Surviving as the Villainess’s Servant in a Martial Arts Novel - Chapter 71

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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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Episode 71

And now.

Lee Sa-hyeon was holding his collapsed Older Sister in his arms.

No matter how many times he called out, no matter how many times he shook her, Older Sister would not open her eyes.

Rather, Older Sister’s body grew colder and stiffer by the moment. As if life was draining away, as if she was gradually becoming a corpse.

At this rate, really…

Lee Sa-hyeon’s voice came out trembling.

“Older Sister, please, please open your eyes. Okay?”

“…”

“I, I’m Pyeong Hyeon. Even though you told me not to come, I came anyway. Why, why are you doing this? Please look at me…”

“…”

“Older Sister, please…”

“Hyeon-a.”

However, the response came from somewhere else.

Lee Sa-hyeon raised his head with his disheveled face. Eom Father was standing beside him before he knew it.

“Eom Father, Older Sister, Older Sister…”

Eom Father silently sat down next to Lee Sa-hyeon and examined Older Sister. The more carefully he checked – feeling her pulse, placing his finger under her nose – the worse Eom Father’s expression became.

Soon, Eom Father’s long sigh could be heard.

“It’s not good, as expected…”

“…”

“Let’s move her first. We can’t stay here like this. We’ll get a room at a nearby inn and then…”

Lee Sa-hyeon had no choice but to follow Eom Father’s words.

The two took Older Sister to an inn and secured the largest room.

When Eom Father closed the door and burned medicinal herbs, the room soon filled with the scent of medicine. Eom Father went to the bed chamber where Older Sister was lying and drew the curtains. He was trying to concentrate on treatment.

Lee Sa-hyeon could only sit anxiously in front of the table and wait. After what seemed like a long time if it was long, a short time if it was short.

“Whew…”

Eom Father emerged from behind the curtains. His entire body was drenched in sweat.

Lee Sa-hyeon asked urgently.

“Eom Father, how is Older Sister…?”

Eom Father’s eyes darkened.

“Hyeon-a.”

“…”

“In this world, if there are meetings, there are also partings. It may be difficult for you to experience so many partings at such a young age, but steel your heart and…”

“Older Sister, Older Sister…!”

Lee Sa-hyeon’s voice trembled violently.

“Is Older Sister okay? You can save her, right?”

“…”

“Right? I… I checked. She was still breathing. Since her breath hasn’t stopped, if we treat her somehow…!”

“No.”

Finally, Eom Father shook his head.

“I can’t save her.”

“That can’t be. That can’t…”

“It’s too late.”

When Lee Sa-hyeon hesitated, Eom Father continued in a calm tone.

“Her body, which was already in poor condition, has deteriorated further. How could she have any strength left? And it seems she was injured again during the carriage accident.”

“…”

“The wounds that were healing then reopened. Her body’s vital energy is completely twisted, and her internal organs have also lost their function, so most bodily activities have stopped. She’s in a state no different from a half-corpse – it’s questionable how she’s even breathing.”

“…”

“At this point, even if a great immortal came, they couldn’t save her. Right now she’s barely clinging to life, so it won’t be long before…”

Eom Father paused for a moment. Then, seeing Lee Sa-hyeon’s expression, he sighed deeply again and muttered in a tone full of lament.

“I knew this would happen. From the time she was being stubborn with that body, I anticipated this future. Still, I thought if she was lucky, she might somehow be safe, but this child seems to have had less luck than expected. Of all times for an accident to happen there – how did she go with that body? It must have hurt a lot…”

Lee Sa-hyeon couldn’t give any answer.

He didn’t know what to say or what expression to make. Only Eom Father’s last words echoed in his ears.

“It must have hurt a lot, so much…”

When Lee Sa-hyeon held his breath.

Soon a hellish sentence was heard.

“Stay by her side and watch over her final journey.”

* * *

Not long after, Eom Father left the room.

It was to buy a coffin.

Lee Sa-hyeon couldn’t stop Eom Father and just sat there in a daze.

Actually, he wanted to stop him. He wanted to say that Older Sister wouldn’t die, that there was no need to buy a coffin. That if he brought a coffin, how would that be any different from Older Sister really being dead?

But he couldn’t stop him.

That was after confirming Older Sister’s condition behind the curtains.

“Older Sister…”

Older Sister’s appearance was different from before.

Even then she had been in critical condition, but at least she had more vitality than now.

Though she was wrapped in bandages here and there making it hard to recognize her form, her chest rose and fell steadily, and if you stayed in the quiet room, you could hear her small breathing.

But now, her breathing could hardly be heard.

Even though the room was this quiet, even though only Lee Sa-hyeon and Older Sister were here.

‘Really.’

Did he really have to let her go?

Could he only give up like this?

Could he only watch helplessly as Older Sister died so futilely?

‘That can’t happen.’

That couldn’t be.

Even if everyone else gave up, at least Lee Sa-hyeon couldn’t give up.

Of course.

Because Older Sister had saved his life.

Because it was his fault that Older Sister had become like this.

At least, I alone…

Then a certain scene flashed through Lee Sa-hyeon’s mind.

It was when he was with Father.

That was just before Father passed away, and Father spent most of his time lying in the bed chamber.

Lee Sa-hyeon stayed faithfully by Father’s side. He hoped Father would quickly regain his strength, and even at his young age, feeling an ominous premonition, he didn’t want to leave Father’s side.

Lee Sa-hyeon usually read books by Father’s side. One day, Father asked Lee Sa-hyeon.

“Hyeon-a, do you know what that means when you read it?”

“Father! Are you conscious? Actually, it’s difficult for me too, but there’s commentary here, so if I read it together while looking…”

Lee Sa-hyeon was excited and chattered because he was happy that Father had spoken to him, and Father listened carefully to Lee Sa-hyeon’s words, then said with admiration.

“You already understand such principles at your age? Amazing. If you could go out to the Central Plains, you might have become a scholar.”

“Hehe…”

“Then.”

Suddenly Father’s eyes gleamed strangely. Father asked in a low voice.

“From now on, can you memorize the incantation that Father will recite? It’s a very important incantation, so you can’t get even one character wrong.”

“Yes!”

From then on, Father recited a very long incantation.

Lee Sa-hyeon got a few characters wrong at first, but the more he repeated it, the faster he memorized it, and later he was able to recite it in front of Father without getting a single character wrong.

Only after repeating the same incantation three times without a single mistake did Father smile with satisfaction.

“Yes, memorize it well. You must never forget it. It’s like an important family treasure of our house…”

“Then do I just need to keep it memorized? Should I not tell anyone about it?”

“You must not tell anyone about this. Especially not petty people or those driven by greed. If you do, the world could fall into calamity. Unless it’s a hero…”

“A hero?”

At Lee Sa-hyeon’s words, Father smiled gently.

“Hyeon-a, what do you think a hero is?”

At that time, Lee Sa-hyeon, who was deeply absorbed in hero novels, swung his small fists around and shouted.

“Someone incredibly strong! I saw in books that the greatest under heaven can split the sea and topple mountains. Everyone who saw those extraordinary martial arts would praise and acclaim them as heroes!”

“I see. So that’s how Hyeon-a thinks of heroes. But Father’s thoughts are a little different.”

“Different?”

Father smiled gently at the tilting Lee Sa-hyeon.

“Of course, people with strong martial arts are amazing too. But do you know who’s even more amazing than that? It’s people with strong hearts.”

“Hearts?”

“Yes, people who have righteous beliefs and strive to protect them. People who wouldn’t spare even their own lives for what’s right. No matter how strong someone’s power is, in the end, it’s those kinds of people who change the world.”

“That’s difficult…”

“Haha, that’s understandable. You’ll be able to understand that when Hyeon-a grows up a bit more. Yes, let’s do that.”

Father clapped his hands with a sharp sound. Then he stroked Lee Sa-hyeon’s head and said.

“You know the incantation Father taught you earlier? Give that to a hero when one appears. To someone with the strongest heart of all, as Father mentioned.”

“Is that okay?”

“Of course, actually not just anyone can learn this divine art. Even the hero Hyeon-a meets might find it difficult. Because first, one’s life must be severed. And if you recite this incantation at the moment life is severed, and if that hero’s soul is chosen by the light…”

Lee Sa-hyeon awakened from the vision.

And he repeated the last words Father had said.

“They can be resurrected as true ‘light.'”

At the same time, Lee Sa-hyeon instinctively realized.

That now was exactly that moment.

To give that incantation Father spoke of, to my hero.

The supreme divine art that has been passed down only to successive leaders of Gwangjin-gyo.

The Return from Void to Radiant Light Scripture.

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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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