Chapter v10c8

“Master Hyo, be careful with that man.”

“Yes?”

Her face was dead serious. It was hard to believe that this was the same person who had just been laughing and holding her sides moments ago.

Mo Yong-hwi and Jang Hong had excused themselves earlier, citing other duties.

“That man was one of the strongest competitors against your brother in the last Hwasan Convention. He may seem light-hearted, but his sword energy is anything but. He displayed skills on par with your brother and nearly defeated him by a narrow margin. Although he acts like a playboy, he is not an opponent to be taken lightly. The four-colored threads on the sword sheath he carries are proof that he was one of the top four competitors in the Hwasan Convention. And he certainly has the qualifications to back it up. It wasn’t just a stroke of luck.”

Hyo Ryong’s face darkened instantly. He doubted whether he could defeat a man who was considered equal to his brother in skill.

Bi Ryu Yeon stood up and looked at the bed where he had been staying. He had been quite dependent on it for a while.

“Are you finally leaving?”

“Yes, thank you for everything, Doctor Heo.”

“Hehehe, what have I done… You’ve almost healed naturally. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help. Are you feeling better now?”

“Yes, much better.”

As Bi Ryu Yeon responded, a look of pity crossed Doctor Heo Ju Un’s face. “Can you really take the Hwanma Cave test with such a frail body?” There was genuine concern in Heo Ju Un’s voice.

“I’ll have to try my best. Besides, if anything goes wrong, you’ll be there, won’t you?”

Bi Ryu Yeon smiled faintly.

“Oh, don’t make this old man work too hard. Take care of yourself and always be mindful of your health!”

Heo Ju Un was a person who worried a lot.

Bi Ryu Yeon hastily packed his books and other items. Until that day, he had set aside training and had been playing around in the hospital room. Every night, sneaking out had become part of his daily routine. Although he had learned various stealth techniques from books to prepare for his external journey, he hadn’t done much else.

“Well then, I’ll be on my way.”

“Yes, take care! I’ll be leaving now.”

After a polite farewell, Bi Ryu Yeon strode out of the pharmacy. The bright sunlight seeped into his entire body.

“Ah, how long has it been since I’ve walked under the midday sun…”

Bi Ryu Yeon was overwhelmed with emotion. The pink color returned to his pale cheeks, and his slightly stooped shoulders and back straightened up. It felt as if the gentle moon had suddenly transformed into a blazing sun. “Indeed, playing the role of a frail young boy is too exhausting…”

It seemed like the side effects of doing something against his nature were manifesting throughout his body. He decided to avoid such roles as much as possible in the future.

His acting skills, which had even fooled Heo Ju Un of Cheonmu Academy, were improving by the day.

Writing a Pledge

Only 3 days left until the test!

After three days and three nights, the Hwanma Cave test would begin.

There was no noisy festival atmosphere like a bustling fair, which Bi Ryu Yeon might have secretly hoped for. This was not a spring flower festival but a trial where life and death could be at stake. It was likely that everyone was steeling themselves, preparing their weapons for tomorrow.

The looks directed at the prodigal Bi Ryu Yeon, who had returned, were not kind. Everyone had to endure tremendous training while he was absent. Goyakhan had driven the Black Sword Group like demons from hell, perhaps to show his determination to defeat Nukihan.

“Why did that guy come back? He should have just stayed collapsed in bed… It’s so irritating to see him!”

One of the disciples grumbled, and another immediately nodded in agreement.

“You’re right. How much did we suffer while he was gone? How could he possibly understand the trials we’ve faced? Only those who have experienced that hell can truly understand! He no longer has the right to be here!”

His words were filled with hostility. The training they had endured was so difficult it couldn’t be spoken of without tears. Every day they had to swing their swords under the scorching sun, sweating buckets. The training was harsh and brutal, but Goyakhan did not stop. Injuries during training were common.

“Martial arts are not a joke. Therefore, training must be like real combat,” was Goyakhan’s philosophy. Once under his tutelage, they had to follow his orders without complaint. Rebellion was not an option.

They couldn’t count whether they had swung their swords ten thousand or a hundred thousand times. Only the Jujakdan Group, Na Ye-rin, Dokgoryeong, Hyo Ryong, Yun Junho, and Jang Hong managed to keep up with Goyakhan’s rigorous training. The five, excluding the Jujakdan Group, had some leeway because they had experienced harsh training on Mount Wudang.

The Jujakdan Group managed the training with a smile. They were very familiar with harshness and cruelty, so this level of difficulty was nothing to them.

Since their entanglement with Bi Ryu Yeon, there had not been a single training session that wasn’t hellish. Now, even the Jujakdan Group was being called monsters by those around them. To others, they seemed like superhumans who never tired.

Even if the Jujakdan Group was an exception, the other disciples had tasted the bitterness of what they called hellish training. All while Bi Ryu Yeon comfortably rolled around in bed!

Of course, being seriously injured and bedridden was a great ordeal, but they had no sympathy left to spare for such circumstances. The harsh training had left them with nothing but bitterness and toughness.

So it was natural for Bi Ryu Yeon, who had been rolling around in bed and then suddenly got up when the test approached, to be an eyesore.

He had not neglected his training either. Everyone wanted to shout in unison that he should not be allowed to participate in the test, but unfortunately, with his three victories in the Samsung Martial Arts Competition, he had more than enough qualifications to participate.

“Can you do it?”

“Of course.”

“You’ve missed all the training so far. And you’re saying that doesn’t matter?”

“Of course. If you dwell on such things, you won’t survive in this harsh martial world.”

“Fine. Participate!”

Goyakhan, the master in charge of the Black Sword Group, was not very pleased with Bi Ryu Yeon, who had missed most of the training, but he allowed his participation in the test at the request of the ice sword grandmaster. Thus, Bi Ryu Yeon was able to participate in the Hwanma Cave test without any obstacles.

And the masters had their work cut out for them regarding the life-and-death issue of the test that would take place in 3 days.

Goyakhan gathered all the disciples who would participate in the test and pierced each one’s heart with a sharp, spear-like gaze. The power in his gaze was so intense that some reacted with a flinch. His eyes had a strange ability to trigger people’s defensive instincts.

Goyakhan, seemingly annoyed, didn’t say anything or provide any further explanation. He simply handed out two sheets of paper to each person.

“Eh?”

“Huh?”

“What’s this?”

“Uh?”

The disciples expressed their confusion as they received the papers. What they held was clearly not just ordinary paper. It contained a very unpleasant and eerie energy. Despite being mere paper, it felt ominously charged. It was clear that it had a specific purpose.

“What is this, Master?”

Nohak, true to his open faction roots, couldn’t contain his curiosity – one of the open faction’s rules was to know what you’re facing, even if it kills you – and bravely raised his hand to ask. The response was icy.

“Write!”

That was all Goyakhan said. Nohak, who often had complaints about Goyakhan’s terse words, finally exploded on what he considered an auspicious day.

“How can I write if I don’t know what it is? What am I supposed to write if you don’t tell me anything?”

Goyakhan turned his head sharply and glared at him with flashing eyes. Nohak flinched for a moment, but the water had already been spilled. So, he defiantly puffed up his chest. Perhaps he thought he had already crossed a point of no return?

“If you don’t tell me, I can’t write. No, I won’t write!”

Nohak declared, puffing out his chest as if his back was bending, taking a defiant stance. Goyakhan’s eyes narrowed even further, and the intensity in them grew even stronger.

The Black Sword Group members watched the two with tense eyes. Among them, Bi Ryu Yeon looked on with quite an intrigued expression.

‘He’s still risking his life on pointless things. That guy always ends up not getting his way.’

A dangerous aura seemed to flow from Goyakhan, as if he might split Nohak in half at any moment.

After a while, Goyakhan uttered just two words.

“Pledge!”

As he spoke, several scars on Goyakhan’s face twitched simultaneously, giving people an even more eerie impression. The word “pledge” coming from Goyakhan’s mouth was laden with even more ominousness.

“What kind of pledge?”

Nohak was bewildered.

“It’s a pledge that if you die accidentally during the test, you won’t complain or resent Cheonmu Academy and will quietly achieve enlightenment, hehehe.”

The lecture hall suddenly went silent as if doused with cold water.

Nohak felt as if his blood had turned ice cold.

“It’s… it’s a joke, right?”

Sweat beaded on Nohak’s forehead as he spoke. It was the first time he had heard Goyakhan joke, a very strange experience. But he couldn’t say it out loud; it was a humorless joke. Probably everyone in the lecture hall would agree with him.

“What about the other piece of paper?”

They had each been given two sheets of paper.

“Hehehe, that’s a will. In case you die, you wouldn’t want to leave without saying anything, would you? As a dutiful child, you should leave some last words, right?”

Nohak’s face crumpled like a piece of paper thrown in the trash. It was worse than not hearing anything at all. It seemed like Goyakhan was enjoying teasing them. Nohak inwardly cursed the truly nasty old man.

“Is it that dangerous? This Hwanma Cave? If it’s such a damned place, maybe I should reconsider.”

It wasn’t right to treat things carelessly, and the same went for life.

“I don’t know!”

Goyakhan answered.

“Then who knows?”

Nohak was flabbergasted.

“How could I know about a place that even the elders have not entered? You’ll find out when you experience it yourself. It’s not my business to know. Is there a teacher who gives away the test questions in advance?”

“Of course not!”

The tone implied, ‘How dare you show anger towards me?’ In truth, Goyakhan had only heard rumors about it and had never experienced the reality himself. There was nothing more to say.

“Then I’ll give you three days. If you’re scared, give up! I’ll accept surrender requests. Cowards are free to give up.”

This was a gathering of only the elite descendants and disciples of the most prestigious families. No one dared to shamefully admit defeat.

They knew that if they gave up here, it wasn’t the Hwanma Cave they would have to worry about, but the fiery wrath of their fathers or masters back home. They did not want to tarnish their own reputations.

“Posthumous arrangements are one of the most important things for the living. Those who live a limited time must always think about what comes after their death. So stop talking and write!”

Goyakhan added another comment, as if he pitied the kids.

“This might be your last rest, so enjoy it thoroughly and slowly. It might be the last leisure time in your life.”

It was a truly malicious joke if it was a joke at all. It was the most effective way to unsettle people. He seemed to have a knack for instinctively knowing how to unsettle others.

And so, three days of rest were decreed. For the very unlucky, it could be the last precious moments of respite.

Although people tried to reassure each other that deaths were rare, ‘rare’ meant they still occurred. And considering that the Hwanma Cave had been sealed for 18 years, one could guess the inherent dangers.

Cheonmu Academy, desperate to surpass Heavenly Demon’s Pavilion, had decided to seal it because of those dangers. Now, after 18 years, the seal was about to be broken.

On a night with a bright moon, a lonely wind blew.

“It’s been a while, Cheon!”

“Yes, it’s been a while, Cheong Heun! Has it been half a year since we last met?”

The last time Cheong Heun visited Weiji Cheon’s room was a long time ago. And a long silence followed.

Cheong Heun looked at Weiji Cheon with an uncharacteristically sharp gaze. He hated seeing his friend fall further into depravity. And he was angry.

“How long will you continue like this?”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“Really? You really don’t know?”

Cheong Heun raised his voice angrily. He had to express his anger as a friend. The current Weiji Cheon lacked the intelligence and sharpness he once had.

“Just forget it and give up.”

Cheong Heun couldn’t bring himself to specify the subject.

“Hehehe… I’ll kill him! I must kill that bastard! Such a pest’s existence is a harm to the world and her! I must… I must… kill him.”

Madness flickered in Weiji Cheon’s eyes. He seemed ready to devour Bi Ryu Yeon right then and there.

‘To this extent…’

Cheong Heun felt a sense of despair.

Weiji Cheon’s mind was now too desolate and broken. He felt a pang in his heart, but he knew he couldn’t continue the conversation any further. When a person becomes obsessed with something, they become blind to everything else. That was the case with Weiji Cheon.

“Snap out of it! Your behavior, obsessed with a woman, is not a good look!”

“What? What did you say? That I’m obsessed with whom?”

Weiji Cheon shouted back, his eyes flashing with madness again. Cheong Heun didn’t want to further damage their friendship with a fruitless argument. He felt he had sensed enough of reality with today’s visit.

“I admit I spoke harshly and I apologize. But still, I cannot agree with your words or support your actions. Remember that. This is the last piece of advice I can give you as a friend. I hope to see you return to your old self!”

With that, Cheong Heun stood up.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Weiji Cheon banged on the table violently.

“Stop it! Just stop! Enough!”

He shook his head violently and screamed as if he didn’t want to hear any more, covering his ears. Cheong Heun looked at him with a pained expression.

“I miss the days when the three of us roamed the martial world. I hope you return to your old self soon. Don’t throw away your entire life for one woman. Well, I’ll be on my way. Let’s both do our best in tomorrow’s test.”

After finishing his words, Cheong Heun opened the door and left, though he knew the likelihood of his words coming true was very slim.

What love is that…

Among all kinds of love, unrequited love was the most painful. Waiting for an answer that never comes requires an enormous amount of patience. Some would even overturn mountains out of frustration, but that doesn’t mean the echo will return. It only leads to desolation!

Once he was sure Cheong Heun’s presence had faded away, Weiji Cheon took out an item he had been carefully keeping in his pocket and held it under the flickering light. His hands were as careful as if he were handling precious porcelain.

“Do you want power?”

The voice that still echoed vividly in his ears from that day! It was the owner of the voice who had responded to his desperate plea and given him this item.

“With this, I must!”

He carefully looked at the item and then cautiously put it back into his pocket.

“I’ll kill him… I must kill him!”

Only by completely eradicating the thorn in his side could he feel safe.

“Definitely!”

With a fierce glow in his eyes, Weiji Cheon gripped the item he had received from that person tightly in his hand.

***

“The beginning is finally upon us.”

The grandmaster spoke as he looked at the report that had flown in on the wind.

“Yes! It’s finally tomorrow.”

Chisahan bowed almost at a right angle as he responded.

Their conversation revolved around the upcoming Hwanma Cave test, the selection exam for the Hwasan Convention representatives of the orthodox factions. It was natural for their attention to be focused on it.

“Then I should send a coffin as a congratulatory gift.”

It was a chilling statement. A coffin, an item needed only for funerals, was certainly not a recommendable gift. However, Chisahan smirked at the suggestion.

“Kehehehehe. That might be a good idea. After all, they might need to dispose of many corpses tomorrow… It would be the right thing to do, out of human decency, to send them coffins, right? Kukukuk.”

He laughed continuously, finding something amusing.

“Everything is proceeding without any problems, right?”

“Of course. All arrangements have been perfectly completed. Everything is according to his will…”

“Good! Then I look forward to tomorrow’s good news.”

Chisahan bowed again and quietly retreated. There were still tasks he needed to handle.

“I’m very much looking forward to the news that will come in. How much will it please me… Hehehe.”

With a sinister smile, he left the grand hall.