Chapter 75
Chapter 75
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Heavenly Pavilion Master
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“Senior Brother Su-ho!”
“Tae-min!!”
As I dragged the bastards across the ground toward the Heavenly Pavilion, the guards on duty recoiled in shock.
The guys were a bloody mess, dragged along the floor in a pitiful state.
“W-what the hell is this?!”
-Clang!!
The guards drew their swords in fury.
“That's exactly what I want to know.”
“What do you mean by that!?”
“These scum attacked our place.”
“N-no way...”
The middle-aged man who seemed to be their leader looked flustered at my words.
“Go fetch your Pavilion Master, then.”
The middle-aged man gave a silent signal to a younger guy beside him, who bolted into the depths of the Heavenly Pavilion.
Just as I'd told him to—he was off to summon the Pavilion Master.
Before long, a crowd poured out from the Heavenly Pavilion.
The Pavilion Master Grandpa stared gravely at the blood-soaked men writhing on the ground.
“What have we done wrong...”
A faint anger simmered on the old man's face, usually so carefree and chuckling.
Even with his remarkable self-control, he couldn't stomach seeing his own people hurt.
“These bastards invaded our home, tried to kill me, and were about to rape the women.”
Well... I didn't actually know about the rape part.
But they had barged into my place without permission.
And trying to kill me was a plain fact.
I just spiced it up a bit with an extra charge on a whim.
This wasn't my original world anyway—no laws here.
I applied the principle of presumed guilt.
The truth didn't matter.
“W-what...?”
The Pavilion Master looked incredulous that his disciples would attempt such a thing.
“If not, then why were these guys—supposed to be here—caught sneaking to my place in the dead of night?”
“T-that's...”
Grandpa seemed thrown off, as the circumstances made my story sound plausible enough.
“N-no, we were just trying to save the girls!!”
One of Su-ho's junior brothers couldn't bear being branded a murderer and rapist, so he spat blood as he protested.
“Hmph. They got caught before succeeding, so now they're denying it. A bunch of shady men sneaking into where women sleep at night... isn't it obvious?”
“No!!! We were going to kill you...!!”
“Hah... Su-ho... what were you planning to do to him...”
The Pavilion Master's hollow murmur.
“Ugh! M-Master... t-that's...”
Su-ho looked bewildered by his master's words.
But what he'd just said was as good as admitting they tried to assassinate me.
The Pavilion Master squeezed his eyes shut.
His disciples moving for assassination without orders must have shocked him deeply.
“You get the reason. I'm cutting off their heads.”
I pulled a greatsword from my Inventory.
The Heavenly Pavilion disciples' eyes bulged at the massive greatsword materializing from thin air.
And as I looked ready to lop off their heads any second...
“Stop!!”
The old man hurriedly intervened.
-Clang!
The Heavenly Pavilion warriors couldn't stand by and watch their senior brother die pointlessly, so they drew their swords.
Tension crackled between us.
With six disciples' heads on the line, the old man's face twisted in grave conflict.
Would Grandpa fight or abandon these guys?
That was when it happened.
“Please wait a moment!!”
Baek Seol-hwa leaped forward, her hanbok skirts fluttering gracefully.
“Senior Brothers... did you really mean to harm him?”
Baek Seol-hwa calmly asked the men crawling on the ground.
“J-Junior Sister...”
“.........J-Junior...”
Su-ho's eyes flickered like a candle flame under her interrogation.
“..........So it's true...”
Her question seemed less curiosity and more confirmation.
“Un-ho. My senior brothers... they're still young and foolish. Can't you show mercy?”
“No. Especially this one—he's come for my life twice now.”
I liked Baek Seol-hwa, but even for her, I couldn't let this slide.
“I see... so that's how it is...”
Did she accept it?
“Do you not want me?”
But her next words tempted me sorely.
Of course I wanted her.
But no matter how horny I was, I wouldn't trade these bastards' lives for one night with her.
Especially this cheeky one.
Reading my eyes, Baek Seol-hwa quickly continued.
“If you forgive my senior brothers, I'll serve you for life.”
“........?”
“No! Seol-hwa.”
“Junior Sister! You can't!!”
“Junior Sister!! No!!!”
The Heavenly Pavilion folks gasped at Baek Seol-hwa's words.
Su-ho especially flopped around like a freshly caught fish.
An unexpected proposal.
She knew I liked women and fancied her, so it was a calculated offer.
“You're... offering yourself?”
She meant leaving the Heavenly Pavilion to become my woman.
Baek Seol-hwa.
The girl who'd offered her virginity after just one duel loss.
She'd keep this promise too, probably.
“Yes...”
The lives of six worthless dark-skinned men versus Baek Seol-hwa.
No contest.
Baek Seol-hwa, hands down.
I glanced at the Pavilion Master Grandpa.
Would he allow it?
“I know the kids messed up... but I can't sell my granddaughter. And I can't just abandon my disciples to die... As the Pavilion Master, I'll take responsibility.”
A prime chance to get Baek Seol-hwa, but the old Pavilion Master stood in the way.
“Grandfather...”
“Ugh! M-Master...”
“No!!!”
I didn't know how he'd take responsibility, but at most, his own life.
Pointless self-sacrifice.
I wouldn't give up Baek Seol-hwa for some dying old man's life.
“Hmm...”
I unconsciously stroked my chin, pondering how to claim Baek Seol-hwa.
It also seemed wise to crush the Heavenly Pavilion's spirit so they wouldn't dare try again.
“I'll give you a chance.”
“A chance?”
“...A duel.”
“A duel?”
“If I lose, I'll leave quietly. If I win, you spare these guys, and I take Baek Seol-hwa. Send out whoever.”
I hated sparing them, but for Baek Seol-hwa, it seemed better now.
These guys' heads were filled with wuxia tropes.
This should convince them cleanly to hand her over.
“Agreed. Grandfather, please allow it.”
“Seol-hwa...”
“Grandfather... even if we lose, it ends with just me.”
The Pavilion Master agonized for a while, then...
“Sigh... very well.”
He finally consented.
He probably didn't think he'd win...
Baek Seol-hwa surely knew this duel was doomed to fail.
“Grandfather, let me...”
“I'll do it...”
He stopped Baek Seol-hwa from stepping up and took position before me.
As Pavilion Master, he was likely their top expert.
“I'll yield the first move.”
“I won't refuse.”
I arrogantly offered first strike, and the old man eagerly accepted.
His eyes glowed golden, and golden sword qi leaked from his blade.
Clearer gold than Baek Seol-hwa's—his martial arts seemed a bit more refined.
The old man charged swiftly, swinging his sword.
Full power from the start.
Unlike Baek Seol-hwa, the Pavilion Master showed no carelessness.
I coated my greatsword in mana and met his strike.
-Boom! Boom! Boom!
Our rapid sword exchanges exploded like bombs.
His swordsmanship was a notch above Baek Seol-hwa's, honed by age.
A normal sword versus a massive, impossibly heavy greatsword no human could wield.
Frontal clashes were suicide.
Dodge and out-speed him, obviously.
The old man must have thought the same at first.
Unfair for a Pavilion Master, maybe, but tough luck.
This greatsword had no limits from its weight—wielded by me.
Faster than his light blade, with overwhelming destructive power.
The Pavilion Master looked rattled; it wasn't what he expected.
What happens when a heavy, massive weapon transcends limits and matches or exceeds speed?
The big weapon wins.
So he had no chance to attack me.
-Boom! Boom! Boom!
Soon, the old man was purely defending against my sword.
With this size difference, blocking was wrong—but I gave no room to dodge.
The Heavenly Pavilion folks paled watching their Pavilion Master pushed back effortlessly.
His slender sword looked pathetic against my greatsword.
Unable to dodge, just blocking—he must have been in agony.
His arms trembled with each block; he was at his limit.
-Whoosh!
Enough playing; time to end it.
Suddenly, my greatsword arced down at unbelievable speed toward the Pavilion Master's head.
-Crunch!
The old man reflexively raised his sword to block.
Futile.
The greatsword shattered his blade in an instant.
And plunged straight for his head.
“Aaaah!! Father!!”
“Pavilion Master!!!”
“Grandfather!!”
Anyone could see his head splitting open—the Heavenly Pavilion's despairing screams rang out.
But the greatsword, crashing with immense speed and force, halted dead.
Impossible normally, but my body made it possible.
The blade stopped an inch from the old man's head.
Had he felt death's terror?
His wide eyes shook, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead.
“I... I lose...”
Grandpa cleanly admitted defeat.
“Hmph. Good.”
Wonder if they thought the Pavilion Master was done for, or because of the loss.
The surroundings fell deathly quiet.
Unlike the somber mood,
I was thrilled—I'd get Baek Seol-hwa.
Baek Seol-hwa quietly approached and bowed her head.
“Th-thank you.”
Probably for sparing her grandfather.
I'd never planned to kill the grandfather of the woman who'd be mine from the start.
“You're mine now?”
I said, wrapping an arm around Seol-hwa's waist and pulling her close.
Seol-hwa stiffened briefly at my sudden embrace but soon assumed a submissive posture.
“Yes. I will serve you from now on.”
A middle-aged woman called to Seol-hwa in a trembling voice.
“S-Seol-hwa!!”
Her face was so similar—she had to be Seol-hwa's mother.
Genetics were amazing.
She had an outstanding figure and beauty too.
“Mother, it's fine. I'm not going far away.”
Seol-hwa's calm voice seemed addressed not just to her mother, but to the entire Heavenly Pavilion.
With Seol-hwa at my side, I strode out of the funeral-like Heavenly Pavilion.
Glancing back, Su-ho had his head buried in the dirt.
His body quivered faintly—he was crying.
What a crybaby.
I wanted to kill him right then...
'But I made a promise, so maybe sneak it later.'
Killing inside the Heavenly Pavilion would be tricky; better during a hunt.
Got a great woman—auspicious day.
As a special pardon from Baek Seol-hwa, I'd let him live for now.