Book 23 Chapter 1

Which invitations

-News from the West

Wheeeeeeeeeeee!

The ochre wind whipped at me, and my watch was too dark to see. It was a pale yellow wind from the west. Rising from the arid desert, it was blowing across the continent, staining the brilliant spring light with its own colors.

"Chet. Fucking shit-colored wind, and all that snow."

An expletive spontaneously erupted from the mouth of Kang Sang-won, who was standing guard.

"This year is an anomaly, I don't remember it being this bad last year."

"Yes, sir," replied Zheng Hao of the Haenan Clan, who stood guard with him. Both of their mouths were now covered with dust hoods, but there was no escaping the fact that their uncovered eyes were being harassed by the yellow dust. Though they both came from prestigious families, it didn't make much of a difference here, for here, it was just the basics of the basics. It was a place where it was faster to find someone who wasn't a member of the Old School or the Eight Great Families, so even if you were from a prestigious family, it was hard to get away with being a sentry. If you wanted to take on a more serious assignment, you had to be much more skilled than you were now.

"Damn. I feel like I'm going to spit out a bunch of dirt when I spit, and my mouth is all slimy and squishy."

Kang Sang-won grumbled with a frown. He should have gotten out of here sooner, but standing guard at the gate on a day like this was a real pain in the ass.

"When you take your turn, you two go wash your throats."

Jung-ha-gun consoled him by saying that they were still friends.

"That's good. I can't stand it if I don't get a bowl of tak ju!"

"Well, then, Tsuna, on a day like this, a fatty pork roast and a spicy blue liquor is just what the doctor ordered."

"Kyaa - my mouth is watering just thinking about it."

Their minds had already traveled to the restaurant. It seemed that if they didn't lighten up, they wouldn't be able to escape the depressing feeling of being trapped alone in this pale world. It was such a terrible weather that if they didn't talk, they would forget that they had friends beside them.

"Huh? What's that?"

It was Jung who discovered it first.

"Where are you? What kind of crazy is this weather……."

Kang Sang-won narrowed his eyes and looked in the direction Jung Ha-gun was pointing.

"Oh, really?"

It wasn't an illusion. It wasn't an apparition. There was indeed a human walking toward them from beyond the dirt wall.

"Who is it?"

"Well… you're really struggling on a day like this."

It was the kind of weather that would make a horse suffocate if you tried to drag it back and forth. On days like this, it's best to stay inside your cozy home, close the windows and doors, and curl up with your feet up.

The man was wearing a deeply pressed cloak and a blood-red robe. He was hunched over, struggling to move forward against the gusting winds, each step a struggle. Both the robe and the cloak were ochre in color, which was obviously not how they were meant to be. Finally, the four of them broke through the dusty yellow wind and reached the gates they were guarding. Shangguan Kang and General Zhang tensed for a moment.

"Pah! I thought you were looking for it. Kolokolokolokolok! Heh heh heh heh! Radish, do you have water?"

Satsangsanay tore off the cloth covering his mouth and exclaimed, "I'm so happy!

"Here you go."

Unnerved by the man's sudden appearance, Kang Sang-won nervously picked up the kettle and handed it to the man.

He gulped down the water with great effort. It was like he was swallowing the sweetest nectar in the world.

"Khaaaaaaaaah, good, the water tastes great, I'm saved."

"No problem, but where are you from?"

When the man calmed down a bit, Jeong Ha-kun, who hadn't forgotten about the mission he was sent to guard until then, asked.

"Oh, I'm from the west."

"Where in the west?"

"West" was such a broad term that it didn't sound like an answer at all.

"Ah, I'm from Dongzheng Lake, and I'm the head of the Dongzheng Lake Branch of the Zhongyuan Marking Bureau."

The sign that reads "Zhongyuan Pekguk" worked well here.

"Ah, you must be Mr. Zhong Yuan Fei Guo, then what business have you come to Bon Ming to attend to?"

"It doesn't matter what the marker does, he has a mark to transport."

"Is this a sign, without a single horse?"

He didn't have anything on his person that could be called a marker.

"Oh, he died on the way back. He had no choice but to walk the rest of the way, and I almost had a 'death in the line of duty' myself. The winds were unusually bad this year."

"I agree. It's a pain in the ass to keep our eyes open, too. By the way, if the horse is dead, so is the marker……."

"Oh, no, if the horse is dead, it's the responsibility of the marksman to carry the man to the end of the line, but luckily the marksman was small this time, thank goodness."

"So can you tell me what that marker is?"

They were not only responsible for guarding, but also for doing menial tasks, and the sentry in charge of them was currently resting with his legs stretched out in his post just inside the gate.

"Oh, a piece of paper, a piece of paper!"

That was definitely worth the lightweight.

"Paper?"

Kang Sangwon and Jung Ha-goon's eyes widened.

"Hahaha, it's actually paper, but it's not ordinary paper. The marks I brought with me are surveys."

The two were stunned.

"No, you mean to tell me that you've traveled all the way through this infernal yellow dust all by yourself for the sake of a single scout?"

"It just so happened. It's a tenet of our organization that we'll carry anything you want, but this isn't a normal scouting trip. It's something worthy of me, the head of the organization, bringing it to you."

It was a proud statement.

"Yeah, so you know who that search is going to?"

Whether it was valuable or not depended on who was receiving it.

"Ah, of course. The probe I brought with me was sent to the Nine Hundred Thousand Great Fathers, the Martial Lord himself."

He smiled broadly and looked up at the plaque above the gate, which read, in warrior-like script, "The Order of Zheng Tian.

A sheet of paper knocked on the great gates of the Spiritual Academy, and after two or three checks, they opened. They passed through a solid iron gate that was split in two, bypassed a corridor, and moved forward along a paved path. After passing through three heavy gates and making two turns in the corridor, they soon reached their destination. But right in front of them was a hand that stopped them from advancing. The hand's owner stood at the top of the twelve steps leading to their final destination.

"Stop there. You are not to come before it."

The search has stopped. The person who stopped the search was Nam Gung-jin of the Electric Light Sword, the left-hand man of Meng Zhu.

"What is it, Ichil?"

Ichil, who was holding the scroll, replied.

"Yes, my lord. I'm on a mission for you."

Then a puzzled look crossed Nangongjin's face.

"Ichil, you're the sentry at the main gate, not the one in charge of patrolling."

"I've just arrived by the Zhongyuan Marking Bureau's express, and I received it at the front gate. It seems to be urgent, so I came myself."

"From the land of the living? Who sent it?"

"It doesn't say."

"Give it to me."

At the top of the twelve steps, Namgungjin stretched out his hand, and the scroll in Yi Qil's hand floated up and flew like a butterfly into the man's hand. It was a wonderful trick of the air.

Boom!

After turning the sealed book around and examining it carefully, Namgung Jin boldly broke the seal.

"Suck!"

Yi Qil was frightened when the seal of the temple to Meng Zhu was broken. Namgungjin calmed him down.

"Oh, well, you're the front gatekeeper, so I'm not sure. I'm authorized to open all but a few types of packages. Especially since there's no telling what poison might be hidden in an unknown sender like this. Occasionally, poisoned scrolls or scrolls with memorizations arrive unexpectedly. It is my job to keep my guard up."

This was especially true when receiving letters from unfamiliar places, as Namgung-jin said that razors could be placed inside or even poisoned. The safest course was to have it inspected beforehand. In this case, he could open the letter from the position of an escort, and once he was satisfied that there were no hidden razor blades, glass powder, or poison, it would be ready for Nabaxian's hands. The position of martial master was not an easy one.

"Hmm?"

Namgungjin's body stiffened as he read through the scroll.

"Is there something wrong, Mr. Namgung?"

Inside the envelope was something far more terrifying than a razor blade or poison. Yes, it was. The most deadly thing inside was what was written on the white paper itself.

"It's nothing. Let's go home and get some rest."

After dismissing Ichil, who was watching him nervously, Namgungjin silently pondered.

"Do I have to pass this on, I really don't want to… Heh heh, what a mess……."

I suddenly felt like pulling my hair out. The reaction was frighteningly obvious. After pacing around for a while, wondering if he should deliver this message or not, Namgung Jin finally made up his mind and went inside. Inside the office, Martial Lord Nie Baiqian was engaged in a fierce battle with a mountain of papers on his desk. If he thought he could have his cake and eat it too, he was sorely mistaken. He's the top dog because he's responsible for more than anyone else and does more than anyone else.

"Um, what's going on, left-handed?"

Na Baiqian asked, not taking his eyes off the papers.

"……."

Instead of answering, he looked to the left and right, then carefully picked up the valuable items and began to carry them outside one by one.

"Huh? What are you doing?"

Only then did Nie Baiqian tear his gaze away from the papers and look at his master.

'"We're practicing what we preach," he said.'

Nam Gung-jin replied, not stopping his busy hands.

"What?"

The swiftness of Namgung-jin's movements meant that there were few items of value left in his office.

"It's just a little precautionary measure. Don't worry about it."

The strange answer only deepened Bai Chen's suspicions.

"You're bothered enough. Can't we get some answers?"

However, Namgung-jin's will was firm enough to refuse the request.

"You'll see, but let's get this out of the way first."

As promised, when they had finished moving the items, Namgung Jin took the scroll from his bosom with a reluctant touch and held it out in front of Bai Xiaochun.

"What is this?"

Nie Baiqian asked as he looked at the opened entrance to the temple.

"You'll know it when you read it."

With a slight hesitation, he quickly retreated backwards as soon as he had sent her away. He quickly covered his ears with his hands as his gaze swept over the sect, seeing the color and expression on his face change from moment to moment.

"What the hell!"

Soon after, a lion's roar echoed through the room. The girders and rafters that supported the Oval Office shuddered and threw up dust, and the walls that couldn't withstand the shaking cracked.

As if to prove that the paintbrush is mightier than the sword, this single page devastated the residence of the great super-advanced martial artist Nabaxian. He was fortunate to be sitting on a chair; if he had been on horseback, he might have been thrown from his horse and suffered broken bones.

"Oh no! The hawk… Lord, fix it, all the expensive stuff is breaking!"

Namgung Jin, who had long been in Nabaxian's good graces, hurriedly tried to calm Nabaxian's wrath, but to no avail.

Zap, zap, zap!

From the teacup saucer in front of me, a thin line drew a ruler and ran across the face of the teacup in all directions before it shattered into pieces. Luckily, I finished the cup and didn't get my papers wet. If Namgung-jin hadn't had the foresight to move the expensive porcelain and ornaments, they would have met the same miserable fate as the teacup, and the damage would have been much worse if not for his quick thinking.

"Please, please calm down!"

Once again, Nangong Jin stopped Nabek Chen.

"What the hell am I supposed to do, calm down!"

Boom!

Nie Bai Tian's fist struck the rosewood desk like a thunderbolt.

Quack!

"Alas, I'll have to put in another desk order tomorrow.

The fragrant desk, made of expensive rosewood, couldn't withstand the blow and met a different fate, splitting in two.

"If you're like me, can you calm down now, Nam Ho-hyuk!"

Na Baichen, who hadn't been able to cut the minutes properly, exclaimed excitedly.

"It's the South Palace Favor."

Namgungjin silently protested against Meng Zhu, who always left out a character whenever it bothered him. As the left-hand man of the Spiritual Master, he didn't want to take on the unknown role of defending this office from Meng Zhu. However, someone had to protect this chamber, which contained countless secrets and expensive ornaments, until Nie Bai Tian's sanity returned. The collapse of this place would be tantamount to the collapse of the backbone of the Pure Sky Sect. Namgungjin decided to use the last resort that had been sealed away. With a strong heart, he opened his mouth.

"Any more of this and I'll tell your wife!"

"……!!"

With those words, Nangong Jin's insane rage vanished like a lie.

"Now, you wouldn't really do that, would you?"

With a trembling face, Bai Xiaochun asked, and the name of the light in his eyes was Fear.

"I see."

Namgung-jin replied cruelly, proclaiming that as long as he was around, he could not wound the Emperor's body, but he did not seem to mind if he wounded the Emperor's mind, and so the Emperor's household barely escaped ruin.

"……."

Hoo-dah-dah-dah-dah!

"Mae… Mistress?"

Having finally calmed his anger with Nam Gung Jin's last trick, the Martial Master Na Bai Chen dropped the brush he had been using to fight the documents and rushed outside. His movements, which utilized the Arcane Divine Technique, were so fast that Namgung Jin was embarrassed to have missed them. All he could catch was a gust of wind.

"Oops!"

But he'd been by Meng's side for decades, and it wasn't hard to predict Meng's next move.

"Eh, we'd better hurry!"

Nangong Zhen hurriedly sent out a Xin Xing in the opposite direction from where Nie Bai Tian had run.

As his lightning-fast fingers swept across the room, countless items were drawn into his hands. This was a masters-only settlement, where no one else was allowed to set foot, but there was no hesitation in Yin Ying's movements, for he was the master of this room. In his hands now were a number of items that he would need for the trip, including underwear, cordage, emergency medicines, and a spare pair of shoes. He immediately packed his things and rushed to Dongjing Lake. As soon as the stuffed backpack became as convex as an overfed frog's stomach, he hastily slung it over his back, jumped to his feet, turned toward the door, and took a step. Before he could take the second step, he froze solidly in place. This was because he had noticed a cold-eyed lady leaning silently on the railing of the sedimentation gate with her arms crossed. A cold sweat broke out on Bai Xiaochun's forehead.

"Boo, ma'am……."

He was already frozen like a dog in front of a tiger. The person he loved and feared the most was in front of him: his young wife, Ye Qing, formerly known as the Black Dao Master, her eyes as cold as the stars.

"……."

Ye Qingyu didn't answer, his expression cold. This was the reaction that Bai Xiaochun feared the most. In the face of this chilling silence, even a warrior of reversal would be helpless.

"Hey, how do I get to……."

Normally, we would have been enjoying refreshments in the flower garden by now. The timing was perfect, and it wouldn't have happened without a tip.

"Left-handedness came running up to me and told me."

Ye Qingyu said coldly.

"Madam, he is running wild, please stop him!"

As soon as she heard the news, Ye Qing quickly flew to where she thought her husband would be, and sure enough, there he was. He had abandoned his dignity to become a doting father.

Look!

Ye Qing's gaze swept over to the white hump jutting out from behind Nie Bai Tian.

"What is that, honey?"

"That… I mean, this is……."

I couldn't tell you that it was a load for a sympathy run.

"I assume you're done with the paperwork for today?"

Ye Qing's calm voice again sounded even more terrifying than the voice of the Grim Reaper.

"No… that's because…… for a moment……."

Of course, I'd dropped everything along the way, so I wasn't done.

"Ho-ho, where were you going to put off work, honey?"

Ye Qing's voice was cold enough to make Nie Bai Tian's mouth freeze.

'Haha, I heard you didn't listen to the left-hand rule when I told you to…….'

Hah, Ye Qing sighed deeply inwardly and lamented.

It's always been up to Namgung-jin to clean up the mess, as he's often abandoned his duties in favor of his ridiculous love for his daughter, but this time, Na Baek-chun is going to have to pay the price.

"You don't think he's going to go to his stash, do you?"

Hearing Ye Qing's unexpected question, Nie Bai Tian's complexion turned pale. It was extremely difficult for a swordsman to drain the blood from his harmonious complexion, yet she had managed to do so with just a single word.

"Oh, no, ma'am… that's… that's a mistake, a misunderstanding……."

Fighting against the fear of death, Nabaxian excused himself.

"No, I don't. I don't know if it's a misunderstanding or not, all I know is that you're hiding something from me."

"Sue, hiding… that's a misunderstanding……."

"Shut up!"

A sharp cry of quiet anger cut him off mid-sentence.

"Sum."

Bai Xiaochun hurriedly closed his mouth.

"Enough with the excuses, I want a different answer."

"……?"

Deciding that he had sufficiently cornered Nie Baiqian, Ye Qing extended a white hand in front of him.

"Give it to me!"

"What… what are you talking about, ma'am?"

With a shaky voice, Nabaxian replied.

"Scout!"

"I'd rather you didn't see that……."

Bai Xiaochun said sincerely. But sincerity doesn't always work.

"Search!!!"

Once again, Ye Qing spoke briefly. It was an absolute order that would not tolerate refusal.

"Yes, ma'am, here……."

Nie Baiqian took out the scroll from his bosom, which had become curled with anger, and placed it respectfully in front of the lady.

The scroll gently floated out of Nie Bai Tian's hand and flew like a butterfly to land in Ye Qing's hand. She began to carefully read the scroll she had received. She hadn't even heard the contents of the scroll because Nan Gongjin had spoken too quickly. Ye Qing's expression grew increasingly cold as she skimmed through the contents of the scroll. Bai Xiaochun knew what kind of state it was in. He became more and more afraid.

Congratulations.

You are cordially invited to attend the First Life and Death Tournament, with a whopping prize pool of 500,000 Nyang, hosted by the Kanghorando Cylindrical Arena. We would also like to inform you that your children are also invited to participate in this grand competition where life and death are at stake. We hope you will be able to attend and honor them.

-Organizer Money King, the god of accumulation.

"This… this?"

Ye Qing was well aware of what Kanghorando was like, and he also knew what its speculative system was like. Bai Xiaochun couldn't help but explain, even if he didn't want to.

'Black, I might get beaten to death by my wife today…….'

Bai Chen began to think seriously about what to say on his tombstone and what to write in his suicide note.

"Hah……."

Ye Qing sighed again when she saw how shaken he was. Ye Qing couldn't help but wonder what the mechanism was behind his behavior.

"What are you doing with something like that, you dumbass? Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

Then Nabaxian proudly puffed out his chest and said.

"But it's not scary to be scared, and it's strong to recognize and accept it."

Ye Qing's response to that excuse was simple.

"Pfft!"

"……."

Nie Baiqian remained silent, like a man standing next to a bomb that was about to explode. Ye Qingyu let out a deep sigh. Today, it seemed like the whole day would be gone before he could do anything but sigh.

"Haha, I guessed it when I saw Lefty fidgeting in panic, but I never thought it would be like this……."

"……."

Bai Chen was silent. Even if he had a hundred mouths, he had nothing to say.

"He said, almost breathlessly, that you were suddenly going to put everything on hold and go on a business trip. I tried to talk you out of it, but it didn't work. The only time you do that is when Rin-ah's work is involved."

After all, she was his wife of twenty years, and she had already seen through his behavior.

"Oh, did you know that?"

"Who do you think I am?"

"That's… that's……."

"I'm your wife, we've been married for twenty years, did you think I didn't know that?"

"No, that's……."

"I've always known that, I've just turned a blind eye to it, but……."

The excited woman paused and fell silent. The anger was gone from her face now, replaced by prudence.

"I have a bad feeling about this one, call it a woman's instinct."

Ye Qing had good instincts, though not as good as her daughter, Na Yerin.

"Are you saying Rinia is in danger?"

Nabaxian replied with an anxious look on his face. He knew from experience that his wife's premonitions were often spot-on.

"No."

Ye Qing shook his head at the question.

"I'm more worried about you."

Her sixth sense was telling her so.

"Haha, that's… right, that's… right……."

Blushing, Nabaxian stammered. How could he not be pleased that his beloved, beautiful-if a little fierce-wife was so concerned about his safety. He felt that he was a happy man. He was so simple in this.

"What do you want me to do then? If you have any advice, I'll listen."

Ye Qingyu let out a small sigh and shook his head.

"You're not telling me you're not going after all."

Bai Xiaochun scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Hah……."

Another sigh escaped me. He was going to go no matter what. She knew from experience that there was no point in trying to talk him out of it.

"No advice, because the advice not to go already didn't work. Instead."

"……?"

Under Nie Baiqian's puzzled gaze, Ye Qingyu declared.

"I'm coming with you!"

Nabaxian asked in surprise.

"Zee, are you serious?"

There was no hesitation in his answer.

"Of course I mean it."

Joking aside, today was not a slow day.

"Boo, ma'am……."

It was a bombshell for me, like a bolt from the blue.

"I'm having second thoughts about……."

He wanted to stop it somehow, but he didn't have the power.

"It's no use trying to talk me out of it, and I probably know more about blackness than you do."

"Well, by the way……."

I wasn't going to deny it. Ye Qing said again.

"I know what it's like there, and how can I feel safe sending someone as innocent and nice as you to such a dangerous place?"

"Oh, no, that's not even close to being a good enough color……."

She's probably the only one in the entire realm who would call him an innocent. But somehow, she was glad to hear him say that. The tension eased a little, and Meng Zhu felt a little more at ease.

"Wow, even though you're a martial artist, I still don't feel safe. What's going on with you and what should I do, and I also want to meet this girl named Bi Ryuyeon."

"What's up with that guy……?"

With a trembling face, Nie Baiqian asked, a hint of displeasure evident in his tone.

"Rin, has she ever written a guy's name in her search? As a mom, I'd love to see which guy was her first target. How great is that?"

"It won't matter, I'm sure your wife will think he's a creep as soon as she sees him, I guarantee it. I wouldn't give my Rin'a to a man like that, cancer, no way."

The last words were almost to himself. It was clear that the man in Nabechuan's eyes would not come out until the end of the world.

"Hmmm, if he's as creepy as you say, I'll take him out with my own hands."

A terrifying declaration burst from Ye Qing's mouth.

"No, not until……."

Bai Xiaochun shuddered and tried to stop his wife.

"So you're saying it's okay for Rin to go out with a douchey guy?"

"No, not really, but……."

In fact, for him, the question of what was and wasn't tacky was already beyond judgment. A man or a woman, that's all that mattered.

"Then don't interrupt me, it's my job as a mom."

"No… Besides, there's a story that he didn't make it to the Temple of Heaven this time, so I don't know the details, but even if he does, he may not be able to meet you."

I can imagine Bai Chen trying to stop him somehow.

"Hmm, that's a shame then, I can't, but I'm still going, it's been a while since I've seen my Lin'a. We should use this outing as a mother-daughter reunion, it's been a while since I've been to the Temple of Heaven……."

It was a place that held a lot of nostalgia and memories for her.

"Haha, come to think of it, you were the 'commander-in-chief' there at the time, which can't be easy for a woman."

Nabechuan smiled and reminisced about the past, as if he now had the courage to laugh.

"Even then, you were still fierce."

"Haha, did I?"

"Sure. I still can't get over the first time I saw you on your inspection visit to the Temple of Heaven."

"Heh heh, what's the big deal, he was just an old man."

Bai Xiaochun scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

Then the woman stroked the white hair of the four hundred and ten thousand with a hand of fine flesh, and said.

"This hair was just as white then as it is now, but it was cool."

Ye Qingyu whispered in Nie Bai Tian's ear with a soft voice.

"Hmmm. Kahm."

Bai Chen coughed repeatedly. He hadn't even been drinking, but his face was burning.

"I… I'm not making fun of my husband, ka-ching!"

He looked embarrassed, but not unhappy.

Pissed!

Ye Qingyu laughed softly at the sight of his old self. Perhaps there was only one person in this vast world who could see him.

"That's cute, really. So innocent."

Hearing his wife's giggles, Nabaxian's lips curled into a frown.

"You're probably the only one who thinks he's cute."

"Sure. That's why I'm the wife of a warlord. That's a wife's prerogative."

Ye Qing said, puffing out his chest proudly.

"Yes, ma'am, whether or not there is, I'll find out, ma'am!"

Nabaxian playfully bowed and said.

"Then can you get the carriage ready?"

Ye Qingyu said with a stiff back and head held high.

"Let me know if you're available, and I'll have a colonel up shortly."

After greeting her again, Nabaxian gently kissed his wife's cheek, then left the settlement to prepare for his trip.

"Master?"

Namgung-jin, who had rushed over, nervously wondering if there was going to be bloodshed, stopped in his tracks and called out to him.

"Why but?"

Nabaxian replied in a helpless voice. Fortunately, it was clear that Namgungjin's heinous betrayal was not currently on his mind.

"Did something good happen?"

Namgung Jin asked, his face full of questions. He hadn't expected Meng Zhu to be so well.

"No, I don't."

Without even looking at Nangong Qin's face, Nie Bai Tian replied. The sky is so beautiful. He was now absorbed in savoring the wonderful world of the dazzling Samurai. He was a happy man himself. Cancer, yes. Under the blue skies, his illness was becoming more and more serious. Seeing the frail figure, Namgung-jin silently admired his wife's resourcefulness.

"Indeed, ma'am!

It was clear who was in charge here.

* * *

At this time, another letter arrived at the doorstep of Hai Zhongxin, the Black Dragon King, the head of the Jianggang Surochai. And that day, the water table was turned upside down. The story of how this single sheet of paper was written, which made the headquarters of those fearsome enemies look like a beehive, is as follows.