What the heck is this guy? (2)

Paaaat!

Ho Gamyeong’s moved forward rapidly, his eyes indifferent. The number of pigeons flying from the frontlines has been drastically reduced since a while ago.

‘They’re close.’

The decrease in the number of those confronting Cheonumaeng and Haenam doesn’t mean the collision has lessened. It takes time to send out messenger birds to assess the situation.

This means that they are breaking through the area even before a pigeon could even take flight.

They are nearby.

‘They haven’t gone as far as I thought.’

A faint twitch appeared at the corner of Ho Gamyeong’s mouth.

Should he admire them?

Or should he call them foolish?

Leading inexperienced newbies who have never left Hainan and breaking through the encirclement at such a speed is indeed impressive.

‘Especially considering that it’s not simply a matter of being physically strong.’

Being strong in martial arts is entirely different from leadership.

Especially from Ho Gamyeong’s perspective, the assessment of this aspect must be more poignant.

Ho Gamyeong, after all, rose to his current position not through brute force but through leadership and strategy.

Leading hundreds of people whom one has never even shaken hands with is by no means an easy task.

However, even though Hwasan must surely lack such experience, they are effortlessly managing to overcome it.

‘Well, it’s not particularly surprising.’

Ho Gamyeong’s gaze turned grim.

Now, he was confident that whatever mischief Chung Myung and Hwasan might be up to, he wouldn’t be surprised.

There’s no need to speculate and judge the opponent unnecessarily.

Simply keeping up with their swift pace and adapting quickly is enough.

As a result, they finally have Hwasan within their reach.

“Hurry!”

“Yes!”

It was time to step up the pursuit.

Ho Gamyeong and those following him casually bypassed the fallen bodies of Sapa’s warriors.

“It’s gruesome.”

“Now you notice?”

“I’m not referring to the corpses.”

Goe Ryang pointed out.

“Can’t you see? They were precisely struck at vital points with a single blow.”

“…Looks messy, though.”

“Indeed. They were killed with a sword blow, yet the tendons were deliberately severed with additional cuts.”

Ho Gamyeong’s expression stiffened slightly at the unexpected response.

“Hwasan Geomhyeop? That’s unexpected. He isn’t one to favor needless brutality.”

“If he were alone, he would have just struck at the vital point and moved on. This is for those following behind. It’s in case someone he thought he’d dealt with rises up and swings a sword at them. He’s prepared for that eventuality.”

“…”

“Where could he have experienced something like this? It’s not something you learn. Just by observing his swordsmanship, you can tell he’s been rolling in the battlefield for decades. No, more than that. Even seasoned mercenaries who’ve spent their whole lives on the battlefield don’t go to such lengths.”

With an air of rising interest, Goe Ryang revealed his thoughts.

“If someone has spent their whole life fighting in hell, they’d wield a sword like this. Impressive. It’s surprising to see such a swordsman emerge from a Just Sect.”

“Enough with the unnecessary chatter.”

Goe Ryang chuckled, with a glint in his eyes, and said.

“But…”

Goe Ryang’s gaze didn’t miss the bodies of the disciples from Haenam sect scattered among Sapa’s warriors.

Their garments, reminiscent of the color of the sea, stood out vividly despite being soaked in blood.

“They’ve certainly suffered damage.”

“Of course.”

“Well, they may be insignificant, but it’s not entirely meaningless.”

Thunk!

At his ongoing pace, Goe Ryang trampled over the bodies of Haenam’s disciples. The head of one shattered and burst, and the thickening blood splattered in all directions.

“Ugh…”

A subdued groan escaped from the follower trailing behind.

Goe Ryang, chuckling in amusement, glanced back briefly.

“Why? Feeling remorse now?”

“…”

“Despite betraying the sect, is there still some conscience left? Ridiculous. From their perspective, the one they truly want dead isn’t us, it’s you.”

Yu Gong clenched his lips tightly in silence. The reason he couldn’t even muster a retort was that Goe Ryang’s words were painfully accurate.

“Don’t worry. You’ll soon reunite with your Sahyeongs. It will be thrilling .”

Yu Gong shuddered at the thought alone, his body trembling with dread.

Goe Ryang’s words didn’t sound like mere threats. If things continued like this, he would indeed soon come face to face with his Sahyeongs.

How would they look at him?

Even though they gave consideration to him so that he could go down to the village and live his own life without abandoning his martial arts skills, and now he is chasing after them as a pursuer.

The one who had attached himself Sapaeryeon, becoming nothing more than a hunting dog for the annihilation of Haenam.

He felt hollow. When he died, he died, but he lacked the courage to face Haenam.

He could bear any criticism or disgrace, but the gaze of Haenam’s disciples upon him was something he couldn’t bear.

“No. I don’t think we need to wait,”

Goe Ryang’s words at that moment startled Yu Gong, causing him to jerk his head up.

Perhaps they had already caught up with Haenam? No, that wasn’t it. As feared, they hadn’t come face to face with Haenam’s disciples in that situation.

But in a sense, it was just as… No, even more terrifying.

“Uh…”

A breathless sound escaped Yu Gong’s lips.

“He’s alive.”

In the blood-soaked grassland, amidst piles of corpses, one person was staggering to his feet. The clothes, now stained black with dried blood, were unrecognizable from their original color.

But Yu Gong could tell.

The shape and silhouette of those clothes were all too familiar.

The familiar figure merged with the grim sight before him.

“Ah…”

It seemed he had lost consciousness after being struck by the enemy, only to wake up belatedly, fortunate to have not died.

His comrades, caught up in the urgent situation of fighting the enemy, likely hadn’t had the chance to inspect him for life-threatening wounds, thus not realizing he was alive.

The man, sensing the approaching people from behind, turned his head with great effort. His pupils seemed vacant, as if they didn’t belong to a living person, staring blankly at them.

“Jo… Jong Saje!”

A scream erupted from Yu Gong’s lips, feeling as if flames were engulfing his chest.

He was alive.

The body lying there wasn’t one he’d seen on the way here. Though it looked like he could vomit blood and collapse at any moment, his Saje Jong Hyo was undoubtedly alive.

“Are you alr…”

“You are an unlucky one.”

Sruurrrng.

But in that moment, the sound of Goe Ryang drawing his sword echoed in Yu Gong’s ears like thunder.

“Wait!”

Swoosh.

Goe Ryang, with his sword drawn, lunged forward and cleanly severed Jong Hyo’s head.

Thunk!

The severed head soared through the air.

“Ah…”

Yu Gong’s eyes widened to their fullest extent. His hand trembled futilely in the air, grasping nothing.

In that moment, the eyes of Jong Hyo and Yu Gong met in the empty air.

Jong Hyo’s eyes held nothing, while Yu Gong’s eyes contained emotions too complex to articulate. The eyes of a fallen hero, who had fought bravely against enemies and now faced death, met the eyes of a coward turned a traitor, regretting his own survival.

The faint remaining light in Jong Hyo’s eyes suddenly disappeared, leaving Yu Gong to helplessly witness the scene.

“Ah…”

Yu Gong’s hand trembled uncontrollably.

Did he see? In that fading consciousness, did he recognize him? If so, what thoughts ran through his mind?

What did Jong Hyo feel? Joy? Disgust? Hope? Anger? It’s impossible to know. The only one who could tell is already dead. The severed head now rolled in the dirt.

“Eugh!”

A moment of nausea overwhelmed him.

“Ewaaaargh!”

Yu Gong clasped his stomach and vomited repeatedly.

However, for days now, he hadn’t eaten anything, so there was nothing for him to vomit up.

All that came up was bitter water. But the retching didn’t stop. It was as if he was trying to force out something disgusting stuck inside him, something not in his stomach but clinging to it.

“Ugh, ugh….”

At that moment, someone rushing from behind grabbed Yu Gong and tossed him aside.

Kwang!

Yu Gong was sent flying and tumbled to the ground.

Rolling on the ground soaked with the blood of his enemies, with the blood of his comrades, Yu Gong struggled to get up, his legs trembling.

“Keep running.”

“…”

“Or should I kill you here?”

Yu Gong clutched his trembling legs and struggled to rise.

He couldn’t die. He mustn’t die here.

If he were to die after coming this far, there would be nothing left for Yu Gong. He would only be remembered as a fool who licked the enemy’s feet and lost his life.

If he had lost everything, if he couldn’t leave anything behind, then at least he should preserve that pitiful life, shouldn’t he?

Wobbling on his feet, Yu Gong dashed forward once more.

Tears didn’t fall. All that remained was a hardened resolve.

Goe Ryang smirked as if pleased with Yu Gong’s determination.

‘What truly makes people despicable is not malice, but guilt.’

The traitors became more ruthless and brutal for that reason.

Despite blood trickling from his torn lips, Yu Gong continued to run. Approaching him, Ho Gamyeong addressed him in a calm voice.

“Seems like you’ve grasped it.”

“…”

“Now, there’s only one way for you to live normally from here on.”

Yu Gong turned his head to look at Ho Gamyeong, who spoke in a chilling tone.

“Everyone who will know that you have betrayed them will die.”

Yu Gong’s body flinched noticeably, and a complex light flickered in his eyes for a moment.

“Conscience is like moderately hot water. At first touch, it’s so hot you want to pull away immediately, but if you endure the pain a little, it soon becomes bearable. Even if you were to immerse your entire body in it.”

Receiving no response from Yu Gong, Ho Gamyeong turned away.

Yu Gong simply lowered his head and continued running.

‘I have no regrets,’

he thought to himself.

Anyone would have made the same choice. It’s easy to talk about conscience and justice, but who in this world would sacrifice their own life and the lives of their family to uphold such things?

So he hadn’t made a mistake.

He wasn’t wrong.

Even if he were wrong, it didn’t matter.

No one can live by making only the right choices.

This was just one more wrong decision, that’s all.

So he simply closed his eyes and blocked his ears.

That way, he could survive. That way, he could live on.

‘Go ahead and curse me all you want!’

Yu Gong’s eyes blazed with a fierce determination.

There was no turning back now. Whatever he had thought at the beginning didn’t matter anymore. All that remained was surviving in the unstoppable current.

Yes, that was all that mattered.

But no matter how he resolved and hardened his heart, it wouldn’t disappear.

The blank, fading eyes of Jong Hyo, they lingered in his mind no matter what he did – whether he closed his eyes, blocked his ears, or screamed until his throat went hoarse.

They were engraved into his memory forever.