Book 21 Chapter 16

Ruler of the Sky, Ruler of the Earth

-Wind brought by wings

"Hmph!"

The slender girl drew in a sharp breath. The clean, savory smell of acid slid down her throat and into her lungs.

Clear skies, scorching sun, and steep mountain passes. This is Sichuan, a province known for its high and rugged mountains, and Amishan, a famous mountain in Sichuan. They had taken a horse-drawn carriage to the beginning of the mountain and were told that their destination was on the other side, but Lin's slender legs were already struggling with the rough trail. It was a good thing he was wearing comfortable men's clothes.

The two of them had a run-in with Nam Gung-jin in the morning as they were leaving Tianxiang Lu. Na Baichen, who had been told by Lin, had left Nam Gung-jin and his three escorts behind before leaving. Naturally, Lin didn't like being followed, and after a nerve-wracking battle between Lin and Namgung-jin, a compromise was reached.

"Rin cross-dresses, one escort. Bring a flute for communication," was the compromise. However, Lin was afraid of her bodyguard, so she followed as if he were not there, with a sentry from her patron, with whom she had recently shared gas and meals, in the distance.

Namgungjin followed stealthily behind with three escorts. On his shoulder sat a pigeon, its feathers dyed red. It was a searchlight, flying to the exact location at the sound of a special flute reserved for flying beasts. The guard would blow his flute once every half hour, and the searchlight would follow, and the Namgungjin would follow a beat behind, so that in case of emergency, they could catch up within half an eclipse at full speed.

"I don't know if that sentry will last half a day in an emergency.

Namgungjin was uneasy. Guards were supposed to be for stopping ruffians, and when the shit hit the fan, they'd be lucky if they could scream before they collapsed. At least the girl named Yeonbi seemed to be somewhat skilled, so he hoped the two of them would be able to hold their own in an emergency.

Even at that moment, the expendable sentry, unaware of what was happening, was climbing up a steep mountain trail with a gap of about a mile and a dozen sheets. I was terrified of losing them. A dozen paces is a lot of distance to cover in the mountains, where every bush and bend can cause you to lose sight of your group. I tried to close the distance, but the mountain cat-like girl in front of me kept widening the gap with her lazy steps.

The ride was as easy as walking on a flat surface. As she bounced like a deer between the rocks, it was hard to believe she was a girl her age.

"Yeonbi……."

Out of breath, Lin called for fuel. No more was the limit.

"Oh, I'm sorry, it's a familiar path and I'm walking faster than I should. Do you want to take a break?"

Yunbi handed the flask around her waist to Lin and sat down on a rock. It was a beautiful spot, with gorgeous rock formations and hanging cypresses on one side and a clear stream on the other.

"Only take two or three sips because if you drink too much, you won't be able to move."

Clearing his throat, Rin handed back the calabash, still gasping for air.

"Yeonbi is, where, whoa… how……."

I can't get my words out because I'm trying to catch my breath.

They hadn't encountered any strangers yet, as they'd only traveled up the mountain in a carriage before turning onto a hidden trail. If there were any signs of human activity in the distance, Yunbi would take Lin back down a side road or behind a bush. For all the inconvenience, they've been traveling on trails with few signs of human life, and to Lin, it's a wild, wild world.

"How do you live in a place like this?"

Guessing the latter, Yunbi soaked a handkerchief in water and handed it to Lin.

"Well, my master is here, so it's still a decent place to live, although it's a pain to have to make several trips up the valley to fetch water, or a dozen trips back and forth to get groceries, and if you can get past the occasional viper, centipede, beast of prey, poisonous insect, landslide, or avalanche, it's all worth it. It's scenic and quiet, and the land is free, right?"

Lin was mesmerized by Yunfei's casual enumeration, and she walked over and poked him in the side a couple of times.

"Oh, what's wrong?"

"You're alive, after all."

At Lin's relieved reaction, Yunbi asked with a dumbfounded look on her face.

"So you thought I was a ghost or something?"

"…a little bit."

An ambiguous answer. In fact, Lin had been suspicious of Yun Bi since she first met her. Not only her eyes and dance, but also her behavior, and she flies like a bird at high altitudes.

Of course, leaping as high as Yun Bi was no small feat for any master. Her father, Nabechuan, was a master of leaping over mountains, and even over water for short distances, but she had never been able to witness such a spectacle while confined to her room.

"Pfft, what kind of ghost walks around in broad daylight like me? You're calling someone who stays in their room like Rin a ghost, and look, I'm almost melting right now."

Melting was not an exaggeration. Lin's forehead was beaded with sweat again, even though she had just wiped it away with a handkerchief.

"Tsk, tsk, total lack of exercise."

I shook my head at the Yeonbi and dampened my handkerchief again.

"Lack of exercise?"

"No wonder you've been cooped up in your room all day, but that's the beauty of exercise, you get to feel refreshed when you do it! This isn't a very rough road compared to the others, so let's get back to making up for it."

"Ugh……."

Rin groaned to herself as she watched Yunbi get to her feet. He smirked at the sound, but continued on his way.

She had never had anyone tell her she was too old or not exercising enough, or that she shouldn't be exercising, or that she shouldn't be exercising, or that she shouldn't be exercising, or that she shouldn't be exercising. Everyone else had treated her like a piece of fragile glass.

After walking down the street in silence for a while, Yunbi suddenly looked back and asked.

"What do you think, are you getting used to walking?"

"No, not at all."

His response was uncharacteristically Lean and quick. There was a certainty in his expression. I couldn't tell if he was lamenting or holding back laughter.

"Ouch. Are you still hurting?"

Nod!

Rin shook her head intently.

"Phew, we've only been in the mountains for a little over an hour, I really need to work out more, maybe we should go to the mountains next time we meet?"

"Ew, ew, ew……!"

"Pooh-pooh, just kidding, just kidding."

As I laughed at Lin's frustrated face, my heart sank at the thought of Yeonbis.

"Hmmm, now I remember, this is what Sensei used to roll me for!

It was in this moment that I truly realized what it means to say that the circle of evil is circular.

'This… might be a habit…….'

"Hmmmm, anyway, if you go around every day like I do, it'll be a piece of cake for you too, Rin, so keep up the good work, I can walk around here with my eyes closed now."

It was a rant that proved that realizing and reflecting are two different things.

"Really?"

"Sure. Here, take a look."

"Well, stop it."

Rin tried to stop him, but he had already closed his eyes.

"Okay, let's go!"

Lin followed Yunfei's lead with nervous eyes.

Exactly eleven steps. With a thud, the Yeonbi rolled under a small rock.

"Yeonbi!"

"Ouch……. Gee, it's okay, what's with you naughty rocks popping your head out of nowhere? Hey, where did you come from all of a sudden!"

Yunbi blushed and stomped her toes futilely on the rocks.

"Phew!"

Lin chuckled softly. Maybe it was the whispers of nature, or maybe it was the cheerfulness of the fuel, but Lin's smile was getting a little brighter.

Two hours on the mountain. The slope had gotten steeper. The Yeonbi was generous, but I slowed my pace without saying a word. To match Lin's pace. Pausing to catch her breath and look up at the sky, Lin couldn't help but sigh.

"Wow, it's beautiful!"

White wings slashed the blue sky at an angle. It was a hawk as white as snow. The white hawk was majestic as it soared freely across the sky. It soared high, gathering wind beneath its wings. It was a completely different existence from the one she had been confined to in her room.

"You mean the white ibis? He's the only one in these mountains, and all the sky around this range is his territory."

'Free wind, I'm like that…….'

Lin couldn't take her eyes off the white wind and the white hawk. Infinite longing filled her hazel eyes. Bai Ning quickly became as small as a white dot and was no longer visible. I wonder if the wind is unstoppable after all.

"Alas, they're gone, but we'll see them again soon enough, their throne is near where we're going, and you'll want to see Rin, won't you?"

Yanbi asked, as if reading Lin's mind. Lin nodded silently and wiped the sweat from his brow. Despite her obvious lack of stamina, she felt more refreshed by the minute. The white wings must have brought a good breeze.

"Okay, the wild ride is over, and I'm going to show you something amazing soon!"

And it turned out to be just as fuel efficient. But what I didn't realize was that it would end up being a lean story.

After a while, Yunbi's footsteps slowed to a halt as she continued up the mountain path. Lin also stopped and looked up. His face was slightly stiff.

"Hmmm, weird, right?"

Lin cocked her head. She didn't know what was wrong.

"Something's been quiet?"

Yeonbi is a subtle silence that engulfs the entire mountain. Even a deserted mountain road is filled with sounds. Wind rustling leaves, water lapping at rocks, the occasional animal scurrying through the grass……. But now something was completely missing.

"Oh, I can't hear the birds!"

Food Gain!

Before she could finish, a bird flew up into the trees ahead of them. Startled, Lin's shoulders jerked.

"Do you have a bird?"

"Well, yeah."

Even with the Yeonbi, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was in for a treat. Somehow, the mountains seemed to stir in silence.

"Rin, I'm afraid we're going to have to call it a day."

"Going back?"

Lin's eyes widened in shock. She'd been struggling, but she was finally getting the hang of the rocks, and she was starting to enjoy the trail. Besides, she was secretly looking forward to their destination.

"Is the swan's nest still far away?"

"There? Hmmm, just over that bush, but… I'm feeling a little sluggish today."

It was hard to describe, but there was something ominous about the breeze that blew in. If I were alone, I wouldn't know, but I didn't want to take Rin with me.

But for some reason, the look in Rin's eyes as she approached and grabbed Yun's sleeve was strange. There was no hint of anxiety in them, just regret and determination. Even Chuck could tell she didn't want to go back. It was like the day he jumped out of the window and grabbed her sleeve before turning back.

"Looking at Baek Nyeung for a second is……."

It's a small voice, a small word, but a strong desire. That's why Baek was so impressive. It was rare to see Lin say what she wanted to do.

"Hah, I don't know if that's okay."

The words alone made Lin's face light up even more. She glanced down to where the sentry stood.

The guard had just pulled out his inaudible flute and was blowing. It had been two and a half hours on the mountain, and he didn't seem to notice anything unusual as he calmly placed the flute in his arms.

'Hmmm. Are you okay with people being around?

In hindsight, it was ridiculous to bring her this far and then turn around, and it would make it even harder to drag her back out of the room. Besides, it was already past lunchtime.

"Yeah. I'm going to eat anyway, and the best way to eat is to watch the waterfall with the rainbow.

The spot where we were going to take Rin, which was an incredibly beautiful waterfall.

A short detour behind the cypress trees, which Yunbi calls the throne of birds, opens up to reveal a miraculous six-stream waterfall. Thanks to the curtain of water that spreads out in a semicircle, a rainbow of colors hangs in the center where the streams meet on a clear day.

From where she stood now, if she listened closely enough, she could hear the faint rush of water. Yunbi shrugged her shoulders as if to dismiss her worries. Listening to the waterfall was refreshing.

"What, you're okay, go, go."

Rin laughed, clenching her small fists tightly. It was a laugh that was enhanced by the smell of the mountains.

Through the bush, I saw a huge reddish-brown column, with a cloud of dark blue coniferous foliage surrounding it. A giant cypress that must have withstood the elements for hundreds of years. It was a beautiful tree, at least fifteen stories tall, if not more.

There were no other trees within two or three sheets of the majestic cypress. The large tree cast a wide shade, and only knee-high weeds grew, forming a naturally rounded clearing. At the back of the clearing, large boulders were stacked like folding screens.

Shootaaaah…….

The sound of falling water echoes off the rock walls as it washes over your head. After passing through a series of cramped rock crevices, they finally reached their destination. Yun Bi breathed in deeply the fresh scent of cypress and looked back at Lin.

"This tree is where the lily of the valley nests; it's the lily's nest, the throne of the king of birds."

"Throne……."

Rin craned her neck and looked upward where Yunfei had pointed. The lily's nest was shrouded in a haze of layered branches and countless coniferous leaves, making it difficult to see. It wasn't until Yanbi raised her finger again and pointed to the exact location that Lin was able to find it.

Food for thought!

It was only then that they heard the urgent flapping of wings and a few white feathers fell from the sky before their eyes.

The owner of the feather was none other than Bai Ning, the majestic king of the skies, who was now circling the cypress tree as if in a state of great urgency.

"Yuck!"

Lin suddenly sucked in a sharp intake of breath and collapsed into Yanbi's arms. Puzzled, Yan Bi followed Lin's gaze to the side of the cypress tree, and let out an exclamation.

"That, that!"

At last, it peeked out from behind a beautiful wooden pillar and came into view. With a body as thick and long as a longsword's waist, scales as slippery and eerie as the whites of an upturned eye, and red eyes that glowed like gemstones, it was…….

"White Bridge!"

The words were forced and low. Wrapping his arms around Rin's tiny shoulders, he set his face as hard as stone. Behind him, he heard the rustle of footsteps through the brush, but he didn't bother to turn around. The sound of footsteps told her it was a guard. He must have heard Lin startle and closed the distance at will. Yunbi warned in a calm, sure tone.

"He's an Imugi that's been around for over a hundred years, and fortunately he doesn't seem to be interested in us, so we shouldn't provoke him with loud noises or loud movements."

The guard reflexively drew his flute from his hip and stopped in his tracks. If the sound of the flute could be heard by the flying beasts, it could potentially provoke the Bai Xiaochun. He kept the flute in place and kept an eye on the situation.

"I've heard it from the horse's mouth, too, that once you make eye contact with him, it's over for good. Back away slowly, Rin."

Yan Bi didn't take her eyes off Bai Xiaochun for a moment, but kept a firm grip on Lin's hand. Lin had no objection to backing down this time, but there was one catch.

"Can't you even duck?"

"No, I've got wings, oh no, no……!"

Yunbi quickly shifted her gaze to the egret's nest.

She continued to circle around the nest with her wings like blades. There was something whitish and adult inside the nest, and it looked like there were still young chicks.

"Young birds in the nest!"

Despite Baek Eung's desperate attempts to stop her, Baek Kyo continued to approach the nest. Presumably the mother, Baek Eung stood in front of the nest with her wings raised.

Rin's mouth dropped open in surprise, and she stared at the nest. Her retreating steps slowed, and the sentry behind her grew even more nervous.

"After all, we don't want more whiteheads, so we're trying to get rid of them."

"Trouble?"

"You can't help but hate falcons; they're always on the ground, and winged beasts are tricky to deal with, right?"

Up until this point, I had been able to keep my distance from them without any conflict, but now they didn't want to confront me anymore.

"But this time it's Bai Ning, and with one of them out there, it's going to be hard for me to defend the cubs against Bai Kyo alone."

"So what do we do?"

Yun Bi stared at Lin, then glanced back at the guard. One side of her face was innocent, wanting to do something to help Bai Ning, and the other side was desperate, telling her to get the hell out of there. Though her heart was tilted toward Lin, Yan Bi finally decided to face the desperate reality.

"It's dangerous and we need to back off. Baek Eung is……."

Yeonbi smiled bitterly. Honestly, there wasn't much they could do about it.

"All I can do is cheer."

It was time to let nature take its course.

In the human world, there are plenty of parents who clamp down on their children's wings and shackle them with the words, "For your own good!" or who embrace their grown children with the words, "Yes, you will always be my baby." But it is the law of nature that when the time comes for them to fly, they leave their parents' side and become independent. A bird that can't fly is bound to crash at some point, so it's only right to let the little ones out of the nest when the time is right.

However, they protect their young at all costs. The mother's instinct to protect her young was powerful.

Each time Bai Xiaochun's teeth and fearsome tongue lashed out with a dizzying spray of venom, Bai Ning parried like lightning with her sharp beak and claws. Her agile and precise movements allowed her to avoid all of the dangerous poisons, but her scales were made of steel.

Because of the hard scales, Bai Ning couldn't do much damage to Bai Kyo with her sharp claws. Furthermore, when Bai Xiaochun twisted his body and raised his scales, the slightest touch would cause Bai Ning's feathers to immediately ooze crimson blood. Eventually, Bai Ning abandoned her torso attack and continued to relentlessly attack Bai Kai's eyeballs, repeatedly rising and falling.

The hawk vs. the snake was a close call.

The lily's wings, once white as snow, were now as red as a safflower. She was mangled, with feathers plucked here and there. A few of her scales had fallen off, but she was in much better shape than Lily.

Peeeeeeeeee-!!

With a shrill, high-pitched whistle, another lily swooped down from the sky. The father who had gone out had returned.

Yan Bi and Lin, who had retreated into the bushes and were holding their breath, clasped hands and rejoiced. The moment Bai Kyo turned urgently, the reddish mother, Bai Ning, darted in like a lightning bolt and pecked at Bai Kyo's eyes. Lin cringed at the horrific sight and squeezed her eyes shut.

Ssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

With a terrible sound like the scraping of iron, the Bai Bridge shook in pain.

"Ugh!"

Lin was startled awake by Yeonbi's groan.

"Huh? Why, why, why did Baek Eung……!"

In front of Bai Xiaochun, who had one eye gouged out and was empty, his mother, Bai Ning, lay like a crumpled piece of cloth.

"I couldn't… avoid the tail."

Rin turned to look at Yunbi, startled by the heavy voice. Something was quietly burning in the depths of his eyes.

Bai Ning barely managed to pluck out Bai Kyo's right eye and quickly returned to the nest. Now that her mate has returned and the tables have turned, she tries to pull herself out of the barrel and defend the nest. But the only thing that was urgent was her heart, and the mother bird, with her many wounds, was too tense to flap her wings. It was then that the writhing Bai Kyo swung his tail at her.

"For now… we'll be fine."

Yeonbi's voice drifted into thin air. The mother lily was flopping on the ground like a mop, soaking the blades of grass red. Lin could tell at a glance that it was already hopeless. The remaining bai ning crashed into the white bridge with a heaven-splitting wail.

Something rose in her throat. Yan Bi gritted his teeth and forced himself to swallow what he didn't recognize. If she objectively judged her current skills, Bai Xiaochun was completely outmatched. With Lin next to him, he should be holding his breath at a time like this, but even though he knew that coldly, why did his heart still boil hotly in his chest?

'You can't do anything like you did then, because that's……!'

I thought I'd gotten over it, but the memories I wanted to keep hidden were creeping up from the abyss.

* * *

Parched earth. Rough clods of dirt crunch under your fingertips. Your nails crumble with it. The dirt sticks to your peeling, bleeding hands. My shoulder feels like it's going to break, my body. But I don't stop digging, digging, digging.

The power of others could not be borrowed. I was left alone in the village. I couldn't remember how many days had passed.

Digging, digging, digging. But I couldn't run away, and I didn't want to, so I just kept digging, digging, digging with my little hands, as if it were the mission of a child left behind.

There's no more warmth in my father's body. I don't understand, but yes, that's why I'm asking. I could cover him with a thick layer of dirt, but it wouldn't make him warm again. The dirt is cold, just like his body. But I can't help it. If I don't bury him, he'll be eaten by animals, by worms. I don't want that. So I must bury it.

I had already thought of a place to bury him before his body went cold, before I saw his helpless eyes flutter open. There was only one place, right next to my mother's grave.

The world went white for a moment as I watched the clods of dirt fall into my father's face. But just like that, the tears stopped flowing. As I covered the villagers with dirt, one by one, a little by little, they flowed out of my body, and I had no tears left to shed for my father. Maybe it wasn't my tears that dried up, but my heart.

But I was busy. It didn't matter what I did as my mother, my friends, their parents, and everyone else's bodies cooled one after the other. All they could do was help the adults put dirt on top of them. And in the end, even the adults who were covering the soil turned back into the soil.

Finally, the tomb was complete. There was no need to make any more graves. I wonder if this body will be eaten by animals and worms. I don't like that. I can't tell what's what after sitting there like that.

I couldn't stand it, that kind of thing. I was wandering around looking for something to do, something to do, something to do, and suddenly I saw them. A knife and a tree. I was relieved. There was still work to be done. I could still survive for a while longer.

You begin to chisel away at the tree, remembering. When this is done, there will be nothing left to do. I hate that. I hate it a hundred times more than I hate the thought of being alone in a grave, rotting in the ground. I shouldn't let this work end, but I couldn't stop it.

Eventually, the sculpture was finished. The result of my desperation was satisfying, as good as anything I'd ever made.

That's when I heard the voice.

"Did you make this tomb?"

It was a talking person. I was like, "Oh my God, how do I answer that?

"Yes."

It was a bit of an odd answer, but who cares, the old man was still alive and talking to me.

"Did you do this piece of wood, too?"

"Yes."

I tweaked it a bit, but it still felt awkward. His next words, however, gave me no more time to think about it.

"Won't you come with me?"

Suddenly, the old man stuck out his hand, and as she stared at it in disbelief, she suddenly had doubts. Should I do this, should I take this hand and let it go?

"What's in it for me if I follow you?"

He smirked.

"I'll help you become stronger, with my unrivaled martial arts."

I couldn't believe it, and when I asked him how he could believe that, he waved his hand and sent a dozen pine trees flying in one fell swoop.

"What do you think, do you want to learn?"

The old man's eyes moved closer to her face. His gaze was deep and calm, as if he could see right through you.

"At least I'll have something to do."

"……."

It was read and thrown away.

You have work to do. You can be strong.

I glanced back at them absentmindedly. No one said anything to the men lying in the cold dirt.

"Got it!"

It was an unavoidable answer. I needed something to do. I wanted to be strong. I had to be strong.

* * *

Food, food, food!

The remaining Baekhyung flapped his wings wildly and flew toward Baiqiao. In the nest, the chicks held their breath and trembled. Perhaps enraged by the death of their mate, the lily's attack was reckless.

"In front of me, in front of me……!

He shall be made to be alone again.

Yan Bi glared at Bai Xiaochun with burning eyes. The sight of Lindo looking at him with concern, and the presence of the nervous guard behind him, were also becoming increasingly blurred in his mind.

Bai Xiaochun's tail once again flew out with a terrifying rippling sound. Bai Ning narrowly avoided the tail, but the gust of wind it generated threw him slightly off balance. An obvious weakness, Bai Xiaochun seized the moment to flash his fangs.

"Stop!"

The body was moving of its own accord. Something flew across the wind toward the White Bridge.