Chapter 395: A Man’s Tale

Upon reaching Luoyang, Yeonchu was met with unsettling news.

“Jeongak Do-in… Oh, that elder? He passed away some time ago. Two or three years, perhaps.”

The journey had taken so long that Jeongak Do-in had died before Yeonchu even arrived.

For an elder who had retired to his hometown, eight years was no short span.

Yet, having come all this way, Yeonchu couldn’t just turn back. He decided to visit the site where Jeongak Do-in had lived. Fortunately, a local herbalist knew the location.

Jeongak Do-in’s dwelling wasn’t in the city but nestled deep in the mountains, away from people.

When Yeonchu arrived at the small hut, he encountered a girl around his age.

The girl, lively yet aloof, spoke up.

“And who are you?”

“I was told to seek out Jeongak Do-in. They said if I mentioned the name Hwangryeong, he would recognize me.”

The girl seemed incredulous.

“They told you to find someone who’s been dead for three years? Sounds like Hwangryeong was playing a trick on you.”

“No, that’s not it. I set out eight years ago.”

The girl laughed, thinking Yeonchu was joking.

But Yeonchu didn’t laugh.

Soon, the girl realized he was serious.

“What on earth… You really took eight years?”

Yeonchu nodded. Then he asked the girl, “And who are you?”

“If you must know, I’m Jeongak Do-in’s grandniece. My grandfather was his youngest brother.”

“I see.”

Yeonchu pondered his next move.

Returning to Chengdu wouldn’t be easy, so perhaps staying in Luoyang was the better option.

The girl, initially intent on sending Yeonchu away, crossed her arms with a huff.

“Do you know anyone around here?”

“No, no one.”

“After taking eight years to get here, it would be too harsh to send you away immediately. Stay in the hut for a few days until you figure out where to go.”

“Alright.”

Days turned into months, and eventually, three years passed.

Once a beggar and then a lackey for bandits, Yeonchu became a hunter and herbalist.

The once ragged Yeonchu cleaned up nicely.

The girl who had shared the hut with him eventually became his wife. They even had twins.

Being a herbalist and hunter provided enough for them to live on.

In his spare time, Yeonchu diligently practiced the martial arts he had learned from Hwangryeong, as well as those left behind by Jeongak Do-in.

The martial arts left by Jeongak Do-in were closer to his family’s style than the Cheongseong sect’s, so there was no reason to feel uneasy about learning them.

After enduring hardships, Yeonchu found himself in a life free of worries. He was happy.

However, a sense of unease began to permeate the area. His wife, returning from selling herbs in the village below, told Yeonchu, “Dear, there’s a war between the righteous and the demonic sects.”

“Really? No wonder things feel off… Do you think it will affect us?”

“They say demonic sect warriors have been causing trouble, robbing, assaulting women, and even killing innocent people.”

”…That’s serious. What should we do?”

Yeonchu devised a plan.

He tore up the floorboards and dug a pit to create a hiding place.

He covered it with a lid and placed a large wardrobe over it, making it a perfect hiding spot.

From then on, whenever suspicious people appeared, Yeonchu had his wife and children hide in the pit beneath the floor.

Several months later, nearly ten people came to Yeonchu’s hut.

After hiding his wife and children underground, Yeonchu stepped outside. Judging by their appearance, they didn’t seem to be demonic sect warriors.

Yeonchu bowed respectfully and said, “I am Yeonchu. What brings you esteemed guests to this humble place?”

The man at the front introduced himself calmly.

“I am Sama Jirang. What do you do here?”

“I’m a herbalist. I also hunt a bit.”

Sama Jirang looked Yeonchu up and down, then smirked.

“Nonsense. A mere herbalist with skills surpassing those of a typical Sama family warrior? Did you think you could fool me?”

“Pardon?”

Sama Jirang gestured towards Yeonchu.

“Seize him.”

“No, this is a misunderstanding!”

“Whether it’s a misunderstanding or not, we’ll find out after investigating.”

The Sama family warriors attacked Yeonchu.

He might have handled a couple of them, but he couldn’t take on so many at once.

Yeonchu was beaten unconscious and dragged away by the Sama family warriors.

Yeonchu awoke with a start.

‘Where am I?’

It was an unfamiliar room. As he looked around, a man with slightly reddish hair entered.

Yeonchu asked, “Who might you be?”

“I am Sama Yugong of the Sama family.”

“Where am I? Why did I wake up here?”

“This is the Sama family estate. There was a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding…?”

“Sama Jirang thought you were a demonic sect warrior while searching for remnants of the sect. A skilled man claiming to be a herbalist seemed suspicious.”

“Ah…”

It seemed the misunderstanding had been cleared up, which was a relief. Yeonchu smiled, feeling grateful.

But then, a fierce hunger struck him.

Having experienced hunger before, Yeonchu could roughly gauge how long he’d been without food.

This wasn’t just a day or two of hunger.

With a trembling voice, Yeonchu asked, “How long was I unconscious?”

“Not quite ten days. We fed you porridge occasionally, but you must be hungry. I’ll have them bring you a meal.”

“Sir, what about my family?”

Yeonchu’s heart pounded wildly.

But Sama Yugong seemed puzzled.

“Family?”

Yeonchu sprang to his feet. Sama Yugong tried to stop him.

“Wait. Your body isn’t fully recovered. Rest a bit longer.”

“No, no…”

Yeonchu shook off Sama Yugong and dashed out of Luoyang, racing towards the mountain hut.

Hunger was the last thing on his mind.

The house was silent.

The large wardrobe still sat atop the hiding place.

“Oh, no…”

Yeonchu let out a strange sound as he pushed the wardrobe aside with all his might.

His mind was blank, teetering on the edge of madness.

Finally, lifting the floorboards, Yeonchu met a pair of vacant eyes.

His wife’s eyes, still marked with tear stains, were hollow and gaunt.

In her arms were their two children, silent and still.

Yeonchu gasped, “Dear, dear…”

His wife smiled faintly.

The next morning, his wife, having lost her mind, passed away.

Fueled by burning hatred, Yeonchu headed for the Sama family estate. He wanted nothing more than to kill Sama Jirang.

But he stopped short of the estate.

It wasn’t fear of dying at the hands of the Sama family warriors.

He didn’t care about losing his life. What he feared was Sama Jirang escaping punishment.

Going to the Sama family and asking for Sama Jirang to be punished was foolish.

So Yeonchu changed his destination. Fortunately, there was someone in Luoyang with the authority to punish even a member of the Sama family.

The Sword King of the Jeweon Baek family, known for his fairness, was in Luoyang.

Yeonchu sought out the Sword King and demanded justice for Sama Jirang.

But the Sword King looked troubled.

“You want me to kill Sama Jirang?”

“Yes!”

”…That’s difficult.”

“Why, why is that?”

“The deaths of your wife and children are tragic, but Sama Jirang didn’t attack you with the intent to kill them. There was even a reason for his misunderstanding.”

Yeonchu felt on the brink of madness. Overcoming his fear, he cried out before the many righteous warriors.

“Let me challenge him to a life-and-death duel!”

The strong prevail.

Yeonchu wanted that simple rule.

He felt he could defeat Sama Jirang. Even if he lost and died, he could rest without regret.

But the Sword King shook his head.

“No. Resolving such a wrong with a life-and-death duel isn’t right. I promise Sama Jirang will pay for his crime.”

Though the war between the righteous and demonic sects raged on, Sama Jirang was confined to the repentance chamber of the Shaolin Temple.

Yeonchu was not satisfied. But he couldn’t protest further. The Sword King died before the war ended.

Yet, Yeonchu was genuinely grateful to the Sword King.

What other warrior would confine a promising member of a prestigious family to a lifetime of repentance for a mere herbalist?

‘Still, at least he’s paying for his crime…’

But sometimes, an overwhelming rage surged within him.

In those moments, Yeonchu practiced martial arts alone.

He swung his sword until his hands blistered and he lost consciousness. Occasionally, moments of enlightenment came, but even the joy of those moments couldn’t wash away his anger.

When the fury became unbearable, Yeonchu would head to Mount Song in Henan, towards the repentance chamber.

The monks of Shaolin allowed Yeonchu to observe Sama Jirang, giving him a chance to let go of his resentment.

Not long after, a severe famine struck.

It was so harsh that people were dropping dead from hunger.

When Yeonchu returned to Shaolin, he was met with an unexpected situation. Sama Jirang, who had been confined in the repentance hall, was gone.

Overcome with a mix of emotions, Yeonchu asked a monk, “Did Sama Jirang starve to death?”

The monk shook his head. “He was released.”

The answer was the opposite of what Yeonchu had expected.

Yeonchu’s eyes widened as he grabbed the frail monk by the collar. “Why… why on earth?”

“With even monks starving, we couldn’t afford to feed prisoners. Besides, Sama Jirang has served his time.”

“Served his time…?”

“Yes. Though there were some parts left unfinished… the Sama family provided food for the starving, so he has atoned in part.”

Yeonchu sank to the ground.

His head throbbed, filled with a whirlwind of thoughts.

Why is the world so cruel to me?

I accepted being powerless when I had no strength.

But now that I have power, why can’t I wield it?

Why can’t I take revenge on those who have wronged me?

Wasn’t it said that suffering comes from powerlessness?

Was even that cruel story just an excuse?

Shouldn’t even those born lowly have a chance?

Shouldn’t they be given at least the opportunity to resist, to cry out against the world?

Yeonchu trudged back to his hut.

The graves of his wife and two children greeted him in silence.

“My love…”

He looked up at the sky. Though it was early evening, faint stars were already twinkling.

Yeonchu lit a dry twig. The small flame at the tip couldn’t dispel the darkness.

So he placed the burning twig inside the hut.

The fire quickly grew, engulfing the hut. In the dark night, Yeonchu’s memories blazed. The surroundings brightened as if the night itself was retreating.

Just as the fire consumed the hut, a torrent of emotions consumed Yeonchu. His feelings burned fiercely.

Sorrow. Anger. Hatred. Emptiness. Shame at his own foolishness.

And then, anger once more.

Late at night, Yeonchu quietly slipped into the Sama estate.

He set fire to a small building in one corner. The flames climbed the wooden pillars, swallowing the structure.

“Fire! There’s a fire!”

“Quick, fetch water! We must put it out before the embers spread!”

Chaos erupted in the Sama estate. Yeonchu waited quietly in a corner.

Soon, the person he had been waiting for appeared. Sama Jirang.

Taking advantage of the confusion, Yeonchu stole a sword and approached Sama Jirang.

“Sama Jirang.”

”…You, who are you?”

Yeonchu drew the sword. Though he had only ever wielded wooden swords, the feel of the real blade was not unfamiliar.

Yeonchu asked, “Sama Jirang, do you think you’ve paid for your sins?”

Sama Jirang couldn’t answer.

If he said yes, it would provoke Yeonchu’s wrath. If he said no, it would mean he still had to pay.

So Sama Jirang chose another path. He shouted loudly, “Intruder…!”

But before he could finish, Yeonchu closed in and swung the sword.

Sama Jirang’s head fell to the ground. By then, Yeonchu’s skills had far surpassed Sama Jirang’s.

Hearing the commotion, several warriors from the Sama estate approached Yeonchu.

Having completed his revenge, Yeonchu fled wildly. Though his life was in danger several times due to the pursuers, he miraculously managed to evade them and escape Luoyang.

Finally, Yeonchu stood alone in the fields west of Luoyang. His body was drenched in his own blood and that of the Sama estate warriors.

He wiped his blood-soaked face with his equally bloodied hands.

And he let out a deep sigh. Hoo—

‘Do you feel relieved?’

He didn’t know.

But one thing was certain.

It was far better than doing nothing.

Better than having power and not being able to use it, letting it fester inside.

Better than living by rules that change on a whim, to live under a clear, albeit cold and cruel, standard.

Yeonchu looked back.

Two fires blazed in the distance. The large flames in the city of Luoyang. And the small fire burning on the hillside.

The small fire was almost out, unable to spread to the mountain.

Yeonchu watched the small fire that had engulfed his hut for a long time. Finally, the flames that had consumed the hut died down.

Only then did Yeonchu begin to walk westward.

Toward a distant land that would accept a sinner. Toward the land of fugitives.