As expected, you have a big heart. (1)

“This way.”

Yu Gong said in a slightly breathless voice, glancing back. He found himself biting his lip.

Though he had only said, ‘This way,’ without gesturing towards the direction, Ho Gamyeong naturally turned his body in the right direction.

It was as if he had interpreted the signal perfectly even before Yu Gong spoke.

Yu Gong felt inexplicably embarrassed by the situation.

It wasn’t because Ho Gamyeong understood a signal known only to Haenam. Even though Haenam’s swordsmanship might serve as a medium, it was merely a matter of interpretation. With repeated observation, understanding the specific sword movements and the direction they indicated shouldn’t be all that difficult.

Yu Gong felt embarrassed because his worth was diminishing. If Ho Gamyeong were to fully interpret Haenam’s signals, he would become utterly useless.

What would Ho Gamyeong do then?

“You seem lost in thought,”

Ho Gamyong said, making Yu Gong flinch as he turned around. Ho Gamyeong’s expression remained inscrutable, making it hard to discern his thoughts.

“Are you worried about becoming useless?”

Ho Gamyeong’s words pricked at Yu Gong’s conscience.

“There’s no need for such thoughts. Discarding people like expendable tools when they become useless is more characteristic of Just Sects rather than Evil Sects.”

Yu Gong flinched and once again assessed Ho Gamyeong’s demeanor. Despite not voicing his thoughts, Ho Gamyeong seemed to peer effortlessly into Yu Gong’s mind.

“Sapa doesn’t discard people.”

“Are you speaking for yourself?”

“It’s only natural. While you may differentiate between useful and useless individuals, Sapa does not. After all, more than half are just trash.”

Yu Gong fell silent. He couldn’t determine how to react.

“So, as long as someone shows some effort, there’s no reason to discard them, even if they’re considered traitors to the Just Sect.”

“…Should I thank you?”

Yu Gong asked, and a subtle smile flickered at the corner of Ho Gamyeong’s lips.

“An odd reaction.”

“…”

“No one forced you to choose betrayal. The one who chose it was none other than you.”

Yu Gong bit his lip tightly.

“If you want something, just focus on finding a way to get it. Considering all the unnecessary details will only lead to losing everything.”

Ho Gamyong nodded.

“So, stop wasting your thoughts and focus on your tasks. It’s not you but me who determines your usefulness.”

“…Understood.”

Yu Gong sighed and was about to push forward again when…

“And…”

“Yes?”

Paaat!

Ho Gamyeong’s palm strike grazed Yu Gong’s cheek, leaving a long, jagged gash. Blood trickled down from his cheek to his chin.

Thud.

“If you’re going to do something, do it properly. If you discover something, don’t hide it – report it. For example, if you notice a subtle deviation in their direction, it may indicate they’ve chosen a new destination. Or if you observe the intervals between their markings has decreased, it could mean their movement speed has slowed down.”

“…”

“Just report what you’ve found. Interpretation is my job.”

Yu Gong tightly closed his eyes.

“…Understood.”

“Increase the speed.”

Yu Gong gritted his teeth and moved forward. Ho Gamyeong’s face briefly displayed a subtle disdain.

‘Not even worth laughing at.’

Yu Gong is an undeniable traitor. Initially, he might have stepped forward to save others, but now he’s steadily betraying his comrades to save himself. Yet, he still acts as if he has some last shred of conscience left.

From the moment he betrayed the sect and sold out his comrades, discussing the existence of conscience became meaningless.

Ho Gamyeong, who had been silently observing Yu Gong’s back, soon erased any interest he had in him. After all, he’s just a hunting dog. There’s no need to delve into his psychology.

‘What matters are them.’

The enemy’s movements have subtly changed, but they are still within the expected range. In other words, they haven’t realized yet that they are being followed while the enemy is deciphering Haenam’s signs.

‘No, even if they do, it doesn’t matter.’

Now that Jang Ilso has begun to move, their fate is already decided. Ho Gamyeong’s job is merely to make Jang Ilso’s hand a little better.

Ho Gamyeong, instructing the others to increase their speed, pressed on ahead.

❀ ❀ ❀

The elder of the village, Hyeong Gachon [형가촌(邢家村)], looking at the setting sun, sighed deeply. Hyeong Wook, beside him, glanced at the same scene and quietly spoke.

“It doesn’t seem like today.”

At his words, elder Hyeong glanced at Hyeong Wook. Sensing the meaning in his eyes, Hyeong Wook bowed his head deeply.

“Now we should start unpacking”

“Father, but… “

“Do you still hold onto regrets?”

Hyeong Wook lowered his head even deeper. Despite his gesture of compliance, his voice still carried traces of regret.

“It hasn’t been many days yet. You know it takes not just ten days, but over a month to travel from Gangbuk to here, don’t you?”

“That’s just talk from ignorant folks like us. Would it take more than ten days for those people who can cross rivers and even mountains if they set their minds to it?”

“…They said that Sapaeryeon have control over that river. So even crossing it…”

“Tsk tsk.”

Before Hyeong Wook could finish, elder Hyeong clicked his tongue softly. Upon hearing this, Hyeong Wook let out a deep sigh.

“Why cling to such regrets?”

“…”

“Of course, I’m grateful too. Without them, I wouldn’t be here, nor would the people in this village have escaped the disaster. Can gratitude like that be expressed in mere words?”

Hyeong Wook nodded at his father’s words. Indeed, gratitude was something that could never be fully repaid.

“But, son, you mustn’t expect more than that.”

“…”

“It’s not because those folks are bad. They’re truly exceptional. But that’s just how people are.”

“…They were different.”

The old man raised his head again at Hyeong Wook’s words.

“Even ordinary people would help if they saw a rabbit trapped in a snake hole.”

“…”

“But they wouldn’t necessarily go after the rabbit, check if it’s injured, and open a path for it to survive. Isn’t that just common sense?”

“But still…”

“From their perspective, people like us are just like that rabbit. They might lend a helping hand if they see us, but they don’t need to invest time or effort to protect or assist insignificant creatures.”

“Father, they…”

“Why can’t you understand? They’re not bad. It’s just how the world works.”

“…”

“So let’s stop now. The villagers are unable to focus on their tasks because of unnecessary expectations. Living with affection for a place they might leave soon isn’t easy. Your expectations could become poison to the village.”

Hyeong Wook looked at his father with a complex mix of emotions that was difficult to put into words.

His father had been the village chief for decades. Even before his birth, during his youth when he knew little of the world, and up to the present day. So, his perspective on the world must be far deeper than his own. However, under normal circumstances, Hyeong Wook would have bowed his head and accepted his father’s words without hesitation. But this time, he couldn’t easily concede.

“I understand what you’re saying, father. I know it makes sense.”

“…”

“But… Father. Those people were truly different. I…”

A deep sigh escaped from Hyeong Wook’s lips. He still wanted to believe in the words of those who promised to help the villagers move to Gangbuk.

“Just wait a little longer. There must be something they have in mind.”

“Hmm.”

The old man looked at his son with a sad gaze. Everyone has moments when they harbor such expectations. Times when they hear tales of heroes saving those in need and admire them. When Hyeong Wook was young, his father used to tell him stories of legendary heroes, and he said, ‘I want grow up to be as great as them.’ But with great expectations often come great disappointments.

‘In the end, it’s all poison…’

Stories are just stories. If such people really existed… No, even if there were just a few, the world wouldn’t be so harsh. But the old man couldn’t bring himself to say more. Once you abandon hope, all that’s left for the villagers is to live under the oppressive rule of the corrupt Evil Sects.

For those who find reality unbearable and seek solace in dreams, telling them that those dreams are worthless is no easy task.

So, the villagers could do nothing but ultimately resign themselves and accept the harsh reality. The old man spoke with a saddened voice.

“Well, let’s just do that. But… we can’t afford to just sit idly like this forever. It’s time to…”

And right at that moment.

“Chief, Chief! Look! Hyeong Wook!”

Suddenly, the door of the house swung open, and a frantic villager rushed in.

“What… what’s going on?”

“What’s happened?”

“Th-they’re here! They’re here!”

“They’re here? Who?”

“Well, um…”

The person who entered seemed too startled to speak coherently, stumbling over words before finally thumping their chest in frustration.

“Oh, they’re here! The ones you were waiting for!”

“Waiting? I was expecting guests from the north…”

“Yes! Oh, no! These are the ones who called them!”

Though the words came out jumbled, Hyeong Wook immediately grasped their meaning.

“Are you saying the martial artists who visited before have returned?”

“Yes! Exactly!”

“Why?”

“They’re right outside now!”

“Huh?”

Seeing Hyeong Wook’s blank expression, the man raised his voice in frustration.

“They’ve returned! They’re looking for you out front! What are you waiting for? Go out and see them!”

Feeling overwhelmed, the man grabbed Hyeong Wook’s arm and pulled him along.

“They’ve returned?”

“Yes!”

“Move!”

Suddenly snapping to his senses, Hyeong Wook pushed the man aside and dashed forward. As he reached the village entrance, he indeed spotted several figures.

“Oh…”

For a moment, he almost didn’t recognize them. Their demeanor was vastly different from when he first saw them.

When he first saw them, they exuded a heroic aura with their neat appearance, but now, they looked worn and exhausted, as if they had been through an unimaginable battle.

However, their eyes remained unchanged from the first time he saw them.

“Hey there.”

The slightly shorter man standing beside the tall one chuckled and waved his hand.

“Hello, uncle. How have you been?”

“Oh, heroes!”

Hyeong Wook’s face flushed.

His father was wrong. They hadn’t forgotten the villagers. Wasn’t that why they had returned?

“I’m sorry, but could we trouble you for some food?”

At the sudden request, Hyeong Wook nodded absentmindedly.

“Of course! We must offer it to you! Please come inside. I’ll have it prepared right away.”

“Really?”

“Of course. If someone saved your life, would you care about things like grain?”

“Well, we have quite the appetite, but is it still okay?”

“Absolutely!”

“It’s really a lot.”

“It’s perfectly fine.”

As Hyeong Wook responded again, the smaller figure, Chung Myung, turned around and said,

“It’s okay! Come on out, everyone.”

Before his words finished, a group of men emerged from the back of the forest.

Approaching slowly, the people seemed to number over a hundred at a glance. Hyeong Wook’s mouth fell open involuntarily.

“Is everything alright?”

“…”

“Heh. As expected, you have a big heart. We’ll enjoy the meal.”

Hyeong Wook remained speechless for a while. Chung Myung’s face… It felt disgustingly smug.