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The moment I set foot on the island, something felt off.
The sea breeze carried the faint scent of gunpowder and deceit. Ryukyu wasn't just some peaceful maritime nation anymore. It had become a powder keg floating between the great powers of Cheonje, Japan, and the distant Ming remnants. And I, Han Young-hoo, had just walked straight into the middle of it like an idiot.
Why the hell did I agree to this?
I adjusted the collar of my loose hemp robe, trying to look like some wandering scholar instead of the guy who accidentally became one of the most dangerous men in this alternate world. My body still wasn't fully used to the insane martial arts this vessel possessed. Every time I took a step, I could feel the qi circulating through my meridians like it had a mind of its own.
A group of local officials approached me on the dock. Their smiles didn't reach their eyes.
"Welcome, esteemed guest from Cheonje," the lead official said in heavily accented Korean. "The king has been eagerly awaiting your arrival."
I forced a polite smile. "The honor is mine. Though I must say, your welcome seems a bit... armed."
Indeed, the soldiers behind them weren't carrying ceremonial spears. Those were real combat weapons, and the way they gripped them suggested they knew how to use them.
The official's smile tightened. "Merely a precaution. There have been some... disturbances lately."
Disturbances my ass. I knew exactly what this was. Someone had leaked my itinerary. Probably that snake from the Ministry of Rites back in the capital. Or maybe it was the Japanese faction trying to stir up trouble. Either way, this wasn't a diplomatic visit anymore. It was a trap.
As we walked through the narrow streets of the port city, I kept my senses sharp. The System had been suspiciously quiet ever since I crossed the sea. Usually it would be spamming me with notifications about hidden dangers or quest opportunities, but now? Nothing.
That's never a good sign.
We arrived at what looked like a guest residence, but the architecture screamed "prison with nice curtains." Thick walls, limited windows, and I could sense at least three different groups of watchers positioned around the perimeter.
The official bowed slightly. "Please rest here. His Majesty will summon you at the appropriate time."
The moment the door closed behind me, I dropped the polite act.
"Alright, you piece of shit. Show yourself."
I spoke to the empty room, but I knew someone was listening. The faint smell of perfume in the air told me exactly who.
A soft laugh came from behind a folding screen in the corner. A woman emerged, wearing traditional Ryukyuan attire that somehow managed to look both elegant and deadly. Her eyes sparkled with dangerous amusement.
"My, my. The famous Reclusive Master doesn't waste time with pleasantries, does he?"
Princess Akari. Or at least, that's what the intelligence reports had called her. The king's favorite daughter and the mastermind behind half the maritime piracy operations in the East Sea. She was supposed to be in the capital, not here playing games with me.
I crossed my arms. "You know, most people send a letter when they want to meet. Not an entire naval blockade disguised as a diplomatic invitation."
She stepped closer, close enough that I could see the intricate patterns of coral and pearl woven into her hair. "Letters can be intercepted. But you... you came anyway. Why is that, I wonder?"
Because my damn yandere fiancées back home would have burned down half the peninsula if I refused a royal summons. But I wasn't about to tell her that.
"Curiosity," I lied smoothly. "And maybe I wanted to see if the rumors about Ryukyu's famous hospitality were true."
Akari's laugh was like wind chimes made of razor blades. "Hospitality? Oh, Master Han. We're way past that now."
She snapped her fingers, and the room's atmosphere changed instantly. The hidden presences around the building revealed themselves. Elite warriors. Not the regular soldiers I'd seen earlier. These were the real deal.
I felt my qi respond automatically, flooding my dantian with power. The lazy part of me that just wanted to go back to my mountain and sleep for three days was screaming in protest, but the survival instincts were louder.
"So this is how it's going to be?" I asked, cracking my neck. "No tea? No polite conversation about trade routes? Straight to the assassination attempt?"
"Who said anything about assassination?" Akari's eyes gleamed. "I simply want what every woman in the eastern seas seems to want lately."
She took another step forward, and I suddenly realized this wasn't just political maneuvering.
"I want you, Han Young-hoo. Body, mind, and that ridiculous amount of power you're carrying around. And I'm willing to sink half the Ryukyu islands to get it."
Oh for fuck's sake.
Another yandere. Just what I needed.
The warriors moved in perfect formation, cutting off all escape routes. But they didn't attack. Not yet. They were waiting for her signal.
I sighed deeply, feeling the familiar weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders. The same weight that had dragged me out of my comfortable reclusive life and into this mess of politics, romance, and increasingly complicated harem situations.
"You know," I said conversationally as I began circulating my qi through the Heavenly Demon's Reversal Technique, "I really should have just stayed home and napped."
Akari smiled like a shark that had just smelled blood.
"Too late for that, Master. Welcome to Ryukyu. Try not to die too quickly. I have so many plans for us."
The first warrior lunged forward, blade gleaming in the afternoon light.
And just like that, the trap sprang shut.
But they had no idea who they were dealing with.
I might be lazy. I might be surrounded by obsessive women who made my life hell. I might have been isekai'd into this body against my will.
But I was still the Reclusive Master.
And nobody, not even a cunning Ryukyuan princess with a fleet of pirate ships and a serious case of yandere tendencies, was going to keep me from protecting what was mine.
Qi circulation reversed. All incoming attacks will be absorbed and converted into explosive counter-force. Warning: Side effects include temporary personality inversion and extreme bloodlust.
Time to show these island bastards why they should have just left me alone on my mountain.