NOVPUBHeukho was sadder than ever.
Upon hearing the news, Heukho collapsed on the spot and couldn't rise for a long time.
Under Eunho's instructions, part of the corpse was recovered, including the hand of the driver who had recently patted Heukho's head.
Recognizing the hand, Heukho fainted but regained his senses just before the funeral ceremony, which was hastily arranged, began.
"Heukho, the three of them will be disappointed if you don't come. Especially Unsa. Let's go."
Though Heukho felt weak, he forced himself to stand after hearing Hwangho's words.
At the funeral, Heukho realized something while surrounded by his grieving friends.
The ceremony wasn't for just the three of them, and many other Hojo family members had been sacrificed before.
Yet, it was the first time Heukho had felt such sadness.
"This is the first time I'm sending off those who treated me kindly."
Heukho glanced at the names of the fallen Hojo family members engraved on the tombstone.
Most of the names were unfamiliar, but there were a few he recognized.
There were those who didn't look favorably upon Heukho socializing with renowned Hojo members, given his relatively weak combat abilities.
They had constantly insulted and doubted Heukho, even when he had achieved feats.
"It wasn't that they became quiet because of the war, it was because they couldn't torment me anymore since they died."
Though Heukho didn't know it, those who had particularly tormented him had been eliminated by Eunho's careful planning.
Before handing over the position of leader to Hwangho, Eunho had aimed to solidify the Hojo family's base.
One of his strategies was a large-scale purging.
The kind-hearted Hwangho couldn't easily carry out such measures, so Eunho intended to finish the task while he was still in power.
Eunho couldn't tolerate those who, in these critical times, disturbed the internal discipline for petty reasons, as they disrupted the stability of the group.
"Heukho, may I ask you to play the funeral song?"
"Okay...!"
While Heukho played, Eunho carefully observed the names of the deceased.
There were those whose passing was regrettable, but many others who were not.
Eunho and his close friends had put much effort into trying to reform those people, but only a few had actually changed their ways.
Despite Eunho’s kind persuasion, Akho’s harsh curses, Cheongho’s relentless training, and Baekho's training disguised as sparring, many of them remained unchanged.
Had they possessed power equal to that of Baekho, Hwangho, Cheongho, or Heukho's unique talent, they might have been cherished even considering their nature, but they did not.
Thus, Eunho placed them in positions of little importance and lower risk, where they would be discarded strategically.
"The war is dragging on, and as a result, unfortunate sacrifices are increasing."
After the funeral, Eunho quietly spoke when only close friends remained.
Heukho barely understood the true meaning behind Eunho's words, but one of the other friends understood and nodded in acknowledgment.
Eunho's arrangement was impeccable, and since there was always a reasonable explanation attached, very few noticed the purging he carried out.
Meanwhile, Heukho's infiltration assignments grew more frequent.
The external enemies had multiplied, and the rate at which their numbers grew was unsettling.
"Heukho, be careful out there."
"I can't get used to Agho's way of speaking!"
"Me neither."
Heukho set off, escorted by his friends, to observe the external enemies.
The enemies became increasingly brutal as time went on, and Heukho felt pained, but he persevered, trying to ease the burden on his friends who were risking their lives.
As the time spent with his friends grew shorter, Heukho cherished every brief moment he returned to the Hojo family's domain, often taking solace in these fleeting encounters.
The newcomer never refused when Heukho asked to hear a song, and each time, Heukho's friends would listen attentively to the melody spreading throughout the Hojo family domain.
Then, one day.
"Heukho, please keep an eye on the leader of the Woong tribe for a while."
"Eh? The external enemies are acting weird there. Don't you think it's okay if I don't go? Personally, I don't mind not dealing with the external enemies."
Eunho gently reassured him that it was fine.
Heukho didn’t fully understand the information he had gathered, but Eunho had pieced it together with the situation in mind.
Eunho had become certain that some key figures from the Woong tribe had met with the external enemies and were attempting to harm their leader.
"There are unsettling movements within the Woong tribe. The leader is wise and cautious, but unlike me, he has few trustworthy allies, putting him in a very precarious situation. Please keep watch and inform me immediately if anything happens."
"Okay, I got it!"
"And..."
Eunho gazed off into the distance, as if looking far away.
"If anything happens to the leader of the Woong tribe, it will soon be our turn. Please return quickly and inform us of the situation."
At that moment, Heukho didn’t fully grasp the meaning behind Eunho's words.
He merely nodded several times, acknowledging that he understood.
With Eunho's help, Heukho successfully infiltrated the residence of the Woong tribe’s leader.
Heukho spent several days quietly observing the Woong tribe leader.
"He’s a smart and kind bear."
Heukho rarely encountered anyone other than the Woong woman from the Woong tribe.
The Woong woman was beautiful and strong, though somewhat intimidating when it came to matters related to Akho. But the Woong tribe’s leader, much like Eunho, appeared calm and gentle, which put Heukho at ease.
Heukho was good at hiding and was usually assigned infiltration tasks, but he wasn’t particularly skilled in observation.
"He’s sleeping for quite a while today. Is he tired from all the fighting recently?"
Heukho thought quietly as he watched the Woong tribe leader lying on the bed with his eyes closed.
The leader had fought alongside other warriors on the front lines, but today, he returned being carried by another Woong tribe member.
To prevent the external enemies from seeing his face, the Woong tribe leader wore a mask, but his face still appeared calm.
In fact, by the time the leader had been carried back, he had already died, and the Woong tribe had staged the drama to hide the leader’s death. Heukho had been deceived by this.
"I should sleep too until the leader wakes up. If I sense any movement, I’ll get up right away."
To hide the leader’s death, no one was allowed near the residence, and it was eerily quiet.
To conceal the traces of death and lull any scavengers to sleep, a strong sleeping scent was burned.
Heukho, intoxicated by the scent, fell into a deep slumber for a long time.
When Heukho woke up again, the sky was covered in an ominous darkness.
Shocked, Heukho tried to wake the Woong tribe leader who was still sleeping.
"Wake up! The sky is darkening... huh?"
Heukho belatedly realized the Woong tribe leader had died.
From the condition of the body, it was clear that the leader had been dead for some time.
Recalling Eunho’s words, Heukho’s expression changed, and he hurriedly ran toward the Hojo family domain with all his might.
Heukho’s return journey was not smooth.
The external enemies and the Woong tribe had joined forces and were attacking the Hojo family.
The dark sky prevented the divine blessings from reaching them, and the enemy outnumbered them, drastically tipping the battle in their favor.
Heukho, with a face full of sorrow for the dying Hojo family members, turned his gaze away and barely reached his destination.
"Eunho!"
When Heukho finally arrived beside Eunho, Eunho had sustained severe injuries and was unable to move.
Only the newcomer was unharmed.
Eunho and Cheongho had been severely injured, and most of Cheongho's disciples had perished.
"It’s my fault! Eunho knew everything and prepared for it. It’s all my fault!"
Heukho buried his face in a corner of Eunho's sickbed and cried out loud.
But he couldn't cry for long.
After hearing of Heukho's return, the newcomer came and spoke.
"Eunho asked me to deliver this letter. Right now, you're the only one who can move undetected by the external enemies in this darkness."
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
The newcomer relayed Eunho's message briefly.
Hearing this, Heukho stopped crying and slowly rose from his position.
"The external enemies hidden in this darkness can't be detected by sound. I can't deal with them with my power. I’m sorry."
Heukho was the one who should have felt the most regret.
He wanted to apologize by burying his head in the ground, but he knew that what was needed now wasn't an apology.
Diving into the darkness, Heukho dragged his exhausted body toward the T’o tribe’s domain.
The letter Eunho asked him to deliver contained words to persuade Agho, and Oktoyeon delivered it.
Eventually, Agho’s slip-up was seized by Baekho, who succeeded in opening the sky.
"Heukho..."
The sky opened, and the heavenly deity appeared, granting the wishes of those who had accomplished great deeds.
However, Heukho was not included among them.
Among the Hojo family members symbolizing the colors, the heavenly deity did not grant Heukho’s wish.
His friends were confused, but Heukho accepted it as natural.
"If I had told Eunho about the assassination of the Woong tribe leader, if I had realized his death sooner and informed Eunho..."
Heukho repeatedly thought the same thing.
If that had happened, the kind leader of the Woong tribe might still be alive, his friends wouldn’t have been seriously hurt, and Cheongho wouldn’t have lost his disciples.
Perhaps due to the aftereffects of his injuries, Eunho gradually delegated most of the leadership duties to Hwangho.
Every day, Heukho visited Eunho’s sickroom, but he always felt troubled.
The more Eunho and his friends comforted him with kind words, the heavier Heukho's heart felt.
"Heukho, I have a favor to ask."
It had been months since Agho and Woongnye had officially married.
A weakened Eunho spoke to Heukho.
There was a barrier set up around them.
Heukho wanted to grant any request from Eunho, but thinking about the events that had occurred because he couldn’t fulfill the last request, Heukho couldn’t answer immediately.
"Eunho, do you still trust me?"
"Yes."
Seeing Heukho’s sorrowful expression, Eunho gently stroked his face with his dry hand to comfort him.
"I know that you are the one who will save the Hojo family."
"Me...?"
"Right now, you can’t, but I have read the heavenly secrets well."
Had Heukho heard this story earlier, he would have jumped for joy, thinking, "I will save the Hojo family! ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) How exciting!" But now, all he felt was sadness.
Since Eunho couldn't lie, Heukho realized that he was indeed destined to save the Hojo family, but the previous incident had surely ruined everything.
Eunho, seemingly knowing what Heukho was thinking, smiled gently and explained.
"Reading the heavenly secrets is like observing a great flow. Along the way, there may be impurities in the water, or natural disasters that freeze it, or the flow may become stagnant. But the place where you will arrive has never changed."
Heukho found Eunho’s words difficult to understand.
Though Heukho still didn't fully comprehend, he realized that Eunho believed in him, and that trust was not without reason.
"And I trust my own eyes. Even disregarding the heavenly secrets, as a friend, I can tell. You are someone who can fight for the Hojo family."
Eunho’s heartfelt words warmed Heukho’s chest.
When Eunho confirmed that Heukho's resolve was solid, he spoke again.
"Heukho, please keep an eye on Woongnye."
"Like how I watched over the leader of the Woong tribe?"
"Yes. But it’s fine to stay closer this time. The work will be easier if Woongnye gets used to your energy."
Eunho gripped Heukho’s hand firmly, surprising him with the strength of the grip, especially given his weakened state.
"Very soon, a descendant will be born between Agho and Woongnye. If you show interest and approach the child, there will be no suspicion."
