episode_0019

In the end, I ate all the meat skewers sold by street vendors whose names I didn’t even know.

Judging from the subtle changes in his face, it was clear that he didn’t like the food, but when I think about it, he’s someone who grew up eating only good things.

There’s nothing particularly strange about not liking street food. It’s just that it’s spicy and oily compared to my usual diet, so I just ate it because I liked it.

Thinking back, the Demonic Cult wasn’t called the Demonic Cult for nothing; they were bad guys.

Anyway, this is kind of my personal opinion, but don’t you think it’s a bit much to feed children in their growing years only tasteless, unidentifiable food like Byeokgokdan?

If we are to talk about the center of Central Plains in this era, it would naturally be the Jiangnan region, or North China north of the Yangtze River.

If we were to name the cities representing North China and South Jiangsu, they would naturally be Beijing and Nanjing.

Of course, it can’t compare to the prosperity of those cities, but it was still a completely different world, so it was nice to see everything.

It was enough to feel like a new kind of stimulation to me, who had been steeped in modern civilization in my previous life.

“It looks like you liked it, so it was a good idea to come out and see it.”

“Is it that obvious?”

“It’s written all over your face.”

The hand I had held onto in the crowd was still there, and when I realized that, I let go, but for a moment a strange light passed over my sister’s expression.

I would always welcome this type of excursion, so I answered with an awkward smile.

In the martial arts world that I had only heard of, I was alive and breathing vividly.

Then what have you been living for until now? That’s out of the question, since it’s a demonic cult.

It seems like my grades towards the Demonic Cult, which is supposed to be my sect, are getting worse and worse, but that’s just how the Demonic Cult is.

In fact, if they were in their right mind, they would have accepted disciples. They wouldn’t have thought of kidnapping children and raising them as masters just because people pointed at them as a demonic cult.

The sect’s notoriety is so strong that most of the people who want to join are evil cult leaders, and the influx of new members may dry up.

But where on earth did the idea of kidnapping orphans who have lost their bonds and raising them into masters through hellish training come from? If you can do that kind of thinking as naturally as breathing, do you get criticized as a cult?

“Jin-ah?”

As my imagination ran wild in my head, my sister carefully tapped me and asked.

Oh, it was a bit rude to say that with the leader of the demonic cult right in front of me.

But after coming out to the world of martial arts and getting some fresh air from the martial arts world that I had only heard about, I ended up getting emotional because so much had piled up.

If I were to list all the things that are disappointing about the Demonic Cult, I could talk about it for three days and nights, containing all the resentment that has built up over the course of my short second life, but let’s put that aside for when life is tough and I have to chew on the unreasonable reality.

Actually, there were some good points.

If I hadn’t been kidnapped by the Demonic Cult, I would have lived as an orphan, begging, and if I was lucky, I would have entered the open world, or else my second turn would have ended.

“Nothing. I was just thinking about something else for a moment. Anyway, I think I’ve looked around enough, so let’s go back, right?”

“I called you to tell you that it’s time to go back. Yeah, it’s getting dark, so let’s go back.”

“Yes.”

He nodded.

It was good to only do these occasional deviations occasionally. Starting tomorrow, I will go back to my daily routine and diligently practice my martial arts. There are too many things to do to just eat, play, and travel.

The martial art that was waiting for me more than anything else was the Cheonma Shingong.

It took a lot of determination to realize that the moment I got used to it, my neck and body would physically separate and my second life would end.

But when the thought that it was worth taking that level of risk to learn such a high-level martial art took over my mind, which was something only a demonic cult warrior would do, my worries became less than before.

It’ll be okay if you keep it as a secret between you and your sister for a few years, but if you’re unlucky and get caught, your head and body will be separated, or if you’re lucky and escape, you’ll live while avoiding the pursuit of the Demonic Cult.

Well, that’s really the kind of thinking that only a demonic cult member would have. I guess I can’t hide the fact that I grew up in the demonic cult.

As I was walking with such pointless thoughts in my head, I suddenly looked down and saw a wriggling hand.

A hand that slowly rose up and then suddenly fell back down, unable to properly find its way.

Of course it wasn’t my hand.

A snicker escaped me without me realizing it.

In some ways, you could say that it has a cute side.

Who would have imagined a nickname like Cheonma after seeing that appearance? I, too, have never had much of a relationship with the opposite sex, whether in my past life or this life, but there was something strangely cute about it.

I don’t think even a country with so little experience would be that embarrassed about joining hands.

“Catch me.”

“Huh?”

I reached out, thinking that there was a cute corner in an odd place.

Dark street.

In this day and age, there are no streetlights, so of course the streets are dark. Since we both have trained in martial arts, our vision is not hindered by the darkness.

A hand extended while turning one’s head in a dark street.

It was cute and a little funny to see the bewildered expression clearly on her face, so I looked at her startled face and then just grabbed her hand and said.

“If you wanted to hold my hand, you should have told me earlier. Or you could have told me not to let go.”

“… … Don’t you think that our positions have changed? Normally, it wouldn’t be something you would recommend. ”

“If you don’t want to catch it, then don’t do it.”

As I tried to pull my hand away from the embarrassed grumbling that came out of me, I felt the hand holding me tighten.

“Don’t get me wrong, I never said I didn’t like it.”

I just chuckled at the answer he gave while slowly looking away.

It’s close, but the distance is still a bit ambiguous.

If I were to express it in terms of my past life, it would be an ambiguous distance, like a friend but not a friend, a lover but not a lover. I think there was something that expressed this in one word, but I can’t quite remember.

It’s been over twenty years already, so it wouldn’t be strange if my memories were starting to fade.

Maybe it’s because life is tough trying to survive among crazy people who live by the law of the jungle, but it’s not strange if I don’t remember the little things.

That’s why rapid changes in values are harmful. Of course, it’s also harmful that the world has changed this way.

On the way back to Bunta, passing through the dark and gloomy streets of the city.

As we were walking in silence, holding hands, memories of our past lives would suddenly come to mind and we would feel a little nostalgic, but then an intruder stopped us in our tracks.

“Hey, you’re so pretty.”

“It’s a good time. You look like a rich young lady and a young gentleman. Of course, love is important, but how about doing some good deeds for people like us who don’t have anything?”

“Wow.”

It was a typical back-alley gang of thugs, just like in a painting.

I guess I feel a bit of cognitive dissonance seeing that the genders are reversed in my common sense, but the outward appearance is extremely rough.

So I reflexively let out an exclamation.

He must have lived on rice cakes because he had scars on his face and a cross-eyed appearance, even wearing an eye patch.

One by one, they began to appear in the dark streets, and there seemed to be at least twenty of them.

The problem was that there were twenty people who wanted to commit suicide.

I reflexively looked back at my sister and heard the sound of teeth grinding. This wasn’t a good sign.

After quickly expressing his condolences to the rascals who had interrupted his cozy time, he placed a hand on his waist and asked.

“… … Should I handle it?”

No matter what, they are just a bunch of simple Sapa rascals, but if left in the hands of my sister, she might really tear off one of my limbs and make me dissatisfied with my body.

If you leave it to me, I’ll just subdue you and finish it, so even if you see blood, you won’t feel so bad about it. That’s what I was thinking when I brought up the subject.

“You’re not an ordinary commoner. You’re not ignorant of martial arts.”

“Oh, so you’re not just a swindler, you’re a real sapphire? And in the saints?”

The answer that came back to the sister who was gnashing her teeth was of an unexpected kind.

He asked with his eyes wide open, then looked back and forth between his sister and the rascals blocking his view.

The Sapa sect is running around right in front of the castle where the Sachon Dangmun’s headquarters is located? This is surprising in its own way.

Should I say that the Tang family is incompetent and cannot even deal with the evildoers in front of them? Or is it that the gangsters in front of me are so bold that they are not afraid of being subjected to human experiments on the Tang family’s vaunted poison?

As I stood there wondering which of the two it was, the one who had managed to hear the conversation burst into laughter.

“Yeah. Your collaborators are quick-witted. We are the heroes called Hwasumun, but I’m sorry, but you don’t seem to be from Dangmun or Cheongseong.”

“Does that mean that there won’t be any repercussions if I touch it?”

“Hey, young thief, you’re short-spoken. Learn to respect your elders. Anyway, why don’t you give some of what you have to the poor heroes who live hand to mouth like us?”

The fool who had been nagging his sister finished saying those words and pulled out a huge sword.

Whether it was part of a demonstration of force or not, the sword he had drawn flashed a clear blue sword energy even in the darkness. If he could freely control the sword energy, he would be a first-class master or higher.

It wasn’t like the novels I read in my past life where you could pull out all the swordsmanship from dogs or cows, but the perception in the martial arts world was that you had to be able to handle the swordsmanship at least to be considered a master.

“Wow, that’s enough for a Sapa to be set up in front of the Dangmun gate.”

“Yeah yeah, this is the level that Sacheon needs to have to raise its head and make a fuss, to borrow your expression, even the Sapha Naburangi. Of course, we are also good at choosing people.”

Aekku nodded and replied, but as soon as he turned his head, he saw that his sister’s expression was becoming more and more distorted and twisted in proportion to Aekku’s satisfied expression.

This won’t do, if things continue like this, those poor bastards who chose the wrong people will end up rolling around on the floor, dissatisfied.

After holding her hand tightly for a moment to comfort her, he stepped out with his hand on her waist where the sword was hanging, and asked.

“Where did we come from this morning?”

“What do you know?”

“You were treated as a guest of the poison dragon at the Tang gate and came out of the Tang kata, yet you still dare to touch me? Are you that confident? Or are you thinking of suicide? ”

“Huh?”

As if this was another unexpected piece of information, he opened his one eye wide and gestured to the subordinate next to him, and they began talking in a low voice.

Although I still have little experience studying Naegigong and the distance is far, I couldn’t hear very well, but I could clearly see the grotesque distortion of Aekku’s expression.

Soon, the man with the face so red that it could be recognized even in the dark swung his fist at his subordinate.

“Keeek!”

“This stupid kid! You should have said something sooner!”

As I was watching my subordinate fly away, spewing blood and a few teeth from his mouth, the idiot, his face red with anger, shouted.

“This won’t do, I was just going to take the money and send you on your way. Hit me! Guys! There’s no other answer than murder!”

“If that’s the case, it would have been better to admit that you made a mistake and run away… … .”

This isn’t something crazy.

He looked at Aekku with those eyes for a moment, then clicked his tongue and pulled out his sword.

Then the fool who barely understood shouted.

“If you do that, you’ll have to take down the sect sign starting today!”

“Taking down the sign would be better than being dissatisfied with the situation… … .”

Before I could finish muttering, a eerie voice came from beside me.

“You guys are the ones who will shed tears just by looking at the coffin.”

Now I can’t stop you.

Before running out, following the path of enlightenment, I took a moment to pray for the soul of that fool who, although I don’t know, will have a hard time dying gracefully.