Book 11 Chapter 7

An Old Story

- Proposal (請婚)

The delegation from the Museum of Heaven and Earth, including Bi Ryuyeon, was a part of the

I was walking along the only open mountain trail in Kugongsan.

Anyone who wanted to cross the Gugongsan Mountain had to go through this road.

The other path didn't even exist.

Since they were walking on a mountain trail, they were obviously going up the mountain. Of course, they could have been going down, but it was clear that they were going up because the clouds above were gradually getting closer.

As is the nature of the mountains, the higher we climbed, the more difficult the trail became and the greener the vegetation. Nearly a dozen trees lined the path on all sides.

Usually, in a place like this, there are always people who take advantage of the geographical location to make a living. It would be a crime for them to leave such a favorable location untouched. Bi Ryuyeon was checking her nails for any foreign objects. She looked very leisurely and carefree, until she remembered something and called out to the court in a low voice.

"Gung-ho!"

"Yes, Big Brother!"

He replied angrily, and for no apparent reason, but it was at times like this that Namgungsang felt most uneasy.

I asked myself, "Did I do something wrong again?" to no avail. He was innocent for now. Nevertheless, an inexplicable anxiety gripped his heart. Now this was an illness.

"You're bored, do you want me to tell you a funny story?"

"This, the story?"

Even if it had fallen in a dry sky, it would not have been so puzzling. The Southern Palace Lord was taken aback by Bi Ryuyeon's unexpected words. Bi Ryuyeon smiled gently and nodded.

"Yeah, it's a lot of fun, but it's also a great lesson. Maybe you should listen to it."

There was no such thing as a veto in the Southern Palace. Bi Ryuyeon began her story by focusing on her nails.

"Once upon a time, in the days of tiger cigarettes, sixteen very unruly students came to a certain teacher, and whether because they were unruly or because they were immature, they were not very good listeners. They didn't have a clue what they were doing, and if they did, the teacher wouldn't have looked down on them so pathetically, and they would have looked up to them as if they were great. It was so pathetic, but she said she liked them anyway, so I decided I had to make them great, even if it meant sacrificing myself."

"Yes to……."

Namgungsang, who had been listening quietly, had to shake his head. Somehow, it sounded like a story he had heard many times before. And as he continued to listen, it didn't seem like anyone else's story. Unperturbed by Namgungsang's reaction, Bi Ryuyeon continued her story. Like a grandfather telling his grandson an old story.

"But these sixteen students were, alas, very rebellious. They were not humanly mature enough to accept his teachings without question. Unaware of their teacher's compassion, these foolish students finally rebelled. They even tried to organize an organized rebellion. Tsk, tsk, no wonder learning is hard, right?"

"Nothing, of course."

Namgungsang replied with a peculiarly distorted expression. He was troubled by the intangible pressure exuded by Bi Ryuyeon and the discomfort it caused him.

"But the students were very impatient. They weren't ready to be strong beyond their trials and tribulations-in short, they didn't have the basics. Still, the good teacher didn't give up on them, because in his eyes, they still had a glimmer of hope, even if it was only a tiny glimmer. He wanted them to be strong in the shortest amount of time possible. He couldn't stand the thought of his students being weak. So he taught them how to become strong in the shortest way possible, and he taught them with all his heart, but they were still stupid. Despite his tearful efforts, they rebelled against him, accusing him of not teaching them anything useful and making them work for nothing. "What a terrible bunch. What's with the look on your face?"

"Oh, it's nothing."

Namgungsang, who was sweating profusely, became flustered and stuttered.

"So what do you think happened?"

Click!

Bi Ryuyeon asked, still leisurely trimming her nails.

"What do you mean?"

"The fate of the students!"

"Now, I'm not sure."

It suddenly occurred to him that he might know the ending of the story very well, but he soon stopped thinking about it. He had a feeling that if he delved any deeper, he would feel incredibly miserable.

"You were a man who still remembered the old adage that 'the falcon is the cure-all. He had no choice, so he had no choice but to show dignity with it. He saw no future without essential human modification, and he didn't want to be the teacher who ruined his pupil's future."

Namgung Sang, who had been listening to Bi Ryuyeon's words, spoke up.

"Wouldn't there have been other ways? A hawk doesn't have to be the only way to show majesty; surely there were other ways, peaceful and non-violent enough?"

Bi Ryuyeon stared at the statue of the Southern Palace for a moment in disapproval before continuing.

"Time was too short for that. And when the students dared to create an atmosphere of rebellion in the classroom, the teacher had no choice. They didn't realize that they were learning even as they were learning. They didn't realize they were becoming incredibly strong, and that's why they made that mistake……. Okay? "

"Yes to……."

His face was pale and discolored, as if all his blood had been sucked into the ground.

'This, the story is…….'

Suddenly, that hellish life in Amishan flashed vividly in Namgungsang's mind: the scorching summer, the hellish heat, the thick dust, the damp sweat, and…….

Shattering his preconceived notions, she continued.

"The teacher had to think of something, for he knew that if he allowed the fire of discontent to continue to spread, it would be difficult to extinguish it later. The teacher's tender heart could no longer bear to watch his students slip down the wrong path……."

The story continues with Bi Ryuyeon's words, unperturbed by Namgung Sang's comical expression, but the metaphysical facial muscle movements he performs when he says the phrase "dear, dear heart" are truly horrifying.

"So the teacher needed an example, an example! And the example happened to be a child who was guilty of many sins, a child who always thought that if he stopped talking, he would be committing a great sin. Of course, the child's mouth was full of complaints about his teacher. Encouraged by the support of those around him, the child finally got around to complaining in front of his heavenly teacher. He was caught, and he became a sacrifice to the masses. The teacher beat him until everyone's complaints and rebellion turned to white ash. It broke his heart, of course, but he had no choice, for his chicks had never known true terror. The teacher needed to fill in the gaps in his pupils' knowledge, and he probably had no regrets because his sacrifice led to the enlightenment of his other fifteen friends. It is said that after that incident, the fifteen children became very good students indeed, which made it very easy for the benevolent teacher to teach. A beautiful atmosphere was created in the school, where the students worked hard and the teacher worked hard."

"Nothing, of course."

But in spite of his answer, Namgungsang's back was already damp with cold sweat, and his face was as pale as a blank sheet of paper. It seemed like he would never forget what he had heard today. How could he erase such a horrifying tale from his memory?

"Oh, by the way, there's a short sequel to this story, a sort of prequel."

She clapped her hands as if it had just dawned on her.

"Well, what is that?"

Why was he so anxious? Namgungsang felt like his heart was being crushed.

"He had one pupil that he took before the other sixteen, so he was kind of like a godfather to the other sixteen. He was said to be a very good man."

Namgungsang's face changed once again, but Bi Ryuyeon didn't care at all.

"One day, he suddenly realized that he wanted to meet his priests, so he decided to set out on the road."

'I didn't have to make a decision…….'

Namgungsang thought only of his own desires and never made the foolish mistake of speaking them out loud, a result of his years of training under Bi Ryuyeon.

"You have met with the High Priest, who is on a quest to find the priests, and he has pleaded with you. If your priests won't listen and are rebellious, then do exactly what your master did in the old days."

For an instant, Namgungsang felt a chill of dread run through his body, like a cold chill.

"Well, I see."

"What, you got a cold or something, why are you dropping like that?"

"Oh, no, that's okay, go ahead!"

Namgungsang's teeth chattered as he replied.

"Yes? And your prophecy was sadly fulfilled. In the emotional scene of the reunion, the priests didn't know how to honor the newcomer, who was, at best, a few years younger than them. They didn't realize that in this world, the death penalty is heaven, and they must have been deeply disturbed and heartbroken by the lack of respect that prevailed in Jianghu."

Namgungsang opened his mouth as if crying out in pity.

"Well, that can't be right, those priests must have had a great deal of respect for the High Priest, there's no way in hell there's a bunch of bastardized priests in this world who would disrespect the heavenly High Priest, maybe the High Priest was just mistaken, maybe there was a bit of a mix-up."

"Do you think so? "

The tone was that I don't know anything, so you answer for me.

"Of course."

"Really?"

"Sure."

There was a nod of determination in his voice. There was a hint of desperation in his voice, as if he were about to die if he lost.

"Hmmmm……."

Despite his firm answer, the doubt still lingered on Bi Ryuyeon's face.

"Those priests must have had the utmost respect for their big brother.

Namgungsang once again pushed back, strongly voicing his opinion.

"Is that so? Well, let's just say it is."

There were still questions that remained unanswered, but they would be covered. Namgungsang inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Perhaps the priests were so overwhelmed that they panicked, and it's okay if that's the case permanently."

"Well, let's just call it my delusion, or rather, the delusion of its big brother."

Suddenly, Namgungsang felt like he could sleep with his legs up tonight.

"Anyway, so he did what the master taught him, and to his surprise, the master's teaching worked really well, so he was able to be at ease again, just like the master had been before. Afterward, the master said he was happy that the priests listened so well."

Namgungsang felt the same relief as a prisoner who has just been pardoned from the execution chamber, and he eagerly went on with his life's work.

"Well, that's a good thing, because we don't have to upset the priests' esteemed archbishop any more."

"Sure. That was the luck of the priests, not the archons."

Click!

Bi Ryuyeon still didn't look up from his work, instead focusing on his nails. It seemed that the most important thing in the world to him right now was trimming his own nails.

"……."

Namgungsang was silent for a moment.

"Do you know why?"

Bi Ryuyeon asked in a nonchalant tone.

"Okay, I'm not sure, please dismiss."

For some reason, goosebumps were rising on his back. It was a very strange phenomenon, even though he wasn't sick.

"Hoo-hoo…, that's the thing," he said, "even the High Priest himself couldn't guarantee what would have happened if any more priests had climbed up there. That's why they're lucky."

Poof!

A bead of sweat beaded on Namgungsang's forehead, rolled down his cheek, past his chin, and dripped to the ground.

Tsk, tsk, tsk!

The dewy beads of sweat on his forehead turned to rain and fell to the floor. His back was covered in sweat.

"So do you see the moral of this story?"

"Of course, that's why I want you to serve the heavenly master and the great brother extremely well……."

Voila!

At that moment, an arrow struck Namgungsang's head. Bi Ryuyeon stared at him in disbelief.

"When did you become so obtuse?"

"What?"

Namgungsang was only frustrated.

"Of course you're right, but there's another moral, and we can't lose sight of that. Don't simplistically think there's only one moral to the story, simplistically! You can't look at this and not see the moral of my story?"

Bi Ryuyeon lifted a carefully manicured finger and pointed around them. All around them, the mighty men from earlier surrounded them with a double layer of human barriers. Namgung Sang turned his head to look at Bi Ryuyeon, and his godbrother nodded.

"Do you get it?"

Namgungsang nodded.

"I can't believe I didn't see this move coming… I was so caught off guard.

They must have been ambushed beforehand. But unless one has learned the art of expert stealth, one is bound to be seen, and he hadn't noticed them at all until they were within ten feet of him. He was embarrassed by his inexperience.

The front of the delegation, in the middle of the two layers of the curtain of man, parted to the left and right, and a middle-aged man stepped forward.

He was a middle-aged man with an extremely plain face, unlike most of the gruff-looking warlords, but in the midst of the gruff warlords, his plainness seemed extraordinary. Moreover, his status seemed to be far from low.

"Who are you?"

One of the leaders of the delegation, a nasty old man, stepped forward and asked harshly, and the middle-aged man bowed politely. Apparently, the two men had switched sides.

"Hehehe, greetings, my name is Yi Song, and I'm a debt collector in one of the small mountain houses of the Green Forest Seventy-seven. It is a great pleasure to meet you all today on such a green and sunny day."

"Ah! Is that so?"

He was forced to greet the ruffian face to face. His tone was far too polite for a bandit. It was almost questionable whether he was a bandit or not, but that didn't stop him from saying, "Ah, yes, so what do we have to offer you that will save you the trouble?

The name 'Noklim Seventy-seven Chae' caused Lim's face to contort severely, but no one else in the delegation seemed to notice.

"What is it for?"

Nasty asked, short and harsh.

"Ah! It's simple. The gentleman in charge of our living quarters has suddenly decided to do something unbecoming of his age, and I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to cooperate with him if possible. I don't really want to do this, but I'm a bully, so I'm going to embarrass you without paying for the night…, tsk tsk!"

Lee Song clicked his tongue in disapproval. That was it.

"Hey, dude, ink, who's being a dick, did you do anything to help me get old?"

The delegates all seemed to be on the same page as he made his way through the crowd screaming like a whale: "Ink" was apparently a nickname for the man who introduced himself as Lee Song. Of course, not everyone had the same idea. Yeomdo thought his nickname might be "snout" or "cock," but he was wrong.

"Yeah, that's what I want!

A black beard as stiff as an iron needle, a gaping scar across the corner of his right eye, two beady eyes, eyebrows as dense as an insect's, and a vicious-looking black axe strapped to his broad back.

In some ways, he was a very normal-looking mountain bandit. He was a stark contrast to the clean-cut debt collector, who didn't look like a bandit at all, which is why he was a bandit.

"Who else are you?"

His question was unnecessary. There was only one person with such a gaunt face who could be more powerful than the debtor. Needless to say, he was the leader of the bandits.

"Then let's finish what we didn't hear earlier."

The entire delegation, including Wolf Qi, was interrupted by the sudden appearance of the bandit leader, or, as they called him, the vegetable king. The bandit leader's face suddenly turned red.

'Geez, is that shyness now? Is that…, is that a terrible thing to do…….'

A terrible, untrustworthy thought flashed through his mind for a moment. He blushed and jabbed Fan Zhu Yi Song in the side with his elbow again.

"Stop it!

Everyone screamed at the top of their lungs, nearly drowning in the instantaneous wave of disgust. I glance around at the faces of the bandits around me and see that they're not exactly happy either.

'How embarrassing it must be to witness such unspeakable atrocities by the boss.'

The members of the delegation were suddenly filled with compassion for the bandits. Already their grotesque behavior was beyond criminal and horrifying, so they were even more afraid to hear their explanation.

"What, what?"

Yin Dao's mouth dropped open. His eyes, bulging as if his eyeballs were about to fall out at any moment, were filled with a gleam of disbelief. He glanced at the old man standing beside him and shouted.

"Hey, gnome, is something wrong with my ears? "

The old man's expression was also grim, and his expression told her that he wasn't the only one with a hearing problem right now. Wei Zichen, the Sun Wind Sword Dragon, was rampaging through the streets, fire blazing from his eyes, and the female guards all looked like they had seen a bug, and they were furious that one of their happy dreams had been invaded by a rogue.

"Zee, Zee…, is that the girl over there you're asking to be your vegetarian wife?"

His fingertips were visibly trembling in response to the question. It was uncharacteristic of the man who had a reputation for being cold, but it was impossible to tell if the trembling was due to bewilderment or anger.

"I'm ashamed to say, I don't find a shred of truth in what you say."

Debtor Yi Song's face was filled with shame and embarrassment as he answered; he was well aware of how embarrassing and unabashed this request was. At least he still seemed to have a conscience. For a bandit, he had some. Yi Song lifted his eyes slightly and looked at where the filthy fingertips were pointing. Suddenly, his face burned.

'Hehe, in all my fifty lifetimes, I have never seen such a mysterious beauty, and it makes my heart beat as fast as this dead tree. ……. It's not unreasonable for a woman to make such a hesitant request.

But the vegetarian's request felt like an insult to that beauty. Where Wolfgang pointed, stood Na Yerin, the Ice White Peak, a woman of unearthly beauty, clad in a snow-white robe. She never showed any emotion on her face in the face of this outrageous situation.

On Na Yerin's behalf, her tutor, the Poisonous Fang Poisonous Spirit, was radiating both rage and life from his entire body. She felt like she couldn't wait to draw her sword and slice the psychopath in two.

"Are you crazy?"

Gao Yan summarized the current situation in a single, simple word. Yi Song shook his head in disbelief.

"Phew, that's what I'd rather do, but the reality of the situation is that I can't do anything about it. It's not that I haven't suspected her of being maniacal, but…, I can't disobey the orders of my superiors with the integrity of a subordinate, so I hope you'll understand."

"What? Who's crazy, I'm normal, I'm normal, I'm normal!"

Chaeju, who had been listening quietly next to me, exclaimed.

"As you can see, it's normal."

Shrugging his shoulders, Yi Song said. His demeanor was something along the lines of, "I'm pretty sure he's crazy, but he insisted he wasn't, so I had no choice but to tell it like it was.

"Impossible! "

The voice was low but powerful enough to captivate the entire audience, and that voice was Bi Ryuyeon.

"Who are you?"

In a snarling voice, Chazu Imkai asked, obviously not pleased with the intrusion into his centuries-old lodge.

"You don't have a name to teach a psychopath."

In a cynical tone, Bi Ryuyeon replied. How could he not be angry at you for asking for something that belongs to someone else?

"What, you cheeky little bastard, I'm talking to the elders and you're going over there and sulking in the corner!"

Not knowing that Bi Ryuyeon was most frightening when she was smiling and angry, Lin Kai didn't hesitate to rant. The corner of Bi Ryuyeon's mouth twitched into a smile, and at that moment, Zhu Zichen, Yin Dao, and the Ice Sword flinched. They were worried that they, too, would be burst into flames if they were within range of this vicious madman who was playing with fire so fearlessly next to the oil warehouse.

"Whoops, I thought it was just mania, but now I see you're blind, which is a shame because apparently you're still correct."

"You wretch," he said, "there's nothing you can't say when a child is listening, and you're talking like you haven't even dried the blood on your head yet. I didn't want to deal with you because you're still a child, but I'm here to fix your mess."

Zhu Zhaodan and Yan Dao wanted to shut up the mountain bandit's foul-mouthed mouth as soon as possible. They were afraid that things would get out of hand.

"This trip seems to be unexpectedly exciting, and that's a good thing, kook-kook-kook!"

The faces of the main cast members suddenly turned pale at the sight of Bi Ryuyeon's sneering mockery.

'Kuck! I'm angry! I'm angry!'

"What do I do? What do I do?

'I don't know! I don't know!'

They were thrown into a state of collective confusion by Bi Ryuyeon's mockery. It became their earthly goal to resolve this situation as soon as possible, to stop the dangerous and terrifying mockery from his lips. Otherwise, there was no way to stop this horror.

"What are you doing, you're just paying lip service, come on!"

Imgae exclaimed, completely unaware of the gravity of the situation.

"I don't want to get my hands dirty with a lowlife like you. This guy here and his friends will deal with you."

It was Namgungsang who nominated her.

[vs…, big brother!]

Namgungsang called out in a panic, afraid that someone else might hear him.

[Why?]

Bi Ryuyeon asked with a look that said she couldn't understand why he was calling her. Namgungsang ended up saying nothing.

[Oops!]

In a low voice, Bi Ryuyeon called out to Namgung Sang.

[Yes, metatype!]

[After all I've said, do I have to be a dick about it, do I have to get involved in something as trivial as this?]

At Bi Ryuyeon's subtle tone, Nan Gongsang was stunned. He knew from experience that that was the tone of voice that his big brother used when he was unhappy about something. Any more delay here and he'd be punished later.

[No, we'll take care of that on our end].

[Sounds like a great pre-meal workout].

[That's…, right].

Sweat poured down my face.

[Remember what I said before? Lessons are meant to be realized. I'm sorry, but sometimes the world needs an example].

Namgungsang was taken aback by the idea of setting an example.

[I know what you're talking about, take heart, big brother].

[I'm relieved that you're not going to have to go somewhere and get beaten up for not knowing better].

[thanks to polymorphisms].

Namgungsang laughed uneasily and replied. In truth, there was only one person in this world who would do such a thing to him. He couldn't think of anyone other than Bi Ryuyeon who would do such a thing to him.

"Then go away!"

Namgungsang had no veto power.

After a private conversation with Bi Ryuyeon, Namgung Sang walked over to Yin Dao first. If they wanted to fight them, they would first have to get permission from their leader. The idea of a whole delegation from the Heavenly Martial Academy paying a toll to bandits to pass by with the Academy's most beautiful woman was absurd. Yeomdo nodded without giving it much thought.

"Take care of yourself, and… I'm hungry."

It looked like he might have to speed up the process a bit with the spell. He walked over to the ice sword once more after gaining its permission. Out of courtesy, he couldn't just ask permission from one of them.

"That's one complicated procedure.

Bi Ryuyeon muttered to herself. Our bandits could only watch helplessly as the Southern Palace Priest bustled about. I've never seen them so nonchalant in my life. An unknown unease crawled up the nape of his neck. Needless to say, I felt very dirty.

"Hey ink, what the hell is that?"

Ink was the nickname of his aide-de-camp and debtor-in-chief, Guizhou (君子盜: What a wretched nickname, what kind of a thief would look for a guizhou).

"I don't know, I guess it's just a formality?"

He was an uncharacteristically inebriated fan master. He didn't like Lim Kai's pretense of erudition; he didn't think it was necessary to say things that were easy to say. Sometimes he would use words that he didn't understand, and whenever Lim Kai would scold him, "Don't you know that?" he would be overcome with the urge to twist his hair and make him never speak again.

'You're lucky to have a benevolent boss like me!'

However, his absence had the fatal disadvantage of completely paralyzing the work of the sanctuary, as there was no one to take care of the administration. His sanctuary was on a different scale than the other sanctuaries, and he needed someone to take care of the administrative work. It was this administrative difficulty, rather than his overflowing compassion, that made it possible for the voodoo master Gunzao to make fun of Yi Song.

The Five Hundred Green Forest Daoists of the Black Rangetree had to fight a long and tedious wait until the Namgung Sang passed through the salt flats, through the ice sword, and through the foul smell to reach the Wolf Spirit.

"Hmmm…, are we done?"

Lim Kai yawned as he turned to Namgungsang, who stood between him and the delegation. Behind Namgungsang, the fifteen members of the Zhu Jiajia Troupe were lined up in rows.

"Done."

Nan Gongsheng nodded indifferently. The embarrassment he had felt in front of Bi Ryuyeon a moment ago had been washed away, and now he felt as sharp as a sharp sword.

Oops, something was amiss.

"Did I touch something wrong with this?

He liked the fact that the six women in the row of fifteen were all beautiful, but the fact that they were so unperturbed by the sight of him was a source of great anxiety to him. But once he had begun, there was no such thing as backing out.

'Oh no, it wasn't a sale, it was a marriage proposal! I thought you were afraid of habits……. By the way, why are these guys being so nonchalant?'

Everywhere he looked, there was not a single nervous or panicked bitch. This was going to be a huge bruise on his ego today. Already, some of the delegates were spreading out, sitting in small groups, chatting, and preparing to watch. True to his word, he was the only one to step up to the plate.

Namgungsang spoke first.

"First, a bio to honor the ignorance, recklessness, and courage of those who stood in our way, and now you will pay for it."

"What the hell, you bastards!"

The polite greeting from the head of the Southern Palace quickly set Lin Kai off. He had never had a relationship with patience in his previous life.

"Boss, you can't afford to fall into the enemy's hands early on. Take care."

Voodoo Master Isong advised in a low voice.

"What, what, the closet is…, what did you do?"

"Eh, just don't get angry at the other person because they're arguing with you."

For the umpteenth time, Yi Song let him off easy. But Imgae would soon have to repay the favor with enmity.

"You just scoffed, didn't you?"

"What? What do you mean? "

Yi Song shrugged his shoulders and smirked.

"Hey, you son of a bitch, why are you using the hard words when you could use the easy ones?"

Does his brain lack an organ that detects gratitude? Apparently, Yi Song's efforts to improve the cultivation of his boss, Lin Kai, had been thwarted at every turn.

"Do you think it makes sense to start with the common name first? "

While the split between the head and the vice head was quite interesting, they decided to move on quickly because they had someone who was hungry and impatient, and most importantly, Bi Ryuyeon was very uncomfortable. If they didn't do something quickly, the sparks would probably fall on them.

He was no longer a novice at this.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself formally. I'm Yi Song, the debtor in charge of the administrative affairs of the owner of this mountain, and this is the owner of our Black Orchard."

After being introduced, Im Kae stepped forward with an arrogant stride.

"I am the owner of this mountain. If you want to go down the mountain in peace, give her to me as my wife!"

It was a simple, straightforward declaration. Yi Song turned his head away, as if his sophistication had been insulted. Several of the delegates waggled their eyebrows at the mention of the black raspberry. The name was all too familiar. Lim was so surprised that he almost dropped the gong he was holding. He remembered hearing it in one of Mr. Lee's lectures on "Distribution of Powerful Forces" in the previous year.

"Green Forest Five! "

Yeomdo muttered in a low voice, but no one heard him.

"Well, at least they're not a bunch of bandits."

The reputation of the Iceblade Green Forest Bandits had been known for some time. It was funny to see the leader and the vice captain joking around like that, but it seemed that they weren't as ordinary bandits as they seemed.

The Green Forest Five were the five strongest members of the Green Forest Seventy-seven. They were far different from the bandit paddles of the undisciplined wild dogs; they were the real center of power that maintained the reputation of the Green Forest Seventy-seven Houses.

"Then you must be the Black Rang Cheju, Black Rang Bu."

Namgungsang looked at Zhang Han, his assessment of his opponent slightly altered.

"Kahahaha, how nice that you know this old man's name! "

Lim Kai burst out laughing. Did he think his fame echoed across the Dead Sea?

"Well, they don't know who we are, but they know we're Murimans, so that should be good enough."

Bing'er could understand their unexplained confidence, but even so, it was ridiculous.

"After hearing this old man's name, do you still have the courage to stand up to him?"

Puffing out his chest, Lin Kai pouted. Namgungsang didn't feel it was worth answering.

"You can keep the money. It's an auspicious day for me to be married, so I'll be generous!"

"Who's the bride? "

"Of course it's her! "

The person he pointed to was Na Yerin. Once again, everyone had a look of disbelief on their faces. Yi Song's words earlier had not been a joke.

"You were kidding, weren't you?"

Namgungsang asked again.

"Who's kidding?"

"Then you must be insane."

Apparently, the most important purpose of today's appointment was to protect Zhang Guo. His entire attention had been fixed on Na Yerin since she had appeared, so even though she had told him that he was crazy, he didn't care and just stared at her in ecstasy.

'And, indeed…….'

Im Kae was frightened out of his mind. The spy had been right. A heavenly fairy had come down to earth, and when she had done so, he had slapped her across the face for speaking in white, but he felt that he should be rewarded for his skill. I'd never seen such a wide-eyed beauty in my life.

He had fallen in love with her as soon as he saw her. Her gracefulness seemed to suck him in. Even now, he felt like he was floating on a cloud. Seeing her dazed and blind, Yi Song decided to act on his impulse. He raised his hand, palm open, and waved it up and down in front of the chief's eyes. But Na Yerin's eyes were fixed on him, unwilling to return to their place. He was helpless against the power of Na Yerin's magic, which mesmerized people every time they saw her.

Na Yerin had to grimace at the unpleasant, lustful glances directed at her for a moment. It wasn't something she hadn't experienced before, but it didn't make her immune. Bi Ryuyeon did not miss her expression.

"Just wipe your spit. It's disgusting."

Namgungsang spoke up with a cautionary note.

But Yi Song, who was staring at Na Yerin, looking at his leader with an expression of frustration and disapproval, didn't even bother to reply. Sensing that his words had definitely been chewed up, the Southern Palace Lord's complexion frowned slightly.

"I've got a long way to go. Let's get this over with. I challenge you. Let's see if you're worthy of making such an outrageous demand in front of us."

With a crisp click, the sword was drawn from its sheath in the South Palace.

"Huh? You're a little brat, you're going to take on me, the Black Lady Impe, khahahaha!"

"Woohahahaha!"

"Giggle giggle giggle!"

The men surrounding him burst into laughter at Lim's outburst. It was clear that they were blinded by the color of the night and didn't care to know who they were.

Eek!

Namgungsang raised his hand.

Self!

The speed was dazzling. The bandits, who had surrounded the delegation in two layers, were stunned by the sudden appearance of Inyoung before them.

There was a brief moment of "What was that?" but there was no trickery involved. Namgungsang had given the signal, and at a speed that was too fast for the eye to capture, the troops had spread out in all directions, facing the encirclement.

"What, what?"

Imgae looked puzzled and shouted.

"Shit!

Yi Song cursed under his breath. He had a bad feeling about this.

"I am the Southern Palace Clan's grandson and a fourth-year student of the Heavenly Martial Academy. Do you think this is enough to qualify me to fight you?"

The transfer felt like a blur.

'I'm screwed!'

Perhaps I had picked the wrong person. It was an uncharacteristic mistake for the man who always preached reason over action. But she was already open for business. He couldn't save face at this point. Now they can only hope that the other side will save their own face. ……. Judging by their outrageous demands, that seemed unlikely.

"Namgung Sega……."

Lim Kai gritted his teeth. This was a background not to be taken lightly, and a group to be avoided at all costs. It was wise to keep grudges to a minimum. But his pride would not allow him to curl his tail around the name. His Black Rangchae was still a Nolim offense.

However, the name Namgungsang kept replaying in his mind. It was surprising to realize that this shallow-looking sandbagger was the enemy of the Southern Palace Clan, but the name was not unfamiliar to him.

"Where did I hear that, Namgungsang? Namgungsang? Namgungsang? Namgungsang…, Sang! Sang! Sang!"

Lim's eyes widened.

"Xu…, are you the Green Forest Nemesis, the chewing gnome?"

"You're right, it doesn't taste very good when you chew it."

With no reason to hide it, Namgungsang readily admitted it. But he didn't know when he'd become the Green Forest's natural enemy. It seemed that they had become famous in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Oh, my God."

Suddenly, silence and stillness overtook the bandits, and the air that enveloped them in an instant was an air of fear.

"Why are they so afraid of their seniors, and how did they know they were Jujak Dan just by Namgung's name?"

Hyo-ryong's questioning of Lim was justified.

"Well…, it's probably because of his colorful past, and it's also because he hasn't forgotten what happened two years ago."

Two years ago!

It was right around this time that Zhu Jiaxuan returned to the Tianmu Academy after a special summer camp at Amishan.

Tea!

The conversation between Lin Seong-jin and Hyo-ryong had barely ended when a crystal-clear black sound rang out, and the Southern Palace Statue leaped toward Lin Kai. A white flash of light descended from the sky toward Lim Kai with the momentum of the Ildon Yang Clan.

Chop!

The violent clash of sword and axe echoed through the mountains. It was the sound of the mighty sword of the Southern Palace, which had fallen from the sky as if to split the earth in two, being blocked by the axe of Lin Ming.

The white sword of the Southern Palace seemed to cut Lin Feng in two at a moment's notice, but his axe was unable to penetrate the defenses and was blocked by the gaunt Black Rangoon's wall.

"Holy…, no way!"

Taking five steps back from the impact, Namgung Sang felt his confidence in himself crumble. The first blade of his long and storied sword family had been lightly blocked by the axe hilt of a mountain bandit of unknown origin……. He could hardly believe it.

He had casually assumed that a bandit would remain a bandit forever, even if he was a Green Forest Bandit. He couldn't remember ever having met a bandit and wielded a second sword, but alas, he was forced to change that today.

He stared in disbelief at his sword and the axe of the bushy-billed man who had parried it. Lin Kai was a man of immense strength, and his gigantic frame was a match for the power he possessed. But he wasn't the only one who panicked. Lin Kai was just as baffled.

'That guy! He looks like a sandman, and he has such a skill… Is this the power of the Southern Palace Sega?

I was about to be split in two from the crown of my head to my crotch. His skull would have been split open like a watermelon. Hastily raising his axe, he instinctively parried the thunderous blow, but instead of breaking his opponent's sword, which was much lighter than his axe, he found a gaping wound in his own blade. The blade was ugly, with large serrated teeth marks.

"The Green Forest Mistress is different!"

Namgungsang let out an exclamation. I wondered if I'd made a mistake by looking at it too briefly.

"You too! "

The members of the Green Forest Clan had all received their martial arts training directly from the Green Forest King, the Crazy Wind Demon King. It was absurd to treat them like common bandits. Apparently, it was impossible to subdue them with simple herbivory. Each of his axe strikes caused the wind to buzz and split apart. Every second of it was so simple, yet so powerful.

"That must be the Black Rang Twelve Swords, which was created by applying the Green Forest King's 'Berserk Marang Dao' as a minor method. It is indeed as ferocious as a wolf stalking its prey."

Jang Hong gasped at the ferocity.

"If we dueled, we'd end up with a bunch of broken swords."

Hyorong shook his head in disbelief. It was foolish to go toe-to-toe with such ignorance. In a case like this, it was better to avoid direct confrontation and attack bypassively.

"Black rang twins! "

As Namgung Sang continued to dodge and dodge, but didn't strike back, the child-riding Lin Kai charged, furiously swinging his axe from side to side. Two flashes of light shot out from his left and right sides.

"White light line! "

For now, defense came first. Namgungsang raised his sword and caught the side of the axe, sending it crashing into the ground. His supportive foot dug into the ground, creating a large trajectory. It was no easy feat.

"But!

Bi Ryuyeon's eyes sparkled as she watched.

"The bigger and heavier the weapon, the bigger the loophole for a failed attack.

In that sense, Lim was too ignorant, too reckless, and too careless.

"Black rango (黑狼爪) Taishan Yangbun (泰山兩分)! "

The axe, chopping firewood from the top to the bottom, was the final change in the herbivore's arsenal. An axe is a weapon that uses its weight and strength to subdue an opponent. However, Namgungsang showed no signs of fear at all as he faced the blow that came furiously toward his head, turning slightly to face the attack. His body maneuvers had already become smooth after several days of training in the compound strengthening technique.

Quack, quack, quack!

The mountains shook with the sound of his ignorance, his determination to tear the earth in two. But even the most powerful herbivores were useless if they weren't hit. His grand plan to slice the Southern Palace Sword in two and separate its neck from its torso had failed. His tactics had failed. His opponent had already read the move. Lin Kai tried to overpower the technique with force, but the speed and skill of the Southern Archer was already far beyond Lin Kai's ability.

Lin Kai had to use all his strength to support his black loincloth as he was pulled to the ground, leaving his head, torso, and arms completely defenseless. It was a golden opportunity, and he didn't remember that Bi Ryuyeon had ever been trained to miss a golden opportunity. He plunged his sword into the gaping hole. There was no need for complicated herbivory at this moment.

It was just a bell.

"That's it!"

Watching Lin Feng's black axe fall in a straight line from the sky, Yeomdo spoke, and Binggum nodded as if in agreement with his words. They knew that once a hole was exposed to that degree, it would be nearly impossible to repair.

Unless someone has a climax cilantro to help with the impregnation!

"Not yet! "

That's all she had to say.

Grrrr!

And then there was a sword, a Southern Palace sword with a sharp point, slashing at the base of Lin Kai's neck.

Sword Painting Flow

An uninvited intruder from nowhere. The sword from the Southern Palace was deflected aside by the intruder's blade, like slipping on ice. Lim Kai barely escaped death, and his life was saved. But when he saw the face of the man who saved him, he thought his eyes were seeing visions that should have been discarded.

Mung……!

Horror (驚愕)! Disbelief (不信)! Disillusionment(虛脫)!

Namgung Sang looked at Lin Kai in surprise once more. Or, to be more precise, he looked at the owner of the sword that had suddenly appeared in front of him. The culprit who had casually swept away his own sword was, to his surprise, none other than the plain-faced protagonist, Fan Zhu Yisong.

It was no easy feat to channel the sword energy of a master of the Southern Palace level, no matter how simple the attack was--it was as powerful as it was simple--and to do so with such lightness and almost no resistance. This was something that only a master at the peak of his powers could accomplish, and yet this bandit debtor had done it.

Jaws dropped, and so did the rest of the delegation. The game was already over. All that remained was the final judgment!

"Look! You hesitated, and you sold me a bunch of crap! You didn't get it after I gave you so much warning, and I told you that you shouldn't hesitate when you're swinging a sword……. If you hadn't hesitated, I wouldn't have even given you a chance to interrupt me, and I'd already be done with you, tsk tsk tsk!"

Nanggungsang's face widened at Yeomdo's rebuke.