Chapter 139

"Miss Hwan, we're back."

Cheong-ra, heading towards the east wing, greeted Hwan-hong with a smile as she was playing with young spirit beasts. Instead of greeting, Dang Ran-yeong threw the box he had received from the Martial Arts Alliance Leader. As Hwan-hong caught it reflexively, looking puzzled, Dang Ran-yeong said,

"I've absorbed some of the poisonous energy, but the centipede venom is potent, so don't open the lid for at least a year and leave it in a sunny spot."

Hwan-hong and Cheong-ra's eyes widened at the mention of centipede venom. Hwan-hong stroked the box with trembling hands and asked,

"Could this be... the Ink-scaled Centipede's inner core?"

"Yes. I got back what the Alliance Leader had taken. It's originally yours, so you should have it back."

Hwan-hong let out a sigh and hugged the box preciously. Although she tried to appear composed, her eyes reddened slightly, and Cheong-ra looked away pretending not to notice. Hwan-hong expressed her gratitude in a trembling voice, but Dang Ran-yeong turned away as if it wasn't a big deal. Cheong-ra followed Dang Ran-yeong, wanting to give Hwan-hong some privacy, and asked,

"You could have asked for something else besides the Ink-scaled Centipede's inner core."

Honestly, it was unexpected. Dang Ran-yeong was far from intimate with his companions, sometimes even looking at them as if they were bothersome baggage. As he walked with long strides, Dang Ran-yeong answered nonchalantly. His tone suggested he had done something obvious.

"I take full responsibility for those I've taken in."

Hearing those words, Cheong-ra could understand why people from The Pavilion of Golden Fragrance and the merchant group, including Hwan-hong, showed such loyal attitudes despite fearing Dang Ran-yeong. Also, realizing that he was one of the people Dang Ran-yeong would take responsibility for made his heart flutter pleasantly.

What exactly did that responsibility entail? At least it was certain that it included life and revenge. As Cheong-ra was pondering the extent of this, Dang Ran-yeong slipped into a pavilion. It didn't seem like he had just stumbled upon it, but rather as if he knew the way, which made Cheong-ra ask curiously,

"How did you find this place so easily?"

"I've laid out a formation here. I can just follow its energy."

'Is that... possible?'

Certainly, if one knew there was a formation and concentrated, there was a strange feeling, but to detect it from far away - Dang Ran-yeong's senses must be incredibly keen. As Cheong-ra entered the building without much thought, he asked,

"What kind of formation?"

The interior was arranged in the style Dang Ran-yeong preferred, suggesting it was a space for the merchant group owner. In other words, it was extremely luxurious and lavish.

"It's good for security since sounds from inside can't be heard outside."

Cheong-ra, who had been looking around the interior, paused. Why did the statement about sounds from inside not being heard outside sound so meaningful?

By the way, shouldn't he be going to the east wing where Monk Gang-ryong and Young Master Wi were? Why had he so naturally followed Dang Ran-yeong in? As Cheong-ra was confused about when he had become so accustomed to this, Dang Ran-yeong opened a box placed on the table.

"The items sent from The Pavilion of Golden Fragrance have arrived. Perfect timing."

Curious about what had been sent from The Pavilion of Golden Fragrance, Cheong-ra tilted his head. Inside the box were luxurious items such as fine silk cloths, candles, and jade carvings. Dang Ran-yeong picked up one of them and examined it carefully. The corners of his mouth curved into a smooth line.

"This one will do nicely this time."

"What is that used for?"

To Cheong-ra, it looked like it might be depicting a leaping fish, or perhaps a curved flower bud. Since he had never seen such a shape before, it might have been another of Dang Ran-yeong's hidden weapons. However, its true nature was even more terrifying than that.

"It's to punish Beauty."

"What?"

Cheong-ra's gaze trembled at the calm answer. Looking again, it didn't just seem strange, but very strange. It was even more so considering he didn't know how it would be used to punish him. Cheong-ra took a step back.

"No, wait. What... why? I've only done it twice..."

"After receiving this punishment, you should be properly aware of what your hands are doing. It was the third time while we were in the carriage."

Cheong-ra opened his mouth in surprise. Did I scratch my chest while riding in the carriage? Hearing Dang Ran-yeong's words, he vaguely remembered doing so. Cheong-ra realized his condition was worse than he thought and shook his head vigorously, startled.

"We should talk about what the Alliance Leader asked first!"

"Would such trivial talk be more enjoyable than punishing Beauty?"

Not "more important," but "more enjoyable"... Meeting Dang Ran-yeong's eyes, Cheong-ra fled without looking back.

***

"Attempting futile escapes every time must be because Beauty is so lustful. Deep down, you want to receive a greater punishment."

"Ah, you...!"

Cheong-ra twisted his body, exhaling ragged breaths. As always, he had struggled with all his might, but the result was the same. Being dragged in and completely subdued, pinned down. He hadn't even managed to escape far. He had barely run out of the building when he was caught by the nape of his neck.

His arm twisted behind his back and his legs pinned down by the muscular body ached unbearably, but the weight didn't lessen. Although Cheong-ra knew well that Dang Ran-yeong wouldn't leave permanent scars on his body, he felt fear each time that his body might be damaged.

"It's because you enjoy being treated like this."

Dang Ran-yeong condemned him in a voice tinged with laughter as he painfully twisted Cheong-ra's other arm.

"That's not true!"

Cheong-ra's ears burned hot as he shouted this denial. Contradicting his denial of Dang Ran-yeong's words, heat had been gathering between his legs from the moment he was pinned down like this. Still, there was some composure left in Cheong-ra's mind.

At least until Dang Ran-yeong took out the silk cloth from the box to tie his hands.

"No!"

He twisted his body in shock, but it only intensified the pain as if his arm would be torn off. Cheong-ra knew well from past experiences how difficult it would be if he was tied up while strange tools were used. He tried to get up abruptly, but in the blink of an eye, both his arms were tightly bound, causing him to sit back down.

Then Dang Ran-yeong easily flipped Cheong-ra over. As he opened Cheong-ra's collar, his bare chest was fully exposed. There was a red mark like a bruise in the center of his chest. Cheong-ra's eyes widened, not realizing it had become this severe even though he had occasionally hit and scratched it when feeling stuffy and itchy.

'You must have scratched your chest so openly because you wanted to be treated like this?'

Clicking his tongue shortly in disapproval, Dang Ran-yeong grabbed one side of Cheong-ra's chest firmly. His grip was so strong that flesh bulged between his fingers, and Cheong-ra bit his lip to suppress a groan from the tearing pain.

"If it's so itchy, shall I scratch it for you?"

"Ah!"

But finally, a cry escaped his lips. It was because Dang Ran-yeong's nails had roughly scratched his nipple. He scratched the innocent area painfully a few times, then pinched and twisted it so hard it seemed like he might crush it between his fingers. The flesh was flattened between his fingers.

"Aagh...!"

His fingertips were so hard that it felt like the nipple might come off. Cheong-ra had thought he would stop after tormenting him moderately, but the pain of his nipple being compressed and twisted between the fingers only intensified. However, instead of begging him to let go or stop, he endured stubbornly.

"Can you handle this much now?"

"Hngh...!"

Only after admiring Cheong-ra's contorted face for a while did Dang Ran-yeong let go. The long-tormented nipple had swollen red. His chest was now mottled with additional red bruises in the shape of handprints. However, he couldn't pay more attention to his painful chest. Dang Ran-yeong had picked up that object again.

"Now, Beauty. It's time to settle accounts, including the punishments I've been putting off."

The punishments he had been putting off... That surely referred to when Cheong-ra had left the villa while Dang Ran-yeong was away. Cheong-ra looked at the strange object with an already frightened gaze.

It was something slightly thicker and longer than two fingers combined, and at first glance, it looked like a dynamically carved curved carp. It appeared expensive, being smooth overall with each scale intricately crafted. One peculiar point was that the tail fin was unusually long, almost like a handle.

Dang Ran-yeong kindly brought it close to Cheong-ra's eyes for a detailed view.

"This is called the 'Joyful Leaping Carp' at The Pavilion of Golden Fragrance. It's said that anyone will jump with joy once it's inserted."

Having heard the explanation, Cheong-ra became even more terrified. He already knew well from experience that there were more ways to torment a person than just pain.