Chapter 94
Tea had been prepared in the guest quarters where Bu Eun-seol was staying.
Sitting across from Tang Cheong, Bu Eun-seol silently stared at the teacup placed before him.
Gulp.
After taking a sip of the steaming tea, he felt both a slight emptiness and a sense of liberation.
Here, there was no one asking how the tea tasted or what expression would be appropriate to describe it.
After downing a few more sips, Bu Eun-seol nodded at Tang Cheong.
"So, what did you want to say to me?"
"Are you planning to stay at the main house indefinitely?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Does one need a reason to stay at a close friend's home?"
"You're not just there to freeload meals, are you?"
"Perhaps."
The abrupt questions and half-hearted answers repeated themselves.
The more they spoke, the more the conversation lost focus, and Tang Cheong shrugged her shoulders.
"Fine. I'll be direct."
She fixed her gaze on Bu Eun-seol's unmoving eyes and asked:
"Is the reason you're staying at the main house to help my third brother?"
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol slowly took another sip of tea.
In situations like this, he felt neither obligation nor necessity to answer honestly. The frustration belonged to Tang Cheong, not him.
"And you?"
Bu Eun-seol turned the question back on her.
"The reason you sought me out—was it to help him?"
Only then did Tang Cheong realize Bu Eun-seol was no ordinary person. She smiled faintly.
"Alright. Let's stop beating around the bush."
Taking a deep breath, she stood up and looked out the window.
"The rise and fall of the main house depends entirely on what kind of person becomes the Family Head."
"..."
"Other noble families have their authority well-distributed. But in our clan, only the Family Head holds absolute power."
Tang Cheong turned her gaze back to Bu Eun-seol.
"I want only one thing—for an exceptional person who can elevate the Tang Clan to become the Family Head."
Bu Eun-seol mulled over her words before curling his lips into a cold smile.
"So you believe you have the qualifications to preside over the succession."
"Why wouldn't I?"
Tang Cheong winked one eye and stared straight at him.
"If I were to take a side, the balance would collapse immediately."
Bu Eun-seol silently met her gaze.
"Originally, my third brother wasn't among those I considered exceptional. His temperament was too mild, too lacking in ruthlessness to steer the main house."
Tang Cheong narrowed her crescent-moon eyes.
"But starting today... I must acknowledge that he, too, has the qualifications."
Her voice was clear and sharp, carrying an eloquence that compelled others to listen with interest.
"Why starting today?"
"I believe Young Hero Bu would know the answer better than I."
"I detest evasive answers."
"There are two reasons."
Seeing Bu Eun-seol's expression grow frosty, Tang Cheong immediately smiled brightly and answered.
"First, my third brother has already attained martial prowess on par with the Tang Clan's Personal Guard Unit."
Martial prowess equivalent to the Tang Clan's elite guards.
That likely referred to Bu Eun-seol himself.
"And the second?"
At his question, Tang Cheong slowly walked toward the door.
"Because my third brother's infuriatingly naive kindness must have disappeared by now."
Turning around, she gave Bu Eun-seol a sweet smile.
"To befriend someone like Young Hero Bu, wouldn't my brother have to become a person of similar caliber?"
No further words were needed—her point was razor-sharp.
Unconsciously, Bu Eun-seol's eyes flickered with admiration.
Indeed... That makes sense.
Just then, Tang Cheong turned back toward the door and spoke in a clear, ringing voice.
"Today was enjoyable. Well then."
With that brief remark, she stepped out slowly.
Left sitting at the table, Bu Eun-seol exhaled a low sigh as he watched her leave.
"A terrifying woman."
Tang Cheong was not only exceptional in martial arts and intellect—she possessed an almost clairvoyant insight into others' hearts.
Tang Bi was a given, but she seemed to embody the combined strengths of Tang Ryeong and Tang Gon.
Rustle.
Just then, the door opened, and Heuk-pyo entered, his face bright with sweat.
"Young Master!"
"..."
"Were you enjoying some tea?"
Bu Eun-seol continued staring blankly into the air as if he hadn't heard Heuk-pyo's words.
"I smell something."
"Ah, I was practicing concealed-weapon techniques with the Third Young Master for two hours, so I sweated a little..."
"A very thick scent of blood, I mean. Heh."
Seeing Bu Eun-seol gazing at the distant sky with a radiant smile,
'Someone must have provoked the Young Master's temper again.'
Heuk-pyo gulped, his face pale with fear as cold sweat dripped down his back.
Twin Saints Pavilion
This was where the ancestral tablets of the Tang Clan's past Family Heads were enshrined.
At the very top were the tablets of the two Saints who had elevated the Tang Clan from a small, obscure faction into one of Murim's great powers—Poison Saint Tang Cheon-gun and Life-Snatching Dagger Tang Sim-bin.
Flicker.
After lighting incense before the tablets, Tang Gon bowed deeply and cautiously stepped outside.
"Haa..."
He exhaled deeply, tilting his head back to gaze at the distant sky. Just as he was about to take a step—
"..."
His hurried footsteps halted abruptly.
Because far in the distance, a shadow clad in a deep-blue robe embroidered with silver thread was slowly approaching.
His stride was as dignified as a lion's, and an overwhelming aura surged from his entire being, as if it could pierce the heavens. It was the Tang Family Head—Tang Pae.
"Tang Gon pays his respects to the Family Head."
As Tang Gon bowed his head, Tang Pae gave a slight nod.
"It's been a while."
An awkward tension lingered between them—far from the warmth expected between father and son.
When the silence stretched on, Tang Pae finally spoke in a low voice.
"What brings you here?"
Born from the womb of a lowly servant, Tang Gon had been forbidden from even entering the Inner Court of the Tang Clan as a child.
Though Tang Pae had lifted that Restrictive Seal after Tang Gon reached adulthood, he had never once set foot in the Inner Court—until now.
So why had he suddenly come to the Twin Saints Pavilion?
"Since I've returned to the Main House, it's only proper to pay my respects."
"Hmm."
Tang Pae studied Tang Gon silently before speaking again in a subdued tone.
"Walk with me for a moment."
Not far from the Twin Saints Pavilion was a small pond with a modest pavilion built over it.
Staring up at the signboard that read Sangrim Pavilion, Tang Pae murmured,
"Now that you've returned to the Main House, you must have decided on your path."
So it's come to this.
Taking a deep breath, Tang Gon steadied himself and answered firmly.
"I intend to continue contending for the position of Successor."
"Did you not return to the Main House intending to give up?"
When Tang Gon flinched, Tang Pae allowed a faint smile to surface.
"Though that was merely this Family Head's assumption."
"Truthfully... that was my intention. But my mind has changed."
"Why?"
Drawing in a sharp breath, Tang Gon's eyes flashed.
"I wish to stand side by side with my close friend."
"That Bu Eun-seol you brought with you?"
"Yes."
Tang Pae's gaze turned inscrutable.
"Is he truly such an extraordinary personage?"
A proud smile spread across Tang Gon's face.
"He is. Among all the people I've met, he is the most exceptional... and the most ruthless."
"Ruthless, you say..."
Tang Pae's lips curled into an enigmatic smile.
Clear-headedness.
Wasn't that the one flaw Tang Gon had always lacked, despite his outstanding talent?
"Very well. You may go."
As Tang Pae nodded, Tang Gon clasped his hands together.
"Then I shall take my leave."
Just as he turned to depart, Tang Pae spoke again.
"To become the Successor of this house, you must become a cold-blooded man who shows no mercy or compassion."
Fraternal strife.
From this moment on, he would have to fight his own flesh and blood to earn the right of succession.
Tang Gon's eyes gleamed as he responded.
"I have already steeled myself for it."
"Is that so?"
Tang Pae reached into his robes and withdrew a single blackened leaf.
It was a darkened Pear Blossom Leaf.
"This is..."
When Tang Gon accepted it with a stunned expression, Tang Pae nodded indifferently.
"I shall permit you to learn one of the Tang Clan's Secret Arts."
Tang Gon's body trembled faintly.
Despite holding the position of successor, his inability to build influence stemmed from being barred from mastering the Eight Great Secret Arts of the Tang Family—techniques reserved solely for direct bloodline descendants.
—To this day, no illegitimate child has ever been taught the Tang Clan's Secret Arts.
Due to the Elders' Hall's vehement opposition, Tang Gon had ultimately been denied entry into the Secret Cave where the clan's forbidden techniques were stored.
But now, if he mastered even one of them, he could stand equal to Tang Ryeong or Tang Bi. And from there, he could begin amassing his own faction.
"My refusal to pass down the Secret Arts to you had nothing to do with the elders' objections."
Within the Tang Clan, the Family Head's authority was absolute.
Even if the entire clan—not just the Elders' Hall—had opposed it, none could have overturned Tang Pae's will.
"Back then, you lacked the burning aspiration to become successor that you possess now."
It was true.
Had he truly desired the position with all his being, he would have first persuaded Tang Pae, the Family Head, and mastered the clan's Secret Arts before anything else.
But instead, he had stubbornly refused to bend his pride, choosing instead to forge his own path in the Martial World.
"Yet now, that ambition and desire are plain for all to see."
"...Thank you."
Tang Gon, tucking the blackened Pear Blossom Leaf into his robes, pressed his palms together in reverence.
"I will not disappoint you."
After bowing deeply to Tang Pae, he straightened his shoulders and turned to leave.
"Can even an lesser dragon become a Hidden Dragon... just by making a single friend?"
Tang Pae murmured softly to the empty air as he watched Tang Gon depart.
"U Gang."
At once, an almost imperceptibly low voice answered from the void.
"Your command?"
"From this moment, report to me his every single movement. No matter how trivial."
"Understood."
Lifting his gaze to the distant sky, Tang Pae allowed a faint smile to touch his lips.
"The prestige of our main house will rise even higher under its next successor."
"That bastard of a concubine's son—learning the Tang Clan's Secret Arts?!"
CRASH!SMASH!
Upon hearing that Tang Gon was going to enter the Secret Cave to master one of the forbidden techniques, Tang Bi began wrecking the furnishings of his office in a frenzy.
"Has Father lost his mind already?!"
"Young Master, lower your voice."
Tang Bi's fury instantly redirected toward Tang Sa-un.
"And you—don't you dare speak! What? That wretch was supposed to relinquish his claim as successor? Does this look like the act of someone surrendering?!"
THUD!
The Dragon Horn Inkstone, crafted by the master artisan of the White Pine Brush Shop, shattered against the pillar beside Tang Sa-un, spraying fragments in all directions.
"My apologies."
Blood dripped steadily from Tang Sa-un's cheek where a shard had grazed him.
Only then did Tang Bi rein in his temper, though his voice remained a snarl.
"Tang Gon—where is that bastard now?"
"Before entering the Secret Cave, he went to armory master Gam to select a weapon."
"Fine."
Storming out, Tang Bi strode swiftly toward the Great Arsenal at the northern gate.
After passing dozens of pavilions, the black-painted structure of the Great Arsenal finally came into view.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Spotting Tang Gon standing before the arsenal, Tang Bi roared.
"You damned—"
His voice cut off abruptly.
Because there, alongside Tang Gon and Bu Eun-seol, stood armory master Gam—and Tang Ryeong.
"Second Young Master."
Armory Master Gam, stroking his snow-white beard, acknowledged him with deliberate calm. Forced to comply, Tang Bi reluctantly pressed his palms together.
"Elder Gam. And... Elder Brother is here as well."
As he offered the stiff greeting, Tang Gon mirrored the gesture.
"Second Elder Brother."
"Second Elder Brother—my ass!"
Tang Bi bared his teeth like a beast, locking eyes with Tang Gon.
"Since when does a bastard like you get to learn the Tang Clan's Secret Arts?!"
"Second Brother. This was Father's decision."
"And you—you're just going to stand by and allow this?!"
Tang Bi jabbed a furious finger at Tang Gon, his face contorted with indignation.
"This is something you should be stopping, Elder Brother! Go to Father and make him reconsider!"
"Second Brother—"
Just as Tang Ryeong raised a hand to speak, Tang Gon replied flatly:
"It seems Second Elder Brother is displeased with my entering the Secret Cave."
"What?! You dare say that to my face?!"
Tang Gon clenched his jaw.
"If you abandon this now—if you crawl back to the Outer Courtyard and stay quietly buried there—you might yet keep your life."
"That's exactly why I'm going. To keep my life."
"What did you say?!"
A faint smile played on Tang Gon's lips as he rested a hand on the sword at his waist.
"Once I master the Poison Spirit Extinguishing Art, I won't have to die by Second Elder Brother's hand—will I?"