Can't We Meet Just Once More? (1)
Han Cheong-un's duty as a guest of the Tang Family was to instruct Tang Jin.
However, he did not devote all of his time to it.
They sparred once in the morning after breakfast, and once more in the afternoon after lunch.
That was it.
Of course, the sparring itself was shockingly intense.
The only saving grace was that it stopped short of causing severe injury.
In truth, Cheong-un pushed Tang Jin with a ferocity that differed little from a real life-or-death battle.
"Argh! Ow! Stop... Why do you keep beating me up? You could just stop right before hitting me!"
"If I did that, your combat instincts would dull."
"You absolute bastard!"
For Tang Jin, it was like experiencing a living hell twice a day.
After finishing the afternoon spar...
"Well then, review today's spar thoroughly and come prepared tomorrow."
"..."
Leaving Tang Jin behind as he played dead on the ground, Cheong-un stepped out of the training grounds.
With this, Cheong-un's daily duties as a guest of the Tang Family were complete.
The rest of his time was entirely his own.
Cheong-un used this free time to slowly wander around the Tang Family estate. Of course...
"Guests are not permitted beyond this point."
"Understood. I suppose there is something important inside?"
"I cannot tell you that."
"I see. My apologies."
The areas a mere guest could access were strictly limited.
The Sichuan Tang Family, in particular, was notorious even among the Five Great Clans for its tight security and secrecy.
Yet Cheong-un wandered around regardless, like a man searching for something.
Some within the Tang Family cast displeased looks at his blatant wandering, which bordered on spying, but he ignored them for now.
After repeating this routine for several days...
"Hmm..."
He finally found the person he was looking for in the backyard of the inner garden.
Someone was there, staring intently down at the fish in the pond.
A woman dressed in black, adorned with countless accessories draped all over her body.
Though her face was hidden behind a thick veil, he knew the moment he saw her.
Found her.
That woman was surely the one Cheong-un had been searching for so desperately.
Cheong-un quietly approached behind her as she watched the pond and spoke.
"What are you looking at?"
Startled, she spun around. She took a step back, covering her mouth with her hand.
Then, she spoke in the quietest voice possible.
"Who are you?"
Her voice sounded like pearls rolling on a jade tray.
It was a beautiful, clear voice that perfectly suited the term 'jade voice.' Cheong-un politely clasped his hands in greeting.
"Pardon my late introduction. I am Han Cheong-un, currently staying with the Tang Family as a guest."
"..."
"If you do not mind, could you tell me your name, young lady?"
Reassured by Cheong-un's utmost politeness, she spoke hesitantly.
"I am Tang Seo-yeon."
"Ah, so you are Lady Tang."
Cheong-un acknowledged her calmly.
But at that moment, his fists clenched tightly.
Found her. I finally found her.
Tang Seo-yeon.
She was the key and the central figure to preventing the Tang Family Tragedy.
For this timid woman standing before him was the very person who would trigger the massacre.
According to the Wulin Alliance's investigation of the Tang Family Tragedy,
they concluded that the horrific tragedy was caused by an accidental leak of a deadly poison stored by the family.
But the truth was different.
The poison that went out of control back then
was not some lethal toxin sealed deep within the Tang Family's secret vault, nor was it an experimental poison.
It was the poison carried inside the body of a single person that had gone wild.
The Heavenly Killing Poison Flower, Tang Seo-yeon.
Her rampage was what brought the horrific massacre upon the Tang Family.
Cheong-un only learned the truth of the incident much later, after the Annihilation Squad was formed, directly from Tang Jin.
"My sister possessed the Myriad Poisons Body."
"The Myriad Poisons Body? Isn't that just a legend?"
The Myriad Poisons Body.
It was said to be a constitution that harbored all the poisons in the world, optimized perfectly for cultivating poison arts. However, no one with such a body had ever actually appeared in the Jianghu.
It was merely a theoretical concept conceived by poison masters, who hypothesized that to transcend the limits of poison arts and reach a state of absolute mastery, one must harbor ten thousand poisons within their body.
In other words, it was a purely imaginary constitution.
That was the Myriad Poisons Body. And yet...
"She was born with it in our family. No..."
Tang Jin bit his lip, struggling to force the words out.
"They created it."
Cheong-un was shocked.
"Created it?"
"Yes. From the moment Seo-yeon was in our mother's womb, they injected poisons, soaking both mother and fetus in toxins. She was a child born from the Tang Family's greed."
"..."
"That was my sister."
"..."
"That child..."
A sorrowful Tang Jin continued.
The Myriad Poisons Body, artificially engineered through countless efforts to fulfill the Sichuan Tang Family's deepest desires.
That was Tang Seo-yeon.
Yet, despite carrying the full weight of the Tang Family's expectations, she was deemed a failure.
The elders of the Tang Family harbored the ambition to raise her into the strongest under heaven, elevating the Tang Family to the greatest clan in the world.
However, raising a child born with the Myriad Poisons Body proved to be an excruciatingly difficult task.
Her mother died the moment she was born.
No, it wasn't just her mother.
The midwife and the maids who entered the delivery room to deliver her all died as well.
From the very moment of her birth, she claimed thirteen lives.
But that was only the beginning.
Born with the Myriad Poisons Body, Tang Seo-yeon poisoned anyone who so much as brushed against her.
The poison grew stronger as she aged. By the time she was ten, she carried toxins that even the Tang Family could not cure.
By then, the number of people who had died from poisoning—either while serving her or through accidental contact—exceeded thirty.
A cursed constitution.
A child who sowed death simply by existing.
Tang Seo-yeon was an object of terror even within the Sichuan Tang Family.
"I wasn't at the estate when she caused the massacre. Even after learning the truth later, I secretly thought... Ah, our family has received heaven's punishment."
"But Vice Leader..."
"I know. I know very well that this is no excuse."
"..."
"Right now, my sister is a public enemy of the Jianghu, a sinner who has already claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands, including innocent civilians."
"..."
"I'm not telling you this to defend her, Leader..."
Tang Jin closed his eyes, his voice trembling with emotion.
"I just wanted someone to know."
"..."
"If she and I die together tomorrow, there will be no one left who knows the truth about her..."
"Vice Leader."
"Isn't that just too sad?"
Tang Jin had steeled his resolve.
He was prepared to risk his life to stop his sister in the subjugation of the Heavenly Killing Poison Flower the next day.
Knowing the weight of Tang Jin's resolve, Cheong-un could say nothing.
And the following day.
The Annihilation Squad relentlessly pursued the cornered Heavenly Killing Poison Flower, Tang Seo-yeon, and finally succeeded in slaying her.
The blow that ended her life was Tang Jin's Silver Flowing Flying Dagger, piercing her heart from a distance.
I can't let that tragedy happen again.
Armed with knowledge of the future, Cheong-un decided to start by melting Tang Seo-yeon's frozen heart.
If possible, the best outcome was to sway her heart so she would never trigger that horrific massacre. To do that...
First, I need to get close to her.
Cheong-un cautiously stepped toward Tang Seo-yeon.
"Were you looking at the carp in the pond?"
Cheong-un naturally took a step closer. But then...
"Don't come any closer!"
Tang Seo-yeon cried out in a panic, taking a hasty step back. She held out her hand to keep him at bay.
"Please, don't come near me."
Cheong-un stopped in his tracks.
"Ah, are you perhaps training in poison arts?"
"..."
Tang Seo-yeon gave a small, hesitant nod. Cheong-un spoke as if pleased that his guess was correct.
"As expected of a martial artist of the Tang Family. Are those Poison-Avoiding Beads you are wearing?"
She nodded slightly.
Cheong-un spoke in admiration.
"Indeed, your achievements must be extraordinary."
Every single accessory draped on Tang Seo-yeon's body was a priceless Poison-Avoiding Bead.
Only by wearing dozens of these beads could she barely suppress the toxic energy leaking from her body.
Without them, even the most basic daily life was impossible.
Tang Seo-yeon hesitated, trying to gather her thoughts. Then, Cheong-un spoke.
"I shouldn't interrupt your training."
Thank goodness. It seems he's leaving.
"In that case, I will have to get close to you in another way. Hmm... Do you happen to like interesting stories?"
"...?"
Before Tang Seo-yeon could even reply, Cheong-un began spinning a tale on his own.
"Once upon a time, a very long time ago, there was a woodcutter..."
What is with this man?
This was a first for Tang Seo-yeon.
Someone who kept approaching her despite her attempts to push them away.
Cheong-un spun his yarn before her like a professional storyteller.
"A deer told him that if he stole a fairy's winged robe and hid it, then asked her to be his wife..."
"..."
"...But the fairy gathered her courage and reported this to the Wulin Alliance. As a result, the woodcutter was branded a public enemy of the Jianghu and met a gruesome end."
Cheong-un peeked at her reaction.
He was no storyteller.
But living as a martial artist meant hearing plenty of rumors and tales from gossips.
He had picked one he thought was funny, but...
"...Pfft."
Success.
It seemed to have worked.
Though her face was hidden behind the veil, a tiny giggle escaped her lips.
This alone was a major victory.
"Did you find my story amusing?"
"...Yes."
Tang Seo-yeon replied softly.
Cheong-un smiled and said,
"Thank you. Then, as payment for the story, would you grant me a favor?"
"A... favor?"
Tang Seo-yeon felt a wave of anxiety.
There wasn't much she could do.
Even though she was a daughter of the Tang Family, she was treated like a pariah, a malignant tumor that no one dared touch.
What could he possibly want?
What if it's an unreasonable request I can't fulfill?
As Tang Seo-yeon worried, Cheong-un spoke.
"Could we meet again tomorrow at this time?"
"...Is that all?"
"Yes. I will prepare something even more enjoyable for you tomorrow."
Which meant...
He wants me to come out again tomorrow?
She couldn't.
Tang Seo-yeon tried to quickly refuse, but...
"I will take that as a yes and head off first. I have quite a few things to prepare."
"Wait..."
Before she could say another word, Cheong-un vanished from sight.
Left behind, Tang Seo-yeon sighed softly as she watched his retreating figure.
How can someone be so pushy?
But since they had made a promise, she had no choice.
She would have to show up tomorrow at the same time...
Only because she had to keep her word, of course.
The next day.
"You came, Lady Tang."
Cheong-un was already waiting by the pond. Tang Seo-yeon gave a slight bow and spoke.
"I kept my promise. However..."
"Ah, before that, I have something to give you."
How rude. Interrupting someone mid-sentence? Tang Seo-yeon flinched slightly, but Cheong-un pointed to a bundle he had set aside.
"That is a gift I prepared."
"A gift?"
"Yes. I prepared it just for you. Would you like to open it?"
"..."
Tang Seo-yeon sighed and walked over to the bundle.
The small bundle was lighter than expected, and she couldn't guess what was inside.
When she looked at Cheong-un, he was watching her with an expression full of anticipation.
With a soft sigh, she unwrapped the bundle.
What appeared inside was...
"What is this?"
"They are skewered rice dumplings glazed with honey. Have you ever tried them?"
"...No."
"Oh dear, you've been missing out on one of life's greatest pleasures."
"..."
"Of course, the Tang Family's chefs are incredibly skilled, but sometimes you crave street food like this. Especially when you train hard like you do, sweet things can give you energy."
She had heard of it before.
She had heard that beyond the walls of the Tang Family estate lay a bustling market where people bought and sold goods.
She was told there were food vendors selling snacks to passersby.
This was likely that kind of food.
"How... how do I eat it?"
"Well, you..."
"Don't come any closer!"
Tang Seo-yeon cried out in a panic.
Backing away from Cheong-un, she said,
"Explain it... from there."
She was blatantly avoiding him.
Anyone else might have felt offended by her behavior, but...
"Ah, my mistake. You can just eat street food casually."
He did not mind at all.
With a bright smile, he apologized and explained how to eat it.
"Just hold the bottom of the skewer and eat the dumplings from the top. Give it a try."
Tang Seo-yeon turned her head away, lifted her veil slightly, and bit into a dumpling. And then...
"...!"
Her eyes widened.
"How is it? Delicious, right?"
"..."
"It's from a shop famous for being the best in the Chengdu market. I had to wait in line for a full two hours to buy it."
"..."
Tang Seo-yeon was still a daughter of the Tang Family.
The food she ate was always high-class cuisine prepared by master chefs.
Yet, this skewered dumpling tasted better than any delicacy she had ever eaten.
It was sweet, chewy, savory...
...And warm.
It was a flavor she had never experienced in her entire life.