The Eldest Daughter of the Sichuan Tang Clan Protects Her Family

Chapter 15: Doubt

“N-Noona.”
Tang Sohwa’s gaze shifted towards Tang Hak, who was nervously glancing behind them. “Do you think… Elder Tang Min will be alright?”
The deputy leader responded, “He’ll be fine. He’s not someone we need to worry about.”

There was a quiet confidence in his voice. He had known Tang Min since before they were born, so he was likely right. However, Tang Hak, raised in a time of peace, couldn't shake his anxiety.
“B-but, still…” He glanced back again.
The deputy leader, his gaze fixed forward, replied calmly, “If those are opponents even he can't handle, we need to move faster.”

“What are you talking about?! We have to go back and help him!” Tang Hak exclaimed, his voice laced with alarm. But the deputy leader didn't waver. “If they’re opponents Black Heaven Dark Ghost can’t defeat, we won't stand a chance. We need to request assistance from the Martial Alliance.”
“Did you retrieve the carrier pigeon we sent earlier? Any response?” Sohwa, seemingly agreeing with the deputy leader, calmly inquired about his plan.
Tang Hak stared at her, aghast. “Noona!”

Tang Sohwa trusted the deputy leader's judgment. The Black Tiger Unit was her father's personal force, handpicked by him for their skills and loyalty. Tang Jiha didn't simply recruit warriors based on their strength. The deputy leader wasn't the strongest warrior in the Tang Clan, yet her father valued him highly and had appointed him to his current position. And if time flowed as it had in her previous life, he would eventually become the unit leader.
‘Though I'm not sure that’s a good thing…’ In her past life, the deputy leader had died while pursuing a group impersonating the Tang Clan. The Black Tiger Unit had lost their leader, but the rest had returned safely. That was why her father valued Tang Jihoo. He always prioritized the survival of his comrades, and he was usually successful. Her father had sent him with them because he knew he would prioritize their safety above all else.
Therefore, even if his words seemed cold and pragmatic, it was wise to follow his lead.

“No. Not yet,” the deputy leader replied, his voice flat and emotionless. His tone, however, held a strange sense of calm, rather than disappointment. He didn't seem to doubt Tang Min's abilities.
Sohwa glanced behind them. They had been running for half an hour, yet there was no sign of pursuit. If their pursuers had been using movement techniques, they would have caught up by now. The fact that their group was still intact meant that Tang Min, single-handedly, had ensured their escape.
She had to trust him.

“Just a little further,” Yeon-a’s voice reached her.
Sohwa’s gaze shifted sideways. The warriors from the thatched-roof houses were running with them, clutching their wounds. Three of them, too injured to walk, were being carried by their less injured comrades.
Sohwa’s gaze settled on Yeon-a, who was running alongside them, her face etched with worry.

Both Tang Min and the deputy leader had initially objected to bringing the injured warriors. If the Martial Alliance became suspicious, protecting these strangers could put the Tang Clan at risk. However, Physician Jincheol had refused to abandon them, insisting on staying behind with them, leaving them no choice but to bring them along.
Sohwa observed the injured warriors, an unsettling mix of curiosity and anxiety churning in her stomach. What had happened on this mountain in her past life?
As if sensing her gaze, Yeon-a turned and offered a brief smile. Unlike the stoic warrior she remembered, Yeon-a now openly expressed her fear and hope. This unfamiliar side of her was both intriguing and unsettling.
Sohwa turned away, her gaze fixed forward.

Yoonjin, who had been scouting ahead, reappeared. “Ambush ahead. Approximately thirty enemies.”
The deputy leader immediately issued orders. “Prioritize the safety of the main family. Hanwon and Geolo, clear a path.”
Sohwa couldn’t sense any presence, despite Yoonjin’s warning. Puzzled, she focused her senses. A foul odor assaulted her nostrils, and she instinctively raised her sleeve to cover her nose.

As Yoonjin disappeared again, the deputy leader turned to them. “We’ll create an opening. When Yoonjin returns, follow him. As I said before, if these are opponents Elder Tang Min couldn’t handle, we need to move quickly.”
Sohwa lowered her sleeve and shook her head. “These aren’t the ones who fought Elder Tang Min.”
The deputy leader stared at her, waiting for an explanation. But she couldn't explain. Only her father and Tang Min knew about her ability to perceive internal energy through her senses. She hadn't intended to keep it a secret, but her father had ordered her not to reveal it, and she had obeyed.

The internal energy she was sensing wasn't tactile but olfactory. And it was a faint scent, barely discernible even with her heightened senses. If these were the same warriors who had fought Tang Min, they would have been incapacitated by the poison mist upon entering the village.
The poison she had brought from the Tang Clan was a paralytic agent, most effective when introduced directly into the bloodstream, either through a wound or via a coated weapon. They didn't have enough weapons to effectively poison a large group. So, she had combined the Tang Clan’s paralytic agent with chilbosa venom, vaporizing it and dispersing it throughout the village. The chilbosa venom, inhaled into the lungs, would induce internal bleeding, allowing the paralytic agent to rapidly enter the bloodstream.
The Tang Clan's paralytic poison was known for its rapid onset. By the time the victim realized they had been poisoned, it was already too late. Only those with exceptionally potent internal energy could resist its effects.

However, the enemies ahead didn't seem particularly strong.
Unable to explain, she offered a plausible excuse. “They could be the ones who were stationed outside, blocking the escape routes, or scouts. Didn't Yoonjin report that they were split into groups, trying to break through the formation?”
Just as she finished speaking, Yoonjin reappeared beside the deputy leader. “I’ve cleared a path to the right. Judging by their clean robes and swords, they seem to be scouts.”

The deputy leader glanced at Sohwa, who, avoiding his gaze, checked her weapons. A small vial of poison and five throwing knives.
Yoonjin led the way, running ahead. “I’ve eliminated the ten archers positioned on the cliff path to the right. Follow me. We’ll cover your escape.”
Sohwa frowned, her eyes scanning their surroundings. The scent had dispersed, as if scattered by a strong wind. They had spread out. And contrary to Yoonjin’s report, the strongest stench was coming from the right.

Either he was lying, or they had reinforced their position after the archers were eliminated.
As she debated revealing her secret, the deputy leader stopped abruptly, his arm outstretched, blocking the path to the cliff.
“Hold.”

Tang Hak and Sohwa stopped beside him.
The injured warriors also seemed to sense something, drawing their swords.
“Yoonjin,” the deputy leader prompted.

“…They must have realized we’ve created an escape route,” Yoonjin replied, his voice calm.
A heavy silence descended, a suffocating stillness that pressed against their chests.
The forest path wasn’t dark. The moonlight, filtering through the leaves, cast a soft glow over their surroundings.

Whoosh. The wind rustled through the trees, scattering the moonlight like a gentle rain.
The scene was eerily peaceful, a tranquil prelude to an impending storm. The forest held its breath, waiting.
Amidst the cloying stench, Sohwa calculated the direction of the wind. ‘I wish I had brought more poison powder.’ She applied poison to three of her throwing knives. The venom, dripping from the blades onto her fingers, made her skin crawl. But only for a moment. Her body, accustomed to poison, quickly adapted, the tingling sensation fading as her skin returned to normal.

It was a reckless act, one only someone with her unique constitution could attempt.
“…Miss,” Yeon-a said, looking up at her. “If they’re here… does that mean…?” she hesitated, then asked softly, “Does that mean the warrior who stayed behind is…?”
“That’s an insult to the Tang Clan’s Elder,” Sohwa retorted coldly, surprising herself with the sharpness in her voice. Yeon-a flinched and fell silent.

After a moment, Sohwa added, “He’ll be fine.”
A cold gust of wind cut through the stench. It wasn't an attack. Sohwa glanced over Yeon-a's shoulder, following the chill. The injured warriors were channeling their internal energy.
Sohwa frowned. Their meridians were damaged, most of them incapable of manipulating their internal energy. Yet, they were forcing their energy through their blocked pathways, a reckless act that could be fatal. And incredibly painful. Yet, their expressions remained unchanged, stoic masks of indifference.

The energy surging within them radiated outwards, a wave of coldness washing over her.
A tactile sensation of internal energy.
A deep furrow appeared between Sohwa’s brows. The flow of their internal energy was… strange. She initially attributed it to the forced circulation through their damaged pathways, like waves crashing against a cliff face. But upon closer inspection, it was different.

It wasn't a rhythmic pulse, but a chaotic surge, a writhing mass of energy that prickled her skin like a swarm of insects.
It was unlike anything she had ever encountered. ‘What are they?’
There were too many unanswered questions. Why had the Tang Clan been unaware of their existence in her previous life, when even Namgung Hyeon knew about them? This was Mount Emei, in Sichuan. It was as if someone had deliberately withheld information from the Tang Clan.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden volley of projectiles.
Bang! Kwabang! Kwang!
The warriors, their bodies radiating a chilling aura, intercepted the incoming arrows. The projectiles clattered to the ground, the sharp whistling sound echoing through the air.

Thud. Thud, thud.
So, there had been archers. That was why the stench hadn’t advanced.
Sohwa’s gaze shifted, settling on Yoonjin, the Black Tiger Unit warrior who had claimed to have cleared a path by eliminating the archers.

Suddenly, the Black Tiger Unit warriors guarding the main family lunged forward, as if sensing something.
Sohwa’s gaze remained fixed on Yoonjin’s retreating figure. Unlike the other warriors, who were charging towards the source of the stench, he was moving away from it, towards a cleaner, less contaminated area.