The Eldest Daughter of the Sichuan Tang Clan Protects Her Family

“Yes.”
Hanwon suddenly lowered his voice.
“Even if there is a mole inside, they will not cause a commotion.”
“From the mole’s point of view, they may think the Branch Head set this as a trap to flush them out.”
“Yes. In truth, it is not reasonable for the Shaanxi branch, in a time of danger, to send its finest warriors away.”
Sohwa smiled faintly as she looked at Hanwon.
“Was that really your own thought?”
Hanwon coughed.
“I was going to say it myself shortly, but Cheolho happened to speak first.”
It was not so far away, so Cheolho must have heard—but he pretended he had not.
In searching the Tang estate as if turning it inside out to catch the mole, one fact had become clear: the Tang Clan held many outstanding people.
Though the Blood Cult bastards had cut off their tails, so the hunt for the mole had yielded no solid gain, it had not been meaningless.
At least she had come to know anew those who had shared the same time and space.
Tang Sohwa looked at the silent warriors, then turned her gaze back to Hanwon.
“……But how did you end up in the Black Tiger Unit?”
“If I were to tell the story, it would take three days at least.”
At that reply, Sohwa turned her back without regret.
“No, my lady, listen just a little. In truth it’s not that long.”
Hanwon trailed after her with drooping eyes, as though aggrieved.
“It’s a moving tale of how I came to catch the Clan Head’s eye……”
Pretending not to hear, Tang Sohwa walked down the steps toward the Shaanxi branch warrior.
***
Night streets of Hubei. Perhaps because public order was good, even at a late hour the streets swarmed with people.
Yet whenever passersby searching for inns looked about, their eyes were caught—always once—by one place.
“Whoa, what building is that?”
Among the low pavilions, one towered conspicuously. So splendid that the brothels hung with red lanterns seemed paltry beside it.
White walls and pillars glittered in the moonlight, and the light spilling from within cut broad swaths across the golden roof tiles. It stood out like a white egret among crows.
Yet unlike the gaudy exterior that assailed the eyes, the surroundings of the building were deathly silent.
“Ah, that place… wasn’t it the Anguk Merchant Group’s… something. Whatever. Forget it. People like you and me can’t enter anyway.”
Though the street was filled with human voices, that place was set apart like a lone island, perfectly quiet.
There was one convincing reason.
Only a few who traded with the Anguk Merchant Group and received the Master’s token could enter. Since the Master had chosen carefully whom to give them to, ordinarily only the Master’s second son would be inside, overseeing it.
“Why can’t people enter if it’s run by a merchant group? In the end it’s a place that sells goods—wouldn’t more customers be better?”
“They say it houses goods so rare only those with vouched identities may enter. The standard is so high—see that Qinghai Pavilion over there? Likely the biggest buyer of luxury goods in this street is its mistress, and even she hasn’t received a token.”
“Huh, in all my life I’ve never heard of a merchant refusing money. How can a merchant pick his customers? If there’s profit, of course you sell.”
“How would I know. But maybe that’s why the Anguk Merchant Group is called a grand merchant house.”
The man chuckled as he replied.

“What do you mean?”
“They say those who failed to receive a token grew desperate to enter and spent furiously at the Anguk Merchant Group. That mistress I mentioned even doubled her trade for a time trying to earn a token, but when she still wasn’t given one, she offered a high price to buy the entry token from someone who had it. Then those who had tokens, pleased at their honor, increased their trade with Anguk all the more.”
The man’s companion clicked his tongue.
“Hmph, how can people be fooled by such empty formalities.”
“I think the same as you. But in another sense, I respect their strategy.”
As they neared the white pavilion, the man whispered in his friend’s ear.
“To make money, you have to understand not reason, but desire.”
The friend lifted his head with a troubled look.
“You… ever since you entered the branch, you’ve changed. Why are you so sly now?”
“Have I? You see a change?”
“You seem like a different person.”
The man laced his hands behind his head and clicked his tongue.
“Ha, I knew it would come to this. Meeting the Zhuge family people every day—I couldn’t tell if I was a clansman or a Daoist. In the end, here I am.”
“Has the branch’s situation worsened that much? I heard this time the Branch Head summoned the Taiji Sword Sovereign.”
As his friend’s face darkened, the Wudang Daoist patted his shoulder and quickened his pace.
“Haha, let’s drop the headaches and go faster. Otherwise I might end up ducking into a tavern for a drink.”
“……”
“I jest.”
“……Doesn’t sound like it.”
His friend looked up at the white pavilion with worried eyes. Seen up close, it was all the more uncanny.
Just what was happening in Hubei?
At the very top of the white tower, a dark floor showed. Like ink from a brush poised to write, a swath of shadow that made one’s spine prickle. Forcing his eyes away, he hurried toward the Hubei branch.
***
A strange place, crowded with people around but with few allowed inside.
Because people always thronged nearby, one could pass by out of curiosity without arousing suspicion. Inside, the identities of entrants could be confirmed, making it easy to manage informants.
An ideal pavilion for gathering the information of the Blood Cult’s Moohyeon Unit spread across the Central Plains.
The master of this white pavilion was the second son of the Anguk Merchant Group, one of the most renowned in the Central Plains.
Residing on the highest floor, he almost never went out, so his face was rarely seen. Yet rumors of him were rampant in Hubei.
He was an illegitimate son, and bore no resemblance at all to his father. So most who saw him thought the same thing.
How beautiful must his mother have been, that though his father’s face was as it was, such a handsome youth was born?
It was said the Merchant Master, descending to Guangdong, had fallen for a courtesan at first sight and begot this illegitimate son with her. One look at the youth’s face, and even the cold-blooded Merchant Master’s infatuation became understandable. Some dared to compare him to Zhuge Cheonyu, called the foremost beauty of Hubei, saying his looks were not outshone even beside the Zhuge family’s treasured daughter.
Sitting at the window, the second son looked down on the night street, holding a long bronze smoking rod.
Though no fire had been lit, smoke began to curl from its tip. In the bowl was gardenia powder, good for deep sleep.
Hae-rak would smoke it when easing his tension, to sink into restful sleep.
Today, something must have gone well.
Taking in the bustling street, he lifted the mouthpiece. Red lips poised to touch bronze—
“Master.”
Hae-rak lowered the rod from his lips. His amber-green eyes were chilling, yet he answered in a gentle voice.
“Yes, Doyu.”
“A letter pigeon arrived from the Shaanxi branch.”
“Is it so urgent?”
He hoped there was reason enough to disturb his rare rest. Fortunately, the Vice Unit Leader had a very suitable reason.
“They say the Shaanxi branch’s pursuit party has regained consciousness.”
Bang.
At those words, the sliding doors slammed open to both sides.
The Vice Unit Leader stiffened, striving not to show it, but his voice shook regardless.
“They say the physician of the Sichuan branch noticed the trace left in the meridians and used Wu So to dispel the heat.”
Silence spread through the broad chamber.
The Unit Leader raised long fingers wordlessly. The Vice stepped in and handed him the letter.
Resting his elbows on his knees, Hae-rak read it at leisure, then his lips curved.
“Not the Divine Physician, but the Tang clan’s daughter discovered it? No.”
The Unit Leader asked again.
“Is it possible to detect traces of the Yeolyanggong by pulse diagnosis?”
It was an impossible thing.
And yet, strangely, it had happened.
The Vice could not bring himself to answer flatly no, so he spoke obliquely.
“There has never been such a physician before.”
At some point, the smoke curling from the rod had ceased.
Laying the rod aside, the Unit Leader picked up ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ the headband left on the windowsill. He gathered his long hair and tied it up at once.
The Vice watched uneasily.
The Unit Leader rose and donned his robe.
Cautiously, the Vice asked:
“……Where are you going?”
“You and I both don’t understand, so I’ll have to ask her directly.”
“……”
No. He wouldn’t be so reckless.
He’d been on edge lately, but surely, surely he wouldn’t, he couldn’t do such a thing.
The Vice tried to let it pass calmly, but it wasn’t easy.
Unable to steady himself, he spoke again carefully.
“According to the Moohyeon Unit, it isn’t only the Clan Head but even the Tang Clan Elders who place great expectations on the eldest daughter.”
“Your news is slow. Even after being stuffed with elixirs, her martial strength didn’t increase, so they no longer expect her as material for the Little Clan Head.”
He knew even that.
Sweat chilled the Vice’s back as he tried again to dissuade him.
“Yes, lately that is said, but…… to touch a direct line of descent is too great a risk. It’s not the same as striking down a Mount Hua disciple.”
As he was about to leave, Hae-rak suddenly turned on him.
“You keep repeating the obvious—does your tongue itch? Shall I tear it out?”
Doyu clamped his mouth shut under the killing aura that filled the spacious hall. Yet when golden light flickered in the Unit Leader’s eyes, he dropped his gaze without thinking.
The instant his eyes averted, the killing aura vanished.
Startled, the Vice snapped his head up.
“Unit Leader!”
For the mere instant he had hesitated, the damned Unit Leader was already gone.