HBWnovel Chapter 240
Chapter 240
“Ah, you scared me! Why are you yelling all of a sudden?” Tang So-yeong asked, clutching her stomach.
Tang Mu-yeong froze, realizing his mistake.
Yelling like that in front of someone... possibly pregnant?
“...I’m sorry. It was just so unexpected.”
“Unexpected? Well, I didn’t see this coming either.”
Tang So-yeong’s eyes held a mix of emotions as she spoke.
How could she have known she’d meet Gomodo here and end up becoming one of his followers?
As she reminisced, a faint smile crept onto her lips.
Of course, Tang Mu-yeong interpreted it differently.
“How... how could this happen...? So-yeong, are you really alright?”
“Alright? What do you mean?”
“I don’t mean to be blunt, but for someone your age, this must be such a heavy burden. As your brother, I want to congratulate you, but I can’t help but worry.”
“Ahem. I’m just doing what I’m supposed to do.”
As a member of the Tang Clan, especially someone with high affinity for spiritual beings and extensive knowledge, it was natural for her to serve Gomodo.
But once again, Tang Mu-yeong misunderstood her meaning.
“Doing what you’re supposed to do...”
How could someone so small say such a thing so confidently?
He stood there, shocked, before regaining his composure.
If Tang So-yeong had become pregnant in the Mountains of Ten Thousand Beasts, the father was likely someone from the Cheonma Shinkyo.
Hadn’t he heard that the sect leader had made contact with Tang So-yeong?
If that were true, the father might be one of the sect’s high-ranking members—or even a blood relative of the sect leader.
If someone had forced themselves on his sister, Tang Mu-yeong would have unleashed poison and destroyed everything, alliance be damned.
But judging by Tang So-yeong’s demeanor, she seemed infatuated with the person.
Her neat appearance and radiant complexion suggested that whoever it was had treated her well.
It was already water under the bridge, so Tang Mu-yeong decided to look at the situation as positively as possible.
The Cheonma Shinkyo, despite its fearsome reputation, had shown a surprisingly human side.
Even their sect leader was someone he could hold a conversation with.
The Cheonma Shinkyo was, after all, made up of people.
Surely they would welcome a child of the Tang Clan’s daughter with open arms.
This wasn’t the outcome he had hoped for, but at least the alliance between the Tang Clan and the Cheonma Shinkyo would grow stronger.
Of course, as Tang So-yeong’s brother, not just the Tang Clan’s heir, his feelings were complicated.
“Ahem. So that’s how it is... Then... might this brother learn the name of the father?”
“The name? Well, I just call him Gomodo.”
“Gomodo?”
Not a sect leader, not an elder, but Dae-hyeop?
Tang Mu-yeong’s eyebrow twitched.
If the man had given her a ring, he clearly had feelings for her, but the title was oddly informal.
“Yes, Gomodo Dae-hyeop.”
“Well... I suppose it’s fortunate that you’ve met a man worthy of being called Dae-hyeop. Your first relationship is always—”
“It’s not my first.”
Tang So-yeong interrupted him mid-sentence.
Tang Mu-yeong’s face turned crimson again.
“Not... your first...?”
“Let’s see... I think I’m about the fourth?”
In terms of the order she joined the Gae Gak Sect, that was accurate.
But once again, Tang Mu-yeong misunderstood her words.
“Fourth... Not the first... but the fourth...”
“Still, Gomodo Dae-hyeop values me the most, so there’s no issue.”
“Kioong?”
There’s an old saying: A hero loves many women.
It wasn’t unusual for a capable and powerful man to have multiple partners.
Even Tang Seong-ik had five wives, so it wasn’t entirely strange.
But this didn’t apply to someone marrying a daughter of the Tang Clan.
Unless it was an exceptional case, the rule was one husband, one wife.
Moreover, husbands of Tang Clan daughters were expected to live in Tang Ga-ta.
The fact that Tang So-yeong wasn’t the first bothered him, but it wasn’t the most important thing.
What mattered was whether she was loved by her partner.
While he didn’t entirely trust Tang So-yeong’s claims, her assertion that she was the most cherished offered some reassurance.
“Well, what does he like the most, then?”
“Hmm... It’s nothing you could give him. But after that... probably food? He seems to like large portions of meat.”
“Large portions of meat? Well, on the way here, I saw a plump pheasant. It looked quite appetizing. I suppose I could catch it for him, even if it’s a small gesture.”
“A pheasant? Hmm, I don’t think that’d even be a mouthful for him.”
Not even a mouthful?
What did she mean by that?
A plump pheasant was large enough that even an adult man couldn’t finish it alone.
“He must have quite the appetite. Well, I suppose that’s fine.”
“...I think you’re misunderstanding. It’s not an exaggeration—he’d literally eat it in one bite.”
Tang Mu-yeong scoffed.
“Hah, what nonsense is that? No human could—”
He stopped mid-sentence, covering his mouth.
He had nearly called the man a beast—his future brother-in-law, no less.
“...My foolish tongue.”
“Huh? No, it’s fine. You’re not wrong, after all.”
Not wrong?
“Don’t tell me... he acts like a beast in bed?”
“What are you talking about? He acts like a beast during the day too.”
“He doesn’t even wait for nightfall? This insolent—!”
By then, Tang So-yeong realized that Tang Mu-yeong had misunderstood something.
And it wasn’t hard to figure out what it was.
She hadn’t revealed Gomodo’s true identity.
Tang So-yeong didn’t want to be the one to explain it—it would just make things more troublesome.
She decided it would be better for Gomodo to handle that himself.
Still, she thought it might be a bit much to keep everything hidden, so she decided to reveal a little more.
“Well, Gomodo Dae-hyeop is a lizard.”
A brief silence followed.
Tang Mu-yeong’s mouth hung slightly open as he stared blankly, his expression oddly similar to Tang So-yeong’s when she was lost in thought.
“...A lizard?”
“Yes, a very large lizard.”
There was no better description for him.
“So... Gomodo Dae-hyeop isn’t human but a lizard?”
“Exactly!”
“And my little sister... is with a lizard...”
Tang Mu-yeong, who was already misunderstanding the situation far more deeply than Tang So-yeong realized, was struck speechless.
“Kuh...!”
He staggered, coughing up blood, before collapsing.
“...What’s wrong with him now?”
*
Crunch!
Tang So-yeong looked down at the fallen wild boar.
This should be enough meat.
If the Red Dragon were here, she’d need to hunt another, but the dragon was currently visiting the Hwasan Sect.
Hopefully, she’s doing alright.
Tang So-yeong wasn’t too worried.
Even if the Red Dragon failed her mission, she could easily take care of herself.
A massive spiritual beast that flew through the skies, spewing fireballs—how could anyone stop her?
They’d probably just let her go, praying she wouldn’t cause more destruction.
And even without making a scene, the Red Dragon was strong enough to defeat even Akbulhwi, a grandmaster of the Flowering Sword Technique. Surely, they’d just beg her to leave peacefully.
Having the Red Dragon around made cooking meat easier, though.
It had been so long since she’d had meat.
Plain roasted meat wouldn’t do this time.
She needed something spicier, something that would stir her soul.
Yes, something with heat.
She wanted fiery, spicy food.
Something that would explode with flavor, leaving her mouth tingling.
...Was there anything like that around here?