Episode 35
The Divine One
“I think I’ll live a little now.”
My entire body ached as if I’d been beaten black and blue, likely due to the aftermath of swallowing the flower seed. All I did during my time at home was eat and sleep.
‘Why does time spent lazing around always fly by so fast?’
Before I knew it, a week had passed.
‘To think I have to return to the Demonic Sect tonight…’
Now that I’d become the Young Sect Leader’s aide, expecting a carefree life in the Demonic Sect was impossible.
‘Since the Young Sect Leader promised to protect my personal time, I’ll start thoroughly searching the sect for a cure!’
There was one more task awaiting me upon my return:
Stabilizing my erratic internal energy (neigong).
‘I can’t control my strength at all right now.’
Because of this, I’d lost count of how many objects I’d shattered over the past week.
‘But isn’t it strange? Dad should’ve noticed by now, yet he doesn’t suspect me at all.’
Even on the day I ate the noodles Dad made:
“Wow! The veggies are perfectly tender, and the broth’s seasoning is flawless! Your noodles could rival those of master chefs, Dad!”
In my excitement, I gripped my spoon too hard—it bent instantly.
“Uh… Dad… This is…”
I despaired, realizing there was no escaping this.
“The spoon was defective.”
Just like when I’d shattered the floorboards, Dad blamed the spoon without further scrutiny.
‘That wasn’t the only time. When I split a boulder in half thinking it wouldn’t break, Dad just…’
“The rock must’ve been flawed.”
He calmly cleared the debris, face impassive.
‘The Dad I know isn’t clueless. He must’ve sensed something was wrong—so why isn’t he questioning me?’
After pondering, I reached one conclusion:
“Is he scared I’ll stop eating again, like after the floor incident?”
‘Typical Dad.’
Maybe ensuring I kept eating mattered more to him than probing my strange strength.
‘At least I don’t have to make excuses.’
Still, I needed to control this rampaging power.
‘What if I accidentally hurt someone?’
Geumseon Yeonhwa—who’d healed me after the flower seed incident—might know how to harness its energy.
‘Speaking of Yeonhwa, is she behaving in the Demonic Sect? If she causes trouble in my absence, they’ll expel her…’
Before giving me the seed, she’d been infamous for crippling martial arts masters with her cruel abilities. Now she relied on a clueless amateur like me for protection. Pathetic.
‘I’ll visit Yeonhwa first upon returning.’
My rested mind finally processed neglected thoughts.
‘Didn’t she mention poison blocking my meridians?’
And something else:
‘The Divine One’s latent power in my body shielded me from that poison.’
So who poisoned me?
No one sane would dare while Dad protected me…
‘Unless Dad wasn’t present.’
I recalled the dream I’d had after swallowing the seed:
A newborn’s piercing cry. Seolhwa’s pained moans.
Sacheon Dangga maids rushing to fetch cloths soaked in blood.
‘An obvious childbirth scene. The mother would’ve been incapacitated—Dad might’ve been absent in such a private space.’
Another memory surfaced:
“Forgive me, young miss. I’ve no choice.”
A trembling maid faced my infant self.
“Open wide. Good girl, yes?”
She fed me something from a purple vial.
‘Too vivid to be just a dream. What if that maid really poisoned me?’
Plausible, given Sacheon Dangga’s poison expertise—yet doubts remained.
“Seolhwa-nim, the first is a daughter!”
‘“The first”—meaning there was a second.’
I’d heard another newborn’s cry before waking.
‘If this was real, I should have a twin.’
But I’d always been an only child.
Another mystery: the Divine One’s power.
‘How could I harbor their energy since birth without ever meeting them?’
Unless we met in the womb.
Dad would know.
Yeonhwa said the Divine One was from Sacheon Dangga—maybe Dad had answers!
Dusk approached.
‘I’ll ask Dad about the Divine One before leaving!’
I yanked the sliding door open with excessive force.
Crash!
“…Oops.”
The fourth casualty of my失控 strength: the bedroom door.
“The door was at fault.”
Learning of its demise, Dad consoled me with his usual refrain.
‘What am I even being comforted for…?’
His worried expression showed he wanted to reassure me, but I had no time to dwell.
“Dad, I have a question.”
“Don’t fret about the door. I’ll install a sturdier one.”
He adopted a grave look, urging me to trust him.
‘Why so serious?’
Then again, a six-year-old wrecking the house would worry any parent.
I decided to humor him.
“…Thanks, but it’s something else.”
“Ah! I spoke too soon. What is it?”
Perhaps embarrassed, Dad quickly changed tack.
“Have you ever met the Divine One from Sacheon Dangga?”
“Hmm… No.”
“Aww! I really wanted to hear about them…”
I puffed my cheeks in disappointment. Dad sighed.
“It’s not a pleasant tale, but I’ll tell you. The Divine One died before I was born.”
“That long ago?!”
“Yes.”
‘If Dad never met them, how did their power end up in me?’
My question only bred more mysteries.
“Where did you hear about them? I never mentioned this.”
“I read it in a book at Iksun’s house!”
“A book?”
Dad’s face darkened.
‘He clearly dislikes this topic.’
“They sounded cool! Who better to ask than my all-knowing Dad?”
I feigned childish innocence. His expression softened.
“They were skilled but greedy—the current Dangga leader’s elder sibling. A prodigy who mastered divine medicine and martial arts by age ten. Tried usurping the leadership but was executed.”
‘An arrogant genius?’
Why would such a person’s power protect me?
“I thought the Divine One healed people…”
“Medical mastery can save or kill. Theirs excelled at the latter.”
Now I understood Dad’s reluctance.
“Thanks for telling me.”
“No need for thanks. I enjoy answering your questions.”
He patted my head proudly.
Another thought struck.
“Dad… did I ever have a sibling?”
His face froze.
