Discovery of Fire (5)
“……”
The silence between father and daughter stretched on far longer than expected. The tea, brewed warm, had long since cooled. The thick fragrance filling the room gradually faded away.
How much more time passed like that?
“It's quite late.”
Dang Gwan spoke in his characteristically stubborn tone.
“It's been days since you returned from the campaign, and coming to greet your father was that bothersome?”
Dang Sang-a replied in a calm voice.
“I'm with the Tang Ma Army. I have to return there as duty demands, and catch up on all the delayed business.”
“You're a daughter of the Tang family before you're a Tang Ma soldier.”
“Yet you tried to push a Tang daughter toward Moyong Gun.”
“……”
“I'd already half-discarded the Tang name, but was I mistaken?”
Dang Gwan's cheek twitched.
“Then, have you resolved to marry Moyong Gun?”
“Not yet.”
Bam!
The table shook, and the teacup toppled over. The dripping sound of tea hitting the floor stirred an odd discomfort.
“I turned a blind eye to your recklessness because you were my child and a Tang. But if you're truly casting aside the Tang name, then from this moment, I won't treat you as my daughter.”
“You already said all that before the campaign.”
“What?!”
“I told you plainly: it was you, Father, who invoked family history to cast out your daughter.”
“……!”
“I'm the one who should feel wronged and angry, so why do you keep getting mad? You don't really see me as some soulless doll, do you?”
“If you were a doll……”
Dang Gwan growled.
“If you were a doll that couldn't speak, I wouldn't even ask you to understand my choice.”
“I do understand. But the disappointment and anger are still mine to bear.”
“You!”
“Father.”
Dang Sang-a smiled as she spoke.
“Don't get angry at me.”
“……”
“This is all something you brought on yourself. You have to take responsibility for what you've done. That's what you taught me when I was little—from no one else but you, Father.”
Dang Gwan's fist clenched tight.
Dang Sang-a continued.
“I came here ready to vent my anger, but with you like this, the steam's leaking out.”
“……Get out.”
“Take responsibility first.”
“What responsibility?!”
“I should have been the one getting angry, but instead, you stabbed a dagger into my heart. You need to answer for that.”
Dang Gwan felt a surge of exasperation.
“Are you threatening me with that nonsense right now?!”
“If you don't want to take responsibility, how about a favor instead?”
“What?!”
“If you still see me as a Tang daughter, will you grant me one request?”
“Shut up! I no longer consider you my child, so get out of here right……”
“There's one person I rely on quite a bit, human to human. Oh, don't misunderstand—it's not romantic.”
“……?!”
“Will you meet him once?”
Dang Gwan glared at Dang Sang-a in silence.
She pulled a letter from her bosom and placed it on the table.
“It's my final request as your daughter. I'd appreciate it if you would.”
“……”
“I won't come see you again. Take care of yourself.”
With that, Dang Sang-a rose from her seat. There wasn't a hint of hesitation in her steps as she turned to leave.
Watching his daughter's coldly resolute gait, Dang Gwan thought to himself.
Even stained with hatred and resentment, she's still Tang blood through and through. That venomous resolve isn't something just anyone can show.
Just before Dang Sang-a reached the door, Dang Gwan spoke.
“Casting aside the Tang name means abandoning all the Tang family's martial arts you've learned.”
“……”
“I trust you understand what that implies.”
“Family Head.”
Not Father—Family Head.
Dang Gwan felt his face flush hot with rage.
Dang Sang-a flashed a bright smile.
“I already offered up my life before the campaign.”
“……!”
“Take it back if you want. I'll wait.”
Thud!
The door closed.
Dang Gwan glared at it with fury-filled eyes, then let out a heavy sigh.
“You're the better one. More vicious than this father, whom the world points at as poison.”
After a long moment of self-mockery, Dang Gwan's gaze shifted to the letter on the table. He stared at it blankly before reaching out.
* * *
Whoooosh.
A knife-sharp wind, dulled by passing through the trees, brushed his collar.
The sunset was already spreading across the distant sky. Winter was winter indeed—the days ended noticeably faster than in summer.
Dang Gwan's face, gazing at the blood-red heavens, was flushed red as well.
Red, indeed.
It was quite a beautiful sight. This forest, little-known even within the Martial Alliance, boasted unexpectedly fine scenery.
Of course, Dang Gwan wasn't in a state to leisurely admire it.
His mind was still unsettled from the conversation with his daughter moments ago.
'The first to abandon was me……?'
Bloodshot veins crept into Dang Gwan's eyes.
'Abandon? Don't phrase it like that. The head of the main house can only be a man. No matter how skilled you become, you can never be family head.'
His daughter's face rose in his mind. Always smiling, yet hiding a deeper emptiness than anyone.
'Father, you're wrong. Upholding tradition isn't stubbornness. Tradition has meaning in itself.'
For the sake of tradition, if the family could shine on solid ground, he'd wield stubbornness or obsession as needed. And pour deadly poison into the mouths of those who clicked their tongues.
'I am not wrong!'
It was then.
Crunch.
Crunch.
The sound of footsteps crunching snow echoed from afar.
'He's here.'
Dang Gwan turned.
'What kind of bastard……'
In that instant, Dang Gwan's eyes widened.
“You?!”
“Calling me 'you' right from the start? That's harsh.”
The young man—Yeon Hojeong—smiled calmly.
“How have you been?”
“……No way. You're the one my daughter asked me to meet?”
“That's right.”
Foosh.
A chilling emerald glow erupted from Dang Gwan's body. In extreme rage, he unleashed the formidable power he'd kept suppressed until now.
Sizzle!
The ground within a five-zhang radius around him began melting at terrifying speed. It wasn't just the snow—even the frozen earth turned into sticky sludge.
Admiration flickered across Yeon Hojeong's face.
“Impressive poison art. Even more vicious than before, it seems.”
“You dare use my daughter to lure me out?”
“Having to drag even a sensible daughter into this just to meet a man like you does make my position tough.”
“What?!”
“Never mind. Good is good, right? Put away that bizarre aura for now and let's talk.”
“You bastard!”
“Or……”
Flash!
Killing intent gleamed in Yeon Hojeong's eyes.
“Would you feel better if this young punk's mouth spewed curses like before?”
“……!”
“I haven't forgotten the Hongyo Society incident. Sure, we buried it, but the resentment lingers. Call me petty if you want.”
Yeon Hojeong grinned brightly.
“Don't make this young punk's mouth run wild. You've come all this way—hear me out first.”
“Wrong.”
“Hm?”
“I came at my daughter's request, but if I'd known it was you, I never would have. In other words, you've stolen the Sichuan Tang family head's time.”
Swoosh.
The poison aura spreading in all directions retracted into his body in an instant. Astonishingly swift.
Unleashing such power in one go was impressive enough, but recalling it in a heartbeat was beyond ordinary enlightenment.
As expected of the Sichuan Tang family head. Worthy of claiming leadership among the Six Great Families.
“Whether this meeting was worth my time is for me to judge. If it's not that important, I'll turn you into a puddle of blood, even if it lands me in the thunder prison.”
His voice carried genuine intent. Not mere pride or blind rage like before. A calm, lethal killing intent.
Dang Gwan truly meant to kill Yeon Hojeong.
Interesting.
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
'I tried rattling his mind with nonsense before striking, but he's already shaken to the core?'
He had a hunch why. The conversation with Dang Sang-a must have left his heart in turmoil.
“I wonder if you could even kill me with your skills.”
“Shall we test it?”
“Testing sounds good. But I'm a busy man too—let's get to the point.”
Before Dang Gwan could respond, Yeon Hojeong pressed on.
“What do you want? Alliance Leader?”
“……?!”
“Let's hear that answer first.”
Dang Gwan's expression twisted sharply. No matter how angry, some words couldn't be ignored.
The faction leaders were already eyeing each other warily ahead of next year's election. And now, out of nowhere, this accusation of coveting the Alliance Leader seat?
“……What nonsense is that?”
“I know you have ambitions for power. I get what Moyong Gun wants, but not exactly what position you crave.”
“……!”
“Tell me. Do you want the Martial Alliance Leader seat?”
“I knew you were arrogant, but this surpasses imagination.”
“Well, the head of stubborn fools who delusionally think Sichuan Tang is the world's best wouldn't eye the Leader seat anyway. Moving on.”
“You mad bastard! Do you truly want to die?!”
“You can never escape the Martial Alliance.”
“What?”
“You know Moyong Gun's started preliminary work to slander the Justice Faction, right?”
“……?!”
Dang Gwan's eyes changed. Yeon Hojeong pierced through it like a ghost.
'He doesn't know?'
Even if it was Moyong Gun's doing, Dang Gwan might not know. Fifty-fifty chance, he'd thought.
Given Dang Gwan's sharp nature, no need to risk informing him. But his help would make things smoother. Hence the even odds.
'Might not be Moyong Gun. But high chance it is. Then……'
Yeon Hojeong's lips curved up.
“Looks like Moyong Gun didn't tell you. Guess my hunch was right.”
“What bullshit?”
“Moyong Gun won't let you go. Reason being, you have no interest in the Leader seat but crave real power.”
“……!”
“You think you've allied with Moyong Gun? Nonsense. Maybe you believe you can manipulate him as you wish, but reality's the opposite.”
Yeon Hojeong chuckled.
“You know you're just a card he's grooming to use and discard, right?”
“……!!”
“When we expose his plot to slander the Justice Faction, who do you think he'll point to as the culprit?”
Dang Gwan's eyes wavered.
Yeon Hojeong spoke in a sinister tone.
“To Moyong Gun, you're just another card in the end.”