When the Starlight Descends (3)
My lips touched hers.
They were soft. Her lips were so soft that I wondered if I had ever felt anything this soft before.
Together with the small heat created by surprise, I felt her open her eyes in shock.
But with my eyes closed, I focused on her lips.
Her trembling was transmitted through our lips.
Soon, I felt her close her eyes, and we sank into a short but sweet kiss.
The regretfully brief kiss ended, and my lips moved away from hers.
When I opened my eyes, she opened hers too.
My face was flushed red. In truth, it had not been an intentional kiss.
The moment I thought that her figure praying with her eyes closed was too beautiful, my heart pounded, and my body moved on its own.
My God!
I was flustered by my unexpected action. I was one thing, but her face was as red as a ripe persimmon.
Even so, for some reason, I felt good. For the first time in a very long while, I felt my heart beating.
To be honest, when I first saw her, my heart had not raced. I had only thought that she was an extremely beautiful woman. As time passed, my feelings toward her had gradually changed.
An awkward silence flowed between us. Fortunately, we had a beautiful night sky to look at.
After a while, I asked,
“What did you wish for?”
“…I couldn’t make it properly.”
“What were you going to wish for?”
After holding back her answer for a moment, she suddenly said,
“Peace in the Jianghu?”
She was trying to pass over this awkward atmosphere with a joke. I matched her rhythm.
“Hahaha.”
“Why are you laughing so loudly?”
“Wasn’t that supposed to be funny?”
“It was, but when you laugh that loudly, it feels unpleasant, doesn’t it? Why? Do I not suit peace in the Jianghu?”
Of course not. When had a beautiful woman like you ever once suited peace in the Jianghu?
“Hahaha. No, you can wish for it.”
“Hmph.”
Song Hwa-Rin pouted. It was an expression unlike her, and it was cute.
Thanks to that, the awkwardness disappeared.
I did not say anything about the kiss from a moment ago. It had not been planned, but it had not been a mistake either.
It was my current emotion and action. I intended to leave what came next to my future feelings.
Things might go well with her, or they might not. If they went well, I might become happy, or perhaps I might instead become unhappy.
Because we do not know the future, we are able to live today like this.
In any case, I felt sorry, as though I had needlessly interrupted her wish. So I looked up at the sky for no reason and said,
“Won’t one more fall?”
Right then, she said,
“One more time.”
“What?”
When I turned my head to the side, she kissed me.
You say we do not know the future? We do not even know what will happen right in front of our noses.
A deeper and sweeter kiss than before continued for a little longer.
Ma Cheol-Gun stood alone in the ownerless Alliance Lord’s Hall.
Above him was the grand chair.
After staring at that empty place for a long time, Ma Cheol-Gun slowly began climbing the stairs along the red carpet.
One step, then another, he slowly climbed the stairs.
At last, he stood before the grand chair.
How much had he wanted to sit in this seat?
Thinking that this seat would soon become his made his heart pound. He felt so happy that he could fly.
He knew very well that the force behind the scenes intended to use him.
But things would not go according to their will. His father had been sacrificed by them, but he would never let that happen to himself. He would become Alliance Lord and take revenge.
Just as he was about to sit on the grand chair, someone spoke from behind.
“Congratulations.”
Startled, he turned around, and Ma Ryeong-In was standing at the end of the red carpet.
The children who had been in various parts of the Central Plains were returning to the Murim Alliance one after another. Ma Ryeong-In had arrived first.
Feeling ashamed of having tried to sit on the grand chair, Ma Cheol-Gun’s face turned red.
As Ma Ryeong-In walked along the red carpet, he said,
“Everyone seems to think you’ll become the Alliance Lord, hyung. In the end, our amazing big brother is going to devour this Jianghu!”
Because of Father, Ma Cheol-Gun had ultimately had to release Ma Ryeong-In, who had tried to kill him.
Ma Cheol-Gun had guessed it. Ma Ryeong-In had a deep connection with the force behind the scenes. That was why he had been able to remain safe even after causing the incident of trying to kill him.
Ma Cheol-Gun strode down the stairs and grabbed Ma Ryeong-In by the collar.
“You! Do you even know what you’ve done?”
“What I’ve done?”
“You!”
Ma Cheol-Gun could not say anything. Because he himself was not free of responsibility for their father’s death either.
Ma Ryeong-In looked at Ma Cheol-Gun with eyes that seemed to know everything.
Words as hateful as that gaze flowed from Ma Ryeong-In’s mouth.
“It was unexpected. I didn’t think hyung would do this.”
It was clear mockery.
“What?”
Killing intent burst from Ma Cheol-Gun’s eyes.
The desire to beat him to death with one palm surged up, but seeing Ma Ryeong-In act like this, he thought there might be something he was relying on. It could also be a trap.
Ma Ryeong-In felt unfamiliar. Since childhood, Ma Cheol-Gun had disliked Ma Ryeong-In. It was not just that he used petty tricks and gave off a vile feeling. There was something vaguely unpleasant about Ma Ryeong-In. This unfamiliar feeling before his eyes now was also an extension of that unpleasant feeling.
That feeling of his had been accurate.
“Damn bastard!”
Ma Cheol-Gun roughly shoved Ma Ryeong-In.
Pushed away to a distance, Ma Ryeong-In grinned.
“You’ll do well playing the role of Murim Alliance Lord, hyung. You’ve always been good at pretending to be kind in front of other people, haven’t you?”
Ma Cheol-Gun clenched his fist. Even though he felt dense killing intent, Ma Ryeong-In did not stop his thorny words.
“Anyway, that seat is a seat that hides a person, isn’t it? So don’t worry and enjoy it as much as you want. While being careful that your neck doesn’t fall off, that is.”
After finishing his words, Ma Ryeong-In turned around and walked away again.
He stopped far away in front of the door. He did not forget to mock him until the very end.
“But how did you kill Father?”
“You insane bastard!”
Unbearable killing intent exploded from Ma Cheol-Gun’s body.
When Ma Cheol-Gun turned around irritably, Ma Ryeong-In had already opened the door and left.
“Damn it!”
With anger rising inside him, he wanted to smash something.
But Ma Cheol-Gun’s fist could not smash the grand chair placed in front of him.
The next day, I spent the entire day with Song Hwa-Rin.
In the morning, we trained together. It was the same method as yesterday. We performed the forms together. Now our bodies moved together naturally.
After finishing the training, Song Hwa-Rin said to me,
“I feel like my swordsmanship has changed somehow.”
The fact that she realized that was amazing and important. It had only been two days of teaching, but she had definitely grown. This was the teaching of the Strongest Under Heaven.
“It will change even more from now on.”
“Again?”
“Many times, too.”
She nodded with eyes full of expectation.
If she only mastered the Evolution Sword Art, she would not need to be greedy for more Martial Arts. There would truly be only a handful of people who could face her.
After finishing our training, we bought food at an inn in the marketplace.
We ordered a great deal of Shandong cuisine that we could not eat in Hubei. Because we were hungry from training, we ate everything without leaving a single bit, startling the waiter.
After eating, we wandered around the marketplace.
We had played together like this before too, but the feeling was different from back then.
Was it because of the kiss after all?
The time I spent with her felt different.
In the evening, we also had a drink. We drank only enough to feel pleasantly good.
After having fun all day, I escorted her back to the Song Estate.
At the gate, I said goodbye.
“I’ll go back early tomorrow.”
I did not intend to spend all ten days I had been given only in Shandong. There was one last place I had to go.
“It was fun.”
“For me too.”
“Be careful.”
“You too.”
I turned around like that.
Then, from behind, she said,
“Because of what happened yesterday… you don’t need to feel burdened.”
I turned back toward her.
“I mean, you can break off the engagement whenever you want. I’m prepared to accept it.”
She did not want to become a burden to me.
This time, I asked,
“Are you burdened?”
At that, she shook her head. In truth, it was something I did not need to ask. If she had been burdened, there would have been no second kiss, and no day like today either.
I smiled and said,
“I feel the same.”
Her expression became much more comfortable.
“Let’s just see where things go.”
With those words as my last, I turned away.
Where fate will lead us is something we will only know once we go there. Because that is exactly how fate deals with us.
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Before leaving Shandong, I passed one formation on to Gwangdu.
It was the very formation that had trapped Black Stone last time. It was a formation that was simple to install while producing relatively great effects.
“It looks like an impressive formation.”
“Even if it is not a top-grade formation, it should be able to trap enemies in an emergency.”
I had concentrated the information network in the Shandong region, but I was taking double precautions.
“I’ll send the money and materials you need, as well as someone to help with the installation. Help him install the formation. Install it at the important points of the house. Once that is finished, meet Young Lady Song and install it at the Song Estate as well.”
“Understood.”
“If you ever need advice on this part, go find Chief Steward Jong. He will probably be of help.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
If they ever fell into danger, what mattered was time. It could become a situation where life and death were decided by the difference of an instant.
To break this formation, it would not be easy for an ordinary person of the Jianghu. An expert in breaking formations would have to come.
In the meantime, I could arrive, or they could escape the crisis.
“Is it that dangerous?”
I obediently nodded.
“It is dangerous.”
Gwangdu’s expression became serious.
“I’ll leave the house to you for the time being.”
In terms of Martial Arts, Father and Seo Jung were still stronger than Gwangdu. But Gwangdu’s Martial Arts came next. Considering his small amount of internal energy, it was a tremendous achievement.
“Originally, I was only in charge of cleaning the house.”
At Gwangdu’s joking remark, I laughed and said,
“Then it suits you perfectly. The ones you’ll have to deal with from now on are trash.”
I did not return to Wuhan.
The place I went to was the only place in this Jianghu where I could be alone, the very hidden cave where I had learned the Immortal Crane Secret Art.
I flew up Mount Tianmen in a single breath. From the summit, I leapt down toward the crane’s tail. With lighter and more skillful movements than before, I flew into the entrance hidden beneath the tail.
The hidden cave I visited after a long time was unchanged. Like a home returned to after a long journey, the hidden cave gave me a comfortable feeling.
First, I went to the place where the deceased person who had left behind the Immortal Crane Secret Art was buried and bowed respectfully.
“Have you been well all this time? I am using the secret art you passed down to me well.”
After greeting him, I cleaned the cave thoroughly.
Truly, the inside of the hidden cave was so comfortable that I felt I wanted to end the last days of my life here.
After finishing the cleaning, I flopped down in the place where sunlight entered through the cracks in the cave.
“Ah, this feels good.”
For the time I had left, I wanted to be alone. I wanted to be thoroughly alone. Resting was something I could do anywhere, but I wanted to rest completely by myself, without being disturbed by anyone. That was why I had gone out of my way to find this hidden cave.
Of course, for me, circulating qi and regulating breath with the Heavenly Martial Heart-Guarding Art would be the greatest rest.
But that was ultimately a rest centered on the body.
This rest was different.
It was simply resting while doing nothing, literally.
If sleep came, I slept for several hours straight. If I became hungry, I caught rabbits and roe deer in the mountain and ate them.
I did absolutely nothing, to the point where I wondered whether it was really all right to waste this precious time like this.
After being newly born as Byeok Ri-Dan, I had run without rest. I instinctively knew that I now needed to rest deeply, even if it was like this.
Sometimes doing nothing and resting deeply is a great help to both mental and physical health.
Of course, there is a limit to how long a person can laze around. At times like that, I sank into contemplation.
Through recent real battles against several powerful enemies, my Martial Arts had naturally been rising. But balance is important in Martial Arts training. If one has gone through real battle, one also needs time to organize it.
After a long while, I sank into contemplation and organized my Martial Arts.
I felt that the Immortal Crane Secret Art had almost reached great completion. Perhaps if I had just one more proper fight, it seemed I would reach great completion. What came after achieving great completion would be important.
Would some crossroads come, determining whether I could reach the Realm of the Heart Sword or not?
I had a vague premonition like that.
Like that, I properly rested for the first time in a while.
It was regrettable that I could not rest longer, but only because there is regret will the next rest be valuable too.
I came out of the hidden cave and stood at the summit.
For a while, I stood there in the blowing wind and admired the beautiful scenery.
“I’ll come again next time.”
After finishing those words, I leapt down.
The wind that struck my face with terrifying force seemed to be saying this.
The vacation is over. Now it is time to fight them again.
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