If there is such a thing as fate. (2)
Jo Geol swallowed a dry lump. His throat was so parched that it felt like blades scraping the inside, sharp pain accompanying each swallow.
The exhaustion from draining every ounce of his physical strength and depleted internal energy was daunting enough, but what truly tormented him was his ‘anxiousness’.
His eyes kept busily scanning the sky.
The divine birds released by Maeng So would surely bring back the news they desired. The divine beasts of the Beast Palace were that remarkable. Jo Geol knew that better than anyone – not even counting that slippery Baek Ah.
But despite his firm belief, the gnawing anxiety that dried up his very blood refused to fade.
It was because he was convinced that even at this very moment the casualties were growing – and afraid that among them might be someone he knew well.
‘I can’t bear it anymore. Please.’
He had already lost as much as one could lose. Any more would be unbearable.
Jo Geol felt it would be better if he himself became a cold corpse. He didn’t want to witness any more deaths.
It was even more horrific if the only reason was simply because they were ‘too late’.
Perhaps a little late, but only now did Jo Geol seem to understand war.
Originally, he’d thought war was frightening because of the countless deaths it caused. It was horrifying that people who would not have died otherwise lost their lives so meaninglessly.
But now, that was no longer the case. Death is terrible, yes, but when you stand in the middle of a battlefield and see it over and over, you grow numb. At some point, lives might even be reduced to mere numbers.
Yet even amid all that, the one feeling that never dulls is ‘loss’.
You are forced to lose something you desperately want to keep. Even worse, that ‘loss’ often occurs far beyond your reach.
A loss that unfolds before your eyes can at least drive you to struggle and resist.
But a loss beyond your reach adds helplessness to your pain, prolonging the suffering. It gradually erodes you like poison seeping deeper with each breath.
Jo Geol was certain that if this damned cycle repeated a few more times, he would undoubtedly lose his sanity. And if, within those ‘few more times,’ were included those he absolutely couldn’t bear losing?
Then Jo Geol would no longer be the same man he was now.
‘Please, hurry…….’
And so he prayed. Desperately, fervently wished.
That they might track that bastard down. And if someone absolutely had to fall to his hands, let him be the first in line.
Crack.
Unable to conquer his anxiousness, Jo Geol gripped his thigh forcefully.
His heart pounded so fiercely it felt as though it would burst at any moment. Even so, the reason he kept silent was simple: no one else opened their mouth.
The feelings of the others were surely no different from Jo Geol’s. No, they might even be bearing a greater unease. Nevertheless, everyone endured the wait in silence until the end.
The march continued, not particularly fast. Rather than moving forward with purpose, their footsteps seemed meaningless, as if they moved simply because standing still was unbearable.
It was then.
Piiiiiiiiik!
At the piercing sound slicing their ears, everyone hastily looked up at the sky.
A golden trail raced across the sky at tremendous speed. As though by prior agreement, the disciples of Hwasan at the lead slammed their feet into the ground.
‘Please!’
Unleashing his lightfoot technique with every ounce of strength he possessed, Jo Geol wished for only one thing: that no one else would be lost.
Please.
❀ ❀ ❀
“That is…”
Hye Yeon’s already calf‑like eyes widened until they could grow no larger.
He too was utterly exhausted, and his vision was not what it normally was. Yet, even with his blurred vision, the figures approaching from afar appeared strangely clear.
At first he assumed they were remnants of Sapaeryeon who had failed to escape in time.
Thus it was only natural for Hye Yeon to turn in their direction. They had already confirmed that the Jang Ilso they chased earlier was a fake – a truth revealed through the death of that impostor. Admitting they had no strength left to pursue another ‘Jang Ilso’, they had begun their retreat.
Encountering stragglers in such a situation meant it was perfectly rational to remove any potential threats.
But as the distance gradually closed, Hye Yeon sensed his judgment had been flawed from the very start, and his expression stiffened.
Calling them remnants was absurd. What defeated troops would ever radiate such a sinister aura? It was chilling enough to freeze his heart in an instant.
And finally, when he recognized the man standing at the forefront of that ominous group, Hye Yeon involuntarily groaned.
“Ja, Jang Il…..”
It was Jang Ilso.
Unlike the impostor they’d pursued moments ago, he wasn’t dressed in flamboyant crimson robes. Neither did he exhibit exaggerated gestures, as if standing atop the world, asserting his dominance.
Precisely for that reason Hye Yeon was certain: the real Jang Ilso they had pursued so relentlessly was that very man.
Hye Yeon cried out, almost screaming.
“It’s Jang Ilso! Jang Ilso is over there!”
In that instant every gaze turned to a single point.
“Uh…”
“R‑Really?”
It was truly a strange thing. They had chased Jang Ilso on their own feet all this time, yet the moment they confronted the one believed to be the ‘real’, they froze in place.
Of course, when one thinks about it, this is only natural. Even a seasoned hunter who has spent a lifetime tracking tigers momentarily freezes when he meets one face‑to‑face. No matter how many mountains he scours in search of the rich rewards of a tiger’s hide and claws, the terror a tiger inspires never disappears.
Even more so, Jang Ilso was a savage beast incomparable to a mere tiger. And the fangs of that beast were now aimed precisely at them.
“What… what do we do?”
“We have to run. It’s not only Jang Ilso out there!”
“That’s right. We can’t stand against them by ourselves!”
There was no room for thought. The moment they felt the aura radiating from the approaching group, they instinctively knew: if they clashed, defeat was inevitable. Only a one-sided massacre awaited them.
So they had to retreat. They had to flee at once. All were convinced this was the most rational choice.
“No.”
That was, until a firm resolute voice flowed from Tang Soso’s lips.
“Siju!”
Hye Yeon called out involuntarily, panic clear in his voice. But Tang Soso continued without even sparing him a glance.
“We have to fight.”
“That’s impossible, Siju. You see what’s coming!”
“Yes. I know. Which is why we must fight.”
“What are you talking about…”
“The Jang Ilso we expected to be ahead of us has appeared behind us with that many people in tow. Do you really not understand what that means?”
Hye Yeon closed his mouth. The moment he heard Tang Soso’s words, he realized it – or perhaps he had simply wanted to turn away from the truth.
Their objective was all too clear: track down those who had been lured across the battlefield by the fakes and crush them one by one.
“If we run, they’ll simply go after other members of Cheonumaeng.”
“But we as well…”
“We can’t let them go!”
Hye Yeon now saw that Tang Soso too was trembling, yet her resolve could not have been firmer.
“If we let those bastards rampage, the damage will grow beyond measure. Someone has to grab their ankles.”
That was enough. Hye Yeon did not ask why that ‘someone’ had to be them. Nor did Lee Songbaek, who was listening at his side.
At that moment, a man who had been silently standing behind them opened his mouth.
“I’ll say this in advance… I won’t yield Jang Ilso’s neck.”
Lee Songbaek, Hye Yeon, and Tang Soso turned around simultaneously.
Namgung Dowi, his whole body covered in burns and able to run only because they had not quickened their pace during the retreat, was grinning brightly.
A hollow laugh slipped from everyone’s lips.
“My father was right. People of Namgung Clan live on nothing but bravado.”
“…Siju, even among them, you seem particularly excessive.”
“If your legs keep trembling like that, you’ll topple over soon, Young Lord.”
This brief chatter did not release all the tension, but it did ease the dread that had been pressing on their shoulders like Mount Tai.
“If someone has to die, it’ll be me first. I’ll go ahead and…”
“Don’t fool yourself. We’re not here to die just to hold them back.”
Tang Soso cut him off sharply, her eyes flashing.
“He will come, without fail.”
It was pointless to ask whom she meant or why she was so sure he would come. The moment they heard her words, only one person appeared clearly in everyone’s mind.
Yes. He will surely come.
Clang.
With a lightning‑swift motion, Tang Soso drew her sword.
“Survive at all costs. If you die here, I’ll stand over your grave and nag for three days and nights without pause.”
“…Like Sahyeongs, like Saje…”
“Amitabha… even after death, we won’t escape suffering.”
There was no longer time for banter. The figures that had seemed distant closed the gap in an instant, charging in.
It seemed as if Jang Ilso, at the forefront, was descending upon them with enormous wings of black and crimson fully spread. Faced with this intimidating sight, everyone clenched their teeth.
Tang Soso tightened her core muscles.
Everyone hoped to regain their momentum somehow, before terror could crush them flat.
“Jang Il-…”
“Hmm.”
Yet her resolve was useless before she could even reveal it. A low nasal hum sounded right beside her.
Jang Ilso, who ought to have been three jang ahead, whispered right into her ear.
“There’s no need to call me out like that.”
“…”
“I’m right here, aren’t I?”
Like a mouse coming face‑to‑face with a snake at its nose, Tang Soso froze where she stood.
Jang Ilso’s hand extended slowly towards Tang Soso.
Hye Yeon, almost by reflex, thrust a threatening punch at Jang Ilso. But the bracelet on Jang Ilso’s wrist smashed into Hye Yeon’s chest first.
Hye Yeon was flung away before he could even scream. Immediately after, Lee Songbaek brought his sword down at Jang Ilso’s head.
It never reached him. The blade struck, instead, a dazzling burst of azure flame [염화(炎火)] that flared up before Jang Ilso’s head.
Kwaaaang!
It were Jang Ilso’s Unyielding Blue Slaughtering Flames [청염살강(靑炎殺鋼)], and they hurled Lee Songbaek and Namgung Dowi away in a single blow. Jang Ilso clicked his tongue softly.
“Tsk. Know your place.”
“Jang Ilso!”
Tang Soso swung her Plum Blossom Sword with all her strength.
Kaang!
The rings densely adorning Jang Ilso’s fingers perfectly blocked her blade.
Fwoosh!
At the same moment, a dozen needles burst from inside Tang Soso’s robe, shooting straight towards Jang Ilso’s face.
“Hmm?”
Kagagagang!
Jang Ilso swept his left hand, brushing aside the needles that came flying at him.
“You…!”
“Too slow.”
Kwaang!
Just as Tang Soso was about to smash a fist into his face, Jang Ilso’s punch drove mercilessly into her solar plexus.
“Aaaargh!”
Tang Soso spewed blood and was hurled backward.
Thud.
Slammed into the ground, she instinctively clawed at the dirt.
Gurgh.
Another surge of blood rose up her throat and spilled out. Her vision blurred, yet the sight of Jang Ilso standing tall remained clear.
Hair – disheveled, clothes – stained with blood and filth; only the smile at Jang Ilso’s lips was endlessly composed.
“Don’t rush.”
Jang Ilso’s smile deepened.
“Even without your urging, I’ll kill every last one of you.”
Surging over Jang Ilso’s shoulders, warriors clad in red and black charged towards the members of Cheonumaeng. Their momentum was truly terrifying.
________
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Return of the Mount Hua 
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