Chapter 173
When Ye-il arrived at the Cho family residence, he was greeted by Cho Ihyun, whose right arm was wrapped in cloth.
Cho Ihyun approached him with a face that mixed surprise and joy.
“Master! I was startled to hear that you would visit so suddenly. My wound hasn’t fully healed yet, but if you give the command, I can prepare for class right away…”
“Calm down. How do you expect to hold a class with that body of yours?”
It had only been two days since Cho Ihyun had sustained a serious injury to his right arm. Simply being able to hold a sword would be fortunate.
“Rest well and focus on recovering your health. I’ve come today to see Second Young Master Cho-ryang.”
“Eh? You mean my brother?”
Judging by the pure confusion on his face, it seemed Cho Ihyun hadn’t received any word from Cho-ryang.
‘He’s completely excluded from family affairs.’
Not to mention the fact that he had been reduced to a mere puppet of Cheon Muryeong.
Ye-il, watching Cho Ihyun’s expression as he quietly stared at Cho-ryang with a tinge of disappointment, changed the subject.
“…It seems we have a little time before the scheduled meeting. Let me take a look at your sword for a moment. Come inside.”
Cho Ihyun could not hide his excitement and led Ye-il inside.
He had the servant bring his sword, and clutching it with nervous hands, he tried to lift it with his trembling right arm. Ye-il clicked her tongue and stopped him.
“Stop doing something foolish by holding a sword with that injured arm. Use your left hand.”
Cho Ihyun cleared his throat awkwardly.
“I’m not used to wielding a sword with my left hand…”
“Enough excuses. Just grab it.”
“Ah, yes!”
Ye-il gestured toward him.
“Don’t just stand there blankly. Swing the sword—as if you were using your right hand.”
Cho Ihyun began practicing swordplay with his left hand. Naturally, it was clumsy.
Ye-il quietly observed him. Cho Ihyun repeated the same motions two or three times, and if his body didn’t cooperate, he would pretend nothing had happened and move on to the next technique. Ye-il didn’t miss this.
“Don’t gloss over it. I can see everything. Repeat until the sword’s path is correct, and only move on when it matches your right hand perfectly.”
“Yes.”
Sweat slowly began to bead on Cho Ihyun’s forehead. Occasionally, he gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to scold his uncooperative left arm.
“Is it difficult?”
“No! It’s not difficult.”
“Don’t lie. Answer honestly.”
“…It’s somewhat challenging, but manageable. If I keep trying, maybe one out of thirty attempts comes out right.”
“That’s imitation, not mastery.”
“Yes, I’ll try harder.”
His answers were good.
‘Was he always this earnest?’
Despite strict criticism, he did not argue and focused on swordplay again. At least with the sword, he seemed sincere.
“The most important thing is your mindset right now, Cho Ihyun.”
Those few words made Cho Ihyun’s eyes light up as he gripped the sword again.
“Yes! From now on, I will train my left hand as diligently as my right! A proper swordsman must be able to wield a sword with both hands…”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“Ah… yes! No matter how difficult or exhausting the task, a man must see it through once he begins…”
“That’s not it either.”
“Hm… then, one should complete every task perfectly without slacking off…”
“I’m not trying to give life lessons from you swinging a sword with your left hand.”
“…Then, what exactly is the important mindset you’re speaking of, Master?”
There was a hint of tension in his question, but Ye-il answered without hesitation.
“The mindset of giving your all in whatever I ask you to do.”
If it had been Jin Cheongak, he would have reacted reluctantly, saying something like, ‘Well… I’ll try…’
“Yes! I will treat your words as law from now on, Master!”
Cho Ihyun responded with eyes full of trust.
“If I tell you to skip a meal, you skip it.”
“Yes!”
“If I tell you to dance, you dance.”
“Eh? Yes, yes!”
“If I tell you to die, you die.”
“….”
“Why aren’t you answering?”
After a moment of thought, Cho Ihyun performed a fist-to-palm bow with a determined look.
“…If my master commands me to die, I shall strive to do so to the best of my ability…”
“Fool. What do you mean ‘strive’? Die when I tell you to! Are you a slave?”
Under the sharp rebuke, Cho Ihyun’s face showed a hint of injustice.
“Ihyun.”
“…Yes.”
“Enough. Just don’t forget the feeling of wielding the sword with your left hand.”
“Yes.”
“You must devote at least one hour every morning to left-hand sword training. The flow, the sharpness—they must be no different than when using your right hand.”
“Yes.”
“And…”
“….”
“No matter who your opponent is, never let them handle, control, or make you swing your sword. This applies to others, and also to yourself. Remember, your body and mind must be controlled only by you.”
Cho Ihyun stared at Ye-il with a strange gaze, about to speak, when a maid’s voice was heard nearby.
“Master Wi. The Young Master is calling.”
Ye-il patted Cho Ihyun on the shoulder and followed the maid.
The main hall she stepped into was icy. The air inside was as cold as the outside, and there was no fireplace in sight.
Breath spread in a white mist with each exhale. Cho-ryang sat in the center, as if struck by the wrath of a winter god, chillingly serene.
“Master Wi. You’ve returned earlier than expected. I’m surprised.”
As she took her seat opposite him, Cho-ryang’s gaze turned to the dark blue box resting in Ye-il’s arms.
“Is the thing I expect inside this box?”
“Of course.”
Cho-ryang smiled quietly, though his eyes clearly showed he didn’t trust it at all.
“Can I open it to check?”
Before opening the box, Ye-il pressed it gently with her arm and asked,
“I’d like to ask you something, Young Master.”
“How… timely. You’re anxious about its authenticity, so ask quickly.”
“You’re not suspicious?”
“Suspicious? Haha! Have you been worried about that?”
Cho-ryang narrowed his eyes with a meaningful smile.
“Don’t worry. Whether I trust you or not depends entirely on what’s in the box.”
Grateful for the remark, Ye-il opened the tightly closed box without hesitation.
Cho-ryang, rising slightly, checked the contents and then drew a faint smile.
“Disappointing.”
“….”
“At the very least… I thought you’d include a wax model as a token of effort.”
“….”
“Without even that, meeting you seems a waste of my time.”
Ye-il calmly gestured toward a single sheet of paper lying inside the box.
“Please check it. It’s a note left personally by Jin Cheongak.”
Cho-ryang feigned surprise with an exaggerated motion.
“A note from Cheongak to me? Oh! How interesting! Haha! I’ll bring a flame to burn it at once, just wait a moment.”
As he stiffened to rise, Ye-il grabbed his arm.
“It’s nothing compared to your hand… Why not open it yourself?”
Applying just enough strength to not bruise him, Cho-ryang tried to resist, but before he could,
“Young Master.”
A maid came running up and whispered something in his ear.
Cho-ryang’s expression instantly hardened.
“…Is that true?”
The maid nodded silently.
His gaze shifted to Ye-il, then after a moment, he rifled through the box and unfolded the paper.
When Ye-il saw his eyes reach the end of the note, she asked slowly,
“Where is the death list?”
“….”
“I’d like to verify it now, as time is short.”
Cho-ryang slowly lifted his gaze from the paper, looking at her in disbelief.
“Really?”
“The words written on this paper? Yes, it’s true.”
Ye-il nodded calmly.
“The Second Young Master has relinquished his position. From today, you are the submaster of Cheonma Shin-gyo.”
