If You’re Wronged, Then Get Yourself Resurrected Too (3)
"That man will surely become the Absolute Master of the future."
"Yes."
"His talent and potential are unmatched under heaven. He will definitely become a warrior whose name will echo throughout the world!"
"Yes!"
"And as for that son of a bitch of the underheaven……."
"……Yes?"
Tang Jan jerked his head up and stared at the back of Tang Gun-ak. The back of the man standing with his hands behind him was trembling ever so slightly.
"Khrkhkhkhkhm!"
Tang Gun-ak coughed loudly and awkwardly.
……Had he heard that wrong?
"Khrkhrkhrm!"
After another exaggerated cough, Tang Gun-ak let out a sigh and said,
"The value of an Absolute Master is beyond your imagination. An Absolute Master can become a banner of righteousness, at times a source of power, and at times the very reason itself. There is a reason every sect under heaven spares neither wealth nor effort to produce one."
"Yes, Lord."
"But to think such an important position would go to such a goddamn……."
"……Yes?"
"Ah, no."
Tang Jan rubbed at his ear. He kept hearing strange things lately.
Tang Gun-ak ground his teeth.
"If you can’t become the Absolute Master, then you must become friends with the Absolute Master."
Tang Jan narrowed his eyes slightly.
On the surface, it sounded right. But one thing was missing.
"However, Lord."
Tang Jan asked in a slightly puzzled voice,
"Of course, the Mount Hua Divine Dragon’s ability is beyond question. But his origins in Mount Hua make me uneasy. No matter how great a person is, if he’s only one man, there are limits to what he can do, aren’t there?"
"Foolish talk!"
Tang Gun-ak said firmly.
"If he weren’t from Mount Hua, he wouldn’t even be worth investing in. If he already had enough power and resources, why would he bother trying to befriend us?"
"Ah……."
"It’s precisely because the current Mount Hua is not as strong as it once was that we can reach out to him. We use him, and he relies on us. That makes for an excellent relationship, does it not?"
Tang Jan nodded.
"Think about it. If the strength of that grown Mount Hua Divine Dragon were added to the power of our Tang Family……?"
Then it would truly be the greatest under heaven!
"Then the greatest goddamn bastard under heaven would be born. Damn it!"
"Pardon?"
Even now, Tang Gun-ak didn’t correct himself.
"That bandit bastard……. No matter how much of a mistake I made, the Thousand Poison Pill…… the Thousand Poison Pill that there aren’t many left of in the Tang Family now! Grrrgh!"
Tang Gun-ak’s body began to tremble.
From his violently shaking shoulders, anyone could tell exactly how enraged he was.
"Tang Jan!"
Tang Gun-ak snapped his head around.
Ah…….
Had the Lord’s eyes gone a little red……?
Could it be, no way?
"Your elder brother will step down from the position of Young Lord."
Tang Jan’s eyes flew wide open.
"L-Lord?"
"Think about it."
"……About what?"
"If you were the Mount Hua Divine Dragon, would you want to join hands with the Tang Family while Tang Pae was Lord?"
"Ah!"
Tang Jan nodded again and again.
There was no way that could happen. Tang Pae was the one who had launched a sneak attack on Chung Myung while he was in the middle of a duel. No matter what punishment he received, the Mount Hua Divine Dragon’s anger would never be soothed.
"What matters is not the person, but the family. If the benefit of making Tang Pae Lord is smaller than the benefit of making the Mount Hua Divine Dragon one of the Tang Family’s own, then we choose the latter. That is the law of the Tang Family."
"I’ll keep that in mind."
"And that miserly bastard won’t forget this anytime soon……."
"……."
Tang Gun-ak’s body trembled again.
Tang Jan, having never once seen him like this in his life, could only press his lips together.
After barely calming himself, Tang Gun-ak said,
"The position of Young Lord is now vacant."
"……."
"You will have to compete with your brothers."
"I will do my best."
"I’m giving you one task."
Tang Jan lifted his head and looked at Tang Gun-ak.
"Someone from the Tang Family must build a relationship with the Mount Hua Divine Dragon."
"……."
"In my view, the Mount Hua Divine Dragon is a man who is exceedingly generous to his own people. If you can become one of his people, then the Tang Family can gain far more than a simple contractual relationship."
"Lord."
Tang Jan looked at Tang Gun-ak with a resolute gaze.
"I have little interest in the position of Young Lord."
"Hmm?"
"However!"
Tang Jan said firmly,
"If it is something that will help the family, then of course I will do it."
Tang Gun-ak smiled.
"Good."
After a brief pause, he added quietly,
"But be careful."
"……Yes?"
"That man is no ordinary fellow."
As Tang Gun-ak turned his head slightly, Tang Jan thought he could see a faint moisture gathering at the corner of his eyes.
Huh?
Are you crying?
* * *
Tang Jan made the vow again and again.
I will absolutely win the Mount Hua Divine Dragon’s heart!
It would not be enough to merely become acquaintances. No matter what it took, he had to become the Mount Hua Divine Dragon’s intimate friend.
To do that, the first step was to build familiarity with him!
Through endless effort!
However…….
There was one thing.
This probably wasn’t the kind of effort they meant…….
Tang Jan let out a deep sigh.
"Hey, your hand’s just hanging there."
"……I’m sorry."
Tang Jan snapped back to his senses and hurriedly began waving the fan in earnest.
The fan in his hand began sending out a cool breeze.
"Hah. The Tang Family even fans people well with a fan."
"……."
They’d said to become friends, hadn’t they?
Wasn’t this just a flunky’s work?
"Hmm."
Chung Myung, who had been sprawled out in a soft, oversized chair, sat up a little, whistled, and picked up the fruit placed before him.
It wasn’t just fruit.
On the table in front of Chung Myung was a spread of every delicacy imaginable.
The finest of Sichuan cuisine—one of the Four Great Delicacies of China—had met all sorts of rare ingredients and been elevated into something bordering on art.
Glug, glug, glug, glug, glug.
"Kraaaah!"
After gulping down cold Sichuan baijiu as well, Chung Myung slumped back into his chair.
"Hah. Wonderful, wonderful! This is paradise."
But the people watching him felt very differently.
"……Looks more like a den of debauchery."
"A Daoist drinking and eating meat."
"Not that surprising, but somehow still amazing."
The Mount Hua disciples shook their heads as they watched Chung Myung.
"I must’ve lost my mind. Of all things to worry about, I worried about that bastard."
"No, how is someone who got stabbed like that still so damn fine?"
"……He’s not human."
Ignoring all of that, Chung Myung took another hearty swig of baijiu, then tore off a duck leg and shoved it into his mouth.
"Hah. Sasuk, Sahyung! Try this. It’s seriously killer. And this, this liquor is really expensive. It’s just sweet as hell!"
"……."
Baek Cheon stared blankly at Chung Myung.
Is this really okay?
Well, it wasn’t as if they were refusing the hospitality. It was odd to turn down every offer; after all, refusing everything wasn’t necessarily polite.
But this…….
Baek Cheon’s trembling gaze drifted toward Chung Myung, who was lying back in the chair.
He looks more at home here than he does at home.
And right now, the person standing beside Chung Myung, dutifully fanning him, was none other than Tang Jan, son of Tang Gun-ak.
Could a scene like this even exist?
Under Baek Cheon’s stare, Tang Jan flushed red.
"We, the Tang Family, treat our guests with great respect. Please don’t feel burdened—just relax."
You’re the one making us feel burdened.
Why are you standing there doing that?
Yet contrary to everyone else’s thoughts, Chung Myung seemed entirely at ease.
"Ah, this is nice."
Unable to bear it any longer, Baek Cheon spoke up quietly.
"Chung Myung."
"This really is paradise……."
"Chung Myung."
"Hm?"
Chung Myung turned his head a little.
Veins bulged on Baek Cheon’s forehead as he said,
"This is the Tang Family of Sichuan."
"Hey, I know that, Sasuk. Do you really think I wouldn’t know something that obvious?"
"……Then at least sit up. No matter how wide that chair is, it wasn’t made for lying down in. If you come to someone else’s house, at least keep some manners."
"Ah, of course I’d like to."
"But?"
Chung Myung suddenly twisted his face and rubbed at the white bandage with his hand.
"But if I just sit up, the stabbed part hurts like hell. What am I supposed to do? I’ve gotta stay like this until it heals."
"……."
Baek Cheon shook his head as though there was nothing he could say.
Yoon Jong quietly stepped over and spoke to him.
"Should we attack him?"
He meant that they should deal with him while he was injured. But Baek Cheon only weakly shook his head.
"Leave him be. He’ll grow up sooner or later."
Of course, the odds of that day ever coming were even lower.
Baek Cheon let out a long sigh.
I really thought my heart was going to drop clean out of my chest.
Who would’ve thought he’d bounce back that hard in just three days? It was an astonishing recovery.
"Young Master Tang Jan."
"Yes, Young Master Baek Cheon."
"Won’t Lord Tang Gun-ak be coming?"
"He’s busy with official matters."
"I see……."
Normally, Baek Cheon wouldn’t have wanted to face Tang Gun-ak at all, but after watching Chung Myung’s behavior, he found himself wishing the man would come sooner rather than later.
Was that wish heard by heaven?
Bang!
The doors of the grand hall swung open wide. Tang Gun-ak slowly walked in.
As he entered and saw Chung Myung sprawled out like that, he flinched slightly.
"……."
It was Tang Gun-ak himself who had ordered that the Mount Hua Divine Dragon be treated without the slightest lack.
But this was, well…….
"……Is there anything lacking in your stay?"
"No. Thanks to you. Hah, Sichuan cuisine really is delicious. A bit spicy and numbing, but."
"Once you get used to it, there’s no better flavor."
"Yeah. So I’m planning to keep eating it until I get used to it."
"……That’s a good idea."
The corners of Tang Gun-ak’s mouth curved upward in an ambiguous way.
It looked like a smile made only with the mouth while the face remained otherwise expressionless. Seeing that, everyone watching Tang Gun-ak gave small, nervous coughs.
Is he smiling? Or angry?
Maybe both?
Ignoring all of that, Tang Gun-ak kept his eyes fixed on Chung Myung and said,
"Are there any other inconveniences?"
"It’s a little humid and hot compared to where I was before, so that’s a bit uncomfortable."
As Chung Myung tilted his head slightly, Tang Jan resumed fanning him with even more vigor.
"……."
"……."
Tang Jan and Tang Gun-ak’s gazes crossed in the air.
"……My son seems to have taken a liking to you."
"Seems that way. I didn’t even ask him to do it, but here he is. How kind of him."
With a face that looked utterly ungrateful, Chung Myung continued to chug baijiu.
"Hah. The liquor’s good, and the food’s good! This really is a nice place."
"It would seem so."
Watching him, Tang Gun-ak smiled sincerely this time.
His eyes caught the Mount Hua disciples shifting around in discomfort. They looked as though they believed Chung Myung was committing some great act of rudeness.
They don’t know.
These people did not understand the Tang Family very well.
For a guest in the Tang Family, the greatest courtesy possible was exactly what Chung Myung was doing now—eating and drinking comfortably.
It might be rude in other sects. But within the Tang Family, it was the highest form of courtesy.
That was a result of the Tang Family being a sect that mainly used poisons and hidden weapons. No matter how bold a person was, they would hesitate before accepting food and drink offered by the Tang Family.
How many people would accept and drink without hesitation from someone who used poison?
Even those proud of their iron nerves would cut their drinking in half and avoid overeating when they were at the Tang Family.
But Chung Myung was, in the truest sense, eating and drinking with abandon, shoving food into his mouth and downing bottles of liquor like it was nothing.
I don’t know if he’s doing it on purpose or not…….
Either way, Tang Gun-ak couldn’t help but feel oddly pleased watching it. Those actions showed quite plainly that Chung Myung trusted the Tang Family that much.
What a strange bastard.
He made people feel good, then made them tremble. If he stayed around too long, one’s nerves probably wouldn’t survive intact.
"But what brings you here?"
"……Well."
Tang Gun-ak worried at his lip. Under normal circumstances, he wasn’t supposed to meet the Mount Hua Divine Dragon today, but several days later. At that time, they had intended to settle the final details of the transaction between Mount Hua and the Tang Family.
And yet he had come to see Chung Myung now for a different reason.
"It’s……."
Tang Gun-ak drew out the end of his words and kept glancing behind him.
Then, with a look of distinct annoyance, he bit his lip hard and said in a slightly suppressed voice,
"Nothing at all! I just came to visit!"
That was when it happened.
Thunk!
Something struck from behind.
And then…….
Peeking out.
"Hm?"
Something slowly poked out from beside the open door.
Wait, that…… was that a person’s head?
"Grrrgh."
Tang Gun-ak twisted his face, then suddenly began glaring at Chung Myung with a ghostlike expression.
What’s wrong with that old man?
That’s terrifying.
"I have someone to introduce to you…… to you."
"Huh? An introduction?"
"……If young people grow close to each other, isn’t that more than enough……? There’s nothing better than that, is there?"
"Well, that’s true."
"Though, unfortunately, for someone like you……."
"Pardon?"
"No. Nothing."
Tang Gun-ak shook his head back and forth. Then, unable to hide the irritation plastered all over his face, he let out a long sigh.
"Come in."
At that moment, someone stepped into view through the wide-open door.
"……Oh?"
"Ooh……."
"Uh……?"
"……."
The Mount Hua disciples all widened their eyes.
Was it surprising?
Well, not exactly surprising enough to be shocking, but still surprising…….
What caught their eyes first was the elaborate archer’s attire. But soon their attention moved to the face above it, and once they saw that face, they all had no choice but to gape.
What is this? She’s beautiful?
An incredible beauty. She’s no worse than our junior sister.
Whoa. Was there someone like that in the Tang Family?
Yoon Jong, Baek Cheon, and Jo Gul stared blankly at the woman who walked in lightly and gracefully.
"Greet her."
"This is Tang Soso of the Tang Family. I greet the heroes of Mount Hua."
It wasn’t just her face. Her bright smile showed not a trace of falsehood. Who could dislike someone smiling so openly and radiantly?
"Uh……."
Yoon Jong lowered his head with a dazed expression.
"H-hello."
Jo Gul jabbed Yoon Jong in the side with his elbow. Yoon Jong jerked and snapped his head up.
Watching their reactions, Tang Gun-ak’s expression twisted even more.
"She is…… my daughter. As it happens, she’s about your age, so I thought she might make a good friend, so I brought her here."
But why are you getting worked up?
And…….
"……Do the Tang Family wear clothes like that inside the house?"
"She probably…… put some thought into it, since this is the first time meeting a friend."
That?
If she thought about it twice, her neck might snap. No, how many ornaments had she jammed into her hair?
Were all of those hidden weapons, by any chance?
Tang Gun-ak’s gaze fixed on Chung Myung.
"That child wanted to meet you—no, you. I brought her here to introduce you, so I hope there won’t be any nonsense…… no, I mean, I hope the two of you can build a good relationship. A good relationship, that is."
Huh?
What?
Could it be…….
Chung Myung looked left and right. His martial brothers were all staring at him with strange expressions.
"……Huh?"
Was this that thing called an arranged marriage or whatever?
"Me?"
Tang Gun-ak nodded.
"Ah, no, I……."
I’m a Daoist?
"Uh……."
"Greet her."
Seeing Tang Soso smiling brightly at him, Chung Myung gave a small grin.
Sasuk.
Senior Brother.
Please save me!