Chapter 688: War Will Not Happen.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 688: War Will Not Happen.
"She might be of the Tang bloodline, but isn't Tang Jin-seol an out-married member? Despite that, she laid a hand on my subordinate. That is a clear overstepping of authority, isn't it?"
Yorang continued, her eyes sparkling with a chilling coldness.
Her demeanor was the complete opposite of the playful tone she usually employed.
"You're not wrong. However, your method of expression was far too extreme."
Sun-woo replied in a calm voice.
Yorang wasn't incorrect. No matter her bloodline, there were clear boundaries for what was and wasn't permitted. For an out-married member to interfere in the clan's internal affairs was a blatant overstepping of authority.
But her response had been excessively violent.
To simply beat Tang Jin-seol half to death...
It was hardly the kind of response one would expect from a prestigious Murim clan. If this became known, people would focus on Yorang’s violence rather than Tang Jin-seol’s overstepping. That was how radical her actions had been.
"I had no choice," Yorang continued, her expression remaining composed. "If I hadn't addressed it properly right then and there, the hierarchy would have been compromised."
Her eyes glinted sharply as she spoke.
"The hierarchy would be compromised?"
"Personnel management of the Jaegyeong Pavilion is fundamentally my responsibility as the Head, isn't it? Imagine if I had just let Tang Jin-seol’s interference slide. The members would start thinking I condone her overstepping. Then, instead of looking to me, they’d start looking to her. I was simply preventing such a situation."
Yorang spoke with a steady tone.
"......Hmm."
Hearing this, Sun-woo let out a low hum of contemplation.
He realized she wasn't wrong. If Yorang had handled the situation half-heartedly, Tang Jin-seol would undoubtedly have continued to meddle in every little detail of the Jaegyeong Pavilion in the future. And the members, sensing the shift in power, would have stood by and allowed it.
"Besides, she was the one who struck first."
"Tang Jin-seol struck first?"
"Yes. She beat Tang Gam’s face bloody just because he wouldn't go along with her overstepping. I merely paid her back in kind."
Yorang continued with a nonchalant expression.
To earn the trust of one's subordinates, one had to show results through action. One had to demonstrate unconditional support for their people. That was why Yorang had resorted to such drastic measures—for the sake of the Jaegyeong Pavilion members who trusted her.
If she had let it go, the members' trust in the Head of the Jaegyeong Pavilion would have plummeted to the ground.
".............."
Sun-woo fell into silent thought.
Objectively speaking, Yorang’s response was rational. If the leader of the organization hadn't stepped in personally when a subordinate was harmed, the very foundation of the Jaegyeong Pavilion might have begun to crack.
‘But the problem is that the person she hit happened to be Tang Jin-seol.’
That was the crux of the issue. Tang Jin-seol was a direct-line descendant of the Tang Clan and the mistress of the Cheonmu Alliance. The fallout from touching her was bound to be anything but quiet.
"..........Did I do something wrong?"
When Sun-woo remained silent, Yorang asked with a worried expression. She was concerned that she might have made a mistake. Although she felt she had grasped how human society functioned, her true nature was that of a spiritual being, not a human.
She was certain her actions were rational and correct, yet a sliver of anxiety remained—the fear that she, as a spiritual being, might have missed some human nuance.
".......No. You did well."
Sun-woo shook his head and spoke in response to her question. Though extreme, her handling of the situation was excellent. She had protected her authority as the Head by drawing a clear line between the Jaegyeong Pavilion and Tang Jin-seol.
"Phew.... That’s a relief."
Hearing Sun-woo’s words, Yorang let out a sigh of relief. Despite her confident words, she had been secretly anxious that she might have messed up. It seemed her judgment had been correct after all.
"So, how badly did you beat her?" Sun-woo asked, wondering about the severity of Tang Jin-seol’s condition.
"Fortunately, I didn't kill her!"
"I'm truly grateful for that. Thank you for not letting things go that far."
Sun-woo expressed his sincere gratitude. If she had killed Tang Jin-seol in a fit of pique, his head would have split open trying to clean up the mess. No, cleaning it up would have been impossible. What excuse could they possibly give for the assassination of the Cheonmu Alliance’s mistress? It would have been absurd.
"Hehehe... It was nothing..." Yorang replied, looking slightly bashful.
"Exactly how injured is she?" Sun-woo asked, his expression turning serious.
"The external injuries aren't that bad. Just some swelling on her cheeks and she’s unconscious from a blow to the head."
".....She’s unconscious?"
"She passed out after just a few hits. I guess she’s been neglecting her training."
Yorang casually blamed the loss of consciousness on Tang Jin-seol’s lack of discipline.
"..........This is going to be a mess."
Sun-woo felt a headache coming on. This was likely to become even more troublesome than he had anticipated.
"Where is she now?"
"I left her at the Medical Pavilion."
"The Medical Pavilion!?"
"Yeah! Actually, I was just going to dump her outside somewhere, but the others insisted otherwise..."
Yorang had intended to simply abandon the unconscious Tang Jin-seol. She felt no sense of loyalty or obligation to look after her. However, the members of the Jaegyeong Pavilion had stopped her, eventually leading to the conclusion that they should leave her at the Medical Pavilion.
"That’s a blessing in disguise."
Sun-woo felt relieved. It seemed the worst-case scenario had been avoided.
"Did I do good?"
Yorang asked with a bright smile. It seemed her choices were proving to be the right ones.
"You did well. I think it’s the best thing you’ve ever done."
"Hehehehehe."
Yorang beamed at the praise. She had come prepared to be scolded to some extent, so receiving a compliment instead made her feel wonderful.
"But what are you going to do now?" Yorang asked curiously.
"......I’ll have to think about it."
Sun-woo replied with a troubled expression. He wasn't sure how to handle the aftermath. Tang Jin-seol had not only offended Yorang with her overstepping but had also physically harmed a member of the Jaegyeong Pavilion.
Part of him wanted to give her a severe thrashing and kick her out, but the situation wouldn't allow for it. As much as he disliked her, Tang Jin-seol was an envoy and the mistress of their ally, the Cheonmu Alliance. Unless they were prepared to completely turn their backs on the Alliance, they couldn't treat her recklessly.
"Why don't we just kill her?" Yorang suggested. To her, there was no method as clean and convenient as silencing someone forever.
"If we do that, we’ll have to go to war with the Cheonmu Alliance," Sun-woo said, his expression grim.
"Then we can just do it, can't we? We won't lose."
Yorang spoke as if she didn't understand the problem. Sun-woo was strong. He possessed martial might great enough to sever the arm of Lee Jae-won, the strongest man in the Cheonmu Alliance, and a body—the Ethereal Body—that excelled in chaotic battles.
The Tang Clan was also powerful. There were three experts on par with herself, who possessed power akin to a calamity to ordinary martial artists. Furthermore, through their connections with the Qingcheng and Emei sects, their influence was incredibly formidable. Their wealth was also overflowing, incomparable to that of the Cheonmu Alliance.
So why avoid a war? Especially one they were guaranteed to win.
"No," Sun-woo said firmly. "War is the last resort. Now is the time to stay low, not to fight."
He spoke with absolute certainty, without a hint of hesitation.
"I don't understand. You have more than enough power, so why don't you use it?"
Yorang looked at him, genuinely puzzled. Sun-woo possessed power—power so immense he could force even the most unreasonable person to submit. She couldn't understand why he would live so cautiously with such strength. If you have power, you use it. If someone is an eyesore, you kill them. Why hide, be careful, and stay low?
"Because it’s not the right time."
"What?"
"It’s not the time. Not yet."
Sun-woo’s eyes flashed with a sharp light.
"Then just how long do you plan on staying like this?" Yorang asked, still lost.
"Yorang."
Sun-woo called her name in a calm tone.
"Do you remember when you encountered the Poison Demon?"
".......I remember."
Yorang nodded. The Poison Demon was the old man who had tried to use her as an experimental subject. It was such a gruesome memory that it wasn't easily forgotten.
"What do you think would happen if we went to war with the Tang Clan and the Cheonmu Alliance, while the Demonic Cult is filled with bastards like him?"
".........We’d take significant damage, wouldn't we?"
Yorang thought it over and reached a conclusion. The Poison Demon was an old man strong enough to be near the Profound Realm. If a place filled with such people invaded, the destruction of the Tang Clan would be only a matter of time. They might not lose, but the damage would be catastrophic.
"And what if we have to fight the Demonic Cult after a war with the Cheonmu Alliance?"
".........We’d take an enormous amount of damage."
The damage would be staggering. The number of martial artists belonging to the Cheonmu Alliance reached into the thousands. Even for a Tang Clan teeming with Profound Realm experts, a war against them would result in substantial losses. If they had to fight the Demonic Cult again in that state, there might be nothing left of their foundation.
"As you said, the Tang Clan isn't weak. Objectively, we’re stronger than the Cheonmu Alliance, not weaker. But for now, we have to be careful. The Cheonmu Alliance isn't the only potential enemy the Tang Clan has right now."
Sun-woo’s eyes glinted with cold logic. Currently, the three strongest individual powers were the Tang Clan, the Cheonmu Alliance, and the Demonic Cult. In this delicate balance, if two sides went to war, the third would inevitably reap the spoils.
That was why they had to be cautious, and then cautious again—hoping that the Cheonmu Alliance and the Demonic Cult would eventually destroy each other.
"There are disadvantages, of course. Honestly, it’s annoying. I don't really need to stay low and watch my step like I used to. Since I’ve surpassed Lee Jae-won’s martial power, the Cheonmu Alliance isn't that big of a threat to me anymore."
Sun-woo spoke plainly. To be honest, walking on eggshells around the Cheonmu Alliance was a nuisance. He wanted to kill all his enemies and live happily without a single worry. But the existence of the Demonic Cult was too bothersome to ignore. They were a potential arch-enemy whose exact strength couldn't even be predicted.
"But even so, if we start a war recklessly, we’ll be giving the Demonic Cult the perfect opportunity to invade the Central Plains."
Sun-woo spoke with a resolute expression.
"..........I see."
Hearing Sun-woo’s explanation, Yorang nodded in agreement. It felt like he was right. In a situation that was essentially a three-way deadlock, it was foolish to deplete one's strength by warring with one side. It would only benefit the remaining party.
"I... didn't think about the Demonic Cult..."
Yorang reflected on her oversight. She hadn't considered the Demonic Cult at all. She had thought Sun-woo was just being a nice pushover, but it seemed he was looking much further ahead.
"I'm sorry, Sun-woo. Honestly, I thought you were a pushover."
Yorang apologized to him immediately.
"You rascal."
Sun-woo let out a small, amused smile. Yorang’s attitude—being quick to reflect and even quicker to apologize—naturally brought a smile to his face.
"Then what do we do now? If a war starts because of me... everything will be ruined..."
Yorang asked with a serious expression. In a situation where they needed to be as careful as possible, she had assaulted Tang Jin-seol and given them an excuse. It could very well become the spark for war.
"It’s okay."
"It’ll be annoying, but it’s not enough to start a war."
"Really?"
"Of course. It’s not like you acted without justification, after all."
Sun-woo comforted Yorang with a soft voice. If Yorang had beaten Tang Jin-seol without any reason or had killed her, things would have spiraled out of control. The Cheonmu Alliance would have turned hostile toward the Tang Clan to recover their pride and honor.
But fortunately, Yorang had a justification. She had more than enough reason to thrash Tang Jin-seol.
"War will not happen."
Sun-woo declared with a firm expression.