Episode 861: You Can Escape So Easily
There were two questions I wanted to ask my father.
I wonder what my father hates the most.
But in this pleasant atmosphere, where I was drinking alone with my father and chatting, I didn’t want to ask that question.
So I asked something else.
“I want to know about my mother.”
My father nodded, as if he’d expected that.
But then he blurted out something unexpected.
“Don’t ask me to know more.”
Geommu-geuk looked at his father with a surprised expression. His face glowed red from the bonfire.
The father was giving his son some heavy advice.
“The dead do not remain in the past.”
How could Geommu-geuk not understand that the more you know, the more you miss?
He, who had felt the grief of losing everyone in his life before his return, more deeply than anyone else, had been haunted by that death throughout his life.
“Leave it as a vague longing like now.”
The sword dance drama could tell. Mother’s brief, shining life would forever shine in Father’s heart. Love that had lost its way would remain in Father’s heart as longing.
“Isn’t it hard for you to reminisce alone?”
Geum Woo-jin looked at his son, startled by the unexpected words.
Given my father’s personality, he probably wouldn’t have told anyone about his mother.
Not Hui, not Kwon Ma, not Sima Myeong. He probably wouldn’t have told anyone. He would have endured the pain of her loss alone. This blunt man must have felt that way.
Before my regression, I endured all that pain alone. Looking back, that didn’t have a positive impact on anyone’s life.
I miss you. I miss you. I’m sad. I’m angry.
If only I could say a single word to someone, my heart would feel a little better.
It was a shame that, like myself before my regression, my father never had that opportunity.
“I want to be happy with my father, miss him, and be sad with him.”
Geum Woo-jin looked at his son with trembling eyes. He hadn’t expected his son to ask for that reason.
“Father, I want to hear about your mother, who loved floral patterns.”
Geom Woo-jin drank in silence. He looked down at his empty glass, then up at the night sky.
Without further questioning, Geom Mu-geuk quietly refilled his father’s glass.
Finally, after a long silence, Geom Woo-jin spoke.
“I was about your age when I met your mother.”
It was a story my father had kept buried in his heart for a long time.
“She was a woman belonging to a political party.”
I understood why my father had said I resembled my mother. I also understood why I had naturally chosen the path of the magician. It was because my mother’s blood flowed through my veins.
It seemed like he’d say more, but after finishing his drink, he rolled over in his seat. Apparently, he couldn’t hide his overwhelming emotions.
“Let’s go to sleep now.”
Looking at my father’s back always brought up many thoughts. Looking at his back today, it felt different from anything I’d seen before.
Geommugeuk didn’t ask any more questions. If pressed, he would have said a few more, but he didn’t.
Even without hearing it, I could imagine how arduous the journey must have been for a woman from the Jeongpa clan to become a Mahu. There must have been many things she couldn’t easily share with her children, and even if written down, it would take several volumes to tell.
What’s important is that my father and mother overcame all the hardships, found love, and gave birth to my brother and myself.
“Thank you for your hard work, Father. Thank you for giving birth to me.”
For a moment, I felt Geumwoojin’s back tremble slightly. But my father didn’t say anything.
Geommugeuk also lay down and looked up at the night sky.
‘Father, please tell me about Mother someday.’
* * *
“Are you here?”
Mabul, who was sitting in the temple chanting, spoke without looking back.
The person entering the temple was Geommugeuk. Mabul greeted Geommugeuk calmly, as if he had expected him to come to him as soon as he descended the mountain.
“You came down earlier than I expected.”
“I can’t stand it, I miss you so much, Mabulnim.”
The demon who was facing the blood fire turned towards the sword dance.
“You must have come to me because you wanted something from me, as always.”
He had an idea why the sword dance had come to him.
“The leader wouldn’t have allowed it, would he?”
Mabul read Geommu-geuk’s inner thoughts the moment he gave the Mannyeonhwari Naedan to Geommu-yang.
“You haven’t given permission yet. You’re convinced my brother won’t listen to me.”
Mabul also had the same thoughts as his father.
“You are watching me closely.”
“That is why I came to see you, Mabulnim, to seek your answer.”
“Then my journey was in vain.”
“What are you saying?”
Mabul declared, “If it’s the swordsmanship I know, then it’s the swordsmanship.”
“Don’t you know what kind of person your brother is? He would never accept that position.”
Mabul asked with a look of incomprehension.
“Why are you suddenly running away? Akgunhak, have you fallen for him?”
“He’s decided to settle down now.”
“But why?”
It wasn’t a sudden thought. I’d been ambivalent about it for a long time. I’d thought about becoming a truly awesome cult leader, but I’d also thought about handing the leadership position over to my brother and just walking away.
But this time, what influenced his mind was this.
After the fire weapon dies, you get the inner sword of the Mannyeonhwari?
The Sword Dance Theater made me wonder if this wasn’t a destiny bestowed upon me by the heavens. At least, it wasn’t a gift from heaven for my own lack of inner strength.
“Is it because of the Grand Duke?”
The sword dance theater could not answer no.
“Look here, Young Master.”
“Yes, Mabulnim.”
“I know very well what kind of person you are.”
So it was predictable. It was a guess that was close to certain.
“You might find a way to persuade the Archduke. Perhaps you’ll succeed.”
Mabul was rather worried about its success.
“I hope not.”
Because he felt that he was speaking sincerely, Geommugeuk asked him with a cautious mind.
“May I ask why?”
Mabul’s eyes became cold and sank.
“If that happens, the Archduke’s life will become miserable.”
“!”
Geommu-geuk was startled and couldn’t say anything. Knowing his brother better than anyone else, he couldn’t ignore these words.
“After ascending to the position of leader, the Archduke will have to constantly battle with himself. Is he truly fit for the position? Furthermore, he will constantly doubt himself. Will the Demon Lords truly follow him? Will they even remember you?”
“Isn’t Demon Lord by your side?”
Mabul slowly shook his head.
“My presence will make things even harder for the Grand Duke. Because I was the one who shared in the defeat in the succession battle. Every time you see me, you’ll be reminded of the ghosts of the past. Look, Young Master. The human heart isn’t that strong. Not everyone can share your heart.”
Geommugeuk couldn’t answer. He had vaguely assumed that his older brother would be able to handle it, and that with Mabul’s help, things would be fine. But Mabul was seeing the outcome of this situation much more realistically and accurately.
“Did you think you could run away so easily when you were so deeply involved in everyone’s lives?”
Convinced that Mabul’s words were correct, Geommugeuk couldn’t offer any excuses.
After a moment of reflection, Geommugeuk meekly admitted his mistake.
“My thinking was short-sighted.”
Because I was so focused on whether or not my brother would accept me, I didn’t think deeply about his life after accepting me. The brother I had back then, fighting for the succession, is no longer with me.
“It was a decision I felt sorry for, even to those who believed in me and followed me until now.”
Mabul’s stiff expression relaxed. Yes, since he’s a swordsman who acknowledges what needs to be acknowledged and doesn’t cling to pointless stubbornness, he might be able to offer heartfelt advice.
“It’s not like there’s no way at all.”
Geommugeuk looked at Mabul with sparkling eyes.
“Please let me know.”
Mabul said calmly, as if he had already thought about it.
“If there is a way, there must be only one.”
“What is it?”
A word that came out of Mabul’s mouth again.
“Justification.”
I had previously given the same advice when asked what should be done to prevent my father’s unification of the martial arts world.
“The Archduke needs a justification for inheriting the position of leader.”
“Is there a way to create that justification?”
It was a remark thrown out without much expectation, but surprisingly, Mabul had an answer.
“Yes, there is. But there is a condition.”
That condition was something that Geommugeuk had not thought of.
“You must become the leader.”
“!”
Geommugeuk waited for Mabul’s next words with a surprised expression.
“If you hand over the position without becoming the leader, that would be a concession. However, if you become the leader, lead the sect, and then appoint the Grand Duke as your successor, that would be a formal succession.”
Mabul added calmly.
“Lead the school in your own way. And continue to delegate important tasks to the Archduke. Things that only the leader can entrust.”
My brother would probably do that better than anyone else.
“The Archduke will prove his great abilities through this. That will be his justification for becoming the leader.”
Because it was a matter related to his brother, Mabul advised him more diligently than ever.
“Try this, try that. If it doesn’t work, try another way. As time passes, you, the Archduke, and I—all of us—will change our minds. Your current worries might seem insignificant then. Perhaps you would have truly regretted giving up the position of leader back then. You might be saying that to me.”
The last thing he said was.
“There’s a time for running away. When fate opens the back door slightly, that’s when you run away.”
As he listened to the sword dance in silence, he remembered the conversation he had with the old man.
“You asked me how I’m going to live, but my future might disappoint you. I’ve used up almost all the coolness I can muster.
” “Don’t worry. The people you’ve made cool around you will make you even cooler.
Geommugeuk suddenly stood up and bowed respectfully to Mabul.
“You are right. Thank you.”
Mabul, with his wise and grateful teachings, guided me back to the right path when I was about to go down the wrong path.
“You’ve set my brother and I straight. You caught two big fish today.”
There was one more word added that I absolutely could not stand.
“Please catch it like this that day.”
Mabul, who had been smiling like a monk who had attained enlightenment, closed his eyes tightly and turned the prayer beads so vigorously that they seemed to break.
“When did you say the next competition would be held?”
* * *
“Okay, here are the supplies you need.”
Geommuyang handed Gwak Yeong the documents.
They were standing in Magachon. Reconstruction work was in full swing there, and Geommuyang was the project’s general manager.
Gwak Yeong had come there on an errand for Cheolbang.
“Then I’ll see you again.”
Kwak Yeong politely bowed and turned around. He was so happy he wanted to share a joke, but meeting him at his workplace, he couldn’t bring himself to speak.
Then, he heard Geommuyang’s voice behind him.
“When will you give me the sword you promised?”
Kwak Young turned around with a smile.
“At this rate, by the time I’ve created the sword, the Grand Duke may have forgotten me.”
It was only half-joking, but it was true that she worried about when she would be in a position to forge a treasured sword.
She was still working in the iron room, making iron swords. No matter how skilled she was as a craftsman, her history of surrendering to the Murim Alliance held her back.
“Why would you think I’d forget you?”
“Of course, the Grand Duke is a noble and busy man.”
“Couldn’t it be the other way around? You’ve become a renowned craftsman of ironwork, and I’m still just an insignificant Grand Duke.”
Kwak Young smiled.
“Seeing your self-torture, which seems out of place, I think you need a friend to have a drink with. Come by Cheolbang later when you’re craving a drink. I’ll buy you a drink!”
After bowing and walking away, Gwak Yeong turned to look at Geommuyang and said.
“You’re the smartest Mine I’ve ever seen. Don’t forget that.”
After pouring out her words, Gwak Yeong ran off into the distance.
Geommuyang, who had been staring at her, turned around to find Geommugeuk standing behind her.
Geommugeuk made a displeased expression at the startled Geommuyang.
“You’re the smartest? You said that after seeing me!”
Since it was obvious that if he accepted that, Gwak Young would be teased, Geommuyang changed the subject.
“When did you get off the mountain?”
“Just now.”
“And your father?”
“He blamed me for the failed hunt. He said we should go together, the three of us, my brother and I.”
Geommuyang tried hard to hide the smile that was forming.
“Why are you here?”
“I can’t stand it because I miss you, hyung.”
“Everyone I meet says this.”
“You’re indeed smart. Not as smart as me, though.”
Geommuyang stared at Geommugeuk and then spoke seriously.
“I know what you’re thinking. Don’t even dream about it.”
As if he wasn’t just saying that, Geommuyang’s eyes were shining sharply, and his tightly closed lips were filled with firm determination.
“I shouldn’t have taken the medicine all the way through.”
I took it in a panic because of my father, but I regretted it later.
“I understand the misunderstanding. Sorry, but don’t dream about me, hyung. How did I get this position?”
Geommuyang looked at Geommugeuk with suspicion.
“I’ll hold this position, which I stole from my brother, until I die of old age. Let’s just try it for a day, don’t you dare? Oh, and I’ll let you sit in the Grand Historian’s chair sometime.”
Even with his brother’s joke, the suspicion still remained on Geommuyang’s stiff face.
“Then why did you give me the Naedan?”
“I gave it to you for practical reasons. It would be more effective for you than for me. If there are ten benefits to taking the Mannyeonhwari Naedan, then I’d only get two or three. But you, my brother, could have all ten.”
That wasn’t a mistake. To begin with, the internal energy of the Sword Dancer was so pure and vast that even adding the Mannyeonhwari’s internal energy didn’t have a noticeable effect. On the other hand, Sword Dancer was different.
Sword Dancer’s current life can be divided into two parts: before and after taking it.
The sword dance drama added an emotional component to its rational calculation.
“You’re the one who’s going to be the leader, hyung. You have to be strong, too. Then, no one will go around saying, ‘That guy’s my hyung.’ This is all just my bluff, so don’t be too grateful!”
“Are you sure?”
“I am.”
Only then did Geommuyang’s expression soften.
Seeing him like this, he realized once again that Mabul’s advice was right.
“I’m sorry, hyung.”
“What?”
Because I only think about myself and act selfishly.
“I cursed at my brother again when he wasn’t around.”
Geommuyang laughed incredulously, and Geommu-geuk followed suit.
Geommu-geuk’s gaze turned to the construction site.
“You built it really quickly.”
Because the Cheonmasingyo Church was building it with great care, mobilizing a huge amount of manpower and materials, the building was going up every day.
Geommugeuk said, looking up at the building rising from the location of the Pungryu Tavern.
“Our owner will like it.”
