Rattle, rattle.
The carriage climbing the mountain path shook incessantly.
“Boring.”
Bu Eunseol, bundled inside a large sack loaded on one side of the carriage, wore a bored expression.
Around the third watch, two shadowy martial artists had stealthily entered the inn where he was staying.
In an instant, they sealed his pressure points and abducted him.
‘If they’re bold enough to kidnap someone from an inn, they must have investigated thoroughly.’
Both the merchant Yu Ingwang from Fujian and his daughter Yu Seol were real people.
No matter who investigated, nothing suspicious would turn up.
‘So the Chief Inspector does the same.’
Outstanding intelligence organizations or assassin sects in the martial world often created numerous fictional identities for special missions. Hadn’t the Divine Mountain Sage himself spent years crafting the identity of Seon Woojin—one that no information network could find fault with?
This identity of Yu Seol had been personally given to Bu Eunseol by Gongsun Dankyung.
‘Judging by their abduction method, they’re quite experienced.’
The martial artists knew that Yu Seol—the woman Bu Eunseol was disguised as—was an extremely frail young lady, yet they infiltrated the inn with utmost caution. Like lightning, they sealed his points, stuffed him into a pre-prepared sack, and immediately fled the inn.
At the same time, they loaded him onto a carriage waiting outside the village and sped out of the city in the blink of an eye.
Seeing this seamless, flowing process, Bu Eunseol realized these people had abducted countless women over the years.
‘But why use a carriage?’
To transport someone secretly, deploying qinggong to cover the shortest distance quickly would be better.
Why, then, waste time by putting him in a carriage?
Neigh.
Then, amid the horses’ snorting, the speeding carriage suddenly stopped.
Another sack dropped beside Bu Eunseol.
‘I see.’
Only then did he understand.
They weren’t just scouting at Ban-Gye Temple; they were investigating all the beauties visiting the surrounding areas and abducting them in batches.
‘But this is far too risky.’
An elder of the Mount Hua Sect had countless ways to obtain beautiful women without resorting to such methods. Why spend so much money and manpower on something that could send him straight to ruin with a single exposure?
‘Then there must be another purpose.’
Moreover, the current Mount Hua Elder Chae Ju-heung was suspected of being an impostor, not the real one.
He should be even more cautious with his conduct, yet he committed such heinous crimes?
There had to be a special reason—one worth risking everything—to abduct these women.
Clatter.
Finally, the carriage stopped, and footsteps approached from outside.
Hands lifted the sack, and someone began moving swiftly while carrying it.
Whoosh! Whirl!
The qinggong of the person carrying the sack was swift and stealthy.
Uniquely, when kicking off the ground, they twisted their soles to generate forward momentum.
‘The Secret Demon Palace?’
Bu Eunseol could not hide his surprise.
The qinggong resembled the unique footwork of Flying Demon Tak Ilhon’s signature movement art, Ghostly Moonlit Stride.
Whirl! Tap!
The sounds of cutting air spread in all directions.
Not just Bu Eunseol—numerous experts were carrying sacks and racing toward the same destination.
‘The carriage was merely a collection point.’
Bu Eunseol was stunned by their abduction technique.
The Chaehongsa scouts hidden in each region gathered the abducted women in one place. There, masters of qinggong waited, then carried the sacks en masse to the final destination.
Neigh.
When the carriers finally reached a certain point, they halted their movement.
Though still inside the sack, Bu Eunseol could sense they had arrived deep in the mountains.
‘A mountain villa hidden in dense forest.’
Swish.
The sack opened, revealing the surroundings.
‘So that’s why it was never discovered.’
Surprisingly, the place was a serene meditation chamber in a temple, fragrant with incense.
Opening the sack was a nun with a shaved head and sharp eyes.
She glanced at the sack’s exterior and clicked her tongue.
“A mute? That actually works out well.”
Whoosh.
She unleashed finger wind to unseal Bu Eunseol’s blocked points.
He had already formed and stored an inner core within his body—at a level where even a master of the Limitless Realm would detect nothing amiss.
“Ahh.”
Bu Eunseol gestured in feigned panic, and the nun spoke coldly.
“Strip.”
At her command, Bu Eunseol took a deep breath.
‘So this is how it goes.’
He had naturally predicted this situation.
Gongsun Dankyung had offered a powerful bewitching drug to prepare for it, but Bu Eunseol refused. During the process of sealing points to administer the drug, others might notice or leave traces.
‘I’ll manage.’
Focus.
As Bu Eunseol gathered his inner energy, a faint light flickered in his eyes.
Though he had not learned mind-capturing arts, after falling victim to Hyeok Ryeon-eung’s soul-seizing secret technique and being exposed multiple times to Ak Muryeong’s illusionary arts, he could roughly grasp the essentials of seizing another’s mind.
“Oh ho.”
The nun’s eyes turned vacant as she gazed at Bu Eunseol, then she nodded.
“Not only your face—your figure is excellent too.”
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
“Don’t worry. With this level, being mute won’t be a flaw at all.”
Satisfaction gleamed in her eyes.
Inability to speak actually lent a calmer, more serene beauty.
“Hmm.” She grabbed Bu Eunseol’s wrist and nodded again. “Only your constitution is a pity.”
Shaking her head, she muttered, “But with such peerless looks, he will surely be pleased.”
“Ahh.”
As Bu Eunseol opened his mouth, the nun said, “Listen well. From now on, obey my words and you may live.”
Instead of answering, Bu Eunseol wore a terrified expression and rushed to open the chamber door.
Any ordinary woman would have done the same.
Stepping outside, his eyes widened.
From the numerous sacks lined up in front of the main hall, blood was dripping steadily.
“Didn’t I tell you?”
When Bu Eunseol froze and trembled, the nun approached and whispered, “Though you lack extreme yin energy, your beauty is supreme—that’s why you can live. Otherwise, you’d be treated like those rags immediately.”
‘So he was harvesting yin to nourish yang.’
Finally, it clicked.
Chae Ju-heung was selectively abducting women with extreme yin energy.
That meant his goal was more likely practicing yin-harvesting arts than mere indulgence in women.
To those who practiced yin-harvesting and yang-nourishing techniques, the pure yin of women with extreme yin constitutions was like an elixir.
“Follow me.”
The nun led Bu Eunseol to a spacious room.
There, women of heavenly beauty waited, all dressed in identical pink garments.
“Change into this.”
She handed Bu Eunseol the same pink clothing.
“This is where girls like you—with ordinary constitutions but beautiful faces—are kept.”
Bu Eunseol glanced at the women in the room.
They seemed to have been abducted long ago so their expressions and behavior were unnaturally calm. Yet perhaps from repeated abuse by the nun, they dared not meet his eyes and kept their heads bowed.
‘They don’t take them immediately.’
Rather than transporting abducted women right away, they underwent a selection process here.
Only those who reached a certain standard were sent to the secret manor.
“You arrived late, so you’ll need to train hard in the arts.” The nun spoke coldly to Bu Eunseol. “If you even think of escaping, slitting your throat now would be quicker.”
‘As you wish.’ Swallowing a bitter smile, Bu Eunseol made an “Ahh” sound.
From the next day, Bu Eunseol began training alongside the women in various arts.
“Only those among you who excel at dance and music will survive.”
He had assumed “arts” meant the four classics—zither, chess, calligraphy, painting.
But everything taught here was designed to captivate men: seductive dances, songs, and instrumental skills.
“Ahh.”
Since his throat was “injured,” Bu Eunseol was exempt from singing and learned only instruments and dance.
Thanks to his exceptional memory and dexterity, he quickly mastered high-level zither playing.
Dance, however, grew more repulsive the more he learned.
‘This is torture.’
The dances emphasized feminine allure.
No matter how perfectly his Face and Bone Shifting Art created a beautiful woman’s face, expressing feminine charm and grace made his skin crawl and his stomach churn.
‘I can’t stop here.’
He wanted nothing more than to slaughter everyone here, torture the leaders, and extract the manor’s location.
But many agents had already failed that way.
Even if he succeeded, the leak would likely allow Chae Ju-heung to escape.
‘After coming this far, why hesitate?’
Bu Eunseol closed his eyes tightly.
He resolved to embody the perfect woman.
“You’re truly remarkable.”
The nun exclaimed in admiration.
Once he changed his mindset, his dancing improved by leaps and bounds. In less than four days, Bu Eunseol’s dance and zither skills surpassed all forty women gathered here.
“With your outstanding beauty and perfect dance… from today, you need no further practice.”
‘How touching. Thank you.’
As Bu Eunseol turned to leave,
“Yak Bing, your turn.”
At the nun’s words, a beautiful woman opposite Bu Eunseol stepped forward.
Swish, swish-swish.
Her movements were as graceful and flowing as her lovely appearance.
‘She knows martial arts.’
She pretended to be frail with no inner energy. But Bu Eunseol saw at a glance that she had trained for years and possessed toned, elastic muscles.
Judging by the development of her calves visible beneath her skirt, she had mastered an exceptional qinggong.
‘Not from the Martial Alliance.’
She possessed a wild, vibrant beauty like a flower blooming in a field—something no sheltered lady or noble daughter could have.
“You’re hopeless.” The nun spoke coldly to Yak Bing. “If you don’t master the Joyous Sound Dance and Butterfly Dance within two days, you’ll be moved to another room.”
Tap.
When the nun left, Yak Bing hung her head.
“I can’t let that happen.”
Her voice carried not despair, but anger and resentment.
The other women offered no comfort or concern.
Here, everyone was a rival; only a limited number could survive.
With Bu Eunseol all but guaranteed survival through his skills, one fewer spot remained.
Rustle, rustle.
The remaining women returned to their rooms.
As Bu Eunseol started to rise, Yak Bing approached.
“Could you play the zither for me?”
When he tilted his head, she pleaded earnestly,
“I must survive.”
Desperation burned in her eyes.
But it was not mere desperation for survival.
‘I wonder what her story is.’
Since Bu Eunseol now knew this location, the abducted women would safely return to their families.
Helping Yak Bing, who so desperately wanted to advance, could hardly hurt.
Nod.
When he nodded, Yak Bing clutched her chest in relief.
“Thank you.”
As Bu Eunseol began playing the zither, she resumed the Butterfly Dance.
This dance originated from the legendary Cha Nyeo Sect, once rivaling the Palace of Bliss. Even light steps could seize men’s souls and ignite their yang energy.
Yet the intricate footwork and complex movements made it nearly impossible to learn without innate genius-level memory.
Ting, tong.
As Bu Eunseol’s playing reached its peak, Yak Bing passionately swayed her body in rhythm.
But she repeatedly failed to connect the footwork, halting the dance.
‘Am I truly incapable?’
Yak Bing bit her lip.
Her memory was excellent so she had memorized every step and movement. She never missed a beat or struggled with difficult footwork.
Yet it lacked smoothness and beauty because her blunt personality instinctively rejected coquetry.
Just like Bu Eunseol had initially felt.
“This won’t do.”
After dancing for a while, Yak Bing sensed the flaw and stopped.
Tears welled in her clenched fists.
‘I risked my life to come here.’
She did not voice it, yet Bu Eunseol seemed to hear her inner cry.
‘She can’t express emotions her constitution doesn’t allow.’
“Ahh.”
After a moment’s thought, Bu Eunseol picked up brush and paper from the side.
—Instead of forcing melancholy, why not express it brightly and strongly?
Yak Bing frowned at his writing.
“How?”
Both dances emphasized feminine seduction, melancholy, and delicate beauty.
How could they be expressed brightly and strongly?
“Ahh.”
With no choice, Bu Eunseol began performing the hated dances in front of her.
Well-versed in countless martial arts, altering the intent of dance was no harder than tweaking sword intent.
Swish, swish-swish.
What should have been serene and melancholic like moonlight on a lake suddenly blazed vividly—like petals sparkling under a fierce sun.
It perfectly suited Yak Bing’s healthy beauty.
“How did you do that?!”
As she exclaimed in shock, Bu Eunseol gestured hurriedly.
‘We don’t have time—practice quickly.’
“Yes, got it.”
As a seasoned martial artist herself, Yak Bing instantly memorized the altered steps.
Yet strength still overshadowed feminine grace.
Bu Eunseol had no choice but to correct her movements directly.
“Ahh (Too stiff).”
He straightened her rigid body and gently lifted the corners of her mouth.
“Ahh (Your waist is too tense).”
He exaggerated the motions to emphasize her slender waist.
“Yes… I see.”
Yak Bing had nearly given up.
But as Bu Eunseol approached and adjusted her personally, touching and refining, the dance gradually took shape.
“Ahh.”
When she reverted to blind strength, he reached out again to correct her.
Dancing close together repeatedly, her body began to heat up.
‘Why am I like this?’
Clearly another woman—yet breathing her scent up close made her dizzy.
Every time soft hands touched her waist, moans threatened to escape.
‘Could it be… I’m actually like this?’
Yak Bing had always loathed men by nature. Forced here to learn dances that seduced them only deepened that hatred.
Yet when this woman called Yu Seol pressed close, she felt an exquisite, indescribable emotion.
“Hoo… hoo…”
“Ahh (Take a short break).”
“Al-already?”
When he nodded, cheeks flushed, Yak Bing gathered herself.
“Y-yeah, no choice, I guess.”
Her reluctant expression now fully revealed the charm of a lovely beauty—utterly transformed.
‘So that’s it.’
Bu Eunseol realized one more truth.
Yak Bing had lived her entire life roughly like a man, never fully aware she was a woman.
‘Her body knows, but her mind resisted.’
Though disguised outwardly as a woman, Bu Eunseol was fundamentally a man.
Meeting him… Yak Bing was gradually blossoming into a captivating, beautiful woman.
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