I Became the Young Wife of the Martial Arts Novel’s Male Lead

Chapter 140

—

‘What do you mean, “it’s fine”?’

A suspicious feeling lingered.

Meanwhile, after that muttering, Sibi summoned another servant.

“Go fetch some hot water.”

Sibi, who had handed over the teapot, commanded the other servant authoritatively.

“And clean this teapot afterwards.”

After giving the order, Sibi abruptly turned around and walked back to the League Lord’s chambers.

The servant who was suddenly tasked with the task glared at Sibi’s retreating figure with a sulky expression.

“Who does he think he is, the League Lord or something? Ordering around like that….”

Nonetheless, even though they were both servants, Sibi was in charge of the League Lord’s personal service.

If anything unfavorable were to reach the League Lord’s ears, it would cause even more trouble for this servant.

“Frustrating, really!”

The servant grumbled, furrowing their brow, and headed towards the kitchen to fetch the hot water and clean the teapot.

As they were about to clean the teapot,

‘Hurry up, hurry!’

Yerin whispered, pushing Yearlong Iceblade forcefully.

– Contract Holder, you truly…

Yearlong Iceblade glared at Yerin resentfully, but couldn’t resist her urging.

Eventually, Yearlong Iceblade hastily entered the kitchen.

And then.

“YAAAH!!”

A sharp scream echoed through the kitchen.

Yerin rushed into the kitchen with as startled a look as possible.

“Oh my, I’m truly sorry.”

“Lady Gamo?”

The servant looked at Yerin with a startled expression.

The front of their robes was soaked with the water used for washing.

Yearlong Iceblade had intentionally jumped in front of Sibi, causing the startled servant to spill the washing water on their clothes.

Yerin offered a sheepish smile, feigning apology.

“I seem to have mishandled that animal carelessly. Since it’s such a beloved creature, it seems it has developed some bad habits.”

– Hah, truly…

Yearlong Iceblade gave Yerin a dumbfounded look, but Yerin didn’t flinch a bit.

Yerin gave the servant a coin, apologizing sincerely.

“I’m truly sorry. This is for your clothes.”

“W-What? This is far too much for just clothes!”

The servant’s lips immediately curled into a refusal, but their body betrayed them by clutching the coin tightly with both hands, fearing it might be taken away.

“Don’t worry about it. I can’t feel at ease unless you accept it.”

“B-But…”

“Better yet, it’s better to change into dry clothes.”

Yerin gently suggested with concern.

“Even though the weather is warm, wearing wet clothes continuously might lead to catching a cold.”

“Oh, thank you!”

The servant bowed deeply and left the kitchen.

At the same time, Yerin, who had been smiling warmly, quickly changed her expression.

‘Hmm.’

Yerin tilted her head, staring into the wooden bin where the tea leaves had been roughly discarded.

It was a complicated gaze.

‘I might be overthinking it. But…’

Ever since her conversation with the Lord in Hongyeon Tea House yesterday, Yerin couldn’t shake off the suspicion surrounding the tea the League Lord had been constantly consuming.

It was almost an instinctive feeling of doubt.

‘Better to check quickly.’

If there was no evidence, she could put her mind at ease.

But if Yerin’s suspicion proved true…

“….”

Secretly, Yerin tucked some tea leaves into her sleeve and quietly left the kitchen.

—

Meanwhile.

Doyul was heading to Hongyeon Tea House.

In his hand were several boxes of night bean rice cakes, repeatedly insisted upon by Yearlong Iceblade.

As Doyul entered the alley where Hongyeon Tea House was located,

‘What the…’

Doyul was momentarily stunned.

Before him, an unimaginable sight unfolded.

The alley was crowded with people.

“Here’s money! I’ll pay for a cup, just one cup of tea!”

Countless people were begging shopkeepers with bundles of money, while others were arguing over who had arrived first.

Doyul’s face darkened as he looked around.

The shopkeeper approached him.

“Apologies, but we’ve run out of tea.”

“Already out of tea?”

“The demand is just too high… I’m sorry.”

The shopkeeper bowed apologetically.

Clearly, those who couldn’t get their hands on the tea were making a racket nearby.

Doyul nodded, trying to hide his displeasure.

“I understand.”

“I need to tend to the others, so I’ll excuse myself.”

The shopkeeper turned to attend to others.

Doyul felt an odd sensation.

‘Even if the tea has great effects, people shouldn’t be clinging to it like this.’

Suddenly, Yerin’s skeptical voice popped into his mind.

‘Could we really call something like that tea? It seems more like a medicine being passed off as tea.’

Nonetheless, Doyul hesitated, reluctant to turn back empty-handed.

‘I need to find a way to get some of that tea.’

As Doyul licked his lips in thought,

‘… who is that?’

At that moment, Doyul’s eyes narrowed slightly.

From behind Tea House, someone suddenly appeared.

Although their attire suggested they were just another servant hired by Tea House, their movements were anything but ordinary.

Moving with extreme stealth, they could hardly be noticed unless one had significant martial prowess.

In fact, among the people present, Doyul was the only one who recognized the servant.

‘Something seems fishy.’

Why would such a skilled individual disguise themselves as a mere servant and sneak into Tea House without anyone noticing?

Reacting instinctively, Doyul began to follow them.

—

Meanwhile…

Yerin quickly headed to the Medical Hall.

She had requested an examination of the tea leaves to uncover their true nature.

“What’s this?”

“Never mind that. Just take a look for now.”

Yerin’s request puzzled the doctor momentarily, but they eventually accepted the tea leaves with a confused expression.

‘I need to be cautious. If I mention this belongs to the League Lord, the Medical Hall might be biased in their examination.’

Additionally, there was always the possibility of a spy within the Martial League.

If news of the League Lord’s tea being examined reached the spy, it could spell trouble.

Yerin clenched her jaw slightly, deep in thought.

“Please wait for a while. It might take some time.”

“Take your time.”

Yerin nodded, her expression calm.

After a short wait, the doctor, who had been carefully inspecting the tea leaves, turned to Yerin with a peculiar look.

“Where on earth did you find such rare medicinal ingredients?”

Yerin hesitated for a moment.

“M-Medicinal ingredients?”

“Yes.”

The doctor’s expression grew increasingly doubtful as they nodded slowly.

“That can’t be. Those are just tea leaves.”

“Well, medicinal ingredients or tea leaves, both are dried leaves used in various ways. At a glance, they don’t seem very different…”

The doctor continued in a serious tone.

“But this isn’t tea. These are plants used specifically as medicinal ingredients.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, on my honor as a doctor, it’s medicinal.”

The doctor glanced momentarily at the bowl containing the tea leaves with a visible look of aversion.

“These are not the kind of medicinal ingredients we usually deal with. In fact, most doctors wouldn’t touch them, even in desperate circumstances. If I were you, I wouldn’t use these medicinal ingredients at all.”

Yerin swallowed hard.

“What kind of effects do they have?”

“Primarily, they suppress bodily heat and add coldness to the system,” the doctor explained further.

“But more than their medicinal effects, they are known for their toxicity. These ingredients can interfere with inner strength.”

“Interfere with inner strength?”

“Yes. It’s akin to a natural poison that disrupts inner energy flow.”

The doctor elaborated.

“While poison disperses inner energy, these medicinal ingredients interfere with the inner energy, causing harm to the body. It’s different but equally dangerous.”

“That sounds extremely serious.”

The doctor raised his hand dismissively, trying to reassure Yerin.

“Well, there’s no need to worry too much. It’s mostly theoretical. Most martial artists won’t reach the level where these ingredients affect them.”

The doctor explained that only skilled high-level martial artists, those who had accumulated significant inner strength, would be susceptible to these toxins.

“For ordinary practitioners, their bodies will naturally detoxify before any harmful effects occur. Even second or third-generation disciples from reputable sects can neutralize this threat.”

“…”

“Of course, those who have mastered extreme martial arts, like Flare Palm, might face more risk. But even then, it’s a very rare occurrence.”

The doctor finished with a resigned sigh.

“Given how few practitioners possess such advanced skills, it’s unlikely the League Lord is in immediate danger.”

Yet, Yerin wasn’t paying full attention to the doctor’s explanation.

Her mind was focused elsewhere entirely.

‘Flare Palm.’

Yerin clenched her fists tightly.

‘The League Lord has mastered Flare Palm, that is, Fire Palm!’