Chapter 474: Arriving at the Cheonmu Alliance
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 474: Arriving at the Cheonmu Alliance
Rattle, rattle.
The carriage began to shake incessantly.
"Hmm."
Sun-woo, who had been resting with his eyes closed, furrowed his brows in discomfort. The rough jolting of the carriage had abruptly chased away his sleep.
A moment later, Sun-woo slowly opened his eyes. Two massive mountain peaks began to fill his field of vision.
"…Joo So-yang."
Sun-woo slowly parted his lips and called her name.
"Oh, are you awake?"
At his call, Joo So-yang tilted her head down, looking at Sun-woo, who had been sleeping with his head in her lap.
"I want to nurse."
Sun-woo spoke in a calm, steady tone.
"Yes, of course~"
In response to Sun-woo’s infant-like request, Joo So-yang slowly unfastened the front of her robes.
Boing.
Her massive, engorged breasts—verging on hyper-voluptuous—revealed themselves before Sun-woo’s eyes.
"Now, go ahead."
She cupped one of her breasts and brought it directly to Sun-woo’s lips.
Gulp.
Sun-woo did not decline her kindness and took her nipple into his mouth.
Slurp, slurp.
He began to suckle fiercely. He worked at it with the intensity of a newborn baby craving breast milk.
"Haah… do you… like my… milk that much?"
Watching Sun-woo, Joo So-yang spoke with a look of immense pride. Seeing him crave her milk like a babe stirred a mixture of maternal instinct and burning lust within her.
Sluuuuurp!
Sun-woo didn't answer her question; he simply continued to suckle at her breast without pause.
"Haah… ah… haa…"
Soon, the moans escaping Joo So-yang’s lips grew louder. The suction stimulating her nipple caused her sexual desire to overtake her maternal feelings.
Pop.
Eventually, Sun-woo slowly pulled his mouth away from her nipple.
"…Ah."
Joo So-yang let out a regretful sigh. The sensation of fullness that had occupied her nipple vanished in an instant.
"Why…? You can have more…"
She looked down at Sun-woo with a lingering, wistful expression.
"This time, I want to suck on Lee Ye-seol’s."
Sun-woo continued in the same calm tone.
"Yes, Master~"
Lee Ye-seol, who was sitting beside them, replied with a bright, joyful smile.
Boing.
She quickly unfastened her robes and pulled out her well-developed breasts, offering them to Sun-woo.
"My… milk is… much tastier than my daughter’s…" Joo So-yang added, sounding disappointed.
"I’ll decide that after I’ve tasted it."
Sun-woo paid no mind to her complaints.
"Ah."
He opened his mouth. Lee Ye-seol leaned over and guided her breast to him.
Slurp.
Slurp.
As soon as the nipple entered his mouth, Sun-woo began to suckle on it powerfully.
"Haa-ahhh!"
Lee Ye-seol let out a sharp moan. Because her breasts were smaller, the sensation felt even more intense.
Slurp.
Sun-woo enjoyed her moans as he suckled even more fiercely, like a newborn baby.
"Haa-ahhh!"
After some time had passed…
Pop.
Sun-woo finally pulled away. He felt he had nursed enough. He slowly lifted his head from Joo So-yang’s lap.
"Ah."
Another regretful sigh escaped Joo So-yang’s lips. She felt a sense of loss the moment the weight of his head left her thighs.
"You… could have slept longer…"
"It’s fine. I’ve had enough sleep," Sun-woo replied, shaking his head.
"You could have kept using my lap as a pillow…"
"Your legs would have fallen asleep."
"No! They aren't numb at all!"
Slap, slap.
She patted her soft, supple thighs a couple of times to prove her point.
"It’s okay. I’d rather sit up than lie down now."
Sun-woo smiled as he spoke, fully straightening his posture.
"Ughhhhhh."
Sun-woo let out a long stretch.
"How long was I out?" he asked, looking at Lee Ye-seol.
"You slept for about four shijin."
"That long?"
Sun-woo asked back in surprise. He thought he had only napped for about an il-gak, but it seemed he had been out much longer than expected.
"…You should have woken me."
Sun-woo spoke with a hint of embarrassment. He felt a slight pang of guilt realizing they had waited for him all that time.
"Not at all. It was fun just watching you sleep," Lee Ye-seol replied with a clear, bright laugh.
"What’s so fun about watching someone sleep?" Sun-woo chuckled.
"For a handsome person, just looking at them is entertainment enough," Lee Ye-seol said, gazing at Sun-woo with dreamy eyes. Her gaze was filled with genuine sincerity.
"Stop staring. You’ll wear me out."
Sun-woo brushed it off. At first, their overwhelming praise and respect had been burdensome. While he had become quite handsome after his Marrow Cleansing, he didn't think he was that exceptional. However, after hearing such things all the way from Sichuan to Jinan, he had become immune to it.
"Yes, Master~"
Lee Ye-seol nodded cutely with a pretty smile. Sun-woo gave her a casual pat on the head, finding her behavior somewhat endearing.
"Hehehehe."
Lee Ye-seol let out a giddy giggle, clearly enjoying his touch.
"Anyway, where are we?"
"I believe we’ve arrived in Shandong Province."
Joo So-yang answered his question in a calm tone.
"Really? Then Jinan isn't far off."
Sun-woo sounded slightly surprised. He hadn't expected to reach Shandong so soon.
I really did sleep for a long time.
The carriage must have been moving at a high speed while he was asleep.
"Yes… in just a few more shijin, we should reach the Cheonmu Alliance."
"The Cheonmu Alliance… the Cheonmu Alliance."
Hearing those words, Sun-woo muttered the name as if reminiscing. It was the place where he had been despised, held in contempt, and ultimately betrayed.
The Cheonmu Alliance.
The thought of going there made his heart feel strangely restless.
"Have you been to the Cheonmu Alliance before, Lord Sun-woo?" Joo So-yang asked curiously, noticing his distant tone.
"I have."
"When? Did we perhaps cross paths?"
"We did."
Sun-woo spoke calmly. Joo So-yang had been the wife of Jang Sam. There was no way they hadn't crossed paths.
"Really? When? So we’ve had a connection since long ago! Is this… perhaps… destiny?"
Joo So-yang’s face lit up. The idea that she had encountered Sun-woo at the Cheonmu Alliance in the past sent a surge of excitement through her.
"Destiny… I suppose you could call it that."
Sun-woo smirked. It certainly was a twist of fate. He, who had been framed and driven out, was now returning to the Cheonmu Alliance after seducing the woman who had been his master's wife.
"I knew it… It was destiny… We were always meant to be together."
Joo So-yang rambled on, deeply moved. She seemed overjoyed to have a shared history with him.
"Um… Lord Sun-woo."
At that moment, Lee Ye-seol, sitting across from him, called out with a dejected expression.
"What is it?" Sun-woo asked.
"Did you… perhaps… ever see me back then?"
She stammered shyly. It seemed she was jealous of her mother’s talk of destiny.
"I did," Sun-woo stated firmly.
"Really!?"
Lee Ye-seol’s face brightened instantly.
"Truly. You were likely the very first person I encountered."
It wasn't a lie. Lee Ye-seol was the first woman he had met after falling into the world of this martial arts novel. In a way, she was the catalyst for everything. If he had won that first duel, Paeng Ji-yoon wouldn't have come to his room to comfort him, and she wouldn't have been murdered.
Wait.
A thought suddenly flashed through Sun-woo’s mind. He remembered an enemy he had completely forgotten about.
Paeng Ga-ryeon!
That was it. The true culprit was the Law Enforcement Hall Master, Paeng Ga-ryeon. She was the one who had framed him and caused him all that suffering.
Grit.
Sun-woo began to grind his teeth. The resentment toward her resurfaced, making his jaw tighten instinctively. How much had he suffered since that day? He had been beaten, kicked, cut, stabbed, frozen, scorched, starved, and even covered in poisonous qi.
That bitch.
Sun-woo cursed his own stupidity. How could he have forgotten his chance for revenge so completely?
You’re dead.
Sun-woo vowed to himself. He would have his revenge on that god-awful woman.
"Ahhh… I really was… your destiny, Lord Sun-woo…"
Unaware of Sun-woo’s internal rage, Lee Ye-seol spoke with a dreamy, dazed expression. She seemed overwhelmed by the fact that she was the first one he had met.
"Daughter… the order doesn't matter much."
Joo So-yang spoke up testily. She was clearly jealous that he had met her daughter first.
"Mother, what could be more important than the order?"
"Isn't destiny about how strongly two people are drawn to each other?"
"Lord Sun-woo and I are incredibly drawn to each other, though?" Lee Ye-seol replied with a radiant smile.
"I don't think that’s the case at all. Didn't you try to harm Lady Yorang in the beginning? That sounds more like an ill-fated relationship."
"…Destiny is something you reach after overcoming hardships. And what about you, Mother? Didn't you try to kill Lord Sun-woo?" Lee Ye-seol countered with a sharp look.
"Kill him?! I never did such a thing!"
"Don't lie! You said it right in front of me! That you were going to kill him!"
"Lord Sun-woo! It’s not true! This child is lying!" Joo So-yang turned to Sun-woo, sounding frantic.
"It’s not a lie! Lord Sun-woo! Mother said it! I heard her!" Lee Ye-seol clung to Sun-woo, pleading her case.
"…………"
However, Sun-woo didn't say a word in response to their bickering. His mind was so consumed with thoughts of revenge against Paeng Ga-ryeon that their voices didn't even register.
When Sun-woo failed to react, the atmosphere grew even more tense. They assumed he was angry.
"Ye-seol… how could you do this to your own mother!" Joo So-yang trembled with a sense of betrayal.
"How could you say such things, Mother!" Lee Ye-seol glared back, her eyes filled with anger. Both women were becoming extremely agitated.
"I never raised you to be like this!"
"I learned it on my own!"
The two of them completely exploded, engaging in a fierce verbal spat. Soon, the carriage was filled with the shouting of the two women.
*
Rattle, rattle, rattle.
"Halt!"
Go Gam, a gate guard protecting the main entrance of the Cheonmu Alliance, shouted at the top of his lungs. The carriage heading toward the gate showed no signs of slowing down.
Screeeech.
Perhaps hearing his command, the speeding carriage abruptly slowed and came to a complete stop right in front of the main gate.
"Oh, my apologies. I thought we could just pass through."
The man acting as the coachman apologized as the carriage settled.
"Anyone passing through the main gate of the Cheonmu Alliance must be inspected, regardless of who they are!"
"I’m sorry. This is my first time at the Cheonmu Alliance, so…"
A country bumpkin, then.
Go Gam scoffed inwardly. Seeing that the man lacked even basic etiquette, he assumed they were nobody of importance.
"What is your business here? For the record, if it’s a simple civil complaint or a request, you must enter on foot."
"Ah, the people inside the carriage were invited."
The coachman spoke as if he had just remembered.
"Invited, you say?"
"That’s right."
"By whom?"
"By the Cheonmu Alliance Leader himself."
Go Gam’s face contorted. He was certain the man before him was lying. There were always people like that—fools who thought they were best friends with someone just because they’d shared a drink once.
The carriage looked like something a nouveau riche merchant might own. Furthermore, the coachman lacked basic manners. How could someone in such a carriage be an invitee of the Alliance Leader?
"Do you have an invitation?"
"I don't have a physical invitation."
"Then entry is forbidden. The Cheonmu Alliance is not a place one enters so easily."
"But I was told the path would open if I gave a name."
The coachman spoke in a calm tone.
"Rules are rules, no matter who you are! Without an invitation, I cannot permit entry! Come back with proper documentation!" Go Gam declared firmly.
"It’s good to see you working so hard."
A voice as clear as rolling jade beads reached his ears.
Huh?
Go Gam looked puzzled. The voice sounded familiar.
Creak.
Suddenly, the carriage door began to open.
Thud.
A woman of peerless beauty stepped out of the carriage.
"Could you perhaps open the gate for my sake?"
The beautiful woman spoke with a gentle smile.
"Great Matriarch!"
Go Gam cried out in shock. He had never expected such a person to appear.
"Will you open it for me?" Joo So-yang asked with a bright smile.
"Of course!"
Go Gam, the gate guard, bowed deeply and shouted his response.