Book 23 Chapter 12

Gu Gu Jeol Jeol (句句節節)

- A Girl's Past

She thought it wasn't so bad to be born a girl. To wear pretty shoes, pretty clothes, and have her hair braided beautifully. She believed it was a far more elegant and wonderful life than that of the stable boys who rolled in the dirt, snivelled, and fought at any given moment. However, her self-satisfaction as an ignorant, naive girl shattered such flimsy notions like a sandcastle overnight.

That morning, her younger brother was born. He was the sole male heir. He was the first boy born in the 'Ryu' family in over fifty years. The boy born before him was none other than the girl's father. The household was in a festive mood. And after the celebration that continued day and night for a month finally ended, her existence was completely forgotten by the adults. It was a morning she would never forget.

The adults acted as if she wasn't there. All attention was focused on the newborn younger brother. Only the wet nurse, assigned to sustain her life, occasionally provided her with three meals a day. The girl thought she had become invisible. She believed there was no other explanation for them to pass her by as if she weren't there. Otherwise, how could she explain her mother pushing her away, calling her a nuisance when she approached, not even glancing at her after she fell, and then disappearing into her younger brother's room? Yet, for some reason, her reflection was visible to the wet nurse. The girl firmly believed that the wet nurse must possess special supernatural powers. But the moment she realized that wasn't the case, her world was once again turned upside down.

After that, she fought somehow to make her existence recognized. She fought to excel at everything. Studying, martial arts, cooking, housework – she was desperate. She thought that if she did, they would acknowledge her existence, even if she was a girl.

But how naive those thoughts were. As she grew older, the gap between her and her younger brother widened after he started crawling and talking. Objectively speaking, she surpassed her younger brother's abilities in every aspect. Furthermore, she was confident she wouldn't lose to her younger brother, whom she had raised by indulging his every whim and tantrum. In an overly privileged environment where everything was given unconditionally, there was nothing else to gain but laziness.

She struggled desperately to fill her invisibility. To make her invisible self distinct.

But the more she tried, the more miserable she became. No matter how much her skills improved, her reflection still didn't appear in the eyes of her grandparents and parents. She remained invisible. Still, she didn't give up. She desperately honed her martial arts. The more she practiced, the stronger she became. It was as if only her sword recognized her. It rewarded her efforts. The more it did, the more she immersed herself in training. But she never dreamed it would sow the seeds of another misfortune.

One day, there was a martial arts duel. A duel between siblings. Her younger brother, who had grown up without any difficulties and didn't need to put in any effort, was no match for her. In just five seconds, she overwhelmed her brother. She thought she would be praised. But what she received was a slap so hard it felt like her mouth was torn.

The reason given was that she had injured her precious younger brother. The injury was a mere scratch, as small as a fingernail.

Beaten mercilessly, she was confined to a small underground room and starved for three days. Without eating anything, she stared into the darkness with hollow eyes.

Her existence felt unbearably light. It was miserable.

After that, she ran away from home. She didn't go far. It was a place where she usually practiced her sword alone. There, she met her master. It was a serendipitous encounter. She was able to receive the love she hadn't received from her parents from her master. The girl cried for three days and three nights.

When she returned, the house was in an uproar. Her father was lying in bed. Her father, who had been so strong, was practically a wreck. He had engaged in a duel called the 'Baekin Cham' against some swordsman and suffered the consequences. He survived, but his martial arts did not. The Ryu family lost its head that day. The empty position awaited a new master. The adults began discussing the family's successor. However, both were too young to be the family head, and one of them was a girl. Her grandparents and mother pushed for her younger brother. But her brother was too young and his martial arts skills were still lacking. It was too much to ask of a mere thirteen-year-old snot-nosed kid. Opponents emerged. This, in turn, meant that supporters for herself began to appear. The conclusion was not easily reached. The debate dragged on for three years. Then one day, her mother quietly summoned her.

She had found the whereabouts of her enemy and told her to go and take revenge. If she avenged her enemy, the position of family head would be hers. She was told to go and fulfill her duty. To do so, she was instructed to participate in the martial arts tournament and win to claim the prize money.

But this was an opponent her strong father could not defeat. It was impossible for a young and inexperienced herself to have even a ten percent chance of winning. It was as good as being sent to her death. However, she could not disobey. And why was the prize money emphasized more than the enemy? Was it acceptable to win the prize money, or was it acceptable for her to die there? But she couldn't voice such dissatisfaction outwardly.

"Yes, I understand, Mother."

That was the only word she was allowed to speak.

She thought that if she could somehow accomplish this task, she might be able to win back some of the attention they had been ignoring. Even if it was a futile hope, it was the only thread of hope left for her at that moment.

* * *

After listening to the girl's story, Namgung Sang and Yong Cheon Myung remained silent for a long time. Namgung Sang spoke first.

"That's a terrible story. It seems humans can be surprisingly cruel at times."

Yong Cheon Myung nodded in agreement.

"Indeed. It would be more realistic to say it was a fabricated story."

But reality was more unpredictable and cruel than any fabricated story.

"Surely the younger brother's mother must be a stepmother? Am I correct?"

Namgung Sang asked. It was unlikely that someone who committed such a heinous act would be a blood relative. Her mother must have died of illness when she was young, and the person who had taken her place was undoubtedly the stepmother her father had recently taken in. A stepmother abusing her predecessor's child. It was a common story. But to that question, the girl let out a deep sigh. Her answer, tinged with bitter laughter, far exceeded his expectations.

"I haven't pondered that question myself. How wonderful it would have been if it were true! Then I wouldn't have to endure such heartbreaking suffering. If only… if only she were a stepmother, I might have found some solace…"

Her self-deprecating smile was filled with pain.

"Gasp! N-no way… could it be…"

The girl nodded with a pained smile.

"You're not mistaken?"

"No. That's right. Yes. She is undeniably my biological mother. Definitely connected by blood."

As she spoke, her face was filled with pain. It must not have been easy to convince herself of this.

If it were him, he would surely have been torn to shreds and scattered with bloody tears. He doubted if he could maintain his sanity.

"How could a human being do such a thing…"

He was surprised that such a thing was happening in some corner of the world, contrary to his common sense.

"That's too cruel. And in the end, you sent her to her death to avoid getting in your brother's way?!"

Namgung Sang snapped sharply with a look of disgust.

"Listen, Captain Namgung, such harsh…"

But unfortunately, Namgung Sang was not mistaken. However, it was a reality too harsh for the girl listening. Was there really a need to remind her of it again? Yong Cheon Myung was doubtful about that point.

"The truth is brutal, and reality is far colder than imagination. A person I know once told me, 'Don't turn away from reality.' He said it's just a temporary measure. As long as you live in reality, you can't escape its waves."

"I don't know who it is, but those are strict words. I too, after the last setback at Hwasanhwa's ordeal, was discouraged by my own insignificance and tried to run away. Only after trying to run away did I realize."

"What did you realize?"

Namgung Sang asked.

"That no matter how much I ran, I couldn't find a solution! I wondered if that was karma."

While the two were conversing, Ryu Eunkyung remained silent, her lips firmly shut. Namgung Sang and Yong Cheon Myung realized they had no choice. The fact that she had revealed such intimate details meant she trusted them that much. For those who didn't know about her chronic distrust, it was normal to think that way. Now, they felt a sense of duty to repay that trust somehow. A desire to help this pitiful girl welled up within them. And so, consumed by intense emotion, the two made an irrevocable promise.

"If you need help, these two will lend their humble strength."

Yong Cheon Myung exclaimed, standing up indignantly.

"Are you serious? Even though I have nothing to give you?"

"Hahaha, a price? Absolutely not. I, Yong Cheon Myung, am not such a petty person as to expect a price for offering help!"

"I can't believe you're not expecting anything in return. Is it okay to grant someone's request so easily?"

It was a question that made it unclear whether she wanted him to grant her request or not. Her distrust seemed deeply rooted in her heart.

"This person doesn't speak nonsense. I can take responsibility for the words I utter."

Yong Cheon Myung boasted.

"I can't believe you."

In her eyes, something being resolved so easily was unthinkable. Moreover…

"There's no benefit for either of you, especially for Young Master Yong, is there?"

"What do you take me for! A man, Yong Cheon Myung, doesn't act for personal gain!"

Namgung Sang, startled by his boasting, looked at Yong Cheon Myung.

'Why is this old man suddenly acting like this?'

He was already in deep trouble, yet he was eagerly taking on someone else's burden. He hadn't expected Yong Cheon Myung to be so proactive. However, it was too late to back out. Ryu Eunkyung's eyes were already sparkling like stars.

"Such a noble heart! Girl, I am deeply moved! Deeply moved!"

To be helped without any compensation, what a windfall! Ryu Eunkyung's eyes shone with emotion.

'This isn't right…'

Namgung Sang had secretly hoped that Yong Cheon Myung would persuade Ryu Eunkyung, making it difficult for him to refuse. But the result was the opposite; he had stepped forward to offer help first. No matter how pitiful Ryu Eunkyung's situation was, it could be seen as forgetting the current circumstances.

"Uh… Brother Yong, wouldn't it be a bit difficult if that were the case?"

Yong Cheon Myung said, clenching his fist.

"Difficult? What's difficult about it, Captain Namgung? Buddha himself would have rushed to hell for those seeking help. How can I, who reveres the compassionate Buddha, turn away from someone asking for help right before my eyes!"

If he opposed it any further, he would be seen as heartless.

'This person… he wasn't like this before…'

The Yong Cheon Myung he knew had felt more like a proud, aloof crane, difficult to approach.

'Is this perhaps the influence of Miss Ma, whom he recently started seeing? Or perhaps it's due to the slump he fell into before?'

As his consciousness drifted to Ma Haryeong, such thoughts resurfaced.

'But will Miss Ma remain silent knowing this fact?'

Namgung Sang, now very skeptical, looked at Yong Cheon Myung with a somewhat pitying gaze.

'As expected, Brother Yong, you have little experience in love. Making such a decision without considering the consequences. How will you handle that jealousy? Although I'm not in a position to criticize, Brother Yong's future doesn't seem very bright either.'

However, Namgung Sang himself was too preoccupied with his own problems to worry about Yong Cheon Myung.

'I'm completely stuck now, what should I do? Should I cancel the plan to bring in Hyunwoon or Cheongheun as the third players? But how should I explain this to Jinryeong? No, before I can explain, will I even be alive to do so?'

It was a truly pessimistic outlook. The future ahead was as dark as a gathering storm.

Suddenly, Namgung Sang felt deeply depressed.