Surviving as the Sacheon Dang Clan’s Servant - Chapter 120

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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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Episode 120
“Quite the grand welcome.”
Dang Geun Myeong bowed deeply at the barbed remark.
“My apologies, sir. I had no idea you were visiting, and I failed in my duties. Please forgive me.”
“Hmph.”
Lim Seol Yak snorted and slowly coiled up his whip.
Only then did the oppressive air lift. A handful of martial artists exhaled roughly, their coughs echoing through the space.
“I recall seeing you before. Weren’t you the boy who attended the Poison King?”
“Yes, sir. The Poison King is currently away on business.”
“I’m not here to see him.”
“Then who—”
“Take me to the second son, Dang Un.”
“Yes, sir.”
A flicker of surprise crossed Dang Geun Myeong’s face, but it vanished in an instant.
He quickly composed himself and led Lim Seol Yak to the Inner Quarters before the man could change his mind.
It was the first time Lim Seol Yak had set foot in the Dang Family Estate since leaving Cheoso.
Perhaps because he had once roamed these grounds as freely as his own home, shadows of the past seemed to seep from every corner.
‘Seol Yak, look at this! Dang Geun gave me a sword ornament.’
‘Dang Geun made it himself? He must have had someone else do it. How could a young master like him make such a thing?’
‘Hwa Yeon helped. But see how loose this knot is? Here—this one Dang Geun must have tied. Isn’t it adorable?’
‘Ok Hwan, you’re the only one who’d call that poison peddler adorable.’
‘But it truly is!’
Ok Hwan’s blithe smile materialized before him so vividly it was as if she whispered at his very shoulder—a friend gone long ago, now suddenly close.
Lim Seol Yak pressed hard at his throbbing temples.
‘What was I thinking, coming here?’
He’d never intended to set foot in the Dang estate at all. Why should he concern himself with the Poison King’s grandson?
Had it not been for a promise made to that bold child who sought out Bi Dong determined to save her brother, he would never have touched Sichuan soil.
Lim Seol Yak swallowed a sharp urge to turn around and leave.
Mercurial though he was, he was not a man to dishonor a vow.
As his pace slowed, Dang Geun Myeong matched it, eventually guiding him deep into the Inner Quarters. There, he spoke with careful deference.
“We have arrived, sir.”
“You may withdraw.”
“Very well. I shall wait nearby. Please call if you have need of anything.”
Lim Seol Yak nodded and slowly opened the door to the residence.
It was an immaculate pavilion.
A pine bonsai, still verdant despite the winter winds, was artfully arranged, and a guqin rested upon a small pavilion within.
The windows of the pavilion were half-open, and pale wisps of smoke curled through the gaps—evidence of several braziers burning within.
“Trying to smoke yourself to death?”
Lim Seol Yak chuckled dryly and moved toward where he sensed a presence.
In the distance, he could make out the pale-haired silhouette of a man.
Draped in a thick Pifung Robe, the figure stood before a gracefully curved pine bonsai—as if he’d stepped out for a breath of air.
Gazing at shoulders so delicate they seemed they would snap at a touch, Lim Seol Yak addressed the man.
“Are you the second son of the Dang Clan?”
“Ah, forgive me. I had no idea we had a visitor.”
The man replied with composure and turned slowly. Hair of pale honey caught the sunlight like melting snow, glimmering brilliantly.
“…”
Lim Seol Yak found himself exhaling in involuntary wonder.
The man was beautiful—like a snow blossom in a winter field.
Though he was said to be of the Dang direct line, there was little resemblance to the Poison King.
Lim Seol Yak’s eyes narrowed with suspicion as he asked,
“Are you truly of Dang bloodline?”
“I am Dang Un of the Dang Clan. May I inquire who sent you, and your profession?”
“How did you know I’m a physician?”
“I heard the sound of a medical chest.”
“Your hearing is keen.”
Lim Seol Yak continued to study Dang Un.
Though the man smiled gently, his eyes seemed to look past him—they held no focal point.
Lim Seol Yak gazed into those transparent, almost hypnotic eyes and answered,
“Your sister sent me. She was a student of the Poison King. I didn’t catch her name…”
At this, color rose to Dang Un’s pale cheeks.
“If he’s your grandfather’s disciple, then she must be my youngest sister. Her name is Sohye.”
“A fine name indeed.”
“Has my sister been well? Was she hurt at all?”
“Not in the least. Judging by her boldness, she’ll get on well wherever she goes. Is she a sister you hold dear?”
“I’ve looked after her since childhood. I’ve been worried not knowing how she fared, so hearing from you that she’s managing well puts my mind at ease. I’m grateful for your consideration.”
At the formal courtesy, Lim Seol Yak felt slightly uncomfortable.
Dang Un seemed more delighted by news that his youngest sister was thriving than by the physician’s arrival to examine his ailment.
‘Hee-hee-hee! Brother! Faster!’
‘……He’s treating my brother like a horse.’
‘Haha, slow down a bit, Seol Yak. Look how poorly suited he is to managing a child, yet there he is, trying so hard to keep our sister entertained. Isn’t it adorable?’
‘Stop that repulsive nonsense, Ok Hwan. You’re the only one here who finds that troublemaker endearing.’
The memory surfaced unbidden — Dang Jung, laughing while giving little Hwa Yeon a piggyback ride.
Lim Seol Yak shook his head sharply, trying to dislodge the disagreeable image.
The way he kept slipping into sentiment made it clear he needed to finish his business and leave this wretched place as soon as possible.
Dang Un, misinterpreting the gesture as a sign of cold, offered a gentle apology.
“My apologies. The weather is bitter, and I’ve kept you standing too long. Would you not prefer to step inside and talk? Would White Tea suit you?”
“I’ll decline the tea. I don’t drink anything that hasn’t been brewed by my own hand.”
Despite the curt reply, Dang Un’s smile never wavered.
“I understand. Still, I’d be grateful if you’d warm yourself. Shall I prepare tea implements?”
It was a response far too gentle for a young master of one of the great houses. Lim Seol Yak’s expression grew odd.
That he could smile so kindly even when being refused, when being told the man wouldn’t drink anything from his hands — this was a strange sort of man indeed.
Lim Seol Yak blinked, then murmured softly.
“……Do as you wish, then.”
* * *
The pavilion was thick with warmth from the brazier. Dang Un opened a window as though stifled, then, concerned the guest might take cold, brought a heavy fur cloak and draped it over Lim Seol Yak’s knees.
The cloak carried the faint scent of orchid.
Staring blankly at the fur covering his lap, Lim Seol Yak’s face registered sheer bewilderment.
“What are you doing?”
“Ah, forgive me. I’ve grown accustomed to looking after my younger sisters.”
At the apology, Lim Seol Yak felt exasperation rise. More than a hundred years had passed since he’d reached the pinnacle of Hanseobul Chim. Did this man know who he was, that he would treat him like some helpless infant?
Lim Seol Yak spoke sharply.
“Your brother is just the same. You have no fear. Laying hands carelessly on me — what if I snapped your neck?”
“Then I would accept it as the price of my rudeness. But your body is cold. It would be better if you kept the cloak about you, at least for now.”
Again came the measured reply. Lim Seol Yak’s brow furrowed, yet he did not remove the cloak.
“Come, sit here for the examination. If you can’t even see, wandering about like this won’t do — I’ll worry you’ll break something.”
“Yes, physician.”
At the slightly softened tone, Dang Un smiled and rolled up his sleeve, extending his arm.
The pulse was frozen, utterly devoid of Yang Qi.
The Qi and Blood throughout his body was twisted, and the pulse beat irregularly, as though it might stop at any moment.
He was barely holding on through the force of Spiritual Medicine, his body on the verge of collapse.
“The Harmony of Yin and Yang is completely shattered. At this level, the suffering must be severe. How are you enduring it? That you can walk about at all is remarkable.”
“I’m accustomed to it. It’s manageable.”
At the calm response, Lim Seol Yak’s eyes narrowed.
In all his years as a physician, he had encountered countless patients.
Those whose Qi and Blood twisted to this degree rarely survived beyond three days.
Most suffered agony so extreme they wept and clung to life, then either lost consciousness and never woke, or else — even the masters among Martial Artists — could bear the pain no longer and chose to end it themselves.
A great many did so.
Yet the man before him was different.
He endured suffering that would strip away human dignity, and yet he held onto the rhythms of his daily life.
Lim Seol Yak, studying Dang Un intently, spoke in a low voice.
“I’ll overlook the question of whether you truly carry Dang blood. The poison marks you as one of the Dang clan without doubt.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“It is a compliment. I’d taken you for a delicate orchid, but you’re a stubborn weed — and I find I rather like that.”
He reached his hand toward Dang Un’s face, brushing aside the long lashes to examine the transparent eyes. Lim Seol Yak asked again.
“When did your eyes become this way?”
“About a year ago.”
“This isn’t damage from Meridian Severance. Poison is blocking the Jingming and Zanzhu Acupoints.”
“Ah……. So it was the Stepmother, as I suspected.”
“You seem to have an idea. Why didn’t you do anything about it?”
“Whether my eyes see or do not see — what difference does it make? A man soon to depart has no need to sow discord.”
At his words, as if he had set everything down, Lim Seol Yak let out a scoff.
“Nonsense. You want to live, don’t you?”
……
“Who are you trying to fool? If you had truly resigned yourself and accepted death, you wouldn’t still be alive. The poisoned cannot endure such agony—bone and flesh twisted and writhing. Because your will to live runs deep, you’ve clung to that thin thread all this while.”
At the cutting observation, Dang Un smiled ruefully.
“You speak truly, Doctor. I… it seems I still wish to live.”
The man who conceded so readily was fragile as a dandelion seed carried on the gentlest breeze, yet his voice held the strength of solid stone.
That strange contrast drew Lim Seol Yak’s interest.
“You are strong.”
“My body has mastered no worthy martial arts.”
“Martial prowess is merely secondary. What matters is will. The sharpest blade is useless if its master crumbles. You have not been broken.”
Though his circumstances might have driven him to despair and recklessness, he had instead wrapped himself in the armor of propriety.
He observed his surroundings and considered others with cold precision, and even as his flesh was torn by agony, he stood unbending, exerting every effort to remain upright.
His struggle was plain to see—fighting not to surrender to illness, striving to die as a man rather than a beast.
His vessel differed from those petty, small-minded men. It would be a waste to let him slip away like this.
For reasons he could not name, Lim Seol Yak found himself wanting to see clarity return to those transparent eyes.
“I shall restore your sight.”
“Pardon?”
“I cannot guarantee your life, but I will attempt treatment. No one else in Zhongyuan could manage it but myself.”
At the arrogantly confident tone, Dang Un found himself nodding without thinking.
“I shall have the Guest Hall prepared for you.”
“No. I would prefer the room beside yours. I must keep observing you constantly.”
“Of course, Doctor. But, if it is not presumptuous… might I ask your name?”
“Lim Seol Yak.”
In that instant, surprise flashed across Dang Un’s previously calm face. He scrambled to rise and bowed deeply in respect.
“……I had not conceived that the Divine Physician would grace us with his presence. This Dang must beg your forgiveness for my discourtesy.”
“No. Simply call me Seol Yak.”
“Pardon?”
“Seol Yak.”
Hesitant at first, Dang Un soon smiled and replied.
“Yes, Seol Yak.”
At last satisfied, Lim Seol Yak’s mouth curved upward. He lifted Dang Un into his arms.
“W-wait, please, just a moment——!”
“You move too slowly. It’s tiresome. Let us go to the bedroom.”
“This is… well… yes. Seol Yak.”
Dang Un, stiff with tension, awkwardly placed his hand on Lim Seol Yak’s shoulder.
‘At last, a human reaction.’
Hearing his patient’s thundering heartbeat, Lim Seol Yak’s smile turned languid.
Into a life that had been only tedious and dull, someone had arrived to stir his interest. He could not afford to let this chance slip away.

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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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