Bu Eunseol unleashed a movement technique akin to a divine dragon, soaring across the skies.
Too much time had passed while he was lost in his memories. Surely, many incidents had occurred in the meantime.
From now on, he had to swiftly set things right.
Swish! Thud!
But suddenly, Bu Eunseol halted his movement technique and stood tall on a cliff deep within a mountain.
A sudden recollection threw him into profound confusion.
‘I had parents!’
During the time he lived as the beggar Mumu, stripped of his memories, he had dreamt countless times.
Those dreams were of memories that had been completely erased.
Memories of his childhood.
‘I was born into a prosperous family, with parents who loved me!’
He had thought himself an abandoned orphan.
Yet, in truth, he had been raised in a loving, affluent household.
But why?
Why had the manor suddenly burned down, and why had they evacuated him?
Could it be… treason?
‘I’m so curious about who my parents were…’
Even though it was in dreams, he couldn’t see their faces.
But he could feel their boundless kindness and noble character, much like his grandfather, Bu Zhanyang.
So why? Why had he gone through such an ordeal?
Why had his memories been erased?
While partially consumed by the Soul-Sealing Mist Technique and falling into the Ten Thousand Year Cliff, he had recovered some fragments of his childhood memories.
But that was all.
Nothing else came to mind. The more he tried to recall, the more those dreamlike memories seemed to vanish like bubbles.
‘If you ever learn martial arts, this technique will eventually break,’ his father had said.
‘Why won’t my memories return?’
Bu Eunseol’s martial prowess was undeniable, and with his Spiritual Awakening, he had created an infinite barrier around his spirit.
Yet, the technique remained unbroken, and his memories could not be restored.
Was it because he had not yet reached the realm of Phenomena in the Limitless Realm?
‘The father I saw in my dreams… he was no weak man.’
There was no technique in the martial world capable of erasing memories.
From Bu Eunseol’s perspective, his father’s martial prowess was unfathomable, beyond what his imagination could measure.
So why was his name unknown?
Bu Eunseol gazed at the distant sky.
‘Even if my memories don’t return… I wish I could at least see their faces.’
No matter how hard he tried to recall, even in those dreams, he couldn’t clearly see his parents’ faces.
This pained Bu Eunseol deeply.
‘Will I ever find them?’
Bu Eunseol bit his lip.
In his dreams, he appeared as a bright child of about five or six years old.
That meant the burning of the manor had happened roughly twenty years ago.
Moreover, his father, despite possessing immense martial prowess, had lived like a scholar, concealing his identity.
Yet, he had said he lacked the ability to protect his family.
‘The Three Realms!’
Bu Eunseol’s eyes turned fierce, like those of a Emissary.
In the end, the only ones with such power, aside from the Twin Heavenly Emperors of the Righteous and Demonic Paths, were the Three Realms.
‘If the Three Realms deliberately erased this truth…’
The intelligence network of the Three Realms far surpassed that of both the righteous and demonic factions. If they had intentionally hidden this information?
Even mobilizing every intelligence organization… could they uncover an event from twenty years ago?
Especially with no specific clues.
‘No matter how long it takes, I will find them!’
Bu Eunseol vowed, staring at the distant sky.
He took several deep breaths to calm his turbulent mind.
‘For now, I must focus on what needs to be done.’
Unleashing his movement technique again, Bu Eunseol swiftly entered the capital.
He sent a letter to someone using a highly discreet method.
It was the first step in addressing the events that had occurred during his absence.
***
Clatter, clatter.
A carriage that had escaped from Majeon raced tirelessly.
After days of travel, it arrived at a secret hideout of Majeon, discreetly established in the Xiangtan region.
Creak.
As the carriage stopped, a figure hurriedly disembarked and rushed toward the hideout.
It was Yoo Unryong.
‘Please, please…’
Entering the hideout, he stared at the tightly shut door, panting heavily.
Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he slowly opened the door.
There stood a man in white robes, hands clasped behind his back, radiating a striking presence.
It was the friend and superior he had longed to see, even in his dreams—Bu Eunseol.
"Bu Eunseol!"
Yoo Unryong couldn’t help but shout, rushing forward to embrace him.
‘Thank you, heavens!’ he cried inwardly, over and over.
Every single day, he had prayed to the heavens.
Take my life if you must, but please protect that man. Please ensure Bu Eunseol’s safety…
And the heavens had finally answered his prayers.
Perhaps sensing Yoo Unryong’s emotions, Bu Eunseol tightly returned the embrace.
"What happened? Why did you orchestrate all this?" Yoo Unryong, swallowing his overwhelming emotions, asked, "There were traces of you falling off the Ten Thousand Year Cliff! The warriors of the Wei King’s Manor tracked the area. What happened?"
"Unryong, calm down." Bu Eunseol smiled, patting his shoulder.
‘Unryong?’
Yoo Unryong blinked.
Though Bu Eunseol was warm at heart, outwardly, he was as cold as ice.
Yet here he was, smiling brightly and calling him Unryong?
"Are you… are you okay?"
"Of course. I may have lived as if I weren’t myself for a while…" Bu Eunseol took a deep breath and smiled.
"But that, too, was a part of me."
Yoo Unryong blinked again.
He didn’t know what had happened in the meantime. But Bu Eunseol’s demeanor had softened considerably.
Moreover, dressed in white robes, he almost looked like a righteous hero at first glance.
"So… you’re really okay?"
"Yes."
Thankfully, his voice wasn’t overly warm or gentle.
If it had been, Yoo Unryong might have lifted Bu Eunseol’s lips to check if he was disguised.
"What happened? The leader of the Hyeokryeon Clan, that despicable man—what did he do?"
Bu Eunseol said bitterly, "The leader of the Hyeokryeon Clan was the Phantom King’s master. And he wielded the Flame Emperor’s Technique."
"What?"
"With no way to break his Soul-Seizing Spirit Words, I had no choice but to leap into the Ten Thousand Year Cliff."
Recalling that moment, Bu Eunseol let out a deep sigh.
"Based on his prowess, Leader Hyeok is likely not from the Qinghe Realm. He’s probably a lord of the Infinite Realm or a key figure within it."
He calmly explained the encounter with Hyeok Ryeon-eung.
Yoo Unryong’s jaw dropped as he listened.
Hyeok Ryeon-eung, the chief guardian of Majeon and a royal advisor to the Wei King’s Manor, had been a terrifying master whom Bu Eunseol couldn’t even resist?
"Unknown to the martial world, but he’s a master of the Infinite Realm?"
"I don’t know if it’s the Phenomena of the Infinite Realm or a power beyond the boundaries of martial arts."
"This is insane." Yoo Unryong’s mouth hung open. "Are there really so many masters in the martial world? Honestly, this is absurd, isn’t it?"
Aside from the Twin Heavenly Emperors and the Three Demons and Venerables, it was said no masters of the Infinite Realm existed in the martial world.
But the mysterious figures of the Three Realms and their organization shattered that common knowledge.
"What’s certain is that Leader Hyeok wields a unique soul-captivating technique that no one can counter. He might even be a descendant of the Phantom Star among the Eight Emperors and Three Stars."
"The Phantom Star?"
"Yes. The martial arts of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars have always wielded tremendous power, unbound by the limits of martial realms."
The techniques of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars were not constrained by martial boundaries.
In other words, Hyeok Ryeon-eung’s soul-captivating technique might not stem from reaching the Infinite Realm but from the unique properties of the Eight Emperors and Three Stars’ martial arts.
"Anyway… thank goodness."
Yoo Unryong let out a sigh of relief.
"If your return had been even slightly delayed, an irreversible situation would have unfolded."
"Irreversible?"
"That old monster, the lord of Hell's Blood Fortress, proposed a motion at the Demonic Assembly to strip you of your position as heir."
Yoo Unryong gritted his teeth as he continued, "And the Affectionate Blossom Sect is spiraling into internal division, reaching a point of no return. The Heaven and Earth Severing Sect faction has suffered heavy casualties from attacks by the Soul-Destroying Sect."
Bu Eunseol’s eyes widened.
As soon as he regained his senses, he had only contacted Yoo Unryong.
He hadn’t investigated the events that had transpired. So much had happened in the meantime?
"Tell me in detail."
"Well…"
Yoo Unryong explained everything in detail to Bu Eunseol.
After an hour of explanation, he said in a low voice, "That’s how it turned out."
Having heard everything, Bu Eunseol’s gaze deepened.
In truth, he had learned martial arts and entered the martial world to avenge his grandfather.
And he had risen to a high position.
But as a result, many people and factions had come to trust and follow him.
And through constant clashes with the Three Realms, they had now extended their reach not only to him but also to those who followed him.
"First, we’ll spread word through the intelligence networks that I’ve returned. That should naturally resolve everything." After some thought, Bu Eunseol shook his head.
"No, it’s better to keep my disappearance a secret for now."
"What?"
"If they know I’ve returned, they’ll immediately cover up their actions and back off." Bu Eunseol explained calmly, "As long as they believe I’m still missing, we can more easily resolve the events that have unfolded."
"Resolve them how?"
"The Affectionate Blossom Sect and Heaven and Earth Severing Sect."
Bu Eunseol said calmly, "We must first restore those two to normal. Only then can we defend against the Demonic Assembly to some extent."
"Hmm." Vaguely grasping Bu Eunseol’s plan, Yoo Unryong nodded.
"I understand. Let’s do it."
If they knew Bu Eunseol was safe, they would change their plans again.
In that case, it was far better to remain in hiding and secretly resolve matters.
***
The Women’s Sect had long been a foundation for powerful factions.
But the Affectionate Blossom Sect, through its vast wealth and connections with both righteous and demonic factions, had risen to prominence as one of the Ten Demonic Sects, despite being a women’s sect.
Yu Suryeon.
She was the Flowing Flower Garden Lord of the Affectionate Blossom Sect and a loyal figure who had served it for many years.
But with Bu Eunseol’s appearance, she developed dissatisfaction with the sect’s leader, Geuk Hyeryeong.
Because of his arrival, the Affectionate Blossom Sect, which had always resolved everything independently without relying on men, had completely changed its course.
‘Why did the leader fall for that young man and pour our hard-earned wealth into the Nangyang Pavilion and Heaven and Earth Severing Sect?’
From her perspective, ever since meeting Bu Eunseol, the Affectionate Blossom Sect had willingly become a slave to the Nangyang Pavilion and Heaven and Earth Severing Sect.
They had poured vast wealth into them and even shared their core intelligence network and operatives.
Of course, through their alliance with the Nangyang Pavilion and Heaven and Earth Severing Sect, they had gained martial arts strong enough to protect the sect independently.
But that alone didn’t justify providing such immense wealth and intelligence.
‘The Affectionate Blossom Sect must change.’
At that moment, an unexpected figure appeared before Yu Suryeon.
He called himself the Third Emissary of the Infinite Realm.
A figure from the Three Realms, known for manipulating various factions and holding authority, had approached her.
‘The Emissary of the Infinite Realm?’
The Affectionate Blossom Sect had long served as Bu Eunseol’s eyes and ears, so she was well aware of the Three Realms.
Yet, a figure from the Infinite Realm, suspected of involvement in Bu Eunseol’s disappearance, was now standing before her?
‘Let us make you the leader of the Affectionate Blossom Sect. The Infinite Realm will back you.’
It was astonishing.
The Three Realms, the mysterious organization that had long stirred the martial world, was offering to make her the leader?
‘What do you want from me?’
‘Nothing. If anything, we only ask that the Affectionate Blossom Sect return to its former state.’
Moreover, the Emissary of the Infinite Realm made an offer that suited her perfectly, with no apparent downside.
‘Pouring wealth into the Nangyang Pavilion or Heaven and Earth Severing Sect to bolster their power is not in our interest.’
Yu Suryeon nodded in agreement.
The Three Realms and Bu Eunseol had always clashed. His words were likely true.
‘You truly want nothing?’
‘Does the Affectionate Blossom Sect have anything superior to the Infinite Realm?’
He was right.
The wealth and intelligence network of the Three Realms surpassed that of any single sect.
They had the power to destroy or rebuild an entire faction in an instant.
‘Very well.’
Yu Suryeon ultimately joined hands with them.
Though she had allied with an external force, she felt justified.
It wasn’t for personal gain but for the future of the Affectionate Blossom Sect.
This righteous cause allowed her to easily recruit disciples dissatisfied with Geuk Hyeryeong’s policies.
Okyeonhyang.
A grand pleasure house in Muchang, it was the most splendid among the establishments under the Affectionate Blossom Sect.
Surrounded by fortress-like walls, it housed magnificent buildings.
Within, beautiful courtesans and prominent figures from various fields enjoyed fine wine and entertainment.
Yuhwa House.
This was where Yu Suryeon, the Flowing Flower Garden Lord and an elder of the Affectionate Blossom Sect, resided.
Seated at her desk in the office, Yu Suryeon suddenly glanced at her reflection in a bronze mirror to her left.
Her hawk-like nose and sharply downturned eyes gave her a stubborn appearance.
‘Hmm.’ But Yu Suryeon was pleased with her looks.
Soon, this face would lead the Affectionate Blossom Sect as its leader.
"My Lady."
At that moment, the door to the inner chamber of Yuhwa House opened, and a woman in colorful robes entered, bowing.
It was Ok Cheong, Yu Suryeon’s trusted confidante.
"This month’s financial report."
"Hmm." Yu Suryeon nodded as she received the ledger from Ok Cheong. "Good."
"And, um…" Ok Cheong hesitated before cautiously continuing, "It seems the leader has caught on."
"What do you mean?"
"The leader has summoned all the heads of the top-tier pleasure houses in Gangnam to her headquarters in Gyerim."
"I’m aware."
"Then… shouldn’t we try to win them over quickly?"
Yu Suryeon, flipping through the ledger, shook her head.
"Those heads are loyal to the leader. They won’t listen to us, so don’t bother."
"Are you sure that’s wise? It seems the leader is preparing to take direct action."
Seeing Ok Cheong’s worried expression, Yu Suryeon let out a soft snort.
"It’s a confrontation we’d have to face eventually. If I were afraid, I wouldn’t have started this." Yu Suryeon said in a low voice, "And within five days, completely shut down Okyeonhyang."
"What?"
"Because the masters from the Nangyang Pavilion will come rushing in."
"The Nangyang Pavilion?" Ok Cheong’s face filled with fear.
The Nangyang Pavilion had no ordinary disciples.
Each one was a master capable of facing a hundred foes, and just twenty or thirty could easily wipe out a small sect.
"Our intelligence network detected no such signs."
"Hah. How can our sect’s intelligence compare to that of the Infinite Realm?" Yu Suryeon closed the ledger and looked at Ok Cheong. "To avoid internal conflict, they’ve sent the Nangyang Pavilion’s forces, thinking we’ll surrender naturally."
"…"
"But the leader has made the worst possible choice."
The Black Ledger, the core of the Affectionate Blossom Sect’s power, was already in her hands. Such actions would only give her justification to involve external forces.
As Yu Suryeon smiled, swish, swish, urgent footsteps and a low voice were heard.
"My Lady, it’s Hwa Yeong."
"Enter."
The door opened, and a young maid bowed.
"There’s trouble."
"What trouble?"
"The Nangyang Pavilion has dispatched masters. They’ll likely arrive here in five days at the earliest."
Ok Cheong looked at Yu Suryeon in shock.
"I understand. You may leave."
As Hwa Yeong left, Ok Cheong asked, "If they’ve called the Nangyang Pavilion’s masters, doesn’t that mean they’ll pursue us to the end, even if we shut down the pleasure house?"
The masters of the Nangyang Pavilion were not only skilled in martial arts but also had keen senses and exceptional tracking abilities. Calling in the Nangyang Pavilion’s forces meant Geuk Hyeryeong was determined to hunt down the traitors to the end.
"You’re right. But the only one they’ll pursue to the end is me, the Flowing Flower Garden Lord." Yu Suryeon leisurely picked up a teacup from the desk. "What they want isn’t to slaughter disciples but the Black Ledger I possess."
"I see." Ok Cheong nodded.
Given the leader’s personality, she wouldn’t have called the Nangyang Pavilion’s masters to slaughter her own disciples.
In other words, if Yu Suryeon escaped, the leader would have no recourse.
"Prepare a carriage." At Yu Suryeon’s command, Ok Cheong bowed.
"Yes."
Clatter, clatter.
The carriage parked at Okyeonhyang sped along the moonlit road.
Yu Suryeon, seated inside, gazed at the night sky with a relaxed expression.
Even if all the Nangyang Pavilion’s masters pursued her, she wasn’t afraid.
The Three Realms, though unseen, wielded unmatched power and influence in the martial world.
Having taken their outstretched hand, she had nothing to fear.
"Those who follow the tide are the true heroes."
Yu Suryeon nodded, looking out the window. No matter how she thought about it, it was the right choice.
The power of the Three Realms was unstoppable. Even the heir of Majeon, who had clashed with them repeatedly, had vanished, hadn’t he?
And with the Black Ledger in her possession, the leader would eventually submit, and the Affectionate Blossom Sect would fall into her grasp.
Clatter, clatter.
The carriage raced along the road through the night.
Just before dawn, it stopped in front of a grand manor on the outskirts of Bujung.
"We’ve arrived."
As the coachman opened the door, Yu Suryeon stepped out with a dignified air.
The area around the manor seemed to have formations in place, as a thick fog lingered despite the slowly rising sun.
Without hesitation, she entered the manor.
In the spacious courtyard was a pond, and before it stood a picturesque pavilion. There, a figure in a mask adorned with mysterious patterns stood tall.
It was the Emissary of the Infinite Realm.
‘He’s even more imposing today.’
The emissaries of the Three Realms, including the Third Emissary, exuded such powerful energy that their faces were hard to discern. And today, the energy emanating from the Third Emissary was even denser.
"Thanks to your prior information, I was able to escape without panic." Yu Suryeon gave a slight nod, and the Emissaary spoke.
[The disciples of the Nangyang Pavilion have noses like hunting dogs.] The Third Emissary’s voice was unsettling, like a snake’s hiss. [Do not leave this manor until they withdraw.]
"Here? You mean to stay here without leaving Bujung?"
[The darkest place is under the lamp.]
The Third Emissary stared at Yu Suryeon.
[They will never find this place.]
Waves of cloud-like energy rose from his body.
Even in that brief moment, the pressure and aura he exuded felt far stronger than before.
‘With such martial prowess, he could dominate the martial world.’
"I… I understand." As Yu Suryeon answered, the Emissary’s figure melted into the fog and vanished.
Watching him, she muttered with a dissatisfied expression, "Not even two words."
Despite being the future leader of the Affectionate Blossom Sect, he still treated her like a lowly subordinate.
But she shook her head.
"No matter."
The figures of the Three Realms were extraordinary, their martial arts surpassing even the heads of most factions. Until she fully controlled the Affectionate Blossom Sect, she must seem less than a worm to them.
"But once I become the leader, things will change." Yu Suryeon smiled faintly. "I know what you want—the Black Ledger."
She knew.
The Infinite Realm desired the Black Ledger she had secretly stolen.
With the Black Ledger, anyone could freely control the Affectionate Blossom Sect.
Conversely, without it, even if she seized the sect, she couldn’t wield its full power and authority.
"As long as I hold the Black Ledger, the Infinite Realm will never abandon me."
The Black Ledger was written in a secret code only the disciples of the Affectionate Blossom Sect could decipher, and she never carried it on her person.
If she did, the Infinite Realm would likely seize it by force. As long as she held the Black Ledger, they couldn’t abandon her. She had to protect it at all costs.
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