Chapter 269
With a meaningful glance, Myo Aran briefly looked at Sun Woo-jin before speaking.
“The real issue right now is that the outsider, Master Sun Woo, is the one mastering the Southern Cross Sword, while there’s no one within our ranks to inherit it. So… if I may share my humble thoughts, wouldn’t everything be resolved if Master Sun Woo weren’t considered an outsider?”
Jagaechu and Yoo Hae-eung exchanged puzzled looks.
“Hmm?”
“Master Sun Woo… not an outsider?”
Sun Woo-jin closed his eyes tightly, clearly uncomfortable.
He understood exactly what she was implying.
Myo Aran continued.
“The grace Master Sun Woo has shown to our Haenam faction is so great that we regard him as both a benefactor and a respected elder. Isn’t that right?”
Jagaechu and Yoo Hae-eung’s faces brightened as if a realization had dawned on them.
“That’s… certainly true.”
“Hmm.”
Myo Aran smiled gently and went on.
“So, if Master Sun Woo would only grant permission, we would gladly accept him as a member of the Haenam faction—whether as a guardian, a public official, or whatever role he chooses.”
She cast another meaningful glance at Sun Woo-jin and added,
“Of course, if Master Sun Woo could personally succeed the Haenam lineage, that would be ideal. After all, even if the Southern Cross Sword is passed to someone else, there’s no guarantee they’d reach the same level of mastery. Isn’t the Southern Cross Sword known as the most difficult technique to master within Haenam’s martial arts?”
At her words, Jagaechu and Yoo Hae-eung gasped, their eyes shining with hope as they looked at Sun Woo-jin.
“Indeed!”
“Exactly!”
Myo Aran’s statement was undeniable.
Though Sun Woo-jin had learned the technique relatively easily under Mukrang’s guidance, the Southern Cross Sword was widely regarded as the toughest technique within Haenam’s martial arts.
It wasn’t just a simple cross-shaped sword strike; it carried deep meaning and required a certain level of mastery before one could even imitate it.
So if Sun Woo-jin were to continue the broken Haenam lineage, it would be a monumental event for the faction.
All the current troubles would be resolved at once.
Even Hyun Cheong-gun, who had been despondent with his head bowed, began to look at Sun Woo-jin with hopeful eyes.
“This is complicated,” Sun Woo-jin thought, forcing a bitter smile.
He felt sorry for having to disappoint their expectations once again.
He bowed politely and said,
“I’m honored by your high regard, but I already serve as the head of the minor branch of the Sun Woo family in Guiju. It’s a small faction compared to Haenam, but I cannot abandon my position as head of the minor branch to succeed the Haenam lineage. I’m sorry.”
Disappointment clouded the faces of Jagaechu, Yoo Hae-eung, and Hyun Cheong-gun.
But Myo Aran seemed to have anticipated this and quickly added,
“We would never presume to ask the benevolent Master Sun Woo to abandon his family and join Haenam. Naturally, your family, the Sun Woo clan, must come first. What I suggested was not that you leave the Sun Woo family to inherit the lineage.”
Sun Woo-jin’s expression turned puzzled.
He couldn’t understand how one could inherit the lineage without leaving the Sun Woo family.
Myo Aran smiled softly.
“What I meant was whether the Sun Woo family itself could take on the role of the Haenam lineage.”
“W-what?!”
“Myo lady! Th-that’s—”
Her words were shocking.
There was a world of difference between Sun Woo-jin personally becoming the successor and the Sun Woo family as a whole replacing the Haenam lineage.
Everyone stared at her in disbelief, but she smiled gently and explained,
“The Haenam lineage has ended. In other words, the Haenam lineage can no longer exist. So the only way to continue the Southern Cross Sword is for another family to carry it on. But as it stands, many of the Haenam Twelve families have disappeared, and more are likely to follow. Given the debt of gratitude we owe Master Sun Woo, I believe the Sun Woo family would be more than worthy to be accepted as part of Haenam. In fact, we should be the ones asking for this favor.”
“Hmm.”
“Indeed.”
Jagaechu and Yoo Hae-eung fell silent, deep in thought.
It was a compelling argument.
Though the Sun Woo family was far from Guiju, Jagaechu’s own branch on the mainland had a stronger foothold than even the Haenam base on the island.
So if they considered the Guiju branch as part of Haenam, it wouldn’t be a loss for the faction at all.
Seeing their positive reception, Myo Aran turned back to Sun Woo-jin.
“Of course, from your perspective, you might wonder if it’s really necessary for the Sun Woo family in Guiju to become part of Haenam. But if you were to join us, we could be your strength in the battle against the Blood Sect. Wouldn’t you want the backing of the strongest force in the South Sea?”
She asked with a bright smile, her wise eyes sparkling like jewels.
Sun Woo-jin couldn’t help but chuckle dryly.
“The strongest force in the South Sea, huh…”
With the Ma Kyung faction’s collapse, Haenam was undoubtedly the dominant power in the region.
If they could focus their full strength against the Blood Sect, they wouldn’t envy the support of any of the old great sects.
After a moment’s thought, Sun Woo-jin spoke.
“I…”
Guiju Sun Woo Family.
Not long ago, the Sun Woo family had been rising rapidly, having merged with the Ha family that controlled the capital of Guiju.
But their momentum faltered when the news came that the head of the minor branch, Sun Woo-jin, had gone missing.
The shocking news that Sun Woo-jin had disappeared deep within the front lines sent the entire Sun Woo family into turmoil.
Everyone—from elders to ordinary warriors—had recognized Sun Woo-jin’s remarkable martial prowess and accepted him wholeheartedly as the head of the minor branch.
No one else in the family could fill his shoes.
So the news of his disappearance was a devastating blow.
Despair swept through the family.
“The head of the minor branch…”
“Impossible…”
“This can’t be true.”
What had seemed like a bright future for the Sun Woo family suddenly plunged into chaos.
Voices began to stir unrest within the family.
Some urged the immediate appointment of a new head of the minor branch, while others opposed, fearing that no one else was worthy and that such a move would doom the family’s future.
Some insisted that the family head, Sun Woo-jung, should have another child, while others dismissed such ideas as unrealistic.
Amidst the growing confusion, Sun Woo-jung, the family head, who had remained silent until then, made an official declaration.
“Disappearance does not equal death! Until Sun Woo-jin’s death is confirmed, he remains the sole head of the minor branch of the Sun Woo family. We will await his safe return. Anyone who spreads malicious rumors will not be forgiven in the name of the Sun Woo family!”
It was a refusal to accept Sun Woo-jin’s death.
A declaration that they would hold onto hope until the very end.
The announcement silenced the crowd.
No one wanted to provoke the now formidable Sun Woo family in Guiju.
But behind closed doors, many shook their heads, convinced that Sun Woo-jung was making a grave mistake by refusing to face reality.
Sun Woo-jung was well aware of these criticisms but chose to remain silent, refraining from external activities and quietly strengthening the family’s foundations.
One late night, while working with the elders in his office, Sun Woo-jung was visited by someone.
“Family head, are you busy?”
“Hmm? Ah, So Nan-so! No, I was just about to finish up.”
The visitor was a beautiful woman in her early thirties, So Nan-so, a wandering witch who stayed as a guest of the Sun Woo family.
Her visit seemed personal, so the elders wrapped up their work and left the room.
Once alone, Sun Woo-jung hurriedly asked,
“What brings you here? Could it be…?”
So Nan-so pulled a letter from her bosom and smiled brightly.
“Yes, I received word from that young man.”
“Oh!”
Sun Woo-jung rushed over, took the letter, and tore open the envelope.
“You should write more often!”
Though he scolded her, his face was radiant with joy.
In truth, Sun Woo-jung already knew that Sun Woo-jin was not missing but alive.
More than that, he knew Sun Woo-jin had left the front lines and was heading toward Zhejiang Province.
Sun Woo-jin had sent a letter through the Hao Gate when he left the front.
And since the Hao Gate in Guiju was now considered an ally, the letter had reached So Nan-so well before the news of his supposed death spread through the martial world.
So Nan-so smiled and asked Sun Woo-jung,
“Are you that happy?”
He awkwardly composed himself and replied,
“Hmm, hmm. What’s so great about a letter from a boy? I was just a little curious about how he’s been living.”
“Is that so? Just a moment ago, you looked like a child who’d just received a gift.”
“Hmm, hmm.”
Unable to offer a proper excuse, Sun Woo-jung averted his gaze. Sonan-so smiled again and said,
“You seem so happy just from the letter. I’m curious how you’ll react when I tell you the rest of the news.”
Sun Woo-jung’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“The rest of the news? Is there something else?”
“Yes, it wasn’t just a letter this time.”
“Oh? Not just a letter…?”
“Along with the letter, they sent a beautiful woman and a newborn baby boy.”
Sun Woo-jung’s eyes widened in shock.
“A baby boy, you say?! Could it be Jin’s…?”
“I don’t know the details. Perhaps the story is written in the letter?”
Hearing this, Sun Woo-jung quickly began reading the letter. As he read, his expression grew increasingly grave.
Watching his change in demeanor, Sonan-so sensed that the child was not Sun Woo-jin’s. Concerned, she asked,
“Why do you look so troubled? Is the child not a descendant of the Sun Woo family?”
Sun Woo-jung handed her the letter.
“Would you like to read it?”
Sonan-so read it with a puzzled look, then frowned slightly and said,
“The child is from Yoon-sak of the Blood Sea Demon clan. Or rather, a bloodline of Jin Tae-do of the Haenam Sword Sect. What a tragic fate this child has.”
The people who sent the letter were the woman and child of Yoon-sak, the Blood Sea Demon. Through the letter, they asked the Sun Woo family to take care of them.
Looking at Sun Woo-jung’s troubled face, Sonan-so asked,
“Are you worried the child might seek revenge on their parents someday?”
Sun Woo-jung nodded. According to the letter, the child’s father, Yoon-sak, was killed by Sun Woo-jin. Moreover, the biological father, Jin Tae-do, was also an enemy of Sun Woo-jin.
Though Jin Tae-do was already dead by this point, Sun Woo-jung didn’t know that yet. Still, he couldn’t help but worry. If the child grew up and learned the truth, it would surely be a huge shock—and they might seek vengeance against Sun Woo-jin.
Naturally, Sun Woo-jung was torn over whether it was wise to raise such a child within the Sun Woo family.
After a long pause, Sonan-so watched him for a moment, then suddenly spoke with a mischievous smile.
“Why not do as the rumors say?”
“Hm? What rumors?”
She smiled brightly.
“There’s talk that since Jin died, the family head needs a new son. Why not make that woman a new wife? Raise the child as a Sun Woo.”
Sun Woo-jung’s face darkened.
“What nonsense is this? How could that be…?”
He was about to dismiss the idea outright, but Sonan-so continued.
“From what I saw, the woman is stunningly beautiful. If word gets out, she might even earn the title of the most beautiful woman in Guizhou. And though I only saw her briefly, she seemed gentle, not harsh—just worn down by hardship. That’s enough reason for the family head to take her as a new wife…”
Sun Woo-jung sighed deeply and asked,
“Are you serious?”
Sonan-so laughed softly.
“Of course I am. Why would I say otherwise?”
Sun Woo-jung stared at her for a moment, then finally spoke.
“There’s only room in my heart for one woman. If I were to take another wife, she would surely be unhappy. Do you really think that’s the right thing to do?”
Sonan-so met his gaze briefly, then looked away. She couldn’t hold his intense stare any longer. Her heart fluttered strangely, like a teenage girl’s.
Sun Woo-jung stepped closer, took her hand firmly, and said,
“Little So, or rather Nan-so, my heart belongs only to you. Please don’t speak of such things. One mistake of taking a woman I don’t love as my wife is enough.”
Her cheeks flushed bright red. Sun Woo-jung gently but firmly embraced her, like a shy young man holding a blushing girl.
What no one knew was that Sun Woo-jung already had a new wife. The first wife he had taken not for the Sun Woo family, but for himself, since the death of Sun Woo-jin’s mother.