Chapter 23
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: The Scoundrel's Reckoning
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Woryeong's stir-fried mushrooms were special.
Even though they were just mushrooms, they had the rich taste of high-quality meat.
‘No wonder the scoundrelly Great Young Lord, who only ever ate meat, liked this dish so much.’
He was once again struck by how much effort Woryeong must have put in to achieve this flavor.
Of course, that effort hadn't been enough to change the scoundrel's nature.
“It's delicious, as always.”
“Did you know?”
“What?”
“That day was the first time you ever told me my cooking was delicious.”
"That day" was the day the soul of Nameless had inhabited Cheon Muryang's body.
“Did I?”
“Yes. After that day, you changed completely, Young Lord.”
Woryeong smiled.
Suddenly, Cheon Muryang was curious.
‘Why didn't Woryeong ever leave the Great Young Lord?’
He wondered why.
As the question formed in his mind, Cheon Muryang's gaze fell on Woryeong's hand.
“Ah...”
Woryeong quickly tried to hide it with her sleeve.
Instinctively, Cheon Muryang grabbed her wrist.
*Snatch!*
He snatched her wrist, and as her sleeve rolled up, the scar she had been hiding was revealed.
“...”
“Y-Young Lord!”
Cheon Muryang was speechless.
The moment he saw the scar, he knew who was responsible.
“Did I do this?”
A past he couldn't even remember.
The original Cheon Muryang probably hadn't bothered to remember it.
To that scoundrel, a mere servant's wound was as insignificant as a scratch on a roadside pebble.
But to Nameless, it wasn't.
“I asked if I did this.”
“I-It... it was just an accident. I-I'm really okay.”
He clenched his jaw.
It was always like this.
Woryeong had always stood there, silently enduring.
And so, he too had failed to consider the wounds she must have received.
‘I was a fool, too.’
He cursed himself.
How could he possibly compensate for the pain of Woryeong's indelible scars?
“I'm sorry. I should have thought of you first...”
How ridiculous was this?
Cheon Muryang had asked Woryeong to compile a list of the evil deeds he had committed.
Yet, he hadn't even realized who he should have apologized to first.
“Are there... other scars?”
“Th-that's...”
Woryeong hesitated until the end.
But under Cheon Muryang's cold gaze, she squeezed her eyes shut and removed her outer garment.
Then, she turned her back to him.
The shame she had never wanted to show anyone was revealed.
“...!”
Cheon Muryang was speechless.
A large burn scar marred Woryeong's back.
“It's not your fault, Young Lord.”
“No. This is all my fault.”
“Young Lord...”
*Clench!*
Cheon Muryang clenched his fists, squeezing so tightly that his nails dug into his skin.
*Drip.*
*Drip, drip.*
A few drops of blood fell.
But neither Woryeong.
Nor Cheon Muryang.
Could say a word.
A long silence followed.
“This scar is my fault. You did nothing wrong, Young Lord.”
Woryeong stood up.
Her gaze toward the anguished Cheon Muryang was filled with pity, regret, and sorrow.
“So please, don't blame yourself because of me.”
“...”
Woryeong knew.
From that day forward, the person known as Cheon Muryang had fundamentally changed.
‘It's fine if you don't remember.’
In fact, it was better that way.
The scar on her back was like her own original sin.
“I'll be going now. The documents you asked for...”
They had been completed long ago.
But Woryeong had used his training as an excuse not to show them to him.
She hadn't wanted to see him torment himself.
“Here they are.”
But she realized that hiding them would only cause Cheon Muryang greater pain.
‘Please... overcome this.’
As always, she would be standing right there for him.
Woryeong quietly took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from Cheon Muryang's fist.
“You don't have to force yourself to remember.”
“...”
Wasn't it best to shake off bad memories?
“Because I'm fine.”
“...”
Woryeong gave a small bow, left the blood-stained handkerchief behind, and exited the room.
From now on, it was up to Cheon Muryang.
“You've truly accumulated a heavy burden of karma.”
But that karma was his to bear.
Because he was none other than Cheon Muryang.
“How can I ever repay this?”
A lifetime wouldn't be enough.
With trembling hands, Cheon Muryang began to read the documents Woryeong had given him.
Even though he hadn't committed these acts, he wanted to remember, to embrace it all.
That night, the candle burned for a long, long time.
Until the break of dawn.
* * *
Several days passed.
The scene at the training grounds had changed.
For the past three days, Cheon Muryang had not left his room.
“He's showing his true colors again.”
Seizing the opportunity, Lee Seok-gi and a few others were busy bad-mouthing Cheon Muryang, but no one else agreed with them.
They just thought there must be another reason.
Thus, no one noticed.
That Neung Ryeoun and Cha Myeonghak were also nowhere to be seen.
“The Great Young Lord is not around.”
Cheon Seonhak asked casually as he corrected Woryeong's stance.
“I'm not sure either.”
“Your form is wavering.”
“Ah, yes!”
She corrected her posture, but she couldn't escape Cheon Seonhak's sharp gaze.
“You seem completely unable to focus.”
“W-well...”
“Are you worried about that boy?”
“...!”
“Sometimes, the best thing you can do is to simply trust in silence.”
“I know. I know, but...”
Woryeong was worried.
What if Cheon Muryang's will crumbled?
She was afraid he might lose his purpose again and revert to his wandering past.
“He won't go back to how he was. That boy has changed. You know that better than anyone, do you not?”
“Yes. You're right.”
Cheon Seonhak was right.
No one had a stronger faith in Cheon Muryang than Woryeong.
“I believe he will overcome it.”
Woryeong smiled.
*Fwoosh!*
With that, the form of her sword swing regained its stability.
‘She's strong.’
Cheon Seonhak was inwardly impressed.
The body could be strengthened through training as much as one wished.
But the heart was different.
Woryeong possessed an unshakeable, resolute spirit.
“It seems you're ready for the next step.”
“Pardon?”
Cheon Seonhak felt a strange sense of enjoyment.
Woryeong was like a blank slate.
Yet, she absorbed his teachings as if starved for them, making him curious to see how strong she would become.
“Didn't you say you wanted to be a source of strength for that boy?”
“Ah, yes!”
Seeing Woryeong's determination flare up at the mere mention of Cheon Muryang, Cheon Seonhak smiled repeatedly.
‘The bond between these two will become a great strength for the Cheon Family.’
Cheon Seonhak realized he had been wrong.
Just as Cheon Muryang had said, Woryeong was a swordswoman who was meant to wield a sword.
“Watch closely.”
“Yes!”
The two continued their training.
* * *
A few more days passed.
A strange rumor began to circulate within the Cheon Family estate.
“Did you hear?”
“What, what is it?”
“Well, you know how Hwayong's younger brother has been sick lately.”
“Oh, right. I think they said the medicinal herbs were so rare you couldn't even buy them.”
“But get this. Someone left those precious herbs at their door. With money, too!”
“Oh my! Really? That's wonderful!”
“And that's not all! At Buyong's place, apparently...”
The rumor was mysterious.
It was said that someone, who somehow knew exactly what was needed, was leaving things for those in difficult situations.
“I-I received money.”
“Me too, me too!”
“They even collected a debt for me! That vicious guy showed up, bruised all over, and begged for my forgiveness on his knees. It was so satisfying.”
For those who needed money, there was money.
For those who needed medicine, there was medicine.
Strange incidents, like collecting unpaid debts, continued to happen almost daily.
“Is that really true?”
Woryeong had heard the rumors, too.
Through Mae Hong, of course.
“Yes, it is!”
“Everyone must be happy.”
“Is that even a question? Everyone's going wild about it.”
“Is that so?”
*Smirk.*
Woryeong smiled.
“You can look forward to more in the future.”
“What? Do you know something?”
“Who knows? I don't know anything.”
Woryeong glanced at Neung Ryeoun and Cha Myeonghak, who had started appearing at the training grounds again with hollow eyes.
“Hmph, how boring.”
“What about you? Did you get anything?”
“Me? Well... I just wish a pile of money would fall into my lap.”
*Flinch.*
Woryeong didn't miss Neung Ryeoun and Cha Myeonghak flinching.
“You might want to keep your hopes up.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Go check when you have time. You never know.”
“Should I?”
Mae Hong was tempted.
The faces of Neung Ryeoun and Cha Myeonghak stiffened.
Unable to hold back her laughter, Woryeong stopped Mae Hong.
“No, I'm just kidding. Go check later.”
“I wasn't going to go in the first place, you know!”
Woryeong's perpetually smiling expression turned serious.
“How is the Young Lord?”
“Ah, was it two days ago...?”
“Two days ago?”
Two days prior, Woryeong had asked Mae Hong to check on Cheon Muryang.
“Yeah. You asked me to. So I went to see the Young Lord. But.”
“But?”
“He looked very serious and told me not to knock or even enter his room at all.”
“What?”
“He insisted that if he didn't come out after a week, I should open the door then... I don't really know either.”
“Why are you only telling me this now!”
“Because I've been busy too.”
Woryeong squeezed her eyes shut.
She wanted to check on Cheon Muryang right away, but she forced herself to hold back.
“Hoo. Okay. Still, please check on him whenever you have time. I'm counting on you.”
“Yeah, of course. You can count on me.”
Mae Hong left.
Left alone, Woryeong glanced at the hollow-eyed Neung Ryeoun and Cha Myeonghak before immersing herself in her training.
* * *
Cheon Muryang sat cross-legged, engrossed in circulating his energy.
Waves of heat and cold periodically swirled around him.
‘I have to maintain consciousness...’
Cheon Muryang had taken the Azure Clear Stone Milk.
An unprecedented energy flowed into his dantian and began to melt down the existing elixir energies within him.
‘It's merging into one.’
The yin and yang energies were transforming into a single energy, with the Azure Clear Stone Milk as the catalyst.
A period of painful endurance passed.
‘It's done.’
Finally, the energy of the Azure Clear Stone Milk, the elixirs within him, and the internal energy he had built with the Heavenly Yang Divine Arts became one.
‘Hm?’
However, this newly unified energy did not move according to Cheon Muryang's will.
‘This could be a problem...’
Like an untethered colt, the massive energy rampaged, expanding his dantian until it burst outward.
Splitting into two streams, the energy was like a mercilessly crashing wave.
‘Kghh!’
One surged toward the Baihui acupoint.
The other rushed toward the Huiyin acupoint, widening Cheon Muryang's meridians as it advanced.
‘I have to stay focused! If I lose consciousness now... I will surely die.’
Cheon Muryang desperately clung to the thread of his consciousness.
The two relentlessly surging streams of energy each met a barrier.
The massive barriers were as high as the heavens themselves.
*KWWAAAAANG!*
For the first time, the two advancing energies were blocked.
The impact violently shook Cheon Muryang's consciousness.
*KWWAAAAANG!*
These were the Baihui and Huiyin acupoints, known as the Gates of Life and Death.
‘This really feels like death.’
It was a matter of crossing the threshold between life and death.
*KWWAAAAANG!*
With each collision, the intense pain caused Cheon Muryang's body to cough up blood.
‘It's come to this... all or nothing.’
He had to break through.
If he failed, only death awaited.
And Cheon Muryang was confident.
‘I'm the one who has already crossed the Gates of Life and Death.’
Life and death.
Cheon Muryang had already experienced that cycle.
Therefore, it was as if he had already passed through the gates.
‘So don't block me.’
At that thought, the barriers that had seemed as high as the heavens lowered.
*CRACK!*
With a thunderous roar that only Cheon Muryang could hear, the barriers crumbled.
The two streams of energy, having advanced separately, met and became one again.
‘Ah...’
In that moment, Cheon Muryang's consciousness faded.
*Fwoosh!*
An aura of both blue and red light enveloped Cheon Muryang's entire body.