Chapter 468: Heading to the Cheonmu Alliance
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 468: Heading to the Cheonmu Alliance
"Well... I’m off."
Sun-woo spoke with a hollow, haggard expression.
"Did something happen last night?" Tang Seo-yoon asked, looking at him with a puzzled face.
"…It’s nothing."
Sun-woo remained silent for a moment before shaking his head as if it were no big deal.
"You don't look like it's 'nothing,'" she pressed, her expression turning concerned.
"It really is nothing… I’m just… exhausted from going room to room to say my goodbyes."
Sun-woo looked at Tang Seo-yoon with eyes laden with fatigue as he spoke.
"I can imagine."
Seeing his state, Tang Seo-yoon nodded understandingly. He must have shared some very intense farewells, considering they wouldn't see each other for several months.
"…I almost died," Sun-woo groaned, looking at her.
He had spent the entire night moving from one woman to the next without rest, making sure every single one of them was satisfied. He had experienced firsthand the sensation of one's very bones wasting away. If not for the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art, a legendary sexual art, he surely would have met his end by dying in the heat of passion.
"Isn't this all your own karma? Just accept it gracefully," she said with a refreshing smile.
Secretly, seeing the playboy suffer put her in a good mood.
"…That’s cold."
Sun-woo put on a hurt expression.
"Cold? Hardly."
Stretch—
Perhaps finding his reaction cute, Tang Seo-yoon gently pinched and pulled Sun-woo’s cheek.
"Ow, ow, ow! That hurts!"
"I pulled it so it would hurt," Tang Seo-yoon replied calmly. "If you go and seduce another strange woman, you’re dead meat. Understand?"
She glared at him with a look that was genuinely chilling.
"Ow, ow, ow! I told you, it was force majeure!" Sun-woo cried out, sounding wronged.
"Force majeure or not, just control yourself! You already have nine! You absolute lecher!"
"I get it! I said I get it!" Sun-woo raised his voice, making a loud promise. "If I seduce another woman this time, I’m truly worse than a dog! I swear!"
"You say that, but you’re already planning to break it!"
Streeetch—
Tang Seo-yoon began to pull his cheek even harder. No matter how much he promised, she simply couldn't bring herself to trust him.
"I mean it! I really promise!"
"You mean it?" Tang Seo-yoon asked, slowly letting go of his cheek.
"Never! I will never betray your trust!"
Sun-woo looked at her with an honest gaze. His eyes were filled with more conviction than ever before. Of course, Tang Seo-yoon still watched him with a look of utter disbelief.
"What’s with that look?" Sun-woo grumbled, meeting her eyes.
"What about it?"
"It’s full of distrust!"
"Then act in a way that makes you trustworthy!"
"I’m serious this time! I know I’m a dog in heat, but do you really think I’d add even more women? You saw how much I’m struggling to handle the ones I have, right? I’ve already reached my limit!" Sun-woo shouted, feeling indignant.
"..........."
Hearing that, Tang Seo-yoon fell silent. Sun-woo’s words actually made sense. He already had more than enough women—and every single one of them was a beauty so peerless that most men wouldn't encounter even one in a lifetime. The idea of him adding more seemed beyond imagination.
Maybe I’m being too sensitive, she thought.
"I’ll believe you," Tang Seo-yoon finally said, looking at him with a serious gaze.
"Excellent choice!" Sun-woo brightened up, his voice rising in relief.
"But if you break your promise again, I’m going to treat you like something lower than a dog!"
"Of course!" Sun-woo nodded vigorously.
He was confident this time. In the case of Kang Ha-yoon, she had been his favorite character even before he fell into the world of this Murim novel. Her dignified and righteous personality, her status as a hero who wouldn't even look at something that wasn't chivalrous—she was a character he couldn't help but love. That was why he had succumbed to her temptation and become a "dog."
But this time was different. There were no more characters left in this novel that he particularly liked. Therefore, the probability of him breaking his promise to Tang Seo-yoon was effectively zero. He could definitely keep this one.
"Aren't you a bit too confident?"
"Because I’m certain!"
"And what if 'force majeure' strikes again?"
"I’ll resist with my whole body."
"You’re certainly good with words," Tang Seo-yoon said with a smirk.
She slowly reached out her hand.
Flinch.
Sun-woo jerked back slightly, worried she might pull his cheek again.
Stroke, stroke.
Contrary to his expectations, she began to gently stroke his cheek. She did it with great tenderness.
"Be careful," Tang Seo-yoon said, her voice thick with worry.
"…Of course."
"If you come back injured, I really won't let it slide."
"…Yeah."
Sun-woo nodded slightly. He could clearly feel the concern shimmering in her eyes.
"…Then, have a safe trip."
Peck.
Sun-woo felt a soft sensation on his cheek. Tang Seo-yoon had suddenly tilted her head and kissed him.
"…You could have at least kissed me on the lips."
"Didn't you know? We’re technically an annulled couple. How could I do that with people watching?"
"Who’s watching… fine."
"Don't you know that birds hear the words of the day and mice hear the words of the night?" Tang Seo-yoon said with a faint smile.
"So kissing me on the cheek is okay?"
"This much… is something one can certainly do for a former lover."
"I didn't know the Tang Clan was so open-minded," Sun-woo chuckled.
He enjoyed their banter. He always felt this way, but talking to her felt like joking around with a friend his own age. It was proof that they were incredibly compatible.
"It’s just a little something… besides, I was the only one who didn't get to hold you last night." Tang Seo-yoon’s eyes, as beautiful as black jade, sparkled. "So I’m allowed to be this greedy."
She gave him a clear, bright smile. It was a smile so refreshing it felt like a cool breeze.
Daze.
Sun-woo found himself staring blankly at her. She looked so incredibly beautiful. At the same time, a massive sense of conquest and achievement welled up from deep within his chest.
The fact that such a beautiful woman—a woman so wise, a woman whose smile alone was enough to refresh his soul—was looking only at him, thinking only of him, and caring only for him… it finally hit home.
"Seo-yoon."
Sun-woo called her name with an utterly serious expression.
"I love you."
"I love you too, Sun-woo."
Tang Seo-yoon responded with a radiant smile.
Thump.
That smile made Sun-woo’s heart race all over again.
"Should we delay the departure just a little bit?" Sun-woo suggested.
"Why?"
"Because you’re so lovely that I want to grab you and roll around right now."
Sun-woo confessed his honest feelings. He wanted to kiss her, undress her, and take her right then and there.
"Get lost."
Tang Seo-yoon flatly rejected his proposal.
"Whyyyy?" Sun-woo whined.
"We’re already late enough. And I don't want to cut in line like that. My turn has already passed," she said calmly.
"But everyone else got a turn."
"Just because others did it doesn't mean I have to, right?" Tang Seo-yoon said with a clear smile. "So just go without any regrets."
She gently pushed Sun-woo toward the carriage.
"What a shame…" Sun-woo muttered with lingering regret as he walked away.
However, knowing her firm nature, he didn't throw a tantrum. Tang Seo-yoon was the kind of woman who always stuck to what she decided.
Clatter.
Sun-woo pulled open the carriage door.
"Welcome, Lord Sun-woo."
"Welcome… Lord Sun-woo."
As he opened the door, two beautiful women greeted him. They were the Heavenly Sword Empress Joo So-yang and her daughter, Cheonbong Lee Ye-seol. It seemed they had arrived early and were waiting in the carriage.
"Sorry, did you wait long?" Sun-woo apologized.
He was already an hour past the scheduled departure time. He had overslept because of the heated farewells he’d shared with the various women throughout the night.
"No. We didn't wait that long."
"That’s right. We just got here ourselves."
Joo So-yang shook her head gently as she spoke. Her attitude was incredibly warm and soft.
"Well then, I’ll be in your care for the next few months."
""Yes!""
The two replied with energetic voices. They seemed genuinely excited about the trip with Sun-woo.
Thud.
Creeeeak.
After taking his seat, Sun-woo slowly opened the carriage window.
"Seo-yoon, I’ll be back soon!" he called out, leaning his head out the window.
"You can take your time. Just come back without getting hurt," Tang Seo-yoon replied calmly.
"Don't worry. You know how strong I am, right?" Sun-woo said with a confident face.
"Complacency is forbidden, you dummy," Tang Seo-yoon said, shaking her head as if he were a headache.
"If you have the skills to back it up, it’s not complacency, it’s confidence."
Sun-woo spoke with total assurance. He was completely different from before. He had become a master on a level incomparable to the days when he trembled, unable to even resist. No one, perhaps with the exception of Lee Jae-won, would be able to harm him now.
"Good grief… fine, just go already."
"Oh, right. Seo-yoon, should I buy you a gift on the way back?"
"I don't need one. Just go."
"No, really, I’m going quite far. Is there nothing you want?"
"There isn't, so just leave!" Tang Seo-yoon shouted at Sun-woo, who was stalling instead of departing.
He was already late; how could he be so leisurely?
"What a temper… Alright, alright. Please start the carriage."
Startled by her shout, Sun-woo turned toward the coachman.
"Understood… Hyah!"
The coachman, Tang Geol, nodded and cracked his whip.
Neigh!
Clatter, clatter.
The horse’s cry rang out, and the carriage began to rumble forward. They were finally departing—heading toward the Cheonmu Alliance.
Clatter, clatter.
The carriage passed through the main gate of the Tang Clan estate. Tang Seo-yoon stared blankly at the receding back of the carriage, praying for Sun-woo’s safe return. Soon, the carriage vanished completely from her sight.
*
Stare—
Stare—
Sun-woo looked out the window. Outside, the view was filled with wild grass and trees growing haphazardly.
Stare—
Stare—
This time, he turned his gaze to the floor of the carriage. He began to intently observe the grain of the wood.
Stare—
Sun-woo closed his eyes. He intended to catch up on his missing sleep inside the jolting carriage.
Stare—
Stare—
How much time had passed?
"Stop staring!" Sun-woo finally shouted, raising his voice.
He was addressing the mother and daughter who were directing intense gazes at him.
"Stop staring? I haven't particularly been looking at you, Lord Sun-woo," Joo So-yang said, feigning ignorance.
"That’s right… you’re just in the seat in front of us… so we happened to see you," Lee Ye-seol added, playing along with her mother. She acted as if she were the one being wronged.
"Don't lie! Do you think I can't feel it?! No matter what I do, you’re both staring only at me!"
Sun-woo pounded his chest in frustration. He had reached the Profound Realm, a stage considered to have transcended humanity. Consequently, his heightened senses were on a completely different dimension compared to ordinary people.
Sun-woo could feel it through those developed senses—the burning gazes of the mother and daughter persistently fixed on him. At first, he thought it was just because they were sitting across from each other. But from the way their eyes followed his every move, he could tell. These perverted women were intentionally voyeuring him.
"It can't be helped. It’s all your fault, Lord Sun-woo," Joo So-yang said with a troubled expression.
"What are you talking about?! My fault?!" Sun-woo shouted.
They were the ones staring, so what kind of nonsense was this?
"It’s because you’re too handsome, Lord Sun-woo."
"That’s right!" Lee Ye-seol nodded in agreement with her mother.
"What kind of logic is that?!"
"It is the natural instinct of a female to have her eyes drawn to a handsome and charming man," Joo So-yang said, her face flushing slightly as she spoke to Sun-woo.
"................"
Hearing her blatant words, Sun-woo fell silent, flustered. Did this woman have no shame? How could she say such things in front of her daughter?
"So please, don't mind it. It is a perfectly natural gaze."
Joo So-yang spoke while looking at Sun-woo with hazy, unfocused eyes. That look made Sun-woo even more flustered. He felt as though Joo So-yang’s character had completely collapsed.