Chapter 44
Chapter 44
With his drowsy eyes barely half-open, Bi Ryu-yeon looked around. His skin tingled and his ear canals itched, making him feel quite unpleasant and uneasy. His nerves were extremely frayed. As he looked around with his eyes still not fully open, he confirmed that, indeed, several warriors were sending him sharp glares of reproach, as if asking how he could do such a thing. Still, they were individuals who had surpassed a certain level, as their eyes all seemed to have a sparkling luster. It was probably due to the internal energy they had cultivated within them.
Only then did Bi Ryu-yeon finally realize where he was, how he was standing there, and why. And he could also understand why the surrounding glares were being shot at him so mercilessly.
'Ah, this was the Cheonmu Academy entrance ceremony hall...'
That's right. This was the entrance ceremony hall for the new disciples of the Cheonmu Academy, which was supposed to be solemn and sacred. And he was now standing here, enduring sleepiness, to attend the entrance ceremony. Now that he understood everything, his heavy eyelids, without a hint of remorse, attempted to descend once again. But the barrage of hateful, sharp glares continuously sent from the surroundings made even him, whose nerves were peerlessly dull, finally have to fold his firm will. Bi Ryu-yeon, who was deeply regretful of the unfulfilled deep sleep, was utterly mortified. Tragically, his deep sleep had been disturbed.
'Did I make a mistake?'
Bi Ryu-yeon felt the need to reconsider his actions so far. What was the reason he had tried to enter this Cheonmu Academy? Wasn't it to escape the boredom and tediousness of daily life and to find something fresh, refreshing, and stimulating enough to make his brain tingle?
Of course, his longing for the children he had once taken as disciples also played a considerable part in this. He didn't necessarily deny that fact. But he didn't entirely admit it either... As he was constantly oppressed and exploited by his master every day, he would suddenly miss the children who had called him 'Master' and followed(?) him at that time.
Bi Ryu-yeon himself was inwardly surprised and amazed at the unexpected fact that a strange emotion called 'longing' for others had arisen. Where were those kids now and what were they doing? Were they doing well? He was also worried that they might be getting beaten up every day, just like when they were under him. Still, weren't they the children he had once taught—even if it was a scam—and who had served him as their master and learned from him? It was natural, in a way, for longing to arise. Bi Ryu-yeon was also a person with blood and flesh, just like an ordinary person. Although many people showed a skeptical view of this fact, the fact that Bi Ryu-yeon was a person could not be denied.
Month after month, thirty days a month, three hundred and sixty hours, one thousand four hundred and forty meal times, two thousand eight hundred and eighty tea times, two thousand eight hundred and eighty incense times! In other words, if one could eat without rest, one could empty one thousand four hundred bowls, and if one could drink tea without rest, one could drink two thousand eight hundred and eighty cups, and if one had the courage and patience to watch persistently, one could witness two thousand eight hundred and eighty incense sticks burning. How annoying and stomach-churning it was to periodically settle the income for that period and offer it to his master! Every time, Bi Ryu-yeon felt something. It was a sense of crisis that if he continued like this, his life might end with continuous exploitation and overwork from his master, and permanent abuse. So, as part of a plan to overcome the current crisis and design a new life, he decided, no, he was determined to enter the Cheonmu Academy, where the children were. He couldn't live his whole life bound to his master, being treated like a servant or a slave, so he closed his eyes and made a bold decision.
To be honest, the preparations for this life-or-death plan had been meticulously made for a very long time. It was a very difficult, arduous, and risky task, but with an indomitable spirit, he had avoided the eyes of his monster-like old master and had kept it a complete secret.
'Now is the time to escape from the old man's clutches and become independent!'
Dodging his master's devilishly sharp eyes and a keen sixth sense that would make even a ghost cry, he had perfectly manipulated the details of his income and expenses, and had diligently siphoned off money through overtime work. Wasn't it all to prepare for this time that he had secretly raided mountain bandit lairs and collected money and treasures?
But what was this? From the beginning, the situation was proceeding in a direction far different from his expectations. Just like when he had first taken in and taught disciples, Bi Ryu-yeon was inwardly expecting that interesting things would happen immensely.
'But this is really not it. This place is like a fool's den teeming with pathetic humans who risk their lives for things that don't even make money.'
Bi Ryu-yeon did not like this ritual at all, which he couldn't shake the feeling that he had poured all his money into a useless place that was boring and had no substance. From the perspective of his extreme mammonism, pouring money into a place like this was an endlessly foolish and uneconomical act, no different from throwing money into the air. He felt like he would get dizzy from the despair of the reality that such an uneconomical, unproductive, and inefficient thing could exist, but no one properly understood Bi Ryu-yeon's despair.
So how frustrated must his heart be? He was on the verge of bursting with anger. Only his yawns were properly reacting to the emotions called boredom and tediousness. It was a truly regrettable and empty, vain act.
- The Great Escape from the Entrance Ceremony Hall**
The entrance ceremony of the Cheonmu Academy, where one should be trembling with solemnity, grandeur, and a wave of emotion!
But for Bi Ryu-yeon, it was just endlessly boring, to the point of making him yawn repeatedly, nothing more, nothing less.
Looking around, he could see new disciples shedding tears of emotion here and there without difficulty. But in Bi Ryu-yeon's eyes, they were just considered petty and made him sneer. For ordinary people, it was impossible not to be moved by this place, which they had reached after overcoming numerous trials and difficulties. So, it could be considered natural for the new disciples to sometimes show tears of emotion. But Bi Ryu-yeon did not understand their emotions well. No, he did not recognize them. The natural emotions they were feeling now were too unfamiliar and strange to him.
'How can they be moved by such a terrible waste?'
He couldn't understand it at all. Bi Ryu-yeon was a person whose thought process did not proceed smoothly without money. For him, the thousands of people lined up in the training ground and the various colorful flags flying high were not a source of inspiration at all. The harmonious concerto of excitement, spirit, and heat that filled the ceremony hall only gave him boredom.
The welcoming speech by the representative of the upperclassmen, the key officials of the academy who were hard to see if not for a time like this, the vice-master who was as hard to even brush past as plucking a star from the sky, and the master of the Cheonmu Academy, whose sight alone was said to be the glory of seven generations of a family! And the left and right twin guards who were said to protect him like an iron wall, were all just a dull affair for Bi Ryu-yeon.
Bi Ryu-yeon was now looking for an opportunity. A golden opportunity to fly away somewhere from this stuffy and endlessly boring entrance ceremony hall... Finally, the welcoming speeches that followed one after another from the Cheonmu Academy master, the vice-master, the representative of the great old masters, and the representative of the upperclassmen, which others wished to see even once in their lifetime, were a brutal torture for Bi Ryu-yeon, and he finally put into action the decision he had been thinking about for a long time.
'If an opportunity doesn't come, you make one!'
Just by enduring it this far, he had shown the minimum courtesy to the impossible.
Swoosh!
His body blurred like a phantom, his form and shadow faded, and soon his figure could not be found anywhere in the ceremony hall. It was a high-level, supreme movement technique that left no sound or form. The group of people who were still tirelessly sending him sharp, tingling glares almost had their livers drop. They thought their hearts would leap out of their throats. They should have considered themselves lucky that they didn't lose their balance and slip and fall on their protruding hearts. Bi Ryu-yeon, who had clearly existed just a moment ago, had disappeared in an instant like a phantom. And the person they had been observing with inner attention and care had disappeared without a trace. They couldn't even guess where he had gone, or his direction and speed. He had completely disappeared from their sight and vanished without a trace.
'H-how can this be... W-we've lost track of him!'
To lose track of an opponent they were watching with attention and not even be able to grasp their direction, wasn't this a situation where it wouldn't be strange if a sword flew from an unexpected blind spot and took their necks in a real battle? Losing track of an opponent meant defeat. Nothing else could exist besides these two words. They had been able to add one life to the inventory of the life extension ledger today. It was a mistake that could not be forgiven even if they wrote dozens of 320-line long-form self-reflection letters.
All the new disciples felt their hair stand on end and a chill run down their spines. They had all tasted a deep sense of defeat at the same time. The taste was by no means sweet, and it even made them feel as if they had been possessed by a ghost.
The new disciples next to Bi Ryu-yeon tried hard to doubt their five senses, including their eyes and ears, and their minds, but it was no use. They just stood there blankly, not knowing what was going on. They couldn't even guess the direction and couldn't even catch the tip of his shadow. Were their eyes just for decoration? This was no different from them being instantly demoted to a lower level than the person who had disappeared. That's why their shock could not help but be even greater.
The place Bi Ryu-yeon went to after leaving the ceremony hall was the top of the roof of a nearby old-fashioned pavilion. It was a quite high pavilion with five floors, and when he climbed to the top of the roof, the colorful and splendid scenery of the training ground where the ceremony was in full swing came into view at a glance, and the view was excellent. Using the tiles of the pavilion as a mat and the brightly shining sunlight as a blanket, Bi Ryu-yeon, who was lying down with his limbs spread out, breathed in the warm sunlight and the gentle breeze that tickled his face, as if breathing in the breath of life, as if to clear his stuffy insides. The sunlight was warm. So he soon fell asleep. It was an extension of the deep sleep that had been interrupted earlier, which he had to stop with regret. But this time too, his deep sleep did not last as long as he had expected.
'Huh?'
The dream he was enjoying, using the tiles as a mat and the sunlight as a blanket, was also brief. A shadow fell across his face. It was definitely not natural. It was an obstacle that was blocking the warm spring sunlight head-on.
Flash!
Bi Ryu-yeon's eyes, which had been enjoying a peaceful and pleasant, delicious nap, flashed open. As he lay on his back with his chin raised, the shadow of a person came into his eyes as if flickering. Was he about twenty years old? He was a handsome young man with sharp sword-like eyebrows and a high nose, and a relaxed smile. A smiling face full of a bright smile, and the two strands of a blue hero's headband tied diagonally across his forehead caught the viewer's attention. And the two twin swords tied to his back, left and right, were also very impressive as both swords had the same shape and color without a single error. It was clear that these two swords were probably identical not only in shape but also in weight and feel.
"Hello!"
The young man he was seeing for the first time greeted him first.
There was no fist-and-palm salute. There were no honorifics. He just raised his right hand and waved. It was a somewhat awkward greeting to give to someone he was seeing for the first time, but he couldn't feel any awkwardness from the young man. The young man had a strange charm that drew people in, so it was a greeting that anyone would have felt happy to receive. That's how much of a refreshing and likable impression he had.
"I didn't know there was someone with the same hobby as me!"
His words were full of life, as if he were very happy to have met an unexpected comrade, a kindred spirit.
"Who?"
"Ah, my name is Hyo-ryong. My friends also call me Euljin Peerless Twin Swords. Though it's too much for me. Actually, rituals may look cool on the outside, but they're too boring for the people inside. Endlessly boring. Don't you think so? That's why you're here, isn't it? To meet an unexpected and unforeseen kindred spirit in a place like this at a time like this, maybe this is why life is enjoyable. A wonderful connection made by skipping a ceremony? Hehe, don't you think it's wonderful? It must be a blessing from heaven."
This noisy man named Hyo-ryong, who had fired off his words without giving Bi Ryu-yeon a chance to open his mouth, smiled brightly at Bi Ryu-yeon. He had an expression that said he was having fun and was amazed. Bi Ryu-yeon thought his smile was very bright and refreshing.
In fact, it was a rare event, enough to be recorded, for Bi Ryu-yeon to be interested in others like this. Originally, he had almost no interest in people other than for financial relationships. But Hyo-ryong was repeatedly exclaiming in admiration, as if he were so amazed at the fact that he had met an unexpected comrade in such an unexpected place. Anyone could see that he was excited. Because it is not an easy thing to meet a friend with whom one has a common ground in life. But Bi Ryu-yeon, at least on the outside, did not bat an eye at Hyo-ryong's fuss.
"Are you done talking?"
Bi Ryu-yeon, who had been watching Hyo-ryong silently all this time, frowned and finally opened his mouth.
"Yes."
"But, um..."
"Yes?"
Hyo-ryong, who had been looking down at Bi Ryu-yeon and doing all the talking, turned his gaze and asked back.
"It's all good, but can you move aside now? You're blocking the sunlight. I don't like that."
Bi Ryu-yeon's words far surpassed Hyo-ryong's expectations. Only then did Hyo-ryong seem to notice his mistake and said 'oops' and took a step to the side. The sun once again warmly enveloped Bi Ryu-yeon's entire body. Only then, as if satisfied, did Bi Ryu-yeon relax his frowned brow, smile, and savor the warmth and coziness of the sun. It was a luxurious indulgence that could not be bought with money.
Hyo-ryong, who had been looking at Bi Ryu-yeon's appearance with envious eyes, as if he had made up his mind, came to the side and lay down with his limbs spread out, just like Bi Ryu-yeon. The sunlight pleasantly stimulated Hyo-ryong's face.
"Huh? Aren't those new clothes? Is it okay if they get dirty?"
Bi Ryu-yeon asked. It was Bi Ryu-yeon, who was still good at worrying about useless things.
"It doesn't matter. Because I feel good!"
At some point, Hyo-ryong's speech had changed to informal. But Bi Ryu-yeon didn't particularly care about that fact. That's how unreserved the conversation between him and Hyo-ryong was. Bi Ryu-yeon asked Hyo-ryong.
"How is it?"
"It feels the best, this sense of liberation! This fullness! Hahaha."
Hyo-ryong answered with a loud laugh. Bi Ryu-yeon also smiled at his answer. Bi Ryu-yeon was satisfied with his answer. Bi Ryu-yeon extended his right hand. For him to extend his hand to a man first, wasn't this the first time since the creation of the world? Even if there was someone who was worried about the end of the world tomorrow, no one would be able to blame him.
"I'm Bi Ryu-yeon. Let's get along."
Hyo-ryong took his hand. The two looked at each other and smiled. Below the pavilion, it was busy with the progress of the event, but the two on top of the pavilion enjoyed their leisure like immortals who had cut ties with the secular world. Everything seemed peaceful and leisurely.
Even when the entrance ceremony was all over and the signal to gather only the new disciples rang out, the two had no intention of ending their sunbathing on the pavilion. Of course, it seemed they had no intention of coming down either.
"Hey, Ryu-yeon?"
Hyo-ryong turned his head slightly to the side and called Bi Ryu-yeon.
"Yeah, What?"
"Someone's watching us."
"Yeah, I know. They've been there since you came up. Didn't they follow you?"
Hyo-ryong's body flinched imperceptibly. But soon, as if nothing had happened, Hyo-ryong awkwardly scratched the back of his head and said.
"Yeah, I wonder? I don't think there's anyone who loves me that much. Hahaha..."
Unlike his reaction a moment ago, his voice was calm.
"Really? Then don't mind them."
Bi Ryu-yeon said, as if it were no big deal. But it was unlikely that it would be as easy to do as he said. It was unavoidable that the gaze of an unseen someone was constantly on his mind.
"Don't you think it means we should stop slacking off and go down?"
"You think so? What does it matter to me if someone else makes a pancake out of vomit?"
Bi Ryu-yeon said in a slightly annoyed tone. He really wanted to refuse the interference of others, having come this far.
"Oh, you have a history of that?"
Hyo-ryong asked with a very interested look.
"Not me. But I know someone who has such a history. He was drinking with his friends and went to sleep, and one of his friends got up in his sleep and vomited in a bowl while drunk. In the morning, when that guy woke up, he must have mistaken the moderately solidified vomit for pancake batter. So he made a pancake with it and ate it."
"Was it edible?"
"Yeah, it seems it was quite edible. The ingredients were watery and not very sticky, so he just added a little more flour to the egg, made a pancake, and shared it with his friends. He said it was a real delicacy. Of course, they were all horrified when they found out the truth later."
"It's a story of 'ignorance is bliss'. Should we try it once? We might find a new horizon of surprising taste."
"I would strongly advise you to give up."
"Really? Then let's put aside the new cooking practice for now. But who on earth is that friend? I'm really curious."
"Yeah, it's nothing. His name isn't well-known either..."
Bi Ryu-yeon trailed off his words in response to Hyo-ryong's question and avoided answering. It was Bi Ryu-yeon, who could never tell him that the culprit of that incident was No Hak.
"The signal to gather the new disciples has been ringing for a while. We have to get our dorm assignments, so let's go down now."
"Dorm?"
Bi Ryu-yeon asked back with a look that said, 'There was something like that? I didn't know.' Hyo-ryong was inwardly dumbfounded.
"You mean you didn't know that all this time?"
"Yeah!"
Bi Ryu-yeon nodded his head nonchalantly, as if not knowing was something to be proud of. Suddenly, Hyo-ryong jumped up from his seat, grabbed Bi Ryu-yeon's hand, and headed towards the place where the gathering signal had been ringing for a while. Bi Ryu-yeon did not resist at all and was just dragged by Hyo-ryong like a piece of luggage. As if Bi Ryu-yeon's weight was no burden at all, Hyo-ryong's movement technique was graceful. It was easy to guess that his level of internal energy and his skill in lightness kung fu were not ordinary.
Hyo-ryong, who was heading to the gathering place while dragging Bi Ryu-yeon, looked at Bi Ryu-yeon and smiled like a mischievous boy.
"Ryu-yeon?"
"Yeah?"
"If that person just now was really a Cheonmu Academy person, we'd be marked already, wouldn't we? Since we were caught slacking off from the start."
Although he said this, not a single trace of bewilderment could be found on Hyo-ryong's face. He even had a subtle smile, as if he were enjoying this situation. It was an attitude that said he didn't care about a watcher at all. The presence that had been secretly watching them had also disappeared at some point, and fortunately, the gathering place was not far from the training ground, so they were able to arrive in front of a building with 'Cheongsim-gwan' written on it after crossing a few pavilions. This was the gathering place for the new disciples.
The building was spacious and grand enough to accommodate a large number of people. When they opened the door and entered, a large number of new disciples were already gathered and waiting inside the pavilion. Even though nearly six hundred people had gathered, the main hall did not feel cramped. That's how spacious the inside of the pavilion was. Also, even though it was a place where hundreds of people had gathered, the inside of the pavilion was so quiet it was chilly. Bi Ryu-yeon didn't like that. He felt bad. Just then, a powerful voice echoed inside the pavilion.
"The Master of the Muhon-gak is entering."
The gazes of the new disciples were all focused on the source of the sound. Soon, an old man in his early old age walked out, escorted by three warriors. The pattern of the three-sword dragon embroidered on the chests of the escorting warriors indirectly explained the old man's high status.
Bi Ryu-yeon also learned later from Hyo-ryong that in the Cheonmu Academy, the measure of one's ability, regardless of their year, was determined by the pattern engraved on their chest. A three-sword dragon was a pattern with three crossed swords and three dragons wrapped around the swords. Of course, as the number of sword dragons went up one by one, the difference in skill was said to be as wide as the heavens and the earth. This was because one number represented one stage of martial arts.
A three-sword dragon was a skill that looked down on the direct disciples of any ordinary sect. With three such three-sword dragons escorting him, what more explanation was needed about the old man's status? Everyone's gaze was fixed on the old man. The eyes of the watching disciples were full of admiration and respect.