Chapter 25
After unblocking her Yang Linking Vessel, Dokgo Ryeong thought her body would improve.
In reality, it was quite the opposite.
‘…I’m so sleepy I could die.’
Now that yang energy had begun flowing through a body that had been as good as dead until now, she actually felt tired more often.
For now, she still hadn’t chosen a cultivation method.
As Eun Gwan-yeong carried her on her back, Dokgo Ryeong tried circulating yang energy again and again to find out how much of it she could use.
But the yin energy in her lower dantian was so unruly that the slightest use of yang energy made it rise up and devour it.
In general, yin energy was associated with women, night, water among the Five Elements, and death,
while yang energy was associated with men, daytime, fire among the Five Elements, and life.
The more yang energy someone had, the more vitality they tended to possess. But the moment Dokgo Ryeong moved even a little of it, the yin energy in her lower dantian devoured it with abandon, leaving her even more exhausted.
‘…Maybe I’ll sleep a little longer.’
But contrary to her wishes, Dokgo Ryeong had been dozing as she clung to Eun Gwan-yeong’s shoulder when someone’s voice woke her.
“…Ryeong, wake up.”
“Hm?”
“…We’re here.”
“Already?”
Dokgo Ryeong tapped Eun Gwan-yeong on the back, and she let her down.
“Hiiing~. Are you still using me as your horse…?”
“You idiot, horses are such good-natured animals. Why would I compare you to one?”
“That’s so mean…, sob.”
Eun Gwan-yeong pretended to cry, rubbing the corners of her eyes with both hands as she sidled up to Wi Ilcheong.
Wi Ilcheong patted Eun Gwan-yeong’s head and said,
“Hang in there, Miss Eun.”
“Sob, sob…, Big Brotheeer Wi….”
“Good grief, what a show….”
Dokgo Ryeong clicked her tongue as Eun Gwan-yeong nestled against Wi Ilcheong and rubbed her face against him.
“Do they pick the Hao Sect Leader’s successor based on acting skills?”
“…It’s one of the qualifications.”
“Huh?”
“And the most important thing for becoming Hao Sect Leader is having good judgment! You don’t even know much about the Hao Sect, Miss Dokgo….”
“I’ll knock you dead, you little punk.”
When Dokgo Ryeong clenched her fist and raised it over her shoulder, Eun Gwan-yeong quickly hid behind Wi Ilcheong.
“W-Why?! I’m right, aren’t I? You don’t know more about the Hao Sect than I do!”
“…Lust Demon. Come out. I’m going to get my revenge on that girl.”
“Both of you, please calm down….”
Just then, Eun Gwan-yeong stuck her face out and looked at Dokgo Ryeong.
“Meh~.”
Eun Gwan-yeong pulled down the corners of her eyes with her fingers and stuck out her tongue. Something snapped in Dokgo Ryeong’s head.
“Ha…, haha…. Hahaha…. That little brat looks like she hasn’t even lived half as long as I have…”
“Heheh, we’re not even that far apart in age. Do you want me to call you Big Sis?”
“…You’re dead!”
The reason Dokgo Ryeong had kept moving her yang energy while dozing was to find out exactly how much of it she could use.
And now, she knew precisely where that limit lay.
The instant she drew out the yang energy circulating through her Yang Linking Vessel, gathered it in her right arm, and thrust it at Eun Gwan-yeong,
“That’s enough.”
Wi Ilcheong caught Dokgo Ryeong’s hand with a joint-locking technique.
“L-Let go!”
“…If you promise not to fight Miss Eun anymore. And Miss Eun, you should stop too.”
Eun Gwan-yeong apparently hadn’t intended to let Dokgo Ryeong hit her without a fight, as she had already taken up a stance.
At Wi Ilcheong’s intervention, Eun Gwan-yeong lowered her hands and relaxed her stance, then answered with a smile.
“Yes~. I’m a good girl who always listens to Big Brother Wi!”
“…”
“Still, I don’t understand why Big Brother Wi travels around with a lunatic like that!”
“Haa…, Miss Eun.”
Even as he tried to stop Eun Gwan-yeong, Wi Ilcheong kept an eye on Dokgo Ryeong.
As expected, Dokgo Ryeong swung her arm and drew her flexible sword.
Clang.
“…I’ll make you pay for this.”
“Anyway, I’ll go ahead and find us an inn! I also need to report to the sect, so I’ll be off!”
“Get back here!!”
“Meh~. Catch me if you can.”
“Kyaaaah!!!”
Eun Gwan-yeong used her movement technique to flee into the distance, while Dokgo Ryeong kicked the ground in frustration.
“Shit!! I can’t believe I got played by some little brat… Gyaaah!!!”
“…Miss Dokgo, please calm down a little….”
“Calm down?! How can I be calm right now….”
Thud.
Dokgo Ryeong suddenly collapsed to the ground, and Baekri Sohyeon appeared behind her.
“…I subdued her acupoints.”
“…Well done. When she wakes up, let’s just say she fainted.”
“…Okay.”
Wi Ilcheong hoisted Dokgo Ryeong over his shoulder and followed Eun Gwan-yeong.
‘…Shit.’
Thinking she’d been passing out more often lately, Dokgo Ryeong got back to her feet.
‘Ah, shit…. I’m pretty sure someone struck me on the back of the neck at the end….’
She wondered if someone had subdued her acupoints, but also suspected she might have simply collapsed because she’d gotten too worked up.
With her current body so frail, she couldn’t easily figure out what had happened.
“Haa…, shit.”
“…Miss Dokgo, you should watch your language.”
“…Why are you here?”
“Because we’re sharing a room?”
Eun Gwan-yeong looked back at Dokgo Ryeong and said,
“I haven’t finished writing my letter yet, so please be quiet for a little while.”
“You…!”
“Haa…, Miss Dokgo.”
Eun Gwan-yeong gathered her inner energy.
“I don’t enjoy bullying the weak. I really don’t.”
“You’re calling me weak?”
“Yes. You’re weak, Miss Dokgo. You’re far weaker than Big Sis Sohyeon, and even weaker than the third-rate martial artists in the marketplace.”
“You little…!”
The moment Dokgo Ryeong reached out, her vision spun around.
Crash!
Before she knew it, Dokgo Ryeong was sprawled on the floor, completely pinned by Eun Gwan-yeong.
“Guh…!”
“See? If I use my inner energy, you’re completely helpless, Miss Dokgo. Your inner energy is far too weak.”
“Ugh…!”
“I don’t get it. I have no idea why Big Brother Wi would risk his life for you.”
“You…! I swear, I’ll make you pay…!”
“Anyway, now that Big Brother Wi has chosen your side, I’ll act alongside you too, Miss Dokgo. But…”
Eun Gwan-yeong gently bit Dokgo Ryeong’s ear.
“Kyaaah!”
“Oh my, how cute. In any case, I won’t tolerate you insulting Big Brother Wi or our Hao Sect anymore. Even if Big Brother Wi gets a little upset with me, I’ll make things difficult for you.”
“Grr…!”
“So, let’s leave it at that for today.”
Eun Gwan-yeong released Dokgo Ryeong.
When Dokgo Ryeong got back into position and glared at her, Eun Gwan-yeong gave her a relaxed smile.
“You can keep coming at me until you’ve vented your anger, but it’ll hurt a lot, okay?”
“…What are you?”
“I told you, didn’t I? I’m Eun Gwan-yeong, a candidate to become the Hao Sect’s next leader.”
“…”
Dokgo Ryeong was taken aback.
The ditzy air Eun Gwan-yeong had shown until now was nowhere to be seen as she spoke with killing intent.
“If you disrespect Big Brother Wi one more time… I won’t forgive you.”
“…”
“So please stop getting in my way, all right~?”
After returning to her usual ditzy self, Eun Gwan-yeong turned her back to Dokgo Ryeong and focused on her letter.
Dokgo Ryeong glared at her for a long while, then slammed her fist into the floor.
Bang.
“…Shit.”
When Dokgo Ryeong went outside, Eun Gwan-yeong let out a sigh.
“Haa~. Seriously…, why did Big Brother Wi have to pick up a woman like that and make things so hard for himself…?”
Eun Gwan-yeong stretched, then flopped onto the floor and opened her palm to look at it.
Her hand twitched, and a moment later, it was no longer her usual delicate hand but a hideous one covered in burn scars.
Caressing it, Eun Gwan-yeong murmured,
“Big Brother Wi…, Dear Husband Wi…. My Lord Wi…. Kyaaaah!!”
Overcome with embarrassment, Eun Gwan-yeong covered her face with both hands and rolled around on the floor.
Only after quite some time had passed did Eun Gwan-yeong start writing her letter again.
*
Whooosh—. Caw, caw.
Dokgo Ryeong sat by the shore, listening to the sound of the sea.
‘…Shit.’
Her miserable situation felt far more bitter than usual.
Having crossed hands with Eun Gwan-yeong once, Dokgo Ryeong knew she had exceptional martial talent.
It was clear she had practiced hand-to-hand combat for a long time, and her foundation seemed quite deep.
Every now and then, she was so impressive that Dokgo Ryeong was reminded of the Shaolin’s 108 Arhat Palm, which she had faced back when she was the Mad Demon.
But having thought Eun Gwan-yeong was just some ditzy girl, Dokgo Ryeong found this humiliation hard to swallow.
Powerlessness. Defeat.
They were feelings she hadn’t experienced in a long time.
“Damn it, shit.”
“…Ryeong.”
“Whoa, shit!”
“…Watch your language.”
“…You too?”
When Dokgo Ryeong grumbled, Baekri Sohyeon asked her,
“Did Gwan-yeong hit you?”
“Hm?”
“…Didn’t she?”
“…You saw?”
“…!”
Baekri Sohyeon stared blankly for a moment, then her eyes widened.
“You’re so damn slow on the uptake!”
“…I knew Gwan-yeong would cause trouble, but I didn’t think she’d do it already.”
“What?”
“…”
When Baekri Sohyeon walked toward Dokgo Ryeong, she recoiled and stepped backward.
“You’re going to hug me again, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, shit. Come on! Please!”
“…You don’t like it?”
“No, it’s just… Do you really have to hug me every single time we talk?”
“…Yes.”
“Shit! Shit, shit, shit!!”
“…If you let me hold you quietly, I’ll tell you about Gwan-yeong.”
“Hm?”
Baekri Sohyeon repeated herself.
“…If you let me hold you quietly, I’ll tell you about Gwan-yeong.”
“What about her? Her weakness?”
“Mm….”
Baekri Sohyeon nodded.
“Yes. Her weakness….”
“Hug me.”
When Dokgo Ryeong opened her arms, Baekri Sohyeon came up behind her and hugged her.
Then she sat down on the sandy beach and rested her chin on top of Dokgo Ryeong’s head.
“Hehehe…, Ryeong.”
“Just tell me already.”
“…Mm.”
Baekri Sohyeon opened her mouth, then stopped, repeating the motion several times.
“…Are you messing with me?”
“No. Um…, I’m not very good at telling stories….”
“Anyway, tell me. I’ll figure out her weakness myself.”
“…Gwan-yeong is a courtesan’s daughter.”
“…”
The word ‘shit’ nearly escaped Dokgo Ryeong’s lips, but she swallowed it.
She’d asked for Gwan-yeong’s weakness, so what was this supposed to mean?
“Gwan-yeong doesn’t know who her father is. She grew up in a brothel with her mother from the moment she was born. One of the brothel’s customers was probably her father.”
“…Did I really need to know that?”
“Yes. Gwan-yeong will be sticking with Big Brother Wi.”
“But… that’s personal.”
“It doesn’t matter. Gwan-yeong likes talking about it.”
“…”
Thinking that Eun Gwan-yeong must be quite a crazy woman too, Dokgo Ryeong gestured for Baekri Sohyeon to continue.
“Mm…, one day, Gwan-yeong’s mother couldn’t get paid by a customer.”
“…”
“The customer must have been a martial artist. The guards tried to collect the money from him, but he beat them instead, so they eventually gave up on getting paid.”
“…And?”
“Gwan-yeong went to collect the money from him.”
“Haa….”
Dokgo Ryeong sighed.
It was one of those utterly shitty tragedies that could happen anywhere.
“…The customer threw his purse into a brazier and told her to take it. Gwan-yeong pulled it out.”
“She got burned, then.”
“…Yes. That’s why she said she learned the Bone-Shrinking Art from the Hao Sect.”
“Why are you telling me this story, anyway?”
“…This is the important part. When a man saw what was happening, he appeared and shouted…”
Baekri Sohyeon reached out and imitated a man’s voice.
“You piece of trash! How can a martial artist bully a little girl like that?!”
“That man helped Eun Gwan-yeong?”
“Yes. He gave Gwan-yeong’s mother the money back and taught that martial artist a lesson too.”
“…”
Given the way the story was going, Dokgo Ryeong had a feeling she knew who that man was.
“The man who showed up was the Lust Demon, wasn’t he?”
“…Yes. After that, Big Brother Wi took Gwan-yeong to the Hao Sect Leader.”
“Was that when the Lust Demon was just starting out in the martial world?”
“Yes.”
Hearing that, Dokgo Ryeong understood Eun Gwan-yeong a little better.
‘…She’s a little like me.’
She could imagine how hard Eun Gwan-yeong must have trained over the past ten or so years.
Otherwise, a courtesan’s daughter could never have risen to become a candidate for the Hao Sect’s next leader.
“…To Gwan-yeong, Big Brother Wi is more than just anyone. If she had to choose between the Hao Sect and Big Brother Wi, she’d probably choose Big Brother Wi.”
“…I suppose so.”
“So, when you’re around Gwan-yeong, you should be a little careful about what you say about Big Brother Wi…”
“The Lust Demon is the problem, after all.”
“…Hm?”
Dokgo Ryeong stood up and slipped out of Baekri Sohyeon’s embrace.
“I’m going to see the Lust Demon right now.”
“…Why?”
“Why do you think?”
Dokgo Ryeong grinned.
“I need to tell him I’m going to give Eun Gwan-yeong a good thrashing.”