The Second Eunuch Regains His Manhood

Chapter 124: The Secret Technique

After the distribution of the spirit pills was fully completed, just as they were about to leave their seats.

“This disciple.”

Seoharin’s voice shattered the silence.

Lee Cheol-soo, who had been chuckling, turned his head towards her.

Naturally, everyone’s gaze shifted to Seoharin.

Thump-thump.

Seoharin’s frozen heart skipped a beat when her eyes met Lee Cheol-soo’s.

The words he had said earlier echoed in her mind: the need for a Jin Gi-doin during the ingestion of the Daehwan Dan, and that she should call him when she was ready.

‘To give me such a valuable thing…’

It had been over a year since she became a disciple of the Gongdong Sect. She had learned enough about the matters of the Martial World by now.

The Daehwan Dan was like a priceless treasure in the Martial World. Seoharin knew that people would even start a fight over such a miraculous elixir. Forgetting the bonds of brotherhood, even sworn brothers would stab each other in the back over such a treasure in the ruthless martial world.

Yet, Lee Cheol-soo willingly offered her such a precious elixir.

Not only that, but he even set aside the remaining Daehwan Dan to give to their master.

‘Just my brother.’

Seoharin no longer doubted Lee Cheol-soo’s intentions. Unlike in the past, she now trusted him.

In this world, aside from her family, the only person she could genuinely trust was Lee Cheol-soo.

No one else was needed.

She needed him. So this was her opportunity.

Thump-thump.

Embracing her racing heart, Seoharin spoke up.

“…I’m going to take the Daehwan Dan now. Please help me with the Pressure Point Massage afterwards.”

All eyes were focused on Seoharin at her words.

While a Pressure Point Massage wasn’t strictly necessary for applying the elixir, it was sometimes done to evenly absorb its effects throughout the body.

However, it was rare for a man and a woman to perform a Pressure Point Massage together. Such a massage required pressure on various areas of the body, making contact inevitable. In the strict gender-segregated Central Plains, this was considered inappropriate.

Yet here was Seoharin, taking the initiative to suggest it.

‘It’s desperate, but if I don’t do this…’

Recently, Seoharin had felt a sense of impending crisis.

While she and her allies had not made significant progress with Lee Cheol-soo, seniors like Geumhu were advancing rapidly.

Therefore, she had to seize any opportunity quickly.

‘Fortunately, my body has matured a bit.’

Seoharin was slowly transforming from a girl into a woman. Though she wasn’t yet as mature and beautiful as Neungwolhyang or Geumhu, she considered herself a charming young lady with a youthful and attractive appearance.

Moreover, she had a secret weapon to captivate the heart of her brother.

So if she received the Pressure Point Massage, she would be able to shake his heart.

Silence hung heavy in the air from Seoharin’s sudden boldness.

“Sa-mae. Men and women are distinctly separate, so the Pressure Point Massage…”

Yujinhwi was the one to break the silence.

In her view, she could see the form of her younger sister.

Yujinhwi’s cheeks trembled.

‘A Pressure Point Massage…! But as a man, I can’t possibly receive one…’

Jealousy grew like a poisonous mushroom within Yujinhwi’s heart.

She had resolved to live as a man, so while she could care less about receiving massages, it was impossible to get one from a disciple.

No matter how oblivious her master might be, there was no way he wouldn’t realize that she was a woman after touching her body during a pressure point massage.

She was not yet the best in the world or the sky of the Martial World.

So, she had to hide it still.

Thus, she couldn’t receive a Pressure Point Massage. That was why she felt envy towards Seoharin, who could boldly declare herself as a woman.

Words of confession lurked at the back of her throat.

It was unbearable.

Yujinhwi’s gaze remained on her sister.

“…Yoo Sa-hyung is also a man, right? While Seomun Soja and Senior Dang are women, they are outsiders, so it’s inappropriate to entrust them with the Pressure Point Massage. Since you have promised to assist with the elixir ingestion, I shall receive the Pressure Point Massage from you.”

Seoharin had no intention of retreating. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity bestowed upon her after a long wait. She couldn’t let it slip away.

Although they were allies, it was only a temporary alliance, not a permanent one.

When the opportunity arose, she had to act.

Seoharin’s cold, mineral-like blue eyes turned toward Yujinhwi.

‘I don’t know why Yoo Sa-hyung is so fixated on this Sa-hyung…’

Why a man like Yujinhwi would cling to Lee Cheol-soo beyond the bonds of brotherhood was a conundrum Seoharin had yet to solve.

However, there was nothing wrong with what Seoharin had just said.

Assistance in taking the elixir could not be entrusted to outsiders. During the ingestion process and pressure point massage, it was essential to rely solely on the trusted disciples or masters of the same sect, seeing as they would have to fully entrust their bodies to someone else.

Thus, even though Yujinhwi was also a woman, the fact that Seomun Cheong-ha and Dang Yeong-ryeong were outsiders excluded them.

Only two brothers remained, and Seoharin simply chose Lee Cheol-soo from amongst them.

Moreover, it was Lee Cheol-soo who volunteered to help Seoharin first. Now, if she were to interfere now, it would not only tarnish his reputation but also undermine her own dignity and authority.

Yujinhwi realized that there was no logical flaw in Seoharin’s argument.

‘I can’t back down…’

Yujinhwi’s shoulders drooped.

With a trembling voice, she spoke.

“Understood. Then, be cautious while ingesting it.”

Yujinhwi stepped back with a stern expression. The victorious Seoharin forced an awkward smile.

Swish.

As she activated the Flowing Cloud and Water defensive technique, she moved closer to Lee Cheol-soo.

“Let’s go together, Sa-hyung.”

“Sure.”

After Seoharin and Lee Cheol-soo left their seats, Yujinhwi bit her lip and retrieved a handkerchief from her pocket.

Though it had been two years, Yujinhwi’s perfect memory kept that day vivid as if it were yesterday.

That day. When she had escaped the Honwon Bidong, she recalled crying for failing to protect her master when he had handed her a handkerchief to wipe her tears.

He had said she didn’t have to bear everything alone. There was no need to cry.

For Yujinhwi, who had no inclination of forgetting, every moment spent with her master felt as real as this very moment.

‘That’s how it was.’

Her master always acted that way. Without showing any signs, he sacrificed for the sect.

And this time was no different. The elixir she received was from efforts her master had made to help Sinseung.

But her master had not claimed his share. As someone involved in the Martial World, he had obtained not one but two Daehwan Dans, a coveted item desired by everyone, yet he had given it away for the sake of others.

Therefore, Yujinhwi resolved to honor her master above all.

That used to be the case.

But now, she wanted something more. She yearned to be embraced by her master as a woman. She wanted to whisper that she loved him. Even if the world turned against him, she wanted to declare that she would always be on his side.

Even if it couldn’t happen, she wished it could.

‘What a mess I’m in.’

Yujinhwi tried to suppress her emotions. As a chief disciple of the Gongdong Sect, she had to set aside private feelings like jealousy.

Even to lighten the burden her master, who worked tirelessly for the sect, had to carry.

Yujinhwi thought so as she closed her eyes and took a breath, trying her best to erase the image of Lee Cheol-soo and Seoharin.

“Yoo-hyung. Are you okay?”

Thud.

Dang Yeong-ryeong approached Yujinhwi and held her hand.

Concern shimmered in her gaze.

Despite her childish appearance and demeanor, Dang Yeong-ryeong was a senior figure of the Sichuan Tang Clan, approaching her sixtieth year.

She knew very well how Yujinhwi felt.

As Yujinhwi gently pulled her hand away, she said.

“I’m fine, Senior Dang.”

Yujinhwi forced a smile, awkwardly.

Seeing this, Dang Yeong-ryeong puffed up her cheeks.

‘Such a fool.’

She understood Yujinhwi’s situation well enough.

But she couldn’t help but feel annoyed with Lee Cheol-soo, who was oblivious to Yujinhwi’s aching heart.

He should be at least somewhat perceptive.

Dang Yeong-ryeong thought so as she pulled out the candy Lee Cheol-soo had given her, saying.

“Humph. I’m glad to hear that. Do you want some candy too, Yoo-hyung?”

“Thank you.”

Yujinhwi accepted the candy from Dang Yeong-ryeong.

‘That same candy that my master bought me on my first trip to the Martial World.’

Seeing the candy brought back memories of her first trip with her master to request cooperation for the verification of Seomun Seka’s Orthodox Faction Competition.

Back then, her master had readily consented to her desire for candy.

The first piece of candy her master had bought her had been sweet. Yujinhwi had never forgotten its taste.

She popped the candy into her mouth.

“…Is it good?”

At Dang Yeong-ryeong’s question, Yujinhwi nodded.

Though the location, time, and candy were different now, it was still sweet. After all, it was candy her master had bought.

A smile crept onto Yujinhwi’s lips.

Seeing Yujinhwi like that made Dang Yeong-ryeong smile a little.

‘Fools… Humph.’

While observing Yujinhwi and Dang Yeong-ryeong, Seomun Cheong-ha turned away and kicked a nearby pebble.

In her embrace was still the Sohwan Dan that Lee Cheol-soo had gifted her.

‘Why on earth did he give this to me?’

Both of them belonged to the White Path, but the Seomun Family and the Gongdong Sect were rivals competing for regional dominance.

The current hegemony in Gansu belonged to the Seomun Family, but the future was uncertain. The position that once appeared firm for the Seomun Family was now wavering due to the emergence of the Heavenly Body, Yujinhwi.

When that time came…

Seomun Cheong-ha certainly had to stand by the Seomun Family. Presently, she was aligning herself with the Gongdong Sect due to the ridiculous results of a martial arts competition… That was why she attended the Yongbong Jiyeo, yet here she was, at the Gongdong Sect’s lodgings, not the Seomun Family’s.

‘…’

But why?

The Seomun Family, her home, and the Gongdong Sect, which she had admired.

At this moment, Seomun Cheong-ha didn’t want to choose either side. Lee Cheol-soo’s figure lingered in her mind.

To give such a valuable elixir, a precious treasure, to someone who wasn’t even in his sect—wasn’t that beyond just being a good person? Wasn’t that a true 无骨好人 (Wuguhai Ren)?

‘What a, a responsibility… How dare he speak of responsibility over a precious heir of the Seomun Family like that! A hundred years, no, a thousand years is too early!’

Seomun Cheong-ha’s face flushed red. Her heart raced.

By sharing the elixir without any gain for himself, and vowing to take responsibility for her, Lee Cheol-soo’s actions resembled those of the heroic figures she admired.

She was aware of the reputation of the Dual Color Swords.

Her face turned red.

“Ugh… If you come at me like that, then I…”

What am I supposed to do?

Seomun Cheong-ha swallowed her words, kicking the pebble in frustration.

Lee Cheol-soo’s image wouldn’t fade away. She found herself feeling resentful. Every time the word responsibility crossed her mind, her heart swelled with frustration.

Moreover, she was also concerned about Seoharin and Lee Cheol-soo, who were going off alone.

‘A Pressure Point Massage between a man and a woman…’

How scandalous. Just thinking about it made her face flush.

How could one so expressionless utter the words “Pressure Point Massage” so casually?

But at the same time, she felt a twinge of envy.

Is that envy? To think of such improper actions with envy was absurd.

Seomun Cheong-ha shook her head vigorously.

Her heart was a tangled mess of confusion.

Seomun Cheong-ha sat down, biting her lips as she tried to erase the image of Lee Cheol-soo, turning her head away.

This won’t do. If I stay here any longer, I’ll be in trouble.

“Humph. There are only fools in the Gongdong Sect! I think I’ll take a little stroll around the Shaolin Temple Grounds!”

With that conclusion, Seomun Cheong-ha said some insincere words and left the inn’s separate wing.

In her arms was the Sohwan Dan that Lee Cheol-soo had gifted her.

At the same time.

Huff!

Lee Cheol-soo was continuing the Pressure Point Massage while hearing Seoharin’s moans in the dark martial training hall.

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