Chapter 431: I Am the Primary Wife
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 431: I Am the Primary Wife
Sizzle, sizzle.
Steam rose steadily from the bowl.
Scoop.
Kang Ha-yoon lifted a spoonful of the contents.
Whoosh, whoosh.
After blowing on it a few times to cool it down, she held the spoon out toward the reclining White Tiger Hall Master.
"Please, eat."
"I have... no appetite."
Gal Ji-cheon, the White Tiger Hall Master, replied in a bitter tone to her urging.
"You must eat something to regain your strength, don't you think?"
"I have no desire for it."
"It's already been three days. If you continue to starve yourself, your life could be in danger."
"Is my life as a martial artist not already over? Perhaps dying wouldn't be such a bad thing."
Gal Ji-cheon spoke with an expression of profound emptiness.
He felt hollow. The thought that he had lost everything consumed him.
His title as the Hall Master of the White Tiger Hall—one of the elite martial organizations representing the Cheonmu Alliance.
His honor as the man once hailed as the Sword King.
Even his martial arts, which had reached the Upper Stage of the Transcendent Realm. All of it was gone.
In such a state, he couldn't imagine swallowing even a single grain of rice. He had no will to live. He only wanted to die. To live without being a martial artist was a horrifying prospect.
"How can you say such a thing? Your life as a martial artist is over? That hasn't been confirmed yet, has it?"
Kang Ha-yoon continued, her voice persuasive. It pained her to see Gal Ji-cheon losing his will to live like this.
"Every bone in my body is shattered. My internal organs are a mess, and I cannot stop coughing up blood. How can a man like this continue to live as a martial artist?"
"But isn't your Dantian still intact?"
"What use is a Dantian when the body is in ruins? It wouldn't be strange if I ended up a complete cripple!"
"It will be fine. Isn't there still hope for a Marrow Cleansing?"
"I have already undergone Marrow Cleansing! How can you suggest I undergo it again!?"
Gal Ji-cheon flared up, raising his voice. He had already completed that transformation long ago. To dream of it happening again was utter nonsense.
"Don't think so negatively. There's a saying, isn't there? The sun will rise again tomorrow."
"..."
"Get out!"
Upon hearing her words, Gal Ji-cheon let out a roar. No matter how he looked at it, he could only feel that she was mocking him.
"But... you must eat your porridge..."
"Send someone else! I will not eat anything you give me! Do you think it makes sense for the perpetrator to look after the victim!?"
"But this is the Alliance Leader's order."
"Since when did you follow orders so well? Why didn't you follow the arrest warrant just as diligently?"
Gal Ji-cheon followed up with a sarcastic remark. If she was someone who followed orders so well, why had she resisted the arrest warrant with such fervor?
"That's because the Law Enforcement Hall was clearly framing me..."
"The Law Enforcement Hall is a judicial body appointed by the Alliance Leader! They conduct every investigation and arrest in his name! To defy their arrest is no different from defying the Alliance Leader's command!"
Gal Ji-cheon glared at Kang Ha-yoon with bloodshot eyes as he spoke.
"Get out! I will not touch a single thing you offer! If you want to watch me starve to death, then by all means, keep coming in!"
"..........Understood."
At his shouting, Kang Ha-yoon lowered her head and relented. She feared that if she stayed, he truly might starve himself to death out of spite.
"I will send someone else."
Kang Ha-yoon spoke with a dejected expression. She then slowly made her way out of the room.
"Never! Never come back here again!"
As she withdrew, Gal Ji-cheon's roar echoed through the room. His voice was thick with rage and sorrow.
*
"Sigh."
Back in her own room, Kang Ha-yoon let out a deep sigh. Gal Ji-cheon's resentful cries wouldn't leave her head.
This isn't how it was supposed to go.
She felt a wave of guilt crashing over her. She was more aware than anyone that it was her own hands that had left Gal Ji-cheon half-paralyzed.
Paeng Ga-ryeon should have been the one lying there.
She thought to herself. If Paeng Ga-ryeon had been in that bed instead of Gal Ji-cheon, she wouldn't have felt nearly this much guilt.
"Haa..."
She sighed deeply once more.
Knock, knock, knock.
Just then, someone began to knock on her door.
"Who is it?"
Kang Ha-yoon asked, her face filled with curiosity.
"It is Dang Jin."
"Come in."
Creak.
As soon as she gave permission, the door opened. A martial artist wearing a green robe appeared at the entrance. It was Dang Jin, the guard assigned to her by Tang Jin-seol.
"What is it?"
Kang Ha-yoon asked, her expression troubled.
"Madam Tang has sent a letter to the Phoenix Hall Master."
Dang Jin spoke as he held up a letter.
"A letter?"
Kang Ha-yoon looked puzzled. She had had no contact with the woman whatsoever. It was strange for her to suddenly send a letter.
"What does it say?"
"I haven't read it. The envelope states that it is for your eyes only."
Dang Jin replied calmly and handed her the letter.
"Is that so? I see. Thank you for bringing it."
Taking the letter, Kang Ha-yoon expressed her gratitude.
"It was no trouble."
Dang Jin bowed politely and slowly exited the room.
Kang Ha-yoon watched him leave, and once he was gone, she examined the letter in her hand. She was curious about what could possibly be written inside.
Rustle.
She opened the letter and began to read the contents carefully.
After a few moments...
Tremble, tremble.
Kang Ha-yoon's face contorted into a scowl, and the hand holding the letter began to shake violently. The words written there were utterly absurd.
"Tang... Jin-seol... You've... finally gone mad..."
She spat out the words, her face flushed with anger.
The contents of the letter were simple. It was an order to kill the Divine Dragon. To kill Jang Sun-woo, the man known as the future World's Greatest Martial Artist.
And at the end, it stated that if she successfully dealt with him, all her debts would be considered paid.
Tremble.
Kang Ha-yoon's entire body began to shake. An uncontrollable rage surged within her.
Who was she?
Was she not a Hall Master of the Cheonmu Alliance, a woman said to revere and act for the sake of Chivalry? Was she not someone who took pride in living her entire life without a single point of shame under the heavens?
And yet, how could someone ask her to commit such a heinous act as assassination? And for the petty reason of eliminating a rival?
She couldn't understand it. No, there was no way she could.
How could a woman who was the mistress of the Cheonmu Alliance—a martial artist who practiced orthodox techniques—treat murder so lightly?
"There's no way I can do this!"
Kang Ha-yoon tightened her grip. She intended to tear the wretched letter to shreds right then and there.
When she was young, her master had told her: if it is not Chivalry, do not look at it, do not listen to it, and do not do it. This was not Chivalry.
"Ugh!"
But she couldn't tear it. It was just a piece of paper that would have ripped with the slightest application of strength, yet she couldn't do it. The mental burden of her "debt of life" held her hands tight and wouldn't let go.
"Uuuugh!"
She tried to steel her heart and rip it again, but it was no use. The weight of that debt was far too heavy.
"Damn it!"
Thud!
In the end, Kang Ha-yoon slammed the letter down onto the table. She hadn't been able to tear it.
What am I supposed to do?
She stared at the letter with a gloomy face. Normally, she would have rejected such a proposal without a second thought. Not only that, she would have captured Tang Jin-seol for plotting an assassination and held her accountable for her crimes.
But right now, she was indebted to Tang Jin-seol for her life. She had been protected from Paeng Ga-ryeon's clutches. A week had passed since she left Jinan, and she hadn't faced a single threat to her life.
In such a situation, she couldn't simply reject Tang Jin-seol's request.
"Haa..."
She sighed again. Closing her eyes, she fell into deep agony.
She was torn between her convictions and her sense of obligation.
.
.
.
.
.
How much time had passed?
Kang Ha-yoon opened her eyes with a deep frown. She simply couldn't choose.
Conviction and obligation. She couldn't give up either one.
She agonized over and over again about how she should conduct herself. As the night deepened, so did her dilemma.
*
"Hum de hum~"
Sun-woo began to pack his bags, humming a tune. Just the thought of going to meet Kang Ha-yoon put him in a good mood.
"Are you that happy?"
A soft voice drifted from beside him. Hearing it, Sun-woo slowly turned his head.
There stood a beautiful woman in white, smiling at him. It was his primary wife, Ok-ryeong.
"...It's just been a while since I've gone out."
Sun-woo spoke as if making an excuse. He worried that he had made his excitement a bit too obvious.
"Is that so? I didn't know you liked going out that much, Sun-woo."
Ok-ryeong replied with a faint, knowing smile.
Twitch.
Sun-woo flinched at that smile. Even though she was smiling, he felt an inexplicable chill.
"Hahahaha... It's not like I enjoy being cooped up in the house all the time."
Sun-woo let out an awkward laugh. Of course, it was a lie. Perhaps because of the memories of constantly running away from Lee Jae-won, Sun-woo actually hated going outside.
"I see."
Ok-ryeong continued with a bright smile. She slowly reached out and began to fiddle with the luggage Sun-woo had packed.
"You have quite a lot of clothes here. For a trip that's only three days."
"Well... it's an official event, right? Isn't it better to have several outfits rather than just one? Besides, while I'm acting as a guard, my clothes might get torn..."
"And what is this perfume sachet? You never used to pack things like this."
"Oh... that? I wonder what that sachet is doing there?"
Sun-woo feigned ignorance at her question.
"Maybe Yorang put it in there as a prank?"
"Sun-woo."
Ok-ryeong spoke in a calm tone.
"The man I fell for, Jang Sun-woo, didn't rely on excuses."
She spoke with a somewhat stern expression.
"............"
Sun-woo shut his mouth tight. He realized she had seen right through his clumsy excuses. A sense of embarrassment washed over him. He should have just been a man and told the truth; why was he making so many excuses?
"I'm sorry."
Sun-woo spoke plainly.
"Actually... Kang Ha-yoon is someone I've always admired... so I think I went a bit overboard trying to look good."
Sun-woo confessed while looking at her. He decided it was better to just come clean at this point.
"It's alright. It's only natural to want to look good for someone you admire."
When Sun-woo told the truth, Ok-ryeong let out a small smile.
"But Sun-woo, remember this."
Ok-ryeong looked at him with an incredibly serious gaze.
"I am the primary wife. I don't mind you adding more women, but if you don't acknowledge that fact, I will be angry."
She warned him with a stern face.
"Ok-ryeong, it's really not like that. I have no intention of trying anything with Kang Ha-yoon."
Sun-woo spoke with an aggrieved expression. He truly felt wronged. He just wanted to be liked by the character he had been most attached to; he had absolutely no intention of seducing her or getting her into bed.
He already had an overwhelming number of women. How could he possibly add more? Besides, he currently had a ticking time bomb of a woman like Joo So-yang to deal with. Bringing in another "bomb" in this situation was unthinkable.
"I'm sorry, but looking at your colorful history with women, I don't find that very credible."
Ok-ryeong continued calmly.
"How many have you added in less than a year?"
"............"
Sun-woo remained silent. He couldn't deny that she was right.
"I'm sorry."
Sun-woo apologized to Ok-ryeong. He had no other choice.
"I didn't say that to get an apology. And I certainly wasn't trying to blame you. I've just come to accept it now. It feels like it's not entirely your fault anyway."
"Not my fault?"
"Yes. I suspect some supernatural, unknown force is constantly manipulating things so that you get involved with women."
"A supernatural, unknown force?"
"Yes. As if it's twisting fate itself."
".......Fate?"
"Otherwise, how could peerless beauties—the kind one might not see once in a lifetime—appear everywhere you go?"
Hearing her words, Sun-woo was left with a dazed expression. It was a possibility he had never once considered until now.