C9 Part1

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As if he’d lost the will to live, YongUn did not move an inch as they sprayed the outside of the residence with oil. It wouldn’t be very difficult to kill an old man, but the difficult part was the command to drag the old man’s corpse alongside his daughter’s as proof.

No matter how long they waited, the daughter did not come, so they decided to kill off the old man first before going after the daughter.

But suddenly, as if the heavens were on their side, before they carried out their plans, the daughter entered the residence.

“If things go wrong, we will die. We must move with caution… Gah!”

As an arrow pierced through the man’s neck, his large body fell to the ground with a boom. While chaos and confusion erupted, more men appeared and took care of the rest.

A man calmly watched the men in black fall to the ground without a chance to let out a scream. Then his eyes turned to the burning residence.

“Get the lady out first.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Don’t forget. The only one who will make it out of there alive is the lady. We must also eliminate the Chief Commander completely.”

“Yes, sir.”

If this did not go according to plan, his life as well as his master’s life would be put in danger. They needed to save MoonWon’s life and also take the life of the Chief Commander who was on his way here right now.

“Ugh!”

The man next to him crumpled to the ground with a groan. He could see the blood pouring out of him.

He thought they had eliminated all of Consort Yu’s soldiers, but they were attacking back.

And her men’s objective and their objective were the complete opposite.

“Kill them!”

The men in black on both sides began to brandish their weapons against each other.

They didn't know which men belonged with which faction. They merely swung their swords at each other. Blood splattered to the ground and cries rang in the air.

While this chaotic melee was taking place, Heon was racing towards the residence.

MoonWon used all her might to block the sword that was aiming for her throat. As the assassin staggered, she moved first. As she closed the distance between them, the assassin’s sword swished in the air.

As his blade grazed her neck, MoonWon’s blade plunged into his.

“Haa. Haa.”

“Die!”

Before she could catch her breath, another assassin was running towards YongUn. Although she’d killed animals before, she hadn’t killed a person like this. Her hands were trembling and her heart pounded in her chest as if it would burst. However, if she didn’t kill, then they’d be killed.

“Father!”

As she evaded the blade that was thrusting towards her heart, MoonWon grabbed YongUn and pulled. The blade that was moving towards his heart pierced her shoulder instead.

“Ugh.”

MoonWon’s actions bought her some time, and the assassin staggered. As if making up his mind to at least kill MoonWon, the assassin began to aim his sword towards her heart. Meanwhile, another assassin that was going after YongUn changed his target to MoonWon.

“MoonWon!”

As assassins began to charge towards her from both directions, MoonWon bit her lip. After completely pushing YongUn away, MoonWon gave up on the assassin coming from the side and stepped forward.

If she could just avoid getting severely wounded, they could still escape. As she received the blow from the front, MoonWon gasped.

As a woman, it was difficult to counter the strength of a man.

Meanwhile, the assassin coming from her side aimed his sword at her ribs.

MoonWon paid no mind to the sword coming from her side. She brandished her sword with all her might as she tried to push back against the assassin in front of her.

“Aagh!”

The assassin screamed at the strange sensation. Before he could even tremble, blood burst out of him and drenched her face. She didn’t have any time to assess her situation. MoonWon turned to the side. She hadn’t been able to pay attention to that assassin because she had been focusing on evading the one in front of her. She bit her lip.

“Ugh!”

The assassin charging at her staggered as an arrow flew into him. She took this chance to pierce his throat with her sword.

“Haa.”

MoonWon never knew that death was something that could be so suffocating.

Her exhausted legs trembled as if they’d buckle, but she bit down on her bleeding lips and held on.

“Father, we’re almost there. So just wait a little bit and… Aagh!”

A burning tree cracked and fell down in front of MoonWon and YongUn. If they had taken even a step forward, they would have been crushed.

MoonWon’s eyes trembled as she stared at the assassin’s burning corpse.

Her brow was drenched in sweat from the heat, and her breaths were strained.

Her exhausted hand let go of her sword and put an arrow on the string of her bow. In this situation, her bow and arrow would be the most helpful.

“We’re there. We’re almost there.”

She couldn’t turn her head and look at YongUn. If their eyes met, she was afraid that he’d see the terror that had taken over her body.

“Ugh!”

A flaming arrow flew past and grazed her cheek.

“MoonWon!”

“I’m fine, Father! I’m not hurt.”

YongUn swallowed as he gazed at his daughter who only looked forward. She said she was fine, but he could tell that she had reached her limit. His legs felt as if they were made of cotton, but he managed to stand up and grab her hand.

“Haa. Haa.”

He couldn’t recognize what kinds of sounds were coming out of their lips. They avoided the rubble as they made their way to the exit. They saw a faint light in front of them.

“We can go now!”

He could hear delight in MoonWon’s voice. As soon as he saw the light in her eyes, YongUn was filled with dread.

He recalled the way his hateful wife had seemed on the day she had taken her own life. For some reason, he could see her in MoonWon right now. The moment YongUn turned his eyes away from MoonWon and looked forward, his hurried steps came to a halt.

“Father!”

YongUn thought he heard MoonWon’s voice, but he did not reply.

Why was a dead person standing there and holding out her hand to him? The dead wife he knew would never do something like that to him.

In the past, he would have ignored that hand and passed by her.

‘It would have all turned out this way in the end.’

This confusing situation seemed to clear up for a moment.

His heavy body suddenly felt much lighter.

This might be the first and last chance for someone like him, a man who had lived his entire life improperly.

“Father!”

“MoonWon! We should leave.”

For a moment, MoonWon thought YongUn’s behavior seemed a bit odd.

However, she didn’t have time to completely recognize what was happening.

The residence would collapse at any moment. MoonWon grabbed YongUn’s hand. The moment they stepped out of the burning building, MoonWon came to a halt.

It was complete pandemonium. The scene was filled with those who glared at them and those who tried to block their attacks. Blood flowed and soaked the ground.

“Die!”

“Stop them!”

All eyes focused on MoonWon and YongUn. The arrow on her bowstring flew at the assassin who approached them.

One arrow, one person. MoonWon was exhausted and her hands were trembling, but all she could think about was escaping out of here alive.

“MoonWon!”

MoonWon turned her head to the familiar voice.

Heon was covered in blood. When he saw her, he called out her name. They needed to move. But all eyes were on them, so where could they possibly go to escape?!

Another arrow split through the air.

It wasn’t the sound of one of her arrows. MoonWon turned her head.

“Ah…!”

MoonWon gasped as she saw the arrow head straight for her.

The vague sense of death was now staring her right in the face.

Was this the end? Was she going to die here?!

“Father!”

As soon as she saw the arrow heading towards her, MoonWon pushed YongUn away. However, YongUn didn’t move and remained firm.

“Fa…ther?”

For a moment, she felt that she saw him smile.

As if time had stood still, she watched as YongUn moved towards her.

She thought back to a time when she was young. How her father would bring her into his arms whenever she ran to him. He’d pat her back and talk about how precious she was to him. That same embrace surrounded her now.

Thud!

With MoonWon in his arms, YongUn’s body shook repeatedly.

Although she had tried to turn a blind eye to it… Although she had blocked her ears from its deafening roars… The twisted fate had reared its ugly head and forced her to witness her reality.

“Father?”

YongUn’s thin voice reached her ears.

After finishing what he had to say, YongUn smiled at her. Then he buried his face against her shoulder. His racing heart began to slow before it came to a complete stop.

MoonWon’s trembling voice called out to YongUn, but he didn’t answer back. She couldn’t even hear his breaths.

Where had it all gone wrong?

Did she make the wrong decision in coming to YongUn when he was already at death’s door?

She had always done her best to live, but why did things always turn out like this?!

‘I’m sorry.’

Why had he apologized to her?

He had done his best as a father. He didn’t have to apologize to MoonWon for anything.

“This wasn’t it.”

She dropped her bow to the ground.

She had believed that as long as she did her best, even if it wasn’t easy, it would all get better.

Just what had she done so wrong to be dragged down like this?!

“MoonWon!”

She could hear Heon’s voice.

Her eyes followed the voice and turned to him.

His body was as red as the blood on the ground. The blood flowing from his forehead covered his sharp face.

Even though she was a woman who had broken his trust, he had still come. He pierced through the assassins blocking his way as he shouted something at her, but she couldn’t hear anything above her name.

She would rather have burst into tears and cried out in pain, but her eyes remained dry.

“Why is it always… Why?”

MoonWon had been powerless as she stood in front of her mother who had hanged herself.

She had tried to protect YongUn, but in the end, the one who killed YongUn was herself.

If she hadn’t come, would things have turned out differently? MoonWon’s eyes stared at Heon. The wounds she hadn’t seen earlier were now clearly engraving themselves into her eyes.

She thought things like this wouldn’t happen once she had married Heon. She had been exhausted by a moment’s suffering and clung onto Heon as she asked for marriage.

She was the one who had said that one shouldn’t be selfish, but she was the one who had become greedy.

“Me.”

How was she wise and strong?

She shouldn’t have clung onto Heon because of a mere moment of suffering. In the end, YongUn was killed, and Heon had gotten hurt.

“I was the problem.”

The one who had killed YongUn wasn’t Consort Yu. It wasn’t this nation. It was her.

“MoonWon!”

She could hear the piercing sound that had taken YongUn’s life accompanied by Heon’s call.

The incredibly fast arrow suddenly seemed so slow.

If she pushed YongUn’s body away and escaped, she might have been able to avoid it. No, Heon was almost in front of her. He could have stood in front of her to protect her from it.

If there had to be a single person who could settle this mess of a situation…

And if she had to watch Heon die before her eyes…

“If I, the selfish one…”

The arrow flew in a clear line and hit its target.

Just as Heon was ready to leap towards MoonWon, he froze. His eyes widened in disbelief. He let out a bloodcurdling roar that rang in the air.

A pale hand floated in the air before falling to the ground. The blood slowly drenched her clothes.

The flowers were blooming.

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