Surviving as a Rival in a Martial Arts Novel

Chapter 16 – Beginning of the Four-Blooded Assassin (01)

‘Huh… So, if I capture that guy and become the protagonist? Should I devour the Three-Life-and-Death Ending?’

…Of course, if I did that, the novel’s content would become a mess, and just like the unexpected encounter with Chugum, an unforeseen accident would likely happen. Therefore, it was safer to proceed according to the original content.

“And… Yeonji Sojo.”

“Yes.”

As Jumsoi cleared the dishes on the first floor, Yeonji was right there, lifting her head.

‘Jegal Yeonji is right above, and she’s bold…’

Even though it was an exceptional disguise to the point where I couldn’t recognize it right away, revealing it with a slight touch could expose it to my twin sister and even Janghyun Nyeo.

Or maybe she deliberately hid nearby with the thought that the area under the lamp was dark.

“Do you know where Sama went?”

“That’s…”

With a rather awkward expression, Yeonji glanced, indicating a passage leading to the kitchen.

‘Why would Sama be in there?’

It was a space that had nothing to do with guests’ rooms, and as a room guest, there was no reason to enter. I wondered why she would be in such a place instead of spending time on the first floor of the inn or, better yet, wandering outside if she needed time…

“Ugh!”

The moment the door to the room opened, I could immediately understand the reason.

Sniff… Sniff…

It wasn’t a sobbing bird… No, not a sniffing bird, but the sound of someone forcefully holding back tears and snot filled the room.

“Sama?”

As my voice reached the room, the sniffing sound subsided for a moment, then started resonating loudly again. In this narrow room, there was nowhere for Sama to escape, and she was stealthily trying to retreat backward.

“Come here.”

At times like this, there was no point in chasing after Sa-mae with all my might, as she would easily outrun me with her full power.

If Sa-mae were small in stature like me, she would be able to move freely even in a small attic. But Yeon-cheongha was tall, and in order to enter the attic, she had to bend her waist more than halfway.

So, she leaned her buttocks against the entrance of the attic and tapped her thigh as if beckoning me to come here. Sa-mae, who had been cautiously watching me, slowly came back to my side.

“Sa-hyeo…ng…”

“Why are you crying like that?”

“I’m so… sorry… It’s because of the girl… sniff…”

“You’re not dead, and you haven’t lost your martial arts forever. It’s a temporary setback that will resolve itself over time. If you endure it for a while, it will be over.”

“But still… sniff… if it weren’t for the girl… if it was just you, Sa-hyeong, alone… this wouldn’t have happened…”

If that were the case, I would be dead.

If Sa-mae hadn’t shown any interest in the daggers of the Chugum and ignored me during the execution of the assassination technique, she would have killed everyone and buried them in the harbor without sparing me or keeping Sa-mae alive out of personal curiosity.

‘In a way, it’s because it was Sa-mae who was there…’

From my perspective, if I had simply gone to the harbor without thinking about it to deal with the small fry of the Black Veil organization in accordance with the development of the original novel, I would have been killed by Chugum, who accompanied me to that place.

But the problem was that I couldn’t explain this to Sa-mae, so all I could do was comfort her as she cried.

Her eyes were swollen and her throat was so sore that I couldn’t even guess how many hours she had been crying, but still, as I stroked her head and comforted her, Sa-mae quickly began to regain her composure.

“Girl… I promise.”

“Promise?”

“Next time, I will definitely… not lose. I won’t ever hold onto the neck of death again.”

Looking at Sa-mae, who was extending her little finger to me with swollen eyes filled with determination, I could somewhat understand why Yeon-cheongha couldn’t forget her even after her death and lived her whole life. Even if I were the one who entered Yeon-cheongha’s body, I would probably become the same kind of cripple, wandering around and eventually becoming obsessed with even the slightest trace of Sa-mae if I were to lose her from now on.

“To protect this lovely sisterhood, I must survive as well.”

In order to witness our sisterhood marrying a good husband and escaping the fate of death, I must watch with my master.

At least, I hope the subject is not just Ban Gyu-sung.

“Instead of giving Ban Gyu-sung to her, I’ll just take her myself and live with her…”

I can’t just make our sisterhood one of the three assassins. No.

* * *

Sacheon-dangmun.

In martial arts novels, it is commonly referred to as Sacheon-dangga. Its formal name is simply Dangmun (唐門), and it is called Sacheon-dangga because it is based in Sacheon.

After asking for about a week’s time, when three days had passed, Yeonji Jegal arrived through the sound of the engine with me. Since I had requested the poison and the appropriate alcohol, all she needed to do was bring her body.

“There’s no need for Sister to come…”

After the clash with Chugum last time, Samae became more sensitive and clung to me more than before, with sharper eyes (although she was still cute in my eyes). Even now, Samae said she would rest at the inn and I went alone, but she insisted on following me.

“Sahyeong, if you plan to release the blocked veins after drinking the poison, then the girl should protect you! Otherwise, you might be attacked during the cultivation of your inner energy!”

It’s a valid point, but the place I’m going to is the trusted Sacheon-dangga.

If I were to be ambushed and lose my martial arts skills or become disabled or die while cultivating my inner energy inside, then Sacheon-dangga would be ridiculed as ‘a place that couldn’t protect a single guest’.

‘In the novel, Sacheon-dangga was exposed during the Blood Horror incident, but since those bastards couldn’t infiltrate with their spies…’

Since it was originally a closed faction centered around the Tang family, there was no way for those black organization bastards to plant any spies.

They probably didn’t even realize that isolationism and bloodline exclusivity could be helpful in a place like this, but the problem was that the foundation martial arts skills to resist the real couples who attacked without regard for the lack of souls or the fact that their bodies were corroded by poison were weak. Until Ban Gyu-sung and Han Soso appeared during the Sacheon Blood Horror, Sacheon-dangga suffered the most damage.

‘Have we arrived while I was thinking about this and that?’

As the engine guided us to the entrance of Sacheon-dangga and we went in, Jegal Yeonji reported to me after going inside, and the servants of Sacheon-dangga came out to welcome us and lead us inside.

‘Come to think of it, the other characters were analyzed and moved to some extent within the novel, but since Ban Gyu-sung has no connection to Sacheon-dangga… from now on, is she truly a newcomer?’

As I entered, I found myself in a garden made of cobblestones, with a wooden table made of camphor trees and a parasol blocking the sunlight. Inside, I could see Jeon Yeon-ji and a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard sitting face to face.

“We are enjoying a cup of tea with Confucius and the Daoist poet Oakseolhwa.”

Startled by the shout of the guide who had become a rabbit’s eyes, I held his hand tightly. Seeing this, the middle-aged man smiled proudly and gestured for us to take a seat.

“Please come in through the main gate.”

“The master of the main gate? The gatekeeper of the main gate?”

I couldn’t grasp who this character was, but the middle-aged man, who was commonly called “Dok-in,” was not sharp or eerie, but rather a well-built, handsome middle-aged man.

“I am the official of the Sachon main gate. Originally, I was from a different family, but I became a member of the Dang family through marriage.”

“They call me Yeoncheongha.”

“Oh, Oakseolhwa…”

With a crawling voice, Samae, who had barely finished greeting, sat next to me. In front of us, there was only the gatekeeper, and across from us were Jeon Yeon-ji, me, and Samae in that order.

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“Are they interviewing for a position at Sachon?”

I felt that something was wrong with the seating arrangement. Should I have Samae sit next to Jeon Yeon-ji and move next to the gatekeeper, or should I stay like this?

“I don’t know. Let’s just sit.”

“Oh, a nobleman mentioned by Cheonbong. This is getting interesting.”

“Yes. He is the benefactor who saved us when Jegalsega was in crisis after being attacked by suspicious individuals believed to be associated with Magyo.”

“Magyo, you say. The word ‘believed’ is not a word Cheonbong would use…”

The gatekeeper tugged at his beard, as if contemplating something, then closed his mouth, giving a sinister smile while looking at Jeon Yeon-ji, as if warning not to ask further questions.

“I see. So, these are the individuals believed to be associated with Magyo.”

“Yes, we are currently in the midst of an investigation, but for now, that’s how it seems.”

“Then, what about the soldier accompanying you? Are you perhaps pledged companions?”

“The twins of the east gate.”

“hehehehe… On the left is Cheonbong, and on the right is the beautiful Samae. Are you pleased as a man, Yeon Sohye?”

‘One is a psychopath I’d rather not deal with, and the other is someone I consider as little as a sister or niece…’

Uncle and aunt’s distinctive trait is their keen interest in other people’s love lives, weaving unrelated individuals into romantic relationships at their own discretion. This characteristic doesn’t seem to change even in this martial arts world.

“hehehehe. It’s a good time.”

Why is he smiling so contentedly when I said no? Unpleasant.

“It’s not that kind of relationship, let’s get to the point.”

Fortunately, before I could say anything, Jegalyeonji naturally interrupted Uncle’s peculiar delusions.

“Originally, we shouldn’t give poison to outsiders, but since it’s a request from Cheonbong and not a particularly precious poison, I’ll specially hand it over.”

“Thank you, Daehyeop.”

“hehehehe… Instead, Cheonbong should be grateful to me. Isn’t it an opportunity to form a connection with a master who will bear the future burden?”

If that’s the case, I wanted to spoil the surprise and tell him to make connections with Bangyuseong, but I received a small smile from him as I took the small poison bottle from his hand.

“I mixed it with alcohol. You can drink it right away.”

There was no need for Qigong precepts when releasing the blood seal. It would temporarily scatter my internal energy for a moment, making me temporarily powerless, but that’s it.

After drinking, as long as no one touches or attacks me, it shouldn’t be a problem. So, I asked the twins to guard me and immediately opened the lid of the poison bottle.

‘The smell… It’s better than I thought?’

I thought that because it’s poison, it would have a pungent smell or make my nose hurt, but unexpectedly, I smelled a pleasant fragrance as I slowly began to drink the poison inside.

Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.