Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Who's in there?
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"Ah... this is..."
He could feel his face heating up slightly.
Well, he hadn't committed any crimes, but carrying a sword around was a bit... Still, wandering through the brutal martial world meant having a sword for self-defense wasn't all that strange, right?
Dang A-yeon urged him on with an even more suspicious look.
Whatever.
Han Ibi drew the Mysterious Frost Blade.
Dang A-yeon said,
"Isn't that... a sword?"
"Yes, it is."
"Then are you from the Haomen?"
"No."
She furrowed her left eyebrow slightly and asked,
"What about the Vigilante Corps?"
"No. I'm not affiliated with anyone."
"Good."
She said it was good, but... doubt was thickening even more on Dang A-yeon's face.
Damn it. Right in front of the Qingcheng Sect, what the hell is this commotion?
At that moment, Dang A-yeon spoke.
"Alright. I don't want to suspect people carelessly either. So, could you cooperate for a moment?"
"Pardon? Cooperate?"
"You don't want to?"
"Oh, no, it's not that... But cooperate how...?"
"It's simple. Can I touch your face?"
Gasp. What the hell is this girl saying?
Han Ibi felt his face burning hot for some reason.
She was a martial artist, sure, but still a young woman... casually offering to touch another man's face?
"Don't misunderstand. That guy is so skilled in disguise techniques that I just want to check."
Only then did Han Ibi grasp the situation and let out a bitter smile inwardly.
"Sure."
Dang A-yeon stepped forward boldly. A fragrance like perfume rode the air currents toward him.
The lantern light was dim, so he couldn't see well.
But as she drew closer, the full features of this young lady came into view.
She had a strong impression overall... but she was quite the beauty.
Her hand approached his chin.
An inexplicable thump. Thump. Thump...
"Something's off here."
It was Jin Yu-rok from the Qingcheng Sect.
The eyes of the Martial Alliance youths turned to him. He was pointing at the bed in the farthest corner.
Come to think of it...
The blanket on that bed was bulging out.
Was someone still sleeping leisurely amid all this chaos?
Or was someone... hiding?
He felt Dang A-yeon slip away from in front of him.
Phew.
Han Ibi let out a sigh of relief inwardly. It seemed the attention on him had shifted away.
She strode toward the bed and said,
"Who's in there?"
Silence.
Dang A-yeon's eyes narrowed again.
"If someone's there, speak up. Or I'll yank that blanket off right now."
More silence.
Her hand moved toward the blanket.
"Be careful."
It was Maeng Yu-shin from the Jeomchang Sect.
And rightly so—if a villain was hiding, there was a risk of a sudden attack.
But she ignored him, grabbed the corner of the blanket, and lifted it slightly.
"Eek!"
She let out a short scream.
The Martial Alliance youths gripped their weapons in unison, ready to charge.
But unexpected words came from her mouth.
"Sorry. I'm really sorry."
Dang A-yeon's face was flushed red as a persimmon.
Those who caught a glimpse inside were equally startled.
There was a naked man and woman tangled together.
Han Ibi was among the shocked.
These crazy bastards... doing that even in a shared space like this.
Then a voice came from under the blanket.
"Oh dear. We're the ones who should apologize."
All eyes turned to that bed.
The voice continued.
"Ah... We're a newlywed couple, you see... We couldn't hold back our foolish desires and... like this..."
People couldn't help but smile bitterly at the absurdity and embarrassment.
Then an old man spoke.
"Heh heh heh. I've been there in my prime days too. No need to be so ashamed, young groom."
Still, the one most shocked seemed to be Dang A-yeon.
Probably because she was a young woman.
"No one's here. Let's... let's get out of here."
Without waiting for the youths' responses, she strode toward the exit.
The Martial Alliance youths exchanged glances, blinking, but prepared to follow her.
As Han Ibi watched, it seemed the nominal leader was Yun Bang-mun of the Jeomchang Sect, but the real one was this Dang A-yeon woman.
That was when it happened.
"Wait a moment. Something's not right."
It was Ok Geun-tak from the Qingcheng Sect.
He rubbed his chin with his finger, seemingly deep in thought, then approached the bed closely.
"Senior Brother. What are you doing?"
Jin Yu-rok from the Qingcheng Sect called out urgently.
But Ok Geun-tak silently went to the bedside and said,
"Madam. Are you alright?"
Of course, no response.
"Madam. If there's no problem, please answer. Then we'll leave."
A giggling sound came from under the blanket.
"Sir hero. How can you be so cruel? My wife is embarrassed in front of all these people—how could she possibly respond? Just leave us be; that's the best way to help."
Dang A-yeon chimed in in agreement.
"Yes. Ok young hero, don't be rude anymore and let's go. Is teasing newlyweds fun for you?"
But Ok Geun-tak stubbornly replied,
"Madam. I'm sorry. But this is too important to handle lightly. Just answer once."
A man's voice came from under the blanket.
"Oh man! Heroes of the martial world, this is too much for us common folk."
But Ok Geun-tak stood firm.
"If the madam doesn't answer by the count of five, I'll have to pull back the blanket. One..."
A voice came from under the blanket again.
"What kind of talk is that? If you do that in front of everyone, my wife will bite her tongue and die. Spare us, hero!"
"...Two, three."
Dang A-yeon shouted,
"What are you doing right now?"
"Four... five."
As Ok Geun-tak pulled the blanket down.
In an instant, the blanket flew off, and something leaped out from inside.
Surprisingly, it was a handsome young man, shirtless, with only a loincloth barely covering his lower body.
The man chuckled and said,
"This was getting so tense and thrilling. You ruined the mood. This old man is truly heartbroken."
Han Ibi frowned inwardly.
Old man? He looks so young...
Then he saw the man suddenly swing a fist at Ok Geun-tak.
Ok Geun-tak was startled but quickly drew his sword, entering a defensive stance and exchanging blows with the man.
Then the woman pinned beneath the man was revealed.
The young woman, not wearing a stitch, was completely immobile, her acupoints sealed.
Dang A-yeon hurriedly grabbed a blanket and covered the naked woman's body.
Her mute acupoint was also sealed; she couldn't make a sound.
At that moment, Han Ibi spotted Dang A-yeon's martial brother, Dang Baek-mun, rushing out the door.
Bam!
A massive thud echoed.
Ok Geun-tak clutched his shoulder. The strike carried inner power, delivering a heavy impact.
The man said,
"Hahaha. Kid, you're well-trained, but it's child's play before this old man. Step aside now, or there'll be more corpses."
But Ok Geun-tak's resolve was like bamboo—unyielding.
He silently swung his sword, unfolding his forms.
Yet the man's movements were impossibly elusive.
It was bare fists against sword, but before ten exchanges passed, the gap was clear.
The man made a bizarre hand motion, twisting Ok Geun-tak's wrist as he thrust his sword far, snatching it away.
"Ah!"
Exclamations erupted from the startled Martial Alliance youths.
But the man's movements were flawless and lightning-fast...
As he seized the sword, he spun once, using the centrifugal force to slash at Ok Geun-tak's neck.
Then a ding rang out.
[Sudden Quest: Save Ok Geun-tak]
🎁 Reward: Unknown reward
Gasp, what the hell? A sudden quest in this situation? What kind of unpredictable lunatic is this system!
Blood was about to spray everywhere.
"No!"
Jin Yu-rok's cry. But it was already too late.
Damn it! I shouldn't keep getting dragged into these annoying messes...
In a pinch, Han Ibi grabbed a copper hairpin from the nearby bed and used the Flying Hairpin Technique.
Suddenly, like sniper mode in a military FPS game, a crosshair target appeared before his eyes.
It was just like his practice sessions.
Maybe because the level was low, it shook quite a bit.
No time!
Han Ibi threw the hairpin with all his might.
A sharp whistling sound cut through the air.
It flew straight for the man's heart.
"Whoa!"
"No way! That's!"
Admiring exclamations burst out.
In fact, aside from aiming for the head instead of the heart, it looked perfect.
By then, the man had no choice but to twist his body to dodge the hairpin.
The hairpin slipped between his armpit.
But with the trajectory altered, Ok Geun-tak avoided the fatal blow.
Splat!
His left shoulder tore open, blood spurting.
"Senior Brother Ok!"
His junior brother Jin Yu-rok rushed over and stayed by Ok Geun-tak's side.
But the real shock happened in a flash.
The handsome young man's face had transformed into that of a grotesque, big-headed old man.
The inn's guests gaped in astonishment.
The old man—now revealed as from the Gu Cheon Clan—cackled slyly.
"Kids, I'd love to play more... but I've got places to be. Time to go. These days' youths, tsk tsk, no respect for elders."
Then loud thuds echoed from the wooden floor.
All eyes turned there.
It was Maeng Yu-shin.
Maeng Yu-shin of the Jeomchang Sect was charging like lightning, ambushing the Gu Cheon Clan elder from behind.
He wielded a medium-length sword, optimized for thrusting, it seemed.
Han Ibi thought,
Right. The Jeomchang Sect is famous for thrusting sword techniques that pierce or seal acupoints.
Yun Bang-mun leaped forward in one bound and shouted,
"Junior Brother Maeng! Be careful! The opponent is..."
At that instant, Maeng Yu-shin's iron rod—thunk—successfully stabbed into the Gu Cheon Clan elder's back.
...Or so it appeared.
In truth, his iron rod slipped right between the elder's armpits.
Thus, Maeng Yu-shin was sucked right into close range.
Maeng Yu-shin panicked and strained to pull out his iron rod.
The Gu Cheon Clan elder smirked and clamped down with inner power under his arms.
Maeng Yu-shin pulled with all his might, even the strength from his nursing days.
His face turned beet red, as if about to burst.
Still, it wouldn't budge.
But abandoning one's weapon was a martial artist's shame.
Then Yun Bang-mun from the same sect shouted urgently,
"Junior Brother Maeng! Drop the sword and get out! Right now!"
(To be continued in the next chapter)