Chapter 71
I barely ate breakfast before setting my chopsticks down.
I originally planned to visit Grandmother as soon as the sun rose, but I couldn’t refuse So-ok’s plea.
Since I had skipped dinner the night before, she had been extremely worried.
“Seol-ha, just a little more, okay?”
“I feel like I might get sick. Sorry.”
I would have forced myself, but something about this whole situation made me restless.
That portrait, of all things.
It shouldn’t matter to me.
After all, I wasn’t even the real Shin Seol-ha.
So why did I care so much?
“I’m going home for a bit.”
“Now? By yourself?”
Seo Ryeon hadn’t arrived yet for her daily duties.
“I’m just seeing Grandmother. I won’t be long.”
“Alright. While you’re there, have some of her noodles and dumplings.”
“Sure.”
I doubted I’d have much of an appetite, but I replied casually before getting dressed and leaving Yeong-eun Pavilion.
As soon as I stepped through the city gates, I used Demonic Phoenix Sky Art, arriving at the shop in an instant.
“Grandmother? Grandmother!”
But the place was empty.
She should have been preparing for the day’s business by now.
“Did she not return from the market yet?”
It was late for that, but I decided to wait.
If I went out searching and missed her, that would be a disaster too.
But as time passed, unease crept in.
More than half an hour had gone by, and Grandmother still hadn’t returned.
Shin Geum was never the type to be unreliable.
Had something happened?
The thought of Grandmother going missing had never crossed my mind before.
She had always been a constant presence in my life.
What should I do?
Wait a little longer?
Or should I start searching now?
If I did, getting help would be smarter than going alone.
“Elder of the Medical Wing!”
Pacing anxiously inside the shop, a name suddenly came to mind.
If anyone could help, it was Grandmother’s old friend.
‘No, wait.’
Maybe I was overthinking this.
She could have simply gone to a funeral, like the other day.
She had been running the shop here for seventeen years.
I decided to ask around the neighborhood first.
I’ll start with Mr. Wang next door!
Just as I was about to rush out—
“I greet the First Young Lady!”
A man bowed deeply as soon as he saw me.
“…Who are you?”
“I am Hyeok Ri-cheon from the Cheonhyeol Yeo Family. It is an honor to meet you.”
“Okay, nice to meet you. Were you looking for our shop?”
The only thing in his direction was our noodle shop.
I was about to tell him Grandmother wasn’t here and to come back another time—
“Yes, I came at your grandmother’s request.”
I was completely caught off guard.
Grandmother?
“…Are you saying my Grandmother sent you, sir?”
“That is correct. And please, speak informally.”
“You’ve seen Grandmother? Where is she? What did she ask you to do?”
I stepped forward, rattling off questions in my urgency.
The man seemed momentarily startled, then calmly answered.
“She is currently at the Cheonhyeol Yeo Family. She asked me to put up a ‘Closed for Business’ sign since she could not open the shop today.”
What kind of nonsense was this?
His words made no sense at all.
Why would Grandmother be at the Yeo Family?
And closing the shop?
Shin Geum had run this business nonstop for seventeen years without a single day off.
Not just because of her strong health—she physically couldn’t rest.
“Then, I shall take my leave…”
As if to prove his point, the man politely placed a ‘Closed for Business’ sign on the door.
Then, after a respectful bow, he began to walk past me.
“Wait a moment.”
“Yes, First Young Lady?”
“You said your name is Hyeok Ri-cheon, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“If you have time, could you guide me there? I don’t know the location of the Yeo Family.”
“It would be my honor to escort you.”
Hyeok Ri-cheon seemed genuinely pleased and readily agreed.
And just like that, I followed him—
heading toward the Cheonhyeol Yeo Family, a destination I had never intended to visit.
The Yeo Family was far from the noodle shop,
and as expected of one of the Six Great Demon Clans, even their entrance was imposing.
The grotesque carving of a ghostly figure on the main gate gave off an eerie feeling,
instilling a strong impression that this was a place not to be approached lightly.
The entire manor was enclosed by towering walls, making it resemble a fortress.
“Would you please wait here for a moment?”
Hyeok Ri-cheon led me to an opulently decorated hall inside.
“Please hurry.”
As long as Grandmother’s safety was uncertain, I wouldn’t be able to relax until I saw her myself.
I had never met Yeo Gong, the lord of the Yeo Family.
But I knew one thing for sure.
Grandmother was meeting with him alone right now.
The reason was obvious.
They wanted to use Grandmother to recruit me, a disciple of the Heavenly Demon.
This was exactly the kind of thing Jeok I-geon had always been wary of.
The Six Great Demon Clans served as vital pillars supporting the Demonic Cult.
Though they always tried to maintain a delicate balance,
depending on who the current clan leader was—
or which figures and factions they backed—
their positions of power shifted accordingly.
However, even among the Six Great Demon Clans,
Hyunma Tak Family had always been an exception.
As the oldest family in the Demonic Cult,
the loyalty of the cultists toward them was absolute.
In turn, the Tak Family’s martial strength was so immense
that they could easily contend with an entire great sect on their own.
I wasn’t sure about the deeper politics within the Yeo Family,
but maybe they thought they could surpass the Tak Family by getting me on their side.
‘They’re wasting their efforts.’
I was just an ordinary girl who had become the Heavenly Demon’s disciple by sheer luck.
Even if I sided with the Yeo Family, it wouldn’t benefit them in the slightest.
I knew Grandmother would handle things wisely on her own,
but I also needed to make sure I didn’t give the Yeo Family any false expectations.
“But why is this taking so long? There’s not even a single person coming or going.”
It felt like a long time had passed, but Hyeok Ri-cheon hadn’t returned with any updates.
Should I go look for Grandmother myself?
Just as I made up my mind and stepped toward the door—
“It is an honor to serve the First Young Lady.”
Suddenly, a group of maids entered.
They bowed politely, then began placing dishes on the table.
“What is all this?”
“We prepared these in case you were hungry while waiting. Your grandmother personally requested this, as she expects the discussion with the clan leader to take a while.”
“My Grandmother said that?”
“Yes, First Young Lady. If there is anything else you need, please call for us anytime. We will be waiting outside.”
The maid completed her task with flawless etiquette,
then stepped back silently.
How absurd.
No—beyond absurd.
I had assumed that if I stayed here, Grandmother would come to see me immediately.
If it was truly Shin Geum,
she would have rushed over the moment she heard I had arrived.
‘Something’s off.’
I couldn’t quite define it,
but something about this situation reeked.
Was Grandmother even here in the first place?
I hadn’t doubted it for a second until now,
but for the first time, suspicion crept in.
‘But why would the Yeo Family lie to me?’
If only I had my phone, this would be over in an instant.
A simple location-tracking app could solve everything,
yet here I was, stuck with nothing but my own instincts.
“Grandmother…”
Ever since yesterday, everything had been a mess.
It all started with the portrait,
but more than that, Grandmother’s absence was what truly unsettled me.
Where are you, Grandmother?
You’re not in danger, are you?
‘No, that’s impossible!’
My Grandmother was strong.
There was no way she was in danger.
I decided to wait a little longer.
Depending on how the Yeo Family handled things,
I would determine my next move.
No matter what, they wouldn’t dare lay a hand on a disciple of the Heavenly Demon.
And if they had truly deceived me,
the Yeo Family would pay the price for it.
***
One hour before Shin Seol-ha arrived at Yeo Gong’s residence.
Shin Geum had already left the Yeo Family and taken refuge at the Tak Family.
“Tak Family Head, you were right. Their only goal today was to find out who I really am.”
“So it has come to this.”
Though he had expected it,
Tak Joong-hak’s expression was grim.
“This is my fault. I should have been more careful at the noodle shop that day…”
“There was nothing you could do. Yeo Gong’s cultivation technique is highly sensitive to qi. This was bound to happen sooner or later, so don’t blame yourself.”
“I don’t care what happens to me. As long as Seol-ha is safe, I will march into the Yeo Family right now and take that bastard’s head!”
For the first time, a murderous aura radiated from Shin Geum.
The instincts she had kept hidden from her granddaughter were now awakening.
The battle at dawn replayed in her mind,
and her eyes glowed like those of a fierce demoness.
—
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