Lucky You – I Was Bored
You really stepped in it. Perfect timing—I was getting bored.
Namgoong Juhee had turned this world into her personal game, and that made her the clan's resident lunatic.
In your typical isekai reincarnation story, the protagonist possesses a scumbag's body and turns their life around through sheer virtue. The real payoff comes when all the haters who despised them start changing their tune bit by bit.
Back in her past life, Namgoong Juhee had devoured those kinds of novels. But for her, this new existence wasn't some dramatic reincarnation—it was a game. No need to fret over doomsday scenarios or kiss ass to fit in. This world was just a game, after all. All that mattered was chasing the fun.
Thanks to that mindset, now at nineteen, the reactions around her were straight out of any delinquent novel's opening act.
Loathing, disdain, outright mockery. Except for her doting-father Family Head, pretty much everyone saw her as the Namgoong clan's walking headache.
Can't blame them. She chugged booze like water every day and strutted around half-naked—what else could be the problem? Anyone else would've been excommunicated ages ago.
She got lucky. The Family Head was such a daughter-con he shielded her, making it impossible to kick her off the family register.
And even setting the Family Head aside, there were personal reasons why booting Namgoong Juhee out was tricky.
For starters, strip away the delinquent antics, and she didn't cause any real trouble. Sure, the drinking and total disregard for etiquette were issues in their own right.
Juhee spent most of her time in the training grounds. Treating the world like a game meant she saw training as essential grinding—no more, no less. She didn't view it as grueling or some dopamine killer. Hell, she'd even grown to enjoy swinging her sword.
Second, Namgoong Juhee had a knack for winning. Ever since picking up martial arts, she'd never lost a single bout.
It was bizarre. She didn't wield any peerless techniques, and her stamina was subpar at best. Yet just standing there made opponents piss themselves and bolt.
Losers testified that facing her made their bodies shrink in instinctive fear, like sword strikes were flying at them from all sides even when she hadn't moved. They had no choice but to bail from the sparring match, exhausted from their own terror.
The Family Head and elders scoffed at that. Killing intent wasn't some codified technique or aura. People just mistook overwhelming power for it. In the current martial world, true killing intent was a lost art. No way they could overhype her on flimsy claims.
Anyway. For these and other tangled reasons, Namgoong Juhee stuck around the Namgoong clan. A delinquent, sure—but one too valuable to discard.
"Selfish bastard! You trying to drag the Namgoong clan down with you?!"
Namgoong Juhee couldn't care less. It was the kind of scene that made you want to snap back, You should care more. Belting out songs in the communal training grounds drew every eye straight to her.
"Doing it again, huh. Shouldn't someone go warn her?"
"Like she'd listen to a warning."
"True, but her singing's not half bad, right?"
"Mm. Let's just leave her be. No point stirring up trouble."
Not every gaze burned with contempt, though. A few faces flushed, ears perked—subtle signs of appreciation.
It came down to her beauty.
Namgoong Juhee had only grown more alluring, never plain. Sweat-slicked red hair cascaded in waves, framing sharp, intellectual eyes that gleamed with quiet intensity. Her sly, fox-like smile sealed the deal.
And now that fox was singing. A melody no one had ever heard, delivered in a voice as clear and refreshing as mountain spring water.
Entertainment was scarce in this medieval China knockoff. Up on isolated Cheonju Mountain, where the Namgoong clan perched, it was nonexistent. Juhee herself was the main attraction—and the reason no one had cracked down on her yet.
"Miss."
Namgoong Juhee turned at the familiar voice. A girl about her age stood there, looking like any other servant.
"The Family Head summons you."
She was one of the elite attendants assigned only to direct bloodline members. A commoner might've squirmed, but Juhee's face stayed perfectly neutral. Fretting over every NPC ally would kill the fun of the game.
"Oh, thanks. Appreciate it."
"'Thanks'...? When are you planning to drop that weird slang?"
"Dunno. Maybe when someone starts getting it right away."
"So you're not planning to stop?"
"Oh, sharp one, aren't you?"
With that, Namgoong Juhee shrugged off her outer robe. Her slender shoulders gleamed in the light. The servant paled.
"Miss! I've told you a million times—dress properly!"
"Ah, it's fine. No biggie."
"Miss... Please, get a grip. How did someone so brilliant end up like this...?"
Hmm. Proper lady, huh. Namgoong Juhee hadn't gotten dumber—she'd just shifted perspectives. If anything, she felt sharper than her past-life self. Total overreaction.
As she slung her robe back on, a wave of hostile killing intent prickled from right beside her.
"Vicious bitch. A wench like you scrambling to become Family Head, huh?"
The sudden venom made Juhee and the servant whip their heads toward the source. There stood a handsome young man, jabbing a finger at the servant.
"You there. Lowborn scum."
"M-Me...?"
"Yeah, you. Sold your body to the Namgoongs for a shot at luxury, and now you look all smug. Why don't you two head to a brothel and peddle yourselves properly?"
Sexual harassment on top of the abuse. The guy had a silver tongue, alright. If she were still a naive nineteen-year-old girl, she might've blushed and called for her man.
Too bad for him. She'd done her military service, and age-wise, she'd just graduated high school. Child's play.
To a Korean, this was barely an insult. Compared to the trash talk and harassment she'd endured in games, it was practically a greeting.
So Namgoong Juhee just grinned. And murmured softly.
"Okay. You really stepped in it. Perfect timing—I was getting bored."
...
Namgoong Geon was the Namgoong clan's young master. Namgoong Juhee's big brother, too.
He had more going for him than just being the eldest. He'd reached the Peak realm, and his personality seemed impeccable on the surface. Decent looks made him prime material for leading a mid-tier sect.
No real rivals, either. The only standout was his quick-witted little sister, but she knew how to play nice. At least until six years ago.
Then that sister snapped, going full manic. Her behavior turned manly, and she picked up martial arts alongside booze. The real issue? She started haunting the training grounds nonstop.
Luk Hap Gong, Luk Hap Sword, Amhyang Pyo. Third-rate trash from Huashan's branch families. He'd figured she'd lose interest soon enough. At first.
But a year passed. Two. And today marked exactly six years. Namgoong Juhee hadn't missed a single day at the grounds.
That's when the thought crossed Namgoong Geon's mind: Is that bitch faking the idiot act on purpose?
Sharp insight. History was full of fools who played dumb to snag the throne. It even explained how his once-genius sister had suddenly "dulled."
Martial prowess mattered for becoming Family Head, but it wasn't essential. Even without top strength, she could schmooze the elders. Her looks made it plenty feasible.
Namgoong Geon wouldn't tolerate even a sliver of risk to his ascension. He resolved to exclude Juhee.
Easiest way: an "accidental" injury. Cripple her dantian, and no martial artist could recover. As good as killing her. He didn't even care if she actually died.
He'd handle it personally. Bait her into a spar at the right moment. Her skills seemed solid, but nothing special—first-rate at best, in his eyes.
The gap between first-rate and Peak was vast. That's why Peak masters earned the "master" label.
Channeling qi into your sword? Even talentless hacks could grind it out with enough effort. A total dullard might take a century; an average Joe, sixty years. Rare, but not mythical.
Peak was different. Cross that wall, and you didn't just infuse your blade—you could project qi. Shape it at will. That was sword qi.
Wielding sword qi marked superhuman territory. No longer mere mortal. Namgoong Geon couldn't possibly lose to Juhee.
Still, he was cautious. He waited for the perfect opening instead of charging in. When she showed weakness—that'd be the moment.
And today, it arrived.
Namgoong Juhee was drenched in sweat, utterly spent. Already stamina-weak, it was a fatal flaw for her.
Plus, she'd been summoned by the Family Head. Even a wild card like her would tense up. No way she could focus fully on a duel.
So he dropped his voice to a gravelly snarl.
"Vicious bitch. A wench like you scrambling to become Family Head, huh?"
Today, he'd shatter Namgoong Juhee's dantian. If not, he'd take her head. That's what Namgoong Geon thought.
A fatal miscalculation.