Chapter 10
Yeom Riri followed the voice and steadied her breathing.
As the surging flames scattered, only a woman with clear, lucid eyes remained, looking straight at her.
“Miss Jeok?”
Jeok Heerin—who should have been in her quarters—stood right before her eyes.
❖ ❖ ❖
Her complexion had looked poor throughout training, and in the end Yeom Riri fell into a demonic deviation.
The muddied internal energy within her body swelled, then burst outward, forming brilliant flames.
If left alone, she would fall into qi deviation and become a cripple—or, in the worst case, die.
I had to act before she crossed that line. If I was late, the fire demon would soon devour her.
I stepped forward without hesitation.
When I grabbed the arm holding her sword, skin heated to a searing temperature met my fingertips.
A sensation like sparks of lightning shot through them.
True energy pouring from my heart flowed into my fingertips.
Qi and blood surged, sending tremors through my whole body, as if a serpent made of flame were crawling through my veins.
I groaned at the unfamiliar heat and pulled it all in.
“Stay still.”
Weiryeong Absorption (威靈吸氣).
A technique that absorbs surrounding internal energy and temporarily makes it one’s own—taught to only three people even within the Upper Heavenly Hall.
Used recklessly, it risked reversing one’s meridians, but now was no time to worry about that.
Yeom Riri looked at me with trembling eyes, confusion swirling within the flames wrapping her.
I can’t let her die like this.
She still didn’t know what had been taken from her. That ignorance only made her more pitiful.
But that wasn’t why I helped her. I needed her.
“Follow the incantation of my heart method.”
I slowly regulated my breathing and suppressed her internal energy.
Then I immediately recited the incantation of the Clear Sun Heart Method (霽日心法).
The Flame Demon Art was a martial art designed to generate heat and explosive power.
In contrast, the Clear Sun Heart Method cultivated pure yang energy, purifying yin fire.
It had originally been researched as a method to suppress fire arts, making it the perfect choice for this situation.
Following my recitation, Yeom Riri steadied her breathing.
As the incantation repeated, the reversed flow of energy calmed, and her movements became natural again.
But the Clear Sun Heart Method wasn’t complete with breath control and incantations alone.
Footwork had to be added to perfect it.
“Move with me.”
After confirming that her internal energy had stabilized somewhat, I stepped into the footwork slowly. Yeom Riri followed the flow, and before long our movements were perfectly synchronized.
The problem is that the internal energy gained through Weiryeong Absorption doesn’t last long…
Yeom Riri had to completely shake off qi deviation before I could no longer maintain the Clear Sun Heart Method.
Fortunately, though drenched in sweat, she followed me to the end.
Her steps overlapped with the wind, igniting sparks.
At the instant sword energy and heat intertwined and surged, a dull boom erupted as golden flames burst forth.
This wasn’t a simple explosion of qi.
It was proof of self-control.
While following the incantation of the Clear Sun Heart Method, she had broken past the wall of the flame art that had been blocking her.
I knew her aptitude was outstanding… but to break through to the next realm while escaping qi deviation.
I couldn’t help but marvel at Yeom Riri’s rate of growth.
If she learned higher-grade martial arts, she would soon catch up to her two older brothers.
Perhaps one day she might even reach the Extreme Demonic Realm.
Now I understand why Yeom Jo never properly taught her martial arts and instead kept her confined at home.
Outwardly, she was raised like a precious jewel—but in truth, he likely wished for her talent never to grow.
Thinking that way, the Yeom Riri before me seemed a little pitiable.
“Miss Jeok….”
Yeom Riri gazed at me with a refreshed expression, as if waking from a dream.
“How did you get here? I really did fall into demonic deviation just now, didn’t I? And that heart method incantation—what in the world was it…?”
Only then did she narrow her eyes suspiciously and question me.
“How can you use such martial arts?”
Since Heerin had abolished her martial arts, such suspicion was only natural.
“I don’t really know. My body just moved on its own.”
Amnesia is a wonderfully convenient excuse.
Then Yeom Riri’s eyes flashed, and she suddenly grabbed my wrist tightly.
She was checking whether I possessed internal energy.
She pressed my wrist and sent in a trace of energy, then fell silent for a moment.
Her expression grew serious as she looked at me.
“There’s nothing there.”
Thankfully, since I had almost no internal energy left, I managed not to be exposed.
The suspicion in her eyes eased somewhat, but confusion still lingered.
“…You really don’t know why?”
“I have amnesia. I want to know too.”
At that, Yeom Riri let out a resigned sigh.
“Ah—come to think of it, one old memory came back. That’s actually why I came to see you.”
“What is it?”
“Back then… the Madam visited this place, didn’t she?”
“At my sixteenth birthday banquet. I remember performing swordsmanship before my grandmother. But why?”
“That day, the Madam mentioned to the attendants that your sword forms were sharp because you resemble your mother.”
“My sword resembles my mother’s?”
Yeom Riri tilted her head, puzzled.
“That can’t be.”
She pressed her lips together, as though a crack had formed in the world she knew.
Yeom Jo’s wife had only learned martial arts for self-defense; her attainments were shallow, and she never used a sword. Of course it would seem strange.
“I thought it might be important, so I mentioned it… maybe I was mistaken. Just forget it.”
After saying I would take my leave, I departed.
For a long while, Yeom Riri’s gaze lingered on my back.
She was probably confused.
What I told her today was a blend of Heerin’s notebook and information I’d obtained during my time in the Upper Heavenly Hall.
The head of the Yeomhwa Clan, Yeom Jo, had an older brother—Yeom Jik—whose martial prowess far surpassed his own.
But due to the Orthodox–Demonic War, he never inherited the clan head position and eventually died.
Yeom Riri was Yeom Jik’s daughter.
In other words, she wasn’t Yeom Jo’s biological daughter, but his niece.
After today’s conversation, her doubts will only grow.
Seeds of suspicion grow from the smallest triggers.
I found myself curious about how she would change because of it.
The next day.
Warm soup dumplings, a vegetable-based broth, and sliced pheasant meat were set on the table.
“Breakfast is lavish today?”
“A new cook was assigned to the quarters. It seems we were given plenty of ingredients too.”
The new cook’s skills were decent—the food tasted good.
“We also received new tea leaves. Until now they gave us damp, heavy leaves, but today they’re properly dried. The aroma is wonderful.”
“Then shall we drink it together after the meal?”
“Is that okay?”
As we enjoyed a rare pleasant breakfast, there came a knock at the door.
When Sawol opened it, a familiar figure entered the quarters.
“Miss Riri sent me. She said preparations for the wedding will get busy, so I’m to assist you at your side.”
“Miss Yeom did?”
“Yes. From now on, I—Okhyang—will also serve you, miss.”
Another maid had been assigned to the quarters that previously had only one.
Yeom Riri cited my wedding as the reason, but this was likely her way of expressing gratitude.
Okhyang’s gaze briefly swept the room—from the table, to the gaps in the walls, and finally to my fingertips.
“If there’s anything you need, please let me know.”
She emphasized the words as she spoke to me.
“Sawol, take Okhyang to her lodging and show her what needs to be done.”
“Yes, miss.”
Sawol left the quarters with Okhyang.
Suspicious of yesterday’s events, Yeom Riri might have sent Okhyang to keep an eye on me.
And yet, of all people, she sent Okhyang. That can’t be a coincidence.
Okhyang is one of the Eleventh Brother’s people.
For surveillance, assigning her to my quarters would be the easiest choice—she likely volunteered.
For me as well, having Okhyang nearby was beneficial. She was perceptive, quick to act, and seemed to have learned lightness skills.
Moreover, she could serve as a bridge to the Eleventh Brother—useful for someone like me, trapped within the Yeomhwa Clan.
As I stood after finishing the meal, Sawol and Okhyang—who had briefly stepped out—returned, each carrying a teacup and tea leaves.
“This is tea that Miss Riri sent as a gift.”
A teacup was placed before me. Taking a sip, a familiar freshness spread across my mouth.
White Rooster Crown from Fujian Province.
During training in the Upper Heavenly Hall, I often drank it to clarify my internal energy. It seemed Yeom Riri enjoyed this tea as well.
“And Miss Yeom Riri said that in three days she’ll be going out to purchase jewelry for the wedding, and invited you to go out with her.”
She meant to take me outside. For someone who’d never been allowed out, it was a welcome offer.
“Alright. Let’s all drink tea together today.”
I shared tea with Okhyang and Sawol.
For now, neither of them was a perfect ally—but handled well, they could become my hands and feet.
Holding the tea in my mouth, I organized my thoughts, then had Sawol clear the cups.
After that, I wrote a letter to the Eleventh Brother.
From the Upper Heavenly Hall’s secret records, decipher the One Hundred and First Entry of the Demonic Flame.
Target: the Madam of the Yeomhwa Clan.
“Secret records” referred to top-secret intelligence accessible only to agents of relatively high rank.
The moment the Eleventh Brother read this cipher, he would understand my intentions.
I handed it to Okhyang.
“Deliver this to the Eleventh Brother.”
“Yes.”
Okhyang tucked the letter into her robes without hesitation.
Watching her, I paused briefly.
Even with the Eleventh Brother’s help and every scheme laid out, simply calling off the marriage was impossible.
Neither the head of the Yeomhwa Clan nor the Cult Leader would ever let go of someone of my bloodline—a descendant of the Seolsan Jeok family.
So I decided to change my approach.
I would use the uniqueness of my bloodline—and marriage within the Demonic Cult—to my advantage.
