Plodding footsteps echoed through the dimly lit forest.
The shadowy gloom draped over the landscape, while a yellow sunset faded beyond the horizon. Crimson clouds stretched across one side of the sky like a brushstroke of red ink.
Somewhere in this twilight, a man walked with purpose, his shoulder-length hair swaying gently in the wind as if dancing. His hair, bleached white, seemed almost ethereal against the backdrop.
Beside him, a woman followed closely, her hands folded together and her own shock of pure white hair flowing behind her. Her posture radiated unease and discomfort.
“Byul Rak, is this the place you mentioned?”
“Yes, this is it.”
“The thick underbrush looks perfect for hiding someone.”
“…”
In the presence of Jade Flower’s observation, Byul Rak remained silent, feeling somewhat uneasy. The absence of human activity in this area seemed eerily symbolic, perhaps of someone trying to avoid him.
Still unaware of this deeper context, Jade Flower fidgeted, suspecting she might still make him uncomfortable.
“You said a dear friend of yours is here. The one who can look after Moon Blossom while you go to the Valley of Infinite Heavens.”
Jade Flower glanced at the girl resting on Byul Rak’s back. Her young face was serene as sunlight seeped through her furrowed eyebrows, even in slumber.
“Indeed.”
“Would it be someone I know?”
“No, I don’t believe so. Likely, apart from me, no one in the world knows this friend.”
The last statement—about knowing ones having all perished—remained unspoken. It was better to keep confusion at bay.
“Truly…? I thought myself quite familiar with you over the years, yet here I see how much still remains unknown.”
Jade Flower sighed, a faint wisp of melancholy surrounding her as she slowly followed Byul Rak deeper into the dense woods.
Pushing aside the obstructing foliage, a small thatched cottage came into view nestled beside a tranquil pond.
“So someone really does live here, it seems.”
“This is my first time visiting personally.”
At the threshold, Byul Rak gave the door a firm knock.
Knock-knock-knock.
“Perhaps the occupant is absent?”
“Perhaps.”
Byul Rak looked skywards, and Jade Flower followed suit. Their gazes lingered on the heavens above, waiting for something, someone.
Suddenly, an extraordinary display of the harmony between earth and sky unfolded before them.
Though it wasn’t fall, falling leaves danced as if blown by autumn winds, while sharp gusts tore through the forest, causing any nearby wildlife to flee in fright, heading off in a predetermined direction.
Witnessing all of this, Jade Flower felt an ominous sense of danger creep into her soul.
‘A supreme martial artist!’
Reflexively her hand gravitated to her sword hilt. She remained poised, ready to unleash the martial techniques of Kunlun at a moment’s notice.
Into her thoughts, a voice intruded telepathically.
– Oh child, drawing that blade will only hasten your demise.
“!”
In that instant, Jade Flower comprehended the magnitude of the individual Byul Rak had sought out—a master far above her own current level of expertise.
Beyond even the peak of her own mastery rested this enigmatic figure.
‘Is this, perhaps, a hermit of the fifth-tier level?’
As Jade Flower pondered in astonishment, Byul Rak, who had silently observed beside her, finally spoke. His deep, resonant voice filled the air.
“Long time no see.”
The telepathic communication rippled violently, indicating a sudden shock.
– ……!
“Sorry for troubling you, but I have a favor to ask.”
– Su… surely you’re not…!
“There’s no one else I trust enough.”
The cabin trembled under the force of someone moving hurriedly within.
THUD!
The door flew open with lightning speed. In the doorway stood a figure cloaked entirely in red, gasping for breath while facing Byul Rak, who stood silently outside.
“Iron Bins!! How could you possibly be here…!!”
“Have you been well?”
“I… didn’t I clearly state I’d forever vanish from your sight and never appear before me again…!”
“That’s true. Yet you’re the only person I can rely on to ask a favor.”
“…What is it?”
“This child.”
Byul Rak shifted the burden of Jin Gayoung from his back into the foreground. The woman in red took a long look at her, then bowed her head.
“Is she yours? Perhaps Namgung Su-a’s?”
“No, it’s another.”
“You’re asking me to look after this child.”
“I know it’s presumptuous. Despite that, I must ask. Please, take her.”
In a tone reserved solely for the closest of comrades, Byul Rak made his request, surprising Jade Flower, who hadn’t noticed such a relaxed manner in his speech before.
‘Exactly who is this woman that Byul Rak converses so freely?’
Though appearing to be a woman just beyond her twenties, similar to Jade Flower herself, the latter did not place undue faith in appearances.
A master’s age does not progress as in normal folk. Some even return to youthful vigor through the legendary practice of reversing aging.
As it dawned on Jade Flower that the woman dressed in crimson likely had skills surpassing the Huashan level of mastery, her mind began concocting several wild scenarios.
‘A grandmaster from the bygone ages of the martial world? There are rumors that some ancient immortals still roam… but if her esteem was so high, wouldn’t Iron Bins defer to her?’
While these thoughts raced through her mind, the red-clad woman alternated glances between Byul Rak and Jin Gayoung.
“…Come in for now. Let’s discuss this over a cup of tea.”
With that, she stepped inside the cabin.
Followed reluctantly by Jade Flower, Byul Rak entered.
*
– This wretched creature! Have I not instructed you to avoid associating with people of common birth?
This was a lesson I remember my father teaching me when I was young.
How or why such words came from the benevolent and gentle lips of my father, his intentions remain a blur lost to memory.
But the retort I gave him that day still resonates clearly.
– Father, it’s said that all human lives are equal. Why do you act this way?
– They are not people. How could you have any attachment to mere slaves?
– …….
– Cease this. A true successor of the Namgung household must uphold its dignity!
– I understand… sir.
Though outwardly compliant, even as a child, I defied my father’s command, obstinately mixing with the children of servants.
The reason was simple—I found genuine joy in their company.
The children of high status, even as young as they were, carried awareness of invisible class distinctions within them. Though we gathered together to play, they were always quick to cater to the whims of whoever ranked highest among us.
And there I was—always the highest-ranking child due to my inheritance as a scion of the foremost martial school in the land, the Namgung Sect. Consequently, peers held me at arm’s length.
Conversely, the children of lower classes exhibited an unassuming purity, unencumbered by class boundaries. It was for this purity that I sought their friendship.
Shirang—one of those friends I befriended back then.
– A-Hello…?
– Speak freely, we’re the same age, aren’t we?
– D-Does that really matter?
– Absolutely.
Shirang, to put it simply, was a tough kid.
Not everyone born into the lower tiers is innocent. Many learn the ways of the world early, becoming too perceptive for their own good. I felt pity for their situations.
Shirang was one such child. More precisely, a tough street-smart kid with a knack for trouble. Though ignorant of the specifics of the life Shirang endured scavenging among the destitute, a part of me wanted to help.
Hence, anytime I could, I smuggled food from my family estate to Shirang. I didn’t hesitate to share portions of my own meals.
Shirang was guarded, understandably, having endured a grim existence. However, with my sustained and genuine attempts to connect, Shirang slowly let his guard down.
It didn’t take long for our friendship to deepen into an unshakable bond.
But even at this juncture, something was off—Shirang’s attachment to me wasn’t ordinary.
Unlike Namgung So-so, who also exhibited a sort of boundless admiration, yet healthy and respectful, Shirang’s attachment bordered on obsession.
The realization hit me at around age ten.
– I love you, Iron Bins!
Out of the blue came Shirang’s sudden confession.
At first, I mistook it for a joke. But as I caught sight of Shirang’s tense, earnest eyes, I realized how utterly serious he was.
However, there loomed an insurmountable issue between us.
– Sorry, Shirang.
– ……!
– That… I don’t have a preference for men. You understand, right?
– Ch-Chulbin…
– I get your feelings. You’ve only had me around, so it’s natural to feel this way towards me. But I can’t reciprocate.
A human-made obstacle, impervious to effort.
I thought the emotions were a trifling infatuation.
Shirang was in the throes of early adolescence, still somewhat isolated despite leaving behind a life of destitution. I believed his affection to be a teenage impulse stemming from his lack of companionship.
– Am I rejected because I’m a man…?
– Isn’t that obvious? Though I don’t despise those who have such inclinations… I don’t share them. Let it go, and try to find someone appropriate.
– …P-Please, give me some time.
– …? Shirang?
But I was wrong. Shirang’s feelings towards me weren’t fleeting.
From that day on, my childhood friend Shirang disappeared from my sight.
That is, until about twelve years later, when Shirang reappeared—no, as ‘she’—with an unblemished and radiant smile.
– Chulbin! I’m back!
– Who are you…?
– Me, you don’t recognize me? Come on, look a little closer! How could you possibly forget me!
– Uh, do I know a young miss such as yourself… Shi, Shirang?
During those twelve years of absence, Shirang had studied the forbidden technique left behind by Dongfang Bubai, the former leader of the Sun and Moon Sect—the Gu Hua Bao Dian.
In the world of martial arts, there are several infamous skills. Some drive the practitioner insane, others require lifelong celibacy. But Gu Hua Bao Dian is particularly infamous.
Any man attempting to master it undergoes gradual physical transformation over a prolonged period, a process that alters not only the body but also the mind, outlook, and personality.
How exactly Shirang obtained the Gu Hua Bao Dian remains unknown to me, though I suspect it’s owed to his obsessive determination.
– See, I’ve become a woman!
– Er… Um… Y-Yes, congratulations.
– So now will you accept me? I’m no longer a man—I’ve transformed my entire being, soul and body, for you!
– Th- Shi, Shirang…
Shirang was brimming with hope. I imagine he, now she, believed those twelve years of effort would finally bear fruit.
But at twenty-two, I was already a married man, having pledged lifelong devotion to Yu Soeun.
