He has returned(I'm home)

They found him two days later.

Or rather, he was delivered back to them.

A carriage stopped outside Mount Hua's gates shortly before sunset.

There were no guards.

No accompanying escort.

Only a single horse dragging the carriage and an iron cage on it.

When the disciples opened the carriage door, nobody spoke.

For several seconds, nobody even moved.

Chung Myung was inside.

His hair was dishevelled, his clothes were in terrible condition, and his body bore unmistakable signs of what had happened during his disappearance.

His eyes were closed.

His breathing was shallow.

And his hands, usually so restless and full of energy, lay motionless beside him.

"S-Sahyung..."

Jo Gul's voice cracked. He looked at Yoon Jong, asking what he should do.

But Yoon Jong too didn't know what to do in this situation.

Baek Cheon reached into the carriage.

"Chung Myung."

No response.

"Chung Myung!"

He carefully touched his shoulder.

The young man stirred.

His eyelids fluttered.

"...Ah."

His voice was barely audible.

"You're noisy."

For one brief moment, Baek Cheon couldn't breathe.

Then—

"MEDIC!"

Tang Soso pushed past everyone.

"Move! Let me see him!"

She dropped beside the carriage, her hands hovering uncertainly before she forced herself to concentrate.

"Chung Myung sahyung. Can you hear me?"

"...Unfortunately."

His usual sarcasm.

His familiar voice.

But it sounded so terribly weak.

Tang Soso's eyes immediately filled with tears.

"Don't talk."

"Hm?"

"Don't you dare talk! Just stay still!"

Chung Myung looked at her.

Then at the others.

"...Why are you all making those faces?"

Nobody answered.

Yu Iseol turned away.

Her shoulders were trembling.

Yoon Jong covered his mouth.

Jo Gul looked as though he had forgotten how to breathe.

And Baek Cheon—

Baek Cheon was staring at him with an expression Chung Myung had never seen before.

Anger.

Fear.

And something painfully close to helplessness.

They didn't let him move.

Tang Soso insisted on examining him first, and even after he was safely inside the medical room, she refused to let anyone crowd around him.

The Five Swords waited outside.

Nobody spoke.

Finally, Tang Gunak arrived after receiving the news.

His expression changed the moment he saw them.

"What happened?"

Baek Cheon looked up.

"Someone kidnapped him."

Tang Gunak's eyes sharpened.

He had received the news.

But he thought it was okay.

That it was Chung Myung messing around, planning to swindle another poor soul.

That everything was under his control.

He should have checked more throughly.

He should have—

"Who?"

He asked, his voice hoarse.

"We don't know."

"Why?"

"We don't know that either."

Baek Cheon clenched his fists.

"All we know is that someone took him, kept him for three days, and sent him back like this."

Tang Gunak was silent.

Then he looked towards the closed medical room.

"Has he said anything?"

Baek Cheon shook his head.

"He hasn't told us anything."

A pause.

"Actually, he hasn't told us anything because he thinks it's not worth mentioning."

Jo Gul let out a bitter laugh.

"That's exactly what he'll say."

When they were finally allowed inside, Chung Myung was awake.

He was lying on the bed, with Tang Soso sitting beside him.

His eyes moved towards the newcomers.

"Oh. You're here."

Jo Gul immediately approached.

"Of course we're here!"

"Why are you shouting?"

"YOU—!"

Yoon Jong caught his shoulder.

"Calm down."

"How am I supposed to calm down?!"

Chung Myung blinked.

Then he looked at Baek Cheon.

"Sasuk."

Baek Cheon approached the bed.

"...Yes?"

"Has anything happened during my absent?"

Baek Cheon froze.

"Anything?"

"Yes."

Silence.

Chung Myung frowned.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Chung Myung."

"Hm?"

"Can you stop thinking about that for one moment?"

Chung Myung looked genuinely confused.

"Why?"

Baek Cheon lowered his head.

His hands were shaking.

"Because you're lying there looking like this, and you're still asking us about the sect! Do you understandyou own situation!? Are we so unreliable that that's the first thing you ask about!!?"

Chung Myung stared at him.

Then he glanced at the others.

Jo Gul had his head lowered.

Yoon Jong's eyes were red.

Yu Iseol hadn't said a single word since entering.

Tang Soso was biting her lip.

And Hye Yeon, standing near the doorway, had his palms pressed together.

"...What's wrong with everyone?"

Nobody answered.

Finally, Yu Iseol approached.

She sat beside his bed and carefully took his hand.

Chung Myung looked down.

"Sago?"

Her fingers tightened.

"...Don't disappear again."

It was barely a whisper.

Chung Myung's expression changed.

For once, he didn't have a sarcastic answer.

Later that evening, when Tang Soso finally permitted him to speak at length, Chung Myung told them everything.

The kidnapping.

The poison and the prison.

The carriage and chains.

The middle-aged man and his son.

The torture.

The strange chains.

The revenge and the mastermind.

And the reason he hadn't fought back.

"I wanted to know who was behind it."

And that he hadn't received treatment in the two days he was in the iron cage, because he wanted to return quickly.

Baek Cheon's expression darkened.

"So you deliberately endured all of that?"

"Well, I couldn't exactly ask them nicely and I thought it would be good entertainment. I didn't know it would end like this."

"Chung Myung!"

"What?"

Jo Gul looked ready to explode.

"You could have escaped!"

"Yes, of course. Not just me anyone..."

"Yes, of course?! Are you even hearing yourself!?"

Baek Vhoen couldn't endure it anymore and exploded.

"But then I wouldn't have learned anything."

Yoon Jong closed his eyes.

Tang Soso looked like she was about to throw something at him.

And Baek Cheon slowly sat down.

Tang Gunak, who had been listening silently, finally spoke.

"So what are you planningto do? Will you raid them?"

"No."

"The reason?"

Chung Myung thought for a moment.

"...For both him and me it started as an entertainment. I will collect the debt, but it's not a big debt enough to endanger mount hua and the alliance. Not to mention, the time will come of it's own. You just have to wait."

Tang Gunak's expression became cold.

'It's not a big debt enough to endanger them? With those wounds? And what does he mean the right time? Is the war that near?'

It wasn't just Tang Gunak who had thought that.

Anger.

Fear.

Resentment.

Hopelessness.

Powerlessness.

They were all feelings they had while listening to Chung Myung.

Baek Cheon slowly raised his head.

"Then we have to repay him generously at that time. I think we can even go for a hundred times repayment."

Jo Gul nodded.

"And when we do—"

"No."

Chung Myung interrupted.

Everyone looked at him.

He shifted slightly against the pillows.

"Don't do anything stupid."

Baek Cheon stared.

Chung Myung sighed.

"I'm serious. You know what that guy is like. If you rush in without knowing anything, you'll walk straight into another trap."

Nobody answered.

Then Yu Iseol spoke.

"Then we'll prepare to conform him first."

Yoon Jong nodded.

"We'll train and prepare carefully."

Jo Gul clenched his fists.

"And when we catch them..."

He stopped.

His voice had become unsteady.

"...We'll bring them to justice."

Chung Myung looked at them.

One by one.

Then he closed his eyes.

"...Fine."

He was exhausted.

Far more exhausted than he wanted to admit.

And for the first time since returning to Mount Hua, he allowed himself to stop thinking about the people responsible.

Because his senior brothers were there.

His junior brothers and sisters were there.

And nobody was going to let him face this alone.

"I'm home."

Chung Myung muttered as he felt his eyelashes becoming heavy and himself slowly drifting to sleep.

Mount hua disciples who had heard, him smiled and looked at their sleeping sajae.

Replying to him with warmth and relief in their voice.

""""Welcome back, sajae/sajil/sahyung/siju."""""