Those Who Break the Walls (5)
Sima Jeong submitted his resignation right away. Sure, he was Tae-eul Gate's attending physician, but he wouldn't meddle in their relief efforts, and he'd secured promises of ample support for herbs and materials. On top of receiving the wondrous medical tome Mancho Borok, he could now craft the elixirs he'd poured his heart into researching. It was an opportunity too good to pass up.
His resignation sailed through the Divine Medical Pavilion in record time—just one day. They must've been over the moon that their persistent thorn in the side, who'd toughed out even a demotion to a dead-end post, was finally walking out on his own two feet. Word on the street was that all the pavilion's doctors threw a bash that very night.
Whatever. Sima Jeong liquidated his scant belongings and went to meet Jin Sowoon.
"What's this?"
"Heading to Hebi in the dead of winter won't be easy. Consider this travel money."
"……."
Sima Jeong stared holes through the bill of exchange Jin Sowoon held out. Who hands over this much as "travel money"?
"Don't you grasp the concept of 'travel expenses'?"
"If anything, you don't get it, Doctor. Even if we've scraped together what we can before you arrive at Tae-eul Gate, do you think we'll have the herbs or assistants ready? Obviously, we'll stock up on whatever we can from a big city and bring it along."
"……Even so, what if I take off with this cash……."
"What can we do? Put out a bounty and write it off. My bad for misjudging you."
Sima Jeong couldn't fathom Jin Sowoon at all. A young man barely into his twenties holding two thousand nyang in gold notes was bizarre enough, but he tossed it around without a second thought. No—he seemed utterly convinced it was safe, like it was impossible to lose.
Jin Sowoon shrugged, as if he'd already seen several moves ahead.
"Even if you bolted with it, you'd blow it all on relief supplies and aid anyway. Then what? How would you handle the next round of relief?"
"Better to stick with Tae-eul Gate?"
"At least as long as it doesn't collapse, you can keep doing exactly what you want."
What I want. How strange. This madman's pie-in-the-sky pitch was weirdly convincing.
"In that case, I suppose I'll have to bust my ass to keep Tae-eul Gate afloat."
"Just whip up some top-shelf spirit pills, and it won't go under anytime soon."
……And here I thought he'd be a pushover. Sima Jeong shook his head to dispel the ominous(?) premonition.
"Ahem. About those spirit pills. Jeongsimdan work? For the same price, maybe something else……."
He already knew Jeongsimdan was a bust—making more would just waste time and money. But his investor was firm.
"We need Jeongsimdan first. Once everyone's taken it, develop a new one. You'll need to research inner arts anyway to match it with the Tae-eul True Scripture, right?"
Sima Jeong nodded as he listened.
"Got it. But there's another snag, like last time with the Jeongsimdan…… Those ingredients are a nightmare to source."
Not because they were rare and pricey—no, hardly anyone sought them, and they were cheap, so pharmacies didn't stock them. Fine for regular meds with substitutes aplenty, but spirit pills demanded the real deal.
Jin Sowoon brushed it off like it was nothing.
"Once you're set up as a doctor in Hebi, I'll hunt them down and deliver."
"You?"
"Yeah."
Sima Jeong had no clue how this kid would snag herbs that stumped veteran foragers, but he could only nod. He had his own preparations to make, after all.
"Fine. I'll get started on my end, like you said."
Hebi was a big city, but no Muhwan. He bought up Muhwan-exclusive herbs and tools, shipping them via Daecheon Merchant Group to Hebi.
Everything was set for the trip to Hebi—until the snag hit.
It was smack in the middle of winter break. Not just regular escort service routes, but even special group tour packages were fully booked.
Was he really about to trek to Hebi alone on horseback, practically blind? Just then, word came from Yu Han Escort Agency.
"You're in luck. A whole block of five seats just got canceled."
"Five seats?"
One or two, sure—but five at once?
"Beats me. Something about their senior brother insisting on walking…… Anyway, they looked downright depressed canceling."
"All the way to Hebi?"
"Yup. We know academy brats are quirky, but this? Walking to Hebi in midwinter……."
Sima Jeong had a sinking feeling he knew exactly which academy students the escort was talking about.
"……Yeah, no kidding."
Oblivious to the dark premonition stirring in Sima Jeong's chest, the escort added magnanimously.
"If you run into types like that, run like hell. Best steer clear."
"……."
Sima Jeong fingered the two-thousand-nyang bill in his pocket through his outer robe, seriously questioning if he'd made a grave mistake.
"……."
No matter how he turned it over, no answers came.
#
"Haa…… haa……."
His breath scraped his throat raw. Steps he'd never found taxing before felt alien and grueling now. He knew exactly why.
Insane—circulating qi while moving…….
Hong Saryeon had never cursed aloud in her life, no matter the hardship. But since leaving Muhwan, she'd muttered profanities inwardly without fail, every single day.
Not for long.
"Hey! Slacking again!"
No time for curses—the brutal roar unleashed a killing intent that stiffened every hair on her body. She'd never felt anything like it, even in academy sparring. Maybe this was what you'd get for casually offing someone's parents?
But it was bizarre. She'd never disrespected Lord Jin Taesan, so why was this lunatic senior unleashing it on her?
"You gonna shape up or not?"
"……."
When he was young, he'd been sensitive, gentle. The sort who'd force a feeble smile through his fragile face whenever she comforted him in tough times…….
"Huh? Deaf? You lot are hopeless! From the top!"
Now? He'd turned so savage, you couldn't help wondering if hell's yakshas looked this feral.
Haa…….
Earlier this year at the academy, the gold-silver-bronze brothers' movements had seemed downright unnatural. She'd asked them straight up, learning about donggong for the first time. Circulating qi bit by bit all day? Irresistible.
But her first try terrified her—she never dared again. One slip, and death loomed; power drained from her limbs like muscle fatigue. No way could anyone live normally like this.
That's what I thought, for sure…….
As she huffed out heavy sighs, sweating buckets in midwinter, Eunho offered a water skin.
"Senior Sister, have some water."
Saryeon eyed the skin sourly. Her grip steamed from the heat of her exertions.
She was filthy exhausted. She wanted to grab her senior brother by the collar and make him stop.
But she couldn't.
Because of these guys.
"H-Hyung…… urk."
"Hoo! Gotta endure……!"
The three brothers wore iron rings on arms and legs, their leather vests bristling with steel plates. Half the slots were still empty, but that yaksha senior clearly planned to fill them soon.
"……."
Watching her juniors obey without complaint despite it being worse for them shamed her into silence. She barely shook her stiff neck.
"I'm good. Drinking's too much right now."
Maintaining donggong while adding needless motions was suicide. Minimizing movement was key.
"Still, drink up. You'll last longer."
"Huh?"
Eunho drooped his shoulders, looking glum.
"Training won't get any easier anyway."
That world-weary face…… She couldn't help but wonder.
"You juniors did this during regular hours too?"
"Yes."
"You're all nuts……."
While others griped that peak hours demanded their all, this crew taught "training" via donggong. That yaksha senior had clearly lost it. No doubt. Too good a memory warps the mind. Bad memories crushed him young, making him weak; now they drove him mad.
Nothing else explained it.
As Saryeon built her pet theory, Eunho added:
"But thanks to it, we survived peak hours and made it here."
"……."
"Learned at the academy that for a place like Tae-eul Gate…… Ah, sorry, Senior Sister. ……Anyway, even getting one in regular admissions is like plucking stars."
No wonder folks gamed the system, joining nobodies for special admission slots. Like Gye Cheolyeong.
"Four from a sect like ours via regular? Tough as it was, Senior Brother had his reasons. Still does."
"……."
Saryeon couldn't respond. Those words were hers to say.
Unaware of her frustration and shame, her senior brother's bellow echoed everywhere.
"Eunho! Wanna start over from scratch?"
"Ah! Yes! Coming! ……Senior Sister, hang in there just a bit longer."
Eunho shoved the skin back and dashed off, weaving complex steps.
Saryeon gritted her teeth. He'd detoured to hand her water while drilling Heavenly Lone Walker God Step.
Can't fall behind. Won't.
Her special admission wasn't skill-based. Pure consideration. A heavy concession because she was the sect leader's daughter. Without that, could she stand with them?
Suddenly, Jin Sowoon—once closer than anyone—felt distant.
The gap…… it's too wide.
#
"Zzz……."
"Whoo……."
"Koff—cough! Hack hack—."
"That guy's gonna croak."
Jin Sowoon glanced at Geum Pyo's snoring before tossing a twig onto the campfire. Sparks danced briefly into the night air before winking out.
"Not sleeping?"
Turning, he saw Saryeon staring into the flames.
"Senior Brother."
"Yeah."
A stray ember plopped onto her sleeve, leaving a scorch mark.
"Why'd you yield to me?"
The sudden question made Jin Sowoon tilt his head.
"What're you on about?"
"Special admission…… Why yield it?"
Jin Sowoon's mouth snapped shut. The silence thudded in her chest.
Realization dawned, drawing a hollow laugh.
"Knew it…… Because I'm the sect leader's daughter…… You didn't have to."
The cruel truth shredded her heart. The scorch mark darkened further.
"If I'd known I'd lag this bad, I'd have sent Yu-seong or another junior. Wouldn't have held you all back……."
Academy entry had brimmed with drive. Sword Immortal's scolding and lessons convinced her she could protect her brothers.
But time passed, and she realized she was still riding their coattails.
"Should've given the chance to another……."
"What nonsense?"
Jin Sowoon's sharp tone cut her off.
"Special admission was no yield or favor. It was rightfully yours."
"……But the final sparring……."
"You don't know!"
"……?"
His gaze tangled with complex emotions—longing, regret, rage…… Like recalling events she couldn't know.
The indescribable look dazed her.
"It…… was naturally yours."
"……Senior Brother?"
"Hoo……."
Painful memories surfaced.
"You trained an hour early before sessions started, swung your sword till dinner after."
"……."
"Even considered marrying that loathsome Gye Cheolyeong for Tae-eul Gate……."
Her face burned.
"If things had gone as planned, he'd be at the academy."
"What……."
"You'd have led juniors as a low-rank warrior, serving mandatory duty at the Murim Alliance."
"……Senior Brother?"
She couldn't know. This wasn't "if"—it was fact. Facts he'd lived.
"Gye Cheolyeong would've exploited our juniors like slaves for his gain, and you'd have confronted him to stop it."
"……."
"Ending in broken engagement, harsh exile. Yet you'd have given your all to protect Tae-eul Gate……."
Words poured from Jin Sowoon she couldn't grasp. Hypotheticals, yet they ached inexplicably.
Especially seeing his face—twisted like he'd endured it all, rage and sorrow threatening to shatter him.
Saryeon was speechless.
"This worthless senior brother of yours."
He bit his lip till it bled.
"……Would've just run from Gye Cheolyeong. Leaving you to suffer."
"……."
"Because I shirked what I should've done, you ended up……."
Swallowing the rest, he sighed. His eyes cleared.
"……Anyway, special admission was yours by right. No yield, no favor."
What was that just now? Like hearing a life she didn't know was hers. As she sat stunned, his voice continued.
"Reclaiming the Tae-eul True Scripture was sheer luck. Without it, I couldn't have dreamed of regular exams. You'd still be fighting tooth and nail to shield our juniors. Right?"
"……."
"Don't fret the delay. I know how much you care for Tae-eul Gate. But if that care eats you alive, it helps no one."
His stern face cracked into a forced smile—the thin-lipped one from their youth.
"Don't worry. You've always done great. Will keep doing so. I know it better than anyone."
Unlike Father's constant "I believe in you," which weighed like a burden, her senior's "I know" filled her chest.
She wanted more reassurance.
"Can I really do well?"
If he said yes, maybe.
"Course! You have no choice."
"But I'm not confident."
"Don't sweat it."
His tone brimmed with unprecedented certainty.
"You'll have no choice but to excel."
"What kind of talk is that……."
She sulked half-heartedly, but relief washed over her. Her senior brother, now Tae-eul Gate's sturdy pillar. If he said so…….
"First, gear up."
Huh?
Thud.
Jin Sowoon casually lobbed something at her feet.
It was…….
"Nothing special. Same as what those guys have."
Iron rings and a leather vest studded with steel plates, sinking into the dirt under their weight.
"Th-this…… what……."
"All that distraction means you're getting the hang of donggong. Strap those on and start Heavenly Lone Walker God Step."
Her face drained white. After that heartwarming talk, this?
"Worry about nothing. I'll make sure you can't fail even if you try. Just train, no thoughts, no worries."
"……."
The thin smile vanished from his face.
"What're you waiting for? Strap 'em on?"
……Now a yaksha's grin spread across it.
It was an excruciatingly cold winter day that chilled to the bone.