Chapter 268: Becoming Her Friend-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 268: Becoming Her Friend-1
"When did you reach the Mid-Transcendent Realm?"
Neung So-hwa asked Sun-woo, her voice tinged with curiosity.
Sun-woo felt a wave of bewilderment at her words. He couldn't sense even a sliver of internal energy from her. How could someone like that see through his cultivation level so precisely?
"............"
Sun-woo chose silence. He simply didn't know how to respond.
"Is it a difficult question?" Neung So-hwa asked again when he didn't answer.
"It is."
"Then so be it. I shall ask something else."
She changed the subject immediately upon hearing his discomfort. Her reaction made Sun-woo wonder; it seemed like genuine curiosity rather than a calculated move.
"May I ask a question as well?" Sun-woo said, looking at her.
"Go ahead."
"Have you perhaps reached the Half-Immortal stage?"
Sun-woo watched her with a serious gaze. For someone to see through his Transcendent Realm cultivation while emitting no internal energy themselves, it should be impossible—unless they had reached the Profound Realm and achieved the state of Return to Simplicity.
"I have not reached it," she replied calmly.
"Then how!?" Sun-woo asked, his voice rising in surprise. If she hadn't reached the Profound Realm, how could she see through him?
"That is a secret."
She extended a single finger and pressed it against her fine, crimson lips. Sun-woo could only stare at her blankly again. Every single one of her gestures was captivating.
"Where are you looking now?" Neung So-hwa spoke up, sounding somewhat displeased.
"What do you mean?" Sun-woo snapped out of it and replied.
"Since a moment ago, your focus has been wavering as you stare into space. How can you be so rude to someone standing right in front of you?"
She frowned slightly, looking genuinely annoyed. Of course, even that expression was incredibly beautiful.
"It's not my fault," Sun-woo said, shaking his head.
"Then are you saying it is my fault?"
"In a way, yes."
"I am curious. Tell me, what exactly have I done wrong?"
"It's a secret," Sun-woo replied firmly. He felt that being honest would make the rest of the journey far too embarrassing.
"That is petty!" Neung So-hwa flared up, her voice rising.
"What is?" Sun-woo asked, feigning ignorance.
"To raise my expectations like that and then say nothing! What kind of spiteful behavior is this?"
"I never said I would tell you."
Sun-woo wore a sly grin as he spoke. Neung So-hwa huffed and turned her head away. She was clearly sulking.
A deep smile spread across Sun-woo's lips. At first, her overbearing and dignified aura had made him a bit uncomfortable, but talking to her was actually quite pleasant. She was haughty and full of majesty, but surprisingly, she wasn't authoritarian. Her way of speaking was certainly that of someone in a high position, yet she didn't look down on others or bark orders. He liked that about her.
"Ugh..."
Soon, she turned her head back toward him.
"I simply cannot do it."
"Cannot do what?" Sun-woo asked.
"I am so curious I cannot stand it," she said, her eyes sparkling. "What must I do for you to tell me?"
"Then how about this?"
"Speak."
"We each ask one question and give an honest answer."
Sun-woo looked at her with a meaningful gaze. In truth, he didn't have much to hide. His identity and reason for coming to the North Sea Ice Palace were things he’d tell anyone who asked, and she already seemed to know his martial arts level.
He was the one who was curious—curious about the identity of the woman standing before him.
"Hmm."
She fell into thought for a moment. She wanted to know the answer, but she wondered if it was worth going that far. At the same time, she realized this would make the journey less boring.
"I have a condition," she finally said.
"What is it?"
"Questions regarding my identity and my purpose for coming to the North Sea are forbidden."
She stated it firmly, leaving no room for negotiation. No matter how curious she was, she had no intention of exposing her weaknesses.
"Tsk."
Sun-woo smacked his lips in disappointment at her firm stance.
"Fine," he agreed readily. There were plenty of other things to ask besides her identity and purpose.
"Then you ask first."
"How did you know I was in the Mid-Transcendent Realm?" Sun-woo asked.
"I saw through it," she replied matter-of-factly.
She just saw it. Since she had passed through the Mid-Transcendent Realm herself, it was even easier to recognize.
"You... you saw through it!?"
Sun-woo's eyes widened. Generally, for a martial artist to discern someone's realm, they had to be at least at the same level. Unless one was looking down from above or standing on the same level, it was impossible to be precise.
But this woman said she saw through him. That meant she was a master who had achieved a level at least equal to or higher than the Mid-Transcendent Realm.
"What realm have you reached?" Sun-woo asked with a grave expression.
"Is it not my turn?" she countered. "Now tell me. Why is it that every time you look at me, you stare blankly into space?"
She looked him straight in the eye.
"..........."
Sun-woo hesitated. He felt that telling the truth would make things awkward.
"Because you're beautiful."
In the end, he said exactly what he felt, without any filter.
"Your jests go too far," she said, her face hardening. She assumed he was mocking her.
"It's not a jest," Sun-woo replied, his expression turning serious. "You are beautiful enough to make me lose my senses just by looking at you."
"You say strange things. Does my red hair not seem ominous to you?" she asked, looking genuinely confused.
Her hair was red. Not just her hair, but her eyebrows were as crimson as could be. To many, this redness was a sign of impurity. Countless imperial relatives and even high-ranking officials had shunned her, considering her a bad omen. Even the subordinates under her command whispered about her hair being cursed.
She was not used to hearing that she was beautiful—not as a hollow compliment, but as a sincere truth.
"There are so many truly ominous things in this world; why would anyone call such beautiful red hair a bad omen?"
Sun-woo asked back, genuinely puzzled. The Poison Demon's poisonous qi was hundreds of times more ominous. How could anyone call such stunning hair a curse? He couldn't understand it.
When Sun-woo finished speaking, Neung So-hwa’s eyes sparkled, and she began to peer deep into his eyes. Feeling her intense gaze, Sun-woo tried to look away.
"Do not look away."
Noticing his movement, she spoke in a commanding voice.
Twitch.
Sun-woo flinched at her authoritative tone. He brought his gaze back and met her eyes.
"I shall ask again," she continued, her eyes fixed on his. "Is my red hair beautiful?"
"It is. Extremely so," Sun-woo answered, facing her head-on.
"Am I beautiful?"
"You are. Beautiful enough that I lose myself just by staring."
Sun-woo answered her repeated questions without hesitation. The two of them stared at each other in silence for a long while.
Then, eventually...
Grin.
A bright smile broke across Neung So-hwa’s face.
"It was not a lie," she said happily.
Blank.
Sun-woo dazed out again, watching her radiant smile. Seeing her go from a mere smirk to a full, bright laugh blew away any sense of immunity he thought he had built up.
"Are you dazed because I am beautiful even now?"
Nod.
Sun-woo nodded with a vacant expression.
"Fufu, how delightful."
When Sun-woo confirmed it, Neung So-hwa laughed as if she were in a truly wonderful mood. She felt fantastic. She had confirmed that his words weren't lies. He truly thought she was beautiful—even the red hair that her own kin shunned as a curse.
Ever since her hair had changed color, she had been ignored by everyone. Now, she had met a man who affirmed her. There was no way she wouldn't be happy.
"Did you not say earlier that you wished to speak comfortably?" she asked with a deep smile.
"I did say that."
"I shall allow it."
She spoke as if she were granting a great favor.
"Is that true?" Sun-woo asked, surprised. Just a moment ago, she had been stiff and formal. What had caused this sudden change of heart?
"Of course. You are the first friend this lady has made in the Central Plains. Consider it an honor."
She declared this while looking at him.
‘They say praise can make even a whale dance...’
Sun-woo chuckled inwardly at her reaction. He never imagined her attitude would flip so drastically just from a few compliments about her beauty. It seemed no woman truly hated being called beautiful.
"Why do you not answer?"
"I'll do that, then."
"Did I not say we are to speak comfortably?" she said, putting on a mock-stern face.
"Ah... okay. I got it."
"Yes, I like that much better."
Only then did Neung So-hwa smile, satisfied with his casual speech.
"I am satisfied now. It is your turn to ask again."
"Alright, I'll ask this time," Sun-woo said, his eyes gleaming. "What realm have you reached?"
"It is... ambiguous," she replied, looking a bit troubled.
"Ambiguous?" Sun-woo tilted his head. If it was the Transcendent Realm, it was the Transcendent Realm; if it was the Profound Realm, it was the Profound Realm. What was so ambiguous?
"I have surpassed the Upper Transcendent Realm. However, I have not fully reached the Profound Realm."
"What kind of nonsense is that?" Sun-woo asked, baffled. What did that even mean? If she hadn't reached the Profound Realm, wasn't she just at the Upper Transcendent Realm?
"I have definitely surpassed the Upper Transcendent Realm. If I were to fight someone at that level, I would win a hundred times out of a hundred. Yet, to say I have reached the beginning of the Profound Realm feels inaccurate. It is as if I am maintaining a distance where I can almost touch it, but not quite."
She spoke with a serious expression. Her words were true. In terms of pure cultivation, she had far surpassed the Upper Transcendent Realm—to the point where it felt wrong to be categorized with them. Yet, she was just a hair's breadth away from being called a master of the Profound Realm. It was a state of being right on the cusp.
"Then aren't you just at the entry stage of the Profound Realm?"
"Did I not tell you? I have not fully reached it." She shook her head.
"So you're standing on the boundary between the Transcendent and Profound Realms?"
"You could say that." She nodded.
"Hah..."
Sun-woo let out a hollow laugh. He had guessed she was strong. Since she could see through him instantly, he figured she was at least his equal. But to be halfway between the Transcendent and Profound Realms? He hadn't imagined that.
This woman's talent wasn't just on the level of the Sword Emperor, Yang Tae-san; she was on par with Lee Jae-won, who was practically drowning in plot armor. He couldn't help but laugh. To be near the Half-Immortal stage at twenty-eight was beyond imagination.
When Sun-woo fell silent, Neung So-hwa glanced at him.
"Do not feel too discouraged. For this lady to be exceptional is as natural as water flowing downward or the sun setting in the west."
She offered her own version of comfort. She was a woman who carried the blood of the Son of Heaven. Was it not natural for her to be extraordinary?
"Pfft."
Sun-woo let out a small burst of laughter.
"Why are you laughing?" she asked, tilting her head.
"What kind of comfort is that?" Sun-woo said, looking at her in disbelief.
"Did I say something wrong?"
"Don't say things like that to anyone else."
"And why not?"
"Because it's obnoxious."
Sun-woo told her, his face full of amusement. Neung So-hwa looked as if she had been struck by lightning. It was the first time in her life she had ever heard such a word.