Chapter 1219
Swish!
Even as the sharp sword gripped by A-yeon viciously drove toward his heart, Bu Eun-seol never averted his gaze. He stared straight into her eyes.
Drip.
The razor-sharp tip touched his chest—but in the end, it only pierced his skin before stopping.
Plink.
Pearl-like tears scattered from A-yeon's large eyes, spilling down like shattered drops.
No matter how fiercely she hardened her heart.
She couldn't kill someone more precious to her than life itself.
"My lady."
Bu Eun-seol spoke gently, his voice low but tender.
"What happened to you all this time?"
"......"
"Can you not tell me?"
A-yeon couldn't meet his eyes and lowered her head.
A long silence stretched between them.
Then, after a deep breath, she answered in a quiet voice.
"I tried to take my own life."
Because I couldn't forget you.
Back then, after being saved by Bu Eun-seol once more, A-yeon had continued her training to sever all worldly ties and become a nun of the Mystic Path.
Every dawn, she knelt on the cold wooden floor, reciting scriptures.
She meditated to banish distracting thoughts, burned incense to calm her mind.
But as time passed—
The deeper her cultivation grew, the clearer Bu Eun-seol's shadow became.
When she closed her eyes, she saw his smile. Even the sound of the wind seemed to carry his voice.
The more she tried to forget, the deeper this relentless love carved into her. At last, she realized:
This agony would last her entire life—as long as she drew breath.
So this was the torment that broke my master.
Her master, Ok Yu-ha, who had taken her in and taught her the sword, had lived her life nursing an unfulfilled love in her heart. It had festered, leaving her unable to maintain a sound mind.
Was I destined to live the same life of regret?
Only now did she understand the heart of the master she had failed to comprehend as a child.
An unrequited love was like a thorn that could never be pulled out.
Unable to bear the pain any longer, A-yeon eventually left the Sword Pavilion and wandered aimlessly.
At last, her footsteps halted at the edge of a desolate cliff, where no one else tread.
The howling wind tore at her robes as if to rip them apart.
She drew a dagger from her waist.
This will end all my suffering.
Thud.
Without hesitation, she stabbed the blade toward her heart—then hurled herself off the cliff.
But was it fate? Or did her body refuse to die?
The dagger barely missed her heart.
How much time had passed?
Drifting unconscious in the river's current, she finally awoke.
And when she lifted her head—
A noblewoman stood before her, clad in elegant silk robes, surrounded by opulent furnishings.
Her eyes were as cold as the stars in the night sky, gleaming with a sharpness that seemed to pierce through everything.
It was the Empress Dowager.
Not only had the Empress Dowager saved A-yeon from death's doorstep—
She had realigned her qi and blood, disrupted by her Inner Demon, mended her body, and even handed her a martial arts manual.
This is a technique only those who share your kind of resentment can master.
At first, A-yeon thought it was just another Cold Heart Art, meant to extinguish emotions.
But when she opened the manual, her expression froze in shock.
The deeper the heartache, the colder the sword becomes. The stronger the longing, the faster the movement technique grows.
A Forbidden Secret Art of the Martial World—one only women burdened with deep love and resentment could learn.
Was this not the Ancient Wood Divine Art?
The choice is yours.
A-yeon didn't hesitate. She accepted the manual without a second thought.
What did it matter if she lived? Her life would only be filled with suffering.
If this was a way to erase that pain, then perhaps it was fate.
With the Ancient Wood Divine Art, she could rid herself of love, longing, agony, and torment.
This place will do.
The Ancient Wood Divine Art required frequent consumption of specially refined pills, the main ingredient of which was the Mysterious Jade Herb.
She settled in Frozen Lotus Valley, where the herb grew in abundance, and silently honed her skills.
By the time her Ancient Wood Divine Art reached the Eighth-Star Attainment—
With the Ancient Wood Divine Art at the Eighth Star, she won't be defeated and injured by anyone.
The Empress Dowager ordered her subordinates to carry out assassinations—targeting martial artists belonging to the Emperor's secret organizations, deeply rooted throughout the Martial World.
A-yeon's eyes no longer wavered with sorrow.
The pupils that had once held the pain of unforgettable love had turned utterly emotionless.
And so, she became—
The Poisonous Hand Demon Sword, the Empress Dowager's hidden blade, silently dismantling the Emperor's secret forces one by one.
After hearing everything, Bu Eun-seol exhaled a long, heavy breath, his expression bleak.
The Sword Pavilion had always remained aloof from the conflicts of the Martial World.
He had seen no need to disrupt their peace by prying into their internal affairs.
But their successor—A-yeon—had...
"...that she would love me so deeply she'd abandon her sect... and even reach the point of giving up her own life from longing?"
"I am unworthy of such profound devotion from you."
After long deliberation, Bu Eun-seol spoke these words.
"Yet I shall take responsibility for you for the rest of my life."
He absolutely could not permit a pure woman like A-yeon to become the Empress Dowager's blade—a ruthless assassin.
There was only one way to save this woman drowning in love's swamp, unable to pull herself free.
Bu Eun-seol resolved to accept A-yeon as part of his fate.
"Had I wanted that kind of ending, I wouldn't have tried to take my own life."
Contrary to expectations, A-yeon shook her head firmly.
"I have no intention of becoming your concubine."
"My lady."
"I desire only the purest, singular love."
A-yeon looked directly at Bu Eun-seol as she asked:
"Can you live your whole life gazing only at me? Love me and me alone?"
"My lady."
"If not, then simply leave."
Had A-yeon resolved to share Bu Eun-seol's love with other women?
She would have sought him out, pleading for him to accept her heart by any means.
There would have been no reason for such an extreme choice as taking her own life.
'So that's how it was.'
Bu Eun-seol finally understood why A-yeon had suffered so deeply.
'Her nature was always quiet and introverted—she struggled even mingling with other women.'
Let alone sharing her beloved with countless women?
From A-yeon's perspective, this was utterly unbearable.
To live wedged between countless women simply because she loved him?
For her, each day would be hell itself.
"There is no way I can help you."
"Then kill me."
A-yeon stepped closer as she spoke.
"If I die by your hand, that would satisfy me."
Then she smiled brightly.
"That way, I'll remain in your heart forever."
Bu Eun-seol stood speechless.
There was only one way to save A-yeon:
To wed her, then abandon all the women to whom he'd promised futures.
But if he betrayed those countless vows to save A-yeon?
Some among them might make the same choice A-yeon had.
Meaning even if he accepted A-yeon's heart, there was no perfect solution to this dilemma.
"I'm sorry."
As Bu Eun-seol stood frozen, A-yeon smiled a smile of resignation.
"This too... is merely my selfish desire."
Her wish to die by her beloved's hand was selfishness.
Even the emotion she'd called love.
Was ultimately just shackles binding her.
Struggling in those shackles.
She was only sinking deeper into despair under love's name.
Gurgle—
Then A-yeon coughed up bright blood.
Though her Ancient Wood Divine Art had reached Eighth-Star Attainment—the invincible realm of unbreakable perfection—
Meeting Bu Eun-seol had revived long-suppressed emotions, causing her accumulated Internal Power to crumble away.
Crack—
Her Ancient Wood Divine Body, said to rival the Heavenly Dipper Body, shattered.
With severe internal injuries, she reverted to an ordinary physique.
"The Empress Dowager has long sought the mysterious Secret Vaults scattered through the Martial World."
Wiping blood, A-yeon drew something from her robes.
A crystal orb that seemed to contain the heavens' brightest star—glowing with translucent, warm radiance.
"And she finally located one of the Secret Vaults said to have been created by the Martial World's greatest secret, a Secret Vault said to have been created by Baekri Mu-ha."
"One of the Secret Vaults..."
"Yes. But ultimately, she couldn't open it."
'Father's Secret Vault.'
He'd long known the Baekri Clan's vaults were scattered across the Central Plains.
But that his father had created one? He'd never even imagined it.
Let alone multiple vaults?
'Baekri Ja-ha's key could open it.'
His father was also of the Baekri bloodline.
Moreover, the mysterious metal in Baekri Ja-ha's prosthetic arm—
Forged with True Demon Knowledge—could freely alter its form.
Huum—
When A-yeon channeled Internal Power into the orb, it shimmered and projected light toward a location.
Like Baekri Ye-ha, the Empress Dowager too—
Could use esoteric arts to imprint locations within glowing orbs.
"I'd resolved never to give you this unless you killed me..."
A-yeon lowered her head with resigned expression.
"But I couldn't do it."
"My apologies."
Bu Eun-seol likewise bowed his head.
He wished to grant her desperate wish.
Even this heartbreaking love that slowly shattered body and soul.
Yet he couldn't.
"Take it."
A-yeon offered a parched smile.
"It's useless to me now anyway."
"My thanks."
The instant Bu Eun-seol reached for the orb—
SWIIIIISH!
A strange wind suddenly howled, and in the distance, a rain of black glints cascaded like arrows.
Just as he lifted the orb.
The Empress Dowager's subordinates had launched an ambush.
'Damn it!'
Bu Eun-seol inwardly cursed.
They had mixed Soul-Demon Magic Energy into their hidden weapons.
Normally, the Domain of World and Realm Annihilation would neutralize such demonic power, but—
Right now, he had to block these attacks like an ordinary martial artist, deflecting each one with his sword.
Clang! Clang! CLANG!
Bu Eun-seol deployed the Returning Energy Foundation, knocking aside the incoming projectiles one by one.
But within the Domain, his remaining Internal Energy was barely equivalent to 120 Years of cultivation.
And on top of that, he had to protect A-yeon, who was already severely injured from the collapse of her Ancient Wood Divine Art...
He had to wield his sword with unprecedented caution, pouring every ounce of skill into his defense.
Whish! Whish! WHISH!
The black projectiles poured down like a storm.
'It would be better to release the Domain.'
The World and Realm Annihilation still had a range limitation—it only extended about thirty zhang.
And the attackers were firing from beyond that distance, infusing their weapons with Soul-Demon Magic Energy. There was no reason to maintain the Domain now.
But then—something unexpected happened.
A-yeon, gazing at the rain of hidden weapons, smiled faintly.
Swish.
As if letting go of everything, she slowly spread her arms and stepped away from Bu Eun-seol.
Their love was never meant to be.
By choosing death before his eyes, she would remain forever in his heart—ending her long, bitter life on her own terms.
"A-yeon!"
Startled, Bu Eun-seol moved to block her path—
SLASH! CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!
He unleashed the Sword Laughs at Xuanyuan, a technique capable of generating the most sword energy in a single stroke, deflecting every last projectile.
FLASH!
Then—a tiny glint pierced through, striking her head.
One of the attackers had launched a hidden weapon with terrifying Internal Power, and it had found its mark.
"A-YEON!"
The projectile had lodged near the Death Point—the Hundred Meetings acupoint.
Even the slightest disturbance could sever her life in an instant.
The Domain of World and Realm Annihilation—
A supreme state that neutralized all Internal Energy, forcing combatants to rely solely on their physical bodies and martial skill—had a fatal flaw.
Its range.
If enemies attacked from outside its limits, he had to block them in his weakened state.
Of course, he could simply release the Domain—
But if he hesitated even a moment while protecting someone, tragedy would strike.
CRACK.
Something shattered, and the surroundings gradually regained their color.
The Domain had been lifted.
SHWIIING!
At the same time, a surge of black True Qi erupted outward—
SLICE! SLICE!
The heads of the hidden assailants soared into the sky.
Bu Eun-seol had unleashed the Willful True Binding, beheading them in a single stroke.
The survivors, realizing they faced an opponent beyond their skill—
WHOOSH!
Leapt into the air and fled.
"A-yeon."
Drip... drip...
Blood trickled from her lips.
When a Divine Art cultivated through suffering collapses, the body follows.
The moment she realized she was loved and allowed herself to feel, her Ancient Wood Divine Art had already shattered.
Her body was broken, her injuries severe.
And now, struck by the Empress Dowager's strange hidden weapon—she was dying.
"Hold on a little longer."
Gathering his Internal Energy, he moved to pull out the projectile—
"Don't."
"A-yeon."
"My life ends here."
Struggling to look up at him, she spoke in a faint whisper.
"I loved you."
Thud.
With those final words, she collapsed.
Though she wasn't completely gone yet, if left like this, she would turn cold within half a ke.
"A-yeon."
Bu Eun-seol gazed down at her, cradled in his arms as if asleep.
Had she truly wanted to die?
He shook his head.
No—she had simply loved him too much.
She couldn't bear the thought of sharing him with countless other women.
"Truth be told... I've been thinking the same thing."
His voice was low.
"To love someone is to think of them constantly—when you wake, when you sleep. It means longing for them deeply, for the rest of your life."
So how could one possibly long for so many at once?
This was why Bu Eun-seol had always avoided entanglement with women.
Because he believed it was wrong to form bonds with multiple people.
"But I couldn't just stand by and let you die."
Since stepping into the Martial World, there had been one conviction he had never wavered from.
Never turn away from someone dying.
A-yeon had chosen death herself, but in truth, it was closer to an unavoidable compulsion.
If he could just change his mind, he could save her.
How could he hesitate?
"I know full well that saving you might drag you into hell."
Huuuung.
Golden light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's hands.
He had drawn forth the Prajna Great Power, infused with the Heavenly Light Endless Art.
"But I will walk through that hell with you for the rest of our lives."
In saving A-yeon,
he had resolved to take responsibility for her for the rest of his days.
Huuuung.
As the Prajna Great Power poured into her, her body floated into the air—
Swoosh.
—and the fragments of the hidden weapon embedded near her Hundred Meetings acupoint slowly began to withdraw.
Pshhh.
When the weapon was fully extracted, a fountain of blood shot up a full foot into the air.
Instantly, Bu Eun-seol's expression darkened.
Because mixed with the blood, a grayish-white fragment had come out with the tip of the weapon.
'Will the Azure Spirit Stone Fluid, so effective for external wounds, be able to repair damage to the brain?'
He couldn't be certain.
Pop.
But without hesitation, he uncorked the bottle of Azure Spirit Stone Fluid and made her drink it.
'Please, let it work.'
Huuuung.
A multicolored golden light began to spread from A-yeon's floating body.
All the energy in Bu Eun-seol's body merged with the Prajna Great Power and poured into her,
instantly absorbing the effects of the Azure Spirit Stone Fluid throughout her system.
Thud.
As A-yeon slowly descended to the ground, her face was full of color, and her emaciated body had returned to its original state.
Rather, having been infused with Spirit Medicine and energy akin to Spiritual Energy in her dire condition,
she had undergone an effect akin to Metamorphosis and Bone Renewal.
"Mmm..."
Finally, A-yeon let out a long, low groan and lifted her heavy eyelids.
Despite having suffered such grave injuries,
her eyes sparkled with a clarity and depth like a dew-kissed lake at dawn.
Her once-pale skin now glowed with even more vitality than before, radiating a soft light like a freshly bloomed lily.
Her restored beauty was far greater than before, like moonlight briefly revealed between clouds.
"My lady."
Bu Eun-seol exhaled a sigh of relief. Then, in a trembling voice, he cautiously asked,
"Are you awake?"
A-yeon turned her head toward him.
Staring at him for a long moment with eyes as pure as an empty sky,
she suddenly—
"Kihih."
—broke into a bright smile.
It was a smile mixed with unfamiliarity and pure curiosity, as if she were meeting someone for the first time.
"How do you feel?"
When he asked again, A-yeon burst into laughter—"Kihih!"
Confused, Bu Eun-seol furrowed his brow—
"Aha ha ha!"
—and A-yeon, as if finding something hilarious, pointed at his face and laughed like tinkling bells.
Her laughter was as clear and melodious as jade beads rolling across a silver tray.
Just as Bu Eun-seol couldn't hide his bewildered expression, she suddenly pointed at the snowflakes swirling around Frozen Lotus Valley.
"Wow, so pretty!"
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol's world froze.
Only then did he realize—
the innocent sparkle in A-yeon's eyes was filled with nothing but the pure wonder and joy of a child seeing the world anew.
It was fate's cruel joke.
He had barely pulled her back from the brink of death,
but in exchange, all her precious memories had shattered and scattered.
"My lady..."
Bu Eun-seol's face twisted in anguish.
The deep wound in A-yeon's head had trapped her in the time of her childhood, stripped of everything.
Plop.
Without realizing it, tears streamed down his face.
Perhaps this life was better for her?
A love too deep would only kill her again.
If she could remain like this—an innocent child who knew nothing, only receiving love—
at the very least, she wouldn't suffer the same unbearable pain as before.
"Why are you crying?"
As his eyes drowned in endless sorrow, A-yeon's expression also darkened.
"Don't cry."
She reached out and wiped his tears away.
Shaking his head, Bu Eun-seol forced a smile and said,
"Let's go now."
"Where to?"
Bu Eun-seol smiled sadly.
"To a place where there's no more sorrow or suffering—only joy."
Then, carefully, he held out his hand.
"Okay!"
Without the slightest hesitation,
A-yeon beamed and tightly grasped his outstretched hand.
Though she had lost all her memories and become like a child,
because she had loved him so deeply,
she still held onto her trust and affection for Bu Eun-seol.
Hand in hand, the two walked forward in silence.
What future awaited them, what lay at the end—none could say.
But in their clasped hands, they could clearly feel each other's warmth.
Bu Eun-seol moved forward step by step, never letting go of her hand,
while A-yeon lightly matched his stride beside him.
The past, stained with sorrow, was left behind, and an unnamed tomorrow quietly unfolded before them.
Just then, the dim sky began to brighten.
As if preparing a little more light—just for the two of them.