Chapter 41

• Binggeom Gwan Cheol-su!

One of the five great swordsmen of the world, who were praised alongside the five great saber masters of the world, and the current head of the Jinmu Hall at the Cheonmu Academy. The Jinmu Hall was a crucial place that oversaw and managed the martial instructors within the Cheonmu Academy. In other words, Binggeom was the person in charge of managing the martial instructors within the Cheonmu Academy. In a word, he was a person of great status. Also, Binggeom was a perfect warrior who received the respect of the Jianghu people, and was flawless in personality, character, and martial arts. And he was a swordsman who was said to be the closest to the Heart Sword, which was said to be the best at using a sword in the Murim.

Some even claimed that he had already mastered the Heart Sword. That's how amazing Binggeom's level was, which had received firm recognition from both himself and others. There were even rumors that the de facto leader of the five great swordsmen of the world was Binggeom Gwan Cheol-su. Was his relationship with Yeomdo Gwak Yeong-hui like water and fire, no, ice and fire? It seemed his noble character was not displayed in front of Yeomdo. It was a relationship of sworn enemies that could be expressed as water and fire, water and oil, cat and mouse, and dog and monkey. No one knew what had happened between the two in the past. Only the two of them knew...

They were two people who were opposed in everything from one to ten. And, they were also the first person each other would never want to meet if they could help it.

"Has it been ten years?"

Binggeom's lips, which had been frozen cold, opened. His voice was as chillingly cold as a glacier in the North Sea. A cold and chilly voice with no trace of emotion. A straight posture without a single flaw, blue-tinged silver hair, and a neatly grown beard of the same color. If Yeomdo was all red, he was all blue. Especially his hair was not a deep blue, but a blue close to transparent silver.

Blue-silver eyebrows, beard, and hair, a martial robe made of silver-blue silk with a bluish tint, and finally, the blue divine sword hanging at his waist, which exuded a chillingly cold ki! It was his beloved sword, Bingru, which could be called a part of him.

"Hehehe. Was it really you? The one who made it possible for a mere manor like Tiger Fang Manor to be established in the middle of Nanchang, the front yard of the Cheonmu Academy? Right, if it's you, that's possible."

Yeomdo said with a strange laugh.

"I just gave him a little help because I've known him for a long time. The rest is all his effort. I'm just an advisor, nothing more, nothing less."

"Hmph, you were always like that. Acting all high and mighty by yourself, being all arrogant..."

It seemed Yeomdo didn't like a single thing about his every move. His words and actions were full of dissatisfaction and hostility towards Binggeom.

Yeomdo, who had been spewing out his dissatisfaction and hostility towards Binggeom without any filter, paused for a moment, unlike him, and then spat out something with difficulty. It was a small and serious tone, quite different from when he was taunting Binggeom.

"How... is she?"

Yeomdo finally asked it. He had touched the powder keg between the two. He had touched it, knowing full well that it was a dangerous substance that would explode and injure those around it with just a slight touch. Immediately, a gleam of light flowed from Binggeom's eyes. He knew Yeomdo would eventually bring this up. But he never wanted to touch that.

"She's fine!"

It was still a cold tone with no emotion. Yeomdo's eyebrows twitched. Was it a sign of a disturbance in his heart? As if reading his expression, Binggeom also paused for a moment.

"Eighteen years ago, when we went our separate ways, you only asked about her well-being. At that time, she was pregnant..."

"She was three months along. You bastard!"

A flash of pain crossed Yeomdo's face. The old wound in his heart, which he had tried to forget, throbbed again.

"Ten years ago, when we met by chance, you only asked about her well-being."

"Hmph, you mean the time we fought for three days and three nights without rest? I shouldn't have let you live then, I should have finished it. You should know that you were saved by a miracle of heaven thanks to the child in her womb at that time."

"Look who's talking. If she hadn't appeared then, you wouldn't be standing here in one piece. You were the one who had a narrow escape from death. Eighteen years ago, and ten years ago. And even at this moment today, there is only one thing I can say to you. She is fine!"

"That damn saying hasn't changed even after eighteen years. And it's still as unreliable as ever. Do you have anything else to say?"

"Ah, the daughter has become very pretty. She has become a beauty, just like her mother. She's prettier than she was in her youth."

'You bastard who spits out words so well with a face and tone that says 'I don't have such a thing as emotions',' Yeomdo thought. That one sentence from Binggeom was a remark that rubbed salt in Yeomdo's wound. Rubbing salt in a wound is a series of long-term storage processes of evenly wounding meat and then sprinkling salt on it to preserve it. But what would the pain be like if one were to be rubbed with salt while still alive? It would be a pain that could not be expressed in words. Even after being rubbed with salt, Yeomdo squeezed out the last of his patience and said, feigning composure.

"Really? That's good. Then I won't hold back anymore."

Sreureung.

His beloved saber, Hongyeom, was drawn on its own and fell into Yeomdo's hand. It must have read its master's mind. Binggeom's beloved sword, Bingru, also made a clear sword cry and came out of its scabbard, and was caught by Binggeom's hand. The two were a pair that could never coexist. There could be no compromise between the two. They were two people who found it disgusting just to be under the same sky and breathe the same air.

They swung their beloved sword and saber, which they each gripped, at the same time, without a single moment's difference. A single moment without a single compromise. From Yeomdo's Hongyeom, a red rainbow with a terrifying fire ki shot out like a ray of light. As if not to be outdone, from Binggeom's beloved sword, Bingru, a blue-white rainbow with a cold ki that seemed to freeze even the moonlight cut through the air.

The red saber ki, which extended, leaving an afterimage of flames in its trajectory, had a powerful fire ki that could be clearly felt even by Bi Ryu-yeon and the Tiger Fang Manor warriors who were watching this situation with great interest from a distance. Bi Ryu-yeon, who was watching from the side, couldn't help but admire this one move of Yeomdo's. It was a terrifying single saber strike with a fierce momentum like an exploding volcano. The momentum was so terrifying that everyone thought it could never be blocked. Anyway, if the saber ki that spewed out from Yeomdo's saber was like a blazing flame, the sword ki that spewed out from Binggeom's sword was reminiscent of a cold, raging north wind and frost. It seemed that even the moonlight would freeze and shatter to pieces if it touched Bingru's sword ki.

Kwa-kwang!

The opposing ki clashed head-on in mid-air. A clash of blazing flames and a north wind and frost! When true qi flies in the form of sword ki and gets entangled in mid-air, the outcome of the battle is decided by the practitioner's internal energy. The two were fellow disciples who had received one lesson from one master. It was always a distant matter to determine the superiority of their skills. Both of them had concentrated all their heart and soul's true qi into this one blow. But the outcome was not decided in the end. The two ki that had clashed had been canceled out and annihilated in mid-air. The level of internal energy that both of them had accumulated so far was also evenly matched. It was a perfect cancellation.

Shuuuuu!

The dust generated by the collision of forces enveloped the entire area and obscured the vision of the onlookers. In the dust accompanied by a huge gust of wind, the onlookers could not open their eyes properly. Everyone tried to see the situation by covering their faces with their sleeves, but it was all in vain.

A moment later, the dust cleared, and the vision was secured, and the standoff between the two was clearly revealed. But Binggeom completely ignored the expectations of the onlookers. There was no trace of damage anywhere on Binggeom's entire body. The extreme yin sword ki, like a blue-white rainbow that spewed out from his sword, had blocked the terrifyingly powerful saber attack all too easily.

"Hmph, that rotten bastard's skills haven't rusted yet!"

Yeomdo said, spitting out the words. He seemed extremely displeased. Of course, no wounds were found on Yeomdo's entire body either. Therefore, the tastes of the two, who had dedicated themselves to martial arts solely to surpass their opponent, could not help but be very bitter. Even though they had not used their full strength, the two could clearly see that their powers were not tilted. Though they didn't want to admit it...

"You too!"

Binggeom still had a cold face with no movement in his facial muscles.

---

• The Greatest Humiliation of Tiger Fang Manor

This was just a simple greeting. A simple greeting between fated rivals who had met after a long time! It was just a greeting no different from 'hello'.

Yeomdo and Binggeom had only gauged each other's current skills by exchanging one sword strike. In other words, this one sword strike was just a simple touchstone, and it seemed neither of them had any intention of continuing. If one of the five great saber masters of the world and one of the five great swordsmen of the world were to clash, it was obvious that it would be an unprecedented battle that would go down in the history of the Murim. It was not a fight that would end in a day or two.

The two were fellow disciples who already knew each other's moves well. That's why they couldn't decide the winner even after fighting for three days and three nights in the battle ten years ago. Although it was questionable how two people who used such different, opposing sword ki could be fellow disciples, the fact that Cheol-su and Yeong-hui were fellow senior and junior disciples was, regrettably, unchanged.

Since the battle was not something that could be decided by a sudden clash, neither of them could rashly engage. How long did this empty standoff last? Suddenly, Binggeom Gwan Cheol-su's gaze turned to Bi Ryu-yeon, who was standing next to Yeomdo.

"Who is the child next to you? A disciple?"

Twitch!

At the word 'child', one of Bi Ryu-yeon's eyebrows, which were as straight and upright as a famous sword, twitched with anger. But this movement was hidden by his long bangs and was not well seen by Binggeom. 'Child', wasn't that an unpleasant remark that completely ignored his existence? It was an unforgivable remark that furiously provoked Bi Ryu-yeon's pride. In the world, they call this a slip of the tongue. But Binggeom Gwan Cheol-su did not notice Bi Ryu-yeon's reaction at all.

This was because it was almost impossible for a common-sense person to guess his complex and unpredictable inner mind, which was like a pond of chaos. It might have been easier to pluck a star from the night sky. But for some reason, this time, Bi Ryu-yeon remained silent and did not step forward. For Bi Ryu-yeon, who liked to step forward as he pleased, as his heart desired, it was an unusual thing.

"Hmph, you don't need to know. He's not a disciple."

Yeomdo, who knew Bi Ryu-yeon's unpredictable personality well—having suffered a lot—answered after glancing at Bi Ryu-yeon for a moment. It was a moment of relief for him that Bi Ryu-yeon was unexpectedly quiet.

"Really? I see. I was wondering what got into you, who likes to be alone, to take a disciple. I thought the Supreme Emperor had made a mistake and the east wind had blown to the west by mistake."

"Tsk, as expected of someone whose nickname is Binggeom, you're as chilly as a North Sea iceberg. What wind, a wind that will freeze to death. Mind your own business. What does it matter if it blows to the east or the west?"

As if his accumulated ill feelings were overflowing, Yeomdo was constantly being quarrelsome. Compared to this gangster-like Yeomdo, Binggeom could still be called a gentleman. A gangster and a gentleman, a pretty good contrast. But the malicious wordplay was by no means something that suited his usual personality and dignity. Considering his cold-headedness, which was publicly acknowledged as being colder than ice, it was a very unusual thing. If someone went out into the Jianghu and claimed that Binggeom Gwan Cheol-su had made a pun, that person would immediately be branded as a madman.

"By the way, what are you doing here?"

Binggeom asked. It was the most important question in their rambling conversation that had been going on.

"Hmph, that's my line. Don't steal it. Why are you here?"

A person he had thought would never be here had suddenly appeared in Tiger Fang Manor, so Yeomdo's curiosity was immense. This was because there was no causal relationship or grudge for Binggeom to be here in Tiger Fang Manor.

"Didn't I tell you earlier? This is a manor where I am a guardian. So isn't it natural for me to be here!"

There was no change in his expression as he spoke calmly. Binggeom was calmly dealing with Yeomdo without showing any sign of agitation. To be able to maintain this much composure and calmness in front of the strongest fated rival of his life, whom he had reunited with after eighteen years, he was clearly a very calm and deep-minded person.

"Hmph, it seems you've switched to being a godfather of the underworld while I wasn't looking. Sorry for not recognizing you. Hmph, so it was all because of you that a mere martial arts manor called Tiger Fang Manor could do business, showing off its tricks in the front yard of the Cheonmu Academy. The world would be shocked to find out."

It seemed Yeomdo wanted to mock Binggeom with all his heart and soul. He was openly mocking Binggeom with all his might. I don't know what happened between the two in the past, but the two seemed like mortal enemies, to the point where it was doubtful that they were fellow disciples. But to see them as mortal enemies, the conversations between the two were also too childish.

The swords and sabers of the two, who were bickering and having a childish war of nerves, had already returned to their places at some point. But no one had noticed. But even though the mice and birds, and the people who were watching with wide eyes, all didn't know, only Bi Ryu-yeon knew that fact.

---

"I don't want to talk for long. Just state your business. If we drag this on any longer, there will be nothing left for either of us. It's just a waste of time."

As if he didn't want to face Yeomdo any longer, Binggeom tried to end the matter quickly. If he faced Yeomdo any longer, it seemed his reason, which he prided himself on being cold-headed, would all melt away, leaving not even a drop. If his reason melted away, all that would be left would be the immense disaster that would soon follow and the corpse of one of them. Because Yeomdo's reason had already all burned away and was gone.

"We have only one business. It's very simple. It's the handover of the Dragon Riding Plaque. You just have to hand over the Dragon Riding Plaque that Tiger Fang Manor has to us. It seems you won't have any use for it here anyway."

"That's out of the question. Then what about my senior brother? That Dragon Riding Plaque is an item prepared for my senior brother."

The third disciple, An Hu-gang, who had been just watching from the side, shouted at Yeomdo without fear and protested. He seemed to be a fellow with a lot of guts. Just by confidently expressing his opinion in front of the famously ill-tempered Yeomdo, his courage and guts were worthy of praise. Bi Ryu-yeon was also impressed. Bi Ryu-yeon wanted to recommend this third fellow rather than the so-called second disciple, Gam Un-su, who was extremely flimsy and had no future. At a glance, he seemed to be a much bigger vessel than Gam Un-su. Because it was impossible to talk back to Yeomdo and provoke his temper with ordinary guts.

"Senior brother? Ah, that idiot from before! He only learned the sword form, but didn't even properly grasp a single bit of the sword intent. He was a guy whose limit was just the unity of sword and body. My eyes are accurate. He hadn't even reached the stage of imbuing his will into the sword. In a word, his skills are pathetic. Surely you weren't thinking of sending such a guy to the Cheonmu Academy all dressed up, were you? If you did, it would be an immediate disgrace! I never knew your insight, Cheol-su, had degenerated to the point of being treated as the same as a rotten fish eye. Please forgive me. If you send such a guy, not only Tiger Fang Manor, but you will also be smearing shit on your own face. Everyone will be so ashamed that they might even remove your name from the list of the five great swordsmen of the world. Of course, for me, it would be a great welcome, but not for you, right? Your mysophobia would never tolerate such a disgrace. The trivial fame you barely maintained would also plummet to the ground, right? Of course, that's if you have any fame to fall. Anyway, it will be a sight to see."

Yeomdo, unlike him, did not hesitate to spew out a terrible torrent of abuse that mercilessly condemned his opponent. Originally, Yeomdo was a person whose actions were faster than his words, so it was difficult for him to say more than three words, but after hanging out with Bi Ryu-yeon for a while, his personality seemed to have changed a lot due to being contaminated by him. Moreover, after meeting Binggeom Gwan Cheol-su, he had become more talkative than usual, perhaps due to his excitement. The person named Yeomdo Gwak Yeong-hui was a person whose fists were ahead, not his words... Bi Ryu-yeon's ability to contaminate him to this extent was truly terrifyingly frightening. But even though Yeomdo had become more talkative, the words he said were not all empty words, but facts.

The words were correct, there was no lie in what he said. If one was recommended with mediocre skills and failed the special screening exam, there was nothing more humiliating and shameful. Because it was a matter of the recommending sect's insight and ability being ignored.

"What did you say!"

The disciples were enraged. Trusting in their numbers, they were poised to rush at Yeomdo and Bi Ryu-yeon right now and bring them to an early grave.