Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Eight Divisions - Friendly Spar (2)
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“Greetings to the Golden Sword Great Hero!”
Mok Ri-won smiled brightly as he cupped his hands in salute. He was thrilled to finally meet one of the people he had wanted to talk to ever since arriving at the Murim Alliance.
His gaze shifted to Gwon Pyo-wol’s waist. The gold-painted scabbard stirred his romantic sensibilities.
“I’ve heard so much about the Golden Sword Great Hero’s many heroic deeds since coming to the alliance! It’s such an honor to meet you like this! If you have a moment, perhaps we could talk for a bit….”
“Ah, sorry. I’m in a hurry right now.”
“Ah.”
Mok Ri-won belatedly made an ‘oh no’ face and spoke awkwardly.
“…Of course. Now that you mention it, it’s working hours. My apologies. I got carried away in my excitement.”
“No need to apologize. To think the Ink Dragon himself took a liking to me—it’s something to be grateful for.”
At his modest response, Mok Ri-won’s eyes sparkled.
It was because Gwon Pyo-wol seemed exactly like the man from the rumors. One who knew etiquette, was solemn, and never said anything discourteous to others.
With admiration on his face, Mok Ri-won said to Gwon Pyo-wol,
“Ah! But there’s the sparring match in a few days, right? I’m really looking forward to crossing swords with the Golden Sword Great Hero that day!”
“Hm? The sparring match? Sorry about that.”
Mok Ri-won and Dang Hwa-seo froze.
Gwon Pyo-wol continued with an awkward smile.
“I won’t be participating. I want to give more opportunities to my division members.”
Dang Hwa-seo was the one who spoke up in response.
“I thought division leaders and unit leaders had to participate in friendly spars….”
“That’s the custom, but it’s not mandatory.”
Deep disappointment crossed Mok Ri-won’s face.
“Is that so? What a shame.”
“But I am looking forward to it. Our division members aren’t inferior to yours in skill. It should be a good match.”
Gwon Pyo-wol said that and cupped his hands in salute.
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
He showed not the slightest reluctance.
*
Soon, as the sun was setting, Mok Ri-won found Yeom So-so leisurely sipping tea and struck up a conversation with her.
“The Golden Sword?”
At Yeom So-so’s words, Mok Ri-won nodded.
“He said he’s not participating in the sparring to give opportunities to his division members. It’s truly disappointing….”
Mok Ri-won’s demeanor was markedly subdued compared to that morning.
Yeom So-so thought for a moment, then let out an ‘ah.’
“Right, Gwon Pyo-wol. He was the Golden Sword. I’d forgotten.”
“Hm? Do you know him?”
“Not really acquainted, just heard some stories.”
Curiosity appeared on Mok Ri-won’s face.
Yeom So-so chuckled and said,
“It’s probably a lie. That bit about stepping back for his subordinates.”
“W-what do you mean?!”
Mok Ri-won jumped to his feet in shock. Yeom So-so added an explanation.
“That gold paint on his scabbard. Do you know what it means?”
“Know the weight of wielding the sword! That’s what I heard!”
“That’s the problem.”
Mok Ri-won tilted his head.
He thought it was just a romantic and cool resolve, but Yeom So-so was pointing it out as an issue, which he couldn’t understand.
“Isn’t it cool? I think it shows the proper attitude for a hero!”
“If you only look at the intent, sure. It’s a teaching everyone in the martial world should follow.”
Yeom So-so took a sip of tea, then spoke in a softer tone.
“Kid.”
“Yes!”
“Do you know what a martial artist must be most careful of?”
Yeom So-so’s expression seemed to recall some distant past.
“Becoming immersed in the jianghu. Letting the ideals in your heart be tainted by the walls of reality.”
“…I don’t quite follow.”
“For example. You said you want to be a hero, right?”
“Yes….”
“Let me ask. Does the justice and jianghu you imagined match the reality you’ve faced?”
Mok Ri-won couldn’t help but pause at her words. He had a hunch.
The jianghu in *Tales of the Jianghu Heroes* was always full of romance, dreams, and ideals. It contained deep resonances that stirred a man’s heart.
But reality was different. The jianghu was a bit more ruthless than Mok Ri-won had thought.
Dang Hwa-seo had to flee as a fugitive despite being a victim.
The jiangshi of Blood Valley couldn’t even rest in peace because they lacked power.
The widow he met in Anhui, and what of Gwak Chil-pyo, the author of *Tales of the Jianghu Heroes*?
“…It’s not exactly the same.”
A bitter smile played on Mok Ri-won’s lips.
Yeom So-so nodded.
“Right. That’s the real jianghu. Even those who cry out to establish pure justice in a lawless world inevitably revert to the law of the jungle. So they can’t help but become immersed.”
“So that means….”
“I think the Golden Sword has been too stained by the ways of the world.”
It wasn’t just idle talk.
Having lived as a martial artist for those long years, Yeom So-so had seen countless people like Gwon Pyo-wol.
“No matter how stubborn they are, they eventually face reality. And they conform bit by bit. Until even the ideals in their hearts are tailored to fit reality.”
*Know the weight of the sword.* Gwon Pyo-wol was still following that teaching.
But Yeom So-so was certain it no longer held the meaning of a hero.
“That guy values his sword for its price. Not as justice, but as wealth.”
“Wealth….”
“He starts calculating his worth. As a division leader of the Murim Alliance, as a sword master.”
Mok Ri-won didn’t like what Yeom So-so was saying.
She could tell from his expression.
His face had become so sullen.
So Yeom So-so explained further.
“A division leader in the Murim Alliance is a mid-level manager. That’s why division leaders want higher positions that are key to the alliance. Only then can they realize their ambitions. To climb higher, they need achievements and fame. So he’ll avoid you.”
“Me?”
“Beating you is just breaking even, and losing is just ‘defeated by a junior’—no real shame.”
“…”
“He calculated it. The value of sparring with you. And judged that skipping this sparring would be positive for his performance review.”
Mok Ri-won clenched his fist. He understood Yeom So-so’s words.
Practical value.
It was a concept Mok Seon-o and Ma Il-seok had already explained to him.
*-Won-ah, someday you’ll face a crossroads too.*
*-A choice?*
*-Will you be a naive fool chasing romance, or build fame for practical justice?*
*-What’s the difference?*
*-Chasing romance saves the person before you. Practical justice realizes the greater good.*
*-…I don’t get it. What’s true justice?*
*-Nothing is wrong. They’re just different.*
Just different.
Mok Ri-won understood.
Gwon Pyo-wol probably wanted to rise higher and spread his version of justice to the world. He judged sparring with Mok Ri-won would be a loss in that process.
“…But still.”
He understood, but couldn’t accept it.
His head agreed, but his heart didn’t.
Mok Ri-won still felt frustrated.
“That kind of justice is too different from what I know. Ignoring challenges and chasing achievements and benefits doesn’t look like justice to me. Am I too narrow-minded?”
Yeom So-so studied Mok Ri-won’s face.
His firm lips, narrowed brow, and eyes still burning clearly amid it all.
This was the face of a stubborn fool.
One who rarely compromises.
And Yeom So-so knew such fools well.
“There’s no such thing as narrow-minded justice. There is only the sword.”
A deep smile played on Yeom So-so’s lips.
Then she recited it.
The one rule that moved this jianghu.
“Kid, in this jianghu, only the victor can proclaim justice. So there’s only one way, isn’t there?”
Yeom So-so’s fingertip pointed to Mok Ri-won’s waist. An old iron sword hung there.
“If you don’t like his greater good and calculations, speak with that sword. Prove your justice is right.”
The law of the jungle.
The one unchanging truth of this jianghu, no matter how flowery the words.
Mok Ri-won’s fist clenched tighter.
“…I.”
Mok Ri-won looked down at his sword. Unlike Gwon Pyo-wol’s, it was just worn by time.
“I… don’t know complicated calculations. I can’t hold them in my heart. What I’ve known since the day my first master taught me the sword has been one thing.”
“What is it?”
“A hero is someone who chases romance.”
Mok Ri-won placed his hand on the scabbard.
As he did, he recalled a distant past.
*-Master, what did you choose? Romance or reality?*
*-You ask the obvious.*
*-Hm?*
*-This master can’t live without romance. So I chose to be a fool who can’t see beyond the next step.*
He recalled the gift his master had given him.
Mok Ri-won lifted his head. Strength entered his voice.
“I’d rather be a fool. And greedy. I don’t want to ignore what’s right in front of me for some greater good.”
“Can you do that? The Golden Sword is a division leader of the Murim Alliance. That means a Peak Realm expert. Even if you get him on the sparring stage, do you have confidence you can beat him?”
“I don’t think about it. I’ll just swing my sword.”
“Hm?”
“My master said it.”
Only then did a smile play on Mok Ri-won’s lips. Having made his resolve, his chest felt clear.
“Heroes always walk the hardest path.”
Yeom So-so’s eyes widened slightly.
For a moment, an ugly face that didn’t suit Mok Ri-won’s handsome one overlapped in her vision.
*-It’s okay if it’s hard. Justice originally reveals itself to those who rise above adversity.*
A chuckling laugh escaped Yeom So-so.
“…You take after him exactly.”
Yeom So-so thought again.
Mok Seon-o had made him exactly like that guy.
*
It was late evening.
Gwon Pyo-wol was heading to his quarters after finishing the day’s work.
Even then, he was mentally organizing tomorrow’s tasks.
The quarter was ending soon, with performance evaluations to follow.
He had met this quarter’s targets sufficiently, but he doubted the other division leaders had done worse.
That meant he needed more achievements and more flawless management.
‘Sparring tomorrow, huh.’
The moment he thought of it, a face came to mind.
A handsome man who had spat out deep disappointment with an innocent expression.
It was Mok Ri-won.
Recalling that face made Gwon Pyo-wol feel uneasy.
He didn’t know why.
Or perhaps he didn’t want to know.
Gwon Pyo-wol smirked.
‘…Good for him.’
Time is cruel.
There was a time when he too harbored expectations for spars with the strong and dreamed of the future ahead—just like that.
Now, he felt regret that such times would never return.
He hadn’t lost his justice. The passion burning in his chest was the same as back then, and the ideals he sought to achieve hadn’t left a corner of his heart.
But now he had to calculate.
He knew there were realities that passion alone couldn’t solve.
He wanted to speak of the weight of wielding the sword.
He wanted to proclaim to the world what a more righteous sword was.
For that, he needed fame. And for fame, there were passions he had to set aside.
Sparring with Mok Ri-won would surely be a good experience, but it didn’t make sense.
As Gwon Pyo-wol walked while consoling himself thus,
“Golden Sword Great Hero.”
Someone blocked his path.
A familiar face.
Of course, it was the man he had just been thinking of.
“…Ink Dragon?”
“Could we talk for a moment?”
Mok Ri-won cupped his hands and smiled gently.