Chapter 21
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: The Price of Sin
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A few days before the Sword Family Assembly.
The day the Great Young Lord caught me carrying out an absurd mission with the Imperial Sword Form manual.
The Great Young Lord cut to the chase and told me to accept my punishment.
Accept your punishment. Don't just run away.
To pay the price for my sins. He couldn't have been ignorant of the weight behind those words.
To be punished by the Namgung family might mean a lifetime of hardship. After all, I had targeted the direct heir and the young lords of the Namgung family.
It was a grave crime that no excuse or pretext could erase.
And he was telling me to accept that punishment.
Who would readily agree to be punished, and who would do so just because they were told?
Most would choose death or flight.
However.
The Great Young Lord did not press me.
He said nothing else.
Nor did he offer any sweet words about what he would do for me if I accepted my punishment. He simply waited for Black Tiger to make his own choice. Was that why?
A wave of shame suddenly washed over my entire body.
I had thought only of hiding away, oblivious to how shameful and shameless my actions had been. I thought that would be enough.
But it wasn't.
The deeds I had carried out while following Lady Pyeon and the Fourth Young Lord were things I had to atone for. They were things I had to repent for, and that, too, was a burden Black Tiger had to bear.
It had been a full year since the Great Young Lord had opened his eyes, repenting and atoning for his own deceptions and behaviors. If even that boy was reflecting on his own actions, what was I trying to do?
Black Tiger turned back.
So you came back without running away?
The Great Young Lord spoke as if he had been waiting.
...Did you not think I might run away? Even after hearing your words, you placed no pressure or restraint on me.
Why would I? Youre the one who has to pay the price.
...Still, it could have ended badly for you, Great Young Lord.
If youre going to whine, then leave. What are you doing, coming to me for confession?
...
But if youre determined to pay the price, I can point you in the right direction.
What does that mean?
You choose. It will be arduous. It will be difficult. You will curse this very moment, pounding the ground with regret for not choosing to die or run away.
Black Tiger swallowed hard.
But I will make sure you pay for your sins, and pay for them properly.
His words were disjointed. There was no clear subject.
What would he have me pay for, and how?
The Great Young Lord simply described paying the price as an incredibly arduous and difficult task. More so than dying or running away.
However, the gaze of the Great Young Lord as he spoke was fixed solely on Black Tiger. They had crossed swords for a brief moment and exchanged only a few words, but the Great Young Lords depth was something Black Tiger could not fathom.
Staring into the Great Young Lords eyes, Black Tigers mouth opened.
I have come to this place to accept my punishment. I am Black Tiger. I am here by the grace of Lady Pyeon, who once saved my life. I was tasked with secretly training the Fourth Young Lord in martial arts, while also carrying out Lady Pyeons personal orders.
Black Tiger began to speak calmly, then took a deep breath. He glanced around before his eyes locked onto Lady Pyeon, who had frozen like a stone statue.
I have carried out over twenty missions for the Fourth Young Lord and Lady Pyeon, six of which involved threatening the young lords of the Namgung family. Among the orders I received from Lady Pyeon was to deliver a manual of the Great Expansion Art, with its internal energy flow twisted, to the Fifth Young Lord, Namgung Byeok. I was also ordered to deliver a modified version of the Imperial Sword Form manual to the Great Young Lord, as well as the Second and Third Young Lords, so that they would destroy themselves.
Every word Black Tiger uttered was a shock. Here, at the Sword Family Assembly, everyone fell silent as if by agreement, focusing intently on his words.
Furthermore, at the start of the assembly, she instructed me to scout the location where the refreshments and tea were being prepared. I believe the maids who have been brought here can testify to the related matters.
With those words, Black Tiger took a step back. As all eyes turned to the trembling maids who were too stunned to speak, the Great Young Lord spoke up.
Speak what you saw, heard, and felt. Do that, and no harm will come to you. I swear it on my name as the Great Young Lord.
The maids gazes shifted to the Great Young Lord. He met their stares with a simple, reassuring nod. Though he was just a boy, the maids saw his unwavering eyes and clutched at their clothes.
They remembered what the troublemaker's nanny had said.
If we dont believe in him, who will? The Great Young Lord is definitely changing. I have no doubt that the way he is changing will become our future as members of the Namgung family.
One of the maids hesitantly began to speak in a low voice.
La-Lady Pyeon asked for the refreshments and tea from the annex. I couldn't ask for the reason, but she kept telling me not to speak of it, so I didn't know it was such a grave crime sob.
Once one maid found the courage to speak, the others followed as if they had been waiting.
I have committed a crime worthy of death. I am truly sorry. I-I was only told to report the other young lords locations I didn't know this would happen.
I was ignorant. This piece of paper was left behind where Lady Pyeon had been. There were traces of powder, but I had no way of knowing what it was
The maids all spoke in unison against Lady Pyeon. The scrap of paper one of them had brought was stained with a white powder.
...Tenth Elder.
...
Tenth Elder!
The Great Young Lords voice was sharp. Aside from the Great Young Lord, An Baek, Black Tiger, and a few of the maids, everyone else was overwhelmed by the situation, and the Tenth Elder, Namgung Ho, was no exception.
Snapping back to his senses, Namgung Ho lifted his head to look at the Great Young Lord.
Tell us what you have observed during the Sword Family Assembly.
Namgung Ho opened his mouth to ask what he meant, then closed it. He looked directly at the Great Young Lord. The moment he met those two eyes, so cold they seemed to chill him to the bone, Namgung Ho squeezed his eyes shut.
Hes made up his mind.
To cut out the rot.
Namgung Ho knew what the Great Young Lord wanted from him.
And at the same time, the Great Young Lord was asking him.
For the sake of the Namgung family.
For the sake of a better family.
He was asking if he was willing to lend a hand.
One thing was certain. If he spoke of what he had seen and heard here, he would become a supporter of the Great Young Lord. If he remained silent, he would become a scoundrel who turned a blind eye to the corruption within the Namgung family.
With a short sigh, Namgung Ho spoke calmly.
...I, Namgung Ho, who is overseeing this Sword Family Assembly, swear on my name, the Gale Sword, and declare this to all my comrades in the martial world.
He had made his decision.
It is clear that someone has poisoned the young lords of Namgung participating in this assembly. From what I have ascertained so far, the Great Young Lord and First Young Lord, Namgung Ban, and the Third Young Lord, Namgung Gal, who collapsed without a fight, were certainly poisoned. It seems to be a poison that either disperses internal energy or causes paralysis.
The murmuring grew louder. The words of Namgung Ho, the Gale Sword, renowned in the Orthodox martial world, carried more weight than those of the troublemaking Great Young Lord.
The conclusion was that someone had targeted the Namgung young lords with poison. In front of everyone.
Piecing together the stories of Black Tiger and the maids, all evidence pointed to one person.
The mother of the collapsed Fourth Young Lord, Namgung Gyeon, the woman who now stood frozen, the center of all attention. Lady Pyeon.
...If you have a mouth, say something, Namgung Ho prompted.
Lady Pyeon bit her trembling lower lip and her eyes shot open.
I have no idea what youre talking about. Me? Poison someone? Tamper with manuals? I dont have the ability to do such things. Besides, you said the Second Young Lord wasnt poisoned.
As she spoke, she naturally turned her gaze to the woman sitting beside her.
Red lips. A woman with captivating eyes that drew you in met Lady Pyeons gaze.
...Isnt that right, Lady Dang?
Though trembling, Lady Pyeon thought this was a good opportunity.
Lady Dang.
The second wife of Namgung Mubaek and the mother of the Second Young Lord, Namgung Hyeok.
The woman wearing a dress embroidered with a flower of green thread over her heart was none other than
The Poison Flower, Dang Miyeon.
She was the daughter of the previous head of the Sichuan Dang Family and the sister of the current head.
She was an expert in poisons and a woman who had once made a name for herself in the martial world as the Poison Flower. Lady Pyeon was confident that she could plausibly shift the blame to her, as it made more sense for someone like her to have used poison.
Dang Miyeon stared at Lady Pyeon for a moment, then slowly rose from her seat and turned her head toward Namgung Mubaek. As the click-clack of her heels echoed, all eyes were drawn to her.
What excuse would she make?
Or would she get into a vicious fight with Lady Pyeon?
Just as a strange sense of anticipation filled the air
Didnt I tell you? This is why you shouldnt take in a lowborn wench. She eats whatever scraps she finds, and this is the trouble it causes, Family Head.
She shot back sharply, then, ignoring Namgung Mubaeks gaze, walked over with clicking steps and stood before Lady Pyeon. At the same time, she raised her hand and placed it on Lady Pyeons chest.
At the sudden movement, Lady Pyeon let out a startled scream.
Aah! W-What are you!
Flustered, Lady Pyeon tried to back away, her face flushing with humiliation, but Dang Miyeons expression was one of utter disdain.
As if I wouldnt recognize the smell of cheap Junzi Mountain powder. The stench is overwhelming.
In Dang Miyeons hand was a crumpled piece of paper she had snatched from Lady Pyeons robes. Dang Miyeons beautiful brow furrowed.
How dare a wench like you try to frame me. Youve truly lost your mind.
As the paper unfolded, white powder scattered into the air, carried by the wind. It was the same substance that had been in the teacup.
The onlookers could not hide their astonishment, swallowing hard at the sight.
The irrefutable evidence and her blatant expression said it all.
This was no mere incident; it was a conspiracy that had occurred within the Namgung family, one of the Six Great Families, and the perpetrator was the wife of the current Family Head.
No matter how fierce the competition, it was an incredibly rare event in the Central Plains for a family member to plot and attempt to murder their own kin, which was why everyone was so shocked.
Thud.
N-No! I-Its a frame-up
Unable to come up with any more excuses, her legs gave out and she collapsed to the ground. Lady Pyeon trembled as she turned her gaze to Namgung Mubaek.
She had only one hope left.
...F-Family Head!
This was Anhui, the heart of the Azure Sky Namgung family, and she was the wife of its master. No matter what anyone said, a single word from Namgung Mubaek could nullify everything.
...F-Family Head!
Namgung Mubaek stared silently at Lady Pyeons pleading, desperate face, then closed his eyes and let out a sigh.
Huu.
He then rose from his seat and began to walk. Every eye in Anhui followed his every step. His next words would decide her fate.
Ungang.
At his low call, five men appeared as if from nowhere, prostrating themselves before him as though they had been there all along.
Take her to the Black Cell.
Sir!
With a shout, the prostrated men vanished like shadows, only to reappear beside Lady Pyeon.
...F-Family Heeead!
Her face a mask of horror, Lady Pyeon scrambled on the ground and grabbed the hem of Namgung Mubaeks pants. Pride and everything else forgotten, she lost her mind at the mention of the Black Cell.
The Black Cell! Why the Black Cell?!
The Black Cell.
A place as dark as the azure sky was bright, a place of punishment from which one would never see the light of day again.
It was a place where the Namgung family confined the most heinous criminals, captured from the Unorthodox and Demonic factions, who needed to be dealt with severely. Once inside, one would never see the light again.
I had intended to send both of you, but I changed my mind. I hope you see it that way as well, my wife.
At his calm, cold rebuke, Lady Pyeons face turned deathly pale.
Both. Was he referring to herself and her child?
It was foolish to think you would be safe after not only tarnishing the Namgung name but also committing an act that violates the laws of heaven and earth.
With those words, Namgung Mubaek turned away, his frigid gaze falling upon a boy on the bluestone floor.
There, the Great Young Lord met Namgung Mubaeks stare with a placid expression.