Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Red.

Everything was red.

Chung Myung’s vision was getting blurry as he was nearing his end.
He tried his best to keep his heavy eyes open. Through his spotty vision, he saw a person’s silhouette looking down on him with a clear worry in his eyes.

“… Soso! Soso, anyone!”

“Chung Myung- stay with me! Don’t you dare to close your eyes, you bastard!”

Baek Cheon, the one who was holding Chung Myung tightly, was shouting for help even though he knew the other forces were on the other side of the battle field. His once so firm hands that made it through countless battles were now trembling, because of fear, fear of losing someone dear to him. But how could he not? Chung Myung’s body was in a really bad shape.

His chest had numerous stab wounds and cuts which were so deep that one could see his bones. His several broken bones were visible from those open chest wounds. His head was bleeding nonstop from a head wound that could not be seen through his messy hair. His clothes were riddled with holes, but most importantly the sleeve which his left arm should have been was now gone.

Throughout his life in Mount Hua, Baek Cheon experienced many cruel fights and battles. Through them, he of course felt pity, disgust, and fear when he saw a heavily injured body. But what he was experiencing now could not be compared to any of the feelings. He felt true despair while watching Chung Myung’s dying body.

His cracked lips let out a shaky breath. He could not believe his eyes. No, rather he didn't want to believe them. This sight could not be real after all, right? His crazy, and always angry sajil was now laying on his arms without any movements except for his heavy breathing. His normally red shining eyes were now barely open with dullness. If someone could not see his breathing they even might think he was dead with how heavily injured he was.

Baek Cheon could feel Chung Myung’s pulse getting weaker and weaker. Even though he didn’t want to admit it he could feel Chung Myung was nearing his death. Bake Cheon wanted to help him somehow, maybe he could transfer his spiritual energy? But it was not as pure as Chung Myung’s. Did he have some medication with him? He had but they were for minor injuries. Or maybe he could-

“You… stupid bastard… overthinking in a war huh?”

Bake Cheon’s train of thought stopped in an instant and his gaze fell on the wounded swordsman of Mount Hua who was smiling bitterly, crimson blood dripping from his mouth.

“Chung Myung, hold on… I will help you! I will get someone, and… and-”

“Sasuk, I know what's happening and-”

“No! I don’t wanna hear it! You should save your breath and explain yourself in Mount Hua”

Chung Myung’s smile widened a bit at the mention of Mount Hua. It was their home after all. He recalled the sunset at Mount Hua and its plum blossoms. How he now wished to see that view just one last time.

‘Ah… so that’s how you felt Chung Jin’

Baek Cheon was still going on with his muttering but it was more for himself than Chung Myung. He was continuing like he was possessed.

“Sasuk!”

Baek Cheon stopped and looked at Chung Myung, his eyes were getting blurry as well.

“Sasuk we… won, right?”

Baek Cheon couldn’t stop his tears from falling down. His throat was a burning fire. He couldn’t look at his sajils eyes anymore.

“Yes Chung Myung, you did it. You killed the heavenly demon. You saved the world”

Baek Cheon’s voice was cracking now. He was half sobbing as he answered.

“Will… will Mount Hua survive?”

Baek Cheon looked at his youngest sajil who was on the deathbed but still thinking about their sect. He bit his lip and smiled.

“Yes, yes Mount Hua will survive. We will continue to shine.”

“That’s… that’s good”

Chung Myung smiled and his face became relaxed. He slowly closed his eyes. Yes… yes, this was it. It was the end of his journey. It was surely a long one, and the toughest. But… he did good, and now it was his time to rest. This time he didn't have any regrets.

Baek Cheon looked at the peaceful expression on Chung Myung’s face as he breathed his last. He, too, smiled at his sajil for the last time. Because now, it was a goodbye. He wrapped his arms around his body carefully and hugged him softly.

There was a huge group of people coming behind Baek Cheon. They were running at full speed and stopped right behind him.

“Sasuk we won! We won!”

“Sasuk did you see how great I was?”

“Sasuk you should have seen our enemies!”

“Sasuk where is Chung Myung? We couldn’t find him!”

“Sasuk…? Are you injured?”

Baek Cheon lifted his head up without any sound. He lifted Chung Myung’s body as he got up. He turned to Mount Hua’s disciples who were frozen on their spot. The cheerful celebrations were now dead silent and long gone as they looked at their commander, their swordsman, their mad dog, their friend.

Baek Cheon turned his gaze towards the disciples, his tears were still falling as he declared, the heartbreaking news to everyone.

“The 23rd disciple of Great Mount Hua Sect, the Chivalrous Sword, Divine Dragon, and Mad Dog of Mount Hua drifted into his eternal sleep."

Chapter Text

”That’s… that’s good”

Chung Myung’s eyes got heavier as the blood continued to flow from the top of his head. His vision was getting blurry as he could barely distinguish the familiar face looking at him with a sorrowful gaze.

Chung Myung let out a small huff as his lips twitched upwards.

‘Is this bastard really crying now?’

If it wasn’t for his pitiful state, Chung Myung would definitely give a strong smack to Baek Cheon’s head for crying in the middle of the war. But, in the end, he didn’t have any internal energy left to even move his finger as he spent every drop of it during the war. The war which ended countless lives.

‘It was truly… devastating’

With Heavenly Comrade Alliance at the front, minor and major sects fought side by side and shed blood together. They ignored their internal conflicts just to save future generations and commoners. Even the enemy of the Central Plains, the Evil Tyrant Alliance, which just wanted to bring chaos upon the world, assisted in stopping the second coming of the heavenly demon.

The world tasted the bitter memories of the war that were forgotten by many. Under the same crimson sky, believers and unbelievers clashed their weapons. They fought till they killed the enemy or died trying. Nameless corpses lay on top of each other with wide-open eyes, which even death couldn't close. Nevertheless, the same red blood painted the earth without caring who it was.

Many sacrifices were made, and many lives were lost but surprisingly or not the Heavenly Comrade Alliance had the least casualties. Although they fought on the front line and killed the most enemies, they were the same people who could adapt to this situation the most, thanks to the hellish training they went through, under the same demon who was laying so still now.

Chung Myung recalled the sight of the brutal battles, the victories, and the losses. It was certainly not an easy time but no one expected that, especially Chubby Myung. After all, wasn't this the thing he was preparing from the start? Yes, returning the sect’s glory and techniques was one of the main goals too but in the long run, it wasn't such a big thing.

From the first moment of his reincarnation, Chung Myung’s goal was to cut off that bastard heavenly demon’s head one more time to ensure the safety of Mount Hua. The regrets of his past life that were craved in his heart were starting to ease and heal as he was slowly fading away from this world.

It wasn’t the first time Chung Myung experienced death. No, perhaps he was the only one who could truly understand the concept of death in this world.

‘But… it’s different?’

Chung Myung’s eyes widen so slightly that no one would be able to even recognize the small change.

‘I think I finally understand what you meant by those words Sect Leader Sahyung’

‘There is no need for regrets. This is all part of Mount Hua’s destiny. And yet… Mount Hua will live on’

In the past, Chung Myung found these words classy and stupid. Was there a reason to talk about destiny when you could just open the way with your sword? Yet, in the last seconds of his life, neither the sword he cherished nor the titles he gained in his hardships hold him up. The only thing that brought him relief was that this time he knew Mount Hua would not face a tragic destiny, and would get the praise for what they had done.

Chung Myung, with his last bit of qi, sensed a group of people coming but he knew he would not be able to meet them and nag them with his taunting words. No, he would not be there to hold their hands and guide them through the darkness but the chicks also grew up. They would be able to manage the aftermath of the war and the conflicts after that and… his inevitable death.

‘What will they all think?’

They would be angry, or maybe sad. They would surely grieve him and curse him at the same time, those bastards. But in the end, they will move on and continue to live their lives. Just like how he forgot about the death of his previous sahyung and sajaes. Just like how he laughed and drank with his new friends in this life. Just like how he moved on.

‘Ah, when I thought about this before it kinda felt gruesome but now it relieves me. I guess I really matured, don’t you think so Sect Leader Sahyung? Maybe now I will be able to hear the answer from you’

With a smiling face, Mount Hua’s Chi- no, simply Chung Myung from Mount Hua’s 23rd Generation gave his last breath, surrounded by the people he loved the most.

.
.
.

“Agaaainnn?!”

A loud scream echoed through the green forest making every bird in sight fly away with horror.

Chung Myung’s again now tinier hands pulled his ink-black hair so hard that it was a surprise he didn't turn into a bald head now. His cheery blossom eyes looked at the child in the reflection on the river with a flustered expression. Because how can he not recognize the familiar sight of the body he had in his previous life?

‘Did I travel back in time now?! When am I gonna be able to rest?!’

Chung Myung was about to yell in anger once again but suddenly it felt too quiet. He let go of the strands of hair in his hands and looked around to see where he was.

He was surrounded by tall trees more than 2 meters (6.56 ft) with leaves painted by the most pretty shades of green. The grass was left untouched by any human coming to ruin it from growing to a certain length. The vivid warm wind was shaking the branches of the dark brown trees making the leaves rustle. Various types of colors were ornamenting the tiny flowers at the secured place of trees. The river that was parting the forest was flowing with clear water that may challenge the techniques used by Wudang. As the birds were returning to their original spots, singing a beautiful song, the sun broke apart through leaves and made the overflowing river shine bright like ice crystals, one of the most valuable things in the world.

Chung Myung blinked once and twice but the view in front of him did not feel real at all. The peaceful forest before him looked nothing but like a piece of heaven in front of him. Ching Myung slowly raised his hand and without even thinking about it he slapped his face so hard that his right cheek turned red with the impact.

“Damn it, whyyyy meeee?!!!”

Chung Myung cried out loud as continued to pull his hair.

“Can’t I get a break?! These bastards! How many times do I have to repeat my life, huuuhhhh?! Do I need to learn all those martial arts again?! No worse than that, do I need to talk with that stupid bald head again?!”

Chung Myung breathed heavily as his legs gave out and fell on the long grass, comfortable enough to have a good nap. His eyes trembled slightly like he could not grasp what was happening. His trembling eyes caught the sight of a pink flower accompanied by green and blue flowers. Chung Myung immediately thought about Mount Hua, the Alliance.

‘What happened to them after the war? Are they okay? Or did they again-’

No, Chung Myung made sure of it that the spirit of Mount Hua would live on. But in his past life, he was reincarnated because of how close Mount Hua was to breaking apart. Was it possible to repeat the same mistake? Although Chung Myung didn't believe his kids would let that happen could the same be said for the generation after? Or maybe after one hundred years, people forgot the deeds of Mount Hua again.

Chung Myung’s eyes narrowed and cold in an instant.

‘If that’s the case, wouldn’t the alliance help them out? Wasn't the alliance base supposed to be different from the ten great sect bastards, and help each other out in times of need? Wasn’t this alliance developed through the friendship of all sects? So then why…’

Chung Myung needed to see it for himself. He wouldn't believe the friendship hardened through countless battles could just be worn out in a couple of generations.

Chung Myung sprang to his feet and gazed around in a hurry. After confirming that there was no one around, he headed towards the river and put his hand in the cool clear waters.

‘East’

Rivers always found a way to the sea and the direction this river was pointing would be where Central Plains would be located. Also, using the route he could find some other villages and talk to people around to gather information about Mount Hua’s situation.

‘So let’s run!’

Fortunately, this time the body he reincarnated had a little bit of martial arts foundation, even though it was nothing compared to what he could done, it would still help him to run faster than normal humans and have more stamina. Chung Myung, unlike the other time, didn't want to spend that much time gathering the perfect foundation and wait days to be able to run again. So, this much was enough for the time being.

‘This also makes me wonder, what type of person this person was?’

Chung Myung thought as he was running with all his might. The drops of sweat were flying as he pushed himself forward with each step. The sun, which was a beautiful welcoming gift now turned its burning strikes against his pale skin. If it wasn't for the river, he wouldn't be able to run even this much without passing out from dehydration.

The food supply wasn't a problem with the river around too. When he got hungry, he would roll up his pants legs and get in the water that was not that deep compared to other parts of it and catch the fish who would not sense his presence.

Throughout his journey, even though he said he would not work on his martial arts, he tried to meditate for at least half an hour to regain his pure qi. Because he wasn't meditating long enough it was taking longer than he thought, but he had a lot of time before he could find any villages. Or so he thought.

In a very distant yet familiar mountain cries of torture were arising from so many fortunate or unfortunate souls as they were digging their nails into the almost completely flat surface of the gigantic mountain.

A man with black sect clothes that had a plum blossom symbol on his chest gazed at those disciples with a longing smile. His long hair was shining with the sunset. Pink blossom petals were flying to the west side as they were too longing for something, someone. The man tightened the loosened headband as he walked inside the gates that had the characters ‘Mount Hua Sect’ on it. For some reason, the sun seemed to be shining brighter than ever, as it was implying a new beginning of a story.

Chapter Text

In a huge, dazzling room, a certain bandit was fanning himself with a bored expression. His appearance, which resembled anything but a bandit, was so short and weak that one might think he was a normal person rather than the king of the bandits. His narrowed green eyes were gazing down right into the person kneeling before him, still holding the fan to cover his face except his eyes.

If it were for someone outside, they would totally be shocked by the sight of a man two times bigger than the other one kneeling on his knees and lowering their head as a sign of respect. Of course it was an absurd sight, but who could deny the feats of Nokrim King in the great magyo war?

He was the unmatched commander of the heavenly alliance and the right hand of the greatest hero in the history. He was the one who devised those undefeatable war strategies and blew up many of their bases. With the bare minimum of causalities, the heavenly alliance followed the path of righteousness. After the deeds shown by Nokrim, no one dared to even call Green Forest one of the evil factions anymore.

After the war, the balance of the world changed rapidly. Although it was in the favor of the Nokrim king, he never even celebrated the victory of the war or even mentioned it. His eyes always seemed to search for something—no, someone—who was the real force behind this victory. The person who always put himself at the front line so no one from his side would get hurt.

Im Sobyeong nagged about this reckless behavior of his countless times, but he either brushed it off as it was nothing or beat him up, yelling as if Im Sobyeong didn’t believe his strength.

‘He always knew how to lighten up even the heaviest and most burdensome topics’

He was one of the strongest—no, he was definitely the strongest and most reliable person Im Sobyeong ever met. He could do the most hardest and most complicated things in the world and act like it was nothing. He always overworked himself for the alliance and Mount Hua. If he had just spent the time to work on his abilities rather than train the disciples, maybe he would be able to...

‘No’

Im Sobyeong’s grip tightened on the fan he was holding, and he closed his eyes tightly. Im Sobyeong knew this wasn’t what that man wanted. To him, the disciples were the thing he needed to protect, even if it meant sacrificing everything, even himself.

‘But… did you really had to do it, dojang?’

Before the war, Im Sobyeong was seen as a close friend of Mount Hua and the Alliance from the outside eyes, but inside, it was all for that one man that he wanted to join all of this mess. Surely, there were times when he rethought his decision, but he never regretted it.

Im Sobyeong was the one who saw the potential in that young lad. Only he saw the intention of every move he made and how much of a calculated person he was. He was the type of person to change the course of a war with just a move. And Im Sobyeong was simply amazed by it, even though he would never admit it in front of that demon-like bastard.

Yet… he was also the only one to really see the burdens of the young man. He was overloading himself with work that even a group of elders would struggle to do. But he never reflected it to others with his dog-like personality.

‘Or was it just another cover for you to use, dojang?’

Im Sobyeong smiled bitterly. He knew that none of his questions would ever be answered, as the only person who could answer them was not in this world anymore.

Im Sobyeong brushed off his thoughts; there was no point in thinking about it anymore.

“So, Mount Hua invited everyone from the Heavenly Comrade Alliance for a meeting next week?”

“Yes”

“Ah, so it’s that time of the year… Get everyone ready to leave tomorrow”

“Yes!”

The bandit bowed one more time and quickly ran towards the gates to follow the orders. Im Sobyeong looked towards the blue sky from the window at his side. His eyes longed for something that was lost long ago.

‘You’re missed, dojang’

Im Sobyeong’s lips formed a small smile.

***

“Gaju-nim, gaju-nim! Mount Hua, send out a message!”

Tang Gunak shifted his gaze from the paper in front of him to Tang Pae slowly. He put the report in his hand and called out.

“What does it say?”

Tang Pae looks at his father with a pained expression. Without an explanation, Tang Gunak guesses the contents with a sorrowful smile.

“So… it’s that time, isn’t it?”

“Yes…”

Tang Pae could easily read the pain on his father’s face. It has been like that since the end of the war. His father didn’t feel excited when he received a letter from Mount Hua. He did not want to draw plum blossoms to random places in the residence. He didn’t want to go out of his room.

‘But… it’s understandable’

Because the one he lost was none other than his first and only friend. The one who tired him but made him laugh at the same time.

‘I miss the days where he would laugh with all his heart while reading a letter that only contained two lines’

His father hadn’t even looked at the letters sent by Mount Hua. It didn’t mean he didn’t care; no, it was the opposite. He made a rule that the letters coming from Mount Hua would be the first priority at all times. But he didn’t need to read everything in the letter. He just needed to know the contents.

Tang Pae’s grip on the letter tightened visibly. He didn’t want this for his father; he wanted him to go back to his past self, but wasn’t this the past self of Tang Gunak before a certain swordsman came into his life?

Tang Gunak was the type of person who worked all day without a break for the family’s sake. He looked like a distant and cold figure, but inside, he only wanted the best for his family. However, this obsession with work made him lonely too. Tang Gunak didn’t talk to anyone except for the formal meetings where he was representing the family. He never had a real friend to talk to.

Until a swordsman, younger than his children, made him open his doors. He made him relaxed and happy. He just befriended him. He became the first and only friend of Tang Gunak.

After some time, Tang Gunak broke the silence.

“Get ready for leaving; we need to be there before everyone else to help them with the preparations!”

“Yes Gaju-nim…”

Tang Pae slowly left the room. Tang Gunak’s eyes closed tightly as he heard the door close. His emotions were running wild inside him. His chest tightened with reminders of the tragedy of the final war.

Tang Gunak felt the loss of his friend the most at this time of the year. When every place in the Central Plain was getting ready for a celebration, the actual warriors of the war were mourning.

‘If I had been just a bit stronger…’

Tang Gunak blamed himself. He blamed himself for both being able to save his friend and assist him during the cruel battle. If only he practiced a little more and tried to ease the burdens of his friend…

‘I shouldn’t have let him carry those heavy burdens alone… How can I call myself a friend when I wasn’t even helping him out when he needed it the most?'

Tang Gunak bit his lip. His regrets were too big, and there was no way to fix them. He couldn’t apologize to someone who was already gone.

Tang Gunak started to taste the metallic blood in his mouth as he bit his lip too hard.
He closed his eyes and looked at the sky from a nearby window.

‘I’m sorry, my dear friend’

***

“There, huhhh, there is a message from Mount Hua!”

Meng So grabbed the letter with his right hand and read it. When he finished, he clicked his tongue with frustration.

“Do they think Beast Palace is their back mountain?! If we hadn’t left and forgotten, we wouldn’t even be able to see the end of the gathering!”

Meng So gazed back at the group of beasts and fighters behind them, getting ready for a camp area to spend the night. They’ve left the Nanman Beast Palace two weeks before, so they could be there on time. But Mount Hua sent out the message just a week before?! Did they think of beasts as ghost people or something?!

“But would you have forgotten it?”

Meng So pressed his lips tightly at the statement.

‘No’

‘How can I forget to honor the greatest warrior of them all?’

Meng So looked at the messenger with an annoyed expression. The messenger quickly bowed in panic.

“I’m sorry, I talked carelessly, my lord!”

Meng So waved his hand to sign him to stand straight.

“It’s alright; it’s not new anyway. Everyone gets a little sentimental at this time. That Baek Ah always disappears at these times too. Tch, that arrogant thing, always doing what she wants. I don’t even know where she goes! But, well, it’s hard for her too…”

Meng So went quiet for a few seconds. His eyes looked farther away as he was waiting for something. Then he slowly lowered his head and smiled. It was not a happy one, but that didn’t mean there was no sincerity in it either.

“You can go back now; tomorrow we’re gonna continue with all we have! So get some rest!”

Messenger quickly bows his head and runs towards the camp to help them with their work. Seeing that, Meng So’s smile fades away slowly. He clenches and unclenches his fist several times and lets out a sigh.

‘This time… I’m not going to let anyone forget the deeds’

***

A big group of people with swords were crossing the road. Their cold yet elegant appearance made everyone mesmerized by the sight, as their blue and white clothes matched their fair skin. They were advancing in sync, like an army going to war.

"The Ice Palace from the Heavenly Alliance has come!”

People couldn’t hide their excitement when they saw one of the great forces who played a major part in the great magyo war.

On the forefront, Seol So-baek looked forward with a stern face. His baby fats were long gone, and his face no longer lacked the maturity a lord needed. His eyes, sharp but not fierce, scanned the area. His fingers twitched every time someone thanked them for their deeds. But he didn’t show it to anyone outside.

‘Because it’s not their fault…’

Seol So-baek knew it was none of their fault that he felt sorrowful. It was because someone who deserved to hear all of this the most would never be able to hear it. The praise that man deserved felt wrong to hear towards himself.

‘He was never good with praises’

Seol So-baek smiled a little. The swordsman, who faced everything with an unbothered attitude, couldn’t receive praise. This sometimes made him wonder why someone like him would react this way. Because he was someone who should be praised in every period of his life for what he achieved.

‘But he always acted like he never received praise before’

Seol So-baek was young back then and didn’t put much thought into it, but now it is becoming more clear.

‘He always thought what he had done was his responsibility and not achievement’

Seol So-baek couldn’t understand it. How could a third-class disciple of a sect who was barely in his twenties think all he had done was fulfill his responsibilities?

‘Ah… yes, dojang was barely in his twenties. He was not even my age when he died. He never got the chance to be…’

Seol So-baek was not a weak person by any means. But whenever he thought about his big brother figure, he felt like crying. Yet now was not the time. He had to endure his pain inside and be strong on the outside.

‘That’s what you have been doing, right, dojang?’

Seol So-baek clenched his fist and continued to walk past the crowd of praises with a heavy heart.