Chapter 71 – The Demoness (2)

“I am the fucking Demoness,” Hong Yeon-hwa said in a calm voice, then slowly withdrew her demonic powers.

The demon, which had been so massive that it could block out the sun, disappeared into thin air, leaving only Hong Yeon-hwa standing there, her fist clenched towards the sky.

Only the traces carved into the heavens remained, as if to remind everyone that what they had just witnessed was no illusion.

From this day forward, no one in this place would dare to antagonize Hong Yeon-hwa because she had mastered the demonic arts.

There was no reason to, and even if they did, it would be utterly meaningless, as she had proven with a single strike.

Those who stood on the martial arts stage and those who remained in the spectator seats could do nothing but be overwhelmed by her.

Why wasn’t she moving?

Could it be that she was half-exhausted, like when her internal energy was insufficient and she turned into a fucking weakling?

But I heard that she had almost fully recovered recently…

As I looked at Hong Yeon-hwa with a worried heart, I realized that I had been mistaken.

Right now, Hong Yeon-hwa… was looking at me with her pink eyes sparkling, sending me a gaze full of anticipation.

Did you see it? Did you just see it?

How do you feel? Are you surprised?

Aren’t I fucking amazing? Didn’t I do well?

If she had a tail, wouldn’t it be wagging like crazy?

In this situation, the first thing she does is to observe my reaction.

With that thought in mind, all the reverence I had felt just moments ago disappeared, replaced by an indescribable impulse.

As if being pushed by something, I crossed the martial arts stage without realizing it and pulled Hong Yeon-hwa towards me in one swift motion.

“Ah!”

She pretended to be surprised, but I saw her mouth twitching the moment I approached.

The sensation of Hong Yeon-hwa’s massive breasts pressing against my stomach lingered for a moment before fading away.

“No, why are you so fucking cool? Huh? Why is our Demoness so fucking cool!”

“Hehe… This is how I am!”

As I lifted her up, Hong Yeon-hwa, who was now all flustered, stretched out her ample chest and raised both arms.

It felt like her eyes, which were slightly closed, were demanding something.

I was enjoying her cute gestures for a moment, when Hong Yeon-hwa opened one eye and started to examine me with a mischievous gaze.

Are you not going to applaud and do something instead?

Raising my arms as if to respond, I pressed my hands against Hong Yeon-hwa’s soft cheeks, causing her duck-like lips to naturally pout.

“Hmm?”

As if questioning my sudden action, Hong Yeon-hwa blinked her eyes.

Without hesitation, I kissed her right then and there, as if to say, “What the hell are you doing?”

“Ugh!”

The soft touch, the tickling breath, the warm temperature, the intoxicating scent.

All the things that always made me happy seeped into my heart as I experienced the devil’s touch, unknowingly darkening my once bright thoughts.

If just seeing it was this intense, how did Hong Yeon-hwa, burdened with such demonic power, feel?

I hoped she felt the same healing sensation that I was experiencing.

At first, Hong Yeon-hwa seemed startled by my sudden attack, but she quickly understood my intentions and tilted her head to make it easier for me to kiss her.

How long had we been like this? We briefly separated our lips, only to come together again in an instant.

Waaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

A thunderous cheer erupted from the entire arena, as if the entire martial arts stage was about to collapse.

“What, what is it?!”

Confused, I turned my head quickly and looked around, only to see the cheering crowd.

…Honestly, not only the spectators, but I had completely forgotten about the presence of others.

Feeling guilty, I turned to look at Paeng So-so, and when our eyes met, he let out a deep sigh and held his forehead.

Well, everything I had prepared, like hiding Hong Yeon-hwa’s existence or our engagement, all became meaningless. It was inevitable to feel disappointed…

I’m sorry, Master.

As I lowered my head slightly towards Paeng So-so, Hong Yeon-hwa started poking my side playfully.

“My love, my love. To kiss me in front of so many people… Now you’ve become someone who can’t marry me, haven’t you?”

“Oh, come on. Didn’t I declare that you’re mine just a few days ago? Seems like it wasn’t enough. Be prepared for tonight.”

Since it had come to this, there was no need to worry about the gossip anymore.

Lately, I had been dealing with my desires alone, and it was getting frustrating. But more than that, I couldn’t stand not being able to tease her.

“Eungheungheung…”

It seemed that Hong Yeon-hwa felt the same, as she nestled her forehead against my chest and giggled softly.

“Oh, by the way, why are the spectators looking so fine? What happened earlier must have been overwhelming for the commoners.”

“Of course, it’s obvious that the Lady controlled the situation. When blocking the attacks with her empty hands, she had to find the ones who threw them. But the return of the Heavenly Demon was merely to show those idiots how foolish they were.”

So the technique that creates a devil like Kang Ki-ro is called Cheonma Jaerim. It suits it perfectly.

“Perhaps to them, it seemed like the Lady defended against Sapa’s attack and displayed her power by joining forces with others who came up on the martial arts stage.”

“And to top it off, I kissed Yeon-hwa passionately, showing how much I love her.”

Seems like even here, we get a Hollywood-style ending.

As we casually chatted, other people who had regained their senses began to gather one by one.

“Hong Unni! You were amazing! It was so cool!”

“Huh?”

Paeng So-so, who arrived first, snatched Hong Yeon-hwa away from me and lifted her up, saying the same words I had just said. Then he spun around in place, showering her with endless praise. But no matter how much it was Hong Yeon-hwa, she seemed a bit embarrassed by the attention and started flailing her arms and legs in protest.

“Let, let me go! Aren’t you holding me too high? I’m getting dizzy!”

…Is she just feeling dizzy?

Paeng So-so’s strange behavior continued until Cheongryongdanju, who arrived late, bowed his head at a right angle.

By the way, I wondered why he showed such hostility towards magic in a world without a mage. Ah, he said he lost his family to magic.

Now that Cheongryongdanju, who had learned that Hong Yeon-hwa was the opposite of the mages he knew, bowed his head, he opened his mouth.

“I… I made a big mistake. I sincerely apologize.”

“Hmm. Now that you know, it’s fine. The Lady has also seen similar people often, so she can understand.”

“Even so, it doesn’t erase the fault of this Danju. Is there anything I can help with? As long as it falls within my abilities and doesn’t go against my principles, I will assist.”

“If there’s something necessary… Ah!”

As if something came to mind, Hong Yeon-hwa reached out her hand in front of Cheongryongdanju.

“Then give me money.”

“H-How much should I give?”

“Just give me everything you have right now.”

Hong Yeon-hwa effortlessly demanded money.

Cheongryongdanju, slightly flustered, handed over his entire bag to Hong Yeon-hwa.

“Hehehe.”

Hong Yeon-hwa, who returned to me with a cheerful smile, handed me the bag.

“Here you go! The Lady has earned some money!”

“Uh, yeah.”

Wait, she’s giving this to me?

Feeling a bit awkward, I accepted the bag, and Hong Yeon-hwa cautiously asked me.

“Don’t you like it?”

“I can’t believe it.”

Judging by the weight I feel in my hands, there must be a considerable amount of money in here.

I don’t really need to spend money now that I’m living in Paengga’s mansion, but it’s true that I’ve almost spent all the money I’ve saved up until now to get here.

Having some money to use in case of emergencies is always reassuring.

But even if that’s not the case, I’m fine with whatever Hong Yeon-hwa gives me.

However… the gazes of those around us are a bit uncomfortable.

I’m the one who told my wife to go out and make money while I’m just fooling around and enjoying myself. That’s the look they’re giving me.

With a slightly gloomy feeling, I picked up my bag and Paeng Soso patted my back, saying,

“Jin-ga, if you needed money, you should have told me. I have a lot of money now.”

“Don’t say that, too. Your father-in-law is giving you a death glare.”

It was while I was whispering with Paeng Soso.

“Ahem. So, can we consider the matter with Cheongryongdanju resolved with this?”

The Wulin Alliance Leader cleared his throat and asked Hong Yeon-hwa.

“Of course. We won’t make an issue out of what has happened so far, so don’t worry.”

“That’s a relief. Ah, by the way, Bindo here is the current Wulin Alliance Leader.”

Bindo… He’s a monk from the Shaman faction. He’s usually gentle, but he’s known for being cold and composed when fighting with enemies.

After a brief introduction, he began discussing future matters.

He mentioned that Hong Yeon-hwa won’t be hostile just because she has learned martial arts.

Or perhaps, since she prevented the potential disaster that could have happened during the attack, she will discuss compensation later.

To demonstrate the strength of the Wulin Alliance, if there are no major issues found during the interrogation, they will proceed with the Yongbongji ceremony… something along those lines.

Anyway, it seemed like things were wrapping up nicely.

“Lastly, regarding the disqualification from the Yongbongji ceremony…”

“Hmm? Are you saying that one of the attackers was a participant?”

“It’s not that. It means that the Heavenly Demon will be disqualified.”

“What? Why is she being disqualified?!”

A startled Hong Yeon-hwa stumbled over her words, but Bindo didn’t bat an eye and firmly replied,

“Well, she’s not a postscript character, is she?”

“….”

“Rules are rules.”