## Chapter 29 – 29. Martial Arts (6)
# 29. Martial Arts (6)
The sun was high in the sky.
After a quick lunch, we continued walking towards Xi’an.
Cutting through the undergrowth where no one had walked before, it felt like we were pioneers.
That’s right. It meant we were suffering.
“Can I ask you something?”
“No.”
“Isn’t there another way besides this forest path? It would be easier to walk if there were at least signs of other people.”
My clothes weren’t torn, and I wasn’t injured, but I kept getting poked by something, and stepping on things I couldn’t identify, so I felt like I was just making things harder for myself.
“Do you remember what I said yesterday?”
“?”
“…I suspected you were an assassin. Of course, I don’t suspect you now, but if you’re not an assassin, then somewhere out there, assassins hired by the First Young Master are looking for me. If we take the path people use, we risk being discovered.”
“Ah.”
It didn’t seem likely that assassins would come after us with daggers in broad daylight, but thinking about it, in this world without CCTV, it was entirely possible.
To put it bluntly, if someone killed a person and threw them to wild animals, who would know who the culprit was?
“…My friend.”
Cheon Yeo-hwa tugged at my sleeve.
“I can’t explain the details, but if you stay with me, you’ll be in danger too. I’ll tell you the direction to Xi’an, so how about we part ways here?”
Her voice, the hand holding my sleeve, were trembling slightly.
“Although our meeting was born of misunderstanding, I owe you so much in such a short time. I can’t…”
“Sorry, but I can’t do that.”
I grabbed Cheon Yeo-hwa’s wrist.
If we were going our separate ways, we would have done so a long time ago. I have no intention of backing down now.
Rather, I’ve been losing hair worrying about what justification we’d have to stay together after arriving in Xi’an.
“I have a terrible sense of direction, so even if you tell me where to go, I’ll get lost and fall to my death.”
I even gave her a reason to stay together. If she doesn’t take it, she’s dumber than a dolphin.
I’m going to get those sweet settlement rewards.
“…Thank you.”
Cheon Yeo-hwa was grateful for his bold answer, but at the same time, she felt a sense of guilt that weighed on her heart.
This was also an emotion that Cheon Yeo-hwa, in her days as the Moon Spirit Witch, had never felt.
She had already received so much from him.
Yet, she hadn’t been able to repay him at all, and now she couldn’t even bring herself to refuse his offer to accompany her on this dangerous path.
She hated her own weak choice, but looking at his broad back as he walked ahead, she felt something she couldn’t explain.
Since meeting him, she had been learning emotions she had never known before.
·
·
·
We walked and rested for a long time, and before we knew it, the sun was setting.
If we didn’t want to find a campsite in the middle of the night, we had to move quickly.
Fortunately, we found a suitable clearing nearby, and set up the tent and fire pit like yesterday.
As we were hurrying to prepare dinner, the sun completely set and dark night arrived.
If we had been any later, setting up the fire pit and tent in a place without a single light would have been a real pain.
Of course, I could have just used a light, but I didn’t want to use my magic after walking all day and being tired.
“This is…?”
“A hamburger. If it’s hard to eat, press it down.”
Some people call it heresy to eat it like this, but I can’t exactly cut a hamburger with a knife, can I?
Or dislocate my jaw and eat it.
“This is another new food. Where did you come from that you keep bringing out these foods…”
“Curious?”
There was no answer.
Perhaps Cheon Yeo-hwa felt it wasn’t right to pry into my identity when she was hiding so much from me.
“If you really want to know, how about we each ask and answer one question? I’ll even give you the first chance to ask.”
Actually, I wasn’t that curious about Cheon Yeo-hwa.
I roughly knew her name, age, origin, and the situation she was in.
This wasn’t so much an exchange of information as it was a way to get closer to Cheon Yeo-hwa.
Of course, I wasn’t hoping to become lovers like Iris with just one truth game. That would be too greedy.
But if we got closer, maybe there would be a chance?
At first, I was more interested in the settlement reward, but now I was interested in Cheon Yeo-hwa herself.
Not to mention her appearance, but also…
‘…But her appearance is so overwhelming, I don’t think I need another reason.’
Her personality seemed a bit eccentric at first, but the more I saw her, the more cute she seemed.
Like a squirrel, munching on a hamburger.
Her appearance is like a girl-crush chaebol heiress who would shop in Cheongdam-dong or Gangnam.
“Name.”
“Huh?”
“We haven’t even introduced ourselves yet.”
Come to think of it, I was the only one who knew Cheon Yeo-hwa’s name. She still didn’t know my name, even though we’d been together for almost 16 hours.
But it’s even more amazing that we’ve been together for 16 hours without knowing each other’s names and it hasn’t been awkward?
“Kang Hyun-woo.”
Hyun meaning “to appear” and Woo meaning “to help.”
I don’t really know what it means. My parents didn’t tell me what kind of person they wanted me to be before they passed away.
“Kang Hyun-woo…”
Cheon Yeo-hwa quietly repeated my name, as if savoring it.
Her reaction made me feel a little embarrassed.
The only people who had called my name like that were the head nun at the orphanage, Iris, and now Cheon Yeo-hwa.
“Then it’s my turn.”
I decided to visit the orphanage after this matching was over.
“What’s your name?”
“…Cheon Yeo-hwa.”
“Nice name.”
One day after we met, before the second day began.
We finally knew each other’s names.
***
“It’s your turn now, aren’t you going to ask anything else?”
“No.”
We had finished dinner and my question, but Cheon Yeo-hwa didn’t seem to want to ask anything else.
“If you… no, Hyun-woo, if you have any questions, you can ask me.”
“…?”
I was a little surprised that she suddenly called me by my name, but I was even more surprised by the 180-degree change in atmosphere.
Why does her personality seem to be getting milder?
“Then.”
I knew what I wanted to ask.
Who is the First Young Master you mentioned, why are you being threatened with assassination, and where did you come from?
The reason I was asking even though I already knew was simple.
To become closer by sharing secrets.
But my question had to end before it even began.
Thud-
“Huh?”
Cheon Yeo-hwa, who had been warming herself by the fire pit, suddenly collapsed.
“Cheon Yeo-hwa!”
I jumped up and ran towards Cheon Yeo-hwa.
“Haa, haa, haa…”
Cheon Yeo-hwa was clutching her chest, looking very distressed.
Her face was pale, and cold sweat was pouring down her face.
She looked to be in very serious condition.
‘What’s wrong? Is she sick? But she was fine just now?’
Anyway, I couldn’t leave her like this.
I immediately picked up Cheon Yeo-hwa and ran to the tent, gently laying her down.
“Cheon Yeo-hwa! Wake up!”
“Ugh, ugh…”
Is she so bad that she can’t even answer?
“What should I do in this situation…”
Should I carry Cheon Yeo-hwa all the way to Xi’an right now?
But I don’t know the way to Xi’an.
Even if I did, Cheon Yeo-hwa might not make it there.
But leaving her like this is also a problem.
I don’t know if she can recover on her own just by resting. I’m not a doctor.
“There must be a way… Ah!”
At that moment, a method suddenly flashed through my mind.
“Weakness Detection.”
Weakness Detection is a skill that shows the target’s weaknesses.
In humans or humanoid monsters, the head and heart usually shine the brightest.
But just because they shine the brightest doesn’t mean that humans only have two vital spots. In fact, any place where large blood vessels flow, where there are many nerves, where there are bones that can be broken, and where there are joints that can be bent are all vital spots for humans.
Then what about patients?
Wouldn’t the injured areas, the organs that are not in good condition due to illness, shine brighter than other places after the head and heart?
“Found it.”
The Weakness Detection I used on Cheon Yeo-hwa showed her head, heart, and lower abdomen shining brightly.
To be exact, it was her dantian, a place that always appears in martial arts settings.
“The color seems to be purplish… Could it be poison?”
I wasn’t sure, but it was the most plausible guess for now.
“Shop.”
As soon as I thought it might be poison, I remembered one item in the shop.
Please don’t let it be reset.
[Shop]
[Low-Grade Antidote: Sold Out]
[Sweet Apple: 250 Coins]
[Imperial Army’s Magic Sword: Sold Out]
[Cultured Books for Elegant Ladies: 540 Coins]
[High-Grade Random Scroll: 600 Coins]
·
·
·
“It’s here!”
[Would you like to purchase a Sweet Apple?]
[Y/N]
[Y]
[You have purchased a Sweet Apple]
[Remaining Coins: 1,200 Coins]
Sweet Apple, the item that appeared with the Low-Grade Antidote when I was poisoned in the dungeon and searched the shop for an antidote.
[Sweet Apple]
[Grade: Rare]
[Grants a positive effect upon consumption.]
It was 50 coins more expensive than the Low-Grade Antidote, but the grade was one level higher. In some ways, buying this might have been more profitable, but at the time, I needed an antidote with a definite effect.
So I just read the description and skipped it.
“But she can’t eat an apple in her current state, can she?”
It smells sweet, but it’s no different from a normal apple in size and shape. How can someone who’s in so much pain that she can’t even think straight eat it?
“…All she has to do is eat it, right?”
I roughly washed my hands with drinking water and grabbed the apple.
“Wait a little, I’ll grind it up for you.”
Of course, it’s more like squeezing than grinding.
Squeeze- My magic-enhanced grip easily showed off a performance as if I had put the apple in a juicer.
The apple juice that flowed into the cup had a sweet scent that was beyond imagination.
“This should be enough.”
Now I carefully brought it to Cheon Yeo-hwa’s lips with a spoon.
“Ugh…”
“…This isn’t working either.”
I even ground it up as finely as water and transferred it to a spoon for easy eating, but Cheon Yeo-hwa was still unconscious, seemingly in severe pain.
In this state, it would be difficult for her to even drink water on her own.
I have no choice.
“I’m saving your life, so don’t resent me later.”
I put the apple juice in my mouth and covered Cheon Yeo-hwa’s lips.
Before I could feel the soft and moist sensation, I carefully opened her mouth and let the apple juice flow in.
It wasn’t a kiss to satisfy my personal desires, but I couldn’t help but feel a strange sensation.
After finishing three kisses disguised as rescue activities, Cheon Yeo-hwa’s complexion improved.
Ding-
[A positive effect is activated by consuming the Sweet Apple]
[Decomposing the Heavenly Heart Extreme Yang Fire Poison Lotus]
[Decomposing…]
[Decomposition failed]
[Positive effect activated]
[The poison of the Heavenly Heart Extreme Yang Fire Poison Lotus subsides]
[The remaining poison of the Heavenly Heart Extreme Yang Fire Poison Lotus struggles]
[Positive effect activated]
[The remaining poison of the Heavenly Heart Extreme Yang Fire Poison Lotus falls asleep]
***
Deep in the early morning, when even wild animals had fallen asleep.
“Ugh… Uh…?”
Cheon Yeo-hwa, who woke up from her sleep, was bewildered by the sight of Kang Hyun-woo sleeping while holding her in his arms.
“Hyun-woo, why are you…?”
She was flustered.
Even if Kang Hyun-woo was sleeping while holding her, she couldn’t remember how she ended up in this situation.
Only fragmented memories remained in her throbbing head.
Except for a minor headache, Cheon Yeo-hwa, who was in much better condition than usual, was soon able to figure out what had happened from the fragments of her broken memories.
‘The poison acted up and I collapsed…’
She still had occasional seizures.
She suffered from extreme pain due to the suddenly acting poison, but each time she managed to maintain her sanity and endure it.
That’s why it was the first time she had fainted like this.
Her internal energy was gradually reaching its limit compared to the increasingly strong poison. As a result, she no longer had the strength to resist the poison.
In fact, until she met him, she had half given up, thinking that her lifespan would be limited to about a month at most.
“I was sure that would be the case… What is this…??”
Cheon Yeo-hwa confirmed that the momentum of the Heavenly Heart Extreme Yang Fire Poison Lotus, which had been constantly aiming for her dantian, had died down by nearly 80%.
Even the remaining 20% was quiet as a mouse.
The Heavenly Heart Extreme Yang Fire Poison Lotus is a type of mountain poison that carries a strong yang energy.
It was the perfect match for her yin-heavy self, and it was one of the three extreme poisons of the Thousand Poison Sect, which cooperated with the First Young Master.
In fact, detoxification was virtually impossible. Even the head of the Tang family, who was called the master of poison, and the divine doctor who could revive the dead, would not be able to detoxify it.
But what happened that her condition improved so much?
Cheon Yeo-hwa decided to recall her memories a little more.
In exchange for digging into her memories, Cheon Yeo-hwa was able to glimpse a short and intense moment amidst a slightly worsened headache.
“?!!”
The moment when Kang Hyun-woo put something in his mouth and kissed her.
‘Ah, ah, ah…!!’
A scream that she couldn’t bring herself to utter echoed in her heart.
Cheon Yeo-hwa’s face turned as red as if it would burst.
‘It was my first time…’
Cheon Yeo-hwa carefully touched her lips.
It felt like his warmth was still there.
Moreover, what she saw in the fragment of her memory was not just a kiss.
As she could tell from his appearance of feeding her something from mouth to mouth, it was clear that he had detoxified the poison that was about to take her life.
She was surprised that there was an antidote that could detoxify the Heavenly Heart Extreme Yang Fire Poison Lotus, but more than that, she was grateful to him for saving her once again.
Cheon Yeo-hwa recalled the moment when she was being humiliated by the bandits.
The helpless moment when her blood vessels were twisted by the suddenly acting poison and she couldn’t even move a finger.
If it had been her past self, she would have sensed the presence of those street thugs from dozens of feet away and blown their heads off, let alone being ambushed by them.
But as she said herself, that was the past.
A past that would never return.
If Kang Hyun-woo hadn’t saved her then, she would have been dragged away by the bandits without any resistance.
Of course, she would have raised her internal energy even if it meant falling into demonic possession and killed the bandits.
And in return, she would have miserably coughed up blood and died alone.
Cheon Yeo-hwa quietly snuggled into Kang Hyun-woo’s arms.
As if that was her place.
It was a moment when she regretted suspecting his identity until now.
‘No matter what happens, I won’t doubt him any more…?!’
Squeeze-
“Hick?!”
Before she could stop him, Kang Hyun-woo’s thick, large hand grabbed Cheon Yeo-hwa’s butt.
“Hyu, Hyun-woo…??”
“Umm…”
She was so surprised that she screamed and even called his name, but Kang Hyun-woo only made a faint breathing sound and didn’t react much.
Instead, the hand touching her butt didn’t stop.
“What kind of sleep talk is this…”
What kind of dream is he having…
Kang Hyun-woo relentlessly kneaded Cheon Yeo-hwa’s butt.
Cheon Yeo-hwa didn’t know what to do with this sexual harassment that she was experiencing for the first time.
If the other person was a lecher, she would have cut off his wrist and genitals without hesitation, but she couldn’t do that now.
“Hut, hugh… Aren’t you kneading it too hard…?”
Despite such complaints, Kang Hyun-woo kneaded Cheon Yeo-hwa’s butt as he pleased, as if he were kneading clay. Sometimes Cheon Yeo-hwa’s butt stuck out between his rough hands, or he teased her by gently stroking it like a pervert.
She wondered if this was something a sleeping person would do, but she couldn’t easily suspect him because she didn’t think he would pretend to be asleep.
“Does my body tempt you that much…?”
On the one hand, Cheon Yeo-hwa was happy.
Cheon Yeo-hwa had always thought of men as monkeys with nothing but filthy things in their heads.
The only man she had given her heart to in her 20 years of life was Kang Hyun-woo.
“Hyu, Hyun-woo…”
If it’s you… If you want it…
“I’m willing to…”
“…Iris.”
“………Huh?”
