Chapter 600: A Letter from the Cheonmu Alliance
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 600: A Letter from the Cheonmu Alliance
A peerless beauty with striking, fiery red hair and crimson eyebrows, Neung So-hwa stared ahead with an expression of utmost gravity.
Reflected in her gaze was another woman, every bit as beautiful as herself.
She had large, sparkling eyes that radiated cuteness, a sharp nose that contrasted with her adorable features, and a mouth that seemed perpetually curved with mischief. It was the peerless beauty, Yorang.
These two breathtakingly beautiful women glared at each other in silence, their eyes locked as if they were sworn enemies.
How much time had passed?
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a massive pillar of fire erupted, filling the training ground. The flames surged forward, threatening to swallow Yorang whole.
Fwaaaaah!
Watching the inferno approach, Yorang leaped backward with explosive grace.
Kwoooooom!
A split second later, the spot where she had been standing was engulfed in a terrifying blaze. Having dodged the flames with ease, Yorang began to concentrate power into her legs.
Vrooooooom.
The immense Yokai power within the inner core deep in her chest began to circulate, surging down and pooling in her lower limbs.
Stretch.
She arched her body back like a drawn bow.
Boom!
Then, kicking off the ground, she launched herself forward like a released arrow.
Screeeeeeech!
Her figure tore through the air with a piercing whistle, moving at a speed that defied the eye. She was like a bolt of lightning.
"What?!"
Neung So-hwa’s expression shifted to one of bewilderment. The acceleration technique Yorang was using felt strangely familiar.
It was the Bow-Body Shadow-Flicker—the very technique Sun-woo favored.
Whoosh!
Closing the distance in a flash, Yorang swung her fist toward Neung So-hwa. Her intent was clear: she was going to clock her right in the jaw.
Unfortunately, Yorang’s plan was thwarted before it could connect.
Roar!
Suddenly, Neung So-hwa’s entire body was shrouded in swirling flames, acting much like a shroud of Protective Qi.
Sizzle!
"Aaaaagh!"
The moment Yorang entered the radius of the flames, she let out a scream. The agonizing sensation of searing flesh tore through her.
She had no choice but to halt her punch. If she pushed any further, her hand would be burned to a crisp.
Instead, Yorang swiftly raised her leg and delivered a powerful kick to Neung So-hwa.
Thwack!
Skid!
Neung So-hwa’s form was sent sliding back ruthlessly across the ground.
"Euaaaaagh!"
At the same time, Yorang’s scream echoed through the air again. Not only had her shoe melted off as she kicked, but the sole of her foot was severely burned.
"It hurts! It hurts! I said it hurts!"
Roll, roll, roll, roll.
Yorang clutched her foot and began rolling around on the ground. Even for a spiritual being, the pain of burning flesh was difficult to endure.
"Are you alright?"
Neung So-hwa approached her with a look of concern. It seemed she had turned up the heat a bit too much.
"I don't know, you idiot! Why would you raise the temperature that high?!"
Yorang shouted, lashing out at her.
"Did you not provoke me first by calling it lukewarm?"
Hearing herself called an idiot, Neung So-hwa’s temper flared, and her voice rose in response. She felt wronged. Hadn't it been Yorang who taunted her, saying the flames were weak? How could she call her an idiot now?
"That was obviously a bluff! You should have realized that if you had any intuition!"
"How was I supposed to know that? If it hurts, you should have said so properly!"
"I don't care! It hurts! It really hurts!"
"Do you not have regenerative abilities? Just heal yourself!"
"Your flames don't heal easily!"
Yorang looked up at Neung So-hwa with a tearful face and shouted back. Then, she went back to rolling on the ground until she was covered in dust from head to toe.
Normally, she wasn't the type to shed tears over a mere burn. However, burns caused by Neung So-hwa’s flames were different. The pain was far more intense than a normal burn, and the regeneration was sluggish. They left deep, lasting aftereffects. It was enough to make her eyes well up.
"Calm yourself for a moment. I shall go to the physician’s hall and bring some medicine."
Sensing the severity of the situation, Neung So-hwa’s expression hardened. It seemed her will had been infused into the flames, making it difficult even for Yorang to regenerate.
"Don't goooo!"
Hearing those words, Yorang stopped rolling and raised her voice.
"Must I not apply medicine?" Neung So-hwa asked, looking bewildered.
"I don't want to be alone! Stay here and comfort me!"
Yorang began to throw a tantrum. The most sorrowful thing about being in pain was being alone. Knowing this all too well, Yorang didn't want to let her leave.
"…Sigh. Fine."
Neung So-hwa nodded slowly.
Thud.
She walked over to Yorang’s side and sat down on the ground. Despite the dust and dirt, she didn't seem to mind at all.
Pat, pat.
"Come here."
Neung So-hwa patted her lap twice.
Roll, roll, roll.
Upon hearing her, Yorang rolled over and settled her head onto Neung So-hwa’s lap.
"Stroke my hair."
She began to act like a spoiled child.
"I shall."
Stroke, stroke.
Neung So-hwa nodded and began to pet her head as if she were quite used to this.
Stroke, stroke.
Feeling the gentle touch of her hand, Yorang began to focus all her mental energy on regeneration.
Sizzle…
Slowly, the burned skin on the sole of her foot began to heal. The angry, red inflammation gradually subsided. The blisters that covered her foot began to pop one by one, oozing fluid, and beneath them, new skin began to sprout. It was becoming whole again.
After some time had passed...
"That's enough."
Yorang looked up at Neung So-hwa, who was still stroking her hair.
"Is the regeneration complete?" Neung So-hwa asked curiously.
"Yeah, it doesn't hurt anymore."
Yorang replied with a mischievous smile.
"That is a relief. I was worried."
Only then did Neung So-hwa look truly at ease. She had been genuinely concerned that the burn might leave a scar if it didn't heal properly.
"Why didn't you worry before you started blasting fire?"
"Did I not tell you? I thought you would be more than capable of enduring it!"
"You still should have been careful!"
Yorang began to scold her. Now that the pain was gone, her annoyance toward the other woman resurfaced.
"Then why did you make such a pointless provocation?"
"If I don't do that, you won't play with me!"
"That is not true. Had you asked politely, I would have sparred with you with all my heart."
"Liar! Lately, you've been making all sorts of excuses to avoid me!"
Yorang spoke with a pout. She was dissatisfied. To reach the realm of a Yokai Immortal, she needed countless realizations. And to gain those realizations, she needed not only mental discipline but also the experience of battling powerful beings.
That was why Yorang had been requesting duels from Ok-ryeong, Kang Ha-yoon, and Neung So-hwa—all of whom were at a similar level of strength. She wanted to reach a higher state of being.
But lately, they had all started avoiding her.
They were too busy.
They had too much work.
They had prior engagements.
It was incredibly frustrating. How could they neglect a spiritual being like this?
"That is..."
Neung So-hwa stammered, feeling a pang of guilt. In truth, she had developed a slight aversion to sparring with Yorang. At first, she had enjoyed it. She believed that Yorang’s formidable strength—which was at least at the Upper Stage of the Transcendent Realm—would be a great help to her own training.
But as the duels stretched from three days to a week, then to three weeks, and finally a month, a sense of dread began to creep in.
As a spiritual being, Yorang’s stamina was nearly infinite. Unlike Neung So-hwa, who fought using internal energy, Yorang fought primarily with her innate physical abilities. As long as she recovered her stamina, she could fight indefinitely.
That was the burden for Neung So-hwa. For her, who consumed both internal energy and physical strength, repeating these duels every single day was a double hardship.
Furthermore, she always ended up looking like a mess after their bouts. Since she had to use her full power to emit flames, her clothes were never intact, and she was often covered in sticky spiderwebs, forcing her to wash her body constantly.
Thus, she had begun to subtly decline the requests, eventually reaching the point where she was actively running away from her. It seemed her behavior had finally gotten on Yorang’s nerves.
"You're mean!"
When Neung So-hwa trailed off, Yorang huffed and turned her head away. It was clear she took the silence as an admission of guilt.
...She's cute.
A warm smile spread across Neung So-hwa’s lips. Yorang’s unique brand of cuteness was undeniable. She was so adorable that Neung So-hwa wanted to pull her into a hug and never let go.
She really is like a cheat code.
She marveled at Yorang’s "unfair" charm—being both breathtakingly beautiful and incredibly cute at the same time.
"Are you laughing? Is what I said funny? Do you want to die?"
Meanwhile, seeing Neung So-hwa’s warm smile, Yorang raised a tiny fist and threatened her. She thought she was being mocked.
"...My apologies, Yorang. I shall offer my sincere apology."
Neung So-hwa snapped out of it and apologized immediately. She realized that smiling while the other was upset was indeed a breach of etiquette.
"Hmph, whatever! I'm leaving!"
Spring.
Yorang hopped up from her spot. She seemed truly offended.
"Do not be angry, Yorang. I shall give you some delicious western confectionery."
Neung So-hwa tried to soothe her with a gentle voice, using Yorang’s favorite sweets as bait.
"I don't need them! I have mountains of them in my room!"
Excluding the Clan Head's proxy, Tang Seo-yoon, Yorang received the highest monthly salary in the Tang Clan. There was no way she would be swayed by mere sweets. She already had an overflowing supply of treats and had even hired a personal chef specializing in confectionery and various delicacies.
"Uuuu..."
Neung So-hwa’s face fell. It seemed it would take some time to appease her.
It was just as the two women were bickering back and forth.
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed from somewhere.
"Princess Gyeonghwa! Lady Yorang!"
A frantic voice followed the footsteps. Neung So-hwa and Yorang, who had been in the middle of their argument, slowly turned their heads. In their field of vision, they saw Geum Jeok-hwa running toward them in a panic.
"Is that Jeok-hwa?"
"Is it not Madam Geum?"
The two women spoke simultaneously, looking puzzled. They couldn't understand why she had appeared at the training ground. Before they began their spar, they had given strict instructions for no one to enter the training ground while they were fighting.
One wrong move, and a bystander could easily be caught in the crossfire. Neung So-hwa was a Half-Immortal in the Profound Realm, and Yorang was a spiritual being close to that same level. Anyone caught between them would surely suffer more than just a light injury.
That was why they had warned everyone—except for Ok-ryeong and Kang Ha-yoon—to stay away. So why was Geum Jeok-hwa showing up now?
"Huff... huff... huff... huff..."
Geum Jeok-hwa was breathing heavily, showing just how fast she had run.
"What's going on?" Yorang asked, watching her. She wondered what could have brought her here in such a state.
"Huff... huff... The Clan Head's proxy has summoned you."
She managed to steady her breathing and spoke slowly.
"Seo-yoon?" Yorang asked back, surprised.
"Yes... She requested that everyone... gather in the meeting room immediately."
"Why did she call us?"
"A letter arrived from the Cheonmu Alliance this morning, and I believe it's because of that."
"A letter?"
Yorang tilted her head cutely, her curiosity piqued. She wondered about the nature of this sudden correspondence.
"Could it be from Sun-woo?!"
Yorang’s eyes sparkled as she asked. She held onto the hope that a letter had finally come from Sun-woo, who had left for the Cheonmu Alliance.
"I'm afraid that doesn't seem to be the case," Geum Jeok-hwa replied, shaking her head slightly. The letter bore the official seal of the Alliance Leader. There was no way Sun-woo—who had cut off Lee Jae-won’s arm—would be sending something like that.
"..........Aw."
Yorang’s face fell, showing her blatant disappointment. It wasn't the news she wanted.
"Is it another letter from that bitch Tang Jin-seol asking for money?"
Yorang frowned as she spoke. Lately, she had received several letters from Tang Jin-seol asking for funds to be sent. Her immediate reaction was one of annoyance.
"I don't think so. It had the Alliance Leader's seal on it."
"The Alliance Leader's seal?"
Yorang asked again, her confusion deepening. The Alliance Leader's seal? That meant the one who wrote the letter was the Leader of the Cheonmu Alliance himself.