Daoist Yin-Yang Manual

The axe blade that had been cleaving the air stopped, blocked by the faint moonlight. A majestic yet mysterious sword light blocked Man Chusam's wild attack, drawing a trajectory of light in the air.

The moonlight-like sword light danced through the air, effortlessly scattering Man Chusam's violent axe swings.

"Grrr!"

A beast-like roar burst from Man Chusam's throat. His axe continuously cleaved the air, trying to strike down the sword light, but the moonlight-like sword softly dodged as if it had no substance.

Leaning against the wall, I barely managed to stand up and looked at the woman before me.

She held a blue sword that seemed to embody the essence of the moon. Her elegant figure was as dazzling as a painting.

"Young Hero, are you alright?"

A clear and pure voice echoed through the air.

"Ah.... Thank you for saving me. Who are you, Lady Hero?"

"You can hear that from my disciple who is coming behind me."

Answering briefly, she elegantly readjusted her grip on the sword. A faint, moonlight-like aura gently rose from her fingertips.

- Udeudeuk!

Man Chusam stood up again, despite his entire body being covered in blood.

Roaring like a beast, he charged towards her, emitting a desperate aura.

"Huk... huk.... Ma-Master-nim!"

Along with the breathless sound from afar, a familiar face appeared.

It was Jin Myeongwoo.

"Master-nim...?"

I turned my gaze back to her. At first, my eyes were captivated by her overwhelming swordsmanship, but now I could properly see her.

Refreshing sky-blue hair, a perfect physique with a voluptuous chest comparable to Jang Seoyeong's, and a slender waist.

In the original work, the protagonist had no master. However, there was definitely a heroine with such an appearance.

"Sword Empress?"

Seo Ryeo-hwa, the Flying Moon Sword. She was one of the heroines who appeared in the mid-to-late stages of the original work.

I watched Seo Ryeo-hwa's fight, observing with confused eyes why she had appeared with Jin Myeongwoo.

- Kang! Kwang!

Man Chusam's axe and Seo Ryeo-hwa's sword clashed. The moonlight-like aura and the wild red energy collided, engulfing the battlefield in a massive storm.

Watching her fight, I thought.

'Is the protagonist really the protagonist? Not only did he survive without dying, but he even brought such a hot woman with him.'

I hadn't expected such a twist.

"Grrr!"

Man Chusam's roar interrupted my thoughts. Still engulfed in madness, he swung his axe towards Seo Ryeo-hwa.

Seo Ryeo-hwa's body moved fluidly like moonlight. Her voluptuous chest and slender waist bent flexibly, dodging the attacks. The trajectory her sword drew was as beautiful as flowing moonlight, but the result was anything but beautiful.

The sword that blocked the axe then flew towards his chest. Man Chusam's movements faltered for a moment at her elegant yet deadly sword technique.

True to her name as the Sword Empress, she was toying with Man Chusam.

'But why is Seo Ryeo-hwa here?'

Seo Ryeo-hwa, who appeared in the mid-to-late stages, had no detailed description of her previous actions, so I didn't know.

Once again, the situation was different from the original work.

'From now on, I'll have to use the original work's content only as a reference.'

-Kang! Peok!

Her sword energy and the axe clashed, producing a sharp collision sound. Seo Ryeo-hwa's swordsmanship was so beautiful that it drew admiration just by watching it.

Seo Ryeo-hwa's sword cleaved the air. Her movements were like flowing moonlight, and a faint aura spread with each swing of her sword.

Even Man Chusam's maddened attacks seemed powerless before her. Each time his axe cleaved the air, Seo Ryeo-hwa's sword softly parried it. It was a beautiful movement, like a dance.

- Shwishik!

Silver sword light embroidered the air. A beautiful sword, like a blooming lotus, spread out towards Man Chusam.

"Illusory Moon Lotus."

Seo Ryeo-hwa's clear voice rang out. The moonlight-like sword light bloomed like a lotus and engulfed Man Chusam.

"Kwaaah!"

Man Chusam's scream burst out. His body, engulfed in madness, was torn apart by the sword. His energy, rampaging due to the elixir's effect, shattered into pieces before Seo Ryeo-hwa's swordsmanship.

The battle was decided in an instant. Man Chusam's massive body fell, bleeding.

The Sword Empress's skill was far more powerful than what I had read in the original work.

Seo Ryeo-hwa, who had shaken off the blood by swinging her sword, slowly sheathed it. The sun shone on her sky-blue hair, creating an even more mysterious atmosphere.

The smoke of the battlefield slowly cleared. Around the fallen Man Chusam, the remnants of the Black Dragon Gate could be seen fleeing.

Just then, Jin Myeongwoo approached me. His footsteps were cautious. His gaze, as he looked at me, held complex emotions.

Considering how I had toyed with him last time, he couldn't possibly be entirely glad to see me.

"...Hyung-nim, are you alright?"

Jin Myeongwoo's voice was cautious.

"Yes. You're safe too."

I replied calmly. A complex emotion flashed across his face for a moment.

"...Are Father and Noona alright?"

"Father has passed away. And Sohee is safe."

"Ah, Father...."

I slowly stood up and spoke. Jin Myeongwoo's eyes wavered. His face turned pale at the news that his father had passed away while he was gone.

As I was about to open my mouth to Jin Myeongwoo, Seo Ryeo-hwa approached. Seeing her up close, her beauty became more captivating the more I looked.

"Young Hero, are you alright?"

Her appearance was by no means an exaggeration of the description I had read in the original work.

Like her moonlight-like sword energy, she herself seemed to embody the essence of the moon.

"Thanks to you, I am fine. Thank you for your help."

I was momentarily lost in thought before collecting myself and answering.

"I rushed here after hearing the news of the Black Dragon Gate's attack, but... it's regrettable to hear that Jin Family Head has passed away."

Seo Ryeo-hwa's voice contained sincere condolences. Her clear eyes held a hint of regret.

I bowed my head and expressed my gratitude for her sincere words.

"Thank you just for helping me this much. I will not forget the grace of your rescue."

"Young Hero, you fought well enough. However...."

Seo Ryeo-hwa's gaze swept across the battlefield and continued.

"There are many injured people. We should quickly clean up and start treating them."

At her words, Jang Seoyeong and Jin Sohee finally came to mind. I turned my head and looked for the two of them. They weren't here.

"Excuse me. I'm in a hurry...!"

I spoke urgently and left the spot. I had to quickly find Jang Seoyeong and Jin Sohee. I was especially worried about Jang Seoyeong's injury.

Wandering through every corner of the Jin Family residence, I finally found them. The three of them were together in a small building behind the main house.

Jang Seoyeong was lying on a bed, and Seolhui was tending to her wounds. Jin Sohee was by her mother's side, watching her with worried eyes.

"Mother, are you alright?"

At my voice, she turned her head. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Gaga..."

Jang Seoyeong called out to me in a weak voice. Her side was wrapped in bandages, and fresh blood had seeped through the white cloth.

"Seolhui-ya, what's Mother's condition?"

"Fortunately, it's not a deep wound."

That was at least a relief. I slowly approached Jang Seoyeong's side. I stroked her face and checked her condition. Her complexion was pale, but her breathing was steady.

"Gaga... I'm sorry. For not being able to help...."

Jang Seoyeong's voice trembled. Holding my hand tightly, tears welled up in her eyes.

"You dodged well. If you had taken Man Chusam's attack head-on, you would have been more severely injured."

Jin Sohee was holding her mother's other hand. Seolhui was quietly tending to the wounds by her side.

"What happened to Man Chusam?"

"I defeated him."

With my answer, Jin Myeongwoo rushed into the room. Seo Ryeo-hwa slowly followed behind him.

"Mother!"

Jin Myeongwoo rushed towards Jang Seoyeong. But his footsteps stopped midway. He had seen Jang Seoyeong holding my hand.

A moment of silence passed. A complex emotion flashed across Jin Myeongwoo's face.

"...Mother, are you alright?"

In the end, he spoke first. Jang Seoyeong hesitated for a moment before letting go of my hand.

"Myeongwoo-ya... you were alive...."

Jang Seoyeong's voice trembled. She had completely forgotten about Jin Myeongwoo while having sex with me. Perhaps because of that, a very small hint of guilt was visible.

Seo Ryeo-hwa watched the situation and slowly approached. Her gaze rested on Jang Seoyeong's wound.

"I have a healing elixir. It should help with a quick recovery if you use it."

Seo Ryeo-hwa took out a small bottle from her pocket.

"Ah, thank you."

Seolhui took the elixir and began applying it to Jang Seoyeong's wound.

Jin Sohee was staring blankly at Jin Myeongwoo. She seemed unsure what to say to her brother, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.

"Noona...!"

"Myeongwoo-ya..."

Quietly watching Jin Myeongwoo reunite with his family, I subtly slipped away with Seolhui.

"Young Master-nim, please sit here. I'll treat you."

Seolhui looked at me with worried eyes. My whole body ached from the aftermath of the battle.

"Please do."

As I sat down, Seolhui carefully examined my wounds. Her hands gently wrapped around my shoulder. The medicine she applied to the wounds stung, but her delicate touch seemed to alleviate the pain.

"Young Master-nim, you overexerted yourself too much."

Seolhui said in a small voice as she wrapped the bandage. Her eyes were full of concern.

"Well, it was that kind of situation."

"Still, it's a relief that it ended like this."

Seolhui tied the final knot and stood up.

"Now I'll go to Mother. She'll probably need someone to attend to her."

"Alright, please take care of Mother."

Seolhui went back. Perhaps due to the aftermath of the fight, my body gradually felt heavy.

'Shall I return to reality now?'

I decided to end the Daoist Yin-Yang Manual here.

***Service***