It's Not Easy
Even though she had barely infused them with any internal energy, each stone carried enough force to kill a small bird outright. Yet Jin Mu-gak had handled the sudden ambush with ridiculous ease.
“He does look a little winded, though.”
If she had done it properly, she could have killed him. But subduing him without leaving any traces would be difficult.
“I never expected this to be easy from the start.”
Then she would simply have to follow the original plan.
“Huu…”
Jin Mu-gak, who had been warily scanning his surroundings, finally gave up and continued down the path. Even so, he did not withdraw the qi he had scattered around him. That was the part that allowed her to roughly gauge his level of internal energy.
Jin Mu-gak’s current strength had not yet returned to his prime.
“This will be my first revenge.”
With a faint thrill of pleasure, she removed her face veil. A cool breeze brushed against her as she traced her fingers over her features. It had already been nearly eight years since she began living with this face. She had grown so accustomed to a woman’s body that she could barely remember what her original features had looked like. Yet the life she had lived as a man for twenty years had not simply vanished.
A straight nose. Skin as soft as a child’s. Plump lips. Large, luminous eyes. Even the version of herself who had once been indifferent to women would have found the face impossibly beautiful. It was the kind of beauty that transcended personal taste, the sort that earned exaggerated praise as the greatest beauty under heaven. Not using it would be a waste.
“Pride won’t help me get my revenge.”
She would use every tool at her disposal. For the sake of vengeance, she could do anything.
She loosened the half-tied hair secured by her hairpin and pulled it all up into a tight, neat bun. She brightened her previously indifferent expression, then took out her makeup and covered her original face. She painted her lips a vivid red and thickened her eyebrows. Instead of her usual black clothes, she changed into something far more colorful and ornate. With this, even someone who knew her face would have trouble recognizing her at a glance unless they were an acquaintance. She also planned to alter her voice and even change her aura through her internal energy. As she had tested with Jin Ak-pung, she could make herself feel like an entirely different person. Even if someone saw her, they would pass by without realizing she was the same individual unless they examined her closely.
This was the art of disguise that Hong Mae had learned in the Murim Alliance and later passed on to Ok-yeon.
“Just which son of a bitch is it…”
Irritation surged through him. Jin Mu-gak found it hard to contain his frustration. Someone was clearly targeting him, yet he had no way to deal with them. He had left Kaifeng in such a hurry that he had brought almost nothing with him. All he carried was a single sword and some gold and valuables. He did not even have a single servant.
No, to be precise, Jin Cheong-myeong had tied up all his subordinates, claiming he would need them. He had said he would arrange things so Jin Mu-gak could return soon. As a result, there was not even a single boy to attend to him.
“It can’t be that Cheong-myeong has betrayed this uncle of his, can it?”
That was impossible. The two of them were bound by a shared fate. Betrayal would mean mutual destruction. He was not the kind of man who would take such a risk, nor did he have any reason to do so.
“Right. It must be that bastard who made the confession.”
No matter how cunning Sama Ryung was, he would not have spouted nothing but lies. The confession must have reached the Murim Alliance. It was undoubtedly one of those who had always looked at him unfavorably. They were probably waiting for him to be alone before launching an attack.
“So that was just a test earlier?”
Since it had not gone as planned, they must have called off the ambush. Thinking about it calmly, the power of those stones had been pathetic. It was not that they had hidden their strength by using almost no internal energy; they simply did not possess any real skill.
“Looks like some worthless trash has come. Fine. Show me your face. I’ll grab you by the throat.”
Just because he had not been commanding the front lines, someone had clearly underestimated Jin Mu-gak’s martial prowess. Although he had neglected his training, he had his own ways of maintaining his internal energy.
“Heh heh…”
Realizing that his enemy was hiding in fear of his strength, Jin Mu-gak regained his composure. Once again, a familiar heat began to stir in his lower body. Or rather, since his friend had become more refined, he was merely mistaking the sensation for that familiar throb.
“Shall I finish my preparations, then?”
The drugs were ready. All that remained were the incense to burn, something to mask the scent of the medicine, and the tools needed to enjoy himself for a long time.
“The woman mustn’t break too easily, so I should use the good stuff. Heh heh heh.”
“Oh my…”
Someone let out a startled sound from behind him. Thinking she might have overheard him, he quickly turned around—
“Hah…”
He froze exactly as he was. A woman with deer-like eyes was looking at him. She swept the hair behind her ear with one hand while the other clutched tightly at her chest. Her face showed a mixture of fear and intense curiosity. And her appearance was more perfect than any woman he had ever seen in his life. Compared to her, even Yu Seol-hwa—who he had inwardly thought of as merely passable—would be nothing.
He could not help but freeze.
“Are you, by any chance, the esteemed Supreme Jin Mu-gak, the Blue Wind Elder?!”
Her voice was bright and lively. His heart pounded. The vulgar wench who had filled his mind until now, along with the minor ambush on the forest path, lost all presence.
“That is correct. I am indeed Jin Mu-gak.”
Jin Mu-gak quickly straightened his posture, stroking his sparse beard as he put on a solemn expression. The woman took a step closer, her eyes shining with emotion.
“Ah, I have long admired the great name of the Elder!”
“Hmm, is that so?”
His shoulders rose with pride. To hear such words of admiration from a woman who could be called a peerless beauty.
“By the way, young lady…”
Then it occurred to him that a woman of this caliber could not possibly be unknown. She must be a daughter from a prestigious family.
“Ah, I was so moved that I forgot to introduce myself properly. This humble one’s name is Seol-ran.”
“Seol-ran? Of the Seol clan? From which Seol family?”
“I’m sorry… Even if I told you, you probably wouldn’t know.”
“Is that so?”
Though he answered with a hint of suspicion, he was actually smiling inside. The fact that she could not speak of her family meant one of two things: either her family was insignificant, or there was a reason her identity could not be revealed. Either way, it meant there would be no troublesome consequences if he acted.
‘Heh heh, a woman like this rarely brings any future trouble.’
When he quietly extended his senses, there were no signs of hidden guards around her. A woman of such beauty was traveling alone. His confidence grew even more pleasant.
“Um… Could I possibly speak with you for a moment…?”
The woman looked at him with earnest eyes. There was probably no man in the world who could refuse such a request.
“My story… I don’t know what you wish to hear, but of course. I will cooperate as much as needed.”
“Ah, thank you! Come, I’ve found a wonderful spot!”
The woman boldly took the middle-aged man’s arm. Her hand was impossibly soft and slender. Jin Mu-gak swallowed hard, feeling as though his heart would burst from how violently it was pounding.
“Chwi-wol unni…? Our unni is…”
“I’m sorry, miss.”
“Ah…”
“She went out for some fresh air.”
“Fresh air… That’s a relief. Unni has seemed a bit tired lately.”
“Has she?”
“Yes.”
So-yeon was extremely sensitive to Ok-yeon’s condition. It was only natural, since she was always watching her. She had wanted to suggest that she rest, but they had only just arrived in Kaifeng and were in the middle of various preparations. So she had not been able to bring herself to say it. Knowing that Ok-yeon had gone out to recuperate on her own was reassuring.
“But why would unni come here…”
“I-I’m sorry…”
Chwi-wol was acting embarrassed. Yet at the same time, there was a subtle hint of pride in her expression. Pride in imitating her unni? So-yeon tilted her head in confusion. She did not quite understand what was happening, but if the person herself was enjoying it, that was what mattered.
“By the way, isn’t it almost time for the second test?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Seeing that you seem so relaxed, miss, you must be fully prepared.”
“Ehehe.”
In truth, she had come to boast to Ok-yeon. The content of the second test had been light general knowledge, just as Ok-yeon had said. Works like the Mingxin Baojian and Elementary Learning were things she had occasionally read even during her time in the Zhuge family. She had also managed to memorize most of the important parts of the Huangdi Neijing and Shuijing Zhu after reading them once or twice.
‘As expected of So-yeon. I knew you would do well.’
‘Who did she take after to become so intelligent? I’m so proud.’
‘The future Heavenly Secret was right here! I’m counting on you, So-yeon.’
“Ehehehe.”
“…?”
If she had boasted to Ok-yeon, she would surely have received such praise. Definitely.
“…And that is how I was able to save the woman from the Tang clan.”
“My goodness… How fortunate… This humble one was worried that the lady might have suffered humiliation at the hands of the bandits…”
The woman who had introduced herself as Seol-ran had tears glistening in her eyes. She was a woman of rich emotion. She listened attentively to Jin Mu-gak’s story until the sun began to set outside.
“Then what happened to the young lady of the Tang clan afterward?! Surely she must have proposed marriage to the Elder!”
“…Unfortunately.”
“Yes…? Please say it isn’t so…”
Seol-ran trembled, squeezing her eyes tightly shut. As she shook her head desperately, her soft, full breasts swayed along with the motion. Jin Mu-gak found himself deeply resenting his old friend, which remained completely unmoved even in this situation.
“Please…”
“I cannot speak falsehoods. That was the end of it with the young lady of the Tang clan.”
“Why?! There is no way the young lady of the Tang clan could have forgotten the Elder!”
“It could not be helped. I am a Taoist, and she already had a fiancé. Before leaving Sichuan, I even met her betrothed. He was clearly a man who could make her happy. I burned every letter that came from the Tang clan.”
“How could anyone make her happy if it wasn’t the Elder!”
“Hoho, you overestimate me. The fundamental principle of a Taoist is to take nothing and leave nothing. I am not a being who can make a woman happy.”
“That’s not true! If I had been the young lady of the Tang clan, I would have spent every night in tears because I could not see the Elder!”
Seol-ran suddenly stood up. Then she grabbed Jin Mu-gak’s hand where it rested on the table and clutched it to her chest. The hand buried in her bosom trembled. Jin Mu-gak savored the touch of her skin and smiled darkly. The tears flowing from her eyes were not from pity for the young lady of the Tang clan. She was weeping for a woman who no longer existed in this world—a woman whom Jin Mu-gak had enjoyed to his heart’s content some decades ago before throwing her to the bandits.
“It was better for her happiness that she did not end up with me.”
It was the unadorned truth. If she had not foolishly run away from home, she would never have been captured by bandits. Of course, to Jin Mu-gak, she had been one of the women who left behind quite satisfying memories. It was just a shame that she had been so experienced, perhaps because she had been quite close with her fiancé. Because of that woman, he had held a prejudice against the women of the Tang clan for a long time.
‘Even that Tang wench would be nothing but a firefly under the moonlight compared to this one. No, she wouldn’t even be able to produce light at all. Heh heh heh…’
“Elder!”
“Hmm? What is it? The story with the young lady of the Tang clan ends there. I wished for her happiness and never contacted her again.”
“Let’s go meet the young lady of the Tang clan right now!”
“What? Hahaha!”
Ah, truly. Where on earth had such a pure woman rolled in on her own two feet? He wanted to get to the main act quickly. But this body required thorough preparation. To have such a desperately desired woman right in front of him, yet be unable to do anything—it was truly miserable.
“Since a woman like Lady Seol-ran feels such affection, the young lady of the Tang clan must surely be living happily.”
“Uuu… I wish the two of you could meet again…”
“There were countless other things that happened to me besides the young lady of the Tang clan. It is not for nothing that I am called the Blue Wind Elder. I traveled the world following the wind, slaying villains and carrying out justice. Leaving while wishing for her happiness was the right thing to do.”
“That’s right! Ah, I want to hear more of the Elder’s heroic tales…”
Seol-ran looked outside with sorrowful eyes. The sky was nearing sunset.
“There is plenty of time. I have gone into seclusion, after all.”
“R-really!”
Seol-ran looked greatly pleased by Jin Mu-gak’s words. He smiled with satisfaction and rose from his seat. Seeing that she seemed even more eager, he felt a sense of calm.
“Do you plan to stay here for a while?”
“For the time being… though I cannot stay long…”
“Hoho, then I hope we can see each other often while you are here. How could I not be happy when you enjoy listening to this old man’s stale stories so much?”
“Would that really be all right…? Would it not trouble the Elder?”
“Of course it would be!”
“This humble one… is so happy to be able to meet a hero like the Elder…”
“Huhu…”
He had even secured a promise to meet again soon. If she spoke like that, she would surely come looking for him as soon as the sun rose. He should tell her where to find him. Thinking this, Jin Mu-gak started to raise his finger.
“You must have slain demonic humans as well, of course.”
But then. The lively, bouncing voice that had been bright and cheerful until now suddenly felt just a little.
Cold.
“O-of course. When one carries out justice, one is bound to encounter demonic humans.”
“As expected…! I will definitely come to see you! I definitely will!”
“Oh, um…!”
It must have been his imagination. It was definitely his imagination.