Cloud Pavilion, yang dibangun di puncak Gunung Bunga, adalah kediaman Murid Senior Gunung Bunga. Tidak ada orang lain yang tinggal di sana. Ini bukan karena mustahil untuk memasukinya, tetapi karena murid-murid Gunung Bunga hanya akan memasukinya jika mereka memiliki urusan khusus. Itu adalah semacam aturan tak tertulis yang bahkan dipatuhi oleh para tetua Gunung Bunga.
Untungnya, Kwak Do-san, yang kini menginjakkan kaki di Cloud Pavilion, memiliki alasan khusus.
"..."
Dia bersujud dengan sangat dalam.
Kwak Do-san menundukkan kepalanya begitu rendah hingga wajahnya hampir menyentuh tanah.
Bukanlah pemandangan yang langka untuk melihat murid-murid bersujud di tempat ini, siapa pun yang melapor kepada Murid Senior.
Dahinya basah. Tapi ini adalah satu-satunya tanda bahwa Kwak Do-san gugup.
Murid Senior Gunung Bunga.
Pedang Plum Abadi, Yang In-hyun, membelakanginya sambil menikmati pemandangan gunung yang indah.
Usianya terasa dari rambut putihnya, tetapi pinggangnya yang tegak dan jubah putihnya yang tak bernoda menampilkan kemurnian dan keteguhan hati yang tak terlukiskan.
Tiba-tiba, Yang In-hyun mengulurkan satu jari dan seekor kupu-kupu, yang terbang di langit, hinggap di jarinya.
"Kau membawa mereka ke sini."
Suaranya dipenuhi kebaikan. Tetapi Kwak Do-san menelan ludah dengan berat seolah-olah ujung pedang ditekan ke tenggorokannya.
"I-, itu benar."
"Dan sekarang?"
"Aku menyerahkan So-han untuk memandu mereka. Jika semuanya berjalan sesuai rencana, kita akan bisa menangani mereka dalam waktu yang dibutuhkan untuk dua kali makan."(*: ??- waktu yang dibutuhkan untuk makan. Kira-kira 30 menit.)
"..."
"Mereka tangguh, tetapi tidak sampai sejauh itu sehingga gunung utama perlu mengerahkan seluruh kekuatan untuk mengalahkan mereka. Selama kita mendapat bantuan para Tetua, Kakak Senior bahkan tidak perlu..."
"Mengapa?"
Kwak Do-san terpotong oleh gumaman lembut Yang In-hyun. Dia tidak pernah menanyakan pertanyaan bodoh. Kwak Do-san merasa sesak napas, dia berpikir bahwa dia mungkin benar-benar mati jika dia berbicara tanpa berpikir.
Setelah jeda singkat, Yang In-hyun melanjutkan dengan nada santai.
"Aku mengirim lima murid hebat termasuk kau. Namun kau bahkan tidak memiliki kekuatan untuk memotong satu pun anggota tubuh musuhmu?"
"Maafkan aku karena mengecewakanmu. Namun, itu mustahil dengan kekuatan kami..."
"Mustahil jika kau bertarung secara normal. Tetapi itu mungkin terjadi jika kau meledakkan energi sejatimu. Apakah aku salah?"
"..."
Kwak Do-san menarik napas tajam. Menyuruhnya meledakkan energi sejati sama saja dengan menyuruhnya mati.
Meskipun demikian, Kwak Do-san hanya menunduk lebih dalam saat wajahnya pucat.
"...Aku minta maaf."
"Namun, kesalahan yang menentukan adalah apa yang kau lakukan setelah itu. Membawa mereka ke penjara adalah pilihan terburuk yang mungkin."
"Hah?"
Kupu-kupu yang hinggap di jarinya terbang lagi.
Pada saat yang sama, Yang In-hyun berbalik.
"Tidak masalah jika mereka menerima sarankanmu. Karena penjara memiliki Formasi Ilusi Plum Lima Tahap. Jadi selama mereka memasukkan penyihir itu ke salah satu sel, ancaman potensial akan hilang."
"..."
"Tetapi kau tidak mempertimbangkan kebalikannya."
"...kebalikannya?"
"Bagaimana jika mereka membebaskan semua penjahat di penjara?"
"...!"
Kwak Do-san menelan ludah saat mendengar kata-kata itu. Tatapan tenang Yang In-hyun beralih ke arahnya dan dia menyadari pada saat itu.
'Jika aku tidak memberikan alasan yang tepat di sini, aku-'
Sebelum dia bisa menyelesaikan pikirannya, dia membuka mulutnya.
"Pe-, para penjahat yang terperangkap di penjara semuanya adalah orang-orang dengan pikiran bengkok yang tidak bisa dipahami. Bahkan jika mereka mencoba bernegosiasi untuk pembobolan penjara, mereka tidak akan menerimanya. Bagaimanapun, mereka mungkin saja berbalik melawan mereka setelah dibebaskan..."
"Kau cenderung berpikir terlalu positif. Probabilitas itu terjadi mungkin kecil. Tetapi ketika berbicara tentang kemungkinan, selalu lebih baik untuk berasumsi yang terburuk. Dengan begitu, kau akan tidak terlalu terkejut."
Tuktuk, Yang In-hyun, yang sedang mengusap pelipisnya dengan lembut, mengambil pedangnya dari meja. Itu adalah pedang polos tanpa fitur khusus selain batu permata seukuran ibu jari yang tertanam di gagangnya. Tetapi saat Yang In-hyun memegang pedang itu, auranya berubah.
Dalam sekejap mata, pedang polos itu berubah menjadi pedang berharga.
Murid Senior telah mengambil pedangnya.
Kwak Do-san segera memahami apa arti tindakan ini.
"A-, apakah Kakak Senior bermaksud pergi ke sana secara pribadi?"
"Aku sudah mengirim para tetua, tetapi aku tidak berpikir mereka akan bisa menanganinya."
Kapan dia mengirim mereka?
Kwak Do-san merasakan hawa dingin di punggungnya. Sejak dia memasuki Cloud Pavilion, waktunya bahkan belum cukup untuk satu kali makan. Dan dalam waktu itu, tidak ada seorang pun yang memasuki tempat ini selain Kwak Do-san dan Yang In-hyun.
"Waktunya tepat. Ini waktu yang tepat untuk pemanasan."
"Ya-, ya."
"Tetapi mengapa kau bertanya itu padaku? Apakah ada alasan mengapa aku tidak boleh turun?"
"Ti-, tidak."
Pemanasan.
Dia tidak berpikir itu satu-satunya alasan.
Tiba-tiba, Yang In-hyun tersenyum untuk pertama kalinya.
"Bagaimanapun, jelas bahwa mereka berasal dari dunia bawah. Karena mereka datang ke gunung utama sendiri, lebih baik menangani mereka seefisien mungkin. Tanpa terlalu banyak kerugian."
"...Aku akan menemanimu."
"Kau tidak perlu."
Yang In-hyun menolak dengan lembut. Kemudian dia membuka mulutnya.
"Do-san."
"Ya."
"Berapa lama kau di sini?"
"Ya?"
"Maksudku waktunya. Sudah berapa lama?"
"...Aku tidak yakin, tetapi mungkin, ratusan tahun."
Yang In-hyun tersenyum lagi.
"Dan sudah berapa lama sejak aku datang ke sini?"
"..."
Kwak Do-san diam sebentar sebelum akhirnya berhasil mengeluarkan kata-kata.
"Sekitar setengah tahun."
"Benar. Itu benar."
Setengah tahun. Sejak dia datang ke Gunung Bunga.
Hanya setengah tahun.
Dan dalam setengah tahun itu, Yang In-hyun telah naik ke posisi Murid Senior Gunung Bunga.
Senyum di wajahnya melebar.
Dia mengingat saat dia membunuh Murid Senior sebelumnya. Itu tidak terlalu sulit.
"Apakah kau membenciku?"
"I-, itu mustahil."
Kwak Do-san langsung menyangkalnya, tetapi Yang In-hyun tidak berhenti tersenyum.
Dia merasa seperti dia memegang semua emosi mereka di tangannya.
Kebencian mungkin ada, tetapi ketakutan jauh lebih berlimpah. Yang In-hyun menyukai perasaan primitif semacam itu. Dia benar-benar ingin berterima kasih pada takdir sekali lagi karena mengizinkannya datang ke dunia ini.
"Perubahan telah dimulai. Bukan hanya di dunia ini, tetapi di seluruh Tiga Ribu Dunia. Apakah kau tahu, Do-san? Ada dua cara untuk menghadapi badai. Yang pertama adalah meraih pohon dan bertahan. Dan yang lainnya adalah membiarkan angin membawa tubuhmu ke mana pun ia suka."
Mustahil untuk mengetahui ke mana angin kencang akan mengirimmu. Jadi itu adalah perjudian yang dekat dengan petualangan.
Yang In-hyun tidak keberatan dengan itu.
Dunia yang tidak berwarna. Dunia yang telah berhenti, dunia yang ada tetapi tidak ada, kini sedang dilahirkan untuk pertama kalinya.
Itu menjadi berwarna dan bergerak liar.
Apakah ini era perang?
Itu juga baik-baik saja. Tetapi mungkin tidak cocok baginya untuk tetap menjadi anggota Murim.
Tidak bisa menahannya lagi, Yang In-hyun meninggalkan Cloud Pavilion dengan semburan tawa.
* * *
Setiap sel penjara memiliki pintu masuk, tetapi tentu saja, semuanya terkunci.
Energi ungu yang bergoyang seperti kabut dibentuk menjadi rantai tebal dan keras. Tentu saja, itu bukan sihir.
Bahkan Lukas tidak bisa memahami prinsip atau efek dari energi ini.
'Haruskah aku memaksanya terbuka?'
Tepat saat dia memiliki pikiran bodoh itu...
"Biarkan aku yang melakukannya!"
Pale memukul rantai itu dengan ujung jarinya yang seperti pisau.
Dengan retakan, energi ungu itu menghilang, dan rantai itu patah seperti kue kering. Itu adalah tampilan kekuatan yang luar biasa.
"...terima kasih."
"Itu bukan apa-apa."
Lukas melangkah ke dalam penjara dan menatap pria di sana.
Lee Jong-hak.
Pria ini, yang disebut Naga Manusia, telah dihancurkan begitu totalnya sehingga hampir tidak ada jejak masa lalunya.
Rambut dan janggut yang tidak terpotong, dan kulit yang begitu kotor sehingga telah berubah menjadi warna kue madu.
Tetapi yang benar-benar serius adalah kondisi tubuhnya sendiri.
'...semua uratnya telah dipotong.'
Mereka telah dipotong dengan sengaja.
Baru pada saat itulah dia mengerti mengapa seorang Pendekar seperti Lee Jong-hak tidak punya pilihan selain tetap terkunci di penjara ini.
"Apakah kau baik-baik saja?"
Lee Jong-hak mengangguk.
Tubuhnya dalam kondisi yang disebutkan sebelumnya, tetapi matanya masih hidup.
"Apakah kau kesulitan berbicara?"
"..."
Saat mendengar kata-kata itu, ekspresi Lee Jong-hak sedikit berubah.
Dia tampak ragu-ragu pada awalnya tetapi perlahan membuka mulutnya seolah-olah dia telah mengambil keputusan.
"...!"
Ekspresi Lukas mengeras.
Sesuatu hilang dari mulut yang terbuka itu.
Lee Jong-hak tidak memiliki lidah.
"Apakah mereka memotongnya atau mencabutnya?"
Pale bertanya dengan suara santai.
Tetapi Lukas tidak bisa begitu santai.
"Bisakah kau menyembuhkannya?"
Itu adalah pertanyaan untuk Pale.
Dengan senyum masih di wajahnya, Pale menjawab dengan tegas.
"Tidak."
"..."
"Aku membantumu banyak karena aku menyukaimu. Ketika beberapa orang terus menerima bantuan, mereka berpikir itu adalah hak mereka. Kau bukan orang seperti itu, kan Paman?"
Ada secercah kedinginan dalam kata-kata terakhirnya.
"Tempat ini tentang memberi dan menerima, kan?"
Michael pernah mengatakan sesuatu yang serupa. Itu mungkin aturan besi dasar dunia ini, di mana pun kau pergi.
Pale tiba-tiba mulai meniru orang tua yang lemah dan sakit. Dia membungkukkan punggungnya dan mulai batuk-batuk.
Cukup lama sebenarnya
Cloud Pavilion, which was built at the top of Flower Mountain, was the residence of Flower Mountain’s Senior Disciple. No one else stayed there. This wasn’t because it was impossible to enter, but because the disciples of Flower Mountain would only enter if they had special business. It was a so-called unwritten rule that even the elders of Flower Mountain adhered to.
Fortunately, Kwak Do-san, who was now setting foot in Cloud Pavilion, had a special reason.
“…”
He thoroughly prostrated himself.
Kwak Do-san bowed so low that his face was practically touching the ground.
It was not a rare sight to see disciples prostrating themselves in this place, regardless of who it was that was reporting to the Senior Disciple.
His forehead was damp. But this was the only sign that Kwak Do-san was nervous.
The Flower Mountain’s Senior Disciple.
The Everlasting Plum Sword, Yang In-hyun, had his back turned as he watched the beautiful mountain scenery.
His years could be felt in his white hair, but his straight waist and unblemished white robes displayed indescribable purity and uprightness.
Suddenly, Yang In-hyun stretched forth a finger and a butterfly, which had been flying in the sky, came to rest on it.
“You brought them here.”
The voice was overflowing with kindness. But Kwak Do-san gulped heavily as if the tip of a sword was pressed to his throat.
“Th-, that’s right.”
“And now?”
“I entrusted So-han to guide them. If all goes according to plan, we’ll be able to deal with them in the time it takes to have two meals*.”(*: ??- the time it takes to eat a meal. Roughly 30 minutes.)
“…”
“They are formidable, but not to the extent that the main mountain would need to go all out to defeat them. As long as we get the help of the Elders, Senior Brother wouldn’t even need to…”
“Why?”
Kwak Do-san was interrupted by Yang In-hyun’s soft mutter. He never asked a stupid question. Kwak Do-san felt suffocated, he thought that he might really die if he opened his mouth without thinking.
After a short pause, Yang In-hyun continued to speak in a relaxed tone.
“I sent five great disciples including you. And yet you didn’t even have the strength to cut off a single one of your enemy’s limbs?”
“I’m sorry for disappointing you. However, it was impossible with our strength…”
“Impossible if you fought normally. But it would have been possible if you detonated your true ki. Am I wrong?”
“…”
Kwak Do-san inhaled sharply. Telling him to detonate his true ki was no different from telling him to die.
Nevertheless, Kwak Do-san simply bowed deeper as his complexion paled.
“…I’m sorry.”
“However, the decisive blunder is what you did after that. Leading them to the prison was the worst possible choice.”
“Huh?”
The butterfly that rested on his finger flew away again.
At the same time, Yang In-hyun turned around.
“It would be fine if they accepted your suggestion. Because the prison has the Five Stage Plum Illusion Formation. So as long as they put the witch into one of the cells, a potential threat would disappear.”
“…”
“But you did not consider the opposite.”
“…the opposite?”
“What if they let all of the criminals in the prison out?”
“…!”
Kwak Do-san gulped when he heard those words. Yang In-hyun’s calm gaze swept over to him and he realised at that moment.
‘If I don’t give a proper excuse here, I-’
Before he could even finish his thought, he opened his mouth.
“Th-, the criminals trapped in the prison are all people with twisted minds that cannot be understood. Even if they tried to negotiate a jailbreak, they wouldn’t accept it. After all, they might just turn on them after they were set free…”
“You tend to think too positively. The probability of that happening might be small. But when it comes to possibility, it’s always better to assume the worst. That way, you will be less shocked.”
Tuktuk, Yang In-hyun, who had been rubbing his temples gently, picked his sword up from the table. It was a plain sword with no other special features apart from a gem the size of a thumb that was embedded in the hilt. But the moment Yang In-hyun collected the sword, its aura changed.
In the blink of an eye, the plain sword transformed into a treasured sword.
The Senior Disciple had taken his sword.
Kwak Do-san immediately understood what this action meant.
“D-, does Senior Brother intend to go there personally?”
“I’ve already sent the elders, but I don’t think they will be able to handle it.”
When did he send them?
Kwak Do-san felt a chill down his spine. Since he’d entered the Cloud Pavilion, it hadn’t even been enough time to have one meal. And in that time, no one had entered this place apart from Kwak Do-san and Yang In-hyun.
“The timing is good. It’s the perfect time to warm up.”
“Ye-, yes.”
“But why are you asking me that? Is there a reason why I shouldn’t go down?”
“N-, no.”
Warm up.
He didn’t think that was the only reason.
Suddenly, Yang In-hyun smiled for the first time.
“In any case, it’s clear that they are from the underground. Since they came to the main mountain on their own, it would be better to deal with them as efficiently as possible. Without too many losses.”
“…I will accompany you.”
“You don’t have to.”
Yang In-hyun gently refused. Then he opened his mouth.
“Do-san.”
“Yes.”
“How long have you been here?”
“Yes?”
“I mean the time. How long has it been?”
“…I’m not sure, but perhaps, hundreds of years.”
Yang In-hyun smiled again.
“And how long has it been since I came here?”
“…”
Kwak Do-san was silent for a while before he finally managed to force the words out.
“About half a year.”
“Right. That’s right.”
Half a year. Since he’d come to the Flower Mountain.
Only half a year.
And within that half year, Yang In-hyun had risen to the position of Flower Mountain’s Senior Disciple.
The smile on his face grew wider.
He recalled the time when he killed the previous Senior Disciple. It hadn’t been that difficult.
“Do you hate me?”
“T-, that’s impossible.”
Kwak Do-san denied it immediately, but Yang In-hyun didn’t stop smiling.
It felt like he had all of his emotions in his hand.
Hate might be there, but fear was much more abundant. Yang In-hyun liked that kind of primitive feeling. He really wanted to thank fate again for allowing him to come to this world.
“Change has begun. Not just in this world, but the entire Three Thousand Worlds. Did you know, Do-san? There are two ways to deal with a storm. The first is to grab a tree and hold on. And the other is to just let the wind take your body where it pleases.”
It was impossible to know where you would be sent by the fierce winds. So it was a gamble that was close to an adventure.
Yang In-hyun didn’t mind that.
A colourless world. A world that had stopped, a world that existed but didn’t exist, was now being born for the first time.
It was becoming coloured and was moving wildly.
Was this the era of war?
That would be fine too. But it may not be suitable for him to stay a member of the Murim.
Unable to hold it any longer, Yang In-hyun left the Cloud Pavilion with a burst of laughter.
* * *
Each jail cell had an entrance, but naturally, they were locked.
Purple energy which swayed like a mist was formed into thick, hard chains. Naturally, it couldn’t be magic.
Even Lukas wasn’t able to grasp the principle or effect of this energy.
‘Should I force it open?’
Just as he had this ignorant thought…
“Let me do it!”
Pale struck the chain with her blade-like fingertips.
With a crack, the purple energy dissipated, and the chain snapped like a cookie. It was an unbelievable display of power.
“…thanks.”
“It was nothing.”
Lukas stepped into the prison and looked down at the man there.
Lee Jong-hak.
This man, who was called the Human Dragon, had been so thoroughly broken that there were almost no traces of his past self.
Untrimmed hair and beard, and skin so stained with dirt that it had become the colour of a honey cookie.
But the really serious thing was the condition of his body itself.
‘…all of his tendons have been cut.’
They had been cut intentionally.
It was only then that he understood why a Swordsman like Lee Jong-hak had no choice but to remain locked in this prison.
“Are you alright?”
Lee Jong-hak nodded.
His body was in the condition mentioned earlier, but his eyes were still alive.
“Are you having trouble speaking?”
“…”
When he heard those words, Lee Jong-hak’s expression changed slightly.
He seemed hesitant at first but slowly opened his mouth as if he’d made up his mind.
“…!”
Lukas’ expression hardened.
Something was missing from the opened mouth.
Lee Jong-hak didn’t have a tongue.
“Did they cut it out or pull it out?”
Pale asked in a relaxed voice.
But Lukas couldn’t be so relaxed.
“Can you heal him?”
It was a question for Pale.
With the smile still on her face, Pale replied firmly.
“No.”
“…”
“I helped you a lot because I like you. When some people continue to receive favour, they think it’s their right. You’re not that kind of person, are you Uncle?”
This was a hint of coldness in her last words.
“This place is about give and take, right?”
Michael had told him something similar. That was probably the basic iron rule of this world, regardless of where you went.
Pale suddenly began to imitate a weak and ill old man. She bent her back and began to cough.
For a long while actually,
Then, she violently pointed to Lukas.
“So if you want more, you have to give me something equivalent!”
At this point, she’d long surpassed the stage of ‘unpredictable’.
For Lukas, Pale was ‘unknown’.
Her identity was unknown, her goal was unknown, and her personality was also unknown.
Everything about her was unknown.
“I’ll be your friend.”
“What was that?”
“I’ll be your secret friend.”
Lee Jong-hak’s eyes shook slightly at the strange word.
But Lukas pretended not to see it as he continued.
“I will do the treasure hunt with you in the desert, so please help me.” (TL: Didn’t he already promise this?)
“Hmmm.”
When she heard those words, the corners of Pales mouth rose once again.
“Ay, I’ll be generous again!”
Then she took out a piece of jerky.
This one was also different from the jerkies he’d seen before.
It was small and grey, but it looked very hard. If he had seen it from a distance, he would have probably mistaken it for a stone.
“It looks difficult to eat.”
“You’re welcome. This is a special product! He can eat it even if he doesn’t have a tongue or his teeth aren’t strong.”
“Really? Thanks.”
When he picked up the jerky, Lukas realised the truth in her words. Unlike its appearance, the jerky had a very soft texture. It felt like if he were to squeeze it hard, it would pop like a fruit.
“…”
Lee Jong-hak stared at the strange jerky with a bewildered expression on his face.
No. Instead of bewilderment, it was more like immense surprise.
Next, he turned to look at Pale’s face. Did they know each other? That didn’t seem to be the case. After all, Lee Jong-hak had only shown that surprised expression after seeing the jerky.
Then the reason he’d turned to look at Pale was probably because he wanted to see who could take out an item like that.
Lukas turned to look at Pale as well, but she had the same unflappable smile as always.
“I’m a little hungry too, so I’ll also munch on something.”
Then she rummaged through her pockets.
Lukas turned to Lee Jong-hak and handed the jerky to him.
“Can you eat this?”
“…”
Lee Jong-hak nodded before putting the jerky in his mouth.
Instead of chewing, it looked like it melted in his mouth and flowed down his throat.
“I don’t think you’ll recover right away.”
“…”
“…I don’t know what happened to you. But it’s nice to see you again.”
“…”
When he heard those words, Lee Jong-hak’s gaze became strange. The reason for that was easy to guess.
The Lukas he knew was not the type to say something like that.
That was natural.
The Lukas Trowman that Lee Jong-hak remembered was the Absolute Lukas.
While it was true that he sometimes showed his human side, he was essentially an existence that was close to perfection, without wavering or weakness.
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