Chapter v13c4

Namgung Sang’s face, which had been hardened with determination, softened like sugar melting in hot water.

“Heehee! Senior Brother!”

He stared at Bi Ryu-yeon with eyes that shimmered like fragments of light reflected on a lake, eyes that sometimes made people feel nauseous.

Was it because he was on the brink of death? Or had he lost his mind, judging from his reckless behavior? He didn’t seem to be in a good state.

Bi Ryu-yeon, a self-proclaimed pacifist who believed in kindness and affection, couldn’t bring himself to reject this young man, his disciple and apprentice, caught in a strange double-bind.

He simply smiled kindly and said,

“Gungsang!”

His voice was as gentle as a spring breeze. It was like a bellows fanning the flames of hope in Namgung Sang’s heart.

“Yes! Senior Brother!”

Bi Ryu-yeon patted his shoulder, as if it were a drum, and smiled his signature smile.

“If you’re a martial artist, you must have heard this story.”

Bi Ryu-yeon paused for a moment.

Namgung Sang noticed that the sinister smile on his lips, barely visible beneath his messy bangs, was growing wider. He felt the shadow of anxiety in his heart growing darker, spreading like a plague, engulfing the areas that had been bathed in light, crossing the barrier of hope, and flooding the white realm where positive thoughts and hope had been radiating their benevolent light.

Bi Ryu-yeon spoke slowly, enunciating each word.

“Lions push their cubs off cliffs to make them strong!”

At that moment, Namgung Sang gave up, accepted his fate, and turned away. His shoulders seemed to slump, as if burdened by the weight of the world.

**A Burning Friendship**

Hyun woon, sensing his friend’s impending trial, quietly extended his hand. His friend looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“What?”

Hyun woon simply shook his head.

“What?”

Namgung Sang asked again.

“Take it.”

Finally, Hyun woon replied.

“What?”

He asked with a puzzled expression, but Hyun woon’s face remained unchanged, as impassive as a mask.

“What do you want?”

Namgung Sang asked again, his voice rising in frustration. Finally, Hyun woon replied in a monotone voice,

“Your will.”

It was as if he were offering his last act of friendship.

“My will?”

“I’ll deliver it.”

Hyun woon said in a monotone voice.

“Don’t steal it!”

“Don’t you trust me!”

“Of course!”

Namgung Sang replied, placing a sealed letter on his friend’s outstretched hand. All the Jujakdan members carried wills in their pockets, a habit they had picked up after spending time with Bi Ryu-yeon.

Namgung Sang asked,

“Who did you bet on?”

“…”

Hyun woon remained silent, as if he didn’t want to hurt his friend on his final journey. But in this case, silence meant agreement.

“You… bet on me failing?”

Namgung Sang’s shoulders slumped, as if his shoulder had dislocated. Hyun woon coughed and said,

“Ahem, Amitabha! Sometimes, we need to act rationally, not emotionally. But there’s good news!”

“What good news could there be in this situation?”

Namgung Sang replied, his voice devoid of hope.

“Hahaha! Don’t be so down. And be happy! Miss Jin bet on you to succeed. So, if you succeed, she’ll be very happy!”

“…Only?”

Namgung Sang’s handsome eyebrows rose slightly. His voice was filled with anger.

Hyun woon looked up, as if longing for the blue sky.

“Ahem! What a beautiful day!”

But contrary to his words, the sky was filled with dark clouds, as if reflecting Namgung Sang’s mood. Shadows stretched long around them.

“…I have no assets to leave you.”

Namgung Sang said, his voice tight with suppressed anger.

“Don’t worry. With the original, you can forge copies anytime. We’ll split it among ourselves, and we’ll always remember you.”

Namgung Sang vowed to return alive, if only to spite them.

“What a beautiful friendship! It’s good to be young!”

The old man with the silver beard nodded, a warm smile on his face, watching the exchange between Hyun woon and Namgung Sang.

‘W-What?’

‘That’s impossible!’

The Jujakdan members looked at the old man with wide eyes, as if he were a monster. Bi Ryu-yeon nodded in agreement.

‘Oh right! That old man was there!’

Yeomdo finally noticed the old man. The mysterious old man who knew about their past. He had been blending in with them, unnoticed, while they were distracted.

“Um, who is that?”

Jong Kwae seemed to have noticed the old man as well. Yeomdo was at a loss for words.

“Um… Well, that’s…”

He stammered, sweating profusely.

“He must be one of the accompanying elders who came with you.”

Jong Kwae, surprisingly, came to his rescue. It seemed they hadn’t received detailed information about the delegation. Yeomdo quickly replied,

“Y-Yes. That’s right. It is… Hahaha!”

Yeomdo wiped his sweat and sighed in relief. Sky-Soaring Cloud-Treader Jong Kwae bowed slightly to the old man, a gesture of respect. The old man nodded back.

‘Huh?’

He felt a moment of confusion, but Yeomdo quickly dismissed it. He was witnessing a spectacle that was keeping him on the edge of his seat.

Namgung Sang and the rest of the delegation now knew that there was nowhere to escape, nowhere but the heavens above.

They were finally in the perfect position, cornered.

“But… But… Can we really cross it?”

He was still unsure.

“I’m just an observer, not your advisor. You don’t seem like a complete idiot, so sit down and think carefully! I won’t pressure you to cross within a specific time.”

“You’re kind!”

“You flatter me!”

Jong Kwae’s “kind” words were no comfort to Namgung Sang.

‘But there’s one good thing!’

Thanks to Bi Ryu-yeon, he had already written a will, so he wouldn’t have to worry about composing one.

He silently recited his will in his mind.

‘Ah! Today, I, Namgung Sang, will meet my end here! How much will Jin-ryeong grieve for my death? Oh, my love… Don’t grieve if I’m not by your side when you wake up tomorrow morning. Father, Mother! May you live long and prosper, may you be supreme and unrivaled, may you dominate the martial world! Waaah!’

[Hey, you! Whiny Gungsang!]

“Y-Yes, sir!”

Namgung Sang, startled by the thunderous voice, snapped out of his trance and looked around. He was so flustered that he even spoke out loud.

The voice was filled with exasperation.

[What are you doing? Are you trying to live up to your nickname? What’s taking so long to do something so simple? Are you racing a grub? I’m so bored I’m about to yawn!]

Namgung Sang flinched at Bi Ryu-yeon’s scolding, but he felt wronged.

‘Simple?’

It was heartbreaking. When did the word “simple” lose its meaning and become so distorted and corrupted!

But there was no room for argument.

Another voice echoed in his ears.

[You idiot! There’s a perfectly good staircase right in front of you. What are you thinking about? Are your eyes just for show? Do you think they’re only for closing when you sleep? Over there…]

A shiver ran down Namgung Sang’s spine as he heard Bi Ryu-yeon’s scolding, or perhaps explanation. His vision suddenly brightened, as if it were daytime. (It was actually daytime.)

‘Any method is acceptable, except for using ropes!’

Jong Kwae had said that.

“That’s it! There’s a way!”

‘Why didn’t I think of that?’

Namgung Sang felt like a monk who had achieved enlightenment after waking from a dark slumber.

Why hadn’t he thought of that? He had been trying to figure out how to reach the other side in one leap, even though he didn’t have the skills to do so. He had been looking for the wrong answer.

But if Senior Brother was right, it was difficult, but not impossible. It was worth trying.

Hope rained down on the barren wasteland of despair, and seeds of courage sprouted.

“Alright!”

He clenched his fists, his eyes gleaming like a hawk’s, and started running. His every step was filled with hope and courage.

…But his run didn’t last long.

Slap!

A million stars burned his vision with their brilliant white light.

Namgung Sang, who had been running like a swift deer, tripped and fell forward, his face slamming into the ground. It was a sight that made everyone wince.

He lay there, his face planted in the ground, his plump buttocks proudly raised in the air, motionless.

A strange silence descended upon them. No one spoke.

‘He’s dead!’

‘He’s dead!’

‘Farewell.’

‘Amitabha!’

‘Infinite Life Buddha!’

‘May all be well!’

They had all transcended Namgung Sang’s fate, offering prayers for his afterlife, instead of checking if he was alive.

“…I’m not dead yet…”

But no one heard his voice, which was quieter than a mosquito’s buzz. Even Jin-ryeong wasnt an exception.

[Hey! What are you doing? Do you want to die like a lump of iron thrown off a cliff?]

Bi Ryu-yeon’s gaze was fierce, as if he wanted to devour him. Even from this distance, his sharpness, ferocity, and anger were palpable. His face was surprisingly brazen, considering he had just thrown something at Namgung Sang’s head.

[Senior Brother… What… ]

Namgung Sang was indignant at Bi Ryu-yeon’s sudden violence and unwarranted scolding. His head still felt as if it had been burned. So did his face, which had plowed a furrow in the ground.

It seemed he had done it on purpose.

He had finally gathered himself and was ready to run. But it was over. The resolve he had barely managed to muster had shattered like a porcelain vase dropped on a stone floor. But he still couldn’t understand why Bi Ryu-yeon was angry.

But Bi Ryu-yeon’s insults were relentless, regardless of Namgung Sang’s situation.

[Are you out of your mind? Have you forgotten what you’re wearing? Is your memory that bad! ]

“Gulp!”

Namgung Sang finally realized what Bi Ryu-yeon was talking about.

He had forgotten. Completely forgotten. They had been part of his body for so long that he no longer felt them. They were like raindrops blending into a stream, no longer noticeable. But that didn’t change the fact that they were still strapped to his wrists and ankles.

‘What if I had jumped with these on?’

He would have vanished without a trace, like a small pebble thrown into the vast ocean, disappearing into the dark depths.

He shuddered, his hair standing on end. Cold sweat streamed down his back, forming a small stream.