Chapter 164: Forced Growth-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 164: Forced Growth-1
Droplets of water fall into a cup.
The cup is deep and wide; a few stray drops are not enough to make it overflow.
And so, they fall—one by one.
Drip. Drip.
The droplets strike the bottom of the cup with a rhythmic tap, tap.
Soon, they gather, forming a shallow pool.
As time passes, the water rises, shimmering against the brim.
The water level climbs higher and higher, eventually reaching a precarious state where it seems it might spill over at any moment.
For a long time, the cup maintains that delicate balance.
Then, another drop falls.
Tap. One drop is the appearance of a disciple.
Tap. Another drop is the bond shared with that disciple.
Tap. And yet another is the death of a master.
Upon the surface of the water, filled to its absolute limit and trembling on the verge of spilling, one final drop falls. The water overflows.
The cup is named Restraint.
The overflowing water is named Instinct.
*
Ever since the incident at the market, So-yu showed no intention of leaving In-ho’s side.
She stuck to him so closely that In-ho, needing to use the restroom, found himself glancing around nervously just in case.
So-yu found her disciple’s reaction quite amusing.
‘Surely he doesn’t think I would follow him even there. He is my disciple, but he is being far too dramatic.’
Watching the restroom from a reasonable distance, So-yu let out a soft chuckle.
In-ho and So-yu were currently walking through an open plain, having left the village behind.
They had no particular destination. Normally, either Yeom-jin or So-yu would have set the course.
However, between their hurried departure from the village and the fact that So-yu seemed uninterested in anything other than In-ho, their next destination remained undecided.
They camped out in the open, following the paths used by traveling merchants.
"So, you still haven't decided where we're going?"
"I haven't. Nothing particular comes to mind. How about we find somewhere with a nice view and just rest?"
"You do realize we're out of money, right?"
"Hmm..."
"We've been walking for five days without a goal. Just pick a spot. Anywhere."
"But truly, nothing comes to mind."
So-yu shrugged as if she were surprised by her own indecision, and In-ho let out a long sigh.
After suppressing his rising frustration for a moment, In-ho looked up.
"Then, can I choose?"
"Well, I don't mind. Do you have somewhere in mind?"
So-yu’s lips curled into a slight smile, seemingly intrigued by In-ho’s uncharacteristic initiative.
"Hmm... since we're in Hanam..."
He leaned back and scanned the surroundings.
He shielded his eyes with one hand, peering into the distance, then suddenly clapped his hands together.
"Let's go over there."
"Over there? You mean... the mountain?"
In-ho was pointing toward a mountain that looked imposing even from a distance.
So-yu narrowed her eyes.
"Yes. The mountain."
"So suddenly? Did you hear a rumor about bandits being there?"
"Well... there might be. I just want to go there for now."
"How strange. Usually, you're the type to complain about climbing a hill, let alone a mountain."
As So-yu spoke with narrowed eyes, In-ho avoided her gaze and started walking ahead.
He didn't explain why he wanted to go there, but it didn't seem like he had chosen the destination at random.
If anything, he seemed eager.
After two days of walking, they reached the foot of the mountain. In-ho stopped a passing herb gatherer to ask about the terrain.
In-ho didn't seem to know the name of the mountain, but he appeared familiar with its general geography and ridges.
So-yu found this curious.
"It might be fine for us since we take the paths less traveled, but I've heard that bandits have set up camp along the main passes. You'd best not climb it," the herb gatherer advised kindly, noting their relatively well-dressed appearance.
"Ah, that's alright. We have something to rely on. Thank you, anyway."
"It was nothing. I'll be on my way, then."
After finishing his conversation with the herb gatherer, In-ho returned to So-yu.
"Shall we head up?"
So-yu looked at her disciple’s face, puzzled by the strange sense of anticipation she saw there.
The mountain was incredibly steep.
Had they not been martial artists, they surely would have collapsed before even reaching the halfway point.
In-ho and So-yu ascended the mountain with light, graceful steps, utilizing their Light Body Technique.
"You seem to know the way quite well."
So-yu called out to her disciple’s back as he led the way.
She had grown a bit bored of following him in silence.
"Yes. I've been here before."
"Oh, is that so?"
"I think I mentioned it to you once before, Master. Do you remember?"
"Mentioned what?"
"You asked me about the most memorable scenery I'd ever seen."
"Ah, I remember now. You said the sunset was beautiful, didn't you?" So-yu said, leaping across a jagged rock.
"Yes. This is the place. It's daytime now, so we won't see the sunset, but it's beautiful just as it is."
"And when do we reach this 'scenery'?"
Instead of answering, In-ho simply pointed to the right.
A sheer cliff dropped away, revealing a vast sea of green below.
The movement of the trees swaying in the wind looked exactly like rolling waves.
So-yu’s feet came to a halt.
"......"
Faced with the sheer grandeur of nature, So-yu felt the negativity that had filled her heart wash away in an instant.
"What do you think? Isn't it pretty?"
"Yes... it is beautiful. If it looks this grand now, it must be truly magnificent at sunset."
They stood there for a while, lost in the view.
*
The sudden whistle of an arrow interrupted their reverie.
The arrow flew toward In-ho’s head with a sharp shhh-tack, but perhaps the aim was off; it grazed past his ear and vanished into the distance.
"Who's there?"
A group of men dressed in animal skins emerged, snickering—the quintessential look of third-rate bandits.
In-ho already had a good idea of who they were, but he asked out of politeness.
"Climbing this mountain without a care in the world... This is our territory. If you want to pass, pay the toll."
"By any chance, is there a stronghold in the clearing further up from here?" In-ho asked in return.
"Wha—what? How do you know that?"
The bandits, who had assumed they were just random travelers, drew their swords.
"Hmm... So you didn't build it in the middle of nowhere. I suppose that makes sense..."
In-ho let out a short laugh.
He began to stretch his body this way and that.
"Master, what's the number this time?"
As In-ho asked while cracking his knuckles, So-yu thought for a moment before answering.
"There are quite a few of them this time, so let's go with thirty."
"Understood."
"You brats!! Ge-get them!!"
The bandits charged, brandishing their various weapons.
"Sorry about this. It's just that I really want to visit your stronghold."
In-ho offered them an apology that sounded genuinely sincere.