Episode 1237.
The evil tests and traps the Empress Dowager had set up this time provided another opportunity to obtain unexpected information.
―I found information related to the Eighteen Souls of Gwangmyeong.
The secret intelligence organization of the Murim Alliance was mobilized to investigate the affairs of the Yanggwan branch.
The aftermath left their security systems vulnerable for a brief period.
The four-legged couple did not miss that opportunity.
I was able to obtain some of the intelligence managed by the secret organization of the Murim Alliance.
And it contained information related to the Eighteen Souls of Gwangmyeong.
―There was a record that the former master, Hyunmyeongja, was secretly murdered, leaving behind the words “Gwangmyeongsippalhon.”
According to information, the wise man at that time was.
We investigated Cheonrubang (賤淚坊), a kind of black gang where criminals from the martial arts world gather and operate.
In the process, he is said to have committed suicide after leaving the words "Gwangmyeongsippalhon" to his close friend, Somu-saeng.
And soon after, Somusaeng was also killed for unknown reasons.
-It's a thousand-room apartment.
The reason why the Eighteen Souls of Gwangmyeong have not been revealed until now.
Perhaps it has close ties to lower-level forces that are not related to the main powers of the martial arts world.
―There is information that the commercial area around Pogang has been expanding recently, and that this is related to Cheonrubang.
Whatever the true story is.
The current martial arts world is extremely peaceful, with almost no power struggles between factions, and thanks to this, the upper world is safe and prosperous.
Perhaps the secret organization linked to the Eighteen Souls of Gwangmyeong is also likely to use the Sanggye to expand its power and maintain its organization.
―We continued our investigation, but nothing has been found yet.
Bu Eun-seol immediately stepped forward after hearing the report from the Sahondae.
-I will investigate it myself.
His top priority now is to destroy the Murim Alliance, which is connected to the evil spirit who killed his grandfather.
And this is the truth of the Eighteen Souls of Light.
What if the Sahondai invests a long time and still finds no clues? There's something extremely hidden.
The goal is to shorten that time by even one day by conducting a direct investigation.
* * *
After leaving the battlefield, Bu Eun-seol returned to his normal appearance and looked around the Po River area to assess the situation.
The market scene, with its bustling hawking of merchants, looked no different from any other time.
'Something feels strange.'
As he walked around the cemetery, he felt something very strange.
'Why are there so many dumpling restaurants?'
Usually, there are no more than one or two houses in a market that make and sell dumplings.
This is because there are strict regulations even in street commercial areas.
Once a dumpling restaurant is established, it is a rule that business associates do not set foot near it.
Besides, food like dumplings are only sold in back alleys or shabby taverns.
Among the neat shops of Bujung, which are mainly composed of luxury goods such as silk, tea, medicinal herbs, and books.
The dumpling house flag is fluttering?
'There's something.'
He went into the dumpling restaurant and ordered a dumpling.
When I actually tried it, it was nothing special, just a dumpling that you can find in stores, neither too much nor too little.
Bu Eun-seol headed straight to the next dumpling restaurant.
And like a man possessed by a spirit, I kept buying and eating dumplings without stopping.
Second dumpling house. Third dumpling house. Fourth… … .
As the sun reached its zenith, Bu Eun-seol had already visited twelve dumpling restaurants.
“They are all the same.”
Bu-eun-seol, who was stroking her stomach that felt like it was going to burst, spoke in a low voice.
“That taste.”
Dumplings are a simple food.
It is greatly influenced by the taste of the maker, so there are subtle differences from house to house.
But all the dumpling shops I've been to so far.
From the quality of the ingredients to the mixing and steaming time, everything was almost identical.
'This is something that cannot be done without someone deliberately mixing it together.'
That night.
Bu Eun-seol was hiding on the roof opposite a dumpling restaurant in Bujung.
It was a pitch-black night without moonlight, but even in the darkness he could see the entire landscape clearly.
When we couldn't find any clues at all.
I decided to watch over a suspicious dumpling restaurant all night.
Click, click.
As the time approached, carts could be seen stopping at dumpling shops one after another.
A faint circular pattern on one side of the cannon on the cart came into his sight.
'It would be better to follow the cart.'
There was no sign of life in the dimly lit dumpling shop.
In that case, it would be better to investigate the cart that goes around the dumpling shops.
Whirik.
Bu Eun-seol, who had moved secretly using his new method like lightning, began to follow the carriage.
Then, several carts were seen going around, each heading to a different dumpling restaurant.
The gait of the cartmen, the way the bundles were tied, even the creaking of the wheels… everything was identical.
'They belong to the same sect.'
As we approached the small warehouse at the end of the alley where the carts had arrived, we saw food piled up between the cracks in the warehouse door.
That is, there is only one source of supply.
Bu Eun-seol, who was looking around the warehouse, discovered a small wooden sign hanging on the wall.
On top of it, there was a strange character engraved with the right stroke of the character ‘white’ twisted.
'It's a level you wouldn't find in a private home.'
That twisted stroke.
It was so subtly twisted that it would have been impossible to detect unless one had reached the limits of their senses.
'Conveying the message through letters.'
What if it was an ordinary dumpling shop?
There's no need to change the letters to convey the message. There's definitely something there.
'It means direction.'
It was clear that the twisted strokes of the character 'baek' were clearly indicating direction.
As we continued to run along the direction of the twisted lines, another warehouse came into view.
But this time there was no wooden plaque and no special writing was visible.
But then, I felt a bitter scent stinging my nose.
'It's not the kind of stuff you'd use for dumplings.'
Inside the warehouse, there were large crates and baskets containing cheap medicinal herbs.
'Are these things that should go into a herbal medicine store?'
I looked at the materials carefully, but couldn't find any clues.
Then suddenly.
I found that the weaving of the bamboo basket containing dried herbs and grains was somehow unnatural.
Between the bamboo ribs that intersect each other vertically and horizontally, there are some dark-colored ribs that are wedged in, revealing a peculiar pattern.
To the average eye, it might look like a mistake by a poor craftsman.
To Bu-eun-seol's eyes, it seemed to be the boundary between the village's blocked and open roads.
'The twisted strokes represent direction, and the patterns of the lighthouse represent detailed paths.'
But it's strange.
If there is an organization behind the dumpling shop, its information and headquarters should be hidden as much as possible.
But why did they leave these traces behind, making it possible for outsiders to track them?
'It's a tactic.'
Like this, go only in the direction the letters are pointing, move following the shape of the pattern, etc.
What if I just give simple instructions?
The carrier simply follows the signs in front of him without knowing where he is going or what his final destination is.
'They are great people.'
Even the Sahon-dae members say that no one can beat them when it comes to information gathering.
It would have just looked like a poorly written sign or a hastily made signboard.
It is impossible for them to completely hide the organization's traces, and logistics must be moved…
It is an ingenious method that allows insiders to see, but outsiders to not see.
'Only those who have trained their senses to a certain level would be able to perceive these subtle differences as signals.'
Bu Eun-seol, who had found the clue, quickly ran back and forth through the alleyways following the pattern of the Gwangjuri.
But then suddenly I felt a strange presence.
Let's stop and stand for a moment.
From afar, I saw a shadow carrying a bamboo box walking slowly towards me.
The box is filled with various flagpoles shaped like talismans.
It was as if he was wandering around here and there, exorcising evil spirits and barely making a living.
It looked exactly like the now-extinct Mosanpa Taoist priest.
"and."
A woman in her thirties carrying a box.
He stared intently at the face of the swollen, puffy-eyed woman who was doing the trick, then stuck out his thumb.
“Isn’t that great?”
Bu-eun-seol's eyes narrowed.
Not only was her body energy completely regulated, but she was also able to detect the presence of others only belatedly.
Even though he found himself six feet away in the dark night, he leisurely strolled towards me as if he had seen a welcome friend?
He is clearly not an ordinary Taoist priest.
“It’s really great.”
The woman opened her eyes wide, stretched out her neck, and stared intently at the face of the swollen, torn-up boy.
He kept rolling his eyes and blinking as if he had discovered something great.
“Why are you like that?”
The swelling in my eyes stung for no reason.
Because I was worried that maybe he had seen through the dark magic.
“I’ve never seen someone with such a clear spirit.”
She gave him a thumbs up in admiration.
"I guess you owe a lot to your ancestors. If you show sincerity, things will go even better."
Bu Eun-seol sighed in disbelief.
Aren't the words the woman is muttering the same words that followers of the Church of Eternal Life say to innocent civilians when they proselytize?
“I don’t believe in ancestral spirits.”
Bu Eun-seol turned around.
Then the Taoist priest quickly approached and spoke again.
“Then how about we have a cup of tea and chat in front of you?”
“Where can you find a door open at this ambitious hour?”
After saying those words, he unfolded his divine magic and moved quickly.
And I followed the direction of the engraved pattern I saw earlier for a while.
Then a small hut appeared a little way from the castle.
'Is that your base?'
Bul-eun-seol, her eyes narrowed, observed the place carefully.
'The dumpling shop couple?'
The person who lives in the cabin.
It was a couple who ran one of the dumpling shops that none other than Bu Eun-seol had visited.
'There must be something.'
They observed the swelling closely.
But nothing seemed strange at all, and nothing else seemed out of the ordinary in the cabin.
"and."
But then, the Taoist priestess I had seen earlier suddenly followed me and stood next to Bu Eun-seol, then let out a gasp.
“What on earth does he do to kill so many people? He’s a real evil spirit.”
Bu Eun-seol looked somewhat surprised.
Even though Samsung has shown off its extreme speed and energy.
Even for experts in tracking, it is difficult to track them because there are no traces of their movements left behind.
But she arrived here not long after Bu-eun-seol arrived.
That is, he followed the traces of the swelling and even his supersensory senses could not easily detect the pursuit.
“Why are you following me?”
“No, look carefully.”
The woman pointed to her husband as if to change the subject.
“How many people did the author kill?”
Bu Eun-seol frowned and looked at her husband again.
The man, with his blunt demeanor and rock-like face, looked quite solid.
But you killed so many people?
Besides, isn't there no trace of having learned martial arts?
'Oh, I see.'
Bu Eun-seol soon noticed something strange.
There were no calluses or traces of martial arts on his hands…
twinkle.
The cold and cruel colors of the butcher who had killed countless lives rose softly.
Because he too had been through the battlefield, he was able to immediately recognize these looks.
“I see.”
Boo Eun-seol nodded and looked at the woman.
“How on earth did you know?”
“Because the spirit is defiled.”
“You can see souls?”
“Does it sound like a lie?”
The woman's eyes are so clear that they even give off a sense of madness.
'But he is not a bad person.'
The swollen tongue can instinctively discern good and evil.
Because of the previous Empress Dowager.
After the new function of the Blood Flow Seventh-day Adventist was revealed, I could sense the evil energy more clearly.
The woman before my eyes was bold and unidentifiable, but one thing was certain: she had a good aura.
“Anyway, I have some things to take care of.”
Bu Eun-seol looked at her with wary eyes and said.
“So please don’t disturb me.”
The Taoist priestess just keeps her mouth shut and shows a natural, innocent smile.
Bu Eun-seol sighed and immediately flew towards the cabin.
And the blood pressure of the couple inside was measured.
Now that I know there's something, I want to suppress it immediately without wasting time and learn about the Eighteen Souls of Light.
But something unexpected happened.
“Phew!”
Whether it is under the ban.
When the blood clot was touched, the wife vomited blood and died.
Boom!
Unlike his wife, the husband had no blood clots at all.
Not only that,
Crackle.
When he was hit by the wind, the man tilted his head back and his face turned as pale as a corpse.
Bu Eun-seol, who felt something strange, tried to suppress the blood vessel by pouring out the wind once again, but
Papak.
It felt like I had stabbed an old tree, but the blood pressure was still not controlled.
“Is it the Supreme Court?”
The wind he blows can even pass through iron.
An ordinary dumpling shop owner.
This kind of thing could not have happened without practicing the Vajra Indestructible Body Technique.
Tall.
The man was walking slowly, his neck slightly bent, his face as blank as a corpse.
There was no emotion in his eyes.
'If it's the power of supernatural powers or great law, there's no need to use force.'
Jiying.
Bu Eun-seol immediately drew up the power of the Extinction Sutra and extinguished the enormous power spreading out from the man's body.
No, it had to be destroyed.
The man approached Bu-eun-seol with a still expressionless face and slowly extended his hand.
Chiik.
Something brushed past Bu-eun-seol's neck with a pure white current, and for a moment, it felt like he was plunged into ice water.
A tremendous cold energy penetrated the meridians.
'It's not a supernatural ability.'
What that man is pouring out.
It was not a supernatural ability or any great law, but an extremely natural, unlearned power that existed in nature.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The man, whose skin had turned as pale as if powder had been applied, waved his hand with an expressionless face.
It is a grotesque sight, like something out of a nightmare.
'If you can't subdue it, it's all in vain.'
It's not difficult to kill a man.
But what if the interest doesn't lead to a clue?
In the end, through a long period of investigation through the Sahondae, the secret about the dumpling restaurant must be solved.
“Can I help you?”
At that moment, a female Taoist priestess appeared from behind Bu Eun-seol, raised her body from the roof, and spoke in a friendly voice.
“The author is not human, so he cannot be subdued with ordinary martial arts.”
“What do you mean, not a person?”
In response to Bu Eun-seol's question, the Taoist priestess took out an amulet from her bosom and spoke in a low voice.
“The author’s soul already belongs to the ghost realm, and is in a state of neither death nor life.”
Paat!
And as he threw the talisman, it instantly stuck to his forehead, and with a loud bang, the man's movements stopped.
He spread the Taoist paralegal studies that had been lost in the martial arts world.
“In ancient times, people like that were called ‘half-spirits.’”
Percussion.
The Taoist priestess who came down from the roof smiled at Bu Eun-seol.
“I put the talisman on, so now I can’t move anymore…….”
As soon as she finished speaking,
Hwarururur!
Flames rose from the amulet that had been attached to the man's body, and this time he began to wave his hand towards her.
“Ah.”
The woman was very surprised and threw the talisman again.
Papapak.
This time, six talismans were attached to the forehead, chest, and limbs.
Hwarrrr.
Again, a spark was created and it burned out in an instant.
“As expected, a lot of magical power was consumed when going outside.”
The female shaman, muttering something incomprehensible, took out a peach sword from her waistband and swung it at the man.
Chew! Chew!
Every time the sword struck, the man retreated with a burst of flame, but he was still not subdued.
“I will do it.”
Bu Eun-seol, who had been watching quietly, raised the Mukhon Sword to the middle.
Kkieiei!
The ghost's howl and the ink-colored pottery dug into the man's outstretched elbow.
He spread the blood circulation and severed his right arm.
Crunch.
The man's right wrist was cut off, but he continued to attack the female priestess without stopping.
'Are you really not alive?'
Bu Eun-seol deliberately performed the Blood Flow Seven-Sik to check whether the rumor that he was a half-life person was true.
It would have been normal for his vitality to have been completely reduced since he was hit by that pottery.
The man was already like a dead corpse.
No blood flowed from the severed arm, and the vitality remained intact.
“What can I do?”
In this case, the only way is to destroy the man's body.
“Down!”
At that moment, the cornered female shaman bit her finger, drawing blood, and flicked it between the man's eyebrows.
Cheeeeeee.
Then, a cloud of smoke rose.
Pupils slowly formed in the eyes of the man who had disappeared.
“I have no power, so I have no choice but to use my life force!”
Cheeeee.
But the blood between his eyebrows evaporated in an instant, and the man became even more violent.
"this."
The Taoist priestess bit her lip.
“I never thought they would create a half-lifer to this level.”
After seeing the Taoist priestess's response, Bu Eun-seol realized how to subdue that half-elder.
“Just use the power of life?”
vitality.
The only thing that can communicate with a being that is stuck in a rut, unable to live or die, is the power of life.
"That's true, but it's a little different from the expeditionary technique used by martial artists. Only pure life force can be used…"
At that moment, a mysterious green light rose from beneath Bu Eun-seol's feet, and colorful dots of light began to spread out in all directions.
Kuk.
A mysterious light began to spread throughout his body as he held the silent sword in his hands.
Silent soul eclipse (墨魂一式).
It is the unfolding of the life-saving ritual that my father passed down to me.
Paaaaaaa!
As I extended my sword, a warm light like sunlight spread out.
The man with a pale face and swinging his severed arm was suddenly enveloped in the light and disappeared.
Paat!
As all the light disappeared, the landscape began to regain its colors.
“Wow.”
The Taoist priestess exclaimed as she looked at the dots of light spreading out due to the eclipse.
“To be able to display such pure vitality through swordsmanship… This is truly….”
Kuung.
Then the man fell to the floor with a dull thud.
The skin that had turned white returned to its original state and the eyes were normal.
Hot blood flowed continuously from his mouth.
Thanks to the silent eclipse, I escaped from the ghost gate.
He had been there for so long that he was practically dead.
“Why me…….”
The man looked around with unfocused eyes.
“Is it here?”
Looking at his expression and eyes, it was clear that he had been living as a half-elder without even knowing what was going on.
“Look at me.”
Then Bu Eun-seol said.
“Who made you like this? Why did you open a dumpling restaurant?”
“Dumpling house.”
Only then did the man's eyes sparkle and he spoke in a low voice.
“It was to create something called Inhwa (human flower).”
“Inhwa.”
Bu-eun-seol opened her eyes wide.
Flowers made from human essence extracted from the past three realms. They were making them in a dumpling shop?
“Who did that?”
"they……."
The man tried with all his might to open his mouth,
Toouk.
In the end, he died with his eyes wide open.
'Inhwa.'
Bu Eun-seol bit her lip.
Cultivating human life by extracting human essence is only possible for a force at least as large as the Three Realms.
The problem is like this today.
What if it became known that the dumpling shop owner was dead?
Not only will dumpling shops across the Central Plains be shut down, but the forces behind them will disappear in an instant.
Secret societies always protect their secrets in this way without hesitation.
“Does that mean I have to spend another year searching for a long clue?”
Bu Eun-seol let out a deep sigh as if the ground was about to collapse.
In the end, to find an organization that oversees the dumpling shop.
There is no choice but to go back to the private sector and conduct continuous investigations.
“I heard it’s called Hwaunsangbang?”
At that time, the Taoist priestess who was looking at the dead body said something surprising.
“He opened a dumpling shop there.”
