LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 47
Chapter 47: The Daring Little Brat
Whirr.
A gust of wind blew between Seoharin and me.
“What does that mean?”
I asked Seoharin again, wondering if I had misheard.
Seoharin bit her lip in response.
She took a step back and said, “If this scholar desires the body of a girl, I shall offer myself.”
“Seoharin?”
“Eventually, it’s a woman’s fate to marry some nameless man. If the Gongdong Sect loses this martial arts contest, my fate would be the same.”
“Seoharin, what in the world are you talking about…?”
“Whether I’m sold as a courtesan or become the concubine of a wealthy man, a dreadful fate surely awaits me. So, I would rather entrust my fate to you.”
Seoharin spoke to me with a serious face.
“But you must promise… You will defeat Heukryongbang in this martial arts contest and become a renowned master in the martial world. If you do, I will visit your quarters tonight.”
Her eyes weighed heavily.
Her sudden outburst left me dizzy.
What on earth is she misunderstanding like this? Moreover, she’s saying she’ll come to my quarters at night?
‘Is she trying to create a fact?’
Even I, who know nothing about a woman’s heart, could clearly see Seoharin’s intentions.
Her words were a powerful weapon in this ironically Confucian land.
In the medieval martial world, a man taking a woman’s first would never escape responsibility.
It’s not like the old martial fiction, where a man shares cloud and rain pleasure after saving a distressed girl from drug addiction, and then she’s left demanding he take responsibility for “defiling” her.
‘And it’s not even a sudden outburst.’
Though her words were radical, her demeanor remained calm.
I realized through her that Seoharin understood the essence of marriage in this world.
Throughout human history, romantic marriage has only become common in the last few hundred years.
Originally, it was all about arranged marriages and political unions. Political marriage was merely a transaction wrapped in the guise of matrimony.
As Seoharin said, in this medieval martial world, a woman’s fate was either to marry through arrangements with nameless men or to live a life of celibacy in special positions like a nun or palace maid.
Moreover, if she loses in the martial contest, her fate would be in the hands of the Sayeong Hoe anyway. But as a filial daughter, Seoharin couldn’t abandon her father and run away.
Thus, she proposes to create a fact with me. Truly a strategic move worthy of the cold-hearted female legend, Naenghongeomhui, who was responsible for the administration of Gongdong Sect instead of her master in her past life.
But did it really have to come to this?
I wanted to defeat Heukryongbang, propose the martial contest, and get an apology from Heuksaryong—all on my own.
She didn’t have to step in like this. I’d win against Heukryongbang in the contest by myself.
But the reason she’s proposing a deal is…
‘She doesn’t trust me.’
To be specific, she believes there’s a reason behind my good intentions.
That’s why she suggested a deal, surely hoping that completing this agreement would make her able to trust me even a little.
That’s what Seoharin must have thought.
And there’s one more reason she made this shocking proposal.
‘She’s still self-destructive, not caring about herself.’
Both in her past and now, Seoharin had this self-destructive tendency.
If necessary, she could throw her own body away as a tool, which meant she wouldn’t care for herself.
My gaze settled calmly.
Even my racing heart cooled down.
Seoharin before me no longer looked like a girl.
It felt like I was facing a political opponent at court.
It had been a long time since I felt this way.
So what should I do about this daring little brat?
I pondered.
If my brain were a colorful horse immersed in desire, I would accept Seoharin’s offer without question and take action with her, but I was the cold-headed master of the Color Spectrum with a 50-year career in manipulation.
If I accept Seoharin’s proposal as it stands, I could possess her body, but I wouldn’t be able to hold her heart.
And losing to a mere child with such little experience would be a disgrace for me, a 999-year-old political expert.
‘That can’t happen.’
A relationship that pursues nothing but physical pleasure is the very thing I avoid most in cloud and rain pleasure.
My practice of the Color Spectrum required both physical pleasure and mental connection.
So I had to decline her offer here.
No matter how crazy I might be over women, I wouldn’t go so far as to engage in that with someone so young.
“…Why are you hesitating? Do you not find this girl’s body appealing? Although mixing blood with the colorful horse is a flaw, I have been considered exceptionally beautiful across the world. Wouldn’t that suffice to be this scholar’s partner…?”
Seoharin, her voice slightly trembling, was trying to sell herself based on her supposed merits.
Instead of answering, I flicked her forehead.
Thwack!
“Ah?!”
Seoharin stumbled back, rubbing her forehead.
Tears started to form in her eyes.
“Do you see me as someone who expects payment? It is said in the Records of the Grand Historian that a true knight does not spare his body in pursuit of justice. I was simply practicing the path of a knight as a member of the orthodox faction.”
Indeed, as Sima Qian said, the Records of the Grand Historian was a historical text worth one’s castration. But if I were Sima Qian, I wouldn’t have done it.
“But…”
Seoharin’s voice trailed off, her swollen forehead rubbed red.
Of course, I had no intention of playing the part of a pure knight.
Seoharin wouldn’t trust me either.
The key to a persuasive lie is not complete falsehood, but mixing in at least 1% of truth to create a stooge blend.
I stared directly into Seoharin’s eyes and said, “I only sought to prevent harm to you and the innocent, but unfortunately, I couldn’t even gain your trust.”
“That… ”
“If this martial contest ends in our victory, our sect’s name will spread far and wide. That alone makes it worthwhile, Seoharin does not need to speak of payment.”
When I mentioned I couldn’t win her trust, Seoharin flinched.
“…Then what should I do? I, who have done nothing so far, am powerless…”
Her shoulders trembled.
I approached and gently pressed down the point on her forehead with the skill of pressing pressure points, balancing the good with the bad.
“Why do you think you are powerless? When I was injured, you took care of me with the utmost sincerity. Without your efforts, I wouldn’t have been able to stand up so easily. That alone is enough to consider as a great kindness. And I mean that.”
That too, was sincere.
If not for Seoharin, I would have been under my master’s care.
A man’s care، the mere thought sent chills down my spine.
I was glad it was Seoharin.
“But…”
Tears welled up in Seoharin’s eyes.
Good.
Now was the perfect moment to say it.
Before she could utter anything, I kindly smiled and spoke first.
“But if you still feel powerless, after this martial contest, formally join our sect. If you wish to change your fate. I am sure both my master and Lady Seoharin would have no objections.”
If this contest ends like this, unlike my past life, there could be a chance that Seoharin wouldn’t formally join Gongdong Sect.
That could not happen.
A genius among geniuses. Not to the extent of the unmatched master born with Heavenly Body, but Seoharin possessed outstanding talent, having reached the Stage of Transcendence in her past life.
For the reconstruction of Gongdong Sect, I absolutely had to bring her in.
Of course, I would need to shield her from my master.
The redness on her forehead faded.
I took my hand away from her forehead.
“Your life is determined by you. Do you truly believe that if I think you learn martial arts, you will become a prominent female hero in the martial world?”
Seoharin looked straight at me and said, “If I learn martial arts, that’s absolutely possible. Perhaps I could even become the number one female in the world. I can swear on my name.”
Seoharin’s eyes trembled at my words.
Her head lowered as she spoke in a soft voice.
“…After the contest… I will think about it.”
An infinitely optimistic response to at least consider.
That’s enough.
Getting this far was akin to success.
“And lastly, I must ask you this… Seoharin. Please take care of yourself. Love yourself. I hope you won’t speak such things to anyone else.”
I was shocked when she first mentioned giving her body over.
If my master heard that, heaven forbid!
Just the thought made me shudder.
I couldn’t allow Seoharin, who’d be my sister, to go around saying such things to anyone.
“…Understood.”
Seoharin nodded at my words.
“Well then, I will take my leave. The air is still chilly, so Seoharin, please go inside and rest.”
“I will do so.”
Hearing Seoharin’s answer, I took off first.
It was getting late.
Time for cardiovascular workouts, jumping exercises, hanging exercises, and jerk exercises.
*
Watching Lee Cheol-soo vanish in an instant, Seoharin bit her lip.
‘He’s no ordinary person. He spoke those words only because he’s this scholar…’
She silently swallowed her thoughts.
Thump thump.
Seoharin’s heart began to race slowly.
For the first time.
She had received pure goodwill from another without reason.
Moreover, he even said he didn’t want to involve his own body.
Having always received lecherous stares from men, Seoharin realized that there was no lust aimed at her in Lee Cheol-soo’s eyes or expression.
According to him, he had intended to protect her without expecting anything in return from the very beginning.
As Seoharin came to this realization, she lowered her head.
‘…What have I done?’
At that moment, realizing she had uttered shameful words as a woman, Seoharin’s face turned red.
“Seoharin.”
Someone appeared before her.
Seoharin lifted her head.
There stood a stunningly beautiful young man in black martial attire, so striking that even Seoharin, who claimed to be a beauty, felt inferior.
Lee Cheol-soo’s sister, Yujinhwi, was there.