For several days, I combined sex with training with the women. After sex, I concluded with the Daoist Yin-Yang Manual.
"Haaap!"
In one corner of the wide cavern, Jin Sohee and Seolhui were sparring. Jin Sohee's sword flew swiftly towards Seolhui. Seolhui barely dodged, but lost her balance and stumbled.
"You're still lacking a lot, Seolhui. The foundation of swordsmanship is balance."
Jin Sohee advised gently. Seolhui caught her breath and corrected her posture.
"I'm sorry, unnie. Please teach me again."
"Don't be nervous, and focus on my movements. Your movements are light and fast, so you should move in a way that maximizes that."
"Yes!"
Jin Sohee's gaze became serious. The two of them faced each other again, their swords poised.
"Here I come!"
Jin Sohee swiftly charged forward, swinging her sword. This time, Seolhui carefully read her movements and responded nimbly. The two women's swords clashed in the air, producing metallic sounds.
-Clang! Clang! Clang!
Seolhui gradually began to get used to Jin Sohee's rhythm. Unlike her initial flustered appearance, she used her strengths of quick footwork and precise reactions to evade Jin Sohee's attacks and look for opportunities to counter.
"Good, that's it. Make the most of your strengths!"
At Jin Sohee's praise, Seolhui's eyes shone with confidence. Her movements became even faster, and she finally grazed the tip of Jin Sohee's sword.
"I did it, unnie!"
"Excellent. Remember that feeling. And keep in mind that you need to be calmer in a real fight."
Jin Sohee smiled brightly and lightly patted Seolhui's shoulder. Watching them from a distance, I smiled contentedly and rose from my seat.
"Seolhui's skills have improved a lot."
At my voice, the two women immediately smiled and turned around.
"It's all thanks to young master and the unnies."
Seolhui said happily, her eyes sparkling.
"Alright, let's stop here for today and start preparing to leave."
At my words, all four women stopped their training and looked at me.
"Seoyun, are you thinking of heading to Beijing soon?"
At Seo Ryeo-hwa's question, I nodded.
"Yes, we've stayed long enough, so it's time to leave. We also need to move quickly if we want to participate in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering."
"Come to think of it, there was the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering. I've been through so much these past few days that I completely forgot."
"Indeed, we've experienced many things all at once during this time."
At Jang Seoyeong's words, Seo Ryeo-hwa nodded in agreement.
"Everyone, pack what you need here, and let's depart first thing tomorrow morning."
Seolhui and Jin Sohee both nodded simultaneously.
That evening, we began packing our necessary belongings.
On a night shrouded in deep darkness, a suspicious aura spread through a hidden valley deep in the mountains. In the stillness where not even a breeze blew, dozens of shadows moved silently, gathering together. They were all clad in dark black robes, their faces concealed, moving stealthily.
They lined up in an orderly fashion before a massive rock in the center of the valley. One of them stepped forward, knelt before the rock, and murmured lowly.
"Section Leader-nim, a dispatch has arrived from the Eumwol Section Leader."
After a brief silence, a presence darker than the darkness itself slowly emerged from behind the massive rock. His face glowed pallidly even in the gloom, and his dark eyes held a chilling ruthlessness, as if frozen.
"Read it."
At the low, authoritative voice, the one who had reported respectfully bowed his head and unrolled a small scroll.
"Currently, contact with the Eumwol Section, which was carrying out a mission in Liaoning, has been lost. There is no news from Tamwarang-gun Wigwang. Therefore, they have formally requested us to investigate."
When the voice of the one reading the scroll ceased, the valley was once again enveloped in silence. The man, referred to as the Section Leader, frowned and spoke coldly.
"Tsk, that Eumwol Section Leader is dumping troublesome matters on me."
The man said, as if annoyed, to the subordinate who had been reporting.
"Who is the closest Great Leader to Liaoning?"
"It is Great Leader Son Baekcheon."
"Contact Son Baekcheon immediately. Instruct him to go to Liaoning, assess the situation, and deal with it at once."
"Yes, Section Leader-nim."
The subordinate bowed deeply and quickly retreated.
The Section Leader's face was revealed under the moonlight. His face, appearing to be in his mid-30s, was astonishingly perfect, but the chill in his eyes would send shivers down anyone's spine.
His gaze turned towards Kunlun Mountain, visible in the distance. The peaks, shrouded in clouds, appeared hazy, like the form of a mysterious dragon.
"All change into battle attire."
"Battle attire!"
At his words, all members of the Jet-Black Sword Corps moved in unison, shedding their black martial robes and beginning to change into dark red martial robes clearly emblazoned with the symbol of the Demonic Cult. After changing, their appearance transformed, becoming even more menacing and sinister.
The Section Leader continued his command in a cold voice.
"Inform the First Great Leader. Tell him to block the escape routes so that the remnants of the Kunlun Sect cannot get out, as planned."
"Yes!"
The Section Leader looked at Kunlun Mountain again with cold eyes. The wind rustled his robes chillingly.
"The more chaotic the world becomes, the closer the era of our Hocheonhoe approaches. Now, with the destruction of the Kunlun Sect, the martial world will plunge into new chaos."
His voice carried on the wind, permeating beyond the valley, and the eyes of his surrounding subordinates grew even colder with resolute determination.
"We depart."
As his low voice echoed through the valley, the red and black shadows moved silently, scattering quickly into the darkness.
***
Upon arriving in Beijing, we paused for a moment at the sight of the magnificent capital city. After passing through the city walls, the streets were already bustling with activity. The boisterous sounds of shops and markets lined along both sides of the road could be heard, and people in colorful silk clothes bustled about.
"Wow, it's incomparable to Liaoning..."
Seolhui looked around with a surprised expression. Jin Sohee and Jang Seoyeong also admired the capital city.
"Beijing has been the most developed city in the north for a long time, after all."
Seo Ryeo-hwa said with a relaxed expression.
We passed through the busy streets and headed towards the city center. There, even more splendid buildings and luxurious shops were lined up.
"The journey to Henan Province is long and arduous, so it would be good to rest here in Beijing for a few days."
Seo Ryeo-hwa said.
"Indeed. There's a lot to see in Beijing, and we also need to purchase necessary supplies."
Jang Seoyeong agreed.
"First, let's find a place to stay. I know an inn, so we can stay there for a few days."
Following Seo Ryeo-hwa's guidance, we arrived at an inn named Cheonhwaru, where the innkeeper greeted us warmly.
"This is Cheonhwaru! Welcome!"
"We need two rooms, and we plan to stay for a few days."
"We have good rooms on the third floor. Would you like to stay there?"
"We'll take those."
"How would you like your meals? Shall we bring them to your rooms?"
At the innkeeper's words, Seo Ryeo-hwa stepped forward.
"We'll eat downstairs. Please prepare some of Beijing's famous dishes."
"Understood!"
The innkeeper disappeared, and we took our luggage up to the third floor. The inn's interior was much more luxurious than expected.
"It's quite luxurious, more than I thought."
I said, looking around.
"Cheonhwaru is quite famous even in Beijing. Although the price is a bit high, there aren't many places as good as this."
I nodded at Seo Ryeo-hwa's words.
Entering the room, a spacious and clean area unfolded. Through the window, the bustling streets of Beijing could be seen below.
After unpacking and resting for a while, we went downstairs to eat. The inn's restaurant was already bustling with various guests.
As soon as we sat down, dishes began to arrive one after another. They were famous Beijing dishes such as Beijing Duck, Dongpo Pork, and Mapo Tofu.
"Wow... it feels like it's melting in my mouth...!"
Seolhui exclaimed in admiration.
"Try some Dongpo Pork too, this is also a delicacy."
Seo Ryeo-hwa took care of Seolhui, placing a piece of Dongpo Pork onto Seolhui's plate. Seolhui took a bite of the meat with expectant eyes.
"It's really delicious! I've never had meat this tender before."
"Because Beijing is where all the delicacies of the world gather."
Seo Ryeo-hwa said with a smile. Just then, a group of what appeared to be martial artists approached during their meal.
"What's the matter?"
The fellow completely ignored my cold expression and tone, treating me as if I weren't even there.
"Oh, oh! The beautiful flowers of the Central Plains have gathered here!"
The owner of that voice was a young man dressed in splendid purple silk robes. His face was quite handsome, but his eyes were full of arrogance. Four bodyguards followed behind him.
Jin Sohee, who was eating next to me, spoke to the man with a sharp gaze.
"I don't know who you are, but we are having a meal with our companions, so would you please not disturb us?"
The man raised the corner of his mouth with an exaggerated gesture and said.
"I am Yongjin, the chief disciple of the Anus Sect. Our meeting with the young ladies here is also fate, so if it's alright, would you not enjoy Beijing's night with this Yongjin?"
The fellow's gaze was overtly burdensome, and his eyes, especially when looking at Seolhui, became even more blatant.
"We decline."
When Seo Ryeo-hwa spoke firmly, Yongjin's face stiffened for a moment before he forced a smile again.
"Haha, don't be so cold-hearted and reconsider, won't you? It will be a night without regrets."
At the persistent and unpleasant fellow's attitude, an unbearable irritation welled up within me.
"Get lost while I'm still being nice."
At my words, the fellow's face stiffened, and all traces of a smile vanished.
"What did you just blabber?"
The fellow glared at me threateningly and signaled his bodyguards. The atmosphere in the restaurant instantly froze with tension. I slowly put down my chopsticks and looked directly at him.
"I said get lost because your ugly face is disgusting to look at."
"Ick... How dare this lowlife!"
The fellow's bodyguards drew their swords. Seeing that, I slowly rose from my seat.
"Tsk, these maggots are being annoying."
"Seoyun, try not to shed too much blood."
Seo Ryeo-hwa said to me in a calm voice.
"Understood."
The moment I took a step towards them.
"Yongjin, are you still acting so vulgar? Nothing has changed even after all these years."
At the young man's voice from behind, Yongjin turned around in surprise.
"How dare some insolent bastard...!"
Yongjin couldn't finish his sentence. His eyes trembled greatly, and his once confident face turned pale, his expression stiffening.
"Nam... Namgung Hyeok...?!"
The man who suddenly appeared was dressed in blue silk robes, and on his chest was embroidered the symbol representing the Namgung Clan.
Yongjin's attitude changed completely. His arrogant expression vanished instantly, leaving only servility.
"You... why are you in Beijing...?"
"I'm traveling with companions. But I didn't expect to see your disgraceful behavior here."
Several more men and women entered, following behind Namgung Hyeok. Among them, one woman spoke softly to Namgung Hyeok.
"Oorabeoni, what are you doing standing there?"
"It's nothing. I just saw a familiar face."
Namgung Hyeok's gaze turned towards Yongjin.
"Yongjin, leave. It would be best to end things here today."
"Ick..."
The fellow flushed red and left the inn with his bodyguards.
Namgung Hyeok calmly bowed his head towards us.
"If you were displeased, I apologize on his behalf. Yongjin is naturally such a person, so I hope you can understand with a generous heart."
"There's no need to worry. Thanks to you, we were able to avoid a bigger commotion."
Namgung Hyeok nodded at my words, smiled quietly, and introduced himself.
"I am Namgung Hyeok of the Namgung Clan."
"I am Jin Seoyun of the Jin Family from Jilin."
When I revealed my name, Namgung Hyeok's eyes seemed slightly surprised.
"The Jin Family of Jilin... I have heard the news. I apologize on behalf of the Martial Alliance, whom I could not assist."
"It's alright. That is already in the past."