39 - Dragon Phoenix Assembly (12) - The Heaven-Slaying Sword

I was just worried about Dang Hwa-Seo not returning home till late and had to step out to look for her. That had been Mok Riwon's state of mind until the moment he decided to go looking for her. 'Today, I'll be the one nagging her!' Dang Hwa-Seo, who always scolded him for coming in late, inspired Mok Riwon to enthusiastically set out, feeling it was finally his turn to return the favor after enduring so much. Therefore, Mok Riwon felt profoundly startled at the scene he eventually came across. And so, he hid his presence. "It's been a while, Young Mistress." Young Mistress. That title alone let Mok Riwon know who they were. 'The Dang family.' The Dang family of Sacheon. Dang Hwa-Seo's family home. A long-awaited reunion with her family, perhaps. He hadn't entertained such a thought. Why would he? Even Mok Riwon, with his occasionally naive deeds, knew well enough that Dang Hwa-Seo harbored no small amount of resentment towards the Dang family. Didn’t she always look so saddened when talking about them? The matter of the Dang family had become a sort of unspoken rule between Dang Hwa-Seo and Mok Riwon. Yet, curiosity couldn't be stifled so easily. Mok Riwon lent his ear to the ensuing conversation. ... His expression grew increasingly stern. "Haven't you run away long enough?" There was mockery in the words of the person he presumed to be her brother. "The head of the family is very pleased. He never expected the Young Mistress who ran away to take such a renowned figure into her grasp." There was a venomous sarcasm in those words. And there was disgust. "How disdainful. Wasn't it you who introduced that martial spirit to the Young Mistress? Yet how can you speak such…" "Yes, that was introduced by me. Despite my reluctance." Mok Riwon couldn’t understand. They were family, meant to protect and love one another, yet their words were as if daggers drawn at each other's throats. The more he thought about it, the less it made sense. Yet, Mok Riwon refrained from acting rashly. He knew jumping to conclusions based on partial understanding was not righteousness but recklessness. Mok Riwon tried to maintain his composure. Knowing that respecting the family secrets Dang Hwa-Seo chose to keep was an act of honoring her dignity. "If not for this cursed Man-Dok-Bul-Chim, I might have forgiven the head of the family." He would wait for Dang Hwa-Seo to calm her heart before asking for the full story. "I really can’t understand. How could the head of the family say such things to me?" He didn't want to embarrass her. He tried to endure. And yet he couldn’t. "To rob me of my future, even the chance to have children. How can he pair me with a man?" Hearing this, Mok Riwon felt as if his thoughts had clouded over. His heart, which always beat so fiercely, felt cold in that moment. Though feelings of sympathy, pity, or anger could have surfaced, what took precedence was a deep sense of self-loathing. It was a rebuke of himself for once admiring Dang Hwa-Seo's Man-Dok-Bul-Chim and casually praising the Dang family. Sympathy and anger came next. Mok Riwon clutched his head, filled with turbulent emotions, and then heard something that made him doubt his ears. "...Why not?" Mok Riwon dared to hope. "Young Mistress, the Dang family has many women. Women who can bear children." That he was merely dreaming. That the words spoken were just a sinister fragment of his imagination. That the reality of such a vile individual's existence was, in fact, a falsehood. But such hopes couldn’t alter reality. "There is a woman who can carry on the Musado lineage in your stead. The entire Dang family would turn a blind eye. All you need to do is raise the child as your own." Ironically, the thought that came to Mok Riwon's mind wasn’t much different from what Dang Hwa-Seo might have thought. 'A dagger.' These words were fashioned into a dagger. Existing solely to tear through one’s heart, they should not have existed. With a slight sensation, Mok Riwon felt something snap inside his mind. "...I can no longer stand to hear this." Mok Riwon revealed his presence. And then, gazing upon the alley where they stood, he finally saw Dang Hwa-Seo's expression. "Mr. Mok..." On Dang Hwa-Seo's face was a mix of embarrassment, shame, and despair. Seeing her face made Mok Riwon feel as if his throat had tightened. "...Ah, the Musado?" Hearing what came next, his heart, which had cooled, was ignited once again. The sound that echoed within him was unmistakable—a clear warning. "Do not harbor a killing intent." The admonition that followed him every moment of his life. The axiom that must never be violated. Although Mok Riwon had never once faltered from this principle, at this moment, it seemed almost impossible to abide by. "Nice to meet you! I've wanted to see you. I am Dang Un Gyeong..." A non-human spat out human words. And laughed. Mok Riwon, grappling with the turmoil within, forced himself to look at him. "Do not harbor killing intent." A crack appeared in that principle. My breath quickens. My fingertips tremble faintly, yearning for the sword. A peculiar thirst begins to rise. "...and so, I would like to invite the grand hero to the Dang family. Will you permit it?" A fleeting scene crossed my mind. Me, drawing my sword and slicing through Dang Un Gyeong's neck as I pass by, then cutting down each man behind him, one after another, silencing everyone present. That would ease the turmoil inside. The warning tones shaking my inner core would fade. No, they would cease to exist entirely. "Do not harbor killing intent." Once again, it seemed like those words were echoing. "...Mr. Mok?" A non-human addresses me as a hero. The nausea hits, and the warning tones become clearer. "Do not harbor killing intent." I repeat the phrase internally. As I do, Mok Riwon gives his response. "...How old are you this year?" Luckily, my voice comes out calm. Its mellowness might even lead Dang Hwa-Seo to feel betrayed. However, it didn't take long for the eerie peace in my voice to reveal its artificiality. "Ah, twenty. I suppose that makes me elder to Mr. Mok. If you wish, you may call me elder brother..." "Fortunate." Mok Riwon smiled. Only the corners of his lips lifted, on a face as rigid as a doll's. "Fortunate indeed, for your absence at the martial gathering spared me much." No, that was not enough. Mok Riwon felt a profound disgust towards himself for engaging in conversation with him at this moment. The guilt of allowing a throat that should have been silenced to continue making noise was overwhelming. "Do not harbor killing intent." So, Mok Riwon focused more on the warning. "Smile." He smiled. Forcing his facial muscles to twist into a grin, pulling the corners of his lips even higher and tensing the muscles under his eyes to create a semblance of a smile. But, as it was a forced smile, the impression it left on Dang Un Gyeong was one of bizarre eeriness. His beautiful features twisted in such a way elicited an inexplicable feeling. "What..." "If you had come to the gathering. If you had stood on the same stage of martial contest as I." Mok Riwon's voice trembled finely. A phenomenon that occurred as he fought to suppress the surging heat within. "If that had happened..." But it was difficult. No matter how much I tried to suppress it, the strange heat tearing through me wouldn't fit, like trying to cram a person into a tiny chest. Unknowingly, Mok Riwon leaked out the overflowing heat. "...It seems I would have smashed your neck." Mok Riwon's pupils narrowed. And with that, an uncontained killing intent leaked out. Thud- Dang Un Gyeong staggered back. His breathing choked, and his thoughts froze the moment his eyes met mine. A thought flashed through Dang Un Gyeong's mind at that moment. '...Snake.' His eyes resembled those of a snake. Not just any crawly snake on the mountain but the black spiritual creature entwined in the prohibited lands of the Dang family seen long ago. That beast's gaze, which was beyond jealousy and covered in awe but fear, was exactly like this. A profound sense of dread settled in Dang Un Gyeong. Despite his body trembling violently, Dang Un Gyeong did not dare attempt to quell it. This was like a signal. A plea to spare my life from this overwhelming fear. "Miss, let's go." Mok Riwon grabbed Dang Hwa-Seo's wrist and led her away, making sure not to show his face to her even for a moment. After they left, Thud- Dang Un Gyeong, who had collapsed on the spot, finally gasped for breath and rubbed his throat frantically. Tears hung at the edge of his eyes. The gulping breaths were now informing him of his survival. 'I’ve survived...' Ironically, the relief of being alive was the first thought that came to Dang Un Gyeong’s mind after Mok Riwon left. * Dang Hwa-Seo was led away by Mok Riwon, filled with questions. Where are we going? Why won't you say anything? And why won't you look at me? Despite her overwhelming curiosity, she couldn’t utter a single word and merely hung her head, allowing herself to be led. It was because of the shame. The shame of having her darkest secrets revealed, and the shame of how she felt at that moment under Dang Un Gyeong's words. The alley changed. From the dim corners of Seohyeon to the main roads, and from there to the manor. Only upon reaching the quarters at the manor did Dang Hwa-Seo feel the grip on her wrist loosen and she raised her head. Mok Riwon was still showing his back to her. Her heart sank for a moment, but luckily, the feeling didn’t last long. "...I apologize for intruding." Mok Riwon turned around. There, the ever so naïve face of Mok Riwon was revealed. "The Miss seemed too distressed, so I overstepped. Did I do something wrong?" She shrank like a child chastised, and this familiarity unnerved Dang Hwa-Seo even more. It was natural. He must have heard everything that went on between her and Dang Un Gyeong. Her upbringing, how the current head of the Dang family views her, and even her deepest secrets she had tried so hard to conceal. Yet, his silence on the matter stirred an inexplicable anxiety within her. Eventually, she couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer. “Why aren’t you asking anything?” “What do you mean?” “Don’t play dumb…!” “Miss.” Mok Riwon smiled warmly. “I heard nothing. In truth, I was too focused on you at that moment to pay any attention to that unsightly man’s words. Embarrassing, isn’t it?” Dang Hwa-Seo’s eyes widened slightly. She fully grasped what he was trying to say. He was trying to say he would forget the incident. After watching Dang Hwa-Seo, who seemed lost for a long time, Mok Riwon slowly approached and took her hands in his. Then, he continued. “Miss, in front of matters you wish to conceal, I will play the fool.” The words made Dang Hwa-Seo’s mouth snap shut. Her fist also clenched quietly. Suddenly, she felt a warmth welling up in her eyes. “So don’t worry. This Mok Riwon is the most patient man in the central plains. I can wait as long as you need until you wish to share your secrets.” Dang Hwa-Seo gritted her teeth even harder. An overwhelming desire to lean on this warmth rose within her, and she fought to push it away. But it was impossible. The chasm between his words and the situation she had just faced was too vast. His words and expression, seemingly nursing her torn heart back to health, and the warmth enveloping her hands were unbearably comforting. A sensation as if her eyes were burning up arose. Gritting her teeth and holding her breath only seemed to make the inner heat surge further. Her heart raced fiercely. “What the….” She barely started to speak but couldn’t continue. After going through such a process, Dang Hwa-Seo finally let tears roll down as she chuckled weakly. ‘Ah.’ It was then that she realized something. She faced the truth within her that she hadn’t dared to confront; her incredibly petty heart. She had shunned her own feelings, believing she couldn’t dare to hope for love, that in her state she couldn’t bear the fruits of such feelings. ‘Yes, this is the kind of person he is.’ Stupidly dedicated to the ways of the warrior, and just as foolishly sincere in all matters, making it feel like gazing upon the clear blue sky. Being by his side felt like the gloom was washed away by a gentle breeze. Thus, she found solace. And therefore, she looked to him. Suddenly, Dang Hwa-Seo felt as if a few words had cleansed her heart. And she realized. “I’d rather the Miss didn’t cry. So, today I will not scold the Miss for coming in late!” At some point, she understood that she had fallen for this foolish man.