The Time Has Come
I devoted myself silently to training, and training upon that training. Though my body had reached the Ju-Cheon realm, to speak plainly, this flesh was still that of a very weak martial artist. The density of my muscles was pitiful, and my physical balance was beyond discussion. Because the training itself was lacking. When it came to mental cultivation and qi cultivation, experience gave me shortcuts to exploit, and growth came quickly. The body was different. It had to be honed. And honed again. Two uses of the Heavenly Steed Divine Steps made my muscles scream. Three uses tore them apart. At four or five uses, I was usually bedridden for a day or two. Only the energies of single elixirs and spirit medicines had kept all of this in check — without them, I would be lying in a sickbed for days on end right now. This would not do. The Century Ginseng kept flickering through my mind. With just one Century Ginseng, there was a chance of nearly eight in ten that I could tear open the Danjung acupoint; with two, it would be a certainty to reach the Ninth Ascension. I wiped the sweat streaming down my forehead. No matter everything that had happened, there was still ample time to obtain the Century Ginseng. Two might be beyond hope, but at least one — I would certainly have secured one way or another.
"Young Master!" I turned my head. I was used to it by now.
"Your name was... Yeom Gil-seong, wasn't it?"
"Y-yes, that's right. Thank you, Young Master. I'm honored you remember."
Remember, my foot. "It has come to this. The moment any news of the Clan Head surfaces, you come scurrying to inform me. By now, I ought to have your name memorized. So. What is the matter?"
"The Clan Head, the First Lady, and Young Master Yi Jeong have returned from their visit to the Sangwoon Merchant Guild."
Speak of the tiger, and it comes.
"Where are they right now?"
"They just entered the Patriarch's Hall, so... I'd say they're still there."
"I see. Thank you. You may go." Until now, it had always been the Clan Head summoning me. This time, the opposite. I intended to go myself. Silently, I set my steps toward the Patriarch's Hall.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Everything Lady Un and Yi Won had done had, in the end, been merely preparation. The Soul-Severing Demonic Poison that Lady Sang had received from Sang Myeong-gil was also merely preparation. Yi Se-geuk still had a chance. Because nothing had been properly settled, each party still had their own position to hold, and even though suspicion about the future had taken root, nothing had yet come to pass. And in that situation, Yi Se-geuk, blind to that future, was once again staring only at what lay directly in front of his nose. The news that reached his ears upon returning to the clan was, once again, about Yi Do. This time, they said, he had provoked the Hyeokli Clan. Of the Three Great Clans of Jangryeong, the Hyeokli Clan was the one that maintained neutrality — a family that hardly ever stooped to backroom schemes. Its second son, Hyeokli Cheolsan — already renowned throughout Jangryeong Commandery as a master of the Yang-Gwang-I-Hyeon stage of the Four Realms of Qi Condensation, who commanded the squad known as the Gale Squad — made them a family that could never be ignored. And Yi Do had provoked them. Killing two members of the Gale Squad and shattering one man's dantian. That lunatic. Yi Se-geuk summoned Yi Do at once. But before any servant could even be dispatched to fetch him, the doors of the Patriarch's Hall opened, and Yi Do walked in.
"Oh-ho. Good timing. I was just about to call for you."
At the words you — spoken so crudely — Yi Do's brow twitched faintly, but he let it pass.
"Is that so? Then this is truly a fine coincidence. I wished to see the Clan Head as well."
"Ha. Yes, it seems such things happen often these days. Very well. Now then — explain yourself."
Yi Do was puzzled.
"Explain myself?"
"While I was away, you laid hands on the Hyeokli Clan, I hear. I let slide the matter of you killing my stewards. I let slide the burning of the Cheonhwaru. Just how far am I to look the other way before you come to your senses? Have you reached the Ju-Cheon realm only to lose all sight of what stands before your eyes?"
So that was what this was about. Yi Do found it absurd, but he managed his expression well enough.
"To speak precisely, I did not provoke the Hyeokli Clan."
"Ho? I received a report, I said — that you killed two members of the Gale Squad and blasted apart one man's dantian. And that is not provoking them?"
"No, sir. Strictly speaking, it was they who provoked me, and I merely responded. The Golden Inn in Jangryeong Commandery — I had promised to look after it—"
"Who decided such a thing?" Yi Do's brow furrowed sharply.
"The Golden Inn or whatever else — how dare you make decisions about the affairs of the Yi Clan as you please? I mean to say — do you intend to seize the position of Young Clan Head, brushing past both the first and second sons?"
Irritation began to rise, slowly.
"You should at least hear me out to the end. It is not the Yi Clan that is looking after the Golden Inn."
"...What was that?"
"Not the Yi Clan — I, Yi Do, am the one looking after it."
"...You've gone mad."
"Why do you consider that madness? From the Clan Head's own standpoint, isn't it rather a good thing?"
"How could that possibly be good?"
"The foremost of the Three Great Clans of Jangryeong is not the Yi Clan. No matter how the ignorant rabble outside may prattle, that fact does not change."
"...Why you—!"
"The true sovereign of Jangryeong Commandery is the Hyeokli Clan. Need I look far? Is there even a single martial artist of our clan who has reached the Four Realms of Qi Condensation?"
"...That is a matter for the Sangwoon Merchant—"
"This is the Yi Clan, not the Sangwoon Merchant Guild. I hear that the young clan head of the Jang Clan has now surpassed the Yang-Gwang-I-Hyeon stage and entered the O-Ryong-Peak realm. Being of the Imperial Sword Sect, his talent seems truly exceptional. What do you suppose will happen when he returns to Jangryeong Commandery?"
"..."
"Before you even consider his backing from the Imperial Sword Sect, that man will swallow the entire commandery whole. The reason is as I said. Because the Yi Clan is weak."
Yi Se-geuk found himself at a loss for words. Frankly, every single word of Yi Do's was true. Not one thing was wrong. The Yi Clan had nothing but money. And no martial strength to back it. Yi Do's standing had not shifted for nothing. Whatever one said about him, in the end, Yi Do was the Yi Clan's sole hope. His strength. That was what the Yi Clan needed.
"Rather than fret over who is Young Clan Head and who is not, I believe what we must do now is grow the strength of the clan itself."
"...Fine. I have heard your explanation for provoking the Hyeokli Clan. The Golden Inn has nothing to do with the Yi Clan. It is your affair and yours alone. Do you understand?"
This was him drawing a line. It didn't matter. He had never acted with any expectation from the Yi Clan in the first place. Expecting anything from this trash heap of a household — where whatever you brought was snatched away as a matter of course — would be a grave mistake. And yet. There was just one thing he had thought he might hope for.
"Yes, sir. I have understood sufficiently. May I raise one final matter?"
Yi Se-geuk, his head aching, waved a hand as if to say, go ahead.
"When will I receive the Century Ginseng?"
Yi Se-geuk's brow crumpled wretchedly.
"...You know full well the state of this clan, and still you speak of that now?"
Rather, that remark left Yi Do puzzled.
"Isn't that the First Lady's problem over there, rather than a problem for our clan?"
"...The affairs of the Sangwoon Merchant Guild cannot be separated from the affairs of the Yi Clan. Above all, when the goods were burned to ashes, the Yi Clan's own goods burned with them. In such a situation, how can you speak of the two as though they were apart?"
Yi Do was not the only one whose face turned incredulous at that. Lady Sang and Yi Jeong were included as well. Cannot be separated? And what, exactly, had that bastard said to the Sangwoon Merchant Guild? He had sent word that the guild's affairs were the guild's own to deal with. Whatever goodwill Lady Sang had possessed drained away completely in that moment.
"Regarding the Century Ginseng — I am sorry, but I believe it is right to put it off for now."
"...Would you say that once more?"
"This father of yours is a man who pours every ounce of his strength into raising the Yi Clan. A Century Ginseng in prime condition runs around four thousand silver taels; even one in poor condition exceeds three thousand. Naturally, both figures must be taken as the bare minimum. With the clan in such straits, there is no room in our coffers for an expenditure of that size. So wait a little while longer."
He had not observed Yi Se-geuk all that long, but there had been enough incidents and enough time to grasp what kind of man he was. The 'later' that Yi Se-geuk spoke of was nothing more than a waiting without end. It was all but certain this would fizzle out into nothing. Yi Do's eyes sank.
"Father. May I raise just one more matter?"
"Yes. Go ahead."
"A promise, you see. It only holds its meaning when it remains unshaken, in any circumstance whatsoever."
"...And so, with the clan in such hardship, you mean to demand we crack open our vaults for a Century Ginseng? Are you truly the son of the Yi Clan at all!"
Yi Se-geuk bellowed back instead — still blind. Blind to the meaning of Yi Do's sinking eyes. And seeing her moment, Lady Sang cut into the conversation.
"Gaga, may I speak as well this time?"
"...Go ahead."
"I think the time has come to settle the position of Young Clan Head once and for all."
"That again? Did I not tell you? It will be decided when the time is right."
But this time, Lady Sang had no intention of backing down.
"No. I believe now is the right time. Is the clan in such disarray precisely because the Young Clan Head's position remains undecided? Look only at today. That Yi Do over there knows full well the clan's situation — how can he even dare bring up the Century Ginseng? All of this happened because the seat of Young Clan Head stands empty."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Gaga, if the Young Clan Head's position had already been settled, a matter of this scale would have been resolved at the Young Clan Head's own level. And not only this — the affair with the Hyeokli Clan, all the various other affairs — had they all been settled at the Young Clan Head's level, there would have been no need for you to work yourself into such a fury as you do now."
"..."
"All manner of outlandish rumors are circulating through Jangryeong Commandery."
"What rumors do you mean?"
"That the Yi Clan's Young Clan Head position has, in truth, already been decided — and that the one decided upon is not a person within the Yi Clan, but someone from outside it."
"...What kind of talk is that?"
"It means, I should think, that the child of another woman you conceived in secret, Gaga, is soon to enter the Yi Clan."
CRASH — Yi Se-geuk slammed his hand down on the table and shot to his feet.
"Just who are the wretches spreading such absurd rumors?"
"I don't know that far, but the rumors are certainly there. If only to devour them root and branch, settle the Young Clan Head's position at this very opportunity. All the members of the clan happen to be gathered, after all."
Yi Se-geuk looked around the room in silence, then shook his head.
"No. The Young Clan Head's position I will settle later. Not now."
"...Gaga!"
"Tsk — why do you raise your voice? Consider the matter of the Young Clan Head settled as I have said. And have I not been listening to the same words over and over since we returned from the Sangwoon Merchant Guild? Raise the subject of the Young Clan Head before me one more time, and I will not stand idle. Do you understand?"
"...Yes."
Lady Sang's eyes sank. It was brief — but Yi Do saw it clearly, and thought this: That was the expression of someone who had just made a decision.
Slowly. A soft smile bloomed across Yi Do's lips.
"I apologize for stirring things up in an already tense atmosphere. I understand your will perfectly, Father. If that is your judgment, then so be it. As for the Century Ginseng — I will look to a later date."
"Yes — hearing you say so puts my mind at ease. I had meant to discipline you over the affair with the Hyeokli Clan, but I do owe you a debt of gratitude, so we shall simply let it lie."
"For your grace, Father, this unworthy son hardly knows where to place himself."
Only one person felt a chill creep over him at the sight of Yi Do, still wearing that gentle smile — the second son, Yi Won.
"I will take my leave. Do stay... well."
Yi Do turned away without another word. The time had come. Today.