Chapter 56
“It might not actually be poison inside the mooncake.”
That was what Father said after hearing my words.
“What do you mean?”
“It could be something else. Something toxic enough to cloud the water, but not technically poison.”
The koi were floating belly-up, dead.
The water had indeed turned murky.
“Do you know why people say that when the koi a family raises die, the family’s downfall follows?”
“Because if even the treasured koi they raised die, it must mean the family’s fortune has already declined beyond recovery?”
“That’s one reason.”
When Father stirred the pond water with his hand, soft ripples spread out.
“Koi are extremely sensitive to water quality.”
“To water quality?”
“Ordinary koi are hardy and can survive in murky water, but the ornamental ones raised with care—if the water changes even a little, they die easily.”
“So a change in water quality symbolizes a change in the family’s condition as well.”
“Exactly.”
The wide sleeve of Father’s robe got wet.
“In truth, it makes no sense that someone would feed you poison knowing you’re immune to it.”
“So they must have been trying to make me eat… something else.”
“What could it be? Since the koi that ate the mooncakes ended up like this, it’ll be hard to find out.”
Father rose to his feet.
“Either way, one thing’s certain—you must be cautious. There are people who want to harm you.”
“One of them is Uncle.”
“Since he failed to win you over, he’ll now see you as a thorn in his side.”
Father reached out and tapped my cheek lightly.
“But don’t worry too much. As long as I’m here, anyone who tries to harm you will face me—just like yesterday.”
“I’m glad I have you and Choyo.”
“There are others watching over you as well.”
“Really?”
“Yes. And I’ll investigate this matter myself.”
I held onto the edge of Father’s sleeve and looked at the dead koi.
“It’s so pitiful, all of them dying like that.”
“Yes, a sad end.”
“If I hadn’t thrown the mooncakes in, they’d still be alive.”
“If your uncle hadn’t given you something suspicious, you wouldn’t have thrown the mooncakes in. If you think that way, there’s no end to it.”
“Still, I feel bad.”
“Then next time, don’t throw it into the pond—bring it to me instead.”
“Okay.”
“Others will take care of the koi.”
“They’ll bury them?”
“They will.”
“Father, I don’t like Uncle.”
“Who could like someone who speaks ill and hands out harmful things?”
“Speaking of that… Father.”
I narrowed my eyes and looked at him.
“You truly haven’t heard anything about the Poison River Art, have you?”
“The Poison River Great Art was long lost. But if traces of it still exist somewhere… it would be inside the Tang ancestral shrine.”
The Tang Ancestral Grounds.
The sacred land where generations of the Tang family’s direct descendants were buried.
‘If I go there, could some trace still remain?’
As I pondered, a sudden thought struck me.
‘Wait, if the Poison River Art originated in the ancestral shrine…’
Then it’s highly likely the Great Art itself was performed there as well.
The shrine was vast, and its underground structure was said to be like a labyrinth—
with over a thousand stone chambers.
If someone wanted to hide something, that would be the perfect place.
I remembered the day before my death—when the elders of the clan had gone to the shrine.
‘There’s no way Tang Pae-jin would’ve calmly greeted the elders after leaving our corpses behind.’
That must mean the elders also met their end soon after.
‘No, wait… Grandfather was there. Maybe things were a little different?’
Either way, the thought made my chest tighten unpleasantly.
‘No, I can’t be weak now.’
This time, I’ll stop it from happening.
To do that, I need to go to the ancestral shrine and find traces of the Poison River Great Art.
Did Tang Pae-jin get his hands on it—or not?
That’s what matters most right now!
‘If I could stop by the ancestral shrine during this trip, that’d be perfect.’
Would that even be possible, geographically speaking?
“Hmm…”
“What are you thinking so hard about?”
“About going to the ancestral shri—ah!”
I jumped and spun around.
There was Namgung Cheonghyeon, his head poking out from behind a wall, staring at me.
“Y-you scared me! Can’t you make some noise when you walk?”
“I did. You were just too deep in thought to notice. Anyway, here.”
He handed me a small iron chest.
It was compact but looked fairly heavy.
“Huh?”
“I met your aunt on my way here. She asked me to bring this to you, so I did.”
Something from Aunt? Then inside must be…
I lifted the lid.
Out slithered Manhyeolsa—my snake—looking oddly plump.
“Oh, your snake was in there.”
“You agreed to deliver something without even knowing what it was?”
“When a courier’s given a sealed box, he doesn’t need to know what’s inside.”
“The young master of the Namgung clan said that?”
“What’s wrong with that?”
Manhyeolsa slithered up my sleeve.
The moment it settled inside, I was sure of it.
‘It’s heavier!’
I didn’t know what it had eaten, but it must’ve devoured quite a lot.
Cheonghyeon, eyeing my sleeve, remarked,
“Your snake looks… fatter.”
“Yeah, guess that’s what happens when you eat well?”
“Snakes digest slowly, so they swallow their prey whole, from what I’ve heard.”
“Then whatever it was, it must’ve been big… right?”
My sleeve was heavier than usual, but Manhyeolsa seemed pleased.
Maybe it was full for the first time in a while.
“Next time, I’ll ask to go to the Thousand Poisons Forest too.”
“To feed your snake?”
“That, and because it’s full of venomous creatures—it might help me train.”
“At this rate, I won’t be surprised if you show up one day with a swarm of snakes.”
“My snake’s actually quite jealous, so I doubt that’ll happen.”
“I’ve never heard of a jealous snake before.”
“Even small creatures have hearts, my father used to say.”
Manhyeolsa disappeared completely into my sleeve.
Unless I deliberately took it out, no one would ever guess it was there.
Cheonghyeon studied my sleeve, then looked up.
“That snake—you said it’s famous, right?”
“It’s called Manhyeolsa.”
“I heard it’s one of the Tang clan’s heirlooms.”
“Yeah, it’s said to be an extraordinary spirit creature.”
“Your grandfather must care about you deeply.”
“Huh?”
“Heirlooms aren’t usually given to young granddaughters.”
There was a hint of envy in Cheonghyeon’s voice.
Why would the legitimate son of the Namgung patriarch sound like that?
I was itching to ask but decided to hold back for now.
“Do you still have Ilpabido with you?”
“Yeah, in my sleeve.”
I’d already told him the story—how Grandfather gave me Ilpabido when he learned I’d attend the sixtieth birthday banquet.
“Can I see it?”
“You’ve heard of it too?”
“Of course. It was kept in Namgung’s vault until recently.”
Cheonghyeon nodded.
“I even saw your grandfather sealing it in the wooden case. Never seen it in someone’s hands before, though.”
I took Ilpabido out from my sleeve.
People might think my sleeve was a chaotic storage pouch at this point—and maybe it was.
There really wasn’t much space left in there.
“Here.”
At the end of the short dagger, the Tang family’s crest was engraved, along with the name Ilpabido.
“Mind if I throw it?”
“I’ve never thrown a dagger before! What if I hit something wrong?”
“Ah, true… but it’s just us here.”
Still, Cheonghyeon didn’t seem intent on throwing it.
Instead, he handled the blade carefully, almost reverently.
“It’s an excellent weapon.”
“Right?”
“When you step outside the Tang estate, everyone will have their eyes on you.”
He handed the dagger back to me, smiling faintly.
“Huh?”
“The granddaughter of the Tang clan head, carrying both the family’s treasured serpent Manhyeolsa and the legendary dagger Ilpabido—how could anyone not pay attention to you?”
