A brief silence flowed.
Then, suddenly, White Face clapped his hands and laughed heartily. “Truly amazing. Your discernment is incredible for such a young age!”
Nodding several times, he gave Bu Eunseol a thumbs-up.
“A martial treasure like the Spiritual Profound Divine Sword must be handed over to a master with an eye worthy of it. So I tested you unintentionally.”
Clasping his hands, White Face smiled and lifted the sword from the box.
“This sword cannot be used in actual combat, but as a work by Old Master Dragon of Mount Qilian, its artistic value is considerable. Just selling the jewels on this sword would be worth a thousand taels of gold.”
White Face held the sword out to Bu Eunseol.
“This is a supplementary prize the Money Master gives to Young Hero Bu, aside from the winner’s prize.”
Bu Eunseol just stared intently at the sword.
“H-Hurry… please accept it.”
Looking at White Face’s face, Bu Eunseol folded his eyes into crescents, uncharacteristic of him.
“If I don’t accept even this, there will be no justification.”
“Pardon?”
Instead of answering, Bu Eunseol grasped the sword White Face held out.
In that instant,
Hiss.
As soon as he grabbed the hilt, white smoke rose from within it. Simultaneously,
Click!
Very sharp and thin needles popped out from the hilt. Seeing the terrible smell they emitted, it seemed like considerable extreme poison.
“Is this a test too?”
As Bu Eunseol slowly detached the needles stuck in the hilt, White Face smiled brightly and spoke, “Seeing you not surprised, it seems you expected everything.”
Then Hwa Ran, standing next to him, smiled brightly and spoke, “But you were too relaxed. Even if you can handle the Blood Yin Poison on the needles, the Cloud Mist Snow Lung you drank cannot be expelled with Controlling Qi to Gather Poison.”
Cloud Mist Snow Lung.
An Energy Scattering Poison and special smoke poison made in Evil Fragrance, where masters of hidden weapon mechanisms gathered. The moment one inhaled even a mouthful, their internal energy level would be cut in half instantly.
“Hehehe.”
At that moment, along with low laughter, a middle-aged man in fine clothes walked into the training room. His features were distinct, but he had a lot of flesh, and his skin was greasy. It was Ok Ho-bang, who was currently managing East Drifter, West Wanderer. And behind him, Blood Awl and Ghost Sickle, who were among the Eight Great Wandering Vagrants and his confidants, followed.
“You are definitely poisoned by Cloud Mist Snow Lung.”
Confirming that Bu Eunseol’s complexion had turned pale, Ok Ho-bang revealed his true colors and laughed insidiously.
“You gave us quite a hard time, brat.”
Bu Eunseol stared intently at Ok Ho-bang and asked, “Are you Money Master Ok?”
“Correct.”
“Is killing the winner a tradition of the Elite Martial Arts Tournament?”
At Bu Eunseol’s words scanning the wandering vagrant who had drawn their weapons, Ok Ho-bang sighed.
“Honestly, I hoped not to use this method. If you had just drunk the tea, it would have ended right there.”
Ok Ho-bang burst into low laughter and spoke, “Hehehe. If the winner committed lewd acts against a wandering vagrant of this Hall, naturally we couldn’t give the divine sword.”
“Indeed. That would be so.”
As Bu Eunseol nodded leisurely, Hwa Ran spoke in a sharp voice.
“He’s really taking it easy, isn’t he? That man.”
“It means he’s that confident in his martial arts.”
Ghost Sickle, who had approached before anyone noticed, flashed his eyes.
“But you cannot defeat the four of us with your internal energy halved.”
Their individual skills were not comparable to Blood Ghost Hall Master Yang Myeong, but if the four combined their strength, they were strong enough to rival Yang Myeong.
Moreover, they all had expertise in hidden weapons and poison, and above all, this East Drifter, West Wanderer was their home turf.
Even if Bu Eunseol had talent to pluck dragons, he would absolutely not be able to escape.
“This will be fun.”
Bu Eunseol lightly extended his arm to the side.
Whish!
Then, one of the old iron swords standing in a row in the armory flew into his hand. It was a terrifying Void Grasping Art.
“Your internal energy… hasn’t decreased?”
It was fully three jang from the armory to where Bu Eunseol was. Yet to move an iron sword just by extending a hand?
“It has decreased.”
“What?”
Bu Eunseol glared at them coldly.
“But it is no hindrance to taking your heads.”
Bu Eunseol’s Polarity Reversal Cultivation Art had already reached the edge of the third stage, and his internal energy level was nearly two sixty-year cycles. Except for masters of the previous generation, it was a level where he wouldn’t lose to anyone in internal energy.
Therefore, even after inhaling Cloud Mist Snow Lung, he still possessed the terrifying internal energy of one sixty-year cycle.
“Don’t be ridiculous!”
Ghost Sickle swung the sickles in both hands like lightning.
The Mountain Breaking Dual Sickle Twelve Forms he learned was a dual sickle art derived from assassin martial arts, and once it seized the initiative, endless follow-up moves continued.
“Sickles.”
Bu Eunseol, emitting bright light from both eyes, looked at the pouring sickle shadows and drew the iron sword.
Rattle.
Suddenly, the sound of raindrops hitting a window flowed from the iron sword Bu Eunseol was holding.
Simultaneously, Bu Eunseol’s body, unfolding the Shadowless Supreme Speed, quickly brushed past Ghost Sickle’s body.
“Aaaagh!”
At the same time, a desperate scream rang out.
He had merely brushed past, yet a fountain of blood erupted from Ghost Sickle’s neck.
“What on earth is this…”
The wandering vagrant and Ok Ho-bang watching the scene opened their mouths.
The sword move was so fast that they hadn’t even properly seen how Bu Eunseol unfolded the sword art.
Crack.
In that instant, cracks began to appear on the iron sword Bu Eunseol was holding, and it started to crumble like a cookie.
“Like this again.”
“T-That…”
Seeing that, White Face opened his mouth.
Only then did a terrifying fact flash through his mind.
“The sword breaking… was not because it clashed with Yang Myeong but…”
“Correct.”
At Bu Eunseol’s answer, the complexions of the remaining wandering vagrant and Ok Ho-bang turned white. They thought Yang Myeong had given up the match for some reason… but in fact, Bu Eunseol had defeated him with a single sword move.
“Breaking the sword with the aftermath of the sword art?”
The moment White Face muttered low,
Swish.
Bu Eunseol grasped another old broadsword from the armory through the Void Grasping Art.
“It doesn’t matter if it breaks hundreds of times. There are many weapons here.”
Bu Eunseol smiled, revealing his teeth as if something was enjoyable.
At his appearance, Ok Ho-bang and the wandering vagrant felt terror as if a reaper from hell had appeared.
“What are you staring at blankly!”
The first one to come to his senses was White Face.
He possessed the most outstanding martial arts among the remaining wandering vagrant and was bold.
The moment Bu Eunseol picked up the broadsword, revealing an opening, he immediately fired the hidden weapon mechanism hidden in his bosom.
Pew, pew, pew!
As he activated the needle tube, dozens of poison needles covered Bu Eunseol’s body.
Whir!
In that instant, Bu Eunseol’s body created a whirlwind. Unfolding the Shadowless Supreme Speed to dodge the needles in an instant, he stood behind White Face and spoke in a low voice.
“You are not even worth using sword arts on.”
Flash!
No one knew when the broadsword in his hand had been drawn.
As a sharp light flashed horizontally in the air, a faint line of blood was drawn near the neck of White Face, who was holding the needle tube.
Spurt!
As the head, having lost its owner, fell to the floor, blood spurted in all directions around it.
“Let’s finish this quickly.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes, reflected in the oil lamp, were burning like charcoal.
The moment his long white hand moved again, someone’s life here would disappear vainly.
“Y-Young Hero Bu!”
At that moment, Ok Ho-bang ran forward, knelt before Bu Eunseol, and spoke in a trembling voice.
“I will give you the Spiritual Profound Divine Sword! Please forgive me!”
“I don’t need it.”
“D-Don’t need it, you say…”
Bu Eunseol laughed coldly and spoke.
“After smashing East Drifter, West Wanderer entirely, I will find it myself.”
At those words, Ok Ho-bang trembled, his eyes wide open.
Reaper.
Before the eyes of the wandering vagrant stood a god of death, holding human lifelines in his fingers.
“I was wrong! Young Master!”
Then Hwa Ran burst into a scream-like cry and knelt.
Then Blood Awl, standing next to her, also knelt.
“We were wrong!”
“Wrong? What wrong did you commit?”
Bu Eunseol looked at the broadsword dripping blood and spoke calmly.
“Killing someone in the Murim is merely daily life.”
“A-Are you forgiving us?”
As Ok Ho-bang forced a smile, Bu Eunseol also muttered calmly, ”I told you. It is merely the daily life of the Murim…”
Killing and dying were everyday occurrences in the Murim. In other words, it meant Bu Eunseol had nothing to forgive and nothing to hesitate about.
“Y-Young Hero Bu!”
At those words, the eyes of Ok Ho-bang and the wandering vagrant were dyed with terror.
The moment that broadsword moved, their souls would be wandering the Nine Springs.
In that instant,
Crash!
The roof of the training room collapsed halfway, and
“Young Master!”
With a short shout, a black shadow fell from the roof of the training room to Bu Eunseol’s feet.
It was the boy wearing black martial attire, Black Leopard.
“Please show mercy!”
Black Leopard knelt before Bu Eunseol, who was raising the broadsword.
“They were just afraid they couldn’t keep the promise with the Infernal Blood Fortress.”
“…Move.”
“Y-Young Master!”
“I said move.”
Bu Eunseol, looking down at Black Leopard, spoke in a cold voice.
“Until now, I have never forgiven those who aimed for my life.”
Tremble.
Hearing those words, Ok Ho-bang and the wandering vagrant trembled in fear.
They intuited the fact that even if the sky split in two, Bu Eunseol would not forgive them.
“Young Master!”
Thud, thud.
Then Black Leopard, who was kneeling, banged his head on the ground and shouted, “Although he was not a proud father… still, he is my only family left under the sky!”
In that instant, Bu Eunseol’s eyes changed. Because he had not expected at all that Ok Ho-bang and Black Leopard were father and son.
“Although I was born as an illegitimate child and lived a wandering life… Money Master Ok later learned the truth and treated me very well.”
Black Leopard looked at Bu Eunseol with desperate eyes and shed tears.
“Can I not share even a little of my kin’s sin?”
Bu Eunseol spoke in a gloomy voice.
“Stand up.”
“Pardon?”
Looking up, Bu Eunseol had already sheathed the broadsword and was turning his body.
“Do not cry or kneel in the future. Because doing such actions… changes nothing.”
Quickly wiping his tears, Black Leopard stood up and spoke forcefully.
“Understood. I will never cry or kneel again.”
“That is enough.”
Bu Eunseol and Black Leopard. The appearance of the two also looked like a young master and disciple.
Regaining his composure, Black Leopard spoke to Ok Ho-bang and the wandering vagrant.
“The Young Master has forgiven you, so it is fine. Stand up.”
“T-Thank you. Young Hero Bu.”
Bu Eunseol looked down at Ok Ho-bang and spoke coldly.
“Your life was saved by your son.”
Ok Ho-bang wore a deeply ashamed expression. And approaching Black Leopard, he held his two hands.
“Ha-ah…”
Until now, he had continuously ignored Black Leopard’s words and brought in wandering vagrant of bad quality.
And by ignoring the warning never to touch Bu Eunseol, he had endangered not only himself but the lives of all wandering vagrant in East Drifter, West Wanderer.
“This father is ashamed. Not listening to your words all along…”
In that instant, Black Leopard’s eyes flashed. Because except when they were alone, he had never referred to himself as ‘father’.
“From now on, as you said, I will not bring those who committed serious crimes or wandering vagrant with evil natures into this Hall.”
Ok Ho-bang spoke to Blood Awl and Hwa Ran behind his back as well.
“The same goes for you. To stay in East Drifter, West Wanderer from now on, you must not do bad things.”
“O-Of course. Would there be any objection?”
As Blood Awl nodded, Hwa Ran also bowed her head. If Black Leopard hadn’t appeared, their heads would have fallen to Bu Eunseol. They would never do bad things again.
“Ha-ah.”
At that moment, Ok Ho-bang approached Black Leopard and spoke, “Until now, I was a shameful father to you, but from now on, I will never do anything to be pointed at. I will make East Drifter, West Wanderer a place where good wandering vagrant gather, just like in the past.”
It is not easy for a person to turn over a new leaf.
But Ok Ho-bang, who picked up a life for free thanks to Black Leopard, became a new person in a single breath.
“Hahaha!”
At that moment, along with laughter, a low sigh came from all directions.
“Was it something I didn’t need to step in for?”
In an instant, Bu Eunseol’s eyes emitted a sharp radiance. Even though he raised the senses of the Way of the Beast, he could not find the location of the voice.
Six Harmonies Sound Transmission?
A supreme technique that one couldn’t even imitate without three sixty-year cycles of internal energy was unfolded before his eyes.