Martial Arts Ain't Anything Special-Chapter 34: The Great Mating Operation (3)

“Hold on a moment.”

Seojun pondered as he stared at Seong Leehyang.

This is definitely it.

Women Seojun found pretty were usually considered beautiful. Murim folks weren’t that different when it came to aesthetic sense, and naturally, they liked pretty things too.

With a face like that, there’s no way she doesn’t have admirers in the village.

Though obviously not even 1/20 millionth as cute as his Chunbong, she could still be considered quite beautiful in her own right.

After thinking, Seojun spoke.

“Hey, want to get married?”

“Pardon...?”

The cynical Seong Leehyang’s jaw suddenly dropped.

Chunbong did too, by the way.

“W-Wha...? M-Marriage...? What...?”

Chunbong broke.

As he repeatedly closed her jaw that wouldn’t shut on its own, she suddenly shouted.

“Hey, hey! Are you insane!? What are you saying!”

“What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong? WHAT’S WRONG!? Y-You son of a bitch! You fucking bastard! Just go die!”

Why is she acting like this?

As a Geum Chunbong repair specialist, he tried to lift her up by putting his hands under her armpits, but for some reason it failed under Chunbong’s fierce resistance.

“You awful bastard...”

“No, seriously, what’s wrong...?”

Now she was even on the verge of tears.

Confused by a situation he couldn’t understand, Seojun grabbed her cheeks.

“Did you get that attached already?”

“What...? A-Are you talking to me right now?”

“Duh?”

“How could you...”

Chunbong was stunlocked with her mouth wide open.

He asked, did I get that attached already? Then what was this past year?

She was so shocked that words weren’t registering properly.

Even when Seojun poked her repeatedly, there was no response.

Suddenly startled by her tears, he hugged her tightly.

“No, but actually, why are you acting like this? Is her getting married that shocking? It’s not even decided yet.”

“I-I...”

“Oh no, my poor Chunbong. Uh... what should I call her? Miss Leehyang? When did you two get so close?”

Leehyang, who had been quietly watching Seojun, slightly furrowed her brow.

“By any chance... whose marriage were you talking about?”

“Well, Miss Leehyang and someone from this village, of course?”

“Ah, I see?”

Leehyang smiled faintly, and Chunbong’s trembling body abruptly froze.

This is exactly it—the calm before the storm.

That dark silence warning of impending doom.

“Ee, uwaah...!”

“Oh no! Up we go, my Chunbong!”

Sensing danger, Seojun scooped up Chunbong and ran across the yard.

Unless you’re a complete retard, there’s no way you couldn’t understand the current situation.

And I am not a retard.

To prevent Chunbong from committing suicide out of shame, he needed to shock her out of it.

“My Chunbong is the best! My Chunbong is the kindest!”

“Ugh, grrr...!”

“Wow! Look Chunbong! The sun’s up!”

“Ughkyaaaaaa...!!”

Failed.

*Since I failed anyway, might as well tease her a bit, right?

“Aww, my little Chunbong. Did you like big brother that much? Felt like you were losing me when I talked about getting married?”

“...”

“How cute. I should just keep my Chunbong forever... Ow!”

“I’ll kill you!”

“P-Please spare me!”

Only after getting thoroughly beaten could he continue the previous conversation.

“Ow, my whole body... Anyway, what were we talking about? Ah, right. So I thought it might be nice to find a good husband candidate.”

“Why suddenly a husband...”

“You said you had nowhere to go, right? Then we can make one.”

The so-called Great Mating Operation.

When Seojun confidently explained his plan, Leehyang shook her head with a bitter smile.

“No one would accept a woman like me. My body has already been defiled.”

“You know, even unicorns sometimes break their horns depending on the situation?”

“Pardon?”

Even virgin enthusiasts, if not extremely fanatical, would nod at a face like this.

Besides, to be blunt, it’s not like Seong Leehyang did anything wrong, and these aren’t some noble family to care about such things, right?

Even women who hop from man to man like village buses get married just fine, so there’s no reason Seong Leehyang can’t.

So all Seong Leehyang needs to do is pick someone she likes from among them.

Isn’t it a simple and easy plan?

“So, is there anyone you’ve had your eye on?”

“...”

“Oh? What’s this?”

Judging by her expression, seems like there is?

When Seojun grinned, Seong Leehyang’s expression darkened further.

“Excessive greed invites disaster. I have no intention of burning myself with love beyond my station.”

“I think you should have a bit more confidence.”

“It’s nothing but vanity.”

“Hmm...”

If she’s this against it, it feels wrong to force help on her.

As Seojun was smacking his lips, just then—

Knock knock—

Someone knocked on the gate.

“Is anyone home?”

A familiar voice.

Creak— Granny Chun opened the window and poked her head out, speaking to Leehyang.

“Hyang, open the gate.”

“...Yes.”

Leehyang hesitantly approached the gate and carefully opened it.

“Hyang.”

“Uncle...”

The man standing beyond the gate looked familiar. It was the man who came with Seong yesterday and tried to stop him.

“...I’m really sorry about yesterday. I never thought he’d say such things.”

“...It’s fine. You didn’t do anything wrong, Uncle.”

“I should have done a better job stopping him.”

“Don’t say that. You’ve never once disappointed me.”

As the two awkwardly conversed, Seojun watching quietly, suddenly poked Chunbong beside him.

“Hey hey, that’s the thing, right?”

“...”

“Miss Chunbong? Geum Chunbong? Hey Chunboy?”

The kid wasn’t responding. Seemed she was still suffering from the aftereffects.

After thinking, Seojun didn’t have the courage to butt in between the two, so he quietly carried Chunbong inside.

“Ah, you coughed, Benefactor.”

Wang Daesan and Jang Yuho were there.

Jang Yuho still seemed unwell, sleeping covered in cold sweat, while Wang Daesan was changing the wet cloth on his forehead.

“Where’s the girl?”

“So-ryeong tends to sleep in, so she’s still asleep.”

“Aha, I see. Well, kids are like that.”

After putting the still frozen Chunbong down, Seojun approached Wang Daesan.

“By the way, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask.”

“Ah! Ask away, Benefactor!”

“Why did So-ryeong go out with just her guard like that? Seeing how they were talking about crossing mountains, seems like they went quite far from home.”

“Well, that’s...”

Huu... Wang Daesan sighed heavily then shook and bowed his head.

“Oh, my apologies.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“So-ryeong... well. Her friends tend to be quite active. They often travel here and there.”

Wang Daesan paused briefly, rubbing between his eyebrows before continuing.

“So it seems So-ryeong also wanted to travel.”

“And you let her?”

“Guard Jang is a first-rate master. I thought it would be fine. Besides, they weren’t going that far. Their destination was a village just over the mountain from our family house.”

Crunch— Wang Daesan gritted his teeth. For a moment, a red glint flashed in his eyes.

“But to think such a thing would happen. It was my fault for staying at the house because I was busy. From now on, I will never leave So-ryeong’s side.”

“Well, that’ll get harder as your daughter grows up. Won’t she hate it if her dad clings too much?”

“H-How can you say such harsh things, Benefactor!”

“Oh dear.”

Is this guy going to sit down and cry if So-ryeong hits puberty?

Clicking his tongue, Seojun reached out to pat Chunbong’s head...

Slap—

“...Leave me alone for a bit.”

Chunbong walked out of the room slumpishly.

Seojun was stunlocked, his mouth wide open.

“M-Miss Geum...?”

“...Benefactor. It seems you were my senior in this matter. If such a day comes for So-ryeong too... Haa...”

Seojun, finally broken by Wang Daesan’s follow-up attack, cried out.

“N-Nooooo...!!”

He sat on the floor and cried.

*Of course, he didn’t actually cry.

Honestly, I’d be embarrassed too if I misunderstood that badly.

At times like this, you just need to approach carefully, read the room, and tease a bit to make it better.

This was expertise born from years of experience.

“Shall we go catch a Geum Chunbong~”

As he hummed his self-composed song while leaving the room, he saw Leehyang and that man still talking.

Though it seemed their conversation was wrapping up as they were exchanging farewells...

“Oho.”

When the man grabbed Leehyang’s hand and said some words of comfort, she lowered her head with reddened ears.

The age difference...

He seems old enough to be her father, but well, if they like each other, there’s no problem.

This matchmaking business might be fun.

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As Seojun peeked at the two while grinning, Wang Daesan’s voice came from behind.

“Benefactor.”

“Whoa! You scared me.”

He almost reflexively went for the Aka into Murasaki combo, but Wang Daeson continued calmly unaware that he had almost experienced death.

“I pondered all night.”

“About what?”

“What I could offer to you, Benefactor.”

Wang Daesan slowly approached and glanced briefly at Seong Leehyang and the man before speaking.

“After much thought, I realized the only thing I could offer was martial arts.”

“Martial arts?”

“Of course, Benefactor is a stronger martial artist than I. However, the blade techniques passed down through our Wang family for generations can be considered unparalleled.”

Wang Daesan extended one finger and drew it down from top to bottom.

“Unlike swords, blades specialized for cutting will likely be quite unfamiliar to you. The deeper you delve, the more so.”

After withdrawing his hand and making a fist-palm salute, Wang Daeson said with a serious expression.

“So please, allow me a chance to repay your kindness, a chance to be of help to the Benefactor.”