Chapter 295: Am I Really That Attractive?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 295: Am I Really That Attractive?
"I don't understand."
Sun-woo truly didn't get it. No matter how he looked at it, this seemed excessive.
"What do you mean?"
"I know the flames are intense, but still. Absorbing the Ice Essence a full half-shijin away from the palace? Isn't that a bit much?"
"It is not excessive at all."
Neung So-hwa’s voice was firm as she responded to Sun-woo’s skepticism.
"Did I not tell you? My current state is no different from a Thunderbolt Bomb that could go off at any moment. I have been forcibly suppressing this fire for two months through a seal. To release that seal anywhere near the Ice Palace would be far too dangerous."
Her expression turned grave as she continued.
"Furthermore, the bigger problem is this Ice Essence."
She lifted the wooden box in her hand.
"I have no idea what will happen when the Extreme Yin energy within this Ice Essence meets the Extreme Yang energy I carry. In the worst-case scenario, I could suffer Qi Deviation and go on a rampage."
"Wait, I thought absorbing the Ice Essence was supposed to fix the whole 'bursting into flames' thing?" Sun-woo asked, his eyes widening in surprise.
Qi Deviation? Where did that come from all of a sudden?
"In theory, yes. But when does human life ever go exactly according to plan? One must always account for every possibility. If I were to lose control inside the Ice Palace, the resulting inferno would turn the entire village to ash in an instant."
"Is the firepower really that intense?"
"You underestimate me too much. I may appear to be a refined, beautiful, and noble lady on the surface, but in truth, I am a martial artist nearing the Profound Realm—what many call a Half-Immortal. In terms of pure destructive power, it would not be strange to say I have already reached the Profound Realm. Now, imagine someone like me going on a rampage. What do you think would happen?"
Neung So-hwa looked at Sun-woo with a frustrated gaze.
"..........."
Sun-woo fell silent, seriously considering her words. He imagined the fallout of a Profound Realm master losing themselves to Qi Deviation.
Shiver.
A chill ran down his spine. The mere thought of it was horrific.
Sun-woo had encountered four masters of the Profound Realm so far: the Absolute Martial God Lee Jae-won, the Yin-Yang Demon Lee Ho-seon, the Sword Man, and Bukgung Yeon.
All four were Half-Immortals who had transcended humanity, possessing martial prowess that defied measurement. The idea of such beings going berserk was nothing short of a nightmare.
In the cases of Lee Jae-won and his master, Lee Ho-seon, it didn't feel quite as real because he had never seen them unleash their full power.
But the Sword Man and Bukgung Yeon were different. He had witnessed at least a fraction of their might with his own eyes.
The Sword Man was a master of such high caliber that he could slice through a massive iron gate reinforced with Cold Iron as if it were paper. If such a man went on a rampage, swinging his blade indiscriminately... the thought made Sun-woo's skin crawl. Almost no one would be able to stop a man whose sword could cut through anything. He would simply raise his blade and cleave through whatever stood in his path.
Then there was Bukgung Yeon, a woman with the absurd ability to manipulate nature itself. She could summon blizzards and flash-freeze people in an instant. Sun-woo had even seen her rapidly freeze the moisture in the air to exert physical force. If she were to lose control, everything would be encased in ice in a heartbeat.
As he visualized these scenarios, a natural sense of dread washed over him. He realized he had been far too complacent regarding Neung So-hwa. Because he hadn't seen her martial arts firsthand, he had inadvertently undervalued her—even though she was a woman standing at the threshold of the Profound Realm.
"....That's terrifying."
Sun-woo voiced his honest thoughts. It really was terrifying. A rampaging Profound Realm master was essentially a walking natural disaster. Thinking of it that way, even a distance of half a shijin felt too close.
"Do you finally grasp the gravity of the situation?" Neung So-hwa asked, her expression serious.
"I get it. This is way more intense than I thought."
"As long as you understand. I was beginning to feel quite stifled."
"Will half a shijin be enough?" Sun-woo asked, his worry growing.
"It should suffice. Going further wouldn't hurt, but I've set half a shijin as the minimum safety distance."
Neung So-hwa nodded and continued.
"And Sun-woo, I have a favor to ask of you."
"What is it?"
"Would you... help me absorb the Ice Essence?" she asked, her expression pleading.
"What!?"
Sun-woo blurted out, taken aback. Just how many favors did this lady have?
"How many favors are you going to ask for?"
".......Ugh... I am well aware that I am being shameless. So please, do not feel the need to remind me."
Neung So-hwa’s face flushed deep red. She knew. She knew that asking for this was incredibly bold. Sun-woo had already done more than enough by helping her obtain the Ice Essence in the first place. In fact, he had gone above and beyond. To ask for more was the height of impudence.
But she had no choice. There was no one else but Sun-woo who could remain unscathed near her flames.
"To release the seal placed upon me, someone must continuously pour internal energy into me according to a specific formula for half a shijin. Originally, I intended to have Guard Ma do it, but upon reflection, I do not think he would survive if the flames were to erupt."
Her expression turned bitter.
"These are flames emanating from a body nearing the Profound Realm. How could Guard Ma, who is merely at the Peak Realm, possibly survive?"
"And I'll be fine?"
"Do you not practice a peculiar martial art that redirects energy? With that, you should be able to redirect my heat without much difficulty."
Neung So-hwa spoke with absolute confidence.
"And if I can't?"
"You will."
"No, I'm saying, what if I can't?"
"..........."
Neung So-hwa fell silent at Sun-woo’s persistent questioning. She was so certain he could redirect the energy that she hadn't even considered the alternative. She had no rebuttal.
"Hmm.... What to do about this..."
Sun-woo stroked his chin, feigning deep thought. In truth, this was a bit of a gamble for him as well. The Great Shift of Heaven and Earth was a cheat-like martial art that could manipulate the flow of any energy, but he wasn't entirely sure if it could handle the heat of someone at the level of the Profound Realm. Of course, the technique had never failed him before, but there was always a first time for everything.
He was torn on how to proceed.
"....Um..."
As Sun-woo was lost in thought, Neung So-hwa’s voice pulled him back.
"Yeah?"
"...This."
She pulled something from her robes and handed it to him.
'What's this?'
Sun-woo took the object reflexively and looked down at it. His jaw dropped the moment he realized what it was.
"...A Cat's Eye Stone?!"
"I am not entirely without a conscience. I do not wish to ask this of you without compensation. Please, take it. It is a token of my sincerity."
Sun-woo stared at the Cat's Eye Stone in his palm with trembling eyes. Judging by its brilliant luster and the fact that it was slightly larger than a fist, it seemed to be of a much higher grade than the one he had given to Bukgung Yeon. He couldn't help but gape.
"..........."
Sun-woo’s eyes shook violently. He knew she was rich—the Imperial Palace was the entity that collected more than half the taxes from everyone in the Central Plains every year. But he never imagined she would just casually hand over such an incredibly rare treasure.
He was genuinely impressed. Greed began to cloud his vision. With this Cat's Eye Stone, he wouldn't have to rely on the Sichuan Tang Clan; he would have enough wealth to go anywhere he pleased. It was the ultimate emergency fund. It was enough to start a luxurious life anywhere in the world.
There was no way he wouldn't be tempted.
"I beg of you. I have no one else to rely on but you. Please, please help me."
Neung So-hwa bowed her head, her voice thick with desperation.
Sun-woo slowly looked up and met her eyes. They were filled with fear—the fear that he might actually refuse.
'That's cheating,' Sun-woo thought.
It really was cheating. Who could say no when being persuaded by a face like that, eyes like that, a voice like that—and a treasure like this?
He realized that this woman’s entire existence was basically a cheat code.
"Come to think of it, I never did get paid for helping you trade for the Ice Essence, did I?"
"......You mean... the promise to grant you a wish?"
"Yeah. I can't let you go and die before I've even collected my reward."
Sun-woo felt a bit embarrassed by his own words and felt his face heat up slightly.
"I'll help you."
Oof!
The moment the words left his mouth, a sudden warmth enveloped his entire body.
"Thank you! Thank you so much! I knew it had to be you. Having you as a friend is the best thing that has ever happened in my life!"
Neung So-hwa threw her arms around Sun-woo, pouring out her joy in a tight embrace. Sun-woo was flustered by her intense reaction. Why was the most noble lady in the Central Plains so quick to throw herself into a man's arms?
Squish.
Suddenly, he felt a familiar yet long-missed sensation against his chest.
'...Squish?'
Sun-woo slowly lowered his gaze. There, pressed firmly against his torso, were her breasts.
He panicked. Earlier, he had been too busy comforting her to notice, but now he was hyper-aware of the contact.
Squish, squish.
Gulp.
Sun-woo involuntarily swallowed hard at the soft sensation pressing against him.
'She's... bigger than I thought...'
He couldn't help but comment internally. Judging by the feel of it, she was quite well-endowed. She wasn't as massive as Madam Tang or Joo So-yang, who both had experience with childbirth, but she seemed to be at least on par with Ok-ryeong or Tang Seo-yunjeong.
Thump, thump.
His heart began to race like crazy. It had been over two months since he left the Tang Clan. Naturally, he hadn't held a woman in all that time. Men weren't exactly built to go long periods without releasing their desires.
Fortunately, his high martial realm allowed him to control those urges, but being in direct contact with a woman's body like this caused his suppressed desires to slowly rear their heads.
'This is dangerous.'
Sun-woo realized that a very embarrassing situation was about to unfold. He had to get away from her before his Dragon Head made its presence known.
He raised his hands to push her away. But strangely, his hands wouldn't move. He realized that, contrary to his thoughts, his body didn't want to let her go.
'Stop being a damn idiot!'
Sun-woo cursed himself internally and forced strength into his limbs. A fierce tug-of-war between reason and instinct began.
'Ngh... hnnngh!'
After a moment, Sun-woo managed to put strength into his hands and slowly pushed her back. Reason had won. The soft sensation pressing against him vanished in an instant.
'Phew.'
He let out a silent sigh of relief, though he couldn't deny a lingering sense of regret.
"Get off me! What is a grown woman doing, throwing herself at a man like that?" Sun-woo snapped at Neung So-hwa, venting his frustration.
"Are you not my friend? It is fine between friends."
"Do you even know the saying about men and women not sitting together after the age of seven?"
"What does gender matter between friends? It was merely a hug between two people."
She spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"All men are wolves! If you keep touching people like this, you're going to get eaten before you know it."
"It is fine. You are Sun-woo, are you not? It is fine if it is you. You would never do such a thing."
Neung So-hwa kept repeating that it was "fine," sounding like someone possessed by blind faith.
'No... I'm not fine...'
Her absolute trust was becoming a burden. He was the one who had just been harboring lustful thoughts about her. Hearing her say that made him feel like total trash.
"I'm not fine. I'm a man too. Don't get so close to me unless it's necessary."
Sun-woo looked her straight in the eye as he spoke.
"....Did I offend you?"
"No, the problem is that it felt too good. You might feel safe because you think of me as a friend, but to me, you're a very attractive woman. It's hard to hold back."
Sun-woo spoke his mind honestly. He intended to draw a clear line here and now. He was going to be with her for months; it was better to prevent any "accidents" beforehand.
Flush.
Upon hearing his words, Neung So-hwa’s face turned as red as a ripe apple. Hearing such a direct compliment from Sun-woo made her heart flutter unexpectedly.
"...........Am I really that attractive?"
With her face still flushed, she asked him as if to confirm.
"Of course. Just being near you makes my skin crawl, so don't stick to me. That was a close call."
"Is it a 'close call' if I am near you?"
"A very close call."
"What kind of 'close call'?"
Neung So-hwa asked with a look of genuine curiosity. Sun-woo stared at her, dumbfounded. Why on earth was she asking that?
Whether she noticed his bewilderment or not, Neung So-hwa simply continued to watch him with eyes full of curiosity.