Chapter 568

Chapter 568 - Side Story 2

Many guests always visited the Tang Family Estate.

For Poison Heaven, who couldn't go outside half-voluntarily and half-involuntarily while playing with her younger brother Tang Gyeong, meeting new people was a joyful thing.

Guests from all walks of life would always smile and greet Poison Heaven when they saw her.

"Ho, so you're Poison Heaven, Poison Dragon's daughter."

"At a glance, she's clearly the Alliance Leader's daughter. Spitting image."

"Doesn't she resemble the Family Head more than Poison Dragon?"

"If she resembles her mother when young, she'll resemble her father when older."

"Wow, the Alliance Leader's daughter. Truly moving."

"What a pretty child. Is your dad inside?"

"Has your father been well since leaving the Murim Alliance?"

"The Alliance Leader..."

"Poison Dragon..."

Poison Heaven quickly lost interest. All the visiting guests only sought and were curious about Poison Dragon. They had no interest in what Poison Heaven liked or what she wanted to talk about. They didn't even try to come close to Poison Heaven.

"I should play with the children."

Poison Heaven left the adults alone and searched for children. Occasionally children of similar age would visit too.

"Hello?"

Poison Heaven found a boy her age and greeted him.

When the pretty Poison Heaven greeted him, the boy's face turned red.

"He...llo."

"What's your name?"

"I'm..."

The adult woman who seemed to be the boy's guardian looked at Poison Heaven and tilted her head.

"Hey. If you want to ask someone's name, it's polite to say your own name first. Who are you?"

"I'm Poison Heaven."

Poison Heaven extended her hand to the boy.

"Let's play togeth..."

Suddenly the boy flinched. Not just the boy, but the guardian as well. She pulled the boy back while forcing a smile.

"This child can't play with you."

"Why?"

"That's..."

The guardian looked troubled.

"Sorry, but could you play with other children?"

"Yes, okay."

Thinking there must be a reason, Poison Heaven searched for other children. However, other children avoided Poison Heaven just the same.

Only later did Poison Heaven learn it was because of poison energy, and she felt wronged.

"I don't do that. I don't release poison energy carelessly like my brother."

But Poison Heaven was still a child, and no one knew when or how she might act impulsively. And this Poison Heaven possessed poison that even Transcendent Peak masters could barely withstand. If she accidentally released poison energy, young children would become cold corpses in an instant.

If that happened, who could they hold accountable?

The former Murim Alliance Leader, Jin Ja-gang called the Asura King?

The head of the Tang Family that controlled the martial world?

No matter how fair and righteous Jin Ja-gang or Tang Ha-ran were, they couldn't revive a dead child, and one couldn't ask them to kill Poison Heaven for blood debt.

Rather than that, not associating from the start was the most comfortable thing.

So no matter how many guests came, Poison Heaven was always lonely. Just watching from afar was all she could do.

"Always Dad... Dad... Everyone only looks for Dad. Phooey. Poison Heaven is bored..."

Having no choice, Poison Heaven could only play with Tang Gyeong.

Tang Gyeong was lonely unable to go outside, but Poison Heaven who could occasionally go out was equally lonely.

***

Years passed and Poison Heaven grew.

At thirteen, she became a girl with somewhat fierce, sharp eyes but an extremely pretty face. Her lively, spirited eyes constantly sparkled with curiosity.

Tang Yu-jeong.

She shed the childhood name Poison Heaven and received a new name.

In the Tang Family, whether boy or girl, at thirteen one had to learn the family's work. Tang Yu-jeong was no exception. Starting from simple household tasks, she finally received work that took her outside the Tang Family Estate.

Tang Yu-jeong looked forward to her first outing mission with the feeling of becoming an adult. She was so excited her heart pounded and she couldn't sleep the night before.

The mission's content was simple. Accompanying warriors to deliver goods to a vassal family less than one shichen away from the Tang Family Estate.

It was Sichuan, and moreover Chengdu where the Tang Family, now called the world's greatest family, was located. There was no room for anything unusual to happen. It was impossible to fail.

Nothing happened until they arrived at the vassal family. Tang Yu-jeong who entered the vassal family's manor looked around with curious eyes.

It was her first time being this far outside her home, and first time visiting another martial family's manor.

She saw several boys training in martial arts. It was also her first time seeing a group of her peers training in martial arts, other than her younger brother Tang Gyeong.

"Haah!"

"Hiya! Ha!"

There was time remaining until departure. Tang Yu-jeong sat in a corner without being in the way and watched them train. It was basic training to become an ordinary warrior, so not tremendously impressive. Still, watching the children diligently swing wooden swords was somehow interesting.

But one boy particularly caught Tang Yu-jeong's eye.

"Wow..."

He was smaller in build than other children and didn't look very skilled, but he was handsome. His eyes were also full of passion. It was quite unfamiliar to see such eyes in a boy besides her father.

Tang Yu-jeong watched the boy. His vigorous shouting and sweating somehow looked cool. Her feelings gradually became strange.

Her heart pounded and her face turned red.

Tang Yu-jeong unconsciously stared at the boy. The children around weren't visible, only that child was. Though dozens moved and ran, only the boy entered Tang Yu-jeong's eyes. Watching the boy, she didn't notice time passing.

When break time came, all the children sat down or flopped on their backs.

Tang Yu-jeong carefully approached the boy.

"Hello. Training in martial arts?"

The boy covered in sweat and dust looked around, then pointed at himself.

"Me?"

"Yeah. I went outside for the first time today, want to be friends?"

Her actions were bold but Tang Yu-jeong's heart was pounding.

The boy looked Tang Yu-jeong up and down slightly. She definitely came from the Tang Family but wore ordinary warrior's clothing so he couldn't tell who she was. He had been wondering why she kept staring at him.

Of course, there was no reason to refuse when a pretty girl asked to be friends.

The boy accepted in a daze.

"Yeah. Well, if it's friends..."

"Then let's go play!"

"What?"

The boy shook his head.

"I still have training left, so I can't. I want to train hard and become a master."

"It's okay. I'll teach you later."

"You?"

The big boys who trained nearby laughed at Tang Yu-jeong.

"Acting smart just because you're from the main house. Even so, you're just an apprentice warrior following seniors around, who's teaching who?"

"Pfft."

Tang Yu-jeong confidently crossed her arms and raised her nose.

"Want to see if it's true or not?"

She had already seen their skills during training so had nothing to fear.

"Hey, stop. We don't go easy on girls."

"You'll end up crying for mommy?"

The boys giggled. Tang Yu-jeong beckoned with her finger.

"Ah, scared? Then don't come alone, all come at once."

"What?"

There were over thirty boys training.

"You'll regret this. You're really going to get hurt."

Several boys picked up wooden swords and swarmed around Tang Yu-jeong.

Tang Yu-jeong's eyes sparkled.

Swoosh.

Tang Yu-jeong's body disappeared. The boys went "Huh?" before flying through the air.

"Waaah!"

"Aaagh!"

Tang Yu-jeong grabbed their arms and legs and threw them, kicked the backs of their knees making them fall. A light push to the shoulder made them fall backward and roll four times. Hooking and spinning an arm made them spin around before falling. The children who surrounded Tang Yu-jeong instantly lay on the ground.

The other boys who only watched were startled and finally got up holding wooden swords. Tang Yu-jeong quickly turned her head to look at the boys then jumped among them.

Tang Yu-jeong was so fast the boys couldn't even follow her with their eyes. The sword techniques and footwork they'd learned - they just wildly swung wooden swords.

"Just hit once!"

But even that didn't connect at all. Even grazing was impossible.

"Aaaaah!"

Crash!

In an instant, thirty boys rolled around the training ground. The skill difference was so great not a single one broke anything or got hurt. Just minor scrapes from rolling.

Tang Yu-jeong withdrew her hands and looked at the boy triumphantly.

"See?"

"Wow."

The boy stared at Tang Yu-jeong with wide eyes.

Tang Yu-jeong shrugged her shoulders. The boy's admiration felt a hundred times better than praise from Mom and Dad.

"So let's go play."

Then from behind, the big boy who first picked a fight swung his wooden sword down with all his might.

"How dare a tiny thing act cocky!"

Tang Yu-jeong unconsciously swung her arm to counterattack. The wooden sword broke hitting Tang Yu-jeong's arm, and the big boy was caught up and flew to the main hall's roof.

Bang!

Roof tiles shattered and fell down.

Tang Yu-jeong shouted in surprise.

"Aaaah! Sorry! I didn't mean to!"

But the boy couldn't even answer and just dangled from the roof with his broken arm.

"Are you... okay?"

"Uhhh... Save me..."

Tang Yu-jeong made a tearful face.

"I'm doomed... Dad will scold me."

Tang Yu-jeong glanced back at the boy. The boy was so shocked he'd even fallen on his bottom. Looking up at Tang Yu-jeong, his eyes were full of fear.

Tang Yu-jeong made excuses.

"Don't be scared. This was an accident. So..."

But the boy was already backing away.

"S-sorry. I was wrong. How could someone like me be friends..."

"What do you mean? You did nothing wrong. I just needed a friend."

Tang Yu-jeong extended her hand. The boy was frightened.

"Please forgive me!"

"..."

Tang Yu-jeong's heart sank. In an instant, a wall formed between the boy and Tang Yu-jeong.

Just then, warriors who came from the Tang Family Estate and people from the vassal family rushed over, startled by the explosive sound.

"What happened!"

Tang Yu-jeong dejectedly withdrew her extended hand.

Then smiled awkwardly while looking at the boy.

"Sorry for forcing you to be friends."

Tang Yu-jeong also waved to the boy hanging from the roof.

"Sorry to you too!"

Tang Yu-jeong ran and left the scene.

People were gathering, so Tang Yu-jeong's identity might be discovered. She didn't want the boy to know until the very end that she was Poison Dragon's daughter.

Tang Yu-jeong wandered for a while before returning to the Tang Family Estate.

Thus Tang Yu-jeong's first mission failed.

Tang Yu-jeong's first love also failed.

Tang Yu-jeong's heart was also wounded.

She vowed never again to carelessly reveal her strength in front of a boy she liked.

***

As she grew older, the words Tang Yu-jeong heard most often were:

Dad is the former Murim Alliance Leader.

Dad is Poison Dragon.

How frightening those words were - the moment Tang Yu-jeong's identity was revealed, everyone without exception kept their distance.

Jin Ja-gang didn't flaunt his authority, but the world feared Poison Dragon's authority.

Jin Ja-gang no longer killed, but people feared melting away into a handful of poison water in Poison Dragon's hands.

The incident of melting tens of thousands with poison water seemed embedded in everyone's minds, impossible to erase.

"Our dad is Poison Dragon."

At Tang Yu-jeong's words, Tang Gyeong who was reading a book turned his head to look at Tang Yu-jeong.

"What are you suddenly saying? Are you crazy?"

"As expected, you're the only one who isn't surprised."