Martial Arts World (2)
While Dang Hwa-rin was in seclusion training, I decided to head to Guangdong to earn some Karma. I was curious about the arrangements left by the former master of the Hwa-mun, Mok Yi-do.
Dang Hwa-rin, postponing her own training, followed me to the village entrance.
"...We might not be able to meet again once we part," she said softly.
That was my worry, too. This world had virtually no communication technology. If luck wasn't on our side, we truly might never see each other again. It was a world where contacting someone far away was no simple task.
"Take this."
"This is...?"
It was a location-tracking artifact, designed for situations where party members get separated in a rift. With this, we'd always know each other's whereabouts. It was top-grade, functioning perfectly even across continental distances. Just in case, I pulled out several—rings and various trinkets I could wear daily.
"A ring...?"
Her face flushed, and she raised her trembling left hand. The back of her hand faced upward, not her palm. It was a clear request for me to put it on her.
Cheeky.
But I had no reason to refuse. She was my woman, after all. I slipped the ring onto her ring finger, which she was subtly offering up.
"Hehe..."
Seeing Hwa-rin fiddle with the ring, a pleased smile blooming on her face, made me laugh involuntarily. The ring suited her long, slender white fingers perfectly. If I had known things would turn out like this, I would have prepared something with more care. As it was, I had just given her a plain artifact. Even if it was top-grade, its only function was location tracking.
"I'll visit often. Don't worry, just focus on your training."
"Mmm..."
I soothed her lingering reluctance with a deep kiss and then set off on my journey.
I ran all day long toward the south where Guangdong lay.
Lightness. Speed.
The scenery around me blurred past. With my body feeling incredibly light, I pushed off from branches and rocks. Running as if I was skimming through the air really made me feel like a master.
The awe-inspiring, endless natural landscape was only enjoyable at first.
But my internal energy consumption is too damn high.
Lightening my body and expelling internal energy from my soles consumed my qi at an alarming rate. Coming from a place with convenient transportation, the discomfort of having to walk and run everywhere hit me even harder.
I should bring a teleportation array over here someday. Installing one at the Cheongbong Hermitage in Cheongbong-hyeon and turning the area into my own private pleasure haven didn't seem like a bad idea.
My idle thoughts only lasted a moment. Running endlessly along the mountain paths, the suffocating feeling grew. Making my body light enough to step on tree branches wasn't very efficient. In the end, I just ran like a brute across the ground.
Damn it. Can't I get my hands on a proper movement technique around here?
Lightening my body with the Mixed Origin Qi Art was certainly fast enough. I could keep running at speeds surpassing a car. But a specialized movement technique, honed solely for running, would definitely be on another level.
It had already been three days since I left Cheongbong-hyeon. Nothing was particularly hard. I had all the amenities I could need in my inventory.
Before I knew it, it was time to eat.
"Phew..."
While running was a bit tedious, it wasn't all bad. Eating out in nature had its own rustic charm. I found a suitable clearing and headed towards it. A simple portable brazier, perfect for a campfire, was already set up, along with a few rocks that served as decent seats. It felt like a rest stop used by many martial artists over the years.
Maybe I should grill some meat? It's been a while.
I usually just ate packed lunches, but the surrounding scenery was too good. It really gave off a perfect camping vibe.
Thud, thud. Black charcoal lumps fell to the ground. No need for the hassle of gathering branches from around the area. I had bought oak charcoal. I didn't need a lighter, either. A small flame was already flickering at my fingertip.
Keurr... This is the life.
I skewered a whole slab of fresh pork belly onto a thick branch. Charcoal-grilled skewers. The mere thought made my mouth water.
Zzzk...! The seasoned meat juice dripped onto the charcoal, creating a delicious sound.
Perfect.
Pop! Pop! Whoosh! I infused fire energy into the brazier using the Mixed Origin Qi, boosting the heat. Controlling the flames to cook the meat was a fun little diversion in itself.
...Impeccable.
The ends were a little burnt, but aside from that, it was a perfect BBQ whole pork belly skewer.
"Hm...?"
I was debating whether to slice it up or just bite into it directly when someone approached rapidly. Their speed was comparable to me running at full tilt. I put down the skewer and grabbed the sword at my waist.
Thud! A single silhouette landed in the clearing as if dropping from the sky. Despite their incredible speed, not a speck of dust was stirred up.
Oh... she's pretty.
She looked like she had been through some hardship. Dust was smudged all over her face. But even that couldn't hide her beauty. She was a stunning woman with distinct features and porcelain-white skin.
She stared intently at the chunk of grilled meat on the skewer, swallowing hard.
"Y-young hero... gulp...! If it's not an imposition, may I join you?"
Her voice was husky, completely at odds with her delicate face. A bracelet was fastened onto her left wrist. It reminded me of the time Dang Hwa-rin had disguised herself as a man. Illusion powers had never worked on me.
Is it because of my mental protection? I stared intently, trying to see past her disguise. A faint illusion flickered over her face. A bearded, middle-aged man. So she was going around looking like that, huh.
"...By all means."
"Thank you! B-but, young hero! If it's not too much trouble, that... gulp." She seemed completely unaware of her drool, her eyes locked onto the whole pork belly skewer. The look in her eyes was one of pure desperation. She stared as if it were a rare treasure. If I refused, she looked like she would turn into a bandit. If she were truly a hairy, ugly man, maybe. But I knew a beautiful woman was hiding underneath.
I could spare some food.
"Then how about we share— no, you look like you've starved for days. You go ahead."
"Th-thank you!"
Given her sorry state, even this alone might not be enough for her. As expected, she opened her mouth wide and tore off a huge chunk. A third of the arm-sized slab disappeared in one bite. Her eyes went wide.
"Mmhp!!"
It was the face of someone shocked by a taste from the heavens. The taste of civilization, backed by the blood, sweat, and tears of corporate PhDs. Seasoned with chemical flavorings.
"Haha. How is it? My signature dish."
"It's, it's delicious. I-I mean it, it's really, really delicious." She didn't stop eating even while talking. An amount enough to fill a grown man to bursting disappeared in no time. A beautiful woman eating with such gusto, her cheeks stuffed, was a pleasant sight.
How do I hit on her? Even if I wanted to compliment her looks, she was currently disguised as a middle-aged man. If I openly made a pass, I'd probably be written off as crazy.
I pulled out two more large slabs of meat from my pouch. I sprinkled some seasoning mixed with salt, pepper, and other spices onto them and placed them over the fire.
Maybe I can work something out with food.
Zzzk...!
The arm-sized chunks disappeared into her mouth before I knew it. She licked the grease off her lips, looking unsatisfied, and stared intently at the meat grilling over the charcoal fire. Feeling my gaze, she looked up. Our eyes met, and she gave an awkward smile.
"Ah... haha...! I-I'm sorry! It's just that I haven't eaten in days... My name is Bae Cheol-moon. What is the young hero's name? I will surely repay this kindness someday."
"Repayment is hardly necessary. My name is Choi Si-woo." I glossed over her name, which was likely a pseudonym. I gave her another piece of the now perfectly cooked meat. She accepted it with trembling hands and tore into it with a moved expression. She would definitely make it big if she did a mukbang in the modern world. The way she ate was incredibly appetizing.
Watching her made me hungry.
Alright... mmm! This is bomb. A sigh of admiration escaped me the moment I took a bite. It tasted even better, probably because I was eating BBQ deep in the mountains.
Rip! The meat fibers tore smoothly. The juicy meat delighted my tongue with every chew. The synergy between the savory seasoning and the smoky charcoal flavor was phenomenal. As expected, pre-made seasoning from a major corporation was unbeatable.
The woman, who had been wolfing down the meat, suddenly clutched her chest.
"Ghk...! Ghk!"
She seemed to be choking. My gaze naturally turned to her. She was looking around for something to drink, then waved her hand.
"Ah, no. I'm fine. Gulp... haah... That was truly delicious. Well then, I'm in a hurry, so... I'm really sorry. I must be off."
She bowed her head with clasped fists, then started running at an incredible speed. Just like the wind, she came and just as quickly disappeared.
Damn it. I had planned to subtly seduce her after the meal, but there was no time. She didn't seem to be at a very high realm, but her running speed far outpaced my expectations.
Is that what a proper footwork technique looks like? I felt a bit disappointed. If I had played my cards right, I might have learned the technique. It felt like I had let that opportunity slip away.
Well, nothing I can do about it now. I dusted off my pants and stood up.
Huh? Something felt different. I felt an emptiness and patted my waist. It was gone.
What the hell...? A curse slipped out for the first time in a long while. The pouch that had been right there a moment ago. The one I had fastened to my belt was gone.
That bitch...? No way, was it when I looked for a drink? Si-woo pinched the bridge of his nose, recalling her face. So that's why she had apologized and hurried off. The woman was a damned thief.
Seo Ji-yoo, who had just been eating meat with Si-woo moments ago. She fiddled with the pouch she had stolen as she ran swiftly. As the current Mu-young Shin-to (Shadowless God Thief), it stung her pride to steal such trivial things, but she had no choice.
Phew... I'm sure I saw him take food out of here. She hadn't had time to stop and hunt. Having been running urgently, she was starving. She was truly grateful to the man for the meal, but the situation was too urgent.
Sorry. Even though he wouldn't hear it, she apologized once more in her heart. But she was still hungry. Even after eating two arm-sized chunks of meat, she wasn't full.
Now, it was time to appraise her loot. This was her favorite moment. Licking her lips, she frowned.
It's too light... I was hoping there'd be some jerky in here... Huh?
Most of the items in the pouch were useless. Mostly things that took up space without weighing much. There was even a bundle of blank paper.
What is all this! She found none of the edible things she had hoped for. There was one thing that looked somewhat interesting. A strange triangular piece of cloth connected to a thin string. She tugged it gently, and it stretched.
It's so soft...? It was pleasant to the touch. It seemed to be a very valuable cloth.
What is this? A hood? She held it up to her mouth, but the surface area wasn't enough. It wouldn't even cover her mouth properly, let alone her nose. She couldn't even imagine that it was underwear. Because it was far too small for that.