NOVEL NEXT chapter 85 - The Eldest Daughter of the Sichuan Tang Clan
The drunkards, for some reason, shut their mouths with faces that had grown darker.
It was because the Sichuan Tang Clan had revealed themselves.
A martial family of the murim that left one feeling uneasy to call orthodox.
Other orthodox factions seemed like they would smile even if they suffered harm for the sake of benevolence and righteousness, but the Sichuan Tang Clan felt like the sort who, if something harmed them, would kill you from behind regardless of benevolence or righteousness.
Thus they gave an impression far from the side of good.
A martial family that gave an impression like the demonic faction.
Still, well, since they were members of the Martial Alliance… because they had money, they would now and then help the common folk, and if a vicious demonic group swaggered around nearby, they would go out to suppress them.
'Right, somehow they do seem orthodox, but…'
The patrons stared at the Tang Clan entering the street with extremely uneasy eyes.
Because they had just taken in those who flaunted a gentle beauty, the Tang Clan’s unique dusky aura felt all the more dramatic.
What’s more…
In the front row stood the true powers of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
The Clan Head and the Young Clan Head, and a single young man standing alongside them.
“Gasp! Isn’t that the Black Heaven Dark Ghost?”
“D-Did I maybe say anything wrong? Did I perhaps say out loud that the Sichuan Tang Clan honestly ought to be removed from the Martial Alliance?”
“…You just did.”
“Damn it!”
Even the Black Heaven Dark Ghost, famous as the Mad Green Frog, had come along.
But among those standing in the same line as them, there was one unfamiliar person.
Having never seen her even once, the onlookers rummaged through their own heads.
Was there anyone in the Tang Clan—besides the Black Heaven Dark Ghost—who was fit to stand next to the Clan Head?
'There shouldn’t be…'
Perhaps feeling the prickling gazes, the young lady lifted her head.
In that instant, the shop fell silent.
It was a curious face. On a cold countenance, a childlike sunlight felt out of place. A chill ran down the spine.
Whereas the previous orthodox beauties had given a snug feeling like pure white flowers, that young lady made one feel the complete opposite.
Before the whiteness of her face, her red lips and hair like ebony caught the eye first. The sumptuous colors seized the gaze, yet she was a dangerously beautiful type that felt like you must not draw close.
How to put it.
It was a face more fitting for the beloved daughter of a demonic overlord than for the orthodox side.
Her face did not approach as a single impression, but each feature stabbed vividly into the eyes. The slender line of her jaw as it tapered; the high bridge of her nose. Large, long eyes. Red lips. A small mole where the shadow of her lashes touched.
Like mice facing a snake, the patrons examined even the smallest things of their natural enemy.
Soon people realized that the Clan Head’s face also had lines as keen as hers.
Ah, she’s the Clan Head’s daughter.
Just recently Zhuge Cheonyu had passed by, so people naturally compared the two clan heads’ daughters.
If Zhuge Cheonyu was like a cozy cotton flower, the Tang young lady was like a poppy. Both were beauties, but their impressions would split tastes sharply.
“Your theory of ‘clan beauties’ feels plausible.”
The one who claimed that the children of great families were beauties more often than not nodded.
“So it is.”
The man sitting across from him laughed in acknowledgment.
Unlike when others passed by and each person added a word to show off their knowledge of the murim, when the Tang Clan passed, everyone fell silent as if by prior agreement.
Partly it was because they were wary of the Black Heaven Dark Ghost, rumored to be a madman, but it was also because their thoughts had grown complicated.
There were all kinds of rumors about the appearance of the Tang Clan’s eldest daughter.
There was a rumor that, because she had been at the scene of a fire with her birth mother when she was young, she was scarred and hideously ugly; but there was also a rumor that that was nonsense and that she was so beautiful the Namgung Young Clan Head fell in love at first sight.
Hence, more than her outward appearance, the rumors that had spread with certainty were what people more often discussed.
A genius who alone discovered trust.
A young lady overflowing with chivalrous spirit who made the Blood Cult’s rampage known to the Central Plains.
Naturally, since they had imagined that an orthodox young lady would have a round and good-natured impression, her appearance was quite a shock.
'…I thought she was a good girl, so why does she look like the beloved daughter of a demonic overlord?'
It was a cold face such that they could have believed her to be an expert of the fallen Northern Sea Ice Palace.
“She looks different from what I had in mind, so I’m surprised.”
When someone muttered that, those in the shop inwardly nodded.
“Today is surprising in many ways. It’s shocking that the Taeguk Sword Sovereign’s disciple has such a slender frame, and it’s shocking that the /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ Tang Clan’s eldest daughter has such a flamboyant face.”
“Is that really something to be shocked about?”
An old monk drinking at the center asked back.
“I heard the Tang Clan’s eldest daughter belongs to the Tang’s Medical Division and studies poison. Haven’t you all heard it at least once? The rumor that the Tang Clan experiments with poison on people.”
It was one of the Tang Clan’s terrifying rumors that everyone knew.
Within the Medical Division there was said to be a separate place where poisons were gathered, so many that they had erected an entire pavilion for them.
There was even a heinous rumor that they kidnapped people and experimented on them inside.
“They say the Tang Clan’s eldest daughter studies poison, not medicine. I hear she’s one of the foremost technicians within the clan, so even Tang people are cautious of her. If one experiments on people, frankly speaking, one isn’t a righteous person.”
“Isn’t that a rumor? And mind your words. Didn’t you see the Black Heaven Dark Ghost accompanying them? He’s famous for not tolerating even marketplace gossip and beating commoners and martial artists alike mercilessly.”
A patron quietly advised the old monk out of concern.
“Hahaha, now that’s a rumor. If the Black Heaven Dark Ghost beats you, how would you survive? If he’d been killing commoners like that, he would have been branded an enemy of the entire murim long ago.”
The old monk laughed loudly and gestured.
“Everyone, come over here. What you know seems to be old rumors across the board, so I’ll share some new information. In return, each of you must buy me a drink.”
At those words, people hesitated. Half of them wanted to go and listen, half were too lazy to bother moving.
“Let’s start with that rumor about the Tang Clan’s eldest daughter just now. Do you know she came to the Hubei Branch not long ago? There’s a rumor that she met the Taeguk Sword Sovereign, but ah, my throat is dry.”
“Waiter! Bring some liquor over here.”
“Bring the whole cask!”
When the old monk put the Taeguk Sword Sovereign in his mouth, people swarmed toward him with bottles in hand.
***
“We’ve finally arrived.”
Tang Hae-han murmured as if letting out a sigh.
Relief flickered on the faces of those worn out by travel fatigue, but Sohwa could not relax her expression. It was because the looks of the busybodies she had seen at the inn still left her feeling uneasy.
“This is the residence where the Tang Clan will stay.”
When they were guided to the pavilion where those from Headquarters would stay, instead of going inside, the Clan Head spoke to the retainers.
“You all go and unpack first. I will go pay my respects to the Alliance Leader.”
At the word “Alliance Leader,” Sohwa turned her gaze. But the Headquarters martial artist beside them, reading the mood, cut in.
“The Alliance Leader will not be receiving greetings today.”
“Is he unwell?”
“…Yes, it seems so.”
The Headquarters martial artist answered a beat late.
Though that answer left a bad taste, they could not force their way to the Alliance Leader said to be in poor health, so Tang Ji-ha gave his assent.
“Then I will visit separately later; please convey that we have arrived.”
“Yes, Clan Head. I will do so.”
The Headquarters martial artist answered the Clan Head neatly, then made a request to the Tang people standing behind him.
“And during the period of the event, please refrain from going out as much as possible.”
“Hm? Since when did such a rule appear? Why aren’t we allowed to go out?”
Tang Min furrowed his brow and openly voiced his dissatisfaction.
“No, the rules have not changed. It is just that the current situation is not good, so the Alliance Leader has asked that everyone please remain within Headquarters as much as possible.”
Tang Min snorted and let the words slip past his ears.
“If it’s because of that Blood Cult bastard, ah, what a disgrace for the Martial Alliance this is. To tremble and slam the coop door shut because a single Headquarters martial artist from the Shaanxi Branch got hit. Tsk tsk, what’s so scary about a few chicks getting hurt.”
“…”
The Headquarters martial artist silently gazed at the Clan Head. It was a plea for help, but perhaps unable to help, the Clan Head avoided that gaze.
To make matters worse, the Clan Head’s daughter asked the Headquarters martial artist in return,
“In any case, that means we can go out, correct?”
…That’s how you heard it?
“We are not forbidding going out, but each sect will have its own rules, so going out will not be entirely free. After all, everyone needs to compose their minds before the duel.”
The Headquarters martial artist spoke in a roundabout way while waiting for the Clan Head to step in, but the one who answered was, again, the Mad Green Frog.
“If a man’s going to lose because he went out, he was going to lose anyway. Whether you win or lose is what matters; what’s so important about going outside.”
As the Headquarters martial artist’s face turned pale, the Clan Head reluctantly stepped in.
“Not causing trouble is important. We are not the only ones staying in Headquarters; we cannot cause others inconvenience, can we?”
“Heh, Clan Head, you know as well as I do. Everyone gets friendly outside exchanging drinks. If we lock only our boys up in here, they’ll either get beaten and hold a grudge, or beat others and only receive grudges. We’d just be giving others a chance to bad-mouth the Tang Clan outside. Tch, at least inside, out of courtesy, they’ll watch their mouths.”
“…”
“Ah, why look at me like that? You know it too, Clan Head, don’t you? Back when you were young, because the Namgung Clan Head and Elder Pang bad-mouthed you behind your back as faint-hearted, you challenged them to a life-and-death duel, and the Grand Elder was terribly troubled—my memory of that is still vivid…”
“Do we not need to report separately to Headquarters when going out? We wrote our names in the registry when coming in.”
As Tang Min dragged out the Clan Head’s shame, Sohwa quickly changed the subject.
Startled by the Mad Green Frog’s astonishing knack, the Headquarters martial artist shut the mouth he had opened. And he hurried to answer what Tang Sohwa had asked.
“It is the same as when you enter. When you go out, please write in the registry. If you are going far, you must also write your destination.”
“Do we need to write it even for going to Wuhan?”
“Ah, that much is fine.”
“…What is this, are you planning to go out somewhere?”
Tang Min narrowed his eyes and asked.
“Yes, I plan to visit the streets of Wuhan today.”
“Why? Where are you going?”
This question came from the Clan Head.
Sohwa hesitated for a moment, then answered honestly.
“I intend to go take a look at Baekgeumgak, operated by the Anguk Merchant Group.”