Episode 105: People on the Edge

When Dang Mujin awoke, the first thing he saw was Namgung Myung crouched nearby. The cloth on Namgung’s shoulder was stained a deep red, suggesting he might need medical attention.

But as soon as he caught a glimpse of Namgung’s expression, Dang Mujin realized he was mistaken.

Namgung Myung wasn’t sitting there because he needed treatment. He had the unmistakable air of someone eager to boast.

Namgung glanced at Dang Mujin, wearing a look that suggested he had unlocked the secrets of the universe.

“So this is how the world looks to a master at the peak…”

What nonsense, Dang Mujin thought, scrutinizing Namgung more closely.

Outwardly, nothing seemed different, yet there was an indescribable subtlety about him.

’…Did he really break through the barrier so suddenly?’

Namgung Myung stood up, using his knees for support, and looked down at Dang Mujin.

Then, with an infuriatingly smug smile, he said, “This must be the insurmountable gap between the peak and the first-rate.”

He must have been waiting all this time just to say that. What a lunatic.

Dang Mujin sat up with a disgruntled expression.

“You shouldn’t be acting so cocky. I saw you earlier, collapsed with your sword in hand.”

“Hey, first-rate Dang. So what if you did?”

“What do you mean, ‘so what’? If I so much as open my mouth, a supreme master will come and take your left arm.”

”…”

Namgung Myung’s heart skipped a beat. If anyone else had said it, he might have dismissed it, but coming from Dang Mujin, even his father would believe it without question.

Namgung’s demeanor quickly reverted to its usual self.

“Of course, I was just joking. You’ll break through the peak barrier someday too. Why would I brag over something like this?”

“Hmm.”

Namgung helped Dang Mujin to his feet. Only then did they notice Pyo Chung.

Both Namgung and Dang Mujin felt a pang of guilt. This was no time for idle banter. Hadn’t Tanglang and Sanjeo disappeared?

If people vanished from this high cliff, it was obvious where they would be. At the bottom of the Heavenly Cliff, from which no one returns.

Yet surprisingly, Pyo Chung wasn’t crying.

His expression wasn’t one of joy or sorrow. It was a complex look, not easily defined.

It was the face of someone who had shed a burden and felt relieved, yet was also deeply reflecting on endless regret and memories.

Pyo Chung wasn’t looking down the cliff but far beyond it.

His gaze reached the horizon beyond the peaks of Nogunsan.

Pyo Chung stared at the horizon for a long time.

After what seemed like an eternity, he gathered Tanglang and Sanjeo’s swords.

“Let’s go back.”

The three of them headed towards Nogun Village. But the village was deserted.

As they had instructed the young people before going to fight the Sword Master, it seemed they had evacuated everyone in advance.

“Where do you think the villagers have gone?”

“Not sure. I really don’t know.”

“So, where shall we go?”

It was a somewhat rhetorical question. There was only one place they could go.

The three climbed the cliff path. They needed to ensure the cloud bridge was intact to feel at ease.

When they reached the top of the cliff, they were surprised to see many people.

The men who had been building the cloud bridge were all there, and a significant number of villagers had not evacuated but were watching the bridge being constructed.

Someone spotted the three and shouted.

“They’re here!”

People turned their heads sharply to look at Dang Mujin and his companions, and immediately gasped.

It was only natural. Seeing them covered in wounds and bleeding, it was hard to believe they had won the fight.

Pyo Chung wore a smile that seemed almost exaggeratedly relaxed.

“We won. The Sword Master is dead, and no one will bother us for a while.”

The people’s faces brightened.

But they didn’t show more emotion than that. They saw the three swords in Pyo Chung’s hand.

The Nogun Three Swords never parted with their weapons.

And the fact that Tanglang and Sanjeo’s swords were in Pyo Chung’s hand meant they had become guests of the afterlife.

Pyo Chung let out a hearty laugh.

“Tanglang and Sanjeo didn’t leave in tears or sorrow. They weren’t defeated by the enemy’s sword. They achieved what they wanted and died following their own choices. Rejoice. Your joy will be theirs too.”

The villagers smiled bitterly. Pyo Chung watched their smiles and then asked a question.

“By the way, why didn’t you evacuate?”

An elder named Bang answered Pyo Chung’s question.

“Even if things went wrong, if we worked diligently, we might have completed the bridge.”

“If things went wrong, the bridge would have been destroyed immediately.”

“Even if it’s just for a moment, completing the bridge is important. It’s our last chance, after all. Better to die having built the bridge than to die without trying.”

Pyo Chung understood Bang’s words completely.

And the work wasn’t finished yet.

Pyo Chung, the villagers, Dang Mujin, and Namgung Myung all sat quietly, watching the clouds.

The dark rain clouds gradually turned white and slowly drifted north. The sunlight breaking through the clouds was beautiful. The people gazed at the stunning scenery in a daze.

And the villagers of Nogun Village focused on the cloud bridge.

An unnamed middle-aged man crawled across the bridge, securing the final plank.

Moments later, the man who placed the last plank stood up. The cloud bridge was complete.

Everyone held their breath.

They thought the man would cross to the other side of the cliff. Being the first to cross the bridge was a right reserved for the one who completed it.

But unexpectedly, the man didn’t move to the other side. Instead, he returned to the people.

Without a word, he sat among them.

The people’s eyes were a tangled mess of emotions.

Before long, the villagers’ gazes converged on one spot. There sat a frail old woman, Granny Ju.

Pyo Chung stood up and approached Granny Ju.

Just as he had done not long ago, he offered his back to her. His clothes were tattered, stained red with blood. To make matters worse, the wounds beneath his torn clothes were still bleeding.

Granny Ju silently looked at his bloodied back.

Pyo Chung turned his head to look at her. It was hard to tell if her mind was clear or clouded.

But Pyo Chung spoke in a deliberately bright and lively voice.

“Mother, please climb on.”

Granny Ju hesitated for a long time before climbing onto Pyo Chung’s back. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

Pyo Chung reached back with his left hand to support her frail body.

He stood at the edge of the cloud bridge, gripping the handrail with his right hand. The bridge swayed slightly, but it didn’t seem like it would break or fall.

Pyo Chung walked slowly. He moved carefully, ensuring the bridge didn’t shake.

Granny Ju said nothing.

Halfway across, she buried her face in Pyo Chung’s back.

His back grew warm with her tears. He could hear her quiet sobs.

Pyo Chung murmured softly.

“Let it out. Cry until your heart is at ease. It may not wash away all the pain, but it’s better than not crying at all.”

Granny Ju’s sobs continued for a long time. So Pyo Chung crossed the bridge very slowly.

The next morning, the people left Nogun Village and headed for Nakseong Village at the entrance of Nogunsan.

There wasn’t a particular reason. They just wanted to be a little closer to the outside world.

Besides, if you think about it, Nakseong Village is still part of Nogunsan. Entering Nakseong Village doesn’t violate any orders.

Very few villagers had ever been to Nakseong Village. Except for the few who delivered herbs and brought back necessities, there was no reason for them to go.

No one particularly wanted to visit Nakseong Village either. They disliked the mixed looks of subtle superiority and disdain from the people there.

But now, the people of Nakseong Village wouldn’t be able to look at the villagers of Nogun Village that way.

However, when the villagers of Nogun Village arrived at Nakseong Village, it was deserted. The houses, livestock, and rice sacks were all left behind, with only valuable items hastily taken. It seemed they had fled after realizing the Sword Master had been defeated.

‘They must have feared retaliation from the Nogun villagers.’

The villagers of Nogun had no intention of harming the people of Nakseong Village. But given the long history of mistreatment, it was understandable they would be afraid.

In any case, the villagers seemed relieved that Nakseong Village was empty.

They explored the village with curious expressions. They entered well-built houses and marveled at the various trinkets.

Nakseong Village wasn’t large, and there was no grand mansion where everyone could gather.

The villagers settled in open spaces outside the houses. In the yards, on the roads, by the well.

They found spots to relax and enjoy the moment. That seemed to be enough for them.

Children ran around wildly, shouting, but no one scolded them.

Yet there was still work to be done.

Someone needed to leave Nogunsan and inform the local officials of the situation.

Only by having their achievements recognized could the villagers truly be free.

Only three people could leave the village: Dang Mujin, Namgung Myung, and Pyo Chung.

The three of them decided to depart from Nogunsan together.

When they announced their intention to leave, the villagers gathered around them in a circle.

“Travel safely and come back to us, won’t you?”

“We hope you bring back good news…”

“How long will you be gone?”

Pyo Chung listened to the villagers’ concerns for a while before asking them a question.

“If you could leave Nogunsan, where would you go?”

The villagers hesitated at first, but soon their stories poured out like a flood.

Many of the younger ones expressed a desire to leave Nogunsan and settle elsewhere.

Surprisingly, however, the majority said they would stay.

“You’d stay in Nogunsan?”

“Yes. Like it or not, we’ve lived here all our lives.”

To the villagers, the outside world was a dream, a place of endless possibilities, and the home of their ancestors. Yet, it was also an unknown realm, a place they knew nothing about, a homeland no one had ever visited.

What mattered to them wasn’t the life they could have outside Nogunsan. What was important was that they were no longer trapped, that they could choose their future. It was crucial that they were no longer outcasts, and that their descendants wouldn’t be either.

They had broken the chains that had bound them for generations and claimed the freedom to leave if they wished.

Elder Bang smiled warmly.

“Besides, why struggle in a strange place when we can live comfortably here in Nogunsan? The people of Nakseong Village have left their homes, so we can live as prosperously as they did.”

Elder Bang expressed his gratitude to Dang Mujin and Namgung Myung.

“Doctor Dang, Young Master Myung, you’ve been a great help to us. We’ll stay here and wait for the day we can repay your kindness. Is there any way we can show our gratitude?”

Dang Mujin had no particular requests. What could he ask of those who had just escaped a hellish existence? He also felt that his and Namgung’s contributions were minimal.

It was the villagers who had built the endless bridge, who had endured years of suffering, and who had ultimately triumphed.

Yet, the villagers sincerely wished to repay Dang Mujin and Namgung Myung. To ease their sense of indebtedness, Dang Mujin decided to ask for something simple.

“Medicinal herbs or elixirs… No, those aren’t necessary. You should sell them to merchants. But if you come across any rare or unusual poisons, please save them for me.”

“Is that all you want?”

Nogunsan was rich in poisons, but no one had ever needed them before. To the villagers, Dang Mujin’s request seemed as if he was asking for nothing at all.

“They may not be useful to anyone else, but they are to me.”

”…If you say so.”

Elder Bang bowed deeply to Dang Mujin and Namgung Myung.

“The people of Nogun Village, and our descendants, will always consider you family. We wish you peace always.”

Dang Mujin and Namgung Myung returned the bow to Elder Bang.

Then, following Pyo Chung, they left Nogunsan behind.