Chapter 39: The Scoundrel Tang Se-gi - Part 1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 39: The Scoundrel Tang Se-gi - Part 1
The Sichuan Tang Clan.
Despite being flanked by two giants of the Nine Great Sects—the Qingcheng Sect and the Emei Sect—the Sichuan Tang Clan has remained the undisputed ruler of the Sichuan region for nearly three hundred years.
While it was said that a staggering amount of gold flowed into Sichuan, it was never enough to fully satisfy three massive Murim powers at once.
Running a sect was an incredibly expensive endeavor.
Incredibly so.
This was because mastering martial arts required an optimal environment.
First and foremost, there had to be enough space for a vast number of people to train. To ensure smooth practice, the grounds had to be paved with smooth stone or wood to ensure safety.
Furthermore, training weapons that broke by the dozens every day had to be replenished.
Since training weapons were usually made of wood, the sect had to either log the timber themselves or buy it and craft the weapons, which incurred significant labor costs.
Once a certain level of proficiency was reached, students moved beyond wooden tools to steel weapons. This meant bearing the enormous cost of iron and the wages for skilled blacksmiths.
Hundreds of straw bundles were sliced through daily, and dozens of training dummies were smashed to pieces.
Then there was the food. The sheer volume required to feed so many trainees was immense, and separate living quarters had to be provided for them to sleep.
If youths in their peak growing years did not receive proper nutrition, their growth would be stunted, and their training would suffer. Thus, the sect provided tailored diets with a proper balance of meat and vegetables.
Living conditions were also kept comfortable. To minimize the fatigue from training, students were not crammed into single rooms but were given ample space to ensure a pleasant environment.
Assuming one began their martial arts journey at the age of seven or eight, they would have to endure this training process for over ten years before they could truly be considered a martial artist.
Once their growth as a martial artist reached a certain point, they faced two choices based on their talent.
They could become a Main Sect Disciple and remain at the headquarters, or they could become a Secular Disciple, heading out into the world to start businesses under the sect's name.
Whether it was a martial arts hall, an escort agency, or a merchant group, the choice was theirs.
Those who stayed at the headquarters received a monthly salary and handled requests that came directly to the sect. Those who ran businesses using the sect's name were required to send a portion of their profits back to the sect as support funds.
To recover the initial investment, the sect had to pour money into a student for over a decade without seeing a single cent in return.
This was why every sect was extremely sensitive when it came to their vested interests.
If multiple sects existed in a single region, it would cause significant friction between the businesses operated by their respective Secular Disciples.
In Sichuan, this tension was particularly severe because the Emei Sect, the Qingcheng Sect, and the Sichuan Tang Clan were all located in close proximity.
Among them, the Tang Clan held a peerless position.
The Tang Clan did not typically have Secular Disciples, so their influence in the martial arts hall business was smaller. However, they operated their own merchant groups and escort agencies directly, making their influence in those sectors incredibly powerful.
This was a natural result of the public preferring merchant groups and escort agencies managed directly by the Tang Clan over those run by Secular Disciples of other sects.
Not only was their martial prowess superior, but the Tang Clan also adhered to a strict code: "Repay a favor twofold, and an enmity tenfold." Clients felt safer knowing their goods were less likely to be plundered, leading to deep-seated trust.
Furthermore, as a prestigious family, they possessed an expansive network of connections, maintaining close ties not only with local influential figures but also with the government. This allowed their merchant businesses to sail on smooth waters.
On top of that, the fact that they were the in-laws of Lee Jae-won, the World's Greatest Martial Artist, provided a background that outweighed all other advantages. By now, it was no exaggeration to say they had moved beyond being the "King of Sichuan" and were eyeing the title of the greatest family in the entire Central Plains.
From the perspective of the Emei and Qingcheng sects, it was enough to make their blood boil, but there was nothing they could do.
The gap between them and the Tang Clan had widened to the point where even if the two sects joined forces, they could not easily bridge it.
*
Geumhwa Pavilion.
The largest of the pleasure houses managed by the Tang Clan. It was famous for its many courtesans who were as beautiful as flowers. It was said that even if a man arrived with a thousand gold pieces, he would be penniless within four months.
On the top floor of Geumhwa Pavilion, a massive drinking party was underway.
"Hahahaha! Drink up!"
A young man dressed in green robes was laughing incessantly, a wine cup in his hand.
"Oh, stop it~"
With his other hand, he was fondling the breast of a beautiful courtesan sitting beside him, teasing her shamelessly.
"Didn't I say I'm paying for everything today?! Drink to your heart's content until the sun comes up!"
"Hahaha, thank you! Thanks to Brother Tang, I'm going to drink until I lose my reins today!"
"Wow, I never imagined I'd be drinking on the top floor of Geumhwa Pavilion. Brother Tang, you really are something."
"As expected of the legitimate son of the Sichuan Tang Clan!"
"Hahahaha! Why all the flattery for something so trivial? If you want, I'll bring you here every day."
"Ahahaha! Brother Tang, you truly are generous. Please, take a drink from me."
"Take one from me as well."
"I'll drink them all, so pour them one by one!"
The man in green began to gulp down the wine offered to him, a greasy smirk plastered on his face.
His name was Tang Se-gi.
He was the youngest son of the Poison King, the Head of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
Born as the youngest child of Tang Jin-cheol, the Poison King, he had grown up receiving an abundance of attention and affection within the clan.
Even Tang Jin-cheol, who had reached the Absolute Realm as a master of poison, couldn't stop smiling whenever he saw Tang Se-gi. It went without saying for the Great Matriarch, Un Ga-ryeo, who had conceived him at a late age.
Furthermore, because he was so young, he was not seen as a threat to the succession, so his siblings showered him with unconditional love as well.
Raised with everyone's doting attention, Tang Se-gi grew up to be a magnificent scoundrel.
The people of the Tang Clan gave him whatever he wanted, and when he did something wrong, they smiled at him rather than scolding him.
In short, he had never received a proper education in character.
They say you can tell a tree by its leaves.
Even as a budding scoundrel, Tang Se-gi showed his wicked nature from a young age.
Harassing the clan's maidservants was a daily occurrence. He would pick fights with passersby and leave them crippled, and he began frequenting pleasure houses to guzzle wine before the blood on his head was even dry.
That wasn't all.
Rapists married women and driving them to suicide was his specialty; decapitating the husbands who came to protest was his hobby.
He was fundamentally different from those who were merely "scoundrels" in name only.
They say a pure child can be more cruel than anyone.
Tang Se-gi was that child.
A child holding a razor-sharp blade, with no one to restrain him.
Tang Se-gi was wreaking havoc to the point where it was no exaggeration to call him the dregs of humanity, earning himself a notorious reputation throughout Sichuan.
Tang Se-gi was in a very good mood today.
Earlier, while strutting through the streets, he had encountered a woman who caught his eye.
She was a woman whose bulging breasts and enticing hips commanded attention.
Seeing her walking while holding a child's hand, it was clear she was a married woman with a husband, but Tang Se-gi didn't care.
He was the type who had to do whatever he wanted to feel satisfied.
He grabbed the woman's hand and dragged her away by force.
The woman resisted fiercely, but she eventually followed him submissively when he threatened to kill her child.
Leading them to a secluded spot, Tang Se-gi tore the woman's clothes and raped her right in front of the child.
Feeling even more aroused by the presence of an audience, Tang Se-gi enjoyed the child's sobbing and the woman's screams, ejaculating several times.
When the act was finally over, he looked at the woman and saw she wasn't moving.
The raped woman had bitten her tongue and committed suicide.
Of course, her death was none of Tang Se-gi's concern, so he simply pulled up his trousers.
Then, annoyed by the child's sorrowful wailing, he gave the kid a kick and left the scene.
He had already gotten what he wanted, so he had no further business there.
Tang Se-gi felt a flicker of doubt.
The women he raped always seemed to commit suicide.
Why do such a foolish thing after enjoying themselves together?
He thought that women these days were far too filled with old-fashioned notions.
If they were given the chance to receive the seed of a superior human being like himself, shouldn't they consider it an honor and shake their hips even harder to make sure they didn't miss the opportunity?
Tang Se-gi shook his head and continued his stroll through the streets.
Some time later, a constable and several guards from the magistrate's office came to arrest him.
They were accompanied by a man whose eyes were bloodshot from crying.
At that sight, Tang Se-gi smirked.
He was certain this was the husband of the woman he had raped.
He always wondered: if your wife dies, can't you just get a new one?
Why get so angry and shed tears of resentment?
"Tsk, tsk."
He couldn't help but click his tongue.
The constable and guards, seeing Tang Se-gi, didn't know what to do.
Then, right before his eyes, they began to beat the man whose wife had been raped.
Red blood sprayed, soaking the man's entire body. Only after he was a total wreck—to the point where his white bones glinted in the light—did they stop the beating.
Tang Se-gi grinned so wide his mouth almost tore.
This was it.
This was what power felt like.
Whenever Tang Se-gi confirmed the power he possessed like this, an inexplicable thrill surged through him.
If he hadn't been the legitimate son of the Sichuan Tang Clan, he would have been arrested by the magistrate long ago and turned into dew on the execution grounds.
But because he was the direct descendant of the Tang Clan, the rulers of Sichuan, he faced no punishment whatsoever. Instead, only those who reported him were beaten.
And now, Tang Se-gi was able to guzzle wine at Geumhwa Pavilion, using those people as his side dish.
It was delightful.
No one would ever dare to oppose him.
Tang Se-gi loved himself.
He cherished his current position immensely.
His father, who used to scold him for his constant misdeeds, no longer paid him any mind.
His mother, the Great Matriarch, always shielded him despite knowing of his villainy and cleaned up his messes.
She also gave him more money than he could ever spend.
Since he was considered to have absolutely no chance at the succession, his siblings didn't even bother to keep him in check.
In this land of Sichuan, he could be forgiven for anything and could do anything.
The world was maddeningly fun.
"Hahahaha! Brother Tang, have another cup."
"Hahahaha! You must take my cup first."
"I'm not leaving this seat today until I'm crawling back on all fours!"
Tang Se-gi finished his musings and looked at the people before him.
Sons of local influential figures, scions of powerful merchant groups, and even renowned rising stars—these were people who would be treated with respect and never ignored wherever they went.
Yet, seeing these arrogant men clinging to him in hopes of catching a few crumbs was quite hilarious.
"Khahahaha! Hahahaha!"
"Wait, Brother Tang, what's so funny? Let us in on the joke."
"Hahaha! Since Brother Tang is laughing, I can't help but laugh too."
"As expected of a hero of the Sichuan Tang Clan, even your laughter is boisterous! Hahahaha!"
They would never know.
They would never know what Tang Se-gi was thinking while he laughed.
Soon, Geumhwa Pavilion was filled with the raucous laughter of men.
*
Step. Step.
Tang Se-gi was staggering through the night streets.
He had gotten carried away and ended up completely wasted.
He could have burned off the alcohol with his internal energy, but that would go against the "Way of the Wine."
What was the point of drinking if you weren't going to get drunk?
Suddenly, he felt a sharp urge to urinate.
I really did drink a lot, he thought as he began moving toward a secluded area.
No matter how much of a scoundrel he was, a descendant of a prestigious family couldn't exactly pull out his phallus on the main road, could he?
Step. Step. Step.
He soon arrived at a Guan Yu Shrine located on the outskirts of the village.
It was far from the town and few people visited, so he could relieve himself in peace.
Trickle. Trickle.
Tang Se-gi lowered his trousers, pulled out his phallus, and began to urinate.
Drip. Drip.
Shiver.
Having finished, Tang Se-gi gave his body a quick shudder and went to pull up his pants.
It was then.
A sudden wave of murderous aura swept over his body.
The moment he tried to spin around—
Tap.
He felt the cold, distinct sensation of metal against his back.
Someone had taken his back.
"If you look back, you die."
A man's dry, emotionless voice came from behind him.
A chill ran down his spine.
The alcohol vanished from his system instantly.
"You... you... do you know who I am?"
Tang Se-gi stammered, his voice trembling.
"I know very well."
Stab!
"Aaaaaaaagh!"
The man plunged the blade into his back. Tang Se-gi clutched his back and rolled on the ground, screaming in agony.
"You're that one-of-a-kind piece of trash scoundrel, aren't you?"
The man looked down at Tang Se-gi, who was writhing and screaming, and let out a cold smirk.