I Possessed a Cultivator Destined to Die at the Hands of the Protagonist - Chapter 51

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

51.
While I deliberated on what to do, Woo Tae-san and Baek Un-jin concluded their conversation.
“Thank you for your assistance.”
“I’ll contact you again once I’ve obtained the Jeongshim Stone.”
Woo Tae-san bowed respectfully.
The moment Woo Tae-san departed, Baek Un-jin turned to face me.
He had likely noticed my restlessness during their exchange.
“Speak if you have something to say.”
“Pardon? Ah, well… Would it be possible for me to accompany you to that black market? I’ve been wanting to return to Hyeonbaek…”
Hyeonbaek was the region where Baek Un-jin and I had first left the Chingwoo Immortal Sect and crafted the Winged Robe.
“Very well.”
“Thank you!”
Since Hyeonbaek wasn’t far, we decided to depart at dawn the following day.
Baek Un-jin retired to his quarters, and I sought out Eun Hui-gyeom, who was training at the Baekryeon Training Ground.
“Hyeonbaek?”
“Yes, that’s how it turned out. I’ll be going with my master.”
“I see.”
Eun Hui-gyeom and I crossed blades.
When I had first become a disciple, I had accidentally injured him during our sparring.
Now, Eun Hui-gyeom received my attacks with practiced ease, no matter how I approached.
“Would you like to come along?”
“Ah, I’m on the verge of a breakthrough soon. It would be awkward to move about right now.”
His power had surged dramatically after the recent battle, and Eun Hui-gyeom now stood at the threshold of the ninth star.
I cleared my mind lightly as our blades met.
The next day.
“…Yeon-seo.”
“Yes?”
“You’re not actually planning to go like that, are you?”
At Baek Un-jin’s words, I examined my attire.
I was dressed head to toe in black martial robes—the Winged Robe.
In contrast, Baek Un-jin wore casual civilian clothes.
“Is… is something wrong with this?”
“…”
“The martial world… the jianghu.”
Though the martial world existed in this realm, my status as a disciple had placed it far beyond my reach.
I should have befriended Cheongrim instead.
A longing for warriors and wandering heroes burned clearly within me.
Seeing my disappointed expression, Baek Un-jin reluctantly relented.
“Sigh… do as you wish.”
“Hurrah!”
I rode Baek Un-jin’s flying treasure toward Hyeonbaek.
Baek Un-jin watched me sitting atop the treasure.
“Feeling dizzy?”
“I’m fine now.”
Baek Un-jin chuckled softly at the sight of me sitting sideways, swinging my legs and clearly enjoying myself.
His hand gently stroked my head.
‘Huh?’
Baek Un-jin stroking my head was something that happened often.
But today… the moment his hand touched me, I couldn’t help but think his face seemed unusually close.
‘It must be my imagination.’
I shook my head dismissively at such a ridiculous thought.
“Your face is red. Are you sure you’re alright?”
“Ah, haha. It must be hot. It’s nothing.”
As I answered awkwardly with a laugh, Baek Un-jin lightly waved his hand through the empty air.
Water materialized, and the surrounding air instantly cooled.
“Better now?”
“Yes, it feels better.”
In truth, that wasn’t the reason, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it aloud.
Thus we arrived at Hyeonbaek in an instant.
“Wow, it seems even bigger than when we came before.”
When I had come to Hyeonbaek with Baek Un-jin, it was merely a mid-sized Holy City.
But over fifty years, countless merchants and people had come and gone, revitalizing the region, and now it had become one of the representative Holy Cities of Seongryul Province.
“We have some time before the auction begins. Let’s take a walk around.”
“Yes. But Master.”
“What is it?”
“I understand my appearance, but do you really need to dress like that as well?”
Baek Un-jin, who had been wearing casual clothes, changed into martial robes similar to mine the moment we arrived at Hyeonbaek.
“Wouldn’t it look strange if only you dressed that way?”
“I could just say I’m your escort!”
Baek Un-jin let out a soft laugh at my joke.
“Who escorts whom, exactly?”
“Ugh, you have a point.”
Thanks to Baek Un-jin matching his clothes to mine, we looked like martial artists from the same sect.
Baek Un-jin and I walked through the market district of Hyeonbaek.
Scattered throughout the newly constructed buildings were remnants of old Hyeonbaek.
As I looked around, a familiar shop caught my eye.
It was a street vendor selling candy.
I scurried over to the vendor and bought the largest candy.
Since becoming a disciple, I had eaten candy whenever I felt bored.
But strangely, candy eaten in Hyeonbaek tasted different, even if it was the same kind.
As I eagerly licked the petals, I felt Baek Un-jin’s gaze upon me.
“Why… why are you looking at me like that?”
“I was just thinking how well you eat.”
Baek Un-jin leaned forward slightly, his hand reaching toward my mouth.
A fragment of sugar clinging to my lips brushed against his fingertips.
“You still manage to get it all over yourself while eating.”
I wiped away the sugar smudged on the other side of my face with the back of my hand.
The side of my cheek where his hand had touched burned with warmth.
We entered a narrow alley to make our way to the black market.
As we stepped into the cramped passage, a large man blocked our path.
Thud.
As Baek Un-jin passed, the man deliberately slammed his shoulder hard against him.
Just as we were about to continue without incident, the man raised his voice.
“Hey! You hit me and just walk away? I’ve seen all kinds of ruffians!”
“What did you say?”
Having just finished my treat, I stepped forward with the wooden stick still in hand.
“Who bumped into whom first? Who’s calling whom a ruffian?”
“What’s this, a peanut? Hehehehe. And that thing next to her—is that a sword? Ha! Nowadays even little girls carry swords around!”
His companions snickered mockingly.
“I don’t know what third-rate martial artist crawled in from where, but you don’t know fear like a puppy facing a tiger. If you don’t want a broken nose, drop that sword and get lost!”
“Apologize to my master.”
“Puhahahaha! Did you hear that? This pale fellow claims to be this girl’s master. Nowadays anyone and everyone becomes a martial artist.”
“Did you learn martial arts through your mouth? Your tongue’s gotten quite sharp.”
As I countered his words, the large man’s face flushed crimson with rage.
“You little wench!”
The man threw his fist toward my face.
Crash!
But his fist never reached me.
His punch stopped short before my face and bounced back.
It was as though an invisible wall had materialized between us.
This wasn’t something I had done.
When I turned around, my master averted his gaze, pretending he hadn’t seen anything.
The man tumbled onto the stacked wooden crates and was helped to his feet by his companions.
“So you want to play, do you? I am Jang Un-po, master of the Cheolsan Fist of the Sa Sect—the one who can silence even a crying child! I won’t let either of you walk away today—”
Whoosh!
The finished treat stick flew past him like a projectile, embedding itself in the wall.
Blood trickled down below his neck where the qi-infused stick had grazed him.
“So you’re saying…”
“…Huh? Y-yes?”
“You’re from the Sa Sect?”
“Ahem, yes! Huh?”
Before I could finish speaking, a martial artist lunged at me.
I sidestepped his blade, swept his legs out from under him, and sent him flying with a kick.
“Cheol-yong!!”
“W-what kind of strength is this…”
“Hehe, hehehehe.”
I loosened my grip and walked toward Jang Un-po’s group, my killing intent radiating freely.
Woo-ang.
Sa Sect.
Wicked bastards, the lot of them.
When would I ever get another chance to pummel such villains to my heart’s content?
“W-wait a moment? I think there’s been some misunderstanding. Lady Martial Artist? I’ll apologize to the Great Martial Artist, so please stop…”
“No questions asked!”
Thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack.
I beat Jang Un-po’s group with unbridled enthusiasm.
Baek Un-jin, unable to watch any longer, stopped me, saying I’d gone too far.
“There are eyes watching. Enough now.”
“Yes!”
“I’m terribly sorry.”
Jang Un-po, his face swollen to twice its size, apologized profusely.
Jang Un-po and his group were nothing but thugs who extorted money from merchants throughout this region.
Upon learning this fact, I beat Jang Un-po and his companions twice as hard.
“I won’t take your lives. Now go.”
“Yes, yes, thank you!!”
Jang Un-po’s group fled in panic.
The merchants who witnessed this erupted in cheers.
“Ah, my heart feels so refreshed!”
“I always knew those bastards would get what was coming to them.”
“Don’t you dare show your faces here again!”
“Oh, thank you so much. Please take this with you.”
“Ah, it’s nothing much, but take this too!”
The merchants pressed gifts upon me—fruits, ornaments, and other items—as tokens of their gratitude.
I walked down the street cradling a basket of fruit the merchants had given me.
“You seem delighted.”
“Of course!”
When would I ever get to play the role of a martial artist like this again?
Well, it was only possible because Baek Un-jin deliberately ran into Jang Un-po for me.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————