I returned after completing the 177th mission.
When he woke up, Seo Dae-ryong was making a bonfire next to the parked carriage.
“Are you awake?”
“How long did I sleep?”
“You got enough sleep. “No, how can an unmanned person sleep so well that no one notices even if someone carries him?”
“Everyone was on alert even while sleeping.”
“Snoring like that?”
I really slept soundly without waking up even once.
Of course, Seo Dae-ryong wouldn’t know. When I feel real danger, the Heavenly Demon Defense God wakes me up.
“Are you hungry? “Take some of this.”
Seo Dae-ryong brought out the food he had bought in the guesthouse before departure. To be precise, these are the dishes I enjoy eating.
“After this meal, we will have to hunt and eat.”
It felt really good to eat my favorite foods after a big fight. It may not be a big deal, but people are bound to be moved by small things like this. Thank you, Daeryong.
After eating my fill and drinking refreshing water, these words came out of my head.
“Ah, I think I’ll live now.”
As I sat warming up around the campfire, Seo Dae-ryong handed me Geumchang herbal medicine.
“Then you need to get treatment now.”
I took off my blood-soaked clothes and robe. Then, he unwrapped the Geukpum Cheonjamsa and wrapped it around the handle of the black magic sword again. Gradually, the Geukpumcheonjamsa Temple was soaked in blood and turning red. I was thinking about washing it, but I just left it there. This is because the handle of the black magic sword wrapped in blood-stained cloth also had its own charm.
Geumchang medicine was applied to the wounds. Although he escaped fatal injuries, his body was a mess, with cuts and scratches here and there and black bruises all over.
“How can I have so many scars on my body when I’m still young? “If women see it, they’ll all run away.”
“Later, we will completely transform and completely destroy it.”
“I was going to say that something like that would come easily. “I don’t think you would know anything about it, Mr. Gakju.”
After applying all the medicine, I put on the new military uniform that Seo Dae-ryong had bought.
“It’s perfect. Like it.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Our first mission was a success.”
“Our last mission was a success.”
There is a point where I just feel good when I see someone. For example, when my father was sitting in the royal temple and looking down at me with a disapproving expression, or when the Blood Heavenly Blade smashed its large sword into the ground and leaned against it.
It’s time to make silly jokes like this with Seo Dae-ryong.
“I actually thought about going in ten times while waiting in the carriage.”
“If they had come in, I would have had a hard time rescuing hostages again.”
“Then you must have grown more. “Should I have gone in?”
Then Seo Dae-ryong laughed. I laughed too.
After making a joke, Seo Dae-ryong spoke about what he felt during this mission.
“I keep dreaming about rain. I can also hear the shouts I heard on the off-stage. I miss that moment. Looking at that, I think I want to become a warrior who gets people’s attention rather than a hidden expert.”
“You have to go that route anyway.”
“yes?”
“Because I will become a mazon.”
Now that Hyeolcheondoma has passed down his martial arts, the path of his successor has been decided.
Then Seo Dae-ryong’s expression became serious.
“Mr. Footnote. Can I become Mazon? “Can you really handle the position of Amazon?”
“Does your master look like someone who would easily give up his position?”
“No.”
“But what are you worried about? “If you don’t trust yourself, trust your master’s judgment.”
“Still… I don’t believe it. “I’m a mazon.”
but. Because a mere Hwangcheongak investigator became a Majon. It must be strange how easily you realize it.
“I will try my best to die.”
I spoke calmly to the burning Seo Dae-ryong.
“Of course you have to make an effort, but keep this in mind. They say that if you go uphill, you can only see the top, but if you walk downhill, you can see the world. “Sometimes you look back and go up.”
Seo Dae-ryong looked at me and smiled strangely.
“He’s ten years younger than me, and he says things like that easily.”
As I lay down next to the campfire, Seo Dae-ryong also lay down on the other side.
It felt so good to lie down next to the bonfire and look at the stars in the night sky.
“I guess I’ll have to go on a trip like this later.”
“Please take me with you too.”
“You should go out there to get applause and attention.”
“You can get all the attention and then come and go.”
“hate. “Ian will take you with him.”
Seo Dae-ryong pouted his mouth. You idiot, if it were that easy, would my father be trapped in the Cheonmajeon?
I slept well that night too. The tension and fatigue that had built up for a long time were dissipating.
* * *
The carriage trip was continued until my body recovered.
As soon as he recovered, he sold the carriage, carried Seo Dae-ryong on his back, and returned at a high speed.
Seo Dae-ryong, who at first thought I was going to die, eventually adapted perfectly and even joked about riding me on his back. It was a moment when I felt again the adaptability of humans.
I ran and ran like that until I arrived at the main school.
The first place I headed to was Cheonmajeon.
Far away, beyond the red carpet, my father was sitting in Taesa Temple. Today, I felt so thankful for my father, who has always been there for me.
The moment I made eye contact with my father, who was looking down at me bluntly, my heart sank. I was afraid I might seem too emotional, so I quickly bowed.
“I returned after defeating Lord Cheonmyeong and completing my mission.”
“Good job. “Stop standing up.”
As I stood up, General Commander Sima Ming, who was standing next to me, greeted me.
“Congratulations.”
“thank you.”
“I heard that dealing with Cheonmyeonghoe this time will not be easy.”
My father and Sima Ming knew about the past process and results because they sent emissaries from time to time to inform them of the news.
Of course, the Jeonseo could not contain such cruelty as it is now.
“Don’t even talk. I don’t know how many times I almost died. This was a very difficult test. No, it was an impossible mission!”
“I admit it. It’s my mistake. “I had no idea that the Cheonmyeonghoe organization had grown so big.”
Sima Ming readily admitted his mistake. The one who assigned the mission was Tongtian Pavilion led by Sima Ming.
My father, who was watching at that time, blurted out.
“You tried to kill our son.”
Sima Ming and I looked at our father in surprise. Of course, we were both surprised by my father making this joke in this situation, but I was surprised by something else.
my son
It was the first time I heard it from my father. I may have heard it when I was very young, but this was the first time I remembered it.
I was supposed to take it as a joke, but I couldn’t think of anything.
Sima Ming smiled and said to me.
“How is it? “If this is enough, can you forgive me?”
He knows it too. It was the first time I heard the word ‘our son’. That’s why I’m thrilled.
“Please send it again. How about this time? Is it the Heavenly Council? “Is this the Heaven and Earth Association?”
Sima Ming laughed at my words.
I felt good. It was just one word, but it was a moment I would never forget.
Calming his trembling heart, he asked Sima Ming.
“What happened to your brother?”
“The Grand Duke has already completed his duties and returned safely.”
Just like before his return, my brother came back safely. The fate that has changed is mine. The secret organization called Cheonmyeonghoe disappeared from the martial arts world and I passed the test.
“Then you both passed the test.”
“That’s right.”
“My test was much harder, so shouldn’t you just accept that I won? Please make me your successor!”
I boldly demanded.
“This is a reasonable request, but wouldn’t it be unfair from the Archduke’s point of view? “We have to consider the case where the Archduke chose the difficult side.”
As you both probably guessed, my brother would never have been able to solve it. If I had intervened too deeply, I would have lost my life. In that respect, I’m glad I chose this one.
I couldn’t bear to say that.
“Then I feel so unfair, right?”
“So, I think the award should be given separately from the results of this test.”
It seems like there has already been talk with my father about doing this.
“Is there anything you would like?”
Without hesitation, I looked at my father in the royal palace and said,
“As a reward, why don’t you go hunting with me one more time?”
My father made an unexpected expression.
“Every time you receive a prize, you ask to go hunting with me.”
When I first returned and won the battle, the wish I asked for was hunting.
“I have to catch the tiger I couldn’t catch then.”
“good night. let’s go.”
My father readily accepted my offer.
“Departure is tomorrow morning.”
* * *
The first place I visited after leaving Cheonmajeon was Ian’s training ground.
I thought Ian would be sweating because he was practicing martial arts, but unexpectedly, he was reading a book.
Every time I see her, she is astoundingly beautiful, and the sight of her reading a book gives off another charm. It’s a look that every bachelor in the world will fall in love with.
That thought occurred to me again. I have to show Jin Ha-ryeong about Ian at least once.
I wondered what kind of martial arts book it was, so I used my visual acuity to look closely, and to my surprise, it was a collection of poetry and paintings.
He said as he entered the training hall.
“Are you planning to quit being a warrior and become a poet?”
Ian glanced up at my words, then looked back at his book and spoke.
“Are you here?”
He acted as if I had seen him only yesterday. No, even if I had seen it yesterday, I would have been more welcoming. I immediately sensed that she was playing a prank.
I pretended not to notice and sat down next to her.
“congratulations.”
“What celebration?”
“I heard there was something to eat noodles?”
Only then did I know. There was no doubt that Seo Dae-ryong, who had been quiet about us, came and told us everything about Jin Ha-ryeong.
“The person you are destined to fall in love with is the Murim Lord’s daughter, right?”
“It’s not love, it’s meeting, it’s not a daughter, it’s a granddaughter.”
“It must be very pretty to visit Hubuk.”
“I’m not prettier than you.”
“What about your personality? great?”
“That’s pretty good. “I didn’t grow up spoiled.”
“You are the perfect match. “I really congratulate you.”
“Are you done with jealousy?”
“It’s not jealousy, it’s celebration.”
“Then you have to look at me and do it.”
“no, I do not want.”
It was so cute to see Ian get jealous.
“I told her. “When I get back, someone much prettier than you is waiting for me.”
I saw a smile forming on Ian’s lips as he lowered his head.
“So what do you say?”
“They didn’t believe me. So I’m going to show it to you next time. I’m going.”
As I stood up and walked away, Ian jumped up.
“Where are you going! “You make people wait like this.”
Ian jumped up and ran towards me. She was hugged.
I felt her tears falling behind my shoulder. As I waited, I could see how worried I was.
“wait a minute.”
I stood holding her for a moment. When I felt her warmth, I felt at ease. I felt like all complicated thoughts disappeared. How lucky are you to have at least one person like this in your life?
After a while she got off me. Ian’s cheeks were turning red, perhaps because he thought he had been too bold in running up and hugging her. She quickly changed the topic.
“This collection of poetry was lent to me by Lord Hyeolcheon.”
“Elder? why?”
“I went looking for it. There’s a rumor that the Magons are on a mission for you. “I asked Thomas if you were okay, Master.”
I could imagine how much hesitation he must have had before visiting Hyeolcheon Doma in person.
“What if I say it’s not okay?”
“Then you must have gone to see the master. I would have definitely gone. I won’t be able to eat or sleep because I think that if I don’t go, you might die. “You have to go at least for me.”
“You sound like a worrier. “If I had come, I would have left it at the Murim Alliance.”
“Then he would have lived at a soup restaurant near Murimmaeng without any worries.”
“If you run a soup restaurant, you won’t miss a single day.”
She laughed. Her bright personality remains the same whether she gained weight or not now. Her greatest charm and strength was that she was not shaken by any external factors or changes.
“At that time, the old man from Hyeolcheon Doma lent me a book so that I could go and read it without worrying about unnecessary things. The book I borrowed at that time was about human life and death. No, I’m telling you not to worry about lending me a book about life and death! Anyway, since then, I have been borrowing and reading one book at a time. But there’s something strange, right? “I think I’m getting better at martial arts training after reading the book.”
“It’s because your martial arts skills have finally become connected to your life.”
“My life and martial arts are connected?”
“At first, martial arts skills are achieved through talent and effort. Then, when one reaches a certain point, martial arts becomes a reflection of that person’s life. “Usually, there are cases where martial arts gets blocked by a wall and you can’t get over it, right?”
“Most of them are like that.”
“The reason is because you can’t change your life. “Only when people change will their views on martial arts change, but as people remain the same, they cannot overcome the wall that blocks them.”
“ah!”
Ian seems to have gotten some answers. It was a moment when my curiosity was answered: why reading poetry and books about life and death felt helpful in martial arts.
“We’ll talk about it later. For now, I have to go meet the master of life and death.”
I was about to turn around when Ian spoke bravely.
“I’m so glad you came back safely, Master.”
“It’s good to see you.”
So I left Ian’s residence and this time headed to Namdojong, where Hyeolcheondoma’s residence is located.