Chapter 437

Chapter 437

CRASH!

The teacup that Tang Gwi-ok dropped shattered into pieces.

Several swords had been thrust into Tang Gwi-ok’s body.

“How could this happen…”

Blood flowed steadily from her mouth.

Tang Gwi-ok raised her head to look at those who had stabbed her.

“I had some suspicions, but I never thought it would be you children…”

In Tang Gwi-ok’s room were gathered direct descendants of the Tang family ranging from teenagers to those in their twenties. Several elderly elders were also present.

The descendants gritted their teeth.

“This is all grandmother’s fault! How could you ignore us and try to make an outsider the head of the main family!”

“That’s right. Then what does that make us?”

“While we’ve been suffering through deadly hardships, suddenly Poison Dragon who did nothing appears and comfortably sits in the family head’s position? Does that even make sense?”

“I refuse to bow my head to such a person. I’d rather die than do it!”

Tang Gwi-ok coughed up blood while shaking her head.

“Why would I abandon you children to die? You are our family’s precious, precious future…”

“You threw your precious future into a snake pit? We nearly died there several times!”

“How could grandmother know how painful that was!”

The elders interjected from the side.

“The children speak the truth. You only say they’re precious with words, but didn’t you drive even the Soul-Seizing Hall Master who followed the family head so faithfully to death along with the innocent households of the thirty-six branches?”

“Their only crime was living in sacrifice for the main family from the outside.”

Tang Gwi-ok shook her head sideways.

“Poison Dragon… went up to the Min River despite the dishonor for our family’s sake… But how could…”

“Hmph. It must have been out of desire to become family head.”

Tang Gwi-ok reproached them.

“You should have comforted these children’s hearts, but how can you incite them to rebellion like this?”

“It’s for our survival. Family head, speak honestly. When he returns, he would have killed us all like the Soul-Seizing Hall Master. Isn’t that right?”

“Who on earth told you such things…”

The elders said.

“But such a thing will not happen! We will seize control of the Tang Family Compound before he returns.”

Screams and the sounds of clashing weapons had been coming from outside the window repeatedly.

“It seems not everyone participated in the rebellion.”

Tang Gwi-ok asked.

“When Poison Dragon returns… will you be able to handle him?”

Tension briefly appeared on the elders’ faces. However, they soon shook off the tension and said.

“How could Poison Dragon survive a path that even Master Haewol couldn’t return from alive? That’s impossible talk.”

“Even if he does return alive, we’ve thought of a method.”

“He cherishes Ha-ran, our family’s traitor, dearly. If we take Ha-ran and his child as hostages and lock down the Tang Family Compound, even he won’t be able to enter recklessly!”

Tang Gwi-ok let out a long sigh. Her vision became blurry.

“It’s all my fault. While I focused on internal family affairs… in the end I accomplished nothing.”

The elders approached with swords drawn.

“Don’t resent us.”

“We’re doing this because we too must survive. We can’t just sit still and die.”

A sword was thrust into Tang Gwi-ok’s heart. Until the moment of death, Tang Gwi-ok looked at the children who were blood relatives of the Tang family.

“Poor things…”

One elder told the descendants.

“You children find the family head’s seal. It must be somewhere in this room.”

But even when the children searched every corner of the room, the family head’s seal was nowhere to be found. Even the anxious elders joined in, but the seal could not be found anywhere in the room.

“Damn… the family head must have noticed our intentions and hidden it beforehand.”

“How did she find out? We showed no signs until Poison Dragon left.”

“More importantly, the seal is what matters.”

“Where it went is obvious. It must be with Ha-ran.”

The elders called their subordinates and gave orders.

“Find Tang Ha-ran!”

***

Divine Nun doubted her own ears.

“Really… you intend to do that?”

Jin Ja-gang nodded and answered once more.

“I will not return to the Tang family. There is still work to be done.”

Jin Ja-gang looked toward the downstream section of the Min River where the salt fleet had passed.

“Whether Thunder Emperor was used or not, the ships carrying Five Paths Fatal Poison are still threatening. To prevent them from leaving the Min River and spreading to the Central Plains, I will annihilate the remaining ships together with the Poison Sect’s Three Cliques.”

“But if something happens at the Tang family while young hero is away, that would be an even bigger problem.”

How could he not worry about Tang Ha-ran whose childbirth was imminent? However, Jin Ja-gang was unwavering.

“My wife trusted me and let me go. If I return like this, she will be disappointed.”

Divine Nun looked at Jin Ja-gang with a pale face before forming a faint smile.

“Amitabha. That is… the great cause that Master Haewol wanted to leave behind. Recover quickly. We will stand guard.”

***

Woon-jeong was horrified.

“What is all this!”

Just when the atmosphere seemed strange, martial artists they encountered suddenly turned hostile. They began attacking Tang Ha-ran’s group indiscriminately. Not only that, but sounds of fighting could be heard from all directions beyond the walls.

“This way!”

The maid who had brought Tang Gwi-ok’s message guided Tang Ha-ran’s group through a shortcut. However, those who had started the rebellion were also Tang family members. They too knew the maze-like paths of the Tang Family Compound inside and out.

“The traitor is here!”

Tang family martial artists came rushing through the narrow passage in a crowd.

Im Yi-eon signaled to Tang Ha-ran with her eyes.

“It seems they’re pursuing this side.”

Im Yi-eon immediately turned around.

“I’ll hold them off for a while. But I won’t be able to last long.”

Bian Bu was shocked and tried to dissuade her.

“What are you thinking, with both arms broken and internal injuries!”

“After you saved me and even entrusted your disciple to me, I’d have no face to show if the wife comes to harm. Help me tie it.”

Im Yi-eon pointed to the sword at her waist.

Bian Bu looked back and forth between Tang Ha-ran and Im Yi-eon, but there was no other way. Bian Bu drew Im Yi-eon’s sword and tied it tightly to her broken wrist in place of a splint.

“Now go!”

Woon-jeong and So-so looked at Im Yi-eon with pitying faces.

Without looking back, Im Yi-eon stood upright like a rock and faced the approaching Tang family martial artists.

The maid led Tang Ha-ran and continued down the path. A four-way intersection appeared. The noisy sounds of martial artists running could be heard from the distance.

Tang Ha-ran had been holding back, but her water had broken and blood was flowing, leaving traces on the floor. Whichever way they fled, they would be discovered.

Bian Bu’s face turned pale.

Woon-jeong stepped forward.

“I’ll block them!”

“Damn it, Taoist Woon-jeong. That won’t preserve an adult’s dignity.”

Bian Bu threw away the crutch he was leaning on and flexed his ankle. It could move well enough.

“Excuse me.”

Bian Bu tore a large piece from Tang Ha-ran’s lower garments that were wet with blood and amniotic fluid. Then he walked in the opposite direction from where Tang Ha-ran’s group needed to go. He squeezed the torn cloth to leave traces on the floor. It was to lure the Tang family martial artists.

“Sword Emperor is right. If young lady Tang comes to harm, we’ll have no face to show when Poison Dragon arrives.”

After taking a deep breath, Bian Bu ran with somewhat uncomfortable steps.

“See you later!”

Tang Ha-ran forcibly endured her labor pains and asked the maid.

“What on earth is all this about?”

The maid guided Tang Ha-ran while speaking urgently.

“The family head recently learned of new insubordinate movements.”

“Ugh… wasn’t it led by the thirty-six branch clans who were outside? They were all dealt with.”

“That’s correct. But that wasn’t where it started. The thirty-six branches merely joined in. There was another secret line besides them.”

To think there was a force capable of shaking the Tang family, made up of blood relatives, this much!

This certainly wasn’t something that happened suddenly. For them to have penetrated this deeply meant it had been carefully prepared for a long time, even under King of Hell Tang Qing’s suffocatingly solid system.

“Where is… ugh, that place?”

“We couldn’t find that out. Please hurry.”

“Waaaah!”

“This way!”

Fighting broke out everywhere. Just by looking, it was impossible to tell which side was friend or foe. Situations arose where martial artists would jump out from the side, see Tang Ha-ran and charge at her, only to encounter groups of other martial artists and start sword fighting.

While continuing down the path, Tang Ha-ran stopped walking.

“Wait.”

Tang Ha-ran looked back at Woon-jeong and So-so.

“Since they’re targeting me, it would be better to separate here.”

Tang Ha-ran opened a secret passage to the side.

“You can escape to the outer areas as much as possible.”

“But… Poison Dragon hero will come soon. If we just hold out until then…!”

“My husband won’t come. Not until the work is finished.”

“What?”

Tang Ha-ran pointed to So-so next to Woon-jeong. So-so was tightly holding Woon-jeong’s hand.

“So until then, what the Taoist must protect isn’t me. Understand?”

Woon-jeong looked at the frightened So-so, then soon nodded.

The maid continued leading Tang Ha-ran deeper inside.

The place Tang Gwi-ok had arranged for Tang Ha-ran was none other than a small room attached to King of Hell Tang Qing’s quarters.

When the maid guided her to the room, Tang Ha-ran stopped despite sweating profusely from labor pains.

A midwife who had arrived beforehand immediately proceeded with the delivery.

“There’s no time! The baby is coming!”

The maid placed the family head’s seal in Tang Ha-ran’s hand. Tang Ha-ran gripped the seal tightly and clenched her teeth.

***

Soul-Seizing Hall Vice-Master Tang Yak led over ten subordinates and reached the Waterflower Gate in front of Tang Qing’s quarters.

Tang Yak’s gaze was cold. It was completely different from when she had gone on missions with Jin Ja-gang previously.

“So this is where you fled to in the end.”

Tang Ha-ran’s moaning could already be heard from outside the Waterflower Gate.

“A little more, a little more strength! It’s almost done!”

The midwife’s voice could also be heard.

Tang Yak gestured to order entry.

However, the Soul-Seizing Hall martial artists unconsciously hesitated.

This was a forbidden area.

Though unconscious, Tang Qing was a great tree who had supported the Tang family for decades and simultaneously an object of fear.

Any member of the Tang family would not be able to easily approach this forbidden area.

Creak.

The maid came out, opening the door to the inner room.

The maid politely bowed her head to greet Tang Yak. However, her tone was different.

“You cannot enter. As you know, this has been a forbidden area since the previous family head’s time.”

Tang Yak snorted and asked.

“A forbidden area means no one can be let in, right?”

But continued screams and moans came from inside.

“Someone is in the forbidden area. Who is it?”

“Young Miss Ha-ran is there.”

“Perfect. We happened to come to protect that person as well. We’ll take over here now, so you may go.”

The maid didn’t move. Tang Yak pressed her.

“We said we’ll protect her!”

“By the family head’s orders, I must stay by her side until the young miss safely completes childbirth.”

“I came with the family head’s orders. You go back now.”

“I’m sorry.”

Murderous intent appeared in Tang Yak’s eyes.

Then, from the room came a scream of unknown origin.

“AAAAAH!”

And simultaneously, a baby’s crying was heard.

“Waaah!”

The moment the maid turned her head with joy, Tang Yak extended his hand. A straight line connected from Tang Yak’s hand to the back of the maid’s head.

THUD!

A short sword was deeply embedded in the back of the maid’s head, piercing through to protrude from her forehead. The maid collapsed immediately.

Tang Yak commanded.

“If we don’t secure the child and wife before he returns, we die. Go.”

The martial artists hesitated briefly but soon entered the forbidden area with determined faces.

Then they found the room where the baby’s crying was coming from and kicked the door open.

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CRASH!

The teacup that Tang Gwi-ok dropped shattered into pieces.

Several swords had been thrust into Tang Gwi-ok’s body.

“How could this happen…”

Blood flowed steadily from her mouth.

Tang Gwi-ok raised her head to look at those who had stabbed her.

“I had some suspicions, but I never thought it would be you children…”

In Tang Gwi-ok’s room were gathered direct descendants of the Tang family ranging from teenagers to those in their twenties. Several elderly elders were also present.

The descendants gritted their teeth.

“This is all grandmother’s fault! How could you ignore us and try to make an outsider the head of the main family!”

“That’s right. Then what does that make us?”

“While we’ve been suffering through deadly hardships, suddenly Poison Dragon who did nothing appears and comfortably sits in the family head’s position? Does that even make sense?”

“I refuse to bow my head to such a person. I’d rather die than do it!”

Tang Gwi-ok coughed up blood while shaking her head.

“Why would I abandon you children to die? You are our family’s precious, precious future…”

“You threw your precious future into a snake pit? We nearly died there several times!”

“How could grandmother know how painful that was!”

The elders interjected from the side.

“The children speak the truth. You only say they’re precious with words, but didn’t you drive even the Soul-Seizing Hall Master who followed the family head so faithfully to death along with the innocent households of the thirty-six branches?”

“Their only crime was living in sacrifice for the main family from the outside.”

Tang Gwi-ok shook her head sideways.

“Poison Dragon… went up to the Min River despite the dishonor for our family’s sake… But how could…”

“Hmph. It must have been out of desire to become family head.”

Tang Gwi-ok reproached them.

“You should have comforted these children’s hearts, but how can you incite them to rebellion like this?”

“It’s for our survival. Family head, speak honestly. When he returns, he would have killed us all like the Soul-Seizing Hall Master. Isn’t that right?”

“Who on earth told you such things…”

The elders said.

“But such a thing will not happen! We will seize control of the Tang Family Compound before he returns.”

Screams and the sounds of clashing weapons had been coming from outside the window repeatedly.

“It seems not everyone participated in the rebellion.”

Tang Gwi-ok asked.

“When Poison Dragon returns… will you be able to handle him?”

Tension briefly appeared on the elders’ faces. However, they soon shook off the tension and said.

“How could Poison Dragon survive a path that even Master Haewol couldn’t return from alive? That’s impossible talk.”

“Even if he does return alive, we’ve thought of a method.”

“He cherishes Ha-ran, our family’s traitor, dearly. If we take Ha-ran and his child as hostages and lock down the Tang Family Compound, even he won’t be able to enter recklessly!”

Tang Gwi-ok let out a long sigh. Her vision became blurry.

“It’s all my fault. While I focused on internal family affairs… in the end I accomplished nothing.”

The elders approached with swords drawn.

“Don’t resent us.”

“We’re doing this because we too must survive. We can’t just sit still and die.”

A sword was thrust into Tang Gwi-ok’s heart. Until the moment of death, Tang Gwi-ok looked at the children who were blood relatives of the Tang family.

“Poor things…”

One elder told the descendants.

“You children find the family head’s seal. It must be somewhere in this room.”

But even when the children searched every corner of the room, the family head’s seal was nowhere to be found. Even the anxious elders joined in, but the seal could not be found anywhere in the room.

“Damn… the family head must have noticed our intentions and hidden it beforehand.”

“How did she find out? We showed no signs until Poison Dragon left.”

“More importantly, the seal is what matters.”

“Where it went is obvious. It must be with Ha-ran.”

The elders called their subordinates and gave orders.

“Find Tang Ha-ran!”

***

Divine Nun doubted her own ears.

“Really… you intend to do that?”

Jin Ja-gang nodded and answered once more.

“I will not return to the Tang family. There is still work to be done.”

Jin Ja-gang looked toward the downstream section of the Min River where the salt fleet had passed.

“Whether Thunder Emperor was used or not, the ships carrying Five Paths Fatal Poison are still threatening. To prevent them from leaving the Min River and spreading to the Central Plains, I will annihilate the remaining ships together with the Poison Sect’s Three Cliques.”

“But if something happens at the Tang family while young hero is away, that would be an even bigger problem.”

How could he not worry about Tang Ha-ran whose childbirth was imminent? However, Jin Ja-gang was unwavering.

“My wife trusted me and let me go. If I return like this, she will be disappointed.”

Divine Nun looked at Jin Ja-gang with a pale face before forming a faint smile.

“Amitabha. That is… the great cause that Master Haewol wanted to leave behind. Recover quickly. We will stand guard.”

***

Woon-jeong was horrified.

“What is all this!”

Just when the atmosphere seemed strange, martial artists they encountered suddenly turned hostile. They began attacking Tang Ha-ran’s group indiscriminately. Not only that, but sounds of fighting could be heard from all directions beyond the walls.

“This way!”

The maid who had brought Tang Gwi-ok’s message guided Tang Ha-ran’s group through a shortcut. However, those who had started the rebellion were also Tang family members. They too knew the maze-like paths of the Tang Family Compound inside and out.

“The traitor is here!”

Tang family martial artists came rushing through the narrow passage in a crowd.

Im Yi-eon signaled to Tang Ha-ran with her eyes.

“It seems they’re pursuing this side.”

Im Yi-eon immediately turned around.

“I’ll hold them off for a while. But I won’t be able to last long.”

Bian Bu was shocked and tried to dissuade her.

“What are you thinking, with both arms broken and internal injuries!”

“After you saved me and even entrusted your disciple to me, I’d have no face to show if the wife comes to harm. Help me tie it.”

Im Yi-eon pointed to the sword at her waist.

Bian Bu looked back and forth between Tang Ha-ran and Im Yi-eon, but there was no other way. Bian Bu drew Im Yi-eon’s sword and tied it tightly to her broken wrist in place of a splint.

“Now go!”

Woon-jeong and So-so looked at Im Yi-eon with pitying faces.

Without looking back, Im Yi-eon stood upright like a rock and faced the approaching Tang family martial artists.

The maid led Tang Ha-ran and continued down the path. A four-way intersection appeared. The noisy sounds of martial artists running could be heard from the distance.

Tang Ha-ran had been holding back, but her water had broken and blood was flowing, leaving traces on the floor. Whichever way they fled, they would be discovered.

Bian Bu’s face turned pale.

Woon-jeong stepped forward.

“I’ll block them!”

“Damn it, Taoist Woon-jeong. That won’t preserve an adult’s dignity.”

Bian Bu threw away the crutch he was leaning on and flexed his ankle. It could move well enough.

“Excuse me.”

Bian Bu tore a large piece from Tang Ha-ran’s lower garments that were wet with blood and amniotic fluid. Then he walked in the opposite direction from where Tang Ha-ran’s group needed to go. He squeezed the torn cloth to leave traces on the floor. It was to lure the Tang family martial artists.

“Sword Emperor is right. If young lady Tang comes to harm, we’ll have no face to show when Poison Dragon arrives.”

After taking a deep breath, Bian Bu ran with somewhat uncomfortable steps.

“See you later!”

Tang Ha-ran forcibly endured her labor pains and asked the maid.

“What on earth is all this about?”

The maid guided Tang Ha-ran while speaking urgently.

“The family head recently learned of new insubordinate movements.”

“Ugh… wasn’t it led by the thirty-six branch clans who were outside? They were all dealt with.”

“That’s correct. But that wasn’t where it started. The thirty-six branches merely joined in. There was another secret line besides them.”

To think there was a force capable of shaking the Tang family, made up of blood relatives, this much!

This certainly wasn’t something that happened suddenly. For them to have penetrated this deeply meant it had been carefully prepared for a long time, even under King of Hell Tang Qing’s suffocatingly solid system.

“Where is… ugh, that place?”

“We couldn’t find that out. Please hurry.”

“Waaaah!”

“This way!”

Fighting broke out everywhere. Just by looking, it was impossible to tell which side was friend or foe. Situations arose where martial artists would jump out from the side, see Tang Ha-ran and charge at her, only to encounter groups of other martial artists and start sword fighting.

While continuing down the path, Tang Ha-ran stopped walking.

“Wait.”

Tang Ha-ran looked back at Woon-jeong and So-so.

“Since they’re targeting me, it would be better to separate here.”

Tang Ha-ran opened a secret passage to the side.

“You can escape to the outer areas as much as possible.”

“But… Poison Dragon hero will come soon. If we just hold out until then…!”

“My husband won’t come. Not until the work is finished.”

“What?”

Tang Ha-ran pointed to So-so next to Woon-jeong. So-so was tightly holding Woon-jeong’s hand.

“So until then, what the Taoist must protect isn’t me. Understand?”

Woon-jeong looked at the frightened So-so, then soon nodded.

The maid continued leading Tang Ha-ran deeper inside.

The place Tang Gwi-ok had arranged for Tang Ha-ran was none other than a small room attached to King of Hell Tang Qing’s quarters.

When the maid guided her to the room, Tang Ha-ran stopped despite sweating profusely from labor pains.

A midwife who had arrived beforehand immediately proceeded with the delivery.

“There’s no time! The baby is coming!”

The maid placed the family head’s seal in Tang Ha-ran’s hand. Tang Ha-ran gripped the seal tightly and clenched her teeth.

***

Soul-Seizing Hall Vice-Master Tang Yak led over ten subordinates and reached the Waterflower Gate in front of Tang Qing’s quarters.

Tang Yak’s gaze was cold. It was completely different from when she had gone on missions with Jin Ja-gang previously.

“So this is where you fled to in the end.”

Tang Ha-ran’s moaning could already be heard from outside the Waterflower Gate.

“A little more, a little more strength! It’s almost done!”

The midwife’s voice could also be heard.

Tang Yak gestured to order entry.

However, the Soul-Seizing Hall martial artists unconsciously hesitated.

This was a forbidden area.

Though unconscious, Tang Qing was a great tree who had supported the Tang family for decades and simultaneously an object of fear.

Any member of the Tang family would not be able to easily approach this forbidden area.

Creak.

The maid came out, opening the door to the inner room.

The maid politely bowed her head to greet Tang Yak. However, her tone was different.

“You cannot enter. As you know, this has been a forbidden area since the previous family head’s time.”

Tang Yak snorted and asked.

“A forbidden area means no one can be let in, right?”

But continued screams and moans came from inside.

“Someone is in the forbidden area. Who is it?”

“Young Miss Ha-ran is there.”

“Perfect. We happened to come to protect that person as well. We’ll take over here now, so you may go.”

The maid didn’t move. Tang Yak pressed her.

“We said we’ll protect her!”

“By the family head’s orders, I must stay by her side until the young miss safely completes childbirth.”

“I came with the family head’s orders. You go back now.”

“I’m sorry.”

Murderous intent appeared in Tang Yak’s eyes.

Then, from the room came a scream of unknown origin.

“AAAAAH!”

And simultaneously, a baby’s crying was heard.

“Waaah!”

The moment the maid turned her head with joy, Tang Yak extended his hand. A straight line connected from Tang Yak’s hand to the back of the maid’s head.

THUD!

A short sword was deeply embedded in the back of the maid’s head, piercing through to protrude from her forehead. The maid collapsed immediately.

Tang Yak commanded.

“If we don’t secure the child and wife before he returns, we die. Go.”

The martial artists hesitated briefly but soon entered the forbidden area with determined faces.

Then they found the room where the baby’s crying was coming from and kicked the door open.

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