“Hmm…”
I reflected on the Sacheon City incident from Hyeok Gi-rin’s perspective. The Sacheon City incident was essentially a total assault. I was so angry that I just bulldozed through everything without caring about Fame Value or anything else.
All of Sacheon was buzzing with energy.
The people of Sacheon dedicated every effort to prepare for the festival, while the martial artists of Sacheon rushed out to catch bandits.
The people rejoiced in the festival, and the martial artists of Sacheon proudly boasted of their merits.
Everyone had their roles to play, showcasing their skills, joyfully celebrating, and having fun.
In all this, Hyeok Gi-rin’s role was… honestly, pretty minor. Despite his contributions, he endured a lot. He put up with humiliation from the Hwang Gold Clan and went around asking merchants for help…
He had been holding back a lot, but there was never a chance for him to shine.
It seemed that all these repressed feelings were gnawing at Hyeok Gi-rin.
“This was the first major incident I faced after crossing the Jeomchang Faction’s threshold. And I was helpless. Will I be able to handle such incidents well in the future?”
Hyeok Gi-rin muttered with a heavy expression.
“My older brother told me to return home. He asserted that this would be the path to my greatest happiness. I wanted to argue, but the words just wouldn’t come out. Here I am, having dashed out of the gates to help Miss Yeo Il-ye with nothing to show for it. Can I truly do well from now on?”
“Hyeok Gi-rin Great Hero, you are doing well.”
Yes, Hyeok Gi-rin was indeed doing well. How many among martial artists were doing as well as Hyeok Gi-rin? This was sincere, but he only gave a bitter smile in response.
“I’m just grateful for such praise. I also take pride in how hard I’ve worked. However… the reality is I have nothing to show my older brother. That Hyeok Gi-rin is doing so well. I still can’t decide which path to take, but I want to ask for support since I’m doing so well…”
Is that so?
Hyeok Gi-rin had no results to show. You could say that he had reaped the fruits of martial arts. Even though the martial artists of Sacheon had formed a battle formation to bury five hundred bandits, what was the reason that they celebrated so fully?
Because they proved their martial arts for the first time in a place where moral justification mattered, where martial arts were supposed to be demonstrated.
Evidence.
Hyeok Gi-rin wanted to show his older brother Yoo Gyeong the fruits of his life, but there was no evidence.
In reality, martial artists were not the type to need such proof. They had a token of their level. That token was a testament to their hard work.
But the aspect Hyeok Gi-rin was troubled by was a little different.
Was it perhaps a desire to be recognized as Hyeok Gi-rin rather than ‘Yu-ya’?
Did he want to show the proof of his life as a martial artist Hyeok Gi-rin, not just as the Peak Expert of the Jeomchang Faction?
“I see…”
Hyeok Gi-rin and I fell into thought, and thus, the tea time for that day came to an end.
* *
The day brightened on the seventh day since I entered the palace.
“Phew.”
As I loosened up with some simple exercises, memories of my days as a Sacheon Outcast resurfaced. More specifically, it reminded me of those days when I was met with a wall at the edge of “Iryu” and spent every day in mere stasis.
Within the limits of my mental energy, I had been doing my best in rising Qi daily, so I had made considerable progress in my training.
It had been over seven years since my life as a Sacheon Outcast, and only a few months had passed since I broke through the Iryu level, bringing a transformation to my life. My life as an outcast changed various aspects of me.
Including the habit of exercising.
I no longer needed to do exercises to maintain my stats. I was already training daily to raise my stats. To put it bluntly, you could say that it was an unnecessary habit.
And I also retained some mental habits.
A habit of managing my Fame Value… or perhaps the right term would be that I felt pressure. Even I, a veteran of ten years in the martial world, had no precise grasp of how much Fame Value an Iryu could handle.
I could say it was a habit of maintaining anonymity.
Fame calls for more Fame. Could it be likened to compound interest?
Because I was involved with Miss Yeo Il-ye, Hyeok Gi-rin discovered me.
Because I was involved with Hyeok Gi-rin, Samayeom took notice of me.
Because we flipped Sacheon City upside down, word reached Emperor Yoo Gyeong’s ear, and I entered the imperial palace along with Hyeok Gi-rin.
The reason I remained in the imperial palace could indeed be considered the consequence of my Fame Value rolling into action.
Suddenly, I found myself smiling bitterly.
I had told Hyeok Gi-rin to be confident, yet I was just as hesitant and scared. Fame Value rolls in? Then I just need to get stronger faster.
That Ho Cheon-an guy should have thought about rising to the next level instead of lounging around and getting comfortable.
As I gathered my thoughts and opened the window, I looked towards the secluded pavilion, perhaps out of concern about being caught by Hyeok Gi-rin. I usually had tea there when I met Yoo Gyeong.
As I looked to the opposite side, I saw the building where Hyeok Gi-rin resided. I mainly met with Hyeok Gi-rin in his room for conversations.
“What a coincidence that it’s the imperial palace.”
This was all the fault of the imperial palace.
Not Hyeok Gi-rin the martial artist, but Yoo Gyeong. There would be plenty of people outside to testify to the trajectory of that life.
Hyeok Gi-rin had that power.
It wasn’t just the power of being the Peak Expert of the Jeomchang Faction.
Even a loner, the black cat, who didn’t know how to interact with others, found favor in him… that was Hyeok Gi-rin’s charm.
It was also why I performed a sorcery performance for the timid Hyeok Gi-rin returning from warning the bandit alliance at the inn.
Though Hyeok Gi-rin said he hadn’t achieved anything,
he had captured Miss Yeo Il-ye’s heart and became friends with the black cat. He showed affection to the Disciples of the Jeomchang Faction and was outraged for the people suffering from bandits.
Hyeok Gi-rin was indeed an extraordinary person.
There may not be achievements or evidence to prove Hyeok Gi-rin’s life, but there were plenty of witnesses. Only the entrance to the imperial palace was a barrier.
So… I should prove it in his stead.
“Could you convey a message to Dujak?”
The court lady looked taken aback by my words. For a court lady who knew who Dujak was, it must be perplexing for a mere guest of the imperial palace summoning the emperor.
“Please do not inform Hyeok Gi-rin Great Hero.”
Sensing something from my smiling face, the court lady quietly bowed her head and retreated. After a moment, a middle-aged court lady appeared to ask about the message.
“Could you send a message to Dujak that I wish to converse in the training hall of the palace?”
“Before that, could you please submit a request to use the training hall…?”
The court lady, who had been giving me a piercing gaze, nodded.
“I will relay your message to Dujak and also grant you permission to use the training hall.”
“Thank you. And could you also pass on to Hyeok Gi-rin Great Hero that we should meet at the training hall?”
“…I will do that.”
The middle-aged court lady stared at me for a long moment before agreeing.
I set off towards the training hall first. Inside the training hall was a dull sword that had seen better days. It felt strange to hold a weapon again after nearly a week. I would need to practice swordsmanship diligently once I got outside the palace.
As I held the sword and moved around a bit, Hyeok Gi-rin appeared, looking flustered.
“Senior Ho, what’s going on all of a sudden?”
“I just wanted to sweat a bit. Here, catch.”
Once Hyeok Gi-rin caught the flying practice sword, he cautiously gauged my mood. Seeing the worried look on his face made me want to laugh.
“Let’s just have a pure physical bout!”
Leaving those words behind, I charged at Hyeok Gi-rin without warning. Although Hyeok Gi-rin was surprised by my attack, unsure if this was a spar or an ambush, he raised his sword.
Clang!
With the practice sword, a crude sound of collision rang out, and Hyeok Gi-rin assumed a stance. He began to counter my attack using a different sword technique, not the Four-Finger Saber Technique.
To control the excessive aggressiveness of the Four-Finger Saber Technique, internal energy was essential. I suppose he accepted my intention to limit our internal energy.
Hyeok Gi-rin was a woman of small stature, while I was a well-built man with a trained physique, so it should have made sense for me to have the upper hand. But no matter how much I disregarded internal energy, I was merely first-rate, while Hyeok Gi-rin was a Peak Expert.
Differences in physical ability bridged by differences in technique. No, despite the physical disadvantage, Hyeok Gi-rin’s technical capability overwhelmed me.
Well, I didn’t expect to win anyway.
After exchanging blows for a considerable time, I stopped to catch my breath. I felt the sweat trickling down my face. Hyeok Gi-rin was also catching his breath and was sweating.
“Hyeok Gi-rin Great Hero, you are doing exceptionally well. You should take pride in yourself.”
“Is this a continuation of our conversation from yesterday?”
Hyeok Gi-rin looked taken aback, as if my words had come out of the blue. But soon enough, he gave a bitter smile.
“Hmm, did you orchestrate this to boost my confidence? I seem to have troubled you too much, Senior Ho.”
In truth, hesitation still lurked within my heart. Was my action now right or wrong? Could I handle my actions now or not?
Seeing Hyeok Gi-rin, making an apologetic face, I started to gain a bit more certainty.
The words of realization pushed me along too.
Hmm… well. Isn’t it kind of fate that things have led to this? As that thought crossed my mind, the last remnants of regret and worry in my heart washed away.
“Hyeok Gi-rin Great Hero has always worried about others, respected them, and loved them.”
“Senior Ho…?”
“That alone is enough. Hyeok Gi-rin’s life has rightly enriched the lives of others.”
Yes, my heart finally settled.
I gave enlightenment to Yeo Il-ye for survival. I gave enlightenment to Tang Do-gyeong to resolve the incident. Master Un-jong was entirely by chance.
Back then with Tang Do-gyeong, it could be considered an excuse.
Giving enlightenment to Hyeok Gi-rin was my unwavering will.
So let’s just acknowledge it clearly.
I wanted to give enlightenment to Hyeok Gi-rin.
I didn’t know what path Hyeok Gi-rin would choose or what conclusion he would reach with Yoo Gyeong.
But I hoped that Hyeok Gi-rin’s insides would be filled not with emptiness but with pride. This, I thought, was the least reward someone who had fled to avoid the disputes of the imperial family at a young age and who loved his four brothers and got outraged for others like Hyeok Gi-rin should receive.
“Hyeok Gi-rin Great Hero has lived for many people. You corrected Miss Yeo Il-ye’s misdirection, got angry at the bandits’ actions, and loved the Disciples of the Jeomchang Faction. People who can care for others are the ones whom others will also like and care for.”
Hyeok Gi-rin’s eyes widened.
“Thus, don’t blame yourself for your shortcomings. Hyeok Gi-rin Great Hero is already loved by many.”
“Ah…!”
The love of those who love will, in turn, be returned.
Hyeok Gi-rin’s realization began.
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