Journey Through the martial world (5)

89. Journey Through the martial world (5)

Dazzling ornaments. I'd assumed that precious goods in this era amounted to gold, silver, and jade, but these finely crafted pieces flaunted gemstones shining in every color—amethysts, sapphires, and more.

"G-good heavens. How much is all of this worth? You could build a fortress with it."

Lee Eun-ha murmured quietly, clutching an amethyst hairpin with trembling hands.

"So pretty. Sparkly, really pretty."

Son Yeong hurriedly stopped Cho-ryeong, who had picked up a flower-shaped hair ornament and was trying to put it in her hair.

"Junior Sister Cho! No! That is extremely valuable! You could buy more than a thousand pieces of confectionery with just one!"

A thousand measly pieces of confectionery wouldn't even cost one tael of gold. The ornament Cho-ryeong held could probably buy the entire confectionery shop.

"Master. There's a letter at the bottom. Hmm. It says they prepared gifts for Yeongsan Sect's trip to Henan, but because they were short-handed due to the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering preparations, they only brought one of the three boxes to Liaoning, and we should pick up the remaining two directly in Henan."

Jeong-hyang handed the letter hidden at the bottom to Master. These people really had it all figured out. This was just an advance payment, a sophisticated gift-giving method promising twice as much once we arrived in Henan. It figured. The Martial Alliance was truly loaded.

"Two... there are two more boxes?"

Master said this while casually wrapping a citrine-studded bracelet around her wrist.

"Master, even without these gifts, I want to see the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering where the young martial artists gather."

Son Yeong spoke to Master, who was practically drowning in happiness. She said that, yet couldn't take her eyes from a lapis lazuli earring. Martial artist or not, such ornaments were an irresistible mass of desire to a young woman in the prime of romance.

"Me too, Master. I want to visit Shaolin Temple, eat delicious food, and see beautiful scenery. Other than going to the Heavenly Wolf Sect, we've never left Yeongsan. Now that we've learned martial arts, may we all travel together?"

Was the ornament already hanging at Jeong-hyang's chest a red jade or a ruby? One thing was certain: these women had completely lost their minds over these gifts.

"I want to taste the cuisines of different regions myself, but honestly, I covet these gifts too much. Master, think about it. Remember when we sent Senior Sister Son out to beg for only ten taels of silver? If we just travel to Henan and back, all of this and two more chests of gifts will belong to us."

Lee Eun-ha revealed her honest worldly desires, urging Master on.

"R-right? We made Yeong suffer back then, so we should go too, should we not?"

Using Son Yeong as an excuse, Master hardened her resolve.

"Yay!! The pretty ornaments are all ours, and we're all going on a trip together!!"

At Master's words, Cho-ryeong jumped up and threw her arms up in delight.

"But Master, there is one concern. The Martial Alliance will issue us a Gold Plaque that ranks us immediately below the Nine Great Sects, the Beggars' Sect, and the Five Great Clans."

"A Gold Plaque? What's that?"

"It's an identification plaque issued only to sects ranking immediately below the Nine Great Sects, the Beggars' Sect, and the Five Great Clans among the hundreds affiliated ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with the Martial Alliance. Once we reach Henan, we'll probably receive the finest lodging and the best seats at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"That benefits us. The problem is that you, as Sect Leader, will have to deal with elder-level leaders from the Nine Great Sects or even the Martial Alliance Leader himself."

Master's face instantly darkened at those words. But then she looked at the bracelet in her hand, smiled brightly, and said,

"It's fine. I plan to be bedridden with my period that day. The Alliance Leader wants to see Yeongmok rather than me anyway, so I will send him in my place."

"With Master's internal energy, do you really think an excuse about menstrual cramps will work?"

"I only have to insist. The Alliance Leader is a man. How could he know how painful menstrual cramps are? Even Yeongmok doesn't know."

Wow. Blinded by greed, she really decided to become this shameless.

"Junior Brother. The women are all so happily looking forward to this. You surely don't mean to disappoint us and keep us locked up in Yeongsan, do you?"

Jeong-hyang joined the attack. I no longer knew what ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to say. Master decided the affairs of Yeongsan Sect anyway. Once we began this journey to Henan, our strength would likely become known throughout the world. Since their growth had outpaced my expectations, perhaps it was time for them to gain fame. Reputation would prevent most troublesome incidents. Moreover, although they now possessed enough martial power not to be dismissed anywhere, everyone except Lee Eun-ha remained ignorant of the martial world's cruelty. Jeong-hyang and Cho-ryeong in particular lacked social experience so badly that they had never even purchased an object with money. The World Health Organization defined health as not only physical but also mental and social well-being. For their sake, we needed to make this journey. As the Branch Head had said, so long as they remained beside me, I could protect them somehow. In many respects, this trip was an unavoidable step in Yeongsan Sect's growth, so I bowed my head to Master's decision.

With nothing left to restrain her, Master began distributing the ornaments among herself and her disciples instead of storing them for the future. She chose mostly yellow stones such as yellow jade and citrine. Jeong-hyang took red, Son Yeong blue, Lee Eun-ha purple, and Cho-ryeong green. They divided everything amicably according to the colors of their Formal Martial Attire.

"Isn't there any for you, Junior Brother?"

They said the best person to look after a successor was the immediate senior, and Cho-ryeong alone worried about me. Master hugged her, placed a green hairpin in her hair, and spoke cheerfully.

"Seeing us dress up this prettily is a gift to Yeongmok. The Branch Head must have thought the same, which is why he sent ornaments for us to wear, not for Yeongmok."

An accurate assessment. We'd only met a few times, but the Branch Head had sized me up perfectly and prepared women's ornaments. Honestly, what would be the point of me getting prettier? Seeing them looking pretty felt so much better.

"It's going to be a long journey. Everyone prepare thoroughly."

"Yes, Master."

The five disciples answered in a way that was now quite familiar.

"First, I need to teach the recipes to Lodge Master Ban. I should write them down so she won't forget."

"I'll ask the White Tiger Sect in advance for everyone's shoes and other necessities."

Lee Eun-ha, in charge of housekeeping, and Son Yeong, in charge of purchasing, stated their respective tasks.

"What about me? What should I prepare?"

But Jeong-hyang, in charge of the face, had nothing in particular to do.

"Senior Sister, prepare a face veil. If you reveal your face in the martial world, it will cause chaos."

That was Lee Eun-ha's concerned advice.

"A face veil? That's too stifling. It's my first outing, and I want to take in the whole world with my eyes."

"It might become troublesome. For Senior Sister, and for Junior Brother."

Jeong-hyang didn't know. Just how beautiful she was.

"Eun-ha, sorry, but teach Hyang and Ryeong a few things—such as not following strangers or carelessly eating food someone gives them."

Though excited about the sect's first outing, Master, as befitting a Sect Leader, instructed Lee Eun-ha to warn the two innocent ones of Yeongsan Sect.

"Huh? Me too, Master? I'm not Junior Sister Cho."

Although she was the Head Disciple, Jeong-hyang objected to being mentioned together with Cho-ryeong.

"Senior Sister still has much to learn—such as not speaking casually to strangers outside, and not smiling too readily."

"Isn't being friendly a good thing?"

"Not in Senior Sister's case."

"Why am I the only one being discriminated against..."

Jeong-hyang looked slightly dejected. If I hadn't possessed the Four Heroes' Martial Arts, I would never have dared take her into the martial world with only the strength of a second-rate martial artist. At this point, however, there should be no serious problem.

It was getting late now. To enjoy the night's activities, Master quickly wrapped things up, and the women each took their ornaments and headed to their own rooms.

The long-awaited night arrived. Master, Jeong-hyang, and Son Yeong knocked on my door, and as usual, we headed to the bathhouse. The water in the tubs had already been heated to a comfortable temperature. It was winter now, so I'd also heated the tubs in the women's quarters for Lee Eun-ha and Cho-ryeong.

"Yeongmok. I have a request."

Master looked up at me quietly and asked.

"What?"

"A few simple earrings were left over from that box earlier. They're made of silver, but they're smaller and plainer than the other ornaments. Can I... wear them?"

"That's for you to decide, Master. And you're the one who gets to distribute the gifts."

"I already have beautiful earrings. I'm asking my husband, the owner of my body, whether I may wear these small ones somewhere other than my ears."

"Somewhere else?"

At those words, Master undressed and revealed her naked body. She pointed to the cherry-like nipples perched on her voluptuous breasts.

"Right here."

A nipple piercing? Impressive. Humans had used earrings since before the Common Era, but wearing one through a nipple might have been an idea centuries ahead of its time. Then again, earrings were already objects worn through holes pierced in the body, and nipple piercings were probably invented by a sadist or masochist anyway. It was hardly strange for Master to think of it.

Honestly, I was interested. I accepted the bean-sized earring Master offered and, just in case, burned away impurities on its surface with the Flame Blossom ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Art before piercing her right nipple. It looked painful, but nipples were resilient and durable organs built to withstand a baby's gnawing. She didn't appear to be in pain, and even if it hurt, Master would probably have worn a seductive smile by now.

"I'll do the other side."

Jeong-hyang smiled brightly as she handed me an earring.

"You too, Hyang?"

"Yes. Isn't it nice? It feels like proof that I'm the White Wolf's wife."

"Master has influenced you a great deal too, Hyang."

"I'm her chief disciple."

I placed an earring through Jeong-hyang's left nipple in the same way. The item was finely made, but it couldn't be sharpened like a twenty-first-century safety pin, so I formed an extremely fine point of Blazing Fire Qi and pierced her without difficulty. Son Yeong then silently held out an earring.

"Where do you want yours, Yeong?"

"Put it between my legs. I want to leave proof in my deepest place, somewhere only you may touch, Junior Brother."

Jeong-hyang favored anal play, and Master was a masochist. Son Yeong, by contrast, had no particular fetish. On nights led by Master, she delighted in submission like Master; on nights led by Jeong-hyang, she embraced me affectionately like Jeong-hyang. She stood before me and spread her legs wide. I brushed aside her pubic hair, found her clitoris, and attached the earring there. Son Yeong immediately squeezed her legs together and shuddered. Her face was unmistakably filled with ecstasy.

"Wow. A clit piercing. Should I have gotten mine there too?"

Seeing Son Yeong's clit piercing glittering beneath her black pubic hair, Master was slightly envious.

"What do you mean only Junior Brother can touch it? I used both my hand and tongue there the day before yesterday."

Jeong-hyang smiled playfully as she toyed with Son Yeong's clit piercing.

"Next time, Master should wear an earring on your crotch."

Feeling Jeong-hyang's touch, Son Yeong spoke to Master.

"Huh? Next time? Am I supposed to take this out and put it back in?"

"Or were you planning on showing this to Junior Sister Cho and Junior Sister Lee? We sometimes bathe together, you know?"

"Ah... right?"

As expected of Master. Seeing that look of realization on her face, she clearly hadn't thought about the aftermath at all.

Ordinarily, bathing and sex would be forbidden on the day of a piercing. Thanks to the Yin Blossom Art instantly healing the wounds, however, we washed without concern. Tonight belonged to Master. As soon as we left the bathhouse, the women knelt and went onto all fours. I sometimes wondered what the hell we were doing, but it had become a ritual. I naturally tied yellow, red, and blue cords around their pale necks and walked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠them down the corridor like pet dogs.

Watching them crawl beneath me like bitches, swaying their asses with their pussies and anuses exposed, sometimes made me want to die of shame over my own fetishes. No one else would see, however, so I enjoyed the game. Son Yeong stopped, and I naturally brought the willow switch down. A red welt appeared across her buttocks, and she crawled forward with a brilliant smile. Fluid gathered and glistened on her clitoral piercing. Unable to endure the sight, I pushed my cock into her anus before we even reached the Yin-Yang Art Training Room. Master crawled beneath Son Yeong as though she'd been waiting and took one of her nipples into her mouth. Jeong-hyang rose onto two feet, returned to me, and kissed me. As I played with her new nipple piercing, I compared its texture with that of her unpierced nipple.

Master, Jeong-hyang, Son Yeong, and I had spent the past half year sharing lewd, joyful nights like these and nurturing our love.