The Poison of Loneliness.
To die as a minor sect leader or to live as a demon—these were the two paths laid out before Yeo Ha-ryun.
"I was just an extra," he thought.
Not just any extra, but one who dies in the first chapter, nameless and forgotten.
Whether this extra had dreamed of becoming the minor sect leader of the Demon Sect was something neither the author, the readers, nor even he himself could know.
Splash—he dunked his head into the bathtub.
"I won’t join the Demon Sect," he resolved.
Whether he was marked as a minor sect leader or sent to do some menial task, he wouldn’t walk that path.
"How should I live?" Suddenly, a scene from his past life came to mind.
Whenever he entered the operating room, there were always people standing in the hallway.
They weren’t there for him, but for the family members on the operating table.
Some sang hymns, others chanted sutras.
Even the staunchest atheists prayed to God in those moments.
"Will there be someone waiting for me when I’m in that position?" For Jin Cheon-hee in his 40s, there was no one.
He had always worked for the families of others.
"Then… since I’ve done that much… don’t I deserve to have a family now?" It didn’t have to be tied by blood.
He already knew he was an orphan with nothing to his name.
All he needed was someone who cared for him, and someone he could care for in return.
"For that, money would be good."
Money was important in any world.
Whether buying a house or eating a meal, it was indispensable.
"And I’ll need strength too."
Especially in the martial world, where human life was as cheap as a fly’s.
With countless calamities ahead, if he couldn’t protect himself, he wouldn’t be able to protect his family either.
"But I have neither."
Yet, he knew the future.
And one more thing: "Doctors are needed in any world. Right?"
After finishing his bath, he found new clothes prepared for him.
The clothes he had been wearing were torn and filthy, barely recognizable as clothing.
The new outfit was made of stiff material, giving off a clean and refreshing vibe.
As he changed and stood before the mirror, a handsome young man with clear eyes and a sharp aura stared back at him.
"Wow. It’s my face, but I look really good," Jin Cheon-hee realized one more thing he had: good looks.
A handsome appearance made it easier to gain people’s trust and favor.
His sharp black eyes and overall demeanor gave off an air of nobility.
Instead of the nauseating stench from before, a subtle, refreshing fragrance lingered around him.
Yu Ho, who had been watching him, was inwardly shocked.
"Is this really the same guy from before?" No matter how much people could transform with proper attire, going from a beggar to a nobleman was too much.
"Still, he’s just a kid with no background. I don’t know why the master chose him over so many talented individuals, but I can’t let myself be swayed."
"Ahem," Yu Ho cleared his throat.
Jin Cheon-hee, startled, looked up at him.
His expression was unmistakably that of a child, and Yu Ho felt a pang of pity.
"Strange. Just a moment ago, he had the face of an old man. But after looking in the mirror, he suddenly looks like a child. It’s as if an old man is trying to mimic a child’s expression."
Nonsense.
Yu Ho clicked his tongue.
"He has no inner strength, and his martial bones are worse than those of a child from a martial family. The master said it’s good enough, but to me, it’s far from it."
If this kid were to become a disciple, the already limited lifespan of Baek Rin’s divine lineage would be further shortened.
Having served the master for so long, Yu Ho was prepared to eliminate any foolishness.
If only he could make the master give up on taking this kid as a disciple, it would be a blessing.
That was his loyalty as a retainer.
"Hmm, this feels just like my intern days," Jin Cheon-hee thought, stifling a laugh.
Yu Ho’s piercing gaze made it impossible not to notice the scrutiny.
He sat in the VIP tea room, sipping tea with his delicate hands.
"There must be a reason for this… Is it because of the divine lineage transfer?" In the novel, Baek Rin’s divine lineage had never been transferred to anyone else.
The novel itself didn’t focus much on Baek Rin, as he died early from illness.
"Even here, it’s all about connections."
In the third-tier hospitals, many patients were in critical condition.
Staying calm in front of patients and their families was an essential skill.
If the doctor wavered at the crossroads of life and death, there would be no one to trust.
He had even learned to crack jokes to comfort frightened patients.
Grief wouldn’t change anything.
What mattered was the future.
Even a lame joke could be a great comfort, so he had practiced them diligently.
Yu Ho, on the other hand, was baffled.
"Is this kid crazy? Or just insensitive?" This was the VIP seat of the Great Dragon Trading Company.
Even the most prominent merchants would sit here with tension.
And with such blatant surveillance, the kid was smiling and casually eating pastries.
"We’ve done a background check, but nothing came up."
Using Baek Rin’s connections, they had inquired about the boy, but no one knew anything about him.
At best, he was an orphan.
Even that wasn’t certain.
The boy, having finished one pastry, reached for a dried persimmon, eating it in one bite without brushing off the white powder.
"After the divine lineage transfer, it’s normal to feel hungry…" A passing servant asked if he wanted more.
Jin Cheon-hee blushed and shook his head.
"I’m sorry. Did I eat too much?" The servants burst into laughter.
"He’s just like our son."
"The kid must be hungry. Besides, he’s the honored guest of our trading company’s master. He was treated before even Baek Rin’s divine lineage."
"Really? If it’s a young guest like this, we should give him as much as he wants."
If he had thrown a tantrum asking for more, there might have been complaints.
But now, pastries and rice cakes piled up in front of Jin Cheon-hee.
"Thank you!" Eating was a blessing.
The servants looked ready to set up a full meal rather than just snacks.
It seemed the boy knew how to use his looks to his advantage.
Then, the door creaked open.
A veiled figure entered.
From the silhouette under the hat, it was clear she was a woman.
She bowed deeply upon seeing Jin Cheon-hee.
"Huh?" Before he could react, she spoke.
"Thank you for saving my life. I heard that if it weren’t for you, Young-i wouldn’t have survived. This humble one, Gongson Hyeon, will surely repay this debt."
"That must be Gongson Hyeon. She’s here to see her cousin, Gongson Young."
"No need for such words. I’m just glad I could help," Jin Cheon-hee replied sincerely.
As a doctor, saving a patient was all that mattered.
"Indeed… you are as praised by the master and the divine lineage. The Gongson family will not forget this."
"Anyone in my position would have done the same. Ah, right! Instead of me, shouldn’t you go see your family? That’s more urgent!" Flustered by her praise, Jin Cheon-hee redirected the conversation.
He looked every bit like a child.
Gongson Hyeon stared at him for a moment.
"Then, I’ll take my leave. I’ll see you again."
She bowed deeply and left the room.
Jin Cheon-hee slowly began to think about what lay ahead.
Gongson Hyeon, born into the main family, was the only daughter.
Normally, she should have inherited the family’s sword lineage, but her talent with the sword was lacking, disappointing the elders.
In contrast, her cousin Gongson Young, from a branch family, had exceptional martial bones and a quick understanding of the sword.
The main family’s heir, unable to inherit the secret sword techniques, and the branch family’s heir, already making a name for herself.
People called it the "branch family surpassing the main family, the younger sister surpassing the elder."
"But there’s something people don’t know about Gongson Hyeon."
First, while she lacked martial talent, she had a natural talent for business.
Half the world revolved around money, and even martial families were no exception.
If she couldn’t learn martial arts herself, she could employ others.
Whether it was rare medicines, precious swords, or secret manuals, half of the martial world was tied to money.
"And there’s one more thing. The most important."
She loved her younger sister Gongson Young more than anyone, treating her as if they were one.
Due to the sharp tensions between the main and branch families, they couldn’t openly express it, but the two cousins deeply cared for each other.
"Kill them all. Make those who harm even a single hair or nail of my sister pay the price. Dig them all out and find the culprits."
"Ah, Young-a… Young-a. My sister, who went alone to that cold place. Can you see me? The blood of all those who did this to you has finally become a river."
After losing Gongson Young, whom she loved like her own sister, Gongson Hyeon harbored poison in her heart.
She spent her life searching for the culprits behind the attack on the trading company.
When she discovered that someone from the main family, who wanted her to succeed as the next family head, was involved, she committed an irreversible blood feud.
"Gongson Young was supposed to die here."
Jin Cheon-hee had saved her.
He had prevented a future bloodbath.
"By now, Gongson Hyeon must be holding Gongson Young’s hand, crying her heart out. Gongson Young would wake up to her sister’s sobs and grumble about how much her sister worries."
"Who do you think I am? Why would I die? Sister, don’t you trust me? I won’t die until you do. I can’t die. Silly. My sister, who’s smarter than anyone, is being so silly right now."
This was one of the dreams Gongson Hyeon had after losing Gongson Young in the novel.
Waking from that dream, Gongson Hyeon couldn’t cry or laugh, just stared blankly at the ceiling like a hollow old tree.
The sorrow that started in her eyes traveled to her temples and into her ears.
Though she held the most lavish funeral for Gongson Young, the dead did not return.
"That future has changed, and now the problem is what comes next…"