KYDS 13

Chapter 13

Out of nowhere, I was gifted a miraculous medicine by Tang Sowol.

“……?”

“It’s not from me; my uncle told me to deliver it to Young Master Cheon. But if you want, you can thank me as much as you like, you know?”

Tang Sowol puffed up her chest, acting all high and mighty even though it wasn’t even her gift. Seeing her let out a small huff through her nose, I chuckled and nodded.

“I’ll think about it.”

“……How about taking action right away instead of thinking?”

“I’ll think about that, too.”

“Tch!”

Since there was a letter tucked away alongside the black transcendent pill, I unfolded it. To roughly summarize the contents: thank you for saving Tang Sowol, and I look forward to our future together.

However, it didn’t specify what kind of pill it was.

“The aura radiating from this is quite substantial. Do you know what kind of miraculous medicine it is?”

“Hmm. This is the Hundred Poisons Blood-Cleansing Pill (百毒淸血丹).”

“……That’s the first time I’ve heard of that name.”

“It’s a difficult miraculous medicine to make, so it rarely leaks outside the Tang family. It’s only natural you wouldn’t know.”

“Is it a great medicine?”

“Of course. The Hundred Poisons Blood-Cleansing Pill is a wonder-drug that combines a hundred poisons to cancel out each other’s toxicity, leaving only the medicinal properties behind. It doesn’t do much for boosting internal energy, but it’s purely good for the body.”

“If it’s something like that, I’ve heard of it before. They say the Hebei Peng family has a miracle drug that aids in the achievement of external martial arts. Must it be that kind of medicine?”

“Similar, but a little different. The Hundred Poisons Blood-Cleansing Pill is a medicine that strengthens organs and acupuncture points; it doesn’t have the effect of growing bones or muscles.”

“Hoh.”

If that’s its function, it’s the exact medicine I need right now.

Of course, it would be great if I could train my external arts quickly, but even if I couldn’t, I could just temper them slowly over time.

Acupuncture points, however, are a different story.

Unlike descendants of prestigious families who received bone-cleansing and marrow-washing at a young age, ingested all sorts of miraculous medicines, and learned supreme martial arts, I lack a foundation.

It wasn’t for nothing that the pre-regression me struggled so much with internal energy. My acupuncture points were narrow, and the internal energy I had accumulated was turbid, so the higher the realm I reached, the more suffocating it felt.

Of course, learning the Gwangnang Extermination Art solved the internal energy problem. Although it still lacked purity, melting away murderous intent compensated for its power and emission capabilities.

However, the issue with the acupuncture points remained. No matter how delicately I could emit Qi, because my acupuncture points were narrow, the amount of internal energy I could handle at once was insufficient.

That’s why I searched for various miraculous medicines, but…… everything I could get my hands on was unremarkable, so I couldn’t see any major effects.

A single Hundred Poisons Blood-Cleansing Pill wouldn’t completely solve my chronic problems, but since it’s considered a rather precious medicine even within the Tang family, things should improve significantly.

“I should go thank him properly sometime soon.”

“My uncle holds a rather special position even within the Tang family, so unless it’s my father, you won’t be able to see him whenever you want, you know?”

“Still, if I keep living here, there’ll come a time when I run into him at least once. That’s enough. Mind keeping watch for a moment?”

“What? Ri, right now?”

Did she not expect me to eat it right away? Tang Sowol blinked her dark eyes blankly. Chuckling at her dumbfounded look, I swallowed the transcendent pill.

Since it was said to be a great medicine, I thought I’d have a hard time absorbing it…… but after running the Lesser Heavenly Circuit a couple of times, over seventy percent of it was absorbed into my acupuncture points.

So that’s what they meant when they said it has little effect on boosting internal energy. It doesn’t feel like I need to do anything more here.

I don’t feel a huge difference right now, but as time passes, the energy melted into my acupuncture points will gradually widen and solidify them.

“……Phew.”

When I let out a deep breath and opened my eyes, Tang Sowol’s bewildered face was filling my vision.

It wasn’t close enough for our breaths to touch, but close enough that I could see my own reflection in her pupils.

There, Tang Sowol glared at this side with her hands on her hips.

“Young Master. What kind of rude behavior is it to brazenly swallow a miraculous medicine in the middle of a conversation?”

“Well, shouldn’t a miraculous medicine be consumed the moment it falls into your hands? Of course, under the premise that it’s a safe place or in front of someone you trust.”

“No, it’s not like anyone is going to take the medicine, so why is there a need to eat it in such a hurry?”

“Is it just miraculous medicines? I’ve had meals I was eating stolen from me often enough. There are people in this world who draw their swords simply because they’re hungry, and I was one of them.”

“……Ah! If you put it that way, what does that make me?!”

Chuckling at Tang Sowol’s grumbling, I nodded.

“Still, you have a point. The current me is neither a pathetic beggar nor a wandering warrior barely making a living relying on a single sword, but the prospective son-in-law of the Tang family.”

“Pardon?”

“Shouldn’t I at least make sure I’m not a disgrace to my betrothed?”

“……”

Tang Sowol rolled her eyes, unable to find where to fix her gaze. Her expression as she mumbled, wanting to say something but unable to get the words out, was quite amusing.

Enjoying Tang Sowol’s embarrassed state lasted only for a moment. Having made up her mind, her closed mouth slowly opened.

“Th, then it’s a bit early, but I’ll show you around the neighborhood. Would you like to experience the things required of my betrothed?”

“Things as a betrothed…… The phrasing sounds somehow impure. Can I look forward to impure things?”

“I’ve been thinking this for a long time, but does Young Master have no sense of shame? How can you say things like that without even changing your expression?”

“What. Because I’ve known what it’s like to feel ashamed and turn away, only to regret it later, I’ve simply decided not to hesitate anymore.”

Staring into empty space, I reminisced about what happened before my regression for a moment.

Suddenly, Tang Sowol opened her mouth with a pouty expression. In a slightly chilly voice.

“Hmph. So there’s someone who made Young Master Cheon regret things?”

“They’re gone now, so you can pull your pouted lips back in.”

“What’s that—Ah.”

With wide eyes, Tang Sowol began to fidget anxiously and watch my reactions. She must think she made a slip of the tongue. Not entirely wrong, though.

After shrugging my shoulders once, I continued in an offhand tone.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s really nothing much. More importantly, is it really what I’m thinking? Hurry up and answer since I’m anxious.”

“……As a son-in-law of the Tang family, shouldn’t you know what’s inside the family estate? That was all it was about, so please stop having strange expectations.”

“Too bad. Still, it’s nice to be able to tour the Tang family estate. It’s true I was getting a bit tired of going back and forth between my room and the training ground all this time. Can you guide me right away?”

“Understood. Then shall we start with the Medicine Hall, which Young Master Cheon should be most familiar with? If you come with me, you’ll even get to look around places outsiders aren’t allowed to enter.”

“I am a bit curious about that, but does this relate to the son-in-law’s chores?”

“The Tang family’s Medicine Hall is just as important as the Ten Thousand Poisons Hall. Young Master Cheon knows that well since you just ate one, right? That poison and medicine are separated by a hair’s breadth.”

“I see. Even if I don’t work in the Medicine Hall, it means I need to know how the operations work.”

“That’s right! After the Medicine Hall, let’s drop by the blacksmith’s forge and the Ten Thousand Poisons Hall. After that, we’ll head to the inner courtyard warriors’ training ground, and finally, the outer courtyard hall where the guests stay—that should bring us roughly to dinnertime!”

“I’d love to see all of it, but is it really alright to show me? Betrothed or not, it’s still just a promise in words.”

“Hufu. Depending on who says the same words, the meaning changes. No one in the Tang family takes my father’s words lightly. Not even my father himself. Above all else……”

“Above all else?”

“The Tang family’s foundation isn’t so shallow that you can copy it right away just by seeing it once.”

“……”

“So don’t worry about useless things and just follow me.”

After chuckling and walking a few steps, Tang Sowol stopped in her tracks and stared straight at me.

A truly blatant gaze. When I was pushed to follow closely beside her as if driven by it, Tang Sowol finally moved her feet with a satisfied expression.

“Do you see that tree over there? That’s a tree I planted when I was young. I secretly planted it as a child wondering if a tree would really grow if I planted a seed, and it actually sprouted……”

“Hmm. Is that so?”

I matched her pace and chimed in appropriately to her chattering voice.

“……I haven’t finished talking yet, you know? You just skimmed over it and gave a perfunctory answer, didn’t you?”

“Oops. Was I caught?”

Though she was a bit prickly, Tang Sowol guided me through the Tang family estate along the route she mentioned, starting from the Medicine Hall and leading to the Outer Courtyard Hall.

Back when I belonged to the Black Heaven Society, I had risen to the position of a major leader. Because of that, I had a bit of the mindset: how grand could even the Tang family be……?

It was far grander than I thought, and more complex than I could have imagined.

Since the Black Heaven Society was an organization formed by unorthodox martial artists, the logic of power naturally prevailed there.

Naturally, those belonging to it regarded power as the greatest virtue, whether it was martial prowess, financial power, or something else entirely.

Perhaps because of that, artisans and physicians weren’t treated all that well in the Black Heaven Society.

It couldn’t be helped, as they weren’t fighting directly and were working for others rather than themselves.

However, the Tang family was different.

Whether it was because they were the progenitors of poison and hidden weapons, or because of the difference between righteous and unorthodox factions, I couldn’t be sure.

What was certain was that the people working for the Tang family wore quite fulfilling expressions.

Only after touring the final Outer Courtyard Hall did I realize it. Tang Sowol had wanted to show me the ‘Sichuan Tang Family’.

Why pre-regression Tang Sowol had such attachment to her family, why she was obsessed with revenge, and what she wanted to build together with me.

Now I felt like I understood a little bit.

“It’s a good place. The Tang family.”

“Right? Now this is Young Master Cheon’s home, too.”

“Home, is it?”

Come to think of it, while I had entrusted my body to various places until now, I didn’t think I ever had a place I could call home.

“Hmph! Do you realize it now? What kind of person the Young Master has kidnapped.”

Tang Sowol lifted her chin slightly and wore a smug smile. Seeing her neck line naturally emphasized, I nodded with a serious expression.

“Yeah. Next time I kidnap someone, I better make sure I have the confidence to run away from the entire Tang family.”

“Is there no concept of resolving things through conversation first?”

“Didn’t I try that? You just wouldn’t listen.”

“Ah.”

Guiltily avoiding my gaze, Tang Sowol looked away, so I took a half-step around her and stood right in her line of sight.

“When having a conversation, look the other person in the eyes.”

“……!”

Startled, Tang Sowol reflexively gave me a light slap on the shoulder. Since it didn’t carry internal energy and the force was properly controlled, it didn’t hurt.

“What is it?”

“If words don’t get through, use physical force. Isn’t that what you taught me, Young Master?”

“It seems even with that physical force, you still lost to me.”

“……”

Tang Sowol, still narrowing her dark eyes, continued to harass my shoulder. As if to vent her own embarrassment.

Tap, tap!

It still didn’t hurt, but drawing attention was inevitable.

Well, obviously. Since I was squabbling with none other than Tang Sowol, anyone from the Tang family would naturally look over.

“Is that person…?”

“……He looks even younger than my son.”

“Hey, old man. That person must be someone amazing, just like the young miss.”

“They seem to have a good relationship with the young miss.”

“Didn’t she dote on him and bring him here? Maybe……”

She probably muttered it as quietly as she could for her own sake, but it was loud enough to be heard clearly by anyone who trained in martial arts.

Tang Sowol, who had been concentrated for a while, hesitated and slowly lowered her hand.

Then, she began to clear her throat with a somewhat awkward atmosphere.

“Ahem. Anyway, we’ve made the round, so shall we head back now?”

“Let’s do that. It’s just the right time to do a bit of training before going to sleep.”

“Does Young Master really like training that much?”

“How many people in this world genuinely like training? I do it because it’s necessary, because it’s necessary.”

“Because it’s necessary? ……Th, but you know what? It’s not good to train all by yourself too much, you know?”

“Hmm?”

“In the end, martial arts aren’t performed alone, they’re entangled with an opponent, right? So what I mean is……”

Tang Sowol beat around the bush, but soon, as if making up her mind, she looked straight at me and opened her mouth.

She only opened it.

“Sowol-ah!!!”

Because everything was completely buried by a shout coming from far away.

When I turned my head toward the source of the sound, a man wearing green martial arts robes was running over, waving happily.

It was a face that resembled Tang Sowol’s.