Chapter 36 – Training…? (13)
“Since you already know, come out obediently,” Hong Yeon-hwa said sharply, stopping us in our tracks.
“Eun-in?”
Pyeong Soso’s head tilted in confusion, still not fully grasping the situation. But I, who knew the true extent of Hong Yeon-hwa’s abilities, couldn’t afford to be clueless.
Is that it? Is it like those assassins that often appear in martial arts novels, lurking in the shadows?
I quickly drew my sword, pointing it towards where Hong Yeon-hwa’s finger was directed.
“Huh? Uh…?”
By this point, Pyeong Soso had also let go of the tension in her shoulders and assumed a stance.
Her expression was still uncertain, but there was no gap in her movements. Indeed, the peak is the peak, after all.
Perhaps she is bewildered because she possesses such skill. It’s hard for her to believe in the existence of enemies she hasn’t personally experienced.
Seeing Pyeong Soso and me draw our weapons, Hong Yeon-hwa stepped forward and spoke.
“Do you think the Lady is simply testing you?”
Hong Yeon-hwa let out a sigh and casually flicked away a stone from the ground with a relaxed motion.
A light movement, like a child playing in the dirt. But the result was far from light.
Bang!
It was not so much flicking away a stone as it was the sound of a small bomb exploding.
The stone flew in a straight line, heading towards a nearby tree with a fierce momentum. It seemed like it would knock the tree halfway down.
Creak…
Accompanied by an unpleasant sound, like scraping metal, the stone came to a stop in mid-air.
Upon closer inspection, a pale hand emerged from below, forcibly stopping the flying stone.
Could it be that the sound from earlier was the friction between that hand and the stone?
However, the fingers were twisted in various directions, indicating that it hadn’t completely blocked the stone.
“Wh-who’s there!”
Pyeong Soso, who witnessed this unusual sight, was startled and crouched down. Of course, she wasn’t scared.
It was just a defensive posture, lowering her stance as if she could charge at any moment, like a tiger ready to pounce.
Is that the Ohodanmun Five Tiger Gate Sword?
Even Pyeong Soso, who had been tilting her head until the end, showed a threatening attitude when faced with this.
Thud.
The owner of the pale hand clenched their fist, crushing the stone without a care for their twisted fingers.
And then, slowly standing up, they revealed their appearance… Somehow, their face seemed familiar.
Narrowing their eyes, they glanced at their opponent’s face once again.
Their appearance was somewhat attractive, with expressionless features, unfocused eyes, and pale skin. From the moment they revealed themselves, an inexplicable sense of discomfort emanated.
Wait, isn’t that the gangster I saw a few days ago? I may not remember the exact details of their face, but I can’t forget their unique aura.
As if to confirm my speculation, another woman and a young boy emerged from behind the bushes, led by the gangster. The young boy had a sickeningly sweet smile on his face.
It was Eonjuwon.
“Oh? How did you figure it out? I thought you were quite confident in your perception skills,” they said.
“Hah! Did you really think I, the Lady, wouldn’t be able to distinguish between a corpse and something resembling a corpse?”
“Well… even if you say that, I don’t really have any connection to that side, so it doesn’t really affect me,” Pyeong Soso replied.
I had heard from my master before that the gangster techniques of Jinju Eon-ga were not separate from the martial arts of Gwongak. They taught the gangster martial arts to each other, recreated the external skills that only a living person could possess, or used strange angles to bend their strikes.
They said that both the techniques and martial arts were inseparable and couldn’t be ignored.
Although the Lady’s perception technique intentionally concealed their presence, it seemed that Hong Yeon-hwa was not at a level where they could deceive Eonjuwon.
“It’s troublesome. Did you learn some unique martial arts? Or do you just have a good intuition?” Hong Yeon-hwa asked, their voice nonchalant. For a moment, I wondered if I had mistaken something.
In reality, Pyeong Soso, who had a deep friendship with Eonjuwon, relaxed their stance and asked, “Ju… Won? What were you doing here? Were you waiting for us to travel together? If that was the case, you should have said something when we met last time.”
“Huh? Oh, haha! Ahaha!”
But instead of answering Pyeong Soso’s question seriously, Eonjuwon started laughing as if they had heard a really funny story.
“Oh, Lady! You’re so adorable! It’s because I act like this that I like you, you know?”
“Huh? What…?”
“Still don’t get it?”
Eonjuwon, who had discarded their pretentious expression, raised one corner of their mouth and gave a sinister smile.
“I was actually lying in wait to kill you, Lady.”
“….”
“Well, to be more precise, I wanted to kill you and turn you into a gangster.”
Pyeong Soso’s face contorted little by little. It was only natural to react that way when someone you trusted betrayed you.
On the other hand, Eonjuwon, fueled by their imagination, began writhing in ecstasy.
“Oh… How wonderful would it be if I could turn my dear sister, who has always been kind to me since I was young, into my gangster. Unable to laugh or cry anymore, devoid of any worries about family or household matters, just a sister who moves mindlessly according to my commands…”
No, that’s not enough. Eonjuwon reached into the clothes of the gangster next to them and roughly groped their chest.
“……”
“……”
“……”
What the hell is this….
Everyone was at a loss for words at the unexpected sight. Of course, Eonjuwon paid no attention to their reactions and forcefully grabbed the gangster’s chest, almost as if they were about to tear it apart.
“Unfortunately, our engagement was canceled last time because my preferences were exposed to the elders in the family. Isn’t it a shame? You always told me not to see the gangster as a mere tool, but you ended up being shocked when you saw my bedroom.”
Well… I don’t think telling me not to see the gangster as a tool meant for me to fuck them.
“But still, I’m lucky. This is the perfect opportunity. Even that arrogant Jinju Eon-ga won’t be able to help you now, and no one will suspect me if you die.”
Eonjuwon glanced back and forth between the expressionless face of the gangster and the dumbfounded face of Pyeong Soso.
Slyly pressing their lower body against the gangster’s thigh, it didn’t take long for Eonjuwon’s body to tremble.
“Ah… Huh… You will truly become the best fuck toy, sister.”
This fucking lunatic. Did they really do it?
I wasn’t the only one shaken by the unimaginable sight.
Hong Yeon-hwa, who had maintained a serious demeanor since they arrived, had eyes that trembled violently as if there was an earthquake.
Noticing this, Eonjuwon flashed a refreshing smile.
“A woman shorter than me isn’t my type… but your breasts are fucking amazing, so I’ll share them with you.”
“Ugh….”
A muttered remark that seemed to leave a bitter taste. Hong Yeon-hwa laughed in disbelief.
Before she could respond, Eonjuwon grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back, positioning themselves in front of her, pointing their sword directly at her.
“These breasts belong to me, you fucking bitch.”
“So, you two were involved like that? I have a question, so instead of killing you right away, I’ll cut off your limbs and let you die slowly. Instead, how does it feel to see your fresh lover violated by your enemy…”
“Enough.”
Interrupting the bastard who was already acting like they had won, I flicked the tip of my sword.
“You’ve been blabbering a lot, corpse-fucker. Do you want to fight with words? Or have you been talking to yourself so much because you’re used to dealing with a lifeless corpse who doesn’t answer?”
“Ha… That’s right. Since you’ll soon be unable to say anything anyway.”
I wonder if it was unpleasant to be interrupted. The guy who slightly frowned in annoyance took out a droplet from his pocket.
Although I’m not familiar with this kind of magic, I can sense it. Perhaps he controls the gangster with that droplet.
I also gathered my inner strength and prepared myself.
I won’t forgive those who aim for NTR!
As I reaffirmed my determination, my stamina and inner strength, which had been depleted from the previous battles, quickly recovered.
The atmosphere was tense, as if we were about to start fighting immediately. Sensing this tension, Pyeong Soso, who had been absent-minded until now, hurriedly spoke up.
“Wait! Juwon-ah. Do we really have to do this? I don’t want to fight you. There must be some other way…”
“Wow… Are you still saying that? It seems like you understand why Lord Pyeong wanted to keep you away from the martial arts world.”
“I, I…”
While Pyeong Soso and Eonjuwon were having their conversation, I felt a poking sensation on my back and turned around to see Hong Yeon-hwa, who had diligently finished eating her dumplings, with her cheeks puffed out.
…She’s eating dumplings at a time like this?
Ignoring my bewildered gaze, Hong Yeon-hwa confidently finished eating the dumplings and finally spoke up, her voice loud and clear.
“Sir, this is a perfect opportunity. Last time, we couldn’t fight properly because we prioritized hostage rescue.”
“What?”
“I thought your level of martial arts was high, like that of a master, but it seems like it was just your delusion.”
Ah.
So that’s why he created that atmosphere in the beginning? And now he has the leisure to eat dumplings.
Anyway, seeing me now, he thinks I’m at a suitable level and wants to fight me, according to Hong Yeon-hwa.
Of course, I didn’t think he would just stand there and watch from behind… But to me, who trusted in the powerful Heavenly Demon Lord, it sounded like a thunderbolt.
“Don’t worry too much. They probably underestimate you as a sewer rat. It’s clear that the gangster will be sent to the child of the Pyeong family and the Fang family.”
Between himself and Pyeong Soso, Eonjuwon wants to fight one-on-one while we handle the gangster.
Considering that he said he was going to the Dragon Blade Assembly last time, Eonjuwon is definitely not weak in martial arts despite being a sorcerer.
But if Hong Yeon-hwa said she can handle it, then she must be capable.
“What’s the harm in giving it a try?”
As I motivated myself and adjusted my stance, the conversation on the other side was coming to an end.
“…Don’t be too sad. You’ll be fighting as the warrior that Lady Pyeong wished for, even if it means dying.”
Ding.
The droplet rang out.
