The Eunuch Regains His Manhood in the Second Round

20. The Walking Demon

Inside the passage.

A pond formed by the clear water flowing from a natural cave.

In the icy cold yet transparent water, she was there.

Yujinhwi.

She, the head disciple of the Gongdong Sect and Senior Brother to Lee Cheolsu, was now in the pond in her natural state.

The ceiling was embedded with luminous pearls, so it wasn’t dark.

‘Thank goodness…’

She sighed in relief, stroking her chest.

From the time she was taken in by her master until now.

She had always lived disguised as a man.

In the murim world, one had to become a man to avoid being ignored and to suffer less hardship. It was her master’s theory that she had to disguise herself as a man for the reconstruction of the sect.

Yujinhwi sincerely followed her master, so she had no complaints about her master’s order to disguise herself as a man.

—

And when she couldn’t protect the priest at that time, she had vowed to live as a man.

A sturdy man who could rely on.

“‘Priest, you must be thinking I’m strange?”

But unlike her vow, Yu Jin-hwi’s heart was gradually changing, unknowingly to herself.

As an orphaned child, she had always envied other young children in the middle realm who followed the path of the strong.

She wanted to become a great warrior who could sweep across the world.

The environment of the back alley, where she grew up, made her even more yearn for it.

That’s why she also admired the story of the friendly brother-sister relationship.

When she entered the common faction, she gained a mentor-like figure like her parents, but she didn’t have a brother-like figure, which was why.

She was always alone as a disciple of the common faction.

From the time she entered the common faction at the age of 7 to the time she turned 14, it was a period of 7 years.

So when the priest arrived, she was delighted.

During that time, she had admired and longed for a brother-like figure, and she was overjoyed to find that she had finally gained a sibling-like brother who could share her feelings and rely on each other.

The story of the friendly brother-sister relationship, which she had only heard, had become a reality, and she wanted to become a sturdy brother who could rely on.

“‘If I were a real man, could I have bathed with the priest?'”

But it wasn’t meant to be.

She was not a man, but a woman disguised as a man, so she couldn’t even bear to be near the priest, let alone bathe with him.

Yu Jin-hwi’s gaze fell below.

Underneath, there was a pair of white, smooth, and tender breasts, like a peach, which had grown a little bigger after she had taken the elixir and endured the trials.

Her chest, which was originally a flat and hard one, had become a beautiful and delicate shape, like a drop of water, the most beautiful form in the world, but to Yu Jin-hwi, it was just a useless lump of fat.

It wasn’t just that.

Her body lines had also become slightly more feminine.

Though she was still a bit immature, her skin was as bright as the eyes of the North Sea, and her appearance as a woman was taking shape, carrying within her the seeds of a beauty that would make all women jealous.

As she absorbed the spiritual energy into her body, her body was maturing, and the changes were taking place.

But Yu Jin-hwi didn’t like the way her body appeared, transparent and clear like water.

“‘I wanted to be with the priest······.'”

She had heard that men often became close friends by bathing together naked.

The exchange of their naked bodies was said to be the fastest way for men to become close friends.

—

Thus, she too wanted to bathe together like the other brothers, hoping to quickly bond with the priest.

Perhaps the priest might have anticipated a shared bath with her.

‘He might have thought it was strange.’

But unfortunately, she was not a real man, and could not bathe with the priest.

So when the priest spoke to her, she preemptively declined the shared bath.

Fortunately, the priest let it slide.

Just like when she had seen her bandaged chest in the field.

‘…No, the priest might not have thought that way.’

Yoo Jin-hwi shook her head again, denying her recent thoughts.

She clearly remembered what the priest had said back then.

That he didn’t think it was strange.

The moment Yoo Jin-hwi recalled his words,

Her face flushed bright red.

Thump.

Her heart began to race.

An unknown, yet pleasant tingling stirred within her heart.

Having absorbed the energy, Yoo Jin-hwi, who had just entered the early stages of puberty, could not grasp the nature of the emotions welling up inside her.

‘Ugh…’

Splash.

Yoo Jin-hwi struck her hand down toward her reflection on the water’s surface.

The cold water of the pond splashed against her heated cheeks.

‘If it’s the priest…’

Perhaps, even I right now…

As that thought crossed her mind, Yoo Jin-hwi shook her head.

For the sake of rebuilding the sect, she must live as a man.

For the priest, she would live as a man.

That great proposition surfaced in Yoo Jin-hwi’s mind.

Her face sank into the pond up to her lips.

—

Bubbling.

Bubbles rose before her lips.

She had resolved to live as a man, for the sake of the sect, for the sake of the priest. Therefore, it was impossible to reveal to the priest that she was a woman.

But…

The priest was precious to her.

He was not just a simple younger brother.

Even when she took the Mita Sacred Water, without the priest’s advice, her vital energy might have surged uncontrollably, leaving her a shell of her former self.

That was not all.

Despite being her younger brother, the priest considered her, a condemned woman, and even offered her elixirs.

He did not take care of himself.

‘So… I am the only one in the world who can take care of the priest.’

I am the only one responsible for him.

Thus, the fluttering heart that thinks of him now… is a natural feeling for someone who has resolved to care for him for a lifetime.

That is the bond of brotherhood.

And to take care of the priest, she could not remain a fragile woman. She had to live as a man.

Yoo Jin-hwi made that vow as she rose to her feet.

Swish.

The beauty of her form was vividly revealed under the light of the night.

Her fair skin, flushed pink from the warmth, her delicate shoulders and waist, and her moist body reflected the light of the night.

She completed her laundry, infused her clean martial attire and bandages with her essence, dried them thoroughly, and wrapped the bandages tightly around herself.

A pair of luscious white peaches were pressed down by the bandages, disappearing from view.

Confirming her flattened chest under the pressure of the bandages, Yoo Jin-hwi began to dress.

Over her loose black martial attire, she draped a long robe, and as she utilized the techniques of the Bone-Strengthening Art and Reverse Application, her beautiful curves vanished beneath the clothing, and her appearance transformed into that of an androgynous man.

‘Thank goodness it’s a man’s martial attire…’

This was a land ruled by Confucianism.

No matter how relatively free the martial artists were from the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, clothing that revealed the body and skin was considered lowly and lewd, only worn by courtesans, and thus avoided.

Whether martial attire or a robe, it was common for both men and women to wear loose-fitting garments.

Especially in Yoo Jin-hwi’s case, she wore slightly loose men’s martial attire as a precaution, which perfectly concealed her figure.

‘The scent must have dissipated…’

Now fully dressed and transformed into a man, Yoo Jin-hwi buried her delicate face in her arm and took a whiff.

Fortunately, the stench of impurities had long since dissipated.

The usual scent of wildflowers brushed past her nose.

With this, she wouldn’t be a burden to her master.

Having finished her bath, Yujin-hwi stepped out of the pond with light steps.

*

How much time had passed since she blocked out her hearing?

She sensed a presence through her intuition.

Finally, her senior brother’s bath was over.

‘He bathes for a long time, especially for a man.’

Was it because of his meticulous grooming?

Even so, he bathes for a long time.

Or could it be…

‘The wildflower scent that always emanates from his body…’

Could it be that this scent was not a natural talent but a result of his efforts?

The foundation of my charm and the essence of cleanliness, could it be that my senior brother has been practicing this since this age?

I felt a chill run down my spine without realizing it.

The vigilance towards my senior brother, which had momentarily slackened due to my complacency, tightened sharply.

Practicing cleanliness… He wouldn’t need to make an effort if he was already that handsome.

To think he would combine effort with the talent of a face blessed by the heavens.

He was indeed no ordinary person.

Whether intentional or not, my senior brother was indeed a formidable opponent.

What was more unsettling was…

‘Whether his efforts are directed towards women or men, either way, it’s a problem.’

If he directs his efforts towards women, he would undoubtedly become my rival.

If he combines effort with that face, he would become a perfect, flawless handsome man, monopolizing the hearts of all beauties.

Naturally, my dream of having three wives and four concubines would be shattered.

Although, considering his lifelong bachelorhood without a single lover in his past life, the possibility was low…

It wasn’t zero, so there was a need to be cautious.

But if he isn’t interested in women? If he is interested in men?

That would be a disaster.

—

I had to hope that I wasn’t the type to attract the attention of men.

The more I thought about it, the less I could find an answer.

In fact, it was a question without an answer.

‘Get a grip, Lee Cheolsu. You must not fall into the heart’s demon (心魔).’

I shook my head vigorously.

What was so attractive about my senior brother?

He is he, and I am me.

What could I do, having been born with this face? In a medieval murim world without plastic surgery?

So I had to make the best effort given the circumstances.

Thus, I had to walk my own path, my own way of seduction, to capture the hearts of women and establish a harem of beauties (傾國之色).

They say a man’s charm comes from confidence, don’t they?

One must have confidence in oneself and know how to love oneself to be able to love others.

And to love others, one must know how to capture the hearts of women and share passionate moments (朝雲暮雨).

That was the way of seduction I pursued.

As I was shaking off the heart’s demon and solidifying my own way of seduction,

Poke.

Someone tapped my shoulder.

—

“Yes! I’ll wait!”

Seeing the deadly smile of my senior brother, whose face itself is a cheat key, I lost a bit of confidence again.

How am I supposed to beat that?

He’s a separate species disrupting the ecosystem.

He’s like a walking heart demon.

Shrugging my shoulders slightly again, I received my senior brother’s farewell and headed into the passage with a bamboo tube containing soap and a towel.

*

After meticulously applying soap and finishing my bath in the ice-cold cave pond, I dried my martial arts uniform with my inner strength.

I came out of the bathhouse, looking clean and refreshed, and returned to the secret cave.

“Junior brother, you’re all done washing?”

The secret cave wasn’t very spacious, just enough for two or three people to live together comfortably.

A luminous pearl embedded in the ceiling caught my eye.

How much is that worth? If we sold it, we wouldn’t have to worry about the sect’s finances for a few years.

It seems that the previous world’s best martial artist spent quite a bit of money.

Well, if you’re the world’s best, you could wallpaper your room with luminous pearls and still have money left over.

Thanks to the records erased by the previous world’s best martial artist, we avoided the hands of the demonic cult. Perhaps that luminous pearl is an emergency fund left by the senior master for our future?

While I was thinking that,

“Junior brother. I’ve organized all the secret manuals.”

I heard my senior brother’s voice.

He was sitting on a stone chair, organizing the martial arts manuals on the table.

On the secret manuals, the names of the martial arts were written in a dragon and snake-like script.

‘This is the Three Yin True Art I looked at earlier, next to it is the complete version of the Seven Kill Sword, then there’s the Mysterious Heaven Sword, the Flowing Cloud and Water, the Demon Subduing Great Strength Hand, the Dry Yang Finger, and the Kun Yin Finger, a total of seven…’

There were a total of seven secret manuals.

Wait, seven?

My expression hardened.

“Junior brother, what’s wrong? Is something the matter?”

My senior brother asked me with a worried voice and expression.

“Are these really the only seven manuals?”

“Yes. I searched everywhere, and this is all. Still, I’m glad that the lost martial arts have returned to our sect.”

—

—

In response to my question, my senior brother smiled and answered.

No, seven volumes are not enough.

In his previous life, the absolute art of the Gongdong Sect that Yujinhwi obtained from the Honwon Cave was not seven, but eight.

The lost eighth absolute art.

That is…

“Was there no Bokma Sword Technique?”

My senior brother shook his head at my words.

No?

That can’t be.

Before the regression, my senior brother in his previous life definitely obtained the Bokma Sword Technique here. Since the information from Dongchang couldn’t be wrong, it was undoubtedly true that the Bokma Sword Technique was hidden here…

So, I had to obtain the formula for the Bokma Sword Technique here to make future tasks easier.

‘So, the Honwon Sword Master left the Bokma Sword Technique in a form other than a secret manual.’

When the masters of the previous generation created the cave and passed on the absolute art to the later generations, it wasn’t uncommon for them to leave it in a form other than a martial arts manual.

They might carve the martial arts moves on a stone wall, or leave the formula encrypted, or pass it on through residual thoughts left in a special object.

Or they might hide the formula in a mechanism that only responds to internal energy accumulated through a specific mental method.

Unlike the seven martial arts here, the Bokma Sword Technique was the representative ultimate technique of the Gongdong Sect.

Leaving the formula in a form other than a secret manual that anyone could take was more advantageous for security.

So, what method did the Honwon Sword Master, who was a warrior of the Life and Death Realm, choose?

As I was fiercely turning my head to find some clue and was about to take my eyes off my senior brother,

“There was no Bokma Sword Technique. But I found sword marks that are presumed to be from the Bokma Sword Technique.”

At my senior brother’s words, I stopped thinking.

He found that?

“Where are those sword marks?”

“Follow me.”

At my words, my senior brother stood up, and I followed him.

The place we arrived at was…