NOVEL NEXT 127. Ember (3)
“Sa Mok-yeong?”
Wait a minute. Haven’t I heard this name somewhere before? It’s not a common name to be a coincidence. Then, could it really be…
“Are you Sa Mok-yeong of Dongjae Valley?”
“Yes, that’s right. How do you know me?”
“I’ve heard a lot about you. Aren’t you the best physician in Sohan?”
Sa Mok-yeong humbly dismissed the title, saying it was too much for her. She claimed she had simply always done her best for the patients in front of her.
“If Sa Gam-yeong heard you say that, he’d be disappointed. He was so proud of you.”
“Oh my, you know my brother?”
As I nodded slowly, a smile spread across Sa Mok-yeong’s face. She immediately grabbed my wrist and bombarded me with questions about her brother. When I told her what I knew of Sa Gam-yeong’s recent situation, she breathed a sigh of relief.
“He’s always been good at taking care of himself, so I wasn’t too worried. But hearing news of him still puts me at ease.”
“He might have been a bit surprised to learn that the snail he was raising turned out to be a spiritual beast, but it seemed like they were getting along well in their own way.”
“Where did he pick up a snail this time? I swear, his kindness knows no bounds.”
Sa Mok-yeong, wiping away the tears that had formed with the edge of her sleeve, pushed the refreshment tray towards us. Small green rice cakes were neatly piled on the small portable table.
“I wish I could offer better hospitality for such welcome news. But although simple, these are certainly effective. Please, try one each.”
Effective? Is that a normal way to describe rice cakes?
I briefly wondered about this, but unable to resist Sa Mok-yeong’s expectant gaze, I picked up one of the pale green rice cakes. As I brought it to my mouth, Han Cha-hyun, who had tasted it slightly before me, suddenly covered his mouth.
‘What’s wrong with him?’
It was the first time I’d seen Han Cha-hyun unable to maintain his composure. Sensing something was amiss, I tried to withdraw my hand, but the rice cake had already touched the tip of my tongue.
“Ugh, what is this…”
“I’m sorry, so sorry. I just choked for a moment.”
I looked at Han Cha-hyun with sympathetic eyes as he forced himself to cough. It was clear he was trying to disguise his gag reflex. Unlike me, who had barely touched it with the tip of my tongue, Han Cha-hyun had chewed and swallowed an entire rice cake.
‘What kind of rice cake is this bitter?’
The rice cake Sa Mok-yeong gave us was terribly bitter.
Sa Gam-yeong’s claim that Cheong-jae resembled his sister was a complete lie. Cheong-jae might be clumsy and cause accidents unlike a typical snail, but at least she didn’t torture people.
‘And at least that snail was clearly aware that her skills were terrible.’
If it were just bitter, I wouldn’t say this much. The bitterness was just the beginning, followed by spiciness and astringency, and even the brief contact made the tip of my tongue sting. It was truly a taste bud terrorist attack.
Under the guise of comforting Han Cha-hyun, I patted his shoulder and casually set down the rice cake. Sa Mok-yeong approached Han Cha-hyun with a concerned look.
“Oh dear. Your cough seems quite severe, even unnatural. Should I examine you? You don’t have any chronic conditions, do you?”
“No, it’s fine. Ahem, I think I just ate too quickly because I was hungry.”
“Ah! I have some medicinal tea!”
Sa Mok-yeong, who had been fidgeting anxiously, quickly offered a teacup. Han Cha-hyun’s pupils shook violently as he looked at the teapot filled with green tea.
“Oh, um… Thank you.”
I thought he might skillfully evade it, being the tactful person he is, but he closed his eyes tightly and drank the tea. While his expression was more complex than a simple smile, he managed to maintain his composure this time, which was truly admirable.
[To: Han Cha-hyun
You seem to be pushing yourself. Are you alright?]
I suspect the tea was comparable to the rice cake in taste. Worried, I secretly sent a message, to which Han Cha-hyun shook his head slightly, visible only to me.
Unaware of our exchange, Sa Mok-yeong placed her hand on the teapot. Seeing that she was about to refill the empty cup, I quickly diverted her attention.
“Um, about that fire earlier…”
Fortunately, it seemed to be a topic of interest to her, as Sa Mok-yeong’s face lit up.
“That’s right! I was just about to ask about that. How did the Flame Pill end up in the hands of players? Do you have connections with the royal family?”
“I did receive it from a member of the royal family. But how did you know just by looking at the fire…”
“How did I know it was the Flame Pill? It would be strange not to know! Do you have any idea how much effort I put into making it?”
So it was as I thought. I had a vague suspicion ever since I learned this woman was Sa Mok-yeong the physician. Her earlier mutterings about “presenting” while watching the flames were the decisive clue.
“Then I suppose you also made the Wailing Pill and Thorn Pill?”
“Yes, that’s right!”
A fleeting thought crossed my mind that it was fortunate I had modified the pills into a throwable form. If the rice cakes were like this, I shuddered to think what the pills, originally meant as medicine, must have tasted like.
‘Well, at least their effects were certain.’
In the meantime, Han Cha-hyun, having regained his composure, subtly suggested to Sa Mok-yeong:
“Perhaps because I choked so badly, I’m a bit scared to eat right away. I’m sorry, but would it be alright if we saved these rice cakes for later?”
“Of course. Health comes first, after all.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“But…”
Sa Mok-yeong, who had pushed the tray of refreshments aside so it wouldn’t be in the way, trailed off. She looked like she had something she wanted to ask. Only after Han Cha-hyun encouraged her to speak freely did she open her mouth.
“It seems someone has tampered with my pills. If it’s not too presumptuous, could I ask the name of that physician?”
“Oh, it wasn’t a physician. I did that.”
“Really? Those pills were very delicately compounded by me. Without expertise in medicine, the balance would have been completely destroyed. Oh, could you be a hidden master…”
“I have no such expertise. And I’m certainly not some reclusive expert.”
Despite my firm denial, Sa Mok-yeong blinked in disbelief. Only after I demonstrated modifying one of the pills in the room did she accept my words.
“How fascinating! You’re truly an expert in a field completely different from pharmacy or medicine.”
“Not at all. I still have much to learn.”
“What brings someone with such a rare talent all the way to the Western Garden? It’s not a place one visits for trivial matters.”
Sa Mok-yeong, who had been smiling, suddenly struck at the core of the matter. I had planned to bring it up gradually after becoming a bit more familiar, but well, a faster progression works in our favor.
“We came here looking for someone.”
“A living person? Or a dead one?”
“A living person.”
Han Cha-hyun, more eloquent than me, briefly explained our situation. Since we couldn’t reveal all our cards to a stranger, he mixed in some fabricated details, showing impressive quick thinking.
“What a sad story. To think a child would come all the way to the Western Garden to find medicine for their ill parent.”
“It must be quite a severe plague. Gaho-ssi meeting Sa Gam-yeong was a coincidence that occurred while searching for this child.”
“I feel ashamed to be indebted to both siblings, but I must shamelessly ask for your help. If you know anything, no matter how small, please tell us.”
Following Han Cha-hyun’s lead, I politely requested Sa Mok-yeong’s assistance.
Faced with such earnest pleading, Sa Mok-yeong seemed to soften. She cupped one cheek with her palm, as if pondering something, and spoke:
“As I mentioned earlier, I’m looking after the Western Garden of Flowers on behalf of the reclusive flower keeper. I survey the entire Western Garden daily, flying around.”
“Then…!”
“I never forget anything I’ve seen. But unfortunately, I have no memory of the child you’re looking for.”
For a moment, I felt completely deflated. Despite the vast expanse of the Western Garden of Flowers, to not have encountered the child even once over such a long period…
Was Baek-a really here? My near-certain conjecture began to waver.
Just then, Sa Mok-yeong spoke again.
“However, that ornament.”
Sa Mok-yeong’s gaze, which had been alternating between me and Han Cha-hyun, fixed on me. More precisely, on my waist. Instinctively, I reached out and felt a round-edged gemstone.
‘Come to think of it, this was here. I forgot to ask Sarome about it.’
I had confiscated it from Lee Kang-to when he brought it dangling along with the tail, insisting we combine them. Despite explaining several times that it was a quest item, he stubbornly clung to some notion about a royal concubine’s lingering spirit.
Because he kept looking disappointed, I had hidden it by attaching it to the inside of my belt, and even I had forgotten about its existence. It must have come loose during battle.
“The ornament you’re wearing, I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere before.”
“Really?”
“Yes, indeed. If I think a bit more, I’m sure I’ll remember.”
“Gaho-ssi?”
Got it! As I clenched my fist in excitement, Han Cha-hyun expressed his confusion. Ah, right, he doesn’t know what this ornament is.
“This is an ornament from the shrine where Baek-a’s birth mother was.”
True to his intelligence, Han Cha-hyun understood my words without needing a lengthy explanation.
“…Sarome said that Baek-a was wearing a blue jade necklace.”
“And that necklace has been with Baek-a since she drifted down to Cheonsan. It doesn’t seem like a mere coincidence that it’s made of the same material as this blue jade ornament, does it?”
“Indeed, you’re right.”
A wave of relief washed over me, feeling as though we had almost reached our goal. Beyond the city walls, through the marketplace, and even to the palace. I was glad that all our efforts running around weren’t in vain.
Just then, Sa Mok-yeong, who had been listening to our conversation and pondering deeply, interjected.
“I’m glad I could be of help to you two who have come such a long way.”
“How did you notice so well that I was wearing a blue jade ornament? To be honest, I had completely forgotten I had it.”
“Ah, and now I remember everything. Where I saw it! I was confused when I just saw the ornament, but when you mentioned a necklace, it all became clear!”
My ears perked up at the imminent revelation of Baek-a’s whereabouts.