episode_0055

No, there was nothing to resolve in the first place.

It was only natural, as everything was suppressed before anything could break out.

However, that doesn’t mean their attack never happened.

After all, there were victims, witnesses, and evidence, weren’t there?

Heaven knows, Earth knows… no, the entire Jianghu knows it now.

Heavenly Demon Cult bastards. Bi-Maedae trash. Human sacrifice-loving idiots.

And Heukwoo, that guy whose rank was Bi-Maedae Head.

His alias… I don’t remember it well, but it was roughly four characters.

I had merely consumed the Ice Crystal I received as a gift, and some guy tried to ambush me, so I simply took his neck myself.

Somehow, I had become a hero who killed the Heavenly Demon Cult’s Bi-Maedae Head.

No wonder he was incredibly strong.

It was natural for my fame to rise after killing such a guy.

Furthermore, even before this incident, rumors that I had killed the Soul-Devouring Demon in Bloodstream Valley had spread throughout the entire Jianghu.

In fact, if you look closely, every single one of them was just me instigating trouble first.

But from the perspective of those Orthodox Faction guys, who started the trouble first doesn’t matter.

For them, for whom hypocrisy is the default setting, only the fact that I, the winner of the Tang Family Conference, got into a fight with the Heavenly Demon Cult, who they wanted to crush, mattered.

But in that process, one demon and one Head died?

Naturally, the Justice Alliance guys had no reason to stay still with such a massive stroke of luck.

Their method of action was simple.

It was simply to spread my name far and wide throughout the entire Jianghu.

We finally landed a blow on the Heavenly Demon Cult we’ve been waiting for, and it turns out he’s a martial artist from our Orthodox Faction!

Naturally, everyone cheered.

Thus, a special festival for Cheongun was held within Sichuan Province.

The next day, Cheongun walked to the Ten Thousand Dragons Escort Agency’s treatment room.

Cheongun slowly opened the door and entered, waving his hand towards Yeonbaek, who had acupuncture needles stuck all over his body.

Lying down, Yeonbaek was startled when he saw Cheongun.

“Head Escort?”

“It’s the Vice Bureau Chief.”

Yeonbaek blinked his eyes.

“What brings the Vice Bureau Chief here?”

“I just came to check on your condition.”

“My condition, you mean?”

“Yes.”

Cheongun subtly examined Yeonbaek’s condition.

On the surface, his condition looked quite severe, but seeing him speak perfectly fine, it didn’t seem that serious.

A relieved Cheongun asked.

“How’s your body?”

“It’s bearable.”

Yeonbaek asked back.

“What happened to that guy?”

“I killed him. Not just killed him, I broke his teeth first, then killed him.”

“Ah, yes…”

Why was he emphasizing that he broke his teeth?

Yeonbaek couldn’t understand but decided to just accept it.

It wasn’t like this human had only been spouting crazy talk for a day or two.

At that moment, Cheongun spoke.

“How foolish.”

“Huh?”

“I’m talking about you. A guy whose martial arts are so weak, why would you foolishly show off? You should only show off after seeing your opponent.”

“Suddenly?”

Cheongun had heard clearly.

That the Bi-Maedae Head, Heukwoo, was trying to extract his whereabouts from Yeonbaek.

But this guy, trying to uphold his loyalty no matter what, ended up in that state by hiding my location to the very end.

It was truly a foolish act.

Why would he take such a dangerous gamble when I wasn’t even going to take responsibility for his life?

“If that guy had just raised his internal energy a little more there, you would have died on the spot.”

Yeonbaek retorted.

“No, then should I have just said ‘screw it’ and spilled the Vice Bureau Chief’s location to the intruder in detail? Wouldn’t the Vice Bureau Chief have acted the same way if you were in my position?”

“If it were me, I would have run.”

“……”

…Is he crazy?

It was then that Yeonbaek looked at Cheongun with a bewildered expression.

“And then I’d plan my revenge later.”

“What’s the meaning in that?”

“Yeonbaek, you foolish bastard. What’s the point in dying a dog’s death just to buy a little time?”

“At least I bought a little time.”

“And can you guarantee that buying a little time changes the situation? Didn’t you consider the possibility of both of us dying? Did you see the future or something?”

“……”

Yeonbaek was speechless.

Cheongun clicked his tongue and said.

“It’s the same even if you succeeded in stalling for time there. You were lucky to survive now, but if you had been unlucky and died, what kind of dog’s death would that be? If you die like that, what’s left in the end? Even if someone averted a crisis thanks to your sacrifice, what would that person do for you, who died? At most, they’d grieve for a few days and pray for your soul. Is that truly a meaningful death?”

Sacrifice is not consideration.

Cheongun truly thought so.

“Does sacrificing yourself for your superiors seem romantic?”

“Isn’t it?”

“It is romantic, true. But romance is always created through beautification. When you peel back the layers, reality is nothing at all.”

“……”

“There are no leaders who wish for their subordinates to sacrifice themselves for them. Well, there might be. But at least I’m not one of them.”

Yeonbaek blinked foolishly at Cheongun’s torrent of nagging.

Honestly, when Cheongun came to see him, Yeonbaek expected to be praised for his brave actions, impressed as he was, but for some reason, the Vice Bureau Chief seemed genuinely distraught.

It didn’t particularly make him feel bad.

Because even though his words were rough, the sincerity within them could be felt.

As Yeonbaek remained silent for a moment, like a mute who had swallowed honey, Cheongun brought a chair and plopped down.

“Yeonbaek.”

“Yes.”

“You are weak.”

“……”

“Extremely, very, terribly weak. So don’t even think about sacrificing your life for me in the future. Don’t think about sacrificing yourself just to look cool. Just don’t think about dying a magnificent death.”

“Understood.”

“If someone stronger than you asks something, just tell them everything. If they tell you to reveal my location, reveal it. If they threaten you to confess my weaknesses, just tell them. It’s okay for a weakling like you to do that. Do you think I’d feel good if you needlessly messed up and died a dog’s death?”

“…You’d feel uncomfortable, I suppose.”

Cheongun, whose expression instantly softened, said gently.

“Remember. You only have one life. Once you die, it’s over.”

“……”

“So devote your life to yourself. Don’t push it onto me.”

Cheongun watched Yeonbaek with his arms crossed.

Honestly, it was true that he had survived because the guy had bought him a little time, even if for a moment.

It was truly a fleeting moment, and if it hadn’t been delayed by even a few seconds there, his body would have been split in half by the Bi-Maedae Head’s sword the moment he barely regained his senses.

Naturally, as a human myself, I couldn’t help but be grateful.

Cheongun stared intently at Yeonbaek.

“Didn’t you say your dream was to show filial piety to your father?”

“…Yes.”

“I heard your father’s illness is a stroke. They say Sokmyeongtang medicine and acupuncture cost a considerable amount of money.”

“How does the Vice Bureau Chief know that?”

“I looked into it separately.”

According to what Cheongun found out, it was true.

Yeonbaek, born and raised in Chengdu, lived taking care of his father and young sibling without a mother.

Originally, his father was the head of the household, but after falling ill, Yeonbaek himself had been acting as the head.

He had been putting food in his younger sibling’s mouth and nursing his father’s illness since he was fifteen.

His usual conduct was so upright that his relationships, though narrow, were deep, and he was well-regarded by those around him.

Even with his poor circumstances, if he saw a neighbor in need, he would reach out to help, regardless of his own hardship.

Although Yeonbaek’s martial arts level was humble, his character was upright.

Cheongun was quite fond of Yeonbaek like that.

They say there are no bad guys among those who are respectful to their parents.

“I sent the most skilled doctor in Chengdu to your father. So he’ll probably show improvement soon.”

“…A doctor, you mean?”

“Yes. And Yeonbaek. Thanks to your foolish sacrifice, I benefited after all, so as the Vice Bureau Chief, I can’t just overlook it, can I? It seems you don’t have a proper place to live. So I’ve prepared a space for you and your family to stay in this annex.”

“……”

An eerie silence instantly enveloped the room.

Yeonbaek looked flustered, not knowing what to do.

Seeing Yeonbaek like that, Cheongun let out a small laugh.

“There’s still one more thing.”

“There’s more?”

“I’ll teach you martial arts.”

Yeonbaek’s eyes widened in astonishment.

“Are you serious?!”

“I don’t speak with two tongues.”

“……No, really? Martial arts… to me?”

“You’re making me say it twice. Do you want to die?”

“……”

Imparting martial arts wasn’t a difficult task for Cheongun.

All he had to do was transcribe the texts from the system window floating before his eyes to create a secret manual, then hand it over and let the person learn it on their own.

However, in the murim, someone imparting martial arts carried symbolic meaning beyond mere compensation.

It was, perhaps, the final step in proving loyalty to one another.

“……”

Yeonbaek bowed his head deeply.

His mind was numb.

For some reason, his throat felt tight, as if a ball of fire was stuck in it.

It seemed like tears were steadily falling, and Cheongun, seeing them, said.

“It’s hot.”

“……”

“It’s summer.”

“……”