Chapter 8
Chapter 8
The Tang Family of Sichuan (3)
The moment the doors of Tianyou Hall opened and Se-woon saw Tang Mu-yeol's face—
He couldn't conceal the storm of emotions raging within him.
The last image of Tang Mu-yeol burned into his mind resurfaced.
How could he ever forget?
His father's back, drenched in countless wounds and crimson blood.
"Run. I will open the path for you."
In the final battle against the Blood Cult right here in this very courtyard, when defeat seemed inevitable, Tang Mu-yeol had sacrificed his life to carve an escape route for him.
Through the countless years spent as a slave of the Blood Cult—
The hardest burden had not been physical pain, but guilt and longing.
The emotion of reunion trembled in his chest.
Se-woon wanted nothing more than to rush forward and embrace his father.
'No.'
But—
He clenched his teeth so hard they nearly bled, suppressing the impulse.
Because the current situation was far too precarious to indulge in personal feelings.
From the moment the meeting began, Se-woon had been observing not just one person, but everyone present.
And as a result—
Like a physician diagnosing an illness, Se-woon had accurately assessed the state of the Tang Family.
'The Tang Family is poisoned.'
Not just poisoned—but afflicted by two lethal toxins, rendering them incapable of functioning properly from head to toe.
The first poison stood right before his eyes.
"If we don't hand over the instigator to the Enforcement Hall, how exactly are we supposed to contain this disaster?"
The owner of that nauseating voice—one that made Se-woon want to scrub his ears clean a thousand times—
Tang Ho-yeol, the Poison Toad.
Tang Mu-yeol's half-brother, who had once fiercely competed for the position of family head.
But in the end, the previous patriarch—Poison Lord Tang Ui-tae—had passed the title to Tang Mu-yeol.
Tang Ho-yeol had ostensibly accepted defeat and retreated, taking charge of Manhaepyoguk instead.
Under his leadership, Manhaepyoguk had grown powerful enough to rival even the Four Great Trading Houses of Sichuan.
Thus, Tang Ho-yeol now commanded the respect and support of most Tang clansmen.
The only reason the Tang Family hadn't been outright expelled from the Martial Alliance yet—the only thread preserving their dignity—was solely due to Manhaepyoguk's influence.
But what no one yet realized—
Tang Ho-yeol was the malignant tumor festering deep within the Tang Family.
One year from now—
"You—you intend to secede?! What kind of madness is this, Uncle?!"
Tang Ho-yeol would finally reveal the malice he had nurtured in the shadows for so long.
"Exactly as I said, nephew."
"B-but—Uncle! Don't you realize Manhaepyoguk's profits are the backbone of our family's finances?!"
"Don't realize? Oh, I realize perfectly. That's precisely why I'm leaving."
"......!!"
"This damned family's fences have grown too small to contain me."
"Y-you—don't tell me the profits from the other branches reinvested into Manhaepyoguk's growth were all—"
"Heh. You should be grateful."
"H-how could you—?!"
"Each man must walk the path suited to his stature. Now, Se-woon—why don't you persuade your father to sell me the Tang Family? I'll pay generously—hahaha!"
Tang Ho-yeol had never truly given up on the patriarch's seat.
Through schemes in the shadows, he had tied the family's finances to Manhaepyoguk—then declared independence.
With the traitors he had spent years coaxing defecting all at once, the Tang Family didn't just stagger—it nearly collapsed outright.
Had Se-woon not ascended to the Five Stars as the Golden-Armed Craftsman and mastered Divine Artifact Creation—
The Tang Family would have faced utter annihilation.
The resentment from that time had carved itself deep into Se-woon's bones—
His gaze now freezing over like the glacial ice of the North Sea.
'Just wait a little longer. I'll strip away everything you've built.'
Countless plans for brutal vengeance flashed through his mind—
When suddenly—
Murmurs.
The second lethal poison afflicting the Tang Family came into view.
"T-the Chief is right. No one in the Martial Alliance will side with us."
"......If the Martial Alliance Leader truly comes, what are we supposed to do...?"
"Why on earth did the Young Lord have to...?"
Most of the clansmen had already given up before the fight had even begun.
Fear had taken root, and their thoughts were already fixated on evasion—on running away.
"Repay kindness with blood, and engrave vengeance in bone."
The unique venom that had once symbolized the Tang Family—the ones who stubbornly held their ground alone in the war against the Blood Cult—was nowhere to be seen.
Yes. The second poison corrupting the Tang Family—
Was the defeatism that had taken root deep within the clansmen.
Yet Se-woon couldn't blame them.
'When power is lost, so too is oneself.'
The current Tang Family had fallen so far they could barely compete with minor sects in Sichuan—let alone stand among the Seven Great Families.
With their influence gone, yesterday's allies had turned into today's enemies.
Having endured countless harsh trials as their family crumbled—how could he fault them for finally breaking?
Moreover, even if he shed tears and pleaded with them sincerely—
It wouldn't change anything now.
The clansmen currently saw the family's rapid decline as entirely—
'They must all resent Father right now.'
Because they believed it was the fault of his father—Tang Mu-yeol.
Before earning the epithet Hundred Poison Hands, Tang Mu-yeol had long been known by another title—
The Un-Tang Hero.
Un-Tang—
Meaning "unlike the Tang."
His nature was simply too gentle—too yielding.
In an era that mocked peace, where wolves and jackals ruled the martial world—
He was a man who didn't belong.
Time and again, Tang Mu-yeol made decisions that brought loss to the family—
And each time, terrible misfortune followed.
As this cycle repeated, the family's decline seemed endless—
And Tang Mu-yeol's authority crumbled before his clansmen's eyes.
The repercussions had even reached Se-woon.
But what they didn't know—
'Every loss the family suffered was due to Tang Ho-yeol's schemes. And the current misfortunes—with just a little effort—could be turned into blessings.'
And—
In this life, he would stand by his father's side—
And reclaim everything the family had lost.
Moreover—
His father's true worth lay elsewhere.
"That is not the question you should be asking me right now."
"What—do you think this situation is a joke, Young Lord?!"
Tang Ho-yeol unleashed his aura in an instant—
But Se-woon didn't even need to open his upper dantian or draw upon his innate qi.
Despite the pressure emanating from a peak-level martial artist—
Far from stiffening under the weight—
He felt nothing at all.
If anything, it was almost embarrassing.
'Hah. Was this all you had?'
He barely suppressed a scoff.
Tang Ho-yeol's aura was that pitiful.
A result of his upper dantian's growth—which primarily influenced mental fortitude—being so lacking.
'—!'
Then—
Se-woon's gaze met Tang Mu-yeol's.
His father's eyes were deep and unyielding.
Exactly like the last look burned into Se-woon's memory.
While the clansmen had forgotten—
Only one man still upheld the Tang Family's conviction and will—
Unbroken.
Unbending.
"Why did you fight I Hoseong?"
Only his father—
Asked him the reason he had drawn his sword against the Martial Alliance.
Though gentle by nature—
When it came to righteousness and justice—
He compromised with no one.
Stubborn to the point of seeming inflexible—
A true Xia—a righteous warrior.
That was the true face of Se-woon's father—Tang Mu-yeol.
Just then—
Tang Ho-yeol sighed in frustration and interjected.
"Ha—Patriarch. What does the reason matter now? If the Young Lord used a forbidden artifact, the entire family could be in danger!"
"Can you not see the Patriarch and I are speaking, Chief?"
"W-what?"
"This is not a private gathering—but an official family meeting. As my uncle, you should be attending in your capacity as the head of Manhaepyoguk—not as a relative."
"—!!"
Everyone was stunned.
The Chief of Manhaepyoguk was one of the Five Hall Leaders—
And while the Young Lord's status was technically higher—
Given Manhaepyoguk's current influence, even the Patriarch couldn't afford to treat him lightly.
Yet with a single sentence—
Se-woon had drawn a line.
I am the heir—the firstborn son. You are merely an executive. Know your place.
Silence.
No one dared speak—
As tension thickened in the meeting hall.
"......Understood. I let my emotions cloud my judgment for a moment."
Tang Ho-yeol forced a smile and took a step back.
On the surface—Se-woon's words were faultless.
Of course—
Se-woon noticed the flash of fury in his eyes—
But he only sneered inwardly.
'And what can you do about it now?'
With all eyes on him—
Se-woon continued.
"Now—I will explain to the Patriarch why I severed I Hoseong's arm."
He began detailing I Hoseong's atrocities—one by one.
The news had reached the family in haste—
And no one knew the full story.
The commotion had ended abruptly with the Sword Emperor's appearance—
And the Martial Alliance's warriors had undoubtedly suppressed the information immediately.
In the end—
All the spectators had seen was I Hoseong's mangled form—
And the Sword Emperor's arrival.
"......After forcing Seol-i away, he drew his sword and charged at me."
"W-wait."
"What is it?"
"Are you saying you engaged in a life-or-death duel with the Alliance Leader's youngest disciple—over a mere family dispute?"
Se-woon nodded—his expression unchanging.
"Precisely."
"Have you lost your mind?!"
"Is that so?"
"You—! How dare you drag your own kin into peril and act so shamelessly?!"
Tang Ho-yeol's face flushed crimson with rage.
Seething, he continued—
But Se-woon ignored the outburst—
Silently surveying the room instead.
Tang Ho-yeol hadn't noticed—
But the previously hostile atmosphere had shifted—
The clansmen's expressions now colored with something else.
Se-woon spoke again.
"Every single member of this family is a cornerstone of the Tang Family..."
"......No matter what adversity strikes—we must protect each other with our lives."
Tang Mu-yeol finished the sentence—
Leaving everyone in shock.
How could they not be?
The words were the last testament of Se-woon's grandfather—
The previous patriarch—Poison Lord Tang Ui-tae.
In the heavy silence—
Only Se-woon's voice resonated.
"I don't understand."
"What exactly is the problem with a clansman risking his life—to protect his family? I truly don't understand."
Every Tang clansman's pupils trembled—
As if shaken by an earthquake.
Because Se-woon's voice—
Held sorrow.
Grief.
And fury—all at once.
Their Young Lord had indeed endangered the family.
He had pushed them into dire straits.
But—
He had done so to protect his subordinate.
To protect his family.
Se-woon turned—
Meeting Tang Ho-yeol's gaze with eyes so cold they seemed to look right through him.
"Are you suggesting, Chief—that I should have stood by and watched as Seol-i was violated?"
"T-that's—"
Tang Ho-yeol clamped his mouth shut like a clam.
Of course, that was exactly what he thought—
But voicing it now would be madness.
Not with the entire Tang leadership present.
'Damn it! How is he slipping through my fingers like this—?!'
But his frustration was short-lived.
"H-however—the suspicion of using a forbidden artifact remains!"
"Now that the 'why' is settled—let's move to the 'how.' I used this."
Tang Ho-yeol tried to press the issue—
But Se-woon was faster.
Swish.
Extending both hands—
Thud.
Something fell from his sleeve.
Two bloodstained daggers.
"......Training daggers?"
"N-no way. You faced the One Sword of the Falling Sands—with those?!"
As everyone gaped—
Se-woon continued.
"I brought only these two training daggers to the banquet."
"How could mere toys subdue a first-class martial artist?!"
"Because—I used my innate qi."
"—!!"
"Se-woon!"
"A-ah—"
The bombshell declaration sent Eun So-wol—standing guard beside Tang Mu-yeol—clutching her head as she staggered sideways.
The room erupted into chaos.
Using innate qi was enough to cause this much upheaval.
Simply circulating it could shorten one's lifespan—
And in severe cases—
Reduce one to a death sentence.
"......Young Lord, did you truly use innate qi? When you returned, your meridians appeared normal."
Tang Bi—leader of the Tang Elite Unit and a peak-level martial artist like Tang Ho-yeol—spoke cautiously.
Se-woon answered respectfully—
To Tang Mu-yeol's most loyal subordinate.
"The Alliance Leader and the Divine Doctor happened to treat me."
"—!!"
No one could react.
Two names no one expected had surfaced simultaneously.
Why would the Martial Alliance Leader and the former sect leader of Emei—
Be involved?
"Lies should at least be believable! Are you seriously claiming the master of the disciple you maimed—healed you?!"
Tang Ho-yeol ranted—
But Se-woon remained silent.
There was no need to respond—
Because the explanation would arrive soon enough.
Thud-thud-thud!
Suddenly—
Noisy footsteps echoed from the corridor outside.
"P-Patriarch! At the main gate—!"
A gate guard burst in—
Too frantic to even observe formalities.
'Finally.'
Whoosh.
A sudden gust of wind swept through the meeting hall—
And shock painted every face.
"Hehe. It seems I must trouble the master of the house for his hospitality."
A white-haired Taoist appeared beside Se-woon.