Chapter 35 : Obtaining a Martial Art and Sworn Siblings (4)

Chapter 35: Obtaining a Martial Art and Sworn Siblings (4)

Jong Seok nodded.

"You’re right. Besides our martial brothers, who else has ever treated us with such sincerity and warmth? When I’m with Young Master Yong, I feel like the bitterness I’ve carried starts to melt away, little by little. Accepting his kindness isn’t difficult… but I worry if we might end up causing him unnecessary pain.”

“He’s not an ordinary man. From what I see, Young Master Yong is a ‘dragon among men’. He is destined for greatness. Someone like that won’t be easily defeated no matter the hardship. I believe we should trust him and accept his heart.”

“If even you say so, then he must be extraordinary. I’ve felt the same. Alright then. If it ever becomes too much for him because of us, we can simply leave. Until that time comes, let’s rely on his generosity.”

Gu Munhye, understanding Jong Seok’s heart, gave a nod.

“Yes.”

*

Yong Hwarin worried that they might object to forming a sworn sibling bond.

But upon hearing Jong Munhye’s words, Yong Hwarin smiled.

“Even my brother didn’t see Young Master Yong as a stranger. I’m all for it.”

Yong Hwarin burst out laughing.

“Ha ha ha! I was so afraid of rejection, my heart was practically melting with anxiety!”

‘This must be how Liu Bei felt when he gained Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.’

He was overjoyed at having found good people.

Knowing their worth, Yong Hwarin couldn't deny there was some intention behind it—but he truly liked this pair of siblings.

“Now that we’ve become sworn siblings, how could we not commemorate it?”

This time, even Mo Biyoung didn’t object.

She had observed the siblings closely during their time together and had seen how dignified and intelligent they were.

Though she didn’t know which martial household they hailed from, she assumed they were from a prestigious orthodox sect. She admired Jong Seok’s boldness and generous spirit, and she couldn’t help but marvel at Jong Munhye’s intelligence and wisdom.

Although the girl was frail, it was easy to see her beauty was remarkable as well.

“Young Master, wouldn’t it be a shame if we didn’t have wine on such a day?”

“Indeed. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms had the Peach Garden Oath, but here, in the backyard of this inn, plum blossoms are blooming in abundance—so let’s call ours the Plum Garden Oath. Wouldn’t it be even better with a touch of Golden Spring Clear Wine?”

“As expected of you, Young Master—you understand elegance. I’ll make the arrangements so we may hold the Plum Garden Oath properly.”

Once the Two Wook Sword Demons stepped out, Jong Munhye smiled softly.

To Yong Hwarin and his guards, their mutual care didn’t feel like master and subordinate—it was more like family.

If it had been anyone else, Jong Munhye would have never agreed to become sworn siblings. Above all else, she highly valued how Yong Hwarin respected his subordinates and treated them with genuine affection.

At their age, many prodigies believed the world belonged to them, and tended to act arrogantly.

Go Cheok was the perfect example of such types.

It wasn’t just demonic factions or orthodox sects—this was true across the martial world.

Yet Yong Hwarin, in knowledge and wisdom, seemed to surpass even herself.

Jong Munhye already admired Yong Hwarin’s talent and was developing feelings beyond mere admiration.

And more than that, he had treated her and her brother—mere wandering swordsmen—with such honor and loyalty. After so many years spent fleeing and hiding, she was now tasting a happiness she hadn’t known in so long.

Since the fall of their cult, no one had treated them with such respect.

She couldn’t help but grow fond of Yong Hwarin.

The Two Wook Sword Demons returned and prepared a modest altar, laying out an impressive array of Golden Spring Clear Wine.

“At this rate, we’re going to die from drinking too much Golden Spring Clear Wine today.”

Just imagining how much money had been spent to buy all that wine made Yong Hwarin’s gaze turn sharp.

But the Two Wook Sword Demons ignored his look and spoke brightly.

“Now then, everyone, raise your cups. I’ll pour the wine.”

As the three lifted their cups, Namwook hurried to pour the Golden Spring Clear Wine.

“Big Brother, a word from you, please.”

Since it had come to this, Jong Seok yielded the lead to Yong Hwarin. He even acknowledged Yong Hwarin as the elder brother and placed himself as the younger.

“Brother Jong, how old are you?”

“I’ve just reached the age of twenty.”

“Ah, I’m twenty-two, so two years older. Still, to play the older brother over a mere two-year difference…”

“No. Even if I were older, I would still call you Brother. So please don’t reject it.”

Moved by Jong Seok’s sincerity, Yong Hwarin took his hand.

“I already have a younger brother and younger sister by blood. And now I have a younger brother and sister with whom I’ve shared not blood, but soul. I can say I finally have a perfect family. Even if we cannot die on the same day, I vow that while we live, we will share our hardships and joys, and lean on one another.”

Rather than a grand, pompous oath, his words were honest and simple—something that deeply touched Jong Munhye.

Yong Hwarin continued.

“Instead of making some cliché vow about dying on the same day, I want to express my feelings through a poem on this beautiful day. Since the plum blossoms are in full bloom, this one feels appropriate.”

Yong Hwarin recited a poem.

Janggak suje mae (牆角數枝梅)

Neunghan dokjagae (凌寒獨自開)

Yojibuseseol (遙知不是雪)

**Wiyuamhyangrae** (爲有暗香來)

A few plum blossoms at the wall’s corner,

Withstand the cold and bloom alone.

From afar, I know it's not snow,

For a faint fragrance floats in the air.

As Yong Hwarin recited the poem, tears suddenly fell from Jong Munhye’s eyes.

It felt like the poem mirrored her own life perfectly.

Written by Wang Anshi, one of the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties, the poem described plum blossoms blooming even in the harsh cold.

Its meaning was clear:

Even in the dead of winter, a season that could freeze all things, the plum blossom released its subtle scent, declaring its existence. The poem conveyed the will to never yield, no matter the hardship or adversity.

It was as if the poem offered comfort, whispering that though things were hard and painful now, if she endured, a day would come when she would bloom again—beautiful and fragrant like the plum blossom.

Overwhelmed by emotions she had long held back, Jong Munhye couldn’t stop the tears from falling.

“This foolish brother made Hyemye cry by being overly sentimental.”

“N-No… It’s just been so long since I’ve felt this happy, I couldn’t help it.”

Yong Hwarin fully understood how they felt.

In his previous life, he too had suffered under the weight of failing to prevent the fall of his clan, turning to binge eating and growing even more obese as a result.

The pain never left him then—it felt like he always had a hole in his heart.

“From now on, I will protect you. Even if I lack power now, I will obtain it and protect you. And I hope you’ll protect me too. Even if I’m a lacking, foolish brother… I still want you to protect me. That, to me, is what siblings are.”

Unconsciously, Yong Hwarin’s merchant tongue slipped out.

A speech pattern that always placed a burden on the listener and stirred up a sense of responsibility.

He said it with the expectation that Jong Munhye would pass on her martial arts to him.

Even if such thoughts hadn’t been present at first, hearing those words would naturally make one stop to reconsider—and that, too, was something Yong Hwarin had factored in.

“Young Master, congratulations on gaining sworn siblings.”

The Two Wook Sword Demon, who had been watching from the side, noticed that no one was offering him any drinks, so he picked up his own cup and spoke.

“Thank you.”

Yong Hwarin, for once, let himself relax. He pushed aside his thoughts of the future and drank late into the night with the five of them.

After Yong Hwarin gained his sworn siblings, the one most unsettled was Mo Biyoung.

At first, she had been glad that the Young Master had found people who could keep him company so he wouldn’t be lonely. But when Yong Hwarin and Jong Munhye talked closely together, something inexplicable surged up inside her chest.

‘What is this?’

For the first time in her life, Mo Biyoung came face-to-face with the feeling of jealousy—and it startled her.

So she took it out on poor Jong Seok.

“Young Master seems busy… Would you spar with me?”

Seeing the icy aura surrounding Mo Biyoung, Jong Seok shook his head.

In that state, she might get hurt in the duel.

“Come with me.”

But Jong Seok was particularly weak against women.

Watching him get dragged away like a lamb to the slaughter, the Two Wook Sword Demon chuckled.

“Ha ha ha, at least today, even if I drink, I won’t have to hear Master Mo’s nagging.”

Surely, their nickname should’ve been the Two Wook Drunken Demons, not Sword Demons.

*

As they drew within a day’s travel of Jeongju, Yong Hwarin became increasingly lost in thought. Jong Seok, his sister, and the guards all refrained from disturbing him, understanding that he was grappling with something significant.

“Looking at him like that… he doesn’t seem like someone only twenty-two years old.”

Jong Munhye couldn’t shake off an odd, unexplainable feeling.

She was exceptionally intelligent and highly intuitive.

She had the kind of insight that allowed her to grasp the core truth of people, events, and objects at a glance.

That was not something you could acquire by mere intelligence alone.

It required a capability that surpassed the ordinary human mind. Such insight and intuition were common in the Jaegal Clan.

Thanks to that, they could produce genius ideas and turn them into reality.

Even though the Jaegal Clan’s martial arts weren’t top-tier, they had overcome their limitations by developing sword formations to compensate.

The formation arts were the clan’s signature technique.

Their sword formations were considered even superior to those of the Nine Great Sects.

Jong Munhye herself had the brilliance to create formations that rivaled those of the Jaegal Clan. Yet, she often found herself swayed by Yong Hwarin, which surprised her.

Sometimes, she caught glimpses of a seasoned martial sage within him.

Whenever Yong Hwarin made decisions that were far too wise and mature for someone his age, Jong Munhye couldn’t help but wonder if he wasn’t a true genius hiding his ability.

Right now, Yong Hwarin was busily writing something on the ground, only to erase it again and again.

To others, it might have just looked like he was deep in thought, but Jong Munhye could clearly see the sincerity and urgency behind his actions.

“Big Brother is no ordinary man.”

That thought only grew stronger with time.

“I heard from Sister Biyoung that Brother Hwarin had only been learning martial arts from her for a short time. But before she knew it, his comprehension had outpaced what she could keep up with. She said it gave her chills how he could understand ten things just from being taught one.”

“Master Mo is a first-rate martial artist. A true master. She’s on par with me, easily. If even someone like her says that, then Big Brother is definitely a hidden dragon. It’s just that he’s so generous and humble, no one sees it.”

Jong Munhye nodded.

“It’s true. He recognized Brother Seok’s worth at a glance, when no one else paid him any attention. And he saw value in me, too. That alone proves he’s not ordinary.”

“Oh? Now you’re praising yourself.”

“Hehehe. You too, Brother.”

Jong Seok couldn’t help but smile as he heard his sister laugh.

Five years ago, when their cult collapsed and they fled, Jong Munhye had lost her smile.

But ever since meeting Yong Hwarin, she had gradually returned to being the sweet young lady she once was.

Jong Seok felt like crying from gratitude. Yong Hwarin had brought back the smile of the girl who was not just his sister, but forever the little cult leader in his heart.