It was a time when the imperial authority had collapsed.
It was synonymous with the period when the powerful nobles ran rampant, and Yuseo, who could barely take care of herself, couldn’t grasp the reins of those nobles.
The powerful nobles selected their successors according to their whims, dividing brothers and sisters for their own benefit.
Thus, Princess Yuya decided to escape into the Martial World.
And so, Princess Yuya became the man Hyeok Gi-rin.
Hyeok Gi-rin stood at the gate of the Jeomchang Faction, resolutely determining that even in this Martial World, known for its ‘no invasion of authority,’ he must reach the status of the Nine Great Sects to withstand the pressure from the central nobles.
The factions of the Nine Great Sects expressed their concerns. Hyeok Gi-rin, not as Princess Yuya, but as a cross-dressing woman, was just a child who had been pushed out of the central power struggles. Was there a sect that wanted to take on the troublesome presence known as Hyeok Gi-rin, even if it wasn’t the Nine Great Sects?
However, the Jeomchang Faction accepted Hyeok Gi-rin. Thus, Hyeok Gi-rin steeled his heart even more. What would the Jeomchang Faction demand of him? How much would they drain from someone like him, who had such a complicated background, to take him on as a disciple?
The world was the same everywhere. In the face of benefits, everyone turned into monsters. No matter how much he cried and protested that he didn’t want to fight his brother, nobody paid attention.
They only raised their voices for their own gains.
Though circumstances were tough, he would not easily be used in the Martial World.
No matter how oppressed he might be, he would never accept demands that would bring shame to the Huang Nation.
The masters of the Jeomchang Faction looked at the poisoned Hyeok Gi-rin with troubled eyes. One of them, Master Cheongheo, awkwardly offered something. A rough lump wrapped in shabby oil paper caught Hyeok Gi-rin’s attention.
“Want to have some candy?”
Hyeok Gi-rin blinked, and Master Cheongheo chuckled.
Having grown up among adults who forced him to bite at his brother, Hyeok Gi-rin had only learned how to sharpen his teeth and thorns, but he continued his life in the Jeomchang Faction. In doing so, he learned to care for others instead of harboring poison in his heart. He became someone who could protect the resentful Miss Yeo Il-ye.
He became a person whom the disciples of the Jeomchang Faction followed, a grand master who could teach other disciples.
“I’ve received a lot of help.”
Hyeok Gi-rin observed everything. Watching the process of how his young self, filled with poison, learned to smile made Hyeok Gi-rin smile too.
“Lovers are always kind to those they love.”
Hyeok Gi-rin recalled Ho Cheon-an’s words. Ho Cheon-an talked about him as if he were someone who gave love, but Hyeok Gi-rin didn’t see it that way. He thought of himself as a receiver instead.
It was thanks to the teachings and affection of the masters that he was who he was now.
He had received help from many others as well.
What about the matters in Sacheon City?
He had been helped by Samayeom, and he had received aid from the Black Cat as well. He owed a debt to the Tang Clan’s people. And he had received a lot of help from Ho Cheon-an.
“He is truly someone who gives.”
Ho Cheon-an was truly the one who gave. He stepped forward to help Miss Yeo Il-ye and used his skills to make the children smile.
And what about the imperial palace? He worked hard to mediate between him and his brother…
“You even gave me realization.”
Hyeok Gi-rin couldn’t help but smile. He was really the one who gave, yet he called others givers; it seemed quite fitting for Ho Cheon-an.
It was a short yet intense connection. What had started as just employing someone to help Miss Yeo Il-ye turned into accompanying him to the Jeomchang Faction and the imperial palace, a connection that defied explanation.
“Better to fear lacking than to fear being inadequate.”
There was no need to fret about not having the qualifications.
Indeed, that was true.
[Today’s topic is about eliminating candy from bowls as I announced last evening.]
Hyeok Gi-rin thought of Ho Cheon-an, who was teaching the masters.
To capture the children’s attention, ho Cheon-an, facing the intense gaze of the masters, taught techniques quickly as if he were a fish in water.
Imagining the scene where Ho Cheon-an, merely an average martial artist but now one of the leaders of the Nine Great Sects, evaluated the grand masters of the Jeomchang Faction and assigned homework made Hyeok Gi-rin feel that his concerns were utterly trivial.
Hyeok Gi-rin reflected on his inner self.
Polar opposites.
The elegant buildings of the Jeomchang Faction, a world far removed from the brightness beneath the tranquil Sunam Mountain, contrasted sharply with the majestic, shining golden imperial palace.
On the left were the masters and disciples of the Jeomchang Faction. On the right were Yoo Gyeong and Samayeom.
And in the center was an insurmountable cliff. The depth of that cliff was so great, one could believe there was an abyss below.
The depth of that cliff represented the challenges.
Hyeok Gi-rin perceived that crossing between both sides would be incredibly tough. Thus, he always thought he had to choose one side. Am I the martial artist Hyeok Gi-rin, or the Huang Nation’s princess Yuya?
“It was the wrong concern.”
Hyeok Gi-rin closed his eyes. And wiped it away. Again and again, he erased.
When he opened his eyes, there was neither the imperial palace nor the Jeomchang Faction within him. Only people remained. The masters of the Jeomchang Faction and the children playing around, with Miss Yeo Il-ye and his brothers gathered.
Amid them were Samayeom and Yoo Gyeong. The Black Cat, whom he thought he could never befriend in the Martial World, was beckoning him with a wave.
And he also saw Ho Cheon-an, holding a cup and dice.
Seeing that, Hyeok Gi-rin wore a bittersweet smile. In the end, what he wanted was this.
It might be selfish, but it was to be both a princess and a martial artist.
He decided to dream again of what he once thought was impossible.
To do that, Hyeok Gi-rin closed his eyes. Or, in a sense, he could say he opened them. Emerging from his inner world, he looked at Yoo Gyeong standing before him.
Yoo Gyeong and Hyeok Gi-rin exchanged silent gazes. The first to speak was Yoo Gyeong.
“I thought I knew you.”
She received periodic reports from her classmates. Although she couldn’t know every little thing, she could grasp the general flow. She felt joy every time she heard the news that Hyeok Gi-rin’s reputation was rising along with his achievements.
That’s why she thought she knew him, but… it was all a misunderstanding. She only saw the young Princess Yuya without realizing Hyeok Gi-rin.
“You’ve grown a lot.”
Yoo Gyeong recalled the scene she had just witnessed. The aura of Hyeok Gi-rin pulsing like a giant’s heart from a myth. Hyeok Gi-rin hadn’t shown it, but he was already a great person.
Hyeok Gi-rin gazed at Yoo Gyeong. He looked directly into her eyes and spoke with resolve.
“I don’t want to give up the connections I’ve made in the Martial World or those as a member of the royal family. There are plenty of people in the Martial World who want to help me, and those connected to me as royalty do too, so I want to respond to them all.”
To do that, Hyeok Gi-rin said he needed his brother’s help.
“I will take everything. I won’t hide anymore and will stand behind you as the princess of the Huang Nation. I will not retreat as the martial artist Hyeok Gi-rin anymore. I will lend a hand in the ongoing war against the powerful nobles.”
“…Alright.”
“Also, as a grand master of the Jeomchang Faction, I will take care of my disciples and honor the masters. Just like with Miss Yeo Il-ye, I will rush to help if any of the other brothers and sisters are in danger. I won’t ignore the bonds I made as a martial artist either.”
“I see.”
Hyeok Gi-rin spoke those words that Yoo Gyeong had been longing to hear.
“Please help me, brother. Please believe in me.”
“The powerful nobles are still intact. While I’ve managed to cut off their branches through my efforts, their roots run deep. Pulling out the entire hidden faction of nobles will be a long and arduous journey.”
“If you appear, there’s a chance they might unite to fight back, and if that happens, living as Princess Yuya could become burdensome. The life of martial artist Hyeok Gi-rin may conflict with living as Princess Yuya at any time.”
Do you have a plan to break through that kind of situation?
“What will you do then? What if you face a situation you can’t handle alone?”
Yoo Gyeong asked Hyeok Gi-rin.
“In that case… I will ask for help.”
“Help?”
“Yes, for help. If I find myself in a crisis, I’ll ask Master Cheongheo for help. If I need a gambler, I would call upon Senior Ho for assistance.”
Hyeok Gi-rin smiled broadly.
“If I get help like that, won’t it be solvable?”
“Haha…”
Yoo Gyeong burst out laughing.
“Hahahaha! Hahaha! Yes! That is indeed the answer!”
Delighted by the overly simple answer, Yoo Gyeong felt uplifted. Yes, if that’s the conclusion you’ve reached, then brother will support you forever.
Yoo Gyeong thought of a certain gambler who had arranged this meeting.
Not only that gambler, but there must be many out there in the Martial World cheering for you.
“Don’t forget.”
“Yes?”
“I am your first supporter.”
“Haha.”
Hyeok Gi-rin smiled at Yoo Gyeong, who smiled back at him. Perhaps they were two people who had made a choice filled with challenges rather than laughter, yet understanding each other brought forth smiles.
“Of course. Brother.”
“Alright, then let’s discuss our strategy from now on!”
“Yes!”
In the late hours of the night, as usual,
The two entered Hyeok Gi-rin’s room side by side, unlike any other time.
It was a night, with a crescent moon smiling down upon their backs.
