The Fragile Elixer of the Fallen Clan

‘It’s because one day you’ll grow up to be someone who can coldly reject my requests, but right now, you’re still just a boy. And even though you’re destined to become the Vice-Leader of the Demon Sect, wouldn’t it be nice if, just this once, you could walk the righteous path? Besides, if we become friends, maybe you won’t kill me on a whim someday. And…’

I opened my mouth, ready to continue, but then I closed it silently.

Everyone in the martial arts world knew the Demon Sect wasn’t a place where disciples were nurtured with warmth and care.

‘They say it’s a place where candidates for leadership compete fiercely, and only the survivors make it.’

They took children as young as us and put them through brutal training. I’d even heard they taught techniques like the Star Absorption method, where you could drain another person’s internal energy. Whether you’d be the one giving or receiving that energy was up to fate.

‘How can people who worship the Mysterious Goddess of the Nine Heavens be so cruel?’

But beyond that, the Demon Sect’s headquarters was far beyond Qinghai Province, in a harsh climate. It was a world away from Zhejiang Province in eastern China. How did Hwa-Ryun, a boy from Hangzhou, make it all the way there? Did the Demon Sect recognize his talent and kidnap him? Even if they did, the long journey to the Tian Shan mountains wouldn’t have been easy.

“If you stay with the family, you won’t get kidnapped,” I said softly, hoping to make him see reason.

And if he wasn’t kidnapped, then that meant he went to the Demon Sect on his own.

If Hwa-Ryun chose to walk that endless journey because he had no one else to rely on, no place to call home, then…

My heart ached at the thought. What kind of life had he lived that he felt such despair at such a young age? What kind of world pushed him onto such a dark path?

I wanted to reach out, to change his fate, even just a little. Maybe if he stayed here, and learned to read and write, things could be different.

But how could I explain all of that? How could I make him understand?

“Because…” I hesitated. “Because I want us to stay friends, no matter what. And maybe, just maybe, learning to read can be the start of that.”

I didn’t want to save the entire world. I didn’t even see this as some grand act of salvation. But right now, a child was standing in front of me, and if there was a way to keep him from embarking on that harsh journey, it felt natural to tell him about it.

‘Even if this kid managed to survive back there, he’s lost a lot of his edge now. Who knows what might happen?’

He was already saying it’s better to avoid anything that involves fighting and killing.

“It’s just… I get bored learning on my own… So…”

“…”

“Ryun-ah, do you not want to learn to read? Hmm?” If he at least learned to read, life might be a bit easier for him. What should I do with this stubborn boy? I sighed inwardly and looked at him intently.

He stared back at me, then took a deep breath, rolled his eyes, and shrugged.

“…Fine, I’ll learn.”

“Really?”

Hwa-ryun nodded silently. I beamed and handed him the rest of the rice ball.

* * *

But I had no idea things would turn out this way. I stood there, bewildered, looking at Nanny Jang, my mother Wi Ji-chung, and the two boys in front of me.

“Uh, uh, Mother…”

I knew both of them well. One was my five-year-old brother, Dan Mok-bi, who was already running around with a wooden sword. The other one…

“You said your name is Hwa-ryun? It’s a good name. You’re about the same age as Bi-ah, so I thought it’d be nice for you to come and learn together.”

Hwa-ryun, now cleaned up and dressed in neat white clothes instead of his old rags, looked like a young nobleman.

I glanced at my mother, Wi Ji-chung, unsure of what to make of this situation. I knew people in the family would eventually notice me talking to the workboy by the chicken coop, but I never imagined my mother would bring him into the household. And I didn’t expect him to agree so quickly, especially after all his fuss about learning to read.

As I stood there, flustered and fumbling, Hwa-ryun chuckled softly and bowed.

“That’s how it is now, Miss. Please take care of me.”

“Please take care of me too, Miss!” my little brother, Dan Mok-bi, mimicked Hwa-ryun, bowing right beside him.

Mother didn’t scold Mok-bi for copying a servant’s manners; she just smiled, finding it cute.

“Mok-bi, call her Sister.”

“Sister! Sister!” Mok-bi laughed and ran over, clinging to my leg.

Mok-bi’s traits: collector of tendons, dedicated, imprinted, talented, and bright.  

Concerns: Today’s snack with Sister, Jeong Yeong’s walking style.

‘He’s my brother, but sometimes he feels like someone else entirely.’

I patted his head, amazed. His talents seemed to rival even Dan Mok-cheon’s, and his concerns were anything but ordinary.

‘Jeong Yeong’s walking style? Does he mean footwork?’

Jeong Yeong was a guard who patrolled the wall around my quarters. I had noticed him constantly training, even while walking, and it seemed Mok-bi had picked up on that too.

‘If Mok-bi had grown up well, he could have become the greatest in the world.’ But I didn’t see that future, because…

“No, no, no. Sister, no. Don’t go. You can’t go! Sister, if you’re gone, I…

“What’s the point of being the last one alive to carry on the family?  

“I don’t want to leave either. I want to stay with our people, too…”

Old, blurred memories of Mok-bi’s tear-stained face, clinging to my hand like a child, came rushing back. His face, sharp and thin after I died, filled with grief and sorrow, flashed before my eyes and then faded.

With great effort, I pulled myself back to the present.

“Ah… well… then Hwa-ryun should call me Sister too…”

“Should he? That sounds good.”

Mother seemed pleased. Since Hwa-ryun wasn’t just a servant but someone who would grow up with us like a sibling, no one would mind if he called me sister.

My mother, Wi Ji-chung, smiled warmly and gently nudged Hwa-ryun forward. He looked a bit startled at first but quickly recovered, a small chuckle escaping his lips.

“…Sister Ryeon.”

I could only nod, caught between wanting to laugh and cry.

* * *

“Copy these characters,” the teacher instructed.

“Yes!” Dan Mok-bi, my little brother, responded eagerly. Hwa-ryun and I just nodded quietly and started writing with our brushes.

Mok-bi’s writing was a bit wobbly since he was still so young, but he was giving it his all. I glanced over at Hwa-ryun. His expression was hard to read, but his writing was neat and precise.

“You’ve all done well,” the teacher said. “Geomho Geogwol, Ju Ching Yagwang. It means the Geogwol sword is the most famous among swords, and the Yagwang pearl is the most precious among jewels. Do you know what the Yagwang pearl is?”

Our teacher was a young man of twenty-five, the proud head of the Dan Mok clan’s teaching hall. With his chiseled features, he could have been famous in Hangzhou’s marketplace, but he had been busy with secluded training since he was seventeen. Few people outside our family knew his face. Only the subtle shadow in his eyes hinted at the inner demons he battled. I fidgeted with my sleeve.

Dan Mok-hyeon-woo’s traits: captivating, loves to dote, reclusive, mischievous.  

Skills: 7-star (8-star) Falling Star Sword, 5-star Dan Cheon Bi Sword, 8-star Infinity Treasure, 5-star Meteor Formation.  

Talents: top-middle (upper middle).  

Concerns: responsibility and guilt over Dan Mok-ryeon’s health, self-doubt.  

Advice: sleeping soundly without worry, and meeting a variety of people is the best!

To have mastered our family’s primary sword technique to an 8-star level before turning thirty was incredible. Even though his inner demons limited him to using it at a 7-star level, it was still remarkable.

‘Is it right for Uncle Hyeon-woo to be our teacher? What if it’s my fault that he’s struggling with his inner demons?’

Seven years ago, when I was just born, our family was attacked by a faction called the Black Lotus. The attack was so significant that it nearly split the Martial Arts Alliance in half.

It happened on a night when the moon had barely risen. Seventeen-year-old Dan Mok-hyeon-woo, already a prodigy and nearly as skilled as his older brother, joined the other swordsmen to protect me, his newborn niece, and the youngest member of the family.

His confidence matched that of his older brother, Dan Mok Hyun-seong, who had faced off against the Blood Valley at a similar age.

Swords clashed, shouts filled the air, and amidst the chaos, I was moved around, crying my lungs out. 

Despite the turmoil, I escaped with only minor injuries. We later discovered that it wasn’t the Black Lotus but remnants of the Blood Valley causing the trouble, and things eventually settled down. Or so we thought.

Before a few months had passed, everyone noticed something was wrong with me.