[TS] Became a Peach Saint – Chapter 177

“Hey there!”

“Huh?”

As I stepped out of the cabin, Baekseol flicked her front paw toward a tree.

“There’s something there!”

When I petted the fluffy ball in my arms, the ultra-high-performance Pposiraegi showed its belly.

—Chik, chik.

“Phew— Stop hiding like a rat and come out already.”

Even after waiting for a bit, it stayed quiet. Seems like they have no intention of coming out.

I looked where Baekseol pointed, but I couldn’t see anything.

“Baekseol.”

“Yeah!”

When I opened my pocket, Baekseol scurried inside.

No need to say anything—we’re in sync now.

“Phew—”

Tick.

The cigarette ash I flicked with my finger fell onto the damp soil and withered instantly.

“Ugh, stop with the creepy stuff. Aren’t you coming out?”

Bang—!

The moment I stomped the ground, the tree Baekseol pointed at suddenly felt closer.

Thud.

Just as my fist was about to hit the tree, a man in dark red clothes fell from above, stretching his arm toward my fist.

My fist met his wide-open palm.

—Kwaaang!!

As the shockwave subsided, the man’s hand, which had been emitting a blue haze, was completely twisted.

“What? Who are you?”

“Young lady, we… Gah!”

Dark red blood, matching his clothes, poured from the man’s mouth.

“See, why’d you jump out like that?”

Ping!

As the man in front of me vomited blood, others silently fell from the sky, drawing their swords.

Thwak!

“Kyaaah!!”

In an instant, their eyes rolled back, and tears of blood streamed down.

“W-wait!”

The man’s face turned pale as he saw this.

“What? You drew your swords, so you’re done for.”

“Young lady! We’re not your enemies!”

“Kyaaah!!! Please!!”

The man’s subordinates clutched their eyes and rolled on the ground.

It was pure chaos.

“Please, stop. We’re not your enemies.”

“Hmm.”

Seeing him speak so calmly in this situation made me feel a bit of trust.

Thwak!

“You should’ve said that sooner.”

“Gahk!”

The man’s subordinates, who had been going wild, let out short cries as they collapsed to the ground.

***

Thud!

“……”

He didn’t even make a sound while I was setting his bones without anesthesia.

“Aren’t you some martial arts master? Why’d you take the punch?”

“…Your punches are so horrifying, Kyaaah!!”

“Horrifying? Want me to send your arm flying?”

“I couldn’t help but be mesmerized by your stunning figure. I thought you were the reincarnation of a Vajra warrior.”

‘How did he know?’

This guy’s not someone to let your guard down around.

“What about them? Aren’t they martial arts masters too?”

The answer came from the guy next to him, who was blinking furiously as I set his eyeball back in place.

“If we had known you’d use such terrifying sorcery, we would’ve protected ourselves with our inner energy.”

“Terrifying? Sorcery? While you’re at it, protect your balls too.”

“Gasp.”

Every man around instinctively covered their crotches.

“Try saying it. Divine arts.”

“D-d-divine arts…”

They couldn’t bring themselves to say it.

“Want me to use sorcery to stick your captain’s arm up his ass?”

“Divine arts! It’s divine arts! Haha. Right?”

The man I was talking to nervously elbowed his companion, passing the buck.

“Y-yeah. Haha, divine arts!”

Crack!

While we were talking, I finished setting the captain’s bones using massage techniques.

“Heal.”

As the light from my hand seeped into his arm, it instantly returned to normal.

“Try moving your arm. I set the bones properly.”

The captain clenched and unclenched his fist, then nodded.

“To heal a crushed and twisted arm so quickly… Even Hua Tuo would weep at such medical skill.”

“Hua Tuo’s old-school healing can’t compare to mine. My healing is MG-level.”

The captain’s expression twisted strangely.

“Wait, is ‘MG’ the same as ‘Mad Doctor’? Fixing even the eyeballs that have gone wrong…”

“Want me to break your arm again?”

“That was a slip of the tongue. I meant ‘Divine Doctor’.”

─Click, click.

“Phew─ So, you guys were sent by Grandma?”

“That’s right. Grandma Hyangno said she was worried about the young lady venturing into the martial world for the first time, so she told us to keep an eye on her.”

From the moment they started calling Baekseol ‘spirit beast’ or whatever, it was clear she wasn’t ordinary. Seeing her drag these people around, I’m really curious about her true identity.

“Then why didn’t you just hide well? Why get caught and suffer like this?”

“······We’re just as baffled. The stealth techniques of the Thousand Blood Squad are supposed to be the best in the world. If the martial world finds out, they’ll laugh at us.”

“Is this town’s ‘best in the world’ supposed to mean getting caught in the blink of an eye?”

They avoid my gaze, seemingly at a loss for words.

“Phew─ You’re not needed anymore, so if you’re done, just leave.”

“That’s not possible.”

“I said I don’t want you here, so what do you mean it’s not possible?”

“Just kill me. I’ve failed my mission, so I have no reason to live.”

The captain spouts nonsense and sticks his neck out.

“I get that this town has a disregard for life, but if you want to die, go into the mountains and pray to the wolves or something.”

“Kill me.”

“Ugh, seriously. It’s not like you’re a fly’s life, why do you keep asking to be killed?”

To make matters worse, the guys standing around guarding the captain also stick their necks out.

“What? You want me to twist your balls and kill you?”

“That… I want a death befitting a warrior.”

“You guys are really something.”

Even though they talk like this, they’re actually terrifying.

If it weren’t for Baekseol, I wouldn’t even have known they existed, given how silent their movements are. They only act this way because they were sent by the grandma I met earlier.

I think I need to get stronger.

Tick.

─Click, click.

“Phew─”

Thanks to all this nonsense, my cigarette is burning down faster.

“Here.”

I put the cigarette I was holding into the captain’s mouth, and he starts puffing away.

I really don’t know what kind of people they are.

“Such a smooth cigarette.”

“Give it to me.”

The captain looks at my hand intently.

“What should I give you?”

“Money.”

“Money?”

“Gold coins, silver coins, give me all of it.”

“Were you part of the Green Forest Gang?”

The captain rummages through his pocket and hands me a small pouch.

“I never thought I’d be extorted by a bandit. I don’t have much on me. If you want, I can give you more after I return.”

I open the pouch and find a bunch of crude coins inside.

“How much is this worth?”

“······Where are you really from, miss?”

“Just tell me.”

The captain, who was puffing on the cigarette, looks at the coin in my hand with a dumbfounded expression.

“With two coins, you can buy a bowl of noodles.”

When I put the coin into my storage space, my money increases by 1,000 won.

“What about this?”

“One silver coin is the monthly salary of a noodle shop waiter. And that’s assuming it’s a well-paying inn.”

When I put the silver coin into my storage space, this time it increases by 1 million won.

Roughly, one silver coin is worth a thousand coins.

Maybe it’s due to inflation, but the value of a single silver coin seems off.

“What about this?”

“A gold coin is worth twenty silver coins.”

When I put the gold coin into my storage space, it increases by 20 million won.

The small pouch contains 1 gold coin, 10 silver coins, and 10 coins, totaling 30 million won and an extra 10,000 won.

“Is this town called Zimbabwe, or are you just really good at making money?”

“I can’t reveal everything, but since I lead a squad, my salary is quite high.”

If a well-paying ramen shop part-timer earns 1 million won a month, I can’t even begin to guess what this guy does for a living.

In this world, do people just carry around 30 million won in a pouch like it’s nothing? They’re either crazy or high-ranking nobles.

“Don’t you have round ones and boat-shaped ones too?”

“If you’re talking about round coins, one gold round coin is worth fifty gold coins.”

Fifty 20-million-won coins, so one gold boat is worth 1 billion won.

“I read in a book that at an inn, they cause a ruckus and give a gold bar as payment for the meal.”

“What kind of lunatic wrote that book? Even the emperor sitting on the throne wouldn’t do such a thing.”

Well, I guess they wouldn’t throw 10 billion won for a meal payment.

─Chik, chik.

“Phew─ Here.”

“G, g, gong-sul (space alcohol)!”

“Uh, it’s some kind of advanced alcohol, so be surprised later and just take it for now.”

When it’s time to be surprised, handing over a barrel of cigarettes brightens the face in an instant.

The handed-over cigarettes seem to be quite liked. On the contrary, it makes me doubt if the guy who just got 30 million won stolen is really him.

“Hmm, other people…”

Even though they pretend not to be wary, I can feel them glancing over.

This world seems to be very strict about hierarchy.

If I give the same amount to Daeju Uncle as to the crew, he’ll definitely get upset.

“Daeju Uncle gets one more barrel. Everyone else, take one barrel each.”

Teaching them how to unwrap the cigarette packaging, everyone busily moves their hands.

The atmosphere seems to have loosened up a lot, with everyone happily taking out a cigarette to smoke.

“It’s surprising that they wrapped it in transparent paper, then wrapped it again in expensive paper, and even the tobacco is wrapped in paper.”

Seeing how they comment on the smoothness despite smoking strong ones, the cigarettes here must be very strong.

Roughly thinking, it doesn’t seem like a country developed enough to make cigarette filters.

“Phew─ Oh, it’s smooth.”

“Hehe, Daeju-nim. I only want to receive tasks like this.”

I wonder if the conversation of the people who just fixed their eyeballs is correct.

I’m not even curious about what kind of life they’re living.

“It seems like it’s done, so I’ll go now. If you’re following, be careful.”

As I turn to leave, Daeju Uncle hurriedly approaches.

“So-jeo, if you’re going to the village, it would be good to wear a mask.”

“Mask? Like a face mask?”

“I don’t know what a mask is, but I mean to cover your face.”

“Why?”

“Don’t you know why? It’s obvious that all the wolves in the martial world will cling to you because of your outstanding beauty.”

“Oh, come on.”

As I scratch my head, Daeju Uncle’s expression changes strangely.

“It’s not a compliment.”

“I’m used to it, so it’s fine.”

“Sigh, excessive beauty is poison in the martial world. And, I don’t know where your clothes are from, but they’re too eye-catching.”

***

“Photo. Trouble.”

─Zzzzzzap!

“Gasp!”

Slapping the guy who was acting up, he foams at the mouth and collapses on the spot.

“B, brother! How dare you…!”

As the guy hugging the big brother and sending a pitiful look tries to stand up, suddenly Daeju Uncle flies in.

Pafang!

With an invisible speed, he swings his hand, and the remaining two guys fly far away.

“Han So-jeo, didn’t I tell you? This is the martial world where everything moves by the logic of strength.”

As soon as we enter the village, problems arise everywhere, so I guess he couldn’t stand it anymore.

“That’s why I like it.”

“What do you like?”

Daeju Uncle looks at me with genuinely curious eyes.

─Chik, chik.

“Phew─ Hey, if you don’t want to die, take out everything you have.”

“That guy is already unconscious…”

“What?”

Daeju Uncle’s gaze instantly cools down.

“Uncle, what’s that?”

“Hmm?”

Following my hand, Uncle moves his head and nods.

I was curious about the commotion since entering the village.

“That’s a martial arts tournament arena. To be precise, it’s a fighting arena named after the martial arts tournament.”

“Oh! Let’s go.”

Moving towards the noise, Daeju Uncle shakes his head and follows.

“Heavenly Sword, First Form, Heavenly Tiger Slash!”

Chaeang!

Shouting something loudly, he swings his sword at the opponent.

“What’s that?”

“That’s the third son of the Namgung family, who controls Anhui Province, one of the five great families known as the Great Gate faction. Before making a name in the martial world, it’s a unique tradition of the Namgung family…”

“No, why is he shouting so loudly?”

“Sh, shouting… Ahem.”

Carefully…

The uncle, who had been looking around, leaned his face close to my ear.

“Han So-jeo, you must be careful with your words in Hefei. And, that shouting over there… it’s not to kill the opponent in martial arts, but to engage in a competition for the sake of improving one’s skills.”

“Ah, so you’re telling each other what kind of attack you’re going to make?”

“Exactly.”

“What a stupid way to fight.”

Daeju Uncle let out a loud, fake cough, as if someone might hear.

“Ahem! Han So-jeo, please.”

*Ting!*

While they were talking, a sword flew by, and the martial arts match ended quickly.

“I learned a lot.”

The guy holding the thick sword bowed to his opponent.

It seemed like the greeting was to lightly touch his fist to his open palm.

“Wow!!”

As the match ended, the spectators who had gathered around started cheering loudly.

“Haha, let’s see who’s next to step up and spar!”

The spectators started looking at each other, urging someone else to go.

“Huh! Is there no one brave enough? I’ll wager my Rokpyeongjahwangdan!”

“Oh! Is it good for the body?”

The murmuring grew louder, but no one actually stepped forward.

“Huh, the spirit of the martial world has fallen so low. Then, I’ll wager the Cheonsimyongyeondan that the family head prepared! Still no one?!”

The murmuring grew even louder.

That must definitely be something good.

“So-jeo, that is…”

“Me! Me! Me!!”

“Wow!!”

The cheers of the spectators erupted once again.

As I made my way through the crowd to the center, a man holding a giant sword met my gaze.

“Ah… The term ‘heavenly beauty’ must have been made for you, So-jeo.”

“Ah, thank you.”

“I am Namgung Myung of the Namgung family. May I have the honor of knowing the beautiful So-jeo’s name?”

This is going to be disgusting.

Who raised the sweet-talker of the Namgung family like this?

“If I win.”

“Haha! Very well. You are truly delightful, So-jeo.”

He looked at me with a beaming smile.

“I will give you ten seconds, my fairy-like lady. I wish I could give you a lifetime, but given the circumstances, I have no choice. Please don’t hate me.”

‘Ten seconds? Does that mean he’ll let me hit him for ten seconds?’

Namgung Myung’s eyes kept moving, scanning my body.

“Wow, what a generous person.”

“Hahaha, isn’t that the Great Namgung Family, known as the Heaven Beyond Heaven?”

Here, it’s considered polite to shout out the name of your technique, but since I’ve only been throwing punches all day, I don’t have any specific techniques.

“Hmm…”

*Ding! Ding! Ding!…*

Now I have a technique worth shouting.

“Shall I go?”

“Come anytime.”

“The basics of fighting are to restrict your opponent’s movements.”

“Hmm! Excellent.”

Namgung Myung nodded vigorously.

“Yah! Binding Magic! No, Binding Technique! Can’t move your legs!”

“Haha, even your martial arts name is so cute…”

*Ding!*

**[Low Kick]**

“…Huh?”