087
087
[<Sword Pavilion Canyon Collapse Incident.>
An incident that began when the head disciples of Qingcheng and Emei set out to find a treasure map discovered by the Sichuan Tang Clan, only to uncover the twin swords of Emperor Shaolie.
The twin swords were imbued with Emperor Shaolie's martial arts, and the situation between Qingcheng and Emei deteriorated to the point where their Sect Leaders engaged in a duel over them.
Amidst this, a bizarre phenomenon where a 'Golden Dragon ascended to heaven' occurred in the Sichuan Tang Clan. This Inspector, together with General Baek Ju-heun, launched an investigation and confirmed the existence of an unidentified entity—hereinafter referred to as Yu Geomdam.
Yu Geomdam, whose martial prowess is a level above General Baek Ju-heun, collapsed the Sword Pavilion's canyon and concealed his identity. According to General Baek Ju-heun, who directly crossed weapons with him, he harbored no treasonous intent or hostility toward the Imperial Family, yet he is undoubtedly a potential risk factor.
Accordingly, this Inspector—]
"......How should I write this."
The Inspector pressed a hand to his troubled head and sighed. The sheer scale of what had happened made the incident exceedingly convoluted, and the truth was buried along with the Sword Pavilion Canyon.
"This is the first time I've had a case like this. It's incredibly convoluted, yet... a simple case."
Geomdam.
An unidentified Unorthodox Faction master ran amok against Orthodox Faction masters. End.
The Inspector wanted to summarize it in a single line, but the martial arts used by the one called Geomdam kept bothering him. The current Imperial Family was not the successor to Emperor Shaolie's Shu Han, but if word reached the Imperial Palace, it would undoubtedly draw interest.
- If it is a martial art of an imperial house, shouldn't it rightfully become our martial art?
"The East Depot's going to have a rough time."
The Inspector stifled a laugh that threatened to burst out and set the brush down.
If the Imperial Palace truly takes an interest, from that point on, the East Depot will have to comb through the Sichuan region like searching for lice. And the contents of his investigation would become their reference material, sending them to ransack the entire Sichuan area.
"......It's a matter of the Murim, so the Murim should handle it themselves."
[Active cooperation from the Murim Alliance is deemed necessary.]
"Finished."
There was no need for him to rack his brains over an unexplainable strange phenomenon. The Inspector drained his tea and lay down on the bed.
"Ah, with my senior gone, I feel alive."
"Then you're about to feel dead."
The man who entered through the door, Divine Spear, slumped into a chair with a haggard face. The Inspector quietly sat up on the edge of the bed.
"How did it go?"
"Don't even ask. They treated me like some kind of traitor, so I just threw a bit of killing intent around and came back."
"...Well, it's true that without you, they'd all be buried under the canyon and burned to death."
The subjugation force was quite strong, but it was only because Divine Spear was there that they could face Geomdam. Without Divine Spear, the subjugation force would have been annihilated within a quarter of an hour.
"But senior, is that true? That sparks flew from his sword!"
"Your senior was driven to the brink of defeat by the bastard, and you want to hear about it?"
"Of course! How could I not be curious about someone stronger than one of the Three Generals of the Empire? If we happen to establish ties with him, he might end up working for the Imperial Palace someday."
"...Ugh, forget it. He's not someone who would ever work for the Imperial Family."
Divine Spear shook his head.
"All throughout the fight, he kept his eyes on the interior of the canyon. Was it just to protect some grave? No. There was something inside that grave. He fought to protect that."
"What is it?"
"If I knew, I'd have just told you outright."
"...Heh, well, in cases like that, it's usually this."
The Inspector wiggled a pinky finger and grinned slyly.
"When he attacked Qingcheng, it was said he kidnapped a female disciple of the Qingcheng Sect, right? But Qingcheng itself didn't even know who the kidnapped woman was—she wasn't one of their disciples. Couldn't she actually be Geomdam's woman?"
"Your imagination is as rich as ever today. What reason could there possibly be to disguise her in a Qingcheng Sect martial uniform, attack the Qingcheng Sect, and then kidnap her?"
"Who knows. Looking at his actions, it seemed exactly like he was trying to draw someone out."
"...Who?"
"If I knew that, I'd have told you right away."
Divine Spear and the Inspector sighed in unison.
"Anyway, it's truly a mysterious incident. ...But by the way, do you have any idea where Geomdam might head next?"
"Who knows? Why do you ask?"
"Why do you think?"
Divine Spear grasped the silver spear hanging on the wall, showing his fighting spirit.
"I need to show him the power of the Cloud Dragon Crescent Moon Spear once more. I'll go train for a bit."
"......."
As he saw off the stern-faced Divine Spear leaving the room, the Inspector stuck out his tongue.
"Geomdam... Who on earth is he, and where does he live, to make that man voluntarily go train?"
Kyaaaah!!
A woman's scream rang out from afar. The Inspector flinched in surprise, goosebumps rising.
"...Whoa, that startled me. Anyone would think someone was being tortured."
Fortunately, the scream, mixed with joy and pleasure, quickly died down. The Inspector shuddered and lay down on the bedding.
"Tsk, they said this was the best inn in Sichuan, but the soundproofing is really...."
The Inspector fell asleep with earplugs in.
* * *
"Kyaaaah! What do I do! What should I do!"
Lee Si-a bounced around the room in delight. It was practically the first time I had seen her this happy.
"Bi-cheon, what should I do?"
"About what."
"Me, I mean! This is serious!"
Lee Si-a cupped her chin with both hands, framing her face, and grinned.
"I'm too pretty!"
"I know. It's the work of the one who trimmed it."
I stroked the ends of Lee Si-a's jet-black hair with my fingers. Her hair, falling to her shoulders, curled at the tips like a crescent moon, giving off an air of refined elegance.
What woman of the Central Plains cuts her hair short?
Looking at every beauty portrait in the world, there are countless women with their hair pinned up with a hairpin, but none who deliberately cut it so it just brushes below the shoulders.
But it's fine because she's beautiful. Her face carries it, so a short cut is forgivable.
- A pretty woman suits anything, but a woman who is still beautiful with short hair is a goddess. Eclipsing the moon, shaming the flowers?
"Byeokhyeoldang-okay!"
"What kind of sound is that?"
"My own little scripture containing the truths of life."
I placed the small bamboo hat I bought from the market onto the crown of her head. Thanks to the black hat, deliberately matched to her hair, her head was covered, and Lee Si-a grinned even more brightly, giggling.
"Thank you. Without this, anyone looking would just see that my hair was cut, so it was awkward to just go around."
You can cover your face and body with clothes, but you can't cover your hair. I couldn't just wrap her head in black cloth like an assassin, so I put my heart and soul into neatening her hair, which had been shortened by the fire.
"Beautiful. Though I trimmed it, the original is pretty to begin with, so even wearing a bamboo hat can't hide your beauty. A beauty that sinks fish and grounds geese isn't just an empty saying."
"They say a woman grows prettier when in love. I think I've fallen in love with your loyalty."
"...That's an incredibly heavy love indeed."
"Very, ughk, quit your, bullshit...."
Just as we were about to kiss, we were interrupted. The woman tightly bound to a chair sneered at us and groaned.
"You... rotten lovers...."
"The defeated talk too much."
"Shut up! Ugh, you dog-like...."
Uncharacteristically, Flame Demon was shedding tears of resentment. Lee Si-a, whose hair had been burned because of her, bore a grudge too.
"Bi-cheon, that bitch says I'm like a dog."
"If we're going to split hairs, aren't you closer to a cat?"
"Seeing you say weird things, you don't really care. Fine, then. I'll ignore her too."
"Hey!"
Flame Demon clattered and thrashed in the chair. Even where the ropes bit into her bare skin, she struggled with all her might to break free.
"Th-this, iiik...!!"
"It's useless. The more you resist, the tighter they'll bind."
I felt satisfied with how the ropes accentuated Flame Demon's body. Using the Blood Cult Leader's unique rope restraint method, she was bound to the chair with her arms behind her back, ropes tightening around her collarbones and waist, making her chest stand out prominently.
"I shattered her Middle Dantian, but how is her chest still the same?"
"Aak!"
Lee Si-a put on a leather glove and smacked Flame Demon's chest. It felt exactly like slapping a cheek, and I swallowed hard.
"You, a Flame Demon. You, a Flame Demon. You, a Flame Demon."
Lee Si-a moved like a wooden puppet with a soulless face. The Heavenly Demon Joint Locking Technique, moving up, down, left, and right, made Flame Demon's chest swell tautly.
"Ah, aang...!!"
A woman being one-sidedly struck while tied in ropes. I felt like she might awaken to something new. But since the 'Forbidden Restraint' had already been placed, there was no need to waste more time on Flame Demon.
"Little Princess. Hitting like that will only make Flame Demon's chest swell up."
"Tch."
Lee Si-a immediately took her hand off the chest. Flame Demon's chest was already bright red and swollen, matching the red marks of the ropes.
"Flame Demon is already yours. So don't torment her too much."
"Strictly speaking, she's not mine, but Bi-cheon's."
"If I am yours, then isn't what's mine also yours?"
Limited to the Demonic Cult. But Lee Si-a seemed happy with just those words from me and poked Flame Demon's forehead playfully.
"Heh heh. With this, five of the Ten Demons are mine!"
"Five?"
Blade Demon, Bandit Demon, Illusion Demon, and now Flame Demon—newly subjugated to us. Muttering softly, Flame Demon twisted her lips at Lee Si-a and sneered.
"Idiot? Can't you count? How does four become five? Did you resurrect the dead Sword Demon into a Jiangshi or something?"
"Nice to meet you. I'm the one called Sky-Soaring Lust Demon."
Flame Demon gaped in surprise. From the moment I escaped the Sword Pavilion canyon, I had removed the Human Skin Mask and released the Reverse Appearance Technique, revealing my original look.
"Lust Demon...? Little Princess, you don't mean...?"
"Hmph, I told you. My eye for men is far better than yours. He's this healthy, handsome, has a big cock, and so what if he's a little lustful?"
"Crazy bitch. You're dating a Lust Demon yourself and you let your Lust Demon fuck other women? What's wrong with your head?"
"I don't care if he embraces other women! As long as he stays by my side, Lee Si-a's side, in the end!"
Setting aside the little Heavenly Demon and Flame Demon snarling at each other, me wearing Bandit Demon's face to kiss and have dual cultivation with Lee Si-a? Such a thing would never happen. Even if I tried to, Lee Si-a would slap me and tell me to return to my original form.
'I don't know what's so good about a young appearance.'
Even if a woman looks young and youthful, shouldn't a man have a dignified and handsome charm? Traditionally, a man should grow a stylish beard and—
- Hey! Going after young chicks is the same for both men and women!
'Indeed. The Blood Cult Leader's words today have been an eye-opener.'
Put yourself in their shoes.
Just as I take a much younger woman—mentally speaking—Lee Si-a simply prefers having a youthful-looking young man by her side. Being with older women is comfortable and nice, but still, being a man, I like younger ones too.
'It's been quite a while since I heard anyone call me young master.'
Not a courtesan calling me that, but a genuine younger woman.
"Speaking of which, Dang Seo-hee, how old are you this year?"
"......Twenty-three."
"My, how old."
Flame Demon grew genuinely choked up, looking like she might pass out.
"Hey! Twenty-three is young!!"
"Not only past the prime age for marriage, but already well past it? How pitiful."
"Ha! You think you're any different? You're going to live your whole life looking only at a Lust Demon? What bullshit! That man is the kind of guy who'll set up a household with another woman, not you, and swap her out every single day! To him, you're just one night of the seven days of the week!!"
Flame Demon spewed a curse. I felt a bit stung—how did she know? Did mastering the Zhongli Divine Fire Well awaken some divine ability?—and glanced at Lee Si-a's reaction. But Lee Si-a raised her head, completely unbothered.
"So what? Doesn't that mean he'll give me the inner energy he's plundered from the other six through Absorption of Yin to Nourish Yang? Right? ...Bi-cheon, why aren't you answering?"
"......."
I couldn't bring myself to lie. Lee Si-a's pretty eyebrows furrowed for a moment, but then she shrugged and giggled.
"Heh heh, it's fine. I just have to make it so he only looks at me for his whole life. Even if he embraces all the other women, he just has to keep this one Lee Si-a in his heart."
"Embrace in his heart, my ass. When your chest is as flat as a washboard."
"......Bi-cheon, I think we need to do a bit more 'training' before we go."
'You're fucked, Flame Demon.'
I offered my condolences toward Flame Demon, and Lee Si-a's hand pressed down on Flame Demon's solar plexus. It then slid straight down, reaching the vicinity of Flame Demon's secret place.
"Hiiik?!"
Lee Si-a's hand grasped the bush. Flame Demon shook her head violently and sent me a pleading look for rescue, but I had already taken out the Golden Spear Medicine—heavily used, with only a single dose left.
'Even I risk my life when I tease Lee Si-a's middle dantian. How dare she.'
"Jilin Flame Demon, I'm going to pull out every last root of the scheme you've been weaving."
"Aaaaargh!!"
As Lee Si-a yanked her hand back, Flame Demon began screaming again.
And so, before leaving Sichuan, we neatly resolved the plot of Flame Demon, who had been conspiring in the darkness.
"Flame Demon, from now on, you're mine!"
"Ahaaang!!"
Marrow Cleansing.
We made Flame Demon shed her old skin and washed her clean, and Flame Demon became the Little Princess's subordinate.