Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: The Value of a Word - 12
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There is no one in the world who is truly alone. That is why people form communities and live together.
To soothe their own frailty and loneliness, to lean on others and receive their warmth.
Just as humans instinctively create fire to ward off darkness, they also shun solitude by nature.
And just as they rely on that fire, the weak seek stability by leaning on the strong.
This applied to Hongryeon, the senior disciple of the Crimson Star Sect, as well.
But before she could lean on anyone herself, Hongryeon had to become a pillar for others to rely on, forcing her to grow up a little faster.
Of course, she didn't resent her master, the Sword Saint, for it. From the start, she knew there was nothing else she could lean on besides martial arts, yet she still wished to become her disciple.
Sword Saint Nayerin was a clumsy person.
She was someone with innate talent and a fierce hunger for martial arts herself.
And perhaps as a backlash to that, she was utterly inept in everything else.
Of course, it wasn't that the Sword Saint refused tasks assigned to her.
She simply turned most non-martial matters into a complete mess, making it impossible to entrust her with them.
That was why Hongryeon had no choice but to grow up faster.
She had to handle what her master couldn't.
Everyone was looking to her.
So she had to become an adult.
Naturally, this was quite a burden for Hongryeon as well.
She was human, after all, and it was only natural to want to lean on someone.
But on whom?
Unlike her desperate instinct, there was no pillar for Hongryeon to rely on.
The Martial Alliance?
Regrettably, the alliance of righteous sects only wanted to exploit the Crimson Star Sect's power.
No, they had already used it once and suffered the Sword Saint's wrathful punishment for it.
What about her own clan?
But her clan, too, only sought to expand their influence using her name as the senior disciple and her connection to the Sword Saint.
The Sword Saint's rival, the Blade Emperor? The young prodigy of Shaolin Temple?
Or...
Or.
From Hongryeon's perspective, their gazes were all unsettling.
They weren't the eyes of reliable adults; they were the eyes of those trying to take what was hers.
Protecting the Crimson Star Sect and her junior sisters from such people was Hongryeon's duty.
She had to be perfect.
She had to look after the junior disciples in her master's stead and maintain the sect in her master's place.
She couldn't forget the teachings of a renowned righteous sect, and to uphold them, she had to show perfection.
But no one can be perfect all the time.
Even iron bends under constant weight.
How could a person maintain an iron will forever?
That was why the poems Hongryeon collected, the crude jokes she made to her junior sisters...
They might have been quiet screams from her, crushed by the burden.
A cry that she wasn't perfect.
A plea to share the load, even just occasionally.
Hongryeon denied it.
But it was a long-held thought deep in her heart.
That was why she always had to remain the adult, and she couldn't ignore how he—the one who treated her like a girl despite everyone seeing her that way—made her aware of it.
The richest man in Island Flower Village.
Unlike her, who was overwhelmed just protecting the Crimson Star Sect and silently screaming from caring for her junior sisters...
He not only managed two major businesses but also handled his other assets with ease, even growing them further. A true adult.
"It was just doing what needed to be done."
It was only natural that his words shook her.
Why was it just "what needed to be done"?
Holding a sword meant being prepared to be pierced by one.
Even if they were young like Sayoon and Yuhee, as martial artists, they were all prepared for injury or death.
Yet protecting them was just "doing what needed to be done"?
Hongryeon stared blankly at Yuwol.
His eyes were as steadfast as when they first met.
As if it were obvious for a martial artist to protect a non-martial artist.
As if it were obvious for an adult to protect a child.
She had so much she wanted to say.
Why could you do that?
Why weren't you afraid?
Why were you so steadfast?
But those questions never left Hongryeon's lips.
His eyes, filled with resolute will, already answered them.
In the end, Hongryeon just moved her lips a few times, then suddenly noticed the voice inside her and bowed her head.
Then...
Could I lean on you a little, too?
The burden on my back is so heavy.
Just a little, when I'm really tired and worn out. Could I lean, even briefly, on this pillar of an adult I've never seen before?
Hongryeon couldn't voice the words rising within her.
She wasn't brazen enough to lean on others so freely.
Besides, the man before her wasn't even from the Crimson Star Sect.
And he might be carrying an immense burden like hers, without showing it.
No, perhaps even greater.
The inn, the trading company.
And the lands in Island Flower Village, buildings in other cities—all his, from what she'd heard.
She knew all too well that while seizing was hard, protecting and maintaining was even harder.
And look—assailants targeting him had appeared just last time, and again now.
To unload her burden onto such a man?
That would be shameless, something unworthy of a righteous sect member.
So she forced a smile, pretending to be at ease.
But he casually uttered words as harsh as if dismissing a demon cultist's attack.
"Tired?"
Stop.
"Then come rest here whenever you like."
Stop.
"I know leading the Crimson Star Sect in the Sword Saint's stead, upholding its honor, and maintaining it isn't easy. So even occasionally is fine. Come rest with your junior sisters. I won't ask anything else of you."
...Stop.
"If that's burdensome, how about something like this? Entrust the patrols of Island Flower Village to Crimson Star Sect disciples? Not everyone, but one or two should be fine, right?"
"......"
"In exchange, pay with medicine or something. I won't take money."
"...Why go that far?"
Her voice was already trembling. Hongryeon had no leisure left to hide it.
The thoughts of enduring, of hiding, were already in tatters.
She was shaken by this warmth and consideration she hadn't felt in so long.
Her hand clenched her clothes tightly.
Yet instead of answering, he gazed at her with soft eyes, as if he knew her heart completely.
What was that gaze saying? Hongryeon found the answer in his past words.
- You're a girl too.
You're still a child, so lean on this adult.
That silent word made the tickle in her chest grow a little more.
And with the warmth it brought, Hongryeon finally squeezed her eyes shut.
Hongryeon gave no clear answer to my proposal, just said she'd think about it, and left.
As she departed, I put the tobacco back in my mouth.
The reason I'd proposed supporting them with medicine in exchange for patrols was simple.
It was because of the state of the Crimson Star Sect disciples who'd entered the inn earlier.
They had small injuries, but they'd left them untreated until now.
Of course, with the Crimson Star Divine Art's internal energy and some knowing recovery techniques, it wasn't incomprehensible to let them pass.
But if medicine could help, it was better to treat them.
In Celestial Moon, untreated injuries often came with penalties.
The Crimson Star Sect was a renowned righteous sect, but not a wealthy one.
They wouldn't have many high-quality wound salves in the sect.
Just looking at the disciples' conditions, or Sayoon's reaction earlier.
Of course, Hongryeon could obtain good medicine by handling Martial Alliance tasks.
But still letting those wounds go with minimal care was likely their effort to save the medicine their senior sister had brought—for her sake.
Let them brush off wound treatment like that when who knows when another incident might occur?
In the worst case, those injury penalties could trip them up during an Iron Blood Clan raid.
From my position, it was something I absolutely had to prevent.
But giving it outright? They'd invoke sect policy and refuse for sure.
That's why I attached the condition of doing some patrols.
I exhaled the inhaled tobacco smoke. The pale haze hung in the black sky, bringing Hongryeon's face to mind from moments ago.
Her expression had been as clouded as this thick smoke.
She must have been suffering, too.
So I hoped this proposal would lighten her load, even a little.
We were the Sayoon Faction.
Connected by carrot strings, after all.
"Hm..."
I wondered who would come for patrols.
Sayoon would be nice.
The wounds from the demon cultists' raid subsided, and daily life returned to Island Flower Village sooner than expected.
As usual, I practiced Five Animals Frolic in the morning, finished the morning business, and was handling work while dodging Chaejin shrieking "Member-nim" when a Postal Gate messenger arrived.
He delivered two letters.
One was a business letter from the Azure Merchant Group.
And.
"Oh... it's here!"
A letter from Sayoon.
I smiled and opened it immediately.
The human heart is weak, and in darkness, one can face their true self.
That's what Master said when she came down from the training cave after so long.
It doesn't seem wrong. Thinking back to what I went through as a kid, I was staring straight at my own frailty and ugliness then.
After holding Master's hand and coming to the Crimson Star Sect, learning the Crimson Star Divine Art, and receiving help from many senior sisters...
I still feel like I'm in that cesspool.
Right? My core self hasn't changed, after all.
And I felt it again this time.
It was a few days ago. Demon cultists attacked Island Flower Village, and while fighting them off, I faced the darkness inside me.
That Senior Sister Yuhee was attacked by a demon tiger.
Someone who cared for me was hurt.
The people behind me were in danger.
Just that made me realize the darkness inside me was merely crouching.
And I wavered to its whispers.
I nearly forgot the will of Crimson Star that Master, Senior Sister Hongryeon, and the other seniors always spoke of.
But you know.
In that darkness, there was something precious that shone light for me.
Hehehe. Guess what it was.
It was you, Uncle.
Every word you sent became stars in the darkness, lighting my path.
Your worry and care for me, that kindness—it kept me from forgetting Crimson Star's will.
And it let me take one step further from the headaches plaguing me.
The value of those words was truly priceless to me.
Thank you so much.
I always feel bad, like I'm just receiving from you.
Uncle.
What can I do for you?
P.S.
When we returned to the sect after the demon cultist fight, it was total chaos.
Master's training cave was half-destroyed, and demonic energy was swirling around the sect.
While we were fighting the demon cultists, an enemy from the cult targeting Master appeared, she said.
Of course, only Master and Senior Sister Hongryeon know the details...
But Senior Sister Hongryeon's expression was incredibly gloomy, probably because the training cave was half-ruined and the nearby warehouse was tainted with demonic energy.
The silver lining is no one was hurt... but she said we'll have to train even harder from now on.
Hehe. Things look tougher ahead.
But I have to keep going, right?
Haha. Demon cultists targeting the Sword Saint, huh.
Come to think of it, two days ago Ryuhyeon mentioned it when ordering goods.
The demon cultists targeted the Sword Saint, smashed the training cave and warehouse, tainted everything inside with demonic energy to ruin it all.
She sighed like the world was ending, saying the gold from demon tiger bounties all went to repairs, and burned with hatred for the cult.
Recalling that, I tapped the letter, then opened the safe.
I gazed at the very luxurious box inside, neatly stored it, closed the safe, and thought.
Hmm, Sayoon asking what she can do for me...
Lots I want her to do.
For starters, hit other secret realms, get some mounts.
Stock up more spirit medicines, learn other martial arts to supplement Crimson Star Divine Art. Wear nice clothes, eat delicious food, make some friends...
Thinking of all that lay ahead, I burst out laughing.
"You're not ready yet."
Not strong or happy enough for what I—we—want.