Seo-jun invited the woman to sit after she introduced herself as Amjung Milgeom (Hidden Sword in Darkness).

His casual reaction to her presence was simple: though she had been hiding her presence, there wasn’t any real malice emanating from her. Besides, it had been amusing to see her startled when she realized she’d been spotted from outside.

"Amjung Milgeom, huh? But what’s your real name?" he asked, offering her a cup of tea.

She smiled slyly and replied, “Asking a lady her name? Secrets add to a woman’s allure, you know.”

“Uh… sure. But if you have too many secrets, you might end up becoming so mysterious people will want to cut your head off.”

She giggled as she sipped the tea he’d placed in front of her. “Don’t worry, I’m very good at running away.”

While she enjoyed her tea, Pae Jin-gwang, who had been eyeing her suspiciously, spoke to Seo-jun, “You’ve never heard of Amjung Milgeom? She’s a well-known assassin—kind of a strange, filthy-rich beggar, though.”

“Oh, that’s hip.”

“What does that even mean, kid? You’ve been saying weird stuff like that a lot lately.”

Before Seo-jun could respond, Amjung Milgeom chimed in. “Oh, you’re quite open-minded, aren’t you? I like that. After dealing with all those uptight old men, it’s nice to meet a guy like you.”

She giggled and pulled something out from her sleeve—a small glass jar filled with brown beans. Seo-jun’s eyes widened.

“That’s…!”

“Thought you’d like it. It’s coffee. Took me a lot of trouble to get my hands on it, so I’m giving it to you as a gift.”

“Wow, really? Thanks!” Seo-jun eagerly accepted the coffee, already imagining the moment when Chun-bong would join him to enjoy it.

As Seo-jun beamed, Amjung Milgeom grumbled, “I can’t stand those Cheokhwapa bastards. They have all this great stuff, but they refuse to use it. Just look around—everyone here is still lighting candles! With electric lamps so easily available, what’s with this backward setup?”

“What? Electric lamps? You have those?”

“Uh, yeah? Didn’t you know? You’re familiar with electric lamps but didn’t know we had them? How odd.”

“But… there aren’t any power stations, right? So how do you get electricity?”

“They make giok (spirit stones) in the Jegal family, you know. Use one with lightning energy in it, and it lasts for quite a while.”

“Wow…”

Seo-jun glanced over at Pae Jin-gwang, who had a look of discontent plastered across his face. Their eyes met, and, true to form, the old man started with his usual complaints.

“What’s so great about those foreign devils’ gadgets? We don’t have any problems with how things are.”

“Ugh, you idiot.”

“What? Don’t call me that!”

“Elder, just go back to your room and clean up the mess you made in the wall.”

“Tch. Kids these days…”

Grumbling under his breath, Pae Jin-gwang began picking up the shattered pieces of the wall he had broken earlier. Watching him, Amjung Milgeom’s mouth dropped open in shock.

“Wow. I never thought I’d see someone treating the Fist King so casually…”

“Well, everyone’s just human in the end,” Seo-jun remarked nonchalantly.

“Hmm… I’m not sure about that.”

She smiled awkwardly, and Seo-jun chuckled before continuing, “Anyway, Midnight Sister?”

“…What did you call me?”

“Well, Amjung Milgeom is a bit long, don’t you think?”

She glared at him, but eventually smiled. “Just call me Yehwa.”

“Is that your real name?”

“Of course not, it’s an alias.”

She laughed as she said it, and Seo-jun shrugged. “So, why are you here? You said you had some news.”

“Ah, right, almost forgot.”

Yehwa carefully opened her palm, spreading a thin layer of spiritual energy around her, dimming the surroundings. As Seo-jun marveled at the sudden change, she spoke.

“The Hyeol-O Moon (Blood Crow Sect) has put a bounty on your head. I’ve been offered the contract.”

An assassination contract. Seo-jun thought about the recent lack of nighttime visitors who used to show up uninvited.

‘So that’s why no one’s been coming recently.’

Scratching his head, Seo-jun asked, “So why are you telling me this?”

“Because I’m not dumb enough to die trying something stupid. Now that I’ve seen you, I’m certain I made the right choice.”

“Aha.”

“But it was still uncomfortable sitting on that offer, so I’m thinking of moving. And, of course, I need to stay on the good side of the local landlords, don’t I?”

She winked. Seo-jun blinked back at her.

“You’re moving into the Namgung family’s lands?”

“What? No! Are you crazy? I was thinking of settling in Anhui—it seems like a good place to live.”

“Oh, Anhui. I thought…”

“Anyway, we might bump into each other now and then. So let’s get along, alright?”

“Oh, uh, sure. Best of luck.”

“If my line of work prospers, wouldn’t the Namgung family try to kill me?” she teased with a wink.

“Uh… Then stay healthy?”

She chuckled. “You’re a funny one.”

With that, she surrounded herself with shadows, ready to disappear.

“That’s all I had to say.”

Her form vanished into the darkness, her voice lingering in the air. It was an impressive trick, and Seo-jun thought to himself that it would make for a great magic show. Unfortunately for her, the technique was reliant on inner energy, and Seo-jun’s eyes could still clearly see her.

There she was, awkwardly creeping out of the window.

‘Oh dear…’

As their eyes met, she froze, her eyes wide with embarrassment.

‘This is so awkward…’

Seo-jun decided that pretending not to notice would only make it worse, so he waved.

“Take care.”

Whoosh! She bolted away like a shot.

Was she really an assassin? She seemed incredibly sloppy.

Still, her stealth technique was impressive. He might even be able to create a new stealth method based on it... but that was a task for later.

“Yawn… so tired.”

Seo-jun crawled back into bed, half-asleep already.

“Old man, please go back to bed too.”

“You’re a strange one.”

Pae Jin-gwang chuckled as he stepped through the massive hole in the wall, heading back to his room. The hole was so large that his bed was clearly visible from Seo-jun’s room.

Lying down, Pae Jin-gwang grinned and waved.

“Good night!”

“Ugh, for fuck’s sake…”

Seo-jun waved back lazily, then turned over to sleep.

Soon, he’d be arriving in Hefei.

In his dream, a puffy-cheeked Chun-bong came running toward him, snuggling into his arms.

 

Recently, a rumor had been circulating around Hefei.

They said that on the top floor of the Cheonggwang Guesthouse, there was a beautiful fairy who gazed wistfully out the window!

Since only those who ordered the most expensive dishes could ascend to the top floor, the guesthouse owner was delighted with the flood of curious patrons.

Neung Yu-gang was one of those who had come after hearing the rumors.

A young man blessed with remarkable talent and the backing of his sect, Neung Yu-gang had risen to the Absolute Mastery stage at a young age, and he brimmed with confidence.

‘I’ve never met a woman I couldn’t win over.’

He was confident in his looks too, even imagining he could conquer the famed “flower of the Namgung family” if he tried.

But today, all those thoughts were wiped away.

Though he had assumed the rumor of the fairy was just the usual exaggerated nonsense, upon reaching the top floor of the Cheonggwang Guesthouse, he had found her—a real fairy.

A beauty beyond human comprehension. She was surely a celestial being. His heart, long dormant, now pounded fiercely in his chest.

Neung Yu-gang stared at the woman, spellbound.

She was like a sculpture carved from ice, a flower in full bloom. Her cold aura sent a chill through him, and yet, he was mesmerized, instinctively drawn to her.

Despite the icy beauty of her appearance, a trace of cuteness remained, likely due to her still slightly chubby cheeks.

Her nearly flawless beauty had only one minor blemish, yet that imperfection seemed to complete her, making her all the more breathtaking.

What would she look like once those chubby cheeks slimmed down?

Enthralled, Neung Yu-gang approached her.

“My lady…”

Her gaze flickered toward him, her icy eyes sending a shock down his spine as if a bolt of lightning had struck him.

“I’d like to offer you a drink,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

“No.”

Ah…! Even her voice was beautiful!

Hiding his nervousness, he casually took a seat across from her.

“Come now, how about just one drink?”

The men around him, who had all been watching the “fairy” from afar, glared daggers at him.

How dare he…! their eyes seemed to scream, though none of them had the guts to approach her themselves.

Grinning with smug satisfaction, Neung Yu-gang subtly channeled his inner energy into his hand.

“You see, I’m something of a big deal. They call me Seomgwang Kwaesoo (The Flashing Hand of the Rivers and Lakes).”

With a quick motion, he reached for the bottle of liquor in front of her. But the woman easily moved the bottle out of his grasp.

“Huh?”

Surprised but maintaining his composure, Neung Yu-gang laughed nervously.

“Haha… Impressive. So you’re a martial artist too…”

“Are you going to leave, or not?”

Chun-bong was growing irritated.

She lifted the bottle to her lips. The liquid inside wasn’t alcohol but a sweet drink she loved. It was made from sugarcane and had a sweetness akin to bingtang hulu, one of her favorites.

As she took a sip, she glared at Neung Yu-gang.

“I’ll give you three seconds. Leave.”

“Haha, my lady, I mean no harm—”

“Three.”

“I swear, I have no ill intentions…”

“Two.”

Despite counting down, Neung Yu-gang remained stubbornly in his seat, oblivious to the impending danger.

“I didn’t want to say this, but I’m quite an important man, you see. You won’t regret sharing a drink with me…”

Crash!

Something flew through the window, and in that moment, Neung Yu-gang froze. His gaze dropped to the table, where the spot his hand had just rested was now missing, cleanly obliterated. His hand was unscathed, but the sudden destruction was unnerving.

“…What?”

He realized instantly that this was the work of a master. A level far beyond his own.

Looking out the window, he saw a man walking on air, approaching the guesthouse. With each step, a plum blossom bloomed beneath him. The man strolled over, crouching casually in midair and glaring down at Neung Yu-gang.

“Hey, she told you to leave.”

“Sh-she?”

“That’s right, you little shit. How dare you speak to my Chun-bong like that?”

The man’s hand shot out, grabbing Neung Yu-gang by the collar.

“W-wait, no need for violence…”

Whoosh! Neung Yu-gang’s body was flung into the air.

“Aaaagh!”

Screaming, he flew through the open window, disappearing into the distance.

Dusting off his hands, Seo-jun plopped into the seat where Neung Yu-gang had just been sitting, looking at Chun-bong.

“Oppa…”

Her dazed eyes gazed at him, filled with a mix of emotions. Seo-jun grinned widely.

Seeing Chun-bong for the first time in a long while, she had indeed matured since recovering her meridians.

Though still short, she wasn’t unusually tiny for a woman, and her beauty was undeniable. Though she remained flat-chested, her chubby cheeks gave her a youthful charm that Seo-jun found endearing.

In his eyes, Chun-bong without her signature puffed-up cheeks wouldn’t be Chun-bong at all. She had evolved into her ideal form, perfectly balanced.

His only concern was whether she had grown up too much to play with him anymore, but surely, his Chun-bong wouldn’t do that.

“Hey, Goldie.”

His excitement bubbled over. He had so much to say, but in the end, it all came out as a simple statement.

“You’re alive…! My precious cheek fluff!”

“You bastard!”

Chun-bong hurled her drink at him.