The Blue Dragon Pill and Father's Conditions
Namgoong Juhee's plan to sneak down the mountain with just one bottle of liquor had failed from the start. Her departure was still a week away anyway, and the Family Head was making such a huge fuss about it.
Threatening Sihoon apparently hadn't been enough. She had to come report in person and have a talk. Namgoong Juhee accepted readily. He was an NPC, sure, but still her dad. These kinds of conversations always popped up when leaving the tutorial zone, right?
And so, to the Heavenly Sword Hall where the Family Head resided. A building named after a sword reaching the heavens—what a grandiose name for a declining clan. Namgoong Juhee thought that as she slammed the door open.
"Juhee. The door... Fine. Does closing it again make it better?"
"Yeah, what about it? Close your eyes, open them, and it's all good, right?"
"......Right."
The Family Head closed his eyes as if giving up. No point talking to a girl who never listened anyway.
Raising a child was a series of surrenders from the start. Giving up on them being a genius, letting go of the belief they were special, and finally even abandoning the hope they'd live life your way.
The Family Head knew this all too well, but he thought the process had been too rushed. Even so, wasn't it too much for childcare to turn into hell starting at age ten?
"You cut off Geon's arm."
"Yep. Did good, right?"
"Did good...? Do you have any idea what it's like for a father who's lost his son's arm?"
"It was cheap tuition, though. If he'd kept acting up, it wouldn't have been his arm—it would've been his head."
"True enough. I didn't call you here to scold you."
The Family Head was a father, but also a murim man. He knew Namgoong Geon's temperament was the kind that invited disaster in the jianghu. It could cost his life, or after becoming Family Head, the entire clan. His daughter correcting that was undeniably a good thing. The Family Head smiled with a complicated expression.
"But you... that personality of yours won't last long in the murim. You know that?"
"I'm strong, though. If I die, I can just replay."
"Talking nonsense again."
"It's not nonsense—it's the truth."
"Hm... Fine. Let's be frank, then. What's the extent of your cultivation?"
Instead of answering, Namgoong Juhee drew her sword. With a whoosh!, sword qi burst from the blade—a clear sign of a Peak realm master.
"......Without my spirit pills or secret arts, and you've reached this level. Must be from a moment of enlightenment."
"Eh, something like that. Don't worry about it. Guess the family didn't have the cash."
"What a mouth on you. If you'd had a different father, that attitude would've gotten your shins smashed."
The Family Head approached the bookshelf as he spoke. He rummaged through it, and soon something dropped from the bottom drawer with a thud. He picked it up and tossed it to Namgoong Juhee.
"What's this?"
"A Cheong Yong Dan."
"Oh."
Namgoong Juhee stared at her hand. An endlessly black pearl. The color they called Vantablack in the modern world.
"Can't get them anymore since the refining method's lost. As for effects... yeah. Better than the Shaolin Great Return Pill."
Namgoong Juhee knew about the Great Return Pill. Wasn't it the world's best spirit pill? A treasure that could serve as a spare life if you had it.
"I've always felt bad for not doing the hair-removal ritual when you were little. This should ease my mind."
"Hair-removal ritual?"
"......It's a process to purge impurities from the body when you're young. Anyway, you're fine now, so no worries."
"Oh, thanks."
"No need to thank me. Think of it as an inauguration gift for young lady of the house."
"Huh? Young lady? Me?"
Namgoong Juhee blinked dumbly. The Family Head stared back with an equally dumb expression.
"You didn't wreck Geon just to become young lady?"
"Nah? He just pissed me off."
"Then why've you been training so hard all this time?"
"'Cause it's fun. What other reason?"
"Hoo... Damn idiots. All that talk of schemes and acting—it was all bullshit."
Of course. How could they mistake such a straightforward kid for a venomous black dragon? The clan's downfall was the elders' fault. The Family Head concluded on his own.
"So you don't want to be young lady?"
"Eh, not really against it. I'll do it if I have to."
"Fine, then. The staff's already reorganizing around you."
"Anyway. Do I just swallow this? Like a pill?"
"You know how to circulate qi, right? I'll guide you, so sit cross-legged."
"Okay. Got it."
Namgoong Juhee swallowed the Cheong Yong Dan and sat cross-legged. Qi guidance helped the pill's inner energy fully absorb into the body. In her case, with such low base energy, it was about purging waste from her meridians.
"It'll hurt a bit, but focus."
The Cheong Yong Dan slowly melted in her mouth, seeping into Juhee's body.
From dantian to extremities, then along the Du Meridian to the crown, back down the Ren Meridian to the dantian. Massive inner energy began forcing its way through those paths.
"Grrgh... Urk!"
A groan escaped Namgoong Juhee's lips.
With her acupoints and meridians clogged, the sheer volume of energy battering them open was pure agony—as expected.
If she were really just a nineteen-year-old girl, she'd have screamed like a damsel and broken posture. But Juhee was a battle-hardened old man inside. Pain like this? She could laugh it off. As long as it was fun.
Why else were games games? Because you could do things impossible in reality.
If this were real life, Juhee would've buttered up Namgoong Geon and lived as the Family Head's good daughter. Probably sold off to some patriarchal husband, popping out a girl and a boy, trapped in the system.
But here? It was a game to her. She'd beaten down Namgoong Geon, and she'd do the same to any other jerk who annoyed her—with fists and sword. Which meant pumping up her specs.
As Juhee lost herself in thought, the energy kept circulating through her body.
It was nonstop torture. Like thin needles scurrying inside, crudely stitching her blood vessels.
And as they did, impurities started pouring out through her sweat glands.
The energy hounded them out—no choice but to flee.
Five minutes like that.
Something ticklish stirred below her solar plexus. The Cheong Yong Dan's energy had settled properly in her dantian.
"That about it?"
Juhee shook out her hands and stood. At the same moment, a stench wafted from her whole body.
"......What the hell."
"Heh, means the Cheong Yong Dan soaked in nicely. Pure inner energy replaced the impurities and stagnation, so your body's changed."
Namgoong Juhee tested her body. Not sure about stamina, but her joints moved freer for sure.
"Feels meh."
"Your base energy was so low. Think of it as rebuilding your frame."
"Dunno if it's good or what, but it is?"
The Family Head nodded.
It wasn't just good—it was the best possible for a murim body, her luck letting the pill's energy integrate fully. But he held back; she never listened anyway. She'd figure it out experiencing it.
"Juhee, your murim debut's in six days?"
"Yeah, around then."
"Right. Take care of yourself till then. Go on—the study's reeking."
Juhee sniffed her arms alternately. Definitely not pleasant. Better wash it off quick. She nodded.
"Sure thing. Thanks for the pill—I'll put it to good use."
"Oh, and Seonan was worried about you."
"Seonan?"
Juhee stared like who? The Family Head rubbed his forehead. How could she not know the girl who'd served her for fifteen years?
"Your handmaid."
"Ah, but why's she worried?"
"Hm, bit awkward to say, but Geon had the power to kill a maid if he wanted. Whether you meant to or not, you saved her—so gratitude, guilt, that mix."
"Got it. Guess I'll swing by and tell her I'm fine."
"......It's Seonan, not Nan-a. The 'a' at the end's just an endearment."
"Whatever. Anyway, I'm out. Take care."
BAM!
Namgoong Juhee kicked the door open and left. The Family Head sighed deeply at her retreating back. Was it really okay sending that brute into the murim like this?
In the end, the Family Head stopped Namgoong Juhee. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't let her head into the murim in this state.
It was just like any father flatly saying no. Hard to believe he was a clan head.
Seeing that, Namgoong Juhee tossed out a light remark. Even if he didn't allow it, she'd go anyway—so let's keep it amicable. The world's worst filial daughter.
The Family Head knew her nature. She wasn't scheming—she didn't lie. Those words were probably pure sincerity. He sighed and laid down two conditions.
First: Hide her identity. Second: Raise her skills.
He knew the murim was harsh on women. So he told her to practice male disguise and act like a man.
Not a bad idea. Even in the clan, how many confessions had she fended off?
Eh? You like me? This is just gamer bros. I like girls anyway. (Disaster.)
Repeating that outside? No thanks from Juhee's side. She was a man in a woman's body anyway. No reason to refuse.
And boosting skills was no issue—just keep up her usual training. Probably to guard against slacking after victories.
That was why Namgoong Juhee stepped into the training grounds today.
"Miss."
Namgoong Juhee turned at the familiar voice. A girl her age—her exclusive maid. Name was... Yeon-a? Something like that.
"Heard you'd be training, so I prepared a towel and water."
"Oh, towel! Thanks. Appreciate it."
Namgoong Juhee took it, expecting the usual nagging. But the girl said nothing. Had she finally gotten used to her English? Juhee couldn't hold back her curiosity.
"No lecture today?"
"I know you're not the type to listen."
"Right you are. A real man paves his own path."
"......Miss, you're not a man, no matter what."
The maid finally cracked. But the nagging felt softer, rounder. There'd always been some fondness, but now it was warmer. Hm... why?
Namgoong Juhee's thoughts didn't last. She hated deep thinking without booze. She couldn't even recall what her dad said an hour ago.
"Why not? Name someone manlier than me."
"Looks-wise, you're all woman."
"Sigh, this won't do. Watch close—I'll show you what a man's really like."
"What are you planning n—"
The maid's scolding cut off. Overwhelmed by Namgoong Juhee gripping her sword.
It was a woman's form, but a man's aura. So this is what she meant. That was Seonan's thought.
"Ack."
"M-Miss!"
Namgoong Juhee's body shot forward unnaturally fast, slamming straight into the wall. Blood streamed from her nose. The picture of manliness.