Dang Soran opened the door to the Clan Leader's quarters without any warning.
Dang Jeokcheon, who had been reviewing documents inside, was startled to see Dang Soran appear so suddenly.
But his surprise was fleeting.
"Soran, what brings you here without notice?"
The Poison King soon wore a kindly smile.
It was a smile that didn't suit his fierce appearance.
"Seeing you barge in like this brings back old memories."
"..."
In her innocent childhood days when she knew nothing, Dang Soran had acted as she pleased.
No matter how willful she had been, no one had ever gotten angry at her.
It had seemed natural to her, raised as she was on everyone's affection.
This was especially true because before becoming the patriarch of the Tang Clan of Sichuan, Dang Jeokcheon himself had been a beloved prodigy in the family.
As his eldest daughter, Dang Soran had inherited that love.
The daughter of someone everyone adored, with her cute looks, lively demeanor, and talent for martial arts.
That was Dang Soran in the Tang Clan of Sichuan.
Dang Soran took in the sight of her father.
Even setting aside last year when she had struggled against her heart demon, she had been breaking down long before that.
...She realized that the father she was finally facing had aged so much in the meantime.
Out of guilt and heartache, Dang Soran forced a smile first.
Her father had been so happy to see her overcome her heart demon, after all.
"Clan Leader, have you eaten?"
"Yes, I have. And you?"
"Not yet. I should soon."
She had lost her appetite upon hearing the news through others' mouths.
That was part of why she had come—to confirm it.
"So?"
Dang Jeokcheon set aside everything he had been doing and faced his daughter.
Dang Soran cautiously approached his side.
"Clan Leader. I heard the news through whispers among the household servants. I've come to verify its truth."
At her words, Dang Jeokcheon's expression slowly darkened.
Her heart sank in tandem with his.
"...It's about the marriage, isn't it?"
When Dang Jeokcheon spoke first, Dang Soran nodded.
Dang Jeokcheon, scrutinizing her expression, asked.
"Do you not want to marry? Have you planned to live alone forever? I... wouldn't welcome that choice."
"It's not that, but... why must I hear about it through the servants' mouths? I don't understand."
"...I'm sorry. I was still hesitant myself. I meant to tell you as soon as the opportunity arose, but my delay has upset you."
The two sat in a long silence.
Dang Jeokcheon broke it soon after.
"Soran. You knew this day would come eventually."
Dang Soran bit her lip but nodded.
She had known.
Dang Soran herself hadn't given it much thought, but as the eldest of the Tang Clan of Sichuan, that was simply how it was.
Empty as she was, it hadn't mattered much either way.
If told to do it, she would; if not, she wouldn't.
But lately, something had changed.
...She didn't feel like it. She didn't want to.
She had developed her own standards, however faint.
Yet she couldn't explain why.
And she knew she had long passed the age to throw a tantrum about it.
By the same standard, her younger brother Dang Jiun already had a fiancée.
The fact that no such talk had arisen until her 24th year was solely due to the Clan Leader's consideration.
"...When you were struggling with your heart demon, I couldn't bring it up. But isn't now the right time?"
"Clan Leader, but..."
"Don't misunderstand. I'm not telling you to marry for the sake of the Tang Clan of Sichuan."
"...Pardon?"
"It's about finding a partner for you."
Dang Jeokcheon gently took Dang Soran's hand.
At his touch, she found it even harder to voice the frustration building inside her.
"...So you won't suffer from a heart demon ever again. So you won't have to live life alone."
"But you're here, Clan Leader."
"I can't be by your side forever."
Dang Jeokcheon stated firmly. The undeniable truth pierced deep into Dang Soran's chest.
"Your mother and I will leave your side someday. Jiun will too. When Jiun becomes Clan Leader, even as your brother, it will be hard for him to look after you. Do you plan to be alone until then? Do you truly believe the world will let you live alone?"
"..."
"My decision may seem harsh. But please don't reject it before even meeting him. Your mother and I met that way too. I wasn't keen at first either, but it led to this happiness."
His words were well-intentioned, but they fell on deaf ears.
"..."
At that moment, why did Han Seojin come to mind?
He was certainly a precious friend, but that didn't mean she wanted to marry him.
Moreover, how could a poor, unremarkable man like him marry her?
There would be no issue on Han Seojin's side, but the Tang Clan of Sichuan would never accept it.
They couldn't drag the family's prestige through the mud.
Unless he suddenly became a first-rate martial artist, or displayed extraordinary talent in creating new poisons, or struck it rich overnight—it was impossible.
...But Han Seojin's face wouldn't leave her mind.
The night he had held her and spanked her amid the bandits was still vivid.
If they married, she probably couldn't do such things anymore.
...For some reason, a sharp pain stabbed at her chest.
"...Soran?"
"Yes?"
"Are you thinking of something?"
"..."
Should she say it?
If it truly wasn't for the family's sake, could she choose her own partner?
Would he even approve of someone truly lowly and destitute?
...In the end, Dang Soran just scoffed inwardly.
Why bother?
There was no reason to stab at her father's heart, who was trying so hard for her sake.
Even reconsidering, her feelings for Han Seojin weren't that deep.
He was a good friend. Probably. Dang Soran wasn't even sure herself.
Could she really marry him with such uncertain feelings?
Absolutely not.
Hadn't it all started with just wanting to take Han Seojin away from Cheongwol?
"...I understand."
So Dang Soran nodded.
She couldn't refuse the proposal, not even for her father's sake.
She had no convincing reason anyway.
At 24, she was already at an age where her marriageable years were passing.
Her father said it didn't matter, but as the eldest of the Tang Clan of Sichuan, hoping to be free of duty was selfish.
But after speaking, the harsh reality hit her, and Dang Soran finally asked.
"...Can I choose my own husband?"
"..."
For once, Dang Jeokcheon fell silent.
Dang Soran found the silence strange.
His face hardened in contemplation before he finally answered.
"...As long as it's not someone too outrageous."
Dang Soran nodded too.
"...I understand."
.
.
.
Dang Soran left the Clan Leader's quarters and headed back to her room.
A sudden curiosity struck her.
If this news reached Mount Emei, how would they react?
Muwol Satae?
Cheongwol?
...Han Seojin?
How would Han Seojin react?
Would he congratulate her? Cheer her on?
...Or would he look a bit regretful and bitter?
For reasons she couldn't pinpoint, she hoped for the latter.
Dang Soran slipped her hand into her sleeve.
In the pouch where she kept her dagger, there was something else instead.
A hairpin.
She took out the delicate hairpin and rolled it between her fingers.
A man giving a hairpin to a woman meant a proposal of marriage.
A woman accepting it meant she consented.
"...Pfft."
Thinking of him, Dang Soran ended up chuckling softly.
But it wasn't the smile she wore around him—it carried a hint of bitterness.
****
"...Sigh."
Dang Jeokcheon closed his eyes with a sigh.
Part of him wondered if he was making the wrong choice.
Yet he believed leaving his daughter alone for life would be the true sin.
She didn't seem likely to bring someone home on her own.
And time wasn't on their side.
24 years old. Already getting late.
Better to seize this opportunity and find someone who could make Dang Soran happier.
And to be honest, going further...
"..."
...Dang Jeokcheon recalled the man slipping out of Dang Soran's chambers.
No.
That man wouldn't do.
They didn't seem to have that kind of relationship, but sneaking out of her room was suspicious enough.
She mustn't be bewitched by such a strange man.
It wasn't that the man was bad.
He clearly remembered how the man had staunchly refused the Detoxification Immortal Root.
He was a rare, upright sort of man.
Perhaps he had even played a part in helping Dang Soran overcome her heart demon.
He didn't dislike him.
But he fell short.
Far too short for the Poison Phoenix of the Tang Clan of Sichuan, Dang Soran.
Too lacking for Dang Jeokcheon to hand over his treasure.
So...
It probably wouldn't happen, but just in case Dang Soran brought that man...
He wanted to find her someone better first.
****
A few days after the incident with Han Seojin.
Time with the Sect Leader had been awkward.
They hadn't discussed that day, nor sought each other out.
Yet Cheongwol's heart wasn't too unsettled.
The clash with the Sect Leader must have been harder for her.
It must have built up frustration day by day.
But it was as if she had attained enlightenment—she felt nothing.
There were plenty of things to say if they met, but she could deal with them when the Sect Leader called.
It might not be proper for a disciple...
...But she had collapsed in bliss right before Muwol Satae, so what more could break?
It felt like she had let go of one lingering attachment.
The only remaining concern weighing on her heart was Han Seojin's whereabouts.
But he was still staying in Bangbyeonyeon Village, still undecided, so she had no intention of stirring up trouble.
She endured based on the strange sensation at the tip of her tormented chest from him, and the faint scent of pursuit emanating from him.
Cheongwol was under confinement again this time.
She wasn't even permitted to go down to the village.
It didn't matter. She wouldn't have gone anyway.
Was it because he had resolved her heart demon?
She didn't want to see him right away.
"..."
Honestly, it was mostly because she had shown such an ugly side before him, but since she had seen his member harden too... she knew he hadn't hated it.
Just thinking of that situation made her heart pound.
A man reacting to her... She had only ever seen it as impure.
Cheongwol recalled his scolding too. How a nun like her had such a lewd body.
"..."
She secretly examined her own body.
She lifted her breasts slightly, turned her head to look down at her hips.
Was her body lewd?
Would Han Seojin always react like that seeing this body?
Did he want to... devour her, torment her?
"..."
Such impure thoughts were entirely new to her.
Once again, Han Seojin had changed her in some way.
Hadn't he shown her the pleasures of the body?
The disgust and revulsion of being tainted, unable to return to how she was... somehow didn't feel bad.
She vaguely sensed the thrill of depravity.
Tainted not by anyone else, but by Han Seojin.
Han Seojin defiled me. The Leather Room owner. My friend.
That was what mattered.
At that moment, Cheongwol flinched at the sound of someone rushing over frantically.
She dropped the hand that had been holding her breast.
"Incident!!"
It was Honghwa.
Cheongwol turned to her and said.
"Incident, did you hear?"
"Hear what?"
Honghwa seemed to be in charge of relaying messages in the Emei Sect today as well.
Her innocent habit of spreading rumors everywhere looked oddly cute today.
But the news that followed wasn't light.
"Senior Dang Soran is getting married!"
"...What?"
At the shocking news, Cheongwol's heart leaped.
She hurriedly knelt on one knee before Honghwa and grabbed her shoulders.
"Is that true?"
"Yes! Beggars' Sect uncles are spreading it in the village! It must be real!"
Dang Soran was getting married?
Normally, she wouldn't have cared, but why?
Why did congratulations well up so strongly now?
Unable to contain her feelings, Cheongwol pulled Honghwa into a tight hug.
"Ack! Incident!"
"That's... that's really wonderful...!"
For the first time in ages, not in front of Han Seojin, Cheongwol smiled brightly.
She then pushed Honghwa away and roughly ruffled her hair.
"Thank you for bringing such joyful news."
"Ehehe, it's nothing."
"Is the partner decided?"
"No idea. Probably not. I think it's just that she's finally getting married."
"Junior Cheongwol!"
At that moment, someone called Cheongwol from afar.
It was Baekhui.
Like Hye-yul, she had gone quiet after the incident with Yeongcheon and hadn't picked fights lately.
As Cheongwol stared silently at Baekhui, she said.
"The Sect Leader calls for you!"
****
Muwol Satae sat Cheongwol down and got straight to the point.
"Cheongwol. I've agonized over this for a long time. Just one question. Do you... love Young Master Seojin?"
"...Pardon?"
Unthinkingly, Cheongwol scowled before Muwol Satae.
She quickly composed herself, took a deep breath, and answered.
"No."
"Really? I was surprised. I never imagined you'd burst into tears before a man over talk of parting."
"...It wasn't like that. The owner never said he was leaving. Crying over a farewell? You're overthinking it."
"...So, you don't love him?"
"No."
She stated it with utmost firmness.
"Sect Leader, no one knows better than you that we must not harbor feelings for men. Why say such things?"
"But..."
"It's not love. If I must explain, he's my one and only friend, so I treasure him that much."
"..."
Cheongwol's words flowed without pause. Her demeanor had changed even toward her Sect Leader.
For some reason, speaking up to the Sect Leader no longer felt as daunting as before.
"You know too, Sect Leader. How I couldn't get along with my senior brothers and sisters in the Emei Sect."
"Cheongwol, that's—"
"—Don't say it. I've decided not to care anymore. One doesn't need friends in the sect; I've learned that having one in the village is comfort enough. To tell you now, I can't deny that the owner helped me overcome my heart demon to some extent."
The Sect Leader's eyes widened.
She reacted strongly to the words "heart demon."
"...I'm grateful, but doesn't that mean you've given him much of your heart? Cheongwol, I've told you many times that giving your heart to a man leads to pain—"
"—It's not."
"..."
After long contemplation, the Sect Leader posed one final question.
"...If Young Master Seojin married another woman, could you congratulate him?"
Cheongwol felt a sharp pain near her heart, so intense she couldn't even manage her expression.
She wondered why it hurt so much.
Han Seojin smiling with some woman every day.
Holding hands intimately as they strolled the market.
Sharing distances forbidden to Cheongwol.
...And at night, treating her like a beast.
"..."
No. This pain... I'm alone, but he has so many acquaintances—that's why I hate it. Jealousy.
So...
"If he met a... good woman, I would... congratulate him."
...Could she congratulate him as heartily as she had for Dang Soran earlier?
She didn't know. Just imagining it hurt too much. Better not to think.
"That's your will, then."
"...Of course, Sect Leader."
Now it was Cheongwol's turn to speak her piece.
"So please don't try to send my one friend to another region."
It was rude, but this had to be said firmly.
"It's hard for me. I told you before. The Emei Sect... is hard to breathe in."
"..."
"...I'm barely enduring through my friend. Please don't take that away too."
Muwol Satae gazed straight at Cheongwol.
Cheongwol met her eyes without flinching.
"...Very well. Then I won't interfere between you two anymore. Be as close as you wish. Your confinement ends today."
As Cheongwol began to smile.
"But. There are conditions. You'll have a curfew from now on. Until Young Master Seojin marries."
...For permission to meet Han Seojin, that was...
Not too late often... Just end play a bit early...
"I understand."
"Roll up your sleeve."
Realizing the intent, Cheongwol showed the Virgin Palace Mark.
A red lotus stamped like a seal on her pale skin.
"...Obviously, this Virgin Palace Mark must never disappear."
"How long will you doubt me? Surely you're not worried I'd give my Virgin Palace Mark to the owner?"
...She had yielded her body a little, but it was far from the Virgin Palace Mark.
Feeling a faint guilt, she still thought the Sect Leader's worry excessive.
"...And we'll advance your Sect Leader disciple lessons. Harsher and rougher than now."
"I'm prepared."
"...Good."
Cheongwol left the temple and began descending to the village.
A faint smile graced her face.
Walking the same path, why did it look so beautiful now?
"Heehee."
Cheongwol giggled like a child, then quickened her pace.
She had to see Han Seojin.
She'd blush, feel a bit embarrassed...
...But still, she had to tell him that thanks to him, she had reconciled—sort of—with the Sect Leader.
What else to say?
Ah, first, tell him to give up on going to Jungkyung.
The Sect Leader approved their friendship anyway, so it was fine.
And... yes. She felt she had to mention Dang Soran too.
That Dang Soran was getting married—just pass it on like that.