The Filial Son and the Secret Friend
Tang Hwi and Jegal Hye had become secret friends. And as for what that "secret" entailed, he had reported everything to the Clan Head, Tang Suryeon.
"Hoo. Hwi, do you have some sort of complaint against this mother of yours?"
"How could I? I have always respected you, Mother. I would never harbor such complaints."
There was no falsehood in that confident statement. Tang Suryeon, a master of the Hyeon-gyeong realm, possessed senses sharp enough to discern that her son was not lying. However, finding his brazen attitude slightly irritating, she poked at his weakness.
"Even before you were old enough to know better?"
"...I will exercise my right to remain silent."
As if he possessed at least a shred of conscience, he turned his head and avoided her gaze when asked if he had been the same even in his younger, more immature days. Tang Suryeon chuckled at the sight of Tang Hwi exercising his right to silence, then leaned back comfortably in her chair and let out a sigh.
"Hoo. Anyway, pushing for the Seonbong to become the head of the Jegal Clan... do you think it's possible? It is incredibly difficult for a woman to become the head of one of the Five Great Noble Clans."
"You managed it, Mother."
"Yes. That is why I know it better than anyone."
Tang Suryeon was somewhat skeptical about pushing Jegal Hye to become the new head. "If your father's cultivation hadn't stalled at the early stage of the Super-Peak Realm, he might have changed his surname as a Chueseo and become the Tang Clan Head in my stead."
"Father lacks that kind of talent."
"He had the talent. He was just not as good as me."
"......"
Was Tang Suryeon currently disparaging Namgung Bu-ryun, or was she subtly trying to defend him? Tang Hwi seriously pondered whether this was an act of double-humiliation for Namgung Bu-ryun.
"At the time of our marriage, he was a capable young talent who had reached the late stage of the Peak Realm before he was even thirty."
"Anyone in the Guryong Yukbong is at the Peak Realm. Some of them have even reached the Super-Peak Realm. Compared to them, Father was severely lacking. He would never have reached the Hyeon-gyeong realm like you, Mother, nor would he have become the Clan Head."
"That wouldn't be the case. If he had fulfilled his duties, I wouldn't have needed to become this strong, and your father would have been the one to take the position of Clan Head, perhaps having reached the Master Realm."
Tang Suryeon rose from her seat, approached the sullen-faced Tang Hwi, and stroked the top of his head. As if satisfied with the rare, mother-and-son atmosphere, the corners of her mouth were curled upward in a warm expression.
"Hwi. I know you dislike your father, but if you are to become the Young Master, you must learn to view everything with a cold, objective eye."
"Yes, Mother. I will try."
"Fufu. You are a good boy."
As if proud of her grown son, her hand moved down to his cheek and patted it a few times. Only after she had thoroughly fussed over Tang Hwi to her heart's content did she pull away, sitting back down with a satisfied expression. Tang Suryeon looked fondly at Tang Hwi’s slightly protruding cheek, but soon returned to her usual expressionless face.
"I am worried about whether our Hwi will be able to get married. Seeing you use even your future for the sake of a sham marriage, my worries are endless."
"...I'll do it eventually."
Tang Hwi could not bring himself to say that even if the worst-case scenario occurred, his older sister and younger sister would take responsibility for him. But perhaps that very attitude had withered away even the little trust she had left.
"Hoo. Do you know that people who say such things are highly likely to live their lives as bachelors?"
Tang Hwi exercised his right to remain silent for the second time.
"Regardless, since the parties involved have discussed it as such, I will speak with the Jegal Clan Head regarding the engagement. Even if it is a sham, it is an engagement, so the elders of the families must talk."
"Thank you for your help, Mother."
"Why are you thanking me for something like this? If it were the Qingcheng or Emei sects, I would not have permitted it. It is only because it is the Jegal Clan, based in Hubei, that I have given my consent."
If it had been the Qingcheng or Emei sects within the same Sichuan province, Tang Suryeon would not have allowed it. After all, for the Tang Clan to be the greatest in Sichuan, they had to surpass those two. Tang Suryeon believed it was better to maintain close relationships with other regions without necessarily being hostile.
'In fact, that is how the Jinju Eon Clan was incorporated into the Sichuan Tang Clan. History proves it.'
The Jinju Eon Clan, which had a relationship nearly akin to a blood alliance with the Sichuan Tang Clan, was the prime example. In the past, they had suffered near-annihilation due to the Jangbodo (Map of Buried Treasures) that had spread widely throughout Hebei. The Hwangbo Clan, coveting the Eon Clan's Jiangshi Art—one of the finest external martial arts—had stabbed the Eon Clan in the back after they entered the tomb following the map. Not expecting a prestigious clan to openly betray them, they lost their family helplessly. For the sake of survival, they were incorporated under the Sichuan Tang Clan, with whom they had a cooperative relationship.
'Though they all changed their surnames to Tang in the process.'
Still, there were quite a few people in the Tang Clan who inherited the blood of the Eon Clan. Tang Sua, the head of the Amsugak and Tang Suryeon’s half-sister, had blood from the Eon Clan on her mother's side. It was no coincidence that she was a master of external martial arts and hidden weapons.
"More than that, Mother, there is a request I would like to make."
"Yes. You did perform your duties well as the general manager at this banquet. Are you asking for a reward for that?"
"That is part of it, but I wish to focus on returning the family to a normal state."
"Normal?"
Tang Suryeon’s brow furrowed at the irritating remark. Did that not imply that the current Sichuan Tang Clan was not normal? While they were not particularly proud as one of the Five Great Noble Clans, she could not lack pride in the Sichuan Tang Clan, which she led as the head.
Realizing that Tang Suryeon’s mood had turned sour, Tang Hwi stared intently at his mother and said,
"Are you going to leave Father as he is? You know it too, Mother. Father is neither a good husband nor a good father."
"That is..."
When he poked at one of the few weaknesses she had, Tang Suryeon could not hide her distress. The argument Tang Hwi had just brought up was something that was consistently raised in the Council of Elders anyway. While the Sichuan Tang Clan was led by the Clan Head and the four Pavilion Heads, it was not as if the former Clan Head and the Council of Elders had no say at all. At the very least, they were capable of bringing their own intentions to the Clan Head's meetings as agenda items. From Tang Suryeon’s perspective, she could just refuse, but doing so every time inevitably led to mental fatigue. It was like old people pestering her to do something she said she couldn't.
"Hwi. Can't you just let that matter pass? He is still your father, and my husband."
At Tang Suryeon’s desperate expression, Tang Hwi decided to take a step back.
'If I push any harder, even my relationship with her will sour. The correct answer here is to retreat one step.'
He could just take two steps forward later. Thinking that much, Tang Hwi bowed his head and spoke as if he somewhat agreed with her opinion.
"...Mother. As your child, I am not so heartless. I am not saying we should kick Father out."
Tang Hwi pretended to express his opinion, claiming he was not imagining the worst.
"At the very least, shouldn't we do something about the family funds Father wastes on entertainment at the gisaeng houses? I could understand if it were just for alcohol or tea, as I enjoy those and don't dislike sightseeing, but... I don't think it's right to waste the family's funds on chasing women like that."
"If it is only that much, I will allow it. You may try anything you wish, so try to stop your father's womanizing, provided you do not cross the line."
"......Pardon?"
As if her thoughts had suddenly flipped, Tang Suryeon gave her permission immediately. Without even hearing what Tang Hwi’s plan was. Tang Hwi, who felt a strong sense of incongruity, stared intently at Tang Suryeon. Their gazes tangled in the air, and it was Tang Suryeon who averted her eyes first. Her face was flushed with a delicate, embarrassed blush. He soon reached a conclusion.
'No wonder Mother didn't easily kick Father out.'
The look in Tang Suryeon’s eyes right now was very similar to the ones Tang Ga-hui and Tang Ga-in gave him. Of course, there were some differences.
'She truly loves Father only a little... is it mostly sexual desire? It seems Father is quite good at his nocturnal duties.'
In a sense, it was impressive. Did it not mean that his sexual function was excellent enough to satisfy the sexual desires of Tang Suryeon, a master of the Hyeon-gyeong realm? Come to think of it, Tang Hwi had also performed an artificial Hwangoltaltae to grow the size of his male organ to nearly one cheok, but it had been a large specimen even before that. Had it not boasted a length of six chon? Considering the average male was four chon, it was quite a massive size.
At Tang Suryeon’s reaction, Tang Hwi recalled a memory from the past. It had only happened once, but there was a time Namgung Bu-ryun had brought a gisaeng and had her suck his cock. He had been nothing more than a child then, but out of curiosity, he had secretly peeked through a crack in the door.
'If my memory serves me correctly, Father's cock was... I believe it was seven chon?'
It was nearly twice the size of the average man. It was a talent capable of conquering any woman if he had enough technique. Even if it were impossible to practice unrealistic relationships like incest or sister-sandwiching like Tang Hwi, Namgung Bu-ryun could have seduced any woman among the Six Phoenixes in his youth.
'Now I understand. Was Father a biological cock for Mother's self-gratification?'
Tang Hwi found his footing on how to knock Tang Suryeon down.
"But Hwi. Are you really... confident that you can stop Father from visiting the gisaeng houses?"
"......"
It seemed Tang Suryeon had been very aroused for a long time.