Chapter v13c3

“Ugh… It’s… wide!”

No other words seemed to capture the feeling. Yeomdo squinted, trying to estimate the distance to the other side of the chasm.

Fifteen zhang? No, it had to be at least twenty. And the cliff on the other side seemed to be at least seven or eight zhang higher.

But there was nothing between them, not even a single thread of cotton. Only unknown birds were flitting about, searching for food.

‘Is this some kind of bird sanctuary?’

He couldn’t come up with a solution, no matter how hard he tried.

‘How could Gungsang possibly cross that?’

Yeomdo knew more about Namgung Sang’s abilities than his own parents, Namgung Se-gaju.

Since he had met Namgung Sang through Bi Ryu-yeon, the young man had made incredible progress, not just improvement, but evolution. Even his parents would be shocked to see his true potential.

But! This time, even Yeomdo was skeptical. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was sending a young life to its doom. He glanced at Bi Ryu-yeon, but he was still confident.

Yeomdo had only recently begun to understand this confident man.

Bi Ryu-yeon never took reckless gambles. He avoided them because they led to financial losses. His motto was, “I’d rather die than lose money.” Conversely, he was also known to do anything to make a profit. And as far as Yeomdo knew, he had never lost a bet or gamble.

‘Did I bet wrong?’

Suddenly, a wave of regret washed over him. He started to worry about the ten taels of silver he had secretly bet against Namgung Sang. But he quickly shook his head.

‘No! Ice-Face bet on him failing too! This time, I’ll win!’

But looking back at their past bets, big and small, he had a record of 177 losses in 177 bets! He had never won a single bet against Bi Ryu-yeon. He had even vowed never to bet against him again, but he always found himself betting against him, either willingly or unwillingly. He couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Why do I do this?’ It was the same reason why many gamblers ended up ruined. The more he lost, the more obsessed he became with winning.

But the most terrifying thing about Bi Ryu-yeon was that he always won, miraculously, in seemingly impossible bets, where the odds were stacked against him. So, that meant Namgung Sang was safe?

He was momentarily happy, but then he felt gloomy again.

‘Wait, that means I’m going to lose again!’

The mocking echo of “Congratulations! 178 losses in 178 bets!” rang in his ears. It was a dreadful situation. It felt strange, like he had forgotten to wipe his behind after using the toilet.

‘Wait, do I want him to succeed or fail?’

If Namgung Sang succeeded, he would lose the bet again, and he would lose even more silver. But if he failed, he would almost certainly die, but Yeomdo would finally win a bet against him. But no master in the world would want their disciple to die. Or would they?

Suddenly, his calculations became complex.

‘Why is this so complicated?’

Yeomdo’s head throbbed as he realized his contradictory thoughts. Was he really that shallow? He suddenly disliked his primal, instinctive, honest self. And he began to question humanity.

“Um, I have a question…”

Namgung Sang mustered his courage.

“Yes? What is it?”

“Do you know what happens if we fall?”

The old man looked at him with amusement. He could easily tell that the worry in those bright, eager eyes was genuine. He burst into laughter.

“Hahahahahaha! You’re a curious one! Don’t worry! It won’t happen. I assure you.”

Namgung Sang seemed relieved and laughed along.

“Hahaha! Right? It’s impossible! I must have been overthinking. It’s absurd to think there are no safety measures or precautions at the bottom. It’s unthinkable!”

Namgung Sang laughed heartily, as if he had just heard a funny joke, but Jong Kwae, who had been laughing with him a moment ago, stopped smiling.

“Don’t worry! I have no intention of installing safety nets at the bottom of that cliff to dull your spirit and resolve!”

His voice was low but firm, filled with determination. Namgung Sang’s face hardened like stone.

“What? You’re saying there are no safety measures at the bottom to protect the challengers?”

It was a plea, a desperate request not to be subjected to any more absurd statements.

Jong Kwae looked at him as if he were a monster. Namgung Sang flinched.

“Have you ever heard the old saying, ‘A cornered rat will bite even a cat’?”

“Yes! Of course, but what does that have to do with…”

“It’s relevant! Very relevant!”

Jong Kwae interrupted him.

“That proverb means that humans, when pushed to their limits, can unleash a potential that’s ten times greater than their normal capabilities!”

Namgung Sang’s face contorted with disbelief, looking foolish and bewildered.

“That’s a misinterpretation, isn’t it? You’re overanalyzing the meaning. And the subject of the proverb is a rat, not a human.”

The old man looked at the young man with a disapproving gaze.

“Don’t be so pedantic, young man! Rats and humans are both living creatures. And there are many examples of humans exceeding their limits when pushed to the edge! How can you, in your recklessness, install safety nets to dull the resolve, the determination, the spirit that arises from facing such a challenge?”

The old man’s thoughts and beliefs were as solid and unwavering as a thousand-year-old rock.

“Hmm, hmm! You’re right!”

Bi Ryu-yeon, standing beside them, nodded, his arms crossed, as if he understood and agreed.

Could he be agreeing? The delegation members glared at Bi Ryu-yeon, their disbelief evident, but he seemed oblivious.

‘This is… absurd…’

Despair swirled in the lake of his heart. But Namgung Sang decided to try again.

“So, what you’re saying, Senior, is that if I jump and fall…”

Jong Kwae didn’t let him finish, but he answered kindly. His courage was admirable, but the result was a fatal blow.

“You’re asking the obvious, young man! If you fall, you die. What else can you do? If you’re lucky enough to land in the water, you might have a one in ten thousand chance of survival. So, don’t give up hope too soon!”

He didn’t bother mentioning that he had reduced the odds by a thousand. Namgung Sang swallowed nervously and looked down at the sheer cliff again. As the old man had said, there were no safety nets to protect them.

He could hear the sound of the river rushing over the rocks at the bottom, echoing through the chasm.

It was too deep, too dark. He couldn’t even see the color of the water from up here. It was a monstrous, terrifying sight, a gaping maw of darkness waiting to devour its prey.

Namgung Sang swallowed again and, as a test, dropped a heavy-looking stone into the chasm.

The experiment intrigued Bi Ryu-yeon, Yeomdo, and Binggeom, and they all leaned over the edge, listening.

Whoosh… Whoosh… Whoosh…

The stone fell for a long time, then gradually disappeared, carried away by the wind.

Plop!

The stone finally hit the water, but they had already given up listening. They had trained their hearing to such a high level that they could hear the faintest sound.

Namgung Sang imagined himself in the place of the stone. He envisioned what would happen if his fate were the same as the stone’s.

Whoosh!

The cold wind whipped his face, and the dark abyss, seemingly connected to the eighth level of hell, drew closer. Death, with a chilling smile, welcomed him with open arms.

He was falling. Falling. Falling. And… he kept falling.

For a moment, Namgung Sang was lost in his own world.

“What are you doing?”

“Yes! I’m still falling.”

Namgung Sang replied, his expression blank, still lost in his own world.

“…”

Bi Ryu-yeon, of course, didn’t understand.

It took a while for Namgung Sang to snap out of it.

“Aaargh! Ugh!”

“What?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Who’s there?”

Clang! Clang!

Clang! Clang!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The sudden scream startled everyone, including Yeomdo, Binggeom, Bi Ryu-yeon, and the rest of the delegation. It was such a desperate, terrifying scream that they thought assassins were attacking again. They managed to put away their weapons, realizing it was a false alarm, but they couldn’t help but look at Namgung Sang with suspicion.

Namgung Sang, jolted back to reality, looked as pale as a ghost, as if he had just returned from the afterlife. His entire body was drenched in cold sweat. His bloodshot eyes stared intently at the ground.

“Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Huff, huff, huff!”

He gasped for breath, his lungs burning. Everyone was confused.

“Meat… pounding…”

“What?”

Bi Ryu-yeon leaned closer, trying to hear him better.

“Red… meat pounding…”

Namgung Sang muttered, still dazed.

‘What’s he talking about?’

But Namgung Sang didn’t say anything else, despite Bi Ryu-yeon’s confusion.

“What did you see? You’re a strange one!”

Bi Ryu-yeon shook his head, his expression one of exasperation.

“You’re messed up, kid!”

It took some time for Namgung Sang, who had caused a commotion and attracted everyone’s attention, to regain his composure. Reality was slowly creeping back into his consciousness.

It was arrogant to think he could survive a fall from that height.

“No! Defeatism won’t get you anywhere! Positive! Positive!”

He shook his head vigorously, as if trying to banish the ominous thoughts that were flooding his mind.

“It’s okay! I can survive a fall from here! There’s water at the bottom! Water! They say that to become a master, you have to fall from a cliff at least once! Come on, Namgung Sang! This is nothing! You can do it!”

He muttered to himself, as if chanting a mantra, trying to suppress the fear that was welling up inside him.

Bi Ryu-yeon heard him. He simply said,

“But there are rocks at the bottom.”

‘Gulp! Is it already decided?’

Bi Ryu-yeon’s voice sounded as if he were stating a fact.

Cold sweat poured down his back.

“It’s okay? What’s okay? If you fall, you’re dead! Don’t think everyone can survive a fall from a cliff! Those who aren’t chosen by heaven can’t survive a fall, no matter how hard they try.”

Instead of offering comfort or encouragement, Bi Ryu-yeon poured cold water on his remaining hope, extinguishing the embers of his resolve.

(TLN: my guess is he has to refuse to jump if he wants to win the challenge)

Even a weak frog can be crushed to death by a carelessly thrown stone!

His eyes welled up with tears.

And that wasn’t all. Reality was much crueler than he had imagined. His personal feelings didn’t matter.

Jong Kwae urged him again.

“What are you doing, young man? Hurry up and jump! The others are waiting. As I said, someone has to cross to the other side and lower a rope ladder. If you don’t want to, turn around and go back.”

The sheer cliff was now a reality, not a joke. The cliff on the other side seemed as far away as the moon and stars. It was like a different place, a different world, beyond his reach.

Then he saw Jin-ryeong’s face, her expression troubled. She was worried about him. He hadn’t even proposed to her yet, let alone experienced their wedding night! His “Thirty-Year Plan for a Happy Life” was still in its infancy.

Namgung Sang’s eyes flashed with determination. He clenched his fists.

‘That’s it! I’m giving up!’

Recklessness and courage are two different things!

Without hesitation, Namgung Sang turned to Bi Ryu-yeon.