Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: The Phoenix Awakens
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Dang Ha-ryeong had been holed up in the room for two days already.
Lee Seon's daily routine hadn't changed one bit.
"Yawn."
Had he slept the whole day through?
The moon hung brilliantly in the night sky.
Whenever the mood struck him, he fetched water from the nearby stream.
'Ah, so stiff.'
As he stretched his neck and shoulders while walking, he suddenly stopped.
Then he turned back and paused in front of the closed door.
She couldn't have died, could she?
He pressed his ear to the door.
Sip. Sip.
A faint presence still lingered.
Looked like she was still alive and well.
Confirming there were no issues,
Lee Seon peacefully sipped his tea.
Savoring the cool night air, he tilted his cup.
When he dropped the well-dried leaves into the cup, the water turned black in an instant.
The aroma rising from the steaming liquid was sharp and uniquely pungent.
"Another new scent."
Maybe worth a little anticipation?
He savored the fragrance for a moment before slowly swallowing.
He drained every drop of the mysterious brew of hot water and green juice, then let out a satisfied exhale.
Lee Seon lifted the corner of his mouth without a word.
"How do all the plants on this mountain manage to taste so damn awful, one after another."
Damn it.
Lee Seon dumped the contents of the cup onto the ground.
Sizzle.
The plants hit by the black liquid withered on the spot.
Too much poison is a problem too, you know.
Lee Seon grumbled.
Having so much poison meant it was a natural fortress that didn't need extra defenses against intruders. But on the flip side, it made it hard for merchants to approach casually.
Thanks to that, getting a decent cup of tea was like reaching for the stars.
He scoured the mountains for usable herbs, but good ones were nowhere to be found.
Chewing on the leaves left in the cup, Lee Seon sighed.
Why does anyone enjoy drinking this stuff?
The old man nagged him to try a cup a day, so he did, but he just couldn't see the appeal.
On a hot day, gulping cool stream water was the best.
'That's why you're still a kid.'
"If calling this tasteless crap 'delicious' makes you an adult, then I'll stay a kid forever."
Lee Seon flopped down on a broad flat rock.
"Perfect weather."
Since ancient times, people got swept up in poetic moods at night.
Reciting a verse, getting lost in their own profundity, then regretting it come morning.
It was the natural order of things.
Lee Seon decided to go with the flow.
"The night... swells."
The soft chorus of crickets. Moonlight illuminating everything around him.
It stirred a strange sentiment in a man's heart.
And above all, what shook this man's heart the most
was the half-naked beauty.
"...What are you doing?"
Lee Seon narrowed his eyes and peered closer.
Dang Ha-ryeong was barely clad in what was left of her clothes.
And she was glaring at him—a sight that stirred his heart intensely.
Lee Seon focused his gaze to examine her closely.
Her skin was translucent like white jade, with dizzyingly graceful curves.
If a fairy descended from the moon, she'd look just like this—stunningly beautiful.
Lee Seon, lost in admiration for a moment, shook his head and slapped his cheek.
Get a grip. With so many great places in the world, why would a fairy come down to this poison-ridden backwater?
Besides, her attire looked more like that of a seductress than a fairy.
"Oh, it's Dang Ha-ryeong."
Her appearance had changed noticeably from before she entered the room, so he hadn't recognized her at first.
Even when pale from poison, he'd secretly thought her beautiful.
Now, after Shedding Mortal Body and Exchanging Bones, she was even more radiant.
Her frame and musculature had refined, erasing any subtle flaws.
Her exposed skin and flushed cheeks gave off an intoxicating allure.
Unable to hold back, Lee Seon asked,
"By any chance, is the martial art you cultivate a seductive technique?"
"As if I'd practice something like a seductive technique!"
Dang Ha-ryeong snapped.
People called her the Poison Phoenix.
Considering that the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes were titles for the most outstanding young prodigies in the orthodox sects,
Dang Ha-ryeong was objectively an exceptional martial artist, even setting aside the Tang family name.
"If it's not a seductive technique, then why are you dressed like that?"
Lee Seon scratched his head.
There was no other way to explain her current outfit unless it was a seductive technique.
"What...!"
Dang Ha-ryeong started to yell but clamped her mouth shut.
She realized there was no good way to explain her disheveled state.
She couldn't very well say she had no clothes left.
"Haa."
Tears glistened faintly in her eyes.
The full moon shone brighter than ever tonight.
Under the moonlight, her eyes sparkled.
What was she supposed to do? Her clothes had disintegrated from the process of balancing yin and yang energies within her body.
Damn it. Suddenly feeling so aggrieved.
Seeing Dang Ha-ryeong sniffling with teary eyes, Lee Seon scratched his head.
"I was joking."
She shot him a sullen glare.
"Stop staring at me like that."
She knew full well she was beautiful.
But no man had ever ogled her so blatantly.
Who would dare stare openly at a direct descendant of the Sichuan Tang Family?
Given their infamous reputation, it took considerable nerve.
But things were different now.
In this remote mountain where no one recognized her, and to a country boy who didn't even know of the Sichuan Tang Family—what could she say?
Lee Seon chuckled.
"Got it. The fact you're worried about that means you're fully recovered. Congrats."
Lee Seon nodded.
"...Th-thanks."
Yet Dang Ha-ryeong fidgeted in place, seeming oddly reluctant to leave.
It felt like she had more to say, glancing at him as if hinting at something.
"By the way..."
What was this conversation heading toward?
Lee Seon's eyes narrowed suspiciously.
This rundown shack had nothing to its name but poison.
He'd already given her shelter and personally brewed poison to cure her—what more could she want?
This wasn't robbery without the knife; she wasn't a thief.
Wait, the way she squirmed—maybe she needed to pee?
"Where's the outhouse?"
"...That's not it."
Lee Seon clicked his tongue and pointed toward the shack.
"I told you it's not that!"
As Dang Ha-ryeong continued to glare, Lee Seon pondered.
What did she want to hear?
He'd already congratulated her on the Shedding Mortal Body and Exchanging Bones.
His eyes darted around before landing on the teacup on the ground.
"Oh, that's what it is."
Lee Seon finally caught on and gestured toward himself.
Dang Ha-ryeong glared a moment longer before sighing deeply.
Expecting any insight from this man was hopeless.
"If you have any spare clothes, could you lend me one...?"
"You could've just asked straight out."
"Sorry to trouble you!"
Dang Ha-ryeong shot back peevishly.
What was she to do with this laid-back guy?
She crossed her arms and stared at Lee Seon.
If not for him, she would have died.
Even she had given up on her own life when death loomed so close.
Yet this stranger she'd just met had poured his heart and soul into saving her.
She didn't like how he'd handled her roughly and treated her casually.
But she couldn't deny he was her lifesaver.
"Lee Seon, right?"
"Yeah."
Lee Seon nodded lightly.
"I'm Dang Ha-ryeong."
Lee Seon gave her a strange look.
"We already introduced ourselves, didn't we?"
He really doesn't know.
Not just the Tang family—he didn't even recognize her.
Dang Ha-ryeong chuckled.
"Just in case you forgot my name."
"No way I'd forget. Our first meeting was so memorable."
Her face flushed at his words.
'Wh-what are you saying!'
Carrying her all the way here through these treacherous mountains couldn't have been easy.
She'd never thought her weight was much,
but climbing alone was tough enough—adding a patient who couldn't even stand made it grueling.
And the reason he'd gone to such lengths for a total stranger? It was obvious.
Come to think of it, this situation felt straight out of a classic tale.
A pure-hearted, steadfast man rescues a damsel in distress.
It was unfolding just like the novels she'd loved as a child.
Thump thump.
Dang Ha-ryeong suddenly became aware of her racing heart.
Lee Seon chuckled.
How could he forget the woman who'd tried to kill him right off the bat?
She was impressive in all sorts of ways.
The type you couldn't forget even if you tried.
"...It's hot."
Dang Ha-ryeong fanned her face vigorously with her hand.
"Sudden surge of yang energy?"
The poison he'd given her was potent, but after Shedding Mortal Body and Exchanging Bones, none should remain.
Lee Seon reached toward her forehead.
Dang Ha-ryeong pulled her head back, dodging his hand.
"Maybe my body naturally runs hot...!"
"Huh, unique constitution."
Puzzled, Lee Seon withdrew his hand.
"Anyway, no issues with your body, right?"
"Yeah. I'm fine."
Dang Ha-ryeong smiled faintly.
Through Shedding Mortal Body and Exchanging Bones, her internal energy and overall physical abilities had strengthened dramatically.
"Good to hear. So, when are you heading down?"
"...Huh?"