Journey Through the martial world (2)

86. Journey Through the martial world (2)

"Reverend. Welcome."

Ban Ho-jeong, who was helping Lee Eun-ha cook in the kitchen, greeted me cheerfully.

"Welcome? This is Yeongsan Sect."

"Aren't I half an honorary disciple of Yeongsan Sect by now, too?"

She smiled amiably as she brought over a large bowl of acorn jelly soup. Acorn jelly in cool water kimchi. The first time people from the Central Plains saw acorns, which they thought only squirrels ate, used to make a dish like this, they were utterly horrified. Ban Ho-jeong was currently learning to cook from Lee Eun-ha. She and Byeok-geum were the only ones granted access to Yeongsan Sect, so she was learning to cook herself in order to teach the recipes to the women of Seongsan Inn. The Central Plains people, who disliked cold food, far preferred a warm broth-based acorn jelly soup over this one served with a thin layer of ice floating on top, but for someone like me—a Joseonjok in a sense, a Chinese bastard who somehow seemed Korean—the cold acorn jelly soup eaten in winter felt somehow special. Since this was a world without freezers, I could only eat it in winter, but by next summer Jeong-hyang could probably keep even a lukewarm acorn jelly soup cool, so I'd ask her then.

"Junior Brother. You're here?"

Lee Eun-ha was seated not in the kitchen but at the dining table, brandishing her brush in all directions. While Ban Ho-jeong was learning to cook, she was studying arithmetic, as if she genuinely intended to become a steward. Strangely, mathematics in this era was only passed down to the exalted gentry, such as the sons of merchants or high-ranking officials. That was why the position of steward, someone who could handle the accounts, was treated with high regard in every sect. Ban Ho-jeong was astonishingly adept at arithmetic. Of course, I was far better than her, though I hid it because I couldn't be bothered. Three-digit multiplication and such. Heh.

"Reverend. I have something to ask. Those bitches we seized from the Jeokseong Association—are you going to use them?"

Ban Ho-jeong asked bluntly, without even checking Lee Eun-ha's expression. Naturally, the women the White Tiger Sect had seized were not courtesans. They were the female disciples of the Jeokseong Association, who had forced courtesans into sex work and fleeced their gullible customers. Honestly, they weren't in a position to deserve sympathy.

"Use them for what? Cheon Myeong-hwa has probably been worn out by now, so put them to work at Yeongsan Lodge."

Those bitches had learned a smidgen of paltry martial arts, knew exactly what other women went through, and still trusted in the Jeokseong Association's name to prostitute those women. They needed to experience it themselves. As I spoke offhandedly, spooning acorn jelly soup into my mouth, a smile spread across Ban Ho-jeong's face. I didn't need any damned courtesan's fee anyway.

"Now that you mention it, that Cheon Myeong-hwa. She services the guests of Yeongsan Lodge every day, not to mention the disciples of the White Tiger Sect—how is she not getting pregnant?"

Lee Eun-ha abruptly asked Ban Ho-jeong. As the only realistic one in the innocent Yeongsan Sect, she knew the darkness of Yeongsan Lodge in detail.

The martial world was ruthless. A whole sect being annihilated over a trivial quarrel was commonplace, and she had already experienced firsthand the kinds of ordeals that disciples of a defeated sect suffered. A clash between orthodox sects might end with a measure of humiliation, but the fate of a sect defeated in a clash between the orthodox and unorthodox factions was wretched. Most of the men died, or if they were like me—someone who had a family clan beyond their sect—they were taken prisoner for ransom. Otherwise, their dantians were destroyed like the men of the Jeokseong Association, and they were sold off somewhere to break their backs in forced labor. The men actually had it better. The women usually just ended up as sex slaves. This was a rule impartially applied not just to defeated orthodox sects, but to defeated unorthodox sects as well.

"Because her womb was crushed. I couldn't do it to my own body, but it's incredibly convenient for working her as a prostitute. You don't need to give her days off on account of her monthly cycle."

She looked gentle and intellectual, but Ban Ho-jeong's past and true nature were those of a bandit—a seasoned former Vice-Fortress Leader of the Eighteen Green Forest Strongholds.

"I've cooked pig's womb before, but a human womb—that makes me a little uneasy."

"That woman's no different from a pig."

Lee Eun-ha already knew the reality of things well, and having grown especially close to Ban Ho-jeong lately and heard about the ways of the underworld, she seemed to take even such terribly gruesome words in stride as she went back to concentrating on her calculations. Ah. That calculation was wrong.

Day after day, Lee Eun-ha just cooked like this, studied at her desk, and occasionally left behind recipes for cooking and medicinal pills in the library. Thanks to her, the original library, which had been burned down and had held fewer than twenty paltry volumes, was now amply filled with nearly a hundred volumes, alongside Master's Daoist texts. She lived a life unbefitting a martial artist, but astonishingly, her internal energy had surpassed even that genius Son Yeong. She didn't even practice proper qi circulation, and she had no Yin Blossom Art like the other women who siphoned a bit of my internal power from me every day, yet her internal power was at the level of a second-rate martial artist. They say cooking increases your inner power, but cooking nearly seventy servings every single morning and evening—probably even the Medicine Immortal never expected that.

"Reverend. May I ask a favor? Our Sect Leader Byeokgeum. That fool went and ran his mouth bragging to the branch ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠head who visited last time that he'd arrange a meeting with you. Would you mind showing your face at Yeongsan Lodge, just briefly, in three days? I'll prepare some fine liquor."

Byeok-geum. That bastard had gone and shot his mouth off, selling my name again.

"It's a bother. They're just going to repeat the same talk about how Yeongsan Sect should join the Martial Alliance, aren't they?"

"Just this once, please. Hm?"

She took both of my hands and drew them toward her chest. By now, there was no way I'd be swayed by a seduction ploy, but honestly, they had done so much for us. And for the time being, the White Tiger Sect was our mask, hiding us in the shadows. The more attention the White Tiger Sect drew, the more people's interest in Yeongsan Sect would fade, so I needed to help bolster their prestige.

"Fine, let go of my hands."

"Thank you, Reverend!"

Byeok-geum and Ban Ho-jeong. They acted like they'd give you the shirts off their backs, and yet they made absolutely sure to secure their profits. These two had an accurate grasp of their strengths and weaknesses and moved accordingly. The White Tiger Sect's greatest strength right now was being the sole link between the martial world and Yeongsan Sect. At present, the main gate of Yeongsan Sect's temporary residence could only be accessed by passing through the staff quarters of Yeongsan Lodge. Grasping that value, Ban Ho-jeong and Byeok-geum were exploiting it to the fullest, negotiating steep prices with the Martial Alliance and the like.

I didn't resent it. A business-like relationship pursuing mutual profit was far healthier than baffling emotions like loyalty and devotion.

"How's the training in the Heavenly Astral Internal Art coming along?"

"Don't even ask. Trying to master a superior martial art at my age, I feel like my head is going to burst. If Medicine Immortal hadn't helped, I'd probably be at a lower stage right now than even those idiots."

When I first met her, the loot we had seized from the Heavenly Wolf Sect included the Black Heaven Association's internal art, the Heavenly Astral Internal Art. It was an exceedingly abstruse martial art, as befitted the secret art of the Black Heaven Association, which had produced two of the Top Hundred Masters. The White Tiger Sect, already heavily focused on external arts and lacking in internal energy, had racked their brains over it for some time with hardly any progress, despite possessing the treasure. That was why fortuitous encounters and the like were nothing more than legends. What was the use of obtaining a peerless divine art? If you had no master to instruct you, you'd be no different from a middle school student who had downloaded a Nobel Prize-winning paper.

Eventually, Byeok-geum began drinking with me and slipping in one careful question whenever I was in a good mood. Drawing on Flame Emperor's vast knowledge, I unraveled the oral formula for him little ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠by little. Ban Ho-jeong chose Lee Eun-ha as her adviser. Whenever a question arose, she took it to Lee Eun-ha, who in turn consulted Medicine Immortal and filled the gaps in Ban Ho-jeong's understanding. With everyone in Yeongsan Sect except Cho-ryeong and herself already my woman, Lee Eun-ha had found a close friend in Ban Ho-jeong and no longer felt lonely. Unlike my half-hearted teaching, hers was detailed and attentive. Before long, Byeok-geum, once the strongest member of White Tiger Sect, might have to surrender that position to Ban Ho-jeong.

The Heavenly Astral Internal Art was abstruse, but it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠seemed to suit them quite well. Their own internal art was too shoddy to clash with the Heavenly Astral Internal Art, and since their external art was already sufficient, the synergy would be something to behold once they mastered first-rate internal energy. Moreover, even if it was abstruse, the nature of unorthodox martial arts meant faster attainment than orthodox ones, so it shouldn't be a major problem even at their somewhat advanced age.

"Truly. Without the Medicine Immortal Hall Master, our White Tiger Sect would've ended up as the Beggars' Sect. If I were a man, I'd at least offer you my body. Still, for a woman as pretty as you, I don't think I'd mind being a woman at all."

Ban Ho-jeong spoke with a subtle look in her eyes. Lee Eun-ha cut her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠off coldly.

"Don't say such ghastly things, Lodge Chief Ban. If you keep talking nonsense, I'll pretend that business about the Songgang Sect last time never happened."

"Oh my, I'm sorry, Medicine Immortal Hall Master. I'm just a bitch with a rotten nature."

Ban Ho-jeong backed off with a merry laugh. She wasn't particularly interested in women; she simply seemed to enjoy teasing Lee Eun-ha, who loathed homosexuality, because she found her reactions cute. Lee Eun-ha was now the Medicine Immortal Hall Master. The White Tiger Sect kept calling her Steward, and when young Cho-ryeong copied them and started addressing her that way as well, Lee Eun-ha finally went to Master and complained. Master settled the matter simply by creating the title Medicine Immortal Hall Master in place of Steward. Lee Eun-ha, who habitually thought too little of herself, found even that title burdensome, but apparently accepted it because she considered it lower than Steward, one of the highest offices in a sect.

Lee Eun-ha and Ban Ho-jeong. The two capable women responsible for their respective sects had a strangely intense self-deprecation. Perhaps that was why they were able to grow closer.

Now the hellish training was over, and peaceful tranquility had returned to Yeongsan Sect. The other women had all been taught the basic oral formulas and were now at the stage of practicing on their own, so Yeongsan Sect was quiet in the afternoons. After the morning training, Son Yeong had retired early to her quarters, but she came out to the dining hall at dinnertime. Master and the other senior sisters were all gathered in the dining hall as well. It wasn't like we were magical moonlit warrior girls or something, but the Moonlit Divine Sword only accumulated internal power efficiently when you circulated your qi under the moonlight. Still, since I'd made some progress in the internal art by now, I could at least visit the Yin-Yang Art Training Room with the other women once every two days.

"Are only Master, Senior Sister Jeong, and Senior Sister Son going off to train separately again today?"

Cho-ryeong asked, discontentedly holding her chopsticks in her mouth.

"Why? Does Junior Sister Cho not like sleeping with me?"

Lee Eun-ha served Cho-ryeong extra meat to mollify her.

"No. I like Senior Sister Lee because she's soft. She's even fluffier than Senior Sister Jeong, so I fall right asleep."

At the childlike, innocent assessment, Jeong-hyang's face fell.

"Junior Sister Cho, that's so mean. You used to suck on my chest every day when you fell asleep, and now you're saying you like Senior Sister Lee better just because my breasts are small?"

"Ah... no. Senior Sister Jeong is so fragrant and cool, I really like you. Still... in winter, you're a little cold."

Cho-ryeong spoke hesitantly and charmingly. Jeong-hyang's Ice Soul Divine Art had now entered the Second Stage. Thanks to her plentiful accumulated yin energy, she could emit a chill around her, but she hadn't yet reached the point of delicate qi control, where she could concentrate the chill in her hands or the tip of her sword. That was why, in the throes of deep sleep, she would occasionally give off puffs of cold air. If Cho-ryeong hadn't possessed that enormous twenty years of inner power, she might have woken up to a ghastly scene last month: a case of death by child hypothermia.

"Hmph. That's so mean, Junior Sister Cho. I'm not letting you suck on my chest anymore."

"I'm not a baby. I'm not the youngest anymore; I'm a Senior Sister now."

Cho-ryeong flared up, insisting she wasn't a child. That very reaction was so genuinely childlike that a smile spread across everyone's faces.

"Well then, I suppose you're fine with my breasts being handed off to Junior Brother to suck on instead?"

"Tch. You're always teasing me. Junior Brother is not a baby either. Neither he nor I need your breasts."

Cho-ryeong moved her chopsticks with a pretend huff. The hearts of everyone were filled with warmth by the cuteness of Cho-ryeong, our Yeongsan Sect's healing mascot. Was this what it felt like to have a child?

And Senior Sister Cho, sorry. I might not have been a baby, but I really did love Senior Sister Jeong's breasts.

As the youngest, I'd make sure to inherit the breasts my senior sister used to suck.