For My Sake!
Bearing the limp, lifeless body of Hwan-hyun, the three of them made their way back to the main hall at speed.
—Squelch.
"Kyaaaaah!! Wh-what do I do...!"
"Stay calm, Muharin. I told you there was a way."
"I-I know, but... I can't breathe... I can't breathe...!!"
"..."
It was Baeksoyoung, the one who had been carrying him, who understood best that he hadn't been breathing since moments ago.
She, too, was no less flustered.
One moment it seemed like some strange creature had burst out from the iron filings, and the next Hwan-hyun had collapsed, gasping with dizziness.
"He's not dead. The forbidden energy I pumped into him bit by bit isn't dispersing—it's just being consumed faster and faster."
Even without breathing, that flesh body was still alive. It was just burning through his energies in place of the spark of life.
"Baekho Dangju. So what's the method? How do we save Hwan-hyun?"
"I already had preparations made. We just need to wait a moment—everyone, press your bodies against him and blow your energy into him."
"...What exactly are you preparing?"
Geum Yeoryeong asked, suspicion in her voice, but for now she began releasing her energy, pressing herself against him and feeding it in little by little.
Since she had absorbed a generous amount of earth energy near the Divine Sandalwood Tree roots, her body accepted the new energy without any resistance.
"Dangju-nim, the recovery bath is prepared."
"Any word from the children?"
"They crossed the main hall's gate just now. If we have them join immediately..."
"Right. Hurry the vice-chiefs of Blue Dragon Hall and Vermillion Bird Hall especially."
"As you command."
After the guard reported that the preparations were complete, Baeksoyoung lifted Hwan-hyun again.
"Follow me. I'll show you the secret arts of this main hall."
The place they arrived at was—
"...The outdoor bath?"
The outdoor bath beyond the training ground.
"Hey, Baeksoyoung! Are you messing with me right now? Is this really the time for a relaxing bath?"
Muharin, who had visited Baekho Dang several times and even bathed here with Baeksoyoung, shot her a look.
"Now that I think about it, you never told Harin about this."
"What's in this place besides a bath?!"
—Shling!
Without a word, Baeksoyoung drew her sword.
"Watch carefully."
—Zzzzaaaaaaah!!
"Kk...!"
Then, without hesitation, she sliced off her own left wrist.
"Hey...! Why would you—!!"
"..."
Baeksoyoung didn't respond to Muharin's scream. She immediately plunged the severed portion into the bath's interior.
"Hnn... I should've just given it a light scratch."
"What the hell are you doing?!"
—Bububububul!
Bubbles rose steadily from the area below her wrist. Normally the water in the bath should have turned red with blood, but there wasn't a trace of that—only the water continued to boil.
—Zzaaak!
"Huh?"
When Baeksoyoung pulled her wrist out, the hand had already healed so perfectly it was as if nothing had ever been cut.
"The head of Vermillion Bird Hall from long ago infused this bath with regenerative energy. That should explain it."
"...Yeah."
Muharin's convulsions eased somewhat.
—Kiiieek!
Just then, the five people who had gone out—led by Seolhye—came rushing back.
"Mother! What is this...!"
"I, I-hwan...!"
The moment they entered, the sight of Hwan-hyun's ashen, lifeless face caused several of the women's faces to drain of color.
"You're here. Where are the children from Blue Dragon Hall and Vermillion Bird Hall?"
"They're here. Dangju-nim, what is the state of the master?"
"He's not breathing. His energy is being rapidly depleted from within his body."
"...!"
"It's fine. If we all blow our energy into him, he should recover quickly."
The disconnect between Baeksoyoung's calm demeanor and the gravity of the situation was making Cheonghwa's head spin.
"...What should we do? How can... how can the master regain consciousness?"
"First, the patient must be laid bare in the bath."
The moment those words ended, Hwan-hyun's clothes were stripped away in an instant.
Since people from all sides were pulling at the fabric, it wasn't so much "undressed" as it was "torn apart."
—Falshhh!
"Look. Even without breathing, that thing is still standing firm, isn't it."
—Pungdeong!
His upper body was propped up so it stuck out above the waterline, allowing him to breathe properly.
"Just this alone will restore his body's functions. As his flesh regains vitality, the breath that stopped will return."
"The problem isn't that, is it?"
"That's right. The fact that his energy has been completely drained is also a problem."
"Won't simply pumping our energy into him be enough?"
The children one by one stirred their energy. The restless, undulating currents seemed to reflect their unease at the situation.
"No. You can't just inject it. You have to dissolve the energy into the bath water and forcibly direct it toward recovery."
The bath water had the effect of restoring the body.
The idea was to melt the five elements' energy into that water and give the energy healing properties.
"Melting energy into liquid. That's no easy task, is it?"
Cheonghwa asked. Pumping energy into objects outside the body wasn't difficult, but dissolving it into a solvent like water so that its properties were fully integrated—that was a fairly difficult feat.
"If it's that, then... I can handle it."
"Jinyul, do you have a solution?"
"Yes."
Moo Jinyul spoke carefully.
"Even the water energy of Hyunmu can't be easily dissolved into that kind of water. That's a separate entity from me."
—Ssrrrlll!
As she removed her clothes layer by layer, Jinyul continued.
"But what if we mix in a liquid that's already saturated with our energy? If we sprinkle water overflowing with our energy into the bath, wouldn't that solve it?"
"...What are you getting at."
Moo Jinyul, now completely naked, crouched down in front of the water containing Hwan-hyun.
"That is to say... you masturbate directed into this water."
"..."
That was extremely Jinyul-like thinking.
Everyone had been thinking of that one thing.
"If that's the case, do we even need to be outside the water? If we're submerged up to our necks, even the sweat that trickles down our bodies would dissolve into it too."
"That sounds even better."
—Pungdeong!
Moo Jinyul plunged straight into the water.
—Ssrrl.
Following her, Cheonghwa began stripping off her clothes too.
"What are you all doing? Hurry up and undress, get into the bath, and masturbate."
"...You're the child of Blue Dragon Hall. Is that really appropriate?"
"There's no other way, isn't there? You don't have to do it, Dangju-nim. Seolhye alone should be enough to release the forbidden energy."
"..."
Baeksoyoung's reaction looked somewhat deflated, but for Cheonghwa, something more important remained.
—Splash!
"Mmm... Hah...!"
"Ohhhho...!"
"...Cheonghwa, what are you doing to the master?!"
Jinyul, who had been submerged first, jolted in surprise.
"Mmm... But... my pussy can't reach climax unless it's the master, you see..."
"Even if you use the master like a dildo, what then!"
"...It's fine. In fact, my energy being directly absorbed through the urethral mucosa will be more helpful."
"Urethral... what?"
Cheonghwa's gaze was fixed solely on her master. She tried to look composed, forcing a smile, but her face was still tinged with worry and longing that hadn't quite faded.
"You need to wake up. Didn't you say you wouldn't abandon me?"
—Kkuuk.
For a moment, she held his upper body in her arms.
"...His heart still isn't beating."
It's fine. Just like always, I'll brush him off and get up, then tease her again.
Cheonghwa pulled out and sat down beside Jinyul.
—Squeeeek!
"Hyaah... Look, the master's body is overflowing with wood energy, isn't it."
"..."
Contact of energy through the mucous membranes was, as expected, efficient.
Following Cheonghwa, the other women one by one began submerging their bodies in the bath.
"I'll go next. Before the various energies settle, the earth energy needs to form a solid base."
When she had first contracted, Geum Yeoryeong had absorbed most of the accumulated earth energy that had been built up over a long time, deliberately seducing him into intercourse.
Thanks to that, she was now able to pump earth energy into him.
—Chachachachacha!!!
"Ugh... I'm almost... there...!"
Unlike Cheonghwa, who could climax from a single insertion, she first vigorously rubbed her clit before approaching Hwan-hyun.
"Hnn...!"
—Pfshuuuuuk!!!
Her body convulsed once at the sensation of her uterus being pierced.
Thanks to sufficient foreplay, she was able to reach climax with just one insertion.
"Hwan-hyun, you need to wake up... you still have so much left to do, don't you...?"
She wrapped her arms around his slumped upper body from behind, pulling him close.
She tried to lift him slightly, but his head fell limply backward, forcing Geum Yeoryeong to bend over.
—Chomok.
"If you go like that too... what am I supposed to do."
She pressed her lips against his pale ones.
Though she had resolved to stay composed, the tears that flowed were beyond her control.
—Bwek!
"...Next. Who's going next."
Seolhye quietly stepped forward.
It seemed she had been crying for a long time—her tear tracks were already drying white at the corners of her eyes.
"Hyaahhhhaaah!! Master, you can't die...!"
After a single insertion, she wrapped his body tightly and kissed him.
It was a method of restraining his arousal as much as possible, blowing only energy into him while communicating with him purely on a mental level.
"I want to have a child like the master... I want to live happily..."
—Tchul.
She placed her lips against the back of his neck.
When she gently sucked, it seemed a faint red energy had returned.
"Master, I love you... So please... open your eyes..."
Sniffling as she held him, Seolhye immediately rose from her spot and stood beside Ilena, who had been waiting outside the bath.
"Seolhye, are you okay?"
"Hnn...!"
"Heh... Anyway, Ilena, why didn't you get in?"
"Do you think my energy would be helpful right now?"
"Ah."
There was no way it would be. What Hwan-hyun needed right now was the five elemental energies he had carried inside his body.
Seolhye unconsciously glanced at Yu-ryun's side, but—
"Hiiiigh!!!"
Fortunately, Yu-ryun was too absorbed in her own masturbation to catch Seolhye's pouting moment.