Chapter 50: The Results of Training
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 50: The Results of Training
"Young Master~ What are you doing here~?"
Her eyes were curved like crescent moons.
They were beautiful eyes.
But at this moment, Muen felt like a little white rabbit being stared down by a predator. His blood turned to ice, and an uncontrollable chill seeped into his bones.
"An... How... how did you find me?"
"Hehe. I can catch the Young Master's scent from ten meters away~"
Are yanderes really this overpowered? Maybe we should just leave world peace to them and call it a day.
Muen didn't have time for idle thoughts. His muscles coiled with sudden tension.
He wasn't naive enough to pin all his hopes on "sneaking away." He had already prepared himself for the possibility of another face-to-face confrontation with An.
The days and nights of training within the Black Book weren't for nothing!
Bang!
Muen slammed a fist into the cabinet door.
The aged wood let out a strained groan of protest as it tore off its hinges, falling toward An, who had been leaning against it.
An clearly hadn't expected Muen to strike first, nor did she anticipate his explosive strength. Caught off guard, she was forced back step by step by the weight of the door.
Seizing the opening, Muen leaped out of the cabinet and delivered a flying kick squarely against the door.
The metal-reinforced wood buckled instantly. An, behind the door, was sent flying like a bird with broken wings, slammed against the wall by the momentum.
"Sorry."
Muen offered a low apology and turned to bolt.
But An had no intention of letting him escape so easily.
With a loud thud, the poor, battered cabinet door was sent flying again—this time propelled by a massive force toward the fleeing Muen. He had no choice but to halt his escape and dive to the side.
As the door whistled past him, he caught a glimpse of a ghost-like figure clinging to its shadow.
An!
Using the door as a screen to close the distance, An lunged. The blade in her hand flashed with a cold light as she thrust it ruthlessly toward Muen’s abdomen.
"Don't worry, Young Master. I anticipated this, so I've made a special study of human anatomy. I won't hit anything vital," An said, her face devoid of emotion.
"That makes it even scarier, okay?!"
Muen panicked for a split second, but he forced himself to calm down immediately.
Without even thinking, his body moved on instinct. The cleaver in his hand rose naturally to meet the incoming blade.
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
Steel clashed against steel, sparks flying as the blades blurred into a seamless web of afterimages.
An’s offensive was like a torrential downpour, pressing him at every turn. The blade in her hand felt like an extension of her own arm; every swing was near-perfect.
And yet...
Even so, An realized with a start that she couldn't gain an inch of ground against Muen.
The cleaver in Muen’s hand moved as if he had been wielding it since childhood. He wasn't just perfectly defending against her suffocating assault—he was actually finding openings to counter-attack.
But the Young Master has been under my supervision—er, protection—since he was a child. He’s never even held a kitchen knife. How is he so skilled with a cleaver?
Self-taught?
An couldn't wrap her head around it.
Just as she couldn't understand how Muen had escaped his cage in the first place.
"Young Master, when did you become so strong? Have you been practicing martial techniques in secret?" An narrowed her eyes. The Young Master had changed so much over the past few days.
"But why didn't I notice?"
"Hehe, who knows? Maybe I've been practicing in my dreams," Muen said with a roguish grin.
[Dagger Combat Technique LV5!]
The countless swings of the blade and the countless deaths he had experienced within the Black Book space finally bore fruit in the real world.
Though a cleaver wasn't exactly a dagger, the similar blade profile didn't hinder Muen’s performance.
He was actually holding his own against An. No—he was doing more than just holding his own.
Muen’s style suddenly shifted. Abandoning his defensive posture, he began to swing with wide, powerful strokes.
Instead of retreating, Muen pressed forward, forcing An back.
"What...?"
A rare flicker of flustered confusion appeared in An’s eyes.
Under the onslaught of Muen’s rusty cleaver, she actually felt overwhelmed.
But how was that possible?
Because of her duties as a personal maid, she had limited time to train, but she had still practiced her martial techniques diligently for years.
But Young Master Muen was under her watch every single day. Where would he find the time to train?
Was it really in his dreams?
"It's over!"
The moment An’s focus wavered, Muen seized the chance. He parried her blade aside and lunged forward, swinging his cleaver toward her midsection!
Just as the blade was about to connect, Muen saw that An truly couldn't dodge. He frowned and flipped the weapon in mid-air.
He struck with the spine of the blade.
Even so, a full-strength blow with a blunt edge was enough to make An’s slender body curl up in pain. An expression of undeniable agony surfaced on her elegant, beautiful face.
"It's over."
Muen suppressed the pang of pity in his heart and forced himself to maintain a stern expression.
"An, your plan has failed."
"Hehe... You really are gentle, Young Master. You used the back of the blade?"
"You haven't actually done anything to hurt me yet, and you're still my personal maid."
Muen sighed.
"Anyway, you can't keep me prisoner anymore. Give it up, An. I'll see to it that your punishment is light."
"Young Master... You really do still love me, don't you?"
As if she hadn't heard a word of his advice, An looked up. Her face was flushed with an unnatural, feverish red.
"I love you too, Young Master. Since that's the case, why won't you just stay by my side? Why won't you stay with me forever?"
"Sorry, but I'll have to pass on that kind of twisted love," Muen said, shaking his head.
"I see. Then I have no choice. I'll just have to use an even more burning passion to move your heart, Young Master." Despite the lingering pain in her body, a trace of a manic smile curled onto An's lips.
I want you.
I want you so much.
I want to possess you forever, my dear Young Master.
"Hmm?"
Seeing An’s expression grow increasingly crazed, Muen suddenly had a very bad feeling.
What was going on?
Did An have another trick up her sleeve?
From their brief exchange, Muen had sensed that An’s cultivation realm wasn't actually that high. If it were, she probably wouldn't have resorted to poison and sneak attacks earlier.
It made sense—as his personal maid, she had to look after his every need. She wouldn't have much time for cultivation.
At most, she was just naturally strong.
But now, alarm bells were screaming in Muen’s head. It felt as if something disastrous was about to happen.
"Dammit, I need to end this now!"
Without hesitation, Muen swung his cleaver at An again.
Still using the spine.
But this time, his target was her swan-like neck.
He intended to knock her out.
That was the plan.
But...
"Huh?"
Muen let out a startled cry.
Halfway through the swing, the cleaver in his hand suddenly stopped dead.