How the Virtuous Baekri Yeongso Came to Read Such Books
The full story of the incident was as follows.
After Ma Ryun caught her yesterday in an inappropriate state of dress with Jang-gyeong, Yeongso fell into deep contemplation. Yet, no matter how much she wracked her brain, she couldn't think of a way to convince him. Faced with this insurmountable wall, Yeongso turned to her personal maid, Chocho, grasping at straws.
“What should one do if they have an urgent favor to ask of a Sapa man?”
Chocho, whose hair was neatly tied in her signature double loops, answered without a second thought. “Madam, you are the Renju-buin! Just order him!”
“Is there... no other way besides ordering him? I would prefer a method that is as non-coercive as possible.”
“Ah.” Chocho chirped, as if this were the easiest question in the world. “Then you must seduce him!”
“Even though I am a married woman...?”
“Well, excuse me, but what does that have to do with anything?” According to Chocho, any true Sapa woman should look down on men, threaten them, seduce them, play with them, and then heartlessly discard them once their usefulness was spent. She did, however, add one condition: “Of course, you must make sure the Renju doesn't find out.”
Yeongso was momentarily lost for words. “I... well... I do not wish to play with people's hearts...”
“Oh my, he must be an ugly man then.”
“He—he is not ugly. In fact, he is rather handsome...”
Ma Ryun was a different type of handsome compared to Banya. While Banya was a striking beauty with sharp, distinct features who exuded a lavish, dangerous allure, Ma Ryun had long, single-lidded eyes and an overall genial, simple impression.
Granted, that is only when he isn't slicing people apart until he is drenched in blood from head to toe...
In other words, Banya practically screamed 'dangerous villain' the moment one laid eyes on him, whereas Ma Ryun looked like a gentle giant. Perhaps Ma Ryun himself was somewhat dissatisfied with this, as about three years ago, he had asked his master, “Should I slash a scar across my eyebrow?”
Hearing that, Banya had asked in return:
“At this late stage...?”
Yeongso was snapped back to reality by Chocho's dramatic fussing. “If he is handsome, why not play with him?”
“Well... I am married to the Renju, so I wish to remain faithful. Besides, I do not have the confidence to deceive him completely.”
It was a statement that would have made Banya laugh like a madman before coughing up blood. However, it worked perfectly on Chocho. “True, the Renju's possessiveness over you is quite extreme.”
Orders were out of the question. Seduction was also a no-go. What on earth was she to do? Chocho rolled her round eyes, pondering deeply, before offering a suggestion. “How about I bring you a few books to read, Madam?”
The books the maid brought back with a bright, beaming smile bore the following titles:
• Practical Techniques: How to Get a Sapa Man in the Palm of Your Hand
• Understanding the Sapa Mindset: Men's Edition
• One Hundred Foolproof Seduction Techniques for Sapa Women
• Strip, Whisper, and Captivate
• A Beginner's Guide to Bewitching Sapa Men
• You, Too, Can Bring Ten Thousand Sapa Men to Their Knees
Yeongso had no idea such books even existed in this world. “Madam, a Sapa man can only be handled the Sapa way! Since you wish to avoid overt seduction, you can adjust the intensity to your liking while reading these.”
“Are these all yours?”
“Yes! But I've already read them several times. It's not much, but please accept them as a gift.”
She didn't particularly want to open them. Yet, she couldn't ignore Chocho's sincerity. Moreover, Chocho's words—that a Sapa man must be dealt with the Sapa way—resonated deeply within her. Alright. Let's do this...
Yeongso cut back on her sleep to read every single book. After devouring all six volumes, she reached a definitive conclusion: she had to induce confusion in her target. And, one way or another, clothes had to be shed. If she absolutely refused to undress, she had to at least appear 'moist' in some way—such as having dewy lips—to deviate from her usual self.
Yeongso intentionally raised her body temperature to work up a light sweat. When she donned a deep crimson court robe—a color she rarely wore—her flushed cheeks appeared even redder. She also deliberately chose a darker shade of lip rouge. “Will this be enough?”
Attempting something so entirely out of character made her endlessly anxious. Just as she peered into the mirror to slightly dishevel her hair, Ma Ryun's voice echoed from outside the door. Amazingly, the result had been a resounding success.
“Indeed, a Sapa man must be defeated... ah, no, dealt with using Sapa methods.” As the old saying goes, 'Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles.' It seemed that wisdom applied here as well. Yeongso nodded quietly to herself, having gained a new enlightenment. “But... would this work on my husband too?”
The moment Banya had laid eyes on the Secret Manual of Bedchamber Cultivation, he had recalled the first volume stored in his treasure vault. He was immensely pleased with himself for naturally linking it to cultivating with his wife. To satisfy his curiosity about Baekri Yeongso while engaging in intimate union—was this not killing two birds with one stone?
Through their three cultivation sessions so far, he had learned who her master was, the very first moment she felt joy while learning martial arts, and the first hardship she had faced. The reason she chose a needle and thread out of all the countless weapons available was an added bonus. And what a cute bonus it was.
It was unexpected. Yeongso had actually asked her husband a question first. Until now, Banya had always been the one asking. At any rate, the topic of their fourth cultivation session was their respective first kills. How did our righteous, path-walking wife end up killing me? I shall find out the reason soon enough.
Things could not be going more smoothly. Banya thought he should have paid a visit to Mancheon Doksu of the Biwol Sect much sooner to demand the second volume—though, of course, he would have needed to remember the first volume in his treasure vault first.
“Wife, let us give Mancheon Doksu something in return for the Secret Manual of Bedchamber Cultivation. Since she has her eye on my brother-in-law, perhaps we could arrange a situation where they 'coincidentally' run into each other.”
Even as he spoke, Banya knew Yeongso would never agree to this. She and her brother, Baekri Yeong-hyeok, shared an incredibly close bond. She would gladly repay the favor, but she would hate to drag her brother into it. He expected her to immediately coddle and protect Yeong-hyeok. Yet, Yeongso's reaction completely defied his expectations.
“The—the Vice Alliance Leader is still here. Please refrain from speaking of... bedchamber cultivation in front of others.”
Yeongso seemed quite flustered. Considering she was still shy even when they were completely alone, it wasn't a particularly strange reaction. But still... something felt off today. 'Vice Alliance Leader'? Did his wife usually call Ma Ryun that? Hadn't she always referred to him as 'your subordinate' or by his title, 'Cheonsalseong'? Why was she suddenly using his official title today to draw a line between them?
And what about my brother-in-law? Yeongso hadn't even uttered a single syllable of Yeong-hyeok's name. It seemed that no matter how long he waited, her cherry-like lips had no intention of bringing him up. At this point, Banya cast a sidelong glance at Ma Ryun.
“...”
Without a single change in his expression, Ma Ryun was busy executing the task Banya had assigned him. He opened the reports stacked on the left side of the desk, silently stamping them with the Renju's seal, then slid the completed documents to the right.
“Cheonsalseong.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“What did you just hear?”
“I heard absolutely nothing, my lord.”
“Is that so?”
Banya slowly swept the tip of his tongue along the inside of his lip. “Look directly at the Renju-buin and repeat those words. We must put my wife's mind at ease.”
Ma Ryun's hand, which had been about to press down another seal, froze in midair. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but soon steeled his resolve and lifted his head. “Please rest assured, Madam. I saw nothing and heard nothing.”
“Wait.” Banya raised a finger. “I do not know if I am merely nitpicking, but it seems your gaze is directed not at my wife's eyes, but somewhere around her chin. And you are acting strange as well, Wife.”
“What do you mean by that...?”
“Why can you not look Cheonsalseong straight in the eye?”
Yeongso quickly protested that she had done no such thing. But it was already too late. Her response had been far too fast. It was the exact moment Hwa Banya's spine-chilling intuition flared to life.
“Cheonsalseong.” Banya crossed his arms over his chest, a look of profound amusement spreading across his face. “What exactly did you see?”