V.2 - Chapter 3: Currently Harboring Sinister Plans

Contemplation refers to all mental activities of chasing after and delving deeply into the principles of objects. 

Recently, Bi Ryu-yeon has been spending more and more time lost in contemplation. What exactly he is pondering so hard about is something even those around him cannot figure out. So while they felt uneasy about it, since no one stepped up to interfere, Bi Ryu-yeon was able to remain deeply submerged in the lake named thought. 

Lately, there has only been one thought dominating Bi Ryu-yeon's mind. That he feels bored, dull, and tired without any disciples. No disciples to cook meals, take care of chores, earn money, assist him, he regrets the lack thereof. The more so, the 16 disciples he sent away recently are dearly missed. When they were together, Bi Ryu-yeon was able to lead a very comfortable and cozy life. In turn, they would cook, work, clean, do laundry, and even earn money…how convenient had he been living. 

His comfortable and laidback lifestyle was all thanks to the 16 disciples. That's why the ultimate premise occupying his thoughts now is one thing – 'I need to find a decent disciple somewhere!' Recently, Bi Ryu-yeon has been struggling with how and with what method to find such disciples. However, there was one fact especially piquing his displeasure, throwing a rock named irritation into the serene depths of the lake of thought, creating rough waves on its once calm surface. These 'vexing' waves were drawing him from within the lake of contemplation to the shore of reality. 

What was significantly disrupting his temper and bringing about immense irritation was the uncivilized look and fierce stare directed at him from the opposite side – it turns out to be Jang Woo-kang, the external son of Jang Woo-yang, the leader of the Central Armed Escort Agency, supposedly 26 years old this year and truly living up to the 'bastard' name. Of course, proper language has been employed here, but in fact he is a 'fuc*king bastard.'

Wait a minute!

People often make mistakes in cursing when they are furious. Foul language should not be used carelessly. Among the most commonly used curses is 'fu*king bastard (십팔놈, sipal-nom)'. But linguistically, this does not appear as 'eighteen-bastard' '십팔(十八)놈' but rather with strong emphasis as 'fu*king-bastard' (씹팔놈, ssipal-nom). However, this is an incorrect usage that ought to be corrected. How does one judge something non-existent like 'c_nt' '씹(삐-)'? 'C_nt' is a euphemism and vulgar term for the secretive female genitalia, present on women but not on men. 

For men, the term 'fu*king-bastard' '씨팔놈' should be used instead. Here, '씨, ssi' meaning 'seed' (derived from 씨앗' (ssi-at)) is an abbreviation for sperm, one of the two elements for impregnation, while '팔, pal' (derived from 팔다, palda) carries the meaning of sell or trade. Hence 'fu*king-bastard' (씨팔놈) refers to someone who sells his seeds like a stud horse, or a male prostitute, an extremely vulgar term. 'Fu*king-b*tch (씹팔년, ssipal-nyeon) literally means a slut who sells her 'c_nt' '씹(삐-)', an awful term for women engaged in selling their bodies for money, namely prostitutes. Note that 'seed-recipient' (or mother-f*cker) '씨받이, ssibalkki' does not apply here so be careful not to confuse the two. 

Therefore, the correct usage of this vulgarity is 'fu*king-bastard' '씨팔놈' when cursing men and 'fu*king-b*tch' '씹팔년' when cursing women. There is no language in this world, be they curses, euphemisms or vulgarities, that can be used recklessly. Let this be a lesson. Of course, any man who dares use the insulting term '삡팔년, ppibal-nyeon' on a woman can be rightfully called a true 'fu*king bastard, ' '씹팔놈'.

In any case, whether it was bad first impressions or something else that displeased him, that f*cking bastard Jang Woo-kang had been glaring fiercely at him throughout their encounter. Eyes filled to the brim with malice and hostility gazing at him as if an 'enemy', gratingly scraping at his already complicated nerves. How could he not feel irritated?

He did entertain thoughts of giving him a beating or groping him like others. However, he endured and suppressed those urges for now. As someone who prides himself (?) on having fur but a conscience, Bi Ryu-yeon found this kind of thing rather distasteful. Thus, on occasion he would practice restraint, something he doesn't normally do, as a way of polishing his ethics. However, 'on occasion' was precisely just that, a momentary one time thing.

At first, given their situation of benefiting from and making use of the Central Armed Escort Agency, he thought 'should I just endure it?'. However, Bi Ryu-yeon's heart was not so broad as to truly forgive. Holding steadfastly to the creed "Small-chested women may be forgiven but thick-waisted women cannot be", that is how Bi Ryu-yeon acted all along. Ah no, the earlier example was incorrect; let me rephrase – following the belief that "tolerating the barber shaving one's beard is acceptable but things displeasing to one's eyes cannot be tolerated", that was how Bi Ryu-yeon always behaved. That said, openly chastising the other party would also depend on bystanders' gaze and opinion, making him hesitate slightly. To put it nicely he didn't want to offend others, but to bluntly state the truth, wasn't it he, himself who was benefiting and making use of the other party?

So what he has been pondering now, aside from 'urgently recruiting disciples', is how to give that bastard a beatdown or rebuke, such that people will praise "well done!". It was rather profound and complex contemplation. However, as the saying goes, "Heaven helps those who help themselves", situations would unfold over the next few days proving this adage absolutely true. 

After days of mulling, Bi Ryu-yeon conceived some very clever and outstanding methods – although this idea on proving the veracity of that old adage was only Bi Ryu-yeon's personal opinion, not agreed upon by others. The operations plan he devised was named "Two Rabbits!". Even after reviewing it again, he was very satisfied with this scheme. Now all that was left was selecting appropriate tactics based on the circumstances, inputting relevant variables, then applying to the situation accordingly. With that, everything would be set. What was truly fearsome about Bi Ryu-yeon was thinking up schemes, which ought to be called schemes rather than plots, in plural rather than singular. The difference between schemes and plots is that schemes connote great craft and stratagem combined with machinations, carrying implications of machinations.

Rather than devising just one approach, hypothesizing various situations and corresponding variables to consider multiple possibilities – that was precisely the meticulous, deliberate nature of Bi Ryu-yeon's thinking. If the circumstances needed to execute a certain plan cannot be established, what will you do? Swallow silent indignation and give up? Surely that cannot be. Having tasteless, pathetic hobbies like swallowing insults depending on success or failure of painstakingly crafted schemes was unfathomable for Bi Ryu-yeon. His plans could only and absolutely allow for success; exceptions were unacceptable. That's why assuming different scenarios and mapping each to relevant variable factors, in order to prepare matching contingency operations – that was his approach.

Because even if one approach goes wrong, there are other alternatives to choose and apply based on the situation. An outstanding strategist must prepare countermeasures for various scenarios. Only by devising schemes matching the number of possibilities that could arise can one be called an excellent strategist. Of course, minimizing and controlling the number of potential outcomes itself could be said to be the true mark of a masterful tactician. In this regard, it was no accident people used to call Bi Ryu-yeon a 'scourge of nature'. There were reasons and basis behind that.

"Kukukuku…." 

With a delighted smile, Bi Ryu-yeon decided to bide his time. The stage was not yet fully set as all actors had not gathered. Impatience has no place when scheming such matters. A play can only start once the cast assembles; for now what he ought to do was await the right timing, select the work to perform based on circumstances, and scout the lead actors to take on each role. In high spirits, Bi Ryu-yeon lay flat on his back gazing at the azure sky, heedless of the irksome stare pricking his nape. As he watched the endless blue expanse, it felt like a clogged place had burst open refreshingly with a pop. The vault of heaven looked clear and pristine, infinitely high.

Gazing at the sky, he melted into the leisurely, tranquil mood evoked by those blue depths. A winter sky without a speck of cloud, having shed its dark gray coat and reclaimed its azure hue, was as beautiful as a blue bird ceaselessly soaring higher towards the limits with powerful flaps of its wings.

***

Blazing Bladesman, Flaming Soul

The convoy urged their journey on, continuously shortening the distance left to Nanchang. 

The sun was now halfway down the horizon, spilling deep red dusk and heralding the night's darkness. 

Soon it appears the curtain of night will descend upon the stage.

Before long, the black silk descended and darkness arrived.

The fallen black silk demanded they take their rest.

Before humans gathered the courage to defy nature's immense power, they could but obediently heed her words, even more so for those leading a large assembly. Today's destination was the town of Zhuzhou, located on the outskirts of Hunan Province. A thriving mid-sized city adjacent to Dongting Lake, just south of the metropolitan Changsha. Traveling a bit further would reach the borders of Jiangxi Province where Nanchang lied. Zhuzhou was a town situated near the boundaries between Hunan and Jiangxi Provinces.

"Whoa whoa, halt everyone. We'll rest here tonight." 

Jang Woo-yang reined his horse to stop in front of an inn, announcing to all. The inn's name was Flower Cloud Pavilion. A rather large-scale lodging establishment providing both food and accommodation. Seeing a crowd stop in front, a petite youth looking about 15 years old standing guard by the door scurried inside to deliver a message. Shortly after, a man emerged hastily. Dressed in an intricate patterned azure silk robe that befitted his portly figure and double chin, he appeared to be in his late forties. His attire and countenance, some may call it bias, truly matched that of an innkeeper. He looked to be the proprietor of this Flower Cloud Pavilion. 

"Ah, Agency Leader Jang, welcome! Such a rare visit indeed." 

"It's been a while, Master Na." 

"Yes, of course. We received the Central Armed Escort Agency's correspondence well. Accommodations and meals for 60 people have been prepared accordingly. And Warehouse No. 2 has also been fully cleared." 

Replied Master Na, owner of Flower Cloud Pavilion. Then with a wide grin he added, 

"We've had a high influx of guests today at our humble inn. I've had to turn some away in order to save those 60 seats."

"Thank you."

Jang Woo-yang nodded in satisfaction. Naturally, there would be routes and towns an escort agency frequently passes through when transporting agency cargos. Since this was a rest stop, regular inns existed as well. They would designate an inn in a certain town as their regular, establish mutual contracts, then unpack and rest there whenever visiting said town. That allowed not only much better treatment but also much lower rates for using the inn. Given the sizable personnel traveling together in the escort agency's convoy, their regular inn's scale tended to be substantial as a matter of course. 

In a thriving city, accommodating over 60 people for meals and lodging all at once was no easy feat. Rooms could be fully occupied or lacking in the inns. Moreover, even if there was a room shortage, they could not simply split up the party for meals and rests either. Dispersing personnel implied weaker defenses, which in turn heightened risks to the agency cargo. Hence contracting and transacting with a specific inn was necessary. This Flower Cloud Pavilion was one such establishment. 

Naturally, since innkeepers aren't omniscient deities, when exactly guests may arrive is unknown. Therefore, contacts and liaisons were embedded or intelligence agents utilized in such busy cities to send word and make appointments in advance. In exceptionally sophisticated escort agencies, mutual telegraph offices were even allegedly used for this purpose. The Central Armed Escort Agency still relayed messages via advance teams or embedded contacts. 

"Good. Take the cargo into Warehouse No.2! Other than the 3 sentries rotating on duty, everyone else head to the dining hall for dinner and rest!" 

"Yes!" 

The escort agency members responded resoundingly, completely unaware that their screaming responses were perceived as a disturbance in the town center. At Agency Leader Jang's command, the escort agency's crew began hurrying about, transferring luggage into Warehouse No.2, releasing the horses into the stable to relax, and taking up guard position in the proper sequence. 

While others worked, Bi Ryu-yeon and Jang Woo-yang entered the dining hall to grab seats and anticipate the delicious evening meal. Bi Ryu-yeon still hadn't lifted a finger all day.

Evenings are when an inn should be the most active and busy, but that was not the case at the moment. The entire place was suffused with an unsettling sense of quiet. Even though there were over 100 guests in the inn, there was an unsettling silence. Everyone remained silent or spoke in barely heard whispers to indicate their intent. The taut, breath-stifling tension felt stretched to the breaking point, ready to shatter at any moment. And one person's presence ignited the entire phenomenon, ushering in silence, calm, and soundlessness during hours when an inn should have been most clamorous and vivacious. 

The second story of this inn was designed as an empty rectangular space in the center, surrounded by railings through which one could see down to the first floor. The third story of the Flower Cloud Pavilion, in particular, followed the same layout as the second. Bi Ryu-yeon sat by a first-floor window, waiting for dinner, while that man likewise took a seat on the first level, his supper before him. His chosen location was virtually in the middle of the dining hall below. Bi Ryu-yeon and Jang Woo-yang both sat silently, staring at the man. 

He appeared to be in his mid-forties and cut a weird figure. Blazing red hair, gloomy sunset brows, and a roughly grown crimson beard. Furthermore, dressed totally in crimson robes, even the scabbard on his waist, which held a peculiarly-hilted blade, complemented the consistent scarlet theme. Aside from his eyeballs, this man emitted fiery red flames from head to toe. He resembled a flaming light, with his distinct appearance that would allow him to be easily identified even among the massive crowds of Beijing's markets. 

His dignified bearing wrapped in red exuded an overpowering aura that subjugated all around, contributing to the weight of authority. Such presence and imposing impression could indeed be described as the air of a top-tier veteran. 

Bi Ryu-yeon eyed him with amused interest while Jang Woo-yang sat conflicted across, gazing at the man with a serious dilemma. Jang Woo-yang recognized who the man was. It couldn't be otherwise. The man's extraordinary and distinctive features marked him as an exceptional master impossible to overlook. That crimson hair, brows and beard signaled what pinnacle this man had rarefied his martial skills. Thus not just Jang Woo-yang but nearly every person inside including Central Armed Escort Agency members knew his identity. Such knowledge is what permitted the current oppressive hush. 

He was one of the five most famed swordsmen of the pugilist realm. Scarlet Bladed Flames, acclaimed number one bladesman of Sichuan – ignoring his presence was inconceivable for Jang Woo-yang. Perhaps the only exception sitting here would be Bi Ryu-yeon. The conundrum seriously weighing on Jang Woo-yang was whether he should approach the man to exchange pleasantries. In his usual guise, he would have galloped over to welcome without hesitation.

However, circumstances today did not appear favorable. Whether due to twisted mood or habitually ominous countenance, he sat there menacingly warped brows while radiating more domineering airs, as if ready to explode with the slightest touch – his pulsing aura overwhelming the inn's occupants into speechless anxiety, muted and immobile in gripped hearts.

Thus explaining Jang Woo-yang's restless dilemma. Renowned across the pugilistic domain for irascible temper, randomly striking up conversation may spur unnecessary disasters. What if his remarks provoked the man into venting frustrations on them? Yet to ignore pleasantries altogether may also birth future troubles. So Jang Woo-yang awaited opportune timing, going back and forth. 

Meanwhile, Bi Ryu-yeon's gaze roved between the man and the worried Jang Woo-yang, glinting merrily. Concurrently, lively intensity overflowed his expression, as if it may pour over. Proof that he was unaffected by his surroundings. Bi Ryu-yeon, as expected, is emotionally distant from sentiments like "tension" and "seriousness". Whatever pleased him so much, he erupted into a grin and bounced from his seat.

"Sir, what sudden business do you have?" 

Jang Woo-yang asked, puzzled by this abrupt movement. 

"Me? I urgently need the bathroom for a bit."

Bi Ryu-yeon replied lightly, smiling. Mumbling excuses about the bathroom, his figure disappeared through the inn doors into the darkness beyond, vanishing before Jang Woo-yang's eyes.