Episode 16
Episode 16
Translation: Godtl
Had the Golden Needle touched slightly the wrong spot when it pierced her head?
Namgung Ju-hee's body trembled momentarily. At the same time, an acrid stench that stabbed at the nostrils wafted through the air.
A quick glance downward revealed yellow urine trickling from between her legs—her bladder had lost control. She had wet herself. The humiliation Namgung Ju-hee, a scion of a prestigious family, must have felt was undoubtedly beyond measure.
"I'll clean up the piss later."
Right now, the most important thing was preventing demonization. Immediately, he worked to unclog the meridians tangled with Qi. Before long, Namgung Ju-hee's body began to change from the stage just before demonization. Her entire body briefly shimmered, then underwent a transformation so drastic it bordered on bone transformation. Her once-brown hair lost its luster, turning stark white, while her skin grew even paler. Yet her innate sensuality remained untouched.
"...Fascinating."
But the fascination was short-lived. Cheon Mu-jin felt a surge of satisfaction. The brain—the most crucial part of a human's head—had been directly stimulated by the Golden Needle piercing her skull. He had expected some change, but this near-total transformation was beyond his predictions. Or was this, too, an effect of the Memory Seal's hidden mechanisms? Either way, it was a satisfying outcome.
'It's about time Namgung Ju-hee wakes up. I should make some preparations.'
Before she regained consciousness, he needed to craft a scenario. Since he couldn't be certain how far back or to what extent the Memory Seal had erased, he had to thoroughly scramble her mind if he wanted to control her freely. This was only the beginning.
'I'll have to discard all of this.'
Anything that could potentially trigger the Memory Seal's undoing had to be eliminated. First, he disposed of all the Namgung Clan's garments. From now on, Namgung Ju-hee would not be permitted to wear anything blue.
But one dilemma remained.
'The sword... What should I do about the sword?'
Namgung Ju-hee was a martial artist of the Namgung Clan, originally a renowned swordswoman. Logically, giving her a sword would be the correct choice—even in a memory-less state, some instincts were ingrained in the body. Eventually, she would reclaim her former mastery.
But if she kept wielding a sword, she might unconsciously grow accustomed to the Namgung Clan's swordsmanship again. And that could lead her back to reclaiming her identity as a Namgung.
'The best option would be a weapon other than a sword.'
The problem was that, in this case, he wouldn't be able to use Namgung Ju-hee as an immediate combat asset. Of course, given her considerable skill, learning a new martial art wouldn't take too long—but the difference between what was possible now and what wasn't was significant.
More importantly, he wasn't sure what martial art to teach her.
'I don't know many martial arts myself. What could I give her that would let her quickly catch up to her former level?'
After much deliberation, only one answer came to mind.
Demonic Arts.
They carried considerable risk, but their rapid achievement and definitive effects made them ideal. With these, Namgung Ju-hee's martial prowess could skyrocket in no time. Besides, the "danger" was just the talk of those ignorant of martial arts. Namgung Ju-hee's body was already trained—there would be no issues adapting to a new discipline.
'Perfect. I'll have to find a suitable demonic art for her later.'
The martial art wasn't the immediate priority. For now, manipulating her memories was far more important.
***
Inside the damp cave, Namgung Ju-hee opened her eyes. Though she regained consciousness relatively quickly, she kept staring blankly at the ceiling.
'...Where am I?'
The question of location was soon followed by another, more unsettling one.
'...And who am I?'
She couldn't remember. Not a single memory surfaced. Where was this place? Who was she? Why had she been unconscious here? The sight of her near-naked state only heightened her wariness, leaving her trembling.
Namgung Ju-hee slowly sat up. A throbbing headache pulsed through her skull, but the unease about her surroundings outweighed the pain. She couldn't just stay here.
She forced herself to stand and began examining the cave. The rough walls made it clear this wasn't a normal dwelling, yet it didn't feel entirely uninhabited either. Unease prickled at her as she staggered forward, her body unsteady.
When she stepped outside, a vast forest stretched before her.
A forest?
At first, fear gripped her. The sprawling woods revealed nothing—no landmarks, no signs of civilization. Just endless trees.
But when she spotted the half-burned campfire beneath it, she became certain someone lived here. So she no longer felt afraid.
That's when it happened.
"You're awake?"
At the sound of a man's voice behind her, Namgung Ju-hee turned her head. A man dressed in black martial robes stood before her.
"...Who are you?"
Only as she tried to ask his identity did Namgung Ju-hee realize she was standing there practically naked. She immediately dropped to the ground.
"KYAAAAAAH!"
Waking up only to expose her bare body to a strange man—of course she was utterly mortified.
Naturally, Cheon Mu-jin was also somewhat startled. She could make a sound like that? He'd only ever known her as a cold, aloof woman, but the instincts buried beneath her erased memories still held traces of a far more typical feminine demeanor.
Cheon Mu-jin stepped forward. Namgung Ju-hee instinctively shrank back, trembling. Facing a stranger while naked and devoid of memories—it was only natural she'd recoil.
"Do you remember who I am?"
"...No, I don't know who you are."
Namgung Ju-hee answered cautiously. Was he someone important? She carefully gauged his reaction. Fortunately, he didn't seem angry.
"That's alright. You must've hit your head a little. It'll come back to you after some rest. As long as you're alright, that's all that matters."
"......"
She didn't recognize him, but his warm, concerned tone made it seem like they had once been very close. Namgung Ju-hee tried to dig through her memories, but nothing surfaced—only a dull ache in her head.
"Could you... tell me who I am?"
"You don't remember that either?"
Namgung Ju-hee nodded. Cheon Mu-jin pressed a hand to his forehead as if this were quite the predicament.
"No wonder you were a little afraid of me. For now, your name is Ye-ryeong."
"Ye-ryeong?"
"Mm."
He had agonized over this name. Should he keep her original name, Ju-hee? Or go all out and name her something ridiculous like "Bogi" or "View"? But he couldn't frivolously name a woman he'd have to keep by his side forever, so after much deliberation, he settled on Ye-ryeong.
"Ye-ryeong... That's my name."
"I'm not sure how much you remember. Do you recall what kind of person you were?"
Ye-ryeong shook her head side to side.
"Alright. You were my handmaiden and martial artist—a kind of bodyguard attendant."
"Eh? Then who are you?"
"I am Cheon Mu-jin, a candidate for Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult... and your Master."
"...!!!"
Only then did Ye-ryeong lower her head and bow. Even without memories, the knowledge of how she had lived remained. If she was a handmaiden and the man before her was both her Master and a candidate for Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, then bowing was only proper.
"I've been disrespectful!"
"No, it's fine. You were just protecting me. More importantly, are your injuries alright?"
He had already treated all her wounds before she woke. Now, Ye-ryeong roughly pieced together what must have happened. As a bodyguard attendant, she had shielded the Young Cult Leader candidate with her life. And now, due to those injuries, she had lost her memories—something like that.
"Anyway, once you've recovered, we'll return to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Or you can watch over me from a distance if you prefer."
"Understood."
"Speaking of which, I'll need your help with this."
Cheon Mu-jin promptly undid his pants. In an instant, they slid down, revealing the thick shaft beneath. The moment Ye-ryeong saw it, she screamed.
"KYAAAAAAH!"
"What, like you've never seen it before?"
"...Huh? You can't mean—"
"You've seen it plenty. As my bodyguard attendant, tending to your Master's sexual needs was also part of your duties. I made sure to remind you often."
Ye-ryeong couldn't believe it. She had done that? Really? There was no way—even if her memories were incomplete, the person she felt herself to be was far too modest for such things. The very idea was unthinkable.
"Since you don't remember... this is awkward. I was hoping for some relief."
"My apologies..."
"No, that part can wait until your memories come back bit by bit. Or would you rather return to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult first and observe how the other handmaidens perform their roles?"
"Eh...?"
"Wouldn't that help jog your memory faster? Seeing it with your own eyes is the best way, after all. Of course, since you're not fully recovered yet, it'd be better to stay hidden. You can manage that much, right?"
"Yes..."
She didn't know why, but something about this strange feeling made Ye-ryeong think she could do it. In the end, she followed Cheon Mu-jin back to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.