The Upper Dantian's Ability
Namgoong Juhee walked on.
Normally, her mind would have been blank. She probably would have just kept strolling, figuring another assassin like the one from before might show up.
But the Namgoong Juhee in the middle of her period was different.
Why had the Galaxy Caravan Master ordered an assassination that was doomed to fail? If he'd really wanted to poison her, he could've killed her far more easily.
After a moment's thought, she concluded that the caravan master was toying with her.
"What a sick hobby."
Namgoong Juhee snorted a laugh and came to a halt.
In the middle of the back alley where the chicken skewer vendor had fled. Strangely, it was a spot devoid of any human presence.
"……Time to come out, yeah?"
At the sound of Namgoong Juhee's voice, five masked men revealed themselves.
That's right—ninjas had appeared out of nowhere.
If Namgoong Juhee had been in peak condition, she might have despaired. In games, ninjas were like unstoppable natural disasters; you just had to die when you met one.
"Hoo… five of them. This isn't even a joke anymore."
But to the current Namgoong Juhee, ninjas were just ninjas.
Just five guys. Sure, each at the Peak realm, so it was dangerous—but only that dangerous.
Instinctively, she realized their combined might fell short of her own. This was known as the upper dantian's ability, a skill only a tiny fraction of Peak realm masters could wield. No one had ever sensed it at the tender age of twenty, as far as records went.
"Ha. So full of yourself."
One of the ninjas, oblivious, dropped from the wall and crossed his arms. As if he could slice her down anytime he wanted.
"Did you really think you could make an enemy of the Caravan Master and live?"
Giggling laughter followed the man's words, but Namgoong Juhee just stared silently.
The five ninjas were convinced she was terrified, too scared to speak. And it wasn't a hasty judgment—five Peak realm experts were a threatening force against anyone. Even combining all of Namgoong clan's Peaks only gave five, and the Hwangbo clan, second among the Five Great Families, barely scraped together thirty. No matter how talented Namgoong Juhee was, she couldn't beat five of them. It was only natural.
"……Five."
"What the—?"
Namgoong Juhee's hand dipped into her sleeve, and two objects shot out at blinding speed.
Thwuck!Crunch!
One was a chopstick that pierced one ninja's palm clean through. The other, a silver needle, punched through another's palm and into the fatty lump behind his eyeball. The fluid leaking from his nose wasn't snot—it was brain fluid.
"……Guhk."
No Peak realm or otherwise could survive that. Unless they'd mastered some technique to live with their brains spilling out.
"Four now."
"You crazy bitch!"
As one ninja drew his sword, Namgoong Juhee's Noksu Sword danced.
The Luk Hap Sword, Huashan's foundational sword art meant to teach speed and illusion—that was the common view.
But in the hands of a Peak realm master, even the basics held different power.
For an instant, a thick floral scent tickled her nose, followed by a slash!—then it turned to the metallic tang of blood. Three times over.
Soon, one ninja's head flew free. True swift sword! The remaining three stared, mesmerized by the speed despite themselves.
"Three."
At her sweet voice, the three ninjas' eyes bulged.
They bellowed in fury.
"Group attack! Group attack! Kill that bi—!"
The classic moment when focus breaks? Mid-sentence.
This time was no different. Namgoong Juhee flung the silver needle she'd recovered earlier.
It lodged straight in the man's throat. All that came out were gurgling moans.
"Two."
At this point, the numbers game was irrelevant. Three down in a flash against five—what difference would two make?
The two ninjas turned tail without a word, using the excuse of reporting back to their master that Namgoong Juhee was stronger than expected.
But that was a poor choice.
Namgoong Juhee's silver needles ignored distance, and nothing was easier to kill than a foe showing their back.
Just like that—pick.
Her needle pierced one ninja's neck.
"Kuhuhu… Impressive, truly impressive!"
From afar, an old man approached slowly.
He carried a massive sword, but whether it was ornamental or not, he'd killed the last ninja with his fingernail. No hesitation—he jammed fingers into both eyes and ripped the head off. Withered as he was, his strength was impressive. Namgoong Juhee eyed him steadily, thinking that.
"You're the Galaxy Caravan Master."
"Hm? You're different from the rumors. I expected curses the moment we met."
"I can do that if you want."
The caravan master guffawed, gazing at Namgoong Juhee.
Her icy beauty, the chill aura surrounding her. A faint madness in her eyes made him flinch for a moment.
Just looking into those eyes felt like she'd devour him.
This was the upper dantian's ability again—a rare skill for sensing an opponent's realm instinctively or detecting danger ahead. For him, it was the latter.
The caravan master wiped the smile from his face and snapped his fingers.
"Ninjas… ninjas, huh. Quite a few of them."
Then, more ninjas surrounded Namgoong Juhee and the caravan master.
Roughly twenty, all Peak realm without question.
"A merchant must be good at calculations, after all."
"That's what Yi Hayeon always says."
"Hm, she's my daughter, after all. I always had the Iron Fist Warriors pass it on. Adopted, but she was something to be proud of."
As he spoke, the caravan master's face twisted.
His already deep wrinkles deepened further, making him look utterly grotesque.
"Her end was going to be beautifully staged. If Yeon had died by her benefactor's hand—what a gorgeous tale that would've been. A play I'd prepared meticulously for over a decade!"
"……."
"But you ruined it! And not content with that, you seduced Yeon and ended the caravan's power struggle in a whimper. You destroyed this old man's entertainment—all of it!"
"Hey."
Something whooshed! past the raging old man's eye.
"What the—."
"Don't call her Yeon."
A red line appeared on the old man's cheek, blood trickling down.
If Namgoong Juhee's aim had been a hair more precise, his long life would've ended right there.
"Ha! There it is—the real you! Pretending to be calm, but that's as far as it goes!"
"……."
"But it's not over! I'll let my men have their fun with you, then tear off your limbs and toss you to the pigsty! And show that sight to Yeon!"
"And then?"
"I'll savor her expression. The world's finest delicacy, no? I'm already looking forward to that beautiful face crumpling! Don't worry—I'll leave those pretty eyes intact so you can watch too. Far more merciful than Yechi did to that woman, no?"
Namgoong Juhee snorted a laugh.
Yechi, wife of King Yu, turning a woman into a human pig out of jealousy—the tale. In this barbaric Central Plains, it was the worst insult you could hurl at a woman.
But she laughed because it barely fazed her.
An old geezer his age, spouting such petty nonsense. If he'd lurked in the shadows, it might've been scary—but stepping out and yapping this much?
The more cornered people got, the more they talked.
Like cornered animals puffing up to seem bigger. Don't touch me, I'm scary.
"……Really? But you. For a merchant, your math skills seem kinda off."
"What bullshit is that?"
"What bullshit? Exactly that."
Namgoong Juhee let out a deep sigh, then swung her Noksu Sword wide.
At the same moment, the heads of the three Peaks encircling her flew.
Emperor Sword Form.
The Namgoong clan's heirloom sword art alone, rivaling the world's best anywhere.
Of course, it wasn't for meager inner energy… but Namgoong Juhee had consumed no small number of spirit elixirs lately.
Her stamina honed sharp through countless spars.
Finally, the foundation for her to wield the Emperor Sword Form perfectly was set.
"……Think twenty's enough? Should've been thirty—at least Iron Fist Warrior level."
A faint smile curved Namgoong Juhee's lips.
An icy smile that froze seventeen—no, twenty Peak realm masters solid.