Dang Juju Excited by Ear Digging (1)
"Everything's ready, so let's head out."
After making every last preparation, we set off toward Poison King Valley.
"Do we really need this much food? Wouldn't some jerky have been enough?"
"What are you talking about? The joy of eating is half the point. And this isn't a one- or two-day trip. Just touring Poison King Valley takes a full seven days and nights. Searching for wherever the Family Chief is hiding? No telling how many more days that'll take. So we pack for at least two weeks."
"I guess you're not wrong. Still feels like too much."
"It's not too much."
"Isn't it heavy?"
"Not for me. My stamina's excellent."
In Murim Noona, Hyeon Jitae's stamina sat at a full ten stars.
In short, it never ran out. No matter how hard he pushed, it recovered almost instantly. Shouldering a heavy pack meant nothing.
And so our journey to Poison King Valley began.
As expected, the road was anything but smooth.
"Whoa, a beauty like this? Never seen one this fine in my life. And she's hiking mountain paths with nothing but that scrawny bodyguard? Insane. Hahaha—lucky day for us, though."
You bastards, I'm not the bodyguard. Dang Juju is mine. And a goddamn terrifying one at that.
Traveling with Dang Juju meant bandits lusting after her looks never stopped coming.
"Die—!"
Shrrk— whoosh— slice— clink—
"Guh!"
"Aagh!"
The moment her Four Venoms Sword left its sheath, the blade stretched like a serpent and mercilessly severed every bandit's throat.
Fuck, raw power just won't cut it against her.
The moniker Poison Heart Flower hadn't been given lightly. Against enemies, Dang Juju showed zero mercy. Watching from the side sent chills racing up my spine every single time.
Force is a dead end. Psychological warfare is the only way to win.
Two days after leaving Chengdu, we reached Poison King Valley.
"Ahh, the sunset from the mountains is truly beautiful."
Dang Juju's eyes grew moist with wonder at the glowing sky.
What? She had a soft side like this? I'd thought she was nothing but poison through and through.
"Let's eat."
"Yeah, we should."
The side dishes were just soup, meat, and pickled vegetables.
"Wow, this is heavenly. Mountain meals really do taste this good."
"It's freshly cooked rice. Even plain rice tastes great."
"True. And the meat's stir-fried perfectly. Soup's excellent too. Young Hero Hyeon, you've got real skill in the kitchen. How'd you get so good?"
"Wandering the whole country alone, cooking for myself every day—skills just pile up."
"Fair enough! You're genuinely talented. Good thing we brought the cooking gear."
Munch munch— chomp chomp—
The same Dang Juju who'd complained about the heavy load now shoveled down fresh rice and hot stir-fried meat without pause.
That's not just 'good appetite'—that's pure gluttony. Her hunger matches her looks in reverse.
I kept discovering sides of her that clashed with that pretty face.
"All right, time to spread the bedding and get ready for sleep."
"Already?"
"You know what Poison King Valley is like. Nightfall brings every kind of venomous insect crawling around. And if we're climbing all day tomorrow, we need early rest and full recovery. We walked the whole day today too."
"Ah, you're right. Fine, let's get ready for bed."
Inside the cave, Dang Juju laid out her sleeping spot—nothing but a single thin blanket.
Flap—
"What's with that blanket? It's huge enough for several people."
"Poison King Valley is thick with yin energy. Nights get freezing. That thin scrap of yours won't cut it."
"Hmm? Haha, don't worry. I'm a martial artist. Ordinary cold doesn't bother me."
"That so? If you get cold, come over to my side."
"Haha, to Young Hero Hyeon's side? No chance of that."
We'll see about that.
I hadn't brought the oversized blanket for nothing.
As darkness fell, Dang Juju burrowed under her blanket and tried to sleep.
It didn't last long. Soon she was trembling hard, suffering.
"Hnnngh... hnnn! Uuuh... c-cold! Hiiit!"
Chatter-chatter-chatter—
Her teeth clacked so loudly I could hear them.
"Hnn-hnn...! Is something wrong with my body? Why... like this... clack-clack...! Hnn-hnn... t-too cold."
Dang Juju shook from head to toe, teeth hammering together under the brutal chill.
It'll only get colder soon.
The cave we slept in channeled cold-spring earth energy. Daytime hid it, but night maximized the yin qi until the cold sank straight into the bones.
This wasn't the cold of a winter snowfield.
Winter air chill faded if you layered clothes or sat by a fire. Martial artists could simply circulate inner energy to block ordinary winter cold.
But the cold of Cold Spring Cave was something else entirely.
It's cold-spring earth energy seeping into the body. Bone-deep, agonizing cold no one can endure. Even a fire right beside you won't stop it.
I'd chosen this spot on purpose.
Dang Juju, unaware that cold-spring energy flowed here, had treated it like any ordinary cave. Now the bone-piercing cold had her trembling.
More time passed.
"Hnnk-hnnk...! C-cold... ah, it hurts...! Clack-clack... m-my body...! Hiiit!"
Chatter-chatter— chatter-chatter—
She was past mere cold now—writhing in pain.
"Hnnk, Y-Young Hero Hyeon...! Hiik!"
"Yeah? What?"
"Hnn... I-I... t-too cold. Bones... freezing... cold...! Hiiit!"
"Didn't I tell you? Poison King Valley is full of yin energy—nights get viciously cold."
"Hnn...! N-need fire. L-light a fire for me."
"Sure."
I granted her wish and built a fire.
Crack— pop-pop—
The campfire flared to life, brightening the cave.
"Hiiik...! C-cold...! Even with the fire... s-still cold...!"
That's cold-spring energy for you. Fire only warms the air outside; it can't drive out the chill already inside the body. Like a fever chill that keeps you shivering even in a blazing room.
"Y-Young Hero Hyeon...!"
"Yeah?"
"D-do something...! Save me. My bones ache... it hurts... hnn...!"
At last Dang Juju broke and surrendered, begging me to save her.
"There's only one way to beat cold like this."
"W-what is it...?"
"A man and woman strip naked and hold each other."
"Hiit... naked...?"
Chatter-chatter— chatter-chatter—
Even while her teeth rattled, her eyes went round with shock.
Of course she was shocked—I'd just told her to embrace me naked.
"We warm each other with body heat. Man and woman, holding tight, create harmony that generates heat. People call a man-woman relationship a 'hot' one, right? When they meet, they burn because of yin-yang balance."
"Th-then... y-you want me to... g-get naked... and you too... hiik!"
"Exactly. Hold each other and the cold will leave."
"N-naked... hnn...!"
"Refuse if you want. Just sleep in the cold."
"Hiik! N-no...! T-too cold. Whole body shaking... can't sleep. No—it hurts. Hnn...!"
"So what's it going to be? Going to hold me naked and sleep?"
"H-hold Young Hero Hyeon... n-naked...? Hnn... clack-clack-clack...!"
Chatter-chatter— chatter-chatter—
Her teeth kept hammering. Not mere cold—extreme internal chill freezing her bones, making her entire body quake. No one could endure it.
For a virgin, stripping naked to embrace a man was unthinkable. But bone-searing agony left no room for pride.
"Hnnngh...! I-I'll do it. I-if it beats the cold. But... does it really work?"
"It does. If it fails, you can beat me to death—why would I lie?"
"Hnn...! F-fine. Th-then... do it."
"Good. Strip and come lie beside me."
"Hnn, y-yeah... o-okay."
Dang Juju began undressing where she sat. Even that proved difficult—her hands shook too hard to grip the ties.
"Can't even undress properly, huh."
"Hnn, m-my hands feel frozen. No feeling. Hnn!"
"Then ask me for a favor."
"Hnn, what favor?"
"Ask me to undress you."
"Young Hero Hyeon...? Hnnn, p-please. Undress me. Hnn!"
"Since Miss Dang asked so nicely, I'll oblige."
At last she herself begged me to strip her clothes away.
Rustle— soft rustle—
"Hiit...! Hnn-hnn...! E-embarrassing."
"What's embarrassing?"
"I-I'm... it's my first time."
"First what?"
"Hnn, being naked in front of a man."
"So you're still a virgin who's never been with a man?"
"Hit, o-of course I am!"
Right—she hadn't been violated yet, so her virginity remained intact.
And now she was about to show me her bare body for the very first time.
Piece by piece the clothes came off, revealing Dang Juju's dazzling naked form.
Fuck, she really is beautiful.
Even if this was a game, every sensation felt identical to reality. Looking at her face and bare body, I couldn't help but marvel.
No—I couldn't help but get hard.