Chapter 102: Yoo Sowol
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 102: Yoo Sowol
Yoo Sowol. After suffering cruel abuse from her parents, she was rescued by an elder of the Mount Hua Sect who happened to be out for a walk.
Afterward, she naturally entered the Mount Hua Sect, and thanks to her outstanding talent, she was able to become the disciple of the very elder who had saved her.
From the day she first held a sword until she came of age at twenty, Yoo Sowol swung her blade without missing a single day.
All for the sake of the master who had rescued her.
Her master, known as the Hwahyeon Sword, could have once become the representative swordswoman of Mount Hua. However, she was overshadowed by Elder Six, who went by the title Clear Water Sword, and was relegated to being just another skilled female warrior.
Yoo Sowol simply could not accept that fact. While it was true that Elder Six was a man of respectable character, she loved her master more than anything.
It is said that one's master is to be revered as one's king and father.
The disciple would achieve the goal her master could not. That alone was the reason that turned the genius Yoo Sowol into a genius of hard work.
But the world was wide, and geniuses were plentiful. Cheonghwa, Elder Six's disciple and her own Senior Martial Brother, had long been called a genius and was known by the title Sword Dragon at a young age. It was said he would surpass the transcendent realm before he even turned thirty.
Yet she herself didn't even have a proper title. It was only natural. Unlike her senior brother, she had barely ever set foot below Mount Hua.
She was anxious.
Anxiety was all that enveloped her—the fear that no matter how much she swung her sword, she would never be able to catch up to him.
Her master always praised her talent, but the reality was that she couldn't even properly knock on the door of the Peak Realm. A faint Sword Qi was the only result of her decade of effort.
At this rate, it was obvious she would not only fail to make a name for herself as Mount Hua's representative swordswoman but also fail to surpass her senior brother. The result of hundreds of spars with him was always the same.
Complete defeat.
Worse, her senior brother always seemed at ease during their spars.
He didn't even train for very long. He would train moderately, and in his spare time, he would often sneak out of the mountain gate to amuse himself.
Seeing this, she felt a terrible despair and a sense of futility in her continued efforts. Her fingertips trembled as she trained, swinging her sword without any thought.
‘...Can I really do it?’
The next day, for the first time, Yoo Sowol skipped her training. And she continued to do so.
Worried about her state, her master made a suggestion, which she accepted. And so, Yoo Sowol was assigned to the investigation team and headed to Jinheung Village.
Throughout the journey, she did not train. A vague anxiety and fear constricted her—the feeling that she would gain nothing from swinging her sword, that she would never be able to achieve anything.
‘...Senior Brother is a genius. For an ordinary person like me to think I could defeat him and become Mount Hua's representative swordswoman was a ridiculous goal from the start.’
Without realizing it, Yoo Sowol was slowly being consumed by a Heart Demon. To her, the Sword Dragon was an insurmountable wall.
She believed it without a doubt.
Crack! Thwack, thwack, thwack!!
“Keuk?!”
At least, until she saw her senior brother getting beaten like a dog on a hot summer day by a young man who looked to be about her age.
Watching the scene, Yoo Sowol's eyes trembled as if an earthquake had struck. Her senior brother, strong enough to face not only his peers but even the elders of most sects, was being defeated helplessly.
Although he was using his fists instead of a sword, the same was true for his opponent. Moreover, just by looking at the calluses on the man's palms, it was undeniable that he, too, was a swordsman.
‘He’s not even using any profound martial arts, yet he’s overwhelming Senior Brother...’
There was nothing special about his movements. They held no profound principles of a high-level art.
He simply saw through his opponent's openings with perfect clarity, moved at a speed that was difficult to even follow with the eyes, and then slammed down a fist filled with monstrous strength.
That was all.
It was, quite literally, an overwhelming difference in skill.
They were in different leagues as martial artists.
In that moment, Yoo Sowol felt a wall crumble within her. The Heart Demon was swept away as if by the wind, and in its place remained only a stepping stone to the next realm.
The weariness she had felt toward training vanished, replaced by an overwhelming desire to swing her sword at once.
She continued to swing her sword until just before sunset, internalizing her newfound enlightenment.
Wiping away the sweat that poured down like rain, Yoo Sowol took a short break when she suddenly thought of the man who had beaten her senior brother to a pulp.
‘...I should at least thank him.’
He was the benefactor who had helped her break through her long-stagnant realm, and a martial artist who, at the same age as her, possessed the skill to overwhelm her senior brother. It was impossible not to be curious.
But no matter how much she looked around, the man was nowhere to be seen.
After searching for a long time, she finally learned the location of his tent from the investigation team leader of the Hundred Flowers Sect.
“Um, Young Lady... I hesitate to ask, but... may I inquire as to your business with him?”
“I wish to express my gratitude.”
“Pardon?”
“Thanks to him, I was able to achieve enlightenment.”
“Ah.”
The team leader's reaction was understandable. From her own perspective, the atmosphere within the Mount Hua Sect was not very good at the moment. Quite a few members were displeased that their representative rising star had been defeated by a young man who didn't even have a title, let alone a known name.
From the Hundred Flowers Sect's point of view, it was natural to be wary of a martial artist from Mount Hua seeking him out. After all, he was their guest.
The tent was set far apart from the others. She couldn't shake the feeling that it was isolated.
‘Wouldn't that be dangerous because of wild animals... No, that's unlikely.’
Animals were smarter than one might imagine. They instinctively recognized the strong, so if there was a martial artist of the first-rate realm in a group, animal attacks were rare.
‘But... what should I say?’
Yoo Sowol twirled a lock of hair by her temple with her finger. It was a habit that appeared unconsciously whenever she was nervous.
Come to think of it, this was the first time she would be speaking with a man her age. Even when living at the main sect, she had never really spoken to any men besides her senior brother, the Sword Dragon. And he was more like family than a man.
‘...I should probably start by introducing myself, right?’
Yoo Sowol took a deep breath, forcing her pounding heart to calm down. She quickly straightened her bangs and adjusted her clothes. She didn't know why she was acting this way.
“H-hem, hem.”
She cautiously approached the tent. It was so quiet she couldn't hear a single sign of life.
‘Is he out...?’
Yoo Sowol slowly walked toward the tent's entrance. It was tightly closed, save for a minuscule gap.
In such cases, peeking inside without permission was a great discourtesy. Knowing this, Yoo Sowol carefully stepped back.
—Haaang!♡
If it weren't for the faint voice coming from inside the tent.
Instinctively, she felt a strong urge not to look inside, but an even greater curiosity compelled her forward.
“...J-Just a peek.”
Gulp.
She moved closer to the tiny gap, just large enough to peer through with one eye.
“?!!”
The scene Yoo Sowol witnessed beyond it was nothing short of shocking.
“Heuk, eu-eungh...?!!♡ Hy-Hyun-woo...! H-How much longer do I have to move...!!♡”
“I’ll let you rest after you come four more times, so just hang in there a little longer.”
“B-But...!!♡ Hiiik?!!♡ H-How many times have I told you not to pinch there...!!♡”
“Your clit is all swollen and plump. I can't just leave it alone.”
She almost collapsed onto the ground in an unsightly heap.
Inside the tent, the act of passion between a man and a woman, something her master had only mentioned in passing, was taking place. Of course, if it had been just that, it wouldn't have been so shocking.
‘H-How shameless...!’
The woman was on top of the man, her hips moving wildly as she let out sticky moans. The man was roughly grabbing her large breasts and tormenting her by pinching a part of her body she couldn't even describe.
For Yoo Sowol, who had spent most of her life on Mount Hua, it was a sight she could never have imagined. It was like splashing black ink onto a pure white canvas.
Yoo Sowol couldn't move. For her, who had lived a restrained life, the scene of intercourse unfolding before her eyes was far too stimulating.
When the exhausted woman finally collapsed on top of the man, he didn't stop. Instead, he laid her on the bed and began to move his own hips. No, he was practically pinning her down, violating her roughly. The woman's voice, which sounded like a scream, was filled with ecstasy.
‘...C-Can something that big really fit in between there...?’
Yoo Sowol's fingers delved between her legs. Though it was over her training uniform, the moment her fingers touched her private parts, her slender body shuddered.
“Hik...♡”
For her, who had never masturbated before, it was a pleasure she had never experienced. Startled, she pulled her hand away, but with her keen senses, Yoo Sowol could not easily forget a sensation once it was imprinted in her mind.
Overcome by the sudden pleasure, Yoo Sowol slowly moved her fingers to soothe herself. It was a clumsy attempt at masturbation, but it was enough to bring her pleasure.
She stroked her vulva and rolled her clitoris with her finger.
“Huuungh...!”
Before long, Yoo Sowol's hips trembled faintly. She had reached her climax. For a moment, her vision went white, but she couldn't stop her fingers.
She was lost in a daze of masturbation for some time when it happened.
“Hm?”
Suddenly, the man's gaze turned toward the tent entrance where she was. Thinking she'd been caught, Yoo Sowol froze.
“Hah, hah... Hyun-woo...? Is something wrong...?”
“No, I thought I sensed someone.”
“Fufu... If you're tired, just say so. I can give you plenty of time to rest... Haa-euk?!!♡”
“Trying to get on top again.”
Yoo Sowol hurriedly fled the scene. People nearby gave her strange looks as she ran, dripping with cold sweat, but she had no time to worry about such things.
Returning to her tent, Yoo Sowol repeatedly hit her own head.
‘Idiot, idiot, idiot!!’
Not only had she spied on another's lovemaking, but she had also masturbated while watching. At this rate, she was no proud heroine of the Mount Hua Sect, but a lewd, lustful woman.
Yoo Sowol looked down at her training uniform. A distinct wet spot stained the fabric between her legs, and her undergarments were soaked to the point of being useless.
Fwoosh! Her face turned beet red.
“...Master.”
Right then, Yoo Sowol ran to a nearby forest and began swinging her sword aimlessly. She believed that her spying and masturbating were because of the demon in her heart.
With the intention of casting out this Heart Demon, she swung her sword for a long time. Her entire body was drenched in sweat, but she didn't stop.
Although she had started training in a fit of anger, the effect was remarkable. Since she hadn't fully internalized the enlightenment she'd gained during the day, she naturally became more and more absorbed as she performed the forms.
Then, she suddenly lifted her head.
The sun had completely set, and a large full moon hung overhead. Considering the investigation of the old temple tomorrow, she should have returned to sleep, but her mind was too preoccupied with the day's events.
‘When I see him tomorrow, I'll formally apologize and...’
Rustle.
At that moment, hearing a presence from the bushes not far away, Yoo Sowol immediately pulled a dagger from her robes and threw it. Since she hadn't brought her stilettos, her Falling Flower Dagger technique lacked its full power, but it was enough for a warning.
“Who's there?”
The Jade Maiden Heart Skill emanated energy according to its master's will.
Her voice alone sounded like rolling jade beads, but what mattered was that it was laced with internal energy.
Soon, a familiar figure emerged from the bushes.
“...You are?”
“Haha... Hello...?”
Yoo Sowol's eyes trembled as if an earthquake had struck.
“I am Kang Hyun-woo, currently indebted to the Hundred Flowers Sect.”
It was the first time she'd heard his name, but Yoo Sowol knew him. He was the benefactor who had given her enlightenment by defeating her senior brother—the wall she thought she could never overcome—and he was also the man who had been engaged in vigorous lovemaking just a few hours ago.
“I-I am Yoo Sowol of the Mount Hua Sect!”
Her heart felt like it would explode. She almost bit her tongue, but Yoo Sowol answered as calmly as she could.
Even so, she couldn't stop her voice from trembling.
“Ah, then may I call you Young Lady Yoo?”
“Y-Yes! Please do!”
Looking at Kang Hyun-woo's lips, Yoo Sowol felt her face grow hot. She remembered the image of him grabbing the woman's hair and kissing her fiercely.
There had been no sign of pain on the woman's face. In fact, she had seemed to be enjoying it.
For a moment, Yoo Sowol imagined herself in that woman's place. Despite the cool weather, her face felt incredibly hot.
“Th-Then may I call you Great Hero Kang...?”
“...Young Hero is sufficient.”
“Ah...! Yes, Young Hero Kang!”
She desperately wanted to change the subject.
“Um, by the way, Young Hero Kang, what brings you here...?”
“Ah... um, my apologies. Though it was a mistake, I ended up spying on your training.”
Seeing him bow his head to her, Yoo Sowol felt a pang of guilt that squeezed her chest.
“I-It's alright, it was an accident...”
She, too, had spied on his lovemaking and even masturbated. While spying on someone's training went against the code of the martial world, spying on another's private affairs was a sin against human decency. She continued speaking, trying to change the subject again.
“Um... Young Hero Kang, how old are you?”
“I'm twenty-one. And you, Young Lady Yoo?”
“I-I turned twenty this year...”
“So I'm one year older.”
Aside from her blushing face, Yoo Sowol couldn't help but be genuinely impressed. To be that strong when he was only a year older than her.
Yoo Sowol felt a pang of shame for her past self, who had rationalized that her senior brother was stronger simply because he was older and had trained longer.
“Y-You can speak comfortably with me...”
“Alright, then can I call you Sowol?”
“...Yes.”
It was the first time a man her age had called her by her name, but it didn't feel bad.
After their conversation ended, a heavy silence fell between them. It wasn't strange. It would have been stranger for a conversation between two people who had just met to flow smoothly.
Yoo Sowol stole glances at Kang Hyun-woo's face, lost in thought.
‘I should thank him for the enlightenment and apologize for spying on him... right now!’
It was easier said than done.
She could do the former at any moment, but the latter was a different story. Yoo Sowol's train of thought was heading in a direction where a proper apology would require confessing that she had masturbated while watching him.
In the end, the words that had been circling in her mouth never came out. Instead, her tongue moved on its own, against her will.
“Um... May I ask you something, Young Hero Kang?”
“Me?”
Her curiosity, having just turned twenty, was stronger than she could have imagined.
“...The young lady you were with, have you perhaps promised your future to each other?”
Yoo Sowol's private parts were strangely damp.