Oejunghyeop (3)
Oejunghyeop (3)
Sometimes, things happen that the human mind cannot comprehend.
A Martial God who commands all creation with a single gesture, the World Tree that nurtured a dying world, a divine healer who can save someone whose lower body has been severed—these are the prime examples of the inexplicable.
They are called the mysteries of the Gangho.
The woman before his eyes right now was one of those mysteries of the Gangho. In a way, perhaps the greatest mystery of all.
Her ears, pointed like precious swords, gave off a noble impression. It was even more so because of her features, which rippled like a veil. Even with the senses of a martial artist who had reached the peak, Wi Ja-heon could not perceive the woman before him.
'How can such a being exist in this world...?'
The first feeling was awe. The second was fear.
It spoke of an inability to resist. To be at the peak level meant one was considered a master in the Gangho. The fact that he couldn't fathom her with those senses meant...
'A level far above that.'
A level that truly aimed for the Martial God, the Ipshingyeong—it must mean beyond the Hwagyeong.
He swallowed a heavy gulp.
Dohwa, unbothered by such a Wi Ja-heon, passed by Yuryeon and approached So-hee. Her ears, sharp as blades, twitched repeatedly.
"What a pretty child. And such a kind heart."
Sarak—
Dohwa gently lifted the blanket covering So-hee. As she softly stroked her bloodless white cheek, the face flushed with an apricot hue, and vitality began to flow past the severed meridians.
"Umm......."
So-hee lifted her heavy eyelids and met Dohwa's eyes. Her blue lips parted slightly.
"Fairy-nim......?"
"How did such a child come to be? You are so pretty."
Dohwa's finger traveled down So-hee's cheek and rested on the tip of her chin. A white, slender finger. It made one wonder if the term 'slender, jade-like hands' was coined after seeing that grace.
"Kind-hearted child, pretty child. Do you know? Your dad is a very bad person. To save you, he drove nails into the hearts of countless people."
Dohwa whispered in a calm voice.
"......."
"The wealth your father extorted was likely a lifeline for someone's winter, a new set of clothes for someone's daughter, or medicine money for someone's father."
Dohwa glared at Wi Ja-heon with her deep green eyes.
What is good, and what is evil?
Dohwa had never thought deeply about this grand topic, nor did she intend to. It was an act of trying to untangle a knotted thread of grace and grudge. It was a foolish thing to do.
Even Dalma and Sambong suffered from grudges.
Cutting down a demon who killed hundreds was the right thing to do, but it earned the grudge of their family. To some, a being like a disaster was warmer than sunlight to others.
That was how the grace and grudges of the Gangho were made.
Those who lost their lives at the hands of the demon felt grace toward Sambong and Dalma, but to the families and demonic followers who served the demon like heaven, they became mortal enemies.
Grace is like water; it spreads widely but dilutes quickly.
Grudges are like oil; they float on water and linger for a long time. Even through generations.
In such a chaotic world, she did not apply binary standards of good and evil. 'If you do wrong and do not change, that is the wrong'—this was a saying that pierced through the Gangho.
If one started to punish them one by one, the cycle of grudges would run deeper than the cycle of good.
The reason the Jeongdo can claim righteousness is because they take mercy and tolerance as virtues.
The reason Dalma and Sambong are respected as great elders is because they based their actions on the philosophy of Jabiwibon. However, Dohwa was not a great person.
She was a Jang-i-jok who was swayed by emotions, and a Jang-saeng-jok who viewed the passage of time calmly.
Therefore, Dohwa decided to save So-hee.
If it were a misfortune she hadn't seen, she would have passed by without interest, but once seen, she could not ignore it. Because she became a part of that tragedy.
Even if she could save her, she could not *not* save her.
Even if her father was a villain.
Because the child was not a villain.
Dohwa said.
"Just as there is no villain without a story, there is no saint without a story. You are covering your own misfortune with the misfortune of others."
"......."
Wi Ja-heon's head slumped to the floor.
He could not say anything.
What could he say? There wasn't a single wrong word. Even the statement that he had committed a capital crime felt like an excuse, so he only trembled his lips.
"Nevertheless, I intend to save this child."
"Ah......!"
Dohwa took out a Seolhwadan from her bosom.
A Seolhwadan with only a few pills left. Originally, she had intended to share them with Snake and Tiger.
Hope bloomed in Wi Ja-heon's eyes as he saw the pill with the brightly blooming snowflake pattern. A look of despair fading, replaced by relief. He said in a broken voice.
"Thank, you......."
Dohwa fed the Seolhwadan to So-hee and scolded him.
"Don't be happy, Wi Ja-heon. Don't misunderstand, either. I'm not giving you this medicine because I forgive your sins. I have no right to do so, nor am I such a great person."
Dohwa's eyes were cold.
"This child is a very pure child. When you made others shed tears of blood, this child dreamed of her dad becoming a great hero. Isn't it pitiful?"
Even if Saessak-i had greatly restored the earth's vitality, the world was vast. Unless it was a famous mountain or a land where many martial artists resided, it was still like a wasteland.
It was a time when the value of grain and salt was higher than before. Even now, the earth's cries could be heard occasionally.
People worked harder but received lower wages than before. Still, they scraped by to make a living. Many chose to become bandits, but even more did not.
"It's not that they don't learn or are naive, which is why they don't enter that path. Keep that in mind."
Dohwa's voice was calm throughout. She didn't lecture, nor did she weigh right from wrong. It was so transparent that the ugliness reflected within it was revealed even more clearly.
Wi Ja-heon could not lift his head in shame.
"Just as your daughter was a treasure to you, it will be the same for others."
The long scar on his face from his bandit days suddenly ached. Yuryeon, who had been standing tall by the door, approached Dohwa and grabbed her skirt.
"The uncle committed crimes for his daughter, but never thought to fix those crimes. He just hid cowardly behind his daughter's life."
At Yuryeon's words, Wi Ja-heon.
Harbored a fundamental question.
"Why, are you helping me......?"
"Because I saw your misfortune."
Dohwa answered indifferently.
"Misfortune I haven't seen is as good as non-existent in this world, but once it is contained in my eyes, it becomes my karma. So, Wi Ja-heon, I am not helping you, I am merely wiping away the tragedy reflected in my eyes."
Wi Ja-heon's shock was heard by her pointed ears. Dohwa continued without caring.
"You are a child who created the tragedy of the Gangho. Atone for it forever. The new life your daughter has gained is a flower that bloomed in place of the lives of the countless people you trampled."
"......I will carve those words into my bones and never forget them for the rest of my life. I will become your servant for the rest of my life to pay for my sins."
Wi Ja-heon swore while banging his head on the floor. Dohwa didn't even look at him again, and after confirming that So-hee had chewed and swallowed the Seolhwadan, she stretched lazily and left the room.
Dang Gyeom was standing outside the door.
He seemed to have already read Dohwa's intentions, as he was holding a ledger from who knows where.
"......Give the father and daughter time to clear their hearts."
"Yes."
A wrinkle had deepened on Dang Gyeom's brow.
On top of the already busy Tang clan work, he had added another burden to himself. Dohwa sat on the wooden bench, thinking she should also give one medicinal pill each to Gyeom-i and So-young.
The star cluster twinkled exceptionally brightly.
Dohwa held So-young in her arms like a doll and rested her chin on the top of her head.
"It's heavy."
"I want to rest for a little while."
The pleasant scent of grass wafting from the top of So-young's head tickled the tip of her nose. Although she pretended to be calm on the outside, in reality, Dohwa was currently drained of all her energy.
'Those who are not friends are indeed difficult... Why are people so diverse?'
If only everyone were like Gyeom or So-young—
Dohwa hugged So-young tightly while thinking that. It was very warm and comfortable to have her tucked into her arms. So much so that the noisy sounds of the world couldn't be heard well.
"I want to hug Gyeom-i like this too, but he keeps avoiding it... So-young, is there any good way?"
"Hmm...... Uh, um. Dad would probably like it even if you just stroked his head."
"Really?"
Dohwa asked in a dejected voice.
So-young imagined her father, who was always stern, being held in Dohwa unni's arms and being stroked, and nodded reluctantly. It just didn't fit at all.
While Dohwa was listening to the sound of the wind with So-young in her arms, Jegal Yuryeon approached her.
"Thank you for helping."
Yuryeon's voice was full of caution.
Growing up as the young lady of the prestigious Jegal clan, she had seen and read about countless masters, but she couldn't see anything in the woman before her. This was the greatest mystery of the Gangho.
'They say she talks to the world, but I can't see anything in her eyes. She is blind.'
"It's fascinating, how your inner thoughts are heard so transparently...... Did you say your name was Jegal Yuryeon?"
"Yes, that's right."
Whether she was trying to use honorifics or not, she repeated the polite ending twice. Dohwa said while fiddling with So-young's hair. Her pointed ears shone transparently in the moonlight.
"Yuryeon. The world never reveals its true inner thoughts honestly. On the contrary, it's noisy and dirty. It might be correct to see it as sinister."
"Is it sinister?"
"That's right. However, sometimes in that noise. Very occasionally, there is a sound that is heard from outside common sense. It's something you have to realize intuitively, so try to see and hear that."
Yuryeon stared blankly at Dohwa's profile.
She seemed dazed at first, but her heart was now filled with absurdity.
'Is it okay to give such an enlightenment......?'
The enlightenment that martial arts masters of the Gangho would struggle in front of a wall for their whole lives and swing their swords tens of thousands of times just to barely glimpse through a crack in the door, she was teaching it to a neighborhood kid like she was teaching the Thousand Character Classic......?
'Well. She is that kind of person, which is why the heavens like her.'
To Dohwa, it wasn't a great secret manual or enlightenment, but just something extremely natural, like breathing.
"......I will keep it in mind. No, I will keep it in mind."
Yuryeon bowed her waist and respectfully performed a fist-and-palm salute for the first time.
Dohwa twitched one ear as if the greeting was heavy, then rested her chin on So-young's head again.
Dohwa couldn't overcome the pouring sleepiness and closed her eyes. The noisy night of Yugok-hyeon settled quietly in rhythm with Dohwa's breathing.
Dang Gyeom, who had been watching the scene from afar, quietly closed the ledger he was holding.
Dang Gyeom. He had to be busy from now on.
'First, I need to contact the government office.'
He had to check the stolen goods acquired in the meantime.
He had to investigate where the money flowed.
And how much went into the Green Forest main stronghold.......
"......I want to cry."
Should I ask the Supreme Patriarch to hug me—
"Forget it. What am I thinking......."
Dang Gyeom sighed quietly and walked the night road.
First, it seems I need to do something about the members of the Green Forest Six Branches. They are too trivial for the Supreme Patriarch to worry about.