Episode 863: I want to remember what you were like at that time.
An unexpected person was standing at the door with his back turned.
“Little Master!”
Geommugeuk, who was looking up at the sky, looked back at Jangho and smiled brightly.
“Your Majesty, I came to have a cup of tea.”
This morning? Even in his own residence? Something must have happened, Jang-ho felt nervous as he faced the sword dance.
“Please come in.”
“Then, excuse me.”
The sword dance went inside. The interior of the house was neat and tidy, just like Jangho’s personality.
“Is it really that clean for a man to live in alone?”
“I’m hardly ever home, so I don’t have time to mess around.”
While Geommugeuk was looking around the house, Jangho came and made tea.
“I’m not sure if you’ll like the tea.”
“It’s just right.”
“Is something wrong?”
I didn’t think Geommugeuk would come to me so early in the morning to have tea. Sure enough, there was a reason for Geommugeuk’s visit.
“I have come to ask you a favor, Your Majesty.”
“Please speak.”
How could there be just one? I could have given ten, or even a hundred.
I would have given my life even if it meant giving it.
“Draw my face.”
“Yes?”
“I want to capture what I looked like at that time in a drawing.”
Jangho asked with a puzzled look on his face.
“Aren’t there some painters with excellent skills at our school?”
“I want to leave behind a painting that the King Jang painted.”
Jangho made a troubled expression.
“I’ve drawn the back, so now I need to draw the front.”
Jangho once gave Geommugeuk a drawing of his back, standing on a cliff, as a gift. He promised Geommugeuk that if he improved, he would draw his front as well. Geommugeuk hadn’t forgotten that promise and came to see him like this.
Jangho could tell from the look in Geommugeuk’s eyes that he was sincerely asking for something.
“I may not be good enough, but I will do my best.”
Jang-ho took Geommu-geuk to another room. That room was Jang-ho’s studio, where he painted. On the table were several paintings he had drawn, each one a work of art that went beyond mere hobby.
There was a picture of Ian that I hadn’t been able to give, and a picture of Seo Dae-ryong.
“Why didn’t you give this to them?”
“It was just a practice drawing.”
“It’s too good to be true. It’s a shame to keep it here.”
Actually, I wanted to give Jangho a souvenir. But when I actually tried to give it to him, I felt embarrassed. I didn’t think it was a painting worthy of a gift.
“Please sit there.”
Geommu-geuk sat down on a chair, and Jang-ho began to draw a picture a little distance away.
As I drew with the sword dance in front of me, that day naturally came to mind. Sometimes, when I draw, that moment comes to mind: the image of the sword dance holding out its brush, paint, and paper.
From that day on, painting had a profound impact on his life.
Living the life of a Demon Lord, a life of constant danger and mission, painting became his only respite.
At first, I consciously drew only pictures that were far removed from the martial arts world. The moments I spent drawing were moments of respite, a brief escape from the world of martial arts.
But now, he drew freely. He painted the Demon Lord’s subordinates, the demonic statues of his own corps, the warriors training in the martial arts arena, and even the images of his subordinates who died in battle. What had once been a hobby, painting has now become a source of comfort.
Eventually, Jangho completed the painting.
“It’s such a beautified picture!”
“It’s because the leader is so cool.”
Geommugeuk smiled brightly while looking at the picture.
“Brother, don’t ever draw this!”
“May I ask why you asked me to draw this?”
“Wouldn’t this painting sell for a fortune? It’s a painting of the leader of the Cheonma Sect, the Demon Lord. It’ll be worth the asking price.”
Jang-ho laughed at the joke of the sword dance.
Of course, it wasn’t for that reason.
“I’ve killed the Thousand-Sal-Seong, and now I’m going to live my life. I want to leave behind what kind of expression I had on my face at that time, what kind of gaze I had when I looked at people.”
The meaning contained in the painting was heavier than Jangho had thought.
“You entrusted me with such an important painting?”
“That’s why I entrusted it to you.”
Geommugeuk looked at the painting again and was delighted.
“I really like it.”
“I’ll give it to you.”
Jangho wrapped the painting in a thin leather cloth to prevent it from being damaged, folded it carefully, and gave it to Geommu-geuk.
Geommu-geuk kept the painting in his bosom.
“Go. Don’t come out. Thanks for the picture!”
As he left the workshop, Geommugeuk added his final words.
“When I ascend to the position of cult leader, please draw me then too. I’ll draw you sitting on the throne.”
“Yes! I’ll draw you even cooler then!”
After the sword dance left, Jang-ho absentmindedly turned his head, startled, then smiled with a helpless expression.
The picture of Ian and Seo Dae-ryong had vanished.
* * *
“Are my eyes really that droopy? No?”
At Seo Dae-ryong’s words, Geommu-geuk drew his sword and reflected his face on the blade.
“I guess so?”
Seo Dae-ryong let out a sigh of self-mockery as he looked at his reflection in the blade.
“When did I get so old?”
Clink. The blade fell back into its scabbard.
“If you don’t like the painting, take it back.”
Seo Dae-ryong took the painting towards himself, fearing it might be stolen.
“I like it. I really like it.”
It was a drawing by none other than Jang-ho. Furthermore, his kindness as a drinking buddy paid off, and he drew him much more handsome than he actually was.
“Your Majesty, your painting skills are truly remarkable.”
“Keep this well and leave it to your son as a heirloom. It will fetch a hefty price later.”
“As expected! Our Soryoju is the only one who takes care of my finances!”
Geommu-geuk looked at the pile of paperwork on the desk in Hwangcheon-gak’s office. Just looking at those documents, it was clear that he was still struggling with excessive workload.
“How are you these days?”
“Working, practicing martial arts, then coming home to play with the kids. It’s all frighteningly the same. Yesterday is today, and today is tomorrow. It’s like I’m completely absorbed in the martial arts.”
Seo Dae-ryong desperately extended his hand from within the formation.
“Aren’t you going to drop out? It would be better if you were going out to play.”
“Why?”
“Please take me with you when you go!”
It was said as a joke, but Geommugeuk readily agreed.
“Okay, let’s go.”
“Are you sure?”
“Go and say hello to your son. He’s going out to visit his father, so make sure he grows up well. Tell him to raise the child well on his own. He’s leaving his wife and children behind, so he should have fun without any regrets.”
Seo Dae-ryong sighed and shouted.
“When will I be able to play?”
“Look forward to the next life.”
Although it was just words, Seo Dae-ryong’s face was filled with joy.
“Actually, I’m so happy these days. It’s almost like I’m wondering if it’s okay for me to be this happy. So… sometimes I get scared that this happiness will vanish in an instant.”
Having children only intensified those fears. It wasn’t the hardship of work itself.
It was the fear of some unforeseen misfortune, of problems for my children or wife.
Where would my originally dark personality go? My growing happiness tore at my own flesh, feeding my anxiety.
It was Geommugeuk who knew Seodaeryong better than anyone else.
“Have you forgotten who you are?”
“Who am I?”
The swordsman cleared his throat as if preparing a speech.
“A ruthless man who is power-oriented but loves only one woman, a rebel who raises his hand when everyone else is silent but is also a pacifist, an impulsive person who makes life-changing decisions over a drink at a guesthouse, a winner of a martial arts competition with a keen eye, the next Doma who has mastered the Imdok Yangmaek, a man with a pure soul and now even a son, he is my right-hand man.”
The moment he heard those words, Seo Dae-ryong was moved to tears.
“Do you still have it all memorized?”
“Of course.”
Even a few more expressions were added. In particular, the phrase “having a pure soul” was something Cheonhwaruju had said, and that was also added after remembering it.
“You were there at the beginning, and you will be there at the end. Don’t be anxious, for we will end together.”
Seo Dae-ryong smiled brightly.
“I’m so happy to hear that.”
“Are you completely free of anxiety now?”
“No, the more I’m happy, the more anxious I become.”
Geommugeuk laughed at Seodaeryong’s joke, and Seodaeryong laughed along.
“I’m going.”
As Geommugeuk was about to leave the room, Seodaeryong suddenly asked from behind.
“Why did you come today?”
“I came to give you a painting.”
“Is that really all?”
Somehow, it felt like he wasn’t just here to convey a picture.
Geommu-geuk’s gaze as he gazed at Seo Dae-ryong was gentle.
“I want to remember what you were like back then.”
Geommugeuk left the room, leaving behind an unknown message.
“What do you remember?”
As I shouted, I heard the answer of the sword dance from far away.
“Your droopy eyes!”
* * *
As Geommugeuk left Hwangcheon Pavilion, someone was waiting for him.
To his surprise, it was the Crescent Moon Masked Guest.
“I came to see you because I have something to ask you, Young Master.”
You could tell from the trembling eyes beneath his mask that he had great courage.
“Tell me.”
“I heard that all the assassins from the ghost army will be leaving soon.”
With Chayran’s departure, all of his subordinates decided to leave as well. Chayran gave his subordinates the choice: they could leave him and start a new life, or they could follow him to the end.
The problem was the Seventeenth Church that was sharing love with itself.
“I want to continue living as a stranger. I’m afraid that if I tell her this, I’ll be forcing her to make a choice.”
“Are you afraid she’ll leave?”
The crescent moon guest shook his head.
“No. If that’s the case, I intend to send you away very politely.”
What the Crescent Moon’s faceless guest was worried about now was not rejection, but acceptance.
“What if we live here together as strangers and she becomes unhappy later?”
It seems like you really like the Seventeen Religions, since you’re already worrying about that.
“Why are you asking me that?”
“I feel like if you’re the leader, you’ll know what I should do.”
During the World’s Best Beauty Selection Contest, we witnessed how exceptional and exceptional Geommu-geuk was.
Furthermore, the Sogyo leader even arranged a separate space for himself and the Seventeen Sects.
“If you hadn’t let us meet that day, we wouldn’t have been able to come this far.”
“So you take responsibility?”
“No!”
The Crescent Moon’s faceless guest was flustered, and Geommu-geuk enjoyed his reaction. ”
Yes, since you’ve bravely come this far, I should offer you some helpful advice. But Crescent Moon, when it comes to women, you and I are no different.”
“You said you were afraid I would force you to choose?”
“Yes.”
“This time, I will force you to choose.”
The crescent moon masked guest looked at the sword dance with surprised eyes.
“I can’t give up either of them, so it’s your choice. Don’t force it. Instead, tell her in advance. I’m forcing it now, but later, you’ll force me to choose.”
“What choice are you referring to?”
That was a choice that the Crescent Moon’s faceless guest had not thought of.
“Let’s run away together!”
“!”
“Endure this difficult life, endure it again, but don’t let it get to the point of no return. Before that happens, tell me. I’ve decided to run away because I’m tired of this life as a loner, so it’s your choice. I made my choice last time, so this time, you make your choice.”
Geommugeuk said with a smile.
“It’s complicated, but what I’m saying is, try living a life of shamelessness without regrets and then run away together.”
The maskless guest’s eyes smiled like crescent moons. Now I understood why he wore the crescent moon symbol.
He bowed his head politely and expressed his gratitude.
“Thank you very much, Master.”
The sword dance turned and looked at him as he walked away.
Yeah, what’s so hard about a breakup? It’s the feeling of regret and the lingering feeling of ending it without being able to say a word, make a choice, or do anything right.
* * *
Ian sat lost in thought in his room. He
remembered Chae-ran, who had come to visit earlier.
She had come to say goodbye, informing him that she had decided to leave with the Sword King.
– I’ll go to the guesthouse next time.
– It’s an expensive guesthouse, so make sure you save up a lot of money.
She turned around and said as she was about to leave.
―Can I say something as a woman, not as a subordinate?
These were the last words Chai-ran left behind.
―Isn’t it time for that heart to really beat?
Ian knew exactly what she meant by that.
‘Easy to say. When you know exactly whose heart it is.’
The afterword actually came out of my mouth.
“Knowing how many people’s lives depend on the owner of that heart.”
Then a voice was heard from behind.
“Who’s hanging out?”
When she turned around in surprise, Geommu-geuk was already behind her.
“Little Master!”
“Even if they raided your house, you wouldn’t know. What are you thinking so intently about?”
She was flustered and blurted out whatever came to mind.
“Don’t you know that the Grand Master has more to do than the Soryu? There’s a mountain of things to worry about. Oh, and I heard that Ak Muin and Cha Muin are leaving soon.”
“I heard from Ak Hyung.”
“Oh, you met them?”
The sword dance nodded.
“They said they’d contact me when the inn opened. Normally, I’d go with them, scout a location, and help build it, but since Lady Cha is coming with us, there’s no need to worry.”
When Ian thought about Sword King and Chai Lan, he realized how unpredictable human relationships truly are.
They were once enemies, but they met as disciples, then participated in the World’s Best Beauty Contest together, became friends, subordinates, and then, just like that, they left, becoming strangers.
“Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“To find the real Ian.”
“Oh, I heard a new Pungryu tavern opened? I need to have a drink so I can take off my mask again.”
“No, even further.”
For a moment, Ian’s eyes sparkled with a sense of wonder.
“Let’s go get some fresh air in the Jungwon area.”
“Just the two of us?”
“Okay, the two of us.”
Ian’s face lit up. It was an unmistakable joy that doubled the mood of the person who had invited him to join them.
“Pack your bags.”
Ian ran over and opened the closet.
Swoosh.
There was a small, pre-packaged leather bag there.
“Have you prepared everything?”
“You always say you want to go suddenly. Now I’ve prepared everything in advance.”
“Let’s go. Hand over your luggage.”
For some reason, Ian asked for time.
“How much time can you give me?”
“Half an hour?”
“Please wait outside!”
The sword dance came out, leaving her moving at a rapid pace.
Half an hour later, Ian emerged from the room.
She was utterly beautiful and captivating, wearing the gorgeous clothes and makeup she’d bought for the World’s Most Beautiful Woman contest.
“I’m going out for the first time in a while, so I dressed up a bit.”
She asked cautiously, facing the gaze of the swordsman who was staring intently.
“Is this too much? Should I change clothes and use a bamboo stick?”
“No. I told you to live with this face. You’ve been so protective of it all this time. Let’s go and use it properly this time.”
Ian said, shrugging his shoulders for no reason.
“Are you okay? This face is the face of the world’s most beautiful woman in the finals, so I won’t be jealous later.”
“Don’t be jealous when the female co-workers line up to say they like me.”
The two faced each other and smiled brightly.
Geommugeuk walked out with her, speaking briskly.
“Let’s go to Gangho.”
