Episode 258: The Tang Family Head

The martial artists who had gathered in search of the secret manual listened to the plight of the Gongdong Sect with a mix of sympathy and concern. Half of them were moved by the tragedy that had befallen the sect, while the other half worried about its future.

However, the joy of finding the manual and the sympathy for the Gongdong Sect soon turned into a deep-seated anxiety.

Typically, the martial artists of the dark sects are like grains of sand, rarely forming cohesive groups.

This was why the Gongdong Sect had not been overly concerned about accepting the influx of these martial artists.

But if the story told by Sang Gwal Do-in was true, then these dark sect martial artists had infiltrated the Gongdong Sect with a clear plan.

This indicated that the dark sects were beginning to organize and move systematically.

And when the dark sects form groups and establish organizations, it usually leads to one inevitable outcome.

A war between the righteous and the unorthodox.

No one dared to say it out loud, but everyone knew.

A war might be on the horizon.

“What should we do?”

“We need to return to our sects and report this immediately.”

Their minds were a whirlwind of thoughts.

Interestingly, the sects in the central and eastern regions, which had been lukewarm about attacking the Demonic Cult, were now the most anxious. They would suffer the most if a war broke out.

In contrast, the Qingcheng, Emei, and Kunlun sects, which had been more concerned about the Demonic Cult, were likely to fare better in such a conflict.

The Qingcheng and Emei sects could use the natural defenses of the Sichuan Basin to fend off attacks, and the Kunlun Sect was too far removed to be easily drawn into the fray.

Roles had reversed in an instant. The sects and families that had been indifferent to the looming conflict now found themselves needing to seek help from the Qingcheng, Emei, and Kunlun sects.

Naturally, all eyes turned to Tang Mujin.

After all, wasn’t Tang Mujin the most reliable bridge to the Qingcheng and Emei sects?

The urgency in their voices was evident as they addressed him.

“Master Tang.”

“I’m not the head of the Tang family. My father is still alive and well.”

“I’ve heard that your father isn’t a martial artist and doesn’t involve himself much in the family’s affairs. Leadership doesn’t always fall to the eldest, and since you hold the reins, it’s only right to call you the family head.”

Though he had expected to be called a great hero soon, the title of family head felt unfamiliar to Tang Mujin.

But he had no intention of quibbling over titles.

“Well, I suppose you could see it that way. Anyway, what do you need from me?”

“We might need to have serious discussions with the Qingcheng and Emei sects soon. Could you join us for that?”

The two sect leaders set aside their pride to ask for Tang Mujin’s help.

Tang Mujin pondered.

Though it wasn’t their intention, the two leaders had been of great help to him today.

Moreover, the Zhongnan and Huashan sects had shown a favorable response to preemptively striking the Demonic Cult, so Tang Mujin had no reason to refuse their request.

Just as grudges are repaid with grudges, kindness should be repaid with kindness.

Tang Mujin replied.

“I haven’t forgotten the goodwill you showed at Wudang Mountain and today at Gongdong Mountain.”

While he didn’t explicitly promise to help, his positive demeanor was clear to all.

The two leaders felt relieved, considering that enough for now.

The martial artists who had gathered at Gongdong Mountain began to descend, heading towards Pyeongnyang County. They planned to spend the night there before heading east to warn others of the impending threat.

Despite their complex and anxious thoughts, the sight of dozens of blood-stained martial artists descending the mountain was intimidating.

The people of Pyeongnyang watched nervously from a distance.

Among them, one figure stood out.

Hong Geolgae, dressed in shabby clothes, stood out among the martial artists in their uniforms.

To the onlookers, it seemed as if Hong Geolgae was being escorted by the martial artists, and the townspeople watched with a mix of concern and fear.

One of them, Myo Sun, overcame his fear and approached Hong Geolgae.

Myo Sun intended to discreetly ask if Hong Geolgae was in trouble or where he was being taken.

As Myo Sun hesitantly approached, Tang Mujin and his group noticed him and moved towards him.

The martial artists around Tang Mujin stepped aside, allowing them to pass.

To Myo Sun, it was a strange sight. Proud martial artists stepping aside for a beggar.

To top it off, the martial artists bowed slightly to Tang Mujin’s group as they left.

It was clear that Tang Mujin’s group held significant influence among the martial artists present.

The situation was so unfamiliar that Myo Sun’s mind raced.

“What is going on? Why are the martial artists acting like this?”

Hong Geolgae spoke to Myo Sun.

“Myo Sun. We’ll take the Gongdong Sect members from the hut with us.”

“Them?”

“It’s not for a bad reason. Now that the chaos in the Gongdong Sect has settled, we’re taking them back to where they belong. The sect will take good care of them from now on.”

Myo Sun didn’t understand what chaos had occurred in the Gongdong Sect or why the martial artists were covered in blood. But he replied tactfully.

“That’s good to hear.”

“When the Gongdong Sect stabilizes, they’ll come to thank you.”

“Thank me? Why?”

“If it weren’t for the clue you provided, the history of the Gongdong Sect might have ended here.”

Myo Sun scratched his messy hair.

He didn’t know the full story, but it felt good to have helped in some way.

Then Myo Sun asked Hong Geolgae.

“Where will you go now?”

“I’m heading to Chengdu via Chongqing.”

Myo Sun had heard of Chongqing and Chengdu but didn’t know how far they were.

Like most people, he had planned to live and die in Pyeongnyang, so he never needed to know.

But Hong Geolgae made an unexpected offer.

“Myo Sun. You’re a two-knot beggar, right?”

“Yeah.”

“If you want to rise higher, come find me in Chongqing or Chengdu. You might not be ready now, but if you achieve something, I’ll grant you the third knot.”

“What?”

The mention of the third knot made Myo Sun’s ears perk up.

The difference between a two-knot and a three-knot beggar was vast, akin to the gap between an ordinary beggar and a two-knot.

A three-knot beggar was a branch leader.

Even if it wasn’t a large area, they were a leader in their region, and other martial artists recognized them as one of their own from the third knot onward.

Myo Sun had never imagined he could achieve the third knot.

But not just anyone could be given the position of a three-knot beggar.

Myo Sun asked, bewildered.

“How can you do that?”

“I have the authority to appoint branch leaders in the central region.”

Hong Geolgae showed a rope with five evenly spaced knots, indicating his rank.

He was a deputy chief, with the power to appoint branch leaders in the central region.

While the chief or grand chief could oppose it, they rarely interfered with branch leader appointments.

And Hong Geolgae thought highly of Myo Sun’s character.

Myo Sun had earned the goodwill of the Pyeongnyang beggars. His actions and words were kind yet firm.

Faced with such an offer, Myo Sun hesitated.

The position of a three-knot beggar was tempting. But he wasn’t sure if leaving Pyeongnyang, where he had lived all his life, was the right decision.

Hong Geolgae patted Myo Sun’s back gently.

“There’s no rush. Take your time to think it over.”

With those words, Hong Geolgae and his friends moved on.

Myo Sun watched them go, lost in thought.

Tang Mujin’s group escorted Yal Yul Dalum and the people from the hut back to the Gongdong Sect.

The newly appointed sect leader, Sang Gwal Do-in, didn’t know much about Tang Mujin’s group, but he learned the details from them and Yal Yul Dalum.

“So, you were the ones with the Radiant Sword back then.”

“Yes.”

Sang Gwal Do-in pondered how to treat Tang Mujin’s group.

By principle, they were enemies of the Gongdong Sect, having aided in the death of Mu Liangja.

But stepping away from principle and considering reality, the situation was different.

According to Yal Yul Dalum and the martial artists of Hwan Gol Gak, it was Mu Liangja who first antagonized the Radiant Sword and Tang Mujin’s group. In the face of danger, drawing one’s sword is only natural, making it difficult to hold them accountable.

The first to recognize the dire situation of the Gongdong Sect, which was on the brink of extinction, were Tang Mujin and his companions. They were also the ones who found a clue to the mystery and brought the righteous martial artists to the sect.

Without Tang Mujin and his group, the Gongdong Sect would have perished here, so it was only right to repay them generously.

“But is it right to treat those who killed our leader as benefactors?”

Sanggwal Do-in pondered this with a clear mind.

If Muryangja hadn’t died, would the dark sects have targeted the Gongdong Sect?

Could Muryangja have stopped their schemes and force if he were still alive?

“No, even if Muryangja were here, it wouldn’t have been much different. Besides, it wasn’t Tang Mujin’s group who killed him, but the Sword of Light.”

With that realization, Sanggwal Do-in’s mind cleared. The merits of Tang Mujin’s group far outweighed their faults.

Even if their faults overshadowed their merits, the response wouldn’t change much. The Gongdong Sect simply didn’t have the strength to punish Tang Mujin’s group.

Sanggwal Do-in spoke up.

“We owe you a debt of gratitude, but we also bear a grudge for the death of our leader. I can’t openly treat you as benefactors in front of the other sects. I’m sorry.”

“It’s the face-saving customs of the martial world, I understand.”

“Moreover, the Gongdong Sect is in such a precarious state that we have no immediate way to repay you.”

“I understand that as well.”

“But I promise we will repay this debt someday. For now, all I can offer are words… I hope you understand.”

Sanggwal Do-in’s face flushed with embarrassment, but Tang Mujin merely smiled, not blaming him for his shortcomings.

As the atmosphere finally lightened, Hyun Gong, who had been silent behind Hong Geolgae, seized the moment to make his presence known.

“Just having the Gongdong Sect’s goodwill is enough for me. After all, the Gongdong Sect and the Wudang Sect aren’t just passing acquaintances.”

Sanggwal Do-in pretended not to hear that.

Having wrapped up their affairs with the Gongdong Sect, Tang Mujin and his companions set off for the Tang Manor.

Driven by a sense that lingering too long would only entangle them in more troubles, the four of them avoided villages and camped under the stars as they made their way to Chengdu.

On the day of the first snowfall, they finally arrived in Chengdu.

“It was late summer when we left the Tang Manor for Wudang Mountain.”

Had it not been for the Gongdong Sect’s troubles, they would have returned to Chengdu before autumn’s end, so they were slightly behind schedule.

But the people at the Tang Manor wouldn’t worry too much.

Tang Mujin had never returned home on time before.

As they walked through the streets of Chengdu, people who recognized Tang Mujin from long ago greeted him eagerly.

“Hey, you’re back?”

“Yes.”

“Good to see you looking well. Catch you later!”

“I’ll visit soon.”

Interestingly, the way people acknowledged Tang Mujin fell into two distinct categories.

Those who had known him for a long time approached with friendly waves and casual conversation.

Those who hadn’t built a rapport with him offered formal bows, as if addressing a superior.

“This feels strange. Like I’ve become someone important.”

As Tang Mujin chuckled to himself, Namgung Myung, walking beside him, asked, “Why the sudden smug grin?”

“Oh, nothing.”

“Don’t smile like that. It feels like something’s about to happen.”

Thinking there might be truth to that, Tang Mujin adopted a more serious and composed demeanor.

Finally, the gates of the Tang Manor came into view.

The Tang Manor had grown much larger than the nearby Qingcheng Sect’s Chengdu branch.

And there, in front of the gate, was a familiar face. Mok Wana was pacing back and forth.

“Hey!”

Mok Wana hurried over to Tang Mujin.

“The Qingcheng Sect’s leader returned almost a month ago. Why are you so late?”

“Things just turned out that way. Sorry.”

“But with the first snow today, I had a feeling you’d come back.”

Just as she said that, Tang Mujin noticed something unexpected.

Mok Wana’s belly was unmistakably round.

“Uh…”

As Tang Mujin hesitated, the gate opened, and another familiar face appeared. It was Dan Seolyeong.

“What do you know, Wana said you’d come today, and here you are.”

Mok Wana exclaimed excitedly, “See, I told you! With the first snow, I knew Mujin would come today!”

“You were out here every day with some excuse, acting like you predicted it… Anyway, Mujin, you’ve had a tough time. Come in and rest.”

But Tang Mujin barely heard Dan Seolyeong and Mok Wana’s conversation.

Dan Seolyeong’s belly was also noticeably round.

Namgung Myung’s voice echoed in his mind.

-How many have you been busy with?

Even the virtuous Hyun Gong chimed in.

-Ready to handle three kids?

Tang Mujin’s expression turned very serious.