Nearly Dying from a Kiss

Heavenly Hand, Soul Snatcher Dang-pyeong’s first lesson on contemplating the 108 types of hidden weapons that exist in the martial arts world was an excellent class with much to learn for many students. However, unlike the other disciples who were diligently focusing their minds and absorbing the lesson, Bi Ryu-yeon found it to be an unbearably boring class that only made him yawn incessantly.

‘Why is that person teaching obvious things as if coughing up blood? Isn’t that common sense? But why is he talking about it as if it’s something unfamiliar? Moreover, there’s no need to throw iron needles just because someone yawned a bit during a story that everyone knows. If he wants to turn his opponent into a hedgehog, shouldn’t he first politely ask for their consent?’

Of course, permission would never be granted, but unlike Ok-hyeon Jinin, the incarnation of gentleness who was in charge of the Cheonja Hall, it seemed that there were many individuals with fiery tempers like hot peppers here at the Heavenly Martial Academy. The vigorous spirit of a man nearing his nineties was admirable.

‘Come to think of it, it’s been a few days since I last saw Blazing Blade.’

After entering the Heavenly Martial Academy, there had been no opportunity to encounter Blazing Blade for the past few days. Thinking of Blazing Blade, who must be secretly rejoicing at not seeing him, Bi Ryu-yeon resolved to visit him soon. To relieve the inescapable boredom, Bi Ryu-yeon decided to take a stroll and look around the Heavenly Martial Academy as a change of pace. It had already been almost a week since he arrived here, but due to the many tasks such as course registration and exploring clubs, he hadn’t had a proper tour. Although he wasn’t familiar with the layout of the buildings constructed according to the formation of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, it posed no problem for Bi Ryu-yeon, who was on a sightseeing walk. If one doesn’t know, there is the joy of discovering and finding new things.

With that intention, Bi Ryu-yeon’s steps were guided by the laws of the Eight Trigrams and Five Elements to a single location. A place he arrived at without much thought, a beautiful painting in harmony with nature, an artificial lake like a picturesque painting, beautifully maintained greenery, and harmoniously arranged stone pillars. The pavilion with an elegant atmosphere was flaunting its presence above the mirror-like shimmering water surface. The name of the pavilion was ‘Revolving Fragrance Pavilion,’ a restricted area within the academy that could only be used by those of the Five Dragon rank or higher, and new disciples were not allowed to enter. However, Bi Ryu-yeon ignored the sign that read “No Entry” and moved forward. Bi Ryu-yeon’s gaze turned towards the inside of the pavilion. It was a shift in his gaze that would draw a significant line in his destiny.

‘Bang!’

It was a shock. A shock that seemed to turn his soul white and leave it empty. How could one be so beautiful and noble, making all surrounding objects fade in comparison?The extreme beauty that rendered even the picturesque charm of the pavilion a mere object beside her. A pure beauty that outshone the stars in the night sky, a noble elegance that naturally made one lower their head and blush. 

However, Bi Ryu-yeon thought that her eyes seemed lonely enough to make even the stars in the night sky cry. An alluring figure that captivated men in an instant, graceful gestures, overflowing elegance, sanctity, nobility, grace, and purity. No words were suitable to describe her. Giving up the arrogance of trying to forcibly express something that couldn’t be put into words, Bi Ryu-yeon approached her. 

Honestly, Bi Ryu-yeon had no idea how to deal with her. He simply followed where his heart and soul led him. Dealing with women was not included in his mental plan. He, too, was inexperienced when it came to women. Well, it was only natural, considering that he had been living in seclusion in the deep mountains of Mount Emei. Bi Ryu-yeon’s steps crossed the stairs of the Revolving Fragrance Pavilion, and now the distance between him and her was only a few steps. 

Her gaze, as if containing the night sky, turned towards this rude man who had stepped into the Revolving Fragrance Pavilion without permission. Her eyes were too deep to read any change in emotions. She stared blankly at Bi Ryu-yeon. So, sometimes ignorance is bliss, and Bi Ryu-yeon unhesitatingly committed an act that would invite lightning. Usually, when people fall in love, they often become timid. 

On the contrary, there are cases where they rampage recklessly, but the probability of such cases is extremely rare. On average, when a man falls in love, he becomes timid in front of the woman he admires and loses his strength just by standing in front of her. So, he hesitates and misses the opportunity. And then he beats the ground and wails, but it’s already too late. However, these general rules did not apply to Bi Ryu-yeon at all. He had no hesitation or hesitancy to an absurd degree. He acted solely according to his goals and emotions. It might have been an instinctive action. 

One cannot blame Bi Ryu-yeon for momentarily forgetting her existence due to his excessive decisiveness. Originally, when a person falls in love, it’s natural for something to go wrong, as if by agreement. Love is the greatest emotion that changes people the most. If there is no change after falling in love, it is surely a false love, and it is recommended to reconsider the relationship with the other person. Without a moment’s hesitation, Bi Ryu-yeon acted boldly and daringly. His action was truly an astonishingly unconventional and daring act. It was too sweet and blissful, he thought. With the illusion of his mind being colored in milky white, he fell into a state of ecstasy as he felt his consciousness fading. A lightning-like shudder that penetrated his entire body, a subtle and sweet fragrance that stimulated his nostrils. Bi Ryu-yeon had the audacity to illegally bring his lips to the lips of the maiden who possessed a sacred beauty like a heavenly fairy, existing like a mirage before his eyes, without asking for permission and without any qualms of conscience. His lips touched her moist, red gem-like lips. As it was his first kiss with a woman, Bi Ryu-yeon wondered why non-existent bells were ringing loudly in his head. It was the first kiss for both him and her. The sweetness and bliss passed in an instant.

“Sring!”

A silver flash appeared like a phantom between him and her and disappeared in an instant. There was a glint in her eyes. The culprit who divided the space between them with a streak of silver light was none other than the woman in front of Bi Ryu-yeon. Despite having her lips forcibly stolen by a man she had never seen before—surprisingly, there was no particular resistance—there was no significant change in her expression, as if carved from moonlight.

Without anger, shame, or embarrassment, she merely drew her sword and swung it with her unfathomable black eyes. However, the moment her sword energy, like a silver flash, cut him, Bi Ryu-yeon evaded it with a movement too small to be seen. Of course, if Bi Ryu-yeon had been a little slower in stepping back, his body would not have been spared from being split in two. The sword that was drawn without any sign was terrifying and even thrilling. It was an incredibly fast and smooth single strike. It probably carried the meaning of punishment. Although her sword energy strangely lacked killing intent, it seemed unlikely that she could guarantee his life if it had hit him directly. If Bi Ryu-yeon had been standing still like a statue, intoxicated by the magical sweetness, he would have suffered a great misfortune. However, he couldn’t completely avoid her sharp sword energy, and his front lapel was cut, revealing his bare skin. Bi Ryu-yeon smiled and said to her as she sat like a sculpture,

“You made a mistake. If you wanted to cut my bones, you should have swung deeper. It was a bit shallow this time.”

In her eyes, which were like the morning dew collected from a million drops, a ripple-like glint appeared. Bi Ryu-yeon was unaware that even such a small change in emotion was a very unusual and surprising reaction for her. Her beauty, as if freshly molded by mixing the morning dew with purity, was beyond description. Eyes like gemstones. Her two eyes, as if containing the night sky, gave the illusion that the stars that traversed the heavens had lost their way and were dwelling in her eyes. Gazing at her was a truly blissful and enjoyable experience. How wonderful would it be to feel this way every moment of every day? Bi Ryu-yeon dreamed a simple yet grand dream. However, he had enough discernment to distinguish between reality and fantasy.

“Were you on guard?”

Her red lips parted, and a voice that resonated with his soul flowed out. The echo of a clear sound, unparalleled in its brilliance, stimulated his ears. Only then could Bi Ryu-yeon be certain that she was real and not a fantasy. Until just before she opened her mouth, Bi Ryu-yeon couldn’t be sure. However, he still felt a sense of loss, as if something was missing from her. That made Bi Ryu-yeon regretful.

“About what?”

“I’m asking if you anticipated that I would swing my sword and prepared in advance.”

She used polite language even to such a rascal. At her words, Bi Ryu-yeon shook his head gently.

“No, not at all. How could I have had the room to worry about such useless things in front of a beauty like you?”

“Then how were you able to dodge it?”

“It’s skill.”

Her eyes sank coldly again, as if freezing the starlight. Along with that, the remnants of the only emotion that had arisen in her also sank.

“I promise I won’t make a mistake next time.”

It was a cold and frigid tone that didn’t suit her goddess-like face. But Bi Ryu-yeon was not one to be daunted by that. His insensitivity and the greatest, worst shamelessness were renowned in the world. A smile still lingered on his face.

“That’s an excellent attitude. Tsk, it was a cherished outfit, but unfortunately, it got torn. But I guess it’s a cheap price to pay for a sweet and blissful first kiss. I really hate losing out.”

For the second time, there was a subtle change in her pale complexion. She didn’t open her mouth. If everyone who knew her in Heavenly Martial Academy had witnessed it, they would have been unable to contain their shock and astonishment at this incident. Of course, it could have been Bi Ryu-yeon’s delusion, but it was difficult to think that this person had correctly grasped something.

“Ah, no, that’s not it. Since I stole a kiss in exchange for stealing a heart, is the loss on this side? I’ve done a terribly losing business. This goes against my life principles… Oh my…”

Her eyes, densely filled with stars like the night sky, gazed at him intently with a mysterious glow. She was inwardly shocked. Her predictions had never gone wrong until now. Her elegant fingers, like white jade, touched her red gem-like lips.

‘How could this be?’ 

Failing to read the opponent’s next action was a first for her. Her ability to read an opponent’s actions and thoughts in an instant by comprehensively analyzing their complexion, subtle movements, hidden habits, facial expressions, eyes, voice, pitch, and more had failed for the first time. Although it was not an ability she had willingly acquired, it was the first time she had experienced failure since possessing what she called the Dragon Eyes or Divine Eyes. She literally tasted the price of failure. She couldn’t predict his actions. He was different from other people. She couldn’t feel that certain emotion she usually felt from ordinary men. Like an empty void, like a blank paper, she couldn’t feel anything, so she couldn’t predict his next move. If she could have predicted his extremely rude act of theft just now, she wouldn’t have left it unchecked. And she wouldn’t have been caught off guard so absurdly. Yet, this inconsiderate and wicked thief had rendered her predictions useless and stolen her lips. He had stolen an intangible meaning that could never be reclaimed.

“You rude bastard, die.”

When Bi Ryu-yeon maintained a long silence with her, the grass suddenly rustled five feet away. And like lightning, a figure leaped out with a murderous aura and swung his sword at Bi Ryu-yeon without warning. It was not a reckless move. Although intense anger was felt, the sword was not disrupted by that anger. Bi Ryu-yeon had no desire to accept death as his eternal companion as the price for stealing the noble maiden’s first kiss, so he utilized his capabilities to evade the sword energy. As Bi Ryu-yeon lightly twisted his body to the side, the sword of the man who had charged like a mad boar slipped past his body. Looking at the face of the figure who had nullified his first strike and was catching his breath, he was a decent-looking fellow. By the judgment of the ignorant masses, he was the owner of a face that could be rated as a peerless handsome man.

“To think you dared to steal her lips with those filthy and vulgar lips, you deserve to be cursed. Apologize for that sin with your death.”

Anger that seemed to burn his soul was blazing in his pupils. Bi Ryu-yeon couldn’t understand why that guy was so agitated.

“Isn’t it too much to make a fuss over a single kiss?”

“What did you say? You rude bastard.”

Once again, anger erupted like an active volcano in the eyes of the young man standing in front of him. The name of the young man in blue silk martial arts attire, wielding an ornate sword with white tassels, was Wi Ji-cheon, the Whirlwind Sword Dragon. He was a prodigy of the Qingcheng Sect and a promising talent who shouldered the future of the sect on his own. The Seven Sword Dragons engraved on his chest and the symbol of the Nine Heavenly Dragons embroidered on his sleeves testified to his skills. Why would someone of such caliber be hovering around a woman? As if guarding her?

“Tsk, tsk, it’s not a good habit to oppress others just because someone else has what you want. How is that different from a child who cries and throws a tantrum after having a toy snatched away? If you’re envious, just honestly say you’re envious. Don’t stand there like a scarecrow and then rampage like a madman.”

Bi Ryu-yeon continued to provoke Wi Ji-cheon. Every provocation elicited a reaction, and he was enjoying it.

“Shut up. I’m content with just looking at her from a distance. I’m satisfied just by existing beside her, breathing the same air around her. But you defiled our sacred idol, whom we all gazed upon and cherished only in our hearts, with those filthy lips. I will definitely chop off those dirty lips and tongue of yours and make them into raw fish.”

It was an excellent example of showing what it means to be unable to control one’s emotions. It was a sincere threat accompanied by a terrifying murderous intent, but it was hardly enough to make Bi Ryu-yeon’s eyebrows twitch.

“Oh, I haven’t used my tongue yet. Don’t talk about raw tongue. Unfortunately, it was just a kiss with the lips. I have manners and decency, so I don’t rush things from the start.”

What kind of person with manners and decency would thoughtlessly put their lips on a woman they met for the first time? It’s an absurd story.

“Shut up, shut up, shut up. Don’t move those filthy lips anymore and defile her.”

“I have no memory of insulting her. Don’t kill a living person with the heretical art of delusion and misunderstanding.”

“Shut up. Those who insult her must pay the price.”

“The price? Isn’t this torn single layer of clothing enough? It was quite a tough and durable outfit…”

Bi Ryu-yeon held up his cut lapel and waved it around. The peerless handsome man’s anger flared up. He had no intention of forgiving a bastard who uttered such nonsense, whether sincere or not.

“Unless your body is split in two, it’s not even worth half a penny.”

“Oh my, oh my, such a sad story… Then her hands would have been stained with blood. That’s too tragic, isn’t it?”

The woman, who had been silently listening to their conversation with an indifferent face, showed a slight unexpected light on her face.

“Hmph, your words sound like you dodged it unwillingly just to avoid staining her hands with blood. Not because your measly life was precious.”

Who knows whose life is cheap?

“Well, it’s not impossible.”

Bi Ryu-yeon, who was certain that his life was not currently on a half-price sale, retorted. His life was still being traded at full price under a solid credit guarantee. He had no desire to negotiate with an ill-mannered customer blinded by anger. It was a foolish deal where he wouldn’t even receive half the proper value.

“Someone like you is not worth dealing with anymore. Continuing to deal with you will only dirty my mouth.”

Wi Ji-cheon spoke as if spitting out the words. Bi Ryu-yeon found it unpleasant that his opponent was tirelessly pouring out all sorts of malice and murderous intent towards him.

“I’m not a bird. So, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t treat me like a sparrow flying into a ripe autumn field. Scarecrow senior!”

“Kuaaaa. No more words, just die.”

Once again, Wi Ji-cheon’s sword was scattered towards Bi Ryu-yeon’s vital points all over his body. Wi Ji-cheon’s skills were unexpectedly sharp and keen, like a well-tempered sword. For a guy chasing after a woman’s backside—from Bi Ryu-yeon’s perspective—he was a considerable, no, an incredibly high-level master.

“Whirlwind Sword Technique”

Fierce sword energy poured in from all directions towards Bi Ryu-yeon. The bluish sword energy and the fierce angles targeting his vital points revealed that he was not an easy opponent to deal with. However, Bi Ryu-yeon dodged his sword techniques as if it was natural, lightly and deftly.

“You have some skills, don’t you?”

The man in white sneered and scattered sword energy again in succession. He now absolutely believed that his attack would succeed in ending the ruffian’s life in an instant. Considering his usual confidence and skills, he judged that his abilities were not so poor that he couldn’t handle a freshly-admitted greenhorn. He thought he had more than enough skill to handle a mere greenhorn.

“If it was so unfair, why didn’t you challenge her first? She’s not a mirage that you can only look at from afar without approaching.”

But to Wi Ji-cheon, she was a dream, a mirage, and also a goddess. She was a sacred sanctuary that he dared not touch.

“How do you know my heart? A bastard like you.”

Wi Ji-cheon spat out his resentment at Bi Ryu-yeon’s mockery and recklessly scattered his sword energy. However, Bi Ryu-yeon dodged his sword skillfully like a loach. Among the countless shadows of the swung sword, there was not a single blade that had succeeded in grazing his clothes.

“Haven’t you heard the saying that beauties belong only to the brave since ancient times? It’s an unchanging truth passed down from long ago.”

“Huff, huff, huff”

Wi Ji-cheon began to tire himself out. As a result, his destructive sword energy, which had been as fierce as it could be, gradually subsided.

“Why don’t you give up now? Don’t you think any further struggling is meaningless at this point?”

“Not yet, not yet, it’s not over. I will never forgive you. Never.”

Suddenly, the man’s eyes became serious, and he took a deep breath, adjusted his posture, and directed his sword toward Bi Ryu-yeon. And a fantastic, white shadow rising from the entire sword. Bi Ryu-yeon knew very well what it was.

‘Sword Force!’ It hadn’t yet taken a definite form, rising like a phantom, but it was clearly a Sword Force. The murderous intent of the Whirlwind Sword Dragon Wi Ji-cheon had finally evolved into a desire to kill. He never wanted to end it halfway. It seemed that men blinded by love always converged into one type.

“Fool.”

Bi Ryu-yeon made a fair assessment, but even that mockery was not heard by Wi Ji-cheon in his current state.

“Heavenly Circle Triple Slash”

At the same time, the man’s sword vibrated and drew out dozens of powerful energy. Of course, the target of the energy was only one: Bi Ryu-yeon’s fatal death. The fight between the two could be said to be inevitable. The confrontation between the top prodigy of the Qingcheng Sect, who was currently in his prime at the Heavenly Martial Academy, and Bi Ryu-yeon, a greenhorn whose roots were unknown to him. The Whirlwind Sword Dragon Wi Ji-cheon, one of the Nine Heavenly Dragons and the self-appointed captain of her bodyguards, could not leave the vicious and vulgar filth that defiled his noble goddess in this world. The price for touching his goddess was only one: absolute death. Wi Ji-cheon had no intention of compromising on this all-too-obvious outcome. Of course, putting aside the assumption that the opponent would agree to this decision, if he refused, Wi Ji-cheon was more than willing to enforce it. He had the skills and confidence to do so. Until today, Wi Ji-cheon had not been able to properly approach the noble radiance surrounding her and could only watch over her from the sidelines. He had no intention of sparing the first intruder who had invaded the sanctuary. The sin of Bi Ryu-yeon, who had trampled on his sanctuary with muddy feet, was worthy of being torn limb from limb. The symbol that officially proved his skills was the Seven Sword Dragons pattern embroidered on his chest. In this Heavenly Martial Academy, there were only a hundred people who received the Seven Sword Dragons, but Bi Ryu-yeon neither knew nor cared about that.

The ‘Heavenly Circle Triple Slash’ was a rising technique that could scatter sword force three times in a row. There were hardly any people of his age who could scatter sword force three times consecutively. That’s how outstanding his skills were. Even in front of the scattered sword force flying towards him, Bi Ryu-yeon did not waver. Just before dozens of sword forces with numerous variations were about to tear his body to shreds, his body blurred, and his figure appeared to be overlapped three times. The Phoenix Dance’s secret technique, Triple Shadow. It was the pinnacle of the Triple Shadow, a realm of illusion where the afterimages caused by the practitioner’s high-speed movement appeared to be overlapped three times. The first slash of the extremely sharp Heavenly Circle Triple Slash cut through Bi Ryu-yeon’s body. However, Wi Ji-cheon did not feel the sensation of flesh being torn and bones being severed in his hand. It was a false image. The second sword force of the second slash, boasting explosive power, erupted on Bi Ryu-yeon’s body. But it was another futile effort. Despite its explosive power, the second slash only gave him a sense of emptiness like a piece of rock falling on a cliff. For the third and final time, he gathered all the true energy in his body and unleashed the ultimate technique of the third slash. Praying that it would succeed this time, the Eight Swords Sword Force of the third slash formed a bundle and assaulted Bi Ryu-yeon’s body. This time, even Wi Ji-cheon firmly believed in the success of his attack, but the momentary joy was short-lived, and soon his belief crumbled like a sand castle swept away by waves, leaving no trace. 

All three forms were intangible illusions. One of the three was not real. He was in the midst of consuming a tremendous amount of energy and gasping for breath towards useless illusions. He ended up wasting precious true energy and stamina. Bi Ryu-yeon looked at him, who was exhausted from the enormous consumption of internal energy, with a relaxed gaze. An attack that fails to hit the target is useless, no matter how powerful it may be. Bi Ryu-yeon’s figure appeared like a lie three feet away from the Whirlwind Sword Dragon Wi Ji-cheon. Although his Lightning Spirit Hand was a martial art that could boast of being second to none in terms of toughness, he was not reckless enough to confront sword force with his bare hands.

A strange light flowed in his eyes. Bi Ryu-yeon’s right hand trembled slightly, and a fantastic shadow of silver light extended from his sleeve. It was the first time he had unleashed the ultimate technique of the Flying Lightning Knife since entering the Heavenly Martial Academy. The Whirlwind Lightning Slash, a chapter of the Flying Lightning Knife’s Sword Energy Revolving Dragon Fist. A silver flash like a meteor’s tail flew like a ray of light, riding the whirlwind and entangling Wi Ji-cheon’s right hand. Wi Ji-cheon had to absurdly give up his right hand, which was like a swordsman’s life, in an unguarded state. The match was decided with a single blow. The blood-soaked sleeve was torn, and blood droplets scattered in the air. From the beginning, the target of the Silver Flash Remnant Beauty was not Wi Ji-cheon’s life but his right hand and the sword grasped in it. With the impact of the Whirlwind Lightning Slash, Wi Ji-cheon made his sword roll on the ground for the first time since his debut in the martial arts world. That’s how powerful the force contained in that single streak of silver light was.

“I left your wrist intact. You’ll need to hold a sword again.”

Looking at Wi Ji-cheon, who was grasping his right arm with countless blood lines and staring at him blankly, Bi Ryu-yeon spoke in a calm voice. This could be considered a satisfactory result, albeit a little unsatisfying.

“Let’s stop here for today. See you next time.”

Bi Ryu-yeon, who had now completely lost interest in Wi Ji-cheon, winked and smiled at her, who was watching them from the Revolving Fragrance Pavilion. However, there was still no change in emotion to be found on her face. As the outside of the Revolving Fragrance Pavilion became noisy and there were signs of people gathering, Bi Ryu-yeon quickly utilized the divine skill of the Phoenix Dance to swiftly hide his body. In matters like this, Bi Ryu-yeon was fast enough to be second to none. He had no desire to get involved in a ridiculous situation by staying there. When people arrived at the Revolving Fragrance Pavilion, drawn by the sudden light of sword force, Bi Ryu-yeon’s traces were already nowhere to be found within a radius of 100 feet of the pavilion. They could only witness Wi Ji-cheon, who was holding his right arm stained with fresh blood and letting out a wail of lamentation. It was a rare spectacle worth leaving their work to see. People who had never dreamed of witnessing such a miserable sight of Wi Ji-cheon, one of the Nine Heavenly Dragons and a member of the Three Musketeers of the Martial Arts World, competed with each other to ask for the reason, but Wi Ji-cheon exercised his right to remain silent, keeping his mouth firmly shut. One fortunate yet desperately unfortunate thing was that the only witness to his disgrace this time, she, kept her red jade-like lips tightly closed and did not utter a single word. What was even more miserable and unfortunate was that the only witness to his pathetic disgrace this time was none other than her. Wi Ji-cheon was so ashamed that he wanted to die. Bi Ryu-yeon, who had flawlessly escaped from the rushing people and resumed his stroll around the Celestial Palace as if nothing had happened, finally realized a critical mistake he had made. It was a belated enlightenment.

“Ah, damn it, I didn’t even ask for her name. How could I make such a basic mistake?”

Bi Ryu-yeon vowed to exchange names the next time they met. The gently blowing mountain breeze was nothing but peaceful.