Duck Tails and Black Flags
The villainess eats mala hotpot. Dang Nan-a’s expectations shattered from the very start. When the thick fat beneath the tail is trimmed and grilled, it produces a chewy, crispy, richly oily morsel quite different from the large intestine. Since even a large duck yields only a few such pieces, it is a delicacy served in golden bowls to the highest seats. Yet in the Tang household, there existed a separate ranking that no one questioned. Until now, that is.
The moment Dang Nan-a reached out with her chopsticks, the table spun around and the second brother snatched up the golden bowl, placing it before Cheong with a flourish. “Young lady, would you care to try this? The most delicious part of a roasted duck is precisely this fat beneath the tail.”
“Really? Wow, what is this? Amazing.” Cheong’s eyes widened into perfect circles. What the—why is this so good? Had those petty Central Plains bastards been hoarding this for themselves all along?
The First Madam’s eyebrows twitched as she watched. So the mother has a mouth too, you little brat. You always said raising sons was pointless. At that moment, the third brother was demonstrating his specialty. Wielding twin chopsticks with swift precision, he stripped the meat from the duck’s neck bones—his true domain. The deliciousness of bird neck meat needs no explanation.
Dang Nan-a had expected the third brother’s usual considerate offering to arrive before her, as it always had. Instead, the plate naturally drifted toward Cheong. “The tail is fine, but one cannot overlook the neck. Would you care to try this as well?”
“Oh? I could just tear it off myself, you know? Anyway, thanks. Oh. It’s good. Really good.” A soft smile spread across Cheong’s lips. Emotions showed plainly on her face. The happy beauty seemed to glow from within.
The Second Madam simply resigned herself. The plate that once went to her daughter now went to the guest. She supposed it was better this way. Sister, raising sons really is pointless. Did you think daughters would be any different? They’re all the same.
The two madams met each other’s eyes. No wonder the wives got along like sisters.
“Seomun Young Lady, this is called Geumnamchun, the finest liquor in Sichuan. If you enjoy clear spirits—”
“Whoa, Geumnamchun!”
“Seomun Young Lady, however—”
“Seomun Young Lady…”
“Seomun…”
The brothers began a silent battle of wills over the woman. Yet in the Central Plains, such a sight was never considered unsightly. Courtship here meant a man fawning over a woman, reading her every mood, and living under her thumb. In matters of romance, the woman held ninety percent of the initiative. Because a man could take multiple wives. After marriage the dynamic reversed completely, forcing husbands to flatter and serve their wives and concubines to earn affection. Thus, before marriage, the woman was absolute sovereign. Afterward, the man became something between superior and inferior. It might seem unfair, but nothing in this world was ever truly fair.
In such a culture, snatching the best cuts and stripping meat from bones was merely basic courtesy—hardly even sweet, just ordinary service from ordinary Central Plains men. Still, Cheong found it far too blatant and felt a hundred—no, a thousand, ten thousand—times more burdened.
What the hell. Why are they all staring while I eat? I have hands too, so why is everyone stripping, serving, and cooling things for me? They’d probably even feed me if I asked. (Right.) So this is why the old man made such a fuss about wearing a veil. Listening to elders really doesn’t hurt. Cheong belatedly regretted it, but it was too late now. Once your face was bare, covering it again was pointless.
Of course, that didn’t mean Cheong ate any less. Perhaps because the continent was vast, the duck was the size of a small piglet. Steamed and then flash-fried Sichuan-style, the meat was tender and fatty. Cheong mechanically inhaled the magically refilling duck from the plate and gulped down the magically refilling fine liquor. People are treacherous creatures; even though she barely chewed before swallowing, when a beauty did it, it somehow looked graceful.
Only Dang Nan-a sat with her eyes wide open. Is that a person or a pig? She’s practically lifting the bowl and pouring it down her throat, stuffing it in like a toad. And all those idiot brothers—every last one of them is dead. I’m telling the adults everything.
While the Understanding Poison Flower ground her teeth, a Tang warrior opened the banquet hall doors and appeared. He approached the family head, Dang Tu-jung, and whispered in his ear, then turned to the table, offered a cupped-fist salute, and spoke.
“Black flags have been raised at Prince Deokhyun’s residence.”
“What? Who—who has passed away?” Jayu asked urgently.
“It is said that Prince Deokhyun has… passed.”
Hungseo—a polite way of saying someone had died. The Tang warrior answered while feigning grief. It was the only acceptable tone for such news. Anything cheerful would be treason.
“……?”
Jayu, who had just heard of his own death, could only open and close his mouth in disbelief.
At that same moment, in the Demonic Cult’s temporary makeshift prison—
To put it bluntly, Seolgajik and Seomun Hui had failed to escape. What was done was done. Blaming anyone would only damage their camaraderie. So instead of scolding Seomun Hui, Seolgajik, ever the logical neighborhood genius, began devising a new escape plan. Seomun Hui’s beauty had ripened considerably after practicing the Sonyeohwanhuigong, and the two were in the midst of plotting a honey trap based on that.
Fortunately, Seomun Hui had no aversion to using her looks. The Hwanhee Palace’s methods had always relied on such tactics anyway. But the plan to seduce the jailers ended before Seomun Hui could even attempt a single coquettish act. Seolgajik hadn’t expected much from her charm to begin with.
“Would you… care to come out now?”
“What trick is this?”
“A person of high standing has politely requested your presence. The food here is all we can offer in prison, and we haven’t treated you poorly otherwise, have we?”
“……?”
It was also a stroke of luck for the jailers. Buried under endless urgent duties, they’d had no time to toy with prisoners and had simply tossed them rations. They’d nearly caused a disaster by needlessly tormenting them.
Seolgajik and Seomun Hui stepped out of the cell. A crowd of Divine Maiden Palace priestesses swarmed them, washing them, scrubbing away grime, feeding them elixirs, and dressing them in fine clothes.
Seolgajik sighed. “I don’t know whether to be pleased or saddened.”
“Huh? Why?”
“The treatment is so respectful it feels like we’re honored guests. The only reason we’d receive such courtesy is our connection to Seomun Young Lady. The Heavenly Demon must have awakened and formed a bond with her.”
“Oh! Then does that mean Big Sister is the Demonic Cult’s matriarch? Hmm, isn’t that a good thing?”
“That depends on her. No matter how fine the position, it only matters if the person herself welcomes it.”
While the two conversed, the door opened and Ji Seungju appeared. Seolgajik recognized him at once.
“I’d heard the Young Demon Brain was a boy, but…”
“A pleasure, Seol Great Hero. And Seomun Great Hero. This is our first meeting. I am Ji Seungju, though unworthy, I oversee the Secret Pavilion.”
“Great Hero? What’s your angle?”
“What? I’m a Great Hero too?”
“I have no ulterior motive. It is simply that the two of you now hold positions deserving of the Cult’s proper hospitality.”
“What, I get special treatment? Nice.”
“……What happened to Seomun Young Lady?”
“There is no need for concern. She has already departed for the Central Plains.”
“If she went to the Central Plains, the Demonic Cult wouldn’t be this peaceful, as far as I know.”
“What, Big Sister already left for the Central Plains?”
“As they say, one cannot know all the affairs of the world.”
“Enough riddles. Get to the point.”
“……? Can you not hear me? Strange.”
The two intellectuals cleanly ignored Seomun Hui’s words.
“She has inherited all the divine arts and descended as the Heavenly Demon Supreme. Before departing, she opened the Cult’s gates and commanded us to live more humanely. The foolish aspiration of liberating the Central Plains has finally come to an end.”
“……?”
Seolgajik’s face went blank. “Could you… repeat that? What did that friend do?”
“I didn’t expect things to turn out this way either. Seomun Young Lady is now the Heavenly Demon Supreme of the Divine Cult.”
“What, Big Sister is the Heavenly Demon Supreme?”
“Wait, hold on. That doesn’t make sense. What do you mean—”
“What? What? Then what am I? Heavenly Demon Sister?”
“Hey, be quiet. You’re giving me a headache.”
Seomun Hui sulkily shut her mouth. Seolgajik thought of Cheong—the friend who had planned to smash the Heavenly Demon Soul and flee after dealing a blow to the Demonic Cult. Suddenly becoming the Heavenly Demon herself? Still, if one asked whether it suited her… it fit her image perfectly. She was a born Heavenly Demon.
“Of course, she has no interest in the Cult whatsoever. But will the Central Plains people see it the same way?”
“They won’t.”
“Therefore, we hope the two of you will assist the esteemed Heavenly Demon Supreme.”
“You want us to coax Seomun Young Lady back to the Demonic Cult?”
Ji Seungju smiled faintly. Since there was no need to flatter the Jijon, he no longer had reason to hide his expressions.
“Is there any need for that? From what I’ve seen, the Heavenly Demon Supreme will return to the Cult eventually.”
“……I can’t deny that.”
Seolgajik agreed grimly. How long could a killing star who saw blood every night last while staying in the Central Plains?
“Seol Great Hero cannot remain in hiding forever either. The Heavenly Demon Supreme seems to be a person overflowing with affection.”
“And if we refuse?”
Ji Seungju merely shrugged. “Nothing changes. You may leave if you wish. But if you are going to the Central Plains anyway, simply promise to serve the Heavenly Demon Supreme. In return, we will provide the Cult’s elixirs. After all, higher martial prowess would be helpful when attending her.”
Seolgajik reached his conclusion at once. The Demonic Cult bastards had no reason to play games with their own Heavenly Demon. In that case, there was no reason to refuse free elixirs either. Being friends really paid off. He supposed this was payback for all the water they’d splashed on his face.