Book 21 Chapter 8

Three conditions for moving forward even in darkness

― a map, a compass, and a destination

Na Yerim slowly opened her eyes. Her body felt heavy, as if she had walked for an immeasurable distance. As the blurry images gradually sharpened, she saw an unfamiliar ceiling.

'Where is this place?'

It wasn't her usual room. Was she still trapped in a dream? Her body swayed like a duckweed floating on water.

'Come to think of it, this is a boat….'

She remembered boarding the boat sent by Machon Village. She recalled being told it would take several days as they had to travel quite a distance down the river.

"You're awake, Rin?"

A familiar voice echoed in her ears. It was the voice she'd heard in her dream, but now it sounded much more mature.

"Yeonbi…."

As she lay on the bed and slightly turned her head, Yeonbi was there, smiling.

"Are you okay? You were sweating a lot. Did you have a bad dream? Or is it seasickness?"

Yeonbi had a look of deep concern. It seemed Yerim had been severely plagued by sleep paralysis while sleeping. She was also worried because Jin Seonggon and Im Seongjin from the same envoy group had been on this boat for about an hour and had been throwing up everything in their stomachs continuously ever since. At this moment, his complexion looked even worse than that of a corpse.

"No. It's such a big boat. I'm not seasick and I'm fine. You stayed by my side the whole time, Yeonbi?"

"Of course. You seemed to be tormented by nightmares, so how could I leave you alone?"

Her gentle voice, speaking while holding her hand tightly, filled Na Yerim's heart with warmth.

"I had a dream about when I first met you, Yeonbi."

Na Yerim said with a slight smile. Yeonbi wrung out a wet handkerchief and wiped the cold sweat that had formed on her forehead.

"Oh, was that a nightmare?"

Yeonbi said with a slight laugh.

"Of course not."

Na Yerim laughed along. She thought about getting up, but she still didn't have the strength to leave the bed.

"I haven't had that dream much lately… I guess it came back to me because I met you, Yeonbi."

Ten years ago. It was the hardest time. Her mind was shattering then. Na Yerim gazed at Yeonbi, who was sitting by her head.

'What would have happened if I hadn't met this person then?'

The thought alone sent shivers down her spine.

"Huh? Is something on my face?"

Yeonbi asked, touching her cheek here and there with her fingers, perhaps sensing Yerim's intense gaze.

"No. I just thought I was really lucky to have met you, Yeonbi."

"Oh, you won't get anything from me, a working girl, even if you flatter me!"

"Flattery? I mean it."

Yeonbi, who had retorted in a playful tone, was taken aback by Yerim's serious demeanor.

"Ah, you can't look at me like that. It's cheating. Rin, you're really serious, just like always."

Now that she seemed to have regained some strength, Na Yerim sat up with a faint smile on her lips.

"Is it morning?"

"It's still night. We have to wait a bit longer for the sun to rise. There haven't been any major issues, and the water path is smooth."

They had boarded the boat three days ago, and they were scheduled to arrive at their destination in another day. The boat was large and spacious enough to accommodate all sixty-four members of the envoy, and aside from a few cases of seasickness, there had been no significant discomfort.

Previously, when their group was going to Mount Huashan for intensive training, the boat they were on had been attacked. The same had happened on the way to the Huashan Branch, so everyone was quite prepared this time. However, their preparations seemed futile as the journey had been peaceful, and some were starting to relax their guard.

"I heard that among the people living in this river, none are foolish enough to attack a boat flying the Black Dragon's flag."

"That's right. No one would be foolish enough to antagonize the Zhang River Water Village by dipping their oars in the river."

Na Yerim nodded, agreeing with the statement. Yeonbi pointed to the door and said,

"Shall we go out for a bit of river breeze? It'll instantly clear up any stuffy feelings. What do you say?"

It was a very tempting offer.

"Okay. I was just thinking of doing that."

"Alright then! Shall we go, miss?"

Yeonbi extended her hand politely, as if acting. Na Yerim smiled softly and took her hand.

Outside the cabin, it was a moonless night where even the moon had vanished.

Everything was painted black, and nothing could be seen. The lamps hanging on the deck were barely enough to illuminate the boat. It felt as if this boat was the only thing floating in a void. Only the areas touched by the lamplight were the entirety of their world.

"It feels strange."

Na Yerim said, leaning against the ship's railing.

"Why?"

Yeonbi asked. The smell of water wafted to her nose.

"It feels like nothing, yet familiar."

Looking at the river water, like an abyss with no discernible beginning or end, she felt as though her soul might be swallowed. Were water spirits merely illusions created by this dark abyss?

"It's not good to stare at a lake at night for too long. You'll be consumed by the darkness."

Yeonbi warned her. If one stared too long at the formless and boundless darkness, their boundaries would blur, and their human heart would sink deep. If this was true for ordinary people, it was even more dangerous for Yerim, who possessed a dragon's countenance.

"Yes. It's like I was back then. Before I met you, Yeonbi, I was swallowed by this pitch-black, dark abyss. I couldn't see anything, hear anything. There wasn't even a small lamp there."

The sound of the boat cutting through the water could be heard. Only the sound of the waves hitting the hull told them where they were.

"Back then, the only light for me was you, Yeonbi."

"Is that a confession?"

"No, gratitude!"

"I was just acting according to our contract. And I feel like I was just someone to talk to."

"You have no idea how much strength that gave me."

"And you have no idea how much joy it gave me."

Na Yerim sighed lightly at Yeonbi's reply and shook her head.

"I still can't beat you, Yeonbi. By the way, I have a question."

"What is it, Rin?"

"How have you been for the past ten years?"

It was a question she had held onto since they met again, but she hadn't had the chance to ask it due to the shock of their reunion. Now that she finally had a quiet moment to talk, she didn't want to miss it.

"To put it simply, it was a continuous cycle of labor and training. I sold music and dances, made accessories, and I think I've done everything. While other kids were playing happily without knowing the harsh realities of life—though they were pitiable in their own way—I spent my days in strenuous labor. I was a poor working girl. It feels like a dream to be alive and with you, Rin, instead of starving or dying of overwork."

Yeonbi gently covered her eyes with her finger. Na Yerim thought that the pain of the past seemed to have resurfaced. Feeling pity, she clasped Yeonbi's hand tightly.

"I see. …So, you've been in Sichuan all this time?"

"After many years, I left Sichuan and traveled around."

"Then what about me?"

This was also something she was very curious about.

"One day, I happened to see your father, Rin."

"My father?"

Yerim was startled by Yeonbi's words.

"Yes. He didn't recognize me. I guess I've changed a lot since then."

Everything Yeonbi said was the unvarnished truth.

"I didn't realize at the time that he was the famous leader of the Wulin Alliance. I was so surprised. I truly thought my heart had stopped."

Yeonbi placed a hand on her chest and panted as if she had just been greatly shocked. Na Yerim wore a bewildered expression.

"I see. Come to think of it, I never told you anything about my father or my family, Yeonbi. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. The situation back then wasn't suitable for such conversations. But thanks to that, I learned who Rin was. The current leader of the Wulin Alliance had only one beloved daughter. You've truly become famous. That's when I finally learned your surname and your real name. And to think you'd become such a stunning beauty… If you were a man, I would have fallen for you too!"

"Y-you're still so mischievous, Yeonbi."

Na Yerim blushed, but inwardly she nodded. Now she finally understood how Yeonbi had been able to find her in this vast martial world.

Just as Yerim was about to ask about Yeonbi's sect, the boat suddenly slowed down. Both of them sensed it immediately.

"It seems we've come out of the river and entered a lake."

"Then this must be…."

Yeonbi nodded in response.

"Probably Dongting Lake. But it's so dark, I can't figure out which route we're taking to Machon Village. They're quite cunning."

"On purpose, at night like this?"

Indeed, for security, it was hard to find better conditions.

"Why wouldn't they? Perhaps they even calculated the weather and the date."

Yeonbi shrugged and replied.

"They're incredibly skilled. To be able to steer a boat so confidently in such pitch-black darkness…."

Na Yerim marveled. She praised their boldness.

"I'll acknowledge them if they arrive safely without hitting any submerged rocks."

There was a hint of displeasure in Yeonbi's tone. Many things are in vain if the conclusion is messy. Moreover, in this case, there was a possibility of lives being wasted along with it. She absolutely didn't want to be the one to have her efforts go to waste thanks to someone else's recklessness.

"How can they move forward in this darkness without hesitation?"

Without Yeonbi's words, the darkness of such a starless night would naturally lead one's senses into confusion.

"Perhaps it's because they have three things."

Yeonbi said, raising three fingers.

"Three things?"

"A map, a compass, and a destination, that's what they are."

"Map, compass, destination…."

Na Yerim rolled the words around in her mouth a couple of times.

"They have a place to go, and a map showing the way to get there. And they have a compass that serves as an unchangeable standard. That's why they don't get lost in this darkness."

"I see."

"Come to think of it, it's the same for people, isn't it? If you have a goal you want to achieve, knowledge that shows you how to get there, and reason that provides a clear standard, then there's no reason to get lost in life. Right?"

Yerim nodded. It seemed to make sense when she thought about it.

'A destination….'

Where was her destination? Her map was still an unfinished product with no destination marked.

Just then, someone muttered,

"Uh, is that Machon Village?"

The quiet boat began to stir. The silence was broken, and vitality returned.

"Machon Village?"

"Where? Where?"

"Me too, me too!"

As expected from a group of martial artists, they all had sharp hearing. As soon as they heard the word "Machon Village," they rushed out and occupied spots along the railing. Those who were late were forced to see the back of the person in front. There were even people who almost fell off. If they were ordinary people who didn't know martial arts, they would surely have become breakfast for the fish.

"You said Machon Village? Where is it?"

"Why is it so dark? I can't see a thing like this."

Complaints and murmurs grew louder from all around.

"No one said Machon Village would be easy to see. People really only think what's convenient for them."

Yeonbi said with a tone of exasperation.

"Ah, look over there!"

All eyes turned towards the direction of the sound.

"It's fire!"

From the front of the boat, fire erupted, piercing the darkness. The bright flames soared higher and higher into the sky.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

As if responding to the signal, two pillars of fire rose simultaneously from the surface of the water some distance away. Soon, at regular intervals, pillars of fire began to rise in pairs. They formed a path on the water, like two lines drawn side by side.

"How could they create fire like this on the water's surface?"

Yeonbi seemed quite intrigued by the mechanism. Yerim was also seeing something like this for the first time. As the light grew brighter, an island slowly emerged from the darkness. A formidable purple bamboo fence, woven from sharp purple bamboo poles, also appeared, exuding a menacing aura.

"I don't know. Is it a welcoming gesture?"

"Or a show of force!"

Yeonbi replied with a laugh.

"It's quite long. Or is this just the beginning?"

As Yeonbi said, it was true. Next to the flaming path that parted the center of the bamboo fence, another procession of flames unfolded in a circular pattern. It looked as if the flames were fiercely galloping. In the blink of an eye, a ring of flames encircling the island was completed. Inside the giant ring of flames, it felt as if a small dawn had arrived. It was truly a magnificent sight.

"……."

No one spoke in the face of such an intense and overwhelming spectacle. They simply surrendered themselves to the boat and followed the flames towards their destination.