Book 25 Chapter 2

In front of the mirror

—Back to the original form

In the large, clear mirror, as clean as a calm lake, eyes like tiger's eye stones, a mixture of deep brown and gold, were reflected. The eyes, resembling tiger's eye stones, gazed intently into the mirror. Those eyes were looking at something other than their own reflection.

As if a single drop of water had fallen, ripples spread across the surface of the mirror, and the image within wavered. Then, scenes from the past, when they were together, began to shimmer. The day I first met Na Yerim, her falling from the sky, the silver dagger I gave her as a gift, meeting again at Unyangjeong, encountering enemies while going to Mudungsan, the cave during a downpour, her warm body, falling into the cave while taking a test, holding each other's hands and looking at the stars while listening to the night wind, kissing on the volcano, waking up to find her looking at me with tear-filled eyes, the tears that fell on my cheek being as hot as fire, the ridiculously funny food she put in for me when I was imprisoned—these memories repeatedly surfaced and disappeared like bubbles.

The more the bubbles of memory rose, the deeper the pain began to coil and gather in the depths of the amber eyes.

Unable to bear the pain, I close my eyes.

Then, more vividly than reality, the final scene appeared. A sense of reality that felt like it could be grasped by hand, but reality was more brutal than imagination.

* * *

"You'll be back soon, won't you?"

Na Yerim asked, lying on the bed. Her body had not yet recovered, and she seemed to struggle just to sit up.

"Of course. I'll be back soon. So please wait just a moment. Whether it's Chilshangheun or Palsangheun, I won't lose."

Yeonbi said with a smile.

"Then I'll wait."

Na Yerim said with a smile. One was fortunate to see that smile. Of course, she didn't call him by name, Ryo Yeon, aloud. But it sounded like that to him. No matter what outward appearance he took, or what persona he played, his essence would never change.

"Then please take good care of Rin, Miss Yoon Miso."

At Yeonbi's playful remark, the timid Yoon Junho of the Hwasan sect, no, Yoon Mi, blushed and replied.

"I, I will take care of her."

Na Yerim smiled and waved her hand slightly. Yeonbi waved back.

"Just wait for the blink of an eye, then I'll be back."

Na Yerim bid him farewell with a gentle smile.

"Go and come back."

Although her body was weak from internal injuries, she didn't show it and forced a smile. He was grateful for that thought. That's why he thought he had to return as quickly as possible. This was the first time he had seen Na Yerim in such a weakened state. Suppressing a hint of anxiety, Yeonbi left the room.

The door closed firmly. Na Yerim's wistful figure waving her hand through the closing door was still etched in his eyes.

* * *

Black clothes slipped silently to the floor.

They slid down past her snow-white shoulders, along her smooth back, and down her slender legs. Her skin was so smooth it glistened, her forearms were thin, and her shoulders were narrow. Her waist was slender, and her legs were long and straight. Just looking at her from behind, her body was like a sculpture. The amber eyes, which had been calmly observing her naked form in the mirror, slowly inhaled and exhaled repeatedly. With her regular breathing, the inner energy began to flow to every corner of her limbs. Her will extended along the nerves spread like a dense net from the crown of her head to the tips of her toes.

"Hoooooo!"

Taking another deep breath,

She momentarily released the will that had been binding her physical body.

Crrrack! Snap!

Shoulders that had seemed narrow widened, and firm, sculpted muscles appeared on her smooth, long arms and legs. They weren't just balloon-like muscles, but strong, agile, and flexible muscles, imbued with trained power in every fiber. Her body, trained to react instantly to her will, was close to art. The reason she could perform 'Chukgol-gong' (bone shaping technique), which transformed her body, was thanks to these muscles trained to respond to her will.

Since she had left her old clothes at Cheonmu Academy, she changed into newly purchased ones.

The new clothes were also black. However, unlike the ones she had just taken off, these were for men. She put on the clothes and tightened the belt. A subtly flying bird's wing pattern was embroidered on the back and sleeves. However, because it was embroidered with black silk thread on a black background, it wasn't very noticeable and the pattern appeared and disappeared like a mirage depending on the angle of the light. The only regret was the lack of the weighty feel of the hidden blades that she always felt inside her sleeves. But that was not something the clothes could solve.

Her eyes snapped open.

She looked in the mirror.

The tiger's eye pupils were now shining brightly with a golden light.

"For now… I guess I need to hide it."

Swoosh.

Because of the recent haircut, her bangs were cut short, revealing her eyes a little. Feeling awkward about this, she covered her eye area with surrounding hair.

When she was Yeonbi, she had displayed them confidently, but these eyes had a very distinct characteristic compared to others. Especially when she used martial arts, a unique phenomenon occurred, so if she wasn't careful, someone might notice.

She had to prevent that.

As she covered her pupils with her hair, all preparations were complete. The beautiful woman in black clothes standing in the mirror was gone, replaced by a sharp-looking young man in black. This was the appearance that those who knew him recognized as Bi Ryuyeon. Having returned to his original form, he spoke the name of what was precious to him.

"Yerim…"

She had exerted enough effort, to get back what was precious to her. For her precious older sister. She fought with all her might. With the maximum strength she could muster, with all her power.

He believed that feeling had undoubtedly reached the other party. If even such earnest feelings couldn't reach the other's heart, then no feeling could cross the infinite chasm between people to reach another's heart.

What if Yeongnyeong hadn't lost consciousness at the end? Or what if she had woken up in front of them? And how would Yeongnyeong, who had woken up by now, be? Had something changed for her too?

Yerim hadn't even been able to confirm that yet.

How hard she had tried, how much effort she had put in, and to be unable to confirm the result was too sad. It was something that should never have happened.

And above all…

She was not where she was supposed to be. She was absent from the only place she rightfully belonged. That fact pained him more than anything else.

Yerim, the only place she belonged was nowhere else but beyond the edge of the sky and the end of the earth, no, in the entire universe, there was only one place, and that was by his side.

That was the righteous and upright truth of this universe! A fact determined before yin and yang were separated, before the beginning of time.

Therefore, the current situation was a distortion that should not exist in this universe! That serious distortion was shaking his very world to its roots.

Simply put, it was equivalent to the crisis of the end of the universe.

"Such a universe, such a world, even if gods acknowledge it, I will not!"

This world is meaningless.

This world, like a vast sheet of white paper.

If the world is meaningless, so be it. I will give meaning to the white world.

That meant creating one's own world. And taking responsibility for that world.

Then, so be it.

I will decide the meaning of the world I live in myself. With my own will, without anyone else's help.

Therefore, to the evil ones who step their dirty feet on that precious white paper, the hammer of heaven! The lightning that falls from high above and burns evil! Those who encroach upon my world deserve to die a hundred times, no, a hundred billion times.

But on my white paper, on my world, a blemish has appeared. A wound, a flaw, drawn by someone who barged in wantonly!

"How dare you do such a thing!"

Yerim was not where she rightfully belonged. This was not how the world was supposed to be. What is wrong must be corrected.

He vowed to return the distorted world to its original state, as it should be.

"No matter what it takes! I will not hesitate to use any means to protect my world! The babbling of ordinary people means nothing to me! Let them bark! See if my eyebrows twitch even half an inch. No matter what infamy I bear, I will protect my world. My future, which makes me who I am!"

He decided without hesitation that he would even overturn the Sky-Piercing Pavilion to get her back.

"To do that, I will become a ghost, a goblin, a devil, anything!"

Whoever that person may be.

"I will make them regret being born into this world! So that they won't want to enter the cycle of reincarnation again!"

To the wicked,

The iron hammer of blood!

"You who do not fear the heavens, you should fear. Not the heavens, but me! I advise you, it would be better for your well-being. Because I will be more terrifying than the heavens."

Of course, even if you beg on your knees, there will be no change in your fate.

"Your end will not change anyway."

He went outside and looked towards the horizon.

Even though she was gone, even though she was not beside him, the sky was a piercing blue. It was not a happy sight. This was an undesirable phenomenon.

He put his finger to his lips and exhaled strongly.

Whoooooosh!

A sharp whistle sound, carried by the wind, rose high into the vast sky and spread far away.

A little while later,

Flap flap flap!

Screeeeeech!

From a forest on one side of the vast land, a hawk, with a cry, flapped its blue wings and soared towards the sky.