Chapter v8c2

Gongson Il chu, after finishing the remembrance ceremony, left the hall with heavy steps. As the Elder Sword Master of the council, his steps were as heavy as if he wore shoes of a thousand pounds, and his complexion was as somber as a corpse.

The remembrance Hall is a place meant to soothe spirits, opened when there are non natural duty related deaths. For natural deaths, there is a separate place called the Soul Shrine.

The Soul Shrine and the remembrance Hall serve different purposes. While the Soul Shrine simply honors the dead, the remembrance Hall not only honors and soothes the grudges of the deceased but also ignites the fighting spirit of the survivors.

Historically, the grand remembrance ceremony has been held with the hidden purpose of pouring courage into the hearts of the enraged allies and boosting morale.

However, even so, it was not a time to start a war.

Thud, thud!

With each step Gongson Il chu took, a deep breath anger was embedded. A mix of self reproach and an endless, unprecedented rage against the enemy! With each step, the ground seemed to scream and tremble.

He looked up silently at the cold blue sky, which filled his aged eyes.

“Did I cause their deaths?”

It felt as if his limbs had been severed. It had been a long time since so many of his subordinates, who served him like limbs, had died. He felt a pang in his heart thinking of those who died without leaving a name or even a body behind.

Because they were spies. Whether from the orthodox or unorthodox factions, spies do not leave names while alive. They always live in the shadow of the sun and the darkness of the night, and maintaining secrecy is their most important principle. However, if they died, they should at least leave a name. That’s what being part of the orthodox faction meant. If it were the unorthodox path, the deaths of spies or informants would have been buried in darkness, but those claiming the orthodox path could not do so. Even if they erased their names and existence from the world, it was the same.

“Will the murim be hit by a storm of blood after thirty years?”

Thirty years ago, after the Cheonwoo Jun dong Conflict, which was also known as the War of the Feathers, the current crisis was the first to hit since then. The atmosphere in all factions was far from calm.

A hundred years after the Heavenly Tribulation Bloodbath, the orthodox and unorthodox factions maintained a semblance of peace despite their squabbles. However, seventy years later, the fragile peace in the rivers and lakes, which had been maintained by a precarious balance, faced a major threat from an unexpected enemy. The hidden remnants of the followers of Cheonwoo Jun dong, Cheonwoo, who had successfully ambushed for seventy years.

Thirty years ago, there was a massive fight with the feathers, namely the Chenwoo Sect Annihilation Operation, also known as the Feather Plucking Operation.

What does “feather” mean here? In the murim, it’s a cursed name! It’s a collective term for the remaining forces and hidden followers of the Chenwoo Sect. Despite the disappearance and uncertain life or death of Chenwoo, the actual ruler and everything of the Chenwoo Sect, the sect did not completely disappear and stubbornly left behind remnants. They were the Chenwoo Sect! Those who fell from the body were collectively named “feathers.”

Despite the disappearance of their spiritual pillar and the absence of a leader, their resistance was fierce and secretive, enough to raise doubts. This secrecy was the greatest enemy of the orthodox faction. Enemies under the sunlight are not feared, but a knife flying silently from the darkness is threatening, no matter how few.

Finally, the orthodox and unorthodox factions agreed to form a united front based on the agreement made a hundred years ago and launched a massive feather search operation. It was a massive search operation conducted by the intelligence organization of the orthodox faction. There were said to be tremendous sacrifices in the shadow intelligence industry at that time, but those sacrifices were not announced. They were born in darkness, lived in darkness, and returned to darkness, leaving behind a line of information in exchange for their lives!

Thus, after two years of extensive search operations, the base of the Chenwoo Sect was revealed, and naturally, a large scale extermination operation unfolded. It was the first joint operation of the orthodox and unorthodox factions in 70 years.

The Feather Plucking Operation!

However, not everything ended smoothly with the joint front of the orthodox and unorthodox factions. There were still many mountains to overcome. Surprisingly, the resistance of the Chenwoo Sect was fierce. Both the orthodox and unorthodox factions suffered tremendous damage. However, most of the damage was not from a direct confrontation with the feathers. It was the damage inflicted by colleagues they had trusted.

Before they knew it, the forces of the Chenwoo Sect had infiltrated deep within the orthodox faction. Distrust among colleagues was an inevitable consequence, regardless of the faction. With the blood and sacrifice of countless colleagues, the second joint body of the orthodox faction finally succeeded in eradicating the feathers. But the damage was painfully great. And it left an indelible scar and fear in the murim. The fear of recalling that the Chenwoo Sect had not completely disappeared from the murim! They left their presence in the most violent, noisy, and cruel way. It was as if they had splattered blood on a fading nightmare.

Gongson Il chu clenched his fist so hard it could bleed. Inside was the last trace of life left by Thousand Mile Tracker, Su Dok go, a single drop of his blood.

‘Wait for me!’

With determination, Gongson Il chu headed to his quarters.

Whoosh!

Bi Ryu yeon’s cheeks were swollen with an untimely wind.

“Why, why do you do this?”

Sweat beaded on the forehead of Namgung Sang, who was watching. Suddenly, everything seemed bleak.

Seeing the swollen cheeks, it was clear that dissatisfaction had been building up layer by layer inside. Namgung Sang, who had watched him closely for a year and a half, could immediately understand the state of his senior.

“It’s a big problem!”

Namgung Sang’s mind was filled with loud alarms. It would have been better for his well being to quickly get away from Bi Ryu yeon, but it wasn’t possible at the moment. The sense of crisis that the growing dissatisfaction and irritation might explode into an uncontrollable situation overwhelmed him. He had to prevent such a miserable situation by any means necessary, as it was his duty.

To handle the emergency and resolve the situation, he had to trace the cause of the incident. Bi Ryu yeon’s mood had not changed during the remembrance Ceremony. It was only after Na Yerin’s enchanting and almost sacred sword dance that the senior Grand Master’s mood shifted. Bi Ryu yeon had shown no emotional change when Na Yerin appeared, in fact, he seemed pleased by her beautifully adorned presence. But after the sword dance ended, he remained in that state.

Namgung Sang couldn’t remember the intermediate process because, although it would be shocking to Jin ryeong, he too had been captivated by Na Yerin’s sword dance and couldn’t think of anything else. Of course, this was top secret information that should never be revealed to Jin ryeong.

When Na Yerin’s sword dance ended with the last sound of the sword, Namgung Sang felt as if he had been wandering in a dream. The remnants of longing still faintly lingered in his heart.

It was then that he noticed the sullenness on Bi Ryu yeon’s face. This meant that Bi Ryu yeon had expressed dissatisfaction with Na Yerin’s sword dance.

‘How could there be any dissatisfaction with such a beautiful and mystical sword dance?’

It was something that ordinary human common sense could not understand. And so, without fear, Namgung Sang carelessly let his thoughts slip out.

“senior Master? What has been bothering you all this time?”

As soon as he spoke, Namgung Sang realized his mistake. It was too direct. But it was too late, the ship had already sailed.

“I don’t like it!”

Bi Ryu yeon spoke in a sulky voice.

“What is it that you don’t like? Surely not Miss Na’s beautiful and mysterious sword dance?”

Snap!

Finally, Bi Ryu yeon gave Namgung Sang a metaphorical nut to crack.

“How could that be, you fool!”

It was a tone that said not to ask such ridiculous questions. So, there was no direct dissatisfaction with the sword dance.

“Then what exactly is bothering you?”

Still holding his sore forehead, Namgung Sang looked distressed. Dealing with such unpredictable people was always incredibly exhausting.

“I just don’t like it!”

Bi Ryu yeon’s swollen cheek showed no signs of subsiding.

“So, what exactly is the dissatisfaction?”

Frustrated, Namgung Sang thumped his chest.

“She’s just too pretty!”

That was all Bi Ryu yeon had to say.

“How can that be a reason to be angry? Isn’t anger a legitimate expression of emotion towards something crooked and not upright?”

The reason Bi Ryu yeon gave was far from reasonable.

“But she’s so pretty that it’s a shame to share her with anyone!”

His voice was still grumpy.

“Excuse me?”

Namgung Sang’s face twisted strangely upon hearing Bi Ryu yeon’s grumpy complaint.

“Isn’t it usually said that it’s a shame to enjoy something alone?”

“Why? Why should I have to share the beauty of what’s mine with others?”

In short, he didn’t want to share the joy that multiplies when shared. The fact that Na Yerin’s beauty pleased the eyes of others was unacceptable to him. But there was something to consider before that.

“But she’s not yours yet!”

The idea of Ice White Peak Na Yerin belonging to any man was enough to infuriate not only hundreds of Cheonmu Academy but also thousands of male martial artists.

“It’s only undecided! It’s already been prearranged!”

Bi Ryu yeon responded with a sulky face. It seemed he wanted to claim exclusive rights to Na Yerin’s grace.

“It’s said that nothing is harder to obtain than the heart of a beauty.”

Namgung Sang, who had started dating Jin ryeong, dared to act knowledgeable about relationships between men and women.

“Don’t you know that we exist to make the impossible possible? Maybe I’m the only one in this world who knows the softness and sweetness of her lips?”

“Really?”

Namgung Sang’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What are you so surprised about?”

“Is… is… what you just said true?”

“Do I look so idle to you that I would be joking around with you right now?”

“But how? How could that be possible? How could such a thing be possible?” Gung sang’s mouth flapped like a fish.

“Why are you so startled when you’ve kissed Ryeong yourself?”

Namgung Sang’s face turned red in an instant.

“That… that’s different!”

He wanted to assert some distinction. But it seemed his philosophy and thoughts were not taking hold.

“It’s the same! You can kiss Jin ryeong whenever you want, but I can’t? Where in the world is there such an unfair law that embodies the height of absurdity? What’s different?”

“It’s… it’s definitely different.”

Unfortunately, Namgung Sang was never a match for Bi Ryu yeon in terms of argument. Namgung Sang was still no more than a meal for Bi Ryu yeon.

“The person who always takes a step ahead of others is the one who ultimately wins.”

He spoke with a smile of a victor, his tone like that of a seasoned expert.

‘The topic seems a bit off…’

Namgung Sang sighed deeply without realizing it.

“Sigh! Even if I become a public enemy and a target of all the male disciples in Cheonmu Academy and get hunted for my life, I have nothing to say.”

Namgung Sang was still naively unaware of why so many men harbored ill will towards the Senior master. In fact, Namgung Sang knew nothing about this aspect, as if he were friends with an idiot.

“The one who marks territory first owns it!”

Where did that baseless confidence come from? He was still incomprehensible within the realm of common sense.

“It’s not about where you’ve marked your territory, but rather the location of the mark that seems to be the problem…”

Namgung Sang muttered quietly to himself, audible only to him. He didn’t want to raise his voice and get scolded by the Senior Master, especially since the situation was already dangerously high.

At that moment, someone was watching Bi Ryu yeon’s childlike behavior from a distance. It was Cheong Heun, a member of the Gu Jeong Hoe and a master of both literary and martial arts. His eyes were filled with deep skepticism. The current appearance of Bi Ryu yeon was seriously lacking compared to the incredible display he had shown before.

‘What exactly is the identity of this man?’

Cheong Heun recalled the unbelievable event he had witnessed that day. Just thinking about it made his palms sweat.

‘Which is his true nature? Among what he is showing now and what he showed that day, which is his true self? Was what I saw that day not a dream?’

After returning from Mount Wudang, Cheong Heun, Baek Mu young, and the sixteen members of the Jujakdan faced a barrage of questions from people everywhere and chose to remain silent as if they had agreed to do so. They all felt the same way.

‘I don’t want to be a lying fool!’

This was their common desire. That’s why they wanted to speak but couldn’t. They knew all too well that the moment they spoke, they would become braggarts and masters of deception.

‘How could you have turned away the fearsome Iron Calvary of Death?’

‘I really admire you. How were you able to defeat the Iron Calvary of Death?’

‘Did they really go back quietly? I heard they never retreat until they annihilate their enemies.’

A flood of endless questions poured in, but there was not even a small piece of an answer to give.

“What was the strategy?”

‘What strategy…’

“What martial arts did you mainly use?”

‘What martial arts…?’

“Which type of martial arts was useful against them?”

‘Nonsense…!’

And,

“What exactly happened that day?”

“Please tell me!” “Please tell me!” “Please tell me!”

However, due to the difficulty of not wanting to be branded a liar, Cheong Heun had no choice but to keep his mouth shut despite the flood of questions pouring in from all directions like a river overflowing during the rainy season, even though his ears ached from the incessant noise.

“Sigh…”

A deep sigh escaped him.

The events of that unforgettable day, the scenes, the divine might, and the unforgettable recklessness! The memory of that day was still vivid in his eyes.

The image imprinted in his mind like a seal! It was clear that he would not forget it for a while, perhaps for a lifetime. The pages of memory in his head began to turn again.