Chapter 52
52
Ju-ryeong was an early bird, a new-era mink.
He went to bed before 10 PM and woke me up at 5 AM.
"Kkyuuu! Kurururuk!"
"Hey, shut up."
I covered my ears with the blanket, and he pulled my hair as if telling me to get up quickly.
"I'm getting up. I'll get up, so stop bothering me."
"Kuruk!"
"He, he must be... hungry...."
Kyung-ah, who had brought a bowl of water, looked at Ju-ryeong worriedly.
"Are you hungry?"
"Kururuk!"
He really was. He woke me up because he wanted food.
I rubbed my sleepy eyes and looked at Songji.
"Songji, is there anything for him to eat?"
"Does he have to eat right now? Young Miss hasn't had her meal yet."
"We can't starve the spirit animal that Grandfather brought."
Songji, seemingly unable to argue, pouted and brought two boiled eggs.
"Peel them yourself."
As Songji snapped, Ju-ryeong sat in front of the tray as if there was no problem and began to peel the eggshells with his front paws.
"Look at him. He's really peeling them?"
"Ke."
The little guy neatly peeled the shells and swallowed the soft insides.
Seeing the mink devour two eggs in an instant, I couldn't help but chuckle.
I glared at Ju-ryeong, who burped contentedly.
"Now that you've eaten, let's go to the training grounds."
"Kkyuu?"
"Don't act innocent. You can handle most Martial Artists, right?"
"Kkyuuu?"
He tilted his head as if he didn't understand. I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.
"It's no use denying it. You have to earn your keep."
"Kie! Kieee!"
"Or should I tell Grandfather to come?"
"......"
Ju-ryeong, who had become docile at the mention of Dang Jung's name, lost strength in his body.
You're afraid of Grandfather too, huh?
I giggled, put him on my shoulder, and headed to the training grounds.
The days had gotten longer, and it was bright even though it was early dawn. As I entered the training grounds, I saw Dang Jung with his long pipe in his mouth.
"Grandfather, did you sleep well?"
"......Yes."
Dang Jung replied, looking at me and exhaling white smoke. Unlike usual, his face looked uncomfortable.
Anxiety washed over me along with the strong scent of incense.
...Did I do something wrong?
"So-hye, come and sit here."
I cautiously approached, watching his expression, and carefully sat in front of him.
Dang Jung, who had been sighing deeply, flicked my forehead.
Thwack!
"Ouch. That hurts."
It wasn't an exaggeration; I saw stars in front of my eyes.
As I rubbed my burning forehead and rolled my eyes, Dang Jung clicked his tongue.
"This old man was raising a fool. I thought you were smart, but you're just an idiot."
"Huh?"
"How can you drink something given to you by someone else when you handle Poison? Do you even know what it is? Do you want to die without knowing why?"
Only then did I realize why Dang Jung was in a bad mood. He must have heard about Dang Juyeop.
I muttered quietly.
"It didn't work though..."
"Whether it works or not is not important. You must not forget that there are people all around you who are after you. Always be vigilant, I tell you, vigilant!"
Dang Jung, as if frustrated, pounded his chest.
I didn't know he would suddenly try to poison me from the first meeting. Besides, it was a family meal.
Feeling a little wronged, I pouted.
"He said it was a digestive medicine. No one stopped me, so I thought it was real digestive medicine."
"You shouldn't have believed it. The Jianghu is a ruthless place. Don't trust anyone."
This is home, though.
Dang Jung, reading my expression, rubbed his face wearily.
"What am I going to do with this reckless child?"
Can't something be done about this face? My expressions can't be hidden.
I quickly put on a remorseful expression, but Dang Jung only snorted.
I put my arm around Dang Jung and whined.
"Okay, I won't trust anyone from now on. Isn't it enough if I don't trust anyone?"
"You're good with words."
The corners of Dang Jung's mouth, who was grumbling, slowly turned up. When you look closely, he's weak against cuteness.
Dang Jung, whose frown lines had disappeared as his mood improved, stroked my hair.
"Don't trust any of your brothers. Do you think any of them would accept you, who suddenly appeared one day, as a real sibling? They're all dying to kill you."
I nodded, recalling Dang Juyeop, who wore a chilling smile, and Dang Hwayeop, who openly disgusted me.
"Yes. I will from now on."
"Good thinking."
"But, living without trusting anyone seems a bit lonely."
"It's better than getting stabbed in the back by someone you trust."
"......That's true."
I couldn't argue with that.
As I smacked my lips, Dang Jung said comfortingly.
"But still, as you live, there will be someone who trusts you even if you put a knife to their throat, saying, 'There must be a reason.' You can trust someone like that."
"Someone like Grandfather?"
"Do you trust this old man? When did you ever not watch my every move?"
"Me? When? Was that in a past life?"
As I joked, Dang Jung chuckled and pinched my cheek.
"Anyway, don't trust anyone. That's enough nagging from this old man. Geun-myeong, bring an O-gong jar."
"Yes."
Then, Dang Geunmyeong, who appeared from somewhere, brought a small jar. Dang Jung tapped the lid of the jar and began.
"Today, I will teach you how to purely filter and absorb Poison."
"Purely filter Poison? How can Poison become pure?"
Dang Jung, seeing my puzzled expression, said as if it was nothing.
"Don't think of it as difficult. If you gather and mix all the impurities, it becomes pure Poison."
"Hmm, I don't understand. Doesn't it become impure if you gather and mix them?"
"If you don't understand, think of fire. Doesn't fire grow in size as it devours its surroundings? The more there is to burn, the purer the fire becomes. Poison is the same. The more impurities it devours, the stronger the Poison becomes."
It's like mixing different colors of paint on a palette and getting black. It's confusing.
Dang Jung chuckled, swallowing a laugh, as I awkwardly rolled my eyes.
"......You don't understand. Well, you'll know when you try it."
He replied and opened the jar. A strange sound came from inside the opened jar.
It sounded like something crawling, or something scratching...
...Could it be bugs? Is it a jar filled with bugs?
A cold sweat ran down my back at the ominous feeling.
"There are many ways to train to absorb Poison. The fastest and most effective method is the Myriad Poison Hand."
"Myriad Poison Hand?"
"Yes. It's a training method where you put your hand into a jar filled with poisonous insects and get stung."
"Huh?"
It was bugs after all!
These crazy family members are feeding and stinging Poison, it's a complete mess. You'll die like that. It'll become the Yellow Springs Tang Clan, not the Sichuan Tang Clan.
As I jumped up to run away, Dang Jung grabbed me by the scruff of my neck.
"Where are you going?"
"Ahaha. I'm just going to the, to the restroom."
I awkwardly made excuses, but Dang Jung held out the jar as if it wouldn't work.
"Here. Put it in. It'll only take fifteen minutes."
You want me to put my hand in a jar full of bugs for fifteen minutes? Are you kidding me?
I glanced back and forth between Dang Jung and the jar and took a deep breath.
"......Grandfather."
"What are you doing? I told you to put it in."
"I don't think I can do it! Goodbye!"
Then, I quickly ran out of Dang Jung's residence.
* * *
It was only a moment before I was caught by Dang Jung and dragged back to the residence.
Dang Jung, who had snatched me up with swollen cheeks, rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache.
"What are you going to do if a Poison User is afraid of poisonous insects?"
"But... they're too gross."
"Are you trying to avoid training by being lazy?"
"It's not that I don't want to train. It's just that I really, really can't touch them because they're so gross, Grandfather."
I'd rather handle Poison-soaked laundry than touch a centipede with my bare hands a hundred, no, a thousand times over.
As I hid my hands behind my back and mumbled, Dang Jung narrowed his eyes.
"You're really something. Your sister wraps poisonous snakes around her body because they're pretty."
Isn't Dang Ju-hee the strange one, not me? She squeezes snake venom at the dinner table.
"Don't complain. You have to get used to it even if you don't like it. Handling poisonous substances well is as important as administering Poison."
Dang Jung, who dismissed my human rights struggle as complaining, tapped the jar with a stern face.
Then, the centipedes inside the jar rattled and made a loud noise.
Ugh, I hate it!
I tried to ignore the disgusting sound and asked quietly.
"Do I really have to handle poisonous substances? There are plant and mineral poisons too."
"Most Dragon Blood Poison comes from poisonous creatures. Plant poisons have their limits. And you have to be able to make the Poison you use. I can't keep feeding you forever, can I?"
"Idontthinkineedtodotthatcan'tyoujustkeepfeedingme."
As I mumbled in resistance with unclear pronunciation, Dang Jung hardened his expression and glared at me.
"......"
"......"
"Of course not. What kind of way of speaking is that? Don't talk so rudely anywhere else. So fast and frivolous without even taking a breath."
"Yes."
Dang Jung's words were not wrong.
A Poison User who doesn't know how to make their own Poison is no different from a chef who doesn't know how to prepare ingredients.
I decided to get along with the centipedes...
...What am I saying? I can't do it. Really.
Dang Jung chuckled, amused by my face as I bit my lip with a tearful expression.
"Do you hate it that much?"
"I hate it terribly."
"Oh my."
Dang Jung made a sound of exasperation, then slowly closed the lid of the jar.
"I'll let you off today. It's not urgent."
"Really?"
"If you don't like it, put your hand back in."
Dang Jung opened the lid with a sulky expression.
At that moment, Ju-ryeong, who had jumped off my shoulder, ran towards the jar.
"Ju-ryeong? What are you... Aaaah!"
I screamed and took a step back.
That crazy mink is eating the centipedes!
Unlike me, who was horrified by the gruesome sight, Dang Jung was calm. Dang Jung clicked his tongue and lifted Ju-ryeong by the scruff of his neck.
"What are you doing after eating the food I give you?"
"Kieek!"
"Stop eating. Do you think I raised those O-gongs for three years to be your snacks?"
"Kyaak!"
"Why are you acting up? Should I send you back to the Im family? Do you miss being a Blood Poison guinea pig?"
"......Kkyu."
Ju-ryeong, who had turned into a docile lamb at Dang Jung's threat, blinked his eyes pitifully.
He was a mink that understood words well in many ways.
