Book 23 Chapter 12

Phraseology (句句節節)

-Girl's Past

I thought being born a girl wasn't so bad, wearing pretty shoes, wearing pretty clothes, braiding pretty hair. It's a much more graceful and wonderful life than that of a boy who rolls around in the dirt, blows his nose, and picks fights without even trying. But the self-satisfaction of a girl who knows nothing about anything crumbles those flimsy notions like a sandcastle in a day.

That morning, a younger brother was born. A third generation reader. The first boy born to the Liu family in over fifty years. The previous boy had been the girl's father. The house was in a festive mood, and after the feast, which lasted for a month and a day, she was forgotten by the adults. It was an unforgettable morning.

The adults acted as if they weren't there. All attention was focused on her newborn brother, with only the occasional three-hour nanny to keep her alive. She thought she had become invisible, believing that no one could pass her by without seeing her, otherwise she couldn't explain how her mother would push her away as a nuisance when she approached and then disappear into her brother's room without giving her a second glance. But somehow, she could see herself in the nanny's reflection. The nanny must have special psychic powers, she believed, but the moment she realized that wasn't the case, her world was turned upside down once again.

Then there was the fight to somehow be recognized. She fought to excel at everything. She was desperate to study, martial arts, cook, and do housework, thinking that way, even if she was a woman, she would be recognized.

But what complacency it was. The older he got, the more the gap between him and his younger brother widened after he got up and started talking. Objectively speaking, she was outperforming him in every way. Moreover, he was confident that he would not lose to his brother, who had been raised with all sorts of moms and herds. In an overly privileged environment where everything was given to him unconditionally, there was no way he could have gained anything but laziness.

I scrambled to fill my transparent self in somehow. To make the transparent self clearer.

But the harder she tried, the more miserable she felt. No matter how much she excelled, she still couldn't see herself in the eyes of her grandparents and parents. He was still transparent to them, but he didn't give up. He practiced martial arts desperately. The harder he tried, the stronger he became. It was as if only the sword recognized her. It rewarded her efforts. The more she practiced, the more she pushed herself, but she had no idea that it would be the seed of another misfortune.

One day, there was a martial arts showdown. It was between a brother and sister. The younger brother, who had grown up with no difficulties and never had to work hard, was sure he could beat him. In just five seconds, he overwhelmed him. He expected a pat on the back, but what he got was a slap so hard it tore his mouth open.

The reason was that he had hurt his precious brother, and the wound was no bigger than a fingernail scratch.

He was beaten so badly that he was locked in an underground alcove and starved for three days. With nothing to eat, he stared blankly into the darkness.

His existence was unbearably light. It was miserable.

Then I did something called running away. I didn't get far. It was there that I met my teacher, the one who usually wielded the sword alone. It was a surprise. The love she couldn't get from her parents, she could get from her teacher. She cried for three days and three nights.

When I returned, the house was turned upside down. My father was lying in a hospital bed, his once strong body almost a wreck. He had been caught in the act of bimu, the white man's game, by a thief. His life was saved, but not his martial arts. The Liu family lost its leader that day. The empty chair awaited a new owner. The adults began to talk about heirs to the family, but they were both too young, and one of them was a girl. The grandparents and mother pushed the younger brother. But the younger brother was too young, and his martial arts skills were still incomplete. It was too much to ask of a thirteen-year-old snot-nosed dog. Opposition came, which also meant that people started to support him. The conclusion did not come easily. The debate dragged on for three years. Then one day, my mother quietly called to me.

You have found the whereabouts of your enemies. Go and pay them back. If you can pay them back, your place in Gazoo is yours. Go and fulfill your duty. To do so, enter the tournament and win the prize money.

But it was an opponent that even his strong father could not defeat. There was no way he, still so young, had a single chance of winning. It was like being told to go die, but he couldn't refuse. And why was it that the prize was more important than the enemy? It didn't matter if he won and took the prize, or if he died on the field? But he couldn't voice his displeasure.

"Yes, I understand, Mother.

That was the only word he was allowed to say.

If he could only accomplish this task, he might be able to turn some of the attention away from himself. Even if it was a futile hope, it was all he had left.

* * *

After hearing the girl's story, Nan Gongsang and Long Tianming were silent for a long time. It was Nan Gongsang who spoke first.

"That's a gruesome story. I guess humans really can be surprisingly cruel sometimes."

Yong Tianming nodded in understanding.

"It's true. It would be much more realistic to say you made it up."

But the reality was more unpredictable and brutal than the fiction.

"Your brother's mom must be his stepmom, right?"

It couldn't be her own flesh and blood who was doing such a heinous thing. Surely her mother had died of illness when she was young, and it was her father's new stepmother who was now taking over. A stepmother abuses her ex-wife's child. It was a common story, but the girl sighed heavily at the question. Her bitter, accusatory response was far beyond his expectations.

"It's not that I haven't asked myself that question, too…how I wish I had, because then I wouldn't have had to go through all this heartache…I'd rather…I'd rather have been a stepmother…that would have been some comfort……."

There's a tinge of pain in his self-help smile.

"Heck, if that's the case……."

The girl nodded with a sickly smile.

"Are you sure I'm not mistaken?"

"No, no, no. Yes, she is my biological mother, without a doubt. By blood, no doubt."

There was a pained look on the girl's face as she said it, and it must have been no easy task to convince herself.

If it were me, I would have been torn to pieces and scattered in blood and tears. I didn't know if I could stay sane.

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

He was amazed that something so contrary to his common sense was happening in this corner of the world.

"That's too much, and then at the end you sent him out on a limb because you thought he might get in your brother's way?!"

With a look of disgust on his face, Namgungsang spoke up sharply.

"Come on, Captain Southern Palace, that's some serious……."

Unfortunately, while there was no doubt in the man's words, it was also a harsh reality for the girl listening. Was it really necessary to remind her of it once more? On that point, Long Tianming was skeptical.

"Truth is anomalous, and reality is much harsher than you can imagine," said a character I once knew, "so don't look away from it, and even if you do, it's only a stopgap, because you can't escape the waves of reality as long as you live in it."

"I don't know who you are, but you sound stern. When I was frustrated after the last volcano scare, I tried to run away, frustrated with my own insignificance. I didn't realize it until I ran away."

"What did you find out?"

Namgungsang asked.

"I thought to myself, 'That's what karma is all about, the fact that no matter how much you run away, you can't find a solution.'"

As the two talked, Liu Eun Kyung remained silent, her mouth tightly closed. Namgungsang and Long Tianming realized that they had no choice in the matter; for him to share such an intimate detail with them meant that he trusted them. For two people who didn't know they had an inherent distrust, it was normal to think so. A sense of duty to repay that trust somehow overcame them. They wanted to help this poor girl in any way they could. In the midst of their intense emotions, they made an irrevocable promise.

"If you need help, these two are here to lend a hand."

An indignant Long Tianming jumped up from his seat and shouted, "I'm sorry!

"Are you sure? Even though I have nothing to offer you?"

"Hahaha, nothing in return, I'm not one of those cheesy people who expect something in return for helping out!"

"I can't believe you don't expect anything in return, is it really that easy to do someone a favor?"

She wasn't sure if he was asking for a favor or not. Her distrust was already deeply ingrained.

"Hey, I'm not that crazy, I can take responsibility for what I say."

Yong Tianming exclaimed.

"I can't believe it."

To her, it was impossible that things could be done so easily. And……

"Even though there's nothing in it for the two of you, especially the Dragon Confucius?"

"What do you see in a man, Yong Tianming, a man of valor, not a man who moves for gain!"

At the sound of the words, the Southern Palace Lord looked at Long Tianming in bewilderment.

"What's wrong with this guy all of a sudden?

I've got three noses, but I'm taking on other people's work. I hadn't expected Yong Chen-ming to be so proactive. However, it was already too late to cancel. Liu Eun Kyung's eyes were already sparkling like stars.

"Such a fine mind, girl, I'm thrilled, I'm thrilled!"

What a windfall, to be able to help without asking for anything in return! Overcome by a wave of emotion, Liu Eun Kyung's eyes sparkled.

'This isn't right…….'

He had secretly hoped that Yong Tianming would be able to persuade Liu Yun on his behalf, as he was now in a very difficult position to refuse, but the result was quite the opposite, and he had offered to help her first. Although Liu Eun Kyung's situation was unfortunate, it could be said that she had forgotten the current situation.

"Brother… Yong, wouldn't that put you in a bit of trouble?"

Yong Tianming clenched his fist and said.

"What's the big deal, South Palace Captain? The Buddha traveled all the way to hell for someone who needed help. How can I, as a follower of the Buddha of Compassion, turn away when there is a man asking for help right in front of me!"

If he objected further, he would be the only one without blood or tears.

'Hey, I don't think he used to do this…….'

The Yong Tianming he knew was a man who felt more like a crane, an elusive creature that was hard to get close to.

"Is this an effect of the new masochist I'm dating? Or is it due to a previous slump?

The thought occurred to me again as my consciousness took over.

"But will Martha Sojae stay quiet when she finds out?

Very skeptical, Nan Gongsang looked at Long Tianming with a slightly hard gaze.

'You're still a little inexperienced in relationships, Yong. You make decisions like that without thinking about the consequences, and I can't imagine the jealousy. I can't speak for anyone else, but I don't think you have a very bright future either.

But Yong Tianming was too worried about his own nose to care.

What do we do now that we can't even play without it? Do we have to cancel our plans to have Hyun-woon or Cheong-heon as the third player, and how do we explain to Jin-ryung? Do you think I'll be alive long enough to do that?

It was a skeptical observation indeed. It was as if there was a dark cloud hanging over the future.

Suddenly, Namgungsang became very sullen.