A Medieval Knight in a Martial Arts Novel

“Injuries among martial artists are commonplace, but this one seems quite severe. What exactly happened to cause such wounds?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Martial artists getting hurt is nothing new, isn’t it?”

“Hmm… Traveling in such a physical state is itself not beneficial to one’s health. No matter how good the medicine is, exhaustion will negate all its effects.”

The physician, while diligently grinding and cutting herbs with both hands, continued to explain the diagnosis to us. Judging by the serious look on his face, it appeared that Mok-kyeong’s injuries were indeed quite grave.

I gave a wry smile as I looked at Mok-kyeong.

Mok-kyeong, perhaps troubled by the serious diagnosis, asked the physician with a complicated expression.

“How long will it take to fully recover?”

“One would barely recover even by resting for the entirety of this season, but… isn’t the resilience of a martial artist generally good? If you take the medicine properly and rest well, you could recover faster. Provided you don’t overexert yourself, that is.”

“Resting…?”

I’ll need to take some time off once we reach the Martial Alliance.

Since I’ve already finished about half of the original story well before its supposed start time, I should have ample time to spare.

“I see you’ve come from afar. If only you had the finances, staying longer in the bustling city of Changsha could be a viable option.”

“Unfortunately, I must head to the Martial Alliance.”

“Ho ho. Then please do not overexert yourself. Overdoing it could worsen your wounds…”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Tsk… I’m merely doing my job.”

With the medicine the physician had prepared, we left the clinic and entered the bustling streets of Changsha.

The lively and busy streets of Changsha, filled with people dressed in splendid attire, clearly demonstrated the wealth of the city.

“Mok-kyeong, can you walk alright?”

“Ugh, I’m fine.”

“Just in case, don’t stray too far from me.”

Mok-kyeong’s condition is currently so poor that even a mid-level martial artist would find it difficult to predict the outcome of a fight. If she were to separate from me, she might face some dangerous situations.

“Thank you…”

…If I had hugged onto your arm before knowing you were a woman, it might have given me the creeps, but thank goodness you are a woman. Although you’re still wearing men’s clothing, it’s not hard to tell you’re not actually a man.

“Uncle, when are we going to the market?”

“Let’s go tomorrow. We can take a break at the inn today; there’s no need to rush…”

“I heard that a very large market will open in Changsha, and we’re going, right?”

“Of course.”

Who knows what we might find? It would be a waste to come all the way to Changsha and not even take a look.

If we’re lucky, we might even pick up some good items. The problem is Mok-kyeong.

It would be quite difficult to take a patient around the crowded market.

“Please, we must definitely visit the fabric shop! All three of us need new clothes. These ones have practically turned to rags; people might think we’re beggars from the丐帮!”

Speaking of which, are any of those丐帮people around here?

Since this is the capital, they’re likely to be here, but thinking about it, Changsha falls under the influence of the righteous sects, so there shouldn’t be many troublemakers here.

“By the way, is there a Martial Alliance branch here?”

“Isn’t there?”

“We should visit it once.”

Through the Martial Alliance branch, we need to establish some lines of communication and try to gather some information about the Green Forest Sect or the Chang River Water Pirates if possible. Since they were once puppets controlled by the Demonic Sect in the original story, it wouldn’t hurt to deal with them early.

Of course, if things don’t go as they did in the original story…

Well, we’ll deal with that when the time comes.

There’s no guarantee that everything will unfold exactly as it did in the original anyway.

“Will the inn be able to prepare a special diet for patients?”

“It should be entirely possible, don’t you think?”

“In that case, it will be a relief.”

As we chatted casually, we moved towards the inn we had previously booked.

—

“Uncle, aren’t you eating too much?”

“I need to eat this much to maintain my body.”

“Almost all the food on the table went into Uncle’s mouth. Are you going to turn into a pig?”

“You ate quite a bit yourself.”

I saw you eating a bowl of fried rice, some noodles, and grabbing plenty of meat. My comment made Hye-ryeong puff her cheeks slightly in mock anger.

“But opportunities to eat at such high-end inns don’t come often.”

“If you wish, I can feed you as much as you want.”

“It’s fine. Places like these should be visited occasionally to fully enjoy them.”

“Miss Hye-ryeong is correct. If you get used to luxury, it might lead to extravagance and eventual ruin.”

…That’s true.

Anything rare becomes routine if done often.

“Anyway, we’ll think about that later… For now, since we’re done eating, let’s head upstairs. We need to prepare Mok-kyeong’s medicine, and she needs to rest properly.”

“Yeah!”

With that, we put down our chopsticks and quietly ascended to the room we had booked in advance. A single room.

Originally, we intended to book three rooms, but this high-end inn was fully booked, so we managed to secure a spacious room with partitions for extra money. It should suffice.

…Unless Hye-ryeong keeps subtly leaning towards my side.

“It’s hard to understand the thinking of the rich when they make such large rooms, isn’t it?”

“That comment doesn’t apply to us since we booked this room.”

“Does it?”

Hye-ryeong sat on the gigantic bed in the center of the room and gave a sly smile.

“The mattress is so soft! What is it made of?”

“Perhaps it’s something like cotton?”

“Is it possible for a bed to be this soft…”

Indeed.

I pressed the bed with my hand to test its firmness and felt an unmatched softness that was hard to find in this era. The high cost certainly brought noticeable differences.

Once I settle down, I’ll definitely get a bed like this.

“Uncle, isn’t this bed a bit too large?”

Hye-ryeong tilted her eyes slightly and posed a question with transparent intentions. There was only one thing she could mean.

“I’ll sleep on the floor with the bedding. You and Mok-kyeong can take the bed.”

“Uncle, you must be tired too, right? It’s embarrassing only you sleeping on the floor while we’re comfortable… If you paid for the room, lying on the floor isn’t right!”

“You want me to sleep with you or not?”

What’s the point of trying to get a good night’s sleep with two women on one bed?

Even though I may act like a block of wood, that would still be going too far.

“I’m fine. You two rest comfortably.”

“Well… ”

“I’m fine, Gong-eun.”

“I’m too tired for this. Sleep comfortably together.”

I settled in a lotus position on the appropriately positioned bed. I was planning to do some meditation, or rather ‘yunqi zhaoshi’ before sleeping. It would have been better if there was a cultivation room, but even such high-end inns rarely provide that, so a light session would have to suffice.

“I’ll do some meditation, or rather ‘yunqi zhaoshi,’ so can one of you guard while I meditate?”

“Yeah!”

“…I asked you to guard, not to sit by my side.”

How can I concentrate with someone staring at me like that? I pinched Hye-ryeong’s cheek gently and closed my eyes.

—

It’s noisy right from morning.

I opened my eyes and got up at the sound from outside the window.

Since we’re staying in a room on the third floor, we can easily see the reason for the commotion just by looking down. When I peeked out the window, I saw many people bustling about.

“They’re preparing to set up the market.”

Since the market is opening, they must have started early in the morning to prepare. I gazed lazily out the window and then, turning my head, glanced at the bed… before quickly looking back outside the window.

“Is she doing this on purpose, or is it just out of comfort?”

Does she lack self-awareness about her own figure?

Wearing such thin clothes and tossing and turning like that could easily expose skin.

Of course, it might be comfortable, but with me sleeping just a partition away, does she mean to flaunt it like that?

Seems like I might end up reciting a hundred Hail Marys, something I didn’t even do in my knighthood.

…But, the mood is quite pleasant.

While observing the crowd outside, I began planning my schedule.

First, visit the Martial Alliance branch and the Haowen branch to conduct some business, buy some clothes, and perhaps check out some interesting items. The best outcome would be finding a useful manual or weapon.

The latter is practically unrealistic, so realistically, buying clothes will be the main attraction.

“Ahh… Uncle, you’re wicked…”

That line from your mouth is truly baffling.

“Our Lord in heaven…”

“…Gong-eun, did you sleep well?”

“…More or less.”

“That’s good.”

Whether it was because Hye-ryeong was making noise or if I simply woke up, I turned my head to look at Mok-kyeong. Her usually tidy attire was now slightly rumpled, and I caught sight of some white cloth peeking through her clothing gaps.

“How’s your body?”

“After resting on a proper bed for the first time in a while, I feel a bit better.”

“That’s a relief.”

“…Eh… Gong-eun.”

“What is it?”

“…Once again, thank you very much. Without you, I fear I might have…”

Mok-kyeong trailed off and bowed her head.

“Among those who share both hardship and joy, there’s no need for such formalities.”

“Sharing both hardship and joy… Hehe, indeed.”

The elegant smile faded as Mok-kyeong leisurely stood up and slowly approached me. I observed her movements, then sidestepped slightly.

Mok-kyeong positioned herself beside me, gazing out the window.

“Even from a high place, the cityscape is filled with the scent of humanity.”

“While they say nothing rivals the scent of life in the countryside, cities have their own unique human essence.”

I turned my head to look at Mok-kyeong’s profile.

Back when I thought she was a man, I only considered her to have a delicate face. Now realizing she’s a woman, she looks delicate and frail.

Does gender disparity really alter one’s impression to this extent?

“…Do you have something to tell me?”

“Not really, I just noticed your impression has changed significantly.”

“Is that so?”

Why so flustered? I merely commented that your impression has changed.

“…Life is like a turning of fortune’s wheel, but even I didn’t expect to end up this way.”

I could feel a pleasant weight on my arm. It was because Mok-kyeong had gently rested her body against my arm. Quietly accepting the added weight, I returned my gaze to the window outside.

We didn’t utter another word.

Sometimes, silence speaks louder than words.

In that manner, we gazed out the window until the morning sun rose high into the sky.

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