Chapter 62 - Martial Arts Masochist

Property. A word she never imagined would be used to describe her. In an instant, that one word crushed the towering and precarious self-esteem she had meticulously built over time. A mere possession, she thought. As Cheongwol mulled over it, the image of herself chasing the dignified stance of a sect leader and aspiring to be a respected heroine flashed in her mind. And after all that pursuit, ending up as someone's possession was nauseatingly repulsive and bitterly humiliating. Yet, inexplicably, an itch of an indescribable sensation dominated her. Panting softly, Cheongwol looked up at Han Seo Jin. Her breath seemed to escape her lips in nervous excitement. The sounds of merry people outside the alley felt distant, as though her entire world now consisted of only Han Seo Jin. The feeling of the leash around her neck grew more familiar. She shook her head, attempting to ground herself with the firm resolution that she couldn't let herself be swayed. Nonetheless, her efforts only seemed to highlight the presence of the leash as if it were alive, actively encircling her the more she struggled to break free. It truly felt as if she was becoming his. “I... I don't want this...” she whispered, almost unconsciously. It was a voice unbefitting a proud warrior of the Emei Sect. This vulnerability was something she had been trying to rid herself of for her entire life. Yet, every time she was in front of Han Seo Jin, such an involuntary display of frailty emerged. “Calm down,” Han Seo Jin whispered then. His voice was lower and softer than before, almost as if he found her appearance with the leash irresistibly endearing. The warmth of his words only added to her bewilderment. He was the source of all this chaos, and yet his words seemed to softly stroke her heart. “Calm down. Don't worry about anything. Didn't I say I'm the one responsible for you?” “Ugh...” “You're my possession. Do you think I'd treat my possession carelessly?” His words stirred her heart. She utterly hated those words. Yet, she found herself unable to rebuff them. -Thud. Her body was led along in a delicate, precarious manner once more. Han Seo Jin tugged at the leash again. “Now, Wol-ah. Your face is covered by the veil... Let’s step outside the alley.” “!” Cheongwol, struck by his words, started to flail frantically. Sitting on her haunches, she tumbled backward inelegantly. Yet she had no time to worry about such things. Grabbing at the wall desperately, she shook her head vigorously. “No, it can't be, Jangju... I can't...!” People would see. Walking down the street with a leash around her neck. Even if her face was covered, everyone would stare at her. They’d point, wondering who would do something so beast-like. And if by chance her veil came off... “Ugh!” Cringing at the thought, Cheongwol let out a foolish groan. If discovered, the news would spread all over the martial world. “It’s absolutely not possible. I absolutely refuse...!” “...Hmph.” Then Han Seo Jin’s gaze darkened. She suddenly felt afraid, but Cheongwol couldn’t relent. The humanity within her, her last ounce of pride, wouldn’t permit it. “...Fine, I’ll concede,” Han Seo Jin sighed afterward. Cheongwol felt relief mirroring his sighing as well. He tossed the leash towards her legs. “...Huh?” Was it over, she thought? “Tuck the leash inside your clothes and pull it out through the sleeve.” “...Hah.” A breath of relief escaped Cheongwol. “...?” “...?” Both Han Seo Jin and Cheongwol met eyes simultaneously and unexpectedly, startled by the sigh. Cheongwol’s face flushed red instantly. “N-no... at least we’re not going out like this...” she mumbled while fidgeting. “...” Han Seo Jin didn’t press further. Instead, he turned his body, giving another directive. “Leash, out through the sleeve.” Cheongwol hesitated for a moment before taking the leash in her hand. It still felt so strange. A leash on her neck, on a person, and especially on her—a nun of the Emei Sect—was alarmingly foreign. It seemed to constantly remind her she was less than human, merely a beast, and someone's possession at that. “...Hooh…” Each time she revisited this realization like the tide steadily returning, a warm sigh escaped her lips. If she didn’t exhale like this, it felt as though she’d be burned alive from the heat within. She only then noticed her body was flushed with warmth. Tentatively, Cheongwol complied with Han Seo Jin's command, silently justifying herself. If she didn’t comply, he might truly bring her outside just like that. So she followed his order as a lesser evil, not out of submission. She clumsily tucked the leash inside her outfit. Then, she pulled the long cord out through her sleeve. The rope brushing against her skin startled her, every live touch clearly engraving the situation. Eyeing the cord dangling out the end of her sleeve, Cheongwol cautiously nudged Han Seo Jin’s leg with it. He turned, nodding his head. “Show me.” Cheongwol pulled down the veil to cover her face while raising her sleeve. The rope dangling from the end was evident. “Hand it to me,” Han Seo Jin extended his hand. “Ugh.” Cheongwol bit her lip once more. Why ask explicitly for her to hand it over instead of just taking it himself? Even that brief moment felt suffocatingly psychological to her. Handing it over by her own will seemed like she was actively relinquishing control. Why compel what could be done simply? “...” Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to defy his words. In the end, turning her gaze slightly away, she cautiously pinched the end of the rope and held it out to Han Seo Jin. The leash tugged taut again, reestablishing the grip of domination over her. “Well done,” Han Seo Jin praised. Remaining silent, Cheongwol exhaled a long breath. Her insides filled with an increasingly intense heat. “Stand up now,” Han Seo Jin said. Cheongwol leaned against the wall, struggling to rise. “Looking at it now, it seems completely normal.” Though it sounded like a consolation, poison followed immediately after. “Doesn’t look like you're some leash-wearing pervert at all.” “You’re the one... who put it on me...!” “And you accepted it.” “...” Reacting to every little thing would only exhaust her. She gritted her teeth. "Come on, let's go." Han Seo Jin gently tugged at the leash. With her arms lowered, the leash stayed hidden. “Wait... just a moment...!” Cheongwol halted Han Seo Jin, who had already begun to move. She still wasn’t mentally prepared at all. “Are we really going out?” She still couldn't believe it. “What else?” “You’re teasing me again, right? We’re not really going out, are we? Even you said you dislike martial artists. If we get caught, you’ll be implicated with me! You wouldn’t want that, right?” “If you put on a leash, you’re supposed to go for a walk. Otherwise, why wear it?” “There are too many people on the street! What if we get caught...?” “With your face and neck covered by a veil, and the leash hidden in your sleeve, how would anyone notice? If you’re hesitant and trembling like this, it’d look more suspicious. Just... walk confidently.” How could she possibly walk confidently? Cheongwol's legs were already trembling. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so weak-kneed, not even when taking up a sword against someone. Cheongwol found herself arguing again, knowing Han Seo Jin wouldn’t find it endearing. “If we get caught, you might be dismissed as a mere pervert... but my life would be ruined!” -Thunk! “Ugh!” Han Seo Jin tugged her leash a bit more firmly. “Wol-ah.” He called her name softly, yet it held an unmistakable anger he had never shown before. Cheongwol flinched, lowering her gaze. “Stop being delusional.” He spoke plainly. “Right now, you’re simply... my possession. Not even you own yourself.” “Ugh...!” "And if you get ruined, even better. I’ll just take care of you for life.” “…!” Words that squeezed her heart. How can a dust-covered orphaned young man at the edge of Mount Emei claim to take care of her for life? What can someone in such poverty, who came to the capital for survival, do for her at all? Still, she couldn't fathom why she felt a slight sense of relief from his words. If he took responsibility for her... would she be freed from this heavy burden? She knew he didn't mean it seriously. Han Seo Jin had been clear about his disdain for martial artists. Surely he wouldn't want to take responsibility for someone as esteemed as herself. Yet, there was something tangibly comforting in his words. Han Seo Jin began to move again, and if she didn’t follow, the rope would lift her sleeve. Left with no strength in her legs, Cheongwol could only be guided by him. The control he had over the leash from her neck was unavoidable. She was dragged along like a dog following its lead, her heart pounding with each step. The voices of people grew louder, lanterns illuminating the darkness became brighter. -Whack!! Cheongwol stopped suddenly, gripped by fear. Holding the leash with both hands, she planted her feet firmly on the ground. “…You.” Just as Han Seo Jin seemed about to burst into anger again, she pleaded desperately. “The rope…” With eyes tightly shut, she whispered powerlessly. “The rope... it's visible. So, please…” Sure, her face and neck were covered. Suppose the leash was obscured by her sleeve as well. But the rope dangling from her sleeve and Han Seo Jin’s hand gripping it were not concealed. Anyone could see them. It was an utterly intolerable thought for her. “...” Han Seo Jin froze for a moment before letting out a brief laugh. -Click. Cheongwol's heart sank once more. “Eek!” Han Seo Jin had caught her hand. The leash was now beneath her hand, upon which Han Seo Jin’s hand rested. "This works, right?" Cheongwol looked down at her hand. Nothing was noticeable. It only appeared as if they were holding hands... like affectionate lovers. “U-ugh…” -Thunk... thunk... thunk... It was her first time holding a man's hand. Maybe it was the leash, or maybe it was something else—her heart raced wildly. For a nun of the Emei Sect, such an act was forbidden. Holding hands with a man like a lover, an act she thought she'd find utterly distasteful, wasn’t. Instead, Han Seo Jin’s hand felt large and rough. Oddly, it felt reassuring. She had only ever communicated through swords, scarcely recognizing the difference between genders, until now, when she could distinctly feel that difference. "Now we're really going." Han Seo Jin stepped forward. Cheongwol, bound by his control, was irresistibly led into the crowd. “Dumplings! Selling dumplings!” “What a wonderful day! Server! Another drink here!” “Did you see Mookryong? His frame was impressive! To think such a man was challenged by the Millennium Flower!” “Sigh, why hasn’t Cheongwol appeared? I wanted to see her.” The lively crowd opened up around them. Red lanterns lit the streets vibrantly. The scent of savory food wafted through the air, a gentle breeze flowing by. Amidst tens, perhaps hundreds of people, Cheongwol stood. With a leash around her neck, its end held by Han Seo Jin. A flower that is said to bloom only once in a thousand years in the Emei Sect. With that epithet, she was now blooming in the most indecent way among countless onlookers. Her heart raced as if it would burst. Yet, as Han Seo Jin predicted, no one recognized her. No one noticed her. And as one layer of anxiety peeled away, what seeped into its place was... an inexplicable feeling of liberation and a lingering sense of dark pleasure. Her body shivered. The tiny hairs on her neck stood on end. The fact that being discovered would ruin everything, and the perilous thrill she felt despite this... “Whoo... ha...” Cheongwol let out the breath she had been holding. The image was so vulgar even to herself. Appearing so perversely in front of others, experiencing this ominous sensation. How could a nun of the Emei Sect behave like this? How could she, counted among the most noble women in the martial world, do such a thing? It was a disgrace only she knew. A secret she had to carry all the way to her grave. "...Isn't it okay?" he asked then, his lips curved into a sly smile. Cheongwol took a good look at Han Seo Jin. ...Ah. No, there was one person—a person willing to witness her in this vile and base state. The person who introduced her to this strange and shameful pleasure; the one who participated in this furtive rebellion alongside her. Without him, none of this would be possible; she couldn't even have begun to imagine it. Sharing this clandestine escapade with him allowed her to feel a connection unspoken yet profound. Engaging in an act they couldn't share with anyone but each other made their bond feel more intimate. Trust in him deepened. She realized she couldn't have done this if she hadn't trusted Han Seo Jin. Were he to betray her by removing the veil, it would ruin her life entirely. But Cheongwol understood by now that he wouldn't do that. This confidence allowed her the choice to follow him into the crowd. In submitting, she found liberation from the burdens of choice and responsibility. The human desires she, as a nun, had to deny herself seemed permissible as long as the leash was on. Even now, her world consisted only of Han Seo Jin. He alone was the solitary anchor to soothe her anxious heart. Han Seo Jin tightened his grip on her hand, pulling Cheongwol's consciousness sharply back to the present. The peculiar sensation from holding hands superseded even that of the leash, which she'd nearly forgotten. "Can you walk?" Cheongwol glanced at the crowd. To walk through, she knew she'd inevitably collide with others. She bit her lip, then clasped his hand tighter, holding onto it dearly. -Nod. She gave a small nod. The fear lingered. Yet, if Han Seo Jin reassured her, she felt as though everything would be alright. He flashed a broad smile once more. "Let's go, then." What awaited them on this walk? What might he compel her to do next? Though already dizzy and nearing her limit, Cheongwol knew that Han Seo Jin wouldn’t end it here. She didn't need to ponder further. It was just as Han Seo Jin said. For now, she wasn't a nun of the Emei Sect, the fabled Millennium Flower, or the esteemed future leader. ...She was merely Han Seo Jin's possession.