178 - Murim Login

Chapter 178 "The inn is quite old. It's leaking." I found myself staring absentmindedly at the ceiling. "It is a bit old, isn't it?" Of course, it wasn't actually raining. The dark sky outside was calm and quiet. It wasn't the inn that was worn out, but the heart of Jeok Cheon-Gang. When painful memories from long ago resurfaced, tears leaked from his eyes, which I had thought incapable of shedding any. I once thought he was a heartless old man without blood or tears. Hwarang Jeok Cheon-Gang. Who would have thought that such a past existed for this master of ultimate prowess with his eccentric personality? I must also adjust my evaluation of Jo Pil, whom I had deemed merely insane. "He was crazier than I could have imagined." He utterly exploited and then discarded the master who had saved his life. From Jeok Cheon-Gang's story, it is clear he didn't feel a shred of guilt up to the very end. I was shocked to encounter such pure malice, and relieved that Jo Pil no longer walked this earth. "But you managed to escape alive." It was likely that the Namgung family had been monitoring the situation closely. Namgung family, a frequent entity in martial arts novels. A part of the esteemed Five Great Families comparable to the Nine Schools. Catching and dealing with one fugitive should have been a simple task for them. He couldn't have done it without someone's help. "Could it be?" At my question, Jeok Cheon-Gang nodded solemnly. "I sought the help of the Changcheon Sword King. That was my last duty." Even though the disciple abandoned the master, the master protected the disciple till the very end. This master-disciple relationship is truly extraordinary the more I hear about it. "…Incredible." "Incredible? Do you think rearing such a bloodthirsty being as my disciple, and letting emotions get the better of me, was a wise choice?" Jeok Cheon-Gang spoke with a wry smile. "The Changcheon Sword King told me I'd regret it. He was right. Every moment of the past ten years was indeed filled with regret." "If you could go back to that day, what would you do?" There was no hesitation in his answer. "I would save him. And then regret it again. Even if I had a hundred chances, I would still have done the same." 'Such was the me of that time?' Those words sounded significant. It suggested that the Jeok Cheon-Gang of today was different. 'Perhaps?' Perhaps those ten years were a time of preparation for him in his own way. Preparation to slay his disciple, who surely continued his evildoing somewhere in the world. 'If that's the case…' A sudden thought crossed my mind, and I cautiously, very cautiously, continued. "Excuse me." "Go ahead." Jeok Cheon-Gang's calm voice and his penetrating gaze made my heart race. After swallowing hard, I asked. "I believe you have a question for me." Our meeting wasn't merely to reminisce old memories. He had questions for me, and I had for him. But the sword was not in my hands. "I will answer you. Whatever it may be." Jeok Cheon-Gang, the one holding the sword, wordlessly fidgeted with the empty cup. It was a silence with no predetermined end. One moment? One ritual? Or half an hour? I had no way of knowing how much time had passed. Though the wind outside howled coldly, tension caused my whole body to sweat profusely. And finally, the long silence was broken. "…Did he die?" His voice came out strained. Although he tried to appear calm, the question was layered with mixed emotions. When I nodded, the old man's gray eyes quivered. "So it ended like that." Jeok Cheon-Gang, attempting to tilt his cup, belatedly realized it was empty and laughed desolately. "I had somewhat expected it. I could feel traces of the original text on you." It was due to the power I gained through the Sacred Fire Pill. Just as I deduced Jeok Cheon-Gang's identity as Hwarang through his power, he must have done the same. "Did he go peacefully?" "Well." The image of Jo Pil, frenzied and spurting blood at the Seventh Palace, surfaced in my mind. He had pushed his power to the limit, but in our showdown, half of his upper body was blown away, leading to his death. As I hesitated to answer, Jeok Cheon-Gang waved it off with his wrinkled hand. "Forget it. It was my mistake for asking. Where is a peaceful death in a battle of martial artists?" "The pain must have been brief." "For a lifetime of bringing only suffering to others, that much would be a death beyond his due." Despite his words, his face was filled with bitterness. Had Jeok Cheon-Gang met Jo Pil, he would have provided him the swiftest, least painful death he could muster. 'Perhaps that was why he emerged back into the world.' But Jeok Cheon-Gang never fulfilled his purpose. Jo Pil met me first and lost his life before facing his former mentor. How would Jeok Cheon-Gang react???…… "I owe you a debt." "Pardon?" "Didn't you hear me? I said I owe you." "Oh, I heard, but…" I was just too bewildered. I never dreamed such a statement would come out so readily, so simply. I blinked in disbelief, and Jeok Cheon-Gang addressed me. "Someone had to stop that child. You did what I should have done ten years ago in my stead. And…" Suddenly, Jeok Cheon-Gang bit his lip, as if uttering such words for the first time. After hesitating briefly, he finally spoke. "I'm sorry. I sincerely apologize to all of you for my rash actions before." A voice escaped me involuntarily. "Hul." "Hul?" "Oh, no. I'm just so surprised, I spoke without thinking." "Is it so astonishing for an old man to apologize?" It seemed quite enough to be surprising. And he was clearly uncomfortable about it himself. "…Um, well." Fumbling for words, I saw Jeok Cheon-Gang's grimace and quickly changed my tone. "The renowned hero of the world, Hwarang Jeok Cheon-Gang, personally apologizing to a much younger fellow like me! Your spirited nature and humility make me bow naturally." Look at that face. It's like a battle between Jekyll and Hyde. As he expressed his intense internal struggle of whether to hit me or not through his facial muscles, Jeok Cheon-Gang finally let out a deep sigh. "You're truly an unpredictable one. You may leave now." "Yes, sir." "And take those kids with you." Cheong-Pung was snoring, with his forehead on the table, and Hyeok Mu-Jin was still lying sprawled in the courtyard. Before Jeok Cheon-Gang could change his mind, I quickly gathered the burdens and started heading upstairs, when I suddenly remembered something I had forgotten. 'Oh right, I need to return the Fire God Technique's manual and the sword.' I had already consumed the Sacred Fire Pill, so there was no choice there, but I needed to return the rest of the items. I was desperate to conclude my dealings with Jeok Cheon-Gang today. "Um, Jeok Daehyup, I'm sorry, but there’s one more thing I'd like to mention…” Speaking as softly as a tiny ant, I turned, and in the next moment, I paused. There he was, sitting alone, pouring himself a drink. One glass, then another, he placed the cups on the empty seat opposite him and silently began drinking. As I quietly watched this scene, a thought occurred to me. 'Small.' The back of the giant known as the Fire King appeared small and lonely, and I quietly turned and continued up the stairs. As the presence behind me disappeared, Jeok Cheon-Gang murmured somberly. "You’re someone who deserved to die." Just in Anhui Province, you took dozens of lives. Who knows how many others fell at the hands of my disciple over the past ten years? "You spoke of being the supreme being. You're no different. You fell at the hands of someone stronger." There are no eternal victors or eternal losers. Even Jeok Cheon-Gang, a master of utmost proficiency, is a weakling to someone. But there are those who sometimes forget this fact. Those who, intoxicated by their power, or possibly by blood, veer off onto a misguided path. "Foolish wretch." Jeok Cheon-Gang downed his drink. It seemed like the words spoken by his disciple that day echoed again in his memory. 'I’ve never changed, not once from the first day I met you, Master.' These words were replayed countless times in his mind over the last ten years. That single line pierced his heart like a dagger, tormenting him endlessly. "Truly, have you not changed, not even once?" He had spent a lot of time with him. Sometimes he was a strict teacher, other times a caring father figure to his disciple. Or so he thought. But it was all an illusion. If it were true, the path Jangcheon chose would have been vastly different from what it is now. "From the start, there’s no such thing as an entirely blank canvas." Coming into the world is like being given a blank piece of rice paper. From birth to death, countless moments fill that canvas. When death finally arrives, it's complete, painted with all those moments. The picture Jangcheon painted... was all black. Jeok Cheon-Gang, standing closest, never realized this. "Tian." The old man stared at the empty seat opposite him with the glass of liquor. One by one, phantom images appeared there. A child huddled over, stuffing dumplings, a boy with flushed cheeks gripping the wooden sword his master crafted for him. His limbs grew longer, and his gaze sharper. Before long, the grown young man glared at the elder. 'Kill me.' That day, Jeok Cheon-Gang had no response to his disciple's sharp words. But if he ever met his disciple again, there was something he truly wanted to say. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Whoooooosh. A cold breeze swept over the liquor glass through the creaky inn’s door. "Whoah!" I awakened to a loud noise. Cheong-Pung, who seemed quite excited, was bouncing around. "This is my residence, so why... Oh." Right. This wasn’t the Taiyuan Jin family manor but an inn. At the same time, yesterday’s events flashed through my mind like a slideshow. Crossing the boundary between life and death wasn’t an exaggeration. Anyway. "Could you stop jumping around? There’s already so much dust." "Today, we can jump!” With such clamor, who could sleep? Hyeok Mu-Jin, who had been sleeping uncomfortably in a corner, slowly opened his eyes. "Am I in paradise?" He starts babbling nonsense the moment he wakes up. Though momentarily bewildered, upon reflection, I recalled him fainting after being struck with a duck bone Jeok Cheon-Gang threw, while trying to escape alone yesterday. "You’re awake?" "Leader?" Hyeok Mu-Jin widened his eyes at me and sighed deeply. "So this isn't paradise." "What’s that supposed to mean, you idiot." "It’s a joke, a joke. I’m just delighted to see you alive again." "A guy who tried to escape alone, delighted to see me, really?" "Eheh, why are you being like that?" Hyeok Mu-Jin, feigning innocence, looked around. More precisely, at Cheong-Pung who was running around the room like a train. "What’s all the commotion about this morning? What’s got him so thrilled that he’s charging around like that?" "Not sure. Apparently, he can jump today." "Seems like he might have eaten something tasty." It’s undoubtedly gibberish, yet when it concerns Cheong-Pung, the credibility skyrockets. I skeptically asked Cheong-Pung. "What’s today?" Cheong-Pung, who was spinning around the chaotic room, came to an abrupt halt. "You don't know?" "…Please, let’s refrain from remarks like that. Hearing it from you impacts me tenfold." "It’s the first day of the new year. New Year's Day!" Hyeok Mu-Jin and I nodded simultaneously. "Oh, it’s New Year's Day." "Right. It's already New Year's Day." "There we go, I wondered what it was all about…" "Indeed, a year has already passed… Yes." Then, following a brief silence, a significant realization dawned on us. 'Ah, the Taiyuan Jin family.' The moment echoed vividly in my ears, capturing the threat made by Wi-Paeng just before I left the family.