After the Night
The previous night — in Seol-hwi's room, during that derailed game.
In the main hall's master's chamber, a drinking party was underway.
"It's been a long time since we've sat across from each other like this."
"Tell me about it. Ever since the children grew up, we haven't had the chance to meet much."
"Seeing Jinyul, she's grown into such a beautiful woman. She takes after you — truly stunning."
"Seol-hwi looks a lot like you too. I heard she's been exercising every morning — it's been quite a spectacle."
"She's still so young. It's a shame she's stuck at the Fourth Constellation even after breaking through the Barrier. I sometimes wonder if I'd given birth to her myself, things might have been different."
A faint, gentle smile lingered on both their faces as they looked at each other.
"Well then, let me pour you a drink first."
— *glug glug glug.*
"You still like collecting alcohol, I see, So-young."
"A rare guest has arrived — wouldn't it be fitting to serve rare liquor? This particular brew is an ale crafted from peat in Islay, England. The aging period is a mere one hundred years..."
"Stop. I wouldn't understand even if you explained."
"Ahem... Just remember — it's an exceptionally fine drink."
Baek So-young looked a little flustered.
"It's been ten years, and you haven't changed one bit."
"We divine beasts, what would change about us? ...Or rather, Harin, you've changed quite a bit."
"Have I? How do I look?"
"There's a smile spread all over your face. You're dressed in the style of the modern world. Something good must have happened."
"What could it be? You finally broke free from the Hyunmu Hall."
The enormous rift in the northern roots of the Divine Sandalwood Tree hid its true form.
Since she had fulfilled her duty of protection, she could now roam freely again, before the incident occurred.
"Tell me the details. I hear the modern world has become quite entertaining. But as long as the Western Rift remains, I can't move."
Baek So-young wanted to shed the endless burden of her duty as well.
The fact that the two of them could sit here and build their friendship was thanks to the era when travel was unrestricted.
— *click.*
Knowing the answer, Harin's lips twisted slightly.
"...Right? Then where shall we start?"
— *CRASH!*
"You conquered the Demon Realm?! Is that even possible?"
Baek So-young slammed her desk in excitement.
If conquering the Demon Realm were possible, they would have exterminated the monsters long ago and spared themselves this torment.
But beyond the rift, the Demon Realm allowed entry only to the chosen — no one else could even attempt to enter.
"If you conquered it, then the rift shouldn't still be there."
"...Up until now, the only ones who could enter were the previous master and his wife, weren't they?"
"That's Hwan-hyun."
"Ah...!"
Until now, only Hwan-hyun's parents had been able to enter the Demon Realm. And even they hadn't achieved a clean extermination — they had merely sacrificed their bodies to seal the enemies.
"That's still impossible. S-rank entities in the Demon Realm — cutting one down in a single strike... based on what I've seen of his level, that's..."
"So he must be a god among men."
"..."
When something ominous had breached the territory of the White Tiger Sect before, Hwan-hyun had assessed its level while opposing it.
As a hunter, he was barely above B-rank. So the claim that he'd slain an S-rank entity was absurd.
"Phew... If you say so, Harin, then it must be true. There's no way you'd be joking with me."
"It's the truth, I tell you! Even Lady Yeoryeong was caught off guard. Hwan-hyun went *snip!* and sliced through the space itself."
"...My jaw dropped. It gets even more unbelievable."
In the end, Baek So-young decided to trust her old friend's testimony.
There might be something about his power that she had missed.
"So how was it that you could enter the Demon Realm?"
"Hmm... Apparently, any woman who's slept with Hwan-hyun can enter."
"?"
'...Slept? Are you saying she did that... thing...?'
Baek So-young tilted her head, wondering if she'd misheard.
"You know — that thing. Putting a dick in a pussy and going *hng hng*."
"Di-di-dick... dick-in...?!"
"That, I know too. There's no way anyone wouldn't understand what that means."
"Really? I thought you'd have no experience with such things."
"...What are you talking about?"
"You whined when making Seol-hwi — said you couldn't train if you got pregnant. That's why I used the External Fertilization Method to cultivate Jinyul together with you."
"Ugh..."
That was the inside story.
In the past, due to her husband Moo Jeongwoon's erectile dysfunction, Harin had extracted her own eggs to create a successor.
Upon hearing the news, even the extreme-training Baek So-young had gone to find Harin to establish the next generation.
"That mindset hasn't changed. Disgusting acts like intercourse between men and women only obstruct the path of martial arts."
"It's not — proper sex gives life vitality!"
"S-S-Sex...!"
"How about you let go of your virginity too, while we're at it?"
"You — you...! How can a woman with a husband speak such words...!"
"We don't have a husband — he's our master."
"What?"
"Hwan-hyun is my Western Lord. He's the person I'm destined to serve for my entire life."
"..."
She's lost it.
Her old friend had finally gone insane.
The innocent little girl who used to chat with Baek So-young as a child had long since crossed the threshold into adulthood and become a slave consumed by lust.
"...Let's change the subject."
"We're leaving soon, so tell me. If you tell Hwan-hyun, So-young will happily take you in."
"..."
"If you want to enter the Demon Realm, you'll have to sleep with Hwan-hyun anyway."
"...!"
"You haven't tried it yet, so you don't know how good sex is. You'll end up following him around like me, I guarantee it."
"...That won't happen."
"Even if you say that, once a dick is inside you, you won't be able to move..."
"STOP! Why have you suddenly become a sex bird?! Give me back the innocent Harin!"
Baek So-young's head was about to explode.
She had always viewed this woman's desires as a base, vulgar error and had rejected her — so she had zero immunity to such crude talk.
Within the White Tiger Sect, no one dared speak ill of the leader, which made Baek So-young's reactions even more explosive.
"Drinks... let's just drink more. *Hic*...!"
As she watched Baek So-young's face turn crimson, Harin thought to herself:
'I hope, Hwan-hyun, that you'll make So-young happy too.'
She was a woman who believed without a doubt that his dick existed to make her old friend happy.
"Ughhh..."
How long had it been.
Dozens of empty bottles rolled around the room. Each one contained liquor over 40 degrees, yet the two of them endured without clearing them away.
"Heehee... So-young, your lower belly doesn't cramp anymore these days, does it...?"
"How did you know that...? Lately it's been twitching right above my womb..."
"That's because... your body is calling out for a dick... Accept it, okay...?!"
"You crazy bitch!! What the hell is a dick?! What the hell is sex...!!"
Of course, the alcohol accumulated inside her was more than enough to cloud her judgment.
"If you tasted a dick and were still fine..."
"I said I won't!!"
"Then I'll call you 'unnie'... How about it...?"
"Mmhh..."
"In exchange... you stop clinging to our Hwan-hyun and come to the modern world with me... ❤️"
"That won't happen!! I'm tough!!"
"Let's make a bet! *Boom*!!"
"Whoa...! That's dirty!!"
The count of empty bottles surpassed three digits.
How on earth did things turn out like this.
— *clatter.*
At breakfast time, guided by a servant, I ended up alone with the White Tiger Sect leader.
"Is the food to your liking?"
"Gulp...! Yes, Sect Leader. The White Tiger Sect's rice is delicious."
"...Good. Then it's settled."
...The White Tiger Sect leader was glaring at me with a terrifying aura.
Damn it, I just wanted to eat breakfast properly!
"By the way, why didn't Seol-hwi come?"
Originally, the servant had called for both me and Seol-hwi.
That's why Seol-hwi's absence was particularly nagging.
"She's resting. She did some exercise last night."
"S-S-Sex...!"
"What?"
"...Never mind. I misspoke."
Damn. Her face was flushing red all the way to the tips of her ears — it was visible.
"Let me ask you directly."
"...Yes."
The sect leader's gaze sharpened. Her piercing stare alone made me feel like I was about to be cut down.
Well, with that aura, I was probably going to get cut sooner or later anyway.
"I... I also want to enter the Demon Realm."
"...What?"
What the hell was that sudden outburst?
"I heard from Harin. She said if I have... sex... with you..."
"...Sex?"
"Oof!!"
The topic I'd been thinking of and the reaction I'd expected were both wrong.
What the hell did the two of them talk about all night?
"I'm not mad at you. You saw what happened to Seol-hwi — you made her a complete mess."
"Di-di-dick...!"
"...?"
— *gulp.*
Did I really just say "dick"? Was I really not mishearing?
"Ahem...! When a man and woman engage in fierce intimacy, such things can happen. A woman of experience like myself understands all of it."
I tricked her. Her reaction was so pure she almost passed for a married woman — I'd forgotten she was a virgin and almost believed it myself.
"Wait — but I thought your husband passed away?"
If she's boasting about having plenty of experience, does that mean she's been mixing her body with other men?
Maybe when we first met, those subtle flashes of her pussy were meant to seduce someone like me?
Gyahhh!!
"...I'm sorry, but it seems difficult. I already have more precious women than I can handle."
A used pussy that's been devoured by other men multiple times — I don't want it.
What kind of slut are you, going around lusting after my dick?
"Wait! I know why you came to the White Tiger Sect!"
"Yes?"
"Give me the sword. The True Sword that your father entrusted to me for repair."
Baek So-young's voice turned urgent. She was desperately trying to suck my dick with her pussy — that much was clear.
Come to think it, Seol-hwi was right. Father's sword was here.
"But that sword was originally supposed to be given to me, wasn't it?"
"..."
"Thank you for the meal. Please send the sword to Seol-hwi's room."
"...W-Wait—"
— *rumble rumble.*
Since I knew the conversation was going my way, there was no need to let myself be dragged along by her pace.
I'd gotten what I wanted. Time to go see my kids.
"Hic... Harin, that's different from what you said! You said she'd happily take me in... Huuuaang!"
"Hey, you idiot! Don't say things like that right there!"
Harin appeared from the corner of the room where Hwan-hyun had left.
"Why are you talking about having lots of experience when you're still a virgin?"
"That's... I didn't want to seem inexperienced by saying virgin..."
"Men like that!"
Harin, who had been influenced by Jinyul and equipped with HitoMi, and Baek So-young, who carried 100% of Seol-hwi's idiot genes.
The two of them were already having a miserable time from the start.