Book 1 Chapter 15

Namgungsang Passion Affair

I don't know when, but the moment I held her in my heart was…….

When was the last time you looked at her and longed for her…….

Someone said, love is longing. I miss her.

I miss her like crazy, but the distance between her and me is

We are far apart, and the distance makes me miss her even more.

Namgungsang gazed at the sky, which was deeply dark, blacker than pitch-black, and dotted with stars like a field, but somehow lonely. My heart felt like it was stuck in a rut. A sigh escaped my lips. I hadn't been so captivated by another being since I held a sword at the age of three…….

For the first time since the coolness of that piercing blue sword she had touched and felt in her tiny hands, she had captivated him, and at the mere sight of her, everything in his mind and body moved toward her. The strength in his right hand holding the sword continues to weaken, and his mind wanders, unfocused. His gaze, which should be looking in the same direction as the sword, keeps turning toward her, and he can't stop it. She could feel her path as a warrior slipping further and further away, and even though she knew it, she could only sigh at her own inability to control her thoughts.

"Phew……."

"Hehe, if you're going to go through all that trouble, man up and make a confession, I'm more frustrated with myself watching from the sidelines."

Hyun-woon, who had been silently listening to his friend's heavy sighs as if they were the sound of a majestic song, felt the limits of his patience, wondering if his training as a Taoist was lacking.

"Hyun-woon, if it's so simple, why am I struggling with it? I'm struggling because I can't do it, and you know it."

"It's not that I don't recognize your innocence, but it's just so frustrating to watch from the sidelines. It's time to end the one-way street of unrequited love and try a bold two-way street."

'Is he a Taoist aspirant? He doesn't look like one,' said Namgungsang, looking at his friend, who didn't hesitate to say something that made him wonder. However, his eyes were the kind of eyes that had lost their power and were already lifeless.

"Heh, heh, heh, look here, Shang, if it were me, I'd run right over and confess my heart to Gin Sojae. What if someone else swoops in and snatches her up while you're still moping around? Be brave. You say he's one of the Seven Peaks, but aren't you one of the Nine Dragons? What's to lose? Be proud. You don't look like the South Palace Swordsman of the South Palace Sword Family, one of the Nine Dragons like me. Make a confession, make a confession, give your whole heart to the Qin Sojae. It has long been said that only the brave win the heart of the beautiful. How is it that you are willing to cower in fear without even trying?"

"Hoo-hoo, I see the Taoists have switched to teaching 'Love is the ultimate true Tao, so let's all love.' Shamans teach the art of love, too, don't they? Study hard. If you don't want to end up like me, you'd better start learning about love and romance now. Okay, that aside, how did you like learning the art of love? Huhuh……. Okay, okay, that's enough. You're not much of a taoist, are you? Hahaha, confession, confession……."

Namgung Sang stared silently at the darkness of the silvered sky. His heart felt stifled, his shackled steps heavy, like the black hues of the abyss.

In the same place where Namgungsang was trembling in his palace as he stared at the stars in the sky, in the same place where his best friend, rival, and counselor in times of need, Hyun-woon, had barely been able to calm him down and take him away, a black shadow of In-young appeared out of nowhere. The black figure was none other than Bi Ryuyeon. She had come down from the tree after listening to all the noises.

"Kukkuk, you're really worthy of the name Namgungsang. At his age, he's squatting in the palace, shivering."

Bi Ryuyeon had been secretly watching the whole thing from the tree. It was so frustrating and silly to listen to the man she was in love with rant and rave. She thought about jumping down and beating him up, but decided to cut him some slack. At that moment, Bi Ryuyeon felt that she had to solve the love problem of the palace master, Namgungsang, in order to never have to listen to his annoying complaints again. Only the gods knew whether this would bring him good fortune or misfortune. …….

"Phew."

With a high-pitched (?) laugh, Bi Ryuyeon's body disappeared into the darkness.

Pretty Qinling, who has been diligently cooking, washing clothes, and performing other domestic duties, receives a letter from her master. The master, of course, is Bi Ryuyeon, her current teacher.

To the lion

Don't tell the others, but have them come to the woods behind the training center. I have something urgent to tell you. This is a very important matter, so be sure to arrive by the beginning of the day, and remember to tell no one else about it.

Wonderful, kind, compassionate, invincible, strongest man master!

When he received the letter, he was dumbfounded. This had never happened before, and he was even more confused. But since it was his master's order, he couldn't disobey it-and he was afraid of the repercussions if he did-so he decided to go to the place where he was supposed to meet his master by early Xinshi (between six and seven o'clock). She decided to go lightly, as if nothing would happen. Not knowing what fate awaited her.

"Master, Master."

Its transparent beauty vibrated through the dense forest. But no matter how many times he called out, there was no answer. The forest behind the training center was densely wooded, and all light was blocked by the thick canopy of trees. The only light was the faint glow from the foliage, peeking through tiny cracks. The forest was even darker now that evening was approaching. It was then that she felt someone brush against her slender back.

"Who… Master?"

Upon hearing Qin Lie's voice, the Great Spirit seemed to flinch for a moment before responding. However, the voice was completely unexpected to him.

"Gene, Gene Sojae?"

Yin Ying's voice was trembling, even to the point of feeling it. It sounded like a person forcibly calming a racing heart and speaking softly.

"Who… uh, Confucius of the Southern Palace?"

Finally recognizing the voice's owner, Qin Lie exclaimed in anger. She hadn't expected to meet him at such an unexpected time and in such an unexpected place, so she couldn't help but be surprised.

"Gene, Gene Sojae. What brings you here? What business does a man like Gene Sojae have in a place this remote……."

Namgung Sang, who had come to Qin Lie's side, stuttered and asked cautiously. He was nervous, and his words were quite slurred. He was barely able to contain the feeling that his breath was catching in his throat and his heart was pounding so hard that it felt like it was about to explode. A sense of urgency washed over him, as if the slightest lapse in his guard would result in instant death. Whether he knew it or not, the sound of her delicate voice caused his heart rate to increase even more.

"My former master called me here……."

"Ah, I, I, I'm here because Master called me too, but I can't see where he is. Ki, he said he had something important to talk about."

"You sent me a letter to that effect, too. You could have told me directly……. I can't believe you sent a letter to Confucius of the Southern Palace as well."

"Who could possibly comprehend the intentions of the Master?"

"Huh, that's true."

Her gentle smile was enough to ignite a fire in the heart of a dangerous man.

As they pondered their suspicions, they suddenly heard a rustling sound behind them, and fierce flesh enveloped them. A swarm of needle-like flesh tingled their nerves. Nan Gongsheng could feel his heart, which had been on the verge of exploding, returning to normal in an instant. This saved his life, but he had an ominous feeling that he might be in another life-threatening situation. Nan Gongsang and Qin Lie turned around to see who it was. It was a risky move in this fog of life, but they had no other choice, and there it was.

騎虎之勢 (騎虎之勢) does not refer to the dangerous situation of being in front of a tiger. It originally refers to being on the back of a tiger. However, being on the back of that fearsome beast is just as dangerous. You can't get off, and if you do, you'll be eating the tiger's lunch……. A similar expression is 騎號之勢 (騎號之勢), which means "unstoppable momentum," so be careful how you use it! In front of the two of them, a snow-white giant who could only be called the King of Hundreds appeared.

His claws were huge and sharp, seemingly capable of tearing apart any living thing in the world, his eyes were as bright as jadeite and seemed to overwhelm all lesser beings, his body was huge, casting a wide shadow over the land with the mere shadow of his body, and he was a white tiger that could have been a page and a half long.

The white tiger breathed pure white flesh and stared at everything in front of him, seemingly overwhelmed. It had the eyes of a hunter who has spotted his prey……. The two of them couldn't help but feel nervous. Moreover, the King of the Hundred Beasts seemed to have a considerable appetite right now, so the tension between them was bound to be even greater.

'Hmm? What an uninvited guest. My plans, my hard-earned, all-nighters, must not be interrupted. You can have my plans, man. My time, my money, the mental and physical fatigue of using my brain, all to be turned into Doroamitabha at a moment's notice. I cannot forgive you, cat.

The complete rerouting of the plan caused by the sudden appearance of unexpected variables had left her in a quandary. Her brain screamed at the sudden overuse. But she quickly came to a conclusion. Even if she stomped her feet and thought about what to do, she couldn't come up with anything, so she decided to put the second step aside and just wait and see.

I thought to myself, "How can I die when my name is the Expectant Lord of the Martial Kingdom, the Kirin of Heaven, and the Rising Sun? I tentatively concluded that I should trust the Southern Palace's abilities.

But this was no ordinary backhoe. This was a real beast, two to three times the size of a normal backhoe. It was a gigantic beast with a body length of one and a half sheets and a standing height of nearly half a sheet, and it was so huge that you could see eye to eye with it. It really seemed to prove the old saying that size doesn't matter.

Suddenly, the white tiger that had been confronting the two of them seemed to have made a decision and took off to execute it.

"Coooorrrr!"

The phrase "like a tiger" was probably coined to describe this situation. It was indeed a very, very tiger-like attack. I don't think even a bird could have reduced the distance between them so quickly.

"It's dangerous!"

with an uncharacteristic shout, and then he pounced on Qinling. Of course, this wasn't a move to whet the appetite of Qin Lie, nor was it a case of "I'll take a walk if I have to" at a time like this.

At this moment, all that was on Namgungsang's mind was to live. In normal times, he would have been able to avoid it. But he was still the third son of the Namgung Clan, the most prestigious family in the Martial Realm, and one of the chosen ones of Kowloon, the one who was considered the best in the Martial Realm, even in the Heavenly Martial Academy. Although a tiger is the king of the mountains, it is still a beast, and he was not a man of such dubious skill that he could not even cook such a beast.

But there was an unexpected variable: their bodies were not in their normal state. As they attempted to maneuver around the backhoe, they were forced to pause, their bodies unable to move at will. Their ankles and wrists were now shackled like cursed shackles, and the enormous weight of the silken ropes kept them tethered like monks. Unlike normal times, they hadn't yet adjusted to the weight of these silk circles. Moreover, Qin Lie was a woman, naturally less powerful than a man. Of course, the spirit of the silk ring was not controlled by strength alone, but there was nothing she could do when she was less powerful than a man.

The flesh-carrying wind whistled past Namgung Sang's ears, flapping its wings. The wind's mane scratched his cheek, and the physiological process of bleeding began. Namgungsang's back was drenched in a cold sweat, and unexplained goosebumps crawled over him.

Puzzled by the ineffectiveness of his first attack, the white tiger landed nicely on the ground and immediately reoriented himself, swooping down on the two with lightning speed. The instantaneous change of direction upon landing, and the seamless connecting movements with a lightning-like leap, it would have been impossible for an ordinary person to dodge such an attack. However, no matter how limited his body was, Nangong Shang was a martial artist who was beyond the category of ordinary people, and now that he had his beloved Qin Sojae by his side, he could not allow himself to be defeated so easily.

With a split-second's judgment, Nan Gongsheng pounced on Qin Lie and slammed him to the ground. At that moment, a thunderbolt-like impact struck his body, accompanied by an eerie aura transmitted through his back. He felt the searing pain of fire. The white tiger's claws had sliced through his back. Blood began to pour out from the four claw marks. Fortunately, the wound was not life-threatening, but if he had been any higher on his stomach, or if he had been any slower to duck, he would have been on the threshold of death by now.

The wound was beginning to sting, but Nangong Shang gritted her teeth. He couldn't afford to show her weakness with the Spirit Sojae down.

'Pull down……?

In that moment, Namgung Sang suddenly realized the true nature of his current situation: the face bathed in red flames, along with the breath of his beloved Qin Lie, was right in front of his nose. The warmth of her breath stirred his nostrils. A breathtaking shock struck his entire body. He had never fought a white tiger before, and he thought he was going to die of a heart attack, so you can easily imagine the extent of his humiliation and shame.

To give a more vivid picture of the current situation, the frail, beautiful girl Qin Ling was pinned beneath the numberless, vein-checking Nan Gongsheng, and the Nan Gongsheng was perilously close to pinning her down from above. Their faces were pressed together, as if they were about to overlap.

At this moment, the fact that the white tiger was snarling at his back, threatening to take his life, was somehow a good thing, for all he could feel was a strange warmth, a softness in his chest, and the hot breath of the spirit that made his eyebrows wiggle. This was what a dreamy moment was all about.

Qin Ling's cheeks glowed with fire, but Nan Gong had no qualms about stepping aside. He did not even entertain the most chivalrous of thoughts. His mind was as white as a blank slate, so how could he think of such a thing? All he could think of was the self-rationalization that he had given his body, mind, and life to save the pure and virtuous Qin Sojae from the White Tiger, and that he must embrace and protect her forever, unless the White Tiger disappeared. It wasn't because he liked the strange scent of Qin Sojae wafting into his nostrils, or because he was intoxicated by the warm, soft, and unidentifiable sensation he felt through his chest.

The sword, Namgung Sang's first love, was the sword. As a young child of three, the blue coldness and foreboding of the sword he saw then was indelibly etched in his mind. When he was five years old and officially allowed to learn, he was overjoyed to receive his own sword, and he practiced nonstop with his first love.

By the time he was 10 years old, he had already begun to distinguish himself and received intensive kendo lessons from the elders in his community. He passed the difficult entrance exam for the Heavenly Martial Arts Academy with flying colors, earning the nods of approval from the adults around him. It was a triumph for the three brothers, following in the footsteps of their older brother, Jin, who was seven years older, and their second brother, Wu, who was three years older. He beat his classmates and became the first person in the Kowloon Seven Peaks, the highest ranking among the first-year students of the Tianmu Academy. It's safe to say that his life has been largely unimpeded.

Now, to him, there was a sword again, a sword that was out of his reach, but which he longed to hold. But the sword seemed so lovely and sacred that it seemed like an elusive thing to attain. This sword was so beautiful, warm, and noble that it had a charm that mesmerized everyone. It was sharper and more dangerous than the sword he had held at age five, and the most terrifying thing about it was that it was sharp and dangerous enough to wound even his own heart. This time, the sword was sucking everything out of him. The sword's name was the True Spirit.

"Ugh, look at him. Heh, that's not even funny. He's a damned wolf. He pretends to be a true soldier, and he's got all the right forms, but he's got nothing to show for it. It turns out he's got dozens of wolves with him, along with a bunch of beasts."

In a split second, she assessed the current situation and made a decision. She couldn't look away any longer, so what should she do to get out of this situation? She came up with a reasonable and effective course of action, decided to put it into practice, and did so immediately. It was a remarkable act.

Deciding there was nothing left to see, he leapt from the tree. He landed on the spot where Gongsang, the third son of the Namgung family, and Qin Ling, the last disciple of the Ami sect, one of the four great schools of the Old School, the Pillars of the Martial Arts, were lying on the ground, clutching each other.

In front of him, a white tiger, which can only be described as a metaphorical gobbler, stood with its gaping maw open, ready for a meal. Suddenly, a flash of silver flew out of Bi Ryuyeon's right sleeve and was instantly sucked into the white tiger's gullet. A flash of light, a moment of silence, and a roar!

"Coeur d'honneur!"

And, one death [死].

"Is this the end?" thought Nan Gongsang and Qinling. With a single, terrifying roar that echoed through the mountains, the white tiger slowly lowered his massive body to the ground. It was a moment of intersection of fate and destiny, a moment in which Baekho, the lord of a hundred beasts and feared by all the people, would be sold for a fortune as a chair rug or the finest wall hanging in a rich man's house. It was also a moment in which two people would escape the fate of being eaten by a beast.

"Hey, wake up, wake up."

Bi Ryuyeon kicked the butt of the Namgung Sang, who was hugging Jinryeong so tightly that she was crushed on her toes.

"Who, who… Ouch!"

Namgungsang was still lost at the intersection of heaven and hell. Angered, Namgungsang jumped to his feet.

"Oh, yeah, so this is……."

With his face as wide open as the midsummer sun, he fumbled for an excuse. However, it seemed that he hadn't yet come up with a good way to deal with the situation, as the red embarrassment on his face didn't go away. The blush was also on Qin Lie's face, which would be rather odd if it wasn't. Qin Lie's face was red with embarrassment, and he spoke with difficulty to the South Palace Master.

"Gu, thank you for saving me, Nan Gong Small Business Association."

"You're welcome, you're welcome… I'd do it for Gene Sojae, I'd do it for Gene Sojae, I'd do it for my life."

"Yeah, the normal thing? What normal thing? Do you mean the one where you held her to the ground and rolled her around in a crushing hug, or the one where you stamped on her from above? I have no idea what your normal thing is."

"Yes, Master!"

With faces red as if they were about to burst, they both shouted at the same time.

'Don't let a momentary lapse blind you to the truth."'

She'd forgotten why she'd called them together in the first place.

"Ah, yes. Thank you for saving me, Master."

As if suddenly realizing the situation, Qin Ling bowed his head in gratitude.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah."

"Thank you, Master, for saving me."

Namgungsang cupped his hands in gratitude.

"Uhhhh, never mind, never mind… Thanks, but no thanks!"

Bi Ryuyeon waved his hand and said in a slightly sarcastic tone. His eyes turned slightly conspiratorial as he looked towards the Southern Palace Statue.

"You must have been in a good mood today. But I can see from your face that you're still disappointed. But don't get your hopes up, there will be other opportunities in the future, and it's a man who seizes them, who doesn't let the moment pass him by. Hahaha!"

"Yes, Master!"

Namgungsang was so surprised that he shouted in anger, while Qin Lie next to him, his face red with embarrassment, could only hang his head in shame.

"Hahaha, that's it for now……."

With a simple bow, Bi Ryuyeon leaped to her feet and leisurely disappeared into the forest, leaving the subject who had started this whole thing with the promise of uniting the two of them in a well of oblivion. The only thing that remained was the sound of her laughter, which grew more and more distant, echoing in their ears.

The two stood in silence for a moment, facing each other in the now deserted space, until the back of Namgungsang's hand slipped out of his sleeve and a trickle of blood ran down it.

"Oh, blood!"

Qin Lie exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh, no big deal, just a little nudge."

"It's nothing," said Namgungsang, as if it were nothing. He wanted to show the woman he loved that he was strong.

"It's no big deal, go ahead and show me your wounds."

Qin Lie forcibly turned the body of the southern palace statue with a hand as fine as a cob.

Even as he said, "This is really good…….," he reluctantly turned away, his face showing signs of emotion and excitement.

"Oh my!"

Qin Lie cried out in horror when he saw Nan Gongsheng's back. The tiger's claw marks had torn his back in four, and blood was constantly oozing out. It wasn't a light wound, as he had said. It had been inflicted while he was defending himself from the white tiger's second attack earlier. To receive such a large wound and not let out a single groan, that was also caused by protecting himself. A concentric circle of small ripples formed in Qin Lie's mind.

"I can't believe you call this okay……. It's never okay. Look, I'm going to heal your wounds."

Qin Ling spoke with great energy, then carefully began to treat the wound. First, she removed his top robe, and then began to apply the golden spear poultice she had with her to the wound. But Nan Gongsheng's heart was in the wrong place, and he didn't even feel the pain.

'Gene Sojae has such a gentle touch…….'

A greater ecstasy than bitterness ruled him.

He quickly applied the poultice, but realized he didn't have any bandages. A look of despair crossed Qin Lie's fair face. Without a bandage to wrap the wound, Qin Lie was distressed. But her thoughts were short-lived, and as if she had made up her mind, she quickly tore off her skirt. There was no hesitation.

"Gene Sojae, you're tearing your clothes!"

The angry Namgung Sang exclaimed. Her seductive angularity, peeking through her torn skirt, disturbed his already dazed eyes even more.

"It's okay, the Southern Palace Society saved my life, so what's wrong with my clothes?"

The clothes Qinling was wearing now were one of only two he had been given on the first day of training, after his original clothes were confiscated by Bi Ryuyeon. He felt bad for making her tear up one of her only two clothes.

"But I'd be embarrassed if Gene Sojae said, 'I'm sorry, this is so embarrassing……."

Namgungsang trailed off. He could say no more.

Qin Ling began to apply a bandage made by tearing her own skirt to Nangongshang's wound. Namgungsang is a man and Qinling is a woman. Not surprisingly, Nan Gongsang's shoulders and chest were larger than Qinling's. So when Qin Lie tried to twist the bandage to wrap the wound, it was so large around his back and chest that it looked like Qin Lie was hugging him from behind.

Once again, Namgungsang's mind went white and empty, and the sensation of a silky, soft, warm, indescribably ecstatic, sweet sensation on his back became a thunderbolt and struck Namgungsang in the crown of his head. I'm not sure if it was the feeling of finally being able to share this moment forever, or if it was the taste of insanity, but I grabbed Jinling's hand that was wrapped around his chest to hold the bandage, and it was probably an unconscious act on his part. There was no way he could have done this in his right mind, as he had no other talents besides his usual palace talk.

The next moment, Qin Lie's body went limp. The hand that had been wrapped around his chest was so strong that he couldn't pull it away, and he found himself hugging the statue of the Southern Palace from behind. For some reason, Qin Lie remained silent, blushing profusely and not shouting, and there was a long silence that seemed like an eternity.

When Namgungsang came to his senses, he angrily released her hand. The two of them sat in silence, not saying a word to each other. Whether it was the setting sun or something else, both of their faces were flushed. Gradually, the illusion of time stopping seemed to take hold of them both.

Had time begun to pass, and how much time had passed? It was Namgungsang who spoke first. As if he had made up his mind about something, his face was no longer red. He stood up from his seat and respectfully extended his right hand as if he had made up his mind.

"Well, let's go then, Sojae!"

The hand is outstretched, asking for a choice. In order to extend this hand once, Namgung Sang had to exercise superhuman patience and a mountain of courage. And the girl was at a crossroads. The girl hesitated for a moment, then answered with an unspoken gesture, the ripples in her mind growing stronger and stronger until they shook her to the core and broke down the walls that separated them.

"Yes."

She replied with a smile, gently offering her left hand. The smile on her jade dragon's face was ecstatic and dazzling. Drunk with her smile for a moment, he gingerly grasped her white jade, fearing it would shatter. It was a time of warmth and exhilaration, a time when clusters of bright lights shattered and shone.