Chapter 557: Chapter 1445: What Should I Do? (Part 5)
The day brightened, and those who had collapsed as if dead during the night slowly got up one by one.
Despite the famous warmth of the Sichuan land, the morning on this field felt unusually chilly. No, perhaps the chilliness wasn't from the temperature but from the hearts of those who woke up this morning.
"Now, what should we do?"
"We should prepare to leave first. We're going to Mount Hua." [not sure]
Amidst the chaotic atmosphere, the members of the Tang Family tidied up their bedding and looked around. Not far from there, the disciples of Mount Hua, with faces similar to those of the Tang Family, were rubbing their faces and washing up.
"Ugh... I thought my lips were going to freeze."
Jo Gol shivered.
In fact, camping in the fields wasn't a big deal for them. They had experienced lying on the roadside like this following that stubborn guy, so it was somewhat routine.
Yet, this time, the unusual coldness and discomfort suggested that their bodies were truly exhausted.
"But the Tang Family members checked our condition yesterday."
"Yes, Sahyung. They even gave praises."
"Oh, really? What did they say?"
"They said if we wanted to die before thirty, we should keep living like this."
...Yoon Jong shook his head.
In reality, the members of the Five Swords were all in bad shape.
They needed to find some time for rest and recovery. Especially...
"Sasuk, are you okay?"
Baek Cheon turned to look at Yoon Jong, whose worry was evident.
"...Your face looks quite pale."
"My face is naturally fair."
"No, not like that. Really pale..."
"I'm naturally pale."
"..."
As Baek Cheon observed Yoon Jong's expression, he seemed to be asking if Yoon Jong was envious. The corners of Yoon Jong's mouth trembled. Maybe this guy should just die.
Yoon Jong turned his head to glance briefly at the Tang Family members.
"But more importantly, the atmosphere is not good."
"Yeah."
Baek Cheon nodded at those words.
The absence of people doesn't immediately feel real. They probably didn't realize it yesterday because they were in a state of panic. However, after a night of rest, the reality must be sinking in.
Those who lived together and faced each other had now gone down a path they couldn't return from. And now, the survivors had to leave Sichuan and live in an unfamiliar place.
"I'm worried. Those people..."
"That's just one of our worries."
"Huh?"
Yoon Jong looked at Jo Gol with a puzzled expression. Jo Gol's face showed signs of discontent. Yoon Jong sighed deeply.
"What's bothering you now?"
"Well, it's not like a cat is thinking about mice. Why is Mount Hua worried about the Tang Family? Do you think those guys will go bankrupt just because a few of their pavilions were burnt?"
"..."
"Even now, the Tang Family is probably in a better situation than the Mount Hua Sect."
Yoon Jong forced a wry smile. Of course, Jo Gol wasn't entirely wrong. Anyway, the Tang Family preserved their fighting force and still held significant influence.
However, the situation for the Tang Family wasn't as simple as Jo Gol made it sound. The crucial point was that now they had nothing left to lose. Just as Mount Hua lost the essence of their martial arts and were driven to the brink of destruction, the Tang Family would experience a similar fate. No matter how strong the Tang Family was, with the loss of important figures and the depletion of their power, the downfall was inevitable.
It might be okay for now. But as the generations went by, their decline would become more and more evident.
'Perhaps the one suffering the most right now is not Gaju-nim, but Sogaju-nim.'
Yoon Jong's gaze turned to Tang Pae. He was assisting the elderly with an unreadable expression on his face.
He must be going through a lot. If Yoon Jong were in his position, by now, his mind would have been complicated to the point of bursting with worry and burden.
"But where is Gaju-nim?"
"True. We haven't seen him since earlier."
At that moment, the disciples of the Tang Family were bustling around, looking for Tang Gunak.
"There he is."
A little further away, the figure of Tang Gunak walking towards them in the field became visible.
Baek Cheon let out a sigh that seemed like a suppressed gasp.
The expression on Tang Gyunak's face appeared slightly more relaxed than yesterday, which could be just Baek Cheon's impression since Tang Gyunak was generally expressionless.
Approaching the gathering of Tang Family members, Tang Gyunak gestured casually.
"Sogaju."
"Yes, Gaju-nim."
As if anticipating, Tang Pae, who approached Tang Gyunak, lowered his head.
"We will soon finish preparations to leave. To ensure no issues..."
"No. Stop all the work for now and gather everyone in one place."
"Uh... yes?"
Tang Pae raised his head slightly, looking slightly bewildered. However, he quickly understood Tang Gyunak's intention and replied.
"Yes. I'll gather the martial artists."
"I clearly said 'everyone.'"
"Gaju-nim?"
Tang Gyunak spoke with an unchanged expression.
"All those with the surname Tang. Gather everyone who can speak and express their opinions without exception."
Tang Pae hesitated to respond immediately. It wasn't because he didn't understand Tang Gyunak's instructions. As far as he knew, this was an unprecedented event in the Tang Family.
Although the Sichuan Tang Family was known by a single name, strict divisions existed within. Each had a vision that they needed to keep secret from others, making in occasions when individuals with different roles gathered in one place rare.
But now, it wasn't even about gathering those in charge; Tang Gyunak wanted everyone.
"Haven't you understood yet?"
"No, Gaju-nim. I understand. I'll implement it right away."
Tang Pae vigorously nodded his head.
In this way, everyone with the Tang surname gathered around.
And the disciples of Mount Hua watched from a distance. Although the Tang Family members hadn't explicitly asked them to make way, it seemed appropriate.
"It's quite a strange sight."
"That's right."
The prestigious Tang Family in the renowned Sichuan. Witnessing the members of this prestigious family, who secured the position of the second-ranked member of the Five Great Families, all sitting in such a desolate field, was undoubtedly not a common sight.
"But... is this okay?"
"What do you mean?"
"Isn't this place not particularly safe?"
At Yoon Jong's words, Baek Cheon glanced towards the south.
Certainly, Myriad Man Manor had retreated, but there was no guarantee they wouldn't attack again. Especially if it was Jang Ilso, at this moment, they might be planning unexpected moves.
"Gaju-nim surely knows that"
"Well, that's true, but..."
"Then it must be one of the two. Either he is absolutely certain that Myriad Man Manor will not attack again, or..."
Baek Cheon's gaze was fixed on Tang Gyunak, who was seated in the center of the Tang Family members.
"Or he considers the problem they have to deal with here more important than the threat from Myriad Man Manor."
"...I'm guessing it's the latter."
Yoon Jong nodded in understanding, looking at Tang Gunak.
"I understand, but... Is it possible to find a solution quickly by having such discussions in a place like this?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk."
At that moment, a strangely accusatory clicking sound was heard. Yoon Jong turned his head towards the source of the sound. Without him knowing it, the devil had approached and was staring at him with the face of a three-hundred-year-old man.
"How can someone so young think so stubbornly?"
"I'm older than you..."
I'm your Sahyung, Chung Myung. Surprisingly.
"What's important is not finding a solution. It's the intention to find a solution."
"Huh? What's the difference?"
"If you must reach the correct conclusion on the spot, the people who will open their mouths are already predetermined."
"Oh..."
"Ah..."
Yoon Jong nodded. Because he had experienced such situations himself. Experiences where even if he had thoughts, he couldn't easily open his mouth.
"The crucial thing is to enable everyone to speak. Anyone should be able to speak, share their thoughts, and ensure that those thoughts are not ignored."
"...Isn't that obvious?"
"Yeah, it's obvious. The problem is that this obvious thing hasn't been realized at all in the Tang Family."
The Tang Family had changed a lot. There was undoubtedly a significant difference between the time when Chung Myung first visited the Tang Family in this lifetime and now.
However, that change was merely a result of Tang Gyunak's victory in the power struggle with the Elder's Council, listening to Chung Myung's words.
If it were not Tang Gunak, but Tang Pae or Tang Zhan who responded to Chung Myung's words. And if Tang Gyunak had been hostile to Chung Myung?
In that case, the Tang Family would not have changed at all. Whether it was Tang Pae or Tang Zhan, they would have followed the same path as the previous leaders of the Tang Family.
"Rather than setting limits with a strictly divided hierarchy, anyone should speak up for the family. We should listen to each other's opinions and seek a better path. Not just to uphold what has been passed down from the past but to move forward, even if it means breaking away from the past."
A bitter expression briefly crossed Chung Myung's face.
The Tang Family had strived for that obvious thing throughout their lives, and yet, it had never been achieved. Perhaps the current scene was the one Tang Bo imagined again and and again during his lifetime.
Chung Myung couldn't help but admire Tang Gunak anew.
'He's truly an exceptional person.'
Someone who had almost collapsed from despair managed to regain composure overnight and move forward again. Although unable to reach a conclusion, he found a way to reach a conclusion.
Suddenly, Chung Myung thought, what if that guy became the head of the Tang Family? Then...
"...The Tang Family would have been ruined."
"Huh? Ruined?"
"No, it's nothing."
Chung Myung was startled and waved his hand. Just the thought of it made him break out in cold sweat. At a time like this, Tang Gunak being the head of the family might be the greatest fortune for the Tang Family.
Perhaps the Tang Family members would be happy...
"Hey, are they fighting over there?"
"Huh?"
"Woah, even daggers are flying."
"Really?"
"Wait, isn't that serious?"
Cold sweat broke out on Chung Myung's face.
It seemed that a lot had piled up between them over the years. The quiet gathering had turned into chaos.
"Just because they live together as a family doesn't mean they get along well."
"It's kind of funny that Sasuk is saying that?"
"Me, what?"
Chung Myung chuckled as he watched Baek Cheon, who was flustered.
'It's understandable.'
Strict laws, a perfect hierarchy, and a status that only mattered within the family – the members of the Tang Family had struggled with these external facades throughout their lives. However, now that the guardian of those laws, the family head, had created an opportunity to unravel that hierarchy. It was only natural that accumulated tension would erupt.
"Woah... Isn't that just chaos? It's a mess, isn't it?"
"No need to worry."
Chung Myung chuckled.
"The family head isn't a child, so he probably anticipated something like this. He probably knew everything. Looking at him now, he's probably feeling content..."
Chung Myung suddenly closed his mouth.
"Tang Gaju-nim?"
All eyes turned to Tang Gyunak.
"...Are you talking about him? Uh, Chung Myung?"
Amidst the family members grabbing at each other, Tang Gyunak was sitting with an ashen face.
"...Did he not anticipate this?"
"Isn't his expression saying 'save me'?"
"Chung Myung?"
Chung Myung, who had been staring at Tang Gyunak, raised his head and looked at the blue sky. It seemed like a familiar face was smiling at him.
- The Tang Family is a mess.
"Hey, this is..."
I didn't know it would be this bad. Okay?
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