Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Chang'an, Ink Sword Grove: Tang Apothecary Hall (6)
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I wet a clean cotton cloth in lukewarm water and wipe Dang Sohye's body.
Wiping the naked form of a grown woman feels awfully strange. And to top it off, I'd just been with Seolha and Yeonhwa.
In other words, my lust hadn't fully subsided yet.
So this situation might have been pure torture for me.
If my cultivation had been lacking, that is.
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What I cultivated in the Black Wall Cavern wasn't just martial arts.
I learned how to build mental fortitude there.
A place utterly devoid of people. A spot where no one would listen even if you cried out. A slightly oversized solitary cell.
I survived sixty-seven years there without losing my mind because I was already half-mad.
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To be precise, I'm just pretending to be normal right now.
I did snap once in that place. Without Rejuvenation to Youth and Bone Transformation and Marrow Shedding, I might have gone fully insane.
That's why I can stay so composed even in a moment like this.
I know my breaking point. I've stared into the abyss.
So that's how I can meticulously wipe every inch of this woman's alluring naked body without batting an eye.
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Even lying there, her pert breasts, slender arms, nipped-in waist, generous hips, shapely thighs, and long, lithe legs.
I wipe her carefully, bit by bit. The cloth can't be reused once it's dirtied. It has to be burned right after. Turns into pure toxin otherwise.
I grab a fresh cloth and wipe her face this time.
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Her refined features, short bobbed hair, milky skin, pink lips, cute little ears.
I take her arm and wipe her back. Her waist and hips too.
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After giving her body a full once-over, I change the bedding, lay her back down, hesitate for a moment, then start wiping the insides of her thighs.
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Dang Sohye's privates were the same shade as her lips.
A soft pink. The hue of plum or cherry blossoms freshly bloomed on a clearing spring day.
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I've sensed it from the start, but her body was like a masterpiece of art.
The lack of pubic hair—thanks to the poison—only amplified that impression.
Like a porcelain vase crafted by a master artisan. Pristine white ceramic.
The sort that intoxicates with its curves and mesmerizes with its pure hue.
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Good thing all those black and bruised spots from before are gone. That's a relief.
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I wipe her entire body once more.
And finally, I wash her hair thoroughly.
I lose track of how many times I change the water. How much poison drips onto the floor and gets burned away.
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I scrub her clean to the point where no further issues should arise, then cover her with fresh cloth.
Only then do I let out a sigh and drag over a chair to sit.
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Whew. Exhausting. Just tending to one woman's body—why is it this draining?
Wasn't even this wiped out dashing from Ink Sword Grove to Qing Mountain in a single bound.
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Anyway, mission accomplished. Feels rewarding.
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Tang Apothecary Hall, poison-free.
If I weren't immune to all poisons, I'd have had to summon someone from the Tang family.
Well, they slipped in that elixir figuring I could handle it... Still, didn't expect it to flare up this bad.
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I sit still, keeping watch over Dang Sohye.
No poison lingers. Her body's free of anomalies.
She's out cold because the toxin climbed to her head earlier, knocking her consciousness out.
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Still can't shake the worry. Qi and internal energy? No sweat there.
I can claim supremacy over anyone in that regard.
The issue's her brain. Upper dantian.
Nothing I can do about that.
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Wouldn't be odd if she woke up suddenly unable to speak.
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I wait patiently.
My fretting won't alter a thing.
All vitals check out fine. She'll pull through. Just needs to wake up.
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I extend my qi sense. The two presences in the bedroom are still stirring.
Figures. They're anxious. Haven't slept yet.
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Need to change my clothes anyway, so I rise.
I listen to Dang Sohye's even breaths, confirm she's stable, then leave Tang Apothecary Hall for the bedroom.
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"Great Hero."
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"Great Hero. How's Lady Dang?"
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"She's stabilized now. Just waiting for her to wake. Seolha, could you fetch my fresh clothes?"
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"Yes, Great Hero."
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Seolha swiftly brings new garb. I strip off my soiled ones and burn them on the spot.
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"If you've purged all the poison, I'll keep watch and tend to her. Great Hero."
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She says this as she hands over the clothes. I smile, brush her cheek, and reply.
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"If trouble flares again, it'd be too much for you to handle. Don't worry—go rest. You too, Yeonhwa."
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"But..."
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"What? Don't trust me? I'm hurt."
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"Great Hero, it's not like that."
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"I get it. Appreciate the concern, so quit fussing and sleep. If you're up when I get back, I'll take it as lack of trust and ban bed-sharing for a spell."
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Seolha flinches—of course—and even Yeonhwa does, staring at me.
No clue how "no sex" turned into leverage, but damn if it doesn't work.
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"Yes... Great Hero."
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"Yes, Great Hero."
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I give the reluctant pair light kisses and head out of the bedroom once more.
Back to Tang Apothecary Hall. Chair again.
Alright... wait her out till she stirs? What to mull over in the meantime?
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About an hour passes.
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Dang Sohye's delicate brows knit together.
A groan—"Eung..."—then she struggles to open her eyes, lets out a pained "Keueng," and clutches her head.
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"Awake? Head hurting?"
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At my voice, she jolts upright in alarm.
The covering cloth slips free, baring her lovely breasts once again.
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"Huh..."
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She snatches the cloth in reflexive panic, hiding her body.
I can't help but chuckle at the sight. She checks herself over, then gazes at me in utter disbelief, stammering.
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"I... the poison was clearly..."
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"Yeah. I wiped it all off. Collected your toxin too. No traces left here—don't worry."
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"G-Grove Lord."
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Her face a mask of utter bewilderment. I stand, drag my chair closer, and sit.
As I near, she clutches the cloth tighter. Cheeks flush.
I set the chair down and match her eye level.
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"Alright. Answer my questions. Where are we?"
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"Huh?"
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"Answer up. Where?"
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"Chang'an. Chang'an, Ink Sword Grove, Tang Apothecary Hall..."
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"Your name?"
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"Dang Sohye. Dang Sohye."
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"The young master's name you impersonated."
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"Brother Myeongun..."
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"Twin Killing Azure White Snake, right? How do you neutralize its venom. Go on."
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Her foggy gaze sharpens in an instant, and she recites flawlessly.
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"To neutralize Twin Killing Azure White Snake venom, first immerse in ice-cold water to seal its heat. The toxin will congeal into a mass—transfer it steadily to a wooden vessel without agitating..."
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Something she told me once before.
Truth be told, I don't recall it all myself. But it rings true enough.
Hmm. No anomalies. Wits sharp, memory intact.
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"Good enough. No head trauma. Rest up, get dressed. We'll settle your recklessness and faults later."
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I rise to leave.
But Dang Sohye bolts upright and hugs me from behind.
I could easily evade, but I don't. Feels wrong to.
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"What business has a grown girl hugging a man bare? Playing with fire."
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"I'm sorry. Grove Lord. So sorry."
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"Told you—scolding comes later for your faults and rashness. Craving it now?"
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My words fall on deaf ears. She just clings tighter.
Beats me why. Or I suspect, but no certainty.
So I pry her arms loose, turn to face her.
Naked beauty. Still breathtaking.
But I stay impassive, fetch the dropped cloth, and drape it over her.
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"Rest now. We'll talk at dawn."
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Her face crumples like she's about to cry. She meets my eyes dead-on.
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"Grove Lord... Do you truly not see me as a woman?"
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Her words hit like nonsense. I pause, pondering.
Then, with genuine exasperation:
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"You. Did you orchestrate this on purpose?"
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"Huh?"
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"To snag my attention, I mean. Serious question—be straight."
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"No. Absolutely not. I did push myself a bit to impress you, true... but who'd deliberately court disaster like this?!"
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Frankly, even that baffles me.
Impress me by overdoing it? Yeah, I can parse it now.
Regarding the internal energy absorption, probably.
Like a kid fishing for praise? Fine, but awfully juvenile.
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She's sharp, this one. A month-plus of observation confirms it.
Keen, decisive, cool-headed, diligent.
Prime secretary material, I'd say.
But this? This is a Dang Sohye I don't know.
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"Have I slighted you somehow? What more 'impressing' do you need? Your progress satisfies me."
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"You... took me in, Grove Lord! Yet a month here's passed, and you just keep your distance..."
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"Nonsense. Didn't you say you wanted to follow me? To the Tang family head?"
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"Me!? To Grandpa!? Word I got from the family head was you took a shine to me and asked if it was alright to take me along..."
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I squeeze my eyes shut at that.
Situation crystal clear. Instantly.
Ah, that scheming old fox. Pulling strings like this?
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"Tang family head said that?"
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"...Yes."
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"And that's why I agreed?"
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"...Yes."
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Desperate to forge ties with me, huh. Resorting to cheap ploys.
But it irks me. Isn't this too callous with his own granddaughter?
Political marriages for women are commonplace in this era, sure—but this rubs wrong.
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Nearly sparked a catastrophe too.
He flat-out told me Dang Sohye wanted to trail me.
So I'd assumed she harbored feelings.
Had I acted on that casually... disaster.
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"Got it. Your mess is one thing—your grandpa's the real culprit. Time to chew him out. What gall..."
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As I turn to go, she snags my sleeve in haste.
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"Why? Won't help if you intervene. Actually, you don't get to stop me."
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"No, it's not that."
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"Then what."
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She wavers a beat, then locks eyes squarely.
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"Grove Lord... Do you really not see me as a woman?"