The Siege
"Ah." How boring.
Why boring, you ask? Is there really room to be bored in a situation like this?
But what can I do when I'm actually bored out of my mind?
"Your hands have slowed down."
"My lord. It is fine for you to tease this low one, but please avoid my armpits. It tickles."
If I didn't even have a woman to hold and fondle by my side like this, I would have been dying of boredom. It had already been a month since I gave Jeongha a proper education and made her cry. I had somehow managed to soothe the weeping girl and tidy up the situation. I'd set up a decent base, scouted our positions, the enemy's positions, and even the forces dispatched by Kang So-ye. Honestly, we'd done everything except the actual fighting. Oh, and for the record, ever since Jeongha had that one good cry that day, she had become much more affectionate.
"Stroke me harder! Harder!"
"...Like this?"
"Mmh, not my breasts, my head. Scratch my horn gently with your fingernails too."
This girl—it was as if she had poured out all her shame along with her tears, because her demands had become incredibly bold. Perhaps that day's event had been too much of a shock, but her advances were no joke now. I gently scratched Jeongha's oddly shaped horn with my fingernails. *Scritch, scritch, scritch.*
"Mmm. Not bad."
"Sure, whatever you say."
She said that even as she squeezed her eyes shut, thoroughly savoring it. Normally, horns are hard, but as a monster and a warrior of the Qi Circulation realm, Jeongha's horn far surpassed the hardness of any ordinary animal's. Even on Earth, where no mysticism remained, wild animals' horns were the definition of hardness. Now imagine one infused with demonic qi. Its hardness alone was on par with a decent dharma treasure. I'd heard there was even a way to refine one's own horn into a dharma treasure itself, which honestly piqued my curiosity.
"That's enough."
Jeongha, who had been enjoying the vigorous head scratches, suddenly slipped out of my embrace as if nothing had happened. Her lingering scent wafted past the tip of my nose. Looking displeased, she turned to So-wol and urged her.
"What are you doing? You're a maid, get up already."
"I do not wish to. I like playing and resting. I prefer to stay here quietly, offering my breasts to be fondled, receiving my lord's love, and having treats popped into my mouth."
So-wol was shamelessly burying her face in my chest, lazing around.
"Eek! Get over here! You promised to train with me today!"
"Uaaaah. I don't want to. Please help me, my lord. Lady Jeongha is dragging me away."
"Have a good time."
"...Hmph."
"Hurry up!"
In the end, So-wol was dragged out whimpering by Jeongha. Jeongha needed to master and get used to her Qi Circulation realm, while So-wol needed to familiarize herself with the dharma treasures and talismans I had given her. Jeongha and I were one thing, but So-wol was still in the fragile Core Condensation realm. The only reason I had loaded her up with so many items was because I was worried about her.
"Maybe I shouldn't bring her along next time?"
If we were going to keep fighting Qi Circulation experts, Jeongha would be fine, but So-wol would definitely be a liability. Although the restriction sealing her cultivation had been lifted, it didn't magically grant her talent she never had. So-wol's talent was utterly mediocre. Neither her aptitude nor her comprehension was anything to write home about.
"Still, a lot of things really have changed."
I fell into deep thought as I stared up at the ceiling of our tent, which was quite luxurious in its own right. To think I now cherished Jeongha, whom I had once regarded as nothing more than a convenient, cheeky fleshlight. And as for So-wol, I had only recently learned that her dream was to live a completely useless, lazy life. Jeongha was incredibly hot when she cried, and So-wol had grown close enough to casually offer up her breasts and pussy without a second thought. Well, maybe a bit *too* close, which was its own problem. Sometimes I wished she would act a bit prickly like a cat, but now she was just thoroughly enjoying the sex itself. It was a good thing. A very good thing, but wasn't her adaptation speed a bit too fast? I suppose it was the perfect mindset for someone who believed in spending now and paying later. Then again, even I hadn't expected to reach the Qi Circulation realm this quickly. A Dokkaebi who should have lived the life of a common thug had now become a warrior of the family and a highly anticipated talent.
"If I want to become even more promising and make my future shine brighter..."
I had to work. And it had to be a massive score. As I said, I hadn't spent the entire month just playing around. Sure, for half of it, I did nothing but roll around with the girls like beasts, but I only did that because I knew we could afford to. Now that our rest was over, I planned to make a big move. I scratched my chin in thought for a moment, then reached out and pulled the breast of the woman standing beside me like a stone statue. "Bo-ah. What do you think?"
She had been standing there in the shadows of the tent, her presence so faint she might as well have been invisible. Bo-ah stared at me blankly with her dead, pitch-black eyes before finally opening her mouth. "In my opinion..."
Bo-ah. One of the four Qi Circulation warriors dispatched alongside me. She had taken a direct hit during the sudden ambush, leaving her entire body charred black and rigid—half-dead. The other bastards, rather than carrying around dead weight, had even tried to strip her of her belongings and extract her inner core. Since her injuries were severe enough to kill her even if left alone, their judgment hadn't been entirely wrong. Bo-ah should have died. Whether murdered by her own allies or groaning in agony until her wounds claimed her, her fate seemed set in stone. But when an incredibly suspicious virgin ghost intervened, the story changed.
"But I still called you a virgin, Granny. You should be grateful."
Always what? "Always been a virgin?"
"?"
"I wasn't talking to you."
With those final words, Ryeo-ah fell silent. Shrugging my shoulders, I pulled Bo-ah's breast closer. "Closer."
"...Yes."
Anyway, so what happened to Bo-ah? Unfortunately, the monster personality known as Bo-ah had been completely erased. According to Ryeo-ah, there was no point in leaving self-awareness inside a doll meant to serve as a vessel for incarnation, so she had wiped it clean. Well, it couldn't be helped. I had liked her because of her large breasts, but it seemed we weren't destined to be connected by our souls. Though our bodies were certainly connected like this instead.
"Fascinating."
I kneaded Bo-ah's massive mounds of flesh while pinching and stretching her cheek.
"...."
"That expressionless face isn't bad. It's hot."
Her soft cheek stretched out, and inside her mouth, a thread of saliva clung to the bright red mucous membrane, stretching along with it. The shell was perfectly intact. Only the shell, though.
"They say the mind follows the state of the body, and it really is true."
What remained of Bo-ah was literally just a shell. Just because the soul had departed didn't mean the body vanished. The memories left in the brain, the habits and actions engraved in the flesh, and the passage of time all remained intact. Of course, if it had truly been just an empty husk, she would have been no different from a vegetable, but Ryeo-ah had solved that problem. Thanks to that, Bo-ah was now in a very bizarre state. Ryeo-ah claimed she had created an artificial consciousness and soul for her, which sounded absolutely absurd to me even as I heard it. I mean, was that really something that could be made so easily? Having digested a portion of her power, Ryeo-ah had achieved a growth that was honestly quite terrifying.
"Is that really okay?"
Incredibly cruel, but it was hard to argue with her logic. In that case, I might as well use her exactly as intended. Let's organize my thoughts while fondling Bo-ah's breasts.
"First, the mine faction and Kang So-ye's forces are in the middle of a massive clash."
Furthermore, I had just confirmed the locations of their bases and strongholds. It seemed Kang So-ye's side had launched their attack first, tired of waiting for us to show up. Normally, they would have searched high and low for us, but they must have assumed we were wiped out. It wasn't an unreasonable assumption, considering our cloud ship—a genuine dharma treasure—had been destroyed. Bo-ah had proven the terror of a dharma treasure with her own body. Qi Circulation realm or not, one direct hit would lay you out flat. And so, with half of their team members missing right from the start, Kang So-ye's group project...
"Why the hell are they winning so easily?"
Surprisingly, they were on a massive winning streak. There were probably several reasons for this. For one, we had already taken out three of the mine's Qi Circulation experts, and Kang So-ye's side hadn't been ambushed. But watching their recent skirmishes made me realize something. *Ah, these guys are dead serious.* My sister had clearly said that only about three of Kang So-ye's people would show up. But who could have guessed that when we actually opened the lid, it would be three plus three? A whopping six Qi Circulation experts. The moment I saw that, it clicked. These bastards never had any intention of holding hands and cooperating with us from the very beginning.
"What is wrong with my sister?"
At the same time, I began to seriously doubt and worry about my supposedly rigid and chic sister. I mean, what the fuck? Why did something always go wrong every single time I took on a mission? First, there was a spy among our team members, then a place she sent me for an "easy mission" turned out to have a crazy ghost with a literal hypnosis app, and now her intelligence was full of holes. I was starting to wonder if her title as the "third candidate" was decided by her competence rather than her age—with her being the worst. That incompetent bitch. To screw me over this many times... I'll have to make her pay for this with her pussy...
"We're going to crash the party."
It turned out the mine faction had even more Qi Circulation experts of their own. Honestly, I wasn't even surprised anymore. When I get back, I really need to tell my sister to pay some damn attention to her information gathering. Lately, it had just been a tedious war of attrition. But even that wouldn't last long. If it dragged on, Kang So-ye's side wouldn't be able to hold out. There was a massive difference between the defenders who had set up bases and fortresses to live in, and Kang So-ye's team who had only brought a few ships. Moreover, this fight would end the moment the eldest young master's house arrest was lifted.
"They'll have to make a desperate gamble or launch an all-out offensive soon."
That's when we strike. The ones who must break through, and the ones who must defend at all costs. When they both sink their fangs into each other's throats—that will be our perfect window.
Jeongha was in the Qi Circulation realm, and Bo-ah was technically one too. On top of that, if things went south, I could just summon Ryeo-ah. More blood, more spirit stones, more loot. I could rake it all in like a madman.
This war, we can win it.
The tide of war was gradually tilting in Kang So-ye's favor. It had been leaning that way from the start, but luring out and killing one of the mine's Qi Circulation warriors had been a massive blow. The mine faction had lost numerous defensive outposts and fortresses built near the mine, and they were now pushed back all the way to the restriction right in front of the mine's entrance.
BOOM! An arrow larger than a wooden barrel flew in from the distance. It dissolved as it struck the grand barrier protecting the mine, but this was obviously not the end. Byeok-je, the chief administrator of the spirit stone mine, scratched his disheveled hair in frustration.
"This is driving me insane. I can overlook everything else, but they actually brought a precious siege-grade dharma treasure? If that thing gets damaged, even taking the spirit stone mine won't be profitable for them!"
Dharma treasures were notoriously difficult to manufacture in the first place, but those that could be wielded by someone in the Qi Circulation realm were even rarer. Unless placed in the hands of a Samgeuk master, they couldn't even unleash their true power. Furthermore, a dharma treasure that fired consumable arrows like that cost an astronomical amount of money just to craft a single bolt. To Byeok-je's eyes, they weren't shooting arrows; they were literally firing raw cash.
"Ha. Dammit. If only Gong Yo-gyo hadn't stupidly fallen into that trap."
In the end, only one option remained. Instead of letting the barrier break like this, they had to lure the enemy in. Then, they would activate the still-intact barriers and restrictions to strike them down in one fell swoop. Sucking his thumbs and waiting to see how long the barrier would hold would only delay their deaths by a fraction.
"Hey! Summon the other cultivators!"
"Yes, my lord!"
"And..." After a brief moment of hesitation, his eyes gleamed with a chilling light. "Bring the dharma treasure enshrined in the ramparts. I shall use it to sweep away those ruffians in a single blow."
"Pardon?"
"I said, bring it."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Unlike the enemy's, the dharma treasure on their side was merely on loan from the family. But with his life on the line, who cared about such details? Even if it broke, it was better than dying right now. Honestly, he desperately wanted to desert, but hadn't Gong Yo-gyo been killed while trying to flee? One could only desert after slaughtering everyone who might give chase. Soon after, Byeok-je summoned the remaining four Qi Circulation administrators.
*CRACK!*
"It broke!"
"Are you sure it broke?"
"What does it matter? Dragging this out will only disadvantage us. We have the dharma treasure, so let's just wipe them all out."
Six of Kang So-ye's Qi Circulation warriors stood aboard a ship carrying a massive ballista. No, perhaps calling it a ship carrying a ballista was incorrect. It would be more accurate to say they had attached a ship to a giant ballista.
"Let's leave just two people to guard this, and the rest of us will lead the men and charge in. It looks like they plan to lower the barrier, let us enter, and then reactivate it. If that happens, those outside can break it from the exterior."
"One guard is more than enough."
"Hey, if this thing gets destroyed, what do you think will happen to our heads?"
"Do you think a dharma treasure is called that for nothing? Even if we attacked it with all our might, we'd barely leave a scratch. The enemy has four, and you want only four of us to charge into a maw filled with traps and formations? You must have a few spare lives to throw away, huh?"
"Are you done talking?!"
"Yeah, I'm done. What are you gonna do about it?!"
"Please, you two, stop fighting. We have a crucial battle ahead of us."
"Who the hell are you?!"
"I am Master Bang, who has reached the late stage of the Qi Circulation realm and comprehended Ta-un. I am also the captain of this ship."
"My bad."
"I will guard this, so the rest of you go ahead."
"Why do you get to take the easy job all to yourself? Let's decide with rock-paper-scissors."
"I'm hungry. Can we eat before we fight?"
"I need to use the restroom."
"Then let's take a break and reconvene the meeting."
"Agreed!"
"Wait, everyone, hold on..."
Oh, heavens. Bang Jeo-ok, Kang So-ye's trusted subordinate and the captain of the ship, pressed his hand to his forehead, curses rising to the very tip of his throat. *My lord. How could the people you assigned as my comrades be such utter trash?* He couldn't help but think that the disrespectful saying "like master, like servant" fit them perfectly. Once cultivators reached the Qi Circulation realm, their egos tended to inflate massively, making them a massive pain to deal with.
"Good grief, my head... At least those bastards are good in a fight, thank goodness."
The only saving grace was that their side possessed overwhelming military strength. If they just stuck to a straightforward approach, they would win. All that remained was...
"The remnants of the Red Lotus Branch who died without accomplishing a single damn thing."
Those pests who had been eagerly watching for an opportunity lately. It would be wise to deal with them first.
"Hey! That's my sweet pastry! Don't eat it!"
*Clatter! Crash!* Hearing the sound of dishes colliding from the ship's galley, Bang Jeo-ok pressed his fingers against the throbbing veins on his forehead, trying to force them back down.