Chapter 264: Daoist Yin-Yang Manual[R-18] (94)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 264: Daoist Yin-Yang Manual[R-18] (94)
The next morning.
I was out in the inn’s backyard before anyone else, warming up.
I swung my sword lightly, waiting for Hong Seo-rin to appear. Having traveled with her for several days, I knew she trained every morning without fail.
And just as I expected, Hong Seo-rin showed up.
With her red hair tied up high, she held her sword with the same expressionless face as always.
But something was different from yesterday. Namely… her gaze frequently, and subtly, drifted toward me.
‘Such a change from just a few words yesterday… How cute.’
I spoke to her casually.
“Have you come out to train?”
Hong Seo-rin paused.
“Yes…”
“Lady Hong, since no one else is around, how about a light spar?”
“A spar?”
Her brow furrowed. But soon, one corner of her mouth curled up into an amused expression.
‘She likes the idea more than I thought.’
It seemed her competitive spirit was stronger than I’d anticipated.
“What do you say?”
“…Fine.”
I grabbed an ordinary wooden sword that was hanging nearby and tossed it to Hong Seo-rin.
“Since it’s a light spar, let’s use these.”
She caught the wooden sword and nodded.
“I’ll yield the first move. Come at me.”
"Then I won't hold back."
I lowered my stance and raised my sword horizontally. Taking the most basic swordsmanship stance, I watched her reaction.
Hong Seo-rin waited for my attack with a relaxed expression. Her posture was flawless.
After a moment of silence, I lunged forward. The wooden sword cut through the air, striking down toward her left shoulder.
Clack!
As expected, she easily raised her sword to block my attack. But my assault didn't end there. The moment our swords met, I spun around and attacked again from the right.
Clack! Clack! Thwack!
The sound of our swords clashing repeatedly echoed through the yard. A smile spread across Hong Seo-rin’s face.
"Your skills are quite impressive."
"I’m still a long way off compared to you, Lady Hong."
Her expression grew more serious as she changed her stance. Suddenly, her sword flew toward my face like a bolt of lightning.
I barely managed to twist my head and dodge. Her wooden sword grazed past my ear.
"Oho…"
Hong Seo-rin’s eyes sparkled. She didn't stop, launching a continuous barrage of attacks. Her sword wove beautiful arcs around me, like scattering red petals.
"Shall we get a little more serious?"
"Of course."
This time, we both became much more focused. The sound of our swords clashing grew sharper, and our movements became faster.
Hong Seo-rin’s swordsmanship was both destructive and precise. Her red hair danced and scattered with her movements, and her eyes burned with the heat of battle.
"Your swordsmanship is as beautiful as it is destructive, Lady Hong."
"Thanks for the compliment, but…"
She suddenly swung her sword, aiming for my feet. I quickly stepped back, but her attack was just a feint. The real attack was a swift thrust aimed at my torso.
"Damn!"
I barely twisted my body to evade the attack, but her wooden sword grazed the hem of my clothes.
"Don't think I'll go easy on you!" Hong Seo-rin shouted, striking again.
This time, her speed was on another level. A sharp attack that pierced any opening, a flawless stance, an unhesitating hand.
‘This is… she’s serious.’
I smiled and deftly deflected the tip of her sword.
But in that instant, her left foot shot out from an unexpected angle. The tip of her foot kicked in, grazing my shin.
“Ugh!”
I nearly lost my balance, but I used the opening to my advantage and dropped low. I slipped inside her guard, toward her centerline, and lightly pressed my sword against her shoulder.
Tap.
It made contact.
It wasn't sword against sword, but body against body.
In that moment, I intentionally imbued my fingertips with an extremely subtle energy.
“……!”
Hong Seo-rin’s body clearly reacted. For a second, her eyelids trembled, and a soft breath escaped her.
‘She felt it.’
Watching her retreat, I raised my sword again.
“It’s not over yet.”
This time, I was the one to attack.
Faster, more fluidly. I swung my sword using the forms of the Moon Shadow Sky Sword Dance.
Clack! Thwack! Whoosh!
The sounds of our swords clashing cut through the air.
I saw Hong Seo-rin’s body flinch for a moment. The effect was incredibly weak, but it wasn't entirely nonexistent.
‘The effect is faint, but confirming that she can’t detect it is a major gain.’
From the moment I’d run into her this morning, I had been channeling a very fine stream of erotic energy from my fingertips. The instant I confirmed she couldn't detect it, I proposed the spar. And now, I was confirming the results firsthand.
No more experiments were needed. I gripped my sword and lowered my stance.
“Well then… Lady Hong, I’ll be serious now.”
At my words, Hong Seo-rin’s gaze sharpened.
“Good. I won’t hold back either.”
Our spar grew even more intense. Our swords moved so fast they were hard to follow with the eye, and the yard was filled with nothing but the sounds of clashing blades, shuffling feet, and ragged breaths.
Hong Seo-rin’s body gradually became slick with sweat. Her white training uniform clung to her skin, revealing the clear outline of her body beneath it. Her firm, toned waist, her full breasts that swayed softly, and—
Two distinct pink nubs, pressed against the wet fabric, caught my eye.
‘…Nipples?!’
Hardened outlines.
On her chest, flushed from her heavy breathing and sweat, they stood as if trying to burst through her uniform, tempting me.
‘This is crazy… That’s cheating.’
That brief moment of distraction was fatal.
Thwack!
Hong Seo-rin’s wooden sword struck me squarely on the shoulder.
“Focus!”
“Kuh…!”
I gathered my wits and raised my sword again. But she was a formidable opponent. Her precise sword tip and her perfect control over her power left no openings.
We pushed each other, moving fiercely.
Finally, after our swords pushed off one another, we both retreated at the same time.
“Hah… hah…”
We stood facing each other, panting. Hong Seo-rin’s face was flushed with heat, and beads of sweat trickled down her jawline.
“That was some incredible swordsmanship.”
“Hah, you weren’t so bad yourself.”
“You praise me too much. I only managed to hold on because you weren't being serious, Lady Hong.”
We lowered our swords and looked at each other. Hong Seo-rin’s expression was much softer than usual, and her breathing was slightly ragged.
“Let’s stop here for today. It’s almost time to eat.”
She tossed her wooden sword aside as she spoke.
I nodded and put my sword away.
“I was just starting to get hungry.”
“I’ll look forward to… next time.”
She turned shyly and headed back to the inn, and I followed behind her.
As we entered the inn together, Cheon Yeon-hwa, who was already awake, greeted us with a bright face.
“Oh! Where have you two been? Did you go out together?”
“We were sparring,” Hong Seo-rin answered first. Her voice carried a different kind of vitality than usual, as if she were still flushed from the fight.
“Really? Who won?”
I met Hong Seo-rin’s eyes. After a moment of silence, she spoke first.
“It was a draw.”
“Wow, Young Master Jin, you’re amazing! It’s not easy to fight Seo-rin to a draw…”
“I only managed to hold on because Lady Hong went easy on me.”
As I spoke humbly, Hong Seo-rin smiled quietly.
It was a smile that clearly showed she acknowledged me to some extent.
‘Phase one is a success. Next is…’
*
Our journey continued past Hubei Province.
During the long trip, I sparred with Hong Seo-rin every day, and we gradually grew closer. At first, when I heard she was in her mid-thirties, my mischievous side kicked in.
It was just after our usual light spar one morning. Hong Seo-rin was wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand, catching her breath.
I was sneaking a glance at her sweat-drenched figure when the words slipped out of my mouth.
“I guess you really can’t hide your age, ajumma.”
In that instant, time froze. Even the tiny beads of sweat on Hong Seo-rin’s face seemed to have hardened in place.
“…What?”
A single, cold word. A chill ran down my spine, but it was too late to take it back.
“Ah, no… I was just joking, don’t take it so seriously… I mean, Seo-rin aju—no, I mean…”
Her merciless fist silenced my attempt at an excuse.
Pow!
“Keuk!”
I collapsed, clutching my stomach. She approached, radiating a murderous aura. The way her red hair swayed as she moved was no different from a grim reaper closing in.
“Has this brat lost his mind…? Ajumma?”
“Gah… Wait, just a moment. I was wrong… It was a joke…”
But she didn’t stop. I tried to dodge her frantic kicks, but it was too late.
“I…! I’m still a virgin! If you ever spout such nonsense again, I’ll rip that tongue out of your mouth!”
After a harsh beating, I finally learned an important lesson.
The very next morning, I approached her with a polite expression and a very serious look in my eyes.
“Nunim, have you had breakfast?”
“…Nunim?”
Hong Seo-rin’s eyebrow twitched subtly.
“What’s that now?”
I said playfully.
“It’s a title befitting someone of your outstanding skill and grace. To dare call you ajumma was a great discourtesy on my part.”
She was silent for a moment before letting out a small sigh.
“Hah… Such empty flattery.”
Though she grumbled, I didn’t miss the way her eyes softened. Of course, I wouldn't.
From then on, I stuck by her side, calling her Nunim.
At first, she acted annoyed, but at some point, she must have gotten used to it, because she started to turn naturally whenever I called her. And every time she did, a cunning smile played on my lips.
‘If I keep calling her this, we’ll get closer, and that prickly attitude of hers will soon melt away.’
But there was something more important going on.
The sword spars were just an excuse. In truth, every time I blocked her sword, I was infusing her with a very subtle stream of erotic energy flowing from my fingertips.
At first, she hadn't noticed at all, but now she seemed to be feeling an unidentifiable sense of unease, as her breathing would often become ragged during our spars. Even so, she never looked at me with suspicion.
With a sly and playful smile, I casually approached Hong Seo-rin.
“Nunim, when we get to the next town tomorrow, shall I give you a massage?”
Hong Seo-rin frowned and glanced at me.
“A massage? I don’t need anything like that.”
She rejected me coldly, but I had expected that reaction.
I deliberately put on a friendlier expression and took a step closer.
“Don’t say that, just try it once. When it comes to massages, my skills are the best in the Central Plains.”
“Oh? Are they that good?”
“Just try it once. You’ll be asking for it again and again.”
“Fine. Then, let’s see these massage skills of yours.”
‘Perfect, she took the bait.’
The time to turn her from my Nunim to my cocksleeve was drawing near.
