Recently, in the peaceful martial world.
An absurd rumor began to spread.
―Martial artists who lose their memories are increasing.
At first, it was merely dismissed as a baseless rumor.
But the rumor soon became reality and began to spread throughout the entire martial world.
Renowned escort warriors moving escort goods were standing blankly in the middle of a bustling market, having forgotten who they were and even where they were supposed to go.
A chief disciple of a martial arts hall who set out on a journey into the martial world receiving the expectations of his entire sect.
Upon entering an inn, ended up forgetting the reason why he was there.
Incidents bit each other's tails.
One who tried to repay a grudge forgot the enemy's face, and one who tried to repay a favor forgot the benefactor's name.
The messenger hawks flying into the Death Shadow Corps fluttered without a moment's rest, and letters sent up from all regions piled up like a mountain in the office.
Yoo Unryong checked those letters one by one with a stiff face.
―Only martial artists with weak martial arts are losing their memories…… eh.
He, who intuited the reason such a disaster occurred, immediately reported this fact to Bu Eunseol.
And a meeting of the Captains was held.
"The Seven Great Demon Ancestors."
When the meeting opened, Yoo Unryong explained what he had surmised to Bu Eunseol and the Captains.
"It seems they have appeared again."
He spoke with strength.
"Because the ones losing their memories are only martial artists who have almost no mental barriers."
The reason such a bizarre phenomenon occurred in the martial world was one.
It was certain that the Seven Great Demon Ancestors, beings that innately exert influence on martial artists, had appeared.
'Has the efficacy of the Immortal taking her own life now run out?'
Bu Eunseol's eyes narrowed as he listened to Yoo Unryong's explanation.
In the past, the Red Flame Immortal had said that by taking her own life borrowing Bu Eunseol's hand, she could block the rampancy of the Seven Great Demon Ancestors for a certain period.
If so, now that some time had passed.
Had that effect disappeared, and the Seven Great Demon Ancestors appeared once again?
"If that is certain, we must resolve it quickly."
Bu Eunseol, having finished his thoughts, opened his mouth.
"Since I was the one who made the Seven Great Demon Ancestors appear."
The one who destroyed the Hwa Wu Sword Sect, which could be called the last bastion blocking their rampancy, was.
None other than himself.
Also, because he made a promise to the Heavenly Demon Emperor that he would absolutely deal with the Seven Great Demon Ancestors, he had no choice.
"The Seven Great Demon Ancestors are the very source causing chaos in the martial world."
Bu Eunseol, looking around at the personnel in the room, said.
"If we continue to investigate, we will eventually catch their tail."
A few days passed.
But clues about the Seven Great Demon Ancestors could not be easily found.
―Why on earth are they not revealing their figures?
As soon as the Vajra Demon Ancestor appeared, he created the Ten-Thousand-Li Treasure Ship and caused massive chaos in the martial world.
But this incident was different.
Only martial artists losing their memories occurred, but traces of the Demon Ancestor who instigated it could not be found.
After agonizing over it, Yoo Unryong visited Bu Eunseol's office and said.
"It seems we must borrow the strength of the Elder Hall Leader."
Elder Hall Leader, Blood Demon Jeok Bung.
He had warned of the appearance of the Seven Great Demon Ancestors long before Bu Eunseol destroyed the Hwa Wu Sword Sect.
That meant he surely had a line connecting him to the Seven Great Demon Ancestors or knew information about them well.
Perhaps he might know the location or identity of the Demon Ancestor who caused this chaos.
"It's no use."
Hearing the story, Bu Eunseol shook his head.
"He is a figure grinding his teeth to bring down Lord Sado. He will absolutely not do anything that would make Lord Sado happy."
The Heavenly Demon Emperor desperately desires the death of the Seven Great Demon Ancestors.
There was no way Jeok Bung, who knew such a fact all too well, would do anything that would benefit the Heavenly Demon Emperor.
"Is that so."
Yoo Unryong took a deep breath.
"I will try to investigate once again for now."
Though he said that, his expression was dark.
The Seven Great Demon Ancestors are from the start like an abyss not revealed in the martial world.
Unless they make up their minds to reveal their figures, no matter how much they mobilize intelligence organizations, finding them is impossible.
As time flowed, martial artists losing their memories increased, and the chaos aggravated.
A few people losing their memories isn't that big of a problem.
But for the memories of many people to disappear all at once could become a disaster shaking the entire martial world.
Fortunately, because their memories were severed only partially or at a certain point in time, most were able to return to their daily lives, but.
If the number of people losing their memories like this increased? The chaos had no choice but to aggravate.
Rustle, rustle.
In the dead of night, Bu Eunseol was endlessly checking letters in his office.
To quell the chaos in the martial world this time, the intelligence network of the Death Spirit Corps wasn't nearly enough.
Fortunately, because they could obtain the trends of the orthodox factions through the Azure Sky Alliance, and information on the unorthodox and evil factions through the Martial Soul Society.
They could at least grasp the outline little by little.
Vwoosh.
But a strange thing happened.
A bizarre sound of tearing air was detected outside the office.
'To this place?'
The Suppressed Demon Pavilion was fortified to the point that even Majeon's key figures couldn't enter recklessly.
Especially because ancient formation arts were overlapped.
The experts who could secretly approach his quarters could be counted on ten fingers even in Majeon.
'It means they are not a person from Majeon.'
If it were a person from the same Majeon, they could request a meeting…… there was no need to deliberately infiltrate the Suppressed Demon Pavilion like now.
Ziiiing.
As Bu Eunseol spread out his super-senses,
Vwoosh.
The intruder secretly began to escape the Suppressed Demon Pavilion, as if they had been waiting.
'Were they luring me.'
Even though they possessed incredible abilities enough to deceive the eyes and ears of the Death Shadow Corps Captains.
To deliberately make the sound of tearing air in front of the office was an intention to lure Bu Eunseol.
Tss-tss-tss-tss.
Coming outside, Bu Eunseol deployed Swift Beyond Shadow and tracked the shadow moving away in a single breath.
Swooooosh.
The intruder's movement technique was incredible.
Even though he clearly caught up right under their nose.
They vanished into the distant sky in an instant like a meteor once again.
It was a unique movement technique even Bu Eunseol, who had constantly faced numerous strong individuals, was seeing for the first time in his life.
Kwa-wooooosh!
Upon rapidly escaping Jangsa Prefecture, the shadow raised its speed even further.
'Can't be helped.'
The moment Bu Eunseol bit his lip and was about to use the Endless Heavenly Light Art,
Tap.
The shadow suddenly landed lightly on a sheer cliff seen far away.
That identity was a pure white shadow draped in flames.
"The Martial Soul Command Lord, Bu Eunseol."
The shadow had the form of a woman wearing white clothes, but.
Only the shapes of eyes and a nose were engraved, making it incomparably bizarre.
She scanned Bu Eunseol's entire body as if admiring a sculpture, then nodded.
"Indeed, you can be called the greatest handsome man in the world."
And then she extended a white hand.
"I heard your martial arts are incredible. Shall we see what level you have reached?"
Kwang!
In an instant, a terrifying palm force as if plucking up and throwing Mount Tai poured toward Bu Eunseol's face.
Ziiiing.
He rapidly created protective astral energy.
The mountain-like palm force brushed past the protective astral energy, and then,
Kwaaang!
Collapsed the cliff of the opposite mountain far away.
Rumble, rumble.
Bu Eunseol, glancing at the sight of the cliff collapsing.
Only then could he grasp the identity of the woman covered in a bizarre light.
"The White Hand Demon Empress."
A woman capable of collapsing a cliff with a single palm strike.
"So you were the one of the Seven Great Demon Ancestors who caused chaos in the current martial world."
The origin of demonic palm arts and.
The most powerful hand technique in the world, said to have nothing it cannot break with two hands.
The one capable of collapsing a cliff with a light blow was none other than the White Hand Demon Empress who had mastered the White Hand Blood Shadow.
"Hehehe."
The white shadow, the White Hand Demon Empress, laughed lowly and said.
"Martial Soul Command Lord. Do you have the guts to compete against this body with only palm force."
The White Hand Demon Empress's White Hand Blood Shadow was only talked about as a legendary palm art of the demonic path.
Its reality or power was not accurately known.
With the single move just now, the White Hand Demon Empress.
Showed off an overwhelming emission speed surpassing even the reflexes of the lightning-fast Beast Way, and.
A terrifying destructive power that collapsed a mountain cliff in an instant.
Its power was even more destructive than any martial art he had encountered so far, even the Limitless capability.
'Are you testing me.'
Even though it was an obvious conclusion that he would naturally lose if he competed with only palm arts, she was deliberately provoking him.
"I heard you possessed an unyielding spirit and genius strategy."
On the White Hand Demon Empress's face, where only the shapes of eyes and a nose were engraved on a form like white flames, a mouth expressing a sneer was drawn for a moment.
"Are you afraid?"
The White Hand Demon Empress asked with a nasal voice.
"Of competing with only palm arts?"
Bu Eunseol up until now.
Might have avoided the spot while fighting, but had never once avoided a head-on confrontation.
But he threw an unexpected answer.
"I will refuse."
"Is that so."
The White Hand Demon Empress shook her head as if disappointed.
"It is a wise choice, but different from the rumors."
"I don't know what the rumors are like, but."
Bu Eunseol showed a peculiar smile.
"This Command Lord does not wish to compete with palms against a woman whose face I don't even know, whose face is covered with a bizarre light."
In an instant, the area around the White Hand Demon Empress's face, which was covered in white flames, wavered.
She, who was the grandmaster of palm arts and was born with the power to intervene in the memories of martial artists.
Had lived aloofly and arrogantly up until now, fitting the name Demon Empress.
Yet to treat her like an immature woman with infinitely insulting words?
"Ho ho ho!"
The White Hand Demon Empress, who seemed about to flare up in anger, unexpectedly burst into mad laughter and nodded.
"Indeed! With that single phrase, you could be said to have both preserved your pride and shown off your peerless stratagem."
The White Hand Demon Empress provoked Bu Eunseol's pride to induce a match he was bound to lose.
At that, Bu Eunseol as well.
Saw through her arrogance and provoked her pride, breaking the proposal for the match itself.
"You must be itching to kill this Empress, aren't you?"
The White Hand Demon Empress made an unexpected proposal.
"I will give you a chance."
"……."
"Since this Empress has earnestly revealed herself to the world, numerous martial artists will continue to lose their memories in the future."
She spoke with a joyful voice.
"But they are not losing their memories. They are merely being severed."
Twinkle.
Spotting Bu Eunseol's pupils flashing momentarily, she let out a satisfied voice.
"It seems you understood."
The White Hand Demon Empress slowly turned her body.
"Find the place where this Empress stays. Then I will gladly fight you."
"Do you think I will just let you go?"
"Of course. This narrow-minded woman made up her mind to offer such a disadvantageous proposal…… would the peerless strange man, the Martial Soul Command Lord, unconditionally strike me?"
White flames rose from her entire body.
"The time limit is ten days. If you do not find me within that time, the martial world will ultimately fall into great chaos."
Pa-a-a-ah!
With those words as the end, the White Hand Demon Empress's figure vanished into the distant sky in an instant.
"Not losing their memories."
Bu Eunseol, looking in the direction where the White Hand Demon Empress suddenly disappeared, chewed over the words she had said.
"Severed…… eh."
If his deduction was correct?
These words were a very big clue that could also break the White Hand Demon Empress's secret.
"Does she mean she has confidence in winning."
Why on earth was she making such a fatal bet staking her own neck?
Could it be she felt living was ridiculous, and was enjoying a game staking her life?
"It doesn't matter."
Even without the promise with the Heavenly Demon Emperor, the Seven Great Demon Ancestors are beings that must be exterminated anyway.
However, if that happens, he must also kill the Ten Great Immortals who possess the power to stand against the Seven Great Demon Ancestors to balance it out.
"Because I have made preparations."
But since the Red Flame Immortal's death.
Bu Eunseol had vowed that he would absolutely prevent such a thing.
And since he found the clue a while ago…… he just needed to deal with the witch bringing chaos to the world.
* * *
Returning to Majeon, Bu Eunseol summoned the Captains.
"It was the White Hand Demon Empress."
Unlike before, his eyes were calmly sunken and full of conviction.
"And though she is known to erase memories, our approach so far was wrong."
Before the Captains' counter-questions could burst out, Bu Eunseol quickly continued.
"The martial artists thought their memories were 'erased', but that was misunderstanding the phenomenon occurring. Her ability is not the 'extinction' of memories, but closer to 'severance'."
He pointed at a teacup placed on the table.
"If you break a teacup, pieces remain, but if you throw it into the void, it temporarily disappears from your sight. The White Hand Demon Empress's ability is like this."
Yoo Unryong grasped the meaning of those words and his eyes sparkled.
"Then you mean from the moment they entered a specific time, a specific location, some memories evaporated."
"That's right."
Bu Eunseol nodded.
"Because of that, the victims do not even know what they forgot. It merely feels like their memories were deleted at a certain moment."
Only then did the Captains also nod as if they understood.
"Then the clue is clear."
The Dead Soul Squad Captain Mu Heon, who had been listening quietly, spoke.
"The last location and time the victims remember. Because that must be exactly the 'boundary' where they stepped into the White Hand Demon Empress's sphere of influence."
"Exactly."
Bu Eunseol said.
"Mobilize all Dead Soul Squad members and find all the martial artists who said their memories were severed."
And he turned his gaze to the large map occupying one side of the meeting room.
"If we mark all the places they vividly remember last on the map……."
A flash of light sparkled in Bu Eunseol's pupils.
"We will be able to find the place where the White Hand Demon Empress is staying."
* * *
―I was on my way to Mount Tai.
I remember up until the moment I drank a cup of liquor at a tavern and stepped out the door, but…….
―Waiting for a boat at the ferry after receiving the Sect Leader's order is the last thing.
―I chased after suspicious herb gatherers. I saw them entering a mountain path and followed them in. My memory ends there.
The Dead Soul Squad mobilized informants, asked around, and investigated the martial artists who lost their memories, and.
They marked the places where they stayed last right before losing their memories on the map.
At first, it looked random, but.
As hundreds, thousands of dots were placed.
The dots were scattered along a certain boundary, and the inside of it remained as a perfect blank space without a single dot.
An absolute realm of 'nothingness (無)', as if a large black hole was pierced on the map, had been created.
It was clearly certain that that place was the space where the White Hand Demon Empress's authority reached, and those who entered inside all lost their memories.
―So it was this place.
The White Hand Demon Empress was not living on a remote island over a foggy lake or in a grand fortress.
Miao Village.
She was staying in a place where all kinds of criminals and scumbags gathered.
Lake Dongting, Moon-Gazing Island.
A place called the graveyard of abandoned ships.
Dozens, hundreds of old and abandoned massive ships leaned against each other, precariously connected with iron chains and rotten planks.
Between ship and ship, temporarily built wooden houses bloomed like mold, and.
Above that, buildings were added again to form a bizarre and precarious pavilion.
Looking from the sky, it looked like a massive spiderweb, or the skeleton of a monster submerged in water.
And the other name of this Moon-Gazing Island was exactly Miao Village.
A lawless zone where neither righteousness (正) nor evil (邪), nor the law (法) reached.
Criminals who committed crimes and fled, sailors and fishermen living from hand to mouth.
And merchants and courtesans sucking their blood and sweat were mixed together.
Everywhere, the fishy smell of water, the damp smell of rotting wood, the smell of cheap liquor and spices.
And the smell of people's sweat were tangled together nauseatingly.
Step, step.
At a time when the moonlight was bright,
There was a shadow looking around the inside of Miao Village.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he was looking around the surroundings as if out on a sightseeing tour.
From an old ship hanging red lanterns, the loud voices of drunkards burst out all night long.
In the cabin where a gambling den had opened, the screams of losers and the cheers of winners mixed together.
On the narrow paths, sword fights breaking out over trivial quarrels were a daily occurrence.
'To think she set up a base in a place like this.'
He was none other than Bu Eunseol.
Through the Dead Soul Squad, he thoroughly investigated Miao Village, and grasped that the White Hand Demon Empress was right at the heart of this chaos.
That she was on the massive abandoned merchant ship soaring abruptly on the hill of Miao Village, the Moon-Gazing.
'Is it that way.'
Bu Eunseol, spotting the massive ship at the top of the hill, hurriedly moved his steps.
'It's huge.'
Looking at the Moon-Gazing seen from afar, Bu Eunseol inwardly let out an exclamation.
The massive ship that once would have loaded silk and tea and traveled up and down the Yangtze River had become a huge monstrosity.
The people of Miao Village didn't even go near the Moon-Gazing.
Because rumors circulated that if one went near there, they would definitely be found as a corpse.
Bu Eunseol headed toward the hill path where the Moon-Gazing was without hesitation.
"Is that guy the Martial Soul Command Lord?"
"He's certainly handsome. It's just that his aura is brutal."
"Seeing him come to Miao Village, did he hear the rumor about Yingying."
The information merchants of Miao Village passing by occasionally said a word looking at Bu Eunseol's face.
Even knowing that he was the successor of Majeon dominating the world, they were not afraid, and.
Rather looked at him with a gaze like looking at a novice who had just stepped into the martial world.
It was understandable.
The dregs who live from hand to mouth, or live steeped in drugs, fear nothing.
Since rather, those living within an established framework would look insignificant to them.
Step, step.
Bu Eunseol silently moved his steps to the Moon-Gazing, not caring about their gazes.
Surprisingly, even though he climbed up to the hill, there were no people blocking him or serving as guards.
Thud.
Finally stepping onto the deck, he felt a clear metal material, not old wood.
Even though wood grain was clearly engraved, a bizarre luster flowed on the floor.
'It is not wood.'
Judging from the feeling felt through the soles of his feet.
He intuited that it was metal of tremendous thickness that couldn't be cut even with a treasure sword.
Moreover, unlike its outward appearance.
Upon entering the interior of the Moon-Gazing, the noise and stench from outside didn't reach as if it were a lie, and only absolute silence and cleanliness filled it.
The interior of the ship was very clean, and a subtle light flowed out as if lamps were lit inside the cabins.
Also, because the Moon-Gazing was an extra-large ship and was placed on the highest ground.
He could look down brightly over the entirety of Miao Village.
When Bu Eunseol was viewing the scenery while being hit by the cool breeze,
Creak.
An old hunchback opened a cabin door and came outside.
"Welcome, young master."
The hunchback old man bowed deeply to Bu Eunseol, then headed to the bow of the ship.
"Please follow me."
The place the old man guided him to was originally the sailors' workspace, but.
Chairs and utensils were neatly arranged so one could rest while looking at the surrounding scenery.
"The Shipowner (船主) will be out shortly."
"Understood."
Nodding, Bu Eunseol approached the front again and looked down at Miao Village.
Like silence amidst a commotion.
It felt like a space of fastidiousness amidst corruption.
'So in the end, this Moon-Gazing is the very place where the White Hand Demon Empress creates the blanks in memory.'
"You found it well."
At that time, the door of the cabin deep inside opened, and a shadow that let out a languid voice slowly walked over.
It was the White Hand Demon Empress.
Her appearance, not draped in white flames, was somewhat shocking.
It was an astoundingly beautiful appearance, and.
Youth and old age, masculine and feminine, warmth and coldness, all those contradictory concepts were mixed together, forming a peculiar balance.
Truly a peculiar beauty blooming from the extreme of disharmony.
Anyone who saw her even once.
Would not have that appearance disappear from their mind for the rest of their lives.
"Hehehe."
As a languid and sweet voice was added to that, her unique figure and aura seemed to become a single spell.
She was exuding a fatal magic power that even any hero of the world could not resist.
"Come one step closer."
Also, Moon-Gazing Island harbors several secrets, and.
One of them was precisely that it amplified her innate Soul-Seizing magic power to the limit.
No matter how much one possessed an iron-like will……
The moment they met her eyes here, they couldn't help but have their soul completely stolen away.
Indeed, as her gaze touched him.
Bu Eunseol was falling into a magic power like an irresistible abyss that ensnared the heart and paralyzed reason.
Step.
As Bu Eunseol approached one step with unfocused eyes, the White Hand Demon Empress showed a satisfied smile.
Step.
In an instant, the White Hand Demon Empress's delicate eyebrows slightly raised.
She clearly told him to come only one step.
Bu Eunseol had taken another step.
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