Chapter 66

At a glance, this man, whose name could also be read as 'pervert', was sitting gloomily in a corner of the building with a face whose inner thoughts could not be fathomed. As if he were absorbing the sunlight surrounding him, his surroundings were damp and dreary. It was a mystery in itself how he could dream of and execute stealth and concealment with such a huge body.

After a simple exchange of names introduced by Im Seong-jin, Bi Ryu-yeon and his party sat down at Im Seong-jin's suggestion. The inside of the Young Lady Lovers' Society building was plastered with hundreds of pictures of beautiful women, making the viewer's eyes and heart dazzled.

"Is this a painting of a fairy?"

Hyo-ryong asked, pointing to the hundreds of paintings of beauties that were plastering the walls and ceiling. Im Seong-jin shook his head.

"No. We have a policy of not handling imaginary women. All the paintings here are of existing, real women. Except for extremely exceptional cases, it's customary to change to another painting when they turn 25."

Indeed, looking at the paintings, the woman's age at the time of the painting's creation and the date of creation were written together. It seemed that they would mercilessly tear it off and replace it with a new painting when they turned exactly 26.

"Is this a celadon?"

Bi Ryu-yeon said, pointing to a roundish blue porcelain displayed on a shelf on one side.

"No, that's a chamber pot."

Im Seong-jin answered nonchalantly.

"What? Are you in the chamber pot business? Why are there so many chamber pots displayed here?"

"It's a special chamber pot. It's a chamber pot that a certain young lady used to use. It was hard to obtain."

They were truly absurd people to collect even such things. Should he be impressed that they sincerely collected such things? Bi Ryu-yeon had to fall into a serious dilemma for a moment.

"What's this?"

The dilemma was also brief. Bi Ryu-yeon asked, pointing to a thoroughly sealed iron box placed separately on one side. He was curious about the contents inside, what on earth was being stored that it was sealed so strictly.

"Don't touch it."

He had been sitting gloomily with his mouth shut until now, so it was doubtful whether he was a living creature, but seeing him speak, it seemed he was indeed a human.

"What is this?"

"The crystallization of my blood and sweat, my treasure."

That build, a thing made of that human's blood and sweat... Hyo-ryong suddenly felt nauseous. 'I will never open that,' Hyo-ryong resolved.

"Still, I'm curious."

A guy with a strong stomach. Bi Ryu-yeon, who thought that a locked box originally existed to be opened, was not one to just let it go. As Bi Ryu-yeon showed no sign of giving up, Im Seong-jin winked at Bi Yeon-tae. It was a signal to be generous for once.

After thinking about something for a moment, he seemed to have decided to be generous for once. Finally, the firmly sealed box opened with a creak.

"Wooooow... what is this?"

Bi Ryu-yeon made a deflated voice as if he were dumbfounded and pointed into the box with his index finger. The Young Lady Lovers' Society's vice-leader, Bi Yeon-tae, had emphasized it so much and cherished it, so he had thought something amazing would be inside, but when the lid of the box opened, Bi Ryu-yeon was able to clearly realize how absurd his guess had been. Bi Yeon-tae was unconcerned though.

"How is it, cool, right? Besides that, we have numerous collectibles and information. They are things that are imbued with the indelible fragrance and traces of women. Do you know how much sacrifice and effort were needed to collect this?"

"I have no idea."

Bi Ryu-yeon couldn't understand what was so important about a few colorful silk cloths and bundles of documents. Seeing him holding a piece of silk cloth with a thin string, whose purpose was highly suspicious and questionable, and constantly sniffing it with a gloomy smile, he felt a strange chill. It was pretty, but it was just strange why he was so happy holding a piece of thin silk cloth with a string and not erasing his bizarre smile. But looking closely, a piece of paper was attached to each silk cloth. On the red silk cloth with a lotus pattern, the following was written:

Name: Twin Sword Flying Swallow Jin Ga-hee
Date of acquisition: Martial Year 99, July 20th
Place: 3rd floor women's changing room, Muyoung Pavilion

Martial Year refers to the period after the establishment of the Cheonmu Academy. In fact, Bi Ryu-yeon didn't know well, but what Bi Yeon-tae was holding and feeling pleased with was the undergarment of a certain woman whose name could not be revealed. It was an item used to cover a certain object that was endlessly soft and elastic. Of course, its value was higher the less it was washed. On the paper placed next to the silk cloth, the portrait and personal history of the owner woman would probably be written in trivial detail.

'Is that really a good thing?'

He wasn't a dog, so there was no need to find the owner by smell, so why did he keep sniffing like a dog? Personally, he wished he would restrain himself a little. Of course, it didn't seem like such a request would be accepted.

"Our goal is to discover and nurture the number one beauty under heaven, recognized by the entire Jianghu."

For a person who did not hesitate to act in a way that was far from elegance and dignity, it was a serious tone that did not suit him.

"That's amazing. Are you going to hold a beauty contest?"

"That's a good idea. I was thinking of holding a beauty contest at this festival anyway."

"It's not an easy task."

Im Seong-jin said. He also knew well that it was a practically impossible task.

"We'll gather all the beautiful courtesans of the Jianghu and hold a competition. I don't know for sure, but it'll be a grand spectacle."

Was Bi Yeon-tae still not giving up? He had a surprisingly persistent side.

"If it's everyone, does that mean the Black Path side too?"

"Of course. Where is the distinction between black and white for a beauty? Beauty is universally beautiful, regardless of the distinction between righteous and unorthodox, black and white."

"That seems like a rather dangerous thought."

Hyo-ryong said a word.

"As I've said many times, you can't do anything if you're bound by the framework presented by society. Originally, beauty is a universal value of the four seas and eight wildernesses, no, the great universe."

Im Seong-jin boasted as if it were something amazing. It was an absurd story from the beginning to believe a man—in short, a pervert—who was holding an undergarment as if it were a treasure pot.

"No beauty can escape our eyes. We will chase them to the ends of the four seas. Until we know everything about them."

"Isn't that what they call a pervert?"

Hyo-ryong whispered into Bi Ryu-yeon's ear. Bi Ryu-yeon also nodded his head as if in agreement.

"So this is a place full of the twisted desires of men."

It was Bi Ryu-yeon's scathing criticism. Hyo-ryong also nodded his head in agreement.

"Hey, hey, that seems like a rather harsh assessment. Originally, all men are the same. Being fascinated by the beauty of women is also a man's duty."

Im Seong-jin retorted.

"If that degree is severe, it becomes a disease."

Hyo-ryong also said, not losing.

"Hey, we're here."

Two men with childlike smiles entered the debate hall, where they were still engaged in a war of words, unable to narrow their differences of opinion.

• The Troublemaking Cheonmu Twin Ghost Shadows

The two men who entered the Young Lady Lovers' Society building
were Tang Cheol-gi from the Sichuan Tang Clan and Cheon So-hae
from the Heavenly Wonder Sect. Both had mischievous
smiles on their faces.
They seemed to be people who couldn't stay still for a moment.

Seeing Im Seong-jin greet them warmly, it seemed that they were also members of this place.

"Let me introduce you. This is Tang Cheol-gi of the Sichuan Tang Clan and Cheon So-hae of the Heavenly Wonder Sect. Both are masters of mechanisms and formations, and are a pair of peerless troublemakers and headaches called the Cheonmu Twin Ghost Shadows by others. Say hello."

"Hello."

"Hello."

Tang Cheol-gi and Cheon So-hae waved their hands and greeted them playfully. Etiquette did not seem to be their main concern. Tang Cheol-gi took out a piece of paper with a bright smile on his face. And then he said proudly.

"I finally found out the three sizes of the Flying Swallow Sword, Miss Baek. It was a great achievement after a long time."

"Oh, really?"

A satisfied smile spread across Bi Yeon-tae's thick lips.

"Besides..."

Tang Cheol-gi's hand went into his pocket and came out. What was held there was a piece of light green silk cloth with a butterfly pattern, and it was of the same use as what he had seen in Bi Yeon-tae's collection earlier.

"Ooooooh, th-this is?"

Tang Cheol-gi and Cheon So-hae boasted about the acquisition route as if it were the heroic tale of a hero who had saved the world. Bi Ryu-yeon, who had been listening quietly, suddenly asked.

"Don't people around you dislike it when you do that?"

"They dislike it very much."

Tang Cheol-gi answered as if it were natural.

"But you still do it?"

"Of course."

Tang Cheol-gi said resolutely, clenching his fist. Was this something worth burning with such will?

"What great thing can you do if you care about the trivial gazes of those around you one by one? We've been living without caring about such things from the beginning."

"That's true."

Only then did Bi Ryu-yeon realize that the people in front of him were partially of the same kind as himself. People who pushed forward in their own way, regardless of the gazes of those around them. At that thought, he suddenly felt a sense of familiarity with them. It seemed that it would be fun to be in a place like this and spend time with them. He also felt a sense of anticipation that it would be a source of vitality in his currently boring life.

"We will not give up until the day we find out everything about the number one beauty under heaven."

He was again burning with passion for a useless thing. Since it didn't seem like something that could be stopped by dissuading him, Bi Ryu-yeon decided to take a bystander's position.

"Hehehe... but this kind of information becomes expensive money."

Tang Cheol-gi whispered with a secret gaze. Suddenly, Bi Ryu-yeon's ears perked up.

"Does this really become money?"

"Of course. You may not know well, but numerous men are desperate to know this kind of information. We are helping them relieve that impulse as a volunteer activity. Of course, we can't leave out a small token of appreciation."

"I'll join."

Bi Ryu-yeon answered immediately. The Twin Ghosts were also surprised by Bi Ryu-yeon's sudden change of attitude. Bi Ryu-yeon, who had written his name on the membership application form in an instant, also half-threatened his companions to sign the membership application form. It all happened in an instant.

After completing all the membership procedures, Bi Ryu-yeon asked Tang Cheol-gi out of pure curiosity.

"But who is the number one beauty under heaven?"

Bi Ryu-yeon, who was a layman in the Jianghu, was also a man, so he was curious who the number one beauty under heaven, recognized by the world, who was being talked about so much, was. But the answer was unexpected.

"We don't know that either."

What kind of nonsense was this? Bi Ryu-yeon's party was all puzzled by Tang Cheol-gi's answer.

"What? Does that even make sense? How can the Young Lady Lovers' Society, which digs into the background of all the beauties in the Jianghu, not know that?"

No matter how logically he thought about it, it was a part that was not easy to understand.

They were owners of a twisted desire who felt joy by perversely and fanatically collecting everything about women. Of course, there were differences in degree... But how could it be that there was no data on the number one beauty under heaven, for whom they should have found out the most and collected several volumes of data lists?

"It's a very regrettable thing for us as well. But we are not fortune-tellers."

Bi Ryu-yeon wanted to know about the number one beauty under heaven right now, he had not come to have his love fortune told. What kind of correlation was formed between a fortune-teller and the number one beauty under heaven that he was talking like that? Bi Ryu-yeon couldn't help but be puzzled.

Tang Cheol-gi continued his explanation.

"The number one beauty under heaven has not been decided yet. It means that a woman who is praised as the number one beauty under heaven with absolute and overwhelming support has not yet appeared. In other words, it's something that will happen in the future."

Therefore, unless one was a fortune-teller, there was no way to know who the future number one beauty under heaven would be.

"Aha, I see."

He nodded his head with a look of understanding. He had thought that it wouldn't be bad to try to seduce her if she had already been decided, but it was just a pity that she didn't exist yet.

"But it will definitely be decided in the future. The flower of flowers, the queen of beauty. Our academy also has quite a few women who are the epitome of beauty, who can compete for the number one beauty under heaven. Among them, Miss Na of the Ice Soul Phoenix is a very promising talent. Her beauty is truly fantastic."

Just by imagining it, Cheon So-hae's pupils shone dreamily. It would be a proof that her beauty was that great.

"Huh?"

Just then, Bi Ryu-yeon suddenly felt a strange energy and felt a sense of wonder. Looking around, it seemed that he was not the only one who had felt it. In particular, the brightness of the faces of the Cheonmu Twin Ghost Shadows, Tang Cheol-gi and Cheon So-hae, which had seemed like they would never darken, had lowered.

"Who is she, who is emitting a killing intent that can be transmitted through the wall like this?"

Bi Ryu-yeon asked Tang Cheol-gi out of curiosity. It seemed that he knew the woman outside.

"Ho, to notice that the opponent outside is a woman so quickly is amazing. Well, she might be a mysterious woman who ardently adores me."

"I don't think that's it at all. You forgot that she's Miss Baek's close friend."

Cheon So-hae, who was next to him, said with a bitter smile. But even if he had known, he would not have given up.

"Anyway, it seems like a wise move to voluntarily stick my neck out before the one and only club building is destroyed."

The killing intent transmitted through the thick stone wall was a fierce momentum that would even break down the building if necessary. Tang Cheol-gi and Cheon So-hae did not want the numerous treasure-like collectibles they had gathered to be damaged, so they decided to go outside in advance.

As the Twin Ghost Shadows opened the door and went outside, Im Seong-jin and Bi Ryu-yeon's party also went outside together. Right outside the Young Lady Lovers' Society building, a surprisingly beautiful woman was standing, emitting a killing intent as sharp as frost.

"My, my, what brings Miss Dokgo to such a humble place?"

Tang Cheol-gi greeted her with a feigned welcome.

"You punk! Don't ask when you know everything."

Dokgo-ryeong shouted sharply. She was in no mood to receive greetings at all.