Book 15 Chapter 3

Declaration of war

-A contender for love(?)!

Kyo-ok was not looking forward to this assignment.

What could this Blood Heart Lan Sect, one of the Seven Heavenly Gems and a member of the Black Dao Four Flowers, possibly begrudge such a lowly man of unknown origins for?

Am I really only worth that much?

Her pride was bound to suffer. But her master's command was imperious, and her options were limited, if not unique.

'That's enough for a day and a half, for such a lowly punk!'

I was confident that I could uncover not only the hidden history of a single person, but also the details of three generations of ancestors.

Her martial arts prowess was unrivaled among the Innkeepers of the Heavenly Palace, but she possessed an even more terrifying weapon. It was her beauty, which made her one of the most beautiful women in the world. Moreover, she had been taught by her master, the Heavenly Qilin Sect of the Red Flower Sect, how to use that beauty in the most effective and deadly way possible, and had mastered it to this day.

No man could take his eyes off her smile, which was like a spring breeze, and her body, which was as light and voluptuous as a willow branch. Her smile was a gale that pounded, churned, and rippled the lakes in the hearts of young Latexians. Rare was the man who could maintain his composure under that smile and those eyes. She had always conquered the hearts of countless men without much effort. She never even had to use her final weapon.

So I was pretty sure I was going to win this one.

However, it didn't take long for the bloodsucker to realize that he was wrong.

The simplest, hardest, and best way to attract people is to bathe them in the glow of your own pure, unique charm.

In other words, it's "love at first sight!".

People who fall in love at first sight don't need a reason. They may attach abstract reasons to it, such as a past life connection or fate, but the truth is that they are attracted to the other person for unknown reasons. The advantage of metaphysical reasons is that they are usually impossible to explain through logical reasons, so you don't have to explain them. Therefore, they are easy to convince and easy to manipulate.

On the other hand, it is argued that "love" is not a reason. This is because it is linguistic heresy to use metaphysical reasons to explain metaphysical things.

The world is meaningless anyway. The only thing that can give meaning to this meaningless world is yourself. When you arbitrarily decide that something is good, it becomes the best thing in the world (although the best things in the world tend to change with you as you change your mind).

After all, there are thousands of reasons why people fall for people and tens of thousands of tastes. But it's not like there aren't some common denominators.

The most obvious common criterion is undoubtedly beauty. We instinctively embrace the beautiful and reject the ugly. There are many philosophical reasons for this, but they are not relevant to our discussion of the hierarchy of the sexes.

The question is, "How do we define beauty?" and honestly, there are as many criteria as there are people. Nevertheless, the reason why the criteria are not confusing and have some commonality is that humans are very easily and heavily influenced by the society and organization in which they live.

For example, if you live in a town where people believe that a long neck is beautiful, you might think a woman with an excessively long neck is ugly, but if you live in a town where people believe that a short neck is beautiful, you won't think she's ugly.

As a result, human beauty is a very unreliable standard that is constantly changing, even within the borders of a country or region. However, there is a roughly universal standard of beauty for people living in the same country, and it is the same for powerhouses.

He who satisfies the aesthetic universal standards of his world more than the other is called beautiful. In other words, the majority decides the beauty of the world.

The majority decides what is beautiful……. How ridiculous is that?

And to cultivate a woman who meets these universal aesthetic standards more easily and more effectively is the organization to which the Blood Heart is a member, the Tian Qilian. The only problem is that it focuses its efforts on the outside, not the inside…….

Among them, she was one of Tian Qilian's greatest masterpieces, otherwise she would not have been selected as a member of the Black Sword Painting.

To make someone fall in love at first sight, the most important thing is the first meeting. It's all about how many good illusions you can create for the other person.

So armed with her best eyes and smile, she met with him.

"Oh, Bi Confucius, hello, it's the first time we've met, and I'm Jiaok from the Temple of Heaven."

With a bright smile, Kyo-Ok focused all of his charms into one place.

Several people in her group looked at her in amazement. Their faces were screaming with every muscle in their bodies, 'This is a scam!

He was dumbfounded himself, and for a moment, he forgot to speak, and looked at Kyo-Ok's face.

"Huh, that's easy!

She was so excited that she was speechless! This strike was a success, she was sure.

But that was premature.

"Ah, you must be the rude young lady who sprayed me with 108 needles without warning the other day, and what brings you here?"

"Bam, that's rude!

This was unexpected, even for her.

"I forgot!

The first meeting between Bi Ryuyeon and Gyo-ok had already gone very badly.

'I can't believe I forgot about that……. Besides, this guy…, how does he know how many shots he threw back then, no way!!!'

She quickly dismissed her assumptions.

"Awww…, no way, there's no way this guy has that kind of eye strength!

People too easily ignore their intuition. Even when we should give it the most credit!

The contradictory behavior of being the first to reject what you should trust, and the first to trust and be cautious of what others say, is also very human.

'If we don't get through this mess anyway…….'

I couldn't just walk away, so I decided to laugh it off.

"Ahahahahaha! That's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! I didn't mean to do that at all, stop……. It was an accident, an accident!"

I'd say the effort to cover it up was hypothetical. But the atmosphere was ruined. There's no way I'm going to be able to charm the guys with this.

"Hmmm…, sago……."

"Yes, it's an accident! It's an accident! Ahahahaha!"

"It's an accident……. Well, let's just say it is!"

She wanted to scream, "First things first, man!" but she managed to suppress the urge. Apparently, a bad impression had already been planted in her head.

Moreover, no matter how bad the impression, there is someone who can wipe away his smile so simply……. Wouldn't it be nice if they were at least a little agitated or pleased? This made Jiaozuo even more puzzled.

"Is this guy…, incapable?

It wasn't unreasonable for her to think so.

It was then.

"Who is this, Ryuyeon?"

A mysterious voice that's quiet but speaks to the heart.

The gazes of all those who had been focused on the gate turned to one place at once. There, clad in a snow-white robe that looked as if it had just fallen, stood a man as graceful as a crane.

"Bing Bing Bong Na Yerin!

Gyok swallowed hard.

Unusual beauty indeed. Even though she was angry, she was attractive even as a woman.

"Oh, Yerin, it's no big deal, she just threw a spitball at me the other day and wanted to take this opportunity to apologize."

'Rice, separation…….'

She wanted to scream to his face, "That's not what it is, you idiot!" but she kept it to herself.

"Oh… Oh, yeah, I guess I owe you an apology for that one."

Kyo-Ok said, breaking out in a cold sweat.

The moment her eyes met his, he felt as if he could be sucked into them, the deep light in her eyes seeming to probe his heart.

Barely regaining her composure, Jiaoxi quickly turned her head away. She had a feeling that if she looked at it any longer, something would happen.

"And you mean to tell me that this idiot was this close to Na Yerin, the white knight?

It wasn't just an acquaintance. There was some sort of emotional connection between them, though it might not be visible to the casual observer.

"It's true! These two, they're on to something!

It might have been an immature, rudimentary exchange, but there was no fooling her expert eye. Her instincts, unusually trained in this field, were telling her through a few subtle signs that only she could recognize.

Even in her world, "Bingbai Feng Na Yerin" was known for her androgyny, so some women said that her beauty was merely ornamental, but only today do I realize that it was just jealousy and envy. In person, she was indeed unforgettable.

It went beyond mere cosmetic beauty. It was!

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous. And it seemed clear that she was going to be the biggest obstacle to her own event.

The saying that two suns cannot rise at the same time is not just for men.

"But… even the greatest beauty has its weaknesses!

That was going to be the deciding factor.

"Well, I'll see you next time, because you'll be seeing me a lot!"

"Often?"

Bi Ryuyeon shook her head. The sight stunned Kyo-Ok for a moment.

"What, you didn't know that?"

"What?"

Despite Bi Ryuyeon's question, Kyo-ok looked at Na Yerin and declared.

"I'm in the same group of seven from now on, so good luck!"

He smiles.

"Did you?"

Bi Ryuyeon turned to Hyorong and asked. She hadn't really checked, not really caring about anyone but Na Yerin. Her friend sighed heavily and nodded.

Witnessing this behavior, Jiaoxi couldn't help but feel that she was being completely ignored. Never before had her existence been treated so intolerably lightly. She could feel her dwindling fighting spirit burning fiercely.

"Well, I'll see you around then!"

After saying goodbye, Kyo-ok fled the room. If he stayed here any longer, his pent-up anger might explode. She didn't think she would be able to control herself any longer if she continued with the endurance test. Her courage in stopping the test just before her temper exploded was commendable.

However, having expended so much energy in her courageous decision, Jiaoxi no longer had the strength to focus on anything else. In the end, she was caught up in a series of uncalculated contingencies that accomplished nothing and forced her to make a tactical retreat.

That's all well and good, but…….

"So… why did he come after all?"

Na Yerin shook her head at Bi Ryuyeon's question. She wished she knew why.

"…You're a weirdo!"

As she watched the back of the palace disappear in a huff, Bi Ryuyeon silently expressed her feelings. This was by far the worst reputation that the Bloodheart Sect had ever received.

Na Yerin nodded quietly in agreement. But she continued to stare at the receding back of the schoolhouse, her gaze never leaving it.

Voila!

The jade teacup shattered as it hit the floor.

The hand that had picked up that teacup a moment ago was shaking. Thin wrists, long, slender fingers. It was a woman's hand.

His milky, glossy skin and impeccably manicured fingers and nails were a testament to the rigorous care that goes into the cultivation of this species of corn.

"She spares no time and effort to make herself look good!

That was the theory of the Master of the Hand, the Blood Heart, and the first rule of the Heavenly Qilin.

"That was so unlike me!"

Kyo-Ok chewed on his pomegranate-red lips.

I was devastated and embarrassed; phase one had ended in a spectacular failure.

"I didn't think there would be such a distraction……."

The most important information was missing.

"I never would have guessed that you were so close to that ice princess, Na Yerin, the Ice White Peak……."

It wasn't a simple acquaintance, but it wasn't a lover either. Na Yerin's temperament was more like an ice sculpture, so I couldn't read the exact level of emotional exchange, but I could tell it wasn't normal.

"But even that prima donna Na Yerin isn't perfect, she has her weaknesses too!"

To her, wooing Bi Ryuyeon was the equivalent of surpassing Na Yerin. If Na Yerin herself had heard, she would have said that it was an embarrassment to dictate such a thing, but Jiaoxi's resolve was firm. No one was going to stop her.

"We'll see, Bi Ryuyeon, I'll make you kneel under the width of my skirt!"

Whether or not that vow would be fulfilled remained to be seen.

"Should I… or shouldn't I……?"

"Or give up here?"

Dokgo Ling grumbled about why a lottery that would satisfy everyone involved had not yet been invented, and cursed his luck in his quest for greatness. He was uncharacteristically restless.

The draw was the culprit in the first place. Where there's light, there's shadow, and some people are ecstatic about their groupings, while others are incredibly upset.

Her god was still unfair to her.

"This isn't fair! Why can't we just arbitrarily change the groupings?"

Isn't there at least one person in everyone's life who makes you think, "I don't want to be in the same group with this person!" Isn't it natural for the operator to consider such a person? This may be a dereliction of responsibility on the operator's part.

But her argument was quickly rejected by the rulers in charge of running the competition.

"The more you work with someone like that, the more you have to work to improve your relationship, and this competition is designed to make that process smoother. Once you're in a group, you can't change it, no matter what, or do you want to give up on this volcano?"

The world was a grumpy place where the majority of the time, the odds were stacked against him. All he could do was say no.

When he was forced into a group with someone he never wanted to be in, as humans are wont to do, Dokgo Ling looked at him with a very puzzled expression on his face. Their gazes collided in midair.

"I've seen you before."

The Grand Duke of Rain spoke in a voice devoid of any emotion. Beside him stood several of the Thousand and Seven. They seemed to be in the same group. Duke Rain's jaw dropped.

"A trillion?"

In response to the Grand Duchess's short question, Dokgo Ling nodded instead of answering. He wished someone would tell him it was a dream.

Rain's expression changed once, quickly, and then returned to its original state.

"Welcome. I believe this is the second time I've seen you."

An inorganic voice. A tone that doesn't lend any credibility to the content.

"Well, I see."

"Good luck with that."

With a look of trepidation on his face, Dokgo Ling nodded reluctantly. He vowed that he would never be a part of any lottery in the future…….