The Slap That Didn’t Happen
She didn’t go looking for him.
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Silence settled over the arena platform.
The spectators who had been fleeing in panic, the elders and council members watching from above—every single one of them fell still.
Even Tang So-seol, standing on the very same platform, was staring in stunned disbelief.
It was an open secret that the Tang Clan Lord disliked Tang Soyeong.
But to slap her in front of everyone like this?
“The first slap was punishment for trying to kill your little sister.”
Tang Cheon-ak fixed Soyeong with a cold stare.
Soyeong didn’t look away.
If anything, her glare was even fiercer than his.
Seeing that, one of the elders snapped in outrage.
“You insolent—!”
“How dare you glare at the clan lord!”
“Silence.”
But at Tang Cheon-ak’s single word, every one of them shut their mouths.
After silencing the elders, Tang Cheon-ak went on, still looking at Soyeong.
“The second slap was punishment for daring to harbor killing intent.”
Within the Tang Clan, the clan lord’s authority was absolute.
No—within the Tang Clan alone? Tang Cheon-ak was more fearsome than the emperor himself, even beyond the Tang Clan and throughout Sichuan.
Merely harboring killing intent was reason enough to be harshly punished.
“From now on, know your place and act accordingly.”
“...... Yes.”
Soyeong lowered her head.
It was a sign of submission.
In that brief moment, she was able to estimate Tang Cheon-ak’s martial prowess.
He stood in a transcendent realm she couldn’t even look up to properly from where she was now.
Beyond the Peak Realm, beyond the Harmony Realm—there was yet another realm beyond that.
Hyeon Realm.
The clan lord had reached the same level as her former self.
For now, bowing my head is the right move.
There was one thing she had learned painfully well while living as a demonic sect leader in her previous life.
Pride is the most useless thing in the world.
How many fools in the jianghu had died with their pride intact and their throats cut?
If she couldn’t win right away, then the proper course was to lower her head and plan for later.
“Seeing this princess showing signs of reflection, I’ll end your punishment here with ten days of confinement.”
It was a proclamation.
A proclamation to the Tang Clan that, since the clan lord had decided it, they were to obey.
No one present could object.
But one thing became certain the moment Tang Cheon-ak personally handed down the punishment.
And that was the Tang Clan’s opinion of Tang Soyeong.
He even laid hands on her himself…
So it’s true. He really does hate this princess.
So she’s completely fallen out of favor, then.
The Tang Clan concluded that Tang Soyeong had truly been cast out of Tang Cheon-ak’s good graces.
Anyone with ambitions for power erased her from the list of choices.
A talent for martial arts, yes—but an unvalued child who had failed to earn the clan lord’s favor.
That was Tang Soyeong.
Tang Cheon-ak read the mood around him once, then addressed the judge.
“Judge. Announce the result of the duel.”
“Huh? But… who the winner is—”
“Fool. If you’re a martial artist, you should know.”
At the clan lord’s words, everyone had no choice but to nod.
Had Tang Cheon-ak not intervened in time, a flying knife would have been embedded in Tang So-seol’s forehead.
Then So-seol would have died.
“Your failure to intervene in time is also a grave fault. I’ll punish you separately, so for now, end the duel.”
“....... I obey.”
The judge’s face went pale.
No matter how strong his backing from the first wife might be, it would be hard to escape punishment directly handed down by the clan lord.
Even so, he still had to finish the task before him.
A duel ended only when the winner was declared.
The judge raised a hand and shouted the victor’s name in a loud voice.
“The winner of this duel is Tang Soyeong!”
Even as the victor’s name rang out, the surroundings remained utterly silent.
It wasn’t the sort of atmosphere in which anyone could cheer a duel victory.
Clap.
Then, a sound of applause broke the stillness.
The one clapping was Tang Cheon-ak.
Clap, clap, clap.
With a blank expression, he watched Soyeong and continued applauding.
Only then did the spectators and the elders begin to clap as well.
Only applause.
They weren’t clapping to celebrate Soyeong’s victory.
They were clapping because the clan lord had started it.
Hollow applause filled the Tang Clan.
“Enough.”
At the clan lord’s brief command, the applause stopped at once.
Silence fell again.
Tang Cheon-ak paid that mood no mind as he said to Soyeong, “The confinement starts immediately. Stay in your quarters for ten days.”
“Understood.”
That was the end of their conversation.
“This duel is over.”
Tang Cheon-ak declared it unilaterally, then left the platform.
Once one or two spectators started to rise, the rest quickly surged to their feet and streamed out behind them.
And just like that, the duel ended with no one truly victorious.
***
“Are you all right?”
In the annex where Soyeong was staying, Garyeong looked at her swollen cheek and asked with concern, “If you mean the injury, yes. If you mean my mood, no.”
“The clan lord was far too much. What on earth was there to hit on a face like this…?”
“I brought some medicine that’s good for wounds.”
So Jin-ha applied the medicine he had brought to the inside of Soyeong’s mouth.
“The clan lord really didn’t hold back. It’s split badly.”
“Don’t say any more. Just hearing it makes my blood boil.”
At Soyeong’s irritated reply, So Jin-ha closed his mouth.
That bastard… He definitely wasn’t at Hyeon Realm before.
Soyeong pulled Tang Cheon-ak out of the memories of her past life.
Back when she had unified the lands south of the Yangtze and was being spoken of as the strongest of all demonic sects, even the strongest in the world—at that time, he had only been a rising young expert, barely reaching the Flowing Realm as the young clan lord of the Tang Clan.
If that brat from back then has reached Hyeon Realm, maybe the martial world really has grown stronger than before.
Not all Hyeon Realm masters were equal, of course, but the name alone carried weight.
If Tang Cheon-ak had become a Hyeon Realm master, then the others must have grown stronger too.
By contrast, among the Sapaeryeon, no one other than herself looked like they might reach Hyeon Realm.
So the world’s balance has shifted toward the orthodox side.
The former Sapaeryeon leader accepted defeat.
In the struggle for power between orthodox and demonic factions, the demonic side had lost.
And she had lost with her death.
Doesn’t matter. As long as I can kill that rotten son of a bitch, Yeon So-ha.
What mattered to Soyeong was her revenge, not Sapaeryeon’s prestige.
Sapaeryeon had been made only because it was needed at the time.
She hadn’t exactly been attached to it.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
While she was sitting there blankly and being treated, a voice came from outside the room.
“Who is it?”
Garyeong asked instead.
The voice outside answered calmly, “I was sent by the clan lord.”
“...... Young lady!”
At that, Garyeong looked at Soyeong with a worried expression.
She was afraid this might be another attempt to hurt her.
Soyeong glanced at Garyeong, then said in a low voice, “Come in.”
The door opened, and five maids entered.
All of them wore the dark green silk robes distinctive to the Tang Clan.
The green robe was a symbol of Tang Clan talent.
They were all senior maids—one of the Tang Clan’s central pillars.
The maid standing in the middle bowed politely.
“We greet this princess.”
“What brings you here?”
“The clan lord sent us as a reward for showing a splendid duel.”
One of the maids standing behind stepped forward.
In her hands was a lacquered tray lined with silk.
On it sat a single book and a small wooden box.
Garyeong took the box and brought it over to Soyeong.
Soyeong picked up the book first and read the title written on the cover.
“Cheongi Hwanmu?”
“It is a martial art bestowed on this princess by the clan lord.”
Cheongi Hwanmu.
One of the advanced martial arts passed down within the Tang Clan.
It was a superb technique that everyone in the clan had at least heard of once.
This princess, who had been scorned and pushed aside, surely knew how extraordinary it was too.
“Is it good?”
Of course, Soyeong had no idea.
The senior maid looked a little flustered, then answered, “...... It is one of the Tang Clan’s most renowned advanced martial arts.”
“Really? Never heard of it. Anyway, tell him I received it well.”
“...... Yes.”
Her response had been so unexpected that the maid was a beat late answering.
Still, since no one had ever wanted to remain around this princess before, perhaps it made sense that she didn’t know.
“Then what’s this box? Can I open it?”
Soyeong picked up the box beside the book.
The faint scent of charcoal wafting from it made it seem far from ordinary.
“It is another gift sent by the clan lord.”
The moment she heard the word gift, Soyeong opened the box without hesitation.
A charcoal-like fragrance immediately filled the room.
Inside was a single small black pellet.
This was a medicinal pill.
One look was enough for Soyeong to recognize it.
“It’s the Gwiyundan. If you consume it and fully absorb it….”
“...... You’ll gain fifteen years of internal energy.”
“Exactly.”
Soyeong held the Gwiyundan and smiled faintly.
The Tang Clan’s Gwiyundan was a famous elixir known throughout the world.
So the clan lord was giving her this, huh? He was starting to seem a little more likable.
Anyone who shared things that were good for the body was a good person.
Anyone who gave medicinal pills was a benefactor.
“Tell the clan lord I’m grateful.”
“Understood. Also, after your confinement ends, he has granted permission for weapon forging at Manryeongak.”
Manryeongak. The place within the Tang Clan where metallurgy was mainly practiced.
The Tang Clan’s weapon-smithing techniques were renowned even across the martial world.
“Does it matter what kind of weapon?”
“It does not.”
“Got it. Tell him I’m grateful for that too.”
Soyeong felt a smile tugging at her lips.
Wasn’t the clan lord giving her a little too much?
But refusing a gift was rude, so she ought to accept it gratefully.
“The lord also said that with this princess’s current level of cultivation, fully absorbing the Gwiyundan would require the help of a stronger expert.”
“...... So?”
That was true.
It was difficult for a martial artist who was only at the Second-class level to fully absorb the internal energy contained in an elixir.
But that was only true for ordinary people.
What now existed within Soyeong’s body was a former demonic overlord who had once commanded the world.
“The clan lord said he would help with the absorption after your confinement.”
The meaning behind the maid’s words was clear.
You won’t be able to absorb it all alone, so bring it to him.
What, does he want to lecture me about something else?
Soyeong pictured Tang Cheon-ak’s irritating face.
Then she waved the maids away with a flick of her hand.
“Got it. I’ll handle it myself. You can go.”
“Understood.”
The maids immediately left the room.
Garyeong and Jin-ha looked at Soyeong.
More precisely, they looked at the Gwiyundan in her hand.
Soyeong was looking at it too.
I don’t know what the clan lord is thinking by telling me to come to him…
Soyeong brought the pill to her lips anyway.
Gulp.
We’ll see about that.
Soyeong had no intention of going to see the clan lord.
***
“This princess’s martial prowess was remarkable.”
“Hmm.”
In the clan lord’s office, Tang Cheon-ak was speaking with his trusted aide, Seon-hyeon.
The topic of their conversation was clearly Tang Soyeong.
“Her beauty has really blossomed. She looks like the third wife.”
“... I could see a little of my own face in there too.”
“Not even a little. If she resembles anyone, it’s certainly your ferocious expression.”
“.......”
Tang Cheon-ak glared at Seon-hyeon with a fierce expression.
Seon-hyeon met that look with calm amusement and thought, Yeah, she doesn’t look like you at all.
“Still, slapping her twice was too much.”
“...... I had no choice.”
Yes, it really had been unavoidable.
Within the Tang Clan, harboring killing intent toward the clan lord was unquestionably treason.
No matter how direct a descendant one was, a heavy punishment would have been unavoidable.
But by stepping in himself and slapping her, Tang Cheon-ak had been able to reduce it to a lighter penalty.
“If she comes to see you personally, you’ll have to explain that it was unavoidable.”
“Right. There’s no way a strong enough expert to help her absorb the Gwiyundan would be around this princess.”
Tang Cheon-ak nodded at Seon-hyeon’s words.
Giving her the Gwiyundan was his scheme to make Tang Soyeong come to him of her own accord.
...And, well, there was also the fact that he felt bad about slapping her.
“She was a child I couldn’t even hold once when she was little.”
“There was nothing you could do. If the clan lord had shown too much concern, one of the two wives would have interfered.”
“...... It’s my shortcoming.”
“If failing to rein in your wives is the fault, then yes, it is.”
Soyeong’s biological mother had been nothing more than a low-ranking maid.
And she had been the woman Tang Cheon-ak truly loved.
The other two wives had been political marriages, but she had been genuine love.
When she had become pregnant with Soyeong, he had been so happy he could hardly bear it.
But tragedy struck when she died giving birth to her.
After that, I couldn’t go near her. I could only watch from a distance.
She had seemed to go astray for a time, but in the end she had grown into such a splendid young woman and stood before him now—how could he not feel proud?
Thanks to that, he had even managed to create this chance to meet her alone.
This time, he would tell her the things he had never been able to say before and ask for her forgiveness.
Time wouldn’t erase those old feelings at once, but every beginning needed a first step.
“...... I’m looking forward to it.”
Tang Cheon-ak looked out the window with a face uncharacteristically softened.
He waited for the day Soyeong would come to him ten days later.
And ten days passed. Then another ten.
Soyeong never came to see Tang Cheon-ak.