Who Dares Touch My Woman! You're Dead!
"There, done."
Yeop Hyeon stood motionless in place, saying nothing.
When the world descended into chaos, those without power could only be trampled underfoot.
It was cruel, but that was reality.
At that moment, a cloaked man sneered at Yeop Hyeon and spoke.
"A blind fool who can't even take care of himself—how dare you meddle in others' affairs?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the man lunged toward Yeop Hyeon.
In that instant, Yeop Hyeon vanished from his spot.
All that remained where he had stood was a single flash of sword light.
Slash—!
The sound of something being severed lasted only a moment before the arena fell silent once more.
Now the two had switched places. Yeop Hyeon hovered in midair, looking down indifferently at the man just as the man had done to him moments before.
The only difference was that the man's right arm was gone. Blood poured endlessly from the severed stump, and his face had drained to a ghostly pallor.
Yeop Hyeon, meanwhile, bore not a single scratch.
A sword had simply appeared in his hand at some point!
The man glared at Yeop Hyeon and shouted.
"Are you from Jungto Sinju too?"
Yeop Hyeon descended silently to the ground and approached the man. He stopped a few steps away, about to say something, when a hammer came flying from nowhere and smashed into the man's skull.
Thud—!
The man's head exploded like a bursting watermelon.
Yeop Hyeon, startled, yelled toward Cheok Bal-eon.
"I was still talking!"
Cheok Bal-eon stretched out her arm, snatching the incoming hammer from the air, and replied.
"You can still talk now, can't you? Anyway, no matter what you were gonna say, that guy was doomed to die!"
"……."
Cheok Bal-eon approached Yeop Hyeon and said softly.
"Was I a bit too violent?"
Yeop Hyeon was momentarily dumbfounded. A bit? She had been extremely violent!
Cheok Bal-eon continued in a tone of helpless inevitability.
"My great-uncle always said a woman should know how to protect herself if she leaves home. He warned that the moment you let your guard down, wolves in men's clothing will come charging in. If danger strikes, smash 'em with a hammer, and if they don't die, smash 'em again—keep going till they're dead!"
There was something profoundly credible about her words. Cheok Bal-eon had acted with that same consistency from the very beginning.
Yeop Hyeon gave a wry smile at her explanation. Setting aside her eccentric personality, Cheok Bal-eon was more dangerous than anyone else he knew.
Pushing the thought aside, Yeop Hyeon extended his hand toward the man's corpse. The storage ring on the corpse's finger flew into his grasp.
Examining the ring, Yeop Hyeon was stunned. It contained not only two million top-grade spirit stones but also a Mingjie-grade sword. Add in the miscellaneous items, and it was worth at least ten million taels of gold.
Jackpot!
Yeop Hyeon handed half of it over to Cheok Bal-eon. She was overjoyed, having earned another million top-grade spirit stones in such a short time.
The Mingjie-grade sword naturally went to Yeop Hyeon.
Just then, an old man appeared not far from them. It was none other than Yuk Ru-ju of Chwiseonru.
Blood stained the corners of his mouth for some reason, and he appeared to be injured.
Standing silently for a moment, gazing darkly at the collapsed Chwiseonru building, Yuk Ru-ju suddenly turned to Yeop Hyeon.
"Thank you for your help, Yeop Hyeon!"
Yeop Hyeon approached and asked.
"Has something happened to Chwiseonru?"
Yuk Ru-ju nodded gravely.
"You're aware that the core of the entire Qingcang Realm has been struck. Cheongju is in the worst shape of all. With spiritual energy dwindling, troublemakers are popping up everywhere. Jungto Sinju is faring a bit better thanks to Hogye Meng holding the line, but…."
He shook his head with a sigh.
"Order has completely collapsed in Cheongju and Cheongranju. Taking advantage of the chaos, forces and mercenaries from Jungto Sinju are flooding in to grab their share, making things worse by the day."
"No one from Hogye Meng in Cheongju?"
Cheok Bal-eon interjected.
Yuk Ru-ju shook his head.
"Hogye Meng prioritized Jungto Sinju's safety and recalled all their guardians from Cheongju and Cheongranju. That's why order holds there, but now their forces are swarming the lawless Cheongju and Cheongranju. And their prime target? None other than our Chwiseonru."
Cheok Bal-eon nodded in understanding.
"Yeah… makes sense. If I were them, I'd hit the rich Chwiseonru first too!"
"……."
Yeop Hyeon was left speechless.
But Cheok Bal-eon had simply stated her honest opinion without seeing any issue with it. She pressed on.
"Chwiseonru's a big name even in Jungto Sinju. Why not send experts to help?"
Yeop Hyeon glanced at Yuk Ru-ju. He had been wondering the same.
Yuk Ru-ju gave a wry smile.
"Headquarters is overwhelmed handling Jungto Sinju alone. No spare manpower to send to Cheongju and Cheongranju. We've already discussed with the Seventh and Fifth Lords—if needed, we'll suspend Chwiseonru operations in Cheongju for the time being."
"Suspend operations?"
Yeop Hyeon's eyebrows shot up.
"Wouldn't that mean massive losses?"
Yuk Ru-ju's expression turned bitterly sour.
"No choice. Sects, clans, hermits, even Yo Yeolbang warriors from Jungto Sinju—they're all raiding us. We can't hold them off with our own strength."
Yeop Hyeon pondered deeply before speaking.
"Why not consolidate all Chwiseonru personnel and assets from other regions into the Gangguk branch? Operate just that one location. If security's the issue, Canglan Academy will take responsibility for protecting it!"
Yuk Ru-ju met Yeop Hyeon's eyes squarely.
"I appreciate the sentiment, but that would make Gangguk a target for every warrior out there. Even major powers might swarm it."
"I know that full well!"
"And you're still willing?"
As Yuk Ru-ju looked puzzled, Yeop Hyeon smiled.
"Chwiseonru's helped me endlessly. How could I ignore your troubles now? I can't guarantee total safety, but I'll do my utmost to assist."
To Yeop Hyeon, favors were as unforgettable as grudges.
Repay evil with evil, good with good—that was the way of a true man.
Complexity flickered across Yuk Ru-ju's face as he regarded Yeop Hyeon. Truth be told, he had opposed Chwiseonru's initial support for Yeop Hyeon, fearing the massive storm around him could engulf them all.
Of course, once the decision was made, he hadn't objected further. And as current results proved, it hadn't been wrong.
The rewards wouldn't end with this one favor, either. Given Yeop Hyeon's talent and potential, his growth would only accelerate—and Chwiseonru stood to benefit the most.
No need to look far; they were already profiting now.
In Cheongju, the two greatest powers were undoubtedly the Daeun Empire and Canglan Academy. With Yeop Hyeon and the Chang Lan Dao Soldiers holding the line, Canglan's forces outmatched all Chwiseonru branches in Cheongju combined.
Having settled on Yeop Hyeon's proposal, Yuk Ru-ju immediately ordered all Chwiseonru personnel and assets in Cheongju consolidated in Gangguk.
Yeop Hyeon and Cheok Bal-eon boarded a cloud ship.
Destination: Gangguk.
They made their way to the bow. The view below was majestic and breathtaking—a vast river flanked by towering mountain ranges, alive with countless birds.
Cheok Bal-eon gripped the railing with both hands, gazing endlessly downward.
Yeop Hyeon tugged at her sleeve.
"What're you thinking?"
Snapping back, she turned to him.
"It's been forever since I left home, but Dad still hasn't come looking. Maybe he's already got a new kid somewhere?"
"……."
"Yeah! He must've! Ha! I always knew he didn't like me. Always griping that I was ruining the family. Like, it's my house—why's it a problem if I wreck it? I'm not mad, so why's he fuming?!"
Yeop Hyeon shook his head weakly. Her logic was utterly terrifying.
I can't handle this. Can't handle it!
"Having a daughter as outstanding as me and not wanting her—tch, even as his kid, that's just sad…."
"……."
Cheok Bal-eon shook her head vigorously.
"No more pointless thoughts. I'll just be the bad daughter."
Suddenly turning to Yeop Hyeon, she asked.
"By the way, there's a Canglan Academy in Jungto Sinju too, right? What's it got to do with yours?"
Yeop Hyeon shook his head.
"Nothing. They're them, we're us."
"Like, independent or something?"
"Haha, you could say that!"
Cheok Bal-eon thrust out a thumbs-up.
"You've got guts! I knew from the start you were special. To be my friend, you gotta be at least somewhat useful!"
Yeop Hyeon clicked his tongue. She might not realize it, but her "praise" subtly elevated herself. In a way, it was a talent.
At that moment, a man appeared before them. A massive pair of wings sprouted from his back, like those of a phoenix.
Three cloud ships emerged behind him.
Staring piercingly at Yeop Hyeon and Cheok Bal-eon, the man asked.
"You two from Jungto Sinju?"
As Yeop Hyeon opened his mouth to reply, Cheok Bal-eon shouted excitedly.
"You here to rob us!?"
"……."
The man eyed her suspiciously.
"Kids these days sure know how to joke."
He was clearly dangerous.
Yeop Hyeon and Cheok Bal-eon both sensed an acute threat from him.
Meanwhile, having lost interest once he denied being a bandit, Cheok Bal-eon leaned quietly on the railing, idly swinging her hammer. She occasionally glanced at the man, her thoughts unreadable.
Truth be told, ever since meeting Yeop Hyeon, she had become addicted to bandit-hunting.
The man spoke up.
"You two headed to Jeoguk?"
"Jeoguk? What do you mean?"
Yeop Hyeon's eyebrow twitched faintly.
The man looked puzzled.
"You haven't heard? Rumors say Jeoguk's lord, Cheok Bal-eon, has a Xiantian Meiti body. Forces like Hepwanjong and Hwanxiao Sect are already swarming Jeoguk. As you know, sharing intimacy with a Xiantian Meiti grants massive power boosts! They're all itching to capture her and turn her into a cultivation furnace."
The man flashed a lecherous grin.
"And word is she's got killer allure too. If you got her, every night would be…."
Thrust—!
He never finished. A sword had pierced right between his eyes.
The man stared at Yeop Hyeon in horror. Yeop Hyeon's face was ice-cold, his body radiating killing intent.
In a savage roar, Yeop Hyeon bellowed.
"Who dares touch my woman—!"
Slash—!
With Yeop Hyeon's single stroke, the man's head soared into the sky.