Chapter 216. Different Paths Lead to Different Destinations (1)

Jong Ri-yeon was carefully observing Sage Hyeon-so. Silver needles were densely stuck all over Sage Hyeon-so's body like a hedgehog.

The tips of the silver needles had turned black in reaction to the poison lurking in Sage Hyeon-so's body. This was already the third set of silver needles. That's how severe the poison affecting Sage Hyeon-so was.

If there was any consolation, it was that Jong Ri-yeon had experienced even more severe poison before. The poison techniques used by Sa Woo-yeon of the Thousand Poisons Sect were not at this level. If he had used them, there wouldn't have even been time to save Sage Hyeon-so.

In any case, that experience had made Jong Ri-yeon grow, and led her to devise the treatment method she was now using on Sage Hyeon-so.

Slow but steady, and perfect detoxification.

That was Jong Ri-yeon's goal.

It was a race against time, and a task that required patience.

'Still, I feel a bit better after getting some sleep.'

Suddenly, Jong Ri-yeon's face turned red.

She had felt Dam Ho embracing her while she was half-asleep. She didn't know how wildly her heart had been beating at that time. She had pretended to be asleep to avoid being caught by Dam Ho.

The thick arms that had wrapped around her body, and the warm sensation felt all over – the feeling from that moment was still vividly present.

"Hehe! Ahem!"

Jong Ri-yeon let out a strange laugh without realizing it, then quickly covered her mouth.

At that moment:

"Miss Jong Ri, this is Woon Kyung of Mount Hua. May I come in?"

Woon Kyung's voice was heard from outside.

Jong Ri-yeon quickly composed herself and answered.

"Come in."

She knew that Woon Kyung had goodwill towards Dam Ho.

Woon Kyung opened the door and entered. But he wasn't alone. There was someone else who followed him in.

It was Sage Hyeon-geom.

Jong Ri-yeon held her breath at Sage Hyeon-geom's appearance.

It was Sage Hyeon-geom who had clashed with Dam Ho not long ago. Although he had been defeated and humiliated by Dam Ho, he was still one of the top masters in the martial arts world. He was not someone to be taken lightly.

'Why is Sage Hyeon-geom here?'

Jong Ri-yeon glanced back slightly. Sage Hyeon-so was still unconscious.

She was worried that Sage Hyeon-geom might try to harm him out of resentment for being defeated by Dam Ho.

"There's no need to be so tense. Whatever the circumstances, Hyeon-so is my Junior Brother. How could I possibly harm my own Junior Brother? I simply came to see Hyeon-so."

"Well…"

Jong Ri-yeon blushed, realizing her thoughts had been seen through. Sage Hyeon-geom smiled.

It was the first warm smile to appear on his face that had always been cold. Though it looked somewhat awkward, it showed a human side to him.

"I'd like to be alone with Hyeon-so for a moment. Could you give us some privacy?"

"Yes!"

Jong Ri-yeon nodded and stood up.

Although she felt slightly uneasy about leaving Sage Hyeon-so alone with him, she vacated the space, thinking he wouldn't do any harm.

Once they were alone, Sage Hyeon-geom sat in front of Sage Hyeon-so.

Sage Hyeon-so was still in a state of light sleep. Sage Hyeon-geom stared at Sage Hyeon-so's sleeping face for a long time.

Deep wrinkles had formed on Sage Hyeon-so's face, which had once been clear and clean, showing how much he had struggled.

Rough skin and thickened finger joints. Numerous scars that would never have appeared if he had stayed on Mount Hua. There were clear traces of the hardships he had endured to raise the children.

Sage Hyeon-geom suddenly looked at his own hands.

They were hands that had wielded a sword all his life to master swordsmanship. Hands optimized for holding a sword. The long, thick fingers bore the marks of years of training. But there was no warmth in them.

Sage Hyeon-geom suddenly felt ashamed of his hands.

"What have I dedicated my entire life to?"

He felt that his life, spent obsessed with the sword, was meaningless.

Although unconscious due to the poison, there was a smile on Sage Hyeon-so's face.

The kind of warm smile that only someone who has lived a life without regrets can have.

"Hyeon-so!"

Sage Hyeon-geom reached out and held Sage Hyeon-so's thin hand. It was cold, with a lower body temperature than usual. But Sage Hyeon-geom felt that hand was warm.

"I'm sorry."

Sage Hyeon-geom bowed his head.

He was sorry for everything. He regretted the years he had lived obsessed only with the sword under the pretext of reviving Mount Hua, and he was ashamed of having resented the fact that he couldn't receive teachings from Sage Hyeon-so's master, Cheon Gung-ja.

Only after letting go of everything did he see what kind of person he had been.

A boy with stubbornness, arrogance, and ears closed by inflexibility. Perhaps his time had stopped decades ago when he wasn't chosen by Cheon Gung-ja.

"I'm sorry, Hyeon-so!"

He apologized to Sage Hyeon-so once again.

He hoped his sincerity would reach Sage Hyeon-so.

"Whew!"

After apologizing, he felt like the knot in his chest had loosened.

It was only after a long time that he stood up with a lightened expression.

When Sage Hyeon-geom came out, an unexpected figure was waiting for him.

"Cheon… Gyung."

The person standing shoulder to shoulder with Jong Ri-yeon was none other than Dam Ho.

Tension appeared on Woon Kyung's face, who was nearby. He knew that if the two were to clash again, it would really cause a big problem this time.

Sage Hyeon-geom stared at Dam Ho for a moment.

"Would you like to take a walk?"

It was a calm tone without any hostility.

Woon Kyung's tense gaze turned to Dam Ho. He thought Dam Ho would refuse. But for some reason, Dam Ho nodded.

Sage Hyeon-geom and Dam Ho walked out of the annex side by side.

Watching them, Woon Kyung said:

"What's going on…"

It was the same for Jong Ri-yeon.

The two looked at each other and blinked.

Only after they had walked quite far from the annex did Sage Hyeon-geom stop and look at Dam Ho.

"Cheon Gyung."

"My name is Dam Ho."

"I'm sorry."

"…"

At these unexpected words, Dam Ho looked at Sage Hyeon-geom for a moment.

The Sage Hyeon-geom he knew was neither someone who would apologize to anyone else, nor someone who would regret his actions.

The fact that such a person apologized was quite shocking even to Dam Ho.

"Everything was my fault. I sincerely apologize to you and Hyeon-so."

The blade-like aura and ice-cold atmosphere that were characteristic of Sage Hyeon-geom had disappeared without a trace, and eyes as clear as a mirror were looking at Dam Ho.

If one had a sudden enlightenment, they would have such eyes.

There was a brightness in his eyes that wasn't there before.

Dam Ho also felt that something had changed in Sage Hyeon-geom's inner self.

He had become deeper and stronger than before.

Enlightenment tends to come without warning, and a martial artist's enlightenment tends to dramatically increase their power in an instant.

The current Sage Hyeon-geom was not the same Sage Hyeon-geom he had overwhelmingly defeated before.

And this Sage Hyeon-geom was sincerely apologizing.

"I was angry because I lost my master and numerous senior and junior disciples to the Demonic Sect. I saw the fallen Mount Hua with my own eyes and directly experienced how fickle the hearts of the murim can be. So I dedicated my life to reviving Mount Hua. I cut off unnecessary connections and pursued only perfection. I thought that only someone perfect could inherit my sword. So my vision narrowed due to prejudice. I rejected you because of your limp, even though I sensed your qualities."

"…"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, and sorry again. I was wrong, and you were right. I express my respect to you for having walked that difficult path alone. You are the only martial artist who has inherited the will of Mount Hua."

Words that could never have been imagined coming from Sage Hyeon-geom's mouth flowed out.

It was enough to surprise even Dam Ho, who rarely showed emotional fluctuations for ordinary matters.

"I will now return to Mount Hua."

"…"

"If it's alright with you, I'd like to take Hyeon-so back to Mount Hua. And the children Hyeon-so has taken in."

"Why?"

"Because I want to atone. To you and Hyeon-so."

"Now?"

"Because I've just woken up from my delusion. Because I've just come to see the world with true eyes."

Sage Hyeon-geom's words left a deep resonance in Dam Ho's heart. Dam Ho looked at Sage Hyeon-geom for a long time.

In the past, Sage Hyeon-geom would have avoided Dam Ho's gaze. But now he was calmly accepting Dam Ho's gaze.

The ultimate virtue is like water.

Likewise, the eyes of one who has realized virtuousness are clear like water and accept everything.

That's how the current Sage Hyeon-geom was. Dam Ho instinctively realized that Sage Hyeon-geom was telling the truth.

Dam Ho closed his eyes.

'Master.'

Sage Hyeon-so had lived his whole life for him. But Dam Ho knew well that Mount Hua always existed in his heart.

For Sage Hyeon-so, Mount Hua was his whole life. A life without Mount Hua was unimaginable for him.

Although he was now distancing himself from Mount Hua out of affection for Dam Ho, he always carried Mount Hua in his heart.

Dam Ho thought about what decision would be best for Sage Hyeon-so. And he made a decision.

Still, he had to ask.

"What if the sect leader tries to use my master?"

"I will stop him."

"Are you serious?"

"The sect leader will surely try to use Hyeon-so to draw you in. But I know. That you are a free person. That no one can restrain you. Don't worry. Even if the sect leader has such intentions, I will stop him."

"When my master wakes up… tell him directly."

"You mean tell Hyeon-so?"

"If my master accepts your proposal, it's fine if you go together. But if my master refuses, give up then."

"I will."

Sage Hyeon-geom nodded readily.

He had a much more refreshed expression. He looked like someone who had put down a huge boulder that had been weighing on his chest.

"Thank you. And one last request."

"Speak!"

"I want to compete with you one more time."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. I saw my limits because of you, and while fighting you, I came to reflect on myself. And in that fight, I gained a clue to surpass myself. And now I want to complete myself through a fight with you."

"…"

"I know my request is excessive. But you're the only one I can make this request to. I want to rise from where I fell."

Dam Ho was the first person to frustrate Sage Hyeon-geom. He couldn't move forward anymore without overcoming him.

It was a separate issue from acknowledging Dam Ho's existence and accepting his own faults.

A thirst as a martial artist, a desperate longing to advance one step further was boiling in his heart.

His enlightenment was directed towards Dam Ho.

If he fought Dam Ho once more, he would surely make a leap forward. The fight he wanted was certainly worth it.

Dam Ho looked at Sage Hyeon-geom.

It wasn't a request as an elder of Mount Hua. It was a request as one martial artist. If so, he had to accept.

Dam Ho nodded. A bright smile bloomed on Sage Hyeon-geom's lips.

Whoooosh!

Sage Hyeon-geom drew his sword and pointed it at Dam Ho.

That aura was as calm as water and as hot as fire. It was a change that was unimaginable from the previous Sage Hyeon-geom.

Sage Hyeon-geom walked towards Dam Ho.

Hidden fragrance floating movement.

The fragrance that blooms in darkness spreads far and wide even without moving, and Sage Hyeon-geom's movement was like that now. He seemed to be walking lightly, but he had already reached right in front of Dam Ho.

Swish!

Along with Hidden fragrance floating movement, a light sword strike was unleashed.

Although he wasn't using any special technique, it was chillingly fierce.

The sword flew towards Dam Ho's Adam's apple faster than the sound of breaking air.

Dam Ho also used rushing step to rush at Sage Hyeon-geom. This time, instead of Castle-breaking awl, another martial arts was unleashed.

Clang!

The sound of metal rang out and both of their bodies vibrated simultaneously.

In that moment, Sage Hyeon-geom felt ecstasy.

'Yes! This is it. This feeling!'

The one martial art he had longed for for so long.

The forgotten legend of Mount Hua.

One character wisdom inspection.

The clue to it was beyond Dam Ho.

News that the Tang Family Great Compound had burned spread throughout the martial world.

The martial world’s busybodies were excited by the Tang family news they had heard in quite some time.

And they were even more amazed by the fact that Poison Dragon was involved behind the scenes of that incident.

Even when pacifying the Yunnan Poison Sect, Jin Ja-gang hadn’t drawn much attention. This was because the Yunnan martial world itself was too unfamiliar and held in low regard.

However, after capturing Young Phoenix and Silent Dragon, and even defeating Demon Buddha, his reputation began to skyrocket rapidly.

And it was even said that a Tang family direct descendant had fallen for Jin Ja-gang and released the Jin Ja-gang they had captured. In the midst of this, a major incident occurred where the Tang family’s Library Pavilion burned down.

Now Jin Ja-gang was sufficient to become gossip fodder for busybodies.

Many people’s interest was drawn to how strong his martial arts were, whose legacy he had inherited, and what methods he used.

Among these, what was most clearly revealed was Jin Ja-gang’s personality.

A poisonous fellow.

A poisonous fellow who would stop at nothing to kill his opponents.

Rumors spread that he was such a poisonous fellow that the nickname Poison Dragon seemed too fitting to be coincidental.

Some even said he might be the strongest rising star of all time.

News about Jin Ja-gang also reached Qingcheng Mountain.

“…!”

Bian Bu couldn’t close his mouth.

Woon-jeong, who had brought news of Jin Ja-gang, still had a face that couldn’t believe it even after saying it himself.

“He, he, he… bu-bu-burned down the Tang family’s Library Pavilion completely?”

Bian Bu broke out in cold sweat even though it wasn’t his own affair.

The Tang family was considered one of those in the martial world you should never make enemies with. This was because they would remember grudges and thoroughly take revenge, whether several times or dozens of times over. But since he had committed such an act against that Tang family, Jin Ja-gang should now be considered as good as dead.

“Yes, that’s what they say.”

“He’s cra-crazy. Crazy!”

Woon-jeong shouted.

“What do you mean crazy? We should go out to meet him!”

“What?”

“If he’s caught before reaching Qingcheng Mountain, Poison Dragon will die!”

Bian Bu also shouted.

“If Poison Dragon comes here, we’ll all die!”

“What…?”

Woon-jeong was dumbfounded, then got angry.

“Are you looking down on our Qingcheng now?”

“The Qingcheng sect will be fine! But what about us who are outside it?”

Woon-jeong became a bit intimidated.

“Our master said he would protect us this far…”

“When the Tang family kids have gone crazy, do you think they’ll quietly let it pass? It’s not like we can live here forever either.”

Bian Bu was restless.

“Either we run away before Poison Dragon comes, or until we catch Poison Dragon and hand him over…”

“Eek! We can’t do that!”

Then Soso came running and kicked Bian Bu’s shin hard. Bian Bu rolled on the ground.

“Owww! What are you doing now! It’s a leg that hasn’t been healed for long!”

“Ahhhhh! Ahhhhh!”

Soso’s face turned red with anger, then she huffed and turned away.

“Geez, look at Soso acting all uppity now that she’s grown a bit.”

Bian Bu looked at Woon-jeong with eyes asking to be helped up, but Woon-jeong also shook his head.

“I’m not normally the type to say such things. You deserved to be hit for what you just said.”

“Come on, even Taoist Woon-jeong is going to treat me like this? We’re not that kind of relationship.”

Woon-jeong grumbled while helping Bian Bu up. Bian Bu glared at Woon-jeong with sharp eyes.

“By the way, why haven’t you been practicing martial arts lately, Taoist Woon-jeong?”

“Huh? Why suddenly?”

“If the Tang family comes to kill us, you’ll have to block them first. Haven’t you gotten too lazy? You sleep in late every day, eat, sleep, and play.”

Woon-jeong looked embarrassed.

“I was thinking when such days would come again. Heh heh… When I return to master, I’ll have to do it anyway, so I should rest at times like this.”

“Tsk. You still haven’t come to your senses? This won’t do. From today, I’ll monitor you and if you don’t practice, I’ll tell Taoist Bok-cheon.”

“Ahh! That’s unfair!”

Woon-jeong made a sound of understanding, then said slyly.

“Um… I’ll start practicing from tomorrow, and today let’s play that dice game we were playing once more. I won yesterday, didn’t I? You should get your revenge.”

“Heh, our Taoist Woon-jeong has gotten much more smooth-talking. Really hitting people’s cheeks and coaxing them.”

Bian Bu cleared his throat awkwardly and smiled sheepishly.

“Then shall we do that? Even if the Tang family comes and we have to run away, we should settle the match before going.”

“No cheating!”

“No using internal energy.”

* * *

Five days had passed since the Library Pavilion fire was concluded.

The Tang family mobilized all available resources to search for Jin Ja-gang, but Jin Ja-gang’s whereabouts remained mysterious. He hadn’t gone to Qingcheng Mountain either, and where he was couldn’t be determined.

Because Jin Ja-gang wasn’t found, Tang Ha-ran was still imprisoned in the underground Jeol-ok prison.

Tang Ha-ran wore wedding clothes with a blade hanging from her neck, even wearing a bridal crown while kneeling. Even when exhausted from crying, she gritted her teeth and didn’t change her posture. Her neck had been aching for a long time due to the weight of the heavy bridal crown decorated with all kinds of jewels, and her knees touching the cold stone floor had no sensation.

She had also left the internal injuries from Myowol untreated. She didn’t practice breathing exercises and let her condition worsen through neglect.

For five days, she hadn’t touched a drop of water to her lips. Meals were brought every mealtime but she didn’t eat, so Tang Ha-ran’s cheeks had become hollow and the darkened area around her eyes was sunken. Her previously lustrous skin had become rough and the vitality had disappeared from her eyes.

If only she could just die like this.

So that even if Jin Ja-gang was captured and brought back, she wouldn’t have to see him.

When Tang Ha-ran thought of Jin Ja-gang, tears welled up in her eyes.

Creak.

As usual at mealtime, a small window opened below the iron bars and a guard pushed in a tray with rice balls and water.

But today the guard didn’t leave after placing the tray. He was waiting outside.

Tang Ha-ran spoke in a parched, cracked voice.

“Take it away.”

The guard didn’t move. He seemed to be crouching and watching Tang Ha-ran.

Tang Ha-ran couldn’t see the guard because her head was bowed due to the bridal crown weighing over ten pounds. No, she didn’t have the strength to lift her head and look in the first place.

“Do you… find me laughable because I’m imprisoned? Take the food away.”

But the guard actually leaned his back against the bars and sat down with his legs stretched out, turning around.

Tang Ha-ran bit her parched, cracked lips with her teeth. A bitter laugh naturally flowed out.

“Now even a mere guard won’t listen to my words.”

Tang Ha-ran forced herself to lift her head and look at the guard.

The guard’s appearance with his back turned was insufferably insolent.

However, Tang Ha-ran was suddenly overwhelmed by indescribable emotions upon seeing the guard.

The sight of his turned back was somehow familiar. It was clearly a guard’s outfit with the character for “prison” written on the back?

No, it was difficult to say it was familiar. Rather than knowing intuitively, she felt emotionally close to him.

“Ah… ahh…?”

Tang Ha-ran’s mind went blank.

The guard spoke with his back turned.

“No matter how long I waited, you didn’t seem like you’d come out, so I came to ask directly.”

The moment Tang Ha-ran heard the guard’s voice, Jin Ja-gang’s voice, tears burst forth instantly.

A surge of emotion!

Tang Ha-ran bit her lips. She threw her bridal crown against the bars and shouted.

“You fool!”

Crash!

Jin Ja-gang jumped up in surprise.

The bridal crown that hit the bars fell. Jin Ja-gang put his hand through the bars to catch the falling crown and looked at Tang Ha-ran with bewildered eyes.

Tang Ha-ran spoke without even thinking to wipe her tears.

“Why are you here!”

“……”

Jin Ja-gang couldn’t speak. Jin Ja-gang’s gaze was fixed on Tang Ha-ran’s face.

Only then did Tang Ha-ran realize her appearance was a mess. She hastily turned her head to hide her face, but fell sideways due to the heavy blade hanging from her neck.

“Ah!”

Her body had stiffened from not moving for a long time.

Jin Ja-gang took out a key, unlocked it, and hurriedly entered the prison. He removed the blade and helped Tang Ha-ran up.

“Go!”

Tang Ha-ran turned her head and pushed Jin Ja-gang, but there wasn’t much strength in her arms. From the moment she heard Jin Ja-gang’s voice, Tang Ha-ran had already lost all strength in her body. What she had been forcing herself to endure for days had all collapsed in an instant and felt like it was flowing away.

“Go, please… Since I shouted, those nearby will hear the sound and…”

“It’s fine.”

Tang Ha-ran was dumbfounded but also reassured by Jin Ja-gang’s words. She thought that if Jin Ja-gang was here to this extent, he would naturally have taken measures regarding the surroundings.

A baseless, vague faith.

Where did this faith originate from?

Tang Ha-ran found herself ridiculous even by her own thinking. However, faith and showing her disheveled appearance were different matters.

Tang Ha-ran continued to keep her head turned. Otherwise, she felt like she would cry more.

“Please stretch your legs.”

Tang Ha-ran tried to apply strength but her legs wouldn’t stretch. Due to kneeling on the cold stone floor for days, Tang Ha-ran’s legs had stiffened rigidly.

“I’m sorry.”

Jin Ja-gang suddenly apologized, then lifted Tang Ha-ran’s skirt hem up to her knees.

Seeing her legs that had turned white from lack of blood circulation, Jin Ja-gang’s face hardened.

Tang Ha-ran’s face turned bright red. Even in this situation, she felt embarrassed.

“Don’t, don’t do it. It’s dirty.”

Tang Ha-ran tried to lower her skirt hem again to hide her legs.

Jin Ja-gang was angry. He got angry without even knowing why he was angry.

“Just stay still!”

Flinch.

Jin Ja-gang pushed away Tang Ha-ran’s hand and immediately began massaging her legs.

“If you leave them like this, they’ll rot.”

Tang Ha-ran had almost no sensation in her legs, but she could feel Jin Ja-gang’s hot hands touching her. Tang Ha-ran’s face heated up even more. Tang Ha-ran turned her head away.

An even deeper silence came to the originally quiet prison.

Though she didn’t want to, Tang Ha-ran wanted to see Jin Ja-gang’s face so badly. She was so curious and longed to see what expression he had now.

So she glanced at Jin Ja-gang sideways.

Jin Ja-gang’s expression was serious. Beyond serious, it even looked severely stern.

“…Hey.”

“……”

“Do you know your expression looks really scary right now?”

Jin Ja-gang looked up at Tang Ha-ran as if asking what she meant. Tang Ha-ran was startled and shouted.

“Don’t, don’t look at me like that! My face is a mess right now!”

Jin Ja-gang was flustered.

“What am I supposed to do?”

“…Huh?”

Tang Ha-ran turned her head and mumbled.

“I mean, well… just… since I’m so embarrassed, couldn’t you treat me a bit more gently or something…”

Jin Ja-gang silently massaged around Tang Ha-ran’s knees for quite a while. Little by little, color was returning to her legs.

Because Jin Ja-gang didn’t give any response, Tang Ha-ran became even more embarrassed.

Only after quite a while did Jin Ja-gang ask.

“Why did you do that?”

“What?”

Tang Ha-ran automatically spoke in a sulky tone.

“Why didn’t you eat and leave your wounds untreated?”

“……”

Tang Ha-ran, who couldn’t answer immediately, responded as if sighing.

“Because I didn’t want to live.”

At those words, Jin Ja-gang again didn’t speak for quite a while. Tang Ha-ran, feeling frustrated, asked first.

“You said you came because you had something to ask me. What was it? What did you want to ask?”

“It’s fine now.”

“Tell me.”

Jin Ja-gang waited a moment, then answered without looking at Tang Ha-ran.

“I wanted to ask. Whether you wanted to live or die.”

Tang Ha-ran’s heart tightened. An uneasy feeling arose. She calmed her emotions as much as possible and asked calmly.

“Why were you curious about that?”

“If you said you wanted to die…”

Jin Ja-gang slowly turned his head to look directly at Tang Ha-ran. Then he answered.

“I was going to kill you myself.”