Book 1 Chapter 15

Namgung Sang's Love Scandal

When did I start holding her in my heart?

When did I start longing for her while gazing at her?

Who said love is longing? I long for her.

I long for her as if I'm going mad. But the distance between her and me

is vast, and the greater the distance, the more I long for her.

Namgung Sang was looking at the sky. The deep darkness, a night sky like a field scattered with stars as black as ebony, seemed strangely lonely. This suffocating, blocked feeling in my heart. Sighs kept escaping my lips. I had never lost my heart to another being like this since I first held a sword at the age of three.

The coolness of the piercing blue sword light, which I touched and felt with those small hands, was the first thing to captivate me completely. Just by seeing her, my heart and body moved towards her. The strength in my right hand holding the sword weakened, and my mind lost focus, wandering. My gaze, which should be looking in the same direction as the sword, kept turning towards her, an irresistible force. Namgung Sang could feel his path as a warrior growing distant. He could only sigh at his inability to control his heart, knowing this all too well.

"Huuu…"

"Heh, if you're going to suffer so much, why not confess boldly like a man? It's more frustrating for me watching you."

Hyun-un, who had been silently enduring his friend's heavy sighs like a majestic song, feeling his patience wear thin due to his lack of spiritual training, spoke up.

"Hyun-un, if it were that simple, why would I be worrying so much? I wouldn't be like this if I could just do it. You know this, don't you?"

"Well, I know your pure heart, but it's too frustrating to watch. Stop this one-sided unrequited love and boldly try a two-way street."

Is this person really a aspiring Taoist? He doesn't look like one. Namgung Sang said, looking at his friend who spoke so freely. But his eyes were lifeless, devoid of vitality.

"Heh, come on Sang, if it were me, I'd run straight to Miss Jin and confess my feelings. What if someone else snatches Miss Jin away while you're dithering like this? Have courage. Miss Jin may be one of the Seven Phoenixes, but aren't you one of the Nine Dragons? What do you have to be ashamed of? Be confident. You don't look like Namgung Sang of the Namgung Sword Family, one of us Nine Dragons. Confess, confess. Offer your whole heart to Miss Jin. Didn't they say that only the brave win beauties? Why are you only suffering in silence without even trying?"

"Heh, it seems that nowadays, in Taoist circles, the teachings have shifted to 'achieving the ultimate true path through love, let us all love.' Do they teach love techniques in shamanism too? Learn diligently. If you don't want to end up like me later, you should study love and relationships diligently from now on. Anyway, setting that aside, how was learning love techniques? Hoho… I get it, I get it. Stop now. You strange friend. Hoho, confess, confess…"

Namgung Sang quietly gazed at the darkness of the sky, embroidered with silver. Like the dark, deep hue of an abyss, his heart was suffocated, and his chained steps were heavy.

In the place where Namgung Sang was sighing and lamenting while looking at the stars, where he was sighing and agonizing as if the sky were falling and the earth was caving in, a dark silhouette suddenly appeared. It was Bilu-yeon, who had quietly listened to everything from above the trees and had now descended.

"Heh, heh, he really lives up to his name, Namgung Sang. To be sitting there like that, sighing at his age. Tsk, tsk."

Bilu-yeon had secretly watched the entire situation from above the trees. Listening to a man in love's grumbling felt too frustrating and foolish. He thought about jumping down and beating him, but decided to let it go for now. Could he do that to his beloved disciple? At that moment, Bilu-yeon decided he had to solve Namgung Sang's love troubles, the "problematic child," so that he wouldn't have to hear that annoying grumbling anymore. Whether this would be good or bad fortune for Namgung Sang, only God knew.

"Puhehe."

With a noble(?) laugh, Bilu-yeon's body disappeared into the darkness.

Jin-ryeong, who was diligently cooking and doing laundry, received a letter from her master. Her master, of course, was Bilu-yeon, who was currently teaching her.

To Ling-ah,

Do not tell the others and come to the forest behind the training grounds. I have something important to tell you. This is a very important matter, so be sure to come by Shinshi Cho (between 6 and 7 PM). And, absolutely remember that this is a secret from everyone else.

From your handsome, benevolent, and mighty strongest master!

Jin-ryeong was bewildered upon receiving the letter. Why was she being called secretly? This had never happened before, so her confusion only grew. However, it was her master's command, and she couldn't disobey—fearing the repercussions—so Jin-ryeong reluctantly decided to go to the meeting place at Shinshi Cho (between 6 and 7 PM). She thought there wouldn't be any big deal and went with a light heart. Unaware of what fate awaited her.

"Master, Master."

Her clear, beautiful voice echoed softly through the dense forest. But no matter how much she called, there was no answer. The forest behind the training grounds was so dense that all light was obscured by the dark green foliage. Only faint light filtering through the leaves managed to squeeze through the small gaps. Moreover, as evening approached, the forest became even darker. Just then, she felt someone's presence behind her slender back.

"Who… Master?"

The presence, hearing Jin-ryeong's voice, seemed to flinch for a moment, then responded. However, the voice was completely unexpected to Jin-ryeong.

"Miss, Miss Jin?"

The voice of the silhouette seemed to tremble. It sounded like someone trying to calm their pounding heart and speak with difficulty.

"Who… Oh my, Young Master Namgung?"

Finally recognizing the owner of the voice, Jin-ryeong exclaimed in surprise. She couldn't help but be surprised, as she never imagined meeting him at such an unexpected time and place.

"Miss, Miss Jin. What brings you here? What business would someone like you have in such a secluded place…"

Namgung Sang, approaching Jin-ryeong, stammered and asked cautiously. Perhaps due to nervousness, his words were quite disorganized. Indeed, Namgung Sang was currently struggling to suppress his breathlessness and his heart pounding as if it would explode. A sense of crisis, as if he could die instantly from a ruptured heart if he let his guard down even slightly, overwhelmed him. As if sensing his feelings, her beautiful voice, which further increased his heart rate, was heard.

"I was called here by my master…"

"Ah, I, I was also called here by my master. B-but I can't see where he is. He said he had something important to tell me."

"I also received a letter with that content. He could have just told me directly… I can't guess Master's intentions, especially since he sent you a letter too."

"Who can guess Master's intentions?"

"Well, that's true."

Her faint smile was like setting fire to Namgung Sang's already dangerous heart.

As they were pondering, surrounded by suspicion, they suddenly heard a rustling sound behind them. Then, a fierce killing intent enveloped them. A multitude of needle-like killing intents stimulated their nerves. Namgung Sang felt his heart, which was on the verge of exploding, return to its normal state in an instant. Although he had saved his life, an ominous feeling arose that he might be in another life-threatening situation. Namgung Sang and Jin-ryeong turned around to confirm the source of the killing intent. Such an action in this fog of killing intent was incredibly dangerous, but they had no other choice. And there it was.

The tiger riding situation (騎虎之勢)! It's not a phrase meaning a dangerous situation with a tiger in front. It originally refers to being on a tiger's back. But being on the back of such a terrifying tiger means it's an extremely dangerous situation. You can't get off, and if you do, you'll clearly become the tiger's lunch… A similar expression is "gihojise" (騎號之勢), which means "uncontrollable momentum," so be careful with its usage. Before their eyes appeared a giant pure white being, which should be called the king of beasts.

Giant claws that seemed capable of tearing apart all living creatures, eyes that shone coldly like emeralds, seeming to overwhelm lower beings, a colossal body whose mere silhouette cast a vast shadow over the earth, a white tiger whose body length was at least one and a half jang.

The white tiger emitted a pure white killing intent, glaring at everything before it as if overwhelming it. With the eyes of a hunter who had found prey… Both were tense. Moreover, the king of beasts seemed to have a significant appetite at the moment, so their tension was even greater.

'Hmm? What's with this uninvited guest? My plan, my meticulously crafted plan, shouldn't be disrupted. Hey, you, give me back my plan! The mental and physical fatigue from using my time, money, and brain. To turn all of that into nothing in an instant. I can't forgive this kitten.'

Bilu-yeon had to ponder due to the sudden appearance of an unexpected variable that caused a complete change in his plan. His brain screamed from the sudden overuse. But the conclusion was reached quickly. He couldn't find a clever solution by wringing his hands and worrying, so he decided to just watch silently for now, let alone proceed to the next step.

It's true that he felt that as a rising star of the martial arts world, the prodigy of Tianwu, the rising sun, he wouldn't die, would he? He tentatively decided to trust Namgung Sang's abilities.

However, this one was not an ordinary guy. It was a real one, appearing two to three times larger than an ordinary white tiger. Its body length alone was one and a half jang, and its standing height was nearly half a jang, so you could make eye contact if you stood in front of it. It was a giant, truly proving the saying that "class is different."

Suddenly, the white tiger, which had been confronting the two, seemed to make a decision and launched itself forward to execute it.

"Kuuuuurrrong!"

The phrase "like a flying tiger" was probably created to describe a situation like this. Its attack truly deserved the description of being like a flying tiger. Even a bird wouldn't have closed the distance between them so quickly.

"Dangerous!"

With a generic shout, Namgung Sang covered Jin-ryeong. Of course, this was not an action taken by Namgung Sang because he had some appetite for Jin-ryeong. Nor was it done with a desperate thought of, "If not now, then when?"

At that moment, Namgung Sang's only thought was to survive. Normally, he would have been able to avoid it. But still, he was the third son of the prestigious Namgung family and a chosen one among the Nine Dragons, considered a genius at the highest martial arts academy, Tianwu. No matter how much a tiger was the king of the mountains, it was still an animal. He wasn't so incompetent that he couldn't handle one such beast.

However, there was an unexpected variable. Yes, the two of them were not in their normal state. As they tried to move nimbly to avoid the white tiger, they suddenly faltered. They couldn't move their bodies freely. The immense weight of the ink rings on their ankles and wrists, like cursed shackles, prevented them from moving, making them stand like statues. Unlike usual, they had not yet properly adjusted to the weight of these ink rings. Moreover, Jin-ryeong was a woman who was naturally weaker than men. Of course, the movement of ink rings was not solely dependent on strength, but in a state where her strength was less than a man's, there was nothing she could do.

A killing-intent-filled wind brushed past Namgung Sang's ears. The wind's mane scratched his cheek, causing bleeding to begin. Namgung Sang's back was drenched in cold sweat, and an unknown chill swept over it.

The white tiger, puzzled by its first attack missing, landed gracefully on the ground and immediately changed direction, lunging at them like a streak of light. The instantaneous change of direction upon landing, and the smooth connection of the leap like light – for an ordinary person, avoiding such an attack would have been impossible. However, even with physical limitations, Namgung Sang was a martial artist who transcended the ordinary, and moreover, with his beloved Miss Jin beside him, he couldn't simply be defeated.

With a split-second judgment, Namgung Sang covered Jin-ryeong and pressed her down to the ground. At that moment, a chilling energy transmitted through his back, and a thunderous impact struck his body. He felt a searing pain like fire. The white tiger's claws had grazed his back. Blood began to pour from the four claw marks. Fortunately, it wasn't a life-threatening wound, but if his prone body had been even slightly higher, or if he had ducked even a little later, Namgung Sang would have been on the brink of death.

The wound stung, but Namgung Sang gritted his teeth. He couldn't show weakness to Jin-ryeong while pressing her down.

'Pressed down…?'

At that moment, Namgung Sang suddenly realized the situation unfolding. The face of Jin-ryeong, whom he adored, flushed like a peach blossom, was right in front of his nose, along with her breath. Jin-ryeong's warm breath tickled his nose. A suffocating shock violently struck his entire body. He almost died of a heart attack without even fighting the white tiger, so his embarrassment and shame can be easily imagined.

To describe the current situation more vividly, the delicate beautiful girl Jin-ryeong was pinned beneath the timid, awkward swordsman Namgung Sang, and Namgung Sang seemed to be pinning her limbs from above. Their faces were so close that they were about to overlap.

At this very moment, it didn't matter that the white tiger was growling behind them, threatening to take their lives. What Namgung Sang felt was an inexplicable warmth, a softness felt through his chest, and Jin-ryeong's hot breath that made his eyebrows twitch. Wasn't this the kind of moment that was called a dreamlike moment?

Jin-ryeong's cheeks were flushed like peach blossoms, but Namgung Sang didn't have even the slightest thought of yielding, a noble Confucian ideal. His mind was blank like white paper, so how could such thoughts arise? He rationalized that he had to embrace and protect the beautiful and noble Miss Jin from the white tiger with his whole body, mind, and life, and that he had to keep holding her forever as long as the white tiger didn't disappear. It wasn't just because he liked the strange scent of Miss Jin seeping into his nose, or because he was intoxicated by the warm, soft, indefinable feeling he felt through his chest.

The sword, Namgung Sang's first love, was the sword. At the innocent age of three, the blue chill and aura of the sword he saw then were deeply etched in the young Namgung Sang's mind, never to be erased. When he was allowed to officially learn the sword at the age of five, how delighted he was to receive his own sword. With his sword, his first love, he practiced tirelessly in his young heart.

Around the age of ten, his skills began to show promise, and he received intensive sword training under the attention of the elders of his clan. And he easily passed the difficult entrance exam for Tianwu Academy, earning nods from the elders around him. It was a feat of the three brothers, following his older brother Namgung Jin, who was seven years his senior, and his second brother Namgung Woo, who was three years older. And in his first year at Tianwu Academy, he was named one of the Nine Dragons and Seven Phoenixes, a title of the highest honor, surpassing his peers. It was no exaggeration to say that his life had been almost without setbacks until now.

Now, for him, another sword appeared. He couldn't grasp that sword in his hand, but it was a sword he desperately wished to hold. But that sword seemed too lovely and sacred to be obtained. This sword was more beautiful, warmer, and nobler than the sword he held at the age of five. It was sharper and much more dangerous. The most frightening aspect of that sword was its sharpness and danger, capable of wounding his heart. This sword was once again absorbing everything from him. The name of that sword was Jin-ryeong.

"Oh, look at that. Wow! Ha, this is ridiculous. What a damned wolf-like guy. He pretended to be a true gentleman and put on all sorts of airs, but in the end, he's no different. Turns out he was raising dozens of wolves along with snakes."

Bilu-yeon instantly assessed the current situation and made a decision. He couldn't bear to watch any longer. So, what should he do to resolve the current situation? Bilu-yeon formulated a rational and effective course of action and decided to implement it immediately, acting with remarkable speed.

Deciding he couldn't watch any longer, Bilu-yeon leaped down from the tree. The spot where he landed was where Namgung Sang, the third son of the Namgung family, and Jin-ryeong, a direct disciple of the Emei Sect located on the famous Mount Emei, one of the four great sects of the nine great martial arts schools and a pillar of the martial arts world, were embracing each other.

Before their eyes, a white tiger, as large as a house, which would only be appropriate as a figurative expression, was preparing to dine with its jaws agape. In an instant, a silver flash flew from Bilu-yeon's right sleeve and was instantly swallowed into the white tiger's maw. A moment of light, a fleeting stillness, and a roar!

"Kuuuuurrrong!"

And then, one death.

'Is this the end?' Namgung Sang and Jin-ryeong must have thought. The white tiger slowly laid its massive body on the ground with a roar that echoed through the mountains, so terrifying and desperate. It was a moment where destiny intersected, where the king of beasts, the object of fear for all people and animals, would become a luxurious rug for a wealthy family or a high-quality wall hanging, sold at a high price. And it was also the moment they escaped the fate of becoming beast fodder.

"Hey, get up, get up."

Bilu-yeon kicked Namgung Sang's buttocks with his toe, who was hugging Jin-ryeong so tightly that she was about to be crushed.

"W-who… Ah!"

Namgung Sang, still wandering at the crossroads of heaven and hell, was startled and sprang up.

"Ah, so, this is…"

Namgung Sang, with a face as red as the midsummer sun, was frantically searching for an excuse. But the redness on his face didn't seem to disappear, suggesting he hadn't come up with a good solution yet. Jin-ryeong's face was just as red. It would be strange otherwise, wouldn't it? Jin-ryeong, with a face flushed with shame like a peach blossom, reluctantly spoke to Namgung Sang.

"Thank you for saving me, Young Master Namgung."

"Don't mention it… It was my duty for Miss Jin. My life is nothing for Miss Jin."

"Yes, your duty? What duty? The duty of hugging Ling-ah so tightly that she was crushed and rolling on the ground? Or the duty of pinning Ling-ah down from above? I have no idea what your duty is."

"M-Master!"

Both shouted at the same time, their faces flushed as if about to burst.

"Ling-ah, it seems you don't quite grasp the current situation. The one who protected your beautiful 18-year-old life is not the always-gloomy Namgung Daegyeop who hugged you to death and rolled on the ground, but your handsome master here. Don't let a moment's mistake blind you to the truth."

Bilu-yeon had forgotten the original purpose of calling them, having lost sight of it.

"Ah, yes. Thank you for saving me, Master."

Jin-ryeong, finally understanding the situation, hastily bowed her head in gratitude.

"Hohoho, yes. That's right, of course."

"Thank you for your kindness, Master."

Namgung Sang also clasped his hands in a fist salute and expressed his gratitude.

"Ahem, that's enough. Thanks are unnecessary… But, Namgung Daegyeop!"

Bilu-yeon waved his hand and said with a slightly sarcastic tone. His eyes, now a little sinister, were fixed on Namgung Sang.

"You must have had a good time today, didn't you? But looking at your face, you still seem to be regretful? Don't covet it too much. There will be more opportunities in the future. Isn't it the mark of a man to seize that opportunity, that moment, when it comes? Hahaha!"

"M-Master!"

Namgung Sang shouted in surprise, his face flushed scarlet. Jin-ryeong next to him, too embarrassed, lowered her head and fidgeted, unable to do anything.

"Hahaha, then I'll be going…"

Bilu-yeon, who had started this whole thing with the intention of bringing them together, completely forgot his original purpose and instead acted as a spoiler. With a brief farewell, he leaped up and gracefully disappeared into the forest. Only the sound of his laughter, fading into the distance, lingered in their ears.

Now, in the empty space where no one else remained, they stood silently for a moment, looking at each other. Just then, a streak of blood from Namgung Sang's sleeve flowed down his wrist.

"Oh my, blood!"

Jin-ryeong exclaimed in surprise.

"Ah, it's nothing. I just got a slight scratch."

Namgung Sang said dismissively. He wanted to show strength to the woman he adored.

"It's not nothing. Hurry and show me your wound."

Jin-ryeong gently, with her delicate hands, turned Namgung Sang around.

'This is quite good…' he thought, but Namgung Sang reluctantly turned his back. His face showed evident signs of emotion and excitement.

"Oh my!"

Jin-ryeong exclaimed in surprise upon seeing Namgung Sang's back. His back was torn in four lines from the tiger's claws, and blood was still flowing. It was certainly not a minor wound, just as he had said. It was a wound he sustained while protecting her from the white tiger's second attack. To endure such a large wound without even a groan. And it was a wound inflicted while protecting her. A small ripple of emotion spread through Jin-ryeong's heart.

"You call this 'nothing'… It's absolutely not nothing. Look, I'll treat your wound."

Jin-ryeong said in disbelief and carefully began to treat the wound. First, she removed Namgung Sang's outer garment and then applied medicinal ointment to the wound. But Namgung Sang's mind seemed to be elsewhere, as he didn't even feel the pain.

'Miss Jin's touch is so soft…'

A bliss greater than the sting of the wound overwhelmed him.

She applied ointment for the immediate need, but there were no bandages. Jin-ryeong's beautiful face showed a look of dismay. Without bandages, she couldn't wrap the wound, so Jin-ryeong pondered. But her deliberation was short-lived; Jin-ryeong, as if making a decision, suddenly stood up and quickly tore her skirt. It was an action without hesitation.

"Miss Jin, tearing your clothes!"

Namgung Sang exclaimed in surprise. The glimpse of her alluring calves peeking through the torn skirt further clouded his already hazy eyes.

"It's okay. Young Master Namgung saved my life, so this piece of clothing is not a problem."

The clothes Jin-ryeong was wearing were one of the two sets she had been given after her original clothes were confiscated by Bilu-yeon on the first day of training. Since she had to tear one of the only two sets of clothes, Namgung Sang felt so apologetic that he didn't know what to do.

"Still, if Miss Jin does that, I feel ashamed. This is too overwhelming…"

Namgung Sang trailed off. He couldn't continue speaking.

Jin-ryeong began to wrap the bandage made from her torn skirt around Namgung Sang's wound. Namgung Sang was a man, and Jin-ryeong was a woman. Naturally, Namgung Sang's shoulder width and chest circumference were larger than Jin-ryeong's. This was even more so because he was a practitioner of martial arts. So, as Jin-ryeong tried to wrap the bandage around Namgung Sang's wound, his back and chest circumference were so large that it looked as if Jin-ryeong was hugging Namgung Sang from behind.

Once again, Namgung Sang's mind went blank. The soft, smooth, and warm, indescribable blissful and sweet feeling transmitted through his back struck the top of his head like lightning. At this moment, whether driven by the desire to share this moment forever, or perhaps due to his mental state, he suddenly grabbed Jin-ryeong's hand as she was wrapping the bandage around his chest. It was probably an unconscious action on his part. It was unlikely that Namgung Sang, whose only special skill besides sighing was other things, would have done something so calculated while in his right mind.

At that moment, Jin-ryeong's body flinched. Her hand, which was around his chest, was suddenly grasped, so she couldn't forcefully pull it away, and she ended up in the posture of hugging Namgung Sang from behind. But for some reason, Jin-ryeong's face turned completely red, and she remained silent without even a scream. Then, a silence that seemed to stretch for eternity began to flow.

Namgung Sang, who had been lost in thought, came to his senses and let go of her hand in surprise. As if something was caught in his throat, they sat in silence without speaking to each other. Perhaps it was the evening sunset, or for some other reason, both of their faces appeared red. Gradually, a feeling as if time had stopped seemed to envelop them both.

Did the stopped time begin to flow? After some time had passed? Namgung Sang was the first to speak. His face, as if he had made a decision, no longer blushed. Namgung Sang stood up, and with a determined expression, he politely extended his right hand and said to Jin-ryeong.

"Well then, shall we go? Miss!"

The outstretched hand was a hand that asked for a choice. To extend this hand once, Namgung Sang had to exert superhuman patience and courage as immense as a mountain. And the girl, placed at a crossroads of choice. The girl seemed to ponder for a moment, then answered with a silent gesture. The ripple in her heart grew larger, becoming so intense that it shook her heart and broke down the wall in front of her.

"Yes."

She gently offered her left hand and replied with a smile. The smile that appeared on her beautiful face was dazzlingly brilliant. Namgung Sang, instantly captivated by her smile, gently grasped her white jade hand as if she might shatter. It was a time filled with warmth and freshness, as a cluster of bright lights shattered and sparkled.