NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 3 - My first encounter with her was the worst.
Chapter 3. My first encounter with her was the worst.
The Ten Attendants, the ten eunuchs who once shook the entire nation.
Their tongues were sly and sharp, and for the past decade, they had been the true rulers of power.
However, as their reign of tyranny ended, a new power emerged.
That power was Dong Zhuo.
The one who had seized an overwhelmingly advantageous position, He Jin, fell to an unexpected plot by the Ten Attendants.
Meanwhile, Dong Zhuo, whose ambitions were as great as his large frame, took the opportunity and entered Luoyang amidst the chaos.
His sudden arrival left the warlords in shock, but by then, no one could stop Dong Zhuo’s army, which had already secured the Emperor.
One man was particularly troubled by this.
“Dong Zhuo’s tyranny worsens by the day. At this rate, the Han Dynasty, which barely holds onto life, will finally breathe its last, and the empire will spiral into uncontrollable turmoil.”
He pondered this while reading a letter from his old friend, Aman.
“Uniting the warlords to strike Dong Zhuo is a good idea, but our current forces are nowhere near enough.”
Dong Zhuo’s army included famous warriors, and having absorbed He Jin’s imperial guard, his forces were no laughing matter.
Ultimately, the issue was the number of troops.
No matter how great the warlords might be, overcoming an overwhelming difference in numbers was difficult.
Tap, tap, he drummed his fingers on the armrest.
“Does this mean the only remaining option is the Black Mountain Bandits?”
It was just five days after Aman’s letter arrived that the envoy of Zhang Yan, the leader of the Black Mountain Bandits, showed up.
Despite a previous attempt to suppress the Black Mountain Bandits, their remnants were still alive and well, meaning they could indeed become a great force.
However, the Black Mountain Bandits were a plague.
Though they had hidden their fangs and disappeared for now, as long as Zhang Yan remained, they would eventually bring chaos to the world once again.
Do they truly need to form an alliance with such a group? If things go wrong, it could needlessly legitimize them.
But there were no other alternatives.
The contemplation didn’t last long.
In the end, if Dong Zhuo wasn’t removed, a dark future awaited the Han Dynasty.
In a futureless world, who would speak of loyalty, of righteousness, or even harbor ambitions?
As he made up his mind, a cautious voice came from beyond the door.
“Pardon me! The Prefect of Shangdang sends word that Qing Niujiao has been beheaded in the area of Wuyuan Commandery!”
“What?”
He commanded the official beyond the door to come in and explain in detail.
“Who in the world beheaded Qing Niujiao?”
“Well… that is… it’s a name I have never heard before.”
“Speak.”
“They said it was done by a ‘mad dog of Bingzhou.’”
Qing Niujiao had been beheaded.
Qing Niujiao was a well-known general among the Black Mountain Bandits.
Though he was a bandit, he was not someone a mere fool could take down.
He leaned back in his chair, resting his chin on his hand.
Meanwhile, the official trembled as he stared at the man seated before him.
A descendant of the highest clan, known for issuing five edicts in rapid succession.
He wore a golden helmet, golden talismans, and golden silk plumes, truly embodying the golden lord that people called him.
His name was Yuan Shao, styled Benchu.
Finally, Yuan Shao’s golden eyes began to gleam.
***
This was one month before Qing Niujiao’s death.
It was also before the nickname “the mad dog of Bingzhou” started shaking the entire Wuyuan Commandery.
Unryong, who had just stepped out into the world, looked around the streets of Bingzhou, smacking his lips before grinning and rubbing his hands together.
“There’s a lot of bandits around here, isn’t there?”
At this, Unryong’s sworn sister, Haryeong, frowned and sighed.
“Yes, there are. It’s gotten a little better since the Ten Attendants’ Rebellion, but why are you so excited?”
“Isn’t it obvious! There’s no better stage than this to practice chivalry. Haryeong, didn’t I tell you? For martial arts to truly shine, strength must be accompanied by chivalry!”
That damned “martial chivalry”.
Haryeong knew the meaning of the characters, but the word itself was one she had never heard before. Her sighs only deepened as she thought about it.
“You keep talking about chivalry, but honestly, what you’re doing is no different from what bandits do…”
When you think about it, she was right.
Without a clear cause, Unryong’s group survived by looting the bandits hiding in the mountains.
Though some called them noble outlaws, in a less favorable light, they were no different from bandits and thugs.
Unryong knew this as well, but since they returned about half of the loot to the villagers, he thought they could at least be called “noble outlaws.”
So Unryong declared proudly.
“To become a true master, one must never turn a blind eye to injustice. I will become the greatest master under heaven, so don’t interfere.”
“Haha…”
Haryeong smacked her forehead and laughed weakly.
She knew the truth.
By his bedside was a book titled Cool Phrases Real Masters Use.
Though she didn’t know what “cool” meant, she was sure the book’s contents were unbearably embarrassing.
Every time he read that book early in the morning, his speech would become stranger.
On the other hand, Baekrang, unaware of this, merely looked at him with gleaming eyes.
“As expected of you, Brother! Hearing your words, I’m ashamed of myself. Let’s gather the men and attack immediately!”
“You idiot, do you think that’s possible?”
“Haryeong! You don’t understand Brother’s profound intentions!”
“Profound intentions, my foot. How do you even plan to attack?”
At Haryeong’s words, Unsam nodded in agreement.
“Haryeong is right. Brother’s intentions are good, but there’s no plan. Surely, we can’t comb through every nook and cranny of this vast Bingzhou land.”
After the Ten Attendants’ Rebellion, many of the key figures among the Black Mountain Bandits had disappeared.
Finding them was close to impossible.
As they said, how could they scour every inch of Bingzhou?
At this, Unryong just shrugged and laughed.
That smile sent shivers down Haryeong’s spine.
Whenever he smiled like that, her brother was bound to do something outrageous.
***
Haryeong tried to lift her lips into a feeble smile.
Honestly, I had no idea what to do either!
I’ve said this before, but I’m not a Three Kingdoms fanatic.
Sure, I know some famous generals and well-known events, but I don’t have the entire history memorized like the martial arts novels I love.
Honestly, I wanted to drop everything right now, focus on cultivating martial arts, and live a quiet life occasionally playing the role of a chivalrous hero.
I was only trying to build enough of a foundation for these guys to survive this chaotic era.
I had no ambition to unite the world or rise to fame!
But I couldn’t just do my own thing.
I had to take responsibility for the people I had taken in.
That’s why I needed to make a name for myself in the campaign to overthrow Dong Zhuo and pass these guys off to someone.
“What are you going to do, Brother?”
I was lost in thought when Haryeong suddenly shoved her face in front of mine.
“If I help someone, a plan will come to me, right?”
“Are you serious?”
Look at that!
She was staring at me with eyes full of disappointment.
After everything I’ve done to raise you, how could you look at me like that?
I didn’t want to deal with more nagging in this atmosphere.
Haryeong constantly nagged at me like she was my mother or something.
I needed to get out of here.
“We’ve only just arrived in Bingzhou. There’s an old saying that rushing things makes even the simplest tasks impossible. Let’s take a break and think things over.”
“…That’s true. Now that I think about it, the journey here wasn’t easy. The others must be exhausted.”
Good. Seizing the moment, I spoke quickly.
“For that reason, I’m going to go gather herbs. You can go have a drink somewhere.”
“What?! You just came down from the mountain, and now you’re going back? Brother, you should learn more about the world—!”
Without listening to her complaints, I pressed down on her head with my palm.
“There’s work that needs doing, so hush. I’ll be back.”
“Yes, Brother!”
“Take care.”
Except for Haryeong, who flailed her short arms in protest, the other two obediently clasped their hands and bowed.
Even Haryeong, begrudgingly puffing out her cheeks, shouted after me as I left her with her head still pressed down.
“Ugh, I can’t live like this! You better be back before sunset. Bingzhou is dangerous!”
“I know, I know. I’ll be back soon.”
Only then did Haryeong fall silent, though she still looked resigned.
After successfully escaping, I walked for a while until I found myself deep in the mountains.
Finally, I was alone!
Ah, now that I’m relaxed, I really need to go.
I stepped into the bushes, pulled down my pants, and thought.
They probably think I’m playing mountain hermit again, but I’m actually quite busy.
In fact, this alone time was essential for me.
First, I needed to circulate my internal energy and practice my martial techniques, maybe even forage for any rare herbs or valuable plants.
What a busy schedule!
Once I finish relieving myself, I’ll start circulating my energy.
The method I developed was from an old novel I’d read, called Shura Heart Technique.
I chose this technique for a simple reason.
At first, I had no secret manuals or anything to study, but as I organized the techniques from various martial arts novels, one day, out of nowhere, I succeeded, and since then, I’ve been using it.
The process is straightforward.
In simple terms, there are five gates in every person’s body that suppress their internal energy:
1. Gate of Entry
2. Gate of Opening
3. Gate of Blood
4. Gate of Life
5. Gate of Death
The Shura Heart Technique is an internal energy method to open these gates.
After 10 years of practicing the Shura Heart Technique I was able to open the Gate of Opening, but the Gate of Blood was a different story.
To reach the pinnacle of martial arts, one must open the Gate of Blood, but I hadn’t made any progress.
Well, everything has its limits when it’s just theory.
In a world where there are no martial artists, fighting ordinary people wasn’t enough to even reach the Gate of Opening, let alone the Gate of Blood.
I’d be lucky to encounter someone who could open the Gate of Entry.
That’s why I had no choice but to keep training diligently.
I had to hurry.
If I didn’t get back before sunset, Haryeong would throw a fit again.
As soon as that thought crossed my mind, I shook off and prepared to sit in meditation.
“Ah, um.”
That is, until I locked eyes with a woman standing before me.
Fiery red hair, jet-black eyes.
Even from a distance, she was annoyingly beautiful.
The odd thing was, I hadn’t sensed her presence at all during this entire time.
No matter how lost in thought I was, there was no way I wouldn’t have noticed someone nearby.
Wait, what the hell is going on? Why am I standing here, pants down, in front of a complete stranger?
The woman also seemed to be quite flustered, frozen in place.
Okay, in situations like this, it’s best to act confident.
If I get scared now, I’ll really end up looking like the guilty party.
She’s the one at fault here. I did nothing wrong!
“Good morning. The weather’s great today, isn’t it?”
Did my sincerity get through to her?
When I greeted her with a smile, she awkwardly raised the corners of her lips.
“Well… confidence is nice and all, but shouldn’t you cover that up? It’s not exactly something worth showing off, is it?”
…
Oh.