Book 9 Chapter 2

The Divine Eagle Squad deploys!

There's a saying that a horse without legs travels a thousand li.

Such commotion is bound to attract attention from the surroundings,

and people gathered in an instant.

Countless people, driven by curiosity, began to flock towards the center of the commotion, seeking to find the cause. It was impossible for such a major incident to not draw the attention of those around.

As the crowd grew too large, it became impossible for the Gujeong Council to control it. The dam built by people was on the verge of collapse, swept away by the flood of the crowd. The larger the incident, the greater the repercussions. Among those people were Eun Seol-ran and her escorts, Mo Yong-hwi and Na Ye-rin.

"Alright, alright! No more entry. Please return!"

A warrior from the Gujeong Council shouted, blocking the surging crowd with his body.

"Move aside a little! We want to know too."

The crowd was unruly. Human nature is to want to do more of what one is told not to do. However, that did not mean the path could be cleared.

"It's nothing serious, so please disperse! It's really not a big deal."

"Don't make me laugh! Would such a commotion occur if it were nothing serious? If you're going to lie, try to do it more cleanly and perfectly!"

"That's right! That's right!"

It was a continuous struggle of pushing and shoving.

However, amidst such commotion, the Gujeong Council warriors managed to hold their ground against the flood of people. The push and pull between the surging crowd and the Gujeong Council warriors trying to stop them continued. Originally, it was the warriors of the Gunwoong Council who should have handled this. Naturally, complaints began to erupt.

"Damn it! Why do we have to go through this hardship instead?"

Resentment was unfairly directed towards the Gunwoong Council warriors. The collapse of the barrier seemed to be a matter of time. Just as everyone was thinking, 'Should we just let them all through?'

"Build a wall!"

With someone's clear command echoing, a group of warriors charged towards the center of the chaos with precise movements.

"It's the Divine Eagle Squad!"

Someone from the gathered crowd shouted.

"The personal guards directly under the Gunwoong Council Leader!!!"

A murmur spread through the crowd.

The Divine Eagle Squad was the personal guard directly under the Gunwoong Council Leader, a group that rarely showed itself publicly. They, who were usually difficult to even get a glimpse of, were now stepping forward.

The murmurs grew louder and louder. The deployment of the Divine Eagle Squad confirmed that this matter was definitely not ordinary. However, they did not feel confident enough to breach the double-layered iron wall of the Divine Eagle Squad and enter the scene of the incident.

Soon, the ones guarding and the ones trying to break in began to separate. The Divine Eagle Squad members swung their hands and feet with an attitude that did not shy away from rough methods. Of course, there were no direct blows, but it was very effective in pushing people away.

"Wooo! That's too much! No to violence!"

"That's right! We have the right to know too!"

"The two councils should reveal what happened!"

Complaints from the people erupted like a flood from all sides. However, the Divine Eagle Squad silently continued their work.

But even for the Divine Eagle Squad, there was someone they were powerless against.

The person who could pass through the double-layered human shield of the Gujeong Council and Gunwoong Council without any obstruction was Eun Seol-ran.

Eun Seol-ran had the qualifications of an investigator, so she could not be obstructed. By convention, no restraint or restriction should be imposed on her. Here, at the Cheonmu Academy, she was like an extraterritorial entity, an alien presence to which no authority applied.

She had the duty to see and judge everything with her own eyes. Therefore, the corresponding rights were naturally attached.

"I can go in, right?"

Eun Seol-ran asked with a sweet smile.

"P-Please enter!"

Although his expression contorted, Ha Yun-myeong, the leader of the Divine Eagle Squad, known as Storm Blade, had no choice but to permit Eun Seol-ran and her two escorts to pass. A slight gap appeared in the iron wall for a moment, and the three were let in, closing instantly.

Staring at the surging crowd, the leader of the Divine Eagle Squad, Ha Yun-myeong, stood facing them.

"Is there anyone else who wants to go in?"

Ha Yun-myeong's voice, as he surveyed the surroundings with sharp eyes, was cold.

"If there is anyone else who wants to go in, my blade, Ha Mo, will heartily welcome them."

It was a meaningful statement implying that if they wanted to enter, they had to face him in a fight.

As soon as his words ended, the venue fell silent. The murmurs also subsided in an instant.

Fortunately, there was no one with the perverted taste to experience the Drifting Blade Technique of Ha Yun-myeong, Storm Blade, who had jointly won the Samsung Martial Arts Competition's Do-seong Tournament.

"The atmosphere is really intense!"

This was Eun Seol-ran's observation after passing through the double-layered human barrier. As she passed through the human shield, she did not feel even a drop of favor from her surroundings.

"The atmosphere wouldn't be good with something like that happening."

Na Ye-rin said. Soon, the center of the incident came into her view. Her pupils trembled slightly for a moment.

'Ma Ha-ryeong…'

'…Unnie…'

And then…

'Bi Ryu-yeon!'

Why were Bi Ryu-yeon and Ma Ha-ryeong at the center of such a commotion? She couldn't understand.

'Those two shouldn't have had any connection until now…'

The two were incompatible. Naturally, they shouldn't have even met face-to-face until now. It had been years since she herself last met Ma Ha-ryeong.

'Then why?'

Na Ye-rin's suspicion deepened.

"What is happening right now? What kind of woman is that woman that people around her are so agitated?"

Eun Seol-ran was very curious about this situation. It seemed she needed an explanation to understand the whole story.

"That's right. Who is that woman? Do you happen to know, Miss Na?"

Mo Yong-hwi also seemed curious and asked Na Ye-rin politely.

"Something incredibly absurd is happening. Even with my understanding, I can't comprehend it."

Na Ye-rin's words were true.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"First of all, it's something that shouldn't happen logically."

"Why is that?"

Eun Seol-ran, feigning a naive expression, asked.

"An act that makes half, or rather almost all, of the cultivators at Cheonmu Academy your enemy cannot be considered a normal act."

"Is that woman's position that significant?"

Eun Seol-ran looked at Ma Ha-ryeong again with a newfound perspective. Of course, she possessed an unusual aura. The problem was that the owner of that unusual aura was losing to Bi Ryu-yeon with a scowl on her face.

"You could say that. Regardless of who it is, she is the overall leader of the Gunwoong Palga, a gathering of cultivators from the Eight Great Families and minor sects, and the cherished daughter of Cheonmu Academy's Head, Cheol-kwon Ma Jin-ga."

Upon Na Ye-rin's explanation, Eun Seol-ran's eyes widened. She turned out to be a formidable figure.

"Oh! Indeed, she had such a background."

Given that, the hostile reactions from those around were understandable.

"But the person confronting such a high and noble individual looks familiar, doesn't he?"

"……"

Na Ye-rin and Mo Yong-hwi both fell silent at Eun Seol-ran's innocent question. Of course, it was not that they didn't recognize him. They simply didn't want to answer.

"But who is that person with the fierce, scowling expression…?"

Eun Seol-ran's delicate finger pointed towards a spot. There stood a swordsman, with a face distorted like a ghost, grumbling and emitting fierce killing intent and hostility, along with martial artists assisting him. Na Ye-rin also recognized the face.

"That is Young Master Peng Hyeok-seong, the expert of the Ha-buk Peng Family, Mad Wind Fierce Tiger Blade. From what I know, he is in charge of the leader's guard."

This was Na Ye-rin's brief explanation.

"Oh my! Then today, we can finally witness the famous Ha-buk Peng Family's heirloom technique, the Five Tiger Severing Gate Blade!"

Eun Seol-ran clapped her hands, rejoicing with a pure heart.

"What? What did you say…?"

Na Ye-rin, surprised by Eun Seol-ran's unexpected reaction, asked cautiously.

"Oh my? Did I make a mistake?"

Na Ye-rin was momentarily flustered by her extremely nonchalant, out-of-place, naive, and curious remark. It seemed she harbored no worries for her escort, Bi Ryu-yeon.

'Of course, their affiliations are different, and they belong to different banners, but is she completely uninterested in his life? If not…'

Na Ye-rin's sharp gaze turned towards Eun Seol-ran, who was still smiling. Her face began to glow with a mysterious light.

"Miss Eun, you don't seem worried about Young Master Bi at all, do you?"

"Oh my! Miss Na, you seem very worried about Young Master Bi's safety over there!"

"W-When did I say that… Please don't misinterpret me. It's absolutely not what I meant."

Eun Seol-ran's retort, frankly, plunged Na Ye-rin into a vortex of bewilderment. First of all, Na Ye-rin vehemently denied her question.

"Oh my! Strong denial is the strongest and clearest affirmation, you know. Do you know that saying?"

Eun Seol-ran seemed to have already reached her own conclusion. Although Na Ye-rin did not like that conclusion much.

"I am absolutely not worried about such a frivolous and reckless man. Worrying about a man like that is a great loss."

Na Ye-rin said in a slightly agitated voice.

'Why am I so flustered? My heart should be frozen…'

Recently, her icy heart had frequently been stirred. Each time, the man named Bi Ryu-yeon was involved. Na Ye-rin was dissatisfied with that fact.

"Heh heh!"

Eun Seol-ran smiled slightly, watching Na Ye-rin's reaction.

"……?"

Why was she smiling with such a delighted and amused expression? Na Ye-rin couldn't understand Eun Seol-ran's reaction.

"You know so much. How lucky for Young Master Bi! To receive the attention of the world's most beautiful woman, who seems woven from moonlight and starlight!"

Eun Seol-ran smiled broadly and nodded repeatedly. It was a gesture implying that she understood everything and didn't need further explanation. Na Ye-rin became increasingly flustered.

'I'm worried about that man?'

Na Ye-rin shook her head vigorously.

'That's absolutely impossible! Absolutely!'

She exclaimed resolutely in her heart. However, her gaze was fixed on Bi Ryu-yeon.

No matter how much she denied it, the fact that his presence was growing within her was an undeniable truth.

Bi Ryu-yeon, enjoying the luxury of receiving the simultaneous attention of two ultimate beauties, the envy of many men, continued his silent tug-of-war with his precious body, making everyone around him tense.