After finishing his closed-door training Dang Yu-chang was unhappy with all the recent events that had been happening.
"Still no reaction?"
"That's… true."
"You're not skipping the medicine or anything are you?"
His sharp gaze pierced the woman's heart.
The woman fell to the floor in deep thought.
She was a maid who brought herbal medicine to Yun-Hwi every day.
"How can I tell a lie about my safety?"
"Hmm."
"It's true! You can call the other maids and check!"
Dang Yu-chang glared at the woman for a while longer before giving the order to banish the guests.
"Okay. I'll go now."
"Yes yes…!"
The woman barely managed to escape the palace still trembling. It was a miracle that she didn't fall.
"Shadowless."
"Please give your order."
A voice came from the ceiling at a soft call.
"Put it away."
"Would you mind if I buy it?"
"Just a simple runaway. After all your home was a mess right?"
"Your name."
Swish!
The sound of the ceiling disappeared.
In a few days the woman will no longer be going to work at the estate and will be reported to the authorities as a simple runaway.
Then there would be no connection with the poison. It would be a clean cut.
"It's weird it's so weird."
Knock knock-
Dang Yu-chang tapped the table with his index finger and fell into deep thought.
It's already been ten days since Yun-Hwi took the poison.
It was strange that there were no abnormalities even though it was time for symptoms to start appearing.
It's impossible if you don't decipher it.
"That means Unhwi's support base is much larger than we thought."
For him who had planned to brainwash and control others to his liking one of his plans fell apart.
So it seemed like I had to assume the identity of the unidentified mastermind at a higher level and re-plan.
In fact Yun Hui's problem was not limited to this.
"It seems like you and Dang-gon are on good terms."
According to the words of the three scribes who planted the seeds in Baeksangjeon Danggon seemed to be somewhat satisfied with his life as a warrior.
"Didn't even your older sister say that you have to hug that bastard?"
I clicked my tongue as I recalled the argument between my mother and sister a while ago.
Since then the mother and daughter have been in a tense cold war.
"It's a headache it's a headache. All the traps related to that bastard are being cleverly avoided."
Is it just luck or is it the skill behind it that is outstanding?
I didn't like any of it from start to finish.
"At times like this you should step forward even more Sister. How can you be so immature? Have you been so secluded in the mountains and valleys for the past five years? You don't know much about the ways of the world but you really don't know anything."
Dang Gyu-jin was to completely descend from Cheongseongsan Mountain and take over the Guryong branch when he turned thirty.
But in Dang Yu-chang's eyes Dang Gyu-jin was not worthy of that.
Although his martial arts skills are among the best among the later generations leading a family requires a completely different quality.
But how can someone so naive lead this great estate? This Nine Dragons branch family that should eventually become the main family!
"In the end I am the only one qualified to succeed the Dark Lord."
Dang Yuchang twisted one corner of his lips sharply.
In the past he had tried to take a step back as much as possible for the sake of Dang Gyu-jin but not anymore. He had full intention of burning his ambition.
He was proud that he was the only one who could lead the Sacheon Dangga to its current heyday.
So I'll show you soon.
The sight of him stepping on that bastard and becoming the disciple of the Dark Lord and even putting his older sister under his eye!
As long as there was the secret support of his maternal family Namgung Se-ga it was absolutely not impossible – that was exactly what Dang Yu-chang thought.
"Your Majesty I have sent someone from the White Hall."
As I was reorganizing the plans surrounding Yun-Hwi I suddenly heard the butler's voice from outside.
"In the White War?"
It means that Un-Hwi sent it. Since there's no way that crippled bastard could have done anything is the mastermind about to reveal himself?
"What happened?"
"I sent you a letter."
"Letter? Bring it."
Dang Yu-chang frowned when he received the letter.
-Let's have a game of martial arts you piece of shit.
One phrase written on the envelope particularly caught my eye.
"…This is so shallow."
Dang Yu-chang frowned peeled off the wax and carefully examined the letter.
I wondered if he had intended to provoke me and then make me hastily open the letter and inhale the hidden poison but contrary to my expectations there was no special device inside.
The content wasn't anything special either.
We've just been awkward as brothers so far and haven't had much interaction but this time we're going to have a proper conversation.
If there's anything that's built up between us let's just get rid of it all in one go.
Dang Yu-chang didn't even laugh.
"You're trying so hard to survive. But do you have the wits to sense your own fate?"
Dang Yu-chang became confident with this.
It was just luck that Yun-Hwi had been avoiding his own trap little by little. The trap was slowly and steadily squeezing him.
Yun Hui also feels it and that is why he is making this plea.
He may be trying to convince me by meeting me in person. Or maybe someone behind the scenes is trying to do it.
"Tell them that you have received the letter and that you appreciate the offer but decline it."
Dang Yu-chang kicked out Baek Seok-jeon's servant without even replying.
But half an hour later another letter arrived.
-Shocked?
"…From now on if anyone comes to the White House don't let them even set foot in there!"
Dang Yu-chang had to suppress the anger that welled up in him at the fact that he was being toyed around by a mere bastard.
But when I finished everything and came out of the palace.
-Shocked?
When I saw the large door attached to the wall the lid suddenly opened.
"Tomorrow at noon Jay Yeonmujang! Tell him straight! I'm going to shove his head in the shit bucket!!"
* * *
The fact that Dang Yu-chang had responded to the secret letter was immediately relayed to Baek Seok-jeon.
"You idiot. If you were going to do it anyway why did you keep rejecting me?"
As I laughed and giggled the ghosts shook their heads.
"How foolish. The provocation of the cult leader is what breaks the composure of even the Shaolin monks."
"No matter how much that unskilled kid pretends to be mature he's probably never experienced something that spicy."
"Now all that's left is to get beaten up and tortured."
The expression on the face of the person speaking was that of someone reminiscing about the past saying 'I was treated like that once too…'
"Still it seems like you fall for provocation more easily than I thought."
"The Tang clan is the most proud clan in the martial arts world."
In the martial arts world where fair play is the norm (although that is not the case at all) dealing with poison and secret weapons can easily be seen as a 'vulgar' act.
In fact the humiliation and contempt they received from the martial arts world was very severe before the Sacheondangga could reach their current position.
Because of this the Tang people became more and more united among themselves and gradually became a closed group and through repeated struggles they reached the prosperity they have today.
All that's left for them is their lofty pride and their evil spirit.
And that tendency was no different even now.
But if you provoke them by saying "Are you scared? If you're scared just run away" will they give in and not give in?
"And if we can defeat Dang Yoo-chang with this our standing within the branch will change. It will also be much easier to approach Gwangpungdae."
The head office had already sent a letter of recommendation for me to Amjon.
Sooner or later we won't be able to retrieve Namgung Sanyeongdo's letter of recommendation so the situation will become very chaotic.
"How did you come up with all these thoughts-"
"When I first became your disciple it was exactly like this. You know the little bastards from Heukgolgwigok would form a group and keep provoking you? They even harassed the female members of my bodyguard."
Heukgolguigok was a place of great prosperity so much so that it was included in the 72 Buddhist temples.
So when entering the Ipmagung (入魔宮) where newbies enter he walked around with quite a bit of strength on his shoulders.
"If it's that incident-"
"Have you seen Anna?"
"Was this transformation of the Ipmagung the work of the So Sogyo leader?"
"Do you know what the lesson is here?"
"What… is coming?"
"When you hit you have to break the pot really well. Do you understand?"
"The great wisdom of the Young Master is beyond words and his outstanding insight is beyond our ability to catch up to!"
"Please continue to lead us correctly in the future!"
'The Changes of the Ipmagung' tells the story of an incident in which the small intestine of Heukgolguigok was turned into a rag-picker's market with all of its ingredients removed overnight and hung on the main gate at dawn.
"I heard that at that time the four elixir warehouses that Heukgolguigok was secretly operating were all looted."
"For several years Black Bone Ghost Valley was in a state of chaos trying to find the culprit but I never thought the culprit would be Sogyo-"
"The only one who knew the culprit was Sogokju and Matangi went there and couldn't even tell right from wrong right? Huh-"
"After that the old Sogokju was also kicked out of Gwigok. I know that Heukgol Gwigok has not been restored to this day-"
Everyone seemed busy gossiping when they heard that I was the culprit of one of the Seven Wonders of the New Testament.
In the end the conclusion the ghosts came to about Dang Yu-chang was very simple.
"…How pitiful that bastard must have become seeing how much he's been robbed of."
As expected it was a case of mutual sympathy.
* * *
Dang Gyu-jin had been feeling depressed since yesterday when he returned to Jangwon.
'We have to do something somehow!'
It was because of what happened between Yun-Hwi and his mother.
In fact she was quite happy until she received word that Amjon would be visiting the estate soon and asked her to attend the event.
It's been five years since she left the Kowloon branch. I wondered how much the family had changed in that time.
But the moment I found the garden I unexpectedly heard shocking news.
There was no difference in the way Yun-Hui was treated compared to before.
In fact she usually felt quite guilty towards Yun-Hwi.
A child who wanted to somehow save himself from the bullying of his mother and younger sibling but ended up being abandoned like an isolated island when he himself ran away to Cheongseongsan Mountain.
I should have been doing well but I wasn't doing well at all.
Especially after hearing about the recent incidents surrounding Unhwi I felt so depressed.
So Dang Gyu-jin went to his mother Namgung San-yeong to ask what was going on but instead he was scolded harshly.
"If you're going to take care of that lowly bastard again stop doing useless things! After all after this visit to the head of the household he's just a guy you'll never see again."
"…What do you mean?"
"It is exactly as I said."
Namgung Sanyoung shuddered as if even talking about Unhwi was unpleasant.
"I plan to kick that bastard out of the family after this event."
Namgung Sanyoung did not even mention the fact that a conspiracy was unfolding to oust Unhui.
Because at that time you really can't know what kind of backlash there will be.
'Even though I've been weak to affection since I was young… isn't this too much! If only those damn Cheongseongpa hadn't instilled useless ideas in me!'
Namgung Sanyoung had no intention of sending Dang Gyujin who was expected to become the next Guryong branch head… or maybe even the head of the Dang branch to someone like Cheongseongpa.
That Cheongseongpa was famous in the past but now it is nothing more than a faded apricot under the prestige of the Tang family!
So when Dang Ho-san unilaterally informed him of Dang Gyu-jin's entry into the mountain without any prior discussion he protested by refraining from eating or drinking.
However Dang Gyu-jin's entry into the mountain was forced.
From then on Namgung Sanyoung cut off the last remaining bond between the couple. Instead his obsession with his two children became much more serious.
"…Phew! I understand. If that's what Mother has decided then there's nothing I can do."
Has this mother's heart finally been heard?
Namgung Sanyoung looked at him with expectant eyes but Dang Gyujin's eyes were sharp.
For a moment my liver and kidneys cooled.
"If that's the case I will reveal the 'truth' too."
"What? You really-"
"Yes. I think your mother is right."
"Jin-ah!!"
"No matter what my mother says my thoughts don't change. But I thought things would be different now… I guess I was mistaken. I'll tell Un-Hwi straight."
Dang Gyu-jin had no intention of bending his mind.
"And even if you do that are you really saying that I gave birth to your child through pain?"
"Un-Hwi lost the very mother who gave birth to him. Because of us mother and daughter."
"You must-"
Namgung Sanyoung pounded his chest. His breathing was ragged.
Why was she always so harsh on Yun-Hwi who had never posed much of a threat to the two siblings?
It was to hide the truth. Because I didn't know how Yun-Hwi would react if he found out.
That was because the succession plan she had barely managed to build could have been completely ruined.
My daughter knew that better than anyone and yet she said such things so nonchalantly…!
"Do you know Mother? It was all thanks to Unhwi that I was able to cure that illness and enter Cheongseongpa. He was my savior. But Mother you shouldn't be like that."
"!!"
"I'll pretend I didn't hear about the ritual I heard today. So I hope you'll keep your composure until His Majesty arrives."
Dang Gyu-jin turned around and left the hall.
dump.
Namgung Sanyoung sat down quietly.
She was hurt by the fact that she had been given the final notice without even being able to enjoy a reunion with her daughter after so many years.
"As expected… just kicking them out won't do."
Namgung Sanyoung bit his lips as if he had made up his mind about something gathered his outer clothes and called a separate carriage to get in.
'now!'
The giant spider that had been waiting until then followed closely behind and clung to the carriage wheel.
Dagdak dagdak-
Roll roll roll…