Book 16 Chapter 2

Fishing for people

Friday, the day of the exam.

The old man rubbed his sleepy eyes and rose from his seat, and soon enough, the

I washed my face, got dressed, and - surprise, surprise - headed to the dining room for breakfast.

The Volcano Covenant meeting was running smoothly and according to procedure. There were no barbaric events like skipping breakfast to take a test.

"Good morning, did you sleep well?"

A voice from behind him stopped him in his tracks as he walked toward the dining hall. He slowly turned his head to look behind him, and there stood an unexpected figure. The leader of his own group, the Thousand Seventh Girl, Magical Sword Ik Chu Ming, stood tall and proud with a straight back, and beside him stood a slightly taller man with an imperious demeanor. It was the five-girls, Shi Feng and Wu Chu.

"What are those two doing so early in the morning?

It was clear that the intimacy that had sprung up overnight hadn't come out of nowhere, and that he hadn't just come to say hello.

"Of course, I slept so soundly that I wouldn't know a ghost if one came and knocked me awake. I was dreaming of eating a 'worthy seat' that was only served at banquets hosted by the emperor, but I woke up before I could finish it, and I had to wet my pillow with tears before I realized it was a long time after I opened my eyes. Now why do you ask? Are you trying to counsel me on insomnia?"

"Of course not. It's just that I don't want people to use the excuse that they're not feeling well or sleep deprived to hold us back."

"I'm in the best shape of my life, don't give me that excuse later."

The old man angrily replied.

"By the way, do you think your clothes have changed a bit, or am I mistaken?"

The old man shuddered for a moment, but quickly regained his composure and answered casually.

"Hahahaha! Oh, these clothes? No big deal, I just resumed bathing with a renewed sense of purpose and changed into new clothes with great enthusiasm."

The old man scratched the back of his head and answered as casually as he could. But now the muscles under his collar were stiff with tension, and cold sweat was dripping from his armpits.

"Chet, a new suit for a beggar… how cheeky of you!"

It was Wu Wenqiu who spoke the barbed words. If Chu Ming hadn't dissuaded him, the old man might not have been able to resist the urge to test the strength of his thrush.

"Chu, don't act like a dick!"

Despite his words, Chu-ming could have bet his entire fortune that Chu-ming had no respect for him at all. His respect was only in words, and it was obvious that he was doing his best to hide his contempt for the beggar now. Otherwise, he wouldn't have added the following words.

"I must warn you in advance that if you believe that someone will save you in the event of an accident through your own mistake or misfortune, such blind faith is not to be recommended, and if, on the off chance that you should try to test the waters, even at the risk of being called foolish, it would be a very unwise thing to do. Please bear that in mind."

"I'll keep that in mind, don't worry. I'm not stupid enough to expect Xilang to be able to help me, and I'm fully aware that I'm lucky if I don't cause any accidents on purpose. I hope you don't dismiss the beggar in the open too much."

Once again, their gazes met in the air and sparked and burned.

"Let me tell you one last thing."

"I'll dig in my heels and listen."

"If your misbehavior at this gateway puts our group and my master in danger, you will realize how heartless my hand is, if you are not dead by then."

Despite the ice-cold tone of his voice, Luo Hak didn't flinch; his training had been far too harsh for that. The only time they were allowed to cower and shrink was in front of their master, Bi Ryuyeon, and Nao Nao. Otherwise, they were never allowed to lose confidence in front of anyone.

"Is that advice, or is that a threat, or is that a warning, or is it all three?"

"Imagine whatever you want. But do not forget!"

There was no way I was going to forget that ominous conversation.

The wolf and the lioness turned their backs on the path and returned to their masters. The smaller one didn't forget to growl like a beast on the way back.

"You arrogant beggar, if you ever do something stupid like slip your hand off a cliff, there's no one to save you!"

Luo Hak stiffened as he looked at the two very familiar backs. The words of Chu Ming had lingered in his mind for a long time.

He judged that Chu Ming's words must have contained a fragment of his heart, or something close to it.

And his judgment was spot on, but he had no time to rejoice in his insight, and indeed, he was not pleased at all.

Because… as Chu Ming had proclaimed, none of them were willing to extend a helping hand to him.

And damn it, their words came true.

What is this sense?

What was that, and what is it now?

Everything felt slow.

An ordinary moment had become an eternity for him now, and it was clear that his psychological time was passing differently than usual.

Even the visionary bodhisattva of openness, "Chupal Sunbo," was useless in the void where there was no physical point of support and no center.

Is it intentional? Surely it's intentional? Yes, it must be intentional.

It all came together too eerily well to claim it wasn't intentional. What was surprising was that they were willing to take the risk of disqualifying their team. They were willing to make the sacrifice of sliding down two or three rungs on the stairs to victory to keep their mouths shut. It was foolish, then, to expect anyone in his group to be willing to make the sacrifice to save himself; he'd be lucky if he didn't get pushed out with a stick for fear of being killed. But did the story he'd heard contain information that was so important that it was worth the sacrifice?

But what does it matter now? What if the information is important, and what if it isn't? The lifeline in his hands has been snapped, and he is floating in thin air. Beneath his feet, death was giving him an enthusiastic welcome.

I'm… going to die……. As my mind raced, I suddenly felt a feverish rush of heat. A fire burned in my chest. The anger and resentment was focused on the original cause that had brought things to this point. Yes! He must not forget. The one who had brought him to this point! It was all because of his bastardized brother, Bi Ryuyeon.

I'm about to die, so why not just go out? There was nothing to be afraid of. It was called the impermanence of events. All things are not fixed, but constantly changing, and when you die, they will all scatter into nothingness like dust. Therefore, even your own obstinate behavior… when you die…….

"Yeah, I'm going to die, so what's the point?

I thought it would be less regrettable to let go of the depth I had accumulated. Even a falling beggar has a mouth. So he shouted out.

"Hey, Bi Ryuyeon, you fucking asshole, you fucking big brother, eat well and live well! Your shit is thick!"

It was an uncharacteristically cheerful rant from a man who was about to die. It was a final complaint that might be his last. He didn't expect an answer, just an outburst of anger, and he thought it would be a good thing if this senseless act would relieve his mind of some of the tension in his heart. But there was an answer from heaven, and it was a great misfortune for the old man.

"Did you call me?"

A voice from the sky, so nonchalant, so natural. It was the kind of voice that could easily be dismissed as a hallucination if heard on the edge of life and death.

But the voice wasn't far away, it was right in his ear. A voice too vivid to be a hallucination. Bewildered, he turned his head, and there it was.

"Hee hee hee hee, big brother!!!"

It was like seeing a ghost.

He was running down the cliff as if it were a flat surface. His body was almost at a right angle to the cliff.

This is a cliff. Humans shouldn't run over cliffs, that's a desecration of them. You will only fall off. But right now, Bi Ryuyeon was running down the cliff, trampling on the pride of the Manzang Dynasty, as if she didn't care about such common sense.

"How do we fix this?

Even in the midst of the crash, Nohak couldn't help but think that it might be his last.

Dying as he was might be a much happier endeavor than surviving at the hands of his godbrother, and the temptation was too great to resist.

"Get him!"

Again, Bi reached out her hand. But with one of them in free fall and the other closing the distance with an erratic run, it wasn't easy.

'Should I take that hand or not…….'

There was no third option: crash and bleed to death now, or be rescued and die at the hands of the Big Brother.

It was a tense moment.

"Eh, I don't know.

The old man narrowed his eyes and held out his hand. But instead of taking his outstretched hand, Bi Ryuyeon quickly pulled it back. The old man's eyes widened.

It was an act of pure instinct. What was that? Bi Ryuyeon thought in disbelief. The wind was beating hard against his body, and his priest was much farther away than before. He'd been so close to catching it, and now he'd lost it.

But it was an unavoidable choice. He had no intention of aiding and abetting the old man's death, but instinctively, he had to take his hand out of a situation that was less than a mile away.

Something passed between him and the old man, formless but carrying a razor-sharp qi that would have been deadly if it had struck him head-on.

He was trusting his instincts and acting accordingly. If he'd had time to do so, Bi Ryuyeon would have glanced up and scanned the members of Group 1 hanging above him, one by one. It was clear that someone was very unhappy about the old man coming back to life. Maybe the covert surveillance he'd ordered had paid off. He hadn't been debriefed yet, but he had a feeling.

Even as his mind raced, his eyes never left the old man, like a hawk on its prey, and his feet never stopped moving. There was still something he needed to hear from the old man, and for that he must live.

I was already finding it difficult to close the distance using the "straight ahead" method, the speed of the fall was too fast, and the momentary loss of balance from the earlier attack was taking its toll.

"I won't let anyone die!"

You should take care of your own stuff.

Whirr!

Bi Ryuyeon stretched out his right hand, and a transparent, shimmering silver thread shot out from its tip toward the old man. Through the manipulation of the Qin Qi, the thread, which possessed the attribute of 'gourd' instead of 'cut', wrapped around the falling beggar's body like a net.

"Caught!

At your fingertips, there's an 'assassin'.

Bi Ryuyeon inwardly chanted for fortune as he once again pulled out the Thunderbolt from his left hand and sent it flying towards the nearest tree. After seeing that it was firmly tied to the tree as it flew away at a dazzling speed, he began to focus his True Qi on his two feet to slow it down. This all happened in the blink of an eye.

When Bi Ryuyeon's body stopped, there was a tremendous amount of pressure on her right shoulder, as the crane rested on the end of it. If she didn't hold on, she could break her shoulder. Using the strength of her waist, she rotated her body and swung her right hand as wide as she could, like a windmill.

She used the force of her own body falling on the axis to force the gnome to rotate. And through this seemingly reckless method, Bi Ryuyeon was able to throw the crane back up. It was a much smarter and more economical way than trying to hold on.

It was a trick that could not be done without knowing the force, speed, and direction of the fall. If he was slow to breathe, he could be caught in the force of the fall and join his comrades on the other side.

The body of the old man, thrown back upwards, came to a stop. It was a momentary phenomenon that occurred when the force thrown upward and the force pulled downward reached equilibrium. Ryuyeon took advantage of this timely opportunity and lightly accepted the body of the old man, only to have it fall back under the influence of gravity, adding to the load on Ryuyeon's body. However, she was already defending against it and was able to support his body safely.

So the gnome was fortunate to have the opportunity to die a little later instead of right away.

"Dae… Dae!"

Luo Hak exclaimed in excitement. He was obsessed with the idea that he would one day be killed by Bi Ryuyeon, but he never imagined that the would-be murderer would risk his life to save him. Ryuyeon smiled warmly at the overwhelming emotion, then blew her hot breath into his ear.

"I'm glad you're okay, but… who the fuck are you? I need to talk to you!"

Nohak didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so he did the most comfortable thing. He fainted.

"Hey, man, get a grip, you think I'm gonna carry you all the way up there, huh?"

But Noh's eyes were never opened.

"You go up there and we'll see!"

Bi Ryuyeon gritted her teeth and began to crawl up the cliff.

Whether it was because he'd been in and out of the afterlife in an instant or because the tension had been lifted for a moment, Hyo-Ryong was overcome with admiration as he watched Bi-Liu-Yeon walk away, carrying the still unconscious Old Hak. Not only had she saved him from the worst possible situation (no one thought he would survive) with her amazing skills, but she had also carried him up the cliff while he passed out.

Bi Ryuyeon's face was covered in sweat from all the hard work she had done.

"Ryuyeon, you're so… reckless."

"Reckless?"

She replied with an inscrutable look on her face, a look of puzzlement on her face. It was as if she was saying something outrageous. Such recklessness was most contrary to his beliefs, and he could not accept Hyo-Ryong's claim that he had done such a thing.

"Hey, Dragon, 'recklessness' is a set of behaviors that involves doing things that are out of one's capabilities, with irrational, mindless emotions. It has nothing to do with me. Besides……."

"And?"

"Because I don't think a master's job is to exploit his pupils."

"Huh? Master?"

"Oh, there is such a thing!"

Ryu-yeon Bi replied dryly.

This friend would occasionally shout something unintelligible. That's always been a problem for Hyo-ryong. If the other person doesn't understand what you're saying, it's just talking or babbling, not a conversation.

"And what about your behavior, are you saying that's not recklessness?"

"Of course! Doesn't it hurt your mouth to ask the obvious so many times? I just did what I could, because I thought I could, and I did it recklessly. I don't care if it was reckless, I've got the scars to prove it, and he's fine, too! Do you think I'm crazy enough to kill myself with this fucking beggar?"

The old man was still unconscious. Dae-hyung was carrying him, sweating profusely as he climbed up that jagged cliff, and the little bastard was lying unconscious… I couldn't take it anymore.

"Hey, are you still awake?"

Click, click, click!

Bi Ryuyeon patted the beggar's cheek, his disciple and priest, with a pathetic look on his face. The sound of flesh sticking to flesh was not unusual. It was definitely a good slap.

"Hey, hey, hey… he's your senior……."

Hyo-Ryong, unaware of what had happened in the shadowy underworld, was horrified and stopped Bi Liu-Yan's behavior.

Click, click, click!

But Bi Ryuyeon had nothing to lose, so she didn't stop her behavior.

"Uh… um……."

Still, the gnome showed no sign of returning to consciousness, except for intermittent groans. Pathetic. To be that ungrateful… Have I been training him too poorly? Bi Ryuyeon Yan briefly reprimanded herself for her cotton-bat-like tenderness and reflected.

"Do you want me to throw it away?"

I was starting to get a little annoyed.

"If you don't make me stronger from now on……."

He sincerely thought so. Trouble was brewing in his future. As long as he didn't know this cruel truth yet, he was happy.

As Bi Ryuyeon was diligently planning for his special enhancement, he was called out from behind by Na Yerin, who had come up behind him.

"Ryu Yeon……."

"Uh, Yerin! What's wrong? You don't look so good."

"……."

Silence. Na Yerin stood with a pensive expression on her face. A heavy, rather than cold, aura surrounded her, and she avoided eye contact with Bi Ryuyeon.

"What's wrong, is something wrong?"

"I don't know!"

It was a voice so cold that it sent a chill down the spine of even Hyo-Ryong, who was not a party to the conversation. A different person stood there than the one they usually knew.

"Are you…angry?"

Apparently, she was upset. But why was she upset? It didn't take long to realize that she wasn't good at reading moods.

"Wow, you're mad, aren't you?"

Bi Ryuyeon fanned a burning house.

"Mo, I don't know, I'm not mad!"

Na Yerin shouted. He did, but his panic was evident.

"Look, you're angry!"

Bi Ryuyeon said with a big smile, wondering what was so fun.

"No, never!"

Na Yerin jerked her head around, her face slightly pale. She looked genuinely angry. But there was something about her face that reminded me of a cold house.

Even Na Yerin didn't understand her own behavior. I wanted to tell her that I was glad she was okay, that she wasn't hurt……….

He seemed more upset with himself for surprising her by committing such a reckless - though he insists he never did - act.

Finally, she jerked her head around with a frown.

"I don't know, I don't care if you're dead or not now, so goodbye!"

She declared, and then strode away at full stride. There was no time to stop her.

"Ike, you're really mad!"

Bi Ryuyeon winced and squared her shoulders.

"Hmph, why is it tingling, that's weird, Dragon Dragon, do you understand?"

"No, I don't know."

Hyorong shook his head. Bi Ryuyeon didn't realize that she had picked the wrong person to ask. It had been a mistake to even ask him in the first place.

"That's weird……."

He was dumbfounded by her uncharacteristic behavior, his eyes still fixed on her receding graceful form, and he seemed oblivious to the thin smile that formed on his lips.

Then, about five paces to my left, there was a loud commotion. There was a fight. There was a crowd of a trillion people.

The lead role is played by Namgung-sang, who, unbelievably, has a reputation for being gentle.

"You murderer, why did you cut the line, tell me!"

But Wenchu, the man who had severed the lifeline of the old school, was in no mood to be captured, and he pulled his prisoner backward with a stroke of his sword. He read all twelve of Wu Wenqiu's changes, and with a brilliant golden screw, he succeeded in grasping his throat.

"You, you!"

Profanity threatened to spill out of Wu Wenqiu's sallow face; he had never imagined he'd ever be beaten by this man.

"Now, why don't you tell me why? If you don't convince me, you're probably going to have to face the music."

The eyes of the Southern Palace Lord gripping the hilt of his sword glowed with rage. Even Wu Wenqiu, a man with a tough disposition, was now shaken by his icy gaze.

"Now, let's hear the answer!"

Namgungsang growled and said.

"I had no choice."

It wasn't Wu Wenqiu who answered, but his formidable opponent, Magical Sword Ik Chu.

"What, you're telling me that you had no choice but to cut a lifeline to a man's life?"

"Yes. In this case, it's obvious. He made a mistake, and he put the entire group at risk. His carelessness put the entire group at risk. In fact, we all almost died because of it."

Chu Myung's voice was very firm; there seemed to be no wavering in his conviction.

"What do you mean by his mistake?"

"Yes, he has not proven that he is not at fault. It was the wisest and most reasonable thing to do. Or are you trying to argue that we deliberately tried to kill him?"

He wanted to shout it, but he couldn't bring himself to say it in front of so many people. A claim without evidence is just a hypothesis until it's proven. Until it's proven, it's nothing more than an interesting conspiracy theory. I was lucky if it didn't come across as a malicious attempt to undermine the unity of the group.

"So you're saying no?"

However, not wanting to lose, Namgungsang pushed himself a little too hard.

"It's nice to have a childlike imagination, but I think you've gone a little too far in this case."

Chu Ming said in a sarcastic tone. It was an oblique insult, a way of saying you're still a child in a dream. Namgungsang had to grit his teeth.

"Do you have any hard evidence that this person did it, or are there any other witnesses, setting aside the fact that the word of a party who is caught up in the incident and whose emotions override their reasoning is less reliable?"

"Well, that's……."

There was no such thing, and they were deliberately discrediting his words. At this rate, whatever he says in the future will be dismissed as traumatized ramblings.

"So you're saying that all eight of us had to die because of that one person's mistake?"

"Well, that's……."

Nan Gongsang was suddenly speechless. He was at a loss for words to refute Chu Ming's accusations.

"I can't believe you're losing momentum like that……. Why can't you be more organized in your rebuttals… tsk tsk!"

Bi Ryuyeon clicked his tongue as he watched. In his opinion, his priest was too far ahead of his emotions and too far behind his reason. Anything spoken in such a state, no matter how right it was, could not be trusted by people. Except for the Umin.

"The moment we cut that lifeline, we were giving up on this gateway. But we had to do it anyway, because we couldn't risk the entire group for one man. By your own words, we should have all died for that one man, and you blame us for not choosing that path?"

"That… that's……."

It seems that the momentum in the Southern Palace was very short-lived. Now they were losing momentum.

This was indeed the case. Both Teams 1 and 7 received the lowest scores at this gate. With that said, the Southern Palace could no longer protest.

"Well, I guess that's the end of the story, then. Let's go!"

Chu Myung spun around and began to walk briskly forward. Three of the seven girls followed. Namgung Sang glared at their retreating backs and gritted his teeth, unable to stop or intercept them.

Ultimately, it was a defeat for Namgung Sang.

"You're not winning because you're rushing in with no preparation, and you can't control yourself, you fool!"

Bi Ryuyeon watched the scene silently from afar. He had been watching the whole thing from the beginning, but hadn't offered an opinion. It seemed that these girls needed a total mental overhaul.

"Well, you still have to give back what you get, right?"

He couldn't live in debt.

"I'm going to find out what you're up to!"