Tang Sowol’s drunken rambling repeated itself endlessly.
I wasn’t really paying attention—my focus was more on the sensation of her body leaning against my shoulder. But for Seol Lihyang and Seo Mun-Hwarin, it was clearly an exhausting ordeal.
“Hey! Cheon Hwi-da! Do something about Tang Sister!”
“I think I’ve heard the kidnapping story at least seven times now…”
“Well, I suppose it’s about time to put a stop to it.”
Nodding, I lightly shook Tang Sowol, who had practically collapsed against me.
“So then, Brother Cheon told me—huh? What’s going onnn?”
“Tang Sowol. I think you’ve had enough. No, actually, you have had enough.”
“Huhhh? But I’m at the perfect buzz right now. Don’t be such a killjoyyy.”
“Then that means I haven’t quite passed it yet, right? Just one more! One last drink!”
“…Fine. Just one last drink.”
Shaking my head, I picked up yet another bottle of liquor and poured it into her cup.
And then—
Press.
I directly sealed her pressure points, paralyzing her.
Tang Sowol’s martial realm had advanced considerably, so this wasn’t an easy feat.
However, since she had been clinging to me so closely, she was completely off guard.
Besides, her dulled reflexes from intoxication made it much easier.
I hadn’t pressed too hard, so she would recover quickly.
But before that, I placed my palm on her back, intending to expel the alcohol from her system.
Wooong—
As I channeled my inner energy, the scent of strong liquor began pouring out from her breath.
I didn’t remove all of the alcohol, but at least enough for her to regain her senses.
Indeed, her flushed face was rapidly returning to normal before my eyes.
Though she still couldn’t move… perhaps that would give her more time to reflect on what she had done.
I smirked, choosing not to release her acupoints just yet.
Instead, I slid an arm under her neck and legs and lifted her into my arms.
“Unfortunately, tonight’s drinking session ends here.”
“…Huh. Didn’t expect you to seal her acupoints without hesitation. But hey, at least you did something.”
“I-I suppose that’s to be expected from someone experienced in these matters…!”
Seol Lihyang shook her head with an unreadable expression, while Seo Mun-Hwarin forced out an awkward compliment.
It was probably because Tang Sowol, in her drunken stupor, had spent the entire night retelling her kidnapping story over and over.
“Seol Lihyang, you handle the bill. I’ll take Tang Sowol upstairs and put her to bed.”
“But I don’t have my coin pouch with me.”
“I have it. Just take it.”
“…Huh?!?”
I simply stood there and waited.
Flustered, Seol Lihyang hesitated before slowly approaching me.
Then, after mentally preparing herself, she reached a hand straight into my robe.
Fumble.
Her fingers hesitantly brushed against my chest, awkwardly searching.
It tickled slightly, making me raise a brow.
“…What exactly are you doing?”
“You told me to take the pouch myself.”
“…And why are you digging through my robe?”
“Because I need to find it.”
“…You mean the pouch that’s hanging from my waist?”
“…Oh.”
Seol Lihyang blinked.
She slowly pulled her hand out of my robe, cleared her throat, and acted like nothing had happened.
“Ahem. The pouch was here the whole time.”
She casually reached for my waist instead.
But just as she leaned forward, bringing her head closer, I whispered.
“…Careful. You’re being awfully bold, considering I have a fiancée.”
Seol Lihyang jumped back like she had been burned.
“T-That’s not what this was!!”
“Oh? You say that, but Tang Sowol is awake and fully aware—just unable to move. And yet, right in front of her, you shamelessly tried to seduce her fiancé.”
“Hey!! You’re making it sound way worse than it actually was!!”
“…But didn’t you actually do something suspicious?”
I chuckled while glancing at Seo Mun-Hwarin, who had been rolling her eyes nervously, failing to find a place to interject.
“Relax. I was just joking. Now go pay the bill. We need to wake up early tomorrow, so don’t stay up too late.”
“…Tch.”
Seo Mun-Hwarin had been concealing her martial prowess, making her seem like an upper first-rate martial artist at best—similar to Seol Lihyang.
So if Seol Lihyang was tired, then Seo Mun-Hwarin must have been too.
Realizing this, Seol Lihyang let out a long sigh.
“…Fine, fine. I’ll go. But first—”
Before leaving, she gently grasped Tang Sowol’s hand and gave it a small shake.
“Tang Sister, it wasn’t like that. Please don’t misunderstand, okay?”
With no response from Tang Sowol, Seol Lihyang nodded to herself and left with Seo Mun-Hwarin to settle the bill.
I watched them leave for a moment before heading upstairs.
Inside one of the rooms we had rented, I carefully laid Tang Sowol down on the bed.
Then, after sitting beside her, I spoke.
“So? How long are you going to pretend? You should’ve regained control of your body a while ago.”
“…Ugh. I was hoping you’d pretend not to notice.”
Tang Sowol flinched.
Her green eyes, still slightly glossy from the alcohol, peeked at me with mild annoyance.
“If you’re that embarrassed, drink in moderation next time. Or at the very least, purge the alcohol regularly.”
“…Yes, yes. I admit, I got too carried away. Lady Seo must think I’m some kind of lunatic, huh?”
“…She probably thinks your drunk habits are strange, not that you are strange. So don’t worry too much.”
“…That’s a relief, at least.”
I sighed, brushing her forehead gently before standing up.
“Finish flushing out the alcohol and get some rest.”
“…I was planning to do that anyway.”
Tang Sowol closed her eyes, reclining comfortably.
With her Poison Spirit Physique, she didn’t even need to use Qi circulation techniques—she could absorb or dispel alcohol with ease.
I wondered what it must be like… to be physically incapable of getting drunk, unless one actively chose to be.
As I silently observed her, she suddenly cracked open one eye and asked.
“If you plan on staying longer, why not just lie down next to me instead of standing there?”
“…Your father is still terrifying, so I’d rather not.”
“Coward.”
“Heh. Just kidding.”
In that short time, Tang Sowol had already expelled all traces of her intoxication.
Now, as if she had never been drunk in the first place, she simply waved her hand at me with her usual calm expression.
I smirked, waved back, and returned to my own room.
I wasn’t as drunk as she had been, but I had definitely had my fair share of drinks.
To shake off the lingering buzz and refine my inner energy, I focused on my Qi circulation practice before bed.
Knock, knock.
A familiar presence stood outside my door.
I immediately got up.
“Wait a moment.”
After quickly adjusting my clothes, I unlocked the door—only to find Seol Lihyang, glancing around suspiciously as if she were up to something shady.
“…What are you doing here this late?”
“Oh, uh… Nothing much. I just forgot to return your coin pouch earlier.”
“You could’ve given it back in the morning.”
“Yeah, but it was bugging me. I mean, I’m just a guest of the Tang Clan. Tang Sister is their actual daughter, and you’re her fiancé. My position is different from yours.”
“We’re among friends. There’s no need to be so formal.”
“Maybe, but still… No matter how close we are, holding onto someone else’s money all night just feels weird. There's quite a lot in here, too. What if I lost it?”
“…Then we’d just track it down using the special poison scent Tang Sowol secretly applied to it.”
“…Wait. Isn’t that the same poison she once put on you? You’re telling me she also put it on the pouch?”
“Well, considering how much money is inside, precautions were necessary.”
Although I had told Tang Jincheon to give me a reasonable sum, his definition of "reasonable" apparently differed greatly from mine.
With that much money at stake, we needed to be careful.
Seol Lihyang simply nodded in agreement.
She hesitated for a moment before speaking in a more cautious tone.
“…Actually, I have a favor to ask, Cheon Hwi-da.”
“…I figured. What is it? Go ahead.”
“It’s nothing serious. It’s just that… while I haven’t neglected external martial arts, I’ve been focusing more on internal energy cultivation.”
“That’s true.”
Due to Glacial True Qi requiring the control of massive energy reserves, prioritizing internal cultivation often meant sacrificing external techniques.
Over the past three years, Seol Lihyang’s martial prowess had improved rapidly, but her physical conditioning had inevitably fallen behind.
“I think all the traveling has worn me out. Even when I practice Qi circulation or get proper rest, I still feel stiff.”
“…And?”
Seol Lihyang hesitated for a long time before leaning in close, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret.
“…Could you do that pressure point massage you used to do for me? It’s been a while…”
“…So that’s what this was about.”
I had wondered why she was being so roundabout.
“Well, we need to wake up early, so let’s make this quick. Come in.”
“Alright!”
She quickly slipped into my room.
Then, with an almost rigid motion, she lay down on my bed—face down.
Maybe it was because we were in a different place, or because it had been so long since I had last done this for her, but…
I suddenly noticed things that had changed over the years.
Her hips had become more defined.
Her chest, slightly pressed against the mattress, spilled out just a little to the side.
Her once lifeless hair had regained its natural shine, contrasting against her pale, porcelain skin.
Her height hadn’t changed much, but everything else had.
And given her Pure Yin Physique and Yin-based martial arts, she would likely continue to change even more in the future.
Just as she had in my previous life.
She probably wasn’t even aware of the subtle allure she was exuding.
Still lying down, she turned her head slightly and asked,
“…Well? Are you going to start?”
“Don’t rush me. I was just about to.”
Shaking my head, I straddled her lower back.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—we had already seen each other at our worst in my previous life.
There was no risk of me being flustered.
Rather than anything inappropriate, the feeling was closer to nostalgia.
Placing my palm gently against her back, I began.
“Hhht?!”
A small sound escaped her lips.
There was still a faint scent of alcohol lingering on her breath.
Meanwhile…
Seo Mun-Hwarin was feeling oddly satisfied.
“Mmm. It feels a little strange, but… they’re all good people.”
Tang Sowol’s drinking habits were a bit troublesome, but aside from that, she was exactly what Seo Mun-Hwarin had imagined a righteous martial artist to be.
Seol Lihyang had treated her like a close friend, always looking out for her.
And Cheon Hwi-da… Well, he kept laughing at her words for some reason, but she could tell he was genuinely considerate.
On top of that, they were all exceptional martial artists.
Of course, the familiar feeling she got from Cheon Hwi-da’s presence and the fact that he was already at Peak Stage at such a young age did bother her a little.
But geniuses were simply like that.
Seo Mun-Hwarin herself was considered a genius, so she understood it well.
The only thing that made her feel a little guilty was the fact that, despite looking like a child, she was actually far older than the others.
But in the end, she was happier than she had been in a long time.
For the first time, it felt like she was reclaiming a piece of her lost life.
She even caught herself grinning when alone.
Perhaps it was because she was still savoring the lingering warmth of her first drinking session with friends.
Unable to fall asleep, Seo Mun-Hwarin finally sat up.
“…Maybe I should go get some fresh air.”
Though her body had reverted to youth, she still retained her full martial prowess.
She wouldn’t suffer from fatigue, even if she stayed up all night.
However, just as she carefully slipped out of her room—
“…Mmh?!”
She heard something strange.
But the voice was familiar.
“…No way…”
Lowering her presence, she silently approached the source of the noise.
It came from Cheon Hwi-da’s room.
Perhaps someone had forgotten to close the door properly, because there was a small gap in the frame.
Gulp.
Swallowing nervously, Seo Mun-Hwarin peeked inside.
And saw it.
Cheon Hwi-da, pressing down on Seol Lihyang’s body, massaging her relentlessly.
Her fiancé, handling the body of another woman… and Seol Lihyang, not resisting at all.
Seo Mun-Hwarin’s entire body stiffened.
She had no idea what to do.
This… This isn’t right…!
Just as she resolved to intervene, she heard—
“Shhh.”
Tang Sowol’s voice.
Seo Mun-Hwarin hadn’t even noticed her approach.
But the real problem…
…was that Tang Sowol didn’t seem remotely surprised.
Instead, she peered into the room, nodded in satisfaction, and smiled.
Seo Mun-Hwarin’s mind blanked.
And then—Tang Sowol, as if preventing her from interfering, gently pulled her back.
A whisper tickled her ear.
“…It’s fine. Everything is as it should be. You should go rest.”
“…?!”
Seo Mun-Hwarin returned to her room in a daze.
And updated her opinion of them.
From slightly strange but good people…
…to good people, but very, very strange.