Chapter 217. Different Paths Lead to Different Destinations (2)

"Damn! The stench is still lingering. Ugh! Ptooey!"

Cho Yeon-woon cursed and spat on the ground.

He shuddered as if recalling something horrific and hurried his steps.

Hae So-wol followed closely beside him.

"Don't take it too hard, Brother Cho."

Though she said this, her expression wasn't particularly bright either.

"Are you alright, Miss Hae?"

"I'm fine."

"Damn it all!"

"Brother Cho!"

"I don't know why I always feel so disgusted when we meet them."

"I understand."

"Already lusting after merit."

Cho Yeon-woon shook his head as if nauseated.

The atmosphere of the meeting inside the pavilion was terrible. Everyone was speaking indirectly due to formalities, but the content was simple.

They wanted to distinguish themselves by achieving merits in the war against the Demon Cult.

They saw the war with the Demon Cult as a golden opportunity to solidify their positions.

Troubled times always need heroes, and if one could achieve great feats in such a massive war, they could instantly become a hero of the murim.

If that happened, they could break free from Gu Mu-ryong's shadow and be recognized as one of the top masters in the murim. Just like Dam Ho.

Though they were of similar age, no one in the murim considered Dam Ho on the same level as Gu Mu-ryong.

Dam Ho's actions so far had been too extraordinary. That's why he was recognized as one of the top masters in the murim, surpassing even the Nine Elders.

What Gu Mu-ryong desired was a reputation surpassing Dam Ho's. Though no one said it outright, their eyes were full of ambition.

This included not only Nam Hak, who usually opposed Cho Yeon-woon, but even Jin Mu-yeong of the Wudang sect, who was considered the best among Gu Mu-ryong's disciples.

They wanted to get information about Dam Ho from Cho Yeon-woon. Even trivial details that would be useless to others were precious to them.

Cho Yeon-woon became fed up with their persistent gazes and roundabout way of speaking.

"If you need fame so badly, why don't you just fight on the front lines? Why do you need information about Dam Ho?"

"They're probably afraid."

"Of what? Dam Ho?"

"Yes. He's someone who instills fear in everyone."

"But it's too petty."

"It's fortunate."

"What is?"

"That he has someone like you, Brother Cho. He won't be lonely with you around."

"Hey! What do you mean?"

Cho Yeon-woon waved his hands with an embarrassed expression. Hae So-wol smiled faintly.

Hae So-wol envied Cho Yeon-woon.

At least he could express his feelings honestly. Unlike herself.

'I'm no different from them. I too need to distinguish myself in this war for the honor of my sect.'

The Haenam sect, which had always been her pride, was now holding her back. She felt regretful about this fact.

Hae So-wol shook her head to clear her thoughts.

The annex came into view ahead. Following Cho Yeon-woon, they had arrived here without realizing it.

A strong smell of medicinal decoction wafted from the annex. Jong Ri-yeon was brewing medicine again.

"Senior Brother Cho."

Just then, a woman of indescribable age approached Cho Yeon-woon. It was Dan Hwa-ran, the leader of the Secret Battle Faction.

She still called him senior brother since they had once trained together at the Hundred Battles Sect.

"You've worked hard."

"Why are you here only now?"

"Did something happen?"

Sensing something unusual in Dan Hwa-ran's voice, Cho Yeon-woon quickly asked.

"Sir Dam Ho and Sage Hyeon-geom went outside."

"The two of them?"

"Yes!"

"When?"

"They left two hours ago and haven't returned yet."

"Damn it!"

Cho Yeon-woon reacted immediately.

Warning bells rang in his head.

He knew better than anyone that the relationship between the two was not good. If they fought again, it would be difficult to expect a good resolution like before.

"Where?"

"They went towards the open space to the east."

"I'll go check first."

Cho Yeon-woon quickly ran in the direction Dan Hwa-ran indicated. She watched him disappear with a worried expression.

"That reckless fool. I hope he's careful."

Dan Hwa-ran's voice was full of concern for Cho Yeon-woon.

Hae So-wol silently observed Dan Hwa-ran.

'Miss Dan likes Brother Cho.'

There was an atmosphere that could be felt without words. It was in Dan Hwa-ran's eyes.

Cho Yeon-woon used his lightness skill, hoping that no catastrophe had occurred. If Dam Ho accidentally killed Sage Hyeon-geom, it would be impossible to salvage the situation.

"Please…"

Cho Yeon-woon muttered as he entered the eastern clearing.

Suddenly, his steps halted. Something felt off.

The unusually heavy air and chilling sensation tickled the back of his neck.

Thud!

Just then, a hand grasped his shoulder.

"Dam Ho!"

Cho Yeon-woon brightened. The owner of the hand was Dam Ho.

In that moment, Cho Yeon-woon's eyes wavered. The front of Dam Ho's chest was slashed open. A streak of blood was visible between the cut fabric.

It was such a fine bloodstain that it could be mistaken for a simple red line if not examined closely.

The moment he saw the bloodstain, Cho Yeon-woon felt goosebumps rise all over his body.

'A sword wound of unimaginable sharpness.'

Just as he was about to open his mouth, Dam Ho pointed to one side of the clearing.

There stood Sage Hyeon-geom.

With his eyes tightly closed, using his sword as a support, his appearance resembled a stone statue.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, wind blew around him.

Sage Hyeon-geom's disheveled hair fluttered in the wind.

"What?"

The wind swirling around Sage Hyeon-geom suddenly stopped. And then came a moment of silence.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, the air in the area was sucked towards Sage Hyeon-geom, causing Dam Ho and Cho Yeon-woon's clothes to flutter violently in the wind.

"Ah!"

Cho Yeon-woon finally realized.

That Sage Hyeon-geom's martial arts had advanced. The anomaly just now was a phenomenon caused by Sage Hyeon-geom's enlightenment.

'What kind of realization could he have gained?'

The atmosphere emanating from Sage Hyeon-geom was unusual.

Dam Ho gazed at Sage Hyeon-geom with deeply sunken eyes.

The way of humanity lies in the heart.
The sword of the heart is the sword of heaven.

These were the words Sage Hyeon-geom had unconsciously uttered while fighting Dam Ho. He had revealed his insight in a moment of sudden enlightenment.

Originally, even if others knew about one's insights, they were useless unless the meaning was fully understood. But Dam Ho was different.

Sage Hyeon-geom's insight had some similarities with the Heavy Heaven Heart Technique that Dam Ho had learned.

The Heavy Heaven Heart Technique, an ancient martial art of Mount Hua forgotten by people. Though it had now been absorbed into the Dark Soul Heart Technique, that phrase remained intact in Dam Ho's memory.

Perhaps that's why Sage Hyeon-geom's insight caused great ripples in Dam Ho's heart.

At that moment, Sage Hyeon-geom opened his eyes.

An intense divine light burst forth from his eyes. The piercing gaze that seemed to penetrate one's chest soon faded.

Normally, Sage Hyeon-geom's gaze was extremely intense. But now his eyes looked no different from an ordinary person's. They even seemed more gentle.

Cho Yeon-woon didn't know what realm Sage Hyeon-geom had entered. But one thing was certain.

'Sage Hyeon-geom has crossed a barrier.'

No one could know what kind of barrier it was. It could be a low wall that even a child could cross, or it could be as high as Mount Tai.

Cho Yeon-woon was curious about what achievement Sage Hyeon-geom had gained. But he couldn't discern anything from his outward appearance.

"Hoo!"

Sage Hyeon-geom took a deep breath, gathering all his energy.

He walked towards Dam Ho.

"Thank you."

"…"

"I will never forget this debt."

The moment Sage Hyeon-geom gained enlightenment, he was completely defenseless. If someone unknowingly disturbed him, his blood flow could have been disrupted and his heart vessels could have burst, causing instant death.

Dam Ho had stood guard for Sage Hyeon-geom during that time.

'I lost. Completely.'

Sage Hyeon-geom smiled an archaic smile.

He didn't feel bad about it.

"Hahaha!"

Sage Hyeon-geom suddenly burst into loud laughter.

There was no envy, no jealousy. It was a clear laugh like that of a child, without regret or obsession, spreading far into the sky.

'Not bad.'

Dam Ho turned around.

***

Jong Ri-yeon was the first to greet Dam Ho when he returned to the annex.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"Really?"

Jong Ri-yeon examined Dam Ho's body and discovered the sword wound on his chest.

"You're injured again."

"Mm!"

"Sit down for a moment."

Jong Ri-yeon forcibly sat Dam Ho down and closely examined the wound. Then she was surprised.

"Is this really a sword wound? How can it be so sharp…"

"…"

The more she examined the wound, the more surprised Jong Ri-yeon became.

If the wound had been just a bit deeper, it would have not only severed Dam Ho's heart meridian but also split his heart in two.

Jong Ri-yeon quickly applied hemostatic powder and performed acupuncture. Dam Ho didn't move until she finished her treatment.

"Thank you!"

"No need to thank me."

Jong Ri-yeon looked up at Dam Ho.

Dam Ho still had an expressionless face with eyes devoid of emotion. As if he were someone who didn't know pain.

'A person born to fight.'

Suddenly, she felt pity.

Dam Ho's life had been a continuous struggle.

From the moment his village was devastated by bandits when he was born, there hadn't been a single peaceful day in his life.

He fought to survive another day, and such days repeated endlessly. For over a decade.

Anyone who had such experiences would inevitably change their personality like Dam Ho.

Prioritizing one's own survival and considering everything that opposes it as an enemy.

Only then did Jong Ri-yeon feel she could fully understand Dam Ho as a person.

'This person is neither a devil nor a cold-blooded person without blood or tears. He has simply sealed away all unnecessary emotions to survive.'

The scent of blood emanating from Dam Ho's body was evidence of his struggle to protect his life. Perhaps the blood scent would never disappear from his body in the future.

The murim was heading towards chaos.

It was impossible to predict how many more people would die in the war between the Demonic Cult and the Murim Alliance. In such a world, it was impossible for Dam Ho alone to live peacefully.

Who knew how many more hardships awaited him. And with Dam Ho's personality, he would never avoid them.

Dam Ho would return with even more wounds.

Suddenly, Jong Ri-yeon slapped Dam Ho's back with her palm.

Slap!

A crisp sound rang out.

As Dam Ho looked at her, Jong Ri-yeon said with a bright smile:

"Just stay alive no matter what. Even if your arm is cut off, even if there's a hole in your chest, just stay alive. As long as you don't stop breathing, I'll find a way to save you somehow. Got it?"

Tang Ha-ran’s heart sank at Jin Ja-gang’s words.

“Is, is that so?”

She tried to act calm but her heart kept pounding.

“That’s good then. Come on, kill me. Don’t do useless things like massaging my legs, just kill me.”

Jin Ja-gang looked into Tang Ha-ran’s eyes.

“Are you serious?”

Tang Ha-ran felt suffocated. She felt wronged, lonely, and disappointed. Tears filled her eyes as if they would fall at any moment.

Without time to hold back, tears burst forth with a wail.

Tang Ha-ran didn’t know she was such a crybaby before. But now it didn’t matter anymore.

Tang Ha-ran screamed.

“There’s no way I’d want to die, you fool!”

“…What?”

“I missed you. I wanted to see you once more before dying. But… but how could you come here saying you’d kill me? Waaaaah!”

Tang Ha-ran cried loudly without trying to hide her tears.

Jin Ja-gang looked troubled.

“No, I think there’s a misunderstanding… I didn’t come to kill Miss Tang.”

“Waaaaah. You just said you’d kill me!”

Tang Ha-ran cried so pitifully that Jin Ja-gang was truly flustered.

“That’s not it – I meant if you said you wanted to die, then I would do that for you.”

That made Tang Ha-ran even angrier.

Tang Ha-ran stopped crying and looked at Jin Ja-gang with an incredulous expression, then silently sobbed.

Jin Ja-gang spoke in an awkward tone.

“Please don’t cry.”

“I don’t want to.”

“……”

Sniff, sniff.

Jin Ja-gang was at a loss.

“So…”

Tang Ha-ran looked at Jin Ja-gang with tear-filled eyes.

Jin Ja-gang’s heart ached.

No, his heart aching wasn’t just today. It had been for several days.

Jin Ja-gang actually hadn’t escaped. He knew that with his injured body, he couldn’t flee far even if he tried to escape.

So he left traces pretending to escape the outer courtyard while actually hiding inside the Tang family compound.

After learning that Tang Ha-ran was imprisoned in the underground prison, he infiltrated the prison. He had been there for several days, bringing Tang Ha-ran meals daily and watching over her.

The sight of Tang Ha-ran in wedding clothes weighed heavily on Jin Ja-gang’s heart.

Jin Ja-gang watched Tang Ha-ran for days as she didn’t eat, crying and immersed in sorrow.

What was the reason for this?

Jin Ja-gang was confused.

Was it because she was expelled from her family? Was it because she was afraid of dying like this? Or…

Was it because of him?

Unable to know this, he couldn’t appear before Tang Ha-ran.

But judging that watching any longer would put Tang Ha-ran in danger, he decided to come forward. This was also an action that involved great risk for Jin Ja-gang.

To approach Tang Ha-ran and have a conversation, he had to kill all the guards on one floor of the Jeol-ok prison…

Jin Ja-gang waited for Tang Ha-ran to calm down, then asked.

“Can you stand up?”

“I don’t want to.”

“I wasn’t asking whether you liked it or not…”

“……”

But suddenly Tang Ha-ran’s body twitched.

“Ah…!”

“What’s wrong?”

“Ugh.”

Tang Ha-ran bit her lower lip and raised her shoulders. She began twisting her body this way and that.

Jin Ja-gang sensed something unusual was happening.

“Hah…!”

Tang Ha-ran let out a moan through her clenched teeth.

She kept crossing her legs, not knowing what to do, and eventually began letting out strange moans. Her face also turned red.

Tang Ha-ran trembled all over.

Jin Ja-gang tensed up.

Could someone have used poison in the meantime?

If there was a master skilled enough to poison without him noticing at all nearby, it would be serious.

Jin Ja-gang immediately raised his internal energy and sensed the surrounding qi.

But except for Jin Ja-gang and Tang Ha-ran, he felt no human presence at all.

“Are you alright, Miss?”

“No, no…”

Tang Ha-ran spoke as if she couldn’t bear it.

“My legs are so numb…”

“What?”

Jin Ja-gang’s mind went blank at the unexpected answer.

Tang Ha-ran was at a loss, with tears even welling up.

“Ahaha, ahaha. My legs are so numb. I can’t move them.”

Of course! After not moving for so long, now that blood was flowing, her legs had to be numb!

Jin Ja-gang realized he had been thinking too seriously and couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Hahaha…”

Even though it was something that could easily happen in daily life, why hadn’t he thought of that?

It was probably because Jin Ja-gang had been living a life far removed from ‘everyday life’ until now. And in other words, it meant that ‘everyday life’ had occurred in this moment that seemed completely unrelated to ordinary life.

Thanks to Tang Ha-ran.

Jin Ja-gang quietly looked at Tang Ha-ran.

Tang Ha-ran’s face turned bright red with embarrassment. She could tell better than anyone that Jin Ja-gang’s gaze had become gentler than before.

* * *

Jin Ja-gang removed the Tang shoes Tang Ha-ran was wearing and massaged her feet.

Tang Ha-ran asked embarrassedly.

“Aren’t my feet too big for a woman?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen any.”

“That would be strange in its own way if you had.”

“If I had to answer, they seem much smaller than a man’s.”

“Well, of course…”

Tang Ha-ran’s feet were small and white. Being a martial artist, her toes were hardened with calluses, and there were wounds and calluses on the front joints of her big toe and second toe corresponding to the ball of her foot, and on the edge of her foot from below the ankle bone to her little toe.

Feet are very important for martial artists. The strength that allows them to maintain stable posture in any movement comes from the lower body, and in emergencies, feet can substitute for hands. Therefore, there were many cases of training barefoot on gravel or in shallow streams.

But it’s different among civilians. A woman’s feet were a sensitive area that could only be shown between married couples, a symbol of sexual intimacy.

So Tang Ha-ran was curious about what Jin Ja-gang, who was pressing her soles, was thinking.

Of course, if she asked carelessly and he gave another strange answer, it would only upset her.

After mumbling and choosing her words for quite a while, Tang Ha-ran spoke playfully.

“Now I have no choice but to marry you.”

Tang Ha-ran was very curious about Jin Ja-gang’s reaction.

Unexpectedly.

Jin Ja-gang was much calmer than before.

“I remember coming here with that intention from the beginning.”

Jin Ja-gang’s tone could even feel emotionlessly cold.

“Do you know what it means for a woman to allow a man to touch her body and show her feet?”

“I know.”

“Ah, so you did know.”

“What do you mean?”

At that moment, Tang Ha-ran burst into laughter.

Jin Ja-gang looked at her strangely.

“Why are you laughing?”

“I won’t tell you.”

Unlike before, Tang Ha-ran was smiling with an extremely happy expression.

Jin Ja-gang was puzzled, unable to understand the reason, but Tang Ha-ran didn’t erase the smile that appeared on her lips for quite a while.

So that’s how it was. This man had massaged her legs and feet even knowing what it meant.

And he had even gotten angry.

Telling her to stay still.

Tang Ha-ran mumbled with her lips pouted while smiling.

“How unsophisticated.”

“…?”

Jin Ja-gang shook his head as if he couldn’t understand Tang Ha-ran, who had been acting and saying incomprehensible things.

* * *

Tang Ha-ran finished her breathing exercises and stood up.

Her body felt much better.

“It’s not the best condition, but I can move about sixty to seventy percent of normal. I’m so sorry to you. If I had known you would come, I wouldn’t have just neglected myself like this.”

“Then are you now determined to leave this place?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Tang Ha-ran swallowed the words she wanted to add.

‘If I’m with you.’

Tang Ha-ran quickly changed the subject, afraid her thoughts would show on her face, and asked.

“But how did you get in here?”

Tang Ha-ran was most curious about this. From what Jin Ja-gang said, it seemed he had been here for several days.

This place was located in the outer courtyard but was truly the Tang family’s prison. It wasn’t a place where Jin Ja-gang could just enter and act as a guard.

Moreover, where Tang Ha-ran was located was the third underground level.

Having to go down through several levels made it even more difficult to come here without anyone knowing.

So she couldn’t help but be curious.

If he could enter, it should also be possible to leave.

“You probably don’t want to know.”

“Tell me.”

When Jin Ja-gang hesitated to answer, Tang Ha-ran added.

“If you say you don’t want to or won’t tell me, I’ll never look at your face again for the rest of my life.”

Fortunately, Jin Ja-gang answered without much fuss.

“I killed the guards and waited.”

“Not killed and entered, but killed and waited?”

“When the guards disappeared, they hurriedly gathered people temporarily, so I entered then.”

Even in prison, people are needed to do odd jobs or guard the prison. You can’t do without people.

It was already a chaotic time with the Library Pavilion fire. The reporting system to superiors would have been confused too.

So he used that gap to become a guard himself and enter openly.

Tang Ha-ran was surprised that the Tang family’s work processes were so lax, and amazed again at Jin Ja-gang’s boldness.

“But since several guards died, it would arouse suspicion… no, since you said it was temporary, when they make it official…”

“By now that would have happened. I heard they were replacing guards with people of clear identity. It would be time to find the sudden death of guards suspicious.”

This meant Jin Ja-gang had given up his last chance to escape and came to find Tang Ha-ran.

“Then even though we’ve been making noise until now, no one came because…”

“Probably because they know I’m here.”

“By now they’re probably blocking and guarding the entrance to the Prison.”

“Probably. But to be precise, since I sealed the Prison from inside, it would be more accurate to say they’re waiting without entering.”

The two were essentially trapped in the Prison.

Tang Ha-ran scratched her forehead.

“Because of me, you missed your chance to escape.”

“You don’t need to be sorry. This is also my choice.”

“Yeah. You’re just foolish.”

Jin Ja-gang smiled calmly.

“I don’t know why being called foolish sounds good to hear.”

“Because you’re a fool.”

Tang Ha-ran felt happiness seeing Jin Ja-gang’s smile.

“It looks good when you smile looking at me.”

Jin Ja-gang, feeling awkward, sat down.

“Let’s sit and wait for a while. They won’t be able to enter easily anyway.”

Tang Ha-ran’s heart raced.

The quiet prison.

Inside the prison with only the two of them.

It was time for just the two of them without interference from anyone.

Tang Ha-ran sat beside Jin Ja-gang and hesitated as she was about to lean her head on Jin Ja-gang’s shoulder.

If not now, she might never be able to lean on Jin Ja-gang’s shoulder again.

But if now was the last time…

Tang Ha-ran sat with her back against Jin Ja-gang’s back.

This was Tang Ha-ran’s will to become someone who could protect Jin Ja-gang’s back.