Chronicles of the Martial God’s Return - Chapter 154

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Brewing liquor requires extensive preparation.
The quality of materials gathered, the methods employed in fermentation, the duration of aging—each element demands careful consideration.
There were countless variables to monitor, and each one had to be watched with equal attention.
Ho Yeon-ji had learned the craft of brewing since childhood.
In truth, it was less formal instruction than observation—learning by watching from the sidelines.
What she did was merely imitation, yet she possessed a confidence in her skills that surpassed many professional brewers. After all, the liquor Dan Woo-hyun had left unfinished was worth several times more than the cheap swill sold in the nearby markets.
“That’s why I thought I’d make some medicinal alcohol!”
At the breakfast table that morning, Ho Yeon-ji cried out with excitement, clenching her fist with enthusiasm.
Now that she had come to this place to brew, she saw no reason to hide her passion for the craft any longer.
Dan So-mi, who had been watching her quietly, suddenly sprang to her feet and raised her hand high.
“I’ll help too! I’ll help!”
“Will you?”
“Yes, yes! I want to do it!”
Finding Dan So-mi’s enthusiasm adorable, Ho Yeon-ji beamed with a full smile.
She felt her spirits lift at the thought of what it might be like to have a younger sister.
“It would be better if she didn’t.”
But Dan Woo-hyun’s objection shattered her mood. She shot him a sharp look, yet he continued eating without any sign of reaction.
Was there some reason Dan So-mi couldn’t leave Jang Yuan?
She glanced cautiously around at the others, excluding Dan Woo-hyun.
One by one, as their eyes met hers, they all looked away.
It felt as though everyone else knew something she alone did not.
“Why? Does she lack manual dexterity?”
“Hmm……”
“Ahem……”
Namgung Cheon and Sa Do-hak both cleared their throats awkwardly.
Lack manual dexterity? Certainly, at first that had seemed to be the case. She caused accidents in everything she was set to do, to the point where having none at all would have been preferable.
But that was different now.
Dan Woo-hyun’s remark did not stem from that concern.
Namgung So-hye wore an uncomfortable expression as well.
“I think everyone means that So-mi is still quite young, and brewing alcohol might be a bit…… difficult for her.”
“I started learning even younger than she is now. Besides, she would just help from the sidelines—I’m not going to have her taste any of the alcohol.”
“Ah…… is that so?”
Namgung So-hye turned her gaze away gradually.
Though she felt a slight unease at the way they averted their eyes, watching Dan So-mi’s pouting expression, Ho Yeon-ji felt an urge to shelter her without knowing why.
“So-mi! Let’s go with me. We’ll dig for medicinal herbs on the mountain and find delicious things!”
“Yes, yes! I’m happy no matter what I do! Hehehehe.”
Ho Yeon-ji rose from her seat and took Dan So-mi’s hand.
The two of them seemed quite animated as they left.
At that, sounds of disapproval echoed from around the table.
“What a shame.”
“Hehehehe.”
“Ah…… this is trouble……”
As the others sighed, Dan Woo-hyun let out a soft chuckle, popped a piece of meat into his mouth, chewed it, and sensed the two departing figures growing distant.
He set down his chopsticks carefully and spoke.
“It helps sometimes to taste a little disappointment.”

***

Ho Yeon-ji climbed the mountain with Dan So-mi’s hand in hers.
There had been no moment as joyful as this since her childhood.
It was a time before her parents passed—when she wore fine clothes, ate good food, and lived a life envied by none.
That past could never return, yet Ho Yeon-ji’s face now held the innocent expression of a young child transported back to those days.
“What should I do first?”
“Hmm…… well? First, let’s look for things that would make good medicinal herbs, shall we?”
“Yes! I’m good at that!”
Ho Yeon-ji gently stroked Dan So-mi’s head as she answered brightly, raising her hand with enthusiasm.
She found herself hoping that this clear, radiant smile would last forever.
She would make certain this child did not walk the same path she had.
Making fine wine was the first step toward that.
First, she needed to find good medicinal herbs.
The Ho Yeon Family had become famous for spirits precisely because they crafted medicinal alcohol that was good for the body.
It wasn’t merely about pleasant fragrance or taste—the advantage lay in the fact that drinking it could make a person’s body healthier.
She scanned the surroundings as she searched for medicinal herbs.
Without venturing deep into the mountains, medicinal herbs appeared in abundance all around. It seemed herb gatherers rarely made their way to these parts.
Though that struck her as slightly odd, it hardly mattered.
So long as she could procure quality herbs, that was all that counted.
Glancing to the side, she caught sight of Dan So-mi digging industriously for medicinal herbs.
The way her hands fluttered this way and that—whether she was actually harvesting herbs or merely pulling weeds remained unclear, yet she was gathering things into her basket with impressive speed.
‘That’s right—what would that child know about medicinal herbs?’
She probably thought any grass qualified as medicine.
Moreover, this was a child who appeared never to have gotten her hands dirty. She lived in such a grand manor, after all, and enjoyed the protection of the Namgung Clan.
Ho Yeon-ji simply watched Dan So-mi’s efforts with fondness.
Time passed in this manner. Once the previously empty basket was full of medicinal herbs, it was time to search for other materials.
“Are you finished?”
“Yes!”
“Well then, let me see.”
With a faint smile, Ho Yeon-ji examined the basket Dan So-mi had brought.
Upon seeing just how much had been gathered, brimming full in the basket, a cold sweat trickled down her back unbidden.
She found herself turning to glance at her own basket.
Medicinal herbs caked with dark soil stared back at her. Worse still, several had been severed in places where she’d failed to dig out the roots cleanly.
Though she had prided herself on harvesting quality herbs and roots with considerable skill, the results Dan So-mi had produced left her utterly at a loss for words.
“……Well, you do dig them up nicely.”
It was truly immaculate.
From root to leaf.
Even the soil that hadn’t come clean despite her own efforts had been removed with perfect precision, and the basket was filled entirely with premium-grade specimens that would fetch good money at the Medicine Shop.
“Hehe, because I come out here often with Father.”
‘This isn’t something one manages through practice alone.’
Not so long ago, Ho Yeon-ji had made her living harvesting and selling medicinal herbs. Yet this young Dan So-mi accomplished with ease what Ho Yeon-ji herself could not.
The gap in quality was considerable enough to make her feel thoroughly diminished.
“Then……shall we head back?”
Ho Yeon-ji turned away, quickly hiding her own basket behind her back. Her face had flushed crimson—showing it would have been mortifying.

***

She steadied herself and began preparations for making the spirits. She filled a large cauldron with water, wrapped the neatly prepared herbs in cloth one by one, then placed them in the pot.
In a manner of speaking, it resembled decocting herbs, though most of the Ho Yeon Family’s spirits were produced this way and sold in the marketplace.
While the taste would fall short of that time for now, Ho Yeon-ji worked diligently, resolved once more to recapture that flavor.
“Hm? You’re going to make some too?”
“Hehe, I want to try making it as well.”
Dan So-mi brought over a small cauldron, filled it with water, laid cloth inside, and began placing the herbs she’d gathered one by one into it. The way she closed the lid and set it over the flames mirrored Ho Yeon-ji’s method precisely, from beginning to end.
Finding this charming, Ho Yeon-ji watched with a pleased expression.
“Making it is fine, but you mustn’t drink it. Do you understand?”
“Yes! I understand. This is for Father anyway, so it’s all right. Hehe.”
Ho Yeon-ji nodded readily. So long as she didn’t drink it, there was no problem. Besides, it warmed her heart to see the care Dan So-mi held for her father.
Now came the waiting, with the fire tended and burning.
The two of them gazed endlessly at the blazing flames. Neither could have foreseen that this would become the moment her pride was utterly crushed.

***

Ten days later.
At last, the spirits were complete.
Ho Yeon-ji and Dan So-mi poured their respective creations into two small bottles and made their way to where the others had gathered.
Dan Woo-hyun, Namgung Cheon, and Sa Do-hak, having finished their meal, were idly nibbling on pastries that Namgung So-hye had brought.
“It appears to be finished.”
“Yes. I’m truly confident about this batch! I made quite a large quantity, so if the taste is good, it should be ready to sell.”
“Is that so?”
Observing Ho Yeon-ji’s self-assurance, Dan Woo-hyun nodded. From the way she spoke with such conviction, it was clear she had poured considerable heart and effort into its creation.
Dan Woo-hyun had watched the entire process of making the alcohol from start to finish, so he understood perfectly well where her confidence came from.
She opened the lid of the jar and poured the liquid into a cup.
Splash-
The sound of the alcohol trickling into the glass rang out pleasantly. The subtle fragrance that spread through the air made even Namgung So-hye, who rarely drank, mouth water.
Sa Do-hak and Namgung Cheon’s gazes converged on Dan Woo-hyun.
Their eyes urged him forward—what did it taste like? Come, try it.
Understanding their intent, Dan Woo-hyun downed the cup in one go. As it went down with a sharp swallow, exclamations escaped from those gathered around.
After savoring the taste for a moment, Dan Woo-hyun set down the cup.
“Certainly better than last time. But that’s only because the ingredients you used were excellent—not because your skill has improved.”
“Eh…?”
“What I mean is, fundamentally nothing has changed.”
Ho Yeon-ji swallowed a groan.
The materials Dan So-mi had gathered were indeed superior. Because of that, she’d thought the alcohol would turn out even better—but Dan Woo-hyun had pointed out precisely that detail, and only that.
“I wouldn’t say liquor of this quality is worth the steep price you’d have to pay for it.”
“Ugh…”
Ho Yeon-ji’s expression crumbled, color draining from her face. Sa Do-hak and Namgung Cheon, curious about the taste, each took a sip as well, but their judgments seemed to align with Dan Woo-hyun’s—neither spoke a word.
In the meantime, Dan So-mi came trotting over and sat beside Dan Woo-hyun.
“Father, this one’s mine! This one’s mine!”
“Mm? You made this?”
“Yes, yes! I worked really, really hard to make it for you, Father.”
“Thank you.”
“Hehe.”
Though it was made the same way and he hadn’t expected much, the fact that his daughter had crafted it for him made it an extraordinarily precious drink in Dan Woo-hyun’s eyes.
Dan Woo-hyun slowly opened the lid.
Whoosh-!
A pungent, distinctive aroma spread in all directions, tickling his nose.
The two elderly men who had been disappointed by the previous alcohol immediately perked up their heads.
“Pour some of that for me too.”
Splash-
Dan So-mi carefully poured the alcohol she’d brewed first for Dan Woo-hyun, then for Sa Do-hak and Namgung Cheon. The fragrance wafting from the cups was so different from before that it seemed like an entirely different drink.
Even Ho Yeon-ji, who had been despondent, wore an expression of utter shock.
Glug-
“Oh—this one is quite good.”
“Hehehehe, this is… among the finest wines I have tasted in all my years.”
“It’s truly delicious.”
“Hehehehe.”
Hearing the praise pouring in from all directions, Ho Yeon-ji found herself speechless.
Unable to believe what she was hearing, Ho Yeon-ji quickly poured a cup for herself and brought it to her lips.
That clean, refreshing taste crossing her throat, accompanied by the subtle fragrance—
It surpassed even what her own parents could produce.
Tremble-tremble-
Ho Yeon-ji’s body shook.
‘This… this is impossible…’
The situation was so unreal that she forgot how to respond. Her gaze shifted to Dan So-mi, and she grasped those small hands in both of hers.
“Mas…”
“Master?”
“Master…”
Looking at Dan So-mi with eyes now wide as saucers, Ho Yeon-ji fought back tears.
The pride of the Ho Yeon Family crumbled to dust.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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