Another Girlfriend
Jo Pacheon was speechless. He nearly choked on his anger, almost spitting blood. He hated to admit it, but Bukjin's words rang true. Bukjin had already earned a reputation as Unmong City's most notorious scoundrel.
“You truly have some nerve, you bastard,” Jo Pacheon seethed, unable to contain his fury.
“I am innocent. I...”
At that moment, Bukjin’s expression abruptly changed. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Bukjin quickly turned away, wiped the blood with his sleeve, and then, surprisingly, accused Jo Pacheon.
“Hey, Jo, you’d better focus on how you’re going to turn the tables in the upcoming trials. You haven’t forgotten our wager, have you? As things stand, once the Academic & Martial Arts Competition is over, I’ll cut off your head without a moment’s hesitation.”
Jo Pacheon ignored Bukjin’s words, staring at him with a strange gaze before falling into thought. Soon, he spoke.
“You… are you injured?”
“Nonsense.” Bukjin’s eyes flickered for a brief instant. He quickly blustered, “That must be your wishful thinking. Instead of spouting such nonsense, worry about your own neck. Haha, where do I look injured?”
With that, Bukjin turned and walked away. Jo Pacheon did not follow, instead sinking deeper into contemplation.
In truth, a strange rumor had circulated through Unmong City last night. It claimed that Bukjin had sustained injuries to his blood and internal organs after performing a secret technique in the power arena, and that the 3rd Academy had secretly provided emergency treatment to suppress his wounds.
Moreover, the rumor was not entirely baseless. It was said that a teacher from the 3rd Academy, who had always disliked Bukjin, had secretly used a Ryuyeongseok to record Bukjin receiving treatment. In the recording, Bukjin was reportedly covered in blood, screaming for his life.
And today, many gambling houses in the city had even adjusted the odds for Bukjin. The process of setting odds in gambling houses was usually very cautious. Therefore, it was rare for them to adjust odds based on such dubious rumors. But the current situation...
“Im Bukjin clearly bled just now. If it wasn’t an act, then he really is injured… Heh heh, this is interesting. The Academic & Martial Arts Competition is Im Bukjin’s biggest chance to turn his situation around. But today, in the trials, instead of cherishing that opportunity, he used a ridiculous method of smashing watermelons to deceive everyone. That means… he’s injured and can’t perform at his full strength…”
Jo Pacheon, who had been muttering, burst into laughter. He was greatly looking forward to the upcoming trials. Jo Pacheon suddenly felt very good.
At Juk-won, twilight deepened as the sun dipped towards the west.
“Young Master, all the merchants are waiting for you outside,” Wang Chung, the butler, said with an expression of admiration. “At least twenty or thirty guild masters and shop owners are waiting, clutching bags of money, just to speak with you. A single word from you, and they’ll send the funds immediately. Truly, Young Master, you are a peerless genius! To think of such a method! This Wang Chung respects you even more…!”
As Wang Chung spoke, Bukjin spat out the pouch of fake blood he had hidden under his tongue.
“Hmph! The same bastards who wouldn’t even look at me yesterday are now clamoring for my attention?”
Wang Chung looked flustered. “Young Master, are you truly thinking of refusing money that’s practically rolling into your hands?”
“Of course not,” Bukjin replied. “It’s just that too many advertisements are coming in, and I can’t accept them all. If you eat too much, you’ll get indigestion. Accepting just any advertisement can actually lower my popularity and tarnish my reputation.”
Wang Chung was speechless. ‘Young Master, are you misunderstanding the meaning of the word ‘reputation’? What reputation do you even have…?’
Bukjin had, with today’s watermelon-cutting competition, single-handedly thrown what little improving reputation he had into the deepest abyss. Currently, Bukjin’s reputation was worse than ever before. If his previous epithets were ‘lunatic,’ ‘playboy,’ and ‘scoundrel,’ now ‘rule-breaker’ and ‘master of cheating’ had been added. To call Bukjin a rat would be an insult to rats.
But Wang Chung absolutely dared not voice any of this in front of Bukjin. He simply listened quietly to Bukjin’s words.
“Wang Chung, I have a task for you. I’ll grant you proxy authority. Find a suitable location and hold an auction. It can start tomorrow. Secure three advertisements before the team competition begins. The bidding starts at 500 nyang. I will advertise the product of the merchant who bids the highest! There should be no upper limit on the price.”
Wang Chung’s eyes gleamed. ‘What an excellent method!’
“Understood! Young Master, rest assured!” Wang Chung turned to leave and carry out Bukjin’s orders. Just then, Bukjin spoke again.
“Right, how is the plan we discussed yesterday progressing?”
Wang Chung answered with a confident expression. “Everything is proceeding smoothly. Tomorrow, we will surely make a fortune.”
“Good. You may go now.” Bukjin nodded, satisfied.
A moment later, the beautiful maid Cheon-cheon approached Bukjin and reported, her face a little pouty. “Young Master, a young lady is requesting to see you outside the bamboo grove. She said she is your girlfriend.”
“My girlfriend?” Bukjin asked. “Which girlfriend are you referring to?”
Seeing Cheon-cheon’s complicated expression, Bukjin realized he had made a slip of the tongue. But he didn’t feel particularly inclined to explain himself. ‘Sigh, a woman’s heart is indeed complicated.’
Bukjin stepped out of Juk-won and headed towards the bamboo grove. Soon, he came face to face with Im Jin, Unmong City’s most beautiful woman.
“What brings you here?” Bukjin asked, surprised. He subtly glanced around, checking if Im Jin’s two elder brothers had come with her. When he realized she was truly alone, a headache began to throb.
‘Lord Im! Are you properly managing your daughter? Leaving her to visit a man alone so late at night! What will people say if they find out! Who will prove my innocence!’
“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” Im Jin asked. “As I recall, this is my first time here.”
Bukjin pondered her question for a moment, then forced an awkward smile. “It’s probably better if you don’t. Rumors might start.”
Im Jin’s jade-like face furrowed into a frown. ‘He acted so shamelessly during the day…’ She found Bukjin’s sudden display of seriousness infuriating.
“So. Are you really hurt?” Im Jin asked Bukjin. Although her expression remained unchanged, a rare warmth flickered deep within her bright, shining eyes. Her personality, usually like that of a corporate CEO, seemed to have shifted slightly. To be precise, her charming, adorable girl persona hadn’t appeared once since the Academic & Martial Arts Competition preliminaries.
After a moment of hesitation, Bukjin finally told her the truth. “Actually… I’m not injured.”
A warm, spring-like smile bloomed on Im Jin’s pristine face. Bukjin’s answer had pleased her. And Bukjin, caught off guard by her smile, looked utterly captivated.
‘This world is truly unfair. Some are born with everything. Not only do they grow up under good parents and receive the attention of their siblings, but they also possess unparalleled talent and peerless beauty… It seems the Creator poured all the world’s beauty and goodness into her.’
Im Jin was precisely that. Her beauty was like a peerless divine sword. It was not only extremely lethal but also possessed a unique quality that no one could imitate. Even epithets like ‘a rose with thorns’ felt inadequate to describe her. In short, Im Jin’s beauty was awe-inspiring, the kind that no one could easily approach. It possessed a magic that made one willing to drink poison, knowing full well what it was.
“Really?” Im Jin asked again.
“Really,” Bukjin nodded.
Im Jin extended her palm towards Bukjin. In her delicate hand lay a small, lustrous white jade bottle. Inside, there was medicine to heal wounds and restore the body, clearly no ordinary item. The bottle was as white and pure as jade, yet in Im Jin’s even finer hand, it seemed to lose its luster.
As Bukjin hesitated whether to accept what Im Jin had brought, the small bottle slowly floated up and flew towards him. Bukjin had no choice but to catch the bottle suspended in mid-air.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Im Jin thought for a moment, then spoke. “By the way, when did you acquire those two beautiful maids? Why didn’t I know? Weren’t you always short on money?”
A red warning signal flashed in Bukjin’s mind. Just as Bukjin was about to say something, Im Jin spoke again.
“You didn’t let me inside. You’d better not regret it later.” With that, Im Jin turned and left.
‘Huh? What on earth does that mean? Could it be that if I had brought her in… this and that… No way?!’
Bukjin recalled a certain Thirty-Six Stratagems technique he had acquired. But he felt no regret whatsoever. After all, Bukjin was someone who had to return to Earth someday. He had no intention of forming relationships with women in this world. Bukjin still retained that much rationality.
Bukjin returned to his bedroom, holding the small jade bottle Im Jin had given him. But before he could even sit down, the beautiful maid Cheon-cheon came to him again, glaring at him with a sulky face as she reported.
“Young Master, another! Your girlfriend is here again.”
‘What?!’ Bukjin stared at the increasingly bold maid Cheon-cheon in bewilderment. ‘Why are you looking at me like that! Do you think I’m some kind of philanderer?!’