Becoming the Treasure of Sacheon Dangga
Early in the morning, two maids entered. The door opened without a sound. Before my eyelids even parted... I had already counted the number of people in the room.
An unfamiliar place. Unfamiliar faces.
"You're awake."
The maid who spoke first looked a bit older. The younger one behind her held a basin, towel, comb, and folded clothes.
I rose without a word. The maids washed my face, combed my hair, and carefully dressed me. Their touches were light and precise. There was no room for discomfort.
A stranger's face reflected in the mirror. Round cheeks, black eyes, a youthful face whose contours hadn't fully formed. Small hands and feet. Even the innocent smile of a pure child. No matter how many times I looked, it never felt familiar.
The maid finished fastening the last of my clothes.
"You're ready."
I nodded quietly.
The training ground was vast. Firmly packed dirt within the walls. Pillars lined one side, with an overhanging eaves creating a semi-open structure. Martial artists stood in formation along the edges. Servants lined up behind them, hands clasped. The Dang family bloodline gathered at the upper seats. Some smiled leisurely. Others bit their nails anxiously.
And at the center of it all... Dang Baek-un sat in the front upper seat.
The atmosphere was completely different from yesterday. Today, his expression was unusually cold. As if he'd emptied himself of all emotion for the sake of judgment. The dignity of the family head leading the clan was palpable.
If only this man had lived a little longer, would my master's future have changed? A sudden curiosity about another possible future flickered in my mind.
Those people over there—were they my master's family? I scanned the Dang siblings once each. I'd heard their names from my master before. The frail-looking one was the eldest brother, Dang Un-seo. The one with the sharp eyes was the second brother, Dang Hyeok-jin. The woman with flower-like hair was the eldest sister, Dang Yu-ha. I'd had no idea from the names alone... but seeing them in person made it clear.
The eldest son, Dang Un-seo, stared down at the dirt floor. Not out of interest, but as if he'd already decided the outcome. Resignation was etched into his face.
The second son, Dang Hyeok-jin, scanned me from head to toe. Not with expectation, but with wariness. Nothing about him felt ordinary.
The eldest daughter, Dang Yu-ha, let out a small yawn. Did she want to escape this place as soon as possible? Her gaze lingered outside the door.
And finally, Dang So-ya. At the edge of the training ground. Standing a bit apart. Arms crossed, eyes slightly downcast. A posture devoid of expectation or anxiety. She simply stood there... and that alone set her apart from everyone else.
Strange. Her eyes, usually so cold. Today, they somehow felt warm. Was it my imagination? She almost looked like she was smiling.
I lifted my head and stared straight ahead. Dang Baek-un opened his mouth.
"We begin."
No explanations.
The first test was qi discernment. The man appeared to be in his mid-fifties. His hair was half gray. His face bore the expression of someone who expected nothing from a child.
He examined me briefly, then froze.
"Extend your hand."
I did. His fingers rested on my wrist. A contact meant to probe deep into the dantian. The simplest and most reliable method. He was checking for the presence of poison arts within me, no doubt.
For some reason, the action struck me as a bit amusing.
I didn't move. Slowly, I compressed my dantian. I sealed the demonic qi completely and layered poison qi over it. Exactly as my master had taught me. I aligned it perfectly even to the paths where qi would flow outward. I was confident in this. I'd refined it endlessly until now.
The fingers on my wrist halted. The qi that had lightly passed through delved deeper once more, as if confirming.
"...This is undoubtedly the qi of the direct Dangga lineage."
A murmur rippled through the crowd. Voices of disbelief erupted.
"She's really a Dangga child?"
"Truly that person's illegitimate child?"
"This complicates the successor issue..."
Dang Hyeok-jin's brows narrowed. His lips twitched as if to speak, but Dang Baek-un's sharp glare silenced him. Anxiety showed plainly in his face and gestures. His pacing on the ground quickened.
"Greetings to the head of the Dangga. Forgive my rudeness."
He turned to me and bowed. His eyes had changed from before. Shock and doubt, mixed with a hint of awe.
Dang Baek-un spoke with a resolute face. His voice echoed through the air.
"Good! No one can have complaints now. Proceed with the next test!"
The crowd held its breath briefly. Some whispered, others nodded impassively. I steadied my breathing and prepared for the next trial.
The second was poison discernment. Bowls lined a table. Poisoned ones, safe ones, diluted ones. Ones mixed in for disruption. Familiar types. I could distinguish most by scent alone.
For the last one, I lightly touched the bowl's rim with my fingertip. Type, concentration, production method. My master had drilled it into me endlessly. I couldn't forget what I'd learned that day.
"Fire poison. Next, acid poison. This one's pinellia poison, diluted with water. The last is golden silkworm poison."
As I recited them, silence fell over the area.
"Talent on par with Lady So-ya?"
"Maybe even better than the second son..."
"Shh, don't say that—you'll cause trouble."
A low whisper from behind. The person next to them elbowed them quiet. The martial artists straightened their postures. Gazes turned to Dang So-ya. I don't know why.
She lifted her head slightly, shoulders squared proudly, a smile playing on her lips. As if savoring the situation itself. I had no idea what she found so enjoyable.
Before the third test began, Dang Hyeok-jin stepped forward.
"Please wait a moment."
All eyes in the arena turned to him.
"Distinguishing poisons is possible if she's been taught. Mimicking Dangga qi to a degree is feasible with good imitation. We can't conclude she's direct lineage."
His voice was clear. And since it wasn't wrong, everyone fell silent.
Dang Baek-un regarded him briefly. No words.
Dang Hyeok-jin continued.
"We must see martial arts. Only by sparring directly can we confirm true from false."
Dang Baek-un pondered, then permitted after a beat.
"So be it."
Dang Hyeok-jin's face relaxed slightly. Relief that his assertion was accepted.
I didn't look his way. The outcome was already decided. He was digging his own grave. Pitifully so.
A martial artist stepped forward. A master trained in the Dangga. Large build, perfectly balanced limbs. Even his footwork was different. Long years of inner energy and repeated training ingrained in his body.
"Don't worry. I'll go easy."
His gaze toward me was cautious. Trying not to hurt a child, perhaps. I was used to such situations. Because I'm a child, a girl, small. The premise was wrong... it just took people varying times to realize.
How long until he noticed? ...Probably too late.
"Begin!"
The martial artist moved slowly. I retreated half a step. His fist shot forward like a whip. An attack with reduced speed. Movement for the test. But it was slow. Too slow.
I deflected the incoming hand. Just slightly altering its direction. No clash, no sound.
The martial artist hesitated. His eyes widened just a fraction.
"...Not bad."
He came again. Faster this time. Planting his foot deep, committing his full weight. Not a test anymore—intent on gauging properly. Motions and power sharpened.
He seemed to give his all, but... it wasn't enough.
I sidestepped slightly and grabbed his wrist. I applied just a trace of poison qi to my fingertips. Not severing meridians. Just enough to feel.
The martial artist's eyes flickered. Gripping his wrist, I twisted his arm. His balance pitched forward. I didn't miss the opening. I struck the inside of his knee with my foot. He dropped to one knee.
I stopped there. No need to go further.
The martial artist stayed frozen in that pose for a while. Only the whisper of wind filled the arena.
Then he rose. As if unable to believe the reality before him. He kowtowed repeatedly to the ground.
A moment later, awe filled his eyes, unlike before.
"...I lost."
No one could laugh. His words hung heavily over the entire arena. Silence like held breath.
Servants, martial artists, children... all frozen.
Dang Hyeok-jin's face hardened. The eldest uncrossed his arms. The eldest daughter stood dazed, mouth agape.
"...Is that possible?"
"Where'd they bring such a monster from?"
"That's no child."
Whispers spread like ripples.
Dang Hyeok-jin's eyes narrowed. He took a step forward.
"This is fraud."
His voice sliced sharply through the arena.
"Does it make sense for a child that young to master such martial arts alone? Someone clearly taught her. This isn't a test—it's a play."
Murmurs rose again. Dang Baek-un looked at him. One beat. Two beats. In that brief silence, no one dared breathe loudly.
"Dang Hyeok-jin."
Just calling his name... made the air in the arena heavy. Like stones on shoulders. No one moved easily.
Pale face. Dripping sweat. Dang Hyeok-jin shut his mouth.
"I make the judgment. Speak after seeing it through. Step back."
The words were short. But they carried irrefutable weight. He bowed his head in the end. Biting his lip hard, he retreated.
Yet his gaze toward me burned unnaturally red. Anger? Anxiety? Or something else? I couldn't tell. Carrying that light, he returned to his place.
I faced forward. Only the final test remained.
This time, Dang Baek-un stepped forward himself. Martial artists, children, servants—all fell silent. The family head personally conducting the test. Everyone forgot even to breathe.
Dang Baek-un looked down at me.
"Show your inner energy. As much as you can."
"Understood."
I directed my consciousness to my dantian. I sank the demonic qi deep. Sealed without a trace. Layered poison arts qi over it. Drew the energy from the dantian, circulated it flawlessly through my body, and pushed it outward.
This time, I didn't hold back. No suppression, no narrowing. I released the inner energy contained within the poison arts fully.
The air grew heavy in an instant. No visible change. But something had undeniably shifted. Everyone present felt it simultaneously.
Breath caught slightly. Something weighed on the shoulders. The ground trembled subtly beneath feet.
One servant at the edge staggered back.
"Wha...?"
Someone swallowed sharply.
I pushed the energy further. The ground rumbled low. Cracks spiderwebbed across the dirt floor. Pillars quivered faintly. Dust sifted from the eaves.
Creak. Wood groaned.
"V-vibration...?"
"What is this...?"
"With inner energy alone...?"
Several martial artists hurriedly lowered their stances. Some Dang children collapsed outright. Servants retreated in terror.
The entire arena shook. Only Dang Baek-un didn't move. Eyes closed, standing as if reading the energy's flow.
Crack. The floor split.
Then, everyone understood. The Dang family's expressions shifted. From shock to bewilderment. Faces of utter incomprehension.
Dang Baek-un opened his eyes.
"Enough."
I withdrew the energy. The compressed air loosened, and the arena breathed again. The shaking stopped. Dust settled slowly.
I looked at Dang Baek-un. Then asked calmly. As innocently as possible. Pretending to be a clueless child. Acting all the while.
"Is this... enough?"
A quiet voice. Everyone in the arena heard it.
Dang Baek-un said nothing for a long while. He merely nodded silently.
That was enough.