Chapter 261. The Sect Leader of the Righteous

So-hwa, her heart weighed down, tried to keep her mouth shut. However, the looks in the eyes of those seated across from her were deeply unsettling.

“Just as I thought…….”

“This time as well, I will be the first to believe.”

“…….”

Their expressions were as if they were facing a Sect Leader of Righteousness; it was so uncomfortable that it felt like needles pricking her entire body.

In the end, unable to endure it any longer, Tang So-hwa spoke.

“I’m not certain what you’re thinking, but it seems the two of you are misunderstanding something. It’s simply a matter I must handle alone, which is why I couldn’t explain it. Please put aside your misunderstanding.”

Yeon-ah shook her head firmly.

“I can clearly see that you’re trying to face a dangerous enemy alone so others won’t be swept up in it. What misunderstanding could there possibly be in that?”

“…… I’m not worrying about others. I simply have no intention of sharing my moves with anyone else. This isn’t righteousness, it’s strategy.”

So-hwa spoke firmly, but Yeon-ah’s expression only grew stranger.

“No.”

She wore a gentle, Buddha-like smile, then clasped So-hwa’s hands with both of hers beneath the table.

“What the young lady just described is precisely what righteousness is.”

Then, in a chilling voice, she continued.

“Not flaunting your feelings, but quietly worrying instead—every bit of that is exactly the sort of attitude a true Sect Leader of Righteousness would display.”

“…….”

It was as though Yeon-ah had been firmly possessed by something.

So-hwa, who had never once feared even the Blood Demon, felt fear at the madness flickering in Yeon-ah’s eyes.

She closed the mouth she had opened. She was afraid to explain any further.

No matter what she said, it felt as though they would twist it into their own misunderstanding and spin logic she had never seen or heard.

When So-hwa subtly tried to pull her hand away, Yeon-ah grabbed it again tightly, her eyes sparkling.

“And please, do not worry! I will make sure Wudang does not move beyond a half-hour’s distance. Even if I’m beaten to death for it, I will not let them leave that range! I will hold Wudang back, without fail!”

She even blurted out words that a junior disciple of Wudang should never say.

Perhaps feeling awkward about Yeon-ah’s fervent attitude, Namgung Jin stepped in to ease the heavy atmosphere.

“It’s not a particularly difficult matter for me, so you don’t need to worry.”

With a sigh, he confessed.

“In truth, during the Alliance of Noble Clans meeting, the Clan Head asked the Divine Physician for a medicine. Since we were coming to the Tang Clan anyway, he intended to pick it up. However, since we decided to leave, he thought to postpone it for another time. If I simply lie and say I received a messenger bird from the Divine Physician, that will suffice. I can say the medicine is complete and ready for pickup, and ask him to wait at a nearby inn while I go retrieve it.”

So-hwa felt a weight lift from her chest.

Whether by sheer toughness or by acting skill, the juniors before her seemed capable of holding back two great sects.

She had gained a safety measure in case things went wrong.

‘Even if I fail to kill the Blood Demon…….’

Although she didn’t expect the Murim Alliance to kill the Blood Demon, at the very least, it seemed possible to prevent him from venting his anger on the Tang Clan.

So-hwa set aside the anxiety that had always occupied the largest part of her heart.

Before she realized it, red light had seeped in through the window.

Looking at the sunset settling onto the table, So-hwa spoke.

“I should go and request an audience with the Clan Head now.”

“Yes, we can’t afford to delay any longer either, so we’ll be heading back.”

The three stood up and left the hall.

As So-hwa was about to return to her room, Yeon-ah, who was descending the stairs, looked back up at her.

“Please don’t worry about anything.”

Yeon-ah said to her, with strength in her eyes.

“Everything will unfold exactly as Young Lady Tang intends. I will make sure it does—”

“Taoist, we should be going now. From here on, sound will no longer be blocked.”

Namgung Jin hurriedly covered her mouth. True to his perceptiveness, he seemed to have already grasped Yeon-ah’s temperament.

So-hwa bowed her head in response and returned to her room.

Once the visitors left, exhaustion washed over her in a rush.

However, she had no time to catch her breath.

She had to go see the Clan Head immediately.

If the Namgung Clan had decided to leave, Namgung Hyun would soon depart the Tang Clan estate as well.

To lure the Blood Demon closer, Namgung Hyun was necessary. Thus, before the Namgung Clan left, she needed to ask the Clan Head to keep him in the Tang Clan estate.

As So-hwa examined her condition, her tired face reflected faintly in the copper mirror, and a familiar figure appeared behind her.

Staring out the window, Haerak spoke in a voice as uneasy as his gaze.

“What are you, some kind of sect leader?”

“…….”

“Why are those orthodox sect guys following your every word without question?”

“They’re not following me without question.”

Haerak widened his eyes as he looked at So-hwa.

“Oh, that really is the bearing of a true sect leader. Seeing as you didn’t even notice they were following you because it was so natural.”

The Main Blood Hall Lord nodded in admiration.

“As expected, blood doesn’t lie.”

So-hwa, who had been about to ignore him, turned her head. When her sharp eyes glared at him, Haerak stretched the corners of his mouth into a smile.

“I meant the blood of the Tang Clan of Sichuan. If your actions become the will of the Tang Clan of Sichuan, then aren’t you its very essence? I was just astonished by the majesty of a Tang Clan Sect Leader that surpasses even the Blood Sect’s leader, so take pride in it.”

“It seems you’re in a good mood after returning to the Central Plains. You’re talking nonsense at great length.”

“You seem like a different person now that you’re back in the Central Plains.”

Min Haerak lifted So-hwa’s fallen hair with his index finger. He was skilled with his hands; the hair neatly settled right atop her ornament, tidily arranged.

“The woman who told me we’d speak again, where did she go? You don’t even look like you have time to sleep.”

Haerak let out a deep sigh, as if teasing her.

“Right, that’s how orthodox sect women are. They promise the future and lure in an innocent beauty, then once they return to their main sect, they toss them aside like worn-out shoes, don’t they?”

“…….”

“Just look at that glare. It feels like you’ll kill me next, after the Blood Demon.”

“Did you hear the entire conversation?”

Haerak nodded.

“It was hard to hear from above, so I came down here and listened.”

“Then you must’ve noticed—the Blood Demon seems to have checked the situation at Jin Yin Mountain.”

“What an impressive old geezer. Even at that age, isn’t he frighteningly fast on his feet?”

As the Main Blood Hall Lord marveled, So-hwa spoke in a calm voice.

“I’m planning to see the Clan Head now and ask him to vacate the hall we brought from the headquarters.”

“Already?”

So-hwa nodded.

“The fact that he’s forcing Alliance Members to leave means he’s truly enraged. It seems he intends to enter the Tang Clan estate directly.”

She added evenly.

“Still, since he’s trying to send the Murim Alliance people out first, it seems he’s conscious of surrounding eyes. That means he’s likely to come at night. Probably tomorrow evening.”

“You’re really calm. Why are you talking about it like it’s someone else’s problem?”

Haerak clicked his tongue.

Fixing her gaze on the flippant Main Blood Hall Lord, So-hwa said,

“You too. Stop joking around and take this seriously.”

“Alright.”

Though he answered obediently, Haerak couldn’t hide the expression that said there was no need to tense up.

When So-hwa stared at him, he finally revealed his true thoughts.

“Like you said, once the old geezer’s recovery is neutralized, isn’t he someone who’ll die from even a light touch? I’m not bragging, but dealing with a toothless old geezer isn’t that hard.”

“Don’t be arrogant. The medicine only lasts for a quarter of an hour, so we have to finish quickly. Once that time’s up, it’s useless.”

“Got it. I’ll try not to be arrogant.”

As he said that, Haerak scratched between his brows with the tip of his fan.

“Ah, but I’ve never learned something like humility in my life… Can’t I just be arrogant and win?”

Instead of replying, Tang So-hwa turned toward the door.

“You’re leaving now?”

“Didn’t I tell you? There’s no time. Besides, even if I go now, there’s no guarantee I’ll be able to see the Clan Head.”

“It was better when we were in the Great Desert… Even if it was boring, I could stay by your side the whole time.”

So-hwa had made up her mind to treat the Main Blood Hall Lord well in her own way, but it felt as though she had resolved to do the impossible.

“Why are you glaring again? What did I do wrong?”

Haerak said, stepping back slightly and raising both hands.

“Alright, I’ll stop joking. But there is something I seriously want to ask you. That’s why I waited for the conversation to end.”

“What is it?”

So-hwa focused on his words.

With his brows knit, as if something truly worried him, he asked,

“If I end up entering as a live-in son-in-law, would I live here with you? Or would I be given a new pavilion? That silk embroidery really isn’t to my taste…….”

As Haerak gestured toward the red silk fabric, So-hwa passed by him without answering.

“Ah, I’m joking. While you were talking with your disciples, I was admiring the sect leader’s impressive hand skills.”

“Leave quickly before someone else sees you.”

Though it sounded like a dismissal order—almost like being told to get lost—Haerak laughed and followed her out.

“Right, before I lose my favor to another disciple, ugh.”

The accompanying laughter vanished instantly. The Main Blood Hall Lord, who had let his guard down while hiding his presence, clutched his solar plexus and hunched over.

Leaving him behind, So-hwa exited the pavilion first and headed toward the Clan Head, passing through a garden with a massive hole torn through its center.

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