The Eldest Daughter of the Tang Clan of Sichuan Protects the Family

Chapter 93. The Tang Clan’s Disgrace

The yard, where peach blossoms were in full bloom, was filled with the sound of sweeping. Petals fell like rain whenever the wind blew.

That peaceful atmosphere seemed to reflect the master's nature. Amid the old peach trees stood a small pavilion and a modest building with three rooms. It was surprisingly humble for the residence of the Murim Alliance Leader.

The master was even sitting in the pavilion, dressed in a sleeping robe, playing a game of Go.

One might think it acceptable for a personal space, but the story changed, given that it was the period of the Martial Arts Tournament, one of the Murim Alliance's biggest events.

There was no way the old man, who knew how busy and precious the footsteps of the gathered alliance members outside were, could be ignorant.

One might excuse that he was a Taoist from Kunlun, the place most isolated from the world, but it was hard to justify given how long he had served as the Alliance Leader.

He had completed five consecutive terms, each lasting ten years. The time he spent in Kunlun and in the bustling streets of Hubei was almost the same.

Tak.

At the sound of the white stone blocking the path on the board, the old man sighed.

"I truly wonder if you are blind."

The Four Seasons Hall Lord's lips curled.

"I hear that often."

"Haha."

With a chuckle, the old man rolled the black stone between his fingers, looking for a place to set it, and asked,

"How is this year's Martial Arts Tournament? Is it proceeding smoothly?"

"Yes, everyone is somewhat afraid of the Sword Saint's disciple, so they haven't sent particularly impressive disciples. It's a bit boring."

"Oh, come now, everyone has sent their precious rising stars from afar to uphold the prestige of the headquarters. How can you speak so disrespectfully?"

Zhuge In-hwi lifted his gaze from the Go board.

"And knowing that, how can you spend days here?"

"I am not feeling well, so there's no other choice."

"You look well to me."

"What do you know, being a blind man?"

"......"

"That was harsh of me. I apologize."

Tak.

The Alliance Leader placed a black stone in the empty spot and smiled.

"I apologize for this as well."

Zhuge In-hwi did not pick up a new stone. He simply stared at the leader sitting across from him.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm just getting older, and it's becoming hard to control my expressions. I should act composed as if I expected it, no matter who wins. It's not proper to be surprised, is it?"

"If someone who has maintained a calm demeanor until now suddenly says that, it's hard to understand."

The Alliance Leader let out a soft laugh.

"That's truly all there is to it."

The laughter gradually turned into a sigh.

"This year, I really don't know who will win."

"That sounds as though you knew every year until last year."

The Alliance Leader simply smiled in response.

"In-hwi, how long do you plan to keep me waiting? Pick up your stone."

"The Deputy Leader is working hard. The semifinals are already approaching, and the Alliance Leader has not even met with the members, let alone attended. Everyone is quite displeased."

"They should be worried if I say I'm unwell, not displeased. Haha, I must have lived my life in vain."

"Everyone knows you're not unwell."

"You didn't go tattling, did you?"

Zhuge In-hwi, still gazing at the Alliance Leader, placed his stone on the board without even looking at it.

"Since I've been coming and going from here without issue, of course, they'd know. If the Alliance Leader were truly that seriously ill, they would have made you leave the tournament and everything else to rest."

"I must have driven everyone away, fearing they might attack while I'm weak."

With a soft smile, the Alliance Leader lowered his gaze to the board.

"Sometimes it's amusing how you choose your words as if you're trying to be elegant. You, who still smells like a baby, scolding me, coaxing me, soothing me. It's quite entertaining to see a junior's antics in my twilight years."

"Alliance Leader."

The Alliance Leader raised his hand, stopping Zhuge In-hwi from speaking.

"You've won."

With a sigh, the old man asked,

"So, you said the direct disciple of the Tai Chi Sword Saint would win? I'll attend the final match."

"The finals are just a few days away. You must attend."

Zhuge In-hwi's voice was filled with fatigue.

Each clan and sect sent four candidates to the Martial Arts Tournament. Today, eight candidates competed, and the semifinalists were decided. There was no need to explain how many matches the Alliance Leader had missed.

The Deputy Leader had begged Zhuge In-hwi to somehow bring the Alliance Leader out.

Though the Deputy Leader thought Zhuge In-hwi might have a clever way, even he felt uncomfortable being alone with the Alliance Leader.

The Alliance Leader's true thoughts could not be discerned. No, rather than being undiscernible, it was that his inner thoughts were the same as his outer ones. For any person, there is usually a difference between the inside and the outside, but for him, they were identical.

He believed and acted exactly as he said he would, feeling neither doubt nor anxiety. He never said things he didn't mean to mislead others, nor did he try to avoid misunderstandings—he simply stated the truth, even if it led to being misunderstood.

At times, when he delayed making decisions, it was not because he was contemplating, but purely because he found it bothersome.

If the members of the alliance truly knew how much this sage-like man, reputed as a wise one, was actually indifferent to worldly matters and desired to do nothing, they would never have unanimously elected him as Alliance Leader five times.

However, today, Zhuge In-hwi sensed a subtle change.

This man, who usually acted as if he knew everything and didn't care even if he were wrong, was now showing signs of unease.

His remark about not attending because he didn't know who would win was not a joke—it was sincere.

However, his claim that he simply didn't want to deal with the alliance members was a lie.

He was genuinely anxious about not knowing who the victor would be, and he was hiding the reason.

It wasn't as if he had bet on the outcome, nor did he seem particularly attached to any candidate.

'No, it's not that he's attached, but there is someone he's taken an interest in.'

Zhuge In-hwi recalled Namgung Hyun, the second son of the Namgung Clan Head, who had made it to the final four today.

There was a time when the Alliance Leader, out of the blue, had mentioned wanting to bring him into the Summer Pavilion.

He wasn't particularly sensitive to aesthetics, yet he had said it was because he liked his calligraphy. Absurdly enough, that wasn't a lie.

Though the Alliance Leader might have found the comment about his low aesthetic sensibility a little insulting, it was the truth.

Zhuge In-hwi raised his head. The fragrance of peach blossoms filled the space, overpowering even the scent of old wood. In such a small pavilion, it would be hard to even stretch one's legs, let alone find a place to hang calligraphy.

With a deep breath, Zhuge In-hwi lowered his gaze. As he cleared the go board, the Alliance Leader silently watched.

Ttak. Ttak.

As the stones returned to their places, the Alliance Leader asked.

"Did the Tang Clan Head bring his eldest daughter?"

The voice was rather subdued.

Sensing the change in atmosphere, Zhuge In-hwi slowly closed his eyes.

"If she has come, I would like to meet her."

"......"

"Has she not come?"

Reading the mood, Zhuge In-hwi shook his head at the Alliance Leader's urging.

"No. She has come."

"Then why did you delay your answer? Were you checking my internal energy or something? How disappointing."

Zhuge In-hwi gave a faint, hollow laugh. He opened his eyes and lowered his head.

"These days, I've been hearing that name frequently, so I reacted a bit sensitively. My apologies."

"Hmm? You've been hearing that name often?"

"The Taoist Muso and the Tai Chi Sword Saint both spoke of Young Lady Tang. They kept me for a long time, talking about her, even though there's no way I wouldn't know. It seems I'm not the only one they've done this to."

The Alliance Leader, guessing what it was about, smiled. It seemed they were stepping in to manage her reputation.

However, Zhuge In-hwi could not bring himself to smile along.

"Then, why do you wish to meet Young Lady Tang?"

"Are you not curious?"

The Alliance Leader did not answer and responded with a question instead.

"Her name appears in places it should not, and it has reached ears it should not touch."

He understood the reference to places that should not exist, as both the Shaanxi and Hubei branches were in dangerous situations. However, he could not comprehend the part about her name reaching ears it should not.

Zhuge In-hwi briefly wondered if he was such a frightening person.

"Is there a reason I should not know the name of Tang So-hwa?"

"There isn't."

Zhuge In-hwi realized that the one the Alliance Leader was referring to was not himself.

"I'd like to meet her before the finals, so tomorrow would be best."

"...... If you meet a direct descendant of a noble clan before meeting the clan heads and the sect leaders, it might cause a stir."

"If a stir arises, so be it. How could one stop the words that come from people's hearts?"

"Alliance Leader."

"If you refuse, I can go out and meet her myself, so feel free to refuse."

"......"

"The Tang Clan's quarters were to the north, correct?"

"...... I will bring her by tomorrow during the Misi (1-3 PM)."

"Good."

The Four Seasons Hall Lord cleared the board and rose from his seat. After bowing to the Alliance Leader, who remained seated, he descended from the pavilion.

As he walked through the neatly swept courtyard, he thought to himself that he should stop by the Summer Pavilion.

Since all reports regarding every member of the alliance and their surroundings were compiled there, there should also be one about the eldest daughter of the Tang Clan Head.

***

The atmosphere in the Tang Clan was heavy with gloom. It was the day the semifinals ended. Even the Young Lord, who had barely made it into the top eight, was eliminated.

The Martial Arts Tournament was a good opportunity for contestants to test and refine each other's martial skills, but it was a sensitive event where feelings were subtly bruised depending on victory or defeat.

Though the audience enjoyed it, only half of the participants truly relished the event. Because of this, the Murim Alliance did not actively promote the Martial Arts Tournament.

However, since the potential for young disciples was limitless, and a setback could contribute to their growth, the clans gathered their young prodigies and held the Martial Arts Tournament every year.

This was the Murim Alliance's sole Martial Arts Tournament, and because of that, it subtly and delicately irritated the nerves of the alliance's members. Of course, not many openly displayed their discomfort.

Most reminded themselves of the tournament's purpose and endeavored to teach their disciples.

‘It's okay to lose. If you learned something, it will benefit you.’

‘Don't become arrogant from winning. Ten years from now, that young third-generation disciple might kick your ass.’

The Tang Clan Head swallowed those words while looking at the four young prodigies lined up before him.

It was easy for those with leisure or good fortune to say not to make a big deal over wins and losses.

The Tang Clan had never won since the Murim Alliance's Martial Arts Tournament began.

Since repeat participation was not allowed, with a bit of luck in the draw, a clan could manage to win at least once.

Yet, the Tang Clan had not won even a single time.

The Tang Clan Head, who had closed his eyes to calm himself, opened them wide in a glare.

"I can understand the others. Let's say they were eliminated, but how could it make sense that even the Young Lord didn't make it into the final four?"

No one in the Tang Clan could respond to his outburst.

"I'm not even hoping for Namgung Jin’s level. Wasn't Zhuge In-hwi the champion that year, and didn't Hwang Bo Rim win last year? If Peng Iran wins next year, then only you! You will be the only Young Lord who never won!"

"Clan Head, that's our Tang Clan’s history. Isn't it a bit much to blame the Young Lord for that?"

Tang Min, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.

"The Tang Clan’s martial arts aren't suited for the Martial Arts Tournament. Even if others can manage to retrieve a technique they've unleashed, our Tang children can't retrieve hidden weapons once they're launched, can they? Well, there was someone at this age who could retrieve them, but I should be considered an exception in the Tang Clan, so let's exclude that."

"Grand Elder."

The Clan Head quietly called him, signaling for him to stop, but Tang Min was not someone whose reins could easily be pulled by words.

"No, even the Tang Clan Head couldn't do it, and the Grand Patriarch couldn't do it, and my father couldn't do it, so what's the big deal?"

Tang Min, frowning, cleared his throat and added his true thoughts.

"The Young Lord should return to training, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't break his spirit. He's already lacking in confidence. Even if he understands the secret arts, he can't be sure of it. This is the time to boost his confidence with praise."

Tang Min revealed his genuine feelings about Tang Hak's training, as if he were one of those mothers who moved three times for her child's education.

Tang Ji-ha closed his mouth.

He understood what kind of training was being undertaken.

It seemed the Young Lord was learning the retrieval arts. He had to make the hidden weapons he threw come back and be caught again, but with a timid nature, it was a secret art that was hard to master.

He had wondered why Tang Hak stubbornly insisted on attending the Martial Arts Tournament, which made everyone uncomfortable. Now, he realized it was because of this.

Tang Ji-ha himself had a timid nature, so it had taken him a long time to master that secret art.

He looked at his son, who resembled him so much, and sighed. The sigh was so heavy it sounded to the listeners like he was suppressing anger.

"Leave now."

At the Clan Head's words, the Young Lord and the three martial artists of the Tang Clan looked up. Tang Min, standing next to the Clan Head, waved his hand downward. It was a signal to hurry and escape before the Clan Head changed his mind.

The three martial artists offered their salutes and hurriedly left the Clan Head's room, but Tang Hak's expression was somewhat unsatisfied. Seemingly on the verge of saying something, Tang Hak hesitated, then reluctantly withdrew from the Clan Head's room with sluggish steps.