"How did I look at you?""Like a child looking at a tasty Tang sweet."Sohwa spoke her true feelings before she knew it."Perhaps I saw you so because you are someone I absolutely need. If that offended you, I apologize."Hae-rak’s expression stiffened, but Sohwa, not noticing, added on."Making a medicine isn’t difficult, but to verify its effect, I have to feed it to a host. Because the risk is great, I need a healthy host."Sohwa stared at Hae-rak and spoke."You are unbelievably perfect."Hae-rak’s lips moved."…Are you openly saying you’re going to use me as a test subject right now?""It’s something worthy of being a test subject for, isn’t it?""…""The Blood Cultists I saw on Mount Emei tried to kill one another. The line was drawn between corpses that had dokgo and those that didn’t."Even though Sohwa’s words went on, Hae-rak did not interrupt."I don’t know what the standard is for carrying dokgo. But it seemed certain there is a distinction among you. So I was always curious."She looked at Hae-rak’s face and added,"Wouldn’t it be unfair if only I had a leash around my neck?"A Blood Cult bastard knew how to hide his expression well.If Sohwa had been someone who did not show her face, that bastard knew how to dress up the face he wanted to show.But now, he wore no expression at all.The cold face with the smile erased felt unfamiliar.Perhaps this is his true face.There is no need to toss out nonchalance and show such a face.Meeting Hae-rak’s gaze, Sohwa opened her mouth again."So I would think about what I would do if I were you. After quite a long time of pondering, I found an answer. If my master would not give me freedom, I would find freedom on my own. Even if it meant borrowing the enemy’s hand."If she ever met a Blood Cultist carrying dokgo, Sohwa intended to recruit the cultist on the condition that she remove the dokgo.Yet when the moment arrived, it felt strange.She had heard Blood Cult believers possessed tremendous loyalty, but this bastard was easily shaken.Sohwa picked up the wet cloth she had left on the window frame."It is no empty talk that I will remove the insects in your body."When she wiped away the bloodstain with the cloth, the finger whose wound had closed was revealed.The Blood Cultist let out a dry chuckle."You were born with one more peculiar ability."The instant he took in the finger with his eyes, Hae-rak resolved a long-held question.He understood why the Tang Clan Head had hidden his eldest daughter.As a direct descendant of the Sichuan Tang Clan, which has many enemies, if she went outside, she could be attacked unawares, and she could be injured by an unforeseen mistake.Being wounded wasn’t the issue. The issue was that that bizarre regenerative power would become known.Hae-rak had seen many bodies that defied explanation by words until now. He had seen the perfect vessels of martial artists like a Heavenly Martial Body or an Extreme Yang Body, and he had also seen those born with that kind of monstrous regenerative power from birth.There is nothing more dangerous than revealing one’s secret to others, yet this orthodox-sect woman proved her regenerative power as if deliberately showing it.Tang Sohwa spoke in her usual even voice."I’ve always poisoned myself and found the antidote, but this dokgo does not yield to that method. It doesn’t attack me, and if I want it to come out of the body, it comes out obediently. Thus, I cannot ascertain the host’s reactions."Hae-rak folded his arms and asked,"So you’ll experiment using me?""Yes. I understand bodily reactions better than anyone. So if you tell me, I can complete the medicine to remove dokgo quickly."Hae-rak snorted."In exchange for lending my body, you’ll remove the dokgo, is that it?"At those words, Sohwa knit her brows."That’s too much of a loss for me."She did not speak in circles and said her true intent."I’ll remove the dokgo, so give me information about the Blood Cult."Hae-rak let out a breathless laugh, as if dumbfounded."Why do you think this dokgo is there?""Does it react if you divulge information about the Blood Cult?"At Sohwa’s question, Hae-rak sighed."Yes. If you do it wrong, your precious host could die."Three years ago, the martial artists who died at the Anhui Branch spat blood during interrogation. The martial artists who carried dokgo were the ones who faced the Blood Cult in Sohwa’s stead on Mount Emei.‘Is it fed to those who might betray the Blood Cult? To shut their mouths?’"Is it fed as punishment to believers who have sinned? Or is there even a hierarchy inside the Blood Cult?"She kept asking what she was curious about, but the Blood Cult bastard curved the corners of his mouth in a gentle smile instead of answering."If you intend to kill your precious host here today, then by all means keep asking questions.""I need information about the Blood Cult, but you say you cannot give me that, so I am left to ponder."When Sohwa muttered as if to herself, Hae-rak straightened his posture."What, stopping there?""I have to consider it."Hae-rak let out a laugh of disbelief."If I decide to kill you, why are you speaking so honestly?"The woman before his eyes was not a formidable martial artist. Yet she was not frightened of him at all. Rather, in a calm voice, she mocked him."The only one who can cut your leash would disappear; you wouldn’t throw away the opportunity so easily.""…Even so, I can help you. It’s not that I must keep all information secret."Hae-rak made a large concession, but Sohwa shook her head."If you can’t tell me when I need it, it’s meaningless.""No, you will need me."Hae-rak slanted the corner of his mouth."Don’t you want to go outside?""I’m outside now.""No, I mean without the Tang Clan Head’s permission."From the looks of it, this daughter of the Tang Clan Head had many reasons to be out and about.Judging from the way she knew about the Blood Demon’s insects and had even discovered her own martial arts, this woman was astonishingly interested in the Blood Cult.Watching Tang Sohwa wait for his answer, Hae-rak curved his mouth."In Sichuan there is the Bright Sky Merchant Group. Have you heard of it?"A fine line appeared between Tang Sohwa’s brows, as if she had heard of it.Hae-rak stretched his mouth into a long smile."That merchant group is also under my command."Silence followed.But it was a silence of a different grain.Tang Sohwa’s gaze had gone cold.Hae-rak thought it strange, but assuming it was agitation, he continued."They were putting in effort to participate in imperial court trade, but a few years ago Anguk Merchant Group took that line over. However, if you want, I will turn the trade line back and connect it to you.""How?"Hae-rak swept her with a curious look."Shall I have the merchant group’s head send you a letter of betrothal?""…""The young master of the Bright Sky Merchant Group is quite a decent fellow. Gentle, good at humoring people—he wouldn’t be bad to live with."Tang Sohwa’s expression was not good.Seeing her slender jaw twitch, it seemed she had clenched her teeth.Hae-rak, as if dumbfounded, gave a dry laugh."I didn’t know you valued marriage arrangements so highly, but you needn’t take it as an insult. You’d be able [N O V E L I G H T] to roam the Central Plains freely, so for you isn’t it an offer worth accepting?"He listed the advantages."Where else are there as many escort warriors as with a merchant caravan? You could travel anywhere safely without minding the Tang Clan Head’s eyes. And you wouldn’t need to care about the eyes around you. You could simply say you went on a trade run—how convenient is that?"But Tang Sohwa seemed not persuaded at all.Listening to his words with an impassive face, she asked an out-of-the-blue question."Is that young master someone you value?""Mm. His presence is so faint I don’t even remember his name, but that’s his strength.""Then that won’t do.""Why?"Tang Sohwa answered in a chill voice."If it would be fine to kill him, I wouldn’t care, but it seems you would regret it."It felt like sincerity, not sarcasm. Hae-rak took it as something Sohwa said out of loathing for the Blood Cult."…Who on earth is orthodox and who is dark path here. Why kill someone for no reason?"Clicking his tongue, Hae-rak asked again,"Then is there no way for me?"But unexpectedly, Sohwa answered readily."Can you come to Danggata once every ten days?""Hm?""I’m asking if you can come to see me once every ten days."Considering the distance between Hubei and Sichuan, it was an excessive request. But if he used a passage, it wasn’t difficult. Hae-rak was about to say he would do so, then hesitated."Mm… This month is a bit difficult."Hae-rak scratched the back of his neck."I found the bastard who brought in Oseoksan. I have to go down to Guangdong to meet him, and I can’t know how long it will take. If it’s ten days after the matter is resolved, it’s possible."Sohwa knit her eyes."The bastard who brought in Oseoksan is in Guangdong?"

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