Book 12 Chapter 6
The Ordeal of the Azure-Crimson Twin-Horned Snakes!
“Hoo, by the way, these guys look really peculiar, don’t they?
To have horns like a snake, how audacious.”
Holding the Azure-Crimson Twin-Horned Snakes by the scruff of their necks, Bi Ryu-yeon flipped them back and forth as if appraising them. It was an exceedingly rough handling.
Shweeeeeeek!
True to their nature as intelligent spirits, these two attempted to resist.
“Oh? You dare resist? Just one more time…”
Shweeeeeeek!
As if not hearing Bi Ryu-yeon’s words, the male, Qing Lins, like a true man, once again spat out his venom fiercely.
Kkii-eeek!
Qing Lin’s cry abruptly ceased. Moreover, his mouth, stretched wide open, showed no signs of closing. The look of bewilderment was evident in the eyes of this insignificant creature. Seen from the side, he looked like a person sweating profusely and utterly at a loss.
“I told you! If you resist one more time, I won’t let it slide. I distinctly warned you.”
The Azure-Crimson Twin-Horned Snakes wanted to protest to the heavens, thinking, ‘What an ignorant brute!’ They had lived for two hundred years, preying on beasts tens of times their size while crawling on the earth, but this was the first time they had encountered such a bewildered human.
However, Qing Lin could not close his mouth. No matter how fierce and savage he was, or how much he was renowned as a discerning gourmet (?) creature, and even though he was hungry, having been starved for days by Mo Sa-ryeong to raise his venom, he couldn’t just swallow his wife, Hong Lin.
That’s right! Bi Ryu-yeon’s punishment for Qing Lin was to shove Hong Lin’s head forcefully into his mouth, which had been gaping open and revealing its fangs. It was an outrageously ignorant and brutal method, but its effect was absolute. Qing Lin fell completely silent.
“Should I just push them in all the way?”
Bi Ryu-yeon murmured in a low, quiet voice.
The azure and crimson tails, which had been thrashing wildly like a bronze duck’s struggling, sagged powerlessly. Being spirits, they instinctively sensed that his words were sincere and that he would truly do it if he were displeased. However, perhaps because a sliver of mercy remained, or perhaps because the idea of two worth one was too displeasing, Bi Ryu-yeon did not carry out his threat.
With a fierce look that seemed to say, ‘Mess with me and you die,’ Bi Ryu-yeon held both snakes up before his eyes. In that instant, a fiery, demonic glow flashed from the eyes of the Azure-Crimson Twin-Horned Snakes. It was their hidden trump card, capable of paralyzing humans like stone in an instant. And it was their last act of defiance.
But…
Kiiiieeeek!
Instead, it was the Azure-Crimson Twin-Horned Snakes who were shocked, as if struck by lightning. Even their treacherous trump card lost its luster before Bi Ryu-yeon. They exerted their abilities to the utmost to survive, but they were completely ineffective against this human. Instead, a wave of murderous intent, rebounding with immense force, struck their very minds.
“Hoo, how amusing. Your last act of defiance? How dare you! After I gave you my final ultimatum! Do you think just because you have horns you’re a true snake? Shall I turn you into snake wine? Or snake barbecue? Or a tonic for fatigue recovery, virility enhancement, muscle strengthening, and robust health? How dare a petty creature glare at me like that?”
Bi Ryu-yeon seemed to be enraged by the audacious defiance of the two snakes.
Thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack!
The long bodies of the Azure-Crimson Twin-Horned Snakes were repeatedly slammed against the ground, back and forth, two or three times. This was due to Bi Ryu-yeon swinging his wrist and smashing them down.
“If you resist one more time, there will be no more chances, understand?”
Bi Ryu-yeon threatened, glaring at them (though whether it could be seen was questionable).
Kiiiek, kiiiek!
Even insignificant creatures seemed to feel the threat to their lives. Their survival instinct seemed to be intact. The sharp ferocity they had shown moments ago melted away like snow under the spring sun, leaving only gentle pets in his grasp. Of course, Bi Ryu-yeon found it ridiculous that they, who had been baring their venomous fangs moments ago, suddenly became as docile as young ladies from reputable families and began rubbing against his hand affectionately.
Normally, he would have twisted their necks and skinned them in one go…
“They look so bizarre, they must be worth quite a lot. I believe Tang Sam’s family can’t resist rare poisons…”
The law of the world dictates that things that are old or rare naturally acquire value. That was the truth of the world.
“What do you think, Jang Hong? Do you think these will fetch a good price?”
Bi Ryu-yeon asked Jang Hong, who had approached them, having weathered the storm.
“Of course. If you sell them, they’ll fetch an enormous amount of money! And probably not pocket change, but a fortune. Regardless of what anyone says, these are rare items that one might find only once in a hundred years.”
He had followed them, feeling a sense of strangeness from the ‘boom’ sound and the flying dust that had erupted near Na Ye-rin. Even in the midst of this chaotic battlefield, he was completely unharmed. His clothes were smeared with the blood of the crawling creatures below, but not a single drop had come from beneath his skin.
“Then, would they be more expensive alive? Or dead? Or are both similar?”
Perhaps it was Jang Hong and Na Ye-rin’s imagination that the Azure-Crimson Twin-Horned Snakes seemed to be sweating. However, their fear-stricken trembling was certainly felt by both of them.
‘Curse your fate, to fall into the hands of wicked men!’
A momentary pity flickered in Jang Hong’s eyes, then vanished.
“Of course, the ones that are fresh and alive are more expensive. Furthermore, these two are a pair, male and female! The Azure Lin is the male, and this Crimson Lin is the female!”
Bi Ryu-yeon interpreted his words as being able to bid more than five times the market price (assuming such a thing existed). The ecology of the Azure-Crimson Twin-Horned Snakes was a matter of little concern to him, perhaps ten thousand years away from his interest.
“Consider yourselves lucky. Dead ones aren’t worth much, so I’m keeping you alive. Normally, I would have twisted your necks… Tsk tsk, I’m too soft-hearted.”
His earlier and later statements were completely contradictory. Bi Ryu-yeon spoke again.
“You’re the leader of these guys, aren’t you? Even though you are insignificant creatures, I believe your desire to live is no less than that of any person.”
Was it Jang Hong’s delusion that the Azure-Crimson Twin-Horned Snakes seemed to nod vigorously at that moment?
‘Hahaha! Surely not? He must have misread!’
He immediately dismissed what he had witnessed. He thought his mind was weak, as he kept seeing strange things lately. Bi Ryu-yeon continued.
“You should repay the life-saving grace of the one who spared you, shouldn’t you? Even for mere creatures, there are principles in this world! So… if you want to live, tell your subordinates to retreat immediately. R·i·g·h·t· N·o·w!”
It was a commanding voice imbued with an irresistible will that seemed to speak directly to the souls of the two snakes. Bi Ryu-yeon’s gaze, gleaming like a burning sun with golden light, pierced the dark eyes of the Azure-Crimson Twin-Horned Snakes like sharp spears. It was a gaze of immense power, incomparable to the crude might displayed by these two creatures.
“Good heavens! Threatening mute snakes… This is the first time I’ve ever heard of such a bizarre tale. Listen, Ryu-yeon! I won’t say anything particularly bad. But if you’re going to invest time in something like this, why not spend it on getting rid of these guys? We’re still not completely safe. Don’t waste time on such a futile endeavor. That’s truly foolish….”
Just as Jang Hong, who had stealthily approached, was about to begin his lengthy advice to Bi Ryu-yeon.
Biiiiiieeeeeeek!
A sharp whistling sound, emitted from the mouth of Qing Lin, who was held by the neck by Bi Ryu-yeon, echoed through the canyon. It was a high-pitched, loud sound, inconceivable for such a small body.
Kiiiiiiieeeek!
Qing Lin’s cry followed. Then, as if by magic, the swarm of snakes attacking them began to retreat one by one from their surroundings. The Azure-Crimson Twin-Horned Snakes, incredible spirits capable of understanding human speech! Their loyalty was merely this flimsy thing, easily swayed by a mere threat to their lives.
Mo Sa-ryeong had been betrayed by the children he had cherished and doted on like his own, tending to them day and night for the past hundred years! The past hundred years felt truly ephemeral in the face of such betrayal.
“Haha! I can’t believe my eyes. My word, to make an army of snakes retreat with mere threats… Your eccentricity and strangeness are truly beyond compare. I can’t keep up.”
He was always surprised by Bi Ryu-yeon, for one reason or another, whether it was absurdity or wonder.
‘Where on earth did he raise such a monstrous thing?’
It remained an unsolved mystery, or rather, an unsolvable one.
“This… This can’t be…?”
Mo Sa-ryeong, the Bi Sa-ma-gun (now also called Bi Sa-ma-jol by Yeom Do), could not believe the bizarre events unfolding before his eyes. How could those who were like his own limbs betray him? Do arms and legs sometimes disobey their master? Those two were his sword, his shield, and his limbs.
They had lived together for 120 years, always thinking of themselves as one entity. For a moment, he surrendered to a feeling of futile helplessness, let out a hollow laugh, and stood in a daze, then finally pulled out a green flute from his bosom. It was the Sa-chung Jeok (Snake Insect Flute), one of the treasures of his sect passed down from his master. It was a flute that, when played by one who had mastered Sa-ryeong Sul (Snake Command Arts), could control snakes and insects at will. However, as his Sa-ryeong Sul reached deeper levels, it was an item he had not taken out for fifty years.
“To think I would need this flute again in my lifetime…”
Life truly was a series of unfathomable events.
“Biiieeeek! Biiieeeek! Peeeeeereeek…”
As the Sa-chung Jeok emitted a decidedly unpleasant sound, the snakes that had been slowly retreating stopped and turned their heads back towards the Cheon Mu Hak Gwan group.
Shweeeek!
Once again, the snakes’ bright red tongues and fangs flashed towards them. A pungent, poisonous aura rose.
“Huh? Why are they acting like that?”
Bi Ryu-yeon, surprised by the sudden reversal, asked.
“It’s the Sa-chung Jeok of Bi Sa-ma-gun. He used to control snakes freely with the sound of this flute. I was wondering why they were moving so freely without that sound until now; perhaps his Sa-ryeong Sul had advanced enough to control them even without the flute. But now, it seems he needs the dusty flute he hasn’t used for a long time.”
‘…It’s all because of you!’
Jang Hong, adding a friendly explanation, fixed his gaze on Bi Ryu-yeon. However, Bi Ryu-yeon paid little attention.
“So, it’s a story about a snake charmer’s snake flute.”
A simple observation. Bi Sa-ma-gun was humiliated in many ways. His reputation from a hundred years ago was embarrassing.
“You’re really making things troublesome. It’s such a nuisance. Now, did you hear? You’ll have to try harder if you want to live. Otherwise, you know what will happen, right?”
That was enough.
Biiieeeek!
Kiiiiiiieeeek!
Desperate cries burst from the Azure-Crimson Twin-Horned Snakes. The true battle between the cries of the Azure-Crimson Twin-Horned Snakes and the sound of Bi Sa-ma-gun’s Sa-chung Jeok had begun. Their camaraderie from the past hundred years seemed to have vanished from their minds, as these two fought with desperation.
Conflicting commands from two different lineages are bound to cause confusion in an army, regardless of the era.
Chaos!
The swarm of snakes, caught between two commanders, was completely disorganized.
As the saying goes, when whales fight, shrimp get crushed. Minions are always the ones who suffer.
“As expected, command lines must be unified!”
Jang Hong remarked, watching the chaotic swarm of snakes.
“As expected, your way of thinking is different from that of young people. To see all that from just the movement of snakes.”
“Who are you calling ‘old man’? Nature is not a separate entity from us. It is a teacher that always holds truth. By observing nature, one can learn many things.”
“Yes, yes, I’ve heard your wise words well.”
Bi Ryu-yeon’s reply was perfunctory.
“By the way, I have a request for you.”
“What is it?”
“Don’t you think these snake scraps are too noisy?”
“Do you want me to behead these two?”
The cry of the Azure-Crimson Twin-Horned Snakes stopped, as if startled. Then, the swarm of snakes rushed towards them.
“Oh, if you don’t want to die, keep going!”
Before Bi Ryu-yeon’s glare could even finish, the cry of the Azure-Crimson Twin-Horned Snakes resumed, and the swarm of snakes immediately stopped approaching and fell into confusion again.
“No, not them. I’m talking about the black things scattered all around us. I’d be even more grateful if you could make me not hear that noisy sound!”
“They are a bit noisy. What can I do?”
“What can you do? You must stop that more unpleasant flute sound.”
“Shall we?”
Only then did Bi Ryu-yeon nod as if he finally understood and looked towards the source of the flute sound. Their gazes met across dozens of yards.
In that moment, Bi Ryu-yeon’s eyes widened.
‘Whoa? Wait a minute!’
When Bi Ryu-yeon made eye contact with Mo Sa-ryeong, he realized he had forgotten something in his haste. His instincts screamed that this person was undoubtedly a wicked debtor who owed him an unpayable debt. He definitely had a debt to collect from this person.
‘Huh? That face looks familiar. Where have I seen it before…?’
Bi Ryu-yeon remained silent for a moment, carefully tracing back through his memories. The moment he saw that face, a fire ignited in his chest, suggesting it was no ordinary connection.
‘So, definitely…’
An image slowly formed in his mind. That face was clearly the face of the thoughtless old man he had seen across the broken cliffs atop the canyon. Yes, it was undoubtedly the face of that ignorant old man who had aimed a bow of death at Na Ye-rin.
‘That’s it! I remember now! How can this be? I’ve forgotten that until now… Why did I forget?’
At that time, his entire focus had been on rushing to Na Ye-rin and saving her, and nothing else entered his mind. And it was also because he had momentarily forgotten, with the questions about the new realm he had encountered and the issue of handling the Azure-Crimson Twin-Horned Snakes overlapping. But it was something he should not have forgotten.
‘Why is that scoundrel still alive and well, with his eyes wide open? Why?’
It was the person who had held the scythe of death to her. He truly couldn’t comprehend it himself.
‘I must have been distracted for a moment. To have a debtor in front of me and not have settled the accounts yet.’
He had felt something lukewarm, and now he knew why he had felt that unsettling sensation. There was still a debt to be settled. The anger that had subsided in his haste erupted again, like a volcanic fire.
“You wretched fiend!”
A thunderous roar, echoing through the canyon, erupted.
Bi Ryu-yeon’s gaze turned into sharp arrows, flying towards the detestable old monster above the canyon.
“Huk!”
At that moment, Mo Sa-ryeong felt that he had made eye contact with the man, despite the dozens of yards separating them. He felt as if he was being stared at from just inches away. He thought himself quite foolish to feel that their gazes had met when his eyes were hidden by his hair.
To be intimidated by such a fledgling was absurd. He was a being of a different caliber than these insects. Just as Mo Sa-ryeong was trying to compose himself, a furious shout burst from Bi Ryu-yeon’s lips.
“How dare you—!”
A sound so immense it shook the entire canyon. It was like the voice of the god of thunder striking an anvil. Mo Sa-ryeong felt his body tremble against his will.
Papapapat!
Bi Ryu-yeon, spewing immense rage towards the wicked man who dared to aim at his Na Ye-rin (though when she became his was unclear), leaped forward.