112 - Sichuan, China (3) - The Heaven-Slaying Sword

The moment Dang Hwa-seo faced Dang Woonkyung, she felt her heart settle in an eerily calm manner. It felt not so much a calming, but rather a cold, burning sensation. If anything, it was refined anger. "A woman to accept the seed of the Mookgeom in your stead, everyone in Dangmun would turn a blind eye. You just have to raise that child as if it were your own, isn't that right?" The venom crafted by his words was still lodged in Dang Hwa-seo's heart. Thus, the only thing Dang Hwa-seo could show was wrath. What audacity to come out to meet her. Dang Hwa-seo was genuinely curious, giving Dang Woonkyung a piercing look, causing him to flinch and bow his head. Even amidst this, Dang Hwa-seo could sense it. Dang Woonkyung’s nerves were aimed at Mok Riwon, and the emotion he displayed was fear. "Really…" A hollow laugh escaped her lips. Even in such moments, only his recklessness was not afraid. Her anger boiled a bit more intensely, yet Dang Hwa-seo held back. This worthless recklessness was no longer of any significance to her. “You can’t even properly address a guest.” Dang Hwa-seo said coolly. “The title I should hear in this place is not Sojaju but Yongbongdanju.” Dang Woonkyung lifted his head, his expression slightly dazed, as Dang Hwa-seo unleashed her Qi. Whish! “Urk…!” A groan escaped Dang Woonkyung’s lips. Retreating step by step, Dang Hwa-seo continued, “Is this how Dangmun treats its guests?” “My, my apologies…” “Dismiss the thought that Dangmun will protect you. Remember, though I have no intention to set foot here again, should I wish, I can take the position you covet anytime. It has always been so, and it will continue to be." Dang Hwa-seo raised her hand, a dark green Qi forming at the tip of her index finger. It was poison. A combination of paralysis and neurotoxin. Even if it was to make him suffer for a day, it seemed like a fitting punishment. Plop— The moment Dang Hwa-seo applied the poison to Dang Woonkyung’s solar plexus, he convulsed dramatically. “Gack…!” Dang Woonkyung's eyes widened as if they might tear, his breathing became ragged, and his body convulsed as if in a seizure. Thud! Immediately after, Dang Woonkyung collapsed. The warriors of Dangmun standing behind him blanched. “What are you waiting for? Lead the way.” Her words remained sharp. The warriors of Dangmun swallowed dryly, then promptly led Dang Hwa-seo and her companions inside. * Entering the interior of Dangmun, Dang Hwa-seo’s expression softened. “…Has it been 6 years?” She had left home at sixteen, and now at twenty-two, that much time had passed. Yet, Dangmun had not changed at all. The buildings alone reminded her of the days gone by. She saw the courtyard with a pond. Dang Hwa-seo reminisced about being dragged in front of that yard. Then, there was a building with tightly shut doors. That was the prison where she spent days when she had to be punished. A few more steps and the training grounds came into view, where she practiced swordsmanship until her hands and feet were bruised. Beyond that, a huge building stood… “It’s still the same.” It was the training room for poison arts, which Dang Hwa-seo dreaded and suffered the most. Her brows furrowed miserably. Her steps halted for a moment. Mok Riwon, who had stopped with her, inquired, “…Miss?” “It’s nothing. Let’s go.” Dang Hwa-seo turned her head away from the training room, clenched her fists, and moved forward. “…Here we are.” The place they reached was all too familiar to Dang Hwa-seo. ‘My home.’ It was the pavilion where Dang Hwa-seo had lived. In the past, it was a place where she could relax and be at ease to some extent. A bitter smile appeared on Dang Hwa-seo’s lips. “Be on your way.” As she spoke, the subordinates of Dang Woonkyung who had led them here disappeared. “Let’s go inside.” “A familiar place?” “It’s where I used to live.” “Ah…” A spark of fascination lit in Mok Riwon’s eyes. It was clear curiosity. Dang Hwa-seo couldn’t help but chuckle at his reaction. “I’ll unpack and give you a tour, so no need to be impatient.” “I wasn’t being impatient!” Mok Riwon straightened his back as he spoke. As the mood lightened, the other members began to join in the conversation. “Sister! You were really cool when you taught that annoying guy a lesson! Surely, the diarrhea poison too…” “I used a neurotoxin.” “Oh.” Jegal San shuddered slightly. Hyewoon and Sun Cloud giggled, while Namgung Jincheon crossed his arms and simply spoke. “My home is larger.” It seemed he was comparing it to the home where he lived in Namgung Sega. As always, these people left no room for seriousness, allowing Dang Hwa-seo to feel relaxed simply through their dialogue. “So Hyang, you’re familiar with this pavilion, correct?” “Yes, that’s right.” “Could you please find a place for the male members to stay?” So Hyang nodded and led the men away. “This way, please.” “Miss! We’ll see you later!” Mok Riwon waved his hand grandly as he walked away. Left alone with Hyewoon, Dang Hwa-seo playfully warned her. “Do not think of causing trouble here.” “Oh, spare me the worry. I don’t just meet any man, you know? Especially those who cowardly threaten families, I never meet them.” Hyewoon shrugged with a playful tone. It was meant to be reassuring, but it didn’t quite inspire confidence. Perhaps that showed, as Hyewoon looked puzzled. “Why that look?” “It’s just that the ones you’ve met so far seemed less than impressive.” “You never know until you peel it open.” Hyewoon grinned lopsidedly. Truly, she was a woman who never tired of her ways. “Alright, go on. Baekbong will stay with me.” “Even here?” “Weren’t you going to be good?” “Still. I need my own time too.” “As you wish.” Giggling, Dang Hwa-seo walked down the pavilion's corridor and opened the door to the bedroom at its end. Click. The door opened smoothly, as if well-oiled. Inside too, despite the six years, the room preserved the day she left it, just cleaned. “Is this the danju's room?” Hyewoon asked, filled with curiosity. Dang Hwa-seo nodded. “Yes.” “It’s quite sparse. Even when in the alliance, I noticed you really don’t collect things.” At that comment, Dang Hwa-seo couldn’t help but laugh softly. Not being fond of collecting things was one reason, but a larger reason was her lifestyle. ‘Having been a fugitive for six years.’ Living a life of not knowing when she’d have to leave made her unaccustomed to holding onto things. Even now, when Dang Hwa-seo considered acquiring something new, she pondered over how to dispose of it first. “Let’s just unpack and go. Everyone’s waiting.” “Not everyone, just Mok Sijoo... Yes, everyone.” Catching the slip through her gaze, Dang Hwa-seo casually tossed her luggage on the bed and entered the inner quarters of the pavilion. Fortunately, there were two guest rooms in the pavilion, and it seemed the male members were split into rooms just like in the alliance. Mok Riwon emerged from a room, smiling brightly, and said, “Miss! There’s a huge jar in the room! Perhaps a...” “Oh, that’s quite valuable, best not meddle with it. That one jar could amount to the monthly living expenses of an average peasant family.” “Oh...!” Mok Riwon stiffened. Jegal San chuckled, then hesitantly spoke, “What now? Given the mission is what it is, we should meet the...” He trailed off, unable to finish, and Dang Hwa-seo nodded. “We must meet the head. The final decision lies with him, after all.” Dang Hwa-seo turned to look out of the window. The pavilion that towered highest even amongst Dangmun’s structures. At its pinnacle would be her grandfather, the head. ‘...So, we meet.’ The thought of meeting him stirred a sense of unease not because she disliked him, But because she knew him all too well. The tension arose from knowing the kind of person he was, the pain etched on her body attesting to his character. ‘He never backs down once he’s decided.’ A man of stubbornness that went beyond just persistence; a man who would not hesitate to use any means for his goals. Indeed, a man who wouldn’t hesitate to exploit his own kin for his ambitions. Dang Hwa-seo recollected the last day she faced him. His eyes drowning in ambition as he looked down upon her, the formidable aura that stifled her breath just by being near. Dang Hwa-seo closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ‘...I must overcome this.’ While she was steadying her mind, Sohyang entered. “Miss.” “What did he say?” “…He requests your immediate presence.” “Alright, understood.” Dang Hwa-seo looked at her members. “Then I’ll be going….” “...The miss is to come alone.” She paused― Dang Hwa-seo turned to gauge Sohyang’s expression. It bore the weight of inconvenience and apology, signifying the unilateral decision made on the other end. “Sister, this is not right.” Jegal San warned. Dang Hwa-seo agreed to some extent. Clearly, their intent in calling her alone was dubious at best. But she couldn’t back down. “This is a mission. Moreover, one that involves persuading the opponent. As the danju, I cannot simply opt out.” Dang Hwa-seo reaffirmed her stance. Not as the sojaju of the Sacheondangmun but as the danju of the martial arts alliance. She needed to act a bit more boldly. “I’ll return.” Following Sohyang, Dang Hwa-seo left. The members remained, unable to act one way or another. * Sacheondangmun was indeed a unique sect. It couldn’t help but be so. A sect and also a clan. It was a place that possessed both elements which were quite incompatible in coexistence. To become a disciple, one had to be part of the Dangmun bloodline. This was akin to a standing rule to prevent the leakage of their secret poisoned arts, given Dangmun’s specialty in using poison. In Dang Hwa-seo's opinion, that ironclad rule was what led to Dangmun's downfall. ‘Because of that rule, Dangmun became such a closed off family.’ To be considered an ally, one must become part of the bloodline and prove it through blood. If not, they are regarded as enemies desiring Dangmun's secrets. In essence, Dangmun existed in a world of black and white. Where only black and white, enemy and ally existed. And at the extremity of this polarity was the man behind this door. The Poison King, Dang Sa Geuk. Dang Hwa-seo steadied her breath at the entrance of the highest level of the head's residence. She couldn’t linger long. Given that he was likely already aware of her presence, any hesitation on her part could be seen as reluctance. Dang Hwa-seo soon spoke up. “May I enter?” A brief moment of silence followed. Dang Hwa-seo counted silently within. ‘One, two, three, four, and….’ -Enter. Right as she counted to five, a raspy voice thick with phlegm responded. ‘Even this hasn’t changed.’ Dang Hwa-seo’s gaze darkened. Then, the door opened.