Chapter v10c1

“Finally, we set off.”

Today was a very meaningful day.

He felt proud in his heart.

Last night, he was too excited to sleep a wink.

“Depart!”

At the moment when the dawn rising over the horizon chased away the darkness,

They thus left for the Hwasan.

It seemed that the journey of Bi Ryu Yeon and his party would not be a smooth one.

No one could confidently predict the fate that awaited them as they finally left the Cheonmu Martial Arts School.

Bi Ryu Yeon is admitted!

Rumors!

They are passed through people’s mouths and ears, sometimes swelling like a snowball, and sometimes disappearing silently like dust.

They can make a word travel a thousand miles without feet, sometimes become a stage for people’s imagination, causing the start and end to be absurdly distorted, putting people in awkward positions. And occasionally, they even possess the cruelty of a heedless grim reaper’s blade, cutting off the tongue of its master or being plucked out like a sword.

However, there is no doubt that they entertain the ears of people and frequently provide topics for conversation. If these rumors did not exist, the taste of alcohol for all martial artists would have halved, and the sales of many in the liquor industry would have plummeted to one-fifth. Rumors were indeed a leading contributor to the liquor industry. They indeed held a secretive power that made people’s ears tingle with interest.

Now, the Cheonmu Martial Arts School was very noisy because of one rumor. The content of that rumor made six out of ten male disciples cheer, drove two out of ten into a frenzy, and nearly killed the remaining one out of ten with excitement.

Amid various conjectures and hypotheses, the truth was buried in vain as the story grew endlessly larger. It was one of the most interesting events that had happened recently, so it was natural for people to focus their attention here. It was a rumor about a man.

“Miss must have heard the rumor too?”

Yong Cheon Myeong stood stiffly in one corner of the Gun Ung Hoe palga president’s office and asked Cheol Ok Jam Ma Ha Ryeong, who was sipping tea from a celadon cup while sitting at her desk. She was still slim and beautiful.

Yong Cheon Myeong’s visit was about ten days ago. When Ma Ha Ryeong heard of his visit, she was quite puzzled.

‘Was he that interested in that guy?’

Unless there was an urgent matter, it was rare for him to visit this place. After all, the two groups they led were in competition with each other. Therefore, such an impulsive summit meeting was bound to be rare. Moreover, because of some past memories, Ma Ha Ryeong always treated Yong Cheon Myeong coldly. Naturally, their relationship had to become distant. But it was the delicious rumor about that guy that brought Yong Cheon Myeong all the way to the president’s office of the Gun Ung Hoe.

“Every day, rumors reach my ears regardless of the place. With that frequency, even a deaf person could hear it, couldn’t they?”

Her response was not at all gentle. It felt as if it was bristling with thorns. Suddenly, Yong Cheon Myeong felt as if he was talking to a fierce feral cat.

“Then, what are your thoughts, Miss?”

It was a question with an omitted direct object. Yong Cheon Myeong did not clarify the part he was curious about. As soon as the question ended, an unexpected torrent of abuse burst from her mouth.

“That utterly impolite wretch, who seems to have thrown all manners into the trash, must have met his match this time and received the divine punishment he deserved. It’s a very natural and satisfying event. Ice Sword Master did a very righteous and honorable thing, setting an example for others. My honest feeling is that I want to go and thank him with a bundle of gifts.”

Yong Cheon Myeong was caught up in the explosion of Ma Ha Ryeong’s emotions. Her feelings burst out in an instant, overwhelming him. In fact, she was seriously considering sending a bundle of gifts to Ice Sword Master in gratitude for his act of justice. That rumor had indeed refreshed her pent-up feelings. When she heard the news, she felt as if a decade-long constipation had been cured in an instant, shaking with intense pleasure. She felt almost sorry if she did not express a little gratitude, which showed how happy she was with the news.

For example, after hearing the rumor that Bi Ryu Yeon had fought a duel with Ice Sword Master and urgently admitted to the medical center’s intensive care unit, her appetite returned, her weekly food consumption doubled, and her rough and dry skin seemed to regain its luster. It was impossible to count how many times she cheered inwardly when she thought of Bi Ryu Yeon.

‘Bi Ryu Yeon!’

She looked at her wrist as if it had been dirtied by filth, still feeling the humiliation of that day like a lingering aftertaste tormenting her heart.

‘Bi Ryu Yeon… you bastard! You finally met your match after acting so high and mighty!’

She was Ma Ha Ryeong, who still could not erase from her mind the face of that rude man who called her ‘fatty.’ The suppressed anger made her jade-like fingers tremble, and that anger soon transformed into ecstasy. She imagined the current state he was in.

“What I’m curious about is why he ended up in such a state after confronting Ice Sword Master.”

After observing Ma Ha Ryeong’s behavior for a moment, Yong Cheon Myeong spoke again. It was a question that still lingered in his mind. No matter how reckless and thunderous Bi Ryu Yeon was, it was hard to believe that he would dare to oppose Ice Sword Master Cheol Soo, one of the Five Great Swordsmen.

What exactly happened between the two of them?

“You’re curious about everything, Yong Master! He must have been hospitalized in the medical center’s intensive care unit because he got what he deserved for not knowing his place. It’s like a moth that has smeared itself with oil jumping into the fire…”

Her tone was still chilling. If the listener had been anyone other than Yong Cheon Myeong, they would have shivered from the penetrating cold.

“I had no idea you hated Bi Ryu Yeon that much.”

Her anger was beyond fierce; it was relentless. That was very unexpected for him.

‘Such a blockhead!’

Ma Ha Ryeong had no choice but to grumble inwardly at Yong Cheon Myeong’s thoughtless words. He was still a man with an endless lack of tact. However, she did not voice the word ‘blockhead’ aloud. She had enough discernment not to do that.

“It’s surprising that you haven’t devoured him yet.”

Yong Cheon Myeong said, intimidated by her fierce momentum. It was his sincere thought. Instead of getting angry, she smiled coldly.

“I wish I could have.”

“Aren’t you paying too much attention to him?”

Suddenly, Ma Ha Ryeong glared at him with dagger eyes.

“What did you say?”

Ma Ha Ryeong still had the humiliation inflicted by Bi Ryu Yeon clinging to her memory like a leech. That humiliation flickered before her eyes incessantly, appearing in her dreams every night, scene by scene, in a continuous narrative. Because of Bi Ryu Yeon, Ma Ha Ryeong was on the verge of nervous breakdown.

If possible, she wanted to completely eradicate his existence from this world. If she could just do that, she could stretch out her legs and sleep peacefully without being tormented by nightmares… And the insult she had suffered could be neatly folded and buried with Bi Ryu Yeon’s coffin… She deeply regretted that she couldn’t do that. Only because of this good news was she able to calm herself down.

“It’s a pity that he’s still breathing. Or perhaps it’s better this way. Because it means I still have the chance to personally end him.”

It was a terribly venomous and chilling statement.

Crack!

The teacup in her hand shattered into powder, as if she was crushing Bi Ryu Yeon’s shadow! Her anger had already evaporated the contents, so the hot tea did not scald her hand. She was still grinding her teeth, unable to suppress her anger. Just imagining it seemed to make rage shoot up above her head.

‘Do they say when a woman harbors hatred, frost falls in June?’Watching Ma Ha Ryeong’s terrifying response, Yong Cheon Myeong painfully realized that it was beneficial for his well-being to be more cautious when dealing with women. True to the compassionate nature of a Shaolin disciple, he did not forget to pray for Bi Ryu Yeon’s soul. It seemed unlikely that he would get another chance to return the insult of Bi Ryu Yeon and the divine sword of Shaolin, the Green Jade Buddha Sword, had received.

“It would be better for him to just lie in the intensive care unit and not wake up.”

He himself had been insulted by Bi Ryu Yeon, but compared to the venom Ma Ha Ryeong was spewing, his anger was but a drop in the ocean. It seemed true that a woman could be weak yet strong, gentle yet cruel, kind yet wicked. He couldn’t shake the thought that it might be better to have a grudge with a ghost than with such a woman.

Where there is light, there will be shadows, and where there is Yin, there is Yang.

It was undeniable that most people were happy about the rumor, but not everyone was celebrating. There were those who could not believe his injuries.

“No matter how much I want to believe it, I still can’t feel it’s real!”

Those who were not part of the ordinary crowd were the members of the Ju-jakdan. While others cheered, they trembled with anxiety, fearing that Bi Ryu Yeon might suddenly rise like a specter. Eventually, they decided to meet and exchange opinions rather than brood alone. No matter how much the opponent was the Ice Sword Master, it just didn’t seem credible that the unbridled and unruly Bi Ryu Yeon would be taken down so easily. They were skeptical of any situation related to Bi Ryu Yeon, a result of his consistent ‘education.’

“Is it really true?”

Namgung Sang was the first among the sixteen members of the Ju-jakdan to express doubt. Although his martial arts skills had improved rapidly recently, his perceptiveness had not.

“Well…”

Hyunwoon gave a noncommittal answer.

“To be honest, I can’t believe it. The great senior brother, who was fearless and cunning, to be so easily defeated and hospitalized in the intensive care unit, even if the opponent was the Ice Sword Master? Haven’t we always doubted anything related to our senior brother? We’ve suffered too much to just naively believe it. Haven’t we been duped by our senior brother more than once or twice?”

That was Hyunwoon’s honest feeling. The infinite skepticism towards Bi Ryu Yeon was a bastard child of their defensive instincts.

“Did the two really have a duel?”

Namgung Sansan asked. It would be an unprecedented event, so her doubt was justified.

“Of course. Na Yerin and Jin Seol have already confirmed it. Whatever the reason – surely it’s not a significant one – but the fact that the two had a duel is certain.”

Jinryeong confirmed Namgung Sansan’s question, but that didn’t completely dispel their doubts. They had been forced to witness what they did not want to see—the monstrous divinity of their senior brother, Bi Ryu Yeon.

Namgung Sang spoke cautiously.

“But even if he fought the Ice Sword Master, would our monstrous senior brother have been defeated so easily? The same senior brother who returned unscathed even from the terrifying Iron Calvary of Death!?”

Namgung Sang would never forget what happened that day. The same was true for the others. Their faces turned serious at the thought, and they still felt chills down their spines when they thought of that day’s events.

“Right! There’s no way that damned senior brother would be taken down so easily. There must be some ulterior motive this time too. It smells fishy.”

Nohak, who had been fooled several times by Bi Ryu Yeon’s gentle touch, strongly agreed with Namgung Sang’s opinion. His survival instincts, honed by a life of begging, were fiercely stimulating his mind and nerves.

“Then we better not show too much joy. Of course, we’re overjoyed, but if by any chance we get caught by the senior brother’s eye—”

The mere thought was enough to bring on a chilling disaster. Their faces turned pale at the idea.

Nohak slammed the table emphatically.

“Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me!”

In truth, they had been fooled more than a dozen times.

“We must never let our guard down with the senior brother. He’s a monster! Let’s not make the mistake of measuring him by the standards of ordinary humans. How many times have we fallen for his wicked tricks?”

Their past experiences taught them that judging by appearances alone could lead to a major setback. The phenomena unfolding before their eyes were the ultimate truth, and especially any matter related to Bi Ryu Yeon should never be taken lightly under any sweet-talking circumstances.

“Don’t follow the senior brother even if he offers candy. Read the other side lurking behind the surface!”

That was the greatest lesson they had learned from Bi Ryu Yeon. Regrettably, they had never once successfully applied this lesson in reality. They were now sitting around in serious discussion to determine the truth of the current situation and decide on their future course of action. They were afraid of the backlash that would come if they showed too much joy, even if Bi Ryu Yeon was wrapped in bandages and lying in bed. That’s why they couldn’t give themselves over to the wave of joy sweeping through the Cheonmu Martial Arts School. The potential consequences were too terrifying.

“Umm…”

“Uhh…”

“Hmm…”

Cheol Su, the grandmaster of the Cheonmu Martial Arts School and a legendary swordsman, repeatedly grabbed and let go of the iron doorknob several times. As if the doorknob was heated by fire, he couldn’t easily grasp it. A master swordsman of great renown was clearly nervous now.

Crack!

Once again, as if he had firmly resolved, he gripped the doorknob tightly. However, the wooden door of the medical center, as if it were a ten-thousand-pound iron wall, did not open. Of course, the door wasn’t actually a ten-thousand-pound weight. It was impossible due to the complexity of the manufacturing process, even if one wanted it. Nor was it equipped with dozens of anti-intrusion locks. Despite being an ordinary door that could be found anywhere, the Ice Sword Master couldn’t open it as if the gates of hell were barred.

“Uhh…”

Once again, a low moan escaped his lips. His steps were not easily taken, as if glue was stuck to the soles of his feet. He was still consumed by worry, expending a great deal of mental energy. Whether to enter as is, or to turn around and act as if all this never happened—it was not too late. He had yet to tie the knot in his heart. After hesitating for a long time, the Ice Sword Master finally resolved, set his face sternly, and forcefully pulled open the door of the medical center.

Creak!

With a sharp noise, the door to the medical center opened, and the thick scent of medicine flowed out on the wind. The Ice Sword Master stepped forward and entered.

Thud!

Contrary to the effort it took to open, the door closed all too easily.