Chapter 310: I Have Given You My Everything
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 310: I Have Given You My Everything
A Secret Realm.
Indeed.
What Sun-woo saw before his eyes was a place so private and hidden that Neung So-hwa had never shown it to anyone.
The numerous thickets tinted with a reddish hue.
The entrance, tightly shut, further emphasizing its air of mystery.
It was a place truly deserving of the name "Secret Realm."
Gulp.
Seeing this, Sun-woo couldn't help but swallow hard.
It was because the sight was so incredibly mystical.
Sun-woo had spent the night with a fair number of women by now, but he could say with certainty that this was the first time he had ever seen a thicket that was red.
How could it not be mystical?
Furthermore, the tightly shut entrance of her pussy was more than enough to pique Sun-woo’s curiosity.
Just what kind of beauty lay hidden inside that firmly closed gate?
Tremble, tremble.
Sun-woo’s eyes shook violently.
And slowly, the blood began to rush toward his lower half.
It was dangerous.
At this rate, he wouldn't be able to hold back and would end up pouncing on her.
Sun-woo quickly began to recite the mnemonic for the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art in his head.
Wooooooong.
Immediately, the Yin-Yang Harmony Qi remaining in his Dantian began to spread through his acupoints in an instant.
'Calm down! I said, calm down!'
Sun-woo screamed inwardly over and over again.
He pleaded for it to subside.
Perhaps Sun-woo’s desperate wish was heard.
His lower half, where the blood had been pooling, slowly began to settle.
'Whew.'
Only then did Sun-woo let out a sigh of relief in his mind.
If he had been even a moment later, he would have been overwhelmed by an immense sexual urge and would have groaned in agony.
Moreover, if Neung So-hwa had seen his dick erect, he would have undoubtedly been treated as a shameless lecher.
'I can't let that happen. No way.'
Sun-woo shook his head, dismissing the thought.
Such a thing must never happen.
"Stop staring."
Flinch.
At that moment, a voice that shouldn't have been heard rang in Sun-woo’s ears.
Sun-woo’s body jolted, and he immediately began to pray and pray again.
He hoped that he had simply misheard.
"Is it not embarrassing to keep staring like that?"
But the follow-up blow filled Sun-woo with despair.
She had woken up.
Sun-woo slowly raised his gaze to look upward.
There, a peerless beauty with a noble gaze was staring back at him.
"Is my body truly that fascinating to you?"
Neung So-hwa spoke, her face flushing as if she were somewhat embarrassed.
"Ah... I... well... uh..."
Perhaps startled by her sudden question, Sun-woo’s usual sly attitude was nowhere to be found, and he even began to stutter.
"It is embarrassing."
As if conscious of Sun-woo’s gaze, Neung So-hwa’s face turned even redder as she squirmed her body.
Sun-woo could only stare blankly at her.
It was exactly half an hour later when Sun-woo finally regained his senses.
Sun-woo couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye.
The memory of himself voyeuristically scanning every inch of her body kept coming back to him.
It was a form of guilt.
Guilt for looking at a precious friend in such a way.
Of course, Neung So-hwa couldn't understand why Sun-woo was acting like this.
"My friend."
Neung So-hwa called out to Sun-woo, who kept avoiding her gaze.
"......Yeah?"
Sun-woo replied in a hesitant voice.
"Why can you not meet my eyes?"
Neung So-hwa tilted her head as if she didn't understand.
"It's not like that."
Sun-woo feigned innocence at her question.
"No. I can tell. You are subtly avoiding my eyes. Why are you doing that?"
Neung So-hwa shook her head as she spoke.
Sun-woo was definitely avoiding her gaze.
And yet, how could he play it off so coolly?
She couldn't understand it.
"Maybe you're just imagining it?"
"It is not an imagination."
Neung So-hwa continued in a voice full of conviction.
"Could it be that you are embarrassed because you were admiring my body again?"
Twitch.
Sun-woo flinched at Neung So-hwa’s words.
It was because she had hit the nail right on the head.
"Ho... It seems I was right."
When Sun-woo flinched, Neung So-hwa nodded as if she understood.
"....Sorry.."
Sun-woo spoke in a voice as tiny as a crawling ant.
"There is no need to apologize."
Neung So-hwa shook her head at Sun-woo’s apology.
"Is it not the natural way of the world for a man like you to be drawn to an attractive woman? Why would you be embarrassed by such a thing?"
Neung So-hwa spoke as if she were asking why he was stating the obvious.
"Sohwa......"
Sun-woo’s voice trailed off, seemingly moved by her words.
How could she have such a heart of silk?
Such understanding.
At this point, she wasn't "Baby Sohwa," she was "Mama Sohwa."
"And besides, a body like this would have been nothing more than a useless lump of meat if not for you."
Neung So-hwa looked at Sun-woo with an incredibly serious gaze.
"I remember everything. How my personality was consumed by the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi, and how you struggled to return me to normal. You are a fool. A true, utter fool. How could you act so foolishly!"
As she spoke in a serious tone, Neung So-hwa’s emotions seemed to intensify, and her voice gradually grew louder.
"....Are you mad?"
Startled by her sudden change in emotion, Sun-woo asked her with an awkward expression.
"How could I not be mad! How could you make such a foolish choice? You almost died. You were lucky enough to survive like this, but I am saying you almost died! How could you step forward so recklessly!"
Tears began to well up in Neung So-hwa’s eyes and soon started streaming down her cheeks.
"I was just a girl you had met for a few days! How could you risk your life to stop me! I have the memories too! When I was consumed by the demonic art, I was so full of madness that the only word for me was 'crazy'! But what on earth were you thinking when you charged in like that!"
Neung So-hwa shouted at Sun-woo as if pouring out her pent-up sorrow.
"I remember it all! When I was engulfed in the Fire Dragon! When your arm was burned by the Black Flame! Even when you were caught in the Explosive Wheel Tribulation and suffered burns all over your body! How could you make such a stupid choice! You should have just forgotten about a pathetic girl who couldn't even control her own power and let her personality be consumed, and run far away! Why did you charge in so desperately! I cannot understand it! I simply cannot understand it!"
Having finished her outburst, Neung So-hwa finally burst into tears.
She couldn't help but cry.
The memories of when she suffered from Qi Deviation were still vivid.
The image of Sun-woo constantly charging at her, even though she possessed power equivalent to the Profound Realm, and the image of herself wounding him.
Her heart ached terribly.
It hurt like crazy.
Sun-woo was someone precious to her.
Even though she hadn't been in her right mind, the guilt of hurting someone so precious made her suffer.
She cried.
She cried and cried without end.
Because she was so sorry, and because she was so grateful.
Tears were all she could offer.
How could she ever express such grace?
Hug.
Suddenly, she felt the sensation of her entire body being embraced, and a very cozy and warm feeling spread throughout her.
She soon realized.
Sun-woo was holding her warmly in his arms.
Like a mother bird brooding over her chick.
"I couldn't help it."
Sun-woo, holding Neung So-hwa tightly in his embrace, whispered into her ear.
"I couldn't give up on you."
"Fool! You are a real fool!"
Neung So-hwa spoke as she lightly thumping Sun-woo’s chest.
"Why do you disregard your own life! Why would you make such a choice for a girl like me!"
"I told you. I like you."
"............"
Neung So-hwa fell silent the moment she heard Sun-woo’s words.
It was because she had heard something completely unexpected.
He had certainly said it. That he liked her, and that was why he would bring her back.
When she was mad, she had spat out anger, saying he was denying her true self, but hearing it again now that she was sane, she felt a rush of embarrassment and fluttering excitement.
Thump, thump.
Her heart began to pound wildly.
In her twenty-eight years of life, she had never felt this kind of emotion even once.
But she knew.
She knew exactly what this emotion she felt for Sun-woo was.
"Because I like you, I wanted to bring you back to the way you were. To your old self."
Sun-woo continued in a gentle voice.
Stroke, stroke.
He then slowly began to stroke her soft red hair.
"I'm sorry if I scared you. But I have no regrets. Because in the end, I brought you back to normal like this."
Sun-woo confessed his true feelings while stroking Neung So-hwa’s head.
Sun-woo did not regret it.
Even though he had faced death several times, he would make the same choice even if he were to go back.
Because, in the end, he had returned her to her original self.
".......But.... But...."
Neung So-hwa spoke through her tears.
The more she heard Sun-woo’s words, the more the guilt toward him welled up.
"Sohwa."
At that moment, Sun-woo’s voice reached her ears.
"In times like this, a simple 'thank you' is enough."
".........Thank you."
Neung So-hwa spoke with tears glistening in her eyes.
She wanted to say more, but the words wouldn't come out.
She was grateful to him for not giving up and saving her when she was mad and consumed by the demonic art.
She was grateful to him for feeding her the Ice Essence even while suffering burns all over his body.
She was grateful to him for reaching out with a warm hand when her acupoints were being torn apart and her Dantian was on the verge of cracking due to the clash between the Extreme Yang Flame Emperor Demonic Qi and the Extreme Yin Energy of the Ice Essence.
She was grateful to him for warmly embracing her now, as she was plagued by guilt.
The feeling of gratitude was so immense that words failed her even more.
How could she express all this gratitude with mere words?
Neung So-hwa simply leaned into Sun-woo’s embrace and shed tears.
Sun-woo just gently stroked Neung So-hwa’s red hair.
Until she calmed down.
.
.
.
.
.
.
How much time had passed?
'Why isn't she letting go?'
Sun-woo was flustered by Neung So-hwa, who showed no sign of pulling away.
Her crying had clearly stopped.
She seemed to have calmed down.
Also, a significant amount of time had passed.
And yet, Neung So-hwa showed no intention of leaving his embrace.
Sun-woo debated.
Whether he should push her away or not.
"Sohwa."
Sun-woo called her in a gentle voice.
".........."
But Neung So-hwa remained silent at Sun-woo’s call.
"Haven't you calmed down now?"
".........Not yet."
Neung So-hwa replied in a calm voice to Sun-woo’s question.
"I think you have, though?"
"It is your misunderstanding. I need more stability."
"You can find stability later; for now, how about we head back to the Ice Palace?"
"How can you be so selfish? I need your embrace."
"No, I'm saying the sun is going to set at this rate!"
Sun-woo blurted out, sounding flustered.
Looking at the sky, the sun had already passed its zenith and was slowly setting.
At this rate, it was only a matter of time before night fell.
They had to return to the Ice Palace as quickly as possible.
"If the sun sets, can we not just camp out?"
Neung So-hwa asked him as if wondering what the problem was.
"No, why would we camp out when we have a warm home!"
"If the situation does not allow for it, is there not no other choice?"
"What about the situation doesn't allow for it? If we go by horse, we'll arrive by tonight!"
"Did I not tell you! I need stability and rest! I desperately need your embrace! What could be a more pressing circumstance than this?"
"Are you going to keep talking nonsense? What are you, a child? You're throwing a tantrum over something that makes no sense!"
"I am not throwing a tantrum. I am expressing my sincere feelings."
Neung So-hwa continued in a serious tone.
"Look, I promised we'd be back in half a day," Sun-woo said, trying to coax her.
"How can one keep every promise in the world? There are times when exceptional situations arise."
"And that's right now?"
"Indeed."
"Stop talking nonsense."
Sun-woo replied in a firm tone.
And he began to forcibly pull her out of his embrace.
Neung So-hwa tried to resist, but she was eventually completely separated from Sun-woo’s arms.
"What exactly is the problem? How can human affairs always go according to plan?"
Neung So-hwa looked at Sun-woo with a dissatisfied face.
"There are plenty of problems! Tons of them! You're a Commandery Princess; do you really want to spend the night with a man you're not related to?"
"What is the problem with that?"
"What!?"
Sun-woo felt bewildered by Neung So-hwa’s confident statement.
"I have already given you my everything. In such a situation, what is the problem with spending a night together?"
Neung So-hwa replied to Sun-woo as if she didn't understand.
"Wha... What?!"
Sun-woo stuttered, looking at Neung So-hwa with a bewildered gaze.
What on earth was she talking about now?
"Did you not take my purity!"
Neung So-hwa raised her voice, staring straight at Sun-woo with her deep red eyes.