Chapter 74

Chapter 74

People feel burdened when expectations are placed upon them.

This is because there’s an underlying psychology that one must meet those expectations. Usually, those who have expectations of you are important people to you, and no one likes receiving disappointed looks from such people.

When expectations are placed, you must meet them. If you can’t meet them, you bow your head like a sinner—that’s also for that reason.

And right now, Paeng Jin also wasn’t outside that general category. That’s because.

Mujeong Hall lost.

Mujeong Hall reception room.

“Damn it, those cursed bastards!”

At the appearance of Paeng Family’s Small Family Head Paeng Geuk, gulping down the tea served and bursting out with a voice as if he’d swallowed a brazier, Paeng Jin kept his mouth tightly shut and quietly read the room.

“B-brother. About this time, it’s…….”

“We lost!”

At Paeng Geuk’s words cutting in decisively, Paeng Jin gave an awkward smile. Too direct a way of speaking.

“……Do you have to say it that directly? It hurts my pride as your younger brother.”

“There’s no pride to hurt or not hurt. We expected to lose the first match anyway.”

“……Really?”

“Yeah. Even in our time, we never won the first match once.”

At Paeng Jin’s cautious question, Paeng Geuk snorted in affirmation. It was revealing a weakness, but it wasn’t something to hesitate about.

Although Baek Riyun’s generation of Muryeon Hall ran an undefeated myth, it’s not that they actually went through every match undefeated.

In fact, there was no need to. Once they win the first match, what remains is only the second match, Flag Breaking , and the third match, Consecutive Victories .

But the Muryeon Hall of that time was stronger in overall martial prowess than Mujeong Hall, though who knows what they ate. Moreover, the order they came out in was such that it struck the weak points of the Mujeong Hall trainees.

“At one point, there was even talk that he was…… feeding money under the table to the illusionary artists, to Elder Hwanro  who activates the illusionary formations for the first gate. Of course, it was a joke. So losing isn’t strange.”

Right.

It’s not at all strange for Mujeong Hall to lose. Didn’t he himself predict that the first gate was one to concede?

But that’s a separate issue.

“I know it in my head, but I’m furious. Damn it!”

If he were as cold-hearted as his head thinks, would the Paeng Family be accused of having muscles all the way up to their brains?

‘I shouldn’t have bet Cold Iron  if it was going to be like this.’

It was a bet made in the heat of the moment. He can’t back out now.

At the uneasy thought that suddenly arose, Paeng Geuk made a spitting gesture, twe, and shook off the distracting thoughts, shaking his head.

“Anyway, what’s past is past. Don’t dwell on what’s already happened!”

“Brother is dwelling on it more though.”

“Be quiet! Anyway, have you established a strategy for the second gate?”

At Paeng Geuk’s urging, Paeng Jin, who had been recalling the strategy Cheongryoo laid out, nodded.

“……Well, roughly.”

“Roughly isn’t enough. He’s a crazy bastard. The Muryeon Hall trainees receiving his command are crazy bastards too! Didn’t you see in the first gate? Those Baek Ri Family bastards are all people who’ve rolled up common sense and swallowed it! Who knows what they’ll do in this gate too!”

“Isn’t that judging the whole by looking at just a part……?”

Paeng Jin, who had started speaking thinking of his fellow trainees, suddenly thought of Baek Risan’s appearance and cut his words short. Because it was something he couldn’t deny.

After all, even Baek Risan’s usual appearance isn’t exactly normal.

“Brother. I have something to ask.”

“What?”

“What kind of person is the Uicheonmun Sect Master? I’ve heard he was great from before, but I haven’t heard much besides that.”

“……Hmm, what kind of person is Baek Riyun?”

At Paeng Jin’s question, Paeng Geuk, who had been frowning for a moment, spat out.

“An annoying bastard. Every day with that strangely smiling face, he’d come to Mujeong Hall with his contemporaries and provoke us.”

“……That Uicheonmun Sect Master?”

“Yeah.”

Having nodded in affirmation, Paeng Geuk recalled the past. It would be an appearance those who see the current Baek Riyun would find hard to accept.

Although he seems to have a rather serious personality now, the old Baek Riyun, trainee wasn’t like that. He was always cheerful and a trainee who brought along incidents.

“He had a smart head, but he used it all for causing trouble. He’d incite Muryeon Hall trainees in the middle of the night to attack Mujeong Hall, and then incite even the Mujeong Hall trainees to go smash some nearby Evil Path sect.”

Baek Riyun was the troublemaker, publicly recognized by both academies, who brought along incidents.

He even gathered academy trainees with free hands during vacation to act as bandits, pretending to be righteous bandits  by robbing corrupt local officials, and didn’t he once decipher a treasure map to excavate a former great expert’s remains ?

“Uh, ahem.”

“He was annoyingly useful. He was slippery and had sufficient ability. But.”

Nevertheless, there was no one who disliked Baek Riyun. Even though they were divided into Muryeon Hall trainees and Mujeong Hall trainees, not a single Mujeong Hall trainee disliked Baek Riyun.

Because to Baek Riyun, all trainees of both academies were the same as his contemporaries.

“Martial arts should be enjoyable. That’s what he always said.”

What’s good for advancing martial arts isn’t negative rivalry but positive rivalry, and the reason Mujeong Hall and Muryeon Hall are divided isn’t to hate each other but to polish each other while burning with competitive spirit.

Baek Riyun always said that. They say it was like a catchphrase of someone he liked most.

That’s why Baek Riyun rather worked to harmonize Mujeong Hall and Muryeon Hall. He bound the two academies, which had been at odds, together with the feeling of being ‘contemporaries.’

Not rivalry created simply by the environment, but as a means to draw out the emotion ‘I don’t want to lose to this guy,’ Baek Riyun bound the two academies together. And Cheongryoo and Paeng Geuk himself were at the forefront of that.

“His real talent isn’t the talent for using his head or the talent for using martial arts. Understanding people and harmonizing them is his talent. He’s someone who draws out people’s abilities to their limits.”

“……He was an amazing person?”

“……Tsk. He’s an amazing bastard. I can never say that in front of him because he’ll act all slippery, but.”

“That much…….”

Was he that amazing a person?

At Paeng Geuk clicking his tongue and speaking, Paeng Jin, who had been nodding while swallowing a groan, suddenly blinked at something that came to mind.

“But brother. If the Uicheonmun Sect Master understands people that well, why didn’t he know about his own younger sister?”

“What do you mean?”

“……I heard through rumors that the Uicheonmun Sect Master abandoned his younger sister and left home.”

“Younger sister? Ah, you mean that child Baek Risan?”

“Yeah. If he’s someone who reads others that well, wouldn’t he have known his younger sister would be hurt because of him? Did he think it didn’t matter?”

At Paeng Jin asking carefully, Paeng Geuk let out a hollow laugh.

“Absolutely not.”

“Why?”

“When he had nothing to talk about, what popped out was bragging about his older brother and younger sister.”

At Paeng Jin maintaining silence, Paeng Geuk shook his head.

Baek Riyun treasured his family, and he was someone who cared more for others than himself. If such a Baek Riyun did something that would hurt his family, there’s only one reason.

“There must have been a reason why he had to.”

“A reason he absolutely couldn’t go back.”

The reason Baek Riyun, who was always smiling, never revealed—the reason why he had no choice but to leave home.

‘At least it wasn’t for his own sake.’

He doesn’t know what that reason is. But he’s not the type who wouldn’t go back because it would harm him. Then what remains is one thing.

‘Either it’s a family problem, or it’s the younger sister’s problem.’

Having suddenly looked outside the window, Paeng Geuk clicked his tongue and shook his head to dismiss the thoughts.

‘Anyway, what a troubled fate that bastard has.’

Beyond Mujeong Hall’s window, dark clouds had already gathered gloomily.

So much so that the sky couldn’t be seen.

When people lose what’s most precious to them, they become most irrational.

That’s like an all too natural principle. People can only be rational within the range they’ve anticipated.

Usually, losing what’s most precious is painful even to imagine, so they try not to think about it. They don’t prepare. That’s why most people can’t accept their family’s death at first sight.

Right.

—Young Master Un. The Madam has……!

Just like me.

Looking at Baek Risan, who was startled at my voice and looked at me before finally maintaining silence, I spoke quietly.

“I saw that you had Mujeong Hall trainees and Cheongryoo visit earlier.”

“I was concerned about whether you’re doing well in academy life, but it seems you’re not being ostracized, so I was relieved. You’ve always had odd quirks.”

An academy is ultimately a place where young rising stars enter.

Conversely, that means those in the academy are all young rising stars. Children whose only proper human relationships are occasional great sect gatherings or senior-junior martial sibling relationships.

Mujeong Hall and Muryeon Hall are places where people with completely different regulations and environments gather to live together. No matter how familiar they are usually, if you don’t mix in well, it’s a place where you can be ostracized. That’s why I worried quite a bit.

But seeing that scene earlier, it seems my worries were groundless.

“……What did you come here for?”

“Mm?”

“What did you come here for?”

Having maintained silence for a moment, Baek Risan turned her gaze away and bit her lips tightly. An expression clearly showing rising indignation.

“Did you come to declare victory? That you’ve already achieved your goal. That you’ve already proven your ability, so whatever I do now is useless. To say that…….”

“Do I seem like someone with such bad taste to you?”

“……Then why did you come?”

At Baek Risan asking weakly, I fell into deep thought.

Why did you come, why did you come indeed.

“When a younger sister is sick, does an older brother need a reason?”

Right.

There’s no need for a reason to visit in the first place. It’s not at all strange for an older brother to come check on his younger sister’s condition without any reason. Moreover, if it’s a younger sister with a significant age gap.

“……Disgusting. Coming now.”

Having gritted her teeth at my words, Baek Risan gripped the blanket covering her body tightly.

“When you didn’t come visit even once in fifteen years!”

“I had reasons why I couldn’t visit.”

“What are those reasons?”

“I can’t tell you.”

If I could have told you, I would have told you already.

Making such an expression while looking at Baek Risan, Baek Risan’s face hardened coldly. And.

“Again with that……!”

The moment Baek Risan’s sharp shout was about to burst out.

I added a follow-up.

“At least not now.”

“……What?”

At Baek Risan looking at me with a dumbfounded expression, I smiled bitterly. Originally, I had no intention of giving any room.

Fifteen years ago.

—Young Master. The Madam has……!

After hearing the news of my mother’s death, I dug deeply into that death. The more I heard, the more strange points there were.

My mother, who suddenly disappeared saying she’d visit her family home during the height of war with the Evil Path Alliance, was one day found as a corpse. The killer was the Evil Path Alliance’s Iron Blood Gate Master . One of the Ten Heavens, Great Evil .

At first, I felt anger rather than strangeness at that. Isn’t it natural to kill when you can if you encounter a key figure of an opposing force? The probability of coincidentally meeting is low, but if luck is bad, it could happen.

That’s what I thought.

—The Baek Ri Family…… doesn’t seek revenge.

Until Father, Family Head Baek Rigang, gave up on revenge.

—Something’s strange.

Iron Blood Gate is strong. But not as strong as the Baek Ri Family. And Mother was loved by everyone in the Baek Ri Family. That means there was sufficient reason to exact blood debt .

However, the Family Head gave up on revenge. Even abandoning the family’s pride.

It was strange. The situation surrounding Mother’s death was extremely strange. So I left the family to investigate.

I visited the Jegal Family and entered Muryeon Hall, even entering the Martial Force Corps . The Family Head tried to conceal the truth, and the only place the Baek Ri Family’s hands didn’t reach was the Murim Alliance’s frontlines.

There I learned. Why Mother died. Why Father couldn’t seek revenge.

—Ten thousand demons submit , continuous strife never ceases .

Why.

I must not return.

“The thought that you shouldn’t know hasn’t changed. I don’t want to tell you the reason.”

Once you know, you can’t turn back. Unlike me, who can see red energy , Baek Risan can’t see anything. She won’t be able to perfectly avoid their eyes.

However, I also can’t leave Baek Risan as is using that as an excuse. I can’t watch her abuse herself because of me either.

So.

“San-a. Won’t you make a bet with me?”

“A…… bet?”

“Right.”

I’m proposing a compromise.

“When the Grand Competition ends, if Mujeong Hall wins, I’ll tell you everything.”

“……Really, you’ll tell me……?”

“Yes. Everything. From why I couldn’t return to what I’ve been hiding.”

I have no intention of backing out. There are limits to hiding. Even if I try to postpone as much as possible, knowing will inevitably come someday.

But that’s the story if I lose.

“Since this is a bet, there must be a counter-obligation too. If Mujeong Hall doesn’t win.”

“If that happens?”

I smiled bitterly and looked directly at Baek Risan. Baek Risan was already looking at me with a hardened expression, all traces of the earlier weakness gone.

Whether I tell her or not, she’ll know someday. Then.

“You must run away from home for three years.”

“……Huh?”

Let’s set conditions.

Make her qualified enough to know the truth.

“That means you must come with me. To Uicheonmun.”

“Huh? Huh?”

I must make her able to at least protect herself. Somehow.

Looking at Baek Risan staring at me with a bewildered face, I smiled bitterly.

She’s not qualified yet.