HBWnovel Chapter 239
Chapter 239
Tang Mu-yeong’s suspicion was entirely reasonable.
There was no way Tang So-yeong’s chest could have changed like that.
“What are you talking about? That’s hurtful!” Tang So-yeong protested.
“Silence! Remove that accursed disguise at once!” Tang Mu-yeong barked.
He had encountered countless spiritual beasts in the Mountains of Ten Thousand Beasts.
Storm-summoning birds, mountain-shattering snakes, and even the peculiar mating habits of unicorns and bicorns—he had seen it all.
The Mountains of Ten Thousand Beasts were a realm of the extraordinary, filled with impossible spiritual beings.
And in such a place, was it unreasonable to think there might be a creature imitating a human?
There were plenty of fiendish beings, like the Nacha Clan, that transformed into familiar faces to lull their prey into complacency before devouring them.
“What did you do to So-yeong? Speak immediately!”
“Brother?”
“Do not call me that with your vile mouth!”
Tang So-yeong narrowed her eyes.
What was the point of demanding an answer if he wouldn’t let her speak?
“I am Tang So-yeong! The cherished treasure of the Tang Clan!”
Tang Mu-yeong was left speechless.
Not only did the creature mimic her appearance, but it also had access to personal information.
That meant this fiend had encountered Tang So-yeong before.
“You fiend! What kind of scheme is this? Our So-yeong’s chest is as flat as her back. There’s no way I could mistake it! You can fool others, but not me!”
Initially, Tang So-yeong was happy to see her older brother.
After all, he had always treated her well, as the youngest in the family.
But the more he spoke, the more irritated she became.
What on earth was he so fixated on?
And wasn’t he indirectly insulting her?
“Brother.”
“...You dare address me...”
“No, Tang Mu-yeong.”
A chilling atmosphere filled the air.
Even Pus and Tus had never seen Tang So-yeong look like this before.
“Are you asking to die?”
In less polite terms, Tang So-yeong was furious.
Tang Mu-yeong, who was about to shout again, snapped back to his senses.
“Ah... It seems you really are So-yeong.”
He began to think logically.
After all, only Tang So-yeong could possess such a temper.
Especially someone who would confront him like this, even while he was ready to unleash poison and hidden weapons.
“Good grief, you only listen after I get angry,” Tang So-yeong muttered.
Then a thought crossed her mind—why was he even here?
She had considered the possibility that someone from the Tang Clan might come looking for her.
After all, once the moderate faction realized she had been caught in the radicals’ schemes, they would try to rescue her.
Still, she never imagined the Tang Clan’s heir himself would come.
“How much have you suffered here? You’ve... um, gained a bit of weight.”
It was hard to believe she had suffered, given how neat and tidy she looked.
And that made sense.
The Cheonma Shinkyo had tailored several sets of clothes for Tang So-yeong, allowing her to change outfits almost daily.
With nearby hot springs and cool streams, cleanliness wasn’t an issue.
Her diet had been so abundant that she had even gained a bit of weight.
Her needs and wants were well taken care of, and her interactions with spiritual beasts had been plentiful. Naturally, she looked healthy and radiant.@@@@
Tang Mu-yeong’s gaze shifted from Tang So-yeong to the two spiritual beasts standing beside her.
“...As expected of the Tang Clan’s pride. To tame two rare venomous beasts in such a harsh environment... Perhaps my worries were unfounded.”
“Kioong?”
Pus and Tus tilted their heads.
Tamed? By her?
They turned to look at Tang So-yeong, who met their gaze with a sly smile.
“Hohoho...”
For some reason, she felt it was appropriate to laugh mischievously at this moment.
She poked Pus and Tus on their backs with her finger, as if to say, Play along, just this once.
“You’ve seen through me. Yes, I command two spiders with the potential to become Great Demon Lords, or rather, spiritual beings.”
He needed to get her back to Tang Ga-ta as soon as possible and prepare countermeasures.
“Return to Tang Ga-ta?” Tang So-yeong asked.
“Yes. Once you’re back, you’ll have the—”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can,” she interrupted.
A tense silence filled the air.
Tang Mu-yeong blinked, doubting his ears.
Did she actually like this remote wilderness? Or did she harbor resentment toward Tang Ga-ta?
“The radicals are no longer a threat. Their influence has been decisively curtailed, and everyone involved with the Go Poison has been imprisoned,” he said, trying to reassure her.
“If you say so, then Tang Ga-ta must indeed be safe,” she admitted.
“Then come back—”
“But I can’t,” she said, shaking her head.
Her green eyes weren’t focused on Tang Mu-yeong but somewhere else entirely.
She had wanted to return to the Tang Clan.
However, knowing her life would be in danger if she went back, she had stayed here.
Now, with the radicals eliminated, her safety was assured.
“I’ve already given my body and soul to someone, so I plan to stay here.”
Still, she couldn’t bring herself to leave Gomodo behind.
The sacred spiritual beast revered by the Tang Clan and the Divine Beast of the Gae Gak Sect.
The one who had saved her life countless times.
How could she leave him?
Without her, he would likely spend all day wallowing in despair, letting out pitiful cries of “Geeeng.”
“W-what?” Tang Mu-yeong stammered.
Body and soul?
He struggled to process her words.
No matter how he thought about it, it didn’t sound like a good thing.
“Ugh...”
Tang So-yeong reached up and touched her head.
She understood why Nephila had given her the artifact—there were side effects.
Still, for Tang So-yeong, such minor side effects were a price she was willing to pay.
While she touched her head absentmindedly, Tang Mu-yeong noticed something.
A ring on her fourth finger.
As he stared at it, his thoughts began to connect.
A ring he had never seen before.
Her statement about giving her body and soul.
And the fact that she had gained some weight.
Not just in her chest, but her stomach also seemed slightly rounder.
No. It couldn’t be.
Surely not.
He kept repeating these thoughts, desperately clinging to denial, when the final blow landed.
“Ugh...” Tang So-yeong gagged slightly, a side effect of the Fung-Yuhwan.
Clatter.
The hidden weapon in Tang Mu-yeong’s hand fell to the ground.
Despite his denial, everything pointed to a single conclusion.
But no—it still wasn’t certain.
Clinging to his last hope, he looked at Tang So-yeong.
“...Ah...”
And then he saw her hastily covering her abdomen.
She had done so because the Fung-Yuhwan was slipping into an awkward position, but Tang Mu-yeong interpreted it differently.
To him, it looked as though she was cradling something precious.
Something she held dearer than her own life.
He could no longer deny it.
“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal!”