Absolute Return Episode 333
Episode 333: When to reveal your old desires.
Chwima and Ilhwageomjon arrived at Daechurim.
“Leave the liquor case here. I’ll carry it from now on.”
At Chwima’s words, Ilhwageomjon continued walking.
“Want to have a drink before you go?”
“When you hold on to me like that, I just try to leave without any hesitation?”
“There’s some good alcohol.”
Of course, that wasn’t it. I felt that Chuma’s mood had subsided, so I tried to comfort him. After all, he was my only friend.
Ilhwageomjeon spoke to the three great drunkards who had welcomed them.
“Let’s drink together today.”
“I’m fine.”
“I said that because I wanted to drink.”
Then Yeobin looked at Chwima. Chwima looked at Ilhwageomjeon once and nodded to Yeobin.
“Then I’ll bring some snacks.”
Ilhwageomjon and Chwima climbed Chwimongru first.
“Why are you doing something you’ve never done before?”
As he asked the question, Chwima came up with the answer himself.
I secretly worked behind the scenes to help Hyeolcheon Doma and Ilhwa Geomjon reconcile. Thanks to that, many of their old conflicts were resolved.
Ilhwageomjon is trying to connect Yeobin and himself without knowing this fact. Is life really something that goes round and round?
“I’m tired of doing the same thing we always do.”
As Ilhwageomjon extended his hand, a bottle of alcohol rose from the box he had brought and flew to the pavilion where she was sitting.
“You have golden hands. I can see that you picked the most precious and expensive liquor out of all those liquors. Of course, since it’s the hands of the Sword Master, they are the most precious.”
If it were the old days, I might have been a little offended by that joke.
But now I’m not angry anymore, because I’m doing my best.
Yes, your hands are precious hands now.
Ilhwageomjeon poured alcohol for Yeobin, who had brought some side dishes.
She politely accepted the drink and emptied her glass. Ilhwageomjon saw her hand holding the glass tremble with nervousness.
“Have another drink.”
Ilhwageomjeon followed suit and poured three cups.
Her hands didn’t shake as she drank three glasses in a row.
“It seems like only yesterday that you came to Daechurim. Time has already passed so quickly.”
“Do you remember that time?”
Ilhwageomjon nodded. He remembered her because she was one of the few women among the guests. Of course, that doesn’t mean that Yeobin had any meaning in Ilhwageomjon’s life. It was just that Ilhwageomjon had recently experienced a change in his state of mind and had come into his sight.
As life changes, martial arts also change.
It was the opposite of what the sword dance drama had said. As martial arts changed, or more precisely, as her heart toward martial arts changed, life changed. In this way, life and martial arts influence each other like the two sides of a coin.
“You were young back then, I was pretty young, and that Amazon over there was pretty cool.”
Chwima laughed silently. Normally, he would have been more charming now, and would have been whining about how his quirk was not related to his middle-aged charm. But today, Chwima was calm.
The three of them drank. Ilhwageomjon did not involve Chwima in the conversation. He just left her to drink alone and talked with Yeo-bin. He asked her various questions, but like a seasoned swordsman, he did not ask anything that would make Yeo-bin uncomfortable.
Except for this question.
“Don’t you want to get married?”
Chwima looked at Ilhwageomjeon with a look that said he was asking something useless, but Ilhwageomjeon ignored the gaze and waited for Yeobin’s answer.
“Yes, I don’t think so.”
“Why isn’t it there?”
“What man would like a wife who drinks like this every day?”
“Just meet someone who likes drinking as well. Aren’t there a lot of men in Daechurim?”
Yeo-bin just smiled.
“How about your Amazon?”
Then, Chwima intervened.
“You’re talking nonsense! Are you drunk?”
Ilhwageomjon said to Chwima.
“Yeah, I’m drunk. How come you’re not drunk when you’ve been drinking so much? You should be drunk!”
Their gazes met in the air.
Ilhwageomjon brought up the words he had been planning.
“Do you know why you’re so upset and angry these days?”
Chwima was furious. What are you talking about? Are you going to say something like that in front of my subordinates right now?
But Ilhwageomjon continued talking.
“You have to endure it. You have to endure it because you’re old. You have to endure it because you’re the Amazon. What is that damn age? What is dignity? Hey, buddy. As you get older, you have to learn to express your desires with dignity. You have to do that to stop getting angry and stop getting upset.”
However, he himself failed to express his desires with dignity.
That’s why she has something to say about this part. Because whenever she gets lost in thought for even a moment, she inevitably recalls her shameful desires of the past.
“Stop talking nonsense and go. Stop wasting other people’s precious gifts.”
“no.”
“Then I’ll go.”
Chwima, who went down the Chumongru with a bottle of alcohol in his hand, set sail on the lake alone.
The two women looked at the horse’s boat slowly drifting toward the moon’s reflection in the water.
“Actually, I was talking to you. I knew he wouldn’t listen to me even if I said something like that.”
Yeo-bin looked at her with a surprised face.
“If you keep enduring it, you’ll get upset at first, and then you’ll get angry later.”
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Yeo-bin couldn’t answer because she knew exactly what it meant.
“Are you scared? Are you afraid that if you keep doing this, even the life you’re watching over will disappear?”
Still she said nothing.
“If that’s the case, don’t be afraid. I’ve watched this much. That’s foolishness and habit. Let that life drift away.”
Silence fell on both the Chumongru and the lake.
How much time had passed like that? A cool breeze blew from somewhere. The wind caused Ilhwageomjon to wake up from his drunkenness and come to his senses.
Am I in a position to give advice to anyone? What do I know about Yeo-bin?
I thought I went too far for the sake of the two of you. Should I say that the alcohol I drank was too strong and I don’t remember?
“I said that when I was drunk, so don’t think too deeply about it.”
As Ilhwageomjon was about to get up from his seat, Yeobin finally opened his mouth.
“Your Majesty, you have seen it clearly. I have already gone through a state of madness and am angry. It has been years since I have been angry.”
She was the first to reveal her true feelings to me. I didn’t realize that she was angry because she always seemed polite.
“Even now, when I see you trembling like this, I think you are afraid that even this angry life will disappear.”
Yeo-bin’s eyes were trembling as she revealed her true feelings to someone for the first time.
Ilhwageomjon had nothing more to say. So he filled her glass with the best courage he could give to the host and guest.
“I’m going to be a real drunkard today.”
After saying that, he flew across the lake in a flash. It was too fancy and elegant to be considered drunk.
When I got down to the lakeside and looked back, I saw Yeo-bin flying towards the drunkard’s boat floating on the lake, holding a bottle of alcohol.
A smile appeared on Ilhwageomjeon’s lips.
I envied her youth, which allowed her to commit a crime even if she later regretted it.
But that’s okay. I plan to live my life from now on while revealing my desires.
Instead, be noble and dignified.
* * *
I arrived at Donggwonmun with my brother.
Because he had once trained from the white to the black martial arts, everyone who passed by knew his face.
The way he looked at me and his attitude towards me then and now were completely different.
I entered the inner room, receiving a polite greeting from the Iron Fist soldiers.
In the martial arts studio of Naewon, Kwon Ma was practicing his black fists.
He personally instructed only the training of the Black Fist, and Cheon So-hee was in charge of training the rest of the Iron Fists.
“Master! I am back.”
“Are you here?”
It’s nice to see Kwon Ma’s scary face after such a long time.
Compared to Kwon-ma who greeted me bluntly, Hyung greeted me with gentle eyes.
“Are you here? Your Highness. Please put down the heavy things.”
I wasn’t the type of person to just sit back and watch.
“The box I’m carrying is heavier! Are you discriminating against people?”
The reasons for the discrimination were quickly revealed.
“I’ve heard from Kwak Bang-ju many times. He said that the Grand Duke had a hard time making the armor.”
“It was my job to do it. Today, the armor was completed and I brought it to you.”
The blacksmith opened the box and showed the armor.
In the meantime, Cheon So-hee, who had missed the chance to say hello and just bowed her head, came to me and whispered a greeting.
“I’m glad you came back safely, Your Majesty.”
“I told you to call him Death Penalty when we’re alone.”
Cheon So-hee looked at Kwon Ma and Hyung with a look that said, “We’re not alone now, are we?”
He spoke again for them both to hear. It was a shout disguised as a whisper.
“I’m glad that we have such affectionate sisters under such a strict master.”
Kwonma looked at me and said.
“The more affectionate you are, the shorter your brother’s lifespan will be.”
“That won’t do. I cancel the tender marriage! My dear, you are a cruel and unjust man!”
Those who were watching smiled. Since everyone knew my personality well, the atmosphere was good.
Kwonma lifted the glove and examined it.
“You put a thin iron net in your palm.”
“That’s right. It’s light but also very strong. Ironworks’ technology is concentrated in that area.”
Kwon Ma handed the Kwon Gap to Cheon So Hee.
Cheon So-hee personally put on the glove and tested its power.
“First of all, the fit is very good.”
She ordered Iron Fist to bring her a sword.
“Throw it with all your might!”
The man who brought the sword swung his sword with force, and she blocked it with her palm.
Even though the force was quite strong, my palm was intact.
The black magicians who were watching were amazed.
Kwonma nodded with satisfaction.
“What a nice pair of gloves. You worked hard.”
“There are fifty available now, but we will produce and send out as many as the number of Dongkwonmun Iron Fists within a few months.”
“It must be thanks to your concern. Thank you.”
Kwon-ma expressed his sincere gratitude, and Geommu-yang smiled with satisfaction as if all his hard work had been relieved.
While Cheon So-hee was handing out the Kwon Gap to the Heuk Kwons, we walked around the palace together.
Kwon Ma talked more with Geommu Yang than with me. We talked about various things related to work, from the production of this Kwon Gap to the kind of support that Dong Kwon Moon needs.
As we walked together in silence, I felt certain that my brother was indeed better at these things. It was a moment when I realized once again that in order for work to produce proper results, someone must have a meticulous and thorough personality.
It was when we were saying goodbye and turning around that Kwonma sent us the telegram.
– Welcome back.
-I’ll come back later.
This one word was enough to convey Master’s hospitality to me. It felt better than being welcomed with hundreds of firecrackers.
I spoke to Geommuyang at the entrance to Donggwonmun.
“I’m hungry. Let’s eat together.”
“Since when did we start eating together?”
“This time, when I went out for a walk, I thought a lot about my father and my brother.”
After a moment, Geommuyang said.
“Let’s have a meal with father sometime soon.”
I could tell. It was a response to my words to take care of my father. It meant that we should do it together.
“My brother bought me food.”
“No. You have more money, so buy it.”
Surprisingly, my brother is getting better.
But you shouldn’t let your guard down. This is exactly when people make mistakes. When things are just starting to get better. At times like this, you should open your eyes even wider and look at the other person.
I stood there for a moment, staring at my brother’s back, then turned to the other side. I was headed towards Namdojong.
The Bloodthirsty Horse was in his own dwelling.
“I’m back, sir.”
“Why did you come here, just to relieve your hangover?”
“It’s a relief to see you, sir. But why are you organizing books?”
He was putting a book of martial arts in its place, excluding the poetry collection and the literary collection.
“These are the secrets I saw when I was young. Daeryong, you know, to read that guy.”
“Everyone is overflowing with love for their disciples.”
“Everyone?”
Originally, it was said about the leader of the Pungcheon sect.
“I am also told that I am loved by the Lord Kwonma.”
“If only. I hope I don’t get beaten up.”
“Can I help you organize it?”
“I’m done.”
I squatted down and flipped through the books that Hyeolcheondoma had piled up.
“There are a lot of books I’ve never seen before. Please lend them to me.”
“Do you have time to read books?”
“Even if you don’t have it, you have to pay.”
While I was flipping through the books like that, Hyeolcheondoma asked while organizing the bookshelf.
“Were they the same guys as the Murim Alliance?”
When I captured Baekcheon-gyeong of the Murim Alliance, I was with Hyeolcheon Doma.
“Yes, we seem to be on the same side.”
“This world of martial arts never gets a good day.”
Bloodthirsty Doma didn’t ask him any more questions and just chose a few books for him.
“I’ll lend it to you again when you’ve finished reading it.”
“I’ll stop by again.”
I returned to my residence with the book that Hyeolcheon Doma had lent me tucked under my arm.
The waiting enemy handed me a bottle of alcohol.
“what’s this?”
“It’s a gift.”
“gift?”
“When we bought a gift for Mr. Chuma, we pooled our money and bought one bottle.”
It was one of the more expensive liquors I gave to Bonnie. When I bought it, it seems that the guards also bought a bottle without telling me.
“Where is your money?”
“You may not know who we are, but we are the bodyguards of the leader of the Cheonmasin Church. We get paid a lot of money.”
It was a self-deprecating joke on the part of the Red Smoke. They must feel like they are being protected rather than protecting me.
“Thank you for the gift. I will enjoy it sparingly.”
“Then I will step aside.”
So the smoke cleared, I washed myself, and changed into new clothes.
Instead of turning off the lights and going to bed, grab a book and a drink.
Exactly.
I opened my own space using space-time transference.
Clear sea, white sandy beach, blue sky, broad-leafed trees, and comfortable chairs underneath.
“I missed you guys!”
I laid down in a comfortable chair.
“Ah, good.”
What a feeling of bliss here! The leader of the Fengchun sect must be wary of those who have mastered illusions falling into his world, but he cannot give up this space.
When I look back on my life, the most important and necessary thing as I got older was my own space and my own time.
At least here, I could forget about everything in the world and enjoy some quiet, personal relaxation.
Today we added one more to our sanctuary.
A small chair appeared next to my chair.
A pedestal was placed on top of it.
“What do you think? Do you like it?”
He was smiling brightly, wondering if the weather was good.
I was lying on my chair, sipping a drink and reading a book. All I could hear was the sound of the wind, the cries of seagulls, and the sound of pages turning. I wouldn’t trade this moment for the whole world of martial arts.
The first day back home was even busier, and it was passing like this.
