It didn't take long for the Tang family's situation to settle down.

Tang Gunak moved as if he was waiting for this moment. He swiftly took down the power and authority of the Elders and threw Tang Woe into the dungeon.

At the same time, the Elders were criticized for failing to do their role, and even the Great Elders had their powers restricted.

The Great Elders tried to protect their authority, but it was the Lord who had the upper hand this time. No matter how supreme the role of the Great Elder was, without people supporting them, they couldn't oppose the authority of the Lord.

In the end, they, too, had to step down from their power and retreat.

The family members, including Tang Hak, who sympathized with the efforts of Tang Woe, were imprisoned right away…

"The investigation is moving slowly."

"The reason?"

Tang Gunak nodded and poured tea for Chung Myung.

"Wasn't the sin too obvious?"

"Right. If you put your mind to it, you don't have to waste this much time trying to prove their guilt. Besides, what they did is so serious that they will never do it again."

"Then why is time being wasted?"

"Because there are too many things to organize."

"Aha."

Chung Myung nodded.

While Tang Woe was being investigated, there was an atmosphere of fear that clouded the entire family. The eldest of the family was being investigated. Who would dare speak out in such a situation?

This meant that the Lord would take advantage of the atmosphere to get everything he could from this situation.

"You are a more terrifying person than I thought."

"You shouldn't speak of just me alone."

"What have I done?"

"Don't get me started."

Tang Gunak shook his head.

The life Chung Myung had lived was both long and short at the same time, depending on how one thought about it.

It was the absurd strength of Chung Myung that piqued Tang Gunak's interest. Even so, how could he explain the emotions he felt from this man he couldn't think of as just a young warrior?

'Maybe accepting Mount Hua as a friend was the best choice of my life.'

Well.

As Chung Myung said, it wasn't the Tang family that chose Mount Hua, but Mount Hua that chose the Tang family.

"True, but will it be fine?"

"What?"

"Tang Pae?"

"Ah, him?"

Chung Myung smiled bitterly.

"It is true that what he did was wrong, but what is the point of cutting him off from the position of successor?"

"Tang Pae is timid. You can tell that just by looking at what he did."

"Lord. I don't know if it might come out as arrogant for me to say this now, but…"

"At this point?"

"…"

'No, what are you saying!'

'Cheap bastard.'

"Uh, anyway."

"Ahem, sure speak."

Chung Myung spoke there,

"People learn from their mistakes. Um… no, calling it a mistake is a mistake in itself."

"…"

"Why do you think Tang Woe did such a thing?"

"Well. I am curious about it too. He wasn't that strange when I was the successor."

"It must be because he lived in the Tang family."

"…"

"The Tang family isn't harming or causing suffering to anyone. You do not know many things that are happening in the world. So, you live with the little things that you know and vie for the position of a successor or Lord. Seeing the world, facing failure, frustration and making mistakes… they all make us feel miserable. We grow as people. Conversely…"

Chung Myung looked at Tang Gunak and said.

"No one can grow under someone who snatches away everything because of one mistake."

Tang Gunak, who knew what Chung Myung was getting at, nodded quietly.

"I mean, no one is perfect from the start."

"Everyone's the same."

Chung Myung was the same too.

Along with being unmatched in martial arts, he had a personality which was tilted toward chaos.

If he hadn't been reincarnated, he would have never known how terrible he was in the past… he would've never known how much his sahyungs had to suffer and endure while they tried to turn this terrible person into a human.

In other words, if his sahyungs had been reluctant to take in Chung Myung because of his character, then this version of Chung Myung would have never existed.

"It isn't like we humans don't make mistakes at all. We are human because we learn from our mistakes."

"Right. It is a basic thing. And I forgot the basics."

Tang Gunak sighed softly.

Tang Pae was his child. He could have handled the situation with a little more ease.

In addition, hadn't Tang Pae said that he would accept any punishment that was given to him for his mistake? He even said he would give up his position as the successor and also went ahead and caught the spy who was trying to hurt their guests.

When Chung Myung said this, it felt like a stone had been thrown at his head.

"But is it fine? Tang Pae threw a knife at you. If Tang Pae becomes the head of the family, you will have to face him often. Will you be able to see him?"

"Why will I not?"

"Uh?"

"For me to be unable to see him face to face, he has to be stronger than me. And it would be nice if Tang Pae himself took the position of greeting me. After putting the knife in my stomach so shamelessly, would he be able to backstab me again?"

"…"

"Huhuhuhu. That is true. Thanks."

Tang Gunak had initially resolved that Tang Pae would never get to be the Lord.

"… I understand what you mean. But it is also true that Tang Pae made a mistake, so I will make sure to have a fair competition for the position of the successor. That will help in his growth as well."

"You should do what you feel is right."

Tang Gunak sighed.

"The next matter…"

He touched his head. His demeanour was different from his usual dignified form.

"Soso… Soso wants to enter Mount Hua."

"What is it with her?"

"Kuak! I want to know too!"

Tang Gunak roared.

His daughter, whom he had cherished and raised so well all this while, now wanted to go to Mount Hua.

"Do you want me to say no?"

"Do you have the authority to do that?"

"I don't. But Baek Cheon sasuk… well, he will just say that the Sect Leader should be the one to decide."

"What kind of person is the Sect Leader?"

"Huhuhu. A woman from the Tang family. Someone who is too big to be embraced by Mount Hua is coming. We will give her a comfortable seat and take good care of her."

"…"

"That is the kind of person he is."

Tang Gunak sighed.

"I don't want to send Soso to Mount Hua."

"Sure."

"… so take care of her."

"Huh?"

'What are you saying?'

Tang Gunak sighed.

"No matter how much power I hold in the family, I cannot change the traditions which have been passed down for hundreds of years in a single day. There will be a huge backlash."

"…okay."

"I want her to be happy. But if there is no way she can be happy in her own family, then I want to send her to a place where she can be happy."

"Why does that have to be Mount Hua? I would recommend the Wudang Sect. Ah, the Emei Sect would be fine too."

"You want my daughter to turn into a monk?"

Tang Gunak's eyes flared up.

Seeing that, Chung Myung gulped.

'He is a man who loves his daughter too much!'

"Anyway, please take care of my child. If you take care of her, I can send her off confidently."

"No- who is accepting her? I don't want to. I cannot be a nanny for someone at this age."

"My daughter is older, though?"

"Age doesn't matter here."

"…"

Tang Gunak looked at Chung Myung with a disappointed face and said,

"Didn't you ask me to give you our practitioners?"

"That is a topic we went over before! Are you trying to use that here?"

"Soso is an expert in that area."

"…what?"

Tang Gunak's face changed.

"Soso has learned a few cultivation techniques to cleanse the body and some light qi usage techniques which are not exactly included in the legacy of the family."

"Mount Hua practitioners do that too."

"And she has also learned about medicine and herbs. There is nothing else for her to learn about them. She has had the entire medical knowledge of the family passed down to her. She is now the best disciple of the medicine head of the family. Her level is so advanced that the medicine head wants her to take over his position rather than getting married."

"Hehehe. Honestly, it was my wish to receive her under us!"

"…"

"…"

Tang Gunak felt seriously concerned now.

'Can I really trust this one?'

The man called Chung Myung became stranger and stranger as one spent more time with him. Sometimes he was the most reliable person, and other times his behavior was like he wanted to lead everyone to their deaths.

"Of course, it isn't because of that."

"Of course. It is a promise. She will pass down all the techniques she knows to the disciples of Mount Hua. If you are not satisfied, additional members of the Tang family will come to her aid. But Soso can be the initial helper."

"Yes."

Chung Myung smiled and nodded.

"As soon as you people leave, I, along with Soso and my family, will head to Mount Hua. And I will meet the Sect Leader and explain to him the situation at hand and then let Soso join the Sect."

"The Lord will head there personally?"

"If a person wants to be friends with you, they cannot send their subordinates, right?"

"Um."

Chung Myung smiled.

"Sounds like you really want us to be friends?"

"Will that not work?"

"As if it wouldn't," Chung Myung said.

But he didn't want this to happen. The Tang family wasn't inferior to Mount Hua. No… rather, the Tang family was a huge ally for Mount Hua right now.

And wasn't there a part of Chung Myung from the past that connected him to the Tang family personally?

"Our departure has been delayed for a day, so you can join them tomorrow and head to Yunnan."

"Ah, it has been so long. We should have left sooner."

"May I ask why you are going to Yunnan?"

"It is a secret."

"A secret that is important enough to be hidden from your friends?"

"I will tell you if our Sect Leader permits it."

Tang Gunak laughed.

How could Mount Hua's Sect Leader permit that now?

"In the end, I'll need to go to Mount Hua myself and listen to it."

"Right. The choice will be made by the Sect Leader."

"Well…"

Tang Gunak nodded his head. This was the end of the discussion between him and Chung Myung.

So now…

Tang Gunak rose from his seat.

"Huh? What is it?"

He bowed his head at the puzzled Chung Myung.

"We have received undeserved grace from you."

"Ah. What is it? I told you about this last time as well!'

"It was a greeting from the Tang family last time, and this is a greeting from Tang Gunak."

"…"

"Thank you. Really, thank you."

Chung Myung looked at the smiling Tang Gunak.

On the surface, Chung Myung might have looked like a greedy person, but he had done so much for the Tang family.

'Actually, if one gets to know him well, the warmth that is in his heart…'

"Just words?"

'…it has to be there, right?'

Tang Gunak's face turned red.

"You are basically robbing us of everything!"

"You need to do that much for a friend!"

"Where in the world would such a friend even exist!"

"Heheh. Don't get angry and just listen. It isn't really a big deal."

"…if it isn't such a huge deal, then how come I wasn't told about it before?"

"Because it is possible only now."

"Uh?"

Tang Gunak frowned.

'If it wouldn't work then, why would it work now?'

This would mean that it was a task that was only possible if Tang Gunak had full control over the family. And now, with the elders devoid of their power, Tang Gunak would be able to do it himself. If this was the case, then it couldn't be a small thing.

"What I want is…"

Chung Myung whispered.

Tang Gunak's face was dyed in shock.

"W-what was that?"

"It is exactly as you heard."

"…where will you use that? Ah, it can be used, but…"

"It isn't that much of a problem, right?"

Tang Gunak's face contorted.

"As you may know, the poison of the Tang family cannot be simply given to outsiders."

"I know. This will be the only time."

"Hmm."

Tang Gunak frowned.

And then he sighed.

With the elders suspended from their posts, he could give Chung Myung what he wanted, but…

"You're really robbing me of the last of my emergency funds I had saved up!"

"You can do that much for a friend who has to travel a long way, right?"

"Kuak."

Tang Gunak looked at Chung Myung and smiled.

"Good. But if I do that, I will lose a lot of money, so I have some conditions."

"For a Lord, you seem to like putting so many conditions. What is it?"

Tang Gunak hesitated and said.

"Show it to me one more time."

"Uh?"

"The sword technique that you used on the stage."

"…"

"Show it to me one more time."

Chung Myung smiled quietly.

It would go on forever.

Even if a person disappears, the meaning martial arts held would continue.

What the ancestor achieved during his lifetime would be passed on to future generations. And as long as the will behind it continued, the will of that man would never disappear.

'Right.'

'This is what martial sects are about.'

Chung Myung smiled.

"That is quite difficult."

"Is it difficult?"

"If you feed me a lot of Sichuan food, I will show it to you again!"

Tang Gunak smiled brightly.

"I will feed you as much as you want. So much that your stomach will just literally explode."

The two smiled, holding each other's hands.