Chapter 23 : Sword Empress

Chapter 23: Sword Empress

The negotiation with Geum Hwa was led by the Young Master, Sewoon.

Only when Geum Hwa showed signs of discomfort did Tang Muyeol subtly pressure her, appearing to support Sewoon.

Until now, the Young Master had never taken such a frontline role in family matters, so there were some who watched with concern.

However, no one voiced opposition to it.

From preventing the assassination by Sun Ugon to the duel and acknowledgment from Geum Hwa.

The fact that the Sichuan Tang Clan was able to gain an upper hand in negotiations with the Murim Alliance and Mount Emei Sect was practically all thanks to Sewoon alone.

That’s why even though the Young Master was securing seemingly absurd conditions like ownership of an abandoned mine or usage rights to the Murim Alliance’s forge, all the Tang Hall Leaders could do in dissatisfaction was—

—all they could do was send Sewoon secret voice transmissions, desperately asking him to decide the terms more carefully.

The only one who openly voiced displeasure with a tone of anger was the Dark Flower Unit Leader, Tang Bi.

It had been said that the Dark Flower Unit had built up dissatisfaction toward Sewoon recently, and it seemed Tang Bi too was displeased about the request to assign bodyguards from the Murim Alliance.

‘But they're the ones who failed to guard me properly, and now they’re complaining to me?’

From Sewoon’s perspective, it was the pot calling the kettle black.

They didn’t even notice when he slipped out to the Ten Thousand Iron Hall.

And when he ended up fighting Geum Hwa, they only arrived after the situation had ended.

‘I’ll need to turn the Dark Flower Unit upside down one of these days.’

Before he knew it, Sewoon’s gaze had turned cold.

The voice of Internal and External Affairs Hall Leader Son Geon, who also chimed in, had a slightly different tone.

Son Geon, who oversaw all financial matters of the Sichuan Tang Clan—

“Ah, ahh. Ah! Aah……”

—was letting out deep sighs and moans as the chance to obtain a fortune kept slipping away before his eyes.

Sewoon couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for him.

Even before the regression, Son Geon had remained loyal to Tang Muyeol even after Tang Hoyeol’s betrayal.

He had tightened his belt and stubbornly managed the clan’s finances—a truly invaluable person.

‘If the other Hall Leaders had stepped up like Leader Son, I might have had a hard time making excuses later……’

Currently, Sewoon’s ears were silent.

Except for those two, no more voice transmissions came.

Which meant—

—the remaining two Hall Leaders were silently supporting his proposal.

‘The Heaven’s Medicine Hall Leader has recently gained a lot of trust through his medical work, so that’s understandable. But why is the Ten Thousand Iron Hall Leader also supporting me……?’

Tang Jun of the Heaven’s Medicine Hall had grown close quickly after working side by side treating patients for days and nights.

But Gu Yongyeon, the Ten Thousand Iron Hall Leader, had no such contact point with him.

Even during that late-night incident, he had allowed Sewoon to use the forge without question.

And now, he was quietly supporting Sewoon’s actions again.

‘But in the past, he followed Tang Hoyeol and left the clan.’

Before the regression, Gu Yongyeon had hated Sewoon and betrayed the clan—a complete contrast to now.

Sewoon hadn’t done anything in particular—so why had their relationship changed?

Sewoon couldn’t understand it easily.

‘Hmm, I’ll need to have a proper conversation with him sometime.’

In any case, even though the clan members’ responses were varied.

None of them knew.

That every choice Sewoon was making now was the best and most optimal one for the future prosperity of the Sichuan Tang Clan.

Indeed, if they only thought about immediate gains like the Hall Leaders said, they could’ve extracted a lot more gold or cash from the Murim Alliance and Mount Emei Sect.

After all, being ambushed by an assassin and having their secrets spied on and being injured—those were not matters to be overlooked.

But—

‘To blindly strip them of everything just because you can—only a fool would do that.’

Such a choice would bring far more losses than gains.

First of all, Sewoon would lose the intangible asset he had barely secured.

Namely, the Living Medicinal Sword, Geum Hwa.

The recognition and support of Mount Emei’s leader were worth more than ten thousand gold, not just a thousand.

‘Moreover, filling your stomach while you have no strength to protect yourself only makes you prey for wolves.’

The martial world of Sichuan, where the Tang Clan resided, had a completely different ecosystem than other parts of the Central Plains.

Emei Sect. Qingcheng Sect. Sichuan Tang Clan. Shrine Maiden Sect.

Like beasts lurking in the jungle, each of these sects was powerful enough to rule a province on their own—and they were all rooted in one place.

For a long time, they had fiercely competed for the title of the strongest in Sichuan.

Currently, Mount Emei held the lead, and Qingcheng was hot on their heels.

And that Qingcheng Sect was lurking like a hawk, waiting for a chance to destroy the Tang Clan.

In such a situation, the Tang Clan needed a shade under which it could grow strong enough to strike back.

And Mount Emei was the perfect force to provide that shade.

“Hm, I don’t know why you’re requesting guards from the military division instead of the combat division, but I think I can resolve that matter easily.”

‘Perfect-!’

Just then, Sewoon inwardly rejoiced at Geum Hwa’s final reply.

With this, he had secured all three of his goals.

Sewoon had no intention of stopping at gaining the trust of Geum Hwa and the Emei Sect.

‘I need to make full use of my memories of the future from regression.’

Thus, the three conditions Sewoon had requested from the Murim Alliance were as follows:

Ownership of the abandoned mine at Ssangryu County's Wol Mountain.

Usage rights to the Murim Alliance Headquarters’ forge.

The right to appoint a military strategist’s bodyguard from the military division.

At present, all three seemed utterly worthless.

But before long, not just Geum Hwa, but everyone in the Murim Alliance would beat their chests in regret.

Because each of those three things carried immense future value.

First, the abandoned mine at Wol Mountain in Ssangryu County wasn’t for mining gold or acquiring rare materials for divine weapons.

It was to obtain the extreme poison lying dormant deep in the mine.

The Tang Clan’s martial legacy was symbolized by its twin pillars—hidden weapons and poison.

However, very few martial artists in the clan currently practiced poison arts.

Too many poison techniques were lost during the clan’s decline.

And training in poison arts required poisonous herbs and toxins, but there was no funding, so growth had stagnated.

To reverse that situation, Sewoon had chosen the abandoned mine at Wol Mountain.

‘Since I’ve acquired the Heavenly Net, my primary weapon, now I need to get my secondary arms.’

Before the regression, every weapon Sewoon used was coated with deadly poison.

And a critical ingredient in that poison was found in the Wol Mountain mine.

If he could acquire that, not only Sewoon, but the Tang Clan’s poison practitioners could all grow stronger together.

Second, gaining access to the Murim Alliance Headquarters’ forge was because its furnace was absolutely essential.

‘The next divine weapon I plan to create can’t be made with Ten Thousand Iron Hall’s furnace.’

While he could barely melt Meteorite Iron with the power of the Golden Bridle Movement Technique, to make “that” item, he needed a furnace on par with the White Night Steel Workshop.

The current best craftsman under heaven was in the White Night Steel Workshop, but the Murim Alliance Headquarters’ forge was equipped with machinery of equal level.

Lastly, the strategist Sewoon intended to bring from the military division was not just for personal protection.

It was to help elevate the Sichuan Tang Clan back into the ranks of the Great Clans, along with the extreme poison he would obtain.

‘Yes, his true value is……’

Just then, Sewoon recalled a man who, in the war against the Blood Cult, had played what could only be called the most pivotal role.

Sewoon and Hayeong’s eyes met in midair.

Their bodies were paralyzed in an instant, as if struck by lightning.

The thoughts that had been rapidly turning in their minds also stopped.

‘……As expected, it's still hard to forget what happened back then. I had already anticipated that she might be the one to come when I heard Mount Emei would be sending someone. Still, it’s not easy.’

With a deep sigh,

the memories of the pre-regression days in Sewoon’s mind began to be overwritten with an entirely different scene.

—I will definitely be the one to take you down.

An unforgettable voice was heard.

It was Hayeong’s voice from before the regression.

Yes, not her youthful face as it was now—

—but her future appearance, marked by an unsightly, long sword scar.

The Murim Alliance Leader had died at the hands of the Blood Cult, and the Alliance split into two factions.

The Anti-Blood Alliance, which argued for uniting even with the Demonic Factions to combat the Blood Cult.

And the White Path Union, which claimed there could never be unity because the Blood Cult and Demonic Factions were one and the same.

Among the three leaders of the Anti-Blood Alliance was the Sword Empress, Do Hayeong.

Hayeong, who handled guerrilla warfare in the war against the Blood Cult, would encounter Sewoon with strange frequency.

Occasionally, due to the Blood Demon, Sewoon would be forced to take part as a strategist, and each time, they were bound by a fateful enmity, fighting again and again.

From the very first meeting, she had risked her life to take him down.

Naturally so, from her perspective.

To the Sword Empress, Do Hayeong, Sewoon was—

—If you wanted revenge, you should have taken it out only on us. By sacrificing innocent people, you’ve become no different than the evil of the Blood Cult.

—a Demonic Practitioner who had abandoned the Orthodox Path and fallen into demonic ways.

—You turned Surin, that kind-hearted girl, into a Demonic Practitioner……

—the very one who had corrupted her dearest friend, more precious than life itself.

But as time passed and the Anti-Blood Alliance stood at the brink of destruction, like a cruel twist of fate, she finally had the chance to clear up the misunderstanding.

And that day, Hayeong left Sewoon with her final words.

—……If only I had truly understood you a little sooner……

—as she died in his arms.

“……Young Master?”

“Yes?”

As Sewoon came back to his senses, Geum Hwa tilted her head while looking at him.

“What’s wrong all of a sudden?”

“……Apologies. My head went blank from sudden pain.”

“Oh dear. Speak up as soon as you feel better.”

After briefly distancing himself from Geum Hwa, Sewoon took a deep breath and calmed his mind and body.

Even though Hayeong kept appearing in his line of sight, he clenched his teeth and forced himself to look away.

‘……Right. All I have to do is ensure the same outcome doesn’t repeat.’

Sewoon unfolded the rolled-up paper Geum Hwa had handed him.

It was a financial compensation plan decided independently by the Murim Alliance, separate from the three conditions Sewoon had proposed.

It detailed the previously mentioned additional monopoly rights for direct requests from the Murim Alliance.

“Hm, the contents are similar to before.”

“Indeed. You may choose between two intermediate-level requests like the one your clan is currently handling or twenty low-level requests.”

Currently handling an intermediate-level request?

Ssshh.

As soon as Geum Hwa finished speaking, silence enveloped the meeting room.

Sewoon, Tang Muyeol, and all the Hall Leaders had hardened expressions.

The three from Mount Emei were bewildered by the sudden shift in atmosphere.

“……Leader, did you say we selected an intermediate-level request?”

“Hmm? What do you mean? Just seven nights ago, didn’t the Ten Thousand Seas Escort Agency accept the Alliance’s item and already begin delivery…… Ah.”

Realizing the situation a moment too late, Geum Hwa let out a short sigh.

‘Tang Hoyeol. That bastard.’

Sewoon also immediately grasped what had happened.

Tang Hoyeol and the Ten Thousand Seas Escort Agency had been scheming behind the scenes.

As Sewoon’s head grew hot with rage—

Thud-thud-thud!

Suddenly, the outside became noisy.

Even with just one ear, the footsteps sounded urgent.

Then, slam—the meeting room door burst open.

“Cough. Khak. L-Lord!”

One of the Ten Thousand Seas Escort Agency’s guards, covered in blood, stumbled into the meeting room.

Everyone in the room couldn’t hide their shocked expressions.

‘No way!?’

A spine-chilling sense of dread surged through Sewoon’s mind.

“L-Lord. The Poison Demon has stolen the cargo…”

The worst-case scenario Sewoon had feared had come true.