The Eldest Daughter of the Sichuan Tang Clan Protects Her Family

Chapter 28: Tang Hae-han

 
Tang Sohwa touched her face. Her cheeks were stiff, her expression likely the venomous glare Tang Min often teased her about. She took a deep breath, relaxing her facial muscles. Tang Hae-han recoiled as if witnessing something truly horrifying.

“What was that? Are you insane? Why would you make such a face?” He pushed aside the manual he had been reading and pulled out a fresh sheet of paper. “Come here and write down everything you’ve eaten since last night. No, write down everything you’ve consumed for the past week.”
He wasn’t being sarcastic. He genuinely suspected she had ingested something that had affected her mental state. He was already formulating a plan: ‘What substance could have caused such a reaction? What is the most effective method of administration? I must find out within three days.’
As if to confirm her thoughts, he asked, his voice serious, “I saw in the records that you requested Sinseoncho. Did you consume it?”

“I didn’t.”
“Yes, I heard you brewed it into a medicinal tea for a chicken.” Though his face remained impassive, his voice dripped with sarcasm. “You don’t have to lie to me, Sohwa. Tell me the truth. I might be able to help you.”
“Help me with what?” Sohwa frowned, puzzled by his unexpected offer.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to concoct, but I’m more familiar with the properties of these ingredients than you are.” He picked up a small notebook from his desk, opened it, and began reading. “Mulmaehwa, Hasuo, Changpo…”
“You’ve been keeping track of everything I’ve requested?” He wasn’t the only one with a competitive streak. He often snuck glances at her requests, trying to decipher her intentions.
“Does it make sense that you, of all people, would brew medicinal tea for a mere animal? I was simply trying to understand your motives.”

“…” She had no rebuttal. Even she couldn’t imagine herself brewing medicinal tea for an animal.
“Hak asked me to,” she said defensively.
Tang Hae-han looked up at her, his lips twisting into a disbelieving smirk. She was starting to get annoyed.

“You don’t believe me, do you?”
“Sohwa, I’m three years older than you.”
“Orabeoni, you don’t believe me.”

“…Perhaps you should consider that the problem lies with your use of informal language?” He looked at her, his eyes narrowed, then sighed, his voice softening, like an older brother patiently humoring his younger sister. “Sohwa, there’s no shame in failure. Even our ancestors’ greatest achievements were built upon countless failures. Failure is a valuable lesson, a stepping stone to success…”
“Are you deaf? I said it wasn't for me.”
“Yes, yes.” He nodded, placing his hands on the desk, his fingers interlocked, his gaze calm and steady. “So, what are you working on?”

He was infuriating. A few words from him, and she felt a familiar tightness in her chest, a surge of heat rising to her head. He was still the same stubborn, infuriatingly obtuse Tang Hae-han, despite his youthful appearance. It had taken seven days and nights for the novelty of seeing Tang Hak alive again to wear off. With Tang Hae-han, it took less than half an hour.
She glared at him, her eyes narrowed.
He met her gaze, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Well, you don’t have to tell me…”
She was about to retort when his next words stopped her.

“I’m always on your side.”
“…”
“I heard you were summoned to the Cleansing Sky Pavilion and reprimanded by the elders. Confined to the inner courtyard… it must be quite stifling. I’ll be here for a while. Feel free to come and bother me if you’re bored.”

“You were the one bothering me. And where did you hear about the Cleansing Sky Pavilion?”
“Where wouldn’t I hear about it? It caused quite a commotion. Ah, but I suppose you wouldn’t have anyone to tell you.” He nodded to himself, as if everything made perfect sense now. “It’s a good thing the Ninefold Pavilion is in the inner courtyard. The only people you talk to are the Young Master and myself. At least you can hear about these things through me.”
Sohwa frowned. “Who said the only people I talk to are you and Hak?”

His eyes widened. “Oh? Is there someone else?” He wasn’t being sarcastic. He genuinely seemed surprised that she might have other… friends.
After a long silence, she replied, “Yehwa and Yuhwa. And Elder Tang Min.”
“…” He stared at her, his eyes filled with pity. He cleared his throat. “It’s alright, Sohwa. That’s… enough. People like you, with so much to offer, shouldn’t have too many friends. Don’t worry. You’re doing fine.”

It was meant to be comforting, yet it irritated her. Her eyebrows shot up, but he didn't notice, his gaze fixed on the paper before him.
“Anyway, if anything happens, let me know. I’m one of your… few allies.”
With that, he fell silent, picking up his brush and returning to his work. He adjusted the paperweight, leaning forward, his youthful face, barely past twenty, now obscured by shadows.

Seeing his dark, focused expression, Sohwa’s eyes darkened as well.
After the Demonic Cult’s attack, she had returned to Sichuan to retrieve the bodies. Fortunately, Namgung Hyeon, consumed by grief over the death of his lover, hadn't stopped her.
The once magnificent Tang Clan estate was in ruins. The Ninefold Pavilion, reduced to a charred skeleton, was completely destroyed, deliberately burned to the ground.

Tang Hae-han had neutralized all the stored poisons and incinerated the manuals. His body, found within the ruins, had been… horrific. He must have consumed antidotes as he worked, desperately trying to counteract the effects of the toxins he was neutralizing. He had mixed the poisons together, rendering them unidentifiable, and burned everything that couldn’t be mixed. And the consequences had been devastating.
There wasn't a single part of his body untouched by the poison and the fire. Some parts had been completely dissolved, not even bone fragments remaining, perhaps from the corrosive agents he had used. The remaining flesh was charred black, riddled with holes, likely from insects. Only a piece of fabric, a symbol of his rank, had identified him. Tang Hae-han, Head Physician.
There was no body to retrieve, nothing left to bury.

He had died the most agonizing death, his body burning and melting as he destroyed all traces of the Tang Clan's secrets.
He had trusted her, believing she would rebuild the Tang Clan. But she had failed him. She hadn’t possessed his strength, his unwavering dedication, his willingness to endure such agony. She had chosen death, along with Namgung Hyeon and his household, rather than bear the shame of bearing his children, of continuing his bloodline.
His unwavering loyalty, his selfless sacrifice, now shamed her own past choices.

She looked away, unable to bear the image of his broken body. Her gaze fell upon the rooftops of the medical pavilion, bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun, the Tang Clan estate spread out beyond, a picture of peace and tranquility. It was still hard to believe. That this peace would soon descend into such a horrific tragedy.
Everything she loved, everything she cherished, filled her vision.
A chilling coldness settled over her, her grief sharpening her resolve. This wasn't the time for useless regrets.

In this life, Tang Hae-han wouldn't have to destroy the Ninefold Pavilion. No outsider would ever set foot inside.
‘Though there are already some inside…’ But they would pay the price soon enough. There was no need to worry about them.

* * *
 
“So, how does it feel? Like your body is about to ascend to the heavens?”

“Shut up!” Hanwon pushed his comrades away, but they remained stubbornly perched on his bed.
“Come on, tell us. Did your internal energy explode?”
“If I had known we would receive Yeonjuhwan, I would have gone!”

“Exactly! Why did they have to leave while we were away on assignment?” They grumbled, their voices laced with envy.
“…Can’t you see I nearly died?” Hanwon scowled, but they simply looked him up and down, their expressions unimpressed.
“You look fine.”

“Our Hanwon has gotten soft. With a Divine Physician right there, what’s a little poison?”
“…Whatever.” To return from the brink of death and be greeted with such inane comments… He sighed and lay back down, trying to ignore them.
“I’m so jealous! I’m dying of jealousy!”

Ignoring their incessant chatter, he focused on his dantian, his internal energy center. Something was wrong. ‘Why don’t I feel anything? It’s supposed to be a miracle elixir.’ His body felt lighter, but there was no surge of internal energy, no noticeable improvement in his cultivation. He had heard stories of explosive power, of opening all the meridians… was it all just exaggeration? He scratched the back of his head, frustrated. ‘Damn it, I should have known!’ He had been fortunate enough to consume a miracle elixir, yet he couldn't discern any difference.
Embarrassed to admit that he felt nothing, he had been deflecting their questions with feigned annoyance.
“Hey, what’s it like?”

“Is he already distancing himself from us? Are you some kind of master now?”
“I said, shut up!” He kicked them off his bed.
Then, a quiet voice cut through the noise.

“Yeonjuhwan isn’t a miracle elixir. It doesn’t enhance internal energy cultivation, nor does it transform the body.” Yoonjin, who had been sitting on the edge of the bed, adjusting his sleeves, spoke up.
His words silenced the room, his comrades staring at him, their eyes wide with surprise.
“Huh? Really?”

“That’s ridiculous! Yeonjuhwan not a miracle elixir?! Where did you hear that?”
Yoonjin smirked, enjoying their stunned silence. “The Divine Physician herself told me. If you don’t believe me, go ask her yourself.”
Silence descended upon the room, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over them.

Hanwon, turning to Yoonjin, asked quietly, “So it doesn’t enhance internal energy at all?”
“No.”
“Then why do they call it a miracle elixir?”

Yoonjin chuckled. “Have you ever seen a dragon fly?”
“…What are you talking about?” Hanwon frowned at the non sequitur. Yoonjin glanced at the jar of ointment on the nightstand, decorated with a picture of a dragon flying through the clouds.
“People believe dragons fly, even though they’ve never seen one, haven’t they?”

“…That’s…” Hanwon’s lips tightened.
His comrades, understanding Yoonjin's implication, grumbled in disappointment.
“Aw, what a rip-off.”

“So, there was nothing to be jealous of after all.”
… ‘No one told you to be jealous.’ Their envious gazes were now replaced with disappointment, another unpleasant feeling.
One of his comrades stood up and walked back to his own bed, muttering, “I thought Miss Sohwa had shared a divine treasure, a gift from the heavens. It must not be anything special if she gave it away so readily. Besides, she knew where the Divine Physician’s troupe was located all along, didn't she? She must have known what Yeonjuhwan was.”

Yoonjin smirked. “Indeed. So, stop making a fuss.”
Then, a voice interrupted him. “It is special.”