What You See When You Stop (2)
We sat on a hill overlooking Cheonghamun and Cheonma, sharing drinks.
We’d bought plenty of food and drink from a nearby inn, enough to last us through the night.
“Ah, this is good stuff.”
Maybe it was because I was drinking with Cheonma, but the alcohol tasted as sweet as honey. It was the most enjoyable drinking session I’d had in a long time. If only Cheonma would stop scowling, it would be even better.
“Come on, lighten up a bit.”
“Alright.”
Cheonma forced a smile, and I found his awkward effort endearing.
“So, what have you been up to here?”
“Not much. Built a cabin in the mountains and lived there. Occasionally came down to see my son and grandson.”
No wonder he wasn’t on the list of new settlers the special division had compiled.
“What did you do in the mountains?”
“Gathered herbs, practiced martial arts. It was nice being alone. Oh, and I found a few rare herbs and took them.”
“You’re lucky. Some people never even see those in their lifetime, and you found several?”
“My luck is no ordinary luck. It’s the kind that lets me live again.”
“Hahaha.”
Cheonma laughed along with me, sipping his drink. He must have been enjoying this long-overdue drinking session as much as I was.
“So, how’s your martial arts? Fully recovered?”
“I won’t be getting beaten up anywhere, that’s for sure.”
He was being modest. He had already regained all his martial prowess. Unless some unknown master appeared, he was the best in the world, in my estimation.
Of course, excluding myself.
From the moment I first saw him, I could gauge his skills precisely. In truth, there was a significant gap between Cheonma and me.
My martial arts were at a level that could be called ‘beyond the heavens,’ and being labeled the greatest of all time wouldn’t be far off. If I had become a deity, I might have been even stronger, but by human standards, I was the best of the best.
Unless I deliberately sought death, no one in this world could kill me.
Cheonma emptied his glass and spoke calmly.
“I thought a younger body would change a lot, but it didn’t. I’m still just me.”
I nodded in agreement.
There’s something invigorating about a youthful body. It feels good.
But it wasn’t powerful enough to completely change my life. For both Cheonma and me, the mind was more important than the body.
“Still, being young is nice.”
“What’s the point in saying it?”
Even the clinking of our glasses sounded more vibrant with younger bodies.
We continued to drink, exchanging stories and laughter.
He was my only true friend. Song Hwarin, Galsaryang, Baekpyo, and Gwangdu could be considered friends in a broader sense.
But Cheonma was my real friend. There were things I could say to him that I couldn’t say to anyone else. We had become that close.
After we had emptied about two bottles, I finally brought up the topic that had been on my mind.
“So, tell me what happened.”
Cheonma seemed ready to explain, as if he’d been waiting for me to ask.
“Here in Seohwa, there’s a group called Docheolbang alongside Cheonghamun.”
If Cheonghamun was allied with Daeryongmun, Docheolbang was connected to Bukpungpa.
“The core of this issue is simple.”
“Is it about a woman?”
Cheonma nodded.
“The head of Cheonghamun has a daughter. A young man from Docheolbang liked her. But he saw her with my grandson and misunderstood.”
“Your grandson is already married, isn’t he?”
“Exactly, that’s the misunderstanding. Our Somyeong was assigned to protect the girl. That fool saw them together and got jealous.”
“And then?”
“He threatened and insulted Somyeong.”
“Did he retaliate?”
“Somyeong held back. But the girl hit him. She’s got quite a temper. What started as a kids’ fight escalated to involve the parents, and eventually, Daeryongmun and Bukpungpa got involved. By the time I found out, it was already a mess.”
“I see.”
Big conflicts often start from trivial reasons. People can endure major issues but often can’t let go of the small ones.
Cheonma looked down at his glass and spoke.
“Do you know when I was most angry during all this?”
“When?”
He hesitated for a moment, then sighed and said something unexpected.
“When I realized there was only one way to resolve this.”
“Kill them all?”
Cheonma nodded.
“I couldn’t think of any other way. After living for eighty years, that’s all I could come up with.”
Cheonma emptied his glass. I refilled it and spoke.
“I felt the same.”
“The same?”
“Being reborn in a young body, I didn’t know what was what or what to do. As you said, I’m a traditionalist. What changes just because a traditionalist is reborn in a young body?”
“No, you’ve changed a lot.”
I nodded.
“Yes, I have. Do you know where that change started?”
“Where?”
“In my relationships with people.”
It started with Gwangdu, then my parents, Song Hwarin, the sword unit, Galsaryang, Baekpyo, and now Cheonma in front of me. All my changes began with those relationships and were the most important driving force.
“When I came here looking for you, I started by looking for the settled people.”
Cheonma, who had been silent, spoke.
“I shouldn’t have lived in the mountains.”
“I think so. If you don’t change through relationships, you’ll never find another answer.”
Cheonma looked at me. He understood what I meant. It was a sincere piece of advice from my own experience, that change comes through relationships.
But it wasn’t something I could force. I raised my glass.
“Ultimately, it’s your choice. Whether to dive into change or continue as you are. Honestly, I don’t know. Whether that change will truly be valuable to you, whether it will make you happy. It’s your decision.”
Cheonma clinked his glass against mine without a word.
We continued to drink and talk until all the alcohol we had bought was gone.
The next day, we were at Cheonghamun.
We could hear Cheonghamun’s leader, Jo Choong, and his daughter, Jo Yeran, talking.
There wasn’t a martial artist in Cheonghamun, or anywhere in the martial world, who could detect our presence.
“Bukpungpa has sent their experts.”
“I’m sorry, Father. I should have held back.”
“What’s done is done. But… someone might have to take responsibility.”
“If someone has to, I’ll gladly do it.”
Jo Choong was silent for a moment. Jo Yeran, realizing the gravity of the silence, was startled.
“Surely, you’re not thinking of blaming Baek Muin?”
“I’m sorry for him, but isn’t it because of him?”
“Father!”
Jo Yeran’s expression turned serious.
“I may be impulsive and reckless, but I know how much you care for me and our family. So I’ll pretend I didn’t hear what you just said.”
A moment of silence passed. Jo Yeran didn’t avoid her father’s gaze. Despite her mistake, it was clear from her determined expression that she had no intention of shifting the blame onto someone else.
“Alright, this father made a mistake.”
“I’ll apologize to him formally. Please arrange a meeting.”
“Let’s do that. It won’t be easy, but let’s try to resolve it that way.”
We listened to their conversation from outside.
“Not worth killing over, is it?”
“Indeed.”
If Cheonma hadn’t held back and had acted rashly, he would have realized how dangerous it is to handle things in a fit of anger.
“Now that we know this side of the story, let’s hear the other side.”
“Alright.”
In a flash, we disappeared from the spot.
“You fool! Look at the mess you’ve caused!”
The one shouting was Docheolbang’s leader, Gu Sochu.
His son, Gu Hwangjin, protested.
“They seemed to have a strange vibe.”
“You idiot! Even after hearing that Baek Somyeong is devoted to his wife, that’s your excuse?”
Gu Hwangjin hung his head.
“Because of your words, I got involved, and now look at the mess we’re in.”
“I… I like Miss Jo. I want to marry her.”
“You fool! That marriage is now impossible.”
“Father, please! I can’t live without Miss Jo.”
“Bukpungpa was just looking for an excuse to enter Daeryongmun’s territory. We’ve given them that excuse, and now this matter is out of our hands.”
“Father!”
“I spoiled you, and now I’m paying the price.”
Gu Sochu sighed deeply.
Cheonma and I listened to their conversation from outside.
“Not worth killing over here either, is it?”
“Indeed.”
Cheonma nodded, his tone a bit more relaxed.
“It’s no different from me worrying about my grandson.”
In the end, it’s the same story of parents troubled by their children.
“That’s right. Even if people criticize the orthodox sects for being hypocritical, the same can be said for the unorthodox and the demonic sects. It all depends on the person and the situation, doesn’t it? Besides, there are more people in the orthodox sects, so naturally, their flaws are more visible. But most of them are just ordinary folks.”
The Heavenly Demon nodded in agreement, acknowledging the truth in those words. It seemed everyone was living with similar thoughts.
“Now, shall we turn our attention to those holding the sword?”
In a manor near Seoha, members of the Northern Wind Sect were gathering.
Dozens of martial artists had already assembled.
Leading them was Jang Bo.
“This is a golden opportunity for our sect to expand its influence into Seohwa. So stay sharp.”
“Yes, understood.”
One of his subordinates, responding with a booming voice, asked a question.
“But the Daeryong Sect won’t just stand by. What if they intervene?”
“Conflict is inevitable. Our principle is to avoid direct confrontation with them. The Daeryong Sect has no intention of clashing head-on with us either. Our goal is to pressure the Cheongha Sect and establish a foothold for our sect here.”
“Yes!”
We listened to the resounding replies of the martial artists from outside.
“We’re not going to kill them all, are we?”
“Indeed.”
The Heavenly Demon looked slightly deflated. Such maneuvers were common among sects—pushing and pulling, pressuring and negotiating for their own interests.
If he had lost his temper and wiped them all out, it would have meant killing innocents.
“We must have made many mistakes in the past.”
In the Blood Heaven Demonic Sect, they would crush any opposition with force, believing it was the natural order.
Sensing his regret, I revealed my own shortcomings.
“Don’t beat yourself up over the past. Our orthodox sect hasn’t always been righteous either.”
The Heavenly Demon gave me a grateful look and asked, “So, what do we do now? Just leave them be?”
I shook my head firmly.
“This involves your grandson. We can’t just ignore it.”
Even if there weren’t any major villains in this situation, the martial world was unpredictable. Since the Heavenly Demon’s grandson was at the center of this issue, we had to take an active role in resolving it.
“How should we handle it, then?”
“Want to leave it to me?”
“Of course, you fool.”
A hint of joy crossed the Heavenly Demon’s face. Knowing it stemmed from trust, I felt pleased as well.
“Alright, then. Let’s handle this with the dignity befitting the leader of the martial alliance, shall we?”