To Bingzhou

"Everyone aboard?"

"Yes, Master. They've all been waving white flags from the rear."

Linlin held the reins while I sat beside her. Our bows lay stowed beneath the seats. All that remained was to set out.

"An. Travel safely. And even after you arrive, keep practicing the Zhao family's spear arts."

"Yes, Master. Farewell. You too, Village Chief."

"Heh heh, well then. It's a shame—the first and second greatest martial talents of Zhao Village, both leaving us."

Jo Jin was in his fifties, though by modern standards he looked closer to seventy, thoroughly worn down by age. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠As head of the main Zhao family house of Changshan, he also served as chief of this village.

He was Jo Hyeong's father.

He had been overjoyed when we handed him that well-built house for next to nothing. Better to have people living in it and keeping it up than leave it empty to rot. It had been constructed so solidly there was barely anything to repair—decades from now it would still stand exactly as it was.

"Well then, we're off. Village Chief, Master, and everyone—someday we'll come back, so please welcome us then."

"Yes, yes."

The village chief and Master Jo Hyeong waved. From behind, I could hear some of the villagers calling their goodbyes to Seop Yeong and Jo Un, who sat in the rear carriage.

"Hyah!"

With that cry, we put at least fourteen years between ourselves and these people. Or perhaps longer still, if I never fought in the Jizhou theater...

Linlin drove the four horses. Only then did the carriage begin to roll, and from the two carriages behind came Mimi's and Daeyeon's answering cries of "Hyah!"

Before long the carriages were racing along, and we arrived at Jingxingkou.

Jingxing Pass. A gate of formidable ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠majesty rose before us.

A great wall barred the mountain entrance, and dozens of soldiers stood atop it. Before the gate, scores of people waited in line to pass through Jingxingkou, submitting to the soldiers' inspections.

"My lord. This is Jingxingkou—Jingxing Pass. The place where the Battle of Jingxing was fought..."

Jia Xu had appeared at some point, settling onto the driver's bench beside Linlin and wrapping her arms around me.

"Han Xin..."

"Yes. Han Xin. An extraordinary woman. In the art of deploying troops, I would dare call her the greatest talent in all of history. With fewer than ten thousand soldiers, she defeated two hundred thousand of Zhao's defending forces across this entire region—Mianmanshui, Jingxing County, Jingxingkou."

"Right. The decisive battle that made Liu Bang emperor. She overturned common sense with the strategy of fighting with one's back to the river."

"Yes. A single battle reversed the balance of power between Chu and Han. After the crushing defeat at Pengcheng, Han had been at a slight disadvantage—but by conquering Zhao and subjugating Yan and the rest, everything changed."

Jia Xu had spent the past several days telling me about figures of antiquity, but seeing the actual pass where the battle had been fought made it all the more staggering.

An army of two hundred thousand? Easy to say. That Zhao had mobilized such a force centuries ago was remarkable—and that Han Xin had defeated it was more remarkable still.

"My lord. You must become someone like Han Xin. Jang Bi, Jo Un, and Jang Saeng will be your Fan Kuai—they will support you. I, Jang Yu, and Jo Ga will serve as your Zhang Liang and Xiao He. You, my lord, must become Liu Bang and Han Xin combined. Like the Cao Cao ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the future."

"Mm."

I presented our household tokens to the soldiers guarding the pass. As tokens of a powerful clan, they waved us through without any real inspection. We passed through Xingwan Pass—one of the nine great strategic gates of the realm—and carefully guided the carriages down the narrow mountain road overlooking Mianmanshui.

Then, with a sudden bang, two middle-aged women appeared.

Each held an eight-trigram brush, dressed in white and yellow Taoist robes.

The unique traits floating above their heads. Both at level 9. Taoists—tantalizing, but out of reach.

"Jwa Ja..."

"Tsk. It's Daoist Jwa Ja to you. Where does a little brat get off speaking so casually?"

Jwa Ja approached the carriage, which had ground to a halt.

"My lord. Could that woman possibly be the legendary Daoist Jwa Ja?"

I nodded.

I was dumbfounded.

How she had found me, why she had appeared, and who the woman in the yellow Taoist robes beside her was—all of it left me wondering.

Huh? Damn it. If Chaehyang goes off here...

I already regretted using Chaehyang on Zhou Yu, Guo Jia, and Dian Wei when the newborns had gathered—and now it had blasted two Taoists.

Their unique traits were tempting, but these women were at least seventy years old. And with only one use of Chaehyang left, it was truly precious.

Please leave me at least one. You said there would be no more replenishment, so I need to save it for Zhuge Liang, Xu Shu, and Pang Tong.

The Taoist in yellow robes approached and studied my face intently. Then she let out a sound of admiration.

And in real time, her face flushed a deep red.

"Seeing you in the flesh makes it even clearer. A physiognomy that should have meant death. But with a hero's countenance and that star as well—no wonder I'm shaken. Jwa Ja, I'm getting itchy down there."

"Right? U Gil. You too? Same here."

I stared at the two women casually tossing out sex jokes.

"If you are U Gil, then you must be the Taoist renowned for her mastery of medicine. A pleasure to meet you. I am Jia Xu of the Wen family. Daoist Jwa Ja, Daoist U Gil."

Jia Xu lifted me down from the carriage, then clasped her fists and bowed with formal courtesy.

Jwa Ja was one thing, but U Gil's disciples were skilled in medicine. If I wanted to recruit them, I needed to stay on U Gil's good side.

U Gil studied Jia Xu's face carefully. She glanced once at Jwa Ja, then looked back at Jia Xu and clicked her tongue.

"Heh... fate has gone awry. But it's become natural somehow. Are you this child's woman as well?"

"Yes, Daoist U Gil. We have pledged a hundred-year vow."

U Gil looked startled.

She pressed her thumb against her index, middle, ring, and little fingers in turn, then raised her head.

"A fate that should have made you a retainer of the Cao family, and instead you became a wife of the Lee family? Heaven's design has been twisted this far, and yet there's no backlash at all? Looking at you in person makes it even more... what are you?"

"I know, right? Amazing no matter how many times I look. And this Jia Xu girl is no ordinary one either."

Jwa Ja stepped over to me, gripped my waist, and lifted me up. Her gaze locked onto my lower abdomen, and she nodded at U Gil.

U Gil broke into a broad smile.

"It's Ian, by the way."

U Gil came over as well, examined my palm, took my pulse, then stared hard into my face.

"Heavens. Such yang energy. Madness. How can such a fierce stellar force be paired with yang energy like this? O Primordial Celestial Worthy..."

"Hmm, hmm. What is this scent? A fruity fragrance?"

Jwa Ja pressed her face to my body and sniffed. Chaehyang. She had detected the High Elf's body scent that even my own women couldn't properly smell.

"It's the Chaehyang this child emits. Jwa Ja. That's why we're in heat."

"Hohoho. To think that in all my life, I'd go into heat over a little boy. Come along now. As penance for that crime, you'll have to satisfy us."

Dangerous talk.

Where did they think they were taking me, leaving my family behind?

These women were in heat—I worried they couldn't see reason at all.

"That won't do. Our family is in the middle of relocating. Until we reach Qi County in Taiyuan Commandery, it's impossible."

Jia Xu stepped forward and snatched me away. She hid me behind her back, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wary of these reckless Taoists who clearly intended to abscond with me alone.

"Qi County in Taiyuan Commandery? Where?"

Jwa Ja licked her lips as she eyed Jia Xu.

"The Wang family estate. And on account of one woman, we'll stop at the Nie family village in Mayi County of Yanmen Commandery before proceeding to Qi County. Daoist."

Jia Xu addressed her with full courtesy. Jwa Ja's face twisted in annoyance.

Then she pulled out a yellow talisman covered in red Chinese characters, drew a brush from her waist sash, and scribbled something on it.

"Here. Mayi County, Nie family village. Tear this and you'll be transported straight there. Then the remaining carriages go to the Wang family estate in Qi County?"

"Yes, Daoist Jwa Ja. Surely you don't mean to transport us?"

A nod.

"I'm in a hurry, so let's make this quick. I need to devour this little brat before this heat will subside. Even my Taoist power has reached its limit. To think I can't even suppress arousal—how frustrating."

"Heh heh. I can't suppress it with my power either. Child. Think you can have sex with this auntie?"

"Yes—if you take us to the Wang family estate."

U Gil looked at Jwa Ja. Jwa Ja pulled out several more talismans, scribbled on them, and handed them to Jia Xu.

"Stick these on the carriages. They'll be transported straight to the Wang family courtyard. You ride in a carriage and stick one on the driver's seat—unless you want to be left behind alone."

"Thank you, Daoist Jwa Ja."

Jia Xu headed toward the carriage where Seop Yeong sat. Jwa Ja scooped me up, wrapped an arm around U Gil's waist, and tore a talisman.

"I'll deliver him to the Wang estate in three hours."

Jwa Ja said this to Wang Yeon, who nodded in acknowledgment.

"Husband, take care of yourself."

"Mm."

"Heh heh. A brat who's even had his own mother. A dog in heat, pure and simple."

The words were scolding, but her tone brimmed with delight. Both Taoists' faces were flushed, their expressions full of laughter.

I smirked and groped Jwa Ja's ample breasts.

Then my vision shifted, and I found myself looking at a thatched cottage atop a mountain peak.

"The summit of Mount Wudang. U Gil's cottage."

"Heh heh. It's humble, but come inside quickly. I can barely hold myself back any longer."

U Gil stripped off her Taoist robes in one fluid motion and walked toward the cottage. This place seemed so remote that no one would ever see. Which explained why these Taoists shed their clothes without a second thought.

Jwa Ja set me down and untied the knots of her robes as well.

"Come along, boy. You should be undressing as you walk too."

"Yes."

I untied the knots of my martial robes and loosened the drawstring of my trousers. Ahead of me, the two Taoists revealed their sleek naked bodies as they entered the cottage.

I stripped completely and was pulling off my underwear when Jwa Ja turned around and approached.

By modern standards, she looked to be in her mid-to-late thirties.

Her hair was bound up with a topknot crown and a phoenix hairpin, the rest cascading down her back.

She looks like she's in her thirties, and damn—she's a beauty too. Especially those eyes...

I appraised her figure: D-cups, hips around thirty-five inches. A shame she wasn't a blank slate, though.

"What is this?"

As I pulled off my underwear, Jwa Ja glanced down at my cock, smiled with satisfaction, then picked up the underwear and examined it closely.

"Huh. An item from the future. Have you slept with the Southern Flower Elder?"

"What? No. My ability is obtaining items from other worlds."

"Heh heh. I'll pay you well for underwear like this—bring me a hundred sets later."

She didn't react with shock the way Jia Xu had. The name of the Southern Flower Elder came up again, and all she wanted was a hundred sets of underwear.

U Gil opened the cottage door and called out.

"A hundred for me too!"

"Yes."

I pulled a measuring tape from my Subspace.

"A Subspace as well? Just what are you..."

"I remember my past life."

Both women's eyes went wide. They looked at each other and exchanged whispers.

I approached Jwa Ja first.

"To buy undergarments, I need your measurements. Underbust, bust, and hips."

Jwa Ja took the tape and she and U Gil measured each other. They called out the numbers—and sure enough, their figures were as fine as their faces.

Jwa Ja: D-cup, 35-inch hips.

U Gil: C-cup, 36-inch hips.

With the slave contract, their hips would swell to a full D-cup and thirty-nine inches anyway. The important measurement was the underbust.

I purchased a hundred sets of underwear each, sized for the dimensions they would transform into. Since they wouldn't be wearing them immediately, I openly bought the larger sizes.

On average, a top-and-bottom set came to 1 MB—Mana Bronze—about a hundred thousand won. Why so expensive?

"How much? There must be a purchase price."

Jwa Ja and U Gil held the underwear against their bodies, delighted.

U Gil's bra still sat a little loose, but she didn't notice.

They stretched the sports bras and sports panties, smiling even more brightly.

"On average, top and bottom together run about half a qian of gold."

"Hmm. Fair enough. This soft texture... compared to silk undergarments, it's actually quite a bargain."

Jwa Ja waved her hand and gold nuggets dropped to the floor. U Gil opened a drawer and poured gold from a pouch.

They brought out a scale and began weighing, then each handed me five hundred qian—a thousand qian total—in gold.

I touched the gold, drew it into my Subspace, and immediately sold it through the Dimensional Shop. Jwa Ja watched the entire process.

"Well then. Payment's settled. Is there anything you want?"

"Pardon?"

"If it's something you name and it's within my power, I'll give you talismans."

U Gil stepped closer and added:

"I'm not skilled with talisman arts, but... hmm. Spirit pills? I'll give you specially crafted spirit pills that will help you awaken your qi with ease. Twenty should do, yes? Share them with your women as well."

U Gil was already pulling a small wooden box from her spatial pouch and holding it out, so I quickly reached for it, opened the lid, took out one of the black pills, and swallowed it.

A surge of heat raced down my throat and settled in my abdomen, where I could feel it begin to rotate.

No pain—just a cool, pleasant sensation spinning in my belly before dispersing through my entire body.

U Gil came over, took my wrist, and nodded.

"Boy. The medicine is taking full effect. How can a person absorb a full ten-tenths of it raw like that?"

"Thank you, Lady U Gil."

I stored the wooden box in my Subspace and turned my thoughts to the talismans Jwa Ja had offered. My women could undergo body modification, but when my mind drifted to the bitches, I recalled how unreliable that process had been.

"By any chance—do you have talismans that permanently remove genital hair and restore the color to a pink hue?"

"Hohoho. Is that all? Will such things truly satisfy you?"

"I'd also love talismans that enlarge breasts, induce milk production, widen the hips, restore youth, and so on."

The atmosphere suggested she might grant more.

So for the sake of the women who couldn't undergo body modification, I rattled off request after request for various talismans.

Jwa Ja clicked her tongue and rapped me on the head with her knuckles.

Thonk.

She shook her head and held up three fingers.

"Pick exactly three from among those. I'll send a hundred of each into your Subspace."

Jwa Ja pulled a talisman from her own Subspace and handed it to me.

"This is..."

"A talisman that links to your Subspace. I can't take anything from it, so don't worry. But I can pass items to the area around that talisman."

I stored the talisman in my Subspace and deliberated.

"A hair-removal talisman, a youth-restoring talisman, and a talisman that restores the color and form of the areolae, anus, and pussy—and maintains that form."

"Tsk. Greedy little thing. That's not three things, but I'll allow it. The depilation talisman; this one that makes you ten years younger per sheet, no stacking—call it the Hoechunbu; and the rest... what shall we call it? Let's say the Coloring Talisman. Fine. I'll send a hundred of each. And if you purchase things for us like this again later, I'll give you another hundred of the same talismans—or different ones."

"Thank you, Lady Jwa Ja."

The piles of underwear vanished into their respective spatial storages, leaving only one sports underwear set each.

The temperature in the room had grown sultry. Jwa Ja was the first to settle demurely onto the bed.

She stretched a hand toward me, a seductive smile on her lips.

"Come here, child."