Chapter 8 : Sichuan Tang Clan (3)

Chapter 8: Sichuan Tang Clan (3)

The moment the door of Heavenly Protection Hall first opened and he saw Tang Muyeol’s face.

Sewoon couldn’t hide the emotions surging within him.

The final image of Tang Muyeol etched into his memory rose once more.

How could he ever forget.

His father’s back, soaked in red blood flowing from countless wounds.

‘Run. I will open the path.’

During the final battle against the Blood Cult that unfolded right here in the Tang Clan manor, Tang Muyeol sacrificed his life to open an escape route for him when defeat became inevitable.

Throughout the many years spent as a slave of the Blood Cult.

What tormented him most wasn’t physical pain, but guilt and longing.

His chest trembled with the emotion of reunion.

Sewoon wanted to run and embrace his father right away.

‘No.’

But.

Sewoon bit down on his lip so hard it bled, suppressing the impulse.

He couldn’t let himself be swayed by personal emotions in such a dire situation.

Sewoon observed not just one person but everyone present at the meeting.

And as a result.

Like a physician, he could accurately diagnose the current state of the Sichuan Tang Clan.

‘The current Tang Clan is in a state of poisoning.’

And by two deadly poisons at that.

A state of severe toxicity where no part of the body, from head to toe, could function properly.

The first poison was the person standing right before his eyes.

“If you don’t even send the instigator to the Court of Justice, then how exactly are we supposed to contain the current situation?”

The owner of the voice so vile it made him want to wash his ears a thousand times.

The Poison Toad, Tang Hoyeol.

Tang Muyeol’s half-brother, who once fiercely competed with him for the position of Clan Head of the Sichuan Tang Clan.

Yet in the end, the previous Clan Head, the Poison Lord Tang Eui-tae, passed on the title to Tang Muyeol.

Tang Hoyeol conceded and withdrew, taking over the Ten Thousand Seas Escort Agency.

Since then, he had developed the Ten Thousand Seas Escort Agency to a level that rivaled the major escort agencys in Sichuan.

That was why Tang Hoyeol currently enjoyed great respect and support from most of the Tang Clan members.

The only reason the Tang Clan hadn’t been expelled from the Murim Alliance and still maintained appearances was thanks to the Ten Thousand Seas Escort Agency.

But no one yet knew the truth.

Tang Hoyeol was, in fact, the tumor deeply rooted in the Tang Clan.

From this very moment, just about a year later.

‘...You want to become independent? What are you saying, Uncle?’

Tang Hoyeol revealed the malice he had long nurtured in the shadows.

‘Exactly what I said, my dear nephew.’

‘U-Uncle. Don’t you know that the largest source of income supporting the Tang Clan right now is the profits from the Ten Thousand Seas Escort Agency?’

‘Of course I do. That’s why I’m leaving.’

‘This damn clan’s fence has become far too small to contain me.’

‘D-Don’t tell me even the other investments from the clan were reinvested into the escort agency’s growth...’

‘Heh, be grateful.’

‘How could you...!’

‘Everyone must walk a path suited to their vessel. Now, Sewoon. Try convincing your father to sell me the clan. I’ll even pay above market value, hahaha!’

Tang Hoyeol had never given up on the Clan Head’s seat.

Through covert schemes, he had tied the Tang Clan’s finances to the Ten Thousand Seas Escort Agency and then declared independence.

Because of the many traitors he had coaxed over the years suddenly defecting at once, the Tang Clan nearly collapsed.

Had Sewoon not mastered the Golden Bridle Movement Technique to the Five-Tenths Mastery level and awakened the talent of ‘Divine Weapon Creation’ at that time, the clan might have truly been annihilated.

Sewoon’s eyes, burning with resentment from that time, froze over like the icy crystals of the North Sea.

‘Just wait. I’ll take back everything you’ve built.’

Just as countless cruel plans for revenge rose in his mind—

Murmur.

The second deadly poison infecting the Tang Clan appeared before Sewoon’s eyes.

“T-The Chief Escort is right. No one in the Murim Alliance will side with us.”

“...What will we do if the Murim Alliance Leader really shows up...”

“Why did the Young Master do such a thing...”

Most of the clan’s retainers had already given up before a fight even began.

They were too afraid, thinking only of retreat and escape.

‘Grace must be repaid, and grudges must be carved in blood.’

The unique venomous spirit symbolizing the Sichuan Tang Clan, which had stubbornly endured the war against the Blood Cult, was nowhere to be seen.

Indeed. The second deadly poison infecting the Sichuan Tang Clan.

It was this ‘defeatism’ that had deeply rooted itself in the hearts of the clan members.

But Sewoon couldn’t blame them.

‘When strength is lost, so too is the self.’

Currently, the Tang Clan had fallen so low that they could barely contend with minor sects in Sichuan, let alone the Seven Great Clans.

With power gone, friends from last night became enemies by morning.

In the whirlwind of rapid decline, having endured so many cruel tribulations, how could he possibly blame the hearts of those who had finally broken.

Even if he were to weep and offer heartfelt advice to his kin, nothing would change now.

Those who now made up the clan were the very root cause of the Tang Clan’s collapse.

‘They must all be blaming Father now.’

They must be thinking it was all Tang Muyeol’s fault.

Before the nickname ‘Hundred Poison Hand,’ Tang Muyeol’s longest-held title had been none other than ‘The Tang’s Heretic.’

‘Tang Heretic.’

In other words, he had been so unlike a typical Tang Clan member that people gave him that nickname.

His nature had always been far too gentle.

He was a man wholly unfitting for today’s martial world, teeming with wolves and jackals mocking the idea of peace.

Tang Muyeol constantly made decisions that led to the clan’s loss, and each time, terrible misfortunes followed.

As such events repeated, the clan’s fortunes declined endlessly, and Tang Muyeol’s authority was severely shaken among the retainers.

The effects even reached Sewoon.

But there was something they didn’t know.

‘All the damage to the clan was due to Tang Hoyeol’s schemes, and the current misfortunes could become blessings with just a little effort.’

And.

In this life, Sewoon would help his father reclaim everything the clan had lost.

Moreover, the true value of his father, Tang Muyeol, lay elsewhere.

“What you should be asking me now isn’t that.”

“No, does the Young Master think this situation is a joke right now!”

In that moment, Tang Hoyeol unleashed his qi.

But Sewoon didn’t even need to open his upper dantian or summon his innate true qi.

Despite being the pressure released by a martial artist at the peak level, his body didn’t stiffen at all.

It was so unimpressive that it actually left him feeling more bewildered.

‘Ha, was this all there was to him?’

He barely managed to suppress a bitter chuckle.

That was how poor Tang Hoyeol’s qi truly was.

The result came from the fact that the first part affected by a developed upper dantian is the spirit.

At that moment, Sewoon and Tang Muyeol’s gazes met.

Tang Muyeol’s eyes were deep and resolute.

It was the exact same look etched in Sewoon’s memory from before.

Only one person remained unshaken, steadfastly upholding the belief and will of the Sichuan Tang Clan that the retainers had temporarily forgotten.

“Did you fight Lee Hoseong because of ‘why’, Young Master?”

Only his father asked him the reason why he had drawn his sword against the Murim Alliance.

Gentle by nature, yet uncompromising when it came to matters of chivalry and righteousness.

So stubborn as to be called inflexible—a true chivalrous warrior.

That was the true nature of Sewoon’s father, Tang Muyeol.

Then, Tang Hoyeol let out a frustrated sigh and continued speaking.

“Haah, Clan Head. What does the reason matter right now? If the Young Master used a forbidden artifact, the entire clan could be put at risk!”

“Do you not see that the Clan Head and I are in the middle of a conversation, Chief Escort?”

“W-What?”

“This is not a personal space, but an official clan meeting. It would be appropriate for you to attend in the capacity of a Hall Leader, not as my uncle.”

Everyone was shocked.

The Chief Escort was a Hall Leader of one of the Five Halls.

By clan hierarchy, the Young Master was clearly superior.

However, due to the current status of the Ten Thousand Seas Escort Agency, even Clan Head Tang Muyeol could not treat the Chief Escort lightly.

And yet, Sewoon had drawn a clear line with a single remark.

He was saying, “I am the legitimate heir of the clan, and you are just a subordinate officer. Don’t you dare interfere in our conversation.”

Ssshh.

In the silence that fell over the meeting hall, with no one able to speak a word.

“…Understood. I let my emotions get the better of me and acted rashly.”

Tang Hoyeol forced a bitter smile and stepped back.

Because based on the content, Sewoon’s words weren’t wrong.

Of course, Sewoon noticed the flash of deep rage that briefly surfaced in Tang Hoyeol’s eyes before vanishing.

‘So what can you do now?’

He scoffed inwardly.

In the moment when everyone’s attention was focused solely on him, Sewoon began to speak.

“Now I will explain to the Clan Head ‘why’ I cut off Lee Hoseong’s arm.”

Sewoon began to meticulously explain the crimes committed by Lee Hoseong.

The message had reached the clan in haste, so no one knew the full details behind the incident.

The sudden appearance of the Sword Emperor had brought the commotion to a swift end.

And the Murim Alliance warriors who followed the Sword Emperor had clearly suppressed the information immediately.

As a result, all onlookers knew was the ghastly state of Lee Hoseong and that the Sword Emperor had appeared.

“…After getting Seori out of the way, the bastard drew his sword and charged at me.”

“W-Wait a moment.”

“Yes?”

“Are you saying you risked your life against the Alliance Leader’s youngest disciple over a mere servant girl?”

Sewoon nodded without a single change in expression.

“That is correct.”

“Do you hear yourself?!”

“I do.”

“Damn it! You dragged a blood relative into a deathtrap and still speak so proudly?!”

Tang Hoyeol’s face turned red as if it would burst.

Still fuming, he continued shouting.

Sewoon didn’t respond to the screeching outburst, quietly surveying the surroundings.

Though Tang Hoyeol hadn’t noticed, the once wholly negative gazes had shifted to mixed expressions.

Sewoon resumed speaking.

“Each and every servant of the clan is like a foundation stone of the Tang Clan…”

“…No matter what misfortune befalls us, the clan must protect one another with their lives.”

The sudden phrase Sewoon spoke was completed by Tang Muyeol.

Everyone present was struck dumb in shock.

They had no choice.

Because the sentence the two of them completed was the final will left by Sewoon’s grandfather, the former Clan Head, Poison Lord Tang Uitae.

In the weighty silence, only Sewoon’s voice rang out.

“I do not understand.”

“I do not understand what is so wrong about risking my life as a member of the bloodline to protect family. I truly do not.”

The eyes of every member of the Tang Clan trembled violently.

In Sewoon’s voice.

There was sorrow.

There was grief.

There was also fury.

Their Young Master had surely brought danger upon the Tang Clan.

He had indeed pushed them into a dire crisis.

But.

It had been to protect a subordinate.

It had been one family protecting another.

Sewoon turned his head and met Tang Hoyeol’s eyes.

His gaze was so hollow and emotionless, as if looking at an object, that Tang Hoyeol flinched instinctively.

“Are you saying, Chief Escort, that I should have stood by and watched while Seori was violated by that bastard?”

“T-That’s…”

Tang Hoyeol shut his mouth like a clam.

Of course that had been his true feeling, but saying it out loud now would be sheer madness.

Because every important member of the Tang Clan was gathered in the meeting hall.

‘Damn it! Is he really going to let it go like this–!’

But the panic lasted only a moment.

“Ha, but the suspicion of using a forbidden artifact still remains!”

“Since we’ve resolved the ‘why,’ it’s time to explain the ‘how.’ This is what I used.”

Tang Hoyeol tried to press the issue again with the forbidden artifact topic, but Sewoon was a step ahead.

Swish.

When Sewoon stretched both hands into the air.

Tap!

Something fell from inside his sleeves to the floor.

They were two blood-stained daggers.

“…Practice daggers?”

“N-No way. Are you saying the Young Master fought the Red Mist Sword with those?”

As everyone was thrown into confusion, Sewoon continued speaking.

“I brought nothing but these two practice daggers to Hoeyeon.”

“With toys like that, how could you possibly subdue a first-rate martial artist?”

“That was… because I used innate true qi.”

“Sewoon!”

“Ah, ahh.”

At the bombshell confession of having used innate true qi, Eun Sowol, who had been standing beside Tang Muyeol, clutched her head and collapsed sideways.

The surroundings erupted into chaos.

The revelation that he had used innate true qi was enough to cause such an uproar.

Simply circulating that kind of qi would shorten one's lifespan at minimum, and at worst, could result in a terminal condition.

“…Young Master, did you truly use innate true qi? When you returned, your internal state and blood flow appeared perfectly normal.”

At that moment, Tang Bi, Captain of the Dark Flower Unit and a martial artist at the threshold of the peak level like Tang Hoyeol, cautiously spoke.

To him, one of Tang Muyeol’s most loyal subordinates, Sewoon responded respectfully.

“Thanks to the timely arrival of the Alliance Leader and the Divine Nun, they helped treat my body.”

No one could react to Sewoon’s words.

Because the names of two heavyweights no one had expected were suddenly mentioned together.

Why would the names of the Murim Alliance Leader and the former Sect Leader of the Emei Sect be brought up in this context?

“Even if you’re going to lie, keep it within reason! Are you seriously claiming that the master of the disciple you injured personally treated you?”

Though Tang Hoyeol shouted with rising fury, Sewoon gave no response.

He didn’t feel the need to answer anymore, and the ones who would clarify the matter were soon to appear.

Thud thud thud!

Suddenly, loud footsteps echoed from the hallway outside.

“C-Clan Head! At the front gate, now—!”

The gatekeeping warrior burst into the meeting room in a rush, unable to even observe proper etiquette.

‘They’ve finally arrived.’

Swoosh!

A faint whirlwind brushed through the meeting room in an instant.

And immediately, everyone’s eyes filled with shock and awe.

“Hoho, it seems I’ll have to be a little rude to the host.”

An old man with white hair appeared beside Sewoon.