Don't Pull Any Funny Business (3)
[One day prior, at the heart of the Moyong family estate. The family head's office.]
"Trash is running rampant."
Sword Saint Moyong Cheon gathered the letters brought by the messenger pigeons into a single pile on a ceramic bowl, then extended a single finger toward it.
Fwoosh.
A secret art that gathers yang energy at the fingertip to ignite flames. Only masters at the Hwagyeong Realm or higher, whose inner energy has ripened to reach the upper dantian, can perform it. Even they typically see the flames rise toward the heavens in accordance with natural law, but Sword Saint Moyong Cheon wielded his qi so masterfully that he could direct even that yang flame precisely where he desired—straight along the diagonal extension of his index finger toward the bowl, incinerating the papers in a frenzy.
He cast a gaze of contempt toward the remnants of the marriage proposals, now reduced to ashes in the ceramic bowl—what had once been charred trash.
More precisely, toward those who had sent them.
"Men who never came when my daughter was dying in agony. Men who didn't even attend the funeral banquet to celebrate her passing."
The Sword Saint was openly furious.
"And now that they've heard she's recovered, they're scrambling to get a piece of the action. Even knowing full well that Physician Seok has become her betrothed."
The Sword Saint let out a hollow chuckle. Though he'd already burned them to oblivion, some of those proposals contained lines that made him scoff just recalling them.
"I'll duel Seok Mu Wol in martial combat to prove who is truly worthy of Moyong Seol? Ha, madmen."
There was even a lunatic who declared he'd fight and defeat a physician in a duel to claim the position of son-in-law in the Moyong family. And going even further, a psychopath who vowed to take Moyong Seol as his wife and drag her back to his own clan.
These were so-called "late-generation talents" with some reputation in the Central Plains murim. The matchmakers of the Samsin Matchmaking Sect, specialists in arranging marriages for sects and clans, had rated them highly—even giving them an average score of 4.8 out of 5 as prime "marriage material."
But from the Sword Saint's perspective, they were nothing but deranged fools strutting around a perfectly happy couple with their swords drawn, trying to tear apart lovers who cherished each other.
To them, it didn't matter that Moyong Seol and Seok Mu Wol had already consummated their bond. Some sought the thrill of claiming the world's greatest beauty. Others craved the conquest of impregnating the daughter of the world's greatest martial artist. Still others dreamed of siring a son from her Cheonmu physique to raise as a mighty murim warrior.
Of course, any man who laid eyes on Moyong Seol would fall instantly in love, so no one would dare claim "she doesn't love me"—but that didn't make their intentions any less repulsive.
"Even without that miracle, he was man enough to stand by her as her husband until the very end."
Had Moyong Seol's treatment failed? Had they still shared their passion despite her inevitable death? Even then, the Sword Saint would have accepted Seok Mu Wol as his son-in-law, ensuring he fulfilled his duties at her funeral as her widower.
That's the kind of man he was. No pack of young beasts who'd barely reached the Jeoljeong Realm—merely because their martial arts training was somehow "impossible"—had any right to trifle with him.
This was pure hypothetical, but suppose Seok Mu Wol were single and his brother Moyong San had a marriageable daughter?
Perfect as a nephew-in-law. What do you think, brother?
The Sword Saint himself would have recommended it to his brother. Things had flipped now, making such talk awkward, but Seok Mu Wol was no flawed man deserving scorn.
Which was exactly why...
The Sword Saint worried. He fretted that these murim men, posturing to claim Moyong Seol, might harass Seok Mu Wol.
His daughter would surely shatter their swords and declare herself Seok Mu Wol's woman, but there was a world of difference between being humbled by a man or a woman.
Should he teach her some martial arts after all? What if rivals caused real trouble?
"Who would've thought the trouble would show itself like this."
Honestly, the Sword Saint was flustered.
"Who'd have guessed my daughter's rival would come as a woman."
A woman had appeared, aiming to steal Seok Mu Wol from Moyong Seol. Even the ashes of those burned proposals would have gaped in shock at such an astonishing turn.
"......"
The Sword Saint quietly closed his eyes.
"This won't be easy."
It wouldn't be easy. He'd spoken to Seok Mu Wol himself, but even he struggled to suppress the curiosity bubbling up from within.
"A woman who loves women."
Suppose...
"She wished desperately to be born a man, or for him to become one so they could share love as man and woman."
If she yearned that fervently and received a miracle from Seok Mu Wol's miracle physique in turn...
"...Would she become a man?"
"Let me properly introduce myself, Lady Moyong. I'm Dang Yuri, the discarded child of the Tang family. Just call me 'Yuri' in public."
Dang Yuri flashed a bright smile at Moyong Seol. Even though Moyong Seol was hiding behind me like a shield, Dang Yuri looked past me, her gaze fixed on my fiancée.
Not x-ray vision or anything—just far more focused on Moyong Seol than on me.
"How about dialing back that stare on my woman?"
"But my eyes keep drifting there out of respect."
"I get it, but when she's another man's woman, you need to show some restraint."
"I'd love to, but she's not just any beauty—it's hard to hold back. You think stunners like her grow on trees?"
"Not releasing the acupoints?"
"Tch, fine. I'll behave, so how about unblocking my meridians now?"
Dang Yuri gestured toward her body with her eyes.
"Ha, really. Swear it."
"A full oath?"
"Otherwise, I can't trust you."
"You called me trustworthy earlier."
"Trustworthy among the poison addicts—doesn't mean I start from the top with poison addicts themselves."
She's relatively better, at least. Unlike the others, Dang Yuri isn't someone I'd treat as a romantic rival—she won't target me or ambush Moyong Seol to claim me.
"No oath, no release. And I'll kill you."
"......"
"Whether you came through the Self-Sword Sect or not, this is Moyong territory. Removing a suspicious intruder who entered the estate against our will—who'd dare complain about your death?"
"What about the Poison Demon?"
"The Poison Demon? Might as well say the Cheonma regained his sanity and Magyo's gearing up for revival."
"Sigh, fine. No room for negotiation, huh."
Dang Yuri sighed in genuine regret, clicking her tongue before speaking.
"The moment I speak falsehood, my heart shall explode, leading to my death. I swear it."
"Truly regrettable, truly a shame, but I renounce any desire for Seok Mu Wol's woman, Moyong Seol."
Thump.
My heart pounded once, hard. Both Dang Yuri and I harbored Godok in our hearts, so I knew exactly what that pulse meant.
"Good. Cross the line once more, and I'll make you burst. Remember that."
"Got it. ...I'm really giving this up big time, you know?"
"Want to explode?"
"That's how much it hurts."
Dang Yuri let out a deep sigh, and I reached toward her.
"Ph-Physician. Touching another woman so casually..."
"Think of her as a man, my lady."
"Pardon?"
"A man in a woman's form. Looks heavenly feminine on the outside, but inside, he's a pervert harboring lewd intentions toward women who approach. Same as any other."
Just a man with a woman's body.
"I'm no expert in spirits, but this is undoubtedly a man possessing a woman's body. Or someone born a man in a past life, died without ever holding a woman's hand, and now reincarnated as a woman acting out those memories."
"What do you take me for, saying that."
"Remember how many women you've toyed with? No? How many flowers you've devoured with those lips?"
"Twelve."
Dang Yuri tilted her head back proudly.
"It's fine. I'm Dang Yuri. You know I don't touch women who've been with men."
"......"
"Straight talk, Physician Seok Mu Wol. You know there are poison addicts gunning for you... and women across the Central Plains, right?"
Dang Yuri narrowed her eyes with a sly grin.
"I'll help fend them off while I stay here."
"You're signing up for that?"
"Yep. So... Lady Moyong?"
Dang Yuri addressed not me, but Moyong Seol.
"Do you know how many girls are head over heels for Physician Seok Mu Wol?"
"H-How many?"
"Just from the orphans I know, over seventeen."
"......"
"Ridiculous, my lady."
"That's just because Magyo lacks decent men, and they mistook gratitude for his treatment as romantic feelings."
"That's what he says— what do you think, Lady Moyong? Help me out, and I'll keep those women from getting near Physician Seok. I'll make sure they stay by my side. Heh heh heh."
"...That."
Moyong Seol hugged me tight from behind, peeking her head over my shoulder.
"Lady Yuri. Aren't you... a woman?"
"Woman, yes."
"Then, are you perhaps desperately wishing to become a man or something? Like a 'gender transformation'?"
"......"
Moyong Seol seemed genuinely curious. If she truly yearned to become a man, this woman before us might actually transform, thanks to my physique.
"Me? A man?"
Dang Yuri chuckled lowly.
"Nah. I like women."
"Ah...."
"So, let me help. Especially in cases like this."
Heh.
"I know how to send Yugiyeon and those Self-Sword Sect creeps back to their sect."
"How?"
"Simple."
Dang Yuri grinned wickedly.
"Just use medicine."