Book 10 Chapter 19

The Kismet of War

- Espionage (疊疊山中)

"Where am I?"

"I don't know, but I think I bought it."

The next thing I knew, I was through the wall and into a new cave.

The end of the life-threatening challenge was another cave, this one even more unfamiliar. I was tired of caves, but life is not always what it seems.

She looked around the new cave.

"One thing's for sure, this isn't a fantasyland."

Although it was the same cave, there were subtle differences from Hwanmadong. For one thing, the surface of the cave was smoother and more humid here than in Fangmadong. It also had a strong artificial smell, whereas this one had a more natural smell. So, if someone were to bet on it, Bi Ryuyeon would be willing to bet her entire fortune that it wasn't the one she had just been buried in.

"So where the hell am I?"

If this place was completely different from where they were, it could be a source of anxiety, because even if they could expect rescue within the palace, it was difficult to expect rescue if they were stranded in a strange place they didn't even know. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they were one more step, or even two or three, away from being rescued. As she thought of this, a chill suddenly came over her body, and anxiety sprouted in her mind again.

"Hmph, hmph, hmph!"

Is it possible that he's been pushed to such extremes that he's lost his mind?

It wasn't very believable from her point of view, but in the midst of this desperation, an inappropriate laugh burst from Bi Ryuyeon's mouth. The laugh was so sudden that Na Yerin couldn't help but be stunned for a moment. No matter what, she was definitely a woman.

"Did something go wrong?"

Barely suppressing the rising anxiety, she tried to find some semblance of normalcy.

"We may have just gotten a windfall."

Bi Ryuyeon smiled broadly.

"A windfall?"

She glanced at him again, as if to gauge his mental state, which, from the looks of it, was still intact, though she doubted it would be for long.

"What kind of windfall is this in this spooky, cold cave?"

"Well, well, well! You shouldn't be so negative about everything. There are so many stories like this in books like The Legend of Zhenggang Lake. The legend of the gold and silver treasure hidden by a legendary master in a deep cave and the legend of the tax-saving Qi Yan! Today, we may be able to see with our own two eyes a miracle that's only rumored and harder to find than a star in the sky. Isn't it amazing that it's a once-in-a-thousand-year event that's almost impossible by probability?"

Of course, Na Yerin wasn't surprised at all. No, she was surprised, but it was astonishment, not admiration. Her astonishment, of course, was not at the realization of the legend that they might find treasure, but rather at the wacky, bizarre way of thinking of Bi Ryuyeon.

"Still an unknown!

That was Na Yerin's assessment of her. She was still in her own world.

"It probably says, 'Congratulations! You have passed the test created by Nobu! In recognition of your ability, I leave here my precepts and my legacy. Put it to good use for a stronger generation!"

He looked like an actor in a light opera, shuffling his exaggerated feet, said Bi Ryuyeon. He seemed to be completely in his own world.

"That must be the legacy of a legendary man from a thousand years ago, right?"

Despite the content of her words, there was no heat in her voice at all. There was a hint of sarcasm, but he didn't seem to notice it at all.

"Sure."

"And you've got all kinds of elixirs that can make you legendary and invincible?"

Still, Na Yerin's tone was monotone.

"Of course! And most importantly, money, money, money……. We can't forget the vast gold and silver treasures that the great senior left behind for the junior, lest the junior, with whom he was connected, should go hungry, so they must be with him, and their glorious golden hue has kept its shine unchanged to this day, a thousand years later, alas!"

With a thousand years of golden brilliance stretched out before his retinas, Bi Ryuyeon's dazed eyes were lost in a world of dreams, fantasies, delusions, and presumptions. Right now, he was trying to boil reality down to a single fact, but the world was not so simple. Life contained dozens, hundreds, and thousands of variables.

Just because he likes it, just because he sincerely wishes for it, doesn't mean that his aspirations and wishes will take shape and appear before him, because there is a barrier in the world called "reality," which is sometimes called cruelty.

His words were so sincere, so full of passion, that Na Yerin did not offer any rebuttal. For some reason, the thought of wasting her time flashed through her mind.

"gold, jade, carnelian, agate, myoanthemum, pearl, crystal, diamond, amethyst, money money money……."

Humming the treasures of his imagination like a song, his steps were light as he moved forward. Na Yerin had no choice but to follow her light, flying steps. Despite eating only a handful of wallflowers for ten days, Bi Ryuyeon was brimming with strength. She wondered what the source of that strength was, but chose not to ask, for it felt wiser to do so. Her choice was excellent.

"But where am I really?"

Na Yerin asked as she walked down the street, using the light of her sword to guide her.

"I can assure you that it's not the phantom cave that was just buried. The moisture and temperature differences are too great compared to where it was before."

True to his word, the place was damp with high humidity, and a chill ran through the cave.

"This cave is not man-made, it's probably natural."

Bi Ryuyeon said, glancing around cautiously. Na Yerin touched her finger to one side of the cave wall and looked puzzled. Her jade finger skimmed the wall once, and a clear liquid appeared on her fingertip. It was sticky, slippery, and slimy.

Grrrr!

I rubbed the slime between my fingers and felt my fingertips slip.

"What is this?"

There was curiosity in her eyes.

"We don't have enough information to answer that question right now."

"I see!"

The answer was simple, but her sixth sense and dragon eyes were sending strong warning signals. Her dragon eyes whispered to her.

"Don't ever let this go unnoticed!

"Shall we walk some more?"

I couldn't let my anxiety stop me here and now. The still-dark cave was long and deep. The path behind me had kindly closed up, leaving me with only one way forward. There was no choice. Bi Ryuyeon and Na Yerin resumed their steps and walked forward, paying close attention to their surroundings.

Even in the darkness, the caves were endlessly connected and cut in a very irregular and chaotic manner. But one length of cave was not out of the ordinary. It felt like they were walking on an infinite spiral, but all they could do now was walk in silence on this dark spiral. They couldn't find any solutions by sitting still.

"There's no wind."

Without wind, the exit was likely to be blocked, and we had no choice but to rely on our instincts to guide us.

Leave your luck to the heavens…….