Chapter 70
Creak.
It was still dark, the dawn barely breaking.
Shin Geum pushed open the tightly shut door of the dining hall and stepped outside.
‘I’m late today. I need to hurry.’
She had overslept, something quite unlike her.
Wrapping her shopping basket and tucking it into her waistband, she hurried toward the market.
The morning air was refreshingly cool with the dampness unique to dawn.
However, while it felt pleasant to her freshly awakened self, it was probably a different story for those who had been up all night watching over her.
‘They’re suffering because of me.’
Glancing at the two figures trailing behind at a discrete distance, she silently conveyed her apology.
“…!”
She turned a corner into a quiet alley, taking a shortcut—
Swish—
A faint breeze brushed past her ear.
Thunk!
A dull impact followed.
Swish—Thunk!
Again, the same sound.
The first time could have been a coincidence.
The second was certainty.
Shin Geum’s keen instincts sounded an alarm.
Even though her body had been sealed, her intuition had not dulled.
In fact, with her physical strength restricted, her senses had only grown sharper.
She calmly raised a hand to her solar plexus.
Without hesitation, she pulled out the long needle embedded in her Gokgul Acupoint.
The moment the blockage was released, a storm of energy surged through her body.
Unlike the gentle morning breeze outside, a violent current raged within her.
With her eyes closed, she maintained her pace, walking as if nothing had happened.
‘One, two, three… four.’
Even without sight, her perception of her surroundings was crystal clear.
‘Haah.’
The two dwindling lives were merely pitiful.
Swoosh—
A foreign gust of wind stirred behind her.
From the darkness, a masked figure emerged, clamping a hand over Shin Geum’s mouth while his other hand struck her Sleep Acupoint.
‘Got her!’
His eyes gleamed with triumph.
But only for a fleeting moment.
‘Huh?’
The old woman should have collapsed into his arms—
But she continued walking.
She was moving further away.
‘What…? I struck her Sleep Acupoint!’
Confused, he glanced down at his arms—
‘Impossible!’
He was clutching empty air.
It was merely Shin Geum’s afterimage.
He barely had time to react before—
“…!”
His body froze.
Only then did he realize a needle had pierced his Qihai Acupoint.
And the moment he became aware of it—
Agonizing heat erupted within him, as if he had been thrown into a blazing inferno.
The energy imbued in the needle rampaged through his Dantian, shredding him from within.
‘Aaaaaah!’
The pain was unbearable, but he couldn’t even scream.
His body melted like ice in the summer heat—
A formless puddle of poisonous liquid was all that remained.
Squish, squish.
The ground beneath her feet turned muddy as Shin Geum finally opened her eyes.
Flash!
A cold green light burst forth, engulfing the surroundings in an instant.
***
That Evening.
“Master, urgent news!”
“Master, urgent news!”
In the midst of a drinking party with Wi Lin, Yeo Gong received a frantic transmission from his subordinates.
“What is it?”
At Yeo Gong’s question, Marip rushed in, kneeling on one knee as he reported.
“This morning, all four Blood Wolves who were tailing the First Young Lady’s grandmother have gone missing.”
“What? Missing?”
“Yes, Master. We searched the area and discovered traces of Bone-Melting Powder.”
A missing squad was shocking enough, but Bone-Melting Powder?
Both Yeo Gong and Wi Lin furrowed their brows.
“You’re certain?”
Bone-Melting Powder was an extremely lethal toxin, potent enough to dissolve human bones in an instant.
It was not only difficult to handle but also nearly impossible to obtain.
“There are four spots where the surrounding plants and stones have completely melted away. The number matches the missing Blood Wolves. It’s clear someone used Bone-Melting Powder to dispose of their bodies.”
“So they wanted to erase any trace of the killings?”
“We don’t know how they were taken down, nor can we identify the attacker, but it must have been someone highly skilled in poison arts.”
“The four Blood Wolves who were tailing the First Young Lady’s grandmother… were taken down by a poison expert?”
Muttering to himself, Yeo Gong turned to Wi Lin.
“Wi Lin, tell me I’m not the only one who finds this suspicious. A mere old woman under the Tak Family’s protection— And suddenly Bone-Melting Powder appears? It doesn’t add up.”
“Could it be a diversion by Hyeonwol Hall to mislead us?”
“No. Anyone else, maybe. But the Tak Family would never use poison. That Hyunma Manor of theirs…”
“Then… are you saying a real poison expert has appeared?”
To Wi Lin, that seemed even more absurd.
“Marip, did you investigate the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect?”
In the Martial Alliance, the Tang Clan ruled over poisons.
But in the Demonic Cult, that power belonged to the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect.
Their Nine Nether Demon Poison was so fearsome that even Yeo Gong hesitated to face it.
“If it were the methods of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, we would have recognized it immediately. In my judgment, I am certain that a third party is involved.”
Marip asserted his opinion more strongly than ever.
“Then does that mean Tak Family secretly recruited a master without our knowledge?”
The martial world was vast, filled with eccentric figures and hidden experts like grains of sand.
Given Tak Joong-hak’s unclear motives, the possibility of him bringing in an outsider couldn’t be ruled out.
Ever since he emerged from seclusion, everything about him had been suspicious.
“Do you really think so?”
“You have another idea, Yeo Gong?”
At Wi Lin’s question, Yeo Gong remained silent for a long time, deep in thought.
“Marip.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Triple the number of Blood Wolves and keep them under strict surveillance.”
“…May I ask why?”
It was difficult for Marip to grasp his master’s intentions.
“I need confirmation.”
“Confirmation of what?”
“By tomorrow, we’ll have our answer. Just wait.”
Yeo Gong chose his words carefully.
For now, it was only a suspicion.
But if his instincts were correct, this situation was far from simple.
If played right, it could be the perfect opportunity to drag Tak Family into the mud in one swift move.
—
Back at the Manor.
“Seol-ha—are you alright?”
Even after returning home, my mind was entirely occupied by thoughts of the portrait.
Seeing me sitting idly in my outdoor clothes, So-ok grew restless, unable to leave my side.
“So-ok.”
“Yes, Seo Ryeon?”
“Can you bring me a glass of cold water?”
“Yes! I’ll go to Jamigwan right away!”
As soon as So-ok hurried out, Seo Ryeon approached me and asked,
“Seol-ha, why didn’t you ask Tak Joong-hak about it earlier?”
“Yeah… why didn’t I?”
Even I wasn’t sure.
Why had I left that hall as if I were fleeing?
The moment I heard Cheon Hwa-young’s footsteps, I had instinctively grabbed her hand and rushed out, not even letting her see the portrait.
After that, I barely remembered how I spent the rest of the day.
I had turned down Tak Joong-hak’s dinner invitation with a flimsy excuse, returned to my residence, and done nothing since.
It was an unusual response for someone like me, who hated leaving things unresolved.
That only made the mystery more unsettling.
I had been shocked, yes.
But was that enough to make me run away?
What was I so afraid of?
“Seo Ryeon.”
“Yes.”
“That woman in the portrait… Who was she?”
“…I don’t know.”
That was unlike Seo Ryeon—her tone was hesitant.
“One thing is certain. That wasn’t you.”
“Why do you think so?”
“Because it wasn’t a recently painted portrait.”
Right. That was true.
It had been a traditional brush painting on aged paper.
The faded colors bore the unmistakable mark of time.
“At least ten years old… no, probably much older.”
Alright, let’s piece this together.
A person who looked exactly like me.
As far as I knew, there was only one such person in the world.
“The older you grow, the more you resemble your mother.”
“Grandmother, was my mother really that beautiful?”
“Of course! She was as lovely as a flower.”
My grandmother’s words echoed in my mind.
A mother I never knew—
Who had died in childbirth.
On most days, Shin Geum would proudly declare that I inherited my beauty from her.
But on nights when she had a drink or two, she would always bring up my mother.
And whenever she did, I would quietly pour her another cup.
Because in those moments, she looked unbearably lonely.
“Seo Ryeon, can I ask you a favor?”
“Of course.”
“For now, let’s keep what we saw today a secret.”
“You mean… don’t tell anyone?”
“Yes. Can you do that?”
“Of course. And from now on, don’t ask me as a favor—just give me an order.”
She met my gaze with unwavering determination, as if ready to follow any command.
“…Thank you.”
I needed time to process this.
I would have to face Tak Joong-hak soon,
but before that—
I needed to ask Grandmother.
Was my mother part of the Tak Family?
And if so,
What did that make me?
With thoughts spiraling endlessly from a single portrait,
I spent the entire night unable to sleep.
—
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