Chapter 38: Reunion

Gangchan unconsciously started to rise from his seat, but then gripped the table tightly.

The unconscious surge of his energy spread in an instant, causing the air in the inn to sink into an odd silence.

‘Ah… I reacted without thinking.’

Gangchan quietly caught his breath and sat back down.

It was the sort of conversation he would normally let pass without concern, but the moment his brother was mentioned, his heart leapt before he could stop it.

He had thought that the cultivation he’d honed over the years had helped him master his emotions, but when it came to his brother, nothing seemed to work.

The people around him flinched for a moment and murmured among themselves, but soon lifted their cups as if nothing had happened.

“What was that? Suddenly got chills down my neck… The liquor’s not sitting right with me today.”

“When have you ever been able to drink without getting drunk? Stop talking nonsense and drink up. We’ve got another day of work to survive tomorrow.”

“All right, all right.”

Gangchan’s gaze grew deeper.

‘Could it really be my brother?’

His brother, Gangcheol, ten years his senior.

Gangchan was twenty-two, so his brother would be thirty-two.

If it truly was his brother, then something serious must have happened.

‘Is brother’s illness just a simple disease?’

Thirty-two.

At that age, if he was suffering from a chronic illness, it wouldn’t be something as trivial as a cold or mere frailty.

All the more so if he was a martial artist—his body shouldn’t fall ill so easily.

At that moment, the Inn Attendant approached.

“Here is your food. Please enjoy your meal.”

“Thank you.”

Calmly meeting the Inn Attendant’s gaze, Gangchan gave a slight nod, then poured Duck Leaf Liquor into his cup and slowly took a sip.

Then he let his gaze wander to a faraway place.

At the end of that gaze was Cheongangmun, where his brother would be.

Gangchan quietly sipped his drink and gathered his thoughts. At first, he planned to confirm information about his brother before visiting.

If it was a fake pretending to be his brother, it would be simple to deal with. But if it truly was his brother, he needed to prepare beforehand.

‘It’s our first meeting in twelve years. I can’t go empty-handed.’

For the first time, he wanted to give his brother a proper gift. But to do so, he needed to understand his brother’s condition first. That was why he’d been gathering information in the village, planning to prepare a suitable present and visit after.

However, the news he heard at the inn about his brother’s illness changed his plans in an instant.

‘I need to go quickly. If I lose my brother because I was too late… I’d regret it for the rest of my life.’

In the end, Gangchan quietly rose from his seat.

On the table where he’d sat, he left behind a pile of silver coins, far more than the cost of the meal.

His steps disappeared into the darkness of night.

From Bokchunru to Cheongangmun was roughly ten li.

But as soon as Gangchan stepped out of the inn, his shoulders trembled faintly. As he activated Cheonryeongchukji,

In no time, he stood before the massive, but now terribly worn and dilapidated front gate of Cheongangmun.

The sign reading ‘Cheongangmun’ was so weathered and corroded that the letters could barely be made out and looked as if it might fall off at any moment.

Gangchan cautiously tried to push open the gate.

But the door didn’t budge at all.

‘Someone’s blocking it from inside.’

Realizing this, he pretended not to notice.

‘Should I knock? Or just go over the wall?’

As he hesitated for a moment,

The gate slowly creaked open with an unpleasant metallic screech, as if an ancient spirit was being dragged out.

At that moment—

“You scoundrel! I told you to wait at least three days, and yet you’re back already, unable to restrain yourself?”

An old man lifted a broom high above his head as he shouted.

“Did Daepoong tell you to come again? Here you are to pester the Master once more, aren’t you?”

Gangchan silently watched the old man, who was shouting at the top of his lungs.

“Wearing a human face, acting this way! Do you even know who’s responsible for keeping your parents alive? If not for the Former Master, you’d all be orphans, you little brats!”

The old man’s face was twisted in anger and resentment.

But—

When he saw Gangchan standing unmoved even after all his shouting, the old man suddenly looked puzzled and fell silent.

He slowly lowered the broom he’d been holding aloft and looked Gangchan up and down.

‘Huh? Never seen this fellow before…’

Still unable to hide his suspicion, the old man asked,

“Who are you? Did Daepoong send you?”

Gangchan replied in a calm voice.

“I do not know who Daepoong is. But, is this Cheongangmun?”

“It is, but… who are you?”

At last, Gangchan looked at the old man’s face and gave a faint smile.

There was warmth in it.

A person radiating a gentle affection.

But deep within that warmth, there was also an unfamiliar, hidden aura.

Gangchan let that feeling drift away for a moment, then spoke politely.

“I wish to see the Master.”

His attitude was more respectful than anyone who had ever visited this place.

The old man seemed momentarily flustered, his lips parting.

It touched his heart.

So his voice trembled, his hands trembled, and his heart trembled.

Though he bore the surname Kang, it was merely a name the Master had bestowed upon him as a gift.

Something quietly, yet violently, stirred in his heart.

The old man let out a deep sigh.

“……Wait here a moment.”

With that, he walked inside.

But his steps looked heavy with effort.

He limped slightly on his left foot.

‘An injury? Or an old illness?’

Gangchan’s eyes narrowed.

Crash!

With a clatter, someone burst hurriedly out of the inner house.

A middle-aged man, panting heavily, hurried toward the gate.

But whether from infirmity, his steps were terribly unsteady, and his ragged breathing sounded as if it were right beside Gangchan.

Gangchan waited no longer.

Without Kang Elder’s permission, he leaped inside.

Though Cheongangmun had fallen into ruin, its inner and outer quarters were separated by a wall as high as a man’s chest,

And connected by a central door.

Gangchan rushed through the central door in a single bound.

There—

Ten paces ahead.

Bent slightly at the waist, panting with every breath,

A middle-aged man was looking at him.

Gangchan’s breath stopped for a moment.

He couldn’t believe his eyes.

No matter how he looked, there was no mistake.

It was his brother.

The brother he had so desperately wanted to see, the one he had yearned for even in his dreams for twelve years.

But his brother’s appearance… he looked so aged and sickly, it wouldn’t be surprising if he collapsed and died on the spot.

That brother, that Gangcheol, weakly raised his hand.

Rubbing the air, he muttered softly,

“Chani, is that really you? Chani, is that you?”

His voice was so feeble it was lost amidst his rough breaths.

“So now, you’re ready to die, are you… Am I seeing a ghost… Is that right, Elder Kang?”

Gangchan squeezed his eyes shut.

“At least now I can die without regret. To see Chani grown so fine….”

In that moment—

Whether from overwhelming emotion,

Or because he had moved too much,

Gangcheol’s body slowly collapsed backward.

“Oh dear…!”

Kang Elder, watching from behind, reached out urgently, but he too was not in good health.

His mind raced ahead, but his body couldn’t even take a single step, floundering helplessly.

In that instant, a gust of wind swept by.

Gangchan appeared before their eyes.

He caught the collapsing Gangcheol in his arms.

“Brother….”

Gangchan buried his face in his brother’s chest.

He didn’t even notice his own tears.

“Brother!!!!”

Twelve years’ worth of longing burst forth at once, like a dam breaking.

That cry, like the wrath of a Heavenly Spirit, echoed throughout every corner of Guihon Village.

Gangcheol slowly opened his eyes.

He dreamed a blissful dream.

In his dream, his younger brother Chani, now grown into a fine man, embraced him tightly and promised to stay together until death.

He was so happy, he wished the dream would never end.

But emptily, he woke from the dream.

Wanting to hold onto the happiness a bit longer,

He lay still beneath the covers, unmoving.

Then suddenly, he realized his body—which should have ached upon waking—didn’t hurt at all.

Cautiously, he moved his hands and feet.

At that moment, the door opened.

Gangchan entered, and quietly sat beside Gangcheol.

“Are you awake now, brother?”

Gangcheol couldn’t answer.

It still didn’t feel real.

The Chani he’d seen in his dream was now sitting beside him, speaking to him.

For a moment, Gangcheol couldn’t tell if it was reality or a dream.

“Brother, do you recognize me?”

Gangcheol’s eyes trembled.

“My little brother… Chani….”

But he couldn’t believe it.

His lips quivered, his voice cracked.

“But Chani… my little brother Chani…”

Gangcheol wept again.

Even if all the tears he’d shed in his life were added together, they couldn’t compare to the value of these tears.

Gangchan silently wiped away his brother’s tears. Then quietly, but firmly, embraced him.

“It really is you, Chani… I haven’t died, nor am I dreaming. Oh, heavens…”

For a while, the brothers simply held each other.

After a long silence, they sat facing each other in the room their father once used as a study.

Before them was a cup of cheap, cold tea.

In the impoverished state of Cheongangmun, there was little chance they’d have tea at all.

Perhaps Elder Kang had gone to some trouble to borrow it from somewhere in the village, just for the brothers.

It was far from fine tea, but its aroma carried Elder Kang’s sincere warmth.

They didn’t know where or how to begin speaking, but that didn’t matter.

Just being alive and reunited was enough to melt away all the hardships they’d carried until now.

But above all, Gangcheol’s health was the priority.

‘Brother’s condition… it’s much worse than I thought.’

Twelve years ago, a bandit’s blade had left a deep diagonal wound from his left shoulder to his right flank.

Because he hadn’t received proper treatment at the time, the wound had healed naturally, but in the process, both his arms and waist became difficult to move.

Several vital meridians had been blocked, and the nerves were damaged to the point where even moving was hard.

What little hope there was came from the fact that, unbeknownst to him, the Inuigiseong of the Palseonbirok—studied in Cheongangmun—was slowly healing his body bit by bit.

But if left as is, his condition would only worsen.

However, Gangchan knew.

With the perfected Inuigiseong he’d mastered, he had a way to help his brother stand again.

The brothers gazed at each other in silence.

Just meeting each other’s eyes filled their hearts.

A natural smile spread across Gangcheol’s lips.

“You’re going to bore a hole in my face at this rate.”

Gangchan chuckled.

“You’ve been staring at me just as much, brother.”

“I don’t mind. I’ve missed that face so dearly….”

“It’s the same for me.”

“Hm… Even sharing such trivial talk feels so wonderful, doesn’t it?”

“Are you really that happy, brother?”

“Happy? Of course I am! Now, even if I die, I have no regrets.”

Gangchan’s expression grew firm.

“Don’t say that, brother. Dying? You must live a long life with me. This isn’t a request.”

Gangcheol was momentarily speechless.

“You must live a long life, no matter what. To me, you are the only brother I have in this world.”

Gangcheol’s eyes grew moist again.

He quietly nodded.

“Yes… Yes, you’re right. Your brother must be here to protect you.”

But for the first time, Gangcheol resented the heavens.

He had finally reunited with his brother, but his own body was in ruins.

At that moment, Gangchan smiled gently and asked,

“Brother, how far have you cultivated Inuigiseong?”

Gangcheol thought for a moment, then replied.

“I’ve practiced it since I was five, for almost thirty years now… but I don’t know if I’ve reached any special level. Nothing remarkable, I suppose.”

“May I take a look?”

“Of course, go ahead. Check all you wish.”

Gangcheol extended his right arm.

Gangchan carefully took his brother’s hand.

In that moment, a warm energy flowed from his fingertips.

After about fifteen minutes, Gangchan let go and looked at his brother.

Gangcheol couldn’t bring himself to ask, only gazed into Gangchan’s eyes.

With a faintly hopeful voice, he asked,

“Well… what do you think?”

Gangchan smiled softly and replied.

“You’ve steadily built up the sixth stage of Inuigiseong, Elder. If nothing especially bad happens, I believe I can heal you.”

Just those words made Gangcheol feel better.

Even if his body never recovered, just having his younger brother alive was enough.

But Gangchan’s face was serious.

“However…

There are too many blocked meridians and old injuries.

The pain during treatment will be severe.

But if you persevere, I believe you can live a normal life again.”

Gangcheol thought his brother was simply trying to comfort him.

He simply smiled and said,

“Just hearing you say that lifts my spirits. But for me, just seeing you is enough.”

Gangchan quietly looked at his brother.

Then, slowly, he spoke.

“Brother, in fact, the Palseonbirok we’ve practiced in Cheongangmun…”

At that moment, Gangcheol’s eyes wavered subtly.

Gangchan continued.

“Palseonbirok was originally a martial art practiced by immortals of the East, aiming to become true immortals.

But… that is only the foundation.

Those who sought the true path of the immortals practiced from the foundation of Palseonbirok—there is a higher martial text.”

“That is the Gwihoonbirok.”

Gangcheol’s eyes widened in shock.

Gangchan spoke quietly, but with conviction.

“I came upon it by chance… and I have trained in it.”

With those words, a long silence settled between them.