The Wind Blowing Westward (3)
Yeon Wi’s face was unusually grave as he read the letter.
Jegal Mun-ho spoke quietly. “It is only natural that the Alliance Leader has much on his mind.”
“……”
“I have already sent word to the Tang Family Head. He will likely depart for Sichuan within the next day or two.”
“I see.”
Yeon Wi lifted his eyes from the letter and stroked his chin. “Has there been any separate contact from Guangdong?”
“I was about to raise that very matter. The situation in Guangdong has stabilized, so the Righteous Justice Army should return before long.”
Jegal Mun-ho tilted his head slightly. “May I ask why the Alliance Leader inquires about the Righteous Justice Army?”
“It is nothing. The thought simply occurred to me.”
Jegal Mun-ho knew Yeon Wi had something specific in mind. Even so, he did not press the issue. Yeon Wi was not a man who voiced every passing thought. When the time was right and the idea had taken proper shape, he would speak.
“At least we have one piece of good news. The Hundred Weapons Divine Lord, Mak Won, has decided to stand with us.”
Jegal Mun-ho smiled faintly.
“The Alliance Leader has accomplished yet another great feat.”
Yeon Wi gave a bitter smile. “It is reassuring to see him carrying out his role so well. Still…”
He let the sentence trail off.
Jegal Mun-ho could guess what he wanted to say. Any parent would likely feel the same.
“We should convene a meeting and share all available information.”
“Let us do so.”
Yeon Wi gazed up at the sky. You rascal. It was fortunate that Yeon Hojeong was earning recognition after being dispatched to the Black Dragon Department.
Yet the more he proved himself, the more dangerous missions he seemed to draw. Yeon Wi trusted his son’s ability without question, but a father’s worry could not be helped.
He knew, of course, that whether matters resolved well or poorly, worry would not change the outcome.
But a man’s heart was never so rational. Even when Yeon Hojeong reached his own age, he would probably worry in exactly the same way. He must return safely.
Yeon Wi’s sigh rode the wind, drifting westward.
……
Dang Gwan’s face remained utterly expressionless as he read the letter.
Dang Sang-ah asked, “Who sent it? It doesn’t appear to be from the family.”
Dang Gwan folded the letter and answered, “That rude brat.”
“Alliance Leader Yeon?”
Dang Sang-ah tilted her head. “What has he done this time…?”
“It is a personal matter.”
Dang Gwan glanced to the right. There, Dang Yang-seon sat drinking tea with a calm expression.
For a brief moment, a chilling light flashed in Dang Gwan’s eyes before vanishing.
“Yang-seon.”
“Yes, Father.”
His voice had grown far more composed than before.
Dang Gwan nodded. “Your skill has improved noticeably. The uncertainty that once lingered in your aura is gone. Your momentum is now solid and firm.”
A look of quiet pride crossed Dang Yang-seon’s face.
He knew how rarely his father offered such praise. For Dang Gwan to speak this way meant real progress had been made.
“Thank you.”
“And how is your grandfather?”
“Since you left for the Martial Alliance, I have only seen him twice.”
“Twice.”
“Yes. The last time was three months ago. He remains in excellent health.”
“I see…”
Dang Yang-seon lowered his voice slightly. “Have you not contacted him separately?”
“No.”
The answer was sharp as a blade.
Its decisiveness was so absolute that Dang Yang-seon instinctively shrank back.
Dang Sang-ah offered, “Perhaps it would be good to send word at least once.”
Dang Yang-seon looked at her with slightly stiffened eyes. He thought the atmosphere would turn icy now that she had spoken so boldly in front of their father.
But Dang Gwan’s reaction was unexpected.
“There is no need to force contact.”
“Still…”
“The Martial Alliance is half-sealed in any case. This is a good time for someone to return to the main house and look after its affairs. You can pay your respects to your grandfather while you are there.”
Both Dang Sang-ah and Dang Yang-seon looked startled.
“You are returning to the main house?”
Dang Gwan looked at his daughter. “No matter how restricted the Alliance may be, the main house cannot be left entirely without a family member. I will go for a short while. You will remain here at the Alliance.”
“M-me?”
“You are still lacking.”
Dang Gwan took a sip of tea before continuing. “But no one in this world is perfect. Everyone starts clumsy and ignorant, growing through reckless collisions with the world. I was the same. Your grandfather was the same.”
“……”
“Though you are still insufficient, your martial arts have reached a level where I can feel at ease. What matters now is perspective. Unlike martial arts, perspective grows primarily through thorough experience.”
Dang Gwan glanced toward the window.
“I will speak with the Yeon Family Head separately. Learn much from him.”
Dang Sang-ah was flustered. “Will I… truly be able to do this?”
“Think of it as observing and absorbing. The rivers and lakes are harsh. Strength in martial arts alone will not let you survive. Use this opportunity to grow fully.”
Dang Sang-ah felt her father’s sincerity.
She bowed her head. “If that is your wish, Father, I will do my utmost.”
“Good. That is how it should be.”
Dang Gwan rose from his seat.
“Yang-seon.”
“Yes, Father.”
Dang Yang-seon was inwardly astonished.
He knew better than anyone how much his father had rejected his sister. Yet now the relationship between them seemed far gentler than the one his father showed toward him.
He was so surprised that jealousy did not even surface. Dang Yang-seon could not hide his bewilderment.
“You have traveled a long way, but you must return with me to Sichuan.”
Dang Yang-seon lowered his head. “Simply seeing the Martial Alliance has been enough.”
“Good.”
Dang Gwan nodded. “We leave tomorrow morning. Rest well until then.”
“Yes, Father.”
Dang Gwan headed for the door.
Dang Sang-ah asked, “Where are you going?”
He answered bluntly, “I need to buy a drink for the man who will look after my useless daughter, don’t I?”
* * *
“Hoo.”
Yeon Wi smiled as he brought over a large bowl.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
The bowl on the table contained a rich, appetizing meat soup.
Dang Gwan frowned. “You even cook now?”
Yeon Wi sat down. “You know how to cook as well, don’t you? When you travel the rivers and lakes alone, you end up sleeping rough and learning to prepare whatever you can find. I picked it up during those times.”
“It must be convenient to know so many things.”
“It seems you remain a complete novice when it comes to cooking.”
“The main house has plenty of money. The attendants took care of everything.”
“Haha, I suppose that is one way to live.”
Dang Gwan gave a short laugh and picked up the liquor bottle.
“White spirit.”
“I know. That is why I am surprised. You always said white spirit tasted terrible. Why bring it?”
“For someone with a cheap palate like yours, isn’t white spirit better than fine liquor?”
“Hahaha!”
Yeon Wi laughed and held out his cup. Dang Gwan filled it.
The two men clinked their cups and emptied them in one go.
Dang Gwan frowned. “Tastes like dirt.”
“So, you are leaving first thing tomorrow?”
“Are you a fortune teller now?”
“Do you think I don’t know you?”
“It must be convenient to know so much.”
Without a word, Yeon Wi refilled Dang Gwan’s cup.
Dang Gwan stared at it for a moment, then asked abruptly, “What does it feel like?”
“Hm?”
“I am curious what it feels like to succeed in raising a child.”
Yeon Wi smiled. “You already know the answer, don’t you? In this day and age, it is rare to find a child as fine as Sang-ah.”
“Sang-ah… Yes, she is a filial daughter who never gave up on her worthless father.”
It was an unusually soft remark for Dang Gwan.
“Sang-ah grew up well on her own. Except for her early years, I barely paid her any attention. In other words, I did not succeed in raising her. She raised herself well.”
The corner of Dang Gwan’s mouth lifted in a self-mocking smile.
“Yet the son I cherished and pushed forward in my own way has gone completely astray. Funny, isn’t it?”
“……”
“To be honest, it was a shock. I knew his arrogance had gone too far, but that arrogance was rooted in his faith and affection for the main house. He always believed the Tang Family was the greatest in the Central Plains.”
“There is no one in the martial world who does not know that the Sichuan Tang Family stands at the top.”
“Top is top. The most vicious, the most fearsome family.”
“……”
Yeon Wi could not find words to continue.
Dang Gwan ran his hands over his cup. The feeling must have been like his heart crumbling to pieces.
“I never imagined my son could be foolish enough to fall for an enemy spy.”
“……”
“And when I consider that not only Yang-seon but perhaps several key figures in the main house may have boarded the same boat, my vision truly blurs.”
It was a rare sight. Yeon Wi thought it entirely understandable.
Dang Gwan’s faith in the Tang Family was nearly religious. Most members of the family likely felt the same.
The Tang Family was so insular that comparing it to most other martial clans was meaningless. While they interacted with the outside world, they were bound together by the unshakable belief that the Tang bloodline was supreme.
That belief was absolute, producing a fierce temperament that ignited at even the slightest threat to the family.
The current Sichuan Tang Family could truly be called a kingdom unto itself.
Dang Gwan had been its king, and as king, he had received a devastating blow.
“It is my fault.”
Dang Gwan smiled bitterly.
“Before teaching him that our house was the greatest, I should have taught him how dangerous and brutal the world truly is. Before telling him our family’s martial arts were supreme, I should have made him understand how difficult those studies are to master.”
“……”
“I taught everything in reverse. And even when that son caused every kind of trouble, I consoled myself that his arrogance was a necessary quality for the next family head.”
Dang Gwan emptied his cup.
Yeon Wi silently refilled it.
“I thought I was a capable family head.”
“You are an excellent family head.”
“A capable family head, but not a capable father.”
Yeon Wi looked at him quietly, then emptied his own cup and spoke.
“There are situations where regret changes nothing. But there are also cases where it does. If one regrets and strives to correct their mistakes, there are times when things truly improve and progress.”
“……”
“And the relationship between parent and child clearly belongs to the latter.”
“The Tang Family is different.”
“It may be. But it may not be. You have not tried yet, have you?”
“……”
“Both you and I are new to being parents. The beginning is always difficult and always brings unexpected situations.”
Yeon Wi filled Dang Gwan’s cup once more.
“You are a good man.”
“I have no desire to hear empty flattery.”
“If he is the son of a good man like you, then he must have inherited some of his father’s better qualities. Even if he has strayed for a time, if you guide him properly now, won’t he be able to change for the better?”
“How optimistic.”
“Aren’t we always dreaming of hope?”
Dang Gwan stared at his cup in silence, then spooned some of the meat soup.
“It is bland.”
“Shall I add more salt?”
“No need.”
After eating several spoonfuls, Dang Gwan lowered his head without another word.
Yeon Wi watched him quietly, repeatedly emptying and refilling his own cup.
Dang Gwan did not raise his head for a long time.