Chapter 210
Chapter 210
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Choice
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Who the hell puts a ring inside a liquor bottle to give to someone?
And that too, after I'd told her multiple times I already have a girlfriend.
If this were Earth, she wouldn't have a leg to stand on in court.
...The problem is there's no one in the world who could drag her away.
Come on, you have to know when to quit hitting on someone. Why go after a guy who's taken?
Does she have a fetish for stealing other women's men or something?
'...'
It was just a half-joking thought, but I couldn't completely rule it out.
Considering that sinister vibe of hers, it wouldn't be surprising if she did.
Thinking about it, unless she really did have that kind of taste, it didn't make sense for her to come on this strong to someone who already has a girlfriend, no matter how much she liked me at first sight...
'Haa.'
The more I thought about it, the more I realized I'd hooked the wrong fish.
Fine, whatever. A ring. She could give me one, sure.
It was pretty weird to stick it in a liquor bottle, but since I love drinking, maybe she thought it'd be fitting. Not impossible to understand.
The real issue was that she gave it to me on the day we first met—a guy who already has a girlfriend.
It was such a mess I didn't even know where to start criticizing.
"Argh, what kind of woman is she...?"
The stress I'd just started to unwind with some drinks surged right back up.
First things first, there was something I had to deal with immediately.
Get rid of this ring somehow.
No way in hell was I going to wear it.
I haven't even exchanged rings with my wives yet—what makes her think I'd wear this one?
-Tap tap
'...First, clean it off a bit...'
Because it had been soaking in the bottle, the ring reeked of booze, so I scrubbed it thoroughly with water and stared at it with a troubled frown.
At first glance, it was clearly a high-end piece.
A ring made of gold embedded with what looked like expensive gems—why the hell would anyone shove something like that in a liquor bottle?
No way someone like the Heavenly Demon is short on cash, so if I took it to a jeweler, it'd fetch dozens of gold pieces easy.
For a ring from someone I'm not interested in—especially when I already have a girlfriend—that's probably the best way to handle it.
'The problem is who it's from.'
If it weren't from the Heavenly Demon, that is.
If it were someone I'd never see again, sure, sell it. But I have to meet her again within five months? Selling this ring would be a straight path to ruining my life.
'Can't wear it, can't toss it or sell it...'
So what options did that leave?
Just hide it in my robes and carry it around, I guess.
'...No, but I need to make her lose interest.'
I have to get her to stop paying attention to me, but not hate me too much, or that'll backfire.
The best is to make her completely indifferent, no matter what I do. But finding that perfect line is tricky.
I don't even know what about me caught her eye so badly, and I don't know her personality well either.
My best guess: she saw my bare face peeking through my cloak, loves booze just like me, and I was chatty while we drank together...
'...What if I quit drinking?'
She seems like as much of a drinker as I am, so if I swear off alcohol, maybe she'll lose interest?
A lightbulb went off over my head, and I smacked my fist into my palm.
This is it.
Sure, looks play a part, but it's our shared hobby that hooked her. If I kill that hobby match, her interest should fade naturally.
I won't be able to drink with her anymore, but at least I won't be in danger because of her...
'Ah, no. Don't get cold feet.'
As much as I love booze, there's a limit. I can't sell my life for it.
Realizing how disappointed I felt at the thought of never tasting those drinks again made me suspect I might have a serious alcohol problem.
With my life on the line, who cares about some booze?
'...Maybe I really should quit drinking.'
I'd indulged without restraint because my body handles alcohol so well—maybe I'd literally turned into someone whose blood runs with booze.
If I kept going like this, I might end up straight in the Demonic Cult's basement. Time to quit for real.
.......
-Rattle
Just one more drink today.
Dang Ayoung, who had gone out to score points with his Master while showing her around the city, was sweating bullets in more ways than one.
A disaster had struck not long ago, but humans are adaptable creatures, and people had started moving again, so the city had regained some of its former bustle. Still, there wasn't much worth showing.
Most buildings had been blown away entirely or were under reconstruction even if they remained.
She had no choice but to stick to the outskirts, where the damage was lighter.
"H-How is it? The secular world isn't so bad, right?"
"It seems fine."
His Master replied like that, sticking out her tongue to lick the tanghulu she'd bought earlier.
Like master, like disciple—the way she ate was remarkably similar.
For someone who'd spent so long in the mountains, her quick adaptation made Dang Ayoung feel awkward for trying to explain even trivial things.
"I-Is there anywhere else you'd like to see? Your hometown is Sichuan, but I've lived here a long time, so I know most places... You ordered clothes yesterday, so no interest in jewelry?"
"Not particularly."
-Lick
...Such confidence that she didn't need those things to be pretty.
The effortless grace in her every movement made Dang Ayoung think this must be the charm of an older woman—something she herself lacked.
'Come to think of it, I've heard men tend to prefer women like their mothers.'
Thinking of how his personality—spoiled and whiny like a kid throwing a tantrum—matched her looks, it didn't seem entirely wrong.
Just look at that overflowing maternal love.
How much pampering must he have gotten growing up for a man his age to act like that with her...
'Ahem.'
Well, that's part of his charm.
He tried to act all serious and stoic normally, but the way he turned clingy like a child at the slightest hardship or pressure only drew her in more.
She'd thought he was just hot, but his personality made her want to pin him down and...
"...I heard my disciple ran a fortune-telling shop."
"Y-Yes?!"
"Was it in this village too?"
"Y-Yeah! It was! Shall I show you?!"
"...Let's take a look. I heard he made a living off it in the secular world."
She hadn't realized she'd let her mind run wild with his Master right there beside her.
It was vulgar in many ways, but she had her excuses.
Lately, with no telling when danger might strike, she hadn't had many chances to relieve her urges. And now, with his Master staying at the house, she couldn't even sneak into his room...
At an age bursting with vitality, going weeks without release meant her desires were piling up inevitably.
And masturbating alone while he and his Master were both home? That would look way too suspicious...
"Th-This way... One moment."
It was land she'd secured for him, but prime real estate even by Shaanxi standards.
He probably knew, but it was one of the best spots for a shop or stall—hard to come by. She'd pulled strings to make it happen.
Even for her, as a student back then, it had been a stretch, but she figured he was worth the investment and borrowed help from her family.
And now, look where that led.
'...Though back then, it was his abilities that drew me in.'
She'd coveted his precognition, and if it was real, she'd been prepared as a Tang Clan member to sacrifice herself and bring him in as a son-in-law.
She never imagined she'd fall for him first.
Back then, romance was the last thing on her mind—she was obsessed with advancing her cultivation.
And the result?
[If that's your choice, I won't stop you.]
...She'd mostly given up on martial arts training long ago.
As a warrior, no—as a woman, she wanted to live more as the latter.
Things had been sealed with Lightning Sword and the Sword Empress getting involved, but honestly, the scales had tipped even before that.
Any ordinary warrior might not understand, but she was a Tang Clan warrior from Sichuan—the clan head's daughter, no less.
With poison running through her veins, pursuing higher realms meant giving up something.
Something she absolutely didn't want to lose.
And if she refused to give that up, she had to abandon what was on the other side of the scale.
[I'm sorry... I...]
[It's fine. Whatever you choose, supporting you on the path to happiness is what a father should do. I'll handle the elders, so don't worry.]
[I'm sorry...]
It was a decision after much agonizing, but contrary to her fears, Father had comforted her with warm words.
[You're talking like you committed some grave sin. It's true the elders pinned great hopes on you since childhood, but our Tang Clan won't crumble just because one person sets down her weapons. If it were that fragile, we'd have fallen long ago.]
[...Pfft.]
[Some of those old fogeys will be thrilled. Time to push their own kids forward. And you know support funds will drop if you choose this path.]
[Of course. I'm prepared.]
[Good. Nothing more to say, then. Sigh... I had a bad feeling ever since I saw you like that before...]
[Ahahaha...]
[...Well. You take after your mother, so you'll figure it out without my advice. I'm almost worried for that guy...]
[Dear?]
[Ahem! Anyway! If you're getting married, do it soon. Choosing this path without tying the knot will have those grumpy elders baying for blood...]
...Not just because of Dad, but seeing wedding invites from friends had her thinking the same lately.
Lightning Sword and Sword Empress seemed past that age, so she was the only one who could nudge him.
And for that, she had to convince one person.
-Blaze
'Gotta make the best impression possible...!'
Dang Ayoung burned with determination as she guided her future mother-in... no, his Master.
-Lick
'Should bring more next time. There's a reason she likes it.'
The woman herself, however, wasn't thinking much of it.