Water Buffalo
Seongdo. The great city representing Sichuan.
"Whoa..."
A genuine gasp of admiration escaped Do Gwang's lips as he stepped inside. This was a scene he'd witnessed countless times through a game monitor. But facing it with his own two eyes instead of through graphics on a screen—the scale was something else entirely.
"Kyahahaha~~!"
Do Hwa, walking pressed close beside him, burst into bright laughter, equally fascinated by the dazzling spectacle unfolding before her.
'...It's been a long time for her. No, maybe it's her first time.'
Do Gwang didn't know exactly when Do Hwa had been kidnapped and subjected to those horrific experiments in the Blood Religion's underground facility. But he could easily guess—without even asking—that her time of suffering had been unbearably long and cruel.
So Do Gwang smiled bitterly and gently stroked Do Hwa's small head.
"Hehe..."
Do Hwa rubbed her cheek against his palm, beaming as if she loved nothing more than his touch. The two of them looked like a painting come to life, inevitably drawing the stares of everyone passing by.
"Those faces—I've never seen them before. Which noble family's children could they be?"
"Hooh, with that striking appearance, they're no less than the sons and daughters of prestigious houses!"
Murmur, murmur.
People on the street stopped in their tracks, stealing glances at the pair and whispering among themselves. Do Gwang, with his delicate features that didn't look a day past twenty. And Do Hwa, dressed in fine silk, smiling like a doll. If they'd had a few bodyguards trailing them, they'd have been mistaken for a noble young master and princess from some illustrious clan without a doubt.
And then.
"It's Dangwonhongmae!"
A man shouted in a voice that seemed about to tear. At those words, the crowd's attention shifted from Do Gwang and his daughter to a single direction.
"What?! Dangwonhongmae?!"
"Hooh! One of the Three Flowers of Sichuan—Lady Dang Aran herself! My luck is truly extraordinary today! To think I'd get to see such a noble person in the flesh!"
This was the martial world, through and through! People practically foaming at the mouth, making a huge fuss while chanting grandiose epithets! And their explanations were nothing short of generous.
"I hear the Tang family head dotes on her so much he wouldn't even mind keeping her in his eyes!"
"Aigo, aren't those young masters following behind her from the Song and Jin families?!"
"Incredible! She parades around the finest sons of Sichuan like they're her personal bodyguards—she's like a princess!"
Even though no one had asked for an explanation, these kind souls volunteered the entire backstory without prompting! The very heart of Seongdo had turned into a festival ground, all because of Dang Aran's appearance!
And the protagonist at the center of all this attention—Dang Aran—unfolded an ornate fan, half-covering her face.
'Ah, this is so noisy. I just came out for some fresh air, and now this commotion.'
Outwardly, she radiated annoyance. But behind the fan, a satisfied smile curled at the corners of her lips, intoxicated by the crowd's adoration.
Meanwhile.
Do Gwang watched the chaotic scene from a distance.
'...Huh. Dang Aran.'
His assessment was utterly flat. She was indeed a beauty dazzling enough to make people foam at the mouth and collapse in excitement.
'...Not my type, though.'
That was it. She wasn't his type! Do Gwang had poured thousands of hours of his life into this game. He knew like breathing how many beauties flooded this martial world. He had no reason to waste his gaze on Dang Aran, who wasn't even his taste.
So.
'Let's just get our Do Hwa something to eat.'
Having long since become a complete fool for his daughter, Do Gwang turned on his heel without a second thought.
But at that moment—someone caught his utterly indifferent reaction like a ghost!
"Ha! What's that?"
It was the protagonist of the crowd herself—Dang Aran.
'His face is fairly decent, so I thought I'd give him a special glance...'
How dare he look at her with such dry, uninterested eyes and then just spin around and walk away!
Was it because she read his hidden displeasure? Or had they noticed that the Dang Aran they followed so devotedly had her eyes fixed on some unheard-of man?
"Hey, you there!"
One of the young masters trailing behind Dang Aran couldn't hold back and shouted at the back of Do Gwang's head. But who would immediately understand being called "hey, you there"? Weaklings with something to fear or hide might flinch and turn around involuntarily, hoping against hope. But Do Gwang was who he was—a man who hadn't even bothered to watch Dang Aran's procession properly and had just gone looking for an inn instead. He wasn't the type to turn his head for a summons thrown so carelessly without even using his name!
So.
Step, step.
Do Gwang continued on his way, still holding Do Hwa's hand.
"Hey, you there!!!"
The young master, Song Pyeong, veins bulging, raised his voice even louder!
"You there—the one with the blade on your back! I'm calling you, am I not!!!"
His shout rang thunderously through the heart of Seongdo.
Finally.
"...Huh?"
Do Gwang stopped in his tracks and tilted his head slightly. Then, with an expression full of meaning—'Me?'—he pointed a finger at his own face.
"Yes, you! I'm talking to you!"
"...Why?"
Do Gwang replied curtly, looking thoroughly annoyed.
"Why... what do you mean, why...?"
Song Pyeong doubted his own ears. Why? Here he was, a son of a powerful family throwing his weight around in Sichuan, personally calling out to this man. How could the answer be so insolent and short?
'Damn! Could he be from some prestigious noble bloodline!?'
A chill ran down Song Pyeong's spine. He'd shouted in a fit of anger because this unfamiliar man had stolen Dang Aran's attention. But looking closely now, the great blade slung across his back was not only absurdly large but also radiated an ominous energy.
'Could he be from the Hebei Peng family? Did I pick a fight with the wrong person...?'
For a split second, Song Pyeong regretted it.
But.
'No! Lady Dang Aran is watching!'
She'd shown interest. In some bastard who looked like he'd crawled out of nowhere! For the sake of male pride and the love he had to win, Song Pyeong couldn't back down here!
"Stop for a moment! I have something I wish to ask you!"
But.
Step, step.
Do Gwang didn't even acknowledge Song Pyeong's solemn cry. He simply took Do Hwa's hand again and started walking.
"Y-you bastard...! Will you not stop?!"
Song Pyeong, his pride thoroughly scratched, was hopping mad.
Whoosh—!
This time, it wasn't Do Gwang but Do Hwa who spun around. She stared straight at Song Pyeong.
"Can I kill them?"
Her clear, chilling eyes sparkled as she spoke.
Shiver—
'W-what kind of eyes does that little girl have...!'
Song Pyeong involuntarily flinched, stepping back.
'No, no! Have I lost my mind!'
Startled by his own weakness, Song Pyeong twisted his face into an ugly scowl.
"W-what kind of preposterous nonsense is that! A tiny little girl spewing words too dreadful to even utter!"
A brat who didn't look like she could throw a single punch dared to talk about killing someone! He didn't know which family's precious daughter she was, but this was a chilling statement that couldn't be laughed off!
Meanwhile.
"No."
Do Gwang gently stroked Do Hwa's small head, stopping her.
"We need to go eat. Don't waste your energy on some buffalo, Do Hwa."
"Bu... buffalo...?"
Song Pyeong parroted back, looking dumbfounded. Had he just mentioned his epithet? No, he didn't even if he had, he didn't have one in the first place! And wasn't "buffalo" a word for a stupid beast that rolled around in mud, not a person's name? Or—could it be that he was being complimented indirectly, meaning he was as steadfast and reliable as an ox? No, that couldn't be it! There was no way that insolent tone was a compliment!
In that brief instant, a thousand thoughts raced through Song Pyeong's mind!
Do Hwa, equally curious about the word, widened her eyes.
"What's a buffalo?"
She looked up at Do Gwang with a bright expression and asked.
"Ah..."
Do Gwang scratched the back of his head involuntarily. He'd let slip a meme, a slang term from the modern world, right here in the middle of this martial world.
'What do I do now...'
Buffalo. The origin and evolution of that word were way too complicated to explain to a child.
But.
Sparkle, sparkle—!
His daughter (?) was looking at him with eyes sparkling with curiosity. He couldn't just pretend he didn't know, could he?
"Uh... well, you see."
After thinking for a moment, he got down to her eye level and explained as simply and intuitively as possible.
"It's what you call idiots who chase after women."
But our bright and quick-witted Do Hwaited Do Hwa understood immediately.
"Kyahahaha~~!"
She burst into bright laughter once more.
"So you mean worthless men who are crazy about women!"
She stretched out her little hand and pointed directly at Song Pyeong's face, driving the nail home!
"Y-you bastards! How dare you insult me!?"
Song Pyeong's face flushed crimson with humiliation as he bellowed.
But.
"Kyahahaha~~!"
Do Hwa burst into bright laughter again, as if even his anger was amusing.
And she didn't stop.
"Over there! And there too!"
She shifted her tiny finger, pointing out the other young masters hovering around Dang Aran like shadows, one by one.
"They're all buffalos too!"
She perfectly defined their identity in front of the crowd of onlookers!
"W-what...! B-buffalo!?"
"A-are you calling us horny beasts!?"
The men lost their reason all at once under Do Hwa's bright, innocent provocation!
"Aaaaaah!!!!"
"This damned little girl, how dare she!!!"
The young masters of the prestigious families, their eyes rolling back in rage, screamed as if they were about to draw their weapons!
But.
"Kyahahaha~~!"
Do Hwa, finding their reactions even more entertaining, laughed innocently and ducked behind Do Gwang's back. Then she poked her tiny finger out again, pointed at Seongdo's proud young masters, and shouted.
"Dad! The buffalos over there are mad!"
The bustling and beautiful Seongdo, the representative city of Sichuan. The main street of that great metropolis was now one step away from complete chaos, thanks to the appearance of Do Gwang and his daughter!
"You ill-mannered little brat!"
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Song Pyeong's face burned red like a furnace.
"Buffalo! How dare you insult us with such a vulgar word!!!"
"I'll tear that damned girl's mouth apart right now!"
The other young masters also lost their composure and started hopping mad.
"You keep your filthy thoughts to yourself in your own head, but you teach such low-class language to your little sister! You, you bastard! You're truly insane!"
This time, Song Pyeong's anger was directed at Do Gwang.
"...What?"
Do Gwang's previously flat eyes sank sharply.
Insane. The word he'd heard the most since possessing this martial world, and the one he hated hearing the most—insane! And he'd said truly insane!
'...Should I just kill him?'
For a moment, murderous intent stirred in Do Gwang. His hand moved toward the great blade on his back—
But before he could.
"Can I kill them?"
Do Hwa's eyes flashed as she radiated killing intent. This time, she even pulled a dagger from her bosom.
"This tiny thing really has no shame!"
Song Pyeong snorted as if he found it absurd.
"As expected from the sister of a madman! You're also a crazy little girl with a swollen ego!"
The moment his words fell, Do Hwa's bright face crumpled.
"...I'm not his sister."
"What?"
Song Pyeong stepped back again involuntarily. The ferocious killing intent radiating from the once-bright Do Hwa was beyond imagination.
"I'm his daughter!!!"
Do Hwa gripped her dagger and pushed off the ground.
"Y-you really want to do this!!!"
Shing—!
Song Pyeong hastily drew the sword at his waist. Truth be told, he wanted to run away right then and there. Something—as a human, no, as a living being—his instincts were screaming at him frantically. He absolutely should not get entangled any further with this crazy little girl in front of him.
But there were too many eyes watching. Above all, Lady Dang Aran was watching from behind!
Perhaps that was why. Song Pyeong's veins bulged in his neck as he raised his voice.
"You're not just crazy—you're completely out of your mind! How could you possibly be that bastard's daughter! At most, you look like there's only a six-year age difference between you!"
His words weren't wrong. To anyone looking, they were siblings. As he said, at most, they looked like there was only a six-year age difference! Father and daughter! Did that even make sense?
But.
To Do Hwa, Song Pyeong's jab sounded like nothing less than a denial of her only family relationship.
"I said I'm his daughter!!!"
Enraged, Do Hwa tried to lunge forward, ready to slice Song Pyeong's throat even without Do Gwang's permission.
But then.
"That's enough."
An old man's voice, heavy with internal energy, rang through the street.
An old man appeared suddenly!
At his appearance—
"It's Elder Dang Taebo! The third elder of the Sichuan Tang family!"
A shocked cry burst from one of the onlookers. As expected of the martial world! No time to wonder who this sudden arrival was!
"Heok! The third elder—that fearsome man said to be among the top ten poison experts in the Tang family!"
"Today, Seongdo is truly turned upside down! To think I'd get to see such a master in person!"
The crowd eagerly began praising the old man—Dang Taebo's—reputation.
Murmur, murmur!
Just as the heart of Seongdo was about to become noisier than a marketplace—
"Enough."
Dang Taebo raised his wrinkled hand lightly. And as if they'd all made a pact—
"..."
"..."
The noisy street fell silent... as if that would ever happen!
"No!"
Do Hwa shrieked immediately.
"Dad, can't we just kill them all?"
The girl blinked her clear eyes and looked up at Do Gwang.
Dang Taebo let out a hollow laugh at her absurd and chilling demeanor.
"Heh heh... heh... A little child already filled with murderous intent in her eyes."
He maintained his composure, as befitting an elder of Sichuan's premier clan.
"Dressed so finely yet so lawless and brutal—are you brats from the Tyrant Blade Sect's family?"
At Dang Taebo's words, the onlookers' eyes widened in shock.
"Heok! That lawless unorthodox sect—the Tyrant Blade Sect?"
"Didn't they make a pact with the Murim Alliance! That they would never leave the western area of Seongdo!"
As expected of the martial world! This time, the young masters with Song Pyeong were kindly explaining everything!
Anyway.
"Tch, tch... While I'm being nice, stop causing trouble and go back to your territory immediately."
Dang Taebo clicked his tongue and warned Do Gwang and Do Hwa. Then he turned his head to look at Dang Aran.
"Aran, hasn't the family head told you repeatedly? That the outside is dangerous these days, so you should refrain from going out."
"But, Granduncle..."
Before Dang Aran could even begin to defend herself against the suddenly appearing Dang Taebo—
"I don't want to."
Do Gwang snorted and cut in.
"Who are you to tell me to come and go?"
He patted the handle of the great blade slung across his back and stood crookedly.
Dang Taebo stroked his bearded chin and hardened his expression.
"Boy... take your hand off your weapon... I've already been extremely lenient with you. Even regarding your Tyrant Blade Sect violating the treaty and encroaching on our territory."
The old master slipped his other hand into his bosom.
"If you don't want to be crippled and crawl on the ground for the rest of your life, go back now. This old man is barely holding back the urge to tear apart an insolent, murderous brat like you right this moment..."
Dang Taebo thought: This is as far as my kindness goes. Yes, the warning ends here. No matter how fearsome the Tyrant Blade Sect might be, they couldn't compare to Sichuan's premier Tang family. Nevertheless, the reason he was showing mercy to these crazy brats who had violated the treaty and crossed into their territory was this: not only had the Tang family's fourth elder suddenly disappeared, but information had also come in that an unknown thug or organization had brutally slaughtered the disciples of the Cheongseong Sect.
'Even Elder Beop Yeonhui of the Emei Sect has vanished without a trace...'
A sinister blood wind was definitely about to blow through the Sichuan martial world. So there was no need to engage in a meaningless war of attrition with the Tyrant Blade Sect. He planned to drive them away with a proper warning and be done with it.
'But if they keep crossing that line...'
There would be no mercy. As the saying went, the Sichuan Tang family repaid kindness twofold and grudges tenfold. That Tang family was not a gentle and merciful group like the other orthodox sects!
But.
Dang Taebo's thoughts couldn't have been more misguided.
Because.
The person standing before him right now was the very one who had stirred up that "sinister blood wind."
And.
That person had a personality that had long since thrown any semblance of patience to the dogs!
"Shut your mouth."
"What...?"
For a moment, Dang Taebo was so dumbfounded he just blinked. Shut his mouth? Was he talking about the mouth of an animal or a fish? 'How dare he utter such a low-class word to this old man...?' He couldn't help but doubt his own ears.
But he shouldn't have wasted time on such useless thoughts.
Because.
The next thing that struck his ears was—
CRUNCH—!
The horrific sound of the wrist bone he'd slipped into his bosom shattering completely!
Dang Taebo—the younger brother of the Tang family's supreme elder, the Poison King, and the third elder himself.
"KYAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!"
He couldn't help but let out a pathetic scream in the middle of Seongdo's main street.