Chapter 38
Chapter 38
"Manor!" "Fang!" "Tiger!"
Bi Ryu-yeon read the characters on the plaque aloud, one by one, clearly. On the plaque hanging on the main gate of Tiger Fang Manor, the characters 'Manor Fang Tiger' were written in a bold and stylish script, like a tiger's spirit.
"Manor Fang Tiger... you say?"
To Yeomdo's eyes, Bi Ryu-yeon had clearly read the characters on the plaque, but the pronunciation he heard was so strange that he asked for confirmation. Even when he checked with his own eyes, which were not illiterate, it was clearly written as Tiger Fang Manor, so what was this sudden 'Manor Fang Tiger'? However, Bi Ryu-yeon, unconcerned with Yeomdo's curiosity, said nonchalantly.
"Oh, you didn't know? I read plaques from left to right. And I interpret them from right to left. You didn't know?"
Of course, he didn't know. How could he?
"You read from left to right, and interpret from right to left?"
Did that even make sense? It was a sound that would make a passing stray dog snort. In two characters, it was 'dog sound', and in three, it was 'bullshit'. Yeomdo's mouth fell open, dumbfounded by Bi Ryu-yeon's absurd and ridiculous answer. His pupils, directed at Bi Ryu-yeon, shone with a strong light, clearly expressing Yeomdo's own confident opinion.
'Crazy bastard!'
Of course, he didn't show it on the outside. Because life is precious...
"Then how do you read a book... sir?"
Yeomdo still couldn't hide his awkwardness at having to use semi-formal speech when talking to Bi Ryu-yeon. So Yeomdo's words always started to end informally, but then he would hastily switch to semi-formal speech with a thought of 'oops', so it was natural that his words sounded strange. His tone had become completely unlike him. At first, there had been many disputes between the two over this issue of honorifics. But with Bi Ryu-yeon's merciless punishment, Yeomdo soon realized that changing his tone was beneficial for his well-being and agreed to use honorifics.
Do you avoid a bowel movement because you're scared of it? You avoid it because it's dirty—that was a saying that well represented his will at the time. It felt as if this saying was born just for him. Bi Ryu-yeon, for his part, was using semi-formal speech to Yeomdo, thinking that even though he had lost a bet and become his disciple, and even though it was a part he didn't care about at all, he was being generous considering Yeomdo's status and age in the Murim. In other words, they had agreed on a suitable mutual honorific.
"Of course, I just read books from top to bottom. Is there anyone who reads books from bottom to top? The only thing I read from left to right are plaques written horizontally."
Bi Ryu-yeon's gaze, as if asking why he was asking something so obvious that even a three-year-old would know, was hard for Yeomdo to bear. Yeomdo couldn't shake the feeling that he was being made a fool of. The back of his neck felt stiff and throbbed. What a strange and bizarre habit. This kind of behavior could be simply expressed in four characters.
Absolutely useless—absolutely useless.
Yeomdo fell into despair once again, realizing anew that he had taken on a truly absurd and nonsensical punk as his master. Even though he had gained enlightenment, his vision was only getting darker and darker. He had already given up counting how many times he had felt despair while accompanying Bi Ryu-yeon today. Although the master-disciple relationship was only in name, it seemed Bi Ryu-yeon didn't think so. He was sincerely ordering him around and making him work like a disciple he had taken in his later years, so for Yeomdo, it was a humiliation he had never experienced in his life.
But considering Bi Ryu-yeon's personality as a whole, this was on the better side. In his own way, he was still treating him with some respect. Wasn't Bi Ryu-yeon still showing Yeomdo a certain degree of courtesy? His honorific speech also stemmed from that. He seemed to have calculated in his own way that if he ignored Yeomdo too much and treated him carelessly, there was a risk that he would go crazy and run wild due to his personality, so he was preventing the danger in advance. Of course, just by becoming Bi Ryu-yeon's disciple and being treated like that by him, the situation was already enough to make him go crazy and run wild. Perhaps if he hadn't been beaten to a pulp by Bi Ryu-yeon at that time, he would have already lost his patience and gone crazy. Because the nightmare of that time was still vividly alive, Yeomdo was suppressing his emotions.
When Bi Ryu-yeon and Yeomdo finished their intimate master-disciple conversation in front of the main gate of Tiger Fang Manor and entered the manor, the protagonist of this much-talked-about rumor, Ho Cheon-sang's second disciple, Gam Un-su, was engrossed in his martial arts training. There were really only a few days left until the exam date. Time was tight even if night turned into day. So now, Gam Un-su was pouring all his energy into his martial arts studies and was diligently practicing. He was pouring everything into the 26 forms of the Fierce Tiger Flying Strike Sword Method, the secret sword method of his sect.
Although it was a special screening and his acceptance was as good as guaranteed, the real problem for the beneficiary was after entering the academy. Because if he entered the Cheonmu Academy, where all the flying and crawling prodigies of the Jianghu gathered, and showed off a mediocre martial art, what would the people around him think? It was obvious that he would be branded as an incompetent person who rode on the name of his sect.
In severe cases, if he was deemed unqualified, he could be expelled without mercy. So, to not be looked down upon by others and not bring shame to his sect, intense training was indispensable from now on. Naturally, putting everything aside and pouring all his efforts into achieving the great success of the Fierce Tiger Flying Strike Sword Method was the most important thing for Gam Un-su right now.
But there was a movement that was disturbing his studies. The area outside the main gate became noisy for a moment, and then, with a couple of thuds, it became quiet again. Although there was a considerable distance from his training ground to the main gate, it could not deceive his ears and eyes, which had been trained through practice. His senses had already been sharpened to the point where he could even catch the sound of a leaf falling more than 15 meters away. Of course, since Bi Ryu-yeon and Yeomdo did not particularly seek secrecy, it was even easier to detect them. Worried about what was going on, Gam Un-su moved his steps towards the main gate.
CRASH!
Just then, with a loud noise that shook the heavens and the earth, the main gate flew wide open, and two uninvited guests he had never seen or heard of set foot in the manor. They were intruders, without a doubt. Didn't the old saying go, "The good do not come, and those who come are not good"?
The good do not come, and those who come are not good!
Gam Un-su gripped the Jeolho Sword at his waist tightly and moved his body towards the main gate, where the white dust had not yet settled. Gam Un-su had great pride in his martial arts, which he had gained through his training so far. He was confident that he had finally mastered the Fierce Tiger Flying Strike Sword Method to its peak. But what to do? Gam Un-su was extremely unlucky today. His opponents were two monsters the likes of which would never be seen again in the human world, beings that could not be measured by human standards. It was a terrible miscalculation.
- The Result of a Reckless Resistance
Gam Un-su, who had rushed over in a single breath after hearing the commotion, shouted confidently without fear as soon as he saw the two. With his senior brother absent, he was the eldest in this Tiger Fang Manor and was in a position to take responsibility for his junior brothers and the family members in place of his master. So he always acted with confidence.
"Who are you punks?"
"We are 'sirs', why!"
Bi Ryu-yeon kindly corrected Gam Un-su's rude words. Lee Gwan-jeong and Son Gon-u, who were guarding the outside of the firmly closed main gate, tried to stop the two who were making a fuss and trying to enter the manor, but with a light gesture of Bi Ryu-yeon's hand and foot, they were sent flying to the other side of the earth in vain. No matter how promising they were as warriors, the two were just squad members. It was impossible for them to stop Yeomdo and Bi Ryu-yeon from the beginning.
Crash! Bang!
Son Gon-u and Lee Gwan-jeong rolled together on the road, which had been warmed just right by the sunlight. Their bad luck, which they didn't have, didn't appear until the end, and to make matters worse, it only added to their lack of it. The guest-receiving disciple, who had opened the closed iron gate to see what the commotion outside was about, was also hit on the bridge of his nose by Bi Ryu-yeon's flying fist and flew 10 meters away, losing consciousness in a spectacular fashion. It was for the trivial reason that he had blocked his path by closing the door. In this way, Bi Ryu-yeon and Yeomdo entered Tiger Fang Manor all too easily without breaking a sweat. And in front of them, Gam Un-su came running out of breath. With a face full of bewilderment...
But Gam Un-su, who was pathetic from the first impression, was unlikely to please Bi Ryu-yeon's eyes. So Bi Ryu-yeon completely ignored him. He didn't feel he was worth dealing with. Bi Ryu-yeon did not take his existence seriously at all. Whether he thought he was insulted by this action of Bi Ryu-yeon's, Gam Un-su's face flushed red. For him, who was full of pride as a rising star of the Murim and a prospective Cheonmu Academy disciple, Bi Ryu-yeon's disregard was an unbearable insult.
"Who are you punk?"
Bi Ryu-yeon's gaze turned to Gam Un-su. But due to his long bangs, Gam Un-su could not see Bi Ryu-yeon's gaze directly. A faint smile was drawn on Bi Ryu-yeon's lips again.
"This person is also impolite, just like the one before. Who are you, who asks for someone else's identity without even introducing yourself first?"
"I am Gam Un-su, a direct disciple of this Tiger Fang Manor. Who the hell are you?"
But Bi Ryu-yeon ignored Gam Un-su's question again. And then, he acted as if he knew.
"Ah, you're the second disciple of Tiger Fang Manor who doesn't know his place because he's bad at math. Nice to meet you."
"Place? What do you mean by place?"
"Aren't you the second disciple who is desperate to enter the Cheonmu Academy through special screening, using his sect's recommendation with his weak and pathetic skills? That's not knowing your place. Ah, and the person who taught me about this place also said that you have an extraordinary talent for not knowing your own theme at all."
"Sh-shut up! You rude punk!"
Gam Un-su was dumbfounded. Had he ever been so miserably ignored in his life? No matter how much he racked his brain and rummaged through his mind, there was absolutely no such time. When had a direct disciple of a first-class sect, who had walked a smooth path, ever received such poor treatment? His personality and pride, which had received such a humiliating insult for the first time in his life, were crumpled to the point of being crumpled and miserably discarded.
Now, his patience had reached its limit. No more words were needed. In that instant, Gam Un-su drew his Jeolho Sword and, in a single breath, unleashed the secret sword method of his sect, which he was so proud of having mastered to its peak, at the opponent who had given him his first insult. A fierce sword ki severely attacked Bi Ryu-yeon.
The Jeolho Sword, which he and almost all the disciples of Tiger Fang Manor used, was much wider, thicker, and longer than a normal sword. So those who crossed swords with the Jeolho Sword for the first time were first flustered by the unexpectedly wide range of its sword circle, and second, flustered by the powerful sword pressure that felt as if it would tear their grip apart. Because its width, thickness, and weight were wider and thicker than a normal longsword, the sword power generated by it was no joke. So a normal longsword without internal energy imbued in it was likely to be broken in two in front of this Jeolho Sword.
This terrifying sword power and sword wind were also the unique characteristics of the Fierce Tiger Flying Strike Sword Method. A fierce sword power that breaks the opponent's sword. A fierce momentum that seems to split the enemy in two in a single breath. The 26 forms of the Fierce Tiger Flying Strike Sword Method, which was evaluated as having such enormous power, were executed towards Bi Ryu-yeon.
Until he first unfolded the sword form, Gam Un-su was confident and majestic. But when he actually attacked Bi Ryu-yeon with the secret sword, the Fierce Tiger Flying Strike Sword Method, which he believed he had mastered to its peak and thought had no equal, it had no effect on him at all. The sword ki could not even cut a single thread of his clothes, and the sword wind only served the pathetic role of cooling his sweat during his exercise. In a word, it was useless, completely helpless.
Bi Ryu-yeon, with just a simple motion of slightly twisting his body, was already completely out of his sword stance, and the one step he took again at the same time as he slightly twisted his body was like a flash of light.
Thwack!
After penetrating into Gam Un-su's embrace in a single step in an instant, and with the one punch he threw at the same time, Gam Un-su's breath was choked as if it would burst. With just one blow, his entire body's ki and blood were tangled up. As Bi Ryu-yeon's right fist directly hit his abdomen, the flow of his true qi was cut off at once.
Pababak! Thwack! Thwack! Tubababak! Pababapak! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
A sound like a violent hail pouring down on a thin iron plate echoed. To someone who didn't know, it was a sound that would feel truly cheerful and exciting. The sound of Bi Ryu-yeon's barrage of blows was in perfect harmony of rhythm and beat, and was now about to be sublimated to the level of art. With Bi Ryu-yeon's right fist embedded in his abdomen, a barrage of confirmation-kill punches rained down on the face and entire body of Gam Un-su, who couldn't even let out a single groan or scream. Bi Ryu-yeon's specialty among specialties, the Beating to Death Fist, the Three Dog Days Beating Fist Method, had been activated. The barrage of dozens of blazing punches instantly took away his consciousness.
Ah! The situation after that is too miserable, so I will omit it. Because knowing it will only be harmful to one's mental health. There are cases where not knowing is a blessing, as knowing can hurt. Thus, the rising star of Tiger Fang Manor, Gam Un-su, had a strange and mysterious, unique experience of seeing stars on the threshold of the underworld in broad daylight. And then, he lost consciousness along with the numerous twinkling stars. In his own mind, he would have wanted to escape from reality as soon as possible. Bi Ryu-yeon looked at Gam Un-su, who had fallen to the ground, and showed a strange expression of 'what the heck'.
"Oh? This guy is too weak, isn't he?"
Bi Ryu-yeon was dumbfounded. It was too bland. The guy who had shouldered the honor of a sect had fallen so easily. It was pathetic. Gam Un-su, let alone a proper counterattack, couldn't even handle a single move from Bi Ryu-yeon and was miserably knocked down. It was the result of recklessly challenging him, trusting in his Fierce Tiger Sword Strike Stance, which had not yet reached a mature stage. He himself was conceited that he had completely mastered the secret sword method to its peak, but the reality was not so.
In the eyes of a master, it was still a long, long way to go. That was the true skill of Gam Un-su at present. But Gam Un-su, who had no intention of forgiving an opponent who had resisted him, no matter how weak they were, was hit squarely by Bi Ryu-yeon's indifferent move without even being able to put up a decent show of resistance. If Yeomdo had been his opponent, his knees would have buckled from his momentum, and he wouldn't have been able to stand properly. It would have been a relief if he hadn't wet himself.