Beyond the Door (3)
Song Hwarin had seen Gwangdu a few times before.
Until now, she had only known him as a servant of the Byeok clan, specifically under Byeok Lidan.
But the Gwangdu standing before her now, displaying his martial arts, looked more like a true warrior than any other she had seen.
Whoosh!
Gwangdu’s sword sliced through the air with a force that seemed to tear it apart. Having mastered the Seven Techniques of the South Sea and trained diligently every day, his power was incomparable to when he first learned martial arts.
She should have turned away after witnessing someone else’s training, but the elegance and strength of his swordplay held her gaze.
Realizing her presence might be intrusive, she finally turned to leave, making her presence known.
Gwangdu stopped his practice and looked her way.
“Who is it?”
At his question, she turned back to face him.
Recognizing Song Hwarin, Gwangdu’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Gasp!”
His shock was so palpable that Song Hwarin found herself startled as well.
“Miss?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
“Wow! How did you end up here?”
Gwangdu hurried over and bowed deeply in greeting.
His overly formal greeting made Song Hwarin bow her head as well.
Gwangdu jumped back in surprise.
“Why would you bow to someone as lowly as me?”
“Lowly? Please, don’t say that.”
She had never looked down on him for being a servant. Besides, the martial arts she had just witnessed were not something to be underestimated.
“What brings you here?”
“I had an errand to run for my father, so I came to Wuhon. I heard you were staying at this inn, so I decided to stop by. The innkeeper mentioned you were training here.”
Unexpectedly, she had stumbled upon Gwangdu practicing martial arts instead of Byeok Lidan.
Gwangdu looked regretful.
“The young master isn’t here right now.”
“Oh, I see. That’s alright, I was just passing by.”
Of course, it wasn’t alright. She had volunteered for the errand just to see Byeok Lidan.
She had considered the possibility of not meeting him since she hadn’t sent word ahead, but the disappointment was still there.
“Please let him know I stopped by.”
“Of course.”
Gwangdu looked even more regretful. After all, he was Song Hwarin’s staunch supporter.
“Miss.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t let our young master slip away!”
Song Hwarin was taken aback by the unexpected comment. She hadn’t expected Gwangdu to say such a thing.
Gwangdu was earnest. In his sincere gaze, Song Hwarin could see his genuine care for Byeok Lidan. It wasn’t for her sake, but for Byeok Lidan’s, and that made her feel grateful and close to Gwangdu.
Song Hwarin responded with determination.
“Yes.”
Even she was surprised by the strength of her own reply. It wasn’t like her to express her feelings so openly, not even to Suran.
Perhaps she had absorbed some of Gwangdu’s supportive energy. Maybe she had been longing for someone to cheer her on.
She added with a smile, “Please help me a lot.”
Gwangdu beamed and replied loudly, “Don’t worry! I’m always on your side!”
The day after drinking with Im Yeonjeong, Mareongin came to see me.
“How was it yesterday?”
“What do you mean?”
Feigning ignorance, I watched as Mareongin gave me a knowing smile.
“Seems like you liked her.”
“What makes you think that?”
“It’s written all over your face. You really enjoyed it.”
“That’s impossible.”
I walked over to a mirror to check my reflection. A stranger’s face stared back at me, expressionless. I hadn’t even fully adjusted to Byeok Lidan’s face, and now I was seeing a new one every day.
But it didn’t matter. What my face looked like wasn’t important. I was on a long journey to find the sword of my heart.
“There’s nothing written on my face.”
“Hahaha. Emotions for a woman aren’t visible to oneself.”
I sat back down across from him.
“To be honest, I do like her.”
“What do you like about her?”
“She’s beautiful, has an amazing figure, and she’s smart. She’s incredibly charming. I’d risk my life to be with a woman like that.”
“But she’s a dangerous woman.”
“I prefer dangerous women.”
I then looked at him intently and asked, “Are you jealous?”
“Hahaha. Not at all! I’m not the kind of person who covets a friend’s woman.”
“Friend?”
I showed a hint of surprise, but he confidently replied, “Yes, a friend.”
“Alright. Then prove it.”
“How?”
“Take me to her right now!”
Mareongin shook his head with a troubled expression.
“We drank yesterday; it wouldn’t be right to disturb her work today.”
I gave him a look that said, “See?”
“Heh. I knew it.”
“It’s for your own good.”
Mareongin was indeed a master. He knew that making someone wait and yearn was more effective than taking them right away.
If it weren’t me, I might have fallen for his tricks. Many probably had, and that’s how he held his position. If the tail was this cunning, how formidable must the body and head be?
“Instead, let me treat you to a drink today.”
“Hahaha. Sounds good.”
Mareongin’s direct involvement meant he had a purpose.
That day, I went with Mareongin to a tavern and drank heavily.
Once I was thoroughly drunk, he finally revealed his true intentions.
He let out a deep sigh.
“What’s wrong? Is something troubling you?”
“No.”
“Come on, tell me what’s on your mind.”
After downing several drinks and sending away the courtesans, he finally opened up about his troubles.
“When the Golden Grand Banquet is held, my father and brothers will come here.”
“Of course.”
“Then I’ll have to face my brother.”
“Your brother?”
“Ma Cheolgun.”
“Ah! The likely successor, Ma Daehyeop.”
He scoffed at the title.
“Ma Daehyeop? Don’t make me laugh. He’s not worthy of the title. He’s someone whose exterior and interior are completely different.”
“Is that true?”
“He’s committed all sorts of vile acts behind the scenes. Even murder and assault.”
I couldn’t know what kind of person Ma Cheolgun truly was. But at least the things Mareongin was saying were either lies or slander.
“The martial world is full of untrustworthy people.”
I spoke as if it didn’t concern me.
Yet Mareongin continued to badmouth Ma Cheolgun, painting him as someone deserving of death.
“To think I have to lose the successor position to someone like him!”
He expressed his frustration and drank more.
“Do you know why I’m doing this? To reclaim the successor position from him.”
“But how do you plan to do that?”
Mareongin remained silent.
I spoke his thoughts for him.
“You plan to kill him.”
Mareongin looked up at me slowly, his face filled with despair, a side of him I’d never seen before, making it all the more intense and pitiful.
I found myself speaking impulsively.
“I’ll…”
But I swallowed the words offering to kill him. It was one thing to feel impulsive, but it wasn’t something to promise lightly.
Mareongin raised his glass, and I silently toasted with him.
That was our last drink, and our drinking session ended there.
For several days, Mareongin didn’t come to see me.
Instead, Chudochi came by with a simple job.
It was to take care of a villain worth six thousand nyang. Maintaining the reputation of the Nameless Hero was crucial. Although the Nameless Hero’s fame had waned in Jeongju due to the Golden Grand Banquet preparations, it was still soaring in other regions.
This new task would keep the Nameless Hero in the spotlight.
I completed the job as quickly as possible and conveyed to Chudochi my desire to meet Mareongin.
Two days later, Mareongin came to see me himself. He was moving according to a meticulous plan.
“I drank too much that day.”
“I was so drunk I barely remember.”
“Glad you forgot my drunken antics.”
“One thing I do remember.”
“One thing?”
“What you want to do. About your brother.”
Mareongin flinched in surprise.
“I’ve been thinking about it since that day.”
After a pause, I spoke.
“I’ll do it for you.”
“What?”
“You said it yourself, didn’t you? That we seem to have a connection.”
“You!”
Mareongin looked at me with an intense expression, then shook his head.
“No, you’ll die.”
“I’m going to die in a year anyway.”
“Aren’t you researching an antidote?”
“That’s only if it’s developed. Do you think I’m a fool? If it were going to be developed, it would have been by now.”
Mareongin seemed about to say something, but I raised a hand to stop him.
“Don’t try to dissuade me before I change my mind. This is the first time I’m genuinely stepping up for someone.”
“You!”
Mareongin’s eyes filled with tears as he grasped my hand.
Beneath those tears, he was likely feeling a thrill. The satisfaction of manipulating a person at will.
But you’ll never know. You’ll never guess what I’m thinking right now.
Your tears will be real tears.
Since that day, I often went to the manor with Chudochi.
Of course, I was still blindfolded. Mareongin excused it as an unchangeable rule of the organization.
However, his treatment of me changed. He was careful with his words, as if afraid I might change my mind. Even when I grumbled, he took it in stride, always emphasizing “us” in the most positive light.
Naturally, being the shrewd man he was, he used the most powerful and certain method to keep me on his side.
After much delay, he finally arranged for me to meet Im Yeonjeong today.
“Have you heard the news about me?”
“I heard you’ve made a foolish decision.”
She was calm. While she had shown some interest in me, it wasn’t enough to make her want to save my life.
“I thought I was gaining a good drinking buddy. What a shame.”
“Is there really no chance I’ll survive?”
“None.”
Her firm answer made me sigh.
“That’s unfortunate.”
Her lips twitched slightly, as if she was about to say something but stopped. Perhaps she felt it was a waste to just let me die.
“Before I die, can I ask you something? What exactly does your organization do?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“I’m about to die anyway. Can’t you grant me that small mercy?”
This was a crucial moment. I hoped she’d let something slip.
But she was unyielding.
“You’re about to die, so there’s no need for mercy.”
“How cold.”
“The world is not just cold; it’s ruthless. You can’t see people for who they are, you’re deaf to the truth, and your heart is too soft. You deserve to die.”
“And yet, you speak so harshly?”
I looked at her incredulously, then sighed again.
“What can I do? That’s just how things are.”
The Golden Festival was only three days away. I had promised to kill Ma Cheolgun on the last day, which meant I had thirteen days left.
In that time, I needed to uncover who was behind all this. Since I was now the sword meant to kill Ma Cheolgun, I had a strategic advantage.
“Alright. Then answer me this.”
“What is it?”
“What’s in the room across from here? I sensed a powerful presence.”
The energy had been palpable.
“There’s a very frightening person in there.”
“A frightening person?”
Could that overwhelming presence really be from a person? I had my doubts.
It was too strong to be human, yet too vivid to be anything else.
I had concluded that it was some complex combination of things, like this laboratory of hers, that I couldn’t comprehend.
But to think that presence was entirely human?
It was a force similar to, or slightly less than, what I had in my prime.
An incredible force. Of course, just because the energy felt strong didn’t mean the person was equally powerful.
But martial artists usually matched their aura with their skill.
Who could it be?
Upon entering this room, I encountered the unexpected variable of Im Yeonjeong. And beyond the door across from us, there was yet another variable.
In any case, I needed to continue with my plan to uncover the organization behind all this.
“Do you have someone you like?”
Im Yeonjeong looked at me, surprised by the sudden question.
“Why do you ask?”
“Didn’t Ma Gongja mention it?”
“Mention what?”
“So he was jealous.”
I said to her, who seemed puzzled.
“I have feelings for you…”
Just then, there was a noise outside the door.
“It’s me.”
It was Iho’s voice.
“I’m coming in for a moment.”
The door opened, and Iho entered. He wasn’t alone.
Seeing the person with him, I was taken aback. But I couldn’t show it.
Iho spoke to Im Yeonjeong.
“Someone new from the organization has arrived to introduce themselves.”
The woman who came in with him bowed politely to her.
“I’m Chilho.”