Book 29 Chapter 11

Manifestation! The Divine Power of the Three Great Nanglings

-A grand welcome ceremony

"Hey, guys. We… got out of here, right?"

Jang Hong's face was stiff as he walked out of the Great Refuge.

"Perhaps, Mr. Zhang."

But the water didn't lighten Jang Hong's complexion at all, nor did it lighten Mo Yonghui's complexion when he answered.

"But what is it, why do you feel so uncomfortable, Gung Sang, are you comfortable?"

"That's… I have a feeling this isn't……. Maybe we're at the wrong entrance?"

To the cautious question, Jang Hong vehemently denied it.

"No, no. That was the only entrance to the Great Refuge. It was the only way to the outside that could be used once."

"Haha…… So this is a dream after all, right?"

But even with that, Jang Hong still denied it.

"I hope this is a dream. Somehow I got in so easily……."

A self-deprecating smirk crossed my face, and then the silent Bi Ryuyeon whistled and spoke up.

"That's a really cool welcome that gives me goosebumps."

Ooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

He looked around and saw archers surrounding him in three huge circles. It was a huge 'archery circle' that must have been at least thirty zhang in radius, centered on where Bi Ryuyeon's group was.

The archers who were feeding the arrows to their bows must have numbered more than a thousand, and if they snapped their fingers at each other, a rain of arrows, like a torrential downpour in the rainy season, would fall upon their heads.

It was only a gesture of goodwill that sent a few of them flying.

"…What do we do now, Big Brother? We're dead!"

When Namgungsang asked urgently, as if his dazed mind had finally returned, Bi Ryuyeon replied with a pathetic look.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch, I'm not going to shoot you right now."

"How do you know that so well?"

Jang Hong asked in disbelief.

"That's what geniuses do."

"You've got to be kidding me. Is there a joke in this situation?"

"Seriously. Well, there's no way those scary old ladies are going to use such a tacky method as arrows to get to the bottom of this, right? They're going to have to do it themselves."

Jang Hong's eyes, filled with skepticism and disbelief, turned to Bi Ryuyeon.

"Is that true?"

"Look, he's finally here."

As he spoke, the archers circled around him like a hedge, and then one side opened, and the Eight Elders stepped forward, led by Gal Hyo-hye, the Zodiac Lady.

No arrows flew, but more flesh than a thirty-piece radius quiver struck them all at once.

Finally, the women of Shinmaga appeared before Nabechuan.

"I didn't expect to pass the Tianrajimang Mumunse like that, so I had to spend some time rebuilding it. My eldest sister did a great job."

Gal Hyo-hye, the djinni, smiled broadly and greeted them.

The first Galhyoin crossed his arms and watched in silence. His eyes were heavy and serious, and his face was so serious that no joke would work.

"Well, thank you anyway, you've saved me the trouble of looking for a beast I couldn't find with three thousand people."

A gaze filled with laughter swept over to Nie Baiqian, his mouth smiling, but his eyes as cold as ice knives.

"I guess I'll just have to say yes, thank you."

Gal Hyohye said with a wide smile.

"How did you find this place?"

"That's because I let you go on purpose, didn't you know?"

Gal Hyo-hye, the Dipper, smiled gently at Bi Ryuyeon's words and replied.

"No, I already knew you let it go on purpose."

As Gal Hyo-hye watched Bi Ryuyeon, she was reminded of Yi-chae.

"Wow, you're quick on the uptake."

"Flattering words. But you can praise me more, by all means. By the way, I've taken care of all the black dogs you let loose to give chase, how did you do it?"

The Black Dogs had already been destroyed at the hands of Bi Ryuyeon.

"I didn't expect you to be this competent, but you don't have to use one to keep up, do you?"

"I don't think so, because I didn't notice any other signs, and I'm pretty sensitive."

She had absolute confidence in her senses.

"Maybe the pursuer doesn't have to be a person, for example, a scent……."

Gal Hyo-hye put on a friendly face and smiled broadly.

"Are you sure you didn't use thyme?"

Jang Hong, who could be called an expert in that field, asked in surprise.

Tianli incense, also known as Tianli follow incense.

It's a scent that literally follows you a thousand miles, but the person wearing it can't smell it. Only a few specially trained animals can smell it.

"That can't be right, I've made sure we're prepared for that, just in case."

I can't tell you how hard I tried to avoid stepping on my tail. It shouldn't have been a problem to defend against followers.

"Mmm, something that's water-resistant and long-lasting. I used a new product, Manchurian Incense, because people have more advanced ways of detecting and dealing with it these days."

It was said in a lighthearted tone, as if it were an expensive lotus, but it was a fearsome scent.

"Even so, you didn't have to wait for me like this. It would have been better if you'd chased me for ten thousand li before you showed up."

Then I would have been out of Hubei Province.

"Hoo hoo, I couldn't wait to meet you."

It sounded like a wistful love letter.

"Anyway, this is the second time I've gotten caught with this."

That's right. That was the second time I've done this.

The first was when he was staying at the New Yongsan Guest House, and his identity was discovered, and he was captured by the Yeomdo and ice sword, which were the maximum power of the rescue squad, and his power was split half and half.

No, this time it was even more deadly than the last, for then they had been chased, but there was hope. They were able to capture the black dog in a counterattack, and they were even able to escape the relentless pursuit of the Black Heavenly Blind, and rejoice that they had rescued their master, Nai Bai Tian.

And now, just when they thought they would finally realize their hopes of returning to their home, the Heavenly Academy, which they miss so much that they are almost homesick, they appear.

It was likely that this would end up being wishful thinking. The existence of Nie Bai Tian, their most important target, had been discovered. Worse, it was they who had led them here.

"Don't get too discouraged, a couple mistakes is what most people do."

Gal Hyo-hye smiles and comforts her, and Bi Ryuyeon responds with her trademark wry smile.

"That's not much consolation, I prefer to be one of a kind, not one of most, and these days it's all about individuality, isn't it?"

"What does it matter now, we're all going to be corpses when we die anyway."

It was as if she was saying, "In my eyes, you are all already the same corpse. Despite her smiling face, she had a way with words, a venomous tongue, that even Bi Ryuyeon could not easily match.

Quack quack quack quack………!

But Bi Ryuyeon, who had been instinctively looking for a way to save herself earlier, was secretly focusing her attention on the rushing water that she had been hearing even as she talked to Gal Hyo-hye. Yes, it was. The rapids they had jumped into to get to Daehanwon were still nearby.

"Even in the rapids, the flow is rather stable in the middle.

Did she even read his thoughts? Gal Hyo-hye said as she looked at Bi Ryuyeon with a smile on her face.

"Oh, and by the way, if you're thinking of doing the whole jumping into the river thing, you might want to give up, because it's not a good idea."

"Kang? Ho-ho, I hadn't thought of that, that's very kind of you to show me how to do it."

Bi Ryuyeon shook her head in disbelief.

"Well, that's a good thing, then, because if someone jumps in, we'll all be dealing with human flesh caught in a wire net, so we might as well save ourselves the hassle. You didn't really think that a turtle would go down the river, did you?"

The implication was that they'd get caught anyway, so why bother jumping in the river?

"Chit, you've already gone that far!

It's hard not to jump when there's a raging river behind you.

"……Okay, I guess that's it. Kulkulkulk."

Bai Xiaochun coughed out a residual cough as he struggled to move his body.

"I feel bad for you guys, you're young, and you're putting me through this."

"No, my lord, we were just doing what we had to do."

Mo Yonghui and Nan Gongsheng replied to Nie Baiqian's words with stony faces. Judging from the unwavering tone of their voices and the look in their eyes, they were already halfway to death.

"I'm sorry. And thank you."

Bi Ryuyeon, who was watching the scene, sighed and grumbled.

"Phew, that's a bad mood, Mr. Zhang, let's change the name of the operation, we."

"What, you have a joke for a serious time like this?"

At Jang Hong's frown, Bi Ryuyeon clicked her tongue and retorted.

"Of course you should do it while you can, you never know when you won't be able to be funny anymore, right?"

"That's a terrible prediction."

If you want to laugh, take this opportunity to laugh, she was saying. She had a point. I was certainly in a desperate situation right now.

"So what are you suggesting we rename the operation?"

"I'm going to change it from 'Operation Blindside' to 'Operation Blindside Escape'."

Gal Hyo-hye, who had been watching them with a warm smile and a cold gaze, smirked at Bi Ryuyeon's words.

"Isn't that what escape or rescue is all about?"

"It's not the same at all. Rescue is all about stealth and safety, whereas escape is all about survival, which means you get to use your powers like a riverboat!"

Bi Liuyue smiled and said. It was hard to smile in a situation like this unless your nerves were thick and strong.

"Ho-ho-ho, you've got some balls."

Even without the injured Na Baichen in their ranks, they seemed to think that this was enough to win. But Gal Hyo Hye still wore a relaxed smile. The way she treated them was like a benevolent official granting a prisoner one last family reunion. In other words, there was no urgency, but she could kill them at any moment with a wave of her hand.

"Hmm, come to think of it, maybe the source of your guts isn't because you think that stupid siege network…… you saw on your way in here is the real wide-area siege network that the Black Heavenly Blind boasts of?"

He tilted his head at an angle as Gal Hyo-hye asked, staring as if trying to read over Bi Ryuyeon's bangs.

"Uh-huh, so what was that?"

"Huh. Now that you're out of your depth, I'll show you what the 'real' Tianrajimang Moonlessness is: when I say no doors, I don't mean no doors from the outside in, I mean no doors from the inside out."

At the same time, Gal Hyo-hye, the Zodiac Lady, threw her right hand up in the air and exclaimed.

"Tian Gong Yuan Chen!"

Around them, a thousand archers rose to their feet and drew their bows in unison toward the center of the circle.

Completely surrounded, the first column of three thousand troops entered a state of readiness, their bows drawn from all directions. The tips of more than three thousand arrows were pointed at Bi Ryuyeon's group in unison without a break.

Three thousand arrows were about to rain down on Bi Ryuyeon and Nie Bai Tian.

"Stop."

It was a woman's voice, loud and clear as if she were speaking directly into everyone's ears.

Then, as if she had already been waiting, Gal Hyo-hye naturally bowed slightly and took a step to the side. Apparently, she was just trying to stifle Bi Ryuyeon's momentum and didn't actually intend to shoot the bow.

The rest of the sisters of the Divine Eightfold Path took turns stepping to the left and right.

A heavy silence descended. A thousand people circled around them, but no one spoke. Then, quietly, from among the daughters lined up on the right and left, two women walked out, one in white, the other in red and blue.

Mothers who have lost their sons.

They were Muhua, the Nine Heavenly Maidens, Dan Hye, the Honglian Adept, and Saran, the Binglian Adept.

As the three ladies took their places in the line, the pressure was unparalleled by that of the Divine Eight.

Nine Heavenly Maiden Muhua's gaze flew to Nie Bai Tian, who was being supported by the Southern Palace Chief. Perhaps because he felt her gaze, Bai Xiaochun slowly raised his head.

The gazes of Nine Heavenly Maiden Muhua and Spiritual Master Nie Bai Chen collided in midair. His pupils shook violently. The corner of her left eye twitched for a moment, but she made no further movements.

The first to speak up was the Nine Heavenly Maidens Muhua.

"We finally met."

I couldn't read any emotion in his voice. But even so, there was a hatred in it that was more powerful than anything else. Even the people around him were stunned by the silence that followed those few words. Staring at Mu Hua with fluctuating eyes, Nie Bai Tian barely opened his mouth to call out to her.

"Big Brother……."

The name that came out of his mouth was a surprise, and the first flicker of anger flashed across Mu Hua's stoic face, before the red-haired woman beside him, Dan Hye, the Red Lotus Master, spoke up.

"Shut up, who are you to utter that name!"

It was a cry that could move mountains and shake rivers.

"That's not it, you're wrong!"

Nabaxian, his face pale, exclaimed.

The earth and atmosphere seemed to tremble in time with the women's rage.

Flesh tingling like needles on skin, anger, hatred, and uncontrollable sadness.

Even the lowly Bi Ryuyeon couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat in the face of a mother who had lost her child. His face was still impassive, as if nothing had happened, but a cold sweat was already trickling down his back.

Boom!

One of the first to take the plunge was the Honglian Zen master Danhye.

"You've been trying to save your life with excuses all this time! My anger will not abate unless I first burn your shameful, guilty limbs before I offer you to my eldest sister!"

It seemed that no matter what anyone said, she couldn't control herself unless she used her hands. Gal Hyo-hye looked at Saran with a pleading gaze. Saran, who was deep in thought, took a step forward and stood next to Dan Hye, speaking in a quiet voice.

"Why don't I take matters into my own hands?"

"Even your mother?

No matter how calm and collected Gal Hyo-hye was, she couldn't help but be stunned by the words. It was an unexpected behavior from her normally calm and collected mother.

"I'm sure my third brother is just as eager to avenge his family's blood debt, but I will not allow his life to end until I have properly disposed of the beast according to Shinmaga law, so there will be room for him to step forward even after I have taken his limbs myself!"

Danhye nodded in agreement and drove the nail in the coffin.

"It's been a while since I've held hands with my second sister."

Gal Hyo-hye's smile faded from her face and she became embarrassed.

It was as if they were genuinely trying to do both at once.

'Not only my second mother, but my mother……!'

Even the third wife, Saran's biological daughter, had never seen them work together before.

At that time, after hearing Dan Hye's words, Saran turned and bowed respectfully to the Nine Heavenly Maidens, who remained silent as a mountain, and then bowed to Dan Hye again.

"Eldest sister, second sister, and I will remove the obstacles and capture my son's enemies alive and bring them before the eldest sister. Especially that beast, Nai Bai Tian, we will make him suffer in agony, unable to live or die until he is dealt with according to the laws of the Shinmaga family. But……."

Gal Hyo-hye's eyes glittered and focused on Saran's last words, but she couldn't hear the words that followed "but……". However, shortly afterward, she saw the Honglian Adeptess Danhye look at Saran with wide-eyed wonder, and it was clear that some sort of telepathic conversation was taking place between the three mothers.

Bi Ryuyeon and Na Baichen were also focused on the scene, but they couldn't make out anything.

The gazes of the other Divine Eight Adepts were equally focused on the expressions of the three.

Saran, the third mother, had an expressionless face, Dan-hye, the second mother, looked like she was holding back a tantrum, and Mu-hwa, the first mother, looked like she was pondering something with a sullen face.

Gal Hyohye, the Zodiac Goddess, was examining the scene with a complex and subtle gaze.

'Does that mean your mother thinks the same way…….? But why are you drawing so much attention to yourself……?'

And after a while.

The silent fig finally spoke up.

"Allow."

Danhye and Saran bowed again.

"Thank you, Big Sister."

"Yes, Big Sister, just wait for the Ildar."

And finally, two of the big three were out.

Of the two of them, who had stopped only a dozen zhang away from Bi Ryuyeon, Saran silently extended his right hand toward them.

What is this?

Namgungsang felt a cold drop of water on his cheek and at first thought it was suddenly raining. But rain usually falls from the sky to the ground, not from the ground to the sky, and it doesn't float in circles after rising for a certain amount of time.

"What the hell is this?"

What kind of natural harmony is this?

"Pour it on!"

Saran dropped the hand that had been extended toward them.

The droplets soon turned into sharp ice picks and began to rain down on them.

Arcana of the Ice Palace

Ice White Divinity (氷魄神功)

Righteousness (奧義)

Absolute Ice Crystal (絶代氷獄)

The water in the ditches around them exploded, freezing in an instant, creating a prison of cold, hard ice that trapped them in its cold and chill.

"Are you cold? Don't worry, I'll warm you up soon!"

The woman holding a boulder the size of a house in one hand, smiling murderously, was Danhye, the Honglian Zen master, Shinmaga's second wife.

"Huh? Why is the surface of the rock so bumpy?"

Jang Hong frowned and muttered. For some reason, the rock she was holding like a ball peen felt greasy and glistening, and that was what bothered her.

What the hell are you going to do with that rock?

Before he could finish his question in his mind, a boulder the size of a fist burst into flames, roaring and blazing with fierce heat.

Boom!

When the shadows of flickering flames were added to Dan Hye's smiling face as she held the rock, her laughter made her look like an infernal nachal, laughing as she tossed sinners into a fiery, superheated inferno. Indeed, she had once been called the Crimson Nachal. It was a long time ago, but that doesn't mean there weren't many who were reduced to ashes by her flames.

"Come on… no way……."

But Dan-hye's next move was beyond their imagination. Instead of throwing the flame-encrusted rock at them, she hurled it right up at them.

Boom!

"My blow is invincible, a hammer of fire that brings down fiery wrath!"

Danhye kicked the ground and leapt into the air.

His fist, drawn back as far as it would go, began to glow red.

"Take it!"

A fist of flame slammed into the center of the giant belly.

Arcana of the Yin Palace (秘傳)

Fire Spirit Shamanism

Ultimate Righteousness

Heat Wave (爆炎拳)

Feverish meteorite fall!

Tsk! Qua-ang!

Quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack!

Dan Hye quickly lifted a huge boulder that was drenched in a special oil, Fire Dragon Oil, and delivered a blow to the center of it with a fist that crackled with flames.

I've seen rain of blood fall from the sky, but I've never seen hail of fire.

But now, hailstones of fire were falling, burning the black sky red.

A storm of red flames and a storm of ice rained down on them simultaneously.

The aftermath was devastating.

The boulders, broken into hundreds of pieces, became volcanic bombs, or meteor showers of flame.

Quack, quack, quack!

It was a terrifying momentum that seemed to scorch the earth and reduce it to black ash. They were the most terrifying martial arts I had ever seen in my life.

"Ugh! What a bunch of martial arts!"

Even Bi Ryuyeon, the so-called common sense destroyer, was so disgusted by the shape and form of the martial arts that he uttered a cry of protest.

Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp!

Against the flying volcanoes of flame and the rain of ice picks, Bi Ryuyeon and his men desperately swung their swords to parry.

They used the most powerful defensive herbs at their disposal to protect themselves and their comrades. But every time the hail of fire and the ice of ice struck the sword walls and sword shields they had created, they felt the shock of their bowels shaking.

Fire and ice, with their weight and speed, were very intimidating and their power was terrifying. They were hot, then cold, then hot, then cold, then hot. But I had no choice but to grit my teeth and endure, knowing that once I was breached, I would be ravaged by a baptism of ice and fire.

Where have these monstrous aunts been all this time, and now they're just showing up! Bi Ryuyeon cursed inwardly and dodged from side to side.

Mo Yonghui, Jang Hong, and Nan Gongsheng spaced themselves out one step at a time, desperately spreading out their sword shields to surround Bai Xiaochun and Bi Ryuyeon. At first glance, it looked like Bi Ryuyeon was hiding inside the sword shields of Mo Yonghui and the others, and was only blocking what was flying at him through the shields. However, in reality, since he was clinging to Bai Xiaochun's side, blocking the things flying towards him was naturally protecting Bai Xiaochun.

"Ryuyeon, you shouldn't just stand by and watch, you should help too!"

But soon, even Mo Yonghui's sword was too much for the sword shield to withstand, and he shouted as he swung his sword.

"I don't even have a sword."

"Is that what you're saying in this situation? We're all going to die if you don't get out there, and there's only three of us, so get out there and stop it, even if it's with your bare hands!"

"Big brother, come on!"

It was the cry of Jang Hong and the Southern Palace. Indeed, the sword membrane under the baptism of ice and fire was getting weaker and weaker. Even Nie Bai Tian spoke up with a serious face.

"Get out. I'm fine."

"…… Oh, come on. Okay, okay, okay, do you really have to use me, you might regret it!"

Whirrrrrr!

The air stirred, became wind, and wrapped around Bi Ryuyeon's runoff. The wind spun harder and harder, until it became a gale.

Bi Ryuyeon was not elevated to the status of a goddess for nothing.

As Bi Ryuyeon's hand wrapped in the wind spun in a circle, the air around her began to swirl and swirl, sending sparks and ice flying in all directions. It was similar to the effect of the Windstorm Maneuver that Hyun-woon had used, but a bit more chaotic.

"Hey, man, look at that, look at that, look at that, look at that, you almost burned my head off and made me bald!"

A blind volcanic bullet nearly hit Jang Hong in the back of the head.

"Oh, sorry, but it's still small enough, never mind!"

Smiling, Bi Ryuyeon apologized.

"What?! What do you mean less, what do you mean less, are you trying to argue, are you trying to fight!"

Jang Hong's voice was filled with anger.

"Gee, why do people get in trouble for telling the truth, Won."

Bi Ryuyeon made a face of incomprehension and threw a shower of volcanic bombs and ice picks back and forth.

"And don't care about it! What's that supposed to mean? I care about it more, man! I care about it when it's not enough, and I care about it when it's too much!"

The reaction was unusually intense today. Everyone has a sensitive spot that twitches when poked. If you touch such a place recklessly, you can end your life with a simple word. Isn't it the mouth that always provokes anger?

However, when I moved forward to Bi Ryuyeon and looked at the flying fire and ice, it seemed that there was a hole in the defense. While everyone was busy deflecting the volcanic bombs, Nabaxian, the most important escort and enemy target, was inevitably exposed.

"Oh, my God!"

How did he get so close? His godfather, the Nine Heavenly Maiden Muhua, who had been watching from afar with her arms crossed, was now standing in front of him.

"When?!

It was a question that ran through everyone's minds at the same time. Even if he hadn't been busy unleashing his sword shield, it would have been difficult to stop him anyway. Even though they had been paying close attention to the most powerful opponent, it was as if he had slipped through the cracks of their consciousness and was now standing there. With the qi of the Black Sky surrounding him.

False.

The thick black aura grew stronger and stronger, and the grass she was treading on began to wither and die as if it were blackened and burned. Muhua remained silent, as if she didn't want to deal with it.

"I am not a beast, brother! Why would I do such a thing? But I will not resist, so end this with my one life. Let my friends go."

Bai Xiaochun closed his eyes as if premonitioning his fate. He didn't resist. In his current state, it would be pointless.

Eek!

Mu Hua's hand stretched forward and grabbed Nie Bai Tian's throat.

Nine Heavenly Gems (九天玄玄神功)

Fourth Heaven Beiming County Sea Shrine (北溟玄海神功)

Nine Lines of Suction (九連吸性訣)

Musculoskeletal (分筋錯骨式) 格物吸吸星 (格物吸吸星)

From the body of the Nine Heavenly Maiden Mu Hua, a sphere of darkness suddenly spread out, engulfing Nie Bai Tian's entire body. The black sphere that swallowed both Mu Hua and Bai Xiaochun looked like the black heavens manifested on earth, or like a black hole had suddenly opened up in this world, leading to the abyss.

"Kaaaahhhhhhh!"

A scream erupted from Bai Xiaochun's mouth as he was held by Mu Hua. The wound in his chest that he had been suppressing burst open again, and red blood trickled out. His bones and muscles twisted, and with a tremendous pain, his Qi began to ebb and flow out. At this rate, he felt like his body would disappear into a handful of dust. The entire black sphere around him seemed to be sucking the life out of him.

"Mighty Lord!"

Mo Yonghui and Nangong Shang hastily raised their swords, flying toward the black sphere and swinging their swords.

Bam! Bam!

Then, for a moment, a glowing black hand emerged from the black sphere and snapped its fingers twice. With that, the black ring at the end of his middle finger shot out toward the two men's swords.

The swords of Namgungsang and Mo Yonghui clash against the black silence.

It bounced off with a tremendous "bang! bang! bang!" sound.

"Did you just say it was…… zhi wind?"

A mere light breeze knocked off a steel-armored sword?

Had it not been for the gale, their swords would have shattered like pieces of tin. That was no ordinary wind.

"You're not Kang-hwan, are you?

There was no time for further thought. Nangong Shang and Mo Yonghui somersaulted and landed on the ground, bending their knees as far as they could, then kicked off the ground and shot toward the black sphere like a tumbling iron. They couldn't delay for even a moment.

Their swords pierced through the dark sphere with all their might, and the sphere dissolved, revealing the figures within. Nangong Shang and Mo Yonghui's swords were stabbing, aimed precisely at Mu Hua's spleen.

"Huh!"

Namgungsang and Mo Yonghui were stunned into silence. Before they knew it, their swords were sandwiched between Mu Hua's two left fingers.

"Take it!"

The faintly glowing silvery power within Mu Hua's left hand was unmistakable. Knowing that one of Mu Hua's organs was the Absorption Technique, Mo Yonghui and Nan Gongsheng hurriedly tried to close the distance, but their swords had already been captured by Mu Hua's left hand, and no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't escape.

Grrrrr.

The black energy grew like vines from their swords and wrapped around their arms. Instantly, they felt a chill and a burning pain, and the energy began to drain from them, as if a hole had opened somewhere in their bodies.

"Huh!

Deciding that this was no longer safe, the two men looked at each other and, with their still-intact hands, unleashed a barrage of bullets at each other.

Tension and tension collided with a resounding "poof!" as their bodies broke free of their bonds with the help of the impact and flew in opposite directions. Harnessing the repulsive force of each other's exerted tension was an extremely risky endeavor, and one that could prove disastrous if done incorrectly and the force of the tension was not equal. Failing to dissipate all of their momentum, their legs buckled and they fell to one knee.

"Oh, my God!"

Although the strength of the Absorption Technique had been weakened by paying attention to them for a while, Nie Baiqian was still in Mu Hua's grip.

"Damn, I've got it all wrong!

Just then, a streak of white light flew between Muhua and Bai Xiaochun. This thin, sharp beam of light was aimed precisely at the center of Mu Hua's right wrist, which was holding Nie Bai Chen captive.

But Muhua's response was unexpectedly quick.

A blackened left hand unfolded, creating a black wall of water.

Nine Heavenly Gems (九天玄玄神功)

Fifth Heaven

玄天

Zen Tian Wall

A black wall of water blocked the white thunderbolt's path. It was an extremely powerful defensive formation, capable of blocking even the strongest sword qi, and it would certainly be able to block this white thunderbolt.

Shhhh! Changgang!

However, contrary to his expectations, the white thunderbolt pierced through the wall of blackness and flew directly toward Mu Hua's wrist.

"……!"

Surprised by this unexpected turn of events, Mu Hua immediately released her grip on Bai Xiaochun's neck. At this moment, no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't continue to hold onto Bai Xiaochun. If this judgment had been delayed by a single moment, the white lightning would have pierced through her wrist.

In the next moment, the white lightning bolt that had suddenly flashed by changed direction and headed towards Nie Baiqian's body. It swept around his body a few times before snatching it away from in front of him.

It happened so fast that I didn't have time to react.

With a snap, he was dragged away and landed in front of Bi Ryuyeon.

"Are you okay, father-in-law?"

Bi Ryuyeon asked with a wide smile.

"Well, yeah, that's good."

Apparently, Bai Chen was the same way, and he couldn't help but nod at the word father-in-law.

The truth is, of all of us here, it was I, Bai Chen, who was more familiar with the skills of the Nine Heavenly Maidens figurine than anyone else. He hadn't expected that the flying thief who had been coveting this daughter would be able to extricate himself from the clutches of the very same fig tree.

Bai Chen had given up, too.

"……Who are you?"

Mu Hua looked at Bi Ryuyeon and spoke quietly for the first time.

"Me? I'm her future son-in-law, and my name is Bi Ryuyeon, Big Mama."

Bi Ryuyeon smiled broadly as she spoke in a lively voice.

"Bi Ryuyeon? I've never heard of her."

"I like to be a little quiet."

Bi Ryuyeon smiled brightly and replied.

"But a son-in-law?"

In response to Mu Hua's question, I tried to shout out that I was not Bai Chen. But whether it was a mental hemorrhage or a straw, his body was still intact, and he could only stammer for a moment.

"……No, no, no, no, no, no, I don't want to be your son-in-law!"

Nie Baiqian, who had finally managed to find his voice out of the chaos, jumped up and down, vehemently protesting.

"Oh, my father-in-law is so embarrassed."

Bi Ryuyeon slapped Nai Baiqian on the side and said. At that moment, Bai Xiaochun forgot about his body pain and screamed out.

"No, it's different! Who's being embarrassing!"

But the protests didn't seem to reach Bi Ryuyeon's ears.

"Well, it's going to happen soon anyway, and we haven't even had the wedding yet, wouldn't it be awkward if your father-in-law disappeared?"

"A wedding, that's something to celebrate."

Mu Hua said with sunken eyes that held no hint of celebration.

"Thank you."

Bi Ryuyeon smiled, but her smile was a little hardened.

"Don't worry about the wedding."

It sounded like a "I'll take care of it" kind of statement, but of course, no one expected that to happen. Or maybe not…….

"For before my son's funeral is over, everyone in my line will die and the seed will dry up."

It was a frightening declaration indeed.

"That's a little awkward, isn't it?"

It seems that the Na clan includes Na Yerin, and Bi Ryuyeon's face, which never fails to stiffen, grew serious.

"So bring him back."

With her jaw clenched tightly, Bi Ryuyeon shook her head with a serious face. Then, in a low voice, she said seriously.

"You.can.not.weave.into.a.ball. Become."

"Did you just say…… moor?"

In response to Muhua's counter-question, Bi Ryuyeon chuckled.

"How much will you give me?"

"Hey, hey, hey, Ryuyeon, are you crazy, are you thinking of selling Meng Zhu?!"

An agitated Mo Yonghui exclaimed in an alarmed tone. Jang Hong, who had been through the whole prenatal experience, was also surprised.

"That's not good enough, Ryuyeon, no matter how much you love money, you can't sell the Mighty Lord."

"You might want to reconsider……."

Namgungsang's comments were the most timid.

Bi Ryuyeon looked at Jang Hong, Nan Gongsheng, and Mo Yonghui with an expression that said, "What kind of nonsense is this group doing?

"What, you want me to give it away for free?"

He looked at me like, "You can't be serious about doing something that's going to cost you money.

"Moo, of course not! Cancer, no way!"

Jang Hong shouted at him in a tirade about what nonsense he was talking about.

"See, it's never free, so I have to get paid for it."

"Hey, Ryuyeon. I think this is about something other than how much you're selling for……."

Mo Yonghui, still in shock, cautiously voiced his opinion, and Bi Ryuyeon nodded before summarizing.

"After all, everyone says it can't be free."

It was a refreshing dismissal of my colleagues' opinions.

"When you say not for free, does that mean you want me to spare all of your lives?"

At Dan-hye's incredulous question, Bi Ryuyeon shook her head in disbelief.

"That's a deficit, and it doesn't add up if I've been working my ass off and I'm not getting anything new compared to before I started working my ass off."

"Ho-ho, so leaving your life behind isn't enough for you? You've got some nerve."

The Hong Lian Zen Master Dan Hai asked in a tone of disbelief.

"Hahaha, I'm often told that I'm a wonderful, handsome boy with a lot of courage and spirit."

It was Viruyeon, who said such things as if she had a steel plate on her face.

"You must have said the wrong thing about the liver going overboard!"

Jang Hong, who hadn't heard, interrupted. Not paying attention, Bi Ryuyeon asked again.

"So are you saying it's true or not true?"

"Name a value. How much will it be?"

Dan Hye's words stunned all of them, especially the eldest, Gal Hyo-in, who stepped forward to speak up.

"Second Mother, this is ridiculous. You're willing to pay a ransom of four hundred thousand ugly(凶賊)?"

The shock was all the greater because she had thought that her second mother would never allow such a thing. From what they knew of Dan Hye's personality, it was completely unthinkable. It was a wonder that she was still tolerating the insolence of these brats.

Given her fiery personality, it would have been normal for her to have already thrown a flaming punch at him, saying, "You coward!

"What else do you have in mind?

Third, Gal Hyo-hye watched Dan-hye closely, and was relieved to see her right hand lowered.

"Of course.

Dan Hye's right hand, hidden by her flowing red sleeve, was red-hot from the searing heat of the superheat, like a lump of iron fired in a brazier.

"What are you waiting for, I asked you to tell me the value?"

In fact, Dan Hye had been preparing to lash out as soon as Bi Ryuyeon had mentioned the price. It was not in her nature to sell a comrade, even an enemy. Even more so when that despicable enemy was the one who was willing to sell her own master and craftsman.

"We're doing a special limited-time half-off big sale so…… only gets eleven, no, eight people."

"What do you mean, eight people?"

Danhye, who was about to raise her right hand, inwardly paused and replied in an unintelligible voice.

"I'm selling people, so I should get paid in people."

"You want it in person?"

Danhye asked in a confused voice.

"You can't measure your value to me in money, so why not measure it in people?"

With a smirk on her face, Bi Ryuyeon said.

"It's like that and it's not like that."

Dan-hye, who was so confident that she didn't know where to begin, had no choice but to reply.

"To replace my Yerin, I'd have to get at least 30,000 supreme beauties before I could start weighing them, but I'm a quality over quantity kind of guy, so I don't think I'd be able to trade her for 30,000, so she's still mine, or I could sell her to my father-in-law at a small loss. She's a saboteur, an idiot, and I think she's going to do a lot of sabotage to our newlywed life in the future."

It seemed that there was quite a bit going on. Meanwhile, Nie Baiqian was blushing red and mumbling, while Jang Hong, Mo Yonghui, and Nan Gongsheng had already given up trying to guess what Bi Ryuyeon was thinking and were just staring blankly.

"So what's your point, start with the bottom line!"

Inwardly, Danhye was hardening her resolve.

"Now, speak quickly, and whatever you say, I will make it your last words!

It only took one day of work to do so, but a little curiosity about what those eight people meant kept me waiting.

"Eight beauties at a deep discount, how about that?"

The sound stunned him, and the heat flame that he had been concentrating in Danhye's right hand snapped on and off like gunpowder in the rain.

"No way……."

Dan Hye was no fool. She understood at once what Bi Ryuyeon meant, which is why Dan Hye's face grew rapidly red with anger.

"How dare you ask for all our daughters!"

In her fury, Dan Hye's voice sounded like the eruption of a volcano.

The complexion of the Divine Demon Eight with them also changed drastically, and they began to exude a terrifying flesh color.

I had no idea they would make such a ridiculous, outrageous, unreasonable, and rude request.

Who would have dared to make such a cosmic faux pas in front of them?

It was definitely Bi Ryuyeon.

"Heh heh… heh heh……."

Even Bai Xiaochun was stunned. He even thought that it wasn't such a bad price if he could trade for eight beauties. However, Bi Ryuyeon's offer was outrageous and disheartening.

It was only natural that people would be outraged by this outrageous deal, especially Dan-hye.

"Ino-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!"

But even in the face of the volcanic fury, Bi Ryuyeon's demeanor remained serious.

"Look, I've thought this through carefully enough. Think about it. What would happen if I just walked out on you here? This is my life on the line."

"What?"

"Is that so? Do you think my mother-in-law will let me off the hook for selling out my father-in-law, and what will Yerin think of me for selling out my father-in-law? Perhaps my father-in-law is the reason why my marriage and future……."

"Ino-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o! I can't recognize someone like you as my son-in-law yet! Rather hand me over, ino-oh-oh!"

When the sound of 'craftsman craftsman craftsman' kept repeating, Nie Baiqian couldn't stand it anymore and interrupted Bi Ryuyeon, shouting at her from behind.

"Your father-in-law is willing to sacrifice himself for his son-in-law, ebony."

With a fake cry, Bi Ryuyeon wiped the corner of his eye with his finger. Of course, there was no water on his finger.

"In any case, handing over Meng Zhu now would mean ruining my life in the future, so I'm saying this as a careful conclusion that you'll have to pay for my life. If I'm going to give you Meng Zhu, I'll have to bring back at least eight young ladies from the Xinmaga family, so that I don't have to face Yue Lin or your mother-in-law."

Bi Ryuyeon was careful to sell everything she could, but she couldn't sell her life. Life was for investment, not for sale, which meant that as long as Na Baiqian was so deeply involved in her life through Na Yerin, she had no intention of selling it in the first place.

"……."

As far as Danhye was concerned, he was a real jerk.

"You've got one hell of a tongue, and you think a lowly, unheard-of footman like yourself is worthy of being a footman for our daughters?"

"You know, me?"

The strange answer left the members of Shinmaga, including Danhye, dumbfounded.

"There is?"

"Yeah. I've got a name, a star, and I know a lot of people, but I don't think I need to qualify myself."

As if it were no one else's business, she replied.

"You said there is? That's a pretty vague answer."

I've had a lot of people tell me how good they are, but I've never heard anyone say "carder" so vaguely.

"I heard about it fairly recently, so I'm sure you've heard the gist of it. He saved a famous old man named Hyuk-jung, so I guess he got an asterisk."

Dan-hye exclaimed in surprise when she realized that the casual reference was to Gal-hyuk-jung.

"How dare you, you little brat, call him……! crab, and an old man at that!"

No one dared to call it that, nor should they.

"How dare you insult His dignity in our presence, you are hastening His death!"

He warned me in a hushed voice that he couldn't let this one go to waste.

"I don't see why I should die for stating a fact, and I'm pretty sure I did recently, and the old man clearly authenticated it."

She didn't back down.

"Still!"

Dan-hye clenched her fists, thinking that he needed to be fed a piece of Gyodo after all.

"……So you're saying that you're some kind of wind god in the Volcano Society, controlling the wind like a wind god and ascending an angry fire dragon?"

Dan-hye's plea was followed by a stern question from Saran. The Shinmaga wives were also curious and very favorably disposed to the idea of the Xin Feng Association appearing out of nowhere and saving everyone in the volcanic conclave. The volcanic conclave, of course, included their husbands.

"No way, little brother, I'll give you a hundred concessions and let your current rudeness slide if that's what it takes!"

Obviously, her husband wouldn't die in a fire of that magnitude, but he could have been injured while trying to save others, and many of her former acquaintances were in the volcano. In a way, their safety was due to the young hero, Xin Fengkai.

Hyuk-jung, too, had written to Shinmaga after a long absence, saying, 'I met an interesting fellow. He also wrote that he had fallen into debt to a younger man, which was a strange thing to do at his age.

"Yeah, that's right, that's what they said."

Bi Ryuyeon smiled broadly and nodded.

"What do you mean?"

Danhye asked in a questioning tone.

"That's right, it's called Shin Fung Kai."

"You're… the…… Xinfeng Association?"

"Yes, it is."

She nodded, sounding as if she hadn't misheard, but had heard correctly. Saran checked one last time.

"Is that true?"

"Of course, it's real."

With that said.

"Eeeeeeeeeee!"

"You're lying!"

Several of the Divine Eight Adepts watching from all sides were stunned at the same time. They couldn't believe what Bi Ryuyeon had said.

"Seriously……."

For the moment, no one was thinking about ransom. They were all preoccupied with the appearance of the young master who had been shrouded in secrecy until now. They couldn't help but be surprised, as they had expected a more formidable young hero, but they didn't expect him to be such a lightweight. At the same time, suspicion rose like a dark cloud.

"Then prove it, and I'll believe you."

Though spontaneous and occasionally violent, Danhye was not naive enough to take anyone's word for it.

"Ah, but real faith is supposed to be something you can believe without seeing."

But any discussion of faith was quickly rejected.

"No pun intended. If you mean what you say, then show us your power as the New Feng Cooperative."

Dan Hye liked strong men. She had secretly labeled Xin Fengxiao as someone she would like to meet someday. It was the first time in decades that Hyuk-jung had spoken of someone in such terms. He couldn't help but wonder who this young man could be who was so indebted to the God of Heaven.

And it's that dude with the bangs and the square jaw?

Judging from the way he had temporarily captured the Beast Beast Nabaxian earlier, he seemed to be quite skilled, but he wasn't at all like the Xin Feng Sect he had heard about through the rumors, so he didn't want to trust him too much.

"Why should I?"

"If you can prove to me that you are the Xin Feng Clan, I will spare your life!"

"Is …… real?"

That was a pretty sweet deal.

"Yes, but only 'for life'. Not our daughters."

The Eight Elders were stunned, never expecting such a radical proposal. Only the godfather, Mu Hua, remained strangely silent.

"Really, and that includes my father-in-law, of course?"

However, there are always pitfalls when something is too good to be true.

"Are you crazy, you can't do that!"

"Cheat, cheat, cheat."

Bi Ryuyeon said something to express her disappointment.

"How can you give up a beast you've captured for something so trivial? But even if you can't save the beast's life, you can save your own. What will you do?"

"Well, it happened anyway, so it's not a lose-lose deal."

At this point, Galhyoin, the first daughter of the aforementioned goddess of the eight horsemen, stepped forward and interrupted.

"Second Mother, you shouldn't make such a promise. Isn't this child the same Fang Shu who helped the enemy Na Bai Tian kill my eldest brother, and when you say he's a craftsman, that means he's also a member of the Na clan. I don't think you should make such a rash decision without my mother's permission."

"So what, we're only going to 'spare' one guy, and there's no guarantee that he's even a Shin Feng Hai."

He still seemed to think it was a bluff. Then Gal Hyohong, the second daughter of Shinmaga and first daughter of Danhye, walked over and added cautiously.

"Mother, I think you're going to have to withdraw from this……."

"No."

Surprisingly, it was Saran, the Binglian Zen master, who spoke out against it.

"How can you pick up a word spoken once by the hostess of the Shinmaga, it is impossible. My godmother would think so, too."

Saran looked toward Muhua with a pleading face, and after a moment, Muhua nodded heavily.

It meant to allow.

"Deal done, deal struck, okay, let's prove it."

Bi Ryuyeon replied in a confident voice.