Chapter 124: Beyond the Door You Opened for Me
Chapter 124: Beyond the Door You Opened for Me
Gwi Ryeongja was busy tidying his study.
He pulled out every single book to dust them off, then spent an exhausting amount of mental energy agonizing over their arrangement—obsessing over a layout no one else would ever notice.
Once the books were organized, he placed sprigs of Thousand-Mile Fragrance around the room. He had just set the water to boil for tea when Im Hyang arrived.
“Young Master Seo.”
“Miss Im. Please, come in. Forgive the mess; I haven't had a chance to tidy up.”
The room was practically glowing from his frantic cleaning, but Im Hyang simply smiled and played along.
“You have so many books.”
“I used to have more, but I’ve cleared many out.”
“Even what’s left is impressive. I didn’t realize you were such a scholar.”
Gwi Ryeongja beamed, his mood soaring.
“This one here was written by the author’s own hand. I received it from him personally in this very room. And this one... I traveled all the way to Tibet to find it. If you’re interested in learning about ghosts, you should read this. Would you like to borrow it?”
“Oh, I... yes, thank you.”
Gwi Ryeongja pulled the book out and handed it to her.
“You’ll find it fascinating. Oh, and if you enjoy that one, you must read this one as well.”
“That’s quite alright for now.”
“And this book here is...”
Gwi Ryeongja continued to explain his collection with fervent passion. Im Hyang didn't have the heart to stop him, seeing how excited he was, so she simply listened. However, when the explanations began to drag on, she finally spoke up.
“Shall we have some tea?”
“Ah, yes! I’ll brew it for you immediately.”
Gwi Ryeongja was as full of heat as the boiling water.
He could never forget the day he first saw her.
He had been attending a banquet for the Rising Stars of the martial world, and as usual, he was drifting on the periphery. While the others weren't exactly bullying him, he could feel their subtle disdain. Part of it was the prejudice against the Ghost Gate, but mostly, Gwi Ryeongja simply wasn't the type to mingle. He couldn't understand what everyone had so much to talk about or why they were so desperate to brag.
Feeling suffocated, he had stepped outside, and that was where he found Im Hyang. He was struck by how beautiful and elegant she was, and then, she spoke to him first.
“A bit dull, isn't it?”
Gwi Ryeongja was caught off guard. She was the first woman to speak to him all evening.
“The banquet, I mean. The musicians, the wine... even the company.”
To Gwi Ryeongja, it was unthinkable to speak so candidly to a stranger.
“I’m Im Hyang, of the Im Clan Sword House.”
“I am Seo Gong, of the Ghost Gate.”
“Oh!”
For a moment, Gwi Ryeongja regretted it. He shouldn't have revealed his sect so soon. He should have waited until they had talked a bit more.
But her reaction was unexpected. If anything, she seemed intrigued.
“I’ve heard a lot about the Ghost Gate.”
“What have you heard?”
“That it’s a very mysterious sect.”
He wanted to talk more, but someone called out to her from inside.
“They’re calling for me. I’ll see you later, then.”
Im Hyang headed back inside first.
After a short while, Gwi Ryeongja followed. From a distance, he saw her surrounded by several martial artists, all engaged in conversation. She was popular.
Then, Im Hyang spotted him and waved. The eyes of everyone around her turned toward him, but she didn't seem to care, offering him a bright, welcoming smile.
Even after returning home that night, he couldn't stop thinking about her. For a long time afterward, he attended every banquet he could find, hoping for another glimpse.
Back in the present, Gwi Ryeongja smiled as he carefully served the tea.
“If there are any other books you’d like to see, please, feel free to borrow whatever you like.”
*
Lee An, who had been staring at the night sky from the window, spoke to me.
“Young Master? Do you know what the most common wish is when people see a shooting star?”
“What is it?”
“‘Ah! Oh! Dammit!’ Apparently, that’s it.”
I chuckled at her joke.
“My eyes and mouth are quick. I won't miss it.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Just watch.”
The two of us stared up at the night sky, poised to make a wish the moment a star fell. Then, Lee An spoke up abruptly, her voice softening.
“That was the first time I’d ever brought up my parents.”
She was referring to her conversation with Im Hyang at the inn.
“I’d wanted to tell you at least once, Young Master, and it felt like the right time.”
“I thought as much.”
“Well then, I’m waiting for my consolation.”
“Consolation? To be honest, I don’t know much about the bond between parents and children myself. You know how it is. My mother passed away when I was young, and my father is the most stoic man on earth. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to say to comfort you.”
“Actually, I feel the same. Back when you were struggling because of the Cult Leader, I wanted to comfort you. But how could I when I didn't understand? If anything, everything I should have learned from parents, I learned from you.”
“We grew up together, both of us snot-nosed kids. What could you have possibly learned from me?”
“You were the one who wiped my nose, though. I learned so much from you, and I relied on you even more.”
I started to say something to comfort her, but then stopped. We just stood there together, looking up at the stars.
“By the way, how is the operation going?”
“I’m still thinking about it.”
“We need some kind of spark!”
“What kind of spark?”
“How about we kidnap Miss Im and let Young Master Seo rescue her?”
“Try a clumsy stunt like that and someone will actually get hurt.”
“But there needs to be something thrilling between a man and a woman!”
“Lee An, think back to the most thrilling moment of your life. Did it involve a kidnapping or a rescue?”
“...No.”
“It’s the same for everyone else.”
The thrills in my life came from the mundane. Mostly, they came from things people said to me.
Things my father said, things Lee An said, things Seo Dae-ryong, Jang Ho, and the Demon Lords said. Things the Pungcheon Cult Leader or Go Wol said... and things I said myself.
Those countless words had piled up, one by one, changing my life. I, as a person, do not change easily, but my life was changing.
“That’s why I keep trying to talk to him. To tell him things.”
At that moment, a streak of light cut across the night sky.
Ah! Please—! Argh, dammit!
*
A few days later, I rented a scenic manor and invited Gwi Ryeongja and Seo Jin. It was a gesture of thanks for their invitation to the previous banquet.
Gwi Ryeongja’s opinion of me had already improved, and Seo Jin had taken a liking to Lee An, so they both readily accepted.
Though it was a modest gathering with just the four of us and a skilled cook’s delicious food, Gwi Ryeongja seemed to prefer this intimate atmosphere.
While Lee An and Seo Jin chatted, I spoke with Gwi Ryeongja.
“Thank you for the invitation.”
“It was my pleasure.”
After some small talk, I casually brought up the topic of marriage.
“Is the wedding preparation going well?”
“It is, thanks to your concern.”
“Sometimes, I find myself envying married couples.”
“What is there to envy?”
“They know each other so well, don't they? They can tell what the other is thinking just by a look. They know how the other will react in any given situation. I think it would be wonderful to have at least one person like that in your life.”
I needed to bring Gwi Ryeongja back down to earth. Right now, he was floating among the clouds. I needed him to plant his feet on the ground and look at the woman in front of him with a clear head.
“When you look at Miss Im, do you have a sense of what she’s thinking?”
Gwi Ryeongja seemed to ponder for a moment before shaking his head.
“To be honest, I’m still not sure.”
I said nothing, allowing him a moment to reflect on that. I wasn't in a hurry.
I dropped the subject of marriage there and moved on to Ghost Arts, further gaining his favor. Having mastered the Space-Time Displacement Technique, I had a deep understanding of his specialty, and our conversation flowed easily. Combined with my Flattery Divine Art, Gwi Ryeongja became completely engrossed in our talk.
In the days that followed, I made every effort to meet with him.
Gwi Ryeongja was busy, but we didn't need much time. A quick cup of tea was enough.
Some days, I would even wait for him in his guest hall, circulating my Heavenly Demon Body Protection Art while I passed the time.
Whenever we met, our conversations would eventually drift back to marriage or women.
Because I visited so often, Gwi Ryeongja was initially suspicious—‘What does this guy want? We only had one meal together, why is he acting like this?’—but as time passed, he grew to enjoy our talks. After all, he had never had a single friend in his life.
Though I had started this with an ulterior motive, I began to genuinely enjoy his company. The Flattery Divine Art became less and less necessary.
“My junior sister tells me that you shouldn't be too nice to a woman.”
“Why is that?”
“If you’re kind ten times and fail just once, people tend to feel disappointed. That’s just human nature.”
“Then can’t I just be kind all ten times?”
“Won't a person’s heart change as the years go by?”
“Mine won't.”
“You’re only human, Young Master Seo. You will change.”
“I am different! I will never change!”
When he got stubborn like that, I wanted to grab him by the collar and scream.
You did change! You changed so much! Ugh, forget it. Just let it go.
“Don't be too nice. Out in the world, it’s the ‘bad boys’ who are popular.”
“Ah! I’ve noticed that too. At banquets, I’d often wonder why women liked such scoundrels.”
“Exactly. So don't be too perfect. If you’re a bit difficult and then show kindness, it’s much more moving, isn't it? No one can be perfect all the time anyway.”
“There is some truth to that.”
In his old age, Gwi Ryeongja had longed so desperately to talk with me. Back then, I would only stay for a single drink before leaving to gather materials again.
Let’s say everything we couldn't say back then.
Time continued to pass, and I visited him constantly, like a mouse frequenting a grain jar.
“So, the date to collect a vital ingredient for your Ghost Art training overlaps with Miss Im’s birthday?”
“That’s right. Which should I choose?”
“Obviously, you should celebrate Miss Im’s birthday.”
“Even though it’s a rare ingredient? If I miss it now, I’ll have to wait three years.”
“Even so, there’s no comparison.”
Gwi Ryeongja, when a similar situation arises someday, remember what you said today! There is a world of difference between a thought never voiced and a promise once spoken.
I gave it my all.
I played dumb, I persuaded him, I egged him on. I gave him courage, planted suggestions, and provided information.
This was the man who had betrayed me after I spent a lifetime gathering the materials for the Great Ritual, intending to take the journey to the past for himself. Yet, I was grateful that his betrayal had brought me here, and I worked for him until the very end.
Finally, on the day before the wedding, I met him one last time.
“I never imagined I’d still be seeing you today.”
Gwi Ryeongja opened with those words, finally revealing his true thoughts.
“To be honest, I still don't understand. Why have you been so good to me?”
It was a question he had been holding back, and a sign of how close we had become.
“Didn't you say you liked Miss Im from the moment you saw her? It was the same for me. Looking at you, Young Master Seo, I felt like you were a brother, a friend. I had no other motive. The reason I saw you so often was because I plan to leave after the wedding tomorrow, and I didn't know when I’d see you again.”
Gwi Ryeongja still looked skeptical.
I raised my hand toward the heavens.
“I swear to the heavens. If my words are false, may I be dragged away by the Heavenly Demon himself!”
Gwi Ryeongja waved his hands frantically.
“Stop! There’s no need for such a gruesome oath! I believe you. If you’re willing to swear that, I have to believe you.”
He reached out his hand.
“Thank you.”
“Congratulations on your marriage.”
We shook hands. Come to think of it, across both my lives, this was the first time I had ever held his hand.
The next day, the wedding took place.
Lee An was thrilled, saying it was her first time seeing a wedding. As expected of a prestigious family, it was a grand and spectacular affair. Lee An watched every detail meticulously, even asking the officiants questions when there was something she didn't understand.
Of course, she made sure not to outshine the bride, wearing a bamboo hat with a veil and clothes that didn't emphasize her figure.
As the ceremony drew to a close, I spoke to Lee An.
“It’s time for us to return to the Cult.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Did you enjoy this trip?”
“I’ll never forget it as long as I live.”
She had been recording everything in her journals, so I already knew how much she loved it.
Lee An and Seo Jin shared a poignant farewell. The two seemed to have become quite close. While I was with Gwi Ryeongja, Lee An had spent most of her time with Seo Jin. I had essentially left Seo Jin’s fate in Lee An’s hands.
From a distance, my eyes met Gwi Ryeongja’s as he greeted the guests. I waved to him. He smiled and waved back.
I don't know if this is the end of our connection or if we will meet again. I don't know what kind of life he will lead.
I only hope that the conversations we shared will bring change to his life, and that those changes will accumulate to create a different outcome.
I do not know what lies beyond the door you opened today. Whether it is only the regret everyone speaks of, or a partner who understands you with a single glance. I only ask one thing of you. No matter what hardships come, do not give up. Just as you waited for me your entire life, do not give up on your own life until the very end. Because beyond the door you opened for me, I am moving forward without giving up. I hope you do the same. Gwi Ryeongja, please, be happy.
I walked out of the Ghost Gate with Lee An.
“Now then, let’s go home, Lee An!”