Book 19 Chapter 2

Tavern, freezing!

-Apologize!

Na Yerin's quarters had always been quiet; she didn't like fuss, and those who knew her had always respected that preference.

Boom!

The door swung open with a loud clang. Na Yerin's eyes widened at something that had never happened before.

"…is a Sojae?"

Standing next to the door, which had apparently fallen off its hinges, was Eunsulan.

"Is this the honeysuckle I knew?

Na Yerin wasn't sure.

"Silver Sojae, I'm back at the Temple of Heaven……."

Come to think of it, I didn't remember hearing about it recently.

"Who's going back, I've been here all last winter, I'm Sojae, look at me for a second!"

For a moment, Na Yerin didn't know how to react to the sudden force of the silver snowflake's grip on her wrist. This was definitely not like her.

"Where are we going?"

Ask in a panicked voice.

"Drink (飮酒)!"

Without looking back, Eunseulan replied briefly.

Kulanjuru was still as crowded tonight as it had been last night. People sat in pairs here and there, sipping cold fire and talking about the goings-on in the world.

"You… have you ever heard of the Xin Feng Association?"

"Oh, he's drunk. Isn't that a rumor? No one has ever confirmed its existence, and you've been buying into it?"

"If you mean Shin Feng Hai, you mean the mysterious young hero who saved the Volcano Society from the Great Fire of the Volcano?"

"So it's a rumor. It wasn't the Xin Feng Sect that saved the volcano, who knows if they did or not… it was the Heavenly Martial Three. Thanks to them, the participants of the Volcano Conference were able to survive that terrifying fire!"

"But there was a story that said it wasn't……. The flames were so intense that no one knows exactly what happened in there, right?"

"You can't see where you're going with all the flames and all the smoke, and that's why there are rumors. If you were looking with your eyes open, there would be no room for such rumors. The New Feng Cooperative… that's a fantasy. How can a young man still under contract wield such power? Come on, Hyuk-yi. Do you think it's possible?"

"Well… by the way……."

"I want to know his whereabouts more than I want to know whether he's there or not!"

"Who?"

"I know who it is, the one who set fire to the volcano Tianmu Peak!"

"Ah, do you mean the Descendant of the Heavenly Beast, the Destroyer Rain?"

"I heard that's what it's called these days."

"But I've heard that the White and Black Heavenly Clans have tracked him down with all their intelligence, and they haven't found a single hair. They're clueless."

"To do something like that at such a young age, not even thirty yet, is terrifying."

"That's right… I'm… boom!"

"No, hey, Hyuk-yi, what's going on? Did you hear Sara?"

Jurassic.

A few people slammed the glasses they were holding onto their clothes, which was the most favorable reaction. Four or five men near the door turned their heads and poked their nostrils with chopsticks. I lost count of the number of people whose eyes were so wide open that I worried their eyeballs might pop out.

The moment the two beauties opened the door to the tavern, the room was frozen in silence. No one dared to make a sound. Not even the sound of breathing.

"This is……."

Na Yerin, who had been dragged along, looked around and asked.

"Where is it, a bar! Don't you have to go to a place that sells alcohol to get drunk?"

"Yes, but……."

This evening, the long-lost Eunseulan was exuding a strange power. Even Na Yerin couldn't deal with her easily.

"Here, sit down!"

"Here?"

Eunsulan pointed to a tabletop in the middle of the infield. It wasn't unreasonable for Na Yerin's eyes to widen; from here, she could see them from the second and third floors. It wasn't a very pleasant situation.

"Why don't we go to our private room, Silver Sojae?"

"It's not a spare room, I'm not guilty of anything, sit down!"

Another burst of unknown power forced Na Yerin to sit back in her seat. Normally, this would never have happened.

"Excuse me, what would you like to order, sirs?"

Jumsoi, his eyes half-lidded and his mouth agape, approached and asked.

"Booze!"

The short answer was a mocking, "Why would you ask such a stupid question?

"any……."

There were several types of alcohol.

"The most poisonous thing in this house!"

Without hesitation, Eunseulan answered. There was no room for Na Yerin to stop her.

"And plenty of it!"

The order was short, concise, and clear.

It was the last place Na Yerin would ever show up, and the last place she would normally go near, but today she had been drawn to it by Eunseulan's hand. No wonder she was so relaxed.

"Hey… Silver Sojae, why don't you stop drinking that?"

"How long has it been since there's been a table set up," Na Yerin asked, worried. The people on the field hadn't disappeared, but they were crowding in like a theater, barely able to get a footing, and yet the area around them was empty, as if the space had been carved out.

"It's okay, it's okay, it's not a lead, it's not a lead, it's not a lead, it's not a lead!"

You glance across the table.

'Six bottles already…….'

A tongue twister is not unreasonable. It's hard not to be concerned. I had never heard of the wise woman being a drunkard before. I'd only ever seen her drinking tea, but today she was drinking it like water.

"Nat Sojae - you know what?"

She leaned over, disheveled, and asked. The glimpse was unmistakable, but her face was so close that Na Yerin stopped panicking.

"What, what?"

"Men are idiots, all of them!"

Boom!

The table rattled once.

"Fools who stake their lives on useless and worthless beliefs!"

Boom!

The table lurched twice.

"So it always hurts the woman and the child and the world……. You can only think like that because you've never raised a child, so you don't care what happens to the world or what happens to your own home."

To cool her rising anger, Sunzi Eunsulan once again tipped her drink past her red lips.

"Calm down, Silver Sojae, I think you should stop drinking now, you're getting drunk."

Na Yerin interrupted with concern.

"I'm not drunk yet! And I'm sober now? If I was sober, I wouldn't be here drinking like this, you stupid Mo Yonghui… You didn't even know I was there all last winter… You didn't even care about other people……."

Suddenly, a string of complaints that had been building up over the past winter spilled out of her mouth.

"This one and that one!"

Words that she would never normally use were flying out of her quiet mouth. She was truly furious.

"Men are such short-sighted, self-serving bastards, all of them!"

Boom!

The table rattled again. Na Yerin was getting used to it by now.

"If you think a woman is just there to wait and support you, you're wrong, you're wrong, you're wrong, that's a relic of a bygone era, it's a new era!"

"But it still doesn't seem to change much, does it?"

"Trust me, the world is changing!"

It was a drinking prophecy. I hadn't heard much about the dangers of drinking prophecies, but I couldn't help but wonder if that was the case with Na Yerin.

"That's what happened to him, too. He just died following his own ideals……. Without leaving me a single word……."

It was at that moment that Na Yerin's eyes fell upon the buried wound of Aryn.

"Silver Sojae, if that's you……?"

But Na Yerin didn't get an answer.

Thump!

Finally, she slammed her forehead into the table. She'd had too much to drink.

"Silver Sojae! Silver Sojae!"

I tried shaking it, tapping it, slapping it, pinching it, but it wouldn't budge.

"What am I going to do with this?"

For a moment, Na Yerin felt lost. But the only thing she could protect from the wolves that now surrounded her was herself.

"I can't……."

Nayeryn sighed as she moved her right hand to her scabbard and raised her drink. Then she took a long gulp from the crackling fire.

But her predicament didn't end there.

Crossblade Donampo, the vice-captain of the Ice Peak Movie Guard, had been deeply troubled lately. Ever since the spiritual leader of the group of voluntary followers of Ice Peak Na Yerin, Vice-Protector Wei Zichen, had nearly died, he had been forced to make most of the Guard's decisions on his own. Now that his position, which had the absolute support of the members, was vacant, it was difficult for them to move as they pleased, and there was a strong sense that they were drifting farther and farther away from their goal of "Overthrowing and Destroying Bi Ryuyeon!

"I wonder if there's something we can do……. We could sway public opinion if we had a chance to turn it around……."

Boom! Woo-dang!

It was then that the door to his office suddenly flew open.

"What's going on, make a fuss!"

"Vice… Vice Lord, we're in trouble!"

"What's the big deal, you look like you've seen a ghost?"

"According to information that just came in……."

"According to?"

"Well, this is unbelievable information… but I, Na Yerin Sojae, have been told that he, along with an acquaintance of his, have gone into the golden circle!"

Boom!

"What, what?"

The lender's desk, which had proudly occupied one side of the office for the past three years, had been chipped in half. But no one cared; there were more pressing matters to attend to.

"Call an emergency general strike, we need to protect 'our man' from the wolves!"

"Yep! Yes, sir!"

"Hey! Don't push! I can't see!"

"You! Get out of the way!"

"Ouch, who stepped on my foot?"

"Hey, get your foot off my head!"

It was a chaotic scene inside the Golden Pavilion, with men eager to catch a glimpse of the beauty. No one could get closer than a certain distance to their targets, but even that delicate balance was coming to an end.

"Everybody out of the way, we're in charge of this place from now on!"

The warriors, dressed in pure white robes and white hoods, entered one after the other in columns, all of them with translucent sashes covering their eyes. They walked in with restrained movements, spreading out in a semicircle from side to side, about a foot and a half from the center of the table where Na Yerin was seated, creating a border of people. Only when their backs were turned to Na Yerin did they lift the sashes over their eyes.

"Come on, don't step inside this line."

"Stand down."

"No further access is allowed."

Naturally, there was an outcry.

"Who are you? Who are you that you're blocking our way? We can't see very well because of you!"

"Right, right, right!"

"Get out of my way, get out of my way, get out of my way!"

But they were unmoved by the protests.

"Still, we cannot allow you to approach me, Sojae, any further."

"Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Crossbow Donampo, vice-captain of the Bingfeng Martial Arts Academy's Bingfeng Martial Arts Guard, and these are my eight bodyguards! For the sake of my own safety and that of Sojae's, I will not allow anyone to approach us anymore."

"Does that mean we can't and you can?"

One of the men exclaimed in a disgruntled tone.

"None of us would dare to dream of such a thing in our wildest dreams, and if one were to approach alone, pushing others aside, stronger sanctions would be imposed on him."

"You mean like him?"

One of them pointed to the person on the third from his left. The eyes of the eight guards all turned to him.

"Six!"

Donampo's eyes widened to tears.

"No, no, no!"

A cacophony of screams erupted from the mouths of the seven except for him. Before he knew it, Yuko had turned around and was staring at Na Yerin with blank, mesmerized eyes. His hands were twitching and wincing as he struggled to move forward.

"I'm in trouble! I'm having withdrawal symptoms!"

For the members of the Ice Peak Film Guard, looking directly at Na Yerin was a taboo of taboos. Just as looking directly at the sun would blind them, they couldn't afford to suffer withdrawal symptoms.

A surge of lust was consuming him. By the looks of it, reason had already flown out the window. There was not even ashes left of the burned-out reason.

For a moment, a trace of bitterness flashed across Donampo's face. But he had to be resolute. He raised his index finger straight up. Then he shouted.

"You're a jerk!"

"This is great!"

The Chihuahuas, all but one of them missing from the eight, raised their index fingers in unison. Then they pounced like a pack of dogs to punish their one-time friend.

Woozy! Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump!

There was no acknowledgment in the sanctions.

The men could do little but remain silent and watch the gruesome process of punishment.

After a while…….

"Anyone else approaching?"

Donampo asked, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"……."

All that came back was silence, and no one stepped forward.

"So there's no one else to approach?"

To drive a wedge, Donampo asked one more time.

"What would you do if I refused to follow your advice?"

A man asked.

"I'm afraid we'll have to do a talent show then."

Donampo held up his sword in front of him and said, "I'm going to take it. It was then.

"Phew, weak things pretending to be strong!"

A cynical sneer erupted from a few feet away from the crowd. For a moment, the place was as quiet as a mouse. Donampo, standing imposingly with his arms crossed, frowned. People stepped back left and right to prove that they hadn't done it on their own.

A young man sat at a table. He was a very colorful young man. He had five earrings in his ears and a jade necklace around his neck. There was no sword or knife in sight. This was Yi Shi Jian, a cultivator of the Heavenly Pavilion.

"Is he a rich kid who doesn't care about the world?

Donampo asked, his frown still intact.

"Who is that?"

"Me? If you're going to say me, I'm the owner of the treasure."

Ishigan, a flamboyant young man, said as he set his drink down on the table.

"Owner of the treasure?"

"For every treasure there is a steward, isn't there?"

His gaze traveled past them to a single point, and there, of course, was Na Yerin. No amount of jewels and gold could measure her worth, for she was a treasure among treasures, and as such, she was coveted by many.

"Will you ever be able to do that?"

Donampo asked in a low voice, his temper rising. It's not too late for you to think it over. Of course, those words fell on the ears of the snotty young man.

"Pfft, cheeky bastards!"

Ishigan sneered and stood up.

"I'm not picking on the weak!"

With a mocking expression on his face, Yi Shijian walked slowly toward his troop leader, Donampo, with his back to him. Of course, Donampo didn't move from his position.

"I, for one, hate it when people get in my way, so get out of the way when I say something nice."

He said in an imperative tone.

"What if they don't want to?"

"No?"

The sneer in his voice grew even more pronounced.

"You must have a wish to die!"

"You son of a bitch!"

Yi Ho, who was at the side of his lieutenant, Donampo, stepped forward, unable to contain his frustration. He thought about grabbing the arrogant brat by the scruff of the neck, but he couldn't.

"Rude bastard!"

Ishiguro's fingers twitched lightly.

Poof!

Suddenly, without warning or forewarning, Yi Ho's wrists were slit and a fountain of blood gushed out. It happened in the blink of an eye.

A scream rang out.

"Spread the word!"

Compared to the bloodshed, Donampo's response was swift.

"Hmmm, so you're going to try it?"

Even with six swords surrounding him, the young man's expression was nonchalant.

"You still haven't unpacked your bags, are you ignoring us?"

"You know your stuff!"

To Donampo's question, the young man replied as if it were obvious.

"You'll regret it!"

"It remains to be seen who will regret it!"

"We'll see!"

That was the signal for the attack.

The Eight Guards of the Bingfeng Film Guard were the eight most accomplished members of the thousands of members of the self-proclaimed Na Yerin Guards. They were all confident in their abilities, but now their pride was being crushed.

"Eat! Eight! Eat!"

Whiz, whiz, whiz!

The sword cuts through the air. Once, twice, three times, four times…….

No matter how many times they swung their swords, the flamboyant, cocky young man remained on his back and dodged every single one of their sword blows. His legs barely moved. The fluid movements of his upper body were enough to dodge the blades. It had been more than a day since the checkup had been triggered, but he was still relaxed. It was the Guardians who had grown increasingly impatient.

"You're tired already? You're really bad, the Heavenly Martial Academy's skills are only this good!"

The condescension was palpable.

"Heh heh heh heh heh heh!"

"Is it my turn?"

Na Yerin watched with a cold gaze as Vice-Captain Donampo and his eight bodyguards collapsed to the ground. She had never acknowledged the existence of the Ice Peak Movie Guard, never asked for or given permission for the self-proclaimed Eight Guard to escort her. All of this happened in a place where her opinions were ignored.

Finally clearing the way, Ishgan moved closer to the unaware Na Yerin. The closer he got, the stronger the desire that burned within him.

'I want to…….'

He would have done anything to have her. He'd never seen a woman like her before, a woman who possessed a kind of magical allure that wasn't just beautiful.

'It's worth coming here just to meet her.'

Ishigan thought with a smile of conversion.

"Nice to meet you, Sojae. My name is Ishigan, and I was wondering if I could join you for a moment, if you don't mind?"

"Decline."

Na Yerin replied, not even looking at him.

"Haha……."

A hollow laugh escaped Ishigaki's lips as he was told no, but he had no intention of backing down.

'Well, I'll take it as a sign of affection. You know what they say, beautiful flowers have many thorns, cancer included!

It was safe to say that there were few women he hadn't yet gotten his hands on because he wanted them.

"Apparently, your companion passed out from drinking too much, and I'd love to help if you don't mind, but……."

"I don't need it."

Again, Na Yerin's answer was emphatic.

"That's not fair, I'd love to help Mr. Sojae in any way I can. I'm the kind of person who makes it a point to help others."

It was an unlikely statement coming from a man who had just slit a man's wrists and left seven on the ground. Of course, there was a certain credibility to it.

"I told him I definitely didn't need it."

But Ishigan was still persistent.

"Come on, tell me what I can do to help, Sojae!"

"There is only one such thing."

Na Yerin said, her voice completely devoid of emotion.

"What is it?"

Ishiguro's face lit up at the realization that his work had paid off.

"It's disappearing before my eyes."

The color drained from his face, and he turned ashen.

'How dare this woman…….'

But he still spoke with a smile on his face, not letting his internal anger show on the outside.

"No, don't do that, do something to help……."

As he did, Ishgan's hand moved to Na Yerin's slender shoulder. It was a deliberate touch.

"Wait, that stupid hairless hand, you better not move it anymore."

Something flew out of the sky with a whoosh.

"Huh!"

At the sudden deafening crash, Yi Shiguan hastily took a step backward in surprise. At the same time, two mnemonics flew out and stuck to the ground. They were two chopsticks that everyone used to eat. If he hadn't quickly withdrawn his hands, he would have been directly hit by the flying mnemonics.

"I'll get it right next time."

It was an intentional miss.

"Who is it?"

Ishigan looked up and shouted. Someone was standing on the railing of the third floor.

"If you have the courage, come down!"

"That's the hard part."

The Shadow leapt lightly off the ledge, oblivious to where he stood.

"That, that guy!"

A member of the Guard, recognizing The Shadow's identity, called out. Others recognized him as well. Love him or hate him, there was no one in the Celestial Academy who didn't know him now.

"Nemesis of our guardians!"

"Pests of the garden!"

"Enemy of humanity!"

His name was called out in unison by those who knew him, including the Guardians.

"Bi Ryuyeon!"

She waved her hand in appreciation of the warm welcome.

"Hey, how do I get here?"

Na Yerin, wide-eyed at this unexpected appearance, asked in a panicked voice.

"Oh, I was treated to a meal by some people I recently got to know."

"A meal?"

"Well, for saving my life, it's as cheap as a meal."

Bi Ryuyeon replied with a smile.

"Hey, Swordsman. What do you think of that young man's martial arts, have you gotten a handle on his history?"

"I'm afraid you've failed, Dossung. I've been watching him closely all mealtime, but I can't figure out where he came from."

"Can't you do better than that? You're going to cost me a meal."

"Still, didn't you lose some money on your meal because Gum Hu didn't come with you?"

"Yeah, but… if they knew we were the only ones who brought him in, they'd leave us alone. He's been studying up."

Tosung shuddered for a moment at the mere thought of it.

"What about that flamboyant young man over there, he's still young and quite skilled."

They had been watching what was going on ever since the flamboyant young man appeared on the scene.

"Probably not from the white side. We haven't gotten a proper first look yet, but judging by some of his moves, he's from the black side. At that level of skill, he must be near the top of the younger generation."

"So if that young man and that friend get into a fight, who do you think will win?"

"That's……."

"Who are you?"

Ishigan shouted in anger at the sudden interruption.

"Me? You have to say your name before you ask someone else's name, don't you?"

"Hmm, do you think you deserve it?"

"I think that's enough for now. Why, do you disagree?"

Bi Ryuyeon said with a wry smile.

"Of course not, and you will not die in peace today because of it!"

At that moment, Yi Shiguan's fingers moved quickly. At the same time, the wind on his fingertips swirled violently.

"Die!"

Purple Cloud Dark Wind.

The Killing Trick.

Frenzy (狂風亂走).

A rare burst of astonishment burst from Bi Ryuyeon's mouth.

"Huh? This!"

Invisible winds blew at him from all sides.

The entire infield was ravaged by a gust of crazy wind.

"Oooh, what's that technology?"

Doseong asked, his eyes wide, unaffected by his fluttering gray hair.

"I don't know. I've never seen this before."

"Chet, why do you know so little?"

"Times must have changed. We're old."

Gongsheng said in a self-help voice.

"By the way, is he okay, he looked like he got hit pretty hard earlier?"

Gongsheng shook his head.

"That's wrong. You 'almost' got it right."

The dugout was literally a mess, torn apart by the frenzied winds. The surrounding tables were torn off their corners as if they had been slashed by sharp swords, and the center of the room was filled with thick dust. Everyone was certain that Bi Ryuyeon was dead. Some were unsure whether to rejoice or mourn the death of their nemesis at the hands of a stranger, and so silence fell again. It was in the midst of this silence that something black, like a fallen leaf, fluttered down from above Na Yerin's head. She reached out a white hand and took the black thing. A familiar color, a familiar touch.

"Ryu Yeon……."

It was the hem of Bi Ryuyeon's robe, shredded to shreds as if it had been sliced by a knife.

"You'll be damned in front of this body!"

A cruel smile tugged at the corners of Ishigan's mouth as he watched, but it didn't last long.

"Kolok, Kolok, no, why are you blowing dust, coughing?"

The young man's smile faded at the sound of a voice behind him.

"Uh… how is he alive?"

At Ishiguro's exclamation, the others nodded in agreement, "Yes, yes, yes!

"Don't you think that's a bit of a sorry tone? Life is precious, so live it."

Bi Ryuyeon replied with a very nonchalant face. Moreover, the way she sat at the table seemed very comfortable.

"But that was a bit much."

Bi Ryuyeon said, lifting up her now very cool sleeve. It had been cut off all the way to the elbow.

"It's tattered. I didn't see that coming."

The familiarity of the technique caught him off guard, and he missed the right moment to dodge. He almost gave away his entire forearm, not just his cuff.

"Ryuyeon, don't scare me! You scared me!"

Na Yerin, whose face had turned pale when she realized something was wrong, exclaimed with a sigh of relief.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Yerin. I know it in my head, but I can't seem to put it into practice. Maybe I'm just too strong."

Bi Ryuyeon slid off the table and landed on the floor.

"But you should be compensated for the mental damage you've done, right?"

Looking at him, Bi Ryuyeon giggled. Yi Shijian did not laugh.

"Do you really think you have that ability? You got lucky this time and only ended up with a cuff, but next time it won't be that way."

"On the contrary, I've been lucky enough to have my favorite clothes in such a mess, and it's very embarrassing to be mistaken."

"Ahem, bluffing!"

"Is he bluffing?"

She raised her right hand, which was clenched into a fist, to eye level and opened it wide.

Then a card made of gold appeared and clinked in front of him. His eyes widened at the sight of it. It was a familiar object.

"Seriously… you can't be……?"

Yi Xian hurriedly searched his bosom. He searched his waistcoat just in case. It wasn't there. He searched his pants, but again, nothing.

"That's a strange person. I don't know why he's looking for things in his arms when they're right in front of him."

Bi Ryuyeon clicked her tongue in regret.

"Give me your hand!"

"What if you don't like it? It looks like it's made of gold, and I'm going to melt it down and buy some clothes."

That's the kind of guy Bi Ryuyeon would do.

"Hey, do you know what hand that is!"

Ishiguro exclaimed angrily.

"I don't know, and I don't really want to know."

Of course, Bi Ryuyeon had no questions other than how much pure gold the cards contained.

"Ryuyeon, give it back!"

Bi Ryuyeon's head snapped back to one place.

"Uh, Mr. Zhang, when did you get here?"

Bi Ryuyeon asked, looking a little surprised.

"You were here a while ago. I'll give it back to you."

Jang Hong said again.

"What is this?"

"That's… a card that proves you're the Grim Reaper."

A smile of conversion crossed Ishigaki's lips at the sight of someone who recognized him.

"Do you hear me? Do you understand now that this body is not yours? If you do, then give me the damn reaper's plaque!"

Ishiguro exclaimed, his voice rising.

"No! Why would I? I haven't even gotten paid for my clothes yet."

Sticking out her tongue, Bi Ryuyeon replied. I don't know if I can give it to you even if you ask nicely, but if you come out arrogant like that, it's inevitable that you'll want to give it to me.

"This… this guy wants to see you!"

I've never felt so ignored in my life.

"Did you know that you have immunity?"

"I don't know! Why is that?"

Bi Ryuyeon replied bluntly, feigning ignorance.

"That's one of the perks of being an envoy: I can commit any crime with impunity here, which means I can kill you with impunity. Even if this is the front yard of the Heavenly Martial Academy, you can't stop me. Do you understand?"

"I don't know!"

"What! You don't know?"

Ishigan's stomach churned.

"What's new, you're already demented? You tried to kill him before, you just failed because you weren't good enough. Besides, don't you think you've got something wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"First of all, are you really an envoy? Isn't that a lie?"

"You're… lying?"

"Yes. An envoy is a diplomat, responsible for the interests of the Heavenly Palace, so he must be here on a diplomatic mission. He wouldn't have been sent here for nothing. But a man who is the reaper in charge of an organization can't be that immoral and rude. Stirring up trouble here will only hurt us in negotiations. Who would want to deal with a pompous, arrogant, rude, womanizing, perverted reaper?"

"Rice… is a pervert……."

I had never heard that before in my life.

"Yes. Deliberately trying to stir up trouble seems more like an envoy to me than… well… yeah, right! Ganse, Ganse!"

For a moment, Ishiguro's breath caught in his throat; it was an unexpected mental surprise.

"Well, I hope it's not Ganse, but I'm still suspicious. So if it's not Gansei, why don't you make a show of it, as befits an envoy?"

"What is that?"

"You should apologize!"

"What, an apple?"

Bi Ryuyeon nodded and said.

"Yes, an apology! If you're in the wrong, just admit it and apologize to me or Sojae like an envoy, and I think everyone here would agree with that. Don't you think, everyone?"

Bi Ryuyeon looked around and exclaimed loudly.

"Right, right, right!"

There were shouts of approval all around. Public opinion was on his side. Although it was a very exceptional case, for now, public opinion was on his side.

"Now, what are you doing, standing around looking like you want to take a shit, and if you're a real envoy, why don't you politely apologize to me, Sojae, and prove to me that you're a real envoy?"

Her tone changed again.

"Do it! Do it! Do it!"

The men raised their fisted hands in the air and shouted in chorus.

"The mood is not good, Confucius!"

The third of the thirteen who were escorting him through the darkness sent a secret message.

"I know."

Ishigan bit his lip and replied sharply.

"What's the situation out there?"

"There are a bunch of guys dressed like the ones Confucius knocked out earlier, and they're surrounding this infield like a pack of dogs."

"What do you think, if you thirteen men join forces, can you win?"

"They're not the only ones out there. This is the front yard of the Heavenly Martial Academy, so if they all rise up, even we can't be sure. For now, I'd suggest you stay away. There's every chance we'll get our hands on her. Leave it to your subordinates."

"Can I trust you?"

"Sure."

"Okay, I'll believe it!"

"Okay, now that you feel like apologizing, why don't you go ahead and do it!"

"Do it! Do it! Do it!"

Ishiguro finally gave up and said something he'd rarely said in his life.

"So… Sojae, me… I'm sorry."

His whole body twitched as he tried to use words he didn't normally use and do things he didn't normally do. Na Yerin didn't even look at him and said nothing.

"Looks like you're a little short on apples."

Bi Ryuyeon stood by and took a few shots. Of course, this only made her feel worse.

"You're not apologizing for me, what's your problem?"

Yi Shi Jian was impatient and complained. The reddish-black water was also oily.

"I don't want to hear your mindless apologies. I don't want to see you, so get out of my sight. It's unpleasant."

"That's right."

Bi Ryuyeon spoke up again. Yi Shiguan's face turned as red as hot coals. Never before had his pride been trampled on like this.

"What are you doing? Can't you hear me Sojae? Go away, you're being a dick."

"This… this guy is……!"

He was desperate to make a statement. But the situation around him was not in his favor. No matter how strong he was, he wasn't sure he could handle them all rising up at once.

"You, what's your name?"

It asks, chewing and spitting.

"Bi Ryuyeon!"

Her answer was short and simple.

"Heh, you're the Bi Ryuyeon?!"

"Uh, did you know? Well, I'm supposed to be so famous, it's kind of the woes of fame."

Yi Shiguan listened to the words, then turned to Na Yerin and said, "I'm sorry.

"Sojae, I'm afraid this isn't going to work out today, so I'm going to have to leave, but I look forward to meeting you again."

"Let's see if you're still that high-minded then!

It will never be the same!

Na Yerin's brow furrowed naturally. They were not eyes that could be closed.

"I hope that never happens, because I'm unpleasant enough as it is today, so goodbye!"

Na Yerin replied coldly.

Ishiguro turned and said.

"We'll see, you'll soon regret it!"

At the clichéd line, Bi Ryuyeon shrugged.

"That's like the two thousand six hundred and seventy-second time I've heard you say that, even though the odds of success were nil, so goodbye."

It was Bi Ryuyeon, who waved kindly. Na Yerin was looking away from him as if she didn't even want to look at him, and that indifference infuriated him even more than his hatred.

'We'll see, I'll have to hold you in my arms for four years, and we'll see if you'll still be that way!

He chewed on his lower lip as he stepped out of the dugout, a grim look on his face. The door to the dugout slammed open and shut again.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaah!"

A collective cheer erupted in the dugout as Ishiguro disappeared.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Eunsulan, who had been slumped over with her head on the table, stretched her upper body and looked around with her still-sober eyes.

"What's the matter, Silver Sojae?"

Na Yerin, startled by Eunseulan's sudden behavior, asked in a surprised voice.

"Hmmm… I thought I heard that asshole's voice I've heard so many times before, or was it my imagination?"

"A familiar voice?

"Nat Sojae, what happened?"

In response to the tongue-in-cheek question, Na Yerin shook her head and answered in a calm voice.

"No, nothing happened."

"Okay……. Then I'm glad……."

Snow White's shy eyes closed again. Her head began to bob back and forth precariously three or four times.

Thump!

Na Yerin's brow furrowed of its own accord.

"Whoa - that's going to hurt!"

From the corner of my eye, I could hear Bi Ryuyeon's admiration. Of course, she couldn't agree more.

"Ryuyeon, what should I do now, should I carry you after all?"

For some reason, I didn't feel comfortable leaving it to her.

"No, why would a hardworking Yerin do that?"

She replied with a tongue-in-cheek response.

"Then how do I get to……?"

"I have a better idea!"

"What, me, me?"

Mo Yonghui's eyes widened when he heard the news.

"So, are you the only one here, or do I have to torture Yerin's slender arms to make her feel better?"

"Ma, this is ridiculous. How dare I do that……. No way. No way."

Mo Yonghui threw up his hands in dismay.

"Really? If you don't like it, just leave it as it is, and I don't mind at all."

"Nonsense, nonsense, nonsense! How can you leave a drunken woman in such a dangerous place, it's simply not fair!"

Mo Yonghui was stunned by Bi Ryuyeon's cold words.

"Then it's settled, isn't it?"

"…Oh, I see!"

Mo Yonghui replied with a reddened face. It was obvious that he was flustered and didn't know what to do.

"Tsk, tsk, relax. Pick it up and drop it."

"Oh, I see!"

But his face was still as red as ripe saffron.

"Serve him well. Like a new saxophone."

"No, of course not."

Mo Yonghui replied with an even redder face. He couldn't quite hear what she was saying.

"Tsk, tsk, I can't be this naive……."

Bi Ryuyeon said as she poked her finger into Mo Yong-hui's chest while carrying Eun-sul-ran.

"Don't forget, you owe me again!"