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Chapter 17
Jeong Je-ho also nodded at Jin Moon-su’s words, expressing his agreement.
“Then it’s certain. But why did she call him?”
It was both a surprising and a curious story.
The reason it felt that way was because Daeju didn’t particularly like Seonnyeo.
That didn’t mean their relationship was bad.
It was just that Seonnyeo was unusually obsessed with Daeju, and Daeju felt burdened by that, which caused the issue.
Even though they were comrades who could entrust their backs to each other on the battlefield, there was always a strangely uncomfortable atmosphere between them because of that.
Jeong Je-ho let out a groan and crossed his arms.
Thinking back, it was odd.
Judging by appearance alone, there was no beauty who could surpass Seonnyeo—yet he rejected her? That wasn’t easy for a man.
If someone like Seonnyeo became obsessed with him, Jeong Je-ho was confident he’d fall for her in less than half the time it takes to blink.
Just like that.
Jin Moon-su spoke.
“Who knows why he called her. But it’s true the captain found Seonnyeo’s ‘madwoman mode’ a bit burdensome… Could it be that he changed his mind now? Why not? Only a block of wood or a stone Buddha could refuse such a beauty.”
“Hahaha. That could be.”
“Hehehe. Well, every time I saw Seonnyeo, my heart would flutter too. Even though I knew full well she was a madwoman.”
“Didn’t you say we shouldn’t call her that?”
“Hahaha. Seems I lost my mind for a moment.”
Jeong Je-ho and Jin Moon-su exchanged jokes and laughed.
But the laughter didn’t last long.
Soon, bitter smiles appeared on their faces.
Whatever the truth was, and however things turned out, the two heroes who had been most active during the stormiest period since the founding of the Mumyungdae were gone.
That fact stirred their hearts in a strange way, leaving them with those bitter smiles.
Still, time in the Mumyungdae continued to pass.
Whether they liked it or not, they were the Mumyungdae—the Emperor’s direct secret organization.
Forever.
Yongmun Inn, one of the three great inns of Hangzhou.
An unorthodox martial artist, Ju Chi-hoon, was drinking.
With an irritated expression.
The five men sitting with him wore similar looks.
One of them roughly downed his drink and slammed the cup onto the table.
The sound rang loudly.
“Brother Ju, are we just going to sit still? Brother Yu, who used to dominate Hangzhou, is now walking around the market carrying chickens and fish. He’s disgracing the unorthodox faction!”
“Shut up. If you think you can’t beat Brother Yu, keep your mouth closed. Even if Yu Su-cheon walks around with fish, he’s still the strongest in Hangzhou.”
“Damn it! Why on earth is he doing that?!”
Though he didn’t say it out loud, Ju Chi-hoon was frustrated too.
There had been many business ventures he planned with Yu Su-cheon.
Dark, underworld-style businesses—but perfect for people of the unorthodox faction.
But ever since Yu Su-cheon ended up like that, nothing had worked out.
If he had simply retired quietly, that would have been one thing.
But—
‘These days, I hear he even chats with housewives in the market about which vegetables are fresh.’
If the Heavenly Lord of the Blood Lotus heard that, he’d faint.
Ju Chi-hoon himself had nearly passed out when he first heard it. The man practically reeked of domestic life.
It was the same with Jeon Ak-gwan, leader of the Nine Dragons Sect.
Maintaining a close relationship with him was essential for business, yet that lunatic was apparently going around asking how to pluck chicken feathers at the market.
Bastard.
That wasn’t the life of the unorthodox faction.
Nor the life of the underworld.
The unorthodox faction lived freely, doing whatever they wanted.
They would never live like Yu Su-cheon or Jeon Ak-gwan.
That firm resolve was swallowed down along with the alcohol.
Creak.
At that moment, someone entered the inn.
Normally, they wouldn’t care who came in.
But this time, they couldn’t help but stare in a daze.
‘Th… this is insane!’
Their eyes widened.
Their faces flushed.
Suzhou and Hangzhou were known for having the greatest beauties in the Central Plains.
Yet even in Hangzhou, they had never seen a woman like this.
It wasn’t just that her face was beautiful—there were women like that.
But her beauty was different.
A pure aura seemed to wrap around her, and she somehow felt like sunlight.
She had a slender figure and was tall, with a small, delicate face.
On that small face were large, perfectly shaped eyes, a high nose bridge, and cherry-like lips.
That’s right.
She looked like a celestial maiden from a masterpiece painting.
And even her voice! When she ordered from the waiter, it sounded like jade beads rolling.
“Hangzhou is famous for stir-fried shrimp, right? I’ll have that and a bowl of noodles, please.”
One of the men sitting with Ju Chi-hoon began breathing heavily the moment he heard her voice.
Move your face away.
Your breath is reaching over here.
“Huff, huff… Brother Ju, I can’t hold it in anymore. That woman is mine.”
“There’s an order to things. How dare the youngest aim for her?”
Ju Chi-hoon picked up his bottle and cup and moved to the table across from her.
The woman looked at him with blank eyes.
Smirking, Ju Chi-hoon sat down heavily at her table.
Offering her a cup, he spoke in an oily voice.
“Seobongju. A fine liquor.”
“I don’t like that kind of alcohol.”
“Hahaha, no need to be so wary. My name is Ju Chi-hoon.”
“I’m not used to talking to men, so this is uncomfortable. And I won’t be telling you my name.”
“Oh?”
Uncomfortable talking to men? A woman as pure as blank paper! The more he saw, the more he liked her.
There was also a certain pleasure in toying with and corrupting such an innocent woman.
But first, he had to impress her.
“I’m a master of the unorthodox faction in Hangzhou. I used to be considered second only to Yu Su-cheon, but since he lost his mind, I’m now the strongest. Many follow me because of my martial prowess.”
“You sound impressive. But I’m not interested.”
“Is that so? Women line up for me. Yet out of all of them, I find myself drawn to you alone.”
Ha.
A bit greasy, but not bad.
No matter how much she resisted, there were ways to handle it.
Ju Chi-hoon reached out toward her.
He grabbed her hand—it was soft and beautiful.
He could feel the jealous stares of his five companions.
If you’re jealous, then become the boss yourselves.
“Let go of my hand.”
“I may be the strongest in Hangzhou’s unorthodox faction, but I’m not a frightening man. However… if you keep refusing me, I might become one. How about a drink first?”
“I’m just here to eat.”
“Do you really want me to become someone frightening because I’m blinded by love?”
Ju Chi-hoon raised his internal energy.
Even a small amount would make a woman feel fear.
After that, she’d become a docile lamb who obeyed everything.
The thrill of tormenting a trembling young lady—he could never forget that feeling.
But soon, his expression twisted.
The woman still wore a gentle, sunlight-like smile. She wasn’t afraid at all.
What was going on?
Just as he thought that, the hand he was gripping slipped free.
Ju Chi-hoon smirked.
‘So she knows some martial arts. How laughable.’
His favorite type.
Women who learned a bit of martial arts and thought they were invincible.
Arrogant, acting like they were the strongest in the world.
The joy of breaking such women and displaying them like ornaments!
‘I’ll make you cry.’
The tears that fall when their pride is shattered are pure.
Though once they become broken and submissive, he loses all interest and discards them.
A woman without pride is boring.
He didn’t need a wife—just a toy.
Ju Chi-hoon raised his internal energy further.
As if to say, let’s see you endure this.
At that moment, the woman froze.
Her pupils shrank sharply—she looked completely terrified.
That’s right.
In an instant, Ju Chi-hoon’s hand shot out toward her wrist.
Thud!
Ju Chi-hoon stared blankly at his own hand.
A chopstick had pierced through his wrist and embedded itself into the table.
There had been no chopsticks in front of the woman.
The waiter hadn’t brought them yet.
Ju Chi-hoon’s eyes widened as he recalled what he had just seen like an afterimage.
The chopstick had come from the neighboring table.
It had suddenly flown through the air into her hand.
‘Th… telekinesis?’
That couldn’t be.
That was a technique only the greatest masters could use.
There was no way this woman had done it.
But the chopstick was definitely his.
It still had sweet-and-sour pork sauce on it.
Haha.
What kind of nightmare was this?
The woman spoke.
“You’ve developed a bad habit of gripping your sword. Because of that, chronic inflammation is eating into the nerves in your wrist. You must feel a dull pain every time you use martial arts.”
His breath caught.
How did she know?
Why was something he had kept hidden spilling so easily from her lips?
Telekinesis alone was shocking enough.
Crash!
The five men stood up abruptly upon seeing the chopstick lodged in Ju Chi-hoon’s wrist.
The sound of chairs toppling echoed through the inn.
“You crazy bitch! Do you think you’ll survive after doing this?! Guys, grab her now!”
One of Ju Chi-hoon’s close subordinates shouted.
In an instant, four men surrounded her.
At the same time, dozens of needles flew out from her sleeves.
Papapapap!
“Aaagh!”
“Ugh! What is this?!”
“Aaaah!”
Before they even realized it, needles were embedded all over their bodies.
They hadn’t even seen her move, yet needles had struck their usual weak points and even pierced their acupoints.
“You, the one who looks like a wild dog—your pancreas is in terrible shape. And you, with the narrow eyes and panda-like dark circles—your liver is bad. You, who look like a carp—chronic knee issues. The fat one at the end—your elbow is a problem. And you, who look like a jiangshi… hmm… you’re a complete mess.”
“Hey! Isn’t ‘complete mess’ a bit too much?!”
She pinpointed their ailments exactly.
The one labeled a complete mess had the most needles stuck in him.
Whoosh.
Her hair suddenly began to flutter.
Ju Chi-hoon and the five men swallowed dryly.
This was insane.
An overwhelming surge of internal energy.
It spread throughout her body, radiating like rising fury.
Her hair moved like raging waves.
Click.
The clasp holding her skirt loosened.
The fabric fluttered, revealing her thighs.
Her already small pupils shrank further, turning blood-red.
The woman who had looked like a celestial maiden descended from the heavens now transformed into something like a terrifying witch.
She smiled and spoke.
“Hehe… You all seem to be in quite a bit of pain. How should I operate on you? Ah, it might hurt a little, but don’t worry too much. Performing surgery without anesthesia is my specialty—you won’t die.”
Flinch.
That laughter.
That tone.
Ju Chi-hoon and his men were filled with despair.
They realized it too late.
‘Th-that’s not a celestial maiden.’
‘A w-witch… no, a madwoman…’
A madwoman!
Her hair wildly fluttering, her expression slightly feral, yet her beauty still resembled a heavenly maiden—but she was undoubtedly insane.
Operating on perfectly fine people without anesthesia?
Even in this era, such things were only done for patients who needed it.
They were merely a bit unwell—not in need of surgery.
No—beyond that.
They weren’t her patients.
They were her enemies.
Yet she said she would operate on them?
What kind of surgery? What was she going to do?
Crack.
Twisting her fingers lightly, she approached them as they trembled in fear.
“Oh, by the way, I suppose it’s better not to mention that I tend to make mistakes when I’m angry? Hehe.”
Then don’t say it!
As they stood there in horror, her “surgery” began.
