Chapter 122
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: Repay Favors Double, Rewards Triple (1)
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Three days had passed since Geum Sihyeon lost consciousness.
After Unhak and Nangong Hwi quickly carried him to the inn.
Though he received treatment from Dang Woolyang, who had returned after a brief talk with Dang Woojun, there was no danger to his life.
However, excessively straining his still-unopened dantian, plus the process of completely extracting and then refilling the poison of Solitary Venom, was bound to take a toll.
Those unaware of the details could only worry.
"Young master..."
Even as she fed him rice porridge into his mouth—which at least swallowed on its own—Myo Narang remained downcast.
Looking back, Geum Sihyeon was a steadfast man.
From their first meeting, he had generously overlooked the suspicious behavior of Dalami, who must have seemed shady.
And when she cautiously asked about the Heavenly Beast Heart-Returning Art, hoping for any clue, he not only obtained it for her but taught it kindly.
At first, she suspected ulterior motives.
...Though there did seem to be some.
Still, it was hardly a flaw—Geum Sihyeon brimmed with a charm that made people feel at ease and joyful.
He even had such a harmonious personality that, aside from a few twisted individuals, he faced no envy or jealousy.
The kind of man she imagined one might promise a future with.
Yet.
Such a man was now like this.
Not content with saving her father.
Even though they were bound by master-disciple ties, he had personally shouldered an inexplicable risk to avenge him—and ended up in this state.
At least the silver lining was.
"Mm..."
Geum Sihyeon's condition was steadily improving.
According to her father... Dang Woolyang, he would wake within three days.
Myo Narang planned to stay by his side until then.
...Ensuring no one disturbed this time.
Of course, that was just her wish.
Knock knock—
"Yes—?"
Myo Narang hastily pulled her hand from Geum Sihyeon's cheek and opened the door to greet the uninvited guest.
And then.
"Uh..."
Her eyes widened slightly at the unexpected familiar face.
"Y-You, uh, h-hi, h-hello...?"
From what she had heard from Geum Sihyeon and her father.
Her sister, separated since they were very young.
It was Dang Narin.
Pouring her a cup of tea, Myo Narang glanced at Dang Narin.
"Th-th-thank... you..."
A gaze that couldn't meet eyes directly, pupils trembling nonstop, body shrunk in extreme tension.
It wasn't just discomfort with the situation.
It seemed like anxiety and aversion to people themselves.
...She too had been left alone in Yunnan and endured hardships.
But Dang Narin, returning to the clan, must have faced her share of difficulties.
Instead of speaking, Myo Narang reached out and gently wrapped her hands around Dang Narin's shaking ones, along with the teacup.
"Eek?!"
"You don't have to feel so uncomfortable, sister."
Gazing at Dang Narin, who froze stiff after a moment of intense trembling.
"The past has passed... Now, we have plenty of time ahead."
Myo Narang smiled brightly.
Someone else worrying about Geum Sihyeon as much as Myo Narang and Dang Narin was far away.
The young lady's private training chamber.
Today too, Cheon Luri shoved aside her assigned training, hunkered down cross-legged in the chamber, persistently attempting soul links.
However.
Geum Sihyeon's consciousness remained sunk in deep darkness.
Naturally.
Not even smartphone contact reached him.
Peeking into his inner world showed only a limp, zombie-like Geum Sihyeon flopping about with a deadpan face.
Cheon Luri's worries only grew day by day.
Of course, someone wouldn't leave the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's young lady alone like that.
"Luri."
Even at the worried tone, Cheon Luri just focused cross-legged.
But the soft hand on her nape disrupted her concentration.
"Hmph."
Puffing her cheeks in feigned displeasure, Cheon Luri couldn't resist the arms scooping her up from under the armpits.
Cheon Yuri, hoisting Luri effortlessly and hugging her to her chest, whispered softly.
"If you're so worried, why not go see him yourself? You have to head back soon anyway."
"Insolent."
Of the two people who understood Luri-speak perfectly in the world.
The second was Geum Sihyeon; the first, Cheon Yuri.
As her birth mother, it was only natural.
"How could I foresee and warn of danger? As long as the soul link holds, he's still alive—so don't worry too much. If it were truly dire, the link would break."
"Mine."
"Yes, yes—take whatever Luri wants. But have you asked the other person's feelings?"
"Don't know."
"...You don't know?"
Cheon Yuri swallowed her question of how one could implant soul-binding arts without knowing the other's heart.
"Still."
"Still?"
"Mine."
"Yes..."
How did she end up raising such a child?
Cheon Yuri sighed, yet gazed down at Cheon Luri with affectionate eyes and hugged her tight.
Cheon Luri pursed her lips at the sensation of something she didn't have brushing her head, but didn't escape the embrace.
"We still have some time left—want to go early?"
"Yeah."
"Should I come too?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Geum Sihyeon. Likes. Boobs too."
"...?"
Cheon Yuri seriously pondered if it was safe to send Cheon Luri back to the Hundred Flowers Academy like this.
And with it.
Curiosity began to bubble about just what kind of man could so enchant her prickly, cat-like daughter.
I had a dream.
...So much like a male-oriented fantasy that it was a blissful dream I couldn't confess to anyone.
The moment I told, I'd be branded a pervert or trash amid a barrage of abuse...
Even as a dream, it was happy.
With such thoughts, I opened my eyes.
"Y-Young master...!"
The face from the dream suddenly loomed in, startling me unwittingly.
And in the corner of my vision, a furiously puffed-cheek face protested like it was picketing.
...Better not show Luri the naughty bits.
She'd surely pout and meow angrily again, so I'd visit quietly when alone later.
"H-How long... was I out?"
"Seven days...!"
Quite a while lying down.
Even overexerting Ultimate Sihyeon Mode for Dark Heaven Flower Tower had backlash like this—problematic as an ultimate, let alone life-saving technique.
Plus, though I'd nicely absorbed the Poison King's poison, it wasn't pure enough to fully replace the lavish amount I'd expended.
"That geezer's no help..."
"Pardon? What did you say, young master?"
"Nothing. So, while I was out cold..."
"Ah... Let me explain."
After that, I calmly listened to the rundown with Luri.
The Dang Mut Leaf Village I'd aimed to dismantle was uprooted entirely and blown to smithereens.
My planted rumors, Elder Dang Woolyang's testimony, plus a guilty confession from someone who remembered those events.
And the ledgers I'd given Dang Woojun detailing the inhumane experiments in the Tang Family's underground poison training chambers, along with Dang Narin's testimony.
...A storm of scandals dangerous enough to brand the Tang Family martial outcasts swept through.
The result.
From Poison King Dang Seaak, half out of his mind, they crippled the dantians of all involved and imprisoned them in the brain prison, achieving 'normalization'.
...Honestly.
I'd considered just anonymously submitting those ledgers to the Murim Alliance and utterly destroying the Tang Family.
However.
Luri and I had ties, Dang Narin too, and deep bonds with Elder Dang Woolyang.
[...Honored one, even if the Tang Family commits great sins, I beseech you to show mercy once for my sake. That is why I left this here—my final wish.]
It felt ancient, but mere months ago, in the hidden annex of World's Best Palace where I picked up the puppy, those words surfaced.
...The deceased's will after three bows of gratitude, and I'd usefully wielded not just palace sword but poison brew too.
Repay favors double.
Retribution tenfold.
Wiping out Poison King and his faction fully paid the tenfold grudge, I figured.
Of course, beyond that, the Tang Family owed much more.
Time to present the favor bill.
The Tang Family patriarch's office in Sichuan, quiet after the uproar.
Dang Woojun furrowed his brow at the bill presented by Geum Sihyeon, who entered maskless, brazen-faced and unashamed.
"Are you in your right mind?"
"Yes, quite sane."
Geum Sihyeon flashed a refreshingly sincere smile.