Chapter 2
She could hardly believe she had become a Millennium Snow Ginseng, so she spent a long time moving around in front of the pond.
But the more she moved, the more it became undeniable.
That she was nothing more than a Millennium Snow Ginseng swaying and bobbing around…
Still, one fortunate thing was that the fine little roots sprouting from her body moved quite well, as if they were arms and legs obeying her will.
“What a truly bizarre thing.”
She didn’t know why something like this had happened to her.
Of all the stories of the martial world she occasionally heard from Young Master Eon-woo, never once had there been mention of a person turning into a Millennium Snow Ginseng.
In short, it was something unheard of.
And so, she had no way of guessing why she had been revived in this form.
All So-so could do was accept reality instead of denying it.
But even if she admitted it, she was still flustered all the same.
So-so stopped her swaying dance and fell into thought.
“When I first met Young Master Eon-woo and became a servant of the Qingcheng Sect, I never imagined something like this would happen…”
Back then, Baek So-so had been eighteen years old, born from a family of slash-and-burn farmers.
She had appeared in their mountain village one day, as if she had simply dropped from the sky.
So-so didn’t know who her parents were, or where she had come from before arriving there.
No—she didn’t remember.
And it was Cheong Eon-woo who took her in when she was barely surviving on scraps.
“You poor child. Would you like to work at our sect?”
So-so followed him without asking who he was or where he came from.
It was because his appearance was so dazzling.
Never in her life had she seen someone so handsome.
How could she possibly reject the kindness of someone like that?
Thus, she set foot in the Qingcheng Sect, where she learned that Cheong Eon-woo was none other than its First Disciple.
She lived there as a servant for five years, all the while nurturing her feelings for him.
At first, she thought of him only as a kind young master, but as time went by, she began to see him as a man.
Whenever Eon-woo called her “So-so” in that jade-like voice, her heart thumped wildly as if it might burst.
Eventually, she couldn’t even look at his face properly anymore. His flawless, jade-like features made her heart feel as if it would explode.
But because of the difference in status, and because he was her benefactor, she never confessed her feelings, only watching his back from afar.
She resolved that if he one day became betrothed to a fine woman, she would bless him with all sincerity.
But before he could fully bloom, Cheong Eon-woo found himself on the brink of death at the hands of assassins.
Without hesitation, So-so gave up her own life in his stead.
She hoped her lowly life might at least help him in some small way.
When the sword pierced her body and pain consumed her, Eon-woo looked at her with a face on the verge of tears.
Young Master, why do you weep for someone like me?
If you would only run away while I buy you time, that would be enough…
So-so lost consciousness before she could see what became of him—before she could say the words she had never spoken aloud.
Young Master. My Young Master. The kind man who could never pass by the suffering of others…
More beautiful than the most radiant of beauties…
The warm Young Master who was endlessly gentle with me…
Young Master, I liked you so very much.
If there is such a thing as another life, I want to serve you then as well.
Young Master…
You must live.
With that wish, she completely lost consciousness.
“Is Young Master still alive?”
So-so had once saved his life, but she didn’t know what became of him afterward.
If she assumed the worst… he might already be dead.
The thought stabbed at her heart with pain.
She only prayed that her noble, virtuous Young Master had not departed the world in vain.
If only he still lived, she would gladly offer even this ginseng body of hers to save him.
“But who were those men who attacked the Qingcheng Sect?”
Ever since the demonic cult was annihilated long ago, the martial world had enjoyed unprecedented peace.
Though evil sects occasionally caused trouble, righteous martial artists easily took care of it.
But So-so had never heard of a group so cruel as the black-clad men who burned down the Qingcheng Sect.
Even if she was merely a servant, she had lived within a martial sect and knew enough of how the world turned.
The image of the Qingcheng Sect drenched in blood flickered before her eyes.
The stench of blood that night lingered vividly in her memory.
She thought the slaughter had surely not ended there—that other sects might also have been attacked.
Just then, the sound that had jolted her awake before echoed again, breaking her thoughts.
Thud, thud, thud—!
This time, the sound was even louder and closer.
So-so instinctively hid behind a large boulder.
Though she had no legs, two of her roots worked frantically like substitutes.
It was truly a bizarre sight.
How much time passed, she did not know.
Then, instead of a thud, came the screams of people.
“Arghhh!”
“Spare me!”
“I can’t die here!”
It was clear some calamity had struck.
So-so feared she was about to witness another massacre—and perhaps be caught in it herself.
She held her breath, waiting.
After a while, an eerie silence fell.
The thuds and the screams had all stopped.
“Is it over?”
But she didn’t dare leave the cave. If anyone found her in this state, her “beneficial body” might be taken.
She stayed that way for half a day.
Then, she heard footsteps cutting through the silence—coming closer, closer.
“Please… just go somewhere else…”
But her prayer was in vain.
The footsteps stopped right in front of the boulder where she hid.
Even in this strange new body, she felt chills race through her.
Then, a stranger’s voice rang out.
“Millennium Snow Ginseng. So it really does exist. And it hasn’t fallen into their hands.”
The voice was clear, refined—one that would be hard to forget once heard.
Lifting her gaze, she met the man’s narrow, smiling eyes.
He looked down at her with a gentle smile.
“Eek—!”
Startled, So-so’s roots trembled violently, making her bellflower-like body wobble left and right.
“Ohhh!”
The man let out a strange exclamation as he observed her movements.
“Were people always this big?”
From her new, tiny perspective, the man loomed enormous and frightening.
And his eyes sparkled too brightly—like a predator staring down at fascinating prey.
So-so’s strength gave out, and she collapsed on the spot.
To the man, it must have looked like her roots had simply sprawled out on the ground.
“Ohhh! You even collapse like that!”
His amazement grew.
“Can you walk or run too? Truly remarkable.”
So-so wrapped her two roots—no, her “arms”—around her round body as if hugging herself.
“I’ve never seen nor heard of a moving Millennium Snow Ginseng. Uncle really is something else.”
The man was convinced she was indeed a Millennium Snow Ginseng.
And only now did So-so finally accept it as well.
“I’m not a ginseng—I’m a person!”
She wanted to shout it, but a ginseng had no mouth. She could only sway pitifully.
“Ahh… I can’t even express myself anymore.”
The reality of having become a Millennium Snow Ginseng struck her anew.
And suddenly, she wondered why this man sought such an elixir.
“Could it be… to eat me?”
Baek So-so, given a second life, only to end it inside some man’s stomach… Such a thing must never, ever happen!
