Chapter 87

Bi Ryu-yeon could not help but be flustered at this moment. Because no matter how he looked around, there was nothing he had touched. It wasn't that Jin Ryeong had pressed it either. Where would she have had the time to do that when she was busy drawing her sword?

'Could it be that that person made a mistake?'

If so, the bet would end in victory. Even to receive the bet money safely, he had to get out of this place safely. Besides, Jin Ryeong was now lying on the floor. If he was seen by others, he would not be in a good situation. But heaven was so heartless, and there was a presence rushing towards the room from outside the corridor at a high speed.

'Oh no, three zhang... two zhang... one zhang!'

It was an incredibly fast speed. The presence had already reached the front of the door.

The door was flung open, and behind it stood Na Ye-rin. Her eyes, which saw Bi Ryu-yeon, were colored with surprise. Bi Ryu-yeon also would have declined if his happy reunion with her was like this.

'Oh no, this is not good...'

The moment the door opened, Bi Ryu-yeon discovered that the object he wanted was hanging on the clothesline. It was undoubtedly some kind of object to cover the soft and elastic breasts of women. Besides, seeing the character 'Rin' embroidered with gold thread at the end of the silk cloth, it was certain that it was genuine. That was the object that was supposed to be brought as evidence in the bet.

But the target was still far away. He had never seen a distance of less than half a zhang seem so far. Bi Ryu-yeon hastily stretched his left hand towards the fallen Jin Ryeong.

Na Ye-rin, who had been concentrating on mental concentration, meditation, and training in the underground training room of the Baekhyang-gwan, had found it difficult to calm her heart, which had been pounding with anxiety since early evening. So it was not easy to concentrate on her training. The anxiety had followed her persistently until midnight, and it had not been shaken off even after she had taken a bath for a change of mood.

She had felt a vague anxiety, but she could not pinpoint what it was. Because a clear image had not yet appeared in her mind like a picture. The precognition and sixth sense that came from her Dragon's Eye had an accuracy that was second to none. But since she was not omniscient and omnipotent, she could not see everything as if she were looking at the palm of her hand.

Suddenly, the sound of an emergency bell rang out, covering the entire Baekhyang-gwan. The alarm, which rang at five-second intervals, was a signal that an intruder had entered the Sword Empress's quarters. It was a somehow ominous and dark feeling. The Sword Empress's quarters were the most sacred place located at the top of the Baekhyang-gwan. It was a place where the intrusion of others should not be tolerated, no matter what.

'Am I late?'

Even she, who was not usually shaken by anything, could not help but be shaken at this moment. If an intruder had entered the Sword Empress's quarters, it would be a big deal. Because that was where the divine object and a part of the insights of the Sword Empress, one of the Three Sages of Cheonmu and the only woman, were stored. In the history of the Baekhyang-gwan, no intruder had ever reached that place. But today, that precedent had been broken.

Her heart became impatient, unlike her usual self, but oh dear, her hands were empty now. She had left her sword in her room when she had gone to take a bath. She could not stop the intruder without a weapon. It would be a little late, but her room was located on the way to the Sword Empress's quarters anyway.

She did not hesitate and moved her figure like the wind, running up the stairs. Ten leaps were enough for her to reach the front of her room. She hurriedly opened the door. But the scene in the room made her dumbfounded.

A strange man, who should never have been there, was brazenly present in her room. The man was wearing a mask on his face, so his face could not be recognized. Why was the intruder, who should have been on the side of the Sword Empress's quarters, present in her room? For a moment, she could not make an accurate judgment. Now was the time when suppression should be prioritized over thinking.

As she stretched out her hand, her beloved sword, Bongru, which was hanging on the wall, was sucked into her hand like magic. It was an excellent study of controlling objects from a distance. As Bongru was caught in her hand, she unhesitatingly drew her sword. A dazzling white light sword thunder was shot out from her sword. As befitting a person who had received the true transmissions of two of the Four Great Sword Gods of the righteous path in one body, her sword ki was extremely fierce.

'This is no joke!'

For her to emit her sword ki without any mercy like this. As it was, it was not easy to get out of this place. Bi Ryu-yeon raised his left hand towards the sky, towards her who was emitting a fierce first sword strike and, as if that were not enough, was about to emit a second sword strike in succession. It was the very hand that he had hastily stretched out towards the fallen Jin Ryeong just now.

The Secret Art of the Flying Thunder Dagger's Secret Meaning
The Chapter of the Puppeteer
Puppet!

Strangely, as Bi Ryu-yeon's left hand moved, the body of the fallen Jin Ryeong suddenly stood up from the floor. It was not that she had come to her senses. She had blocked Na Ye-rin's path with a movement like a puppet controlled by the hands of a puppeteer. He had already wrapped the Thunder Spirit Thread around her body when he had drawn his hand before. Now Jin Ryeong was a dancing puppet moved by his hand.

At the sudden interruption, Na Ye-rin could no longer use her sword. If she made a mistake, Jin Ryeong could be hurt. Besides, Jin Ryeong's body was now falling towards her in a defenseless state. She had no choice but to open her two hands and support Jin Ryeong's body.

Kwa-kwang!

The first sword ki that had flown out collided head-on with the Command Thunder Hand that had been emitted from Bi Ryu-yeon's right hand. A loud sound of ki swept through the room like a gust of wind. It was so chaotic with flying objects that he was dizzy. His vision was also obstructed.

Bi Ryu-yeon had deliberately collided head-on, even though he could have avoided her sword ki. It was to get his body out in the gap where the two ki's collided head-on. In normal times, it would have been difficult to escape from the tip of her sharp sword with just this, but now Jin Ryeong's body was kindly blocking her hand. With just that much of a gap, Bi Ryu-yeon had no problem escaping. When the gust of wind subsided and the view was properly secured, his existence could not be found anywhere.

'Did I miss him...'

A quite familiar presence was left in the room like a lingering scent. But it was not over yet. This much of a presence and information was enough for her. She had the Dragon's Eye.

'Could it be that man?'

No matter how much he had covered his face with a mask, that atmosphere could not be hidden. Moreover, she was the owner of the Dragon's Eye. There was no way she could have seen wrong. A more certain proof was that she could not read the mind of the unknown man in front of her. It was the same phenomenon as that time. At that distance, normally, the opponent's mind would flow into her, whether she wanted it or not. But this time, there was no feeling at all, to the point of being empty. This had only happened once before. That was at the Unhyangjeong. The regrettable thing was that nothing was certain.

Bi Ryu-yeon, who had quickly gotten his body out of the window, flew like the wind and hid himself in the deep darkness. The breastplate, which was the target of the bet, was not yet in his hand. But Bi Ryu-yeon was not discouraged or flustered. Because he still had a secret move left. By now, she would also have come out of the room to track him and the other one.

Bi Ryu-yeon's fingers moved elegantly, as if playing an instrument, receiving the faint moonlight. And as his hands moved, there was an object that was swaying in the dark night sky. The object, which was dancing under the starlight while receiving the night wind, was a very thin and soft silk cloth with a beautiful peony flower embroidery.

Before hastily leaving the room, Bi Ryu-yeon had planted the Thunder Spirit Thread in the target. As long as it was connected to the Thunder Spirit Thread, he could bring out the target even from 300 meters away. The place where Bi Ryu-yeon was now standing was exactly 300 meters away from the Baekhyang-gwan.

The piece of silk cloth, which had flown as if swaying in the wind, landed safely on Bi Ryu-yeon's palm. A winner's smile appeared on Bi Ryu-yeon's lips.

In a small forest next to the Geomhon-gwan. In the forest next to the small path that had blocked Bi Ryu-yeon with countless traps when he had first come to the Geomhon-gwan, a man was now standing. The man, who was burying his body in the forest alone at a late hour when everyone else was asleep, was surprisingly Hyo-ryong.

But why was Hyo-ryong in a place like this at such a late hour? Had he made a lover somewhere without anyone knowing? If so, Hyo-ryong's resourcefulness was truly excellent and praiseworthy.

"I'm sorry. I failed."

A strange man's voice was heard from a corner of the darkness. Even at the voice that had suddenly been heard, Hyo-ryong was not shaken. Why was that man asking for forgiveness in front of Hyo-ryong now?

"As expected, you didn't succeed, Number One."

"I have nothing to say."

A man's voice, as if he were sorry, was heard. He was one who lived, hiding his existence with the darkness. An existence that was only called the Traceless Number One.

"You seem to be hurt?"

"I... I'm sorry. I couldn't completely avoid the mechanisms. I'm so ashamed that I failed even though the Third Young Master gave me so much information."

"Well, you don't have to worry about it so much. It's a relief that you got your body out safely."

Hyo-ryong's words were extremely gentle. But the man's tension did not seem to have been eased. The person that Number One was facing was not an existence that could be dared to be disrespected.

"B... but..."

The man called Number One was so sorry that he didn't know what to do with himself.

"I already knew that the Baekhyang-gwan was not an easy place. Besides, among them, the Sword Empress's quarters are located on the top floor, and it's the deepest of the deep places where the security is the strictest and the mechanism formations are complicated. Since it's a place that a man's hand has never touched, this failure was as good as scheduled."

"I am sorry. I will gladly accept the punishment for this failure."

Number One, who was hidden in the darkness, was so ashamed that he could not lift his face. Since this was the first time he had failed to complete a given mission, his shame was even greater.

"It's alright. No matter how excellent the Sword Empress's insights are, it's just the martial arts of a woman. There's no need to hang on to it, nor is there a need to give it more value than it's worth. I think we have sufficiently achieved our initial goal just by causing a slight disturbance. Even if we win with martial arts stolen from others in a cheap way, we will only become a laughingstock for everyone. If that happens, it will be a shameful and disgraceful thing for a student of the Great Demonic Heaven Pavilion. I was against the Great Senior Brother's plan from the beginning."

Hyo-ryong's words were calm, unlike a person who had experienced the failure of a subordinate.

"My thoughts were short, Third Young Master!"

Even in Number One's judgment, the Third Young Master lacked the coolness and ruthlessness of a person of the Black Path. His personality was as different as heaven and earth from that of his Great Senior Brother, the First Young Master.

"Don't worry about it. Then hide yourself and rest well. We don't know when the shadow of the academy will capture us. Let's cut off contact for a while. Concentrate on your treatment and make sure to erase the traces of blood."

"I understand."

Number One's body disappeared into the deep darkness as if assimilating with the darkness. Only the night wind was blowing quietly between the faint moonlight.