SWNOVELXO Chapter 184
184th Chapter: The World of Couples
“Then have a great time with Mom and Dad!”
Before I could say anything, Sosumahu slid away into the cave, hiding her presence.
Now it was just the two of us left by the crackling campfire.
I released my hands from her back. This should be enough thud for the Pressure Point Massage. Plus, I had gotten up, after all.
Slide.
I got down from her back.
“…”
Heuksaryong Wi Soryeon still lay there, not getting up.
“Why aren’t you getting up if you’ve woken up?”
Flinch.
Wi Soryeon’s body trembled. Looks like she was still pretending to be out cold.
“I know you’re awake.”
Tap-tap.
I skewered some prepared Mysterious Blood Network meat on a wooden stick and roasted it with a sprinkle of herb salt.
It may not be as good as snake soup, but it was a dragon’s meat, so it had to be cooked properly.
I needed to replenish the Vital Energy to enhance my stamina.
Although I had reached the Stage of Transcendence, the path to enhancing that vitality was endless.
New day, new me.
I had to practice daily to reach absolute stamina. I would never stop Vital Energy Training until I reached the ultimate representation of Gongdong Sect’s Supreme Technique, Purest Life Force.
Flinch.
Wi Soryen trembled again at my words.
I approached her and poked her back lightly.
“Stop pretending to sleep. It’s obvious.”
“U-eugh…”
Wi Soryeon let out a moan. Swooosh.
As she rose from her spot, she covered her ample chest with her clothes and lowered her face, blushing red.
“O-Ora-brother, don’t you have any sense of shame?! Even if I do resemble a man, I am still a woman. Where in the world is a woman who would allow a strange man’s touch yet feel no shame?!”
Her voice echoed through the cave.
She had a point.
Even in modern times, physical contact between men and women outside of a romantic relationship is something to be avoided unless agreed upon.
Let alone in this medieval martial world ruled by Confucianism, which considers the separation of genders a virtue; touch would be even more strictly forbidden.
Touching a woman’s body by an unrelated man, family, or friend is a serious matter.
“I had no choice but to treat your injury.”
But I had a justified reason. I had to make physical contact to treat her injury. If she were a martial artist, she’d understand what I meant.
“But, no matter how much that is…”
Wi Soryeon’s voice grew small. She knew well enough that in a crisis, gender separation could not be considered.
“Eat this. It’s good for your body.”
I handed her a well-roasted piece of Mysterious Blood Network meat. Her eyes widened at the sight of the juicy meat.
She swallowed gulp.
“Th-Thank you…”
“I’ve done the emergency treatment, but you’ll need to recover for a while. About a week…”
Wi Soryeon nodded, receiving the meat.
Her cheeks blushed, perhaps from the heat of the campfire.
If she rested for about a week, she would return to her original self.
“…I-I understand… O-Ora-brother…”
She tore into the roasted Mysterious Blood Network. A glimmer of determination sparkled in her eyes.
“…It’s d-delicious…”
It was just meat roasted with herbs, but in this medieval martial world, where chemical seasonings were undeveloped, it must have tasted quite good.
Especially in a field situation where spices were hard to come by, rather than a proper dish served at an inn.
Yeah.
I finally made up for the shame of the snake soup. I dug into my cooking.
Mmm.
Delicious.
Just then.
“Mom, Dad!”
Suddenly.
From the darkness, gray hair bobbed up. It was Sosumahu. Her eyes sparkled.
Was she asking for meat? I had actually prepared another one, anticipating this.
I handed her the meat.
“It’s delicious… Heehee. Jiyagi loves the food Daddy makes the most!”
Sosumahu took a bite of the meat, flailing her arms as she spoke to me.
Well.
Who made it? I took a bite of the meat. I felt the Vital Energy inside the Mysterious Blood Network flow through my body. My lower body felt heated.
I sensed my stamina rising in real-time.
This was it.
The Mysterious Blood Network was massive, yielding plenty of meat. The internal organs could even be set aside for a soup.
Definitely a tree that gives generously, or rather, a dragon without a doubt.
“Since we need to recuperate for seven days, it’s better not to leave for now.”
I said to Heuksaryong.
Originally, I planned to break through the device to jump to the surface with Heuksaryong and Sosumahu.
If I did that, I would probably become the winner of the Ceremony of Martial Arts to the Heavenly Horse, earning the title of the Ultimate Martial Artist.
Winning the Ceremony of Martial Arts for the Demon Sect on behalf of the White Path Martial World??
Of course, the whole White Path Martial World would praise me, and the lovely maidens of the martial world would definitely have their hearts racing for me.
Fan letters from the lovely maidens of the Black and White Paths would pile up like mountains, and those sleepless girls thinking of me would fill the sea.
So, thinking of my objective, it made sense to break through the device leading to the surface, leaving Heuksaryong and Sosumahu behind.
‘But…’
Yet I couldn’t do it.
Of course, propagating the Color Spectrum and receiving fan letters from the lovely maidens of the Black and White Paths was a significant matter.
It could be considered a core goal of my ten-year plan for heroic charm.
But Heuksaryong had risked her life to save me. I couldn’t abandon someone like Heuksaryong.
I was to be the master of my desires, not a slave to them. I was the one who would pioneer the Color Spectrum, not just dabble in it.
If there was someone I owed a debt to, I must repay it.
Thus I made up my mind. I would take care of Heuksaryong’s injury here at Heavenly Horse Mound for a week. The Demon Realm is quite a dangerous place. The fog is overwhelming, and monsters absorbing demonic energy lurk about.
With her injuries, it was too risky for Heuksaryong to wander outside.
Ironically, the Heavenly Horse Mound, where I could eliminate all risks, was the safest place in the Demon Realm.
‘…What a pity… Gongdong Sect… fan letters… lovely maidens filling the sea…’
Although I decided to stay, I couldn’t help but feel regret.
I envisioned the stacks of fan letters accumulated at the Gongdong Sect Mountain Gate, burning away like a handful of ashes.
The vision of countless maidens dissolved into powder right before my eyes.
I caught sight of Heuksaryong.
Her bobbed black hair, dark eyes, and boyish charm were striking.
Yeah, what good is another maiden? If I can’t steal even one heart from the lovely maiden before me, then all the accumulating fan letters are worthless.
The Color Spectrum isn’t just physical pleasure; it’s a pleasure that encompasses our hearts.
Without gaining her heart, it would be meaningless.
‘Right, it’s all about the heart.’
Everything depends on the heart. A true alpha male wouldn’t need a title like the Ultimate Martial Artist. Just existing would draw women in.
Lost in my thoughts, I reached an epiphany about the Color Spectrum. My consciousness expanded, and my perception broadened.
In front of me lay the universe. An infinitely vast universe sped past me.
It was a moment when I, at the threshold of transcendence, instantaneously reached a mature state.
“Huff.”
I opened my eyes.
Before me were Sosumahu and Heuksaryong.
“Dad! Congratulations!”
Sosumahu waved her hands. Did she feel my changed aura? I patted her head.
With her doing that, she really did feel like a true daughter. For a 108-year-old girl, she sure acted young.
Just then, I heard Heuksaryong speak up.
“C-Can we really stay together for seven days…? O-Ora-brother… Spending so much time on someone like me…”
Heuksaryong fidgeted her fingers nervously, looking slightly intimidated.
Though lacking some context in her question, I understood the implication behind her words.
She was asking if it was okay to waste a week on someone like her instead of going for the victory.
“It doesn’t matter. And you’re not ‘someone like you.’ You risked your life to break my Condition of Deterioration Due to Reversing Heaven. The martial world thrives on debts. I owe you, so I must repay it.”
“B-but if you’re alone, you could still win… I-I…”
“Winning means nothing to me right now. You matter more than winning the Ceremony of Martial Arts. I’ll decide how best to repay this debt and support you. Wi Soryeon. You only need to follow my lead.”
I said, grabbing Wi Soryeon’s shoulder. Her face turned beet red at my words.
Tears welled in her eyes and fell as she hugged me tightly.
“O-Ora-brother… Hwaaaaang…”
She cried in my arms. Why the sudden outburst? I was taken aback.
“Yay! Daddy and Mommy will stay together from now on, right? Jiyagi doesn’t want Mommy and Daddy to part! I love it when everyone gets along!”
Sosumahu chimed in with an odd declaration.
It sounded like a child witnessing a couple reconcile after a fight.
I was honestly losing it.
*
Demon Sect Headquarters.
In the headquarters’ hidden chamber, Changma was meeting with Gangsimajon.
With the Blood Zombie’s body under Gangsimajon’s possession, he looked at Changma and spoke in a chilling tone.
“Open the secret passage to Heavenly Horse Mound, Changma.”
Changma felt cold sweat trickling down his back upon hearing Gangsimajon’s request.
Heavenly Demon Zombie.
The first time he received the report that it had been seized from someone, that overwhelming feeling resurfaced.
While Gangsimajon oversaw the production of the Heavenly Demon Zombie, the actual manufacturing was carried out by Changma and his loyal subordinates.
Naturally, managing the storage of the Heavenly Demon Zombie at Heavenly Horse Mound was also his responsibility. He was the one who created the secret passage to Heavenly Horse Mound, even the Heavenly Horse itself was unaware of it.
The original plan set by Changma and Gangsimajon was to complete the Heavenly Demon Zombie and, once So Cheonma officially assumed the role of the secondary sect leader, exploit her inferiority complex and rally the dissatisfied Omars to challenge the Heavenly Horse.
During the challenge, using the secret weapon, the Heavenly Demon Zombie, they would incite the crowd to believe that Sosumahu had made her entrance, then eliminate the Heavenly Horse and dispose of So Cheonma, putting Changma himself on the throne.
But now, that grand plan seemed to be crumbling from the start. Without the Heavenly Demon Zombie, which was made using Sosumahu as the vessel, facing the current Heavenly Horse was impossible.
Employing Gangsimajon was unattainable. To officially be recognized as the new Heavenly Horse, they had to contend with the internal factions of the New Religion alone; involving external forces would prevent Changma from being acknowledged as the Heavenly Horse by the followers.
Naturally, there would be divisions and internal strife within the New Religion between those who acknowledged Changma as the Heavenly Horse and those who didn’t. Gangsimajon and Changma’s goal was to seize full control of the New Religion. Thus, the fracture within the New Religion must not happen.
“I’ll open it.”
At Changma’s words, Gangsimajon stood up.
“I won’t ask for your head. I’m here to sort out the mess myself, so express your gratitude. Once I finish sorting this out, a new plan to seize the Demon Sect will be created.”
Blood Lord’s Domain.
I cannot allow that scoundrel, who manages the Orthodox Faction Martial World, to take over the Demon Sect.
With this thought, Gangsimajon proceeded with Changma deeper underground into the headquarters.
There lay the entrance to the secret passage leading to Heavenly Horse Mound.