The sun set, and darkness fell swiftly.
The wind rattled the paper-paneled doors, and the flames upon the brazier danced erratically.
Seated around Cheongdam, Ogyo and Saun wore expressions of despair.
Saun was no physician, but he had spent a long time by Cheongdam's side and had watched her condition closely.
Because of that, he knew.
That her illness was worse now than it had ever been.
Gongnyeong Pungmaek was a deadly affliction for which not a single case of recovery had ever been recorded.
He had known that a day like this would come, sooner or later.
But what would change simply because he had known?
Hardening his heart was impossible.
Just as one cannot stem overflowing water with bare hands, when the time came, sorrow would crash over him like an unbearable calamity.
If she died, the sky would turn to ash and never recover its brightness again.
No matter how long one stood in the falling rain without an umbrella, a heart riddled with holes would never be filled.
Ogyo, too, felt the sorrow.
But the stray dog's grief was a little different.
This naive girl was too immature to fully understand the emotion called sorrow.
To her, this sense of loss and despair came as fear.
Cold sweat trickled, and her heart beat frantically like mad.
The sight of Cheongdam lying in the sickbed kept reminding her of Yohwa on that day.
Pale hands.
Withered lips.
Damp hair.
A voice on the verge of fading away.
Yohwa left behind only a dreamlike reverberation and vanished into a handful of smoke.
Nothing was as transient as a human life.
In this brutal world, people would kill one another over nothing more than a single bag of rice.
The stray dog had faced countless threats to her life ever since she was young.
To survive, she had mercilessly killed those who attacked her.
There had never been a time to weigh right and wrong.
Naturally, she had believed everyone lived that way.
But she simply had not known.
That human life was precious.
Cheongdam, who had been unconscious all afternoon, finally opened her eyes.
"S-Sister-in-law."
"Damcheong."
When the two called out her name as if rushing to her side at once, Cheongdam smiled softly.
"Why do both of you... wear such expressions?"
"A-are you well?"
"Well... The Young Master has been watching over me as I lie here, so surely you know better than I do...."
Even uttering a single word seemed difficult; Cheongdam panted for breath.
Saun was at a loss for words. He merely trembled quietly with his clenched fist.
"Where is this place...? It is dark outside the window.... Is it night?"
"Yes, it is night. P-please do not mind your surroundings. We had no time, so we have temporarily placed you in a humble place."
"Is this not a temple? If so, you should not carelessly call it humble, Young Master...."
"Y-you are right. That was a slip of the tongue."
Cheongdam let out a short laugh and turned her head to the side to look at Ogyo.
"Sister Gyo, why do you not speak?"
"I...."
The words would not come easily.
Ogyo had been exhaling roughly, like someone who had been sprinting at full strength.
Her face was drenched in sweat no less than Cheongdam's, and her eyes brimmed with tears.
She could not bear the sorrow, nor did she know how to hide her emotions like an adult.
"Damcheong, I, I...."
The stray dog clutched her sleeve and wrung it fiercely.
In the end, a falling tear tapped the back of her own hand.
Cheongdam reached her hand out from under the covers and patted Ogyo's knee.
The chill in that touch made it feel as though her heart would stop.
"Damcheong, are you dying? You.... Are you dying?"
At the question asked through sobs, Cheongdam opened her eyes wide for a moment as if surprised.
Soon after, she smiled gently.
"Yes, that's right. Sister Gyo, we will soon have to part ways."
"U-ung...."
"To think you would cry so for me, whom you have not even known for long.... Sister Gyo, you truly are kind."
The tender tone clawed at her chest.
Ogyo sprang up from her seat as if she could endure it no longer.
"I, I.... I'll wait outside."
As she fled outside as if escaping, Cheongdam gave a bitter smile.
An awkward silence flowed for a while.
Only the crackling sound of the brazier's flames was loud.
"S-Sister-in-law."
Saun suddenly spoke, bearing a smile that did not suit him.
"Do you remember? Wh-when we were young... the three of us boating together on the Shiyang River."
The Shiyang River was a long river flowing through Hexi.
In summer, the perennial snows of the Qilian Mountains would melt, causing the river to swell to a depth sufficient to float a boat.
"Yes, I remember."
"E-Elder Brother cast his fishing line, and I jumped into the river with a harpoon. We bet on who would catch a fish first."
"The winner would play the role of a righteous faction's knight-errant who rescues me during our next game, and the loser would play the role of the Demonic Cult leader."
Saun burst into laughter, saying that she was right.
His elder brother Taeun had taken pity on him, saying it was unfair that only he got to fall into the water, and suggested they take turns with the harpoon, but Saun refused.
He had refused so that the two of them could spend time together on the boat.
Even then, Saun had already wielded the quick sword, so his hands were remarkably fast.
Catching fish with a harpoon was as easy as eating cold porridge, but he always waited in the water until Taeun caught a fish.
He had never once won the bet.
In their games, he always played the role of an evil unorthodox character trying to kidnap Cheongdam.
He would roll ridiculously in the dirt, suffering countless deaths, but he was happy nonetheless.
Because Cheongdam would laugh upon seeing him like that.
"I pitied you, Young Master. Why could you never win against my husband even once?"
"E-Elder Brother is a hero renowned throughout the martial world; it is only natural that someone like me could not stand against him."
Cheongdam knew those words were a lie.
Saun was born with talent no less outstanding than his elder brother Taeun's, and on top of that, he possessed a terrifying obsession that his brother lacked.
The disciples of Jeokha Gate practiced a sword technique called Hwangsa Jinak Sword, passed down for generations.
It was a heavy strong-sword technique that overwhelmed opponents with power.
But Saun had a slender build and weak strength, so he could not properly wield this sword technique.
Jeokha Gate Lord Im Cheonak always belittled and scolded Saun for failing to master the main sect's martial arts, but that was because his eyes were dim.
Saun possessed a talent of a different nature from the main sect's disciples.
Though weak in strength, his hands were fierce and fast—conditions beyond compare for learning the quick sword.
Every night, Saun honed his own sword technique in the empty training ground.
No matter how exhausted or difficult it was, he never stopped, always pushing himself to his limits, so as time passed, his skill rose to a level that did not fall short of his elder brother Im Taeun's.
But Saun had never once displayed his skill in front of others.
Instead, he was always desperate to hide it.
He was exceedingly shy and disliked standing out in others' eyes; moreover, he did not want to draw unnecessary attention and damage his elder brother's prestige.
After all, it was Im Taeun who would one day succeed the sect leader.
People often likened Im Taeun to the sun and his wife Song Cheongdam to the moon.
And they called Im Saun a shadow crushed beneath his elder brother's blinding radiance.
Shadow Cloud.
That had been his nickname since long ago.
"Are you truly alright with that, Young Master?"
Saun smiled awkwardly.
"I-It's fine. I know my place."
Cheongdam looked dissatisfied but said nothing more.
"I am a little tired. May I rest my eyes for a moment?"
"...Yes, please rest comfortably, Sister-in-law."
Saun quietly rose from his seat.
As he exited the room, Ogyo was sitting on the steps right before him.
Saun tried to pass by but quietly came to stand by her side.
"If you intend to say your farewells to Sister-in-law, hurry. She seems to have overcome the immediate crisis, but she will certainly not last long."
Ogyo did not answer, instead curling up and hugging her knees.
Saun sighed at the sight.
Though the sun had set, the surroundings were quite bright.
Looking up, the full moon was unusually close tonight.
Ogyo was lost in deep thought.
She rummaged through all her memories, trying to think of a way to overcome this crisis.
It was the first time. The first time she had searched so desperately for an answer to something.
Yohwa had said that medicine and poison were of the same vein.
In other words, her poison could kill people, but it could also save them.
Gongnyeong Pungmaek was an illness in which the qi in the body rampaged, damaging the body.
The cause lay in the rotation of qi racing rapidly along the meridians.
Why had countless physicians and martial artists failed to cure this illness?
If the flow of qi was the problem, one should be able to control it through willpower.
No, perhaps it was called an illness precisely because one could not control it themselves.
It could not be resolved through simple means.
Even if one temporarily stopped the flow of qi through external intervention, that was merely a temporary measure and could not be called a cure.
In the end, the illness itself had to be eliminated.
But was it not called an incurable disease because that was impossible?
No. No.
Yohwa had also said.
It was not an incurable disease because it could never be healed.
It was only called so temporarily because a cure had not yet been found.
Yohwa had also treated her own immortality as an illness that could someday be cured.
A method surely existed.
Even if it did not, she needed only to create one.
If she could not stop the flow, couldn't she change the very nature of the qi?
Change its nature.
Yes, what made that possible was precisely medicine and poison.
If she directly interfered with the path of its circulation through the body and sent poison flowing through it, perhaps....
Ogyo sprang to her feet.
"Stutterer."
"M-My name is Im Saun."
"Help me."
For the first time in her life, the stray dog had asked someone for a favor.
Saun studied Ogyo's expression and realized she was not speaking lightly.
"Help you?"
"I'm going to cure Damcheong's illness."
Saun was bewildered and momentarily at a loss for words.
"C-cure? With what means... It is an illness upon which all the physicians in the world have raised the white flag."
"I don't care about that. I'll cure it."
Ogyo's words were endlessly resolute.
Saun felt as if his spirit were suppressed and could not argue further.
"What will you do?"
"...I can't explain it well."
"What must I do to help?"
At those words, Ogyo turned to Saun.
"I'm going to use jeolcho to cure Damcheong's illness. But when I use this technique, I won't be able to move from my spot, and after I use it, all my strength will leave me and I will collapse. During that time, no one can touch me."
"So you want me to stand guard during that time?"
Ogyo quietly nodded.
Saun stared at Ogyo for a moment.
A strange girl.
No one knew where she came from or even her true identity, and the martial arts she used were bizarre as well.
Her temperament was eccentric, and she knew nothing of etiquette.
Like a small, ferocious wild animal.
But this girl undoubtedly cherished Cheongdam.
That sentiment alone was conveyed clearly.
"You said it yourself. Your sect bastards are still chasing you."
"...Yes, that is undoubtedly true."
"If those things burst in and interfere, everything is over. You have to stop them, no matter what it takes."
"L-leave it to me. I shall stake my life on it."
Saun spoke confidently, but Ogyo was doubtful.
Though their numbers had decreased, they were still many; could this man really stop them alone?
But Saun was no less anxious in his heart.
"C-can you really cure Sister-in-law?"
"...I don't know."
"If something goes wrong?"
"She'll die."
Saun's pupils shook.
But in the end, he could not help but accept that this was the best course.
Cheongdam would die even if he left her be, regardless.
"Very well. I entrust her to you."
"Mm."
Saun drew his sword and descended the stairs, while Ogyo went back inside the temple.
Cheongdam was asleep.
Ogyo quietly knelt before her.
He reached out and touched her cheek; it had gone cold.
He brushed aside her sweat-drenched hair, drew a deep breath, and took out the thread spool he had carefully hidden in his bosom.
It was not the thread he normally used as a weapon, but a special thread called Jamnyeongsa that he had received from Hyeolan Baekmo.
This thread was so extremely fine and thin that it was invisible to the eye.
Even if it pierced the skin, not a single drop of blood would fall—indeed, there would be no sensation of being pricked at all.
When he raised his internal energy, the spool spun on its own and unwound, yet the thread remained invisible to the eye.
Only when the long thread spread wide enough to fill the room did faint, sand-like glimmers finally become visible here and there.
There was only one chance.
Failure would not be tolerated.
He had practiced this technique with Yohwa many times, but had never succeeded perfectly even once.
Moreover, this was a martial art created to attack others.
Yet now, he was trying to use it to save someone's life.
Martial arts and poison alike—all could kill or save others depending on how they were used.
Ogyo held his breath and infused every drop of his internal energy and every shred of his consciousness into the thread.
Yeonyeon Hyeollak, the ultimate technique.
Jiutian Yinsi Wan Du Ji Zhu.
I will... definitely save you.
*
The night deepened, and it was approaching midnight.
Busy sounds of human activity were heard around the temple, and soon a crowd carrying torches leaped over the wall in one go.
They were pursuers from Jeokhamun and Bichwigak.
Their forces had been greatly diminished, but they still had not given up on the Cheongpungdan.
In truth, their retreat was cut off; even if they wanted to give up, they couldn't.
They had swallowed their pride and even enlisted the authorities' aid, yet they had failed to resolve the matter.
Yang Uisin, who was called the greatest under heaven, had absurdly been unable to find Ogyo's party in the mountains and simply returned.
The disciples left one by one, and even the Second Young Master of Jeokhamun had vanished without a trace.
It was one thing for the sect's disciples to flee, but his son's disappearance was another matter entirely.
Im Cheonak, the Lord of Jeokhamun, guessed the reason Saun had disappeared at this juncture.
Saun had long harbored dissatisfaction with the marriage to Cheongdam.
He had even repeatedly defied his father over the matter.
Had he wanted to put on airs like a man in front of a woman?
Im Cheonak surmised that Saun must have left to help Cheongdam and pursued his trail.
They went all the way to Gayokgwan, discovered the whereabouts of Cheongdam's party, and finally arrived here.
As the martial artists of the two sects entered the temple, someone stood in the very center of the courtyard, sword in hand.
It was Im Saun.
"S-stop."
He raised his sword and spoke to those surrounding him.
"No one may enter this temple."
Im Cheonak's face contorted fiercely at the sight of Saun pointing his sword at his own father—an act of impiety.
"I thought you had fled the main sect like those cowardly disciples, but now I see you have gone beyond that to become a traitor to the sect. How dare you raise a blade against me?"
"...Sect Leader."
"Yes, Saun. Look straight at me. See who you are facing."
Though until now he had only shown himself being toyed with by Ogyo, Im Cheonak was still unquestionably the leader of a sect.
His martial prowess was profound, and he possessed a commanding presence that overwhelmed others.
Saun's hand holding the sword trembled.
The disciples sneered at his terrified appearance.
"Stop this foolishness and step aside. What will become of you is not important now; we will discuss it later."
"...No."
Saun slowly composed his breath, then looked at Im Cheonak with clear eyes.
"This disciple will not step aside."
"Do you truly wish to die? Or are you trying to commit an act of treason that will shock the world?"
This time, Saun did not waver at Im Cheonak's words.
"Sect Leader, this disciple has already steeled his resolve, so please reserve your words. Undoubtedly, you are my father, my master, and my heaven."
A strange light settled in the man's eyes, and the tip of his sword no longer wavered.
"But today, this disciple stands here prepared to defy the will of Heaven. To the sect leaders of both sects, and to all martial artists under their command, I say this: if you value your lives, turn around and leave. Anyone who dares approach this temple... w-will taste this young master's Swift Sword."
No one was frightened by this feeble threat.
The two sect leaders laughed incredulously.
One impatient martial artist from Bichwigak stepped forward.
"We've humbled ourselves to treat you as the Second Young Master all this time, yet a wretch like you struts about without knowing his place. Very well, let us see that magnificent Swift Sword of yours answer my blade!"
The man drew his sword and charged; Saun assumed his stance.
The next moment, a fierce sound rent the air.
It was not merely the sound of cutting wind, but a sharp noise like tearing.
A sudden gust blew in, extinguishing the torches held by the martial artists all at once.
The man who had stepped forward stopped, his sword raised high.
Then his head slowly slid off his neck and rolled limply to the ground.
Saun stood before him with a cold expression.
He flicked the blood from his sword and looked around.
"This young master warns you again—e-everyone, turn your steps and leave this place."
This time, no one laughed at his words.
Who could have known Im Saun's sword was this fast?
Not only the disciples of Jeokhamun, but even Im Cheonak's face hardened in surprise.
Saun had never revealed his true strength during sparring at the main sect.
The Swift Sword he wielded embodied the essence of lightning speed and instant resolution, making it unsuited for exchange-based sparring.
He swung his sword at invisible speed, deciding victory in a single move before the opponent could even respond.
This swordsmanship only displayed its true worth when wielded with killing intent.
"W-what are you all standing there gawking at!"
Im Cheonak belatedly roared.
"Don't be afraid! He's alone! He is no longer a disciple of the main sect, so there is nothing to hesitate over! Kill him!"
At this cry, the disciples of both sects hesitated briefly, then simultaneously rushed at Saun.
Finally, a full-fledged battle began.
Saun plunged into the midst of his enemies without hesitation and swung his sword.
Blood and flesh sprayed everywhere, and severed bodies rolled across the ground.
Just then, dark clouds rolled in and covered the moon.
As if telling it to look no longer upon the ugly tragedy unfolding below.
"S-Sister-in-law."
From time to time, I would run into her in the deep of night.
Because I trained only during late hours when no one else was watching, and she would always wander the sect at midnight, unable to sleep.
"Young master, you were training again today."
As if accustomed to it, she would sit nearby and watch me train.
Though it could hardly have been interesting.
When training finished, I would sometimes sit near her and spend time together for a while, but words hardly passed between us.
When my elder brother was with us, he would lead the conversation, but when alone with her, I never knew what to say.
When I stole a glance, she would be looking up at the moon with a downcast expression.
What was she thinking?
Could she be wanting to return to her hometown?
"The moon is hidden by clouds today."
She abruptly spoke first.
Not wanting to let this favor go to waste, I answered in haste.
"Y-yes. So it is."
You idiot.
Was that all? Was that the only thing I could say?
"It's a pity. I wanted to see the bright moon."
Looking at her, she seemed a bit forlorn.
Please do not make that expression.
If you do not smile, spring will never come to this barren mountain.
"A m-moon veiled by clouds has its own charm, does it not?"
"Is that so?"
"Y-yes. A beautiful woman is gazed upon by all, so... like a precious stone protected by a curtain... Are not those clouds the same?"
What nonsense was I spouting?
I had spent my whole life honing martial arts and had never read a book.
Thinking she would laugh, my face flushed before my mind could catch up.
But she did not laugh.
She only stared at me with wide, round eyes.
"Young master says such peculiar things. I have never thought of it that way."
"P-please forget it."
"Why? I don't want to forget. It is such a lovely thing to say."
Saying so, she bloomed like a flower into a smile.
Ah—as expected, you were the one who brought the spring.
"Hearing those words, even those dark clouds don't seem so hateful."
Saying that, she looked up at the sky again.
As for me, I was so entranced by her profile that I couldn't tell whether the moon had risen or not.
The moon resembled you, and the clouds resembled me.
The moon and the clouds.
From below, they seem to be together at a glance, but in truth they are impossibly far apart.
Just like you and me.
Twelve years ago, you came to us in a flower palanquin, passing through the great gate.
The sect leader had said you would be married to the main sect's most outstanding disciple, so that person was naturally not me.
My elder brother was a hero recognized by the world, a talent destined to succeed the sect leader.
In this life, there was no fate between you and me.
But I was content merely to watch your beautiful face from nearby.
I lived in the shadows.
All my life, I have been someone's shadow.
But what of it?
Forever and always, I will be the shadow where you hide your body.
"I am the shadow cloud... I shall drift, following your moonlight."
Blood flows, staining the corners of his eyes.
The hand gripping the sword trembles beyond his will.
Death approaches, but the man smiles.
As he wields his sword beneath the faint moonlight, forgetting fear, his heart soars as if he is dancing a dance hand in hand with her.