The Eldest Daughter of the Tang Clan of Sichuan Protects the Family

Part 1

Chapter 6. Emei Mountain

Clack.

The palanquin window opened slightly, and the troubled voice of an escort was heard.

"Young Lady, we can't go up any further in the palanquin from here."

Tang So-hwa nodded. She had already heard that there was a lake up ahead.

When she stepped outside the palanquin, a crouched figure came into view.

"Sister, please get on my back."

When she didn't, Tang Hak turned his head to look at So-hwa.

With his thick eyebrows twitching, Tang Hak patted his own back.

"You'll lose your flower shoes. From here on, I'll carry you on my back!"

... What's wrong with this child.

The heavy thoughts that had filled her head for a moment completely vanished.

So-hwa swallowed a sigh and asked Tang Hak,

"... Hak-ah, do you know why we can't go any further in the palanquin?"

"Because the waterway is rough! But I'll be fine. Please, get on my back, sister."

His cheerfulness was so overwhelming that it felt like her own mind was being emptied out along with his.

It was a very unpleasant feeling.

It was a thought she had often had these days, but perhaps distancing herself from this child in the past hadn't been such a bad choice after all.

"That empty-headed fool is the Young Lord? Ha, the Tang Clan is doomed."

From behind, Tang Min clicked his tongue. Startled, Tang Hak avoided his gaze, reading the mood.

Splash.

At that moment, the sound of cool water was heard. A single boat floated on the wide lakeshore. The Black Tiger Unit martial artists who had come along had scouted ahead and found a way to travel.

They were originally searching for signs of human habitation. If there were no means to cross the lake nearby, this gorge couldn't be where the Yeonju Group was staying, and they would have to turn back.

But the reason the Black Tiger Unit hadn't said they should go back was because they had found a way to cross.

Tang Hak was the only one who didn't understand that unspoken implication.

So-hwa patted Tang Hak on the back and stepped aside.

"I'm thankful for your willingness to carry me across the lake, but I don't wish to drown on your back."

Tang Hak awkwardly cleared his throat and straightened his back.

"Ahem, no wonder Yun-jin disappeared—he must have gone to find a boat."

As if that comment didn't sit well with him, Tang Min muttered,

"When we return, I'll have to seriously suggest to that Ji-ha to change the Young Lord. We can just sit him down during a meeting and beat him up together."

He was naturally committing insubordination by speaking informally about the Clan Head, but no one around found it strange. Some were even intimidated by those words.

"Gr-Grand Elder! Please don't speak that way to Father. I'll do better."

The Mad Hound just shook his head with a serious expression.

"What good would that do? If it's a lack of martial strength, you can be beaten and taught—but stupidity has no cure."

"Y-You're going to beat me?"

Startled, Tang Hak wrapped his arms around his shoulders and stepped back.

"... You're really making me want to hit you."

So-hwa, ignoring the old man's bickering, turned her gaze to the gorge.

She could see a clear lake surrounding a sharply descending peak.

Whether it had been artificially dug or was the result of a landslide, the area around the cliff was deeply sunken. Because of that, the valley water had spread widely around the gorge like a lake.

Splash.

Before she knew it, Tang Min had quietly approached her and spoke.

"Over the past half-century, many wanderers have tried to find the Yeonju Group."

Tang So-hwa nodded slightly at his words.

Those facing death often sought the Yeonju Group, clutching at any hope, wasting their lives in the process.

"If, as you claim, the Yeonju Group still exists, those who discovered them before us might already be there. They could even be living among them."

Tang Min scratched his temple with his hand.

"It's not that I lack the ability to protect you children... but are you truly okay with this? Now that we have a rough idea of the location, wouldn't it be wiser to inform Ji-ha—no, the Clan Head—and mobilize the main force of the Black Tiger Unit?"

So-hwa quietly shook her head.

The Black Tiger Unit was one of the martial forces belonging to the Tang Clan. Their specialty was moving silently and launching ambushes without leaving a trace.

The people accompanying them now were not the full strength of the Black Tiger Unit. Because the leader was away, only ten elites, including the deputy leader, accompanied them.

For So-hwa, who wanted to visit quietly with Tang Min, even the current number of people felt too many.

Of course, her father didn't think so.

Her father had firmly opposed Tang Min's request. He had never believed the Yeonju Group was at Emei Mountain. He found it strange to believe in the existence of the Yeonju Group based solely on a note found in a bamboo tube.

Tang Min, on the other hand, was someone who often indulged So-hwa's requests. Having lived in Sichuan for nearly a century, Emei Mountain felt like his own backyard, so he hardly gave a second thought to accompanying her.

This was the difference between the Clan Head, Tang Ji-ha, and Grand Elder Tang Min.

Perhaps that was why no one had stopped Tang Min when he stepped down from the position of Clan Head decades ago.

So-hwa understood the judgment of her ancestors.

She appreciated his support, but his unfounded faith made her uneasy.

The only evidence So-hwa had presented was the unusual medicinal ingredients, which weren't something reliable.

So-hwa had lied about the note being in the bamboo tube. The note contained a prescription with unknown phrases, and it was a fake list she had made up herself.

The Tang Clan was widely known for its poisons and hidden weapons, but they were also a famous family of physicians.

At the Tang Clan's Medical Hall, there were books not only about the family's vision but also medical texts brought from outside. Among them was a record about the Yeonju Group.

It was said that the Divine Physician Yeonju bizarrely had a brewery and an apiary in their estate. It wasn't because she liked liquor and honey. She used those precious ingredients for treatment.

It is said that the distilled liquor made by Yeonju was so poisonous that its taste was secondary, and it was almost impossible to swallow. When cutting a patient's flesh, she poured that precious poison liquor like water and applied it to the wound every half-shichen (roughly two hours), using it like a precious healing ointment.

Moreover, she was more interested in propolis, the substance that bees use to fortify their hives, than in honey. It was said that she would grind the small amount of propolis she collected from the hives and feed it to her patients, and when they couldn't stomach its awful taste, she later mixed it with expensive honey.

Nevertheless, the Divine Physician Yeonju never fell into financial hardship; instead, she expanded her influence and even formed the Yeonju Group, which hinted at the high level of her medical skills.

Tang So-hwa argued that it was strange to request both kook-eol (a fermentation agent used in brewing liquor) and propolis together on the note, claiming that this was Yeonju's treatment method.

Although the Clan Head and Grand Elder Tang Min had basic medical knowledge, they were not familiar with the finer details. Therefore, they couldn't have known about the lost Divine Physician Yeonju's treatment methods.

Grand Elder Tang Min, without verifying the facts, declared that he would go search for the Yeonju Group, and the Clan Head ordered the note to be discarded without any intent to confirm it.

Extreme faith and distrust.

The two adults, with opposing dispositions, had an argument over the Yeonju Group.

In the struggle between the two pillars that supported the Tang Clan, Tang So-hwa felt as though she had lost half of the life she had just regained.

- Well, a child might lie a little. Why are you so particular about it?

- Lying should never be allowed, Grand Elder.

Her father spoke with a smile in response to the Grand Elder's sarcasm.

- And who in the Tang Clan would dare lie to the Clan Head? You must know how severe the Tang Clan's laws are.

For reference, according to the Tang Clan's laws, those who dishonored the Clan Head would face the death penalty.

Rather than being intimidated by this, the Grand Elder clicked his tongue and spoke to the Clan Head.

- If a child who doesn't usually act this way is doing so now, there must be a reason. We should trust them with an open heart. That way, if something happens later, they'll report it quickly and prevent things from spiraling out of control. Tsk, tsk. Isn't that why the Young Lord always sneaks away whenever he sees you? You may excel in your work, but you're ruining your child's education.

At that moment, So-hwa felt a chill. The temperature around her dropped so much that she wondered if her father had learned the Yin cold energy technique.

Soon, the Clan Head smiled and looked at the Grand Elder.

- I don't understand why someone who knows how to educate children so well is living alone at your age. Ah, well, children aren't born alone, after all.

- ......

The items around Tang Min floated about an inch off the ground. However, the Clan Head pretended not to see it, calmly sipping his tea.

In the tense atmosphere, So-hwa found herself thinking.

... Should I just give up on Yeon-ah?

The atmosphere was so terrible that such a weak thought flickered through her mind.

Unable to bear her frustration any longer, So-hwa interrupted the conversation between the two adults.

- Why do you think I'm lying?"

She spoke, not hiding her discontent.

- If you don't believe me, why not ask the Head of the Medical Hall to verify it?"

Having lied about the note itself, So-hwa boldly acted as though the issue was with its contents. So confidently that both Tang Min and the Clan Head asked the Head of the Medical Hall to confirm the details.

The Head of the Medical Hall confirmed that it was true. Naturally. So-hwa's recollection of the Yeonju Group was something she had often heard from the Head of the Medical Hall.

"Yoing lady, we're not the Yeonju Group, so you can't just use medicinal ingredients recklessly. Of course, the Tang Clan's wealth is immeasurable, but the pests in the Tang Clan's food storage are as numerous as the insects in a rice basket. You should value the Medical Hall's resources. It's a small step for the prosperity of the Tang Clan."

That was something she had heard repeatedly whenever medicinal ingredients were taken out.

In the end, the Clan Head couldn't refuse Tang Min's request to verify the existence of the Yeonju Group.

Still, in his last act of pride, he suggested sending the Young Lord instead.

So, after saying it was too dangerous to go, he suddenly suggested sending the Young Lord there?

Tang Min was puzzled, but the Clan Head immediately summoned Tang Hak and ordered him to go with them. Seeing the situation, Tang Hak, realizing that he was going in place of his sister, resolutely bowed and promised to go well.

Despite his fearsome look, it seemed that Tang Hak would sacrifice himself for his sibling.

Watching this, So-hwa finally interrupted the conversation.

She expressed her frustration, asking why he couldn't trust her and questioning why he had taught her martial arts if he didn't believe her. Eventually, the Clan Head set conditions and agreed to let Tang So-hwa join the group.

She would go with the clan's elite force, the Black Tiger Unit, report the situation every hour using a messenger bird, and bring along food and cooks to ensure they didn't skip meals.

Tang Min, who had no intention of babysitting at his age, almost grabbed the Clan Head by the collar for making such absurd demands.

Recalling the chaotic scene, So-hwa pressed her temples.

She now understood why the ancestors had set the limit for repayment of kindness to only double. If they had said to repay kindness tenfold, many of the Tang Clan members would have abandoned their surname.

Repaying kindness turned out to be this difficult.

In the end, So-hwa reluctantly set out, accompanied by Tang Min, Tang Hak, the deputy leader, and ten elite members of the Black Tiger Unit.

Though she had no choice but to go under the command of the Clan Head, So-hwa felt burdened by the number of people involved.

She shook her head and rejected Tang Min's suggestion to bring the main force.

"If we bring the main force, it will attract too much attention. There are many perceptive people around Emei Mountain. If the main force accompanies us, it could lead to unnecessary misunderstandings."

Emei Mountain was home to the Emei sect. If they noticed, it could cause trouble. If they marched in with a martial force in their territory, anyone would feel uneasy.

Moreover, revealing that they were here to find the group felt like wasting valuable information.

Even though they were both part of the same Murim Alliance, there was no need to share information unless it posed a direct threat to the Central Plains.

If Divine Physician's presence were to bring chaos to the central plains, it would be problematic, but in this peaceful time, the Divine Physician was not someone who could overturn the world. Now, if a Heavenly Demon or a Blood Demon who could shatter the peace appeared, that would be a different matter.

Tang Min nodded in agreement with So-hwa's words.

"True. We were the ones who did the work. I can't just let some lazy Taoists take the credit for finding the Divine Physician."

Though he said this, Tang Min's thoughts were clearly driven by greed—he was not about to let someone else enjoy the fruits of their labor. So-hwa smiled and spoke again.

"And there's another reason."