The battle that broke out at Jeokha Gate left far deeper scars than anticipated.
It was commonplace in the martial world for martial artists to slander one another, even coming to blows over face and justification. Yet even so, when drawing their weapons, they customarily kept within bounds and considered their losses.
But here today, the leaders of both sects had stepped forward themselves, fighting with the intent to kill, so the disciples beneath them could not afford to hold back either.
As a result, numerous casualties were suffered.
The red banners in the training ground hung in tatters, and the floor was awash with blood and corpses.
Both sides were exhausted beyond measure, so the fighting naturally came to a halt.
“Do you still intend to keep fighting?”
“I cannot return until I get my daughter back.”
Im Cheon-ak shook his head as if at a loss.
“You madman. How long do you plan to be unreasonable? How do you intend to take responsibility for this? Do you even know how many people have been injured or killed because of the commotion you have caused?”
“I was being unreasonable? Was it not you who ignored all the countless letters I sent? I intended to talk.”
“I ignored them because they were full of preposterous nonsense.”
“How is asking for my only daughter back nonsense!”
“That child has already married my son and become a member of this household. How could I possibly return her?”
“That is exactly why I am calling it forced!”
Song Geum-seong shouted with a crimson face and raised his sword once more.
The disciples of both sides hurriedly gripped their weapons in response, forming a tense standoff.
Once a woman underwent a wedding ceremony, she became an outsider to her birth family, making it difficult even for her own father to interfere.
This was common social knowledge, even written in the laws of the land, so at a glance Jeokha Gate seemed to be in the right.
Most of the guests who had come to celebrate today’s wedding thought the same.
But there was another hidden side to this affair that the common people did not know. The reason Song Geum-seong was so enraged was that he had never recognized not only today’s wedding, but the one from three years ago either.
Twelve years ago, Bichwigak had been in such dire financial straits that they could not possibly afford to care for Cheongdam.
So Song Geum-seong had left his daughter at Jeokha Gate.
But after the situation improved, he sent a letter to Jeokha Gate stating that he would break the betrothal to get his daughter back.
He said he would repay all the money Jeokha Gate had spent treating Cheongdam, but Im Cheon-ak ignored this demand.
Not only did he ignore it, but without even informing Cheongdam’s birth family, Bichwigak, he had married her off to his son Im Tae-un as soon as she turned fifteen.
In other words, the marriage from three years ago had not been carried out by mutual agreement between the two families to begin with.
Bichwigak was furious that Jeokha Gate had forced the marriage despite their demand to break the betrothal.
They had demanded the return of their daughter immediately, time and again, but every request was dismissed.
Then, in the midst of this, when Im Cheon-ak tried to arbitrarily marry Cheongdam off to his second son Im Sa-un, Song Geum-seong could endure it no longer and led his disciples in an attack.
In the end, this entire affair had unfolded because of a precious treasure called the Cheongpungdan, and it was an incident that laid bare the shameless true colors of those who boasted of being righteous orthodox martial artists.
The two old men glared at each other as if to kill.
Their positions were already diametrically opposed, making resolution through dialogue impossible.
Once they caught their breath, the fighting would resume, and it would not end until one side collapsed.
But just then.
“Lord!”
A disciple of Jeokha Gate came running urgently.
“The young… the young madam has disappeared!”
“What?”
At these words, the disciples of both sects stirred.
Even Song Geum-seong listened with a bewildered expression.
“We were looking to evacuate the young madam to a safe place, but she is nowhere to be found. She does not seem to be within the sect grounds.”
“What in the world….”
Im Cheon-ak glared at Song Geum-seong for a moment.
But to suspect them was difficult—the Bichwigak disciples had been fighting here the entire time, and with so many eyes watching, if any of them had forcibly carried Cheongdam away, they would have been discovered immediately.
Above all, if they had stolen Cheongdam amidst the chaos, there was no reason for Pavilion Master Song Geum-seong to still be here risking his life in battle.
“What is going on, Im Cheon-ak! Where have you hidden my daughter!”
“I do not know! Did you not steal her and play dumb?”
The two old men looked at each other with flustered expressions.
Neither could fully trust the other yet.
But regardless, Cheongdam’s whereabouts were what mattered most now. It was no longer the time to fight.
“Damn it… why did no one guard the bride! Sa-un, were you not the closest to her!”
“F-Father, I….”
“You worthless wretch!”
Im Cheon-ak struck his son’s cheek with all his might without even listening to his excuse.
Sa-un swayed weakly like a paper doll and collapsed.
“Completely useless! Why are you so incompetent! A son like you cannot possibly be mine!”
As if his anger still refused to subside, Im Cheon-ak even trampled the fallen Sa-un with his feet.
It was well known that the second son of Jeokha Gate was inferior in talent to the first, but who would have thought he was treated this cruelly.
Im Cheon-ak seemed to care nothing for his son’s dignity as he insulted and beat him before the crowd.
Sa-un merely endured his father’s kicks, curled up like a turtle.
Watching this scene, not only the Bichwigak disciples but even Song Geum-seong turned ashen.
There was no laughing at the opposing sect’s disgrace—the young man being trampled was too pitiful.
“L-Lord. Please, stop now.”
Only after some time did the Jeokha Gate disciples step in to intervene, and Im Cheon-ak stepped back, breathing heavily.
Sa-un lay covered in dirt, blood dripping from his mouth and nose.
The surroundings fell silent for a moment.
Im Cheon-ak looked around at his disciples and barked fiercely.
“What are you all standing around for! Get out there and find that wench at once!”
He had been so enraged that he called his daughter-in-law “that wench” in front of so many people.
To Im Cheon-ak, this meant Cheongdam was not someone precious, but merely a tool to obtain a valuable elixir pill—though this was hardly anything new.
“Im Cheon-ak.”
“Song Geum-seong, now is not the time to fight.”
Im Cheon-ak spoke in a subdued voice, and Song Geum-seong also nodded with a frown.
“Very well. I shall sheathe my blade for now. But only until my daughter is found. This will absolutely not be swept under the rug.”
“Hmph, do as you please.”
The two sect leaders reached an agreement, and the fighting finally ended.
*
Meanwhile, Ogyo and Cheongdam were heading south after escaping the gorge.
Cheongdam had said her destination was to the west, but they could not take her words literally.
Yongsu Mountain, where Jeokha Gate was located, was a barren, rocky mountain.
With virtually no trees and only rough rock formations, there was nowhere to hide.
Since Cheongdam was being pursued, it was better not to linger here long if they wanted to shake off any pursuers.
Thus Ogyo turned their course south.
Going south down the mountain, there was a long canyon in Haeseo, and beyond that lay the Giryeon Mountain Range where Ogyo had lived with Yohwa.
Unlike Yongsu Mountain, Giryeon Mountain had complex terrain and coniferous forests, making it ideal for traveling while hidden.
Ogyo used her lightness skill with all her might to cross the canyon in an instant, and by late afternoon they had entered the foothills of Giryeon Mountain.
Dark clouds had been gathering thickly since around noon, and now faint snowflakes began to fall like dust.
Early March.
It was still a season caught between winter and spring.
“Sister Ogyo, Sister Ogyo.”
Still cradled in her arms, Cheongdam tugged weakly at Ogyo’s collar with “Sister Ogyo.”
Is that what she’s calling me?
Wondering, Ogyo looked down to see Cheongdam’s face flushed red.
“Are you not struggling? Please rest a little.”
“I’m fine.”
“Is that so. You are very strong. But I….”
Cheongdam trailed off and let out a heavy sigh.
Her hot breath touched Ogyo’s neck.
Something seemed seriously wrong with her condition.
“Are you hurting somewhere?”
“A little…. I have always been weak….”
Ogyo set Cheongdam down on a nearby rock and pressed her palm to Cheongdam’s forehead.
‘…Hot.’
This mutt had lived so harshly and had a body as sturdy as iron; she had never known minor illnesses.
But she knew that fever was a precursor symptom when someone was ill.
“Are you cold?”
“Yes….”
Ogyo hurriedly untied her travel pouch and draped Yohwa’s clothes over Cheongdam.
She rummaged through the travel pouch, but her luggage was so sparse that nothing useful came out.
All she had concealed on her person were hidden weapons, and aside from Yohwa’s clothes, the pouch contained only bottles full of poisonous herbs.
“Don’t you have any medicine?”
“In my pouch….”
Opening the small pouch hanging from Cheongdam’s waist, Ogyo found several medicinal pills inside.
She took out the one Cheongdam indicated and fed it to her, but her condition did not improve immediately.
‘She only caught a bit of wind, yet she’s burning up like this. How frail is she?’
“Since you took medicine, you’re fine now, right? Let’s go.”
“P-please wait….”
When Ogyo tried to lift Cheongdam again, she hurriedly stopped her.
Only now did Ogyo see that her face was covered in cold sweat.
Her breathing was extremely rough as well.
“Urk, haa….”
Cheongdam curled up as much as she could and gasped for breath.
Drip.
Hearing something fall, Ogyo looked down to see sweat flowing from Cheongdam’s cheek dampening the dirt.
This was not normal.
A fever was one thing, but to sweat this much?
Could she have contracted a serious illness?
‘What is this, what is this feeling…’
Suddenly gripped by a suffocating sensation as if a huge hand were squeezing her heart, Ogyo clutched her chest.
—It is only that my lifespan has reached its end….
Yohwa, lying on her sickbed dying, suddenly came to mind.
When death draws near, the blood drains from a person’s face, leaving them pale.
That was exactly what Cheongdam looked like now.
Could she be dying?
—I ask when you will return, but I cannot yet promise….
No.
—Night rain falls on the crumbling mountain, the autumn pond overflows….
Don’t go.
…Please don’t go.
“L-let’s go to a physician. I’ll take you.”
“No…. A physician cannot cure this….”
“How would we know without trying!”
Ogyo shouted loudly without realizing it.
Cheongdam looked up at her and forced a smile.
“Sister Ogyo…. Are you worried about me? Thank you. You are a good person….”
A good person?
Not me.
And she did not care anyway.
Every day you people judge others by your own standards, labeling them good or bad and acting as though it is the truth, but in the end you are all only thinking of your own positions.
“It is alright, this…. It is a chronic illness…. After it hurts for a while, I will be fine….”
“…Really?”
Cheongdam barely nodded.
Her words were true.
The qi rotation—a symptom of Gongnyeong Pungmaek. The accumulated internal damage caused by it was the source of this pain.
Literally, it was the pain of bones being ground away.
Cheongdam had lived with this pain her entire life.
“D-do you want to lie down? But the ground will be cold….”
Cheongdam shook her head without a word.
Ogyo looked around desperately to see if there was anything else she could do, but she was indeed helpless.
She had not been able to do anything when Yohwa was sick either.
And neither Yohwa nor Cheongdam expected anything from her.
Because she was a fool who had simply lived as things came.
Yohwa had known much.
She was the smartest person this mutt had ever met.
She knew the names of every medicinal herb and tree. There was nothing she could not do, be it cooking or sewing, and she had committed to memory all the difficult books that scholars read.
She excelled even in martial arts. She had mastered the secret manuals and heart formulas of countless sects.
Yohwa had tried to teach such knowledge to the stray dog, but the stray dog had always listened half-heartedly, letting it wash over her.
If only she had listened more carefully.
The stray dog was an expert in techniques for killing people, yet did not know how to treat even a simple cold.
She knew poisonous herbs, but not medicinal ones.
She had thought there was no need to know such things as how to heal others.
But that fairy's death changed many things.
- Ogyo, if you studied medicine, you would surely become a fine physician.
- I don't think so.
- Believe me. Poison and medicine inherently share a common thread. If you are skilled with poison, you are skilled with medicine as well.
Had those words been fabricated just to coax her?
No. Yohwa had never uttered even a single word in vain.
"……."
Ogyo slipped her hand behind her back and drew a dagger.
The blade was coated with poison extracted from aconite.
It was a poison potent enough to kill a person in an instant, yet when processed to mitigate its effects, it could also be used as a medicinal ingredient.
That knowledge was not something the stray dog possessed.
However, through experience, she knew that when this poison was weakened, it had the effect of numbing the senses.
Ogyo ran her tongue along the blade of the dagger.
A poison of this caliber could not kill her.
There would be many ways to process the poison, but time was of the essence, so for now, she decided to neutralize it by mixing it with her saliva.
This was something that could steal a person's life or cause a grave disability if the balance was even slightly off, so it had to be handled with extreme delicacy.
But just as Yohwa had foreseen, this stray dog possessed an innate talent for handling poison, and there was clearly a part of it that connected seamlessly to the handling of medicine.
"Cheongdam."
At the sound of her voice, Cheongdam barely managed to lift her head.
Ogyo cupped her cheek and pressed their lips together.
"…….!"
Cheongdam was startled, but seemed to lack even the strength to resist.
Ogyo extended her tongue, letting a trace amount of poison flow into Cheongdam's mouth.
Just enough to forget the pain.
That was enough.
"Gyo-unnie, h-how could you……."
When their faces finally parted, Cheongdam's face was flushed bright red, completely at a loss.
"No matter how precious and beautiful I may be, like a peony, this is……. Does this not go against propriety…...?"
"What? More importantly, how is your body?"
"N-ne? Ah……."
As the poison began to circulate in her mouth, Cheongdam's pronunciation grew slurred, as if her tongue had been paralyzed.
Moreover, she could not close her parted lips, and saliva trickled from the corners of her mouth.
Before long, as though the tension in her body had melted away, Cheongdam slowly went limp.
Ogyo caught Cheongdam's collapsing body in her arms.
"Gyo-unnie, what did you feed me……? My head feels hazy……."
"…….Medicine."
"Is that so……. Indeed, it doesn't hurt anymore now……."
Cheongdam let out a deep sigh of relief and rested her head against Ogyo's shoulder.
It seemed she had fallen asleep.
"Good……."
She had not healed the body, but she had alleviated the pain, so this was undoubtedly treatment.
For the first time, she had healed another's body.
She had used poison, but used it as medicine, so this should be called a medicinal poison.
So this was it.
So this was what it was.
Poison and medicine shared a common thread.
That principle was unmistakable.
If only she had realized it sooner.
If only she had learned more.
Could she have saved you?
"Yohwa, I… I……."
I want to be of help to you.
I wish you would have need of me.
In your long life, I am surely but a momentary existence.
Surely I am but a repulsive and filthy beast.
Even so.
I wish to remain as an indelible scar in your brilliant heart.
I wish to become a poison that can never be cured, forever churning in your heart.
Forever……. together with you.