Chapter 461: The Inevitable Happens
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 461: The Inevitable Happens
Creeeeeak.
Thud.
The door to the inner guest room swung open, and two peerless beauties, each possessing a distinct charm, made their appearance.
They were Tang Seo-yoon and Yorang.
"Sun-woo!"
Yorang beamed and tried to rush straight toward Sun-woo.
Grab.
However, Tang Seo-yoon firmly held her back.
Her current status was that of the Sixth Lady—the wife of Tang Jin-cheol. She couldn't allow Yorang to be seen throwing herself into Sun-woo’s arms.
"You mustn't," Tang Seo-yoon said sternly, gently restraining Yorang.
"...Okay."
Yorang immediately slumped her shoulders and nodded in submission. She had realized there was someone else in the room besides Sun-woo.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Phoenix Hall Master. I am Tang Seo-yoon, currently serving as the Acting Clan Head."
Tang Seo-yoon slowly turned her gaze toward Kang Ha-yoon. She offered a slight bow as a greeting.
"It’s a pleasure. I am Kang Ha-yoon," the woman replied, returning the gesture with equal courtesy. Her manner was exceptionally polite.
"You must be exhausted after such a long journey."
"Not at all. Thanks to your consideration, the trip was quite comfortable."
Kang Ha-yoon continued, casting a subtle, smiling glance toward Sun-woo.
"Think nothing of it. We only did what was expected. Please, do not let it weigh on your mind."
The two women carried on a harmonious conversation—polite, professional, and perfectly on point.
"I shall send word to the Clan Head. You should be able to meet him by this evening," Tang Seo-yoon added in a calm tone.
Since the Phoenix Hall Master had visited the clan in person, a meeting with the Clan Head was an absolute necessity.
".......Ah... well... that is..."
Upon hearing those words, Kang Ha-yoon began to stammer, looking flustered.
She knew the whole story from Sun-woo. She knew that the Poison King, Tang Jin-cheol, was dead, and that Sun-woo was currently disguised as him. Being told she would be introduced to the "Clan Head" caught her completely off guard.
"Is something the matter?"
Seeing her hesitate and stumble over her words, Tang Seo-yoon looked at Kang Ha-yoon with a puzzled expression.
Under that gaze, a panicked Kang Ha-yoon instinctively shifted her eyes toward Sun-woo, who was standing nearby. Naturally, Tang Seo-yoon’s gaze followed, landing on Sun-woo as if demanding an explanation.
".......Listen."
Feeling the weight of both women's stares, Sun-woo finally spoke.
If it were up to him, he would have kept his mouth shut forever, but he knew that if he didn't explain things now, all hell would break loose.
"I have something to tell you."
Sun-woo looked at Tang Seo-yoon with an incredibly solemn expression. His eyes were filled with grim determination.
".............What is it?"
Meeting that look, Tang Seo-yoon felt a sudden surge of anxiety. The worst-case scenario flashed through her mind.
No... it couldn't be... surely not.
She tried to soothe her rising unease, telling herself it wasn't true, that there was no way, desperately trying to stay calm.
"I... I couldn't keep my promise," Sun-woo said, his voice thick with apology.
"What promise...?" Tang Seo-yoon asked, her eyes trembling as she stared at him.
"I...... I have to be a dog."
Sun-woo’s answer was blunt and concise.
"..............."
Hearing that simple statement, Tang Seo-yoon realized the truth. Her worst-case assumption had been correct.
In just one week, this man had made Kang Ha-yoon his woman.
This... crazy bastard...
Tang Seo-yoon barely suppressed the urge to curse out loud. She never imagined he would jump into the fire like this. Sun-woo was already carrying around human explosives like Joo So-yang and Lee Ye-seol. And now, in this situation, he had laid hands on Kang Ha-yoon too?
What on earth was he thinking? Did he plan on seducing every single one of Lee Jae-won's wives?
She had warned him so strictly to be careful. How could he discard his promise so easily?
She was furious. She was so angry that she felt a primal urge to slap that lying mouth of his right then and there.
Tremble, tremble.
However, Tang Seo-yoon barely managed to restrain herself. They weren't alone. Kang Ha-yoon, the Phoenix Hall Master, was right there. She couldn't act so unrefined in front of her.
Hooooo.
Suppressing her emotions as much as possible, Tang Seo-yoon let out a deep internal sigh. Then, looking at Sun-woo, she slowly opened her mouth.
"You crazy lunatic!"
An angry roar erupted from her. As expected, suppressing her emotions in this situation was impossible.
"..........Should I bark now?"
Sun-woo asked with an awkward expression after hearing her furious shout. He had no excuse to offer.
"Are you in your right mind?!"
"..Woof... woof... woof.."
"Say something!"
"Grrrr... growl."
Sun-woo simply barked piteously like a dog. He hoped that acting this way might earn him some forgiveness.
"You out-of-your-mind jerk!"
Pinch!
Apparently, the dog act was a bad move. Thinking he was mocking her, Tang Seo-yoon reached out and yanked both of Sun-woo’s cheeks.
"Aaaaaagh!"
Sun-woo let out a scream. Her pinch, fueled by genuine emotion, was unimaginably painful.
"Why do you always act so thoughtlessly?!"
"Ow, ow, ow! Wait! Let's talk... let's talk!"
Sun-woo gently grabbed Tang Seo-yoon’s hands as they pulled on his cheeks, crying out in pain.
"You’re the one who went and caused this mess, so why are you telling me to use my words?!"
Despite his cries, Tang Seo-yoon didn't let go. She pulled even harder.
"Aaaaaaaagh!"
Sun-woo’s pained screams grew louder, filling the guest room.
"Uuuugh..."
Sun-woo let out a small groan as he massaged his cheeks, which had been stretched mercilessly. The pain was lasting longer than expected.
"You are trash."
Tang Seo-yoon’s sharp voice pierced his ears. When he glanced up, he saw her glaring at him with eyes like daggers.
Sun-woo immediately looked down. He didn't have the courage to meet her eyes, nor did he have anything to say. He was the one who broke the vow not to add more women. What could he possibly say in this situation?
"You already have eight women! Why can't you be satisfied?!"
Tang Seo-yoon raised her voice in frustration. Sun-woo already had numerous women: herself, Ok-ryeong, Un Ga-ryeo, Yorang, Neung So-hwa, Bukgung Yeon, Joo So-yang, and Lee Ye-seol. That was eight. How could he have so many beautiful women in his arms and still go around spreading his seed like a dog in heat?
She couldn't understand it.
"............"
Sun-woo kept his mouth shut. He felt she wasn't wrong. He was already involved with more than enough women—and every single one of them was a beauty one would be lucky to meet once in a lifetime. Since those women weren't enough and he had added another, it was only natural she couldn't understand.
"Besides, the Phoenix Hall Master is Lee Jae-won's second wife! Was Joo So-yang not enough? Or do you just have a fetish for other men's wives?"
"....It's... it's not like that..."
"No, you definitely have a fetish. Think about it—Madam Un, Joo So-yang, and now the Phoenix Hall Master... they were all someone else's wife!"
"........."
Sun-woo broke into a cold sweat and fell silent at her razor-sharp words. Her accusations hit him like daggers, piercing deep into his conscience. Come to think of it, he really had acted like trash. He had messed with other men's wives while their husbands were still alive. If he died, he was surely going to hell.
"Sun-woo is not at fault."
Kang Ha-yoon, who had been quietly observing the situation, finally spoke up with a firm expression.
"What did you say?"
"It's all... my fault."
She continued, her face clouded with guilt.
"I... I fell in love with him... despite being a married woman with a husband."
Tears of guilt began to well up in her eyes.
"..........."
Tang Seo-yoon fell silent as she looked at her. She was shocked by the sudden tears. Who was Kang Ha-yoon? She was the current Phoenix Hall Master, a heroine among heroines, often called the second most powerful woman in the world. Moreover, she was a chivalrous warrior who had performed countless noble deeds. How could such a woman show tears like a fragile maiden? It was incomprehensible.
"Please... do not blame him... I was the one who fell for him... and seduced him... so please... if you must curse someone... curse me."
Kang Ha-yoon pleaded, tears streaming down her face.
".........."
Tang Seo-yoon was speechless. When a great senior like Kang Ha-yoon was weeping and pleading, she didn't know what to say.
"Senior... please, calm down..."
Tang Seo-yoon began to comfort Kang Ha-yoon, her expression turning flustered.
"Sob... hic... ugh..."
But the heroine's tears showed no sign of stopping. The thought that Sun-woo was being criticized because of her made her heart overflow with sorrow.
Tang Seo-yoon, looking troubled, began to soothe her.
Pat, pat.
Eventually, Tang Seo-yoon pulled the sobbing Kang Ha-yoon into an embrace and began to pat her back. Then, she glared at Sun-woo with eyes like daggers. Her gaze carried a silent threat: We’ll talk about this later.
Sun-woo nodded his head vigorously. It seemed she intended to let it slide for now.
After some time had passed, Kang Ha-yoon finally calmed down and wiped away her tears. Feeling embarrassed, she quickly pulled away from Tang Seo-yoon’s embrace. The realization that she had cried in the arms of someone much younger than her made her blush with shame.
"I'm sorry..." Kang Ha-yoon apologized, her face red with embarrassment.
"No... I understand that it’s an overwhelming situation," Tang Seo-yoon replied softly, shaking her head.
She could empathize with her feelings to some extent. Kang Ha-yoon must be feeling incredibly anxious. She was the newcomer entering a situation where there were already many other women. Feeling like an outsider and lonely, she must have fallen into psychological distress when one of his existing women—Seo-yoon herself—reacted so negatively.
I was inconsiderate, Tang Seo-yoon thought.
She realized she had lacked tact. At the very least, she should have criticized him when Kang Ha-yoon wasn't around.
You idiot.
She scolded herself. She had warned Yorang so much, yet she realized she had just committed the same mistake.
"Actually, I should be the one apologizing. It must be a very uncomfortable situation for you, yet I made you feel like a criminal who committed a grave sin. I was lacking in consideration."
"No... I think your anger was perfectly justified... The person you love... brought home another woman... How could you not be angry...?"
When Tang Seo-yoon apologized, Kang Ha-yoon waved her hands in surprise. She was the one who should be apologizing; how could the other woman be the one to say sorry? It was absurd.
She really does love Sun-woo... Tang Seo-yoon thought.
She could see that Ha-yoon truly cherished him. Compared to herself, Ha-yoon was superior in status, seniority, and martial arts within the Murim. Yet, such a woman had thrown away her pride as a martial artist and was taking a humble stance. This was an act nearly impossible for a martial artist, who usually prioritized pride above all else. Martial artists were people who would destroy a whole sect or fight to the death over a matter of pride.
The fact that she could do this meant her affection for Sun-woo was far greater than her pride as a warrior.
Sigh.
Tang Seo-yoon let out a deep sigh. She realized it was impossible to keep scolding Sun-woo in front of a woman like this. If she continued, Kang Ha-yoon would only be consumed by more guilt.
You’re lucky, Jang Sun-woo.
She glared at Sun-woo with a murderous look.
Twitch.
Sun-woo flinched. The killing intent radiating from Tang Seo-yoon was immense. He quickly averted his eyes, deciding it was better to avoid her gaze than to face it head-on.
Scumbag.
Seeing that, Tang Seo-yoon cursed inwardly. His "not my problem" attitude infuriated her.
"Senior Kang," Tang Seo-yoon said, regaining her composure.
"Yes, please speak."
"I think we need to gather all the wives."
She continued in a calm tone.
"All of them?"
"Yes. They all need to be aware of this situation."
Tang Seo-yoon’s eyes sparkled as she spoke. That sparkling gaze was fixed squarely on Sun-woo.
And as he met that glint in her eyes, Sun-woo’s face began to turn pale.
He knew the inevitable had finally arrived.