Chapter 579: A Suspicious Invitation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 579: A Suspicious Invitation
Flash!
When I snapped my eyes open, the ornate ceiling of the five-star hotel was gone.
In its place, a Chinese-style ceiling with red pillars and intricate wooden patterns came into view.
Of course, I wasn't particularly fazed. Traveling between dimensions was nothing new to me.
Chirp, chirp, cheep—
The chirping of sparrows drifted in from outside the window.
I guessed it was around Myosi (between 5 and 7 AM).
I slowly turned my head.
Beside me, Yeo-hwa was fast asleep, her pale, naked form exposed.
It was only natural, considering we'd spent a wild night together right up until the matching ended.
‘...I was such an idiot for not knowing that giving a hairpin is a Central Plains-style marriage proposal.’
Thank goodness Yeo-hwa was so understanding. If things had gone wrong, she might have given me the cold shoulder for a month or two.
No, I would have been lucky if that was all. Since she'd found out I gave Hyang-i a ring before leaving the Jegal Family, I would have had to accept an even harsher punishment without complaint.
Rustle—
“Mmm... Hyun-woo...?”
“Sorry, I must have woken you.”
I pulled Yeo-hwa into my arms and drew the blanket up over us.
She fidgeted for a moment before her breathing evened out again.
Dawn was just breaking, but sleeping in once in a while didn't seem like a bad idea, so I quietly closed my eyes too.
*
Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province.
This was where I was currently staying.
There was no special reason I'd come all the way to Wuhan from Xiangyang, where the Jegal Family resided. I'd just stopped by to do some sightseeing with Yeo-hwa.
Well, that and to find the fortuitous encounter my master left for me.
‘You'd normally expect an elixir or a martial arts manual, not for the man himself to show up.’
Anyway.
In truth, Wuhan was just a stopover. My real destination was the martial arts tournament in Kaifeng—the greatest under the heavens.
The tournament was still about three weeks away, but considering the ridiculously vast expanse of the Central Plains, it was about time to get moving.
But I had something to do first.
Thanks to the Jegal Family's hospitality, I was staying with the Sleeping Dragon Merchant Guild. I headed to the training room they'd prepared for us with Yeo-hwa.
“Here, take this.”
“What's this...?”
I handed Yeo-hwa two types of elixirs.
One was an elixir pill with a faint violet glow, and the other was a red flower called a Seoksan, also known as a spider lily.
For the record, the violet pill was Naberius's Core, which I'd received as a reward from the British royal treasury.
[Incomplete Naberius's Core
Grade: Epic
The core of Naberius, a marquis of Gehenna.
Naberius's avatar and most of the power that once resided within have vanished.]
Originally, it had contained Naberius's avatar and authority, but I couldn't let Yeo-hwa consume something so dangerous.
In the end, after a purification process using Tam, it was reprocessed into its current form.
Although its grade dropped by a whole three ranks in the process, it was enough as long as it could properly replenish the demonic energy for Yeo-hwa, who was still suffering from the aftereffects of the poison.
Next was the Seoksan.
[Underworld Ink Lotus Stone Garlic
Grade: Epic+
A Seoksan that grows only near the stagnant springs of the Underworld (Hwangcheon).
It contains a powerful yin energy.]
This was something I'd received from the Monarch of the Underworld as a reward for saving Wi Ryeong-ah in the Tower.
“The violet pill is condensed demonic energy, so it should help restore your body. And I brought the Seoksan because I thought it would be good for increasing your internal energy.”
“...”
“...Yeo-hwa?”
Yeo-hwa took the elixirs and said nothing for a long time.
The atmosphere felt strange.
It was then that I finally understood how a boyfriend feels when he's picked the wrong birthday gift for his girlfriend. If I'd bought it at a department store, I could at least return it, but that wasn't an option here.
Just as a cold sweat started pouring down like rain...
“If you don't like it... Mph?!”
Thud—!!
Yeo-hwa shot toward me like an arrow, knocking me over in an instant and pressing her lips fiercely against mine.
“Mmph, oof, hmph...!!”
The surprise kiss lasted long enough to suffocate a normal person.
Of course, escaping from under her—a mere master of the peak transcendent realm—would have been a piece of cake.
But why would I want to?
It was a little intense, but that was a nightly occurrence for us anyway.
Conclusion.
I decided to just stay put.
About ten minutes passed.
“Phew...!!”
Yeo-hwa pulled back slightly, and I had a feeling my lips were probably swollen.
But her eyes, still looking down at me from on top, were gleaming bewitchingly.
“Hah, hah...♡”
“...Yeo-hwa?”
Seeing the tips of her hair turn slightly white, it was clear she was extremely aroused.
“H-how about we calm down a bit? The soundproofing in here isn't great... Uh... Hey, why are you suddenly taking off your clothes—”
“Hehe...♡ I have received such an extravagant gift. Is it not the duty of a main wife to serve her husband?”
I'd never heard that one before, but Yeo-hwa paid me no mind and undid her underwear.
It wasn't long before lewd moans and wet sounds filled the training room.
*
To a martial artist, treasure wasn't gold and silver, but elixirs.
Elixirs were divided into high, middle, and low grades, and even a high-grade elixir was enough to cause bloodshed among martial artists vying for it.
A step above that were elixirs classified as 'special' grade.
The Millennium Snow Ginseng, the Millennium Fleeceflower Root, and the Clear Stone Oil were prime examples.
Whenever a special-grade elixir appeared in the history of Murim, a bloody calamity to claim it would follow. It wasn't a simple squabble, but something closer to a war in which tens of thousands lost their lives.
Of course, this wasn't to say the elixirs Kang Hyun-woo had given her were special-grade.
But they were certainly high-grade.
In particular, an elixir containing such pure demonic energy was a rare find even within the Heavenly Demonic Cult.
Furthermore, the Seoksan was filled with pure yin energy. It was a treasure of the world that any martial artist who practiced ice arts would drool over.
To give away such precious items so casually.
The Murim was a world where martial brothers frequently killed each other over a single mid-grade elixir, and such acts were considered trivial.
In contrast, there wasn't a hint of regret on Kang Hyun-woo's face as he presented the high-grade elixirs as a gift. He didn't even act proud for giving away such treasures; instead, he was cautiously watching Cheon Yeo-hwa's reaction.
Worried that she might not like them.
‘...Pfft.’
It was truly amusing.
Cheon Yeo-hwa was already a captive of Kang Hyun-woo, body and soul.
To put it bluntly, even if Kang Hyun-woo treated her like a convenient prostitute, she would never be able to leave him.
In other words, he didn't need to try to win her over by giving her such precious elixirs. It would have been far more profitable to use them to win the heart of another woman.
With the violet pill alone, the beauties of the Heavenly Demonic Cult would be lining up to spread their legs for him. And if he took the Seoksan to the North Sea Ice Palace and offered it as a wedding gift, marriage to Seolhwa would not be out of the question. Then the position of the next Palace Lord and the divine arts of the Ice Palace would all fall into Kang Hyun-woo's hands.
But he didn't do that.
And then, Cheon Yeo-hwa realized.
Kang Hyun-woo's choice stemmed solely from his deep affection for her.
In that moment, her heart pounded fiercely. An indescribable emotion filled her heart.
So, it was only natural that after their intense lovemaking in the training room, Kang Hyun-woo's face, neck, and collarbones were plastered with red marks.
“...Sir.”
“Yes?”
General Manager Heo, who met Kang Hyun-woo's eyes as he was returning to the annex, was too stunned by the embarrassing sight to speak.
The wisdom of the old man—who, despite being an outsider, had risen to the position of general manager of the Sleeping Dragon Merchant Guild, one of the Ten Great Guilds of the Central Plains—crumbled helplessly before the blatant evidence of the young couple's passion.
“...You two seem to be getting along very well.”
“I'd say so. They say a husband who's kind and good in bed is always loved, right?”
“...Haha.”
General Manager Heo gave an awkward laugh and slowly backed away, while Kang Hyun-woo continued on his way as if nothing had happened.
For the record, Cheon Yeo-hwa had entered seclusion to absorb the elixirs.
She said herself that it wouldn't take more than three days at the latest.
But for Kang Hyun-woo, who suddenly had free time on his hands, it was quite boring.
‘Hmm, I already finished sightseeing in Wuhan, and a food tour is out of the question. The Chinese food here is too greasy, and what I'm really craving right now is jajangmyeon and tangsuyuk.’
Of course, Chinese food was Chinese food, and the Central Plains had dishes quite similar to what I ate in Korea.
But they never tasted the same.
Jajangmyeon sprinkled with heaps of red pepper flakes, and soggy tangsuyuk with the sauce poured all over it.
I used to pack some to-go and keep it in my inventory, but my long stays in England and Russia had depleted my entire stockpile. And it wasn't like there were any Chinese restaurants where I could restock.
‘Sigh, I guess it can't be helped. I should just stay in my room and read the Heavenly Demonic Divine Art...’
“Excuse me, Great Hero Kang.”
“Hm?”
Just then, a maid from the guild approached me. I recognized her; she was the one who brought my meals.
“A man asked me to give this to you, Great Hero Kang.”
The maid took a letter from her robes.
“For me?”
I tilted my head.
The only ones who knew I was in Wuhan, let alone staying at the Sleeping Dragon Merchant Guild, were the Jegal Family. But if the letter was from the Jegal Family, the maid wouldn't have said 'a man'.
The maid bowed and retreated, leaving me standing there, examining the letter in my hand.
There was no family seal, no sender's name.
After a moment's thought, I slowly unfolded it.
-Yusi (5-7 PM), Hwawollu (Flower Moon Pavilion).
“...Huh?”
It was embarrassing to even call it a letter; only two phrases were written on it.
It reeked of suspicion.
But Hwawollu was a rather famous gisaeng house in Wuhan.
‘I have a pretty good idea who sent this... but should I go?’
Truthfully, even if this letter was a trap, it wouldn't be a big problem. I was confident I could get myself out of even the worst-case scenario.
Besides, and this was the deciding factor, I was extremely bored.
I planned to start training in the Heavenly Demonic Divine Art in earnest after Yeo-hwa reviewed it, so if I went back to the annex now, there was nothing to do but skim the manual.
‘...Alright, let's go.’
I carefully folded the letter, tucked it away, and asked the maid for the location of Hwawollu.
Of course, if I got caught sneaking off to a gisaeng house, it was as clear as day that Yeo-hwa would beat me like a dusty rug. So, I slipped a short note under the training room door saying I'd be back after a quick trip to Hwawollu.
Then, with a light step, I left the guild.
I definitely wasn't excited at the prospect of seeing the courtesans there.
