Chapter 341: The Showdown Between Man and Ximen Qing (9)

Well. I gotta admit, it’s tempting.

Of course, not the part about taking an unplanned maternity leave.

The plan was to pretend to go along with it, like she had no choice—then smack him in the back of the head.

Is this what people call a honey trap?

Although, calling it a honey trap would be a stretch. Qing hadn’t done a damn thing.

He was the one making all the family plans and throwing them at her out of nowhere.

If nothing else, it was painfully clear this bastard had never dated anyone in his life.

Dou Sam said he’d stay loyal. And honestly, he meant it.

But Qing didn’t believe him.

Wasn’t this the same guy who said their boss was so rabid with rage that he planned to chew her up alive and then pass her around to every Green Forest brother?

And now, standing in front of the person in question—

He says he’ll hide her away and let her escape if she bears his child?

A bastard who wouldn’t even stay loyal to his own boss wants her to believe he’ll be loyal to her?

Still—was there any reason to pick the hard road when the easy one was wide open?

She could run, honestly. Right now, even.

She could burn up her internal energy using Wave-Stepping Phantom Steps, disappear into the jungle, and that would be that. Just like she’d come out to burn their strongholds, she could disappear back into the jungle any time and make her escape.

But if she dodged now just because it was tough, all she’d be doing was kicking the real job down the road.

And who knew how far that fire would spread?

So, since they’d already become mortal enemies, she might as well go all the way and wreck them.

Like that time with the demonic cult—when she ripped out the psychic parasite and crushed it—she had to at least take down two Huajing-level bastards. That’s why she’d been setting fires and provoking them like this.

Huajing-level? Sure, they were fast—faster than expected, even.

But Qing wasn’t the same person she was back then either.

So if it came down to a one-on-one, she didn’t think she’d lose.

But supposedly the place was swarming with elites.

And apparently the other Huajing—Chief Chaeju—was nearby, too.

Even for the great Divine Lady herself, that was pushing it.

Two Huajing-levels against one? That’s just low. Fucking cowards.

Let’s go with the easy route.

If it doesn’t work out, I can just stab him and bolt.

“...What if it turns out to be a daughter?”

It was as good as halfway consenting.

Dou Sam grinned from ear to ear.

“I said it’ll be a son. It doesn’t count until we have a son.”

“What if I only ever give birth to daughters?”

“A son.”

“Seriously? You didn’t think this through at all. Let’s say—if there’s no son by the third try, the deal’s off, okay?”

“A son.”

“You know, determining a baby’s sex is actually the father’s responsibility, right? Chromosomes and all that? Whatever. Point is, the woman just provides a stable environment—the seed’s on you, so if it’s a girl, it’s totally—”

“A son.”

“Oh come on. What, is ‘son’ some kind of neutral country now? Fine. It’s a neutral country. So, we’re not seriously gonna start making kids here, right?”

“Of course not. First, we’ll hide somewhere safe. But before that...”

Dou Sam said this and pulled a dark-colored pill from his sleeve.

Whoa. Poison! Yep, poison is a classic move.

Qing cheered internally but on the outside, she scrunched her face like she was horrified.

She’d figured if they tried tying her up, she’d either let them or just wait for the right moment to snap a rope or chain and escape.

But poison? That changed things.

“A poison pill? Wow, going real old-school with this. ‘Give birth to my child if you want the antidote,’ that kinda thing?”

“It’s Sango Poison—not especially harmful. No need to worry. I just have to take precautions. It won’t harm a fetus either, should one be conceived.”

Sango Poison was a mysterious substance that disrupted a person’s internal energy while its effects lasted.

Considering no one really understood what internal energy even was—some kind of cosmic qi or whatever—it wasn’t strange that a drug could neutralize it.

But despite its potency, it was hard to make effective use of.

Once someone felt their energy flow start to unravel, they’d immediately realize it was Sango Poison—stop breathing, spit out the tea, whatever.

Unless you locked them in an airtight room and filled it with the stuff, or forced them to ingest it by trickery...

Qing had taken it before.

Didn’t really do much. Her constitution was what it was.

“Fuck me. You’re really going for it. Gimme.”

“How can I trust you? Open your mouth. Your man will feed it to you himself. Go on. Ahh.”

Oh for fuck’s sake, this guy’s doing the whole thing.

Chills ran down Qing’s spine. She opened her mouth like she had no choice.

A bitter taste landed on her tongue.

When she tried to close her mouth, a strong hand clamped her jaw shut.

“Nope. Gotta see you swallow every last drop.”

Dou Sam peered into her mouth.

The pill began to melt slowly, pooling into thick, bitter saliva.

Her tongue twitched on instinct, and she swallowed it all down with a loud gulp.

What a sight.

Grinning, Dou Sam placed a second Sango Pill on her tongue.

“Mmph.”

“You think one of these is gonna work on someone like you?”

So down it went again.

And then—another.

Veins popped on Qing’s forehead.

If he’s gonna feed me the damn things, why not just shove them all in at once? Is sticking them in one at a time supposed to be fun? You like staring into someone’s mouth that much?

Only after five whole pills did her jaw get released.

“Ugh. That was disgusting. You got any booze? I’ve seen you carry a flask around.”

“You’ve seen me carry it? Tsk. Told people not to fill their canteens with alcohol, but nobody ever listens.”

Hmm. Qing remembered her early days as a construction laborer back in her first life.

Mr. Kim sipping soju out of a water bottle. The other Mr. Kim proudly downing shots from a glass vial meant for vitamin drinks. And the third Mr. Kim who just brought a whole soju bottle and chugged it secretly.

Drunk bastards were the same everywhere, it seemed.

And Dou Sam was one of them.

“Here. It’s strong, so be careful.”

Qing stared, deadpan.

“Didn’t you just scold someone for putting booze in their canteen?”

“I’m a master, remember? What’s a little booze gonna do to someone like me?”

“Hmph.”

Qing tipped the flask without letting it touch her lips.

Not because of indirect contact or anything—she just found it gross.

The liquor hit her tongue hard, the burn more bitter than the poison, and wiped her palate clean.

“Damn. That’s some fine booze for a bandit. The others carry that fake shit that tastes like nail polish remover.”

Dou Sam smiled, watching her.

Seriously. Not a single thing about this woman that doesn’t suit my taste.

“Of course. I’m a master.”

And so, Dou Sam’s method of sneaking Qing out was simple.

Qing didn’t crossdress, exactly, but she did wear mountain bandit garb—tight around the chest, several layers, which made her look tall and burly.

Topped off with the fur hat Dou Sam gave her, pulled low over her face, only her eyes remained—and they were annoyingly beautiful, which actually made her look suspicious.

“Great Chief, who’s this?”

“This one? A candidate for the Thousand Explosions position.”

“You mean the last Thousand Explosions was taken down by this guy?”

“Pretty gutsy one, right? Showed up asking to join Yangsanp’aekdae and challenged our ranking straight out the gate. This here is Chunsok—ranked twentieth. He’s gonna be your senior. Gonna say hello or what?”

Dou Sam grinned ear to ear.

Qing found it juvenile. What, you think I can’t go along with this bullshit?

She bent at the waist and rasped in a hoarse, gravelly voice:

“Hyungnim! Howdy-do! I’m Soje, candidate for Thousand Explosions, reporting in! Cough! My throat’s a little wrecked, but my heart’s just about to burst seeing you in person, krrkh! cough cough! Not even this throat bug can stop me from bowing before your glory, sir! I humbly ask—when may I bust my ass to serve you a proper feast?”

Chunsok burst out laughing.

“Kekeke, this guy’s hilarious! I’m all for it. Took down the old Thousand Explosions, and I already like him better than that arrogant bastard.”

“Aww, hyungnim, your words are the honor of my past, present, and future lives combined!”

“Right then. Let’s grab a drink sometime.”

Dou Sam looked oddly confused.

What the hell?

Is the Sect of Divine Maidens’ hierarchy this strict?

That level of ass-kissing doesn’t come from nowhere. This woman’s clearly done time in a rigid org before.

“I’m gonna drop the newbie at Yangsanp’aek base and check his skills. If the Chief Chaeju calls, send someone right away. Tell him I’ll be back quick.”

“Yes, sir!”

And so Qing hurried along after Dou Sam.

****

Yangsanp’aekdae was Green Forest’s elite combat division.

And as with any force, the elite got the best treatment. Green Forest even carved out a secret valley at Mount Tianzi and set up a base labeled Yangsanp’aek just for them.

So, as Qing followed Dou Sam, she kept up the act of huffing and puffing from having “no internal energy,” struggling with every step. But the bastard just kept gliding down animal trails like it was nothing.

“Hahh... huff... Could you, like, slow down? Whew. I don’t even have any internal energy... Isn’t this where you’re supposed to, I dunno, carry me or something?”

“What if someone sees us? I’m not the type of squad leader who carries recruits around.”

Tch. Damn shame.

If he’d picked me up, I could’ve smashed his skull in right then and there.

How far did they go down the mountain path?

Qing’s acting was the same as always—just like her limp when pretending to be crippled, she fully committed.

I have no internal energy. I can’t use it. I’m weak without it...

So now she was wheezing like she was about to drop dead.

Eventually, they crossed the last ridgeline and entered Yangsanp’aek.

Damn. I really missed this place?

It was ten minutes from the first stronghold she’d burned. But since it was tucked in a valley, no wonder she hadn’t found it before.

As she followed Dou Sam, Qing perked her ears.

No sounds. No signs of movement?

Speaking of which—how had this bastard managed to sneak up on her without setting off her senses?

Qing couldn’t let go of questions once she had them.

And the mood right now? It felt like she could ask.

“Hey. I like to think I’ve got pretty sharp senses. Did you learn some kind of stealth art?”

“Picked up a trick or two along the way.”

“Ooh. Some kind of divine technique?”

“Some call it that.”

“C’mon, tell me. What is it?”

“They say in the martial world, a man should hide thirty percent of his strength. Stick your nose in other people’s techniques and you won’t live long.”

Translation: Mind your own business.

Shit. Didn’t work.

Usually, guys like him started blabbing the moment you buttered them up. But this one wasn’t soft.

Dou Sam led her into a shady-looking storage shed and opened an iron trapdoor leading underground.

As Qing followed him down, a stench hit her so foul it almost made her gag.

“Ugh, what is that smell?”

“Apologies. This is the only soundproof spot.”

“Wait—soundproof? This place?”

“If you start screaming halfway through, we’ll both be in trouble. Now. Lean on that.”

He tapped a wooden structure beside him.

It looked like one of those gym vaulting boxes from school.

Except instead of handles, it had two iron shackles.

Opposite that stood a steel contraption clearly meant for arms and wrists.

Qing’s face twisted.

What the actual fuck. These bandit bastards—what do they take women for?

They’ve got a dedicated fucking restraint setup. Jesus. And a goddamn mercury mirror in front of it, too?

Clearly arranged so they could watch the woman’s face the whole time.

This ain’t it.

How the fuck am I supposed to pull off a sneak attack like this?

Qing’s face soured. Time to try and talk her way out.

“You’re seriously gonna tie someone up like an animal and do it? What the hell even is this thing? Looks like it was built for that.”

“Well, when it’s all guys for weeks on end, you gotta make time to blow off steam. Turns out, when a woman really resists, it’s not that easy. Sure, you can beat her until she begs, but then she just dies too fast. Oh—and just so we’re clear—I’ve only heard about that. Never actually done it. I don’t really enjoy women.”

Didn’t even bother denying it.

Qing was stunned speechless.

But now wasn’t the time for shock.

If she let them tie her to this thing, she really would end up on an unwanted maternity leave.