Master Villainess the Invincible!

Chapter 4

What’s with the heavy atmosphere?

I couldn’t help but notice the room’s temperature suddenly dropping.

Ahead of me was the man I’d met earlier called Officer Chen, and a giant of a man who looked a lot like Haewon Tang.

So that’s Moojin Tang.

“Father,” I greeted him, bowing low.

“What brings you here?” Moojin Tang spoke, yet refused to look at me.

His tone was cold and he sounded tired.

What brings me here? Didn’t you summon me?

But the moment I noticed Officer Chen studying my response instead of Moojin Tang’s, I realized who was behind this miscommunication.

The person who had summoned me here wasn’t Moojin Tang, but Officer Chen.

After meeting my gaze, Officer Chen began to speak. It was as if he’d been waiting.

“My lady, the clan has suffered greatly from your recent actions.”

“Officer Chen!”

“There are already voices that call for reflection from within the clan.”

“Officer Chen, that is enough. Unless you have something more to say, Haewon, you may leave,” Moojin Tang said.

It seemed like he fully intended to brush this under the rug.

“But my lord!” Officer Chen persisted.

It wasn’t that I didn’t understand. If I didn’t get properly punished for being the cause of everything that had happened, the already precarious bonds of the clan would be at risk.

“I am well aware of the harm I have done to both my father and the family. I will be happy to accept any punishment that you deem to be fitting.”

The two men stared at me openly, clearly not anticipating my response.

“However, as this incident was caused by my actions, I intend to make the proper amends,” I said, producing the bundle of things I’d brought from my room.

Inside the silk bundle were various precious gems and jewelry.

“This is all I have. I suspect that it should be worth 4000 silver pieces.”

“You need not worry about the matter of compensation! Our family isn’t so weak to be troubled by such a paltry sum.”

“I am aware. But it is my wish to pay it.”

Moojin Tang sighed and looked at me and then the bundle of jewelry.

“I also fully intend to annul my engagement with the young master of Namgung.”

“What are you...?!” Even Officer Chen failed to hide his shock this time.

After seeing Haewon Tang’s obsession over Jiha Namgung, how would it make any sense for her to just call the whole thing off?

He stared at me in complete disbelief.

“I am now aware of how pointless it is to hold onto someone who has no love for me. After making such a mess of things, I have started to see things that eluded my vision before,” I continued, my face pale.

“I know that you have yet to make a response to the Namgung Clan because of me, Father.”

Moojin was silent.

Moojin Tang was the typical warrior, but he was also a father who loved his daughter.

The biggest reason behind him trying to keep the engagement despite pressure from the Namgung Clan would be because of his daughter’s long-time infatuation.

“I am ashamed to have been a daughter that brought nothing but shame to her father and the family...”

Right as I was about to add in some supplementary words to my distraught father and the clearly still doubtful Officer Chen, a trickle of blood fell from my lips.

“Haewon!”

Oh, perfect timing.

The Passage of the Sword Herb that I’d eaten earlier must have taken effect.

The poison that Bi Murong had been feeding me and the medicinal herb I had ingested afterwards were at war with each other inside my body.

As a side effect, the blood that came from my lips wasn’t a clear red, but rather dark in color.

“Haewon! No! Officer Chen!”

“Yes, clan head.” Officer Chen immediately came to my side to wipe away the blood and press my energy points.

Seeing as how Moojin Tang called for him instead of a doctor, Officer Chen clearly had medical knowledge.

As he pressed on the energy points in my wrist and behind my ear, the energy flow in my body calmed once more.

After a while, he stopped. He must have noticed that my energy flow was completely blocked.

No one dared to touch Moojin Tang’s own precious daughter, and since all of the clan doctors had been bribed by Bi Murong, she had been able to keep her real plans a secret this whole time.

But no longer.

As the brief commotion died down, I continued what I was saying earlier.

“Father, I no longer wish to be a shameful child to the family and to you. However, I know that the heart likes to hold onto the past, so I plan to be away from the clan for some time.”

After coughing up blood, the words that followed must have come across as a heartfelt confession from one who has made a great realization.

Moojin Tang had no objections to what I said in light of that.

“Where do you wish to go?”

“I intend to go to Hebei.”

Hebei happened to be where Haewon Tang’s mother’s clan, the Qinzhou Yan Clan, was located.

Perhaps believing that Haewon truly did need some time to settle the matters of her heart, or even just that she needed some time away, Moojin nodded.

***

“She has matured,” Moojin said quietly, breaking the silence after Haewon Tang left the room and closed the door behind her.

His gaze went down to the goods that Haewon had brought with her.

Although bringing objects of value as a way to make the compensation payment for the clan was clumsy, her heart was in the right place.

Officer Chen didn’t respond.

He knew better than most about Haewon Tang’s obsession with Jiha Namgung. Even at the age of three, any mention of him was able to stop her from crying.

Yet all it took was half a day to be free of that affection?

“I entrust her safety during her travels to you. Make sure that it is as secure as possible. Looking at her weakened state, I suspect you will need to also bring various medicines with you.”

“Of course, clan head.”

However, Officer Chen was no longer in a position where he could continue to discuss Haewon Tang’s punishment.

Not simply because she had apparently turned a new leaf and offered up the compensatory payment.

Although the goods look fine at first glance, upon closer inspection it becomes obvious that they are all fake. Yet I made sure that every piece of jewelry that made its way to my lady was real. What is going on?

He was already looking over what goods Haewon Tang had brought with her.

Did she already sell the real items and offer up the fakes?

However, considering the arrogance of Haewon Tang, she wouldn’t be capable of proudly presenting fake jewelry as a solution.

And there was one more thing tugging at his suspicions.

All of my lady’s energy flow was blocked off...

Despite her lack of interest in martial arts, she was still the direct descendant of the Sichuan Tang Clan.

How was it possible that she had a body weaker than the average person?

I must look more into this.

Officer Chen’s instincts were fully alert.

While he had been distracted with the dangers outside of the Sichuan Tang Clan, he had failed to remove the poisonous weeds growing from within.

* * *

I quickly packed whatever I needed for my journey to the Qinzhou Yan Clan.

Thinking that Bi Murong would try and choose one of her minions to accompany me to Qinzhou, I asked Officer Chen to personally pick out the security detail.

After watching me for a moment, he agreed.

“Oh, and please include a servant to help carry my things as well as an extra donkey. I have something that I want to take especially good care of.”

“And what would that be, my lady?”

“Medicine. The same one that mother gives me.”

Officer Chen’s hand halted as he was writing a list of things I would need.

“What kind of medicine? From the mistress? I have not been made aware that you were taking any sort of medicine, my lady.”

“She said it was to help with my energy. I was told that she brought it from her own clan especially for me, so please make sure that it doesn’t go bad during our journey to Qinzhou. You can ask Shinah for any of the details.”

I continued to tell him what he needed to know as if I didn’t know any better.

Officer Chen’s gaze turned cold for a second and then he nodded.

“Very well,” he said finally.

I had a feeling that the clan would be very different by the time I returned.

* * *

Officer Chen acted quickly in the way that I’d anticipated he would.

He made sure that those who were to accompany me to Qinzhou were members under the direct control of the Sichuan Tang Clan’s head.

He also went so far as to appoint the vice captain of the guard to act as the leader of my escort team over a regular member.

My stepmother couldn’t quite give up on spying on me though, and tried to send Shinah with me. But Officer Chen stepped in, saying that he had something to ask of her personally.

So instead of Shinah, Meijie was made to accompany me.

However, Meijie was also one of Bi Murong’s, so it didn’t make much difference.

I should get rid of her on the way.

Right as we were about to leave for the Qinzhou Yan Clan, something happened.