When Tears Come to Our Eyes (1)
Once again, luggage arrived at the manor where Lin Yan-Qing was staying.
The people silently unloading the luggage were No. One and No. Seven.
“I will take it to the room.”
“Do that.”
No. One handed the luggage to her.
It was because Lin Yan-Qing did not have particularly good feelings toward him. Lin Yan-Qing had no hesitation in expressing her emotions. What she disliked, she clearly disliked, and she did not bother to see someone she disliked.
“How has work been lately?”
“It has been fine.”
“And Lin Yan-Qing?”
“She remains unchanged. She said the Great Rite will begin in earnest after the ascension ceremony.”
No. One nodded. When he said nothing more, No. Seven turned around.
“Then I will go.”
When she had taken a few steps, No. One spoke from behind her.
“Do not be swayed by personal feelings.”
When No. Seven turned back, No. One was already walking away with long strides.
She did not see No. One’s expression.
The expression filled with self-reproach, as if he had thrown out those last words for no reason, as if it had been unlike him.
But because she did not see that expression, and because even if she had seen it, she would not have known his heart, No. Seven herself felt no emotional disturbance. If he was her superior, it was something he could say at least once.
“Yes.”
After answering briefly, as if speaking to herself, No. Seven carried the luggage and entered the building.
Lin Yan-Qing was in her study, fully occupied with preparations for the Great Rite. The materials inside the boxes revealed themselves one by one, and they were being organized or combined, reborn into new forms.
“New items have arrived.”
“Please put them here.”
No. Seven placed the box on the table. The items needed for the Great Rite were coming from all over the Central Plains. Sometimes freshly harvested herbs came, and sometimes living poisonous insects came as well.
“I will organize them.”
“Please do.”
No. Seven bowed and was turning around when Lin Yan-Qing said to her,
“It is a good name.”
“Yes?”
“Baek Ryeon. It suits you well.”
No. Seven thought that could not be true. It was said that a lotus could grow even in mud, but whenever she looked at such a beautiful thing, it always felt far away from herself.
It was probably something said to make her feel good.
No. Seven answered with the brightest smile she could manage.
“Thank you.”
Even so, she could not forget the moment when Byeok Ri-Dan had given her that name.
While drinking with him in the field and talking about various things, she had mentioned in passing that it had been a long time since she lost her name. Thankfully, Byeok Ri-Dan had remembered those words.
Though it might not suit her……
She liked the name Baek Ryeon very much.
“First, I will speak about Ma Gung-Tae.”
In preparation for Ma Gung-Tae and Ma Yang-Hwa sending masters to kill us, Gal Sa-Ryang had made a plan.
“Ma Gung-Tae is commonly known to be hot-tempered and reckless, but in truth, he is quite clever.”
“It is a disguise?”
“Yes, that is right. On the outside, he is a bear, but inside, he is a fox. On the other hand, Ma Yang-Hwa appears calm and broad-minded on the outside, but she is suspicious and dislikes suffering losses.”
“If a situation arises where we must split the two apart, then we should attack Ma Yang-Hwa first.”
“My thoughts are the same.”
A personality that disliked suffering losses was easy to attack. When someone calculates too much, they eventually miscalculate as well.
“Since they have come out to kill us, I will not deal with them half-heartedly. I intend to eliminate Ma Yang-Hwa, Ma Gung-Tae, and all the subordinates who came with them.”
Now, I would clearly show them what happened when they touched us.
“Where are they now?”
“Currently, Ma Yang-Hwa and Ma Gung-Tae are staying as guests of Zuo Tie-Long in the guest hall of the Bright Moon Group inside the inner court of the Grand Martial Alliance.”
“They have hidden in the safest place.”
“That is right.”
They too had realized that this matter was dangerous.
“We must draw them outside somehow. To do that, there should be someone they can trust, no?”
After thinking for a while, Gal Sa-Ryang thought of someone.
“Fortunately, among the people we can move, there is one person they would trust.”
“Who is that?”
Gal Sa-Ryang grinned and said,
“Would you like to come with me and see?”
Half an hour later, Gal Sa-Ryang and I were entering the underground prison of the Grand Martial Alliance headquarters.
Guided by a prison guard, we walked down the corridor of the prison, where strict layers of security had been laid out twofold and threefold.
Since Gal Sa-Ryang was still the Chief Strategist of the Grand Martial Alliance, he could freely enter the prison. In truth, if one considered only the alliance regulations, he was currently the highest authority in the Grand Martial Alliance.
The guard led us to one iron door. The person visible through the small hole was none other than the previous Chief Strategist, Sima Tian.
The guard opened the door, and Gal Sa-Ryang and I went inside.
“You?”
Sima Tian, who had discovered Gal Sa-Ryang, was startled. Hollow eyes, a gaunt face, disheveled hair, and an unkempt, dirty beard. He had become so ruined that he was difficult to recognize.
“Have you been well?”
“You! All of this was something you plotted with the Law Enforcement Hall Chief, wasn’t it?”
Unlike him, who was excited, Gal Sa-Ryang was calm.
“It must be because you kept someone like Jo Byeok as your right arm.”
“You bastard! I will kill you!”
Sima Tian rushed in and tried to grab Gal Sa-Ryang by the collar. I stopped him and made him step back.
Sima Tian paid no attention to my existence. He merely thought I was someone who had come to protect Gal Sa-Ryang.
“Calm down.”
“Do I look like I can calm down right now?”
“So? Are you going to throw away the only chance you have to leave this place by throwing a fit?”
At those words, Sima Tian flinched in surprise.
“I can leave this place?”
“I am still the Chief Strategist of the Grand Martial Alliance, and the seat of Alliance Lord is empty.”
In other words, he was saying that he could easily take out one prisoner locked in the prison. Bluntly speaking, it was not as if Sima Tian had committed rebellion.
A brief silence flowed.
“Was it you who killed the Alliance Lord?”
“No.”
“Then who was it?”
“The ones behind the scenes. You must have known of their existence as well.”
Sima Tian could not deny those words. In truth, he too had sensed the reality of those behind the scenes. He had merely pretended not to know for the sake of his own success. In the end, he thought that perhaps the reason he had been locked in the prison was the result of that irresponsibility and self-deception.
“You deceived me.”
Under him, Gal Sa-Ryang had suffered all kinds of hardships while acting like a strategist past his prime.
But seeing Gal Sa-Ryang’s sharp appearance now, he realized that all of it had been a lie.
“The person who placed me back in the position of Chief Strategist was Ma Bong-Gi, whom you served.”
“That stupid old man!”
The target of those words was, of course, Ma Bong-Gi. How could he think of seating Gal Sa-Ryang as Chief Strategist instead of thinking to bring him back out? Truly, he thought Ma Bong-Gi deserved to die.
Sima Tian wanted to leave this place. He could no longer endure this hellish prison.
“How are you saying you will get me out?”
“That is the wrong question.”
Gal Sa-Ryang stared at him and added coldly,
“You should ask this: what must I do for you to get me out?”
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When Gal Sa-Ryang and I returned to the residence, someone was waiting for me.
Astonishingly, the visitor was none other than No. Seven.
“What brings you here?”
“I came because there is something I would like to tell you for a moment.”
“Have you been waiting long?”
“No, I just arrived. It seemed you were not here, so I was just about to leave, and then you happened to arrive.”
Uncharacteristically for her, she even added an explanation. She had probably been waiting for a long time.
Gal Sa-Ryang tactfully excused himself.
“I am tired, so I will go rest first.”
I said to her,
“I do not think I can go outside. Would it be all right to talk here?”
“That is fine.”
She and I walked around the courtyard. It was a small courtyard, but trees and flowers were growing beautifully here and there.
Of course, the Black Darkness Vast Sea Formation installed here was currently closed. If the formation were activated, this place would turn into a world of death from which one could never escape. Of course, once the formation was completed, it would become an even more terrifying place.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For giving me a name.”
“Ah, I do not know whether I did something unnecessary.”
“No. I liked that name.”
“I am glad.”
“I felt like I did not properly thank you that day……”
At that moment, she suddenly shed tears. The one who was flustered was not me, but rather her.
“Huh?”
As if she were someone shedding tears for the first time, she was flustered.
“Why are tears suddenly coming out?”
It did not seem like tears that had slowly come out because sorrow had welled up. Rather, it seemed as if they had suddenly surged up and streamed down.
It seemed that tears had suddenly come out when there was no reason at all for them to do so.
Like someone seeing rainwater falling from the sky for the first time, she looked at the tears falling into her palm.
It was right when I did not know what to say. A familiar sound came from behind.
“Young Masteeeeeer!”
When I turned around, Gwangdu was running toward me while calling me, but he discovered No. Seven and stopped.
“Huh?”
Behind Gwangdu stood Song Hwa-Rin.
When they saw No. Seven and me standing together, everyone looked surprised.
At their appearance, No. Seven hurriedly wiped away her tears.
Because a woman was shedding tears in front of me, everyone was surprised.
Song Hwa-Rin was flustered, and Gwangdu was flustered as well. Su-Ran’s expression even hardened completely.
Silence flowed there.
“To make even women cry. You are a real man, our Young Master.”
Song Hwa-Rin had always laughed at Gwangdu’s silly remarks, but this time she did not laugh.
Silence flowed again.
At last, Song Hwa-Rin slowly walked over to No. Seven and said,
“Hello, I’m Song Hwa-Rin.”
Unexpectedly, Song Hwa-Rin did not seem particularly flustered or angry.
No. Seven received the greeting politely.
“I am…… Baek Ryeon. Then I will take my leave.”
“Yes, I will see you next time.”
As No. Seven left that place, Su-Ran glared at her and said,
“Our Young Lady is Young Master Byeok’s fiancée.”
At the word fiancée, No. Seven flinched in surprise.
“Please do not misunderstand. I have no relationship with Strategist Byeok.”
Rather, those words were in a situation where they would cause even more misunderstanding.
No. Seven quickly moved her feet and walked out of that place.
Gwangdu, who had approached before I knew it, whispered in my ear.
“Womanizer.”
“It is a misunderstanding.”
“Liar womanizer.”
This time, Song Hwa-Rin approached me. Just as she had dealt with No. Seven earlier, she asked in a calm tone,
“Have you been well?”
“Thanks to you. You came without even sending word?”
“Martial Artist Gwang said you would be more surprised if we came without notice. You really do look surprised.”
I looked at Gwangdu. Gwangdu pretended not to hear and looked elsewhere.
“Do we have a room to stay in?”
“Of course. Go inside and use the room at the far end on the left.”
“Thank you.”
Song Hwa-Rin took Su-Ran and entered the building. She was calm. Too calm.
Looking at Song Hwa-Rin disappearing in the distance, I asked Gwangdu,
“She does not look too happy, does she?”
“No.”
“How much?”
“It is like the calm on the eve of a decisive battle, the night before going to kill an enemy.”
Because it was not entirely a joke, I let out a sigh.
As if comforting me, Gwangdu said,
“Young Master, just live with me for the rest of your life.”
“I suppose I may have to…… With you? What about Do-Sun?”
“Who is Do-Sun? Her name sounds really old-fashioned.”
“It did not go well again, did it?”
This time, Gwangdu let out a long sigh.
“It is a long story if I tell it. Ah, Young Master. Let us just live among ourselves. In a world without women. We can live well! Let us live freely in a peaceful world without jealousy or misunderstandings!”
It was not a situation where I should laugh, but in the end, I could not help letting out a faint laugh.
As I walked toward the building, Gwangdu asked from behind,
“Where are you going? Surely you are not going to clear up the misunderstanding with Young Lady Song, are you?”
Without turning back, I said,
“I cannot live with you.”
“Traitor!”
“Considering how hard you pushed me in the past not to lose Young Lady Song, who is the traitor?”
Gwangdu laughed and followed behind me.
“Where is my room?”
That night, I was out in the courtyard with Song Hwa-Rin.
We enjoyed a moonlit walk in silence, going back and forth, and eventually I asked first,
“Are you angry?”
“Is this a situation where I should be angry?”
“If not, then that is a relief.”
She remained composed and calm. She crouched by the flower bed beneath the wall and looked at the flowers.
“As you know, I grew up as an only daughter. My father desperately wanted a son. He never expressed it to me even once, but I knew.”
I thought that must have been so. Especially if he was the head of a Murim sect, he would have had to think about a successor.
In addition to his friendship with my father, part of the reason Song U-Gyeong thought well of me was probably because he wanted to quickly obtain a dependable son-in-law.
“I tried hard to play the role of a son. I did not want to become a burden to my father, or to our family, because I was a woman. I was very afraid, but the reason I endured and went far away to learn Martial Arts was because of that too. Well, that ended up becoming a complete mess.”
She had now become strong enough to naturally bring up the story of her master as well.
“I do not want to become a burden to anyone. Even if that someone is you.”
She had said something similar before.
I could tell. That kind of feeling was acting as a limit in her life.
In truth, no one considered her a burden, but it was like shackles she had created for herself.
I did not tell her that. A limit gained meaning only when one broke it oneself.
“When I saw you together with her earlier, I understood my feelings toward you.”
“What kind of feelings?”
She only smiled and did not tell me.
“You said it to me that day, didn’t you? Let us go and see where this leads.”
Those were the words I had said to her when parting with her on the day we came to Shandong.
“I did.”
“I now truly want to go and see.”
Looking at her eyes sparkling under the moonlight, I recalled one fact I had realized through my past life and this life.
Life is not about the destination. Life is about the journey.
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