Book 19 Chapter 14

A Conversation… Divided by Silence

-Non-flowing vs. flowing

With this man, Nayarin suddenly wondered if words were merely a means to an end. I wonder if it's a simple human obsession to think that we can't communicate without words.

Is it possible to have a conversation without words? I'm not denying that it's impossible for humans to communicate without relying on words. However, it seems that humans have an unimaginably narrow vision and are so distracted by words that they sometimes forget the source of words, so they rely so much on words that they are unknowingly captured by words. Once a person has fallen into the trap of words, it is difficult for them to escape from their ignorance.

But the man sitting beside her now was different: he was not bound by words, not even by convention, not even by his own self-interest. His name was Bi Ryuyeon.

He doesn't try to deceive himself. It's easy to see that because he's always direct, not that he doesn't know it's not the usual way, and that's probably why people are so resistant to him. But she's never seen him bend himself.

The two, now certified lovers, were currently engaged in a unique conversation, albeit one that was still vehemently opposed by many. The language being spoken was wordlessness, another name for silence. It was Bi Ryuyeon who taught her that it was possible to have a conversation, not just by clicking your tongue incessantly, but by simply sitting in silence with your tongue resting for a while, the silence that the unspoken language brings.

Na Yerin was a terrible conversationalist. Especially with men. Ever since she was a child, men had been the subject of her wariness, not conversation. The only exception was her father, Martial Lord Nabaxian, but it was not a father-daughter relationship. Her father was too busy with his duties, and she was too young.

This tendency was accelerated by living in an all-women's compound from the age of twelve. Extreme environments breed extreme reactions, even if they are called intolerance.

It is said that life is like a tightrope walk. Fearing that the special environment of the sword academy might polarize the experience, Gum Hu would hold a small gathering of male students from other prestigious schools once they reached a certain age, but even then, Na Yerin preferred to stay in her room, which made it all the more strange if she was a good conversationalist.

With so little human contact, she had no idea what to talk about. It's a cruel tale to tell of the men who flirted with her, eager to hear every cold but clear note of her jade tones, but she was skeptical of the need for conversation before she became proficient at it. To her, men were merely objects of disgust and wariness, and that had never changed. Until she met one.

From the first time I saw her, she was different from everyone else, and it was a strange feeling. A sense of recognition, a sense of familiarity even though I hadn't seen her before, a naturalness that broke down my defenses, even if only for a moment. Otherwise, I wouldn't have allowed it to happen. When I came to, my lips had already been taken. It wasn't sweet, but it wasn't disgusting or unpleasant either. I was just angry at myself for allowing it. So I swung my sword. As if to sever the line of contact that had been reconnected.

But once the chain of connection was made, it was not easily broken. It would only scratch the surface. They say life is unpredictable, but Na Yerin never imagined that their relationship would go this far. She didn't believe she could give a man her heart. Of course, it was also something that no one at the Heavenly Martial Academy had expected.

With Bi Ryuyeon, I didn't have to struggle in my head to come up with something to talk about to keep the thread of our boring, boring, yawning conversation going; just sitting still, shoulder to shoulder, looking at the same place, was enough to taste the warm sweetness of heart to heart, soul to soul, quietly communicating with each other.

Words that leave the tongue never have a heart, and there is always room for hypocrisy and falsehood in the words that are spoken. A hundred words, a thousand words, ten thousand words of love can become a graveyard of lies, hypocrisy, and falsity in a single day, but there is no place for hypocrisy in this silence. For it is not sound that resonates in the heart, but another heart. Such is resonance.

His silence resonates in her heart, her silence resonates in his heart. Her hardened heart, unresponsive to a hundred words of doctrine, a thousand words of prayer, was now vibrating with an unspoken silence that contained not a single syllable of speech.

The silent resonance of the heart and the mind meet and harmonize, two resonances becoming one. His heart spreads out into the world, into the universe, and he can feel his own echoes reaching out into the world in response to his echoes. Souls resonate together, rejoicing in harmony. What shall I call this feeling, this newborn heart? I hear the faint sound of water in my frozen heart.

The sun is setting. The wind whipped up red waves. As they watched the red sunset that threatened to flood them, they surrendered themselves to the silence. Time disappeared, space disappeared. And only one melody remained.

Even Bi Ryuyeon's mouth, which usually opened once and wielded countless venomous words like a sword, was silent and firmly closed at this moment.

Ever since their meeting in the Yun Xiang Pavilion, his flame, the hot sparks from his fingertips and lips, had been melting away the cold ice that enveloped her heart layer by layer, but it hadn't succeeded in melting it completely.

The warmth of his hands thawed her frozen ones, and his lips breathed hot breaths of life into her frosted pale lips, but the heat was not enough to completely melt the ice crystals that still encircled her heart, colder and harder than the icy waters of the far North Sea.

But it was not a hot flame, but a warmth like that of early spring sunshine at the end of winter, that was melting the barriers of her frozen heart, little by little, without her realizing it. She didn't realize it, because it was happening so slowly and in the background of her awareness, but a tiny sprout of trust had sprouted in the desolate, barren frozen land.

She didn't know if she could tell him now; she was afraid of breaking this beautiful silence, but she wanted to, needed to, somehow. She might have done so if it weren't for the interruptions.

But the melody that seemed to echo forever was shattered like a shard of glass on the ground by the tiniest of noises caused by the appearance of a gap particle. Na Yerin spoke in a wistful tone as the shards of noise hit her.

"Ryu Yeon……."

The tower of silence that had taken so long to build crumbled in an instant. Bi Ryuyeon turned her head. Na Yerin turned her head as well, staring at the two intruders with an unflattering gaze.

"Excuse me, do you two have a moment?"

The two people who had been harmonizing in perfect silence were Bai Muyoung of the Nine Mountains Diary, the so-called Moon God of the Nine Martial Sect, and Qing Heng of the Immortal Celestial Dragon Trident Sword. Their hearts, which had gradually melted into transparent dew, began to rapidly refreeze into coldness again, and the cold chill that had briefly subsided rose like a cloud.

"What's going on, Bai Xiaochao or Cheng Heng Xiaochao?"

Her cold reply, like a midwinter frost, had a chill to it that made even the dignitaries of the Guzheng Council shudder. Baek Mu-young, stunned by the chill, stopped panicking. He couldn't understand her unreasonable anger, so he stopped panicking.

"Oh… I… that's why……."

The man who was supposed to be the epitome of sharp reason was flustered and stuttered.

"Man, he's panicking.

Qing Shui was stunned by this unexpected appearance, but at the same time, admiring and amused, Qing Shui unhesitatingly paid tribute to the one who had brought out such a strange side in his friend.

'That's why I say find a lover quickly…….'

Cheong Hoon clicked his tongue and thought to himself.

I've been telling you that there's a lot of things in this world that you can't know unless you've experienced them, and you keep ignoring them, and here we are!

It's one thing to look at something from the outside, but it's quite another to be inside it, and this guy was all well and good, but he acted as if he could understand the world through theory alone. He acted as if he knew what love was like just by observing it. He said, "Why bother doing it when you already know how it's going to turn out?" His counterargument was set in stone. He had his own counterargument.

"Ah, well, an untested theory is just a theory, my friend!

Of course, neither one of us was willing to compromise on our opinions, so we failed to find a compromise. I don't know if it was his fault or not, but he was incredibly ignorant about how to treat women. He had no immunity. In short, he was full of holes. He was living proof that hypotheses without experience are often empty.

"You know… like……."

The sentence disintegrated in his despair, scattering to the four winds. The swamp of panic grew thicker, pulling him deeper and deeper as he struggled for words, his strongest weapon. There was no escape, and he momentarily forgot what he had come here for.

Na Yerin's voice grew even colder.

"I'm listening. Just tell me. I haven't even been told what to do yet."

It sounded even colder than saying I wasn't listening at all because I was distracted.

"We're… that's right, public affairs! That's what we're here for, me Sojae!"

Finally, at the cost of a great deal of mental exertion, Baek Moo-young was able to gather his scattered thoughts and remember what his mission was.

"Official business, at this hour when the sun is about to set and the stars are about to rise in the sky?"

Typical government hours were from myōshi chō (6 am) to xinshi (5 pm). The start time was earlier because the mu had to get up early, and the end time was based on the average time of sunset.

"Hey, I'm working late!"

"No, I'm not a sinner, so why am I trembling like this?

I remembered that I was not a sinner, and I found the courage to say the next words. Yes, he was. He was on official business. For a moment, I cringed under the pressure, but there was no reason to feel guilty.

"Working late?"

Na Yerin asked in a doubtful tone.

"Yes, we're working overtime. We'd like to take the day off, too, but the gravity of the case is such that we're working overtime. You're young, and you're being pushed hard, but rest assured. It has nothing to do with me, Sojae, being an honest and exemplary officer. It's over there where we're supposed to be."

Baek Moo-young's finger pointed at Bi Ryuyeon, and there was a hint of hostility in it.

"Dude, you're still agitated.

Cheong Hoon had been watching his friend with a mixture of concern and amusement as he had been acting out of character for a while now, as if on purpose. However, he was becoming a little uneasy about leaving him in charge.

Cheonghun took a step forward.

"Yes, he's the one we have business with, not me, and we didn't want to interrupt your private, ahem, time, either, but this is a high-profile matter, and I'm afraid we're in for a rude awakening, so I'm going to have to ask for your indulgence, Me Sojae."

Na Yerin glanced at Bi Ryuyeon, but he remained silent, arms folded beside her, mouth closed, as if he needed to wait and see how things would play out. And so the initiative in the natural conversation remained with Na Yerin, and their desire to somehow hurry up and tie up the conversation with her and get to the point with a more manageable - albeit still a product of their imaginations, prejudices, and illusions - opponent had to be repeatedly ignored.

"Seeing as how you know you've interrupted, and you know it's rude, I think I'm entitled to hear the official reason for it, don't you two?"

With perplexed expressions, the two looked at each other. Bai Muyoung and Qingxuan took turns looking at each other, engaging in a fierce conversation using only their eyes to see who would open their mouths first and have the honor of earning the woman's wrath. They had to strain their fine facial muscles to their limits in order to express the battle-like intensity of their gestures. A few comments were exchanged, and then an unspoken agreement was reached.

Baek Moo-young was the first to speak.

"Okay, I'll tell you why we're here, because that's what you're going to find out anyway when you're doing your job."

Turning slightly toward Bi Ryuyeon, he pulled a piece of official paper from his bosom and began to read off their duties in a gruff voice.

"You, third-year Kudo Bi Ryuyeon of the Heavenly Martial Arts Academy, are hereby detained for five counts of murdering a candidate for admission!"

Contrary to what you might expect from their stealthy approach, Bi Ryuyeon's response to being arrested as a suspect in a murder case was not to go on a rampage. Nor did he plead his innocence. He didn't say a single word.

"Ryu Yeon……."

Upon hearing Bai Muyoung's harsh sentence, Na Yerin's voice trembled almost as much as her eyes as she looked at him. There was only a glint of concern in her eyes, no accusation. Na Yerin believed in Bi Ryuyeon's innocence. She didn't want to tear down the tower of trust she had built so quickly based on the words of others. She wanted to believe in the man she had seen and felt. Inwardly, she wished he would say something, anything, that would calm her agitated mind. Reading the look in his eyes, she shrugged, smiling bitterly at the two pairs of eyes watching her.

"It's not uncommon, don't worry."

What is common? Was she referring to the murders that occurred in the River Lake? Bai Muyoung and Qingxuan couldn't understand what she was saying, but Naerin did.

"I see."

She nodded, looking convinced.

"Hey, what do you mean by common?"

Baek Moo-young didn't ask Na Yerin if she had a craving, but instead asked Bi Ryuyeon.

"No, you don't know that either?"

With an attitude of incredulity, as if she couldn't believe that she didn't know such common sense.

"I don't know."

Despite the bruised ego, Baek Moo-young answered honestly, which pleased Bi Ryuyeon a bit.

"Ohhhh, that's pretty honest. Okay, I'll take that honesty and run with it."

Bi Ryuyeon said, frowning.

"Go ahead and say it."

Baek Moo-young bluntly replied to Bi Ryuyeon's sincere words.

"Okay, okay, talk fast."

Beside him, Cheung Hyeon said, "My tongue is only a girdle.

"It's always been common, and it breaks the hearts of so many good people, some to avoid their sins, some to fulfill their ambitions. It's called an accusation."

There was no harshness in her voice as she told the story as if it were her own. These were words that could not be ignored by the two of them, who had been reduced to the status of "incompetents" who had come to arrest an innocent person at the wrong time, and who were unable to grasp the truth of the case.

"Are you claiming that you've been framed, and that's why you're being unfair?"

"Nope. I don't blame you."

That was another surprising answer.

"What does that mean?"

"I'm going to get it back a hundredfold, so there's no point in holding it against them now. Whoever it is, if they've framed someone, they're going to get what's coming to them, and I'm going to enjoy waiting for that to happen from today, so what's the point?"

His tone, devoid of any anger or resentment, was casual and level-headed, like "Where are we having lunch tomorrow?" but it was the kind of casual, even amused tone that sent chills down the spine of both of them. "I'll be damned if I'm going to play pretend with a guy like this.

"So isn't that what you're saying, that it's unfair?"

Baek asked and listened.

"Well, if you're going to interpret it that way, I'm not going to stop you, but do you have any evidence that you're not guilty, because if you show them that evidence, they might stop being guilty and become not guilty, and of course you can show them evidence that they can become not guilty, but if you don't have that, it's very heartbreaking for the person who's being taken away."

"That's……."

As Baek Moo-young stuttered, Bi Ryuyeon glared at him with a piercing gaze that the other man could not see.

"Ho-ho, you mean you don't have it yet?"

The corners of his mouth twitched upward. It was a deliberate move.

"Is that true, Bai Xiaochun?"

When Na Yerin looked at Baek Muyoung with a surprised expression on her face, his burden did not double, but quadrupled. The compulsion to say something filled his mind. He knew from experience that the longer he delayed, the more distrustful the other party would become.

"So… there's no proof, but!"

Baek paused for a beat before speaking again.

"We have witnesses."

It was the best answer he could come up with right now, but it was also fleeting, blown away in a single gust of Bi Ryuyeon's fierce snort.

"So you're saying there's still no proof!"

Na Yerin pointed out. Bai Muyoung was unable to lift his head as it suddenly felt very heavy. As he stared at the ground, the sound of his tongue clicking could be heard clearly in his ears. tweet…….

"You're a very imaginative person, and of course imagination is important, it's the ultimate driver of human foresight, taking us to horizons beyond our own experience, and that's why we're able to live in the world below and explore the world above, even if only indirectly, isn't it?"

"……?"

"What is that guy saying?"

"Nothing to know. Stay out of it. It's just a ploy to distract us from the topic at hand!"

Baek Moo-young replied bluntly to Cheonghyeon's question.

"Oh, yeah, there I go again, thinking it was some kind of profound story that I didn't understand. Well, it was!"

Qingfeng replied in a low voice. Bi Ryuyeon hadn't stopped 'that' trick.

"But that imagination has to be grounded in experience, and experience is the foundation of a strong building, and if you're not grounded in your own experience or reality, you're left with nothing but delusions. It's not a good idea to jump to conclusions, especially in this case."

In a nutshell, it said, "Hey, you, wake up from your delusion! Just to say that one word, he traveled an epic (?) journey from the upper world, through the phenomenal world, and back to the lower world. He was not to be trifled with.

"Are you trying to tell me that we're trying to get away with something, that we're jumping through hoops, based on no evidence, based on references that I'm ashamed to call witnesses?"

Baek Moo-young asked in a sharp tone.

"We didn't go that far, but it must have pricked your consciences, so you're both specially prepared to be wrong about your guesses, right?"

With a wry smile, Bi Ryuyeon spoke up.

"No special arrangement? What arrangement? We're just doing our job, doing our duty."

In response to Baek's answer, Bi Ryuyeon waved her index finger from side to side and shook her head.

"It's not the job of the government to randomly arrest innocent people."

His points were sharp. But Baek was not without something to say.

"But there is some circumstantial evidence that is conclusive."

"What is that?"

"That's the mark."

"Scars?"

Baek Moo-young spoke up as if he'd been waiting for the counter-question.

"I see. This one had red, cobwebby wounds."

At that moment, Bi Ryuyeon's eyes sparkled like fireworks.

"Ryuyeon… No way……."

Na Yerin was about to say something, but Bi Ryuyeon held up a hand to stop her.

"It's okay, Yerin, stay put."

Bi Ryuyeon looked at Baek Moo-young again and said.

"That's very interesting, can you tell me more about it?"

Bi Ryuyeon asked, emphasizing that it had nothing to do with her. Baek Moo-young was a little annoying, but he was very detailed and accurate in describing the circumstances of his autopsy, the blue wounds he found, and the tiny cuts on his chest.

"I swear by the name of Bai Muyoung and the name of the Master that the wound was not inflicted by a sword. It was a fatal wound from a more specialized weapon. A weapon of the sword family, no doubt. As far as I know, you're the only one in the Waho Jam dragon's stronghold, the Celestial Academy, who could have inflicted such a wound. And the corpse's friends all claim you beat him to a pulp. And you're still going to deny it?"

Bi Ryuyeon shook her head.

"You've never shown that skill in front of them, how do you know? Can you do it again?

In keeping with the saying, "If you know what you know, you will win a hundred battles," the Guzheng Council had been steadily gathering information about Bi Ryuyeon. Although he was an unknown quantity, Bai Muyoung had access to quite a bit of information.

"I might have left the blue wound, but I didn't kill him, scum like that aren't worth killing. Besides, what I don't understand is why you'd need to pull out all those fancy weapons against a little pinky-fingered idiot when you could do it with one. Don't you think it's a bit wasteful to use a dragon-slayer's sword to kill a chicken, and it's not like you're making any propaganda."

"Yeah, yeah, that's what I was wondering, too."

It's a question that Cheonghyeon also had from the beginning, so he subconsciously answered it.

"Qingfeng, you need to be quiet. So you still can't admit it?"

Baek Moo-young said in an irritated tone. Cheonghyun grumbled for a moment, then shut up. When the room was quiet again, Bi Ryuyeon spoke.

"Since you still think I'm the culprit, how are you going to take responsibility for going back and dancing on someone else's dais afterwards, when you're the one who's supposed to be doing the public's job, and doing it fairly, selflessly, and dispassionately? People didn't put you in charge to do that kind of bullshit, did they? You're in charge because you're in charge, aren't you?"

The tone was soft, but the words held a knife.

"And if not, you're going to hold us responsible for it, how dare you!"

Then a smile spread across her face.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with that, because I'm the type of person who takes what I can get, and I'm very much a debt relationship person, and taking care of that is how you protect your credit."

No one has ever screamed so loudly about the image of the Guzheng Assembly and its freebies.

"Indeed, the rumors about you were not exaggerated. Today, it seems that the phrase 'no man under the sun' was coined for you and you alone. Do you really think you have what it takes? Who do you think we are?"

Invisible speculation surged through Bai Muyoung's entire body, but he had seen too much in his short life to bat an eye at such a thing. Bi Ryuyeon snorted and waved the threat away.

"So… you're just a bunch of kids at a lunar New Year's party, and it's all for free? You've got a lot of status, and I hope you've got a lot of skill. You know what they say about an empty cart making a lot of noise? If you thought that status was going to protect you two, you might as well throw it away now, because it's not too late. By the way, who do you think you are? Do you really think you know me? Do you think I can't do this? If so, fine. What would you do if I said I didn't want to go with you now? Have you thought of any good ways to do it?"

It was a clear provocation. Finally, Qing Heng had enough and drew his sword.

"If you won't come along, I'll drag you by force!"

The smile on Bi Ryuyeon's face didn't fade at Cheong Hyeon's threat, but only deepened.

"By all means! Let's get a taste of how much stronger you've gotten, shall we? You're not joining in? I don't mind if you two go at it together, though it won't change the outcome."

Despite Bi Ryuyeon's confident demeanor, Baek shook his head and declined.

"Oh, I'm a brainwave. I usually let him do the heavy lifting. I'll take a wait-and-see approach."

"That would be a disadvantage. Well, why don't you give me a taste of that martial art that gave Hui such a hard time? I'd like to see how much stronger you are now."

"Do you really think I need to use that kind of language with you?"

Qinghun said sarcastically.

"Sure."

The answer came from right behind him. Somehow, Bi Ryuyeon had gotten behind him. Cheong-heon was startled and frightened, and he quickly turned on the new song.

"Don't be so nervous, you haven't done anything yet."

Bi Ryuyeon smiled smugly. Cold sweat trickled down Qing Shui's back.

"How did I end up on my back?

I was caught off guard, but it was a fast move that I didn't recognize.

"I'll admit that you're a good jumper. But you won't be able to beat me with that alone."

"Well, we'll see about that. By the way, have you changed your mind now, and it's not the other two kendo swords hanging from your back?"

"Of course. These guys will never let you down."

Finally, Cheong-Heon decided to go all out and take on Bi Ryuyeon.

"If you think back to the good old days, you'd be wrong."

"If it's the same as it was then, I should be dead, because that means we haven't made any progress. I hope you don't disappoint me."

"Of course I won't let you down."

Qingfeng replied with determination in his eyes.

Shhhhhhhh!

The two swords on Qingfeng's back were drawn out as if they were creatures of will.

'This is not an opponent that can be defeated with the three-ringed sword. From the very beginning, I must use the Mu Pole Sword, which is the supreme righteousness of the Three Jeweled Sword Wisdom.

Three swords united, heaven and earth united, and a fourth sword born from within, the Wu Pole Sword! He had fought Mo Yonghui and the Galactic River Sword at the Samsung Muzeum two years ago with this technique. He was shocked that he couldn't win despite using the strongest aura, and has been cultivating his sword qi ever since.

"It was unfinished then, but not now!

Of course, the depth was still lacking, but the technology was already there.

In front of his chest, the three swords began to spin in a circle like the Three Jewels.

"Hmm, that must be the same technique you used on Hui. It's pretty strong, but it still takes a long time to prepare, and I've already sampled it."

So it was a warning to be careful.

"I don't think this is a martial art that can be broken after one look. And if you think it's the same as it was then, you're sorely mistaken."

"Well, do you think so?"

"Save that for after you get this!"

Triadic unity, innate taijutsu, no-pole map!

The three swords merged together, and another sword emerged from within, a sword with an incomparably powerful aura.

"Take it!"

Samjung Taegeuk Gumhye Righteousness.

Unpolarized Sword (無極劍).

Consistent (一貫).

The intangible sword force from the three swords, working together like a triad, shot toward Bi Ryuyeon at breakneck speed with the power to pierce through everything. It was an overwhelming power, but Bi Ryuyeon was unfazed and continued forward.

"Oh, well, they're in the wrong order!"

At the same time that the Muklong Ring on Bi Ryuyeon's right arm was released, his right arm moved forward, but at a speed that would make a snail yawn.

"Done!

Cheng Heng was sure of his victory, but he was about to open his eyes wide.

"No way!"

At the risk of disrupting the ceremony, Cheng Hsien stopped shouting in disbelief. As if jealously guarding his victory, something deceptive was happening before his eyes. Somehow, the intangible sword steel that had been flying at him with terrifying momentum had managed to avoid him, as if to avoid him altogether.

"You can divide one into three, but if you think that putting the divided three back together is going to make one, you're dead wrong!"

Flying Sword (飛雷刀) Superior Misjudgment (上級奧義).

A chapter in Translation.

In the middle (的中和).

Bi Ryuyeon's right hand, still moving at a slow pace, slid between the three swords spinning at blinding speed in front of Qing Shui's chest.

"No! It's dangerous!

From the looks of it, it was suicide, but…….

Boom!

With a roar that sounded like the sky was falling, Qing Shui was knocked back a dozen paces, unable to overcome the momentum.

"Ew!"

A stream of fresh blood poured from Qing Shui's mouth.

"Blue stain-!!"

A scream erupted from the mouth of Baek Moo-young, who had been watching the two of them in peace, trusting in his friend. At the same time, a red flag fluttered from his hand as it soared into the sky.

At the signal of the flag, the thirty men who had surrounded the garden and the seventy or so additional Guzheng members who had been brought in to help them broke cover and rushed out in unison.

Again, the red flag was waved twice to the left and three times to the right, and the warriors followed the handwritten signal, moving in unison to form a circle. A large formation of about a hundred men quickly surrounded Bi Ryuyeon.

"What is this, a welcome crowd? That's a lot of people for that."

Najik whistled as Bi Ryuyeon looked at the sword clan surrounding her. She was already aware of their presence, so she didn't panic.

"You were worried about just the two of you, weren't you, timid."

Bi Ryuyeon said something in an apologetic tone.

"I was just trying to be perfect."

To be able to move such a large group of people in unison with a single banner, Bai Muyoung's abilities were far from ordinary. However, Bi Ryuyeon didn't even bat an eyelid at the sword forest surrounding her.

"Hey, Cheung Hoon, are you okay?"

Baek Moo-young asked, taking five long steps backward and picking up the bloodstains.

"I'm… okay……. Kulkulkulk!"

Qing Shui replied, barely managing to calm his churning blood.

"That's why I told you to get your ass in gear before it's too late."

Bi Ryuyeon clicked her tongue and said to Qinghe.

"Tsk, tsk, apparently you haven't made much progress since that time two years ago, so you're not going to beat our tidy little guy, so you might want to sharpen up a bit more."

The neatness, of course, was a reference to the mother tongue. It was a nonchalant way of applying a title that I would have been horrified to hear.

"Uh, how did you do it?"

Qing Shui was dumbfounded, never having imagined that the supreme sword qi he had spent his entire life cultivating could be shattered by such an ignorant method.

"When you're at the center of change, you're powerless against any change, and even though you can divide nothingness by two or three, you can't just add them together in a simple additive formula to get nothingness. It's not that simple, and that's why it's so easy to get to the root of the problem. If you were truly embodying nothingness, you wouldn't be broken so easily."

Bi Ryuyeon replied in a tone that suggested it was obvious, but there weren't many humans who could actually do it.

"So I guess my studying wasn't enough. I… lost……."

Cheong conceded defeat meekly.

"Well, don't be too hard on yourself, I'm a genius, I was able to crack it."

She was a self-effacing woman.

"Okay, now that we've won, can we go? Can you get these people out of the way, because this is gonna be a killer."

Looking around at the people glaring at her with eyes as sharp as the sword she was pointing, Bi Ryuyeon said.

"I'm sorry… I can't do that. You have to come with us."

Beck had no intention of backing down.

"That's cowardly."

CHANG!

After observing the situation for a moment, Na Yerin drew her sword with a cold expression and spoke. It was an indication that she would not stand idly by if they were to persecute them with numbers. It was a very uncomfortable situation that Qing Shui and Bai Muyoung wanted to avoid as much as possible.

A small disturbance arose at once among the examining party, for they were all men, and the admirers of the snow-white Na Yerin were in the majority. But to be reduced to the position of being hated by their idol, they could not help but feel agitated.

But since he couldn't leave the organization, he was stuck in a quandary, unable to do either. Of course, that only deepened his hatred for her.

"No matter how good your martial arts skills are, you won't be able to take on all of them."

Baek said in a confident tone.

"Now, what are you going to do?"

There was a silence that was heavier than a heavy heart.

The first to break the silence was Bi Ryuyeon.

"Let me ask you this: do you want to fill this place with acid blood?"

Bi Ryuyeon said with a cold smile on her lips. At that moment, the tension in her intestines tightened like a taut bow. It felt like it would explode at the slightest touch. After that, there would be nothing but a blood feast of flesh and blood.

"Do you think you can do that?"

"Of course I believe I can do that, and I can prove it to you if you want……."

At that moment, the hundred or so men in the hall felt a chill run down their spines, as if a ferocious beast was about to emanate from the ground.

Voila!

But Bi Ryuyeon put her hand back down after raising it threateningly.

"Eh, I'll let it go, I've got Yerin next to me and I'm not guilty of anything, so I'm not going to waste my time with that."

Bi Ryuyeon shrugged her shoulders with both palms turned upside down.

"He'll have to pay for his cheap tricks later."

"You are a very scary person indeed."

He rubbed the back of his neck, which was covered in cold sweat.

"Thanks for the compliment, and if their-who knows yet-plan fails, well, I'll make sure it does, but at least they'll get a taste of the horror."

"You can't be thinking of going after them right now, can you?"

It was asking me if I still wanted to decline arrest.

"Uh, no. We don't have to go out right now, because we need time, but I'll go with you, but do I have to wear jewelry to do that?"

"Trinkets? Oh, you mean handcuffs!"

It wasn't until a little later that Qinghui understood the meaning of Bi Ryuyeon's words.

"You're still a suspect, so we don't have to handcuff you if you're not going to resist… but rules are rules. I hope you understand."

Bi Ryuyeon unexpectedly and obediently held his hands out in front of him. Then, the two dark dragon rings on his wrists came into Bai Muyoung's full view. They were too colorful and unique to go unnoticed.

"What is this?"

Bai Muyoung asked as he looked at the ascending dragon symbol on the Muklong Ring. The one that had fallen to the ground a moment ago had somehow returned to its original position.

"Oops, I forgot you had a passenger. It's a shackle of sorts, but it's also a piece of jewelry, so I don't think it's going to hurt to add another one. Go ahead and put it on."

Bi Ryuyeon clapped her hands together and urged me on. It was a little steamy, but I didn't think it would be a big deal, so I decided to just fill it up.

'Well, it's just a trinket…….'

But it was more than a trinket. But since it didn't have a special engine or anything, we decided to let it go. The problem was the weapon.

"Do you currently have any weapons on your person?"

"Would you believe me if I said no?"

"No, I don't believe it."

"And what do you ask? But you don't like the idea of leaving something so precious and intimate in someone else's hands, do you mind if I stop by your room on the way?"

"What do you want me to do, Blueprint?"

"You don't think he's up to something?"

Baek asked using full voice.

"Hmmmm……."

"If he was going to do that, he'd have made a scene in the evening. I don't think it's going to happen. Why bother making a big deal out of it?"

"Good. How are you feeling now?"

"That's much better than before. You shouldn't have any trouble moving in an emergency."

"I see, then."

"What, it doesn't matter?"

Cheonghyeon said in a nonchalant tone, as if something had happened for a moment.

"I see. I'll do that."

It's always better to be simple than unnecessarily complex.

"Thank you."

The chains clinked against each other as Bi Ryuyeon greeted her in handcuffs, the clanking sound echoing softly.

'류연…….'

As she watched Bi Ryuyeon's hands being cuffed before her eyes, Na Yerin's heart ached like a prickly thorn, and she hated herself for being so helpless. She wanted to change something, to resist this sudden fate. As she thought about it, her hand lingered on her sword. She was aware of it, too, and she realized that in just a moment, just a second, those handcuffs would no longer be handcuffs, just a piece of metal that could no longer maintain its identity.

"Should I cut it down?

Her mind raced with thoughts she would never normally have had. If she hadn't heard his voice, she might have followed through with her thoughts, but his words, "Stop," stopped her hand. Na Yerin lifted her head and looked at Bi Ryuyeon.

Bi Ryuyeon shook her head.

"Don't do it, it's not like Yerin, you don't need her help with this, so don't feel guilty about it. I appreciate your concern, but it's just a waste of emotion. If you can't do this much on your own, how are you going to make it in this harsh world? Let her do this much on her own, if she trusts me. I trust me, so you trust me, Yerin. Can we do that?"

It was a heavier word than quit. Her red lips, which had been pressed tightly together in silence for a long time, opened with difficulty.

"I believe it."

Bi Ryuyeon nodded in satisfaction. Then she exaggeratedly shook the handcuffs.

Bam, bam, bam!

It rang out with a sound so clear for such a brutal use.

"Hmm, that's a pretty good pair of handcuffs. Is it an alloy of iron and bronze? It's not wrought iron… it's more like pearlized steel."

He was able to determine the type of metal by the sound of the iron clashing, not to mention by sight.

"Good to know. I didn't realize you had a knack for nighttime technology."

Cheong Hyeon replied in surprise.

"Well, I've got some experience in this," I say, "and my two slender wrists don't have the finesse to make a difference, but it's not like it's going to improve anytime soon, so I'll settle for this."

"Do handcuffs have a place? You're a very unusual fellow. I've met and arrested many people, but I've never met anyone like you."

Qinghe said, half in sincere admiration, half in disbelief.

"That's a good thing, so I don't get stuck in the middle of the foolish masses. I love firsts. The thrill of putting your footprints where no one else has gone before. It's even more intense and exhilarating than the first time you put your footprints in a yard covered in white overnight snow. You don't know that unless you've experienced it. Never."

He loved pushing the boundaries of the unknown, the forbidden, and leaving his mark, even if it sometimes meant gnawing at the edges of those borders, and he would never regret it.

"They usually say it's weird. Or call her crazy."

"There are plenty of mindless puppets out there, dancing mechanically to the tune of past conventions without any judgment, so why should I be one of them? I don't want to be a drop in the river, and there'll be no trace of where I've gone. I don't want to waste my energy on something that's going to make me forget who I am, because it's a waste of time, and it's a waste of time well spent. Shall we go?"

Bi Ryuyeon spoke up. It was as if she was determined to make her own way, to decide her own fate, to not be passive.

"That's… right. Let's go."

Rather, the two of them were caught up in his movements and dragged along. After a few moments of pacing, he turned to face Na Yerin, who was following him with an occasional step.

"You don't have to send it, Yerin. Come visit me later, and bring lots of goodies. But don't worry, I'm not that fragile."

"Ryuyeon… be careful. I'll be waiting for you."

Na Yerin replied with a slightly stiff face, and a wide smile spread across her face.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that, and I'll see you soon, because I'm about to be released, and I don't want to turn you into a beauty queen, either. We'll talk again then. It's been a pleasure talking to you today."

Bi Ryuyeon walked forward, waving her hand in a nonchalant manner. Her steps were light and airy, more like someone going to a banquet than someone being escorted.

"Ryu Yeon……."

Na Yerin said his name bluntly. She didn't know what to follow up with. Right now, she had no power, no way to change the situation.

He followed them and disappeared into the red-burning, ominous sunset. Na Yerin watched his back as he melted into the red sunset.

What is happening now? This was something she was very unfamiliar with. She had been trying to close her mind and keep her distance from reality, but this time she couldn't do that without actively engaging with reality. Without an answer to what to do about it, she felt as lost as a traveler wandering in the desert after losing the North Star in a sandstorm.

"If only I had Ryeong's sister at a time like this……."

She would have been a great counselor to share her worries with……. She was overwhelmingly sad that she had no one to share her feelings with. And in that pain, she realized that before she met Bi Ryuyeon, she had been communicating with the world through the lion, Dokgo-ryung, who was her only contact with the world.

The only reason Dokgo Ling was still in a normal state of mind after her disappearance and not in a state of mental collapse was because of Bi Ryuyeon's presence. He had filled the void without saying a word.

Now that she has lost both of them, she has no means of communicating with the world. Her only two remaining points of contact had been lost.

Tuduk!

Suddenly, tears fell from her eyes, and she was like a child lost, a mute without words, a blind without light, a deaf without sound… She didn't know what to do. It was hard to breathe, as if she were drowning.

Everything went black again. All sensation was being stripped from her body. She was alone in the world again. The world was pulling away from her. Beneath her feet, a terrifying black hole gaped open. Without a place to stand, she plummeted downward. No, she almost fell. But she managed to steady herself as her body and mind threatened to collapse. She had realized one thing.

"We can't do this! We're not making any progress, so… so… so…….

Na Yerin did realize one thing.

'That's how you never escape the past…….'

I used to want to be away from everything, cut off from the world, build big, wide walls around me, and be so alone in my solitude, but when I was alone, I wanted someone to be there for me. I was afraid to be alone. It was unbearably painful and frightening to be left alone. All beings cannot exist without relationships. It cannot live. I found myself actively gravitating toward the things I had rejected. I needed to connect.

Desperate to cut herself off from the world and sink into the abyss of unconsciousness, she clung to the last threads of her bonds and refused to let go. She didn't even bother to tend to the deep wounds she'd inflicted on herself, or the pain in her left eye. Only for the sake of her ugly brother, to whom she was not connected by blood.

But what about yourself?

"I… tried to run away again, and I almost did it again."

She had lived her life shamelessly, without grace, without reciprocation or response to her heart. Undiscovered, her heart had remained a seed, unable to blossom. A jeweled seed that she could have found if she had only looked around her.

It would be an insult to her heart to let it fall apart now. She couldn't let the affection she'd poured into him go to waste. She had to let it blossom now; it was the only 'repayment' she could give now.

One small "epiphany" can drive a person to despair in an instant, or save them in an instant.

They weren't with you right now, but they weren't dead either; the experience of them was still with you. And it's an experience that hasn't ended yet. I learned warmth and caring from Dokgo-ryung, and strength of mind and courage to move forward from Bi Ryuyeon.

I could see it now. That there is nothing in this world that is not interconnected. That we are in the midst of a vast web of relationships that has no beginning or end, and that's why people are able to connect with people, people with people, and people with nature. It's a sign that we were connected in the past, and that we will be connected again in the future. When we try to cut the unbreakable, distortions are bound to happen.

He couldn't afford to be a disgrace when they returned. He didn't want to disappoint them with his weakness.

No more running away!

She was determined.

I will not run away. To run is to turn your head away from reality. But turning away doesn't make it go away. It will always be there, radiating its dark power. Blocking it out of your consciousness is not enough. If you stand on the sandy shore of a beach, the waves don't care about your intentions. Ignoring them doesn't make them go away. If you wish for something so absurd, you will only be swallowed up and drowned. I will no longer turn away from the waves. I will face the waves of the world with all my might.

"I'm going to get Ryuyeon'er and Ling'er back!

It was time to stand on my own, to unclasp my hugged knees, lift my buried head from between them, look straight ahead, stand up and walk forward.

"Sis, watch this!

It was Bi Ryuyeon who told her that a promise to oneself is more powerful than an oath in the name of God. It is the weakest and strongest oath in the world. You can always be monitored, you can always be ambitious, and there can be no escaping responsibility for the consequences. What you do or don't do is your own responsibility.

'Therefore, I swear to myself. I must… I must… I must find the two of them. I will now stand on my own.'

It was time to crack the egg and take on the world.