Chapter 492
Shudder shudder shudder.
Noe Bi-hon, who had been roaring at the top of his lungs, suddenly clamped his mouth shut, trembled violently—
Thud.
—and collapsed unconscious on the spot.
"Brother Noe."
Bu Eun-seol once again pressed his fingers to the Life Gate Acupoint and channeled Reverse Polarity True Qi.
After a prolonged infusion of purified qi—
Flicker!
Noe Bi-hon abruptly opened his eyes and glanced around with a dazed expression.
He looked like someone who had just awoken from an impossibly long slumber.
"What... what happened?"
Unlike before, his gaze was remarkably clear, and his voice carried a gentle warmth.
It was as if a patient tormented by madness had finally completed his treatment and regained his original spirit.
"Where is this place? And who are— Ugh."
Noe Bi-hon alternated his gaze between Bu Eun-seol and So-yo before suddenly clutching his head as if in pain.
"Brother Noe, are you alright?"
"Brother... Noe?"
Noe Bi-hon stared intently at Bu Eun-seol.
"I... who am I?"
Though his eyes were lucid, it seemed no memories surfaced in his mind.
"You don't even know who you are?"
"That's right."
Noe Bi-hon shook his head.
Then he peered closely at Bu Eun-seol's face.
He had only ever seen Bu Eun-seol disguised as Seon-u Jin—never as the wandering martial artist Seol-so.
"If you call me brother...?"
Noe Bi-hon tilted his head in confusion.
"Are you saying you're my younger sibling?"
With the madness gone, Noe Bi-hon now spoke with the gaze and tone of an ordinary scholar.
Realizing that his eyes and speech were utterly unlike his usual self, Bu Eun-seol drew a deep breath.
'He's lost his memories entirely.'
Bu Eun-seol, too, had once suffered severe trauma, lost his memories, and lived as the beggar Mumu.
And now, Noe Bi-hon's condition perfectly mirrored his own past amnesia.
'Does this mean I must become Fatty for him?'
Even after being defeated by Hyeokryeon Eung and losing his memories, he had regained his original memories and power.
Only because a benefactor—Fatty—had appeared.
Now, Noe Bi-hon had lost his memories and all his strength after being defeated by the Heir of the Blade Emperor.
It fell to Bu Eun-seol to become his benefactor and help him recover his power.
"That's right."
Bu Eun-seol immediately softened his gaze and tone, adopting a friendly demeanor.
"Aren't we fighting the same enemy?"
"The same enemy?"
"The Three Realms."
"The Three... Realms?"
At the mention of the Three Realms, Noe Bi-hon clutched his head in agony.
It seemed the horrific sight of his child, killed by them had surfaced in his mind.
'I should avoid that topic as much as possible.'
"But why am I here in this forest...?"
"You were badly injured fighting a formidable foe. Let's leave quickly."
Though he had reignited Noe Bi-hon's vitality with the Hot River Great Essence True Qi,
there wasn't a single undamaged part of his body left. Without prompt treatment, his condition could worsen irreparably.
Whoosh.
Bu Eun-seol lifted Noe Bi-hon's body with Void Object Retrieval and spoke calmly.
"Where are we going?"
"Shouldn't we see a physician?"
"A physician... Hmm."
Noe Bi-hon obediently entrusted himself to Bu Eun-seol as if accepting the logic.
Tap.
Bu Eun-seol lightly pressed his sleep acupoint.
As Noe Bi-hon drifted into slumber—
Crackle.
—Bu Eun-seol reverted his face to its original appearance.
"Where are you planning to go?"
So-yo asked with concern.
There weren't many physicians in the world capable of treating the Thunder God—let alone one who had lost both his memories and power.
"Gold King Mountain."
"So that's your destination."
So-yo nodded.
The physician residing on Gold King Mountain possessed the skill to heal even the Thunder God, and fortunately, he wasn't too far from their current location.
"Right. That's the place."
Bu Eun-seol immediately took flight.
The destination he carried Noe Bi-hon toward—
—was none other than the manor of the Needle King, Jongri Sa-hyeon.
Jongri Sa-hyeon was deeply astonished.
Not only had Bu Eun-seol—who had left after being slapped by him and his granddaughter—returned to the manor,
but he had also brought an injured man out of nowhere and requested treatment?
And that patient was none other than a man whose martial reputation resounded across the world—
the Thunder God Noe Bi-hon, one of the Four Gods and Seven Kings?
"Please treat him."
Without even asking for details, Jongri Sa-hyeon immediately began treating the deeply unconscious Noe Bi-hon.
He had instantly grasped the severity of his condition.
"No, this won't do. I must begin with the Primordial Golden Needle technique."
While checking Noe Bi-hon's acupoints, Jongri Sa-hyeon noticed his irregular breathing and promptly took him to the treatment room to insert the golden needles.
His movements were extraordinarily cautious, as if emphasizing the gravity of the injuries.
Finally, when he inserted a long golden needle into the Hundred Meetings Acupoint, Noe Bi-hon's breathing stabilized.
With a deep whoosh, Jongri Sa-hyeon exhaled heavily and wiped away the sweat streaming down his face.
"Just what happened to him?"
The Needle King asked again, gazing at Noe Bi-hon, who lay deeply unconscious, his body densely packed with golden needles.
"How did he end up in such a state?"
At his question, Bu Eun-seol had no choice but to lie.
"I don't know. He was likely ambushed by an extraordinary Master."
"An ambush?"
"Yes."
It was a lie for Noe Bi-hon's sake.
He couldn't bring himself to say that Noe Bi-hon's family had been slaughtered by the Three Realms, driving him to madness.
But then, Jongri Sa-hyeon said something unexpected.
"The Three Realms again?"
"You knew?"
"He's been hunting them for a long time."
Shockingly, Jongri Sa-hyeon was well aware of Noe Bi-hon's circumstances—something unknown to the rest of the Murim.
"His madness stems from the Three Realms slaughtering his family."
Seeing Bu Eun-seol's expression remain calm, the Needle King narrowed his eyes.
"You knew as well."
"Yes. I never imagined you would be aware of such a story."
"I've spent half my life trying to eradicate the Human Blossoms and the Soulless Ones the Three Realms creates."
Jongri Sa-hyeon smiled faintly.
"I've clashed with them just as much as you have."
"Then you must have met Noe Elder Brother while fighting the Three Realms."
"Indeed. Inevitably, as I crossed paths with them, I frequently encountered Noe Bi-hon, who pursued them with relentless fury."
The Needle King's lips curled into a faint smile.
"You must have met him the same way, no?"
"Correct. I've received his help multiple times."
"Hohoho. To form a bond with a man lost to madness—impressive."
"Is there truly no way to heal his fractured mind?"
Jongri Sa-hyeon shook his head as he looked at the unconscious Noe Bi-hon.
"In the past, his condition wasn't this severe. But no matter how hard he tried, he could never grasp the Three Realms' tail... His madness only worsened."
He let out a deep sigh.
"The only reason he's held on this long is thanks to his Thunder Essence Divine Qi—its immense restorative power. An ordinary man would have lost his mind long ago."
"..."
"He once told me he watched as his wife and child's skulls were split open and their spinal cords ripped out before his very eyes. Yet even after all this time, he hasn't found even a single one of the murderers, let alone exacted revenge... How could his mind remain intact?"
Noe Bi-hon's story, in a way, mirrored Bu Eun-seol's own.
Feeling a pang of sympathy, Bu Eun-seol asked:
"Then can his body recover fully?"
His expression darkened.
"When I found him, he had completely lost his memories."
"If his Thunder Essence Divine Qi is restored, his memories should return as well. The damaged meridians in his brain will repair themselves."
Jongri Sa-hyeon pointed to the Hundred Meetings Acupoint on Noe Bi-hon's head.
"However, if his body recovers through Thunder Essence Divine Qi, his brain meridians will suffer another shock."
He clicked his tongue.
"Because of that, he won't remember anything from the time he lost his memories. He'll likely forget you ever saved him."
That might be for the best.
Bu Eun-seol had changed his face multiple times in front of the wounded Noe Bi-hon.
If he forgot all of that, it would actually be a good thing.
"But that recovery... is practically impossible."
"What do you mean?"
Bu Eun-seol frowned in confusion.
"You said if his Thunder Essence Divine Qi is awakened, recovery is possible."
"I did."
Jongri Sa-hyeon exhaled heavily.
"But the only thing that can awaken Thunder Essence Divine Qi... is Thunder Essence Divine Qi itself. Do you understand?"
"So... to wake Noe Elder Brother, we'd need another Thunder God who wields Thunder Essence Divine Qi?"
"Precisely."
In short, to rekindle his power, they needed someone whose Thunder Essence Divine Qi rivaled Noe Bi-hon's own.
But in all of Murim, the only one born with the Thunder Spirit Physique was Noe Bi-hon himself...
Unless another Thunder God of equal power existed, awakening his Thunder Essence Divine Qi was impossible.
Bu Eun-seol pondered deeply before his eyes suddenly lit up.
"Thunder Essence Divine Qi is the power of nature. Then couldn't we borrow nature's power?"
"You really are sharp."
The Needle King nodded approvingly.
"In the past, there was a Thunder God who succeeded in reawakening his Thunder Essence Divine Qi that way."
But then he shook his head.
"But it's no longer possible."
"If a Thunder God succeeded before, we can too."
"That's not what I meant."
Jongri Sa-hyeon stared into the air as if frustrated.
"We'd need to precisely direct Thunderbolt Qi descending from the heavens into his body, then purify it—requiring a medium to channel it safely inside."
The old man blinked slowly as if dredging up distant memories, then shook his head.
"Even for you, that would be impossible."
"What in this world is truly impossible?"
Bu Eun-seol replied with utmost sincerity.
"If you tell me the method, I'll attempt it."
"This could jeopardize your position. Do you understand what I mean?"
"It doesn't matter."
"'Doesn't matter'?"
Jongri Sa-hyeon wore an expression of puzzlement.
"Aren't you the Heir of the Demon Hall? Why would you risk undermining your position to help him?"
Bu Eun-seol felt profound kinship with Noe Bi-hon, having also lost family to the Three Realms.
Moreover, he owed the man multiple life debts.
Repayment was only natural.
"As I said, Brother Noe has helped me many times. When enemies from the Three Realms ambushed me, he intervened."
"Such a thing happened?"
"Twice, in fact."
As the Demon Hall's heir, Bu Eun-seol's movements were concealed by the Information Warfare Unit.
Any public excursions would involve substantial escorts.
For the Three Realms to directly target the Demon Hall's successor made no sense.
"Occasionally, I survey the martial world's currents without my retinue,"
Bu Eun-seol smoothly fabricated, recognizing Jongri Sa-hyeon's skepticism.
"They never miss those opportunities to strike."
"I see."
Jongri Sa-hyeon was inherently suspicious.
Though holes riddled Bu Eun-seol's explanation, he didn't press.
Because he no longer saw the youth as an outsider, but as his beloved granddaughter's prospective husband.
For someone like Jongri Sa-hyeon—who'd walked the Righteous Path for generations—accepting a Demonic Path disciple as in-law was no trivial matter.
Perhaps only encountering the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade Bu Jan-yang—that free-spirited saber master, unbound by the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths of the Demonic Path—could have made it possible.
"But you must think carefully. Even with your status, this won't be simple."
"I will succeed. Please tell me the method."
With reluctant resignation, Jongri Sa-hyeon spoke.
"First, you must retrieve the Beast Palace's sacred treasure—the Divine Spirit Staff. Only with it can you properly channel heavenly lightning—Thunderbolt Qi—into the body."
The Beast Palace.
A mysterious sect in the Southern Barbarian Region, renowned for their secret art—Control of Ten Thousand Beasts—allowing command over all earthly creatures.
They were equally famed for Beast Martial Arts mimicking animal movements and Beast Force unleashing bestial strength.
The problem? The Beast Palace shunned all external contact, strictly forbidding outsiders from entering.
"A formidable task indeed."
To infiltrate their isolationist stronghold and steal a sacred relic...
But that was merely the beginning.
"Next, to safely absorb the Thunderbolt Qi, you must visit the Valley of Forgotten Souls."
"The Valley of Forgotten Souls?"
"Correct. You'll need their Mysterious Leaf Stone to channel the lightning without bodily damage."
The Valley of Forgotten Souls.
Another Southern Barbarian sanctuary—less a sect than a refuge for those living by the philosophy of natural non-action.
Only the deeply wounded could enter.
They say all sorrows are forgotten there, leaving only happiness.
In the past, skeptical families and sects had forcibly invaded, suspecting heresy.
—How could any place erase memories and grant happiness?
—Clearly the Valley is a cult!
Yet reality differed entirely.
It was truly a paradise rivaling Wuling, where inhabitants cherished simple, harmonious lives.
So blissful that none who entered ever wished to leave.
'The Beast Palace and the Valley...'
Bu Eun-seol's lips parted.
Jongri Sa-hyeon's "impossible" wasn't hyperbole.
"But if that's all, there might still be ways—"
Then Jongri Sa-hyeon delivered the final blow.
"The third requirement makes it utterly unfeasible."
"What is it?"
"A site where potent Thunderbolt Qi constantly strikes—the All Swords Land within the Divine Beast Palace's territory."
Bu Eun-seol inwardly sighed.
'No wonder he said it's impossible.'
The Thunder God and Water God had shared an adversarial legacy.
Their energies were polar opposites, their sects perpetually feuding.
The Divine Beast Palace Lord would never open All Swords Land to resurrect a Thunder God.
"Well?"
"An impossible task... but I'll accomplish it."
"You're truly determined to do this."
"That is correct."
"You should think carefully."
Jongri Sa-hyeon inhaled deeply as he observed the unwavering conviction in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"All three sects are completely unrelated to the Demonic Path and possess formidable power and influence. If you act rashly, this could escalate into an inter-sect conflict."
"I appreciate your concern."
Yet Bu Eun-seol's expression remained unchanged.
"I will see it done without fail."
Bu Eun-seol had two compelling reasons why Noe Bi-hon's power absolutely had to be restored.
The man's injuries were sustained because of him. And before losing his memories, Noe Bi-hon had uncovered the Strange Old Man's true identity.
If Noe Bi-hon regained his strength, those memories would return as well.
Then he could confirm that hidden identity—and hunt the bastard down to cut him apart.
"Very well. I sincerely hope you succeed."
"Thank you."
Bu Eun-seol bowed respectfully with his hands clasped.
Though Jongri Sa-hyeon belonged to the Righteous Faction, he had offered generous advice and concern to a Demonic Path Grandmaster like Bu Eun-seol.
For that alone, Bu Eun-seol could bow without hesitation.
Come to think of it, he's different from last time.
Only now did Jongri Sa-hyeon notice something peculiar.
When Bu Eun-seol had come to apologize for deceiving him about his identity before... there had been an oddly lighthearted air about him.
His martial development also seemed lacking at the time.
But observing him now, the aura of a Peerless Grandmaster capable of overlooking the entire world overflowed from his being.
And his presence—wasn't it like moonlight suspended in the night sky, impossible to grasp?
This brat... I've really taken a liking to him.
Though he'd accepted the apology last time, he'd considered Bu Eun-seol an unsuitable match for his granddaughter Sa-yu.
Yet now, he couldn't help wanting to make the young man his son-in-law even if it meant turning his back on the world.
Ahem. Come to think of it, I did hear from Sa-yu...
Jongri Sa-hyeon cleared his throat.
"Has your stance remained unchanged since then?"
Bu Eun-seol hadn't received a proper explanation from Seo Jin-ha.
But judging by Jongri Sa-hyeon's warm and benevolent gaze, he could tell things hadn't ended badly.
"It remains... as I stated before."
When Bu Eun-seol evaded the question, Jongri Sa-hyeon made a tsking sound.
"How frustrating. Since when does a successor of the Demonic Path Ten Gates dither like a bashful nun of the Mystic Path?"
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened slightly as Jongri Sa-hyeon continued in an amicable tone:
"Flowers Do Not Last Ten Days. Youth and beauty are but fleeting moments—they never endure."
"..."
"Otherwise, that girl will spend her prime years wandering the martial world like this, pretending to practice medical arts."
Suddenly, Seo Jin-ha's radiant smile when leaving Jongri Manor flashed through Bu Eun-seol's mind.
Surely he didn't make some absurd promise?
"I have many obligations to fulfill."
"Yes, so I've heard. And Sa-yu understands that as well."
Judging by the response, fortunately Seo Jin-ha didn't seem to have made any outlandish promises.
"Noe Bi-hon's body should recover soon."
Jongri Sa-hyeon spoke in a resigned, quiet voice.
"But don't push yourself too far. They're still factions from Beyond the Frontier—stirring trouble with them will bring headaches."
Bu Eun-seol respectfully clasped his hands again.
"Understood. Thank you."
Noe Bi-hon sat eating in Jongri Manor's Recovery Room.
Jongri Sa-hyeon's acupuncture and medical arts were miraculously effective, having healed all his external and internal injuries.
Only, with his lightning meridians damaged and Thunder Essence Divine Qi gone, he'd lost both the Thunder God's power and memories.
Slurp. Slurp.
He was devouring a steaming bowl of plain noodles generously topped with meat broth, eating with the relish of a man who'd starved for days.
This was not the world-shaking Thunder God—he resembled nothing so much as a simple scholar.
"Brother Noe."
When Bu Eun-seol opened the door and entered, Noe Bi-hon wiped his mouth and smiled warmly.
"You've come."
"Do you recognize me?"
From Seon-u Jin's appearance to Seol-so's, and now to Bu Eun-seol's true face—yet he recognized him effortlessly.
"Of course. Aren't you my younger brother?"
Noe Bi-hon chuckled softly.
"Changing faces is child's play for martial artists."
As Bu Eun-seol studied that guileless smile, his chest suddenly ached.
Noe Bi-hon—whose body and mind had been shattered by the Three Realms, who lived only for revenge... until he lost all memory.
Yet now he looked like a refined scholar with a sunny smile.
As if... he'd lived his whole life cradling happy memories.
For the first time, a strange conflict arose in Bu Eun-seol's heart.
Is restoring his power truly the right choice?
After witnessing his wife and son's brutal deaths, Noe Bi-hon had lived as a madman haunted by trauma.
But the amnesiac Noe Bi-hon's expression now seemed utterly at peace.
Brother Noe...
Bu Eun-seol bit his lip.
Having suffered so terribly for so long...
Noe Bi-hon had every right to forget.
If someone wished to erase their past, no one should ever stand in their way.
"You look like you're about to cry."
Then Noe Bi-hon made an odd observation.
"Like a child putting on a brave face despite their sorrow."