Surviving as the Sacheon Dang Clan’s Servant - Chapter 114

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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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Chapter 114
“You didn’t know? Your master personally fed poison to Jeong In. Quite the merciful act, wouldn’t you say?”
Gwi Su Shin Ui’s mockery left me speechless.
Why would Grandfather do such a thing?
I stood there blinking vacantly, then my teeth clenched as a thought struck me like lightning.
If Grandfather truly had used poison, I could guess his reasoning.
He might have administered a poison of opposing nature to neutralize the spreading toxin.
Or perhaps he’d given a paralyzing poison to spare what was left of suffering.
If the wounds were too severe to treat, every breath would be nothing but despair and agony.
If my suspicion was correct, Grandfather hadn’t acted out of cruelty—he’d been trying to ease Jeong In’s pain, even if only a little.
Gwi Su Shin Ui, whose gaze had drifted to empty air, soon muttered weakly.
“That day… if only I had arrived sooner… if I had, things might have been different…”
Her voice was heavy with self-recrimination.
Ah. So she, too, is trapped in the past.
I swallowed a sigh and lowered my eyes.
Now I understood.
Gwi Su Shin Ui was clinging to the faint hope that had she only been faster, she might have saved Ok Hwan.
Even knowing it wasn’t Dang Jung’s fault, she had to blame him just to survive it.
A moment that would never return… she was alone, chewing over the warmest of memories again and again…
When I realized why she’d placed the Magic Seal in the Secret Chamber, a sadness crept over me.
No matter how many years one lived, no matter how powerful a martial cultivator became, a scar remained on the heart when cherished ones were lost.
What meaning did titles like “Ten Masters of the Martial World” or “greatest healer of Zhongyuan” truly hold?
The person she most wanted to save was forever beyond her reach.
My chest ached with the weight of it. I forced the words out, barely audible.
“I… did the same thing.”
“What are you saying?”
“I poisoned my brother too. I knew the poison would spread and cause danger, knew he would suffer—but I had no choice. Rather than watch him live in pain his whole life, I chose the lethal poison to end that suffering once and for all.”
Gwi Su Shin Ui’s expression darkened as she listened, her face flushing and paling in turns.
“No choice? So I should forgive your master because of that? Are you mocking me right now?”
“No, no! I would never dare such a thing. I just… I thought I might understand what he felt. You know Grandfather didn’t want to do it either.”
“He could have at least said a proper goodbye! I—!”
Gwi Su Shin Ui met my eyes with her anger, then her expression crumpled.
“What is that look? Are you pitying me now? This is infuriating.”
“No, it’s not that…”
“Enough. At my age, to receive pity from a mere child… it’s laughable. I haven’t even the will to be angry anymore.”
Gwi Su Shin Ui released a hollow laugh and slowly withdrew her presence. I quickly composed my face.
After a long silence, she spoke again.
“I despise your master.”
“I… understand.”
“However, I acknowledge that for decades he has borne my resentment without a single word of excuse.”
Gwi Su Shin Ui’s expression twisted with irritation as she continued.
“So tell your master this: a lifetime of chastity is sufficient. He should stop wasting away in the Dang Family Residence. Stop withering himself to nothing.”
“…”
“No, never mind. Forget I said it. I’m truly losing my mind. What am I doing, telling such things to a child?”
As if gripped by a headache, she pressed her hand to her brow, then picked up the teapot. When she set it down, the cooled tea suddenly bubbled and roiled, releasing wisps of hot steam.
Only then could I see her face clearly.
Her skin was smooth and unblemished, as that of a young woman, yet her eyes were black and unfathomably deep.
The gaze held the weight of countless years.
Seeing no trace of age, I suspected she too had undergone the Ban-ro Hwan Dong.
Gwi Su Shin Ui poured the warmed tea into my cup with an awkward air, then ventured to speak.
“You resemble Hwa Yeon greatly.”
“I’ve been told that.”
“You have her brother’s reckless nature too—rushing headlong into anything concerning him. I gather you’re acquainted with Maeng Ho Do Je? I’ve seen you somewhere before.”
“We met once at the Dang Clan.”
“So the three families still gather to swagger about. Has your master ever mentioned me?”
“When you came to Sichuan, he tried to take me with him to pay his respects.”
“Respects? As if anyone would meet with me.”
Gwi Su Shin Ui snorted and studied me with a questioning gaze. I quickly added,
“And when you gave Dam Bi to me.”
“Ah yes, that beast. I lent it out to help find a spirit beast suitable as a gift for a disciple. Some man came along with it, and I thought perhaps they’d brought some hired hand to stay, so I dismissed it. Is he part of your group?”
……A sturdy laborer? You’re talking about Yeon Liang, aren’t you?
I widened my eyes, and Gwi Su Shin Ui dismissed my concern with a casual wave.
“Don’t worry—I didn’t kill him. He was searching for his sister. Though he doesn’t look like Dang Clan blood at all. Is he really your brother?”
“Yes. He’s my brother.”
We weren’t connected by blood, but I’d already come to think of him as family. Whether Yeon Liang felt the same way, I couldn’t say—but I did.
Gwi Su Shin Ui blinked at my answer, as if surprised.
“You trust him and follow him quite closely. That’s different from your teacher. Your teacher never opened his heart even to blood relatives.”
Then she murmured softly to herself.
“Though he was different long ago.”
Gwi Su Shin Ui’s expression hardened again. She tapped her fingers on the table for a long moment, then asked hesitantly.
“Have you heard the story about Ok Hwan?”
“Just once. That he was kind, thoughtful, and beautiful…….”
“He said that?”
“Yes. He also said you could never meet another person so good.”
A faint smile played at the corner of Gwi Su Shin Ui’s mouth as she touched her teacup.
“I didn’t know that old monster still had something of Ok Hwan in him.”
“Now I understand why you spoke like that. You’re a good person.”
“I’m glad you see it that way. Everyone who’s met Ok Hwan says the same thing—that he was a good person.”
Her expression grew warmer. For Gwi Su Shin Ui, the mere thought of Ok Hwan seemed to brighten her mood.
Resting her chin on her hand, Gwi Su Shin Ui asked again.
“But if the Poison King didn’t send you, how did you discover my Secret Chamber? The Poison King can only guess at its location—he shouldn’t know the exact place.”
“Ah, well……it was by chance.”
“This area is rarely visited by martial cultivators. By chance you stopped in this village, and by chance you found my Secret Chamber timed to the full moon? You expect me to believe that?”
She’d never believe it if I said I read it in a book…….
As I hesitated over whether to mention the rumors about a pit in the village, Gwi Su Shin Ui waved her hand dismissively.
“Never mind. It must be information the Poison King let slip. I’ll ask him directly. That old man’s probably always buried in the Dang Family Residence anyway.”
Gwi Su Shin Ui showed no sign of knowing that my grandfather had entered closed seclusion.
Reading the mood carefully, I asked cautiously.
“When did you receive Grandfather’s letter?”
“Last winter, I think……. My memory’s fuzzy. I didn’t read it and burned it right away, so I don’t know what it said.”
“……Ah.”
You burned the news of his seclusion to ash. No wonder you don’t know.
“I think he likely told you his news in that letter. But he won’t be at the Dang Family Residence. He entered closed seclusion last winter.”
“Closed seclusion? I didn’t see that coming.”
Gwi Su Shin Ui grumbled with evident displeasure.
“Why make such a fuss about closed seclusion? He could just meditate normally.”
I pretended not to hear and gazed at the ceiling.
This woman really does hate Grandfather.
“In any case, the fact that you found my Secret Chamber means you needed something. What were you planning to steal?”
The question stabbed at my conscience. I averted my gaze and scrambled for an excuse.
“It’s……well, that is……. I’m sorry. My brother needs Spiritual Medicine to survive.”
“Which brother? The one tucked away in the corner looks fine—he’s just carrying demonic energy. As for your half-brothers, they only want to kill you, don’t they?”
A chill ran down my spine at her sharp observation.
She saw through Yeon Liang’s demonic energy in an instant. Can a Peak Master’s eyes not be deceived?
Trying to hide my shock, I answered.
“I meant our second brother. Dang Un.”
Gwi Su Shin Ui nodded as if remembering.
“……Ah. The one with Severed Meridians, wasn’t it? The name rings a bell. The Poison King came asking me to examine him several times.”
Then she muttered with evident displeasure.
“No doubt he looks just as disagreeable as that woman. Dang blood will out.”
If my grandfather had been there, I might have thrown a punch—instead, I sat frozen, eyes darting about.
Gwi Su Shin Ui laughed at my expression, making a sound like air escaping.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m not so petty as to take out my frustrations on a child. I admire your devotion to your brother, so I’ll overlook what happened today. I’ll even give you some decent Spiritual Medicine—take it with you.”
“Really? Thank you, Lady Gwi! Thank you so much!”
I cried out with delight, grabbed her hand, and shook it enthusiastically.
Gwi Su Shin Ui flinched in surprise, then let out a soft laugh.
“Charming little thing. Now I understand why the Poison King doted on you so.”
As she patted my head lightly, her face suddenly twisted.
“That damned old man. I thought he was withering away locked in Cheoso, but he’s been having fun raising a disciple all along? Maybe I should take on a disciple too…….”
Her demeanor had softened dramatically from the beginning, and my heart finally felt at ease.
I swallowed hard, my lips fumbling for words.
“That is… well…!”
“What is it?”
“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, might you bring the Spiritual Medicine to my brother?”

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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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