Chapter 6 – The Martial World Without Demons (6)

It had been ten days since I started living with Hong Yeon-hwa. We had to go down to the village.

“We’re running out of rice.”

We could manage most things even in the middle of the mountain. Of course, it was quite a hassle to chop firewood, hunt animals, and fetch water ourselves.

However, since I learned martial arts, my body had become stronger, so it wasn’t that difficult. I had gotten used to it by doing it every day.

However, there were still problems that couldn’t be solved in the mountains. One of them was rice. Unless I was farming here, I had to go down to the lower village to buy rice.

Fortunately, we had enough money. There were also things that my master had saved from his younger days, and although I dismantled them a little awkwardly, there were still leather and leftover firewood.

We sold these things periodically and went to buy necessities…and it seemed like it was time to do that now.

As we scraped the remaining rice and put it in our bowls, Hong Yeon-hwa greeted us with a big smile.

“Wow! There’s more than usual! And even meat that the lady likes! It’s luxurious from the morning!”

At first, I thought she had fainted for a few days and woke up, but it turned out that Hong Yeon-hwa was just very greedy.

Hong Yeon-hwa hopped around, making room for the dining table. In the process, I looked at her chest, which she was insisting on with a proud expression, and quickly managed my expression.

She put the dining table down with a strict, dignified, and serious expression.

“This is the last meal.”

“……?”

Hong Yeon-hwa, who was even humming a tune, tilted her head as if she didn’t understand what she had heard.

I want to play a little prank.

“I mean it. We ran out of rice. We have to starve now. We don’t even have enough food, let alone eating a lot.”

“W-What? Is it because the lady ate too much…?”

Hong Yeon-hwa looked shocked, like a scholar who saw a duck-billed platypus for the first time. She opened her mouth in a depressed voice.

“T-The lady doesn’t have an appetite today. You can eat all of the lady’s share…and I won’t ask for meat anymore from now on.”

Hong Yeon-hwa trembled and closed her eyes.

What’s with that determination?

I wanted to tease her a little, but the effect was too good. I was a little taken aback by Hong Yeon-hwa’s appearance, who didn’t know what to do.

“T-That was a joke. We did run out of rice, but we don’t have to starve. We can go down to the village and buy some today.”

“Really…? Then I’m relieved!”

Chapter 6 – The Martial World Without Demons (6)

It had been ten days since I started living with Hong Yeon-hwa. We had to go down to the village.

“We’re running out of rice.”

We could manage most things even in the middle of the mountain. Of course, it was quite a hassle to chop firewood, hunt animals, and fetch water ourselves.

However, since I learned martial arts, my body had become stronger, so it wasn’t that difficult. I had gotten used to it by doing it every day.

However, there were still problems that couldn’t be solved in the mountains. One of them was rice. Unless I was farming here, I had to go down to the lower village to buy rice.

Fortunately, we had enough money. There were also things that my master had saved from his younger days, and although I dismantled them a little awkwardly, there were still leather and leftover firewood.

We sold these things periodically and went to buy necessities…and it seemed like it was time to do that now.

As we scraped the remaining rice and put it in our bowls, Hong Yeon-hwa greeted us with a big smile.

“Wow! There’s more than usual! And even meat that the lady likes! It’s luxurious from the morning!”

At first, I thought she had fainted for a few days and woke up, but it turned out that Hong Yeon-hwa was just very greedy.

Hong Yeon-hwa hopped around, making room for the dining table. In the process, I looked at her chest, which she was insisting on with a proud expression, and quickly managed my expression.

She put the dining table down with a strict, dignified, and serious expression.

“This is the last meal.”

“……?”

Hong Yeon-hwa, who was even humming a tune, tilted her head as if she didn’t understand what she had heard.

I want to play a little prank.

“I mean it. We ran out of rice. We have to starve now. We don’t even have enough food, let alone eating a lot.”

“W-What? Is it because the lady ate too much…?”

Hong Yeon-hwa looked shocked, like a scholar who saw a duck-billed platypus for the first time. She opened her mouth in a depressed voice.

“T-The lady doesn’t have an appetite today. You can eat all of the lady’s share…and I won’t ask for meat anymore from now on.”

Hong Yeon-hwa trembled and closed her eyes.

What’s with that determination?

I wanted to tease her a little, but the effect was too good. I was a little taken aback by Hong Yeon-hwa’s appearance, who didn’t know what to do.

“T-That was a joke. We did run out of rice, but we don’t have to starve. We can go down to the village and buy some today.”

“Really…? Then I’m relieved!”

I felt guilty seeing Hong Yeon-hwa’s relieved expression. I shouldn’t have played such a prank on her.

From now on, I won’t tease Hong Yeon-hwa when it comes to food.

By the way, I have to go down to the village alone, right? It’s still a little early to take Hong Yeon-hwa with me.

My body has become much stronger, but my mind is still the same. Of course, I can’t hide the truth until the end.

***

“Let’s see…what else do we need besides rice?”

Since we’re already going, we should buy everything we need. I sorted out the list in my head while searching the house.

Finally, I picked up a large basket filled with leather and firewood.

Hong Yeon-hwa is probably still doing her morning exercises or taking a nap in her room.

I told her we were going to the village while we were eating, so I shouldn’t bother her and quietly leave.

As I was sneaking through the yard like that.

Creak.

The door suddenly opened, and Hong Yeon-hwa stuck her head out.

“Are you leaving?”

“Uh, yeah. We can’t really starve, can we?”

Then Hong Yeon-hwa came out without a word and ran towards me. And she fixed my clothes.

“Be careful.”

“…I’ll be back.”

I took a few steps and turned around, and I saw Hong Yeon-hwa waving her arm vigorously.

I chuckled at her appearance.

Maybe she’s feeling lonely since my master left and she’s living alone. It’s not a big deal, but…it feels surprisingly good.

I waved my hand back to Hong Yeon-hwa and went down the mountain path.

And soon, I arrived at the village. I was still smiling when someone blocked my way.

“Wait. I haven’t seen your face before…”

A cautious tone. He had a sword at his waist, but his clothes were ordinary, so he seemed like acommoner.

“I’m just here to buy some rice and other necessities.”

The man looked at me up and down, as if he was trying to figure out something.

“Are you a traveler?”

“No, I live in the mountains nearby.”

“Ah, I see. Then you must be the one who defeated the bandits.”

I was surprised. How did he know about that?

The man continued, “I heard that there was a young man who defeated the bandits and saved the village. Is that you?”

I nodded. “Yes, that’s me.”

The man’s expression changed. “Thank you for saving us. Please, let me buy you a drink.”

I declined politely. “No, thank you. I’m just here to buy some rice.”

The man nodded. “I understand. Please, go ahead.”

I walked past him and went to the rice store. As I was buying the rice, I heard some whispers from the other customers.

“That’s him, the one who defeated the bandits.”

“He’s so young, but he’s already a hero.”

I felt a little uncomfortable with all the attention, but I tried to ignore it and finished my shopping.

As I was leaving the store, I heard someone calling my name.

“Lee Hyun-wook!”

I turned around and saw a woman running towards me. She was panting, as if she had been running for a while.

“Do I know you?”

The woman nodded. “I’m Park Ji-eun. We met at the inn a few days ago.”

I remembered her. She was a beautiful woman who was traveling alone.

“What brings you here?”

“I heard that you were in the village, so I came to see you. I wanted to thank you for saving me from those bandits.”

I smiled. “It was nothing. I’m just glad you’re safe.”

Park Ji-eun looked at me with a serious expression. “I owe you a debt. Is there anything I can do to repay you?”

I was taken aback by her words. “No, it’s fine. You don’t have to do anything.”

Park Ji-eun insisted. “Please, let me do something for you. I can’t just let this debt go unpaid.”

I thought for a moment. “Well, I do need some lotion for my muscles. Do you know where I can buy some?”

Park Ji-eun smiled. “Of course. Follow me.”

She led me to a small shop and bought me a bottle of lotion. As we were walking back to the main street, she suddenly stopped and turned to me.

“Lee Hyun-wook, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, what is it?”

Park Ji-eun looked at me with a serious expression. “Are you a virgin?”

I was taken aback by her question. “What? Why do you ask that?”

Park Ji-eun looked at me with a seductive expression. “I can tell you’re a man who knows how to please a woman. I’m willing to teach you everything you need to know.”

I felt a surge of arousal in my body. Park Ji-eun was a beautiful woman, and her offer was tempting.

But I couldn’t accept it. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. I have someone waiting for me back in the mountains.”

Park Ji-eun looked disappointed. “I understand. But if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me.”

I nodded and said goodbye to her. As I was walking back to the mountain, I couldn’t help but think about Park Ji-eun’s offer.

But I knew I couldn’t betray Hong Yeon-hwa. She was the only one for me.

Without realizing it, I stared blankly at the person in front of me. They put their hand on their sword and spoke with a sharper voice.

“I’ll ask again. Where did you come from, and what is your purpose here?”

They seem ready to draw their sword. I was about to speak when a chubby man passing by intervened. It was Hwang Dae-woong, who runs a small inn in this village.

“Oh my! This young man is not a suspicious character! He lost his parents when he was young and lives in the mountains. He comes down occasionally to sell leather and firewood.”

He showed the contents of my bag to the person in front of me.

“The leather is not in good condition for a hunter, and he looks too strong to be a woodcutter. But he must have come down for that reason today. I don’t know his name, but I’ve heard from people in other villages that he has come here periodically.”

The man muttered and took a step back.

“I’m sorry, Sohyeop. There have been ominous rumors lately, so we’ve strengthened the security in this area.”

“It’s okay. By the way, why is the martial arts world so involved in this?”

“Well…you must have heard the rumor that the Fengyu sect’s leader has disappeared.”

“Yeah, I heard about that.”

I thought of Hong Yeon-hwa waiting for me at home and flinched.

“There was information that the culprit, Cheok-an Geum-gwi, was spotted in this area. The higher-ups have ordered us to catch any suspicious outsiders. Since he escaped from the encirclement without visiting any nearby villages before, there must be an accomplice.”

“Uh…”

Why did Cheok-an Geum-gwi come here?

“Baekho Danju has decided to take matters into his own hands, so he can be caught easily if found. But he could escape in the meantime. Anyway, I’ve heard about Sohyeop from not only the innkeeper but also people from other villages, so it should be okay. You can go in.”

I don’t know who Baekho Danju is, but judging from the way he speaks, he must be much stronger than Cheok-an Geum-gwi.

After greeting him, I went inside the village. Hwang Dae-woong, who had been looking at me with worried eyes, appeared next to me.

When I was young, before I met my master and lost my parents in this world, I used to wander around the village doing odd jobs. He was the one who always gave me a dumpling in exchange for my work, and I am grateful for that.

If I hadn’t met my master, I might have been working under Hwang Dae-woong as a servant.

“Oh my, So-chan. You came at a bad time. Is everything okay?”

“Nothing happened. Hwang ajusshi, are the guests okay? I heard a rumor that Cheok-an Geum-gwi has appeared again.”

“Hmm? I’m fine. This inn isn’t doing well enough to be targeted by Cheok-an Geum-gwi.”

After that, we talked about recent events, and I was able to hear more details.

It’s said that Cheok-an Geum-gwi reappeared because of the rumors that spread after the Fengyu sect’s leader disappeared.

The Fengyu sect had grown rapidly enough to become a target of Cheok-an Geum-gwi, thanks to the discovery of a rare flower called Manyeonhwa-ri.

They had used the capital from selling Manyeonhwa-ri’s inner petals to expand their power. However, there was a rumor that the Fengyu sect had actually discovered not one but two Manyeonhwa-ri flowers.

They had requested protection from the martial arts world, but they had spent most of the money they had collected believing in the remaining inner petals.

Although the existence of the hidden Manyeonhwa-ri inner petals was just a baseless rumor, it didn’t seem like a complete lie.

Even if it wasn’t the second Manyeonhwa-ri, there must have been something worth spending money on.

The problem is, Cheok-an Geum-gwi might have had the same idea as me.

So, he might have come back to the Fengyu sect’s area to get further away from the martial arts world’s pursuit.

I had a feeling of unease. If Cheok-an Geum-gwi was really looking for something hidden in the Fengyu sect, he might notice Hong Yeon-hwa’s existence.

He’s not someone who enjoys killing for the sake of it, as it doesn’t pay well. But if it seems like it could make him money, he won’t hesitate to kill.

No, in this case, he might torture someone to reveal the location of the hidden treasure.

Anyway, it’s not the time to worry about Hong Yeon-hwa’s safety. I have to bring her here and get protection from the martial arts world.

If that Baekho Danju guy is coming, we just have to hold out for a few more days.

I handed the firewood and leather I brought to Hwang Dae-woong.

“Please take these, Hwang ajusshi.”

“What’s going on all of a sudden?”

“I have urgent business to attend to. Please tell the martial arts world warriors here that I will bring the survivor of the Fengyu sect back with me!”

“What? A survivor? What do you mean… Hey! So-chan!”

Ignoring Hwang Dae-woong’s surprised voice, I ran as fast as I could.

Thanks to using my inner strength, I was able to arrive home much faster than when I left.

As I gasped for breath, Hong Yeon-hwa opened the door and looked at me with surprise.

“Are you here already? But you didn’t bring anything. And your expression looks like you’re being chased… What happened?”

“I don’t have time to explain now. I’ll tell you everything on the way, so let’s go to the lower village quickly.”

I approached and grabbed Hong Yeon-hwa’s hand, pulling her along somewhat roughly as we hurried away.

As we turned around a corner, I caught sight of a man walking up the mountain path in the distance.

…He was a man with one eye covered by a bandage.

What the fuck.