I Decided to Give the Contract to the Male Vassal - Chapter 25
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 25
Perhaps this warmth was what Chung-rin, who had already left this world, had wanted.
The tea that Yeonriri enjoyed drinking was one that calmed one’s internal energy. Since it was precious tea that would also help me, I dragged it out as long as possible and drank two cups.
Then I returned to my residence.
I had asked Yeonriri to look into Yuhwa, but I didn’t have high expectations.
If Yeonhoryeong was keeping Yuhwa with him, she might not be able to find her.
To find Yuhwa, it seemed I would have to face Yeonhoryeong directly myself.
Compared to Yeonhopyeong, Yeonhoryeong was inferior in martial prowess, but he was quick-witted and would try to secure advantageous positions for himself.
Probably at the center of the plan he devised was Chung-rin. So he would have been using Yuhwa to bind her.
If I couldn’t avoid it, I planned to use this situation.
There’s an order to everything.
‘First, let me create a body capable of absorbing the Hyeolmyeonghwa.’
I had to absorb the Hyeolmyeonghwa without catching the attention of Yeonjo and Yeonhopyeong.
For this purpose as well, I decided to awaken all the potential I could.
❖ ❖ ❖
“My lord.”
Wicheonso sat in the grand chair and gazed at his subordinate Chungbeom.
The number of leaked Hyeolmyeonghwa was three in total.
Wicheonso had sent people from Jeokmu to track the movement route of the Hyeolmyeonghwa.
“As you instructed, my lord, we found two of them.”
Chungbeom had handled the matter cleanly.
“We recovered one from a demon cult member from Mucheon Hall, and another that had flowed into a Western Regions merchant group through the Kunlun Mountains.”
Less than a week after extracting the Absorbent Sword Demon’s confession, they achieved the feat of recovering two Hyeolmyeonghwa.
“All those who participated in leaking the Hyeolmyeonghwa have been imprisoned in Noehuok.”
Since they had all betrayed the sect, they wouldn’t be able to survive.
Wicheonso’s red eyes flashed brightly.
“Good. We need to find out from them where the remaining one is.”
“I’ll tell them to prepare.”
Wicheonso stared at the two wooden boxes placed before him.
Inside them were the Hyeolmyeonghwa.
The Hyeolmyeonghwa, said to contain the internal energy of the first Heavenly Demon, was a sacred object given to the young sect leader.
This was because of the prophecy that absorbing the Hyeolmyeonghwa would grant the qualities of a Heavenly Demon.
Perhaps that’s why the sect leader had earnestly entreated Wicheonso.
“If there’s anyone who has absorbed the Hyeolmyeonghwa, kill them.”
Those who broke the rules and took the Hyeolmyeonghwa must not be allowed to live.
This was to prevent having young sect leader candidates other than the three princes acknowledged by the sect leader.
This was because the potential of the Hyeolmyeonghwa was infinite.
‘If the remaining one is in the Yeomhwa Family as Miss Jeok said?’
The culprit who took the Hyeolmyeonghwa might absorb it.
Wicheonso picked up one of the scrolls placed beside the wooden box.
It was a report about Chung-rin received from the Yeomhwa Family.
[Miss Jeok’s daily life is no different from usual.]
Wicheonso didn’t believe that report at face value.
Chung-rin had deceived the eyes of surveillance and sent letters before.
Wicheonso picked up another scroll.
[Chung-rin is the eldest daughter of Seolsan Jeokga and was the young family head.]
[Yeonjo used the survival of Seolsan Jeokga as leverage to advocate for a marriage alliance, bringing thirteen-year-old Chung-rin at the time.]
‘There were rumors that the women of Seolsan Jeokga had special abilities.’
Since it was a reclusive family, information about them was lacking. It was surprising that Yeonjo had sought out such a family and brought her as a prospective daughter-in-law.
[Chung-rin’s range of movement was limited to within the Yeomhwa Family, and only recently after wedding preparations began has she started coming outside.]
Why did Chung-rin start moving just before the wedding?
Was it because the strict surveillance had finally been relaxed?
That couldn’t be it. With the wedding approaching, the Yeomhwa Family would want to confine Chung-rin even more.
Did she start acting because of the unwanted marriage?
‘No. If that were the case, she would have moved three years ago.’
Originally, Chung-rin’s wedding was scheduled for three years ago, the year she came of age.
‘Did losing her memory change her as a person?’
To understand the reason, he needed to know how she had lived in the Yeomhwa Family.
If she had completely cut away her unhappy past, she might return to her untainted past.
However, Chung-rin’s current changes couldn’t be explained by such things.
An interesting light flickered in his eyes as he recalled their meeting at Chungru.
Chung-rin had deduced the inner thoughts that even the current sect leader Gwonmuseongjo couldn’t know, with just a few pieces of information.
Rather than her personality changing that much, she seemed like someone who was naturally skilled at negotiation.
For such a degree of change, it should be considered that the person, not the memory, had changed.
If not for her distinctive appearance, he would have suspected that someone else had taken Chung-rin’s place.
Fortunately, whether she was real or not didn’t matter to Wicheonso.
Having used the special poison created by the Heavenly Sect, Bimyeonghan, it was no different from having her in the palm of his hand.
When one drinks Bimyeonghan, there are no visible symptoms on the outside, but the flow of internal energy within the body becomes subtly disrupted.
After that, one would feel cold and notice changes in the acupoints.
After ten days pass like this, the energy and blood flow backwards, causing problems with internal energy. If left alone, one might have seizures and go mad.
If five more days pass from there, she would eventually fall into a coma, her organs would become paralyzed, and she would die.
Since five days had passed since Chung-rin drank the poison, she had about ten days left.
Now she would have to move.
Wicheonso set fire to one of the scrolls stacked beside him and placed it on a silver tray.
‘To act normally even in such a situation, she’s quite bold.’
Wicheonso raised his head.
“Chungbeom.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Miss Jeok is close to Prince Yeonhoryeong, the second son among the direct line, isn’t she?”
“It seems so.”
“Gather more information centered on this. If we dig into the activities of the Yeomhwa Family’s direct lineage, something more will come up.”
“I will obey your command.”
After Chungbeom bowed his head, he quietly withdrew.
Wicheonso stared at the black ash that had burned completely on the silver tray.
‘I wonder what she really wants.’
Anticipation spread across Wicheonso’s face.
❖ ❖ ❖
The next day.
Yeonhopyeong didn’t come to see me.
Whether he had really gone to Majeokgak as the servant said, or had left to practice mental cultivation techniques to make the fragment of Hyeolmyeonghwa his own, I couldn’t tell.
He was just playing along to watch Yeonjo’s mood, so Yeonhopyeong probably didn’t attach much meaning to having breakfast with me either.
Thanks to that, I could focus on taking care of my body without skipping meals.
Three peaceful days passed, and finally today I was ready to remove one needle.
“Miss. Your face looks pale again today.”
Sawol looked at my complexion and worried about me unusually.
“I’m just a little tired.”
In fact, it was because five days had passed since I took the poison Wicheonso gave me, and my internal energy was starting to waver.
Though there was no reason for me to be tired when I had left all the wedding preparations to Yeonriri and only focused on eating and sleeping, this body was originally so weak that Sawol seemed to believe my words.
“Then please rest quickly. We’ll withdraw.”
After Sawol laid me down on the bed, she quickly withdrew.
Okxiang looked at me silently for a moment, then followed Sawol out.
I hadn’t told Okxiang about the Hyeolmyeonghwa either. This news must not reach Chung-rin’s ears.
The same went for the poison Wicheonso had fed me. If I carelessly revealed a weakness and made her lose trust in me, that would be troublesome.
‘First, let me remove one needle.’
It hadn’t even been ten days since I removed the first needle.
But to absorb the Hyeolmyeonghwa, I had to force open my blood channels even if it meant overexerting myself. Only then could I accept that energy and completely hide it within me.
To extract the second needle, I had to operate my internal energy even more delicately than before.
I concentrated my mind and proceeded with caution.
Chimwol Heart Method .
This heart method that facilitates the circulation of qi and blood organizes all the energy currents permeating that area and draws them out as one.
If I could locate and remove the needle using the Chimwol Heart Method, I should be able to restore part of my body to normal.
The next acupoint was located not far from where I had extracted the first needle.
Since this was work that changed the body’s flow, it required intense concentration.
At the acupoint I finally reached, killing intent was faintly tangled, and within that killing intent, a strangely gentle current was intertwined.
Was it because I had disturbed it?
When I stimulated the blood channel, fragments of memory came flooding in as if a dam had burst.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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