The Best Honey of My Life
Namgoong Juhee had come to one profound realization since her gender swap: for women, sweetness was a matter of utmost importance.
It was like a thrilling electric current surging through her entire body.
The moment something sweet touched her tongue, her lips curved up involuntarily, and the corners of her eyes crinkled. It finally made sense why her girlfriend back in her previous life had splurged on those ridiculously expensive desserts.
And so, Namgoong Juhee braved countless bees to claim her honeycomb.
Its glistening golden hue!
The faint, rising aroma of pure sweetness.
And that smooth yet intensely sugary taste!
Without a doubt, it was the best honey of Namgoong Juhee's life.
She wanted to devour it all by herself, but food always tasted better shared. Besides, wasn't her little bunny-like Dang Hwaeun waiting at home?
Namgoong Juhee clutched the honeycomb tightly to her chest and headed home. Was this how Dad felt coming back with a bag of fried chicken?
"Daddy's home."
She flung the door open, and there was her eldest daughter staring at her with utter disdain. The look was straight out of a moody high school girl's playbook.
But even rebellious teens melted like butter in front of the latest smartphone model. Namgoong Juhee casually flashed the honeycomb in her hand.
"What nonsense is that? Dinner's been ready forever, and you show up now...? What's that in your hand?"
"Oh, you don't know? This here's honey. A fledgling like you, Dang little miss, wouldn't know it even if you died and came back... "
"Kyaaak! Where'd you get this? Are you insane?!"
Dang Hwaeun charged over like a cat spotting a mouse.
And immediately shoved her head right up to the honeycomb. Huh?
"Hey! What are you doing?!"
"Just one bite! Lemme taste it first!"
"Your spit'll ruin it!"
Why's this girl so damn strong? Namgoong Juhee thought as she shoved Dang Hwaeun's head away.
And it made sense. Dang Hwaeun had been about as useful as a neutered cat lately.
But the sight of the honeycomb turned her into a berserk beast, ramming her head in with ridiculous force. In the end, Namgoong Juhee lost the honeycomb to her.
"Dang little miss, eat slowly."
"Mmm! Got it!"
Namgoong Juhee had always prided herself on being second to none when it came to loving sweets.
But she quickly set that pride aside. Watching Dang Hwaeun devour the honey made her realize she was just a frog in a well.
Namgoong Juhee watched the scene with warm satisfaction. Is it that good?
If her condition had been poor, she might've gone for a death match to reclaim it. But not now. She'd already sampled plenty on the way back, and life was comfortable these days anyway.
Clothes, food, shelter—all sorted with room to spare.
Dessert? Just slather on the leftover honey.
Her injuries were fully healed, leaving her stronger than ever.
All that remained was to leisurely await the Maegumdan. No telling when they'd show, but the immediate fires were out.
"Hmph! Hmph! Hey, you eat some too!"
Dang Hwaeun's belly seemed full now, and she shoved the remaining honeycomb at Namgoong Juhee.
She'd scarfed down a ton. Earlier, honey had been dripping everywhere, making the floor sticky. Now, it was just packed tight inside the comb.
No big deal. That amount would last months.
And from now on, she'd put Dang little miss to work. Consider the honey an advance payment.
"Dang little miss."
"Uh... yeah? What?"
Dang Hwaeun peeked at Namgoong Juhee cautiously, probably thinking she'd overeaten and was in trouble.
The guilty puppy look made Namgoong Juhee chuckle. If she wasn't so damn cute, she'd be extinct by now.
"The Dang family has three famous things: poison, hidden weapons, and medicine."
"Yup. But why bring it up?"
"Out of those three, got anything you're decent at?"
"Ha! What do you take me for? I'm Dang Hwaeun!"
Her bold declaration sparked a flicker of hope in Namgoong Juhee.
And that hope was promptly betrayed.
"So, basically, you only know the basics for all three?"
"More than basics, okay?"
"Sure, sure. Still, that's a relief."
Even basics from the Sacheon Dang family outclassed those from a third-rate sect. Like the difference between the bottom student at a science high school and one at a regular high school in modern Korea. The density of the foundation itself was worlds apart.
"But why ask?"
"Why do you think? How long have we been holed up here?"
"Hmm... about eight days as of today?"
"That means three days have passed outside by now. Even if Maegumdan's incompetent, they've probably reached the formation by now."
Dang Hwaeun's face paled at Namgoong Juhee's words. Easy to imagine what awaited them if captured.
"...They won't have sent just combat troops this time."
"Yeah. Probably that Chugwi himself stepped up."
"Can we win?"
"Wanna hear the honest truth?"
Namgoong Juhee swung her sword a few times through the air. Lighter than ever. Like a war god had possessed her body.
"Not confident."
"As expected. Chugwi's thirtieth in the 100 Masters..."
"I'll lose."
Thirtieth? Life-or-death battles weren't decided by rankings.
Whose martial arts were superior.
Whose condition was better.
Whose judgment was sharper in the moment.
Whose side the goddess of luck favored.
The real outcome was determined on that day, in that instant, right there.
"You're not bluffing, right?"
"Bluff? Nah, that's one-on-one talk. If the combat troops swarm in at once, who knows."
"Idiot! You think an elder comes alone?"
"Exactly why Dang little miss needs to step up from now on."
"Huh? Me?"
Dang Hwaeun pointed at herself dumbly, and Namgoong Juhee nodded.
"You think I gave you that honey for free?"
"Th... thanks? It was delicious?"
"Not that. Anyway, it's not hard."
"What is it? Spit it out."
What Namgoong Juhee proposed was this: from now on, they'd roam the formation setting traps everywhere.
"...You know how big this formation is, right?"
"Yeah. Roughly three cubic kilometers?"
"What kinda nonsense is that?"
"Size of a hundred baseball fields."
"Speak human."
"It's huge, got it? That's why I gave you the honey."
Namgoong Juhee pointed at the honeycomb, and Dang Hwaeun sighed deeply, at a loss for words.
"...Gonna take forever."
"Don't worry."
Namgoong Juhee stroked Dang Hwaeun's head gently. Pets were for this—to fidget around and soothe the soul.
"This'll be the last time."
"Yeah..."
Dang Hwaeun bowed her head and replied. For some reason, Namgoong Juhee's words put her at ease.
Marketplace rumors often exaggerated for drama. In Chugwi's view, the worst was villains slicing up their own subordinates to show off cruelty.
Idiotic move. It shattered loyalty and mutual trust.
"Y-yes... Elder. Nothing here either."
"Hmm, strange? According to you, they should be here, no?"
The subordinate's face drained of color at Chugwi's oily response.
"Oh dear, didn't I say it clearly? Dang Hwaeun's worth a fortune—we must capture her."
"Y-you did..."
"Then come here. I'll encourage you to do better."
"Elder! Just kill me instead!"
"Heh, can't do that."
Chugwi dragged his bulky frame, hauling the man behind a tree.
Followed by the sound of pants dropping, flesh rubbing, and a few groans.
The sounds alone conjured nightmarish images, sending chills down the spine.
"Phew... I trust you'll do better next time."
"Sob... hic..."
Chugwi emerged from behind the tree, leaving the man's anguished sobs behind. His face oddly refreshed, like a sage's.
The two new men reporting looked relieved. Chugwi always calmed down for a while after unleashing.
"Hm? What are you lot standing around for?"
"Ah, Elder! We found them!"
"Oh?"
"Those sly bitches! Hiding inside the formation!"
"A formation... foolish choice."
To Chugwi, hiding in a formation was no different from trapping yourself. Like hiding in a closet from an intruder in your home. It might buy time, but you'd end up discovered and dead.
"Then charge right in. Why hesitate?"
"W-well..."
"Speak."
"Many warriors went in already, but no word back."
"No word?"
Odd.
This elder's unit boasted top-tier strength in Maegumdan. Their relentless charge into death was infamous in the murim world. As if they feared something more than dying.
"Which units entered?"
"Gold, Front, West."
"Three whole units wiped out."
"S-sorry—!"
"No, no. Dang Hwaeun must've put up a fight. I'll handle it myself."
Such sage-like understanding.
Chugwi led his men into the formation.
And the sight that greeted them was utterly horrific.
"What in the...?"
"Urk!"
Gruesome traps everywhere, corpses mangled beyond recognition—almost deliberately ruined.
Was Dang Hwaeun's handiwork this brutal? And the sheer number of traps wasn't normal. Took days and nights to set that many.
"...Hoo, this won't do."
Anger flared in Chugwi's eyes. How dare they slaughter his precious men. He'd have punished them on return, but not killed them. He should've heard their side first—or so he thought, ignoring the dead subordinates' perspective.