Book 2 Chapter 20

Hoa Giang's biggest disgrace

This time, it was just a simple greeting.

A simple greeting to a long lost friend!

It was just a hello.

Yeomdo and Ice Sword had merely exchanged a single sword to gauge each other's current strength, meaning that this single sword was merely a touchstone, and neither of them had any intention of continuing. If the First Master of the Five Heavenly Thieves and the First Master of the Five Heavenly Swords clashed, it would be a battle that would leave a lasting mark on the Martial Sect. It would not be a fight that would end in a day or two.

The two are alumni who already know each other's numbers, which is why their fight ten years ago dragged on for three days and three nights and they still couldn't win. How two people with such opposite swordsmanship can be alumni is a mystery, but the fact that Chul-su and Young-hee are alumni death squads has sadly not changed.

Neither of them were ready for a fight, as it had come out of nowhere and wasn't meant to be. How long would this empty confrontation last? Suddenly, Ice Sword Guan Qianxiu's gaze swept over to Bi Ryuyeon, who was standing next to Yan Dao.

"Who is the child next to you? Is he a disciple?"

"Wiggle!"

At Aira's words, one eyebrow twitched in anger, as straight as Bi Ryuyeon Yan's famous sword, but the movement was obscured by his long, cropped bangs. Airani, what an offensive remark, completely ignoring his presence. It was an unforgivable remark that stung his pride to the core. The world would call such a thing an insult, but Binggum Kwan Chulsoo hadn't noticed it at all.

It was almost impossible for a common sense person to fathom his complex, chaotic mind. It might as well have been picking stars in the night sky, but for some reason, this time, Bi Ryuyeon remained silent and didn't come forward. This was unusual for her, as she likes to do things on her own terms.

"Huh, nothing to see here. I'm not a disciple."

Knowing well Bi Ryuyeon's unpredictable nature-having been there, done that-he studied her for a moment before answering. It was an inwardly reassuring moment when she remained unexpectedly quiet.

"Really? I see. I was wondering what kind of winds could have blown you away, since you like to be alone. I thought the Jade Emperor had made a mistake and blown the Maidong Wind to the west."

"Chet, who's star sign isn't an ice sword, it's as cold as a North Sea iceberg. The wind is a freezin' bastard wind. Never mind. What does it matter if it blows east or west?"

The Yeomdo of the accumulated ill-will was such that it was constantly bubbling over. Compared to such a cheeky Yeomdo, the ice sword could still be considered a soldier. However, the malicious puns were out of character with his personality and dignity, and it was very unusual for a man who was recognized as being colder than ice. If someone were to come forward and claim that Binggum Kwan Chulsoo had made a pun, that person would be immediately labeled a lunatic.

"What brings you here, by the way?"

Binggum asked, the most important question of the entire conversation.

"Hey, that's my line, don't interrupt me. Why are you here?"

Now that a human he thought would never be here had suddenly appeared in the Hoa Giang, Yidao's curiosity was piqued. There was no causal or beneficial relationship for Binggum to be here in Hoa Giang.

"I told you before, this is a manor under my guardianship. It is only natural that I should be here!"

There was no change in his calm demeanor as he spoke. The ice sword was calmly dealing with the Yeomdo without the slightest hint of agitation. To be able to maintain this level of calm and composure in the face of the strongest opponent he had ever faced in his life after eighteen years, it was clear that he was an extremely cold and calculating person.

"Hmmm, you must have switched careers while I was away. I'm sorry I didn't recognize you, Ding. So it's because of you that a lowly martial artist named Hoa Zhang is able to do business in the front courtyard of the Heavenly Hall while fooling around, and the world would be appalled if they knew."

Yeomdo wanted to mock Bing'er with all his heart and soul. He was openly mocking Bing'er to the best of his ability. I don't know what happened between them in the past, but they seemed like arch-enemies to the point where I doubted they were alumni. However, the conversations between them were too childish to be considered arch-enemies.

The two men's swords and sabers had been sheathed in their respective sheaths as they engaged in a childish war of words. But no one noticed, not the mice, not the birds, not the onlookers, but only Bi Ryuyeon.

"I don't want to talk long. Just get to the point. If we drag this out any longer, neither of us will have anything left. It's just a waste of time."

Not wanting to face him any longer, Binggum hurried to finish the job, as if facing him any longer would melt away all of his cool reason and leave him with no soup. If reason melted away, all that would be left was the imminent disaster and the corpses of one or the other, for Yeomdo's reason had already burned away and there was nothing left.

"We have one mission, very simple. We want to take over the Nine Dragons. All you have to do is hand over the Nirvana Plaque to us. It's not going to be used here anyway."

"That can't be right, then what about our death penalty, that plaque is reserved for executions."

The third disciple, An Huigang, who had been watching from the sidelines, shouted out in protest at Yan Dao without any fear. He seemed to have quite a bit of guts. His courage and guts were admirable, even if it was just to stand up for himself in front of Yeomdo, who was known for his fierce temper. Even Bi Ryuyeon was impressed. In her opinion, this third disciple was better than the second disciple, Ganyu Yellow, who was too weak. At first glance, he seemed to be a much bigger bowl than Ganyu. It would be impossible to argue with him and offend him in front of Yan Dao with ordinary walls.

"Death penalty? Ah, that fool from earlier! He's practiced only sword forms, and hasn't mastered a single sword intention. He's barely a sword master, and my eyes are precise. You haven't even reached the point of energizing your sword. You didn't think to send him to the Heavenly Pavilion in a fancy suit, did you? That would have been an instant disgrace! I didn't realize that your eyesight had become so degraded that you were considered the equivalent of a rotten tiger's eye. Please forgive me. If you send such a man, you'll not only lose the Hoa Giang, but you'll also shit yourself in your own face. Everyone would be so ashamed of you that they'd drop your name from the list of the Five Swordsmen of Heaven and Earth, which would be most welcome to me, but not to you. Your defectives would never allow such a disgrace, and you'd plummet to the ground with your hard-earned reputation, but that's only if you had a reputation to lose. It would be a sight to behold."

Uncharacteristically for him, he didn't hesitate to spew out venomous words that criticized his opponent without thinking. She was usually quicker to act than to speak, so her words rarely lasted more than three words, but after hanging out with Bi Ryuyeon for a while, her personality seemed to have been tainted by him. Moreover, after meeting Binggum Kwan Chul-soo, she became more talkative than usual due to her excitement. Salt Islander Kwak Younghee was a man of his word, not of his fists………. Bi Ryuyeon's ability to corrupt him to this extent was truly terrifying. However, even though Yeomdo's words had become more frequent, all of them were not empty words, but facts.

He was a man of his word, and there was no lie in what he said. There was nothing more humiliating and embarrassing than being recommended for a position and then failing the special selection test. There was nothing more humiliating and embarrassing than being recommended and failing the special exam.

"What!"

The disciples were furious. They were ready to pounce on Yeomdo and Bi Ryuyeon at a moment's notice. Of course, they only had the appearance of it, but they didn't have the courage to confront him. Just as they were about to put the cart before the horse, Bing'er raised her hand to stop them. He wanted to prevent such a tragedy from happening if Zhang's disciples were to rush in and cause a great deal of casualties.

"Be patient, I'm afraid, but he's right. The sword of fate… is still far away!"

"Da Nosa!"

Everyone cried out in astonishment. In Hoa Giang, he was revered as a great teacher. His influence in the hall was absolute, and it was incomprehensible that he would give in to his opponent's coercive demands.

"Just give me that stupid letter of recommendation!"

"No!"

Everyone in the hall cried out against it. But Bing'er's resolve had already been hardened to the point where it was as hard as diamond and could not be scratched.

"It's useless for transportation anyway. In fact, it's not enough to break through the walls of the Heavenly Pavilion. With a sword that hasn't been honed, you'll only become a laughingstock when you perform meaningless sword techniques that lack willpower. Today's incident should have served as a stinging warning to Yun Shu! Wait until next year and give them that letter of recommendation. It is my fault for not looking out for you properly."

Today had been a day of diminishing fortune for Ganyu, a day that had landed him in the shithole of bad luck. Bing'er sighed in frustration and lifted her head to look at the sky in disbelief. It was an unspoken statement that he wanted nothing to do with this anymore. Now that he had come out so firmly, even the disciples under Master Hoa Zhang no longer had the strength to resist his words. Gritting his teeth, wiping away his tears, and using his trembling hands, Lord Hoa Zhang handed over the Heavenly Pavilion Special Recommendation Plaque. It was not a piece of paper, but a jade plaque made of a single piece of green jade. Within the square of green jade, the figure of a dragon ascending on a sword was embossed, and on the top of the plaque, the four characters of the Heavenly Martial Academy were engraved in an animated and magnificent handwriting. It had an unusual aura. Perhaps it was the united will of the countless people who dreamed of the Heavenly Martial Academy. Bi Ryuyeon thought so, and of course, she didn't forget that she could get a good price for it if she sold it.

Having accomplished her goal, Bi Ryuyeon turned her back and left Hoa Zhang without any regrets. Of course, Yan Dao went with her. Neither of them gave the other a second glance, leaving the scene of their departure with countless beaten and stunned warriors and guests, a huge amount of lost property, and a terrible scar on their pride and honor. An indelible scar of shame. This day will long be remembered in the hearts of his disciples as the day of Hoa Zhang's disgrace. With the dark shadows of two men…….

"大老師."

After the two men left the clinic without a backward glance, Hao Tianxiang quietly called for the ice sword. He had been silent all this time because of the strange atmosphere, but he finally managed to get the words out of the lump in his throat. His voice was very thin and weak, already lacking in confidence, but Bing'er didn't even respond to his call, instead turning her back on him coldly.

"I need a break."

With those last words, Bing'er disappeared into the hall. As he was about to turn around and grab the ice sword, his foot accidentally touched one of the plants scattered around. It was a nameless flower with orchid-like leaves that shattered like glass as soon as Hao Tianxiang's foot closed on it. Seeing the shattered flower and the spot where he had been standing, Hao Tianshang was astonished. The trees and plants within a one-mile radius were all frozen white. He touched them lightly, and they all turned to ice powder and shattered into pieces.

The Heavenly Emperor was stunned into silence. Without realizing it, the ice sword had unleashed an icy Qi that had frozen everything around him in pure white. For a man known for his calmness and composure, this meant that he had exerted so much psychic energy that he was unable to control it. And yet, in front of Yeomdo, he pretended to be calm. Of course, the situation was not easy for him. The trees and plants in the area around where he stood had all dried up, and the stones within a foot radius of where he stood were so scorched that if he touched them without raising his energy, he would be burned instantly.

The shriveled plants soon turned to dust as soon as they were touched, scattering them into the air. The two men were beyond the common sense of the perpetrators. Upon seeing this, Hao Tianshang and his men were speechless and could no longer speak. To think that two people of this caliber would dare to fight within their own manor was a terrifying thing that would send chills down their spines. If they had truly fought here, the manor would have been uprooted and left in ruins. It was horrifying to imagine.

Bi Ryuyeon and Yan Dao accomplished what they set out to do, and returned gracefully-only Bi Ryuyeon returned gracefully-after that day, Bing Sword Guan Chulsu did not leave the palace for ten days. Zhang Zhu and the rest of the Hoa Zhang looked up in disbelief, but the sky was still as high and blue as ever. As if to dampen their spirits, the afternoon sun quietly shone down on the hall, which was littered with fainted bodies and shattered debris, as if it had nothing to do with them. It had happened between noon and only one o'clock.