Namgoong Juhee's Second Runaway
This was Namgoong Juhee's second runaway in life. What the hell?
The first one was back when I was still a fine upstanding citizen of Korea. I bombed an exam, holed up in a PC bang for a day, and that was it. Then I got my ass beat red.
That's when I learned my lesson. If you're gonna run away, do it right.
So Namgoong Juhee just kept walking. She crossed mountains and rivers along the way. Every now and then, bandits popped up like special events.
This really proved games were just games—beating bandits actually dropped loot money. Mostly silver taels, sometimes even gold. Her pouch got fatter by the day.
Plus, bandit dens saved on lodging costs. If those defeated thugs could see her crashing there, they'd freak. How the hell does a dainty young lady sleep in a dump like this?
Her body might've been dainty, but her mind wasn't. Two years of military life had turned her into someone who could sleep anywhere. A bandit den? Decent digs.
Four days like that. After crossing one lake, Hefei appeared.
Namgoong Juhee knew of Hefei, sure. Not from Central Plains common knowledge, but modern Korean trivia.
"Oh, isn't this Sun Quan's turf?"
That was about the extent of her reaction. Big city or not, it didn't impress a modern girl. No matter how tall these primitive Central Plains buildings got, could they match the skyscrapers towering in Jamsil?
She gave the city a quick once-over, then her eyes lit up. What caught her gaze? A tavern with the liquor character hanging out front.
Perfect timing—she was starving. Four days of nothing but bandit jerky. But she'd looted enough cash from them. Time to stuff her face.
With that in mind, she glanced at the wanted posters by the village edge a few times, then bolted straight for the inn.
"Welcome—"
The greeting dragged out as she stepped in. The guy's nose was red enough you couldn't tell if he was staff or customer.
Namgoong Juhee didn't care. If the food's so good it enchants the staff, I'm in for a feast.
"Yeah, can I get a menu?"
"A menu? What's that?"
"You don't know menu? Come on, dude."
"No dish like that here."
"No! I mean, bring the list of dishes and prices!"
"You're a weird one. We don't have that stuff."
Namgoong Juhee stared, dumbfounded like she'd been slapped. No menu in a restaurant? Did this place even want to do business?
But nope, she was wrong again. Primitive Central Plains had no such thing as menus.
Makes sense—menus are useless if folks can't read. Hanja was brutally tough. Commoners scraping by had no time for literacy.
"Ugh, damn it."
She scratched her head furiously. Nothing like this back home with our glorious Hangul.
"Fine, so how do you order here?"
The waiter eyed her up and down. Fancy clothes, bloodstains here and there, refined looks mixed with immature speech.
Some naive swordswoman from a noble house, clueless about the world. Looks loaded, but ripping her off might bite us later. Recommend the pricey stuff.
"We just butchered a pig today. Got the foreleg left—gonna braise it slow with soy sauce, then flambé with liquor at the end for extra flavor and aroma. Perfect for a heroine of the jianghu."
"Ooh, sounds good. I'll take that!"
Pig trotters with a booze torch show. Mouthwatering just hearing it.
"Liquor too? My pick's Yeomseo wine. Hefei specialty—folks come back just for it."
"Yeah, need booze. Hongso pork and Yeomseo whatever. Hook me up."
The waiter nodded, then bellowed:
"One Hongso pork! One Yeomseo wine!"
Drunk as he was, his order call was on point. Like yelling "Dom Pérignon!" in a host bar back home. Never been, but that's the vibe Namgoong Juhee got.
"Here, Yeomseo wine. Food's about two quarters of an hour—start sipping."
Thirty minutes? Takes forever. Still, she took the cup. Nothing else to do.
"Whew—this is it."
Sweet, smooth glide down the throat. Classic Chinese baijiu style. Felt like Nanta Goguryeo booze.
Perfect drinking snack? Eavesdropping. Fun hearing gossip, plus worldly updates.
Right on cue: "Hey, listen up."
It brushed her ear. Folks who ignored the waiter's shout earlier. What juicy story had them whispering? She perked up.
"You know? This generation's next-gen disciples got so many pretty girls."
Oho. Namgoong Juhee mentally high-fived. Exactly her jam.
"If you're hyping Murim's Five Flowers or whatever, cut it. What if a righteous sect guy's nearby?"
"Hear me out. Who's better at spotting girls than me?"
"That's your problem—girl-spotting only. Ever bedded one without assault?"
"……."
The sleazy guy's mouth clamped shut. Assault? Probably joking. She listened quietly. Juhee thought.
"Sigh. Yeah, what do I know about rating girls? Sorry. Let's just drink."
"Heh heh! Come on! Just kidding."
Kidding? So his taste ran young. Her eyes narrowed.
Truth was, most guys in primitive Central Plains liked 'em young. Fifteen was adult here; girls married and popped out kids before that. Unwed at twenty? Spinster. Not weird tastes.
Anyway. The guy opposite stroked his beard, pretending no hard feelings. Eager to talk now. She perked up again.
"Fine… Start with Sichuan Dangga."
"Sichuan's far off, so safe enough."
"Dang Hwaeun of Sichuan Dang. Classic cute-face beauty. Modest chest, wide hips—prime wife material."
Namgoong Juhee filed it away. Sichuan Dangga's Dang Hwaeun.
Dang girls were tradition-breaking powerhouses. Not in martial arts, but heroine status. She knew it well. Someday I'll check out those modest tits.
"Dang Hwaeun's famous. Next?"
"North Sea Ice Palace's Eun Yerin. Wild one. Mysterious white hair, waist so fragile it'd snap. Her icy smile? Makes you worry the city walls might melt."
North Sea Ice Palace—heroine factory. So many cool-dere beauties. Lately mixed with Russian vibes for blondes. She memo'd Eun Yerin.
"No North Sea folks here anyway. Yerin's famous. Next?"
"Skip Eonha Merchant Group's young leader."
"You psycho! You know Yi Hayeon showed up in Hefei?"
"That's why I'm whispering. Listen."
Eonha's Yi Hayeon? Merchants' daughters count as next-gen now? She noted it, swallowing questions.
"Heh heh, now the real deal. Nobody knows this—not even if she's next-gen."
"What bullshit you spouting."
"Hear me out, heh… Ugh, drooling already."
Namgoong Juhee gulped. Previous ones were thrilling enough. This topped them? Dopamine jackpot incoming.
"First, tits like whoa. Not just big… like sexiness molded into boobs? Hottest rack I've seen."
Sexiness sculpted into breasts. Poetic trash—her favorite flavor.
"Next, ass. Damn, that soybean paste jar needs painting for posterity. Perfect birthing hips. Slap it once? Dream come true."
She nodded. Big hips? Timeless beauty staple.
"Finally, face. Listen… No beauty beats her. Petite apricot lips, pearly whites, perky nose, eyes… fresh yet cold. You know just looking."
Kya. Summary alone screamed ultimate babe.
This guy was way more hyped than for Dang Hwaeun or Eun Yerin. Passion levels different. I gotta meet this woman.
"So who is she?"
"Quiet. Her clan's not far. Total pushovers now, though."
"Spit it out."
"Namgoong Juhee, daughter of the Namgoong family head. Don't blab. Overheard climbing Cheonju Mountain by chance."
What the? It's me. Namgoong Juhee muttered.