Book 8 Chapter 4

Visitor (訪問者) at the Museum of Heaven and Earth

"Ugh… boring… is anything happening?"

The sky is high and blue, the horses are obese and fat, and the

Troubled fall afternoons! Dull front gate guard duty!

My limbs hung limp and languid.

Even a second-year kwan from the Kunlun school was sick to death of the sensationalism and Lee Moon-sun.

"My whole body is languid. The sun is shining… Hmmm……."

A long yawn escaped Sensuality's mouth. It wasn't easy to keep a straight face.

"Hey, Moonseon!"

"Why, but?"

We had very few visitors today.

"I need you to save me before this boredom suffocates me."

"Hey, Jung Sun. Shut up!"

It was a comforting thought for Choi.

"Are you okay?"

Lee's head turned toward sensationalism. The sunlight makes him frown.

"No way, this yawning offensive is going to tear my mouth open. Hmmmm……."

Lee's mouth gaped open to reveal a bare uvula. It was a miracle that both lips didn't split open. Time seemed to pass three times slower. After all, nothing makes you realize the boredom of time like a leisurely front gate shift.

"I hope something happens on this day……."

Sensationalism, he lamented.

"Won't that get annoying?"

Lee asked, acting as if he had a thought, but his mouth was still spewing out a series of yawns.

"If it's going to be this boring, I'd much rather be bothered!"

"Of course……."

"I think so……."

They both looked up at the sky at the same time. Clouds drifted lazily across the blue sea. Languor choked their breath.

"Ugh… something's about to happen……."

Another sigh escaped their lips.

It is said that if your desire is strong, it will come true.

It is said that the heavens help those who help themselves.

A huge martial arts sanctuary, hugging the wide blue waters of Lake Panyang, glistening like a polished mirror in the autumn sunshine! Toward its majestic towering gates, a man walked.

"It's been a while!"

Tianmu Hall (天武學館)

The middle-aged man muttered to himself in a hushed voice as he looked at the dragonfly-like handwriting on the inkblot. After taking a look, the middle-aged man resumed his walk.

"Who is it?"

"Who are you?"

The reason for the exasperation and the lack of politeness in Lee Wen-sun's voice, who was assigned to guard the main gate of the Heavenly Academy, was that the middle-aged man had ignored the guards' question, "What business do you have in visiting the main building?" and walked briskly through the gate. Since it was daytime, the gates were wide open to welcome everyone, and if no one stopped the middle-aged man, he would be able to pass through the gates and enter the Heavenly Martial Academy without incident.

As long as one's purpose and identity are correct, the Academy of Heaven and Earth is not a place where people are hidden, but it is also not a place where rude people who try to enter without revealing their identity and purpose can be tolerated.

Two warriors on duty pointed their spears at the intruder and tried to stop his movements.

The gate guards at the Tianmu Academy were rotated among the students, so getting the wrong guard would negatively affect their grades, something they couldn't afford to have happen. Selectivity and Lee were eager to welcome visitors to break up the afternoon lull. So he tried to be kind and gentle.

Eek!

"Uh… Huh?"

As they pointed their spears at the middle-aged man, the two second-year disciples from the Kunlun Sect, Li Shixing and Li Wenxuan, widened their eyes. The monster in front of them had suddenly disappeared in a blur. It was not unreasonable for him to be frightened.

"This place has changed a lot!"

The voice of a laid-back middle-aged man came from behind him. The middle-aged swordsman with the unusual prayer was now behind them, leisurely surveying the entire interior of the academy. Was he feeling something unusual?

Selectivity and Lee had an intense sense of foreboding about a major event.

Bang! Bang!

Suddenly, the gates of the Academy of Heavenly Arts were in an uproar, as two men dropped their spears and drew their swords. There was no time to offer a polite greeting to the unidentified stranger who had managed to defy the guards and enter the gates.

The reason they abandoned the spear and drew the sword was, of course, because the sword was their primary weapon. The spear was merely ornamental and lacked the power of the sword.

The two gatekeepers were still reeling from the surprise of the day. They had left the gates open during the day, so they were surprised to see someone slip through their perimeter in a way they couldn't follow……. Their astonishment was even greater because they were all geniuses of the Heavenly Academy.

Once, sensationalism wielded the sword with the intention of subduing the unwanted, and it earned the middle-aged man's ire.

"You cheeky bastard!"

The middle-aged man swung his hand once, and a stinging shock hit his arm. The shock was so strong that it nearly caused him to drop his sword. There was an unusual, immeasurable energy in the light hand. If they were enemies, they were likely to encounter a life-or-death event today. A tremendous event, just as they had hoped, had come before them. But the magnitude of the event was more than they could handle.

"You!"

The indignant Lee Moon-sun, who was trying to subdue the unwanted guest, immediately grabbed his unsheathed sword and tried to run.

"Stop!"

But a hand grabbed his shoulder, preventing him from carrying out his plan.

"Mr. Gong Woon-seok!"

It was Gong Woon-seok, the guard at the main gate, who grabbed Lee's shoulder and saved him.

"You stay back, I'm not your match."

"Yes!"

At Gong Yunxue's command, Yi Wenxian stepped aside. Gong Yunxue could instinctively sense that this guest was not someone who would return to normal hospitality.

The middle-aged man said.

"Kids have become so impatient, and nowadays it's okay to throw patience on the ground… Is that what they teach?"

It was only then that Choi Seong-sung, Lee Moon-sun, and one of the others, Elder Gong, had a chance to take a closer look at the unwelcome visitor. It didn't take them long to realize his identity.

His face had an instantly recognizable feature. Two scars running diagonally across his face - not many people could do that with such skill.

"Da… you? Come on… no way!"

Gong Yunxue burst out laughing. A figure stood out in his mind.

A cross-crossed scar across the front of his face! A silver dragon emblazoned on his ink-black scabbard, black as the night sky! There was only one person with these physical features who could exude this level of sword energy.

One of the ten great masters of the Black Heavenly League! One of the ten stone pillars that support the Black Heavenly League, the Black Heavenly Ten Monuments! A master of the sword, a demon of the sword.

Transcend Sword Magic!

"My… shit!

Musabu Gong Wenxue, the guard at the main gate, scrunched up his face. It looked like he'd been caught in the wrong place. It was a bad day.

"What is the purpose of your visit to the main building? Please disclose the purpose of your visit in accordance with the regulations."

Gong Yunxue's voice quickly turned respectful. There was no way someone at the level of Sword Demon Transcendence would be so reckless. There must be a reason.

Pissed!

Cynicism dripped from Transcendence's face.

"Is this the kind of place that wields a sword at customers?"

"We have house rules in the main building. Visitors, regardless of status, must first identify themselves in the guest book and state their purpose before entering the front door."

Musabu Gongyunseok did not lose; he did not make the foolish mistake of being intimidated by his opponent's status and losing sight of his mission.

"Hmph! Yongmura… of course there is, of course there is!"

Gumma said in a stern voice.

"Are you sure?"

Gong Yunxue's question was tinged with anxiety. He didn't know what she wanted, but the aura she gave off was too much.

"Of course! Otherwise, I wouldn't have brought a bloody sword with me on my visit, let alone a piece of paper like this. I'm here to deliver a message!"

There was something eerie about the voice, something that conveyed a sense of murder to the listener.

"What do you mean by pass the word on? To whom?"

"To Ma Hakkwanju!"

Gong Yunxue's eyes widened.

"I… the messenger is……?"

"Black Heavenly Lord!"

Gong Yunxue's eyes nearly tore open.

Politics is a pain in the ass.

There are just too many things going on around you to consider.

Politics is hard.

This is because nothing is under your control.

'Ugh… how am I supposed to do this…….'

Mazinger had a headache. His goals were now puzzling him like a student facing a difficult exam question. His iron fist rattled in his grip.

"Is this a threat?

Beneath him, Sword Demon Transcendence stood with an icy expression on his face. Of course, it was impossible for a man with the strength of an iron fist to be crushed by Sword Demon Transcendence's qi. No matter how great Sword Demon Transcendence was, no matter how prestigious his name was, he was still far from being able to compete with the name of Heavenly Martial Master.

The problem wasn't the crumpled impression of Swordmaster Transcendence. Mazinger had read the will of the Black Heavenly Blind behind the series of actions that sent a titan of Swordmaster's stature as a messenger. The higher the status of the messenger, the greater the value and weight of the letter. By sending one of the Black Heavenly Ten as a messenger, the Black Heavenly League is giving great weight and importance to this inquiry, and there is unspoken pressure to consider it carefully.

"umm……."

Mazinga felt that his hand was somehow heavy, and his face showed a pale color. What he held in his hand was merely a scrap of paper, but what it contained was enough to weigh down his hand and his heart.

"Whoa, you mean you've done that much and you still don't want to finish?"

The death of his most anticipated and bragged-about son had apparently caused an immeasurable impact on the Black Heavenly Lord Gal Zhongtian. He still showed no signs of letting it go.

"This sounds like we're being told to be grateful, doesn't it?"

Mazinger glared at the reaper with a piercing gaze. The Black Heavenly Blind Reaper's face remained stoic and unchanged as he received the harmonizing gaze of the Martial Emperor. He decided to play a little trick on him, but still, the sword horse didn't raise an eyebrow.

The iron-fisted marginalizer's eyes lit up.

'You let my Formless Qi flow without any resistance…….'

The intangible energy emanating from the darkness was swept aside, but this man standing in front of me was only imposing. She wanted to use intangible pressure to at least let him know she was uncomfortable, but he didn't budge.

'The tycoon is indeed a tycoon……. A man of his stature can be so nonchalant in front of you! Is it confidence in his skills?

A man of his stature deserves it, Mazinga conceded.

"Transcending the Black Heavenly Ten Stones Sword Demon!

As expected of a black teenage cilantro, the prayer emanating from the whole body is more than normal. A master knows a master when he sees one. In this respect, even Mazinger, no matter how rude his demeanor, could only admire him as a mere mortal. Indeed, his victory at the Volcano Conference forty years ago was not for nothing.

'So much talent in the Black Heavenly League!

This is the kind of thing that you can't hide, no matter how much you admire it. Out of a sense of duty, Mazinger feigned complete indifference. He had not come here as an individual, but as a representative of the entire Black Heavenly League.

"You mean to tell me that you're still unable to tie up the knot, even with the Laws of Blood, even with the Laws of Resolving the Knot, that the Iron Scaffold wasn't enough?"

Mazinger tore his eyes away from his search and looked at the Transcendence. As a demonstration, even though he was an emissary, he was dressed in all black, the color of mourning for the dead, and he looked like someone who had been to a mourning house (a white man wears white to mourn the dead, but a black man wears black).

Gumma said.

"Even in the case of the Iron Scaffold, our Lord has not been able to eradicate the seeds of doubt. No matter how many ways you look at it, it's not going to go away."

"Nobu doesn't understand, what the hell does that mean?"

Whether it was psychological suspicion or a sudden spark of interest, Majinga's body leaned forward slightly. The words of Transcendence were new to him, too.

At first, Transcendence didn't want to answer Mazinger's question. The matter of the iron scaffold was not something he wanted to bring up, but he had no choice but to answer the question he had been asked, as he had bitten off more than he could chew.

"Because the entire Iron Curtain is back, and they're all wearing locks on their mouths as if they've made a promise."

"Why didn't you go to a locksmith or hardware store?"

Transcendence laughed coldly at Mazinger's kind words. This kind of cynicism was unbecoming of a Reaper, but he didn't care; he had the guts and the credentials. It was extremely contrary to his nature to smile a false, heartless smile, to laugh as if he were about to rip out a liver.

"Apparently, our locksmiths aren't very good, and they can't pick locks!"

"That's too bad, that's too bad. Please accept my sincere condolences."

In fact, the Academy still hasn't quite figured out what exactly happened that day. Zhu Jiaodan, Yidao, and the others all kept their mouths shut in unison, as if in collusion, so how could they possibly hear the full story? This only served to fuel their curiosity even more.

At Mazinger's lament, Transcendence humbled itself.

"You're welcome! My lord has high hopes for this famous locksmith. It seems to be the one who locked the door, so isn't it only right in the world that the one who locked the door should be the one who unlocked it? I'm sure you won't disappoint, as you've gathered all the brightest minds in the Hundred Islands."

The culprit was obviously on the side of Baekdo, so he said in a roundabout way, "Hurry up and turn yourself in to find Guangming. The complexions of Mazin and the others watching subtly changed.

"Heh, heh, heh! Shame on you for being so flattering! I doubt we have such a locksmith. I know of none, not even Nobu! If he did, he would have put one on the front door of our academy. But to claim something that doesn't exist isn't a compliment, it's a child's insistence! Don't you think?"

The message was to stop being a child, to stop making people feel uncomfortable, and to go back to your room with your infantile mindset. It also contained a lot of words to stop causing inconvenience and be quiet. Indeed, Mazinger was as seasoned as an old ginger. He was not just ignorantly strong as a practitioner of the sect.

'Well… I wonder what that would be like…….'

Gumma thought to himself.

Aside from the suspicions surrounding Galhyo Feng's death, the defeat of the Iron Sculpture Corps was something that even Chu Yu himself was still unaware of. In fact, it was no exaggeration to say that there was not a single person in the world who truly understood it.

This was still a mystery to the Black Panthers.

"What the heck happened then?

On that day, when the Iron Scaffold returned from the Black Heavenly League with a heavy mission, a fierce commitment, and a terrifying momentum that threatened to crush the entire Hundred Islands, the Black Heavenly League members could only wipe their eyes with their sleeves. The fierce and explosive momentum that had been their trademark was nowhere to be seen, their shoulders were slumped, and their numbers were greatly reduced.

"What is it?"

Then, grabbing Gu Tianhua by the shoulders as he returned, the Sword Demon Transcendence asked in a cold tone, his gaze piercing through Gu Tianhua.

"……."

But Gu Tianhak remained tight-lipped, betraying his expectations in a spectacular way.

"Can't you hear me, what's with the English?"

Again, Transcendence shook his shoulder.

"……."

But Gu Tianhak, meeting Mulshumi's gaze head-on, remained silent, as if his tongue were a fossilized stone.

"How is this English? Answer me, you fool!"

Finally, the impatient Transcendence threw a tantrum, screaming at the top of his lungs. I had never felt so frustrated in my life.

"……."

No matter how hard he tried, Gu Tianhua would not speak. Even to himself, his only close friend, he would not speak. Only once did he open his mouth, in the presence of the Black Heavenly Lord Gal Zhongtian, who rushed to his aid in great anger.

"I'm sorry."

With these words, Gu Tianhak never spoke again. The will to die was clear throughout his body.

Gal Zhongtian shook with fierce anger, but he could not bring himself to kill. This was because Gu Tianhak was also one of the Black Heavenly Blind Teenage Masters.

'Whoa…….'

Transcendence sighed quietly to herself as she remembered the grim events of that day. The image of his best friend's dwarfed back flashed before his eyes, and he felt bitter. His heart felt good again.

But he couldn't dwell on it forever. He had a job to do now. There could be no concessions.

"This is a legitimate request from the Black Heavenly League, one that has been duly processed in accordance with the Joint Statement of Agreement agreed upon by the Order a hundred years ago. Our Mighty Lord has demanded a definitive answer, and it is his opinion that this matter cannot be dismissed lightly!"

"Whoa!

This time, Mazinger let out a deep, troubled sigh.

It was the other way around. They were accused of a crime they didn't commit and were being thoroughly investigated and interrogated. Despite their fervent insistence that they were not guilty, they continued to accuse them with circumstantial evidence.

They said they didn't tie their shoes in the tangerine patch and didn't mend their hats under the cucumber tree, but that's exactly what they did. But there was no conclusive evidence to refute the accusation.

"Too big to fail!

A tycoon in a symbolic sense, not in a power sense, has died. Anyone else would have been able to take a strong stand, but among the many, it was Gal Hyo-bong, the grandson of the demigod Gal Joong-hyuk and the eldest son of the Black Heavenly Lord Gal Joong-chun……. It is very difficult to expect a parent who has lost a child to come to his senses, even if he is an absolute black daoist.

Even though the iron scaffolding of the blood surrogate was broken, they didn't seem to have any intention of backing down. Despite the defeat of the blood surrogate, they still have no qualms about dispatching a special investigator this time…….

My desire to say no was like a chimney to the sky, but it was a shame that I could never say no.

"How much more time do we need for this storm to calm down?

It was frustrating for the majinja, whose time demands were unknown. Mazinger finally made up his mind.

"Tell him I got it!"

The answer was obvious from the start, but it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Yes! I'll be sure to pass that along."

Gumma, who had been quietly fanning the flames of hostility, left the room without a diplomatic greeting, or in the jargon, a blunt salute with no spit on his lips. Some of the workers were outraged by his rudeness, and some even said, "We should file a formal complaint," but Mazinga had too much on his mind with this inspection to pay attention to such protests.

"Now what am I going to do with this……?

It was already far from quiet. And it wasn't the kind of thing that could end quietly. The only way to get the Black Heavenly League to speak up was to prove their innocence, and only then could they demand that the truth be told about the fallen members of the B'yungak Chuhon. It would be impossible to protest until we could dispel their suspicions that the B'yingak were a secret assassination squad sent to assassinate Galhyo Feng, that they had dealt them a devastating blow in their engagement with the Heaven and Earth Sect's troops who had rushed to his rescue, and that they had been wiped out without warning. Above all, the lack of evidence is exasperating.

I was also concerned about the safety of the investigators. If anything were to happen to the investigators, all the blame would fall on the Tianmu Academy.

'Select someone…….'

He needed a trustworthy escort, one who was vigilant, diligent, and martial. Several names flashed through his mind.

"That's not a good feeling!"

With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Chu Yu walked out of the Heavenly Martial Hall, his usual place of business. The commotion in the back of his head and the tickling in his ears told him that there was some disagreement about his words. It was clear that there was going to be a lot of bad talk. Despite having accomplished his mission successfully, his face did not look cheerful.

The piercing blue sky and blazing sun made him frown. An unexplained rage stirred in his chest. Was it because this place felt like a murderer's den…….

"I can't believe Hyo-bong… that child… died like that……."

I had watched him grow from childhood to adulthood. What a thrill it was to see his genius at work!

The first time Hyobong's twin sabers broke through his sword netting and landed a single blow, the swordsman had rejoiced in his accomplishment with a pure heart. One day, he thought, he'd be able to surpass him in accomplishment… and he'd look forward to it. But… but there was no Hyofeng now.

"Find the culprit, whoever he may be, and he shall be destroyed, I swear in the name of Karma Transcendence!"

He had enough guts to not care if the entire Hundred Islands became his enemy. If the Heavenly Martial Academy was involved, he was prepared to go toe-to-toe with them with all his might. Half the fun of living had been taken away from him. A child he loved and cherished like a son had died in vain.

Even now he was stifling a barely contained surge of life, and it was costing him a great deal of patience.

It was then.

"Puck!"

Gumma's body jerked backward for a moment, his thick, sharpened blade twitching for a moment, his diagonal cross wound twitching. Something huge had flown in and slammed into his body with great force.

"How rude!"

Transcendence shouted.

"Ah?! Oops, sorry."

It was a young boy who had dared to make such a reckless commitment to himself. The boy's eyes were hidden by his long bangs. But from the tone of his voice, it was clear that he was not sorry at all. That boy was Bi Ryuyeon.

"Okay… wait?

Transcendence suddenly realized a fact so suddenly that his heart leapt into his throat, and he was stunned. Then he was furious, spewing out generosity, and then he was stunned again.

"Uh… how did you approach that?

He had gotten close to the top of the heap, deceiving himself into thinking he was the best. Although he claimed to have been distracted, this could never have happened. It couldn't and shouldn't happen that he, a member of the Black Heavenly Ten, would defenselessly allow others to invade his space, a space of life and death. It was impossible in his wildest dreams to give a child the front, not the back.

"Should I cut this?

His excellence throbbed with life and anger; it was also a rebuke and anger at himself.

How dare he run into the swordsman's shoulder, not even slightly, but in a way that shook him to the core……. Such outrageous carelessness is no excuse for being beheaded. In the Black Sword, even a slight bump could be grounds for a life-and-death duel, as a bump could be interpreted as a sign of intent to attack.

There is a famous poem about this, "A touch of the collar is a connection… What is a shoulder bump, the difference between life and death!". It was a poem that mourned the souls of many people who died due to shoulder bumps, and it was a poem with a very sweet tone. A shoulder bump, a sudden contact with an opponent, can directly lead to the death of one party, so all martial artists should be careful.

At least, that was the case with the Black Sword. It was quite different from the White Way, which could sometimes end with a simple apology.

For a moment, Sword Ma couldn't decide if he should cut this bastard down or let him live. Under normal circumstances, this would have been a moot point, but he was here at the Academy of Heavenly Martial Arts in his capacity as an emissary. It was not the job of a grim reaper to stir up unnecessary strife. It was impossible to see blood here, and it was a shame that it could not be transcended.

"But!

A brilliance flashed in the Sword Demon's eyes. But he couldn't just let it go unchallenged.

"A few scratches will not hurt.

Click!

The thumb of his left hand slid the sword up from its scabbard.

Gumma himself had absolutely no desire to forgive anyone, no matter who they were, for the very act of interfering with the path he had decided to walk, the path he had declared to the heavens and was walking of his own volition, for the very act of disrespect, for the very act of disrespect, for the very act of disrespect, for the very act of disrespect, for the very act of disrespect, even if life and death were turned upside down and the walls of heaven and earth were raised once again and karma was realized, absolutely, unequivocally, not even with a chick's pee, let alone with half an eye.

He felt compelled to do something to make his point, and he decided to do it in one of the simplest and most effective ways: by committing unprovoked violence.

CHANG!

With a flash of silver, Gumma's sword was drawn from his scabbard.

Boom!

A terrifying, air-piercing crashing sound!

And then a flash of light!

A fierce sword wind swept through the air, causing the hair and hem of the clothes of those following Bi Ryuyeon to flutter wildly. The grass trembled as if it were being plucked from the earth. A cloud of dust rose in a long arc. And… a few strands of hair flew through the air.

"What… what?

I was going to carve a half-inch deep gash horizontally across my forehead as a lesson. The threads should have been cut and the blood should have bled into thin air. That was normal.

It was powerful enough to blow back the hair of a person at least three feet away. Not to mention the plight of Bi Ryuyeon, who was in the immediate vicinity. She should count herself lucky not to die, that was normal.

'Failure, I'm the failure, not anyone else…….'

Today, Transcendence found himself wondering if he had faltered too many times. His sword failed to carry out the will he had originally planned. His exit had returned to inaction. The sword of the sword-master, as he was called, had struck Zhen Zhen. A clear, high-pitched sound echoed throughout the world, a fatal blot on his reputation.

Voila!

There was no splattering of blood. Instead, only three strands of hair flew lazily through the empty air.

Suddenly, the fuzzy dust that had been floating in the air began to slowly sink to the ground. Behind Bi Ryuyeon's back, there was a semicircle about the length of a field, clean and dust-free. It was a masterpiece of the Sword Wind of the Sword Horse.

"What, what, those… those eyes?"

Looking directly into Bi Ryuyeon's eyes, Transcendence's eyes widened. He was stunned. He had always remained calm, and nothing had ever caused him to be so agitated in recent times, except for the death of Galhyo Feng, whom he had cherished as his own child.

"Oops! My teacher told me never to show it to anyone else……."

Bi Ryuyeon grumbled. She regretted the three strands of hair that had been cut off.

"That… that… my… shit!"

Transcendence was quite agitated; he was currently unable to form words. It was as if someone was holding his tongue, even though it wasn't.

"You! You're a fool for a hundred degrees! What kind of eyes do you have?"

Gumma impatiently craned his neck. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was more broken than he was today. He felt as if his usual cold and heartless self had been taken away from him. A strange feeling of not being yourself!

If you're one-sidedly beaten, you're not a Bi Ryuyeon.

"Chet, don't lay the blame on others when you've been handed it yourself. Why is it that there are so many people in my way, without warning, without asking, with swords, sabers, and spears……. What a hard life it is, to think of it, and what a hard life it is for a true, honest, delicate boy like me."

Not caring about the state of her Sword Demon Transcendence, Bi Ryuyeon grumbled as she pushed her bangs, which had been blown back by the wind pressure, forward again. In her opinion, if you're going to fly a sword, you should at least ask your opponent's permission.

"This… this guy! You're the one with the weird tricks……."

Once again, Transcendence gritted his teeth. The flesh still lingered on his body, unwashed by the wind.

It was an unfortunate situation for her.

Bam!

Once again, Gumma's hand touched the hilt of his sword.

This time, he meant it. The compulsion to cut had taken over his mind.

"Suck!"

However, Chu Yu's determination to please the entire Bingfeng Movie Guard, and perhaps ten times as many men, did not last long. He forgot his words the moment another young man stepped into his field of vision.

Hyo Long's face was also pale as he met the Sword Demon Transcendence's gaze.

"No, I mean, why is he here?

He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was not unreasonable for him to be surprised that a child who was supposed to be training and studying hard at the Heavenly Martial Academy had suddenly appeared at his doorstep.

"Oh, my God, I didn't even hear about this!

Perhaps there were currents he didn't recognize flowing within the Black Heavenly Blind and the Heavenly Palace, and he shouldn't have been sent on such a dangerous mission. His status in the Black Island was too great for that.

"What the heck is going on?

Gumma was very confused.

Boom!

With a complexion as pale as a blank sheet of paper, Hyorong bowed and gave a stern greeting. Chu Yu, who had barely recovered his composure, also returned the greeting with a silent nod. In that moment, the two shared a single emotion. No words were needed. Hyorong was grateful for Chu Yu's genuine concern for him. This was the man he and his brother had followed as children, like a master, like an uncle. And he still called him uncle.

Poof!

Gumma's thick hand tapped Hyorong's shoulder as he bowed his head. He could feel a strange warmth seeping into his chest. Tears welled up in his eyes.

It was going to take me a while to compose myself.

"What does this have to do with you?

Chu Yue used a telepathic voice to ask him. Hyorong immediately realized that the question was about his relationship with Bi Ryuyeon. He didn't hesitate to answer.

"He's a friend of mine.

Yi Chai's eyes were young. He turned his gaze to look at Bi Ryuyeon. She stood there, still smiling.

"You're lucky!"

Gumma said as he removed his hand from Hyo-Ryong's shoulder.

"Well……. Goodbye. I don't know if I'll see you again, but until then, take care."

Bi Ryuyeon waved back.

"When we meet again… No, I look forward to that day."

With those words, Gumma left the Heavenly Martial Academy.