Chapter 277 - Can You Handle It?

Jin Hagun took his hand off the figurine he had been about to stand upright.

SCRITCH, SCRITCH.

The sound of carving wood resumed.

Ordinarily, his master would not have cared whether a figurine stood or lay down.

Who was this figurine supposed to be?

Jin Hagun looked down at it again. For some reason, his eyes kept returning to it. In the end, though he did not dare stand it up, he discreetly turned over the figurine lying facedown with its back to him.

He started in surprise.

The wooden figurine was him. It was only the size of a finger, but he instinctively recognized himself in it—the clothes, the hair, everything.

“Is this me?”

At his quiet question, the carving stopped.

“Yes. It is you.”

Jin Hagun looked at his master in bewilderment.

'He says it's me, yet he wants me to leave it lying there?'

He could tell that his master knew what had happened in Hunan.

'Even so...'

He wished his master would simply get angry. This felt worse than being shouted at. What had his master been thinking as he carved this figurine, then laid it here? Jin Hagun felt a hurt and distance he had never experienced before.

'I thought he would understand why I did it.'

Yes, he must be acting this way because he did not know the circumstances of that day.

“The Heavenly Harmony School master's son murdered innocent people.”

His master silently concentrated on his carving. It meant he was listening and wanted him to continue.

But Jin Hagun could not tell him the most important part. He needed to explain that he had realized relinquishing the Heavenly Harmony School was his grandfather's test. Wouldn't that imply his master had failed to recognize the test in the first place?

“Once the Sword Immortal intervened, I had no choice.”

Whether his master already knew or considered it an excuse, he said nothing.

In the past, Jin Hagun would have anxiously begged his master's forgiveness first.

Instead, he quietly watched him.

'What would Geom Mugeuk have done?'

Was it because he had thought about Geom Mugeuk throughout the journey home? Almost unbelievably, that thought truly came to him.

He pictured the man's face, beaming at him.

[“Let's have a drink!”]

One thing was certain. Even at a moment like this, Geom Mugeuk would have handled it with a smile.

Yes. Losing his composure meant losing.

Jin Hagun spoke calmly.

“I'm sorry I disappointed you.”

The carving stopped at once.

Baek Cheongyeong slowly raised his head and looked at Jin Hagun.

In the past, his heart would have pounded as though it might burst. Strangely, he was not afraid.

An unusual gleam passed through Baek Cheongyeong's eyes. He had sensed that his disciple was different.

Baek Cheongyeong set down the figurine he was holding, rose, and slowly approached Jin Hagun.

Jin Hagun watched his master quietly. In the past, his mind would have worked ahead of his eyes.

His master must be feeling this way. What could he say to appease his anger?

Now, however, his thoughts were elsewhere—on Geom Mugeuk's words, which had lodged in his heart.

[“Have you ever truly looked clearly?”]

Jin Hagun watched his master approach: his eyes, his steps, the movements of his hands, even his expression.

'He feels unfamiliar.'

Baek Cheongyeong's gaze shifted from his disciple to the fallen figurine on the display stand.

“Were you hurt to see your figurine lying down?”

Jin Hagun answered calmly.

“It's the first figurine of me you've ever made, Master.”

Baek Cheongyeong stood the figurine in its place.

“Is that better?”

Jin Hagun looked down at it for a moment, then laid it down again.

“No. I lost to Geom Mugeuk this time. It should be lying down.”

Baek Cheongyeong nodded as though he had been waiting for that response.

“Yes. You should have found a way to secure the Heavenly Harmony School and save them.”

Jin Hagun silently watched him. He still felt unfamiliar. Come to think of it, Jin Hagun had never studied his face from beside him like this, much less so close. A passing glance at his master, a passing glance at his grandfather—that was how he had gone through life looking at people.

“If war breaks out someday, the Heavenly Harmony School might kill hundreds of people from the orthodox factions. Can you bear responsibility for that?”

In the past, he would immediately have prostrated himself and begged forgiveness. His master's words would have struck home. No—even if they had not, he would have assumed his master was right.

But he felt no such urge now. Instead, he wondered:

'Why is he bringing up an extreme scenario that hasn't happened?'

Suddenly, he remembered what Geom Mugeuk had said.

[“The person who connected you with that school master does not want you to become alliance leader.”]

He had dismissed it as nonsense then. Now it had become a small doubt in his heart, beginning to grow.

“I didn't think it through.”

Baek Cheongyeong's expression softened somewhat.

“Good. As long as you understand. Even now, we must find a way to reclaim the Heavenly Harmony School.”

“I'll give it some thought.”

Baek Cheongyeong returned to his seat. Before resuming his carving, he added:

“The alliance leader would have wanted that too.”

SCRITCH, SCRITCH.

Right to the end, his words ran counter to Jin Hagun's thoughts.

'Would he really?'

His grandfather had been genuinely delighted that he had given up on the Heavenly Harmony School. Because Jin Hagun had tried to look at him clearly, he had read that emotion correctly. Otherwise, he would have bowed his head now and agreed—because he had never properly looked at his grandfather.

Only today did he truly understand how important Geom Mugeuk's advice to look clearly was.

'Whatever else may be at stake, shouldn't we refuse to forgive someone like Seo Cheong? We belong to the orthodox factions. More than that, we are a future Martial Alliance Leader and that leader's master.'

After meeting Geom Mugeuk, he saw his master differently.

No—perhaps only today had he discovered that his master was an entirely different person from the one he had believed him to be.

* * *

That night, Jin Hagun had a nightmare.

All night, he was pursued by a shadowlike being whose face he could not make out. However far he fled, it knew where he was and tracked him down.

Even now, it was following far behind him.

He was so exhausted he could barely run.

He trudged on in despair, while people along the roadside watched him.

Some faces were familiar. There were people he had trained with as a child, and a maidservant too. People he had never been particularly close to. Why them, of all people? Nightmares always summoned those he had forgotten.

He walked past them and kept going. Meanwhile, the shadow pursuing him drew ever closer.

He thought he was going to die. Then someone called to him.

“Squad Leader Jin!”

He looked up to see Geom Mugeuk leaning against the second-floor railing of a tavern, looking down at him.

“Come up and have a drink.”

He was smiling brightly, just as he had when they parted.

As though entranced, Jin Hagun went upstairs. He was glad to see him.

He stood beside Geom Mugeuk at the second-floor railing. The black shadow that had pursued him could only look up from the tavern entrance. It could not enter. He sensed that the terrifying shadow was afraid.

Then Geom Mugeuk abruptly spoke beside him. They were the same words he had spoken at the banquet.

“Isn't that why we're here? If not us, who could stop a bastard like that?”

As he looked at Geom Mugeuk, Jin Hagun awoke.

“Whew.”

Drenched in sweat, Jin Hagun let out a sigh.

It was not strange that Geom Mugeuk had appeared in his dream. He had been thinking about him constantly since they met.

But the choices he had made in the dream were so foolish. He had merely let himself be chased, helplessly. He could have fought alone, led the Demon-Slaying Squad into battle, or sought his grandfather's help. He should have made an active effort, made a choice. Instead, he had only run.

What angered him more was that he had given up everything at the end. He vividly remembered that moment of trudging along in utter despair.

Shaking off the nightmare, he sprang up from his bed.

* * *

Jin Haryeong was startled by Jin Hagun's visit.

“So even you do things out of character, Brother?”

He had not visited her quarters lately.

“People can change.”

“Don't change too much. It's frightening.”

After looking around the room, Jin Hagun sat down. Knowing her brother could not have come simply to see her, Jin Haryeong asked with inward apprehension:

“How did your mission go?”

“I failed.”

“You look well for someone who failed.”

“It was half failure, half success.”

She looked at him questioningly, but he did not explain. Despite what he had said, he did not know himself what was right or wrong anymore.

“What was Geom Mugeuk like?”

“I don't know.”

“Come on. Tell me.”

“I said I don't know. I can't figure him out.”

Jin Haryeong nodded.

“Then you got a good look at him.”

If asked what sort of person Geom Mugeuk was, she too could give no other answer.

Then Jin Hagun said something she had never expected.

“Haryeong, have you ever experienced something you couldn't understand?”

She stared at him in surprise.

“Right now.”

He smiled faintly.

“I'm asking seriously.”

Had she ever experienced such a thing? Ah, yes.

“When I met Geom Mugeuk, I couldn't understand any of it.”

“How did you get through it?”

“I didn't get through it myself. Geom Mugeuk swept me along, and it passed.”

Now Jin Hagun knew exactly what she meant.

Jin Haryeong could tell that a wave of change had swept into her brother's life. She did not ask whether Geom Mugeuk was responsible. His pride alone would keep him from admitting it.

Then Jin Hagun asked about something unexpected.

“Do you still hold those gatherings for promising young martial artists?”

“I do.”

“You must get quite a turnout.”

“As if they come to see me. They come to impress Grandfather.”

Jin Haryeong invited young talents from the orthodox factions in rotation. Rather than private gatherings, they were closer to an Alliance effort to maintain ties with its promising young martial artists. She was responsible for that work.

“There's someone I'd like you to invite.”

“Who?”

His answer pointed to someone she had never expected.

“Someone we need to look at without preconceptions.”

Jin Haryeong was stunned. He meant Geom Mugeuk.

“Why him?”

Jin Hagun answered:

“I need his help. Invite him as your guest, and arrange for him to meet me as though by chance.”

He could not summon him directly. A future Martial Alliance Leader could not ask the Demonic Cult's young lord for help.

“Are you serious?”

Jin Hagun nodded. His sister had every reason to be so surprised. Even he thought this was madness.

Yet he felt it instinctively. The sense of unfamiliarity he had felt with his master kept stirring his instinct for danger. Had he remained oblivious as before, it would have been different. But the doubt that had blossomed in his heart was growing by the day.

This was no time to delay or protect his pride. He needed help—an outsider who could view the situation objectively, not someone within it whose interests were entangled. He could not remain helpless as he had in his dream.

“But why?”

“You don't need to know.”

“Let me ask again. Is the Demon-Slaying Squad commander in a situation where he needs the Demonic Cult's young lord's help?”

Jin Hagun answered:

“Let's say your brother needs your friend's help.”

Even to him, it made no sense. Yet his instincts were pleading with him, even through his dreams: he needed that man.

Jin Haryeong hesitated. This was the first favor her brother had asked of her since they had grown old enough to know better, yet she hesitated.

She too had fond memories of Geom Mugeuk. Part of her wanted to use this excuse to see him again.

But involving him with her brother was another matter. This would be a relationship between the prospective successor of the Orthodox Martial Alliance and the Demonic Cult's successor.

That frightened her. Was it right to bring a demonic martial artist into her brother's affairs?

“Can you handle him?”

After a pause, Jin Hagun shook his head.

“Geom Mugeuk? No. It's precisely because he's someone I can't handle that I need his help.”

His accurate assessment of the man reassured Jin Haryeong instead.

“Then that's enough.”

* * *

I was practicing the Secret Art of Heavenly Time inside the Art of Space-Time Transposition.

Since my regression, I had met all sorts of people and dealt with all sorts of matters, but I had never forgotten that martial training mattered most. Whenever I had time alone, I devoted myself to training.

The Secret Art of Heavenly Time was improving little by little. It truly progressed at a turtle's pace. But I did not give up. I trained and trained, hoping that perhaps one day my attainment would suddenly leap forward. Of course, nothing of the sort happened.

Whenever I needed to remain somewhere people came and went, I would close my eyes for a while and practice the Heavenly Demon's Protective Art. With only one stage remaining before complete mastery, I trained as hard as I could.

Whenever I had a spare moment, I practiced only the first form of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, over and over. There would scarcely be anyone I could not kill with the Heaven-Soaring Sword Art now that I had achieved twelfth-level complete mastery, but if such an opponent appeared, I intended to kill them with that first form. So I practiced it again and again. I had seen the four evil spirits so often that I was even beginning to feel close to them. The time they remained was increasing ever so slightly too.

After finishing my training, I was taking a brief rest when I saw the Fist Demon strolling outside the window.

He stood tall at the far end of the courtyard, gazing beyond the wall at the distant mountains.

“Master.”

I stood beside him.

“Shall I guess what you were thinking just now?”

The Fist Demon looked interested.

“What was I thinking?”

“You were thinking about the cliff, weren't you?”

“Anyone hearing you would think I was obsessed with smashing cliffs. What made you think that?”

“Your back told me.”

He looked at me as though asking what I meant.

Some people tell you who they are with their backs. My father was one, and so was the Fist Demon.

Perhaps I sensed loneliness when I looked at his back because I knew how steadfast it was. At my father's command, that back would advance alone toward thousands, tens of thousands of enemies without an instant's hesitation.

“Master, I don't think you should bring down the cliff.”

“Why?”

“When would you ever finish clearing it all away? Besides, doesn't it look magnificent with the cliff there?”

The Fist Demon smiled at me. I liked this man's smile, this smile I so rarely saw.

Just then, a Hunan branch martial artist arrived with a letter. Unexpectedly, it was from Jin Haryeong.

—You told me to make sure I let you know if anything strange and incomprehensible ever happened in my life, didn't you? It's happening right now.