“It looks like it’s going to rain… how about wearing the raincoat?”
“Should I?”
Yeo Il-ye accepted the raincoat that Hyuk Gi-rin handed over and draped it over her shoulders. She looked at her anxious Big Brother, unable to hide her own unease. Worry and tension were clear in her big round eyes.
“It’s okay. Don’t worry too much.”
“…Okay.”
At the main gate of the governmental office, Ho Cheon-an and the Black Cat were there to see her off. After exchanging silent greetings, Yeo Il-ye headed towards the Hwang Gold Clan.
Sacheon City was filled with various noises since morning. It wasn’t just a few people bustling about, all sweating and moving hurriedly. Contrary to the gloomy weather, the faces of those working hard were bright.
“They said they wiped out every single one of the bandits?”
“When the martial artists of Sacheon City set their minds to it, bandits are no big deal!”
“Yeah! Yeah!”
This was because a messenger who had arrived earlier conveyed the news of their victory. With the news that the bandits who had been choking the life out of Sacheon City had been eliminated, people were excitedly preparing for a celebration.
Yeo Il-ye absorbed that lively scene as she made her way toward the Hwang Gold Clan.
In contrast to the bustling atmosphere of Sacheon City, the Hwang Gold Clan was enveloped in complete silence.
“Y-Yeol-ye…”
The gatekeeper of the Hwang Gold Clan swallowed hard.
“Are you going to stop me?”
The gatekeeper, unable to answer, took a step back. The posted proclamations, stamped with the governmental seal, had been spread through the Hwang Gold Clan, and the contents of those proclamations hinted at the clan’s fate to those who read them.
There was not a shred of defiance in the gatekeepers’ eyes.
With no words, Yeo Il-ye passed by the gatekeepers and opened the main gate of the Hwang Gold Clan.
Creeeeak…
In the stillness, the sound of the door opening echoed in Yeo Il-ye’s ears. Perhaps they were on high alert, for as soon as the door swung open, the martial artists positioned there came into view.
“I’m not part of the royal guard, but are you thinking of fighting?”
The martial artists stirred uneasily. The proclamations that had been spread contained mentions of the Yeo-ga Mountain Villa. The significant words Yeo Il-ye had shouted in anger during her previous assault on the Hwang Gold Clan still resonated.
Anyone could easily suspect that Yeo Il-ye was connected to the Yeo-ga Mountain Villa.
“…I just want to ask one thing.”
One of the martial artists spoke up.
“Is what’s written in this proclamation true?”
Yeo Il-ye silently nodded, and that martial artist bit his lip tightly and quietly stepped back. Once one person moved, it became easy for others to follow. Some martial artists seemed to recoil as if feeling shame, while others fled, perhaps sensing that the Hwang Gold Clan was doomed.
Of course, not all martial artists chose to surrender.
“You! You guys! What are you doing?! Stop her! Hurry!”
In terms of numbers, there were fewer martial artists fleeing or who had lost their will to fight. The remaining martial artists rushed toward Yeo Il-ye with tense faces and fearful expressions, responding to the commands of their superiors.
Boom!!
Yeo Il-ye brought down each of those martial artists one by one. Weapons flying from all directions were mercilessly smashed, and the martial artists climbing up were flung away with her massive power.
In an instant, dozens of martial artists lay sprawled out. There were no dead, but neither were there any unscathed. The courtyard of the Hwang Gold Clan filled with screams and groans, and the remaining martial artists retreated, losing their will to fight.
The weapons that made contact with Yeo Il-ye’s sword broke into pieces, and several people were swept away in the course of a few moments.
Despite the numbers, it was clear they could not win against such an opponent, which inevitably led to their loss of resolve.
“I-I can’t retreat… ugh!”
The captain of the guards, who had been forcing the fight, suddenly collapsed. Normally, he should have been protected within a protective barrier, but the breakdown of formations and the crumbling morale revealed openings. Yeo Il-ye seized that opening and swiftly approached, taking down the captain.
“We can’t win!”
“Run! The Hwang Gold Clan is already finished!”
The martial artists of the Hwang Gold Clan, having lost their focal point, could no longer stand in Yeo Il-ye’s way. She sighed lightly at the scattering martial artists and moved on.
Hwang Geum-seon could not escape. Hwang Geum-seon was nothing more than a powerless old man without the power that came from the Hwang Gold Clan as a family.
‘The Family Head’s Quarters….’
In the Family Head’s Quarters, the family head’s throne awaited. Hwang Geum-seon would likely be sitting there. He had committed countless wrongdoings to seize the position of the family head in the Hwang Gold Clan. He would wish to remain in that spot for even a single second longer, so he would definitely be there.
And he would aim to settle things there.
Be that as it may, the martial artists standing in his way were far too inferior. Whatever wrongs might have been committed, the Hwang Gold Clan boasted the greatest wealth in Sacheon.
The elite would have likely gathered around him separately.
‘Hwang Geum-seon’s ability to gather power may be limited, but I must not let my guard down.’
Revenge was rushing toward its conclusion.
Capturing Hwang Geum-seon wouldn’t end the revenge. However, at the same time, it would also be the end. Evidence of the bloodbath at the Yeo-ga Mountain Villa would begin to accumulate, and testimonies would be secured. Those who lived in the light would lose everything and fall, while those in the shadows would become martial heroes.
Even after catching Hwang Geum-seon, the process of capturing other enemies would remain, but… those in the light would collapse without Yeo Il-ye needing to chase them, and even those in the shadows would find themselves isolated in no time.
Those who thought they’d left it all behind fifteen years ago would suddenly lose everything they had built and be flung into nakedness, while it would merely be a quiet harvest for Yeo Il-ye.
Capturing Hwang Geum-seon marked the final turning point in repaying the Yeo-ga Mountain Villa’s grievances.
‘Let’s settle this.’
Yeo Il-ye stepped onto the last stair leading to the Family Head’s Quarters.
And there, in front of the Family Head’s Quarters, two people waited.
“….”
One outcast with a black rib on, and a boy who drew his sword the moment he saw Yeo Il-ye.
An emotional shock hit Yeo Il-ye’s mind as though she had been struck hard. As she looked at those two, a single word popped into her head.
Resentment.
“….Five years ago. It was summer. You met an outcast on the main street.”
At the trembling voice of the boy full of anger, Yeo Il-ye’s foot came to a halt.
“Do you remember cutting off that outcast’s arm that day? Even though the arm wasn’t severed, that outcast suffered a deep wound from the sword and could no longer wield a weapon.”
Yeo Il-ye remained silent. No, her mind was so scrambled that she couldn’t respond.
“That person was my father, and he passed away last month. After that day, my father fell into a stupor. Martial arts were my father’s lifelong goal, and he lost the will to live when he could no longer pursue that goal.”
The boy looked at Yeo Il-ye with burning eyes. Yeo Il-ye saw herself reflected in those eyes. The boy’s eyes contained Yeo Il-ye before she had met Ho Cheon-an.
The Yeo Il-ye of that time, consumed with hatred and resentment, who wished to burn everything down.
“It took five years for my once strong father to become a broken man, struggling to breathe. I did everything I could. I inherited my father’s martial arts and spent my days trying to pull him from the depths of despair.”
Yeo Il-ye remained silent, merely listening.
“I realized it only after my father passed away. Five years ago… the day he could no longer move his right arm, my father had already died, and only a shell remained. My father was a martial artist, and he could not live as anything else. I did not understand that and simply flailed helplessly.”
The boy declared.
“You are my father’s enemy!”
At the word “enemy,” Yeo Il-ye’s body shook slightly.
“My father’s resentment. I, Guhyeon-su, will repay it!”
Guhyeon-su drew his sword.
Yeo Il-ye turned her gaze from Guhyeon-su’s eyes down to the sword aimed at her. He had been said to have learned her father’s martial arts. Though it was a technique she had never seen before, his posture was stable.
The sword’s hilt had long gone crumbling and was stained with dirt. The forearm revealed through his tattered clothes was strong. For a boy who appeared to be between twelve and fifteen, it was not muscle that could be easily earned.
As Yeo Il-ye traced the traces of effort engraved on the boy’s body… she quietly opened her mouth.
“I’m sorry.”
“…What?”
For a moment, confusion flashed across Guhyeon-su’s eyes. That emotion was quickly replaced by astonishment.
Click.
Yeo Il-ye lowered her sword and knelt.
Guhyeon-su’s eyes trembled violently. The peak expert, Yeo Il-ye, knelt before a boy who could barely be considered third-rate.
“It was fifteen years ago.”
Yeo Il-ye recalled that day. The sight that had burned in her heart for fifteen years. The day when the stigma of regret had been engraved in her heart.
“I still remember vividly. The day I snuck into the storeroom to peek at the Seven-Treasures Jade while nibbling on the Tang Clan snacks that a servant gave me on the side. I ended up trapped in a room after crying out.”
“What are you talking about…”
“The screams began. I heard the screams of familiar people and the sound of metal clashing. I was startled and hid in the wardrobe. Soon, my mother appeared and hid me in a secret space in the basement, saying, “You must never come out until I say so.” I had no choice but to nod.”
Guhyeon-su’s sword began to lower slightly.
“I closed my eyes and covered my ears, trembling in fear as I felt the intense heat. I was drenched in sweat, but still, I remained frozen in fear. How much time had passed… when I could no longer endure it and emerged from the secret space… I was welcomed by ashes.”
“I was rescued by a merchant who regularly supplied items to the villa. And I could hear the common people’s voices. The outcasts. The current state of affairs was troubling, and all the outcasts hired at the villa had vanished without a trace.”
“What does that have to do with my father?!”
Guhyeon-su shouted.
“Was your father the one who burned down the villa? Tell me! No! That’s a lie!”
“Yes. That’s right. No.”
Yeo Il-ye calmly acknowledged it. Guhyeon-su gritted his teeth and pressed his sword against Yeo Il-ye’s throat.
“Do you think I might show you sympathy?! Do you think hearing your tragic tale will make me forgive you?!”
“I blindly harbored hatred for outcasts. There was nothing to hesitate about. Those who introduced themselves as outcasts were mostly those without honor, and even real outcasts were those who would do anything for money.”
Yeo Il-ye looked up at Guhyeon-su.
“So, I burned with hatred without any hesitation. No, I’ll say it frankly. In truth, even if those outcasts were revered as heroes, I would have hated them and wielded my sword. I was merely looking for something to vent my frustrations on.”
The boy, who had plunged headlong into the flames of hatred. Yeo Il-ye sincerely wished for him not to become engulfed in that hatred.
“The result of that is this. Guhyeon-su. You have come to find me and are pointing your sword at my neck.”
“….”
“It has been fifteen years. The enemy of my parents and the family of the villa. I have captured Hwang Geum-seon, who held the citizens of Sacheon hostage to evade the consequences of his heinous acts, and I have found you before me.”
“So what! Are you expecting me to let you go?!”
Yeo Il-ye shook her head.
“I simply hope that you do not become like me. That you do not swing your sword thoughtlessly, being consumed by hatred. That the sword you wield today does not leave a mark of regret tomorrow.”
Guhyeon-su’s hand trembled with heightened emotion. Because of that, a drop of blood trickled from Yeo Il-ye’s throat. Nevertheless, Yeo Il-ye continued to gaze calmly at Guhyeon-su.
“See me with your own eyes, not with the eyes clouded by hatred. Grasp your sword with will, not impulse. Do not deceive yourself but see the truth. Your father lost his life as a martial artist. Because of that, you came to see me as your enemy and aimed your sword at me.”
“Do not forget that you, who stood against me for revenge against the Hwang Gold Clan, have been summoned here by Hwang Geum-seon, who has committed countless atrocities. If you kill me, you too shall bear the burden of that sin.”
“Shut up! Shut up! Just shut up!”
Guhyeon-su raised his sword, shouting in anger.
“What do you have to say about it? My father will never come back! What does it all mean?!”
“Even so, you must live and make choices. Whatever your choice may be, I will accept it. I simply hope that you can make your decision without regrets.”
Guhyeon-su gasped harshly. Yeo Il-ye lowered her gaze at the sight of Guhyeon-su, who looked ready to swing his sword at any moment.
“If I hadn’t been consumed by hatred… perhaps I wouldn’t have to impose such a painful choice on you.”
“You, who killed my father! Don’t speak so casually!”
Guhyeon-su’s arm shook violently.
“I’m sorry.”
Guhyeon-su’s sword swung down.
