Chapter v10c21: Escape

With a sudden shock, the waterway burst open, and Na Yerin and Bi Ryu Yeon were swept away by the current.

The current was stronger than expected, and at first, they couldn’t control their positions.

However, Bi Ryu Yeon had extensive experience with water, having trained in the Water Thunder Flight technique, which made him as comfortable in water as in his own home. Enduring half an hour underwater was a routine matter for him. He was skilled in water techniques. Surprisingly, Na Yerin was the one who struggled. Water techniques were her weakness. Despite her excellence in everything else, she had one area she couldn’t master: water techniques. Her weakness in water techniques was more due to environmental factors than a lack of talent.

Given her outstanding beauty, wearing a tight-fitting water-resistant suit that accentuated her figure would have been akin to a murderous plot to drive thousands of hot-blooded men to madness. Moreover, it was too dangerous for her. Wolves were lurking everywhere, waiting for a chance to take advantage of her. Who could she trust? Even eunuchs couldn’t be trusted.

Thus, she never had the opportunity to learn water techniques. Her surroundings never allowed it. Therefore, she was weak in water techniques. Prolonged submersion was fatal for her. Na Yerin soon lost consciousness due to breathing difficulties. There was still a long way to go before the waterway ended.

‘Damn!’

Bi Ryu Yeon grabbed the unconscious Na Yerin’s hand and swam desperately. The problem wasn’t him but Na Yerin. He had to get her out of the waterway before she suffocated.

‘I won’t let you die! Never!’

Bi Ryu Yeon swam with all his might. Thanks to the Black Dragon Ring on his limbs, his swimming was more like using lightness skill. His “swimming” involved pushing off the bottom every time he sank, propelling him forward.

Time was now his greatest enemy.

An old fisherman named Kang, who had made a living fishing in Lake Poyang for 30 years, was considered mad by the villagers one day. He had only told the truth, yet he was treated as a lunatic, which drove him crazy.

“Really, I’m telling the truth! There’s a dragon living in Lake Poyang! I saw it with my own eyes!”

But the villagers ignored Kang’s words. No one believed him.

“Hey, Jo. I swear I saw a dragon in Lake Poyang yesterday. It’s true!”

Even his friend of 30 years, Seok, didn’t believe him.

“You must be overworked and tired. Go home, wash up, and rest for a few days. You’ll feel better after some rest.”

Seok’s kind advice made it clear he didn’t believe Kang.

“I saw it! I really saw it! With my own eyes! There’s a dragon and a fairy living in Lake Poyang!”

He shouted desperately, but no one listened. Kang sat down on the ground, muttering.

“I saw it… I really did…”

It had happened the previous night, under a bright full moon. Kang was night fishing, casting his net into the dark blue lake.

“Whoosh!”

A head emerged from the dark, rippling water.

“Eek!”

Fisherman Kang, who was fishing under the moonlight in Lake Poyang, was so startled that he fell over. He almost lost his balance and fell into the water, but his 30 years of fishing experience saved him. At first, he thought it was a ghost. But when he saw the beautiful woman the man was holding, he realized it wasn’t a ghost and felt relieved. One thing he learned was that there was a fairy living in Lake Poyang, and she wasn’t good at swimming.

The man who had emerged from the water raised a hand and greeted him, “Hello! It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?” Kang, caught off guard, bowed in return. When he straightened up, the man and the fairy had vanished.

“Huh? Huh? What?”

It felt like he had been possessed by a ghost. Kang looked around for any sign of the two. Eventually, he saw it. A long, massive body swimming through the moonlit water! It was undoubtedly a dragon from legend. Nothing else could explain such a large, long body. Kang’s knees buckled in fear. The thought of being eaten terrified him. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. The dragon was swimming towards the shore, not the middle of the lake. It seemed to be following the two people.

Even after the dragon’s shadow disappeared from view, it took a while for Kang to sit down in his boat. He thanked the Dragon King for sparing his life. Little did he know that the dragon was actually the dead blood serpent being dragged by Bi Ryu Yeon’s Thunder Spirit Thread. Bi Ryu Yeon wasn’t one to leave behind the valuable blood serpent, which could be sold for a hefty sum, just because of difficult circumstances.

After dragging the unconscious Na Yerin to the shore, Bi Ryu Yeon laid her on dry ground. There was no sign of breathing when he placed his hand near her nose.

In such cases, artificial respiration was the only option.

Bi Ryu Yeon laid her flat on the ground and tilted her elegant neck back to secure her airway. Having trained in the Water Thunder Flight technique, consuming over twelve buckets of water, surviving numerous near-drowning incidents, and mastering artificial respiration and emergency measures, Bi Ryu Yeon was well-prepared.

Normally, artificial respiration requires compressing the chest with enough force to break ribs, but as a martial arts master, Bi Ryu Yeon didn’t need to worry about breaking Na Yerin’s ribs. He simply placed his hand on her “bosom” and gently infused his qi.

Slowly, Bi Ryu Yeon brought his hand to her chest. No man had ever dared to touch this sacred area, but he was about to make the first, albeit rude, move.

Thump, thump!

Suddenly, his heart rate increased, and his face turned red as blood rushed through his veins.

‘What’s happening?’

He didn’t particularly like this unique physiological reaction, but Bi Ryu Yeon focused on the task at hand.

He placed his palm on Na Yerin’s chest and infused his qi to compress her heart. Those who knew Bi Ryu Yeon might be surprised, but he didn’t harbor any ulterior motives or shift his hand to the side. He wasn’t the type to do such things without permission.

The next step was to blow air into her lungs through her mouth. Naturally, this required a kiss. His eyes fell on Na Yerin’s ruby-like lips. Unconsciously, he swallowed.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump, thump, thump.

His heart seemed to beat two and a half times faster than usual.

‘What’s going on? Am I going to die from a heart attack? This never happened before.’

But he couldn’t stop because of an irregular heartbeat. Bi Ryu Yeon’s lips met Na Yerin’s.

Whoosh!

With a reverent heart, he pressed his lips to hers and blew air into her lungs. He didn’t forget to pinch her nose.

Once, twice, three times.

Bi Ryu Yeon alternated between chest compressions and blowing air. Normally, the ratio should be fifteen to one, but as a martial arts master, he could simplify the procedure.

Chest compressions (?) and artificial respiration… What’s next?

‘Of course, tongue-to-tongue!’

Bi Ryu Yeon thought to himself. Of course, there was no such step in artificial respiration. He was just making it up.

“Cough, cough!”

Na Yerin coughed and spat out water. She began to breathe again. Bi Ryu Yeon’s face lit up with pure joy. He wasn’t disappointed that he couldn’t carry out his additional step. However, he might have felt a bit of regret.

“Yerin! Yerin! Are you conscious, Yerin!”

Bi Ryu Yeon kept calling her name. It took a moment for his voice to reach her consciousness. Fortunately, Bi Ryu Yeon had the patience to wait.

“…Ryu Yeon?”

Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing her dark, gem-like eyes that seemed to hold the stars of the night sky. Bi Ryu Yeon’s face was reflected in the lake of stars.

“Are you conscious now?”

Bi Ryu Yeon asked with a smile.

“Are we alive?”

“Of course! We still have 300-400 years left to live!”

“That’s a relief.”

Na Yerin, still in his arms, smiled gently. That smile was more beautiful and impressive than any precious gem. It was a smile that could captivate a person’s soul in an instant.

“I always end up smiling when I see you.”

Na Yerin felt that she had smiled more since meeting Bi Ryu Yeon than she had in her entire life. It was an undeniable fact, even if she didn’t want to admit it.