Chapter 5 – The Martial Arts World Without Demons (5)

The sun had long since set. Only the candlelight illuminated the room with an ambitious crimson glow.

Hong Yeon-hwa whispered softly, her face flushed as if from the lighting.

“Take off your clothes.”

Her refined tone and delicate voice tickled my ears.

Take off…what?

The words I had been thinking of just a moment ago to comfort Hong Yeon-hwa had disappeared somewhere.

Now, only Hong Yeon-hwa’s words to undress were endlessly repeating in my head.

Undress? All of a sudden? Was this the kind of atmosphere we had?

Of course, I didn’t dislike it. Hong Yeon-hwa’s appearance was my ideal type, and although I had only seen her for a day, her personality wasn’t bad either.

If I had to point out a flaw, it would be that she wasn’t in her right mind right now…but that could be offset by her other qualities, couldn’t it?

Gulp.

I swallowed unconsciously. My gaze kept dropping down. I had become a shape that looked down at Hong Yeon-hwa, who had come close enough to touch if I reached out.

The first thing I saw was her features gathered tightly in her small face.

Her pink eyes filled with determination. Her cute nose. Her soft-looking lips. And her pink hair that reminded me of flowers, with her ears poking out between them.

It was a face so beautiful that I wondered if it was okay for such a pretty person to exist in this world.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

When I lowered my head a little more, I saw her huge breasts pushing her loose clothes to their limit.

I couldn’t see anything else. Everything was covered by her breasts.

Was I staring too blankly? Hong Yeon-hwa tilted her head slightly.

“Didn’t you hear me? I said to undress.”

Her words scattered all my thoughts, and I returned to reality. Hong Yeon-hwa’s unique fragrance rose between my sharpened senses.

I felt my face getting hot. I hoped the candlelight would hide my reddened face as I stammered.

“Uh, um…I don’t dislike Hong So-jo either…in fact, I like her…but still, this kind of thing…”

The reason I hesitated while feeling so attracted to Hong Yeon-hwa was simple. The timing was too coincidental.

If she were to offer her body as a means of proving her usefulness while in a state of despair because she didn’t know how to do anything properly?

Hong Yeon-hwa had been very depressed just a moment ago. It was perfect timing for an extreme accident.

I don’t know what will happen the next day when I come to my senses. But it won’t be a good thing.

—

Note: Hong So-jo is the protagonist’s name.

Chapter 5 – The Martial Arts World Without Demons (5)

This world has a conservative side when it comes to sexuality. Even the martial arts world is relatively open-minded, but it’s not comparable to modern times.

“Why are you so embarrassed about taking off your clothes?”

“Uh, wait…!”

“Ugh! Don’t move!”

However, Hong Yeon-hwa seemed dissatisfied with my hesitant behavior and roughly started to undress me.

I pretended to resist, but I was actually at a loss for what to do next.

“Oh…”

Hong Yeon-hwa let out a short sigh as she saw my bare chest. She touched me here and there with interest and spoke.

“I knew your basics were solid, but you didn’t neglect your external skills either.”

She smirked slightly. I had heard that I had a good body, so naturally, I felt good about it.

But what should I do next? Should I take off her clothes too? I don’t know what to do, even if I combine my past and present lives, I’m still a virgin.

“Now, sit down and turn around.”

“Turn around? What for?”

It’s a bit sudden, but I don’t know what to do next. I moved as Hong Yeon-hwa instructed.

It would be difficult to do this standing up, right? Does she want me to turn around because she’s embarrassed?

I’ve never done this before, so I don’t know, but I’ve heard that some people prefer to do it with the lights off.

Swoosh.

As I waited with a pounding heart, I felt her presence getting closer. She must have sat down right behind me.

Then, Hong Yeon-hwa’s hands went up to my shoulders. They were small, soft, and warm. I could tell her intentions through the touch.

She wants to cuddle first!

My prediction was correct, and soon her fingers began to slowly massage my shoulders.

At the same time, something soft touched my back. Is this what happens when your breasts are bigger than your head?

Rub, rub.

Press, press.

Knead, knead.

I surrendered my body entirely to Hong Yeon-hwa’s touch. The sensation of her touching my body here and there was undoubtedly pleasant, but something felt off.

This is more like a massage than a cuddle.

“Hey, Hong So-jo.”

“Uh, huh…what is it?”

My voice sounded like I was groaning when I exerted force.

Hong Yeon-hwa’s small hands didn’t have much strength, but my body was firm, so I must have unintentionally let out a moan.

“I forgot to explain since I was in a hurry. This is the Chugung Gwahyeol.”

“…Chugung Gwahyeol?”

“Even though I don’t have any inner energy, it can still relieve daily fatigue for someone like me.”

Chapter 5 – The Martial Arts World Without Demons (5)

“Ah…”

Chugung Gwahyeol. I know what it is. It’s a bare-handed treatment method that involves hitting, pressing, and rubbing the body to help with anything from daily fatigue to injury recovery.

By applying appropriate stimulation to the correct acupoints, it can clear blocked energy and loosen muscles, increasing the body’s natural healing ability.

It sounds like a dubious treatment method, but it’s genuinely effective in a world where inner energy exists.

I’ve received it a few times from my master when I was learning martial arts. At the time, neither my master nor I knew my limits well.

Anyway, Chugung Gwahyeol is essentially a massage in the martial arts world. It feels like a sports massage.

In Ddokhyeopji, it’s a technique used when legally sleeping with a high school student, and in Sataguni, it’s a method that obsesses over the perineal acupoint. But in this world, it’s entirely different.

It’s not easy to receive because it requires a high understanding of the human body and is a very wholesome treatment method.

Of course, it’s based on inner energy, so it’s not Chugung Gwahyeol, but just a massage.

…I hope they don’t find out that I thought I was in a porn film.

I barely suppressed the urge to squirm in embarrassment when Hong Yeon-hwa’s small hand suddenly stopped.

“Huh…? Why are you suddenly trembling? Did I hurt you somewhere? I couldn’t have touched you wrongly…”

“No, it’s okay. It’s just that I took off my shirt, so I suddenly got cold. I’ll get used to it.”

I reflexively made up an excuse with a voice that sounded like a groan when I exerted force.

Hong Yeon-hwa seemed relieved and let out a short sigh before continuing the massage.

Luckily, it seems like she didn’t notice what I was thinking earlier. As I mentioned before, Hong Yeon-hwa seems a bit insensitive to this kind of thing.

I pushed down the embarrassment and brought up another topic to think about.

“There’s something I want to ask.”

“What…is it?”

“What if you could get a gold coin just by talking a little with the Murim Association? Enough to live a life of leisure for half your life, if not your whole life.”

“What if the Murim Association has already been destroyed?”

“Assuming it’s still intact.”

Hong Yeon-hwa thought for a moment before speaking firmly.

“I’ll destroy the Murim Association again and take the gold coin.”

“Wow, you’re bold. I don’t think we should ever take you to the Murim Association. But just in case, what if we’re still broke like we are now?”

“Even if they offer me ten million gold coins, I wouldn’t talk to those treacherous sects.”

“You have a sharp answer…”

Chapter 5 – The Martial Arts World Without Demons (5)

“…But why do you keep asking about this? Have you met any Murim Association lackeys who are willing to pay a high price if you betray me?”

“No! Absolutely not! It’s a bit difficult to explain, but it’s really not like that! Trust me!”

I blurted out without thinking, afraid that she might misunderstand me if I asked too much.

…This stubborn woman. Who would believe her if she kept asking to be trusted?

As I was contemplating whether to continue making excuses or reveal the truth that Hong Yeon-hwa’s memory was wrong, she suddenly slapped my neck.

“You’re lying. If you had thought about selling me out, you would have done it before I regained my senses. …Oh, and since the upper body massage is over, stretch out your legs and turn this way.”

I obediently followed Hong Yeon-hwa’s instructions again. Then, she started massaging from my thighs down to my feet.

Glancing at my exposed collarbone due to my lowered posture, I asked, “Is it really not like that?”

“I’m telling you the truth. Besides…I didn’t have a choice from the beginning. If I run away like this, I’ll either become a meal for wild animals or get caught by bandits before I even reach the village. Even if I’m lucky enough to arrive in the village, the local thugs will be a problem in this era where strength is everything.”

“Well, that’s fortunate…”

I wondered what kind of linguistic era Hong Yeon-hwa’s mind was in that made her come up with such a pessimistic conclusion.

I was a little curious, but I was relieved that I didn’t provoke any unnecessary suspicion.

My heart couldn’t calm down today. I felt like I barely survived after falling off the cliff twice.

Finally, I could look at Hong Yeon-hwa massaging my legs with a slightly eased mind. There was nothing more to say, and a subtle silence flowed between us.

Not long after, Hong Yeon-hwa finished massaging my feet and looked up with a satisfied expression.

“That’s it. How do you feel? Is your fatigue gone?”

Perhaps because my strength was lacking, I was sweating profusely, but it didn’t detract from my charm.

I nodded my head as if possessed and rolled my shoulders. I didn’t know how effective it would be, but she had made an effort for me, so I wanted to show some gratitude.

“Huh?”

I really feel light. I stood up in surprise and moved my legs, and it was the same. I feel light.

Normally, at this time, my body would be heavy from training. Recovery is done while sleeping.

Chapter 5 – The Martial Arts World Without Demons (5)

However, there was no muscle pain or fatigue at all. I had a feeling that if I slept like this and woke up, I would feel incredibly refreshed.

Without saying anything, Hong Yeon-hwa read my admiration from my reaction and proudly said, puffing out her ample chest.

“This is how good I am.”

***

After that, Hong Yeon-hwa didn’t try to do anything beyond her limits. She focused solely on recovery, eating, practicing martial arts, and repeating the cycle of sleeping.

Instead, before going to bed every night, she always gave me a thorough massage called Chugung andhyul that covered my entire body.

Thanks to her, I was able to maintain a better physical condition than usual, even though one person had more work to do.

In addition, Hong Yeon-hwa seemed to be recovering diligently, and the sweat that flowed while massaging gradually decreased. Perhaps because her grip strength had improved, the fatigue recovery effect was even better.

So about ten days passed.

“We’re running out of rice.”

We had to go down to the village.