Chapter 100
Chapter 100
- Eliminate the Poison!
Having decided to eliminate Yeon-ryang's poison, the first thing I did was find a place to handle poison.
I searched for four days, looking for a place far enough away not to affect the hermitage, but easy to travel to and from using Light Footwork, and finally discovered a hidden cave on the cliff of the peak opposite the hermitage.
The cave, its entrance hidden by bushes, had a high ceiling and good ventilation, making it ideal for using fire.
With Ju-ryeong sitting at the entrance, sucking in the poisonous fumes, there was no need to worry about the poison leaking out.
"Delicious?"
"Kiee!"
The creature, having absorbed plenty of poison these past few days, had a glossy sheen to its fur.
I chopped up poisonous mushrooms and asked.
"Want one of these too?"
"Kkuluk!"
Ju-ryeong, excited, took a piece of the poisonous mushroom.
Watching the creature munching, I patted my back and plopped down on the ground.
I had confidently declared that I would eliminate the poison, but actually making poison was not easy.
I couldn't use poison freely as I could in the Tang Clan, and I had no idea how to combine them to get the desired effect.
I needed a 'poison that was powerful enough to kill the poison instantly, but did not cause permanent damage to the body.'
...Where would I find such a poison? Damn it.
"Ju-ryeong. Can't you gather your poison and just pour it out? Can't you just kill the poison in Yeon-ryang's body?"
"Kik."
At my words, Ju-ryeong thumped its tail as if telling me to talk sense.
I think that creature is becoming more and more expressive.
I smacked my lips and held out my hand to Ju-ryeong.
"Let's go for today. I need to think about how much poison to use."
"Kiee."
I shook off the remaining poison from my body and trudged back to the hermitage.
As I climbed the stone steps one by one, I saw Yeon-ryang surrounded by a pile of straw.
Sensing my presence, Yeon-ryang waved his hand behind him.
"So-hye, is that you?"
"Brother. What are you doing?"
"The baskets used in the kitchen were getting old. I was bored lying down, so I thought I'd weave a new one."
"Ooh. Brother. You can do this too?"
"Who do you think wove the carrying bag you carry around?"
"There's nothing you can't do? Brother, all you need to do is get married."
"I'm a top-notch groom wherever I go."
"Rejected because you're from the Demonic Sect."
"......"
I patted Yeon-ryang's drooping back and squatted down beside him.
There was something fascinating about the way he delicately wove the straw with hands as big as pot lids.
It seemed like the straw would crumble if those thick fingers gripped it, but somehow it was taking shape.
Yeon-ryang asked as he wove the basket.
"Any progress?"
"No. I have no idea. I can't get a feel for it."
"Just give up, So-hye."
"I can't give up. I have to kill you when your body is weak. If not now, there may be no other chance."
He chuckled at my resolute answer.
"You have a rebellious streak, So-hye."
I sighed silently.
I knew exactly how he would wither away if I left the poison alone, so there was no way I could give up.
I never wanted to see that burly man become skin and bones, barely surviving each day.
Just then, I felt someone approaching. We quickly shut our mouths and slowly turned around.
"You two were here?"
It was the Deposed Queen.
I stood up and greeted the Deposed Queen.
"Your Majesty. Are you feeling better?"
"I'm much better thanks to you, Miss Yeon. Thank you."
The Deposed Queen's cheeks, approaching with light steps, were plump and rosy.
The Deposed Queen was noticeably recovering her health.
She came out of her room more often and talked more. She seemed to enjoy hearing stories of the Rivers and Lakes and often asked me to talk to her.
"I wanted to have tea with Miss Yeon. Would you like to have some lotus-scented tea together?"
It seemed like that was the case today as well.
I nodded without hesitation.
"Of course, Your Majesty. I'll join you. What about you, Brother?"
"I have things to do. Go ahead."
Yeon-ryang shook his head, showing the half-finished basket. I waved my hand to signal that I understood and followed the Deposed Queen.
The Deposed Queen's steps were as light as cotton as she descended the stone steps covered in green moss.
She chased after butterflies fluttering like a girl, and hummed as she enjoyed the fragrance of summer flowers.
Then, as if she was running out of energy, she wiped the sweat from her forehead and asked me.
"Shall we rest for a bit?"
"Please do, Your Majesty."
The Deposed Queen plopped down on the stone floor and looked up at the sky.
"I like this place."
"Haha. Me too."
"The sky I see in the Imperial Palace is always just a square trapped in the walls. But the sky I see here is..."
The Deposed Queen trailed off and smiled brightly. I followed her and looked up.
The sky, as blue as if blue paint had been spilled, was close enough to touch. The pouring sunlight had the distinct scent of summer.
As we tilted our heads and looked at the sky, Monk Seol-jae quietly approached and placed a tray with a teapot and teacups on it.
"Ah, thank you, Monk."
While I put my hands together and saw the monk off, the Deposed Queen poured tea with elegant gestures.
"Please have some, Miss Yeon."
Then she filled her own cup and tilted it to drink.
Even in simple Monk's Robe, her ingrained habits could not be hidden, and even the way she sat on the stone floor and drank tea was graceful.
I straightened my back unnecessarily and brought the teacup to my lips.
The tea leaves, which had been left overnight in a white lotus bud, had a sweet floral scent.
"What is Yeon-daehyeop doing?"
"Ah, he was weaving a basket to use in the kitchen. Your Majesty, if you need anything, please tell me. My brother is very skilled."
"His cooking skills are amazing, but he's not just good at cooking? Your brother is a very talented person. Are all people from the Rivers and Lakes like that?"
"Oh, you flatter me. Do you like the food? If your stomach feels bloated, please tell me and I'll give you acupuncture."
"I will. Thanks to you two siblings, I enjoy meal times these days. Thank you, Miss Yeon."
The Deposed Queen covered her mouth and smiled, then continued.
"It's so nice to see you relying on each other. I don't have any siblings, so I've always envied friends who have brothers."
"Haha. Is that so."
"You two look so much alike, don't you? I wonder what it feels like to have someone who looks like me to be a source of strength."
"Oh my. Do we look alike?"
"Of course. Anyone can tell you're siblings."
The Deposed Queen tilted her head as if wondering if I didn't know. I widened my eyes in shock.
I look like that door-sized man who makes everyone cower? What a terrible thing to say?
Have I been hanging around him for months and started to resemble his expressions?
As I touched my face with a shocked expression, the Deposed Queen burst out laughing.
"Ahahaha, I don't mean that you look scary, Miss Yeon. The way your eyes curve when you smile and the corners of your mouth are similar. If it weren't for the scar on his face, Yeon-daehyeop would be quite handsome."
Yeon-ryang is handsome...? Is he handsome...? He is good-looking. I think I thought so when I first saw Yeon-ryang... I don't know anymore.
His flattery made me wonder if the men in the Imperial Palace were so ugly that there was something wrong with the Deposed Queen's standards of beauty.
I want to bring Dang-un and show her, 'This is a handsome man!' He's the perfect person to set the standard for a man with both handsome looks and intelligence.
When I thought of Dang-un, the pale face I saw last time flickered before my eyes.
Brother Woon, I hope you're feeling better. I hope you don't get too sick this summer.
The Deposed Queen, flustered by my darkening expression, grabbed my hand.
"Oh my, I'm sorry, Miss Yeon. I didn't know you hated being told you looked alike so much."
"Yes? Ah, no. Your Majesty. I was just thinking about something else..."
"I'm really sorry. You don't look anything like your brother. Really."
The Deposed Queen, retracting her words as if she didn't know what to do, even looked desperate.
"Haha, it's okay, Your Majesty. I'm not upset, so you don't have to worry about it."
As I awkwardly agreed with his desperate attempt to fix the situation, the words of an old man I had met sometime ago flashed through my mind.
'Are you two siblings? You look alike.'
...Oh. This isn't the first time I've heard that?
Do I really look like Yeon-ryang?
\ \ *
Once a question arose, it did not subside easily.
I closed my eyes and stared intently at Yeon-ryang's face as he concentrated on circulating his Qi.
I couldn't figure out where we looked alike, no matter how much I looked at it.
His eyes aren't sharp, and his bone structure is thick. No matter how I look at it, he's not from the Tang Clan.
"So-hye."
"Yeah?"
"How long are you going to keep looking at me like that? It's distracting me."
"Oh, don't mind me and circulate your Qi."
"How can I not mind? Your gaze is so intense that my skin is stinging. Are you guarding me, or are you trying to assassinate me?"
Yeon-ryang grumbled and opened his eyes.
I watched the red energy fade from his eyes and opened my mouth.
"Brother."
"I'm listening."
"Do you have a secret about your birth?"
"What nonsense are you talking about now?"
"Never mind."
"How boring."
Yeon-ryang scratched the back of his neck as if I was talking nonsense.
Well, if the Demonic Sect had any brains, they wouldn't make the mistake of kidnapping a child from a martial arts family with a clear lineage.
Isn't the world full of orphans and children sold for a few coins?
Above all, Yeon-ryang's face was not a face that could come from the Tang Clan.
Even Dang-un, who resembled his maternal side from head to toe, had the Tang Clan's unique sharp eyes when he frowned, but Yeon-ryang did not.
I was thinking too seriously for no reason.
I shook off the unnecessary thoughts and asked him.
"Is your Inner Energy gathering a bit?"
"It's better than before, but there are parts where my meridians are damaged and I have no sensation. It will get better gradually."
"No sensation? That's not good news. It seems like nourishing your body with Jaratang was not enough. I wonder if there are any crying ginseng dolls in the forest."
"There's no way such a lucky encounter would happen easily."
Yeon-ryang, who had been chuckling, became serious. He met my eyes and said in a serious voice.
"But there's a problem, So-hye."
