Episode 221: The Tang Family Head
Of course, among the many indirect experiences of Hwayeon Shinni, there was nothing quite like the case of Mok Wana and Tang Mujin.
It’s rare to find a man who turns away a woman, and even rarer to find a woman who decides on her own to become a concubine without consulting the man.
And above all, Mok Wana was the only woman in the world naive enough to seek permission from the wife to become a concubine.
Yet, Hwayeon Shinni’s confidence was sky-high. To her, Tang Mujin was like a problem with the answer already revealed.
Mok Wana asked Hwayeon Shinni, “What should I do now?”
“With most men, you can capture their hearts by reciting a tender poem under the moonlight or watching lanterns together. But Tang Mujin is different. He responds better to more direct methods.”
“Direct methods?”
“Yes. Somehow, you need to show him your fair skin and actively seduce him. If you get a chance to pounce, don’t hesitate.”
“Pounce on him?”
Even under the dim moonlight, Mok Wana’s face turned visibly red.
“Yes. I’ll find a way to lure Danselyeong out of the Tang estate. You just need to find an excuse to get Tang Mujin to drink strong liquor, sneak into his quarters, and share a bed with him.”
It was a bold and daring solution, especially coming from someone who used to be a nun of the Amipa.
Of course, Hwayeon Shinni didn’t particularly like this approach. Her taste leaned more towards the tender, almost-touching relationships found in novels.
Like watching the moon together, guessing each other’s feelings, or a man defying his family’s opposition to protect a woman. Those kinds of scenes.
But Hwayeon Shinni didn’t want to ignore Mok Wana’s earnest heart just to create a relationship that suited her own tastes. Especially since she had experienced failure before.
Unexpectedly, Mok Wana objected.
“That seems a bit strange.”
“What do you mean, strange?”
“I’m trying to find a way to win his heart, but that seems like a way to win his body. Isn’t there a better way?”
Hwayeon Shinni spoke sternly, as if scolding her.
“You’re being picky about methods. It seems you’re not desperate enough.”
“It’s not that, but…”
“Selyeong succeeded that way. You have the most certain example right beside you, so what are you hesitating for?”
Mok Wana hesitated but answered firmly.
“Selyeong’s situation was different from mine. Mujin already had feelings for her; he just needed a push.”
“Do you think you can achieve anything with such indecisive resolve? You’ll end up growing old alone.”
Even if Mok Wana spent all her future years alone, it wouldn’t compare to the time Hwayeon Shinni had already spent by herself.
She was not the most reliable advisor, but her words carried significant weight.
Their conversation was interrupted by a familiar presence.
A large figure with ashen skin emerged from the darkness and spoke.
“Impressive, Wana. You have insight.”
Hwayeon Shinni shrank back slightly and retorted.
“Why are you interfering?”
“I may not have learned the teachings of Buddha properly, and it’s been decades since I fled the monastic life. But I know that one should not let others stray onto the wrong path.”
Hwayeon Shinni, now angry, replied.
“Are you saying my advice is the wrong path?”
“Yes. In life and martial arts, I may have walked the path of the left-hand sects, but in matters of relationships, it seems you are the one choosing the wrong path.”
Hwayeon Shinni’s confidence began to dissipate like mist.
She knew well that in this area, Sam Anbul was several steps ahead.
Mok Wana, sensing the tension, hesitated before retreating to her room.
Hwayeon Shinni rushed to her, clasping her hands tightly.
“Alright. I’ll teach you a slower but more conventional method, so don’t worry and wait. Understand?”
Mok Wana nodded and withdrew, not looking particularly convinced by Hwayeon Shinni.
But Hwayeon Shinni wasn’t too worried. After all, who else would Mok Wana turn to for advice?
Mok Wana entered her room.
Sam Anbul, shedding his playful demeanor, asked seriously.
“So, what brings you here? Surely you didn’t come all the way from Junggyeong just to meddle in young people’s love affairs.”
Sam Anbul’s guess was accurate. Hwayeon Shinni hadn’t come to Seongdo for matchmaking. She had another purpose, but stumbled upon a more intriguing situation.
Though the situation was somewhat reversed, Hwayeon Shinni didn’t bother to voice it. If there were two problems, she would simply solve both without weighing their importance.
Hwayeon Shinni spoke.
“I heard that Tang Mujin and his friends returned to Seongdo with a man wearing a bamboo hat.”
It had been less than five days since Tang Mujin’s group disembarked from the ship. But it only took a night for the news to reach Hwayeon Shinni.
She could gather information through the beggars led by Hongmyeon Nogae, or through courtesans and sailors. Any interesting or important news in Junggyeong inevitably reached Hwayeon Shinni.
Sam Anbul replied nonchalantly.
“It’s not the first time they’ve made new acquaintances.”
“If it were an ordinary person, sure. But the rumor is that their companion is a Blood Rain Guest. Is that true, Sam Anbul?”
“It is true.”
Hwayeon Shinni’s voice grew somber.
“You know how people will perceive that, right?”
“They won’t see it favorably. But many already know that those who escaped from the Demonic Cult, including myself, are staying at the Tang estate. Adding one more Blood Rain Guest won’t change much.”
Hearing this, Hwayeon Shinni sighed deeply.
“It seems you weren’t aware.”
“Aware of what?”
“Well, it’s not surprising. You’ve never been a righteous martial artist, so you wouldn’t know the difference.”
Hwayeon Shinni shook her head and began to explain.
“The way righteous martial artists view the Demonic Cult and the unorthodox sects is similar yet vastly different. Do you know where the last Great War between the righteous and demonic sects took place?”
“In the Tianshan Mountains of Xinjiang.”
“Do you know where the war before that took place?”
“Also in the Tianshan Mountains, as far as I know.”
“Why do you think the Great War always happens in the Tianshan Mountains?”
“Because the righteous martial artists invade the Tianshan Mountains, sparking the war. It’s only natural.”
The process of the Great War is simple.
If someone commits a crime in the righteous martial world and flees west to save their life, the Demonic Cult doesn’t push them away but embraces them. The Demonic Cult was the last refuge for fugitives.
Naturally, some righteous martial artists would view the Demonic Cult unfavorably.
But that alone doesn’t start a Great War. A few people or even a single sect can’t contend with the Demonic Cult.
However, as time passes and more people become dissatisfied, the situation changes. When five or ten sects and families harbor grievances against the Demonic Cult, they can challenge it.
When the atmosphere suggests an imminent attack on the Demonic Cult, many join in.
Those who want to raise their status by participating in the Great War. Those who wish to plunder the Demonic Cult for wealth. Those who want to kill without consequence. Those who simply seek the thrill of life-and-death battles.
Such groups converge on the Tianshan Mountains, bringing a storm of blood. That’s the Great War.
Righteous martial artists may not easily accept this, but Hwayeon Shinni, having turned her back on the righteous world, was convinced.
The aggressors in the Great War were always the righteous martial artists, and the victims were the Demonic Cult.
In contrast, the Demonic Cult rarely ventures beyond the Tianshan Mountains.
They might secretly extend their reach into the central plains through external branches for important matters, but such instances are rare.
Hwayeon Shinni continued her explanation.
“But the Great War between the righteous and unorthodox sects is different. Do you know where the last war took place twenty years ago?”
“While the north suffered greatly… it was essentially all over the central plains.”
“Exactly. The entire central plains. The same was true for previous wars, and it will be the same in the future.”
The unorthodox sects are not like the Demonic Cult, which quietly endures. If anything, the aggressors in the Great War between the righteous and unorthodox sects are the unorthodox martial artists, and the victims are the righteous martial artists.
The war occurs when someone from the unorthodox sects gathers power and attempts to advance into the heart of the central plains. When the unorthodox martial artists from north of the Yellow River or south of the Yangtze River seek to escape their barren lands and seize the prosperous central plains.
Naturally, the battlefield is the territory of the righteous martial world, and the damage to the righteous martial world is significant.
Hwayeon Shinni continued her explanation.
“The Qingcheng Sect, the Amipa, and even Shaolin know that you have settled in the Tang estate. But no one has come to attack you. Why do you think that is?”
“Because Tang Mujin has accumulated enough merit during his travels.”
“That’s correct. But at the same time, the goodwill towards Tang Mujin is enough to offset any ill feelings towards you because the resentment towards the Demonic Cult isn’t that great. The righteous martial artists may find you distasteful, but they don’t see you as mortal enemies.”
Hwayeon Shinni paused to catch her breath and added one more thing.
“However, it’s rare to find a righteous martial artist who doesn’t harbor resentment towards the unorthodox sects. Especially against someone not just a small fry, but someone who has reached the pinnacle of martial arts.”
It had been a little over twenty years since the last Great Martial War.
Yet, the scars from that war remained unhealed.
Many of the core warriors from each clan, including the Sword King of the Jeweon family, had perished.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that there wasn’t a single martial artist who hadn’t lost someone in that war.
Countless people, like the son of the Divine Doctor, were swept up in the madness of war and sacrificed.
“I assure you, no amount of goodwill towards Tang Mujin will quell the hatred for the Blood Rain Guest.”
A shadowy figure wearing a bamboo hat emerged from the darkness.
But neither the darkness nor the hat could hide the tension in the air.
The Blood Rain Guest struggled to suppress his fear of the Fire Lotus Hermit as he spoke.
“But I’ve never killed a righteous martial artist. I didn’t even participate in the last Great Martial War.”
The Three-Eyed Buddha spoke up in defense of the Blood Rain Guest.
“I haven’t known him long, but it’s clear to me that his nature isn’t evil. He’s just skilled with a sword, but far more timid than most warriors. I’m certain he hasn’t killed any righteous martial artists.”
The Fire Lotus Hermit looked at the Blood Rain Guest for a moment before speaking, her words concise.
“Hatred and anger aren’t that rational.”
As the Blood Rain Guest hung his head, his hat slipped off and rolled away.
He quickly picked it up and placed it back on his head, but for a brief moment, his face was visible—a face of rare kindness, worn out by life.
With a trembling voice, the Blood Rain Guest asked the Three-Eyed Buddha, “Brother, if I go to the Demon Sect, will they accept me?”
The Three-Eyed Buddha pondered for a moment before replying, “They might accept you, but you won’t find the peaceful life you’re looking for. The Demon Sect isn’t what it used to be.”
It was clear now. The Blood Rain Guest had nowhere to go. He couldn’t return to the unorthodox martial world, nor could he stay in the orthodox one, and the Demon Sect was not an option.
Yet, he hadn’t given up hope.
Before him stood the Fire Lotus Hermit, a maverick who had cast aside her orthodox ties and blended into the shadows.
A faint glimmer of hope crept into the Blood Rain Guest’s voice.
“Fire Lotus Hermit, could I not become a wanderer like you?”
But the Fire Lotus Hermit cut him off sharply.
“Impossible.”
“Why can you do it, but I can’t?”
“Look at it from the perspective of the orthodox martial artists. To them, being part of the orthodox sect is like holding a position of honor. Few want to give it up, but they can if they choose. However, being part of the unorthodox sect is a stigma. It’s not something you can just discard at will.”
The Fire Lotus Hermit continued.
“The Tang family still stands in the middle ground. But your mere presence could label them as unorthodox. Unless you hold a grudge against Tang Mujin…”
She paused briefly before delivering her final, cold words.
“Leave.”
The Blood Rain Guest sank to the ground with a sigh.
If only nothing had happened in Wuchang, things might have been better.
If he had continued living his life on the run, hiding and fighting, as he always had, perhaps things would have been better. If he had never known what he was missing, perhaps things would have been better.
But now he knew. The peaceful time spent on the ship with Tang Mujin and his companions was too comfortable, and the brief night within the Tang family’s walls was too sweet.
It was enough to soften even the hardened heart of the Blood Rain Guest.
With a voice full of emotion, he asked, “What crime have I committed?”
The Fire Lotus Hermit answered immediately.
“Being born south of the Yangtze. Becoming a disciple of an unorthodox martial artist. Possessing extraordinary talent. Surviving until now.”
“Is that a crime?”
“I don’t think so. But those who are angry call it a crime, and the voices of those who hate are ten times louder.”
The Blood Rain Guest let out a deep sigh.
Then, with trembling hands, he adjusted his hat and stood up.
He lightly massaged his legs. He would have to wander in search of a place to rest, as he had done all his life.
He clumsily clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect towards the Fire Lotus Hermit.
“Thank you for your words. I had a pleasant dream, and that is a joy in itself.”
As he turned to leave, the Fire Lotus Hermit murmured.
“But the Buddha will embrace you. The light of Vairocana Buddha covers all things, and surely he will watch over you from the Lotus Throne.”
Two monks, one who had abandoned the monastic life and another who had killed a fellow monk, watched the Blood Rain Guest’s retreating figure and clasped their hands in prayer.
But before the Blood Rain Guest could get far, a figure in black appeared from the shadows, blocking his path.
“Where do you think you’re going at this hour?”
The Fire Lotus Hermit clicked her tongue, recognizing the figure.
“Unless you have a solution, don’t stand in his way. Lingering only breeds regret.”
“I don’t have a solution, either.”
The figure removed his mask with a single motion of his right arm, revealing a familiar face. It was Namgung Myung.
“But from what I’ve seen, Tang Mujin always finds a way. Even if you must leave, why not rest a little longer before you go? Surely that’s not too much to ask?”