Chapter 1420
Even if it’s meaningless. (5)
“What did you just say?”
“I, I’ll report again!”
The one reporting shouted with a pale face.
“At present, Ryeonju of Sapaeryeon Jang Ilso has mobilized the forces of Saepaeryeon and set fire to Qingcheng and Emei! The next target seems to be Tangga!”
“Jang Ilso?”
The blood drained from the face of Tang Sangsu [당상수], the chief administrator [총관(摠管)] of Sichuan Tang clan.
“W-Why would Paegun suddenly appear in Sichuan?”
There was no satisfactory answer to this harsh question. Everyone knew it wasn’t really a question at all.
“W-Where are they now?”
“According to the information received from the Beggars Sect, they seem to be currently stationed on mount Emei! We have dispatched scouting teams, so accurate information will soon be available!”
Tang Sangsu momentarily lost strength and forced his trembling legs to stand.
‘What should I do about this?’
He is the chief administrator of the Tang clan. With the Lord and the Young Lord absent, he felt the duty to protect the remaining family members and the assets of the Tang clan here.
But with things turning out like this, the burden felt unbearably heavy and cumbersome.
Sapaeryeon, and Jang Ilso. They were not opponents that he, just a mere official, could dare to face.
“Has there been any communication from the Lord? Hasn’t someone from the Beggars Sect relayed the Lord’s message?”
“T-There hasn’t been such communication…”
Tang Sangsu’s fingertips trembled.
The distance from Emei to here couldn’t be considered close. But if the opponent was Sapaeryeon, they could arrive in less than half a day.
‘We need to escape!’
The first thought that crossed his mind was painfully clear.
There were hardly any martial forces here now. Those responsible for the martial strength of the clan had all followed the Lord to the Yangtze River.
Of course, among the remaining few, there were some who could fight, but it was impossible for them alone to confront Sapaeryeon and defend the Tang clan.
How could those who remained here manage to withstand Sapaeryeon, who had reduced Qingcheng and Emei to ashes, even when they had been holding onto their full strength?
“Immediately inform all the members of the clan! Abandon the estate and flee…”
“Chief.”
At that moment, someone called Tang Sangsu with a soft voice.
Turning towards the source of the sound, Tang Sangsu flinched.
A cold-eyed old man, who had not been present here a moment ago, suddenly appeared and stared at him intently.
Tang Sangsu bowed.
“I greet the Elder.”
Cold sweat began to form.
He wasn’t facing an enemy. How could one consider the elders of the clan as enemies? But it wasn’t exactly a welcome sight either.
‘T-The Council of Elders…’
The elders had been completely pushed aside in the power struggle with the Lord, losing their influence and falling into decline within the family. Yet, one of those elders had now unexpectedly revealed himself.
“I’ve heard about the situation.”
“Yes? Uh… Yes! Elder. We need to flee from the enemies right away! Otherwise, it could be…”
“Remain calm.”
“…Y-Yes?”
Flustered, Tang Sangsu blinked. Tang Byeok, an elder of the family, stared at him with a stern expression.
“Can the chief administrator take responsibility?”
Tang Sangsu blankly looked at Tang Byeok. Responsibility? Was this the time to discuss responsibility?
“What do you mean by that…”
“Even if the Lord entrusted the affairs of the family to the chief administrator, it wouldn’t have included dealing with a situation like this. Isn’t that so?”
“W-Well, that’s true, but…”
It wasn’t wrong.
If the Lord had even considered the possibility of such an event, he wouldn’t have delegated all authority to the chief administrator, Tang Sangsu. At the very least, he would have left the Young Lord, Tang Pae, to prepare for such situations.
With a chilly gaze, Tang Byeok pressed on.
“If you understand, then transfer that authority to someone appropriate. The current situation is beyond what the chief administrator can handle.”
Tang Sangsu swallowed a dry gulp.
“I-I understand what you’re saying. I admit that the current situation is indeed burdensome for me. But Elder, someone appropriate? Are you suggesting that there is someone within the family who is suitable to handle this situation?”
“That is correct.”
“And who might that be…”
Tang Byeok furrowed his brow.
“Don’t harbor unnecessary suspicions. I’m certainly not referring to myself. I’m not capable enough. There is no one else besides the Head of the Council of Elders who can decide the fate of the family in this current situation.”
Tang Sangsu’s face underwent several brief changes.
Head of the Council of Elders Tang Oe [당외].
No, ex-Head of the Council of Elders. Although the council has now been disbanded, he couldn’t use that title anymore, but in the past, he wielded as much influence within the family as the Lord Tang Gunak… No, even more so.
If he hadn’t been completely removed from power after losing in the battle against Chung Myung, he would have continued to manipulate the family affairs to his advantage.
“But, but the ex-Head of the Elders has been stripped of all positions…”
“Are we discussing such matters in the current situation?”
“…”
“Well then? Do you, as the chief administrator, have the confidence to handle everything that may result from your decisions? Even if your misguided judgment leads Sichuan Tang Clan into an irreversible abyss?”
Tang Sangsu’s hands were shaking.
He couldn’t handle it. It was too much of a burden for Tang Sangsu, who was merely clinging to the position of chief administrator under the facade of being a direct descendant.
“What will you do?”
However, handing over decision-making power to the ex-Head of the Elders was also out of the question. After all, wasn’t he one of the wrongdoers who had been stripped of all authority and imprisoned under the orders of Tang Gunak? How could they entrust such immense power to him again?
“Chief administrator!”
“…”
“Whether the one wielding the sword is righteous is a secondary issue. What’s important is whether they have the strength to wield the sword. Chief administrator, do you have the courage to wield the sword that decides the fate of Sichuan Tang Clan?”
Tang Sangsu’s shoulders shook slightly.
“The courage you need to show now is realizing your own shortcomings and stepping back. Do not commit any more sins against Sichuan Tang Clan!”
“T-The ex-Head of the Elders…”
In the end, Tang Sangsu’s head drooped weakly.
“I will meet with the ex-Head of the Elders.”
Only then did Tang Byeok nod firmly.
“That’s the way.”
With a heavy heart, Tang Sangsu closed his eyes tightly, forcing himself to ignore the tumultuous emotions swirling inside.
‘It’s for the family.’
Everything was for the sake of the Tang clan.
“Hmm.”
Thus, deep, in the heart of Sichuan Tang clan.
The old man sitting on the bed in the room looked at the people standing before him with a strange gaze.
Tang Sangsu swallowed dryly.
It was peculiar when he thought about it. The person before him now was nothing more than an old, powerless man who had long lost his martial prowess. There should be no reason for Tang Sangsu, who had at least some martial prowess, to feel afraid.
Moreover, if the old man before him had been punished for his crimes and relegated to living in the back rooms only by the Lord’s mercy, then all the more reason.
Yet Tang Sangsu couldn’t bring himself to meet the old man’s gaze.
The immense power and abilities that the ex-Head of the Council of Elders had wielded in the past, the ruthless tactics employed to even control Lord Tang Gunak, all remained vivid in Tang Sangsu’s memory, pressuring him.
Tang Sangsu briefly raised his head but quickly lowered it again.
‘What’s with that gaze…’
Typically, a martial artist who had lost their martial prowess would become a cripple, or at least lose their former vigor.
But the gaze of Tang Oe seemed as sharp as it had been during the prime of his power. If anything, it seemed even sharper.
“So…?”
“Yes, Head Elder.”
Tang Oe’s wrinkled face twitched for a moment.
“I am not the Head of the Council anymore. Address me as the Grand Elder.”
“Yes, Grand Elder. Right now, the… Paegun Jang Ilso of Sapaeryeon is mobilizing his forces and is about to attack Sichuan Tang Clan. So, we need to quickly lead the family and escape from here…”
“Tsk tsk.”
At that moment, a clicking sound came from the Tang Oe’s mouth. Tang Sangsu involuntarily shrank back, unable to continue speaking.
“To abandon the family… What does that even mean?”
“Y-Yes?”
“Sichuan Tang clan is not abandoning its roots. It would rather accept extinction than show its back.”
“B-But we alone cannot withstand them!”
“Why not?”
Tang Sangsu lifted his head abruptly.
Hearing such absurd words, he couldn’t help but wonder if Tang Oe was forcing unnecessary pressure out of resentment.
However, the eyes of the one facing him remained calm and sharp.
“Why? Do you think this old man has lost his mind?”
“T-That’s not what I meant…”
“Chief administrator. Do you know why Sichuan Tang Clan refuses to retreat?”
“Well, it’s because… we are Sichuan Tang, aren’t we?”
“You’re speaking like a child. You’re wrong.”
“…Yes?”
Tang Oe said solemnly,
“Sichuan Tang Clan refuses to retreat because if it does, everything truly will come to an end.”
“…”
“Other sects can rebuild their foundation as long as people survive and martial prowess is preserved. With time, they might even surpass their former glory. But we’re different. Do you know why?”
Tang Sangsu wanted to say he didn’t know, but he couldn’t.
The moment he heard that question, the reason flashed through his mind.
“The White Furnace…”
“That’s right.”
A cold sweat trickled down his spine.
The White Furnace, the only one in Sichuan Tang clan, contains all the accumulated techniques of the clan for over hundreds of years.
This essentially means that once the White Furnace is destroyed, no matter what measures are taken, it cannot be recreated.
“Do you understand what it means to lose the White Furnace?”
“…”
And if the White Furnace is lost, then the most exceptional hidden weapons, which have been meticulously crafted by consolidating all of Tangga’s techniques, become impossible to produce.
“It’s not just the White Furnace. Even creating a new Blue Furnace is not easy.”
Tang Oe paused for a moment and lowered his head.
“And, compared to what truly matters, the White Furnace is just a small part. Abandoning this place means the poison storage of the Tang clan burns. It means losing all the poisons painstakingly created and collected since the founding of the family, turning even the toxins obtained through generations of blood and sweat into mere ashes. Do you understand what that means?”
It’s impossible.
Even if people survive, the name ‘Tang clan’ may persist. However, that Tang clan will never be the same as before.
How can Tang clan, stripped of its poisons and hidden weapons, be considered the Tang clan?
If all those capable of fighting survive, what meaning does that hold? When there are no weapons to throw, no poisons to scatter.
Who would fear a martial artist of Tang clan who cannot wield poisons or flying daggers?
Martial prowess doesn’t disappear from a person’s body. As long as it remains within, they can always use it as needed.
But burnt poisons cannot be reclaimed, and the precious poisons painstakingly collected throughout the land cannot simply be retrieved through effort alone.
It may take hundreds of years, perhaps even more, for Sichuan Tang clan to recreate such poisons as it has now.
No, perhaps Tang clan may never reach the same level again.
Seeing Tang Sangsu’s despairing expression, Tang Oe clicked his tongue.
“Do you understand now? Why we cannot retreat. Why our ancestors never retreated. They would rather die than fail to protect this land.”
“B-But Grand Elder. In the past, we clearly avoided Demonic Cult…”
“Demonic Cult cared little for anyone’s headquarters. It was odd for them to set Hwasan ablaze. But… do you think Paegun will leave Tangga’s headquarters untouched after the people are gone?”
…That’s unlikely. Paegun Jang Ilso would thoroughly destroy this place. Tang clan will never regain its former glory and make its name known throughout the world.
“Do you understand? Our ancestors knew this, which is why they turned Sichuan Tang into the fortress. They dug traps, set up barriers! All to ensure that if someone ever dared, Sichuan Tang Clan would not be finished.”
Tang Sangsu clenched his lips tightly.
“And for the sake of saving a few lives, are we to end the legacy of the Tang clan here? Is that something someone with the Tang family name can say?”
A fierce determination emanated from Tang Oe’ seyes as he glared at Tang Sangsu.
Faced with that accusing gaze, all Tang Sangsu could do was remain silent.
“Gather the disciples.”
“Grand Elder…”
“Summon everyone bearing the Tang family name without exception. Regardless of the opponent, Sichuan Tang will not retreat. We will fight to the last person, until the last tile burns. Naturally…”
Tang Oe rose from his seat.
“Me too.”
Those words felt like a hammer blow to Tang Sangsu. Even an elderly man who had lost his martial arts was prepared to face the enemy. In such circumstances, how could he consider advocating for retreat?
With clenched fists, Tang Sangsu finally nodded.
“I will gather the disciples.”
“Hurry.”
“Yes.”
Tang Sangsu bit his lip firmly.
Yes, this is all for the Tang clan. Therefore, it can never be wrong.
…Never.
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