Chapter 49
Chapter 49
Translator: Penny
Chapter 49
Blood and Tears (4)
Startled by the news of Song Hwarin's arrival, Im Yehwa rushed to the Guest Hall.
There, Song Hwarin was indeed waiting.
"Lin-yi! What brings you here?"
"Have you been well?"
"Oh dear, Dan isn't home."
"I came to see you today, Mother."
"Me? Why me? Let's sit down and talk properly."
As the two women settled at the table, a maidservant soon brought tea.
Im Yehwa gazed silently at Song Hwarin's face, the swelling still visible.
"I'm so sorry."
"No, I should be the one apologizing."
"You?"
"I know our problems have been worrying our parents. I'm truly sorry for causing you such concern."
Im Yehwa was slightly surprised. Regardless of her fondness for Song Hwarin and her desire to have her as a daughter-in-law, she had always perceived her as somewhat aloof. She never imagined Hwarin would come to her with such a confession. Just let the two of them live happily together, she had always thought.
But Hwarin's unexpected visit and candid words were truly surprising.
"What happened?" Im Yehwa asked.
Song Hwarin smiled faintly. "Dan said he finally came to his senses after getting beaten up. I think getting hit myself has made me a bit more mature too."
"Ha ha ha!" Im Yehwa laughed heartily, sensing that Song Hwarin was undergoing a period of transformation.
Song Hwarin had hesitated countless times about coming here today. She even considered turning back at the door.
But she didn't. Regardless of the marriage issue with Byeok Ridan, she felt she needed to tell Im Yehwa that she was doing okay. She must be worried.
Perhaps she was realizing that her desire to change wasn't just a wish, but something she was actively working to make a reality.
"Hwarin-ah."
"Yes."
Im Yehwa wanted to tell Song Hwarin this:
"You can take your time. See everything you want to see, do everything you want to do, and go at your own pace. You might even lose your way sometimes. But that's okay."
Because that's a right only you young people have.
Im Yehwa found herself reminiscing about her youth, a time that had vanished as swiftly as a thrown dagger. She missed those days, when any advice to slow down would have only fueled her impatience.
Back then, she had longed to grow older faster, convinced that something extraordinary awaited her beyond the horizon of youth.
Seeing the faint redness in Im Yehwa's eyes, Song Hwarin asked calmly, "May I visit you occasionally?"
Im Yehwa leaned in and whispered in her ear, "You can move into my house starting today."
Watching Song Hwarin's face flush with embarrassment, Im Yehwa burst into hearty laughter.
Song Hwarin felt she had made the right decision to visit today. The image of Byeok Ridan briefly flashed through her mind, but she quickly dismissed it.
"Shall we have another cup of tea?"
Song Hwarin replied with a smile as radiant as the cheerful question, "Yes!"
At dawn the next day, Elder Flower Fan walked into the bamboo forest.
He strolled leisurely, as if enjoying a morning walk, yet arrived at the agreed-upon meeting place precisely at the same time as the previous day.
His subordinate, with whom he met daily, stood with his back turned, gazing into the bamboo grove.
Elder Flower Fan approached him and asked, "What are you looking at so intently?"
He took a few more steps closer.
Just as Elder Flower Fan sensed an inexplicable unease and froze in his tracks—
Swish!
The man whirled around like lightning, throwing a dagger.
Elder Flower Fan twisted his body to the side, narrowly evading the attack.
But he had no time to savor his escape.
For I was already surging forward with the speed of light.
Whoosh!
The Heavenly Creation Sword sliced through the air, hurtling toward Elder Flower Fan's heart.
Clang!
Elder Flower Fan swung his fan, deflecting my sword. The force behind the fan, imbued with Internal Force, was immense. He must have blocked countless attacks with this single move.
Most swords would have shattered. Stronger opponents would have lost their grip. Truly formidable foes would have seen their blades deflected wildly off course.
But my sword defied all three categories.
Though slightly deflected, it continued its thrust, piercing through.
Pwak!
Elder Flower Fan's shoulder split open, blood spurting forth.
Flap! Flap! Flap!
Before he could even check his wound, Elder Flower Fan frantically waved his fan, retreating backward as if propelled by its force.
If I had maintained my momentum, I should have pressed the attack, but I didn't.
Though he appeared flustered, his retreating footwork was precise and controlled.
A trap!
This was a technique to lure enemies into a crisis. If I mistook this for an opportunity and followed him, I would be met with a devastating counterattack.
Elder Flower Fan halted about ten paces away, swiftly pressing acupoints to staunch the bleeding from his shoulder.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
"Have you already forgotten our meeting yesterday? We've been meeting here every day, haven't we?"
I was wearing the clothes of the man I had killed the previous day.
I fully expected to be exposed. My only hope was to close the distance enough for a surprise attack to succeed. Fortunately, it worked, and I managed to slash his shoulder.
Of course, I was confident I could defeat him in a straight fight as well.
But there was no need to take unnecessary risks. He wasn't worth it. Killing him with that surprise attack earlier would have been ideal.
"He must be dead by now."
"You'll die too."
Under normal circumstances, this would have been a moment for further exchange. But I seized the opportunity and launched a surprise attack.
In a battle between masters, seizing the initiative is paramount. Losing it means being forced to react, eventually cornered and defeated by the opponent's final move.
I began to press my advantage. This wasn't about simply unleashing a flurry of rapid, numerous attacks. True initiative lies in delivering attacks that the opponent must defend against.
Sparks flew through the air as sword and fan clashed.
A normal iron fan would have been cleaved in two by the Heavenly Creation Sword, infused with internal energy.
But the fan held by Elder Flower Fan was no ordinary weapon. It was the ultimate weapon that had made him the legend he was today, and his lifelong accumulation of internal energy was formidable.
Elder Flower Fan's martial prowess was undoubtedly a step below Si Gon's.
However, that was only true in a formal duel.
In a sudden, critical situation, Elder Flower Fan's ability to overcome crises might surpass Si Gon's. Though I despise old men, I know all too well how terrifying they can be.
We had to fight as if any opening would mean our death.
Why?
Because giving the enemy an opening was the same as giving them a chance to kill us.
Despite being constantly pushed back, Elder Flower Fan remained a formidable opponent.
Pararararak.
The fan opened and closed repeatedly, revealing and concealing the flower pattern with each movement.
With each flourish, dazzling forms unfolded.
Yet as the forms continued, Elder Flower Fan's expression grew increasingly grim.
He could feel himself being gradually pushed back.
Swish!
Elder Flower Fan's arm was slashed again, blood spraying in all directions. At first glance, the wound appeared severe, but I could tell it was superficial.
Still, the injury deeply shook Elder Flower Fan's composure. Being forced into retreat and then wounded again had clearly rattled him.
Whoosh!
Hidden weapons shot from the fan—Elder Flower Fan's carefully reserved trump card.
The projectiles narrowly missed my face. The price for that near miss was steep.
Thwack!
My sword severed his wrist.
"Ugh!"
The first scream escaped his lips. The deep cut through his wrist muscles forced him to drop the fan.
Swish!
My sword followed through, slicing across his waist.
"Ugh!"
Elder Flower Fan staggered precariously, his desperate cry mirroring his precarious stance, before collapsing in a heap. The battle was decided.
"Wait! Please, just wait!"
He clutched his wrist, blood seeping between his fingers. The blood from the wound at his side had already soaked through his trousers.
He should have waited for a better moment to unleash his hidden weapon. But in his desperation, he had forced the attack prematurely.
Whenever a major attack fails, vulnerabilities always emerge. This was why I had conserved the three forms of the Soul-Chasing Asura Sword Technique during the chaotic melee.
"...Spare me. I'll grant you anything if you spare me. Who hired you? I'll pay you double, no, five times more than they did. Five times more, and if you kill the one who hired you, I'll give you ten times more on top of that. I swear it."
Watching his desperate struggle to survive, I said languidly, "Even in your old age, you cling so fiercely to life."
"Say whatever you want. I don't want to die."
"Did you ask about my employer?"
"Who is it?"
"My employer is already dead. You killed him in Jinan."
As Elder Flower Fan wore a puzzled expression,
Thwack!
My sword mercilessly pierced his chest.
"This is revenge for the child you killed."
I twisted the blade, and Elder Flower Fan screamed in agony.
I swiftly withdrew the sword and stabbed him again through the other side of his chest.
"This is revenge for his parents."
Again, I twisted the blade. He let out a deathly shriek.
Even in this moment, he couldn't let go of his attachment to life.
"Please... spare me."
"Is that old body of yours so precious? Did you want to live in luxury, even if it meant killing a child?"
"...I'll live virtuously from now on. So please..."
I withdrew the sword that had been lodged in him.
Turning my back, I walked away in the opposite direction.
After taking about ten steps, I glanced back at him.
Elder Flower Fan staggered to his feet. Believing I had spared him, he bowed his head in gratitude.
"...Thank you. I will never forget this kindness."
But my response was something he never could have imagined.
"Didn't I warn you? That living like that would end badly. I told you to live quietly, didn't I?"
He wore a bewildered expression. Was it because he was facing his final moments? Or because those words had struck deep into his heart?
He remembered when and from whom he had heard those words. It was long ago, when he was rejected from the Elder Council, that the Martial Arts Alliance Leader had spoken them to him.
"That's what Cheon Hajin said to me! How do you know that?"
The moment his eyes widened in shock, my sword sliced through the air.
Whoosh!
Boom!
The Third Form, Limitless Mark, erupted, and the space where Elder Flower Fan had stood exploded.
Elder Flower Fan's body shattered into countless fragments, scattering in all directions.
Thud, thud, thud.
Unidentifiable pieces of flesh rained down, mixed with dirt.
The very space itself had been obliterated.
Clink.
A small, unrecognizable piece of metal fell at my feet. It was Elder Flower Fan's fan. Like its master, it had vanished from the world.
"Rot in hell," I said coldly, turning away. Glimpses of the sky peeked through the dense bamboo forest.
Somewhere out there, a child was likely sleeping peacefully in his grandmother's arms.
Child, may your next life be long and filled with happiness.
"Elder Flower Fan hasn't returned since leaving yesterday," Si Gon reported, catching Ma Jeongsu completely off guard. This had never happened before. Whatever else might be said, Elder Flower Fan was known for his strict adherence to routine.
"Have you searched everywhere?"
"I've deployed my subordinates to search, but... he's nowhere to be found."
"Perhaps he had some urgent business to attend to."
Suddenly, Ma Jeongsu flinched.
"Could it be...?"
Si Gon's expression turned grave, as if he had already considered the same possibility.
Ma Jeongsu shot to his feet.
"Let's go to his quarters."
The two men entered Elder Flower Fan's room.
They searched the wardrobe and drawers, but Elder Flower Fan's belongings were gone.
Jeong Yeo had removed them under Byeok Ridan's orders.
"He's gone!" Ma Jeongsu roared after a moment of stunned silence.
"Crazy! Was it this old man who robbed the vault?"
"It seems so."
Si Gon didn't mention any other possibilities. He was still emotionally shaken by his earlier encounter with Elder Flower Fan and saw no reason to defend him in the face of such clear evidence. Instead, he began searching for more proof to confirm the elder's guilt.
Ma Jeongsu, however, remained skeptical. Even if Elder Flower Fan was desperate, he couldn't believe someone of his stature would risk his life for a mere few tens of thousands of taels.
Just then, Si Gon shouted, "Look over here!"
A nearby table had been moved, and something lay fallen beneath it.
"What's this?"
"It's a jeweled ornament from the Heavenly Creation Sword. It must have fallen off when he bumped into the table while fleeing in a hurry."
It was the very ornament Byeok Ridan had removed from the sword after modifying it in the blacksmith shop and kept aside.
Jeong Yeo had secretly placed it here while clearing away the luggage.
Traces like this, which could only be discovered through careful examination, would be more convincing evidence for framing Elder Flower Fan than any direct proof.
If they failed to find it, Jeong Yeo could later bring it himself, claiming a maidservant discovered it while cleaning Elder Flower Fan's room.
Ma Jeongsu remained uncertain. Was this clear evidence proving Elder Flower Fan's guilt, or was it a setup to frame him?
"Find that old man immediately! Hurry!"
"Yes, sir!"
"And not a word of this to anyone."
"Understood."
Si Gon hastily left the room. As a man known for his tight-lipped nature, there was no need to worry about him breaking his silence.
What if Elder Flower Fan has betrayed us? If Father were to learn of this, the consequences would be dire.
It would have been one thing to be betrayed by an outsider, but to be suddenly stabbed in the back by his own family made him feel like a complete fool. Regardless of who was responsible, this matter needed to be resolved quietly.
Ma Jeongsu casually glanced toward the window and froze in shock.
"Eek!"
A mysterious woman stood outside, peering into the room. His surprise was amplified by the fact that he had just finished warning Si Gon to keep their secret.
You scared me, you bitch!
The words nearly burst from his throat, but he barely managed to restrain himself. After all, she was a woman his father had sent to accompany him.
Without a word, she turned and walked away like a ghost.
Ma Jeongsu snapped at the window, his voice sharp with irritation.
"You don't know anything yet! Don't you dare open your mouth!"
Whether she heard him or not, she vanished without a trace.
Bang!
Ma Jeongsu slammed his fist against the window frame.
"Damn it! Shit!"
Things were spiraling out of control.