Book 17 Chapter 9

What correspondence (書信)

-An afternoon nap

It was a late afternoon in early spring, with the warmth of the sun encroaching on the last vestiges of winter, when the letter arrived at the doorstep of one of the Seven Peaks, Amiilong Zhenling. She was strolling through the gardens with her lover, Namgungsang, who was, in the words of her arch-former master, Bi Ryuyeon, "a cerebral sword dragon," and whose specialty was trembling, not at all in keeping with his flamboyant star sign. There were many beautiful gardens scattered throughout the academy, with pavilions built in different styles, ponds beautifully decorated with natural stones, and well-tended trees and lush green grass, all of which attracted the attention of lovers. It was in one of these gardens, Yue Ying Garden, that Qin Ling was handed his inspection.

After moving to the pavilion to read it while standing, Jinryung's face lit up as he hurriedly opened the letter.

She immediately dispelled his suspicions with a brilliant smile, her mind racing with the fanciful imaginings of her namesake.

"Sang, look at this. Your aunt is coming here!"

Joy rippled across her slender, milky face like ripples of light on a lake.

"If it were your great-aunt, would she……?"

Qin Lie nodded vigorously, pride in his smile.

"Yes, that's him!"

That answer was enough for Nan Gongsang to know who the man was.

"But He's in Amifa right now……."

Of course, it's a long way from Namchang to Sichuan, right here by Panyang Lake, but it's not like it's impossible to travel back and forth. But if there's anyone who could be Qin Ling's aunt, it's him, or her.

She is one of the Seven Peaks, and her reputation is dozens of times greater than that of Qin Lie, who holds the title of Amity Peak. She was also the object of Qin Lie's admiration and goal. The most famous woman in Ami, a disciple of the same Amifa and said to be the closest to becoming the next Amifa.

"…Ami Goddess (蛾眉神女)!"

There was a hint of reverence in the voice that came out of his mouth. She was a figure worthy of being revered. A female artisan who was said to be the first in the harmony of the sword, a female high school student who was rumored to be so good that if she were to be stripped of her unnecessary title, her skills would surpass even the great master Huixin, a woman whose beauty had captured the hearts of many powerful men, but whose heart belonged to no one, a flower on a cliff, a star in the sky.

The Qin family, located in the capital city of Sichuan province, has had deep ties to the Amifa for generations, and one of the deepest and strongest ties was with Qin Ling's aunt, the Ami Goddess, or Qin Daolang, who was also known as the Sichuan First Goddess. She was the unmarried daughter of the Sichuan Tang family, who had long established a reputation as the matriarch of Sichuan, and under her skirt was the sword maiden of Qingcheng, Chu Xiaoyoung. Twenty years ago, of course, they had competed for the title of "Sichuan's Three Fairies," and even now, in their mid-thirties, the rivalry had not abated.

Once known as the Three Musketeers, they are now all families in their own right, but even their former rivals can't hold a candle to her glorious reputation. The only flaw in her near-perfection is that she is not married. On this point, there were many opinions, speculations, and delusions among the aristocracy, but none of them were clear. Some said it was because she hadn't gotten over a mysterious stranger who had passed her by twenty years earlier.

But she was a Taoist disciple, and no Amifa master had married for generations-indeed, it was practically impossible under the Order's bylaws-so it was nothing to be ashamed of. It was a flaw, not a defect, that only made her worth more. A flower on a cliff, untouchable. Such a setting was a major factor in stimulating the delusions of most men.

"I was told that he hasn't gone beyond the prose of Amifa in the last five years, or was I mistaken?"

Qin Lie shook his head and replied.

"No, it's not. That's true."

She hated being around people, because she knew that when you're wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of worldly ties, you can't take care of the one thing that really matters: yourself. Meeting people was exhausting for her; it was so hard to find people who really understood her world, and most of them just wanted to see her for their own gratification. That wasn't what she wanted, and it wasn't in her personality to say so out loud. So she decided to stay in the mountains.

"She doesn't like hassle, and once she's in court, they won't leave her alone. Her fame hasn't diminished at all over the years. She's in her mid-thirties now… and she still has followers begging her to marry them, and I'll give them a fortune."

For some reason, Qin Ling seemed strangely more excited than usual about her aunt. After all, she was an ardent follower of the Amish Goddess Cult.

I grit my teeth, but it's clear that's what she wanted to say.

It bothered her so much that her aunt cut off her access to the Sanmen five years ago. There were few creatures that could be more annoying than a man. They're annoying, inarticulate, sometimes ignorant, and often radicalized by misguided education. Their delusions of grandeur, especially when fueled by a healthy dose of male supremacy, are nothing short of irritating and exhausting.

You should know your subject. And why the hell can't you talk.

There are tribes that will take a direct, clear, unquestionably firm answer and twist it to their liking. Obviously, attempts to communicate in human language do not always work. This is despite the fact that they speak the same language in the same region. No woman would wish to be associated with an incomprehensible retard.

"거참……."

Qin Ling continued to read the letter with great pleasure, listening to the non-appreciation in his ears.

At first, it was the usual greeting letter you see everywhere, saying that it's been a while since we've seen each other and he was wondering how you're doing, and if you've made any progress with your swordsmanship. And it said that I had recently had a small epiphany and made some progress.

A small epiphany…….

'You've really hit the jackpot this time, I mean, where is the end of the road for this guy…….'

She used the modifier "small," which is a word I don't usually use, and it was clear that something had happened.

Qin Lie sighed inwardly. The goal is high enough as it is, but he refuses to stand still. He actively pushes himself to break his limits and move forward. He doesn't care about the people chasing him.

'Well, that's why I respect it, but…….'

Never stop developing and improving yourself. They are never satisfied, no matter how much they are supported by others. They never settle. They have other goals to pursue. Therefore, she is not interested in the praise of the criminal. Her goal is beyond the realm of the superhuman.

"I think that's enough for now."

In fact, he was already superhuman enough. But did that mean there was still room for improvement?

But Qin Lie knew that finding such consideration was harder than picking stars out of the sky; her aunt was the kind of person who, if her pursuer faltered or stopped because she was tired, would just drop him and walk faster and faster to get ahead of him. Or she might complain, "I have enough on my plate with my own training, how do I have time to take care of my juniors!

As he read the last paragraph of the letter, Qin Lie's expression changed in an instant. Several emotions rose to the surface of his face at once, forming a strange and complex pattern of emotions.

There was no trace of the joyful exuberance of a moment ago.

"What's wrong, Ryeong? Is something bad happening? You've got a bad look on your face. Did the letter say something bad?"

Surprised by this sudden change, Namgungsang asked, his face filled with worry. Normally, he was a talented worrier. He instinctively knew that this was his chance to put it to good use.

But his concerns fell on deaf ears for a while. It wasn't she who was worried, but the man who was worried about her, Namgungsang.

"Phew!"

I let out an exasperated sigh.

'What am I going to do about this…….'

It would be nice if it was a joke, but she despaired once again at the realization that her aunt had no talent for jokes.

Qin Lie sighed again, this time long and hard, and with his gaze fixed forward, he stretched his arm out to the side and dangled the letter in front of the South King's nose.

For a moment, Namgung Sang's distant eyes alternated between the letter held out to him in a small, slender hand and the face of Qin Ling, who was now facing the ground, away from his gaze.

"Do you mind if I read it?"

She nodded her head weakly in approval.

"Hmm, let's see."

Namgungsang was also a little curious, so he thought it was a good thing and began to read it.

To my cute little dumbbells.

How have you been? Your aunt is doing well. It's been four years since I've seen you laugh, so I'm looking forward to this meeting even more. It looks like your sister-in-law, Yulan, will be joining us on this trip. She was recommended by a master to join the Heavenly Martial Academy this time. She's only a year older than you, but that's a big difference. I hadn't planned on holding on to her for so long…(interrupted)…….

It started out very ordinary. It was a letter from an aunt to her niece, with nothing out of the ordinary.

But that wasn't the part that shocked him.

"Start with the sixth line on the far left."

Still puzzled by the unintelligible text, Namgung Sang followed Qin Lie's instructions and turned his gaze to the sixth line from the far left of the vertically written letter.

…So I've heard from my brother that you've found a lover, and that's something to celebrate. I don't quite understand the sentiment, but I suppose I should celebrate, so I'm going to pay him a visit on my way there. I think it's my duty and right as your aunt to see if he's worthy of being your mate. Let us postpone the celebration until later. I trust you will have no objection, as always. I promise to do all I can to repay your trust.

I'll leave you with the hope that we'll be reunited in a few days.

Auntie.

"Why is this……?"

The dull Namgungsang couldn't figure out why her face had become so pensive at this sentence. A dull man can make a woman suffer in many ways.

"Phew!"

The spirit lets out another earth-shattering sigh. I hope this will lighten his mood, but it doesn't seem to have any effect. I've lost count of how many times he's sighed already.

"That means your aunt is going to test you."

"What is the general term for a test that follows a set procedure to determine a person's level of knowledge or mastery of a skill by asking questions or making them do something?"

"Yes, that's the test, sometimes called the exam… No, that's not what's important right now."

For a moment, I almost got caught up in the flow. I wonder if he's picking up some of his big brother's habits?

"It doesn't matter what the linguistic definition of that name is, it's the substance that matters. Names don't reflect essences, you know?"

I don't know, but if he hadn't, he would have been able to recognize how much danger he was in before she elaborated.

"The short version, Sang, is that you have been given the honor of mixing swords with the Amish Goddess, along with the honor of dying by her sword."

"Seriously, you can't be……?"

No matter how glorious it was, I wasn't going to be a meat bandit at the end of a sword. It wouldn't taste good anyway. But why would she go to such lengths? The question still lingered. It was an extreme way of acting, one that was so contrary to common sense. It was inconceivable that someone as powerful as the Ami Goddess would do such a thing. Qin Lie could see through her complacency. It was a mistake to jump to conclusions based on imagined associations while ignoring reality.

"My aunt might do it, no, she'll do it, no matter what. She's not much for weak men anyway, not that she likes strong, ignorant men, but one thing's for sure, she's a man of her word."

In a word, it's picky. Tasteful.

"Is it enough for now?"

With so many monsters around, he was confident in his abilities. Not to brag, but he was also one of the Nine Dragon Seven Peaks along with Qin Lie, and he was also the master of the main troupe, albeit a subordinate one. It hadn't been until recently that he'd thought of himself as being evenly matched among his peers. Except for a few inhuman monsters.

"All I know for sure is that in my current state, I will not be able to stand up to His test."

It was an instinctive conviction, but Qin Lie's absolute certainty hurt him. He had his own pride in being a man, after all.

"I can't believe you'd go that far……."

He hoped she would deny it, but it was clear she had no intention of distorting reality with false comfort. There was plenty of that in her firm reply.

"No. He deserves it, and besides, he has one bad habit."

It's a habit that has always made a mountain out of a molehill.

"What do you mean, bad habits?"

"He can't keep his hands to himself, he almost always hits with all his might, and he's serious, to put it mildly, and he's unapologetic, and even if it was you, he'd be more relentless, and he's not going to cut you any slack."

But, ironically, that "bad habit" is what got her to where she is today.

Even though Nangong Shang was one of the Nine Dragons, and was dubbed the Thunderbolt Sword Dragon, he knew that he was no match for Amishin, who had already stood the test of time.

"Then do you really think you can withstand his kite attack? His kite, which is called the Seven Changes Manifestation-so called because it contains ten thousand changes in its seven changes-against the sword herbs of the Amu Goddess Qin Xiaolong, the only female swordswoman among the five great swordsmen?"

That's right. Ami Goddess Qin Xiaolong was a genius female swordswoman, the only one in a female body to be ranked among the Heavenly Five Swords. In short, she was a peak swordswoman discussed at the level of the Ice Sword Laboratory. She was still a star beyond the reach of the Southern Palace Master.

"…That's probably not possible, is it?"

"Wow, that's a surprising admission, huh?"

"There's nothing to be gained by denying the present."

Namgungsang replied with a small sigh.

"That's a big brother's word?"

"Yes, those are the words he put in my bones."

"…We all did."

The present stands on the foundation of the past, and the past is the foundation of the future. No one is completely free from this cycle of history. Turning away from one's present self is an escape from reality, and real life has no applause for those who leave the stage, not even for the gods. But the path of K'unghi is long and difficult.

"…So what should I do first?"

Namgungsang asked Qinling, his worry and impatience evident on his face. "Shouldn't you be thinking for yourself first, rather than relying on others? How pathetic is that? If it was a sin to fall in love with such a man, then a sin. Inwardly, Qin Lie once again added one more sigh to the infinite sighs.

"I don't know……."

Are you saying that if I ask my girlfriend, I'll get some kind of pointy number?

A pathetic man like this should have been dumped early on……. He was a sinner himself, not yet able to let go of his regrets.

"Uh, how can I be stronger than I am now?"

As a motivator to get stronger, it was a pretty pathetic reason, but it wasn't the time to pride myself on it.

It's a little late, but he finally understands the gravity of the situation, and his mind is racing. His courage to come up with a proper solution was virtually non-existent as he stumbled around in a panic.

It was clear that the standards required by the Amish Goddess Qin Xiaolong would be quite high. If I didn't meet his standards, I would be expelled at the very least, and at the very worst, I would be killed, which is a horrible thing to imagine. I wanted to avoid that at all costs. What should I do? What should I do? What should I do? How can I…….

"I'll ask my big brother…hehe!"

A word spoken after a tangle of troubled thoughts. The moment he realized the meaning of the words that spilled from his irresponsible mouth, Namgung Sang was stunned. In an instant, his entire body is drenched in a cold sweat, and it only takes a blink of an eye for the pigment to ebb from his otherwise bloodless face. The mental blow he's taken is just as great. The nightmares of his past rushed in like a tidal wave, breaching the banks of oblivion. They pierced through his tightly buried memories and erupted wildly.

"Are you… are you serious, Sang?"

Qin Lie stared at Nan Gongsheng through wide-open eyes, her voice trembling slightly. She was a little moved now. The fact that Namgungsang had even considered throwing himself into such terrible danger (!) for her, without sparing his life. Her eyes began to fill with water.

"Oh, no. No matter how urgent you are, you'd never do something like that……."

The watery look in Qin Lie's eyes was a little intimidating, but that didn't stop me from grabbing the Reaper's hand.

"No, no, no."

Namgungsang muttered like a madman. For a brief moment, the shock of his colossal mistake calmed him down.

"I must have panicked, I said something I shouldn't have. That's not a path for a human being to walk, and you know that, don't you?"

"I don't know!"

Qin Ling's answer was cold.

Namgungsang quietly rebuked his own weakness and foolishness.

"Oh, my woe is me, I've lost my mind for a moment and stepped on the threshold of chaos!

"So you're saying you're going to give up? You're saying you're going to give up here when there's a way forward? I'm just not good enough for you?"

"Well, that's……."

Unable to speak, Namgungsang beat his chest in frustration, chastising himself.

"Ew! I was out of my mind, too. How could I have had all those terrible thoughts, even if they were subconscious? It's time to put those half-assed solutions out of my mind and think about what I can do!

It is not necessary to go to hell to be saved. Even in life, a ray of salvation will surely shine over his head. If the heavens are not indifferent.

'If you were to be trained by your big brother…….'

I don't like to admit it, but it will definitely get stronger. I could guarantee that to some extent. There was a certainty, and there was a certainty that there was enough compassion over there that they would do whatever it took to make it happen.

A chill suddenly ran down my spine as I recalled the eerie, shudder-inducing kindness.

"You know, if that were to happen, wouldn't you most likely be screaming to death before you even met your aunt?"

I wanted to avoid that at all costs.

"Do you hate it that much?"

Qinling asked.

"Of course!"

Namgungsang clenched his fist and spat out the sediment of his mind as if spitting up blood.

"I can't believe you'd say that, knowing what a twisted piece of shit you are! That's insane, asking him to do that!"

His body trembled violently with intense excitement. He could spit out hundreds of thousands of words until the roots of his tongue were cut off and the joints of his jaw were worn out, but he would never be able to vomit out all the rage that had accumulated in the depths of his heart.

"Fiercer than a lion, swifter than a fox, more cunning than a viper, yet with money as his lifeblood, gambling as his food, and the only thing he cares about is how he can better torment us, I'm sure he's thinking at every spare moment of every day! Yes, there's no doubt about it, he's a human being who can't be called a human being, and it's an insult to humanity to even name that monster a human being!"

"Hmmmm!"

It's not uncommon to see a smile on a man's face. But when a simple smile changes a person's fate, it's worth taking a look at what it means, especially if the owner of the smile has long bangs covering his eyes. Especially if the owner of that smile is hiding their eyes with long bangs.

"That's what I think. I'm a little disappointed."

The world moves against our will more often than it does for us.

The young man listening to their conversation, Bi Ryuyeon, was well aware of this. "If you ask me where it started, I'd say from the sound of them ripping open their scrolls. If asked where, he would say above their heads. If asked if he was eavesdropping, he was willing to say no.

We don't know if it was fate or chance that he was there, because the first customer was himself. He just thought he'd take advantage of the nice weather and enjoy a nice nap, and this was one of his many favorite napping spots.

Just the right amount of daylight to not blind you, just the right amount of quiet to not wake you from your slumber, just the right amount of wind and tree movement to delight your sensitized ears with your eyes closed, and complete independence.

The pavilion at Wolyeongjeong was the perfect place to enjoy a leisurely afternoon drink. It was Namgungsang and Jinling who awakened the sleeping lion. If these two had known, they would have been biting their tongues at their terrible mistake.

That's right. She had been listening.

Where? From the beginning! Where? To the end!

It is said that the birds hear the end of the day and the mice hear the end of the night, and Namgungsang and Jinryung took the world too lightly.

They've been playing right under the Scourge's nose all this time.

"Tsk, tsk, there's nothing to be ashamed of, you just need to ask for help and they'll always help you."

He could mumble to his heart's content, as he used his chi to create a soundproof barrier around him, so that his sounds would not be heard even if they were directly below him.

"I'm going to have to do this again."

The last thing he wanted was to cast a dark cloud over his beloved apprentice and priest's future! He couldn't bear to see his apprentice and priest fail someone's test without being able to do a pull-up. He was willing to be a bit of a nuisance to make it happen. It would be a bit of a hassle, but he couldn't be ignored.

I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge them somehow, even if it meant dying(!). I shudder to think that they would be considered to have raised such a frail creature with their own hands.

Boom!

"Okay, this is going to be fun."

Catastrophe grinned fiendishly.

She began to formulate a number of plans in her head.

"Oh, by the way, if the courtier only cares for one, won't the others be jealous that he's being favored?"

That was also a problem in its own right.

Being popular is always painful, she sighed.

I felt that I had been too easy on him, and it was time for a little more discipline. It was a car that had been a little disappointing to the students at the Volcano Society and needed to be refined, so it was a perfect opportunity.

At this moment, the sixteen members of the Zhu Clan, including Nan Gongsang and Qinling, felt an unknown chill run down their spines.

"What's wrong, Sang? You're suddenly shivering."

"Nope. I just got chills all over my body."

"Actually, I just did, too, and it felt like cold ice running down my spine."

The signs were not good.

"I hope everything is okay……."

Sometimes, your body's intuition works better than your brain. But it was too late. An arrow that leaves a protest never returns halfway before hitting the bullseye.

Especially when it came to Bi Ryuyeon, she was the kind of person who would whip the arrow butt mercilessly if she thought it was flying too fast.

His assessment of Bi Ryuyeon was, of course, one that Qin Ling agreed with. But for now, there was no other alternative, and both he and she knew that as well as anyone, but he kept trying to turn away from the blind alley that remained for him.

"Is that why you're scared?"

Qin Lie's voice was sharp as he rebuked Namgung Sang.

"No, because……."

No man wanted to admit he was a coward in front of the woman he loved.

"Tell me straight, Nangongshang, don't dodge me, and yourself!"

'I'm avoiding…….'

Her words flew like rain and struck him in the chest. He could no longer put off admitting what he'd been avoiding.

"Yeah… I'm actually scared."

Namgungsang said, his head bowed deeply.

"I'm scared… I'm scared of my brother-in-law… I'm scared that if I'm around him, the world as I knew it will keep falling apart. I don't want to admit that the world as I knew it was a world full of lies, and I don't want to admit that I'm a fragile human being with a fragile heart who has lived in that world and wants to continue to do so."

Without a word, Qin Ling walked over to him, threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, then patted his sobbing back.

"It's okay, don't be scared, I'm scared of you too, I'm scared of you, I'm scared of your obsession to keep pushing the limits of humanity without knowing what satisfaction is, but we can't go back to the way things were, we can't settle down, even if we want to, because we've already lost our resting place, we can't be children anymore, so let's go forward together, I'll be by your side."

It was a warm word that healed his heart. He considered himself lucky to have met such a woman.

"Are you sure about that, Ling?"

"Of course, Sang!"

"Play nice!"

"Yeah… let's play… huh?"

Puzzled, Namgung Sang looked at Qin Ling with eyes like a crucian carp. She was pale and shaking her head, perhaps lamenting her fate of becoming a widow before she could marry.

Did it spring from the ground or fall from the sky? Suddenly, a man appeared in front of them, a face they knew all too well.

The man who appeared out of nowhere opened his mouth, unobscured by his bangs.

"Thank you for your very colorful and honest review, Gung Sang, it's been a great learning experience."

"Huh!"

Nangong Shang and Qin Lie felt their hearts sink. The tears that had been flowing dried up quickly. Where did he come from? He didn't even seem to be popular.

And then I had a dreadful thought: where did they get that from?

"Come to think of it… what happened to gerontology……?

Memories he didn't want to remember came flooding back into his mind. The two were frozen in place, hugging each other.