Chapter v18c2

“Leave.”

The air behind the dark curtain vibrated with a heavy weight.

“As you command.”

Bi bowed respectfully and retreated, stepping backward.

“Wait.”

Bi’s movements, carefully executed as he retreated with a bowed head, halted abruptly.

“…”

He waited for the next command, but it didn’t come. A suffocating silence filled the air. A bead of cold sweat trickled down Bi’s forehead, tracing a path down his cheek. Just then, the steadily burning candles flickered violently.

“Failure is failure! Actions have consequences! There are no exceptions, not even for you!”

Bi waited in silence for the impending judgment.

“You will be held accountable for your failure.”

Finally. It was a strange sense of relief, a release from the oppressive weight that had been bearing down on him.

“Of course. I don’t seek exceptions, nor will I shift blame onto my subordinates. My arrogance and incompetence have rendered ten years of meticulous planning meaningless. A crucial plan has been delayed, so I won’t offer paltry excuses. I’m prepared for the consequences.”

He refused to grovel.

“Good. I see I haven’t taught you wrong, if you’re not running from the consequences of your actions. Go and reflect on your actions for now. I will inform you of your punishment when it is decided.”

“As you command.”

Bowing once more in polite deference, Bi carefully backed out of the room. He sat and watched him go. With a grinding screech, the heavy iron door swallowed the sliver of light that had seeped in. Darkness enveloped the space once more.

“Must I start everything from the beginning?”

A low murmur emanated from the darkness.

* * *

Free from the oppressive weight that had been crushing him, the air trapped within his lungs transformed into a sigh and escaped in a single burst.

“Phew…”

It was a long, drawn-out sigh, as if he wanted to expel every last bit of air from the chamber he had just left.

“What a terrifying presence…”

A crushing pressure, the kind one might feel with a thousand-pound weight pressing down on their heart. The tension he had felt when facing the Three Saints of Cheonmu, the living legends of the martial world, paled in comparison. Of course, they might have been underestimating him, letting their guard down, but even considering that difference, it couldn’t compare to this chilling sensation, like icy hooks scraping against his heart.

Perhaps he had developed immunity to that kind of pressure when facing the Three Saints of Cheonmu? But he was far from immune to this. Even though he had been exposed to it for a much longer time.

“…I can’t seem to get used to it. Not at all…”

Some might criticize it as complacency, but humans were said to possess an extraordinary talent for adaptability, for getting used to things. This assessment was largely accurate. However, there were exceptions to every rule, and this was one of them. There were things in the world of experience that one couldn’t get used to, no matter how long they had been exposed to them. The evidence lay beyond the iron door behind him, in the darkness. It was as if an unbridgeable chasm of separation lay before him.

“Is this what absolute means…?”

If even this wasn’t absolute, then what was absolute? What was ultimate? An unparalleled realm, unmatched and irreplaceable. It was a world he couldn’t even begin to fathom with his limited understanding. It existed beyond his comprehension.

“Why are you sighing so dramatically? You’ll collapse the ground.”

He almost turned around instinctively. But he managed to suppress the urge. Even though he had been lost in thought, he had no desire to reveal that he hadn’t sensed his presence. It would be disgraceful.

‘When did he…!’

He maintained his composure, pretending to be nonchalant, and replied in a cold voice without turning around,

“Is that you, Second Brother?”

He could sense the person’s identity without looking, relying solely on his heightened senses.

A response came immediately.

“Oh, you’re not even turning around, Brother? How disappointing.”

“Disappointing? Since when did you, cold as a winter river, become so sentimental?”

“You think that little of me? That’s just…”

The young man’s voice, filled with exaggerated disappointment as he clutched his temple, trailed off. His jovial smile, once so expansive, froze over.

‘When did he…?’

He had only shaken his head for a split second. Yet, Bi had appeared before him like a ghost, without a sound. The young man felt a chill run down his spine.

‘Is that a tie…?’

The match ended in a draw. Bi’s response had completely nullified the slight psychological advantage he had held.

‘As expected…!’

But he recovered quickly.

The young man’s frozen expression thawed, replaced by a wide grin.

“Oh my, you scared me! I thought my heart stopped, Brother!”

The young man exclaimed dramatically.

“That’s a shame.”

Bi replied, his tone heavy with regret. It was clear he wasn’t happy about this encounter. He was very honest in that regard. He hated hypocrisy, the act of smiling to someone’s face and then badmouthing them behind their back. His eyes, despite the fact that they were brothers, were cold and sharp, piercing his opponent’s gaze like a blade.

Standing there was a slender young man, clad in luxurious robes embroidered with silver thread. He was perhaps twenty-five years old? He exuded an air of extravagance, as if he would sprinkle flower petals on the ground just to walk on them.

A large, luminous jade necklace, a purple headband, and a jade belt adorned his waist. He was clearly the type who spared no expense in embellishing his appearance. The jade pendant hanging around his neck was particularly noteworthy, its size alone, half the size of his palm, intimidating enough to discourage inquiries about its price. And his left ear was adorned with five small, golden hoop earrings. It made one wonder if they weren’t uncomfortable to wear. The young man remained unfazed by Bi’s piercing glare, seemingly immune to it. Bi knew better than anyone that he wasn’t genuinely upset. Just like him.

“Brother, it’s been a while.”

The flamboyant young man, seemingly in his mid-twenties, greeted him with a casual bow and a dazzling smile.

“Si-Geon, it has been a while. What brings you here?”

Bi addressed him by his full name, his voice as dry and emotionless as a withered tree, a stark contrast to the vulnerability he had shown earlier. There was no trace of the weakness he had displayed behind the stone door. His gaze was cold and sharp, as piercing as a blade.

“You’re so formal. Why not just call me ‘Geon’? It’ll strengthen our brotherly bond, wouldn’t it, Brother?”

The flamboyant young man, Si-Geon, remained unfazed by the frigid stare, as cold as the winter moon. He was as pliant as a willow swaying in the spring breeze.

“Denied.”

The young man swayed, as if struck by a blow.

“You’re so cruel, Brother. Am I not your only junior brother? Aren’t we the only brothers in this world? You’re too much. How could you say that to me, your only junior brother, and drive such a large nail into my heart?”

A dramatic lament escaped Si-Geon’s lips as he clutched his chest. But Bi remained unmoved.

“You’re not the only one.”

Bi replied flatly. It was true that Si-Geon wasn’t his only junior brother

“Oh, let’s not quibble over minor details.”

Si-Geon recovered quickly, his previous distress forgotten. His voice was cheerful, almost giddy. The “other” junior brothers were instantly relegated to “minor details” in his flippant dismissal.

“More importantly, I haven’t received an answer yet.”

Bi interjected sharply, cutting him off.

“An answer? About what…? Ah, you mean my reason for being here?”

Bi nodded.

“I just finished my secluded training, so I came to pay my respects to Master. I’ve already reported to him.”

“Secluded training? Now that you mention it, I think I heard something about you entering seclusion. I did wonder why you’ve been absent.”

What he meant was that he hadn’t been curious at all, regardless of whether he knew about it. In fact, it didn’t matter whether he knew or not. The point was to simply acknowledge it. It was a way of saying, “Your existence holds that little significance to me.” It was enough to bruise the flamboyant young man’s pride. But he didn’t care about his reaction and asked again,

“And when did you emerge?”

The secret training chamber was located in a place where time flowed differently. He couldn’t have just emerged recently.

“…”

Si-Geon took two deep breaths before he could control his twitching facial muscles. He began to contemplate how he could provoke his arrogant brother.

“It’s been a while. Not that you care, Brother. You went out to achieve great things and returned in defeat… Ah, am I not supposed to talk about that?”

He feigned surprise at his own slip of the tongue, but it was all an act. Bi sighed inwardly, recognizing the mockery hidden behind the facade.

‘Now even he’s looking down on me.’

“It doesn’t matter. Facts don’t disappear just because you don’t speak them. You must be overjoyed.”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous. It was a plan ten years in the making. Imagine the setback if it failed. How could I possibly wish for failure? Please don’t say such things, even as a joke. I wouldn’t want people to misunderstand.”

His words were smooth, but laced with venom. Bi found his passive-aggressive demeanor annoying.

It was a talent, but whether it would benefit or harm him remained to be seen.

‘They’re not misunderstanding, they’re seeing right through you.’

Well, it didn’t matter. His junior brother might think he was hiding it well, but Bi knew that he saw him as an obstacle, a nuisance standing in his way. He would never become the leader as long as Bi remained in his path. The only way for him to seize the opportunity was to defeat him. There was no other way. Bi could understand his twisted emotions. But he wouldn’t tolerate them. He was welcome to challenge him if he thought he could win. But if he failed, he would vanish forever. He must be aware of that. That’s why he was still hesitant, resorting to verbal provocations instead of taking action. He was testing the waters, grating on his nerves.

“That sarcastic tone… It hasn’t dulled at all. It seems you had a very comfortable seclusion.”

Bi retorted sarcastically. He wasn’t ready to relinquish his psychological dominance. The tension between them stretched taut, neither willing to yield.

“Oh my! You’re so cold, Brother, after such a long time.”

“Did I say something untrue?”

“You know that the training chambers there have perfect climate control, Brother. I had a pleasant stay.”

Si-Geon replied dismissively, as if secluded training was nothing special. But Bi knew it was a bluff.

“To think you call that hellhole pleasant… that’s the only thing I can agree with you on. I hope your achievements match your eloquence.”

“I’m happy to hear that. Would you like a demonstration?”

A smile that concealed a blade.

Si-Geon’s delicate, handsome face was full of smiles, but it was a blatant provocation. His confident demeanor irritated Bi even further. He refused to let it end like this.

“By all means. But can you? You’ll have to try hard if you don’t want to be laughed at.”

Bi smiled. Si-Geon smiled back, and the flames of killing intent blossomed between them.

“I’m already trying. Don’t move. I can’t guarantee what will happen if you do.”

The smile on Si-Geon’s lips twisted into a sneer. Bi froze.

‘When did he…?’

This was the second time today, the second time in a row he had been caught off guard… Bi swallowed a groan, sensing the net of killing intent that surrounded him.

If he moved even slightly, the taut web of killing intent would lash out, tearing him apart like a furious storm.