Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Young Master, Please Hug Me (1)
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"...Who might you be?"
Chills prickled across my skin.
I prided myself on having seen plenty of Zhuge Mi-ryeong both as a mother and as a woman.
But the Zhuge Mi-ryeong glaring at Hyeong-wan with eyes brimming with malice was a dark lioness incarnate.
"I'm a disciple of the Ming Cult's First Elder..."
"No need to hear more."
Cutting him off coldly, Zhuge Mi-ryeong unleashed Finger Wind without hesitation.
The needle-sharp Finger Wind hurtled toward him, but Hyeong-wan couldn't dodge easily.
Upon closer inspection, the tip of the Finger Wind curved sinuously, making it impossible to predict its trajectory.
'This is insane...'
Hyeong-wan, who had effortlessly evaded even clusters of four or five Finger Winds from me, finally took the loss and charged forward.
Pa-sit!
Barely deflecting one strand of Finger Wind laced with thick sword ki using his dagger, Hyeong-wan suddenly kicked over a nearby bench.
In that instant, the judge's brush that had looped back around sliced the bench in two, and Hyeong-wan slipped away through the gap.
It was terrifying.
Judging by her delicate, intellectual air, I'd assumed Zhuge Mi-ryeong practiced soft, yielding arts like those of the Wudang Sect...
But the judge's brush, barely over a foot long in her hand, flew like a missile, violently herding Hyeong-wan.
She'd pin him down with sharp Finger Winds, then extend a thread of true energy to retrieve the brush, plunging Hyeong-wan back into hell.
Occasionally, Hyeong-wan would claw his way into close quarters from mid-range...
'Like a salmon swimming upstream...'
Each time the judge's brush danced elegantly through the air in Zhuge Mi-ryeong's grip, Hyeong-wan was brutally pushed back, forced to yield distance.
Whether in close or mid-range, Hyeong-wan took the worst of it. He glared at me and shouted,
"Isn't this a duel? Why are you..."
"I never agreed to it, did I? Does your cult not teach the meaning of 'ambush'?"
Unable to curse in front of Zhuge Mi-ryeong, my snide remark turned Hyeong-wan's face beet red, though he was too busy fending her off.
As Hyeong-wan gradually fell into a defensive slump and the onlookers who'd fled began peeking from the alleys,
"I-I won't forget this!"
Hyeong-wan finally turned tail and ran.
Zhuge Mi-ryeong didn't bother pursuing. She turned to me instead. Her breathing hadn't even quickened— the gap in skill was palpable.
"Hyeon-a, are you hurt anywhere?"
As she approached, scanning me from head to toe, she pulled me into a tight hug... or so I thought.
For some reason, she released me at an oddly suspicious moment.
What was that? Just my imagination?
"That coward...!"
Hyeong-wan, one of the Demonic Cult's top young experts, was utterly dumbfounded.
This was my first time seeing someone so shameless—accepting outside help during a sacred duel.
He'd been better off spewing raw curses; switching to polite speech now only made him more infuriating.
'That female expert with the judge's brush...'
A few thrusts from the iron brush, and he'd instantly been overwhelmed.
That guy Go Hyeon had seized the opening to charge in like it was his lucky break, forcing Hyeong-wan to retreat.
'But I've gathered plenty on him... Master will be pleased when I report this...'
Blind to how disastrously his intel-gathering had gone, Hyeong-wan smirked smugly.
Once we returned to the Tang Family, Zhuge Mi-ryeong didn't start overprotecting me... or anything like that.
After driving off that idiot Hyeong-wan or whatever, she hugged me once, confirmed no injuries, and seemed relieved.
Something felt off about her vibe, but since I'd stopped using inner arts well before she approached, she wouldn't suspect anything.
...Right?
True, I'd been tangled with some weirdo, so she just warned me to be careful going forward. Still, it left me oddly uneasy.
"...So you came to me about that?"
In Tang Hye-won's office, the mistress of the house looked up at me with a dubious expression.
I naturally placed a hand on her belly and gently stroked it.
"I'm here to see you and our baby, and chat while I'm at it. Seeing you is the main goal; that story's just a side note."
"Doesn't feel like it..."
She eyed me suspiciously but clearly enjoyed the belly rubs.
Ever since having the baby, Tang Hye-won seemed more emotionally stable.
Her long-suppressed craving for validation had twisted into obsession once I fulfilled it, but motherhood had shifted some of that fixation.
According to my amateur psychology (never studied it), anyway.
"So, Zhuge heroine helped you mid-fight with that expert Hyeong-wan, and that's it?"
"Yeah, nothing else..."
No big deal, and Zhuge Mi-ryeong hadn't acted strangely, yet my nape itched inexplicably.
"Then I don't have much to say. But the Demonic Cult..."
Tang Hye-won seemed more intrigued by the Demonic Cult than Zhuge Mi-ryeong's reaction.
"What could a Demonic Cultist be thinking, challenging a duel in broad daylight in Sichuan—without even sending a formal writ?"
"Beats me...? It was so sudden, my mouth got foul, and I didn't think to pry into motives."
Good... so it wasn't just me being weird.
An outright ambush would've made sense, but a duel in the marketplace?
"Oh, right—that no... guy called me Sichuan's top prodigy. What's that about?"
Since when was I Sichuan's number one? Probably not even close, and there'd been no events to spread my name anyway.
"First I've heard of it."
"...Guess he was just deluded."
No point dwelling on that dickhead. Next time he crawled out, I'd crush him with my own power after powering up.
I couldn't even explain why Zhuge Mi-ryeong's behavior felt off, so Tang Hye-won couldn't offer answers either.
"Yun wants to make the Zhuge heroine his woman too, right? That's why you're fretting."
The talk veered into more basic territory. Tang Hye-won asked flatly, but I panicked.
"...Our baby's listening..."
"Want to write notes then? Baby won't remember anyway, so don't worry."
Even so, was it okay for Dad to discuss banging other women with the fetus listening...?
Only two months in—no ears yet, right?
When Tang Hye-won offered paper and brush, I shook my head.
"Yeah..."
I spilled all my thoughts.
Go Cheon turned out decent, so ditching him felt wrong.
I wanted to escape being seen as Go Hyeon by Zhuge Mi-ryeong.
Ultimately, I wanted her carrying my child.
Tang Hye-won gave a hollow smile but didn't seem offended.
"So, four women you've got your eye on so far? Plus that... sister from the Namgung family."
Five if counting Huangbo Hyo-seon, but best keep quiet. Nothing done yet.
"Sorry..."
"No need. If anything, I'm second after her. Apologize to her first."
This chat highlighted another issue to ponder.
Having multiple women was fine, but their relationships?
Knocking them up and bailing avoided this, but I hated that.
How would Eon So-young react to all these women besides her?
'She won't like it.'
Clap clap.
Her applause snapped my lowered head up.
"Anyway, that's not the priority now, right? We need to discuss the best way to handle the Zhuge heroine."
"...Right."
"Do nothing. Just act natural."
That work?
"The Zhuge heroine's mind must be in turmoil right now. We can't predict exactly how she'll feel."
True enough.
Say her son violated her, then she saw him using unfamiliar arts.
Martial arts don't change overnight, so rationally, she might wonder if it's someone else with the same face.
'But Zhuge Mi-ryeong wants to believe it's her son.'
That way, dead Go Hyeon lives on.
Impossible to guess her heart amid such ambiguity.
"Plus, she's incredibly sharp. Whether she truly doesn't know or pretends not to, she has her own thoughts."
I nodded at Tang Hye-won's advice: better to observe than bungle some half-baked move.
"Tell me if anything happens. I've delegated most duties to the deputy, so I've got time."
"Got it."
"And..."
She trailed off, so I met her eyes encouragingly.
"Y-You haven't visited the chamber lately, so come see our baby often..."
Drifting off-topic, huh.
Pregnancy meant no sex, naturally. Tang Hye-won had been dropped from the rotation.
Her cute pout begging for visits melted me.
Mwah.
A light kiss on her forehead, and she beamed contentedly.
Around the time Kang Yun visited Tang Hye-won, Peng Yeon-hwa received a guest: Zhuge Mi-ryeong.
She'd gotten word that Kang Yun was skipping training to go to the market with Zhuge Mi-ryeong, so her early return piqued curiosity, but hospitality came first.
No need to meet in the training hall, so Peng Yeon-hwa opened the parlor.
The maids had cleaned spotless, but the unused room lacked warmth—until hot steam rose.
"Mi-ryeong, what brings you? I heard you went to the market with your nephew."
Flinch.
Zhuge Mi-ryeong's shoulders trembled. Seeing her darken, Peng Yeon-hwa spoke softly,
"Something wrong? I may not help much, but let's hear it. Two heads are better than one, no?"
"Sister..."
Zhuge Mi-ryeong's eyes widened briefly, then teared up as she threw herself into Peng Yeon-hwa's arms.
"Waaahhh..."
Peng Yeon-hwa panicked at her childlike sobbing but gently stroked her back to soothe her.
It had been years since Tang Mu-hon cried like this.
Gathering warm true energy in her palm for gentle strokes, Zhuge Mi-ryeong's sobs soon subsided.
"Mi-ryeong, speak if you want, or not. Whatever's comfortable."
"..."
"Just know I'm worried you'll suffer more by ignoring a tough issue and putting it off."
"...Feels like ages since you played big sister."
"Perks of being older."
Her voice was hoarse from crying, but Zhuge Mi-ryeong seemed somewhat recovered after the cathartic tears.
Still, she didn't reveal the problem.
"Sorted it out?"
"...No. But I know I need to find the answer myself."
"That's enough."
Zhuge Mi-ryeong bid farewell and left the parlor. Peng Yeon-hwa watched her go, lost in thought.
No matter how she pondered, a woman like Zhuge Mi-ryeong wouldn't cry over just any issue.
'Kang Yun.'
Probably her son troubles.
That man eyeing every chance to violate her under the guise of special meditation.
'Whatever it is, if his wrongdoing comes to light...'
She'd straighten him out for good.