A Proposal in the Dust
The gazes of the two collided with the crackle of lightning.
We stared at each other in prolonged silence.
“I thought your temperament was calm, but it seems that when it surpasses a certain threshold, it burns like wildfire.”
—Tap.
Cheongunryong brushed the hand that had been reaching for his sword, then placed it loudly on his own knee.
It was clearly a pointless, oversized gesture.
It indirectly signaled that he had no intention of fighting.
“I am aware that my action was wrong, but I will not blame you for it.”
My insides felt as though they were rotting black.
I had tried to suppress it, but the mocking tone slipped out before I could stop it.
“Why? You said you couldn’t keep an eye on me as one of the Oho-samhwa. You slaughtered the Ju Family’s guards and violated the regulations.”
“Because I also have sins for just standing by while those villains committed their crimes. Rest assured that among the people you killed while storming in here—”
Cheongunryong’s face, with its hardened gaze, was nothing but a picture of torment.
“There isn’t a single person among them who hasn’t raped women, plundered civilians’ wealth, or sold families into slavery. They acted more ruthlessly than common bandits and bandits’ allies, and there is no one who did less. At least among the family head’s children, only one is still considered somewhat normal in that rotten household, but even that drop of pure water in the water of rot holds no meaning.”
“…”
“I had no choice but to watch it all unfold. In that sense, I may have already lost the qualifications to be called one of the Oho-samhwa or a righteous cultivator.”
He handed me the document I had just given him.
I received it.
“I know better than anyone how much this contract has been deceived. Even though I left the secular world to dig through swords and live alone, I also know how absurd and unbelievable it is that the interest rate of sixteen percent every six months is this fraudulent.”
Cheongunryong’s cheeks were sunken.
The ice-cold expression on the young man’s face was completely hidden beneath his handsome features, buried instead under a profound exhaustion.
“But this is atonement for me. Above all else, when the five families were starving to death and I had to stand by helplessly, if the Ju Family’s timely aid hadn’t come, all five of them would have starved to death—that fact remains unchanged.”
The Ju Family’s crimes were indeed notorious throughout Luoyang.
Their primary income came from salt production and trade, yet they also profited immensely from usurious lending.
The problem was that they applied murderous interest rates and treated anyone unable to repay as nothing more than livestock.
Every detail was calculated to exploit loopholes in the law, so on paper there was no outright illegality.
With their immense wealth, they controlled high-level officials, leaving no one in Luoyang itself who could dare to correct their abuses.
“Honestly, the documents aside, I felt a surge of satisfaction. But that’s one thing, and this is another. I must accept the sin of abetting all these evils.”
Cheongunryong seemed deeply pained by his inability to look away from his own predicament.
Cheongunryong continued.
“I don’t know what you want from me or why you did this, but I have received great help because of you. However—”
I tried to speak.
But I couldn’t.
“Due to these circumstances, I must refuse. Please do not misunderstand me. Moreover, I have no intention of reporting you to them, so you need not worry.”
A thousand thoughts bubbled in my mind, but I could not put them into words.
I felt frustration and disappointment with my own hopelessly lacking eloquence.
I looked at him.
Our eyes were vastly different.
They were clear and pure.
There was not the slightest trace of impure intention or insincere words meant to gain an advantage in negotiation.
It was the first time I had seen someone look at a person and feel both exasperated and amazed at the same time.
I let out a short sigh.
“Damn, you won.”
I picked up the document.
—Crack!
Yellow and red flames erupted from my hand, instantly turning the document to ash.
“…What are you doing…?”
I spoke to Cheongunryong, who stood there in a daze.
“As you said, I’m not a philanthropist, and I had something I wanted from you. Instead of handing over the document, I planned to demand a small price for it. But judging by your temperament, nothing would register.”
Cheongunryong’s pupils trembled.
“Then why destroy the document…?”
“I saved five families from starving to death. That is the reward.”
“What?”
“Even when I was in that situation. At least… if only one person like you had been beside me…”
The rest of his words trailed off.
“I might not be doing this now.”
However, it seemed he had heard it, for Cheongunryong’s gaze softened.
“You too have lived through difficult times.”
“That past cannot be changed. And the way I am now is the real me. I have no intention of denying it.”
“…”
Cheongunryong stared at the pile of ash on the ground.
He lifted his head.
“What exactly did you want from me originally?”
“You have no intention of listening, yet you ask anyway?”
“Even if I can’t fully satisfy you, perhaps a small amount of help would be better than nothing. Sending you away like this doesn’t sit well with me either.”
Despite the proposal, I understood.
Only a day had passed since Cheongunryong had learned detailed accounts of the infiltration incident.
The Ju Family’s movements had become serious because of it.
Since I was leaving the area anyway, it didn’t matter much, but Cheongunryong showed no sign of departing anytime soon.
I considered that I could not ask him to brand me before I left Luoyang.
If trouble arose before I could flee the city, it would draw his attention.
The weight of a brand was considerable.
Worst case, he could be implicated as the mastermind behind everything.
Given his upright nature, instead of resenting me or defending himself, he would likely accept a clean execution.
“…I don’t want that.”
I was willing to do anything to survive, but I did not want to drag him into my hellish pit of misery.
I spoke.
“It’s nothing special.”
“Nothing special?”
“I also have an interest in martial arts. I’d like to hear about the whereabouts of one or two of the other Oho-samhwa, if possible.”
The tone carried the implication that the visit was for espionage.
Cheongunryong’s face turned blank.
“Is that all you wanted? Is that why you caused this great commotion?”
“Besides that, I wanted to help you because of your good deeds. The impatience earlier was actually because I was disappointed that you didn’t understand my intentions.”
It was difficult to hold back the deep sigh while speaking.
Damn it.
I wasn’t some great immortal.
Realizing that, I had suffered to the point of utter exhaustion simply to ask such an unbelievable condition as merely inquiring about the Oho-samhwa’s movements.
“…”
Cheongunryong’s gaze shifted violently.
“G-Great one!”
His hand grabbed mine tightly.
Honestly, I wanted to shake him off and slam my forehead against his, but I held back.
“I have lived with the vow to protect the weak and the world with my life, but I have lived a life where everyone mocks and points fingers at me! I believed this was justice and lived resolutely, but it is also true that recently I have felt great difficulty and despair!”
“…”
“Yet I have met someone who truly understands my sincerity! And that too, at the cost of his own life! In this world that is already beyond belief, where could there be a more transparent path of a hero who openly declares his true heart?”
It was not entirely wrong.
When viewed only by results, everything appeared exactly as described.
I was the only one whose true heart burned black inside and could not be spoken.
Cheongunryong gripped my hand firmly and declared.
“I, Cheongunryong, direct disciple of the Kunlun Sect and one of the Oho-samhwa, offer you this proposal!”
He held my hand even more tightly and exclaimed.
“Although I am lacking, if you permit it, may we become sworn brothers?”
“Sworn brothers?”
I let out a stunned voice.
“No, as you can see, I have an uncertain background, and I’m wearing a mask that hides my face—”
“What does that have to do with it!”
Cheongunryong forcefully grabbed my hand as I tried to slip away and shouted.
“In this world, how many arrogant people with respectable backgrounds cheat others with flashy words, hiding both their outside and inside? Someone who offers their body to reveal their true self and acts accordingly—whether they wear a mask or have an unclear background, what does that matter? Whether there are monstrous scars beneath that mask or even if he’s the son of a commoner, this Cheongunryong will not care in the slightest!”
It was no empty words.
In the martial world, especially among the orthodox factions, those who had once been assassins were treated with contempt and neglect by the warriors.
Strictly speaking, they were viewed as lowborn underlings who struck others from behind, a thoroughly dishonorable lot.
When I revealed my name and background, claiming to be from the Blood Death Sect, Cheongunryong did not care in the least.
Instead, he pounded his chest and looked delighted, saying he would hear many stories from another world.
“…”
At first, I had been hesitant, but the feeling of the heart’s barriers slowly cracking open with each response wasn’t entirely unpleasant.
“If you ever need my power, please send a letter to the Kunlun Sect!”
He gave me the only remaining contact among the Oho-samhwa and the detailed account of his last known movements.
As we prepared to part ways after leaving the inn, he earnestly warned me one final time.
“If you ever need my help, no matter what, I will come running!”
“Thank… thank you.”
“No need to be formal! Just like before!”
Before had meant the time when I had been enraged and shattered the table while using casual speech.
For any other person, that sparkling gaze would have been called over-the-top, but here it clearly showed the pure, sincere meaning without any ulterior motive.
“Yeah, got it. Cheongunryong.”
“Trust me! Biyu!”
He even invited me for one last drink before I left.
His demeanor contrasted sharply with the earlier scene where I had met him and he hadn’t even touched the drunkard tea I had offered.
Since the road ahead was long, I agreed to drink with him later.
Strictly speaking, there was no way my mood would improve alongside his radiant face.
There was also no reason to stay and invite danger.
The next clue Cheongunryong provided pointed to a completely different neighborhood, far removed from here.
Mumyeong said.
[Reasonable judgment. It is better to leave immediately.]
I had already passed on the documents to Yun Hyeon, who had them verified and returned genuine copies.
In exchange, he deducted a portion of the fee and a risk premium, paying me thirty percent of the value Cheongunryong had assessed for the documents.
‘Even from a monetary perspective, this judgment of supporting the young master seems correct.’
In fact, Yun Hyeon subtly smiled while sorting the remaining documents.
Although he thought seventy percent was excessive, I had no other choice, and above all.
—Clink.
The vast amount of silver in my pouch was an amount I had never experienced before.
With that sum, there would be no shortage of pocket money for the rest of this journey.
—Pad, pad.
I walked away from the street with quick steps.
We exited the city outskirts.
Even in that moment, I felt the street atmosphere shift.
I had said I would leave no traces, but I wasn’t an expert in such matters.
I might have left unintended ones.
For example.
“You’re late.”
A sleeve from an open jacket fluttered.
Long legs stretched out and blocked my path.
The sound of silks brushing against skin rang out.
There was no one who would address me.
I looked up.
“…!”
It was impossible.
I struggled to keep my expression neutral.
The person blocking my way was a woman bound by fate—Zhu Huolian.