Book 24 Chapter 9

I'm not going back!

-Ryu Eun Kyung's bombshell!

Namgungsang slowly opened his eyes. He was lying somewhere. His ears were still ringing and his vision was blurry. His whole body was tired, aching here and there. My gut still rumbled as if it had been shaken. I thought I might feel better if I vomited up a bunch of blood. His blurred vision came into focus, revealing two faces. They were familiar faces, Yong Tianming and Liu Eunkyung.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Ryu Eun-kyung cried and apologized over and over again.

"I never thought this would happen, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's all my fault."

"Well… it's okay. It's not all Liu Sojae's fault, I'm technically an accomplice."

Of course, if she had told the truth, it might not have come to this, though it's unlikely anyone would have believed her under the circumstances. Moreover, it was Namgungsang himself who matched her insistence, and he was in some ways an accomplice.

People see what they want to see, so why do we see the bad first? Is it because we're weak? Or is it because we have a deep-seated fear?

Maybe I should have been more proactive in trying to clear up her misunderstanding. After all, she'd been lying in bed, sick, and her mind had finally cleared a bit. I shouldn't have stayed silent and expected her to understand everything. Her words were true, and he was the one who had failed to listen to her. "What are you going to do about it?" he asked as he looked back at Yong Tianming, his mind still racing with the outcome of the battle.

"Uh, how did it go, Mr. Yong?"

My lungs ached like thorns with every word. Even speaking was not easy. The qi in his body was also a mess, tangled here and there. Long Tianming spoke in a somber voice.

"…You lost."

Nan Gongsang closed his eyes silently. Thoughts swirled in his mind.

"The prize of fifty thousand nyang has left our hands. We must find a way to get it back."

Yong Tianming's voice was somber as well.

"Is she…… okay, and if I lost, that means she's okay, right?"

Long Tianming's complexion darkened even more. Why does he look even worse than when he announced his defeat and bankruptcy? Nan Gongsang suddenly became anxious. Long Tianming shook his head, unable to answer.

"Seriously… no way!"

The eyes of the Southern King narrowed. An ominous sense of foreboding chilled his heart like a block of ice.

"It was definitely Jean Sojae, who was the last one standing when the fight was over. You were on the ground, but it turns out she was just stunned while standing. But she's still not quite recovered from the strain. But don't worry, she's not too badly hurt… she'll be back soon……."

But Namgungsang could wait no longer. He kicked off his bed and stood up. No, it was only his mind that woke up. His body, in its full glory, rejected his will. His body was currently incapable of carrying out its orders.

"Hey, stop it. You're so tired right now, you can barely lift a finger."

Namgungsang did not even pretend to listen. He was in excruciating pain and his head was spinning, so his ears were not working properly. Somehow he managed to pull himself up.

"If you don't go quickly…… quickly……."

With a grunt, Namgung-san hurriedly picked himself up, then coughed up a handful of blood.

"See, don't do anything reckless."

Yong Tianming forced him to lie down again and then cut off his blood supply, otherwise he would have continued his assault. His behavioral substitution was very wise. However, since he didn't cut his blood, he could still talk. Nan Gongsheng looked desperately at Long Tianming and spoke in a pitiful voice.

"Mr. Yong, I have a favor to ask."

"What?"

There was only one thing on his mind now.

"Take me, please, to her side."

Yong Tianming couldn't refuse this favor.

"Good."

It may have felt cool in the moment to give vent to his anger, but when he saw the results, he was not pleased.

"Oops! I'm sorry. I did it all wrong. I've been wrong a hundred times, a thousand times, a million times, so please wake up, Ling. Please-"

Holding the comatose Qinling's hand, Namgung Sang knelt down, tears streaming down his face, and apologized. But the eyelids of those who were supposed to receive his apology did not open. Namgung Sansan and Maha Ling stood by Qin Ling's side as she lay there, their faces somber, but they did not restrain Namgung Sang from clinging to her, crying and screaming. Qin Lie's consciousness was still wandering through the murky darkness.

'That's not what I was originally taught to do…….'

In his hazy consciousness, Qin Lie thought. Why he'd been working so secretly to learn non-lethal arts……. She hadn't learned it to get back at him, to beat him, in the first place. The beginning was more innocent.

'I was just trying to stand up for myself…….'

He just wanted to be able to put his current skills to shame. She wanted to close the growing gap between their abilities, and she wanted to surprise the Southern Palace Master with her own hand-unfurling a fireflame. She wanted to see his surprised face, but not the kind of surprised face that turned blue this time.

Eventually, the original intentions morphed and it became a technique for defeating the Namgung Sang.

'I wonder why…….'

She was not happy, even though she was now able to use the best swordsmanship in the Army, something she had long desired and aimed for. Then she heard a man's sobbing voice in her ear, a sound that was very familiar and very…….

"……Shut up…… Whoa…."

The spirit muttered, half-opening its closed eyes. It was a small, muffled voice. He was still stunned, and his voice hadn't gained strength yet.

"It's loud, so loud that I can't even pass out."

By now, Jinryung's consciousness was almost back.

"Are you okay, Ling, do you recognize me, do you see me?"

The angry and surprised Namgung Sang stared at Qin Lie with tears streaming down his face. His face, which was frankly devoid of any semblance of dignity, was extremely ugly and disfigured.

Formula.

Qin Lie couldn't help but chuckle.

"Award."

In a quiet voice, the spirit called to him.

"Why, why is that, Ling?"

Stammering, Namgungsang replied.

"Funny, that face now."

"Well, is that so?"

He touched his face and blushed. It was clear that it was not a good face to show to others.

"Yes, very much."

Even so, a smile appeared on Qin Lie's face that had been wiped away.

Before I knew it, the feelings that had built up between them had melted away, and I didn't know why I'd been so upset about it for so long.

Qin Lie accepted his apology. It suddenly occurred to him that it was unnecessary to swing swords at each other over a minor misunderstanding. It felt oddly cathartic to clash as hard as I could. In retrospect, I also felt a pang of regret, wondering why I went to such lengths when it wasn't necessary.

As a result, Ryu did not win and was not allowed to return home.

"I'm sorry, Liu Sojae. I'm afraid you won't be returning home."

"Oh, no. You don't have to apologize like that. You've been through a lot because of me, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate the fact that you've gone out of your way to help me. I respect you. You don't have to go back. In fact, I don't even want to go back."

"So?"

"I'm going to be independent!"

Ryu Eun Kyung said, balling her small fists.

"Uh, how do you mean?"

There was a strange aura about her, and her eyes seemed to be chasing a vision of their own. It wasn't her usual negative thoughts, but it didn't seem out of the ordinary.

"Namgung Gaga, I have one last favor to ask of you."

"Gaga?

Namgungsang was a little taken aback when he was suddenly referred to as Gaga (brother) in a friendly manner.

"Hmmm, if there's anything I can do to help, I'll do it."

In fact, he was apologizing for not being in the top three, even though he was shouting, marching, and fighting. The fact that he wasn't angry, but rather sorry, was a true characteristic of Namgungsang.

"This is something that no one can do unless they're Namgung Gaga."

"Tell me, Liu Sojae."

Suddenly, Liu Eun Kyung grasped the Southern Palace Lord's two hands and shouted out loudly, her eyes shining brightly.

"Gaga, please marry me, I will follow you for the rest of my life!"

"chaff……."

These were the words of the Southern Palace.

"chaff……."

The same words came out of the mouth of a distant spirit.

"chaff……."

The same was true for Maharishi and Namgungsansan.

"chaff……."

The Shaolin master's disciple was no exception.

"Married!!!"

Everyone in the room cried out in unison. While everyone's jaws dropped in horror, Liu Eun Kyung was the only one who remained calm. Once again, a terrifying chill emanated from Qin Lie's entire body. Even though his body hadn't recovered yet, the momentum was terrifying enough to make him break out in a cold sweat.

"Ha, ha, but I have a higher power, so while I appreciate the offer, I can't accept it."

He didn't want to go through this again, but this time, Ryu wasn't going to back down easily.

"I don't care!"

It was a very cheerful and refreshing cry. He didn't seem to mind at all.

"Doesn't matter, of course it does!"

"Because I might die, and I don't want to quit my job yet in this short life?

Liu Yunqing's eyes were filled with such longing, but Liu Yunqing shook her head as if she couldn't hear the sound of his heart.

"No, I don't care if you're not in charge!"

Ryu was at a loss.

"Well, then?"

Namgungsang replied in a trembling voice, and then a bombshell came out of Liu Eun Kyung's mouth that no one saw coming.

"Take me as your concubine!"

For a moment, everyone froze in unison. And then it exploded.

"Chirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!"

A screaming cry erupted from the mouths of those in the room once again.

"Yes!"

He nodded, his face all smiles.

"Then it's okay, right? You're a direct descendant of a great leader, so a concubine or two is fine, right? You said a hero should have three concubines, right? But I still think three or more is too many, so I think two is just right. What do you think, Kaga? Is that a good idea?"

Liu Eun Kyung said with a wry smile. Namgungsang became dumb with honey. His head was dazed. He couldn't figure out what had gone wrong. His mind had turned white with the absurdity of the situation. Now he had nothing to do with idiots and fools.

"That, that, that, that……."

Sitting up, Qin Lie wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. What was he supposed to say if he didn't mind being the head of the organization? He obviously didn't know how to react at a time like this. Ryu Eun Kyung was quicker to react. She grabbed both of Qin Lie's hands and looked at him with respectful eyes.

"Take care, big sister Jean!"

Her face was like a puppy following its master, and Jinling couldn't help but notice. Her inability to spit on a smiling face was a problem in this case.

"Uh-oh-oh!"

What came out of the open mouth were not words, but sounds. He couldn't tell if his tongue was twisted or if his head was twisted.

The king's fear of death made him want to weep. He uttered a complaint that would have made a widower, an old bachelor, or a lonely troop swoon if they had heard it. He wept unceasingly.

"That's five down, work hard!"

Yong Tianming patted him on the shoulder and encouraged him.

"Is that what you call encouragement?"

Namgungsang bellowed.

"Aren't you glad?"

"Not at all, and besides, what the hell is five?"

"This is the result of three plus four minus two."

Long Tianming spoke as if he were speaking some profound cosmic truth.

"You're not afraid of three wives, you're truly a master."

Yong Tianming gave him a thumbs-up, as if he were the best. Namgung Sang's eyes went blank.

Flirt!

The unspoken accusations pierced my eardrums like needles. The women's stares were not kind.

"Why is this bothering me so much?

Namgungsang became more and more intimidated by the criticism that was pouring in from all sides.

"Don't worry. It's the law for a man to have multiple wives."

Yong Tianming interjected one more time.

"Ahem, law, law, law, this is what men are for."

The Maharishi grumbled.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, it's men who wrote the law anyway, so it's natural to make laws that favor the men, the wolves, and maybe if it was women who wrote the law, they would have made it okay for a woman to have multiple husbands - two, three, etc."

"That's just an assumption."

Yong Tianming dismissed the claim as unworthy of consideration.

"I'm saying that the law can't be a barometer of love, because the law was created to keep people's emotions out of it as much as possible."

What will be the fate of the South Palace statue? Will he hold flowers in both hands? Or would both hands be empty? Only the heavens knew, but it seemed that the tight-lipped heavens would never divulge the secret.

Still, the tribulations of the Southern Palace showed no sign of ending.

Namgungsang was to die for.

I wanted to cry.