Chapter 1431
You’ll have to get through me first. (1)
“Lean on me.”
“I… I’m fine.”
“I’ll help you.”
He felt a strong grip from the hand holding onto his arm. There was a momentary instinctive resistance, but ultimately Tang Oe couldn’t remove the woman’s hand from his arm.
He knew that if everyone was delayed due to his exhaustion, others would be in danger too.
“Cough, cough.”
Tang Oe let out a small cough and forced a bitter smile.
‘How pathetic.’
Since the death of the previous head of the clan… No, perhaps even before that, he had been the undisputed authority in the Tang clan. And now, he found himself being supported by a woman who hadn’t even learned martial arts.
Would the situation have been different if his martial arts hadn’t been lost?
Could he have prevented the absurd situation with Sichuan Tang Clan, the strongest clan in the world, fleeing from Sapaeryeon?
‘Probably not.’
Tang Oe shook his head without realizing it.
The current situation wasn’t something one person’s strength could easily handle. Even if he hadn’t lost his martial arts, nothing would have changed.
‘How pathetic.’
He believed everything he did was for the sake of the clan. He never thought the current head, who seemed strict on the outside but was soft on the inside, would ever lead the Tang clan to revival.
Yet, he found himself fleeing, leaving behind the essence of the Tang clan: its poison and techniques. Where had it all gone wrong?
“Cough, cough!”
“Are you alright, Elder?”
“I… I’m fine.”
Tang Oe weakly lowered the hand that had covered his mouth. There didn’t seem to be any traces of blood, but he could sense it instinctively. His life wouldn’t last much longer.
What would become of the Tang clan after he died? Could the Tang clan, which had lost its essence in the midst of the war that engulfed the world, survive?
Even if survival was somehow possible, could it regain its past glory? The Tang clan, now deprived of its poison and hidden weapons?
It was frustrating. It felt like a large lump of iron was pressing down on his chest.
At that moment, the hand that held his arm pulled him a little more firmly. Tang Oe, almost unconsciously, turned his gaze in that direction.
“Lean on me a little more.”
“…It’s alright.”
“I still have strength left. Don’t worry.”
For a moment, Tang Oe was speechless.
‘She still has strength left?’
It seemed unlikely.
Although Tang Oe had lost his martial arts and was left with a frail body, this woman, who had never learned martial arts in her life, must be facing similar hardships.
While Tang Oe had at least endured the pain of learning martial arts, the women of the Tang clan were often unable to escape the confines of their rules.
Yet, this woman calmly offered such words.
‘She’s strong.’
A strange feeling stirred in Tang Oe’s chest.
“Thank you.”
“…Um?”
Confusion tinged the woman’s voice, but Tang Oe said nothing more and simply closed his eyes tightly.
‘Elder.’
The image of Tang Jopyeong came to mind.
Tang Jopyeong said that what Tangga needed to protect was not poison or weapons, but the people themselves.
Honestly, Tang Oe still couldn’t fully empathize with that statement. However, he understood what Tang Jopyeong was trying to say. Even if there was unmatched poison or unparalleled hidden weapons in the clan, they would be useless without someone to wield them.
Perhaps it was the strength of these nameless people that had protected the clan up to now.
“Whose daughter are you?”
“My father’s name is Gowi [고위(高偉)].”
“So it’s Tang Gowi…”
Judging by her unfamiliar appearance, she seemed to be from the collateral family. Tang Oe glanced briefly at the woman’s face.
Was she barely eighteen now? She had an ordinary appearance that could be seen anywhere, but her expression was undeniably confident.
However, Tang Oe sensed an underlying unease within her.
“Don’t worry.”
“…Yes?”
“The Tang clan will rise again.”
Tang Oe strained his throat as he spoke. Perhaps these words were not meant to comfort the girl, but rather himself.
“Even if the clan burns, loses its poison, and forgets its teachings, the Tang clan will remain the Tang clan.”
Tang Oe hesitated slightly before continuing.
“The head of the family is a remarkable person. He will surely revive the clan.”
After finishing his words, he let out a bitter laugh. He never imagined he would say such things in his lifetime.
‘Lord.’
Yet, there was no trace of regret in uttering these words.
Now Tang Gunak would have to endure long suffering.
The mere thought of the hardships he would face made even Tang Oe, who was not particularly fond of Tang Gunak, involuntarily sigh deeply.
“If you continue to believe in and follow the Lord, someday the Tang clan may once again become the rulers of Sichuan.”
Even Tang Oe didn’t find his words particularly convincing. However, in the current situation, he thought this advice was necessary for these young ones.
But… the response he received was slightly different from what Tang Oe had expected.
“The Tang clan… Yes, the Tang clan will be fine.”
“That’s right.”
“But… I don’t think I can be of help to the Lord, Elder.”
Slightly taken aback, Tang Oe looked at the woman and asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Because there’s no way to help. My time has come.”
Tang Oe’s face contorted strangely. Her time has come. Bringing up such words in this situation meant she would ultimately become an outsider, implying indifference towards the Tang clan.
Everyone prioritizes their own affairs, but hearing such words from someone within the Tang clan was quite shocking.
Tang Oe looked intently at the woman and said.
“Of course, that’s a woman’s life, but… shouldn’t the clan come first at a time like this?”
“Once married, I won’t be bear the Tang name anymore.”
“…”
“That’s what I’ve been taught, all along. When you marry, you’re supposed to forget everything about the Tang clan. Erase even the most trivial memories from here.”
Tang Oe was momentarily speechless.
“But…”
What she said was the law of the Tang clan, their efforts to uphold the clan’s vision, and Tang Oe was the one who most revered and adhered to this law, passed down from ancestors.
But now, his own words were coming back to him.
“…Well, that’s true, but aren’t you still a member of the Tang clan?”
“That’s true, but… Oh.”
The woman, as if realizing something, glanced at Tang Oe and then lowered her head slightly.
“I’m sorry. I…”
It seemed quite embarrassing for her to reveal her thoughts in front of Tang Oe. Normally, Tang Oe would have found this uncomfortable and would have turned away at this point.
However, Tang Oe found himself strangely eager to hear the words hidden behind. Perhaps because his days were numbered, or maybe because this woman was still steadfastly supporting him.
“Child.”
“Yes?”
“Can you tell me what you were about to say?”
“I… um…”
“Please.”
After a moment of hesitation, the woman sighed and opened her mouth.
“Elders may not understand, but when times get tough, youngsters like us tend to get caught up in a marriage quickly. Useless mouths to feed need to be reduced, you see.”
Tang Oe subtly furrowed his brows. Yet, upon listening, he found her words not entirely inaccurate.
In the Tang clan, women didn’t typically offer much help, so leading them to revive the clan was challenging. Therefore, even in households where they wouldn’t have sent their daughters off in normal times, they would do so now in exchange for support for the Tang clan.
“And even if that doesn’t happen, people like us wouldn’t be of any help.”
“Not of any help?”
“The most we could do is cook and do laundry.”
“…”
“Women from prestigious families could at least swing a sword or throw a punch in times of crisis. But we can’t do that.”
Struggling to find his words, Tang Oe looked at the woman and finally managed to ask.
“Do you resent us?”
The woman lowered her head at his words.
“No. I’m not speaking out of resentment. We also want to help the head of the family. But we truly have no way to help.”
Tang Oe felt a tightness in his chest. He wanted to say that even small tasks could be helpful, but he couldn’t bring himself to. In truth, he knew such tasks wouldn’t be of much help to Tang Gunak.
Useless mouths to feed. While not the most fitting term for women of the Tang clan, in this situation, Tang women were little more than mouths to feed.
It was Tang Oe himself who had made them this way.
“So… are you planning to find a marriage partner straightaway, then?”
At Tang Oe’s question, the woman laughed brightly, though it was a laughter tinged with forced cheerfulness.
“Well, that’s one way, but with the Tang clan facing difficulties… I wonder who would willingly accept a Tang woman of a collateral family as a bride.”
Tang Oe felt a tickle in his throat, he felt like dry cough would soon come out.
“So… I am considering leaving the clan when we arrive at Shaanxi.”
“Leaving the clan? What do you mean?”
“To go to Hwasan.”
“What?”
For a moment, Tang Oe forgot about his cough and widened his eyes in disbelief.
What on earth was she talking about? Hwasan?
“Other places may not accept us, but perhaps Hwasan might. Older Sister Soso is already there.”
“…Are you relying on Hwasan?”
“No. I also… I want to learn the sword at Hwasan.”
“The… Sword?”
The woman nodded, her eyes gleaming.
“You want to learn the sword?”
“It’s not just that, but… well…”
She hesitated for a moment before continuing.
“Still, if I enter Hwasan and learn the sword, I can at least do something with my own strength. If the circumstances arise, I might be able to protect myself. Older Sister SoSo has shown me that much.”
“…”
“If Older Sister Soso had stayed in the Tang clan, by now she might have been married into one of the influential families in Sichuan. She would be living a completely different life. Despite everyone thinking Soso was strange, deep down, we envied her.”
The woman’s words were etched into Tang Oe’s mind.
“Could we live like that if we went to Hwasan? Could we be called by our own names instead of just being known as Tang women? But until now, we haven’t had the courage. We’re not like Soso.”
“So…?”
“Yes. This time, I want to muster up the courage. Of course, I know Hwasan is a harsh place, and I’ve heard that training there is tough, but still… I feel like if I go there, I can at least try to do something. And I don’t think the head of the family would stop us if we said we were going to Hwasan.”
The woman gestured as if swinging a sword with her free arm, not holding onto Tang Oe.
“You never know, do you? I might unexpectedly have a talent for the sword and become a famous swordswoman!”
As she spoke, there was a bright hope in the woman’s face. But then, as if suddenly realizing, she glanced back at Tang Oe and faltered with embarrassment.
“I’m sorry. I’ve been talking too much, haven’t I?”
“…Too much?”
“Yes?”
“Are there many children within the clan… who think like you?”
“Well, um…”
“Don’t be afraid to speak up. An old man who has lost both strength and authority isn’t that scary.”
Scratching her forehead with her finger, the woman spoke.
“There aren’t that many… but it wouldn’t be accurate to say there are very few either. Some of my older sisters might have other paths to explore, but since we’re in this situation, we don’t have any other options.”
Tang Oe suddenly looked up at the sky without saying a word.
It was truly clear and bright. Yet, today, the vast blue sky felt oddly suffocating.
“What’s your name?”
“M-me…? Um, I…”
“I’m not trying to punish you. I’m just curious.”
At his words, the relieved woman nodded.
“Sobo [소보(小寶) – small treasure]. But my mother calls me Sobo [소보(小步) – little steps] instead.”
“Sobo… Little steps.”
Tang Oe’s lips twitched slightly. It was a moment when he seemed to want to say something after a long silence.
“Grand Elder!”
A desperate shout came from behind. Startled, Tang Oe quickly turned around.
“Back! There are pursuers in the rear! They’re coming!”
The color drained from Tang Oe’s wrinkled face.
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