If You're Wronged, Then Get Yourself Resurrected Too (2)
Dazed.
Everything was blurry.
What was he even doing right now?
The thick stench of blood rushing up his nose.
The killing intent that stung against his skin.
All of it felt strangely unfamiliar.
"Daoist Brother!"
Three throwing knives flew in from behind Chung Myung and buried themselves in the foreheads of the Demonic Sect disciples charging at him.
With a wet crunch, the Demonic Sect members collapsed where they stood.
Thunk.
Chung Myung stared at the bodies sprawled on the ground with a faintly vacant gaze.
The twitching heads of the Demonic Sect disciples turned to the side. A moment later, the light faded from their eyes as well.
Death.
Yes, death.
"What are you doing? Suddenly spacing out in the middle of a fight? That’s not like you, Daoist Brother!"
Slowly, Chung Myung turned his head and looked behind him.
Tang Bo.
He tilted his head, then walked toward Chung Myung.
"...No."
Chung Myung raised a hand and pressed hard at his brow.
For some reason, his concentration had broken apart.
"I’m not sure. I guess I was a little tired."
Chung Myung shook off the Plum Blossom Sword, flicked the blood from its blade, and slid it back into its scabbard. Tang Bo grinned and reached out to collect his knives.
"Well, you would be tired. You’ve been fighting nonstop for three days."
"Mm."
"...You’re really worn out, aren’t you, Brother? You’ve barely said a word."
"..."
"Want some medicine?"
"Forget it."
"No, seriously, Brother, you’re doing that again. Other people hear 'Tang Family secret medicine' and their eyes practically pop out of their heads trying to get a bite. Don’t you trust the Tang Family? The Tang Family?"
"I trust the Tang Family."
"Then what?"
"I don’t trust you."
"Ha. You really know how to hurt a man, don’t you? I told you last time, the poison pill I gave you was just a mistake because I got mixed up."
"Your mouth’s the only thing that’s alive. I swear, I’ll—"
Chung Myung spun around.
"I’m heading back."
"Hey, come on, let’s go together, Brother."
Tang Bo hurried after him.
"We wiped out their reinforcements, so the tide should tilt our way now, right?"
"It had better."
Otherwise, all this hellish suffering would have been for nothing.
Then Chung Myung abruptly turned his head at the cold sensation touching his arm. Tang Bo was applying a wound salve to it.
The long gash was slowly covered by the thick, sticky medicine.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to leave a wound untreated if you don’t want to suffer later?"
Chung Myung’s brow creased slightly.
"If you leave it alone, it’ll heal on its own."
"Yes, yes. But if you put medicine on it, it heals faster. Just sit still."
Tang Bo even tore away part of Chung Myung’s robe and slathered the salve on thickly.
"Tang Family secret wound salve isn’t something you can buy with money. Be grateful."
"You spend all day saying how much you hate the Tang Family, and yet you use Tang Family stuff just fine."
"That’s one thing, this is another. Besides..."
Tang Bo’s face turned a little bitter.
"I didn’t understand before, but now I think I know why the family was so stubborn. In the end, if you don’t have strength, you’re nothing. If the Tang Family had just been a little stronger, we wouldn’t have had to run all the way to Sichuan, and all those people wouldn’t have died."
"..."
Seeing Tang Bo speak in that suddenly heavy voice, Chung Myung’s brows drew together slightly.
"These days, that’s what I think about, Daoist Brother."
"What is?"
"Maybe if I hadn’t kept butting heads with the family every time they said something, if I’d just trusted them and backed them up, the family could’ve grown stronger.... Then maybe... maybe we could’ve saved one more person...."
"Don’t talk nonsense. If anything, you might’ve all gone along blindly and gotten wiped out because you trusted strength too much."
"...I guess so."
Tang Bo lowered his head with a bitter expression. A moment later, when he lifted his head again, the bitterness had vanished as though washed away. In its place was a playful smile.
"So once this war is over, I’m thinking of helping that old sect leader a bit this time. I’m only a great elder in name, and only an adult in words. I never really took proper care of those guys, did I?"
"You only caused trouble."
"As if you did any better, Bro—"
"What?"
"No, no, nothin’. Man, the weather’s really.... Huh. Kind of gloomy. What’s with this weather? Ahem."
Chung Myung snorted.
Honestly, if it came down to who had done less for their sect, Chung Myung was no better than Tang Bo.
All he had given Mount Hua was the reputation of the Plum Blossom Sword Saint. He had never properly raised disciples or helped the heirs who came after him.
He had simply lived as he pleased and gone wherever his feet carried him.
If this war ends....
Then things would have to be different. After that, they would.
"So, Brother."
"Yeah?"
"Let’s make a promise too. If I die in this war, you look after the Tang Family brats for me."
"...What nonsense are you spouting?"
"Even if I’m the Dark Saint or whatever, you’ve got a better shot at surviving than I do. So just think of it as granting your younger brother’s dying wish and take care of them, will you? I’m telling you, I’ll even give you a Thousand Poison Pill. You can’t even buy that with—"
"If you’re going to spout bullshit, get lost. Get lost now. I’m about ready to stab you."
"No, how is that such a hard thing to do?"
"If you want to raise the Tang Family, do it yourself. Survive somehow and do it."
"...Tch. What a cold bastard."
As Tang Bo muttered under his breath, Chung Myung waved him away like he was shooing off a fly and started off ahead with a lazy stride.
"That’s a promise, then?"
"Seriously..."
"I said I’d give you a Thousand Poison Pill!"
"What, you little—?"
"Huh?"
"You want a beating?"
"Ha.... Haha. Man, that injury from before must’ve been worse than I thought. Why’s your body acting so—"
Watching Tang Bo retreat with that easy, shameless banter, Chung Myung let out a quiet laugh.
"Why are you worrying about what happens after you die? Once you’re dead, that’s the end of it."
"Well, yeah, but it doesn’t really work like that. Even if I die, the people left behind still have to keep living."
"..."
"You’re a daoist who’s detached from the world, Brother, so maybe you don’t really get that feeling...."
Tang Bo scratched his head.
"There’s just... this kind of thing. This nagging unease that never really goes away."
Chung Myung sighed and turned his body away.
"Stop dumping your work on other people and do it yourself."
"..."
"Instead."
"Yeah?"
"I’ll finish the war."
He would cut down that Heavenly Demon bastard and end it himself.
"Heh. If it’s you, Brother, I’m sure you can do it."
"So until then...."
Chung Myung ground the words out like he was chewing them.
"Survive, no matter what."
"...Yes."
Tang Bo quietly moved to Chung Myung’s side. Seeing him walking there beside him, Chung Myung unconsciously matched his own stride to his.
And then.
Tang Bo did not survive even one more month after that and died in battle.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Chung Myung opened his eyes.
Huh?
He jolted upright.
"Ugh...."
A sharp pain shot through his abdomen. Looking down, he saw white bandages wrapped tightly around his stomach.
So I’m not dead, huh.
Well, I’m not the kind of bastard who dies that easily. Back when I was fighting wars before, I survived even after a great sword got shoved into my dantian! This body’s tougher than a cockroach—ah, wait, that’s an insult.
But where am I?
He snapped his head around, and his expression twisted in an instant.
"Huh?"
His eyes fell on the Mount Hua disciples, who were literally sprawled all over the floor.
Baek Cheon, Yu I-seol, Yoon Jong, and Jo Gul were lying there like dead....
Ah. They were sleeping like the dead.
That gave him a shock.
Chung Myung briefly checked his martial siblings’ condition, then snorted.
"They must’ve grown up without much, because they can sleep anywhere."
Oh, those pitiful fools.
Just as Chung Myung was about to call Yoon Jong and wake him,
"Leave them be. They stayed up for three days straight."
Chung Myung whirled around.
A man stood before the open door, which he hadn’t even noticed was there.
"You’re awake?"
"..."
The man stepping in at a measured pace was none other than Tang Gun-ak, the Lord of the Sichuan Tang Family, the same man Chung Myung had dueled.
His face held no particular expression.
Chung Myung tilted his head and looked around again.
"Is this the Tang Family?"
"It is."
"Why am I at the Tang Family.... No, wait, before that! Three days have passed?"
"Indeed. You were unconscious for three full days."
Chung Myung’s face twisted sharply.
Three days?
What, he got stabbed in the gut and ended up flat on his back for three days?
You’re pathetic.
Chung Myung ground his teeth.
If this had been back in the old days, he would’ve simply shaken it off, gotten up, and slapped medicine on it. But this body had lost consciousness over a wound this small.
Just thinking about it made his temper flare.
"Then why are our sasu—"
"Your martial uncles swore they would not leave your side until you woke. I tried to make them rest, but they resisted, even drawing their swords. They were so tightly strung that I felt something disastrous might happen, so I pressed their acupoints and put them to sleep."
"..."
They stayed by his side for three days?
Those fools...
They could’ve just taken turns watching him. All four of them had to stay glued there?
Honestly. What a bunch of idiots.
Chung Myung glared at Tang Gun-ak.
"Then you should’ve moved me somewhere more comfortable!"
"And every time we tried, they’d groan and wake up. What was I supposed to do?"
"..."
"Your martial siblings seem to share a very strong bond. If the Tang Family’s children were like that, I’d worry a bit less myself. I’m almost jealous."
"Jealous, my ass...."
Chung Myung glanced sideways at his martial siblings.
Idiots.
They really were hopelessly foolish.
And yet....
"Ahem."
Chung Myung cleared his throat softly.
Something he couldn’t quite name brushed through his chest.
Then Tang Gun-ak strode forward and bowed deeply toward Chung Myung.
"I apologize."
"Huh?"
"This entire matter was my oversight. I never imagined that brat Tang Pae would commit such a disgraceful act."
"..."
"I know that no matter what I say, it cannot absolve me. Still, I will do everything I can, so please let go of your anger."
"Hmm?"
Tang Gun-ak raised his head and spoke with a solemn expression.
"First, I acknowledge that I lost this match."
"..."
"As promised, the Sichuan Tang Family will recognize Chung Myung of Mount Hua as an eternal guest of the Tang Family—and as a friend."
"Oh?"
"And if you wish, I will even hand over Tang Pae’s head."
Chung Myung’s eyes widened.
"I raised my son badly. If that can be enough to clear this matter, then I’ll do it as many times as necessary. If it can restore even a fraction of the Tang Family’s honor that has been dragged through the dirt—"
Tang Gun-ak spat the words out like he was chewing on them.
But what he was thinking inside was a little different from what showed on his face.
If I take it this far, he should have no choice but to accept it.
Tang Gun-ak lifted his eyes slightly to gauge Chung Myung’s reaction.
Hm?
Unfortunately for Tang Gun-ak, Chung Myung’s expression was a little.... No, a lot different from what he had expected.
"..."
Chung Myung’s head tilted to the side.
"That’s it?"
"...Huh?"
"That’s all?"
"W-Well then?"
"Good heavens."
Chung Myung stared at Tang Gun-ak with a look that said he simply could not believe what he was hearing. That gaze, as if he were looking at something that should not exist in the world, made Tang Gun-ak flinch.
"You stab a man in the gut and then what? 'Friend'? Friend, my ass!"
"..."
"And if your brat screwed up, then the parent should take responsibility! Don’t just quietly shove the blame onto the kid!"
"..."
"My word, people! This is what the Tang Family’s like, okay? The Tang Family! Good heavens! You call yourselves a prestigious sect? Prestigious my foot!"
Chung Myung sprang to his feet.
"No, wait! Instead of all this, I should go sprint into Chengdu and spread the word about how thorough the Tang Family is with its business! I can just tell the beggars. It’ll be all over the world in three days."
"C-Calm yourself!"
Cold sweat poured down Tang Gun-ak’s spine.
If word spread that the Tang Family’s lord had lost to the Mount Hua Divine Dragon in a duel, and that the Tang Family’s young lord had launched a sneak attack during a fair match.... the Tang Family would be finished.
Especially since they already got called borderline demonic because they used hidden weapons and poison.
"No, no, that won’t do. That won’t do at all. You’d lose your head if you did that. If he threw a knife at someone during a duel by sneak attack, what’s to stop him from slashing a throat too?"
"...If I were going to do that, I’d already have killed you."
"What?"
"Ah, no, that’s not what I meant. My words slipped."
Tang Gun-ak wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve and looked at Chung Myung.
"What do you want?"
"You really have to ask? I need compensation! Compensation! If you stab someone and then think a single 'sorry' will end it, then why do government offices even exist? Why do wars happen?"
"Quite right. Yes. Of course there must be compensation. But as for that compensation.... What exactly should we give you...."
"I’ll think about it carefully. About how to make this a proper deal.... No, a mutually beneficial one."
"..."
"And!"
Chung Myung’s eyes flashed.
"I’m a little low on strength right now, so—"
"Hm?"
"Give me a Thousand Poison Pill first."
"...A Th-Thousand Poison Pill?"
"Yes."
"..."
"Now."
"...Very well."
Utter desolation appeared on Tang Gun-ak’s face.
I picked the wrong fight.
And looking at Tang Gun-ak’s expression, Chung Myung smiled brightly.
Tang Bo. Tang Bo.
Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of the Tang Family for you.
Hm?
You’re asking if that’s taking care of them?
If you’re so wronged, you should come back to life too.
Heh heh heh heh.