No Tears, No Blood (4)
When Im Yehwa heard that Song Hwarin had come to visit, she rushed to the guest room in surprise.
Sure enough, Song Hwarin was waiting there.
“Rina! What brings you here?”
“How have you been?”
“Oh dear, Dani isn’t home right now.”
“Today, I came to see you, Mother.”
“Me? Why me? Come, let’s sit and talk.”
As the two women sat across from each other at the table, a servant brought in tea.
Im Yehwa silently studied Song Hwarin’s face. The swelling hadn’t completely gone down yet.
“I’m sorry, dear.”
“No, it’s me who should apologize.”
“You?”
“I know our issues have been worrying you and Father. I’m truly sorry for causing you concern.”
Im Yehwa was taken aback. She liked Song Hwarin and wanted her as a daughter-in-law, but she had always thought of her as a bit aloof. She never expected her to come and say such things. She had assumed they would just figure things out on their own.
But here she was, saying these unexpected words.
“What happened?”
Song Hwarin smiled slightly.
“Dani said he came to his senses after getting a beating. I think I grew up a bit after mine too.”
“Hahaha.”
Im Yehwa laughed heartily, sensing that Song Hwarin was going through a period of change.
In truth, Song Hwarin had hesitated several times before coming here today. She even considered turning back at the door.
But she didn’t. Regardless of the marriage issue with Byeok Lidan, she felt she needed to reassure Im Yehwa that she was okay. She must be worried.
Perhaps it was a desire to change, to make that desire a reality.
“Rina.”
“Yes?”
Im Yehwa wanted to tell Song Hwarin this.
“It’s okay to take your time. See everything you want to see, do everything you want to do, and take it slow. Sometimes you might take a wrong turn, but that’s okay.”
That’s a right only the young can have.
Im Yehwa reminisced about her youth, a time that flew by like a dagger. She missed those days. Back then, even if someone advised her to take it slow, she only felt impatient.
She had wanted to grow up quickly, expecting something grand awaited beyond that age.
Seeing Im Yehwa’s eyes glisten with emotion, Song Hwarin spoke calmly.
“Can I visit you from time to time?”
Im Yehwa leaned in and whispered softly in her ear.
“You’re welcome to live here from today.”
Song Hwarin blushed in embarrassment, and Im Yehwa laughed heartily.
Song Hwarin felt glad she had come today. Byeok Lidan’s face briefly crossed her mind, but she quickly dismissed it.
“Shall we have another cup of tea?”
With a bright smile matching the pleasant question, Song Hwarin replied.
“Yes!”
The next morning at dawn, Hwasun Nodae walked into the bamboo grove.
He strolled leisurely as if enjoying a walk, but he arrived at the designated spot at the exact same time as yesterday.
The contact he met daily stood with his back turned, gazing at the bamboo.
Hwasun Nodae approached him and asked, “What are you looking at?”
It was just a few steps closer when—
Suddenly, an inexplicable sense of unease made Hwasun Nodae stop in his tracks.
Swish!
The man with his back turned spun around like lightning, hurling a dagger.
Hwasun Nodae twisted his body to dodge the attack.
But there was no time to relish the success of evading the ambush.
I was already charging in like a flash of light.
Whoosh!
The Celestial Sword sliced through the air, aiming for Hwasun Nodae’s heart.
Clang!
Hwasun Nodae swung his fan, deflecting my sword. The power of the fan, imbued with inner strength, was formidable. He had likely fended off many attacks with this move.
Most swords would have broken, stronger opponents would have lost their grip, and truly powerful foes would have their swords deflected far off course.
But my sword was none of those.
Though slightly off course, it continued to thrust forward.
Slash!
Hwasun Nodae’s shoulder split open, blood spraying.
Flutter!
Without a moment to tend to his shoulder, Hwasun Nodae swung his fan wildly, retreating as if bouncing back.
If I had pressed the advantage, I should have followed, but I didn’t.
Though he seemed flustered, his retreat was precise.
A trap!
It was a technique to lure the enemy into a counterattack at a moment of crisis. If I had thought it an opportunity and followed, I would have faced a proper counterattack.
Hwasun Nodae stopped several steps away and quickly applied pressure to his shoulder to stop the bleeding.
“Who are you?”
“We met yesterday, and you’ve already forgotten? We meet here every day, don’t we?”
I was wearing the clothes of the man I killed yesterday.
I expected to be discovered. I just hoped to get close enough for the ambush to work. Fortunately, it succeeded, and I managed to wound his shoulder.
Of course, I was confident I could win even in a direct confrontation.
But there was no need to take unnecessary risks. He wasn’t worth it. It would have been best to kill him with that one ambush.
“He’s dead, isn’t he?”
“You’ll die too.”
Normally, this would be a moment for more conversation. But I launched an attack, catching him off guard.
In a fight between masters, the most important thing is to seize the initiative. If you lose the initiative, you’ll be dragged along by the opponent and eventually face a final move at a dead end.
I began to press him. It’s not about attacking quickly and frequently; it’s about delivering attacks that must be blocked.
Sparks flew in the air as sword and fan clashed.
If it were an ordinary iron fan, it would have been cut by the Celestial Sword, imbued with inner strength.
But the fan Hwasun Nodae wielded was no ordinary fan. It was the ultimate weapon that made Hwasun Nodae who he was today, and his lifelong inner strength was formidable.
Hwasun Nodae’s martial arts were clearly a notch below Sigon’s.
But that’s in a formal fight.
In a sudden situation, Hwasun Nodae might have the upper hand. I dislike old men, but I know how terrifying they can be.
You have to fight as if you’ll die if you give them an opening.
Why?
Because it’s the same as them giving you an opening.
Though he was being pushed back, Hwasun Nodae was no pushover.
Flutter.
The fan opened and closed, flowers appearing and disappearing.
Each time, dazzling techniques unfolded.
But as the techniques continued, his expression grew more and more rigid.
He realized he was being pushed back.
Slash.
Hwasun Nodae’s arm was cut again. Blood splattered everywhere. It looked severe, but I could tell the wound was shallow.
However, the injury shook Hwasun Nodae’s psyche. He was already being pushed back, and now he was injured again.
Clang!
A hidden weapon shot out from the fan.
It was Hwasun Nodae’s secret move.
The hidden weapon from the fan narrowly missed my face. The cost of that miss was high.
Slash!
My sword cut his wrist.
“Argh!”
The first scream of pain. His wrist muscles were deeply cut, and he dropped the fan he was holding.
Swish!
My sword followed, slashing his waist.
“Argh!”
Hwasun Nodae staggered, his desperate scream echoing as he fell on his backside. The fight was over.
“Wait! Please, wait!”
He clutched his wrist. Blood trickled between his fingers, and the blood from his side soaked his pants.
He should have waited for a better moment to use the hidden weapon. But in his desperation, he used it recklessly.
A major attack always leaves an opening when it fails. That’s why I saved three moves of the Soul-Hunting Demon Sword Technique during the chaos.
“Spare me. I’ll do anything. Who hired you? I’ll pay you double, no, five times more. I’ll give you five times more and an additional ten times if you kill the one who hired you. I promise.”
Watching his desperate struggle to survive, I spoke languidly.
“Even in old age, you’re clinging to life.”
“Say what you will. I don’t want to die.”
“You asked about my employer?”
“Who is it?”
“My employer is already dead. You killed him in Je-nam.”
As Hwasun Nodae’s face showed confusion—
Thrust!
My sword mercilessly pierced his chest.
“This is for the child you killed.”
As I twisted the sword, Hwasun Nodae screamed in agony.
I quickly withdrew the sword and stabbed his other side.
“This is for the parents’ revenge.”
I twisted the sword again. He screamed that he was dying.
Even in this moment, he couldn’t let go of his attachment to life.
“Please… spare me.”
“Was that old body so precious to you? Did you want to live in luxury even if it meant killing a child?”
”… I’ll live a good life from now on. So please.”
I pulled out the sword that was embedded in him.
Then I turned and walked away.
After taking several steps, I looked back at him.
Hwasun Nodae staggered to his feet. Perhaps thinking I had spared him, he bowed his head to me.
”… Thank you. I will never forget this kindness.”
But my response was not what he expected.
“I told you, didn’t I? Living like that won’t end well. I warned you to live quietly.”
He looked utterly bewildered. Was it because he was facing his end? Or perhaps because those words had pierced his heart?
He remembered when and from whom he had heard those words. It was long ago, when he was denied entry into the council, and the leader of the martial alliance had said them to him.
“Those were the words of Cheonhajin. How do you know them?”
As he widened his eyes in shock, my sword sliced through the air.
Whoosh!
Boom!
The third form of the Infinite Technique was unleashed, and the space where Hwasun Nodae had stood exploded.
His body shattered into countless pieces, scattering everywhere.
Thud, thud, thud.
Unrecognizable fragments of flesh rained down with the dirt.
The very space itself had been obliterated.
Clink.
A small, unidentifiable piece of metal fell at my feet. It was Hwasun Nodae’s fan, now vanished from the world along with its owner.
“Go to hell.”
I left those cold words behind and turned away. Through the dense bamboo, glimpses of the sky peeked through.
Somewhere out there, a child was likely asleep in his grandmother’s arms.
Child, may your next life be long and filled with happiness.
“Hwasun Nodae, who left yesterday, still hasn’t returned.”
Majungsoo was taken aback by Sigon’s unexpected report. This had never happened before. If there was one thing he knew, it was that Hwasun Nodae was a man of routine.
“Have you searched everywhere?”
“We’ve sent out our men to look, but… there’s no sign of him.”
“Maybe something came up unexpectedly.”
Then, suddenly, Majungsoo flinched.
“Could it be?”
Sigon’s expression turned grave, as if he had already reached the same conclusion.
Majungsoo sprang to his feet.
“Let’s go to his room.”
The two of them entered Hwasun Nodae’s quarters.
They checked the wardrobe and drawers, but all of Hwasun Nodae’s belongings were gone.
It had been cleared out under the orders of Byeokridan, with Jeongyeo doing the deed.
“He’s gone!”
Majungsoo, who had been standing there in a daze, shouted in disbelief.
“That old man robbed the vault?”
“It seems so.”
Sigon didn’t mention any other possibilities. He was still upset over Hwasun Nodae’s actions and had no intention of defending him. Instead, he began searching for evidence to prove his guilt.
Majungsoo, on the other hand, was skeptical. He couldn’t believe someone like Hwasun Nodae would risk his life for a mere few thousand nyang.
Just then, Sigon called out.
“Look at this.”
A table had been moved, and something had fallen beneath it.
“What is it?”
“It’s the jeweled ornament from the Heavenly Sword. It must have fallen when he left in a hurry.”
It was the very item Byeokridan had set aside after modifying the sword in the iron workshop. Jeongyeo had secretly placed it there while clearing out the room.
This subtle trace, more than any direct evidence, would more convincingly frame him. If they didn’t find it, Jeongyeo could later claim it was discovered during a routine cleaning of Hwasun Nodae’s room.
Majungsoo was still unsure. Was this proof of Hwasun Nodae’s guilt, or was it a setup?
“Find that old man immediately! Quickly!”
“Yes, sir!”
“And keep this matter to yourself.”
“Understood.”
Sigon hurried out of the room. He was known for being tight-lipped, so there was no need to worry about him talking.
If Hwasun Nodae had indeed betrayed them, and his father found out, it would be a disaster.
If it turned out they were attacked by an outsider, that would be one thing, but being stabbed in the back by one of their own would make them look like fools. No matter who was behind it, this needed to be handled quietly.
Majungsoo turned his head toward the window and was startled.
“Oh!”
A mysterious woman was standing outside, peering in. He had just told Sigon to keep this a secret, so her presence was even more shocking.
‘Damn it, you scared me, you wretched woman.’
The words almost escaped his lips, but he held them back. After all, she was the woman his father had sent.
Without a word, she turned and walked away like a ghost.
Majungsoo shouted irritably at the window.
“We don’t know anything yet! Keep your mouth shut!”
Whether she heard him or not, she vanished from sight.
Bang!
Majungsoo slammed his fist on the window frame.
“Damn it! This is a mess!”
Everything was spiraling out of control.