Chapter 59. The Perfect Blood Sect member

“How did I look?”

“Like a child staring at a delicious piece of candy.”

So-hwa spoke her true feelings without realizing it.

“You must be someone I really need, so I must have looked at you that way without knowing. If it was unpleasant, I apologize.”

Haerak’s expression stiffened, but So-hwa, unaware, continued.

“Making the medicine isn’t difficult, but to confirm its effect, I need to feed it to a host. Since it’s dangerous, I need a healthy host.”

So-hwa spoke while looking straight at Haerak.

“You are unbelievably perfect.”

Haerak’s lips parted.

“… Are you saying outright that you’ll use me as a test subject?”

“Isn’t it something worth being a test subject for?”

“…”

“The Blood Sect members I saw at Emei Mountain tried to kill one another. The criteria were divided between corpses that had Poison gu and those that didn’t.”

Even as So-hwa’s words grew longer, Haerak didn’t interrupt.

“I don’t know what determines whether someone carries Poison gu. But it did seem clear that there was a distinction among you. That’s why I was always curious.”

She added while watching Haerak’s face.

“Wouldn’t it be unfair if I were the only one with a leash around my neck?”

The Blood Sect bastard knew how to conceal his expression.

If So-hwa was someone who didn’t reveal her emotions, this man was someone who could craft whatever face he wanted to show.

But now, he wore no expression at all.

The cold face with its smile wiped away felt unfamiliar.

Perhaps this was his true face.

There was no longer any need to throw around composure or show any mask.

So-hwa met Haerak’s gaze and spoke again.

“So I often wondered what I would do if I were one of you. After spending a long time thinking, I found an answer. If my master won’t give me freedom, then I’ll find it myself. Even if that means borrowing the hand of an enemy.”

If she ever met a Blood Sect member with Poison gu, So-hwa had intended to win them over by offering to remove the Poison gu.

But now that the moment had come, it felt strange.

She’d heard that Blood Sect members were known for their unwavering loyalty, but this one wavered so easily.

So-hwa picked up the damp cloth she had left on the windowsill.

“To say I’ll remove the insects in your body isn’t an empty promise.”

As she wiped the bloodstains with the cloth, the wound on her finger was revealed—completely healed.

The Blood Sect bastard let out a hollow laugh.

“You’ve been born with another strange ability, I see.”

The moment Haerak caught sight of her finger, one long-held question was answered.

He understood why the Clan Head of the Tang Clan had kept his eldest daughter hidden.

As a direct descendant of the Tang Clan of Sichuan, which had many enemies, she could be attacked at any time if she were exposed. She could also be injured by an unexpected accident.

Getting hurt wasn’t the issue. The problem was this bizarre regenerative ability being exposed.

Haerak had seen many bodies that defied explanation. He had seen perfect vessels for martial artists, such as the Heavenly Martial Body or the Extreme Yang Body, and he had also encountered people born with monstrous healing like hers.

Revealing such secrets to others was always dangerous, and yet this orthodox young lady had deliberately shown it off to prove her regenerative ability.

Tang So-hwa spoke in a calm voice.

“I’ve always discovered antidotes by consuming poison myself, but this Poison gu doesn’t respond to that method. It doesn’t attack me, and when I want it to come out of my body, it does so willingly. So, I can’t figure out the host’s reaction.”

Haerak crossed his arms and asked,

“So you’re going to experiment on me?”

“Yes. I understand bodily reactions better than anyone. So if you tell me what you feel, I can quickly complete the antidote to remove the Poison gu.”

Haerak smirked.

“So, in exchange for borrowing my body, you’ll get rid of the Poison gu?”

At that, So-hwa frowned.

“That would be too much of a loss for me.”

She didn’t speak in circles—she spoke her true intent.

“I’ll get rid of the Poison gu. In exchange, give me information about the Blood Sect.”

Haerak let out a breath, seemingly dumbfounded.

“Why do you think I have this Poison gu?”

“Does it react when you speak about the Blood Sect?”

At So-hwa’s question, Haerak sighed.

“Yes. If you’re not careful, your precious host might die.”

Three years ago, the martial artists who died in the Anhui branch had coughed up blood during interrogation. The ones who carried Poison gu were those who had fought the Blood Sect in So-hwa’s place at Emei Mountain.

‘Is it something they give to those who might betray the sect? To silence them?’

“Is it a punishment for Blood Sect members who committed crimes? Or is there a hierarchy within the sect?”

She kept asking what she was curious about, but the Blood Sect bastard only smiled faintly in response.

“If you plan to kill your precious host right here and now, then feel free to keep asking.”

“I need information on the Blood Sect, but if you can’t give me that, I’m left with a dilemma.”

As So-hwa murmured to herself, Haerak straightened his posture.

“What, are you going to stop now?”

“I need to think about it.”

Haerak let out a hollow laugh, incredulous.

“What are you going to do if I decide to kill you? Why are you speaking so honestly?”

The young lady before him wasn’t an exceptional martial artist. Yet she showed no fear of him. Instead, she mocked him with a calm voice.

“If the only one who can sever your leash disappears, would you really throw away the opportunity so easily?”

“… Still, I could help you. It’s not like I’m forbidden from revealing all information.”

It was a considerable concession from Haerak, but So-hwa shook her head.

“If you can’t give me the information when I need it, it’s meaningless.”

“No, you’ll need it eventually.”

Haerak curled one side of his lips.

“Don’t you want to go outside?”

“I’m outside now.”

“No, I mean without the Clan Head’s permission.”

From the looks of it, this daughter of the Clan Head of the Tang Clan seemed to have many reasons to roam outside.

She knew about the Blood Demon’s insects, and even his martial arts had been figured out. This young lady was strangely invested in the Blood Sect.

Haerak looked at Tang So-hwa, who was silently waiting for his response, and curved his mouth into a grin.

“There’s the Myungcheon Merchant Group in Sichuan. Ever heard of it?”

A faint crease formed on So-hwa’s brow, as if she had.

Haerak dragged out his words.

“That group is also under my command.”

Silence followed.

But it was a different kind of silence.

Tang So-hwa’s gaze turned cold.

Haerak found it odd, but assumed it was just her being unsettled, so he continued.

“They’ve been working hard to get into the imperial trade, but a few years ago, the Anguk Merchant Group took that position. Still, if you want, I can return the trade route to them and connect you with them.”

“How?”

Haerak scanned her with a strange look.

“Should I tell the head of the Merchant Group to send you a marriage proposal?”

“……”

“The heir of Myungcheon Merchant Group is quite decent. He’s gentle and good at getting along with people. Wouldn’t be bad to live with.”

Tang So-hwa’s expression turned grim.

Her slender jaw twitched—she seemed to be clenching her teeth.

Haerak let out a scoffing laugh.

“I didn’t think you’d take marriage so seriously, but there’s no need to take it as an insult. You’d be able to travel freely across the Central Plains. Isn’t that an offer worth accepting?”

He continued listing the advantages.

“There’s no other place that hires as many guards as a merchant caravan, is there? You’d be able to travel safely anywhere without worrying about the Clan Head of the Tang Clan. And you wouldn’t have to care about the eyes around you either. Just say you were out on business—how convenient is that?”

But Tang So-hwa seemed completely unconvinced.

She listened to his words with an indifferent face, then asked an unexpected question.

“Is that heir someone you care about?”

“Mm. His presence is so faint I can’t even remember his name, but that’s actually his strength.”

“Then that won’t do.”

“Why not?”

Tang So-hwa answered in a cold voice.

“It wouldn’t matter if it was okay to kill him, but I have a feeling you’d regret it.”

It didn’t sound like mockery—it felt genuine. Haerak assumed So-hwa was saying it because she despised the Blood Sect.

“… Seriously, who’s the orthodox sect and who’s the heretical one here? Killing people for no reason—what kind of nonsense is that?”

Haerak clicked his tongue, then asked again.

“Then is there no way for me?”

Surprisingly, So-hwa answered quite easily.

“Can you come to the Tang Clan Pagoda once every ten days?”

“Hm?”

“I’m asking if you can come meet me once every ten days.”

Considering the distance between Hubei and Sichuan, it was an unreasonable request. But if he used the passageway, it wouldn’t be too difficult. Haerak was about to say he could manage that, but paused.

“Mm… This month might be tough.”

Haerak scratched the back of his neck.

“I found the one who brought in the Five Minerals Powder. I have to go down to Guangdong to meet him, and I’m not sure how long it’ll take. But I can manage once every ten days after that.”

So-hwa furrowed her brows.

“The one who brought in the Five Minerals Powder is in Guangdong?”

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