A Day of Celebration and Sudden Bloodshed
The morning of Dokgo Rin's coming-of-age birthday was bustling with activity throughout the Dokgo Clan in every possible way. It was an event they had been preparing for quite some time, and it was also the day of Dokgo Rin's coming-of-age ceremony—a day everyone in the Dokgo Clan cherished. As usual, I showed up for work at the clan and, sensing the unusually excited atmosphere, greeted the Murim Alliance warriors standing guard at the main gate.
"Good morning."
"Ah, a fine morning indeed."
These men belonged to the White Tiger Squad, one of the four elite units under the Murim Alliance. Every member of the White Tiger Squad was a martial artist who had reached at least the First-class realm. They were the reinforcements Dokgo Seok had requested from Jegal Gyun during our previous trip to Chang'an. By now, their stay at the Dokgo Clan had stretched well over a year.
"Today's the young lady Dokgo Rin's birthday, right? Any chance some of those celebratory treats will find their way to folks like us?"
"Yes. After the coming-of-age ceremony, the family shares a special meal to celebrate. I'm sure they'll serve you gentlemen food and drinks then as well."
"Haha, now that's something to look forward to."
"You've been standing guard at the gate every day—it's the least we can do."
With those words, I gave a polite bow and hurried off to greet Dokgo Rin, who was still in the annex.
"Miss, are you ready yet?"
When I called out through the closed door, Dokgo Rin's voice soon answered from inside.
"There's still a bit left, but you can come in."
With her permission, I opened the door and stepped inside. There she was, seated before a mirror while the clan's maids fussed over her makeup and hair.
Whoa.
The moment I saw her face, an involuntary sigh of admiration escaped me. And for good reason—Dokgo Rin, fully dressed and made up with clear intent, was breathtakingly beautiful. Her snow-white skin, full crimson lips, eyebrows drawn as if by a master's single stroke, and her perfectly smooth forehead. Just as described in the original novel The Heavenly Poison Witch, the grown-up Dokgo Rin's beauty was so stunning that calling her the greatest beauty in the Murim felt almost inadequate.
I stood there in the doorway, speechless, until Dokgo Rin—perhaps growing impatient—spoke first.
"Chilbok, what's your impression?"
"Huh?"
"How do I look right now?"
She gazed at me through the mirror.
"Um… you look beautiful."
"Is that all you've got?"
"Extremely. Extremely beautiful."
I wanted to come up with some elegant poetic phrase, but my brain wasn't cooperating, so only the simplest words came out. Still, Dokgo Rin seemed to notice I was acting differently than usual, and my clumsy reaction alone brought a satisfied smile to her face.
"Hehe, I thought Chilbok wasn't interested in girls, but I guess I was wrong?"
"When you're by my side, Miss, every other woman just looks like a squid."
The maids, who had paused their work on her makeup, burst into giggles at my ridiculous line.
"T-that's not what I meant!"
I frantically tried to deny the implication, but it was already too late.
"Chilbok, your face is bright red right now."
"Ugh!"
Only after Dokgo Rin's pointed remark did I realize how flushed I was. I quickly shut the door and fled outside. From behind the closed door came the sound of the maids' bright laughter. They were definitely teasing me in real time. I let out a small sigh and decided to wait outside until Dokgo Rin's preparations were complete.
"Hm?"
Just then, I spotted Dokgo Seok and Gyeong-a walking along the path between the main building and the annex. They noticed me too and waved. Dokgo Seok changed direction and approached, tilting his head curiously.
"Chilbok, are you feeling sick? Your face is all red."
"Ah, I felt a bit feverish, so I came out to cool down."
I gave a vague excuse, then asked about his outfit. He was dressed far more extravagantly than usual. Dokgo Seok smiled sheepishly.
"It's my one and only little sister's coming-of-age day. As her older brother, I can't show up looking shabby."
"Haha, so even you get embarrassed sometimes, Young Master."
When I teased him, Dokgo Seok ruffled my hair, saying I'd grown bold enough to poke fun at him. With my hair now a fluffy mess, I turned to Gyeong-a.
"Sister Gyeong-a, when are you heading back home?"
"Ah, once Miss Rin's ceremony is over, I'll say my goodbyes and leave. We've known each other for so long—it'd feel wrong to disappear without a proper farewell."
"The Young Master said he'll give you a generous retirement bonus, right?"
"If he doesn't, I'll just grab the house deed and run. So it's fine."
"Haha, what a funny joke, Gyeong-a."
"I'm not joking, though?"
"……."
The two suddenly stopped talking and began glaring at each other. They really seemed closer than actual siblings. I told them I'd see them both at the ceremony later. Dokgo Seok nodded.
"See you then."
He flicked his fan and strolled away. I couldn't help but chuckle at his ever-carefree, idle-rich demeanor.
In China, the coming-of-age ceremony is called the Gwanrye, one of the four major Confucian rites often summarized as Gwanhonsangje. For men, it involves tying up the hair and donning a formal hat; for women, it means twisting the hair into a bun and securing it with a hairpin. In China, heavily influenced by Confucianism, these ceremonies were often performed with great splendor. The reason was to show respect to one's ancestors and to display the family's power and influence to the surrounding community.
Since the Dokgo Clan held a status comparable to the region's leading family, they poured tremendous effort into every formality. As a result, Dokgo Rin's birthday had somehow turned into something resembling a village festival.
"Wow, Lady Rin is incredibly beautiful."
"At that level, she's more than ready to get married."
"Sob… she's grown up so well."
Only members of the Dokgo Clan were allowed to witness the coming-of-age ceremony. Most of the people working in the clan had known Dokgo Rin since she was very young, so seeing her all grown up filled them with deep emotion.
Dressed in ceremonial robes accented with red, performing the rites before the ancestral shrine while her parents and siblings watched, Dokgo Rin looked like a fairy descended from the heavens.
She really is unbelievably pretty.
The fact that someone like her was my lover still felt unreal. Just to be sure, I gave my cheek a light pinch. It hurt, so I wasn't dreaming.
As the ceremony continued, I watched Dokgo Rin complete each ritual according to proper etiquette and sequence. Finally, after confirming that she had secured her twisted bun with a hairpin, I slipped out of the shrine for a moment.
The ceremony had gone on for quite a while; the sky had already darkened. However, red lanterns hung beneath the eaves lit up the entire clan grounds as brightly as daytime. I gazed up at the full moon hanging in the sky and fell into thought.
It's already been two years.
When I first possessed Chilbok's body, I had no idea what was going on. Now, I had grown quite accustomed to life here. On top of that, I even had a beautiful girlfriend named Dokgo Rin. At this point, I couldn't ask for anything more. I was truly happy.
But… is it really okay to stay like this?
A stable job, a beautiful girlfriend, a peaceful life. I had everything anyone could ever want. Yet a sense of unease refused to leave me. I'd lived a life far removed from happiness in my previous existence, so now that everything was going so smoothly in this novel world, it almost felt frightening.
Life always has its ups and downs. If the peak of happiness was this high, I couldn't even imagine how devastating the fall would be when misfortune finally arrived.
While I was lost in these solitary thoughts—
"Chilbok! What are you doing out here alone?"
"Ah, Sister Gyeong-a."
I turned at the familiar voice coming from behind me.
"How did you know I was here?"
"I saw you slip out of the shrine earlier. When you didn't come back for a while, I got worried and came looking."
As she approached, Gyeong-a suddenly put on a concerned expression.
"Chilbok, is something bothering you? Want your big sister to lend an ear?"
"Huh? How could you tell?"
"It's written all over your face. 'I've got worries' is practically stamped on your forehead."
I hadn't expected her to see right through me. I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.
"Then… can I ask you one thing?"
"Sure, ask me anything."
I stared at Gyeong-a as she confidently thumped her chest with a fist, then spoke.
"Let's sit over there and talk."
I pointed to a stone bench in the garden. She followed without hesitation. We sat side by side on the long bench, avoiding eye contact as we talked.
"So what's on your mind, kiddo?"
I hesitated, chewing my lip, before finally gathering the courage to ask.
"Sister, have you ever been afraid that misfortune might come in the future?"
"…What do you mean?"
"I've been so happy lately that sometimes it scares me. What if all this happiness suddenly disappears like a bubble?"
"So you're saying you're so happy right now that you're scared of what the future might bring?"
"Yes, that's pretty much it."
Gyeong-a listened, then made a thoughtful sound and tapped her chin with her index finger. After a moment, she looked me straight in the eyes and declared firmly.
"First of all, I can clearly see just how blessed you are right now."
"Huh?"
When I faltered at her sudden bluntness, she placed her hands on her hips and continued in a lecturing tone.
"No one in this world knows their own future. So does it make any sense to be so afraid of it that you can't even enjoy the happiness you have right now?"
"……."
"Some people find happiness simply in earning enough each day to eat that same day. They're grateful just to be able to put food in their mouths right now, rather than worrying about a future that hasn't arrived. When you think about that, you'll realize how meaningless your worries are, Chilbok."
She placed both hands on my shoulders, her eyes steady and sincere.
"So enjoy the happiness you have now. When misfortune eventually comes, don't regret that you didn't fully savor the good times."
"…Thank you for the advice, Sister. It really helped."
I bowed my head. Her short conversation had made one thing crystal clear to me.
"I'm glad it helped. I was worried I was just being nosy."
"No, it was incredibly helpful. Really."
"Yeah?"
When I emphasized it again, Gyeong-a smiled bashfully and scratched the back of her head. After a brief lull in the conversation, she looked up at the full moon in the sky.
"Well, since I've said my goodbye to you, Chilbok, I should get going."
"What? You're leaving already? The ceremony's over—why not eat something before you go?"
"I'm leaving anyway. No point in dragging it out and making it harder. Besides, I've already eaten plenty of delicious food while staying by Young Master Seok's side."
She gave an awkward smile, then stood up abruptly and patted my head.
"Then I'll be on my way, Chilbok. Listen to the young lady, eat well, grow up strong, and become a reliable adult, okay? If you ever come near where I live, I'll treat you to a meal."
"…Yes. Thank you."
I barely held back the tears threatening to spill and nodded.
"Then your sister will be go—"
Whoosh!
Gyeong-a's eyes suddenly widened mid-sentence.
For a moment, neither of us understood what had just happened. Her body slowly began to tilt forward, and only then did I realize something was terribly wrong.
Thud!
"Sister!"
I jumped up in a panic and rushed to check on Gyeong-a, who had collapsed to the ground. But when I touched her, I felt something sticky. I held my hand up to the moonlight and saw it was stained a vivid red.
"…Blood?"
Suspicious, I checked her back. A short arrow was embedded there—hard to see in the darkness. The blood I'd touched had come from the wound on her back.
An arrow? Why? This is the Dokgo Clan…
My mind couldn't process the sudden turn of events. Still, I knew I had to administer first aid. I reached out to pull the arrow free—
Thump!
A powerful impact struck my back. My body crumpled helplessly forward.