Try Living Well Without Me

Amidst a flurry of white snowflakes, within the Wu Dang Sect grounds.

A woman was rushing around frantically, moving from one building to another.

She was Yu So-eun, the lady of the Namgung family.

“Ah, hello? Are you Tang Sobaek of the Poison Flower…?”

With an air of natural grace, So-eun glanced at the girl before her.

Being fully aware of her own situation, she was trying her best to be humble.

She was naturally shy to begin with, but—

“Yes, I’m Tang Sobaek. Why has the mother of the Namgung family come to this place?”

Tang Sobaek, known as the Poison Flower, eyed her sharply.

As the green eyes, characteristic of the Tang family, pierced through her, So-eun instinctively shrunk back.

“I’ve come to give you a gift… This is something called the Royal Pearl Elixir. Have you heard of it?”

“The Royal Pearl Elixir is too precious for someone of the Tang family to not know. But you said this was a gift?”

“…Yes, it’s a gift. It’s a gesture of goodwill between our families…”

“A tribute more than a gift, isn’t it? With regards to your daughter.”

“Yes. Yes?”

Poison Flower’s chilly gaze calmly locked onto So-eun’s eyes.

With the feeling of being squeezed by a snake coiling around her body, So-eun’s delicate shoulders began to tremble.

Despite being much younger, Tang Sobaek made So-eun feel utterly intimidated.

“Name: Yu So-eun. Age: Thirty-four.”

Tang Sobaek’s short hair fluttered slightly.

So-eun’s heart sank.

“Eldest daughter of Gupae Dokgo, the esteemed Water Lord of Mount Hua Sect. Once known as the Plum Sword Maiden, you were renowned as a Sword Flower. At seventeen, you met Sword Sage Namgung Cheolbin, became pregnant, and had a rare love marriage rather than an arranged one among the nobles. You gave birth to your current daughter, known as Thunder Flower Namgung Su-a, at nineteen and have since lived your life as the lady of the Namgung family.”

“…! Wh-what…!”

“For your great familial love and maternal instincts, though delicate in character, you are quite formidable when it comes to protecting your children. Your specialty is cooking chicken legs, something the Sword Sage liked, correct? When the Sword Sage was unable to return home for a decade during the Blood Cult war, you alone managed the household with such skill.”

“Wh-what…!”

“Up to this point, this is all the information recorded about you in my mind.”

“M-my…information…? Was all that really…?”

“Oh, one more thing. There’s a small mole beneath your breast. How do I know? Though it’s not crucial information.”

“…”

Thud!

Startled, So-eun fell backward.

To Tang Sobaek, who was looking at her as if she could see right through her heart.

‘How does she remember all this…? She truly lives up to her reputation as the military strategist of the Wulin Alliance.’

At this moment, Tang Sobaek no longer seemed like a girl to So-eun but like a giant.

“You may as well put away that offering. It’s not going to change anything about my mind, regardless of what you give.”

“…! Ah, well, then I’ll prepare something else…”

“No, never mind about that. Let’s talk about something else. About the Sword Sage.”

“Wha…? The Sword Sage? About…Cheol…Bin?”

Just then, So-eun’s confusion deepened, having just reunited with the Sword Sage herself.

It felt as though she were spinning within the palm of Tang Sobaek’s hand.

Regardless of whether So-eun was fazed or not, Tang Sobaek’s actions were unwavering.

“Come on, let’s go inside. Let’s sit down and talk.”

“Ah, alright. But wasn’t there something about the Sword Sage…”

Awkwardly getting up, they entered Tang Sobaek’s residence, where a study filled with bookshelves emerged.

It was clear that Tang Sobaek had brought all these books here with her.

‘Surely, this is what it takes to be the military strategist of the Wulin Alliance? But why does she want to know about Cheolbin…?’

“Please, sit there. Take off your shoes and come up here on your knees. Place the Royal Pearl Elixir on your knees as well. I have a bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder, so this is non-negotiable. Or would you like to clean it yourself?”

“I, I’ll do that…”

Unaware of what obsessive-compulsive disorder was, So-eun, who had been handling household chores for years, obediently followed the directive, sitting down in the seat Tang Sobaek offered.

Tang Sobaek pulled another chair up in front of her and sat down.

Laying down a sheet of paper on her knees, she prepared to write with a brush about a foot long.

“I’m investigating the Sword Sage. He’s a man with quite a number of intriguing qualities. If you could answer a few questions I have, that would be great. Would you help me?”

“Is, is it strange? I can’t possibly answer everything…”

What if they asked about the Sword Sage’s location? So-eun worried.

If questioned about such matters, she wasn’t in any hurry to reply.

He was her unpleasant ex, but now just another person.

But contrary to So-eun’s expectations, Tang Sobaek’s questions turned out to be completely different.

“That’s something I’ll decide. First question: The Sword Sage is not part of your life now, but during your marriage, how frequently did you share a bed?”

Completely different.

“Wh-what? Bed? Why are you asking about that…”

“That’s irrelevant. If it’s too difficult to answer, it’s okay not to. However, your relationship with your daughter might face a slight crisis if you refuse.”

“Urgh..!”

“Since there are many more questions, please hurry. Anyway, I’ve always wanted to interrogate the Sword Sage’s family, so I’m glad this opportunity has arisen.”

Thinking it would have been better if she’d met the disdainful White Flower from Mount Hua instead, So-eun hesitantly opened her mouth.

Because despite her daughter Namgung Su-a having to cope with her father’s absence, she still had to fill the void herself.

“…Once. Once.”

“Hmm…? Only once…? It seems your relationship wasn’t very harmonious.”

While writing quickly, Tang Sobaek asked again. To this question, So-eun revealed an embarrassing aspect of her private life.

To a girl at least ten years younger than her.

If it weren’t for the sake of Namgung Su-a, she would have bolted from her seat instantly.

“No, no! How could he have been such a wonderful person!”

“Yet you said it was only once. Did one of you practice asceticism?”

“Not that. And more precisely, it happened twice. Once before the marriage and once after.”

“So your first son and current Thunder Flower were conceived during those two times? Why didn’t it happen again afterward? Even during the war, wouldn’t you have tried at least once?”

Hesitating for a moment, So-eun carefully spoke.

“He said we shouldn’t have any more children. Adding more responsibilities was unnecessary…or something like that…”

The near-whisper of her muttered words caught Tang Sobaek’s attention.

“…Ah, so the picture becomes clearer.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“Let’s move on, no need to dwell. Second question: Has the Sword Sage ever had a weakness exploited by someone? For example, someone they couldn’t talk back to even when they acted arrogantly?”

“Eh, weaknesses? There aren’t any!”

“No weaknesses? That’s impossible. Even the smallest details would help. Really nothing?”

“Nothing…how could he have any weaknesses? Everything about him has already been exposed…”

“Hmm…strange… Alright, let’s move on then.”

Afterward, for several hours, Yu So-eun endured an unprecedented interrogation by Tang Sobaek.

*

Squeak.

“Ugh…”

Yu So-eun groaned in exhaustion.

Having spent too much time with Tang Sobaek, by the time she returned to her quarters, darkness had enveloped the surroundings.

“I’m tired…”

She sighed, wearied to the bone, glancing around her quarters.

The only smooth interaction she had was with Celestial Flower from Wu Dang due to her kind and gentle nature.

However, any conversation with anyone else except Celestial Flower brought no peace.

Even the encounters with Jade Flower from Kun Lun or Snow Flower from Mount Emei, who looked down on her with cold stares, were bearable by comparison.

With White Flower from Mount Hua, she had to endure disdainful and humiliating words, and with Poison Flower from the Tang clan, she was held captive for several hours discussing embarrassing matters about her former husband.

And worst of all, during her visit to Sword Flower from Jin family, she unexpectedly ran into her ex-husband, Namgung Cheolbin.

‘Have I been too deferential?’

Instead of confrontation, she had greeted him respectfully, apologizing for their past disputes despite vowing to scold him the next time they met.

More humiliations ensued when her apology was rejected.

‘No…it was the right thing to do. It seems she has some influence over him. I can’t let him say anything negative about Su-a.’

Squeak.

“Su-a? Where are you?”

So-eun moved from room to room, searching for her daughter, Namgung Su-a, who was usually alone.

However, Su-a was nowhere to be seen—except for one place.

‘Could she still be…?’

Fearing the worst, So-eun rushed to the training ground.

When she roughly pushed the door open, Namgung Su-a greeted her with a cheerful smile.

“Mom? When did you arrive?”

“…”

“What’s wrong? Are you looking for me?”

“…”

Sweating profusely, So-eun approached her daughter.

“…”

With bloodstained hands gripping her sword, Namgung Su-a’s head was also drenched in blood from her hand.

“!”

“What’s the matter? Is something wrong?”

When had it begun?

Other people hadn’t noticed yet, but as her mother, So-eun had already realized that Namgung Su-a was gradually breaking down.

She believed that the absence of her father, Namgung Cheolbin, and the disintegration of their family were to blame.

That’s why she had confronted Namgung Cheolbin.

Even after being harshly rejected when she asked him to visit their daughter’s face.

“Not again! You need to treat that first, the skin’s torn!”

Quickly approaching her, So-eun grabbed Namgung Su-a’s wrist.

“Ahh…”

Though So-eun softened her grip when Su-a winced slightly, she didn’t let go.

“I already treated it! Can’t you see the bandage? I applied medicine too!”

Namgung Su-a defiantly stretched out her hand, captured by So-eun.

As claimed, her hand was indeed wrapped in bandages.

Bandages saturated in blood.

She had swung her sword despite them, tearing the skin beneath.

“Alright… put down the sword and give me your hand. I’ll reapply the medicine.”

“Mom will? Alright. Let’s hurry and sleep. I’m sleepy.”

“Okay, I’ll get you to bed early. Hand it here, this child…”

“What’s wrong, why did you stop talking? What were you going to say to me?”

Already emotionally drained from the day’s events, So-eun struggled not to cry as she reapplied the fresh bandage.

As a mother, if she showed any weakness with Namgung Cheolbin gone, it would be too much of a burden for her daughter.

It was heartbreaking and exhausting to shoulder everything alone, but she gritted her teeth and held back the tears.

“There, it’s done. Go to bed quickly now, stop training.”

“Wow, you wrapped it all so fast! Thanks, I’ll go inside then.”

“Alright, and from now on, train moderately. Please don’t get hurt anymore…”

“I know, I know. I’ll be careful. But seriously, stop saying the same thing for months.”

“…”

After swapping her training clothes for comfortable attire, Namgung Su-a sleepily walked toward their bedroom, her silhouette observed silently by So-eun before she followed inside.

It seemed that this eventful day was finally coming to an end.

“A…”

Until she laid on her bed in a nightgown.

Shiver.

She was utterly exhausted, so tired that her eyes could’ve closed at any moment.

Shiver, shiver.

Yet, as the fatigue seeped into every part of her body, an annoying sensation of arousal also emerged.

The two emotions, usually incompatible, now coexisted in So-eun’s body, refusing to let her rest.

“…”

She’s thirty-four, a woman at the peak of her sexual desires.

“I want to sleep…”

Tired and longing to pass out, but her body would not yield.

No matter how hard So-eun buried her face into her pillow trying to suppress the thought, the physical desires grew stronger whenever she resisted.

Knock-knock.

Her salvation came from a knock on the door.

“Who’s there?”

“Mom, it’s me.”

The familiar voice brought a brief spark of joy to So-eun’s face.

Click.

Upon seeing the pillow in Namgung Su-a’s hand as she entered, So-eun’s face showed a flicker of relief, cooling her heated body.

It was a fortunate turn of events for her, yet a faint sense of regret lingered in her heart.

“Why are you here?”

“Let’s sleep together tonight. There are only four more days until the Celestial Flower Hall.”

“…Alright, come here.”

Pushing away the heat in her bed, So-eun lifted the blanket covering her, inviting Namgung Su-a to join her.

Snuggling tightly into her mother’s generous embrace, So-eun was momentarily surprised, but then fondly stroked her daughter’s hair as Su-a buried her face between her breasts like she had during her infancy.

“Why is my daughter acting so adorable today?”

“Back in the day, dad used to hold me like this all the time…”

In response, Namgung Su-a answered with a slightly choked voice.

“It’s been erased…”

The lump in her throat grew bigger.

“It’s been too long…”

Slowly, So-eun’s expression hardened.

“Even though it’s not right to tell you this, Mom…”

As the day of numerous ups and downs gradually came to an end.

On the contrary, it was a deep night where everyone had fallen asleep.

A short-haired girl stood under the silver glow of the waxing crescent moon, gazing at the sky.

To be precise, at the stars surrounding the crescent moon.

This was Tang Sobaek of Poison Flower.

The eldest daughter of the Tang family, who had inherited the position of military strategist in the Wulin Alliance after Namgung Bin.

In her vast mind, the conversation she had with Yu So-eun earlier replayed endlessly.

Thump.

As footsteps approached from behind, she unconsciously turned her head.

“Daughter, what are you doing here?”

The person who emerged behind her was none other than Poison Lord, Dark Yang Emperor of Poison, also known as Tang Sobaek’s father and the head of the Tang family.

“Reading celestial omens.”

“Omens? At this hour?”

“Of course, the stars can only be seen clearly when all the lights are out.”

“Hmph, what good is reading that? You should be practicing your martial arts instead.”

“Tsk… so ignorant.”

As she turned her gaze back to the night sky, Tang Sobaek spoke.

“Anyway, Dad, how’s that thing I entrusted to you going?”

“Entrusted? You leave all sorts of things with me and now you’re asking me this?”

“Come on, the conspiracy behind framing the Sword Sage. Haven’t you found it yet?”

“Augh! How frustrating!”

At the predictable excuse from her father, Tang Sobaek burst out in frustration.

“Are you saying the Sword Sage is capable of committing a crime? All the witnesses are dead, and since he ran away from the Namgung family, he hasn’t caused any trouble. This should at least raise some suspicion, right?”

“Hey, Sobaek, I get what you’re saying but… the Sword Sage killed the Blade Lord and the Water Lord not too long ago, right? Is that not an act of rebellion?”

Tang Sobaek’s continuous shouting left the Poison King clutching the back of his head.

“Come on, Dad, be logical. Would the Sword Sage, who selflessly sacrificed during the Pure Blood War, suddenly turn to evil? To any observer, it’s a frame-up. Evidence? We manipulate evidence daily, you and I.”

“…”

“Hmph, lower your voice. What if someone hears?”

“My conclusion: Someone has dirt on the Sword Sage and is using it to blackmail him. He had no choice but to back down.”

Despite being almost convinced by Tang Sobaek’s argument, the Poison King shook his head firmly.

“What dirt? Someone like the Sword Sage would’ve cut off any weak links long ago. Isn’t that why all the witnesses are dead?”

The Poison King found his daughter particularly bothersome in moments like these.

Whenever she stood alone against universally accepted truths.

And considering that her statements had never been wrong before, it wasn’t easy to ignore them, especially with her fixation on the Sword Sage that started months ago.

“Dammit, all you old fools. How can you not see something so obvious?”

“Alright, Sobaek. Suppose you’re right. If the Sword Sage’s downfall had such a hidden background, isn’t that his own problem? Why are you sticking your nose into someone else’s affairs? Aren’t you supposed to be practicing your martial arts?”

“Because it’s justice! We are righteous people, and it’s our duty to uphold justice, didn’t you read that in books?”

“…”

“Why, is there something wrong with that?”

The Poison King glared at Sobaek with half-closed eyes.

“Alright, be honest, Sobaek. Is this about something else?”

Thump.

Tang Sobaek’s heartbeat quickened, but the Supreme Martial Artist didn’t miss a beat.

“That’s right, with blood like mine, talking about justice is nonsense. Go inside and practice your martial arts.”

“Dad.”

“What is it?”

“Didn’t I tell you to stop those human experiments? They’re still happening in the basement, aren’t they?”

Thump.

“Even using orphans to create killing machines is still ongoing? Is the intelligence network of the Wulin Alliance Commander for show?”

“Hmph… Just give it a bit more time. The creation of great life is right around the corner…”

“Since I’m letting you get away with this, you should leave my affairs alone too. Deal?”

“…”

Clearly troubled, the Poison King cleared his throat multiple times.

Tang Sobaek leaned against the railing beside him and gazed quietly at the pale crescent moon.

She looked lost in deep thought.

The Poison King, noticing her pensive demeanor, bluntly asked:

“Is the Sword Sage really that amazing? You, who once found everything tedious and claimed to understand the nature of all things, are showing this much interest.”

Of course, even the Poison King, being part of the knowledge-thirsty Tang family, couldn’t help but harbor curiosity.

“Yeah, he’s an incredible person. The deeper you delve, the more interesting he becomes.”

“Definitely impressive. After defeating the Blood Sect and the Heavenly Demon, establishing impossible feats…”

“No, it’s not about his achievements.”

At that moment, Tang Sobaek continued, her voice dampened as if soaked with water.

“His path, every single word, his relationships.”

Even the Poison King, who didn’t understand her completely, couldn’t easily forget the deep and profound tone in her voice.

“The history recorded in the Celestial Records about him is the most important.”

So much so that it momentarily justified the reason for the girl secluded in the Tang family library for years to emerge into the world.

“The more you delve, the more fascinating it gets.”

Though the last line revealed a shift from a world-observing genius to a girl intrigued by human nature.

“It feels like my forgotten sense of justice as a righteous person is being awakened.”

Right then, she glanced down, gasped, and jumped up.

“Dad! I said not to wear shoes here, take them off immediately! And clean this up! Clean it, I said!!!”

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