Chapter 177: Lewd Yokai After School (43)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 177: Lewd Yokai After School (43)
Baek Yeo-ju treated us to a lavish meal she had prepared. Contrary to her initial sharp demeanor, she was surprisingly warm and cheerful at the dinner table.
"Come on, eat up! My daughter is back after so long, so I put my heart into this!"
The table was laden with luxurious dishes, from glossy, succulent meats to an herbal soup made with a variety of traditional medicinal ingredients.
I picked up my chopsticks and took a bite. The flavor was much deeper and richer than I had expected.
"This is delicious."
"Right? I’m pretty confident in my cooking, you know!"
Baek Yeo-ju smiled proudly and happily raised her glass.
Just then—
"Mom… I… I’m pregnant!"
The sudden bombshell dropped.
In an instant, all movement at the table ceased.
Baek Yeo-ju’s chopsticks clattered to the floor.
"Pregnant…?"
"Yeah…"
Baek Mi-ho blushed, gently stroking her stomach. Her voice trembled slightly, but her expression was filled with joy.
Baek Yeo-ju froze for a moment, then shot up from her seat.
"M-Me, a grandmother at my age…?! No, more importantly, you’re pregnant?!"
Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Then, she suddenly rushed over to Baek Mi-ho and hugged her carefully.
"My daughter… is it true? Are you really having a baby?"
"Yeah… hehe."
Baek Mi-ho smiled shyly and nodded. Baek Yeo-ju blinked, looking moved, then shouted.
"Who the hell is the father!"
Her gaze sharpened, flashing with intensity.
I calmly set down my chopsticks and gave a slight shrug.
"It would be me, of course."
"…What?! You’re really the father?!"
Baek Yeo-ju threw her hands up and grabbed her head.
"Am I dreaming right now?! My daughter is already going to be a mother?!"
She paced back and forth in a fluster for a while before turning back to Baek Mi-ho.
"Daughter, are you really okay? This is all so sudden."
"Why are you more surprised than I am, Mom? I’m fine! I’m going to be with Seo-yun for a long, long time, and we’re going to raise our baby to be healthy!"
Baek Mi-ho smiled happily and gently took my arm.
Baek Yeo-ju let out a deep sigh and collapsed back into her seat.
"Haa… I’m really becoming a grandmother…"
She stared blankly into space for a while, looking utterly drained, before the corners of her mouth turned up in a smirk.
"So… I’ll be seeing my grandchild soon? Hohoho!"
She covered her face with one hand as she laughed, then shot a glare in my direction.
"If you can’t take responsibility, you’d better be prepared to die."
I chuckled and raised my glass.
"I wouldn’t have started this if I wasn’t going to take responsibility."
At my words, Baek Yeo-ju stared blankly for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter.
"Alright! That settles it! From today, you’re my son-in-law!"
And so, the boisterous meal continued.
After dinner, once things had calmed down a bit, we spoke with Baek Yeo-ju.
She swirled the liquor in her glass and turned her gaze to me.
"So, what brings you here?"
At her question, I took a quiet breath.
It was time to get to the real reason for our visit.
"I’d like you to protect these two here."
As soon as the words left my mouth, Han Chae-yeon and Baek Mi-ho looked at me with startled expressions.
"Seo-yun, what are you talking about?"
"That’s right! Are you planning to leave us here?"
Panic and anxiety filled their eyes, but I shook my head firmly.
"Yes. You’re both pregnant. It’s not right to push yourselves any further."
My words seemed to leave the two women speechless.
Baek Mi-ho, in particular, pressed her lips together tightly, as if deep in thought.
"But…!"
Baek Mi-ho started to protest, but Baek Yeo-ju cut her off by simply raising a hand.
"Quiet."
In that instant, it was as if the entire village had fallen silent.
Baek Mi-ho and Han Chae-yeon closed their mouths, and I waited for Baek Yeo-ju’s response.
She watched me silently before setting down her glass.
Her eyes no longer held a playful glint, but the serious weight of authority.
"So, son-in-law. Where do you plan on going after leaving these two women here?"
I answered without hesitation.
"I plan to go to the Valley of Yokai."
Instantly, Baek Yeo-ju’s eyes flashed with a cold light.
"…Are you perhaps looking to kill yourself?"
I shook my head and spoke calmly.
"No."
Baek Yeo-ju stared at me for a long time without a word.
Then, she let out a heavy sigh and rested her chin on her hand.
"Aigoo… I’ve really taken in quite the character for a son-in-law. My daughter, you have a tough road ahead of you."
She looked at Baek Mi-ho, shaking her head. Then she turned back to me and asked with a serious face.
"I’ll ask you one thing. Are you confident you’ll return alive?"
I answered without a moment’s hesitation.
"Of course."
Baek Yeo-ju studied my eyes, then let out a small smirk.
"Fine. If you’re that determined, I won’t try to stop you."
"But remember one thing."
She raised her glass, a meaningful smile on her face.
"If you abandon my daughter and run, I’ll personally hunt you down and beat you to a pulp."
Her half-joking words briefly lightened the mood.
I smiled faintly and raised my glass.
"I’ll keep that in mind."
"So when do you plan on leaving?"
"I intend to stay for at least two weeks."
"Understood. I’ll have a room prepared for you. Rest well before you go."
"Thank you."
For the next few days in Baekyo Village, I focused on my martial arts training.
I found the quietest spot in the village and sat in the lotus position. Around me, bamboo leaves rustled in the wind, creating a soft, calming sound.
Fwooo…
I took a deep breath. The energy spreading from my Dantian began to flow through my body.
The essence I had accumulated so far circulated along all the acupoints and meridians in my body. I could feel the energy within me finding harmony, becoming more refined.
My internal power had grown rapidly by absorbing potent essence, but that made the process of refining it with precision all the more essential. If I couldn’t control the energy, I could be consumed by its backlash and end up harming myself.
I operated my heart method, organizing the energy within my Dantian. It was a process of suppressing the excessively risen yang energy and regulating it to prevent it from running rampant. To face the battles ahead, I needed even more perfect control.
Shwaaaa…
A faint heat shimmered in the air.
As the true energy flowed through my body, it heated my meridians, refining itself to an even greater degree.
With every exhale, I could feel the circulation becoming more orderly. However, perhaps because this was the Otherworld, the atmosphere itself was thick with yokai energy.
A normal human would be affected by this energy, their own essence becoming unstable or disordered. But for me, the yokai energy was absorbed naturally, acting more like a catalyst that enhanced my internal power.
‘Is this the effect of the Yin-Yang Manual?’
I muttered inwardly, carefully observing the flow of energy.
The yokai energy didn't just linger inside me or leave behind impure traces; it was absorbed as if it were a part of my own internal power.
As the energies operated in harmony, my body felt progressively lighter.
My consciousness gradually cleared, and the true energy within me became even more exquisitely refined.
After finishing my training, I slowly picked up the Flying Heaven Sword, which had been lying beside me wrapped in black cloth.
I carefully began to unwrap the Demon-Sealing Cloth.
Zzzzziiing…!!
The moment the cloth came off, the Flying Heaven Sword put up intense resistance. A sharp energy emanated from the blade, stirring the surrounding air. Like a living creature, it tried to push away the hand that sought to grasp it.
I smirked and gripped the sword firmly.
"Tsk, still rejecting me?"
Wooooong…!
The sword trembled minutely in protest. The resistance it showed as soon as it was freed from the Demon-Sealing Cloth was severe. I tightened my grip and spoke.
"It doesn’t matter. Besides me, there is no one who can wield you."
I gripped the sword tightly, my sharp gaze fixed on the blade.
Woooooooong…!
The Flying Heaven Sword vibrated violently, a rough and sharp energy erupting from its blade. A fierce power, as if creating a whirlwind that could slice through the air, began to wrap around my arm.
It was as if it were declaring, ‘You are not worthy of wielding me.’ But I didn’t waver in the slightest, gripping the sword even more forcefully.
"If you won’t obey, I’ll crush you with force."
I drew up a massive amount of internal power from my Dantian.
My intent was not to suppress the sword, but to clash with it head-on.
Chwaaaaaa…!!
The Flying Heaven Sword resisted fiercely, and sharp waves of wind burst from its blade.
This intense resistance wrapped around my body.
"Good… let’s see who wins. You or me."
I drew up even more internal power and infused it into the blade.
The blade froze for an instant, then immediately began to shake even more violently.
Kwaaaaaang!!
Simultaneously, a storm-like wind exploded from the blade. The fierce, swirling wind engulfed the area, sending pebbles from the ground flying into the air.
The pressure was so intense it felt as if tree branches were snapping and the very earth was shaking. But I merely narrowed my eyes, not taking a single step back.
Clutching the sword in my hand, I faced the Flying Heaven Sword head-on.
Kwaaaaaaaang!!
The storm raged.
The torrent of air unleashed by the sword enveloped me like a typhoon, and sharp, blade-like gusts of wind shot out in every direction.
Even as the intense pressure bore down on me, I did not let go of the sword.
Instead, I drew up my internal power even more forcefully.
Kwaaaaaaaang!
The Flying Heaven Sword’s resistance grew even stronger. The wind erupting from its blade became increasingly sharp.
"Still planning to be stubborn?"
I stared directly at the Flying Heaven Sword and pushed my internal power to its limit. The energy boiling up from my Dantian flowed through my entire body.
Zzzzziiing!
The Flying Heaven Sword let out a fierce cry. But I could now feel its resistance weakening, little by little.
"Do you understand now? Who your master is."
Finally, the trembling of the blade began to subside. The storm-like wind gradually calmed, eventually turning into a gentle current.
Woong….
The hum coming from the Flying Heaven Sword had also changed. It was different from its initial rough resistance, now a vibration that seemed to signify submission.
I slowly raised the blade. There was no more resistance. In fact, it seemed to resonate in tune with my own energy.
"Now I finally have a proper sword to use."
The feel of the sword transmitted through my fingertips had changed. Instead of the sharp, cold sensation from before, it now felt comfortable, like a longtime companion.
The Flying Heaven Sword had finally acknowledged me as its master.
I swung the sword. The blade responded naturally to my movements, and I could feel the powerful force contained within it.
I had now become the true master of the Flying Heaven Sword.
‘The preparations are now complete.’
It was time to leave for the Valley of Yokai.