Episode 67

Martial arts (武功).

It’s an essential element in the martial arts genre.

The difference between martial arts (武功) in reality and in fiction was that, unlike physical training-focused martial arts, it was a martial study (武學) that combined academic learning and enlightenment.

Most martial arts involved accumulating internal energy in the Dantian through Neigong practices and using that energy to perform superhuman feats.

I too wanted to learn such martial arts.

Some might say it’s better to live as a commoner without learning martial arts since martial artists won’t bother you.

Then, weren’t the members of the Cheongsapa who beat me up also martial artists?

Living in this world without learning martial arts was like playing on ‘tutorial hell’ difficulty while drunk.

To endure the contempt and belittlement as a black-haired, black-eyed ‘barbarian’ is harder than learning martial arts.

Until now, I couldn’t learn martial arts due to a lack of a master and money, but now I have the Heavenly Death Star who can teach me.

The woman I told Sohee was a fleeting connection also taught me martial arts.

Sohee, we’re closer than that. Teach me some martial arts.

“Why?”

Her response to my request was a question.

Luckily, it wasn’t an immediate rejection.

“I’m worried such an incident might happen again.”

“I won’t make that mistake again.”

No, mistakes can happen more than once; that’s why it’s a mistake.

Should I tell her about the time I stepped on a raid instant-death zone twice and got called a beast child?

“Wouldn’t it be better if I could at least protect myself?”

“I will protect Yunho.”

She said it firmly. I was truly grateful.

It seems I approached the topic wrongly. I wanted to learn to protect myself, but she took it as pointing out her mistakes.

“I’m always grateful for Sohee’s protection, but I’m worried I might be a hindrance.”

“You’re not a hindrance, Yunho.”

Please consider me a hindrance.

You’re not invincible. What if ninjas suddenly appeared and attempted a massacre?

Now that I think about it, she’s the strongest ninja in this martial arts visual novel world. Not the right analogy.

As I pondered what reason to give, Sohee spoke again.

“Yunho isn’t a person from the world of martial arts. It’s forbidden to teach martial arts to outsiders.”

Unexpectedly, she stated a firm principle.

I had let my guard down because of the martial arts visual novel setting, but martial arts here were still martial arts.

A martial arts sect revealing its techniques to outsiders was like a 50-year-old traditional restaurant’s secret recipe leaking.

In martial arts, to prevent this, people who leaked martial arts techniques have their Dantian destroyed, tendons cut, or in extreme cases, were killed.

But I couldn’t just give up easily.

“Outsider… I see, I am an outsider to Sohee.”

I said, showing my disappointment.

“It’s not about our relationship, but because you’re from the outside world…”

“I understand. She treated me specially only because she thought highly of me.”

I quickly interrupted her and mentioned Moyong Sang-ah again.

I avoided eye contact with Sohee, showing a nostalgic expression as if reminiscing about the past, then sneakily glanced at her face.

Her eyebrows were slightly trembling. She seemed troubled.

“…I can teach you self-defense.”

See? There was something she could teach. While self-defense was attractive, it’s a bit lacking.

I didn’t want to learn the martial arts of Salmaek because it’s risky, but that didn’t mean she had nothing to teach me.

I should probe a bit more.

“Ugh!”

Pretending to feel a sudden burning pain at the back of my head, I clutched it.

When I touched the back of my head, it felt like a thread. Had the physician sewn it up while I was unconscious?

“Does your head hurt?”

Worry was evident in Sohee’s voice.

“It does hurt. But I’m relieved that getting hit didn’t turn me into an idiot.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Sohee’s shoulders slumped slightly. She seemed to think that all this was her fault and averted her gaze downwards.

If you’re sorry, teach me martial arts.

“Don’t blame yourself. It’s not Sohee’s fault, and it’s not the first time this has happened.”

“It’s not the first time?”

“Being a black-haired, black-eyed ‘barbarian’, I’m an object of scorn and disdain to the people of China. Being insulted, beaten up, and robbed for having money - such incidents were common.”

I said sadly, looking at the bruises on my arms.

“…”

Sohee silently followed my gaze to the injuries.

“Every time this happened, I thought if I had learned martial arts, I wouldn’t have been beaten like this. That’s why I asked Sohee. Don’t take it too seriously.”

Please take it seriously.

Was the only martial art you could teach really the one from Salmaek?

Wasn’t there at least one thing you can teach me?

“Do you not want to become strong, but just don’t want to get hit?”

Good response.

“I don’t dream of becoming the greatest under heaven or anything. I just wish I could dodge blind blades while being protected by Sohee.”

I looked at Sohee with a pitiful expression, like a husband who gets beaten. She frowned slightly, contemplating whether to teach me something.

“…If your goal is not to become strong but self-defense, there is one martial art I can teach you.”

“Learning that won’t make the assassins come to kill me, right?”

If I shook her heart too much and she decided to teach me Salmaek’s martial arts, that would be trouble.

I didn’t want Salmaek’s assassins visiting me in my sleep.

“It’s not the martial arts of Salmaek, so it’s okay. I’ll teach you once you recover. I need to prepare too.”

“Thank you, Sohee.”

So, there was something after all.

Great. I can finally learn martial arts!

“I’ll take care of you for a while. Just focus on recovering.”

Being nursed by the Heavenly Death Star.

I wonder how many have been nursed by the Heavenly Death Star, who usually went around killing people.

I lay back down, focusing on recovery under her concerned gaze.

The condition of my body was bad enough that, if this were reality, the person who did this to me would be sued up to the Supreme Court, although no bones were broken or tendons cut.

Sohee was extremely devoted to nursing me, perhaps because she thought my injuries were her fault. Her approach seemed a bit misguided, though.

“Take it off. Yunho.”

“Sohee, I can manage that much myself.”

“Take it off.”

“Wait a minute! Ugh.”

I had never been forcibly undressed even on my wedding night.

“I’ll wipe you down. Spread your arms.”

Sohee’s nursing was more aggressive than I expected.

She wiped me down three times a day with the zeal of a bathhouse scrubber, not tolerating a speck of dirt.

“I’ll apply the wound-healing medicine too.”

“Sohee, like I said before, there’s no need to slather it on so thickly.”

“There are still many wounds and bruises.”

Like yesterday, she began coating my entire body with the wound-healing medicine.

That’s quite a strong smell.

This medicine was expensive, was it okay to use so much? If it were me, I would have tremblingly applied it only to scars that seemed serious.

Her care was full of devotion and passion, but somehow it lacked consideration.

It must be due to lack of experience.

But in some strange ways, she was overly considerate.

“Yunho, I have prepared the herbal medicine. Take it with the pills.”

She personally prepared the herbal medicine and brought it to me.

“These pills are too big.”

I commented, looking at the pills on the tray that seemed even bigger than ping pong balls. They looked like rice balls.

Talking wasn’t much of a problem, but chewing such big pills was difficult due to the injuries on my jaw and cheek.

Sohee, with a dumbfounded expression, alternated her gaze between my face and the pill, hesitating.

Why did she look so worried?

“… I’ll chew it and cut it for you.”

What?

Sohee, with a determined look, reached for the pill.

“Sohee!”

Startled, I called out to her.

“Huh?”

“Can’t you just dissolve it in the herbal medicine?”

It’s not like some shamanic family’s ritual wine that needs to be chewed. There’s no need to chew the pills; just dissolving them in the herbal medicine is enough.

“… Oh.”

She, seemingly embarrassed by her thoughtless suggestion, hastily began dissolving the pill in the herbal medicine.

I couldn’t tell if it’s excessive consideration or carelessness.

To recover my body, I diligently used the Tonap Technique in addition to taking medicine.

The Tonap Technique, which was very effective in healing my body when I couldn’t afford medicine, combined with medicine, made my recovery remarkably quick.

I realized only now that Moyong Sang-ah had taught me an extraordinary Tonap Technique.

I thought it was just a simple and safe technique called the family’s secret, but I didn’t expect it to be so special.

If someone from the Moyong Family knew I had learned this technique, it might have brought harm to Moyong Sang-ah. Yet, she taught such a profound technique to me, who was only her fiancé at the time.

She must have taught it because I was the only ally who appeared in a crisis, but the fact that she taught me a martial art not to be leaked remains unchanged.

一 Wasn’t it just like my family?

After finishing the Tonap Technique, I touched the Dantian area, the starting point of circulating vital energy, thinking of Moyong Sang-ah.

The woman who took everything from Kang Yun-ho of Joseon, but ironically, the only woman who could teach the Tonap Technique to the possessed Kang Yun-ho.

A strange fate (奇緣).

A power-up chance that everyone in the martial arts world desired. Considering its original meaning of a bizarre connection, it seemed quite fitting for my relationship with Moyong Sang-ah.

Moyong Sang-ah. I’ll make good use of it in the future.

By the way, if there were an online martial arts community in this world, I’d like to write a post.

Thinking the Tonap Technique was just a health method, but it’s actually a profound technique.

[I got a martial art for free, is it any good?]

ㄴKnowingly posting clickbait.

ㄴTrash. SG.

ㄴClickbait post. 7-day ban.

That’s probably the kind of responses I would get.

As a martial arts enthusiast, I couldn’t help but smile, thinking I got something usually reserved for martial arts protagonists.

If someone saw me now, touching my lower abdomen and grinning, I’d look suspicious, like a female character from an NTR story near its ending.

But since I was alone in this house, what did it matter?

“Yunho.”

Turns out it did matter.

“Huh? Sohee, didn’t you say you’d be away for a while?”

Her gaze was cold. It pierced me like a sharp blade.

In an attempt to cover my embarrassing behavior, I awkwardly smiled and asked why she was back so soon.

“I just finished some errands.”

In her hands, she held a large basin with a strange liquid. It seemed to be a lot for just herbal medicine.

“Right. Then I should rest.”

I tried to change the subject like a brother caught watching adult content by his sister, awkwardly trying to handle the situation.

“Forget it. But Yunho.”

“Yes?”

“What were you thinking about just now?”

Sohee’s displeased voice stabbed my heart like a dagger.