The Price of the Soul-Freezing Pill

Seol Ah-heon’s face turned pale. Never in his life—or lives—did he imagine he would be toyed with by the Young Leader of the Demonic Cult.

‘Actually, I’ve already endured worse, but still…’

This wasn’t exactly a welcome situation. He needed to keep his wits about him. Steeling his trembling voice, Seol Ah-heon spoke up.

“Those were just examples, so you can decide the duration and the frequency yourself, Young Leader. If six months is too short, how about a year? Or, …ngh!”

Baek Geon-ha pulled Seol Ah-heon’s wrist to his lips and bit down near the vein. He didn’t stop at just one nip; he ground his teeth against the skin, making Seol Ah-heon furrow his brows in pain.

“Young Leader……”

“In the last five years, I haven’t been as enraged as I was when you stole the Soul-Freezing Pill. Do you really think you can pay that debt with a mere year?”

If Seol Ah-heon had his all-purpose excuse of ‘Hypnosis,’ then Baek Geon-ha had his all-purpose weapon: the Soul-Freezing Pill. Already tense, Seol Ah-heon shrank back even further.

“I was truly in the wrong for that. ……But I can’t stay by your side forever, can I? Surely you won’t want to keep holding a man indefinitely.”

Baek Geon-ha paused. It was a fleeting hesitation, but Seol Ah-heon felt it against his skin.

‘So this is his weak point.’

Finally, a glimmer of hope appeared. Seol Ah-heon decided to press this advantage aggressively.

“Why would someone as magnificent as you want to hold a lowly man like me? A dark, hairy guy with… well, everything a man has.”

“Yes, you certainly ‘have’ it all. Though you aren’t exactly ‘dark’ or ‘hairy’.”

“W-where are you looking—no, anyway! My point is, there’s no benefit to you in holding me for long. Yin energy isn’t the only important thing in the world, is it? Mental health matters too!”

Flustered, Seol Ah-heon began to ramble. He realized too late that the term ‘mental health’ probably didn’t exist in the Central Plains, but he hoped the context was clear enough.

“To be honest, you don’t actually want to be with a man, do you?”

“…….”

“So, um……. How about we set the duration until you no longer need Yin energy?”

Originally, Seol Ah-heon wanted a firm deadline, not something this vague. But he had no choice. He was the one in a bind, and his bargaining chips were meager.

“’Until I no longer need Yin energy’?”

“For instance, when your condition improves or……”

“You’ve misunderstood something. My need for Yin energy isn’t because of some ‘condition.’ In other words, there is no ‘improvement’ to wait for.”

“Th-then how about until you manage to refine the Soul-Freezing Pill again?”

Baek Geon-ha didn’t respond. To Seol Ah-heon, the silence felt like a positive sign.

‘Please, just say yes. I need a way to breathe.’

Holding his breath, he waited. Finally, Baek Geon-ha spoke.

“Fine. I will accept those terms.”

“Thank you, Young Leader!”

He could finally breathe again. Phew. Seol Ah-heon exhaled the air he’d been holding. There were still lingering regrets—specifically that he hadn’t even managed to negotiate the frequency—but this was a significant achievement.

“However, I must correct one thing.”

“What is it?”

“You seem to think I have no desire to hold a man. You’re wrong.”

“…….”

“Because right now, I want to hold you.”

His voice was terrifyingly low. Seol Ah-heon remembered exactly when he had heard that tone before. Back at the inn, when they first became entangled. Baek Geon-ha had growled as he invaded his body:

‘Yes, this. This is what I wanted.’

The memories of the pain and distress that followed were far too vivid. Seol Ah-heon swallowed hard, his lower abdomen twitching with a strange, phantom ache.

“I’ve provided the alcohol, and I’ve given you my word.”

“…….”

“Now, it’s time for you to show your sincerity.”

The logic was too sound to dispute. In the end, Seol Ah-heon couldn’t pull his wrist away.

“……Hgh!”

The heat of the encounter intensified immediately. Seol Ah-heon wasn’t sure when the physical reaction had started, but the tension in the room was palpable from the moment they touched.

‘One of us was trying to have a serious negotiation!’

Apparently, the other was busy being attracted to men. It made Seol Ah-heon doubt if Baek Geon-ha was even straight. Or perhaps, it wasn’t about gender, but about energy.

‘Yin energy addict…….’

He muttered the insult internally. Just then, Baek Geon-ha shifted his weight.

“Hee-uk!”

The contact was overwhelming. It felt as though he were being completely consumed. The heat from Baek Geon-ha’s body was beyond warm—it was scorching. If he was truly filled with nothing but Yang energy, this must be the result. Even his touch felt searingly intense to the one receiving it.

“Ah, wait, aaht!”

The intensity of the movement made his head spin. He was worried the alcohol would wear off. Being sober for this would be much worse.

Baek Geon-ha embraced him from behind. Strong arms locked around Seol Ah-heon’s torso, and lips pressed against his nape.

“Ngh……”

A wet, soft tongue licked his neck, followed by a series of kisses. Those hot presses felt like brands being seared into his skin. All the while, the physical stimulation continued, Baek Geon-ha stimulating him with shallow, persistent movements.

Seol Ah-heon let out a pained moan. Heat seemed to flare up from his lower belly. Was he catching Baek Geon-ha’s fever?

“Hah, eunng……”

His fear of sobering up was misplaced. Instead, his mind became even more hazy. His pride, which hadn’t been much to begin with, melted away, and his guard slowly crumbled. Seol Ah-heon naturally relaxed his tension.

“Yes……”

Baek Geon-ha whispered, like a sweet sigh. Seol Ah-heon didn’t catch the rest, but it didn’t matter. It probably wasn’t anything he wanted to hear anyway.

“Ugh, h-haat!”

The pace quickened.

In truth, Baek Geon-ha was satisfying his lust just as much as his need for Yin energy. For a “dark, hairy guy,” Seol Ah-heon’s body felt remarkably good. While his technique was nonexistent, their physical compatibility was—for lack of a better word—perfect. It was particularly gratifying how, after the initial struggle, he would eventually give in and accept him so well.

“……Hgh!”

A sudden streak of playfulness struck Baek Geon-ha, and he shifted his rhythm. Seol Ah-heon sobbed as if he had hit a peak. It seemed he had a particularly sensitive spot. Since there was no reason not to indulge him, Baek Geon-ha rubbed against it repeatedly, drawing out literal cries.

“St-stop… no!”

“No?”

Baek Geon-ha reached forward, his hand finding Seol Ah-heon’s own arousal. With a few strokes, he felt the other man’s body react even more intensely.

“……Hi-uk!”

He moved his hand with practiced ease. While he had never pleasured another man before, he was a man himself; he knew exactly what felt good.

“Ah, ah……!”

Faint traces of moisture escaped the tip. Baek Geon-ha let go for a moment and brought his hand to his own mouth. His red tongue licked his wet fingers. It tasted slightly bitter, yet Baek Geon-ha licked his lips.

“Hgh, the promise……”

The man muttered in a small voice. Baek Geon-ha focused for a moment to catch the words.

“If I’d known… I should have… set the dates too, hgh.”

Ha. Baek Geon-ha let out a breath. This brat had managed to wring two promises out of him, and he still wanted more?

“You’re greedy.”

Those two promises were already immense privileges. In this world, if you take something, you must give something back. Baek Geon-ha intended to make Seol Ah-heon pay the full price with his body from now on.

“Ha-aat……!”

Fortunately or unfortunately, Seol Ah-heon had no idea what Baek Geon-ha was thinking. He was simply drowning in the intense sensations consuming him. Suddenly, he felt something flowing into him—a surging, burning energy like the mid-day sun. It was Baek Geon-ha’s Yang energy.