NOVEL NEXT Chapter 244
Chapter 244: Declaration of War
Early morning.
Yujinhwi, rising earlier than anyone else, stealthily made her way to Lee Cheol-soo’s room.
As her right as a senior female disciple, she was assigned a room right next to Lee Cheol-soo.
Silently opening the door, Yujinhwi’s gaze fell upon her master’s face.
Her cheeks flushed.
Her heart raced. Yujinhwi reached out to stroke the sleeping master’s face.
‘Today is the last day.’
Today was the last day she could remain as a woman.
Under the Crown Princess’s command, masters gathering from all over the Nine Provinces and Eight Monarchs were converging in Beijing, and the last one, Cheonma, had just arrived.
Now she had to return to being a man.
Moreover, she knew.
Today, the Crown Princess would summon all women. Ever since she was with the Crown Princess, she had said it like a habit.
She would gather all the women in a relationship with her master and declare herself the official concubine.
And today, the last woman, So Cheonma Baek Cheon-hwa, entered Beijing with her father, Cheonma Baek Murang.
Soon they would arrive at Namdae, where she was.
‘The Crown Princess will summon all women today.’
And she would be present there too.
So this morning was the last moment she could spend intimately with her master. Yujinhwi thought so and smiled.
Suddenly, the memory of that day came to her.
The day her master had looked particularly unwell, the day she learned the truth about the Crown Princess.
She had embraced her master in silence, and the master had cried uncontrollably in her arms.
The sensation from that moment remained vivid. Yujinhwi had no forgetfulness. She remembered everything she experienced.
That was why she could recall that day as clearly as yesterday.
It was the first time she had seen her master cry. Since childhood, she had acted older than her years. Even when she was lacking, the master had cared for her like a senior.
She was the one who shared celestial elixirs and didn’t shy away from dirty work for the restoration of their sect.
It wasn’t that her master had never shown tears; however, she had never cried so genuinely as she did that day.
It seemed her master had been going through a lot. She just hadn’t said anything until now. She had been carrying it all alone.
‘Master, how hard it must have been for you.’
That day.
Yujinhwi felt a new emotion toward her master. Not love as a romantic interest, but a more fundamental kind of love.
It was the first time she had seen her master’s vulnerable side. Only she had witnessed such a view.
Even the Crown Princess had probably never seen her master so fragile. Yujinhwi’s heart raced at that thought.
Since that day, her master had never shown such a side again, but whenever they were together, her cheeks would slightly redden in embarrassment.
‘So cute.’
Her master was adorable.
Yujinhwi loved that aspect of her master.
And she felt proud.
Yujinhwi was also her master’s senior disciple. As the eldest of the senior disciples, she had the duty to care for them.
But her master and junior disciples were far too mature. Especially her master.
So, there wasn’t much for her to do as a senior. Deep down, she felt regret over that. She wanted to be a reliable senior. She wanted to be the senior her master could depend on.
But until now, she hadn’t been that. Her master hadn’t relied on her. Instead, the master, being the disciple, had led her, the senior.
That fact made her feel a bit regretful and somewhat upset. Yet, it wasn’t the case anymore. Her master had found solace in her embrace that day. Her master relied on her as a senior. She embraced her master as both a senior and a woman.
Yujinhwi would never forget the memories of that day.
That wasn’t all. Even the image of her master being a eunuch, which the Crown Princess had merely mentioned, was something Yujinhwi believed she could love.
Her master was everything to Yujinhwi. Even now, after regaining her humanity, that fact hadn’t changed.
So, coming to visit her secretly in the morning was just fine.
No, even if her master hadn’t started avoiding her since that day, she wouldn’t have come to visit like this.
It was all her master’s fault.
Yujinhwi rationalized it that way as she poked her master’s cheek.
“Eung.”
A low voice escaped her master’s lips. Slowly, her eyelids fluttered.
Finally, her master’s eyes fully opened, and a smile unconsciously appeared on her lips. It was a motherly smile.
“Hello, Master. Good morning.”
Hug.
Yujinhwi instinctively embraced her master after a long time. She knew her master liked her ample bosom.
Yujinhwi’s cheeks turned warm. As an unwed young woman, this shouldn’t happen. She understood that much. But for her master, it didn’t matter.
For her master, she was ready to do anything.
If her master desired her body, she was willing to offer it without a second thought. Just thinking about it made Yujinhwi’s face turn bright red. She could feel her master’s warmth against her skin. It was cozy.
*
I had been ambushed by my senior since morning.
I didn’t know what was going on, but I found myself helplessly embraced and being patted by her.
“Master, did you sleep well?”
“Yes, I slept well.”
The scent of wildflowers tickled my nose. I felt the soft touch of her ample breasts.
That day.
Since I had cried in her arms, I felt an inexplicable emotion rise every time I saw her.
To put it simply, my 19-year-old self felt my attachment to her grow stronger each time. I felt as if my sanity was overwhelmed by her maternal affection.
In front of her, I surprisingly wanted to act like a child. That shouldn’t happen. So, I intentionally avoided her.
Yet today, she came to me in the morning.
What a twist of fate.
“Master, why have you been avoiding me? I could accept anything about you, no matter what.”
My senior scolded me in a tender voice.
I was at a loss for words. To be honest, I felt a bit embarrassed since that day. That’s why I was avoiding her.
“So it was because you were embarrassed?”
My senior guessed correctly.
I couldn’t say anything in response. Whatever I said, she would take it the way she wanted.
Above all, the feeling of being embraced like this wasn’t bad at all.
“Master finally shows a cute side that befits a master.”
Cute?
I had hardly ever heard that word throughout my past life and present. Except for the guy from the Golden Restricted Position Technique who tried to exploit me, calling me cute while patting my cheek.
Thinking back, that gave me chills.
But the “cute” back then felt different from this current “cute” vibe.
Hearing “cute” from my senior now made me feel a wave of embarrassment.
This was a new feeling.
“Master. I can do anything for you.”
My senior whispered. Her voice felt strangely heavy. She said.
“So please don’t avoid me, okay? It’s a promise.”
“Ah, understood. Senior.”
I stammered. Only then did she release me.
“You’ve heard, haven’t you? Today, the Demon Sect is coming to Namdae.”
My senior spoke to me.
I already knew that.
I nodded.
“Yes.”
Once Cheonma arrives, the eight masters will gather in one place as per the Emperor’s intention.
“Mm-hmm.”
Suddenly, she grasped my hand. Just by her holding my hand, blood rushed to my face. It felt hot.
“Master, I need to return to my manly form starting today.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
That was sincere.
Honestly, even though the content was that of a woman, her original female form looked better than her dressed as a man.
“I feel the same.”
She said while kneading my hand.
“But… it can’t be helped. Master, I have a very important meeting today…”
She told me.
“What is it?”
An important meeting? I couldn’t guess what it was. Upon hearing my words, my senior smiled.
“It’s a secret. Can you support me?”
A secret.
It shouldn’t be anything serious. If it were, she would have told me.
I brushed it off and nodded.
“Alright. I will support you.”
My senior’s eyes widened slightly upon hearing my words.
She beamed brightly.
“Yes! Thank you.”
Her smiling face was filled with happiness, the happiest expression I had seen on her.
Soon after my senior visited my room, she was called away by the Emperor’s command.
Not only that.
The Emperor summoned all the women connected to me.
At that moment, I recalled what the Emperor had said before.
‘I had mentioned making a declaration, didn’t I?’
Was that declaration this?
I felt an ominous premonition, but I couldn’t argue against the Emperor’s decision now.
I sat down, thinking that way.
The azure sky of Beijing and the calm waves of the lake welcomed me.
*
In the Central South Sea of Beijing.
Namdae.
At the Golugeogak with yellow-tiled roofs.
The Crown Princess Juga-yul sat in the central royal chamber, casting a proud glance at the women she had summoned.
Yeomwang Jeoksawol, Geumhu Eun Seol-ran, Sosumahu Baek Rijiak, Goeui Dang Yeong-ryeong, Geomseong Yujinhwi, Naengmyeon Geomhui Seoharin, So Cheonma Baek Cheon-hwa, Geombong Seomun Cheong-ha, So Geom-hu Cheon Sobin, and Heuksaryong Wi Soryeon.
Ten women stood in front of her.
Except for Geomseong Yujinhwi, all the women wore perplexed expressions.
Crown Princess Juga-yul.
The current representative of the Ming Empire and the highest authority of the empire, acting on behalf of the Emperor.
No matter how skilled a master may be, they have no choice but to bow down to her, as she held a status beyond the ordinary.
But that was all.
There was no connection between the women and Juga-yul. Moreover, all these women were connected to Lee Cheol-soo.
Everyone was aware that Lee Cheol-soo had many women around him, but this was the first time they all gathered in one place like this.
They began to feel a sense of awareness toward each other.
Seeing the subtle exchanges of glances between them, Juga-yul’s lips curled up into a smile.
“I can see by your eyes that you are wondering why I gathered you all here.”
At Juga-yul’s words, all eyes turned to her.
Receiving their gazes, Juga-yul’s heart raced.
It was thrilling.
Now, she needed to enlighten these ignorant women.
Who the true partner of Noya was.
“By now, the sharp-eyed among you must have noticed the common point of those gathered here.”
“…If it’s a common point, then they are all women connected to the martial department of Gongdong Sect, Lee Cheol-soo… is it not? Your Highness.”
As soon as her words fell, the red-haired beauty Yeomwang Jeoksawol cautiously spoke.
“Correct. And I too am included in that.”
On hearing Jeoksawol’s statement, Juga-yul smiled brightly.
The moment they heard her answer, a heavy silence enveloped the courtyard.
Except for Yujinhwi, everyone else was bewildered.
The Crown Princess, the highest authority of the empire, is connected with Lee Cheol-soo?
Could it be that she referred to their meeting during the Yongbong Society as a connection? As Juga-yul observed the faces filled with confusion, she smiled.
She stated.
“No one here has formed a deeper bond and connection with this man than I have.”
Juga-yul closed and opened her eyes.
“Therefore, the only woman eligible to be the official concubine of this man is indeed me!”
She declared to everyone.
The moment her declaration hit the courtyard, a heavy silence, like death, descended upon them all.