NOVEL NEXT The Time-Limited Elixir of the Ruined Clan
Chapter 4
How did he interpret Ryeon’s sparkling eyes filled with anticipation? Danmok Cheongi’s energy began to ripple quietly.
“What are you thinking about that makes you pout like a duckling?” Ryeon was startled and quickly covered her mouth with both hands. However, she smiled inwardly. It seemed that, as her grandfather, he still found his granddaughter cute. “Hmm. Would you like to come closer?” Danmok Cheongi spoke as if he were giving her a difficult task, telling her to come closer. However, for Ryeon, it was rather a welcome gesture. Although she tilted her head in slight confusion, she didn’t hesitate and approached him with confident steps. Danmok Cheongi, sitting on the grand chair, was a little flustered, as if he had not expected her to approach him so suddenly, even though he had told her to come closer. “Yes… Since you’ve come all this way with such sincerity to greet me, I can’t let you leave empty-handed.” Danmok Cheongi said this and then untied a jade norigae from his waist, handing it to the Head of the Household standing nearby. The Head of the Household’s eyes widened in recognition of the norigae, and after a moment, he carefully held the jade norigae and handed it towards Ryeon. “Thank you, Grandfather!” The jade norigae, meticulously crafted from high-quality jade, seemed to carry a refreshing aura, likely because someone as esteemed as Danmok Cheongi had kept it by his side for a long time. Ryeon accepted the jade norigae given by the Head of the Household without hesitation and quickly hung it to her waist. At that moment… ‘Huh?’ A strange sensation, as if reaching into an empty basket, flashed through her mind. At the same time, characters appeared over the jade norigae. [First-rate Master’s Long-cared Yang Jade: Spiritual Power Capacity 14] ‘Spiritual Power Capacity? What does that mean?’ As Ryeon pondered this, the characters changed. Would you like to store Spiritual Energy? Help: Good stones are imbued with spiritual energy. The higher the quality of the stone, the more spiritual energy it can store. ‘I’ll store it! I’ll store it!’ Spiritual Energy: 49/100 (14▼) At the same time, Ryeon felt a sensation of spiritual energy flowing out from her fingertips, and in an instant, the red energy in the ‘Spiritual Energy’ section disappeared. Thanks to this, her body also felt much lighter. ‘Good stones can store spiritual energy?’ This was the first time she had heard of it. Ryeon looked down at the jade norigae given to her by Danmok Cheongi once again. ‘Ah… I hadn’t had many opportunities to touch such jewels before due to the family’s circumstances…’ She had never been this close to her grandfather before. Suddenly, this jade seemed to shine even more beautifully than diamonds. And it was only natural that the person who gave her this jade, Danmok Cheongi, seemed to be radiating a halo. Seeing Ryeon’s face light up so brightly at the sight of the jade norigae, Danmok Cheongi seemed a bit flustered. “A, ahem. D…do you like it?” “Yes! Grandfather! I like it! I like it so much… so much! Thank you so much. Really, it’s so…” Ryeon was overwhelmed with joy, tears welling up in her eyes. How could she lower this damned spiritual energy below 50? It had been a problem, but it was solved so quickly! “I… if you like it, then just like it! Why are you crying and making a scene? As the eldest grandchild of the clan, you should be more composed! Can’t you stop that already?” “N, no! I didn’t cry!” Seeing his tearful granddaughter, Danmok Cheongi cleared his throat. “Then that’s enough. Do you need anything else?” “No, Father. You’ve already given Ryeon medicine as well…” Wi Jicheong smiled gently and tried to decline, but Ryeon’s mind was already racing with ideas. Isn’t there something urgent right now? “Ah! Grandfather! I have!” “Hmmm. What is it? As the eldest grandchild, you should have the courage to speak boldly about what you want. Head of the Household of the inner court, please stay quiet.” The way Ryeon shouted seemed more confident than ill-mannered. Wi Jicheong looked perplexed but couldn’t scold her. “Grandfather, I want to learn martial arts!” However, as soon as Ryeon shouted, a chilling breeze began to blow ominously around her. No one answered. ‘W…what is this?’ She thought he’d be pleased if the eldest grandchild wanted to learn martial arts as soon as they opened their eyes? “…You want to learn martial arts?” “Yes, I’m already eight years old, but I still don’t know anything…” While Danmok Cheongi’s lips only twitched, Wi Jicheong pulled Ryeon closer. “Ryeon, how about you wait until you’re a bit healthier before starting to learn martial arts?” “Yes? I’m…” When the spiritual energy accumulates, her condition might worsen a bit, but otherwise, wasn’t she completely fine? However, Ryeon just fidgeted with her lips, trailing off. In Wi Jicheong’s eyes, there were tears welling up. “M, Mom, why… please don’t cry…” “No, I’m not crying. I’m not crying. It’s just that Ryeon…” In a situation where her mother is on the verge of tears and her grandfather is unable to speak, how can she bring up the topic of learning martial arts? ‘Are you really that worried?’ It seemed that her parents were extremely worried, given that their daughter, who had been like a living corpse, had finally opened her eyes. Ryeon came to the conclusion that even the smallest steps she took were a source of great concern for them. “T, then, I’ll learn martial arts a bit later!” “Alright, let’s do that. Our Ryeon is so good.” “…When the time comes, I will teach you myself. Ryeon, don’t let yourself or the head of the household of the inner court get anxious; just focus on your health and recovery.” “Yes, Patriarch.” Wi Jicheong quickly bowed and greeted him, then embraced Ryeon. Seeing this, Danmok Cheongi waved his hand. It was a gesture to dismiss guests. However, there was no harshness in the gesture. * * * “The child… is walking well.” “Physician Heo mentioned that while her body is still developing, her vitality is weak, and caution is needed, there are no other issues. In fact, he was surprised by how remarkably smart she is.” Head of the Household Kang Lib quickly added. “Over the past seven, nearly eight years, how much effort the Head of the Household of the inner court has put in.” Head of the Household Kang Lib felt a little tearful as he spoke. It was thanks to the effort of her mother, Wi Jicheong, that they had managed to endure all the way here with a child who didn’t turn around even when called by name and didn’t cry despite the pain. Before giving birth to Danmok Ryeon, she had been in poor health and constantly needed medication. Despite everyone’s objections, she gave birth and became so healthy that even the physicians were astonished. She poured all her efforts into raising the child. “From what I’ve heard, she doesn’t seem to be a fool.” “Oh, what are you saying? Physician Heo was astonished at how smart she is.” “Hmm. It’s quite admirable that she speaks clearly without blinking an eye even after seeing my face.” Twenty-five years ago, while fighting against the Blood Faction, the wounds he sustained from their poison couldn’t be treated by any means and left deep scars. Even before that, Danmok Cheongi had a fierce expression, but after getting the scars, no one dared to look him straight in the eye. “Right?” “But that guy Hyunseong was like that too.” “No, Patriarch…” “Even the Great Patriarch!” Head of the Household Kang Lib stared blankly at Danmok Cheongi, who was comparing his now-deceased son, known for being a genius, to his granddaughter who had just woken up. Kang Lib quickly lowered his gaze as Danmok Cheongi’s eyes grew fierce. “If you call someone smart just because they speak well and walk steadily, then where in Hangzhou would there be a child who isn’t smart?” “That’s true too…” Head of the Household Kang Lib trailed off at the end of his sentence. ‘But the Young Miss has only been awake for just a few months.’ Still, lately, Danmok Cheongi’s expression has changed drastically compared to before. His granddaughter waking up has brought him immense joy. Of course, she was his own granddaughter. “Ryeon’s martial arts training… will be decided based on her condition in the future. Ensure that no one brings up the topic of martial arts around her for now.” “Yes!” Kang Lib bowed and replied. Danmok Cheongi’s gaze turned towards the window, watching as his granddaughter and daughter-in-law walked away. * * * Jeon, a servant in the Danmok family’s kitchen, had not been with the household for long. Due to the limited number of staff, he was responsible for various tasks in the kitchen. His duties included checking and organizing the condition of food ingredients arriving every dawn, sweeping and cleaning both inside and outside the kitchen, and harvesting fresh eggs daily from the small chicken coop in the backyard. However, deep in Jeon’s heart was a flame he had nurtured for a long time. Although he was now just a kitchen servant in the declining household, his grand ambition was to become the top cook in Zhejiang Province. “Is it okay to mix it like this?” ‘But at this rate, won’t I lose my head before I become the greatest cook in the world?’ It was before noon. In front of the chicken coop he was taking care of, a little girl dressed in white appeared. Jeon recognized her immediately. The white clothing, meticulously finished to the very end of the sleeves, was reserved only for the bloodline of the Danmok family. Although it had once been a luxurious garment with silver embroidery on white silk, it had become much simpler over time. Regardless, such pure white clothing was a rare sight. The little Young Miss confidently spoke to the bewildered Jeon. ─ When are you going to feed the chickens? In other words, she had come to help feed the chickens. It was natural for Jeon to feel that his future was bleak as he was mixing the chicken feed with the eldest grandchild of the Clan. The nanny who took care of the eldest grandchild seemed to be similar.
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