Seo-jun left the alleyway with Chun-bong, a place they had grown somewhat fond of.

After spending so much time around the outskirts, crossing the city was a first for him.

“This city’s bigger than I thought,” Seo-jun mused.

“It’s not that big, though,” Chun-bong replied.

“Huh? Really?”

Both of them were top-tier martial artists, yet it took quite some time for them to reach the city’s walls. And yet, Chun-bong insisted this wasn’t a large city.

Seo-jun realized he couldn’t judge this place based on the common sense he brought from his previous life. The geography of this world’s martial realm might be entirely different from Earth’s China. Not that it mattered—he didn’t know much about Chinese geography anyway.

Once they reached the outskirts, the two paused to check their map.

“This is the right way, yeah?” Seo-jun asked.

“Yeah, if we cut across the mountain, it should be fine,” Chun-bong confirmed.

The map, bought at the market, was clearly hastily drawn by someone who barely cared. Using a compass, they drew a straight line toward the Mount Hua Sect.

Mountains or cliffs wouldn’t stop martial artists of their level. They could pass straight through without dying, right?

With that mindset, they began their ascent.

It was getting late, as they’d spent quite a bit of time packing supplies and browsing the market. They might have to camp on the mountain tonight.

Seo-jun walked along the mountain path, glancing at Chun-bong, who was walking beside him with small, quick steps.

She had definitely grown since the first time they met.

Not just in height—her baby fat had started to disappear as well.

Seo-jun sighed as her features slowly began to take on a more womanly shape.

“Can you stop growing already?”

“…Why do you always talk such nonsense?” Chun-bong retorted.

“I mean, seriously. My cute little Chun-bong…”

“Ugh. What’s with your weird taste? You like kids or something?”

“I don’t like kids. It’s just… there’s something about it, y’know?”

For the record, I am not a pedophile. That, I can say with confidence.

But thinking about Chun-bong growing up into a full-fledged woman filled him with a strange sense of melancholy.

“Guess I won’t be able to give you piggyback rides much longer,” Seo-jun joked.

“Huh…? Uh, well, I don’t think that really matters, does it? Even if I get bigger…”

“See? I knew it!”

“You were tricking me!?”

“I knew you secretly liked riding piggyback!”

“I don’t!”

Chun-bong burst out angrily. Is this what they call a woman’s heart?

Despite her words, Seo-jun knew she liked it. He had mastered reading Geum Chun-bong’s reactions by now.

“So, how about a piggyback ride?” he teased.

“Shut up and keep walking,” she snapped.

“Oh, c’mon. You’d love it…”

Seo-jun trailed off as a commotion reached them through the dense trees. The sounds of people screaming and hurried footsteps echoed through the forest. Moments later, a wild-looking bandit burst out of the undergrowth.

“Run for your life…!”

“Help meee…!!”

They sped past Seo-jun and Chun-bong, running for dear life.

“What’s going on here?” Seo-jun wondered aloud.

In a flash, Seo-jun moved. He caught up to the fleeing bandit in no time, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck and hoisting him into the air.

“L-let go of me!”

“You’re a bandit, aren’t you?”

The man’s attire screamed “bandit” to anyone with eyes.

“If you know, then let me go! You’ll regret messing with the Green Forest Bandits! P-please let me go! Hurry!” the bandit begged, his frantic struggling intensifying.

Something had clearly spooked him. Seo-jun turned his head to see what it was. A man, drenched in blood, had stopped nearby. Blood dripped from the blade he held in his hand.

“And who are you…?”

The man didn’t answer Seo-jun’s question. Instead, he charged, swinging his blade at the bandit.

If Seo-jun did nothing, the bandit’s head would be cleaved off.

Seo-jun casually stepped back, tossing the bandit far into the distance.

The blade cut through empty air.

The man’s sharp gaze turned to Seo-jun.

“Are you with them?”

“I’d say I’m pretty good with them.”

As Seo-jun spun in place, he swung his leg out.

Bang!

The man blocked the kick with the flat of his blade, but the force of the impact sent him sliding backward.

“Hmm…”

The man shook his numbed arm, glaring at Seo-jun.

“What kind of bastard are you?” he growled.

“Aren’t I the one who should be asking that? Who just attacks someone out of nowhere? Seriously, where are your manners?”

The man’s eyes darted between Seo-jun, Chun-bong, and the bandit, who was now fleeing in the distance.

Snarling, he wrapped his blade in qi and lunged again.

“Step aside!” he shouted, feinting a strike at Seo-jun before pivoting to charge at Chun-bong.

“Bastard,” Seo-jun muttered, drawing his sword and rushing in.

A golden flash enveloped his blade. As he swung, an explosion of heat erupted, forcing the man to retreat.

Boom!

The man was pushed back by the blast.

Seo-jun quickly grabbed a small rock from the ground. Infusing it with dark energy, he flicked it toward the man, who blocked it with the flat of his blade.

Clang!

The rock hung in the air for a moment.

Seo-jun pinned his thumb against his middle finger.

Since gaining insight into the Taiji, his internal energy had deepened.

The speed at which he could alternate between yin and yang energy had also dramatically improved.

In an instant, he released a blast of yang energy from his fingertips.

The bullet of energy struck the floating rock,

────────────!!!

triggering a massive explosion.

“Guh…!”

The man was caught in the blast and hurled through the air, crashing through several trees before slamming into the ground, unconscious.

“…Who are you?” Seo-jun muttered, standing over the fallen man.

He had decided not to kill him for one simple reason—when the man attacked Chun-bong, he had aimed to incapacitate, not kill. If he had truly meant to kill her, Seo-jun would have torn him limb from limb.

“My daughter…”

“What the hell…?”

Thud!

Seo-jun kicked the man’s head, knocking him out.

“Hmm…”

Seo-jun stared down at the unconscious man, narrowing his eyes. Should he finish him off or let him live?

As he pondered, Chun-bong approached.

“Why does everyone feel the need to mess with me?” she grumbled.

“Well, you do look kinda weak,” Seo-jun teased.

With her small stature, she did look like she could lose to a stray dog in a close fight.

“What did you just say?”

“I’m saying you’re cute.”

“M-moron…! You say the dumbest things…”

Chun-bong stammered, and Seo-jun ruffled her hair with a grin.

“Anyway, what should we do with this guy? Kill him or not?”

“Let’s hear him out. He did mention something about a daughter.”

“A daughter, huh? Sigh…”

With a shake of his head, Seo-jun stepped aside as Chun-bong moved to act.

Tap tap.

She pressed a few acupoints to block the man’s internal energy flow, limiting his movement.

“Wake him up?”

“Yeah.”

Poke!

Chun-bong jabbed another pressure point, and the man’s eyes shot open.

“Gasp…!”

“Hey.”

Seo-jun lifted the man’s chin with the flat of his sword.

“Name.”

“…Wang Daesan.”

“So, what’s this about your daughter?”

The man’s eyes widened as much as they could. His body jerked as he gasped out his plea.

“Please… save my daughter…! I don’t care what happens to me, just save her…!”

“She’s been kidnapped?”

“Y-yes! Search my pockets! There’s a letter!”

If you had just said that from the start, things would’ve been much simpler…

Clicking his tongue, Seo-jun flipped the man over with his foot.

“Let’s see here…”

Rummaging through the man’s clothes, he found a letter.

“Hmm… I can’t read this.”

The letter was scrawled in blood and barely legible.

“Give it here.”

“Sure.”

Seo-jun handed the letter to Chun-bong, who read it aloud.

In summary: A young lady had been kidnapped by bandits. The man, who had escaped, was too injured to move and had sent the letter asking for help.

“Looks like it was sent by some kind of bodyguard?”

“Probably.”

Wang Daesan frantically nodded in agreement.

“Yes! It was sent by the bodyguard of my daughter, Miss Soryeong!”

“A bodyguard lost to a bunch of bandits?”

Chun-bong answered Seo-jun’s incredulous question.

“Bandits these days are stronger than you think, especially their leaders. The mountains are full of monsters, so only the strong survive.”

"If they're strong, why would they become bandits?" Seo-jun asked, still not quite believing it.

"I don't know. Don’t try to understand how people think. Just assume there are idiots like that and move on," Chun-bong responded.

Seo-jun scratched his head in confusion. It didn’t make sense to him.

"So, if these bandits are strong, shouldn’t people avoid the mountains? Why were they even in the mountains, only to get caught by bandits?"

"How should I know? Ask them, not me."

"This is ridiculous."

Letting out a hollow laugh, Seo-jun glanced at the man, who desperately tried to defend his fallen comrades.

"They probably weren’t heading into the mountains. The child is young, and her bodyguard would’ve known the dangers of bandits.”

"Then how did they get caught by bandits?"

"…Maybe the bandits saw her beauty and decided to kidnap her."

So, the bandits came down into the village and kidnapped his daughter?

"There were no bandits in this area before. It seems like they settled here recently..."

"Ugh, whatever."

Seo-jun waved a hand dismissively. He didn’t really care about the details—knowing them wouldn’t change anything.

"So, where’s their hideout?"

Wang Daesan’s eyes widened with relief, and tears, possibly of gratitude, streamed down his face.

"Thank you… truly, thank you so much…!"

"Stop with the thanks. Where’s their hideout?" Seo-jun asked again.

"I-I don’t know. I was planning to capture a bandit and find out, but I haven’t been able to yet…"

So, he has no clue. Useless.

"Sigh… let’s go, Chun-bong."

"What about this guy?"

"He’ll figure it out," Seo-jun replied, walking away.

Chun-bong quickly undid the acupressure block she’d applied to Wang Daesan and followed after Seo-jun.

"My dear Chun-bong. How will a kind-hearted person like you survive in this harsh world?"

"You’ll take care of me, won’t you?"

"W-wha…!"

Seo-jun was overwhelmed with emotion, covering his mouth in disbelief.

"Yes, let’s live together forever, Chun-bong!"

"…What nonsense are you spouting now?"

Chun-bong snorted, trying to hide her embarrassment.

•  

"So, how are we going to find them?" Chun-bong asked, breaking the silence after a while.

Seo-jun closed his eyes and focused for a moment. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open.

"Over there, I think," he said, pointing in a direction.

Chun-bong narrowed her eyes. "How do you know?"

"Their qi is disturbed."

"Seriously, what the hell…?"

Chun-bong smacked her forehead in frustration.

"Damn it, this world really sucks. If you’ve got talent, you can do anything!"