Chapter 119: Dream

Read more at Nineheavens.org

It was a night with flowing moonlight.

An old castle site with weeds growing thickly all around.

In this desolate place where more than half of the faded fortress walls had disappeared, one person suddenly appeared.

A young man dressed in gray carrying a single iron sword – it was Namgung Heon-rin, Namgung Sang-rin’s younger brother by one year.

As he passed through the gate that had lost its original form and walked further inside, the fallen leaves covering the ground crackled with each step.

‘I must have arrived first.’

Namgung Heon-rin quietly surveyed his surroundings, confirmed there was no sign of people, and climbed onto a nearby fortress wall.

Perhaps tired, he stretched widely, gazed for a long while at the forest descending gently below the castle site, and suddenly whistled.

PEEEE-

Then, from the darkness yonder, someone responded with an identical whistle as if answering.

PEEEE-

It was a pre-arranged signal from a comrade.

‘He’s here.’

Namgung Heon-rin heard the sound, smiled, and sat in a precarious position on the stone railing.

A short while later, one figure appeared below the fortress wall, befriending the darkness.

Namgung Heon-rin looked down and asked briefly.

“Jeon Kwae?”

“Hey, why ask when you already know?”

When the comrade called Jeon Kwae responded indifferently, Namgung Heon-rin lightly waved one hand.

“Ha, still need to confirm. It’s night so I can’t see well. Anyway, you found your way well. I thought you were directionally challenged.”

“Come on, when was that?”

Jeon Kwae, responding as if dumbfounded, kicked off the steep wall surface with both feet in succession and climbed up.

It was quite high-level lightness arts.

Having settled beside Namgung Heon-rin, Jeon Kwae unfastened his bundle and iron sword and tossed them onto the floor on one side.

“Tired, so tired. Making a living is hard.”

He had a large build that made Namgung Heon-rin look slender by comparison, and he yawned long with a quiet grumble.

“Yaaawn.”

It felt like watching a bear with its mouth wide open.

Yet his facial features didn’t match his robust physique – he looked like a gentle child.

Namgung Heon-rin also bit back a yawn in response, then lightly patted Jeon Kwae’s thick shoulder.

“Nothing new about it – making a living has always been the hardest thing.”

“Phew… You’re telling me. By the way, did you go see him?”

Jeon Kwae asked.

Referring to Chief Magistrate of Wuyang, Ju Yu-gang.

“Yeah, his temperament is still the same.”

Namgung Heon-rin nodded and then briefly explained the situation in Wuyang that he had witnessed yesterday.

Having heard it all, Jeon Kwae clicked his tongue.

“Wow… He really is amazing. That’s why everyone respects him.”

“Of course. I still remember. The words he spoke to us back when we were rookies…”

-The swords in your hands now are instruments that represent and protect the people’s hearts. To leave the powerless citizens to be covered in the filth of this world is not being a true military officer. Even if you yourselves are covered in it, do not lose the spirit of dedication and sacrifice for all the people under heaven. Protecting the nation means protecting people. And those people cannot be called noble because of good birth, nor humble because of bad birth. Remember that each and every citizen is the nation. Any of you who forget this teaching had better give up hope of setting foot here.

The teachings Ju Yu-gang had given in the past.

Jeon Kwae recalled those words in his mind and muttered.

“Of course I remember. It’s thanks to following that teaching well that we’re here now…”

At that moment, a shooting star fell over the mountain yonder, drawing a long tail before disappearing into the distance.

Watching it, Namgung Heon-rin suddenly wore a faint smile.

“I wonder if Hyung still… Dislikes looking at the stars in the night sky.”

“What? Suddenly, what’s that about?”

When Jeon Kwae turned his head and asked, Namgung Heon-rin propped his chin on one raised knee and spoke.

“I’ve never told you in detail about what happened to our family.”

“Well, that’s because…”

Jeon Kwae trailed off and glanced at him cautiously.

“If I asked about this and that, it would make you recall the family tragedy again. I’m your friend after all – I couldn’t do that carelessly.”

But since it was such a famous incident, he too knew at least the facts that were publicly known.

That under a large-scale night raid by unidentified enemies, eighty percent of the Namgung Family’s total members lost their lives, and everything that had been passed down, including various secret manuals, was burned and lost…

Namgung Heon-rin shook his head.

“It’s alright.”

“……”

“Really, so don’t worry about it.”

“Ha! You’re funny. After making me walk on eggshells for years, now you say…”

When Jeon Kwae responded playfully, Namgung Heon-rin immediately played along.

“Ha. Doesn’t suit that bear-like build of yours.”

“Hey, look at this guy. Then should I ask freely here?”

“By all means.”

Namgung Heon-rin shrugged both shoulders and readily permitted.

“Your brother dislikes looking at stars – what does that mean?”

“Because of the memories of that night. Hyung told me. That there were a lot of stars.”

“Ah… This is, well, even that’s a heavy story.”

“I said it’s alright.”

“Fine, then let’s be frank about it this time. Did you see what the enemies looked like that day? I heard they all wore blood cloaks black as ink.”

“That’s right. I only caught a glimpse of that appearance too. There was nothing to deduce their identity or status from.”

“Hmm…”

“Hyung and I were led by one maid’s hand and hid inside a building. Later when the screams stopped and fire broke out, we came outside.”

“It was… Gruesome, right?”

At Jeon Kwae’s cautious question, Namgung Heon-rin nodded.

“It was a sea of blood. Literally.”

“……”

“Every martial artist in the family died then.”

“Phew… What could the reason be?”

“Who knows, I’m curious about that too… When we were staying at our aunt’s house, Hyung and I had that conversation. Somehow, it felt like the enemy hadn’t attacked with the purpose of cutting off our family’s bloodline, but rather as a kind of test to measure their own strength…”

“Why’s that?”

“If they had intended to completely annihilate our family from the start, I thought they wouldn’t have left Hyung and me, the direct bloodline, alone either.”

“Hmm… I see.”

“As you know, the survivors of our family at the time totaled just over two hundred, and among them, there wasn’t a single person who could be called a martial artist. In other words, the enemy cleanly swept away only the main fighting force of our family. As if they had no interest in whether Hyung and I rebuilt the family later or not…”

“Hearing you say it, it doesn’t seem like an entirely unlikely story. But what force in the world would do such a thing just to test their strength… And it can’t possibly be an outside martial world force. Even the Heavenly Demon Cult, which would be the greatest threat to this land, has been quietly holed up in Mount Tian for over thirty years.”

“Ha. Don’t assign too much meaning to it. I’m just saying that’s suddenly what both of us thought back then.”

When Namgung Heon-rin said that and looked back at the night sky, Jeon Kwae also cast his gaze upward.

“What kind of person is your brother?”

“Kind and cool. Good personality, thoughtful, caring… And his martial talent surpasses mine too.”

“What? You’re not that common a talent either.”

“I expect my current martial level is probably higher. But the potential that can’t be seen with the eyes – Hyung’s is far higher. That was already… Confirmed when Father was alive.”

“Why did you leave your only brother’s side?”

“Because I didn’t want to be a burden.”

“……”

“There’s one other reason too… Actually, Hyung and I liked the same woman. Both unrequited love. Of course, Hyung doesn’t know this.”

“But you don’t know how that woman feels.”

“I do.”

“What?”

“One day she came to me and said. That she likes Hyung, no, that she loves him.”

“Ah…”

“Well, I was rejected before I even confessed. But I didn’t tell Hyung. Because he’s someone who can’t think about love or anything until he throws off that heavy burden. Hyung’s head is filled only with dreams of rebuilding our family. Anyway, I stepped aside on my own. Because I know well that someday those two will definitely confirm their feelings.”

“Is there no… Jealousy?”

“What, that affection in my heart disappeared long ago.”

“Since you came this far, why not go see your brother’s face?”

“It’s not time yet. Once I achieve my goal, I’m thinking of going to meet him then.”

“I hope you definitely achieve it someday. The rebuilding of the Namgung Family.”

“Hyung will do it. If heaven’s fortune follows and he gains an opportunity or meets a benefactor so his potential explodes… I think the time to achieve that dream will come even faster.”

Right at that moment.

PEEEE-

A whistle sounded from beyond the darkness.

Simultaneously, Namgung Heon-rin also sent an identical signal.

Before much time passed, a series of sounds were heard below the fortress wall, and a group of figures suddenly appeared.

One of them spoke in a quiet voice.

“You two were already here.”

“How did it go?”

At Namgung Heon-rin’s brief question, the person below the wall spoke again.

“We found traces. It seems they headed south carrying that item.”

“Going south again…? Hmm, how far are they going?”

“I believe it may be the Shiwan Mountains that spans the Guangdong and Guangxi regions.”

“Well… There’s nowhere else but there.”

Namgung Heon-rin thought silently for a moment, then exchanged glances with Jeon Kwae beside him.

“Jeon Kwae, let’s move. Looks like we can’t rest.”

“Yeah. He could become the seed of the bloody chaotic era that floats around like a song, so we have to catch him somehow. Sigh… Making a living is hard, really.”

* * *

A solitary hermitage in the mountains.

Having made a place to stay overnight in this abandoned place with no owner, Cheol Ryu-heun had an unexpected dream.

No.

To be precise, it was a dream of the Divine Martial Sword that had taken over this body.

There was a dancing woman.

She wore translucent silk gauze that revealed her skin and covered her face with a veil.

Was it a fantasy?

Every gesture of her hands and feet, all of it was beautiful.

It was like watching a butterfly’s magnificent flapping of wings.

Her long hair behind her slender neck rippled as if seducing the viewer.

When she moved her pretty feet and twirled round and round, the silk gauze spread wide and captured the gaze.

Under the pale moonlight, the soft trajectory of her slender jade hands could not have been more lovely.

The woman’s coquettish laughter mixed into the dance as she drew circles while touching the ground in flowing motions.

It was clear.

Just listening made the heart flutter – that was the sound of her laughter.

RUSTLE.

While dancing, the woman slightly loosened the front of her silk gauze, revealing her round shoulder line.

Meanwhile, her sensuous body continued twirling endlessly in circles, scattering flower-like fragrance.

It felt as if only that woman existed between heaven and earth.

The dance that had continued for a long while suddenly stopped along with the sound of instruments abruptly ceasing.

Stillness.

Due to the suddenly halted motion, the silk gauze also rippled and swayed before hanging limply.

The woman’s long shadow cast in the moonlight somehow brought a feeling of pathos.

A breathing sound barely audible.

Having adjusted her garment front, the woman soon approached with her gaze fixed.

Because of the snow-white veil, her face could not be seen.

“You’ve come.”

With those words, the woman stopped close to the front and grasped the veil with both hands.

And then.

SWISH.

Raising the veil, she spoke once more in a quiet voice.

“It’s me.”

FLASH.

Cheol Ryu-heun opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling inside the hermitage.

Bird songs announcing morning.

“……”

He had finally awakened.

Soon, having risen to a sitting position, a light of questioning swirled in his eyes.

‘What was that? This dream…’