Book 9 Chapter 16

Gallyo Bong's Divine Will

- Eun Seol Ran's Recollection

He was a hero of the Black Path and everyone's idol.

Not just in the Black Path, but even in the White Path, there was no one who dared to voice an opposing opinion to his outstanding martial arts and sharp foresight.

This was because his abilities were far too extraordinary compared to others to be envied.

As the pinnacle of genius in the Black Path, he was regarded as a celestial dragon. Even at this time, no one doubted his glorious and honorable future.

"What is your name?"

A man with the spirit of the sky and the presence of a dragon, with a green headband crossed on his head, asked the opponent.

"I am Jong Pae of Pado Bo (Strong Blade Fortress). I am honored to be able to compete with you."

Jong Pae's voice trembled slightly with tension. His palms became damp.

"Come!"

The man gestured lightly.

"Uyaaaap!"

The man, Jong Pae, charged with a mountain-like aura of his domineering blade. He too was a skilled individual who had reached the finals of this Hwasan Treaty Convention Selection. Surrendering easily was a matter of pride.

Of course, losing to Gallyo Bong, the foremost genius of the Black Path, was not a disgrace at all. Rather, merely earning the right to fight him could be considered an honor. That was precisely why he had to give his all.

Gallyo Bong, the mark of a peak master, was that he always settled matches in the quickest, simplest, and clearest way. Such swift and accurate matches were impossible without a significant disparity in skill with the opponent.

The fight with Jong Pae was no different. Jong Pae knew well that his internal energy was inferior to Gallyo Bong's. He was not so overconfident in his abilities as to overestimate himself.

Therefore, he had to press for victory in the early stages. Otherwise, he had no alternative. A single strike, imbued with Jong Pae's full strength and effort, descended upon Gallyo Bong's head with the force of splitting a mountain. However, Gallyo Bong did not even flinch an eyebrow at the ferocious onslaught. It was a testament to his immense courage.

*Tuk!*

Gallyo Bong merely flicked the blade he held in his left hand slightly to the side with his wrist. Yet, the effect was sufficient.

*Taaeng!*

"Ugh!"

A shriek escaped Jong Pae's lips. His strike, powered by his full strength, was instantly pushed to the outside of the dragon's flow.

*Kwacheng!*

The blade, having lost its target to cleave, cut through empty space and then plunged into the ground with a thunderous roar.

"Kruek!"

Jong Pae involuntarily groaned.

His hand, gripping the blade, tingled with the impact. It was a complete failure. Jong Pae's blade was already restrained, and his entire body was exposed defenselessly.

Jong Pae tried to pull out his blade, which had struck the bare ground, and regain his stance, but Gallyo Bong's blade, resting on the tip of his sword, would not allow it. A pressure of a thousand pounds held Jong Pae's domineering blade to the ground.

*Sshhk! Chack!*

Gallyo Bong took a single step forward and brought his blade to Jong Pae's neck. It was a clean finish.

"How was it?"

Gallyo Bong asked for his thoughts.

"I lost."

Jong Pae had no choice but to admit the overwhelming skill difference. Not only that, he began to doubt if he was truly a skilled individual who had reached the finals. However, he knew all too well that not admitting it here would only make him look more pathetic. Jong Pae readily accepted defeat to create a society that bowed to victory, a beautiful world.

Surprisingly, the final match of the Hwasan Treaty Convention Selection ended anticlimactically. It was a perfect, overwhelming victory.

"Waaaaaaah!"

A thunderous roar erupted from the assembled crowd around the martial arts arena.

"Winner! Machon Gak 4th year, Hyool Ryoo Heun Gallyo Bong!"

"Wowwwwwww! Wowwwwwww!"

Once again, a deafening cheer that seemed to tear the eardrums echoed through the venue. The people were ecstatic.

The referee, Maseok Jeon Wol Tae, raised his hand and declared,

"I declare that Hyool Ryoo Heun Gallyo Bong has been selected as the representative for this Hwasan Treaty Convention. If anyone has any objections, please raise your hand."

No one raised their hand in objection. Instead, the cheers only grew louder. All attention in the Black Path focused on one person. In comparison, the remaining people selected for the Hwasan Treaty Convention were merely supporting actors. The expectations and enthusiasm placed upon him were that immense.

"You worked hard, Brother!"

Eun Seol Ran, who rushed to Gallyo Bong, the winner by an almost overwhelming margin, greeted him with a smile that outshone the sun and flowers.

"Hahaha! Thank you, Seol Ran! Your support was a great strength!"

"Yes~ Really?"

At his single remark, she was overjoyed, as if she could fly. She and Gallyo Bong were betrothed by their families.

She was immensely grateful to her parents, knowing she was predetermined to be his fiancée. Gallyo Bong was a man so captivating that she, with her outstanding beauty, was instantly smitten. The fact that she would become the wife of such a man made her incredibly happy. She was the object of envy, jealousy, and spite from countless women, yet she was simply delighted. She was able to become his spouse, surpassing numerous other women! It was a time when she felt she needed nothing else as long as she had him.

That was also the happiest time.

"Hahaha! Congratulations, Hall Master!"

The one who approached with a jovial smile brimming with confidence was Bi (飛), the only son of the Machon Gak Master (he was not yet called the Grand Prince at this time).

Gallyo Bong was also the Hall Master of the Cheonma Society, the strongest martial arts force in Machon Gak. And Bi (飛), as the Vice Hall Master of the Cheonma Society, was someone who followed Gallyo Bong the most.

Although his martial talent was rated as outstanding as Gallyo Bong's, he was also someone who caused a stir by stating he would forgo this Hwasan Treaty Convention Selection because he had not achieved great accomplishments.

*Sarak!*

Eun Seol Ran clutched Gallyo Bong's sleeve tightly.

"What's wrong, Seol Ran?"

Gallyo Bong asked with a puzzled look.

Eun Seol Ran merely shook her head, not saying a word. However, for some reason, she found Bi difficult to deal with. Although he always smiled at her… and his attitude showed no disrespect… for some unknown reason, she always felt burdened by him. He was a peculiar type of person whom she instinctively avoided.

"Come on! Why are you so awkward? It's making me awkward too. Hahahaha!"

Gallyo Bong tried to change the atmosphere by laughing heartily. However, it didn't go as intended. At that moment, if someone hadn't appeared, the atmosphere would have become even more awkward, leaving Gallyo Bong in a difficult situation.

"Brother! Brother!"

A boy who looked no more than fifteen years old, shouting "Brother!" with a clear voice, ran over. The boy, with a flushed face, ran over with a proud smile all over his face.

Then, he leaped and clung to Gallyo Bong's arm like a monkey. His excitement was evident. He looked like a puppy on a snowy day.

"Oh my! Oh my! You! You came too, Hyoryong!"

Gallyo Bong greeted his younger brother Hyoryong warmly. Then, as an expression of affection, he ruffled Hyoryong's hair so vigorously that it became disheveled. Even if his neatly combed hair had to be redone from scratch due to the collapse, it was an act of excessive affection and therefore not a criminal act.

Eun Seol Ran had also seen Hyoryong frequently when visiting the Heukcheon Alliance. He was always a cute boy, and Eun Seol Ran was very fond of him.

"You won, you won! As expected, Brother is the best! As expected, there is only one strongest martial artist in the Black Path, only Brother! No one can compare to Brother."

"Hahaha! You! Stop it, stop it. You're making me dizzy. I'm still young. There were so many strong individuals among the previous masters. How can I be satisfied with this? Even if I became the best among my peers, the title of true strongest is still far off. It's too early to be complacent. The strongest in the Black Path… No, that's absurd!"

Gallyo Bong said to his younger brother Hyoryong with a serious expression. However, the young Gallyo Hyoryong did not seem to care much.

"Kyahahahahaha!"

The boy laughed incessantly while hanging from Gallyo Bong's arm, as if he couldn't contain his joy.

"Alright, alright, that's enough! I have a gift for you."

Gallyo Bong said with a gentle smile.

"What is it?"

Hyoryong asked, his eyes shining brightly. Then, Gallyo Bong untied the green headband he was wearing on his head and offered it to Hyoryong.

"Here! I'm sorry it was something Brother used, but I'll give it to you! Cherish it!"

What Gallyo Bong gave Hyoryong was the green headband, his symbol, which he wore crossed on both sides of his head. It was a precious item he always wore on his forehead like an amulet.

"Thank you, Brother! Thank you so much. I will strive to become someone just like you!"

Hyoryong replied with great enthusiasm, his face flushed. It was an item he had always wanted. He was beside himself with joy. Gallyo Bong laughed heartily at Hyoryong's strong reply.

"Hahaha! What use would it be to become someone like me? You must become someone who surpasses me! Do you understand, Hyoryong? You must become a martial artist who surpasses me. I will always be waiting for that! Do you understand?"

"Yes, Brother! I will keep that in mind."

Hyoryong replied with a serious demeanor to Gallyo Bong's earnest words. Only then did Gallyo Bong break into a wide smile.

"Yes! You're doing great. If anything happens to me, I'll entrust Seol Ran to you. Can you do it?"

Gallyo Bong's hand stroking Hyoryong's head overflowed with tenderness.

"Of course! Leave it to me!"

"Yes, then I'll look forward to it!"

Then he turned back to Seol Ran. His eyes were filled with gentle affection. The fact that he could feel it without explicitly saying it made Eun Seol Ran so happy.

"……!"

At that moment, Bi (飛), who was watching, flinched.

"Seol Ran!"

"Yes, Brother?"

Eun Seol Ran turned back to him with a smile that bloomed like a million roses. It was a beautiful smile that could captivate the soul of any viewer.

"Hahaha! Seol Ran, I hope you always smile, no matter what! Your smile always gives me strength! May the day your smile disappears from your face never come…"

Her face instantly turned rosy.

"Seol Ran! When I return this time… um, cough!"

However, Gallyo Bong did not finish his sentence. It seemed that even he, who feared nothing in the world, had something to be ashamed of.

"Yes!"

Eun Seol Ran smiled gently and replied with determination.

Even without hearing the rest of his words, she was simply happy. Because of that, what happened next felt like a dream, completely detached from reality.

That tall, reliable, and confident figure of his back!

That was the last day she saw Gallyo Bong.

Exactly one month later!

Tragedy struck.

*Crackle!*

"……!"

"Is anyone there?"

At the sudden presence, Eun Seol Ran looked back. However, she found nothing. The presence had already vanished without a trace. But just because she couldn't see it and her senses couldn't feel it, it didn't mean no one was there.

'Huff, huff, huff! Why am I hiding now? I just came to tell Miss Eun my opinion! I haven't done anything that warrants hiding like this?'

He thought he was being confident in front of her, but his body wouldn't move. He suddenly lacked the courage to appear before her. It seemed to be the aftereffect of secretly witnessing a woman's tears.

'Did I see something I shouldn't have?'

He had never imagined that the always smiling and cheerful woman would hold such sorrow. Moyong Hwi, who was secretly listening to a woman's heartbroken sob, felt a strange sensation.

'Tears flowing down cheeks as white as pearls, holding the sorrow of the moon!'

The sight of Eun Seol Ran, so mournful and tragic yet sensual, captured his heart in an instant.

*Thump thump!*

Moyong Hwi suddenly felt his heart pounding. His face felt hot. He felt an inexplicable fever and heart abnormality.

'What is this?'

Moyong Hwi, experiencing this unfamiliar emotion for the first time in his life, was at a loss. Having no experience in love, he was bewildered. From that point, Moyong Hwi could not bring himself to leave. Or rather, his feet seemed stuck to the ground and wouldn't move. He had no memory of nails being driven into his feet, yet…

Eun Seol Ran was still gazing at the moon endlessly. The reason was unknown. Only a heart-wrenching grief was felt. The more this was the case, the faster his heartbeat became.

It felt like he had stumbled upon something he shouldn't have seen, coupled with guilt! If that were the case, he would have felt more at ease witnessing a murder scene.

And after seeing that, he could no longer say he was quitting his bodyguard duty.

'How can I say I'm quitting after seeing that…? Sigh, there's no other way…'

Moyong Hwi had to completely abandon his plan to visit Majin Gak tomorrow and express his thoughts. It seemed he would not be able to extricate himself from this situation until it was over.

'Perhaps that's also a good thing…'

Moyong Hwi's eyes were constantly drawn to Eun Seol Ran's face, which seemed to glow in the moonlight, and the tears trickling down her cheeks. It seemed to be an illusory phenomenon not in his fate.

*Thump thump!*

'Is something wrong with me?'

Moyong Hwi was overcome with worry. Fear of the unknown descended upon him. He felt an urgent need to escape this place.

'I need to get out of here quickly!'

He felt like his heart would burst if he stayed like this.

"Who are you? Sneaking around and peeping is not a good habit."

Eun Seol Ran's soft words echoed through the cold night air.

'No… no!'

Moyong Hwi inwardly exclaimed in dismay.

'What mistake did I make?'

His heart was pounding wildly, but he hadn't been negligent in concealing his presence. Yet, he seemed to have been discovered. Cold sweat trickled down his spine.

'Hoo…'

The word "escape" was not in his vocabulary. Since he had already been discovered, he could not flee. Just as Moyong Hwi was about to reveal himself with a grimace, as if he had chewed a stone.

*Rustle!*

A sound was heard from among the trees on the opposite side of where Moyong Hwi was hiding.

'Huh?'

Moyong Hwi paused his footsteps, which were about to confess and seek enlightenment. Eun Seol Ran showed no surprise, so it seemed to be from that direction. This meant his presence had not yet been detected. It was a moment of relief.

'Huh?'

His eyes widened like saucers. The person who appeared in the darkness was someone he knew well. Even more surprising was Eun Seol Ran's reaction.

"Th… this Young Master!"

The exclamation was one of near shock. It was certainly not a title used for someone he had never met.

'When did those two ever properly greet each other?'

As far as his memory served, there was no such occasion. Suspicion welled up, but this was not the time to resolve that suspicion. Moyong Hwi quietly and stealthily concealed himself in the shadows of the night. He wished for the deep darkness of the night to completely erase his presence. However, it seemed too late to withdraw.