Live Well Without Me-chapter 3

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: cyno
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Jin Ga-young

Gracefully wielding her sword, Jin Ga-young stole a glance to her side.

There, amidst the chaos, was the one person she had never—not even for a moment—forgotten.

No, calling it chaos would be inaccurate.

With his left hand calmly tucked behind his back, he moved with effortless composure, not shedding a single drop of sweat.

He was only using his right hand.

And yet, despite such restrained movements, he was driving back hundreds of bandits.

“He’s exactly the same. Not a single thing has changed.”

Her twenty guards were each engaged in one-on-one battles with their respective opponents.

Jin Ga-young herself was locked in combat with Jang Pyeong, the leader of Chilak Stronghold.

And he—the man she had admired for so long—was facing every other bandit alone.

Slash!

Though she bore the title Sword Flower and had yet to officially join the ranks of the Nine Dragons and Seven Flowers, she was already considered a prime candidate.

There was no way a mere bandit leader like Jang Pyeong could match her.

“Kugh! Y-You wench! What kind of sorcery—!”

“A righteous sect martial artist being accused of using sorcery by an unorthodox sect warrior? This is a first for me.”

“You… damn…!”

Shlkk!

“Gugh!”

“Just die already. I’d like to take a good look at him.”

As her blade pierced Jang Pyeong’s heart, she turned her gaze to the one person she truly wanted to see—her eyes shining with admiration.

He was thinner now, his hair a different color.

But he was still the same as she remembered.

With a single palm strike, bandits were sent flying in all directions.

It was nothing more than a casual strike—yet the depth of skill behind it was immeasurable.

He delivered those strikes dozens of times in the blink of an eye, shielding her and the rest of her guards.

Just like he had done ten years ago, when he had saved her from the Blood Cult.

“How is he still the same…?”

Watching him dispatch bandit after bandit with a single blow, Jin Ga-young’s mind drifted back to that day.

Back then, these were no mere third-rate mountain bandits.

His opponents had been the Twelve Priests of the Blood Cult—warriors as fearsome as the Twelve Apostles.

And she had been a mere sacrifice.

An offering meant for the Blood Cult’s ritual to their so-called Blood God.

“There were hundreds of us that day.”

Hundreds of helpless children.

Twelve fearsome priests.

And one man.

Even now, she couldn’t fathom how he had done it.

At the time, she had been one of those helpless children—naked, bound, and powerless to do anything but watch.

For three days, until reinforcements from the Central Plains arrived, she had watched him fight alone against the Twelve Priests.

In the end, those reinforcements had been meaningless.

Because by the time they arrived—after thirty-six grueling hours—he had already slain all twelve of them.

She would never forget the sight of him that day—his sword dripping with the blood of the Priests, his own robes drenched with his own blood.

And she would never forget the words he spoke as he untied the ropes that had bound her.

“You’ve suffered enough. It’s over now. You’re safe.”

And then, he had removed his outer robe and wrapped it around her.

“That robe… I still have it in my room.”

From that day forward, she had trained relentlessly, pushing herself to the brink of death every single day.

She had sworn that one day, she would be the one to save him.

Even if she couldn’t, she would at least walk the same path he had—upholding the ideals of righteousness and chivalry that he had once shown her.

But as the years passed, she could only watch from afar as he soared ever higher.

She had heard the stories.

The legendary achievements that no one else could match.

The Sword Star who had beheaded the Blood Demon.

The man who had, with nothing but words, forced the Heavenly Demon to retreat and prevented a war between the righteous and demonic sects.

And the titles he had earned along the way:

Sword Star. One of the Five Grandmasters. Lord of the Namgung Clan.

Everyone admired him.

Everyone looked up to him.

And Jin Ga-young liked that.

She liked hearing her friends talk about the man who had once saved her life—the man she had never forgotten, not even for a single moment.

She liked that her parents, relatives, teachers, and neighbors all praised and revered him.

But then—

“Degenerate.”
“Pedophile.”
“Cannibal.”
“Demonic cultist.”

Rumors spread like wildfire, painting him—the man she had seen fight through day and night, tearing himself apart just to protect children—as some kind of monster.

At first, she dismissed them as nonsense.

Baseless slander, spread with malicious intent.

But everyone—her parents, her friends, her relatives, her teachers, her neighbors—condemned him.

Everywhere she turned, she heard nothing but hatred.

Before she knew it, the Sword Star, the Hero of War, had fallen—reduced to nothing more than a villain the world wanted dead.

She hadn’t wanted to believe it.

She refused to believe those disgusting lies.

But then, evidence surfaced.

An official investigation found proof of his crimes.

Undeniable, irrefutable proof.

Yet even then, her faith in him didn’t waver.

Instead, she thought—if he had truly become a villain, then she would be the one to save him.

Not long after, she, too, became the target of slander.

A corrupt uncle framed her, and suddenly, the rumors turned to her.

They called her a harlot, accused her of selling her body to the elders of the Murim Alliance in exchange for martial arts techniques.

And that was when she finally understood.

That so-called proof could be fabricated more easily than people realized.

“So you really haven’t changed after all.”

Only after suffering the same fate did she begin to see the truth.

The overwhelming convenience of how every crime attributed to the Sword Star was exposed with meticulous precision.

The way his denials were always dismissed—not because of lack of sincerity, but because he had no evidence to prove his innocence.

But understanding the truth didn’t mean she could do anything about it.

She was just a junior martial artist.

Even if she had fallen from grace, she was still in no position to help Namgung Cheolbin, the Sword Star.

So she made a vow.

One day, when he retires—when he grows weary of the world and turns his back on it—

I will be the one to take him in.

I will save him, just as he once saved me.

She just hadn’t expected that opportunity to come so soon.

“Still going, huh?”

Watching the Sword Star fight the bandits, Jin Ga-young murmured to herself.

Even with only one hand, he shouldn’t have needed this long.

Yet the bandits were holding out far better than they should have.

Focusing her sight, she scanned the battlefield and quickly found the reason why.

“Of course. Their numbers were already unusual, and they even knew who I was. So this was planned.”

Two distinct energies emanated from deep within the enemy ranks.

At the very least, they were first-rate martial artists.

Perhaps even peak-level masters.

No mere mountain bandit should possess such refined energy.

“Green Forest.”

But even knowing that, she wasn’t worried.

Because the man fighting for her sake—

The man standing before her now—

Was the strongest person she had ever known.

Look at them—

Those two so-called masters could do nothing but breathe as the Sword Star tore through the bandits like autumn leaves in the wind.

They wouldn’t last long.

Sooner or later, they would have no choice but to surrender.

And, sure enough—unable to endure any longer—

“WAIT—!!”

One of them shouted, halting the battle.

The forest trembled with the sheer force of the deafening shout.

Swish! Thud!

Two figures shot out from the bandit ranks, landing in front of Byeorak, who had been cutting them down with ease.

The two men clasped their fists in a respectful salute before speaking.

“I am Yang Gu-hyeong of Green Forest. This here is Go Cheon-su. In the martial world, we are shamefully known as Phantom Demon and Blood Imprint Demon.”

“So, you’re two of the infamous Seven Devils.”

Byeorak’s voice was coarse—so rough it almost sounded metallic.

The two men, already drenched in sweat, tensed even further at the sound of it.

“M-May we ask for your esteemed name, sir?”

At that, Byeorak chuckled.

“Haha, I’m not that old. No need to call me ‘esteemed elder’ just yet.”

His smile was awkward, almost sheepish—completely unlike the monstrous figure the world had painted him to be.

The demon who had supposedly trained in forbidden arts.

The cannibal who slaughtered and devoured children.

The madman who had aligned himself with the demonic sects.

The contrast was staggering.

“Then, may we at least ask for your name?”

“My name, huh… My name…”

After a brief moment of contemplation, he smiled again.

It was a pure smile, untouched by deceit—yet the exhaustion etched into his face made it appear somber, almost haunting.

“My name is Byeorak. I lost my surname long ago.”

—

Meanwhile, at the Namgung Clan…

“What the hell were you trying to do?!”

Yu So-eun’s sharp voice rang throughout the hall.

Namgung Bin—her brother-in-law and the acting patriarch of the Namgung Clan—responded with a sly smirk.

It was the kind of smile one might expect from a snake, black and treacherous.

“Whatever do you mean, sister-in-law?”

“You know damn well what I mean! Didn’t we agree? We were supposed to exile him—not kill him!”

Bin’s smirk widened.

“I should be asking you that. We had the perfect opportunity to execute him—why didn’t you take it?”

“You bastard…!”

They were arguing over the earlier decision regarding Namgung Cheolbin’s execution.

“The agreement was important,” Bin admitted, “but tell me—who in the entire martial world can stop him if he ever decides to rebel? If he so much as wills it, the bloodshed will be catastrophic—tens, no, hundreds of thousands could die.”

“Don’t spew nonsense. That’s nothing but speculation.”

“Are you ignoring everything he’s done up until now?”

“…Tsk.”

Yu So-eun bit her lower lip hard, drawing a thin trickle of blood.

“Just be honest with yourself. You still have feelings for him, don’t you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Who in their right mind would still love that piece of human trash?”

“Then why did you oppose his execution? You even cried while arguing against it! The government officials who attended the meeting were left speechless.”

“Because execution is too much!” she snapped. “No matter what unimaginable crimes he supposedly committed… nothing changes the fact that thousands—no, tens of thousands—of people owe their lives to him! That includes both you and me!”

“That’s all in the past. What matters is the present. No matter what kind of hero he was, he’s nothing more than a monster now. How many more victims will you allow?”

“I already told you—stop treating assumptions as facts!”

“His crimes alone are enough to warrant execution. Murder, rape, smuggling, tax evasion—even infiltration of the imperial treasury. The authorities only need your permission, and they’ll have him arrested and executed by dismemberment.”

“That’s bullshit! None of those things would even exist if it weren’t for him! And now, he has nothing. He’s lost everything he built as the Sword Star. He saved the world and lost everything in return—what else do you want to take from him?!”

“We should have at least broken one of his legs,” Bin muttered coldly. “Or branded his forehead with a criminal’s mark.”

“Enough. The decision has already been made. This is the end of it. The Namgung Clan has cut ties with that trash. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

“Then…”

Namgung Bin’s thick fingers slithered like a snake, resting on Yu So-eun’s shoulder.

Startled, she immediately shoved him away.

Bin simply smirked, his lips curling into a dark, twisted grin.

“Shall we discuss brother’s widow marriage now?”

“……!”

Shiiing!

In an instant, Yu So-eun’s sword was unsheathed, its blade pressing coldly against Namgung Bin’s throat.

Feeling the icy steel against his skin, Bin instinctively swallowed hard, stepping back.

“Don’t delude yourself. Just because the trash has been cast out doesn’t mean you get to take his place.”

“…….”

“And if you ever lay a hand on me again…” Her voice dropped to a chilling whisper. “Just imagine what happens next. I’ll personally separate that pig-like head of yours from your body.”

“A-Alright, alright. Let’s not be rash. Put the sword down—you might actually kill someone.”

“You mean a pig.”

“Tch. Damn it, you’re going to be a pain to break in.”

“…What did you just say?”

“Nothing at all.” Bin quickly raised his hands in mock surrender. “I’ll be taking my leave now. Try to calm yourself, sister-in-law.”

With that, he turned and walked away, sneaking a quick flick of his tongue across his lips as he left.

Yu So-eun stood frozen in place for a long time.

Only when she finally thought of her daughter did she move, making her way toward Namgung Sua’s room.

The door was slightly ajar.

Peeking inside, she saw her daughter curled up under the blankets, sobbing softly in the dark.

“Hic… sniff…”

Was she mourning the father she had just lost?

“Haah… Why did he have to do it…?”

Yu So-eun couldn’t see her daughter’s face, but the damp air in the room made it clear how long she had been crying.

“If only he hadn’t met that woman… If only he hadn’t… we could’ve still been a family… We wouldn’t have had to separate…”

Looking closer, she noticed that Sua had pulled her pillow under the covers, hugging it tightly—just like she used to when she was younger, imagining it was her father while he was away at war.

“But still… He has to live properly now… Haah…”

“She’s still so fragile… I thought she had grown, but she’s still just a child.”

“But at least… at least he shouldn’t go to hell when he dies…!”

“…….”

“He has to atone for everything while he’s alive… so that when he dies, he can finally rest in peace…!”

“……”

“Hic… sob… wuaaaah…!”

Quietly, Yu So-eun pulled the door shut and stepped away.

“So he shouldn’t go to hell, huh…?”

For some reason, those words lingered in her heart.

Maybe it was because the day had been exhausting—the morning alone had drained her beyond belief.

A wave of dizziness hit her, and she stumbled into her bedroom.

She hadn’t set foot inside for months, treating it as a forbidden space.

“Nngh…”

Holding her head, she collapsed onto the bed, instinctively leaning to the side—resting her hand on the spot where Cheolbin used to sit.

“…I wonder if he’ll be alright.”

At the Namgung Council that morning…

She had deliberately spoken cruel words.

She had feared that if he lingered—if he stood there, humiliated and torn apart by the clan—he would suffer more than he could bear.

So she had ensured the final blow came from her.

The man she once loved.

The man she hated enough to want to kill.

But in the end… she still wanted him to suffer a little less.

“Maybe… I was too harsh.”

She had tried not to worry.

But how could she not?

She was the one who had passed down her soft-hearted nature to Sua.

“No. Why am I even worrying about him? That trash who fooled around with other women. That lunatic who ruined countless children’s lives and—ate—human flesh.”

She tried to ignore it.

Tried to force herself to forget.

But once a thought took hold, it only led to another.

“…But still. At his core, he was a good person.”

More thoughts followed.

“He always gave everything for others. He was cold on the outside, but kind in his own way.”

She had liked that about him.

That steadfastness, that unwavering strength—

That was what had made her want to bear his children, to build a family with him.

But people change.

And he had changed.

From a devoted husband to an unfaithful womanizer.

At first, she hadn’t believed it.

Rumors were often false.

Even when evidence surfaced and his crimes were confirmed, she still refused to believe it.

Because she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes.

Even when the entire world turned against him, even when everyone abandoned him—

She had continued to believe in him.

Just as Namgung Cheolbin had once believed in her.

Without saying a word, without making it obvious—she had simply believed.

Because the man she knew could not have done such things.

She had believed his explanations.

That he had been absent for days because he was donating in secret.

That he had been eradicating the last remnants of the Blood Cult.

She had ignored all the undeniable proof of his evil deeds.

And clung to the good—despite having no proof at all—simply because he had said so.

But then—

That night.

The night he came home late.

Drunk.

With his brother.

That was when her belief began to crack.

Grit—

Just thinking about it made her blood boil.

More blood trickled from her already-bitten lip.

The sting had long since turned into a deep, burning pain.

“Hah… Damn it. Who am I to lecture Sua?”

She was still worrying about a man who had once come home reeking of alcohol, calling her his wife—

With another woman’s red lipstick smeared across his cheek.

Remembering the foolish woman she had been just that morning—

The woman who had still held lingering feelings for him—

Filled her with disgust.

“…Stupid bitch.”

I should have cursed him out even more.

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