episode_0006

“So why did you come here?”

Sanyeo asked me why I came here. Since I didn’t know her well, I answered with my true intention hidden.

“Thieving was in my nature. Rather than messing around under people, it feels more natural to steal and gain something with my own power.”

“Is that really the reason? The vessel I chose was small compared to my ambition. I don’t believe that a petty cabal will embrace you. There is another purpose, right?”

“No.”

I shook my head and answered firmly. The important thing when lying is confidence. I was able to hide my true feelings only when I was armed with the confidence that even if I lied, the other person would not find out. Sanyeo looked relaxed even though I denied the truth to the end.

“It’s good to have a confident attitude, but lying confidently doesn’t mean everything becomes the truth.”

I didn’t say any more. Instead, I lightly swung the ax in the air to gauge its weight. Because of the unique weight of the axe, my body leaned forward slightly every time I swung my arm. I thought it was a simple, ignorant weapon, but it was a weapon that was prone to self-destruction due to its weight if wielded recklessly.

Sanyeo saw me swinging and said.

“Axe. You’ve never dealt with it? He’s full of ambition, but he’s never learned how to use a weapon, and he’s convinced that his bright spot lies in this miserable den of thieves. Lies aren’t persuasive.”

She was convinced that I was lying. I nodded and started to leave the warehouse. First of all, I wanted to hear about her from other people.

“Docheol. I understand that you don’t trust me. we… . We have similar goals.”

I stopped walking when I heard her. When I turned my head, Sanyeo’s eyes were still glaring at me, glowing red. The shooting eyes were full of self-confidence and earnestness. I stopped walking out and came back to her.

When I looked outside, the robber who took me was dozing off, and the atmosphere in the mountain lodge was quiet. I didn’t think it would be a problem if I left late.

Isn’t this also fate?

It certainly wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a longer conversation at least once.

I sat down again, facing her. I heard Sanyeo exhale in relief.

I asked.

“What is your goal?”

“It will devour the martial arts.”

Sanyeo spoke about a big goal in a calm tone. She understood what she meant, and at the same time, she was confident that she could do it. Because I was suddenly told such a big story, I couldn’t react for a moment and had no choice but to blink and fall into silence.

Sanyeo said, looking up at the sky like a person intoxicated with his own goal.

“Isn’t it cool?”

“Noklimchae It’s a grandiose goal to achieve behind bars.”

Sanyeo didn’t look angry at my taunting. She said looking at me.

“What is your goal?”

“If you look at it broadly, it is power and authority. People call my name and bow their heads, and I gain great power and swing around wildly.”

After saying that, I pretended to swing the ax roughly. Sanyeo smiled because it looked like a child playing with a toy soldier. She spoke in a teasing tone as I giggled.

“It’s a rude and vulgar dream. But, after all, we have the same goal.”

“Yes. So, what do you want to say? You caught me like this because you have something to offer me, right?”

Sanyeo probably didn’t talk to me to build consensus. She clearly wanted something from me. Sanyeo nodded and said in response to the question.

“You. You’ve never learned martial arts properly, right?”

I nodded.

“Yes. The reason I came here was to cover the cost of learning.”

“Money?”

Sanyeo tilted her head at my words. Jeomsoy said that it wasn’t that long ago that he received a high entrance fee, so it seems that Sanyeo hadn’t heard any news from the outside world for a longer time than expected. Have you been trapped here this whole time?

“Big clans charge initiation fees. What I was planning. After saving up money to join that sect, I learned martial arts there in earnest.”

“It’s not a very smart plan.”

I didn’t answer what she said. However, I clicked my tongue because I was partially acknowledging it. The reason I chose this method was because it was almost the only way for me to learn proper martial arts.

No matter how much I call myself a fatalist, I know that it is foolish to keep throwing yourself off the cliff hoping for a chance.

Sanyeo said.

“Don’t do that, learn from me.”

I laughed out loud. Who is teaching martial arts to Nokrim’s sixty-something Chaeju, who is locked in prison?

That’s ridiculous.

“What are you saying?”

“Can’t you believe it?”

Sanyeo said in a tone of voice that she expected something I wouldn’t believe. I strongly agreed with what she said.

“There is no way you can trust it. You’re trapped here. Among the more than 70 Chaeju, Sanchae is the one with a rank of 60 stone.”

“It might seem that way.”

Sanyeo stood up.

Looking at it this way, she was quite tall.

Sanyeo showed the handcuffs on her hands. The handcuffs, made of an unknown hard material, were as thick as tombstones and were constricting her wrists, but Sanyeo moved her hands as if they had no weight at all.

With her hands bound, she raised her hands toward the bars. I raised my finger over the clasp and calmed my breathing.

“After… .”

As if she was out of breath, she let out a long sigh and lightly moved her wrist.

Boom!

At the same time, the lock holding the cage door fell off with a heavy sound. Before the heavy lump, which had been separated as if it had been there from the beginning, fell to the floor, Sanyeo stretched out her foot and caught the lock.

“Oh my.”

Footwork as light as catching a soccer ball.

She pushed the lock on the top of her foot into the cage, opened the door, and came out.

I took a step back without realizing it and held the ax tightly. As she got closer, the hair on my body stood up and I started to feel nervous.

It didn’t feel like meeting a person. A strange fear enveloped my heart, as if I had encountered an animal.

Sanyeo narrowed the distance with light steps, as if unaware of my sense of danger.

He looked at me and said this.

“Go for it.”

“…Fuck!”

I gritted my teeth. He put all his energy into the hand holding the ax and swung it recklessly at her head.

“It’s clumsy. It’s so clumsy.”

But before I could finish swinging the axe, Sanyeo spoke in a teasing tone and stretched out her long legs to touch my body. It seemed to move very slowly, but it was clearly faster than the speed at which I could swing the axe, and the moment her foot touched my body, my legs went weak.

“Words…!”

I couldn’t even scream and had to roll on the floor. The ax fell to the floor and I had to raise my eyes and meet her gaze without even being able to breathe properly. Because she was wearing a dress with a low-cut chest, I could clearly see her white skin, and I could also feel her red gaze looking down at me.

“Docheol. lets think. If major sects charge an initiation fee, will they really reveal their full vision to those people? It’s just exploiting and exploiting people who are under the illusion that they will one day be able to learn the vision. Even if I’m in this cage, I can see right through it. Why do you pretend not to know?”

“That’s… .”

That was correct. There was truth to what she said. I could see myself nodding to her words while trying to get up somehow.

“On the other hand, what if you learn from me? You will gain as much strength as you want and expand further. I am gaining a comrade who can turn this martial arts situation over.”

She reached out again and touched my body.

“Huh… ! Ugh… !”

Sweat was flowing like rain and strength was returning to my body. As strength returned to my numb, numb legs, I started flopping around like a fish on a dock.

Sanyeo said.

“Of course, I have no intention of teaching you for free. Even if you refuse, I won’t stop you. Just because I beat you once doesn’t guarantee that I’ll be a good teacher.”

I got up. When I looked up, brushing the dirt off her chin and lips, she was backing away again and moving into the cage. I asked, spitting dirt on the floor.

“….What do you get?”

Sanyeo said with a smile.

“I told you. I’m getting someone who can turn the world around with me.”

She was a truly unknown woman.

Isn’t that what’s going on in your head that you’re looking for a disciple for that reason?

I laughed along with her. We were expressing the same emotions in a pitch-black space, only exposed to white.

“…. Attractive?”

But it was a fascinating story.

Isn’t it a really romantic and fun story?

Moreover, it was also a story that was somehow fateful.

“Yes. that’s right. It’s a really fascinating story. People with the same mission join forces to turn the world upside down.”

Sanyeo was looking at the sky again.

Even though she is blocked by a tent, are the stars clearly visible in her eyes? Sanyeo’s expression changed as she stared into space. The smile disappeared from the face, and the warm air of emotion that had filled the warehouse stopped.

“But what about you? Can you be a good disciple and run to the end with me?”

Sanyeo stared at me again.

She blinked her red eyes and waited for my answer. I said, picking up the ax again.

“If you want to be taught, you have to prove yourself, right?”

“That’s right.”

“It would be nice if you could be more specific. To answer a Zen question… . I’m a bit ignorant.”

Sanyeo raised her handcuffed hands and said.

“I’m not going to do anything here.”

She roughly put the latches back on the bars. The device that once seemed to indicate that her defenses were strong now proved that she could get out at any time.

“Take me with you and escape from here safely.”

Sanyeo tilted her head and added.

“If you’re scared, it’s okay to give up.”

I shook my head.

A challenge like this was actually welcomed.

If you get anything easily, it’s no fun.

It can only be called true fruition if it is obtained after bones and flesh are mixed and broken.

I said while looking at Sanyeo.

“That’s how it’s fun.”