Beloved Sisters
Upon the news that the Sichuan Tang Clan would officially host a grand banquet at the Tang Clan Tower, countless small and medium sects residing in Sichuan expressed their intent to attend.
After all, they could not afford to ignore a joyous occasion for the Sichuan Tang Clan—the sole member of the Five Great Noble Clans in the Sichuan region—especially with rumors circulating that Tang Ga-hui had overcome her Heart Demon.
There was no absolute necessity to attend. Failing to show up would not incur the Tang Clan's wrath, nor would attending guarantee a connection with them.
Yet, such is the way of the world: even the smallest gestures of sincerity can accumulate, and when the right moment comes, they can forge a valuable connection. It was only natural that every single person met at such an event could become a fateful encounter that might benefit them in the future.
Thus, for most of the attending minor sects, their true objective was to use the pretext of celebrating Tang Ga-hui's recovery to introduce themselves and build relationships with other sects in Sichuan.
'And the Tang Clan never forgets a favor.'
The bundles of gifts brought by the visitors from these minor sects were ultimately intended to secure that very favor in the future.
There was no one in the Jianghu who did not know the Tang Clan's family motto.
"Repay kindness twofold, avenge grievances tenfold."
In the past, when a certain bandit stronghold of the Green Forest killed a member of the Tang Clan, the Eunwon Pavilion—the clan's primary martial force—had stepped in and completely annihilated them, root and branch.
They had sealed off the mountain by laying traps and hidden weapons all around it before dispersing lethal poison.
The bandits, unable to mount even a shred of resistance, died agonizing deaths from the poison. Their corpses were burned to ashes on the spot, while an herb gatherer who had aided the clan in the operation received a massive financial reward.
While it was customary not to visit someone's home empty-handed, there was normally no need to bring such expensive or meticulously prepared gifts.
"Our guests seem rather tense."
"Many of them belong to weak, minor sects, after all."
Tang Suryeon remarked casually as she watched the arriving guests.
Most were fine, but there were quite a few who, terrified simply by the fact that they had stepped into the Tang Clan Tower, tightly clutched items that were clearly Avoid-Poison Pearls.
Though they tried to hide their anxiety, it was impossible to escape the sharp eyes of true masters.
In a way, such behavior could be interpreted as a lack of trust in the Tang Clan. Naturally, the gaze of Tang Suryeon, the Patriarch of the family, turned cold.
"Well, is it not fine either way?"
Tang Hwi's eyes curved into a cool, amused smile.
"Since we have already repaid their kindness, we can consider the ledger balanced."
"Repaid their kindness?"
"We received their gifts, so we ought to repay them twofold. However, they are insulting us to our faces by showing they do not trust us. Simply allowing them to walk out of this banquet on their own two feet is more than enough repayment. We owe them nothing more."
"...I did not expect you to look at it that way. Is that why you had Ga-in and the members of the Amsugak draw up the guest list?"
Those who specialized in hidden weapons naturally possessed incredibly sharp perception. While all martial artists had keen senses, those who threw hidden weapons required an even higher level of precision to strike their targets' vital points unerringly.
If such experts were the ones recording the guest list at the entrance, they would easily discern who was carrying an Avoid-Poison Pearl and who was not.
Realizing that Tang Hwi had assigned the registration duty to the Amsugak with this exact intention, Tang Suryeon felt a quiet wave of admiration.
"Hwi. Ever since you matured, there have been quite a few incidents... but seeing you grow so splendidly fills me with deep emotion."
Preparing such a flawless banquet without relying on the Tang Clan's existing connections was no small feat. Furthermore, the quality was exceptional, and the expenses incurred were far lower than expected.
She had heard that he happened to run into the successor of the Beggars' Sect and utilized those connections to arrange everything. As his mother, Tang Suryeon felt immensely proud.
Her son had boldly declared his ambition to compete for the position of Young Patriarch, and he was already producing such remarkable results.
Not only had he organized a flawless banquet at a minimal cost, but he had also invited the Qingcheng Sect, Mount Emei, the Zhuge Clan, and the Murim Alliance, all while gathering intelligence on which minor Sichuan sects harbored distrust toward them.
Through this single banquet, they had reaped various benefits, both large and small.
On top of that, he had even formulated a plan to avenge Tang Ga-hui on her behalf.
Looking at her son, who seemed to have grown up overnight, Tang Suryeon wore a warm, gratified smile.
"Patriarch. Just in case, may I ask where Father plans to be during the banquet?"
However, the moment he brought up her shameless husband, that warm smile vanished instantly.
"Sigh..."
A heavy sigh escaped her lips, entirely natural. Just the thought of Namgung Bu-ryun was enough to make her sick to her stomach.
"When I told him not to disrupt the banquet, he said he would spend three days and two nights at a brothel."
"...Excuse me?"
How many times had he been genuinely shocked since awakening the memories of his past lives? For a moment, Tang Hwi was utterly speechless, his jaw dropping.
'I knew my father in this life was trash, but I didn't expect him to be this pathetic.'
To think that during a banquet celebrating his own daughter's recovery from a Heart Demon and the restoration of her face, he wouldn't even stay in the Patriarch's Pavilion, but would instead hole up in a brothel to indulge his lust.
Tang Hwi had seen countless evil men in his lives, but such a low-life, utterly worthless piece of trash was truly rare. He found it absolutely absurd.
It would be one thing if he had simply abandoned them and lived his own life, but Namgung Bu-ryun was acting like a parasite, sucking the lifeblood of the Tang Clan while pulling stunts like this.
Tang Hwi could easily picture Namgung Bu-ryun shamelessly holding out his hand to Tang Suryeon, demanding money to spend at the brothel.
Wearing a bitter smile, Tang Hwi bowed his head to Tang Suryeon.
"I apologize, Patriarch. I have committed an impertinence by bringing it up."
"...How could that be your fault? It is entirely that man's failing."
"But—"
"Enough."
Tang Suryeon raised a hand, cutting him off firmly.
"Please, do not speak of him any further."
"Yes. I understand."
Bowing his head in response, he appeared to be remorseful for bringing up an unpleasant topic. But beneath his lowered head, Tang Hwi was... smiling.
'Father. I am truly glad you are such an absolute low-life.'
Seeing how flawlessly her son handled everything, Tang Suryeon's bitterness toward her husband would only deepen.
With Namgung Bu-ryun being so utterly useless, and her son Tang Hwi proving so exceptionally capable, how could she not lament her own tragic fate and regret her marriage?
Although Namgung Bu-ryun might not hold a massive place in her heart, he still occupied a significant portion of her life.
No matter how cold their arranged marriage was, he was still her husband and the father of her three children.
No matter how much she despised him, she could not easily divorce him, meaning he remained an unavoidable presence in her life.
'That is the gap I will exploit. I will erase my father from my mother's life and take his place myself.'
Of course, the path to achieving this would be incredibly arduous and difficult. But if he succeeded, it would completely break down her moral barriers regarding incest.
"Then, your mother must go to greet our esteemed guests now. Keep up the good work."
Sensing the distinct Daoist and Buddhist energies of the Qingcheng and Mount Emei sects approaching from afar, Tang Suryeon headed toward her seat to receive them in her capacity as Patriarch.
Bowing respectfully, Tang Hwi also stood up shortly after.
His duties as the general supervisor did not end with merely preparing the banquet flawlessly. In fact, the real work was just beginning.
'Martial artists are hot-blooded. Their childish competitiveness always sparks conflict, and the psychological warfare between rival factions is like a lit fuse, ready to explode at any moment.'
Few were foolish enough to cause trouble within the territory of the Sichuan Tang Clan. However, "few" still meant there were always a select couple of idiots possessing an absurd amount of misplaced confidence.
"What did you say?! How dare you treat me, the Wolf-Fang Sword, like a filthy beggar...!"
'Indeed. Just like that fellow.'
For this banquet, even rogue cultivators operating in Sichuan had been permitted entry. Since there was an association that managed rogue cultivators, any rogue holding a silver plaque was considered to have a verified identity.
Thus, they had been allowed in, but it seemed some martial artist's eyes had degenerated into mere ornaments due to the sheer arrogance of holding a silver plaque.
Fortunately, it wasn't a clash between prominent figures, but merely a squabble involving a common rogue.
At that level, there was no need for him, the general supervisor, to intervene. The patrolling Tang Clan warriors would easily handle it.
Even if he was a silver plaque martial artist, he was merely at the early Peak Realm. If several Tang Clan warriors ganged up on him, subduing him would be child's play.
"I was merely eating like a real man! Like a hero! Heartily! And yet you dare ask if I have a beggar living in my stomach—... ugh, guuuurgh...!"
Before he could finish shouting, he began foaming at the mouth and collapsed.
Right next to the fallen rogue, a Cow-Hair Needle gleaming with a green poison was embedded in the floor.
A Tang warrior approached silently, deftly retrieved the needle, and dragged the unconscious man outside.
Smiling at the efficiency expected of the Sichuan Tang Clan's warriors, Tang Hwi was about to turn and inspect another area when a voice stopped him.
"Excuse me. Are you perhaps Young Master Tang Hwi?"
"I am indeed Tang Hwi, but how may I help—?"
How many times was he going to be surprised today?
'Oh.'
The person who had called out to him was a beautiful young woman with striking pink hair.
'The Five Elements Constitution.'
What's more, she possessed the incredibly rare Five Elements Constitution.