Taming the Wolf and Stealing the Saintess's Clothes
Han Kangwoo had ambushed me with all sorts of surprise attacks, and sometimes they weren't even human—they were beastly.
I'd learned how to handle every conceivable situation, including how to deal with four-legged beasts, all thanks to his teachings.
The wolf didn't move rashly. Just as I was watching its every twitch, it was eyeing my movements too. We faced off like two grandmasters probing each other's internal energy, sizing up our opponent's strength.
The wolf's combat prowess was clearly beneath mine. The moment I sensed it, I made the first move. I approached it with straightforward steps.
My pace wasn't too slow or too fast. I could've overpowered it with sheer speed alone, but I chose technique instead. That's what Han Kangwoo had drilled into me. I extended my fist toward it smoothly.
"Grrr!"
True to its spirit beast nature, the wolf read my fist's trajectory and charged right at me—a counter, not a dodge. That wasn't something you'd see from your average animal.
It lunged like a sharp awl toward my right shoulder. Saliva dripped from its bared fangs. Unlike my measured speed, it was going all out to devour its prey.
Here!
I pivoted on my left foot, twisting my body. In that instant, countless evasion maneuvers flashed through my mind. I'd faced side attacks like this a thousand times—fists, beasts, swords, spears, arrows, even exploding thunder bombs!
Han Kangwoo's training had thrown endless challenges at me, and I'd puzzled through them all, dying countless times in the process.
Power surged into my spinning body. I channeled that rotational force into my right fist. It packed enough punch to crush the wolf's side like a cookie.
But the wolf wasn't pushover either. The second it realized its first strike had missed, it raked its claws at me. It stole my chance to counter with a flurry of follow-ups.
Slow.
If I'd gone all out, I'd have dodged and landed two finishing blows by now. But I was testing my honed skills. No overwhelming it with speed.
I tilted my head back just a bit. Blocking Han Kangwoo's ambushes had sharpened my distance sense to perfection. The wolf's claws whistled past my eyes.
This must be how Master Kim Minyoung felt.
I deflected the attack from a gap shorter than a handspan.
To the wolf, it probably looked like circus antics, but I had all the leisure in the world. Once you read an opponent's movements precisely, their attack path becomes crystal clear. That razor-thin margin might as well have been the Pacific Ocean—it was untouchable.
The wolf crouched low. Its confident strikes kept missing, and it was starting to feel the gap between us. Hackles raised, tail rigid, it glared with unyielding menace. Clearly torn inside.
Run or go all out?
Spirit beasts didn't dawdle on decisions. It charged again. It knew turning its back meant death. Sharp instincts, as expected.
Left this time.
Focus on the foe, and the attack path lit up. Not reacting to the strike itself, but predicting it.
Reading muscle twitches, sensing killing intent filling the air, foreseeing the assault a second ahead. My prediction hit the mark, as always. Courtesy of Master Kim Minyoung.
Right.
I dodged the wolf's attacks about a hundred times like that.
Even for a spirit beast, whiffing full-power strikes a hundred times in a row drained it. It panted like a dog back from a day-long stroll, tongue lolling.
But its eyes still burned fierce. Stopping meant death. It was running for its life, desperately.
"Alright, I've got the gist. Time to end this."
I spread my legs shoulder-width, chambered my fist, and took a deep breath, locking eyes on it.
The moment I shifted from defense to offense, it snarled savagely and lowered its stance. It knew its turn to get hit was here.
Just like I'd done, it fixed its gaze on me, predicting and reacting.
"If you can, give it a try."
I had a gut feeling. This strike wouldn't miss.
The attack path etched itself vividly in my mind. I foresaw the wolf dodging, then tracked that evasion for the hit. Like a computer sim, our exchange played out crystal clear.
Reading its patterns so far, I've got it figured out.
Another fruit of training with Han Kangwoo. To block his ambushes, I'd thought nonstop, until those thoughts outpaced my perception. I'd built a habit of reading and analyzing foes' styles.
Damn, it's even better than I thought. Feels like turning Saiyan—the more I fight, the stronger I get.
Grinning with satisfaction, I thrust my hand forward. True Fist Strike.
Vast internal energy erupted from my dantian, raging through my meridians in a wild circuit. It formed a massive flow, converged at my fist tip, then burst outward.
The fist strike, cloaked in blue qi, rocketed toward the snarling wolf. A simple extension, but the resulting gale whipped up dust and bowed the surrounding foliage.
The wolf, watching intently, leaped aside to dodge. Or so it seemed.
Woooong!
The flying qi detonated omnidirectionally. Like a thunder bomb packed with rampaging force, its explosion birthed a mini-storm. Sharp qi beams lanced everywhere, shredding indiscriminately.
"Kiiieeeek!"
Spiderweb gashes riddled the wolf's body. The beam piercing its heart was fatal. It howled its resentment and collapsed, blood pooling beneath.
"Impressive."
Killing the wolf itself wasn't thrilling. Even before Han Kangwoo's training, I could've handled it easily. What mattered was the process.
"So this is toying with an opponent."
I hadn't used power or speed. Less than a tenth of my internal energy. Pure technique crushed it. The thrill of that fact electrified me.
Only downside: no quest clear. Not a yokai after all. I smacked my lips and resumed the hunt.
*-*-*
For two days, I roamed Changbai Mountain, hunting beasts. Low-grade inner cores, but a core's a core. Swallowing them would boost my energy by half a year's worth.
Wild boars, tigers, wolves—plenty everywhere. Hard to believe slash-and-burn folk survived here. But yokai? Elusive as hell. Not one in two days. Snobby bastards.
What I really wanted wasn't these low-tier spirit beasts. Yokai were the goal.
And if I could snag that elixir too...
One of Changbai's famed treasures: the Thunder Spirit Pill.
Unlike Public Blue Oil or Mythical Golden Moss, its location was vaguely described—a blue orb near some weird rock. Changbai's got more than a few rocks.
The Nangong family's prize. No need to consume it myself; just owning it is profit. Would love to grab it.
Nangong clan ruled thunder qi in the Central Plains. Their signature Heavenly Thunder Heartbreaker Qi Art handled it masterfully. Perfect match for the pill.
Any odd rock, I'd search. But no dice.
After a hundred false starts, I found the shimmering blue orb—under a poop-shaped rock.
Yes! Finally!
The Thunder Spirit Pill looked like a small bead. I carefully stowed it in my inventory.
Too wasteful to pop now. Without thunder qi training, efficiency sucked. Better save it to shake up the Nangong clan later.
Hunting the pill had me trekking the whole mountain. Covered in dirt and grime, looking like a beggar. Time to wash up.
To the lake.
I headed there. Soon, clear emerald waves sparkled before me. Great spot alongside Biryu Waterfall. Where I'd scored Public Blue Oil and Mythical Golden Moss.
Hm? Company?
Presence at the shore. Arms crossed, I pondered who.
Han Kangwoo's probably at the waterfall. Black Rock Taoist? Nah... or maybe...
Sudden excitement bubbled up. I crept silently toward the lake. Parting the brush revealed it—and her, bathing.
A woman!
Back view gave her away: Jin Samwol.
I swallowed hard.
Jin Samwol splashed, washing up. No surprise; only spot around. Waterfall was Han Kangwoo's turf.
Wait. Naked means her clothes are...
Like a woodcutter spotting Cinderella's rags, I scanned. Her jeogori and skirt neatly folded in nearby brush, weighted with stones against the wind. Heart raced at the sight.
Glanced at her—busy washing, oblivious. Opportunities like this don't knock twice.
What luck!
I snatched her clothes. Heavenly scent. Better than the mountain's golden magnolia bloom. Sniffed deep, savoring her aroma.
Her sweet bodily fragrance fired my brain. A perfect plan to ravish Jin Samwol popped into my head.
Heh. Confiscated.
Inventory'd the clothes, then scraped the ground around, faking beast tracks. Shoddy up close, but it'd pass at a glance.
Scene set, I melted into the brush. Now, wait leisurely for her reaction.
Kekeke! Pretty as a fairy, now a real naked nymph.
Jin Samwol's reaction? Pure gold.