Chapter 89
89th Episode
“My sister never listens. I told her to play around while eating candied fruit.”
It was Yeon-ryang.
With a frown between his brows, he looked slightly displeased. I awkwardly smiled and waved my hand.
“Ahaha, well, you see.”
“I really can’t take my eyes off you. Sister, go back to the inn.”
“But…”
“Just go.”
Yeon-ryang spoke with rare sternness. I whimpered and tucked my tail between my legs.
Rolling my eyes and cautiously gauging his reaction, Yeon-ryang sighed and put me down.
“I’ll be back soon. Are you scared to be alone?”
“A little.”
“Tell me. I’ll take you to the inn. Let’s go.”
Yeon-ryang patted my head and urged me on as if to hurry.
He looked like he would really get angry if I refused, so I couldn’t resist and had to return to the inn.
Is it because of his size? He’s scary when he’s angry.
Completely subdued, I holed up in my room and fiddled with Ju-ryeong.
“Ju-ryeong, do you want to follow him?”
“Kkii.”
Ju-ryeong shook his head as if he didn’t want to.
Tch. I thought Ju-ryeong could go unnoticed.
I smacked my lips and rolled around on the bed.
Come to think of it, it was surprising that the Lowborn Sect’s contact was in an inn and brothel right in front of the Murim Alliance headquarters.
Gathering information in a location that was practically the heart of the Orthodox Faction of the Martial Arts World; what amazing guts.
Those Unorthodox Faction bastards have some nerve.
And the Demonic Sect that controls the cultists by using that Unorthodox Faction seems even more impressive.
I began to think that the Lowborn Sect’s power might be much greater than I had imagined.
Yeon-ryang, who said he would return in two hours, didn’t come back until late in the evening.
Just as I was starting to worry if something had happened, he returned, staggering as if he were heavily drunk.
“Sorry, Sister. Did you wait long?”
The strong smell of alcohol and makeup wafted from him, but I could tell he wasn’t drunk.
It seemed he had poured alcohol on his clothes to hide his purpose for going to the brothel.
“No, how much did you drink?”
“Haha, it’s been a while since I drank, so one bottle wasn’t enough…”
Pretending to agree with him and supporting him, I saw his neck soaked with sweat. He was trembling slightly.
…Could there be side effects from the antidote? What are those crazy Demonic Sect bastards feeding people?
Panicked, I dragged him to the bed and laid him down. He, who had been fine just this morning, was suffering from a high fever.
I wanted to ask what he had been doing, but I didn’t want to undermine his efforts to pretend he had been playing at the brothel.
I grumbled as if dealing with a real drunkard.
“Ugh, I don’t need a drunkard for a brother.”
“Just bear with me for one day, Sister. There are grown-up circumstances.”
“You should know you’re spoiled to have such a kind sister. What’s so great about drinking? Go wash up.”
I threw a wet towel at him with a grumpy tone, and Yeon-ryang wiped his sweat while chuckling.
“Thank you, Sister. For an Unorthodox Faction nobody to enjoy such luxury. I’m quite moved.”
“If you know that, just sleep. That’s how you sober up.”
“…Okay.”
Yeon-ryang nodded slightly and closed his eyes. His breathing was rough, as if he couldn’t breathe properly.
Should I get some herbal medicine? No. I don’t even know what he ate, so if I recklessly give him medicine, the pain might get worse. Should I give him acupuncture to relieve the tension?
I thought about burning anesthetic incense, but it seemed Yeon-ryang wouldn’t want to fall asleep defenselessly in the inn.
“Kkyuu…”
Ju-ryeong also looked at Yeon-ryang and cried worriedly.
“Your brother is sleeping. Don’t bother him. Let’s go.”
“Kkyuu. Kkuu.”
I called Ju-ryeong and gestured, but he didn’t follow me. As if he shouldn’t leave, he crouched down under his bed and called me.
He seemed to sense something.
After hesitating, I sat down next to Ju-ryeong and curled up. All I could do was stay by his side.
Has this man been living with this pain every three months?
I knew the Demonic Sect was a Villain Role, but seeing its reality with my own eyes was unsettling.
Killing, cutting, torturing, and threatening people without a second thought…
It was truly a cruel world.
I swallowed a sigh and looked out the dark window. I couldn’t help but resent how small and weak I was.
The next day, Yeon-ryang woke up with a perfectly fine face, as if he hadn’t been groaning in pain at all.
“What, Sister? Why are you here? And why is this furball here?”
Yeon-ryang picked up Ju-ryeong, who was curled up and asleep on his stomach, and looked puzzled.
I glared at him and got up. My back was stiff from crouching all night.
“I was worried the drunkard would die. Who drinks like that? Did you fall into an alcohol swamp?”
“Sorry, sorry. I got carried away. I was a bit much yesterday. Were you worried?”
Yeon-ryang scratched his head awkwardly and looked at me. Seeing his face covered in stubble and smelling of alcohol made me sigh.
“Go wash up. You need to get rid of your hangover. Shave too. Don’t even think about coming downstairs if you don’t shave.”
Shaking my head, I left the room, and Yeon-ryang smiled weakly.
“…Thank you, Sister. Thanks to you, I didn’t have any nightmares.”
“You’re welcome.”
I replied and went back to my room to get ready to go out. My head was complicated.
What should I do to eliminate Yeon-ryang’s suffering?
I don’t know when Yeon-ryang was sent to the Central Plains, but considering his age, he must have eaten the Blood Shadow Gu at least ten years ago.
That’s enough time for a nail-sized worm to grow to over a span.
If I forcibly took it out, it would damage his organs, so it couldn’t be removed by physical means.
It wasn’t the kind of Poison that Ju-ryeong could purify either, so the only way was to melt and kill it while the Gu was dormant.
There must be an antidote to kill the Gu…
Damn it. I should have studied when Dang Juyeop talked about the Gu. My grandfather would know.
I could only regret not asking sooner.
…Wait, now that I think about it, the prescription my grandfather sent to the Murim Alliance Leader. Wasn’t that an antidote prescription? Or was it a Gu Poison prescription?
With a flash of inspiration, I tried to recall the prescription Dang Jung had written down, but my memory was hazy.
This memory of mine. It’s really not helpful.
I slowly savored the memories of that day.
My grandfather, who was writing the prescription, told me to bring castor beans. Castor beans are highly toxic when raw, but almost all toxicity disappears when cooked.
Just like suppressing toxicity to use it as medicine, if I could kill the Gu with Poison and have Ju-ryeong purify the Poison…
“Sister. Are you ready?”
While biting my lip in thought, I snapped out of it at Yeon-ryang’s voice.
“Ah, I’m going out.”
When I opened the door, I saw Yeon-ryang, clean-shaven and looking refreshed. He lowered his body as if to show off and turned his chin this way and that.
“Look. I shaved cleanly, right?”
“Yes. You look much better with it shaved. Please shave every day. You look much more handsome without a beard.”
“Of course, of course. They say if you listen to your sister, good things will happen even in your sleep.”
This guy listens to me surprisingly well.
I chuckled and went down the stairs with him.
“Sister. Can you use a sword?”
“No. Not at all.”
“Really? Hmm… It’s troublesome if you don’t know at all.”
“Why would I ever need to use a sword? I’m busy enough throwing Hidden Weapons.”
“I know, I know. But since Martial Sects that use Hidden Weapons aren’t common, I’m worried. Just looking at you habitually putting your hand in your sleeve, it’s obvious you’re from the Tang Clan. How about carrying a sword around for show?”
Yeon-ryang suggested. Listening to him, his words made sense.
“Should I? I think I can carry a light sword around.”
“Well, you’re strong, so I’m not worried.”
He chuckled and teased me.
After finishing breakfast, we went straight to the blacksmith and bought a suitable iron sword.
It wasn’t made of high-quality metal, but since it was just for decoration, I didn’t care.
But Yeon-ryang seemed to think differently.
He took me to a secluded lake and tried to teach me how to use a sword.
“Still, since you’re carrying a sword, you should know how to swing it, Sister. Let’s learn some street Martial Arts Technique.”
“Hmm… I don’t know what it is, but can I do it?”
“It’s not difficult, Sister. I’ll show you the Three Talents Swordplay, so follow along.”
Swish!
Yeon-ryang drew his sword with a flourish and moved his body slowly.
“Cut vertically, cut horizontally, and stab.”
He swung his sword slowly so I could see well.
The blade shone sharply, drawing lines in the air.
Standing there blankly, I tilted my head and asked.
“Is that all?”
“Yes. That’s all. It’s a swordplay that contains the mysteries of heaven, earth, and man.”
“Show me again.”
Yeon-ryang chuckled and swung his sword again. It was a simple and straightforward style.
“You know it too, Sister? Even the same style depends on who’s using it. Wanderers like us never know when we’ll have to pick up a sword lying on the ground and swing it. It’s not bad to learn it.”
“I guess so.”
Yeon-ryang was right. It would be helpful to know how to use a sword.
I swung the sword as Yeon-ryang taught me.
The problem was…
“Kyung-ah. Swords are for swinging. Not for throwing.”
“No, I know, but my body just throws the sword.”
“This brother almost died just now.”
“Haha. You didn’t die, so it’s okay.”
My body, accustomed to Flying Dagger techniques and Hidden Weapons, kept throwing the sword like a Hidden Weapon.
It was the same no matter how many times I repeated it. I couldn’t even swing the sword properly.
I looked at the sword stuck in the rock where Yeon-ryang had been sitting, dangling there.
It seemed learning to use a sword wouldn’t be easy.
