Eight Corners Society (6)
Eight Corners Society (6)
"Ah, it hurts... be gentle...."
I applied medicine to her swollen face. Every time I carefully rubbed it in with my fingers, worried the wounds might worsen, Im Seo-ryeon twitched her legs and whimpered like a child. Forced into the role of physician against my will, I could only gaze down at her with an incredulous look.
Because even as I treated her, I couldn't fathom why I was treating Im Seo-ryeon at all. Right after the bout ended, she had walked out after only hastily stopping her nosebleed, and as soon as she'd composed herself, she came to my quarters loaded down with medicinal supplies. She proceeded to explain hemostatic methods and external wound treatment step by step, then had me treat her—at which point I had no choice but to ask this question.
"...I mean, couldn't you get treated by your own sect people? The Hengshan Sect must have a resident physician."
"I-I've already coordinated the story with them.... D-don't worry too much about it."
Im Seo-ryeon's face flushed bright red. Whether it was from her injuries or because her own excuse sounded a bit flimsy, I couldn't tell. Perhaps she felt embarrassed by our current situation, lying here using my thigh as a pillow. I gave the simmering kettle of herbal decoction a shake and spoke.
"Still, getting treated by a professional would be better for preparing for the next bout, wouldn't it?"
"...That's an irrelevant matter now, since I've already withdrawn."
Im Seo-ryeon, lying with her head pillowed on my thigh, delivered some rather shocking news. I lowered my head and asked.
"You won, and yet you're withdrawing? Isn't that a pity?"
"It is a pity, but my master said this. Since my fighting style takes such a toll on my body, if I face an opponent like Hwang Ryong-seong who entered this competition, I'm likely to see blood. Though the Dragon Phoenix Gathering is an important arena, he firmly stated he cannot lose a direct disciple in such a place, so I had no choice."
Im Seo-ryeon's expression was truly regretful. Even while I applied the medicine, she kept opening her mouth to grumble.
"I mean, no matter how strong Hwang Ryong-seong is, I'm quite strong myself, and I know my own body's condition best, so is it really right to make me withdraw from the Dragon Phoenix Gathering like this? For a martial artist, the proper way is to temper one's strength through training in extreme situations—shaving bone and giving flesh...."
Listening to her story, I felt I understood why she came here to get treated. She had come seeking comfort. Unable to bring herself to say this to a physician of her own sect, she was confiding her true feelings to me, who was at least closer to an outsider. I stroked Im Seo-ryeon's hair and spoke.
As I calmly swept her hair like a grandmother stroking her grandchild, Im Seo-ryeon stopped mid-sentence and closed her eyes. I spoke.
"You've been through a lot. But surely the master of the Hengshan Sect wouldn't give Miss Im advice that would harm her? From what I've observed up close, Hwang Ryong-seong is someone with immense pride who can't stand losing or being pushed back. If Miss Im is tough and strong, he's the sort of man who wouldn't hesitate to resort to lethal techniques."
Im Seo-ryeon turned her head sharply and grumbled.
"...I could have overcome it."
Of course, seeing the state she'd displayed in this bout, it did seem like she might actually survive even taking that. But being able to endure it and the fact that the bastard would use brutal methods were two entirely separate issues.
"Who would stand by and let their own person walk into a death trap just because they won't die? The master at Hengshan Sect is like that too."
I turned her head. With me looking down and her looking up, our eyes met.
"And so am I."
"Wha...."
Im Seo-ryeon's face stiffened. Her hesitant expression flushed bright red, and then a stream of blood flowed from the nose that had only just stopped bleeding. When I reached out in alarm, Im Seo-ryeon, faster than me, covered her own face and turned her body away.
"Uh, uhh! Blood! Blood!"
The seasoned martial artist Im Seo-ryeon didn't panic like I did. She got up, simultaneously pressed her face to stanch the blood, roughly wiped it with a cloth from the floor, and spoke.
"Calling me y-your person...! J-just because we've had a few minor connections, t-to already speak that way is a-arrogant!"
I asked.
"Then are we strangers?"
"Th-that's...."
Im Seo-ryeon froze. If you spout harsh words to protect your pride, you end up trapped in your own snare, unable to move. People like Im Seo-ryeon, who act prickly but can't bring themselves to say more than necessary, were especially prone to this. She hesitated, then finally frowned and said this.
"...You say such cheap things."
"Aren't they all cheap actions, though? For someone you care about, anyone becomes a little petty. Making her withdraw from the Dragon Phoenix Gathering, defending that decision as right, saying Hwang Ryong-seong is dangerous—it's all the same context."
Im Seo-ryeon touched her face. Though it had been applied with clumsy skill, the work was decent enough—meticulous and without gaps. Im Seo-ryeon pursed her lips but seemed to have no intention of discussing this topic further.
"...I heard from Zhuge Yeong-yu that you plan to eliminate Hwang Ryong-seong. So this time you went to the brothel, held a bout in front of him, and caught his eye?"
Instead, she posed a sensitive question. I nodded and spoke.
"That's right."
"...By your own words, isn't that a dangerous path?"
Im Seo-ryeon's question was quite sharp. I shook my head and replied.
"It's a matter of whether you have a choice or not. His goal and my goal are similar. I want to become someone who commands all under heaven, and he likewise aims to manipulate the martial world by succeeding the Nine Sects One Gang. If we're destined to clash someday, then now is the time to throw myself into the fray, cut the grass, and pull out the roots. Once he's grown his power further, could I win? Speak not as someone who cares about me, but as a martial artist."
Im Seo-ryeon shut her mouth at my words. With the Murim Alliance backing him, his victory at the Dragon Phoenix Gathering nearly assured, he was a martial arts master who had reached a high realm—versus me, who was at best a sect leader with ties to the Zhuge Family. Which of the two would draw more people wasn't even worth considering.
Right now was both the moment Hwang Ryong-seong's renown was at its peak and the last opportunity to eliminate him.
Im Seo-ryeon asked me.
"If you become the master of all under heaven, what kind of world do you want to make?"
"I want to be called a great hero by everyone in the Central Plains. Right now, I don't have any plan beyond that."
"That's an absurd plan."
"But it's worth challenging. You live only once, and there is but one world under heaven."
Im Seo-ryeon laughed. She raised the corners of her mouth and looked at me as if I were incorrigible. Her expression seemed to hold many things she wanted to say.
"What are you thinking about so deeply? Do you have something to say?"
"I was thinking back to when we first met. Back then, I was steeped in the petty collusions taking place within the Murim Alliance. But many things changed after the Crimson Ring Sect's Sect Leader rose up in Shaanxi. The martial artists allied with corrupt merchants died, and I came to see the world a little more clearly."
"I didn't do anything."
"You changed how I see the world, so that alone is doing a great deal. Docheol. You think Hwang Ryong-seong is entangled with the Murim Alliance and scheming some massive conspiracy, right?"
"You knew?"
"I'm only speculating. Still, being someone with roots in Hubei Province, I hear and see many things. From what I've heard, Hwang Ryong-seong is making noise about succeeding the Nine Sects One Gang and founding a new martial world, but I don't believe it. Yet naive martial artists are captivated by these words and seek to get close to him."
Information only has value to those who seek it. As long as the Murim Alliance was backing Hwang Ryong-seong, his talk of cutting ties with the Nine Sects One Gang and creating a martial world only for the young amounted to little more than empty rhetoric.
"Your speculation is correct. That's why I'm trying to bring down Hwang Ryong-seong. I'm trying to expose the true nature of those who seek to monopolize power by succeeding the Nine Sects One Gang. I intend to strip off his mask and slam him to the ground."
"You always set your sights higher than I imagine."
At Im Seo-ryeon's words, I nodded.
"You may call me a great hero."
"A great hero...."
Im Seo-ryeon spoke thus and trailed off. She seemed to think about something, then shook her head and continued.
"If you ever need my help, send word to the Hengshan Sect anytime. Wherever you are, I'll come running for you."
Im Seo-ryeon's words were reassuring. Not just the Zhuge Family, but now a master who would move for me if I had a righteous cause was by my side. She wasn't someone who moved simply because the Zhuge Family asked. The fact that a master I could call upon personally was now supporting me made an enormous difference.
I asked.
"By the way, do you happen to know anything about Hwang Ryong-seong?"
"Since we're from the same hometown, I once received a message suggesting we become friendly, but I've hardly ever met him face to face. We have no particular acquaintance."
That figured. It seemed their personalities wouldn't mesh well from the start. Im Seo-ryeon narrowed her brow as if thinking further, then looked at me and spoke.
"But I have seen his wife—that person from the North Sea Ice Palace."
"...Where did you see her?"
When I pressed her urgently, Im Seo-ryeon looked at me with suspicion. I cleared my throat and spoke.
"Wouldn't I need to know about the people around him to ferret out Hwang Ryong-seong's secrets? It's all part of the investigation."
Im Seo-ryeon continued with a somewhat sour expression.
"...I suppose so. Anyway, if you go outside the city, there's a lake called Dongga Lake, and that's where I met her. She said she comes often because it reminds her of the lake in her hometown."
"Oh."
Oh.