"Master, Master."
A clear, delicate voice gently vibrated through the dense forest. However, no matter how much she called, there was no response. The forest behind the training center was so thick with trees that all light was obscured by the deep green foliage. Only faint light sneaking through the leaves managed to penetrate the small gaps. Moreover, as evening approached, the forest grew darker. At that moment, Jin Ryeong felt someone's presence behind her frail back.
"Who… Master?"
The presence that heard Jin Ryeong's voice seemed to flinch for a moment before responding. However, the voice that answered was entirely unexpected for Jin Ryeong.
"Jin, Miss Jin?"
The voice of the figure trembled noticeably. It sounded like someone trying desperately to calm their wildly beating heart.
"Who… Oh my, Lord Namgoong?"
Jin Ryeong, finally recognizing the owner of the voice, exclaimed in surprise. She hadn't imagined encountering him in such an unexpected place at such an unexpected time.
"Jin, Miss Jin. What brings you here? In such a remote place, what business could someone like Miss Jin have…"
Namgoong Sang approached Jin Ryeong and asked her cautiously, his words lacking coherence due to nervousness. Indeed, Namgoong Sang was struggling to breathe, his heart pounding as if it would explode any moment, barely managing to contain the feeling as if he was on the brink of a heart attack. Unaware of his turmoil or perhaps adding to it, Jin Ryeong's sweet voice increased his heart rate even more.
"I am here because Master called me to…"
"Ah, I, I also came because Master called me. But, I can't seem to find him anywhere. He said he had something very important to discuss."
"I received a letter with the same message. He could have just told me directly… It's strange that Master sent a letter to Lord Namgoong as well. I can't fathom his intentions."
"Who can ever fathom Master's intentions?"
"True, that's right."
Her faint smile was like fuel to the already dangerous fire in Namgoong Sang's heart.
While they were wrapped in doubt and contemplation, suddenly a rustling sound came from behind them. Then, an intense murderous aura enveloped them. The needle-like intensity of the aura prickled their nerves. Namgoong Sang felt his heart, which had been on the brink of exploding, return to normal in an instant. This saved his life, but a foreboding thought crossed his mind that they might be in another life-threatening situation. Namgoong Sang and Jin Ryeong turned around to identify the source of the aura. In this fog of murderous intent, turning around was a dangerously unmatched act, but they had no other choice. And there it was.
Qi Hu Zhi Shi (騎虎之勢: This term does not mean being in front of a tiger in a dangerous situation. Originally, it refers to riding on the back of a tiger. But riding on the back of a ferocious tiger implies an extremely perilous situation. One cannot simply get off, and to do so means becoming the tiger's lunch… A similar expression is Qi Hao Zhi Shi (騎號之勢), which means 'an uncontrollable momentum,' so be careful with its usage)! In front of the two appeared a massive, pure white being that could be called the king of beasts.
[TL/N: A play on the idioms here.]
Its gigantic and sharp claws seemed capable of tearing apart any creature, its eyes, cold as emerald jade, radiated a presence that dominated those it deemed inferior. Its enormous body cast a wide shadow over the land, and the White Tiger appeared to be at least one and a half zhang long.
The White Tiger exuded a stark, white murderous aura, dominating everything in front of it with a hunter's gaze upon spotting its prey. The two were inevitably tense. Moreover, the King of Beasts seemed to be in a considerable appetite, intensifying their anxiety.
'Seriously? An unexpected guest showing up? This totally throws a wrench in my plan, the one I busted my brain over all night.You, ruin my plan, will you? You'll pay for this. The time, money, mental and physical fatigue spent – all going down the drain in a flash. This feline brat cannot be forgiven.'
Faced with this unexpected turn of events, Bi Ryu-yeon found himself in a dilemma. The sudden overuse of his brain screamed in protest. However, he quickly reached a conclusion. Even if he fretted over it, there was no clear solution, so he decided to set aside the second part of his plan and quietly observe how the first part unfolds.
Indeed, he was the rising star of the martial world, the Kirin Child of Heavenly Martial, the rising sun. Surely, he wouldn't die, he thought. For now, he decided to trust Namgoong Sang's capabilities.
But this was no ordinary opponent. The beast before them was a genuine White Tiger, at least two to three times larger than a typical one. Its body length was about one and a half zhang, and its standing height nearly half a zhang, so massive that it could look one in the eye. Its size alone seemed to prove that it was of a different caliber.
Suddenly, the White Tiger, as if having made a decision, leaped into action.
"Kuooong!"
The phrase 'flying tiger' must have been coined for situations like this. The attack was so fitting for the description – so much like a flying tiger. Even a bird could not have closed the distance between them so quickly.
"Dangerous!"
With an unremarkable shout, Namgoong Sang threw himself at Jin Ryeong. Of course, this was not because Namgoong Sang had suddenly developed a predatory appetite towards Jin Ryeong. Nor was it a calculated move to seize the moment for some ulterior motive.
In that instant, Namgoong Sang's only thought was survival. Under normal circumstances, he would have easily dodged the attack. After all, he was the third son of the prestigious Namgoong family of the martial world and one of the chosen Nine Dragons, recognized as a prodigy even in the renowned Heavenly Martial Academy. Even if the tiger was the king of the mountains, it was still an animal, and he was not so inept that he couldn't handle a mere beast.
However, there was an unexpected factor at play. Their bodies were not in their usual state. As they tried to swiftly move away from the White Tiger, both momentarily faltered. They couldn't maneuver their bodies freely. The enormous weight of the dark-colored bracelets, like cursed shackles, bound their ankles and wrists, rendering them as immobile as wooden statues. Unlike usual, both had not yet adapted to the weight of these dark-colored bracelets. Furthermore, Jin Ryeong, being a woman, naturally had less physical strength than a man. Though maneuvering the dark-colored bracelets was not solely dependent on physical strength, in a situation where her strength was less than a man's, she was at a disadvantage.
A wind carrying a murderous aura whisked past Namgoong Sang's ear. The gust left a scratch on his cheek, starting a physiological reaction of bleeding. His back was drenched in cold sweat, and an unknown chill raced over it.
Puzzled by the failure of its first attack, the White Tiger magnificently landed on the ground and instantly changed direction, pouncing towards the two with the speed of a lightning bolt. The seamless transition from landing to the lightning-fast leap would have been impossible to evade for an ordinary person. But Namgoong Sang, even with physical limitations, was no ordinary man, and more importantly, he was not about to let himself and his beloved Jin Ryeong be effortlessly defeated.
With a split-second decision, Namgoong Sang tackled Jin Ryeong to the ground, pressing her against the earth. At that moment, a chilling sensation along with a thunderous impact struck his body. He felt a fiery pain as the White Tiger's claws grazed his back. Blood began to pour from the four claw marks. Fortunately, the wounds were not life-threatening, but if he had been even slightly higher off the ground or had ducked a moment later, Namgoong Sang would have been crossing the threshold to the afterlife by now.
Despite the throbbing pain, Namgoong Sang clenched his teeth. He couldn't show weakness to Jin Ryeong while pinning her down.
'Pinning down…?'
In that moment, Namgoong Sang suddenly realized the situation he had created. The face of Jin Ryeong, whom he had long cherished, flushed a crimson hue, was right in front of his nose. Her warm breath tickled the tip of his nose, delivering a suffocating shock throughout his body. He almost thought he would die from a heart attack without even fighting the White Tiger, a testament to his embarrassment and the awkwardness of the situation.
In the current scenario, the delicate beauty Jin Ryeong was helplessly pinned down under the clumsy and timid swordsman Namgoong Sang. Namgoong Sang seemed to be pressing down on her limbs in a dangerously close position. Their faces were so close they could almost touch.
At this moment, the imminent threat of the White Tiger growling behind them seemed irrelevant. All Namgoong Sang could feel was an inexplicable warmth and the softness through his chest, along with Jin Ryeong's hot breath fluttering his eyebrows. Perhaps this dreamlike moment is what they refer to in stories.
Jin Ryeong's cheeks were flushed crimson, but Namgoong Sang, far from considering the gentlemanly duty to move away, didn't entertain such thoughts. His mind was a blank slate. He rationalized that he had to embrace and protect the delicate and noble Jin Ryeong from the White Tiger, thinking he must continue to hold her as long as the beast was present. This wasn't because he was enchanted by the unusual fragrance seeping into his nose from Jin Ryeong or the warm and soft sensation against his chest.
The sword was Namgoong Sang's first love. At the age of three, the cold blue chill and aura of the sword he saw had deeply imprinted itself in young Namgoong Sang's mind, never to be forgotten. When he was allowed to formally learn swordplay at the age of five and received his sword, he was overjoyed. With his first love in hand, he tirelessly practiced martial arts.
By the age of ten, his talents began to stand out, attracting the focused attention and sword lessons from the elders in his clan. He then effortlessly passed the entrance exam of the prestigious Heavenly Martial Academy, earning the admiration of the adults around him. Following the footsteps of his seven years older brother, Namgoong Jin, and three years older brother, Namgoong Woo, it was a triumphant moment for the three brothers. And in his first year at Heavenly Martial Academy, he outperformed his peers, earning the title of being one of the Nine Dragons Seven Phoenixes. His life, up to this point, had been almost without hindrance.
At that moment, another sword appeared before Namgoong Sang. It was a sword he could not grasp in his hand but desperately wished to. This sword seemed too lovely and sacred to be easily obtained. It was more beautiful, warm, and noble, enchanting people with its charm. This sword was sharper and far more dangerous than the one he held at the age of five. The most terrifying aspect of this sword was its ability to inflict wounds deep within his heart. Once again, a sword was absorbing all of him. This sword's name was Jin Ryeong.
"Look at that, will you? What a scene! Huh, it's not even funny. Have you ever seen such a wolf in sheep's clothing? Pretending to be a true gentleman, but turns out to be no better than others. Turns out he's been raising dozens of wolves along with snakes."
Bi Ryu-yeon quickly assessed the situation and made an immediate decision. He could no longer stand to watch such an eyesore. What then, must he do to resolve this situation? Bi Ryu-yeon set a rational and effective course of action and immediately put it into practice with remarkable decisiveness.
Deciding that he had seen enough, Bi Ryu-yeon leaped down from the tree. The spot where he landed was where the third son of the Namgoong family, Namgoong Sang, and Jin Ryeong, the direct disciple of the Emei Sect, one of the four major sects of the Nine Great Martial Sects known as pillars of Murim, were embracing each other, lying on the ground.
Before them, a White Tiger, metaphorically as big as a house, was readying its meal with its jaw wide open. In an instant, a silver flash shot from Bi Ryu-yeon's right sleeve, soaring straight into the gaping maw of the White Tiger. A momentary flash of light, a brief silence, then a roar!
"Kuooong!"
And then, a death.
***
'Is it over?' Namgoong Sang and Jin Ryeong must have thought. With just one terrifying roar that shook the mountain, the White Tiger slowly laid its massive body down on the ground. The king of beasts, once the fear of all, was now destined to become a luxurious rug in a wealthy household or an expensive wall hanging, a moment where fate intersected with another fate. It was also the moment they escaped the fate of becoming a beast's meal.
"Hey, get up, get up."
Bi Ryu-yeon kicked at the buttocks of Namgoong Sang, who was still tightly embracing Jin Ryeong.
"Who… Argh!"
Namgoong Sang, still bewildered at the crossroads of heaven and hell, startled and jumped up abruptly.
"Ah, so, this is…"
Namgoong Sang, with a face as red as the midsummer sun, fumbled for an excuse. The persistent blush on his face suggested he hadn't yet come up with a satisfactory explanation. Jin Ryeong's face was equally red. It would have been strange otherwise. Overwhelmed with embarrassment, her face flushed crimson, she managed to speak to Namgoong Sang.
"Thank you for saving me, Lord Namgoong."
"Oh, don't mention it… It's natural to do so for Miss Jin. My life is nothing if it's for Miss Jin."
"Natural? What natural thing? Are you talking about crushing her against the ground and rolling around, or pressing down on her from above? I really don't understand what you mean by 'natural.'"
"Master!"
Both of them, with faces about to burst from redness, cried out in unison.
"Ryeong, it seems you're not quite grasping the current situation. The one who saved your precious 18-year-old life, as beautiful as a flower, was not the always pitiful and sulking Namgoong Sang, who held you so tightly and rolled on the ground. It was your dashing master here. Make sure you don't overlook the truth due to a momentary mistake."
Bi Ryu-yeon had forgotten the original purpose of why he called the two of them.
"Ah, yes. Thank you for saving me, Master."
Realizing the situation, Jin Ryeong quickly bowed her head in gratitude.
"Hehehe, good, that's how it should be. Yes, indeed."
"Thank you for saving me, Master."
Namgoong Sang also pressed his hands together in a bow, expressing his gratitude.
"Hmm, alright, enough. No need for thanks… But, Namgoong Sang!"
Bi Ryu-yeon waved his hand dismissively and spoke with a slightly mocking tone. His eyes shifted ominously towards Namgoong Sang.
"You must have enjoyed yourself today. But looking at your face, you seem unsatisfied. Don't be too eager, though. There will be more opportunities in the future. Catching those moments is what makes a man, right? Hahaha!"
"Ma, Master!"
Namgoong Sang, utterly shocked, yelled out with a face flushed red. Jin Ryeong, too embarrassed, kept her head low and blushed profusely, not knowing what to do.
"Hahaha, well then…"
Bi Ryu-yeon, who had started this with the intention of bringing the two together, had completely forgotten his original purpose and ended up causing more trouble. He leaped up with a simple farewell and disappeared into the forest. Only the sound of his laughter, growing fainter, lingered in the ears of the two.