The Price of a Public Apology
Tang Hwi, a son of profound filial piety, went out for a stroll for the first time in a while. He claimed he just wanted to get some fresh air, but in reality, he was heading out to meet Bang So-yul, the successor of the Beggars' Sect. He had a favor to ask of her. Summoning a beggar was simple enough: "Slurp! Munch, munch, munch!" If you bought her a meal, she would come running on her own. 'The problem is that it costs quite a bit of money.' Tang Hwi glanced at the pile of empty bowls. There were easily over ten of them. He felt a surge of self-admiration for his own foresight in bringing a well-filled money pouch.
Despite inhaling ten bowls of various noodles, Bang So-yul didn't show the slightest hint of a bloated stomach. She patted her belly with her palm, looking satisfied, and spoke with a content expression. "Hiyah~! That’s the first time in a while I’ve eaten my fill. So? What did you call me for this time, my friend?"
At some point, Bang So-yul had started calling Tang Hwi "friend." The funny thing was, Tang Hwi didn't particularly dislike the title, so he hadn't corrected her and simply accepted it. Thanks to that, the term had naturally solidified, and now, there wasn't even a hint of awkwardness between them. And because they considered each other friends, Tang Hwi shrugged his shoulders with a nonchalant expression, wanting to tease her just once.
"Hmm? Is it impossible for us to meet just because we want to?"
"E-e-eh?"
"Friends sitting at the same table to share a meal and chat—that’s a perfectly normal thing to happen, isn't it?"
Bang So-yul, who had been flustered by his mention of the relationship between a man and a woman, scowled at his follow-up remark. Objectively speaking, she had misinterpreted his words and gotten her hopes up. Perhaps it was because the Beggars' Sect, which dealt in information, and specifically the successor, the future Dragon Head, had been outmaneuvered in a battle of wits. She puffed up her veins and wore a twisted smile, as if her pride was significantly wounded.
"...Aha! So that's how you're playing it, huh?"
Bang So-yul, who had been sitting across from him, slid her seat over and plopped down right next to Tang Hwi. She was close enough that their shoulders and arms brushed against each other. Tang Hwi stared blankly at her, sitting so close in her dirty, tattered clothes, covered in layers of grime. Under his gaze, Bang So-yul looked him straight in the eye, as if to say, "So what?"
"Why? Can't friends be like this?"
"That’s not a wrong statement. Between friends..."
"Oh?"
Tang Hwi reached out and draped his arm around Bang So-yul's shoulders. Perhaps it was because of the solid, dense muscle he possessed; his arm wasn't particularly thick, but the moment he put his arm around her, Bang So-yul felt that Tang Hwi looked quite dependable. Honestly, in a society where men and women were supposed to keep their distance, putting an arm around someone wasn't a common sight. As proof, people were glancing at the man in the Sichuan Tang Clan's martial arts uniform sitting in such close proximity to a female beggar, a rare sight indeed. The combination was unusual, and it was rare to see a beggar engaging in "romance."
"We can even do this. Don't you agree?"
"...Heh."
Watching Tang Hwi openly tease her, Bang So-yul smiled with her eyes. To her, it felt as if Tang Hwi was saying, 'I can tease you up to this point. How far can you go?' It had started as nothing more than Tang Hwi playing with words, but by now, she had developed a sense of stubbornness. She wanted to see the usually composed Tang Hwi, who acted like an enlightened immortal, get flustered. 'What should I do? Should I just! Reveal my secret?' If she did, he would definitely be surprised. It was a secret that not even ten people in the entire world knew. No matter how seasoned and human Tang Hwi appeared, like an old master who had seen it all, he would surely be shocked if he learned her secret. But she soon gave up. It was too heavy a secret to reveal on a whim.
"Well, let's stop the games here. I'm afraid rumors will spread that you and I have a thing going on."
"Why would the Beggars' Sect be afraid of rumors? You people are the ones who deal in them."
"."
"?"
"Aren't you in the middle of an arranged engagement with her? Considering that girl's nasty personality, I don't want to get involved."
"???"
To Tang Hwi, it was a harsh assessment he couldn't understand. The Zhuge Hye he knew was merely very rational and had high self-esteem; she didn't have any jagged edges that would warrant being called "nasty."
"Anyway, why did you call me?"
As if to say the games were over, Bang So-yul pulled away and went back to her seat across from him to ask seriously. Responding to her, Tang Hwi straightened his posture.
"It's not a particularly difficult task. You just need to spread a rumor for me."
The float and bait to catch the big fish were ready.
"Spread the word throughout the Jianghu that the Young Patriarch has bowed his head to his relative and formally apologized for his past mistakes."
He had to cast the net so they couldn't escape. If only for the sake of the distant future.
Tang Suryeon had a headache from the reports coming in from Tang Hwi. Apologizing for the assault he committed against Tang Yuseong while drunk was fine. But did he really have to do it in front of others? She was already in a state of turmoil because Tang Hwi had "ravished" her. For Tang Suryeon, the situation was so distressing that she felt like her head would explode, wondering if she needed to redefine the relationship between mother and son. And now, Tang Hwi was suddenly saying he would make such a public apology, so it was no wonder she had a headache.
"Hwi, you must know this too. Officially bowing your head and apologizing to someone is not a good thing in the Jianghu."
Tang Hwi, who was rich in experience, understood that her concern was genuine. A public apology. 'Ironically, the righteous sects that discuss benevolence and righteousness accept this public apology with the miraculous logic that [admitting a mistake = having a mistake].' Was it because a nasty heart that couldn't stand to see others succeed was rooted in human nature? Or was it to ensure that "monkeys never fall from trees"? 'Actually, I can't say I don't understand it, but that kind of mindset is rotten to the core.'
Suppose a master emerges from a sect. That master becomes the face and the prestige of the sect according to their reputation. Wouldn't a martial artist of the same sect feel such pride that their cheeks would lift? Since belonging was what sects and clans valued most. Although it was unavoidable given the customs of the Jianghu, where disciples were taught in an almost hypnotic manner, [You are ○○○! We are ○○○!]. Because of that, many martial artists developed such a strong sense of belonging that they regarded the sect and themselves as one, eventually resorting to "borrowing the tiger's power." Therefore, if a master admitted a mistake, it became an act that tarnished the reputation of the sect, and that became a custom, leading martial artists to avoid officially admitting their faults.
"But Mother. We are the Tang Clan."
What was the famous motto of the Sichuan Tang Clan? [Repay kindness twofold. Repay grudges tenfold.] Wasn't the reason the Eunwongak and the Secretary Pavilion were busy, and why they were chasing the whereabouts of the elders and the Grand Patriarch of the Taesang Pavilion, because they were united by the venomous desire to repay the grudge against the culprit?
"Even if it's not quite a grudge, I have caused Yuseong to harbor resentment, so I must repay it tenfold. Isn't it too lonely to be unable to do what you want because you're afraid of other people's eyes? It's too late, so I must set it right now."
"...I see."
For some reason, Tang Suryeon felt as if Tang Hwi's argument was advice directed at her. Because she was conscious of other people's eyes. Because she was considering the common sense of a mother-son relationship. It felt as if he were telling her not to deny the feelings of affection and carnal desire that welled up within her for him.
"Mother's words might be right. I might be wrong, and this incident might lead to a great calamity later. But when doing the right thing... let alone when proceeding with what I want, I don't think I should be looking for the evaluation of others."
"I will ask you one more time. Do you truly think that is the right path?"
"Yes."
Even knowing that this could be the wrong path, Tang Hwi's will was consistent. Like a river that flows fiercely, eventually becoming one thick stream even after splitting into many branches, there wasn't even a hint of hesitation in his choice.
"Wouldn't it be putting the cart before the horse if I didn't practice martial arts because I was afraid of the surrounding checks?"
"......"
The moment she heard Tang Hwi's words, a lightning bolt struck Tang Suryeon's mind. Putting the cart before the horse. Wasn't that one of the common illusions that many martial artists had? Unless they had taken up martial arts to become stronger, there were many who had started learning martial arts for other reasons, only for it to become their purpose rather than a means. But Tang Hwi was still placing himself at the center with a firm will and learning martial arts. Come to think of it, what had been the reason she started learning martial arts? Tang Suryeon was able to recall that fact for the first time in a while.
'I wanted to protect my family. At some point, I started prioritizing the level of martial arts over family. Since when did I start prioritizing martial arts over my own heart...'
As she faced what she had been avoiding because her experience and thoughts had piled up firmly, a new world unfolded before her. It was the beginning of an enlightenment. The wall she had crossed only after discarding the desires that were too much for her in the past—this time, as she tried to acknowledge and unite with the desires that had been filled again, she faced it once more.
'Ah. If I cross this... I could reach the Middle Stage of the Profound Realm.'
However, she had only seen it; she failed to break through or move on to the next step. Because Tang Suryeon herself knew very well what it meant to fully internalize this realization. 'To think that I can only cross the realm if I acknowledge and accept that I love Hwi... my son, as a woman. Where in the world would there be such a lewd mother who gains enlightenment for such a vulgar reason?'
After all, she couldn't love Tang Hwi as a woman, not as a mother. Therefore, even though she knew very well what it meant to reach the Middle Stage of the Profound Realm, Tang Suryeon could not bring herself to break the wall looming before her and closed her eyes once again.