Chapter 8: What a Dog-like Bastard

Regret clouded the old man’s eyes.

“At the great hero Go’s request, I intentionally approached your sworn brother. The great hero Go’s tip that your sworn brother longed for friendship with a learned scholar was true. He treated me with such utmost respect that I didn’t know what to do with myself. As my friendship with your sworn brother deepened, my worries grew. You don’t know how much I agonized. But in the end, I couldn’t refuse the great hero Go’s plea to help him just once.

That day, I received a promise from the great hero Go and his son that they would not harm your sworn brother in the duel. Even so, if the great hero Go hadn’t staked his conscience and honor on the promise that he would not leave any aftereffects on your sworn brother, I would never have accepted the medicine he gave me. I hesitated until the very last moment. But in the end, I put the energy-scattering poison in your sworn brother’s tea. I consoled myself by thinking that your sworn brother was still young and would have plenty of opportunities later.”

The old man, who had suddenly started trembling as if having a seizure, barely managed to compose himself and continued his recollection.

“I was on pins and needles the whole time I was watching your sworn brother’s duel. My insides were burning because he was stubbornly holding on even though it was difficult for him to operate his internal energy. I prayed and prayed for your sworn brother to give up. Then that disaster happened. It was a tragedy that happened in an instant. I, who had lost my mind, rushed to the great hero Go without thinking. Even if I protested to him, it was something that couldn’t be undone, but at that time, I was in no state to consider such things. The great hero Go, saying that it was something he hadn’t expected either, grabbed my shoulder and tried to calm me down. I shook off the great hero Go’s hand and ran to your sworn brother. And I was struck by your sworn brother’s dagger.”

The old man sobbed.

“I should have died then. Even if I died a hundred times, I can’t repay the sin I committed against your sworn brother, but…”

Staring at the old man who couldn’t continue speaking, I spat out the question that had been stuck in my throat for the past watch.

The Eccentric Immortal, who had been listening to my father’s story in the mountains, had pointed out something that didn’t add up. It was that the Chang-gung Spear Sect, which had been a long-established and prestigious family in the Seongju martial world, had been destroyed about twenty years ago after clashing with the Hundred Blades Alliance, a newly emerging sect that was vying for supremacy in the Goyang area. The fact that my father’s enemy was currently a high-ranking official in the Hundred Blades Alliance meant that he had betrayed the Chang-gung Spear Sect.

“I can understand that you committed that terrible act against my father at the instigation of that man named Go Jin-myeong, but why did you betray even him, old man? You said he was your benefactor, didn’t you?”

At my question, the wailing old man stopped crying abruptly. A strange resentment was in his eyes as he looked up at me.

“I have never betrayed the great hero Go. I only avenged his grudge.”

“What do you mean?”

The old man, taking a deep breath as if to calm his boiling emotions, poured out his words in a suppressed voice.

“It’s as painful as having my heart torn apart, but let’s start again from that day. Your sworn brother’s dagger unfortunately did not kill me. The Cheong-in Martial Arts Academy’s Master Min, Head Instructor Jang, and Head Instructor Woo, sensing the unusual atmosphere, tried to capture and interrogate me, but they couldn’t achieve their goal due to the great hero Go’s intervention. Although my blood vessels were not damaged, I had lost so much blood that I fainted and only regained consciousness three days later. And I heard that the people from the Cheong-in Martial Arts Academy had taken your sworn brother, who had suffered incurable serious injuries, and returned to the academy. I wanted to follow your sworn brother and repay my debt with my life, but I couldn’t because the great hero Go forcibly held me back. And a few days later, that news arrived.”

The old man shed tears again.

I knew what ‘that news’ was. It was about the incident where the martial artists of the Cheong-in Martial Arts Academy, who were returning to their hometown, encountered bandits in the Baekhyang Mountains and were massacred. Because of that incident, the Cheong-in Martial Arts Academy, which had maintained its lineage for eighty years, fell overnight.

“My vision went dark. I pleaded with the great hero Go and headed to the Baekhyang Mountains. I wanted to at least collect your sworn brother’s body and hold a funeral for him. After that, I planned to follow your sworn brother. I was going to meet your sworn brother in the afterlife and receive my punishment. But when I got to the scene, only the bodies of Master Min and the two head instructors were scattered around, and your sworn brother was nowhere to be seen. That wasn’t the only strange thing. There were dozens of bodies that were clearly bandits scattered around. The great hero Go, who investigated the traces, inferred that a master of considerable martial prowess must have slaughtered them.

I felt a sense of déjà vu. Isn’t it similar to what happened to me when I was a porter? I came to the conclusion that the unknown master who had punished the bandits must have rescued your sworn brother who was in the carriage. And I hoped that the master would treat your sworn brother’s injuries and also teach him martial arts. Just as it had been for me, I prayed that the tragedy would be a blessing in disguise for your sworn brother. Anyway, I decided to stay alive. Because I had to be alive to be able to offer my neck to your sworn brother who would come to find me later.”

I was about to urge the old man, who was beating around the bush, to answer my original question, but I exercised my patience. I could wring the old man’s neck at any time, and it wouldn’t hurt to hear the circumstances.

“I’ve gotten sidetracked. I was just trying to explain the reason I joined the Chang-gung Spear Sect. I couldn’t go back to the academy. I didn’t want to cause any unnecessary harm, and I had to stay at the Chang-gung Spear Sect so that your sworn brother could find me right away. Having become a guest of the Chang-gung Spear Sect, I spent my days in repentance, waiting endlessly for your sworn brother. But even after more than a decade, there was no news of your sworn brother.”

The old man’s eyes shone with an unprecedentedly intense light.

“Then that incident happened. Sang-don, that villain of the world, assassinated the great hero Go and became the number one spear of the Chang-gung Spear Sect. To turn back time, that child did not win the Anpyeong Martial Arts Tournament. The knee injury he suffered from your sworn brother held him back. That child, who ridiculously held a grudge against the great hero Go for not properly arranging things, later committed the patricide of stabbing that elder in the heart. The great hero Go was not the only one who lost his life. Eighty percent of the elders met with a disaster. It was the result of the mid-level spear masters of the Chang-gung Spear Sect, who were swayed by that child’s evil theory of expanding their power, siding with him.”

“What a dog-like bastard.”

The old man shook his head at my comment.

“He’s worse than a dog.”

“And you just stood by and watched while things got to that point, old man?”

“I had no idea what was going on. I had been living as a cripple for nearly fifteen years. Then, just a few days before that incident, I left the Chang-gung Spear Sect. No, it would be more correct to say I was kicked out. The one who kicked me out was the great hero Go. He probably foresaw that something bad would happen and tried to get me to safety.”

“Then are you saying that man couldn’t stop his own son even though he knew he was plotting something?”

“At that time, I believe that villain’s martial prowess was still inferior to the great hero Go’s. But the great hero Go probably just gave up his heart. He couldn’t bring himself to harm his own child. Knowing that, that child carried out the rebellion. He is truly a villain of the world.”

I completely agreed. To kill one’s own father, it was something I couldn’t even imagine.

“Only later did I learn that the great hero Go had met with a tragedy, and I resolved to take revenge.”

“Wait! Are you saying that villainous brat just left you alone, old man?”

A bitter smile appeared on the old man’s lips.

“After that day’s failure, that child treated me like a bug. At some point, he probably even forgot that I existed in a corner of the Chang-gung Spear Sect.”

“What a clumsy bastard.”

“…He wasn’t that easy of a man. He was a tough nut and extremely cunning. His martial arts were also strong enough to be among the top eight masters of Seongju at that time. But I was still able to punish that villain.”

“By borrowing someone else’s sword, you mean?”

“That’s right. I approached the Ghost Blade, who, like that villain, was one of the top eight masters of Seongju. He accepted me, perhaps thinking that my wisdom would be helpful. I helped him gather swordsmen from all over and build up our power. In just a few years, the Hundred Blades Alliance grew into a sect that could rival the Chang-gung Spear Sect.

Judging that the time was ripe, I suggested to the alliance master that we attack the Chang-gung Spear Sect. The alliance master hesitated, as a full-scale war would likely lead to mutual destruction. I persuaded him again, saying that we could easily win if we caused internal strife in the Chang-gung Spear Sect. And I actually succeeded in that scheme. I put in all sorts of effort, but I’ll skip the process. Anyway, thanks to the internal strife of the Chang-gung Spear Sect, the Hundred Blades Alliance was able to annihilate them without much damage and take over Goyang. I soothed the great hero Go’s vengeful spirit by hacking to pieces the body of that villain, whose head had already been taken by the alliance master’s sword.”

I looked at the old man with new eyes. The old man was an incarnation of persistence, no less than my father.

With my questions answered, I gave the old man a chance to leave his last words.

“If you have any last words, say them, old man.”

Tears welled up in the old man’s aged eyes.

“Your sworn brother was the only friend I had in my entire life. There was no one before or after him with whom my heart connected so well and to whom I gave so much affection. I committed a sin against such a person that can never be washed away. Please kill me painfully. I have been waiting for this day since that day. And as I said before, after you have punished this sinner, leave Anpyeong immediately. The Taegeuk Sword Sect will never…”

“I’ll take care of it myself, so mind your own business.”

“Ah, please…”

The old man couldn’t continue his plea. It was because of the cold voice that flowed in from outside the window.

“It’s a shame, but I can’t let that child leave Anpyeong, Grand Master Hong. If you break someone else’s bones, you have to give up your own before you go.”

The old man’s face turned white. The old man, who had shot up as if he had never fallen, went to the window and shouted.

“What do you mean by that, Alliance Master? Didn’t you say you would keep that matter quiet?”

“I did. But I’ve changed my mind. Listening to your story makes me feel disgusted. Now I see you used me as a hunting dog.”

“That’s not true, Alliance Master. Haven’t I served you faithfully as your loyal servant for the past eighteen years? In consideration of my past contributions…”

“That’s enough, Grand Master. Isn’t it too pathetic?”

“Please, Alliance Master…”

“I said that’s enough. If you defy my orders any further, it won’t end with just breaking that child’s bones.”

The owner of the voice that had silenced the old man called me out.

“Come out. Let me see your face.”

The old man turned his head to me and said urgently.

“Please postpone my punishment for a moment.”

Without waiting for my response, the old man passed me and went out of the detached room. I let him go. Then, I followed him out of the tiled house.

[End of Chapter]