A Devoted Son
A few days had passed since the banquet celebrating Tang Ga-hui's recovery. Namgung Bu-ryun, who had planned to spend his day as usual—wasting away his time drinking and whoring at the Honglu—scowled deeply. Normally, a guard from the Tang Clan would be by his side as an escort, but the guard was nowhere to be seen. In his place stood Tang Hwi.
"What is this? Where is Guard Kang, and why are you here?"
"Guard Kang has gone on leave."
"What?"
"And starting today, I will be taking Guard Kang's place to escort you, Father. I will also be interfering in matters beyond mere escorting, so please do not worry."
At Tang Hwi's remark about "interfering in matters beyond mere escorting," Namgung Bu-ryun's eyes flared with anger as he glared at his son. Has this bastard lost his mind? This pathetic excuse of a son, whose memory wasn't even intact until recently...!
This insignificant brat, who used to cast his eyes down whenever Namgung Bu-ryun glared at him, was now looking him dead in the eye, acting as if they were equals. He needed to be taught a lesson by his elder. To show him that he needed physical discipline to learn respect for the parent who gave him life, Namgung Bu-ryun raised his hand to strike.
"Ugh?!"
An oppressive pressure radiating from Tang Hwi suddenly choked him. He couldn't believe his own eyes. Exerting pressure on someone like this was only possible if one was a master of a far higher realm. And to do so through sheer presence alone, without even physically channeling internal energy, was mind-boggling.
Yet, despite Tang Hwi not releasing a single shred of internal energy, Namgung Bu-ryun felt completely overwhelmed. This meant Tang Hwi had reached at least the mid-stage of the Super-Peak Realm. He desperately tried to deny this reality.
"Y-you unfilial bastard...! Have you dabbled in Demonic Qi?!"
In his denial, he accused him of practicing demonic arts rather than mere sorcery. After all, since Tang Hwi had overwhelmingly defeated the late-Peak Realm expert 'Iron Dragon' not long ago, calling it sorcery would drag the Moyong Clan's name through the mud. If he did that, the Namgung Clan might truly not let it slide this time, which was why he brought up demonic arts instead. The only problem was that his opponent was his own son.
Tang Hwi merely chuckled inwardly. Even in a situation like this, his brain is spinning to find a way to save his own skin. It's almost admirable. Like a blind dog stumbling into a bone.
He had shouted "demonic arts" to minimize his own risk while confronting his son, but by sheer coincidence, he was right. Although he manipulated pure Demonic Qi to make it look like orthodox internal energy, the Heavenly Demonic Dragon Scale Dance was undeniably a martial art fueled by Demonic Qi. The funny thing, however, was that even though he had guessed correctly by chance, he had no way of proving it.
"Tsk. Demonic arts? Really? Not even sorcery, but demonic arts?"
Wasn't there only one logical conclusion? As Tang Hwi stared at him with that look, Namgung Bu-ryun, forced to face the truth he had been avoiding, trembled with humiliation.
"Damn it! How could an unfilial bastard like you reach a higher realm than me?! This makes no sense!"
"Nothing in this world is impossible, Father. People only perceive it that way because they do not understand cause and effect. If you cannot accept it, then I have no choice but to show you reality."
"W-what?!"
Seeing Tang Hwi raise his fist, Namgung Bu-ryun felt a surge of panic. It was true that he was strong as a Super-Peak master, but how long had it been since he had neglected his training? His realm only allowed him to overwhelm martial artists of lower ranks. Against an equal or a superior master, Namgung Bu-ryun was nothing more than a training dummy. Thus, startled by his son's raised fist, he quickly backed away. It was a reaction of complete and utter submission to his son's momentum.
Tang Hwi wanted to sneer at him, but he kept his expression blank and maintained a calm, indifferent tone.
"Unless you wish to be dragged around by your own son, you are only permitted to enter the Cheonglu, not the Honglu. And you must not cause any trouble."
Namgung Bu-ryun flared up. "Hey! That's interference in my private affairs!"
At the double entendre of "private affairs"—which sounded far too much like "ejaculatory interference"—Tang Hwi's face grimaced deeply for the first time. Did he really have to use such a vulgar turn of phrase? It would be one thing if a woman said it, but between men, talking about "ejaculatory interference" was just repulsive. For a brief moment, Tang Hwi seriously considered just beating him to a pulp, but he managed to restrain himself by reminding himself of his ultimate goal: seducing Tang Suryeon.
"This is to prevent the waste of clan assets and to protect our reputation. Please show some understanding. That is why I have at least permitted you to visit the Cheonglu."
"...When does Guard Kang's leave end?"
"Until I am reassigned to another task."
"......"
To Namgung Bu-ryun, this sounded like Guard Kang was never coming back. A flurry of thoughts raced through his mind. Seeing this, Tang Hwi let out a sigh and pretended to throw him a bone.
"To be precise, once you curb your wasteful habits and show dedication to your duties as a matrilocal husband, Guard Kang will return."
"Tsk. So he's never coming back."
"......"
Though it wasn't his place to judge, Tang Hwi couldn't help but think that Namgung Bu-ryun was a truly pathetic excuse for a human being.
"Anyway, you're saying the Cheonglu is allowed, right?"
"Yes."
Tang Hwi stared at Namgung Bu-ryun, who was practically beaming with joy, and spoke with utter disdain. "The reason the Honglu is forbidden is to eliminate the risk of a half-sibling being born from one of your mistakes."
In truth, Tang Hwi suspected that the only reason he didn't have any half-siblings by now was because the clan had been quietly cleaning up after his father. After all, this was a man whose potent seed had successfully impregnated the powerful master Tang Suryeon three times despite their infrequent relations. It made no sense that he had no other offspring given how much he fooled around outside. The clan must have dealt with it behind his back.
They wouldn't have killed them... They probably paid off the women with a large sum of money to get abortions.
To the courtesans of the Honglu, a massive sum of money would have been far more valuable than an unborn child. If he had slept with a common prostitute from the Cheonglu, she might not have given up the child for money. But the high-class courtesans of the Honglu, who sold their bodies purely for wealth, would have gladly taken the payout.
"Fine. Let's go to the Cheonglu, then."
"Very well. As a side note, I will give you three days' worth of entertainment expenses in advance."
"You're giving it to me?"
Not caring whether his son was escorting him or not, Namgung Bu-ryun grinned ear to ear as he accepted the heavy pouch. However, the moment he untied the string and peered inside, his face instantly contorted.
"Who is this supposed to satisfy? If I go to the Cheonglu with this, I'll blow through it in a single day, let alone three!"
"You will have to budget. And just so you know, no matter how much you beg, you won't receive a single copper more."
"Why?!"
"Do you really need to ask?"
When Tang Hwi glared at him with a gaze so cold it felt like a physical threat, Namgung Bu-ryun, suddenly finding his anger perfectly managed, quickly averted his eyes.
"It is getting embarrassing to repeatedly ask the Namgung Clan to reimburse the funds you squander on your pleasures. Ten years of this should have been more than enough for you."
"That's... Tsk. Fine. I suppose I have no choice but to make do with this."
Namgung Bu-ryun accepted it far more easily than expected, clicking his tongue before turning around. Seeing him give up so quickly after the negotiation fell through and head straight for the Cheonglu, Tang Hwi was utterly dumbfounded. Just how obsessed with women was this man that he had to visit a brothel every single day? He spent less time in the Patriarch's Pavilion than he did in these pleasure houses.
Following behind Namgung Bu-ryun, Tang Hwi let out a small smile. The father and son passed the Tang Clan Tower and headed toward the Cheonglu. As a place of leisure where even scholars came to enjoy music and poetry, the Cheonglu was bustling with people despite it being just past noon.
The patrons, seeing their Tang Clan martial robes and recognizing Namgung Bu-ryun's face, frowned and quickly looked away. Getting involved with him never led to anything good. Even if the Sichuan Tang Clan offered generous financial compensation afterward, who in their right mind—unless they were literally starving to death—would be happy to get beaten up by a martial artist just for some hush money? Many had been left permanently disabled. Thus, the frequenters of the pleasure houses did their absolute best to avoid any contact with Namgung Bu-ryun.
The moment they entered the Cheonglu, a man who appeared to be the manager came running over in a flurry, bowing at a perfect ninety-degree angle before Namgung Bu-ryun. "Welcome, Great Hero! We have been waiting for you."
"Hmph!"
Seeing him nod with a solemn, arrogant air, Tang Hwi felt a strong urge to smack the back of his head. Still trying to act as if he had plenty of money, Namgung Bu-ryun maintained his haughty posture while speaking with the manager and securing a room. Tang Hwi was quite amused to see him call for a second-class courtesan instead of a first-class one, clearly trying to save money.
So he didn't always summon first-class courtesans to sing and recite poetry. It seems he frequented second-class ones quite often as well.
With Namgung Bu-ryun entering a room with a courtesan on his arm, Tang Hwi began to move toward his true objective.
Thanks to him, I've managed to enter a pleasure house... and a Cheonglu, at that, without raising any suspicion.
Had it not been for Namgung Bu-ryun, Tang Hwi wouldn't have been able to step foot inside a brothel. If he were seen entering one, rumors of his past playboy days would immediately resurface, which would deeply sadden Tang Ga-hui and Tang Ga-in. But entering under the pretext of keeping an eye on Namgung Bu-ryun might cause them some anxiety, but it wouldn't break their hearts.
He stopped a passing courtesan and spoke. "Excuse me."
"Yes, Master. How may this humble girl assist you?"
"Do you happen to know where I should go?"
It was the secret code of the Hao Sect.