Chapter 434: Even an Older Woman Can Get the Wrong Idea
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 434: Even an Older Woman Can Get the Wrong Idea
"If you keep playing such mischievous pranks, even an older woman like me might start getting the wrong idea."
Kang Ha-yoon gave a faint smile.
Stroke, stroke.
She began to slowly and gently stroke Sun-woo’s hair.
"……"
Sun-woo wanted to say something in response, but he couldn't bring himself to open his mouth.
He was utterly entranced by the breathtakingly beautiful smile she wore. He could only stand there quietly, accepting her soft touch.
After some time had passed, Kang Ha-yoon finally pulled her hand away from his head.
"Shall we get moving now? We’ve been delayed quite a bit."
"…Ah, yes! Moving! We should definitely get moving."
Snapped back to his senses by her words, Sun-woo replied hurriedly.
"Young Master, you may take the carriage at the very front."
Kang Ha-yoon pointed toward the lead carriage as she spoke.
"Ah, I see."
Sun-woo nodded in agreement. Since he was acting as their guide, it made sense for him to be in the front carriage.
"Then I assume you will be taking the carriage at the very back, Hall Master?"
Gal Ji-cheon was currently bedridden in the middle carriage, so no one else would be able to share that space.
"No. The wagon at the rear is a cargo wagon."
Kang Ha-yoon shook her head at Sun-woo’s remark.
"What? Then are you also riding in the front carriage, Hall Master?"
"No. I will be walking."
"Pardon?"
Sun-woo asked back, a look of bewilderment crossing his face.
Who was this woman?
She was the Master of the Phoenix Hall, an idol to countless female martial artists in the Murim, and the second wife of Lee Jae-won, the World's Greatest Martial Artist. How could such a woman choose to walk when there were carriages available?
He couldn't help but be stunned.
"I am currently a prisoner. How could a prisoner ride in a carriage?"
As if sensing his confusion, Kang Ha-yoon calmly explained the circumstances behind her walking.
"…Even so! How can you walk all the way from Jinan to Sichuan!"
Sun-woo flared up, his voice rising in indignation.
"It is not a problem. All the escort warriors are walking as well."
"How can you compare yourself to them? Isn't your internal energy currently sealed, Hall Master?"
Sun-woo continued, horrified by her words.
He had heard that her internal energy was suppressed. If she had walked from Jinan to Wuhan at the pace of a carriage in that state, her body was bound to be in poor condition. No matter how trained a martial artist was, once their internal energy was sealed, they were little more than a physically fit civilian.
"It’s alright. I’ve found it bearable by treating it as a form of training."
Perhaps sensing Sun-woo’s concern, Kang Ha-yoon spoke with her smile still intact.
"Training and labor are two different things. This is closer to labor—and incredibly harsh labor at that."
Sun-woo spoke with a firm expression.
He hated it.
He hated seeing his favorite heroine suffering.
He hated that she, who had been framed and sent into exile, was going through such a hard time.
"Please, get into my carriage."
"I appreciate the sentiment, but I must decline. How could a prisoner board a carriage?"
Kang Ha-yoon shook her head, refusing Sun-woo’s offer. While she was grateful for his kindness, she felt that, as a prisoner, she couldn't travel in comfort.
"It will ruin your health."
"I’ll be fine. I’m not so fragile that something like this would break me."
Sun-woo tried to persuade her again, but it was no use. She wouldn't budge an inch.
‘Ugh… she’s as stubborn as a mule.’
Sun-woo thought to himself. Even her stubbornness was exactly as it had been described in the novel. Of course, that only made him like her more.
"You are truly quite stubborn, Hall Master."
"Hahaha… I do have a bit of a stubborn streak. Even if you are called the greatest of the rising stars, Young Master, you won't be able to break my resolve."
Kang Ha-yoon burst into laughter as she spoke.
"I suppose I have no choice then."
Sun-woo shook his head slowly.
"I’ll walk as well."
"What!?"
Now it was Kang Ha-yoon’s turn to look bewildered. Walking? What on earth was he talking about?
"The Young Master who came to meet us as a guide is going to walk? That’s preposterous."
Kang Ha-yoon spoke as if the idea was completely absurd. In a way, Sun-woo was a guest—a guest who had gone out of his way to meet them. How could she let such a person walk?
"There is absolutely no reason for you to walk, Young Master."
"And there is absolutely no reason for me to ride in a carriage either."
Sun-woo replied with a playful smirk.
"It will surely be exhausting."
"It’s alright. I’m not so fragile that a little walking would break me."
Sun-woo threw her own words back at her with an amused expression.
"You really are stubborn."
"Hahahaha… I do have a bit of a stubborn streak. Even the great Phoenix Hall Master won't be able to break my resolve."
"……My, you’ve got me there."
Kang Ha-yoon gave a soft smile. She hadn't expected him to return her words so perfectly.
"It’s an honor. To have gotten one over on the famous Phoenix Hall Master."
"I suppose I have no choice. Fine, let’s walk together. It’ll be nice to have someone to talk to."
Kang Ha-yoon made her decision immediately. She realized Sun-woo had no intention of backing down, and she wasn't about to change her mind either.
"An excellent choice."
Sun-woo smiled. The thought of walking beside her already had his heart fluttering. Deep smiles began to form on both of their faces.
*
"Oh my, is that really true?"
Kang Ha-yoon asked Sun-woo, looking surprised.
"It’s the absolute truth. I saw it with my own two eyes."
"I truly can't believe it. I knew the Bloody Sword Demon had left the Central Plains, but to think he was acting as a bandit in the North Sea…"
Kang Ha-yoon spoke with a look of disbelief.
Who was the Bloody Sword Demon? He was a monstrous man who had once worn the mask of a virtuous gentleman while violating countless women. Furthermore, he was a wanted criminal whose infamy spread far and wide after Son Mu-chang—one of the five great merchants of the Central Plains who had lost his granddaughter to the man—offered half his fortune as a bounty.
She had heard rumors that he had escaped the Heavenly Net cast by the heroes of the Cheonmu Alliance and bounty hunters to flee the Central Plains, but she never imagined he would be leading bandits in the North Sea. It was shocking news.
"So, what happened next?"
Kang Ha-yoon asked, her curiosity piqued. Her eyes were sparkling with interest.
Seeing her like that, Sun-woo couldn't help but smile. Since she reacted so well to every word he said, he felt naturally motivated to keep the story going.
"The moment I discovered that the leader of the Northern Wind Unit was the Bloody Sword Demon, I shouted at him: 'Are you the Bloody Sword Demon?!' Then the Bloody Sword Demon shouted back: 'Indeed! I am the Bloody Sword Demon! Who are you to interfere with my business?!' Just like that. Then I replied: 'I am one who acts for chivalry! Today, I shall put an end to your malice!' After I shouted that, the Bloody Sword Demon…"
Sun-woo began to spin a fun, slightly exaggerated tale of his encounter with the Northern Wind Unit.
Of course, the reality was a bit different. Neung So-hwa was the one who had killed the Bloody Sword Demon, and the slaughter of the Northern Wind Unit had been driven more by a desire for the demon's head than by overflowing chivalry.
However, Sun-woo tweaked the story to make it more exciting, painting himself as a hero who wiped out a North Sea bandit clan for the sake of justice. He figured this version was much more entertaining.
"Young Master Jang, that’s wonderful."
Having listened intently to the whole story, Kang Ha-yoon let out an exclamation of admiration, her eyes shining.
The infamy of the Northern Wind Unit was well-known even in the Central Plains—the notoriety that they left nothing but corpses in their wake. Hearing that he had suppressed such a group single-handedly naturally drew her admiration. The Northern Wind Unit, led by the Bloody Sword Demon who had easily evaded even the Heavenly Net, would have been a difficult task even for a seasoned, veteran master.
"…It was nothing much."
Sun-woo replied with an embarrassed expression at her praise.
"Your courageous act of chivalry must have been a beacon of hope for many in the North Sea."
"……Well, I wouldn't go that far."
"I mean it. The Northern Wind Unit’s infamy is well-known in the Central Plains. We know all too well how cruel and merciless they were."
Kang Ha-yoon looked at Sun-woo with sincere eyes.
"You wiped out such a group; how could I not call you a beacon of hope?"
As she spoke with sparkling eyes, Sun-woo felt a bit awkward. He had only added a bit of exaggeration for the sake of a good story, but her praise was almost embarrassing.
He was an outsider by nature. Rather than being the center of attention, he preferred to stay quietly in the background or somewhere in the middle. To someone like him, such dazzling, sun-like praise felt somewhat overwhelming.
"You flatter me too much. If I am a beacon of hope, then surely you, Senior, are hope itself."
Sun-woo subtly shifted the topic. He feared that if he didn't, he might be showered with praise until dawn.
"Me? That’s news to me."
Kang Ha-yoon replied as if she had no idea what he meant.
"There’s no need to play coy. Didn't you subdue the First Freak of Gangbuk with a single move recently?"
Sun-woo mentioned one of Kang Ha-yoon’s achievements listed in the biographical records to build her up. They say praise can make even a whale dance, and Sun-woo was intent on making her dance.
"That was nothing compared to suppressing the Northern Wind Unit."
"How can the act of executing a demon who was terrorizing Gangbuk be belittled as 'nothing'? It was a truly magnificent deed."
Sun-woo looked at her as he spoke.
"Oh, dear… it really wasn't much…"
Kang Ha-yoon blushed slightly, looking bashful. Compared to her overall martial prowess, the First Freak of Gangbuk wasn't a particularly boastful achievement. Being praised for it like this made her feel strangely shy.
"It might be nothing to you, Senior, but to someone else, it serves as a great source of hope."
"My, aren't those the very words I said earlier today?"
"I’m a quick learner."
Sun-woo gave a smile. Seeing that smile, Kang Ha-yoon smiled back. She felt incredibly comfortable talking to him.
Before meeting him, she had imagined a stiff, rigid genius. She assumed that someone with such high martial arts would surely have some personality flaws.
However, the Sun-woo she met was the exact opposite of her expectations. He was cheerful, magnanimous, and fun. He was a gifted conversationalist; once a conversation started, time seemed to fly, and he exuded an aura that put people at ease. He was a very likable person.
‘It’s a shame.’
That made the regret feel twice as heavy—the fact that she had to kill this cheerful and wonderful man.
"By the way, Young Master."
Kang Ha-yoon looked at Sun-woo with a serious gaze.
"Yes, please speak."
"There is something I’m curious about. May I ask?"
Kang Ha-yoon spoke with a somewhat cautious expression.
"By all means."
Sun-woo replied nonchalantly.
"Why did you choose to support Lee Ye-seol? And to the point of breaking your engagement with Dok Seo-si?"
She looked puzzled. The Jang Sun-woo she perceived was someone detached from power. Though she hadn't known him long, that was how he appeared to her eyes. She couldn't understand why such a man would betray the Tang Clan to support Joo So-yang.
"……"
Sun-woo fell silent at her question. He hesitated, unsure of how to explain.
In reality, it wasn't a betrayal. It was merely a means to deceive Tang Jin-seol and gain the maximum possible benefit. But when probed like this, he found himself at a loss for words.
Even though she was his favorite heroine, she wasn't an ally. In terms of factions, she belonged to the Cheonmu Alliance. He couldn't tell her the truth. A secret only holds its power when as few people as possible know it.
"…I simply chose the side that offered more benefit."
Sun-woo spoke with a calm face.
"Was that benefit great enough to justify betraying the Tang Clan?"
"……"
Sun-woo’s expression turned grave. If he said yes here, he would look like an irreredeemable bastard. But if he said no, it wouldn't make sense.
‘Why is she asking this all of a sudden?’
Sun-woo was internally panicked. He couldn't see an easy way out of this question.
"Can you tell me what Joo So-yang promised to give you?"
When Sun-woo remained silent, Kang Ha-yoon continued in a calm tone, sounding genuinely curious.
Sun-woo fell into deep thought at her words.