Chapter 368

Chapter 368
Chapter 368. Invisible Torrent (8)

—

As if the initial somber and stifling aura had evaporated alongside the fumes of the liquor, the academy scholars assembled at Song-hwa-gak began consuming their drinks with raucous energy.

As the hours slipped by, the revelry grew progressively more boisterous.

Whenever a voice lifted into song, the rest joined the chorus; whenever a jest was tossed into the air, a witty retort instantly came flying back.

The drinking assembly endured far past my initial expectations.

My assumption had been that after giving voice to their grief and immersing themselves in sorrow, everyone would slip away to their respective quarters with drooping shoulders, thoroughly drained.

“Bwahahaha! More liquor over here! Bring out the finest vintage! The priciest bottle!”

“Word on the street is the Tae-eul-mun Merchant Group is raking in massive profits lately, right? Bring out every single dish they have on the menu!”

Acting as though they had deliberately anticipated this exact occasion, these bastards began gorging themselves, devouring food and pouring drinks down their throats like wild animals.

‘Curse it…….’

What was more, as the night deepened, the ferocity of the gathering only escalated.

The individuals who had previously been seated strictly according to their respective factions or schools began to intermingle and cross lines completely.

A cultivator belonging to the 12th Peak Stars shared a cup in camaraderie with a member of the Righteous Way Society.

An individual from the White Way Society was openly playing pranks on the disciples of the 12th Peak Stars.

“Why are these fellows…… behaving so familiarly with each other?”

Finding this entire display utterly bizarre, I shifted my gaze toward Eun-ho, who happened to be seated beside me.

“We used to convene in our respective squads back within the academy on occasion.”

“Hmm?”

What exactly did he mean by that?

The explanation he provided was too vague for me to fully comprehend.

Just as I opened my mouth to press for clarification.

“Leader of the 5th Squad!!”

Wi-rip-gun and Jong-chu-ak flanked Eun-ho, grabbing him by his sides and hoisting his frame clean off the ground.

“Ha……! What are you doing lounging here when you’re a Squad Leader? This is an absolute abandonment of your responsibilities!! The rest of your squad members are waiting for you!”

This…… what kind of nonsense was this, truly?

“Move it, let’s go!”

“Let’s goooo!!”

Amidst their boisterous shouting and prodding, Eun-ho, dangling helplessly in midair, shook his head with a resigned expression, realizing he had no alternative.

“It appears I must take my leave. Please mind your intake and drink moderately, Dae-sahyung.”

“…….”

Whether he was genuinely being abducted against his will or secretly desired to join them was unclear, but…… Eun-ho departed.

Following his exit, Geum-pyo, Dong-ryong, Moyong-jae-hwa, and Eun-seol-ran likewise drifted away, leaving my table practically deserted.

Even so, it wasn’t altogether terrible.

“We can finally share a quiet, meaningful conversation among ourselves after such a long interval.”

Given how challenging it was to have deep discussions with Namgung-seon-hwa or Seong-mo-ran whenever the younger ones were hovering around…….

“What made you assume that I would simply stay behind?”

……What was this supposed to mean now?

Namgung-seon-hwa, who had always maintained a gentle, benevolent demeanor and had consistently tolerated Dang-seo-hui’s abrasive antics, was currently drilling into me with an icy stare.

“Uh, have I committed some sort of blunder?”

The moment the inquiry left my mouth, Namgung-seon-hwa suddenly became visibly flustered.

“……It’s—it is not precisely something I could label a ‘blunder’…… but then again, I can’t exactly claim it isn’t one, either…….”

“If you clarify exactly what my misstep was, I will readily rectify it—”

“Regardless, if you operate under the assumption that I will perpetually remain by Gong-ja-nim’s side, you are profoundly mistaken!! Do you understand me?!”

Namgung-seon-hwa’s expression instantly froze into a chilly mask once more.

She surged out of her seat with a sharp, sudden scraping sound and marched off toward the section where her squad members were calling out for her.

My temples were genuinely beginning to throb by this point.

“So-jeo Seong…… by any chance, did I do something……”

“I am deeply disappointed.”

“Excuse me? Regarding what?”

“…….”

Seong-mo-ran fled from the table before she could even finish her thought.

Granted, I was a man who remained woefully ignorant regarding the inner workings of a woman’s mind, but wasn’t this behavior completely irrational?

I shifted my gaze and looked toward Sa-ryeon…….

“Dae-sahyung……. Have I not repeatedly instructed you to carry yourself with proper decorum?”

“……I mean…… what kind of decorum.”

“There is such a thing.”

Offering nothing but that cryptic remark, Sa-ryeon also stood up abruptly and walked away.

“No, what in the world is going on……”

Not a single soul was left who could offer me an explanation.

Surveying the surroundings, the academy scholars had clustered together according to their Sahwal Unit detachments.

Likely due to the massive quantities of alcohol they had consumed, everyone’s volume had spiked dramatically, forcing me to overhear the entirety of their arguments whether I wanted to or not.

I checked to see what kind of topic could possibly engross them so thoroughly.

……A fierce dispute was raging over whether “your squad leader is a complete moron” or “our squad leader is a complete moron.”

The mood was intensely earnest.

They appeared ready to draw their weapons on each other at any second.

I really ought to step in and stop th—

“Hold on…… wait a minute…… since we aren’t going to settle this this way regardless, hmm…… right! Let’s simply agree that the Unit Commander is the ultimate moron!”

Confound it, I was merely sitting here minding my own business.

Some idiot attempted to arbitrate the dispute using an entirely nonsensical line of reasoning.

Ordinarily, a fellow who spouts something that idiotic out of nowhere is bound to face a collective thrashing. Just as I was about to offer a silent prayer for the soul of that fool who completely misread the room…….

“Hooooo!!”

The suffocating tension snapped instantly, and enthusiastic agreement erupted from all corners of the room.

“Excellent!”

“That makes perfect sense!”

“That is the absolute correct deduction!”

“Are you some kind of prodigy?!”

Damn it, are you mocking me right now?

“…….”

An actual brawl even ignited among the martial artists on the fifth level. The synchronized offensive executed by the Wudang Sect, the Moyong Family, and the Juk-hyeon-bang was nothing short of a masterpiece.

Had the disciples of the 4th Squad, under the leadership of Gwak-su-san, been refining their coordination even after returning from the Silent Forest?

‘It’s deafening.’

Ever since my inner vitality surged and sharpened my five senses to an extreme degree, I typically managed my daily life by dampening my perception to a certain extent, meaning I rarely felt discomfort. However, on an evening like this where I had overindulged in liquor, that sensory dampening failed to function correctly, causing all manner of noises to flood my ears uninvited.

‘Sigh…….’

Because I was catching not only the banter of the academy scholars but also the conversations drifting up from the first, second, and upper tiers, sitting inside felt suffocating.

Just as I resolved to step toward the rear exit of the establishment to clear my head with some crisp air, the academy scholars began calling out to me one after another.

“Unit Commander, where are you heading off to?”

“Just getting some fresh air.”

“Why, are you not enjoying yourself?”

“I explicitly stated I am going to get some air, you blockhead.”

“What ‘air’ could you possibly need? Get over here. Let’s down a cup together.”

Truthfully, standing around outside by myself in a pathetic display did seem rather ridiculous.

Just as I prepared to redirect my steps back toward them, acting as though I had no choice but to give in, the hushed murmur of another academy scholar reached my ears.

……It was an exceptionally loud voice for a supposedly secret whisper.

“Hey! It gets incredibly awkward if the Unit Commander joins us, so why on earth are you trying to detain him! Just let him step outside……!”

“Ah, so that’s the reason you didn’t invite him over?”

“Exactly! Is our primary adversary not always our commander!”

Damn it all, I had been wondering why the space around me was so unusually barren.

Was I actively being shunned?

For what reason?

I possess absolutely no defects in my character. On top of that, I am funding their drinks so lavishly without a second thought.

No, where else on this earth could one find a superior so benevolent? Furthermore, I’m not even their permanent superior in any official capacity anyway. Curse it.

Not wanting the fellow who had originally extended the invitation to find himself in an awkward predicament with his peers, I dismissed the gesture with a shake of my head.

“Forget it. I’ll return shortly after taking a walk, so ensure you don’t lose your minds entirely.”

“Hehehe. Enjoy your stroll. By the time those fellows get a fraction more intoxicated, they won’t even possess the capacity to distinguish between a superior and a peer anyway.”

Leaving behind the fellow’s impish grin, I made my way out toward the courtyard.

Song-hwa-gak was renowned for the sprawling, magnificent garden that unfolded across its rear grounds, matching the scale of the massive tavern building itself.

Consuming alcohol within the main halls of Song-hwa-gak was a costly affair, but reserving a spot inside the pavilions nestled throughout the gardens was several times more exorbitant.

Even so, because the paved pathway winding around the pond maintained a fair distance from those exclusive pavilions, there were no rules preventing someone from admiring the scenery while strolling through.

After sidestepping several intoxicated individuals sprawling across the grass, I penetrated into the deeper, secluded sections of the courtyard, where a serene stillness finally enveloped me.

Observing the fish gliding beneath the surface of the pond and the stars glittering in the firmament above, I felt the chaotic thoughts clogging my mind begin to dissipate slightly.

Regrettably, full tranquility eluded me.

Despite the physical distance, every single pavilion remained occupied by drunken patrons.

“……Ah, you absolutely cannot behave this way in this place……”

“……I have already concluded negotiations with the merchant guild, so they are guaranteed to pick our group……”

“I will exact my vengeance…… upon those who cast me aside……”

There were techniques available to purge the alcohol from my system and seal my senses away entirely, but I elected to simply bear with it.

Given that I fully intended to venture back inside and resume drinking later anyway.

I amused myself by counting the shimmering stars above while actively trying to drown out the background noise, when suddenly.

“Mun-ju-nim.”

A specific title echoed out, one that I could not possibly ignore or dismiss.

“I received word that the academy student Geum-tae-jong has been officially designated as a person of exceptional merit.”

The exchange was filtering out from a pavilion tucked away in the most secluded, shadowy corner at the very edge of the courtyard.

Instinctively, my eyes shifted toward that structure.

Illuminated by a flickering, dim candle, three or four individuals clad in lavish, ostentatious robes were seated together, while at the center, a man dressed in tattered, faded martial attire quietly tipped a cup of wine down his throat.

“I speak with utmost discretion, but allow me to offer my congratulations.”

Hearing the words of the individual dressed in the flamboyant long robe, the man in the threadbare martial robes slowly swallowed his drink, acting as though he were savoring every drop.

Moments later, a faint, subtle smirk played across the lips of the man as he set his vessel down on the table.

“My gratitude. I truly did not anticipate that circumstances would unfold so favorably.”

At Song-ju-sang’s remark, the companions gathered around him mirrored his expression, grins spreading across their faces.

“I understand the financial restitution for the bereaved family is being calculated at an exceptionally high figure.”

“It is entirely due to the instructors demonstrating such an utterly incompetent display during the crisis.”

“The compensation funds will be funneled directly to the sect, correct?”

Song-ju-sang paused to reflect for a brief moment as another cup was poured for him, before suddenly snapping his head upward.

“That boy Tae-jong always viewed the Il-hak-mun as his true home. We, likewise, regarded that child as our very own flesh and blood. He will undoubtedly consider us far more of a family than his biological relations.”

The men in the ornate robes exchanged highly charged, knowing glances.

“However, financial restitution…… how could that possibly take precedence? The matter of genuine consequence is entirely separate. I trust that all of you will lend your considerable influence when the selection for the One Hundred and Eight Peaks takes place this term.”

“Hmm…… is the Cheon-mok-jang not still acting as an obstacle for you? It is common knowledge that the Cheon-mok-jang is equally desperate to secure a position within the One Hundred and Eight Peaks.”

“That particular complication will be ironed out in short order.”

“What exactly do you mean by ironed out?”

“A formal disciple of our own sect has perished. Where in the entirety of the Murim at this current moment exists a political justification more potent than the profound sorrow of an academy scholar’s grieving family?”

“Hehe, it is truly Sae-ong-ji-ma.”

“Precisely. Sae-ong-ji-ma…… it is a stroke of fortune disguised as disaster, hahahaha!”

Those worn-out martial robes were, paradoxically, far more conspicuous than the vibrant silk garments worn by the others.

It was undoubtedly because the fabric’s original hue had completely washed out from being laundered an untold number of times.

“Sigh…….”

My chest, which had been seething with turbulent fury only a breath prior, turned instantly ice-cold.

Would my spirit find solace if I charged over right this instant and shattered Song-ju-sang into a helpless cripple?

Or would I simply be handing him yet another convenient justification to exploit?

A monster capable of weaponizing his own disciple’s demise would certainly find a way to capitalize on his own physical injury.

I forcibly halted the cascade of dark thoughts flooding my brain.

What did any of it matter.

Even if I enacted retribution here and now, it wouldn’t bring Geum-tae-jong back to the land of the living.

Nonetheless.

‘I absolutely refuse to tolerate the sight of wretched bastards who profit off another soul’s death living in luxury and thriving, because it turns my stomach to ash.’

*Whoosh—*

My martial robes began to ripple violently as internal energy surged.

The sharp, pungent aroma of alcohol stung the tip of my nose as it was forcibly expelled.

The moment the liquor cleared from my system, my mind snapped back into pristine clarity.

The alcohol I had consumed tonight wasn’t a total waste.

Because it was abundantly clear that I wouldn’t require another drop for the remainder of the evening.

Turning my back on Song-hwa-gak entirely, I set a direct course for the headquarters of the Murim Alliance.

“……Agh!”

Maeng-ju-won, who had drifted off to sleep slumped over his writing desk, jerked awake with a violent start.

Recognizing that he had been unconscious until a mere fraction of a second ago, he frantically inspected the array of paperwork spread before him.

Terrified that the crucial records he had spent hours compiling might have been ruined by his own drool.

“Phew…… thank the heavens…….”

Scarcely after the catastrophic ordeal in Sichuan had drawn to a close, another crisis had detonated within the Silent Forest, leaving the administrative staff of the Bureau of Myriad Wisdom completely worked to the bone.

There had even been instances where they had to track down and apprehend staff members assigned to the Thousand Eyes Pavilion who had abandoned their posts, screaming that they could no longer endure the pressure.

There was also that specific incident where they had to pacify a deserting clerk who was throwing a hysterical tantrum, threatening to report the entire department to the Inspection Hall and the Execution Hall, by calmly pointing out, ‘If you do that, won’t it just generate an even more monstrous workload for everyone?’

The entire department was operating at the absolute brink of human endurance.

The solitary beacon of light remaining was the fact that the graduation ceremony for the Murim Academy was rapidly approaching.

And according to the talent assessments provided by Jegal-so-myeong, there were at least three or four exceptional individuals who were ripe for recruitment into the Bureau of Myriad Wisdom…….

This single prospect was the lone source of hope and motivation keeping the ragged staff of the Bureau of Myriad Wisdom functioning.

“Jin-so-un will be integrated into active duty immediately, and if I task Jin-so-un with mentoring and breaking in the remaining recruits……”

An involuntary chuckle slipped past his lips at the thought.

Just a bit longer, just a fraction more agony to withstand.

Once that happened, this nightmarish existence within the Bureau of Myriad Wisdom would ease to a manageable degree.

Jin-so-un and his contemporaries would be absolutely ground into dust, but…… well, is there not a common proverb stating that one ought to seek out hardships during their youth?

Forcibly indoctrinating himself with that philosophy, he snatched up the subsequent stack of papers.

“Huh? What on earth is this?”

Buried deep within the mountain of administrative files were two documents he had absolutely no recollection of seeing before.

The first was a comprehensive blueprint detailing the financial compensation intended for the grieving families of the academy scholars who had lost their lives within the Silent Forest.

It outlined a strategy to distribute the funds directly to the relatives, citing the severe risk of embezzlement or administrative loss if the capital meant for the fallen scholars was routed through their respective sects. The entire methodology was mapped out with pristine, logical clarity.

If executed along these lines, it was guaranteed that they could deliver the necessary restitution to the scholars’ kin without ever involving the regional sects.

The second document was an intelligence brief that had been forwarded directly from the Thousand Eyes Pavilion.

It explicitly noted that despite the Murim Alliance having issued a draconian decree strictly outlawing the practice of fabricating false charges of sorcery in relation to the tragedy in the Silent Forest, certain elements among the sects of the deceased scholars were actively conspiring to instigate an incident regardless.

“The Il-hak-mun, so it seems……”

Now that he reflected on it, though the precise details eluded his memory, the Il-hak-mun had exhibited highly erratic and suspicious behavior back when the crisis in Sichuan erupted as well.

He had assumed they had quieted down once the Alliance Leader’s Order was distributed just in the nick of time…… yet here they were, attempting to orchestrate another scheme.

As he scrutinized the pair of documents, Maeng-ju-won tilted his head, plagued by a nagging, unidentifiable sense of deja vu.

“Setting the intelligence file aside…… precisely when did this compensation blueprint manifest on my desk?”

In truth, because this exact dilemma was something Maeng-ju-won had been mulling over for an extended duration, the proposed solutions resonated with him deeply.

The critical issue was that his memory was completely blank regarding when he had actually drafted such a text.

“Hmm……”

He studied the handwriting and formatting once more.

The presentation of the core conflict and its subsequent resolution were engineered with flawless perfection.

It was undeniably a piece of literature that could only be manifested by someone profoundly entrenched in the inner workings of the Bureau of Myriad Wisdom.

Maeng-ju-won spent a long, silent interval meticulously analyzing the document down to the last stroke.

“Ah!”

A sharp gasp escaped him as sudden comprehension dawned.

“I…… I was the one who drafted it after all.”

To think that his professional instincts had evolved to the point where he could construct such a flawless administrative masterpiece while completely unconscious.

Maeng-ju-won found himself marveling at his own administrative genius once more.

“I ought to authorize this immediately.”

Without wasting another second, he authorized both files by pressing the department director’s official seal of final approval onto the parchment.

“*Sniff…… sniff*…… Still, which degenerate was consuming hard liquor inside the office during operational hours?”

His brow furrowed slightly as the faint, unmistakable scent of spirits wafted through the air of his workspace, but he quickly dismissed the anomaly.

“Well, this mountain of work is already far beyond what any sane man could accomplish while lucid. Perhaps I should also indulge in a cup myself after such a long drought?”

There were still dozens upon dozens of files stacked high on his workspace, and those, too, were certainly not the sort of tasks that could be endured sober.

By the time I completed the frantic drafting of the paperwork and slipped away after my covert infiltration of the Bureau of Myriad Wisdom.

The horizon was beginning to pale with the first approach of dawn.

Though the sky remained heavily salted with stars, the shifting colors of the early morning light stirred a peculiar, melancholic sentiment within me.

“To think that a view like this would reveal itself at an hour like this.”

It was entirely possible that the course of action I had just set in motion was something Geum-tae-jong would have actively protested against.

Geum-tae-jong might truly have loved the Il-hak-mun as though it were his genuine family, and he might have desired the elevation and prosperity of the Il-hak-mun above all else.

However.

*Clench—*

My fingers closed into tight fists entirely of their own accord.

The Master of the Il-hak-mun had reduced Geum-tae-jong’s sacrifice to something cheap and disposable.

Blinded by his personal ambitions, he had discarded the honor of his own pupil.

Regardless of how desperately Geum-tae-jong might have wished for his sect to thrive, I simply lacked the capacity to turn a blind eye and let it pass unpunished.

Even if an ocean of casualties loomed in the future and a time arrived when the value of a single life was reduced to nothing, I refused to succumb to that apathy so early.

Because I absolutely could not allow myself to become that hollow yet.

As I navigated past the compounds of the various other departments after exiting the Bureau of Myriad Wisdom structure.

*Twitch—*

A small, shadowed silhouette caught my eye on the edge of the training grounds.

Supposing it to be some stray animal, I altered my course toward it, only to let out a quiet, heavy sigh upon closer inspection.

“…….”

The shape belonged to Geum-tae-seon, curled tightly into a ball.

Her garments, which had been significantly more disheveled than when I first encountered her a few days back, had now lost even their vibrant, striking coloration to the dirt.

Sensing my physical presence near her, Geum-tae-seon rubbed her eyelids sluggishly and blinked awake.

“……Mister?”

“What are you doing out here in the dirt?”

Among the numerous streaks of grime staining her cheeks, the paths carved by fresh tears were glaringly obvious.

“…….”

The youngster maintained the exact same hollow, despondent expression she had worn during our previous meeting.

“Mother told me I’m not allowed to play with Oppa anymore. Oppa gave me his word that he would play with me……”

“…….”

“Everyone is cruel! Mother, Father, and even the Sect Leader mister! Oppa is—Oppa is someone who always fulfills his promises, but everyone keeps claiming that Oppa broke his word……”

Did their hearts find it easier to brand him a traitorous liar rather than breaking the devastating reality of his passing to her?

Whatever narrative they chose to spin, if it was a recollection destined to erode with the passage of time, they must have concluded it was far kinder to inflict a minor disappointment rather than a shattering sense of permanent loss.

I reached out and softly smoothed down the child’s hair.

“……Is that so.”

“Everyone is dishonest. Nobody keeps their word! The warrior uncle is dishonest too! You failed to keep your promise to bring Oppa back.”

Regrettably, I was similarly forced to adopt the exact same cowardly path as the rest of them.

Even if a massive emotional trauma scabbed over across the span of years, the scars left behind on the child would endure indefinitely.

Coincidentally, I still carried the package of Hong-ga confections that Dang-seo-hui was so fond of tucked safely inside my robes.

“Would you care for some sweets?”

“……I don’t want them!”

A soft, rumbling growl echoed from her stomach right behind the tiny frame that had violently spun away from me.

“These are exceptionally flavorful. A particular…… young lady of my acquaintance is entirely obsessed with them.”

包装
“…….”

Geum-tae-seon wavered in silence for a brief moment before slowly turning back around and snatching the treats into her tiny palm.

Then she proceeded to consume the confections, chewing them deliberately.

“Do they taste good?”

“……No! They taste awful.”

The child placed the remaining treats down for a brief second as if to prove her point to me, but she was quickly overcome by the sweet flavor and stuffed them right back into her mouth.

“Eat your fill.”

“……Am I permitted to eat every single one?”

“Yes.”

“……Is that the truth?”

“It is.”

The youngster took a massive bite of the pastry while still maintaining her sullen, brooding face.

“You’ll actually keep this promise, won’t you?”

“……Yes.”

Traces of tears that had yet to fully evaporate clung to her skin.

As the morning sun slowly crept higher, those tear tracks caught the intensifying light, rendering them even sharper to my vision with each passing minute.

I silently patted the head of Geum-tae-seon, who kept muttering ‘one, two, three……’ repeatedly, desperately attempting to lock the quantity of stacked pastries into her memory.

“There is no need to tally them up.”

“……But there are more than ten here, you know?”

“This Oppa might be ignorant regarding many matters, but his capacity to remember is absolute. So eat without a single worry.”

Geum-tae-seon gazed toward the gathering dawn with slightly flushed cheeks, seemingly a bit self-conscious under my gaze.

Perhaps for Tae-seon, the confections she consumed this morning and the agonizing sorrow of today would gradually dissolve into the ether as the years rolled by.

Precisely as the elders intended, she would leave the dissolving history behind and move forward, discovering fresh sources of happiness.

Yes, she undoubtedly would.

Even so, that was perfectly acceptable.

“I will hold the memory.”

The tally of the treats, the profound misery of Geum-tae-seon, and the ultimate sacrifice of Geum-tae-jong.

I, possessing a mind that is physically incapable of forgetting a single detail, will safeguard those memories.

I will harbor both the anguish of this exact day and the demises of all the days that preceded it.

Even if the sheer volume of these recollections threatens to anchor me down and shatter my spirit, just as they did during my previous incarnation.

Without ever discarding today’s fury and sorrow.

While retaining every shred of today’s history and agony, I will without fail.

I will without fail claim my retribution.

“This vow…… I will absolutely fulfill it.”

To the silent, unresponsive Geum-tae-seon, I whispered the oath that could never be tarnished, repeating it over and over and over again.