The Female Martial Artist Humiliated by Corpses (1)
Eon Sisi was the second daughter of the Jinju Eon family.
“Eon Sisi? ...Black Sisi?”
“Oh, you know me? As a messenger, you must hear plenty of information. That’s right. In the martial world they call me Black Sisi. Hmm, my reputation really does precede me wherever I go.”
Eon Sisi shrugged her shoulders, radiating confidence.
As a daughter of the Jinju Eon family she had been written as a character overflowing with pride in her own skill—arrogant and insolent. Yet she was no lead. Eon Sisi was merely a supporting character. Pretty enough, but not the kind of beauty that made a man gasp. Her martial arts were solid, yet nowhere near the level of a true master. In the end she was the sort of figure who rode the family’s fame more than her own talent.
The Jinju Eon family did have a heroine-quest target, though. That was the third daughter, Eon Mimi.
What is Eon Sisi doing here? Now that I’ve actually possessed a body inside the game, I regret being a developer. If I’d been a planner I’d know this place cold.
In game development, coders and designers only ever touch their own assigned slice. Map people stay with maps; prop people stay with trees and grass. If you were the tree guy you spent every waking hour making trees and never learned the rest of the game. Planners divided work too, but scenario was their job, so they usually knew the characters, the plot, and every quest by heart.
I had managed to remember who Eon Sisi was, yet I had no idea why she had come to this place. The lack of detailed scenario knowledge stung.
Well, it doesn’t matter. She’s not connected to me.
No quest involving her had appeared, she was not a heroine target, and she had nothing to do with the Dang family I was heading toward. There was no reason to spare her another thought.
“Destination and recipient?”
“Dang Juju of the Sichuan Dang Family!”
“To the Sichuan Dang Family, and Dang Juju is the one who receives it?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Just confirming.”
Why would Eon Sisi be sending a letter to Dang Juju? Curiosity shortened a man’s life. Better to stay ignorant and move on.
I filled out two messenger tokens—one for the client, one for myself—and we each took a copy.
“Fee?”
“From here to Chengdu, two nyang.”
“What? Why so expensive? It’s only a few days to Chengdu.”
“Don’t like it, hire someone else. I’m a fairly well-known messenger; my rate is high.”
“Tch, fine, I’ll pay. But why do you keep talking down to me?”
“You started it.”
“Me? I’m the second daughter of the Jinju Eon family. A mere messenger has no right to look at me that way.”
“When did I look at you that way? I have zero interest.”
“That’s not the point. There’s a difference in status between us, so I’m allowed to speak casually.”
“What status? We’re both ordinary commoners without a single official post.”
“You want to die? No—I can’t kill you. How about I just hit you once?”
“You need this letter delivered, right? What if I toss it in a river halfway there?”
“Ah… true. Since you’re a messenger I’ll let it slide. Cocky little brat.”
Bullshit. She was roughly my age. Both of us in our twenties—who was calling whom a brat?
I knew she was a game character, yet the situation felt real enough that my dislike for Eon Sisi was genuine.
“I’ve left word for the Poison Heart Flower. Let’s go handle our own business.”
“Yes, young lady.”
Whatever errand had brought her here, Eon Sisi handed me the letter for Dang Juju and left the inn.
Perfect. I needed an excuse to approach Dang Juju anyway.
For me it was an unexpected stroke of luck—an opening straight to Dang Juju.
“Hmm, Guard Jong, this is the place, correct?”
“Yes, young lady. I was told it was definitely here. That one over there, I believe. If it’s the cave behind Turtle Rock, it should be right behind that boulder.”
“You’re right. That’s Turtle Rock.”
“We must be careful.”
“Careful of what? They said his martial arts are weak. You claimed you could handle him alone.”
“Even so, he is someone our main family failed to catch.”
“If his skill isn’t high, the three of us won’t let him slip away. Stop fretting.”
Eon Sisi spoke with easy confidence, eyes fixed hard on the rock Guard Jong indicated. Sure enough, a cave yawned behind Turtle Rock, and it ran deep.
The three of them fashioned torches and stepped inside. After a stretch of darkness the tunnel began to brighten—someone had already lit lamps within. In the widening chamber a man was bent over what looked like a corpse, hands moving across it.
“Found you. Gangsi Dokma! I’ve finally tracked you down.”
At Eon Sisi’s voice the man turned. He looked about forty, gaunt, yet his eyes were sharp as a hawk’s. A scar like an old sword cut ran beneath one eye, making his face instantly memorable.
“Kuhuh… so there are people bold enough to come this deep after me. Well now—what a fine woman.”
“Hmph. Black Sisi of the Jinju Eon family.”
“Black Sisi? Kuhut, I know the name. Second daughter of the Jinju Eon family.”
Gangsi Dokma smirked as he looked from Eon Sisi to the two escorts flanking her.
“That’s right. I’ve come for the item you stole from our family. Or rather—after I take your head, I’ll reclaim what’s ours.”
“Hmph. If you have the skill. But did you really come alone?”
“Alone? Seems you can’t see the escorts at my sides.”
Eon Sisi rested a hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes.
“Just those two?”
“Two is more than enough. For the likes of you, I alone would suffice. Do you look down on the Jinju Eon family?”
“Kuhut, I would never look down on the Jinju Eon family. It’s simply amusing that a little girl came by herself. Your people should have swarmed here in force—yet only one girl.”
“You bastard! I already said I’m not alone. I have two escorts.”
“Only two? I have six.”
“Six?”
“By the master’s command—awaken, all of you!”
A low, wet groan rolled through the cave—geuuuh—kreuuuh—and the corpses that had been lying on the floor began to rise. Six of them.
“Not ordinary jiangshi—Black Iron Jiangshi. Escort-level blades will never cut them easily. You little bitch walked straight into your own grave. Blame your own stupidity.”
Eon Sisi’s lips curled upward at Gangsi Dokma’s words.
“Hmph. So this is what you were counting on? True, Black Iron Jiangshi are no easy foes for ordinary martial artists. But it seems you’ve forgotten who I am.”
“I’ve never forgotten that you are the second daughter of the Jinju Eon family.”
“You clearly don’t know why they call me Black Sisi. Within the Jinju Eon family, when it comes to Black Jiangshi arts, I am one of the very best. I’ll handle the Black Iron Jiangshi. While I do, you two take Gangsi Dokma’s head.”
“Understood.”
Footsteps and the ring of steel filled the air as the two escorts stepped forward and drew their swords. The jiangshi lurched toward them.
“Not a chance.”
I am the Yama King of Hell—souls, obey my command. Halt every movement.
Eon Sisi formed a hand seal and drew up her inner energy. Azure light bloomed between her palms, then surged outward, wrapping the six jiangshi in luminous coils. The corpses that had been shambling toward the escorts froze mid-step and stood rigid.
Gangsi Dokma’s eyes went wide.
“Kuhut… you’re using the Yama King’s Soul Control Art?”
“Hmm, now you finally grasp my level. Too late, though. While the Black Iron Jiangshi are locked, my escorts will take your head. You should have remembered why they call me Black Sisi. You two—cut him down.”
“Yes, young lady!”
The escorts launched themselves forward, blades flashing toward Gangsi Dokma’s throat. Their swords never reached him.
“Kuhuk! Cough!”
“Kheup!”
A wet, explosive sound tore the air. Both men staggered, dark-red blood spraying from their mouths.
“Ah—Guard Jong! What’s happening?”
“Kheup… p-poison! Y-young lady, you must flee—there’s poison in the cave!”
“Poison?”
“Kheup… those lamps… they’re not ordinary. The smoke… poison smoke… kheup!”
They collapsed, unable to keep their feet, still coughing blood.
“Aah, Guard Jong!”
Gangsi Dokma watched the two escorts crumple and smiled a slow, vicious smile.
“Oh dear, oh dear… You remembered only that your moniker is Black Sisi and forgot that mine is Gangsi Dokma. You never understood how a man of modest martial skill has survived this long. Poison is my specialty—that’s why ‘poison’ sits in my name. Hahaha. A young girl with so little experience in the martial world shows it in moments like this. If you had truly known me, you would never have set foot inside my cave.”
“Ah… how could this… This is my mistake. Because of me the two escorts are poisoned.”
“Only those two?”
“What? Then me as well? Aah…! Impossible—”
Eon Sisi forced her inner energy through her meridians to check her own body. Her face drained of color as the truth hit her: she, too, had already been poisoned.