Chapter 126
After a moment, Dang Jeonghu, who had been looking at me with a complicated expression, finally spoke.
“That was quite a remarkable move. But just that alone won’t convince me that you’re truly the heir of the Sunwoo family. Even if it were true, if you really want to become the adopted son-in-law of the Dang clan, shouldn’t there be a formal marriage proposal from the Sunwoo family first?”
I responded eagerly, as if I’d been waiting for this.
“You’re absolutely right! So please, just give me a little more time! If the head of the family grants me even a bit of time, I’ll return to the Sunwoo family immediately and arrange a formal marriage proposal! Would that be acceptable?”
Dang Jeonghu, who had been staring at me with an unreadable look, finally nodded.
“That wouldn’t be a bad idea. If you truly intend to do that, I’ll put the marriage plans with Hong Sa-gum temporarily on hold and wait.”
At that, On Je-ung, who had turned pale, called out anxiously.
“F-Family Head!”
Dang Jeonghu glanced at On Je-ung and added,
“But! The time I’m willing to wait won’t be long. So you’d better hurry.”
“Understood! I’ll set off for the Sunwoo family right away!”
I said that, then turned to look at Dang Sojeo.
She had been watching my every move with tears glistening in her eyes, clearly moved.
I looked at her warmly for a moment, then smiled and spoke.
“I’ll be back, Ye-eun.”
Without a word, she nodded.
To anyone watching, it would have looked like two lovers communicating silently with their eyes.
But the expressions on Dang Jeonghu and On Je-ung’s faces were far from pleased.
Dang Jeonghu’s gaze was tangled with conflicting emotions, and On Je-ung’s face had completely darkened.
But in truth, we weren’t communicating with our eyes.
We were speaking through telepathy.
During that moment, I had sent her many more words through telepathy.
Listen carefully, Ye-eun. The truth is, I’m lying about being the heir of the Sunwoo family. So it’s highly unlikely that a formal marriage proposal will come through. The best I can do is buy us a little time. The rest is up to you. Don’t forget—only you can change your own life. I believe in you.
Dang Sojeo’s face showed a flicker of surprise at my telepathic message, but then she smiled and nodded.
Yet, behind that tender smile, her eyes shone with a resolute light—just like when she urged me to save Do Munseung.
With that, I immediately left the Sachun Dang gate.
I judged it best to move as quickly as possible to minimize any variables.
I had a pretty good idea why Dang Jeonghu was sending me to the Sunwoo family.
After Sunwoo Jin left the Dang clan, all the members who had gathered in the main hall dispersed and returned to their own places.
The family head, Dokam Jijon Dang Jeonghu, was no exception.
But shortly after, Dang Jeonghu had to meet someone who came to his office.
“Family Head, this is your son, Gi-ju.”
It was Dang Gi-ju, the eldest son of Dang Jeonghu, known as the ‘Lone Dragon’ and a famous late-stage prodigy of the Dang clan.
Dang Jeonghu responded, “Come in.”
Dang Gi-ju cautiously opened the door and entered, bowing respectfully before getting straight to the point.
“Family Head, I cannot understand.”
Dang Jeonghu smiled meaningfully and asked, “What is it you speak of?”
“That you gave Sunwoo Jin a chance. His martial skills are indeed impressive, but he’s not exactly what we need right now. On the other hand, Hong Sa-gum is an essential asset to us. So I believe there’s no comparison between the two.”
Dang Jeonghu nodded and said, “Yes, that’s a precise observation. You’ve grown more thoughtful.”
At his father’s praise, Dang Gi-ju’s face brightened, and he cautiously asked, “Then why…?”
But the next words from Dang Jeonghu froze him in place.
“You’re still not qualified to be the family head.”
His tone was cold and sharp.
Under his father’s icy gaze, Dang Gi-ju immediately shrank back, bowing his head.
“I-I’m sorry, Family Head.”
The Dang clan’s prodigies were all sons of the family head, and the world was certain that one of them would become the next head.
But Dang Jeonghu was dissatisfied with all four of his sons.
Not just the eldest, Dang Gi-ju, but all of them feared him too much.
Of course, he knew it was because he himself had raised them that way.
But at least, a worthy heir should never lose his fighting spirit, no matter how much he’s oppressed.
Just like that Sunwoo Jin who had boldly stood up to him earlier.
Dang Jeonghu looked at his son, who was cowering and bowing his head, with a disdainful gaze, then asked,
“Do you understand why you should be sorry?”
Dang Gi-ju answered in a barely audible voice,
“…For daring to disturb the Family Head’s mood with my limited insight…”
Dang Jeonghu clicked his tongue.
To think the best he could say was that he’d disturbed his mood—it was utterly pathetic.
Still, this son was undeniably the closest to becoming the next family head.
Suppressing his anger, Dang Jeonghu spoke quietly.
“Think carefully. What do you think the family members’ reaction would have been if, at that moment, I had announced that instead of Sunwoo Jin, On Je-ung would become my son-in-law?”
Dang Gi-ju answered cautiously.
“Of course, the family members would have reacted poorly. But since it was your decision, Family Head, what does their reaction matter?”
Dang Jeonghu sighed.
“This shows you’re far from ready to be family head. Listen well. A family head must sometimes push through his own will even if all the family members oppose him. But! For that moment to come, he must show willingness to accept their opinions on less important matters. Only then will they trust and follow him, even when they disagree.”
Dang Gi-ju listened attentively, clearly impressed.
Dang Jeonghu took comfort in his son’s willingness to learn and continued.
“Do you think a family head who isn’t trusted by his family members can last long? If the family head can’t trust his members, how can he entrust them with anything? If you become family head, do you plan to handle everything alone?”
Only then did Dang Gi-ju seem to realize, bowing deeply in gratitude.
“So that’s how it is. Thank you for enlightening my limited insight, Family Head.”
After a moment’s thought, he asked again.
“Then, Family Head, do you think gaining Hong Sa-gum this time isn’t that important?”
Dang Jeonghu shook his head firmly.
“No, it’s definitely important.”
Dang Gi-ju looked at him with a puzzled expression, clearly not understanding.
Dang Jeonghu smiled gently and asked,
“But if it can be achieved naturally with just a little time, why rush? Gi-ju, can you guess why I told Sunwoo Jin to go to the Sunwoo family earlier?”
Dang Gi-ju thought deeply but couldn’t grasp the meaning.
What did Sunwoo Jin’s trip to the Sunwoo family have to do with making On Je-ung the son-in-law and bringing Hong Sa-gum under control?
After a long pause, he bowed his head and said,
“I’m sorry, Family Head. With my limited insight, I cannot fathom your deeper meaning.”
Dang Jeonghu clicked his tongue again.
“Tsk, tsk, you’re lacking. Think carefully. I gave Sunwoo Jin time. But that also means I gave On Je-ung time. What do you think that snake will do while Sunwoo Jin is away?”
At those words, Dang Gi-ju’s face suddenly brightened.
He exclaimed as if he’d just understood.
“Ah! Then?!”
“Yes. That On Je-ung would never let Sunwoo Jin return alive. He’ll try by any means to kill him while he’s gone.”
“Indeed! Then there’s no need for us to intervene! If we wait, it will resolve itself!”
But as he spoke excitedly, Dang Gi-ju suddenly remembered something and asked again.
“But what if, despite everything, Sunwoo Jin returns safely to the Dang clan?”
Dang Jeonghu smiled faintly and replied,
“If that happens, it means On Je-ung is utterly useless. Or that Sunwoo Jin is far more formidable than we imagined.”
He smiled as if recalling Sunwoo Jin’s earlier demeanor.
“If that’s the case, then he’s truly worthy of being welcomed as a member of the Dang clan. Though we may regret losing Hong Sa-gum for now, he will surely bring even greater benefits in the future. So whether he returns or not, it doesn’t really matter to us.”
Hearing that, Dang Gi-ju bowed deeply once more, clearly impressed.
“Indeed! I am truly amazed by your wise insight, Family Head!”
But while Dang Jeong-hoo was smiling contentedly, thinking of Sun Woo-jin, he remained completely unaware of one thing:
That Dang Gi-joo, with his head bowed low, was staring coldly, his eyes ice-cold…
At the same time, Hong Sa Sword Dragon On Je-woong burst into the dormitory where the disciples of the Hong Sa Sword Sect were staying, his face twisted in anger.
Without warning, he struck his direct subordinate, No Ji-wang, who was goofing off with the others.
“You idiot!”
Smack!
“Ugh!”
No Ji-wang, caught off guard by the sudden blow, rolled on the ground, bewildered, and stammered, “M-M-Master, why?!”
But On Je-woong didn’t answer. He just kept beating him mercilessly.
“You useless fool! This is all your fault!”
Bam! Crack! Thud! Smack!
“Ugh! Argh! Gah! Ugh!”
The other subordinates, who had been with On Je-woong during the confrontation and knew the situation, understood that No Ji-wang was only following orders.
Yet no one dared to speak up.
They knew that if they intervened, they’d be next to suffer.
After a while, On Je-woong stopped only when No Ji-wang had completely lost consciousness and was twitching on the floor.
“Ugh…”
Kicking the battered No Ji-wang aside, On Je-woong shouted, “Get rid of this useless piece of trash!”
The subordinates, barely able to breathe and still shaken from watching the beating, hurriedly dragged No Ji-wang outside.
Watching this with disdain, On Je-woong collapsed into his chair and barked at the remaining men, “What are you all doing?! Come up with a plan! We need a way to turn this situation around!”
But squeezing his men for ideas yielded nothing.
They just exchanged nervous glances, too tense to speak.
At that moment, someone entered the room and said, “So this is what you’ve been up to. Pathetic beyond words.”
It was Dang Gi-joo, the eldest of the Dang family’s guards, who had just been in Dang Jeong-hoo’s office.
On Je-woong, who had been acting like an emperor moments before, jumped up in surprise and shouted, “B-Brother Gi-joo! You’re here?!”
Dang Gi-joo shot him a cold glare and snapped, “You idiot! How long do you intend to keep disappointing me? I told you to watch your behavior at least until you officially became a member of the Dang family! And yet you couldn’t even resist coveting someone else’s sword? And you didn’t even recognize that it belonged to Hwa Young-bin’s heir? Are you even capable of thinking at all?”
For On Je-woong, who had lived a privileged life as the heir to the Hong Sa Sword Sect, this was the harshest verbal assault he’d ever heard—especially in front of his subordinates.
His face flushed red with shame and anger, but all he could manage was a pitiful apology.
“I-I’m sorry, brother. It’s all my fault.”
On Je-woong could never defy Dang Gi-joo.
After all, the Hong Sa Sword Sect had grown under the protection of the Dang family, and it was precisely because of Dang Gi-joo’s influence that On Je-woong was even being considered as a son-in-law.
Dang Gi-joo glared at him coldly, then sighed and asked, “So what are you going to do now?”
On Je-woong bowed his head even lower and replied in a timid voice, “I-I’m still thinking about it…”
Dang Gi-joo snapped, “You idiot! Are you really that slow? You need to make sure that Sun Woo-jin never sets foot in the Dang family again!”
On Je-woong’s face suddenly brightened, as if a brilliant idea had just struck him.
“Ah! Of course! Brother, you’re amazing!”
Dang Gi-joo gave him a look of utter contempt and continued, “You said you recently made contact with a capable assassin sect, didn’t you? Get in touch with them immediately and put in a contract. I don’t care how much it costs—he must be killed.”
Of course, the money would come from the Hong Sa Sword Sect, not Dang Gi-joo himself, but On Je-woong expressed his gratitude as if he had received a tremendous favor.
“Yes! Understood, brother! Thank you! I won’t let you down!”
“Tch.”
Dang Gi-joo clicked his tongue and started to leave the room, but then paused, turned back, and said, “Also… see if you can arrange contact with Am Hyeol-hyang.”
Everyone in the room, including On Je-woong, froze.
“Y-You mean Am Hyeol-hyang?”
Am Hyeol-hyang was one of the few assassins ranked among the Thirty-Six Stars of the martial world, alongside Gu Yoo-eumma and Ji Gi-eum of the Blood Sect.
A reaper positioned just below the absolute rulers of the martial arts world.
Dang Gi-joo was telling On Je-woong to make contact with someone of that caliber.
Dang Gi-joo added, “We have to prepare for the possibility that the assassin sect might fail. That’s why I want you to find a way to reach Am Hyeol-hyang. What, you can’t do that?”
On Je-woong hurriedly shook his head.
“N-No! I’ll do my best to find a way right away!”
Dang Gi-joo looked at On Je-woong with utter disdain, shook his head once more, and turned away.
On Je-woong was greedy, foolish, and pathetic—but still, Dang Gi-joo couldn’t give up on marrying him to Dang Ye-eun and making him a son-in-law.
If the Hong Sa Sword Sect, effectively his own hand, became a full-fledged power within the Dang family, then his own influence would grow accordingly.
For Dang Gi-joo, who was aiming to become the next head of the family, this was a cause he could never abandon.
And so, that Sun Woo-jin had to be eliminated at all costs.
For his own sake, that man had to die.
Dang Gi-joo’s eyes gleamed coldly, like a snake ready to strike.