Chapter 33
After finishing her bath, Dokgo Ryeong came out and let Baekri Sohyeon help her get dressed.
“Are these the only clothes you have?”
“Heheh… They’re pretty. What’s wrong with them?”
“Haa….”
The fluttering sleeves got in her way, and she still wasn’t used to the skirt that left her legs so exposed.
‘How the hell does she manage to walk around in clothes like these….’
More than anything, the loose fit around her chest annoyed her.
She felt as though she’d only half put her clothes on, and it made her feel terribly uncomfortable.
“Shit… Go wash up. I’m going to eat.”
“You’re not going to eat with me?”
“Then hurry up and wash up.”
“Okay.”
Baekri Sohyeon went into the washroom with a silly grin, and Dokgo Ryeong went down to the inn’s first floor, found a suitable seat, and called for the waiter.
“Hey, waiter.”
“Yes!”
“Bring me some tea—not alcohol. I’ll order food after my companions get here.”
“Understood.”
As she watched the waiter walk away, Dokgo Ryeong scratched her head.
‘Shit… I’m too anxious to drink.’
She kept reminding herself that this was her body now, but compared to the powerful physique she’d had as the Mad Demon, Dokgo Jin, it was terribly weak.
After suffering hangovers and unpleasant incidents while drunk more than once, Dokgo Ryeong deliberately ordered tea so she wouldn’t repeat such a stupid mistake.
“Here you are, miss.”
“…Thanks.”
“Call me again when your companions arrive.”
Just as Dokgo Ryeong poured tea into her cup and lifted it, someone entered the inn.
The new customer immediately looked for the waiter.
“…Waiter.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Over here.”
When the waiter approached, the customer whispered something to him.
‘…What’s this?’
When Dokgo Ryeong casually strained her ears, she began to hear the customer’s whisper clearly.
“…Has a woman with red hair who looks barely over twenty, along with a man, come here?”
“!!”
The moment she heard those words, Dokgo Ryeong whipped her head around.
‘W-why the hell is that bastard here?’
The customer who’d come to the inn was No Geuk-myeong.
*
After No Sun-pyeong told him to capture Dokgo Ryeong, No Geuk-myeong put his mind to work.
‘Where could she have fled…?’
The first place that came to mind was the inn where they’d first met.
Perhaps, by hiding in plain sight and fleeing back there, she could avoid the eyes of the Murong Clan.
But No Geuk-myeong quickly dismissed the idea.
‘No… Some of the warriors from my clan were injured, too. If so, there are probably still warriors from my clan there.’
No Geuk-myeong thought again.
‘Where would they have gone…? What’s their destination…?’
When he first captured her, Dokgo Ryeong had been Dokgo Ryeong.
That unpleasant way of speaking, with not a shred of manners, which he’d heard at the inn.
Those eyes that seemed to look down on everything in the world.
But at some point, she’d been switched with someone else.
‘…Then their first destination must have been the Pajeo River. Why?’
Had they simply arranged to meet near the Pajeo River?
Or had they perhaps meant to cross it?
‘If they’d only planned to meet at the Pajeo River, where would they have fled? No….’
No Geuk-myeong tried looking at it from another angle.
From the perspective of someone on the run, where would be the last place they’d want to stay right now?
‘Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang.’
Those three regions were unmistakably under the Murong Clan’s influence.
What’s more, Tianjin, the Beggar Sect’s headquarters, was right next to Liaoning.
The Beggar Sect had plenty of old grievances with the Mad Demon, so his daughter would be reluctant to pass through there.
She didn’t look like she had the martial arts to move around while evading the eyes of a million Beggar Sect disciples, and her appearance was far too conspicuous.
As his thoughts reached that point, the haze in No Geuk-myeong’s mind began to clear.
‘If they want to avoid being seen… a boat is their best bet!’
If they traveled by boat, he wouldn’t know where they were headed, but at least they could safely pass through the Murong Clan’s and the Beggar Sect’s territories.
Having reached a conclusion, No Geuk-myeong moved quickly.
‘There are several fishing villages along the coast. If I search every one of them, I’ll find her in no time…!’
And No Geuk-myeong’s reasoning had been right.
The moment he entered the inn in the small fishing village called Cheongniwa—the second village he’d visited—No Geuk-myeong, tired as he was, immediately sought out the waiter.
“…Has a woman with red hair who looks barely over twenty, along with a man, come here?”
At that moment, a woman sitting in the inn whipped around.
The moment their eyes met, he knew.
Those haughty eyes that seemed to look down on the whole world.
Her hair was lighter in color, but still conspicuous.
There was no way he could mistake her.
“Heh… Heh heh. No, never mind, waiter….”
“Pardon?”
“I said no. Go do your job.”
“…Yes.”
No Geuk-myeong burst out laughing and sat across from Dokgo Ryeong.
“Well, well… How long has it been, miss?”
“Shit. How’d you find me?”
“And what’s with your hair now? Ah… Did you use sorcery again?”
No Geuk-myeong casually picked up the teacup and downed its contents.
“Wow, shit… Isn’t it hot?”
“Not at all.”
Bang.
Slamming the teaware down, No Geuk-myeong growled.
“You’ve got me absolutely seething after what you did to me.”
“Heh… Heh heh… Wow. That was impressive. I didn’t know you could say ‘I want to die’ in so many words.”
“Keep acting tough, relying on that pathetic sorcery of yours….”
No Geuk-myeong raised his inner energy.
Even if a master like the Lust Demon was guarding her, his family’s enemy was close enough to reach with a single lunge.
All his father, No Sun-pyeong, wanted was her head.
Taking the head of a woman who hadn’t even properly learned martial arts would be easy for No Geuk-myeong.
“Die!”
No Geuk-myeong admired himself as he watched his sword strike fly in a perfect arc, even by his own estimation.
But…
“…Huh?”
He felt no impact.
He didn’t feel the sensation of the blade cutting through Dokgo Ryeong’s delicate flesh and cleanly severing her neck bone.
“Haa… This is a mess. What a damn mess….”
Dokgo Ryeong’s voice came from beneath the table.
“Damn it…!”
No Geuk-myeong hurriedly raised his sword and tried to cut through both the table and Dokgo Ryeong’s body.
Crunch!
But once again, instead of feeling his blade cut through Dokgo Ryeong, all he felt was the sensation of cutting wood. No Geuk-myeong was flustered.
“W-what kind of sorcery is this?!”
Cold sweat began to trickle down his back.
The last time he’d seen her, Dokgo Ryeong hadn’t been able to control a single bit of inner energy.
That was proven by the way she’d vomited and felt dizzy when his father, No Sun-pyeong, used his Six Harmonies Transmission.
Besides, the moment they’d met again at the Pajeo River…
He’d beaten Dokgo Ryeong several times, and that had made him certain.
Her soft flesh belonged to someone with such frail muscles that she’d probably never even moved her body properly, let alone practiced martial arts.
But…
“That’s not sorcery. It’s footwork, you moron. Didn’t No Sun-pyeong teach you the basics?”
“Damn it…!”
When Dokgo Ryeong’s voice suddenly came from behind him, No Geuk-myeong panicked and swung his sword.
He’d turned only his upper body to swing, tangling his feet. Dokgo Ryeong mocked him again.
“Good grief. A swordsman, and you’ve tangled your feet?”
“Guh!”
Dokgo Ryeong’s foot jabbed into the back of No Geuk-myeong’s knee, throwing him off balance.
As No Geuk-myeong fell to his knees, Dokgo Ryeong leaped onto his back.
“First, let’s beat you up.”
“Gack!”
Pain like his spine had snapped shot through No Geuk-myeong.
Dokgo Ryeong’s fist came down like a bolt of lightning and smashed into his back, driving him into the floor.
“You bastard… How dare a nobody like you beat me?”
“Guh… Guhhh…!”
“That was only one hit. Why are you already acting like you’re dying?!”
Dokgo Ryeong spread her legs and stood over No Geuk-myeong.
Crack.
Her hand made a terrifying sound as she clenched it into a fist again.
Then she struck No Geuk-myeong in the back once more.
Bang!
…
No Geuk-myeong’s body sank into the floor of the inn.
He trembled faintly for a moment, then fell still.
“…Huh?”
Flustered by the sight, Dokgo Ryeong sat beside him and poked his back with her finger.
“Hey… Hey.”
…
“Ah, shit. I messed up… Is he dead?”
Dokgo Ryeong put a finger beneath No Geuk-myeong’s nose and, fortunately, felt the faintest breath.
“Shit, you scared me.”
Annoyed for no good reason, Dokgo Ryeong slapped his unconscious cheek a few times.
But when No Geuk-myeong still showed no sign of waking, Dokgo Ryeong sat back down and looked down at him.
“Shit, you’re weak as hell… I thought you’d last three days and nights under the Tendon-Splitting and Bone-Misaligning technique (分筋錯骨).”
Dokgo Ryeong sighed as she said it casually, though the words would have made No Geuk-myeong shudder if he’d heard them.
“Haa… Why’d this bastard come all the way here, anyway… Tsk. Hey, waiter!”
“Y-yes! P-please spare me!”
“…Why would I kill you?”
“Pardon…?”
“Bring me some food. I’m hungry. You know who to charge, right? Charge my companion.”
“Y-yes! I’ll bring it right away!”
The waiter disappeared into the kitchen, trembling from head to toe.
Perhaps because she hadn’t thrown a proper punch in a long time, Dokgo Ryeong’s shoulder felt a little stiff. She rolled her arm to loosen it.
“Ah, shit. Still, it feels good to move around a little… Huh?”
Something strange came into view.
“Ah… No, shit… W-why is it red again?”
Dokgo Ryeong grabbed a lock of hair draped over her shoulder and stared at it in confusion.
Just then, Baekri Sohyeon came out after finishing her bath and called to her.
“Ryeong, I’m back… Huh?”
“Hey, Blockhead. Look at this. My hair’s red again, isn’t it?”
“…Isn’t there something more important than that?”
“No, shit! Forget that bastard. My hair’s red, right? Isn’t it?!”
“Yeah….”
“Ha, shit. What is this? I’m not some crazy woman, but my hair keeps changing color.”
“B-but what about that person down there…?”
“No Geuk-myeong. No Sun-pyeong’s son.”
“…Why is he like that?”
“I roughed him up for a bit. He was so weak he passed out after two hits. Ha, shit. I hadn’t even warmed up yet….”
…
Baekri Sohyeon pressed a hand to her throbbing head.
‘Brother Wi… Sister Ryeong really is a walking calamity….’
Wondering how she was going to explain this to Wi Ilcheong, Baekri Sohyeon spoke up.
“…I’ll go to our room first.”
“Why? Are you feeling sick?”
“…I need to tie him up.”
Unfortunately, Baekri Sohyeon had already gotten used to Dokgo Ryeong acting like this.
That was what had happened before Wi Ilcheong and Eun Gwan-yeong arrived.
*
“…Do you understand now, Brother Wi?”
“Haa… Honestly.”
Wi Ilcheong let out a deep sigh and pressed his temples.
“Hey, Lust Demon.”
“Yes, Miss Dokgo.”
“Can’t we just chop this bastard up and throw him into the sea?”
“…Do you intend to burn your bridges with the Murong Clan?”
“Tch.”
…
Watching Dokgo Ryeong click her tongue as though she were truly disappointed, Wi Ilcheong felt exhausted.
‘…Senior Mad Demon. How on earth did you raise your daughter…?’
Not knowing the truth about Dokgo Ryeong, Wi Ilcheong could only resent the Mad Demon, Dokgo Jin.
“Brother Wi, why don’t we just leave him here and go?”
“…That would be the most reasonable choice.”
At that, Dokgo Ryeong sprang to her feet as if she’d been set off.
“What?! Why let him live?”
“If we kill him, Senior No will chase us to the ends of hell.”
“Let him chase us! Why, I’ll—”
“Miss Dokgo~.”
Eun Gwan-yeong raised a hand and wiggled her fingers mischievously.
“I told you to use pretty words, didn’t I~?”
“Kahaha! Ah… The Hao Sect’s news sure travels slowly.”
“Pardon?”
Eun Gwan-yeong was a little flustered when Dokgo Ryeong reacted in a way she hadn’t expected at all.
Seeing Eun Gwan-yeong’s expression, Dokgo Ryeong grinned.
“Actions speak louder than words. Come on, I’ll teach you some manners today.”
…
Dokgo Ryeong raised her chin arrogantly and held out a palm toward Eun Gwan-yeong.
Then she beckoned for Eun Gwan-yeong to come at her first. Eun Gwan-yeong glanced at Wi Ilcheong.
“…Brother Wi.”
“Haa… I’ll step in if things get out of hand, so the two of you settle this between yourselves.”
“Okay.”
The moment Eun Gwan-yeong took her stance, Dokgo Ryeong bared her teeth.
“First, let’s start with one light hit!”
Dokgo Ryeong was brimming with confidence.
After beating No Geuk-myeong, she knew exactly how strong her martial arts were now.
And she was sure of it.
At this level, she could subdue Eun Gwan-yeong, even if it took some effort.
‘I’ll teach her a lesson and set our relationship straight…!’
If she gave her a taste of a proper punch, Eun Gwan-yeong would never dare to act cheeky again.
Thinking that, Dokgo Ryeong swung her arm, and…
“Huh?”
“…Miss Dokgo, were you going to fight without using inner energy again?”
“Huh? W-why isn’t it…?”
Dokgo Ryeong was confused.
‘No… Why can’t I…?’
She couldn’t feel any of the inner energy she’d been able to use just moments ago.
“Haa… Miss Dokgo, since we didn’t make a promise this time, I’m going to use my inner energy, okay?”
“W-wait! This is…!”
“I’ll give you a thorough etiquette lesson!”
Watching Eun Gwan-yeong’s fist fly toward her like lightning, Dokgo Ryeong cowered.
She could see the fist, but her body wouldn’t move fast enough.
Bracing herself for the pain that was about to come, Dokgo Ryeong muttered,
“Shit….”
Along with the excruciating pain, her consciousness went dark.