Chapter 23: Blood Sword Fragrance Ok-ryeong-4
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 23: Blood Sword Fragrance Ok-ryeong-4
Leaving the sleeping quarters, Ok-ryeong lit a fire in the hearth.
She placed a pot filled with water over the flames, added rice flour, let it soak sufficiently, and began to boil it. She intended to make porridge for the boy lying inside.
Watching the steam rise in soft curls, Ok-ryeong drifted into thought.
On the day she had first rescued Lee Jae-won in the past, she had prepared porridge with the same devotion. How happy she had been to see him eat it so heartily after he woke up.
As she thought of Lee Jae-won, a sudden, sharp pain—as if her heart were being torn asunder—washed over her.
To her, Lee Jae-won was an object of profound love and hate. He had been her first disciple and the first person she had ever truly cared for, after a lifetime spent buried in training on White Flower Peak.
Had Lee Jae-won confessed his love to her back then, she might have feigned reluctance before eventually accepting him. That was how starved she had been for human affection, and that was how precious he had been to her.
But as if mocking her heart, Lee Jae-won had cruelly toyed with her before leaving without a single regret.
She felt resentment toward him begin to crawl up from within.
Drip.
A single tear, from eyes she thought had long gone dry, began to trace a path down her cheek.
"Ah..."
Realizing she was crying, Ok-ryeong rubbed her eyes and slowly wiped them clear. She had vowed not to cry anymore, yet the mere memory brought tears unbidden.
"Whew..."
After calming herself and wiping away the tears, she began to stir the pot slowly to ensure the porridge didn't stick to the bottom.
Ok-ryeong decided that as soon as the boy recovered, she would send him away as quickly as possible. The situation was too similar to what had happened with Lee Jae-won; she feared the sad memories would keep resurfacing.
After stirring for some time, the steaming porridge was finally finished. Ok-ryeong extinguished the fire in the hearth and covered the pot with its lid. Now that it was done, she would only need to light a small fire to reheat it when the boy woke up.
She moved toward the sleeping quarters to check on his condition.
Creak.
When she opened the door, she found the boy already awake.
"You're awake, Young Master."
Startled by her sudden appearance, the boy's eyes widened. However, he soon sat up with a serious expression and spoke politely.
"Thank you for saving me, Miss."
Seeing the boy's reaction, Ok-ryeong felt a surge of goodwill, thinking him a very well-mannered child. It was admirable that he maintained such polite decorum despite his poor physical condition. Moreover, being addressed as "Miss" instead of "Madam" or "Ma'am" gave her a peculiar feeling.
"It was nothing, Young Master. How could I accept thanks for saving a life? It was only natural."
"Even so, how could I receive such grace and forget it like a common beast? I will surely repay this debt, Miss."
"It is fine, Young Master. Instead of thinking of repaying a debt, focus on recovering. That is how you can repay me. And while I may look young, I am older than I appear. A title like 'Aunt' or 'Ma'am' would be more appropriate than 'Miss.'"
"You must be joking, Miss. No matter how I look at you, you seem no older than my older cousin."
It seemed that to this boy, she looked like an older sister at best. What woman would dislike being told she looked young? A faint smile played across Ok-ryeong's lips despite herself.
"It is the truth. Despite my appearance, I am middle-aged. Hearing myself called 'Miss' at this age makes me feel quite embarrassed."
"I understand. Then I shall call you Aunt."
"Thank you, Young Master."
"I would also appreciate it if you would speak comfortably to me, Aunt, as if I were your own nephew. It makes me feel bashful to be addressed with such formality by my savior and elder."
Ok-ryeong gave a warm smile. How could a child speak so beautifully? She felt her fondness for the boy growing rapidly.
"Very well, I understand. I shall speak casually then."
"Thank you for granting my request, Aunt."
*
"There is something I wish to ask you."
"Please, ask away, Aunt."
"How did you come to collapse on White Flower Peak?"
"..."
At her question, the boy lowered his head and remained silent for a long time. Ok-ryeong began to regret asking, wondering if she had overstepped.
But then, the boy's eyes suddenly turned red, and tears began to well up.
"Ugh... hic... sob..."
Ok-ryeong panicked at the sudden tears from the boy who had seemed so mature.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. Please, don't cry. I won't ask anymore. You don't have to tell me if it's difficult. The circumstances don't matter; just rest here comfortably."
Ok-ryeong began to comfort the weeping boy.
"No... sniff... It's not because of you, Aunt... sniff..."
The boy roughly rubbed his streaming eyes and spoke with a trembling voice.
"Then why are you crying so sorrowfully?"
"Until now... no one has ever kindly asked me what happened... But hearing those words from you, Aunt... I was so grateful that the tears just came out on their own."
Even as he spoke, the boy was still struggling with his emotions, his eyes brimming with tears.
Ok-ryeong's own eyes grew moist. She didn't know exactly what had happened to the boy, but his reaction alone was enough to guess that he had weathered the harsh storms of the world all by himself.
Her heart aching for him, Ok-ryeong pulled the crying boy into a tight embrace.
"Aunt?"
Startled by the sudden hug, the boy asked through his tears.
"How difficult it must have been for you. It's alright. You are safe here. No one will harm you. So, please, put your mind at ease."
Maternal instincts flared within Ok-ryeong at the sight of the boy's sorrow. She held him close, offering comfort.
"Ugh... sob..."
"Don't hold it back. Cry as much as you want. They say a Manly Man shouldn't show his tears lightly, but you are still young, so it's alright."
With those words as the catalyst, the dam the boy had been desperately holding back finally burst.
"Waaaaaaaah!"
"Yes, yes. It's alright. How hard it must have been."
"Uwaaaaah... hic... sob..."
"Cry your heart out."
The boy buried himself in her arms and began to cry like a small child, and Ok-ryeong soothed him.
After some time had passed, the boy, seemingly embarrassed, hurriedly pulled away from her embrace.
"I've made a fool of myself. I'm sorry, Aunt. Your arms were so comfortable that I think I just let my guard down without realizing it."
Finding his reaction adorable, Ok-ryeong gave a gentle smile.
"Didn't I tell you to treat me like an aunt? I can offer you my embrace anytime, so do not worry about it."
"Thank you, Aunt."
The boy bowed his head deeply to her. Then, he began to tell his story.
"Aunt, my name is Jang Sun-woo. I was born as the only son of the Jang Clan, a martial family in a small village in Shaanxi. My father was strict but dependable, and my mother was compassionate and wise. Though we weren't a prominent clan, we lived a comfortable life as local influential figures. Then, one day, my father discovered a rare spirit herb called the Sun Herb while walking in the mountains behind our home."
At the mention of the Sun Herb, Ok-ryeong was greatly shocked. The Sun Herb was a legendary elixir, boasting incredible efficacy for those who practiced Yang-heavy martial arts. However, its growth conditions were so demanding that it was a rare treasure seen perhaps once in a century. Consequently, it was an item that brought a bloodbath whenever it appeared in the Murim.
"My father kept it safely, intending to give it to me as a birthday present rather than selling it. That choice became the starting point for our family's tragedy."
Ok-ryeong listened intently to Sun-woo's words, her expression grave.
"A martial artist of the clan who had gone for the walk with my father let slip the secret of the Sun Herb while drunk. After that, countless merchants and martial artists knocked on our gates. Some asked to buy it, while others threatened us, demanding we hand it over. But my father refused to budge, turning everyone away, saying it was a gift for his son. And that night... the Jang Clan was massacred."
Sun-woo's voice choked up, and he paused to catch his breath before continuing.
"It was a sudden raid. In the dead of night while everyone was sleeping, masked men set fire to the estate and began killing the household. The clan's warriors took up their swords to resist, but they couldn't hold back the overwhelming tide of attackers."
As he spoke, Sun-woo's eyes reddened once more.
"My father put the armor—a treasure passed down through the Jang family—on me and pressed the Sun Herb into my hand. He told me that I was its rightful owner and never to let anyone take it. Then, he hurriedly evacuated my mother and me."
Tears began to flow from Sun-woo's reddened eyes.
"My mother and I fled from the masked men, running day and night without rest. To avoid pursuit, we traveled through mountain paths instead of main roads, minimizing sleep to just two hours a day. Eventually, we reached Shaanxi, where White Flower Peak is located. But unlike me, who was young and trained in martial arts, such a grueling journey took its toll on my mother, who had never trained."
"...What happened?"
Ok-ryeong swallowed hard and asked Sun-woo.
"My mother fell ill with a fever due to extreme exhaustion. I tried everything to treat her. I caught fish in the valley and boiled them for her, and I lit fires to keep her warm, even taking off my own clothes to cover her, but it was no use. Her fever only grew worse, and I didn't know what to do. It seems my mother felt she was becoming a burden to me. While I was asleep, she jumped from a high cliff and took her own life."
Drip.
Hearing Sun-woo's tragic tale, Ok-ryeong could no longer hold back her tears. What a pitiful child. More than anything, Sun-woo's story mirrored her own unfortunate past, making her empathize even more deeply.
"Leaving my mother's death behind, I somehow reached White Flower Peak. Thinking I would just eat the Sun Herb—the cause of all this tragedy—and go to be with my parents, I swallowed it. After that, you saved me, Aunt, and that's how I ended up here."
"..."
When Sun-woo finished his story and received no response, he looked up at Ok-ryeong. She was weeping silently, her breath hitching. Sun-woo's tragic story had pierced her heart.
"Ugh... you've suffered so much."
The thought of sending Sun-woo away as soon as he recovered vanished completely from her mind. How could she cast a child carrying such deep scars back out into the world?
"Come here."
She took Sun-woo's head and pulled him tightly to her chest.
"What sin could you have committed at such a young age to have to face all the storms of this dusty world alone?"
Her grip on Sun-woo tightened. At her warm words, Sun-woo burst into tears once more, and she cried along with him. Her quarters soon became a sea of tears.
Buried in her large chest, Sun-woo momentarily flashed a devious smile. He could feel the soft, supple texture of Ok-ryeong's breasts against him.
'Even at her age, they're still so firm. Hehehe.'
As he was enjoying the sensation, a reaction suddenly began in his lower half.
'!?!?'
Startled, Sun-woo tried to calm himself down, but the continuous sensation of her body only made his member more agitated.
'Shit, if I get an erection here, it's all over!'
In this position, buried in her chest, an erection would undoubtedly press against her thigh. Sun-woo tried to suppress his phallus by imagining the saddest things possible.
But it was no use against his already ignited desire.
To avoid Lee Jae-won, Sun-woo had to stay on White Flower Peak as long as possible, which meant he had to be extremely careful not to offend her. If he got an erection now, there would be no explaining it away.
'You piece of shit, please don't act up! I'm begging you!'
However, ignoring the desperate cry in his heart, Sun-woo's member continued to grow in size, inching closer and closer to Ok-ryeong's leg as she held him.
'Fuck, no!!! Stop, stop!!!'
Only his desperate, silent screams echoed within Sun-woo's mind.