UGB Chapter 60
Chapter 60
Chapter 60. Alliance with the Enemy"Ah, I forgot to mention that. Yeah. If things go well, we might find out why the Five Minerals Powder was brought in."
"Is it okay to reveal something like that?"
So-hwa looked at Haerak's arm and asked.
Haerak glanced at his wound and shrugged.
"The old geezer's prohibitions didn't include his bootlicker's secret hobbies."
"What?"
"There are things you don't know."
Haerak smirked.
"So, I just need to visit you periodically?"
"One more thing."
"One more?"
The sticky summer night air passed between them.
Yet the peony scent flowing from the Blood Sect bastard didn't fade with the wind—it grew stronger.
He was trying to seem relaxed, but clearly was anxious.
From that, So-hwa could tell just how badly he wanted to get rid of that Poison gu.
As the quiet standoff continued, So-hwa raised her hand that had been resting on the windowsill.
She held out a small jar and said,
"Put your Poison gu in here."
"I'd like to give you all of them, but I don't know how to take these insects out."
"Just wound yourself anywhere roughly. If you're scared, I'll do it for you."
It was the kind of remark that would wound any man's pride, but the Blood Sect bastard obediently held out his arm. He truly seemed terrified of the poison gu.
So-hwa lightly cut the back of Haerak's arm with her hidden dagger. Then she pricked her own finger and covered the wound with her blood.
A vibration was felt beneath her fingers. The Poison gu spread along his blood vessels sensed her scent and rushed toward it. So-hwa saw thin black lines appear on Haerak's forearm and pulled her hand away.
Drip, drip.
Blood dripped from Haerak's wound.
The bright red drops quickly turned black and thick. Though the sight was disgusting, So-hwa calmly pulled his arm over the jar.
Plop. Plop.
As the Poison gu fell, she took out the wound salve. After applying a thick layer of the ointment on the wound, no more blood flowed out.
Only a few black drops fell into the jar. Haerak looked doubtful and asked.
"Is this enough?"
"I don't know how much can be taken from a living host. If I get greedy and all the Poison gu rush out at once, the host might die, right?"
So-hwa, who had been wrapping Haerak's wound with a white cloth, stopped moving. Raising her head, she looked serious and asked Haerak,
"... Should I try to take a little more? I don't know when I can extract it again."
Haerak quickly shook his head.
"No, this seems enough."
So-hwa agreed. It would be a big problem if the host died because of unnecessary risk.
Seeing Haerak's face relax, So-hwa wrapped a small dagger in a clean cloth.
"Don't get hurt in the meantime."
"Are you worried?"
"You need to stay alive until you've served your purpose."
It was worry, but also not.
Haerak stared quietly at the hidden dagger.
Though unlikely, he felt this orthodox young lady might know about the Blood Demon's plan.
'... No, that can't be.'
If that were true, she wouldn't be so relaxed, going around helping other sects.
Haerak decided to observe her a little more before making a judgment.
Anyway, he didn't have the luxury to worry about this place right now.
He needed to get to Guangdong as soon as possible.
If the Red Blood Hall Lord really got involved, sending subordinates would only lead to their deaths without discovering the enemy's goal.
Watching So-hwa put down the hidden dagger on the windowsill, Haerak tilted his mouth.
Besides, right now, it seemed she held more cards.
Since he didn't seem to have any good cards, it was better to hold a few new ones and see.
"When will the treatment be finished?"
"If lies are allowed, I'd say soon."
"... I can't tell if you're honest or shameless."
"Not confused at all, but you're good at saying things you don't mean."
Haerak chuckled.
"Well, shamelessness isn't new for orthodox bastards, so it's no surprise."
Haerak stood up but then lowered himself again as if he remembered something.
"Oh, right. I have one more question."
"What is it?"
Squatting by the windowsill, Haerak's gaze slid toward So-hwa's next room.
"Why did you put all your guards to sleep?"
When did he even notice that……
So-hwa had given the Black Tiger Unit sleeping herbs, expecting Haerak would come.
"If you're coming, having guards is pointless."
"Oh, so if the conversation goes wrong, you were thinking of at least letting the guards live?"
Rather than thinking of saving them—
"There's no need for them to die."
At her calm words, Haerak smirked.
"I get the meaning, but don't do that next time."
He slyly pocketed So-hwa's dagger and ointment and rose.
"You need to stay alive until you've served your purpose, too."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the Blood Sect bastard vanished. At the same time, as if a barrier had been lifted, the drunken chatter from below the inn surged in.
Only then did So-hwa breathe out deeply. Her tense body slowly relaxed.
Clack.
She closed the jar containing Haerak's Poison gu and cleared the cloth on the windowsill.
Under the clear moonlight of the night.
The direct descendant of the Tang Clan, unable to sleep alone, listened to the distant sounds of the foreign land and tidied up the traces left by a new ally.
***
Dawn receded, and morning bathed in golden sunlight.o complain about unnecessary things, she had gone along with this style of makeup for several years without protest.
'Now that I think about it, how foolish I was...'
To think she had believed Namgung Hyun when he said he fell in love at first sight after seeing her like this. She must've been full of pointless confidence when she was younger. So-hwa reflected bitterly on herself.
"How is it? Do you like it?"
Lady Jang asked, holding up a mirror that reflected a face that looked serene and prosperous in terms of physiognomy.
Still smiling, So-hwa turned her head and called for Shimseon.
"Shimseon, bring me some warm water."
She pointed at the basin they had used to pour warm water into the wooden tub. Shimseon silently brought over the small basin.
Even then, Lady Jang had no idea what this brazen young lady was about to do. So when So-hwa dipped her hand into the water and began wiping her face clean, Lady Jang screamed.
"Eeeek! Wh-why are you removing your makeup?!"
The makeup that had taken half a shichen to perfect melted away cleanly in the warm water.