Chapter 108
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: A New Existence
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The third son's gaze lingered on Yeoseol at the railing on this floor.
When Yeoseol smirked, he smirked back.
'What is this?'
Cheon Taesan sensed some connection between the two.
The third son mimicking Yeoseol's exact expression.
At that moment, shouts from the escort warriors rang out.
"Us, accomplices? What nonsense is that? We've served the manor lord for ten years!"
Another escort warrior followed up.
"If they were from the Hong Clan Manor, they'd know how much trust the manor lord had in us. For us to poison him? Even a stray dog would laugh at that."
Watching the escort warriors plead as if vomiting blood, it was hard to believe they had poisoned the manor lord.
"Third Young Master. Say something. They claim we conspired with you to murder the manor lord. Speak up."
As the escort warrior bellowed, the third son looked at them and smirked.
That's when Cheon Taesan heard Yeoseol's voice from the railing on this floor.
It was a small voice, but he was attuned to Yeoseol and caught it clearly.
"Tell the truth."
At Yeoseol's words, the third son's eyes wavered and grew hazy.
The third son opened his mouth.
"The Sword Immortal Scholar speaks the truth. I conspired with the two escort warriors and poisoned my father."
At those words, murderous intent flashed in the two escort warriors' eyes, and they lunged at the third son.
Cheon Taesan had already been watching them closely, ready to intervene.
Using the Nine Phantoms Spirit Movement Technique, he blocked the third son's path and parried their punches.
Bam! Bam! Pow!
He blocked the punches and sealed their pressure points, immobilizing them.
"Urk! The third young master is lying! Why drag us into this?"
The escort warrior shouted at the third son.
It was a veiled threat, meant to snap the third son out of it.
"The two escort warriors approached me first. They said if we killed Father and took over the manor, all the wealth would be mine. So we plotted together and killed him."
The third son stated it with a somewhat dazed expression.
"When did we ever?"
The magistrate asked.
"You say the escort warriors proposed it, but why would they do that without reason? Was there someone behind them?"
The third son nodded.
"There was someone behind them. When I tried to back out, saying I couldn't kill Father later, they threatened to kill my wife and children."
"Who? The escort warriors threatened your family?"
As the third son opened his mouth to speak, the escort warriors screamed like madmen.
"Shut your mouth!"
"Speak and we're all dead!"
They were practically admitting their own guilt.
'But who is this backer they’re so desperate to silence?'
The third son shook his head.
As if resisting something.
Then, Yeoseol's low voice flowed into Cheon Taesan's ears.
"Speak. Tell the truth."
As Yeoseol's words emerged, the third son blankly gazed into the void again.
And murmured a name.
"Tang Pae said if I didn't kill Father, he would kill my wife, children, and me."
The magistrate asked again, as if he had misheard.
"Tang Pae—you mean the first young master of the Tang Clan?"
"Yes."
At those words, the crowd instantly fell silent.
What they thought was mere patricide had escalated into a power struggle beyond that.
The escort warriors squeezed their eyes shut the moment the name was spoken.
Even the magistrate paled momentarily and lost his words.
To the people of Sichuan, the Sichuan Tang Clan was that kind of existence.
A group that could harm you anytime, with a vicious temperament.
Their tenacious nature of pursuing grudges until death was well-known not just in the martial world, but among common folk too.
The magistrate's eyes gleamed as he asked.
"Why did Young Master Tang order the murder?"
"This is just my guess, but it seems he planned to blackmail me or one of my brothers once we became manor lord and take over the Hong Clan Manor from behind the scenes. He once met Father and proposed several business ventures, but Father refused."
The magistrate couldn't hide his flustered expression as he asked.
"Do you have proof?"
"The Hadon poison is the proof. Who else could handle Hadon poison so casually? Tang Pae gave it to me."
"That's not enough to claim Tang Pae as the mastermind."
Without solid evidence, the magistrate couldn't recklessly accuse Tang Pae, the young clan head of the Tang Clan.
The Tang Clan held enough power in Sichuan to toy with someone of the magistrate's rank.
As I listened to the testimony, I thought of Tang Ji-in.
'No wonder she grew disillusioned with her clan's ways. They have enemies in the orthodox martial world, yet their actions are pure unorthodox sect behavior.'
I knew the third son's words were true.
He was currently under Yeoseol's Soul Subjugation Divine Eye, compelled to speak only the truth.
'When we entered Yeoseol's consciousness, she must have acquired the Soul Subjugation Divine Eye from Songran's consciousness.'
The crowd was starting to grow fearful bit by bit.
The moment the names Tang Clan and Tang Pae were uttered, they realized they shouldn't be here.
One by one, people began slipping out of the county office.
In an instant, half the crowd was gone.
Those remaining had some guts.
The eldest son of the Hong Clan Manor scolded his younger brother.
"You bastard! Even if the Tang Clan instigated it, how could you commit such filial impiety?!"
A moment later, the third son seemed to regain his senses and looked around bewilderedly.
Yeoseol had released the Soul Subjugation Divine Eye, restoring his sanity.
"Huh? What have I been saying?"
As the memory hit him, the third son trembled.
"Magistrate Hyun, everything this lowly one has said so far is nonsense."
But the water was already spilled.
The magistrate looked at me.
I was the only one he could rely on now.
"Sword Immortal Scholar, is this man's statement true? Please tell us."
He pleaded with me.
If it was true, he would need to investigate the Tang Clan, which was impossible with a mere county magistrate's authority.
Even the highest local authorities—the Provincial Military Governor, the Inspectorate, or the Regional Command—couldn't touch the Tang Clan lightly.
The Tang Clan's position in Sichuan was unshakable.
Even a righteous magistrate wouldn't have the guts to challenge them.
I gave him a way out.
"Turning a blind eye to evil is no different from fertilizing the flowers of evil. First, we must punish those directly responsible for poisoning the manor lord."
The magistrate snapped back to attention and nodded at my words.
"You're right. The three culprits will be imprisoned in the county jail immediately. The investigation into the mastermind will be handed over to the branch office."
This was the right way to close the case for now.
The magistrate lacked the power to touch the Tang Clan.
Investigating them was a job for higher authorities.
As I left the county office, I glanced at Yeoseol.
We rode the carriage prepared by the office, just as we had on the way there.
"Yeoseol. When did you start using the Soul Subjugation Divine Eye?"
"Hm, remember when I slept over at Cheongyo unnie's and Songran unnie's? It seems like it appeared after waking up there. It just popped into my head."
"Even the name?"
"Yeah. 'Soul Subjugation Divine Eye' came to mind."
That was when we had entered Yeoseol's consciousness to remove Mae Yu-yeon's.
Songran's ability must have naturally seeped into Yeoseol's consciousness then.
As the embodiment of a pure spirit body, Yeoseol had absorbed even Songran's special power.
"Anything else come to mind?"
"Hm, I also feel like I could play the pipa really well. I've never tried, but it feels like I could."
"The pipa?"
That meant she had absorbed Cheongyo's ability too.
"Nothing else?"
"Hm, and then... nothing."
"Then when we get back to our room, let's try the pipa."
"Okay. But isn't it weird?"
Yeoseol was feeling it too.
That she wasn't an ordinary person.
I sensed the time had come to tell her about her true identity.
Even if I did, she probably wouldn't be too shocked.
Yeoseol's mental fortitude already far surpassed others her age.
'It might be better to let her gradually understand and absorb the shock herself.'
Guiding her to enlightenment on her own didn't seem like a bad idea.
"Oppa, don't worry too much. I'm fine. Just having you by my side helps me sort out my confusion."
Yeoseol rested her head on my thigh and closed her eyes.
'Why wouldn't Yeoseol feel confused? Suddenly gaining abilities out of nowhere. Maybe some of Mae Yu-yeon's consciousness seeped in too, adding to the turmoil. And yet she hasn't shown it once...'
Feeling sorry for her, I stroked Yeoseol's hair.
"Snore... snore..."
Contrary to my worries, Yeoseol had already fallen asleep, snoring like a kitten.
Back at the Noble Guest Pavilion, I looked for a pipa.
There was no pipa, only a biwa, so I handed the biwa to Yeoseol.
"Play it?"
"Yeah. You said it feels like you can, so give it a try."
"I've never learned even once. Think it's possible?"
"It will be. You used the Soul Subjugation Divine Eye without learning it."
"That might be possible because it doesn't require practice."
Yeoseol had her own theory.
"Still, just try."
"Okay."
I needed to know how much of others' consciousnesses and abilities Yeoseol had absorbed.
'She absorbed Songran and Cheongyo's abilities, so Mae Yu-yeon's consciousness can't be absent. I need to gauge how much it has invaded Yeoseol's consciousness.'
Because what I loved was Yeoseol, not Mae Yu-yeon.
I set up a sound barrier in the room to prevent any noise from leaking out.
Yeoseol awkwardly held the biwa and closed her eyes.
"Oppa, this feels weird."
Yeoseol shuddered slightly and began fumbling with the biwa.
Ting-a-ling-a-ling!
As her long fingers plucked the strings, releasing notes, they started moving in earnest.
'Yangchun Baekseol is a piece I never taught Yeoseol.'
I had taught Yeoseol a few pieces.
Famous masterpieces like Ten Faces Plum Blossoms, High Mountains Flowing Water, and Flat Sands Falling Goose.
But Yangchun Baekseol lacked the emotion for a young girl like her, so I hadn't taught it yet.
No matter how genius she was, she couldn't know what wasn't taught.
Unless there was one exception.
"Who are you?"
At my question, Yeoseol, who had been playing the biwa, lifted her head.
Her eyes weren't innocently pure, but carried the weight of accumulated years, gazing at me calmly.
"Yeoseol's big brother is quite handsome. I like him."
"Who are you?"
"Hm, even if you're Yeoseol's big brother, aren't you being too rude to me? I'm your senior, you know."
"Shouldn't I first identify your existence properly before deciding whether to respect you as a senior or treat you casually as a junior?"
"Hm, I like your sharp wit too."
She kept dodging, so I went straight for it.
"Mae Yu-yeon?"
At my words, Yeoseol flinched while stroking the biwa.