Monopolizing Fortunes (58)
Monopolizing Fortunes (58)
The one thing Namgung Seol-rin regretted while sparring with Do Tong-dal was Internal Energy.
Because Do Tong-dal had never once trained his Internal Energy, his limits were clear.
He was a genius comparable to Namgung Cheol-hyeon, but his lack of Internal Energy meant he could never reach the peak.
If Do Tong-dal could only obtain two gapja of Internal Energy, the history of the martial world might change. That was how quickly Do Tong-dal learned martial arts.
So one day she casually asked the physician in black.
"Can you make a spiritual medicine that increases Internal Energy?"
"Yes. Something like Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng or Stone Milk Essence, for example."
The physician in black let out a short laugh.
"Do things like that actually exist? I've only heard talk of them, never seen one."
Namgung Seol-rin had never actually seen one either. But their existence was certain.
"Is it possible?"
"No. If I had medicine like that, would I be here stitching up wounds for thugs?"
True enough. If that were possible, the physician would have changed their own fortunes long ago.
"What about Won Dae-yeon?"
"Today he's alive and not dead. If you come back tomorrow and ask, my answer might be different."
"Have you ever been hit without knowing why?"
"Huh? How did you know? Sometimes patients or their guardians slap me. I have no idea why."
"Doctor, if you talk less, you'll get hit less."
"What did I do?"
* * *
"How about going home for a visit?"
At Do Tong-dal's words, Namgung Seol-rin gave him a puzzled look.
"Why all of a sudden?"
"It's been a long time since you've seen your parents."
She narrowed her eyes and asked.
"What scheme are you up to now?"
"I'm just saying it out of pure goodwill. You must miss your parents too."
There were days when her parents appeared in her dreams and left her feeling unsettled. Aside from training together with Do Tong-dal, she had nothing particularly keeping her busy.
"Should I go, then?"
The moment those words left her mouth, Do Tong-dal said "Wait a moment," and dashed into his room.
"That man, of course he would."
When Do Tong-dal came out of the room, he was carrying three books. They were the three secret manuals Namgung Cheol-hyeon had given him.
"I think it's time to return these now."
"Why?"
"Because they're in my head."
"You could forget them, you know?"
"I won't forget."
"Then get rid of them. My brother didn't give them to you so he could get them back."
"But they're Namgung Clan property, aren't they?"
"Do you go back the next day and ask for the money you paid for dumplings? Those already left the Namgung Clan. You're the owner now, so do as you please."
Do Tong-dal, who had been looking at the three secret manuals, went to the kitchen.
"These are treasures in their own way, so they shouldn't fall into someone else's hands."
Do Tong-dal tossed the secret manuals into the furnace and looked at Namgung Seol-rin. Namgung Seol-rin merely shrugged her shoulders, letting him know her mind hadn't changed.
When Do Tong-dal lit the fire, the secret manuals went up in flames. Now Mujung Manbyeon Steps, Heavenly Shadow Flash Kick, and Three Severings Blade Art had become martial arts that existed only in Do Tong-dal's head.
"Aren't you going to get rid of the Mind-Reading Art? You must have memorized all of that too."
"I already burned it."
"Honestly, you're such a thorough bastard."
Three days after Do Tong-dal's words, Namgung Seol-rin departed for the Namgung Clan. Do Tong-dal told her to have a light trip, but Namgung Seol-rin's steps toward the clan were solemn.
Fate had twisted this way and that, but she was still the daughter of the Namgung Clan Head.
This time she wanted to go and confirm exactly where she stood. One thing was certain: she would not remain Namgung Seol-rin of the Namgung Clan.
She could not leave Hangzhou. To be precise, she could not leave Do Tong-dal's side.
* * *
There was no vitality left in Won Dae-yeon inside the tub. Before, there had at least been a fierce edge born of his craving for opium, but now he seemed to have let go even of that.
"Let me die."
"If you want to die that badly, you can take your own life."
"You're torturing me. How long have I been here?"
"A little over four months."
Won Dae-yeon wore a self-deprecating smile.
"You're hard to kill. Like a cockroach. So you've been treating me all this time? Why?"
"Because Namgung Seol-rin wanted it."
"Is that all?"
"For me, that's enough."
Behind them, the physician in black, who had been fiddling with the treatment tools, muttered, "I'll have to tell Protector Namgung when she comes."
"I'm an opium addict. They say once an opium addict, always an opium addict. That's me. Even if I think I can quit now, the moment I get out of here, the first thing I'll do is run to an opium den. That's probably what will happen. So stop wasting your effort."
"Ju Ja-bang."
That name changed the look in Won Dae-yeon's eyes. In his wavering eyes that slowly steadied, killing intent rose even though more than ten years had passed.
"Why are you bringing up that name?"
"If you get out of there, I'll tell you where that man is."
"Where Ju Ja-bang is? That bastard Ju Ja-bang?"
"Yes."
"Where is he! Where is that bastard Ju Ja-bang!"
Won Dae-yeon thrashed so violently that the water in the tub overflowed and soaked Do Tong-dal's feet.
"Not now. Won Dae-yeon, as he is now, doesn't even deserve revenge—he'd run straight to an opium den the moment he's released."
"Why don't I deserve it! That bastard killed my family! He killed my wife and two daughters!"
"Then prove it. By crawling out of that opium swamp."
As Do Tong-dal turned to leave through the door, Won Dae-yeon asked him.
"Is it true that you found Ju Ja-bang?"
"I'm not stupid enough to tell a lie like that."
"If those words are a lie, you die. If you let that bastard Ju Ja-bang get away, you die too. Understand?"
"If you want to kill me, get out of there first."
He had told exactly the kind of stupid lie he had claimed he was too smart to tell. It was an improvised lie meant to give Won Dae-yeon a purpose.
That well-intentioned lie was going to get him killed. So Do Tong-dal ran to Go Seong-cheol.
"Find him quickly! If you don't find that bastard fast, I'm dead!"
"No, you come barging in all of a sudden and rush me like that...."
Bam!
The desk struck by Do Tong-dal's fist split with a crack.
"Do you think I'll die alone if I die?"
"I'm... I'm chasing him hard right now."
"Trying hard isn't enough. Get results. Unless you want to accompany me to the afterlife."
* * *
The conversation between father and daughter was short. Once they asked after each other's well-being, there was nothing left to say. Namgung Baek-jung brought up the words he had been holding back.
"Come back home now."
"Right now, Hangzhou is my home."
"Don't talk nonsense. How long are you going to bury yourself in that trash heap? They say Do Tong-dal's arm has fully healed too. The debt is gone now, so you should walk a proper path."
"What is this proper path you speak of, Father?"
"The path a daughter of a prestigious clan ought to walk!"
"Learning martial arts just enough, then marrying some outstanding rising talent from another sect to widen the web of blood ties?"
No matter how it was dressed up in fine words, that was how the futures of most daughters of prestigious clans were decided.
"Do you know why they walk that path?"
"Because they lack the courage to defy fate."
"No. Because it's a proven path—the surest path to a happy life. That's why so many female martial artists choose it. You probably want to go down there and pull your man up. But in the end, you too will fall into the abyss and never be able to climb back out. Do you think you're the only one who has ever thought that? Do you think you alone are a pioneer? A fantasy is called a fantasy because it never comes true."
"I...!"
At that moment, Namgung Cheol-hyeon's voice came from outside.
"Is Seol-rin in there?"
"Yes."
The door opened and Namgung Cheol-hyeon stuck just his face in.
"Father. I'm going to borrow Seol-rin for a moment."
"What for?"
"A spar. I want to see how much she's improved."
"Fine. It's a good way to face reality. See for yourself how much time you've wasted in that sewer."
Four people gathered in the rear garden where the spar would take place. Namgung Sang-yeon had also come running after hearing news of the spar.
"Did you look into it?"
At Namgung Baek-jung's question, Namgung Sang-yeon whispered.
"There are quite a few decent marriage prospects. On their side, if it's the Namgung Clan, they have no reason to refuse. But will Seol-rin obediently listen?"
"We'll make her listen. That spar will snap Seol-rin's mind awake. She'll realize how useless it was to run around with Underworld trash."
"I'm sure she will. Watching Cheol-hyeon train these days is frightening. He's already surpassed me, and now he's fiercely closing in on you, Brother."
A smile spread across Namgung Baek-jung's lips.
"He already proved he's the greatest rising talent by winning the Dragon Phoenix Gathering. I guarantee that among the elders of the Nine Great Sects, fewer than ten could be a match for Cheol-hyeon."
Namgung Sang-yeon looked at Namgung Cheol-hyeon with a pleased expression.
"Thanks to Cheol-hyeon, the name King Among Swords will return to the Namgung Clan."
"It should. Cheol-hyeon must achieve the wish I couldn't."
While they talked, Namgung Cheol-hyeon and Namgung Seol-rin finished preparing for the spar.
Namgung Sang-yeon asked with a worried expression.
"Will it be all right? They're both using live swords."
Using live swords in a spar was extremely rare. A sword has no eyes, so one could suffer an unexpected serious injury.
Namgung Cheol-hyeon said to Namgung Seol-rin.
"Be careful. I won't go easy on you."
"I insisted on live swords precisely so you wouldn't go easy."
It was Namgung Seol-rin who had insisted on sparring with live swords. Namgung Cheol-hyeon could read the confidence in Namgung Seol-rin's eyes.
"Well then, shall we see how much you've improved? I'll give you the first move."
"You'll regret those words."
Namgung Seol-rin kicked off the ground and erased the distance to Namgung Cheol-hyeon in an instant. At that speed, Namgung Baek-jung and Namgung Sang-yeon were more surprised than Namgung Cheol-hyeon.
Clang—!
Namgung Seol-rin's sword, which had clashed against Namgung Cheol-hyeon's, did not give way at all. The moment it rebounded, her sword swung horizontally and was fast. If Namgung Cheol-hyeon let his guard down by even a needle's tip, he could be in trouble.
Even if two people learned the same martial arts, the martial arts they displayed could not be the same. Their bodies were different, their temperaments were different, and the techniques they executed well were different.
So Namgung Cheol-hyeon and Namgung Seol-rin seemed to be fighting with completely different martial arts.
Once the spar passed half a ke, Namgung Baek-jung had no choice but to acknowledge it.
"Seol-rin's martial arts are astonishing."
Namgung Cheol-hyeon was absolutely not going easy on her. If there were even the slightest hint of that, she would notice it at once.
"But Seol-rin's martial arts are a little strange."
"You saw it too?"
"Yes. While she's stepping through the Jewangbo, another footwork technique is lightly mixed in."
"The Daeyeon Seventy-Two Forms have also deviated from their original form."
"Could she have learned other martial arts?"
It was not quite another martial art, since the original form of the Namgung Clan's martial arts remained intact. Rather, Namgung Seol-rin was filling gaps they hadn't even known existed.
"In any case, Seol-rin's martial arts have improved by leaps and bounds compared to before."
Namgung Baek-jung also had no choice but to admit it. Even Namgung Sang-yeon could not have fought Namgung Cheol-hyeon in such a fierce, even contest.
Nevertheless, the gap gradually widened. The wall called Namgung Cheol-hyeon was still too high for Namgung Seol-rin to overcome.
Once the spar passed two ke, Namgung Seol-rin's retreating steps increased. She held on desperately, but she was pushed back in strength, where the difference was greatest.
Just being able to fight evenly until now was enough to praise her brilliance.
Clang!
After the loudest clash of metal yet rang out, the two stopped moving as if by magic.
Soon a smile hung on Namgung Cheol-hyeon's lips.
"You've gotten better."
Namgung Seol-rin pouted.
"Saying that to someone who lost is making fun of them."
"You meant to beat me?"
"I thought you might have gotten lazy, Brother."
"Why would I?"
"Have you forgotten what happened in Hangzhou?"
"If anything, it became my motivation to devote myself to training."
"What?"
"If I train hard, I can take my short breaks with a clear conscience."
Namgung Seol-rin scowled sharply.
"You're going to Hangzhou again?"
"My best friend won't come to me, so I have to go to him."
"Are you really going to see Tong-dal?"
"Of course. Heh heh heh...."
She drove her elbow into the side of Namgung Cheol-hyeon as he chuckled.
"Ugh!"
As he bowed with exaggerated flourish, Namgung Baek-jung's voice rang out.
"Neither of you has been idle, I see."
"Shouldn't Seol-rin be praised more than that?"
* * *