Chapter 389: Ok Kirin and Hong Ahyul
Han Domyeong paused, looking at Dong-o with an expression as if asking what nonsense he was spouting, then suddenly clapped his hands.
“Ah! It might be that man.”
Han Domyeong’s eyes gleamed as he continued.
“Perhaps, on the other sleeve, the word ‘Lord’ was written, wasn’t it?”
“I do not know. While I was carrying him, his right hand was on my chest, so I happened to see it. But he didn’t seem like an ordinary man.”
“If Elder Dong, who has completed the Eight Diagrams of Yeonhwa, thought he was no ordinary person, then it must surely be him.”
“Who is he?”
“It is a little surprising you do not know, but indeed, not many are aware of this truth. So I can understand.”
“I asked you who he is.”
“He is Jo Wonmuk, the World’s Greatest Sword.”
“The World’s Greatest Sword!”
Dong-o sprang up in shock.
Though he had carried a man collapsed by the roadside, he had never imagined that he might be Jo Wonmuk, one of the Heavenly Three Swords who had recently held a debate at Jungeuk Peak.
“Tsk, tsk. To not recognize such a man and simply let him slip away… The Young Lord will be greatly disappointed.”
Dong-o could not refute Han Domyeong’s words.
That was because Jo Wonmuk was one of the Heavenly Demon Sect’s assassination targets.
When Jo Wonmuk was young, before the Heavenly Demon Sect openly revealed itself to the murim, he had interfered with their secret operations.
So the Heavenly Demon Sect had dispatched assassination squads against him. Yet Jo Wonmuk annihilated every squad sent, earning the distinction of being the very first to be marked for elimination.
If Ok Kirin were to discover that the man Dong-o carried was Jo Wonmuk, not only Dong-o but also Hong Ahyul would certainly face reproach.
Dong-o worried that Ok Kirin might use this as an excuse to take action against Hong Ahyul.
“This is no time to sit idly by.”
When Dong-o rose hurriedly, Han Domyeong sneered.
“Hmph, too late. A mistake must be met with punishment.”
Without even the leeway to answer Han Domyeong’s mocking tone, Dong-o rushed toward the guest room where Hong Ahyul was staying.
Ok Kirin slipped into the bath chamber.
Through the hazy steam, a pale, naked body came into view.
He concealed his presence as much as possible, watching Hong Ahyul bathe.
As Hong Ahyul was pouring water over herself, a sensation crept over her skin, like spiders crawling all over her body, and she quickly submerged herself into the bathwater.
She turned her head, scanning the bath chamber.
This sticky sensation… it was the unmistakable feeling of being watched.
“Wh-who is there?”
Hong Ahyul, sitting inside the wooden tub, called out.
She thought perhaps Old Man Dong had come in with urgent business—he had done so a few times before.
“It’s me, Junior Sister.”
But the voice that came was that of another man.
Startled, Hong Ahyul exclaimed.
“Young Lord! What are you doing? How dare you watch a woman bathing!”
It was a situation in which anger should have spilled forth, but she found herself restraining her tongue out of courtesy, and that made her feel wretched.
Ok Kirin stepped forward and replied.
“You must already know. I like you.”
“I do know. But just because you like me doesn’t mean you may watch me while I bathe!”
Her voice grew sharper with rising anger, yet Ok Kirin smiled faintly, unbothered.
“Even if you shout, it’s useless. I have already blocked the sound waves around here.”
Hong Ahyul had thought to call for Dong-o, who should be nearby.
But realizing that Ok Kirin had even sealed sound, she knew he had come prepared.
“This is unworthy of the Young Lord. Leave at once.”
Ok Kirin chuckled.
“And what is worthy of me? Was I ever truly such a noble man?”
“No. But still, you tried to uphold the dignity fitting of a Young Lord. You never harassed women. You even detested Third Elder for preying upon the female disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect. How can the Young Lord now act like this?”
“Hmph. I only hated that old pervert for laying hands on what was mine. His death was well-deserved. One of the things I am most grateful to Yong Hwarin for is killing that filthy old man.”
Hong Ahyul tried to reason with him, but it was useless.
At this point, escape was the only choice.
“I never imagined the Young Lord harbored such feelings for me. But if you think treating a woman like this will win her heart, you are gravely mistaken.”
“There is a saying. Once a woman is made yours, even if she resists, she eventually follows.”
Hong Ahyul rose from the tub, draping a robe over herself.
But that only stoked Ok Kirin’s lust further.
His eyes locked on her curving breasts and hips, and he swallowed hard.
“That is wrong. A woman follows with her heart, not her body. Those who follow only with their bodies are called prostitutes. To think all women are like that is the height of folly.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore. Even if you become a prostitute, I will make your body submit. My patience has reached its end.”
Just as Hong Ahyul attempted to flee, Ok Kirin reached from behind, aiming to seal her acupoints. She turned swiftly, striking out with a flurry of fist-and-palm blows.
Tak! Tak! Tak! Tak!
Ok Kirin treated even this as play, indulging her resistance.
‘What is Old Man Dong doing? I am in such peril, yet he has not come?’
Hong Ahyul desperately tried to shatter the energy barrier Ok Kirin had erected.
But his inner power was greater than expected, and even when she infused her strikes with qi, it would not break.
Then, a thought came to her.
Feigning an attack at Ok Kirin, she suddenly struck the wooden tub with a powerful kick.
Puh-ok!
The tub shattered, water spilling across the floor.
But to hide her true intent, Hong Ahyul pressed on with even fiercer attacks, making herself appear more provocative.
As she leaped through the air with her footwork technique, Ok Kirin was so absorbed in ogling her exposed body that he failed to notice the water seeping beneath the bath chamber door.
Dong-o had reached the place where Hong Ahyul was bathing, hesitating.
Should he wait until she finished? Or call from outside to deliver the urgent news?
He decided it was not urgent enough and turned away.
‘Better to wait until she finishes. Let her enjoy her bath this once.’
Once he decided, he felt foolish for having rushed over in such haste. Still, he thought it best to take Hong Ahyul away once she came out.
As he turned from the bath chamber, Dong-o felt the soles of his feet dampen.
Looking down, he saw far too much water on the floor—much more than could have simply spilled while bathing.
For this much water to flow outside, the entire tub must have been emptied.
‘Something has happened!’
Dong-o called out Hong Ahyul’s name.
“Yul-ah!”
But there was no reply. As Dong-o approached the door, two figures appeared and blocked his way.
They were the Hua Yingwei, who had just returned after tracking Yu Maelim.
The Hua Yingwei had wanted to report to Ok Kirin, but knowing he was attempting to violate his Junior Sister, they stayed outside so as not to interfere.
When Dong-o came near, they blocked him.
Seeing them stand in his way, Dong-o began to understand what was happening.
Furious, he shouted.
“Move aside!”
The Hua Yingwei replied.
“Please return, Elder. This is the Young Lord’s doing. Only First Elder can stop the Young Lord’s matters.”
“Silence! I speak with the authority of an Elder of the Heavenly Demon Sect. Step aside!”
“We cannot.”
“Then I have no choice. I must use force.”
Dong-o lunged forward, hurling his saber without hesitation at the Hua Yingwei.
The strike was so savage that they dared not counter recklessly.
As Dong-o and the Hua Yingwei clashed, killing intent filled the air, and it seemed certain that one of them would die.
“You brought this upon yourselves. Do not blame me.”
He unfolded the Eight Diagrams of Yeonhwa, which he had never used except against Yong Hwarin.
As immense qi surged, blossoming into two or three lotus-shaped manifestations, the Hua Yingwei tensed up.
In a direct fight, they could not handle Elder Dong.
The two glanced at each other, about to unleash the lethal art of Shadowless Circle Slaughter.
Bang!
At that moment, with a thunderous crash, the bath chamber door shattered into splinters.
Dong-o and the Hua Yingwei broke off their clash, turning toward the sound.
The one who had smashed the door was none other than Yang Gwak.
Yang Gwak had come outside upon hearing the fighting, and from the surrounding situation, he quickly guessed what was happening.
He had searched for the cunning Eum Sajeok but, finding him absent, decided on his own.
‘If I stop the Young Lord’s assault and report to First Elder, then even the Young Lord will not be spared. Junior Sister is First Elder’s most cherished disciple. Even Third Elder never dared touch her because of that. So even the Young Lord cannot escape heavy punishment.’
With that thought, Yang Gwak burst in, intent on catching Ok Kirin in the act.
It was precisely the moment Ok Kirin had stripped off all his clothes and was pressing Hong Ahyul’s hands down, about to force himself on her.
“Who is it! Get out!”
His lust had already exploded, and nothing could stop him now.
“Young Lord, what are you doing!”
Yang Gwak shouted, striking at the Young Lord’s back with his palm.
Though the disciples were rivals, seeing his Junior Sister about to be defiled in such a way filled Yang Gwak with rage.
Moreover, Yang Gwak detested men forcing themselves on women, so his strike carried considerable qi.
But his efforts were in vain.
With a mere flick of his hand, Ok Kirin shook off the attack, sending Yang Gwak staggering back, coughing blood.
Cursing himself for holding back, Yang Gwak drew upon all his strength again, launching another full-power palm at Ok Kirin’s back.
“I told you to get out!”
Ok Kirin swept his left palm once more, but Yang Gwak’s full-force strike made his own hand tingle with pain.
That shock jolted Ok Kirin to his senses, and he sprang up.
“Too many are interfering!”
As Ok Kirin rose, emanating murderous intent, Yang Gwak suddenly felt fear.
The killing aura pouring from Ok Kirin was something he could never hope to imitate.
In that instant, Yang Gwak realized he could not contend with the Young Lord’s martial power.
‘So the Young Lord’s Ten Absolute Arts have reached the stage of completion…’
