I couldn’t exactly say I’d come from a future I’d already lived through, so I made something up.
“I’m kind of a genius myself.”
“Really, you won’t tell anyone?”
“Of course not. I’ve got no interest in getting caught up in anything troublesome.”
“That’s a relief. Saves me the effort of having to do something drastic.”
I gave a bitter smile.
The foolish young lady from moments ago had vanished without a trace.
The current Zhuge Yu-ah was far closer to the Smilingless Jade Maiden I knew.
Sharp yet courteous…
So this is who she really was? And she was acting like that brainless bright-eyed maniac?
Realizing that sent a chill down my spine.
“By the way, what exactly are you doing this for? Is it for your clan? Or for your own survival?”
“If it were just about surviving, I wouldn’t bother with something this troublesome. I could always fake my death.”
“So it is for your clan.”
Suddenly, the harsh words I’d thrown at her earlier came to mind.
Ah…
A wave of guilt rushed over me. I was the one who owed her an apology, not the other way around.
I quickly clasped my fists and bowed in apology.
“Please forgive my rudeness earlier, when I said you were destroying your own clan.”
“You don’t need to apologize. I deserved to hear something like that back then. If anything, I should be the one to apologize.”
“Huh?”
“For picking a fight for no reason. Causing a commotion when everyone’s watching seems to be the most effective tactic.”
She gave a small smile.
“In fact, it was hearing what you said that strengthened my resolve to save my clan. Honestly, I was getting a bit tired of it all.”
I found myself dazed by her smile for a moment.
So she could smile like that…
I asked Zhuge Yu-ah,
“Then why did you come all the way out here just to challenge me to a match?”
“Actually, I’ve got to officially stay out of sight for a while. And since my grandfather said it’s fine if I end up with a broken arm, it wouldn’t cause you any trouble.”
Her answer made everything clear.
If her arm was broken, she’d have a valid reason to be confined indoors. But if that happened at the training grounds, someone might stop it before it went that far.
That’s why she came to such a secluded place.
“I’m sorry for using you.”
“It’s fine.”
“If you see me later, I’d appreciate it if you either pretended not to notice or just ignored me.”
“I will.”
“And… thank you for coming alone.”
So the reason she was honest with me was because she thought I came alone.
But that’s not true,
Palgap is right over there…
I could see him hiding, but I couldn’t sense his presence at all. No matter how I thought about it, it was strange.
Was he always like that in my past life?
There didn’t seem to be a need to mention Palgap’s presence, so I kept my mouth shut.
At that moment, she held out her left arm.
“Then… can I ask one more favor?”
I sighed and asked,
“Do you really want me to break it?”
Morning came.
After breakfast and a short rest, I went with Chief Administrator Yu to answer the Grand Elder’s summons.
Fortunately, this time we made it to the Grand Elder’s residence without any interruptions.
He was staying in a detached pavilion, though it wasn’t the kind I’d imagined.
Do detached pavilions usually come with such a large tower, pond, and garden?
“Hahaha! I’ve been waiting for you.”
“Thank you for inviting us to such a grand place.”
Chief Administrator Yu had clearly gotten used to the Zhuge Clan’s scale and offered his greetings calmly.
I followed suit and greeted him as well.
“I’ve picked a good spot. Come this way.”
Chief Administrator Yu and I followed the Grand Elder and sat at a table set in a tower that overlooked the pond and garden.
“First, let me offer you my apologies.”
The Grand Elder looked at me as he spoke, and I had a good idea what this was about.
“I heard Yu-ah visited you last night and challenged you to a match. I didn’t think she’d actually go through with it, but she did.”
“I think I’m the one who should apologize.”
“Ah… you mean her broken arm?”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m the one who told her to get her arm broken, so you have nothing to apologize for.”
“I truly am sorry.”
I apologized again, though I didn’t really have anything to be sorry for.
No matter what, how could I actually go and break a young lady’s arm?
“It’s really fine. I should be the one apologizing. But enough of that… What do you think of the view here?”
“It’s quite picturesque. A place with real charm.”
The Grand Elder laughed at Chief Administrator Yu’s words.
“I’m quite fond of this place myself. So, what do you think? Could you compose a poem about it?”
“I’m not very skilled, but I’ll give it a try.”
Chief Administrator Yu paused to think, then recited a poem.
The Grand Elder and I closed our eyes, savoring the lines.
“Thank you for listening to my humble poem.”
“What are you saying? I’ve invited many scholars here to recite poetry, and among them, yours is by far the best.”
The Grand Elder showered him with praise.
He was looking at him like he’d found his soulmate.
They exchanged poems for a while, and before I knew it, they’d hit it off completely.
“Where have you been hiding all this time?”
“Meeting you today, Grand Elder, is like rain after a drought in my parched life.”
The problem was me.
I didn’t care much for poetry or literature.
The only reason I’d gotten involved in publishing Chief Administrator Yu’s poetry was because I had no choice but to be listed as a co-author.
That’s how I ended up being invited here, sitting around smiling and chatting about literature with them. My facial muscles were starting to twitch.
This is driving me crazy.
At some point, the teapot had been emptied, and a maid brought in a fresh pot.
Along with it came dried jujube as a snack.
The Grand Elder personally poured the tea and took a sip.
“The tea’s changed.”
At my comment, the Grand Elder chuckled and replied,
“I don’t like sticking to just one type of tea, so I like to change it up regularly.”
“I see. Is this tea called Moonlight in the Cup (盃中明月)?”
“Oh! You know it well. Are you a tea enthusiast too?”
“I’ve come across many kinds of tea through my work with the merchant group, so I’ve picked up a bit.”
“Still, to identify the tea just from its flavor… Impressive.”
“Thank you.”
“Anyway, about that poetry…”
Once again, the topic shifted back to literature, and the two of them fell right back into their own world.
Uh, excuse me?
It’s already been well over an hour?
Still, I’ve never seen Chief Administrator Yu look this happy before.
What the…
How could someone who could smile like that have lived such a tragic life?
Suddenly, my mouth tasted bitter.
As I listened to their conversation and slowly sipped my tea, the teapot emptied again before I realized it.
When the maid returned with a fresh pot, the Grand Elder turned to me with an intrigued gaze.
“Shall I test the young master again on the name of this tea?”
“I’ll give it a try.”
I accepted the cup he poured with both hands and took a sip.
This one I knew as well.
“This is Green Beauty (綠美人).”
At my words, the Grand Elder smiled in satisfaction.
“Correct. These are all teas I personally enjoy.”
“And thank you for sharing them with us.”
“Of course. You’re dear friends in poetry, after all.”
The way he looked at Chief Administrator Yu was practically dripping with honey.
Is he really that fond of him?
Perhaps it was due to the Zhuge Clan’s tradition of valuing knowledge, or maybe it was just the Grand Elder’s personal preference, but he clearly had a deep love for literature.
Despite being the head of a martial clan, his understanding of poetry and writing ran deep.
As a result, his connections weren’t limited to martial artists, but extended to many scholars as well.
If he held Chief Administrator Yu in such high regard, the man’s reputation among the literati would soar.
And the Zhuge Clan would become his solid backing.
But that was only possible if the Grand Elder remained alive.
For some reason, my mouth felt bitter again. I picked up a piece of dried jujube and bit into it.
The sweetness spread across my tongue.
Sure enough, eating something sweet lifted my mood.
I reached for another—then stopped.
Wait. Jujube?
Something was bothering me.
There was an incident involving jujube in the future I’d experienced…
In that moment, the names of the teas I had drunk came to mind.
Moonlight in the Cup (盃中明月).
Green Beauty (綠美人).
And the first one—Song of Birds and Flowers (花鳥淸音).
I bit my lip slightly.
The Grand Elder… was he poisoned?
In the future I’d lived through, about fifteen years from now, an event shook the entire empire.
The Empress’s death.
It nearly passed as a natural illness, but the Emperor, deeply in love with her, refused to accept it quietly.
He ordered that not even a single doubt remain about her death.
It was likely his inability to let her go that drove the investigation.
But that hesitation revealed something unexpected.
The Empress had been poisoned.
Song of Birds and Flowers.
Moonlight in the Cup.
Green Beauty.
Three teas, each laced with poison. When consumed individually, the poison blended perfectly with the tea, leaving no trace.
The balance between them was flawless.
But poison works that way—it only takes imbalance for the damage to begin.
The trigger was the poison hidden inside the jujube.
Each tea and jujube alone was nothing more than a tasty drink or snack.
But when consumed in succession over the course of a day… that was when it became lethal.
Even worse, it didn’t show immediate effects. A day or two wasn’t enough. It took at least a year of consistent consumption before symptoms appeared.
That delay made it impossible for physicians to identify it as poison.
The victim would slowly waste away and die.
The official cause? Illness, of course.
The poison’s name was Silent Mire (無覺藪).
Like sinking into a bog without realizing it, it killed its victims slowly, over time—a horrifying fourfold compound poison.
No one knew who created it, but it was nothing short of genius.
Why couldn’t that talent have been used for something good?
To think this poison was already being used at this time…
Now what?
I looked at the Grand Elder’s face.
Judging from his complexion, he hadn’t been heavily poisoned yet. Based on when he was said to have died in the future, there was still time to reverse it.
Once the poison became known to the world, physicians eventually discovered its antidote.
I knew it as well.
Most merchants walked the path of righteousness, but many also used deceitful tricks.
To protect oneself from such schemes, it was crucial to study their methods—poisons included.
If the Grand Elder died, Chief Administrator Yu would be devastated.
He’d finally found a kindred spirit.
The grief might even lead to an early death, and that would surely break my father’s heart too.
I let out a quiet sigh.
No matter what, I couldn’t just sit back and watch someone die right in front of me.
To be honest, I had hesitated to come here in the first place.
The Zhuge Clan had long commanded the military forces of the Murim Alliance, so building a friendly relationship with them wasn’t going to be easy.
Still, something about it hadn’t sat right with me.
Even when the Zhuge Clan fell, and even after they were gone, the Murim Alliance only offered token condolences.
They never offered real help or support.
That was why I had to come and see things for myself.
But the question remained—who was behind this?
Who would do such a thing…
Could it be that Zhuge Yu-ah had already sensed these movements and was pretending to be a carefree fool?
That seemed highly likely.
Just then, the maid came to inform us that lunch was ready.
This was my chance.
“Excuse me, but… where do you brew this tea?”
“Why do you ask?”
I quickly hid my real thoughts and replied,
“It has such a rich aroma. I found myself wanting to see how it’s prepared, hoping to learn something.”
“Hahaha! So eager—youth truly is admirable!”
“I apologize if I’ve overstepped.”
“Not at all. If something is worth learning, then the desire to learn it is praiseworthy.”
He chuckled and continued.
“Well, it’s no secret, so I’ll have them show you after lunch.”
“Thank you.”
“Let’s eat first, and then we’ll continue our poetry session afterward.”
After lunch, we were about to return to our literary exchange.
But things didn’t go that way.
“Well now, it seems we have an uninvited guest.”
–TL Notes–
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