at least enough evidence to bind them,” Myo Cheon-woo exclaimed.
Bu Eunseol hadn’t dispatched troops on a bluff; he already held the blade at the Guild’s throat.
His head spins terrifyingly fast. I’m glad I’m not enemies with this guy.
Myo Cheon-woo and Yoo Woon-ryong exchanged glances, swallowing dryly. Bu Eunseol’s terror lay not just in his martial arts, but in a divine calculation that pierced vital points before the battle even began. Since the world remained ignorant of this, his enemies were destined to be helpless victims.
“Then what should we do?”
Bu Eunseol handed two rolled scrolls to Myo Cheon-woo and Yoo Woon-ryong. “I wrote the details here.”
The two unrolled the parchments simultaneously. Myo Cheon-woo chuckled as he scanned the contents.
“Wow, Yoo Woon-ryong. You’re moving up in the world. Commanding First-Grade Combat Squad Captains?” He looked back at Bu Eunseol. “Do we just follow the script?”
“Yes. Select the most outstanding members of the Deathly Shadow Battalion. Provoke them to create a volatile situation, but absolutely do not attack. If we draw blood first without cause, the Palace will be in political jeopardy.”
Bu Eunseol took a deep breath, his gaze drifting to the window.
“If this strategy works…”
He didn’t finish the sentence, but the three men understood. Through this maneuver, they would finally locate the main base of the Evil Fragrance—the Assassination Sect that had stirred the Murim for generations without ever revealing its face.
***
Golden Accumulation Merchant Guild.
Initially, it had been a modest operation trading with tea growers in Hangzhou. But a decade ago, it began dealing almost exclusively in high-quality Sichuan leather, amassing a fortune that rivaled nations.
As its scale grew, the Guild cultivated deep ties with the government and major martial arts sects, greasing wheels with annual tributes of silver. Rumors now circulated that it would soon be counted among the Ten Great Merchant Guilds of the Central Plains.
Today, however, war clouds hung heavy over Lin County.
Five hundred martial artists from the Demonic Palace had formed an iron ring around the Guild. These were not mere grunts; they were elites from First-Grade Squads, a force equivalent to the full mobilization of a major sect.
Inside, the guild’s private guards and hired vagrants prepared for battle, their fear masked by bravado.
Even if it’s the Demonic Palace, sending an army without justification? Is it because of the Blood Serpent Valley matter? We only sent silver! Hmph, if they wipe us out, the Demonic Palace won’t be safe from the backlash!
Creak.
The side door of the compound opened, and dozens of people hurriedly exited—women and children being evacuated from the coming slaughter.
Unless one bore a mortal grudge, it was an unwritten rule of the Murim not to harm civilians. Even against the Demonic Palace, they expected this basic leniency.
Thud.
Fifty martial artists blocked the path of the refugees. At their head stood the members of the Deathly Shadow Battalion and Myo Cheon-woo.
“You cannot leave.”
“What?” A middle-aged woman widened her eyes in disbelief.
Myo Cheon-woo’s voice dripped with killing intent. “Who is to say there aren’t spies related to the Four Harmonies Alliance hiding among you?”
“Please,” the woman pleaded, clutching a child close. “At least let the little ones go. Taking children hostage is beneath even—”
BOOM!
A decorative garden stone near the gate exploded into powder. Myo Cheon-woo had merely flicked his wrist, unleashing a palm strike that pulverized solid rock.
“I said go back.”
Scramble.
Terrified by the display of power and Myo Cheon-woo’s dead eyes, the group retreated inside, the children wailing.
Bang.
The main gate threw open. An old man in opulent silk robes marched out, his face flushed with indignation. It was the Guild Master, Yeo Woon-sang.
“What is this in broad daylight!” he bellowed, scanning the siege lines. “What crime has this guild committed to warrant an army from the Demonic Palace!”
Befitting a man who moved hundreds of thousands of taels, Yeo Woon-sang projected supreme confidence.
“And why are you holding children hostage? Have you no shame?”
“Father! You cannot!”
A middle-aged man, Yeo Woon-sang’s son Yeo Gye-un, rushed out to block his father. “You must not provoke them.”
“Gye-un, get back inside!”
Clop-clop.
While father and son argued, a single rider separated from the Demonic Palace ranks.
Though his face was masked, his bearing was imperious. At his waist hung a Dark Sword, its scabbard dyed as black as the abyss. He dismounted with a heavy thud, staring down at the Guild Master.
Swish.
The rider tore off his mask, revealing sharp, hawk-like eyes. It was Yoo Woon-ryong.
Huh? The First-Grade Combat Squad Captains watching from the rear exchanged confused looks. They had thought their commander was the Martial Soul Decree Master himself. To find it was his adjutant was a shock.
“To expand its power,” Yoo Woon-ryong announced, his voice carrying over the courtyard, “the Golden Accumulation Merchant Guild funneled funds not only to the Four Harmonies Alliance but to various Unorthodox sects.”
“Is it a crime to pay tolls to forces on our trade routes?” Yeo Woon-sang shouted back, undeterred.
“Since when did assassin sects collect tolls?” Yoo Woon-ryong retorted coldly. “Especially scoundrels who do not hesitate to kidnap children.”
“W-what are you talking about? This old man has never done such a thing!”
Despite his protest, the color drained from Yeo Woon-sang’s face.
“Did you think the intelligence network of the Palace was a joke?”
Sneering, Yoo Woon-ryong pulled a scroll from his chest—the compilation of evidence gathered by the Nine Assassination Squad over months of surveillance.
“Here is the detailed record of your sins.”
Flap.
He threw the scroll. Yeo Woon-sang caught it with trembling hands, his eyes darting across the characters. Beside him, Yeo Gye-un read over his shoulder.
“F-Father…”
Yeo Gye-un looked as though he might faint. The scroll contained damning, undeniable proof of funding assassin guilds and complicity in child abduction.
Thud.
Yeo Woon-sang’s knees hit the dirt.
“I… I couldn’t refuse the proposal of the sponsor who built this guild,” he stammered, head bowed low. “I operated the funds secretly. Only this old man knew! My son and his wife are innocent… please, spare them.”
A murmur rippled through the guild’s defenders. Their benevolent master was involved in kidnapping children? The will to fight evaporated instantly.
“It is not for this Palace to spare you.”
Yoo Woon-ryong remounted his horse, looking down at the broken merchant with contempt.
“We have already handed copies of this evidence to the government. Since you trafficked in children, you will face the full weight of Imperial Law.”
“W-why?” Yeo Woon-sang stared up, uncomprehending. “If you weren’t going to kill us… why bring an army?”
“If we hadn’t turned the sky upside down, your guards and family wouldn’t have stood by while you confessed.”
Yeo Woon-sang slumped. If the Demonic Palace had simply wiped them out, it would be a tragedy. But to be dragged away by the government? The Golden Accumulation Merchant Guild would face asset confiscation, public execution, and a stigma that would curse his descendants for generations. It was a destruction far more complete than death.
“We return!”
Yoo Woon-ryong wheeled his horse around. The Demonic Palace troops moved in perfect unison, leaving the Guild to its legal doom.
I wonder if he’s doing well over there.
Yoo Woon-ryong glanced at the distant sky. The Guild was merely a pawn. The true victory depended on whether Bu Eunseol had caught the tail of the beast.
***
Mount Huitang, Quanzhou Prefecture.
Bu Eunseol and So Ja-myeong stood on a ridge overlooking a hidden valley. This was where the secret personnel fleeing the Golden Accumulation Merchant Guild had run to ground.
Rustle.
A figure detached itself from the forest shadows. It was Bi Hong, the Deputy Squad Captain of the Nine Assassination Squad.
“Bi Hong greets the Martial Soul Decree Master.”
Bu Eunseol nodded, his gaze fixed on the valley below. In the distance, nestled among the trees, were elegant pavilions. It was the location the Nine Assassination Squad had hunted for so long.
“That place is… Evil Fragrance.”
“Correct.” Bi Hong bowed his head. “We confirmed that the kidnapped children were taken inside.”
Bu Eunseol and So Ja-myeong’s expressions hardened.
Evil Fragrance. The Assassination Sect. The reason they had remained a myth for generations was simple: they nested where no one would dare to look.
“However, it seems very few of the residents know the truth. The facilities are concealed. Most of the people down there are ordinary civilians.”
“My Lord,” So Ja-myeong said quietly, his face grim. “This is a place where neither this Palace nor any other sect can unleash troops.”
Bu Eunseol nodded slowly.
To attack a civilian settlement indiscriminately would turn the entire Murim—Orthodox and Demonic alike—against them. The Evil Fragrance had shielded themselves with the innocent.
“Hmm.”
After a long contemplation, Bu Eunseol spoke.
“Good work. All Nine Assassination Squad members are to withdraw to the Palace.” He took a deep breath, his eyes burning with resolve. “Simple military force is impossible here. Once I grasp the internal situation… I will handle it myself.”
“Understood.”
So Ja-myeong and Bi Hong paid their respects and melted back into the shadows of Mount Huitang.
“Evil Fragrance.”
Staring at the distant, peaceful-looking pavilions, Bu Eunseol clenched his fists until the knuckles turned white. He had found the body of the beast. Now, only one task remained: to tear out the roots hidden beneath the surface.