LD Vol.2 Chapter 13

“Jang, Manor (莊)!” “Ah, Fang (牙)!” “Ho, Tiger (虎)!”

Bi Ryu-yeon read out the characters on the plaque hanging above the entrance, enunciating each one clearly. The plaque at the main gate of the Tiger Fang Manor was written in a style overflowing with tiger-like bravery, or as Bi Ryu-yeon would put it, it was beautifully written as ‘Manor Fang Tiger^[1]’.

“Manor Fang Tiger… what?”

From Blazing Blade’s perspective, Bi Ryu-yeon seemed to have read the characters on the plaque, but the pronunciation sounded strange, so he asked to confirm. Even when he looked at it with his own eyes, which were not blind, it was clearly written as Tiger Fang Manor^[2], so what was this sudden mention of Manor Fang Tiger? However, Bi Ryu-yeon, unfazed by Blazing Blade’s curiosity, nonchalantly said,

“Ah, you didn’t know? When I read a plaque, I read from left to right. But I interpret it from right to left. I guess you didn’t know that?”

Of course, he didn’t know. How could he?

“You read from left to right, but interpret from right to left?”

Does that even make sense? It was nonsense, like a fart from a passing mutt. In two characters, it would be ‘dog’s sound’^[3], and in three characters, it would be ‘bullsh*t’^[4]. Blazing Blade’s mouth gaped open, dumbfounded by Bi Ryu-yeon’s absurd and ridiculous answer. His eyes, directed at Bi Ryu-yeon, emitted an intense light, clearly expressing his firm conviction.

‘Crazy bastard!’

Of course, he didn’t show it outwardly. Because his life was precious…

“Then how do you… read books, sir?”

Blazing Blade still couldn’t hide his discomfort with having to use half-honorifics when speaking to Bi Ryu-yeon. So, Blazing Blade’s words always ended up starting in a lower form of speech, and then, realizing his mistake, he would abruptly change to half-honorifics. Naturally, his speech sounded strange. His manner of speaking had become entirely unsuitable. Initially, there had been a lot of disagreement between the two regarding this honorific issue. However, due to Bi Ryu-yeon’s relentless punishment, Blazing Blade soon realized that changing his speech style was beneficial for his well-being and agreed to use honorifics.

Do you avoid defecation because it’s scary? No, you avoid it because it’s dirty. This saying aptly represented his determination at the time. It felt as if this saying had been born solely for that one purpose. Bi Ryu-yeon also thought that even though Blazing Blade had become his disciple after losing a bet, considering Blazing Blade’s status and age in the martial arts world, he would show some consideration by using half-honorifics, although it was a part he didn’t care about at all. In other words, they had reached an agreement on using appropriate mutual honorifics.

“Of course, I read books normally, from top to bottom. Are there people who read books from bottom to top? I only read from left to right when it comes to horizontally written plaques.”

Bi Ryu-yeon’s gaze seemed to imply that even a three-year-old child would know this obvious fact, so why bother asking? Blazing Blade couldn’t bear the feeling that he was being mocked. The back of his head throbbed and felt stiff. Wasn’t this a truly bizarre and strange habit? This behavior could be simply expressed in just four characters.

‘Useless at All Times’^[5] – in other words, utterly useless.

Blazing Blade once again fell into despair, realizing that he had truly taken an absurd and outrageous man as his master. Despite having gained this realization, the path ahead seemed even darker and more desolate. He had lost count of how many times he had felt despair while accompanying Bi Ryu-yeon. Although their master-disciple relationship was only in name, Bi Ryu-yeon didn’t seem to think that way. He was genuinely ordering him around and putting him to work as if he were a disciple received in his later years, and for Blazing Blade, it was an unprecedented humiliation.

However, considering Bi Ryu-yeon’s temperament as a whole, this was relatively favorable. In his own way, he was treating Blazing Blade with some degree of respect. After all, wasn’t Bi Ryu-yeon showing a certain level of courtesy towards Blazing Blade? His use of honorifics also stemmed from that. If he ignored Blazing Blade too much and treated him carelessly, there was a risk that Blazing Blade might go crazy and lash out due to his personality. It seemed that Bi Ryu-yeon had made his own calculations to prevent such dangers in advance. Of course, just becoming Bi Ryu-yeon’s disciple and receiving such treatment from him was already enough to drive one mad. If Bi Ryu-yeon hadn’t beaten him to death back then, Blazing Blade would have already lost control and gone berserk. The nightmare from that time was still vividly alive, which was why Blazing Blade was suppressing his emotions.

When Bi Ryu-yeon and Blazing Blade had finished their intimate conversation as master and disciple in front of the main gate of Tiger Fang Manor and entered the compound, the protagonist of the many rumors, Ho Chun-sang’s second disciple, Gam Oon-su, was immersed in his martial arts training. Now, there were only a few days left until the actual exam. Time was tight, even if he stayed up all night. So, at the moment, Gam Oon-su was pouring all his energy into studying martial arts and striving diligently. He was dedicating everything to the 26 Forms: Fierce Tiger Flying Strike Sword Art, the secret sword technique of the sect.

Although passing the special selection was practically guaranteed, the real problem for the privileged candidate was after entering the academy. This was because if he displayed mediocre martial arts skills while attending the Heavenly Martial Arts Academy, where the most talented individuals from the martial arts world gathered, how would the people around him view him? Being labeled as an incompetent person bearing the name of the sect was inevitable.

In severe cases, if one’s lack of qualifications was acknowledged, expulsion was possible without mercy. Therefore, to avoid being inferior to others and not bring shame to the sect, it was essential to undergo rigorous training starting now. Naturally, setting everything else aside and pouring all his devotion into achieving mastery of the Fierce Tiger Flying Strike Sword Art was the most important task for Gam Oon-su at the moment.

However, there was a movement that disturbed his studying. The area outside the main gate briefly became noisy, and then after a couple of loud impacts, it became quiet again. Although there was a considerable distance from his training ground to the main gate, his senses, honed through training, could not be deceived. His senses had already been refined to the point where he could detect the sound of a falling leaf outside the five-jang radius. Of course, it was even easier to detect Bi Ryu-yeon and Blazing Blade, as they were not particularly seeking secrecy. Gam Oon-su, worried about what was happening, moved his steps towards the main gate.

“Bang!”

At that moment, with a loud noise that shook the heavens and earth, the main gate swung wide open, and two unexpected guests set foot inside the compound. There was no room for doubt; they were intruders. As the old saying goes, “The good ones do not come, and those who come are already not good.”

The good ones do not come, and those who come are not good.^[6]!

Gam Oon-su, gripping the Supreme Tiger Sword at his waist, moved his figure towards the main gate, where the dust that had risen white had not yet settled. Gam Oon-su had great confidence in his martial arts due to the swordsmanship he had gained through his recent training. He was confident that he had finally mastered the Fierce Tiger Flying Strike Sword Art to its pinnacle. But what could he do? Gam Oon-su was extremely unlucky today. The opponents were two monsters whose abilities could not be measured by human standards, the likes of which the world had never seen before. It was a terrible miscalculation.

***

The Result of Reckless Resistance

Gam Oon-su, who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, boldly shouted without fear as soon as he saw the two men.

With his eldest senior brother absent, he was the eldest at Tiger Fang Manor and in a position to take responsibility for the disciples and household members on behalf of his master.

So, he always acted with confidence.

“Who are you bastards?”

“Who are you people, and why?”

Bi Ryu-yeon kindly corrected Gam Oon-su’s insolent words. Lee Gwan-jeong and Son Gon-woo, who were guarding the tightly closed main gate, tried to stop the two men from entering the compound while making a fuss, but with a light gesture and kick from Bi Ryu-yeon, they were sent flying to the other side of the earth. No matter how promising their future as martial artists was, they were merely low-ranking disciples. It was impossible from the beginning for them to stop Blazing Blade and Bi Ryu-yeon.

“Thud, thud!”

Son Gon-woo and Lee Gwan-jeong rolled side by side on the sun-warmed ground. Their bad luck never turned good and only worsened. The receptionist in charge, who had opened the closed iron gate to see what the commotion outside was about, was hit on the bridge of his nose by Bi Ryu-yeon’s flying fist and was sent flying three zhang, losing consciousness in a spectacular manner. It was because of the trivial reason that he had closed the door and obstructed Bi Ryu-yeon’s path. In this way, Bi Ryu-yeon and Blazing Blade entered the Tiger Fang Manor compound with ease, without exerting any effort. Gam Oon-su came running out of breath in front of them, with a face full of perplexity.

However, from the first impression, Gam Oon-su, who was utterly pathetic, could not please Bi Ryu-yeon’s eyes. So, Bi Ryu-yeon completely ignored him. He did not feel any worth in dealing with him. Bi Ryu-yeon did not seriously consider his existence at all. Perhaps feeling insulted by Bi Ryu-yeon’s actions, Gam Oon-su’s complexion turned bright red. To him, who was full of pride as a promising young martial artist and a prospective student of the Heavenly Martial Arts Academy, Bi Ryu-yeon’s disregard was an intolerable insult.

“Who the hell are you?”

Bi Ryu-yeon’s gaze turned towards Gam Oon-su. However, obscured by his long bangs, Gam Oon-su could not directly see Bi Ryu-yeon’s gaze. A faint smile appeared on Bi Ryu-yeon’s lips once again.

“This person is also lacking manners, just like before. Who are you to ask about someone else’s identity without even introducing yourself first?”

“I am Gam Oon-su, the direct disciple of Tiger Fang Manor. Who the hell are you?”

But Bi Ryu-yeon ignored Gam Oon-su’s question again. And then he pretended to recognize him.

“Ah, you must be that second disciple of Tiger Fang Manor who is bad at math and doesn’t know his place. Nice to meet you.”

“Place? What the hell you mean by that?”

“Aren’t you the second disciple who is desperate to enter the Heavenly Martial Arts Academy through special selection using the sect’s recommendation, despite having weak and pathetic skills? That’s what it means to not know your place. Oh, and I was told by someone that you also have the extraordinary talent of not being able to grasp your own standing at all.”

“Sh-shut up! You impertinent bastard!”

Gam Oon-su was dumbfounded. Had he ever been so miserably disregarded in his life? No matter how hard he wracked his brain and searched through his mind, he absolutely couldn’t recall such an instance. As a direct disciple of a first-rate sect who had walked a glorious path, when had he ever been treated so poorly? His dignity and self-esteem, which had never experienced such humiliating insults before, were crumpled and discarded in a wretched state.

Now, his patience had reached its limit. No further words were necessary. In an instant, Gam Oon-su drew his Supreme Tiger Sword and unleashed the pinnacle of his sect’s secret sword technique, which he had been quite pleased with mastering, towards the opponent who had given him his first insult. Fierce sword energy swept towards Bi Ryu-yeon with severity.

The Folding Tiger Sword, used by most of the disciples of Tiger Fang Manor, including him, was much wider, thicker, and longer than ordinary swords. So, those who crossed swords with the Supreme Tiger Sword for the first time were first startled by the unexpectedly wide range of its sword force, and second, they were startled by the powerful sword pressure that felt like it would tear their grip apart. The sword force generated by its width, thickness, and weight was no joke compared to ordinary long swords. So, if an ordinary long sword without internal energy clashed with this Supreme Tiger Sword, it would often break in two.

This terrifying sword force and sword wind were also unique characteristics of the Fierce Tiger Flying Strike Sword Art. The ferocious sword force that shattered the opponent’s sword. The fierce momentum that seemed to cut the enemy in two in an instant. The 26 Forms: Fierce Tiger Flying Strike Sword Art, evaluated to possess such tremendous power, were unleashed towards Bi Ryu-yeon.

When he first unleashed his sword technique, Gam Oon-su was full of confidence and imposing manner. However, when he actually attacked Bi Ryu-yeon with the secret Fierce Tiger Flying Strike Sword Art, which he believed he had mastered and thought had no match, it turned out to be completely ineffective against Bi Ryu-yeon. The sword energy couldn’t even cut through a piece of Bi Ryu-yeon’s clothing, and the sword wind only served the pitiful role of cooling Bi Ryu-yeon’s sweat as he moved. In short, it was useless, completely helpless.

Bi Ryu-yeon had already completely escaped Gam Oon-su’s sword momentum with a simple motion of slightly twisting his body, and the step he took simultaneously with the twist was like lightning.

“Thud!”

With a single step, he instantly penetrated Gam Oon-su’s guard, and at the same time, the punch he delivered blocked Gam Oon-su’s breath as if it would burst. With a single blow, the energy and blood throughout his entire body were disrupted. As Bi Ryu-yeon’s right fist directly struck his abdomen, the flow of true energy was instantly cut off.

“Bam! Thud thud! Wham! Bam bam bam! Thud thud thud!”

Sounds resembling violent hail pouring down on thin sheet metal reverberated. If an unknowing person had heard it, they would have thought it sounded truly lively and exciting. The sound of Bi Ryu-yeon’s beating was perfectly harmonized in rhythm and beat, now elevating to the realm of art. With Bi Ryu-yeon’s right fist embedded in his abdomen, unable to let out even a groan or scream, a barrage of punches for the purpose of confirming the kill rained down on Gam Oon-su’s face and entire body. Bi Ryu-yeon’s specialty among specialties, the Three Phases Beating Fist, had been activated. The scorching dozens of punches instantly robbed him of his consciousness.

Ah! The situation that followed was too miserable, so let’s omit it here. Because knowing about it would only be detrimental to one’s mental health. There are times when ignorance is bliss, and knowing brings harm. Thus, Tiger Fang Manor’s promising disciple, Gam Oon-su, experienced the strange and mysterious phenomenon of ascending to the threshold of the afterlife in broad daylight and gazing at the stars. And then, along with the countless twinkling stars, he lost consciousness. He probably wanted to escape reality as soon as possible. Bi Ryu-yeon glanced at Gam Oon-su, who was sprawled on the ground, and showed a peculiar expression, as if saying, “Oh my.”

“Oh, this guy is too weak, isn’t he?”

Bi Ryu-yeon was dumbfounded. It was too bland. The one who had taken on the honor of a faction had collapsed too easily. It was utterly pathetic. Forget about a proper counterattack, Gam Oon-su couldn’t even properly handle a single move from Bi Ryu-yeon and was miserably defeated. It was the result of recklessly challenging him, relying on the Fierce Tiger Flying Strike Sword Art that had not yet reached a state of mastery. Although he had been conceited, thinking he had completely mastered the secret sword technique to its pinnacle, the reality was different.

In the eyes of a master, it was a skill that still had a long, long way to go. That was Gam Oon-su’s true level of ability at present. However, despite the opponent who had rebelled against him being weak, the indifferent Bi Ryu-yeon, who had no intention of forgiveness, delivered a blow that left Gam Oon-su unable to even put up a semblance of resistance, taking the full brunt of the attack. Even if Blazing Blade had been the opponent, his imposing momentum would have made his legs tremble, unable to stand properly. It would have been fortunate if he didn’t wet himself or soil his pants.

1. 莊牙虎[↩]
2. 虎牙莊[↩]
3. 犬音[↩]
4. 개소리, gae-so-ri – dog’s noise[↩]
5. 絶代無用[↩]
6. 善子不來 來子不善[↩]