Chapter 209: Hierarchy Establishment-2
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 209: Hierarchy Establishment-2
Upon hearing Ok-ryeong’s words, Madam Un Ga-ryeo’s expression turned to one of utter shock.
She simply couldn't believe what she was hearing.
Wasn't fifty the age of one's "Heaven-ordained mandate"?
Yet, no matter how closely she looked, Ok-ryeong appeared to be in her mid-to-late twenties. How could she possibly have reached such an age?
Madam Un Ga-ryeo began to scrutinize Ok-ryeong’s face out of the corner of her eye.
Her skin was as white as flawless jade, possessing a firm elasticity without a single hint of sagging. Furthermore, the areas around her eyes and the corners of her mouth—places typically prone to wrinkles—were incredibly taut.
And what about her figure?
Her breasts were large yet showed no signs of drooping, her waist was slender with not a speck of excess fat, and her hips were remarkably firm.
Looking at her, Madam Un Ga-ryeo shook her head.
How could such a woman have reached fifty? That would make her older than Madam Un Ga-ryeo herself. It was simply impossible to believe.
"Is that truly the case? No matter how I look at you, Lady Ok-ryeong, you appear to be in your twenties."
"It is because I practiced martial arts..."
"Even with martial arts, how can one maintain such a youthful appearance to the point of defying the laws of nature?"
Madam Un Ga-ryeo pressed her, finding Ok-ryeong’s explanation nonsensical.
Madam Un Ga-ryeo was a martial artist herself. She had reached the Upper Stage of the Peak Realm, a level quite high for a woman. Even so, the limit of her youthful appearance was looking about ten years younger than her actual age. How could someone look thirty years younger?
"After undergoing Marrow Cleansing, my body became slightly younger..."
Faced with her disbelief, Ok-ryeong answered calmly.
"Mar... Marrow Cleansing!?"
Hearing those words, Madam Un Ga-ryeo was shocked once again.
Marrow Cleansing.
What did that entail? It was a phenomenon that only a select few among those who reached the supreme Absolute Realm could experience.
Marrow Cleansing begins with an imbalance. Generally, the longer one practices martial arts, the deeper their achievements become. Conversely, no matter how robustly trained a body is, it inevitably grows frail with age. Bones weaken, muscles diminish, and once-sturdy strength fades. No matter how high a martial artist’s realm, they cannot withstand the weight of time.
Thus, an imbalance occurs between the body and one's martial prowess.
When this imbalance reaches its peak, the phenomenon of Marrow Cleansing finally begins. The martial power that has reached the supreme Absolute Realm reshapes the body to restore the balance between the physical form and the internal energy.
When Marrow Cleansing occurs, the first thing that happens is the filtering of impurities from the body. Every tiny waste product hidden deep within is expelled, a process accompanied by a foul stench.
After all impurities are purged, a process of regeneration follows. Muscles increase, bones harden, and acupoints become sturdier. The body is transformed back into its physical prime, optimized for the maximum efficiency of one's martial arts.
If Ok-ryeong’s words were true, her current appearance—that of a woman in her mid-twenties—was the physical prime of her life.
Madam Un Ga-ryeo could only stare blankly, her mouth agape at the shocking revelation.
After some time had passed, a realization flashed through her mind. Her face began to turn pale. Something about the name "Ok-ryeong" and a realm so supreme it allowed for Marrow Cleansing triggered a memory.
Madam Un Ga-ryeo quickly regained her composure and looked at Ok-ryeong.
"Lady... Ok-ryeong... what is your true identity?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"I am merely a woman who loves her husband," Ok-ryeong replied with a faint smile.
"How can a woman who has reached such a terrifying realm be called a mere woman?" Madam Un Ga-ryeo said, her tone suggesting the idea was preposterous. "Have you perhaps been active in the Murim before?"
"I ventured out only once, about twenty years ago. I did gain a title back then."
"May I ask what that title was?"
"It is not a title I am proud enough to announce everywhere," Ok-ryeong said, her face flushing slightly.
"Even so, I wish to know. Please."
Despite Ok-ryeong’s refusal, Madam Un Ga-ryeo spoke with a respectful attitude. She needed to know to confirm if her hypothesis was correct.
"People used to call me the Blood Sword Fragrance."
Having finished, Ok-ryeong spoke cautiously, her face turning red as if embarrassed.
"............"
Madam Un Ga-ryeo could only stare, her eyes wide with shock.
Who was the Blood Sword Fragrance? She was the legendary female master who had single-handedly annihilated the Geoak Sect, a massive unorthodox organization that had appeared in Zhejiang Province decades ago.
To think that the Blood Sword Fragrance was the woman standing before her... It was entirely unexpected. She had assumed it was just someone with the same name. Who could have imagined that an absolute master who had vanished decades ago would suddenly appear in the Tang Clan?
Madam Un Ga-ryeo felt herself shrinking. She began to blame her own foolishness—her arrogance in judging Ok-ryeong’s age by her appearance and trying to look down on her. How could she have committed such a blunder without recognizing such a great senior?
"...Are you truly the Senior Blood Sword Fragrance who annihilated the Geoak Sect?"
"Yes, that’s right."
Ok-ryeong nodded in response.
"I apologize."
As soon as she finished speaking, Madam Un Ga-ryeo quickly bowed her head in apology.
"Pardon!?"
"I failed to recognize you, Senior, and committed an act of rudeness."
She continued to speak to Ok-ryeong from a humble posture. While she hadn't been overtly rude, she couldn't deny that she had looked down on her, assuming she was younger.
"No, it’s alright. And it wasn't really rude..."
Ok-ryeong spoke, seemingly flustered by the apology. She hadn't imagined that simply revealing her title would cause the other woman to become so submissive. Internally, however, she felt a sense of pride. She was happy that many people, including both Tang Seo-yoon and Madam Un Ga-ryeo, still remembered her.
Meanwhile, after apologizing, Madam Un Ga-ryeo kept her head bowed. No matter how she thought about it, she had no grounds to overwhelm this woman. Age, martial arts, and even her beautiful, wrinkle-free face and firm body—Ok-ryeong was superior in every way.
Thus, Madam Un Ga-ryeo had no choice but to admit it. She could not surpass this woman.
She felt a surge of sorrow. She had walked in with such dignity, dressed in her most splendid finery to seize the initiative. But in the face of Ok-ryeong’s legendary history, she was nothing more than a firefly beneath the moonlight.
"Senior Ok-ryeong."
Madam Un Ga-ryeo looked at Ok-ryeong and continued.
"Yes, please speak."
"I love my husband."
"........."
"I haven't spent a long time with him, but I love him so much that I cannot live without him."
Madam Un Ga-ryeo spoke with a calm expression.
"But then, he told me there was another woman he loved."
She looked at Ok-ryeong with eyes full of sadness.
"At first, I was angry. What woman in the world would be pleased to know her lover loves someone else? But as I heard the story, I realized that I was the one who intruded upon the love between you two."
".........."
"It was miserable and sad. To realize that I was, in the end, only the second."
Madam Un Ga-ryeo bared her innermost feelings to Ok-ryeong.
"So I made a decision. Even if I was the second to meet him, I would become his first lover. But that thought didn't last long."
"..........."
"I realized from the first day I saw you, Senior. I realized I couldn't win against this woman. But I suppose I didn't want to admit it. Seeing as I intentionally called you here to establish a hierarchy."
Madam Un Ga-ryeo took a breath and continued.
"But after hearing about you today, I can cleanly admit it. You are someone so great that someone like me cannot even dare to compare. I am ashamed of myself for trying to compete with you."
She spoke with a bitter tone.
"Senior, I am sorry."
Madam Un Ga-ryeo bowed at the waist and apologized to Ok-ryeong.
"No, Madam. Rather, I am grateful to you for sharing your honest feelings like this. Thank you for being so sincere."
Ok-ryeong replied with a gentle smile.
"I didn't want to create discord through pointless jealousy. That wouldn't be considerate toward the one I love."
At Ok-ryeong’s words, Madam Un Ga-ryeo smiled softly. Seeing that, Ok-ryeong looked pleased. She found the other woman’s devotion to Sun-woo quite touching.
"Senior, I love my husband. Can you give me your permission?"
Madam Un Ga-ryeo asked with a tense face. She was seeking permission from Ok-ryeong, whom she had acknowledged as the first lover. This was proof that she had already mentally accepted a lower rank beneath Ok-ryeong.
"Why would love ever need permission? And if it’s you, Madam, I will always welcome you."
Ok-ryeong replied with a bright smile.
"Thank you, Senior."
Madam Un Ga-ryeo looked moved by her words. Ok-ryeong returned the sentiment with a radiant grin. It seemed the hierarchy had been settled, one way or another.
Sun-woo watched the two women, who were now blooming with smiles, with a stunned expression. He wondered why they had even bothered to make him sit there if they were going to settle the hierarchy among themselves. Yet, a part of him felt relieved that things had been resolved well. There would be no deep rift between them now.
*
"I mean, why did they even call me to a meeting where they were just going to settle the hierarchy themselves? I felt like a total third wheel."
"I see."
"Well, I guess it’s good that it was resolved peacefully, but I’m still puzzled. Did they really need me there?"
Sun-woo talked incessantly, clearly having much to say about Ok-ryeong and Madam Un Ga-ryeo.
"I suppose."
Tang Seo-yoon, who was listening to him, gave short, disinterested answers.
"Why is your reaction so lukewarm?"
Sun-woo snapped at her reaction. He had gone out of his way to come and talk to her, but her lackluster response was killing the mood.
"Can't you see I'm working?"
Tang Seo-yoon furrowed her elegant brows and looked at Sun-woo. She held up a stack of documents toward him as she spoke.
"Why don't you take a little break?"
"Can you really say that after seeing this pile?" she retorted, sounding incredulous.
"They say it’s not a bad idea to close your eyes and rest for a bit when you're tired."
"If you're going to talk nonsense, get lost. Why do you come to my workplace to blather about your love life that I have zero interest in?"
Tang Seo-yoon spoke as if she couldn't understand him.
"Who else do I have to talk to about this but you?"
"Talk to Lady Yorang."
"What would she know about romantic complications?"
"She might not know, but she’s a fast learner. If you explain everything from A to Z, I’m sure she’ll understand."
"That’s ridiculous!"
"You’re the one being ridiculous! I’m busy, you bastard! Busy! Do you know how many hours I’ve slept since arriving at the Tang Clan? Three hours! Three! I’ve slept an average of one hour a day! Do you not understand how busy I am? Do you have a personality disorder? Why are you so individualistic?"
Tang Seo-yoon poured out her words like rapid-fire in response to Sun-woo’s protest. She was currently at the peak of mental exhaustion. It had been three days since she arrived at the Tang Clan, and she hadn't been able to get proper sleep. There was too much work piled up from her absence. She had to stamp approval documents and reorganize selected request forms. Literally, even ten of her wouldn't be enough.
In such a situation, Sun-woo coming by and needlessly grating on her nerves was bound to make her irritable.
"It can't be helped..." Sun-woo said, looking at her.
"What do you mean it can't be helped!"
"You're the only one I can talk to about this..." Sun-woo confessed his inner thoughts slightly.
"Go to Senior Ok-ryeong or Madam Un Ga-ryeo."
"No, it’s a romantic issue involving the two of them. How can I complain about it to the people involved?"
"And it’s okay to do it to me?"
"We’re friends."
Sun-woo looked at Tang Seo-yoon and spoke calmly.
"You're the only friend I have who will actually listen..."
"You absolute piece of work."
Tang Seo-yoon grimaced fiercely at his words.
Thud.
She threw the documents down onto the desk.
"Fifteen minutes. That’s it."
She tossed the words at him.
A bright smile spread across Sun-woo’s face.