Maternal Love
I was born as the youngest daughter of the Namgung Family.
Above me, I had seven older brothers.
Father called me the family’s greatest blessing and cherished me with all his heart.
The only daughter of the family head of a prestigious clan.
My brothers doted on me, and everyone in the family would light up with affection the moment they saw me.
It was wonderful.
Truly wonderful.
I had never once struggled or faced any real hardship.
If I wanted something, I could have it. If I craved a certain food, I simply ate it.
By the time I grew up a little, rumors spread that I was the greatest beauty in all of Anhui Province.
Countless prestigious families lined up to take me as a bride—so many that they practically trampled one another.
But the one who captured my heart was someone else entirely.
He was much older than me, yet that fact didn’t even register as an obstacle.
It was Ju Tae-sung of the Ju Family.
Thanks to his profound internal energy, he looked no older than someone my own age.
And on top of that, he carried the title of Sword Sovereign and the immense backing of the Ju Family.
I dreamed of a blissful future.
So I pestered my father until he finally arranged a meeting between us.
But unlike the radiant crimson jade that was the Ju Family, he was an exceedingly cold man.
His blunt rejection stung, but it didn’t matter.
I was confident I could change his mind.
Namgung I-hwa, the greatest beauty of Anhui.
Was there any man whose heart I couldn’t toy with?
And so, at my insistence, we were married.
Though I was not his primary wife, I never doubted that I would soon become one.
But it didn’t take long for my expectations to crumble.
Ju Tae-sung never once set foot inside my chambers.
Why did the man I had wanted so desperately never come, while the Ju Family elders visited me every single day to harass me?
They demanded I bear a child quickly.
They claimed the Ju Family’s future rested on my shoulders.
Ha…
It was enough to make me sick.
Still, even from a distance…
The Lord of the Ju Family was truly magnificent.
Yes. I still carried him in my heart.
And finally, the time came to bear fruit.
Unable to withstand the constant pressure from the family elders, the Lord had no choice but to consummate our marriage.
In the end, we were blessed with both a son and a daughter.
I felt as if I possessed the entire world.
A son and daughter who resembled the man I loved.
I swore again and again that I would give these children every bit of love I had received from my own family.
That’s right. I had become a mother.
I would raise them splendidly—more splendidly than anyone.
Once the children were born, the Lord began visiting my chambers more often.
Yes. In the end, a person’s heart can always be moved.
No matter how iron-blooded a man may be, he will fiercely protect his own offspring.
For the children who had brought us together, I would give even more.
Even if it cost me my life.
“What is that?”
I asked, watching the clump of grass being placed in Namgung I-hwa’s mouth.
Yakseon answered.
“It’s called Silver Latent Grass. A medicinal herb that reacts only to demonic energy.”
“I told you it’s demonic energy. Didn’t I say I can sense it?”
“I know, I know. But I still need to see it with my own eyes.”
The Silver Latent Grass had turned pitch black.
It wasn’t rotting, however.
On the contrary, it seemed even more vibrant after absorbing the demonic energy.
While Yakseon examined her, I searched Namgung I-hwa’s room.
Her guard kept trying to stop me, but that was as far as it went.
After all, even he knew something was wrong with her, so he didn’t interfere too aggressively.
In any case, there was nothing suspicious inside the room.
“Has she not met with anyone recently?”
“No, Young Master.”
The guard answered obediently.
“Does she often mutter to herself?”
“She does so without fail at certain times.”
Hmm.
Definitely suspicious.
But in the end, all I could do was wait until Yakseon finished taking her pulse.
The examination ended just as the sun began to set.
“It’s definitely different from what Young Master Ju ingested. This one is far more potent.”
“How potent are we talking?”
“At this level, we’ll need to purge all the poison and demonic energy from her body. Even then, she’ll need at least a month of recuperation to recover. Indeed.”
Since it was Yakseon’s diagnosis, it had to be accurate.
“Can you make an antidote?”
“Of course. It will take more time, though.”
Now I had to have him make one for Namgung I-hwa as well, on top of Ju Sang-jin’s.
Still, having Yakseon on my side was incredibly reassuring.
We returned straight to my quarters.
Yakseon rummaged through his belongings in search of ingredients for the medicine, while I fell deep into thought.
Where did they get it from?
That was the most fundamental question.
Neither Namgung I-hwa nor Ju Sang-jin had any knowledge of pharmacology.
Which meant someone else had manufactured and supplied the drug.
The guard is out of the question for now.
Namgung I-hwa’s guard was genuinely loyal to his mistress.
If any harm came to her, his head would be the first to roll.
So the guard was on hold.
Then, where within the Ju Family could medicine be made?
Insujeon is the only place.
Insujeon stored every kind of medicinal herb, poisonous plant, and rare spiritual flora imaginable.
But Heo Su-gyeong guarded it.
If anything went wrong, Insujeon would be the first place suspected. Heo Su-gyeong wasn’t crazy enough to do something that would bring trouble on herself.
“So it’s from outside after all.”
The scope had suddenly widened dramatically.
There was no need to limit it to Jiangxi Province.
Even just within Nanchang, there were quite a few major merchant guilds scattered about.
Herbalists and traveling merchants alone would number in the hundreds each day.
It was like trying to find a specific Mr. Wang in Beijing…
“What are you worrying about so much?”
Yakseon asked gruffly.
“I was thinking about the distribution route of that poison.”
“This thing?”
Yakseon pulled out the foul-smelling pill from his robe.
“Yes.”
“Who would bother distributing something like this? The ingredients themselves are worthless.”
“Still, if I can trace where it came from—”
“You could just pull up some weeds growing in the corner of the training grounds and mix them in, you idiot. The important parts are the demonic energy and the Dead Blood Grass.”
“……”
His words struck me like a bolt of lightning.
“You can just make it?”
“Yeah. Why? Don’t believe me?”
Yakseon rolled up his sleeves, saying he’d show me.
He was about to leave the room.
But I stopped him.
“Heh. If what you say is true, this might be easier than I thought.”
I had forgotten something important.
Sa-an Gwi-gun.
I shouldn’t have approached this thinking if it was him—I should have been certain it was him from the start.
In my previous life, that bastard had never once revealed his true identity to me.
A lunatic who hid in the shadows, manipulating and controlling people as he pleased.
That’s right. He controls people.
“Once the antidote is ready, please show it to me first, Elder.”
“The antidote? Fine. I will. But why?”
“There’s something I need to confirm.”
I had to check whether the antidote Yakseon made now was the same as the one from my previous life.
If it matched, then I was truly facing Sa-an Gwi-gun once again.
It took a full three days for the antidote to be completed.
“It’s done.”
As promised, Yakseon brought the antidote to me first.
“How is it? My medicine is always top-notch…”
“It matches.”
I nodded with a meaningful smile.
The color and the scent.
It was perfectly identical to the antidote Yakseon had shown me in my previous life.
“Huh? What matches?”
“It’s nothing. More importantly, whose medicine is this?”
“I made Young Master Ju’s first. Still, the one for this lady won’t be much different. The key factor is the demonic energy, after all. Ahem.”
Perfect.
It was certain now.
Sa-an Gwi-gun had dared to tamper with the Ju Family.
“Thank you, Elder.”
I stood up immediately and left the room without hesitation.
“Hey, you brat! You have to give her the antidote!”
Yakseon shouted after me, but I ignored him completely.
I headed straight for Ju Sang-jin’s quarters.
Startled, Ju Sang-jin once again showed me a hostile attitude.
But this time I didn’t subdue him. Instead, I held out the antidote.
“Drink it.”
“…How do I know what this is?”
“Just drink it.”
At my firm tone, Ju Sang-jin eventually shrank back.
He took the medicine bottle and opened the lid.
At that moment—
“Ugh!”
He suddenly clutched his stomach and began dry-heaving violently.
“Haha, would you look at that?”
This was quite amusing.
Reacting before even drinking the antidote?
“Damn it!”
Ju Sang-jin hurled the medicine bottle to the floor.
The bottle shattered, and its contents spilled across the ground.
“Come with me for a bit.”
“Don’t make me laugh. Acting friendly all of a sudden…”
“I said come. When your older brother tells you to follow quietly, shut your mouth and obey.”
I openly released killing intent, mixing in a clear threat.
In terms of realm, I had long since surpassed the Peak level.
To Ju Sang-jin, who had only reached the pinnacle of second-rate, it must have felt like facing the sky itself.
Shrinking back, he awkwardly followed behind me.
The place Ju Sang-jin and I headed to was Namgung I-hwa’s quarters.
I had never visited this place so frequently before.
“…Welcome, Young Master.”
As always, the guard bowed to me.
He was about to announce our arrival to Namgung I-hwa.
“Wait.”
I quickly stopped him.
I placed a finger to my lips and quietly pushed him into a corner.
“I’ll do it.”
I took a moment to steady my breathing, then spoke softly toward the room.
“Madam, I’ve brought the medicine.”
“……”
The silence stretched on for quite a while.
Not this?
If not, then what other method could there be…
That was when—
“Come in.”
“……”
Just as I was about to turn away, the door opened.
Namgung I-hwa greeted us with a polite and welcoming attitude.
Instantly, goosebumps erupted across my entire body.
Demonic energy.
The room was saturated with it.
What was even more interesting—
“I’ve been waiting for you, Guild Master.”
Namgung I-hwa bowed deeply without recognizing either me or Ju Sang-jin.
But the real fun was only just beginning.
“Haha, you always welcome me so warmly. I don’t know where to put myself, Madam.”
Damn it. Ju Sang-jin was smiling slyly at Namgung I-hwa and bowing his head.
The absurd sight left me standing there with my mouth agape.
“Please, come sit over here, Guild Master.”
“Yes, then…”
As if they had rehearsed it.
Namgung I-hwa guided him to a seat, and Ju Sang-jin sat down with the grace of a genuine merchant guild master.
I ordered the guard to wait outside and stepped into the room.
I watched the two of them closely.
Ju Sang-jin’s eyes were unfocused.
Yet his speech and behavior were flawless, exactly like those of a guild master.
The way he moved as if following a script sent a chill down my spine.
At that moment, a faint crimson glow appeared in both their eyes.
Hah. The demonic energy has already progressed this far.
The blood-light in their eyes was proof that the demonic transformation had begun.
If Yakseon hadn’t been here, these two would have inevitably become demons.
I sat down between them.
If I listened to their conversation, I might learn something.
But at that very instant—
“……”
Suddenly, Namgung I-hwa and Ju Sang-jin turned their expressionless faces toward me.
The two of them staring at me simultaneously was incredibly eerie.
“Ha.”
A sigh escaped both of them at the same time.
“Looks like we’ve been caught?”
With those spine-chilling words, the two of them rose from their seats.