Chapter 45
As Wi Ilcheong was leaving Eun Yak-byeok’s private chambers, he heard the Hao Sect Leader’s voice in his ear.
“You’ve never loved anyone, Young Master Wi.”
Hearing those words, Wi Ilcheong’s steps came to a halt.
‘…Me?’
He wanted to ask what the Hao Sect Leader meant, but hesitated, since doing so would mean admitting he’d secretly overheard the leader talking to themselves.
Eavesdropping on someone else wasn’t something a gentleman would do.
He considered making an excuse, saying he’d simply happened to hear it, but in the end Wi Ilcheong decided to ponder the Hao Sect Leader’s words on his own.
‘…Love.’
All the women who flocked around Wi Ilcheong would invariably confess their affection, saying, ‘I love you.’
But now, after hearing what the Hao Sect Leader had said, a tiny seed of doubt sprouted in Wi Ilcheong’s heart.
‘Do I love all those women? No… What is love in the first place?’
Wi Ilcheong wanted a more fundamental answer.
Seeing a beautiful woman and feeling your heart flutter, then devoting yourself to her.
Wasn’t that love?
By that logic, the Hao Sect Leader was wrong.
And yet, rather than feeling the refreshing relief of a knot coming undone in his chest, Wi Ilcheong felt even more stifled.
After much deliberation, Wi Ilcheong finally stopped a Hao Sect member passing by.
“Is there somewhere nearby that’s good for contemplation?”
“Ah… Why don’t you head out to the manor over there? There’s a splendid pine tree there.”
“Thank you.”
Following the Hao Sect member’s directions out to the manor, he found a towering pine tree, just as the man had said.
Beneath it, a young woman was swinging a sword.
‘…Miss Dokgo got here before me.’
Come to think of it, the Hao Sect Leader seemed to have taught her a martial art.
Thinking she’d come out to test her newly learned martial art, Wi Ilcheong quietly watched from the side so as not to disturb her.
Then the worry that had been occupying his mind until a moment ago suddenly resurfaced.
‘…Love.’
Of everyone Wi Ilcheong had met in his life, the most emotional person was Dokgo Ryeong.
Perhaps…
Maybe Dokgo Ryeong…
Might know something about love?
“No, shit… It’s supposed to go like this…”
Just as Dokgo Ryeong seemed to finish her training, Wi Ilcheong casually spoke to her.
“What is, Miss?”
“Eek…!!”
Seeing Dokgo Ryeong react as violently as ever, Wi Ilcheong thought he’d made the right choice.
After a brief scuffle, she’d nicked his hand. Thinking he might use it as an excuse to ask Dokgo Ryeong, he decided to share his question with her.
“Miss Dokgo.”
“W-why?”
“Have you ever been in love?”
“Huh?!”
Dokgo Ryeong’s hair turned pink once again.
*
“W-what are you talking about all of a sudden…!”
“Um… Well, would you mind listening to something that’s been troubling me?”
“W-why should I?!”
“Urgh… My hand…”
Wi Ilcheong suddenly clutched the hand Dokgo Ryeong had cut and hunched over.
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
“…I’m sorry. It does sting a little, though.”
“Shit.”
Dokgo Ryeong spoke, trying to calm her still-pounding heart.
“Why the hell are you suddenly acting all mopey?”
“…Do I seem that way?”
“It’s funny hearing some lecher say he doesn’t know what ‘love’ is.”
“Haha… I suppose you’re right.”
“…”
Wi Ilcheong let out a hearty laugh, but there was something hollow about it.
“You… There really is something bothering you, huh?”
“Someone I know well told me that I don’t understand love.”
“And?”
“It left me a little confused. I thought I was faithfully practicing the love I knew.”
“…And what’s that?”
“What else? The pleasures of the bedchamber.”
“Eek!!”
Dokgo Ryeong’s hair turned pink once more.
“…Miss, you used to speak quite crudely. Lately, your emotions seem to be all over the place.”
“S-shut up!!”
How could she tell him that the Hao Sect Leader had used the Bone-Shrinking Technique to take on Wi Ilcheong’s face and voice, then teased her?
At a loss for words, Dokgo Ryeong kicked Wi Ilcheong away.
“If you’re going to talk nonsense, get lost!”
“Understood. I’ll stop bringing up your hair color.”
“…You bastard.”
“So, Miss, let me return to my original question. What does love mean to you?”
Since it seemed he wouldn’t leave until she answered, Dokgo Ryeong was at a loss.
‘Ah, shit. What’s with this guy all of a sudden…?’
It was maddening to see Wi Ilcheong brooding like Divine Physician Un-yeong.
In the end, Dokgo Ryeong decided to toss him any answer just to get rid of him. She scratched her head roughly and replied.
“You don’t even know that, you brat?”
“Please enlighten me with your wisdom, Miss.”
“Wisdom, my ass… Just, shit, if you think, ‘Ah! I want to give my life to protect this person!’ then that’s love.”
“Wouldn’t that be compassion?”
“What?”
Wi Ilcheong drew his sword and began writing Chinese characters on the ground as he spoke.
“Aren’t those the four beginnings of human nature described by Mencius? Compassion, shame, deference, and a sense of right and wrong. There are many righteous people in the world who pity those in trouble and go so far as to act to help them. That’s not enough to be called love.”
“…”
Dokgo Ryeong had only meant to get rid of Wi Ilcheong, but when he seriously refuted her, irritation began to rise in her too.
“…Shit. That’s not the same thing. That’s someone in trouble.”
“How is it different?”
“For example… Uh… Right. Do you only want to save Dunchi when Dunchi is in trouble?”
“Yes.”
“H-huh?”
Taken aback by the unexpected answer, Dokgo Ryeong was flustered.
“…What about when she isn’t?”
“If she’s in trouble, she’ll ask me for help. Helping her before that would be disrespectful to Miss Baekri, wouldn’t it?”
“…You’re a fucking lunatic.”
“Pardon?”
“Hey, you idiot. How can someone go around asking for help all the time?”
“…But should I just carry Miss Baekri around on my back all day for no reason?”
“No, shit! How did we end up talking about that?!”
In frustration, Dokgo Ryeong tore at her hair.
“Just, shit, if you think, ‘Wow, I’d be in trouble without this guy!’ isn’t that love?!”
“…Is there someone like that?”
“Don’t you love your father?”
“No.”
When Wi Ilcheong said it calmly, Dokgo Ryeong lowered her eyes.
“…Sorry.”
“It’s all right. It’s nothing important.”
“No… You really are a pain in the ass. You’re making this damn hard to explain.”
“Can’t you just say, ‘Love is exactly this!’?”
“Oh, shit! How the hell would I know? You have to experience it to know, damn it.”
“…You’ve never experienced it?”
Wi Ilcheong’s mouth fell open in surprise, and seeing his expression only made Dokgo Ryeong even more irritated.
“No, you bastard. You asked, so I answered sincerely, and now you’re making that shitty face?”
“…I’m sorry. More importantly, please watch your language…”
“Shut up, dumbass. Anyway, if you’re done talking nonsense, get lost. I want to be alone.”
“Haa… Yes, understood. It seems this isn’t a question with an easy answer.”
“Why don’t you ask Dunchi or someone from the Hao Sect instead of me?”
“I should. Well, then…”
Just as Wi Ilcheong turned around to head back into the brothel, someone came running out.
“Oppa Wi!! Miss Dokgo is here too. What a relief!”
“…Is something wrong?”
“We have to hide, quickly!”
“Pardon?”
“The Huangbo Clan has come! Hurry!”
“Why would that…?”
“The Hebei Peng Clan came with them, too!”
“…”
Hearing that, Wi Ilcheong looked at Dokgo Ryeong.
Dokgo Ryeong’s face went pale.
“…Hah, shit.”
*
Mad Demon Dokgo Jin had poor relations with most martial artists, and more than seventy percent of them were members of the Orthodox Faction.
He’d hardly ever had the chance to meet the Demonic Cult. Aside from one time when a woman who headed the Cult’s intelligence network showed up and spouted nonsense about recruiting him—only to be chased away—he’d spent most of his life beating up Orthodox and Unorthodox martial artists.
But martial artists were a truly perverse lot. Even after getting beaten, there were some lunatics who’d grin, bow their heads, and say, ‘Thank you for the lesson.’
If the one who said it kindly was the current Martial Alliance Leader, Namgung Jin, then the one who said it in the most skin-crawling way was the Hebei Peng Clan Patriarch, Peng Woo-deok.
If Mad Demon Dokgo Jin could pass his title to someone else, Peng Woo-deok would be the first person he’d name.
That lunatic followed Dokgo Jin wherever he went, clinging to him relentlessly.
Begging him for a single match.
“Kwahaha! Dokgo Jin! Fight me to the death!”
“…You’re here again? Shit, I’m in the bath.”
“That doesn’t matter! Once more today! Let us dance with our blades!!”
“Haa… You creepy bastard. How the hell did you find me this time?”
“You came to smash the Tang Clan, didn’t you? I know full well that you hate the Tang Clan for reasons beyond my understanding.”
Creak.
Seeing Peng Woo-deok boldly mention the Tang Clan right in front of him, Dokgo Jin gritted his teeth.
As he picked up the horse-slaying saber beside the bathtub without even bothering to put on his clothes, Peng Woo-deok grinned savagely.
Watching him, Dokgo Jin spat out,
“…You’re not getting away unscathed today.”
“Of course! I have no intention of doing so! I hope today will be the day of my death!”
“You crazy bastard!!”
He’d wanted to kill him ages ago, if only to be rid of the nuisance, but what drove Dokgo Jin crazy was that Peng Woo-deok was also exceptionally skilled.
“You’ve gotten stronger since last time, my friend!”
“Just… fucking die!”
“That was a fine strike!”
He was strong enough to deserve the title of head of one of the Five Great Clans, and on occasion, it even felt like he was holding back.
When they first met, he was called the Saber Venerable, but after crossing blades with Dokgo Jin, he eventually began to be called the Saber Immortal.
One of the ten strongest in the martial world.
That was Peng Woo-deok.
“…Hah, shit.”
Remembering those days, Dokgo Ryeong’s face turned pale.
‘No, shit. How the hell did that leech find me here, too?’
The worst thing about Peng Woo-deok was that he didn’t care about anyone else’s circumstances at all.
He’d find you somehow,
demand a fight no matter what,
wear you out completely,
and only then leave, grinning to himself.
He was far too strong to kill just because he was annoying,
but refusing a fight meant missing out on too much.
As Dokgo Ryeong sighed and sat down on the ground, Wi Ilcheong looked at her and asked,
“…Are you on bad terms with the Peng Clan, too?”
“Good… We’re fine… But shit, I hate them.”
“…Pardon?”
“Those crazy bastards are all obsessed with the saber. I think they’d even spare an enemy if he were a saber artist.”
“W-what’s wrong with that? If martial artists exchange their knowledge of martial arts…”
“No, shit! There’s a limit!!”
Dokgo Ryeong sprang to her feet and shouted.
“Those lunatics show up whenever they damn well please, whether you’re shitting or sleeping, and ask, ‘Do you know the saber?’ Then if they find you’re a saber artist, they immediately draw their blades! The bastards have so much fucking stamina that they make you fight for days on end, and then they leave with a refreshing smile all to themselves—that’s what pisses me off even more!!”
“…That’s a Peng Clan tradition. The Hundred-Man Challenge.”
“They’re crazy. Don’t get involved with them. Let’s get out of here.”
With a look of disgust, Dokgo Ryeong turned to Eun Gwan-yeong.
“Hey, Hao Sect. There’s some kind of secret passage here, right?”
“Yes. I’ll take you there right away.”
“Good, hurry up and let’s get out…”
Rumble!
At the sound of thunder from a clear sky, Dokgo Ryeong broke into a cold sweat.
“…Hao Sect.”
“Yes…”
“…The Huangbo Clan Patriarch came too?”
“…Yes.”
“Shit.”
The moment Dokgo Ryeong finished speaking, lightning struck from the sky.
“Guh…!”
A powerful surge of lightning qi raced through the empty manor, and a giant strode out from within the lightning.
“Hoho… So you are all here.”
“Thunderclap Fist Venerable…”
At the same time, a loud noise suddenly came from the brothel, followed by a familiar voice.
“Kwahaha! Where’s Dokgo Jin?! His daughter?!!”
“…Unhindered Saber Immortal.”
Finally, Eun Yak-byeok appeared with her seven-stringed qin.
“Have you all gone mad?”
“Kwahaha! Don’t be angry, Lust Venerable! I’ll settle the bill for everything.”
“Hoho… This old man has done nothing wrong, you know?”
As Eun Yak-byeok’s irritation became obvious, Dokgo Ryeong’s throat began to dry up.
Just then, Peng Woo-deok looked at Dokgo Ryeong and her companions and said,
“So… Which one of you is Dokgo Jin’s daughter?”