As soon as I arrived at the inn, I threw Zhuge Xiaohui onto the bed and continued training by simulating the martial arts I had obtained. Of course, in Zhuge Xiaohui's eyes, I would have just appeared to be sitting there.
After about three hours had passed, Zhuge Xiaohui asked me.
"Is this some new form of torture? What are you doing just sitting there?"
Judging from her words, she seemed to have somewhat calmed down from earlier.
"I'm training. Don't disturb my meditation."
I handed her a pouch full of silver.
"If you're hungry, use that money to order some food. Get some for me too."
Then Zhuge Xiaohui looked at the pouch and said to me.
"With this much money, aren't you afraid I'll run away?"
"Leave if you want. There are plenty of people I can collect the debt from in your place."
Zhuge Xiaohui sighed and said.
"Hah... So that's how you're going to play. I suppose I can't even die now."
With that conversation over, she, hungry, called the assistant and began ordering food. We ate in silence. As we were resting, the assistant brought a large wooden tub filled with warm water.
"Wash up first."
Then Zhuge Xiaohui scowled at me and said.
"I can only wash if you leave."
"You're mistaken about something. I'm your master. Just wash quickly."
At that, Zhuge Xiaohui scowled, began taking off her clothes one by one, and started washing. I didn't give her a single glance, focusing solely on my training by running simulations.
"I'm done washing. But I don't have pajamas, so I guess I'll have to sleep in these clothes."
"We should go see the market tomorrow. The tournament registration is still ongoing, so it should be fine."
I paid the assistant to change the water again, then washed myself as well. Zhuge Xiaohui watched me washing, her face red.
"Hey, look at me with some moderation."
"Huh? Ah... Yes, yes."
At that, Zhuge Xiaohui was flustered for a moment, then turned her head away.
When it was time to sleep, I said to Zhuge Xiaohui.
"You take the inside of the bed, I'll take the outside. Got it?"
There was only one bed, so it couldn't be helped. But perhaps because it was an expensive room, there was enough space for two to lie down. Hearing that, Zhuge Xiaohui hesitated for a moment, then lay down on the inside of the bed. I also got into bed to sleep. I could hear Zhuge Xiaohui's heart beating loudly beside me. I ignored it, did nothing, and just slept.
The next morning, when I got out of bed, Zhuge Xiaohui had dark circles under her eyes, as if she hadn't slept well.
"Couldn't sleep properly?"
Then Zhuge Xiaohui scowled at me and said.
"Whose fault do you think! Hoo... Forget it."
We had breakfast, then went to the market to buy necessities and a few sets of clothes for Zhuge Xiaohui. Comfortable clothes, of course. Then people around began to whisper.
"Look there, it's the 'Calamity Witch' and the 'Dark Jade Heaven' the best under heaven."
"Indeed. Both are incredibly handsome and beautiful."
It seemed that in just one day, strange nicknames had already been attached. To interpret the meanings, 'Calamity Witch' means 'a bewitching woman who speaks words that bring calamity.' 'Dark Jade Heaven' means 'a sky like a jewel in the darkness.' But it probably came from the black marble I had made at the Zhuge Clan yesterday.
"'Calamity Witch'... Haah... Really..."
Hearing that, Zhuge Xiaohui let out a heavy sigh. From her perspective, it was a very unlikable nickname.
"Serves you right. You should have been more careful with your words."
"Are you making fun of me now?!"
Zhuge Xiaohui suddenly got angry, but I just chuckled at that.
And hearing people's talk, there were rumors that the Zhuge Clan was preparing to rebuild the clan with the help of the Martial Arts Alliance. According to Zhuge Xiaohui, they had some wealth accumulated from their clever heads, so there would be no problem in rebuilding.
Another day passed. The Martial Arts Alliance began the tournament, so I went to participate in the preliminaries.
"Are you not taking part in the preliminaries?"
"I'm a child of the Five Great Families. I don't need to take such things. The successors of the Nine Sects, One Gang, and Five Great Families are considered proven in skill."
I thought it was because of China's 'guanxi' culture. Not having to go through preliminaries meant less injury and conserved energy, so the probability of victory would naturally be higher. But no one could complain. Who would dare, when the powerful ones decided it?
"Then wait until I finish the preliminaries."
"Yes, I will."
Since so many people had applied for the tournament, if they did it in a tournament format, it would take too long. So the method was to come out in turn in front of a green stone, swing a sword, and judge pass or fail based on how much of a mark was left.
'That's a blue jade stone.'
The blue jade stone is an extremely hard mineral, harder than steel. Since it was difficult to even leave a scratch with a simple swing, they probably chose this method so that those without skill would naturally be filtered out.
After some time, when my turn came, I went forward. The judge, looking at me, gave me a passing mark without even testing me.
"Pass!"
"Huh? I didn't do anything."
When I asked with curiosity, the judge stammered.
"Well, you see... I was ordered from above. This blue jade stone is quite expensive, and it's the only one we have right now. It would be a problem if it were greatly damaged. We would appreciate it if Dark Jade Heaven-nim would understand. And even if you pass just like that, no one will object. So please..."
"Ah, I see. Fine."
Finishing that conversation, I turned around. The people watching the preliminaries only murmured, and indeed, no one objected.
After finishing the preliminaries like that, I returned to where Zhuge Xiaohui was. She was arguing with some woman.
"So you've finally fallen to the bottom, Calamity Witch! Because of that clever tongue of yours, you ruined your family, and they say you've fallen out with Yeon Bu-so oppa? Thanks to that, our family could immediately propose a marriage arrangement. I'm so grateful I don't know what to do."
"Wh-What did you say!!"
Hearing that, I grabbed the trembling Zhuge Xiaohui's shoulder and spoke.
"Who is this woman?"
At my sudden appearance, both the woman in front and Zhuge Xiaohui seemed flustered.
"Ah, you're here? This woman is..."
Zhuge Xiaohui tried to introduce the woman, but she cut her off and introduced herself.
"I am one of the Three Beauties of the martial arts world, and the child of Dang Pil-yeon, the clan leader of the Sichuan Dang Clan, Dang Seol-hwi. Nice to meet you, Dark Jade Heaven Taejin-nim."
Indeed, worthy of calling herself one of the Three Beauties, Dang Seol-hwi was also a beautiful woman with black hair. But her impression was a bit sharp, so I felt she was inferior to Zhuge Xiaohui. Of course, that could be a matter of taste.
"I see. I'm Taejin. I heard you proposed a marriage arrangement to Yeon Bu-so, the son of the Alliance Leader?"
"Ah, yes, that's right. The other side responded positively, so there should be good news soon."
"I see. That's congratulations. May you live a hundred years together."
"Thank you, Taejin-nim."
Dang Seol-hwi left with a beaming smile. Zhuge Xiaohui, behind me, had a deeply furrowed brow.
"Unwrinkle your brow."
"You really!"
"Really what?"
"Hah... Forget it. I'll just get more wrinkles at this rate."
Zhuge Xiaohui pressed her forehead as if to calm her anger.
"Seeing you so angry, it seems you still have feelings for that Yeon Bu-so guy."
"That's not it. It was just to secure the clan's future that I was trying to form a marriage arrangement; it wasn't a matter of like or dislike. I'm angry because of that woman's attitude."
"I see."
In this era, it was common to marry for the sake of the clan. Still, I thought the martial arts world was free-spirited and people dated, but it seemed that wasn't the case for Zhuge Xiaohui. And in the original, Yeon Bu-so gets his arm cut off and becomes crippled because he messed with the protagonist, Cheon Un-woon. That not working out was actually a better thing for Zhuge Xiaohui. Not that she would ever know.
"Let's go. I don't want to stay here any longer."
"Okay."
We left the Martial Arts Alliance and looked around the area. With the tournament happening, people were very energetic, and business seemed good.
As I peered around here and there, Zhuge Xiaohui said.
"Watching you look around with such wonder, you really might have come down from the mountains. But where does all that money come from..."
"None of your business."
"Good grief..."
I took this opportunity to ask Zhuge Xiaohui some questions I was curious about regarding martial arts.
"By the way, is 'Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron' really the best among metals for making swords?"
"I don't know why you're suddenly asking that, but it's hard to say it's the best. They say there are occasionally treasure swords made from meteorite iron that surpass Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron."
"I see."
"Still, among metals that can be obtained, it's the best. Though it's extremely expensive and the quantity is small."
"Is there a place where I can see Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron?"
Then Zhuge Xiaohui thought for a moment, then said to me.
"Hmm... If you go to the Martial Arts Alliance and ask the Alliance Leader to show you his sword, you might be able to see it."
"Really? Then let's go."
"Huh? Now?"
I immediately took Zhuge Xiaohui and re-entered the Martial Arts Alliance, heading to the Alliance Leader's office. The Alliance Leader, Yi Mok, was startled by my sudden appearance.
"What brings you all of a sudden? Without any notice."
"Show me your sword. I want to see it. I heard I can see Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron here. Of course, I'm not taking it. I'll just look and give it back, so don't worry."
At that, Yi Mok, flabbergasted, glared at Zhuge Xiaohui. Zhuge Xiaohui broke out in a cold sweat and turned her head away.
"Hoo... Fine."
Yi Mok readily handed me his sword. I examined it. It was just iron, but the carbon ratio was good, and the elemental arrangement was very uniform. It seemed impossible to make artificially with the forging technology of this era. It was also amazing that such iron could form naturally.
"Hmm... It's just good iron. I'm the fool for expecting something..."
I immediately handed the sword back to Yi Mok. Then Yi Mok said, flabbergasted.
"Iron is iron, what else would it be?"
I took out a composite sword I had made in the One Piece universe from my inventory and handed it to Yi Mok.
"Gasp! When did that sword..."
"Take a look."
Yi Mok took the composite sword out of its sheath and began examining it.
"This can't be... It's an incredibly good blade. Would it be alright to try swinging it?"
"Go ahead."
We went to the training ground prepared within the Martial Arts Alliance, and I watched Yi Mok swing the composite sword.
Swish~! Swish!
After swinging it a few times, Yi Mok came back to me, returned the composite sword, and said.
"Time flies when swinging this sword. But the 'way' of it is a bit disappointing. If the Hwangbo Clan saw this sword, their eyes would pop out."
"By any chance, could I see some other swords? Ordinary swords are fine."
"Fine. But I have some work, so I'm busy. I'll assign someone to you. They will guide you to the armory."
Yi Mok immediately called someone and spoke. That person guided us to the armory. I examined the swords in the armory. There were various types, from low-quality trash swords to somewhat usable ones. All were lower in quality than the ordinary swords I had made in One Piece.
'I suppose it's hard to compare to modern forging techniques. Still, I had some expectations, thinking there might be something, but it's disappointing.'
I took Zhuge Xiaohui and returned to the inn.
"But why were you so interested in weapons today?"
"It's my first time seeing Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron, so I wanted to check. Because I've heard it's such good iron."
"I see. And what did you think?"
"Just good iron."
"You say strange things. Iron is iron, what did you expect..."
Zhuge Xiaohui said the same thing as the Alliance Leader.
"I know, right. What was I expecting..."
"Since that wench Dang Seol-hwi got under my skin today and I'm already in a bad mood, let's have a drink."
"Well, I suppose it's fine. Let's."
We ordered some meat dishes and also ordered the liquor Zhuge Xiaohui wanted. As expected, it wasn't tasty. Not only was it bland, but Chinese cuisine in general is greasy and has its own spices, so it really didn't suit me. Still, I ate it and drank, talking with Zhuge Xiaohui about the martial arts world.
After drinking for a while, Zhuge Xiaohui, having drunk a lot, her face red, asked me.
"In your opinion, am I not attractive? Or are you just not interested in women?"
"Why are you asking that all of a sudden?"
"Well, we've been in the same room for two days. Even when I was naked washing, you didn't look at me once, as if you weren't interested. And when you sleep, regardless of whether I'm there, you just sleep. Am I really that unattractive?"
"What are you talking about?"
"At first, I was embarrassed. But you weren't interested at all, so my pride was hurt more than my shame."
"So you're asking me to do something about it."
At that, Zhuge Xiaohui was flustered.
"Ah, no, that's not it..."
I immediately stood up, lifted Zhuge Xiaohui, threw her onto the bed, and took off her clothes.
"This isn't what I... Wait a moment. I'm a virgin... Haaht!"
We enjoyed ourselves like that through the night, and then it was morning. As expected, the bed was a mess again. Zhuge Xiaohui was exhausted and sleeping, so I used [Life Magic] to clean the bed neatly, then slept next to her for a while.
After sleeping a bit, I got up and slowly prepared to go out. Zhuge Xiaohui was still sleeping, so I woke her. The tournament was about to start.
"Hey, wake up. Aren't you going to the tournament?"
"Ugh... Hmm... Gasp, the tournament!"
Only then did Zhuge Xiaohui get up and hurriedly begin dressing.
We finished getting ready and were about to go to the Martial Arts Alliance, but Zhuge Xiaohui's face was red and she couldn't walk properly.
"What's wrong?"
"W-Well... Something's flowing..."
"Ah, I see."
It seemed this happened because she hadn't washed after our union. I took off Zhuge Xiaohui's clothes again, used magic to create water, and floated it in the air.
"Gasp! What is this..."
"Cover your ears and nose with both hands."
"Huh??"
"We don't have time, hurry."
"Ah, yes, yes."
When Zhuge Xiaohui covered her ears and nose as I instructed, I used the water floating in the air to surround her entire body, then spun only the water to wash her. I had also raised the temperature appropriately, so there shouldn't be a problem. After a while, I gathered all the water back, put it in my inventory, and used wind magic to dry her body.
"Good heavens, such martial arts exist..."
Zhuge Xiaohui, mistaking my abilities for martial arts, was amazed. I had done it this way with that intention.
"All done. Now change into new clothes."
"Ah, okay."
She took out new clothes and changed, and we ran together to the Martial Arts Alliance. Fortunately, we seemed to have arrived not too late. Zhuge Xiaohui had gone somewhere for a moment and came back with some light makeup.
"Women must be tired."
"That may be true, but for a woman, appearance is a great weapon. Well, it doesn't seem to work on you, though."
Zhuge Xiaohui hesitated for a moment, then blushed and asked me.
"Since last night happened, what am I to you now?"
I thought for a moment, then spoke.
"Hmm... A personal servant."
"You're really too mean. No matter how much of a servant I am, after something like this, you should at least make me a concubine, if not a wife."
"No, you're just a personal servant. Your intentions were impure."
"Because of that, you wiped out my entire clan. Wasn't that enough?"
"You keep missing something important. I spared those people because you agreed to become my servant. It was you who poked the sleeping tiger. If you want to blame the result, first reflect on your own judgment."
"Good grief, fine."