Chapter 683: I Just Want to Make the Tang Clan Right.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 683: I Just Want to Make the Tang Clan Right.
"Just what kind of 'circumstances' are you planning to look into?"
Eon Jung-gi spoke, his face twisted in a grimace of pure irritation.
He was deeply displeased by Tang Jin-seol’s suggestion that he should restrain himself. Eon Jung-gi had personally felt the overwhelming power of the Poison King—a colossal strength so vast that he couldn't even gauge the outcome of a battle, even if he fought with everything he had.
To be told to 'restrain' himself after facing such a monster... how could she utter such nonsense?
"The Tang Clan has changed," Tang Jin-seol continued, her expression cold.
"Of course it has. It would be stranger if a clan that was half-destroyed didn't change."
Eon Jung-gi replied with a look of indifference.
After being nearly decimated by the Demonic Cult, the Tang Clan had indeed transformed. They were no longer the self-righteous tyrants who ruled with an iron fist. They had begun to cooperate, seek harmony, and, above all, pursue stability.
Unlike the past, when they monopolized wealth, they now sought collaboration by forming alliances with the Qingcheng and Emei sects. Instead of treating subcontractors like slaves, they provided proper working environments and wages to foster harmony. And unlike their previous high-risk, high-reward business ventures, they had shifted their focus to stable operations, even if the profit margins were smaller.
The trauma of their near-destruction had fundamentally altered their nature.
However, Eon Jung-gi didn't find it strange. In a way, it seemed only natural. By building alliances and strengthening ties with subcontractors, the Tang Clan was able to supplement the labor force they currently lacked.
"If you don't change, you're left behind. I don't see what the problem is," Eon Jung-gi said flatly.
"The problem is that the direction they've changed in is incredibly strange."
"Strange?"
"Yes. I can understand the Tang Clan's shift in temperament to some extent. Without it, they wouldn't have been able to maintain even the status quo. But their hostility toward the Cheonmu Alliance... no matter how much I think about it, I can't understand it."
Tang Jin-seol’s sharp eyes glittered as she spoke.
She could accept that their personality had changed after being half-destroyed. In fact, she welcomed it. She considered it a much better choice than being left behind while clinging to anachronistic ideas.
But antagonizing the Cheonmu Alliance was incomprehensible.
What the crippled Tang Clan needed most was a powerful backer—a sturdy pillar to support them so they wouldn't be swept away by the currents of the times. And there was no better pillar than the Cheonmu Alliance. In terms of scale, manpower, wealth, and prestige, it lacked nothing.
Yet, they were being hostile toward such an alliance? The Tang Clan, who valued practical interests above all else?
It made no sense.
That was why she needed to investigate—to find out why the Tang Clan had suddenly taken a different path. She needed to know exactly what they were relying on to act so boldly.
"Isn't it just because they've gained power? The Tang Clan Head has reached the supreme state of the Profound Realm. Since he isn't lacking in martial prowess, he probably feels there's no need to bow his head anymore."
Eon Jung-gi voiced his thoughts plainly.
At the end of the day, the Murim was a world where the strong survived. The powerful could raise their voices and do as they pleased, while the weak had to lower theirs and prostrate themselves. The Tang Clan had gained power; they no longer felt the need to walk around with their heads bowed.
"The Tang Clan may have gained fame due to the Demonic Cult's invasion, but they are still lacking compared to the Cheonmu Alliance. And in such a situation, they choose to be hostile? From a business perspective, it's absurd."
Management begins with not making enemies. Whether running a clan or a business, it was the same. Even a tiny bit of animosity could be the key that topples a painstakingly built tower.
Yet, the Tang Clan had antagonized the Cheonmu Alliance. They had discarded an ally they had exchanged with for decades in favor of the North Sea Ice Palace, a group they had rarely interacted with.
Unless they had something to fall back on, this simply couldn't happen.
"So, what do you plan to do?"
"I intend to find out what they're relying on."
"What they're relying on?"
"Yes. They wouldn't be acting this recklessly unless they had a hidden card, would they?"
"And what will you do once you find it?" Eon Jung-gi asked, looking curious.
"I'll have to eliminate it," Tang Jin-seol replied, her cold eyes flashing.
"Is there really a reason to go that far?" Eon Jung-gi asked, looking confused.
If the Tang Clan had something to rely on, didn't that mean they had built the strength to avoid being jerked around by the Cheonmu Alliance? Why would she want to eliminate that? The Tang Clan was her own family. Their growth in power should be a good thing, not a bad one.
He couldn't understand what this vixen was thinking.
"It cannot be allowed," Tang Jin-seol said calmly. "The Tang Clan must continue to depend on the Cheonmu Alliance indefinitely."
"Do you not wish for the Tang Clan's independence?" Eon Jung-gi asked with a heavy expression.
"If the Tang Clan becomes so independent that they no longer care about the Cheonmu Alliance's opinion, it would be very troublesome for me," Tang Jin-seol said with an alluring smile.
"What would be so troublesome?"
"If the Tang Clan's independence grows, it's obvious that the support I receive will decrease, isn't it?"
The corners of Tang Jin-seol’s eyes curved into a soft arc.
"I have no desire to become a kite with a severed string."
Tang Jin-seol was receiving an excessive amount of support from the Tang Clan. This was intended to expand her influence within the Cheonmu Alliance. They believed that as her influence grew, the benefits the Tang Clan could reap from the Alliance would also increase.
But if an alternative to the Cheonmu Alliance appeared, they would no longer provide her with the same level of support. They would feel no loyalty to do so.
Therefore, she had to eliminate any alternative. She had to ensure they remained focused solely on the Cheonmu Alliance.
"You crazy bitch."
Eon Jung-gi scowled deeply. He was genuinely disgusted by her willingness to hinder her own family's development for the sake of her own greed. What kind of nonsense was this?
"Are you really going to sacrifice the Tang Clan for your own prosperity?"
"Sacrifice? That's such a violent choice of words."
"I wonder what else to call it besides sacrifice."
"I just want to make the Tang Clan right. What good is there in making an enemy of the Cheonmu Alliance? Of course, I'll be looking out for my own interests at the same time."
Tang Jin-seol continued with a captivating smile.
Hearing this, Eon Jung-gi shook his head from side to side. He realized that reasoning with her was impossible.
"I'll have to make sure the education within my own clan is thorough. To ensure a bitch like you never comes out of it."
Eon Jung-gi spoke with a very serious expression.
"The Head of the Eon Clan certainly has a sharp sense of humor," Tang Jin-seol replied with a gentle smile.
"It's not a joke, you vixen," Eon Jung-gi said, looking fed up. "So, how long do I have to wait?"
"Wait at least a week."
"Do you think that's possible?" Eon Jung-gi snapped back.
It was already hard enough to endure a single day. To ask him to wait for seven days and nights was ridiculous.
"If you can't wait and decide to cause a scene, I won't stop you. But the promise we made will vanish into thin air."
Tang Jin-seol maintained her soft smile.
"......How annoying."
Eon Jung-gi spat out the words in irritation. But he had no choice but to agree. A life-and-death duel with the Alliance Leader was something he had dreamed of.
"Thank you for your cooperation."
Seeing his reaction, Tang Jin-seol spoke with a satisfied expression. She was now certain he wouldn't act rashly.
"You'd better finish this as quickly as possible. If it drags on, I can't make any guarantees."
Eon Jung-gi gave a warning.
"Don't worry. Digging up the backer isn't that difficult."
"It's not difficult?"
"In the end, management always comes down to money. If you track the flow of funds, finding the backer isn't hard at all."
Tang Jin-seol spoke matter-of-factly.
The core of any operation was capital. And the flow of that capital was bound to be linked to a backer. Whether it was bribes or support, they were inevitably entangled in some way.
So, finding the backer was simple. All she had to do was grasp the flow of capital.
"Then, the first place you'll raid is...?"
"Yes. The Jaegyeong Pavilion."
Tang Jin-seol spoke with a calm face.
The first place to strike was the Jaegyeong Pavilion—the very place that had so boldly cut off her support. If she went there, she would find it.
The backer operating in the shadows behind the Tang Clan.
*
Jaegyeong Pavilion
Clack, clack, clack, clack.
Tang Gam, a member of the Jaegyeong Pavilion, was busy calculating, his left hand flying across the abacus.
"Quantity... fifty geun... one hundred and forty geun... so... roughly... two thousand five hundred silver taels..."
Scratch, scratch.
As he finalized the calculations in his head, he moved his brush quickly to record them in the ledger.
After some time had passed...
Thud.
Tang Gam finally set down his brush.
"It's over!"
He stretched his arms wide, letting out a long yawn. His expression was one of pure refreshment. The ledger entries that had been giving him a headache for days were finally finished. How could he not feel refreshed?
'Now... if I just get approval... it's over...'
Tang Gam gathered the mountain of documents into his arms. He stood up and began to walk. It was time for the final settlement report.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Pavilion Head, it's Tang Gam."
Arriving at the office of the Head of the Jaegyeong Pavilion, Tang Gam knocked gently on the door. But there was no answer from within.
'Is she sleeping?'
Knock, knock, knock, knock.
Feeling suspicious, Tang Gam knocked again. But the room remained silent.
'No way!?'
Suddenly, the worst-case scenario flashed through Tang Gam's mind.
Vroom!
Tang Gam threw the door open. He quickly scanned the room.
"Ah..."
His face instantly fell into despair. His worst fear had become reality.
"Where did she go again?!"
Tang Gam let out a scream-like shout. His respected Pavilion Head had disappeared once more.
Thud.
Overcome with despair, Tang Gam slumped to the floor. If he had just gotten approval, he could have gone home. He could have fallen into a sweet sleep in his soft, comfortable bed. But the chance for approval had vanished.
Yorang had run away again.
"...Damn it."
Muttering a curse, Tang Gam slowly stood up. He gathered the documents that had fallen to the floor and picked them up again.
Thud.
He placed them back on the desk. Then, he trudged back toward the members' office.
"Did she run away again?"
As soon as he arrived, Tang Hye, another member of the Jaegyeong Pavilion, asked him.
"...Yeah."
"Then, going home is...?"
"......Not happening, I guess."
Tang Gam replied with a dejected look.
"......Hang in there, senior," Tang Hye said, trying her best to comfort him.
"......It's fine. I'm so used to it now... I guess it's just my fate."
Tang Gam spoke with a hollow expression. Pavilion Head Yorang’s desertion was practically a monthly event now. It wasn't even surprising anymore.
"I'll tell her when she gets back... why don't you just go home?"
"......I can't. If I do, things will get messy."
In the Jaegyeong Pavilion, the rule was that approval was given after hearing an explanation from the person who prepared the documents. Even though the Pavilion Head was the one in charge, she couldn't know every detail of every task. Without the preparer's explanation, the probability of an error in the approval was significantly higher.
"Then what are you going to do? You look like you're at your limit..."
Tang Hye looked at Tang Gam with concern. His eyes were bloodshot, and dark circles hung heavily beneath them. His skin was dry and flaky, and his hair was greasy and matted. He looked like someone who had pulled multiple all-nighters and was drowning in fatigue.
Knowing he couldn't even go home, she couldn't help but worry.
"I'll be... sleeping in the breakroom... wake me up as soon as she gets back..."
"Are you sure you'll be okay?"
"There's a bed in the breakroom too... it's not as good as home, but... I can rest."
"Alright, senior. I'll let you know the moment she returns."
Tang Hye nodded.
"Thanks."
Pat, pat.
Tang Gam patted his cute junior's head a couple of times and headed toward the breakroom.
Tang Hye watched him go with pity. When he had energy, Tang Gam was the type to hunt down the Pavilion Head himself and force her to stamp the documents. But today, it seemed he didn't even have the strength for that. It was truly pitiful.
'Geez... where did the Pavilion Head go...'
She muttered a small complaint about the vanished Yorang. When she worked, Yorang was like a force of ten thousand men, but when she disappeared like this, complaints naturally followed. She was a person of extremes.
Creeeeeak.
Suddenly, the sound of the office door slowly opening reached her ears. Tang Hye immediately turned her head, thinking Yorang might have returned.
"I see many unfamiliar faces."
However, the person who entered the office was not who she expected.
A woman who was beautiful but left a strong impression of being venomous. A fierce woman who had mastered the Tang Clan's martial arts despite being a woman. A woman of the Tang Clan who had married the great hero who saved the Murim, Lee Jae-won.
The Third Madam of the Cheonmu Alliance Leader.
Tang Jin-seol had made her appearance.
"Where is the Head of the Jaegyeong Pavilion?"
She spoke, a captivating smile playing on her lips.