Chapter 774: Anyone Else Want to Stop Me?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 774: Anyone Else Want to Stop Me?
"Is it absolutely necessary to move?"
Tang Seo-yoon asked, her expression making it clear she wasn't keen on the idea.
"This isn't the kind of conversation one has in such an open space, dear," Tang Jin-seol replied with a seductive smile.
"I don't mind," Seo-yoon said flatly.
"Well, I do," Jin-seol countered, meeting her gaze with an unwavering stare.
The two women locked eyes for a long moment. A heavy silence stretched between them.
Eventually, Seo-yoon let out a long breath. "Fine. I'll escort you to the inner guest room."
She realized she wouldn't be able to break her sister's stubbornness.
"Isn't an inner guest room a bit too stuffy for a chat between two lovely sisters?"
"What does the location matter?" Seo-yoon asked, her confusion evident. As long as the conversation remained confidential, the setting should be irrelevant.
"It matters quite a bit. A daughter of a prestigious family should appreciate a little atmosphere, don't you think?"
"What is it you're really trying to say?" Seo-yoon's brow furrowed. She was growing irritated by Jin-seol’s habit of talking in circles.
"I have a place in mind. It has a wonderful atmosphere, and the tea is exquisite." Jin-seol maintained her soft, graceful smile.
Seo-yoon stared at her for a moment before sighing again. "…Fine. Lead the way."
She knew that refusing would only lead to a pointless, drawn-out argument.
"You won't be disappointed," Jin-seol said, her smile widening with satisfaction. She was pleased to see her younger sister finally yielding to her wishes. "Follow me."
Jin-seol turned on her heel.
Click. Clack.
She began to walk with an incredibly leisurely gait. Seo-yoon followed closely behind. Before long, the two had left the Tang Clan estate entirely.
*
"How much further do you intend to go?" Seo-yoon asked, her suspicion growing.
They had long since left the Tang Clan and the center of Chengdu. Yet, Jin-seol showed no signs of stopping.
"We're almost there," Jin-seol replied, a faint, alluring curve to her lips.
Click. Clack.
She resumed her pace. Seo-yoon scowled but continued to follow.
After walking for a while longer, an old, rustic building with a classic aesthetic came into view.
"There it is." Jin-seol pointed toward the building. A plaque hung over the entrance with the name Sampyeong Teahouse inscribed on it.
"Let's go inside." A snake-like smile played on Jin-seol's lips as she urged her sister forward.
Creeeeeak.
The door opened with the groan of old hinges, revealing the interior. Despite being on the outskirts of the city, the place was surprisingly crowded.
Click. Clack. Click.
As Jin-seol walked into the teahouse, the eyes of the patrons turned toward her. Their stares were blatant and lingering.
Click. Clack. Click.
Jin-seol ignored them entirely, moving through the room with poise. Seo-yoon followed cautiously behind her.
Thud.
Jin-seol took a seat at a corner table on the second floor, which offered a clear view of the outside through the window. Seo-yoon sat down across from her and looked up.
"This is your 'atmospheric' place?"
"Yes. Isn't it wonderfully antique?"
"To my eyes, it looks like a dilapidated ruin," Seo-yoon remarked sharply.
"True atmosphere is born from the traces of time," Jin-seol replied, looking amused.
"Enough with the nonsense," Seo-yoon said, her expression turning cold. "Get to the point. I didn't follow you all this way to listen to your sophistry."
"Can't you even spare the time for a cup of tea?" Jin-seol asked, her voice tinged with feigned disappointment.
"No," Seo-yoon replied firmly.
"How cold..." Jin-seol shook her head. It seemed her foul-mouthed sister had no intention of bonding. "Well, if that's how you feel, I suppose I have no choice."
The smile vanished from Jin-seol's face. "I have a favor to ask."
"And what would that be?"
"Help me be reinstated into the clan," Jin-seol said, her expression turning solemn.
"I refuse." Seo-yoon’s rejection was instantaneous and absolute. She didn't hesitate for even a second.
"…Wasn't that a bit too fast?"
"There is nothing to reconsider."
To Seo-yoon, the proposal wasn't even worth a thought. Currently, the head of the Tang Clan was Sun-woo, who was masquerading as the Poison King. She was the one acting as the practical head of the family by his side. They were surrounded by secrets that could never be revealed.
Bringing Jin-seol back into the fold would be like cradling a time bomb that could go off at any moment. Helping her be reinstated was out of the question.
"Seo-yoon, think carefully. My reinstatement wouldn't be a bad thing for the Tang Clan." Jin-seol began to speak in a low, persuasive tone. "You know the importance of the direct bloodline, don't you? At a time when we are desperate for every member of the direct line we can get, keeping me exiled is a loss for the family."
She wasn't wrong. In a Murim clan built on bloodlines, those of the direct line held immense importance. They were the ones responsible for passing down the clan's secret techniques to the next generation.
Following the Tang Clan Blood Incident caused by the Demonic Cult's invasion, many of the direct line had perished. The only ones left who could truly claim that status were Tang Jin-cheol, Tang Seo-yoon, and Tang Jin-seol. The claim that they were desperate for direct blood was factually correct.
"And besides..." Jin-seol continued slowly, her snake-like smile returning. "If it's me... I can make our brother the Leader of the Cheonmu Alliance."
Jin-seol was confident. With her skills and manipulation, making Tang Jin-cheol the Alliance Leader would be child's play. Currently, the only people in the Murim officially recognized as being in the Profound Realm were the Sword God Jang Sun-woo and the Poison King Tang Jin-cheol. This meant the next Alliance Leader would almost certainly be one of those two. To lead the Cheonmu Alliance, the greatest martial power in the Central Plains, one needed matching martial prowess.
She was certain she could make the Poison King the Alliance Leader. She could bring the Cheonmu Alliance under the Tang Clan's thumb and make the Sichuan Tang Clan the greatest power under heaven.
"Imagine it, Seo-yoon. A future where the Tang Clan absorbs the Cheonmu Alliance and commands the world as its greatest power..." Jin-seol spoke with a dazed, ambitious expression. "Our generation would be the one to leave that glorious mark on history. Isn't it magnificent?"
The smile on Jin-seol's lips deepened.
"That's why I need your help. For our brother to become the Alliance Leader... for the Tang Clan to become the greatest in the world... help me be reinstated."
Jin-seol stared at Seo-yoon, her eyes burning with ambition.
"All you have to do is arrange a meeting between me and our brother. That's all the help I need. I'll handle the persuasion myself. So, please, will you help me? Help me... no, help the Tang Clan become the greatest power under heaven."
Jin-seol was sure Seo-yoon would accept. She was sure she would work toward her reinstatement. After all, Seo-yoon was a member of the Tang Clan—a family said to have poison flowing through their veins instead of blood. There was no way she would refuse a proposal aimed at the clan's glory.
"I..." Seo-yoon began slowly.
Jin-seol focused on her sister's lips, waiting to catch every single syllable.
"I refuse."
Seo-yoon’s voice was cold.
"What?!" Jin-seol shrieked, her face contorted in shock. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"You're right about one thing. The Tang Clan is indeed in a position where every member of the direct line is precious. And the offer to make our brother the Alliance Leader is tempting. If that happened, the Sichuan Tang Clan becoming the greatest power under heaven would no longer be a dream," Seo-yoon said calmly.
"Then why! Why would you refuse?!" Jin-seol’s voice rose, her confusion turning into anger. She couldn't understand it. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to restore the Tang Clan's glory. To leave a mark on history. How could she refuse so decisively?
"Even so, I cannot welcome a venomous snake back into our home," Seo-yoon said, her eyes fixed on Jin-seol with a chilling calm.
"What did you say?!" Jin-seol screamed, her fury boiling over at the insult.
"You are a viper, sister. A viper that could strike with its venom at any moment. How could I ever work with someone like you?"
Seo-yoon met her gaze head-on. Jin-seol was a snake—a vicious one who would bite even her own family to satisfy her desires. Seo-yoon knew she could never trust her. The moment she turned her back, she would be bitten.
"I am of the Tang bloodline too! I care about the clan more than anyone! How dare you worry about betrayal!" Jin-seol’s face was flushed red as she shouted.
"Is it the clan you care about, or yourself? If you truly cared for the Tang Clan, you wouldn't have created a fake merchant guild to embezzle the clan's funds."
"That... there were circumstances..." Jin-seol began to stammer. To create the Honma Unit, the official budget had been nowhere near enough. She had needed a massive amount of capital, enough to justify stealing from the clan's coffers.
"And if you truly cared for the clan, you wouldn't have committed such violence against the branch family members who were supposed to be the pillars of the clan in the absence of the direct line."
Seo-yoon glared at her, her voice sharp and devoid of emotion.
"..........."
Jin-seol fell silent, unable to find an excuse for her treatment of the branch families.
"In the end, you have always thought only of yourself. Not the Tang Clan, but yourself. How could I ever join hands with someone like that?"
Seo-yoon continued her relentless critique, her expression hard as stone.
"I have no intention of accepting your proposal. And I hope you never seek me out again."
Seo-yoon slowly stood up, feeling there was nothing left to say.
Grab.
Jin-seol reached out and snatched Seo-yoon’s wrist.
"I'm not finished talking... Tang Seo-yoon."
"I have nothing more to say to you."
Grip.
Jin-seol tightened her hold on Seo-yoon’s wrist. "I said, I'm not finished." She forced a smile onto her face.
Seo-yoon looked at her for a moment, then slowly began to pull her arm away. To Jin-seol’s shock, her hand was dragged along effortlessly.
"What?!"
Jin-seol’s eyes widened. She realized she was being completely overpowered.
‘What is this strength?!’
She couldn't understand it. She was supposed to have a slight edge in physical strength over her sister. How was she being pulled away so easily?
Snap.
Seo-yoon twisted her arm and broke free from Jin-seol’s grip.
"I wish you a peaceful life."
Step. Step.
She began to walk away without a single look back.
Grind.
Jin-seol ground her teeth so hard the sound was audible. A wave of intense humiliation washed over her at being ignored by her much younger sister.
As Seo-yoon was walking away...
Slide.
A seven-foot-tall giant stepped out, blocking her path.
"Is there a problem?" Seo-yoon asked, looking up at the man with cold eyes.
"Didn't your sister say she wasn't finished?" the giant said with a greasy smirk.
"I am finished."
"Now, now. A conversation isn't over until both parties agree it is, don't you think?"
"Are you planning to stop me?"
"I just want to ensure a smooth dialogue," the man replied, looking down at her with a sneer.
Giggles and snickers broke out from various corners of the teahouse. Seo-yoon looked at the giant with a calm expression.
"I suppose I have no choice, then," she said flatly.
"Oh? And what are you gonna do? Hit m—GACK!"
CRACK!
Unfortunately, the man didn't get to finish his sentence. Seo-yoon had driven her forehead straight into the bridge of his nose.
"AAAAAAAGH!"
The giant doubled over, clutching his face as he let out a pained shriek. The bridge of his nose had completely collapsed under the force of her blow.
Whoosh!
Thwack!
Suddenly, the giant’s massive frame was launched into the air. Seo-yoon had snapped her foot up, catching the man right under his chin as he was bent over.
BOOM!
A dull roar echoed through the room as the man crashed back down to the floor.
"Anyone else want to stop me?"
Seo-yoon scanned the room, her gaze icy.