Chapter 59: Lizard Abuse
Translator: bjgoofy
"I am Tang Hwa-eun of the Sichuan's Tang Family. I have come to meet the Family Head of the Namgoong Family, so could you please send word inside?"
The Namgoong Family was located on one of the peaks of Huangshan, a place that looked magnificent but would make one curse if they had to climb it.
When we informed the guards at the gate of our purpose for visiting, they predictably showed expressions of surprise.
Well, Nunim’s face alone was enough to fluster any man.
"P-Poisonous Flower!? It is an honor to meet you for the first time, Poisonous Flower. But did you say the Family Head?"
"Yes, of course. He must be in the manor, right?"
"O- Of course. Please wait a moment. I-I will send word inside."
Originally, we had considered stating that we had come to meet Namgoong Seol, the eldest daughter of the household, but since she was not essential to our business, we requested a meeting with the Namgoong Family Head instead.
Since it was a matter of trading a valuable family treasure, there was no need to insist on meeting Nunim’s friend, who might be confined somewhere.
Considering that the family's reputation was likely not in a good state at the moment, there was no reason to take the route where we would probably be turned away.
At Nunim’s words, one of the guards hurriedly ran inside, and soon after, a woman appeared following the guard.
'Is it that woman? Is she the one called the Flower King Peony? That’s unexpected.'
I had assumed she would be locked away somewhere, but she appeared in the open.
However, the first impression of the woman, supposedly the most beautiful in the Central Plains, made me tilt my head in doubt.
She was certainly pretty, but compared to Nunim standing beside me, she seemed somewhat lacking in many ways.
Nunim exuded an aura that overwhelmed those around her, whereas the woman who had come to greet us had none of that presence.
It made me question how she had earned such a grandiose title as the Flower King Peony.
Was it possible that, in this era, her face was considered more desirable than Nunim’s?
While I was pondering this, the woman approached and greeted Nunim.
"It has been a long time, Hwa-eun Sis."
"Yes, Eun, have you been well? Has it been two years since we last met at the Seven Families Gathering?"
From their conversation, it became clear that she was not Namgoong Seol but Namgoong Eun, another daughter of the family.
"Yes, sis. I heard you came to meet my father? May I ask what it is about first?"
At Namgoong Eun’s words, Nunim glanced at me before responding to the woman.
"Actually, our family has acquired an elixir infused with cold energy. I heard that the Namgoong Family has been seeking such an elixir for some time, so I wondered if you might need it…."
Before Nunim could even finish her sentence, the woman gasped and exclaimed in shock.
"R-Really!? Is it truly an elixir infused with cold energy!?"
"Yes, of course-"
The woman rushed forward, grabbing Nunim’s hands with an expression of deep emotion.
"T-Thank you, sis! Thanks to you, I can finally relax! My uncle even traveled to the North Sea Ice Palace searching for such an elixir, but he came back empty-handed, and we have been so worried. This is such a relief! Our family has been facing nothing but misfortune lately, and now, such joyful news…."
Just as Nunim had predicted, they had indeed been searching for it.
Moreover, it seemed to be a particularly desperate situation. The woman eagerly pulled Nunim inside as she spoke.
"Come in, sis. Father will be so pleased."
"Eun, wait a moment…."
Nunim had already shown an unusual sensitivity to physical contact back at the Murim Alliance.
Finding joy in discovering another of Nunim’s weaknesses, I followed them into the Namgoong Family’s manor.
As we walked toward the residence of the Namgoong Family Head, following Namgoong Eun’s lead, Nunim cautiously asked her in a worried voice.
We had agreed that our visit was officially to meet the Family Head, but it seemed she could not help but be concerned for Namgoong Seol’s well-being.
"Eun, I am hesitant to ask, but I cannot help but worry…. I heard some things at the base of Huangshan…. What happened to Young Miss Namgoong Seol?"
Namgoong Eun, who had been walking with a bright smile, suddenly froze in place.
She slowly turned around, her expression stiff, and answered.
"So, you’ve heard…. Haah… Well, the rumors have already spread everywhere…."
She let out a deep sigh, then stepped closer to Nunim and whispered in a low voice.
[I will tell you about that later in private.]
Nunim quietly nodded in understanding at Namgoong Eun’s words.
Soon, we arrived at the Namgoong Family Head’s residence and stepped inside, where a stern-looking man greeted us warmly.
“Well, well, who do we have here? Isn’t this the daughter of the Tang Family? So, how has the Tang Family Head been?”
“I trust you have been well, Family Head of the Namgoong Family. Yes, my father is also doing well, thanks to your concern.”
“I see, well… well…”
“?”
At Nunim’s mention of peace, the Namgoong Family Head made a bitter expression, repeating the word as if tasting something unpleasant.
He soon collected himself under our gazes and continued speaking.
“No, never mind that. So, what brings you all the way from Sichuan to Huangshan? I hear you asked to meet me. Is this regarding family matters, or is it personal?”
“Father, the Sichuan's Tang Family has obtained an elixir infused with cold energy.”
“What!? Are you saying it’s real!?”
Before Nunim could answer, Namgoong Eun blurted out, causing the Namgoong Family Head to react in shock.
His voice grew urgent as he asked,
“An elixir infused with cold energy! Are you certain? What kind of elixir is it? There must be various types, so could you tell me which one it is?”
“We brought it with us. Would you like to see it?”
“You- You brought it!?”
At the Family Head’s question, Nunim turned her gaze toward me.
It was time to take it out.
With trembling hands, I retrieved a small pouch from inside my robe.
Opening the pouch, I rolled its contents onto the table.
-Clatter.
“Ohhh! That is-!?”
“That- That’s the elixir!?”
What I had rolled onto the table was a crystalline object imbued with a blue, chilling aura.
As soon as it was taken out of the pouch, it emitted a faint coldness, making both the Namgoong Family Head and Namgoong Eun widen their eyes in astonishment.
“May I examine it more closely?”
“Yes, of course.”
I placed the crystal on top of the pouch and slid it toward the Family Head, who hurriedly reached out to inspect it.
After placing his hand on the crystal and examining it for a moment, his face lit up with joy.
“The purity of the cold energy is incredibly high. This could easily last ten years!”
“Is it that effective, Father?”
“Yes, it is filled with a much more refined energy than the Snow Ginseng we once obtained from the Zhuge Family!”
‘It was that potent?’
The Namgoong Family Head, holding the elixir, seemed almost at a loss for words.
Like an appraiser examining a gemstone, he turned the crystal this way and that.
Then, noticing something inside the crystal, he tilted his head and asked,
“But inside this blue crystal… it looks like something shriveled and dried up. What exactly is this?”
He must have spotted what was inside.
Nunim’s gaze signaled for me to explain, so I first cupped my hands in a formal greeting to the Family Head.
“I am Wei Soryong, the fiance of Young Miss Hwa-eun.”
“Ohh, I was so preoccupied with the elixir that I forgot to ask. So, you are the fiance of the Tang Family’s daughter. Alright, then, what exactly is this?”
In response to his question, I replied in a calm, subdued voice.
“I’m sorry, but I cannot disclose that information.”
“Ah, I see. So, revealing what it is would also reveal its location. That must be why. I understand. Then I won’t ask further.”
He seemed to accept this explanation, but his assumption was entirely off the mark.
I couldn’t exactly tell him the truth, that it was a half-rotten, now completely dried-up lizard tail.
That thing inside was none other than Snow’s severed tail.
It was literally a rotting lizard tail, which was why I couldn’t bring myself to explain.
‘Who would have guessed this thing would turn out to be an elixir?’
To be honest, its discovery had been a complete accident.
After cutting off Snow’s tail, I had kept it as a memento, just like the legs of the centipedes' mother or the shells of the centipedes. I had stored it in my robe, thinking of it as a keepsake.
But as time passed, the tail dried out, and then, out of nowhere, it started forming into an ice-like crystal.
When I kept waking up with a chill in my chest and checked, I found it in that state. After returning to the family and consulting Grandfather, the Man of Ten Thousand Poisons, he told me that for someone who practiced Ice techniques or martial arts that required cold energy, this could indeed be considered an elixir.
At first, I couldn't understand why a rotting, dried-up lizard tail would be classified as an elixir, but thinking about it, it made sense.
Our blue lizards had the characteristics of Fat-Tailed lizards.
Since they were creatures that lived in harsh environments, they stored nutrients in their thick tails.
In other words, the yin energy absorbed from the Snow Ginseng had been directly stored in Seol’s tail.
Even though it was rotten and in poor condition, the Namgoong Family members were overjoyed to see it. It wasn’t just adorable, it was a real treasure.
"In any case, since you brought this, it seems you need something in return. What is it that you require?"
The Namgoong Family Head, being a perceptive man, immediately inquired about the terms of the exchange.
Nunim and I exchanged glances before she cautiously asked,
"I heard that the Namgoong Family possesses Ice Jade. Would it be possible to trade for that?"
At this, the Family Head’s face brightened with excitement.
"Of course! Is there no one around? No, never mind. Eun, go and fetch the Ice Jade from your sister's quarters."
"Yes, Father. I’ll be right back."
At the Family Head’s command, Namgoong Eun hurriedly ran out.
A short while later, she returned to the room, slightly flushed, carrying a jewel about the size of a billiard ball.
"This is…"
The Ice Jade was a radiant blue orb, much like the crystalline tail of my lizard.
When I touched the orb Namgoong Eun handed me with a smile, a cool energy seeped into my fingertips.
It was a sensation similar to when I had directly touched Snow’s tail.
When I handed it to Nunim, she also confirmed its energy and nodded.
Since Nunim had previously checked the energy within the Snow Ginseng seed, she must have found the two to be similar.
Without delay, I bowed toward the Namgoong Family Head.
"Thank you, Family Head of the Namgoong Family."
"It is we who should be grateful. Now, we must consult the elders of the family on how to administer this properly."
A swift and straightforward trade.
In my past life, secondhand trades were often full of troublesome people, but this exchange was so smooth that it almost made me uneasy.
‘A mutually satisfying deal.’
And with the transaction complete, the Namgoong Family Head’s tone was much more relaxed than before.
"Now that you’re here, why don’t you stay and rest for a few days? As honored guests of our family, you will be treated with the utmost hospitality. Ah, and Young Miss Hwa-eun, you were acquainted with my Seol, were you not?"
"Yes, Family Head."
"My daughter recently went through a difficult ordeal. Could you spend some time with her and offer her some comfort? Keeping her locked up in the house all the time doesn’t seem right."
Nunim turned to me with a questioning look, as if asking whether it would be alright.
Since staying for a day or two wouldn’t significantly affect our journey, and Nunim had been worried about this Namgoong Seol since yesterday, I nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, Nunim turned back to the Family Head with a slightly brightened expression.
"I understand, Family Head."
A short while later, we left the Family Head’s residence and followed Namgoong Eun toward the Sahapwon, the courtyard reserved for the direct lineage of the Namgoong Family.
That was where Namgoong Seol was supposedly confined.
***
On the way to the Sahapwon of the Namgoong Family, Namgoong Eun let out a sigh of relief, speaking as if she had barely escaped trouble.
"I'm so relieved, sis. Thanks to you, Father’s mood has improved. These past few days, it felt like we were walking on thin ice."
"Oh, is that so? Then tell me, what exactly happened?"
Nunim prompted her, reminding her of the story she had promised to share earlier.
Namgoong Eun nodded and replied,
"I'm not sure how much you’ve already heard, but strange rumors started circulating about my sis. They say that every night, she roams Huangshan and steals the yang energy from men…"
"Yes, I… I did hear that. But that’s completely ridiculous, isn’t it?"
In my past life, conversations like this were something even women could talk about casually. But here, as soon as the topic of yang energy was brought up, both women blushed.
Nunim’s question prompted Namgoong Eun to continue her explanation.
“Yes, at first, Father and the elders of the family didn’t believe the rumors either. But then, the men who claimed to have had their yang energy drained by nunim somehow knew about the secret birthmarks on her body. So, Father confronted nunim to verify the truth…
Nunim thought Father was simply scolding her for training alone in seclusion, so she admitted to it, which led to her being locked in solitary confinement for a few days.”
“Oh dear. And then?”
“I secretly went to see her and confirmed that it was all a misunderstanding. But the problem was… how could we explain how those men knew about the birthmarks on her body?”
“Well… that is strange.”
“In the end, my sis had to prove her innocence by undergoing a Sugungsa test.”
“My goodness….”
‘Sugungsa? Is that the thing where you press your thumb against your tongue and then stamp your pinky on your forehead or something like that?’
Hearing that she had undergone the Sugungsa test, I tilted my head in confusion.
Noticing this, Nunim discreetly sent me a sound transmission.
[Sugungsa is a method used to prove a woman’s chastity. They raise lizards in jars while feeding them zhusha (TN: Cinnabar), which turns their bodies red. Then they grind the lizards in a mortar and apply the paste to a woman's body.
If she is truly chaste, the mark made with that blood will never wash off, no matter how much water is used.]
‘W-What did they grind!?’
I had no idea what zhusha was, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t meant to be lizard food. And since it was described as turning red, it sounded like some kind of dye.
But the fact that they force-fed this substance to a lizard for its entire life, only to eventually grind the poor creature into powder… It was horrifying.
Determining a woman's purity should be the job of a unicorn, not a lizard. The sheer absurdity of this lizard abuse was so ridiculous that I widened my eyes in disbelief.
Just then, I caught sight of a woman rising from her seat in a large pavilion at the center of Sahapwon’s inner courtyard.
She had a single red peony flower imprinted on her left wrist, extending from the back of her hand, almost like a tattoo.
*****
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