Book 23 Chapter 3

You do realize you can't do that, right?

-stripped body

"Follow me!"

Ryuyeon silently refilled the empty glass held out to her, but despite her diligent efforts, the glass was quickly empty again. There was no hole in the bottom of the cup. The hole was in his stomach. Strangely, that ship seemed to have an endless storage capacity when it came to liquor. After draining his glass once more, the master held it out again and asked, "What's the matter?

"Did you know that this is the dead zone?"

The master asked Bi Ryuyeon as he sipped from his goblet once more.

"Of course, he's not an idiot and I don't see why he wouldn't know that, he didn't get stabbed in the head. haha……."

A sigh escaped him. He was almost certain that no one in the world knew that better than he did.

"And yet you have come to die, you fool."

Said the master, smiling wryly.

"I'm not stupid, it's one of my grand goals to eat well and live a long, long life."

Bi Ryuyeon replied firmly.

"That's a tough goal," Nobu said, "and there's nothing harder to accomplish than that."

There was nothing more difficult than to make a good living for a long time in a land of spears and force, and it probably wouldn't change even in a peaceful world.

"It's a hard goal, so it's meaningful to achieve."

If anyone thinks it's easy, they're already looking down on the world at that point. People who look down on happiness end up doing the same thing. They think they can get it that way, and that's why they can't be happy. To be happy is really one of the most difficult things to achieve in this world.

"So, you don't want to die, why?"

"Because I had no choice, nothing else."

I just couldn't help but come. I knew it all too well.

"Really? Hmmm, that's interesting."

They said it was funny. Of course, she wasn't having any of it. And she knew it was only going to get worse from here, but she wasn't about to back down. It was time to remind herself why she was here. This was the game of a lifetime.

"I'm here to negotiate."

Bi Ryuyeon said in a serious voice.

"Negotiate? With Nobu?"

The master poured another cup of liquor into his mouth. The aromatic flavor wafted through his mouth, a fragrance he was not ashamed to call heavenly drops.

"There can't be anyone else here."

"Really, you're telling me you're confident you can save your life through mere negotiation?"

The Master's smile was even colder than it had been a moment ago, but Bi Ryuyeon remained unmoved.

"Sure."

Without it, I wouldn't be here.

"Well, well, well, that's not a bad thing, but since you've said that, I'm sure you've got a hand to move Nobu, and while this is a good drink, it's not enough."

"I'm sure you'll be happy with it."

Bi replied confidently.

"Okay, so let's hear what the terms are, how much can you prepare?"

His questions were blunt and direct. The fact that he could ask such a question without any shame was what scared him.

"One hundred thousand nyang."

For the first time, the master's eyes left the cup and turned toward Bi Ryuyeon.

"A hundred thousand? Really?"

The sum of one hundred thousand yuan was enough to shatter the master's composure for a moment.

'It's true what they say, money can buy demons!

When her master responded, she felt hopeful. The power of money to move not only ghosts but also natural disaster-class monsters like that was truly refreshing. Having gained a little more confidence, Bi Ryuyeon spoke in a confident voice.

"That's right, 100,000 water jars. How about it, I think that's enough to satisfy your master?"

For that kind of money, you could call a ghost, but this monster was of a higher order than a ghost. The master shook his head in disbelief.

"No, that's not what I asked. I think you're mistaken. Nobu was asking if you really had only 100,000 yuan to spare."

Money can buy demons, but it seems like you have to be willing to go broke to get the monster to move, so the math doesn't add up.

"So life is worthless after all!

Lives were worthless, not because they were worthless, but in the sense that they could not be valued.

"Just a few? Isn't that a little too face-to-face, and how can you say you can look at 100,000 and write it down?"

Ryu-yeon Bi replied in an incredulous voice.

"Less!"

The master cut to the chase.

"On such a day……."

Just as Yanbi was about to let out a sigh of exasperation, her master cut her off.

"Me?"

He looked at his apprentice, and his eyes were filled with youthful excitement.

"What were you going to say to me next?"

Master asked sharply.

"No, well… I meant to say that fish is best eaten raw."

First, let's try it out.

"Blow it right."

Again, to no avail.

"What do you mean, call it right? Boy, that's unfair, do you have any proof?"

Bi Ryuyeon protested.

"Not a girl, not a boy! I'm sure it's just psychosis. Besides, it's you, not Nobu, who's trying to eat him raw, isn't it?"

"Me, raw, what do you mean I ate something raw, I didn't do that."

"So you thought that the crime of stealing the secrets of a master and running away was something that could be paid for with money? In any other place, I would have already severed the veins of your limbs, destroyed your inner court, and beheaded you!"

The master's words were stern.

"I didn't steal it, I just borrowed it for a while, which means borrowing."

Bi Ryuyeon protested.

"A rental? For three years? Then that late fee alone is a death sentence for you."

As if there was no room for compromise, the master replied firmly.

"The death penalty……."

But I couldn't think of any other rebuttal. My tongue, which usually works so well, was unusually quiet today. The biggest problem was that he didn't have a cause.

"Now are you sure you know which one you want to eat raw?"

"Let's just say……."

She tried to resist to the end, not wanting to lose. But the victory was already lost. Malvallo had never lost to anyone, and today he had finally lost to his master. He had met the right man. After all, everyone has a natural enemy. In a world where the two axes, yin and yang, were in exquisite balance, it was impossible for absolutes to exist.

"So now you see what this master is trying to say?"

"Yes, to a certain extent."

Knowing that was one thing, but knowing and wanting to listen were two different things. As Bi Ryuyeon pondered the topic her master had brought up, her master added in a low voice.

"There must be more, right? Write more."

Bi Ryuyeon's eyes widened when she heard that.

"How did you know?"

Of course, Sensei was enough of a monster that it wouldn't surprise me at all if he had such an ignorant ability. He'd gotten himself into trouble many times in the past for possessing a ghostly mind that was just as powerful if not more so, and so he'd learned techniques for clearing his mind, blocking his consciousness, and preventing his thoughts from manifesting themselves through his body. Now, he could do them quite naturally without having to think about it. Furthermore, his martial art was based on not letting his opponents see through his techniques and tricks. The master smiled in conversion.

"Don't worry about it. There's no way the amount you first told me could be true, is it?"

The smile on his face seemed to say, "You're not good enough for me yet," and I felt very uncomfortable.

"Chet, how do you know that so well?"

Sighing, Bi Ryuyeon grumbled in a pouty voice. I thought I'd grown up, but it seems I'm still not strong enough to face the Inspiration of the Rising Sun, who's got hundreds of maggots in there. Seeing that attitude, the master shrugged his shoulders and said in a proud tone.

"Of course. That's what Nobu taught me!"

He became an exemplary pupil, remembering and practicing Master Zolzie's teachings, but he was not pleased.

"You're so proud."

It's hard to sound happy when I'm not.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. So how much?"

The rest of it is probably good! Bi Ryuyeon thought for a moment. Should she hide it or reveal it? If she hid it, could she keep it hidden until the end, and could she deal with the aftermath? If she hid it further, she risked increasing the level of obscurity to the point of intrusion. The conclusion came quickly.

"Two hundred thousand naira."

Bi Ryuyeon answered obediently. Of course, only the answer was obedient, not the content.

"Really? So it's more than N200,000, but not more than N400,000, because you wouldn't call it less than half, so it's N300,000?"

Ryuyeon Bi was hot.

"You're just a fortune teller, right?"

It was clear that he had learned a new grotesque technique. He became even more wary of his master.

"Nobu was right after all, huhuhuhuhuh!"

"Do you really have to laugh like that?"

Bi Ryuyeon grumbled in embarrassment.

"What the hell, I like it."

"The total prize pool is 500,000 RMB, but the first place winner only gets 300,000 RMB. And since I'm playing with two other people, I can't take all of it, because we have to share the profits fairly."

This was true. If you looked down on your partner for the immediate gain, you could miss out on a bigger gain later. Besides, one of them might be a lifelong partner (read: companion).

"Hmm, that's a bummer, but are you exactly the kind of guy who's going to cut it in thirds?"

"Black, are you saying that you don't trust this disciple that much?"

Lamenting the widespread distrust in the world, Bi Ryuyeon made a plea.

"Ugh!"

The master's answer was painfully short. Bi Ryuyeon Yan quickly said that nothing had happened.

"Chet, of course not."

He was a student of the master.

"Don't you dare try to pry. The old man's eyes are still glazed over!"

"Oh no, you must have an eye infection, you'd better get to the doctor soon……."

Voila!

The bee's honey balm flew in without warning.

"So the deal is done?"

Ryuyeon Bi asked to confirm.

"Mmm…… is good. I'll be sure to thank Nobu for the delicious sake."

"Do you have the good sense to pick the bottom of your pockets?"

Once he was done confiding in Sensei, he had nothing left for himself.

"Here, then!"

He pulled two pieces of paper from his bosom and held them out in front of him.

"What is this?"

"Here's the contract, sign it, you can put your stamp on it."

"Funny you should ask that last one. Eun promises never to kill Gak after receiving the promised amount of money."

In other words, it was a pact that Bi Ryuyeon must be spared.

"One would think you were a death threat, and you really don't trust this master?"

"Of course."

Bi Ryuyeon replied firmly. After a moment's consideration, the master reluctantly signed. There was a hint of regret in his voice, but it was better not to know what.

"Are you ready, disciple?"

Accepting the signed contract for safekeeping, Bi Ryuyeon carefully examined the contents before crumpling it into her bosom.

"Okay."

The deal was done. At least we were out of harm's way.

"Okay, so……."

"So?"

"Let's drink again!"

It was their belief that leaving alcohol in a bottle was an unacceptable crime.

It wasn't until a fifth of the bottle was empty that the master spoke again, sipping at the moon's dew with a gusto that seemed to proclaim that it was a waste to use his mouth for anything else while he was drinking.

"Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention something."

"What is it?"

"I'm sorry," she replied, still on guard. It was a natural reaction for her, now that the business was done and they both thought there was nothing more to talk about. But when had the damned master ever considered the needs of his pupil? She could have bet her life savings that he hadn't, not once.

"You do realize you can't do that, right?"

Bi Ryuyeon silently blinked her eyes twice.

"What's wrong, what's not to like, I don't have a clue?"

I asked, trying to sound innocent.

"You mean you don't have a clue, because I'm sure you do?"

The master was relentless. It was the old man who recognized his pupil's extraordinary acumen. But Bi Ryuyeon didn't stop resisting.

"None."

In a firm voice, Bi Ryuyeon replied.

"Did your master have to make your mouth hurt to write it?"

"There are some things in the world that you'll never know unless you tell them, and that's just the way it is."

"Onya, you're trying to run away with it. How come you don't know how to pay your own taxes?"

"I don't know."

Bi Ryuyeon replied with a smile.

"Haha, in that case, I'll tell you something. All of the secret treasures you took were originally from the four masters."

The master squinted for a moment, then looked at his student. Bi Ryuyeon was also staring at him, waiting for the words to come out of his mouth. An ominous premonition turned into a cool breeze that swept across her chest.

"Come on… no way……."

The master nodded his head lightly once. Then he held out an aged hand.

"Every single one of them. Give it all out. When you say something good!"

Flash!

A hailstorm struck in the dry sky. The windows rattled as a ferocious gale blew. For a moment, I couldn't tell the difference between reality and fantasy.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!"

She jumped to her feet and cried out, "Just in case," but she hadn't been thinking about it. But now that the worst case scenario had come out of her master's mouth, her pupils fluttered violently. Her composure was shattered. He was becoming agitated, unable to keep his emotions cool.

"That makes sense!"

The master's short response was uncharacteristic.

"That… that's not possible!"

I wanted to think I'd misheard, that it was outrageous and unreasonable. Did he even realize what he was talking about? It was the equivalent of asking someone to chop up their own body parts and put them on a plate.

"I… I've been thinking about it for a while, very seriously, so… maybe there's a way to not give it back? I mean, it's hard enough to keep, so maybe an apprentice could… rub your shoulder for you?"

Smiling softly, Bi Ryuyeon said. She couldn't afford to play the hot and cold game right now.

"That's it. No work."

Sensei flatly refused.

"Do I… have to give it back?"

Bi Ryuyeon said with a grimace.

"Of course."

"All ten?"

"Yes, all of them."

The answer came back like a knife, leaving no wiggle room.

"Even though I'm giving you three hundred thousand?"

Ryu-yeon asked hopefully, omitting the tedious calculation of her share.

"That's a rental fee, and if you add in late fees, it's not a profitable business."

He declared without raising an eyebrow.

"What kind of a rental is that!"

Bi Ryuyeon protested angrily. There was no such thing as fraud, but the Ministry of Labor stood firm. Its shameless iron skin was not even scratched by criticism or rebuke from others.

"Here they are. In the first place, they're priceless. You took them without permission, so it's no wonder you're being charged a hefty rental fee!"

In fact, they'll even attack you.

"Ha, but…… there is such a thing as a 'degree' in this world!"

"Degree? What is that, eating?"

"Degree is just another word for limit," he said.

"You lack imagination."

"Boom!"

But Bi Ryuyeon could not agree. She had to defend herself somehow. But her opponent was none other than her greatest enemy, her master. And now he had the most terrifying weapon in his hands: the truth.

"What are you so upset about, it doesn't belong to you, does it?"

"That… that's……."

In retrospect, that was certainly true; they were not his yet. It was Bi Ryuyeon herself who had sneaked off with the master's treasures without his permission. The art of war said that when the enemy is in disarray, you must not give them a moment's respite. In accordance with that teaching, the master never stopped attacking.

"Let me ask you a question. Are you by any chance a non-caller?"

'Truth' has been wielded.

"…That's not true."

The master of the door was still the master.

"Then have you ever formally inherited the secret treasures?"

The Truth, sharper than any sword, pierced Bi Ryuyeon's heart.

"…No."

I was just running away with it without permission.

"I thought so again, so Nobu's memory isn't faulty, then, and that can't be the case, but do you think you can beat him?"

Bi Ryuyeon was silent for a moment. She knew it, but she didn't want to say it out loud.

"Have you suddenly become dumb with honey, or is your pride so great that you don't want to recognize what you are? Is my disciple a man who can't even see what he is, or can he see it but can't recognize it?"

Unable to hold back any longer, Bi Ryuyeon finally replied.

"…not yet."

Yes, he admitted, it was true. But that fact was not so indivisible at this moment, and yet he was too powerless to assert his rights. The master snorted.

"Don't worry, I wasn't expecting it. I guess there's only one last thing left, then. So, you must have gained the power of a thunder god or something?"

I couldn't lie. In a somber voice, Bi Ryuyeon replied.

"No, it's still only the wind god……."

The master paused for a moment at the mention of having mastered feng shui, but then he smirked.

"Eh, you're just a wind god, I thought you were a thunder god and saying things like that!"

At her master's sneer, an exasperated Bi Ryuyeon cried out.

"If you put your mind to it, you can have the power of a thunder god in no time!"

Then the master's gaze became more stern.

"Do you really think so, really?"

The Master's eyes, so full of playfulness, had sunk deeply into his face, eyes that would not tolerate any falsehoods. It was impossible to look him in the eye and tell a lie.

"…No. I don't think so."

By her own admission.

"Anyone can talk the talk. But making it a reality is a whole other thing. You know that, right?"

"…I know."

Only after hearing the answer did the master relax and nod.

"Then let me double-check. I'm not a member of the secret door, and I'm not yet the official heir. Besides, you can't defeat Nobu, and you haven't gained the power of the Thunder God. Is that correct?"

"……That's right."

Holding her heart in her hands, she answered. It was enough to admit her own inadequacies once, but to repeat them twice made her so angry and resentful that she felt like she was going to go crazy.

"What a pathetic place! How come none of them fulfill the conditions?"

The master's reaction was so obviously intentional that I could see it in his eyes. It was clear that he was taking pleasure in the fact that he had caught his student at a weak point and was using it to embarrass him to his heart's content. I was angry and resentful, but there was no arguing.

"……."

For the second time in a row, she had no answer. She had never been in such a helpless position before. When asked in this way, even she, who had reached the peak of her eloquence, had nothing to say. After all, there is nothing as terrifying as the truth.

"And yet you dare to claim ownership of the Virgo?"

"No ……."

Finally, clutching the pain in her heart, she replied.

"So you wouldn't mind giving it back to the original owner?"

There were no more cases left for her to disobey her master. It wasn't so much that he couldn't claim ownership as that he wasn't good enough.

'The next time you ask, it will never be the same, Master, and while I'm forced to admit this bitter truth now, it will never, ever be the same next time, Master!

Bi Ryuyeon silently swore to herself. It was a vow to herself. It was a vow to herself that she would never admit her own inadequacies and cry about them. True pride is recognizing your shortcomings and being intolerant of them. A truly self-respecting person who recognizes their shortcomings can never stop practicing.

Bam! Bam!

My arms were cut off, my legs were torn off. Each time I took one off, it felt like a part of me was being ripped away. My body felt lighter with each lightning bolt, but the feeling of helplessness weighed heavier and heavier on me.

"……."

Finally, Bi Ryuyeon released the ten sabers hidden deep inside his arms and placed them before his master. No groan escaped her lips. She didn't even deserve to groan now. It was the first bitter defeat he had tasted since leaving Amishan.

Yes, he lost today.