Chapter 628: Why Are You Speaking Like a Human? You Should Be Barking!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 628: Why Are You Speaking Like a Human? You Should Be Barking!
"Sniff... sniff... sniff..."
Yorang, who had finally stopped her full-blown sobbing, began to sniffle incessantly.
It seemed she had calmed down to some extent.
"Are you okay?"
Sun-woo asked tenderly, looking down at the sniffling Yorang.
Nod, nod.
Yorang gave a slight vertical tilt of her chin.
"Why aren't you saying anything?"
Sun-woo asked with a small smile playing on his lips.
"........I'm... okay now."
Yorang replied, her voice still thick with the remnants of tears.
Pat, pat.
"There, there... Good girl."
Sun-woo gently stroked Yorang’s hair.
"Then, shall we go punish the bad girls now?"
He continued, a deep smirk spreading across his face.
"Don't... punish them too much."
"Why? A moment ago, you said they were being completely wicked."
Sun-woo asked, sounding puzzled.
"It's true that... I jumped the gun... and made them wait for half a day..."
Yorang mumbled her response.
She knew it too—why they had come to distrust her.
They were the ones who had waited half a day based solely on her word. Yet, during those hours, Sun-woo hadn't shown so much as a hair on his head, so their suspicion was entirely justified.
"You've become quite the human."
Sun-woo looked at Yorang with a proud expression.
He felt she had truly learned the intricacies of the human heart—the ability to look past one's own emotions and consider another's perspective.
How could he not find her precious?
"What are you talking about?! I'm a spiritual being! I'm nothing like a human!"
Yorang flared up at his words.
She was a mystical creature who had lived hundreds of years longer than any human. Her rarity was on a completely different level compared to the countless, overflowing masses of humanity.
"Right, right."
Sun-woo replied, watching her with an amused, affectionate gaze.
"Hmph!"
Yorang puffed out her cheeks. She felt like Sun-woo wasn't taking her words seriously.
"Anyway, I won't punish them too much, just like you asked. So don't worry and let's go."
"You... you have to promise... that you won't be too mean."
"I get it, I get it..."
Sun-woo said, giving her head a playful, rougher rub.
Only after hearing his firm confirmation did Yorang flash a satisfied smile.
.
.
.
.
.
How long had he walked while carrying Yorang in his arms?
Soon, the plaque reading 'Sichuan Tang Clan' entered Sun-woo's field of vision.
And beside that plaque, a group of women also came into view.
Seeing them, Sun-woo truly realized it.
The fact that he had finally returned.
""Sun-woo!""
"My Lord!"
As soon as Sun-woo reached the main gate, the waiting women began to welcome him all at once.
Some were on the verge of tears, while others wore smiles filled with joy.
Everyone seemed overwhelmed with emotion at Sun-woo's return.
Sun-woo slowly turned his gaze, looking at each of the women greeting him.
Ok-ryeong, Un Ga-ryeo, Tang Seo-yoon, Neung So-hwa, Kang Ha-yoon, and even Yorang in his arms.
Every single one of them was a peerless beauty—superior women for whom even the word 'exquisite' felt insufficient.
Sun-woo felt a laugh bubbling up inside him.
A sense of profound happiness filled him at the sight of these dazzlingly beautiful women welcoming him with such desperate, longing expressions.
"I'm back."
Sun-woo said, looking at them as they approached.
A bright smile was etched onto his face.
*
"Sun-woo, I'm so happy you've returned."
Ok-ryeong spoke with a smile that was the definition of pure elegance.
"I'm happy to see you again too. Ok-ryeong, have you been well?"
Sun-woo responded with a smile of his own.
"How could I have been well? I've spent every single day and every long night in loneliness."
Ok-ryeong replied in a sultry, melodious tone, flashing a seductive smile.
"Starting tonight, expect those long nights to be very hot."
Sun-woo countered with a mischievous expression.
"Oh my... how scandalous."
Ok-ryeong said, her face flushing slightly.
"My Lord...... I missed you every single day."
Un Ga-ryeo looked at Sun-woo with watery eyes as she spoke.
"I missed you always, too, Ga-ryeo."
Sun-woo replied, stroking her hair gently.
"Really?"
Un Ga-ryeo asked, her large eyes sparkling.
"Of course. Have I ever lied to you?"
".........."
At Sun-woo's question, Un Ga-ryeo fell silent.
She wanted to say he hadn't, but there were simply too many broken promises for her to do so.
"Ahem."
When Un Ga-ryeo didn't answer, Sun-woo let out an embarrassed cough.
It seemed his credibility was hovering somewhere near rock bottom.
"I have heard the rumors. You cut off the arm of the Cheonmu Alliance Leader?"
Neung So-hwa asked, looking at Sun-woo with a steady gaze.
"That's right. I lopped it right off. Just like that—slash."
Sun-woo mimicked a hand-blade and made an exaggerated swinging motion.
"Are you injured anywhere?"
Neung So-hwa asked, her face showing genuine concern.
"As you can see, I'm perfectly fine."
"That is a great relief."
"Were you worried?"
Sun-woo asked with a teasing grin.
"Is that not obvious? You are my husband. How could I not worry when my husband faced off against the world's greatest martial artist?"
Neung So-hwa replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Thanks for worrying about me."
Sun-woo gave her a warm smile.
Hearing that this noble lady had personally worried for him made him feel naturally elated.
"Sun-woo... I missed you so much..."
Kang Ha-yoon spoke in a trembling voice.
It seemed she still couldn't quite believe that Sun-woo was standing right in front of her.
"I felt the same way."
Sun-woo gave her a small smile.
"I missed you too, Ha-yoon..."
He began to slowly caress her soft cheek.
"Was anything difficult while I was gone?"
"....No, nothing."
"Did anyone give you a hard time or try to haze you?"
"Nothing like that happened... Everyone... was so... kind to me... I've been living very happily."
Kang Ha-yoon shook her head as she spoke.
Sun-woo's wives were all incredibly kind. There was no way such people would haze her.
"That's a relief."
A deep smile spread across Sun-woo's lips.
He had felt guilty about leaving her all alone without even a chance to get to know the others, but it seemed the other women had treated her well.
Her complexion was bright, after all.
"And why were you so late?"
Just then, Tang Seo-yoon, who was standing nearby, spoke with an incredibly stiff expression.
".....Well... there were various things I had to take care of."
Sun-woo stammered slightly as he answered her.
"That's strange..... I was under the impression the succession competition ended long ago when you cut off Lee Jae-won's arm..... Why did you stay there for so long?"
Tang Seo-yoon glared at Sun-woo with suspicious eyes.
"Ha... hahaha... yeah... I wonder... why I... stayed... so long?"
Sun-woo let out an awkward laugh.
"Was it because of a woman?"
"No way! It wasn't because of a woman!"
Sun-woo vehemently denied her accusation.
"Have you ever heard the saying that a strong denial is a strong affirmation?"
Tang Seo-yoon's cold eyes flashed.
"......I've... never... heard that before?"
Sun-woo asked back, looking flustered.
"Your reaction is far too suspicious."
Tang Seo-yoon's suspicious gaze deepened even further.
"No.... exactly what about my reaction is suspicious?!"
Sun-woo asked, looking indignant. What was so suspicious?
"You're stuttering too much, Sun-woo."
Tang Seo-yoon stared at him with a sharp gaze.
"And you're even breaking out in a cold sweat? You, a master of the Profound Realm?"
"............"
"And most decisively......"
Tang Seo-yoon slowly reached out.
Slide, slide.
She began to softly stroke Sun-woo's chest.
"Your heart is beating this fast?"
She wore a cold smile as she kept her hand over Sun-woo's left breast.
"................"
Sun-woo couldn't offer a single rebuttal.
Everything she said was the absolute truth.
"Tell me the truth."
Tang Seo-yoon glared at him with piercing eyes.
"How many?"
She asked in a dry, flat tone.
"............"
Sun-woo remained silent, his mouth clamped shut.
He had no idea what to say. If he told the truth, he was certain to be called 'Gae Sun-woo,' a man worse than a dog.
But he couldn't lie either. The truth would come out in a few days anyway.
Sun-woo agonized over the situation, his expression grave. He was trying to figure out which option was the best.
Prick.
Prick.
Suddenly, Sun-woo felt a sensation as if his entire body was being pierced.
'What is this?'
Puzzled, Sun-woo glanced around.
He saw it immediately.
The gazes of all his wives were focused entirely on him.
They were waiting.
Waiting for him to open his mouth.
They were pressuring him with their eyes.
Finally, Sun-woo silently and slowly raised his hand.
Then, he began to lift his fingers one by one.
One...... two...... three....... four.
Eventually, four fingers were fully extended.
".................."
A heavy silence descended upon the area.
Everyone seemed speechless at a number far higher than they had anticipated.
After some time had passed...
"Hey."
Tang Seo-yoon finally broke the silence and called out to Sun-woo.
"Yeah?"
"Why are you speaking like a human? You should be barking like a dog."
"........What?"
Sun-woo asked back, looking bewildered.
"You're a dog. A dog. So how can you speak like a person? Go on, bark. Hurry up."
"............."
Hearing her words, Sun-woo felt a profound sense of shame.
How could she call her one and only husband a dog?
Sun-woo glared at Tang Seo-yoon with eyes full of anger.
In response, Tang Seo-yoon stared back with eyes as cold as the bitter cold northern wind.
The two of them engaged in a tense staring contest.
A battle of wills where neither would yield an inch.
How much time had passed?
"Grrrrr... Woof! Woof!"
Sun-woo suddenly crumpled his face into a scowl and began to bark roughly.
"Arf! Arf! Arf!.... Grrr... Woof woof!"
He sounded just like a mutt facing its mortal enemy.
Tang Seo-yoon looked at Sun-woo as if she couldn't believe him.
If he was going to bark that easily, why bother with the staring contest in the first place?
"Hey, Gae Sun-woo."
"Woof! Woof!"
"Do you realize you're actual trash?"
"Woof woof woof woof!"
"Not one, not two, but you added four more!?"
Tang Seo-yoon glared at him sharply.
"Whine... whiiiine... whine..."
Sun-woo put on a dejected expression and began to make sounds like a dog that needed to go.
"Don't act pitiful! It's not working at all!"
Tang Seo-yoon screamed.
This was a matter of trust. If he promised not to add more, he should have kept it, shouldn't he?
That was the bare minimum of etiquette between human beings.
But Sun-woo had no etiquette.
He was far too lacking in it.
It was enough to make her blood boil.
"You piece of trash!"
She began to berate him mercilessly.
Normally, she might have let it slide to some degree, but she wasn't going to let him off easy this time.
"Whine... whine..."
Sun-woo began to cling to her, acting as pitifully as possible.
Since he had no excuse even if he had ten mouths, he intended to at least try and gain a sliver of sympathy.
"Get lost, you psycho!"
But Tang Seo-yoon roughly pushed him away.
"If you weren't in the Profound Realm, I would have pickled you in poison and beaten you half to death! You bastard!"
Tang Seo-yoon began to curse violently.
'Thank god I'm in the Profound Realm.'
Hearing that, Sun-woo felt relieved that he had reached such a high level of cultivation. At least he wouldn't be pickled in poison.
"There are seven women who look only at you! But what on earth are you doing?! You went and added more women without any restraint again? You dog in heat!"
"..........."
Sun-woo couldn't say a word.
Because she wasn't wrong.
Including the six women here and Bukgung Yeon in the North Sea, he already had seven wives.
Adding a whole bunch more on top of that made him feel a wave of guilt.
'If I tell them... that I promoted So-yang... to a wife... will they get even angrier?'
Sun-woo looked troubled.
Before leaving, he had freed Joo So-yang, who had been devoted to him, from her status as a slave.
He had intended to mention it when the time was right, but the timing seemed terrible.
If he said it now, he felt like he'd just get lynched.
'Let's keep quiet.'
Sun-woo thought.
He'd stay quiet for now and bring it up later when things calmed down.
"In the first place, why do you always act like—"
Tang Seo-yoon's nagging continued without end.
'Ugh... ughhh...'
Sun-woo felt like his ears were going to bleed.
Tang Seo-yoon's razor-sharp words were relentlessly digging into his eardrums.
'Is there... anyone who can stop her?'
Sun-woo glanced toward the other women.
However, the others were simply watching him get scolded with stoic expressions. Not a single one of them looked sympathetic.
'Ah.'
Seeing that, Sun-woo realized the truth.
Tang Seo-yoon wasn't the only one who was angry.
'...........It's my karma.'
Sun-woo decided to accept his karma with resignation.
"Whine... whine... whine..."
While barking with all his might.