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Chung Myung isn’t an alchemist.
He isn’t some kind of doctor, or medicine master or—whatever, the point is that he’s far from being qualified to be a member of the Tang Clan.
“Dojang, please! That’s the kind of medicine even our clan doesn’t have!”
Chung Myung closes his eyes, breathes through his nose, and presses his palms over his ears. What, are you hearing things now? Chung Myung’s pretty sure no one is even in his immediate vicinity! What do you mean there’s a horde of Tang Clan members looking like they’re a second away from kneeling? Nooo, you must be imagining things.
“Sahyung,” Oh, would you look at that, someone suddenly appeared in front of him! “What did you do this time?”
Chung Myung takes offense to that. He didn’t do anything!
(He did. He would rather lose an arm again than think about the events that led to this, however, so playing the fool it is.)
“Soso-ya,” Tang Pae appears beside Soso. Is this some kind of secret technique of the Tang Clan? Teleporting? If so, Chung Myung would like to learn it right now, please and thank you. “Dojang made an elixir.”
Tang Soso raises an eyebrow, “Anyone can make an elixir if they’re good at following instructions. Though I guess it is surprising that Sahyung can stay focused enough on a single task to do that.”
“No,” Tang Pae shakes his head, just as someone practically kowtows to Chung Myung. “He made an elixir so potent it puts ours to shame. He created an elixir.”
Tang Soso whips her head to Chung Myung so fast it gave him whiplash. “He what?!”
“That’s why everyone wants the Dojang to allow us to observe him in creating the pill.” Tang Zhan pipes up, once again appearing from somewhere. Chung Myung dutifully ignores them because they’re Tang Bo’s descendants, and he really hates Tang Bo right now.
Tang Pae sighs, “He didn’t even follow any instructions, nor did he have to adjust measurements. It’s as if he knew how to make the pill by heart, which leads us to believe that it’s something he invented.”
No, it is not. Oh, Primordial Heavens, can these kids use their brains? Did he hit their heads too much? If he slams a wooden sword down their skulls, will it echo?
“We would like to ask the Dojang for his permission to reproduce the elixir. We would give all the credit to him, of course.”
No, thank you.
“Sahyung, are you ignoring us?” What do you think, Soso?
Tang Soso rolls her eyes. What a disrespectful brat. “Let’s pay a visit to elder Hyun Young. Sahyung wouldn’t know anything about a patent anyway.”
Soso-ya, you’re joking, right?
Silence.
Chung Myung peeks an eye open and catches sight of Tang Soso leaving, the rest of the Tang Clan following after their princess. Maybe it wasn’t a joke after all…?
No way. Chung Myung closes his eyes again and pretends to meditate. He’s sure the brats are just watching and waiting for his reaction.
One second
Thirty seconds.
One minute…? Okay, these kids are persistent.
Three minutes. Chung Myung sighs. It doesn’t matter; he’s a lot more hot-headed than everyone else combined.
He steadily ignores the growing pit in his stomach. No way, right…?
Crash.
“Chung Myung-ah!”
Yes way.
Chung Myung opens his eyes, spots Elder Hyun Young running towards him, and dashes off. He is not dealing with this.
“Catch him!”
In a hundred years, maybe.
“Chung Myung, you never told me you had another talent! Come here, my golden goose!”
“Is this a joke? Did Chung Myung really invent a new kind of elixir?”
Okay, no. It was annoying at first, but now it simply settles uncomfortably in his stomach. Chung Myung never had the talent for pill-making. And really, for all that Chung Myung enjoys his ego being stroked, he isn’t the one who deserves the praise.
Chung Myung stops in his tracks, barely avoiding the rush of disciples chasing after him. He sighs, placing his hands on his waist like an exasperated parent of numerous immature and overeager children.
“I didn’t invent anything,” He says pointedly, looking at the Tang Clan and their bright gazes. “I thought you Tang Clan knew about this! Your ancestor made it!”
Everyone blinks at that. “Who?” They chorus, sounding genuinely baffled. Dear Heavens.
Chung Myung smiles, full of teeth and evidently malicious. Bo-ya, he thinks, your little descendants are insanely ungrateful. “You brats are from the Tang Clan, are you not?” He says slowly. Like the chicks that they are, everyone nods. They’re scarily in sync.
“What does that have to do with anything?” Someone pipes up. “We may be the Tang Clan, but we aren’t so prideful to believe only we can be good at these things.”
Very good show of humility. Unfortunately, now is not the time to show off those qualities, because the creator of the elixir they’re gushing over hailed from the Tang Clan. If Chung Myung were any less dignified, he would have cried. Thankfully, Jangmun-sahyung raised him better.
“Then how the fuck,” Chung Myung grits his teeth, “do you not recognize the work of Tang Bo?”
“Who?” They chorus, once again. Chung Myung is incredibly tempted to hit them. He would have, if not for the looks of realization crossing three people’s faces.
Chung Myung raises an eyebrow, “Who wants to educate the uneducated?” He crosses his arms, gesturing at the three—Tang Soso, Tang Pae, and Tang Zhan.
“Tang Bo,” Tang Soso starts, “as in the Dark Saint?” At her words, the rest of the Tang Clan startle. Do they truly not recognize his name? Chung Myung looks up at the sky and slowly begins to pray for patience.
Sahyung, no, Bo-ya, help these kids…
Chung Myung turns back at them and scowls, “Good job for getting the trivia on your own history correct.”
“But how could that be?” Tang Pae asks, “The Dark Saint has no records of making any elixir like that. I believe we would know if he did.”
Because your damn ancestor decided to share all his secrets with me instead of his family, Chung Myung refrains from saying. He’s well aware of Tang Bo’s own standing within his family: an elder and an outcast all at once.
“The seclusion cave of our Mount Hua has traces of the Dark Saint’s works.” Chung Myung shrugs, “And I know the Plum Blossom Sword Saint was,” he pauses, because he and Tang Bo never got around to parading their romantic relationship to others. “close with him.”
Tang Zhan shares a glance with Tang Pae. “The relationship between the Plum Blossom Sword Saint and the Dark Saint was never in our records. Dojang, would you mind showing us what our ancestor left behind?”
Well. Tang Bo rarely left anything behind. He simply talks and talks, and Chung Myung is but a listener. Really, it’s not his fault that he could remember that! He didn’t know that they were supposed to be secrets, or that they weren’t shared with his family. What the hell is wrong with Tang Bo anyway? Why does he keep spilling things that are meant to be hidden from him?
What’s yours is mine, Dosa Hyung-nim! Chung Myung can hear Tang Bo say. Ugh. What a sentimental brat.
“Haah? It’s in Mount Hua’s place, one not meant for outsiders!” Chung Myung exclaims. It’s a bit of a flimsy excuse, but they won’t find out the reason behind its need.
Tang Pae sighs, “We understand, but it belongs to the Tang Clan.”
Not really.
Chung Myung clicks his tongue, “I’m not letting you guys enter. But for the sake of the Tang Family and Mount Hua’s friendship, I’ll give you people what he left behind.”
Which amounts to nothing, but what they don’t know won’t hurt them. Chung Myung became proficient at imitating Tang Bo’s handwriting, so if they felt the need to compare with what they have, they won’t find anything suspicious.
He brushes off their murmurs of gratitude, and finally, they leave him alone. Everyone goes back to their own places, and Chung Myung is free to do whatever he wants.
Not. Still standing in front of him with a curious look, Tang Soso grins at him. “Sahyung, you’re pretty good at this.”
“At what?” He frowns.
“Sprinkling truths with lies,” She laughs. “Sahyung, I can’t believe you never told me that you can produce elixirs.” She sticks her tongue out, playfully upset.
Chung Myung sighs, “I told you it wasn’t me, you brat!” He raises a hand, about to bonk her head, but she gracefully dances out of the way.
“Sahyung, maybe you did follow instructions, but that’s the Dark Saint! Many of us have tried to replicate his stuff and most failed.”
“How is that significant to me?”
“Just admit it, Sahyung. You’re good at this!” Then Tang Soso leaves, cheerful as she says something about meeting up with Yu Iseol.
Chung Myung watches her leave and mumbles, “Because your dear ancestor can’t keep his mouth shut. Obviously, I know his little tricks.” Then he looks up at the sky, scowling.
“And fuck you too, you little leech.”
As he walks, he could swear he hears familiar peals of laughter, making fun of him all the while.