The Eldest Daughter of the Tang Clan of Sichuan Protects the Family-Chapter 180

Chapter 180. North Sea Branch Leader
Tang So-hwa walked toward the window. A group dressed in blue was entering the hot springs.
“Hey, you can’t come in here!”
A servant of the Yan Clan blocked their way, and from afar, the Yan Clan Lord came running. Yet the group in blue ignored them, their eyes moving busily. Soon, their gaze rose toward the crimson pavilion.
Perhaps it was just her imagination, but it felt as if that gaze had landed on her.
A martial artist, chin lifted high, stood motionless with an expressionless face.
At that moment, perhaps unable to hold back his anger at the intruder’s attitude, the Yan Clan Lord shouted loudly.
“Didn’t we already settle this matter?! How dare you come this far and act so rudely…!”
Despite his roaring voice, the middle-aged martial artist did not lower his gaze.
He answered the Yan Clan Lord, still holding his head high.
“I heard someone from the Central Plains came to obtain the Extreme Ice Grass, so I secured it as quickly as possible. After coming all this way, wouldn’t it be right to hold the Extreme Ice Grass in their own hands before they can rest easy from the journey?”
Though his voice wasn’t loud, it rang clearly in her ears. He must have infused it with internal energy. It was hard to tell how skilled he was, but his cultivated internal energy seemed considerable.
The Yan Clan Lord cleared his throat.
“Ahem, if you’ve acquired it, please hand it over. I’ll deliver it in your stead, Branch Leader.”
“No. Since I’ve come this far, I’d like to join the evening banquet as well.”
The one addressed as the Branch Leader suddenly lowered his gaze.
The figure of a woman came into view.
It seemed the Four Directions Hall Lord had stepped outside, drawn by the commotion.
The Branch Leader looked toward Peng Sihyeon and spoke.
“I regretted not having a proper conversation earlier, so I came under the pretext of the Extreme Ice Grass. If the people from the Central Plains don’t mind, I’d like to talk a bit more.”
The Branch Leader then lifted his gaze once more.
“It seems there’s an honored guest I hadn’t yet noticed.”
* * *
It was a night with a full moon. The bright moonlight illuminated every corner of the snow-covered mountains, giving them a wide and clear view.
The bloodline of the North Sea Ice Palace had long been confined within the snowy mountains, so while they knew the terrain well, they did not know the exact locations of the passages.
From time to time, the Blood Sect members would move the vessels—used for their sparring—from other regions into the Ice Palace. Thus, they only suspected that there were passages hidden within the mountains.
They searched the area where those vessels, wielding strange martial arts, had poured out before.
They had already destroyed one passage in the west and were now searching for the one believed to be in the central area.
Just then, one of the subordinates sent a signal.
“First Leader, we’ve found it.”
Bai Woon-Hyun went to the place his subordinate had mentioned and ran his hand along the rock wall. Feeling the unevenly engraved markings, he gathered his internal energy.
As he channeled his qi into the carved spell pattern, a fierce wind blew forth.
It was a passage.
Before the passage could fully open, he withdrew his hand and slashed at the engraved markings on the wall. The wind ceased instantly, and the surroundings fell silent once more.
A subordinate said brightly,
“That leaves just one more!”
The Han Clan was famous for its refined architectural techniques. They had constructed an entire city for the Blood Demon and built passage entrances around the island’s perimeter. The design ensured that if the Blood Sect members poured through, they could immediately seal the island off entirely.
The Han Clan had always boasted of their skill, and Bai Woon-Hyun had heard their self-praise more than once.
Three entrances within the palace and three outside of it—six in total—arranged at perfectly even distances. There was no need for markers; the six passages formed the six vertices of two overlapping triangles, creating a hexagram that precisely indicated each location.
Now that two passages had been found, locating the third would be easy.
Marking the discovered passage on his map, Bai Woon-Hyun drew two overlapping triangles over the points to infer where the next one would be.
A watching subordinate spoke with excitement.
“There’s an old lodging of mine nearby. I know a shortcut—allow me to guide the way.”
They soon reached the snow mountain where the third passage was expected to be.
But their pace gradually slowed.
The ground around them was littered with bloodstains, as if wild beasts had torn through the area.
Two subordinates exchanged tense looks and turned to Bai Woon-Hyun.
He carefully surveyed the surroundings.
There was a faint presence nearby.
As they advanced, the bloodstains became more frequent.
Suddenly, Bai Woon-Hyun came to a complete stop.
A mountain of corpses lay before them, bathed in a faint crimson glow.
His gaze shifted to the side.
In front of a cliff, several men had pitched tents and were laughing boisterously around a campfire. Judging by their drunken chatter, they were intoxicated.
Bai Woon-Hyun quickly grasped the situation.
It was true—the Red Blood Hall Lord had vacated his post. The lower members of the Red Blood Hall had hidden themselves in the Ice Palace to indulge in their pleasures.
His gaze turned back to the pile of corpses.
The dead wore yellow and purple garments—the marks of the Yan and Dong Clans.
It was not unusual for the Yan and Dong Clans to bring martial artists from the Central Plains, raise them, and then offer them up to the Blood Sect.
He had thought they’d stopped after several of their men were beheaded for doing the same with the Main Blood Hall—but it seemed they had resumed such acts with the Red Blood Hall.
Meeting the questioning eyes of his subordinate, Bai Woon-Hyun hesitated for a moment, then signaled for a retreat.
They were at a numerical disadvantage, and the sight of so many Yan Clan corpses was troubling.
The Yan Clan had apparently taken people from the Central Plains into their own quarters.
If that young lady’s words were true, and the North Sea nobles truly wished to avoid conflict with the Murim Alliance, that would be fortunate. But if they harbored other intentions, it would become a serious problem.
After all, the island was the domain of the North Sea nobles.
And with none of the passages outside the palace yet destroyed, if reinforcements from the Blood Sect were to arrive, the Central Plains forces could easily be surrounded.
Once they had moved a safe distance away from the passage, Bai Woon-Hyun spoke aloud.
“Let’s head to the Yan Clan, inform the people from the Central Plains of the situation, and move again.”
* * *
The banquet was held in the main building—the very same hall where the Yan Clan Lord had told them to choose their attendants.
Through the window, instead of the hot springs, a view of the city could be seen, making the place feel somewhat more proper.
The atmosphere, however, was solemn.
Or perhaps it was better described as uncomfortable.
The Yan Clan Lord glared openly at the North Sea Branch Leader, while the Branch Leader, with an unreadable expression, stared fixedly only at the people from the Central Plains.
The Four Directions Hall Lord seemed used to such looks—perhaps they were common whenever she visited other sects—so she appeared indifferent.
Tang So-hwa lowered her gaze to her cup, then slowly lifted it again. The moment she did, her eyes met the Branch Leader’s.
Having already heard from Haerak that everyone in the branch was a servant of the Han Clan, she found the Branch Leader’s stare unpleasant.
The Han Clan was the only family among the three recognized by the Blood Demon as useful—and the one that had, in truth, offered up the island to him.
Tang So-hwa did not avoid the gaze fixed upon her; instead, she held it for what might have been considered an impolitely long time.
“Have we, perhaps, offended the Branch Leader in any way?”
Unable to bear the tension, the Four Directions Hall Lord interjected.
“No.”
The Branch Leader shook his head with a polite smile, yet his gaze remained on Tang So-hwa.
“You remind me of someone I’ve been searching for. I couldn’t help but keep looking.”
“She’s young enough to be your daughter, Branch Leader. If you say she resembles the one you seek, I must wonder what kind of relationship you had with that person.”
When Peng Sihyeon spoke with a faint edge to her voice, the Branch Leader laughed softly.
“I’ve never actually met her. The granddaughter of someone I know ran away from home. The young lady here just happens to be around the same age, so I couldn’t help but look closely.”
“This girl came from the Central Plains. She couldn’t possibly be that person’s granddaughter. I suggest you withdraw your gaze.”
When Peng Sihyeon’s open displeasure showed, the Branch Leader finally turned away.
“It seems I’ve been rude to my guests.”
He emptied his cup and smoothly changed the subject, speaking with the Four Directions Hall Lord.
“By the way, was your journey here a safe one? If you came from the Central Plains, you must have traveled north through the southwest and crossed the gorge.”
“Yes, we did pass through the gorge.”
“I’m glad to see you all arrived safely.”
Peng Sihyeon paused with her cup midway to her lips, looking at him as if to ask what he meant. The Branch Leader went on.
“Wasn’t that gorge peculiar? It stretches on as though the mountain had been split clean in half, narrow compared to its length. Some parts are barely one jang wide.”
He spread his hands apart to demonstrate the narrowness.
“Many have died in that gorge, so the people of the North Sea avoid Xishan Mountain whenever they can. But for outsiders like you to have crossed it safely—that’s something worth celebrating.”
Peng Sihyeon drained her cup in silence.
Tang So-hwa could guess what she was thinking.
The Branch Leader had just said that the entire Four Directions Hall delegation had made it through alive.
Which meant he knew the faces of those who had left for the North Sea.
Just as the Four Directions Hall Lord had feared, their descriptions—perhaps even sketches—might have already reached this far north.
Either the Branch Leader was careless enough to drop such hints, or he simply didn’t care how they reacted.
His gaze drifted back toward them.
‘It seems a variable has appeared…’
There was no reason for the North Sea to provoke the Four Directions Hall recklessly. Something—or someone—had disrupted the Blood Demon’s plans.
And that “variable,” it seemed, was her.
The Blood Demon was searching for her.
However, she hadn't expected the search net to be cast all the way to the North Sea already. Physically, it was impossible for her to have arrived in the North Sea by now.
Tang So-hwa slowly relaxed.
It didn’t seem likely that the Blood Demon or the Red Blood Hall Lord had personally come to the North Sea yet.
If they had, they would have come themselves rather than sending word.
Even if the Blood Demon had issued orders to the North Sea, it was probably just a command to immediately should she appear.
‘Not that it’s a reason to let my guard down…’
She saw the Branch Leader’s lips curve faintly.
Watching his subtle expression, Tang So-hwa continued the conversation, trying to read his intent.
“May I ask why people die when they pass through Xishan Mountain?”
“Ah, there’s a curse on that gorge,” he said with a smile.
“When the Blood Sect invaded, the Ice Palace’s Second Seat held them off alone on Xishan Mountain. At first, he slaughtered the Blood Sect members with ease—but once he faced the Blood Demon… well, he was no match.”
The Branch Leader sighed, as though in regret, but it didn’t sound sincere.
“With the last of his strength, the Second Seat slashed the mountain in two. That single strike split Xishan Mountain cleanly in half. That gorge today—that’s the scar of his blade. They say his dying vow was to sever the Blood Demon’s breath, even if he had to return from hell itself to do it. Perhaps because of that curse, those who cross the gorge die for no apparent reason. So the people of the North Sea avoid it. We call it the Second Seat’s Curse.”
Tang So-hwa listened with only half an ear.
He was calling the poison gas spread by the Yellow Toxin the “Second Seat’s Curse.”
It seemed the mountain had fractured from the Second Seat’s strike, allowing the toxic fumes to seep out through the cracks, killing those who passed.
Whether it was her imagination or not, the Branch Leader’s tone seemed to mock the idea of a curse.
She watched the faint, derisive twist of his expression.
“I’ll make sure not to pass through the gorge again on my way back.”
The Branch Leader set down his cup with a curved smile.
“But since you’ve come all the way to the North Sea, wouldn’t you like to tour the island?”
Tang So-hwa thought he was trying to lure her somewhere. After a short pause, she replied,
“I would like to look around, yes. I also need to buy gifts for my family.”
She spoke as though she intended to enter the Han Clan’s territory of her own will. Whether he understood that she was only stalling for time was unclear, but the Branch Leader smiled broadly.
“The central district is Han Clan territory, though many of the buildings there once belonged to the Ice Palace. You’ll find many fine shops worthy of gifts. I’ll speak to the Han Clan and have a carriage sent for you.”
Tang So-hwa felt the gazes of the Four Directions Hall Lord and Namgung Jin on her, but without turning her head, she smiled as if pleased by the offer.
The Branch Leader didn’t wait for her answer before continuing,
“I’ll contact the Han Clan and have them send someone at once.”
“Branch Leader, the guests are under my care…”
The Yan Clan Lord, unable to hold back, cut in—but the Branch Leader raised his palm.
The gesture—like one used to silence a dog—turned the Yan Clan Lord’s face bright red.
So it was true: the Yan and Dong Clans were effectively under the Han Clan’s authority.
A mere servant of the Han Clan had just humiliated the Yan Clan Lord, and he’d done it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. His impatient eyes turned to Tang So-hwa once again as he pressed her,
“I’ll send a carriage. Please, don’t refuse my goodwill.”
Tang So-hwa accepted with a calm, even voice.
“Yes, I appreciate your kindness.”