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

Chapter 96. The Tang Clan's Blessing

Because most people had gathered at the martial arena to watch the finalists, the other buildings in the main hall were quiet.

So-hwa walked along the path Tang Hak had taken.

After passing a wall, she saw Tang Hak’s back as he sat in a pavilion.

The uncharacteristic demeanor made So-hwa's eyes fill with doubt. And a chill stirred in a corner of her heart.

It was because Tang Hak from the distant past came to mind.

She saw the younger brother from her previous life who had built walls around his heart.

Even though she had climbed up to the pavilion, Tang Hak did not look at her.

“Can I sit?”

“……”

Instead of replying, Tang Hak moved to the side. It was a sign to sit.

So-hwa sat at the end of the long bench and stared at him.

Even though he made space beside him, Tang Hak still seemed uncomfortable and kept his back turned to her.

So-hwa couldn’t understand this reaction.

She looked at the cold Tang Hak, chose her words, and then stripped away all embellishment.

“To be honest, I find it hard to understand how you or Ye-hwa and Yu-hwa feel. You all think differently from me, and you get hurt or happy about things I never even imagined.”

“……”

“I still don’t know why you got upset this time. So, of course, I have no idea what I did wrong.”

So-hwa, who had kept her lips sealed for a moment, finally spoke after a long pause.

“Even if you don’t tell me, I can still apologize. But I want to know why you’re upset. That way, I can be careful in the future.”

Tang Hak’s back flinched noticeably.

Turning his head with a creak, Tang Hak looked at her with a shocked expression.

“……Why are you saying that?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, the apology itself is strange, but saying you’ll be careful from now on is even more shocking, I can’t think of anything right now.”

“Is it in a good way?”

“……Do you think it’s in a good way?”

As Tang Hak frowned, So-hwa’s eyes narrowed as well.

At that response, Tang Hak let out a hollow laugh, then sighed.

“It’s not your fault, Sister. I know you meant well. I do… but even knowing that, I don’t feel good. And I wasn’t angry at you. I just needed time to think, so please don’t worry about it.”

“If you felt bad, then it means I did something wrong. So don’t try to find the answer within yourself—just say honestly what upset you. You’re allowed to do that.”

“…Your apology is strange.”

Tang Hak looked at So-hwa with a reluctant expression. She said she didn’t know what she did wrong, yet still came humbly.

And yet, it felt strangely like he was being shaken by the collar and told to just yell at her.

As So-hwa waited silently, Tang Hak realized her words were sincere.

After hesitating, Tang Hak opened his mouth.

“I really wasn’t angry at you. It’s just that…”

He spoke with difficulty, and then the words began to pour out.

“I’m ashamed of myself.”

As if it were something he had long wanted to confess to someone.

“I thought I was a humble person, but I’ve realized I was actually arrogant, and that’s left me confused. No—not just confused—angry. Angry that I was taught to believe I was some kind of genius. Angry that I was made to take precious elixirs only to be told I’m still not good enough even after taking them.”

Tang Hak, who had been speaking while staring at the ground, raised his head.

“…And I end up resenting those close to me. I get angry at people who are better than me, and while I might only flare up briefly at those who mock me, when it comes to the people around me, I feel these ugly emotions. I keep looking for faults in them in my head. As if I want to blame someone.”

Tang Hak bit his lip and looked away.

“To be honest… I even felt that way toward you, Sister. I know you meant well by talking to Master Muso on my behalf, but it was humiliating. You may still see me as a child, but I’m not so lacking that I need a senior’s protection.”

Tang Hak let out a sigh.

“No… no, that’s not quite right either. It’s not entirely wrong to think that way. I…”

So-hwa didn’t interrupt. She simply watched him speak.

It must have been hard for him to open up like this.

Though she had many things she wanted to say, she remained silent a bit longer—so that Tang Hak could keep going.

“I don’t even have the skill to refute those who mock me. I can’t improve enough to prove their judgment wrong. Right now, this level I’ve reached may be the highest recognition I've ever gotten. That thought alone makes me feel suffocated and afraid. Three years ago, we saved Taoist Yeon-ah… and now today, she’s someone I can’t even beat. She’s only trained for three years, and already she’s at that level. I feel so small.”

So-hwa reflected deeply.

She hadn’t realized Tang Hak was struggling so much with his martial cultivation.

‘And yet I treated him like a child in front of so many people…’

Because of his gentle nature, he wasn’t able to express his anger properly—but this was something he would’ve been justified in being much angrier about.

So-hwa couldn’t hold back and cut in on Tang Hak’s words.

“I’m sorry. But it wasn’t because I thought you were lacking.”

There was a sigh in So-hwa’s voice.

“It’s because I’m the one who’s lacking.”

“…What?”

“Because I’m still not enough, I couldn’t suppress my anxiety. Out of fear that I might lose you, I didn’t think about your pride.”

At So-hwa’s words, Tang Hak lifted his gaze.

“…What? Lose me?”

At the sudden and strange remark, Tang Hak’s eyes widened.

So-hwa stared directly at her younger brother and smiled.

“Truth is, I had a bad dream.”

“What kind of dream?”

“A dream where you fell into the Yangtze River and died.”

“I did? Just like that?”

Tang Hak frowned and leaned his head back slightly. But his sister nodded. She wasn’t joking.

“You went to the Yangtze and drowned. It was just a dream, and I know it wasn’t real… but I’m still scared.”

Tang Hak’s eyes dropped to So-hwa’s hand.

Strangely, her hand was trembling slightly.

Knowing that she wasn’t the kind of person to be frightened by mere dreams, Tang Hak gave his full attention to her words with a serious expression.

“I thought… if the name of Master Muso was attached to you, more people would know who you are, and if you were ever in danger, even people unrelated to you might help. Thinking about it now… I guess I was seeing you not as a martial artist, but as my little brother.”

His sister let out a bitter smile.

“Right… You’re no longer a boy. And yet I still remember you as one. Because I don’t know the adult you—no, because I didn’t try to know you… I’m sorry.”

Tang Hak unconsciously furrowed his brow.

“Sister, it’s strange when you keep apologizing like that. You're not secretly scolding me because I walked away, are you? I’m not good at reading between the lines.”

As Tang Hak spoke sternly, So-hwa gave a small laugh.

“It’s not like that. I meant I’ll be more mindful so this doesn’t happen again.”

Though Tang Hak still looked uneasy, he relented a bit.

“Alright. That’s enough, then. Like I said, I’m not angry at you. I’m angry at myself.”

He let out another sigh.

“I really don’t understand. Why am I so incompetent? The elders talk as if I’m some kind of prodigy, but… I don’t know anymore. If I become the Tang Clan Head… I think the Tang Clan will fall.”

Tang Hak raised both hands and buried his face in them.

So-hwa firmly took his hands away and said with resolve.

“No. That will never happen.”

Tang Hak looked at her with doubt-filled eyes and asked again.

“Really? If I become the clan head… wouldn’t that be a disaster for the Tang Clan?”

So-hwa smiled. It was a smile whose meaning was unreadable.

Lately, she had often worn that cryptic expression. And whenever he saw it, Tang Hak couldn’t help but feel uneasy, though he didn’t know why.

He frowned and asked,

“…Why are you smiling?”

So-hwa answered with a short breath,

“If the worst thing to happen to the Tang Clan is you, then there’s no greater blessing for the Tang Clan.”

She lowered her hand and quietly added,

“And we must make it so.”

“……”

Tang Hak closed his mouth, unable to understand her words.

Peaceful birdsong gently seeped into the silence.

The awkwardness made Tang Hak uncomfortable being around his sister.

Feigning understanding, he tilted his mouth into a slight smile and stood up.

“I should get going. Brother Hae-han said he wanted to look around Wuhan, so I’ll go out with him today. The Martial Arts Tournament will be over in a few days anyway.”

“Good. Now I won’t have to hear him chanting ‘Wuhan, Wuhan’ anymore.”

So-hwa responded with a more relaxed face, but she didn’t stand up with him.

Tang Hak tilted his head.

“Sister, shouldn’t you head back to watch the next match? The next one is Namgung Hyun’s match.”

Though So-hwa had mostly stayed at the Medical Hall, she had never missed a single match involving either a Tang Clan martial artist or Namgung Hyun.

But she didn’t seem inclined to return to the arena.

“I’ll go a bit later. Once the match starts, everyone will be focused on it, so I’ll slip in then. If I go now, I might attract too much attention.”

“Ah… that makes sense.”

Feeling awkward, Tang Hak scratched the back of his head.

He had been there for the chaos earlier, so he understood why So-hwa might be reluctant to return. He himself was too embarrassed to go back, and she, being at the center of it all, must feel even worse.

Believing she planned to sneak in and watch from behind, Tang Hak left her and walked away.

In any case, he wasn’t going back to the match either, and with his heart still unsettled, he wanted to leave the main hall filled with martial artists and get some fresh air.

Once Tang Hak was gone, So-hwa turned her gaze toward the opposite wall.

She calmly watched the area, where an increasingly strange scent was drawing closer.

The presence was nearing, yet she sensed no movement—no sign of life. Even in this silence, there wasn’t a single sound of footsteps on the gravel path.

When a figure finally appeared beyond the wall, So-hwa understood why.

The warrior’s robe bore the symbol of the Murim Alliance, and short-cropped hair drew the eye.

She had seen him before, a few times when she went to watch Namgung Hyun’s matches—seated on the platform beside the empty Alliance Leader’s seat, alongside the Deputy Leader. He was the Lord of the Four Seasons Hall.

Though she knew the man was blind, So-hwa rose from her seat. With her gaze lowered, she brought her hands together and gave a martial salute.

“I greet the Hall Lord.”

The Lord of the Four Seasons Hall, who had stopped just a few steps away, smiled.

“It seems you knew I was coming. You kept your gaze fixed in my direction.”

“No, I was simply looking at the hall without much thought.”

So-hwa returned his smile and added,

“There wasn’t a sound at all, so I was honestly a little startled when you appeared.”

She subtly pointed out how he had concealed his presence, and the Hall Lord’s eyelids lowered. His half-closed eyes regarded her with a cautious, measuring gaze.

It was So-hwa’s first time meeting Zhuge In-hwi in person.

But she had heard more than enough rumors about him.

‘No wonder such strange rumors spread so far.’

She could now understand why people said ridiculous things, like he could see through a person’s soul.

The faint movements of those blurry pupils made people tense. Unless someone was a seasoned con artist, they would show signs of awkward discomfort standing in front of him.

So-hwa let him observe her freely, allowing that discourteous silence to stretch on.

The silence lasted quite a while.

Yet Zhuge In-hwi still seemed unable to come to a conclusion.

His uncertain voice finally broke the stillness.

“The Alliance Leader wishes to see Lady Tang.”

It was a surprising statement, but So-hwa was not overly shocked.

Since Haerak had said he would arrange a meeting with the Alliance Leader, it seemed plausible.

Now that the winner of the Martial Arts Tournament would soon be decided and they would be leaving the headquarters shortly.

Still, the fact that the Lord of the Four Seasons Hall had come to her quietly and delivered the message himself was unexpected.

Was Haerak's ability truly that great? He was still only a junior merchant, not yet a head merchant.

Zhuge In-hwi, seemingly knowing she would follow without needing further explanation, turned without another word.

“Please come with me.”

Crunch.

The sound of gravel being stepped on rang out clearly.

Watching the blade-like silhouette of the Hall Lord before her, So-hwa took a step to follow.