Chapter 467: Chapter 1355: It's Just The Way Things Turned Out (Part 5)
"Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!"
Sweat poured down like rain. His clothes were already soaked as if caught in a downpour, and with every step on the ground, sweat droplets stained his hair, falling with a rhythmic pitter-patter.
It felt like his lungs were about to burst out through his mouth.
'How much farther do I have to go?'
The path ahead was dim, and the journey seemed endless, but he couldn't stop. The moment he failed to fulfill his duty, it wouldn't be just his life that was forfeited.
Ho Gakmyung hadn't made any true threats.
He hadn't shoved a knife in and stabbed him like the Evil Sect bastards usually did, nor did he growl and threaten to kill him by slicing off his flesh.
But that made it more frightening.
Because he knew to that man, wiping out an entire village where ordinary people lived, was akin to stepping on ants beneath one's feet.
Strength wasn't the crucial factor here. What was truly frightening was a person capable of such deeds without feeling an ounce of guilt.
So he had to keep running. The lives of those left behind in Southern Island depended on the whims of Ho Gakmyung.
"Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Huff!"
Yugong ran with all his might, but in an instant, his body lurched forward as if propelled, tumbling over. His exhaustion was evident, his body drenched in sweat.
"Cough."
Even his cough lacked strength. His limbs had long lost their strength. Nevertheless, he somehow managed to step on the ground. There was no room for them to consider his circumstances.
"Ugh..."
Yugong trembled, struggling to rise. But all he could see were random weeds growing haphazardly on the ground, and his gaze couldn't lift upwards.
And at that moment.
Thud.
Someone's foot appeared before him. Startled, he lifted his head to find Ho Gakmyung looking down at him indifferently.
Not a hint of warmth in those eyes. Yugong's breath, already labored, momentarily halted at that cold gaze. After a moment, Ho Gakmyung spoke.
"Take a break."
"Yes!"
The subordinates quickly moved at his command.
Thud. Thud.
With that command, Ho Gakmyung moved away from Yugong without saying another word. Watching him walk away as if entranced, Yugong clenched his fists tightly.
"Here."
Yugong turned his head blankly at the sudden voice. A water bottle, dew-covered, was pushed towards him from where he had been leaning against a tree as if dead.
"Drink."
Yugong silently stared at the water bottle with a complex gaze before shifting his gaze slightly upward. It was Gohong. His expression seemed subtly different.
"What are you doing? Take it without hesitation."
Without replying, Yugong reached out and took the water bottle. It was cold, likely fetched from a nearby stream. Probably not just for him, though.
Staring at the water bottle with a complicated look, Yugong eventually slowly drank the water. Gohong, who had been watching him intently, sat down a little away with a sigh.
They remained silent for a while. The distance between them seemed to reflect the hearts of the two.
"How much farther do you think we need to go?"
Yugong detached the water bottle from his lips after a delayed response.
The night sky, with stars like jewels embedded in it, was visible. Somehow, it felt like laughter was about to escape.
The night sky, which Yugong had seen tirelessly in Southern Island, was probably much more beautiful than this. However, at that time, he didn't feel any particular emotion gazing at the night sky. Only now, after the situation had unfolded like this, did he realize how beautiful the night sky he lived under truly was.
"I don't know."
Yugong's belated reply made Gohong sigh.
"In any case, resting like this means we'll have to move farther again."
"Probably."
In truth, it was uncertain. They couldn't keep running forever either. As long as they were human, there would come a time when they needed to rest.
In the end, it all boiled down to who covered more distance within the same time. That was what a pursuit was fundamentally about.
However, Yugong didn't bother to utter those words aloud. Gohong probably already knew. He knew but chose to turn a blind eye.
"Sahyung."
"...Don't call me that."
Gohong smirked.
"Why? Do you feel guilty?"
"...It's not that I feel guilty. There's no need to discuss guilt. Now, you and I are no longer martial brothers."
"That's right... Not martial brothers, and not disciples of the Southern Island Sect."
Yugong leaned against a tree, closing his eyes wearily. In truth, what he really wanted was not to close his eyes but to block his ears. However, lacking the strength to lift his hands, closing his eyes was the only option.
"But, Sahyung...It seems like it won't end that easily."
"What are you talking about?"
"Have you seen it? In that canyon."
Yugong squinted his eyes a bit more. This was why he wanted to block his ears. Gohong was about to tell a story Yugong didn't want to hear.
"Among the Sahyungs was disciple Jaun. Even Elder Kangmyeong..."
"..."
And why wouldn't he have seen it? He saw it clearly.
It was the scene of those who had been together for decades, miserably dying and scattered all around.
But he couldn't do anything. Beyond the rotting corpses, he desperately pursued, jumping over them.
Because he had to live. He had to survive.
"Dead men are just dead men."
"Perhaps... But they're alive."
"What?"
Gohong's eyes stared blankly into space.
"When I passed through there... At least, disciple Jaun was alive. Despite being half cut and dying, he somehow recognized us. Even in the midst of dying..."
Yugong's shoulders trembled. Jaun was a disciple Gohong particularly cherished. Just as Gohong followed Yugong, Jaun followed Gohong.
"He seemed to want to say something. I couldn't hear it, couldn't understand it... but definitely something."
"..."
"Sahyung. Disciple Jaun wanted to say something..."
"If you're going to talk nonsense, just leave. I want to rest."
The sharpness in Yugong's voice cut through Gohong's words. However, Gohong didn't flinch; instead, he let out a mocking laugh.
"Can you rest if I move aside?"
Yugong shot Gohong a fierce glare.
"Isn't not being able to rest a death sentence?"
"Well..."
Yugong's eyes twisted like a demon.
"So what?"
He gripped Gohong's collar tightly.
"Does that mean I should have become a corpse there too? Should I have suffered the same dog's death? Should I have become a corpse there, filling the belly of beasts? Is that a righteous death? Should I have died in that godforsaken canyon, where maggots boil, and swarms of flies cling?"
"Sahyung!"
"Stop talking nonsense! Haven't you seen it? Those bastards who set out with all sorts of noble intentions, what did they protect in the end? What did they protect while dying in such a miserable state? What did they preserve, huh? Tell me!"
The voice grew more intense.
"What were you trying to say? What meaning does that have? All I know is one thing. A dead man can yell all he wants, but it won't be heard or understood! He died, and we survived, that's all!"
"..."
"Guilt? Nonsense. I survive. I will never suffer such a dog's death. I will survive somehow, no matter what! So I can return to my hometown with a healthy body!"
Venom flashed in Yugong's eyes. He seemed ready to tear into Gohong at any moment.
"Is that... Is that so wrong? Is that such a grave mistake?"
Gohong couldn't say anything. He simply bowed his head deeply, shivering his shoulders slightly.
But Yuguong swallowed the water nervously. It was just plain water, not alcohol, yet it felt like his insides were burning.
In reality, he knew. Everything went wrong. He was wrong, and they were right. Following what he had learned and knew should have been right. But what was the result?
Those who pursued righteousness became food for animals there. And he, who chose the wrong path, was somehow still alive. If Southern Island failed to escape Gangnam and ultimately perished, the most despicable Yugong would be the only one left alive, returning to his hometown.
'Follow the right path?'
A bitter laughter escaped continually.
For what? What exactly should one strive for in righteousness? What exactly? To fill that meager conscience and achieve self-satisfaction?
It's all useless and nonsense.
"Don't think about useless things, just rest."
Eventually, Gohong stood up. He didn't know whether he didn't want to listen to Yugong's words or simply didn't want to stay by his side any longer.
But where would he go?
There was no place for them to rest comfortably from the moment they left Southern Island. They had become people who couldn't lift their heads.
Gohong looked down at Yugong with unfocused eyes.
Resentment was so easy. It was much easier to blame and curse Yugong for everything. It would be so much easier compared to being tormented by the guilt and conscience that there was some responsibility on his part.
But Gohong couldn't do that.
Was it because there was still a conscience?
No. It was because he knew that blaming Yugong wouldn't make his heart feel any better.
Now he was just curious.
"What's the difference?"
To that small question, Yugong looked up.
"We left from the same place, learned the same things, lived the same life. But why are we here, and they are there? What exactly was the difference between us and them?"
Yugong's lips twisted.
It was an obvious question, but answering it was truly not easy. Numerous answers floated up in his mind only to sink repeatedly. None of them could be a complete and right answer.
In the end, Yugong gave an answer that seemed to make no sense. A self-mocking smile faintly appeared on his face.
"Just... It's just the way things turned out to be."
"..."
"That's all it is."
Gohong silently stared at Yugng.
Somehow, Yugong found it difficult to endure that gaze. He couldn't look at him with the venomous eyes like earlier.
It wasn't blaming him, and it was even more tormenting than that indifferent gaze.
So, in the end, he averted his gaze and didn't look back for a while, even when he heard Gohong's footsteps moving away. The gaze seemed to linger in that spot for some reason.
After a while, Yugong weakly lowered his head. There were so many stars, as if they were pouring down. The cruel sky, just looking down at the hellish world, was unpleasant.
'What's the difference?'
A bitter laugh escaped.
"How would I know..."
Covering his eyes with both hands, he continued.
"How could I..."
His voice filled with self-deprecation didn't spread far and dissipated around his lips.
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