[Long]
It wasn’t like I remembered everything before my death, but I was accurately able to recollect the events which shook the Murim.
One of them was the death of Jin Song-baek. And I was surprised that one of the Eight Great Warriors was my father, not to mention the one who would die soon.
-How does he die?
I didn’t know.
His death was a shock which was suddenly announced and I assumed that it was an internal conflict.
“You seem so surprised. I guess so. I was also surprised to hear from those who fell here that he is now counted among the Eight Great Warriors.”
I heard my grandfather fell here 20 years ago. Unaware of the events happening outside, he must have asked anyone who fell in after about the general situation.
-Wow… It turns out you were born with a gold spoon, right?
Short Sword added with a chuckle.
-Then why did you live like that in your past life?
‘Are you making fun of me?’
Who would have thought that my real father would be such a Great Warrior? But would it even change anything?
Before this life, I had my dantian destroyed.
-Wouldn’t things be different if your father knew about you, Wonhwi?
Would it have been different? Did you really think after knowing I was alive he would do anything to heal my dantian and turn me into his successor?
I was not confident about it.
-Why?
Just a moment before I came to know of him being alive and I didn’t even think about anything else.
But after calming down, questions popped within my mind.
During the time when he was the young lord of his clan, which was one of the major clans in the Dual Martial Forces, he must have gotten help from all sides to grow till he became one of the Eight Great Warriors.
-So?
What so?
He had that much power and yet I couldn’t understand why he chose to not look for my grandfather who was confined in this valley.
-Uh? Right! With that kind of power and troops he could have scourged the entire Murim.
Even for my mother.
I wasn’t sure since I couldn’t see the full picture. But looking at this it didn’t seem different from how even So Ik-heon never knew about my father.
After thinking, I said–
“I do not understand why a person who is that great just let my grandfather be imprisoned here.”
At those words, grandfather’s expression darkened.
“Your father is not such a man.”
“How can you be that sure? If it were me, and I had such power, I would have been the first to bring out my grandfather who was trapped here.”
“There seems to be a misunderstanding.”
“Uh?”
“I am not trapped or imprisoned.”
“What do you mean?”
“I heard about it through Kangbu and the others, but I heard that rumors went around that I died along with many more when we were expelled from the Dual Martial Forces.”
“Does this mean that you weren’t imprisoned?”
I thought he was put in by the Dual Martial Forces but there was something else.
“What the Murim Alliance demanded as an alliance was our deaths. Even if no one managed to escape from here, wouldn’t this be a safe place for refuge?”
He sat straight as he spoke. There were numerous traces of wounds on the upper body. On his back were scars from the nine arrows that pierced his body.
‘Haa…’
Just how did he survive such an injury?
I went speechless.
“These are the traces of what happened while we were escaping from the Dual Martial Forces. When I was hit by the shower of arrows and fell into the torrent, I thought I had died for sure.”
If it was a torrent, would it have been him falling into the waterfall?
My grandfather lowered his robe and turned his head as he looked at the pile of stones in the corner that formed a tomb.
“Cho-jae had rescued me from the fall. If not for him, I would have lost my life too.”
Cho-jae.
It seemed like the tomb belonged to that person. And he was a great person.
To revive a person who was on the verge of death. Grandfather pointed at the stones as I found a tile on it.
“Even when I found out before he died, he said that he was sahyung of the Great Doctor.”
“Sahyung of the Great Doctor?”
It was shocking. To think that the Great Doctor had seniors.
“He is the one who handed this place to me before he died. If I ever got out of this hellish place he told me to ask help from his junior and gave me a plaque. They said that if faith exists, even my dantian could be revived.”
My grandfather already spoke of his past. And it seemed like he couldn’t believe that a dantian could be restored.
That was why he placed the plaque here instead of the name onto the tomb. And to that, I added.
“It is possible. I also had my dantian destroyed, but the Great Doctor helped me. Grandfather you will recover too.”
This was no lie. It was actually possible to fix it because he himself told me.
“Is this really true?”
“It is.”
My grandfather’s eyes trembled as I spoke confidently. For the people of Murim, dantian and internal energy were their life.
Who wouldn’t be shaken by a chance to repair it? However, his face darkened at that moment.
“But what use is that? There is no way for me to get out of here.”
There was no way out? Well no.
There was a way to convince Sima Chak to come pick me up after enduring the remaining time here. The only problem was that if I asked to save more people, Sima Chak wouldn’t be convinced right then.
As if contemplating whether to talk about Sim Chak or not, grandfather spoke.
“Anyway, I heard that the Dual Martial Forces announced that I was dead.”
Hearing this, it occurred to me that not just the Forces but even my father seemed to think of him to be dead. It was strange to think that he survived after a fall.
‘Then–’
Did the man, my father, not know about the death of my mother?
I wondered about it.
-I don’t know, Wonhwi. If he had known your mother was alive would he have left you like that? He might not know much about it.
-Iron Sword, you are quite supportive. Is there anyone who promises a woman to take care of the child despite not being his and then neglects them?
-Is there such a thing as treating a child badly because of different blood?
-It is alright if that isn’t their own child! Now that you know about it, at least you have information. How pitiful your previous life was…
Phew. Guys
It was nice that you have opinionated arguments here but do not speak too openly when I am able to hear you.
I was already on the verge of death from anxiety, huh? Thinking about it for a moment, I remembered what my grandfather had said.
‘Ryong… Ryong had a child?’
Even then I thought.
The very fact that such words came out meant that he wasn’t even aware that she was pregnant. So I asked.
“Didn’t grandfather know that my mother was pregnant with me?”
His face darkened at my question and the eyes looked sad. He clenched his mouth a little as he replied.
“I am sorry. I too recently figured out when you said that she had you. I failed as a grandfather.”
“Ahh…”
If even he, my grandfather didn’t know, then the chances of my real father knowing were not great.
No, even my mother could have figured it out when she was on the run. Why did my life have to be this twisted?
“Ah! Even I thought after listening to you about how your mother lived. Just how much she must have sacrificed to protect you.”
“…”
My heart pounded at those words.
The past of my mother. She lost all her family because she was a descendant of the Blood Demon. A situation where she could have risked her life to bring change in her living conditions but she gave up everything to give birth to me.
Even after she stayed with the head of the Ikyang So family and gave birth to his child she never gave up on me.
Clench!
I clenched the hands of my grandfather.
“You are the same as your mother. I think you are a blessing.”
“Grandfather….”
“Don’t hate your father too much. I heard that after the incident, your father has lived without marrying anyone. If he knew of your existence, how could he have abandoned you?”
‘He didn’t get married?’
This was my first time hearing about this.
-So different from your adoptive father.
This was a surprise. Even my mother who protected me till the end opened up her heart to So Ik-heon. But my biological father had lived alone for 20 years?
-You mean he had his eyes on only one woman all his life.
-He is a one woman man. If my former owner was alive, he would have this man as his friend.
-Yah. First time hearing this. Is there someone your previous owner didn’t know?
-Ahem!
At first, I thought that my real father was no different from my adoptive one. However, having said this, my thoughts changed.
My grandfather was the one vouching for him and it seemed like he trusted this man.
I wonder what his real personality was like. He believed in us till the end and had gone through hardships from his side too. I wanted to know just what happened in my family.
-Looks like we need to meet him.
Would we know the truth only if we meet?
I wonder if he really didn’t know about my existence and my mothers for the past 20 years.
-Human. It is fine, but if your father dies soon, then?
The Blood Demon Sword who was silent pointed it out. Right, this was a problem.
If left alone, Jin Song-baek, my father, would die.
‘Damn it!’
Things were so messed up. I had to endure a month in here and yet things like this were happening.
Meeting my real father and preventing his death but then Kangbu was in a dangerous situation here. And my grandfather also needed proper treatment.
“You are troubled? If it is because of what I said….”
“It isn’t because of that.”
“Then why is your face so confused and anxious?”
This wasn’t a problem for one to suffer alone. Then I guess I should tell him so we have a good idea.
“Phew… Actually I was meaning to tell grandfather earlier but the reason I fell here isn’t because of the same reason as others.”
“A different reason? Then what is it?”
“Wicked Moon Sword…”
It was before I could finish talking. Someone rushed in, a man with a beard.
“Y-Young lord So! We have trouble! Wolno!”
The bearded man was trying to say something but then was shocked to see grandfather awake.
“You are alright?”
But his joy was only a little moment. The man pointed outside the cave and added.
“Ah right! We have trouble, young lord So! Wolno!”
“Mi Yeom what is it?”
Grandfather frowned.
“Since the walls of the cave were broken, the cave is being flooded from inside.”
‘…!!’
I stood up in shock. This meant that the interior was being filled with water.
‘Is that why?’
After that man with golden eyes broke through the cave wall, the caves with herbs and monsters had ended up being destroyed. The water was so violent that the caves there collapsed but I didn’t think it would extend till here.
Grandfather urgently shouted.
“How fast is the flooding? Is the water filling in fast?”
The caves here were large. It was hard to guess how fast the water would fill in this cave which was like a labyrinth.
“From the rate that it is filling right now, it might take two days!”
‘This!’
This was the worst.
Two days was expected time, but no one knew if it would quicken or slow down.
No one here knew the exit but the cave was flooded? What was this? Mgrandfather struggled to get up.
“Let us head to the highest point in the cave. If what Mi Yeom said is right, this place will soon be flooded with water.”
He was right.
We couldn’t sit still here so I touched my grandfather on the back.
The man called Mi Yeom too picked up the one armed man.
“Yah! Take that too!”
He pointed to the plaque on the stone tomb. Right! This was needed for grandfather to get treated at a later time.
I immediately put grandfather onto my back and then followed Mi Yeom. The highest point of the cave meant where the waterfall torrents moved.
The others too joined us along the way. It was when we were moving–
‘Uh?’
A familiar voice could be heard. I wasn’t the only one who heard it since it echoed in the cave. Even my grandfather did.
“I think I just heard the voice of a woman.”
“Me too.”
“Same here, Wolno.”
It seemed that only the voice of the woman could be heard and the sound was getting closer.
“Guide me right. I will know if you are speaking wrong so I will blow your ears with a single lie.”
“Eik! I-I understand.”
The moment I heard the voice I knew it
‘No!’
I passed Mi Yeom and ran ahead.
“Young lord So!”
My grandfather who was on my back didn’t know why.
“What is it?”
“That voice. I know that voice.”
I ran ahead and then I felt it go silent. It seemed like the voice wanted to avoid any others from intercepting it, but there was just one aisle so we were bound to meet.
Above the lights which went down in the dark cave, I could see two people.
“Miss Sima!”
I shouted at the duo.
“Young lord!”
The owner of the voice was Sima Young.
-Oh! It is Sima Young!
Short Sword was excited. I didn’t expect to see her until the date arrived.
She let go of the one she was threatening and rushed to where I was.
“Young lordddd!”
How clear the voice was!
She ran over and hugged men, I was slightly embarrassed as my grandfather was behind me.
Sima Young asked.
“Young lord. Who is the old man on his back?”
Coincidentally, my grandfather also asked at the same time.
“A lady you know?”
“Uh… that…”
I wasn’t sure how to explain it. Who would have predicted that we would encounter each other like this?
As if he guessed from her bright smile, he said.
“What relationship do you have with this beautiful girl?”
Before I could even explain, he made me feel a bit embarrassed. And since we couldn’t be here for long, I decided to introduce them.
“Grandfather. The lady here is Sima Young uh… she is the daughter of Sima Chak, Wicked Moon Sword.”
“What? W-wicked Moon Sword?”
He shouted so loudly. And judging from his expression he was really shocked.
Meanwhile, Sima Young asked me.
“Young lord’s maternal grandfather?”
“Right. we came down here and I…”
“Oh my!”
‘Oh my?’
Sima Young suddenly clasped her hands and bowed. And as if embarrassed she had a smile on her face.
“Grandfather. I am Sima Young, who will be your grand daughter-in-law.”
‘….?!’
My grandfather’s chin immediately fell onto my head.
