The Terminally-Ill Side-Character Inside of a Martial Arts Novel

Golden Blood Sand Sect.

Its beginning was 200 years ago with Jeok Munho, who was the Vice Cult Leader of the Demon Cult.

In the Demon Cult, power was the law, and anything else like poison or formations was treated as heresy against their doctrine.

Jeok Munho had mastered ten thousand poisons and was impervious to a thousand poisons. He was a master of poison arts who could handle more poisons than even the Sichuan Tang family.

But it was unthinkable for the Vice Cult Leader of the Demon Cult to use poison arts instead of a sword.

In the end, Jeok Munho had a serious conflict with the Demon Cult, and because of that, the Golden Blood Sand Sect was born.

* * *

I quietly looked at the woman who knew my name and introduced herself as Jeok Biwol.

The reddish tinge in her hair itself was a trace of the Blood Hair Red Poison, a secret technique of the Golden Blood Sand Sect.

While the Sichuan Tang family was skilled at concocting and handling poisons, the Golden Blood Sand Sect was poison itself.

I had heard that the blood flowing in the Jeok family’s bodies was deadly poison just by itself.

It was a terrifying poison art befitting the name ‘Blood Sand’.

Jeok Biwol jerked her head to dismiss those behind her, then turned to look at me and Man Do and spoke in a gentle voice.

“Don’t worry too much. I just want to have a conversation with the Young Madam of the Demon Cult. Even I wouldn’t think of harming you in front of the Vice Cult Leader of the Demon Cult.”

“How do you know me?”

At my question, a strange light flashed in Jeok Biwol’s eyes. She grinned and tilted her head diagonally, jerking her chin.

“I heard you have a gentle, kind, and sweet personality, but it seems that’s not quite the case. I didn’t expect you to look at me with such scary eyes.”

“You’re not exactly a welcome guest. And I didn’t invite you either.”

“Ah, a life unwelcome wherever I go, I must be such an unfortunate woman.”

“If you’re here to make pointless small talk, why don’t you just leave?”

At my sunken voice, Jeok Biwol narrowed her eyes.

A tense silence continued. Her eyes, which had been steadily fixed on me, seemed to curve slightly, then her voice flowed out.

“You’re not as easy-going as I thought.”

“You can think that’s just for you.”

“Don’t be so guarded. I’m just here to have a conversation. Even I don’t intend to cause trouble in Luoyang, the headquarters of the Murim Alliance.”

She chuckled and took a full bottle of erguotou, poured it into a cup, then lightly raised it.

“You know, you’re quite famous? The daughter of the Moyong clan born with Righteous Sect blood, and at the same time the wife of the Young Cult Leader. Many people thought you were just a tool for trade, that you would slowly die in the Demon Cult, but in the end you’ve survived and seized that position like this? As a fellow woman, I think you’re really amazing.”

“…”

I narrowed my brows while listening to her words. I looked around. Jeok Biwol’s underlings were pushing away the people around, blocking our conversation. But it wasn’t perfect, so I needed to be sparing with my words.

Jeok Biwol opened her mouth immediately without waiting for my answer.

“A woman everyone wished would die, but who didn’t die. A mysterious woman who is the daughter of a Righteous Sect but was threatened with death by the Murim Alliance, yet the Demon Cult tries to protect.”

“Your idle talk is too long. What do you want to say?”

Jeok Biwol downed the erguotou in her cup, then grinned.

“I don’t know what you were thinking when you set foot in the Murim Alliance. I heard you received death threats from the Murim Alliance before coming here, so why did you come here so nonchalantly? Did you come to throw away your life?”

“Where did you hear that from? Besides, I don’t think that’s any of your business.”

“Is that really so? Moyong Sowol, you may not know, but many people’s interests are entangled around your neck. The Murim Alliance Leader wants to gain justification to pressure the Demon Cult through your death, and the Demon Cult doesn’t want Righteous Sect blood mixing into the Cult Leader’s bloodline, which they thought was an inviolable domain. The reason your head is still attached until now is simply because you’re in the Young Cult Leader’s favor.”

I stared blankly at Jeok Biwol. She closed her quickly moving mouth and tilted her head.

At that arrogant chin gesture as if asking if I knew, I quietly opened my mouth.

“Listening to you, it seems you also want me dead.”

“You’re not wrong. If Moyong Sowol’s death leads to full-scale conflict between the Murim Alliance and the Demon Cult, it wouldn’t be particularly bad for our position either.”

I felt I had many enemies here and there. I who had been waiting for the day to die within the Moyong clan, what sin did I commit to make so many enemies?

After all this, hearing someone I just met say to my face that they want me to die wasn’t a particularly pleasant experience.

Jeok Biwol poured more alcohol into her empty cup, drank it right away, and continued speaking.

“But, my thoughts have changed a bit.”

“…?”

“If you were an insignificant person, I would have tried to gain profit by killing you, but you’re more to my liking than I expected. You’re gentle but have some spirit, and above all…”

Her eyes slowly scanned me up and down, then she smiled brightly.

“You’re strong. And pretty.”

“…What?”

The words attached at the end seem strange?

Jeok Biwol shrugged her shoulders.

“Actually, that’s more important. I prefer beautiful women like you over filthy and lecherous men. Ah! If you die later, can I have your corpse? I want to preserve it well so it doesn’t decay and look at it from time to time.”

“…”

I couldn’t even laugh hollowly. Is she saying this in her right mind?

As I stared blankly, feeling dumbfounded, Jeok Biwol pouted her lips.

“Forget it if you don’t like it. Anyway, as I said, the Golden Blood Sand Sect won’t harm or threaten Moyong Sowol in any way. You’re free to believe it or not, but I think the benefits of you being alive are greater.”

“What’s the reason?”

“Moyong Do.”

It was a name I hadn’t thought of at all.

Why suddenly my brother’s name…?

Jeok Biwol stared at me intently, then spoke grumpily.

“The evaluation of Moyong Do is said to be the best of the Four Dragons, but in reality he’s not. He’s even more outstanding. If our assessment of Moyong Do is not wrong, he will reach the Flowering Realm before he turns thirty. And he will achieve the realm of Manifest, which has only appeared once in thousands of years of martial arts history.”

“So…?”

“The Golden Blood Sand Sect will have Moyong Do.”

“What?!”

“The Golden Blood Sand Sect will take Moyong Do as a son-in-law. And currently, there’s only one daughter in the Jeok family. So…”

She smiled brightly as if asking, you know what I mean?

Feeling my mind turning white, I jumped up from my seat and glared at Jeok Biwol who was letting out an ominous laugh.

No matter how I thought about it, Moyong Do didn’t seem to match with a woman who only knew how to smile lecherously. And it was enough for me alone to be involved with the evil sects and cause a lot of talk.

“If I marry Moyong Do, I’ll become your sister-in-law, right?”

“What…?”

“I look forward to our relationship, baby sister?”

I felt blood rushing to my head and my hair standing on end.

“Who’s your sister-in-law? Don’t even think about laying a finger on my brother.”

“Why? Is there a problem?”

“Whatever relationship my brother forms with whoever, that’s his freedom. But recalling what I went through and heard when I became the Demon Cult’s bride, I’m afraid I can’t support you coveting my brother.”

Moreover.

“I can’t stand seeing someone approach my brother with impure intentions. So, don’t approach my brother like you’re approaching me and do strange things.”

I spoke quietly with furrowed brows.

“I won’t stay still if you do.”

* * *

“Ah, you’re back… ?”

Hyuk Dojin blankly watched Moyong Sowol go up to her room without even acknowledging his greeting.

She had taken off the bamboo hat she always wore, and her face was full of anger.

Man Do, who was coming in behind her, stared blankly at the second floor where Moyong Sowol had gone up, then approached Hyuk Dojin.

“Did you resolve the matter you went for?”

“There was no particular problem. But it seems there’s an issue with Sowol whom I told to sightsee in Luoyang. Did something happen, Martial Uncle?”

“Hmm…”

Man Do rubbed his chin and hesitated for a moment, then briefly explained what had happened at the restaurant.

Hyuk Dojin frowned at the story of Jeok Biwol from the Golden Blood Sand Sect approaching her, then groaned with a troubled face at the mention of Moyong Do.

Just from the stories about Moyong Do that Moyong Sowol occasionally told him, he could tell how much she cherished and loved her brother.

So, to hear that none other than the Golden Blood Sand Sect was targeting such a brother, it wouldn’t be strange for her eyes to flip.

“…So what happened?”

“What do you mean what happened? I quickly brought Miss Moyong out of there as she was about to kill Jeok Biwol on the spot. That’s it.”

Huh. Hyuk Dojin sighed lowly and ran his hand through his hair.

How should he comfort her about this? While he was pondering, the door to the room Moyong Sowol had entered opened again.

Moyong Sowol came down the stairs with big strides and approached Hyuk Dojin.

Hyuk Dojin looked at her with extreme tension, having never seen such a rough appearance from her before.

Moyong Sowol opened her eyes wide and spoke quickly.

“Can you help me participate in the martial arts competition?”

“…What?”

Hyuk Dojin blankly asked back at the sudden words.

Hyuk Dojin hurriedly turned his head to look at Man Do.

[…Jeok Biwol said she would participate in the martial arts competition. I think that’s probably why.]

[…]

At Man Do’s explanation, Hyuk Dojin forcibly relaxed his expression and spoke in the gentlest voice possible.

“Um… Sowol. Why suddenly the martial arts competition…?”

“There’s someone I need to have a bit more conversation with directly.”

“But if you participate in the martial arts competition with your status as the Young Madam…”

“When even the Murim Alliance Leader’s granddaughter is participating, is there a reason I can’t participate?”

“…”

When did she confirm that? Hyuk Dojin hurriedly shook his head.

“You can’t.”

“Why not?”

Moyong Sowol shouted urgently with a surprised face, as if she hadn’t thought Hyuk Dojin would refuse.

Hyuk Dojin stared blankly at Moyong Sowol with her eyes wide open. Her round, large eyes, flushed cheeks, and slightly disheveled lips from anger strangely stimulated him.

Hyuk Dojin quickly shook his head.

What are you thinking with your angry wife in front of you? Hyuk Dojin gathered his thoughts and quietly opened his mouth.

“The registration for the martial arts competition has already ended. And even if it were possible, if you lose your composure over personal matters, there’s clearly a risk of getting badly hurt. So, you can’t.”

“I’m confident I won’t get excited.”

Hyuk Dojin stared at her blankly, then spoke nonchalantly.

“Can you maintain that composure in front of Jeok Biwol?”

“That’s…”

Knowing that Moyong Sowol couldn’t lie, Hyuk Dojin’s words struck at her core. At Moyong Sowol’s flinching reaction, he let out a deep sigh.

“That’s why you can’t.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s for your safety.”

“You really won’t help me?”

“It’s not that I won’t help, there are reasons why I can’t. Even if I granted all your requests, this one I can’t. There’s no reason to allow it knowing it’s dangerous. So…”

Hyuk Dojin spoke calmly, but couldn’t finish his words.

For the first time in his life, Hyuk Dojin could read resentment in Sowol’s eyes. It was directed none other than at himself.

“S-Sowol…?”

Hyuk Dojin approached her and reached out his hand.

But his fingertips didn’t reach her. Because Moyong Sowol stepped back, avoiding Hyuk Dojin’s hand.

Hyuk Dojin’s hand sliced through empty air and his hollow voice calling her name echoed.

Moyong Sowol glared at her husband for a long time with her mouth tightly closed, then slowly opened her mouth that had been shut in a straight line.

“…I understand.”

“…”

With those final words, Moyong Sowol turned her body and disappeared.

What remained in the place she left was Hyuk Dojin, frozen in place after having an argument with his wife for the first time in half a year since their wedding.