Camellia 39

Someone more precious than life itself.

Someone he would risk his life to protect.

To Seolyeong, that someone was Seolhyeon.

That was why, on every one of her birthdays, he would make the same request:

‘Be born as my little sister again in the next life, Hyeon-ah. If you do, this brother will give you an even more amazing present than today’s.’

Seolhyeon was what kept Seolyeong alive.

Others criticized him for fussing so much over a sibling who was barely younger, but Seolyeong looked after her like he was her parent. Maybe he was trying to create a little world that belonged to just the two of them.

Parents always lose to their children. Seolyeong was no different.

He had climbed once more to the top of Mount Yonyeong.

Lying on a flat rock he had marked as his own, he gazed up at the night sky.

Life is fleeting, and the heavens are indifferent.

Why had the heavens made Seolhyeon fall in love with Murong Wi? And why had they made Murong Wi return that feeling?

Seolyeong was someone who tried to live a straightforward life.

That was why he neither believed in nor sought out love.

From what he had seen, love was so entangled and fickle that it turned everyone who chased it into a complete fool.

To Seolyeong, Murong Wi was the perfect example of that.

‘What about Hyeon-ah did hyung-nim fall for…?’

Her boldness? That proud, unshakable spirit? Or was it her lovely face, so much like mine?

Muttering to himself, Seolyeong reached toward the sky.

As if waiting, a bright yellow mountain bird landed on his finger.

Its high-pitched chirp was almost cute. Seolyeong asked,

‘Do you think I should leave too?’

The sky over Yonyeong was packed full of stars.

It was a breathtaking sight, as if a haughty gathering of stars were embracing the forest.

Among them, one star sparkled more brightly than the rest and seemed to bury itself in Seolyeong’s chest.

It was a star that shone defiantly even in a pitch-black world. Seolyeong wished that same light would follow Seolhyeon.

He hoped that the shadow looming over her life would vanish and be replaced with that bright, twinkling starlight.

Just as he was thinking that, whistling softly.

‘…Oh?’

Startled, Seolyeong sat up.

A shooting star was falling across the western sky.

The yellow bird that had been playing on his hand flew far away.

Quickly, he cleared his throat.

‘I have to make a wish. A wish…’

There were too many things to wish for. Unable to choose, he just started speaking whatever came to mind.

‘Please, let Hyeon-ah be happy.’

And if You could spare the time, I wouldn’t mind a little help too.

He added that with a grin, saying it was fine if they ignored his part, just remember Seolhyeon’s name.

It was time to head back.

Stretching wide, Seolyeong leapt down from the rock.

Seeing that shooting star, sent by the gods themselves, helped solidify his resolve.

Yeah. I’ll leave. But where to? I don’t know. Damn it. Anywhere’s fine.

If he were with Seolhyeon, he would’ve been more careful, but on his own, Seolyeong didn’t hesitate.

Murong Wi wasn’t a coward who said one thing and did another.

If he had promised to protect Seolhyeon, then Seolyeong only had to follow the orders he’d been given.

‘Ah, right. I should go say goodbye to the elder before I leave…’

He began to hum. The gloomier he felt, the more Seolyeong pretended to be cheerful.

That way, people who tried to ruin his mood would give up and go away. He strolled down the sloping mountain path at a leisurely pace.

The scent of the mountain was pleasant, and he didn’t bother using gyeonggong.

But maybe he should have gone home more carefully. Someone stepped out from behind the trees, and Seolyeong froze.

It was Murong Jeongui. He had appeared without a sound. A beautiful man. He asked without warning,

‘…Why are you avoiding me?’

It was dark all around, and the moonlight was faint, but Seolyeong could see his expression clearly.

The eyes of a blood fiend worked well in the dark. Murong Jeongui looked like he had cried himself half-insane.

‘I asked why you’re avoiding me!’

Seolyeong flinched.

What the hell did that bastard eat? There was Qi in Jeongui’s voice.

To speak while imbuing your voice with inner power, you had to be at least a high first-class martial artist.

But as far as Seolyeong knew, Jeongui was still stuck at second-class, older than him, sure, but way slower in his martial growth and not even close to being a rival.

Now that he looked closely, Murong Jeongui was holding a gourd flask.

‘…Are you drunk?’

Seolyeong frowned and asked.

Murong Jeongui replied,

‘I took medicine. Medicine that will bind us together…’

The words were ominous.

Murong Wi had been right. His youngest brother wasn’t sitting in his room crying, he had been brewing revenge in secret.

The drug he had taken was Seoncheon Heupgongju¹, a poison from the fallen Sacheon Tang clan.

It temporarily boosted internal power to explosive levels but destroyed the body once the effect wore off.

Murong Jeongui had found the formula in the Murong family’s underground archive, after it had drifted there when the Tang clan collapsed.

As the name suggested, this drug unleashed innate Qi stored in the body since birth. Once used, that Qi could never return to its original state.

But Jeongui had chosen to sacrifice it, just to make Seolyeong, someone stronger than him, his own.

Jeongui stumbled forward.

‘There’s no way to turn back time and win your heart… so I found a way to etch myself into it forever.’

Seolyeong wanted to run, but his legs wouldn’t move. An overwhelming pressure had taken hold of his feet.

It was terrifying.

Only a true master, one who had surpassed him, could emit that kind of aura, and it was coming from Jeongui.

It felt like a massive serpent was wrapping around his limbs.

Seolyeong shuddered. Murong Jeongui felt his opponent’s dwindling Qi, he smiled slyly.

‘You’ll never forget me, Ahyeong.’

He drew a golden-hilted sword. Shhhh, steel slid smoothly from its sheath.

Jeongui hummed quietly, as if to say everything would be fine. The closer he came, the harder Seolyeong’s heart pounded.

He had to get out of here. Now. Jeongui’s eyes gleamed. He was coming for him like a predator ready to consume its prey.

‘Don’t. Don’t come any closer, damn it! I said stay back, Murong Jeongui! Ugh…!’

Thunk!

Seolyeong didn’t make it. The sword plunged into his abdomen with a sickening force. His muscles tried to resist, but it was useless.

Jeongui twisted the blade mercilessly. The unevenly forged edge tore through his organs.

‘Cough… ah… ugh…’

As Seolyeong fell backward, Jeongui caught him by the upper arms and buried his face into his neck, where the veins bulged.

‘I love you. I love you. I’m sorry I love you, Ahyeong. I didn’t want to love someone like you either… But you’re just too beautiful. If only you weren’t so beautiful, none of this would’ve happened…’

Muttering useless apologies, he pressed harder on the hilt.

Thunk.

Again, Seolyeong’s insides were ripped apart. His eyes rolled back. Hot blood streamed down Jeongui’s wrist.

At this rate, he wouldn’t just lose his danjeon, he’d die. Jeongui couldn’t control his strength. It was as if he wanted to die together.

At death’s door, Seolyeong summoned inhuman strength.Wham! He punched Jeongui in the danjeon, then pressed his palm to his torn belly and ran.

He didn’t know where, he just ran. Jeongui screamed and chased after him.

‘Why do you reject me?! Why! Someone like you, how dare you reject me?!’

Seolyeong was stunned. You lunatic… there was nothing to reject in the first place.

Jeongui had always hated him, and Seolyeong had always done his best to ignore him.

Did you ever give me the chance to reject you?

He wanted to shout that, but at that moment, his ankle twisted at the cliff’s edge.

He tumbled down and glanced back.

Jeongui was closing in with terrifying speed.

‘That bastard…!’

In the end, Seolyeong jumped.

At the time, it felt like the only choice. Better to fall off a cliff than be caught by Jeongui.

‘Ahyeong!’

Who the hell are you to keep yelling my name like that? As he fell, he looked up. Jeongui was gagging and vomiting, it seems he’d run out of strength.

He lay sprawled at the edge, flailing his hands, unable to follow.

Seolyeong burst out laughing in delirium.

‘You said you loved me, you idiot! Then come die with me!’

His shout echoed loudly through the ravine. No reply came.

What a ridiculous way to die, because of that bastard.

But just then, a strong wind swept through, and a massive, feather-shaped blade caught him.

It began to hum, as if speaking to him.

It was Seonwol-do, the legendary sword said to roam the ages in search of its true master.

1. Innate Energy-Draining Elixir or more Innate Power-Absorbing Wine ↩︎