Chapter 1447
I can’t do it alone. (2)
The frozen silence was broken as they hastily turned to each other, shock evident in their eyes, causing them to tremble momentarily.
Teaching martial arts to women.
In some places, it might not be a big deal, but certainly not in the Tang clan. What would happen if Shaolin Temple accepted female nuns? Or if the exclusively female sect Amina Botam, began admitting male disciples?
The meaning behind Tang Gunak’s words was not much different from that. It meant shattering all the laws and traditions of the Tang clan that had been upheld for centuries, the very laws that the ancestors had steadfastly protected to lay the foundation of the clan.
“M-my… My Lord!”
Amidst the frozen atmosphere, Tang Sangsu urgently spoke up with a raised voice.
“Are you saying you’ll teach basic martial arts and cultivation techniques to the women of the clan?”
“Ah…”
Upon Tang Sangsu’s words, sighs escaped from various corners.
When examined closely, martial arts within the Tang clan weren’t strictly limited to poison techniques or hidden weapons. There were certainly fundamental internal cultivation methods and martial arts techniques.
Of course, in the past, unless selected few, there were strict limitations even in teaching martial arts. But in the current situation, wouldn’t those restrictions be loosened?
Someone felt a great sense of relief, while others struggled to conceal their disappointment.
But then Tang Gunak firmly stated.
“No. I’ll teach everything of the Tang clan.”
His gaze landed on the women of the Tang clan.
“If the people of the clan wish so.”
A heavy silence descended, as if a colossal lightning bolt had struck. The shock that swept through the Tang clan was even greater than when Tang Gunak first made his declaration.
“M-my Lord…”
“Impossible!”
Someone shouted vehemently.
It was Tang Pyo, one of the surviving elders, who had remained silent until now due to his past sins.
“This cannot be, my Lord! It goes against the longstanding traditions of the Tang clan to withhold poison and martial arts teachings from women!”
Tang Pyo scanned the faces around him with a contorted expression. His eyes carried a wrathful glare, as if he would not forgive anyone who sympathized with such a disgraceful opinion.
Under normal circumstances, even if he were an elder, Tang Pyo would never have openly challenged Tang Gunak’s words in such a direct manner.
However, those who caught Tang Pyo’s gaze couldn’t bring themselves to meet his eyes and instead bowed their heads. The weight of the words “ancestors” and “tradition” that Tang Pyo bore on his shoulders was as strong and unyielding as ever.
Even the Tang clan women, who had briefly harbored a glimmer of hope in their eyes, were forced to turn away their heads involuntarily.
But there was only one person who met Tang Pyo’s gaze head-on: Tang Gunak himself.
“Why is it impossible to change?”
“My Lord!”
“Answer me, elder. Why is it impossible?”
“Are you truly asking because you don’t know?”
Tang Pyo spoke with bitterness.
“The poisons of the Tang clan are rendered useless once their antidotes are known. Countless Tang clan members have sacrificed their lives to safeguard the secrets of these poisons!”
“…”
“The same goes for the Tang clan’s hidden weapons techniques! Unlike swords, once a throwing weapon leaves one’s hand, it cannot be redirected! If the method is revealed, its effectiveness will inevitably diminish. Moreover, Tang clan’s hidden weapons techniques are always used in conjunction with poison! How can such complex knowledge be passed on to women?”
His voice trembled with agitation. Unable to quell his tremor, Tang Pyo continued to shout.
“If, by any chance, the absence of senior elders, my Lord, is seen as an opportunity for the head of the family to exercise undue authority! I will stake my life to prevent it!”
It might have seemed like a direct challenge to the authority of the Lord. However, Tang Gunak responded calmly instead of getting angry.
“Answer my question first, elder Tang Pyo.”
“What… do you mean?”
“That’s just discussing the weaknesses of Tang clan’s martial arts. It doesn’t mean they can’t learn those martial arts.”
For a moment, elder Tang Pyo stared blankly at Tang Gunak as if he’d been struck on the back of his head. He was wondering if the shock of the poison vaults burning and the collapse of the workshop had driven Tang Gunak mad.
“My Lord. They are women.”
“I know.”
“Please hear me out till the end, my Lord. It’s not about underestimating the women of the clan. I’m just saying that they are the ones who will eventually leave the clan!”
“…”
“Who can guarantee that those who join other families will keep our secrets for their entire lives? Women? Did you say women? Is the law of the Tang clan only directed at women? The same applies to men! Anyone who learns the Tang clan’s martial arts cannot abandon the Tang surname while they live. You know this too, don’t you, my Lord?”
They cannot abandon the Tang surname.
It might sound obvious, but in the Tang clan, this has a different meaning. If someone who has learned the clan’s martial arts turns against the clan or refuses to belong to it, the Tang clan uses all its power to eliminate that person. This is how the Tang clan has protected its secrets for hundreds of years.
Tang Gunak took a deep breath and continued speaking.
“Of course, I understand how important it is to protect our secrets. But if that method has become outdated and meaningless, finding a new method is also our duty as descendants.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“I will give them the opportunity to learn martial arts. Whether it’s poison or anything else!”
“Lord…”
“But!”
Tang Gunak looked at Elder Tang Pyo with resolute eyes and firmly continued.
“For the women who learn the Tang clan’s martial arts, the clan’s laws will apply equally. They won’t be able to leave the clan and must become the ghosts [귀신] of the Tang clan.”
“That… that’s absurd… Are you saying you will keep them in the clan for life?”
“Why not?”
Tang Gunak shrugged his shoulders.
“There are already quite a few martial sects in Gangho where women spend their entire lives practicing martial arts. There’s no reason why the women of the Tang clan can’t choose the same path. I’m not saying we will force this life upon them. I’m simply saying we should open the path for those who wish to walk it.”
Elder Tang Pyo’s face turned red. He racked his brain but couldn’t find a rebuttal. The reason they didn’t teach martial arts to the women of the Tang clan was to prevent the leakage of their secrets. If they lived in the Tang clan for their entire lives alongside the men, the risk of leaks would be eliminated.
“But that is not the way our ancestors decided upon!”
At elder Tang Pyo’s outburst, Tang Gunak’s face hardened.
“The people of the Tang clan! Those who bear the Tang surname sacrifice themselves to protect the clan! And who are you, Lord, to deny and change the methods that our ancestors have painstakingly devised over a long time?”
“…”
“Are you now saying that you are greater than all the family heads before you, greater than all the ancestors of the Tang clan? That is arrogance and folly!”
At that moment, Tang Gunak glared at elder Tang Pyo with an exceedingly cold gaze.
“Did you not hear what I said?”
“Lord!”
“I’ve already said it. What value is there in the fame and prosperity gained by sacrificing their lives?”
“My Lord, are you saying…”
“Our ancestors were mere humans too, they were not flawless!”
“W-what are you saying…”
Elder Tang Pyo was so shocked he couldn’t finish his sentence. Tang Gunak spoke with an unwavering voice.
“If I must deny them to change the clan, then so be it. If I must become the greatest Lord to change the clan, then I will become just that!”
“Lord!”
“Listen to me till the end!”
Tang Gunak shouted. His voice, unusually angry for him, seemed to pierce through everyone present with each word.
“I cannot forsake the honor of our clan. That is why I became the Lord of the Tang clan.”
“…”
“But the Lord of the Tang clan must also be the parent to all its members. I will not simply accept their sacrifices as a given.”
Tang Gunak looked at everyone as if engraving them in his memory.
“It’s not just the women. The ones who make poisons, the ones who create hidden weapons, those who are scorned despite belonging to the Tang clan because they do not bear the Tang surname, and even the outsiders who must live as if they do not exist despite being part of the clan!”
“…”
“At present, it is impossible to embrace all of them and reclaim the glory of the Tang clan. It would be impossible for anyone, not just me. Therefore, there is only one remaining way!”
Tang Gunak, who had been biting his lip, declared.
“The Tang clan must change.”
Elder Tang Pyo, as if entranced, asked again.
“Do you have the ability to do that, my Lord?”
“…”
“Answer me. Do you have the ability to embrace all of that and make the Tang clan a better place? To do what no other Lord has done before?”
Tang Gunak, facing elder Tang Pyo, finally shook his head.
“No. I do not have that ability.”
“See, I knew-“
“But the Tang clan does. That’s why I have gathered everyone. If it’s something I cannot do alone, we can do it together.”
“…”
“It’s the same for all of us!”
Tang Gunak shouted firmly.
“It’s meaningless to only discuss our grievances with one another. Trying to gain a little more rights within this rigid framework is nothing but self-destruction. What you should truly be fighting against is not each other, but the rigid laws of the Tang clan.”
The Tang clan members looked at Tang Gunak with dazed expressions. Countless thoughts seemed to flicker across their faces, appearing and disappearing repeatedly. Instinctively, they understood. At this moment, they were experiencing something more monumental than even the burning of their clan.
“Think about it. Think and propose. How can you achieve what you wish to do? What needs to be changed? And what do I need to change for you?”
“…”
“If it were only my will, it would be overstepping my authority. But if it’s the will of everyone here!”
Now everyone was looking at Tang Gunak as if entranced.
“Then it is the will of the Tang clan.”
The clan members bit their lips. There was an inexplicable surge of emotion welling up in their hearts.
Just by looking at their faces, elder Tang Pyo could sense that the tide had already turned irrevocably. He let out a pained sound, then spoke his final words in a suppressed voice.
“Remember this, Lord.”
Tang Gunak turned to Tang Pyo with cold eyes.
“The world is not so forgiving. Everything has a reason. There must be a reason why our ancestors created the laws of the Tang clan. If what you are trying to do fails, you will be remembered as the one who ended the history of the Tang clan with your own hands.”
It was a curse wrapped in the guise of concern. But instead of being dismayed, Tang Gunak smiled faintly.
“It seems you do not understand what it means to be the family head, Elder.”
“…What?”
The green robes draped over Tang Gunak fluttered in the blowing wind.
“Anyone who lacks such resolve cannot become the Lord of the Tang clan.”
Tang Pyo opened his mouth as if to say something several times, but ultimately, he bowed his head deeply. Tang Gunak, who had been watching him intently, then looked around at everyone and spoke.
“Speak.”
“…”
“If you don’t speak, nothing will change! Speak up!”
Tang Gunak’s gaze turned to Tang Pae.
“Young Lord!”
“Yes.”
“Speak!”
Tang Pae, with eyes downcast, carefully opened his mouth.
“My Lord. Even if we gather our thoughts together, can we surpass the wisdom of our ancestors?”
“That’s right.”
“…Why?”
“You’re stating the obvious. Doesn’t your question already contain the answer?”
“…Yes?”
Tang Gunak smiled faintly.
“What has made us who we are today is none other than the teachings and efforts of our ancestors.”
“…”
“There can be no mistake in what we decide. Our ancestors must have taught us how to overcome this crisis. Their will is reflected in every one of our concerns and thoughts. Ultimately, our will is the will of our ancestors.”
Chung Myung, who had been listening from afar, suddenly clenched his fist. His mouth opened involuntarily.
“Continuing forward…”
“Continuing forward is ultimately just that! Do not doubt yourself!”
Tang Gunak finished his sentence.
Chung Myung closed his eyes.
– Hyeong-nim, but in the end, I am still a member of the Tang clan.
The words he had said with a smile seemed to echo in Chung Myung’s ears now.
Emboldened by Tang Gunak’s words, others began to speak up one by one.
As the once tumultuous gathering quieted down, Chung Myung glanced at the tearful Tang Soso and shrugged.
“Well, shall we cook some rice?”
“…Sahyeong?”
“It’s going to take a while.”
Chung Myung briefly glanced at Tang Gunak, surrounded by everyone, and smiled.
“That’s what moving forward is all about.”
As Chung Myung predicted, the gathering that began like this didn’t end for a long time.
When Tang Gunak finally stood up after a long conversation, facing Hyun Jong, the morning sun that had risen earlier was now setting beyond the mountains once again.
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