Book 12 Chapter 6

The Passion of the Crimson Twins!

"Ho-ho, they're very peculiar looking, by the way.

It's a snake, and it's cheekily running up to its horns."

Bi Ryuyeon grabbed the nape of the neck of the Qinghong Twins and paced back and forth as if emoting.

I flipped it over, panting. It was a very violent motion.

Shhhhhhh!

Like any good creature, these two tried to rebel.

"What, are you defiant? One more time……."

Shhhhhhh!

As if Bi Ryuyeon's words weren't enough, the male Qinglinsa once again spat out venomous words about being a man.

Eek!

Qinglinsa's crying stopped instantly, and not only that, but her mouth was open, unable to shut. Her eyes were filled with panic, and from the side, she looked like she was breaking out in a cold sweat.

"I told you, if you defy me one more time, I won't let you off the hook. I warned you clearly."

He wanted to protest to the heavens, "What a bunch of ignoramuses!" He had lived for two hundred years, crawling across the earth and eating beasts ten times his size, but he had never encountered such a ridiculous human being.

But Qinglinsa could not close his gills. Even if he had a reputation for being a fierce, unruly, and gourmet creature that shunned its prey, and even if he was hungry now after starving for days to raise his virility, he could not swallow his wife, the Honglin Sisterhood, whole.

Yes! Bi Ryuyeon's punishment for Qinglinsa was to plunge Honglinsa's head into a gaping maw of poisonous water. It was an absurdly ignorant and crude method, but the effect was absolute. Qing Lin was completely silenced.

"Should I just shove it in there?"

In a low, quiet voice, Bi Ryuyeon spoke.

The blue-red two-stranded tail, which had been flapping wildly like a bronze duck, twitched helplessly. The creature instinctively realized that, being a creature, it obviously meant what it said and might actually do so if it was cajoled. Luckily, however, whether she had any mercy left in her, or whether she was simply disgusted by the idea of two for the price of one, she didn't act on it.

Bi Ryuyeon held them up in front of him with a stern look on his face, as if to say, "You'll die if you don't behave. In an instant, a brilliant light flashed in the eyes of the Vermilion Twins. It was their secret ability to paralyze people like stone in an instant, and it was the final act of defiance they were capable of.

But…….

Kiiiiiind!

Rather, it was the blue-haired pythons who were struck by lightning. Even the specialty of these simple snakes was lost in the face of Bi Ryuyeon. They had exerted themselves to the utmost of their abilities in order to survive, but they were completely useless against this human. Rather, the waves of life that bounced back with tremendous repulsive force struck a powerful blow to their minds.

"Ho-ho, that's funny, a last ditch effort at defiance, even though I've given you an ultimatum! Do you think you'll be sweet with a cheeky horned snake? Do you want me to make you snake wine? Or roasted snake? Or do you want me to make you a fatigue-reviving, vigor-enhancing, muscle-strengthening, nourishing tonic? How dare you bat your eyeballs at such an insignificant subject?"

The cheeky rebellion of the two dogs made Bi Ryuyeon's temper flare up.

Puck, puck, puck, puck!

The elongated body of the Blue Crimson Twins pounded the ground three or four times. Bi Ryuyeon flicked her wrist and slapped it to the ground.

"One more rebellion and there's no broth, do you understand?"

Bi Ryuyeon glared at him (although it didn't look like it).

Beep, beep, beep!

Even the lesser creatures seemed to sense the threat to their lives. Their survival instincts were not yet broken. The blade-like momentum from a moment ago had melted away like snow in the spring sun, leaving only gentle pets in his grasp. Of course, Bi Ryuyeon had noticed that the venomous creatures that had been baring their teeth just a moment ago had suddenly become as docile as Gyusu at the inn, rubbing against the back of her hand and purring affectionately.

Ordinarily, I would have had to twist the hairs and skin the cat in one fell swoop, but…….

"I'm guessing that freaky looking thing is worth a pretty penny. If it's a rare poison, it's worth every penny. I told you it's home……."

The natural law of the world is that things that are old or scarce have a value of their own. That was always the truth of the world.

"What do you think, Jang Hyung, do you think this is going to be a big money maker?"

Looking at Jang Hong, who was now walking beside them through the inclement weather, Bi Ryuyeon asked.

"Of course. It'll fetch a fortune, and not just any fortune, but a fortune. After all, it's a rare commodity, one in a hundred years."

He had been drawn to Na Yerin's side by the bang and the kicking up of dust. In the midst of all this chaos, he was unharmed; his clothes were spattered with red blood, but it all belonged to the creatures that crawled on the ground beneath him, and not a single drop came from beneath his skin.

"So, is it more expensive to be alive? Is it more expensive to be dead? Or are they both about the same?"

It was probably just Jang Hong and Nayarin's imagination that a cold sweat broke out on the body of the Blue-Hued Twins for a moment. However, the terror in these creatures' eyes had definitely reached them.

'Curse your fate in the hands of a wicked man!'

Compassion flashed in Jang Hong's eyes for a moment, and then it was gone.

"Of course, the fresh ones are more expensive. Besides, these two are a male and female pair. The blue one is the male, and the red one is the female!"

Bi Ryuyeon understood him to mean that he could fetch more than five times the market price (assuming there was such a thing). The ecosystem of the Cyanidae was about ten thousand years removed from his interest.

"Consider yourself lucky. I'm only keeping him alive because they say dead guys are cheap. Normally, I'd have twisted his head off." ……. Tsk, tsk, I'm being too generous."

Somehow, what I said before and what I said after didn't make sense at all. Ryu-yeon Bi said again.

"I assume you're the leader of these guys, and although they're lowly creatures, I think they have as much desire to live as anyone else."

Was it just an optical illusion on Jang Hong's part that he felt like the Qinghong Twins were nodding their heads vigorously at that moment?

"Hahaha! No way, you must be mistaken!

He immediately denied what he had seen. He was dazed, and seemed to be seeing only strange things. Bi Ryuyan continued.

"You should be grateful to the man who saved your life, shouldn't you? There are occasions in this world, no matter how insignificant! So…, if you want to live, tell your minions to get the hell out of here. Now!"

It was a majestic voice that carried an irresistible force of will, as if speaking directly to two souls. The golden light of Bi Ryuyeon's eyes flashed like a blazing sun, piercing through the matter of the Crimson Twin Pavilion like a sharp spear. It was an aura of immense power, incomparable to the crude power displayed by these two creatures.

"Wow, threatening a snake that can't talk……. I've never heard of this before. Look, Ryuyeon, I won't say anything bad about you. But if you have something to spend your time on, why don't you spend it taking down these guys? We're still not completely safe. Don't waste your time on such a futile endeavor. It's just plain stupid……."

Jang Hong was just about to launch into a long-winded piece of advice to Bi Ryuyeon when he came up beside her.

Beep!

A sharp whistling sound echoed through the canyon from the mouth of Qinglin Shi, who was being held by the neck by Bi Ryuyeon. It was a high-pitched, loud sound that was impossible to imagine coming from such a small body.

Yay!

Hong Lin's cries followed. Then, one by one, two by two, the snakes that had been lying in wait for them began to retreat. The rare creature that could understand human speech, the Blue-Hong Twins! Their loyalty was nothing more than a weakness in the face of such a threat to their lives.

She had been betrayed by the very people she had spent the last hundred years doting on, nurturing, and feeding like her own children. It was a betrayal that made the past hundred years seem so insignificant.

"Hehe! I can't believe it with my own eyes. You managed to get the Serpentine Legion to back down with threats……. Truly, I have no stomach for your shenanigans and eccentricities, I have no stomach for them."

For whatever reason, whether it's the absurdity or the wonder of it all, I'm always surprised by Bi Ryuyeon.

"Where in the world did they grow that monster scab?

It was a mystery that hasn't been solved, and remains an open question.

"What the…, how can this be……?"

Bisamagun (now called Bisamazole for its Yeomdo) couldn't believe the necrosis unfolding before his eyes. How could something that was supposed to be his limb betray him? Do limbs sometimes refuse to listen to their masters? The two horses had been his sword and shield, his limbs.

They had always been of one mind, and had lived together for the past hundred and twenty years. He stood there for a moment, dumbfounded and helpless, and then drew a green flute from his bosom, one of his master's treasures. It had the power to control snakes and insects at will when blown by those who had mastered the art of command. But it was something he hadn't taken out in the last fifty years as his commanding skills deepened.

"I never thought I'd need this flute again in my life……."

Life was indeed a series of mysterious events.

"Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! ……."

The snakes halted in their tracks as the quadrupeds let out a sound that was never pleasant to the ears, and turned to face the group again.

Shhhhh!

Once again, the snakes' scarlet tongues and venomous bites flashed at them. The air reeked of venom.

"What? What's wrong with them?"

Surprised by the sudden reversal, Bi Ryuyeon asked.

"A reptilian of the Visamagun. He once controlled his snakes with the sound of this flute. I was puzzled that he was able to control the snakes without the sound earlier, perhaps his command skills had advanced to the point where he could call them without the flute, but now it seems he needs the dusty flute he hasn't used in a long time."

'…, because of one person, you!'

Jang Hong's gaze was fixed on Bi Ryuyeon as he kindly explained the details. But she didn't seem to mind.

"So you're talking about the snake charmer's snake flute."

It was a simple sentiment. In many ways, the Bisama Army was a disgrace. I was ashamed of the notoriety I had earned a hundred years ago.

"You're really making a nuisance of yourself. You're a nuisance. Now, do you hear me? You're going to have to work harder to save your asses. I don't have to tell you what will happen if you don't."

That was enough.

Beep!

Yay!

A desperate cry erupted from the Crimson Twins. It was the beginning of a full-blown battle between the cries of the Blue Crimson Twins and the Bisama Army. The friendship of the past hundred years was already in their heads, and they were desperate.

Two opposing lines of command have caused confusion for armies throughout the ages.

Woohoo!

Sandwiched between the two commanders, the snakes had no idea what to do.

There's always been something about whale fights and shrimp boils that bothered the little guys.

"After all, the chain of command should be one!"

Jang Hong watched the snakes slithering around.

"I see you don't think like the younger ones, after all, and you only just saw that in the movement of the snakes."

"Who are you kidding? Nature is not so far removed from us. It's like a teacher, always holding the truth, and we can learn a lot by looking at it."

"Yes, yes, I hear you, sir."

His answer was dry.

"But I have a favor to ask of you."

"What?"

"You snakebites, don't you think it's too loud?"

"Do you want me to slit the throats of these two?"

For an instant, the cries of the scarlet serpent stopped, and a swarm of snakes swarmed around them.

"Oh, I don't want to die, keep going! "

Before Bi Ryuyeon could finish, the cries of the Crimson Twins rang out again, and soon the snakes stopped approaching and were once again in disarray.

"No, not them. The ones that are all around us, and I'd like nothing more than for you to make sure I don't have to hear them!"

"It's a little loud. What can I do?"

"What can I do, I have to stop the more obnoxious pied piper over there."

"Do you think so? "

Bi Ryuyeon nodded in understanding, then turned to look at the source of the flute. Their gazes intertwined over the distance of dozens of sheets.

For a moment, Bi Ryuyeon's eyes widened.

"What? Wait!

When Bi Ryuyeon locked eyes with Mo Shaolin, he realized that he had forgotten something in his momentary panic: this man must be a bad debtor who owed him a great debt that he could never repay, and his instincts were screaming at him loudly. He must owe him something.

'Huh? I recognize that face, where have I seen it before…….'

Bi Ryuyeon was silent for a moment, carefully traveling back through her memories. As soon as she saw that face, a fire burned in her heart, and she knew it wasn't a normal connection.

'So…, definitely…….'

Slowly, an image formed in his mind. That face was surely the one he'd seen over the cliffs above the canyon, and yes, it was the face of the oblivious old man who'd pointed the bow that would lead Na Yerin to her death.

"Yeah, I remembered that now, I can't believe I forgot that…, why did I forget that?

His mind was so focused on running to Na Yerin and saving her that nothing else entered his mind. And it was something he'd forgotten for a while, with his doubts about the new territory he'd encountered and the problems he'd had dealing with the Vermilion Twins. But it was something he shouldn't have forgotten.

'Why is he still alive and well with his eyes wide open, why?'

He had brought the Reaper's scythe to her. She couldn't even convince herself of that.

'I was distracted. I had a debtor in front of me and I hadn't finished the math.

I thought it was lukewarm, but now I understood why I had that tingling feeling. There was still a debt to be settled. The dormant anger that had been left untended in the panic rekindled into a fierce spark and erupted like a volcano.

"Yeah-ee-nom!"

A thunder dragon's roar echoed through the canyon.

Bi Ryuyeon's gaze turned into a sharp arrow, flying toward the fierce monstrosity above the canyon.

"Huh!"

At that moment, despite the distance of dozens of photos, Mo thought he made eye contact with the author. It was as if she was staring at him right in front of him. He thought it was very funny that he thought he was making eye contact when he couldn't even see her eyes through her hair.

It was blasphemy to say that she had been through the wringer with a child like that. She was not one of those insects. Just as Mo Shaolin was about to compose himself, an angry cry erupted from Bi Ryuyeon's mouth.

"How dare you-!"

A sound so loud it shook the entire canyon. It sounded like a thunder god's hammer striking an anvil. Mo Shaolin could feel his body rebelling against his will.

Papapapap!

Bi Ryuyeon leaped up, unleashing a massive rage at the insolent bastard who had dared to target her Na Yerin (she wasn't sure how long it had been his).