Chapter 210: Seeking Advice
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 210: Seeking Advice
"What's the problem? Spit it out."
Tang Seo-yoon stared at Sun-woo as she spoke.
"No, it’s not exactly a problem, it’s just... I’m wondering if I really needed to be there. It felt like everything would have been resolved smoothly even without me."
"That shows how little you know."
Tang Seo-yoon’s voice was firm as she continued.
"Have you forgotten who the reason for them gathering in the first place was? It was you. What’s the point of establishing a hierarchy if the person at the center isn't there?"
"Is that so?"
"The reason the Great Matriarch and Senior Ok-ryeong called for you was to confirm it to you, the party involved. They wanted to show you who is above and who is below, and what rational process led to that conclusion."
Tang Seo-yoon spoke to Sun-woo with an incredibly calm expression.
"Why go that far, though?" Sun-woo asked, genuinely puzzled.
He felt that they could have just subtly let him know rather than making such a formal show of it.
"Because it’s meaningless unless it’s confirmed to you. They weren't just having a petty war of nerves. They were establishing a code of conduct for how they will live moving forward."
"Isn't that... a bit much?"
Sun-woo scoffed, thinking it was ridiculous. He felt Tang Seo-yoon was making a mountain out of a molehill.
"It’s the truth. Any group that doesn't have its discipline properly established is bound to rot from the inside."
"Wouldn't it be better to just treat everyone equally?" Sun-woo questioned.
He thought it would be nice if everyone could just get along as equals without any hierarchy.
"On the surface, perhaps. But behind your back, they might engage in a vicious power struggle. You can see that just by looking at the current Cheonmu Alliance Leader, can't you?"
"Lee... Jae-won?"
Sun-woo asked back, startled by the sudden mention of Lee Jae-won. Why was that bastard being brought up now?
"The current Alliance Leader also publicly claimed that his wives didn't need a hierarchy and that he would treat them all as equals. Do you know what the result was?"
"I have no idea."
"It was a total mess. Because they didn't decide who was above or below, the hierarchy among the wives became tangled. They feuded constantly, and it became common for them to treat each other like mortal enemies. Do you know how many wives the Alliance Leader originally had?"
"Hmm... wasn't it eight?"
Sun-woo thought for a moment before answering. Between the Heavenly Sword Empress Joo So-yang, the Phoenix Hall Master Kang Ha-yoon, and the wives from the Six Great Clans, the number was eight.
"Wrong. The Alliance Leader originally had nine wives."
"What!?"
Sun-woo asked back, his face full of bewilderment. His memories were synchronized with Jang Sam’s. For there to be a wife that even Jang Sam, who had spent twenty years in the Cheonmu Alliance, didn't know about... it seemed impossible.
"Of course, she’s deceased now."
"I’ve never heard anything about that."
"Naturally. It’s one of the most hidden secrets within the Murim."
"A secret?"
"Yes. About ten years ago, the Alliance Leader spent a night with a woman named Ha Su-ran, a disciple of the Leader of the Hao Clan. She ended up pregnant from that single night. The Leader of the Hao Clan informed the Alliance Leader, and he promised to take her in as his ninth wife."
"Then why did it become a secret?" Sun-woo asked, looking confused.
"Because she died before she could officially become the ninth wife."
"She died!?" Sun-woo exclaimed in shock.
"To hide the fact of the premarital pregnancy, the Alliance Leader promised Ha Su-ran that he would officially announce her as his ninth wife after she gave birth. Of course, he treated her no differently than his other wives in the meantime. However..."
"However?"
"That equal treatment is exactly what caused the problem."
"What problem?"
"It incited the jealousy of the other wives."
"Jealousy?"
"At the time, the other wives had all already given birth and had been married for a long time, so their relationships with the Alliance Leader had grown distant. Then, suddenly, the young and beautiful Ha Su-ran entered the picture, pregnant and destined for a seat as a wife. There was no way they wouldn't be jealous."
"And then?"
"Consumed by jealousy, the wives began to torment Ha Su-ran. At first, it was blatant ignoring or cold shoulders, but as time passed, it escalated. They would leave animal carcasses in her room or place knives by her pillow."
"What the—they’re not children! Why would they do such things?!" Sun-woo shouted, unable to understand.
"A woman's jealousy is far more insidious, filthy, and base than you can imagine. Especially so for the women of the Murim," Tang Seo-yoon continued with a stoic face.
"And she just took it?"
"Of course not. She pleaded with the Alliance Leader and even went to each of the wives, kneeling and begging them to stop. But despite her desperate pleas, the harassment never ceased."
"Haa..."
Sun-woo let out an involuntary sigh. The behavior was more cruel than he had imagined.
"With the daily death threats and constant torment, Ha Su-ran’s mental state was utterly devastated. Eventually, she made a choice she never should have."
Gulp.
"What was it?" Sun-woo asked, swallowing hard.
"She hanged herself. In her own quarters."
".........."
"She couldn't endure the mental agony that felt like her blood was being drained day by day."
"........So that’s why it became a secret?"
"Exactly. It was a disgrace not only to the Alliance Leader but to his wives as well. Since it was never officially announced, they figured no one would know if they just buried it."
Sun-woo felt goosebumps break out over his entire body. How could they drive even a martial artist, who should be mentally resilient, to suicide through bullying?
"How did you find out about this?" Sun-woo asked, looking at Tang Seo-yoon.
A question had arisen. How could she know a secret so deeply hidden within the Murim?
"Ha Su-ran was my friend."
"What!?"
Sun-woo asked back, stunned by the unexpected answer. Where would she, a woman who had spent her life stuck in the Tang Clan practicing martial arts, have found a friend?
"My brother and the Leader of the Hao Clan were close. He visited the Tang Clan several times with his disciple, Ha Su-ran, and since we were the same age, we became friends."
"Ah..."
Hearing her words, Sun-woo looked at her with pity. He felt sorry for her, having lost a dear friend.
"You don't need to look at me like that. It happened ten years ago."
Noticing the emotion in Sun-woo’s gaze, Tang Seo-yoon shook her head slightly and spoke.
"..........."
Sun-woo nodded silently. He realized that unwanted pity might only reopen the wound.
"Why do you think Su-ran died?"
"Wasn't it because of the jealousy of Lee Jae-won’s wives?"
"That’s not wrong, but if you go deeper, it’s because the Alliance Leader pursued equality without a single shred of hierarchy."
"Equality?"
"Yes. In the end, those women were jealous of Ha Su-ran, who was receiving the same treatment as them despite they having spent ten years with the Alliance Leader."
"Isn't that a bit of a stretch? It just means Lee Jae-won’s wives were all terrible people."
"I have no intention of justifying the actions of the Alliance Leader’s wives. However, if a proper hierarchy had been established among them, the tragedy of someone dying from jealousy wouldn't have happened."
She spoke with absolute conviction.
"Then Su-ran wouldn't have left us so pointlessly."
As Tang Seo-yoon finished, a deep sorrow lingered in her eyes. Seeing this, Sun-woo felt a mix of surprise and compassion. He never imagined that the bold, rigid, and almost excessively principled Tang Seo-yoon carried such sadness.
She, who always felt as solid as steel, now seemed more fragile than a small bird caught in the rain. Seeing her like that made him want to comfort her.
Sun-woo slowly approached Tang Seo-yoon. He opened his arms to pull her into a hug. Even if it wasn't much, he hoped it would provide some solace.
Slap!
However, Sun-woo’s attempt at comfort did not go as planned. Tang Seo-yoon slapped his reaching hands away.
"Who said you could try those cheap tricks?"
She growled softly at him.
"No... I was just trying to comfort you."
Sun-woo protested, feeling wronged. He had approached her with pure intentions, so why this reaction?
"Use your words."
Tang Seo-yoon dismissed him curtly.
"They say feeling each other's warmth is better for emotional stability than words."
"Get lost."
Tang Seo-yoon’s refusal was absolute.
"Okay."
Sun-woo quickly changed his stance. He didn't want to cause unnecessary friction.
"Anyway, the conclusion is that if you don't set a hierarchy, things turn into a mess. So stop acting like an idiot prattling on about equality and treat them properly according to the hierarchy they’ve set."
"How am I supposed to do that?" Sun-woo asked, still not quite getting it.
"First, you must show respect. You must always emphasize and remember that Senior Ok-ryeong is the first. Make sure no one forgets it."
"Respect, huh..."
"If you don't respect her, no one else will."
"That makes sense."
"And if you ever take in more concubines, you must tell Senior Ok-ryeong first. Then she will handle the hierarchy herself."
"What are you talking about?! I have no intention of taking more lovers!"
Sun-woo snapped back at her words. Two were already overwhelming; why would he add more?
"I’m saying if that happens. Why are you getting so worked up?"
Tang Seo-yoon scoffed at his reaction.
"That’s because... you’re saying ridiculous things..."
"You never know what will happen in life, do you?"
Tang Seo-yoon replied with a slight smile.
Daze.
Sun-woo stared at her blankly. He thought that her smile, which he hadn't seen in a long time, was still so beautiful it was hard to look away.
"Sun-woo."
Suddenly, Tang Seo-yoon called his name in a sweet voice.
"Yes... huh?!"
Snapped out of his reverie, Sun-woo asked back, startled.
"An il-gak has passed. Get lost."
Tang Seo-yoon issued an expulsion order, and Sun-woo immediately scrambled out of the office. He felt like hidden weapons might fly from her hands if he stayed any longer.
Once outside, Sun-woo began to sink into deep thought. He pondered what it truly meant to treat them according to their hierarchy.
"Haaa."
An elderly man with a refined appearance let out a deep sigh as he gazed at the full moon.
"What am I to do..."
He lamented, his voice trailing off. The old man wore a high-quality Taoist robe of deep indigo embroidered with cranes, a garment that made his status clear at a glance.
His name was Jeok Song-ja, the Sect Leader of the Qingcheng Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects. Despite the late hour, he could not sleep and simply stared at the round moon.
"Can you not sleep, Sect Leader?"
A familiar voice reached Jeok Song-ja’s ears from behind. He slowly turned his head. Standing there was a middle-aged man, also dressed in an indigo Taoist robe.
"Un-jeok-ja."
Indeed, the man who had spoken was Un-jeok-ja, an Elder of the Qingcheng Sect and the man known as the First Sword of Qingcheng.
"Why is sleep eluding you again tonight?"
"How can I seek sleep when the disciples of Qingcheng are out there, their fates unknown?"
"It is not your fault, Sect Leader."
"No, it is my fault. I should not have sent the disciples to such a distant place out of greed for money."
Jeok Song-ja looked at Un-jeok-ja with eyes filled with guilt and sorrow.
"Greed for money! Do not say such things! It’s not as if you used it for your own selfish desires!" Un-jeok-ja shouted back in protest.
Un-jeok-ja knew. He knew how much effort Jeok Song-ja, as the Sect Leader, had put into saving the crumbling Qingcheng Sect. Despite holding the prestigious title of Sect Leader, he never indulged in luxury. He had even gone so far as to bow his head to a mere merchant guild leader to pay off the sect's debts, enduring the dishonor.
Un-jeok-ja knew how many times the robe the Sect Leader was currently wearing had been patched. He knew that even now, with the financial pressure gone thanks to the contract with the Tang Clan, the Sect Leader refused to light a fire in the winter, choosing instead to endure the cold by circulating his internal energy.
He was the hero who had saved the Qingcheng Sect from the brink of bankruptcy caused by Un-jeok-ja’s own master and the previous Sect Leader, Jeokheoja. Though he might not have spread his name far and wide as a great hero, to Un-jeok-ja and all the members of the Qingcheng Sect, he was a leader they respected more than anyone else.
Seeing such a leader blaming himself made Un-jeok-ja’s heart ache.
"No... it is my fault... it is all my fault."
Jeok Song-ja began to repeat the words, drowning in self-reproach, and the sight brought deep sadness to Un-jeok-ja. Soon after, Un-jeok-ja looked at Jeok Song-ja with a look of grim determination.