Surviving as the Villainess’s Servant in a Martial Arts Novel - Chapter 92

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 92

I tilted my head and stopped in place for the moment.

I quickly jumped down from my horse, tied it to a nearby tree, then slowly began walking toward the sound.

The closer I got, the louder the sound of clashing weapons became. It seemed like an intense battle was taking place.

Soon, a wide clearing appeared.

Clang, clang!

“You little brats!”

Indeed, there were several people in the clearing.

To be precise, there were ten people as I had predicted, and they were divided into two groups of eight and two.

It was obvious which side the bandits were.

The side with more numbers, of course. The eight men all had different appearances and ages, but they all had a menacing aura emanating from their very faces.

They had surrounded two warriors in a circle and were attacking them.

I turned my gaze to the warriors.

Those two warriors were quite young. One held a great sword, the other held a judicial brush, and from their faces to their attire, they looked refined like young masters who had never experienced hardship.

‘Are they scions of noble families? On a chivalrous journey?’

While I was looking on in bewilderment, the young master holding the judicial brush urgently shouted.

“Wait! Stop attacking for a moment. Let’s talk this out. This isn’t something worth fighting over in the first place!”

At those words, a bandit snorted and shouted.

“What kind of nonsense is that! You were the ones who attacked first. You invaded our territory and drew your swords first, so what else could that mean but that you wanted to fight!”

“No, that was because Peng was startled…”

Then the young master called Peng, who held the great sword, shouted in fury.

“That’s because you bastards cursed at us first, telling us to get lost! Does this Undaesan belong to you? Did you buy this mountain, you damn bandits!”

“What, this bastard. Are you done talking?!”

“Oh no, Peng! You can’t do that. We didn’t come here to fight!”

The temporarily calmed atmosphere was about to ignite again. As each side was about to point their swords, the Young Master with Judicial Brush quickly stepped forward.

“I’m sorry for drawing our weapons first. But we didn’t come to Yongcheok Fortress to fight. We came because we have a favor to ask!”

“A favor to ask?”

Suddenly, I heard words I hadn’t expected.

“Let us meet Master Chae of Yongcheok Fortress! We have something we want to ask Master Chae. Once we get an answer to our question, we’ll quietly leave this place, so please guide us to Yongcheok Fortress!”

‘Meet Master Chae of Yongcheok Fortress? Why?’

Did you guys also come to see the beauty?

I tilted my head in puzzlement. The bandits also looked at them strangely and sneered.

“Ha, do you think our Great Yongcheok Fortress’s Master Chae is someone you little brats can meet just because you want to?”

“But…”

“Not a chance! Master Chae is busy preparing for his wedding right now. Greedy Flower Bird is enough of a nuisance already, and you think we’ll let you righteous faction brats interfere too? If you don’t want to meet your end here, you’d better get lost!”

“We’re not trying to interfere…!”

“Enough.”

Suddenly, the young master with the great sword spoke.

“If they’re still reacting like this after we’ve said this much, then talking more would be useless. We’ll have no choice but to make them spill it by force.”

At those words, the atmosphere turned chilly.

The two groups raised their weapons again. It was a hair-trigger situation that seemed ready to explode at the slightest movement. Without realizing it, I clenched both fists and swallowed dryly when.

One of the bandits suddenly turned his head toward me and shouted.

“Who’s there!”

Then all the gazes in the clearing turned toward me.

Damn, was I watching too obviously?

“Me? I’m…”

I was about to answer playfully as usual. Then I hesitated.

‘Wait, shouldn’t I not say anything?’

Come to think of it, I was currently dressed as an ordinary scholar, not as Greedy Flower Bird.

And if I revealed that I was Greedy Flower Bird here, the bandits’ blades aimed at those people would immediately turn toward me. After all, I was currently their top priority target.

But reveal it here? There was a high chance I’d be the only one suffering. Actually, from my perspective, I wouldn’t particularly lose anything regardless of which side won…

“I… I don’t know anything.”

“What?”

“I, I didn’t see anything! Oh my, someone save me!”

I chose to play dumb.

Not only that, but I flailed my arms around like some fool and hid behind a tree. Incredulous gazes pierced into my back.

But that was only for a moment.

“Now’s our chance, attack!”

While the bandits were distracted, the young master with the great sword charged at them.

“What, what? This bastard…!”

“Oh no, Peng!”

The fight unfolded in an instant.

I hid behind the tree and watched their battle with great interest.

‘Indeed, are they scions of noble families.’

The movements of the two warriors were on a completely different level from the other bandits.

The transition between offense and defense was natural. Every movement of stepping and swinging their weapons was without excess, and they knew how to properly control the strength and weakness of their techniques.

It was obvious they had been taught by high-level masters. And those masters were probably the elders of their families.

Only then did I feel I understood the background of these two people.

‘That man using the great sword, judging by his techniques, uses the Five Tigers Breaking Gate Blade. He must be from the Peng Family of Hebei. And the one using the judicial brush… Small Heavenly Star Finger! That’s the finger technique of the Jie Jie Family.’

The Five Tigers Breaking Gate Blade that Young Master Peng used was impressive.

Consisting of a total of 64 techniques, the Five Tigers Breaking Gate Blade was modeled after five tigers pouncing on enemies, so each technique was swift and fierce.

Combined with the Peng Family’s characteristic strong power, it emanated sharp blade energy.

And what about Young Master Jie Jie’s Small Heavenly Star Finger?

His movements were elegant like writing poetry with a brush, but the essence was sharp. With each character and stroke he drew, he brilliantly aimed for and penetrated his opponent’s vital points.

Yet his movements overflowed with refinement and his brushwork was powerful, naturally evoking admiration. I was genuinely impressed.

‘This is what authentic martial arts are like!’

However… something was lacking.

Of course, each family’s martial arts were excellent. But the problem was with those who were executing those martial arts.

As expected of late-stage disciples, they seemed oddly clumsy. Their movements were precise as if well-educated, but they were problematically too honest without any cunning.

‘Look at that, look at that. There, instead of honestly striking down with the sword, he should feint and slip away to strike at an opening. If he just moves according to the techniques, it’s easy to respond to. Geez, the bandits are actually more cunning.’

Now I understood why they had been struggling against the bandits until now.

They were holding out with the precision of their techniques so far, but that wouldn’t last long either. Since it was a fight against multiple opponents, their stamina would drop quickly, and then their weaknesses would be exposed.

Well, I didn’t really care if they lost. Actually, it would be better. Thanks to them, I could easily subdue the bandits after they were weakened.

That said though…

‘…Should I help them out a bit?’

It would also be beneath Greedy Flower Bird’s dignity to stick his spoon into someone else’s meal.

I quietly picked up some pebbles from the ground.

Small enough that I wouldn’t be caught even if I secretly threw them. I picked up several pebbles smaller than a pinky nail and filled one hand with them.

Then I gauged the flow of the battle and flicked a pebble with my thumb and index finger.

A bandit happened to be striking down with his sword.

Swoosh- thwack.

“You bastard! This is the end… huh?”

Suddenly the bandit’s sword tip wavered. The pebble I had flicked hit the bandit’s wrist.

The bandit, whose hand was numb, struck down diagonally instead of in the original direction. Naturally, his posture was disrupted and his side was completely exposed.

“Peng, his side is open!”

“I know, damn it!”

Slash-!

“Aaargh!”

Not missing that opportunity, Young Master Peng swung his sword. The bandit, deeply cut on his side, screamed and fell backward.

I nodded my head in satisfaction.

‘Good, good.’

I flicked a few more stones. This time it was toward the bandits who were thrusting their weapons at Young Master Jie Jie all at once.

One was hit by a stone on his right foot, another on his left foot simultaneously. In an instant, their feet got tangled, and their bodies tilted not toward Young Master Jie Jie, but toward each other.

The two men’s weapons clashed against each other.

Clang!

“What, what? Why are you striking this way?”

“What? No, that’s not it, my feet suddenly got tangled… You struck toward me too!”

“My feet got tangled too… Ahhh!”

Not missing that moment, Young Master Jie Jie thrust his judge’s brush like lightning. In an instant, two bandits marked by the Blood Path collapsed to the ground.

Young Master Jie Jie smiled brightly and shouted.

“I’ve taken down two more!”

‘That’s right, that’s it!’

I was excited and flicked stones again.

Cleverly timing it whenever the bandits tried to strike down with their weapons. And since it would be boring if it were too easy, I made it so their weapons would just barely miss.

And the young masters didn’t miss those small openings.

As expected of scions from noble families, when their opponents showed weaknesses, they exploited them brilliantly. The great sword and judge’s brush rampaged among the bandits like fish in water.

Before long, three more bandits had fallen, leaving only two remaining…

‘Huh?’

Wait, that’s not right? There’s only one?

Then where’s the other one…?

Rustle.

Suddenly there was a presence behind me.

I turned around.

Just then, I made eye contact with a bandit who had been secretly approaching from behind.

“Uh…”

“…”

We were silent for a moment. I casually raised one hand. Then I gave the bandit an awkward smile and said.

“Hello there?”

The bandit charged at me.

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