Episode 94.
Different dream (6)
“Are you here?”
“….”
“Information has arrived. Currently, Myeong Heo-rim is passing through Mongseong. “It’s still moving slowly, so it will take two days at the earliest.”
“I get it.”
“Just in case, you will have to wait at the entrance of the safe house after noon tomorrow.”
“okay.”
“then.”
Hwang Pung-jeong’s informant has disappeared.
Yeon Ho-jeong, who was leaning against a tree with his arms crossed, sighed.
“There is no choice.”
Myeongheorim must be caught. It is not necessarily because of his dealings with Prince Moyong or because of his reputation, but because it is clear that he will cause trouble at any time.
With Myeong Heo-rim’s talent, he would learn the fake Four Gods skills as quickly as Myeong-cheon. If you learn it without even noticing changes in yourself, many unrelated people may get hurt in the future.
And even as a master of Sasinmu, I couldn’t just leave him alone.
“Silence… Huh, I heard things aren’t going as planned in the world.”
When I found out that there was a memorial to Anhui Hyeolgung on Mt. Palgong, I ran without looking back. However, I had no idea that the organization that Mukbi belonged to was causing such a mess.
First of all, I saved his life, but…
‘I can’t force him to pull me out.’
If there was a plan to cause bloodshed, I planned to hear the story thoroughly and then decide whether to leave it alone or help. Afterwards, I also thought that I would make him my own person again.
What if you are living in Mt. Palgong for no particular reason? Even back then, I was planning on somehow persuading him to become my person.
It wasn’t because of his talent for silence or past friendship. In order to stop the Saeumgyo, he needed the power he knew well. In fact, in the past, the person who used silence best strategically was himself.
But in a situation like this, it would have been difficult to force him to take her right away.
Yeon Ho-jeong came out onto the street and headed to the second floor of the Cheongsaru building.
“Ah, are you here?”
“How is the child?”
The middle-aged lawmaker sighed.
“We have passed the dangerous point. “You were born with a weak body, but you were poisoned by a terrible poison.”
“How is it possible to decipher it?”
“It’s difficult, but there’s nothing you can’t do. However, it will take quite a long time to improve your physical condition. “We will have to see the extent of recovery, but it will take at least a year.”
Yeon Ho-jeong nodded.
“Still, I’m glad.”
“Thank goodness. If I had been just a day or two late, I would have crossed the river from which I could not return. “The gods of heaven and earth helped me.”
“The child’s father worked hard. “It seems that his sincerity reached the heavens.”
“ah! okay. uh? “But where is my father?”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled bitterly.
“well.”
With those words, he headed to the room across from him.
“Huh! “Huh!”
Baek Gung-cheon was lying on the bed.
My whole body was covered in cold sweat. All of the wounds were healed, but the body was at the end of its vitality.
Is it because of shock? Or is it because of desperation? He was rapidly losing strength.
Yeon Ho-jeong, who was quietly looking down at Baek Gung-cheon, turned his back.
Grumbling.
Mukbi, no, Baekhyang was squatting in the corner. Both eyes were full of tears.
“…It’s because of me.”
“what?”
“If I didn’t have talent…!”
Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.
“Your circumstances are none of my business.”
Those were cold words. Baekhyang looked up at Yeonhojeong with wet eyes.
Looking into those eyes, Yeon Ho-jeong was overcome with indescribable emotions.
‘He’s dead.’
eyes are dead
As he struggles with sadness and regret, his eyes are gradually losing their emotional glow.
When that light goes out completely, it is the look of silence.
Mukbi knew responsibility and duty, but it was literally a trained reflex action.
However, while hanging out with himself and the other military commanders of the Black Empire, he often showed his emotions. But usually, I still didn’t show affection to others.
Suddenly this thought occurred to me.
What did Mukbi think when he heard the news that he had moved in with the leader of the Saeum Church? How did she accept the death of her master and possibly her only friend?
Yeon Ho-jeong’s mouth opened of its own accord.
“You are not that kind of person.”
“…yes?”
“You never show your emotions easily. But you didn’t have any feelings at all. Rather, he was a warrior with a warmer heart than anyone else.”
Even in the midst of deep sadness, Baekhyang felt puzzled.
What is this young man talking about?
“I liked you. At least back then, you knew how to choose your own life. “Even though the road was painful, I never complained.”
“What are you saying….”
“I didn’t know your past. I didn’t know it would be like this. But trying to find out more than this would be foolish.”
“…?”
“The past is just the past. But I wanted to fix the past that would lead to a terrible future. “For that to happen, I need to be different from my past self.”
“…?!”
“I will ask. “How do you want to live?”
Baekhyang’s eyes shook greatly.
How do you want to live? I’ve never been asked that question before.
I have been holding a bow since I was a child, and I have been drawing bows as if it were a given. From then on, her life was decided as a noble archer to become a royal servant.
It was just a life lived like that. That was natural. I never thought about it any other way.
“Ask the question again.”
“….”
“Do you believe in that being called Yeshin?”
“…!”
“As expected. I don’t believe in you, the archer on that bed, or the gods of worship. Still, I try to do it. “I don’t even know what it is and I don’t believe in it.”
Shock appeared on Baekhyang’s face.
Yeon Ho-jeong sighed.
“If you ever want to find a new life, just stop by the branch of openness and say my name. I may not be able to take responsibility for your life, but I may be able to help you to some extent. Of course, you will get paid.”
Yeon Ho-jeong turned around.
“My name is Yeonhojeong.”
With those words, he left the room.
thud.
When the door closed, the only sound was Baek Gong-cheon’s heavy breathing.
Baekhyang looked blankly at the door.
It seemed like the raging storm disappeared in an instant. The words the storm left behind disturbed her head.
It was then.
“Cough! …Raga.”
Baekhyang, surprised, looked at Baekgungcheon.
“Follow him.”
“Brother!”
She quickly got up and stood in front of Baekongcheon.
“are you okay? “Are you coming to your senses?”
“The spirit… I heard it earlier.”
Baekhyang placed his hand on Baekgungcheon’s chest.
“If you come to your senses, quickly correct your posture! “I mastered true energy…!”
“Don’t do that.”
“yes?!”
“I know my body well. “I will die soon.”
Baekhyang shed tears.
Bai Gongqian held her hand.
“Hyang-ah.”
“…your brother.”
“Incense, incense, incense.”
He called Baekhyang’s name several times.
Baekhyang lowered his head at that sorrowful voice and the warm feeling he felt for the first time in a very long time.
Baek Gong-cheon smiled faintly. Such a smile did not suit his blunt face.
“Do you remember? “You have been loved by our brothers since you were young.”
“….”
“But at some point, the brothers’ eyes toward you became cold. It was the same for me too. “Because I realized that your talent far surpasses ours.”
“….”
“The adults postponed the competition after seeing your skills. Because your talent was a waste. So the competition from five years ago ended in vain.”
“Brother.”
“But… doesn’t that mean we should all die from your arrows? I hated that decision. That’s why I hated you even more.”
Baekhyang’s tears fell onto Baekgungcheon’s hand.
“But I shouldn’t have hated you.”
“no. “No, brother.”
“I shouldn’t hate you, but I should have left Gwanilgok.”
“…!”
“To become a priest, you have to be prepared to die. That is the life of a noble archer. But I wasn’t prepared to die.”
Bai Gongqian’s smile faded.
“It’s because I lived inertically. “If I didn’t like it, I should have left the song, and if I wanted to stay there, I should have accepted death.”
“….”
“The brightest moment in my life was when I met my wife. And…”
Moisture welled up in Baek Gong-cheon’s eyes.
“And that’s when I found out I had a daughter.”
She is not her own daughter. But she treated me like a daughter.
Although the shock was great, Baek Gong-cheon did not regret risking his life for an unknown girl.
“It doesn’t matter whether she is my daughter or not. What’s important is that I lived the way I wanted to, even if just for a moment. So I am grateful to that child.”
“Brother….”
“Live the life you want. If you don’t know what you want, go out into the world like me. “I hope you can experience the same ecstatic feeling I felt.”
“Hmm.”
Baekhyang, holding Baekgungcheon’s hand, wailed silently.
He stroked Baekhyang’s head. I don’t know how long it’s been since I patted my younger brother’s head.
At the same time, he thought.
If I had more time, I would have stroked Ga-ryeong’s head like this.
“Let me stand up.”
Baekhyang lifted Baekgungcheon’s upper body. Baek Gong-cheon sat with his back against the wall next to the bed.
“Hyang-ah.”
“…your brother.”
“It’s been a while since I missed your archery skills.”
“yes?”
Baek Gong-cheon pointed to his heart with a trembling hand.
Baekhyang’s face turned white.
“The rest all died by my hand. “Baek So-kyung was the last.”
“Brother!!”
“There were quite a few times when the survivors of Yesin Joint Battle did not return to music. Probably trying to track you down in the song. But…”
Baek Gong-cheon’s eyes were filled with strength.
“Yeonhojeong, that young man will be able to protect you for a while. “I saw such strength and potential in him.”
“No! No way! How can I kill you with my own hands…!”
“You didn’t have that much determination?”
“…!!”
“Did you participate in the competition without that level of determination? Did you hope to become the winner without dying or being killed? “If that’s the case, you should be ashamed.”
“Oh brother.”
“I made a promise to a young man named Yeon Ho-jeong. I decided to apologize to the public. “He said he would apologize on my behalf when I die, but that won’t happen.”
Baek Gong-cheon closed his eyes.
“I owe him a lot of grace. I couldn’t repay that favor at all. “Then I want to at least keep my promise.”
“Hehehehe!”
Baek Gong-cheon smiled. His smiling face with his eyes closed looked very detached.
“request.”
Baekhyang, who had been shedding tears for a long time, widened the distance in an instant.
Tsutsutsu.
It seemed as if an intangible arrow was sprouting from an empty bowstring.
Baek Gong-cheon exhaled praise.
“Shapeless bullet! “As expected, it’s amazing!”
Baekhyang bit her lip.
“…I’m sorry, brother.”
“Shoot.”
“….”
“hurry!!”
Baekhyang closed his eyes tightly.
She let go of the protest.
Teeeeeeee! puck!
* * *
“Gasp!”
There was a man climbing a dark mountain path, out of breath.
Her hair was a mess and her clothes were torn here and there. It was literally like a regular residence.
But the movements were very agile. Even though my breathing was so disrupted, I was climbing the mountain without stopping like a tiger.
‘They’re all here!’
Joy welled up in the man’s eyes.
‘I’m not going! I’m alive now!’
It was then.
“Myeongheorim.”
At that moment, the man felt goosebumps growing all over his body.
He turned his head to the right where the sound came from.
There stood a young man holding a massive ax in his back hand.
“I waited.”
