Book 28 Chapter 5

Overlapping selections

-Chaotic Freedom

Bi Ryuyeon had always thought that the Zhu Jia Clan, the disciples and priests, would never die.

He taught it, and he refined it over and over again. He hammered and hammered and hammered to make a harder sword, to make a harder steel, so he prided himself on making it very strong. He thought he had developed a survivability that would allow him to throw it anywhere and come back alive.

But he ended up losing one of them.

It may have been his 'conceit' that he had made it strong enough. There were no 'never's' anymore. There were no guarantees that it would end with the first vacancy. The ones that remained could die at any moment; they could disappear forever before his eyes.

While he was somewhat confident that he could protect himself, he still only had one body, and his legs were still only two. Of course, if he became a three-headed monster, that would be one thing, but he couldn't be omnipresent. He couldn't be their babysitter forever.

In fact, you shouldn't. It's time to stand up for yourself, to protect your own body, to discover your own goals, to train yourself, to walk your own path. And now that the assumption of "never" has been shattered, I can't unconditionally accompany you on a dangerous path.

Salt and ice were different.

They could still protect themselves in any case. Honestly, they wouldn't want his help, they have their dignity, and besides, they have a goal to accomplish. Another master - their original master, if you will. Of course, this would be the only one they would truly recognize as their real master - they had to keep it going. To do that, they couldn't stay still. Nor could they hide. As they traveled from strength to strength, they still had to undergo more self-discipline.

The masterpiece is still a long way off. She wasn't sorry to say this. Each member of the cast might think of themselves as a person, but as far as she was concerned, they were all still half-baked. They were in a state of ambiguity, neither one person nor half a person.

This was certainly a major setback for them, and now they, like him, would have to live with Tang Wenhye's death for the rest of their lives.

From now on, it was up to them to decide whether to crumble under its weight or rise again.

They now had to make their own choices about their future, because he would no longer force himself on them.

But of course, he had no intention of telling them the whole story, so he decided to just say this.

"You decide."

Standing in front of the dead grass, Bi Ryuyeon opened her mouth to speak.

"Yeah? Us? What?"

On behalf of the puzzled Zhu Jiaxuan, Namgungsang asked.

"What's so surprising about this?"

At Bi Ryuyeon's retort, Namgung Sang nodded.

"Well, yes, it is surprising, surprising enough, so surprising that I'm afraid the sun will rise in the northwest tomorrow, and you've hardly ever asked us to decide anything, have you?"

All I could say was, "What? Because I don't know what to do with the rest.

"Just because that's the way it's always been, doesn't mean that's the way it has to be, right?"

"That's true, but……."

"This is my heart. You guys decide. I won't care what you choose."

"Are you sure you don't want to say anything, like lose your temper, grab her and kick her, tie her to a pole and throw her off a cliff, or push her off a cliff……."

"I don't."

Bi Ryuyeon cut to the chase and said.

"I can't tell you how long it's going to be before you're in charge of your own life, and you're going to have to take responsibility for it."

He seemed sincere. And for some reason, he seemed even more serious today. I couldn't get used to the idea of a serious big brother.

Woof, woof, woof.

There was an uproar among the cast of characters.

[Is that true, or is it just a trick to get under our skin?]

[I don't even know if it's true. Wasn't Dae-hyung's usual argument that you can't live your life for someone else? Of course, we kept getting dragged around by him].

[Are we good at this?]

[You've got to be good, and how long can you wait for your big brother to tell you what to do if you're not?]

[By the way].

The conclusion was surprisingly not easy. The debate only intensified.

"What are you so afraid of? Are you suddenly scared to make your own decisions, because you'll be responsible for whatever happens?"

"Well, that's……."

"Gongsang, you're still not good at hiding your expression. I see it, I see it."

"No, I mean……."

Namgungsang was flustered, but he couldn't come up with a good excuse. It was the truth.

Ever since I met my brother-in-law, I've pretty much followed his lead. They never thought of doing anything on their own. They were like his arms and legs.

Then one day, each of the arms and legs was told to make a brain. No more orders from the center. It felt very strange to be told to make my own judgments and decisions from now on.

"It's simple. Look at yourself, gauge your capabilities. Then you decide whether you can handle it or not. That is, whether you will go to rescue Martial Saint Nie Bai Tian or not. That's all you need to decide. How's that, easy?"

His tone was relaxed, as if he was asking me to think about what I wanted for lunch.

"That's why it's hard!"

Namgungsang protested on behalf of the Jujakdan, who are doing a terrible job.

"The nature of the mind is that if you think it's easy, it's easy, and if you think it's hard, it's hard. It's a matter of willpower."

"Easier said than done……."

Then Bi Ryuyeon clicked her tongue in a pathetic manner and said.

"Risk your lives and save this clan from the brink of war, or play it safe and leave it all to others. The choice is yours, but I will tell you this much. This is a road you may never return from, and you should do so with full knowledge of its dangers. If you choose this path, there will be no comfort, and the choice is yours to take it or avoid it."

But they still didn't seem completely convinced.

He looked at me like, "I don't think my brother-in-law can really do that. But he got one thing right.

"It's up to you to decide if you want to join the rescue team or not, and there will be no penalty for your decision. Those of you who choose to join will board the ship, which will depart at three o'clock, no later. Those of you who decide not to go, stay here and tend to the wounded. As for the two who are not here, I'll tell them myself, so you don't have to. Then I'll go, and I'll be waiting."

With that, she turned and added a subtle grumble.

"Yikes, now we're down to two broken guys, and I can't even be bothered to be the big brother."

With that, she disappeared.

The looks on the faces of the cast members as they looked at each other said it all.

"What do we do now?

They looked at each other, as if they had already forgotten what Bi Ryuyeon had said about thinking for themselves and making their own decisions.

When the coercion was gone, they were confused. They missed the freedom so much when they were forced, but now that they could do anything, they didn't know what to do.

If you think about it, it wasn't their responsibility to rescue Zheng Tianmeng. They were still students, and their job was to study. But shouldn't they just study? Shouldn't they be able to relax and study after the world had stabilized first?

There was nothing about it that wasn't confusing.

Dangsam's eyes were blank, as if he had turned to nothingness.

His current state was that of a living corpse, nothing more, nothing less.

His mind was completely closed, and he wasn't even responding. I might as well have been put in a coffin and buried in the ground.

Since that day, Dangsam hasn't spoken a word. No, he only said one word. Whenever he happened to open his mouth, that was the only word that came out.

-Hye Mae ……. Hé Mae……. hējīng…….

Other than that, he was in no condition to speak, as he hadn't said anything else. A shadow fell over the squatting ginseng.

"Oh, my God, you've got the eyes of a rotted out copperhead."

The dead ginseng's eyes flickered slightly for a moment.

Dangsam lifted his head to look at the shadowy master with wide eyes, his mouth curling into a smile.

"大型……."

For the first time in days, other words came out of Dangsam's mouth.

"Yeah, you're the big brother!"

The person standing in front of him was none other than his brother-in-law, Bi Ryuyeon. Ordinarily, Tang San would have jumped to his feet at this point and assumed a floating stance. To avoid being caught by something. But now, he just stared at the water and returned to his original position. That was it.

"Tsk."

Squatting down again, looking down at the out-of-focus dangsam, Bi Ryuyeon clicked her tongue.

In fact, Tang San's current state was completely understandable, so he couldn't be angry. Moreover, he wasn't the understanding and generous big brother, and now was the time to show him the warmth of a big brother's heart, to support, encourage, and console him.

So she said.

"Are you having fun, because you're playing with a living corpse?"

With those cold words, the dazed Dangsam stiffened as if he had been doused with cold water.

"My big brother doesn't understand……, my mood right now."

Tang San lifted his gaze and glared at Bi Ryuyeon, not needing to be asked what emotion was in it.

"Are you resentful or am I?"

Tang Sam nodded. He looked almost distraught, but at least his fists didn't fly like they usually did.

The loss of an all-too-natural part of yourself that was like an alter ego. That was what twins were like. They always bickered, but somewhere deep down, there was a consciousness that they came from one. A subconscious awareness that they were still connected somewhere, and maybe that's why they rebelled and fought so much more. But now they couldn't even fight anymore.

Because half of it is gone.

He couldn't forgive himself. He couldn't bear the thought that he was the one who had caused her death, that he had tried to save her, and that she had become like that. He couldn't bear the reality that he was the only one who had survived.

"It's natural to be resentful. It's not unreasonable for grass to die. It's all understandable, and it's still too short a time to mend fences. I can understand that. Your companions, and… me… except for one!"

Pausing for a moment, Bi Ryuyeon raised her right hand and said quietly.

"Yeah. I would have done this for you, except for one person."

Tough.

Tang San's face jerked to the right. For a moment, flames flashed in his eyes. Slowly bringing his hand to his reddened cheeks, he looked at Bi Ryuyeon again.

"大型……."

Once again, the same words were spoken, but with a bit more recognition than before.

"Are you awake now?"

Bi Ryuyeon asked in a calm tone.

"That's for him. It wasn't mine."

"……?"

"There's one person who's going to be pissed that you're making such a lousy face, so I'm punching you for them."

As if she had done the obvious, Bi Ryuyeon said in a calm tone. Tang San, whose cheeks were still burning, was only confused.

"Who is that?

Dangsam's eyes were asking.

"Who's that, of course, your sister, Tang Wen-hye-ji."

A shiver ran down his spine at the name. For such a ridiculous reason, he was slapping himself for being so comforted and encouraged? Just then, a word struck his ears.

"What about the flowers?"

At the word 'flower', Tang San's body stiffened again, as if it were made of ice.

"Have you already forgotten your appointment with him?"

"The flowers that fill the sky, the rain of ten thousand colors. The sky with the colors of Sichuan."

That was Dang's last will and testament, the will he would carry on.

"No, I'm sure I remember that."

Dangsam's voice was a little shaky, but for the first time, it sounded strong.

"How…… could you forget……. If you were my godbrother, could you forget……. last request from the flesh and blood who pierced my heart for me?"

He could still feel her warmth cooling in his arms. Along with the heat of the blood she had shed in his place.

"But what are you doing here, huh? You're not going to get any flowers, just worms. Why don't you change your name? You already have a palace, so how about Cheng-sheng? Tang Cheng-sheng!"

"……."

I really didn't want to do that.

"You're not the only one who made a promise, you dumbass."

Dangsam looked at Bi Ryuyeon with confused eyes, and Bi Ryuyeon clicked her tongue in disbelief.

"I made a promise to Moon Hye, too, that I would somehow make you blossom into a flower that would cover the sky."

In hindsight, I realize that I didn't realize it at the time, but I feel like I did.

"Don't worry, I'll get him to bloom somehow."

"Because of that promise, I can't leave you like this, because I'm too loyal, and I'm the kind of person who has to keep my word."

The ginseng gave me a slight chill.

I will make you bloom into the flower of the Ten Thousand Flowers Rain even if I have to roll you down to hell. That was what Bi Ryuyeon was saying now.

"Watch closely. I'm only going to show you this once."

Bi Ryuyeon said, holding up something in her right hand.

"I wouldn't show you if she didn't ask me to, so open your eyes."

In Bi Ryuyeon's hand was a bunch of needles. They weren't anything special. They were the kind of needles you can buy anywhere, used for sewing. The only advantage was that they were cheap.

Tang San stared at the needle in a daze, his eyes narrowing. He couldn't figure out what she was trying to do by bringing up Manchun Hwa-woo. I wondered if he wanted her to practice sewing first.

"The way I see it, you're using cancer technology as an organ, but it's too inefficient and uneconomical."

"……."

It was an offhand remark, but it was certainly true. The Sichuan Tang family's dedication to the art of memorization was evident in each and every one of their memorizations, which meant that they were expensive to produce.

"Of course, having the right weight and the right center of gravity makes for better memorization, but it's also more work and more expensive."

Tang San had no idea that Bi Ryuyeon had such a strong grasp of memorization, and was somewhat surprised that she was able to explain it in words.

This wasn't Daehyung's style: he never started with a theoretical explanation. He would always just ask them to do something. It was up to them whether they realized something from it or not, and that was his way of making them stronger in their mindlessness.

I can't believe that's an explanation…….

But she was, after all, Bi Ryuyeon.

"Do you understand? It's expensive! And memorization has a poor return rate. It's a consumable weapon. Every time you use it, you're throwing away your life savings! Don't you think that's a waste, Tang San?"

"That, I don't know……."

Dangsam blurted out.

"It's going to be so expensive that you'll be afraid to try it until you've mastered the Eightfold Path."

"It's definitely…… expensive."

The Eight Great Gold Lava Balls were expensive to make, and the raw materials themselves were expensive.

"So I came to the conclusion that the more expensive the memorization of a phrase, the more powerful it becomes."

It was a pretty stinging comment. But Dangsam had nothing to say in response.

"So how much would you have to pay to have one of those mantras that memorization is like a rain of flowers covering the sky?"

"……."

"I don't know, but it must cost a fortune. No wonder they made it the hardest thing to cook, because if you and I tried it, even the best Sichuanese would go broke in no time."

Tang San couldn't understand in what sense his big brother was saying this, or why he should be listening to it. Was he telling him to make a proposal for a price reduction when he got back to Tang Gate?

"So I came to a conclusion. what I needed to do most to make it happen."

"……?"

Bi Ryuyeon clenched her fist and spoke in a firm voice. Of course, it was a fist that didn't hold a needle.

"That's a lot of money, that's a lot of money, that's a lot of money, that's a lot of money!"

"……."

"……."

"How does that even make sense!"

The ginseng finally had enough and screeched. The screeching sound echoed around him.

Boom, boom, boom.

He was breathless with excitement.

"Yeah, that doesn't make sense, I feel a little more alive now."

Bi Ryuyeon said with a nonchalant face. Only then did Tang San realize that this was the first time he had expressed his emotions violently since Tang Wen Hye's death.

"On purpose?

But he soon shook his head. He hadn't expected such attentiveness from his big brother.

"Anyway, your house arm technique is expensive each time it's deployed, and while money can't buy you martial arts, it doesn't mean you can ignore the cost."

Ryu-yeon Bi continued calmly.

"But you'd have to master it before you could worry about the cost. Don't you think?"

"Uh, yeah."

"As you know, it costs a lot of money to practice Mandarin, but if you use this, you can save a lot of money."

"So I moved the needle to……."

I'm starting to understand a little bit more about why I was holding out that needle.

"I don't think it's a martial art, but it's actually the highest form of the art, and I don't know what the colored martial art is, but it's impossible to perform it without mastering the basics, so look, I'm not going to show you many times."

She threw the handful of needles she was holding toward a tree five yards away.

Pah-bah-bah-bah-bah!

Like rain in the rainy season, the flying needles hit the trees. But not all of them went into the tree; some went aside and stuck. And two needles remained in Bi Ryuyeon's hand.

"……!"

Certainly, throwing nearly a hundred needles at once and hitting a target five zhangs away was quite a feat. Had some of the misses gone into the trees, he would have been horrified.

"Go check it out."

There's nothing to check……. Even as he thought that, Dangsam walked on.

"This is……!"

When he reached the tree, his eyes widened.

The needles hit the tree, but the target wasn't the tree, because every needle she threw had an ant on the end of it. Even the few needles she thought had missed and hit the ground had an ant on them. The ants were scrambling to move forward, unaware that they had a giant pole in their bodies.

They totaled ninety-eight. He left two needles because there were not a hundred ants. To hit all the crawling ants five zhangs away was a remarkable skill, and even in his native Sichuan, there were not more than three people in the city of Sichuan who possessed this almost divine art, except for Jia Zhu.

When asked to pull out the needles, Dangsam had to collect all the tiny needles that were stuck in the ants, none of which had blunted tips, even though they were not made of very hard material.

When Dangsam returned with a pile of needles in each hand, Bi Ryuyeon said.

"Did you see that?"

Tang San nodded, still dazed. However, the dazed look on his face was due to Bi Ryuyeon's fantastic technique just now.

"These are the basics."

Bi Ryuyeon said in a calm voice.

"This is the default……."

"It's the first step in the door to Manchuria."

"This is the first step……."

So how powerful is the real Manchu Hua?

"An eye for detail, and the ability to see through it. Without either, the work of Wan Tian Hua Wu is not complete. So master them, until I return."

"Where…… you going?"

"Yes, your father-in-law is in trouble, and I'm going to go save him. You don't need to be on this rescue team, so you can stay here and train until I get back."

"Rescue……. Big brother, please take me…… too."

Bi Ryuyeon, who was about to leave, smirked at Dang-sam's comment.

"Why? Are you going to follow me to my death in your clumsy state? One tombstone with the character Tang is enough."

"Well, it's not like that!"

To the protesting Dangsam, Bi Ryuyeon clicked her tongue.

"Look at yourself now. If you can't even take care of yourself, how can you fight others? So for now, stay here and think about making flowers bloom all over the sky. It's the only way you can repay her for her sacrifice."

Dangsam didn't even bother to reply.

"Until you are ready to blossom, you are the atmosphere. Don't get stuck anywhere. Next time I see you, make sure you've planted at least a seed, so you can sprout."

With that, she left the room, waving a hand.

Tang Xiu stared blankly at the bundle of needles that Bi Ryuyeon had handed over, then bowed quietly to the retreating back of the great brother.

He looked up and saw a vast expanse of blue sky.

"Hui Zhou, watch me, for one day I will surely fill that blue sky with the flowers of Sichuan and offer them to him!"

A spark of life flickered in his dead eyes again.

Of course, there was still one more guy to deal with.

Whether he didn't want to be around other people or didn't want to show his friends that he was missing an arm, he sat alone in a secluded spot and looked out over the churning lake. Since he was still being chased, he couldn't move very far, so it didn't take her long to find him.

"How are you feeling?"

Bi Ryuyeon spoke to the old man, who was looking out over the horizon of Mulberry Lake.

"It's light and nice to have one arm off."

Nohak replied in a blunt tone, not breaking eye contact.

Puck!

"Yuck!"

With a grotesque scream, the gnome wrapped its left hand around its head and squeezed.

"Why are you hitting me, I'm a patient!"

The old man protested, rubbing his left hand through his honeycombed hair.

"You just thought, 'You're not going to hit a patient, are you?"

Nohak was stunned by the sharp question. I felt like I was being mind-controlled.

"That's why I slapped you, to let your guard down."

"Hey, I'm a patient……."

"What's the big deal? Do I need to change your diaper or bring you a bowl of gravy? Don't make a big deal out of the fact that one of your arms is missing."

Pathetic, said Turo Biyouyeon.

"Don't you dare say it's someone else's business!"

The old man protested.

He'd lost an arm, his chances of recovering were slim to none, and there was little that scared him now.

Bi Ryuyeon raised her fist as if she were about to feed the honey bee again. The gnome flinched reflexively and crouched down.

Bi Ryuyeon clicked her tongue.

"Tsk, tsk, dumbass, have you forgotten that the guy who took off one of your two arms is also a one-armed man?"

"……!"

As it turned out, he only had one arm, his left, and his armor was a prosthetic.

"Are you trying to tell me that he could do it and you can't, now?"

Even though he was wearing a prosthetic arm called the Heavenly Demon Soldier, I was surprised that he was capable of such martial arts.

"I can't say that, but…… What do you mean, big brother? Are you saying that a missing arm can grow back if you have the will? He even had a 'magic hand' to replace it, and I don't have that luxury!"

"Are you in your dog days?"

Bi Ryuyeon's sarcastic retort knocked the wind out of the old man's sails. However, he continued to speak as if his emotions were not easily controlled.

"As you know, Grandmaster, the opening martial arts are based on long and short techniques. Of course, long techniques don't require the use of both hands at the same time, but you know very well that one-armedness is a fatal weakness in long techniques."

"I don't know."

"I lost my right arm, which I had used for over twenty years. I'm right-handed! I could be declared incapable of practicing martial arts anymore and expelled from the Heavenly Martial Academy."

"So, you're giving up here?"

Instead of a gentle reassurance, I received a cold reply.

The old man shook his head vigorously.

"Do you think some people do it because they want to give up? How did I get here……. But I don't have my right arm anymore, forever! I mean, it's a miracle I can even get out of bed and sit up like this! I'm such a beggar! No, now I'm a beggar and an asshole on top of that, hahaha!"

Nohak laughed weakly.

"Is it funny to be so self-deprecating, or is it a new game these days?"

"But there's a way, there's a way!"

His martial arts, the only thing he could do besides beg, had been all but abolished. He had lost his martial arts, the only thing that supported his pride. He couldn't help but feel like he was worth less than dust.

"That's very impatient. Haven't you gotten over your impatience yet? Why are you so quick to give up? What if there's a way out?"

"What? What…… have you got?"

The old man, who had been racking his brains, was stunned by Bi Ryuyeon's words.

"I asked you what you would do if there was a way, why. Of course, even if there were, you'd have to abandon the idea that it would be smooth sailing early on. Well, apparently you're more comfortable lying on your ass like that, so you'll have to give it up."

There was a slight frozen look on the old man's face as he looked at Bi Ryuyeon, who clicked her tongue.

"Hey, is there a, is there a length?"

"No, you don't. You can't force a patient to do something they don't want to do. I'm just going to go."

"No? You're a natural, ah, where are you going!"

He slapped her hand so hard that she feared he might break what was left of her wrist, and then grabbed the hem of her robe as she turned away.

"Come on, come on, come on, come on, talk to me, big brother, come on, come on, I'm getting dizzy!"

His tugging at the hem of his shirt was unusually strong for a dizzy patient. Just a moment ago, he was looking weak, as if he had lost all hope in the world, and now his eyes were wide with desperation at the mere mention of the word. After dusting off the hem of her dress, Bi Ryuyeon stood with her arms crossed in defeat.

"By the way, I heard that the Ark of Openness is otherwise known as the Dragonhead Ark?"

"Yes, it is, and always has been."

She didn't teach him what he asked her to teach him, and why was he suddenly asking such an obvious question, and he felt doubtful, frustrated, and nervous at the same time. Of course, Bi Ryuyeon didn't care.

"When you say a dragon's head, you mean it has a body and a tail?"

"That's it, it has a mouth, eyes, horns, and a beard."

The dragon eyes were for gathering information, the dragon mouth for spreading rumors and manipulating public opinion, the dragon keels for favoritism, the dragon salts for elders, and the dragon troops for elite assaults. Overseeing them all was the dragon head, or ark of openness.

"So you're saying that the whole opening is one big dragon?"

"Yes, because it's essentially a dragon-shaped organization."

The old man chewed on his lip as if to ask why he was talking about nothing.

In fact, it's not so much a secret as it is a story that's already out in the open and known to anyone who knows anything about the Murim. It's just not as well known.

So why am I telling you this while catching myself with my arm blown off?

"So there's a reverse rhinestone, too, because it's a dragon?"

"Of course there is……!"

Old Hak snapped his head up and looked at Bi Ryuyeon, his eyes wide with horror. What those pupils were saying was clear.

"How do you know that?"

The gnome nodded, still wide-eyed.

No wonder. It was the shadow side of Open that was not part of Open's overt organizational chart, and only a few people within Open knew about it.

"But how?

Bi Ryuyeon chuckled.

"I asked some old man, and he said there was such a thing. What did he say?"

Bi Ryuyeon pretended to think for a moment, then said.

"Oh, right. The reverse lunge!"

As the words fell from his lips, the old man looked around nervously, as if to make sure no one was listening.

"My grandfather told me that the ruler of the Open is the Dragon's Head, but it's the Iron Throne that you should really fear, for it's the Iron Throne that proves the Open's wrath."

Inverted scales were originally inverted scales on dragons that were not to be touched. Legend has it that touching them would incur the wrath of the dragon. And the giant dragon called Open had one.

"By the look on your face, you've heard of it?"

"Yes, I've heard of it."

He'd been rolled this way and that by his big brother, but it turns out he was one of the next generation of Open Ark candidates.

"So, what's the name of the thing, the sword method?"

"It's a reverse longsword."

The old man replied, unable to erase the suspicion that he was asking knowing questions.

"Oh, right, the Reverse Lin Sword, you said it was the only sword method open to the public?"

Beggars were originally the lowest of the low. They were used to being looked down upon and mistreated by others. Everyone looked down on beggars just because they were beggars. So they created a huge organization to protect themselves.

That's a fucking co-op [幇] of girls.

Open.

But that doesn't lessen the persecution of beggars. They often suffer the most injustice. They are often stabbed in the back and no one cares.

But they put up with it, because they're beggars, because they're fuckers.

They have no choice but to put up with it. They live on the sympathy of others, on the kindness of others, and even if it is cheap sympathy, if it feeds them, it is the beggar who is grateful to receive it.

But there were times when you could put up with it, but you couldn't put up with it. When they touched something that shouldn't be touched. When their survival is threatened. They rage.

His anger was represented by the Reverse Linzhi, who held the sole "holy sword" of openness.

"Do you think beggars use their bare hands or bamboo bamboo sticks as weapons for nothing?"

"That's not it, you're just using it because it's cheap, right?"

"Yes. They're particularly advanced because they don't have the money to buy weapons, so they've been using fleshpots and bamboo sticks as weapons instead of expensive iron fittings, because they're cheaper. Instead, they've decided to have just one sword. A single sword forged by former beggars of the Xixth General City with their own begging money. They decided to entrust it to one man, one man to rage on their behalf, one man to rage for them as they all endured indignities."

Because of this, beggars of openness are always, always, never angry. They endure any insult because they are beggars, and because they know there is someone who will be angry for them.

Among the lowest class of people, it was the beggars who were the most useless, so there were many orphans and cripples at the opening. I wonder if that's why.

The reverse ling sword was a "one-handed sword" that could be wielded with one hand. It was also a left-handed sword.

This is because the first Yue Lin had his right arm cut off and then burned his body in anger and frustration before perfecting the Yue Lin Sword Method.

Suddenly, Luo Hak shuddered in shock, as if a thunderbolt had struck him on the crown of his head.

"……!"

All hope was not yet lost. A flash of brilliance flashed into the future that had seemed so bleak just moments before.

"Noh Hak, do you think you can be the dragon's backliner?"

"……."

"Can you step up to the plate for a raging open?"

"……."

"Can you awaken that dragon, which symbolizes the wrath of the dead?"

"That's……."

She didn't listen to his answer. Instead, she kept it short and sweet.

"Do it, it's a command."

And then he added a quick aside.

"You will be able to hold the dragon's reverse rhinestone, the Reverse Rhinestone Blade, in your hand. The one hand that still has it!"

"大型……."

Old Hak looked at Bi Ryuyeon with tearful eyes.

"What, those eyes? Gross."

Bi Ryuyeon frowned and said.

"Humans are supposed to have two arms, and you still have one left, so that's good enough for you."

Yeah, I could see enough with my one remaining arm to show you.

"I've got enough in my other arm to give him a good punch, don't you think? I don't think he's crippled at heart."

So get back up, it was saying.

What if you lose the use of one of your limbs? As long as your mind is not crippled, you can still be stronger.

That's what I was saying.

Noh Hak could not control the tears from overflowing.

He vowed that he would return to his brother and his friends, stronger than ever, with the Inverted Sword in his hand, his will and hope welling up from the depths of his heart.

* * *

Three years have passed since then.

When the time came, she walked to where the boat was waiting.

The ship was anchored on the shore of the lake to the northeast of Kanghorando. It was inconspicuous because it was beneath a cliff that dug into the water like an awl. The boat they had taken to escape from the Heavenly Pavilion had already sunk to the bottom of Dongzheng Lake, so Jang Hong had secretly used his influence to rescue it. Jang Hong had already organized a group of men who would move the ship, and they would take Bi Ryuyeon and her party to the desired location.

In front of the boat, many people were already waiting for the farewell ceremony. There was not a single member of the cast who was able to walk, including Dangsam and Nohak, who saw them off.

As Bi Ryuyeon approached the ship, the cast members all turned to face him and giggled.

"What is that laugh? It's gross, you guys."

Bi Ryuyeon grinned back at him.

"Sixteen in all, thirteen including Danju Namgungsang, two wounded, one dead. All assembled."

Nam Gung-sang reported on behalf of the organization.

"Sixteen……?"

"Yes, sixteen, because our cast is, and always has been, sixteen!"

Namgungsang replied with a flourish.

The two injured were Hyun-woon and Namgungsansan, and the "other one" was, of course, Tang Wen-hye. It was a statement of intent that she was still a member of the Zhu Clan and remained in their hearts.

"That's a lot. This is going to sink the ship."

Everyone laughed out loud at her nervousness. Come to think of it, it's been a long time since we've all laughed like this.

"Funny……. There are only three of you left in the main troupe, Gongsang, Jinling, and Geum Young Ho."

Instantly, the smile vanished from Zhu Zhaodan's face.

"No, why, didn't I tell you to decide?"

"What's the matter with you all of a sudden, big brother?"

Looking at them questioningly, she crossed her arms.

"Because it's dangerous."

"Since when does your godbrother care about such things?"

Everyone looked at her in disbelief.

"From this moment on, why, are you unhappy?"

There were complaints, of course, but none of them were vocalized until they saw Bi Ryuyeon cupping her other wrist with one hand.

"Right now, you guys are just holding me back, and for someone like Moon Hye, one person is enough. Not more than once. I don't want to lose you again."

"大型……."

A tidal wave of emotion washed over Zhu Jiaodan's face. Bi Ryuyeon spoke in a solemn voice.

"…Without you, who will take care of my old age later?"

-Yes!

The excitement that had been building quickly turned into a cold sweat. At the same time, frustration reared its ugly head and amplified.

"I don't know about Gongsang Danzhu and Qinling, but why is Geum Young-ho staying? He's not particularly good among us, is it because he has a lot of…… money?"

It was a reasonable guess. However, her answer was a little different.

"An emergency fund wouldn't hurt, but the real reason is that his family is very active in that part of the world, and you never know, they might have something to use it for?"

Geum Young-ho's face crumpled as he heard Bi Ryuyeon refer to herself as a portable wallet.

"Oh, and don't think you'll get to play just because you're going back. The rest of you have work to do, too. Who's going to protect this place when the power goes out to the rescue squad, and who's going to take care of your wounded friends?"

"By the way……."

Bi Ryuyeon interrupted the puzzled cast members.

"Wait, guard your friends. And train, do not slacken. Be stronger. So that I can rest easy. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Big Brother."

"Dismissed then. We'll meet again in a few days."

The main cast left, leaving only three people, including Namgungsang. Ryu Eun-kyung, who was not part of the main cast, stayed behind. She claimed that she couldn't leave his side. Of course, Qin Ling was furious, and the courtier was still at a loss. His constancy somehow reassured her.

By the time the main crew returned, there were several people on the boat.

Mo Yonghui and Jang Hong, Yong Tianming and Maha Ling, the three swords, Cheng Hsin-Yin and Bai Mu-Ying, and the two ice swords. Just as Lord Liu added, Gong Gong Zhenghui insisted on going with his brother Mo Yong, so they were forced to take him on board.

Unfortunately, the Army Goddess Qin Xiaoling and the Divining Sword Yue Eunsung were not part of the rescue team, as they were tasked with escorting the Ice Moon Prophet Ye Qing to Meng. The Blue Snow Jade Sword Maiden Guan Shuji had hoped to join the rescue team, but her father's fierce opposition forced her to give up.

Before joining the ship for the last time, Bi Ryuyeon looked at Hyo Ryong, who had been silently transmitting them from earlier.

Instead of a sword on his back, he wore two sabers, a white sash around his head, and a white robe. Of course, he had no intention of staying here to weep and mourn the death of someone. That was not the proper behavior for a man of the Gall Clan.

Instead of tears of sorrow, there was a fierce glint in his eyes. Blood for blood, that was the iron rule of the Gall Clan. If not now, then soon, within days, Hyo-Ryong would follow them, for there were some things he had to see with his own two eyes, and he would not be left out.

"I'll catch up with you soon. You go first."

"Are you okay, Dragon?"

Hyorong nodded heavily.

"Don't worry about me. I'm only staying because I have work to do. I'll catch up with you soon."

"If it's confusing, you don't have to chase it."

As if she knew what was raging in Hyo-Ryong's mind right now, Bi Ryuyeon said.

Hyorong shook his head in silence.

"No, I'm going to go. I have to go."

Bi Ryuyeon looked into Hyo Rong's eyes. As if searching for what he was thinking right now.

"If that's you, then it must be. I'll wait."

"Okay, wait."

He continued to stare at them in silence until Bi Ryuyeon had boarded the ship and they were preparing to leave. Namgung Sang, who had been watching the scene from Bi Ryuyeon's side, suddenly exclaimed with an apologetic face.

"Oops, I don't see a Sojae, do you, Big Brother?"

He looked around as if there was no way he could have made such a mistake.

"No fuss. She's not coming."

"Yes? No, why?"

"Because I didn't tell them I was leaving today."

And then he shut up. Namgungsang couldn't ask more.

Bi Ryuyeon muttered to herself as she watched the water slowly recede.

"I'm sorry, Yerin."

That was it.

"Sang, I see something strange, what is that?"

The spirit approached Namgungsang and pointed to the cliff.

"Hmm? It looks like a human shadow……."

On the cliffs of an island, a figure stood in the backlight. It was a woman, judging by her form.

"That's……."

Behind her long bangs, Bi Ryuyeon's eyes widened.

"I jumped!"

Namgungsang shouted.

"It's a suicide!"

Geum exclaimed.

Bam!

A honeycomb stung the back of his head.

"Wrong, you idiot!"

It wasn't a suicide, as she says.

The woman in white, as pure as snow, sailed through the air like a bird, but the distance between the ship and the cliff was now too great.

"I'm drowning!"

Geum Young-ho exclaimed in horror.

"Not out!"

Bam!

Once again, honeycomb stung the back of Geum's head.

The white woman's spirit dipped downward, then floated upward again, flicking the heads of the waterfowl that flew around the island with her toes.

"That's a nice non-committal bird (飛空踏鳥)!"

There were exclamations here and there.

She stomped on the birds' heads with her feet and landed on the deck of the ship, light as a feather. She was as graceful and majestic as a phoenix, and the faces of the people were filled with wonder.

"Yerin!"

"Come on," Bi Ryuyeon called out to the woman. It was, to her surprise, none other than Na Yerin, who had landed on the boat after traversing dozens of sheets from the cliff. It was indeed a graceful kung fu technique worthy of the Bing Bai Peak.

People looked at Na Yerin with their mouths agape at this sudden turn of events.

"I'm almost late for the boat, I hope there's room for me on this one, Ryuyeon?"

Na Yerin glanced back at Bi Ryuyeon, her gaze holding a certain amount of rebuke. For leaving without saying anything to her.

Also, her eyes were saying

"You're not going to tell me to get off, are you?

She seemed to know what she was doing, and that meant she'd thought it through and weighed all the options.

At first, she was speechless, but then she smiled as if she had lost.

"Sure. The seat next to me is always empty, because it's always Yerin's."