The Difference Between Hunting and Fishing (1)
The warriors guarding the Heavenly Dragon Library were warriors of the Fierce Tiger Unit. That was because this was a place used only by the Alliance Lord.
The person in charge there received the entry permit issued by Gal Sa-Ryang and immediately let me inside without asking for a detailed reason.
“Please enter.”
Originally, even with an entry permit, I would have had to listen for quite a while about why I had come, how I should behave once inside, and so on.
But I was admitted without another word. Not only the person in charge, but the gazes of the other warriors also carried goodwill.
I could guess the reason. Rumors must have spread within the Fierce Tiger Unit. That this time, Gal Sa-Ryang and I had prevented the unnecessary sacrifice of the Fierce Tiger Unit Leader and his subordinate warriors.
“Thank you.”
I bowed politely to them and entered the Heavenly Dragon Library.
After the war against the Unorthodox and Heretical Paths ended, I had often come here. I had read many books to reach the Realm of the Heart Sword, but in my later years, after giving up on the Realm of the Heart Sword, I had almost stopped visiting.
I felt sorry toward the Heavenly Dragon Library. When I needed it, I had come in and out several times a day, but once I no longer needed it, I had abruptly stopped coming.
I slowly moved my steps and walked between the bookshelves.
There were truly many books from various fields. From Martial Arts secret manuals to strategy books. Since it was a place used by the Alliance Lord, there were also several books difficult to obtain on the market. Of course, that did not mean there were any tremendous Martial Arts secret manuals here.
While taking the Justice Pavilion exam this time, I had read books from many different fields.
At that time, I had clearly felt it. Even if reading books from other fields did not directly affect Martial Arts, it did affect it indirectly.
When I read books, the person called me changed, and the Martial Arts I displayed also changed.
If I had the opportunity next time, I wanted to calmly read the books here. In the past, when I was Alliance Lord, I had only read books related to Martial Arts. But now, I wanted to read many other kinds of books.
In any case, the reason I had come here was to read one particular booklet.
Demonic Arts Compendium.
It was a booklet in which the alliance’s Martial Arts scholars had organized the Blood Sky Cult’s demonic arts by category after the war ended.
I turned the pages and looked for the section on movement arts. I was trying to find the movement technique Cheon So-Seon had shown.
At the final moment, Cheon So-Seon’s eyes had shone white, and then he had disappeared from sight in an instant.
I had instinctively sensed that it was not an Orthodox martial art. I had never seen or heard of such Martial Arts. That was why I was starting by searching through demonic arts.
From time to time, demonic arts I knew appeared. They were demonic arts used by Demonic Cult experts I had fought against.
The fights of those days came back to me as if they had happened yesterday.
I remembered clearly, one by one, what moves had been exchanged. I understood how Go players replayed the games they had played exactly as they had unfolded. It was probably the same as a martial artist remembering his own fights.
Even in my previous life, I had recalled past battles. But what I felt then and what I felt now were clearly different. The thought that came to me most often was this.
Why did I fight like that back then?
There were many moments I could not understand now. If it were now, I felt I would have fought differently.
Of course, I could not accurately predict the result. If I had fought according to what I thought now, I might instead have lost. Thought and real combat were certainly different.
In any case, one thing was certain. The way the me of my previous life and the me of now treated and viewed Martial Arts had changed. Because I had changed. In every aspect.
I carefully examined the movement arts without missing anything, but no matter how much I searched, the method Cheon So-Seon had shown was not there.
I turned the pages again. This time, I examined demonic arts related to concealment arts and illusion arts.
There were several methods of hiding one’s body momentarily, but I could not find any demonic art that made one disappear while white light shone from the eyes.
“Then is it not a demonic art?”
After putting the Blood Sky Cult Compendium back on the shelf, I took out another book. This time, it was a booklet that organized all the Martial Arts of the Unorthodox Faction.
Unorthodox Arts Compendium.
As I examined the unorthodox arts, this time, battles against Unorthodox Faction experts I had fought in the past came to mind. It was the same again. There were many parts where I felt I would have dealt with things differently now.
Even though it was the same Martial Arts and the same people, another battle came to mind?
I truly felt that the world of Martial Arts had no end.
I examined the unorthodox arts in detail as well, but even there, I could not find the Martial Art Cheon So-Seon had shown.
“Surely not an Orthodox martial art?”
I thought there was no way, but if things had come to this, I had to examine Orthodox arts as well.
It was a far thicker book than the other two.
Orthodox Arts Compendium.
Once again, I focused on the parts related to movement techniques.
It was not among recent Martial Arts. I searched and searched among Martial Arts of the past.
“Found it!”
Surprisingly, Cheon So-Seon’s Martial Art was among the Martial Arts of the previous generation.
White Light Shadowless Divine Step.
It was a movement technique in which white radiance came from the eyes and the user vanished in an instant, just like what Cheon So-Seon had shown.
The explanation related to it was only one short line.
The unique movement art of Strange Thief Cheon Bo-Myeong.
Strange Thief Cheon Bo-Myeong? I felt as if I had heard of him somewhere, and also as if I had not. In any case, judging by his title, he seemed to have been a thief.
Cheon So-Seon and a thief. It was truly a combination that did not suit each other.
In any case, this was the moment I had found the first clue about those bastards.
“Have you ever heard of Strange Thief Cheon Bo-Myeong?”
Fortunately, Gal Sa-Ryang remembered him.
“Yes, I have heard of him. A hundred years ago, a thief named Cheon Bo-Myeong appeared and once threw the Jianghu into great chaos. The reason I remember him is that, just as the name Strange Thief suggests, he was truly strange.”
“In what way was he strange?”
“They say he was not someone who stole the possessions of the rich, but only the possessions of Jianghu people.”
“Only the possessions of Jianghu people?”
“Yes. That is correct.”
“Did he steal Martial Arts or weapons?”
“If he had, he would not have been given the name Strange Thief. They say he did not steal precious things. From experts who possessed treasured swords, he would steal clothes or small change.”
“He truly was impossible to understand.”
“Yes, that is true.”
“Was he someone with powerful Martial Arts?”
“No. They say that from the time he was active until he disappeared, he never once used Martial Arts. However, it seems he used one mysterious footwork technique, so the Jianghu people were ultimately unable to catch him.”
That was probably the White Light Shadowless Divine Step.
“But why are you asking about the Strange Thief?”
“The Martial Art Cheon So-Seon used that day was Cheon Bo-Myeong’s movement art.”
“Pardon?”
As expected from how startled Gal Sa-Ryang was, this was truly something unexpected.
“Are you saying they are connected to the Strange Thief?”
“I do not know whether he happened to learn the Strange Thief’s Martial Art by chance or whether there is a direct connection. For now, please look into Cheon Bo-Myeong’s later movements.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Then I will step out for a while.”
When I tried to leave busily again, Gal Sa-Ryang asked,
“Where are you going in such a hurry?”
I answered with a smile.
“I do not know whether it will become hunting or fishing.”
“Do you have bait?”
When I looked at him with a meaningful gaze, Gal Sa-Ryang flinched in surprise.
“Good heavens! It is me.”
Black Stone was standing on a hill from which the Grand Martial Alliance could be seen in the distance.
Her generous figure and once pleasant impression were still coldly stiffened. Since entering the Jianghu, and especially since entering this organization, had she ever been driven into such a corner?
She had lost the Mad Blood Martial Pain Army and the Demon Banners, and even Whip Elder had died. Even if Cheon So-Seon had not threatened her by talking about White winning by resignation and so on, it was enough for her to feel a sense of crisis on her own.
Cheon So-Seon had ordered her to find out the force or expert behind Gal Sa-Ryang. If she failed even this order……
At that moment, two people appeared behind her.
A man dressed in black martial robes like Black Stone had brought a woman with him. The woman who had been forcibly dragged there was Number Seven.
Without turning around, Black Stone asked,
“Do you know who I am?”
“I do not.”
“And yet you are not afraid.”
Indeed, Number Seven was not afraid at all. In truth, it was not that she was not afraid, but that she had given up.
First of all, the Martial Arts of the black-clothed man who had brought her here were far stronger than hers.
He was an expert called Iron Knot, and he acted as Black Stone’s executor. He was the subordinate Black Stone trusted most, and when she handled important matters, she sent him.
But Number Seven had not given up simply because Iron Knot was stronger than she was.
When a situation like this came, Number Seven did not want to struggle desperately to overcome and break through it. Rather, at times like this, she thought this.
……I wish everything would just end like this.
At some point, she had begun searching for hope in her life.
Did hope and despair always travel together?
The more she searched for hope, the more what she discovered was despair.
“Why have you brought me here?”
She had seen Black Stone and Iron Knot for the first time today, but at a glance, she could feel that they belonged to her organization. The people of this organization had something in common. They felt somehow rigid, like stone statues standing alone somewhere in ancient ruins.
“Why do you think I brought you?”
For an instant, Number Seven’s expression wrinkled slightly. She thought such words were truly nothing more than a meaningless question and wordplay.
“I do not know.”
“You investigated Gal Sa-Ryang, did you not?”
“Yes.”
“What did you find out from him?”
Only then did Number Seven understand why she had been dragged here.
“I cannot tell you. It is information I can report only to my direct superior.”
“Can you not show some flexibility among family?”
“No.”
At Number Seven’s refusal, Black Stone turned around. Since she had guessed that words would not work, she chose another method.
Emitting killing intent as if she would kill her, she approached Number Seven and roughly grabbed her by the collar.
“Do I look like I am joking right now?”
Her thick hand pressed down on Number Seven’s throat.
Her breath was blocked. Though she wore a pained expression, Number Seven thought inwardly that it would not matter if she died like this.
A certain emptiness felt from Number Seven provoked Black Stone. Just as she was about to put more strength into her grip—
“Please stop!”
Someone urgently arrived there. The one who appeared was Number One. Perhaps because he had run there in a hurry, he was soaked in sweat. If an expert of Number One’s level was sweating, one could imagine how quickly he had run.
Without another word, he handed what he had brought to Iron Knot, who blocked him.
“Here is Number Seven’s report from that time.”
Iron Knot accepted it and handed it to Black Stone. Black Stone withdrew her killing intent and read the report. It was a report stating that the deaths of Black-Tailed Wolf and Elder Go were clearly related to Gal Sa-Ryang.
“Is this all?”
“Yes, that is all.”
“Damn it!”
Only Gal Sa-Ryang had been pointed out, and there was none of the content she wanted. Since Black Stone knew better than anyone how her organization operated, she also knew very well that there was no other content beyond this.
Black Stone looked back at Number Seven and asked again,
“That kind of attitude will only shorten your lifespan. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“If you want to report to the higher-ups, do it.”
Leaving those words to Number One, she launched herself away. Following her, Iron Knot also disappeared from the place.
Now only Number One and Number Seven remained there.
“Did you want to die?”
“No.”
“Then why did you do that?”
“They were the ones who violated regulations.”
“When have they ever fought while obeying regulations? Be careful. Black Stone is cornered right now. Because she is desperate, there is no telling what she might do.”
Number Seven smiled faintly. Even so, what use would that be? Today was the first time she had heard the name Black Stone, and yet she had nearly died at her hands. This was the organization she belonged to, and this was her situation.
“But is it all right to hand over that material like that?”
“What does that insignificant thing matter?”
Both Number One and Number Seven knew that it did matter. If it was passed over, it would be nothing, but if a problem arose, it would be treated as a serious crime.
“Thank you for saving me.”
Number Seven lowered her head. Number One stared quietly at her, then turned around.
“Thank me for what?”
The words “let us have a drink to celebrate your survival” rose all the way to his throat, but as always, Number One swallowed them back down.
“Are you not going?”
“Please go first. There is someone I want to meet before I leave.”
He was curious who it was, but Number One did not ask.
“Be careful.”
“Yes.”
Number One launched himself away and left the place.
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“Strategist Byeok is currently inside the emergency operations room. Even if you go there, you probably will not be able to meet him.”
At the words of the strategist guarding the old office, Number Seven said she understood and quickly turned around.
Before returning, she had thought she wanted to see him once.
Her connection with him was truly nothing much. When she thought of him, dumplings came to mind. It was only a few dumplings…… and yet she thought she wanted to at least see his face once before leaving.
Recently, there were people who kept coming to mind.
There was a man named Gal Pyo whom she had met during the first mission related to Ma Jeong-Su, and there was also the one called the Nameless Great Hero whom she had met during the Golden Grand Banquet mission.
This rookie strategist was also like that.
Had her heart grown weak? She had been raised so that she could not have any emotions at all…… Was she a mutant?
One thing was clear: the more people she remembered, the deeper her loneliness became.
As she was leaving the Justice Pavilion building like that, she ran into someone.
“Oh? You are?”
The person entering the building was Byeok Ri-Dan.
“What brings you here? Do you still have a mission left?”
At Byeok Ri-Dan’s question, she answered.
“Ah, yes.”
“I see. Then I will be going.”
Just as Byeok Ri-Dan was passing by, Number Seven suddenly said,
“Have you eaten? Before…… you bought me dumplings.”
Byeok Ri-Dan stopped walking and stared at her for a moment, then said something unexpected.
“Instead of that, let us have a drink.”
This time, Number Seven stared at Byeok Ri-Dan. Soon, she nodded.
“All right. I will buy.”
Number Seven turned around and began walking.
As she walked, Byeok Ri-Dan did not follow her. When she stopped and turned around, Byeok Ri-Dan pointed in the opposite direction and said,
“The way out is that way.”
“Ah.”
Byeok Ri-Dan walked first. With her face slightly reddened, she followed behind him. For some reason, she felt embarrassed that she seemed to have been flustered.
“Damn it!”
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