Chapter 214
**
Before starting my work with Gu Ok-gyeong, I asked Su-ryeon about my absence.
“I waited. Nearby. But along with the news of Cheonryong Association’s defeat, the Master of Sado Clan officially stated that the warriors of Cheonryong Association have perished…”
Su-ryeon hugged me as if unable to continue her words.
“…You also…”
“I died.”
“…….? Then, who is in front of the girl?”
“I am a warrior who died and returned.”
I set Gumang down before me. As I explained what had happened, Su-ryeon narrowed her eyes.
“Is that…possible? What exactly is Cheongeop…?”
“I wonder too, but…”
I gently stroked Gumang.
“Regardless, there’s no doubt that you are my savior.”
“…Then I guess I am saved by you too.”
“What has Su-ryeon been doing all this time?”
Su-ryeon leaned the back of her head against my chest.
“…First, I separated from the group. There was no reason to stay in a group without you.”
“…….”
“After that, I tried to rebuild Sapa. It’s the only thing I know how to do. Fortunately, it wasn’t very difficult. I was a rare master, and the kids under my command were the same. I gradually expanded the branches and recruited new assassins. I made a name for myself as the new Head of Sapa. But…”
Su-ryeon reached out.
She grasped nothing in the air.
“It was empty. It felt like a hole was drilled through my chest. Jeok-un. Do you remember what I told you? During the time I wandered after separating from you. A bigger hole was drilled in my heart than before. Back then, there was a place to return to, but by then, that had also disappeared.”
“…….”
“To fill that emptiness, I had no choice but to do something else. Isn’t it funny how I realized how precious something was only after losing it? So… I acted in my own way. I tortured the Master of Sado Clan who killed you. Of course, killing her is impossible, but…”
Su-ryeon whispered.
“I intended to torment her as long as I was alive. It was an emotional decision and not like me. But despite that, I wanted to do it. Because it’s what I truly wished for.”
I stroked her white hair. As Su-ryeon quietly accepted the petting, she turned the question back to me.
“Are you not going to ask about others?”
“I thought your story was the most important first.”
“…A nice consideration. But I’m sure there’s something you are curious about, so let me tell you. First… the ones who came from the Demon Cult. They have all returned. I was worried about Sua and looked into it separately, and they all confirmed to have crossed the border properly. They are likely in the Demon Cult now.”
“I see. Then what about the rest…?”
“Jeok-un’s disciples, including Gu Hwa-rin, have not returned to Huashan. Instead… they formed a separate group within the Martial Alliance.”
“Eh?”
Su-ryeon spread her hands.
“It’s already common knowledge that the Martial Alliance is disgraceful and lacks justice. Anyone with eyes and ears would know. Including not sending reinforcements to Cheonryong Association, an internal war is breaking out, as if things that have been simmering are bursting out. The current Martial Alliance Leader leads the old faction of Martial Alliance while the Elder, Dan Ri Jin Su, leads the new faction. Ironically, despite the current Martial Alliance being at war with the Cheonryong Association, there’s also a separate war going on within itself.”
“……”
“The situation is chaotic, so some young warriors have stepped up to oppose the power struggles of the old. They believe it’s time to wield swords for true justice instead of getting caught up in corrupted power struggles.”
“Don’t tell me…”
“The Gu Society. It means that even if you die nine times, you will rise once more. It’s a newly formed late-stage organization, and the one leading it is Gu Hwa-rin.”
I gazed at Su-ryeon’s outstretched hand blankly. Then I clenched it tightly.
“But she didn’t gather them.”
“…….?”
“It was you. Jeok-un.”
“Eh?”
“Your actions gathered the Gu Society. The leader is currently Gu Hwa-rin, but the focal point is you.”
She began to open her fingers one by one.
“Removing the shadow of Cheongsung…”
“…That wasn’t all that incredible.”
“Revealing the corruption of the clans.”
“That just happened…”
“Eliminating the evils of Shaolin.”
“That was my mission…”
“Healing Huashan’s clan leader.”
“Hwa-rin did all of that.”
“Helping many people on the way to Cheonryong Association…”
“…….”
“Successfully sieging Fortress Hansung by yourself.”
“That… Isn’t that a bit exaggerated?”
“In the end, you shared a fate with the Cheonryong Association on behalf of all the warriors of the Martial Alliance who weren’t there.”
Su-ryeon looked up at me.
“Did the girl see everything, and are you going to deny it?”
“…Hmm.”
When I looked at each separately, they didn’t seem so great, but laid out like this…
It was rather embarrassing.
I scratched my neck awkwardly.
“Then what exactly is the Gu Society doing?”
“They help the marginalized and protect those trying to escape from power relations in the name of the Gu Society. You could call it a third force.”
“Seems like a good group.”
“The intent itself is good. But when you actually look into it, it’s not so great. After all, young masters are at the center of the force, so they often get swept away by emotions and the size of their force is quite small. Besides, neither side of the two factions within the Martial Alliance treats them well… You could say they are floating alone.”
“……”
“Above all, what Gu Hwa-rin is currently aiming for is the eradication of the Martial Alliance… so they can’t help but clash with them.”
“…What is that about…?”
Su-ryeon looked up at me.
She tossed me the question as if it was casual.
“Jeok-un.”
“Yes?”
“Why did you tell us to go back then?”
“……”
Well…
Somehow, I had known.
That this time, there was no way to surpass it.
I held my tongue. Su-ryeon pressed my cheek.
She let out a rare sigh.
“…Everyone felt it. We could have fought. We could have shared a fate with you there. But despite that, we chose to leave. Just as you always have… We thought you would solve it somehow, so we left clumsily.”
“…….”
“Because of our clumsy actions, only clumsy results remained. We survived, and you died. Everyone was pushed to leave with the single line ‘leave.’ In the end, it was useless to regret later. At least we could have died together, but we couldn’t even do that, and when we later resolved ourselves to death, we felt ashamed to face you. Living as if being pushed away… even if outwardly we seem fine, we are all decayed inside.”
Su-ryeon turned around.
She hugged me.
“In Gu Hwa-rin’s case… it seems she needed something to hate. She hated the Martial Alliance that didn’t send reinforcements, and the Martial Alliance Leader who sent you as an auxiliary soldier to die. So… she established a group to eliminate the current Martial Alliance Leader.”
“…….”
“It’s not just Gu Hwa-rin. Your absence was too great. Even more than I imagined… All the faces I last saw were distorted. It was like crossing a river we could never return from.”
Su-ryeon pressed her face against my body and rubbed against me.
“The girl thought the same. I thought about dying. Because life was boring.”
“What do you mean by thinking about dying because I’m not around…”
“So please don’t leave. If you don’t want me to die. As for the religious talk, don’t say later that it was a non-existent story. If you don’t want to see me sleeping under your roof for the rest of my life.”
I sorted out the current situation. First, after defeating the goal…
It would be the right timing to hear about the Gu Society next. If her rampage continues, the Martial Alliance will take action against her.
As someone dear and precious to me…
I couldn’t just leave it alone like this. Helping is the right choice.
As I was lost in thought, the door rattled open. Gu Ok-gyeong walked in with a frown.
“Are you a pedophile? Are you only attracted to kids?”
“…Ok-gyeong. Watch your words.”
“I heard the Master of Sado Clan had a rough tongue, but it’s worse than a sewer.”
“Oh, really? Want to fight? I don’t take it easy on friends of friends.”
“Wasn’t the girl needed?”
“…Ugh. This brat…”
“I’m an adult.”
“An adult?! Really?!”
A shocked Gu Ok-gyeong hesitated and placed her hands on me.
“Anyway, it’s time to cause some chaos. Jeok-un. Mu Pungsura. Are you ready to play?”
“What exactly should I do?”
“Simple. To draw attention to the hermit hiding in the mountains. Eliminate those inhuman trash as you do so. We have people who support the Master of Sado Clan, do you know who they are?”
I shook my head.
Gu Ok-gyeong grinned.
“They’re the fakes the Master of Sado Clan manages best: the Green Forest’s Seventy-two Strongholds. They’re praised as the Green Forest but are just a bunch of pathetic bandits. They brag about leeching off others. I mean, I don’t mind preying on other warriors. But these guys are vicious; they only mess with unarmed civilians! And capturing them to turn into slaves is their daily routine.”
“…And they’ve been tolerated this long?”
“The Elders are their backing. We’ve tried to deal with them before, but since the lower ranks were so persistent, we ultimately gave up and sent them far away. So this time, we’re just going to wipe them all out. With the Black Forest Room case on hand, what can’t we do? I’m planning to clean up all the eyesores that made it easy for me to seize power. Just know I will use you.”
“It feels a bit odd to say ‘use’ in front of the involved party, doesn’t it?”
“Isn’t that what friends are for? Besides, they’re just a bunch of pure trash, so they won’t have any guilt. These guys are turning people into slaves in whole villages. There are so many starving to death that when a slave dies of starvation, they just raid nearby villages to replenish numbers!”
Gu Ok-gyeong shrugged.
“They see powerless humans as tools. The most sinister among the Sapa. So what do you say? It’s better than causing a big uproar elsewhere. If it gets messy, you just stay in the back. I’ll act as Mu Pungsura.”
“…….”
“Jeok-un.”
Waving her arms around, she looked like a child. I nodded.
They’re not even human. I have to see their true nature myself…
But from what she said, they seem like they deserve to die.
What is justice and what is evil? I don’t know that either.
But I at least knew one thing.
The difference between humans and beasts.
“…Alright. I’ll check it out and help.”
“Anything else to check?”
“Su-ryeon.”
She naturally took hold of my sleeve. I realized what she was trying to say.
Though her hand was injured, it didn’t let go of my sleeve.
“…From now on, we’ll be together whether we live or die.”
I had intended to let her rest, but it seemed clear she didn’t want that.
So I nodded slightly.
“Let’s walk together for the first time in a while. Just like before. Can you gather information about the Green Forest for me?”
Su-ryeon smiled.
“Leave it to me.”
