Chapter 238
White hair swayed over a stiffly frozen neck. Her short limbs moved awkwardly with a creaking motion, and her erratic breathing occasionally confused the order of inhale and exhale, making her stop breathing for a moment.
She hardly looked like a Flowering Stage martial artist... No, not even a proper person. More like a wooden puppet.
Dragging the completely broken Seo Mun-Hwarin as if hauling her along, I crossed the corridor.
Perhaps it was because the sun had already begun to set when I left the training hall. While we exchanged a few words, the surroundings had already grown fairly dark.
Though it wasn’t completely nighttime yet, it had that dim, dusky feeling. On top of that, ever since the Heavenly Demon’s assault, Black Lotus Sect Leader Seorin had heightened security, so lanterns were lit all around.
It was clearly night, yet the scenery wasn’t dark at all. It was bright.
The sky was indigo, the earth bathed in a burning crimson hue—a beauty too profound to express in words.
Even a puppet-like Seo Mun-Hwarin must have been moved by such a sight. Her tense shoulders relaxed as a murmur of admiration slipped out.
“Hooh... Even if it’s not for a good reason, this view is honestly quite magnificent.”
“It truly is.” “Did you bring this One out to see this? Hmm, it certainly seems effective as a change of mood.”
Her voice had become more natural, her expression more relaxed.
I felt a little sorry that Seo Mun-Hwarin had finally returned to being human from a puppet, only for me to ruin the mood with what I said next.
“This happened by chance, but the reason I brought you out here wasn’t to see the night view.”
“Hm??”
“It's probably fine now since there aren’t many people around. We’re almost there.”
“A-Are you taking this One to some secluded place to do something untoward?!”
Seo Mun-Hwarin bounced in place nervously, but the moment we arrived at our destination, she froze stiff again.
This was the place where the Heavenly Demon and Sword Ghost had launched their assault. Originally meant to be a meaningful gathering spot for both orthodox and unorthodox sects. And to me, a place like a second home.
Ironblood Hall.
Now, it was known by a completely different name, a building at the outskirts of the Black Lotus Sect.
As we entered, what greeted us first were remnants that vividly preserved the past.
Deep sword scars, traces of destruction and piercing impacts. And, visible only from a distance, a massive footprint.
Perhaps what came to mind was the overwhelming martial prowess of the Heavenly Demon, and the Sword Ghost returning with karma forged by a life of killing.
Though she appeared half-broken, Seo Mun-Hwarin’s buoyant demeanor weighed down with heaviness.
With a hollow gaze, she quietly examined the lingering traces.
Why did her eyes look like a child lost in the world?
Even if her behavior and speech had become childish due to the side effects of Rejuvenation, her core self couldn’t have regressed.
She may hesitate, but she never doubts herself. She may regret, but she never stops moving forward.
That’s the Seo Mun-Hwarin I know. Her willpower was what let her fists, unlike other Flowering Stage martial artists, strike purely and directly, without complex techniques.
Whether it was when she abandoned lifelong revenge without hesitation, when she corrected her past mistakes, or when she pursued the happiness she had lost.
Even in the moment she died, blossoming crimson flowers over the snow.
Seo Mun-Hwarin always knew clearly where she was going.
I gave her arm a stronger tug as she paused for a moment.
“Gyeeek??”
Lost in thought, Seo Mun-Hwarin let out a strange noise as she was pulled toward me with such force that she ended up half-buried in my side.
“Mmmp? Mmmph!”
“Stop saying weird things. It tickles.”
“Mmgh..."
“And stop thinking unnecessary thoughts too. Just follow me. We're almost there.”
With Seo Mun-Hwarin tucked against my side, I walked a little farther.
We passed a spacious banquet hall perfect for entertaining guests, then went deeper, reaching a building that seemed like people might once have lived in it.
Of course, it looked quite different from my memories.
Gone were the peeling walls and faded paint from poor maintenance. The spot where the training ground used to be now held a shabby warehouse.
But the overall structure hadn’t changed.
As I followed the paths I remembered, familiar spaces appeared one by one. If that were the case, then just around this corner—
There it was. Just as I expected—a small garden.
“We’ve arrived.”
“May this One raise her head now?”
“You were free to before, but... yes, you may look up now.”
Seo Mun-Hwarin slowly lifted her head from my side. Was it just my imagination? Her lips moved as if reluctantly parting from the comfort. She looked around.
“Where is this?”
“It’s a small garden tucked away in the back.”
“I thought it would feel eerie at this hour, but it’s surprisingly pleasant.”
Perhaps because lanterns lit the entire Black Lotus Sect brightly.
The garden, otherwise somber in darkness, now bloomed with light and color.
Though no one lived here anymore, and the space was now used only for occasional events, it was minimally maintained.
Still, the surrounding light gave it a dreamlike atmosphere, making it quite a sight.
But what I wanted to show Seo Mun-Hwarin wasn’t the garden itself.
“Could you look at the center?”
“The center?”
Seo Mun-Hwarin raised her head. Her eyes landed on a large tree.
The weather was still chilly, but winter was already coming to an end.
Soon, spring would arrive, and the greenery that had waited in silence would rise once more.
But even before that, there were blooms.
The camellia tree, which flowers at the end of winter, was just such a bloom.
Seo Mun-Hwarin looked up at the camellia tree, ablaze with red blossoms, her mouth slightly agape.
After a long moment, she spoke in a low voice.
“Did you know this One likes camellias?”
“No. I simply showed it to you because I like them.”
“Is that so.”
She quietly repeated my words, then extended her small hand to gently touch the camellia tree.
Even in the previous life, it was a massive tree worthy of being called majestic. Though it had slightly shrunk, it was still large compared to my memories.
Her expression seemed deep in thought, but unlike before, it didn’t carry the same shadow.
I didn’t lovingly tend to it every day as she had in her previous life, nor did I constantly check when it might bloom.
But perhaps because it was a flower she cherished so much, or perhaps swayed by the atmosphere created by the lanterns around us, Seo Mun-Hwarin quietly stroked the tree bark, lost in thought.
She seemed on the verge of saying something several times, only to tremble her lips and fall silent.
So I spoke up first.
“It’s an old memory, but... do you remember what I said when you kidnapped me?”
“Should we truly call it kidnapping when you begged this One to take you? If you mean the moment I resolved to entrust myself to the Tang Clan... of course I remember. You said we would be happy together, starting then.”
“Hearing it out of context makes it sound odd, but yes. That’s what I said.”
In my past life, I learned many things from Seo Mun-Hwarin.
Not just martial arts. How to understand the flow of Murim, how to read, proper etiquette, and how to accept people with the heart.
To me back then, who had neither knowledge nor possessions, her teachings felt tedious. But looking back now, every one of them became the foundation of who I am.
After my regression, becoming the son-in-law of the Tang Clan, and reaching the Flowering Stage—it would not be an exaggeration to say that Seo Mun-Hwarin made it possible.
Even if she no longer remembers, I cannot disregard the life and breath her teachings gave me.
She is a teacher I can never mention aloud. But I owe a part of my life to her.
“Why do you like camellias, Senior Seo Mun-Hwarin?”
“Because... isn't it beautiful how they bloom after enduring the harsh winter?”
“I feel the same. The chill has eased a bit now, but back when we were in the Northern Sea, these camellias would’ve bloomed amidst the white snow.”
There were many flowers still clinging to the branches, but just as many had already fallen to the ground.
Camellias fall in whole blooms, not in scattered petals. Even as they roll on the ground, they retain their vivid red.
That sight brought back memories of the past, and my voice quivered slightly.
“You’ll be the same, Senior Seo Mun-Hwarin.”
“W-What do you mean by that?”
“Are you afraid of the karma of the past returning to you? Do you hesitate, wondering if what you're doing now is truly right?”
“How could I not be? This One knows that her sins have now come back as a threat to you all.”
“If you continue living as a martial artist, this sort of thing will keep happening. Whether it’s orthodox or unorthodox.”
The karma Seo Mun-Hwarin accumulated in her pursuit of revenge may end now, but in the future, as she continues to live as a martial artist, she’ll have to kill again. And each time, regardless of justification, someone will bear a grudge.
Tang Sowol also nearly died because of a grudge she never even created, merely inherited from her clan, although the Demonic Cult stirred it up.
Such is the path of a martial artist. No matter how much one claims righteousness, in the end, it is a life of taking others' lives.
As long as one doesn’t lay down the sword, the bloodstains on their body will never truly dry.
Seo Mun-Hwarin surely knew this. What weighed on her was not ignorance but guilt—that her past sins had endangered me, Tang Sowol, and Seol Lihyang.
That’s why a clear standard is necessary.
And once it’s set, a stubborn resolve not to compromise.
So...
“That’s why I’ll be by your side.”
“Huh??”
Startled, Seo Mun-Hwarin looked up as I placed my hand over hers on the camellia tree.
“We're in similar positions. We’ll worry together, bear the burden together, and at the end, smile together.”
“You, with me...??”
“Yes.”
Her generous teachings had led me this far.
Now, the time had come for a change. I might not be able to lead her yet... but at least I could walk beside her.
“Camellias don’t scatter petal by petal. They fall whole.”
“So they do.”
“Even if they’re not flashy, there’s nothing to fear at the moment of falling.”
I slowly drew Seo Mun-Hwarin’s hand into mine. Then I grasped it tightly with both hands.
She blankly stared at me. I gave her a sly grin.
“You’re the most powerful among us, Senior. Not to mention the oldest and the most well-versed.”
“Hic!”
At the mention of her age, Seo Mun-Hwarin visibly deflated, but I continued.
“I’m not that weak either.”
“Hm? You mean yourself?”
“Yes. You saw it the other day. I’m no longer weak, and soon the new year will come. I won’t stay a child forever.”
“Well, the first part is true, but the second is a bit...”
“The point is, you don’t have to be afraid of being a burden to me or the others.”
She looked briefly taken aback, but nodded at my words.
“I understand. It seems this One's worries troubled you deeply. Thank you. You need not worry anymore.”
“Do you really mean that?”
“Of course. You may even confiscate this One’s blanket for a day if you wish.”
“What would I even do with your blanket...?”
I shook my head in disbelief, and Seo Mun-Hwarin, now back to her usual self, giggled.
She laughed for a while, then softly wiggled the hand still held in mine.
Her fingers brushed against my palm in a ticklish way, making me wonder if I should let go.
But then, Seo Mun-Hwarin gave a small nod and spoke in a quiet voice.
“Yes. I’ll remember. You and the others aren’t so fragile that I need to protect you from everything. Look—your hand is truly reassuring, isn’t it?”
“Your way of putting it is kind of creepy, but... yes. That’s enough for me.”
“You know, sometimes I think you’ve gotten too brazen with me lately!”
Seo Mun-Hwarin pouted and stomped, and just then, a camellia flower gently fell in front of her.
She had once asked me to remember her as a single camellia flower at the end.
Now, I finally felt I could keep that promise.
***
“Cheon So-hyeop, Cheon So-hyeop! So, how far did you and Sister Hwarin go?”
“Just to the camellia tree in the garden.”
“No, not that! I mean... hmm. Did you get closer? Any physical contact or something?”
“We held hands.”
“And??”
“Just held hands.”
As Tang Sowol stared at me with a sulky expression, I hurriedly added,
“Don’t worry. It really was just hand-holding.”
“Sigh... you’re going to get punished for being so innocent, you know?”
Tang Sowol shook her head and sighed.
I didn’t understand at all.
Just as I was silently grumbling about life’s unfairness—
A messenger appeared at the door and politely spoke.
It was an invitation to dinner from the Black Lotus Sect Leader.
In other words, the urgent matters were mostly resolved, and it was time to talk about what comes next.