Chapter 1118
In an instant, a violet radiance flashed within the Pale-Handed Demon Empress's pupils.
Sssss—
Her shadow writhed like a living creature, then slithered behind Bu Eun-seol's back and embraced him.
Thick, viscous strands of violet light seeped into his entire body, and soon, even his irises were dyed a deep purple.
The Pale-Handed Demon Empress's soul-subduing demonic power did not fly forth like a blade nor blaze like flames.
Instead, like spring pollen, like the evening sunset, it eroded his spirit and mind with utmost naturalness.
"Resistance is futile."
As if proving her words, the focus in Bu Eun-seol's steadfast eyes had already vanished.
"Come one step closer."
As though his soul had been devoured before her fatal allure, Bu Eun-seol moved forward like a puppet drawn by invisible strings, taking an involuntary step.
"Hohoho."
The Pale-Handed Demon Empress's smile deepened.
She was not only born with the power to erase the memories of martial artists—
She also possessed a demonic force that ensnared souls.
"I've been curious for a while now."
Her crimson lips curled into a perfect circle.
"Just what kind of power you possess that could capture that witch's heart."
Taking another step forward, she circled behind Bu Eun-seol and lightly brushed his shoulder.
"Unlike other demonic sects, this Empress's power is limited in where it can be used. To wield the true soul-subduing force, I must bring people to this Moon-Gazing Island."
"......"
"But if I outright told you my stronghold, you would grow suspicious, no?"
The reason the Pale-Handed Demon Empress deliberately left clues for Bu Eun-seol to infer her base—
It was solely because she wanted him to come to Moon-Gazing Island of his own volition, without a shred of doubt.
"By scattering small hints like this, once you painstakingly track down my lair, you arrive here without hesitation."
She pressed a finger against the line of his jaw.
"I like you. Truly, you are a man worthy of this Empress's favor."
Returning to face him, she spoke in a low voice.
"Now, press your lips to my foot and swear your oath of submission."
Bu Eun-seol slowly crouched down.
A glimmer of excitement rose in the Pale-Handed Demon Empress's eyes.
The moment had come—the moment she would bring this young Grandmaster, this lofty man whom no master had ever subdued, to his knees beneath her feet.
But at that very instant—
Zzziiing.
From the depths of Bu Eun-seol's hollowed eyes, a flash like splintered ice flickered.
It was not a light trapped within the abyss—but the primordial chill that could freeze the abyss itself.
"......!"
The smile on the Pale-Handed Demon Empress's lips froze.
Something was wrong.
How could someone ensnared by soul-subduing power still have such a gaze?
"You were never caught to begin with!"
Only then did she realize—
The soul-subduing demonic power she had unleashed had not melted into Bu Eun-seol's body.
It had shattered into fragments and vanished.
"Did you wish to toy with me?"
The Pale-Handed Demon Empress's face flushed red, then paled.
"You dare mock this Empress?"
"I was merely curious."
Bu Eun-seol exhaled a deep sigh.
"Why you lured me here... what power lies hidden on Moon-Gazing Island."
He had marked the trails of those who lost their memories on a vast map alongside Yu Un-ryong.
Then, a strange void appeared over Moon-Gazing Island—
And the thousands of dots connected like human bloodlines, forming an enormous formation.
—Moon-Gazing Island undoubtedly harbors some kind of power. That's why she lured you there.
That had been Yu Un-ryong's conclusion.
And when an unfathomable energy surged from the Pale-Handed Demon Empress's eyes, piercing his spirit and mind—
Bu Eun-seol had deliberately feigned submission.
To uncover her scheme.
In the end, she had sought to dominate his spirit and mind by borrowing the overflowing demonic power of Moon-Gazing Island.
'And that "witch"...'
Bu Eun-seol could sense it.
The one she referred to as "witch" was none other than Dal-ri.
'All this time, she was the one aiding me.'
The silver-clad, masked women who had assisted him—
They must have been subordinates sent by Dal-ri.
"Do you know of Dal-ri?"
"Dal-ri? What is that?"
"Then who were you referring to as 'witch'?"
"Hohoho. So that's how it is."
Realizing Bu Eun-seol knew nothing, the Pale-Handed Demon Empress regained some of her composure.
"Do you think this Empress would tell you?"
"Then."
Bu Eun-seol drew upon his internal energy.
"Let us now decide life and death."
"You're desperate to kill me, aren't you?"
The Pale-Handed Demon Empress extended her hand.
"But there's no need to fight."
Then, she made an unexpected proposal.
"I will tell you the locations of the remaining Seven Great Demon Ancestors—and how to break their powers."
"......"
"If you kill them, the Seven Great Demon Ancestors will never appear in the martial world again."
Surprisingly, she had also discerned that Bu Eun-seol was the primordial vessel capable of severing the demonic lineage passed down through generations.
"With this single choice, you could save countless lives."
"Why are you making such an offer to me?"
"The Seven Great Demon Ancestors are fated to die regardless. We were prepared for that from the moment we emerged in the martial world."
"So there's a condition."
"One night."
The Pale-Handed Demon Empress wore an expression of utmost solemnity.
"If one night could save countless lives, it would hardly be a bad offer."
"Do you intend to use the Harvest Yang and Nourish Yin technique to drain my Internal Power?"
"Do you truly believe that would work?"
The Demon Empress smiled cryptically as she continued.
"On a man who can withstand my Soul-Seizing Demonic Power?"
"......"
"I've long dreamed of being with a man like you."
Her gaze fixed intently on Bu Eun-seol.
"That is all I desire."
Bu Eun-seol remained silent for a moment.
Who would have thought one of the Seven Great Demon Ancestors would make such an offer?
Yet when considered dispassionately, her proposal wasn't without merit.
The locations of the remaining Demon Ancestors were beyond the reach of any intelligence network.
If he accepted her offer—a single night's exchange for the chance to save countless innocent lives...
"Martial Soul Lord. I've heard you've always done what is right. There should be no need for hesitation."
"Is bedding you considered 'righteous' now?"
"My proposal serves the Greater Righteousness. But if you refuse out of pride, that would be the epitome of Lesser Righteousness."
After deep contemplation, Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"I refuse."
"Why?"
"If the Demon Ancestors appear, I'll simply deal with them as I have until now."
"Of course you could. But how many will die in the process?"
The Demon Empress spread her hands.
"I won't force you if you're unwilling."
"Restore the memories of those you've afflicted."
An austere light emanated from Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"Do that, and I'll spare your life."
"Impossible."
She snorted derisively.
"Do you think I erase memories by choice? Simply by virtue of bearing the bloodline of the Seven Great Demon Ancestors, I inevitably affect those in the martial world."
The revelation was staggering.
The memory alteration wasn't her deliberate act, but an innate power carried through her demonic lineage?
"For a demonic practitioner, I've heard you've done many surprisingly good deeds."
The Demon Empress smiled.
"If you deem my existence inherently harmful—an evil that brings suffering regardless of my will—then kill me. I won't resist."
Bu Eun-seol had always opposed the notion of sacrificing one to save many.
But what of those who are evil by nature?
Those who harm others not by choice, but by their very existence?
Should such beings necessarily be destroyed?
"Memory alteration alone wasn't enough?"
After a prolonged silence, Bu Eun-seol gazed down at her with contemptuous eyes.
"You're skilled at discerning others' temperaments and exploiting conflicts in their Spirit and Mind."
The Demon Empress had identified his righteous nature and sought to destabilize his values, creating turmoil in his spiritual core.
"Even so, my words hold truth. I truly influence martial artists' memories against my will."
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"Decide. Whether to kill me or not."
The choice now rested solely with Bu Eun-seol.
Born of the demonic lineage, the Pale-Handed Demon Empress inherently possessed powers that adversely affected the martial world.
Whether she willed it or not, she was fated to bring harm.
Having laid bare this truth, she had offered him one night.
"If you make people lose their memories regardless of your will..."
After an extended silence, Bu Eun-seol reached his conclusion.
"I'll help you."
"How?"
"I'll relocate you beyond the reach of your abilities."
"You mean to imprison me."
"There's an alternative if you refuse. No—the most fundamental solution."
Bu Eun-seol spoke as if taking a vow.
"I'll discover the root cause of the memory loss."
Then he added:
"Come to my residence."
"You'd take me there? Do you wish to sever your subordinates' memories?"
"My men have rigorously trained their Spirit and Mind to resist the influence of the Seven Demon Ancestors."
His tone remained impassive.
"I swear this: I'll mobilize all resources and knowledge to make you a being who no longer harms the martial world."
The Demon Empress's eyes widened.
Her entire gambit had been—
To shatter others' convictions, to trap them in contradiction.
Ordinary martial artists would be driven to despair after but a few exchanges with her.
Yet Bu Eun-seol had navigated the moral quandary without the slightest conflict, calmly proposing solutions instead?
"Hohoho."
The Pale-Handed Demon Empress laughed softly.
"Truly an extraordinary man. To think you'd force this old woman to resort to her final measure."
In the end, she had been spouting words she never truly meant.
Whoosh—
Before anyone realized, the Pale-Handed Demon Empress had ignited white flames across her entire body.
Simultaneously, her face transformed into a grotesque visage where only the outlines of eyes and nose remained.
"You must be confident. That you could strike down this old woman right here."
As she spread both arms, beams of light erupted from the distant sky.
"But did you truly believe only you could predict this old woman's movements?"
At the same moment, bizarre thoughts began worming their way into Bu Eun-seol's mind.
"Originally, this old woman's power requires an appropriate sacrifice to reach completion."
Having anticipated that all her prepared plans might fail—
She had hidden another trump card.
"This Kitten Alley itself is the 'Altar of Memory Devouring' containing the power of the origin. And with an outstanding man like you entering, the ritual has been completed."
Moon-Gazing Island had been the ancestral homeland of the Pale-Handed Demon Empress's bloodline for generations—
A place where exceptional individuals were sacrificed to obtain the primordial power.
"Martial Soul Lord. You shall become the sacrifice that allows this old woman to obtain the power to conquer the martial world!"
Just as the Demon Empress's mad laughter seemed to shake the night sky, all sound vanished as if it had been a lie.
Simultaneously, his vision blurred as space itself began warping.
Thin beams of light spread outward in all directions across the ground, moving like the nervous system of some colossal creature.
Then the space around Bu Eun-seol distorted, creating layered warps as if reality itself were folding.
Fwoosh—!
Suddenly, hidden weapons poured forth like a storm from pitch-black darkness.
Reflexively, Bu Eun-seol swung his sleeves to deflect the onslaught of blades.
Ting! Clang!
The metallic sounds rang out—but these weren't physical weapons. They were manifestations of memories bleeding from his mind.
With each deflection, memories were erased one by one.
Battles fought, curses spat by dying enemies, even the trembling gazes of women who had loved him.
The more he repelled them—
The more the fragments composing his very existence seemed to vanish.
'I'm disappearing...'
Without realizing it, Bu Eun-seol reached out into empty air as if trying to grasp something.
But that hand had already transformed into the slender, delicate arm of a young boy.
As if he had regressed to childhood.
The long-forgotten pangs of hunger, the bone-chilling cold, even the razor-sharp rage toward the world—all resurfaced.
'What was my name again?'
Why was he here? Who was he, really?
Bu Eun-seol's consciousness drifted like a feather cast into an endless sea, devoid of direction or purpose.
The Seven Great Demon Ancestors.
Those who inherited the origin of demonic power.
Among them, the Pale-Handed Demon Empress's true authority—the power to sever martial artists' memories—
Was a force that could crumble even the most formidable master's sense of self like a sandcastle before the tide.
[Hey, you damned fool!]
Then, the voice of Baekri Geom-ha rang out.
[Well done! Preparing so thoroughly to become that hag's slave, are you?]
A stroke of fortune.
As his memories and consciousness faded, Baekri Geom-ha had awakened him.
'Why?'
Bu Eun-seol gazed at him through his fading awareness.
'Wouldn't you be better off if I disappeared?'
[If only your memories vanished, fine! But I'm disappearing too, you idiot!]
True to his words, Baekri Geom-ha's form was growing indistinct.
As Bu Eun-seol's memories vanished, so too did Baekri Geom-ha—who existed as a personality shaped by those very memories.
"Being forgotten... isn't so bad."
[What did you say?]
'Don't you have things you want to forget?'
Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly within his dimming consciousness.
'I... do.'
Baekri Geom-ha fell silent.
Having resided within Bu Eun-seol's psyche, he understood his nature better than anyone.
Outwardly cold and seemingly omniscient, he was in truth a man of deep sentiment.
His spirit appeared unbreakably firm, but beneath that shell lay a tender, vulnerable core.
[Damn it all!]
As Bu Eun-seol's sense of self neared annihilation, Baekri Geom-ha jolted upright.
[After surviving all this, you'll let yourself be killed by that crone?]
"......"
But Bu Eun-seol no longer responded.
There was only one way to snap this fool back to his senses—sharing a memory powerful enough to shock his spirit.
[But he's too fragile now.]
If he shared an unbearably traumatic memory in this state?
It might shatter his will to live entirely.
[Then...]
Baekri Geom-ha bit his lip.
The only memory that could instantly restore Bu Eun-seol's vanishing self—
"There is only one memory shocking enough to ignite the will to live."
"Martial arts of Murim generally seek to wield tremendous power."
Within the Small Martial Training Ground of the Saha Manor estate,
Baekri Mu-ha was imparting martial teachings to young Baekri Geom-ha to instruct him in the Imperial Step.
"Yet those who pursue the true Martial Way instead hone the art of withdrawing from force."
His father's voice resonated low and profound, like the scent of pine needles carried on the wind.
"The Imperial Step is a martial art yet not a martial art, a foot technique yet not a foot technique... It is a secret method of yielding to force."
Having spoken, his father clasped his hands behind his back.
Baekri Geom-ha held his breath, awaiting his father's next movement.
Yet his father remained perfectly still. Only the wind stirred around him, scattering dry leaves.
Then—
Thunk!
A pebble rolling on the distant ground suddenly shot toward Baekri Geom-ha's face.
Moving at considerable speed, Baekri Geom-ha instinctively twisted his body to evade.
"Do not dodge."
The stern voice made him flinch.
But having already shifted half a step, the pebble grazed his cheek.
"Did you sense the path the pebble sought to take?"
Baekri Geom-ha shook his head vigorously.
His father extended his hand again.
Dozens of pebbles from afar rose into the air.
"Watch closely."
Whoosh.
The pebbles shot forward with blinding speed.
His father shifted his foot—no more than a hand's breadth to the side.
It was not an evasive movement.
It was so natural, as if he had always stood there.
Miraculously, the violently flying pebbles merely brushed past his body at the last moment.
Like water parting around a pillar in a stream.
Baekri Geom-ha's eyes widened in disbelief.
"How...?"
"The Imperial Step is not a method of opposing force."
His father gazed at him with gentle eyes.
"It is the art of yielding to the path force wishes to take, while remaining its center."
Then, in a quiet voice, he continued:
"If I become the center of the world, would not all the world's forces inevitably flow around me?"
"If I become the center of the world, all its forces..."
This was a martial principle even seasoned masters might struggle to grasp.
But Baekri Geom-ha, who had conversed with great scholars since the age of five,
possessed knowledge so vast even his father could scarcely fathom it.
His eyes sparkled as he pondered this profound truth.
"Shall we try once more?"
At his father's words, Baekri Geom-ha nodded.
"Yes."
"This time, not a pebble—but my fist."
He extended his fist toward Baekri Geom-ha.
Though its momentum could topple mountains, its speed was slow.
Recalling his father's teachings, Baekri Geom-ha tried to step aside—but his body refused, crushed by the overwhelming pressure.
"Fear, too, is a force. You must read its flow."
Finally, his father's fist reached his nose.
Krrr—!
The air tore as Baekri Geom-ha's hair whipped violently.
'I must not rely on sight.'
He closed his eyes instead.
Gathering all his senses into the soles of his feet,
he traced the immense flow of force radiating from his father's fist.
And within that flow, he found a single empty point.
'There.'
He shifted his foot slightly.
Neither forward nor back—a truly bizarre half-step.
Swoosh—
In an instant, his body slid as if sucked into a single point.
The torrent of power from his father's fist grazed his shoulder and split the void.
CRACK!
The Fist Wind struck an ancient tree behind him.
Splinter—
Watching the centuries-old giant cleave in two, Baekri Geom-ha gasped.
"What if you had actually hit me?"
His movement just now had not been fully intentional.
It was the instinct to survive—
guiding his body according to his father's teachings.
Then, a single drifting leaf alighted softly on his shoulder.
Though he had stood at the epicenter of a Fist Wind capable of shaking the world,
his body was utterly tranquil.
"I knew you would succeed."
For the first time, his father smiled faintly.
"Remember this sensation today."
It was the smile of an emperor—filled with pride and satisfaction.
"You need not become the master of force..."
Rustle.
His father's palm fluttered in the wind.
"Merely stand at the center of the path force takes."
A single maple leaf, carried by the breeze, sought to land on his father's shoulder.
But it passed through his body and settled on the ground.
Having attained harmony with nature, not even a leaf could violate his form.
Not repelling force—but governing its path.
Becoming the very principle of the world as he walked.
"This... is the Imperial Step."