NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 118
Chapter 118: Her Test
Jeoksawol.
It was the first time this life that I faced her true self with my own eyes.
In my previous life, I had met her a few times due to work. I had even seen her bare face. I didn’t think much of it, as I was castrated, so I could only say she was pretty.
Thinking back, Jeoksawol, known for her beauty as the Most Beautiful in the World, caused desires in men and jealousy in women. That’s why she was famous for covering her face with a veil.
The reason she showed her bare face to my past self must have been because I was neither a man nor a woman.
Even then, it was absolutely infuriating.
Though her stunning beauty was covered by the veil, the voluptuous curves revealed between the red fabric and her perfect body created a natural allure that left me breathless.
‘It must be because of the Heavenly Alliance that Jeoksawol, the best in the demonic faction, is in the sacred ground of the Orthodox Faction, Dalma Cave…’
Heavenly Alliance.
An enigmatic force, but in my previous life in the Central Martial World, they didn’t really have much presence. They monitored minimal movements, but since they didn’t show any suspicious behavior or signs of betrayal, they were always ranked low among the Dongchang.
Furthermore, the Heavenly Alliance operated as a secret society in a cell structure, making surveillance costly and not very efficient. Of course, it wasn’t that the intelligence network of Dongchang hadn’t infiltrated the Heavenly Alliance.
In any case, it seemed that Jeoksawol was indeed a member of the Heavenly Alliance, just as Dongchang had suspected in my past life.
“Amitabha. Jeoksawol seems to still be impatient.”
“It’s not that I’m impatient; it’s that you, monk, are too laid back.”
Jeoksawol floated gracefully and quickly sat down between Sinseung and me. With her arrival, the three of us formed a circle around a small tea table.
The best of the demonic faction and the best of the orthodox faction.
To see the two absolute masters of Hyeongyeong who divide the current Martial World here, it was a sight to behold.
Moreover, the heads of incompatible forces, like oil and water, sitting together.
‘They say the Heavenly Alliance accepts members without regard for the Right Lord…’
Perhaps the Heavenly Alliance was established in ancient times when the distinction between the Right Lord was vague.
Slurp.
I leisurely sipped on the tasteless green tea between the two absolute beings of the demonic and orthodox factions.
As I kept drinking, the taste of this green tea was starting to feel somewhat acceptable. Is this what brainwashing feels like?
The true identities of the Heavenly Alliance, Blood Demon, and Blood Sect were certainly information I hadn’t grasped even in my past life.
So, I was a bit surprised to hear it, but that was all.
‘My tasks haven’t changed.’
It didn’t matter if the Blood Demon was an ancient entity or whatever.
Anyone threatening my, Hwang Sang’s, world will be dealt with by me.
My ultimate goal is to become a hero of the Martial World transcending the Right Lord, overpower the Blood Demon, and embrace the world’s beauties to establish the Samcheosacheop, practicing heroic love at the Wine Pond and Meat Forest!
Thus, as I swore in the Geumhu Bidong, the Blood Demon had to be crushed by my hands.
Only then can I indulge in pleasures, buried in the skin of the exquisite beauties, right?
If I can use the Heavenly Alliance along the way, then sure, I’ll use them as much as I want.
“So, monk, how did that kid’s test go?”
Jeoksawol pointed at me with the fan in her hand.
I had to suppress a laugh at Jeoksawol’s actions, behaving like we were meeting for the first time, though it wasn’t.
Is she still planning not to reveal that she and Neungwolhyang are the same person?
“Amitabha. This little swordsman has splendidly passed the test of the vacant monk.”
Sinseung said while rolling his beads in front of Jeoksawol.
“Really? How?”
“The content of the test is something I promised to keep to the grave, so even if you are Jeoksawol, I cannot disclose it.”
“…You’re going to take it that way, huh…”
Jeoksawol placed her forearms on the tea table.
Tap, tap.
Her fingers drummed on the table.
She naturally poured herself some green tea and took a sip.
“This green tea still tastes terrible. Monk, every time you serve this kind of tea to your guests, don’t you think it’s about time you fix that awful taste?”
“Hahaha. I didn’t expect to hear such words from Lady Jeoksawol.”
“Enough.”
Clunk.
Jeoksawol set her teacup down on the table.
Her face turned towards me.
“Since your monk’s test is over… I still do not trust you. So now, I will test you.”
I heard Jeoksawol’s voice.
The content of her test was obvious without needing to be said. She would want to unveil her bare face, exposing my desires in plain sight.
Fine. I’ll let her tempt me as much as she wants. I’m definitely not falling for some hypnosis app.
I had no intention of giving my heart to Jeoksawol, who still hadn’t revealed her true identity or admitted that her substitute and main character were the same person.
I thought that way and said, “A test, huh? When you say that, it reminds me of an older sister I know.”
The moment Jeoksawol heard my words, her hand flinched just slightly. A momentary tremor in her hand that could easily go unnoticed if it weren’t for her supreme mastery.
“An older sister? What nonsense is that all of a sudden?”
Jeoksawol spoke with an arrogant tone.
I pretended not to know and said, “The Hwa Myeon-ho-gyeom, Ye Yeoryeong… She had a rule that if she met a man and asked about her own beauty, if he were to answer falsely that she was beautiful, she would castrate him. Do you perhaps know her?”
“…I don’t know her. It’s the first time I’ve heard of her.”
Jeoksawol’s voice quivered slightly at my words.
It seemed to strike a nerve.
I had no intention of letting go to the end.
However, it’s not good to provoke Jeoksawol too much. I should get to the main point now.
“It’s fine if you don’t know. So, what kind of test is it?”
Even though I knew everything, I asked as a matter of courtesy.
Hearing my words, Jeoksawol let out a mischievous laugh.
She said, “Do you know who I am?”
Originally, I should have responded with something like, “Could it be that you are Jeoksawol, the best in the demonic faction, the Sado Ryeonju and the Supreme Lord of Hao Mun, known as the Most Beautiful in the World?” That would be the etiquette of the Martial World.
Jeoksawol intended to elicit such a response.
But this time, I decided not to follow the etiquette of the Martial World.
“I don’t know.”
I said I didn’t know Jeoksawol.
Unless it was Neungwolhyang or Hwa Myeon-ho-gyeom.
“…”
Silence followed my words.
Now her hand was shaking openly.
“Hahaha… Amitabha.”
Sinseung was grinning annoyingly.
“…If you don’t know, remember it well from now on and never forget, little swordsman. I am Jeoksawol, the best in the demonic faction, Sado Ryeonju, and the Supreme Lord of Hao Mun.”
“I meet you, Jeoksawol-senpai. I am Lee Cheol-soo from the Gongdong Sect.”
I bowed my head slightly to show her the bare minimum of respect.
“Now, you might be wondering why the best in the demonic faction is here joking around with that monk in the sacred ground of the Orthodox Faction. The answer is simple: I am the Commander of the Heavenly Alliance.”
“Then, Sinseung-senpai must be the Commander of the Heavenly Tian.”
“That’s right. Our association accepts members regardless of the Right Lord. And if there’s a sign of Blood Sect going wild, the council is summoned to temporarily cease hostilities and cooperate to drive out the Blood Sect. After all, the Blood Sect has been a longstanding enemy of the Martial World that transcends the Right Lord factions.”
“So, if there’s no issue with the Blood Sect, it means members can be hostile or cooperate as they please?”
“Exactly. That’s why I’m with that monk. If the Blood Sect hadn’t shown up at Geumhu Bidong, there wouldn’t have been a council convened, nor would I be dining with this pious hot-blooded monk.”
Indeed.
As I suspected, the Heavenly Alliance was a cell-structured and temporary organization. A mediation entity that temporarily formed alliances until the Blood Sect could be pushed out, halting the hostilities of the Right Lord factions.
Like the US and the Soviet Union allying against the Axis powers in WWII, or countries on Earth teaming up against alien invasions in movies.
If the Blood Demon ends up ruling the world, both the orthodox and demonic factions, as well as the Demon Sect, would all fall, so this can be deemed a rational alternative.
An underground Martial Alliance and an unavoidable alliance of Wu Yue.
“And since you asked about the nature of the test, let me tell you; it’s very simple.”
It seemed she thought she had taken complete control, as Jeoksawol’s tone exuded confidence.
Slowly.
She began to slowly remove her veil.
“…You must maintain eye contact with me for over a moment without any reaction.”
Thud.
The veil that had covered Jeoksawol’s face fell to the ground.
The Most Beautiful in the World.
The transcendent beauty of Jeoksawol, which I had seen in my past life and was now experiencing for the first time in this life, filled my vision.
The moment our eyes met, the dimly lit Dalma Cave, illuminated only by candlelight, suddenly felt as bright as the sun.
Snow-white skin, jewel-like red eyes, luscious and moist pink lips.
Her perfect facial features and body created an overwhelming beauty that descended before me.
A woman so beautiful that she seemed crafted by the hands of God, embodying every concept of beauty, appeared right in front of me.
It was Jeoksawol’s true face.
‘She’s disgustingly beautiful, no matter when you look at her.’
In my previous life, when I met Jeoksawol, she was nearing her sixties. However, thanks to being a master of Hyeongyeong, her beauty remained that of a woman in her twenties, even having surpassed her sixties in my previous life.
And now, the 62-year-old Jeoksawol also possessed the beauty and physique of a ripened twenty-something.
Just like in my previous life.
But I, unlike my past self, was different this time. I was in the prime of my youth, full of vigor and vitality. My body reacted instinctively, and blood was naturally flowing to my lower region at that moment.
But I controlled my blood flow with the martial arts I mastered, preventing any arousal.
About three minutes passed.
Jeoksawol, who had been maintaining eye contact with me, slightly trembled.
Her fingers twitched.
“…How do you find my beauty, little swordsman? You can speak honestly.”
“Jeoksawol-senpai, as expected, you are the most beautiful in the world, truly the most beautiful.”
Throughout both modern and medieval eras of the Martial World, I couldn’t deny that Jeoksawol was the prettiest woman I had ever seen.
I decided to acknowledge the fact.
Upon hearing my answer, Jeoksawol’s face flushed slightly. Her cheeks blossomed with color, like nature meeting spring after winter, making her even more beautiful than when I first saw her.
Jeoksawol fidgeted with her skirt with her left hand, continuing to speak.
“…So, how do you feel right now? You must speak without reservation. I possess a technique that can discern truth from lies. If you tell a lie, there will be consequences.”
Despite the forceful nature of her statement, Jeoksawol spoke with a trembling voice and hesitant manner.
I had no idea which answer she wanted.
I couldn’t say I was infatuated like other men. I wasn’t infatuated at all.
After a year, I realized that Neungwolhyang, no—Jeoksawol, had no intention of expressing true feelings towards me.
The feelings she conveyed were closer to possessiveness than affection.
So, I couldn’t treat her sincerely, either.
Still, if I had to speak frankly, I had no choice.
I had to be honest.
I looked at Jeoksawol and said, “I was counting in my heart on when a moment would pass. This test is just too… boring.”
The moment my words finished,
Whoosh!
The blush that had adorned her face vanished. Jeoksawol’s expression hardened. Her cheeks trembled violently.
The teacup held in Jeoksawol’s right hand shattered into dust.
What was that?
You said to be honest, didn’t you?