Chapter 52

Just as Yoo Jeong-hong had done to Dan Woo-sung, he casually hinted to Hwa Eun-seol about the prize given to the winner of the Phoenix Grand Tournament. Gifts were prepared that were no less impressive than those for the men’s competition. Three roots of century-old snow ginseng, and for the four who reached the semifinals, the right to select weapons from the Alliance’s armory.

Dan Woosung and his group couldn’t help but be astonished.

The leader was thorough in preparation and generous in distribution.

However, the Alliance Leader actually felt apologetic because the century-old snow ginseng was less rare than the century-old purified ginseng. There was absolutely no need for him to feel that way.

Even the Hwa siblings found themselves deep in thought.

I couldn’t help but reflect on the words and reputations about the leader that had been bandied about outside the Emperor’s Association. All I could discern was the intention to look out for juniors in the martial world.

Despite being described as so radical and decisive, he was nothing like that with his juniors.

Only as the meal drew to a close did Chief Yu Jeong-hong suddenly stare blankly at Cheol Myeong-ho.

Cheol Myeong-ho, who hadn’t even noticed whether the rice was going into his mouth or his nose, flinched and bowed his head slightly.

“Leader, my name is Cheol Myeong-ho.”

He had merely offered a greeting, yet Chief Yoo Jeong-hong smiled.

“That scar on your cheek looks like a sword wound.”

Cheolmyeongho stroked his own cheek as he replied.

“Yes, it was not a sword, but a dagger.”

Yoo Jeong-hong blinked and asked.

“How did that happen?”

Dan Woo-seong, Hwa Eun-wol, and Hwa Eun-seol looked at Cheol Myeong-ho. Cheol Myeong-ho stood there, eyes wide, unable to answer. He felt his story was too trivial.

Seeing Cheol Myeong-ho’s discomfort, Yoo Jeong-hong let out a hearty laugh.

“Seems like an awkward story. That’s fine. Your appearance is unusual, so I was curious. Before I even knew what kind of person you were, that scar made my impression of you quite strong.”

“Ah.”

Cheolmyeong-ho swallowed hard. His mind had gone completely blank. Looking back, it was an utterly ridiculous incident that he had absolutely no need to mention to the Martial Arts Alliance Leader. To Cheolmyeong-ho, it was merely a thing of the past, yet the very thought of speaking about it made his hands shake with embarrassment. But he couldn’t bear the gaze fixed on him

and the uncomfortable silence were unbearable.

“……I used to run a gambling den. I got into a fight with a guy who wouldn’t pay up, and my cheek got pierced by a dagger.”

He blurted it out.

And that too, in front of the Martial Arts Alliance…

And in front of the Martial Alliance leader, no less.

Dan Woo-sung stared blankly at his friend’s face. He couldn’t tell what Cheol Myeong-ho was thinking, but the blood had drained from his eyes.

Yoo Jeong-hong spoke.

“I see.”

Yu Jeong-hong smiled as he rolled up his sleeves. The four men’s gazes turned back to him.

A gruesome scar ran from his wrist inward.

“Back when my beard hadn’t even grown in yet, I naturally couldn’t handle a sword as well as I do now. I was lucky if I didn’t get beaten up.”

It was a perfectly reasonable statement, yet somehow it made them laugh. The four of them watched Yoo Jeong-hong, holding their breath.

My father used to serve liquor he brewed himself with relatives at the inn. He worked hard at the brewery passed down through generations. He even carried loads on his back. One day, I saw him getting beaten by drunks at the inn. There were too many for me to handle alone. Without a weapon in hand

I felt I’d get beaten too. While my father was being beaten, I went back and grabbed a club. Even in my rage, I told myself I wouldn’t kill. I just beat five or six of them indiscriminately with the club. They were just drunks, not much to speak of. Even as I beat them, I felt strange. I swung the club…

Even in that brief moment of wrapping, I’d gotten the hang of it. No one died, but I knocked them all to the ground.”

Yoo Jeong-hong said as he pulled down his sleeve.

“Father came over with a startled look and started applying pressure to my arm first. I hadn’t even realized my arm was bleeding. Even now, I can’t recall how I got hurt. Maybe someone drunk grabbed and tore at me, or maybe I got scraped on the edge of a shattered table. Anyway, once the bleeding stopped—”

Father and I ran away. It had been so long since I rode on his back, but he ran so fast. Clinging to him, I saw his sleeves were torn. His sweat-soaked sleeves were wrapped around my arms. Maybe that’s why. This wound just won’t fade.”

Yoo Jeong-hong looked at Cheol Myeong-ho.

“If someone steps into the martial world, they’re bound to have their own story. Is that black iron umbrella from the Murong clan your weapon?”

“I borrowed it. From this friend.”

“That pitch-black thing suits you rather well.”

Yoo Jeong-hong grinned, and Cheol Myeong-ho laughed along.

“Thank you. Hahahahaha…”

Cheolmyeongho burst into a long laugh. As the laughter stretched on excessively, the others stared blankly at him. Cheolmyeongho was laughing, but to the others, it sounded like crying.

Yoo Jeong-hong called out to Cheol-myeong-ho in a relaxed tone.

“Myeong-ho.”

“Yes, Lord.”

“Do you regret living like a worthless fool?”

“Yes.”

“If you can correct yesterday’s mistakes and live today properly, that alone makes you a fine man. There’s no need to dwell excessively on the past. Whether you wield the Mookcheol Umbrella or a sword, we’ll meet again. If possible, on the White Path…”

“Yes.”

Cheol Myeong-ho found even uttering a short “Yes” difficult.

Yoo Jeong-hong stood up and said.

“Staying with an old man for too long is a burden. Let’s go rest. It’s been a long day.”

As the four men rose to bow in respect, Yoo Jeong-hong waved his hand.

“Go and rest.”

“Please go and rest, Lord.”

As the four men bowed, Hwa Eun-wol turned and said.

“Let’s see Eunseol off, then just the men can have a drink tonight.”

Hwa Eun-wol said to her younger brother.

“You have a martial arts match tomorrow, so go rest.”

“Yes.”

The four quietly left the Martial Arts Alliance. Since there was an inn below Hua Yue’s lodgings anyway, the three men walked silently, as if escorting a woman.

.

.

.

Dan Woo-sung, Cheol Myeong-ho, and Hwa Eun-wol drank together, the atmosphere fitting them quite well.

Hua Enyue, drinking, often glanced at the merchant’s son and the gambling den operator.

They were strange fellows.

Perhaps because she was with strange fellows, the wine tasted good. While drinking, Hwa Eun-wol casually brought up a topic.

“Our ancestor, so to speak, was the founding patriarch.”

Danwooseong and Cheolmyeongho looked at Hwaeunwol.

Hwa Eun-wol continued with a peculiar smile.

“They say he was a person without a name.”

How could a person have no name?

“I hear the first name given was Hwasam (華三)… The ‘sam’ (三) likely signified rank or number. By Lord Jinsao’s command, he carried a letter to the Wudang Sect. There, the Wudang Sword Immortal bestowed a new name upon him. Hwounryong (華雲龍)…”

Dan Wuseong and Cheol Myeongho listened in silence.

“When Hwaryong’s ancestor returned and told Lord Sohwan that he had received this name, the reply came… There is a Yunryong Falls on Mount Mudaeng, where Lord Sohwan and the Sword Sage of Mudaeng are said to have conversed. Now, when the Sword Sage of Mudaeng gazes upon Yunryong Falls, not only Lord Sohwan himself

and even your thoughts would come to mind. After that, whenever Lord Sohwan called him, he always included the name Yunryong. According to the words left by our ancestor, it was only after he passed twenty that he first felt like he was being treated like a human being. Because originally, he and Lord Sohwan were enemies.”

Because he was the assassin I met. Originally, he was the kind who killed when told to kill, ate when told to eat, trained when told to train… that sort of assassin. Our Hwasegga family began there. It’s a family that started after a grown man earned his name and was treated like a human being.”

Hwa Eun-wol felt a sense of relief.

“Hearing the Lord’s words, it seems like a past that needn’t be hidden, so the story grew long.”

The story of Cheolmyeongho emerged, and Hwa Eunwol’s story emerged too.

But Dan Wooseong had no words to offer.

Dan Wooseong poured wine into both their cups and said.

“The assassin’s descendant, the gambling den operator, and the merchant’s son. Let’s have a drink together.”

The three men downed their drinks.

Suddenly, Danwooseong turned his head to look at the man approaching. Dokgo Han, his face bruised and swollen, walked toward them with a stiff expression.

As the three watched silently, Dokgo Han plopped down on the empty seat and said,

“Don’t glare at me like that. I’ll just have a drink and be on my way.”

Dokgo Han looked at Dan Wooseong.

“I watched the finals after my defeat. You showed me great mercy. I’ll offer you a drink.”

Dan Wooseong held out his empty cup.

The liquor poured down with a gurgling sound.

Dan Woosung took the bottle from Dokgo Han’s hand and poured liquor into Dokgo Han’s cup.

The two men drank in silence.

Dokgo Han wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. It seemed a little wine had trickled from the spot where Dan Wooseong had struck him.

Dokgo Han pulled three bills from his pocket and placed them on the table.

“This is the first time I’ve had such expensive liquor. Let’s meet again.”

As Dokgo Han placed the bills down, Hwa Eun-wol smiled with an expression that said she was flabbergasted. She had actually been about to hand over thirty thousand nyang.

Hwa Eun-wol stared at the three vouchers with a troubled expression, then picked up two with her fingers and pushed them toward Dan Woo-sung.

“I can’t possibly take all of this alone. I didn’t even compete for it.”

Dan Wooseong pushed the twenty thousand nyang back with his finger and retorted.

“There’s no reason for me to take this. Besides, if we’re going to nitpick the price of the armor, thirty thousand nyang is woefully inadequate.”

Cheol Myeong-ho sighed inwardly as the twenty thousand nyang shifted back and forth before his eyes.

‘Crazy bastards… Rich people sure know how to play.’

Cheolmyeongho glared at the voucher. He planned to pocket it and never return it if they pushed it his way. But that didn’t happen.

Cheol Myeong-ho, who had been licking his lips, said to Hwa Eun-wol.

“Well now, just buy the drinks. Must be because you’re all rich kids, none of you seem interested in money. Don’t play games with money. It’s not a pretty sight.”

Cheol Myeong-ho stood up first and slung the black iron umbrella, which had been leaning against the table, over his shoulder.

“Well then, my training is pressing, so I’ll be going.”

As Cheol Myeong-ho walked away with heavy steps, Hwa Eun-wol asked him curiously.

“What kind of training are you doing that…”

Cheolmyeongho turned and looked at Hwa Eunwol and Danwooseong. Then he swung the black iron umbrella he held vertically. A horizontal slash followed, and finally, a thrust.

Cheol Myeong-ho slung the iron umbrella back over his shoulder and said.

“This is it.”

Hwa Eun-wol clutched her chin, let out a soft sigh, and then said in a serious tone.

“Hmm, I saw it well.”

After Cheol Myeong-ho vanished, Hua Eun-wol swallowed hard and asked Dan Woo-seong.

“How could you teach him something like that?”

How could you pull off such a scam?

That was the tone.

Because she had often heard him call him “Master.”

Dan Woosung replied.

Cheolmyeong-ho is a stubborn bastard. He’s the sort of man who’d only ask me to teach him the next move after swinging a million times, so right now he doesn’t need to learn any great sword techniques or cultivate inner strength. Whether a man who ran a gambling den can manage a million swings with a heavy iron-tipped umbrella—that’s what it all comes down to.

“

Hwa Eun-wol stared intently at Dan Woo-seong.

Danwooseong revealed Kwonwang’s thoughts.

“I believe a man grows strong simply because of his single-minded determination to become strong. Descendant of an assassin, owner of a gambling den, son of a merchant guild. Let’s not dwell on such things anymore. Just like the brewery owner’s son did…”

The two looked at each other and grinned simultaneously.

ⓒ Yoo Jin-seong