21 – 02# After the Rain, the Earth Solidifies (4)

The child had never known unconditional love from the moment she was born. Born having devoured her mother, and bearing the hatred of the clan leader, Sua’s place was inherently low.

At least, until she proved her talent to clan leader Mo Yong-gang. But even then, she was ultimately treated as a weapon, and if she didn’t obey, harsh punishments were ruthlessly inflicted.

But even that, Sua had accepted as a kind of love. At least it was better than receiving no attention at all. She even thought it fortunate that she was of use.

However, upon meeting her teacher, everything Sua had believed until then was utterly refuted. The teacher didn’t demand anything of her, unlike the clan leader.

[Yes, well done.]

[Excellent.]

[If you’re hungry, eat as much as you want. There’s plenty of food.]

It was a shock like a frog living in a well for its entire life finally beholding the ocean. The warmth she encountered for the first time in a dark and cold place was too welcoming.

She desired nothing else. Just this warmth, she craved it ceaselessly. Yet, the heavens, in their fickleness, were determined to shift even this warmth elsewhere.

If she were to lose even this warmth, what would become of her? Would she, perchance, return to that? To that cold, dark place? In that instant, a hateful lesson seized her mind.

[In the end, the righteous Murim is a world of the strong preying on the weak.]

‘I must protect it.’

[If you don’t want to be taken from, become the one who takes!]

‘Yes, that’s right. If you’re weak, you’ll only be robbed.’

She had learned much alongside Mumyeong, but its depth remained shallow. Conversely, the teachings she received from Moryong Kang spanned over a decade. It was inevitable that it still lingered.

And when she opened her eyes again, the girl was no longer Sua, but a sword itself. The wildly swung blade abruptly altered its course mid-strike. What she thought she’d avoided was but a feint.

The blade, turned perpendicular, struck Seolhwa’s shoulder like lightning. A novice, barely learning martial arts, could never hope to block a sword imbued with the essence of quickness that the Moryong Clan pursued.

An ominous sound echoed from her shoulder, but Seolhwa disregarded it, assuming the stance her master had taught her. Seeing her likeness to their master in that stance, Sua felt even greater fury.

‘Even *I* didn’t receive the core techniques directly from Master, so why are *you*, who came later than me, surpassing me?’

Once ignited, the fire in her heart could not be extinguished by reason. Sua, consumed by jealousy, was incapable of logical judgment. She merely obeyed her emotions with fierce devotion.

However, Sua’s wooden sword remained unmoved, as if blocked by a weighty boulder. Only then did Sua realize that what stood before her was not a rock, but a person.

His hair was white as snow, his chin covered in a thick beard, and the deep lines and scars etched across his forehead were more than sufficient to paint him as a battle-worn old man. Though his expression was stern,

Sua, ironically, could only manage a smile once the situation had deteriorated to this point. Master was looking only at *me*! That alone was enough.

“This is too much.”

“But isn’t it a sparring match?”

“Even so, your opponent is a third-rate martial artist who has barely begun to learn. How can you, having reached the second-rate, not show any restraint?”

“…….”

“You haven’t been yourself for the past three days. Is something troubling you?”

*Not* myself? What is that supposed to mean?

No sooner had the name “Seolhwa” escaped their Master’s lips than Sua’s face twisted into a grimace. Unable to contain her stifled feelings, Sua placed a hand over her chest and began to speak.

“I, too, learned this way from Moryong Kang.”

“But you know that it’s wrong, don’t you?”

“There is no end to learning. Furthermore, with the darkness hanging heavy in the heavens, not even a guiding starlight can be seen. I, too, am but a lost child, hesitating and stumbling.”

“…….”

“I need Master too!!”

She did not know what words she was uttering. As the daughter of a righteous sect, who ought to carefully weigh right and wrong, she could be deemed a failure, but why should that matter to *me*?

From the moment I was born, I was never even granted a blessing, and only after my worth was acknowledged was I raised as a tool. But now, why should I care about the reputation of the righteous sect?

What, then, were the manners expected of a daughter of a prestigious clan? The fear of being cast aside, the fury of having one’s place stolen, even jealousy.

Sua was too young to control such a tempest. And Myeong, who knew the full extent of the humiliations Sua had endured, stepped forward slowly.

“I am sorry.”

“……?!”

“I know you, too, have suffered no small measure of pain. But my abilities were insufficient, and I failed to watch over you. It is right that you should be angry.”

She had steeled herself for a thunderous scolding. Anything was worth it, if only she could have her master’s attention. But Myeong’s next action was utterly unexpected.

Sua raised her head, dazed. In an instant, she was enveloped in her master’s embrace. The scent of herbs and earth, emanating from his arms, had never seemed so fragrant.

Was it only after being held in Myeong’s arms, feeling his warmth so distinctly, that she found solace? The tears she had so stubbornly held back finally burst forth, melting away all her doubts like snow in midsummer.

Only after some time did Sua manage to speak with Myeong alone. Seolhwa had attempted to follow, but Myeong directly asked for Seolhwa’s understanding and made space for them.

Entering the room, locking the door, and checking for any signs of eavesdropping, Myeong once more bowed his head in apology to Sua, who frantically waved her arms as if to express her unworthiness.

“I apologize again. I had forgotten, for a moment, the pain you have also suffered.”

“Ah, no. I, too, was suddenly overcome by… some madness.”

Her fiery emotions subsided, Sua felt embarrassment and a touch of shame, her face blooming red like a ripe persimmon. Myeong, in turn, adopted a grave expression.

“…What I am about to tell you must never be spoken to another soul. I say this because I trust you so implicitly. Do not be alarmed, but listen carefully.”

“Yes? What…?”

Feeling a twinge of joy at the thought of her master placing such trust in her, Sua nevertheless sensed an ominous undercurrent in his demeanor. At last, Myeong spoke.

“It seems that Seolhwa is, in all likelihood, a living Human Gu.”

◇

Yi Cheong-woo, the sole owner of the medical hall in the village of Seochae, beamed as he gazed upon the silk and silver coins nestled within the box. Riches that filled his belly just to behold them.

Truly, he needed no rice. His business had been poor of late, but from an unexpected source, a great…nay, a great benefactor had arrived, leaving him feeling as if his stomach would burst.

A greedy smile stretched across Yi Cheong-woo’s lips, yet he feared being seen. He quickly closed the box, concealing it beneath the desk where he sat.

*Thump thump!*

“Goodness, you’ll break the door! It’s open, come right in!”

Already elated by the wealth he’d received from the great benefactor, now a patient, one of the mere handful he saw each day, had come to his medical hall? Yi Cheong-woo’s grin threatened to split his face in two.

But the moment his eyes met those of the guests entering the medical hall, his smile vanished as if by a charm. They were clad in black, their faces hidden beneath deeply-set bamboo hats.

Even their waistlines bore swords, making it clear that they were no ordinary folk. Sensing a turn of events, Yi Cheong-woo hastily straightened his posture.

“Wh-What brings you to my humble medical hall?”

“…We heard tell of an old man living in the nearby Geumhyeon Mountain, with two children.”

“Hoo? If so, you should go to Geumhyeon Mountain! What brings you to this insignificant medical hall?”

*BANG!!*

A jingling sound accompanied the thud of a sack landing on Lee Cheong-woo’s desk, a sound cacophonous enough to announce itself. A man of medicine, and of an appreciation for coin, Lee Cheong-woo knew instantly that silver resided within.

“I heard you trekked up the mountain with that old man, providing your services. You will guide us on that same path. And these coins? They shall all be yours.”

“…And what if I were to refuse your… request, My Lord?”

*Crack!*

A sword, drawn with startling speed from a hidden sheath, lodged itself precisely beside the sack overflowing with silver. No lengthy words were needed; even a mangy street dog would understand the implication.

“Choose, Lee Cheong-woo. Will you select the silver, enough to change your life for a brief bit of exertion? Or…?”

…Will you choose to spend this long night in torments unlike any you have ever known?