Bab 15: Chapter 903: Welcome Back, Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword (Part 3)
Slosh.
A glass was filled with alcohol.
Without a word, Chung Myung looked at the person sitting across from him, who was meticulously cleaning his dagger with a white linen cloth.
"... Put away the knife. It's ruining the taste of the alcohol."
"Seriously, how can you care about the taste of alcohol in the middle of a war like this? As long as you can drink it, that's all that matters."
Tang Bo raised his eyebrow after wiping all the oil off the dagger without leaving a trace. He took care of his dagger so thoroughly it was as if he were afraid someone might recognize him as a member of the Tang Family.
"Do you think you'll improve just by doing that?"
"Come on, if you don't know, don't speak. Human butchers like Taoist-hyung [older brother] can pick up a sword on the ground and slice and dice with it, but people like me need weapons that can fit our hands perfectly. This one is exquisite."
"Exquisite my foot."
In any case, Tang Bo meticulously cleaned all twelve daggers. After polishing them thoroughly and grinding the areas with scratches, he finally placed the immaculate daggers in front of him.
Then he picked up the bottle and filled Chung Myung's empty glass with alcohol.
"Why is our Taoist-hyung upset again?"
"...."
"No, no. He's always like that. Right. It's like nature's law."
"This bastard?"
"Come on, have a drink? One drink?"
Tang Bo grinned and raised his glass, and Chung Myung chuckled and raised his glass in response. The two glasses clinked in the air.
Chung Myung slowly emptied his drink and looked at Tang Bo sitting across from him.
"How many died yesterday?"
"Twenty?"
"I didn't ask if you killed them, I asked how many died."
"Five. Those damn bastards were causing trouble, even after I warned them..."
Tang Bo scowled as if annoyed. It seemed there were casualties in the Tang family, even under his leadership.
That was the nature of war. No matter how careful or hard you tried, there would always be those who died.
"These damn bastards have gone mad lately. If you so much as looked at them the wrong way, they'll lose their minds."
Tang Bo playfully pretended to run his fingers along his own throat.
"Crazy bastard."
Chung Myung chuckled.
It was just a joke, but in this place, no one made such jokes. In a place where the spot that used to be occupied by someone eating their meal yesterday was empty today, jokes about death were too heavy to be taken lightly, yet too light to be discussed seriously.
"I told you I almost died. I ran into a bishop bastard."
"Hmm."
The moment the word "bishop" was mentioned, Chung Myung's eyes narrowed slightly. Several bishops had already met their demise at the hands of his sword, but the title "bishop" still held its threat for Chung Myung.
"We didn't get into a real fight, so I let it slide."
Tang Bo pressed his chin as if he were annoyed.
"If we had fought properly, my life would have been in danger. Damn it, why was I born into the Tang Family?"
"You're the one who's weak, so why are you making excuses?"
"Oh my. It seems our Taoist-hyung lives in the mountains and doesn't know much. I'm not weak; it's just the nature of the flying knives. I mean, I can manage up to a certain level, but beyond that, there are limitations to what I can do, you know?"
"You're the one who's weak."
"No, that's not what I meant..."
"You're the weak one."
"..."
Tang Bo smiled brightly with a bloodshot face.
"Be careful on your way home. Because a flying knife might get stuck in your back."
"Well, it won't be a flying knife but rather a knife thrown by a blind guy." [It's a pun, since "blind" is the same character as the first character of "flying knife"]
"Ugh, damn it."
Tang Bo grumbled as he toyed with the dagger in front of him. It seemed he was contemplating whether he could simply thrust it into Chung Myung's forehead.
"Anyway, that's why I'm thinking of developing some useful, like a new hidden weapon technique."
"Hidden weapon technique?"
"Yes. It's a hidden weapon technique that can deal with those bishop scum or those dog-like bastards of Heavenly Demon. Black clothes, bastards wearing black clothes. Oh, it's even better if they carry swords."
Chung Myung silently looked down at his clothes.
It was black. Very black.
Chung Myung chuckled.
"Stop fooling around and do what you were doing well. When are you going to make that hidden weapon technique and use it in a real fight? You'll try it out in the afterlife."
"Well, I'm not going to use it right away."
"Hmm?"
Tang Bo chuckled.
"As long as I just get a rough idea, I can make it leisurely after the war is over."
"Do you have confidence you'll live until then?"
"Oh, I'm Tang Bo. If the reapers come to get me, I'll just thrust a sword into my forehead." [not sure]
"Crazy bastard."
Tang Bo chuckled.
Tang Bo, who had been silently gazing at the empty glass in my hand with a somewhat mysterious expression on his face, grabbed the wine bottle and poured himself a drink.
"Even if, by some chance, I can't make it myself..."
Hearing his subdued voice, Cheong Myung raised his head to look at Tang Bo.
Tang Bo, who was slowly turning the wine glass in his hand, swiftly downed the drink in one gulp.
"Someone will continue on. Someone will carry on the Tang family's bloodline and master the Twelve Daggers"
"..."
"In that case, even if there's someone in the future who finds himself in the same situation as me, they won't have the same worries as I do, right?"
"Hmm..."
Unexpectedly, Chung Myung had some thoughts but before he could say anything, Tang Bo's voice, tinged with slight annoyance, reached Chung Myung's ears.
"Well, at least my descendants won't be going around getting beaten up by some evil Taoist who came down from a desolate mountain. I'll just stab it into the back of his neck..."
Swish.
"Ah! Wh-what! Why are you pulling out a sword while we're drinking? A sword! Seriously, you really can't seem to understand jokes. Where did you come from, training in some mountains?"
"You crazy bastard..."
Chung Myung chuckled, sheathed his sword, and raised his glass. The alcohol that went down his throat was particularly bitter.
"What's the point of all that?"
"Excuse me?"
"Descendants and all..."
Chung Myung's eyes darkened as he gazed out the window. The thick clouds blocking the sun seemed ready to pour down rain any moment.
"What do I care about the ones who'll survive? I don't even know if I'll make it through tomorrow."
"Hmm, well, that's a valid point too."
Chung Myung's somber gaze returned to Tang Bo.
"You're even thinking about your descendants after being kicked out of the family."
"Who said I was kicked out? Those bastards couldn't handle me!"
"Isn't that an insult?"
"It's a compliment."
"It's an insult!"
Tang Bo clenched his teeth. Finally, Chung Myung chuckled, looking at him. He often tried to find something to laugh about even when there was a reason to laugh.
It may have been the reason why, every time he had a moment to spare in this hellish battlefield, Chung Myung kept looking at Tang Bo, rather than treating him like a death row inmate.
'He doesn't know any better.'
Even in such a battlefield where people were losing their humanity, the fact that they could shout, get angry, joke, and laugh, was truly a remarkable thing.
"Still, that's just the way it is."
"Hmm?"
Tang Bo, holding the dagger in his hand, spoke as he stroked the edge of the blade with his fingertips.
"Someone..."
His gaze was calm as he looked at his reflection in the light of the dagger. The deep shadows then quickly washed away any semblance of expression from the darkened face.
"...who continues our wills should not repeat the same mistakes made by foolish ones before. At the very least, they should be better than us, shouldn't they?"
"..."
However, as if nothing happened, Tang Bo quickly erased the sadness that had appeared on his face and smiled brightly.
"At least, by their side, there might be an evil Taoist who uses a sword like a reaper."
"Ridiculous."
"Well, what can I do? It's blood. Back in the day, I didn't even want to see those stupid guys, but as the years go by, I start worrying."
Tang Bo chuckled, and Chung Myung also laughed without much enthusiasm, tilting his head to look at the ceiling.
"Someone who continues... "
Nonsense.
What did it mean to continue? You couldn't even see their faces. You wouldn't know anything that happened after death. You couldn't even save the lives of those who were living in front of you. As time goes on, you only lose more.
"If you have time to think about that, just kill one more guy."
"Hmm?"
"Just don't make any mistakes. If you cut off the Heavenly Demon's head, at least your descendants won't have to fight with that guy."
"Well... that's a valid point."
"So don't worry."
"What kind of talk is this?"
Chung Myung raised the corner of his mouth.
"I'll slit that bastard's throat."
"You only keep saying that because it's mine."
Tang Bo clicked his tongue.
"Fine. If Taoist-hyung cuts off the Heavenly Demon's head, I'll give you a gift."
"A gift?"
"Hmm! I'll let you be the first to taste the new hidden weapon technique I'm going to make! The day you get a dagger in your back, I'll become the best in the world... hey, hey! I said it as a joke, don't pull out your sword!
"Die, you bastard!"
"Ah, this Taoist is going to kill someone!"
Tang Bo, who had been making a fuss, suddenly dispelled the sword energy Chung Myung sent flying and laughed.
"If that day comes, I'll have no wishes left."
"...You might as well die."
"Accept it. I'll fill your cup."
The wine trickled down from the bottle and slowly filled the white glass.
The two of them handed each other the liquor as if they were competing. As if they wanted to quench some parched part of themselves.
The two just drank until the rain that came that night washed away yesterday's bloody stench.
* * *
Chung Myung opened his eyes and gazed at the ceiling with a dazed expression.
His head slowly turned to the side. Sunlight was streaming in through the window.
'Is it morning?'
Even though he used to wake up and go for training when it was still dark, now that he had returned to Mount Hua after a long absence, it seemed that the tension that had gripped his body for years had relaxed.
Maybe that's why he had such a dream.
"...Such a thing happened."
Yes, he had forgotten. He didn't consider their thoughtless conversations important enough to remember each one. No, he just didn't realize their importance.
"First of all, it's dog food..." [not sure]
Cheong Myung chuckled. It was a face that resembled the Plum Blossom Sword Saint from the past.
"You foolish man."
Yeah. He kept his promise to cut the throat of the Heavenly Demon. He cut it in the most pathetic way possible.
And Tang Bo, too, kept his promise. In the stupidest way possible.
Both of them were truly stupid like idiots.
So...
Chung Myung raised his gaze once again. The ceiling was different from what he had seen at the drinking session.
"I said I wouldn't let it happen..."
If he had put in so much effort and yet such incidents were going to repeat... What was the meaning of all the deaths back then?
'What on earth...?'
Thud!
At that moment, the door burst open, and familiar faces poured into the room. Well, it was more like they tumbled in.
"Argh! What the hell, man!"
Even the great Chung Myung couldn't help but be startled at that moment.
"Argh! Didn't I tell you not to push!"
"No! It's because you didn't move!"
"I told you to give me a break! Swordsmanship isn't easy!"
"Why are you waking up a sleeping person like this!"
Chung Myung's face contorted as he looked at Five Swords tangled up and fallen down. He immediately covered his face with both hands.
"For the likes of these... Tang Bo, doesn't it seem like a dog's death? Huh?"
"What?"
As Chung Myung weakly buried his face, Baek Cheon, who had been at the very bottom, coughed into his fist. That's right, he was trampled on by evil people, so he wasn't to blame.
"No, I... I wanted to ask about the martial art from yesterday."
"..."
"No matter how much I think about it, I can't understand the use of the dagger technique."
"Please explain it to me."
"..."
Chung Myung, who was momentarily tongue-tied, looked at them blankly and asked.
"You gathered here at dawn for this alone?"
"Dawn? The sun has already risen!"
"What if we keep delaying and forget about it? You should address it immediately."
A hollow laugh escaped from Chung Myung's lips. Looking at those whose eyes were gleaming... or rather, fidgeting, he felt like a fool for even briefly feeling down.
"How it works?"
"Yes."
"If I tell you, can you even understand?"
"..."
"You only know what you can see. As much as you can see. How can I explain what you can't see because you're weak? It's like teaching a monkey to write."
"You bastard..."
"Give it up. I told you won't hear any good words anyway!"
"Cough! Ptoo!"
When the noisy reactions poured out, Chung Myung raised his head from the bed and got up.
"If you have time to talk nonsense, you should be training. Just because you returned to Mount Hua..."
"Everyone else has done it except you."
"Huh?"
"You're the last, you bastard!"
Baek Cheon slightly blocked Chung Myung, who was about to go out, shaking his head. Chung Myung looked up with a puzzled expression.
"What?"
"To be honest, I don't think you can understand it well in your head."
"Huh?"
"But..."
Baek Cheon's lips twisted slightly.
"I think you might be able to understand it with your body."
"...."
"How about it? As a warm-up?"
Chung Myung initially opened his mouth as if he had something to say, but then shook his head.
"Do you still have any pain from the previous injuries?"
"It's all healed by now, you bastard."
Baek Cheon chuckled confidently. With breath to spare, Chung Myung also burst into laughter.
"All right, let's meet in the training grounds. I'll make your recently-healed places break prettily for you."
"Okay."
The Five Swords, without saying a word, headed outside. Jo Gol, who was at the very back, grabbed Baek Cheon's shoulder and lunged forward.
"I'm going first!"
"No, this punk? Hey, you there! Don't you have any sense of direction?"
"Where do you see that in Mount Hua!"
"A gap."
"Samae! Hey! Yoo Iseol!"
Chung Myung stood in place, watching their interactions. As he observed the Five Swords running out, it felt like he could hear a voice from a dream.
- Someone who continues our wills should not repeat the same mistakes made by foolish ones before. At the very least, they should be better than us, shouldn't they?
Chung Myung looked at the sunlight pouring in through the window. Unlike before, the weather was remarkably clear.
"Yeah, better than us."
Better than fools like you and me.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Bagel_Seeds
Bagel_Seeds Here's some fanart I drew for this chapter:
https://ibb.co/b7mLDCT
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone