Master Villainess the Invincible!

Chapter 6

The wooden doors slammed shut.

Jiha was standing still, completely dumbfounded.

Fifteen minutes, then thirty...

He didn’t know what he was waiting for, even then. The only thing he was certain of was his expectations.

Haewon Tang would surely open the door and come back in.

She would come back in and confess with those ruby red lips that she was just trying some new trick. She must be delayed because she was still thinking of a way to revoke the annulment some way, somehow.

It wouldn’t be the first time she had done something like that, after all.

“I hope we don’t cross paths again,” she had muttered at him, with such a decadent voice and delicate smile.

Her smooth voice continued to wander about his ears.

Was it possible that he’d misheard her say “I hope we cross paths again”?

Jiha couldn’t help but continue to be dumbstruck. His meeting with her was so unexpected that he replayed the moment over and over again in his head.

Haewon Tang would just let him go like this? The same woman who had attached herself to him for the last ten years like a tenacious leech?

“I apologize for my tardiness.”

***

The doors opened, revealing not Haewon Tang, but her father, Moojin Tang.

“Why are you standing so, Young Clan Head?”

Wondering if he was truly that late, Moojin Tang stared at Jiha, who continued to glance in the direction of the door.

“It’s nothing.”

“I’m sorry for making you come all this way.”

It was a short apology, and Moojin Tang didn’t look like he was happy to see Jiha, as he had gone through the trouble of coming here personally to break off the engagement.

I’m glad that Haewon has seemed to move on.

Moojin had never been that fond of Jiha.

It was his understanding that the Namgung Clan was insistent on the engagement with Haewon for Jiha Namgung’s future, to the point of bringing up a past promise of marriage.

Yet for Moojin Tang, the only reason he had moved forward with this engagement was because his precious daughter wished for it.

He is a talented martial artist, but he is a cold man. He will break the hearts of many women, rather than truly embrace them.

His daughter had always suffered from loneliness due to her distant father. He would prefer that his future son-in-law be able to embrace his daughter with love and warmth, even if he wasn’t the strongest.

I am very thankful that Haewon has given up on this man.

This could be another one of those brief changes of heart. However, Moojin Tang wouldn’t let go of this opportunity. He was burning with the desire to cut off all ties with Jiha Namgung here and now so that he could begin looking for a new man for his daughter.

“An official letter of annulment.” Moojin Tang couldn’t have felt more satisfied when producing that document.

Jiha’s soft, beautiful hands hurriedly opened the scroll, as if he didn’t believe Moojin Tang’s words.

The fully open letter of annulment had a clear signature that belonged to Haewon Tang on the bottom right.

His handsome face crumpled at the sight of it.

* * *

The route to the Qinzhou Yan Clan with Meijie and my escorts was peaceful.

So this is how people lived back in the day.

I was absorbed in sights and sounds I’d never seen before as I walked down the unpaved dirt road. It felt so freeing to be surrounded by open skies and clear forest after living in a densely packed cityscape where buildings pierced the sky.

Everything went smoothly until we reached the edge of Sichuan.

“My lady, past here will be outside the Sichuan Tang Clan’s territory. We would greatly appreciate it if you could take particular care in what you may say or do. We want to avoid any potential conflict with other clans.”

Clearly concerned about Haewon Tang’s infamous attitude, Captain Bangshik Yang advised me with all the gravitas he could muster. I nodded my head obediently. He was a warrior with a fine smile.

The other members of my escort seemed to be impressed with how I was keeping up with them in such rough terrain, and eventually they started to talk to me on their own.

The distance between Sichuan and Hebei, where the Qinzhou Yan Clan is located, was quite vast.

I didn’t want to be on bad terms with the people who I would be spending the next two to three months with. Especially since they weren’t in Bi Murong’s pockets.

It was also a great opportunity to get closer to Moojin Tang’s own personal escort.

“My lady, this is creeping woodsorrel. You can drink it as a tea when dried and then steeped.”

“How does it taste?”

“Quite sour. But it’s perfect when one is thirsty.”

“Hmph. You know nothing of what real tea tastes like,” I teased playfully as I handed him a cup of tea that Meijie had prepared for me.

It was boiled in a simple pot and served in a wooden cup since we were on the road, but the tea itself was the same as the one I would have in the clan.

“Give it a taste. I’m sure all the tea you’ve had so far will be like mud in comparison.”

“But my lady, that tea is so expensive...!” Meijie didn’t seem to be able to stand still next to me.

Her face turned red, upset that I would give the precious tea she’d prepared just for me to one of the dirt-covered escorts. If I remembered correctly, a handful of tea leaves cost ten liang.

The tea was indeed expensive enough that only the direct descendants of the Tang clan could afford it. However, the escorts that were normally reserved for Moojin Tang’s own personal safety were going through the trouble of sleeping on the dirt floor for my sake.

Although they were all here under Officer Chen’s orders, if they had refused the call, I would be on the road with warriors loyal to Bi Murong.

If things had turned out that way, I wouldn’t feel so at ease. So this was my way of showing my appreciation for them, and they must have noticed.

“Thank you, my lady. I won’t be able to even think of drinking creeping woodsorrel now. I truly have been drinking mud water,” Bangshik Yang said, catching onto what was happening.

“Hmph, what would you know of their differences with just one cup? Your dull palate will demand many more cups, no doubt.”

I gave them a sidelong scowl and threw a whole bag of tea in their direction. Meijie let out a scream.

“Oh, my lady. That’s some arm you got on you.”

As the days went on, I got closer with all of them.

Meanwhile Meijie continued to grumble that I was spending too much time with warriors of low birth. The members of the escort themselves didn’t like Meijie either, since she looked down on them so much.

At first they stopped even greeting each other, and soon the two parties stopped communicating altogether unless they went through me or it was absolutely necessary.

Over time she got more isolated.

“My lady, it’s time for your medicine.”

Even during all of this, she continued to feed me the poisoned medicine. Her number one priority seemed to be following Bi Murong’s orders to the letter.

She usually made the medicine while the escorts were preparing our meals, refusing to help them even when asked.

Of course, I would toss the so-called medicine while she wasn’t looking. It was good that the dirt road didn’t make what I was doing so obvious.

“What’s in this that makes it taste so bad?” I grumbled, pretending that I drank it.

Meijie’s face turned pale.

“I-ingredients that are good for you, of course! I don’t think the mistress would put anything harmful in it!”

I was sure now. She knew what she was feeding me.

My body regained some of its energy as I stopped drinking poison. I could feel the energy flow of my body getting stronger. It was still weak, but compared to where I had been in the beginning, it was a great improvement.

I guess Haewon Tang is a direct line from the Tang family, after all.

I started to get out of the carriage and walked with my escorts on the mountain path. I needed to increase the stamina of this accursed body.

Meijie protested at first, but soon gave up and collapsed in the carriage.

“My lady, are your feet not in pain? It’s astounding that you walk this well.”

“I’m sure I could even carry around your spear without any problems.”

As soon as I got used to walking, I continued onwards while carrying one of the swords or spears of my escorts.

It was more difficult that way, but I could feel my breathing becoming more stable. With the power behind each step, I could tell my stamina was increasing. I could also feel the growing well of energy the more I used my body.

“Just over this mountain is Shanxi. Once we’re inside Shanxi, we’ll be in Hebei in no time, so just hang in there, my lady.”

My escort never failed to encourage me.

It seemed like they were impressed that I was able to keep up with them in this long and difficult journey, but they were also concerned if I would make it all the way to Hebei.

I nodded at them silently before adding, “Very well. Oh! Once we are in Qinzhou, I would like for us to stop by an inn before we enter my mother’s family home. I don’t think I could face my grandparents looking like this, do you?”