The Eldest Daughter of the Tang Clan of Sichuan Protects the Family-Chapter 179

Chapter 179. The Question
Tang So-hwa couldn’t understand Haerak’s words right away. It took her a moment of reflection before she grasped their meaning.
If she died, there would be no way to free Haerak’s body.
Then So-hwa remembered something she had long forgotten.
“Come to think of it, I had something to tell you back at Jin Yin Mountain.”
Haerak raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
“Oh? What is it?”
“I read the record left by the Blood Demon in the vault. It said the Blood Demon believed there was superiority in blood—that superior blood ruled over inferior blood, and that inferior blood would perish on its own.”
Haerak quickly lost interest. His expression said it all—You asked me about that?
Leaning back against his chair, Haerak replied lazily,
“I’ve heard that old geezer’s line enough times to last a lifetime. Did he really bother to write that down, too?”
Then suddenly, Haerak let out a low groan.
“Still, I can’t say it’s entirely wrong. The old geezer used to say—when the mother’s blood is superior and the father’s is inferior, the child rejects the father’s blood and inherits the mother’s. So the child ends up resembling the mother more—the hair’s black like hers, or the jaw’s shaped the same. It’s as if the father’s features are erased.”
“I thought it was a clue about the Blood Demon’s Gu poison, not about appearance.”
Haerak tilted his head as though he’d never considered that angle.
“Why do you think that?”
“It felt like a metaphor for how the Blood Demon’s blood dominates the will of its host. Blood is called the source of life—so, by its own blood, it erases the host’s origin and forces submission.”
“……Sounds like that perverted old geezer was just talking nonsense as usual. Still, if it struck you as strange, maybe your idea has merit.”
Haerak gave a brief laugh mid-sentence.
“So, is that why you came looking for me at Jin Yin Mountain?”
So-hwa nodded.
“No matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t find an answer. I wanted to ask for your help.”
“What kind of help?”
In a calm voice, So-hwa said something shocking.
“I think… my blood might be superior to the Blood Demon’s.”
“……And what makes you think that?”
“When I cultivated the Blood Demon’s Gu poison, I fed it my blood. But my blood didn’t disappear—instead, that creature waited for it, reacted to it.”
Haerak propped his chin on his hand, gesturing for her to continue.
“Maybe my blood can erase the Blood Demon’s origin—and make it submit.”
Even as the words left her mouth, So-hwa felt ashamed at how absurd they sounded.
When Haerak didn’t answer, she hurried to speak again, trying to mask her embarrassment.
“Just a small amount… What if I make a cut and let our blood mix? We won’t know unless we try.”
“It’s not entirely a foolish thought. The day I first agreed to help you, even less than a single drop of your blood affected me—that much is true.”
Taking that as permission, So-hwa pulled a small dagger from her sleeve. She hadn’t even received an answer yet, but she acted first.
Haerak looked dumbfounded at her decisiveness—but since he was curious too, he rolled up his sleeve without protest.
Yet, the woman holding the dagger didn’t move.
Watching her, Haerak asked,
“Why are you hesitating?”
“Because I'm not certain.”
“……That’s not like you. Usually, you’d insist on cutting first since you’re not the one dying.”
The black eyes staring down at the blade lifted toward him.
He expected to see her usual cold, determined gaze, but instead, So-hwa’s expression was uneasy.
“If I were born with the Blood Demon’s blood, and if there’s a chance I can erase its Gu poison… There could also be side effects.”
“You say that as if you’ve ever cared about such things.”
After hesitating, So-hwa confessed,
“Actually, not long ago, I heard from the Ice Palace’s bloodline how they purged the Blood Demon’s Gu poison.”
“What?”
“They said they expelled it using the Will of the Blood Demon.”
Haerak’s expression froze.
“You mean the divine artifact that contains the Blood Demon’s blood?”
Haerak shot to his feet.
His lips moved soundlessly, disbelief written across his face.
“You’re saying the Will of the Blood Demon could remove the Gu poison? Those Ice Palace bastards escaped thanks to that old geezer’s divine artifact?”
He seemed so shocked he couldn’t go on.
“Mm. They said the Gu poison expelled itself under the Blood Demon’s will.”
“No, wait—that means I… I told you…”
Only then did So-hwa realize why Haerak had gone pale. To lessen the blow, she added,
“They said it no longer works. The Blood Demon noticed, so the Will of the Blood Demon can’t be used to draw out the Gu poison anymore.”
Haerak finally sat back down.
Then, after a moment’s thought, his face darkened further.
“Damn it. So we’ve lost a perfectly good method.”
“Anyway, hearing that made me uneasy. If your body has already stabilized—your blood and the Blood Demon’s have reached equilibrium—then if I add my blood, it might cause chaos.”
“……”
“My blood might be just weak enough now not to harm you—but if that balance breaks, it could turn dangerous. The bead containing the Blood Demon’s blood affects its host so powerfully… if my blood truly is superior…”
Haerak tilted his mouth slightly as he watched her hesitate.
“You really are worried about me, huh?”
So-hwa didn’t deny it and nodded.
“Why? Afraid your precious host might die?”
“How else could I ever find another like you?”
“Is that really all?”
It didn’t sound like a question. Haerak didn’t wait for an answer before continuing.
“You, you know, you ask me a lot of questions. Did you know that?”
So-hwa blinked, thinking back. She had never considered it before.
Watching her lost in thought, Haerak chuckled softly.
“I also tend to ask you a lot of questions. You always make me curious. I want to know what you’re thinking, and I find myself trying to read your actions.”
Haerak tilted his head with a strange expression.
“‘Why do I want to know what you’re thinking?’ Even that turns into a question.”
“……”
“I can’t tell if it’s curiosity… or something else. And when I think about that, I end up wondering even more.”
He didn’t seem to mind the silence as he continued, calm as ever.
“One day, I thought I should ask—are you ever curious about me too? That thought itself made me wonder again.”
Then he asked once more,
“So, do you know why I’m like this?”
In the quiet room, their unreadable gazes met and tangled.
So-hwa, who had only been listening, finally spoke.
“Are all strong people like you?”
That too was a question.
Yet the answer came not from Haerak, but from her own lips.
“Strong people have the luxury to think like that.”
Haerak, not understanding what she meant, frowned faintly.
“……I don’t see what strength has to do with this situation.”
“You have the leisure to wonder why you feel what you feel while still indulging your curiosity, don’t you?”
So-hwa’s lips curved. A sigh slipped out between her red lips.
“I envy you, Haerak.”
Haerak slowly lowered the arm propping his chin.
“I want to have the same luxury—to dwell on thoughts that have nothing to do with the Blood Demon. Though I doubt such a day will ever come.”
In truth, she knew it never would.
Tang So-hwa was struggling to face the Blood Demon with nothing but a fragile human body and no clear path ahead.
The fact that she’d survived this far was pure fortune, and she knew it well.
Because she understood her own limits, she saw things objectively.
She had no room in her life to think of anything beyond the Blood Sect.
To be more honest—to admit her weakness—her chances of seeing tomorrow were slim.
Walking on thin ice, she wasn’t naive enough to think she was safe just because she hadn’t fallen through yet.
The fact that she was still alive was a miracle enough. If she were to die now, it would not be strange.
She had already thrown away her life once. Since she no longer clung to it, death didn’t scare her.
If she could kill the Blood Demon and lay the foundation to destroy the Blood Sect before she went, this life would already be more than she ever deserved—far more than her last.
And yet, even knowing all that, she couldn’t help but envy the man before her.
He had the freedom to dwell on his own feelings.
He could think about things beyond the Blood Demon.
‘Do you really believe you’ll be able to kill the Blood Demon, just like that?’
So-hwa envied Haerak’s composure.
To live a life where one could ponder matters beyond purpose—it felt like a privilege reserved only for the strong. And she resented that.
Suppressing such powerless thoughts, So-hwa asked,
“Will you be staying on the island?”
Haerak was silent for a long while before answering,
“Yes.”
So-hwa slid the blade back into her sleeve.
“Then let’s wait a bit longer. Once I’m certain, I’ll test my blood on you.”
Haerak straightened and gave a faint, bitter smile.
“Do as you wish.”
He didn’t speak again.
To break the uncomfortable silence, So-hwa asked,
“Where are you staying?”
Haerak turned his head toward the window and pointed with a long finger toward the city beyond the hot springs. So-hwa’s gaze followed his gesture.
A city wrapped in clouds and smoke came into view. Several grand pavilions rose above it. Pointing to a blue-roofed one, Haerak said,
“Between the Yan Clan’s territory and the Han Clan’s, there’s a textile shop. That’s where I’m staying.”
“That’s unexpected. I thought you’d stay somewhere finer than a textile shop.”
It was surprising, since the Main Blood Hall Lord was known to be particular about his surroundings.
Haerak chuckled.
“Come see for yourself. Then decide if it’s fine or not.”
As he lowered his hand, he added,
“The island’s climate is tricky—too warm for thick clothes, yet so damp that fabric spoils easily. So the textile shop handles a lot of material. Do you think the pavilion itself is all that grand?”
So-hwa frowned slightly.
“With so many people coming and going, won’t you risk being discovered?”
“It’s fine. The Red Blood Hall members have vacated the area, so the shop’s been shut down for a while.”
So-hwa stared at him for a moment, then asked,
“Come to think of it, you must also know the location of the passage on this island.”
“I do.”
“Can you tell me where it is?”
“That wouldn’t be difficult.”
Haerak’s golden eyes turned toward her.
“But I don’t really feel like telling you easily.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not in a good mood.”
So-hwa frowned, not understanding, while Haerak’s expression stayed cold.
“Next time you come, find me. Maybe if you beg for my help, I’ll feel inclined to grant it.”
He rose from his seat.
“You like risking your life wandering around, don’t you?”
The Main Blood Hall Lord, standing on the window ledge, spoke in an icy tone.
“Then risk that life once more—to come find me.”
And before she could respond, he was gone.
So-hwa turned her gaze to the window. But there was no sign of the man—no shadow, no presence, not even a trace.
His words lingered unpleasantly in her mind, though she couldn’t make sense of them.
‘He said if I die, I won’t die alone… and now he’s telling me to risk my life? What kind of contradiction is that…’
Yet, perhaps because she was used to Haerak’s shifting moods, she could faintly guess what he meant.
Either way, it sounded like he wanted her to come find him.
Gazing at the pavilion Haerak had pointed to, So-hwa took out a map.
Tracing the route leading there, she frowned—the faint stench of something foul drifted in from outside the window.