We all sat around the large table in the inner hall of the detached house. Thanks to a special request to the innkeeper, the evening meal was lavish. From light steamed dishes to rich meats and stews, everyone filled their bellies to their liking in a warm and friendly atmosphere.
After the meal, Sister Soso took Ju-gyeong and went back to her room. I stayed behind with the others, drinking tea and talking.
"What exactly happened with the Western Shadow Sword Sect?"
Starting with Tang Hye-seo, everyone asked about the news of the Western Shadow Sword Sect's closure. No matter how far they had fallen, for them to take down their signboard in less than a month was certainly something to be curious about. Since I had seen it with my own eyes, I knew more about the incident than anyone.
I was about to explain everything from the beginning, step by step, but I paused. The unfamiliar Zhongnan Sect martial artists listening with sparkling eyes bothered me. I felt that if I spoke carelessly, it might become a headache later.
To avoid future problems, I explained it as simply and vaguely as possible. I omitted all the details that might provoke the Mount Hua Sect, such as the fact that the sect leader had purchased spiritual wine from demonic sect warriors, and the secret of the young master’s birth. When I finished, Tang Hye-seo remarked with admiration.
"The Plum Blossom Swordsman's handling of the matter is more just than I thought, isn't it?"
Glancing at Gwang-hyo, Dong Hae-il opened his mouth as if to rebut.
"He has no choice. All of the Mount Hua Sect’s lay disciple sects are on edge, watching to see how the dispute between the two sects will be settled."
"If he were to carelessly take one side or wipe a sect out, the other lay disciple sects would no longer follow him with true sincerity."
"To maintain their loyalty and uphold the prestige of the Mount Hua Sect, he has no choice but to display fairness on the surface, regardless of his true intentions."
"I suppose that's true."
Tang Hye-seo nodded as if she understood, expressing her agreement. Only then did the anxious look on Dong Hae-il's face fade a little. Mok Un-jeong glanced strangely at his senior brother, who was so intent on checking the Mount Hua Sect, and shook his head.
"For a sword school with such a deep history to disappear so meaninglessly, the martial world is truly merciless."
After a little more conversation, Gwang-hyo rose from his seat.
"We must depart tomorrow morning, so let us call it a night and get some rest."
"Very well. We will see you tomorrow."
Dong Hae-il hesitated for a moment as if in regret, then cupped his fists with Mok Un-jeong and departed. Once the two had completely disappeared, Gwang-hyo gestured for me and Tang Hye-seo to follow him to his quarters. As soon as he closed the door and sat down, Gwang-hyo asked abruptly.
"You said the assassin was Hong Yeong-chi?"
"That is correct. The assassin who murdered the former sect leader of the Western Shadow Sword Sect. Before that, the former sect leader had ruined Hong Yeong-chi’s family..."
Gwang-hyo raised his hand to cut me off. A tedious tale of revenge, washing blood with blood, was not what he wanted to hear.
"The Plum Blossom Swordsman took the young master?"
"Just as you heard. Not right away, he was given a grace period of two years."
"How was the young master’s martial ability?"
"It was considerable. Even though he attacked with the sect leader, he still managed to kill Hong Yeong-chi, who was several levels above him."
"Did he use inner energy?"
I told him that the sect leader had purchased spiritual wine from demonic sect warriors and trained his inner energy. Gwang-hyo’s expression visibly darkened. What would become of Baek Seok-hun, now under the Plum Blossom Swordsman?
He would receive guidance from an absolute master who had reached a high realm, so he would probably improve by leaps and bounds. He might even become a master who makes a name for himself under the shadow of Mount Hua. Gwang-hyo’s vision of Baek Seok-hun’s future was a bit more realistic.
"Baek Seok-hun will likely fill the void left by the deceased Hong Yeong-chi."
It was like having cold water splashed on my face; my mind snapped to attention. I had thought it unlikely, but considering it, that was the most probable outcome.
I just didn't want to believe that a handsome man like Baek Seok-hun would become an assassin for the Murim Alliance, so I had tried to ignore it, but I wasn't unaware of the possibility.
If the Plum Blossom Swordsman was, as Gwang-hyo said, an assassin for Mount Hua, then the things Baek Seok-hun would have to learn and do were obvious.
Hong Yeong-chi, who had entered the Mount Hua Sect as a true disciple, had also become an assassin for the Murim Alliance, driven by the sole desire for revenge after his family was ruined. How different would the future be for Baek Seok-hun, who had no family and no backing?
Trying to shake off the bitter feeling, I drank my tea and changed the subject.
"How far will the Zhongnan Sect martial artists be accompanying us?"
"We will go to the Western Village together to meet my aunt."
"You're not going to the Murim Alliance?"
"The sect leaders and elders should be the ones to go to the Murim Alliance. Even if the junior disciples go, they won't even get a seat at the table."
"Is it true that only the Nine Great Sects gather at the Murim Alliance?"
Tang Hye-seo narrowed her eyes, her face hardening.
"After gathering their consensus at the meeting of the Nine Sects, they will summon the Five Great Families and other sects."
"Hmmmm."
I frowned and let out a low groan without realizing it. The Five Great Families were also great clans that dominated their respective regions. No matter how much the Nine Great Sects were the backbone of the Murim Alliance, this seemed a bit too much.
That such high-handed measures worked meant that the power and influence of the Nine Great Sects overwhelmed the Five Great Families. The difference in power was so stark that even if they were boiling with rage, they couldn't openly protest and had no choice but to follow for the time being.
Perhaps because Tang Hye-seo was also a member of the Tang Clan, one of the Five Great Families, her expression was not good.
"Did things go well on your trip to the Zhongnan Sect?"
"The Zhongnan Sect and the Tang Clan have agreed to cooperate closely. Before the Murim Alliance meeting, they decided to dispatch an elder to Sichuan to discuss important matters with the Qingcheng and Emei Sects."
"The Zhongnan Sect seems quite proactive?"
"They have no choice. With a fire at their feet, the Mount Hua Sect's schemes are more vicious than expected. At this meeting..."
Listening to the ensuing explanation left me dumbfounded.
"So you're saying the Mount Hua Sect petitioned the Shaolin and Wudang Sects? To pressure the Zhongnan and Kongtong Sects into leading the vanguard for the Heavenly Mountains subjugation?"
"In summary, yes."
I had never been to the Heavenly Mountains, but I had heard the terrain was so rugged that even birds had to rest. The demonic sect warriors holed up there were no ordinary fiends either. To be at the forefront of a subjugation force marching into such a death trap was akin to being pushed to one's death.
From what I knew, in situations like this, it was common to push the small and medium-sized sects to the front to act as sword fodder. The great clans would make a show of it by sending one or two of their famous masters.
"They would go that far against fellow members of the Nine Great Sects?"
As Tang Hye-seo hesitated, unsure what to say, Gwang-hyo answered instead.
"They intend to use this opportunity to decisively weaken the Zhongnan and Kongtong Sects. The Mount Hua Sect and the Zhongnan Sect are located in the same Shaanxi Province, and not very far from each other at that. A rival next door is always far more troublesome than a distant enemy."
"Isn't the Mount Hua Sect's influence a bit stronger?"
"Zhongnan may be behind in influence, but they are ahead in the legitimacy of their Daoist lineage. No matter how much they live by the sword, their roots are in a Daoist sect, so they can't help but be concerned."
Just as it is wherever people live, the righteous martial world was a den of vipers where they all fought like beasts.
"Is it the same in Sichuan?"
In Sichuan, the Qingcheng Sect, the Emei Sect, and the Sichuan Tang Clan, all great clans, coexisted more or less peacefully. Of course, things might be different beneath the surface. Tang Hye-seo glanced at Gwang-hyo and silently shrugged her shoulders.
"Is the Mount Hua Sect on bad terms with the Kongtong Sect as well?"
Gwang-hyo looked as if he had much to say, but he sighed and gave a short reply.
"The Kongtong Sect and the Mount Hua Sect are old rivals. They have even shed blood."
Recalling the Kongtong Sect's hall master, Heo Geuk, with whom I had just fought, it seemed plausible. He was a martial artist so violent that one could believe he was from the dark paths or the Demonic Sect; he would naturally make enemies wherever he went, as easily as breathing. I suddenly remembered what I had heard from Bok Ha-gyu.
He said that Jeok Chu-yeong being struck by a Kongtong Sect absolute master's Hidden Force was due to internal strife within the Murim Alliance. Looking back now, it seemed the Kongtong Sect, having realized the Black Night Gang was backed by the Mount Hua Sect, had made a move to cut off their source of funds.
It was a case of a foal grazing on the grass getting killed in a fight between angry elephants. After talking for about an hour, Tang Hye-seo and I went outside. My lodging was a small, separate house tucked away in a corner of the detached houses.
As our conversation had lengthened, the moon was already shining brightly high in the night sky. I lit the charcoal in the brazier and opened the window wide to let the soft moonlight stream in. I placed a chair by the window, and Tang Hye-seo sat down, pressing her body close to mine.
Tang Hye-seo looked at me intently with her large, beautiful eyes and asked.
"Did you miss me?"
"I missed you."
The embarrassingly sweet reply came out so naturally that I felt awkward and avoided her gaze.
"I knew you would."
Tang Hye-seo smiled with satisfaction and studied my face closely.
"Your expression seems much more relieved than before I saw you. You look much better than you used to."
"How was I before?"
As if recalling our first meeting, Tang Hye-seo turned her eyes away to look at the moon outside the window. Her eyes, bathed in moonlight, looked distant, as if in a dream.
"How should I put it... sulky? Like a pouting child with his lips firmly pressed together."
"Even when you were brutally swinging your blade and covered in blood, your expression made me want to ask why you were so upset rather than feel scared..."
It was a completely unexpected and absurd answer. I was about to ask what she meant when a thought flashed through my mind, and I froze for a moment.
Something clicked.
My first murder, which Tang Hye-seo didn't know about. In a back alley, I had hacked to death the bastard fake relative who had sold me to a gambling den and then continued to extort money from me and beat me. At that time, clutching a blood-stained kitchen knife and panting like a wildcat, I was only eleven years old.
Looking back, it seems I had lived like that ever since. I had come this far by gritting my teeth, swinging and stabbing my blade to survive. While living as a wandering swordsman, my body grew into an adult's, but my heart remained that of an eleven-year-old boy in an unchanging hometown.
It was only after coming to Red Wave Village and reuniting with Sister Soso that I was able to let go of the childhood hometown in my heart. I had finally let go of the kitchen knife I had held since I was eleven.
Of course, I would continue to live holding a blade, but now, I could hold other things as well. When I took her hand, Tang Hye-seo rested her head on my shoulder. The gentle weight and the scent mixed with her fragrance felt so comfortable, as if they had long been a part of my own body.
My chest swelled with a sense of fulfillment, as if everything had finally found its rightful place. The moon is bright, but it will set when the night ends, and the fierce charcoal fire, once it has burned out, will become formless ash. I remembered what my aunt had said.
It was fine to play with fire with Tang Hye-seo, but I had to be careful not to bring trouble or harm to the Tang Clan. If my careless behavior was repeated, it would be no use blaming her. Looking back now, when she said those words, a deep regret was etched on my aunt's face.
It must have been from her own experience. She had said other things too. The life of a female wanderer who wants to break free from the shackles of responsibility and custom placed upon the women of a clan and soar freely.
Female wanderers are also martial artists who walk on a knife's edge, never knowing what might happen. So, to leave no regrets, they are honest with their emotions, bolder than men, and sometimes willingly throw themselves into deadly situations. Female wanderers were rare in the world, and the kind of magnanimous ones my aunt spoke of were even rarer.
It seemed Tang Hye-seo also aspired to become such a wanderer. I didn't know what would become of Tang Hye-seo and me in the future, but I didn't want it to end as a game of playing with fire that leaves only ashes when it's all burned out. I wonder if Tang Hye-seo felt the same.
As I looked up, her long hair fell over her forehead, which was bathed in the moonlight. I gently brushed her hair back with my hand, and Tang Hye-seo suddenly brought her face close and kissed me. Warm breath, sweet like the scent of flowers, flowed between our joined lips.
My heart pounded fiercely. All my senses awakened as if in full bloom, a tingling sensation reaching my fingertips. I reached out, embraced her, and stroked her hair.
Her body trembled in my arms. Perhaps I was trembling in her arms too. Tang Hye-seo's long, slender fingers caressed my cheek before slipping under the collar of my clothes.
Once joined, our lips did not part for a moment. Our ragged breaths from the exchange of words and kisses were carried on trembling fingertips as we tenderly explored each other's bodies. As if, with our eyes closed, we were shaping each other's form in an unforgettable memory.
The night was long, and the moon was bright. The charcoal in the brazier burned for a long time, until dawn. * The next morning, I visited the graves of my uncle and aunt with Sister Soso and Ju-gyeong.
We also stopped by the grave of the head instructor, my sister's husband whom I had never met and Ju-gyeong's father. The Western Village was a long, long way from here. Once we left this time, it would probably be difficult to come back to Red Wave Village.
Knowing it was the last time, Sister Soso held Ju-gyeong's hand and lingered for a long time, savoring the memories and regrets of those who had gone before. With cold feet, we tapped the frozen ground and descended the mountain, boarding the carriage where the others were waiting.
There were more people than when we left the Western Village, but it was a large carriage, so there was plenty of room.
"Let's depart!"
Jeon-sang, bundled up in a thick fur coat and a fur hat, took the reins on the driver's seat and expertly drove the horses. The carriage retraced the path we had taken before, heading south along the main road.
Sister Soso and Ju-gyeong could not take their eyes off their beloved Red Wave Village, which was slowly growing distant beyond the open window. For my sister, it was a journey back to her hometown after having sorted out painful memories, but for Ju-gyeong, who was born in Red Wave Village, it was the day she left her hometown behind.
Ju-gyeong did not cry or show sadness. Instead, she was very excited and kept asking Sister Soso what was in the Western Village. It was my second homecoming since leaving the Western Village ten years ago.
The difference from last spring was that this time, I was not alone. I had found a precious person, and I now had someone to protect. Tang Hye-seo, sitting next to me, suddenly held out her hand.
She only smiled playfully, but I knew what she wanted without her having to say it. I took out some jerky from my pouch and handed it to her. Sitting side by side, we chewed on the jerky and talked about this and that in low voices.
The carriage drove diligently through the harsh midwinter, where death abounded. To my hometown... the Western Village. Once a village of simple farmers who lived looking only at the land, but now a place where martial artists live.