Chapter – 05
Fortunately, my father’s name wasn’t Peng-gyun or Peng-su. It was Peng Baek. Compared to Peng-i and Peng-dori, it was extremely normal.
Wait. Is that really fortunate?
Why are Mom and Dad named Joo So-hee and Peng Baek, but their children are Peng-i and Peng-dori?
This is child abuse!
Even if I was the one who named them!
Still, I didn’t voice any complaints about my name. Joo So-hee looked far too excited for that.
“Your wounds… you’ll need to recuperate for a few more days. If it were up to me, I’d stay for two months and personally nurse you back to health, but since Hebei is just ahead, it’s better we return to the main house first.”
At the same time, she seemed to feel tremendous guilt about my injuries.
Well, it made sense. After searching for her daughter (not really) for ten years, she nearly killed her because she couldn’t recognize her under a mask.
“…I will never let something like this happen again. If I had, even by mistake, killed you, I would have slit my own stomach that very day.”
“Please don’t do that.”
I hurriedly stopped her in horror.
Her eyes look like lasers might shoot out any second.
The way she looked at me was only half sane.
Not that she seemed likely to harm me. If anything, she looked ready to cut down anyone who came near me—maybe even stab her own neck in the process.
Ah, and I also heard the story involving the Yeon Family and the Geum Family.
“It’s true the Yeon and Geum families never got along, but the jade ring you tried to steal wasn’t some Geum family heirloom. It was an egg of Gu poison.”
“Gu poison?”
My face stiffened instantly.
“What is Gu poison?”
The only “poison” I knew was solitude. Surely it wasn’t that.
Hmm. It sounded vaguely familiar though.
Since I skipped all the story while playing the game, my memory was pretty hazy…
“…You made such a serious face I thought you understood the gravity of it.”
Joo So-hee looked momentarily dumbfounded, then quickly returned to being a mother blinded by affection.
“Though perhaps it’s better you don’t know. Gu poison (蠱毒) is a venomous parasite that enters the human body and causes fatal harm. Once it enters, survival is unlikely. Any martial artist with common sense eliminates it immediately upon discovery.”
“But it didn’t look like a bug.”
“That’s because it hasn’t hatched yet.”
She frowned.
“Anyway, anyone crazy enough to use Gu poison usually belongs to the Demonic Cult or the Blood Cult. The reason I temporarily stayed with the Yeon family was to find this egg.”
“So the Geum family lied.”
“It’s not like the Yeon family told me everything either.”
Hearing that, I roughly understood what had happened.
The Gu egg belonged to no one.
In other words, both sides had lied to the martial artists they hired.
But one thing still didn’t make sense.
“Why would two regional clans fight over something like Gu poison? From what you’re saying, it sounds so dangerous it might even backfire on the user.”
“What other reason could there be? Both families must have had some dealings with the Blood Cult.”
Joo So-hee said firmly.
“As for that matter, this mother has already taken care of it. You don’t need to worry about anything. Just rest a few more days.”
“Ah… yes.”
As I answered while rolling my eyes, she suddenly pulled my head into an embrace.
“How did you grow up to be so beautiful while I wasn’t looking? I deeply regret not being there for your childhood… but at least now, I want you to live safely within your family’s embrace.”
“I see. Though that might be difficult since I have a wandering fate…”
“Don’t worry. You’re not a small child anymore. It would be wrong of me as a mother to lock away such a talented daughter forever.”
“Thank you…?”
I still accepted her affection awkwardly.
This unconditional love pouring down like a waterfall was overwhelming.
Just recently I had been picking fights in the streets, and now I was being treated like a baby bird all day. The contrast was dizzying.
Still, I couldn’t completely shatter the expectations of a mother who had reunited with her child (fake) after ten years.
So I spent a few more days recuperating in that mysterious room.
An ordinary person in this era, without proper doctors, would have died the moment they were stabbed in the stomach. But martial artists—especially peak experts—heal much faster.
Seven days later,
Once I could move somewhat normally, I got up. Joo So-hee looked extremely anxious watching me.
“Isn’t it still difficult to walk? No, this won’t do. I’ll just carry you.”
“What? No, you’re my mother. How could I let you carry your fully grown child?”
“It’s fine.”
After several rounds of back-and-forth…
I ended up in her arms.
What am I even doing.
Thinking I was being carried by someone actually in her fifties made my inner Confucian values tremble. But when I looked up at her face, she looked like a college student in her early twenties.
Neither option makes this less awkward.
Either being carried by an elderly woman or by someone who looked younger than me.
As I squirmed slightly, she asked nervously:
“Am I making you uncomfortable?”
“…No! Not at all!”
But seeing her look like a drenched puppy, I couldn’t possibly say something harsh like “This is uncomfortable.”
If I even joked about disliking it, she looked like she’d commit ritual suicide on the spot.
Between my psychological discomfort and her emotional stability, I chose the former. Most people probably would.
Also…
This is actually comfortable.
Being carried was surprisingly nice.
Humans really are creatures of adaptation.
In less than fifteen minutes, I had fully adapted to the comfortable cradle of my transcendent-master mother (not really). Somehow she was leaping across rooftops without me feeling any movement.
Ah, and on the way out, I realized where I had been staying.
That luxurious sickroom was a detached building inside the Yeon family’s inner compound.
Judging by the complete lack of people, Joo So-hee had probably wiped out the entire extended Yeon family.
The Geum family was probably the same.
…Is the orthodox faction allowed to do that?
Even if the Demonic Cult calls them hypocrites with swords, they’re still supposed to be the righteous faction, right?
Since I lived as the Heavenly Demon in the game, I don’t really know orthodox standards.
Still, thanks to Joo So-hee “cleaning up,” I no longer had to apologize for failing the mission.
Because the client was dead.
“Come to think of it, you’ve only eaten patient food all week. Once we pass Taiyuan, there won’t be many cities this large, so let’s stop at an inn and get a proper meal.”
“Two powerful families just died. Is it really okay to stay here so casually?”
“Who would dare say anything?”
Joo So-hee scoffed.
“They collaborated with the Blood Cult, making them targets for elimination by the Martial Alliance anyway. The government can’t interfere, and the Alliance would probably welcome my actions.”
“It’s complicated.”
“It’s not that complicated. Innkeeper, is the fourth floor available? I’d like to rent the whole thing.”
Still holding me, she entered the largest and most luxurious inn in Taiyuan.
Somewhere I had never even considered entering before.
The server looked troubled, not recognizing her.
“I’m sorry. The fourth floor isn’t open to ordinary guests.”
“Hm? Then who uses it?”
“Usually the Geum or Yeon families, but officially—”
“This inn belongs to the Eon family.”
A young noble suddenly appeared behind us.
He looked about my age—a handsome youth with a promising future.
Judging by the way nearby women blushed and peeked at him, he was quite famous locally.
Despite his youthful face, he was tall enough to look down at Joo So-hee, who was nearly six feet tall.
With great politeness he said:
“But of course, the Sword Emperor is always welcome. I’ll guide you personally.”
“Y-Young Master Eon! This is…!”
The server turned pale, realizing his mistake.
The young man didn’t scold him.
Joo So-hee glanced at him and asked playfully:
“So it’s Mu-hyeok. You’ve grown quite a bit.”
“Yes… but what brings the Sword Emperor to Shanxi?”
“It’s practically my neighborhood. Do I need a grand reason to visit a nearby area?”
Maintaining a casual attitude, she followed him upstairs.
Eon Mu-hyeok and I made eye contact. Perhaps pressured by her overwhelming presence, he tried desperately to ignore me.
“Before I leave, I should meet your Grand Elder. Tell him to visit the inn. I have something to convey.”
“Wouldn’t you prefer visiting our residence instead? My father would be very happy.”
“Happy? It’s only been twenty years since he got beaten by me and hung from Shanxi’s city gate.”
That sounded very interesting, so I spoke up from her arms.
“You hung him from the gate?”
“When we were young he challenged me to a duel. He was so confident he proposed the loser obey the winner for a day. After I won, I decided obedience was enough and hung him there to humiliate him.”
“Oh.”
This was getting even more interesting.
“Ahem.”
Seeing my sparkling eyes, Mu-hyeok cleared his throat.
He seemed bothered by his father’s embarrassing past but couldn’t argue with a master, so he tried to change the subject.
“Um… more importantly, Sword Emperor… who is the young lady you’re carrying? It seems somewhat improper.”
“Ah. I forgot to introduce her.”
Joo So-hee opened the room door with a gesture and said:
“My daughter.”
“What?”
Mu-hyeok coughed violently in shock.
