A Dance of Sincerity
Seol Do-seung cast a cold glance. Having made up his mind, there was no reason to drag things out any longer. Not even here.
"We've found the ledger and gotten our revenge. Time to wrap this up."
Now was the moment to make it crystal clear to everyone. Only by defining enemies clearly would allies draw near—even the greatest power in Chim-ju.
"The investigation into backers is still pending."
"……Backers?"
"The sub-branch master is three hundred li from here, yet he knew the surroundings well and orchestrated this. He couldn't have acted alone."
"I'll look into it. If anything seems off, I'll let you know."
"You're taking them with you?"
Seol Do-seung's expression hardened abruptly.
'This bastard!'
He had openly rebelled in front of thousands. In such cases, one had to respond decisively. He immediately channeled his inner power, infusing his voice with strength, and unleashed a chilling glare for all to see.
"Heh! Sounds like you're saying I don't have the right."
"I only spoke to avoid petty suspicions troubling your ears, Sect Leader."
Instead of a reply, Seol Do-seung strode toward the fallen men.
Thud! His heavy step, scraping the ground, halted before the three Hongga brothers. He drew his sword and released a mad killing intent.
Shing! The blade pointed skyward flashed in the sunlight. As the keen edge fell, blood spurted upward.
Shing! Slash! Three heads tumbled across the ground in succession.
Thump! Drip! Thump!
The chattering crowd fell silent in an instant.
"……."
Seol Do-seung's impassive eyes held only icy frost. He had planned to deal with them anyway—for daring to meddle in Chim-ju behind his back.
"No more of that now, right?"
"……Probably not."
"See you next time."
Mu Yun met his gaze with sincerity.
"I'll be waiting. Like before."
"……I'll send word. Won't take long."
"I hope so."
"……!"
But Jeok-un Mun couldn't move immediately. After today's events, it wasn't just about him. With officials and the upright sects led by Ha Hu Sega sharpening their eyes, acting before the tension eased would be foolish.
'Keep the bait out and watch.'
Yet as Seol Do-seung turned away, Mu Yun's eyes narrowed. Something felt off.
'Why couldn't I sense that aura then?'
Three years ago, at their first meeting, an energy not born of inner power had made his body tremble like an aspen tree. Even with his current realm far surpassing that time, he sensed only inner power—nothing more.
Mu Yun couldn't tear his gaze from the departing figure.
Once Seol Do-seung was gone, sighs erupted here and there.
"Whew! Chopping heads clean off like that! Brutal!"
"Seeing that, feels like Ha Jo-mun acted alone."
"Who knows what's in his head. Things are gonna get noisy from here."
"Don't want splashback. We gotta watch ourselves."
"Yeah."
"But man, Cheong-ho Bangju's no slouch either."
"Obviously. Who'd tangle with that skill? Only Jeok-un Munju could handle it."
"Ha Hu Sega's the one having a field day, though."
"Windfall in the dead of night, right?"
"Tell me about it."
A brief transmission from the Ha Hu elder went to young master Ha Hu Cheon-gi.
-Thought it over?
-……What do you want me to do?
-Not for me to say. The choice is yours alone.
-……I'll consider it.
-Good. Let's go. Time to see your brother.
-Father?
-Gotta convey Cheong-ho Bangju's intentions. And the inside story.
-……!
Meanwhile, before the Cheong-ho Bang group had fully left the streets, an impatient transmission from Yeon Sa-gu struck the back of Mu Yun's head.
-Jeok-un Mun'll play careful for a bit. When do you think they'll move?
-What, you think I'm a fortune teller?
-Come on, man! Make a prediction!
-Let's just do our jobs right.
-……Scouting's a given—what else?
-Temper the body. Haste breeds mistakes.
-How…… Ah! Get chummy with Ha Hu Sega?
-One more thing. If I vanish from Chim-ju, it'll baffle them. They'll think killing me ends it.
-What're you saying?
-Time to head to Nae-yang. And temper the body there.
-Makes sense. But when?
-Ma-elma Dan comes in a few months. Then.
Yeon Sa-gu flashed a sly grin.
-Heh! To get the intel, guess I gotta tag along?
-……What's with that laugh? Suddenly wanna go solo.
-Nah, nothing much.
-Spit it out.
-Gotta tattle to your folks. Tell 'em some punk beat up their son's friend. Heh!
-You can come along.
-Huh?
-Just scouting this time.
-……!
For a time, Chim-ju city buzzed with all sorts of rumors. But contrary to everyone's expectations, neither side made a move. They simply watched each other warily as time slipped by.
Two months later, at Cheong-ho Bang.
A woman in male disguise, her hat pulled low, came calling. Ak Mu-gil, recognizing Jin Seo-yeon, couldn't hide his stiff expression.
"Here for the Bangju?"
"No."
"Ahem! If it's something else, please head back."
"I came to apologize. Quietly, if possible."
He sensed the gravity in her voice. Still, Ak Mu-gil had to ask.
"Is that really all?"
"If you don't bring up my sect, I'll kneel right here. Shall I?"
Ak Mu-gil waved his hands frantically. Who knew what trouble that might bring later.
"Understood. This way."
As they turned into the inner quarters path, Ak Mu-gil, who had been mulling it over the whole way, turned back.
"Look, I think I have to say this."
"What?"
"Sister Yuseon... she's in a lot of pain."
Jin Seo-yeon suddenly recalled something.
"Her face looked pale even then."
Ak Mu-gil sighed involuntarily at the thought of her.
"Sigh! She's held on a long time. But now it seems too much."
"What? ……Then?"
"If you'd come later, might've missed her."
"……!"
In the inner quarters bedroom, a faint smile touched the lips of Yuseon, her face full of illness.
"You came."
Jin Seo-yeon mustered her brightest smile.
"Thank you."
She had agonized over her opening words for so long, but they flowed out naturally.
Jin Seo-yeon had lingered outside the door forever. She needed to erase that poignant expression, but her opening words wouldn't come. Countless phrases flashed through her mind, but undecided, she finally entered.
Yet the moment she stepped in, her worries vanished. Yuseon's smile was directed at her.
It was thanks to that smile. There was no trace of resentment toward her anywhere in it.
In that instant, the truest words came to mind.
"Must've been a long trip."
"I'm a pretty decent martial artist. This much is nothing."
"You didn't have to come."
"No. I did. To apologize... and to tell you that you were right."
As her words ended and Jin Seo-yeon's knees began to bend, Yuseon shook her head.
"Don't."
"No. It's what I owe."
"You've already done it."
"Huh?"
Yuseon's gentle smile deepened with warmth.
"It was written all over your face when you came in. That's enough. I haven't been perfect either—I don't want to see you like that."
"……!"
The two entered the old tearoom. Jin Seo-yeon spoke plainly.
"Sect Leader was surprised too, hearing there's a copy. Two thousand-year scriptures."
"I bet."
"About that favor I asked."
"What?"
"Could you check for any other passages? I copied ours."
She had already heard from Mu Yun.
"Of course. I'll fetch it."
A short while later, Jin Seo-yeon nodded after examining every character meticulously.
"Same paper quality and colors. Likely both copied at Yeongheung-sa. Different scribes by the script."
"Good. Everything's confirmed now."
Jin Seo-yeon hesitated to voice her reason for coming.
'Too much to ask.'
She had learned much from this incident. That she had tried to force the world into her own narrow standards.
That she had shut out the broader scope of awareness herself.
As that realization deepened, a new challenge arose.
'If I could just dance this fully!'
Her body resisted, but her mind knew. It was the best way to shatter the wall.
Hundreds of solo attempts in her private training ground. Yet even alone, at the embarrassingly intimate parts, her body froze.
In the end, she thought of asking Yuseon.
Dancing it together would be the true apology.
But she couldn't bring it up now. Not with her condition.
At that moment, Yuseon's eyes sparkled. She had one burning question.
"Have you tried it?"
For a sincere apology, Jin Seo-yeon confessed honestly.
"Sigh! Tried a lot, but no luck. Whenever it gets to the weird parts……."
"Trying at all is impressive. Must've been hard to even decide."
"I realized this time I built the wall myself. Tried breaking it with this, but no dice."
"As a Buddhist, uniting body and mind with such motions is tough. Even I, a gisaeng, struggled at first."
Jin Seo-yeon let out a wry chuckle.
"Tell me about it. The creator was sly."
"Hee hee! But once you try, you get it. The intent left behind."
"Sigh! Still, I think it's beyond me now."
Yuseon's gaze toward Jin Seo-yeon deepened.
'I want to help. It's the way to prove my dance too.'
She had heard even in mighty Bo-ta Mun, she stood out.
Such a martial artist had offered sincere apology and honest heart.
Yuseon resolved to proceed step by step.
"Oh! I wanted to see your legal dance too."
"Really? Showing's no trouble."
"Thanks. Then I'll show mine."
Jin Seo-yeon waved her hands hurriedly.
"No, no need to push yourself. I'll just do mine."
"The skilled physician said light movement's fine."
"Still……."
"Won't do. Hear it yourself."
"……?"
A short while later, the summoned Gong Ya-seong nodded.
"Half a shichen a day is fine. Even good to move lightly that much."
Yuseon's radiant smile turned to Jin Seo-yeon.
"Now convinced?"
"……!"
Mu Yun shot Ak Mu-gil a puzzled look.
"Why'd those two head to the rear garden?"
"Beats me. They just said so and went."
"……?"
In the inner garden, a graceful and refined dance swirled to fill the space.
Whirl! Swish!
Not a typical Buddhist dance like Law Drum Dance or Bara-mu. Unlike other dances derived from Buddhism and vulgarized, it stemmed from the Tianzhug royal dance, Barata Natiam.
But the form of the dance mattered little.
Throughout, it compelled silent chanting of Buddhist invocations. The intent to protect the Dharma and purify the ritual ground was fully embodied.
Jin Seo-yeon scattered her hands high overhead this way and that.
Rustle! Swish!
A faint smile naturally graced her lips.
'Body feels so light.'
Her mind followed suit. Having shed the burdens weighing on her heart all this time.
The long-absent peace became the rhythm fueling her flow.
Swish! Rustle!
The dance forms engraved in her body flowed out without conscious thought. Buddhist fervor welled up naturally.
For a moment, she forgot she was dancing. Her swaying sleeves matched the ticklish whispers of the wind.
Swish! Rustle!
Only the pure joy of the dance lingered purely in her heart.
Her feet, inheriting that spirit, brushed the ground lightly.
As her scattered hands rippled through the air for a time, the concise motions gradually grew more exuberant.
Her posture disheveled, yet her gestures seemed feather-light, ready to take flight.
As if thought itself forgotten, her hands and feet, once moved by will, now followed heart and breath alone.
In that instant, a glint lit Mu Yun's eyes.
'She's entered the heart-image realm.'
Jin Seo-yeon's eyes, hazy as if dreaming of formless nirvana, were clearly visible.
He quietly erected a qi barrier around the garden.
To Yuseon, sensing something amiss and moving to approach, he sent a transmission.
-Stay put. Don't move.
Her eyes asked—
-……?
-Good thing.
-……!
The soft sunlight bathed the garden, scattering spring scents everywhere.