Chapter v8c20

Once again, Goyakhan scanned the audience with a chilly gaze as they attentively listened to his lecture. His eyes shone fiercely.

“But let me make this clear here. What I pursue is not a superficial swordsmanship that’s all show and no substance, but a lethal swordsmanship that studies how to kill the opponent more quickly, more simply, and without wasting any strength.”

The white path’s swordsmanship increasingly focuses on suppression rather than killing as it becomes more refined. That was the norm. But now, Goyakhan was talking about something completely opposite. Intimidated by his force and murderous intent, the audience no longer harbored any thoughts of rebuttal.

“What do you think death is?”

Suddenly, the one questioned was Bi Ryuyeon. Despite the abrupt question, he was not flustered or surprised. He had been caught off guard, but still.

“It depends on the target,”

Bi Ryuyeon replied leisurely.

“Target?”

The expressions of those around him were as if they were hearing some nonsensical babble.

“Yes! The meaning of death changes distinctly depending on whether the counterpart is myself or an enemy,” he explained.

A gleam appeared in Goyakhan’s eyes. One of his eyebrows twitched with interest. Bi Ryuyeon was quite an unusual fellow.

“Oh! Why is that?”

The expression on Bi Ryuyeon’s face could also be interpreted as somewhat mocking. He confidently presented his theory.

“If the target is an enemy, then death will approach silently, swiftly, and precisely, in an unavoidable manner. It will take the enemy’s life and soul in an instant, without giving them time to realize, more gently, sweetly, and cruelly than any woman’s touch…”

As Bi Ryuyeon spoke, the eyes of the old master listening to him sank deeper. What Bi Ryuyeon was talking about was the very essence of lethal swordsmanship. Despite being fundamental, not everyone was aware of it or had mastered it.

Ignoring the old master’s state, Bi Ryuyeon continued speaking.

“However, if the target is myself, then ‘death’ will be unable to take my soul unless it’s the slowest, dullest, yet most certain sword called time. Because neither I nor my martial arts will allow it.”

It was an incredibly arrogant statement. The fact that Bi Ryuyeon could say such shameless words without changing his facial expression was enough to earn him respect.

“You’re outrageously arrogant! Looking up at your high pride might break my old neck. Where does such an excessively high pride come from?”

The more Goyakhan looked at him, the more he realized that Bi Ryuyeon was an incredibly insolent fellow. From being distracted during the famously strict lecture to everything else!

“Of course, it’s all about skill!”

Once again, Bi Ryuyeon had the opportunity to fully display his arrogance. It was as if everyone around wanted to shout out,

“Don’t say it with such a proud face in front of everyone!”

A chilling silence suddenly enveloped the surroundings.

At that moment, everyone except Bi Ryuyeon thought the same thing: Goyakhan’s excellence would soon powerfully strike down on Bi Ryuyeon’s head. “That guy is dead. We’ll carry out a corpse today!” they thought.

Perhaps everyone’s hearts resonated for a moment.

Still, Bi Ryuyeon calmly met Goyakhan’s icy glare. The tension was so thick it seemed like blood might spurt out at any moment.

“Gasp!”

Movement returned to Goyakhan’s body, which had been frozen in time. It spread through his entire body like ripples from a stone thrown into a quiet lake.

“Hahahaha! Hahahaha!”

It was a powerful laugh that seemed impossible to come from the cold, cruel, and notoriously ruthless Goyakhan. It was an unrestrained laugh as if he was letting everything inside him burst out. Yet, to those listening, even the laughter was terrifying.

Snap! The movement of Goyakhan, who had been laughing with his waist and head thrown back, suddenly stopped as if cut by a knife. His eyes were now emitting a cold light.

“Impudent fool!”

That was the end of it. And then he added just one more sentence.

“Class is over!”

The class had ended. But for Na Yerin, there was still an unsolved mystery. Fortunately, the mystery itself came to her to solve her curiosity.

“Oh, Yerin! I’m so glad to see you. Now we can see each other even during class time.”

Eun Seolran, who had taken the seat next to Na Yerin, smiled brightly at her. Now that the class was over, everyone was heading back to their dormitories.

“How did you get permission to attend the class?”

Na Yerin asked with a puzzled face. It wasn’t unreasonable for her to be curious. How could Eun Seolran, who came from the Dark path and was even an investigator of the Wudang Mountain tragedy, be sitting in this classroom? And in a special training group formed to prepare for the Hwasan branch?

“It’s not just attendance it’s enrollment.”

Eun Seolran kindly corrected Na Yerin. If it were just attendance, it could end with one session, but if it were enrollment, it meant she would continue to attend.

“I asked the head of the school for special permission to enroll. He said it was okay to listen as long as it wasn’t a secret transmission.”

If that was the case, then the actions of Ma Jinga were an incredible exception. The fact that a person like Ma Jinga could make such an exception meant he was no ordinary individual.

“What exactly is Uncle Ma thinking?”

Na Yerin couldn’t even guess.

“What about the investigation?”

She was not a student of Cheonmu School but of Dark heaven, and her current status was that of an investigator. Her immediate task was not study or training but investigation.

“I’m also a student. A student should never neglect their studies, no matter when or where.”

It was such an obvious statement that, even though it wasn’t often applied in reality, Na Yerin had no words to argue.

“But how did you get into the special training group?”

The special training group, by its nature, often delved deep into teachings, which could be a significant burden. It was a martial world custom not to carelessly leak one’s martial arts to the outside.

Was there a reason they had to take the risk of leaking techniques to put her in this place?

“Oh! The reason is obvious!”

Eun Seolran said dramatically. It was as if she couldn’t understand how Na Yerin didn’t know.

“Why?”

“Because all three of my protectors are part of this group!”

“Three?”

If her memory served her right, Eun Seolran’s personal guards were only herself and Mo Yonghwi.

I had heard nothing about the other person.

“Oh Yerin, haven’t you heard yet?”

Eun Seolran called out to Na Yerin in a friendly voice. The call was so natural that no other words about it could be said.

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh my, you really didn’t know. About him! That person!”

“That person?”

At first, Na Yerin had no idea who Eun Seolran was referring to.

“Oh, you know, the one who helped us out when there was that secret assassination attempt in the market street last time. Surely his name was… Bi Ryuyeon, wasn’t it?”

“Yes?”

The unexpected exclamation came not from Na Yerin but simultaneously from dokgo ryeong and Lee Jinseol standing on either side of her. They had been standing beside Na Yerin since earlier but had kept silent, unable to join the conversation with Eun Seolran.

“That person…”

It wasn’t a scream, but Na Yerin was just as surprised.

‘That man is on the same signal guard as me…’

Na Yerin disliked the idea that her composure seemed to break whenever Bi Ryuyeon was involved. However, she couldn’t refuse since it was an order from above. More importantly, there was a bigger problem because Eun Seolran herself had asked for it.

“Oh my, weren’t you two intimate?”

Na Yerin’s head turned towards Eun Seolran without her realizing it.

“How could such a conclusion be drawn? Intimate?”

Na Yerin realized her mind was very confused. How could such an interpretation come about? Eun Seolran was still a mystery to Na Yerin.

“It looked like you were very close and intimate, did I see wrong? I was quite confident in that regard…”

Na Yerin looked earnestly into Eun Seolran’s eyes, trying to see beyond her heart. Her eyes told her that Eun Seolran’s words were sincere.

Why isn’t it a joke?

She was only more confused.

Eun Seolran muttered.

“But such a kiss isn’t something that just anyone can allow…”

Finally, Eun Seolran said something she shouldn’t have, in a place where someone who shouldn’t hear it was present! The reaction was immediate.

“What did you say?”

The person who almost screamed was none other than dokgo ryeong. She was emitting an aura as if she was about to shake Eun Seolran by the scruff of her neck to confirm the truth.

“Oh my, oh my, oh my!”

Lee Jinseol, who had heard Eun Seolran’s bombshell statement alongside dokgo ryeong, was flustered, holding her flushed cheeks, not knowing what to do. Clearly, the two had received Eun Seolran’s information with completely opposite emotions.

“Is that true? That despicable wretch deserves to be torn to pieces, did he do it again?”

dokgo ryeong was emitting a terrifying aura from her one remaining eye, as if she could tear someone to shreds.

“Again? Oh my, does that mean there was another incident before?”

Eun Seolran’s eyes sparkled with interest, pushing away dokgo ryeong’s murderous intent. She was quite a lady.

“I’ll deal with this guy right now…”

dokgo ryeong seemed ready to draw her sword and find that despicable person. She wanted to slash off the part of his body where his foul mouth was attached.

The usually calm dokgo ryeong only lost her composure over one thing: anything related to her beautiful sister, Na Yerin. She couldn’t bear the thought of her sister being in danger, especially from such an infuriating, unknown person.

“Please, calm down.”

The one who stopped dokgo ryeong, who seemed ready to commit murder, was Na Yerin herself.

“But sister!”

She looked at Na Yerin, pleading not to be stopped this time. However, Na Yerin quietly shook her head.

“It’s okay. I was a bit careless. That’s all it was. Nothing more.”

Surprisingly, Na Yerin smiled faintly. Was it a selfdeprecating smile? But within it was an astonishing and mysterious charm that captivated the soul.

“Sister…”

With no other choice, dokgo ryeong let go of her tightly gripped sword and slumped her shoulders in resignation. She couldn’t defy Na Yerin when she spoke with such an expression that even made one feel a poignant sadness.

Thus, Bi Ryuyeon narrowly avoided a sword fight with dokgo ryeong. But then.

“Hey! Hello.”

The person who greeted them cheerfully was none other than Bi Ryuyeon himself. It’s said that even a tiger appears when you talk about it, and there was Bi Ryuyeon in the flesh. dokgo ryeong almost reflexively drew her sword. But thanks to Na Yerin’s hand holding hers, she was safe from becoming an attempted murderer. However, that didn’t mean her anger had subsided. But she couldn’t just explode in anger. Especially since Bi Ryuyeon hadn’t come alone but brought along some rather renowned people. Notable examples were the SevenCut Swordsmen Mo Yonghwi and the Vermilion Bird squad Leader Namgung Sang. There were others like Hyoryong and Jang Hong, but those were the ones who caught dokgo ryeong’s eye.

Fortunately, with two friends as shields, Bi Ryuyeon was able to avoid a sword fight with dokgo ryeong. Indeed, friends who can be used when needed are truly useful and valuable.

“Kyaa! Sister, look over there.”

Suddenly excited, Lee Jinseol jumped up and down, pointing in one direction with her finger.

“Why? What’s all the fuss about? ”

Reluctantly, dokgo ryeong turned her head. Her brows furrowed slightly.

“Kyaa! Kyaa! Kyak! Kyak! Oh my, oh my! Hahaha!”

A group of young innkeepers was surrounding a man, chattering noisily. It was loud enough to be grating on the ears.

“Who is that?”

Na Yerin asked.

“Don’t you know, sister? It’s Neok Gi han, the popular young master of the Cheon Ik Temple. He’s the youngest ever to take charge of the White Sword Group. Sister, you didn’t know?”

Na Yerin’s face clearly showed she didn’t know. Lee Jinseol shook her head as if admitting defeat. However, this made Na Yerin take another look at this master named Neok Gi han. Her eyes sparkled with interest.

‘He’s young!’

His actual age was uncertain, but his face was too youthful to be considered a warrior. It was a face one couldn’t even imagine belonging to a warrior. Moreover, by general standards, he was a very handsome man, though Na Yerin wasn’t sure.

At that moment, the group, reminiscent of a flock of sparrows, was approaching where Bi Ryuyeon and his party were. The chattering was getting closer and more threatening.

As there is light, there is darkness as there is Yin, there is Yang. This master called Neok Gi han was the complete opposite of the evil swordsmen he was a master with extreme popularity.

He was very handsome. And incredibly young.

And he was a martial arts prodigy. The record he set as the youngest warrior still hadn’t been broken by anyone. Because of his beauty, insight, youth, vigor, and passion, there were always women around him. Therefore, there was never a day without the chatter of girls around him. Moreover, Neok Gi han did not seem to tire of it, responding to each one, which only seemed to make things worse day by day.

“Master Neok! Have you ever encountered a fateful event that brought a turning point in your life?”

A girl asked. It was natural to be curious about one’s idol. Especially such questions were very useful because they had a high chance of revealing hidden stories or significant events.

“Of course.” Neok Gi han answered with a smile on his face.

“Meeting him was a turning point in my life. After meeting him, I realized how insignificant I was.”

Neok Gi han said in a sentimental voice.

“Who is that?”

A young innkeeper asked with an innocent face, seemingly too young to understand.