Book 8 Chapter 10

We're alumni! Really?

-Magical swordsman Nasty old man and young and middle-aged man Heavenly sword Wicked

Eunsulan The method she came up with is absolutely brilliant,

It was exquisite and groundbreaking, and here's the proof,

Especially if the men in the room are losing their minds.

They probably feel like they've been stabbed in the back. As proof, they were all stuttering with their mouths hanging open like this! It was a definitive example of how much mental chaos they were in right now. It was fun to watch and laugh at them.

The people still stared at the one person, unable to grasp whether what they were seeing was true or not; but the woman, the object of their gaze, the cause of it, and the more essential cause of it, smiled broadly, as if she had nothing to do with it, her face full of innocence itself.

"Hello, I've never met you before, my name is Fazhonghua Eunsulan, and it's a great honor for a girl to be taught in the same room as a hundred brilliant minds like yours, even if it's only for a short time. There are many things I don't know because I'm inexperienced and new, but I hope to serve you well in the future!"

It was a cheerful greeting with a dash of affection.

"Waaaaaaaaaah!"

Immediately, a cheer erupted.

It was a shout of enthusiasm from the male spectators who realized that what they were seeing was not an illusion or someone's joke. No matter how times change, whether in the past, present, or future, male nature seems to be there.

"Sit down!"

The euphoric atmosphere was cut short by a single voice.

A gravelly, throaty voice! A slanted, diagonal cross scar that bisects the front of his face, striking fear into the hearts of all who see it!

He was a demonic swordsman who had been assigned to be the special assistant in charge of preparations for the Volcano Covenant Branch of the Heavenly Martial Academy as of today. The atmosphere that had been heightened by the presence of the silver snowflakes quickly turned somber.

Whether they were meeting him for the first time or an older student who knew him well, there was only one thing on their minds right now.

'I'm screwed…….'

"Who is that?"

Bi Ryuyeon pointed to the owner of the rugged Impressionist, Gao Yan, and asked Jang Hong a series of questions. As usual, Jang Hong was the fastest and most accurate person to answer these questions. Once again, Jang Hong did not disappoint, answering his questions with aplomb.

Having a walking encyclopedia of Murim next to me was very convenient.

"No, you don't know him either?"

"Why do you ask, are you that famous?"

There were many times when Bi Ryuyeon didn't know common sense, and it was time for her to get used to it, but Jang Hong was always surprised and questioned.

"Ah! That's Mr. Nasty, the Magic Swordsman, who came out on top in the most classless labor union poll ever. He is known for his bad temper. It is rumored that he is the last direct descendant of the prestigious Gui Sword Gate of the old Black Island, an open secret. It is said that he joined the academy thirty years ago because of his connection to the former head of the Heavenly Martial Academy, Iron Sword Lord Tianmu. His cold and extreme personality makes him one of the least popular people in the academy, though I'm sure he doesn't care about any of that."

"Ears, if it's a gate!"

Hyo-ryong let out an outright exclamation. It's a very blatant way of saying, I know what it is.

"You know?"

Unable to contain her curiosity, Bi Ryuyeon asked Hyo-ryong.

"You don't know?"

"I don't know!"

Bi Ryuyeon shook her head from side to side in stubborn denial. Then Hyo-ryong explained.

"The ill-fated Moon Clan was attacked and destroyed by the Black Sword on suspicion of being an old feather. Before that happened, it was recognized as one of the nine great sword schools of the Black Sword. I thought there were few survivors, but surprisingly, there are still some. And to think that the sole survivor is a samurai of the Heavenly Martial Academy, that's truly remarkable."

"If it's a feather, it's a feather!"

Junho Yoon, who was sitting next to him, almost let out a scream that made the classroom ring.

"What's a feather?"

Bi Ryuyeon drew a question mark on her face. Hyo-ryong sighed at the sight.

"You don't know, you're still a fool!"

"Okay, I don't know. If I don't know and you don't have anything to contribute, then show me that you do."

Bi Ryuyeon pouted.

"The Feathers are the remnants of 'there,' the followers of 'him,' who, despite the destruction of 'there' in the Great War a hundred years ago, continue to believe in his existence and operate in the shadows."

Jang Hong filled in for Hyorong.

"There? Alas, the Heavenly Spirit!"

Bi Ryuyeon clapped her hands and made a knowing gesture. The faces of the people who heard the name of the Heavenly Ghost turned cold.

"It's an ugly name, and you shouldn't say it."

Jang Hong and Hyorong simultaneously huffed and paid attention. But it's hard to expect much of an effect just by putting your finger to your mouth. Jang Hong spoke up again.

"That's why they're called celestial feathers, because they don't have a core body, just feathers. They're like ghosts."

Jang Hong didn't even want to think about it.

"It is a remnant, but a very shadowy and secretive one, and one that we cannot yet be certain has been uprooted, for it is a thoroughly dotty organization. A very secretive and fearsome group!"

"Hmph, they must be pretty good, huh?"

"It's just a little bit. You know what the scariest thing about those feathers is?"

She shook her head.

There was no way that Bi Ryuyeon, who knew nothing about the river tiger, could have known that. Strangely enough, even in her liberal arts class at the Heavenly Martial Academy, the history of the Kangho Forest, they hadn't even bothered to teach her about the Heavenly Frightening Spirit. So her knowledge of the Heavenly Frightening Spirit was still incomplete. I didn't like this behavior. If I keep my mouth shut and blindfolded, will the history of the past be reversed?

Jang Hong said with an eerie look on his face. It was as if he was determined to scare his opponent with this story.

"That is to say, they have roots not only in the Blackness, but also in our own party. Black roots that are very, very subtle and whose depths are invisible."

"Hmmm. Is that what you mean by gansei?"

Jang Hong nodded gravely.

"How they were able to take such deep roots in our society is still a mystery. However, during the last culling operation fifty years ago, the official name of which was Operation Thunderstorm, many people were accidentally stabbed in the back by a thunderstorm. What do you think, scary?"

Bi Ryuyeon nodded.

"Hmm, now this is starting to get interesting."

Jang Hong was stunned by Bi Ryuyeon's answer, but that was the end of their conversation.

Boom!

The sound of the classroom vibrating with a collective 'chirp' and the ensuing shouting match!

"Be quiet!"

He had none of the courtesy of a normal samurai. It was as if all manners and formalities were useless in his presence. Regardless, it was undeniably powerful.

With a scarred face, the old man scowled and glared. He looked like he'd been stabbed with an awl.

Everyone swallowed dryly and tensed their bodies. Without realizing it, their bodies had done it for them.

I felt like I was standing on a battlefield instead of in a classroom.

"Get a grip. You think this is a child's playground? If you keep flirting like this, all you're going to get is death."

He didn't say win. He didn't say you can't win the volcano contest; he just said, plain and simple, you'll die. But that one word had the power to chill the air in the classroom.

"Let's start the class."

Finally, the first lesson of Demon Swordsman Goyakhan has begun.

His piercing, nasty eyes swept ferociously across the room. The students had the creepy feeling that they were being dissected under his gaze. The pupils of his eyes somehow contained both hearing and killing power.

"Any complaints?"

An eerie voice, reminiscent of a graveyard in the middle of the night.

"……."

I couldn't complain.

"Instead of a killing sword, which usually kills people, the Baekdo seeks a living sword, which usually saves people. Of course, there are some idiots who claim that I'm a bowman with a sword that doesn't work, but most of those people are crap and usually end up with a generic killing machine. This is because the original purpose of a weapon is to kill people. Saving lives may even be a violation of the original purpose of a weapon, so if you stick to the original duty of a weapon, whether it's a sword or a machete, you'll inevitably end up with a killing blade or a killing sword.

What is a bow, you may ask, then? But I cannot answer that question, for my sword is a killing sword for killing people, not a living sword for killing people in the name of saving them in some untold way.

I do not know the bow, for it is a different path from the one I seek. To be honest, Nobu thinks it's hypocrisy. It's absurd to save others when you can't even control yourself! So I can't teach you a bow that I doubt even exists.

But the killing arts, the art of killing, have much to teach you. And don't pretend to be a bowman when you haven't even learned the original meaning of the weapon. It's all just filthy hypocrisy."

"But Mr. Nosa, we have been taught that the true essence of the martial art of walking the straight path lies in the bow and sword and self-discipline."

To his surprise, it was Namgungsang who bravely refuted Gao Yak Han's words. Gao Yak Han's gaze flew to him like a dagger and pierced him.

"Self-discipline?"

It was most likely a sneer hanging from the corner of his mouth.

"Self-discipline, great! I'm not denying it. I'm just not sure how many people can actually practice it after all the theorizing. But if you think you're going to be alive by then, I won't stop you. As long as I live, that is."

By now, the guards were overwhelmed by the power of the demon. He continued to speak.

"First you must live. When you're dead, where can you go and do all this dreamy idealizing of your own path? In the afterlife? Are you crazy? Don't talk about places you've never been. You want to live? It's simple. Kill others before they kill you. Faster than they are, and stronger than they are! Do you understand?"

The room remained eerily silent, and no one spoke. It was too much, too extreme, too radical.

Once again, Gao Yan swept his gaze over the class, his eyes glowing fiercely.

"But I make it clear here. I am not after a pretentious bowsword, with all its flimsy pretensions and bonelessness, but a flesh sword that studies how to kill an opponent more quickly, more simply, and with less waste of strength."

The more prestigious the swords of the White City, the more they focused on subduing rather than killing. That was the norm. Now Gao Yan was talking about the exact opposite of that. The Guandao had grown weary of his power and vitality, and now no one was willing to argue with him.

"What do you think death is?"

It was Bi Ryuyeon who was suddenly asked a question. Despite the unexpected question, he didn't falter or freak out, even though he was caught red-handed.

Bi Ryuyeon spoke leisurely.

"It depends on the audience."

"To whom?"

The expressions on the faces of the spectators around him showed a silent exclamation that it was some kind of ghostly exorcism.

"Yes! It means that death has a very different meaning depending on whether it's me or the other person, the so-called enemy."

He was young, with dirty eyes. One of his eyebrows wiggled with interest; he was quite an oddity.

"Ho-ho! Why?"

It was a look that could be interpreted as plasticity. When asked, she didn't hesitate to make her point.

"If it were an enemy, that thing called death would approach without a sound, with the quickest, swiftest, most precise, absolutely unavoidable approach, and then, without giving him time to recognize it, it would take his life and soul in an instant, softer, sweeter, and more brutal than any woman's touch……."

The old man's eyes sank deeper and deeper as he listened. What she was saying now was the most basic summary of the art of killing. Even though it was the most basic, not everyone knew it or had mastered it.

Without paying as much attention to the old man's condition as her fingernails, Bi Ryuyeon continued.

"But if the object were myself, that 'death' would never be able to take my soul except by that slowest, bluntest, and yet surest sword called time, for I myself and my own wu would not allow it."

It was a truly cosmic and arrogant remark. Just the fact that she could say such an unfamiliar word without changing her face was enough to earn her respect.

"I'll break my old neck looking up at your exalted ego. Where does your absurdly exalted pride come from?"

The more I look at it, the more I realize that Bi Ryuyeon is indeed a cheeky bastard. Starting with being distracted in her own class, which is known for its strictness!

"That's a skill!"

Once again, Bi Ryuyeon had the opportunity to show off her ferocity to the fullest, and it made me feel like puffing out my chest in front of everyone with a big smile on my face and shouting, "Don't say that!" around me.

"……."

A chilling silence enveloped us for a moment.

At this moment, everyone except Bi Ryuyeon had this thought in their minds: Soon, the brilliance of the Gao Yuan will strike Bi Ryuyeon in the face with a powerful blow. Now he's dead. I'll clear one invoice today! said…….

Perhaps our hearts resonated for a moment.

Still, Bi Ryuyeon's gaze was locked on the icy gaze of the nasty old man. The tension was so intense that it felt like blood would spurt out at any moment.

"Suck!"

A movement sprang up in the stillness of his body, and it spread violently through his entire body, like a ripple on a stone thrown into a still lake.

"Kahahahahahahaha! Kahahahahahahaha!"

It was a powerful laugh that seemed impossible to emanate from the body of a man known for his coldness, bitterness, and cruelty. It was a harsh laugh that seemed to unleash everything inside of him, but to those who heard it, it was terrifying.

His back and head tilted back, his movements suddenly stopped as if cut by a knife, and his eyes were now glowing with a cold light.

"You cheeky bastard!"

That was it, and then he added one more word.

"End of class today!"

Class was over. But Na Yerin still had a mystery to solve, and luckily, the mystery was about to come and answer her questions.

"Oh my gosh, Yerin, it's so nice to meet you, and now we can put faces to names in class."

Eunseulan smiled broadly at Na Yerin, who had taken the seat next to her. Classes were now over and everyone was making their way to their dormitories.

"How did you get permission to observe the class?"

Na Yerin asked, puzzled, and it wasn't unreasonable for her to be curious.

How is it that Eun Seolan, a native of the Black Island and the investigator of the Wudang Mountain Tragedy, is sitting in this classroom, in a special training group organized to prepare for the Volcano Conference?

"I'm taking a class, not observing."

Eunsulan kindly corrected Na Yerin. She explained that if you're an observer, it's a one-time thing, but if you're a student, it's a continuous thing.

"I begged my master to let me take a special class, and he said I could take it if I wasn't a secret teacher."

If that's the case, then Mazinger's behavior is truly extraordinary. The story is that Mazinger is not the kind of person who can make such a disruptive impact.

"What on earth was Uncle Ma thinking?

Na Yerin couldn't even guess yet.

"What about the investigation?"

She was not a student of the Heavenly Martial Academy, she was a student of the Heavenly Pavilion, and her current status was that of an investigator, and her immediate task was not to study or train, but to investigate.

Eunseulan said confidently.

"I'm a student myself, and as a student, you can't afford to neglect your studies anytime, anywhere."

It was so obvious that Na Yerin was at a loss for words, even though it didn't apply to the real world.

"But how do you get to the specialty?"

The nature of specialty schools is such that their teachings often go deep, so the burden is even greater. Originally, it had been the custom of the Jianghu not to let the martial arts of the Jaffa out into the world.

Was there any reason to put her here, even at the risk of leaking the season?

"Oh, no wonder why!"

"How could you not know that?" said Neyrin. How could she not see that, she asked, but Na Yerin could not.

"Why?"

"That's because all three of my favorite people are in this group!"

"Three of you?"

If her memory serves her correctly, Eunseulan had only two bodyguards, herself and Mo Yonghui, and she hadn't heard anything about the other.

"Uh, Yerin, did you hear that yet?"

Na Yerin called to her in a friendly voice. The call was so natural that I couldn't think of anything else to say about it.

"Like what?"

"Oh my gosh, I didn't realize that. Him! Him!"

"Him?"

At first, Na Yerin couldn't figure out who the silver snowflake was referring to.

"Oh, you know, the one who helped us during the last assassination in that street, I'm pretty sure her name was… Bi Ryuyeon, I think?"

"Yes?"

The unexpected exclamation came from Na Yerin, directly to her left and right, at the same time. On either side of Na Yerin stood Dokgo-ryung and Lee Jin-sul, who still hadn't changed their stunned faces. She had been by Na Yerin's side since earlier, but had remained silent until now because she hadn't dared to interrupt the conversation with Eunseulan.

"That person is……."

I didn't scream, but neither did Na Yerin, who was surprised.

'That man is the same escort as me…….'

Na Yerin hated it, as if involving Bi Ryuyeon would somehow shatter her composure. But it was an order from above, and she couldn't refuse arbitrarily. The bigger problem was that Eunseulan had asked her to do it.

"Gee, I thought you two were close?"

Na Yerin's head swiveled toward Eunseulan without realizing it.

"How can you come to that conclusion, intimate?"

Na Yerin could see that her mind was becoming very confused. How could she think in such a way to come up with such an interpretation? Still, Na Yerin was a mystery to her.

"It seemed like a very close and intimate relationship, did I get it wrong, I used to pride myself on being pretty accurate in that regard……."

Na Yerin gazed into her eyes and saw beyond her mind, her eyes telling her that she meant what she said.

Why is this not a joke?

She became even more confused.

Silver Snow muttered.

"But not just anyone can be allowed to kiss you like that……."

Finally, Eunsulan said what she shouldn't have said. And in the presence of someone who shouldn't have heard it! The reaction was immediate.

"Excuse me?"

The person who suddenly let out a scream was none other than Dokgo Ling. She was exuding a momentum that could have shaken Eunseulan's fists to confirm the truth.

"Uh-oh-oh-oh-oh!"

Next to Dok Go-ryung, Lee Jin-sul, who had heard Eun Seol-ran's bombshell remarks, was pacing back and forth with her cheeks reddening. Apparently, the two of them received Eun Seol-ran's information with completely opposite emotions.

"Is that true, that that rip-off asshole did it again?"

From his one remaining eye, the venomous creature ejaculated a terrifying flesh that could tear a man to shreds.

"Again, lol, you mean this has happened before?"

Silversnow's eyes pushed back the poisonous flesh and sparkled with interest. She was quite a lady.

"I want this guy now……."

He drew his sword and went in search of the little bastard, wanting to slash him right where his naughty mouth was attached.

The famously cold-hearted monk loses his cool when it comes to his beautiful sister-in-law, Na Yerin. He can't stand the thought of harm coming to her, especially when it comes from a mysterious man who makes him angry at the mere sight of her.

"Hold on, hold on."

It was Na Yerin who set up the murderous tyrant.

"But buy!"

She looked at Na Yerin, hoping she wouldn't be stopped this time, but Na Yerin shook her head silently.

"It's okay. I was just a little careless, that's all, nothing else."

To my surprise, Na Yerin laughed slightly. It was a self-help laugh, but it had a wonderful, mysterious, wistful quality to it that captivated the soul.

"Buy……."

For the umpteenth time, he loosened his grip on the sword and gave it up, his shoulders slumping. Na Yerin, who spoke with an expression that made him feel a pang of sadness, could not resist.

By doing so, she narrowly avoided a sword fight with Dokgo-ryung.

But…….

"Hello! Hello."

It was none other than Bi Ryuyeon who welcomed them. They say tigers come when I tell them, and that's exactly what she did. Dokgo Ling almost reflexively drew his sword. But Na Yerin's hand holding his hand saved him from being an attempted murderer. But that didn't stop him from being angry. But he couldn't let his anger out blindly either. After all, Bi Ryuyeon was not alone, and she had some very famous people by her side. Mo Yonghui, the Seven Festivals Divine Sword, and Namgung Sang, the master of the master of the mastery of the mastery of the mastery of the mastery, were prime examples of this.

Luckily, with her two friends as shields, Bi Ryuyeon was able to avoid a sword fight with the poisonous old man. Friends are indeed useful things to have when you need them.

"Eek! Sis, look over there."

Suddenly excited, Jinseul jumped up and down and pointed a finger to one side.

"He's… fussing, what the hell?"

Dokgo Ling turned her head reluctantly, her brow furrowing slightly.

"Cluck! Cluck! Cluck! Cluck! Cluck! Cluck! Cluck! Cluck! Cluck!"

Several innkeepers surrounded a man, chattering away. It was deafeningly loud.

"Who is it?"

Na Yerin asked.

"How come you don't know her? You're the most popular boss these days, and you're the youngest boss in charge of the White Sword Clan, didn't you know?"

The look on Na Yerin's face was one of disbelief. Lee Jin-sul shook his head in defeat, but it was enough to make Na Yerin look at the fearsome Iranian elder once more. Na Yerin's eyes widened.

"You're young!

First of all, I'm not sure how old he actually was, but he looked far too old to be a Musabu. It was a face that I couldn't imagine being a samurai. Furthermore, I don't know about Na Yerin, but by general standards, he was a very universally handsome man.

At this time, the flock, which resembled a flock of sparrows, was approaching the area where Bi Ryuyeon and her group were.

The chattering was getting closer and closer and more threatening.

It is said that where there is light, there is darkness, and where there is yin, there is yang.

This master, called the Heavenly Sword Wolves, was the antithesis of the demonic swordsman, and was a very popular master.

He was very handsome and very young.

And he was an amazing martial artist. He still held the record for being the youngest martial artist to serve as a master, a record that has yet to be broken. His beauty, intelligence, youth, ambition, and enthusiasm attracted a constant stream of women to him, so the chatter around him never ceased. Moreover, he was dealing with them one by one without getting tired of them, which seemed to be getting worse by the day.

"Mr. Wolf, did you ever have an encounter with a fateful event that brought about a turning point in your life?"

A girl asked, "I'd love to know anything about my idol." This type of question is especially useful because you're more likely to hear people's hidden stories or important events.

"Sure."

With a grin on his face, Wolverine replied.

"Meeting him was a huge turning point in my life, because it made me realize how insignificant I was."

Wolverine said in an emotionless voice.

"Who is that?"

One of the innkeepers asked with an innocent look on his face (hmmm… he's still young, so he's lighting up).

"Hoo-hoo… well, it's a secret."

Wolverine grinned in a way that belied his age. The sunlight caught his pearly whites and made them sparkle. The women screamed, and the men watching from the sidelines had to prioritize their gourmet stomachs.

'I'm an asshole! Woohoohoo'

The sentiment was shared by the male observers.

He had a face for a second that didn't look like he was in his thirties. He had no fear of his popularity.

Despite being in his early thirties, there was nothing to fear from a man whose youthful, teenage looks and good looks were his greatest tax-saving tool. And yet, curiously, female students always flocked to him like butterflies. Of course, some of the male students would say, "What kind of butterfly is that? It's a fly!" but that didn't stop him from being the ideal candidate for a popularity contest.

That's why you can do things with reckless abandon, like that coy smile you just had.

It was torture to watch such behavior in silence. Women might go crazy, but for men like Bi Ryuyeon and Hyo-ryong, putting up with it was a huge, almost infinite amount of patience.

Hyo-Ryong's patience, which he could only observe, had reached a critical point. This kind of uncivilized torture deserved to be banned.

"I… I can't believe she can do that chicken shit with such aplomb……."

It was truly more terrifying than any of the new craftsmen.

Hyo-ryong put his arm around her shoulders, feeling the goosebumps. He brushed the goosebumps off his arms. Why do women like that? Hyo-ryong couldn't understand the psychology of certain special women, and he didn't like the fact that Lee Jin-sul had a crush on the wolf-girl.

Hyo-Ryong prayed with all his heart that the wolf spirit would get away from this place as soon as possible.

Bam!

The rusty hinges rattled with a sharp clanking sound. It was an unpleasant sound that grated on my nerves. Perhaps they should be oiled. Gao Yan thought as he entered his room.

The room was dark and deserted. Gao Yan first lit a lantern to dispel the darkness that resided in the room.

With a blaze of fire, light arose and drove away the darkness.

"How was it?"

Suddenly, the shadow opened its mouth and began to speak, but the shadow was not its own, standing alone in the room.

Despite the fact that he was an uninvited guest who had entered his room without his master's permission and didn't even look the part, Gao Yan wasn't angry, and he didn't try to restrain him in any way. He felt like a completely different person.

"That was fun!"

"I knew you'd say that. Who wouldn't want to give you a toy like that?"

Black InYoung said, still not revealing his body.

"That was pretty good, no one's made me feel as foolish as he did in a long time!"

"Should I be excited?"

He seemed pretty interested in the story.

"You're in for a treat. He's not a normal guy, that's for sure. I've found something fun to do for a change."

"You must have liked it a little bit. But don't kill it too quickly, or it won't be much fun."

"Don't worry, I'll play with it very, very slowly and slowly dry it out and kill it. Otherwise, it's no fun."

The lack of emotion in his words made them seem even more chilling.

"I'm relieved to hear that, and I'm sure you'll take care of it."

"Don't worry. I guess we're done here, then."

It was a clear celebration.

"Of course!"

The figure behind the curtain instantly vanished.