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#711
Taejonbirok Volume 29, Episode 11
Chapter 155: The Lazy Man, Settling Down (1)
It felt like my breathing had stopped for a bit.
Saga was desperately curious to see what kind of face he had now. But, unfortunately, there was no such thing as longing in this shack.
but…….
It wasn't hard to guess. It probably wasn't that different from the expression Gwanggu Shingae was making right now.
The face of the Gwanggu Shingae had changed beyond description.
Fear and self-help, hope and excitement.
Saga never knew that so many emotions could appear on one person's face at the same time.
"like that……."
Gwanggu Shingae took a deep breath and continued speaking in a bitter voice.
“The battle between Wei Yanhu and Cheonma has begun.”
“…….”
“Until I got there, I had no idea the match would turn out that way.”
“What do you mean…….”
“I thought it was a battle between absolute evil and absolute good.”
"ah……."
Saga nodded.
If you were in Shin-gae's position at the time, you couldn't help but think that way.
"Wei Yanho is a man of the lowest order, but the truth is, ever since he entered the martial world, he's only ever saved people. Even if it wasn't his own will. Looking back, I can only imagine how many people have benefited thanks to him."
Saga nodded quietly.
"If you watch him from the sidelines, you'll start to think that way. Ah, this guy really is a godsend. No matter what he does, it always ends up saving the world."
From Gwanggu Shin-gae's perspective, it would have been impossible to think that way.
How much has Wei Yanhu accomplished in the short time since he appeared in the world of martial arts?
And then, finally, didn't he shoulder the fate of Kangho on his shoulders and decide to fight Cheonma?
"On the other hand, Cheonma has lived solely to destroy the martial arts world. His sole purpose is the destruction of the Central Plains. He has endured for three hundred years solely for that purpose. From the perspective of the martial arts world, it wouldn't be surprising to call him an absolute evil."
That was also true.
"But, ironically, even though absolute evil and absolute good met, they looked at each other and spoke calmly, like a grandfather and grandson reuniting after a long time. My first impression of that scene was a sense of incongruity. But that sense of incongruity soon gave way to bewilderment."
“…….”
Saga was unable to say anything.
"At the time, I couldn't understand it at all. But as time went by, I began to understand why they reacted that way. You see? Understanding, I mean. Understanding. The fact that I couldn't understand them means, conversely, that I had no idea who they were. Or what their circumstances were."
“It’s a little difficult, but…….”
"No one in the world could understand their situation. Except each other."
Saga's face hardened slightly.
It wasn't that hard to understand what Gwanggu Shingae was saying. But his statement just now was a bit dangerous.
The statement that the hero who saved the world, Gwanghwimujon, and the Heavenly Horse who almost destroyed the world understood each other was not something that could be said carelessly.
Saga looked around without realizing it.
Even though I know full well that there can't be another ear in this shack, I instinctively look around.
“Don’t be so embarrassed. What if someone listens?”
“One new one…….”
“I have already lived long enough.”
The Gwanggu Shingae shook its head.
"I've lived this long without even being able to say what I truly wanted to say. So, shouldn't I stop now and just live my life saying what I want to say?"
“Your Majesty has said enough.”
Gwanggu Shingae.
The Ark of Openness.
His eccentric temperament was universally known. While a person of the rank of a sergeant in the Gupaebang had a basic sense of dignity to uphold and a sense of self-disclosure, Gwanggu Shingae was known for his outspokenness, regardless of his own position.
Isn't the person that those with bad ears or those who risk their lives for their reputation the most uncomfortable with the most annoying person the Gwanggu Shingae?
But what that crazy person really wanted to say was that he lived with his words hidden inside.
“Look here.”
“Yes, Shin-gae.”
“What do you think Kangho is?”
"……yes?"
“It’s exactly as it is. What do you think Kang-ho is?”
Saga couldn't answer right away.
Kangho, Kangho… … .
He's the one who records the history of martial arts. But he's never thought about precisely defining what martial arts is.
"I am……."
“You probably never thought about it.”
"……yes."
The Gwanggu Shingae chuckled.
"You're not wrong. We live in the martial world, but we don't think about what it means. We just live. If you think of the martial world as a place where people who wield swords and practice martial arts live together, that's it."
“…….”
"But, you see, having been around the world all my life, I've finally come to understand what it's like. Do you know what the world is?"
“What is it?”
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“The world of martial arts is a place where useless people gather together and cause all kinds of chaos, saying they are just trying to show off their power.”
“New…….”
"Don't you think so? Think about it. If Kangho disappeared right now, what harm would it do to the world?"
Saga closed his mouth.
"Without farmers, the world would be doomed to starvation. Without miners, we'd have to go back to using wooden objects. But what difference would it make if the unmanned people disappeared? Wouldn't the world actually become a little more comfortable?"
“…….”
"That's what martial arts is. It's a place with no particular reason to protect, no reason to continue. People in martial arts might not think so, but then… what reason is there to risk one's life to protect a place like martial arts?"
“…….”
"Those who live in the martial world have a just cause: protecting their family, friends, and clan. But that's just the reason for the martial world."
“The Hana Palace too…….”
"The reason the Imperial Palace opposed the Heavenly Demons was because they believed their blades would target them as well. If the Demonic Cult had declared to the Imperial Palace, before starting the war, 'We have no intention of harming the Imperial Palace,' would they have actually opposed the Demonic Cult?"
“…….”
"That may be so, or it may not be so. But the fact that there's no immediate answer suggests you understand that the palace views Kang-ho as a thorn in its side."
“It’s hard to deny.”
Power comes from strength.
And the power that the emperor possesses is military power.
No one can possess military power unless they are the emperor. Those who arm themselves become bandits and thieves. However, the Jianghu are, in a sense, the only place where power surpasses even the imperial army, yet remains unfettered.
"The martial arts are free from the laws of the world. Small bandits are punished, but large bandits destroy nations and establish new ones. The martial arts, driven by their power, created another nation within the Central Plains. That's what martial arts are all about."
The newcomer gulped down his drink roughly.
"And even the martial artists don't even try to protect their own martial arts world. Whenever there's a crisis, they lean on someone else's back. Before, it was someone else, and now it's someone else."
The new dog's eyes turned to Saga.
“You know what the history of the martial world is like.”
Saga nodded weakly.
The martial arts world certainly has that aspect. The martial arts world doesn't revolve around a single sect. Whenever a crisis arises or an incident occurs, it's always a single hero, not a sect, who resolves the issue.
While the history of war becomes a fight between groups, the history of martial arts becomes a fight between enemies and heroes.
The purpose of the Gwanggu Shingae was to point out that contradiction.
So what exactly do the powerful clans that dominate the martial arts world do? If they can't resolve crises on their own, instead just waiting for the emergence of a hero, what exactly is their role?
"The history of the martial arts is ultimately a history of heroes. Children hear stories of heroes and want to become heroes themselves. That's how they overcome even the most agonizing hardships."
“…….”
"But don't you think that's wrong? The same goes for Wi Yeon-ho. What did he receive from the martial arts world? Why did he risk his life to protect it?"
The Gwanggu Shingae shook its head.
"Come to think of it, I've begun to doubt whether the heroic tales we've heard so far are truly true. Their lives, the ones we admire and cheer for. Overcoming all hardships, ultimately defeating the enemy and bringing peace to the world, were they truly what they wanted?"
Saga closed his eyes.
Others might have dismissed this as mere quibble, but Saga couldn't. He was the one recording their lives.
The life of a brilliantly shining hero.
But Saga knew. Life after that illustrious journey is not told. Heroes who survived would continue to live as heroes, but those who vanish their enemies would vanish from history, as if they no longer existed.
like…….
Like a tool that has become useless.
"It's incomprehensible. We can't fathom why Wei Yanho is standing there. But Cheonma—no, Baek Muhan—can understand. He was a hero of the martial arts world. A hero who shone brighter than anyone else."
Saga nodded.
Where was the hero who went beyond the hundred and infinite?
He is still talked about in martial arts circles as the greatest man of all time and a legend of ten thousand swordsmen and a hundred schools of thought.
"A hero whose purpose had vanished, and someone who was exploited in the name of heroism. How could we have imagined how those two people must have felt as they gazed at each other? We could only watch, simply…"
The regret of the Gwanggu Shingae weighed heavily on Saga.
I couldn't say anything.
Just as Gwanggu Shingae couldn't understand Wi Yeonho's feelings, Saga couldn't understand the immense burden Gwanggu Shingae was bearing. To say he understood now was nothing but arrogance.
“And then the two finally turned their swords on each other.”
“…….”
"Funny enough, these two understood each other better than anyone else, yet neither could acknowledge the other and back down. Backing down would mean denying oneself and giving up what they were trying to protect. I understand, but we have to fight. I know, but we have to take each other's lives. It was so ridiculous."
After speaking, Gwanggu Shingae coughed loudly. Saga, seeing red blood dripping from his hand covering his mouth, abruptly sat up.
“New dog!”
“Okay.”
Gwanggu Shin-gae, who wiped the blood off his sleeve, let out a gasp.
“It’s about time. Don’t be so surprised.”
"but……."
"Your duty now is not to worry about me. It's to listen to this story until the end. It's my last remaining duty to finish this story. Please take your seats."
Saga sat back down with a stern face.
Gwanggu Shinga, who had let out a deep sigh, opened his mouth with a face that had turned completely pale.
"And so began the clash between the two. It was the final fight after a truly long journey."
His voice flowed slowly and sadly.