Chapter 312: Reversal (6)
Thud!
Only after the heavy greatsword struck the ground did Gang Ryang’s training come to an end.
“Huff, huff.”
It was a training session into which he had poured all his soul. However, Gang Ryang’s expression was dark, as if something were dissatisfying.
Yeon Ho-jeong wore a smile.
“Why? Is it not to your liking?”
“Yes? Ah, no, it is not that.”
“What is the problem? From what I saw, it seemed like you did well.”
Gang Ryang pulled out his sword and placed it in its scabbard.
“I do not think there is a particular problem. It is just…… I am somewhat disappointed in myself.”
“Disappointed? In what regard?”
Gang Ryang smiled bitterly.
“I do not think that martial arts will increase quickly. Although I pursue the limit, if one could reach the limit through mere effort alone, there would be no one in the world who is not a master.”
“That is true.”
“However, I cannot see the path to move forward.”
Yeon Ho-jeong nodded his head.
“A person who knows their own strengths and weaknesses, and a person who knows where they should move forward, is bound to progress faster relative to the same effort.”
“Yes. However, I cannot see it with my eyes.”
“It was the same for me.”
“Yes?”
“Do you think even I knew where to step at every moment? I dare to guarantee that no genius in the world could do so.”
“…….”
“What method does one use in such times? That too varies from person to person.”
A sense of doubt appeared on Gang Ryang’s face.
“Then in such moments, what did you do, elder brother?”
“Me?”
Yeon Ho-jeong looked up at the sky.
“Well.”
Gang Ryang’s question was limited to martial arts.
However, hearing that question, Yeon Ho-jeong thought beyond martial arts and recalled the life he had walked until now.
‘It was truly bleak.’
He had accumulated experience and acquired strength. In the eyes of one who had reached the peak by breaking through a scene of carnage more hellish than hell itself, many things seemed easy, but he had lost just as much.
‘What did I gain, and what did I throw away? When the path ahead was not visible, with what conviction did I move forward?’
The most bleak moment was surely right after the clan had suffered the calamity of extermination.
Heavenly Luck had reached him, and he was able to meet his master; thanks to that, he was able to live as a single martial artist. Had it not been for the meeting with that person, Yeon Ho-jeong would have also ended his life as an ordinary martial artist.
However, the master only opened his vision and did not tell him which path was the right one. In the world, there were many such paths and many such methods. Choosing them was solely his own responsibility.
At that time, Yeon Ho-jeong was able to learn.
That one can only bear the responsibility for their choices themselves. That if one walks a path decided by someone else, they end up choosing the responsibility according to the result.
And that if that happened, it would become difficult to live in the world later when there was no one to help him.
That the subject of life was always oneself. That in that respect, life could be solitary.
Because of that, he was able to realize that he must become accustomed to solitude and be grateful for every moment he could be with someone.
Yeon Ho-jeong closed his eyes.
“One cannot simply not walk because they cannot see what lies ahead. What is even more bleak is that while you can rest for a moment or even look back at the path you have walked, doing so does not make the light appear.”
“…….”
“There must have been many people who gave you advice. But now that those people have disappeared, all that remains for you are your two fists and a single sword.”
“……That is true.”
Opening his eyes again, Yeon Ho-jeong spoke with a smile.
“Let us go step by step. The reason I asked father to suspend your training was for no other reason. In a state where there is nothing, you must try to progress on your own at least once.”
“…….”
“At least the martial arts of the Ghost Iron Sword Sect are with you. That is enough. However, I want you to broaden your vision while traveling with me.”
“Vision.”
“That is right. The reason is that martial arts is not a narrow field of study that progresses just by pushing your body to its limits.”
Yeon Ho-jeong patted Gang Ryang’s shoulder.
“Previously, father told you. That even if you wield an ominous sword while knowing nothing, your martial arts will not increase. Those were not words to rest. They were words to change your vision.”
“I, I see.”
“You worked hard today. Wash up and go to your quarters. If your heart feels lonely, have a drink by yourself. In a life that is nothing but solitude, there must be a taste for acting that pitifully.”
Gang Ryang wore a smile.
Though he said the path ahead was not visible himself, he appeared much calmer than when they first met.
“Looking at you sometimes, it really feels as if there is a gap of several decades in age with you, elder brother.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Sometimes I am truly envious. I often think that I want to become like you, elder brother.”
Yeon Ho-jeong let out a bitter laugh.
“Longing for maturity is also a privilege of youth. However, the things one can enjoy at that age are not few either. Before longing for someone, first grasp what is around you.”
“See? This part of you is mature.”
“You rascal. It is already past the hour of the Ox. Go in and rest.”
Gang Ryang bowed his head.
“Thank you for watching over my practice today as well. Then, I shall see you tomorrow.”
“Right.”
Thus, Gang Ryang returned to his quarters.
Yeon Ho-jeong sat on a small rock and looked up at the sky.
The moon was bright. There were many starlights as well. The wind was still cold, but rather, it was now coolly cooling his head, which was soaked in sentiment.
After looking up at the sky for a long time, Yeon Ho-jeong let out a sigh.
“The path ahead cannot be seen…… Even though one has climbed high enough, the curtain of darkness does not discriminate among people.”
Several words came to Yeon Ho-jeong’s mind.
Selection, Three Cults, Preparation, Adjustment, Development, Expulsion, Harmony…….
It was a truly complex situation. Perhaps the one who was more bleak than the current Gang Ryang was Yeon Ho-jeong.
‘Living a second or third time does not make life easier. Rather, as one sees more, life becomes more difficult.’
Wuuu.
At that moment, Yeon Ho-jeong’s Divine Elixir Qi caught a faint presence.
It was not a presence approaching secretly. It was just that the owner of the presence had trained their martial arts so well that their energy was converging on its own.
‘Elder brother.’
A moment later, Murong Yu revealed himself.
“It seemed you were not in your quarters, so I was lingering nearby, and I felt a faint sword qi rising from here. It was the energy of Swordsman Gang. I came to see if he knew where you were, but before I knew it, Swordsman Gang had disappeared and only you remained.”
“What brings you here again at this late hour of the dawn?”
Murong Yu silently gazed at Yeon Ho-jeong’s face.
‘He is different.’
Yeon Ho-jeong’s face, bathed in the clear moonlight, looked transcendental for some reason.
Seeing that expression and those eyes, his complicated heart seemed to soften smoothly. Even the unidentified anger and bitterness seemed to melt away like snow.
Murong Yu took out a gourd from his waist.
“I have no cups, but would you like to take a sip with the moonlight as your companion?”
“You know how to enjoy elegance. Right, let us have a drink given by my elder brother after a long time.”
“I said there are no cups?”
“It is just a way of speaking, you stiff man.”
“Hahaha.”
Murong Yu’s laughter was very refreshing.
Thus, the two shared the liquor in silence.
Had they emptied half of the bottle? Yeon Ho-jeong asked as if tossing it out.
“So, what brings you here this time?”
“That is disappointing. Must there be a special reason for an elder brother to visit his younger brother?”
“Those are truly good words, but how about you speak after erasing the frustration dwelling in your eyes?”
“Haha, did it show?”
“It did indeed. That is why I am worried. You are too easy to read.”
Murong Yu, who was looking at Yeon Ho-jeong with a smile, spoke calmly.
“It was true that elder brother joined hands with the Black Dragon Manor.”
Was it thanks to the magic of the moonlight? Or was it thanks to Yeon Ho-jeong’s low and relaxed voice?
Murong Yu was able to tell the story about Murong Jun much more calmly than expected.
“Murong Lotus Flower?”
“That is right.”
Yeon Ho-jeong let out a bitter laugh.
Hearing Murong Yu’s story, he was able to see through the past circumstances in an instant.
“So that is why he could live.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
“I mean Murong Jun. According to my expectations, it would have been normal for that man to be killed or thoroughly stripped by Yang Cheon. However, that man returned safely without a single hair being harmed.”
“……That was so.”
“Murong Jun must have said this. Help me become the Murim Alliance Leader, and I will give much help once I become the Alliance Leader.”
“Of course he would have.”
“Transactions are made with cash, not with promissory notes. And Yang Cheon knows that too. But Yang Cheon accepted that deal. Why would a person like Yang Cheon accept a promissory note given by Murong Jun?”
Murong Yu’s face stiffened.
“Does that mean he sent Lotus Flower as a hostage?”
“Or she is a hostage and an assistant. Furthermore, he might have had her take on the role of a bridge.”
“…….”
“Otherwise, there is no reason for Yang Cheon to let Murong Jun go so easily.”
Murong Yu’s eyes trembled.
But that too was brief.
“Whew.”
Murong Yu, who let out a low sigh, suppressed his frustration with a sip of liquor.
“Right, if it is elder brother, he could certainly do that.”
Yeon Ho-jeong chuckled.
“Apart from affection for your kin, you know how to look at Murong Jun quite coldly.”
“That is the problem. The words I gave to elder brother today were words that came from the heart, not from reason.”
Murong Yu let out a bitter laugh.
“I said I would set the main family right while being with you and contribute to the peace of the Orthodox Murim, but seeing how I am shaken by this much, it seems I am not a large vessel.”
“That is normal.”
“However…….”
“I said it when we first met, right? Elder brother, you walk the path of normalcy. I will firmly grasp the world where abnormality is prevalent.”
Murong Yu shook his head.
“I do not know what kind of meaning the world of abnormality has, but it is an excessively harsh demand to thrust such a Shura Path upon my younger brother and tell me to look away.”
“You mustn’t not know.”
“What do you mean?”
Yeon Ho-jeong patted Murong Yu’s shoulder.
“You must acknowledge it. What work I do, how much effort I put in. You must know, listen, and embrace it.”
“…….”
“That is the virtue of a leader. To be precise, it would be the virtue of an Orthodox leader.”
“Younger brother.”
“I know. I am just saying that is how it is.”
Yeon Ho-jeong took a deep breath.
“Your mind must be very troubled. But you did expect it, right? If it is hard to shake off, just accept it and use it as the driving force to move forward.”
Murong Yu, who was staring at Yeon Ho-jeong, wore a warm smile.
“I am a fool who cannot give a single bit of help despite being an elder brother.”
“Lack of ability is not a sin. What is important is whether you have the will to move forward, and how much effort you can put into changing your inadequate self.”
“Hahaha.”
Yeon Ho-jeong shrugged his shoulders.
“Still, hearing elder brother’s story, it seems things will become a bit easier now.”
“Hmm?”
“I mean Murong Jun. I think this fight could flow quite easily if we thoroughly investigate Murong Lotus Flower.”
“Do not do that.”
“Huh?”
Murong Yu shook his head.
“I said do not do that.”
“What are you saying suddenly? Murong Jun is……”
“Right, elder brother is a wicked person. But you have many other things to worry about besides elder brother, do you not?”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes deepened.
Murong Yu sighed while looking at the sky.
“To firmly grasp the world of abnormality…… Right, you said you would do so, so how could I stop you? However, if you say that, at least I must grasp the world of normalcy.”
“…….”
Murong Yu, who emptied the bottle as it was, stood up from his seat.
He looked down at Yeon Ho-jeong with a smile.
“It was good that I came to see my younger brother today. It was a conversation of no great significance, but what I realized was great.”
“What are you trying to do?”
“I will ask for help when a hard and overwhelming time comes. But until then, you also do what you must do, younger brother.”
“Elder brother.”
“Look here, younger brother.”
“…….”
“Do not forget. I still have no intention of becoming so, but the me you saw would have been a not-bad vessel as the Murim Alliance Leader.”
Yeon Ho-jeong wore a smile.
“It is more than enough.”
“If that is truly the case, at least I must prove that your eyes were not wrong.”
Murong Yu turned his body.
“Rest. I shall visit sometime soon.”
***
The next day.
‘It is grand.’
A stir appeared on Murong Lotus Flower’s face as she entered the Murim Alliance.
‘This place is the Murim Alliance……!’
The Murim Alliance, which was finally completed, possessed a size and system that overwhelmed the Black Dragon Manor. It was to the extent that one could realize the gap at a single glance.
Murong Lotus Flower took a deep breath.
‘Let us do this properly. Everyone lives only if I do it properly. Be nervous but do not stiffen; have composure but do not be careless.’
It was just as she reached the inner fortress with her attendants.
“It has been a long time.”
Surprised, Murong Lotus Flower turned her head.
There stood Murong Yu with a blunt expression and his arms crossed.
Fire ignited in Murong Lotus Flower’s eyes.
“……Murong Yu.”
A faint smile appeared on Murong Yu’s lips.
“Your discipline is lacking, niece.”,