episode_0010

The Central Plains are vast in land, but they also have a huge population. With a population of over 100 million, it is not surprising that inns have been established even in the outskirts and outskirts of the Central Plains.

After half a day of working hard, they found the inn late in the evening. Since it was the first day, neither Yu Ye-hyang nor Yeon-jin were that tired, but when they entered the inn to relieve their fatigue, a girl who looked to be about fourteen years old came running out to greet them.

“Welcome. Are there two of you?”

“Yeah.”

As Yu Ye-hyang nodded slowly, Jeom So-yi rolled her eyes and scanned the two of them. Since they were a man and a woman, could they be a couple?

Until then, I hadn’t known, but judging from the sword hanging from her waist, it wasn’t hard to tell that she was a martial artist. Furthermore, judging from the gorgeously embroidered palace coat that wasn’t even a speck of dust on it, Yu Ye-hyang’s status seemed to be quite high even among martial artists.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Jeom So-yi lives off of intuition. Hehe, she let out a meaningless laugh and asked cautiously.

“But sir, we only have one room left right now… … Is that okay?”

“One?”

The space between Yu Ye-hyang’s eyebrows narrowed.

There is only one room. Even though it is a guest house, it is all standing type, so naturally there is only one bed.

In today’s conservative China, where it is said that children as young as seven years old do not sit in the same seat, it is unimaginable that fully grown adults would share a room.

Moreover, weren’t Yu Ye-hyang and Yeon-jin not even officially dating yet? When the conservative Yu Ye-hyang frowned as if she was quite embarrassed by the strange part, Yeon-jin blurted out.

“Am I okay?”

“… … ?”

Yu Ye-hyang tilted her head at Yeon-jin’s remark.

Regardless, Yeonjin answered as if it was no big deal.

“I can sleep on the floor, okay?”

It is a guesthouse in the martial arts world that I have only heard of or read about. I have finally taken my first step into the great undertaking of becoming a martial arts master, but is it really a big deal that there is only one room?

It was an answer that came out while recalling memories from a past life and roughly imagining a sitting room, but Yu Ye-hyang sighed at Yeon-jin’s remark that seemed to be a serious misunderstanding.

“Even so, did I seem like a cold-blooded person who would make you sleep on the floor? No, sleeping on the floor in the first place… … No, that’s it. There’s nothing I can do if there’s only one room.”

Yoo Ye-hyang said, pressing her throbbing forehead with her fingers.

“I don’t mind if there’s only one room, since I’ll be staying here tonight. I think I need to eat first, so show me to a seat.”

“Yes!”

Jeom So-i, who had been standing there with an awkward smile on her face and just observing them closely, guided the two to the table.

It was quite late for dinner, so there weren’t many people eating inside the small inn. Since there were only two people in the martial arts world, they didn’t seem to pay much attention to the two of them.

“If it doesn’t seem to work, it’s okay if you sit cross-legged. You’ll get enough sleep if you sleep like that for an hour or so.”

As soon as she sat down, Yu Ye-hyang spoke firmly, as if she would not accept any dissenting opinions.

“I’m really okay sleeping on the floor… … .”

“Jin-ah.”

“Yep.”

Yeonjin shut her mouth at the firm voice that didn’t even make sense. Yu Yehyang was the only one wondering how the guy could be like that. Should she say he’s rough or dirty? Yu Yehyang clicked her tongue and gestured to Jeomso-yi.

“One vegetable, one meat, one spore.”

“Yes! Do you not drink alcohol?”

When the waiter who received the order asked again, Yeonjin opened her mouth slightly.

“If it’s alcohol, then Jukyeop… … ”

“The alcohol is done.”

Before Yeonjin could finish speaking, carefully observing her surroundings, Yu Yehyang shook her head.

Only Yeonjin, who had been thinking of ordering the noodles with bamboo leaf tea that she had only heard of, licked her lips in disappointment. Since ancient times, wasn’t it an unspoken rule in the inns of the martial arts world to order noodles with dumplings and bamboo leaf tea?

Now, if you add something to it occasionally, it’s probably just duck meat.

The opportunity to actually experience the rough life of martial arts heroes sharing a sweet medicinal drink called Jukyeopcheong and promoting camaraderie was passed on to the next opportunity.

When Yeonjin, who was just licking her lips as if she was regretting it, glanced at him, Yu Yehyang, who had been staring at him with her chin resting on the table, shook her head.

“I don’t really like alcohol.”

“I don’t really like it either. I was just curious.”

“Maybe they don’t sell bamboo leaf tea in a corner like this. Don’t be too sad, I’ll buy you some when I go to Seomseok.”

The opportunity to order somen noodles with bamboo leaf tea was passed over for another time, and as soon as the food that Jeomsoi had ordered was brought out, the conversation continued as they began eating.

“Are you sure it’s okay to sleep in the same room?”

“There’s only one room, so there’s nothing I can do.”

Yeonjin answered, picking up some pickled vegetables with her chopsticks.

It was a world where men and women were different, and men had to be careful when the opposite sex was sleeping together. There was still a sense of dissonance from that fact, but at least I could trust the Yu Ye-hyang in front of me.

We have been together every single day for the past six months, and we have become close friends. In a way, he is a kind of teacher and benefactor to me.

Although Yeonjin didn’t yet have a sense of crisis that her chastity was threatened by the opposite sex, she had an unwavering trust in Yu Yehyang.

In some ways, it could be said that she didn’t feel any feelings for him at all, but Yu Ye-hyang had a hazy expression on her face at the trust that was evident in his tone of voice.

The corners of his mouth went up without a trace, and a smile that seemed to have forgotten his dignity naturally escaped his lips.

“If Jinah thinks so, then there’s nothing I can do.”

Yu Ye-hyang answered with an elegant gesture, but she could not hide her joy inside and continued speaking.

“Still, you should be careful from now on. Of course, she won’t touch you or anything just because you’re sleeping in the same room, but all women other than the main woman are like this. Especially the guys you meet in the martial arts world are mostly like that.”

“Hmm.”

Yeonjin tilted her head. It was a story she had heard many times. All men are wolves. It felt strange to hear a story with only the gender changed.

Regardless, Yu Ye-hyang finished speaking in a calm tone.

“So if something like that happens when you’re not around, don’t hesitate to use the slaughterhouse. Or, you can cripple her to the point where she can’t even act like a woman. Do you understand?”

‘Is this the sex education of this world?’

Considering the use of the silver sword, this would be the average sex education in the pre-modern era. Yeonjin nodded for a moment, then added.

“But that hasn’t happened yet. During training, both men and women would collapse and sleep when they got back.”

“… … What does it mean?”

“That’s how it was when I was training. Even though we were trainees in the same class, we weren’t particularly close and we didn’t really talk to each other that much. Ugh, you know? The facilities weren’t particularly good.”

Yeonjin hesitated for a moment and then said.

It was a bit embarrassing to say in front of the leader of the sect, Yu Ye-hyang, that the training facilities of the Demonic Cult were poor, but it was true.

It is true that the training facility of the Demonic Cult crammed dozens of people into the dormitory without any consideration for gender, and Yeonjin also had to sleep in the gaps.

“… … .”

However, after hearing this story, it was Yu Ye-hyang who felt worse. It wasn’t that the facilities were inadequate, but Yeon-jin was slightly annoyed by the fact that she had literally slept in the same space as the opposite sex in the past.

Specifically, he wanted to wipe out all the warriors who had trained under the same banner as Yeonjin.

Of course, it was just venting anger and a momentary urge to kill, so he had enough discernment not to actually act like that.

If there was anyone who took advantage of this situation to molest or harass Yeonjin, I would of course cause them all the pain they could endure in life, until they beg to be killed.

“I’m glad that didn’t happen. Anyway, keep in mind what the woman said. All the other women are just like this.”

“Have you already eaten everything?”

“I think she’ll wash up first and then go up to her room.”

After finishing her last words of advice mixed with a hint of sympathy, Yu Ye-hyang, who had finished her meal, stood up first to wash up.

It was not easy to enjoy the luxury of being able to wash in hot water in such a remote inn, but a few nyang of silver made such a luxury possible.

As Yu Ye-hyang headed to the bathroom in a corner of the guest house, a large wooden tub was already filled with heated water. The clothes she was wearing fell down, revealing her pure white skin and a naked body as white as jade.

Skin that is pure white and clear, with no scars whatsoever, common to martial artists who live off of cutlery.

Yu Ye-hyang let out something similar to a sigh as she soaked her skin with hot water.

“I feel this every time, but is this a dream or reality?”

The hot water she scooped up with her hands fell and crashed onto her skin, running down, leaving behind only droplets.

I felt tired after soaking in the hot water.

It’s already been half a year since I experienced the miracle of regression.

During that half year, Yu Ye-hyang made contact with Yeon-jin much faster than before her return, and succeeded in reducing the distance between them considerably. Moreover, today is the first day she sets out on a journey to the world of martial arts with Yeon-jin.

She had known it all along and expected it, but there was something that made Yeonjin feel more nervous than she had thought, like a child left on the beach.

“No matter what, I never thought a grown man would have any hesitation in sharing a room with a woman.”

Yu Ye-hyang muttered as if she was muttering aloud.

Even though it was a demonic cult ruled by the iron-blooded law of strong self-respect, not all of its members focused solely on improving their own martial arts skills and becoming stronger.

Even though he was a man, there was that kind of tone to it, but it meant that he was not a wall-crawler who only cared about martial arts and didn’t care about the opposite sex or anything.

It’s not like he’s a demonic being. He’s not naturally soft and fluffy like a woman.

This is just.

“There is a problem with not having any sense of caution toward the opposite sex. No, maybe he doesn’t consider her as the opposite sex in the first place… … .”

Yu Ye-hyang shuddered as she imagined the worst-case scenario. Soon, she lowered her body a little deeper, just enough to expose her neck, and muttered gloomily.

“Maybe it’s because the main girl made contact too early, or maybe she treats me so comfortably and openly like a real sister that she doesn’t even realize that I’m the opposite sex.”

A list of worst-case scenarios, told to oneself as if muttering to oneself.

I told her to treat me like a real sister in order to reduce the distance between us, but what if because of that, she ends up thinking of me as a simple object of affection rather than a romantic interest?

It has its own flavor, but that kind of ambiguous sibling-like relationship is not what Yu Ye-hyang had hoped for. Yu Ye-hyang’s expression suddenly turned pale and she bit her well-manicured fingernails.

If that’s really the case, special measures are needed.

But how can she take such extraordinary measures? Before and after her return, Yeonjin was the only person of the opposite sex she had been this close to. She had no way of knowing how to seduce a man who didn’t see her as a lover.

It is something that only the princesses of Hwahwa who live in Giru are skilled at, but it is something that is a billion light years away from Yu Ye-hyang who was born in the Demonic Sect that worships the law of iron and blood and was destined to become a Heavenly Demon.

It would be faster and easier to have a dog tied up and raised in this inn learn to speak human language.

“Um… … ?”

At that moment, while she was pondering with an anxious expression, Yu Ye-hyang felt a presence outside and turned her head. At that moment, she sat up for a moment, wondering if something was going on outside.

Bam.

“Oh.”

“Huh?”

The bathroom door opened with a bang.

And for a moment, Yeonjin and Yuyehyang’s eyes met in the air.

As if the two people had frozen in place and turned into statues, Yeonjin’s broken brain began to spout out nonsense.

“So, I heard that I can definitely go in and wash up now.”

Yeonjin’s eyes, which were different from the criminal’s thanks to her training in martial arts, were able to see through the smoky steam from the heated water and took in every detail of the scene inside the bathroom.

A large wooden barrel, probably used as a bathtub, was placed in the middle. And although it was difficult to see in detail due to the thick steam, even the figure of Yu Ye-hyang standing awkwardly, naked, without a single thread on, was visible.

The moment your eyes meet the pure white skin that draws firm and graceful curves, and the chest that exudes presence in the middle of it all.

Yeonjin’s face turned bright red in an instant, and she slammed the door shut, leaving behind a single scream.

“Sorry!”

Hearing the sound of hurried footsteps retreating along with the screaming of an apology, Yu Ye-hyang was the only one standing there with a blank expression on her face as if she had no idea what was going on.

At least in this world, common sense wouldn’t say anything huge would happen if you saw a completely naked body, but if you saw the upper body, which would be obscured by steam anyway, it wouldn’t be visible.

“… … ?”

It was a sudden incident that Yeonjin came in while I was washing up, but I wondered if it was something to be so flustered about since it was just a glimpse of a woman’s naked body.

At the moment when Yu Ye-hyang, who had not paid any attention, was about to wash again, a lightning-like realization flashed through her head.

In this world, men don’t get that embarrassed just by seeing a woman’s naked upper body.

It’s not like it’s common, or even to the point where you have to walk around with your entire upper body exposed.

But Yeonjin’s face turned bright red just because she saw a few breasts, so she was embarrassed and walked away while apologizing.

That is to say.

“No way… … .”

Yu Ye-hyang’s eyes widened as she suddenly realized the enlightenment that came to her as if she had gained enlightenment through martial arts.

Unless it’s someone you like, you probably wouldn’t react that way.

Suspicion suddenly turned into certainty in an instant.

As she thought about this, Yu Ye-hyang’s face also turned red, and she shamefully scooped up some hot water and washed her face.

“Right.”

Yehyang, who was wiping away the dripping water, muttered softly with a red face.

“If that’s the case, you should’ve said it earlier. Even if he’s that easygoing, he’s still a man. He has a cute side in unexpected places. I almost thought I was having some weird delusions.”

Unless it’s someone you like, you wouldn’t overreact like that.

Yu Ye-hyang, who had reached this conclusion, muttered with a blush on her face and a faint smile.

“… … The girl doesn’t even know that.”

I got some good information accidentally.

The person she had in mind also had feelings for her. She had no doubt that it was true, with a probability of almost 100 percent, and Yu Ye-hyang quickly controlled her expression.

If I had confirmed this much, there was nothing more to hesitate about. I guess it would be okay to be a little more proactive. With that thought in mind.

It was a night when misunderstandings deepened.