Afterword - A Steady Pace

“Isn’t it nice to walk slowly sometimes?”

At Sam Anbul’s question, Eom Soul replied with a soft smile.

“Yes, it is.”

“I always thought you walked so briskly because you were busy.”

Eom Soul chuckled lightly.

Whenever Eom Soul moved, he would tense his calves and walk briskly. If the distance was even slightly far, he wouldn’t hesitate to use his light-footed martial arts. Until recently, Sam Anbul had never seen Eom Soul walk slowly.

Eom Soul explained, “Actually, I used to work at an inn when I was young.”

“An inn, huh? That seems to suit you somehow. But why did that make you walk so fast?”

“I picked up the habit back then.”

“Did the innkeeper always tell you to hurry?”

Eom Soul shook his head. “No, he actually told me not to rush, saying I might trip.”

“Then why?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t assist with that.”

“The guests found it endearing and would give me small tips. I guess that’s how I got into the habit.”

But Eom Soul’s brisk walking wasn’t just a habit. It became his way of life. He grew anxious, always feeling like he was being chased.

The compulsion to achieve more, to accomplish more, gripped him. It drove him to leave the inn and become a young assassin in the martial arts world.

Struggling through the ranks, he eventually became the successor of the Southern Strike. After the fall of his sect, he drifted to the Magokachi. Living such a hectic life, he ended up with the title of Grand Protector and immense martial prowess. Half of what shaped Eom Soul was urgency, the other half was luck.

“But now, I can’t walk quickly anymore.”

“Actually, I could if I wanted to. I can still use my martial arts.”

“Don’t.”

At Sam Anbul’s gentle insistence, Eom Soul stopped with a sheepish grin.

Eom Soul’s belly was visibly round, unmistakably pregnant. Watching him cradle his belly as he walked, Sam Anbul couldn’t help but click his tongue in concern.

“The sun will set soon. Let’s rest here for today.”

“Alright.”

Sam Anbul and Eom Soul were on their way to Mount Tian after leaving the Tang family estate.

They had set out at the end of winter, and now it was nearly summer. But the path to Mount Tian was cool, so the heat wasn’t too oppressive. Sam Anbul gathered twigs and started a fire.

The twigs crackled as they burned, and sparks flew up into the sky.

As they sat by the fire, Sam Anbul asked, “Isn’t it hard to walk in your condition? You could have stayed at the Tang estate until after the baby was born and rested before heading to Mount Tian.”

“How could I? Elder Jang was clearly struggling.”

After the cult leader’s death, Eom Soul returned to the Tang estate.

No one blamed Eom Soul for the cult leader’s death. It wasn’t because he played a significant role in the final battle. In fact, he was more of a bystander.

But the people of the Tang estate knew who the father of Eom Soul’s child was. They understood how difficult it must have been for him to side with them instead of the cult leader.

Seeing the cult leader rage and threaten Eom Soul, they couldn’t hold him accountable for the leader’s death.

But one person was troubled.

Jang Il-nam always looked pained when he saw Eom Soul. Seeing him reminded Jang Il-nam of the past.

Everyone knew Jang Il-nam’s gaze, but even if he wanted revenge, no one would stop him.

In the end, it was Jang Il-nam himself who held back. He was too kind-hearted.

Even if he didn’t intend to, Jang Il-nam couldn’t bring himself to harm Eom Soul. He couldn’t kill a woman carrying a child.

Even after Eom Soul gave birth, the situation wouldn’t change.

How could Jang Il-nam kill a mother with a child?

Sam Anbul said, “Even if Il-nam was struggling, you didn’t have to rush. He said he’d leave the estate when spring came.”

“That’s why I hurried.”

“Why?”

“How could I enjoy the flowers while being watched? It wouldn’t be right for me to stay while Elder Jang left.”

Though Jang Il-nam couldn’t bring himself to harm Eom Soul, Eom Soul knew his own faults.

He hadn’t truly opposed the cult leader. Deep down, he felt he didn’t deserve forgiveness.

So he decided to leave first, to ease Jang Il-nam’s burden.

Eom Soul then asked Sam Anbul, “By the way, are you sure you’re okay with going to Mount Tian?”

“I have to. It’s what I need to do.”

Sam Anbul smiled bitterly.

The people of Zhongjing cherished the Flower Maiden deeply. After her death, they carefully laid her to rest in the best place.

The problem was the Hao Sect. Having lost their leader shortly after forming, their future was uncertain.

’…I have my own responsibilities.’

Sam Anbul pondered whether he should take over the Hao Sect in her stead.

But he chose to head to Mount Tian instead.

He believed the Flower Maiden’s words about his responsibilities didn’t mean taking over the Hao Sect, and the Mani Sect was in a more precarious state.

Unlike the Hao Sect, which had many members despite its weakened state, the Mani Sect had only two members: Sam Anbul and Eom Soul. Including the child in Eom Soul’s belly, there were just three.

Even with Sam Anbul’s help, rebuilding the Mani Sect would be difficult. Leaving Eom Soul to do it alone was nearly impossible. So Sam Anbul had no choice but to accompany Eom Soul to the Mani Sect.

Sam Anbul glanced at Eom Soul’s belly.

“How about taking a carriage from tomorrow?”

“No, I’d rather walk.”

“It’ll be hard.”

“I’ve come to enjoy walking slowly now, maybe because I regret rushing so much before. I like taking in the world, having conversations along the way.”

Eom Soul reflected.

What if the inn’s older sister hadn’t been so slow? What if she hadn’t been kicked out and had lived well? What if he hadn’t needed to walk briskly? What if he could have lived with a relaxed mindset? How would his life be now?

‘Maybe I would have helped the innkeeper and married his son.’

It was a plausible scenario. The innkeeper’s son had liked Eom Soul quite a bit.

‘Or perhaps I would have followed a merchant guest and learned the trade.’

That was another likely possibility. Eom Soul had been resourceful from a young age and could do simple math without being taught.

Many possibilities came to mind.

But among all those possibilities, becoming the Grand Protector of the Mani Sect wasn’t one of them. Nor was rebuilding the burned Mani Sect with Sam Anbul.

Eom Soul watched the sparks from the campfire rise into the sky, then gazed at the unreachable stars.

As Eom Soul looked at the stars, countless stars looked back at him.

*

A few days later, Sam Anbul and Eom Soul arrived at Mount Tian.

As expected, there were hardly any intact buildings. After some deliberation, they headed to the Cult Leader’s Hall. It was the only structure that still resembled a building.

As they surveyed the hall, Eom Soul asked Sam Anbul, “Elder, I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“Who will be the new cult leader?”

Sam Anbul replied matter-of-factly, “Of course, it’s you.”

“Me?”

“Yes. I never held any significant position. I even left the Mani Sect nearly a decade ago. But you were the Grand Protector until recently. Plus, you carry the legacy of the previous cult leader, so it’s only right for you to take the position.”

“But I don’t know much about the Mani Sect’s teachings.”

Sam Anbul almost mentioned that the previous cult leader, Yeonchu, was the same.

But he knew this wasn’t an ideal situation.

They had returned to Mount Tian to rebuild the Mani Sect, not to repeat the mistakes of the past leader, Yeonchu.

Sam Anbul let out a deep sigh.

“It seems I’ll have to temporarily take on the role of leader,” he said with a resigned sigh.

“And I’ll just remain as the chief protector, then,” came the reply, equally resigned.

“Just the two of us—a leader and a chief protector. Does that mean we’re perfectly balanced, or is it just overkill?” he mused, a wry smile playing on his lips.

Sam Anbul chuckled softly at the thought, then turned his gaze to the round belly of the goat nearby.

With a mother as the chief protector and a father who was the former leader, it was no surprise that the child would be born with extraordinary potential, destined to achieve greatness.

Sam Anbul could vividly imagine the future. One day, that child would inherit the leadership role he was temporarily holding.

Yet, what lay beyond that moment was a mystery. Would the child, under his guidance, rise to greatness and lead the sect with wisdom and compassion, much like the leader before last? Or would they, like their father, chase after futile dreams and live a life filled with regret?

The future was uncertain, and Sam Anbul could only wonder.