In Zhending County

Wrapping ourselves in silk cloth, we hurried back into the main house at a near-run.

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God, it's freezing. Must be because we're at the foot of the mountain…

It was still January, and the cold was brutal. Had we been exposed for even thirty seconds? My whole body was already shivering.

Then we stepped into the warm inner quarters, and there she was—smiling.

Time stopped.

That only ever happened when Jini intervened. So why now?

Wait—really?

The best news I could have asked for. But Jini gave no reply.

Still, this was something.

Ten people?

Wang Yeon, Seop Yeong, Jang Hwa, Linlin, Mimi, Daeyeon, Soyeon.

Just the ones that came to mind already made seven.

Women who actually met the grade, though—Zhao Village certainly didn't have beauties of that caliber. I'd have to go to a major city.

Luoyang.

If we stopped in Luoyang on the way during the move, maybe…

Luoyang had a huge population, which meant plenty of beauties.

The fact that I no longer had to wait until the year 184 made the corner of my mouth twitch upward.

Time resumed.

Wang Yeon came closer, looking at me with clear expectation. She'd taken my measurements in the bathhouse earlier, so she was almost certainly hoping for underwear.

I recalled the numbers I'd measured and accessed the Dimensional Shop. I bought a pile of underwear from A-Mart and pulled it out of subspace—about twenty bras, starting with sports bras, and twenty matching pairs of panties. Dozens of packs of sanitary pads as well.

She left a pure-white bra and panties set out and folded the rest neatly into a drawer.

Her smile was radiant.

Women really are something, aren't they?

Watching Wang Yeon light up over pretty bras and panties lifted my own mood.

"Husband, do you happen to have things like seeds from the future as well?"

"Hold on."

Seeds. I hadn't even thought of that.

Dimensional Shop—search: seeds.

Huh. Did the mart sell seeds, or was this a Constellation perk from restocking medicine? Rice, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and seeds for all kinds of fruit appeared.

"I do. Hmm… Yeon. Do you have any connections to Baekje, Silla, or Goryeo?"

"Yes. My… late father-in-law's merchant caravan ran from Goryeo through Luoyang all the way to Xiangyang. My mother manages it now."

The Pure Stream faction.

In her great-grandfather's generation they had crossed from Goryeo to Luoyang and entered official service; in her grandfather's generation he had been appointed magistrate of Zhending County. Her husband had spent his childhood in Zhao Village of Changshan, and the month after he married, the grandfather had been reassigned to Luoyang and moved there. A year after I was born, during the Proscription of the Partisans, the grandfather—then still in Luoyang—had taken his own life, and the grandmother had died with him. During the Second Proscription the father had been in danger as well, but as a merchant who held no office he had barely survived—only to die last year, absurdly, at the hands of bandits.

So in this family of scarce heirs, I was the only descendant left. I was far too young to run a merchant house, which was why Wang Yeon's mother was managing it in my place.

"Hmm. Once we go down to Xiangyang, let's build a large estate for rice and potato farming. And I'll give you four kinds of seed—sweet potato and corn as well—so release them into the three kingdoms of the Korean peninsula. Cheaply."

"Hmm… yes, Husband."

She was a typical Han Chinese, yet because I had lived a previous life as a Dongyi and still carried half Dongyi blood, she made no objection to my looking after the Dongyi peoples.

"May I pass some of the rice seed to my natal family as well?"

I nodded. While I was at it, I should scatter some rice and potatoes in Zhao Village before we left. I even came up with the names: rice (Joseon Rice), potato (Joseon Yam), sweet potato (Joseon Sweet Potato), corn (Joseon Millet Grain).

"Rice runs about ten don of gold per sack. A bit more expensive because they're seeds."

"Ten don of gold?"

In a world where both rice and gold were expensive, the idea of a whole sack of rice for ten don of gold left her looking stunned.

"That's cheap, isn't it?"

"Hmm. I don't know if it's cheap. Anyway, tell your natal family I'll sell them a sack for ten don of gold—make sure they take it."

"Hehe… yes."

She was delighted that I was looking after her family.

"Shall we release them to Goryeo, Baekje, and Silla at the same rate?"

"Yeah. Selling at a loss would be a waste. We still need to stockpile gold again."

I intended to release only the sweet potatoes and corn on the Korean peninsula. That way, when the New World was eventually discovered and corn was found there, the theory that Native North Americans equaled Koreans might even gain some credibility.

We sat side by side on the edge of the bed and went over the migration plans. Since the subject had come up, I decided on the destination then and there.

"Let's go to Xinye County in Nanyang Commandery. Or just head straight to Xiangyang."

"What? How would you…"

Naming Xiangyang out of nowhere left Wang Yeon wide-eyed. She already knew I had come from the future, so I decided to share a measure of future knowledge.

"I don't know this period in fine detail, but it became famous as a novel. Probably the year 184…"

Jini's first warning: a massive national event nineteen years from now. The Yellow Turban Rebellion would almost certainly be it. Even calculating Zhang Fei's age, any earlier and the stories of the three sworn brothers Liu, Guan, and Zhang making their mark would lose credibility.

"A huge peasant uprising called the Yellow Turban Rebellion breaks out. The ringleader is a man named Zhang Jiao. At the very least, Ji, Yu, Qing, and You provinces turn into wastelands—I remember that much."

"Ah… then what about Bing Province?"

Wang Yeon's homeland. Her home was close to Ji Province, but I had no memory of Liu, Guan, Zhang, Cao Cao, or Sun Jian making their names in Bing Province.

"It should be fine. The land's so barren the bandits probably won't bother going that far."

She snorted at the word "barren." Potatoes would grow well there, though… and once potatoes spread, the population might explode.

"Ah… so you're fleeing that war?"

I nodded. I deliberately didn't bring up Liu Bei's story. It would have made me sound too uncertain of myself.

"Yeah. Jing Province stays safe for a long time. Especially the area around Xiangyang."

"Then what about Yi Province?"

I hadn't ignored Yi Province either. If safety was the measure, it would be even safer—until Liu Bei pushed in.

"There's a kid I need to pick up in Jing Province. Zhuge Liang. I don't know if he's been born yet, but when Cao Cao massacres Xu Province, his whole family migrates to Xiangyang."

The talents whose destinations I knew for certain were, after all, Jing Province's Zhuge Liang, Xu Shu, and Pang Tong—plus Huang Zhong of Changsha.

"Cao Cao? Cao Aman?"

She knew Cao Cao? Wang Yeon? ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠How?

"You know Cao Cao?"

"Yes. I heard about her when my cousin Wang Yun was working in Luoyang. A prodigy—Lord Cao Song's granddaughter is extraordinarily gifted. Of course, she was even more famous as a troublemaker."

Hmm.

So she'd been brilliant from the start.

And granddaughter? So Cao Cao was a woman in this world too.

One of the options I'd considered while figuring out how to survive long in this world had been serving under Cao Cao. Of course, Sima Yi… I'd only recently remembered that one. Since the country was eventually stolen by Sima Yi, if I just eliminated him I could live long and thin. But Cao Cao's personality was so thoroughly painted as rotten that it made me hesitate.

"After Cao Cao beats Yuan Shao, she swallows everything north of Xiangyang. Does she even become emperor? Anyway, rising to king is certain."

"Yuan Benchu is Cao Aman's closest friend. The little ones used to call each other sworn siblings and run around the capital. And that Cao Cao becomes a king?"

Yuan Shao was a man.

This… the suspicion that Liu Bei might also be male was growing stronger. A strange premonition kept pressing in.

I need to leave in a hurry. I don't even know where Guan Yu is from, so I'll have to give up on her.

Guan Yu was a shame to lose. But I had no idea where she was, and without Guan Yu, Liu Bei might never raise a force at all—history would skew completely. I couldn't exactly camp outside Nushang Village waiting for a Guan Yu who might appear at any time either.

If she'd become a woman, she wouldn't have that long beard, which would make her even harder to find.

"Yes. First we'll go to Qi County in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Taiyuan Commandery of Bing Province to pay respects to my parents. Seop Yeong's hometown is nearby too, so we'll let her stop by briefly."

"Hmm. All right. How long will the packing take?"

"We and Seop Yeong's household don't have much to settle. Sell a little land, leave the money with my natal family, and either cousin Wang Yun will forward it to Jing Province or the clan will send it."

I nodded. The migration was now certain. At the earliest two months, at the latest within six, the move would begin. I nodded again.

"Husband, will other kingdoms arise as well?"

"Sun Jian's son founds the kingdom of Wu in Jiangdong, and a man named Liu Bei founds the kingdom of Shu in Yi Province."

She shook her head as if she'd never heard of either. I listed the figures I knew when she asked, but she recognized almost none of them. She didn't even know Xiahou Yuan or Xiahou Dun—who were surely Cao Cao's cousins.

"Xun Yu? Guo Jia? Sima Yi? Zhou Yu? I don't really know them. Though I can guess which houses they belong to. The Xun and Guo clans of Yingchuan, and the Sima clan of Henei. Zhou Yu is even easier to narrow down. If he's from Lujiang, he'd be the child of Zhou Yi, who served as magistrate of Luoyang—or a nephew. A family that's produced Three Excellencies for generations."

She shook her head. Not knowing didn't really matter.

"When we leave, we'll take the merchant road over the Taihang Mountains into Bing Province. Through Hongnong, then Luoyang, Yingchuan, Nanyang, Xinye… that should work. Roughly a two-month journey. A long one."

"It takes that long?"

"By carriage, yes. If we rest a bit in Qi County and Luoyang, it could take even longer."

A longer journey than I'd expected. I'd known China was vast, but still.

"Anyone else famous?"

"Hmm… does a man named Wang Yun have an adopted daughter called Diao Chan?"

Wang Yeon snorted. Then she pulled me back onto her lap and stroked my hair.

"Diao Chan isn't a person's name—it's the title of the chief among the songstresses cousin Wang Yun is training. The fourth Diao Chan has probably been selected by now. The ages don't line up, so the one you're thinking of would be the fifth or sixth."

"Huh…? What's her build like? Plump? Or slim like Zhao Feiyan?"

"Hehe. Songstresses have to be skilled at sword dances and the like, so closer to the slender Zhao Feiyan type. My cousin is from Bing Province too, so his aesthetic leans a little toward the Zhao Feiyan style—unlike the Central Plains."

Damn. Come to think of it, Dong Zhuo was from Xiliang and Lu Bu from Bing Province. Both would probably lean toward the Zhao Feiyan school.

The thought that I needed to spirit Diao Chan away before Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu reached Luoyang grew stronger.

"And in Lujiang there's a famous beauty called the Qiao sisters. Master Qiao, I think? Anyway, when Sun Ce takes Lujiang he forces the daughters to become his concubines. Though in this world they might be men."

Not that I knew whether the two had married for love. The moment I said "forced to become concubines," Wang Yeon fell briefly into thought.

"The Qiao clan of Lujiang… I don't know them. Once we go down to Xiangyang, I'll look into it."

I nodded.

We'd more or less run out of conversation. Of course I could have stretched it longer if I'd wanted, but outside it had gone completely dark. And the breathing of the woman holding me had started to grow rough—I felt it, and I didn't push the talk any further.

"Husband, could we turn off that sleeping lamp?"

"Why? I want to look at your body, Yeon."

Now that she knew my past-life memories had returned, Wang Yeon no longer treated me as a son. She treated me as an adult—as a third party. That seemed far more comfortable for her as well. She had shed the burden of incest.

"…Yes."

Wang Yeon lifted me and set me down in the middle of the bed. Then she climbed up herself and slipped off the single layer of silk robe she'd been wearing.

Her bare body.

It was breathtakingly beautiful.

About 170 centimeters tall, 75D breasts, and the 39-inch hips I'd measured earlier for the underwear. I took in her androgynous allure—yet as a woman, she was even more beautiful. I removed my own robe.

Gulp.

I was barely over a meter tall, yet my cock already reached 15 centimeters erect—an unbalanced body. She seemed startled too; she couldn't tear her eyes from the erection right in front of her face.

"Husband… it's much bigger than Father's."

She'd been calling her own late husband "Father" this whole time. I patted the spot beside me.

"Come here and lie flat."

"Yes… Husband."

The one disappointment was that she wasn't bare down there. A dense thicket. I told myself I had a razor and could make her maintain it, and waited for her to lie down. There was also the Absolute Obedience Contract and body modification.

She approached carefully and lay flat on her back. I straddled her stomach and kneaded her breasts.

"Haaah—"

"Yeon. Want to try repeating after me?"

I'd thought of a shortcut to fill the quota of ten faster. A method for making slaves.

"Yes?"

Korean.

I was curious whether the slave contract would take even if spoken in a foreign language.

When I spoke the words in Korean, she looked briefly confused. She seemed to roughly catch her own name, my name, and the word "slave," then smiled and answered.

Clumsy Korean. But the Absolute Obedience Contract sealed all the same.

Wang Yeon froze mid-smile.

Jini's voice was flat and mechanical.

"Slave rank."

Tiger? The tail takes effect right away? Then I'd have to be more careful examining mediocre women.

Nine-tailed Fox, tiger, and Bitch were far too different in grade.

"Does a Bitch tail take effect too?"

I nodded. Then I could worry less.

A moment later, a model of Wang Yeon's naked body appeared before my eyes.

First, tightness.

I slid my fingers into the model's pussy—disappointing. Not a myeong-gi, so I set it to Hyeon-ju-grade excellence.

I configured everything except the tattoo, starting with a non-fattening constitution. I even tried increasing her height just in case, and the point cost was low.

"Whoa. Everything works."

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Breast milk, bare pussy, myeong-gi, aging rate, non-fattening constitution, erogenous zones, elasticity retention for breasts and pussy—everything I hadn't been able to give women even one or two of in the modern world was fully configurable here.

The tattoo… I hesitated.

"In Hangul, 'Kim Ian,' above the pussy, near the coccyx."

I hadn't been able to set a chest tattoo—the points ran out.

Before finalizing the body modification, I activated Soul Eyes.

Looking past the model at the Wang Yeon lying there, the tail poking out beside her hip seemed frozen mid-sway.

"Complete."

Wang Yeon's body glowed, vanished, and five seconds later flowed again.

Whoa. An innate trait? Divine Archer?

Soul Eyes still open, I watched the tiger tail disappear.

So that's it. In a world where mana or qi circulates, women with tails gain traits. Jini? Bitches are good too, right?