Lady Tang.
In the original work, she’s the poison user and villain of the Sichuan Tang Family, known as the Poison Butterfly.
Even if I’ve been reincarnated, meeting the original villain is not something I’m keen on. But through Cheon So-hee, I realized that even villains can become heroines, and that very night, I happened to run into Lady Tang.
Could it be that Lady Tang could also become a heroine?
When we first met, even if Lady Tang showed signs of being a potential heroine, I had just been worrying about So-hee at the Seong Family, so I only dropped a hint that could twist her fate before parting ways.
Who would have thought I would meet her again here?
When I went up to the second floor of the guesthouse, the situation was already tense.
Someone must have touched Lady Tang’s veil, revealing her mottled skin. The guards of the guesthouse were showing strong wariness towards her.
“She had a plague, and all her companions fled!”
“I saw her entourage bringing in medicine a few days ago!”
“Get that leper out of here quickly!”
The guards, who appeared to be responsible for security, drew their swords in unison.
“What? D-d-d-leper?”
A leper, huh?
Leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, is a well-known contagious disease mentioned even in the Bible, famously leaving one’s skin to rot and decay if contracted.
Nowadays, it can be easily treated, but in the past, if you got it, you suffered until death, facing contempt and discrimination from others.
Being told you’re a leper is like hitting an insecure woman where it hurts the most.
Sure enough, Lady Tang looked furious as she simultaneously slipped multiple talismans onto her right hand from who-knows-where.
“Talismans? And is her hair purple?”
“That leper couldn’t possibly be from the Sichuan Tang Family, could she?!”
“Damn it! They’re still calling her leper even now.”
I could see Lady Tang gritting her teeth, trying to control her anger, but it seemed that if this continued, her talismans would soon target the guards’ brows.
“Hey! That’s not the Sichuan Tang Family girl! She’s from somewhere else!”
“What? I’m only surprised for no reason. Let’s just kick her out and think about the money later!”
The five guards confidently aimed their swords at Lady Tang.
You guys are going to die. She’s not someone that these small-time guesthouse guards can handle.
Am I seriously witnessing the first scene where Lady Tang becomes a villain because of her appearance?
Then I must intervene.
“Stop right there.”
I spoke in a low tone, filled with strength, like a masked man throwing roses for a magical girl in peril.
Whether they heard my voice or not, the guards all turned to look at me.
“What’s up with this barbarian?! Who are you?!”
“A barbarian telling us to stop?!”
One of the guards brought the sword right up to my face.
If it had been the old me, I would have just flattened myself on the ground in this situation.
Maybe for a young hoodlum or a beggar, if a third-rate warrior pulled a sword, they could send someone like me to the other side. But of course, I still wouldn’t be able to take on five sword-wielding guards.
But I have a weapon now.
‘I’ll go with the mysterious martial arts world concept.’
A martial arts technique that allows me to fool these idiots.
“How rude.”
Without hesitation, I grabbed the blade held in front of my face.
For an ordinary person, this would be a mad thing to do, risking losing a hand. But my hand didn’t bleed even a drop.
The Jade Face Protective Technique.
A martial art I learned from So-hee. That skill is now displaying its powers.
“W-what?! This crazy guy!”
The guard, shaken and surprised, tried to pull back his sword, but it wouldn’t budge an inch.
I maintained a calm expression, making it look like I wasn’t straining at all while firmly gripping the sword.
“H-how can he grab the sword with his bare hands?!”
“Isn’t he bleeding?!”
“W-where does this barbarian come from?!”
If you have a little sister willing to spend money for her brother, you could do it too, man.
With my skin enhanced by the Jade Face Protective Technique, a third-rate warrior’s sword can’t even leave a scratch on my skin treated like a premium item.
“Yiiik!”
The guard, panicking, pulled with both hands, yet the sword remained motionless in my grasp.
I told you it wouldn’t work.
When I learned the Murong Family’s Tonae Technique, my body’s abilities were already beyond that of an ordinary citizen.
Now, having mastered the Small Wheel Mental Image Technique upgraded by So-hee, there’s no way simple strength would suffice against me.
I could feel when the man was momentarily exhausted, the grip on his sword weakening, and with the enhanced strength of the Small Wheel Mental Image Technique, I yanked the sword away from him.
“E-er?”
The man who lost his sword could only watch his weapon clatter to the guesthouse floor with a dazed expression.
I performed all of this with a composed demeanor, as if I hadn’t exerted any effort.
“W-wonderful!”
“Grabbing the blade bare-handed and taking the sword away!”
“W-why is a master here at our guesthouse?!”
Yes, be surprised some more. Praise me!
Finally overwhelming someone with martial arts in this martial arts world felt so fulfilling. It was a bit emotional. Well, of course, once it turns into a real sword fight, my skills would be revealed instantly.
But there’s no need to disclose that fact, so I confidently walked past the guards and stood in front of Lady Tang.
“Y-you are that o… Kang Yoon-ho?”
Lady Tang seemed to momentarily forget my name while recalling that memory and was about to call me barbarian.
I see. I’m Kang Yoon-ho. Even though she claimed she wasn’t concerned about my name that day, I must have left quite an impression.
“It’s been a while, Lady Tang.”
I greeted her with a smile, taking a bow.
“Uh, oh.”
Lady Tang shook her head slightly in surprise.
“Mister. Are you acquainted with that plague-ridden girl?”
Just for grabbing a sword nicely, I’m suddenly a mister. I was treated like a barbarian for ages.
So this is what they mean by ‘a frail body means a troubled mind.’
“Lady Tang is not a plague victim. She’s merely suffering from a simple skin condition.”
“Isn’t that obviously a plague victim?”
Feeling like a master, the guards’ attitudes rapidly turned polite.
“Calmly observe. There are no blisters or pus like a plague victim. It’s just a bit of a different skin color.”
Look at you racist idiots! You shouldn’t judge a person by their skin color or hair! It’s people like you who make the martial arts genre popular for all the wrong reasons!
“Still…”
The guards shot skeptical looks towards Lady Tang.
I took a moment to examine her again. The mottled skin visible below her nose. It appeared that the symptoms hadn’t spread fully to her body, as her chin to the neck remained clean.
I need evidence in front of these guys.
“Lady Tang, may I examine your wrist for a moment?”
I showcased her wrist, which had a mottled skin tone.
As soon as I grabbed her wrist without hesitation, a few guards took a step back, their eyes widening.
I bowed to Lady Tang for my rudeness, receiving a nod of acknowledgment, and then confidently opened my mouth.
“If it were a plague, would I be able to touch the affected area like this?”
“……. Seems like it’s not.”
“Looking closely, it doesn’t seem to be.”
The guards whispered among themselves before the one appearing as their representative spoke.
“Mister, it seems we made a mistake. However, it’s true that the girl has been behind on her guesthouse payments for a week.”
“She is the precious child of the head of the Daeheung County Seong Family. It seems she’s temporarily separated from her entourage, so please wait a little longer.”
“Since you say so, we’ll withdraw for today only.”
The guards bowed and retreated.
Remember, I saved your lives today because of me.
That being said, it’s so much easier being able to use martial arts now.
If I show just a little evidence, I can fool them this easily. Sohee provided excellent martial arts techniques. I’ll have to use them often from now on.
“Seriously. I shouldn’t have let them go like that.”
While I was inwardly satisfied, I heard an annoyed voice from behind.
“Lady Tang. Once again, it’s been a while.”
I smiled at Lady Tang, greeting her again.
“…….”
Lady Tang looked at me with a somewhat displeased expression.
Yeah, I get it. You felt disappointed because you were called a leper. You realize you’re stronger than those five too.
But,
“While their mistakes were significant, please show a bit of tolerance. They may have been startled.”
If you start killing people just because you’re looked down upon due to your appearance, you’re setting the first stone on the path toward becoming the future Poison Butterfly.
“……. Damn it. I know. That’s why I endured it.”
Lady Tang turned her head slightly with a frown, begrudgingly acknowledging my words.
Oh, that’s still a decent personality here. Now that I think about it, earlier she pulled out talismans immediately but didn’t attack.
“That was a good choice.”
I nodded amusingly.
“Fine. You. Come to my room.”
Lady Tang gestured toward her guest room.
Oh. She’s fiery just like her looks. To invite me right to her room, though I’m sure that’s not the actual intent.
I nodded agreement and followed her into her room.
——-
As soon as we entered the guest room, I felt a stinky smell coming from somewhere.
“Let me ventilate a bit.”
Lady Tang hurried into the room and began to open the window.
The inside of the guest room where Lady Tang was staying was a mess.
Drawers were opened fully, and belongings were scattered all over the floor. At a glance, there didn’t seem to be anything valuable. It looked like a scene of pillaging.
What in the world happened here?
While I pondered why the room was in such a state, Lady Tang sat down on a chair next to the table and invited me to sit as well.
As soon as I took a seat at her invitation, she cut right to the point.
“Remember what you told me that day?”
Are you referring to that night we met? Of course, I remember.
“I told you the medicine you were taking wasn’t to cure you. It was making your condition worse.”
Those words were thrown to prevent her from falling into villainy by destroying her own body.
“Of course, I remember.”
“The medicine I was taking was not medicine at all.”
She paused, as if recalling something unpleasant.
“I told you. It’s a poison that destroys the body.”
“You were indeed taking it.”
I nodded slightly, affirming what she had discovered.
“I thought I had an incurable disease since I was young.”
“As it turns out, from the day someone claiming to be a martial artist from the Sichuan Tang Family began to teach me martial arts.”
I spoke to her as if I knew everything. Her eyes widened in surprise.
“Y-you… what exactly are you? How do you know this?”
