Cheonniwa - (1)
After opening her Yang meridians, Dokgo Ryeong had expected her body to improve.
Reality was nothing of the sort.
…I’m so fucking sleepy.
As Yang energy began to flow through a body that had lain as lifeless as a corpse, the fatigue only came more often. She still hadn’t chosen a mind method. Clinging to Eun Gwanyeong’s back, she circulated Yang energy again and again, trying to gauge exactly how much she could move. But the Yin energy nested in her lower dantian was vicious beyond measure; the moment she stirred even a little Yang, it surged upward and devoured every scrap.
Yin was generally linked to the feminine, to night, to the water of the Five Elements, to death. Yang belonged to the masculine, to day, to fire, to life. A person overflowing with Yang ought to brim with vitality—yet the instant she moved even a fraction of it, the Yin in her lower dantian lunged to consume it, leaving Dokgo Ryeong only more exhausted.
…Maybe I’ll just sleep a little longer.
Her wish went unanswered. Half-dozing while draped over Eun Gwanyeong’s shoulder, Dokgo Ryeong woke to someone calling her name.
“…Ryeong Mae. Wake up.”
“Huh?”
“…We’ve arrived.”
“Already?”
Dokgo Ryeong gave Eun Gwanyeong’s back a couple of taps, and the girl set her down.
“Hiiing~. Are you still treating me like a horse…?”
“You bastard, horses are decent animals. Why the hell would I compare you to one?”
“That’s so mean… sob sob.”
Eun Gwanyeong rubbed her eyes in a show of tears and sidled up against Wi Ilcheong. He stroked her hair as he spoke.
“Hang in there, Miss Eun.”
“Sob sob… Oppa Wi….”
“Oh for fuck’s sake, this is ridiculous….”
Dokgo Ryeong clicked her tongue at the sight of Eun Gwanyeong nuzzling into Wi Ilcheong’s chest.
“Does the Hao Sect pick its young masters by acting talent?”
“…It’s one of the virtues.”
“Huh?”
“And the most important thing for becoming Hao Sect leader is discernment! Miss Dokgo doesn’t even know anything about the Hao Sect….”
“Shut the fuck up before I kill you.”
Dokgo Ryeong clenched a fist and raised it over her shoulder. Eun Gwanyeong darted behind Wi Ilcheong’s back.
“Why… why! It’s true! You don’t know the Hao Sect better than I do!”
“…Lust Demon. Get out here. I’m settling the score with that bitch right now.”
“Both young ladies, please calm yourselves….”
At that moment Eun Gwanyeong poked her face out and stared straight at Dokgo Ryeong.
“Meh—”
She tugged her lower eyelids down with her fingers and stuck out her tongue. Something snapped inside Dokgo Ryeong’s head.
“Ha… haha…. Hahaha…. A little blood-sucker who looks like she hasn’t lived half my life…”
“Hehe, our age gap isn’t even that big. Do you want me to call you unnie?”
“…You’re dead!”
The reason Dokgo Ryeong had kept circulating Yang energy while half-asleep was to measure precisely how much she could use. And now she knew the exact limit. The instant she drew Yang through the meridians, gathered it in her right hand, and drove it at Eun Gwanyeong—
“That will be enough.”
Wi Ilcheong caught her wrist with a seizing-hand technique.
“L-let go!”
“…If you promise not to fight Miss Eun any further. And Miss Eun, that is quite enough as well.”
Eun Gwanyeong had already settled into a ready stance, clearly not intending to take a hit lying down. At Wi Ilcheong’s words she lowered her hands, relaxed, and answered with a bright smile.
“Yes~. I’m a good girl who always listens to Oppa Wi!”
“…”
“But I still don’t understand why Oppa Wi keeps company with a thug like that!”
“Haa… Miss Eun.”
Wi Ilcheong tried to rein her in while watching Dokgo Ryeong out of the corner of his eye. Sure enough, Dokgo Ryeong swung her arm and drew the soft sword.
Clang.
“…I won’t let this slide.”
“Anyway, I’ll go ahead and secure an inn! I still have to report to the main sect, so bye!”
“Get back here!!”
“Meh— catch me if you can.”
“Kyaaaak!!!”
Eun Gwanyeong shot away with light-body technique. Dokgo Ryeong stamped the ground in pure frustration.
“Fuck!! Me, getting played by a little brat like that… Kyaaaak!!!”
“…Miss Dokgo, please try to calm down a little….”
“Calm?! How the hell am I supposed to calm—”
Thud.
Dokgo Ryeong suddenly crumpled to the ground, and Baekri Sohyeon popped out from behind her.
“…I sealed her pressure points.”
“…Well done. When she wakes, we’ll simply say she fainted.”
“…Okay.”
Wi Ilcheong hoisted Dokgo Ryeong onto his back and followed after Eun Gwanyeong.
…Fuck.
Thinking she seemed to faint more often these days, Dokgo Ryeong pushed herself upright.
Ah, fuck…. At the end someone definitely hit the back of my neck….
The thought that her pressure points had been sealed crossed her mind, yet another part of her wondered whether the heat in her head had simply made her collapse. Her present body was so frail that no clear answer came.
“Ha… fuck.”
“…Miss Dokgo, you really ought to speak a little more gently.”
“…Why are you here?”
“Because we share a room?”
Eun Gwanyeong glanced back over her shoulder.
“I still haven’t finished writing the letter, so please stay quiet for a bit.”
“You little—!”
“Haa… Miss Dokgo.”
Eun Gwanyeong drew up her internal energy.
“I don’t have a hobby of bullying the weak. Truly.”
“I’m the weak one?”
“Yes. Miss Dokgo is weak. Far weaker than Unnie Sohyeon, weaker even than the third-rate martial artists on the street.”
“You wanna die…!”
The moment Dokgo Ryeong reached out, her vision spun.
Crash!
Before she knew it she was face-down on the floor, completely pinned by Eun Gwanyeong.
“Kugh…!”
“See? The moment I use internal energy, Miss Dokgo is nothing. Your internal power is simply too weak.”
“Grrgh…!”
“I don’t understand it. Why Oppa Wi would stake his life on Miss Dokgo.”
“You…! I swear I’ll—!”
“Anyway, since Oppa Wi has taken Miss Dokgo’s side, I’ll travel with her as well. But.”
Eun Gwanyeong lightly nipped Dokgo Ryeong’s ear.
“Kyahang!”
“Oh my, how adorable. In any case, if you insult Oppa Wi or our Hao Sect again, I won’t hold back. Even if Oppa Wi gets a little angry with me, I’ll still make Miss Dokgo’s life miserable.”
“Eek…!”
“So that’s enough for today.”
Eun Gwanyeong released her. Dokgo Ryeong scrambled back into a stance and glared; Eun Gwanyeong only offered a leisurely smile.
“You’re free to come at me until the anger cools, but it will hurt quite a lot?”
“…What the hell are you?”
“I already told you—candidate for young master of the Hao Sect. Eun Gwanyeong.”
“…”
Dokgo Ryeong was thrown off balance. Every trace of the ditzy act had vanished; Eun Gwanyeong spoke with open killing intent.
“Disrespect Oppa Wi one more time… and I will not forgive you.”
“…”
“So don’t interrupt me any further, all right?”
Eun Gwanyeong slipped straight back into her usual airheaded manner, turned her back, and focused on the letter. Dokgo Ryeong stared at that back for a long while, then slammed her fist into the floor.
Bang.
“…Fuck.”
The moment Dokgo Ryeong left the room, Eun Gwanyeong let out a long sigh.
“Haa~. Honestly… why did Oppa Wi have to pick up a woman like that and make life so hard for himself….”
She stretched, then simply flopped onto the floor and opened her palm. Her hand twitched; a moment later the smooth skin was gone, replaced by a hideously burned hand. Stroking the scars, Eun Gwanyeong muttered to herself.
“Oppa Wi… the Wi family…. Young Master Wi…. Kyaaak!!”
Embarrassment flooded her. She covered her face with both hands and rolled back and forth across the floor. Only after a long while did she sit up again and resume writing the letter.
Whoosh—. Seagulls cried.
Dokgo Ryeong sat on the beach, listening to the sea.
…Fuck.
Her own wretchedness tasted far bitterer than usual. After trading hands with Eun Gwanyeong she knew the girl possessed outstanding martial talent. Long years of fist training showed clearly, and her foundation ran deep. She was gifted enough that Dokgo Ryeong occasionally recalled the Shaolin Hundred Eight Arhat Palms she had once clashed with in her days as the Mad Demon. Yet she had written the girl off as a simple airhead and suffered this humiliation; the bitterness sat heavy in her gut.
Powerlessness. Defeat.
Sensations she had not felt in a very long time.
“Argh, fuck.”
“…Ryeong Mae.”
“Uwah, fuck!”
“…Speak a little more gently.”
“…You too?”
Dokgo Ryeong grumbled. Baekri Sohyeon asked quietly,
“Did Gwanyeong hit you?”
“Huh?”
“…She didn’t?”
“…You saw?”
“…!”
Baekri Sohyeon stared blankly for a beat, then her eyes went wide.
“Your reaction is so fucking slow!”
“…I knew Gwanyeong would cause trouble, but I didn’t think it would be this soon.”
“What?”
“…”
Baekri Sohyeon stepped closer. Dokgo Ryeong recoiled in pure disgust.
“Trying to hug me again?”
“Yeah.”
“Ah, fuck. Please! Just stop!”
“…You don’t like it?”
“No—do we have to hug every single time we talk?”
“…Yeah.”
“Fuck! Fuckfuckfuck!!”
“…If you stay still in my arms, I’ll tell you about Gwanyeong.”
“Huh?”
Baekri Sohyeon repeated herself.
“…If you stay still in my arms, I’ll tell you about Gwanyeong.”
“What about her? A weakness?”
“Um….”
She nodded.
“Yeah. A weakness….”
“Hug me.”
Dokgo Ryeong spread her arms. Baekri Sohyeon slipped behind her and wrapped her up, then sat them both down on the sand and rested her chin atop Dokgo Ryeong’s head.
“Hehehe… Ryeong Mae.”
“Just talk already.”
“…Um.”
Baekri Sohyeon opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again.
“…Are you messing with me?”
“No. Um… I’m just not good at telling stories….”
“Anyway, try. I’ll figure out the weakness myself.”
“…Gwanyeong is the child of a prostitute.”
“…”
The curse that had been about to leave Dokgo Ryeong’s mouth slid back down her throat. She had been promised a weakness, and suddenly this?
“Gwanyeong doesn’t know who her father is. She grew up in a brothel with her mother from the day she was born. One of the customers was probably the father.”
“…Do I really need to know this?”
“Yeah. Because Gwanyeong is going to keep staying with Oppa Wi.”
“That’s… personal.”
“It doesn’t matter. Gwanyeong likes talking about it.”
“…”
Thinking that Eun Gwanyeong was quite the crazy bitch herself, Dokgo Ryeong waved for her to continue.
“Um… then one day, Gwanyeong’s mother didn’t get paid by a customer.”
“…”
“The customer was a martial artist, apparently. When the guards tried to collect the money they got beaten instead, so they gave up.”
“…And?”
“Gwanyeong went to collect the money herself.”
“Haa….”
Dokgo Ryeong sighed. One of those utterly shitty tragedies that could happen anywhere.
“…The customer threw the money pouch into the brazier and told her to take it if she wanted it. Gwanyeong pulled it out.”
“Got burned, I bet.”
“…Yeah. That’s why she learned the Bone Shrinking Art at the Hao Sect.”
“But why keep telling me this story?”
“…This is the important part. Right then, a man appeared and shouted.”
Baekri Sohyeon stretched out a hand and imitated a man’s voice.
“You piece of trash! A martial artist bullying a mere child!”
“That man helped Eun Gwanyeong?”
“Yeah. He returned the money to Gwanyeong’s mother and thrashed the martial artist.”
“…”
From the way the story was flowing, Dokgo Ryeong already knew who the man was.
“The man who showed up was the Lust Demon.”
“…Yeah. After that, Oppa Wi took Gwanyeong to the Hao Sect leader.”
“When the Lust Demon first entered the jianghu?”
“Yeah.”
Hearing that, Dokgo Ryeong understood Eun Gwanyeong a little better.
…A bit like me, then.
She could guess how bone-grinding the training must have been for roughly ten years. Nothing less would have let a prostitute’s child climb all the way to candidate for young master of the Hao Sect.
“…To Gwanyeong, Oppa Wi isn’t just anyone. If she had to choose between the Hao Sect and Oppa Wi, she’d choose Oppa Wi.”
“…I see.”
“So in front of Gwanyeong, be a little careful when you talk about Oppa Wi….”
“In the end the Lust Demon is the problem.”
“…Huh?”
Dokgo Ryeong stood and slipped free of Baekri Sohyeon’s arms.
“I’m going to see the Lust Demon right now.”
“…Why?”
“What else.”
Dokgo Ryeong grinned.
“I have to tell him I’m going to mess Eun Gwanyeong up.”