The Terminally-Ill Side-Character Inside of a Martial Arts Novel

Moyong Do, having finished his conversation with Sowol, stopped as soon as he stepped outside and turned the corner.

He stood still and slowly opened his mouth.

“What do you want to say?”

As he turned his body, Hyuk Dojin came out and faced him.

Moyong Do faced him with a puzzled expression. Before coming here, Moyong Do had read his eyes.

He felt that Hyuk Dojin wanted to explain something to him, and indeed, as soon as he came out, Hyuk Dojin followed behind him without concealing his presence.

Moyong Do was puzzled that Hyuk Dojin wanted to talk to him separately, excluding Sowol.

Moyong Do also wanted to leave words of gratitude to Hyuk Dojin, but there wasn’t anything worth having such a conversation about.

Hyuk Dojin read Moyong Do’s complex gaze, slightly closed his eyes then opened them, and spoke slowly.

“It seems Sowol didn’t tell you. I think she didn’t because she’s deep and has her own thoughts, but I think you should know, so I called you out separately.”

“What… didn’t she tell me?”

As Moyong Do expressed his doubt, Hyuk Dojin quickly looked around, then spoke in a calm voice.

“Are you a safe person for Sowol?”

“With what intention are you saying that?”

“You seem displeased.”

“To be honest, I am displeased. Asking if I’m a safe person for my own sister, of all things, makes me feel as if you see me as a harmful person to her.”

Hyuk Dojin smiled slowly. He slowly shook his head.

Moyong Do stared blankly at the calm Hyuk Dojin despite his expression of emotion.

The perfectly contained demonic energy and aura made it hard to believe this man was a demon who had achieved the Transcendent Demonic Realm.

From his neat appearance like a scholar, he had emitted demonic energy that had pushed all Righteous Sect people into fear.

Although Moyong Do had tried to show a nonchalant reaction, he too remembered the killing intent that had made his whole body shiver.

“It’s not like that. I’m just confirming because it’s a part I’m not certain about either.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. What do you want to say?”

Hyuk Dojin adjusted his posture and leaned his body diagonally against the wall.

As a crack appeared in his neat body, his atmosphere changed. He emitted an aura that somehow seemed dangerous.

Moyong Do slightly narrowed his eyes.

“Previously, during the meeting with the Murim Alliance, I heard that an Elder Jin brought along a person called Moyong Beongeum.”

“Moyong… Beongeum?”

Moyong Do muttered following his words, then opened his eyes wide.

“Don’t tell me…!”

“I heard he’s the man who was expelled from the clan after failing to kill you. That Elder Jin brought that person to an important meeting. Isn’t it surprising?”

Moyong Do’s face hardened. Like Sowol, no, even more than her, Moyong Do knew this man well.

He was a man who thoroughly devoted his passion and sincerity only to stubbornness, jealousy, and looking down on others.

Eventually, he did something he shouldn’t have and presented Moyong Do with a terrible memory.

Hyuk Dojin looked blankly at his changing expression and spoke slowly.

“Seeing your reaction, it seems you didn’t know.”

“I didn’t know…”

Moyong Do’s face twisted with self-reproach. Many emotions were reflected in his expression.

Apology, anger, and pain. He frowned while brushing his hair back.

“So that’s why you asked that question.”

“Unless I can read all of Sowol’s thoughts, I have no choice but to be wary of the Moyong clan for Sowol’s safety. Moreover, at that time, that man Moyong Beongeum entered our bedroom at night and tried to assassinate Sowol. So, from my perspective, can you understand how absurd and angering it is?”

“…I feel the same way. I never thought the clan would do such a thing.”

Moyong Do knew that various opinions had been conflicting among the clan elders recently.

As his master and clan leader Moyong Danli had almost gone into seclusion, power was naturally gathering to Elder Tao with the highest rank and Elder Hyeon below him.

They were dual-natured people who thought they had gained many benefits by selling Sowol, but on the contrary, also thought the losses were enormous.

They believed that because she was alive, the Moyong clan’s reputation was lowering.

Even so, to think they would send Moyong Beongeum, who had tried to kill her, to attempt assassination.

“She’s a warm woman.”

Moyong Do raised his head.

Hyuk Dojin’s gaze, leaning diagonally against the wall, had lowered.

“Even knowing that her clan tried to kill her, she got angry and climbed onto the final stage at the risk of danger to protect the clan’s face. She’s a woman who rushed to that scary and heavy place to see her brother, even while receiving harsh curses from her family members when hearing you had collapsed.”

It was a quiet and heavy voice.

Hyuk Dojin’s gaze rose dully and stabbed Moyong Do.

“That’s a strength and capacity beyond what I can measure. Can you understand? How she must have felt when the clan that sold her for profit now tries to kill her, not satisfied with just that.”

“…”

Moyong Do’s gaze rolled smoothly like flowing water and fixed on the floor.

Hyuk Dojin’s voice fell on top of that.

“She was a woman in pain. It’s a time that was so difficult for Sowol that even trying to understand that pain feels sorry. Now, she’s trying to find ways to gradually escape from all that, but her family members are trying to take even that time away.”

There was a faint anger imbued in Hyuk Dojin’s voice.

As Moyong Do’s gaze rose, he could face Hyuk Dojin’s killing intent cast over his calm face.

“I’ll let it go once. But if you endanger my wife’s life one more time, even if you’re my in-laws, you won’t escape extermination.”

“…Are you threatening me with those words?”

“That depends on what attitude you take, Hero Moyong Do.”

Hyuk Dojin smiled.

Moyong Do was amazed at the killing intent that disappeared in an instant. His ability to control his emotions and manipulate the atmosphere so skillfully was truly unrivaled.

Moyong Do felt anew that he was an even more tremendous master than the skill he had shown outwardly.

A thin smile hung on the corners of Moyong Do’s mouth as he stared at him intently.

Hyuk Dojin tilted his head as he smiled.

Moyong Do’s voice flowed slowly.

“…I understand. I’ll keep those words in mind.”

“The conversation…”

“But! The same goes for me.”

The same? Hyuk Dojin slightly narrowed his brows at Moyong Do’s words.

Moyong Do faced him and put force into his voice.

“If you fail to protect my sister, then I won’t leave you alone at that time.”

So. He quietly lowered his head.

“My sister… Please take good care of her.”

Hyuk Dojin’s eyes shook finely amidst calmness.

* * *

“If it’s not too much trouble, could you attend as Mount Hua’s representative?”

As her words flowed quietly, Peng Muryeong made a slightly surprised expression as if she knew something.

I glanced at her, then looked at Cha Yeonhwa again. She was very cautious and careful.

Since she got straight to the point without beating around the bush, I couldn’t understand what her intention was, so I just looked at her quietly, and Cha Yeonhwa let out a slow sigh.

“I understand you’re surprised by me suddenly bringing this up. Asking you to attend as a representative is such a heavy matter, after all.”

“Apart from whether it’s heavy or not, I can’t understand. What connection do I have with Mount Hua…”

Just as I was about to ask if there was any connection, I frowned as a momentary memory brushed my mind.

Don’t tell me…

As I trailed off, she looked at me blankly and slowly nodded her head.

I thought it might be a problem, and it seems it really is a problem.

“It’s the same with the martial arts match with Seo Gwangho of Diancang last time, and this martial arts match too. Mount Hua is being misunderstood because of the incident with the Young Madam who used the Twenty-Four Moves Plum Blossom Sword Technique, Mount Hua’s ultimate technique. The misunderstanding that Mount Hua also made a behind-the-scenes deal with the Demon Cult like Moyong.”

Cha Yeonhwa’s words weren’t particularly wrong. There was nothing logically strange about it.

The secret deal between the Moyong clan and the Demon Cult was quite shocking.

Although I didn’t directly hear the story at the time in the Demon Cult, that atmosphere still remained even when I came out of the Hundred Thousand Mountains and headed here.

“Mount Hua is the master of one of the Five Mountains. Unlike other sects, the Five Mountains are conservative as much as they are closed off. Among the conservative Five Mountains sects, there are a few things they can’t compromise on, and one of them is evil sects. Especially the Demon Cult after this incident. Moreover, since the Demon Cult and evil sects participated in this martial arts competition, such consciousness was even more prevalent.”

“So amidst all that, I used the Twenty-Four Moves that are said to be used only by Mount Hua’s Plum Blossom Sword Masters.”

Cha Yeonhwa slowly nodded her head. She glanced at Peng Muryeong.

As my and Cha Yeonhwa’s gazes touched her, Peng Muryeong made a flustered expression as if asking why we were looking at her like that, then quickly shook her head.

“The Hebei Peng clan has nothing to do with this incident. The one that officially protested to Mount Hua was the Mount Heng Sect, the Southern Mountain among the Five Mountains. Mount Heng is the place with the most complaints against the Demon Cult, and like the Diancang Sect, their position has become difficult due to unauthorized intervention in a fair martial arts match.”

“Diancang’s Seo Gwangho and his master Na Yul, and Mount Heng’s Hero Cha Jinmok’s intervention made their positions awkward. On that day, while many people were watching, the Righteous Sect elders bowed their knees to the Demon Cult, so it’s natural that they protested to the two places to straighten their crumpled pride. And, since Mount Heng and Diancang would be in trouble if they just stayed like that, they held Mount Hua responsible.”

It was nonsense.

The martial arts match that day wasn’t just the fault of Diancang and Mount Heng, but something the entire Righteous Sect should take responsibility for.

Simply put, Seo Gwangho took all the responsibility and had a martial arts match with me, that’s all.

Of course, the things that happened afterwards couldn’t be called just, but even so, the Righteous Sect had no right to point fingers at them.

But not satisfied with that, the way Diancang and Mount Heng were now shifting responsibility to Mount Hua was not something the Righteous Sect claiming to be just should do.

As I slightly frowned, Cha Yeonhwa made a tired expression.

“Of course it’s nonsense. In thousands of years of martial arts history, the Hundred Thousand Mountains have never been breached, but all sects and clans have experienced being attacked and breached at least once. In that process, most martial arts except for clan leaders’ ultimate techniques or Mount Hua’s Purple Sunset Divine Technique have been taken by the Demon Cult at least once.”

In fact, as Cha Yeonhwa said, Yoo Doha had also said something similar. Was it when he was teaching me the Plum Blossom Sword Technique?

“So even if the Young Madam used the Plum Blossom Sword Technique, it wouldn’t be strange. But this kind of logical thinking is impossible for the current Righteous Sect. Diancang and Mount Heng’s way of shifting responsibility is absurd, but surprisingly effective.”

“So you’re saying I should become a representative?”

“…Actually, that’s a bit difficult. Mount Hua is negative about getting help from the Demon Cult, but we don’t particularly have a way either.”

Cha Yeonhwa let out a long sigh.

They say a beautiful beauty transcends gender and generations. When a deep sigh came out of Cha Yeonhwa’s mouth with her delicate beauty, I felt my heart move.

I could newly feel why Cha Yeonhwa was Mount Hua’s First Beauty.

Even with Peng Muryeong beside her, her presence that didn’t enter the eyes was by no means light.

I stared at her intently, then spoke slowly.

“I’m sorry, but attending is impossible.”

Cha Yeonhwa’s expression hardened.