Book 25 Chapter 10

Is it scary to make something you care about?

-from the dock

A marina in Ganghorando.

A gray-haired holy man and a middle-aged samurai were arguing by the collar. They were both in good health, and their clothes were simple but elegant, hardly the sort of people you'd expect to be brawling in a marketplace like this. A young man in black and a middle-aged woman were watching the scene.

Poof! Pow! Pow!

The old man's determination and strength were so great that each of his graying feet left footprints on the ground.

Pooh! Pooh! Pow!

The middle-aged martial artist's strength was also formidable, and he was deliberately planting his feet on the ground as if to block his advance. Even if the middle-aged martial artist was much younger and in the prime of his career, there was a huge difference in the depth of his internal cultivation, so that he, who lacked internal cultivation, had to become almost desperate to stop the old man.

"Let go!"

The old man shouted, his brow furrowed. There was a faint hint of anger in his voice.

"No!"

"Why not? A father goes looking for his kidnapped daughter, why not?"

Bai Xiaochun firmly waved away the curling arm.

"You can't do that!"

Left-handed method Namgungjin once again interrupted Meng Zhu.

"Don't be ridiculous! You say no? And you're a parent with children? I'm going. I'm going, no matter what!"

"No way. If you want to go, you'll have to knock me out!"

There was desperation in Nam Gung-jin's voice as he spoke for the third time.

"Why are you so intent on blocking my path?"

"You ask because you don't know?"

"Uh-huh, you're such a people pleaser, I only ask because I don't know, what would I ask if I did, right? Did I seem so clueless, of course……."

Namgungjin exclaimed, removing one of his hands from the grip he had on the yoke and pointing wildly at the ships in the harbor.

"You know where that ship is going!"

"Of course I know! What do you think I am? I have a long way to go before I get dementia. That ship is a ten-thousand…… hump!"

Realizing his mistake, Nabaxian hastily closed his mouth.

"What were you going to do when you got there?"

"He's going to go in there and take our Ye Lin to……."

"You're aware of your position, right?"

"Well, that's Chung Chun Meng Ju…… Ji."

My energy was pretty dead.

"The best part is that you haven't forgotten, so now you know, if you just walk into the palace, it's all-out war, all-out war!"

"No, Nan Gung Ho, you don't have to say that out loud……."

"No, no. Someone has to say something! I know it's painful, of course. It pains me too, and I want to tear them to pieces. Not even a tenth, no, not even a thirtieth. But you are the one who carries the entire White Sword Forest on your back, the one who represents tens of thousands of White Sword Foresters, and you are the only one who can make a solo assault on the heart of the Black Sword, the Macheon Tower. No excuse can explain what happened. Especially when it's a personal matter of yours."

"But they're the ones who kidnapped my daughter in the first place!"

"No evidence."

That was the biggest problem at the moment.

"Even if they were a famously closed temple, they wouldn't be able to refuse to allow you to search their premises if you had proof, but unfortunately, you don't have proof. You can't rely on psychology alone."

"So what am I supposed to do, just stay here tapping my foot?"

"For now, the best thing to do is to put in a notice directly to the Lord Chancellor and wait for his response."

Then Ye Qing spoke up.

"Relax, you can't go, but I can."

"Uh, how is that, you're the wife of a martial artist?"

Then, Ye Qingyu chuckled. It was the first smile he had seen since losing Ye Lin. She wasn't as bright as she used to be, and that made him sad, but she was also desperate as a mother.

"Yes, I'm your wife, but I'm also an alumna of the school, and even the most closed-minded skyscrapers don't turn away alumni."

"Mrs…….."

"The spring weather has brought me all the way here to Dongjing Lake, and I'm suddenly nostalgic for the old days."

He then stole a glance with his finger. Seeing this, Nie Bai Tian and the Southern Palace Master simultaneously slapped their palms together with their fists.

"Sure, what a coincidence."

"Yeah, it's a coincidence, just a coincidence. You want to meet your juniors."

This time, it was Bi Ryuyeon.

"You can't either."

Ye Qing's head snapped up and turned toward Bi Ryuyeon. His bloodshot eyes stared at Bi Ryuyeon with open pupils. It was a terrifying power. It was the kind of gaze that would make even a Martial Saint Nine Hundred Thousand tremble like a frog in front of a snake, but Bi Ryuyeon had said all she needed to say under that gaze.

"Because you're already not only a graduate of the First Heavenly Academy, you're also the wife of a Martial Artist. You know what they say about a husband and wife team? No one will think twice about separating you from a Martial Artist or a Bai Chen. It's only a matter of time before it becomes a diplomatic issue."

Then Ye Qing went on a rampage.

"I, I can't admit it! I'm going! I'm going! What's the diplomatic problem? Does a mother need a reason to go find her daughter? You can't, but I can! I gave birth to her because I was sick to my stomach, and you men have never been sick to your stomachs? A woman, when she gives birth to a child, she dies once and is reborn. Alan?"

He didn't even have this kind of restraint. Seeing Ye Qing rampaging like a ferocious lioness, and seeing Nie Baiqian drying up afterward, Bi Ryuyeon thought to herself.

"The couple is the same.

"We have a problem, Ryuyeon!"

Just then, Jang Hong, who had come running, shouted.

"Problem? What problem?"

"There are no boats in the harbor."

"What?"

A stunned Bi Ryuyeon asked.

"It looks like the Money King has sent everyone away. What should we do? We're going to be stuck with this forever……."

Now they had to get a boat as soon as possible and start the chase. Bi Ryuyeon and the others were headed for the Heavenly Pavilion, and Nie Baiqian was headed for the Black Heavenly Blind. They would have to catch up with the ship that left first and check the coffins on board. They needed two ships, but the harbor was empty. No one knew how long it would take for the ships to return, as King Don had used his power and money to send them all away. It could take an hour, or at worst, a day. For a moment, everyone was at a loss for words. Nervousness began to swirl around them. Even Bai Chen lost his composure and began to fidget. Even Ye Qing had forgotten about his rampage and stood dumbfounded. His complexion was very unhappy. As no one could come up with a solution, the atmosphere began to get worse and worse.

Hyo-ryong's stomach began to tingle from the atmosphere. At the moment when Hyo-ryong was on the verge of developing neurogenic gastritis, Bi Ryuyeon spoke up.

"No, I have a boat."

* * *

The Office of the Thousand Footnote.

Upon hearing the report of the Ninth Great Captain Iron Mask, Ma Tiankai remained in darkness for a moment, lost in thought.

"I didn't expect him to move so fast. Unexpected, unexpected."

It felt like time had stopped and started flowing again. And it was unexpectedly fast.

"What happened to the four hundred thousand?"

"Reports say he's still in Kanghorando, waiting for a ship to take him to the Black Heavenly Blind."

Iron Mask replied politely.

"He's black-blind……. There's only one reason to go there: would he really slit the throat of a black blind man for his beloved daughter?"

Waving the notice he had unilaterally received from Xu Tian in one hand, the Martial Master and Beast Destroyer muttered to himself.

"It's probably not possible."

"That's a shame, because I can't do this or that because of my responsibilities. It's not all good to be on top, because if I were a little more stupid, irresponsible, and selfish, I wouldn't have to worry about that."

The two strongmen of both factions, White and Black, had a futile sense of responsibility and a strong tendency to avoid personal conflicts, which was why they had been able to create a peaceful undercurrent for a boring hundred years. But he didn't like it.

"So who's coming this way?"

"These are some kids from the Heavenly Martial Arts Academy."

Ever since the Spiritual Master Nie Bai Tian and the Ice Moon Adept Ye Qing had approached the area around Dong Zheng Lake, they had been monitoring the situation, and his reports were unimpeded.

"You're going to force your way in? You kids have some nerve."

It is said that even those who are not worthy of entering the temple are stuck there.

"Are you willing to grant permission?"

"Permission? This is my territory. You can't just come and go as you please, even if he's a Spiritual Master. Xu Tian, he's making too much of this. Does he intend to use the Heavenly Palace as his stage?"

I wanted to keep it quiet for now……. He wanted to stop the commotion from happening here, but his lack of control was his biggest problem. Yes, it was. Xu Chen, he was one of the few exceptions to the rule in this Heavenly Palace, where he was in control and wielded absolute power.

"What a stupid thing to do……. You want to start an all-out war? I didn't think you were that irresponsible, and where is your 'daughter' now?"

Then, behind his iron mask, countless beads of sweat broke out.

"Sin, I apologize. I was able to catch you as far as the entrance to the tower, but after that, I was unable to……."

The word "evaporated" didn't come out of his mouth; he felt that if he spoke it, his very existence would evaporate. By other people.

"You missed it……."

One of the most fearless of the four thousand and thirteen captains shuddered with fear at the sound of a word and a tap on his chair handle.

"He?"

"He disappeared for a while, then reappeared, and now he's staying in his unit, apparently having a secret meeting with some of the captains."

"With the captains?"

"These are the ones we've captured, and there's been a lot of movement by the leaders of the 'West Heaven' side."

I think it's because I felt closer to them, meeting and talking to them, than to a footnote watching from the shadows, saying nothing. Not seeing the real power hidden in the darkness.

'Foolish friends…….'

They probably don't realize that their every move is being read. There is only one ruler here, and that was true a hundred years ago, and it is true a hundred years from now.

"Fools prefer uncertainty and nearness to certainty and distance, for they think it is an entity that can be grasped. Short-sighted, short-sighted ummins."

It was an unbearable pain to him that such fools were breathing with him.

"He's known for years that he's been under surveillance."

Until now, she had been aware of his secret movements, but had ignored them. She had thought that he would not be able to get away with it in Jianghuorandao, but not in this temple. And he was even more silent than he thought, keeping his teeth hidden.

"He's been quiet for nine years, so he can't stay quiet any longer, is that what you're saying? He's been talking a good game, saying that he's a cure-all, a washin' counselor……………………………………. His patience must have run out."

"Do you want to intervene?"

"No, we'll wait and see. It's not a bad idea to plow the fields and stir up the stagnant water once in a while. We'll keep an eye on the ships from Kanghorando for a while. That's Seocheon's job, but double your surveillance. And concentrate your efforts on keeping tabs on Xu Tian."

"Fuck!"

With a wave of his hand, he motioned for them to back off, and without another word, Iron Mask turned and left the area.

Alone, he stared at the ceiling and breathed in quietly.

"I need to breathe a little fresher air.

The world was overflowing with the stupidity of the Umin, and whenever he sensed it, he was overcome with a nauseous feeling that threatened to consume everything in his body.

"You foolish, brainless woomins called the masses!

Lowly, helpless worms, and not a few of them. The mere fact that they breathe fouls the air. Wasn't the work done to reduce the number of such worms, and to select the better ones from among them, a 'tax of blood'?

For the past hundred years, he has never missed a day's work as a footnote to the Temple of Heaven, because his job is also an important sorting operation to weed out the zealots and inferiors and select the best dominant species.

"There are people in this world who don't deserve to be dominated, who don't even deserve to be called 'enemies'.

He didn't like the idea of something happening to his screening station that he didn't want to happen. But…….

"This could be another 'curation'.

If this culling resulted in another superior enemy, that wasn't a bad thing.

"Pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft.

That was quite an expectation.

'What sturdy fruit the blood and flesh sown a hundred years ago has borne…… Now is the time of harvest!'

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he realized that his wait was about to pay off.

"The time of return is not far off!"

That's when the book of Shin Murimagi!

Then the world ends, and a new world is born from the ashes of its destruction.

If there are any fools who refuse to embrace the glorious death of this great rebirth and cling to life, they will only be swiftly removed and exterminated.

Reaching out, he activated a folding device that lifted the scroll off the table and into the air. With a light tug on his wrist, she slipped effortlessly into his grasp.

He opened the scroll he'd accepted as a bribe once more. It was from Xu Tian.

"There is no more fitting sacrifice for the birth of the New Murimaki than the 'Murimenju'."

Zap!

The torn white scroll broke into pieces and blew in the wind like flower petals, filling the room. It was like petals fluttering on a spring day. But the next moment,

Blah blah blah!

The white petals spread across the vast office burst into flames. Then they turned to ash and crumbled into thin air. It was an ominous sight that seemed to foretell the future fate of the Murim.

After watching the process from start to finish in silence, a smile of mania flashed across his face for the first time.

"I'm going to have to go out for a while."

* * *

Zhang Wuyang, head of the Zhongyang Marking Bureau, was busy with marker handovers and other duties. This was where the Heavenly Martial Academy's delegation unloaded their goods and other marks, so it was very important to find something that could be transported to Nanchang on the return trip. It would have been very costly to return with an empty ship, so I've been scrambling to find a suitable contract lately. He was busy in his private room at Silla Gak, where he was still staying, when there was a brief commotion outside, and his door was opened.

Zhang Wuyang, whose nerves were on edge from his workload, snapped his head up to protest. But when he saw who it was, his raised eyebrows dropped back down as they always did. Instead, his eyes widened to the size of fire lanterns.

"Rain, rain Confucius, how are you here?"

It was Bi Ryuyeon.

"Oops, we're in trouble!

Zhang Wuyang was stunned. The appearance of not only Nosabu, but also the mysterious Bi Ryuyeon, meant that there was bound to be a great storm. Worse yet, it looked like it was going to sweep away his precious Zhongyang Pavilion.

"This isn't going to end well, is it?

After getting a little discouraged, I calmed down a bit.

"You have a boat, right?"

Ryuyeon Bi asked.

"A ship? Of course there is. There's a ship carrying goods to……."

Without further ado, Bi Ryuyeon said, cutting off Zhang Wuyang's words.

"Let me borrow your boat."

"What are you going to use it for?"

"I have to run somewhere."

"Where is that?"

"The Great Hall!"

"……!"

Zhang Wuyang was stunned when she heard that he was going to take his own ship to the Temple of Heaven.

"That's a place where markers aren't allowed to go! I've brought markers from my marker country to deliver to the Arch of Heaven, and they won't even let me approach."

That's why we've set our sights on a stronghold.

"I don't care, I have to be there, can't I?"

Zhang Wuyang thought for a moment. She should have said no. But what if I say no here? When she thought about it for a moment, a terrible feeling came over her. A bad feeling of foreboding rose up like a thick cloud. And that stare that seemed to penetrate her entire body. He couldn't bring himself to say no, but still, as the head of a nation, he mustered up the courage to speak.

"Well, yes, but if something were to happen, our flagship would be damaged……."

It was no good for business to be criticized by the Heavenly Palace. Even if the Zhongyang Marking Bureau was only a white city, its influence on the great powers could not be ignored.

"Don't worry, he's got your back."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course you do, because he needs a boat more than anyone right now."

Making a connection here with the most powerful man in the Martial Alliance would be advantageous in many ways. Even if he lost the ship, it would never be a loss. Finally, Zhang Wuyang made a decision.

"Great. Take it."

* * *

First, the crew boarded the ship.

They had hurriedly returned from the inspection that Bi Ryuyeon had sent out via thunder hawk. Namgungsang and Qinling, still unsteady on his feet, boarded the ship on a stretcher. Being the patient that he is, he didn't listen when they told him to seek treatment at the clinic. His reasoning was that even if he couldn't move now, he might be able to by the time they reached the Temple of Heaven. He said he couldn't stay behind if the Southern Palace Priest was going, so he followed. It seemed like he was really trying to keep an eye on her to make sure she wasn't having an affair. Somehow, Ryu Eun-kyung followed him because she wanted to take care of her future father-in-law. Jin-ryung tried to tell him that he could do the nursing, but he wouldn't listen.

"I've never heard of a patient taking care of a patient. My sister is resting. She'll take care of everything."

Qin Lie was running like a madman, but there was no stopping him. Jang Hong and Hyo-ryong also boarded the ship. Yun Jun-ho, who had been severely wounded while dressed as Yun Mi, had to be left behind. It was dangerous to go alone, but it was even more dangerous to go together. Na Baiqian had promised to give him the protection of the Southern Palace. Bai Chen had no choice but to stay here. He had to set out for the Black Heavenly League as written in the scroll. He could only hope that another ship would arrive as soon as possible.

Bi Ryuyeon stood on the deck and looked down at Mr. and Mrs. Na Baiqian standing on the dock. Their gazes locked together. They were silent for a moment, then Bi Ryuyeon spoke up, her gaze slightly distant and fixed on Dong Zhenghao.

"Originally, I didn't want to make anything precious, because precious is precious, and sometimes it's a weakness, yeah, it's a really big weakness, and it can freeze you up, and it can make you restless, like you are now, and it can throw you off balance, and it can make you lose your mind, and you don't even realize you're losing it."

"So do you regret it?"

In response to Bai Chen's question, Bi Ryuyeon shook her head.

"No, I don't regret it, actually, I regret the fact that I created a very, very big weakness, because how can you be a real man if you can't create a weakness that's precious to you, and you can't protect that precious weakness? I mean, it doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman, that's what life is about, isn't it? It's about being able to protect it, and if you don't create it in the first place because you're afraid of losing it, you're just a coward."

Until now, she had never worn her heart on her sleeve in front of anyone.

"Has it never occurred to you that your precious weakness is my daughter, that she is too much for you?"

"Something precious isn't something you can create and discard at will, it's something you create and discard without realizing it. Yerin is now a part of my future, a part of my future that will stretch from the here and now to the final moment when I will cease to exist, and you can't interfere with my future, even if you're a Martial Lord."

Unwillingly but inevitably, the members of the main cast were stunned as they stood on the sidelines and listened to Bi Ryuyeon's words.

"Is that what he was thinking, this man who seemed to have nothing but this money to talk about, who was always lighthearted, who seemed to take nothing seriously, whose ego and his arrogance seemed to be through the roof?

Apparently, they weren't the only ones who were changing; the person who was changing them was also changing. They didn't know if it would be good or bad for them, but it was undoubtedly true that they were changing, and that fact somehow brought them relief.

It seems that nothing in this world stays the same.

"You're so fearless, your liver must have gone overboard. Yerin is my daughter! You think I'm going to hand her over to you? I can't do that."

"That's not for you to decide, that's for Yerin to decide, and I don't suppose you think that because you're a parent you can dictate your child's fate?"

"Well, that's……. Uh, uh-huh. What's wrong with that? Some parents don't care about their kids' futures? They just want them to be good, that's all. That's what parents do, and who's your father-in-law?"

"Good intentions don't necessarily lead to good outcomes, and vice versa. The world is not structured in such a convenient way. It's not that simple."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's about how a parent's best intentions can trample on a child's heart."

"Are you saying I'm trampling on my daughter's heart?"

"Not yet, but it could end up that way. Isn't the job of a parent to make sure their child can stand on their own two feet? It's not a parent's job to put shackles on their child's wings so that they can leave the parental embrace and fly to the high skies."

"To obey your parents, that's filial piety!"

"No, to leave your parents' arms and stand on your own as an individual human being, that's the real 'filial piety'. To rely on your parents for your destiny is not filial piety, it's disloyalty."

"Even if it hurts the parents?"

Just the thought of his daughter leaving his side filled him with sadness.

"Don't confuse obsession with love."

"Are you saying that an old man's love for his children is an obsession?"

"So it's not?"

"There's nothing he can't say when he wants to see you, and Nobu will never recognize you!"

Bai Xiaochun spat fire out of his mouth as he rampaged. Bi Ryuyeon did not lose.

"So that's not for you to decide, that's for Yerin to decide, and the biggest problem right now is that she's not here to make that decision."

"Then what the hell am I supposed to do?!"

Unable to contain his anger, Bai Chen shouted. There was no way he could be in a good mood when the child he thought was so great was being completely denied his love. No wonder his anger exploded.

"Of course I want her back, my future is incomplete without her, my future and Yerin are now inseparable, and I will not accept such a disconnect, not ever! I will have her back, in my arms, even if it means turning the entire Martial Kingdom against me!"

No one could doubt his sincerity, which erupted like lava from a volcano that had crossed a critical mass.

If you want to do it, do it! If you don't want to do it, he'll force you to do it! That's who Bi Ryuyeon was.

"So don't worry. Even if you two can't go, I'll definitely come back with Yerin, even if you don't ask me to, even if you tell me not to, I'll do it. I'll definitely come back with Yerin, along with my future."

His words were full of determination, and Nabaxian, still angry, spoke up.

"That doesn't mean I've given you my daughter yet, I haven't acknowledged her yet!"

Then Bi Ryuyeon chuckled and said.

"I know. I'll take the credit when I get there, father!"

"Who's your father, huh, huh?"

Na Baiqian jumped up and down on the dock. Ye Qing, who had been quiet beside him, calmed him down, then looked up at Bi Ryuyeon.

"You're funny. I kind of like that."

And then he added one more thing.

"I'm asking for Yelinyi."

Bi Ryuyeon nodded vigorously, then looked at the vast expanse of Dong Zheng Lake and exclaimed.

"We're going back, to the Great Hall!"

"Yes!"

As they answered in unison, their eyes shone with determination, sharp as blades.

"I will sink all four islands to reclaim Yerin. Anyone who stands in my way will see how shallow the despair they have known has been."