LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 34
34. Fully Feasible
Swish!
In an instant, a presence closed the distance.
In front of the Gongdong Sect Mountain Gate, beneath the brilliant moonlight illuminating the breathtaking view of Gongdong Mountain, a female martial artist dressed in black appeared.
Contrary to my expectations, she did not wear a mask. Instead, she had a headpiece on and her face was completely covered by a veil.
Yes, she was a female martial artist.
I quickly scanned her entire figure with my eyes.
The clothing of the medieval martial world was generally wide and offered very little exposure.
But the problem was that the black-clothed female martial artist exuded an overwhelming presence even over such baggy attire.
She was a woman of great stature.
And what about that slim waist?
Based solely on her figure, she could easily be called the most beautiful in the world.
“So, you are Lee Cheol-soo.”
The veiled female martial artist said quietly as she looked at me.
I stood up from my spot, hand resting on my sword, and said, “Indeed. And who might you be? Your presence here at our sect’s main base under the cover of night doesn’t seem to indicate good intentions.”
“······It seems inappropriate for you to call me out when you’re openly flaunting your presence like an obscene behavior in front of a woman.”
She replied to me.
That’s right.
As she said, my Yang Energy was standing tall and proud, facing the sky.
Normally, any man would get flustered and apologize here, but I was no ordinary man.
There was no need for embarrassment.
It was better to act naturally.
Even though her figure was quite impressive, she was clearly a skilled warrior sent by the Heukryongbang.
Thanks to the early conflicts with the Heukryongbang, the skilled warrior from Heukryongbang staying in the Sayeong Hoe was a different person this time than in my past life.
Originally, a top-notch warrior known as the Evil Blood Sword was dispatched to the Sayeong Hoe to confront my former brother-in-arms four years from now.
However, the female martial artist before me was not the Evil Blood Sword. Simply put, he was a man.
While her figure was attractive, she was my enemy, so there was no need for me to treat her kindly.
I, Lee Cheol-soo, might be a master with a colorful perspective, but I wasn’t the colorful horse type that looked positively at everything just because she was a woman.
Rather, the more brazen I was, the more flustered she would be.
When considering that shaking the enemy’s psychology forms the basis of psychological warfare, it was better to appear confidently.
“I was already standing here long before you arrived. It’s a natural physiological phenomenon, so I don’t know what the issue is. It’s common sense that frequently and naturally propping up Yang Energy enhances vitality. Following the Taoist teachings of Room Technique, what’s wrong with a man training his vital energy? If there’s a problem, it’s likely you, an uninvited guest, who has come to our sect’s main base in the middle of the night without warning and witnessed this scene.”
“······.”
The female martial artist swallowed hard in response to my words.
Her body clearly showed signs of embarrassment, radiating from her.
I was confident because my words were facts. If anything was wrong, it was her fault for sneaking around our Gongdong Sect.
What was wrong with training vitality? It wasn’t a crime for a man to hone his abilities. Practicing Room Technique was even recognized in Taoism as a method of cultivation.
I was standing tall.
“Moreover, peeping at another’s training is a taboo in the martial world. Yet you, Miss, have clandestinely watched my Yang Energy training, so it seems the rudeness lies with you.”
One of the unspoken rules of the martial world was not to sneak a peek at someone else’s training.
This was established to prevent the leak of secret martial arts or coveted techniques.
Those who broke this rule and secretly observed others often met a rather untimely fate due to the very victims of their spying. The martial artists would think, “They got what they deserved for spying.”
And as for Kegel Exercises, they were an innovation stemming from the eminent Arnold Kegel in modern medicine and a signature of my martial arts.
Thus, by “peeping” at my Kegel Exercise practices, she had broken the martial world’s rules, leaving her no room for excuses even if I were to stab her.
Ah, didn’t she know? This was the ruthless martial world.
“You’re insane······. Is that really a form of martial arts training?”
“Indeed. I wouldn’t believe you’d presume to make such an impolite request of having me reveal the origins of my martial arts to a complete stranger.”
Asking about the origins of one’s martial arts was also a taboo in the martial world.
“······.”
The female martial artist fell silent.
Her trembling hand on the hilt of her sword was noticeably shaking.
“Rather, it seems I should be the one asking for an apology from you.”
“······.”
Her hand trembled more violently.
My gaze focused on her sword hilt.
Tied to the end of her sword’s hilt was an ornate decoration of a fox.
Wait, a fox decoration?
Only then did I re-scan her figure.
Even with the voluminous black clothes, her explosive physique could hardly be concealed. A martial artist of the flower realm with a headpiece and face covered in a veil.
Only one individual fitted this description.
“······Seeing that fox ornament, a senior of the martial world comes to mind. A renowned female martial artist from the Sichuan martial world, known for her black attire and her sword techniques resembling the nimble movements of a fox, who covers her face with a veil. Might you be Ye Yeoryeong, the Hwa Myeon-ho-gyeom?”
I attempted to formally introduce myself, adhering to the etiquette of the martial world.
Most top-tier warriors had at least one moniker, but it was rare for them to declare such themselves.
Typically, it was considered polite for the opponent to recognize your distinctive features or martial techniques and ask, “Aren’t you so-and-so?” To which you would acknowledge.
Had I stated, “I am the Black Dragon,” I would have felt utterly embarrassed.
What kind of name was “Black Dragon” to declare?
Truly, this country of Confucian Taliban adhered to etiquette even in the smallest of things.
“That’s correct. I am Ye Yeoryeong, known as the Hwa Myeon-ho-gyeom by the followers of the martial world. If you’ve recognized me, you must also understand what my face looks like.”
Hearing my words, Ye Yeoryeong calmly acknowledged her identity.
Upon hearing her, I felt a trickle of cold sweat run down my back.
‘Why is Ye Yeoryeong here?’
Ye Yeoryeong.
I had hoped it wasn’t true, but here she was.
While the world believed her to be a top tier warrior, I knew her true identity.
‘Why is the Yeomwang here?’
Unae Samjon.
The three supreme masters of the current martial world representing the Lord of the Right, the ultimate warriors who divided the martial world.
Among them was the greatest of the flower realm and the Taisangmunju of the Hao Mun, and the master of the Sado Family — the world’s most beautiful woman, the transformed goddess, Yeomwang Jeoksawol.
Yeomwang was a polymorph expert, mastering the White Face Heavenly Transformation Technique, which allowed her to change into any form, male or female, young or old.
She was known to indulge in “side quests” around the martial world, using her disguises and the information network of Hao Mun after entrusting the Sado Family’s operations to her commander.
One of her many disguises was Hwa Myeon-ho-gyeom, Ye Yeoryeong.
A character with a hideously scarred face on one side, known for her merciless techniques against men.
She was also infamous for the rumor about her red mask — if you didn’t genuinely tell her she was beautiful after seeing her hidden face behind the veil, she would turn you into a goner.
No man had ever truthfully called her beautiful in front of her, as she could read one’s emotions through expressions and eyes.
Unsurprisingly, many men ended up as goners at her hands.
Sure, the crazy antics of the masters of the Samaweido were often worse, but there was more at stake here.
‘Yeomwang doesn’t trust men.’
Now 60 years old, Yeomwang had grown up watching the raw desires of men from her days as a Wooja (courtesan), leading her to disbelieve in them.
From a young age, she had been renowned for her beauty unparalleled even now as she maintained a youthful appearance at 60, having transcended into the mastery of the martial path through countless transformations that kept her looking like a 20-something beauty.
Therefore, Yeomwang held the title of the most beautiful in the world for over 40 years. As a result, the dark intentions and desires of men chasing her were a constant shadow over her life, stemming from the allure of her beauty.
Naturally, these had given rise to traumas that led the persona of Hwa Myeon-ho-gyeom to emerge.
Men only saw her exterior, therefore no one would dare claim the Hwa Myeon-ho-gyeom was genuinely beautiful.
That was how she thought, and in reality, no man had ever passed the test of Hwa Myeon-ho-gyeom in her past life. Countless martial world aspirants had become goners.
The fact that Yeomwang and Hwa Myeon-ho-gyeom were the same person was a well-kept secret that few in the Open and Hao Mun knew, only discovered through whispers in taverns and local conversations.
“I know.”
“Oh ho ho, is that so? Then you must also know that I’ve given a particular test to every man I’ve encountered?”
Yeomwang gazed at me.
How long had it been since my reincarnation before I randomly came across one of only three supreme masters?
And that too with this red mask persona.
Oh for crying out loud, the masters of the Samaweido surely were insane.
Hadn’t she lost her mind being one of the supreme masters while playing a fanciful character? She’s no celebrity!
What terrible luck I had.
In my past life, I would have challenged her to a duel immediately, but sadly, my current martial arts level had sadly fallen from the first tier to barely second tier.
I could take on someone of the first tier, but the highest tier was out of my reach. Let alone a supreme master? I couldn’t match her until I regained my former skills.
With Cloud and Rain Pleasure, I needed to survive to seek meaning, didn’t I?
Of course, the chances of her revealing her true strength while still in her playful character were slim, but the problem lay in the test.
‘Goner!’
To think that a man could be turned into a goner if he failed her test!
I had just reincarnated, reclaimed my Yang Energy, and set out on a path as an alpha male, and now faced the possibility of being turned into a goner!
But I was the only one who knew the identity of this Hwa Myeon-ho-gyeom character outside of the commander of the Sado Family and her disciple.
Passing this test should be a piece of cake.
I looked straight at her and nodded earnestly.
“Yes, I know.”
“Fufu. Good? Then let me ask you, junior. What do you think of my beauty?”
Swish.
She undid the veil.
Her right face appeared strikingly beautiful while her left face was hideously scarred, twisted beyond recognition.
With that face, Hwa Myeon-ho-gyeom—Yeomwang’s eyes were fixed on me.
I recalled the true face of the renowned Yeomwang I had encountered in my past life.
She might not be as beautiful as my former brother-in-arms, but Yeomwang Jeoksawol still possessed an astonishing beauty that would defy anyone’s belief of her age.
With her beauty so overwhelming it felt as if the legendary phrase “Beautiful Enough to Overthrow a Nation” had materialized before me, I smiled.
“You are truly beautiful, senior. I don’t understand why the world calls you a face that invites trouble. In fact, I think your face is one that calls forth flowers instead. It is beautiful. Everything about you, from that face to your alluring figure, is absolutely to my taste.”
Bam!
With my impressive Yang Energy on display, I looked at her, imagining the grace of Yeomwang while speaking sincerely.
Although her left face was scarred, it wasn’t displeasing.
If she wore a mask just covering that left side, I could indulge in Cloud and Rain Pleasure without a problem.
If anything, that could even be a benefit.
Stimulating a woman’s flaws, if I could fill in for them! In that case, she could only look at me with reliance.
I, Lee Cheol-soo, am generous to women who approach me, but always keep the ones that leave me at bay.
Based on the philosophy of the Color Spectrum, I could fully enjoy Cloud and Rain Pleasure with the face of Hwa Myeon-ho-gyeom.
Gazing at her with genuine feelings, I declared, “I, Lee Cheol-soo, stake the name of the Gongdong Sect and declare that you are entirely feasible for me.”
“······.”
When Ye Yeoryeong heard what I said, her whole body froze.
Ah, I see, you don’t believe me?