Book 24 Chapter 9

I'm not going back!

―Ryu Eun-kyung's bombshell declaration!

Namgung Sang slowly opened his eyes. He was lying down somewhere. His ears were still ringing, and his vision was blurry. His whole body was weary, and aches throbbed here and there. His insides felt churning as if they had been violently shaken. He felt like he might feel a bit better if he could just vomit blood. As his blurry vision focused, two faces emerged. Familiar faces, Yong Cheon-myeong and Ryu Eun-kyung.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Ryu Eun-kyung repeatedly apologized with tears.

"I never knew it would turn out like this. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's all my fault."

"I… I'm alright. It's not just Miss Ryu's fault. If you think about it, I'm an accomplice too."

Of course, if she had told the truth, things might not have escalated this far. However, even if she had spoken the truth in such a situation, it was unlikely anyone would have believed her. Moreover, Namgung Sang himself had gone along with her stubbornness. In a way, he was an accomplice.

They say people see what they want to see, so why do they tend to see the bad side first? Is it because humans are weak? Or is it because they harbor fear deep in their hearts?

Perhaps he should have tried harder to resolve her misunderstanding. Lying in bed in his injured state, his mind seemed to have cleared a little now. He shouldn't have expected her to understand everything just by him lying there. The saying "show me with actions" probably meant something like that. Her words were true. It was he himself who had failed to listen to her words. At that moment, Namgung Sang, his thoughts drifting to the outcome of the match, turned to Yong Cheon-myeong and asked,

"Wh-what happened, senior Yong?"

Every word he uttered felt like thorns piercing his lungs. It was difficult even to speak. The flow of vital energy within his body was tangled and chaotic. Yong Cheon-myeong replied in a heavy voice,

"…We lost."

Namgung Sang quietly closed his eyes. All sorts of thoughts swirled in his mind.

"The fifty thousand taels prize money is out of our hands. We have to find another way to get fifty thousand taels."

Yong Cheon-myeong's voice was also deeply somber.

"Is she… Ling'er… alright? My loss means she's safe, right?"

At that, Yong Cheon-myeong's expression darkened further. Why was his face worse than when he was announcing defeat and bankruptcy to him? Namgung Sang suddenly felt anxious. Yong Cheon-myeong, seemingly struggling to speak, shook his head instead of answering.

"N-no way?!"

Namgung Sang's eyes widened. A chilling premonition spread through his chest like ice.

"Indeed, it was Miss Jin who was standing at the end when the fight was over. You were face down on the ground. But later, I found out she had only fainted while standing. However, perhaps because she pushed herself too hard, she still hasn't regained consciousness. But don't worry, it's not a serious injury… soon…"

However, Namgung Sang couldn't wait any longer. He kicked off the bed and tried to stand. No, only his mind stood. His battered body refused his will. His body currently lacked the ability to carry out that command.

"Hey, stop it. With your current condition, even twitching a finger would be commendable."

Namgung Sang didn't seem to hear. The severe pain and dizziness were so overwhelming that his ears were also not functioning properly. He tried to get up somehow.

"If I don't go quickly… quickly…"

With a heave, Namgung Sang tried to quickly get up and vomited a mouthful of blood.

"See, don't do anything reckless."

Yong Cheon-myeong forced him back down and even pressed his acupuncture points. He seemed to think Namgung Sang would continue to be stubborn otherwise. His actions were very wise. However, he hadn't pressed the vital point, so he could still speak. Namgung Sang desperately looked at Yong Cheon-myeong and said in a pitiful voice,

"Senior Yong, I have a request."

"What is it?"

His mind was focused on only one thing now.

"Please, take me to her side."

This request, Yong Cheon-myeong could not refuse.

"Alright."

Expressing his anger and emotions all at once might have been cathartic at the moment. However, seeing the consequences firsthand, Namgung Sang could not be happy at all.

"Sob sob sob! I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I've been wrong a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand times. So please, wake up, Ling. Please~"

Clutching Jin Ling's unconscious hand, Namgung Sang knelt down, tears and snot streaming down his face, and apologized. However, the person who should have accepted his apology did not open her eyelids. Namgung Sansan and Ma Ha-ryeong stood beside the lying Jin Ling with somber expressions. However, they did not restrain Namgung Sang, who was clinging to her and wailing. Jin Ling's consciousness was still wandering in a murky darkness.

'I didn't learn it for this purpose originally…'

In her dazed consciousness, Jin Ling recalled why she had secretly worked so hard to learn the Bisangryeonhwa… It wasn't to take revenge on him from the start, or to defeat him. The beginning was more pure.

'I just wanted to stand proudly by his side…'

She simply wanted to possess skills that wouldn't make her ashamed of his current strength. She wanted to bridge the growing gap in their abilities. And she wanted to surprise Namgung Sang by unfolding the Bisangryeonhwa with her own hands. She wanted to see his surprised face. But not a surprised face turned pale, like this time.

Gradually, her initial intention changed, and it became a technique to take down Namgung Sang.

'Why did I do that…'

Even though she had finally mastered the Ami's greatest sword technique, which she had longed for and aimed for since long ago, Jin Ling was not happy. Then, she heard a sobbing man's voice in her ear. The voice was very familiar and also very…

"…It's noisy… Stop it…"

Opening her closed eyes halfway, Jin Ling mumbled. Her voice was faint, barely audible. Perhaps because she had been unconscious, her voice lacked strength.

"It's noisy. It's so noisy that I can't even faint properly."

Now, Jin Ling's consciousness was almost back.

"Are you alright, Ling? Can you recognize me? Can you see me, your Gungsang?"

Startled, Namgung Sang stared intently at Jin Ling's face, his own covered in tears. Honestly, his clumsy face, devoid of any dignity, was incredibly unsightly and pathetic.

*Hee.*

Jin Ling let out an involuntary chuckle.

"Sang."

Jin Ling called him in a quiet voice.

"Why, why are you like that, Ling?"

Namgung Sang replied flusteredly.

"Your face is funny right now."

"I-is it?"

Only then did Namgung Sang touch his face and blush. It was certain that his face was not something that could be shown to others.

"Yes, very."

Even so, a smile, which had been erased, appeared on Jin Ling's face.

In an instant, the emotions that had accumulated between them melted away like snow. She couldn't understand why she had been so worked up about that matter.

Jin Ling accepted his apology. She suddenly thought, was there really a need to draw swords at each other over a trivial misunderstanding? Wasn't that too much? After clashing with all their might, she felt strangely relieved. Looking back, it wasn't such a big deal, so why had she gone so far? Regret also flooded in.

And as a result, Ryu Eun-kyung, having not won, was unable to return.

"I apologize, Miss Ryu. It seems you won't be able to go home."

"Oh, no. You don't need to apologize like that. You've gone through a lot because of me. I'm so grateful just that you helped me without pushing me away. I respect you. It's okay if I can't go back. No, actually, I don't want to go back."

"Then?"

"I'm going to be independent!"

Ryu Eun-kyung said, clenching her small fists.

"H-how do you mean?"

A strange aura emanated from her. Her eyes seemed to be chasing her own fantasies. It wasn't her usual negative thoughts, but it didn't seem ordinary.

"Namgung Gaja, I have one last request."

'Gaja?'

Namgung Sang was a little taken aback by being suddenly called Gaja (older brother) so familiarly.

"Ahem, if it's something I can help with, I will."

In fact, he had made grand claims and even fought fiercely with Jin Ling, and he felt apologetic for not making it into the top three. The fact that he felt apologetic instead of angry was truly characteristic of Namgung Sang.

"This is something only Namgung Gaja can do."

"Tell me, Miss Ryu."

Suddenly, Ryu Eun-kyung grabbed Namgung Sang's hands and exclaimed loudly, her eyes shining brightly.

"Gaja, please marry me! I will follow you for the rest of my life!"

"Mar…"

This was Namgung Sang's utterance.

"Mar…"

Jin Ling, who had been watching blankly, also blurted out the same word.

"Mar…"

Ma Ha-ryeong and Namgung Sansan were the same.

"Mar…"

Even the disciple from Shaolin Temple was no exception.

"MARRIAGE~!!"

Everyone in the room shouted in unison. While their mouths were agape in shock, only Ryu Eun-kyung remained unfazed. Once again, a fearsome chill emanated from Jin Ling's entire body. Despite her body not having recovered yet, the intensity was so terrifying that it made one break out in a cold sweat.

"B-but, I have Jin Ling. So, while I appreciate your feelings, I cannot accept."

He never wanted to go through something like this again. However, this time, Ryu Eun-kyung did not back down easily.

"I don't care!"

It was a very cheerful and refreshing cry. She showed no signs of concern.

"You don't care? Of course, I care!!"

'I might die, you know? I don't want to end my short life yet.'

Namgung Sang's eyes, looking at Ryu Eun-kyung, held such a desperate plea. However, as if she couldn't hear the thoughts in Namgung Sang's heart, she shook her head.

"No, it's okay even if I'm not the main wife!"

Ryu Eun-kyung was being unreasonable.

"Th-then?"

Namgung Sang asked in a trembling voice. Then, Ryu Eun-kyung uttered a bombshell declaration that no one expected.

"Make me your concubine!"

For a moment, everyone in the room froze as if shattered. And then, it exploded.

"COOOOONCUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUBINE!"

Screams, as if screams, erupted from the mouths of everyone in the room again.

"Yes!"

She nodded with a face so bright.

"Then it's fine, right? You're from a prestigious family, aren't you? One or two concubines wouldn't be a problem, right? Heroes usually have three wives and four concubines, don't they? But, honestly, more than three is too many, so two seems like the perfect number. What do you think, Gaja? It's a good idea, isn't it?"

Ryu Eun-kyung said with a beaming smile. Namgung Sang became speechless. His mind went blank. He couldn't figure out what went wrong. His mind turned completely white in the face of such a ridiculous situation. He was no different from an idiot or a fool.

"Th-th-th-th…"

Jin Ling, who had been sitting up, wanted to say something, but no words came out. What could she say when Ryu Eun-kyung said it was okay even if she became the main wife? She naturally didn't know how to deal with such a situation. Ryu Eun-kyung's response was faster. She firmly held Jin Ling's hands and looked at Jin Ling with eyes full of respect, saying,

"Please take care of me, Jin Older Sister!"

Her face was like that of a dog following its master, so Jin Ling couldn't bring herself to push her away. Her personality of not spitting on a smiling face was the problem in this case.

"Ugh, ugh, ugh!"

What came out of her open mouth was a sound, not words. Whether her tongue was twisted or her mind was twisted, Jin Ling could say nothing.

Namgung Sang, suffering from the fear of death, wanted to cry. He grumbled about how truly unfortunate he was, a complaint that would make bachelors, old maids, or loners faint in shock. He felt utterly dejected.

"Now there are five left. Work hard!"

Yong Cheon-myeong patted his shoulder and encouraged him.

"Is that supposed to be encouragement?"

Namgung Sang shouted back.

"Aren't you happy?"

"Not at all! Besides, what do you mean five?"

"It's the result of three plus four minus two."

Yong Cheon-myeong said with an air as if he were uttering some profound cosmic truth.

"To not fear three wives and four concubines, you are truly a man of great caliber."

Yong Cheon-myeong gave him a thumbs-up as if he were the best. Namgung Sang's vision went black.

Womanizer!

Unspoken accusations seemed to pierce his eardrums like needles. The gazes of the women watching were not kind.

'Why do I feel so uneasy?'

Namgung Sang became increasingly intimidated by the condemning glances pouring in from all directions.

"Don't worry. Having multiple wives is legally guaranteed for a man."

Yong Cheon-myeong added another remark.

"Hmph, law, law, law, law! This is why men are like that."

Ma Ha-ryeong grumbled.

"What's wrong with that?"

"After all, men made that law. It's natural for them to make laws that benefit men, wolves. If women had made the law, perhaps it would have been acceptable for one woman to have multiple husbands, like one wife, three wives, and so on."

"That's just speculation."

Yong Cheon-myeong dismissed the argument as worthless.

"You're saying that the law cannot be the standard for love. The law was created to minimize the involvement of human emotions."

What will Namgung Sang's fate be? Will he hold flowers in both hands? Or will both hands be empty? Or will he be buried in the ground? Only heaven knew, but it was unlikely that the taciturn heaven would carelessly reveal such divine secrets.

It seemed Namgung Sang's ordeal was far from over.

Namgung Sang felt like he was dying.

He wanted to cry.