It was an unforgettable night.
Everyone stood on the sparring platform and looked up at the night sky. Gazing at the stars pouring down above them, not one of them opened their mouth.
They simply stared at the stars in silence. It was a moment to which silence was best suited.
When they had suddenly been assembled and brought outside, many of them had thought the same thing. So, now that the excavation is in its final stages, they’re going to kill us all!
After all, not once had they been allowed outside since entering this place.
But that was not it. The Sword King had made them all look up at the night sky.
At first, everyone was bewildered, but gradually, emotion welled up within them.
The beautiful stars, the outside wind they smelled for the first time in so long.
In that moment, they truly felt that they were alive.
At least for that moment.
If they survived, then with that money! With that hope! They could escape all the idle thoughts that began from there.
The stars and the wind seemed to be saying this.
You are alive.
Had they been alone, the feeling would not have moved them so deeply. Because the people who had endured that hell together were looking up together, tonight’s starlight felt even more profound.
Among them was the Sword King.
He, too, was looking at the stars. For a very long time.
Then, suddenly, the Sword King turned his head and looked at Geom Mugeuk. Though he had come out saying they should show the men, Geom Mugeuk was the one gazing at the stars most intently.
With those deepened eyes holding the stars, what was the Young Cult Leader thinking?
Everyone’s thoughts were different, but at the very least, this much would be the same.
They would never be able to forget these stars, this night air.
* * *
When Hongin opened his eyes in the morning, what had happened the night before felt like a dream. In fact, he had dreamed about it, too. Of course, in the dream, while they were gathered like that, a meteor fell and sent everyone flying in every direction, which woke him up.
His dream was to use the money he had earned here to build a small martial hall in a kindhearted village, meet a good woman, and live happily for the rest of his life.
One thing had been added to that dream.
That he would survive no matter what and look at the stars every night.
As Hongin tried to rise from his bed, he looked down at the snow-white blanket covering him.
Naturally, his gaze turned to one place.
Geom Mugeuk was sitting cross-legged atop his blanket, circulating his qi. Had he stayed up all night like that?
All of this had started after that newcomer came in. Was it really because of that newcomer?
“All right, everyone up!”
Hongin shouted as he got down from his bed.
The men washed and ate breakfast as usual. It was the same morning as yesterday, yet the atmosphere flowing among them was strangely different.
After they finished preparing, they gathered once more before the iron wall.
“All right, today of all days, I don’t need to tell you why we have to concentrate, do I?”
At Hongin’s words, all the men laughed. It occurred to him that it had truly been a long time since they had laughed together like this.
Hongin spoke to the Sword King as their representative.
“Thank you very much for yesterday.”
The men standing behind Hongin also bowed their heads to the Sword King all together.
The Sword King gazed at them, then spoke quietly.
“I was far too late, wasn’t I?”
A resounding answer of “No, sir!” rang out.
The Sword King’s gaze turned to Geom Mugeuk. At the look in his eyes that seemed to ask, Are you satisfied now? Geom Mugeuk answered with a bright smile that said, Isn’t this so much better?
“All right, then. Begin work!”
Clang, clang, clang.
Starting with Geom Mugeuk’s cheerful hammering, the men began their assigned tasks.
The excavation team’s work proceeded like this. When Geom Mugeuk rapidly dug something out, the men finished the work.
Excavating the mechanism was even more difficult than on the first day. Complicated devices were revealing themselves here and there.
Even so, Geom Mugeuk’s hands still moved lightly. As the work grew harder, he had also become that much more accustomed to it.
That did not mean he greedily tried to do everything alone.
“Please help me here.”
Whenever necessary, he asked the men for help. If it seemed too difficult for them, he asked the Sword King to help as well. Because of that, the work advanced smoothly and without delay.
In that way, the mechanism buried underground gradually revealed more and more of its true form. It looked as though it were a living creature, stretching out here and there.
Geom Mugeuk, who possessed a certain degree of knowledge in mechanical formations, could tell.
‘This is not a mechanism made in recent times.’
It was a mechanism made long ago, yet its delicacy could not be compared to anything in the present. It had undoubtedly been made by an extraordinary craftsman even in the era in which it was created. Of course, that did not mean dismantling it would be more difficult. The study of mechanical formations had developed brilliantly over all those years.
And just as the work continued like that—
Clank! At the sound, everyone’s gaze turned toward the spot. One of the men wore a startled expression. He had accidentally touched something wrong.
Srrrk.
The walls on both sides opened, revealing dozens of holes.
“Be careful!”
The very instant Geom Mugeuk’s shout rang out—
Shwish-shwish-shwish-shwish-shwish-shwish-shwish-shwish-shwish-shwish!
Dozens of deadly hidden weapons poured out from both walls at tremendous speed.
In that instant, Geom Mugeuk’s sword spun.
Whoooooosh.
A small circle expanded in an instant, and wind whirled violently.
Whirrrr-rurururururu!
It was Geom Mugeuk’s sword wind. He had stirred up sword wind because if he tried to knock them away with his sword, he felt he could not afford to miss even one.
Papapapapapapapak!
The incoming hidden weapons were caught in the sword wind and sent flying back to where they had come from.
But he had not blocked every hidden weapon. What Geom Mugeuk blocked were the hidden weapons that had flown from the left wall.
The men on the right side should have screamed as the hidden weapons from the right wall struck them, yet not a single scream rang out.
When Geom Mugeuk looked back, he saw the Sword King’s back. He had charged in at once and swung his sword, deflecting every hidden weapon.
Because they had their backs to each other, neither of them could see how the other had blocked the hidden weapons. The men’s eyes likely had not been able to follow it, but it must have been truly fantastic. Geom Mugeuk regretted not seeing the technique for himself.
But had he been confident he would not miss even a single one? Or had he thought it would be fine if one person died?
“Is anyone hurt?”
At the Sword King’s question, Hongin answered loudly.
“No, sir. Thank you for saving us.”
The men looked at one another in relief. Was it because they had seen the stars the previous night? The emotion of having survived felt greater than ever. Not one of them reproached the comrade who had made the mistake.
Their gazes turned toward the floor. Dozens of hidden weapons deflected by Geom Mugeuk and the Sword King were scattered across it.
They had taken it for granted that the Sword King could block them, but they had not expected Geom Mugeuk to block all those hidden weapons.
As they stared at him in astonishment, Geom Mugeuk said,
“I told you I was worth a hundred men, didn’t I?”
It was the moment they confirmed with their own eyes that Geom Mugeuk truly was an extraordinary expert. Yes, they should have realized it when the Sword King gave him special treatment.
After expressing their gratitude to the Sword King, the men gathered around Geom Mugeuk.
Hongin thanked him as their representative.
“Thank you.”
Now Hongin’s words and attitude toward Geom Mugeuk had become courteous.
“Please treat me comfortably as a newcomer, just like before.”
How could he do that when Geom Mugeuk was the best at the work and his martial arts were this strong? Especially when he had even saved their lives.
“I actually enjoy being the youngest who hides his strength! So please treat me comfortably!”
At Geom Mugeuk’s joke, not only Hongin but the other men as well burst into laughter.
Hongin did as Geom Mugeuk wanted.
“Thanks, youngest.”
Work resumed again.
As if that accident had never happened, Geom Mugeuk immersed himself in the task.
With Geom Mugeuk leading the work, a task that no one could have guessed how long would take was already finished.
At this pace, it seemed they could completely excavate the mechanism and even dismantle it by sometime tomorrow.
“Work’s over!”
At Hongin’s shout, Geom Mugeuk cried, “I’m hungry!” It would have been nice if it had ended there.
“But aren’t you going to hold a welcome party for the newcomer?”
The Sword King’s hand naturally went to the shoe hanging at his waist. But he could not throw it in front of everyone watching.
Especially not at the person who had saved them all.
* * *
“This time, he bought liquor and meat?”
At Ian’s report, even the Fist Demon let out a dumbfounded laugh. Whenever a report related to Geom Mugeuk came in, expressions kept appearing on that solemn, frightening face that did not suit it at all.
“It seems the Young Cult Leader is still all right. It’s not as though he bought medicine or coffins.”
The Ilhwa Sword Venerable picked up Ian’s joke.
“Wouldn’t medicine be better, rather? From the enemy’s point of view.”
Ian laughed, knowing what she meant. After all, it would be easier to block Geom Mugeuk’s sword energy than to deal with him at a drinking party.
“Then I will report to you again as soon as the next report comes in.”
She left the room and came out into the courtyard.
Though she had come out smiling on the surface, inwardly, she was worried about Geom Mugeuk.
He had bought blankets, watched the stars, and bought liquor.
But how could Geom Mugeuk possibly be playing around? If anything, she was even more worried. Because she knew better than anyone what kind of person Geom Mugeuk was.
‘Even there, Young Master is truly doing his utmost.’
The stranger the reports, the harder he must be trying.
At that moment, someone spoke from behind her.
“Are you worried about the Young Cult Leader?”
When she turned around, the Ilhwa Sword Venerable was walking toward her.
Ian answered honestly.
“The Young Cult Leader saw something in him that I could not see.”
The Ilhwa Sword Venerable nodded.
“Yes, that is the kind of person he is.”
If Ian had viewed the fact that Geom Mugeuk had seen through the Sword King negatively, the Ilhwa Sword Venerable viewed it positively. He was someone who saw what others could not, so there was no need to worry.
“You know well what kind of person the Young Cult Leader is, do you not?”
Yes. Because she knew, she worried—and because she knew, Geom Mugeuk was also someone she did not have to worry about at all.
“Yes! Who am I to worry about whom? From now on, I will wrap my worries up tightly and stuff them under the blanket.”
The two women looked at each other and smiled. The Sword Venerable could have been difficult and awkward because they had not done much together before, but Ian was deeply grateful that she treated her so comfortably like this.
The Ilhwa Sword Venerable was about to continue on her way, but then stopped.
“Captain Yi.”
“Yes, Sword Venerable.”
The Ilhwa Sword Venerable gave her unexpected advice.
“When the moment comes that you must make a decision, do not hesitate.”
Ian was inwardly flustered by the sudden advice. Those words just now did not mean she should not hesitate when executing martial arts.
They meant that when she had to make some decision in life, she should not hesitate. And it did not sound like she meant to decide quickly, but to decide properly.
“Yes! I will never hesitate.”
At her spirited answer, the Ilhwa Sword Venerable smiled, then walked away.
Ian stood there for a moment, watching her from behind. A moment ago, she had seen regret in her eyes. It had been an impulsive remark born from that deep regret.
‘What decision did you hesitate over, to regret it so much?’
* * *
The mechanism had completely revealed itself.
Its appearance looked like a monster that had been hiding underground, now exposing its bones and entrails.
All the men underground gathered and looked at it. It was a truly moving moment. They had suffered so much in order to see that.
Of course, none of them knew what awaited beyond that iron wall. There might be even more dangerous things lined up one after another, or it might simply end inside there. They knew nothing.
They only hoped this process would end even one day sooner.
The male expert in mechanisms spoke to the Sword King.
“This mechanism was made with very old techniques.”
“Can you dismantle it?”
The man looked at the mechanism, then nodded with a confident expression.
“I can.”
When the Sword King nodded, the man spoke vigorously to the men under his command. They were all people he had taught.
“We begin the work.”
Geom Mugeuk stood side by side with the Sword King and watched the dismantling team work from nearby.
“Thank you for the welcome party yesterday.”
The Sword King shook his head. Yesterday’s welcome party had been utter chaos. Was it because they had taken in the outside air once? Once Geom Mugeuk took the lead in setting the mood, everyone had been too busy laughing and chatting to know what to do with themselves.
When Geom Mugeuk, drunk, brought up that he wanted to hear their big brother sing, the Sword King had immediately risen from his seat, so he had no idea what happened afterward. Still, at the time, he had muttered this to himself: Insane. It had been directed at Geom Mugeuk and also at himself. At himself, who had even held a welcome party.
“Honestly, I’m still confused. Whether this is your sincerity, or whether it’s just for show.”
Geom Mugeuk answered without hesitation.
“It’s for show.”
The Sword King looked at Geom Mugeuk.
“I don’t think I would have done this if there weren’t someone there to see me do it. Even now, I am making an effort toward you, Master. Asking you to see what makes me special.”
“While saying your intentions out loud like this?”
“Confession is also part of the effort.”
“Fine, let’s say that’s true. Why are you making the effort?”
After a brief silence, Geom Mugeuk spoke honestly.
“I suppose I’m afraid of fighting you, Master.”
The Sword King’s gaze as he looked at Geom Mugeuk deepened.
“So perhaps I’m trying to build a good relationship with you, even like this. In hopes that later, right before you kill me, you will hesitate even for an instant. And because of that hesitation, you will die by my hand.”
The Sword King said with an incredulous expression,
“If you say everything so honestly, doesn’t that make it meaningless?”
“This, too, is all part of the strategy.”
Watching Geom Mugeuk put on a sly smile, the Sword King looked back at the dismantling work.
Then the Sword King abruptly said,
“It is not easy for a person to change their fate.”
After a short pause, Geom Mugeuk asked,
“With your skill, Master, could you not change even that fate?”
The Sword King gave no answer.
Yes, how could Geom Mugeuk not know? Jo Chunbae, who did business in Maga Village, the Sword King before his eyes, and himself. How difficult it was to change one’s life.
If one was strong, it was difficult because one was strong; if one was weak, it was difficult because one was weak.
“You were angry before, weren’t you? When I described the people I killed as your comrades. Then what are you doing with people who are not even your comrades?”
Then he asked the question he had truly wanted to ask.
“Who is above you, Master?”
Geom Mugeuk’s heart pounded. Would Hwa Mugi’s name come out of the Sword King’s mouth?
But the Sword King said nothing. Geom Mugeuk did not ask again. This, too, was a question he had to save and cherish.
At that moment, the male mechanism expert came and reported.
“The mechanism has been dismantled.”
From everyone there, he could feel astonishment, tension, fear, and anticipation. All sorts of emotions spread out in every direction.
Geom Mugeuk and the Sword King stood at the very front of the iron wall. The other men gathered behind the two of them. May all that long suffering end here, at last.
“Then I will open it.”
Grrrrrk.
The sound alone told them that it had not been opened in a very long time.
As everyone watched, the iron wall slowly began to open.