Master Villainess the Invincible!

Chapter 3

Why did I come here?

The cherry blossoms in Sichuan Tang Clan’s garden were in full bloom.

As I gazed at the fluttering flower petals, I became lost in thought.

I didn’t understand. What I did know was that I had no power to leave the world of this novel. I’d have to continue to live as Haewon Tang here, and she was not in the best spot right now.

I could still see Shinah, pacing back and forth near the garden entrance.

Even though I had told her I wished to be alone, she seemingly ignored that and followed me.

I’m sure I can thank Bi Murong’s orders for that.

I won’t be able to do anything where Bi Murong’s eyes can find me.

“Our relationships with two of the Five Great Clans have gone sour and my stepmother is desperate to use me as a puppet. Meanwhile, I’m sure the rest of the world is abuzz with my devilish deeds.”

Haewon Tang’s life was on the fast-track towards utter ruin.

“Once Haejoon Tang is chosen as the next heir, she’ll try to sell me off wherever she wants. And my body is in such terrible shape too...”

I sighed, looking down at an arm that looked thin enough to break under the slightest bit of pressure.

I’ll end up dead just like in the novel if I don’t do something.

Haewon Tang’s end was incredibly poor and pathetic, unbefitting of her beauty.

Despite all of Haewon’s efforts, Hee Zhuge survives through a sequence of strange coincidences, only leaving the ire of Jiha Namgung for Haewon.

In the end, she dies in disgrace, killed by the league of martial arts, for the crime of bringing ruin. The group that commands her death, ironically, is the Demonic Sect that she raised to power.

Haewon Tang’s evil deeds are undeniable, but she is more of a stooge than a real villain. Behind her actions is Bi Murong, and further back is the true enemy, the Demonic Sect.

“I’m sorry, but I need to survive too,” I mumbled, standing under the falling cherry blossom petals.

“Shinah.”

Shinah came running after I called for her.

“The wind is quite cold. Could you bring me something warm to wear and a cup of warm tea?”

“R-right now, my lady?”

“Yes. I would like some fruit tea. The one that Mother gave me before. You’ll find the leaves in the second space inside the drawer next to my desk, so use those.”

“Oh, yes. I’ll send another servant to—”

Shinah looked around, looking for another servant to send off. I’m sure she didn’t want to leave me alone.

“No, I’d like you to fetch it for me,” I said, interrupting her. “I don’t like anyone else touching my things.”

“What? But...”

“Do you intend to disrespect me too, now that I’ve been mistreated by the young master of Namgung?”

My frustrated groan and accompanying glare seemed to be enough. Shinah reluctantly left.

I was sure that, given Haewon Tang’s reputation of throwing tantrums and even hitting her servants, Shinah didn’t want to hang around and find out what would be next. As soon as Shinah was out of sight, I turned and left.

* * *

I headed for the old annex that Haewon Tang’s birth mother had lived in. It was old, but it was clear that someone was still regularly sent to tidy up the area.

But the thing I was looking for wasn’t inside of the annex.

“Now where is it? God, this is taking forever...”

Small plants were growing behind the annex.

The area was too shabby to be called a garden and the plants would seem like weeds to the layman.

Haewon Tang’s birth mother had been something of a skilled doctor herself. She liked to grow her own medicinal herbs, but her small collection had been abandoned since her death.

Not to say that the plants here were the ingredients to some legendary elixir, but for now, it was enough that they weren’t poisonous.

“Purple, where is the purple plant? The Passage of the Sword Herb that unblocks the body’s energy flow was purple I think...”

In the novel, Jiha Namgung had looked for this plant to help a subordinate who’d had their energy flow blocked.

“Oh, there it is.”

I pulled the small purple plant growing at the edge of the plot, threw it in my mouth, and chewed.

I was hoping that this was the Passage of the Sword Herb, but it didn’t matter even if it wasn’t. It would be a great help in what I was trying to do either way.

Later, I returned to the garden. Shinah, having already returned, was frantically looking for me.

“My lady, where were you?” Shinah scolded, quite angry. Perhaps she was afraid of what Bi Murong might do to her.

Quite bold, if not stupid. I snatched my wrist away from Shinah’s pulling grip.

“What makes you think that I must tell you where I intend to go?! How dare you, a mere servant, raise your voice to me!”

It was a good thing that I’d read the novel in great detail to do research on the genre.

I cringed at each word, but it was so perfectly suited to Haewon Tang’s usual dialogue.

“I-I didn’t mean...” Shinah stammered, taken aback by my flush of anger aimed at her.

I’m sure it was quite shocking, considering how kind Haewon always was to Shinah. But I had no intention of continuing to show her that kindness, now that I was in her body.

“The clan head has summoned you, my lady.” Shinah quickly collected herself and calmly let me know.

The clan head would be Haewon Tang’s father, Moojin Tang, right?

I was reminded once more that I was in the world of the novel.

“Let’s go inside.”

“What? Now?”

“I must change my clothes first.”

“But...” Shinah followed after me, her expression drawn.

* * *

“The Zhuge Clan has sent another message. They made it clear that if we do not meet their demands, they will report the young lady’s actions to the league of martial arts. The Namgun Clan is already on their way here.

“I suspect they intend to address the annulment directly, following our silence on the matter.”

“So it comes to this...” The clan head of the Sichuan Tang Clan, Moojin Tang, sighed in response to Officer Chen’s report. “Has Haewon recovered?”

“Yes, sir. My lady awakened a few hours ago.”

Moojin swallowed another sigh. His beloved daughter, the apple of his eye.

While he was kept busy with the realities of leading a clan, his neglect of his precious daughter had clearly taken her down the wrong path.

He had been made aware long ago that by now, it was far too late to try and correct her.

“Will you not visit the lady?”

“No,” he said after a moment.

Seeing her wouldn’t change a thing.

She would do nothing except put the blame on others and plead ignorance. Already well aware of the two-faced nature of his daughter, Moojin Tang couldn’t stand to be disappointed in his daughter once again.

“How do you intend to broach the subject of her punishment?”

Moojin was silent again. Despite everything, he couldn’t bring himself to punish her either.

“My lord, the young lady has already done enough damage. If she were to be free of consequence, the whole world would laugh at the Sichuan Tang Clan. It will also no doubt shake our clan’s very foundations.”

Officer Chen’s face became even more serious than before.

“I’m sure you know better than most that the clan cannot withstand such scrutiny.”

“Yes. I do.”

The Sichuan Tang Clan that once influenced the world was no more. By the time Moojin Tang had risen to the position of clan head, the clan was already in steep decline.

The wilting family fortune and the steady departure of warriors from the Sichuan Tang Clan had given birth to the popular opinion that it would soon no longer be considered one of the Five Great Clans.

At the same time, the clan was under tremendous pressure from new and upcoming clans.

“I have failed my clan and my children. This is all my own fault.”

The cause of the clan’s ills came down to Moojin Tang’s own children.

His firstborn daughter, Haewon Tang, was more interested in her appearance than in martial arts, and his son, Haejoon Tang, was a lost cause who could barely learn the family’s techniques.

On top of everything, Bi Murong had gone so far as to bring in warriors from her own family to support her son.

Yet the clan itself would never accept an heir that could barely manage to take on the responsibilities with outside help.

To do nothing would only give way to the family’s continued decline in standards.

Warriors disappointed in the lack of a proper heir to follow Moojin Tang left the clan one by one, and the clan’s competitors were ready and waiting to welcome them with open arms.

Although he was a well-respected fighter, Moojin Tang wasn’t quite capable enough to address all of the concerns coming from both within and outside of the clan.

“Clan head, my lord!” A member of the Sichuan Tang Clan hurried into the chamber to make a report.

“What is it?”

“W-well it’s...” In response to Moojin Tang’s utterly tired voice, the member continued the report with a troubled face. “My lady has come to see you!”

“Haewon is here?”

Before anyone could speak further, the doors flung open, admitting the blame for all of the clan’s ills, Haewon Tang herself.