Chapter 259 Understanding

Chapter 259: Understanding

Seon Woo-jin flashed a sneer to provoke Jin Tae-do, then turned his head back toward Jin So-eun.

Then, lying flat on her back, she felt his gaze and saw Jin So-eun struggling to get up from the floor.

Having carried Mayu-gyeom and Myo-a-ran across the bridge, her stamina now seemed completely depleted.

She, who had defeated a supreme master, could barely support her own body.

‘Throwing that club to me must have taken every ounce of strength she had left.’

He felt a fresh wave of gratitude toward her.

And somehow, even her disheveled appearance, drenched in sweat, seemed strangely endearing.

Seon Woo-jin held her back as she struggled to get up.

“Young Master Jin, you may simply lie down. I’m exhausted anyway and plan to rest for a while.”

“Ah, but Jin Taedo…”

“It’s fine. After they descended from Bongam, it’ll take them quite some time to circle the mountain and follow us. They must be exhausted too.”

Jin So-eun stopped trying to get up at Seon Woo-jin’s warm words.

She lay back down on the floor, sprawled out.

She didn’t want to show this side of herself in front of Seon Woo-jin, but there was nothing she could do now.

“Haaah.”

Jin So-eun let out a deep sigh, as if exhaling her last breath.

And she closed her eyes as if fainting.

The tension released, and she immediately fell asleep.

“Snore.”

Sunwoo Jin chuckled softly at the sight of Jin So-eun, who had fallen asleep the moment she closed her eyes, even snoring softly.

But that lasted only a moment; soon, he looked at her with a look of pity.

He also glanced at Mayu Gyeom and Myo A-ran, who were lying collapsed beside her.

Their complexions looked extremely poor.

Mayu Gyeom’s face had grown pale, and Mya Ran’s complexion looked as if she could die at any moment without it seeming strange.

Seon Woo-jin sighed softly and thought.

‘This is serious. No matter how you look at it, they can’t keep up with this chase.’

They might have shaken off Jin Tae-do this once, but repeating it was absolutely out of the question.

If they were forced into another chase like this, they might end up being carried to their deaths on someone’s back.

‘Huuu.’

Seon Woo-jin’s concern deepened as he watched them.

***

Crunch!

Jin Tae-do gritted his teeth until they nearly broke.

He had let the bastard slip away right before his eyes again.

The rage boiling up inside him was unbearable.

‘Inparang, Inparang! Inparraaang!’

If mere thoughts could kill, Jin Tae-do would have already torn the bastard to shreds.

His rage was that raw and immense.

But he wasn’t merely a martial artist with formidable strength.

Heo-ung, who had swallowed the Haenam faction whole with his schemes and plots—that man was Jin Tae-do.

Even in his fury, he was carefully observing Jin So-eun and the other wounded, exhausted and collapsed on the opposite peak of Hwangam.

He concluded that, at the very least, they wouldn’t be moving anytime soon.

It was then.

Suddenly, behind him, Master Jaseong asked cautiously.

“Master Jin, what shall we do now?”

Jin Taedo immediately concealed the furious expression he had worn moments before, turned to look at Master Jaseongjin with a faint smile,

Then, as if nothing had happened, he said.

“What else can we do? We have no choice but to pursue them again. Looking over there, it seems their group isn’t in such good shape either. They appear exhausted and wounded. So, if we pursue them diligently, even if we missed them this time, won’t we catch them next time?”

Hearing this, Master Jaseongjin was impressed by Jin Taedo’s remarkably composed demeanor.

He must have been heartbroken at letting the bastard slip right before his eyes, yet he acts as if nothing happened.

Judging by his composure alone, he seemed far more composed than even Wei Zhengguo, the leader of the Xingshan Sect.

Feeling that admiration from Zhen Xingzhen, Jin Taido smiled faintly once more.

Then he said to him.

“Well, if you’re feeling up to it, shall we go now? We should probably hurry if we want to close the distance.”

“Ah, we’re certainly ready, but is the Sect Leader also ready? After releasing that sword energy just now…”

“Hahaha! You needn’t worry about me. I’ll be able to adjust my speed once I descend to meet my subordinates anyway. I’ll replenish my energy then.”

“Very well then. Understood, Sect Leader.”

As the Six Harmonies Sword Masters, including Master Jaseong, began descending below Bongam Peak, Jin Taedo shot a glance at Sunwoo Jin’s group on the opposite Huangam Peak.

Then he started descending from Bongam Peak, following the Six Harmonies Sword Masters.

On the opposite Huang Rock, Sunwoo Jin also watched their movements with a sharp gaze.

***

While descending from the peak, Jin Taedo managed to catch up with his subordinates who had been trailing behind.

And he urged them on, setting off once more in pursuit of the Sunwoojins.

“Hurry up! They’re already exhausted! If we push just a little harder, we can catch them right away!”

In truth, his men were just as exhausted.

But Jin Tae-do had no intention of considering his men’s plight.

Contrary to what he had told Jae Sung-jin, there was no room for restraint in his heart.

His mind was filled solely with the single-minded desire to capture and tear Inparang to pieces.

‘You managed to escape this time, but that’s the end of it. With two wounded men and a completely exhausted woman in tow, how far do you think you can run?’

Though consumed by rage, Jin Tae-do’s judgment was entirely reasonable.

Even this time, if it hadn’t been for the suspension bridge, he would have caught them.

So if they met again on level ground, there was no way those bastards could escape.

Jin Tae-do kept urging his men on, thinking this.

At the very least, they had to be captured before they reached the sea again and made contact with the Demon Realm.

***

Jin Tae-do’s assessment was accurate.

Sunwoo Jin’s group no longer had the strength to move and escape on their own.

Jin So-eun was utterly exhausted, and it was clearly impossible for Seon Woo-jin alone to take responsibility for her, Ma Yu-gyeom, and Mya-ran.

Seon Woo-jin understood this reality well.

Given their condition, it was only a matter of time before Jin Tae-do caught up again, no matter how far ahead they were.

So Seon Woo-jin made a decision.

He would accept his reality and abandon what needed to be abandoned.

‘There’s no helping it. I have to give up.’

And what he gave up was precisely the ability to hold back.

Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Seon Woo-jin whistled loudly toward the forest.

And in his mind, he summoned the Sixfold Sword Beasts.

The Sixfold Sword Spirits that had swallowed the young goblins were connected in spirit to the person who had swallowed the mother goblin.

Therefore, Yun-dang, the leader of the Pasanjo who had originally swallowed the mother goblin, could issue simple commands telepathically.

But there was no way the self-serving Taoist Yun-dang could match Seonwoo Jin’s capabilities.

Having mastered the Divine Eye and now the Supreme Divine Eye, Seon Woo-jin could wield the Six Harmonies Sword Techniques at a level far surpassing what Yun Dang had achieved.

If he merely wished to use them as his subordinates, they could move almost like his own limbs, regardless of the distance.

Moments later, the Six-Direction Sword Spirits, following Seon Woo-jin’s command, raced like the wind and all ascended onto the Yellow Rock.

And upon hearing the whistle, the assistant also revealed himself.

“Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

That helper was none other than the Black Tiger, Sakwol.

Sakwol, who had been with him since Aenao Mountain in Yunnan, had reappeared.

During that time, Black Tiger Sakwol had been separated from Seonwoojin’s group as they moved toward crowded areas, traveling alone.

However, Seonwoojin and Seolpung, who used their inner vision, knew that even though Sakwol was invisible to the eye, he hadn’t left entirely but was lingering nearby.

Seonwoo Jin warmly embraced Sakwol as he rushed over and rubbed his face against him.

“Sakwol! How have you been?!”

“Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Ssakwol, seemingly delighted, rubbed his face against Seonwoojin and pounced on him.

Pushed down by that massive weight, Seonwoojin rolled around on the ground with it for a moment before lifting his head and looking at the others.

The group stared at him in stunned silence, bewildered by the sudden appearance of the enormous black tiger.

“This fellow is called Sakwol. Though he may look a bit dangerous at first glance, he’s exceptionally intelligent and capable, almost like a spirit being, so there’s no need to be wary of him.”

Hearing his words, Mayu Gyeom muttered in a hollow tone.

“Now even a spirit creature… You really are something else.”

Seon Woo-jin gave a bitter laugh at that remark and immediately ordered the Six Harmonies Sword Masters to make two stretchers out of branches and cloth.

They were to carry Mayu Gyeom and Myo A-ran.

“Alright, priests! Grab the stretcher in pairs, one in front and one behind. These are patients, so be careful to move them as smoothly as possible!”

Then he instructed the female team member, Yoo-young, to carry Jin So-eun on her back.

Jin So-eun, who had been staring blankly, flinched in surprise and hastily shook her head.

“Ah, no, I really don’t need to…!”

“To fight properly later, you must conserve your strength now. Don’t refuse, Miss Jin. Get on my back.”

“Ah, well, if that’s the reason… Yes. I understand.”

Thus, the five Six-Combination Sword Masters took responsibility for the three people.

Then, Seonwoo Jin, who had been watching with a pleased smile, leapt nimbly onto Sakwol’s back.

He too had decided to ride Sakuol like a horse to conserve his strength.

“Alright, I’m counting on you, Sakwol!”

“Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

The sight of the party setting off afterward was peculiar.

At the front, a man riding a giant black tiger led the way, followed by four men carrying two stretchers and a woman carrying one person on her back, all running with divine techniques deployed—a bizarre spectacle.

It was undoubtedly a unique procession unlike anything seen anywhere in the world.

Jin So-eun suddenly muttered with a blank expression.

“This is strange. Just a moment ago, we were clearly on the run, so why does it feel like we’re sightseeing now? Is this really okay?”

Just as Jin So-eun said, the group’s escape had suddenly become far too comfortable.

The litter was comfortable, and with the Yukhap Sword Masters keeping watch, there was little jostling.

Moreover, with the Sixfold Sword Masters’ stamina fully replenished, their speed was also sufficiently fast.

As a result, the condition of Miao A-lan and Ma Yu-gyeom, lying comfortably on the stretcher, began to improve steadily.

Needless to say, Seonwoo Jin and Jin So-eun’s stamina was also recovering.

A short while later, Jin So-eun, who had conserved her energy by being carried by the operator, asked Seon Woo-jin about the Black Tiger, Sakwol, as they moved.

Seonwoojin, who had been riding Sakwol and thus felt comfortable, was able to answer leisurely about his connection with Sakwol.

“I first met Sakwol when I was heading to a place called Dokrim near the Boryong Thirteen…”

That story led to the old man Seok Gyeong-dal they met in Dokrim, then progressed to the secret history of the Jomchang Sect and the Blood Demon, finally concluding with the tale of destroying the Muwang Tomb on Aenae Mountain.

At this, Jin So-eun gaped in amazement.

“That’s incredible! The secret history of the Blood Sect and the Pointing Blade Sect, demons and spirits, and even the Martial Emperor’s Tomb. It’s like hearing a legendary hero’s tale!”

Jin So-eun wasn’t the only one stunned by his story.

Mayu Gyeom, who had been carried away on a stretcher after being struck by an acupoint to prevent suicide, also asked Seonwoo Jin with a shocked expression.

“You destroyed the demons’ production facilities?! Is that true?!”

“It’s true. Unless they rebuild the production facilities, they can’t create demons again.”

“Haa…”

After hearing those words, Mayu Gyeom was speechless for a long moment.

The fact that the demons who had caused him to lose countless comrades during his ten years on the front lines had completely vanished.

At first, he couldn’t believe it, but then a deep sense of emotion washed over him.

The faces of the team members and comrades he had lost flashed before his eyes like a galloping horse.

Mayu Gyeom remained silent for a while, his expression a mix of conflicting emotions.

Then, after a moment, he spoke to Seon Woo-jin in a voice thick with emotion.

“…Thank you.”

In response to his gratitude, Seon Woo-jin simply smiled faintly.

Though brief, the words carried such profound emotion that he felt he could understand them fully.

Didn’t Seon Woo-jin also spend over a decade on the front lines during his past life?

Back then, he couldn’t protect Biseoyoung, Bae Jong-gwan, or Na Se-yu either.

So there was no way Seon Woo-jin couldn’t understand the feelings Ma Yu-gyeom was experiencing now.

Lost in thought for a while, Mayu Gyeom suddenly spoke in a self-deprecating tone.

“So you, who broke the seal on the Moolang Sword, stormed into the very lair of the Blood Sect and eradicated the demon forever, huh? While I, who broke the seal on the Seolang Sword, am reduced to this. Hahaha. Why on earth did you choose someone like this…”

He muttered that, then asked with a hollow gaze.

“Seonwoojin, why on earth won’t you let me die? You, who promised a future with her… It’s only natural you should hate me intensely. I beg you. Won’t you just let me go now?”

Seonwoojin stared silently into Mayugyeom’s eyes for a moment.

Those eyes were the eyes of a dead man, having lost all light.

They had lost all will to live, all meaning.

The eyes of one who hated himself.

Just seeing that gaze was enough to understand.

That he truly wanted to die.

If his pressure points were released, he would likely take his own life immediately.

But ironically, because of that very state, Seon Woo-jin had no choice but to admit it.

That he had truly changed.

He was definitely not the Mayu Gyeom of the past.

It suddenly occurred to him.

‘That self-obsessed Mayu Gyeom now hates himself so much he wants to die. If anyone who knew the old him heard this, they wouldn’t believe it.’

A hollow laugh escaped him.

If he was someone who regretted his past like he does now, he was certainly worth living for.

Moreover, having risked his life to save another and passed the trial of the Seolrang Sword, he was truly a remarkable person.

But he himself wanted to die.

The very reason Seon Woo-jin had acknowledged him—because he regretted his past—was precisely why.

It was nothing short of a contradiction.

Seon Woo-jin made up his mind.

He would let him live.

For the sake of carrying on the legacy of the Sword Spirit, and to prevent the Seolrang Sword Technique from being lost forever, he had to keep living and moving forward.

‘But…. How could I possibly breathe life into him? How?’

I had no idea what to say to him now.

Not even clumsy consolation—nothing seemed likely to reach him.

After a moment’s hesitation, Seon Woo-jin decided to take the opposite approach.

Instead of comforting him, he chose to provoke him.

His mind made up, he asked Mayu Gyeom with a cold stare.

“Let me die. You plan to run away again, Ma Jo-jang? Like you did from the Dragon Fortress? But if you do, what about Elder Seol-rang, who waited a hundred years to meet you? Did he agree to this too?”

Ma Yugyeom could not bring himself to answer Seonwoojin’s question.

Unable to offer any excuse, he merely closed his eyes tightly.

His face bore an undeniable, deep sense of guilt.

‘Just as I thought.’

Seeing his expression, Seonwoo Jin’s eyes flashed.

It seemed his guess had been right after all.

Earlier, when he had spoken the word “elder” with a guilty expression, he had deliberately tried to stir his sense of guilt. It was clear he felt indebted to the sword spirit sealed within the Seolrang Sword.

Seon Woo-jin, having grasped the situation, continued in a sharp tone.

“Did you perhaps think that if Ma Jang-jang died, Elder Seolrang could find another successor? Well, I suppose that could be the case. Whether that happens a hundred years from now, or two hundred years from now, I don’t know. Remarkable. Truly remarkable responsibility.”

It was clearly a sarcastic remark.

But even to Seon Woo-jin’s sarcastic remark, Mayu Gyeom couldn’t bring herself to respond.

He merely bit his lip tightly.

Seon Woo-jin continued to provoke him.

“You said you wanted to be a useful person, at least in your dying moments? A useful person… That’s a laughable notion. Well, I understand. How could anyone achieve everything they aim for? There are things one might want to do but cannot. But listen. Even if you can’t be useful, shouldn’t you at least avoid causing harm to others? And that should hold true until your dying breath.”

There was no need to specify who that sin was committed against.

Unable to bear it any longer, Mayu Gyeom let out a hollow, hollow laugh and opened his mouth.

“You… you’re really sharp. Too sharp. Hahaha, hahahahaha.”

Then he asked in a pained voice.

“What exactly do you want me to do? What more can I possibly do in this state? What could I possibly do….”

His face as he asked looked like that of a lost child.

A lost child who had lost both the direction to go and the strength to go.

Seeing his face, Seon Woo-jin could feel he had chosen the right path.

For from Mayu-gyeom’s face, at least the will to die seemed to have vanished.

So now it was time to show him a new path.

He spoke to him with firm resolve.

“Are you asking because you truly don’t know what to do? Of course you must atone.”

“…Atonement?”

“Yes, atone. Don’t say you’ll atone with your death. The death of Ma Jo-jang, who inherited the martial arts of the Elder, would never be atonement. Ma Jo-jang, you must live to atone. Survive to the end and carry on the legacy of the Elder, who was the world’s greatest swordsman.”

Ma Yugyeom closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment at Seonwoojin’s accusatory words.

Then, slowly opening his eyes, he asked.

“Why… why are you trying so hard to save me? Is it because of the old man?”

Seon Woo-jin felt a slight twinge of unease.

It seemed he had already figured out that the story he told was meant to save him.

Even if he had been temporarily impaired, he was still a sharp man.

Seon Woo-jin hesitated for a moment, then decided to just be honest.

At least now that he seemed to have abandoned his will to die, he figured it was okay to speak his true feelings.

“Well, that reason isn’t entirely absent. But… the bigger reason is that I understand you.”

“…You understand me? You, of all people?”

Mayu Gyeom let out a hollow laugh.

It was a laugh that seemed to say it was absurd, that Seon Woo-jin could never possibly understand him.

Seon Woo-jin continued speaking.

“I don’t know about Ma Jo-jang… but I actually disliked you even before that incident. I hated your arrogance, I hated your self-love. Above all, your jealousy toward Seolpung hyung was utterly pathetic.”

At that, Mayu-gyeom smiled bitterly.

“Is that so? To hear that I was such trash even before that… quite shocking, isn’t it?”

“That’s right. You were already trash long before that.”

Mayu Gyeom’s eyes darkened as much as they possibly could after hearing Seon Woo-jin’s words.

His self-esteem had plummeted so low that he could no longer view even his own past objectively.

Seeing Ma Yu-gyeom like this, Seon Woo-jin sighed and spoke again.

“At least that’s how it appeared to me. Though I suppose it wasn’t the case for your team members.”

At those words, Mayu Gyeom’s eyes flashed with interest.

He looked at Seon Woo-jin and asked.

“My team members?”

“That’s right. Brother Jeon Chang-geom, the Sword Master, is currently in charge of the Fourth Division. But he mentioned something. He said the Fourth Division members still haven’t forgotten Captain Ma, and it’s causing him headaches. Even though Captain Ma did what he did, it seems they still think about him.”

“They…”

Moisture suddenly welled up in Mayu Gyeom’s eyes.

His heart ached at the thought that, even after what he had done, the members still hadn’t forgotten him.

He missed them.

Seon Woo-jin sighed and said.

“Honestly, it’s a bit late to say this now, but you were a pretty decent team leader. At least to your team members. And…”

Seon Woo-jin paused briefly, gathering his thoughts.

Now it was time to share his true feelings with him.

“After that incident, I thought about it too. If I had been you… I mean, if I had discovered that the enemy I hated my whole life was actually my own flesh and blood, and that my mother’s enemy was my father… could I really have avoided being destroyed? That’s what I mean.”

“……”

“My conclusion back then was ‘no.’ That’s why I said what I did. I can understand you. At least regarding that matter, I truly understand you. Team Leader Ma, anyone in your situation would have broken down.”

Hearing this, Ma Yu-gyeom looked at Seon Woo-jin with reddened eyes.

His pupils trembled violently, as if caught in a storm.

Ever since that incident, Ma Yu-gyeom had constantly berated and belittled himself.

He told himself he had committed an unforgivable act, that he was nothing but trash.

For someone like him, the idea of someone telling him they understood him was something he had never even imagined.

Yet he heard those words from none other than Seon Woo-jin.

A sudden wave of warmth surged up from his chest.

And he realized.

He had actually wanted to hear those words.

He had wanted to hear someone say they understood him, even just once.

Suddenly, his eyes stung with heat.

Seon Woo-jin looked at him with earnest eyes and continued speaking.

“And, I cannot fully trust you. But… at least I trust the Elder completely. So I intend to trust you, whom the Elder has chosen. Therefore, I wish you would trust as well. The Elder who chose you. And yourself—who risked your life for another and finally passed the Elder’s test.”

Now, tears welled up in Mayu-gyeom’s eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment.

He asked Seonwoo Jin in a trembling, strained voice.

“Do you… truly believe that? That you can understand me? That I have worth to live?”

Seon Woo-jin now smiled warmly at him and nodded.

“Someone once said, you know. Even stones and blades of grass brushing past each other on the roadside live by wounding one another. That’s why what people can do isn’t to avoid inflicting wounds, but to make a genuine effort to heal them. I couldn’t forgive you then either, but I could understand.”

Seon Woo-jin paused after saying that much.

Then, after a moment’s hesitation, he spoke again.

“And now, I’ve seen how sincerely you regret what happened back then and how you’ve tried to make amends. So now, I too am trying to forgive you. I don’t know what Yeo-eun will think, but at least as her fiancé, I mean to forgive you. So I hope you’ll try to keep living now. And someday, I hope you can earn her forgiveness too.”

Mayu Gyeom closed his eyes tightly.

Hot tears finally streamed down his face.

They were tears shed by a man granted permission to live, thanks to the understanding and forgiveness of just one person.