episode_0011

If Ahcheong had majored in engineering or the arts, he would have been tormented by the impulse of murder and sin.

But because Ahcheong was in the humanities and social sciences, he was living confidently now!

However, if he had majored in medicine or law, he wouldn’t even have time to consider games as a hobby.

There was no reason for him to suffer like this from the beginning.

So, people must learn.

The saying “knowledge is power” by Francis Bacon was exactly this principle.

“Evil people are not human, so there is no need to treat them as such. As Mencius said. So come on, you bastard. Even a hunter enjoys the hunt when the prey resists.”

Nogari sighed inwardly.

He had fallen for a truly crazy woman!

It was an idea that only a world-class assassin would come up with.

Nogari pondered his way out.

Escape was not an option.

The opponent possessed impeccable martial arts skills and could strike a distant target with precision.

No matter how he tried to escape, it was a problem.

If a guard ran away from the person they were guarding, they would eventually be chased until they died.

The Black Shadow Clan Lord would never forgive the guard who fled, leaving behind his daughter.

His wife and now ten-year-old son would also face tragedy.

So, he had to either defeat the opponent somehow or rely on their mercy.

In a life-threatening situation, the brain showed a level of concentration never seen before.

This was why during battles that determined life and death in the martial arts world, some individuals broke through barriers and reached new heights.

Finally, Nogari’s brain found the most rational path among countless possibilities.

Masters often showed strange measures.

“Oh, your dissection is truly excellent!” something like that.

Of course, the probability of that happening was one in a million.

But if he was going to die anyway, he had to save his wife and son.

Although the Black Shadow Clan Lord was ruthless, he would take care of the family of the guard who sacrificed himself for his daughter.

Nogari made a firm resolution.

“I will offer my life as an apology to the noble. Can you not end this cycle of evil with just me?”

Unfortunately, Ahcheong had already crossed the threshold of thirst.

He had been too peaceful and the desire for blood had exploded due to fighting without a sword.

“I don’t want to.”

His hand moved on its own.

His slender fingers traced Nogari’s jugular from right to left.

The fingers were the most sensitive part of the human body.

It was enough to feel that split second at a one-tenth slower speed than the blink of an eye.

The sensation of tearing through the dry skin of the neck and burying into the muscles with resistance.

Wrapping around the elastic veins like rubber bands, the fingers tightened, adding more tension.

And then, the solid clavicle bone.

Like sifting through sand, gripping the clavicle bone, it went deeper.

The carotid artery wrapped around the fingers stretched out, passing over the collarbone and shoulder, before succumbing to the tension with a snap.

Only then did time slow down.

With a tearing sound, the torn carotid artery spurted blood violently.

Finally, the warm, fragrant blood splashed on his face.

And at the same time, the world was engulfed in white flames.

A lightning bolt struck from the spine to the fingertips and toes.

A majestic sea of lights whispering in the silent universe.

206 bones, muscles, and tendons swirling and merging into one.

A blazing fire in a blooming flower garden.

The heart pulsating through the brain and eardrums.

The voice of ten thousand merging into a harmonious choir.

A sharp breath. A spicy sigh. A sweet tear.

…

…

…

And then, it was like waking up from a dream.

It was a natural awakening of consciousness, realizing at some point that he was awake.

It was the first time I felt so refreshed in this world.

Waking up well-rested, feeling refreshed without any lingering drowsiness.

The satisfaction after watching a movie that ended happily filled my inner self.

But unlike my healthy state of mind, my body was not in a good condition.

For some reason, my arms and legs were trembling, and whenever I took a deep breath after waking up, I could feel a sharp pain in my abdomen.

And what’s this now?

When I tried to lift my hand, I saw a woman’s head, with her hair tied around my wrist.

“Oh, miss, when did you lose just your head? How unfortunate.”

It seemed like I had lost my senses for a moment.

I have no idea how much chaos I caused.

There wasn’t a single spot on my body that didn’t ache.

I quickly checked the woman’s condition.

Fortunately, it seemed like I only killed this lady and regained my senses, as the bounty on my head had slightly increased compared to before.

I threw the head away and scratched my head, saying, “Phew, was it really that long…?”

Anyway, it was a good thing.

I had my bounty, I was in a good mood, so everything seemed to be going well.

—

As we returned to the tavern, chaos ensued as people were bustling around.

The three nobles were making a fuss, so I briefly explained to them.

“It couldn’t be helped. They were going to cut off her limbs and throw her into the prison, so I couldn’t just stand by.”

My tone was casual, as if asking what they had for breakfast.

The content was somewhat gruesome, and the listeners’ faces hardened.

And as the woman covered in blood flicked droplets from her chin, she said, “It’s okay, it’s not my blood.”

“Sister, you should wash up first. Innkeeper, sorry to bother you, could you prepare some water for washing?”

I wished the innkeeper would just leave us alone.

But I didn’t have the courage to ignore the woman covered in blood and the muscular man.

“Just wipe it off.”

Pangdaesan handed her a handkerchief.

She deliberately turned it inside out, so one handkerchief wasn’t enough.

She should have thrown away the handkerchief completely, but seeing her offer it willingly, I felt grateful and impressed.

“Ah, keep it. Just wipe it roughly. There are plenty over there.”

I went outside, picked up the dropped handkerchief, and wiped my face.

After wiping my face and squeezing my hair, picking up, using, and discarding it, the dampness subsided a bit.

When I returned to my seat, the water was ready, and I splashed it on my face with gusto.

“…So, let’s talk now.”

“What do you want to talk about?”

“You said you were going to visit someone, but you showed up like this. What’s the story?”

“Why? Why are you suddenly angry?”

“Who, me?”

Pangdaesan’s response was somewhat sharp.

I couldn’t hold back after my martial arts journey.

But I was in a very good mood now, and I didn’t want to get upset by making a scene.

“Wait! Stop the anger!”

“Trying to escape like that…”

“Sir, stop there! If you go there now and get into trouble later, it’s not my responsibility, right? What’s curiosity? Curiosity kills, you know?”

I shouted towards the back door.

A man who was quietly heading towards the back door seemed to have a realization and turned back.

I refocused on the conversation.

“No, really, I don’t know? Calm down. It was just a normal argument, and I won. I left my sword and went, thinking it was easy, you know.”

“Is that something you can just brush off so lightly?”

“Then what, is it something special? It happens all the time.”

It happens all the time.

Pangdaesan felt like he had been punched.

Acheong was a young master.

A young master who didn’t fall off easily.

Basically, a young master could only be born when a talented person was placed in an environment of equal caliber.

For example, support that a family could provide.

Or it could be a series of life-threatening real-life situations.

While Paengdaesan was lost in thought, Acheong snapped her fingers to change the subject.

“Oh, right. Jegali, you know martial arts well, right?”

In fact, they weren’t close yet, and being cousins of the opposite sex, they couldn’t interfere recklessly and just watched each other’s reactions.

Jegalihyeon responded to Acheong’s question.

“Are you talking about martial arts, miss?”

“Yeah. Who is the strongest martial artist?”

Acheong remembered the feeling of slicing Nogal’s neck.

The sensation of the knife in his hand. It was the best.

He had a sudden realization.

Ah. I should learn martial arts.

Although it was a random question, Jegalihyeon, who couldn’t resist explaining and had a habit of not being able to stop talking, answered.

“Miss, if you ask what the strongest martial art is, I can’t answer right away.”

“Why?”

“Because for thousands of years in the martial world, people have been arguing about what the strongest martial art is. Honestly, whenever two or more men gather, the discussion about the strongest martial art never ends.”

“What do you think, Jegali?”

“In my opinion, martial arts that rely on brute force are not considered good martial arts.”

“Why?”

“Because martial arts that rely on brute force are inherently very brutal. If someone dislikes the feeling of injuring others with just a sword, how could they handle martial arts that involve tearing flesh with bare hands?”

Isn’t that a good thing?

Acheong tilted her head in confusion.

It seemed like she was out of touch with the times.

“Are you going to keep talking nonsense? What’s the strongest?”

“It’s about skills. Fortunately, when it comes to martial arts, everyone in the martial world will agree on who the strongest martial artist is. That is…”

Jegalihyeon interrupted with a skilled bluff and tried to take a sip of his tea.

But he was startled when he saw Paengdaesan’s gaze staring at him as if to pierce through him.

It was a look that said, “I have something to say, so finish quickly.”

Jegalihyeon quickly concluded.

“The strongest martial artist is Sosuma Gong.”

“Sosuma Gong?”

“Oh! I suddenly feel very thirsty!”

Jegalihyeon made an excuse.

Acheong, who knew the reason, changed the subject.

“Why are you trying to provoke our Jegali like that?”

“Are you talking about martial arts at a time like this? What are you doing now?”

“Well, if not now, when else would I have the chance?”

“…What are you talking about?”

Acheong had no intention of holding back, and she knew that she couldn’t face a martial arts faction alone.

She had been chased away a few times before.

“Black Shadow Society, it’s quite a big faction, right?”

“…Those guys were from the Black Shadow Society?”

“Unless they were imposters.”

Paengdaesan wiped his face.

In Nakyang, there were three major forces.

The Chae clan, the Jugwibang, and the Black Shadow Society.

The Chae clan was a prestigious family that had been serving as generals for generations, while the Jugwibang and the Black Shadow Society were martial arts factions.

Even if the power of the central government had weakened, they were still families that wielded military power with swords and martial arts.

They were the practical rulers of most of Nakyang.

The Chae clan did not touch the hidden rights that the generals did not touch because of the honor of the generals, and the Jugwibang and the Black Shadow Society divided them.

“They tried to openly attempt human trafficking in broad daylight, so… they must not be ordinary people, right?”

“Even knowing that, why did you provoke them? Or did you really need to pick a fight with your level of skill?”

Without going crazy, the post-peak martial artist would not try to kidnap the peak martial artist.

It meant that they could have just shown their strength without shedding blood.

And Acheong confidently confirmed.

“I don’t back down from a fight. And if a bad guy picks a fight with me, I fight back even harder. A man can’t run away.”

Is she really crazy?

A thought flashed through Pang Daesan’s mind.

Damn, when I told her to hit me, she really did.

“Can’t you think a little, even just a little? How are you going to handle the aftermath…”

“Whatever, man.”

She was talking about running away.

Just a moment ago, the guy said something, oh. The guy.

Pang Daesan’s anger subsided.

“Are you planning to run away?”

“When is the time to leave! The figure of the one who leaves with certainty! How beautiful it is! The fleeting beauty!”

“That nonsense! Can’t you be serious for once!”

Pang Daesan raised his voice.

Acheong smiled softly in response.

Punk, getting cocky just because I showed some affection.

“Sorry, was I too harsh? I’ll shoot next time we meet.”

“If only you had endured that little bit…”

“Well, we’re not going to live together forever. Just a month? Breaking up early is nothing. We’ll see each other again if it’s fate.”

Pang Daesan was at a loss for words at Acheong’s remark.

Come to think of it, that’s true.

He had only joined the journey to Yongseong separately, and they were bound to part ways soon after tomorrow’s departure.

Was there really a reason to hold on?

Pang Daesan leaned back in his chair.

Acheong stood up and said, “Madam, all the luggage is on the top. Oh, and please apologize to Master Pyodun for me. So Daehyeop, and Jegal, I’ll see you later.”

“Take care of yourself, Miss.”

“Yes, ma’am. See you later.”

Acheong walked out of the room.

There was nowhere to go, really.

But he hadn’t come to the martial world because he had somewhere to go. Just living a life where he ends up anywhere, anyhow.

He might catch a few bandits, catch a few mountain bandits, and maybe even aim for a new goal called the So Su Ma Gong.

Acheong ran off into the distance.