Chapter v10c5

When he got up from his seat the next day, the ice sword still couldn’t wake up from this terrible nightmare. Only then did he realize that this nightmare was reality. The sense of helplessness he felt then was an unprecedented vastness. He still couldn’t feel the reality of the situation even now.

Then why, if the ice sword was the one who was dealt with, why was it Bi Ryu Yeon who was admitted to the hospital? And not just any room, but in the intensive care unit, where only the seriously ill could be admitted…?

This was Bi Ryu Yeon’s suggestion. After making the ice sword his disciple, Bi Ryu Yeon said,

“Umm…Maybe we should be admitted to a clinic first.”

“No, who are you talking about? Everyone seems fine to me.”

Yeom Do asked. The ice sword had been beaten up a bit, but it wasn’t enough to be hospitalized.

“Of course, it’s me!”

His tone suggested it was obvious.

“But why? Did you suffer some serious internal injury that’s not visible?”

If that was the case, it would be a silver lining for Yeom Do.

“Why? Are you going to celebrate by yourself? Sorry, but unfortunately, I’m perfectly fine and full of life. I’m as vigorous as one could be for another five hundred years.”

Bi Ryu Yeon was very well versed in the art of making the same statement in an annoying way to get under someone’s skin.

“But why?”

Both Yeom Do, who asked the question, and the ice sword were curious.

“Because many people saw me going to a duel with the ice sword master. Now I need to find an excuse to give to others. If I’m walking around healthy, no one will believe it, right? So, I need to show people the result they want to see. A result that everyone can accept!”

Indeed, Bi Ryu Yeon’s mind was sharp.

“Is that really for that ice block?”

Yeom Do shot him a skeptical look. It was the intuition built up over the time they had spent together.

“Of course. It’s definitely not because I don’t want to go to classes. And it’s certainly not to neglect my duties as an escort. Of course, without me, Mo Yong Hwi might struggle a bit, but that’s a good thing. When else will you get to escort a beauty if not when you’re young?”

His answer was immediate, but the content was somewhat troubling. Honestly, he could have just said, ‘I really hate studying, so I’m going to skip a few days,’ but Bi Ryu Yeon was still not straightforward.

However, Yeom Do knew that it was pointless to nitpick further.

“Do as you wish!”

Once the two agreed with Bi Ryu Yeon’s opinion, he directed the details. It was decided that the winner of the duel would be the ice sword. That way, there was a reason for hospitalization. It was Bi Ryu Yeon’s deep intention because it would be easy to convince people and also save the disciple’s face. And by saving face this way, it could also have the effect of making the ice sword more compliant. Although this part was not explained to the two, in fact, it was not just a two-for-one effect but a three-for-one, or actually, a four-for-one strategy. The remaining one was the fact that while others were sweating and training hard, he could lie comfortably in a soft bed.

Since there was a possibility that Cheon Su Shin’s Heo Ju Un might notice Bi Ryu Yeon’s feigned illness, an additional setup was added that he had been injured by the ice sword’s unique martial arts and needed to be treated with the ice sword’s techniques. He also specifically instructed that the ice sword should use his influence to secure a private room.

The ice sword had no choice but to follow Bi Ryu Yeon’s words, whether he liked it or not. After all, he had sworn to serve Bi Ryu Yeon as his master. Besides, there was nothing to lose since his public face was being saved. Thus, Bi Ryu Yeon was able to lie comfortably in a hospital bed with a perfectly healthy body.

For this reason, Bi Ryu Yeon had been continuously hospitalized these past few days. And judging by his current state, he seemed to have no intention of being discharged for many more days.

It was a very intelligent way for Bi Ryu Yeon to skip classes. Moreover, although he was skipping classes, it was clear that his plans for nightly outings were tightly scheduled without a break.

Flap!

The vigorous flapping sound that pulled the ice sword from the infinite nightmare to the reality of the ground was the sound of the king of the blue skies, Thunderbird, flying in through the open window and gracefully landing on his shoulder, folding its wings. It then rubbed its face against his head, playing affectionately. Bi Ryu Yeon laughed and indulged in the playfulness.

“Ahahaha! Stop, stop! It tickles! It tickles, I said…”

It seemed that Thunderbird had become more spoiled because he hadn’t played with it properly lately due to the excuse of not having time.

Peep! Peep!

Thunderbird’s affectionate onslaught was so intense that it could peck out an eye if one wasn’t careful. It might even look like someone was being attacked by a raptor, but Bi Ryu Yeon didn’t seem to mind.

“Isn’t the cold wind bad for a patient?”

The ice sword spoke in a chilly tone. His words were blunt as if his tongue was twisted.

“Ah! How can my disciples lack such affection and respect for their master… Oh ho! It’s a calamity,” Bi Ryu Yeon lamented internally about the current state of affairs for a moment but then answered his question with a smiling face. After all, it was a master’s duty to teach his disciples when they didn’t know something.

“Usually, that’s the case. But sometimes there are exceptions, right?”

Of course, a malingerer definitely falls under the exception, but the ice sword didn’t voice that out loud.

“But what brings you here? It smells like medicine, sometimes I want to pinch my nose when visiting such places.”

“Just worried, that’s all.”

Of course, that wasn’t sincere. But he needed a lot of courage and patience to face reality. Up to this day, he had to control himself from hundreds of fierce impulses to murder and dozens of intense impulses to commit suicide. It was never an easy task.

“You’re a fine disciple.”

The ice sword felt a twinge in his heart at the language used by Bi Ryu Yeon, who spoke with a smiling face.

“Disciple!”

“Ugh!”

It was a groan as if his heart was being wrung out. It was still a sound that hurt his chest every time he heard it, or even thought about it. He always felt a sense of incongruity. Even now, the sense of incongruity that had ambushed him seemed like it would never disappear. He had not yet overcome the cold feeling and the inevitable sense of incongruity that the language brought. It was an unprecedented humiliation in his life. And he had not become accustomed to that humiliation like someone else. Not yet!

In this matter, Bi Ryu Yeon was not particularly hasty. He liked perfection. Especially, as Yeom Do would put it, he was particularly persistent when it came to deceiving others.

“Don’t look at me like that for too long. It’s embarrassing!”

Bi Ryu Yeon said to the ice sword, who had been silently staring at him for a while. He was still a thorough rationalist. He had no intention of changing his beliefs at this point.

“Are you feeling better now?”

No matter how much they ‘despised’ each other, a fellow sect member was still a fellow sect member. How could Yeom Do be replicating the actions he had taken at the beginning…

“Feeling better? Of course, I’m fine. How could I not be when I was never injured in the first place?”

His words were as full of life as the spring that brings all things to life. It was a moment when the threatening ‘No Entry! Absolute Rest!’ sign hanging in front of his hospital room became meaningless and embarrassing.

“Isn’t your complexion too good?”

“Chuckle, should I look more haggard? Even though I’m supposedly seriously ill… chuckle.”

Bi Ryu Yeon seemed to find the situation quite amusing.

“How did you manage to deceive Heo Ju Un’s eyes? No feigned illness has ever escaped his eyes and hands…”

It was something even the ice sword himself could not have been sure of, to deceive the eyes of Heo Ju Un, known as the god of medicine, so perfectly. Yet Bi Ryu Yeon did it with flair.

“If you have perfect control over your own body, it’s not that difficult.”

Bi Ryu Yeon spoke in his typical nonchalant manner.

“Didn’t I tell you before? I’d rather not repeat an answer I’ve already given once. It’s inefficient.”

“Is that really why you’re here? Truly?”

He wanted to know the real reason why Bi Ryu Yeon was doing this. The reason he didn’t boast about his defeat, the reason he disguised himself as a critically ill patient. He came here, braving the discomfort, to understand the true underlying reason and genuine purpose. He had lived in the world too long to take Bi Ryu Yeon’s words at face value. But asking Bi Ryu Yeon for a more sophisticated reason was laughable in itself.

“Well, do you really need more of a reason? I needed a disciple, not the fame of having defeated one. And when I think about it, there are so many reasons. Being able to skip the hardest training and rest comfortably for twelve hours… It seems like an excellent choice after all!”

Bi Ryu Yeon answered with a slight smile. It wasn’t sarcasm. But to the ice sword, it wasn’t a convincing smile.

“I really want to know. I can’t accept this reality without understanding that! Please tell me!”

The ice sword shouted emotionally, uncharacteristically.

“Oh dear, oh dear! You’re being too humble to your master. Don’t forget, from now on, you have to call me master. That’s the result of the duel and the promise between the elder and me!”

He was still smiling, but his words were as sharp as a blade.

“I won’t forget.”

“Good!”

Bi Ryu Yeon nodded.

There was nothing left to discuss. It seemed best to leave.

“Then I’ll take my leave. Rest well.”

“Goodbye. And don’t forget to bring a get-well gift next time you visit. Even the smallest things can build resentment between people, so always be careful, careful, and careful.”

Bi Ryu Yeon waved goodbye to the ice sword. It seemed that the ice sword not bringing a get-well gift had been bothering him all along.