The Eldest Daughter of the Sichuan Tang Clan Protects Her Family

“The prices in Hubei are truly outrageous.”
Hanwon muttered with a frown. The Black Tiger Unit warriors quietly agreed with his words. The Hubei inn demanded more than double the cost of one in Shaanxi.
They were supposed to be met at the border by escorts from the Hubei branch, but some mishap on the road delayed them until tomorrow; a letter had arrived to that effect.
Thus, the Shaanxi branch warriors who had accompanied them only saw them to the nearest bustling street before returning.
Five warriors and one woman. The merciless Hubei inn had demanded twice the rate from this small party, but since the Shaanxi branch warriors had all departed, the actual lodging fee had been reduced.
Sohwa handed her money pouch to the grumbling Hanwon.
“It’s only one night. Wandering around haggling is a waste of time. We’ll stay here.”
Hanwon closed his mouth at her words. In times like these, the opinion of the one paying carried the most weight.
“Yes, then I’ll tell them to prepare the rooms.”
He was about to reenter the inn when—
“Best not to stay here. Try the other street instead.”
A beggar sitting on the ground before the inn tossed out the words as if speaking to himself.
“Looks like it’s your first time here. Down that way there are inns and shops gathered together. If you go there, you’ll be charged a fairer price.”
The eyes of the Black Tiger Unit flicked toward the beggar, then returned to Tang Sohwa.
She fixed her gaze on the beggar and asked,
“A kind warning, but why bother telling us?”
“What’s so great that there has to be a reason? Just meddling, that’s all.”
At that moment Hanwon quickly interjected,
“Lady, it seems better to go that way. Price aside, if the inns are clustered, it will be easier for us to guard you.”
Compared to an isolated inn, a crowded street was far less likely to be attacked. This was the border between Shaanxi and Hubei, with many trade caravans passing through. With them came plenty of escorts, so if trouble arose in a crowd, it could be noticed quickly.
Sohwa nodded.
“Very well. Let’s go that way.”
“Yes.”
Hanwon turned and pulled a coin from his sleeve, tossing it into the beggar’s bowl. As they were about to leave, the beggar added one more line.
“You look like people with money. If you have an interest in ornaments, try a shop with a white lantern hanging at the front.”
That seemed to be information given in return for alms.
Intrigued, Sohwa turned her head back toward the beggar.
“Is there something special there?”
“It’s a branch run by the Anguk Merchant Group. They quietly release goods there that are meant for the central districts.”
At the familiar name of the merchant group, Sohwa listened closely.
The beggar chuckled and added,
“As you can see, this is a trade route, so merchants gather here. They use their lifetime of experience to test which goods will sell well. The ones with the best response are sent to Baekgeumgak, but—ah, that’s not a place anyone can enter. Having money doesn’t get you in. Still, here, if you’re lucky, you can snatch up items bound for there. Isn’t that a good chance?”
The corners of Sohwa’s lips tilted faintly.
“Are you from the Beggar’s Union?”
“What, think every beggar belongs to them?”
With his body covered in rags, his waist was hidden. Noticing her gaze, the beggar waved a hand.
“Ah, if I talk too long, I’ll lose my strength. Go on now—unless you want to give me more money.”
Tang Sohwa curved her lips into an unreadable smile and turned away. She cast Hanwon a glance, but he didn’t understand her meaning. Fortunately, Cheolho at her side caught on and flicked a coin into the beggar’s bowl.
Not long after, the Tang party reached the street.

The beggar’s words had been worthwhile.
The lodging price was half what it had been, and not only escorts of merchants but also porters and guards filled the area. If anything happened, the uproar would be noticed immediately. For a small traveling party, it was the perfect environment.
After they unloaded their things at the inn, Sohwa ordered hot water and bathed first. Changing into fresh clothes, she stepped out of her room.
Cheolho, standing guard at the door, narrowed his brows when he saw her.
Even when traveling with warriors of the Shaanxi branch—who knew her true identity—Tang Sohwa had never bathed and changed clothes in the middle of a journey. She had always prioritized efficiency over appearances. For her to do this instead of resting was startling.
“Are you going out?”
“I intend to visit the shop that beggar mentioned.”
“Yes, please wait a moment. I’ll call the others.”
When Cheolho turned to summon his resting comrades, Sohwa stopped him.
“That’s unnecessary. It’s not as if we’re storming a fortress. Why make a fuss over going to a shop?”
“It isn’t making a fuss.”
“If I bring five guards, that will only draw eyes. And there’s no one here with higher martial ability than you, so don’t make a spectacle.”
“You can’t know that.”
Cheolho usually spoke little, yet this time he argued. Sohwa understood his unease and smiled.
“There’s no need to worry. If someone intended us harm, this place wouldn’t be safe anyway.”
“What?”
“I mean it’s safer to leave quietly.”
When Cheolho fell silent, Sohwa laughed softly.
“Don’t pretend you don’t understand.”
The Zhuge Clan and the Wudang branch, who always kept appointments to the last moment, were a half day late. The nearest inn from Shaanxi demanded twice the usual fee. And by coincidence, a beggar loitering outside happened to recommend a cheaper inn and a shop.
Was it truly coincidence to encounter a beggar in an isolated place, when crowds filled the nearby street?
Sohwa’s black eyes fixed on Cheolho.
He might be silent, but he was no fool. He already grasped the situation.
“Let’s go.”
Yet knowing this, could he lead the young lady into a trap?
Sohwa spoke again to the hesitant Cheolho.
“They seem to have reasons for hiding themselves. Let us allow that. If we force them to reveal themselves, then we’ll have no choice but to kill them all, won’t we?”
At that, Cheolho reluctantly followed her out of the inn.
The afternoon sun was bright, but the hearts of the Tang daughter and her guard walking the street were not at ease.
They arrived at the shop with the white lantern. Warriors stood outside. They did not seem to be one party; their attire differed, and they weren’t speaking to each other. Likely they were escorts for customers within.
Proving the thought, a small, stern-faced man at the door said sharply,
“Escorts may not enter.”
Cheolho’s face chilled.
“What nonsense is this?”
“Understand. Once, men pretended to be escorts and stole everything. Since the shopkeeper died that time, we forbid warriors from entering.”
Cheolho turned again to dissuade her.
“Must you go in?”
But the young direct descendant only curved her lips.
“Would it be wise to ignore the words of a Beggar’s Union man?”
Repeating herself, she made Cheolho finally retreat a step.
Sohwa entered the shop. The stern doorman did not stop her. She was no mere commoner—clearly a martial family’s daughter with martial arts. Still, though warriors were banned for fear they might kill the shopkeeper, her entry was allowed.
Her suspicion became certainty. She could not know why they wanted her alone, but she did not consider it dangerous—at least, not yet. If they had meant to kill her, they would have left her at that isolated inn.
In her memory, the Anguk Merchant Group had been run by one who had dealings with Namgung Hyun. Not exactly his ally, but not unconnected either. Never before had someone related to Namgung Hyun sought her out of their own accord.
“So then, how can I refuse this invitation?”
Sohwa stepped into the dim interior.
Though it was daytime, there were no windows; only lamplight revealed slivers of space. Thin cloth partitions blocked the view of the structure.
“This way, please.”
Other customers were already inside. The voices of clerks explaining goods and patrons bargaining tickled her ears.
The clerk guiding her chattered endlessly, describing items. When she showed no interest, he closed one case and ushered her to the next booth.
“You’ll surely like these.”
Pulling aside the cloth, he revealed a table with only an empty case atop it—already sold. The clerk scratched his head, embarrassed.
“Ah, seems we’re sold out. It was a coral hair ornament. Very popular lately, so it sells instantly. Please, come this way, we have finer goods.”
He quickly pulled aside another curtain. Inside was a much larger room, with far more displayed.
“These are also coral ornaments, from Hainan. In Guangdong they sell out immediately.”
“And how did goods no one can get in Guangdong end up here?”
“Haha, before money all things bow. We paid extra to bring stock here instead.”
He set several expensive pieces before her.
“Look at this bracelet. The craft to grind coral into such a perfect circle is incredible. Can you not feel the artisan’s breath within it?”
But the customer gave no reaction. The clerk’s enthusiasm waned. Was she one with a discerning eye, or simply no greed?
If the former, all was well. If the latter, he’d wasted his effort. Still, he persisted.
Women of her age—noble daughters or courtesans—usually brightened at coral. Yet this girl’s face was cold. Jade and white-jade ornaments held no interest.
Nearly every case was shown. Only when the final box was opened did her frozen features stir.
She looked at a butterfly-shaped ring, delicately wrought gold down to the vein-thin lines of its wings.
The clerk’s face lit up.
“Ah, such keen eyes! That’s the most expensive piece in our shop. Beneath the wings is laid a sheet of highest-grade jade…”
He was about to explain further when the curtain was pulled aside.
“You’d better step outside a moment.”
“What? Why?”
The two exchanged a glance, words unheard. Sohwa turned her gaze from the butterfly to them, but their silent signal was already done. The clerk forced an awkward smile.
“Just a moment, please. Only a moment.”
He followed his colleague out.
Sohwa lowered her gaze to the ornament again. Her finger brushed the butterfly’s back as she whispered a thin laugh.
“This piece… has passed through my hands before.”
Pressing inside the ring band, a click sounded—and a hidden needle sprang upward.
It was a self-defense ring.
In the past, Yehwa had brought her this very gift after traveling to Hubei with her husband.
Perhaps fearing her elder sister’s martial power waning with time, Yehwa had chosen a ring with a concealed poisoned needle.
At the time, Sohwa’s name as a poison expert had spread widely; even a touch of her hairpin would send bystanders stumbling back in fear. This gift had been Yehwa’s way of shielding her sister from scorn.
Since Yehwa’s death, Sohwa had not touched it. Though once hers, it had been long absent from her hand.
“So it was a precious piece.”
She ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) had guessed it was not cheap, but she had not thought it valuable enough to be shown first to merchants. Once more she admired Yehwa’s eye.
Sohwa smiled faintly and slipped the ring onto her finger. Familiar weight, and with it, the tension pressing down on her eased slightly.
“Does it please you?”
A voice, light with laughter, drifted from behind her.
She lifted her head. A shadow stretched across the curtain—someone stood just beyond.