"I Pushed Him with My Body!"
“Th-that... I pushed him with my body!”
“What?!”
Paeng Ojin's gaping mouth snapped shut, and he shot to his feet, clawing at his hair.
“No way in the world! Out of all the men, you go after one who's already taken? And not just any—he's the one that old monster picked out!”
“He's not an old monster! I said he's not!”
Hong Yeonhwa suddenly got smacked with the backlash and made a pouty face in denial, but no one paid her any mind. And why would they? Paeng Soso had jumped up just like her father, her face beet red as she yelled right back.
“I couldn't help it! By the time I came to my senses, I was already in love!”
“Even so, there's such a thing as order! Throwing yourself at a guy who already has a partner... I didn't raise you like that!”
The father and daughter duo completely ignored me and Hong Yeonhwa as they started raising their voices at each other.
“What's wrong with the Jin guy? He's handsome! Hardworking! Amazing at martial arts! And above all, he treats his woman—me—so incredibly well!”
“That's not the point! As a concubine, you'll never be first. Don't you get that? Things might be fine now, but once you have kids, you'll face all sorts of discrimination!”
“If I have the Jin guy's kid... hehe... Ah! I-It's fine! Big sis Hong always respects me, so that won't happen!”
Paeng Soso let slip a goofy grin midway through, but regardless, the two kept up their fierce argument without backing down.
Paeng Ojin argued that it might seem good now, but she'd definitely end up unhappy later, so it wasn't too late to find a new match. Paeng Soso countered by listing examples of how amazing I and Hong Yeonhwa were and how well they treated her.
This is gonna take a while.
Not sure if I should butt in.
For now, better soothe Hong Yeonhwa—she looks totally out of it.
I pulled Hong Yeonhwa close and led her to the spot Paeng Soso had vacated, naturally ending up with her nestled in my arms. Unlike the taller Soso, though, she was short enough to poke just her face out from my side, looking up at me.
“Believe me... I really...”
To keep her from drawing attention and getting more flak, I pressed my index finger firmly against her lips to shush her.
“Shh.”
Then I gently wiped away the teary eyes that made her pink pupils sparkle even more.
“A master who shed her bones and exchanged them for new ones, identity unknown... Yeah, even I think you look more like 130 than 30.”
“My love...?”
“But I believe you, Yeonhwa.”
“My love...!”
Hong Yeonhwa's eyes, which I'd just dried, grew misty again with emotion.
She looks so young on the surface—what does her actual age even matter?
Still, one question nagged at me.
“But why are you so sensitive about your age?”
“Mmm... It's all because of those wicked righteous faction bastards.”
Righteous faction diss out of nowhere?
“Back during the height of the righteous-demonic great war. When they realized they couldn't match me with raw power, they resorted to poison, traps, and every petty trick in the book... Including vile slanders meant to shake my spirit.”
“Ah... I get the gist.”
Hong Yeonhwa nodded, confirming my guess, and continued her explanation.
The Murim Alliance had spread manipulated rumors nonstop, turning the Divine Cult into a 'Demonic Cult,' and the Heavenly Demon Hong Yeonhwa into a target of all sorts of defamation. They called her a succubus draining the essence of young men for immortality, or a madwoman drinking virgin blood. Even when she rose to avenge the exploited commoners, it only fueled their fear.
“So I didn't want you to misunderstand me.”
Uh... so she was desperately trying not to make me hate her?
They're fighting so viciously right over there, but it's okay to say something this cute?
I wanted to scoop her up and shower her with affection right then, but... yeah, not happening.
As a next-best option, I ended up kneading her soft cheeks to comfort her, and...
“Nngh~...”
Meanwhile, the father-daughter spat had escalated into a full emotional showdown.
“You've always been like this, Dad! You think I'm still a kid?! How did you even track me here in the first place? What about family business?!”
“I told the authorities it happened on the way to the Yongbong Tournament, but I didn't expect this! That's why you're too sloppy to be a proper martial artist, Soso!”
Ah, so that's how it went down.
Once they knew our final destination, they'd wrapped up business and rushed straight here. The area's big, but not so vast that the head of the Hebei Paeng family couldn't track them down on foot.
Anyway, shouldn't I step in soon? This is getting heated.
Just as I thought that, Paeng Soso suddenly flopped onto the floor.
“I don't care! I won't have anyone but the Jin guy! No way! My body's like this now, so I'd rather die alone than marry someone else!”
She says she's not a kid, then throws a tantrum like one...
Paeng Ojin thumped his chest in frustration, clearly sharing my thoughts.
“That's exactly why I'm worried! What if something dangerous happens again? How can you be so reckless? Have you already forgotten about Eon Ju-won?!”
“It's fine! If I'm in danger, the Jin guy will help! He's saved my life three times already!”
“Just because he has so far doesn't mean he will forever... Wait, three times?”
“Ah.”
Paeng Soso belatedly realized her slip and covered her mouth, but it was pointless.
Paeng Ojin sat back down with the scariest expression yet and turned to me.
“Can you tell me what happened?”
She'd probably wanted to hide almost dying after running off alone, thinking she could handle it... But no choice now.
I started from the beginning: heading out to wipe out bandits for the bounty with a light heart since I was broke, only to nearly get in deep trouble myself.
Paeng Ojin probably knew the rough outline of the necrophiliac Eon Ju-won incident. For the part where I got caught peeping and nearly died from arousal... I toned it down to something like falling into a trance.
After hearing it all, Paeng Ojin sat silently in thought for a moment, then bowed his head politely.
Once to me.
Once to Hong Yeonhwa.
“It's late, but thank you sincerely for saving my daughter. I'll consider you a benefactor of the Paeng family and help with anything in my power.”
Normally, I'd have asked him to put in a good word with the Mosan Sect here. That's why I'd started traveling with Soso in the first place.
But now, something more important had come up.
“Then give me Soso.”
“......”
For the Mosan Sect, I could win the Yongbong Tournament and ask the Murim Alliance leader directly. That was the original plan, with Paeng family help as backup insurance. Worst case, I'd target the imperial family... Anyway, options were narrowing, but I had ways.
This was the best move now.
After a brief deliberation, Paeng Ojin spoke.
“I could teach you the Hebei Paeng family's martial arts.”
“Soso is more important.”
“I could give you a fortune in gold you'd never spend in a lifetime.”
“Even if you gave me all the gold in the world, Soso is still more precious.”
Paeng Ojin furrowed his brow slightly and continued.
“...The Paeng family has many enemies. We've been at odds with the unorthodox for ages—worse than mere bandits. True demonic fiends might come after you.”
“That's why I'm training in martial arts: to protect my people.”
“Hmm. Without borrowing others' power—just you?”
“Yes. Me.”
He stared straight into my eyes for dozens of seconds without a word.
Then Paeng Ojin slowly nodded.
“Fine. It wasn't all you, but you did save Soso three times. Still, my mind hasn't changed. Just because it's been fine so far doesn't mean it will be.”
“But—!”
He held up a hand to cut off my retort and stated his conclusion.
“So I need to gauge your skills myself.”
“Pardon?”
“A spar. A spar.”
Paeng Ojin wanted to confirm firsthand if he could entrust Soso to me—if I had the strength to protect her.
“You won't back out now, will you?”
“No way.”
The reason had shifted a bit, but as Soso predicted, I was about to spar with Paeng Ojin after all.
As we all stood to move to the open lot beside the inn...
“Oh, right.”
Paeng Ojin paused and asked Soso,
“What did you mean by 'no one but Jin gongja will do'? Don't tell me you're already...?”
“N-No! It's not that! It's just... well, you know!”
I get it's embarrassing to say she became my exclusive after that aphrodisiac frenzy... But reacting like this?
“......”
My father-in-law had just indirectly learned his daughter's sex life was extremely satisfying, and now wore an indescribably complicated expression.
“You little slut, Soso! Obsessed with a man and selling off the family pillar!”
Ah, that's what he latched onto.