Book 8 Chapter 8

Byuryeon (飛流連) Appears

"Wait! Don't you know the basic common sense that you must always get the owner's permission before touching someone else's belongings?"

The assassin, disguised as a porter, was yanked back forcefully.

Byuryeon had appeared and grabbed the assassin by the scruff of his neck.

Here, 'someone else's belongings' of course referred to Na Yerim, whose ownership Byuryeon claimed arbitrarily.

"Who… who are you?"

Baek Tanjeo, the leader of the White Phoenix Guild, stammered in shock. As a master of stealth and assassination, being caught from behind in an instant was tantamount to closing shop. Of course, with most of their core experts dead in this failed assassination, it was a shop destined to close anyway.

"Well? Who could I be?"

The aura emanating from Byuryeon's body carried an inexplicable sense of dread that made him flinch. Even though it was from behind, Baek Tanjeo could clearly feel it. He felt a strange sense of kinship with a mouse facing a venomous snake. Regret washed over him for taking on this job, blinded by greed.

"Krrk! Hap!"

Shwoosh! Flash!

Byuryeon pulled him by the scruff of his neck once and then let go, giving him a chance to draw his sword. True to his profession, his sword was short and sharp. Moreover, it was coated with a potent poison that could easily kill a person with a mere graze. To enhance its effectiveness in stealth attacks, it had been treated with a light-absorbing coating, making the blade as black as pitch.

Since short swords couldn't instantly kill their targets unless they struck a vital point, it was common practice in their line of work to coat them with poison for efficiency.

"Hmm! This looks like a rather fine item. I can smell the high price."

Having spent years in a blacksmith's shop and possessing the qualifications of a sword craftsman, Byuryeon could instantly assess the value of Baek Tanjeo's black poisoned sword. Baek Tanjeo, still wary, hesitated to attack. Unfortunately, his caution cost him his last chance to counterattack.

"But alas, it seems that sword will never be wielded again!"

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Like this!"

Byuryeon smiled slightly.

Screech!

Baek Tanjeo's wrist, which was about to swing the poisoned sword one more time, was cleanly severed with a flash of light and detached from his body. It was an incredibly sudden blow.

"Kaaaaaaah!"

The unfortunate assassin, Baek Tanjeo, who would never be able to eat with his right hand again, let out a bloodcurdling scream. Blood gushed from the freshly severed part of his wrist, drenching the ground in red.

"But you said 'someone else's belongings,' what exactly is yours?"

Na Yerim raised an objection in a chilling tone to Byuryeon's passing remark. She looked at Byuryeon with eyes that revealed no trace of emotion.

"Well, what do you think it is?"

Byuryeon shrugged, raising his hands to the sky, feigning ignorance.

Clang!

Na Yerim's sword blocked a dagger that was being thrust at her from behind. Although her gaze was fixed on Byuryeon, her senses were acutely aware of her surroundings. She was not so inexperienced as to fail to detect the unpleasant killing intent that had entered her space, splashing mud.

Whoosh!

Na Yerim's sword snapped the assassin's dagger in half and then delivered a cold judgment upon his body. A chilling coldness that froze him to the bone forcibly invaded the assassin's body, halting his life-sustaining functions.

"You're not an assassin, are you?"

Yeom Do said in a threatening tone, frowning as he took the unfortunate porter whose hand had been severed from Byuryeon. Baek Tanjeo, the leader of the White Phoenix Guild's assassins, was dumbfounded.

How could he, the renowned leader of the White Phoenix Guild, have failed so easily?

"Hahaha… Of course not. What kind of terrible and dreadful things would I, an assassin, do?"

He deliberately feigned a clumsy speech. However, Yeom Do made no move to release his grip on Baek Tanjeo, who had been completely subdued.

"That's right! Just as I thought! You're not an assassin! Of course not! The sword tucked behind your waist isn't an assassin's dagger. And that dropped sword isn't yours either, is it?"

The poisoned sword Yeom Do pointed to still had Baek Tanjeo's severed wrist attached. Baek Tanjeo forced a foolish smile.

"Of… of course not. How could that be mine? Hehehe…"

He wasn't a fool; there was no way that wasn't his. However, due to the strange power emanating from Yeom Do's body, Baek Tanjeo dared not say anything else.

"I am not an assassin. I am being wronged. I only used my self-defense skills when I thought a robber was targeting my belongings. Please believe me!"

Baek Tanjeo pleaded, tears streaming down his face.

"Then! Then! I knew from the very beginning."

Yeom Do nodded.

'If you knew, then let me go already…'

Baek Tanjeo screamed inwardly. But there was no sign of him being released.

"However… it's all good and well, but…"

Yeom Do continued quietly.

"Yes?"

Baek Tanjeo looked at Yeom Do with a puzzled expression. Something felt suspicious.

"Why are you an assassin, even so?!"

Snap!

"Kaaaaaaah!"

Only after Baek Tanjeo's wrist was snapped like a reed in Yeom Do's immense grip and his entire body's muscles twisted under the cruel bone-breaking technique did he realize that Yeom Do had already determined he was an assassin. Despite clearly knowing he was an assassin, Yeom Do had been asking pointless questions and beating around the bush. In other words, Yeom Do, knowing Baek Tanjeo's true identity, had wanted to act as if he didn't. It was simply the childish tantrum of an adult. Baek Tanjeo had been needlessly overthinking.

"Kuaaaaaaah!"

Baek Tanjeo's pained scream echoed in the sky once more.

"Why are you here?"

This was in the middle of a crowded market, not within the academy. There was no reason for Byuryeon to be here.

"It's a coincidence. A coincidence!"

"Hmm…"

His attitude was clearly suspicious.

"Can't you show a more welcoming reaction? This is so disappointing, between us…"

Byuryeon said slyly with an impudent face.

"What is there between us?"

Na Yerim retorted in a chilling tone. Her words were frigid.

"Aww! I'm too shy to say such things myself."

Seeing Byuryeon wriggle his body in front of her was a torment for Na Yerim. She inevitably turned her head away first.

"Then, I'll be going!"

Na Yerim indicated she had nothing more to say.

"Wait a moment!"

Byuryeon called out to Na Yerim, who was turning away.

"What is it?"

Na Yerim reluctantly turned back. Byuryeon said,

"After all, I'm a helper. Don't I deserve some gratitude for helping?"

His persistence suggested he still wanted to talk. Na Yerim, whose face had been averted, turned back towards Byuryeon. Her eyes, like deep lakes of night, gazed at him intently. Byuryeon found Na Yerim at times like these somewhat burdensome.

"I have no memory of receiving help."

At that moment, a black mass fell from the sky in front of Na Yerim.

Thud!

The gazes of Na Yerim, Mo Yonghwi, and Eun Seollan simultaneously focused on the black mass. It was a corpse. And it was clearly identifiable as an assassin's. Even seeing it, Byuryeon was still smiling broadly.

"Then these assassins, could they be…"

Byuryeon nodded with a smile.

"Could the owner of the flash that helped me earlier be…"

Only then did Na Yerim recall the flash of light that had blocked the ambush by the Twin Ghost brothers.

"Of course, that was my doing."

If so, it meant she had been saved by Byuryeon.

"Th-thank you! Is that enough now?"

Na Yerim's expression of gratitude was stiff. Byuryeon felt something was lacking.

"I've never received such stiff gratitude before. I'm very sad right now."

Byuryeon expressed his awkwardness.

Just then, a beautiful, melodious voice like a gentle spring breeze tickled Byuryeon's ears.

"Thank you for saving me, Young Master. Or should I call you my savior now?"

The owner of the voice was Eun Seollan of Sajunghwa.

"Ah! The peerless beauty who is the subject of such wild rumors!"

Byuryeon responded with a bow and a greeting.

He had heard endlessly about Eun Seollan from the Aesojuhui, so Byuryeon knew her well. Lately, she had kept the Aesojuhui incredibly busy. A meeting with a new world, so to speak…

"Oh my! Peerless beauty, you say. Such kind words. I am Eun Seollan of Sajunghwa. Thank you again, Young Hero, for your assistance."

If there was a man who disliked receiving polite greetings mixed with a beauty's smile, he would surely be insane, homosexual, or a pervert. Fortunately, Byuryeon was not a pervert, so he could genuinely rejoice in her gratitude.

"It's nothing. The four seas are one family. It's natural to help someone in distress!"

Byuryeon said with a smile on his face (though only his eyes were visible). Anyone who knew him would have been astonished or choked. Everyone knew that Byuryeon rarely went out of his way for others.

"Oh, how reassuring! As expected of a disciple of the renowned Cheonmu Academy, you understand what chivalry is!"

"Of course!"

Byuryeon answered shamelessly, without batting an eye. Yeom Do, watching from the side, thought that all the chivalrous figures in the martial world would bite their tongues and die. Why, after losing yesterday's duel, was he witnessing this today? Yeom Do, who felt like he had seen something he shouldn't have, had a sour expression. Regret washed over him. Goosebumps prickled his skin.

"Oh? Hey! Hwi, hello?"

After finishing his pleasantries with the beauties, Byuryeon finally noticed Mo Yonghwi and greeted him warmly.

"……"

However, Mo Yonghwi, who received the greeting, was not well at all. He was not happy. Mo Yonghwi's expression was grim and showed no signs of softening.

"That friend is a bit gruff."

Byuryeon shook his head as if resigned. He was a friend who didn't change, even in the company of beauties.

"Oh my! Is he always like that?"

Eun Seollan asked as if she had been waiting for this.

"He's always been like that. That gruffness and pathological cleanliness were diagnosed as incurable diseases long ago. The general consensus is that treatment is unlikely without a revolutionary cure. Lately, it seems a ridiculous illness called 'misogyny' has been added… If that's true, it's quite serious, even if it's still in the early stages!"

Byuryeon crossed his arms and nodded with a serious expression.

"Oh my! That's a serious problem!"

Eun Seollan, seemingly in sync with Byuryeon, immediately chimed in. They seemed to have completely disregarded Mo Yonghwi's reaction. Eun Seollan suddenly felt the urge to tease Mo Yonghwi.

"It's a serious problem unless he's prepared to die as an old bachelor. I wonder if he'll ever be able to date like that."

"I'm going to get married through an arranged marriage, so that won't happen."

Mo Yonghwi shouted back. He was clearly agitated.

"Look! He's as stiff as a log, isn't he? It's like he thinks jokes are not of this world."

"You're excessively interested in other people's life stories and linguistic systems! I no longer wish to be the subject of further interest."

Mo Yonghwi said in a voice as cold as the northern ice winds.

"Ah… Oh dear… Now it seems he's also developed misanthropy and xenophobia."

Truly, the armor and walls surrounding Mo Yonghwi's inner self were impossibly thick.

"Are you really close friends? You know him in such detail."

Suddenly, Mo Yonghwi made a face as if he were going to vomit. Who on earth qualified as a 'close friend' by such a subjective and personal standard? It was a concept he could never understand.

"He's just a friend I share a room with. Miss, when you have time, could you perhaps cure that lady-aversion of his? As the person closest to him, I'm very worried."

Byuryeon had become quite cunning lately.

"Your excessive interest is unwelcome. If you continue to pay attention to me, I will not stand idly by anymore."

Mo Yonghwi's patience seemed to have reached its limit, and he looked as if he might draw his sword at any moment. Further teasing would mean risking his own safety. While he was confident in his ability to protect himself, Byuryeon decided to stop teasing. Even the best toys could break if played with too roughly. Just as one must savor delicious candy to make it last, so too must one pace their enjoyment.

"See! He has strength but no softness. If we continue, he might even resort to violence. He doesn't understand the joy of a joke."

Byuryeon shook his head, ending the conversation about Mo Yonghwi. Eun Seollan smiled at Byuryeon.

"Now that our business is concluded, shouldn't we be going?"

A voice as cold as a blizzard!

Byuryeon's friendly demeanor and conversation with Eun Seollan were interrupted by Na Yerim's interjection. It was clear that Na Yerim's words were laced with icy barbs.

"Oh! Are you upset?"

Byuryeon retorted.

"Absolutely not."

Na Yerim vehemently denied it.

Although her expression remained unreadable, Byuryeon could clearly sense a difference from her usual demeanor. However, he was still unable to discern the reason.

"I'm sorry, but I can't leave yet!"

"Why?"

Na Yerim retorted in a sharp tone.

"I still have something to receive."

Byuryeon grinned. It was the smile of someone who harbored ninety-nine cunning snakes within him.

"If you're talking about gratitude for helping, didn't I receive enough earlier? There's nothing more to receive… *muffled*!"

Na Yerim's next words were cut off by Byuryeon's sudden action. Byuryeon's lips had suddenly sealed hers.

A moment, as sweet as a dream, passed.

Kiss!

The men in the vicinity, including the male Cheongwando who had come out to the bustling streets for a change of pace, and even ordinary warriors, turned pale. Ever since Na Yerim had entered this street, dozens of men had been glancing at her, following her, or sticking close to her, disrupting her vision and senses. Even among the ordinary warriors who loitered around Cheonmu Academy without being admitted, Na Yerim's beauty was legendary. She was an idol both inside and outside. Even if she couldn't understand it herself, reality didn't change.

Na Yerim looked at Byuryeon with an expression of disbelief. He was smiling at her. Even though this was the third time this had happened, she hated that she couldn't bring herself to hate this man. It was always at moments like these that this man displayed a flawless movement, imperceptible even to her keen senses.

"Oh my, oh my, oh my!"

Eun Seollan, who had witnessed Byuryeon's surprise kiss, blushed redder than the evening sun. But her eyes shone with amusement.

"Kyaak!"

The shriek that escaped Eun Seollan's lips was not a piercing scream but a cute, affectionate sound of uncontrollable delight.

Byuryeon and Na Yerim's kiss did not last long. It was so brief it was like a moment. But the fact that they had kissed was undeniable.

"Oh? You're not doing it this time?"

Byuryeon asked Na Yerim with a curious tone. His prediction had been completely wrong.

"Doing what?"

Her voice had become even colder. It seemed the sensation of Byuryeon's touch still lingered on her lips.

"What do you mean! I mean, Miss Na's sword is still sheathed and not drawn."

Byuryeon, cunningly, had already retreated to a spot one step further back from where he had been. He had positioned himself out of range of her sword, which he expected to be drawn after the surprise kiss. But there was no attack. That's why he was puzzled.

Na Yerim was equally puzzled. She didn't understand why she couldn't draw her sword as she always did. She said in a flustered voice,

"I… I just missed the opportunity, I haven't forgotten."

It was a lie. She had momentarily forgotten that she had to draw her sword and punish this man severely.

"Hmm, is that so?"

Byuryeon looked at Na Yerim with a mischievous smile. Na Yerim's composure had almost broken. But she managed to regain her composure. Her face turned cold again.

"More importantly, can I have an explanation?"

Words as cold as the northern ice flowed from her lips. They were so cold they could freeze the listener's heart! It was a declaration that she would no longer be swayed by Byuryeon's rhetoric.

"A kind of repayment for the favor, perhaps?"

"You're still a rude person who doesn't ask for permission."

"I knew you wouldn't give me permission yet. Don't worry too much. It's just the second time turning into the third."

How could she not worry? Na Yerim was, after all, a woman. It was only natural to be concerned. But why did she have to be manipulated by this man who lacked even a shred of subtlety? She had to admit that she no longer viewed Byuryeon as just another man. But she herself didn't know what the difference was. All she knew was that thinking about that man made her feel incredibly indignant.

Thus, for the first time that day, she felt indignant towards a man. She disliked the feeling that this man occupied a separate space in her heart even more.

And her own inadequacy, unable to strike him down, fueled her anger further.

"Miss Eun, Miss Na, shall we go now? There are piles of things to report."

Mo Yonghwi intervened as a mediator, urging them to leave. With such a grand event, the academy wouldn't be quiet. There would be countless reports to make after being summoned here and there. Furthermore, for Eun Seollan's safety, and to guard against any potential second ambush, they needed to return to Cheonmu Academy as quickly as possible.

"Then I look forward to our next meeting."

Byuryeon bid farewell to Eun Seollan.

"Hohoho! I have a strong feeling that day will be very soon. Take care."

Eun Seollan gave a meaningful smile to Byuryeon's farewell.

Byuryeon performed a bow and turned around. Then, along with Yeom Do, who was busy with post-event arrangements after the Cheonmu Academy patrols rushed over upon hearing of the incident, he disappeared into the crowd. Having achieved satisfactory results for the day, he had no complaints.

Eun Seollan's eyes glinted as she watched Byuryeon's receding back. However, the event happened so quickly that it was difficult for others to notice.

Only Na Yerim briefly glanced at Eun Seollan. But she said nothing.

"It must be very reassuring to have someone like that by your side, right?"

Eun Seollan said to Na Yerim, smiling. Despite experiencing a terrifying assassination attempt like this, she could still smile. This fact alone proved she was no ordinary woman.

"Well… I just hope he doesn't cause any unnecessary trouble."

Na Yerim replied in a voice devoid of emotion.

"Either way, he's a very interesting person."

"Yes! He also has a knack for making others very uncomfortable."

Na Yerim's assessment was far more critical than Eun Seollan's.

"I have a strong feeling I'll meet that person again soon. Did you know? My premonitions are usually quite accurate!"

Eun Seollan said, smiling brightly at Na Yerim.

And a short while later, her premonition proved true.

Two days later, Byuryeon received an official notice informing him that he had been appointed as the bodyguard of Eun Seollan, the investigation officer of the Black Heaven Alliance. The reason cited was the investigator's own strong desire and request.

Thus, Eun Seollan now had three bodyguards.

However, her momentum did not stop there. She was preparing to surprise people once again.