Not Negotiation, But Threat
Dang Hui-yeom, together with Elder Bak Chang-eon representing the Council of Elders, paid a visit to the Qingcheng Sect for the inauguration banquet of its new sect leader.
As a pure Taoist sanctuary, the Qingcheng Sect had always held frugality as a virtue. Yet a sect leader’s inauguration held after a full thirty years was celebrated with considerable splendor.
Hui-yeom, however, had little interest in the ceremony itself. His mind was entirely occupied by the negotiation that would follow.
The mediator they sent is Hyeondeok Daesa, the Thousand-Handed Living Buddha. And the first thing he did was throw his weight behind Baekhyeon Jin-in cutting off Songhak Jin-in’s head.
Publicly, the story went that Songhak Jin-in had resigned the leadership due to old age and failing health. But the Minjeongwon’s intelligence net already knew every detail of what had truly transpired inside the Qingcheng Sect—thanks to the outer disciples who had loudly gossiped about the sudden change of leadership in the restaurants and taverns of Baekga-jaengsik.
Personally he may be a man of fine character, but anyone the Martial Alliance sends as its representative is no soft old monk.
Hui-yeom once more clarified each party’s position for the coming talks.
The Sichuan Dang Family’s ultimate goal was to tear Biseon Peak on Mount Qingcheng away from the Qingcheng Sect. Secondary aims included pocketing whatever lesser gains the present justification allowed and ensuring the sect would never again obstruct the family’s activities across Sichuan.
The Qingcheng Sect wanted the entire affair of the Red-Cloud Sword Ghost and the attempted assassination of the Dang Young Master buried in darkness. On top of that—though it had nothing to do with the Dang Family—they needed formal recognition from the Martial Alliance.
And the Martial Alliance?
Mediate between the two clans while extracting profit from both. Side with Qingcheng and take from Qingcheng; side with the Dang and take from the Dang.
Qingcheng would gladly pay the Alliance to keep from losing more to the Dang; the Dang would gladly pay to squeeze still more out of Qingcheng.
If I were Hyeondeok Daesa, what scenario would I have brought with me?
After a moment’s thought Hui-yeom gave a short, dry laugh.
“Obvious, really.”
He went looking for Dang Un-sang.
“Father, regarding tomorrow’s negotiation—”
“Do it.”
“I have something to say—eh?”
“Handle it however you see fit.”
Hui-yeom’s eyes went round with disbelief. Dang Un-sang only smiled.
“Need the seal?”
“Ah, no.”
“Then go ahead.”
“You haven’t even heard the explanation—”
“It’s something you thought up, isn’t it?”
“….”
“Let’s not waste each other’s time.”
Faced with an attitude that mixed exhaustion, resignation, and pure laziness, Hui-yeom wore a blank look for a second, then shook his head.
“…Have you caught whatever disease is going around the Minister of Justice?”
“I realized my fretting doesn’t change anything. Far better to leave it to a son smarter than I am.”
“Father, if you keep that up you’ll get swindled somewhere…”
“You planning to swindle your own father?”
“…No.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“…Nothing at all.”
Whether this counted as boundless trust or as unforgivable dereliction of duty by the CEO steering the Dang Family, Hui-yeom could not decide. Still, the feeling was not unpleasant.
He smiled with open wickedness.
“I’ll go show those lofty, leisurely types the true spice of Sichuan.”
“Sichuan food is spicy—hahaha!”
Dang Un-sang laughed brightly as well.
After receiving full authority from Dang Un-sang and delivering a few final instructions, Hui-yeom went to the Qingcheng Sect in his father’s place.
Once the new sect leader’s inauguration had concluded in grand style and Hui-yeom was seated at the banquet table enjoying the food, a Qingcheng disciple approached.
“Young Hero Dang Hui-yeom, the Green Dragon—our Sect Leader requests your presence.”
“Ah. Of course. Would you guide me?”
“Amitabha. Gladly.”
The Taoist, face mild, led Hui-yeom to the sect leader’s office. There an old Taoist and an old monk who had arrived earlier greeted him with smiling faces.
The old monk spoke first. That he opened his mouth before the host, inside the Qingcheng Sect’s own grounds, said a great deal about the relationship between them.
“Hehehe, so this is the prodigy who has been setting all of Sichuan abuzz? What a delight to meet you at last.
Yet… is the Family Head terribly busy? I had hoped to greet the head of the great Sichuan Dang Family in person. A pity.”
The real question beneath the words was clear: Why has the Dang Family Head not come to so important a negotiation, and why have they sent you instead? It was less a question than a rebuke for the family’s discourtesy.
Hui-yeom pretended not to notice, answering with a gentle smile and a courteous bow.
“Sichuan has never forgotten the footsteps of the Thousand-Handed Living Buddha. Your visit is a profound honor. I am Hui-yeom of the Dang Family. Today I attend this glorious occasion as proxy for our Family Head.”
“A glorious occasion… Hearing you put it that way warms this humble monk’s heart. Hehehe!”
Hui-yeom suddenly recalled the conversation he had held with Dang Un-sang before coming.
—What? You’re going alone?
—Yes, Father.
—Why? You’re facing Hyeondeok Daesa, the Thousand-Handed Living Buddha. Genius or not, you can’t begin to match him in experience or standing. At the very least the Family Head of the Dang should go if we want any balance—
—There won’t be any.
—Won’t be… eh?
—Bluntly speaking, the title of Family Head of the Sichuan Dang Family still cannot stand against the name of the Thousand-Handed Living Buddha—proxy of the Martial Alliance, one of the Ten Great Masters under Heaven, the hero who once saved Sichuan.
—But I’m still the head of the great Sichuan Dang Family that shakes the whole province…
—As proud as I am of you, Father, that doesn’t make it true.
—Urgh…
—If you go, you may end up yielding to his rank and title.
—And you wouldn’t? You’re not even Family Head—only Young Master. You have no formal standing to speak for the clan’s future.
—True enough. But Father, nothing is more undignified than an adult fighting a child.
—…You’re not serious.
—I am. By going myself, all of Hyeondeok Daesa’s grandeur becomes something he can barely flaunt. Honestly, it wouldn’t matter if any random Shaolin monk sat in that seat instead.
I’m just a nobody kid. The moment he starts waving the Martial Alliance’s authority, the prestige of a Ten Great Master, or the glory of the hero who saved Sichuan in front of me, all of Sichuan will sneer at how very “adult” he’s being.
—Hmm. Using their own authority against them by rendering it useless. All right, that part’s clever. And after that?
—I’ll act completely insane once—properly.
—What? Act insane?
—Confucius supposedly said: If a man relieves himself by the roadside, call him over and scold him thoroughly. But if a man relieves himself right in the middle of the road, simply walk around him.
—…Confucius really said that?
—Yes. The best medicine for dealing with a madman is not to deal with him at all.
Hui-yeom curved his lips into an artless, innocent smile.
“I’m simply overjoyed to meet you, Great Master. Truth be told, I was so excited I couldn’t sleep a wink last night.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes—can’t you see the dark circles under my eyes?”
When Hui-yeom pointed under his eyes with a deliberately charming smile, even Hyeondeok Daesa found himself chuckling warmly without meaning to.
…Those are from staying up all night working again.
Only Ye-eun, who knew the truth, secretly shook her head.
“Ahem!”
Baekhyeon Jin-in cleared his throat. Only then did Hui-yeom turn, as if just noticing him, and offer a greeting.
“Forgive my late greeting. I am Hui-yeom of the Dang Family. My sincerest congratulations on your inauguration as Sect Leader, Baekhyeon Jin-in.”
“Mm, thank you, little brother. I am Baekhyeon of Qingcheng.”
“Hehehe, yes, yes—though the Family Head himself did not come, meeting the young pillar who will one day lead Sichuan’s future still fills me with boundless joy!”
Hyeondeok Daesa laughed like a kindly grandfather, steadily warming the atmosphere. When a martial hero of higher generation than oneself worked so hard to create good feeling, it was hard to keep one’s edge sharp. Had Dang Un-sang been present he would have muttered “This isn’t right…” even as he was drawn into the mood.
Baekhyeon Jin-in and Hyeondeok Daesa exchanged a glance.
“Yet this is rather awkward, little brother. The truth is, I had hoped today to beg forgiveness for the grave mistake our Qingcheng disciple committed against the Dang Family and to discuss the future of both our houses… but under these circumstances, how can we properly talk?”
The Martial Alliance had arranged the meeting; the Qingcheng Sect had formally sent the invitation. Yet the Dang Family Head had refused to attend. Both men judged this a serious blunder on the Dang’s part.
Still too young—letting emotion cloud his judgment.
His pride must have been wounded at being summoned like a subordinate… tsk tsk. The Dang won’t even manage to extract what little they could have from Qingcheng.
While the two men shared satisfied, meaningful looks, Hui-yeom wiped the smile from his face and spoke with sudden gravity.
“You are both under a misapprehension.”
“Hm?”
“It seems you believe my father found the time and place for talks with Qingcheng unsuitable and therefore sent me in his stead…”
“Is that not the case?”
So it was not a calculated refusal by sending a mere Young Master beneath the proper rank, meant to force the Qingcheng Sect into negotiating on Dang ground? The two men stared in blank confusion. Hui-yeom met their eyes without flinching.
“No. It is not. My father is currently mobilizing the full strength of the Dang Family to prepare for war.”
“…What?”
“Are your ears failing you? Sect Leader—war. War.”
The playful charm he had shown Hyeondeok Daesa moments earlier vanished. Hui-yeom’s face turned cold enough to drip frost as he made his declaration.
“I have not come as an envoy of reconciliation. I stand here as the standard-bearer of a declaration of war.
The moment the inauguration ends and the guests depart, the Sichuan Dang Family will stake the very survival of our house and wage total war against the Qingcheng Sect—a war of annihilation.”
“…What did you say?”
“Surely not…”
When a man hears something too absurd, the mind goes blank. Did I hear that correctly? The Sichuan Dang Family… is… what?
Years of cultivation proved their worth; Hyeondeok Daesa recovered first.
“Young Hero, this humble monk may have misunderstood… but this ‘war’ you speak of—is it the ordinary sort of war we all understand?”
“Yes.”
“A war in which both sides fight to the death with everything they have?”
“That is correct.”
“Not a metaphor—literally?”
“Of course.”
“But why? The Dang Family has no reason to force a war. Do you hold Qingcheng in contempt?”
“Hardly.”
“Or do you take the name of the Martial Alliance lightly?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Then why in heaven’s name—”
Faced with the genuinely flabbergasted monk, Hui-yeom’s expression turned colder still—far too cold for a boy’s face—and he gave a cutting sneer.
“Did you truly expect the Sichuan Dang Family to sit quietly, accept whatever scraps the Martial Alliance tosses us, and bow our heads in moderation?”
“Hmm?”
“Great Master, the person standing before you is the Young Master who will one day lead the Sichuan Dang Family—and the man who, not long ago, was nearly run through by Qingcheng’s Blue-Cloud Red-Falling Sword.
No one else—I myself nearly died on that spot. And this Qingcheng Sect is the mortal enemy that tried to kill me!”
The polite, charming child was gone. In his place stood Hui-yeom radiating the charisma of a chairman who had once steered the world’s greatest conglomerate alone.
What kind of look is that in a child’s eyes…
It feels as though I’m being stared down by the craftiest old patriarchs of any great house…
That atmosphere and those eyes covered for every breach of etiquette.
Hui-yeom fixed Hyeondeok Daesa with a gaze so bleak it seemed to pierce straight into the monk’s heart, then gave a soft snort of laughter.
“Great Master, as a monk you must be more skilled at Zen dialogue than anyone. Allow this child to pose one.
Tell me—what is wu, the martial?”
“The martial? Is it not simply one tool among many—a means of delving into one’s own heart and advancing toward enlightenment?”
“A very monk-like answer. But the martial as the Dang Family understands it is nowhere near so lofty.”
“Then what is the martial to the Dang Family?”
“The character for martial, wu, is formed by combining ‘spear’ and ‘to stop.’ Yet does a spear stop of its own accord?”
“…What are you trying to say?”
“You stop a spear with a spear. When the spear breaks, you stop it with a shield. When the shield is pierced, you stop it with your arm. When the arm is severed, you stop it with your body. When the body is run through, you die still clutching the spear shaft in your guts—so long as you stop it.
That is the Dang Family’s single-minded resolve.
The Dang Family never compromises with anyone who lays a hand on our blood. Even if it means the extinction of the entire Sichuan Dang Family, there will be no reconciliation, Great Master.”
Hui-yeom twisted the corner of his mouth.
“Between Qingcheng and the Dang, one of us will vanish from the martial world. If the Martial Alliance interferes? It makes no difference. Until the day we are wiped out, the Dang Family will drive a dagger into the throat of every last Qingcheng disciple we can reach.”
At words so utterly without mercy, Hyeondeok Daesa’s mouth fell open.