Somehow, You Lived
Eight weeks had passed.
“My eyes are throbbing like hell. Must be from taking the waterfall full in the face.”
The skin around your eyes is black and blue.
Just as Mumyeong said, both of my eyes had turned a deep purple, as if someone had driven a fist into each of them. My feet, hidden inside my shoes, and both palms were a lattice of open wounds.
“I should at least wear gloves.”
My hands had grown so rough that even the simple act of rubbing my eyelids left fresh scratches.
“So today’s finally the day.”
Separate from the promotion exam reserved only for those assigned to Chunmu Hall, every disciple from every hall had gathered in one place for the announcement of the Hoe groups that would bind them together for the next six years.
“The sashes…”
Everyone except those assigned to Chunmu Hall wore a sash embroidered in gold with the character of the hall they currently belonged to, and in one hand each of them held a wooden plaque carved with the character of their season—Spring, Summer, Autumn, or Winter.
The atmosphere among the other halls was lively and warm. Among those of us from Chunmu Hall, a subtle tension hung in the air.
Stay sharp, Host.
“Relax. I’ve been training hard for eight weeks, haven’t I?”
That is not what I mean.
Mumyeong continued in that same dry, even tone.
Even among these people, there may be someone who wants your life.
I looked around. I still had no idea which of them were scions of the Moyong Family. I studied the faces filling the training ground. Not all of them looked sharp or dangerous. Some had the fresh, good-natured faces of young masters from martial families; others were so beautiful that my mouth nearly fell open—peerless young men and women alike.
I had never once, in my entire previous life, experienced anything like this systematic gathering and education. It felt as though I had stepped into the world I had always envied from afar. To say my heart was not racing would have been a lie.
I look so shabby next to them.
The thought flickered through me for only a moment as I watched their splendor.
“Attention.”
Gang Buryong strode onto the platform, the hem of his cloak snapping behind him.
“I congratulate you fledglings on your formal entry into Cheonsubaekryeonsa. From this day forward you are official members of this place.”
His voice was as solid as ever, yet the words themselves were subtly gentler than the provocations he had thrown at us on the first day.
“I trust that each of you has already met the master of your assigned Hoe and achieved meaningful results through eight weeks of instruction. Before we begin Chunmu Hall’s promotion exam, I will now announce the Hoe rosters. Each Hoe consists of three members. Regardless of the hall or gate you came from, for as long as you remain in Cheonsubaekryeonsa you will share a single master and stand as peers. That bond may prove thicker than blood. Treat it as a chance for good fortune.”
A roar of cheers went up from every throat. The sound was loud enough to shake the entire compound of Cheonsubaekryeonsa.
“Ah.”
At the edge of that roaring field of vision I caught a familiar figure. Long silver hair drifted lightly around her hips. My own level was still far too low to gauge another’s skill by eye, yet the presence radiating from that small, slender frame was larger and more suffocating than anyone else present.
Her clothes were different from those of the disciples. Physician Haseo had told me she was not a disciple at all, but an executor of Cheonsubaekryeonsa. I still did not know exactly what that meant, but I understood at least that she was not receiving the same education as the rest of us.
She must have felt my gaze; she turned her head slightly. She was the one who had saved me at the temple gates when I collapsed with my belly slashed open. The words she had spoken that day came back to me.
—Guardian of the Mount Hua Sect, Eun Seollyeong, has decided thus.
She said she was of Mount Hua.
I remembered it as a prestigious sect that had, decades ago, been crippled by a mysterious disaster and now ranked only mid-to-low among the Nine Sects and One Gang.
But something still feels off.
I did not know precisely what a Guardian of Mount Hua was. Yet for someone holding a post like executor, her appearance could generously be called early twenties at best. The pieces did not fit.
…I’ll learn more about it someday.
When she had looked down at me as I lay dying, I had thought her eyes were like blades of silver, cold and honed. Silver irises—I had never seen them before. The light in them had been endlessly lofty.
Since she was nearby, I decided to speak.
“Um… excuse me.”
No reaction. She must not have heard.
I gathered my courage, deliberately made a sound with my feet, and raised a hand. She lifted her head. Our eyes met.
“It’s been a while…”
“Hm?”
She tilted her head, then turned her gaze away again.
She has forgotten you.
“…Shut up.”
She forgot.
“Be quiet. You’re pissing me off.”
I bit my lip and scratched the back of my head. As Physician Haseo had said, what had been a special day for me was probably just one of dozens of ordinary rescues for her.
Mumyeong added,
You never know. You might end up in the same Hoe and the bond will continue.
“Stop talking nonse—”
I cut myself off. You never did know. A man who had not even managed to join some minor sect had somehow entered Cheonsubaekryeonsa and was about to be placed in a Hoe with formidable martial artists. If fate stretched that far, I might find myself not only with Eun Seollyeong but with beauties of her caliber as well. The world worked in mysterious ways.
“Mwahaha! I’ve already seen each of you once, but gathering all my disciples in one place makes me feel even better!”
Pahwanggun’s voice boomed across the grounds.
“Lord Pahwanggun!”
I greeted him with open delight—or more precisely, with the thrill of finally meeting the first true companions I would have in the jianghu.
And then…
…
Standing in front of me was a wall of men. Including Pahwanggun and myself, every last one of us was male. A perfect set of four.
I can feel your fingertips trembling.
“Shut up.”
While I was still trying to settle the seething in my chest, someone spoke first.
“We’re already acquainted, aren’t we?”
I looked at the speaker. I generally tried to keep my manners. I preferred not to swear to a man’s face. Even if I cursed, I kept it inside; everyone did that, after all. But when I found myself face-to-face with this particular bastard instead of any beauty, the curses simply refused to stay bottled.
“You.”
“Whoa, we barely even winked at each other and it’s already like this? Damn, this is lonely as hell.”
Solid build, black half-curly hair, and those sly raccoon-like eyes. The same bastard who, during the entrance exam, had locked eyes with me out of nowhere, winked, and given me a thumbs-up. Looking at that unbearably slick face made a fury rise from somewhere deep and uncontrollable.
The road ahead will not be smooth.
Mumyeong’s dry assessment arrived just as the world started to swim. I turned my eyes to the remaining one.
…
A tall, pale, handsome young man with short black hair and a headband. Cold and intellectual features. The reason a few female disciples kept glancing this way as they passed was almost certainly his face. Judging by looks alone, I decided this one at least might be normal.
“I don’t care who any of you are. Just don’t hold me back. Get in my way and I will kill you.”
…
Maybe this place was simply where they dumped all the problem children.
My face was turning every color of the rainbow, yet Pahwanggun roared with undimmed energy.
“For as long as you’re under my teaching, whether you turn into gruel or rice you’ll still have to look at each other’s faces. So let’s do a simple introduction. Name, what you like, and your goal—that should be enough. First up, naturally…”
Pahwanggun’s gaze landed on me. We had spent every day of the last eight weeks grinding against each other. I could not ignore that look. Awkwardly, I introduced myself.
“My name is Moyong Bi. As you can see, I’m still lacking in every way. My wish is to eat meat until my stomach bursts, and my goal is to earn recognition and grow here at Cheonsubaekryeonsa.”
Pahwanggun filed his nails as he spoke.
“Also, this one is usually calm, but once his eyes go red he’s a mad dog with no brakes. All of you, be careful.”
“Lord Pahwanggun…”
“What? It’s true, isn’t it? You’ve got anger management issues.”
I had nothing to say to that.
“Moyong Bi—how high would you rate your own skill, roughly?”
The sudden question came from Pahwanggun. I hesitated, then answered.
“If I’m being honest… third-rate, I suppose.”
The tall man with the headband’s eyes went sharp as axe blades.
“Third-rate? Don’t hold me back. Hold me back and I will kill you. Pathetic.”
…
At this point I wanted to overturn the entire Hoe and be done with it.
“Hmm. So that’s how you see it. Fine. Next introduction?”
The tall, pale-skinned man who had just glared daggers at me took over.
“My name is Jin Muje. What I like is training. My goal is to settle a blood debt with a certain person.”
His words were like frost; he clipped each syllable cleanly. His bearing was disciplined, dignified, and carried a weight of its own. Then he added,
“Ah. And I am of the Wudang Sect.”
“Wudang? The Taoists of Wudang are supposed to be refined gentlemen, yet you’re just a street thug—”
Jin Muje’s eyes flared at me.
“Sorry.”
“…For now I am temporarily in Chunmu Hall waiting for the promotion exam, but I will climb as quickly as possible. Once again—hold me back and I will kill you.”
What kind of Wudang Taoist ended every sentence with “I will kill you” like a mantra? Was he even a real Taoist? Maybe he was secretly from an unorthodox path. With every introduction, I felt the future of the jianghu growing darker.
“Everyone’s full of spirit. Last one—introduce yourself.”
“Ah, shall I?”
The half-curly-haired one grinned as if the world itself were a festival and spoke without a care.
“What I like? Women and booze, mostly. Gambling’s good too! Tasty food! Oh, and Moyong Bi over there said he wants to eat meat till he bursts—meat’s great as well!”
I had already achieved enlightenment. Having put everything down, this much was mere charm.
“Ah, and my name and former affiliation… not sure if I should say this. Aigoo.”
He even scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. Then, suddenly, he looked straight at me.
…?
Something felt off.
“My name, you see…”
He was smiling, yet that smile no longer felt light at all.
“Is Moyong Ryu.”
I doubted my ears. Moyong Ryu smirked.
“Same family as Moyong Bi over there. Looking at him, he doesn’t seem eager to say it, but what can you do? Gotta speak up, right? Hmm?”
My breath stopped. The atmosphere flipped in an instant.
“What did you just…?”
“Third son of the Moyong Family. Huh? Our little brother’s face just went ice-cold. Whoa, those eyes are cool, you!”
I tried to stay calm. I could not. I had no idea what expression to make. Suspicion and confirmation lived in completely different dimensions. I had suspected, yes—but I never expected him to dump his identity out in the open like this.
While I stood lost in chaos, Moyong Ryu continued.
“Anyway, introductions end here. Little brother. This hyung is genuinely impressed.”
“Impressed by what.”
My voice had sunk to the bottom of a well.
“In a situation like this, what else is there to be impressed by?”
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Moyong Ryu’s applause rang dryly through the air.
“That you somehow managed to stay alive.”
Something hot climbed my throat.
Host. Endure it.
The powder magazine that had been stacking up inside my chest finally caught fire. As if savoring the look on my face, Moyong Ryu delivered the final line.
“When I heard you’d taken a blade to the gut, I was sure you’d become a corpse.”
Pahwanggun closed his eyes.
“Ah, damn.”
Snap.
Reason severed. I kicked off the ground and lunged straight at Moyong Ryu.
“You son of a bitch, what the hell did you just say?!”