The RoFan Novel Fan Has Reincarnated Into A Martial Arts Novel-Chapter 7

After unpacking her belongings in the lodging, Hwang Bo Jeonggun spoke.

"Rest well, Yeon-ah. I need to meet with the other clan leaders who arrived earlier."

"Have a good trip, Father."

"Yes. Try to stay in the lodging as much as possible—you might get lost."

"Oh, come on, Father. Do you think I’m a child?"

"Hm? O-of course not."

Hwang Bo Jeonggun looked slightly dejected at Yeon's response. But even he had to admit that his words were a bit excessive. In the end, he had no choice but to turn around and leave.

"Ahem, I’ll be going now, Yeon-ah."

"Yes."

As soon as Hwang Bo Jeonggun disappeared, Yeon turned to So Jin.

"Let’s go, So Jin-ah."

"Where to, my lady?"

"We need to take a look around."

And maybe see if there are any handsome men around.

Yeon omitted the last part and pulled So Jin along by the arm.

****

The location Shaolin had prepared for the gathering’s guests was quite impressive. Considering preparations had begun as soon as the last quarterly meeting ended, it was only natural.

Regardless of whether Shaolin had the financial resources for such an event, among its secular disciples were local aristocrats and famous merchants.

There was no way they would miss such a golden opportunity. Making connections in moments like these only served to strengthen ties with Shaolin.

The buildings maintained an antique elegance while preserving Shaolin’s distinct atmosphere. Tall cypress trees densely lined the edges of the vast grounds, and the walking paths beneath them blended so naturally that it seemed they had always been there.

Amidst the dense forest, its origins unclear, a dark silhouette concealed itself. Through the gaps in the leaves, the shine of a shaved head marked with nine burn scars was clearly visible.

The figure was none other than Gongyeo, the Iron Arhat, who had recently completed his secluded training. However, in reality, it had been training in name only—his so-called seclusion was more of a punishment handed down directly by the abbot for his repeated misconduct.

"How long has it been since I've been outside?"

Gongyeo took a deep breath, savoring the sweet air of the mundane world. Shaolin monks—especially someone like him—were not allowed to be here. But how could he possibly endure it any longer?

The lively atmosphere of the festival was impossible to ignore, even within Shaolin's grounds.

An orthodox martial arts gathering! Surely, beauties from all over would be flocking here. He could already hear their cheerful laughter ringing in his ears.

"Ahh... Even a Shaolin monk can't resist this. No way."

Even Bodhidharma, who had supposedly meditated facing a cave wall for nine years, wouldn’t have been able to withstand this temptation. No? Well, there probably wasn’t a martial arts gathering back then!

And now, they expected him to stay locked up in the temple? How could they say such a thing to someone who had just escaped imprisonment? Shaolin seriously had no regard for human rights.

"Are monks not human too? Huh? Are we not human?"

Gongyeo muttered to himself as ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ he threw a few punches into the air, though he still kept glancing around nervously. His behavior was hardly befitting a monk.

Just then, someone entered his field of vision through the entrance of the walking path—a tall woman accompanied by a young girl.

A female patron! And an unbelievably beautiful one at that! Oh, Buddha, thank you! Amitabha!

As they slowly approached the tree he was hiding behind, their conversation became audible.

"My lady, what exactly do you need my help with?"

"When I enter Jigak Hall later, introduce me as the esteemed daughter of the Hwang Bo Family. Make sure everyone hears you loud and clear—announce it like, 'Entering now!'"

"W-what? Why would you...?"

"What do you mean why? Because it’s necessary."

"My lady, no matter how you look at it, that’s a bit..."

Gongyeo had no idea what they were talking about, but it didn’t matter. Just hearing their voices was enough. It felt as if all his past sufferings melted away.

Looking again, the taller woman was breathtakingly beautiful. She was surely a representative of a prestigious family.

Ahh, such a stunning lady personally visiting Shaolin... I should at least offer my thanks.

As if that were truly his motivation.

Gongyeo, having even deceived himself, adjusted his worn-out monk’s robes and rubbed his bald head with his tattered sleeves. All it did was make it shinier.

"But after being locked up for so long, my robes are a mess..."

After hesitating for a moment, he loosened the front of his robe slightly. The only thing he could confidently show off was his well-trained physique.

If the abbot found out about this, he’d surely be punished, but there was no one watching, was there? Besides, he had long harbored dissatisfaction.

"Why should I train so hard if I can’t even show it off?"

When else would he get to flaunt his sculpted muscles? Should he show them off to the elderly monks who had long since attained enlightenment? Or strip his top off while meditating?

In truth, this kind of thinking was precisely why he was treated as a troublemaker. But Gongyeo had no intention of changing.

Grinding his teeth, he muttered, "I’ve held back long enough. Today, I’ll go through with it. A conversation with a beautiful lady and a taste of freedom!"

With a determined expression—one that might have fooled an outsider into thinking he had made some grand resolution—Gongyeo leaped gracefully from the tree.

"Cha-ha!"

It was quite a height, but he smoothly canceled out the impact with a mid-air flip. A small shriek of surprise came from the young girl.

Yeah, that looked pretty good, even to me.

Suppressing the smirk tugging at his lips, he pressed his palms together in a gesture of greeting.

"Greetings, patron. I am a representative of Shaolin—"

"So Jin-ah! Are you okay?"

The beautiful woman’s voice cut him off.

Contrary to his expectations, the young girl’s face had gone pale. Rather than being impressed, she looked utterly terrified.

"I-I didn't mean to scare you..."

"Hey! How can you just jump out in front of someone walking by like that? You scared her!"

Under the barrage of accusations, Gongyeo was rendered speechless, like a monk caught sneaking a piece of meat.

Realizing he needed to clear up the misunderstanding, he hurriedly opened his mouth.

"No, no, patron. I only wished to make a somewhat grand entrance—"

At those words, the beautiful woman shot him a sharp glare.

Zap!

Whoa, whoa! What kind of piercing gaze is that?!

"Move aside. What kind of monk acts like this?"

She quickly pulled the trembling young girl along and brushed past Gongyeo.

Startled, he instinctively stepped in front of them to block their path.

I can’t let them leave without clearing up this misunderstanding!

"Patron, wait a moment. Allow me to formally apologize. This is a misunderstanding. A misunderstanding!"

“...I told you to move."

Her voice dropped, taking on a cold edge. The shift in atmosphere was stark, but an anxious Gongyeo failed to notice. Instead, an entirely different thought popped into his head.

I need to turn this around somehow. Maybe I can even show off a little of my hidden charm while I’m at it.

"I can help support you."

Casually, he tugged at his sleeve, subtly flexing the sinewy muscles in his forearm. He even let his well-toned chest peek out slightly—just enough to be noticeable, but not too crass.

Heh, this patron has probably never seen muscles like these before.

And then, disaster struck.

His tattered robe, weakened from years of seclusion, suddenly came undone.

"Wha—?!"

He scrambled to fix it, but it was too late—his upper body was already completely exposed.

The young girl, horrified by the unexpected sight, let out a piercing scream and covered her eyes.

"Kyaaah! My lady!"

The beautiful patron stepped in front of the girl protectively, her expression turning ice-cold.

"What the hell? So you’re just a perverted monk? I never thought the history of flashers went back this far."

"Wha—fla... what?! No, that’s not—"

Just as Gongyeo was about to launch into his defense, something sliced through the air with tremendous force.

Fwaaack!

A brutal high kick crashed directly onto his shaved head.

"Guhohk!"

He hadn't even dreamed that a kick was coming, and so he took the blow cleanly. The sheer impact made his consciousness waver instantly.

"Uurgh..."

As his vision blurred, he barely managed to make out her raised fist and her final, merciless declaration.

"Die, Shaolin Flasher!"

With the sensation of an iron fist slamming into his face, the Iron Arhat Gongyeo collapsed into unconsciousness—fully earning his new title.

****

After Gongyeo went down, Yeon swiftly took So Jin’s hand and left without looking back. The only sound remaining in the now-silent path was the rustling of leaves in the breeze.

Moments later, a man leapt down to where Gongyeo lay. He had been hiding in the trees all along.

Landing soundlessly, he crouched beside the unconscious monk and placed two fingers against his neck.

"Still alive."

He would probably wake up soon enough. The bruises all over him were inevitable, but that was his own fault.

"Hmm."

The man replayed the scene of intense violence in his mind. The fight had started with a high spinning kick and ended with a storm of merciless punches.

"That was pure Iron Fist."

It had been a long time since he'd seen something so refreshing. None of the other so-called elite disciples he’d encountered had left such a strong impression.

She hadn’t worn any identifiable clothing, nor had she carried a sword.

That ruled out several martial sects and noble families in his mind. The ones instantly disqualified included the Namgung Clan, the Wudang Sect, and the Mount Hua Sect—all groups recognizable at a glance or famous for their swordsmanship.

Narrowing it down further to those who would attend the gathering, only a handful of possibilities remained.

"That leaves just a few."

Yet, he had never heard of any young lady from those factions demonstrating such formidable skill. Even if he didn’t actively follow martial world rumors, this was unusual.

Then, one name flashed through his mind.

A family known for their mastery of fist techniques. A family whose heir he had never once met.

"...Could it be the Hwang Bo Family?"

It made sense. They didn’t move in large, attention-seeking groups, and their martial techniques relied on fists. Plus, there was the rumor of the Most Beautiful Woman in Shandong. But...

"I heard she was supposed to be frail."

His gaze shifted toward the west, where Jigak Hall was located. For once, his usually indifferent dark brown eyes flickered with curiosity—a rarity.

"I wasn’t planning on attending the social gathering..."

Muttering to himself, he began to walk.

With every step, his loosely tied black hair swayed effortlessly behind him. The setting sun cast long shadows with each motion, stretching endlessly along the empty path—as if he alone existed beneath the vast sky.