Book 16 Chapter 2

Fishing for People

It was the day of the Friday Tower Exam.

No Hak forced his heavy eyelids open and got out of bed. He then

washed his face, changed his clothes, and—surprisingly—headed to the dining hall for breakfast.

The Hwasan Branch of the Kyuyak was proceeding smoothly according to the procedures. Thanks to this, barbaric situations like taking the exam without breakfast were not occurring.

“Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

At the voice from behind him, No Hak’s steps towards the dining hall halted abruptly. He slowly turned his head to look back. Standing there was an unexpected figure. It was Ma Geom Ik Chu Myung, the leader of the Ma Chun Chil Geol and a member of his own first squad. He stood tall and proud. Next to him stood a man slightly taller than him, with a casual demeanor. It was O Geol, Sae Pum Gyeom O Chu.

‘What are those two doing up so early in the morning?’

It was clear that this was not a sudden burst of intimacy to inquire about his well-being, which had vanished overnight.

“Of course, I slept so soundly that I wouldn't have woken up even if a ghost had come and pounded on my door. I was dreaming of eating ‘Manhan Jeonseok,’ a dish only served at banquets hosted by the Emperor, but I woke up before I could finish it. It took me a long time after opening my eyes to realize this fact, and I had to soak my pillow with tears. But why are you suddenly asking? Are you trying to give me advice on insomnia?”

“Certainly not. We just don’t want you to hold us back with excuses like ‘I’m not feeling well’ or ‘I’m not getting enough sleep.’”

“My physical condition is at its peak! Don’t you two make those excuses later.”

No Hak retorted angrily and curtly.

“Speaking of which, don’t your clothes seem a little different? Did I misjudge?”

No Hak’s body trembled slightly for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and answered naturally.

“Hahahaha! Ah, these clothes? It’s nothing special. I just took a bath and changed into new clothes with the intention of a fresh start.”

No Hak scratched the back of his head and answered as casually as possible. However, the muscles below his collar were rigid with tension, and cold sweat trickled from his armpits.

“Tch, new clothes for a beggar… How insolent!”

It was O Mun Chu who spat out the barbed words with a swagger. If Chu Myung hadn’t stopped him, No Hak might not have been able to resist the urge to test how strong his jaw was.

“Chu, don’t act so rashly!”

He said so, but No Hak could bet his entire fortune that Chu Myung did not respect him at all. His respect was only superficial, and it was clear he was struggling to hide his contempt for the beggar. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have added the following words.

“Just in case, I’ll warn you in advance. If you believe someone will save you if you happen to get into an accident due to your own mistake or some misfortune, that blind faith is not highly recommended. And if, by any chance, you intend to test that situation, even at the risk of being called foolish, it would never be a wise course of action. Please keep that in mind.”

“I’ll keep it in mind. Don’t worry. I’m not so foolish as to expect help from a wolf. I’m well aware that it’s fortunate if they don’t cause an accident intentionally. Please don’t underestimate the beggars of the Beggars’ Sect.”

Once again, their gazes clashed in the air and burned like sparks.

“One last thing.”

“I’ll listen carefully, with my ears unblocked.”

“If your foolishness in this next gate puts our squad and my master in danger, you will learn how merciless my hand is. That is, if you are still alive by then.”

His voice was as cold as ice, but No Hak was not intimidated. The training he had endured until now was far more brutal. The only times his squad members of the Vermilion Bird Clan were allowed to be scared or intimidated was in front of their eldest disciple, Bi Ryu Yeon, and Master Yeom Do. In any other situation, anywhere, a loss of confidence was absolutely not permitted.

“Is that advice, a threat, or a declaration of intent? Which one is it?”

“Imagine as you please. But don’t forget!”

There was no way he could forget such an ominous conversation.

The wolf and the jackal turned their backs and returned to where their master was. The smaller jackal, as befitting a predator, didn’t forget to growl as he turned away.

“You insolent beggar! Even if you foolishly slip off a cliff, no one will save a beggar like you!”

No Hak stared at the two familiar backs, his face hardening. Chu Myung’s words lingered in his mind.

He judged that Chu Myung’s words contained his true feelings, or at least fragments of them.

And his judgment was correct. However, he had no time to rejoice in his insight. And in fact, he wasn’t happy at all.

Because… just as Chu Myung had boasted, none of them made any move to extend a helping hand to him.

Damn it, their words came true.

What is this feeling?

What was that just now? And what is it now?

Everything felt slow.

Is this the 'juma-deung' they say can only be experienced at the brink of life and death? Moments of everyday life had become an eternity for him at this time. It was clear that his psychological time was flowing completely differently from usual.

Even the Beggars’ Sect’s secret footwork, 'Chwi Pal Seon Bo', was useless in the empty air where one couldn’t secure a foothold or maintain balance.

Was it intentional? It must be intentional. Yes, it was definitely intentional.

Everything fit together too unpleasantly to claim it wasn’t intentional. What was surprising was that they were willing to endure this situation that would disqualify their entire first squad. They needed to silence him, even at the cost of slipping down a couple of steps on the stairs leading to victory. If that was the case, it was foolish to expect anyone in his own squad to willingly sacrifice themselves to save him. It would be fortunate if they didn’t push him away with a stick, hoping he wouldn’t survive. But was there some important information that necessitated such a sacrifice to prevent his murder and erasure?

But what use was that now? What did it matter if the information was important or not? The lifeline in his hand was severed, and he was floating in the air. Death was unfolding a fervent welcoming ceremony below him.

As expected… I’m going to die……. As soon as that thought reached him, an immense rage began to surge. A fire of anger burned in his chest. That anger and resentment focused on the initial cause that brought things to this point. That’s right! He mustn’t forget. All the ringleaders who made him this way! This was all thanks to that damned eldest disciple, Bi Ryu Yeon.

Now that he was about to die, what did it matter if he acted recklessly! He had nothing to lose. It was said that all phenomena are impermanent. All things are not fixed but constantly changing, and when one dies, they all scatter like dust, impermanently. Therefore, his reckless actions… when he dies…….

‘Right! Now that I’m going to die, what do I have to lose!’

It seemed he would have fewer regrets if he could just vent his pent-up grievances. Even a falling beggar has a mouth. So he shouted with all his might.

“Hey, Bi Ryu Yeon! You son of a bitch! You damned eldest disciple! Live well and be well! May your shit be thick!”

It was a remarkably spirited shout for someone about to die. It was a final complaint, possibly his last. He didn’t expect a reply. It was just venting, and he thought it would be worth it if even a speck of his emotional burden was lifted by such a meaningless act. But then, a response came from the sky. And that was No Hak’s great misfortune.

“Did you call me?”

A nonchalant yet incredibly natural voice from the sky. It was a voice that, if heard at the brink of life and death, would easily be dismissed as a hallucination.

But the voice was not from afar; it was right by his ear. A voice too vivid to be dismissed as a hallucination. As the bewildered No Hak turned his head, ‘it’ was there.

“Hieeeek! E-eldest disciple!!!”

His reaction was as if he had seen a ghost.

He was running down the cliff as if it were flat ground. The cliff and his body were at an almost right angle.

This is a cliff. Humans should not run on cliffs. It is an insult to the cliff. Humans simply fall. But Bi Ryu Yeon, as if uninterested in such common sense, was running down, trampling on the pride of Manjangdan Cliff.

‘How will I resolve this situation now?’

Even amidst the panic of falling, No Hak couldn’t help but ponder what might be his last thought.

Dying like this might be happier than surviving at the hands of his eldest disciple. And that temptation was too alluring to shake off.

“Catch!”

Bi Ryu Yeon reached out his hand again. However, one person was in freefall, and the other was closing the distance with an unconventional run, making it difficult.

‘Should I grab that hand or not…….’

Should he fall and die in a bloody mess, or should he be rescued and then die by his eldest disciple’s hand… there was no third option.

It was a truly agonizing moment.

‘Screw it! I don’t care anymore.’

No Hak squeezed his eyes shut and extended his hand. But Bi Ryu Yeon quickly pulled his hand back without grabbing No Hak’s outstretched hand. No Hak’s eyes widened.

It was a purely instinctive action. What was that just now? Bi Ryu Yeon wondered, bewildered. The wind was beating against his body fiercely, and his disciple was now much farther away than before. He had missed him just as he was about to catch him.

But it was an unavoidable choice. Although he had no intention of passively letting No Hak die, he instinctively had to pull his hand away from a situation where they were less than an inch apart.

Something passed between them. Although it had no form, it possessed a sharpness like a blade, and if it had collided head-on, it would have been fatal.

He trusted his instincts and acted accordingly. If he had had the time, Bi Ryu Yeon would have glanced up at the squad members of the first squad hanging above and looked them over one by one. It was certain that someone strongly disapproved of No Hak surviving. Perhaps his clandestine surveillance mission, which he had ordered, had yielded some results. He had a feeling, even before reporting.

Amidst these fleeting thoughts, Bi Ryu Yeon’s eyes never left No Hak, like a hawk eyeing its prey, and his feet never stopped. Bi Ryu Yeon still had something to hear from No Hak, and for that reason, he absolutely had to survive.

It seemed impossible to close the distance any further with the 'Jik Ji Ji Ju' (Straight Ground Sprint) technique. The falling speed was too fast, and losing balance momentarily due to the sudden attack was a significant blow.

“Do you think I’ll let anyone die!”

One must take good care of one’s own belongings.

*Fwip!*

As Bi Ryu Yeon extended his right hand, a transparent, shimmering silver thread shot towards No Hak. Manipulated by his qi, the 'Neul-sa' (spirit rope) with the attribute of 'binding' rather than 'cutting' wrapped around the falling beggar’s body like a net.

‘Caught!’

He felt it at his fingertips, ‘Eo Sin’ (Divine Sense).

Bi Ryu Yeon inwardly rejoiced and drew another Neul-sa from his left hand, launching it towards the nearest tree. After confirming that the Neul-sa, which flew at dazzling speed, was securely tied to the tree, he began to concentrate his qi on the Yongcheon acupoints of both feet to slow down his speed. All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

As Bi Ryu Yeon’s body stopped, an immense load was placed on his right shoulder. This was because No Hak was hanging from it. If he couldn’t hold on properly, his shoulder could be injured. Bi Ryu Yeon rotated his body using the strength of his waist and swung his right hand with all his might, like a windmill.

Using his body as a pivot and reversing the falling force, he forcibly spun No Hak. And through this seemingly reckless method, Bi Ryu Yeon was able to throw No Hak upwards again. It was a much wiser and more economical method than simply holding on stubbornly.

It was a skill that could only be performed by thoroughly understanding the falling force, speed, and direction. If his breathing had been even slightly off, he could have been swept away by the falling force himself and become a companion on the road to the afterlife.

No Hak’s falling body momentarily stopped at some point. It was a brief phenomenon that occurred when the upward force and the downward pulling force balanced each other. Bi Ryu Yeon seized this opportune moment and lightly caught No Hak’s body. Only then did No Hak’s body, once again affected by gravity, add to Bi Ryu Yeon’s burden. However, Bi Ryu Yeon, having already prepared for this, managed to support his body.

Thus, No Hak was fortunate enough to gain the opportunity to die a little later, rather than immediately.

“E-eldest disciple!”

No Hak exclaimed with emotion. No Hak, who suffered from the obsession that he would eventually be murdered by Bi Ryu Yeon, could never have imagined that the potential murderer would risk his life to save him. Bi Ryu Yeon smiled at the overwhelmed No Hak and breathed hot air into his ear.

“I’m glad you’re safe. But… who the hell? We need to have a talk in a bit!”

No Hak didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. So he chose the easiest option. He fainted.

“Hey, you punk! Snap out of it! Do you expect me to carry you all the way up there, huh?”

But No Hak never opened his eyes.

“I’ll see you when we get up there!”

Bi Ryu Yeon gritted his teeth and began to climb up the cliff.

Whether it was because he had gone back and forth between life and death in an instant or because the tension had suddenly released, Hyo Ryong let out an exclamation of admiration as he saw Bi Ryu Yeon climbing the cliff, carrying the fainted No Hak. Bi Ryu Yeon had not only saved No Hak with an amazing technique in the worst-case scenario (no one thought No Hak would survive), but he was also climbing the cliff carrying the fainted him.

Bi Ryu Yeon’s face was covered in sweat from his arduous efforts.

“Ryu Yeon, you really… you’re good at doing such reckless things.”

“Reckless?”

Bi Ryu Yeon asked with a bewildered look. His face showed confusion. What absurd thing was he talking about? Reckless? That was the most contrary action to the principles he held, so he couldn’t accept Hyo Ryong’s claim that he had acted that way.

“Look, Ryong Ryong, ‘reckless’ refers to a series of actions performed with irrational and brainless emotions that do not match one’s abilities. It has nothing to do with me. Besides……”

“Besides?”

“I don’t think a master’s job is only to exploit their disciples.”

“Huh? Master?”

“Ah, there’s something like that!”

Bi Ryu Yeon replied perfunctorily.

This friend sometimes says things that are incomprehensible. That was always a source of dissatisfaction for Hyo Ryong. Because speech or chatter that the other party cannot understand is not a conversation.

“Then what is your current action? Are you saying that what you just did was not recklessness?”

“Of course! Why do you keep asking such obvious questions? My mouth will get sore! I just did what I could. I did it because I thought I could. It has nothing to do with recklessness. The proof is that I’m perfectly fine without a scratch! And this troublesome fellow is also unharmed! Do I look like someone who would commit suicide with this damned beggar?”

No Hak was still lying there, unconscious. The eldest disciple was climbing the impossibly high cliff, carrying him and sweating profusely, while the subordinate was fainted, living a leisurely life… He couldn’t stand to watch any longer.

“Hey, still not regaining consciousness?”

*Slap, slap!*

Bi Ryu Yeon slapped the cheeks of his disciple and junior, looking at him with a pathetic expression. The sound of flesh hitting flesh was unusual. It clearly seemed like he was hitting him properly.

“H-hey… he’s your senior……”

Hyo Ryong, who was unaware of the various circumstances that had occurred in the shadowy underworld, was terrified and tried to stop Bi Ryu Yeon’s actions.

*Slap, slap!*

However, Bi Ryu Yeon had nothing to hold him back and did not stop his actions.

“Ugh… um……”

Still, No Hak only moaned intermittently and showed no signs of regaining consciousness. What a pathetic fellow. To be so insensible with just that much… Had he been training him too leniently? Bi Ryu Yeon reflected on his own gentle, cotton-glove-like softness for a moment.

“Should I just throw him away?”

He seemed to be starting to get annoyed.

“I need to train him more intensely from now on……”

He genuinely thought so. It seemed like thorny paths lay ahead for the Vermilion Bird Clan. It was fortunate for the Vermilion Bird Clan that they were not yet aware of this cruel reality.

While Bi Ryu Yeon was diligently planning a special, super-enhanced training, Na Ye Rin, who had approached unnoticed, called him from behind.

“Ryu Yeon……”

“Oh, Ye Rin! What’s wrong? You don’t look well?”

“……”

No reply. Na Ye Rin stood there with a worried expression. A heavy aura, rather than coldness, enveloped her. She avoided making eye contact with Bi Ryu Yeon.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

“I don’t know!”

A frigid retort that seemed to blow a cold wind. Even Hyo Ryong, who was listening nearby, felt a chill. The person standing there was different from the one they knew.

“Are… you angry?”

It seemed she was angry. If so, why was she angry? Bi Ryu Yeon’s lack of talent for reading the atmosphere was quickly revealed.

“Wow, you’re angry! Right?”

Bi Ryu Yeon fanned the flames, making the situation worse.

“I-I don’t know! I’m not angry!”

Na Ye Rin shouted. Although she answered that way, her flustered appearance was obvious.

“See! You’re angry!”

Bi Ryu Yeon said with a smile, as if he found it very amusing.

“No. Absolutely not!”

Na Ye Rin turned her head sharply with a slightly sulky expression. She really seemed angry. However, her face, cold like a traditional Korean house, was slightly flushed.

Na Ye Rin herself didn’t understand her own behavior. She wanted to say, ‘I’m glad you’re safe,’ and ‘I’m glad you’re unharmed’…

Before that, the anger at him for committing such a reckless—though he adamantly denied it—act that had surprised her seemed greater.

Finally, she turned her head sharply with a prim expression.

“I don’t know! From now on, I don’t care if you live or die! Goodbye!”

She declared and left with quick steps. There was no time to stop her.

“Oops, she’s really angry!”

Bi Ryu Yeon flinched and hunched his shoulders.

“Hmm, why is she acting like this? That’s strange. Ryong Ryong, do you know?”

“No, I don’t know.”

Hyo Ryong shook his head. Bi Ryu Yeon didn’t even realize he had chosen the wrong person to ask. It was a mistake to have even asked Hyo Ryong, who was naturally slow-witted, in the first place.

“Well, that’s strange……”

Bi Ryu Yeon was utterly bewildered by her unusual behavior. His eyes were still fixed on her elegant receding figure. He seemed unaware that a faint smile was forming on his lips.

At that moment, about five paces to his left, a commotion began to break out. An argument had started. It was among the members of the first squad.

The person initiating the quarrel was, unbelievably, Namgung Sang, who was known for his usual gentle nature.

“You murderer! Why did you cut the rope? Tell me!”

Namgung Sang lunged. But O Mun Chu, the one who cut No Hak’s lifeline, had no intention of being caught easily. He stepped back, using his footwork. But Namgung Sang’s grip was tenacious. He read all twelve of O Mun Chu’s transformations and, using a dazzling grip technique, succeeded in grabbing him by the scruff of his neck.

“Y-you punk!”

Curses were about to escape O Mun Chu’s crimson face. He had never imagined he would be grabbed by the scruff of his neck by such a person.

“Now, tell me the reason! If you can’t convince me, you’ll probably have to prepare yourself.”

Namgung Sang’s eyes, holding him by the scruff, shone fiercely with anger like blades. Even the rough-tempered O Mun Chu was somewhat daunted by his chilling gaze.

“Now, let’s hear your answer!”

Namgung Sang growled.

“It was an unavoidable choice.”

The one who answered was not O Mun Chu, who was being held by the scruff, but his squad leader, Ma Chun Il Geol, Ma Geom Ik Chu Myung.

“What? You’re saying that cutting a lifeline that was saving one person’s life was an unavoidable choice?”

“That’s right. In this case, the right and wrong are clear. He was the one who made the mistake, and he put the entire squad in danger. His carelessness endangered the entire squad. Rather, we almost all died because of him.”

Chu Myung’s voice was very firm. His conviction seemed unshakable.

“His mistake?”

“That’s right. He failed to prove it wasn’t his fault. From our perspective, it was the wisest and most justifiable decision. Or do you want to claim that we intentionally tried to murder him?”

So you’re saying you didn’t! Namgung Sang wanted to shout. But he couldn’t bring up that story so carelessly in front of so many people. A claim without evidence is just a hypothesis. Until it’s proven. Even if he revealed it now, it would be nothing more than an interesting conspiracy theory. It would be fortunate if he wasn’t branded as an enemy trying to disrupt the unity of the squad members.

“So, are you saying you didn’t?”

However, not wanting to lose, Namgung Sang went a bit too far.

“It’s good to have a rich imagination like a child, but this case is a bit excessive.”

Chu Myung said with a sneer. It was an indirect insult, implying he was a child still lost in dreams. Namgung Sang had to grit his teeth.

“Is there any clear evidence that we did such a thing? In this case, the words of the person involved, whose emotions are leading rather than reason due to being caught up in the incident, are less credible, so let’s set them aside. Are there any other witnesses?”

“Th-that’s……”

Of course, there wasn’t. And the other side was deliberately undermining the credibility of No Hak’s words. If it continued like this, anything No Hak said later would only be dismissed as the ramblings of someone suffering from mental shock.

“So, you’re saying that because of the mistake of one person, all eight of us should have died?”

“Th-that’s……”

Namgung Sang was suddenly speechless. He had no counter-argument to Chu Myung’s questioning.

“To be discouraged by such rhetoric… Why can’t you argue more systematically… Tsk, tsk, tsk!”

Bi Ryu Yeon clicked his tongue as he watched. In his opinion, his junior was too emotional and too slow-witted. Words spoken in such a state, no matter how right, cannot gain the trust of people. Except for the common folk.

“The moment we cut that lifeline, we also gave up on this gate. But we had no choice. Because we couldn’t put the entire squad in danger for one person. According to you, we should have all risked our lives for that one person? Are you blaming us because we didn’t choose such a dog’s death?”

“Th-that……”

Namgung Sang’s fierce momentum seemed to have been very short-lived. He was now losing ground.

The reality was so. Both squad one and squad seven received the lowest scores in this gate. With that said, Namgung Sang could no longer protest.

“Then the discussion seems to be over! Then, let’s go! ”

Chu Myung turned sharply and began to walk away with long strides. Three of the Seven Heroes followed him. Namgung Sang could only grit his teeth as he glared at their receding backs, unable to stop or block them.

Ultimately, Namgung Sang was defeated.

“You can’t win if you just rush in without any preparation! Someone who cannot control themselves cannot defeat others. Foolish fellow!”

Bi Ryu Yeon quietly watched the scene from afar. He had been watching everything from the beginning but offered no opinion. It seemed these fellows needed a complete mental reorganization.

“Still, I have to return what I received, right?”

He was the type who couldn’t stand being in debt.

“I’ll find out exactly what your scheme is!”