Warning: It’s for those who want to know the ending. The novel will continue as usual.
<Episode 459. The Secret of Magnolia>
Chen Longsak who crafted the sentence seemed happy.
He must have been satisfied.
-Hahaha!
After letting out a hearty laugh for a while, he returned.
As Hu Gong slightly raised his left hand, Chen Longsak wrapped around from the wrist to the forearm.
The sight demonstrated complete control.
It also marked the end of proving the return of his memory.
As if waiting for this moment, cheers erupted.
“Great Duke!”
“Ahh, Great Duke!”
Mo San yelled at the top of his lungs.
Had they ever called the Great Duke so loudly before? Yes, they had. For Mo San, this was the third time.
The first was when they had to evacuate, leaving the Great Duke during a volcanic eruption, and the second time was when the Great Duke emerged from the flames and black smoke of the erupting volcano.
Mo San was as happy as the second time.
No, happier than the second time.
This time, Mo San had played a small part in it.
Our Mo San was useful too!
It wasn’t just Mo San who raised his voice in acclaim.
“Haah… Big guy.”
“Big brother!”
“Big brother! Have you returned?”
The scholars from the Tianhuashu library could not control their emotions, Yun and Bu Mong rushed in.
There were also those who called out silently.
Feng Jie and Tang Ming called out the big brother in their hearts.
Jianxian and Jianzun, Hyuneum and Hyun also called out in their hearts.
The titles had changed.
‘Hu Gong.’
‘Murim Alliance Leader.’
Hadn’t they heard them already?
The Great Duke was Hu Gong, the leader of the Murim, the number one in the world.
The shock when they first found out was indescribable. They thought the shock from that day had subsided, but it hadn’t. Facing it again, the shock of that time seemed to revive, shaking their hearts.
The sacred swords also welcomed the return of their owner.
Kraaaaaang!
The Sword Spirit and Beonkwaechin soared freely, leaving a long purple glow behind them. It harmonized well with the pouring morning sunlight.
Ilho, Iho, Samho, Sahoh.
Each time they were called by such silly names, the Sword Spirit and Beonkwaechin trembled in fear. No matter what they were called, being with their owner was pleasing.
Yet it was heartbreaking that their owner couldn’t recall the memories associated with being called “Sword Spirit”, and “Beon”, “Kwae”, or “Chin”.
But now!
Krururururururururling!
Kraaaaaaaaaaaaaang!
Their names have returned.
The memories with their owner have returned!
Saekwanjo flew among such divine swords.
[Master! Master! Master! Krururururururu, I’m just the same. Indeed, I am remarkable. Why, you ask? Because it’s obvious since I am Master’s creation! Krurururururururu.]
Saekwanjo descended.
Heading towards the golden island that was hopping excitedly above the owner’s head at some point.
[Hey, ride!]
Immediately, the golden island hopped on.
Saekwanjo, carrying the golden island, ascended up to the clouds.
[Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!]
Hu Gong captured all these scenes with his eyes.
The memories are nearly replenished.
Starting from the original memories, they filled up rapidly, and he recalled all memories up to the time he was the Grand Duke in Tianhua library.
The replenishment doesn’t stop.
He recalled the time when he faced Yeopbul, and right after losing his memory, when he looked at each person in a completely white space.
And the time wandering.
The time he stayed.
The time he introspected.
And then the Cheongseong faction, Ami faction, Sacheon Dang household.
And, and… now.
‘It’s strange.’
Is it because he regained all his memories?
Is it the influence of the Ohaengcho?
Hu Gong found it difficult to shake off the perplexity.
It was because a fragrance was emanating from the people here.
Each had a different fragrance.
For Mount Hua’s Jianxian, it was the plum blossom scent.
For the shaman’s Jianzun, it was orchid scent.
Yun and Bu Mong, embraced in his arms, had the scent of ink.
The grandfather, Nogaju, also had the same scent.
Even after the completion of the Tianxiang method to the fifth level, this never happened. Even then, individual temperaments were never perceived as scents.
Pungje smells like pine.
Tangmyeong has a bamboo scent.
Binggung’s Hyuneum Shinnyeo smells like daffodils. It fits well, as daffodils bloom throughout the winter.
Mo San smells like the persimmon tree.
Tianxiang wasn’t the end at the fifth level, it seems.
There seems to be something beyond that.
‘But why isn’t Hyeni Shinnyeo smelling of daffodils? Why does it smell like magnolia?’
The source of the strangeness was Hyeni Shinnyeo.
Why is Hyeni Shinnyeo, the personal guard of Hyuneum, different?
Why… is it special?
Let’s go.
Where to?
To the Tianhua library.
The destination is decided.
Mo San hesitated.
He wanted to go along but wondered if it was right for someone like Mo San to follow.
“Can we also go with yoㅡ……”
“Of course.”
The one who accepted was the Grand Duke of Tianhua Library.
Overjoyed to the point of feeling like jumping, Mo San followed him.
“Dangmyeong carried Nogaju on his back, while Geomseon and Geomjon each carried Yun and Bumong on their backs as they ran.
The direction of Seokgwanjo was different.
As they moved far away, they said,
[Master, we will go and bring back news.]
“Alright.”
[Krrrrrr. Starting with Cheongongdan!]
Hu Gong sent a messenger to Pungje.
-Let’s hear about what has happened during this time.
-Your Highness, I have been the martial arts alliance leader during this time.
-Hoho, it seems to suit you well.
-Tsk.
Pungje made a somewhat dissatisfied face.
But soon, Pungje who was smiling explained what had happened during this time.
Gathering the leaders of each great faction of the martial world.
He instructed how to behave when meeting the great scholar of Cheonhwaseogo, and created a common code for exchanging information.
He also brought in Haomun.
Haomun played a significant role in making all the titles in the daily conversations coming and going from the common people be called ‘that one’. ”
Even the messengers were able to listen in, so the people of the martial world were asked not to mention the events of that day even through a messenger.
-Naturally, there was no one who opposed it.
-What about those who demanded reincarnation?
Pungje couldn’t understand right away.
But soon he realized and shook his head.
-None. I explained it to them in a way they could understand, and they are not people who would force issues unreasonably.
There were those who had been reincarnated.
The head of the Gongdong faction, the shipmaster of Gaebang, and the tomb guardian of Shaolin. And several others besides.
Those who had been frozen so they could find their original bodies.
-The frozen bodies are gathered at Angang.
-Ten years. It’s a long time.
The time when reincarnation is possible again is ten years.
-You have had a lot of trouble.
-More importantly, Your Highness…
-Yes?
-How much do you remember?
-Everything.
-Then do Geomseon and Geomjon, and Binggung know the true identity of Your Highness?
-Hoho, that’s a joke.
-I heard it then. I heard Your Highness’s thoughts. Everyone present there heard it.
It was an absurd thing to say.
But because Pungje didn’t laugh, Hu Gong became stupefied.
-It’s a big problem.
-It is a big problem.
Pungje nodded his head heavily.
The conversation continued.
-To think you would confess to Hyunshinnyeo there.
-To think such a thought of yours would be heard again.
* * *
Good news usually travels slow, and bad news fast.
However, the news of the grand scholar of Cheonhwaseogo returning spread much faster than any bad news.
Such was the way with news that everyone longed for.
People eagerly wanted to tell others around them and share the story together, making it spread faster than anything else.
They had always wanted to talk about it.
Someone whose name should not be mentioned.
Someone whose name could not be called.
Instead of vaguely referring to them as ‘hero’ or ‘that person,’ there was a strong desire to call their name clearly.
The grand scholar of Cheonhwaseogo has returned.
The hero has regained their memory.
The song sung while waiting for the return echoed again all over the world.
What was once a song sung with hope, had now become a song filled with joy.
And the steps of the martial world’s people headed north towards Anhwi.
Towards Cheonhwaseogo.
Although they hadn’t received invitations, and there was no guarantee they could meet, they wanted to be nearby at least.
One person, and then another.
The number of guests at Cheonhwaseogo increased.
Although Cheonhwaseogo had a festive atmosphere, it didn’t seem like the feast would end easily. Every day, more and more great masters gathered at Cheonhwaseogo.
Late at night.
Hu Gong took out the Miyeodo painting from its place.
A lot of time had passed since the day he promised with Yeonneunghwa depicted in the Miyeodo.
Going into Miyeodo was too much.
But he could send a message.
Splash. The Miyeodo created ripples, and the Yeonneunghwa sitting on a rock in the painting moved.
-Hu Gong.
-I am late.
-Still, it’s fortunate.
To be able to meet again.
It seems everything turned out well.
Looking at Yeonneunghwa, who was pleased and happy to see him, Hu Gong opened his mouth.
-I have good news and bad news.
-Ah…
She seemed to guess just from that.
Before even hearing it, Yeonneunghwa seemed ready to shed tears.
When he told her the story,
Yeonneunghwa laughed. She cried.
Hyuneum and Hyun were walking around Cheonhwaseogo.
-Master, should I ask Hu Gong?
-No. Absolutely not. Don’t do that.
-Then, how about Master tries bringing up the topic to Hu Gong first?
-That’s too much too.
-Master, if you don’t do anything, nothing will happen.
-Still…
-Hu Gong is really too laid back. I wonder why he’s pretending not to know. Did he perhaps find his memory but forget about the confession?
-I… would like it if that were the case.
Out of embarrassment.
Wondering if I am even worthy.
That was Hyun’s feeling.
The grand scholar of Cheonhwaseogo, and Hu Gong, was someone everyone liked. It was no exaggeration to say that he was the object of every woman’s envy.
How could I even…
She couldn’t help but feel that way.
“Are you here?”
Looking up, it was Hu Gong.
Hyuneum welcomed him warmly.
“Older brother!”
The joy of meeting him was short-lived as Hyuneum quickly bid farewell.
“The young girl will go in since it is getting late.”
And so, it was just the two of them, Hu Gong and Hyun, walking around Cheonhwaseogo.
There was no back-and-forth conversation.
It was just that no voices were heard.
Messages were exchanged in the silence.
-Miss Hyun. Do you know that magnolias have a secret?
Hyun chuckled.
-Was there a secret to magnolias?
-After magnolias bloom and the flowers wither, that’s when the leaves come out.
-Ah!
It’s an obvious fact, Hyun laughed.
-Did you know?
-To that extent…
-But the real secret of Magnolia lies in its meaning.
-Is there a meaning?
-Yes. I heard it from Yeon-hyang, a maiden of the Mu-rim Alliance. At the time, Yeon-hyang didn’t give an answer, but I learned it recently.
-What could the secret be? I’m curious.
-The magnolia flower blooms before its leaves appear, showing its impatience. And the person looking at that magnolia, with no leaves around, ends up focusing only on the magnolia flower.
-That… is…
Lady Hyun hesitated.
It seemed familiar.
‘Could it be that the magnolia flower refers to me…’
It felt as if the hasty magnolia was speaking of her.
When she emerged from being trapped in the ice, the moment she first met Hu-gong, she was already enchanted.
But the one who only looks at the magnolia flower being Hu-gong?
That’s not possible.
Yes, it’s not possible.
Hyun slightly closed her eyes. When she opened them, she heard,
-Lady Hyun.
-…?
“You have the scent of magnolia.”
-…!
Hyun covered her mouth.
Her eyes, filled with starlight, wavered.
-Hu-gong… What do you mean by that?
-Ahem, this is my second confession.
Lady Hyun, who had no chance to answer the first time, couldn’t answer this time either. Due to the tears that flowed unknowingly.
And that was a great answer for Hu-gong.
Hu-gong reached out his hand to Hyun.
Hyun took his hand.
They walked side by side.
Hu-gong recalled a conversation he once had with Yong-ak, the lord of Yak-wang gate.
-Hu-gong, when I smell the scent of magnolia, I think of her. I don’t know why.
-What are you talking about?
That was the meaning.
The secret of the magnolia.