When One Door Closes
“Now then, Miss Rihwa, how old might you be? You appear younger than my daughter.”
“I’m twenty-two.”
“Hm? You certainly don’t look it. So you’re actually the older sister here.”
Tang Munhyeon, who had maintained a stern, impassive expression throughout, showed a slight flicker of warmth. Even So Rihwa had to admit the truth of his observation. Her outfit today leaned distinctly toward the cute and youthful side, which probably shaved a few years off her appearance.
“In any case, forgive me for inviting you to such an intimidating gathering. Riah is no ordinary child, you see, so I only ever feel at ease once I’ve met her friends with my own eyes.”
Ah, so this wasn’t Dang Riah’s idea—it was orchestrated by the old man all along. For someone who looked so austere, he was secretly quite the doting father.
“Even putting Riah aside, it is custom in our clan that whenever a direct descendant of the Tang makes a friend, they must invite them to the family estate and host them properly.”
“That’s a wonderful tradition.”
So Rihwa genuinely meant it. While it might feel somewhat overwhelming from the guest’s perspective, there was probably no faster way to break the ice and build trust. It seemed the old adage about repaying kindness twofold and vengeance tenfold belonged strictly to the realm of wuxia novels. To think a martial clan possessed such a heartwarming custom.
“Aren’t you curious as to why such a tradition came to be?”
“…Uh, yes. I suppose I am.”
To be completely honest, she couldn't care less, but when someone asked like that, politeness demanded curiosity. Rihwa possessed at least that much social tact. Tang Munhyeon gave an approving nod and continued.
“The truth is, every direct descendant of the Tang Clan practices martial arts.”
Tang Munhyeon looked intently across the table as he spoke. Rihwa simply blinked. She had assumed he was going to elaborate, but it turned out he was pausing for her shocked reaction.
“Does it not surprise you? That the people of one of the Five Great Clans still practice martial arts?”
“Dad, I already told her.”
Just as Rihwa was fumbling for how to react, Dang Riah cut in. Tang Munhyeon’s eyes widened a fraction.
“You told her already?”
“Yes. It turns out she practices martial arts too, so one thing led to another and we ended up talking about it.”
“Well, now.”
A low exclamation slipped from Tang Munhyeon’s lips. Judging by how Tang Bedeuro and Eon Yehyang both widened their eyes, not a single soul at the table had anticipated that So Rihwa was a martial artist.
“Well, that simplifies matters considerably. If you cultivate martial arts yourself, then you know firsthand how severe the prejudice against practitioners can be. Especially among the wealthy—having so much to lose only makes them fear it more.”
“…That is true.”
In Rihwa’s view, possessing internal energy and practicing martial arts practically branded someone as a third-class citizen in modern society. Even at the local community center, the service desk reserved for martial practitioners was invariably tucked away in the basement.
“Did Riah happen to tell you why the direct line of our Tang Clan must cultivate martial arts?”
“Yes, she mentioned it.”
“Indeed. It is an ancestral precept handed down from our forebears, an absolute necessity. If an ordinary person were to ingest poisons the way we do without cultivating martial arts, ninety-nine out of a hundred would perish.”
“I imagine so.”
“Yet that is our circumstance alone. Those outside our world inevitably harbor fear and aversion toward anyone who wields martial prowess. In the past, whenever we befriended people while hiding our martial background, the moment the truth came to light, they would sever ties without hesitation. It happened time and time again. Thus, it became our clan’s tradition: whenever someone seeks to be our friend, we invite them to our estate and disclose the truth from the very start.”
So that’s the reason. From the Tang Clan’s perspective, having their bonds unilaterally cut when they had done nothing wrong must have left deep scars. Viewed in that light, the origin of such a custom made complete sense.
“I have no intention of cornering you today by asking how you feel about our clan practicing martial arts. Even if you were uncomfortable, you hardly have the freedom to say so in this setting. If you feel averse, your messages will naturally grow sparse, and the relationship will drift apart. We of the Tang Clan are quite perceptive in that regard.”
“I’m a martial artist myself, so it’s hardly an issue.”
“Which is precisely why I was surprised. This is the very first time Riah has ever brought home a friend who walks the martial path.”
Tang Munhyeon glanced toward his daughter as he spoke. Dang Riah merely gave a light shrug.
“To be fair, I had no idea at first either. Her hands are completely soft, and her temples don’t bulge in the slightest. I only found out today myself.”
“Is that so? I see. Still, as her father, there is one question I cannot help but ask. Miss Rihwa, how did you come to learn martial arts?”
Having cultivated internal power, So Rihwa acutely sensed the subtle shift in Tang Munhyeon’s tone, expression, and demeanor.
It was almost comical. The Tang Clan had suffered the sting of isolation because of their martial heritage, yet the instant they met someone else who practiced, they viewed them through tinted lenses. They likely believed their own family had unavoidable circumstances that excused them, while other martial artists were another matter entirely.
Yet Rihwa could hardly fault him. Over eighty percent of martial practitioners belonged to low-income households, and state-published statistics openly revealed that more than half were victims of domestic abuse. It wasn’t for nothing that Murim practitioners were branded with derogatory slurs like ‘Migro’ or ‘Migga.’ As a father whose daughter stood as the heiress to a massive corporate dynasty, he naturally harbored deep concerns.
“Well, I did explain this to Riah earlier…”
So Rihwa recounted the same explanation she had given Dang Riah: that having missed the window for medical treatment, she had no choice but to cultivate martial arts simply to stay alive.
“…To think you endured such an ordeal. May I ask what illness it was?”
The subtle stiffness in Tang Munhyeon’s expression melted away. It seemed the fact that she had been forced to learn martial arts against her will offered him considerable reassurance. Just how deeply rooted was this world’s contempt for martial artists?
“Ah. It’s the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.”
“What? The Nine Yin Severed Meridians? But isn’t that covered by mandatory infant vaccinations?”
Every member of the Tang household, Tang Munhyeon included, stared in astonishment. Dang Riah’s eyes widened as well, as Rihwa hadn’t specified the exact diagnosis earlier.
“Circumstances being what they were…”
“Would you permit me to check your pulse for a moment? While pharmacology was my primary discipline, I am not entirely unversed in traditional medicine.”
Tang Munhyeon asked with great care. Rihwa recalled hearing that the patriarchs of the Tang Clan traditionally graduated from Chengdu University’s Department of Pharmacology. For a family specializing in poisons and pharmaceuticals, that too was likely a longstanding tradition. In that case, Tang Bedeuro was probably studying pharmacology as well.
“Sure, go ahead.”
Rihwa extended her slender wrist. Tang Munhyeon took it gently between his fingers. A fine thread of his inner qi seeped past her skin, entering her meridian pathways. Instead of repelling the foreign energy, Rihwa allowed it to circulate freely through her body.
“…Good heavens. It truly is the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.”
Tang Munhyeon let out a sorrowful sigh. From that moment on, the gazes of everyone at the table softened into profound, aching sympathy.
“The Nine Yin Severed Meridians… I thought that was eradicated, like smallpox…”
“It is widely believed to be so. Even I have never laid eyes on a case that has progressed this far.”
Dang Riah and Tang Munhyeon spoke in stunned despondency. If anything, the two of them looked far more devastated than Rihwa had ever been upon first hearing her diagnosis.
“Still, my doctor told me it’s not entirely incurable. He said as long as I have enough money, it can be treated.”
“That… that doctor spoke without knowing the full reality. There isn’t a single physician in this day and age who has ever actually treated the condition.”
“So it’s not curable?”
“No, it’s not entirely wrong. However, it requires an astronomical sum of wealth. The quintessential ingredient to treat a case of Nine Yin Severed Meridians this advanced is the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp’s Inner Core. But in today’s era, where the concentration of natural atmospheric qi has depleted so severely, such an elixir cannot form in nature. In the end, the core must be synthesized artificially, and that process incurs staggering costs. Recreating the full, unadulterated potency of an ancient spirit medicine requires an expenditure comparable to a national scientific project.”
Tang Munhyeon continued with an expression heavy with remorse.
“The Fire Carp is a creature that accumulates fire qi over ten thousand years. With current levels of environmental qi, it would take at least fifty thousand. The atmospheric qi today is said to be barely twenty percent of what it was a century ago. Naturally, one would require a Heavy Ion Particle Accelerator to artificially condense that fire qi—machinery found only in state-run research institutes. Not to mention the sheer cost of the accelerator itself, the energy and operational expenses required to run it are colossal. Synthesizing the inner core for a single civilian is virtually—”
“Dad!”
Dang Riah snapped at him. Tang Munhyeon froze, realization dawning on his face. In his agitation, he had rambled on without considering how devastating his words sounded to the patient sitting right across from him.
“…Forgive me. I was so shaken by the reality of your condition that I lost my composure.”
“Please, don’t apologize. If anything, I’m glad I know the truth now.”
So Rihwa answered with serene composure. Strangely enough, while the entire Tang household sank into gloomy despair, her own spirits felt almost buoyant. Her life had always been a series of unimaginable hardships followed by breakthroughs against all odds. This was merely another trial—one that happened to be slightly more difficult than the rest.
“…Rihwa.”
“I’m really alright. Truly.”
Dang Riah clasped Rihwa’s hand with worried eyes, but Rihwa simply smiled and gently laid her other hand over hers in comfort.
Countless people had risen from impoverished childhoods to forge their own success. Rihwa saw no reason why she couldn’t be one of them.
“There’s that verse in the Bible, isn’t there? When God closes one door, He opens another. I genuinely believe that. There really is a passage like that, right?”
Rihwa looked toward Tang Munhyeon. Seeing the calm resolve shining in her clear gaze, everyone watching knew without a doubt that she wasn’t putting on a brave face. She meant every word.
“…‘No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.’ First Corinthians, chapter ten, verse thirteen.”
“See? That’s the one.”
At Tang Munhyeon’s citation, So Rihwa beamed a gentle, sunny smile. Dang Riah stared at her, utterly dazed.
“I… I used to think you were just adorable, but right now, you look unbelievably cool. Seriously.”
“Thanks.”
Faced with Rihwa’s radiant smile, Dang Riah’s face twisted into an awkward knot between tears and laughter. Crying felt completely out of place when Rihwa was smiling so brightly, yet laughing along hardly matched the gravity of the situation.
“Miss Rihwa. Do you happen to have any plans tomorrow?”
Tang Munhyeon spoke up unexpectedly. Now that she thought about it, she had planned to stream, but staying the night at the Tang estate meant she probably wouldn’t be able to. Taking a few days off shouldn’t hurt, considering she hadn’t even kicked off her streaming career in earnest yet.
“No, nothing in particular.”
“Then I would like to offer you a tour of our corporate facilities.”
“Pardon?”
Not just a company, but ‘companies.’ Was this the true caliber of a chaebol conglomerate? Even setting that aside, she had no clue why he wanted to show her around. Tang Munhyeon immediately picked up on the confusion in her eyes.
“It’s nothing complicated.”
Every pair of eyes in the dining hall turned toward him. Not just Rihwa, but Eon Yehyang, Tang Bedeuro, and Dang Riah were all equally at a loss as to what he was getting at.
“I find myself rather coveting your talents, Miss Rihwa—speaking strictly as the chairman of the Tang Family Group.”
“…What?”
Rihwa was utterly dumbfounded. Words failed her completely. It was an outrageous scout offer, the absolute last thing she had ever expected to hear.