Chapter 56

"Where exactly are we going?"

The carriage had been running for an hour already.

Jeok Leegeon only said that I would know when we arrived, refusing to tell me our destination. I asked the coachman, but the old man only smiled, offering no answer.

He must have been told not to say anything.

Jeong Charyeon turned her head to look out the window. Come to think of it, it had been a long time since she had left Infinite. The unfamiliar scenery made her heart flutter.

She also felt refreshed.

Jeok Leegeon, sitting across from her, was looking outside. The blowing wind ruffled his hair.

Jeong Charyeon found his thoughtful, serious face unfamiliar.

He looks quite decent like this.

If a man's face is about this good, it's enough. If he were any more handsome, he'd be out philandering. Well, that guy lives thinking he's the most handsome man in the world even with that face.

Jeok Leegeon glanced at Jeong Charyeon.

Please don't say anything weird. It was quite nice just now.

"I want to eat meat."

Sigh.

"Do you have a glutton living in that stomach of yours? Are you always hungry?"

"I've been worried about a lot of things lately."

"Because of conquering Hobuk?"

Even as I said it, it felt awkward. Conquering Hobuk. Is it okay to just throw that phrase around like that?

"That too."

"Then what else?"

Jeok Leegeon turned his head back to the window. Suddenly, she remembered him standing alone in the Martial Training Ground.

"Do you miss your parents?"

"A little."

Is it because of his father after all?

Conflict with parents... Jeong Charyeon didn't really understand it.

She had grown up with more love than most. The idea of conflict with parents didn't resonate with her. But many of her peers were living with conflict with their parents. Was she just lucky?

Jeong Charyeon reached her hand out of the carriage.

The wind brushed through her fingers.

Refreshing. She almost wished she could just leave somewhere like this.

With that guy?

Still, it's good. First of all, she really liked this refreshing feeling.

The carriage, having completely left Infinite, finally stopped on a secluded roadside.

"We have arrived at your destination."

"Thank you. Wait here."

"Don't worry and take your time."

Judging by the coachman's happy expression, he must have been paid quite a bit to rent the carriage.

Jeong Charyeon got out of the carriage and looked around.

"It's desolate. Where is this?"

It was a remote place with nothing but mountains in sight.

"Would you know if I told you? Let's go."

Jeok Leegeon took the lead on a small path leading into the mountain.

Jeong Charyeon followed him silently up the mountain. It had been a long time since she had climbed a mountain. Come to think of it, she had really been cooped up at home too much.

The two continued to climb the mountain.

The mountain path gradually became steeper. The low mountain she had seen from the road was just the beginning. It was an incredibly rugged mountain that followed a small ridge.

Her whole body was soaked with sweat. Mastering Martial arts and being good at climbing mountains were two different things.

Ah, this is really hard.

On the other hand, Jeok Leegeon was climbing well. I shouldn't ask him why he's so good at climbing mountains. He might say he collected medicinal herbs. No, he definitely would. He might even say that all the female deer in the mountains were charmed by him and followed him around. Ah, even thinking like this. I'm getting weird.

"Where are we going anyway?"

"There's someone I need to catch."

"Who?"

"Just someone. An annoying guy."

She had a feeling it might be something dangerous.

But she wasn't nervous. It was a side effect of being with that guy. Ah, this is a good habit for dying young.

How long had they been climbing the mountain? She was panting involuntarily.

"Shall we rest for a bit?"

Please. I was about to turn around and go down if you didn't say that.

The two sat side by side on a small rock. Below the rock was a bottomless cliff.

"Are we almost there?"

"Yeah."

That indifferent answer. It must still be far.

"Look there."

Jeong Charyeon, turning her gaze without thinking, was amazed.

The cumulonimbus clouds bathed in the setting sun were truly a spectacle.

It was a magnificent view. It felt like immortals might be living somewhere beyond.

It was peaceful.

Jeong Charyeon glanced at Jeok Leegeon.

Jeok Leegeon was also captivated by the scenery, saying nothing.

He looks really cool at times like this?

"He looks cooler because the background is nice, right?"

Yes, yes.

"Let's go, let's go."

And so, the two climbed the mountain for quite a while longer.

Half an hour passed.

Jeong Charyeon was staring blankly at something.

What was in her eyes was clearly fear.

"You're kidding, right?"

Jeong Charyeon's voice trembled.

As always, Jeok Leegeon betrayed her expectations.

"No. I'm serious."

"You really want us to cross this?"

"It's the only way."

"No way!"

Jeong Charyeon took a step back.

What lay before them was a single bridge.

The Bridge of Life and Death.

What a terrifying name!

It was a bridge just wide enough for one person to cross.

A bridge made of wooden planks tied together with ropes. Really, without any exaggeration, the rickety planks were barely holding on. A wooden bridge so old and rotten that it looked like it would collapse as soon as someone stepped on it.

Jeong Charyeon shook her head involuntarily.

She would bet all the money she had, no, all the money she had saved up. It was a bridge that would definitely break if someone crossed it. The biggest problem was that it was suspended between two cliffs.

Jeok Leegeon said cheerfully.

"We're going."

"Yeah, let's go home. It's time to go back now. What goes up must come down. That's what mountains are."

Jeong Charyeon was about to turn around when Jeok Leegeon stepped onto the bridge.

Jeong Charyeon screamed in horror.

"Don't do it! Please!"

Just looking at it made her dizzy. It was a height where Martial arts would be useless if you fell. Jeong Charyeon forcibly pulled Jeok Leegeon back. Her legs were trembling involuntarily.

"I don't know where you're going, but it's not this way. Absolutely not. Even if your mortal enemy lives on the other side, give up on revenge."

Ah, that's really how I feel.

Jeok Leegeon walked to the side and beckoned her over.

"Come here for a second."

"Why?"

"Just come here."

Jeong Charyeon walked over to Jeok Leegeon.

"Wait."

Stopping her in front of him, Jeok Leegeon drew two parallel lines on the path she had walked.

"You walked to me like this."

"So?"

"Just walk like that over there too."

"What?"

"You walked towards me without wavering even an inch. Just walk like that."

"It's different!"

"It's the same."

Please don't be so stubborn.

"This isn't a cliff where you'll be crushed to pieces if you fall."

"No. Walking straight is the same. The only difference is in your mind."

"......!"

Jeok Leegeon suddenly turned serious.

"That's also the difference between a master and a novice."

Jeong Charyeon's eyes changed.

Jeok Leegeon slowly walked towards the bridge.

"A master thinks that walking like this and walking over there are the same."

Jeok Leegeon strode across the bridge.

Jeong Charyeon was so surprised that she almost screamed, and she covered her mouth with her hand.

Jeok Leegeon, having crossed to the middle of the bridge, turned around.

It was really like a lie; Jeok Leegeon had walked to the middle of the bridge.

How? Without any fear like that?

Jeong Charyeon was afraid that even a gust of wind would blow.

Standing in the middle of the bridge, Jeok Leegeon gestured for her to come quickly.

"I don't think you're a master. But at least I think you have the heart to become one."

Jeok Leegeon said seriously.

"Now prove it."

That guy has a talent for shaking people's hearts.

Jeok Leegeon stood there, intending to wait forever.

That loneliness of standing alone makes it impossible not to go.

Jeong Charyeon took a deep breath. Her heart was moving as if possessed by something. If not, she should have turned her back without hesitation already.

She walked to the front of the bridge.

Can she do it?

She felt afraid. A corner of her mind was screaming that this was crazy. When she looked down, she felt dizzy.

If the Crimson Snake Sword Art has truly reached Composition, wouldn't it be possible?

No, still, this is crazy.

Jeok Leegeon said quietly.

"This has nothing to do with the level of your Martial arts. It's just a matter of the heart."

That heart is so afraid.

"Be brave! You can do it."

Okay, fine. Let me just ask this one thing before I die.

"Why do you believe in me?"

"You are....."

Jeok Leegeon paused for a moment. His eyes deepened. Just as Jeok Leegeon's eyes, which had been about to say something, were filled with laughter.

Jeok Leegeon grinned and said.

"You're a woman with many good qualities."

Then he turned around and continued walking.

Jeong Charyeon took a deep breath.

She carefully took a step.

Don't look down!

She took her second step.

The bridge was surprisingly stable.

Just look ahead. Yes, with the feeling of walking on the ground.

She took a few more steps.

When she reached the center of the bridge, the wind blew.

Sway.

It wasn't a strong wind, but just being aware that the wind was blowing was enough of a crisis.

Her pace was quickening. At the same time, she felt like her body was floating into the air.

At this rate, she's going to fall.

Just as despair was blooming in her heart,

She heard Jeok Leegeon's voice in her ear. It sounded close and sweet, like Telepathic Transmission.

"The moment I first saw you, I thought my heart stopped."

What?

Jeong Charyeon snapped out of it. She realized that she was still in the center of the bridge.

In the distance, Jeok Leegeon smiled and said.

"Come quickly. Because I like you."

Her heart felt like it was going to explode. But soon, that heart-pounding excitement turned into amazing concentration.

The objects around Jeok Leegeon all blurred and disappeared.

And only Jeok Leegeon was visible.

She took another step. It was a step that was incomparably more stable than before.

And so, Jeong Charyeon crossed the bridge.

The moment she crossed the bridge, Jeong Charyeon's legs gave way.

She collapsed to the ground. Jeok Leegeon applauded.

Jeok Leegeon had a truly proud expression on his face.

Was what he said true? Probably not? She suddenly felt embarrassed.

That must have been why. She made the first move.

"Of course it was a lie, what you said earlier?"

"Hehe."

"You're going to say you did it to distract me because I looked like I was going to fall, right?"

"You're smart as always?"

As always, it was impossible to know what was true from Jeok Leegeon's expression and words alone.

Damn guy. My heart is still pounding like this.

As if trying to hide that feeling, Jeong Charyeon looked back at the bridge she had crossed.

It was still a dizzying bridge, so much so that she wondered how she had crossed it. On the other hand, she was proud of what she had done. It was a crazy thing to do, but she had really done something amazing.

After resting for a while, Jeong Charyeon's mind completely calmed down.

"Okay, we're finally here."

Turning off the complete trail, a new landscape unfolded.

"Here it is."

It was a temple.

A monk, who was coming up, was startled when he saw the two of them.

"Did you perhaps cross the Bridge of Life and Death?"

"Yes."

"Oh my! How did you cross that dangerous place?"

"Yes? Because we were told that was the only way."

The monk shook his head at Jeong Charyeon's answer.

"A new road was built three years ago, so there is a new road for patrons like you."

What?

When Jeong Charyeon looked where the monk was pointing, there really was a stairway. Damn it, a child was coming up holding his mother's hand.

Jeong Charyeon turned sharply to Jeok Leegeon and asked accusingly.

"You knew, didn't you?"

"No."

"No, you knew."

"There's no way."

With that, Jeok Leegeon ran away.

He definitely knew.

"You're dead!"

"This is a solemn temple! Absolute silence!"

Jeong Charyeon's figure soared.

Just then, an old monk was coming around the building.

Jeok Leegeon dodged slightly, and Jeong Charyeon's foot struck the old monk's face.

Thwack!

The old monk, his white beard flying, fell backward.

Jeong Charyeon froze in shock. The monks who were passing by ran over in surprise.

Ah! A major accident.