Chapter 169: Heavenly Sword Empress Joo So-yang-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 169: Heavenly Sword Empress Joo So-yang-1
"Hwaaaa-yawn."
Sun-woo let out a long yawn.
It seemed to be the price for the excessive exercise he had engaged in the previous day.
Looking to his side, he saw Ok-ryeong fast asleep. Sun-woo smiled as he watched her.
Just last night, she had behaved like a temptress who might tear his lower half off, but seeing her sleeping so peacefully with such a cute face made her seem achingly lovely.
Smooch.
Sun-woo kissed her forehead and stood up. He felt the need to wash up quickly.
It was then.
Squish.
He felt a soft, plush sensation against his back. Sun-woo slowly turned his head.
There was Ok-ryeong, who had woken up at some point and was now hugging him from behind.
"When did you wake up?"
"When you kissed my forehead."
She answered with a clear, bright smile.
"Egu, I guess I shouldn't have done that."
Sun-woo spoke with a hint of apology. He felt bad for waking her from a deep sleep just because of a kiss.
"You're right. Next time, don't kiss my forehead—kiss my lips."
Ok-ryeong replied with a radiant smile. She looked so adorable that Sun-woo turned around and pulled her into an embrace.
"Should we sleep a little longer?" he whispered suggestively.
"No. If we dawdle any longer, Lady Yorang will wake up."
She firmly rejected Sun-woo’s subtle invitation.
"Really?"
Sun-woo’s expression slumped at her firm refusal.
"Sun-woo, the night comes every day."
Finding his pouting expression cute, she stroked his hair and spoke shyly.
"Hehe, I suppose you're right."
Sun-woo chuckled and accepted her words. As she said, the night would return every day. Today wasn't the only opportunity.
"Then I'll wash up first."
"Shall we wash together?" Sun-woo asked, his eyes twinkling.
"I told you, the bathhouse is too small for two people."
She stood up with a coy smile. As she did, every curve of her body was revealed.
Gulp.
Sun-woo felt his manhood instinctively stiffen.
"I'll go wash first, then."
With those words, Ok-ryeong began to walk away, her hips swaying gently. She was likely heading to the bathhouse.
Watching her retreating figure, Sun-woo felt his heart race. She was clearly a virtuous, noble, and pure woman, yet he wondered why she seemed more and more like a seductive vixen the more nights they spent together.
*
"Ok-ryeong! Ok-ryeong!"
Yorang called out as she approached Ok-ryeong.
"What is it, Lady Yorang?" Ok-ryeong replied with a broad smile.
"Did you eat something good for your health? Your face is glowing!"
"Fufu, I suppose I did eat something good."
Ok-ryeong’s smile deepened at Yorang’s question. She had indeed consumed something—something very good.
"I want some too!" Yorang shouted. How could they eat something without her?
"I'm afraid that's not possible." Ok-ryeong shook her head from side to side.
"Whyyyyyy!"
Yorang whined like a child throwing a tantrum. Ok-ryeong was usually kind and shared almost everything with her. Being told "no" only made Yorang want it more.
"Fufu, it's not something you can eat just because you want to. Here, have some tang-gwa instead."
Ok-ryeong pulled a piece of confectionery from her sleeve and handed it to Yorang.
"Yay!"
Seeing the sweet, Yorang readily accepted it.
Lick, lick.
She stuck out her tongue and began to lick the tang-gwa. As she did, the sugary sweetness spread throughout her mouth.
Shiver.
Yorang trembled with pleasure. She felt as though nothing was as electrifying as a sweet she hadn't had in a long time.
‘This is the life!’
Lick, lick.
Yorang licked the sweet even more fiercely. Then, she suddenly turned her head to look at Sun-woo. His face was glowing with the same radiance as Ok-ryeong’s.
Yorang’s eyes narrowed. Seeing Sun-woo’s condition, it was clear that he, too, had eaten something healthy behind her back.
‘Eating without me!’
Yorang fumed inwardly. Wasn't it a human virtue to share food? The thought that they had shared something good for their bodies while excluding her made her blood boil.
‘I have to keep a close eye on them.’
Yorang’s eyes sparkled. She intended to watch them closely and snatch away whatever they were eating the moment they showed signs of sneaking a snack.
"What are you looking at?"
It was then that Sun-woo spoke, noticing Yorang staring at him with glinting eyes.
"Wh-what?"
"I asked what you're looking at."
"Well... that is..."
Startled by Sun-woo’s sudden question, Yorang stammered.
"Where are we going!?"
An appropriate question finally came to mind, and she blurted it out. Yorang marveled at her own quick wit in handling the sudden situation. She was truly a spiritual being aspiring to be a Yokai Immortal.
"Didn't I tell you before?" Sun-woo asked, puzzled. He was sure he had mentioned their destination.
"I forgot!" Yorang replied proudly.
"Sigh."
Sun-woo sighed. He felt like he had mentioned it at least twice, but she must have let it go in one ear and out the other.
"We're heading back to the Tang Clan now."
Sun-woo spoke calmly. Everything was finished. He had saved Ok-ryeong from the brink of death, extorted a massive sum of one million nyang from the Geumcheol Sect—who had unilaterally cut ties with the Tang Clan—and even forced the Hwangbo Clan, who had been eyeing the Tang Clan greedily, into sect seclusion.
Since he had single-handedly forced the Hwangbo Clan, known as the strongest in martial prowess among the Five Great Clans, into seclusion, the other clans wouldn't dare make a move anytime soon.
He had settled his personal matters as well as the trouble he had caused in Gyunhyeon. Now, all that remained was to return to the Tang Clan.
"Wow... then we'll get to see the Great Matriarch, Tang Seo-yoon, and Geum Jeok-hwa!"
"I... suppose so?"
At the mention of the Great Matriarch, Sun-woo instinctively glanced at Ok-ryeong. While recounting everything that had happened, he had confessed his history with the Great Matriarch. Naturally, he couldn't help but be mindful of Ok-ryeong’s reaction. Even if the situation had been unavoidable, it was essentially the same as betraying her.
Perhaps noticing his gaze, Ok-ryeong spoke to the visibly nervous Sun-woo.
"It's alright, Sun-woo."
A warm smile played on her lips. Sun-woo felt his tension melt away. He truly felt that Ok-ryeong was filled with mercy, understanding, and consideration.
‘I’ll love you forever.’
Sun-woo vowed to himself over and over. He promised that his love for her would never change.
"Sun-woo, just don't forget that I am the first."
"Huh?"
Sun-woo asked dumbly at her follow-up comment.
"I am the first."
Ok-ryeong’s face was bright with a smile, but there was a strange sense of pressure behind it.
"......Right."
Feeling that odd tension, Sun-woo nodded instinctively. He felt that if he said anything else, she might actually get angry. Satisfied with his answer, Ok-ryeong’s smile grew even more radiant. Sun-woo could only stare at her with a dazed expression.
*
"Lady, please review these documents as well!"
Geum Jeok-hwa hurriedly piled a stack of papers onto the desk and fled the room as if escaping.
"Wait... just a moment!"
Tang Seo-yoon called out urgently, but Geum Jeok-hwa had long since vanished. Seo-yoon turned her gaze to the mountain of paperwork.
"Whew."
She let out a deep sigh. The endless influx of documents was exhausting.
It had already been three weeks since the Hwangbo Clan declared their seclusion. During that time, the Tang Clan had undergone numerous changes.
The first was the expansion of trade. After excluding the partners who had unilaterally requested to stop trading, the Tang Clan was flooded with requests from countless ironworks and pharmacies. The clan was able to select the best among them and secure new trade routes—on much better terms than before.
The second was the recruitment of personnel. Having extracted penalty fees four times the original amount from their previous partners, the Tang Clan was now overflowing with funds. Naturally, they looked for a place to invest this capital and decided on human resources.
Investing in people wasn't difficult. They simply had to bring in more secular disciples from the Qingcheng and Emei sects. As a result, both sects enjoyed an unexpected boom. Just by entering the secular branch of those sects, one could secure a job at the Sichuan Tang Clan. It was an offer no one could refuse.
Third, based on the expanded workforce, they grew their escort agency business. They began operating over much longer distances than before. This allowed them to attract even more customers, and the Tang Clan reached a point where they were practically raking in money. Merchants readily entrusted their goods, trusting the reputations of the Tang, Qingcheng, and Emei, and the Tang Clan’s escort agency did not disappoint.
It was an unprecedented era of prosperity. While they hadn't yet reached the heights of when they were called the "Number One Clan in the Central Plains," they now possessed enough financial power to overwhelm most of the Five Great Clans. The name of the Poison King made the Tang Clan even more affluent, as well as the Qingcheng and Emei sects that collaborated with them.
Since the Tang Clan only recruited from Qingcheng and Emei, it was impossible to work for the Tang Clan unless one became a secular disciple of those two sects. Consequently, countless people began flocking to Qingcheng and Emei with bags of money, all for the sake of getting a job at the Tang Clan.
The Qingcheng and Emei sects were screaming with joy. For decades, they had barely maintained their existence under the shadow of the Tang Clan. Now, thanks to the Tang Clan, they were flourishing. There was no reason not to be happy. The sect leaders of Qingcheng and Emei had even visited the Tang Clan in person to express their gratitude.
However, as much as the Tang Clan prospered, there was one person suffering: Tang Seo-yoon.
The Tang Clan’s direct bloodline had been nearly wiped out. Aside from the Poison King, she was the only direct descendant who could handle the approval of documents, and there were simply too many of them. Hundreds of letters arrived every day. Even after filtering them, the pile of work only continued to grow.
Her head throbbed. Although the Great Matriarch and the Third Madam helped, the final approval was her responsibility. It was an endless cycle of paperwork.
Grind.
Tang Seo-yoon gnashed her teeth. She thought of the regent who had abandoned his post. It had been three weeks since the Hwangbo Clan went into seclusion, so why hadn't he arrived yet? Her elegant brows furrowed.
‘Just wait until you get back.’
It had been nearly four months since Sun-woo left the Tang Clan. During that time, Tang Seo-yoon had pushed aside her beloved martial arts practice to focus solely on paperwork. Her mental fatigue had reached its limit. That fatigue turned into anger, and that anger was directed squarely at Sun-woo.
Knock, knock.
Just then, someone knocked on the office door.
"Come in."
Creeeeak.
Upon her permission, the door opened, and Tang Gam, who had been reassigned to an administrative role, appeared.
"What is it?" Tang Seo-yoon asked with a trembling heart. She was terrified that he was bringing more paperwork.
‘Please... please... please!’
Perhaps her desperate prayer was heard. Fortunately, Tang Gam said something entirely different.
"A guest has arrived."
"A guest?" Tang Seo-yoon asked, puzzled. She didn't recall having any appointments today.
Seo-yoon had made it a rule not to meet anyone who hadn't scheduled an appointment in advance. It was a necessary measure because so many people were trying to visit the Tang Clan. So, a guest without an appointment?
"Was there an appointment scheduled for today?"
"No. They arrived just now."
"Didn't I say we wouldn't accept walk-in guests?"
"This is someone you must meet."
Tang Gam replied calmly to her reproachful tone. His attitude piqued Seo-yoon’s curiosity. Tang Gam was quick-witted, which was why she had given him a radical promotion from an outer martial artist to an internal administrative position. If he said it was someone she must meet, they had to be important.
She wondered who it could be.
"Who is it? This person I must meet."
"It is the female warrior Joo So-yang, the Heavenly Sword Empress."
Tang Seo-yoon’s eyes widened at Tang Gam’s answer. She was utterly shocked by the unexpected name. Why on earth would the Heavenly Sword Empress suddenly visit the Tang Clan?
Upon hearing the name, Tang Seo-yoon immediately stood up.
"Where is she?" she asked urgently.
"I have shown her to the Inner Guest Room."
"Well done."
After briefly praising Tang Gam, Tang Seo-yoon hurried her steps. A truly prestigious guest had arrived.