Surviving as the Sacheon Dang Clan’s Servant - Chapter 73

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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 73
The Dang Family Estate shrouded in darkness felt both familiar and strange. The manor without a single light lay in perfect silence.
It meant I was to leave quietly, without fuss—as if neither mouse nor bird had noticed my going.
Over the span of nearly a year, faces I’d grown fond of surfaced one by one. Song Ji, Gyeong A, Deok Ju, my uncle Geun Myeong, my brother Dang Un.
And…….
The face of Grandfather Dang Jung in Pyeolgwan-dong flickered before my eyes. I didn’t regret letting him go in, but the thought that he might blame himself once he learned the full circumstances made my chest ache.
I wiped my stinging nose and looked up at the sky.
Hwa Hong had been right. The moment had come when I needed a new identity.
Where should I go? Where could I survive?
The Wol Hyang Ru was out of the question. Being in the heart of Seongdo, my route would be exposed. They’d pursue and kill me before Hwa Hong could even help, then disguise it as an accident.
But I couldn’t blindly take to the mountains either. I had no desire to wander lost and be ambushed.
I was turning the problem over in my mind, clenching and unclenching my fists, when someone grabbed me roughly by the arm.
“What are you doing standing here like an idiot? We need to leave right now. Come on.”
It was Dang Ju Hee.
“Sister? What’s……?”
Dang Ju Hee pressed her lips tight and shook her head.
“First: don’t ask questions. I’m not taking them. Second: it was Dang Un who asked me to help—I just came because he requested it. His eyes are… not well, you understand. Third: I didn’t poison your betrothed. I don’t poison ordinary people. They die before we can even reverse it.”
“……I understand, sister.”
“Grateful, aren’t you? Well, next time, drink the poison for me.”
Not a chance.
Dang Ju Hee, her tone characteristically sharp, took the lead. Even in the darkness, she didn’t lose her way—she found the path as though it were daylight.
Her casual demeanor snapped me back to clarity. I shook my head hard. This was no time to indulge in sentiment. As she said, I had to leave at once.
When I opened the side gate connecting the inner and outer walls in a straight line, I saw Dang Un standing before the narrow path that led beyond the city walls. A sturdy horse stood with him.
“Brother, you’re unwell—why did you come out?”
“How could I stay in bed when things are like this? Sohye, come closer.”
Dang Un smiled gently and reached toward me. As I hesitantly approached, his large hands drew me into an embrace.
I buried my face in his chest. A faint orchid scent, mingled with the smell of medicinal broth, tickled my nose.
“You’ve had a hard time of it. You’ve grown so thin.”
I’d only spent one night in the prison tower—there was no way I could have lost that much weight. But I didn’t mind Dang Un’s fussing.
Not everyone was my enemy. At least Dang Un was truly looking out for me.
Dang Un stroked my hair and spoke quietly.
“Your father’s expulsion of you was to protect you. He couldn’t inflict heavy punishment on one bearing false charges, yet if he handed you over to the Gu Clan, you’d suffer worse. So he decided it was best for you to stay away until things quieted down.”
I couldn’t believe Dang Mu Hyeok would think of me so carefully. Yet Dang Un’s reassurance helped me see the situation more objectively.
The death of Gu Gyeong Cheon had put not just me in a difficult position. The Dang Family’s plan to use me as bait to recruit the Yuju Trading Company had also become untenable.
“Hold on a little longer out there. You’ll be able to return soon.”
“Brother, we don’t have time for this.”
Dang Ju Hee cut through the sentiment coldly, separating me from Dang Un. She explained quickly.
“The leather pouch tied to the horse’s waist holds extra provisions. I packed ten days’ worth of Bigu Pellets and dried provisions. The other bundle contains Fire Talismans and various poisons, as well as hidden weapons.”
“What kind of poisons?”
“All the extreme toxins from the Poison King Guild that no one would notice missing. The hidden weapons I borrowed extra of from Ju Hee’s place—I’ll repay it later. The silk pouch holds silver coins, so don’t lose it.”
She was telling me she’d stolen poisons from the Poison King Guild and hidden weapons from the Iron Workshop, all for me.
Despite her excuse about coming at Dang Un’s request, Dang Ju Hee was doing everything in her power to help me.
I felt genuine gratitude toward her.
“Thank you, sister.”
“Grateful? Then drink poison for me next time.”
“I’m grateful to you for taking on such a difficult task, Ju Hee.”
“If it’s your wish, I could poison the emperor of Zhongjing.”
“……There’s no need for that. Now, Sohye, take this.”
Dang Un, gently steering the conversation, pressed something into my hands.
“This jade blade—my mother made it for me when I was young. It will be hard to find hidden weapons out there, so it’s better that you have it.”
“That’s my Unchen Blade. Don’t lose it.”
“This is my identity token. I won’t be leaving the Dang Estate, so I won’t need it. One day you may need to prove you’re a direct blood member of the Dang Family. And this is…….”
“Hwa Gol Mountain. Brother, we need to send her away before it’s any later.”
Dang Ju Hee, hurrying us along, removed an earring from her own ear.
“Wear this.”
I blinked. The jade snake earring, coiled in a loop, was something Dang Ju Hee treasured most.
“But that’s your treasure.”
“If you die, it’ll haunt my dreams. Use it as the Life-Saving Emergency Technique. Who knows? You might save your life thanks to my earring.”
“Please don’t assume I’ll die so easily.”
“If you can’t create distance from your enemy, twist the serpent’s head. Poison Smoke will leak out and buy you time. Now stop talking and go.”
After Dang Ju Hee finished her explanation, she fastened the Jade Snake Earring to my ear. I nodded and turned to look at Dang Un.
“What happened to Deok Ju?”
“She’s been detained, but Heuk Un Dae Ju has taken notice of her. She’ll be released soon.”
“That’s a relief. I wish I could return to Heuk Un Dae with this opportunity. Could I ask you to look after Song Ji and Gyeong A?”
“Of course. I’ll take good care of them, so don’t worry. Your safety comes first.”
“And Ju Ryeong too. He loves dried meat. Please give him a piece now and then when you think of it.”
A small cry came from somewhere.
At that very moment, a tuft of fur poked its head out from a pouch hanging from the horse’s saddle.
“Ju Ryeong?”
“Your mink. He crawled into the pouch when I was packing. He seems to be eating well.”
Dang Ju Hee shrugged as she spoke. I pulled Ju Ryeong from the pouch.
“Ju Ryeong, you stay at the Dang Family Estate. If you come with me, you won’t be able to eat meat.”
A protesting squeak escaped him.
Struggling as if offended, Ju Ryeong nimbly leapt back onto the horse and disappeared once more into the pouch of dried meat.
“Take him with you. He’ll be lonely without you.”
Dang Un spoke gently. After a moment’s hesitation, I gave in and patted the pouch where Ju Ryeong had gone.
Leaving Ju Ryeong at the Dang Family Estate would have been the right thing to do. But I couldn’t bear it.
At least with Ju Ryeong… I wouldn’t feel quite so alone.
I knew it was selfish. But that’s how I felt.
I grasped the mane and placed my foot in the stirrup. As I awkwardly settled into the saddle, my thighs trembled.
Dang Ju Hee gave me a pitying look.
“Haven’t you learned how to ride? It’s pathetic.”
“I’ve never had reason to ride before.”
“That’s just an excuse. Spread your legs wider. Your back needs to be straighter. Who taught you such sloppy form?”
“Grandfather taught me.”
……
Dang Ju Hee, who had been criticizing me, snapped her mouth shut. Any further words risked offending the memory of the dead.
She turned the conversation as if nothing had happened.
“You understand why I chose Hwa Gol Mountain, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t show mercy with your hands. Cover your tracks cleanly. Otherwise you’ll be pursued.”
“Pursued by whom?”
“His son is dead. Do you think the Yuju Trading Company will sit idle? You’ve been expelled—you don’t need to worry about the Dang Family’s reputation anymore. They’ll hire rogue warriors to kill you.”
Dang Ju Hee answered as if it were obvious. My palms grew damp where I gripped the reins.
It wasn’t only the killer of Gu Gyeong Cheon who would hunt me. The people of the Gu Clan would come for me too.
Perhaps the danger was far greater than I’d imagined.
“Go to the Southern Wharf and take a boat to Nanjung. Don’t use the docks outside the city gate—the household staff will see you board.”
“Understood.”
“Once you reach Nanjung, cross into Zhongjing immediately. If you move quickly, you can lose anyone following you.”
Dang Ju Hee explained calmly, then gestured toward Dang Un with her chin, bidding me to say farewell.
I forced out the words with difficulty.
“I’m going now.”
I deliberately didn’t say goodbye. I was afraid it might be truly the last time.
Dang Un waved, smiling.
“Whenever you can, send word. Just the two characters for ‘without incident’ will be enough.”
He spoke as though he was certain I would survive. Or perhaps he was voicing his desperate hope for my safety aloud.
I drew a deep breath and kicked the horse’s flank. With a snort, the animal surged forward into the darkness.
* * *
It was a pitch-dark night, moonless and bleak.
I rode for more than an hour, yet the wharf was nowhere in sight.
My unaccustomed body screamed in protest. The chafed skin of my thighs burned, and pain lanced through my lower back where I’d tensed rigidly to maintain balance.
Anxiety set my heart racing.
How much farther to the wharf? Would I reach it before I fell from the horse?
Judging by how my legs trembled, I could hold on for perhaps another hour at most—maybe even less than half that.
I had to reach the wharf as quickly as possible.
Just as I was calculating the remaining distance and about to urge the horse faster, the sound of hoofbeats echoed from behind.
Cold sweat rolled down my back. If my pursuers had already caught up, there was nowhere to run.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
My heart felt as though it might burst from my throat.
Was it merely a traveler passing by? Or an assassin sent to hunt me down?
The sound of horse hooves drew steadily closer, until they were almost beside me. I peered into the darkness and reversed my grip on the Jade Blade.

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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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