Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Following a Handsome Guy Leads to This
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"You lot!"
The men, deep in their drunken revelry, turned around at the sound of Yu Somyeong's clear voice.
"Huh? What's with this chick?"
"Dunno what her deal is, but damn, she's gorgeous."
"She's exactly the boss's type—grab her before he shows up!"
They were already so plastered they could barely tell friend from foe. They didn't even wonder who this sudden beauty was; they just got fired up at her appearance. One of the more hot-headed ones jumped to his feet and staggered toward Yu Somyeong.
"Hey, you bitch. Get over here…"
Yu Somyeong stared at him with vacant eyes. He was slow enough sober—booze just made him a walking pile of openings.
She channeled inner energy into her fist.
Willow Blossom Orthodox Fist.
Her slender arm and tiny fist shot straight out, slamming into his gut. He let out a short scream, tumbled head over heels, and collapsed near his buddies.
Only then did the bandits stop drinking and goggle at her.
Yu Somyeong flashed them a sweet smile. It was surely the pure smile of a beauty, but from their perspective, it was anything but.
Mercy was wasted on these ruthless scum. She continued in a firm tone.
"Stop talking like that."
"..."
"You might get in big trouble."
"You little—!"
Another one charged at her with a saber, but she sidestepped effortlessly and cracked the flat of her blade against his head.
"Gahk!"
"Told you not to, and you do it anyway."
In an instant, two were down. Young as she looked, the bandits realized they were outmatched and shrank back.
"I'm the deputy leader here, Dongryong. What brings a fine lady like you to a dump like this?"
For riffraff from the unorthodox paths to survive long in the martial world, it wasn't enough to wield a blade well—you had to bow your head just right.
Caught off guard by the sudden shift in attitude, Yu Somyeong let out a hollow laugh before pressing on.
"I've heard this place has been bullying the weak and stealing their goods lately."
Dongryong broke out in a cold sweat. Well, it was all true.
"So, return everything you've extorted so far, and if you all turn yourselves in to the authorities, I'll spare your lives."
"Wh-what the hell?!"
"Hold it, Bangsam!"
Bangsam cried out in outrage at the demand to give up everything, but Dongryong stopped him. He wore a grave expression, as if he'd made up his mind.
"We'll accept the lady's terms."
"Deputy!"
"Then show me first what you've stolen from the common folk."
"Understood. All the loot's in the storehouse. Give me a moment!"
"Deputy! How are we supposed to just hand over what we worked so hard to gather?!"
"Shut it, you fool! It's all ill-gotten gains anyway, isn't it? Stolen from others, it was bound to bring retribution someday. Better to pay for our sins now and be reborn as new men."
"Deputy…"
Seeing the deputy leader Dongryong's resolve, Yu Somyeong smiled faintly. She believed even the wicked could repent at any time.
"That's a fine show of remorse. Good attitude. Naturally, once you've paid for your crimes, you can all be reborn as upright folk. Now, about that storehouse key…?"
"Oh, right… here it is. Got it."
Something glinted from Dongryong's bosom. Yu Somyeong assumed it was the key catching the light. But it wasn't.
Thwip, thwip!!
Dongryong hurled daggers at her from his pocket.
"The hell it is! Eat this, bitch!"
"Urk!"
She barely blocked the ambush with her sword, but two more men piled on.
"Grr…! Isn't this fighting style a bit too dirty?"
"Dirty? Whatever it takes to survive!"
"That's how the unorthodox live."
As Yu Somyeong faltered for a split second, Dongryong poured inner energy into his saber.
"Take this! Thousand Power Saber Technique, taught by the boss himself!"
The blade's weight suddenly multiplied, throwing her off balance. Bangsam slipped in during the opening.
"Urk!"
Yu Somyeong twisted away, dodging the saber tip, but it grazed her waist shallowly. Blood dripped from the cut.
"Close one, Bangsam!"
"Next time, brother!"
Yu Somyeong glared at Dongryong and Bangsam with cold eyes. Having seen their true colors, politeness was pointless.
"So, you're not planning to come quietly?"
"Fuck off."
"Scram, bitch."
Yu Somyeong sighed deeply.
Right. She'd messed up from the start by treating bandits like righteous sect folk.
She gripped her sword tight. Feeling her shift in aura, Dongryong and Bangsam swallowed hard.
Willow Blossom Swordsmanship.
No one knew if willow blossoms even existed or what they looked like. But willow blossoms bloomed softly and tenaciously, unknown to all.
Not a derivative of Plum Blossom Swordsmanship—this was the very art that had led the Yu Clan of Shaanxi to its golden age.
Yu Somyeong raised her sword straight and leaped forward.
"Brace yourself, Bangsam. She's coming!"
Dongryong watched her sword. For some reason, it seemed much slower than before. He felt it—he could win.
He filled himself with qi and swung at her. But the cut felt off, like slicing thick cotton. When he came to, she was behind him and Bangsam.
"H-how…?"
"Slow on the surface, but swifter and faster than any at striking foes. That's Willow Blossom Swordsmanship."
With that, Dongryong and Bangsam crumpled to the ground.
"Urk."
"Argh!"
Yu Somyeong hummed casually, as if it were nothing.
"Didn't hit any vitals on purpose, so you can still talk. Where's the loot?"
"Kill us instead!"
She shook her head.
"No, I'm handing you over to the authorities, remember? Stop making this annoying…"
"Hold it!"
Just then, a desperate voice rang out from outside the bandit lair—right where the coachman and woodcutter were hiding.
No way?
Yu Somyeong turned to see one of the bandits she'd knocked out earlier holding a saber to the woodcutter's throat.
She'd let her guard down.
Too absorbed in the Willow Blossom Swordsmanship, she'd overlooked the important part.
"P-please, spare me."
"Drop the sword now! Or I'll cut his throat!"
The woodcutter trembled violently in terror, while the coachman lay unconscious nearby.
Tch.
Yu Somyeong clicked her tongue. For some reason, she couldn't stand seeing the woodcutter's life threatened. It was a dilemma. Dropping her sword wouldn't guarantee the bandit would let him go.
*When I set my sword on the ground, shove his arm away at the same time.*
It was a transmission straight to the woodcutter's mind. He looked confused at first but quickly caught on and nodded subtly.
Confirming he understood, Yu Somyeong slowly lowered her sword.
"Alright, if I drop the sword, you'll let him go, right?"
As she did, she sent numbers to the woodcutter via transmission to sync their timing.
"Dropping it now."
One
Two
Three
The moment her sword touched the ground.
Now!
The woodcutter shoved the bandit's arm desperately. As the panicked bandit swung for his throat, Yu Somyeong leaped.
No time to grab her sword. She thrust out a straight fist.
Willow Blossom Orthodox Fist
Boom—!!
The force of her fist qi blew the bandit backward off the woodcutter.
"Huff, huff!"
Blowing away just the bandit behind the woodcutter took immense focus. One slip, and an innocent life could've been lost.
But it was a resounding success. The bandit went down, and the woodcutter escaped unharmed.
"Miss!"
Legs giving out from tension, she was rushed by the woodcutter—his face beaming innocently enough to melt her.
It was over. Now just return the loot to the innocent folk and punish these brutal unorthodox scum…
Thwack.
"Guhk!"
But Yu Somyeong couldn't finish the thought. Only unprecedented agony and suffocating discomfort remained.
What… happened?
She couldn't comprehend. All she'd seen was the beaming woodcutter striking her throat hard…
…
…?
"Hey, not knocking out?"
The woodcutter was suddenly grinning like a cheeky rascal. Barely clinging to consciousness, Yu Somyeong asked.
"Wh-what… the…?"
"Oh, sorry, Miss Yoo. Meant to knock you out, but it didn't take. Let me try the nape this time."
His speech had shifted too—from the pure innocence of their first meeting to the cocky drawl of a street thug.
He raised his hand blade high. Sensing what was coming, she tried to block, but failed.
"W-wait…!"
"Next time, don't follow strange handsome guys, yeah?"
Thud.
This time, neck-snapping pain hit, and her vision went black.
"Hey, Bongchun. Your acting's improved. You good?"
"Heh heh, boss. I'm way better now, right? But that chick's fists hurt. Can't get up."
"Dongryong! You alright?"
"Fuck… boss. Next time, I ain't playing bait. I wanna be the one doing the tricking."
"Haha, your mug scares women off."
"Screw you."
With the joyful man and the grumbling others' banter as her last memory, Yu Somyeong's consciousness faded.