Chapter 22
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Uncomfortable Truths
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Did things really have to come to this?
At Namgung Mubaek's reproachful gaze, I simply shrugged instead of offering a proper response.
Just look at my uncle, the Sword Saint. His position holds a power far beyond the comprehension of an ordinary person. So then, just how much power does the position of Family Head of the Azure Sky Namgung Family hold?
Leader of the Six Great Families, foremost among the Sword Families, with the power to comb through every corner of Anhui Provincenot to mention the unimaginable number of people who would move at his single command. Such was the position of the Namgung Family Head.
And yet, despite all that, he had failed to address this bitter corruption. Instead, I faced Namgung Mubaek and rebuked him.
Why did you let it get this bad?
You knew, didn't you, but you just pretended not to see?
It was a problem that absolutely had to be reformed. Lady Pyeoncould he truly have been unaware of her bizarre behavior?
I suspected he knew and chose to overlook it. The likely reason being...
It must be for political reasons. A position of such untouchable authority is bound to have a thousand, no, ten thousand different strings attached.
You can say that so easily. Uncle
Enough. Thats just how things are.
If Lady An also married Namgung Mubaek for similar reasons...
Just as my uncle said, Namgung Mubaek had taken five wives. The Namgung Family's inherent power was immense, but maintaining it required securing various interests and the ability to persuade those around them.
Namgung Mubaek had no particular complaints about strategic marriages for the sake of the family's prosperity, on top of his own power. No, he actively used them to advance his position.
His first wife, Lady An, was the daughter of a renowned sword family in Anhui, and Lady Pyeon was the daughter of a rather famous merchant guild master.
Political reasons included these strategic marriages. In a way, one might consider him remarkable for his ambition, as the world saw it.
But I didn't see it that way.
An empty shell.
That's exactly what I thought it was.
That is why I am standing here now, chin raised, looking down on Namgung Mubaek.
You are the one who ultimately created this result.
Seeing my expression, Namgung Mubaek said nothing about the series of events. He simply instructed the elders and the leadership to ask for the understanding of those staying in Anhui.
The leadership announced that the abruptly halted Sword Family Assembly would resume in about an hour. They instructed the Namgung martial artists within Anhui to entertain the guests with a sword dance and told the chefs at each inn to delight their palates. It was a notice to pass the time for a short while.
Watching Namgung Mubaek and the leadership depart, I stared at the spot where he had been and swallowed dryly.
Whew.
On the bluestone floor. As I stared blankly into the air, a voice spoke from behind me.
Youre not planning to stop here, are you?
Of course not.
I had only just crossed the first hill. I could sense my uncles nod from beyond the shadows.
Look over there. Everyone is stunned.
Cognitive dissonance.
When faced with an event too great to comprehend, one's thought processes tend to shut down.
Men and women, young and old. The joyous festival had been ruined, and the expressions of those who had learned the reality of the Namgung Family were not bright.
But what could be done?
Even if it is an uncomfortable truth, it is still the truth.
And no matter how bright a hidden lie may seem, it is still a lie.
At the very least, I refused to let us remain a pretty but rotten fruit.
This is just the beginning. Your path forward.
This situation, tantamount to challenging Namgung Mubaek face-to-face, would now be known to all. The corruption and uncomfortable truth of the Namgung Family, exposed by its own Great Young Lord, had come to the surface.
By none other than the Great Young Lord, the legitimate heir of the Namgung Family.
But.
I will stand behind you. From now on, just walk the path you must, without looking back.
This was just the beginning, and countless more incidents like this were sure to follow.
I nodded at my uncles words. As he said, this was just the beginning.
In the midst of it all.
The one who shattered the frozen atmosphere was none other than...
Smack!
A woman stepped in front of the departing Lady Pyeon, and without warning, she slapped her across the face.
Lady Pyeon's cheek immediately swelled, turning a bright red.
Trembling, Lady Pyeon seemed to lack even the strength to speak, her mouth merely gaping as her eyes remained fixed on the woman before her.
It was none other than Lady Baek, Namgung Byeok's mother, and my own mother.
If the Poison Flower, Dang Miyeon, was a woman of alluring and captivating beauty,
then Lady Baek was a woman of elegant and graceful refinement.
While it would have been expected for Dang Miyeon to spew venomous words, for even Lady Baek to act in such a manner was a sight that everyone in the Namgung Family would see anew.
Lady Baek raised her hand once more and slapped Lady Pyeon across the face again.
Crack!
Vicious.
The Lady Baek I knew, my mother, was endlessly merciful and benevolent. She was the kind of woman who would smile at me no matter what happened to her own body. When I said I was going to war, she agonized over her helplessness, and when I returned from the battlefield, she would drag her tired and ailing body to prepare restorative meals for me.
That was the woman she was. Full of love and warmth.
That's why I understood why Lady Baek was acting this way.
Its an expression of love.
Love?
As my uncle turned to me, asking what I meant, I looked at Lady Baek's earnest expression and spoke softly.
Its her way of loving her son, her child.
Not like Lady Pyeon, who wielded her influence for her own convenience under the pretext of caring for her child.
The once-unassuming Lady Baek, for the sake of her beloved son, the apple of her eye,
had found the courage to cry out against the malice that had threatened her son without her knowledge, regardless of who it was or what anyone else might say. That was Lady Baek.
Dont ever show your face in this world again. If you do, I will make you regret it.
Having said her piece, Lady Baek picked up Namgung Byeok and headed for the inner quarters.
What a remarkable woman
My uncle let out a short exclamation, genuinely impressed. For some reason, his words made the tip of my nose tingle.
But there was still work to be done.
Lets do what we need to do.
Alright.
First was the matter of the maids. Thanks to their courage, I had been able to end the situation quickly and pierce Lady Pyeon's actions with arrows of condemnation.
Uncle, I need you to take responsibility for their safety and protection.
When a woman harbors a grudge, frost will form even in midsummer.
Lady Pyeon would likely hold onto this memory for a long time. My uncle was the perfect person to deal with her resentment. Even if she would never leave the Black Cell, it was unlikely she had orchestrated all this on her own.
Lady Pyeon couldnt have manipulated the secret manuals all by herself, and if what Black Tiger said is true, she has a backer. Keep an eye on the elders who supported that bastard, too.
...They say one person makes the mess, and another has to clean it up.
You just told me to walk my path without looking back, and now youre grumbling. Anyway, Ill handle Black Tiger.
Hell have to pay a heavy price. This is no ordinary matter.
The main culprit, Lady Pyeon, was sent to the Black Cell. Black Tiger also deserved a punishment equal or similar to hers.
Are you confident you can handle it?
If I couldnt handle it, I never would have started in the first place.
After saying that, for some reason, I wanted to give my uncle a smile. A smile that said he should look forward to the chaos I would cause later.
Before my uncle, who felt a sense of unease from that smile, could add another word, Namgung Ho, who had been on the dueling stage, stepped forward.
As Great Warrior An said, that man, Black Tiger, must pay a heavy price. Great Young Lord.
Its only natural to pay the price for ones wrongdoings.
The 10th Elder, Namgung Ho, looked speechless at my words.
Utterly speechless.
He wouldnt have a word to say even if he had ten mouths.
The affair with Lady Pyeon wasn't just some incident or accident. It was the shadow of the Namgung Family, a shame they didn't want exposed, something everyone had turned a blind eye to.
I looked directly at Namgung Ho and shrugged.
Even so, you didnt shy away, Elder. You can still change your mind now. Its not too late.
Are you giving me the disease and then the cure, Great Young Lord? ...And not everyone will think the same way. There will be more who resist change than who desire it.
I never thought it would be an easy path. If I had, I wouldnt have taken this first step.
At my calm words, Namgung Ho stared at me quietly. Just as his gaze started to feel heavy, he told me to meet the 1st Elder, Namgung Yeoul, and then disappeared.
1st Elder, Namgung Yeoul.
In my past life, he was someone I had little connection with.
But if Namgung Ho told me to meet him, there must be a reason.
Namgung Yeoul. Among all the rotten bastards here, hes a decent old codger whos taken a backseat.
For my uncle to call someone stubborn instead of cursing them out meant he acknowledged them in his own way.
I committed the name Namgung Yeoul to memory.
Thud, thud.
Hearing the footsteps, I turned my head and saw men wearing iron swords approaching. I met the eyes of the members of the Iron-Blood Unit as they came forward with stern expressions. The one who appeared to be in charge looked at Black Tiger and spoke.
Excuse us.
Nothing to excuse. Its to be expected. But could you give me a moment?
We cannot give you long.
I nodded at the Iron-Blood Unit member, who spoke his mind without being intimidated by me, the Great Young Lord, and then approached Black Tiger.
I am fine, Great Young Lord.
Ill get you out soon, so wait for me.
Now, I can finally be myself.
Black Tiger actually looked relieved.
The worry lines on his brow had made him look several years older.
It was a relief. He didn't seem to have any lingering attachments.
Once I have paid for all my sins, I will definitely, absolutely return to your side, Great Young Lord.
You say that as if youre leaving forever.
It will feel like an eternity, Im sure. But I must endure it.
Dont worry. I keep my promises.
Perhaps recalling my words about making him pay his price properly, Black Tiger smiled faintly. Then, the approaching Iron-Blood Unit members grabbed him by both arms and immediately dragged him away.
Youve gained a subordinate who is more than you deserve.
More than I deserve? A man needs this level of loyalty to not be looked down on elsewhere. I am the Great Young Lord of the Namgung Family, after all.
Hah.
Leaving my uncle with his exasperated expression behind me, I heard familiar footsteps approaching and a pleasant smile spread across my lips.
Pitter-patter-pitter-patter!
The happy sound of running feet made my heart flutter.
Fwump!
My big brother! Youre the best!