A beautiful woman should live with a rich man to live a happy life

Somehow, these words echoed at the back of my mind. The butterflies on my stomach stopped dancing. Like the woman said, the only thing I had going for me was my handsome face. I have nothing else to offer. With my meager strength, I couldn’t even protect her. Rather than that, as a first rate warrior, she would be the one to protect me. I bit my lips, preparing for the worst.

“Is something wrong? Your eyes are swollen.”

Dahyun stepped closer and with her soft hands, placed it on my forehead.

“Hmmm. you’re not sick though.”

I looked into her blue eyes, eyes that had enchanted me from the first time that we met. Perhaps, I was just mistaken. She won't tell me to break up, right? Maybe she would never really leave me for another person. After all, we’ve been together through thick and thin for seven years plus the time when the previous owner of this body dated her.

“I.. I’m fine.”

"If you say so."

“Shall we go on another date?”

I held up my arm for her to grab.

“Yes, dear!”

My worries were for nothing. As always, she hung onto my arm as we merrily went away.

After eating a very early dinner, we soon found ourselves on our reserved spot- a section in the wall that overlooked the sunset. Ever since her dantian broke into the level of a first rate warrior, no one bothered us in using the area for intimacy.

We sat side by side, my hands placed on top of her hands, her head leaning on my frail shoulder.

“Do you still not remember what happened before?”

Dahyun was referring to what happened seven years ago. That was when the real body died to a plague then I came into his body.

From time to time, Dahyun asked me this question. Every time she brought it up, her eyes looked sad. It was understandable. The personality of the person she loved suddenly changed. Little did she know that her real lover died and an entirely new person replaced him.

“It's okay if you can't remember. What matters is that you survived!” Dahyun smiled, trying to hide her sadness. “You still love me, right?”

“Mm.”

I nodded. Then I recalled her words from a while back.

“Dahyun, you said that you have something to tell me?”

“Oh about that, it’s not really important.”

“It’s alright, you can tell me anytime.”

“Okay. I’ll tell you but don’t get angry.”

“Sure.”

“There’s a young man trying to court me. He was really nice and friendly.”

I felt nothing when she said that. Over the years, a lot of men tried to snake her away yet none of them succeeded.

“It doesn’t bother me. It’s normal because you’re the prettiest in the world!”

“I knew you'd say that! Just like how I'm the only one for you, my heart is only for you.”

My heart skipped a beat. I was once again reassured that our love would last forever. Ah, to be loved is the best feeling in the world.

“Ah. Ahem.” Phlegm was stuck on my throat. “I heard he’s the son of an elder?”

“So you already knew?”

“I heard it from the new guard.”

“Anyway, he’s not just the son of any elder but the son of the Wall Chief.”

“The Wall Chief? He won’t win you over, right?”

“Never!”

Pfft. A small chuckle escaped my mouth. Even a gold spoon can’t come in between true love.

“He said that his dream is to be the next City Head. Aren’t you the same? You and he have the same goals so maybe you can be good friends.”

Like dreams are supposed to be, they will never turn into reality. Did I really tell her such a childish dream?

“I don’t think my sickly body will become better in the future. What if I get stuck as a third rate warrior?”

“I’m sure you won’t. You have a rare summoning skill. The higher-ups may have given up on you but I won't."

Damn. She really had her way with words. Somehow, I felt motivated so the need to work harder bloomed in me.

“Alright, I promise to be a second rate warrior by the end of this year, and a first rate warrior by the end of next year.“

“I’m sure you can do it. I’ll be waiting for you to wear a white uniform like me!”

Dahyun smiled. Her smile looked more beautiful than the majestic rays of the sunset.

‘From today forth, I will try to become the man of my dreams.’

We soon bid our goodbyes as the time for my shift came close.

***

Winter nights in this world were harsh. To sum it in four words it would be something like this: there’s no damned heater.

The chilling dry winds would mercilessly penetrate one’s clothes, cutting straight into one’s flesh. It was especially more brutal to the guards who had to patrol the walls.

Three men in brown clothes huddled to a torch. On a closer look, their teeth chattered, and from time to time, their bodies shivered.

“God, I hate night duty.”

The man who spoke had a wrinkly face of a middle-aged man. He had a white band around his forehead that signified that he was a Squad Leader.

“You t-took the words out of my mouth.”

My teeth gnashed as I spoke. At the very least, by having small conversations like this, it took our minds away from the harsh weather.

Even if we can use ki to warm ourselves, we weren't allowed to. We had to conserve what little amount we have in case of emergencies.

“Hey Sheon, you don’t have the right to feel cold.” The Squad Leader said, “You have a girlfriend to keep your life warm.”

"Don't you have a wife?"

"Ha! A wife? Wives are colder and harsher than winters."

“By the way Squad Leader, I saw them snuck up the walls again!”

Jin Taekyung, a gigantic fat man, added.

This is why I wanted to have my own living space. With my own house, we don't have to use the wall as a hangout spot. Right, I should make it a goal to have my own house. If I have a house with Dahyun… hehehe.

“Tsk. You look like a pervert.”

Was I smiling? Perhaps. Sometimes, my lips curl up just at the thought of her. But that smile didn’t last long.

“Open the gates!”

Outside the walls, a single horse galloped as fast as it could.

“Someone’s coming.”

The Squad Leader stood up and grabbed his bow. Likewise, we stood up and prepared to take orders.

“Quickly, open the gates, hurry!”

Behind the man were countless jiangshi, fallen people who returned to life. In earth’s term, they were zombies. Each one of them ran fast, ruthlessly stepping over the slower ones.

“State your name and affiliation.” The Squad Leader shouted.

“Jang Suho of the Reconnaissance Squad.”

The man raised up his token of identification. A greenish aura wrapped the token. More importantly, on his horse, I noticed that there was another person who lay unconscious.

“It’s Captain Jang. Taekyung, we will cover their backs.” Squad Leader ordered, “Sheon, request backup and go open the gate.

“Yes, Squad Leader.”

Jin Taekyung and the Squad Leader shot off their arrows while I rushed away.

‘Why did they leave at this time in the first place?’

They came from the direction of the mountain range. It was an extremely dangerous place to go, especially during the night. Only people courting for death would do that.

Anyway, if I wasn’t mistaken, there was an unconscious person with him. If that person turns into a zombie, no, they were called jiangshi in this world, it would be a disaster. After ringing a bell for reinforcements, I took out my spear and opened the gate.

Soon, Captain Jang arrived.

Every squad had 12 members. Yet in front of me, only two people remained. Even worse, the leader, Captain Jang, was in no great condition. The light within his eyes was getting dimmer, his breath was ragged and worst of all, his whole left arm was gone. At this point, being alive should have been impossible.

“She wasn’t bit.”

Having said that, Jang Suho fell off his horse.

“Captain Jang?”

Out of caution, I activated my awakened ability.

“Come out, little goblin.”

From my shadow, a black goblin materialized. In its hand was a spear that was also made out of shadow.

It slowly approached and lightly poked Captain Jang’s body with its spear. Despite its hideous appearance, the little monster looked like a scaredy cat. I had a slight feeling that it mirrored the personality of its owner.

“Captain Jang, are you alright?”

Seeing that the body didn’t move, I slowly approached and placed a finger in front of his nose. He wasn't breathing.

“What a shitty world.”

Just like that, a first rate warrior, had died. If only he stayed as a third rate warrior, like me he could have worked safely within the walls.

I gritted my teeth and with a single swing of the spear, cut off his head. It's cruel but it's part of the protocol. If people bit by a jiangshi were not taken care of immediately, they would reanimate with the same physical strength they had as warriors.

Then my eyes loomed over to the other body.

As a cautious man, I couldn’t afford to trust the Captain’s words. There were many cases where troubles surfaced from blind trust and more importantly, I didn’t want to die from a simple bite.

And so I gave an order to the goblin.

“Check if he's bitten.”

The little goblin pulled down the person’s pants first. Not for any perverted reason but it was just that the man’s lower portion was closer to him. As it pulled the man’s garments one by one, I couldn’t help but judge the other person’s body.

The man’s legs weren’t muscular. Meaning, he didn’t train much. They were even as white and as smooth as a marble.

“He’s probably someone who got in using connections. Look, I even have bigger quads than him. Anyway, there are no bites or scratches on the legs so check the body-“

I stopped. My brain went haywire. When the goblin took off the top, a bandage-wrapped chest greeted me.

“A woman. Right. The Captain said that she wasn’t bit.”

In my defense, most men sported long hair, plus, the number of women who worked as warriors were too few to count. So in conclusion, it wasn’t my fault to assume that she could have been a woman. It’s really not my fault!

Anyway, she was pretty. One of the most beautiful women I’ve seen in my life. Although it could also only be an illusion as her bare body laid in front of me. Like what people say, vulnerability creates beauty.

The goblin finished its work and completely stripped the woman of her clothes, not including the wrapped bandages of course.

My fingers moved as quick as lightning to poke my eyes.

‘Love is blind! Dahyun is my only one.’

Then I quickly ordered the goblin to put her clothes back.

“Put it back!”

To finish faster, I rushed to help.

“How’s Captain Jang-”

The Squad Leader’s eyes landed on the woman’s body. Then at my hands that were putting back her top.

“Squad Leader, sir, it’s not what you think.”

“The first rate warriors are coming this way.”

Jin Taekyung also arrived.

“You perverted sunnovabitch.”

***

Inside the Celestial Dragon City's palace, prominent guests had gathered.

First Disciple of the Plum Blossom Saint, Baek Yonggi

Third Elder of the Poison Tang Sect, Tang Jonghyuk

Communication Specialist of the Awakeners Society, Lin Fei

And

“Crown Prince of the Heavenly Demon Sect, Chun Han, pays his respects to the City Head.”

Chun Han was only 18 years old. He had a face of a kind man but no man dared to think of him as weak. For him to be crowned a prince, he ruthlessly killed all of his 12 brothers and sisters. Aside from that, he also had to reach the level of a Divine Master, an almost unreachable level that only less than a handful existed for every faction. They were rare beings such that the Celestial Dragon City only had one Divine Master.

Thud!

But this same, ruthless man brought one knee down.

“Please help me kill the Madman.”