Chapter 15 The Beggar Sect (5) - Martial Arts Masochist

"I am a vulgar and filthy woman. Say it three times." Cheongwol's heart tightened painfully. It wasn't just her heart; she felt as though something much deeper within her was being crushed... It had begun. This absurd game had started once again. Cheongwol stopped herself from speaking and swallowed her breath. Her mind went blank. Her breathing became increasingly shallow, and her throat seemed to burn. How could he expect her to say something like that? Cheongwol did not know men. She had never allowed any man to touch her before Han Seojin. When her fellow disciples were inundated with stories of romance, Cheongwol only listened with one ear and let it go out the other. She had no interest in or curiosity about men. Her goals were far too clear for that. For the reputation of the Emei Sect, and to repay the kindness of the headmaster, she trained herself rigorously. With dignity and grace. Although she disliked being called the Millennium Flower of the Emei Sect, she still strove to act in accordance with that title. But now, they wanted her to say such words. And to say it herself. "...Are you not going to do it?" Finally, she spoke from the very beginning. "Why am I a... vulgar... and such woman?" Through this resistance, Cheongwol realized for the first time that she took pride in her pure body. Han Seojin remained unhurried. "You came to see me. You knew it would be humiliating, didn't you? Yet you still wanted it, which means... aren’t you indeed a vulgar and filthy woman?" "Have you forgotten what kind of sect the Emei Sect is? You’re the first man to touch my... my body. Would you believe it if I showed you the Su Gung emblem?" To prove her purity, she considered revealing the Su Gung emblem embedded in her forearm. Would that make him retract his demand? "..." Han Seojin tensed briefly at her words but soon relaxed his neck and continued. "Vulgarity isn't contingent on something like that. The reality that you opted into this perverse act doesn’t change. You nodded earlier, didn’t you?" "I... I'm not vulgar. Nor filthy." "Then you're not going to say it?" "I won't do it." Even so, Han Seojin appeared remarkably at ease. "Do you know what happens in an SM game if the partner refuses to comply?" "..." "They're punished." "...What?" Han Seojin spoke with chilling calm. "Bend over. For a spanking." "…!" Reflexively, Cheongwol wrapped her arms around her hips and backpedaled. Thud. She soon collided with the basement wall. Space was too confined to escape. The words from his mouth were perpetually unpredictable. A spanking, as if she were a child. No full-grown adult would permit such a thing from another adult. Yet, for an unfathomable reason, her breathing had quickened as well. Already, a chilling sensation gripped her. Her dry throat kept swallowing, and her accelerating heartbeat drummed in her ears. "...I don't... want that," she uttered cautiously. She disliked both options immensely. "I don't want that either. How could I let a man..." Han Seojin stiffened momentarily, then turned and gestured towards the basement door. "...Then leave. I don't need a woman who doesn't listen." Oddly, it was now Cheongwol who felt a desperate pull. "...If you could just... lower the intensity a bit...!" "I set the intensity. Your task is merely to follow." "..." She realized Han Seojin wasn’t wrong. Cheongwol understood that. She came here with the intent to obey his commands. Aware that liberation awaited at the journey's end, she pursued it. Moreover, he repeatedly gave her options. If unwilling, she could leave at any moment. Such was the situation now. Yet, her feet refused to budge from the floor as though glued there. Something complicated, masquerading past the shame, beckoned her continually. Stimuli within arm’s reach tantalized, but Cheongwol could not advance. Han Seojin slowly approached her, clasping her as she recoiled. Struggling to believe she was nervous before a mere leather-craftsman, he trapped her against the wall and stared down at her. Too embarrassed to meet his gaze, Cheongwol fixated on his neck. "...It's just you and me here." He whispered, coaxing her. "...Only I will know your true self. No one else." "But, I am not such a person—" "Admit it here. Outside, it doesn't matter. Here, just between us." "..." Cheongwol shut her eyes tightly. "...Cheongwol." His voice was gentle, stirring something within her heart again. "...When I called you a vulgar courtesan last time, you were pleased, weren't you?" "Ah!" Thud! Cheongwol finally pushed him away, unable to tolerate the pressure. No, it wasn’t like that. The tears shed then weren't from joy. It was too... too humiliating. But Han Seojin wasn't ready to give up. He closed the gap once more, standing before her again. "Speak." He insisted, pressuring her. "It's not hard. Just a word. No, four words." Perhaps it was his insistence. Her lips began to twitch, almost involuntarily. Deep within her, something tingled faintly. Knowing she must speak, she found herself unable to part her lips. It was a sentence that should end it, but that brief sentence pricked at all the pride she had built, training and beliefs... "Just tell me." Cheongwol trembled as she drew in a breath. The words carried more weight than just a declaration of shame. She felt like the act of speaking would change something irrevocably. It suggested she might not be the same after saying it. Breaking a line she had cherished in her heart, committing an act she shouldn't... Teetering on that thin line, she hesitated endlessly. **** The pain was excruciating! A sharp pain flared in my chest where Cheongwol pushed me. Was my rib fractured? At first, I almost cried out. But I held my tongue. If I start rolling around in agony, the act and ambiance I’ve meticulously maintained will crumble entirely. From a sadist’s perspective, once my authority is shattered, I’ll never reclaim the same standing. I'm acutely aware of my peculiar situation. Didn’t Cheongwol herself admit it? I am the only one who has ever laid a hand on her. The moment I heard those words, I realized what kind of beast I was tangling with. I was essentially trying to tame a wild animal. If I fail to satiate her hunger, I’ll be devoured. Should I lose my mystique or sadistic footing here... would Cheongwol simply let that slide? I'm likely the only one who has seen her in such a vulnerable state, the only one who has placed even a light touch on her body. ...I probably wouldn't survive. The vision of being cast aside like a mere cockroach, meeting an untimely end, played out vividly in my mind. So, I clenched my teeth and continued to press her. "Say it. It's not difficult, just one word. No, four words." "...Hhh... Hhhh..." "Say it just to me." That was a cushion statement. It double-served to elevate my position. It was essential that I pressed her to speak such an important phrase. Though I suggested she should turn her backside for a spanking if she couldn't say it, I never intended to actually follow through. How could I physically punish her? Doing so might not just upset her, but it could trigger the headmaster of Emei Sect to hunt me down with a fervor. This was purely enticement. If I intended to raise the stakes of this play, I had to increase the intensity gradually. Warming up was essential. Attempting to chug two bottles of soju right off the bat, when my previous record was only two, would likely end in a mess before I even finished one. I needed to start by providing her a bit of soft broth, preparing her stomach. Cheongwol needed to ease into accepting herself before we could move on to the next stage. Still, I was internally seething; I hadn't anticipated a roadblock at this point. If she really couldn't manage even this, why did she come? If you can't do it, just leave! I don't want to do this either! Yet, no matter how many hints I dropped, she remained like a stubborn seven-year-old, refusing to budge or cooperate. Though she wouldn't act, she was resistant. I had no idea how to tackle this situation. Seriously. "..." If she can't, then ultimately, I must guide her. I organized this scenario and must take responsibility for this relationship. "...Can't you really say it?" Cheongwol swiftly nodded, indicating oblivion. When someone struggles with the stick, it's inevitable to offer a carrot. I spoke words that made me cringe. "...If you say it, I think you’d be so beautiful." "Ah...!" Cheongwol recoiled slightly. Her nape and ears were already a deep red. I understood her reaction. Who dislikes compliments? And awkward as she seemed with men, how often had she heard such sincere praise? She might have heard she was pretty in passing or polite greetings, but this was nearly uttered as a lover would. Even I found it taxing. "..." "..." But that was all. Her lips remained tightly sealed. ...Well, it wasn't expected to work. Such things only work between lovers. My compliment couldn't serve as a significant carrot; our partnership wasn’t close enough to have that effect. I needed to re-evaluate. What could I offer as a carrot? Last time, what had spurred her? ...It seems I used the burdens she shouldered as my weapon. I brainstormed before advising the frozen figure before me. "...Consider this." "...?" Cheongwol glanced up at me, her eyes inexplicably more tearful. "...Things you can only say here. Words that can’t escape this place." "..." "When everyone in the empire calls you the Millennium Flower of the Emei Sect... you'd whisper down here in my basement that you're not really that... but rather a filthy and vulgar woman. Not that extraordinary compared to others. That you feel joy at being shamed by a mere leather craftsman." "...I told... you it wasn't...joy..." A reaction. Does Cheongwol realize how she held her breath just now? "Release all those expectations. Only in front of me, show what even the headmaster wouldn’t recognize. Aren't you suffocating? I won’t reveal this to anyone else. Say it just to me. Show me only. That you're not all that different from ordinary people." “...Huh…” “Everyone has desires. It’s not strange. Everyone seeks gratification. Those without it are the ones wearing masks.” I suppressed my trembling hands as I gingerly slid my fingers through her hair. Cheongwol gently turned her head, rejecting my touch. "Even a nun from the Emei Sect can’t change that. I'll accept even your more lustful side. I'll commend it." Her body swayed slightly, as if she felt dizzy from this proposition alone. I leaned closer to her ear and whispered, “...This is your last chance. If you don’t say it now... you’ll have to face a spanking.” "..." “...Or maybe this reluctance is because you want it?” Close up, I could see Cheongwol’s body lightly trembling. I swallowed nervously. Would she finally say it? Or not? Perhaps even I was swept up in the mood. Maybe I had gone too far? Yet, I could no longer ignore the shallow desire stirring within me. Setting aside the cushions, I wanted to witness the noble Millennium Flower of the Emei Sect whispering such provocative words. To hear such a beauty utter those words herself was a growing desire as a sadist that had somehow taken root. "..." Yet, once more, Cheongwol remained silent. I waited for what felt like ages, but nothing changed. Reluctantly, I had to slowly begin accepting it. ...Perhaps it wasn’t going to happen. If a safe word existed, it would’ve been uttered by now through her expression. That’s enough for today. Now, I'll pull back respectfully and... - Swish. Then, a hesitant grip held onto my sleeve. As if mustering all her courage, Cheongwol clung to me. It was like there was no one else she could rely on at this moment, even though I was the very one troubling her. I stood frozen, quietly observing her actions. For some reason, I couldn’t move. Cheongwol's lips trembled open with painstaking slowness. Her eyes remained tightly shut. Just as I had whispered into her ear, this time she spoke into mine in breaths barely perceptible. "...I..." Her moist breath brushed against my ear. A shiver ran down my arm at her voice. "...I am..." A long silence ensued, her words struggling to emerge. But she gathered her courage once more and opened her lips. The whisper of a woman who grew up devoid of male company. "...A...ah..." I turned slightly, trying to gauge her expression. "...vul...gar..." Cheongwol's eyes opened slowly. Beneath the gaze filled with deep reluctance... ...Passed a fleeting glimmer of faint pleasure. "...woman..." She turned her head as she spoke. "...Is that... enough?" And it was then I knew with certainty. That brief flash in her eyes told me everything. I saw it so clearly. ...Cheongwol was a masochist. Even if she denied it, she liked the feeling of shame. She was someone who relished the sinful pleasure it brought. "..." Why did that realization set my heart racing? I released the pressure I had been applying to her and turned away. Today’s play had been meticulously planned, yet my mind went blank. What was I planning to do? And why was I so astounded? Why was my heart pounding this wildly? They say one’s heart races upon finding someone of similar inclination – was it that? But Cheongwol? Strangely, even the pervasive fear seemed to have subtlely faded now. As I took a step to gather my composure... -Tap. Cheongwol's hand halted my retreat. "...And...?" "What?" She gazed at me, struggling with self-deprecation, the Cheongwol who would never lean on someone else asked me. "...Praise...?" As if pleading not to be left desolate and wretched alone.