Book 25 Chapter 4

Reunite! Bi Ryuyeon and the gang!

-Friends reunited

When all the bouts were over, and the crowd had ebbed and flowed out of the arena, only Jang Hong and Hyorong remained seated. Their gazes were fixed on the arena's playing field, and they were replaying the battle between Yunbi and Qixianghui, as if they were reviewing a game of Go, especially Hyorong, who was still reeling from the revelation of Qixianghui's identity. He and Qixianghui had been deeply intertwined in the past. That was why he hadn't been able to leave.

They were talking about something, and the topic was none other than Chil-sang-hyeon, the first disciple of "that person," Mu-shin-ma Gal-jung-hyeok.

"I didn't think it would be him… I'm surprised, Brother Zhang."

"Neither do I, Long Yong. Why on earth did he abandon all his glory and live like that for seven years? Moreover, as a slave in an arena like this."

He was technically Hyorong's godbrother. Moreover, he was the first disciple of the legendary martial artist Gal Zhonghyeok. Who could have imagined that a man of such great status, however degraded, would be working as a gladiatorial slave in an arena like this?

"It's just a guess, but maybe he was running from something?"

"That's a good guess, it's likely."

"Then why so close to……. This is Ganghorando. It's less than half a day's boat ride from the Temple of Heaven."

"If you get knocked down, run for your life," was blasphemy.

"It's a dark place under the lamp; indeed, no one has discovered his identity in seven years, hasn't he?"

"Well, that's certainly true."

Jang Hong had a point. If he hadn't revealed himself in the battle with Yeomdo, the identity of Qi Shanghui would still be a secret among the three. However, there were still many questions that remained.

"The question is, what was he running from? I can think of two things."

"Two?"

"Right. The first is if he's running from something. From what I've heard, it was after the Night of Blood that he disappeared."

Thinking about that day, Hyo-ryong's heart ached like a knife. The events of his childhood had left a mental scar that he could never forget. Certainly, he was the one most closely associated with the events of the Night of Blood, when his brother Gal Hyo-bong went berserk.

"He's the culprit……."

"No way."

In a firm voice, Hyorong shouted. Jang Hong looked at Hyorong in surprise.

"There's no way he's the culprit."

Hyorong repeated the same words, but the second time he seemed to be addressing himself, not Jang Hong.

"But nothing has been definitively proven, and I understand that there are still quite a few people within the Temple who suspect him of being the culprit?"

There were still many who believed that he had been eliminated for this reason, and that his disappearance was due in large part to the mounting suspicions that were weighing on him. But Hyorong still had faith in him.

"Secondly, if he's not the culprit, it could be because his life was threatened by someone."

"From whom?"

"Maybe he's the real killer of the day."

But the only way to find out was to ask him, and until then, everything was shrouded in darkness.

"Who in the world could instill such fear in the most powerful man in the land?"

"He can't be an ordinary master, at least not one of the Four Heavenly Fears. If not, he may not have just fled from his enemies."

"What's the story?"

"Yes, that means he ran away from his teacher as well."

"From Mushinma……."

"Yes, that makes sense. Even a Martial Saint ranked expert is no match for Mu Xinma's reputation, and I doubt he fled because he was afraid of 'him'."

"Come on, there's no way 'he' is still alive, is there?"

"No one ever identified his body, did they? You never know what's going to happen. Isn't that why the Hall of Heaven and Earth was built a hundred years ago? It's scary, but it's not impossible that 'he' is alive, though it's only a theory."

"……."

So many thoughts were racing through his head at once that he couldn't even think straight.

"Perhaps he saw something he shouldn't have, and had no choice but to run. The fact that he's in a place like this, being a gladiatorial slave, says it all."

"What do you mean, what do you know?"

"He wanted to build strength. He would have chosen this place on purpose to do just that."

"When you say you were building strength, you mean you had a target you wanted to take down."

"Exactly, the question is who that someone is."

"I guess the only way to know that is to hear it from his own mouth."

As his thoughts drifted to that point, he wondered why he was still sitting here. He wanted to rush to Qixiang's side and hear what was going on. He still didn't know that Qixiang had been struck down by a poisonous snake. While he was fidgeting, a finger brushed against Jang Hong's back.

Poof!

Jang Hong shrugged it off at first, but then he became angry.

"Who, who?

He thought without looking back. Who could it be that had sneaked up behind him, the master of stealth, so unnoticed? It was no ordinary man. If he'd had a weapon in his hands a moment ago, he would have been dead. Luckily, he was still alive, but if this man had malicious intentions, he could have been in trouble. The slightest lapse of vigilance could quickly lead to death in this dangerous land.

Only when he sensed that his opponent was not murderous did Jang Hong cautiously turn his head.

"Huh!"

Jang Hong's heavy ass bounced off the chair, and Hyorong's head swiveled at the sight.

'What's so surprising about…….'

And then he stopped freaking out, too.

"Ryuyeon!"

Shouts erupted from Jang Hong and Hyorong's mouths at the same time.

"It's been a while. Can you help me?"

In order to deal with the unprecedented situation of Na Yerin's kidnapping, it was too much for Bi Ryuyeon to do alone. He was not omnipotent, and there were limits to what an individual could do. That is why people form groups and form organizations. In order to resolve this situation as soon as possible, he had to use all the power and connections he had accumulated. It was time to show the power he had been quietly accumulating. This 'Yeonbi' appearance was a hindrance. The power he had accumulated was almost nothing. He couldn't help Ye Lin in his current form. He needed to return to his original form. After finding the members of the Zhu Jia Clan, he went straight to Jang Hong and Hyorong.

Only in the art of tracking was Jang Hong superior to himself. Although he was trying to hide it, everyone around him already knew about his skills. It was better to leave it to him, then. Tracking traces required years of specialized training, and if the other party was an expert, then she needed an expert as well. It was no exaggeration to say that she had resisted the urge to overthrow Kang Ho Lando right now, and had come to Jang Hong and Hyorong, the two of them, as the last of her reasoning.

"My liver almost fell out. But how did you get here?"

"There's no point in picking up a whole liver in a drink like that, and that's not what's important right now."

Bi Ryuyeon said firmly.

"Other than the fact that you appeared here in Kanghorando like a ghost, what's the point?"

"A woman."

"A woman? What's wrong? You don't seem like your usual self today."

Jang Hong was the first to notice the abnormality. He couldn't quite put his finger on what was different, but instinctively, he felt that something was wrong with Bi Ryuyeon's condition right now. It's only on the outside that things are normal. Something was stirring inside her right now. The woman who had always been indifferent, cynical, or bored with the world wasn't here now.

"What the hell is going on? Is there some sort of civil war? Your sudden appearance is proof that something outrageous has happened. I don't believe you when you say you're with the tranquility, you're always the one stirring up a storm of trouble, aka a natural disaster, my friend."

"Something like that, I used to hear a lot in the old days, not when I was casually saying, 'I miss you,' but ah, you're right, something outrageous happened, something that shouldn't have happened in this world!"

Then she told him what she wanted. No matter how many times she told him, each time he felt a stabbing pain in his chest.

Jang Hong and Hyorong's expressions changed several times as they listened in silence.

"……I can't believe…… or Sojae……."

The woman who had fought like a brilliant phoenix in that arena not long ago had been kidnapped. It was hard for Jang Hong to believe.

"How dare you……."

"A ghost from the past."

With anger in her voice, Bi Ryuyeon replied.

"I need help."

Without the slightest hesitation, she said.

"I didn't expect such an innocent request for help from you, and it's a little disconcerting, to be honest."

"So you're not going to help?"

"Of course I'll help you, it's not every day that I get to create a debt for you, and I can't let a golden opportunity like this go to waste."

"I'll tell you up front, it's not easy."

"Oh well, I've already made up my mind. Isn't that right, Dragon?"

"Oh, sure."

When times were good, dogs and cows were all in it together. But when times are tough, few friends can stand by you through adversity. Such a friend is a real friend. After hearing their cool answers, Bi Ryuyeon finally smiled and said something.

"Great, so it's a reunion of Bi Ryuyeon and her crew!"

Hyo-ryong's protestations of "Why is your name on the door and ours is just dirt?" were lost in the wind.

"Okay, so where do I start?"

"I've already decided."

"Where?"

"King Don's Office."