Chapter v7c22

Trust In The Heart

Cutting Through the Heart

“He has completely lost his reason!

It’s now impossible to bring back his heart!”

Cheong heun shouted at Bi Ryu yeon, who had just interrupted the heated exchange between the two.

“What have you learned all this time, senior!”

“What do you mean?”

“What do you think was the purpose of all the basic training we’ve done?”

Cheong heun was at a loss for words at Bi Ryu yeon’s question.

“Wasn’t our special training meant to see the invisible, hear the inaudible, and touch the intangible?”

Cheong heun remained silent.

“Reason is something invisible! But because of that, it can be seen and touched.”

“Are you saying you’ve developed extrasensory perception? Are you claiming to have reached that level already?”

“Maybe?”

Bi Ryu yeon smiled enigmatically. Cheong heun asked, frustrated.

“Does your inability to answer mean yes or no?”

Bi Ryu yeon still had a strange smile on his lips. Hyobong, standing at a distance, seemed hesitant to approach for some reason.

‘Could it be fear?’

Cheong heun shook his head at the thought.

“When you reach the state of ‘Holhwang,’ the opposite becomes possible. You can actively use your abilities.”

To see the invisible, hear the inaudible, and touch the intangible means that, conversely, one can exert influence over them. In other words, even though the heart is an intangible existence, if one can sense it, then it can be touched, cut, and controlled.

After finishing his words, Bi Ryu yeon scanned the surroundings. Everyone seemed to be mute as if they had eaten honey…

“Tsk tsk!”

Bi Ryu yeon clicked his tongue with a troubled heart. There were urgent matters to attend to first.

“For now, the priority is to restore that person to his original state.”

Gal Hyobong was still hesitating at a distance, refusing to come closer. His eyes were still flashing with murderous intent. Bi Ryu yeon reached out towards him. Gal Hyobong faltered at the mysterious energy emanating from Bi Ryu yeon’s body. Although he had lost his reason, his instincts were wildly alerting him.

His frenzied legs and the hands that called for blood were immobilized by Bi Ryu yeon’s outstretched hand. The open palm seemed to be aiming to engulf him. It felt as if an invisible, intangible sword was targeting his entire body. To escape the instinctive fear, he struggled desperately.

“Snap!”

Bi Ryu yeon’s eyes shone like torches.

Biryeo do

Sword Qi

Single Minded Formlessness

Thunder Heart Cloak

In an instant, the intangible sword like lightning pierced through his clouded heart and mind.

“Aaaaagh!”

A desperate scream echoed throughout the mountains. Gal Hyobong’s body shook as if struck by lightning. His vision had long lost focus, and his mind was wiped clean. A white darkness enveloped him, and he soon lost consciousness and fell to the ground.

“Brother!”

As Bi Ryu yeon lowered his outstretched hand, Hyo ryong, who had been watching, rushed to embrace his fallen brother. Tears streamed down his cheeks.

“Only cutting what you can see is something only novices do!”

Bi Ryu yeon dusted off his hands and then his clothes, which had gotten dusty from the needless fight. His attitude was as carefree as if he had just returned from a leisurely walk.

As if suddenly remembering, Bi Ryu yeon who had gone for a walk at his own will, asked.

“Oh, right! Did you wake him up?”

“Ah!”

Yeom do suddenly realized.

‘I completely forgot!’

From his expression, it seemed there was no need to wait for an answer.

“How could you forget that?”

“I’m sorry.”

“If you put someone to sleep, it’s only right to wake them up.”

“I didn’t think of it!”

“Well, you can’t help it! Wake him up later. He’s been sleeping for a week already, so he must be getting tired of it by now.”

“Yes, I understand.”

It had already been a week since he put Mujinja to sleep, claiming it was a disturbance to his training.

“If I had woken him up earlier, he could have been of help to the force…

It was regrettable that it only occurred to him now.

‘But why did I forget?’

It was strange to think that he had forgotten about Mujinja, whom he had put to sleep by pressing a pressure point.

Brotherly Reunion

Last Request

“Brother!”

Hyo ryong called out with a trembling voice as he looked at his brother’s pale face resting on his knees.

His heart was tumultuous like a stormy sea.

His vision blurred, making it hard to see his brother’s face.

“Brother! Brother!”

After calling out more than a dozen times, Hyobong finally opened his eyes. His eyelids seemed as heavy as if they weighed a ton.

“Is that you, Arong?”

“Yes, brother! I’m here. Do you recognize me?”

With a joyful expression, Hyo ryong brightly answered in a loud voice. Even as Hyobong opened his eyes, Bi Ryu yeon had been uncertain, but now he truly seemed to have regained his senses. It was unbelievable even to the eyes.

They had assumed it was impossible to fully restore his mind, but Bi Ryu yeon had impressively turned the situation around.

‘I owe him a debt.’

It was a heavy debt, difficult to repay.

“Arong!”

“Yes?”

As Hyo ryong answered with an excited voice, Hyobong said one thing.

“You’re noisy, kid!”

If his body had been healthy, he would have been given a sound beating immediately, but in his current state, only thoughts could precede action execution was impossible.

“Yes?”

At his brother’s sudden scolding, Hyo ryong’s eyes widened.

“I’m not deaf. Speak quietly. Don’t bother the people around us!”

It was an uncharacteristic thing to say for someone who had barely survived the brink of death.

“Yes…”

Hyo ryong’s voice shrank instantly. Even after several years, he still couldn’t stand up to his brother. To Hyobong, his naive younger brother remained endearing, unchanged by the years.

Gal Hyobong turned his head to look at everyone.

“My foolish younger brother has caused you all a lot of trouble. I must offer my deepest apologies for that.”

With his head bowed on Hyo ryong’s knee, Hyobong could barely nod.

“Brother! I am now a proper adult. I’m twenty years old.”

Hyo ryong shouted in response to Gal Hyobong’s teasing words. He was a proper adult now, but his brother still treated him like a child.

“Hahaha…”

The hearty laughter quickly subsided. His eyes darkened with deep thoughts, as numerous contemplations seized his mind at once.

“When we parted, he was just a thirteen year old kid… Have I really lost seven years to delusion and illusion? Cough, cough!”

“Brother!”

Hyo ryong’s complexion turned pale at the sudden coughing up of blood.

Dark red blood burst forth from Hyobong’s mouth with his coughs. Hyo ryong’s hands and clothes were quickly stained with the blood of his kin.

‘Am I dying now?’

He knew his body better than anyone else. It was an unreasonable request to hope for life when the important meridians throughout his body were severed. It was nothing but force and personal selfishness.

Even if Hua Tuo and Bian Que were summoned from the underworld to perform emergency surgery, it was a terminal condition that could not be saved.

Twitch!

Hyobong’s fingers trembled slightly. He tried to move his arm to caress the cheek of his tender hearted younger brother, who was about to cry for him, but now not even one arm would move according to his will. His body was a mess due to the overlapping of excessive martial arts techniques, the triggering of innate energy, and the rampage of Qi.

“What exactly is your status?”

Cheong heun, who was covered in wounds from the fierce battle they had just fought, approached and asked. It was necessary for him to address this issue. He had never heard of someone with such exceptional martial arts skills among those of similar age on the side of the dark path. Moreover, it was essential to understand the background of this sudden ambush.

“What use is the name of a flesh that will disappear upon death?”

It was a statement implying there was no need to know. Cheong heun’s expression hardened even more. Hyobong smirked and continued.

“I don’t wish to expose the flaws of my household. What good would it do to leave a name forgotten even by my own family, let alone the world!”

It was awkward for Cheong heun. Although an enemy, the opponent was in a state of being spirit Controlled, and his martial arts were superior to anyone Cheong heun had faced so far, so there was a sense of respect. Regardless of what anyone said, he was the first person of the same generation to handle both Mo Yong hwi and Cheong heun himself. He was fully deserving of recognition.

“Hmm…”

Cheong heun’s heart was tormented by worry and anguish.

“Do you still need to know?”

Cheong heun seemed to ponder for a moment but then nodded.

Hyobong smiled gently. It was hard to believe that he was the same person who had been raging with murderous intent just moments ago, ready to unleash a bloodbath.

“Then you will find out soon. I just want to rest now.”

Cheong heun could not refuse Hyobong’s polite request.

“Please do!”

“Thank you.”

This was the last conversation between the two. Cheong heun had to live with the shadow of Gal Hyobong in his heart for the rest of his life. As the first person to neutralize his sword!

Hyobong could not rest as he wished. Tremendous pain had overtaken his body.

“Haak, haak! Keuk!”

Gal Hyobong’s condition was rapidly deteriorating.

Gasping for breath and struggling, Hyobong’s body was not normal. Blood flowed down from his mouth. His internal organs were already torn to shreds like rags.

Due to the reckless use of too much latent power, his body was irreparably damaged. Recovery was impossible.

Thanks to using all the remaining latent power in his body, Hyobong was destined to meet a gruesome death soon, with his muscles tearing apart.

“Keuk!”

Someone had to alleviate his pain. Otherwise, he would continue to writhe in increasingly miserable agony.

Then who would it be?

Everyone’s gaze turned to a young man carrying twin swords. Their gaze conveyed one message.

Hyo ryong shook his head vehemently with a deathly pale complexion.

“No! I can’t do it! How… how could I with my own hands…”

His outstretched hands trembled violently as if shaking from the cold.

“Then who will do it?”

This was not something someone else could do for him. However, Hyo ryong’s heart was too tender to take on the task willingly.

“Keuk!”

Suddenly, Hyobong mustered all his strength to rise. Just moments ago, he couldn’t even move an arm, and he was experiencing pain as if being slashed and mutilated a thousand times over. It was a reckless act to try to stand up on his own in such a state.

“Brother!”

Hyo ryong immediately tried to support Hyobong.

“Don’t touch me!”

Hyobong’s thunderous scolding made Hyo ryong quickly withdraw his hands. His brother’s face was contorted in agony. He could keenly feel that his brother was squeezing out his last bit of energy.

Little by little, Hyobong’s body was slowly raised upright. It must have been an incredible feat of willpower. Any ordinary warrior would have fainted a hundred times over in such a situation.

“Aaaaaah!”

Hyobong’s body shook violently. He was forcibly moving muscles that had already died. The pain must have been immense. It was as if thousands of needles were piercing his entire body, causing excruciating pain. His torn intestines screamed in agony, but he did not succumb to the pain. His eyes were filled with determination.

“Pant, pant, pant! Keuk!”

After nearly a quarter of an hour of wrestling with pain, Hyobong managed to stand. His body was drenched in cold sweat from the struggle. It was a reckless act, evident to anyone.

A snicker escaped from Gal Hyobong’s lips.

“Huh! Even though my body is already dead, I still sweat!”

After sweating profusely, his body felt refreshingly light. The pain that felt like thousands of needles had been a lie, now gone without a trace. Both his body and mind were at peace. A satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

“Hyo ryong!”

In a quiet but undeniable voice, Hyobong called out. It was the first time he had called him Hyo ryong. It meant that he now recognized him as a proper adult. It was a very meaningful word for Hyo ryong.

“Yes! Brother!”

Hyobong smiled kindly. It was the warm smile his brother had always shown him in their childhood.

“Will you now grant me peace? Show me what you have learned. I want to be at peace.”

The sound echoed like a bolt from the blue.

“Uh… Brother!”

Hyo ryong’s body trembled as if struck by lightning. The faces of those around them hardened. What was inevitable had come.