The Impartial (俠義)
I woke up just as the sky was beginning to turn pink.
I carefully pushed Se-ryeong, who was sleeping tightly curled against my chest, away from my arms and stepped down from the bed.
For some fresh air, I opened the windows.
In the courtyard, Ye-hwa was swinging her sword with powerful, fluid movements.
I let Se-ryeong sleep a little longer and left the bedroom, heading downstairs to the first floor.
I grabbed a towel from the bathroom and stirred a glass of cold water with a generous spoonful of honey.
I stepped outside.
Just as I did, Ye-hwa was finishing her final flourish in a dazzling sword dance, spinning like a whirlwind.
“Hyup!”
With a short shout, she thrust her foot forward and thrust her sword straight at me.
Even though she hadn’t drawn internal energy into the blade, a faint wind stirred.
The morning sunlight shattered through her flowing golden hair, and the sight was breathtakingly beautiful.
I stepped closer and offered her the towel and the honey water.
“......”
She looked at me with a slightly awkward expression, then lowered her head a little.
“Thank... you...”
She hung the towel around her neck, took the glass with both hands, and sipped it with perfect manners.
Then she blinked in surprise and said, “It’s sweet...”
“I added a little honey. It helps with fatigue, so drink it all.”
She drank it down with a faint awkwardness, but still finished the entire glass.
“Working hard since morning.”
As I wiped the sweat from her face and neck with the towel, she answered.
“Yes. Because of you, there’s one more reason I have to get stronger.”
Her voice carried a faint edge.
“Are you after revenge one year from now, like Se-ryeong?”
“Of course. Why? Are you finally getting scared?”
“...No particular reason. From my side, seeing the spark in those slave girls’ eyes while taming them is kind of fun.”
I grinned teasingly to provoke her, but she shot me a cold stare.
“That arrogance will choke you someday.”
“Ha ha. Keep trying.”
She glared at me for a moment, then gave me a strangely complicated expression.
“I heard it from Se-ryeong. Your real name is the Muwon Assassin.”
“What? You know my name?”
“The ruthless killer from Hebei who slaughters the arrogant without distinguishing between official envoys and Murim warriors. His methods are so vicious and mysterious that no one dares hold a grudge against him, hence the name Muwon Assassin. And because of him, the innocent common people’s resentment against the oppression of the sect and Murim is quelled.”
That was a surprise.
I’d heard before that Ye-hwa had known about me even before we met.
But I never imagined she’d known my reputation even in this early stage when it barely reached beyond Hebei Province.
“Although this lowly assassin stands before the world’s strongest late-stage powerhouse, the Sword Empress, the honor is mine.”
“You spared the innocent weak and only cut down the ruthless strong. We quietly respected you, thinking you were a bit extreme but still understood the righteousness of the xia.”
Why the respect? I felt strangely embarrassed.
“But... the Muwon Assassin I respected no longer exists. There’s only the villain who deceives innocent women, blackmails them, and forcibly takes their bodies.”
Disappointment dripped from her eyes.
I continued playing the cold slave owner, feeling a pang of guilt in my chest.
“Funny. Whether the slave girls respect me or feel disappointed about me doesn’t matter. But let me say this: I haven’t changed. I was always like this.”
I had never cared about xia (righteousness) or yi (justice).
I hadn’t killed bad guys to save the weak suffering ones.
The stronger and more vicious the bad guy, the richer the loot and the more fun it was to kill them.
I stepped a little closer to her while saying that.
“I killed those bastards, took their wealth, treasures, secret manuals, and pills, and used them to grow stronger until I reached this point. But even so, it wasn’t enough. No matter how much I killed and stole, the thirst inside me never went away.”
“So you’re using underhanded means to become the number one in the world?”
“Yeah. If I could get the honor that a guy like me normally couldn’t have no matter what I did, maybe I could finally quench that burning thirst.”
Of course, it was all an act.
The thirst that used to torment me was long since filled by the regression-era Se-ryeong and Ye-hwa.
Still, why keep pretending?
It was because of their pre-regression request to play the role of a bad man obsessed with deficiency, clinging desperately to them.
My acting wasn’t bad, because the contempt in her eyes when she looked at me had noticeably softened.
And even a trace of pity flickered.
“If only someone had guided you to the right path... even if it was just us meeting a little earlier...”
“How bold. As a slave, who are you feeling sorry for now?”
What the hell? I hadn’t planned to say that. Why was my mouth moving on its own?
Had I accidentally swallowed the setting?
Come to think of it, this version of me had always been irritably sensitive in temperament.
Maybe that’s why.
With her heart large and warm, Ye-hwa scolded my rude behavior without hesitation and calmly said, “As your slave, I will offer my advice. Pursuing only raw strength won’t make you number one in the world. An absolute strong man without righteousness becomes nothing but a public enemy of the world.”
Hoo, it had been a long time since I talked to Ye-hwa like this.
To hide my emotion, I answered bluntly, “I said I had no interest in righteousness.”
“It’s not difficult. Just listen a little. Righteousness means upholding justice anywhere and anytime, regardless of one’s own safety or the balance of power.”
“Then what is justice?”
“Yi is the great aspiration for the sake of the world. It doesn’t have to be grand. If you want to do anything that makes the world better than it is now, that is yi.”
“In other words, to be called number one, you have to do good deeds for others and manage your reputation. Is that it?”
“Hoo ho, that’s not entirely wrong either.”
Ye-hwa covered her mouth and smiled sweetly.
“Most Murim warriors live with only that shallow understanding of xia. But don’t think xia is only for the sake of others. You are also part of the world. In the end, things done for the world are also for you.”
“Empty talk. Not my taste.”
“But it can be the very belief that fills someone’s entire life. Perhaps that immense belief in encompassing the world could fill the thirst you can’t satisfy with small pleasures.”
A nostalgic memory surfaced.
When we first met in my regression life, she had said exactly the same thing and reached out her hand to me.
Even though the history had changed and all the times we spent together became only my personal memories, she standing right here in front of me was definitely Ye-hwa.
That thought calmed my heart, and I unconsciously let a loose smile slip out.
Ye-hwa blinked a few times in obvious surprise.
“You know how to smile like that...”
“Is that weird?”
“Ah, no... I just... you seem different... um. Anyway, please listen to my advice.”
“I’ll take it. Pretending to be fooled, I’ll try following your words.”
“Really? Thank you, Master.”
Because of my answer, Ye-hwa smiled with genuine joy.
The atmosphere of the conversation that followed became quite warm.
“Is there anything I can do to make living here uncomfortable?”
“Nothing at all. The room is perfect, the food is delicious, snacks and free time are plenty, and I’m not lonely with Se-ryeong here. It sounds silly saying that... but compared to the living standard, it’s way better than living alone in the temple.”
“I’m glad.”
“Still... I feel a little uneasy... I’ve heard stories where the girl who was kidnapped by a lustful colorist was taken in by extreme care and rescued as if she had fallen in love, yet she still defended her captor. Is that what you’re after?”
Of course it was Ye-hwa.
The core of the taming plan my future self had designed, she had already seen through it.
I kept my expression as blank as possible while she sharpened her gaze to read my inner thoughts.
“It’s just treating my precious slave with precious care. As her mind and body stabilize, the efficiency of the Gyo-hwang-yu-cheon-sim-beop rises, so I have no choice but to make her life as convenient as possible.”
“I see. Maybe it’s better than bad.”
She muttered bitterly, but I had nothing more to say, so I decided to just enjoy the view and watch her closely.
The way her sweaty clothes clung to her body was incredibly sensual.
Especially the chest area.
They weren’t watering fruits just to sell them juicier.
The aroma was also richer than usual.
Thinking I wanted to enjoy it properly, I leaned in closer to her chest.
She recoiled with a disgusted expression.
Before I could scold her for frowning, she struck first.
“I’m getting sweaty and uncomfortable. I should take a bath right now. Then I’ll be going.”
She turned and walked briskly toward the house.
I watched her disappearing back, then followed quietly.
I waited for her to come down from her room with the clothes she’d change into, then trailed behind her.
Standing in front of the bathroom door, she turned back to me with a stiff, rigid expression.
“...Why... are you following...?”
I answered with a bright laugh.
“Because I can’t wait to see your lewd body drenched in sweat. I was going to take you right here in the bathroom.”