Book 2 Chapter 4

Currently plotting something sinister.

Contemplation is any mental activity that involves delving deeply into the essence of things, pursuing their principles.

Lately, Biryu-yeon has been spending a lot of time in contemplation.

Even those around him couldn't tell what he was thinking about so intently. This made them uneasy, but since no one dared to disturb him, Biryu-yeon could remain submerged in the lake of thought undisturbed.

Recently, only one thought had dominated Biryu-yeon's mind. It was the fact that without disciples, life was boring, tedious, and tiring. He lamented the absence of a disciple to cook for him, one to do chores for him, one to earn money for him, and one to attend to his needs. The more he thought about it, the more he missed the sixteen disciples he had recently sent away. While he was with them, Biryu-yeon had lived a truly comfortable and cozy life. In exchange, they cooked for him, did his work, cleaned, did laundry, and even earned money for him. How convenient had his life been then?

His cozy and comfortable life was all thanks to his sixteen disciples. Therefore, the single most important mission he was contemplating now was, "I need to find a useful disciple somewhere!" Biryu-yeon was currently wracking his brain over how, where, and by what means he should find a disciple, but one fact was making him extremely displeased. This displeasure was like throwing a stone named "annoyance" into the tranquil deep lake of thought, creating rough waves on its calm surface. These waves, named "getting heated," were pulling him out of the lake of contemplation to the shore of reality.

It was greatly vexing him and even causing him severe irritation. It was all because of one person staring at him with intense hostility, as if wanting to devour him, from the opposite side. He heard it was Jang Wu-gang, the 26-year-old only son of Jang Wu-yang, the chief of Jung-yang Courier Service, who was truly an "eighteen" bastard. Of course, I've softened the language here; it was a genuine "motherfucker."

A brief interlude here!

People often make mistakes when using profanity out of anger. Cursing shouldn't be done haphazardly. Among the most frequently used curses is "sip-pal-nom" (eighteen bastard). Of course, when this comes out in speech, it's not "sip-pal (十八) nom" but changes to "ssip-pal-nom" with a strong intonation. However, this is an incorrect usage that should be corrected. How can we judge a "ssip" (삐-) that doesn't even exist? "Ssip" (삐-) is slang and vulgarity referring to a woman's private parts, an important organ women have but men don't.

For men, "ssi-pal-nom" is used, where "ssi" is short for seed, referring to sperm, one of the two components of conception, and "pal" means to spread or trade. Therefore, "ssi-pal-nom" is vulgarity meaning a man who only spreads his seed like a stud horse (a male horse used for breeding high-quality stock), or a male prostitute for women. "Ssip-pal-nyeon" literally means a "whore" who only spreads her "ssip" (삐-), referring to a woman who works to earn money by selling her body, a very negative term for a prostitute (娼女). Note that "ssi-bad-i" (a woman who receives seed for a man) is not included here, so be careful not to confuse them.

Therefore, the correct usage of this vulgarity is "ssi-pal-nom" when cursing a man, and "ssip-pal-nyeon" when cursing a woman. There is no language in this world that can be used indiscriminately, whether it's profanity, slang, or vulgarity. Let's keep this in mind. Of course, if a man dares to utter the insulting words "ssip-pal-nyeon" to a woman, he can be considered a true "ssip-pal-nom."

In any case, whether it was because he had a bad first impression of that Jang Wu-gang kid, who seemed to be only selling his seed, from the moment they met, or whether he was just that unhappy about something, he stared at Biryu-yeon throughout their journey as if trying to eat him alive. His eyes, filled with malice and animosity, as if he considered Biryu-yeon an "enemy," were scraping at the already frayed edges of Biryu-yeon's nerves like a nagging wife. So, how could he not be displeased?

He hadn't not considered, "Should I rough him up a bit, or just give him a few pats like someone else?" But for now, he held back. Biryu-yeon, who believed in the beautiful(?) philosophy that "even if one has fur, conscience is conscience," found this matter somewhat distasteful. So, he even practiced self-restraint, which he usually didn't, as if he were meditating. But alas, "for a while" was just that—for a while, a mere moment.

At first, he thought, "Since I'm taking advantage of and relying on Jung-yang Courier Service, should I just tolerate it?" But Biryu-yeon's heart wasn't that magnanimous. Biryu-yeon, who had the firm belief that "I can forgive a woman with small breasts, but I can't forgive a woman with a thick waist." Ah, no! The example just given was wrong, let me rephrase: Biryu-yeon acted with the conviction that "I can tolerate Guan Yu shaving his beard, but I cannot tolerate anything that offends my eyes." However, he hesitated to openly reprimand him due to the surrounding gazes. If I put it nicely, he was indebted; if I put it badly, or rather, to tell the truth, he was the one taking advantage and relying on him, wasn't he?

So, besides "Urgent! Seeking Disciples," what he was currently thinking about was the profound and complex dilemma of how to prank him and reprimand him so that he could hear the words, "Well done!" Then, a few days later, something happened that proved the proverb, "Heaven helps those who help themselves," was not wrong at all.

After agonizing for several days, Biryu-yeon came up with several brilliant and outstanding methods. Of course, these thoughts—proving the truth of ancient proverbs—were solely Biryu-yeon's own ideas; others did not share his agreement. Operation name: "Two Birds with One Stone!" Biryu-yeon had already named his plan. Even after reviewing it again, it was a very satisfactory scheme. Now, all he had to do was select the appropriate method according to the situation, substitute variables based on the situation, and apply it to the situation, and everything would be complete. The terrifying aspect of Biryu-yeon was that he thought of not just one strategy but multiple strategies—it's more appropriate to call them "schemes" (계략) rather than "tactics" (책략). The difference between a scheme and a tactic is that a scheme is a large and profound plan, encompassing both "schemes" (계책) and "stratagems" (모략), implying the meaning of "stratagem."

The fact that he didn't just think of one thing but considered various situations and their corresponding variables was Biryu-yeon's meticulous and far-sighted nature. What would he do if the environment or situation conducive to executing a single plan was not created? Would he just swallow his bile and give up? He couldn't. Biryu-yeon had no pathetic hobby of swallowing bile based on the success or failure of a painstakingly crafted plan. His plans were solely designed for success, and exceptions were not tolerated. That's why he formulated various operations tailored to different situations and their corresponding variables.

If one fails, there are others. He can choose and use them according to the situation. A brilliant strategist must prepare countermeasures for various situations. Only by devising as many strategies as there are potential possibilities can one be called an excellent strategist. Of course, minimizing and manipulating the number of possibilities is the true ability of a strategist. In this regard, it's not for nothing that Biryu-yeon was once called a "genius" (천재). There were reasons and grounds for it.

"Kuhuhuhu…"

With a contented smile, Biryu-yeon decided to wait for the right time. The stage was not yet fully set as not all the actors had gathered. Impatience is absolutely forbidden when planning such matters. A play begins only when the actors gather, and what he needed to do now was to wait for the right time, decide on the play to be performed according to the situation, and search for and select the great actors to play the roles. Feeling cheerful, Biryu-yeon, unconcerned by the unpleasant gaze tickling the back of his head, lay spread-eagle and gazed at the blue sky. Gazing at the endless blue sky felt like a blocked passage had been cleared. The seemingly boundless sky was clear and pure.

As he gazed at the sky, intoxicated by its blue hue, he melted into a rare feeling of leisure and peace. The clear and high winter sky, free of clouds, having shed its dark gray color and regained its blue hue, was as beautiful as a blue bird soaring endlessly towards the horizon.