Chung Myung slowly opened his eyes.
What he saw was an unfamiliar ceiling faintly lit by a lantern.
Lying blankly, he looked at the ceiling and frowned.
a�?I��m dreaming of the past again.'
With a small chuckle, he groaned as he tried to get up.
Throb. Throb. Throb.
��Ouch, ouch!!.��
At that moment, a familiar yet foreign pain surged throughout his entire body. Not just his upper body, but almost his entire body was tightly wrapped in bandages.
��No. What the!..”
When he touched his face, he found that even his face was covered in bandages. Unless someone was trying to turn him into a Jiangshi, it meant his injuries were quite severe..
It was when Chung Myung, who had a bitter smile, tried to remove the bandage.
��Zzzz!.��
��Huh?��
From a corner of the dimly lit room, several people seemed to be stirring in their sleep.
Several men curled up and fell in the room identified as small lanterns.
Jo-Gol lying on the floor, Baek Cheon, and Yoon Jong leaning against the wall in the corner, and Tang Soso and Yoo Iseol lying side by side in front of his bed.
a�?It seems like a sight I've seen before!'
Chung Myung scratched the back of his head.
It seemed like they couldn��t overcome fatigue and fell asleep after sticking around to take care of him.
It would be a given. Tang Soso must have been tired of treating Chung Myung and the wounded, and others have fought against Jang Ilso with Chung Myung. Five Swords�� body was also bandaged here and there.
a�?Stupid.'
Having taken on Jang Ilso��s energy head-on, they probably didn��t have a single part of their body that wasn��t hurting. That��s what happens when you confront a martial master.
And yet, foolishly, they slept on that cold floor.
Chung Myung looked at those who were still asleep and breathing regularly and got up. He did so with utmost caution in case they woke up.
��Kii.��
��Shh.��
When Baek-ah, who raised its head at the sign of Chung Myung, opened its mouth, Chung Myung quickly put his index finger in front of his mouth. Understanding, Baek-ah scampered over and leaped onto Chung Myung��s head.
With Baek-ah on his head, Chung Myung silently stepped outside, carefully shutting the door behind him, and looked around.
��It doesn��t seem to be Kugang. They must have found nearby lodgings.��
Looking around the pavilion, he headed toward a nearby grove. He silently walked deep into the forest and found a suitable place. Chung Myung sat down and gazed up at the night sky..
The moon was exceptionally bright.
��Haa!.��
As he took a long breath Cheong Mun remained blank, the face of Cheong Mun He had seen in his dream came to mind. Cheong Mun, overlapping with the moon, was looking down at Chung Myung and smiling.
��Don��t look.��
Chung Myung grumbled and pouted for no reason.
��Ah, stop looking.��
But Cheong Mun's face continued to smile, prompting Chung Myung to completely lay down on his back.
��Ouch! Ouh�� It hurts like hell.��
Chung Myung, who distorted his face, grabbed the bandage on his face and ripped it off.
��How ridiculous����
He had been soundly beaten.
Of course, there are a number of factors to excuse. But Chung Myung knows. None of them were solid excuses.
There was only one root cause for everything that had happened.
That he was weak.
Do the best you can in the current situation?
It��s just a terrible idea. The important thing in Kangho is not to do your best according to the situation, but to create a situation in which you can win from the beginning.
��Jang Ilso.��
Eudeududuk.
Chung Myung gritted his teeth.
Even though he managed to land a blow in the end, it didn��t quench his anger. To be honest, all that happened on the cliff ultimately flowed under Jang Ilso��s calculations.
��Had he seen this, Cheong Jin would��ve laughed non-stop.��
That��s why he��s anxious.
He worries that Mount Hua might crumble before he��s complete. That Heavenly Demon might reveal himself before he becomes perfect.
As the days go by, not only does his shoulder not get lighter, it even gets heavier instead. Although the kids have grown enough to support him, the pressure intensifies with each passing day.
��It��s strange.��
Chung Myung, who was lost in thought, scratched his head.
��Come to think of it, I haven't done it for quite a while, but I don��t know why I thought of Sect Leader Sahyung so much today. Maybe because I got beaten up!! how childish.��
Chung Myung grinned.
��Come on, don��t look at me like that. I am Chung Myung, you know. I��ll whine just for today, and then be fine from tomorrow onwards. It's just!! people need that kind of time.”
It was clear throughout the day, and the night sky was clear, making the moon look even clearer.
Cheong Mun was a very strong man.
But at the same time, he was also a frustrating person. In the past, Chung Myung sometimes did not understand and found it frustrating that Cheong Mun was so stubborn and upright to his principles.
But! he thinks he knows to some extent now.
��Sahyung must have been lonely too.��
Being in a leading position is like that.
No one tells you if you��re walking the right path. There is no one in front of you, so you must constantly question yourself, doubt yourself, and agonize.
For such Cheong Mun, a�?Righteousness' and a�?Chivalrousness' would have been like lanterns that kept him and Mount Hua from going astray.
How many times would he have wanted to walk on a path other than just that, but he would have endured and suppressed his own desires. Not for himself, but to lead those who believed and followed him down the right path.
He could finally understand the difficulties and solitude only after he stood in the same position Cheong Mun was.
In other words, even the past Chung Myung did not fully understand Cheong Mun.
How lonely Sahyung must have felt?
Chung Myung, vaguely grasping his feelings, closed his eyes.
��I crave some alcohol.��
Is there a place nearby with some liquor��?
It was then.
��Chung Myung-ah!��
��Where did this guy go again!��
��Find him, now! He might be drinking!��
��I��ll kill him.��
“!!.”
Loud noises broke the silence. Chung Myung sighed and looked in the direction of the voices.
��Those pesky ghosts.��
It seemed like they suddenly discovered that he was gone and came out in a hurry. Startled by the barrage of curses, Chung Myung uneasily gazed up at the sky.
��See, I told you, didn��t I? They don��t give me time to be lonely. They��re much better than how I used to be.��
Chung Myung got up.
��Eutcha.��
After patting her butt, he grabbed Baek-ah, who was climbing up his body and placed it on his shoulder, muttering softly.
��Don��t worry. I��m strong. So just watch comfortably. I��ll beat up all those bastards.��
He chuckled and started walking. At that moment,
�C Strength��.
Chung Myung once again cast his gaze to the sky.
�C Is not about not falling, but about getting up again even when you fall, Chung Myung.
It was something Cheong Mun once told him.
Alongside the moon, the face of Cheong Mun, who had been gazing at Chung Myung, began to fade away. Chung Myung, who was staring blankly at the scene, soon had a calm smile on his lips.
��Always nagging.��
He straightened his back and looked ahead. His eyes carried a much firmer resolve than before.
It��s okay to be lacking.
It��s okay if he��s not good enough yet.
A full bowl can��t take in any more water. Being insufficient also means there��s room for improvement.
So��
Chung Myung started walking towards his Sahyug who were calling out to him as if their throats would tear.
On his two legs moving forward, there was no more hesitation.