What You Gain, You Must Also Lose (5)
Swish!
“Gghh…….”
The last Blood-clad warrior finally stopped breathing.
Thud.
It sounded like the tolling of a bell, announcing the end of a long battle.
The moment the Blood-clad warrior fell, the Mount Hua disciples let out rough breaths and slackened the tension in their shoulders.
“Don’t let your guard down!”
But at Un Geom’s voice, arriving right on time, the taut string of vigilance snapped tight again.
“There may still be some among the fallen who are waiting for a chance. Don’t be careless—recover the enemy weapons and clean up the battlefield!”
“Yes, Hall Leader!”
Only after delivering that final piece of nagging did Un Geom lower his bloodstained sword.
They were a difficult enemy.
Most of the bandits had already fled, but the Blood-clad warriors had resisted fiercely to the very end. If the bandits had joined forces with them and counterattacked, the damage could have been terrible.
It’s thanks to that brat.
Un Geom’s gaze settled quietly on Chung Myung.
Because Chung Myung had stepped forward to draw their attention and crush the bandits’ will to fight, they had been able to end things with only this much damage.
“Hall Leader! The cleanup is done!”
“Any survivors?”
“……The poison spread…….”
As he had already suspected, Un Geom gave a small nod.
There had been some Blood-clad warriors who hadn’t died immediately but had lost consciousness from their wounds; apparently, the poison already lodged in their bodies had stolen their lives after all.
Vile bastards.
What in the world had driven them to fight while having swallowed poison?
After taking a deep breath, Un Geom turned to Hyun Sang.
“Elder.”
“Mm.”
Hyun Sang nodded as though he understood without needing to be told. Then he looked over the disciples, who still had not fully shaken off the aftereffects of battle.
Good faces.
In earlier battles, once victory was certain, everyone would shout praise until their throats went raw. But the faces of Mount Hua’s disciples now were those of warriors who had firmly taken their place.
It was all right to rejoice in victory, but they must never rejoice in death. If anyone had been seen boasting over this brutal triumph, Hyun Sang would have reprimanded him without hesitation.
Fortunately, Mount Hua’s disciples had not forgotten their duty as swordsmen—or their duty as Daoists.
All of them…….
“Ah, shit! Those bastards were damn quick on their feet!”
“…….”
Before long, Chung Myung had finished pounding on the backs of the bandits he’d chased down and came back, dusting off his hands.
“We should’ve beaten the hell out of them properly.”
“…….”
Well, of course…….
There was, naturally, one fool who had cleanly forgotten the duties of a Daoist. Yes, there was.
But that was just how he was.
Hyun Sang nodded gravely and spoke.
“Clean up the battlefield and hurry the treatment of the wounded!”
“Yes!”
At the command, everyone began moving briskly. Watching the flurry of activity, Hyun Sang suddenly looked up at the sky.
We won.
Mount Hua’s first historic expedition in this era had ended in a great victory with little loss.
“Aaaagh! Aaaagh! Aaaagh!”
“What are you making such a fuss for?”
“Aagh! Soso! It really hurts! I mean it! I’m dying here!”
“You got stabbed in the side, and now you’re whining because I wrapped it with bandages?”
“I-it really does hurt…….”
“Oh, will you shut up? Want me to rip the wound open again?”
“…….”
While Dang Soso treated the wounded, all of the Mount Hua Five Swords sweated coldly.
I will never let a blade touch me.
That’s not bandaging someone. She’s tying them up with bandages.
Will the blood even flow?
And yet, even as they thought that, deep relief filled their eyes.
It wasn’t as though nobody had been badly hurt, but thankfully no one was in mortal danger. If even one person had died, this atmosphere would have been impossible.
“I-I’m alive, so that’s enough, right?”
“What did you say, you bastard?”
“…….”
Dang Soso glared fiercely at the disciple who had tried to protest.
“Have you all lost your minds? Do you think the injuries you got are ordinary? A normal person would’ve been dead and buried already! If Chung Myung s-sahyung hadn’t shoved every miraculous pill he had down your throats, you’d barely still be alive!”
Her momentum was so fierce that it would not have been surprising if flames had started pouring from her mouth. The disciples who had been muttering and grumbling all shrank back and lowered their heads.
“You only survived because you were stuffed with Jaso-dan and Liquid Sky Essence until your side was practically torn to rags! And now you want to brag about it?”
“S-Soso. Calm down.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Pl-please calm down, noona.”
“If you get it, shut up and lie down!”
“Yes!”
Having subdued them in an instant, Dang Soso lifted a giant needle longer than a person’s palm and drove it deep into the patients’ bodies.
“Aaaaagh!”
“Be quiet!”
At that moment, Hyun Sang, who had been huddled in a corner, walked over to Dang Soso after clearing his throat, unable to withstand Un Geom’s look any longer.
“Th-then…… Soso.”
“Yes, Elder!”
The sudden shift in Dang Soso’s expression and tone made everyone’s faces twist in horror. At the unsettling atmosphere, Soso shot them a sidelong glare and mouthed, Why? What?
“……Never mind.”
Dang Soso subdued him splendidly with just a look, then smiled brightly again and turned to Hyun Sang.
“Did you call for me?”
“……Y-yes. How are the children’s conditions?”
“There are a few who were hurt pretty badly, but as long as the wounds don’t get infected, there shouldn’t be any major problems. Some will need to rest for a few months, though…….”
Dang Soso shook her head.
“They’ve all been guzzling so many pills that their recovery is way too fast. Some of the sahyungs are already starting to grow fresh flesh. In about half a month, everyone should be able to get back on their feet.”
“That is truly a relief.”
Hyun Sang let out a deep breath of relief.
He had privately once been dissatisfied with Chung Myung for force-feeding the disciples so many spiritual medicines. He had worried that excessive internal energy, out of proportion to their foundation, would throw off the balance between swordsmanship and inner power.
But now that things had come to this, he wanted to punch his former self for ever harboring even a moment’s dissatisfaction.
Balance and all that—what was any of it worth? First you had to be alive before you could even think about balance.
“Hoo. Good. Then please bear the burden for a bit.”
“Yes, Elder! Don’t worry!”
Dang Soso beamed and then resumed mercilessly wielding bandages and giant needles.
“E-Elder!”
“Elder. It hurts too much…….”
Hyun Sang truly did not even spare them a glance. He simply turned coldly away and walked off.
“Sahyung.”
“Hm?”
Hyun Young approached him then.
“Shouldn’t we chase after the bandits who fled? They were rough enough that they might cause trouble again.”
“Hmm.”
Hyun Sang frowned and let out a low murmur.
The Blood-clad warriors had been dealt with, but more than half the Green Forest bandits had escaped. Chung Myung had belatedly chased down and knocked out many of them, but there was no way, even for him, to catch every Green Forest thug scattering in all directions.
“That would be the proper thing to do, but…….”
After thinking it over, Hyun Sang swept his gaze over the disciples gathered around the wounded and shook his head.
“Pursuit can easily lead to heavy losses if handled poorly. And to chase scattered enemies, we would have to scatter as well. I don’t want to take any more risks. More important than anything is the safety of the disciples.”
“Mm. Sahyung is right.”
Hyun Young, who normally seemed to object out of habit, nodded readily this time in agreement.
“If we’ve done this much, wouldn’t the Green Forest King handle the rest?”
Their gazes turned toward the inner part of the encampment, where Im Sobyeong was.
“Green Forest King!”
“We knew you would come rescue us!”
“You must have suffered terribly!”
After freeing the Green Forest folk imprisoned in the encampment’s jail, Green Forest King Im Sobyeong comforted the sobbing people.
“You’ve all suffered greatly.”
“No! It is we who were foolish and failed to protect the Green Forest King. It was enough for us that you were alive, but to see you return in such intact condition fills us with indescribable emotion.”
Im Sobyeong nodded solemnly.
If Go Hong had killed them all, the situation would have been utterly hopeless. It seemed he had no intention of killing them, since although they were injured, none seemed to be in a condition that threatened life or movement.
At least Go Hong wasn’t completely devoid of thought.
These were the people who ran the Green Fortress, the indispensable hands needed to manage the entire Green Forest. As long as they remained, rebuilding the Green Fortress would not be all that difficult.
“I know you’re all glad to see one another, but this is no time for that. We’re pressed for time, so first tell me what happened while you were gone.”
“Yes!”
“We’ll move at once.”
They were practically his limbs and hands, so no lengthy explanation was needed. After organizing the situation, Im Sobyeong turned around.
Then he quickly approached Hyun Sang, Hyun Young, and Chung Myung, who was squatting nearby, and dropped to his knees in front of them.
“Gasp!”
“Huh?”
Hyun Sang hurriedly grabbed him and tried to pull him up in alarm. But Im Sobyeong did not rise—instead, he flopped fully to the ground and smashed his forehead against it.
“Mount Hua’s kindness is as boundless as the sea.”
“What are you doing? How can someone of your standing kneel like this?”
“I’m a man who has nothing to offer. At the very least, please allow me to show my gratitude.”
“Oh, dear…….”
It was truly a heartwarming sight.
Had no voice interrupted, it would have ended exactly like that.
“Nothing to offer?”
“…….”
“…….”
Chung Myung was glaring at Im Sobyeong with a crooked expression. Under that bulging stare, Im Sobyeong shuddered.
“……N-no, that’s just a figure of speech. Chung Myung doryeon, I don’t have a dozen lives, do I? Do you really think I’d renege on what I promised?”
“Hehe. Right?”
Just like that, Chung Myung was grinning sheepishly and scratching the back of his head as though he had never glared at him at all.
“I was worried you might’ve gotten your head so far up your ass now that you got your position as Green Forest King back. That would’ve been a pain in the ass.”
“……Pain in the ass?”
Instead of giving a proper answer, Chung Myung pointed his chin toward Beon Chung.
“I’m a little worried about that one.”
“…….”
Im Sobyeong looked at Beon Chung, then at Chung Myung, with a slightly sick expression.
If I die, that bastard becomes Green Forest King.
That was what he meant, wasn’t it? He’d cut him down, then sit Beon Chung on the throne of Green Forest King.
Of course, it was absurd nonsense—but when had that man ever lived by doing only sensible things?
“That will never happen! Never! Absolutely never ever!”
“Aw, why so serious? Between us? Hey, I trust you. I really do.”
No.
His eyes did not trust him at all.
Not even a little.
Im Sobyeong rose to his feet and let out a quiet sigh.
“I’ll announce that Dae-byeol Bandit Band has fallen and declare that I have reclaimed my place. It will take at least half a month, maybe a month, to restore the Green Forest to normal.”
“Hm.”
“Once that time has passed, I will certainly keep my promise.”
Chung Myung nodded lightly.
“Fine. I understand for now.”
“Yes. Then I have a great deal to do…….”
“Right.”
Watching Im Sobyeong head back to the Green Fortress people, Chung Myung rested his chin on his hand.
“Hmm.”
The encampment also seemed to be gradually being put in order.
We got a lot out of this.
First, they had won. And they had also experienced people who truly fought with their lives on the line. The disciples could not have asked for more valuable experience.
Right now they were probably still dazed and uncertain about what had happened, but in the end this victory would remain in their hearts and grow into confidence that nothing could replace.
And we gained some fame while we were at it.
The result of this battle would probably shake the whole world before many days had passed.
For the first time in a while since the Mount Hua Heroes Conference, the name Mount Hua would once again be spoken of everywhere. And this time, it would not be something anyone could dismiss as the achievement of some promising juniors—it would be the accomplishment of Mount Hua itself.
Thinking of it that way, it really had been the best possible outcome…….
“Chung Myung.”
“Yes?”
“Do you have any idea who those Blood-clad warriors were?”
At Hyun Young’s question, Chung Myung’s brows drew together slightly.
“Well. There’s no shortage of bastards like that.”
“Mm. I see.”
Hyun Young nodded, his face complicated, as though he felt the same.
Right.
Those bastards were the problem.
Hyun Young seemed to be thinking the same thing as Chung Myung. Maybe this battle was a little different from what Mount Hua had assumed.
He couldn’t say exactly what it was, but something…….
“Chung Myung.”
“Hm?”
“A moment.”
At that point Baek Cheon beckoned Chung Myung over. Chung Myung tilted his head and obediently got up from his seat.
Led to a corner, Baek Cheon opened his mouth with a stiff expression.
“This is just my thought.”
“Yeah?”
“The qi of those wearing blood-red robes…… it feels familiar, as though I’ve encountered it before.”
“……Huh?”
“It isn’t exactly the same, but there’s such a thing as a feeling, isn’t there?”
Chung Myung looked at Baek Cheon quietly with a somewhat fresh expression.
“Sasuk.”
“Yeah?”
“For now, leave that as just a suspicion.”
“…….”
“Nothing is certain yet.”
After studying his expression, Baek Cheon slowly nodded.
“Right. I understand what you mean.”
“Hmph.”
The Blood-clad warriors’ corpses were already piled in one spot. Chung Myung said in a low voice,
“That’s about all it amounts to.”
“Hm?”
“Nothing.”
Turning his back on Baek Cheon, Chung Myung walked away, his eyes sinking darkly.
Looks like Sasuk caught on to something.
His lips twisted.
Yeah. No matter how well you hide your identity, you can’t hide the smell.
His eyes drifted toward somewhere beyond the mountains.
As though he could already see someone standing where no one else could.