The Eldest Daughter of the Sichuan Tang Clan Protects Her Family

The old hag called Bao Si the greatest beauty, and her reason was that even without smiling she captured King You.
Softly curved eyes and the arc of her lips. Peach-tinted cheeks lifted like blossoms and a ticklish laugh.
Those things naturally disrupt a person’s senses.
All the more so when set upon a beauty’s face; they of course drew the favor of whoever faced her.
Because the old hag was not normal, she considered such things impure.
The Blood Demon held that a face which draws favor by its frame as it is in essence is the true fine visage. He would insist one should compare beauties with a corpse-like, expressionless face.
Thus the Blood Demon said of all the women he had seen, Bao Si was the most beautiful.
Hae-rak lowered the paper and recalled that face again.
The first color that came to mind was red. It was because the barely moving red lips had left such a strong impression. Next, her white face and nape rose up like an afterimage spreading. Ebony-like hair and black pupils, too.
Yet Hae-rak felt more curiosity toward senses other than sight.
Hae-rak clenched the courier letter.
The Blood Demon was one who obsessed over frames. If a frame pleased him, he would pour his own blood into it; he would also gather those born with peculiar constitutions and, like breeding beasts, create new frames. Then, if he happened to find a fine visage to his liking, he would take that woman and pass his blood down to her directly.
With children whose number could not be counted, there was nothing like fatherly affection in the Blood Demon. He had even once gathered the children he deemed beautiful and sent them into Zhongyuan, which to him was the four-limbed land. They devoured the upper tiers of Zhongyuan in short order, yet life does not go as one wishes.
That was a truth which applied even to the Blood Demon, who considered himself a god.
With his face darkening, Hae-rak folded his fan.
“Um, young master.”
At that moment the clerk who had returned carrying the box spoke, watching his mood.
“Um, well, she said she’s grateful but will accept only the sentiment.”
Hae-rak asked in a low voice.
“Did nothing strike you as strange?”
“Yes, there wasn’t just one strange thing, there were many!”
As the clerk let out a sigh as if he had been waiting for the cue, Hae-rak looked at him. The clerk continued with a grave expression.
“These days, high-born ladies of notable houses who can afford it, and courtesans with good earnings, all go crazy for coral ornaments. But she didn’t even give it a glance—truly strange.”
“And?”
“And? Um…”
Isn’t that plenty strange already?
The clerk, flustered, looked at the merchant group owner’s second son.
Hae-rak smiled and opened his fan.
“Didn’t the smell strike you as strange?”
“Pardon? The smell? I didn’t notice anything like that.”
If anything the smell was pleasa— No, how was the smell again?
The clerk grew flustered as he tried to chase his memory back.
“Come to think of it… there wasn’t anything you could call a smell.”
A shop set on a street where trade caravans pass. Since most visitors were outsiders, the clerk found it hard to know a customer’s particulars. So he would judge purchasing power by appearances: clothing, the weapons they wore, and smell were his criteria.
If one travels long, one cannot wash and a person stinks, but those who mind themselves wore scent pouches to mask that stench. Thus when the clerk came upon those who reeked terribly, he would guess them to be pyo-sa (armed escorts); if the scent was even stronger, he would take them for merchants.
But that young lady had no smell at all.
Not even the distinctive fragrance of a noble house’s daughter—she lacked even body scent.

It seemed she had bathed herself clean before coming to the shop. One could think she had groomed herself because she minded others’ gazes, yet it was strange that a lady so diligent had brought neither perfume nor a scent pouch.
While the clerk was lost in thought, Hae-rak tapped his palm with his fan and recalled someone.
He thought of that unpleasant old hag who controlled her own sense of smell [N O V E L I G H T] with No-Scent.
Hae-rak’s gaze sank into shadow.
‘Could it be that the Tang family’s daughter also senses internal energy through smell?’
He had never believed the claim that Tang Sohwa had deduced the Heat Art by medicine. She surely possessed a special sense that perceives others’ internal energy.
But for now it was only a conjecture—he could not be certain.
‘If I see her once more, I think I can find out.’
Turning his gaze, Hae-rak saw the box the clerk had brought and relaxed his expression.
The precious jade ring lay inside as it was.
He did not know if that was a good thing, but whether he wished it or not, it seemed he would see that woman again before long.
***
The Hubei branch had two branch heads.
Because the Zhuge family and Wudang sect ran the branch independently, the Hubei branch was divided into an East Wing and a West Wing.
Naturally, the standard for east and west was the Zhuge family and Wudang.
The East Wing’s branch head was a person of the Zhuge family.
The West Wing’s branch head was a person of Wudang.
Thus the number attending meetings was also twice that of other branches, and meetings took that much longer.
The Zhuge family’s branch head seated at the table stroked his white beard and spoke.
“We did receive word from the Shaanxi branch, but no matter how I look at it, it is hard to believe. That a warrior of the Taeyang Palace of the Great Desert is in Zhongyuan.”
As the Zhuge family’s branch head clicked his tongue, the Wudang branch head sitting beside him drew the book on the table over to his side.
“If it is hard to believe, then let the treatment method and the Binggeukjicho be kept in the West Wing.”
Startled, the Zhuge family’s branch head seized a corner of the book and halted that motion.
“What are you saying! Of course the East Wing should keep it. The East Wing has more personnel, so we can maintain tighter security.”
“Security? Ha ha. Branch Head, do you not know who is in the West Wing right now?”
The Wudang branch head smiled and fixed a lingering gaze upon the warrior seated at his side. Receiving that gaze, the Taeguk Sword Sovereign squared his shoulders.
The Wudang branch head filled his eyes with his sect’s pride and, in a voice brimming with confidence, said,
“From what I heard from Miss Tang, the core of the treatment seems to be the operation of internal energy. Now then, who here can operate internal energy with the greatest precision? Yes, needless to say, the Taeguk Sword Sovereign.”
“Come now, do not speak such embarrassing words in a place like this.”
At the Wudang branch head’s words, the bear-like giant warrior laughed and slammed the table with a bang. From the rebound, the book hopped a handspan into the air. The Wudang branch head looked upon the Sword Sovereign with eyes full of respect, then turned his gaze back forward and pressed his point.
“We will keep the Binggeukjicho and the treatment method in our West Wing.”
Then the warrior seated beside the Zhuge family’s branch head spoke in a demure voice.
“Though we cannot compare to the Taeguk Sword Sovereign, the East Wing has more people, and thus more with outstanding inner methods. So having the East Wing study it is more efficient in many ways. And the Taeguk Sword Sovereign will not be staying at the branch forever, will he?”
Zhuge Hyang curved his slender eyes gently and looked to the Taeguk Sword Sovereign. The Sword Sovereign gave a wry smile and answered.
“I will not be returning at once.”
“In times like these, even a month may well be considered ‘at once,’ no?”
As that mild voice went on, the Zhuge family people’s expressions brightened. It seemed they were very pleased that Zhuge Hyang had opened his mouth.
Before the Taeguk Sword Sovereign could speak again, Zhuge Hyang asked,
“Will not your direct disciple be entering the martial arts tournament this year?”
“How did you know that?”
“It is a widely spread rumor. They say a late-bloomer with heaven-sent talent is being taught martial arts by the Sword Sovereign, and all call it Wudang’s blessing. Because of the rumor that they can see the Sword Sovereign’s disciple, there are especially many who wish to spectate this year’s martial arts tournament.”
At those words the corners of the Taeguk Sword Sovereign’s mouth twitched. He did feel that that snakelike fellow was working some ploy, but since it was praise for his disciple, he felt pleased.
‘Indeed, any with interest in Murim should attend this year’s martial arts tournament by any means.’
A genius never to be seen again under heaven.
It would be the place where this Taeguk Sword Sovereign’s disciple showed his skill.
Tuk.
At that moment the branch head beside him tapped the Sword Sovereign’s arm.
Unlike his warm smile, his eyes were sharp. It meant, mind the mood.
The Taeguk Sword Sovereign answered with his eyes.
‘Ah, why? Is it not true that our Jeom-chil is outstanding?’
‘Come on, mind the mood! What they’re doing is not praising Jeom-chil; they’re trying to put all that Binggeukjicho into their own storeroom by acting as if your master-uncle does not exist!’
The Taeguk Sword Sovereign came to his senses with a start and cleared his throat.
“In any case, the Martial Alliance headquarters is also in Hubei. I would be away only briefly during the tournament, so it’s fine.”
Zhuge Hyang curved his slender eyes and asked,
“If it is briefly, do you mean about ten days?”
“Is not ten days too short? The tournament alone will run ten days; I must go ahead and see to stances in detail…”
“Ahem.”
As the Wudang branch head let out a low cough, the Taeguk Sword Sovereign closed his mouth.
Not missing his chance, Zhuge Hyang let out a sigh of regret.
“On ordinary days it might be different, but right now even ten days is a long time. As you know, Daoist Myungdan met with an accident within half a day of going out on the pursuit. If the Taeguk Sword Sovereign is absent for ten days, that means a very long vacancy in the West Wing.”
“If you put it that way, is the East Wing any different? Do East Wing people not go to the martial arts tournament?”
At that, Zhuge Hyang smiled.
“No. By order of our family head, for the safety of the Hubei branch, those affiliated with the branch will not attend.”
The atmosphere seemed to be tilting toward the Zhuge family’s side. Seeing the Zhuge family’s branch head looking at Zhuge Hyang with a satisfied gaze told as much.
Wearily, Sohwa watched the war of words and swallowed a sigh.
‘…Tedious.’
She had thought to deliver the items quickly and return, but the sun was already setting.
Hand over the items, receive words of thanks, depart.
Seeing Hubei’s sky redden, Sohwa gave up on her simple plan.
The meeting did not end until the glow had faded and it was evening (7–9 p.m.).
It seemed she would have to stay the night.
In the end, the two branch heads reached agreement to transcribe the treatment method, making two copies, and to cut the Binggeukjicho in half. And then they had a second war of words over who would take the transcript and the larger piece of the Binggeukjicho.
Fortunately, that talk wrapped up before the day ended.
“Today we will keep it in the East Wing and transfer it to the West Wing tomorrow in early afternoon (1–3 p.m.).”
For the time being, the conclusion was to alternate the keeping.
Because the Hubei branch managed by divided sectors, she had thought it an efficient place, but this was the most inefficient branch among those she knew.
Yet Sohwa did not add her voice.
She was simply glad that their talk had ended.
Thinking she would return to Sichuan first thing in the morning, she came down from the pavilion.
“Miss Tang.”
But ominously, someone called her to a halt. When she turned, the Taeguk Sword Sovereign was standing there.