Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 376 – That Day (3)

[Waaaaaaah!!!]

At last, the entire training ground resounded with the cheers of the Moon Vein members.

Amid their shouts, Ryu So-wol withdrew the sword energy she had raised with her sword technique and looked towards the west.

There, she saw the joyful retainers and warriors of Moon Vein, and her father, Master Ryu Gang, standing up from his seat, dumbfounded.

She looked at her father and lightly tapped her chest with her fist.

-Thump thump!

At her gesture, which seemed to prove herself, Master Ryu Gang’s lips twitched, and soon his eyes reddened.

As he raised his head towards the sky and closed his eyes, a single tear rolled down his cheek.

‘……’

Seeing her father like this, Ryu So-wol barely managed to contain her intense emotions.

She had been incredibly curious about how he would react when she defeated the junior head of Heaven Vein and surpassed the limits he had set. Would he feel relieved? Or would his long-held resentment be resolved?

But now, seeing her father’s emotional reaction, she felt a sudden lump in her throat.

‘After giving up everything and accepting that kind of proposal, why are you crying now?’

This wouldn’t resolve the bitterness of all those years.

Emotions were truly spiteful.

Just one look at that face, and her heart was inexplicably softening.

Amidst the cheers, a faint voice was heard.

[…… This can’t be. How……]

It was the muttering of Bi Yong-heon, the junior head of Heaven Vein.

After surpassing the wall and reaching the Transformation Realm, all her senses had become more acute than before, and she could hear this voice clearly.

‘Yong-heon……’

His usual playful and confident demeanor had completely vanished, and he seemed overwhelmed by the shock of defeat.

Although she had endured hardships to defeat him, seeing him like this inevitably made her feel sympathetic.

She was about to say something to him when,

-Step step!

She saw Bi Hyeong-myeong, the clan leader of Heaven Vein, approaching behind him.

Was he coming to console his son who was shocked by the defeat?

Seeing him place his hand on his son’s shoulder, she thought it would be better for them to comfort him rather than the victor of the duel, so she stepped back.

But then,

‘!?’

For a moment, she doubted her eyes.

‘Smi…… ling?’

The corners of Bi Hyeong-myeong’s mouth, who had his hand on his son’s shoulder, were turned upwards.

It wasn’t the kind of benevolent smile a father would give to console his son who had experienced his first defeat.

It looked as if he was smiling as though he had been waiting for this.

Seeing this, Ryu So-wol was suddenly gripped by a sense of displeasure.

‘Why is he……’

However,

[Junior Head!]

Due to the Moon Vein members rushing over to congratulate her on her first victory in the duel, she had to bury this feeling of displeasure.

The lingering unpleasantness soon became buried in the joy of the clan members.

***

That day, as the sun was setting,

Ryu So-wol, who had climbed to the peak of the mountain with light steps, spotted someone and smiled brightly.

Then she ran and embraced that person.

That someone was a man dressed entirely in black.

The man also enveloped her in his arms as she came into his embrace, and said with a smile,

[It seems you’ve finally achieved what you’ve been longing for.]

[I have. And who do you think taught me?]

[Seeing you even resort to flattery, you must be in a very good mood, aren’t you?]

[Of course. The years of endurance are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.]

-Swish!

With those words, Ryu So-wol held the man’s cheeks with both hands, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed his lips.

The man responded by continuing with a deep kiss.

He was her master who had awakened her as a warrior, and the first man who made her realize she was a woman.

Although they only met for two or three days a year at most, at some point, she had come to hold this man in her heart.

And it didn’t take long for her to realize that she wasn’t the only one with such feelings.

For a while, the man and So-wol indulged in each other under the red sunset.

***

Sitting on the edge of the cliff, leaning on the man’s shoulder, Ryu So-wol’s face was full of smiles.

There had never been a time in her life when things were this smooth and happy.

The man spoke to her,

[Now that you’ve achieved what you wanted, are you closer to your goal of becoming the Society Leader?]

[I don’t know yet. I won this time, but I don’t know how things might change next year.]

[Hoo. You’ve grown quite a bit.]

[You told me to never let my guard down.]

[Satisfaction leads to complacency, and complacency ultimately leads to defeat. That’s why it’s meaningless to savor victory for too long.]

[…… That’s true. But when I hear you talk, it sounds like you’ve been fighting non-stop your entire life.]

The man silently smiled at her words.

His expression seemed to be an affirmation.

[Really?]

[I’ve been living on battlefields since long before you can imagine. Even now.]

[Even now, you say?]

Ryu So-wol lifted her head from the shoulder she was leaning on and looked at the man.

Although she had come to like him, there was still so much she didn’t know.

Looking at his exotic appearance, it was unclear whether he was from the Central Plains or not.

Yet he didn’t seem to be from the Western Regions either.

It was a feeling that was hard to describe in words.

[Whenever I look at you, I can’t help but think how mysterious you are.]

[What do you mean?]

[Your appearance, everything. You wait here every year without fail, but I don’t know where you come from or where you go.]

She had met with him here every year, but she had never seen him climb up or down this place.

Nevertheless, he always appeared in the same spot.

This had always been a mystery to her.

But even though they had become this close, the man never talked about anything regarding himself.

Sometimes, this made her feel a bit sad.

As if understanding her feelings, the man wrapped his arm around her shoulder and spoke in a gentle voice.

[I’ll tell you someday. But now is not the time.]

[…… When will that be?]

[Not too far from now. The place where I live is becoming increasingly desolate, and war has been continuing for a long time. That’s why I’ve been keeping an eye on this place for a long time. But if I do it now, they will move too. Then this place will soon become a battlefield.]

[……]

What kind of world does this man live in?

When she listens to him talk, it sounds as if he’s alone in a different world.

But soon she put away such thoughts.

Surely he would tell her everything when the time was right?

That’s what she firmly believed.

Ryu So-wol tightly held the arm of the man wrapped around her shoulder and said playfully,

[Ah, I see. But I seem to remember someone saying something about becoming the lord of this place a few years ago. Maybe I’m remembering wrong?]

[…… Lord. Yes, I had intended to.]

[Oh my. Is that so?]

[You should be grateful for this. There are still many who wish for that. Even the one who has been dealing with you for the past few years.]

He’s referring to his subordinate who, under the guise of teaching, had beaten her black and blue for years.

That person hadn’t changed even after years had passed.

He always treated her like an insignificant bug.

Although she had grown up like a tomboy, she had been called a peerless beauty countless times. He was probably the only one who treated her like that.

[By the way, how is that person doing?]

[Didn’t I tell you? For our clan, everyday life itself is a battlefield.]

[Battlefield…… It seems even more desolate than my life.]

[Everyone’s life is precious. It’s just that we often fail to realize it easily.]

[Is that true for me too?]

[Of course.]

Ryu So-wol smiled at his answer.

He had become much gentler than when they first met, but he was still as blunt as ever.

However, she could feel that he respected and cherished her more than anyone else.

That’s why she liked him so much.

Staring intently at the man, Ryu So-wol spoke in a slightly hushed voice.

[I wish…… you could stay by my side.]

As her feelings for him had deepened, she always found the short annual meetings unsatisfying.

Finding her cute as she expressed her desire to be together while feeling shy about it, the man stroked her head and said,

[Just a little…… No, it might not be just a little for you, but wait for me.]

[If I wait, can we be together forever?]

[…… Yes. We will be together. Even if it’s just for a fleeting moment.]

[A fleeting moment?]

Why did he say a fleeting moment instead of forever when talking about being together?

To her puzzled look, the man spoke in a somewhat regretful tone.

[If only you were like me.]

[What do you mean by that?]

[It pains me to embrace you, knowing it’s just a fleeting moment.]

[…… Why are you talking like that?]

Ryu So-wol suddenly felt uneasy at his incomprehensible words.

The man then hugged her tightly and said,

[Don’t worry. Even if it’s fleeting, my feelings for you will continue.]

[Is it because our life together feels short to you?]

[…… Yes.]

Ryu So-wol chuckled at his words.

Her uneasiness vanished without a trace.

If he felt that the remaining life was short when they still had a long way to go, she could tell how much this man liked her.

She hugged him tightly back and said,

[Someone once told me that it shines brighter because it’s short. We can live like that too, can’t we?]

[It shines brighter because it’s short…… Yes, that’s right.]

The man smiled.

And as he kissed her forehead, he said,

[This moment with you is indeed the brightest in my life……]

As he was speaking, he suddenly turned his head slightly to the side.

[I thought I told them not to disturb me while I’m here.]

[I apologize. The situation was too urgent, I had no choice.]

Hearing a familiar voice, Ryu So-wol looked in that direction and saw that the man’s subordinate had already arrived.

Feeling embarrassed, she quickly stood up, suddenly feeling awkward about being in the man’s arms.

[Oh, it’s been a while. Sir Tau.]

Despite her greeting, the man’s subordinate called Tau merely glanced at her as if looking at a bug and ignored her.

Then he approached the man and whispered something in his ear.

‘…… I can’t hear.’

She tried to focus her auditory senses to hear what they were saying, but their conversation was inaudible.

It seemed they had blocked it with some kind of energy.

However, the man’s expression as he listened to his report was not good at all.

When the report was over, the man approached her and said in a somewhat subdued voice,

[It seems I have to leave.]

[…… It looks like a difficult situation. Is there anything I can do to help?]

[It’s alright. You have things to do here, don’t you?]

[Still……]

Before she could finish speaking, the man gently embraced her and said,

[Don’t worry. I’ll come back here as I always have.]

[…… I understand.]

Yes.

The man is not weak enough for her to worry about.

She believed that no one could defeat him because he was stronger than anyone she knew.

[I’ll be waiting.]

She sent him off with a bright smile, looking forward to next year.

However, at this moment, she had no doubt that this expectation would be shattered.

***

Ryu So-wol lay on her bed, covered with a blanket, shedding endless tears.

She had waited for the man in that place for nearly seven days in the rain, but he never appeared.

She was so worried that she had almost completely stopped eating and drinking.

She was in agony, feeling as if that small bit of uneasiness she had felt had become reality, despite how much she had believed in him.

[Sob.]

The tears wouldn’t stop.

Her heart ached unbearably, wondering if he, who had always said he lived in the midst of battle, had left this world without her.

As she continued to cry, unable to stop her tears of sorrow and pain, someone knocked on her door.

-Knock knock!

[Go! Please just leave me……]

-Bang!

At that moment, the door opened and someone entered.

It was her father, Ryu Gang, the clan leader of Moon Vein.

Ryu Gang looked at her, who had grown thin with sorrow, and spoke in a sympathetic voice,

[How long do you intend to stay like this?]

[…… Just leave me alone. I won in this duel too, didn’t I? So……]

[Is it because you couldn’t meet him?]

[!?]

Her expression suddenly hardened.

She then glared at Hwa Yeon, the head of the guard who was standing behind Master Ryu Gang.

She had only told Hwa Yeon, her long-time confidante, about him.

She had asked her to keep it absolutely secret, but had she told him?

But then Master Ryu Gang clicked his tongue and said,

[If you like him that much, don’t you trust him?]

[What?]

What is he talking about?

She was dumbfounded.

She had thought that when he found out about this, he would fly into a rage, seeing her only as the clan’s heir and junior head.

This was because he had hoped for her to form a relationship with one of the junior heads of Heaven Vein or Earth Vein and bear children, even though she had defeated them.

So when her father, who she thought would react like that, said these words, she couldn’t help but be surprised.

[Did you think this father, no, the leader of our clan would unconditionally oppose it?]

[……]

Along with these words, Master Ryu Gang snorted with a bitter expression and said,

[I’m quite curious to see the face of that bastard who made my daughter cry like this.]

[…… Father.]

Tears welled up in Ryu So-wol’s eyes again.

Her father had been so strict and cold ever since she became the junior head.

But for the first time since her brother left, he was treating her as his daughter.

Overwhelmed, she burst into tears as her father Ryu Gang approached and embraced her.

Ryu So-wol, who had been silently crying out of worry and longing for him, wept loudly with a tearful face.

Her father Ryu Gang silently patted her back and comforted her.

After she had cried for a while, Ryu Gang said to her,

[When that bastard returns, I’ll give him a good thrashing, so cheer up now.]

[……]

[That’s enough now. Huu. If you miss him that much, tell the painter to draw a portrait and hang it up.]

[What?]

[I should know what my future son-in-law looks like too, shouldn’t I?]

[Fa…… Father.]

[While you’re at it, why don’t you dress up prettily and have a portrait drawn of yourself too? In the future, when you lead Moon Vein, no, the Heaven-Earth Moon Society in my place, you’ll rarely have the chance to dress up as a woman.]

[Pfft, are you finally seeing me as your daughter now?]

At her words, Ryu Gang smiled with his wrinkled face and said,

[You’ve always been my daughter, even before you were the junior head.]

More than any other words, her father’s statement was the greatest comfort in her life.

***

Six months later.

On the way back from visiting the Spiritual Sword Sanctuary in Joyang, northern Hubei Province.

Hwa Yeon, the head guard of Ryu So-wol, kept teasing her.

[The clan leader must have been so furious to send an express message.]

[……]

[Why did you wear a bridal gown for your portrait when you haven’t even held the wedding yet?]

[…… It was to leave a portrait in the most beautiful appearance, is that really something to get so worked up about?]

[Of course it is. You had your portrait painted in a bridal gown, and he had his painted like a groom. How could he not be upset?]

At Hwa Yeon’s words, Ryu So-wol pouted and expressed her dissatisfaction.

[Tch. He was all talk about son-in-law this and that, but it was all empty words.]

[Still, you went too far, Junior Head.]

[Stop teasing me now. It’s giving me a headache.]

Seeing her reaction, Hwa Yeon seemed to think it was time to stop teasing, and changed the subject awkwardly.

[By the way, it’s quite a coincidence, isn’t it?]

[What is?]

[The time when the sword will be completed coincides with when you can ascend as the Society Leader.]

At her words, Ryu So-wol waved her hand and said,

[Don’t get too excited. We don’t know anything for sure yet.]

[Heh. But why did you show such confidence in front of the master of Spiritual Sword Sanctuary as if you would become the Society Leader?]

[Should I have said I wasn’t confident in front of an outsider?]

[Well, I suppose that’s true.]

Hwa Yeon nodded.

The master she served had truly become the greatest expert among the three branches.

She had every right to be proud.

Hwa Yeon herself was also very proud to serve such a young lady.

[By the way, Junior Head. Did you name the sword that way because of him?]

Hwa Yeon had unintentionally overheard the conversation between Ryu So-wol and Master Ou Moon-hyeok of Spiritual Sword Sanctuary.

When he asked about the name of the sword, Ryu So-wol had asked him to call it Sunyeon (順戀).

Sunyeon means longing.

It means longing to the point of aching.

If she’s giving such a name to the precious sword she’ll use for life, it’s clear how much the Junior Head must miss him.

But Ryu So-wol answered in a subdued voice.

[Let’s talk about that later.]

[I’m, I’m sorry, Young Lady. This darned mouth of mine ran off without me realizing.]

Hwa Yeon made a gesture of slapping her own mouth with her palm.

Seeing her like that, Ryu So-wol chuckled.

Then she soon said,

[Right now, I just want to focus on the duel at the Unification Ceremony.]

[Junior Head……]

At her firm resolve, Hwa Yeon’s lips twitched, unable to hide her inner pride.

After going through many hardships, she had truly become strong.

She was becoming someone capable of leading many people.

[You will definitely win. You’ll become the final victor at the Unification Ceremony of the Three Veins, ascend as the Society Leader, and obtain the Eight Thought-Shattering Techniques, known as the ultimate secret technique.]

Eight Thought-Shattering Techniques.

It was the catalyst that had caused the Three Veins of Heaven-Earth Moon Society to split into three factions.