A Devoted Son
Having won over the Head of the Poison Medical Pavilion, Tang Hwi did not hesitate in his next steps. His immediate request to Tang Si-eon to arrange a private meeting with the Head of the Dark Poison Pavilion—who despised him—was part of his calculated plan.
Ever since Hwi had cleanly resolved the Poison Medical Pavilion's financial crisis, Tang Si-eon had thrown his full support behind the young master. Yet, if one were to ask if that support was built on absolute trust... the anxious look on the old man's face as he followed behind Hwi was answer enough.
"Young Master. I have arranged the meeting with the Head of the Dark Poison Pavilion as you commanded... but are you certain you can persuade her?"
"Pavilion Head, do not worry. I am not fond of charging in blindly either."
At Tang Hwi's reassuring reply that his preparations were more than complete, Tang Si-eon fell silent.
"And I must ask that whatever the Head of the Dark Poison Pavilion and I discuss inside remains strictly confidential. We will be speaking of highly sensitive matters."
"Hoho. All of this old man's friends are already buried in the dirt, so I have no one to gossip to anyway. Do not worry."
In any case, Tang Hwi held all the cards. Although the pavilion's disciples could guess the ingredients of the Immortal Pill based on the materials they supplied, Tang Hwi was the only one who knew the actual refinement process. Unless he revealed the recipe, the Poison Medical Pavilion would have to keep catering to his every whim.
Even so, Tang Si-eon had no complaints. Thanks to Hwi, their financial worries had vanished overnight. Furthermore, the Poison Medical Pavilion was thriving more with each passing day. Hwi had used his personal connections to secure premium feed for their venomous snakes and spiders, and the overall atmosphere of the pavilion had improved so much that the disciples were looking healthier than ever. With Hwi's backing, everything was moving in the right direction.
'If the boy fails to become the Patriarch, I'll just tempt him into becoming the next Head of our pavilion. Hoho.'
Tang Si-eon had his own calculations. No matter what anyone said, the Poison Medical Pavilion was the very first to back Tang Hwi. Unlike the other three pavilions, they were essentially his founding vassals. Once Hwi became the Patriarch, there was no way he would forget them. Though Hwi was highly calculating, he was not the type to abandon those who had shown him loyalty. He would surely look after them. And even in the worst-case scenario where Hwi failed to secure the patriarchate, Si-eon could simply name him his successor.
Lost in these thoughts, Tang Si-eon led Tang Hwi to the guest parlor of the Dark Poison Pavilion. There, the master of the pavilion, Tang Sua, welcomed Hwi with open arms.
"Welcome, you little shit of a nephew."
"..."
"..."
Both Tang Hwi and Tang Si-eon thought the same thing: This isn't going to be easy.
Tang Sua was the half-sister of the current Patriarch, Tang Suryeon. While the former Patriarch, Tang Cheon, had not been a particularly lustful man, he was deeply devoted to the clan and had taken multiple wives to strengthen its foundation. To further solidify the direct line's grip on power, he had taken a woman from a branch family—one who inherited the secret arts of the Jinju Eon Clan, which had long been absorbed into the Tang Clan—as his second wife.
It was a strategic move to bridge the gap between the direct and branch lines, and Tang Hwi agreed that it had been the right choice.
'I heard the unwritten rule forbidding branch members from becoming pavilion heads was broken back then. At least Grandfather paved the way for that.'
All for the single purpose of strengthening the clan, Tang Cheon had embraced the branch line, taken one of their daughters as his wife, and elevated her to the position of pavilion head. While Tang Hwi was analyzing Tang Sua, she was busy sizing him up with equal intensity.
'That miserable, degenerate bastard... How did Sister ever give birth to a creature like him? Ah, right. He has Namgung Bu-ryun's filthy blood in him too.'
Tang Sua's hatred for Tang Hwi was simple. It stemmed from an incident that occurred before Hwi's sudden reformation. To be precise, before Hwi had awakened his memories of his past lives, he had beaten his younger cousin—Tang Sua's only, precious son—like a dog on a hot summer day. When she investigated the reason, she found out Hwi had simply thrown a drunken tantrum.
Now sixteen, Tang Yuseong was old enough to be considered an adult, but the beating had occurred five years ago. In other words, a sixteen-year-old Tang Hwi had mercilessly thrashed an eleven-year-old Tang Yuseong for no reason at all.
Even though Tang Hwi had possessed zero talent for martial arts back then, he was still a sixteen-year-old who had received basic training. On the other hand, young Tang Yuseong, though slightly more talented than Hwi, was too timid to ever apply himself to martial training. The outcome of a clash between the two was obvious. In fact, it couldn't even be called a fight; it was a one-sided slaughter.
Back then, Tang Suryeon had bowed her head and apologized profusely to her. Had it not been for Suryeon's desperate pleas, Tang Sua would have never let Hwi off the hook. She would have done whatever it took to convene a meeting of the pavilion heads and drag him before a clan tribunal. Her current support for Tang Ga-in was partly due to Tang Ga-hui's tragic downfall, but it was also driven by her absolute refusal to ever see Tang Hwi become the Patriarch.
"So, what brings my dear nephew to see his aunt today?"
Knowing full well that Tang Hwi had come to secure her endorsement for the position of Young Patriarch, Tang Sua took a dominant stance, fully aware that she held the upper hand.
Yet, despite the blatant insult, Tang Hwi's expression remained entirely unbothered. If anything, it was Tang Si-eon, standing right behind him, whose face flushed red with embarrassment.
'Sorry, old man. But I will never support the bastard who tormented my precious son.'
She knew that acting this way was a slap in the face to Tang Si-eon, who had gone out of his way to arrange this meeting. But Tang Sua could still vividly recall the sight of Tang Yuseong's swollen face as he sobbed uncontrollably. What parent wouldn't burn with rage after seeing their child beaten by a drunken brute?
That was why she deliberately treated him with utter contempt, as if to say this was the only treatment he deserved. However, Tang Hwi's complete lack of reaction only irritated her further.
"I am sure the Head of the Poison Medical Pavilion has already informed you. Yes, I have come to ask for your support, Aunt."
"And you honestly thought I would betray our Ga-in to side with you?"
"Ga-in and I have already discussed this. She is perfectly fine with you throwing your support behind me."
"Tsk."
Tang Ga-in had never been particularly passionate about becoming the Young Patriarch in the first place. Now that Tang Hwi had cleaned up his act and Tang Ga-hui had overcome her Qi Deviation and healed her scars, Ga-in likely wanted to step down. She had only forced herself to run out of a sense of duty when she thought she was the only viable option left. Still, Tang Sua took some comfort in the fact that Ga-in hadn't explicitly declared her submission to Hwi yet.
"I want your endorsement, Aunt. And by extension, the full backing of the Dark Poison Pavilion."
"And you think I would ever allow that? My beloved nephew."
"Probably not. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't either."
"...Then what gave you the nerve to even show your face here?"
She could have understood if he had gone to the Eunwon Pavilion or the Secretary Pavilion first. But she could not comprehend why Tang Hwi had targeted the Dark Poison Pavilion immediately after the Poison Medical Pavilion.
"Because I judged that you would be the easiest to persuade."
"Ha?"
Tang Sua's delicate brow furrowed deeply.
'Is this bastard... looking down on me?'
A surge of fury welled up inside her. As a master of the Master Realm, her sheer force of will caused her hair and robes to flutter. True to her lineage inheriting the secret arts of the Eon Clan, the poison she specialized in was Corpse Poison. A faint, violet haze unique to Corpse Poison arts began to shimmer around her body like a heat mirage. Having trained in both the Jiangshi Art and poison cultivation, her violet-tinted hair and eyes exuded an eerie, sinister aura.
"Are you really looking down on your aunt, nephew?"
"Of course not. Perhaps in the past, but ever since my reformation, I have held nothing but respect for you."
"Then why don't you tell me why you think my Dark Poison Pavilion is the easiest to persuade... before I lose my patience?"
Tang Sua unleashed her oppressive aura, making it clear she would not let him leave in one piece if his answer was unsatisfactory. Even to another master of the Master Realm, the pungent stench of decay that accompanied her presence was threatening enough to trigger an instinctive sense of dread.
It was then that Tang Hwi lightly clapped his hands.
Clap.
Instantly, the heavy, suffocating air dissipated as if Tang Sua had never unleashed her energy at all. Hwi had neutralized her pressure by releasing an identical amount of counter-force. While it looked simple on the surface, the reality was far from it. Emitting a counter-force that matched her aura with absolute precision was impossible unless one possessed a level of cultivation at least equal to her own.
Tang Sua's eyes widened in shock. Her own cultivation was at the mid-stage of the Master Realm, which meant Tang Hwi, who had effortlessly neutralized her pressure, had also reached the mid-stage of the Master Realm. She quickly whipped her head around to look at Tang Si-eon, only to find the old man standing there with his mouth agape, unable to hide his utter disbelief. This meant Tang Hwi had been hiding his true strength all along.
"I have a foolproof way to persuade you, Aunt," Tang Hwi said with a casual smile, snapping the two dumbfounded masters back to reality. "The lost secret art of the Eon Clan—the method to become a Living Jiangshi. You want to know it, don't you?"
"?!"
Tang Sua gasped, struck by a second wave of sheer shock.