The Second Eunuch Regains His Manhood

Chapter 15: The Man with a Big Heart

The night sky was now completely lit by a bright full moon.

Unlike the night sky of my past life in Seoul, where the stars were obscured by light pollution, the medieval martial arts world had a night sky that was truly a curtain of stars. Skillfully, I gathered firewood and dry grass, striking flint to ignite a campfire, then placing a portable pot on top.

I added the cleaned venomous snake from the nearby stream into the clear water and brought it to a boil.

The authentic Life-Death Soup was made by boiling the snake in pure water without any seasonings or additional ingredients.

That’s how the medicinal effects truly seeped out.

For the Life-Death Soup, a venomous snake was significantly better than a non-venomous one. According to the principle of medicinal properties, applying heat continuously dispels the venom and preserves the vital energy.

‘They said venom from a poisonous snake can turn into medicine in snake soup at modern health centers in Korea.’

Recalling memories from my past life, I stirred the pot with a stick.

Bubbling.

The clear snake soup simmered beneath the starlit sky, with steam rising into the air.

The savory smell of cooking protein wafted around.

Though my disciple hated snakes intensely, his gaze began to sneakily drift towards the soup as the enticing aroma filled the air.

Swallow.

He gulped dryly.

The Gongdong Sect was a poor sect, making it difficult to find meat.

The carp we had caught today was the first animal protein we hadn’t had for nearly two weeks, so the snake soup must have appeared to him like a rare delicacy.

“Master, is it alright if we eat this just the two of us?”

Yujinhwi hugged her knees, her cheeks flushed from the heat of the campfire, and looked at me.

Thanks to the fire’s warmth, her handsome face was unnecessarily bright red.

Though the subject was omitted, Yujinhwi’s words clearly meant whether it was acceptable for us to enjoy this without the master.

Over the past three months living in the Gongdong Sect, I had observed Yujinhwi treat our master, Jeonyeong, with utmost reverence, as if he were a parent.

In the martial world, the master-disciple relationship is akin to serving one’s parents or the king, meaning a master is to be respected as a parent.

However, as ideals soar high while reality is sunk in mud, there are enough master-disciple relationships that are worse than those of strangers.

Yet, Jeonyeong and Yujinhwi were distant from such relationships. They could be described as an ideal master-disciple pair from their past lives.

So, it seems, he felt guilty about eating the meat all by himself.

‘Should I give some to the master?’

But I felt differently.

Since my disciple had been forced into sharing due to circumstances, it was only natural to share the Life-Death Soup.

But what about the master?

That Life-Death Soup was more precious than gold. It wasn’t something to be shared carelessly just because of the master-disciple relationship.

Of course, I wasn’t foolish enough to express these intentions straightforwardly to my disciple, who looked at me with eyes full of guilt as if about to shed tears.

“It’s okay.”

“But…”

“…For the sake of brotherly love, our bond… if the master learns that we cooked together and shared, he will actually be happy.”

I brought up the concept of brotherly love.

During the relatively short but long tenure in the Gongdong Sect, I had perfectly grasped the personalities and tendencies of both my disciple and the master.

Compared to those in the Forbidden City who would smile while sharpening their knives, Jeonyeong and Yujinhwi were still naive children untouched by the world’s filth.

In that context, it was easy for me to understand the entirety of both Jeonyeong and Yujinhwi by blending my past life knowledge with this one.

‘Both Yujinhwi and Jeonyeong value brotherly love highly.’

While Jeonyeong was one thing, Yujinhwi particularly had a strong inclination towards the idea of brotherly love.

To illustrate, the way Yujinhwi interacted with me felt like an older brother doting on a much younger sibling.

As a man with a mental age over sixty, being treated like a younger brother by a mere fourteen-year-old was not very pleasant.

If only Yujinhwi were a girl, if he were a younger sister instead!

I could have easily acted like a cute little brother and shown off my charms.

Being petted for being adorable by a beautiful younger sister—now that would truly be an industry award situation!

So, by fostering the affection known as brotherly love, it could naturally grow into a good relationship in the future.

But alas, Yujinhwi was a man, and my disciple.

Damn it.

Anyway, Yujinhwi longed for an ideal brotherly relationship.

So, whenever the magic words “brotherly love” were uttered…

“Brotherly love… Huh…,”

His face would flush, twisting like a corkscrew.

What Yujinhwi was imagining as he heard my words… I had no curiosity about it.

A guy’s mind isn’t worth delving into.

There’s no space in my brain reserved for guy stuff.

“Right. It’s important to strengthen our bond. Just between my disciple and I! Yes, you’re right. Truly, you have a wide perspective, master! Amazing.”

My disciple smiled and passed me compliments.

That day, after being forcibly embraced and robbed of my first hug, shedding tears of shame.

He began complimenting me on the most trivial matters.

For instance, while eating, he would say, “Our master looks so lovely while eating.”

I couldn’t understand what was so great about how someone eats or why it warranted praise.

Even now, I didn’t get it.

What was wide perspective even?

‘It’s beyond burdensome and shameful.’

Isn’t this akin to praising the protagonist in an Isekai story for flipping meat over the grill?

In fact, was I not dropped into a medieval fantasy rather than a medieval martial world?

No, rather an Isekai is better. In Isekai stories, it’s usually the beautiful heroine dishing out those kinds of praises.

But in this damn medieval martial world, the one praising me is a dark-haired guy.

If it were a woman, it might be understandable, but a man’s compliments are utterly useless.

Indeed, I should have been surrounded by big-boobed elf beauties, tsundere blonde princess knights, and cat-eared demi-human girl slaves in this medieval fantasy setting.

In a fantasy world, there wouldn’t be eunuchs, so I wouldn’t have to worry about losing my manhood.

Thinking about eunuchs sent a chill down my spine. I discreetly checked myself over my trousers.

Fortunately, unlike my past life, everything was well attached between my legs.

“Ah, yes… Thank you for the compliment, disciple.”

I pulled my hand away and spoke politely against my intentions.

Hearing my words, Yujinhwi smiled and nodded.

Crackle, crackle.

In the dead of night, the campfire flickered.

The pot bubbled vigorously, and steam wafted up.

I stirred the pot with a stick.

Poking it down, I could see the meat and bones had softened enough to separate.

Good.

Finally, the Life-Death Soup was complete.

“It’s ready, disciple.”

I took out two sets of spoons and bowls, which could be used for rice, and handed one set to him.

I hadn’t expected to use them for the elixir I had packed.

“Please enjoy.”

“Yeah. I will eat well. Thank you, master.”

With a smile, my disciple took the bowl and spoon.

He scooped a spoonful of the Life-Death Soup and put it in his mouth.

Seeing that, I quickly skimmed the bowlful myself.

The murky broth, with the soft, greasy bits of snake meat floating, filled my bowl.

I gulped it down.

With absolutely no seasonings, spices, or vegetables added, the taste was as expected—bitter and bland.

But that didn’t matter to me.

“Ah.”

As the medicinal effects of the Life-Death Soup spread, I felt a slight warmth coursing through my body.

Yes.

This is it.

I went through all that trouble to prepare this soup.

It was worth it.

I could already feel a tingle rising from below.

“Delicious! Master! Your cooking skills are the best! My body is already heating up! I guess… It’s good soup for men!”

My disciple, sitting across from me, sparkled with excitement, his nose and cheeks flushed.

Understanding what’s good for a man.

It was a pity I couldn’t indulge in the delicious soup all by myself, but I quickly brushed off the regret.

After all, this vast Gongdong Mountain was home to many snakes besides that one earlier.

There were plenty of snakes to catch and boil.

‘It’s not just snakes. Hehehe. There’s bears, deer, and even wasp nests…’

Bear gallbladder, deer antlers, and even bee alcohol!

As expected of Gongdong Mountain, dubbed the spiritual mountain extensive as the heavens, there were plenty of aphrodisiac materials sprawled about, just waiting to be discovered one by one.

I vowed to dry the seeds of every beast residing in my Gongdong Mountain that was good for libido.

As I resolved this, I recklessly gorged on the Life-Death Soup.

“Master, eat a bit slower. You’ll get an upset stomach.”

My disciple’s concerned voice reached my ears, but I ignored it and continued to gulp down the snake soup.

The more I ate, the better I felt.

Was it because I was so absorbed in drinking the soup? The pot was soon nearly empty.

“Thank you for the meal.”

“Me too… Hah.”

My disciple sighed heavily.

His cheeks were bright red like a ripe tomato.

“It’s hot…”

He murmured, fanning himself with his uniform.

The March nights in Gongdong Mountain were chilly, but it seemed the warmth from the snake soup had made him feel a lot hotter.

“Ugh… Master… I’m feeling warm… Why is it so hot?”

Just as he spoke and fanned himself, Thud.

The front of his tattered uniform came loose, revealing his upper body under the moonlight.

What lay revealed was his slender and androgynous but flat chest wrapped in bandages like undergarments.

Our eyes locked.

His face flushed scarlet.

“Eek! Eek eek eek!!”

A shrill scream resonated through the open field.

With a crimson face, he crossed his arms over the bandaged chest and lowered his head.

“D-Don’t look! Master! T-turn away!”

He stuttered.

Why is he acting like this?

Is it strange for guys to see each other’s upper bodies?

He just stripped me earlier and now he’s avoiding my gaze?

Of course, I had no desire to closely observe a man’s upper body. So as soon as I met his eyes, I quickly turned my head away.

The only upper body image that must be saved in my memory is that of a beautiful woman’s voluptuous bosom. A man’s chest is unnecessary.

To avoid retaining any memory of a man’s muscular body, I deliberately tried to act casually and not look at my disciple. Thus, I did not see his upper body thoroughly. Still, it wasn’t like his appearance was anything special.

He had an exceptionally slender and androgynous frame for a guy, but that had been the case even in my past life.

If I had to pick something unusual, it’d be the bandages.

Wait a minute, an androgynous figure and… bandages over the chest?

Could it be…?

‘Gynecomastia?’

Gynecomastia.

If he were suffering from this condition, it made sense for him to react so sensitively.

One of my friends in modern times had gynecomastia, and every summer when he wore a short-sleeved T-shirt, his nipples would stick out, making it quite repulsive.

In the end, he had to cover his nipples with nip bands and later underwent surgery for gynecomastia after getting a job.

But in this medieval martial world, there were no nip bands, the essence of modern engineering, nor the enlightened surgeries of modern medicine.

So, to cover up gynecomastia, wrapping oneself with bandages like that would be the best option. I knew this from my own experience.

‘Damn it, that trashy eunuch martial arts!’

Thinking of gynecomastia brought back painful memories from my past life.

That eunuch martial art had countless side effects, but the most catastrophic was the transformation of one’s physique into that of a woman the deeper one fell into the effects.

Yes. As you guessed from the transforming into a woman, gynecomastia was indeed a side effect of that eunuch martial art.

So all the eunuchs who learned Regulation Preservation in my past life wrapped their chests with bandages to hide their gynecomastia.

I, who had originally had a well-developed body but acquired gynecomastia after learning Regulation Preservation, was no different.

Having reached the level of Hyun-Kyung, I had completely overcome the side effects of Regulation Preservation and eliminated my gynecomastia, but perhaps because it had been so long since I had been wrapped up, I still felt the pressure of the bandages on my chest.

I shook my head to erase the horrifying memories. I was no longer a eunuch, and I no longer had gynecomastia.

Regardless, I remembered how my disciple had been sparkling with excitement when I mentioned that it was good for men.

In this medieval martial world, governed by the machoism that insisted men should be manly.

Yet, since he suffered from gynecomastia, it made sense for him to be particularly focused on men and excessively ashamed.

Even in modern times without machoism, if a man walks around with prominent nipples sticking out from his T-shirt due to gynecomastia, he would be looked down upon and dissed, let alone in the prejudiced medieval martial world.

I turned my back to him and glanced at my own chest.

No gynecomastia, a solid and broad man’s chest shone under the moonlight.

‘Hehehe, Geomseong Yujinhwi has gynecomastia?’

Indeed, the world is fair.

Heavens granted my disciple a perfect handsome face, but afflicted him with an unmanly body and the curse of gynecomastia.

So surely my… well-endowed 3cm must be justified.

Conversely, I? Unlike my past life, I was attaining broad shoulders and a well-toned chest.

As a result of my relentless training in martial arts day and night, the form of the ultimate physical aesthetic I sought was gradually manifesting in my body.

Moreover, having repeatedly practiced Jerk Exercises, my endowment was growing even larger!

As I thought this.

“M-master… I’m sorry. It’s okay to look now.”

I heard my disciple’s voice.

As I turned around, there he stood, having adjusted his attire and tied it properly to cover himself.

His face still bore a clear redness from embarrassment.

“Apologies for the inappropriate display…”

“It’s all good. No worries, disciple.”

Upon hearing his timid voice, I burst into laughter.

Having found the perfect weakness in my ideal disciple’s gynecomastia, I felt on cloud nine.

Of course, the memory of my disciple’s ugly male chest had long been erased from my mind.

As I looked at him, my disciple’s eyes widened slightly.

He fidgeted, wriggling his fingers nervously as he spoke.

“Um, master… do you think I’m weird… or something?”

Weird?

Is he talking about his gynecomastia?

Of course, with a modern mindset, I found gynecomastia off-putting, but I didn’t think it was weird.

Besides, there was no reason for me to openly mention that it was weird.

Regardless, I was feeling quite good.

Finally, I had found a field where I could gain a comparative advantage over my perfect handsome disciple.

Indeed, the ultimate physical beauty was the only way to surpass my disciple’s charm.

“No. It’s fine. It’s something that can happen. Disciple. I don’t think it’s weird at all. After all, we’re like brothers.”

I used the magic phrase of the brotherly bond.

Upon hearing my words, Yujinhwi’s eyes sparkled.

“Y-Yeah! That’s right! Like brothers… Right…”

He repeatedly echoed the idea of being “like brothers,” taking a deep breath.

“Okay! Thank you! Master. Even though I made a fool of myself, you say it’s alright. But it’s getting really late now. The master might start to worry. Let’s hurry back to the main base.”

With a bright smile, my disciple spoke to me.

Main base.

I had no intention of going there today.

I needed to head to Gwangseong Elixir Point to gather some fortune and elixir.

Therefore,

“Yes, disciple. I will guide the way.”

I had to take the lead.

Pretending to head to the main base, accidentally getting lost to arrive at the Gwangseong Elixir Point where fortuitous opportunities awaited.

“Okay! Thank you, master.”

With a completely innocent voice and gaze, my disciple replied.

Nodding in response to him, I began to clean up the campfire and the dishes that remained after devouring the snake soup.

Now, having substantially replenished my energy with the soup, it was finally time to venture out and seize the fortune and elixir.

*

Thus, I continued to wander the dawn-lit Gongdong Mountain with my disciple.

“Master. Where… where are we? This doesn’t seem like the main base…”

Eventually, we arrived.

Hearing my disciple’s voice from behind, I gazed at the cave beneath the steep cliffs ahead.

Gwangseong Elixir Point.

This cave, appearing with a black mouth that swallowed the dull morning light, was the legendary site where the mentor Gwangseong practiced in primordial times, as passed down by the Gongdong Sect, and where the great Honwon Geomje, known as the best in the world 300 years ago, was said to have also ascended.

It was a place steeped in myth where Yujinhwi from my past life had consumed an unidentified elixir, and where the martial techniques of the Gongdong Sect had reached fruition.

At last, my true destination revealed itself before me.

I chuckled inwardly.

It was now time to eat the elixir and replenish my, no—my internal energies.

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