Chapter 52
Episode 52
Winning Their Hearts
"He didn't even notice my presence, too absorbed in mixing herbs one by one to create a poison."
Se-woon began spinning his fabricated tale without so much as wetting his lips.
When he had stealthily infiltrated Dokma's hideout, the Poison Demon had been deeply engrossed in concocting an unknown poison.
Since the hostages had already been rescued, Se-woon had waited in silence, biding his time for the perfect assassination attempt.
"But the sheer density of poison energy filling the entire chamber was beyond imagination."
He had realized that this new poison Dokma was creating could bring nightmares upon the martial world.
So, intending to deduce an antidote by studying the formula, he had memorized every ingredient Dokma combined according to the recipe.
Fortunately, all the ingredients were ones he already knew.
But then, after adding the final component—
The poison suddenly spiraled out of control, and Dokma was instantly poisoned, writhing in agony.
"...Then it was a failed formula. Yet you claim to have completed the Divine Immortal Collapse?"
Tang Mu-yeol's sharp question cut through the air.
But Se-woon, as if he had been waiting for this, smoothly continued his prepared answer.
"Dokma, in his frenzy, began hurling curses too vile to repeat at our ancestors. But among his ravings, he also questioned where the poison that could transform other toxins was hidden."
"W-wait! That's—!"
At that moment, Tang Se-rin, who had been listening to her brother, gasped in shock.
The property of altering the nature of other poisons when mixed—transforming into something entirely different—
That was none other than—
Exactly what Se-woon had described when explaining the Black Abyss Ore he had brought from the abandoned mine.
"Correct, Sister. Astonishingly, that was the effect of the Black Abyss Ore I retrieved from the mine."
"Gasp! Then the items the Young Lord brought to the training grounds that day—!"
"Could it truly be? Has the Divine Immortal Collapse returned to the Tang Family?!"
The household members erupted into excited chatter, the surroundings buzzing with commotion.
But not everyone was swept up in the exhilaration.
The members of the Tang Elite Unit, including Ha Hu-yeong, grew increasingly uneasy as Se-woon spoke, their expressions betraying their turmoil.
'Ah, what foolishness have we committed...?'
This was precisely why Se-woon had insisted they shift from hidden weapons to poison techniques.
Se-woon continued his smooth-tongued explanation.
"After returning from the mine with Sister, I spent time attempting to recreate the poison Dokma had been trying to make."
"!!"
"I substituted one ingredient with Black Abyss Ore—and it fit perfectly. Upon completing it, I realized naturally: This was none other than Grandfather's Divine Immortal Collapse."
Se-woon's words invoked gasps of awe, and cries of admiration burst forth.
Some were even moved to tears by the overwhelming emotion.
"...Sigh. How fortunate that the Divine Immortal Collapse was completed not by Dokma's hand, but by yours."
"Perhaps Grandfather in the heavens guided me."
"...Indeed. He must have been watching over us all along."
Lost in thought, Tang Mu-yeol exhaled deeply before speaking again.
Se-woon remained silent, quietly observing the reactions around him.
'This should suffice.'
Satisfied that no one doubted his words, Se-woon subtly shifted his gaze toward the Tang Elite Unit members and delivered his final statement.
"At any rate, with this stroke of fortune granting me such power, I sought to strengthen not just myself but all of you through poison techniques..."
"..."
Every member of the unit bowed their heads in shame.
Time passed, yet none of the Tang Elite Unit dared to lift their heads.
And rightly so.
How could they possibly face their lord with any semblance of pride after what they had done?
The household members watching them wore expressions of pity mixed with exasperation as they observed the unfolding scene.
Then—
Thud.
Deputy Commander Ha Hu-yeong knelt before Se-woon.
"...I deserve any punishment for daring to misinterpret my lord's intentions and rebelling against you, Young Lord."
Following his lead—
Thud.
Thud.
Every member of the Tang Elite Unit knelt in unison before Se-woon.
They had sincerely realized their mistake and were consumed by remorse.
They had never intended to disregard or defy Se-woon's will.
They had only sought to offer counsel, fearing their lord was making a misguided choice.
But today's events had taught them a harsh lesson:
Their lord possessed a vessel of such overwhelming magnitude that they could never hope to fathom it.
That the shallow talents of ordinary men could never grasp the profound intentions of a genius.
"Any punishment, you say. Do you truly understand the weight of those words?"
"!!"
Se-woon's expression and aura were mercilessly cold.
Colder than the bitter winds of the North Sea where the Ice Palace stood.
The Elite Unit members trembled under his icy voice, sweat dripping down their backs.
Yet even Tang Mu-yeol, the family head, did not intervene.
Not only did Se-woon hold all justification, but any misstep here could—
Permanently fracture the relationship between Se-woon and the Tang Elite Unit.
Creak.
Suddenly, someone else moved.
"...Young Lord."
"Yes, Uncle."
It was none other than Tang Bi, commander of the Tang Elite Unit.
He stepped away from Tang Mu-yeol's side and slowly walked forward before—
Thud.
He, too, knelt and bowed his head before Se-woon.
The household members were stunned by Tang Bi's unexpected action.
Then, in a grave voice, Tang Bi spoke.
"...This is my fault for failing to discipline my subordinates properly. I beg you—let me bear the punishment in their stead."
He offered to take Se-woon's wrath upon himself.
Ha Hu-yeong and the Elite Unit members reacted in shock, protesting that such a thing was unacceptable—
"Hmm. I appreciate your sentiment, Uncle. But wrongdoing must be answered for. The unit must face appropriate consequences."
"..."
Se-woon's refusal was absolute.
He showed not the slightest intention of backing down.
A ripple of sighs spread through the crowd at the Young Lord's unwavering stance.
Yet Se-woon, his expression unreadable, signaled to Yeo-seon with a glance.
"Now, then."
"Y-yes!"
Creak—!
Yeo-seon scrambled to swing open the tightly shut doors of the training hall.
The Elite Unit members—and even the household members—were thrown into confusion.
'N-no... Could it be?!'
'Is he expelling them from the family?!'
It seemed like a declaration that those who had rebelled must leave the Tang Family forever.
"Young Lord! Please, not expulsion! These men have served the Tang Family with nothing but loyalty—!"
Tang Bi, horrified, tried to intervene but abruptly stopped.
Clank. Clatter.
'...What?'
Mysterious sounds began echoing from beyond the door.
The unmistakable clatter of metal mixed with numerous footsteps.
Creak—!
And then, the figures that appeared were the last anyone expected.
Eyes widened in disbelief.
"G-Grandmaster Gu Yong-yeon?!"
"Why are all the master smiths of the Ten Thousand Iron Hall here...?"
Indeed, entering the training hall were Gu Yong-yeon, the Black Hand Craftsman, and his master smiths.
Each smith carried a wooden case of varying sizes.
"You've worked hard, Grandmaster."
"I merely followed your orders."
Gu Yong-yeon bowed deeply to Se-woon as he replied.
The Tang Family members gaped at the sight.
One shocking revelation after another.
Gu Yong-yeon had never shown such deference even to Tang Mu-yeol, the family head.
Unbeknownst to them, the Young Lord had even made the legendary Black Hand Craftsman his own.
"Then we shall proceed as instructed."
"Please do."
At Se-woon's nod, Gu Yong-yeon signaled to the smiths behind him.
Clank. Clatter.
The suspicious sounds from earlier grew louder.
'...What on earth is inside those cases?'
As the bewildered household members blinked in confusion—
The smiths strode forward and stopped before the kneeling Elite Unit members.
Had they brought shackles or chains for punishment?
But smiths also stood before the three disciples who had sparred with Se-woon and Tang Bi himself.
Clank!
Finally, the smiths opened the cases in unison.
"...!"
Everyone who saw the contents froze in shock.
Gu Yong-yeon spoke as they stared.
"Custom-forged weapons tailored to each individual's martial arts and traits."
True to his words, the cases contained hidden weapons and armaments.
Meticulously crafted for each recipient, they included Tang Bi's primary weapon and those of every other member present.
Those who picked up their weapons to examine them were uniformly awestruck.
The quality was so absurdly superior that their original weapons now felt like trash in comparison.
But such excellence was inevitable—
"Every single item distributed here was personally forged by Young Lord Se-woon over the past ten days."
Because every weapon, from first to last, was a masterpiece born from Se-woon's hands.
For the past ten days, Se-woon had spent every moment after training in the Ten Thousand Iron Hall's forge, crafting weapons.
He had barely slept, to the point that even Gu Yong-yeon, assisting him, grew concerned.
'Ah...'
'What have we done...?'
The Elite Unit members gazed at Se-woon with reverence surpassing mere gratitude.
The watching household members shared the same awe-filled gaze.
Then, Se-woon raised his voice.
"These are not gifts. They are my final gamble on you."
"!!"
Though his words foretold grueling trials ahead, the Elite Unit members did not flinch in fear.
Clutching their new weapons with white-knuckled grips—
They bowed with tears of fervor.
"Until you achieve the results I demand, you will not see your wives or families."
"The pain will feel as though your bones are being scraped and your blood set aflame."
"But endure it, and light will follow."
Se-woon had no intention of discarding a single member of the Tang Elite Unit.
Each and every one of them was truly his family.
So, with genuine conviction, Se-woon made his final declaration:
"Prepare to endure as though your lives depend on it."
Grow the strength to survive desperately.
So that when the war with the Blood Cult comes—
Not a single one of you will die.
Though they could never hear this hidden plea—
"LOYALTY!!"
"LOYALTY!!"
Every member of the Tang Elite Unit roared until their throats were raw.