How to Tame the Future Heavenly Demon and Sword Empress (Part 2)
Ye-hwa extended both hands toward Se-ryeong in a gesture of formal surrender.
“I have been thoroughly defeated, Miss Dan. The world of the martial arts truly is vast. I am grateful for the enlightenment you have granted this frog in the well.”
“You fought very well, as well. You truly deserve my highest praise.”
Se-ryeong puffed up her chest with a smug expression.
Having become my slave, her Heavenly Demon self—slightly twisted at first—had been bent and restored to its original form in front of Ye-hwa, the once-in-a-generation genius recognized even in the righteous faction.
Whenever she gets like this, giving her backside a few playful slaps produces the cutest little sounds...
With a lingering glance at Se-ryeong’s tempting backside, I finished my meal and walked over to Ye-hwa.
“A magnificent duel, Miss Baekri.”
At my words, Ye-hwa answered in a far gentler tone than before.
“Thank you, Brother Jeok. It is truly a source of pride to have such a splendid martial sister like you.”
“Hahaha, it is more than this unnamed rural sect deserves.”
“You are being overly modest. Miss Dan’s talent is outstanding, but the martial arts you have shown are divine techniques rarely seen even among the nine great factions. I wonder why the reputation of your noble clan has never shaken the world.”
“As you can see, the martial arts required to attain great heights are so demanding that few geniuses have taken on the burden of their sect’s name and ventured into the jianghu.”
Se-ryeong glared at me with a stubborn pout.
According to the setting, this was the adorable younger-sister act of a virgin who was jealous of her senior sister getting along so well with another woman she liked. In reality, she simply disliked me stealing the Heavenly Demon’s supreme martial arts.
“However, Miss Baekri... I know this is presumptuous, but I would like to offer you one piece of advice.”
“Advice for me?”
“Yes. I was greatly impressed by the mysterious swordsmanship of the Heavenly Reverence Sword Empress who tames the chaotic flow of the jianghu. I only wish that you had boarded that flow yourself, as well.”
“...!”
Ye-hwa’s eyes widened, then immediately closed as she thought intensely about something.
I watched her quietly with a smile.
In the original timeline, this would have been a realization she would have gained on her own about a month later.
The final, tiny fragment she had desperately sought just before breaking through the invisible wall that blocked her path.
And it was the sweet bait—the gift I was sending her from the past through my previous self.
‘Back then, even though I had fully mastered the form of the Infinite Heavenly Sword, I was tormented by the feeling that something was still lacking. I was afraid that if I didn’t understand what it was, I would remain stagnant forever.’
The martial arts my grandfather left behind were everything to her at the time.
Her sole wish was to attain the Infinite Heavenly Sword and shine the name of Baekri Jong-gwon across the entire world.
That was why she swung her sword every day with the resolve to die, and only when she was on the verge of death did she finally break through the wall, as she said.
‘What if the person who offered her that decisive enlightenment in such a desperate situation was a schemer? Naturally, she would have wanted to repay him for the rest of her life. Hee hee hee, for the Heavenly Emperor, it would be far too easy to strip naked a single innocent girl who had completely let down her guard.’
While I was lost in my past recollection, Ye-hwa had fully claimed the enlightenment as her own and opened her eyes.
Her jade-colored pupils sparkled clearly.
Ye-hwa addressed Se-ryeong.
“Miss Dan, I am sorry, but could we have another duel?”
“Oh? It seems you have crossed the wall. Congratulations.”
Knowing how crucial the first moment of wielding one’s new understanding is for a warrior, Se-ryeong immediately accepted the challenge.
“With pleasure. I am also curious to see how much stronger your martial arts have become.”
They stood facing each other once again in the middle of the training ground.
“Duel begins!”
I declared, and Se-ryeong took the initiative again.
Kaang-!
An unchanging, fierce sword strike, yet Ye-hwa defended it effortlessly.
However, this time Ye-hwa did not merely use strength to deflect.
Whoosh—
Without opposing the opponent’s force, Ye-hwa was pushed backward.
Then, after a full spin in the air, she kicked off the ground and
Pa-bak!
Charging toward Se-ryeong like a warship riding the strong winds, she swung her sword with overwhelming momentum.
Kwaaang!
“Kyeuuk?!”
Se-ryeong was pushed back a full step by Ye-hwa’s unexpectedly heavy sword strike.
It was inevitable.
The move Ye-hwa had just demonstrated was the Vortex Stream Body of the Infinite Heavenly Sword—
Riding the opponent’s attack without opposing it, then using the force to redirect it, spinning the entire body in the opposite direction, and returning the enhanced strike to the foe.
Ye-hwa, who had truly understood the essence of the Infinite Heavenly Sword, had discarded her obsession with the form taught by her grandfather and created her own, original technique—Vortex Stream Body, a style unique to her.
Se-ryeong immediately grasped the principle and smiled brightly.
“How interesting! Let’s see how far I can receive your technique!”
Se-ryeong poured more inner energy into her sword and launched herself at Ye-hwa.
Watching her bravely endure Ye-hwa’s powerful counterattacks and unleash fierce assaults in return, an involuntary sigh of admiration escaped me.
“Ugh... Brother Jeok is truly extraordinary...”
Finally, Ye-hwa could no longer endure the inner energy burden and stopped using the Vortex Stream Body.
Se-ryeong laughed merrily and shouted,
“I won again this time!”
Se-ryeong was about to deliver the final blow with the Light and Shadow Fire Palm, but she was too hasty.
That was why she failed to notice that Ye-hwa had been waiting for exactly this moment.
In the brief opening created as Se-ryeong gathered her inner energy, Ye-hwa struck.
“Haat!”
The inner energy that had been spinning inside Ye-hwa condensed into tiny droplets at the tip of her sword,
Kwaaak-!
becoming a fierce torrent that engulfed Se-ryeong.
It was the technique of flooding and striking the heavens—strengthening the inner energy with the spinning power of the Vortex Stream Body and releasing it all at once at the decisive moment.
“Kyaaak!”
Se-ryeong was swept away by the Flooding Strike and tumbled wildly in the air.
She barely regained her balance just before hitting the ground, but she landed imperfectly and dropped to one knee.
“...I have lost. You have used an outstanding technique that I cannot deny.”
Se-ryeong, cleanly admitting defeat, extended her hands with a bright smile toward Ye-hwa.
“Thank you, Miss Dan! That was truly a magnificent duel.”
***
Now Ye-hwa treated me and Se-ryeong as precious guests rather than bothersome uninvited visitors.
Ye-hwa was not particularly talkative by nature, but after two years of living alone in the mountains, conversations naturally flowed when we met.
Time passed quickly while the three of us chatted.
In the meantime, we had lunch and dinner together, borrowed the bathhouse, and even took a bath.
“Brother Jeok~ Shall we bathe together?”
“I’m not a child. Why would you suggest bathing together? No.”
“Come on. Come here. Come, come~”
“Hehe, don’t cling to me. Get off. Get off!”
Se-ryeong, who had been caught by Ye-hwa and forced to bathe with her, emerged with a shocked expression and sent me a private message.
[Mad... her breasts... her breasts... H-heavenly Emperor, it seems this woman has... a lot of milk!]
[No milk. Don’t be rude to a virgin who hasn’t married yet.]
I gave Se-ryeong a few candied fruits and sat her quietly in a corner, then drank tea with Ye-hwa.
“I am deeply grateful, Brother Jeok. It was thanks to the enlightenment you gave me that I was able to break through the wall that had been blocking me for so long.”
Ye-hwa poured me tea herself and said.
“How can I ever repay this kindness... If there is anything you wish of me, please tell me. I will do my utmost to help you within my power.”
I smiled faintly at Ye-hwa, who had bitten my hook perfectly.
But it was not yet time to reel her in.
“How could one receive such great repayment with just a small piece of advice? It is more than enough that Miss Baekri simply remembers the name of this humble hero.”
“Please do not say such things. For a warrior, enlightenment is priceless and cannot be exchanged for gold. If I cannot repay such a rare favor and remain indebted, my heart will weigh heavily for the rest of my life.”
At that moment, I felt a sudden worry that her heart would grow even heavier if I pushed any further... a pointless concern.
“Then I shall not insist. Since Miss Baekri says so, I will be honest. There is one thing I would like your help with, Miss Ye-hwa.”
“What is it?”
“As you can see, I lack talent compared to Se-ryeong. I am a useless person who has not properly mastered the martial arts of my sect.”
“Please do not belittle yourself so. Miss Dan is simply exceptional, but you are certainly not ordinary. Moreover, your insight into martial arts seems far greater than mine or Miss Dan’s.”
“Thank you for the kind words. In any case, I am currently developing new martial arts to fill in my shortcomings. With the help of my adorable and kind junior sister, Se-ryeong.”
I smiled at Se-ryeong. She, who had been chewing candied fruit with sticky cheeks, bared her teeth and growled.
Ye-hwa seemed to think that Se-ryeong was simply embarrassed.
“The deep affection between senior and junior brothers and sisters is truly enviable. My side is a one-in-a-thousand transmission, so I have always envied those with senior and junior sisters.”
“Hahaha, I see.”
“However, you bringing up this topic with me... is it because you need my help in developing that martial arts?”
“As expected of Miss Baekri. Unfortunately, even Se-ryeong’s help is not enough to complete the martial arts. I cannot reveal the details, but... I need the assistance of someone with pure and clear inner energy, just like you.”
Ye-hwa answered without hesitation.
“Understood. I will gladly help.”
“Please make your decision carefully, Miss Ye-hwa. It will be far more difficult than you imagine. And if you should give up midway, I will be in serious trouble... so I hope you will give me a firm promise if you truly wish to help.”
“I understand what you mean.”
Ye-hwa immediately unfastened her sword belt and held it out before me.
“I swear on this White Ega inherited from my grandfather. Baekri Ye-hwa will dedicate this body to the utmost to complete Brother Jeok’s martial arts.”
The White Ega, which the orthodox Baekri Jong-gwon had once boasted was her own clone, possessed a weight equal to the Heavenly Demon’s oath Se-ryeong had made.
No matter how important the enlightenment had been, she was doing this much for a complete stranger she had just met today...
I, who had such a kind and sincere personality, was always the same whether twenty years later or now.
Thinking about how I was about to make this kind and honest Ye-hwa suffer right now made me feel a little bitter.
But it was too late to stop now.
“Then I will gratefully accept Miss Baekri’s reward.”
I took the Heavenly Emperor’s Sky Sutra manual from my bosom and handed it to her.
“This is the core inner cultivation technique that serves as the foundation of the martial arts I am currently developing. Please read it once.”
“A technique to tame phoenixes and reach for the sky... What an unusual name.”
Ye-hwa read the manual.
Soon her hands began to tremble slightly and her face flushed.
“Th-this... Brother Jeok... what... what is this...?”
Whoosh-!
I did not answer and struck like lightning.
Caught off guard by my complete lack of wariness toward me, she was paralyzed the moment my blood was drawn.
I smiled wickedly and whispered in her ear.
“What did I say? From now on, this naughty body of yours belongs to my exclusive cum rag.”