A Mother's Poisoned Resolve
On a languid afternoon, Yoo Yang-hee sat inside a small pavilion overlooking a pond where fish darted playfully. Her elegant features perfectly complemented her refined attire as she waited for someone.
Even sitting still, she radiated grace—exactly what one would expect from a daughter of a scholarly family.
“Ugh……”
Unlike her composed mistress, the maid Su-hyeon wore a distinctly unhappy expression.
“My lady… it has already been a quarter of an hour.”
“It’s fine. The weather is lovely, so I’d like to stay a little longer.”
“Haa……”
Frustrated, Su-hyeon could only sigh as if she wished the ground would swallow her whole.
No matter that she’s the wife of the Inryong-dan leader, how can she make the second lady wait like this…?
Even as a mere maid, she could feel the balance between the direct and branch families crumbling.
If even I feel this stifled, how must my lady feel…?
The clan leader—currently the strongest in the Tang Clan—was barely holding the scales level, but restoring a broken balance was no easy task.
The branch families constantly looked for any excuse to tarnish the leader’s reputation, and Tang Sanlong frequently provided them with one. To the direct line, he was little more than a thorn in their side.
“Haa… another incident……”
When news arrived that he had blinded one of Tang Gihyo’s eyes, Su-hyeon’s heart sank even more than her mistress’s.
It had happened during sparring, but the opponent just happened to be the son of the leader of the Inryong-dan—one of the Tang Clan’s five major martial forces.
Being the leader of one of those five groups also meant belonging to one of the five primary branch families.
This won’t end easily…
Thinking of how her lady would suffer again, Su-hyeon’s shoulders slumped.
“Haa……”
“Will sighing really make the ground open up?”
“My lady……”
Yoo Yang-hee smiled gently at her maid’s tearful face and sipped her tea with graceful poise.
“I’m truly fine. It’s been a long time since we heard that Sanlong won a spar, hasn’t it?”
Yoo Yang-hee was genuinely happy.
She knew exactly how her son was treated in Tanggidae without anyone telling her.
But he had beaten Tang Gihyo? If no one had been around, she would have danced with joy.
Of course, that was only Yoo Yang-hee’s thoughts. Su-hyeon saw things differently.
“But the opponent was the son of the Inryong-dan leader… And it wasn’t just a victory—he blinded one of the boy’s eyes. Isn’t that why Lady Eon asked to see you?”
“Hehe……”
Though she sat calmly on the surface, Yoo Yang-hee was not without worry.
Still, her joy outweighed her anxiety, so she waited patiently.
“That’s true.”
“She’s the one who suggested the meeting, yet she’s this late… She truly has no manners.”
“She must have her reasons. So don’t speak carelessly about it anywhere.”
Though it might sound like a scolding, the words came from a place of pure concern for her maid.
Knowing this, Su-hyeon said nothing more.
“Understood… my lady……”
They waited a little longer until Eon Jungmi finally entered slowly.
Unlike Yoo Yang-hee, who had only one maid, Eon Jungmi arrived with a whole procession of servants trailing behind her.
Heavy makeup meant to hide her age, flashy clothes, and an abundance of jewelry—she looked like a peacock spreading its wings in threat. In contrast, Yoo Yang-hee’s simple elegance stood out even more sharply.
“I’m a bit late, aren’t I?”
Eon Jungmi sat down without a word of apology.
Yoo Yang-hee offered a serene smile.
“It’s quite all right. The weather was so pleasant I didn’t even notice the time passing.”
“Then that’s fortunate.”
Tap.
Eon Jungmi’s eyebrows twitched for a moment before she rapped her ornate fan against the teacup and looked at Su-hyeon.
“Pour.”
Glug glug.
The yellow liquid released a distinctive aroma that stimulated both sight and smell.
“Hm?”
This time Eon Jungmi’s eyebrows shot up noticeably.
“Mengding Huangya.”
“Yes. I heard my husband mention it.”
Mengding Huangya—one of the ten famous teas. It was made from plump, single-bud, single-leaf tea picked in spring on Sichuan’s Mengding Mountain. The tea was so renowned that people said the Yangtze River held water while Mengding Mountain held tea.
“…It seems the clan leader thinks quite highly of Lady Yoo.”
The leader had given her such a precious tea? Among his three wives, Yoo Yang-hee was known as the one with the least power and affection. This was unexpected.
Well, it must be the bare minimum to protect his own authority.
If word spread that he neglected his wife, the leader’s prestige would suffer. Once Eon Jungmi decided it was merely a token gesture, her displeasure faded and her posture straightened with renewed confidence.
For some reason, she hated showing even the slightest dishevelment in front of Yoo Yang-hee.
“The weather really is lovely, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
After a brief silence, Eon Jungmi savored the tea’s aroma and slowly spoke.
“Third Young Master’s skills have improved dramatically.”
At those words, Yoo Yang-hee took a short breath, knowing the real topic had arrived.
She answered as calmly as possible.
“I heard the news.”
“You did?”
Yoo Yang-hee did not avoid Eon Jungmi’s venomous gaze, and that clearly displeased the other woman.
This girl who couldn’t even meet my eyes before has grown arrogant now that she’s the leader’s second wife.
The two women were from the same hometown.
Yoo Yang-hee from a declining scholarly family, and Eon Jungmi, daughter of the Jinju Eon Clan.
The Eon Clan was not one of the six great families but was still known among the righteous sects, while Yoo Yang-hee’s family had fallen into ruin.
In truth, their family backgrounds could not be compared, yet in their hometown the two women were constantly measured against each other.
Despite being a woman, Yoo Yang-hee excelled in scholarship and helped those in need even when her own family struggled. People respected her for it.
Thus, no matter what Eon Jungmi did, Yoo Yang-hee’s name inevitably came up for comparison.
Each time, Eon Jungmi grew irritated that a girl from a lesser family was constantly mentioned.
Then time passed, and Yoo Yang-hee became the leader’s second wife while she became the wife of a branch family member. Her resentment only deepened.
So she tormented Yoo Yang-hee and everyone around her with particular zeal.
Others saw it as an expression of inferiority, but Eon Jungmi herself refused to think so.
Staring at Yoo Yang-hee with eyes full of that very inferiority, she pulled something from her sleeve.
Clack!
She set the object on the table and opened her fan.
“What is this?”
“I’ll tell you soon enough.”
“Lady Eon……”
Su-hyeon tried to speak at the condescending tone, but Yoo Yang-hee gently took her hand.
Ignoring them both, Eon Jungmi continued.
“Third Young Master’s growth has been truly impressive.”
“Pardon?”
Yoo Yang-hee found it hard to believe Eon Jungmi would sincerely praise Tang Sanlong.
Praising the scoundrel who had blinded her own son?
Given Eon Jungmi’s personality, it was impossible. No one knew that better than Yoo Yang-hee.
“That’s why I’ve been thinking about something. About the proposal you made last time.”
“Proposal……”
The words Yoo Yang-hee had once spoken to Eon Jungmi resurfaced in her mind.
That day, Tang Sanlong—drunk on some unknown liquor—had poured out his resentment toward her.
“What exactly have you ever done for me, Mother? Does your family have power? Or does Father love you? My older brother and sister already receive support from other branch families! Even my younger siblings have their backing! But what about me? No one! No one supports me!”
“Sanlong……”
“If your family had power, the branch families wouldn’t dare ignore me like this!”
Yoo Yang-hee had cried for days after hearing those words.
Thinking only of her son, she had desperately grasped at straws and remembered the Inryong-dan leader, who had not yet declared support for any faction. She had approached Eon Jungmi—someone she thought she had at least a passing acquaintance with—and made her proposal.
At the time, Eon Jungmi had openly declared it not worth hearing and refused to meet her.
“As I recall, you rejected my proposal then.”
No matter how unshakable Yoo Yang-hee usually was, the humiliation of that day had not been forgotten.
And now she was bringing it up again?
Even Yoo Yang-hee’s composure wavered.
Watching her, Eon Jungmi toyed with the small bottle she had placed on the table.
“Seeing how hard Third Young Master is working, I suddenly remembered the suggestion Lady Yoo made last time.”
Why was she saying this?
Because she knew Eon Jungmi’s nature, Yoo Yang-hee found her behavior even more incomprehensible.
“Watching Sanlong struggle with all his might made me wonder—how far would Lady Yoo go for her son?”
Without the slightest hesitation, Yoo Yang-hee answered.
“There is nothing I would not do for my child.”
As if she had expected the answer, Eon Jungmi smiled with satisfaction.
“In that case, I’d like to test that resolve of yours.”
She slowly pushed the small bottle forward.
“What is it?”
“A kind of… test to confirm your will?”
“A test?”
At Yoo Yang-hee’s question, Su-hyeon could no longer stay silent.
“How dare you suggest testing my lady!”
“Ha!”
“Kyaa!”
Slap!
Without hesitation, Eon Jungmi stood and struck Su-hyeon hard enough to turn her head.
“What are you doing!”
“Lady Yoo should educate her maid properly. How can she be so rude? To interrupt a conversation when she doesn’t even know her place!”
“Lady Eon!”
At Yoo Yang-hee’s sharp rebuke, Eon Jungmi folded her ornate fan and slid the small bottle closer to her.
“Why? Are you going to throw away this opportunity over a mere maid?”
“It’s poison.”
“It’s paralyzing poison. Something commonly found throughout the Tang Clan and the entire murim. I diluted it enough that it won’t cause significant harm to anyone with decent inner energy.”
“Are you telling me to drink this?”
“Yes. Since your son is working so hard, you should show at least this much resolve. If my husband helps Sanlong……”
Hearing that, Su-hyeon forgot the stinging pain in her cheek and cried out.
“My lady has only learned the most basic breathing techniques!”
To Yoo Yang-hee, who was essentially an ordinary person, even diluted paralyzing poison was extremely dangerous.
“You have the antidote anyway, don’t you?”
“Lady Eon!”
“How dare you!”
Yoo Yang-hee caught Eon Jungmi’s hand as it rose again.
Then she slowly picked up the small bottle.
“I will drink it, so lower your hand. And if I drink this, will the Inryong-dan leader truly help my son?”
“I will consider it positively.”
Eon Jungmi cleverly avoided giving a definite answer.
Yoo Yang-hee immediately understood her intention.
Since she could not touch Sanlong directly while he was in Tanggidae, she was targeting those around him instead.
Yes—this was Eon Jungmi’s warning directed at Tang Sanlong.
Haa……
Even knowing that, Yoo Yang-hee could not refuse because of the faint thread of hope.
Her son’s desperate cry asking her to do something—anything—drove her to act.
Gulp, gulp!
A burning sensation spread through her entire body, making it hard to breathe.
“Ugh! Cough!”
“My lady! My lady! The antidote… the antidote!”
“Ho ho ho! Ho ho ho!”
Watching Yoo Yang-hee collapse to the floor in convulsions, Eon Jungmi laughed out loud.
More delighted than she had ever been before.