Chapter 408
## Chapter 408. The Reason for the Living (2)
—
Rewinding the clock to the moment when Wuhan first received the report that the Maengho Unit had lost track of Dam-ak near Mt. Juk-ho.
“What did you say?”
Cheong-su Jin-in slammed his cup of wine onto the table with a sharp *thud*.
“Our perimeter around the Mt. Juk-ho region is entirely airtight, meaning his capture is inevitable if we—”
“Idiot!”
The vessel left his hand instantly, flying straight ahead without dropping a single bead of liquid, before shattering directly against the messenger’s forehead. Only after the impact did the crimson wine mingle with the fresh blood pouring down the man’s face.
“What is the point of erecting a barricade after the target has already slipped away!”
“…….”
Hye-seong and the remaining leaders of the Jeongdo-hoe remained quiet, observing the outburst from the sidelines. Aside from Cheong-su Jin-in, the other figures traded knowing glances. Before long, Hye-seong stepped forward to speak on behalf of the group.
“What path do you intend to take now?”
“What else is there to ask? Naturally, we must hunt him down to his final breath and seize him.”
“Is it your plan to involve external organizations?”
“Across northern Hubei Province and southern Anhui Province, there are over thirty separate sects that answer to the Jeongdo-hoe. Should we call upon their combined strength……”
“Hmph…… since when did Wudang command such an expansive domain?”
Hye-seong’s pointed remark made Cheong-su Jin-in freeze in place. A hostile, burning glare immediately erupted from his eyes.
“Cheong-su Jin-in, consider how this appears. Do you truly wish to drag the entirety of the Jeongdo-hoe down with you to answer for your personal blunder?”
Cheong-su Jin-in countered with a hollow tone.
“A personal blunder, you say?”
“Regardless of the circumstances, the General Counselor of the Saheuk-ryeon was welcomed here as an official guest of the Murim Alliance. Given that you took it upon yourself to hunt down a man already broken by a catastrophic loss within the Murim Alliance’s own walls, does that not constitute a failure of judgment?”
“Did you completely ignore the report? Our forces currently maintain a flawless chokehold on the Mt. Juk-ho territory……”
“Yet the one losing his composure over this very report is you, Cheong-su Jin-in.”
“…….”
Cheong-su Jin-in, whose words were accelerating with fury, forced himself to swallow his rage. When he spoke again, his lips twisted into a frigid sneer.
“Now the truth comes out. I wondered why all of you gathered here in such a synchronized pack.”
His eyes slowly drifted across each representative of the Jeongdo-hoe gathered in the room.
“You want nothing more than to wash your hands of this mess and crawl back beneath the wing of Jegal So-myeong, don’t you?”
“*Ahem*.”
“*Cough*.”
“*Hmm*.”
Awkward shifting and quiet clearing of throats rippled through the gathering. However, Hye-seong remained entirely unmoved by the discomfort, leaning in further to corner Cheong-su Jin-in.
“Accountability is inherently tied to the individual who took action. By what right do you attempt to shift the blame of your own choices onto the collective?”
Sensing he had established a clear advantage, Hye-seong pressed on relentlessly.
“Moreover, given that this debacle occurred despite the presence of Hyeon-yeong—a warrior you spoke of with absolute certainty—can this endeavor be viewed as anything short of a total disaster?”
“*Fufu*. You miserable, scheming old hypocrites.”
A bitter, mocking laugh escaped Cheong-su Jin-in’s lips.
“Are you truly blind to the fact that the Murim Alliance has degraded to this state precisely because you quiver in terror at the mere mention of Jegal So-myeong and Hyeok Mu-gang?”
“Your tongue wags too freely!”
It was pathetic to watch. They stood tall, feigning nobility and supreme authority, only to instantly panic the moment their own positions and livelihoods were even slightly jeopardized.
“Mark my words. This state of affairs is far from concluded.”
“…….”
“Even if Dam-ak manages to crawl out of this alive, the flames of conflict cannot be extinguished.”
“Are you completely trapped within your own fantasies?”
“You are all profoundly blind to reality. The survival or demise of Dam-ak in these wilds is entirely irrelevant to the grander scheme. Even if he walks away unharmed, the passage of time favors our position regardless.”
“……!”
“What are you implying by that?”
Men who care only for their immediate comforts are burdened with narrow perspectives. Those with narrow perspectives can never anticipate the horizon. And because of that limitation, they expose their flaws with immense haste.
“If he survives and returns, does that not negate the conflict entirely?”
“If you are so convinced of that outcome, why do you find yourself pleading with me for answers?”
The representative from the Jeomchang grew crimson with embarrassment. Following the removal of Myeong-hyeon, the previous leader of the Jeongdo-hoe, this new delegate from Jeomchang had proven himself remarkably deficient in leadership.
“Pay close attention. The pieces on the board have already entered motion. The factions of the Saheuk-ryeon are currently demonstrating their military might outside the fortresses of the Murim Alliance, bringing the friction between our camps to a boiling point. In an environment this volatile, what do you think occurs the moment blood is spilled anywhere?”
“That would imply……”
“It means that regardless of whether Dam-ak survives his journey, the first arrow of war has already departed the bow string.”
dishonesty.
“…….”
The glares that had previously judged him with icy detachment began to flicker with intense anxiety. Hye-seong, who had arrived with the explicit goal of dismantling Cheong-su Jin-in’s authority, looked as though he had swallowed something vile.
“If the rest of you wish to retreat from the field, you are entirely welcome to do so. If our only objective is to buy more time, we do not strictly require the assistance of the Jeongdo-hoe to achieve it.”
Cheong-su Jin-in pushed himself up from his chair. Now that the factions of the Jeongdo-hoe had made their hidden motives clear, this chamber could no longer serve as a sanctuary from the eyes of Jegal So-myeong. A cold grin touched his lips as he turned his back on the assembly.
“We shall see. Let us discover who remains standing when the dust clears.”
—
It is an absurd contradiction of the human condition. Those who view the destruction of others as a basic necessity find the concept of their own demise entirely unthinkable. This distorted reasoning belongs solely to those bloated with arrogance, who view their own existences as sacred and the rest of the world as utterly expendable.
Yet, it was this exact flaw that granted Jin So-un and Dam-ak their continued survival. The deciding element was Myeong-jin’s calculation that Hyeon-yeong was far too precious an asset for Wudang to discard, concluding that securing Dam-ak was not worth the cost of losing him.
“*Huff, huff, huff.*”
Drenched from head to toe in crimson, Jin So-un pressed forward through the terrain. Dam-ak, securely fastened to the other man’s back, only managed to pull himself back to consciousness long after the sounds of battle had faded into the distance.
“Are we truly among the living?”
“By some stroke of luck.”
“……It defies all reason. To emerge from such an overwhelming encirclement with your life.”
“It is only because Wudang places an immense premium on the life of Hyeon-yeong.”
“Even if that were true, should they not have neutralized me regardless?”
They surely understood that allowing Dam-ak to escape meant the Saheuk-ryeon would gain an invaluable advantage. Yet to Myeong-jin’s sensibilities, it was far more acceptable for an ocean of faceless, low-ranking swordsmen to perish than to permit the death of Hyeon-yeong.
“Shielding those deemed valuable…… that is the foundational doctrine of the Murim Alliance, the very essence of the righteous path.”
“How remarkably noble.”
“And that is precisely why it leaves a foul taste in my mouth.”
Hearing the profound bitterness laced within Jin So-un’s voice, a wave of confusion washed over Dam-ak.
“What is it that stirs such loathing within you?”
“……If only they had extended even a fraction of that protective instinct toward the countless others who held that exact same devotion.”
“Did they fail to do so?”
“Utterly. They were nowhere to be found when my home was reduced to ash, nor when every single one of my younger companions was slaughtered.”
Reduced to ash? Slaughtered? What dark past was he referencing? Dam-ak opened his mouth to press for details, but the breath caught tightly in his throat. For a fleeting instant, the visage of the battle-worn man from his subconscious dream seemed to superimpose over Jin So-un before dissolving into the air. It was the face of an ordinary-sized warrior, carved with endless scars and heavy with profound exhaustion.
“……You speak with the weight of someone who has felt that agony firsthand, Jin-gong-ja.”
Jin So-un offered no reply. He merely kept up his grueling pace, his gaze as dark and unreadable as a still pool of deep water. Dam-ak strained his neck slightly to catch a glimpse of his companion’s expression. The young man’s skin was entirely devoid of color, and his eyes seemed to stare blankly ahead without focusing.
“Jin-gong-ja, can you sustain this?”
“I am fine. It takes far more than a few superficial cuts to bring me down.”
Only then did Dam-ak take the opportunity to closely evaluate the physical state of the man carrying him. From his left shoulder down to his ankles, there was scarcely an inch of flesh untouched by violence. Fresh crimson continued to seep out around the edges of older, blackened scabs and torn tissue. To think he had maintained a full sprint while burdened with such trauma. What kind of mad, stubborn individual was this truly……?
“Perhaps we should pause and gather our strength before continuing?”
“The destination is within reach. We are nearly there. Your rest can wait until we find safety.”
Even for an accomplished master of internal energy, could a human body truly function after hemorrhaging such a massive volume of fluid? Setting aside the threat of death, Dam-ak simply wished to halt this madness. This contradictory man, who normally operated with such calculated pragmatism and icy detachment, had thrown himself into the jaws of ruin without an ounce of self-preservation when the moment demanded it.
“Jin-gong-ja, it is unnecessary to push further.”
He wanted nothing more than to alleviate a portion of the crushing weight bearing down on those shoulders.
“Let us pause for a brief moment. Set me down on the ground. My own body has reached its limit.”
Just how long had this lone warrior carried such an unbearable burden by himself? Was the scarred man from his vision truly nothing more than an imaginary phantom? A storm of unsettling thoughts disrupted his mind. He attempted to shift his weight to slip loose from Jin So-un’s back, but the man didn’t slow his stride by a single inch.
“I gave my word that I would deliver you from this alive.”
“Jin-gong-ja……”
The man was clearly operating on pure, unadulterated delirium. In truth, it was a miracle of sheer willpower that he hadn’t collapsed into unconsciousness already.
“No matter the cost, I will see you through to safety.”
Attempting to shock him back to reality would likely do nothing but drain whatever meager reserves of physical energy he had left. What aid could he possibly provide in this state? Dam-ak chose to place his faith entirely in Jin So-un’s capabilities and yield to his stubborn determination.
However, as their path brought them into the boundaries of Eun-hyeon, a large contingent of martial artists could be seen combing through the hills and undergrowth as if searching for a lost trail. Rather than utilizing his stealth to circumvent the threat, Jin So-un advanced blindly into the open, exposing their position directly to the search parties.
“Is that Jin So-un……? It is truly him!!”
“In that case, the passenger on his shoulders…… must be Dam-ak!”
“Secure them immediately!”
The pursuers converged upon them instantly, eager to claim the prizes they had been hunting. Jin So-un’s forward momentum never wavered. With an expressionless, distant gaze, he unsheathed his blade and began to slash through the crowd. It was not the mesmerizing, fluid display of swordsmanship he had exhibited previously. Instead, it was a brutal, economical style stripped of elegance—the kind of practical combat art utilized by survival-hardened soldiers in the thick of war.
“Aaaaack!”
“Keu-heuk!”
“Heok!”
Mercifully, these opponents possessed skills far inferior to the elites they had encountered earlier, collapsing like dead leaves before the advance of Jin So-un’s blade. Yet, it was undeniable that Jin So-un’s reflexes were deteriorating rapidly. He failed to cleanly deflect strikes from swordsmen far slower than himself, permitting multiple weapons to bite into his flesh. On several occasions, his reactions were dangerously delayed, barely avoiding fatal impacts by fractions of an inch.
Watching the chaotic struggle from his vantage point, Dam-ak felt a profound wave of disbelief wash through him.
*‘He is prioritizing my safety above his own life.’*
Fresh streams of crimson erupted from lacerations that had only just begun to clot, and entirely new tears formed across previously uninjured skin. Despite the chaotic flurry of weapons, he continuously positioned his body to shield the man bound to his back from every incoming edge. Amidst the clashing of steel, he caught the faint, rhythmic murmuring of Jin So-un’s voice. What words could he possibly be uttering in this state?
“Keep him alive. Keep him alive.”
Straining to hear those words, Dam-ak found himself entirely paralyzed by the sheer tide of reverence and sorrow that swelled within his chest.
*‘For what purpose…… would you go to such lengths for me…….’*
Just as he had historically manipulated others like mere markers upon a strategist’s map, Dam-ak had long accepted his own role as an expendable asset to be sacrificed when necessary. He had conditioned himself to accept that reality, primarily because he no longer found any true purpose or meaning left within his current existence.
*‘What value do I hold to deserve this.’*
Even with his consciousness fractured and fading, this man was offering up his flesh to preserve his companion’s breath. Automatically, Dam-ak tightened his grip around Jin So-un’s frame. The ocean of martial artists arriving from the surrounding landscape swelled in size. The throng comprised a chaotic mix of various factions, interspersed with wandering mercenaries who appeared to have been gathered for quick coin.
Under normal conditions, Jin So-un would have utilized his exceptional agility to slip through the gaps in their formation, but he merely stood his ground with hollow eyes, trading blows with the endless waves of attackers. Inevitably, the sheer volume of weapons began to find their marks.
*Ching! Sseugeok, thwack! Thwack-thwack!*
A heavy blow suddenly connected squarely with Jin So-un’s head, sending his balance reeling violently to the side. The pair collapsed together, tumbling across the dirt like puppets whose supporting lines had been severed simultaneously. Having survived a gauntlet of elite foes, sustained a grueling sprint while bearing a full-grown man, and now facing a massive horde of fresh opponents, even the most legendary master would eventually succumb to physical exhaustion.
“Jin-gong-ja……”
Dam-ak stared down at the broad shoulders of the man who had served as his unbreakable shield until the very end. The objective had been an absurdity from its inception. It was a testament to sheer brilliance that they had managed to come within arm’s reach of sanctuary. The sight of that blood-soaked form and deathly pale visage struck a deep chord of sorrow within him. The agonizing realization that his own existence was the catalyst for this suffering pierced his heart.
Had there truly been a deep enough bond forged between them to warrant this? Even if their companionship had grown to such heights, who could possibly justify such total self-destruction? When his own mentor and fellow disciples were butchered by a merciless killer, every individual who had previously claimed kinship with him quietly vanished into the shadows. The same sycophants who had swore they would tear out their own hearts for him during his days of influence within the imperial court turned a blind eye the moment he possessed nothing left for them to exploit.
He hadn’t harbored bitter resentment over it. He understood that the world was fundamentally built upon such transactions.
*‘It is a cold, transactional place…… I knew that to be true…….’*
Yet, how much time had truly passed since Jin So-un first crossed paths with him? They served entirely different masters, so what could possibly drive him to offer up his life in this manner?
“I am deeply sorry, Jin-gong-ja. I should have never permitted you to be ensnared by my burdens.”
Was it due to witnessing that broken, tragic version of Jin So-un in that strange realm of subconscious memory? The young man before him seemed to evoke an even deeper sense of profound grief. In truth, that desperate, tragic figure from the vision bore little resemblance to the capable warrior here. However, the current Jin So-un had clearly not been born a master either. Though he could not guess the hardships that had shaped the young man’s past, the invisible scars weighing on someone so youthful pricked at his conscience like needles.
Standing at the precipice of death, it broke his heart to realize that this man fought with such desperate ferocity not for his own survival, but entirely for another. Dam-ak fixed his gaze on the warrior’s features. It no longer mattered whether that dream of a past life was an illusion or historical fact.
“The monumental debt I have incurred in this existence shall be repaid to you in the next. If a single lifetime is insufficient, then I shall spend the ones following it making amends. Therefore.”
He made a silent vow, reaching out to gently clear away the dried blood and dirt obscuring the young man’s face.
“When that time arrives, let us truly walk as companions.”
“…….”
The final strike approached. A massive broadsword swung downward, aimed to cleave through both Dam-ak and Jin So-un in a single motion.
*Zzzing—*
A brilliant beam of sunlight caught the polished edge of the descending blade, flashing directly into Jin So-un’s closed eyes. Instantly, his eyelids snapped open.
“Jin-gong……”
“What the hell! Where did these extras come from?”
Jin So-un abruptly bared his teeth, snarling with a ferocious intensity that made him seem like an entirely different entity. As the massive blade descended, Jin So-un’s fists erupted upward like a localized gale.
*Pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop!*
The frontline of martial artists was struck with such velocity they were instantly reduced to a broken mass, collapsing instantly.
“Aaaaack!”
*Bang-bang-bang!*
In the blink of an eye, Jin So-un’s traveling robes billowed outward as his internal energy expanded to its limit, and a vibrant, crimson aura of sword force burst forth from his weapon.
“Unbelievable! What is this garbage collection doing here!!! You bastards must be lining up to meet King Yama!”
*Chrrrrrrrrr*
Accompanied by a blinding flash of crimson light, waves of devastating sword energy radiated outward in all directions, turning the surrounding landscape to splinters. Having instantly annihilated the crowd of attackers, Jin So-un turned a sharp, irritated glare toward Dam-ak, his voice dripping with disbelief.
“How did you manage to let things degenerate to this point?”
“That occurred because you, Jin-gong-ja……”
“Save it. If the circumstances were truly this dire, a man of your supposed intellect should have taken charge and sorted out the problem. Aren’t you supposed to be the brilliant General Counselor of the Saheuk-ryeon? Seriously, *tsk*.”
What was happening? Had his scattered wits suddenly returned to him? Every word that left his mouth was completely devoid of the warmth from moments prior.
“Furthermore, what exactly were you attempting toward the end there? It appears I lost consciousness briefly during the trek. Don’t tell me…… were you attempting to unfasten the Thousand-Silk Thread so you could ditch me and save your own skin? Wow, unbelievable.”
“…….”
“And why on earth does my face feel so damn irritated?!! Did some disgusting insect crawl across my skin while I was out, *Tsk*?”
It was a common adage that the word of a proper man carries the weight of a thousand pieces of gold. Despite a lifetime spent studying under the ancient scholars and revering their wisdom, Dam-ak felt an overwhelming urge to completely reject that philosophy for the first time in his life. He felt an intense, burning regret over the emotional parting words he had just offered to this absolute nuisance. He wanted to take them back so desperately that he would gladly forfeit a thousand, no, a hundred million pieces of gold just to erase the memory.
