Chapter 728: So, Can I Touch You Now?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 728: So, Can I Touch You Now?
"I simply dispersed it."
The man spoke in a composed tone.
"How... how is that possible?"
Ha Su-ryeon asked back, her expression one of utter bewilderment.
"Seductive Qi is a primal energy that stimulates the desires inherent in humans... It’s impossible to disperse it with internal energy."
Seductive Qi was not a light energy that could be brushed away with mere internal power. It was a primordial force that targeted the very essence of human desire. Therefore, escaping its influence was considered nearly impossible—especially for a man.
Yet, this man had dispersed that Seductive Qi as if it were nothing. How could this be?
"I didn't disperse it with internal energy."
"Then how?"
"I simply cut it with my will."
The man continued in his calm voice.
"..."
Hearing his vague, almost ethereal explanation, Ha Su-ryeon fell into deep thought. She pondered what he could possibly mean.
Cutting Seductive Qi with one's will? How could such a thing be possible?
Unlike internal energy, which possesses physical force, will has no substance. It is merely a mental image. How could one impose physical force upon a mental image?
A mental image... physical force... wait, could it be?!
Suddenly, Ha Su-ryeon’s face turned pale. A realization had flashed through her mind.
"...Could it be... the Heart Sword?!"
She asked him in a trembling voice, as if seeking confirmation.
The man stared back at her with a steady, unwavering gaze. It was a silent affirmation.
"Ah..."
An exclamation escaped her lips. She had never imagined that the man standing before her had reached such a magnificent realm.
"Are you... perhaps a senior who has undergone Rejuvenation?"
She asked with a shaky voice. The thought occurred to her that he might be an old master of a previous generation who had regained his youth.
"I have not yet reached the age of thirty."
"That... that's..."
Ha Su-ryeon’s eyes began to tremble uncontrollably. Hearing that he had reached the great heights of the Profound Realm before even turning thirty was simply unbelievable.
What kind of level was the Profound Realm? It was a supreme state often called the Half-Immortal stage—the final step before becoming a true immortal. How could anyone reach such a sublime realm before the age of thirty?
Aside from the Cheonmu Alliance Leader and the Sword God, it was a feat no one else had ever achieved.
Wait... could it be Jang Sun-woo?!
A suspicion suddenly took root in her mind. Another martial artist who had reached the Profound Realm before thirty came to mind.
She shifted her gaze upward to look at the man, scrutinizing him feature by feature. She had already obtained a portrait of Jang Sun-woo and memorized it perfectly. If he were using a disguise, there was no way she wouldn't recognize him.
No.
Ha Su-ryeon soon shook her head slightly. No matter how closely she looked, there wasn't a single part of him that resembled Jang Sun-woo. Furthermore, she couldn't find any traces of a disguise. He was a completely different person.
Is he wearing a Human Skin Mask?
However, her suspicion didn't fade easily. The emergence of a new Half-Immortal was just that unbelievable. She began to stare at the man intensely—to the point where it was becoming uncomfortable.
"What is it?"
Feeling her gaze, the man asked, sounding puzzled.
"...Um... well... could I... touch your face just once?"
Ha Su-ryeon stammered, speaking slowly. She felt a wave of anxiety, worried that the man might find her request offensive.
"I don't mind."
The man gave his permission in a calm tone. He had a rough idea of what she was intending.
She thinks I'm in disguise.
He wasn't exactly wrong. He was indeed wearing a face that wasn't his own.
Though it's not a Human Skin Mask.
A faint smile played on the man's lips. Ha Su-ryeon’s suspicious behavior reminded him of a wary cat.
"Then... I'll touch it."
Ha Su-ryeon spoke as she looked at him. She raised her small hand and reached out.
Pinch.
She lightly pinched the man's cheek with her thumb and index finger.
It's soft...
The distinct, soft texture of real skin met her fingertips. There was no artificial feeling at all.
Streeetch.
Ha Su-ryeon slowly pulled on the cheek she was pinching. The skin stretched out smoothly.
It's... elastic, too.
The skin was incredibly resilient—far beyond what any artificial skin could mimic.
This is impossible!
She reached out with her other hand and began pulling the man's cheeks this way and that. After a fair amount of tugging, Ha Su-ryeon eventually took on a dazed expression. She had realized that his face was indeed his own, not a Human Skin Mask.
"Are you satisfied now?"
The man spoke while looking at Ha Su-ryeon, who was still holding both of his cheeks. He continued with a playful smile.
"Ah... yes!"
Snapping back to her senses, Ha Su-ryeon immediately let go of his cheeks.
"I am terribly sorry for my rudeness."
Her face flushed deep red as she apologized. She realized she had committed a massive discourtesy. Even if he had given permission to touch his face, pulling it around so recklessly was undeniably impolite.
"It was certainly rude. Even with permission, kneading a stranger's cheeks like that..."
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm truly sorry."
Ha Su-ryeon apologized repeatedly, her expression full of embarrassment. There was nothing else she could say but to beg for forgiveness.
"Hahaha... I'm joking. Didn't I give you permission?"
The man spoke with a jovial expression.
"...Thank you for your broad-mindedness."
"Well then, can I touch you now?"
"Pardon?"
Ha Su-ryeon asked back, her expression turning bewildered. What on earth was he talking about?
"Isn't it only fair to give and take? Surely you didn't intend to knead my face like dough and then just walk away?"
The man asked her with a look of mock betrayal.
"It's... it's not that..."
The woman looked troubled.
"Don't worry too much. I don't intend to be as excessive as you were."
The man drove the point home.
"...Uu... ugh."
Ha Su-ryeon couldn't find the words to argue. Normally, she was not the type to meekly follow a man's unreasonable demands, but the situation was different now. Having already committed a significant discourtesy, she felt she had no choice but to accept his request.
Her reaction is fun.
Seeing Ha Su-ryeon’s response, a smile formed on the man's lips. In truth, he didn't particularly feel the need to touch her. He could have just gotten straight to the point. However, her unexpectedly amusing reaction triggered his mischievous side. For the Leader of the Hao Clan, she was surprisingly innocent.
"Then, I'm going to touch."
"..........Yes."
Ha Su-ryeon gave her permission, her face flushing with embarrassment. The man slowly reached out his hand.
Pinch.
He gently pinched her cheek, which was as white as jade. The incredibly soft texture of her skin was immediately felt through his fingers.
It's like a baby's skin.
Her skin was remarkably soft, reminiscent of an infant's.
Stretch.
The man pulled gently. Her supple skin stretched out along with his fingers.
"..............."
Ha Su-ryeon’s face grew even redder from the embarrassment. Sun-woo enjoyed her reaction and continued to play with her cheek until he was satisfied.
*
Eventually, Sun-woo took his hand off her cheek, feeling he had touched it enough.
"......Are you finished now?"
Ha Su-ryeon asked, her face still bright red.
"I am. Fortunately, it doesn't seem to be a Human Skin Mask."
The man replied with a grin.
"........Thank you for confirming."
Ha Su-ryeon spoke with a huffy expression.
"Don't mention it."
The man accepted her words with a nonchalant face.
"Now that we've both had our fill of satisfaction, let's get down to business."
Ha Su-ryeon regained her composure and spoke while looking at the man.
"Very well."
"How did you know this place was the Hao Clan?"
Ha Su-ryeon looked at him with sharp eyes. Her gaze was filled with a keenness that seemed to want to pierce through everything.
"I found out by chance."
"How exactly did you find out?"
"I learned it through my master."
The man replied in a calm tone.
".......Was your master someone closely related to the Hao Clan?"
"I heard he was close friends with the previous Leader of the Hao Clan."
"That's impossible!"
Upon hearing the man's words, Ha Su-ryeon immediately and vehemently denied it.
"Why do you think it's impossible?"
"There is no way the previous Leader would have disclosed the location of this place to an outsider!"
The location of the Hao Clan's headquarters was a secret among secrets. The Hao Clan was weak—closer to a group of commoners than a martial arts sect. Because of this, many martial arts clans had made various efforts to take control of the Hao Clan. The vast amount of information the Hao Clan possessed sparked ambition in many sects. They believed that if they could absorb them, they could stand tall in the Murim.
For that reason, the location of the headquarters had to remain a top secret. From the perspective of the Hao Clan, which was in a position of weakness regarding martial power, they had to be extremely cautious. Yet, the previous Leader had leaked such a secret? It was preposterous.
"I'm only telling you what I was told."
The man continued with a nonchalant expression, as if there wasn't a single lie in his words.
"..............."
Ha Su-ryeon watched him closely.
"........May I... ask for your master's name?"
She finally spoke slowly.
"It's a secret."
"Is there anything you can tell me!"
Ha Su-ryeon flared up, her voice rising. Her frustration peaked because he wouldn't give her a straight answer to anything she asked.
"Haven't you heard the saying? A secret makes a man more of a man."
"I've never heard such nonsense in my life!"
"I just made it up, so that makes sense."
"Are you playing with me right now?!"
"Hahahaha, it's a joke."
The man burst into a jovial laugh. He seemed to genuinely enjoy the conversation.
".........Whew."
Seeing his attitude, Ha Su-ryeon let out a long sigh. Seeing how he playfully brushed off difficult questions, she realized that pressing him further wouldn't yield any answers.
".......Is there truly no lie in your claim that you heard it from the previous Leader?"
"I'm certain."
The man spoke while looking directly into Ha Su-ryeon’s eyes. It wasn't a lie. In the novel, the one who told Lee Jae-won the location of the Hao Clan was indeed the previous Leader.
".......Fine... let's move on."
Meeting his steady gaze, Ha Su-ryeon eventually spoke as if conceding.
"You're not going to press me further?"
The man asked back, surprised. He found her decision to stop questioning him curious.
"It doesn't seem like you'll answer, and it's not like I can force it out of you, can I? I have no choice but to believe you..."
Ha Su-ryeon spoke in a calm tone. She didn't think he would talk even if she pressed him. Nor was there any way a forceful method would work. So, she had no choice but to believe what he said. Dragging it out further would only be a waste of time and emotion.
"Quite rational."
"I am the Leader of the Hao Clan, after all."
The Hao Clan was originally a group formed for the benefit of the haobaes—the lowest class in the Central Plains. They had to be faster than anyone else at calculating gains and losses. This was especially true for the Leader.
"Then I'll ask another question. Why did you come to find me?"
Ha Su-ryeon asked, looking at the man with cold eyes. She was curious about his true intentions for coming all the way to the Hao Clan.
"I came to obtain some information."
"If it's information you're after, couldn't you have used one of our public branches?"
"I didn't think the branches would fulfill the request."
The man spoke with a small smile.
"There is no information the Hao Clan does not handle."
She spoke with a face full of pride.
"What I need is information regarding the Cheonmu Alliance Leader, Lee Jae-won."
The man spoke, meeting her gaze calmly.
"Information about him is always available—"
"I'm not looking for that kind of public information."
The man's eyes flashed with a cold light.
"I need direct evidence that he is a serial rapist and murderer."
"............."
"You have it, don't you? The brothel district where the bodies were dumped is also the Hao Clan's territory."
The man asked, looking at Ha Su-ryeon with an air of arrogance. Upon hearing his question, Ha Su-ryeon’s expression began to turn incredibly grim.