Chapter 116
The Youngest Son of the Silver Sea Trading Company Chapter 116
Chapter 116. The Black Curtain Is Always Nearby (1)
I followed Miss Tang out of the annex.
“Our Sichuan Tang Clan is divided into the inner quarters, the outer quarters, and the martial arts hall.”
“Then where will I be staying?”
“In the outer quarters, of course. According to the rules, outsiders are never allowed to stay in the inner quarters.”
“Then I won't be able to see the inner quarters today.”
She shook her head at my disappointed words.
“That's not true.”
“What? You just said that outsiders are never allowed to stay in the inner quarters...”
“You can leave before haishi (9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.).”
I understood what she meant.
“Does that mean I can't stay inside the inner quarters overnight?”
“Yes, that's right.”
Dangsoo-bin nodded.
“It is a law that applies to those who are not of the inner circle and to outsiders.”
I asked again.
“Then how do you distinguish between the inner circle and the outer circle?”
Dang Su-bin kindly explained my question.
“The inner circle refers to direct descendants. So, everyone except the head of the family, the clan head, and their children are considered to be of the outer circle.”
“I see.”
“If one of your brothers becomes the Clan Head, the rest of your brothers become collateral relatives. I think that's the case with most families.”
The same is true for the Eunhae Trading Company.
That's why there are fierce succession battles in large families.
It's to avoid being pushed out as collateral relatives.
And it's to ensure that the direct lineage continues through their children.
Considering that, it means that Jung-ho made a pretty big decision when he gave up his position as captain of the trading company to me in my past life.
Still, in our trading company, anyone from the same bloodline can join the inner circle and stay there.
This place is pretty strict.
“Would you like to go there first?”
“Yes, please show me the way.”
Miss Tang Su-bin led me and my party down a path between high walls.
The path was wide enough for two carriages to pass each other, and I felt as if I were walking down an alley in the countryside.
Soon, we arrived at the residence of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
As we approached, the warriors guarding the entrance crossed their spears.
“Stop!”
“Only those with permission are allowed to enter.”
Upon hearing this, Dang Su-bin took out a badge from her bosom and said,
“I am Dang Su-bin. These people are benefactors of our clan and have been given permission by the Clan Head to tour the clan's premises.”
Then she said to us,
“Do you still have the badges I gave you earlier? Please show them to them.”
Come to think of it, before we left the annex, Miss Dang Su-bin had given each of us a jade token.
According to her explanation, it was a special identity token.
When we showed it to them, the warriors lowered their spears and opened the way for us.
“Excuse us. Please come in.”
As I passed through the gate of the inner courtyard, I glanced at the jade token in my hand.
So, this is like a pass that can be used within the Sichuan Tang Clan.
Good.
The inner courtyard of the Sichuan Tang Clan was quite well-decorated.
It had red roofs and tall buildings, but it was a place that made me feel at ease.
She pointed somewhere and said, "That's my place.
“That is my room. Would you like to come in for a cup of tea?”
What was she thinking, inviting me to drink tea in her room instead of the reception room?
I smiled and declined.
“I'm sorry, but I don't have much time. And I heard that the Sichuan Tang Clan is very large.”
“That's true.”
Miss Dao agreed with my words and looked disappointed, but she smiled again and guided us around the place.
The inner quarters are where the immediate family resides.
That means there aren't many people staying there.
Even so, it was enormous.
We had to spend the entire morning to see everything.
But thanks to that, I learned something.
The buildings in the inner quarters and the trees and rocks used for landscaping were not placed randomly.
They were built in strict accordance with formations.
I had suffered quite a lot in my past life due to formations, so I had studied them quite a bit.
Thanks to that, I was able to recognize that everything in the inner quarters was based on formations.
The formations served to prevent intruders from entering and also made it difficult to leave.
If necessary, this would be the place for a final battle.
Miss Doo-bin said.
“Then let's have lunch and take a look around the outer quarters and the office.”
“Yes, let's do that.”
“Wait a minute.”
She looked at me, and I tilted my head.
“Is there something you want to say?”
“No, I just want to look at your beauty and feel at peace.”
“What?”
“When I see a handsome man, I feel at peace.”
“...”
I didn't know what to say as I looked at her looking at me with her hands clasped together.
Behind me, Pal-gap looked like he was dying of laughter.
It suddenly occurred to me that if the Martial Alliance was behind Miss Dang Soo-bin's death, they would have definitely used a handsome man.
.
.
.
After lunch, we headed for the outer quarters.
“The outer quarters are where those with outer titles and members of the vassal families stay. I too will stay here someday.”
From those words, I realized that Miss Tang Su-bin had no interest in the Clan Head.
“You don't have a Young Master yet, do you?”
“That's right.”
Not having a Young Master meant that all of the Clan Head's children still had a chance.
This meant that Tang Su-bin also had a chance.
In a typical literary family, it would not matter, but in a family with enemies in the martial arts world, it did not matter whether the clan head was a man or a woman.
If you were skilled in martial arts and had the potential to lead the family to prosperity, you would become the clan head.
That was the law and nature of the martial arts world, where the strong were the righteous.
And the Tang Su-bin I know is an extremely talented person.
The title of Hong Ok of the Sichuan Tang Clan is not given to just anyone.
She shook her head and said,
“But I have no desire to become the head of the clan. So when the young master is decided, I plan to join the Martial Alliance.”
“The Martial Alliance...?”
“Yes.”
She nodded.
“I don't want to be tied down to the Sichuan Tang Clan. I want to go out into the wider world.”
Her eyes sparkled as she said this.
But I knew what fate awaited her in the Martial Alliance.
That's why I couldn't support her dream.
“Actually, I am very grateful to you for saving Cho Woong this time.”
Cho Woong is the youngest son of the Clan Head.
That means he is the younger brother of Young Mistress Tang.
“As I told the Clan Head, it was because of our connection that I was able to save him.”
“I knew you would say that.”
She smiled gently and continued.
“Of course, I am grateful for saving Zou, but I am also personally grateful to you.”
“What?”
“Zou has the potential to become a pillar of the Sichuan Tang Clan.”
From her words, I could tell who she supported as Clan Head.
She supported Tang Zou.
However, in her previous life, Tang Cho-woong had been kidnapped, and during that time, the Clan Head had no choice but to focus all of his attention on finding him.
Therefore, the idea of formally appointing a Young Master to lead the Sichuan Tang Clan in his place must have come to the surface.
As a result, the Clan Head's third son became the Young Master.
Now that Tang Zhaowen hasn't been kidnapped, does Miss Tang think that Tang Zhaowen can become the Young Master?
He's very young.
Come to think of it, in my previous life, Tang Zhaowen was also famous as a martial arts master at a young age.
Even though he had a long hiatus from practicing martial arts, if he's that good, then how talented is he?
I looked at her.
Just like earlier, she didn't seem to mind that she would soon have to live as a widow.
Does she really not mind?
“This is an impertinent question, but are you all right, Miss?”
“What?”
“Once the Clan Head is decided, the remaining brothers and sisters will become outsiders and have to leave the clan. In a way, isn't that like being expelled?”
I continued.
“I think it would be unfair.”
She shrugged at my words.
“What can I do? It's the law. That's why I gave up my position as Clan Head early on and worked hard to prove my worth.”
“Worth...?”
“Yes.”
She nodded.
“The Sichuan Tang Clan is a rather harsh place. If you can't prove your worth, you have no voice.”
“I see.”
“As a result, I've become quite vocal.”
I nodded in agreement.
When I turned my head, I saw Lee Pil's face.
He looked a little troubled.
We had to enter the outer courtyard through a large gate. Once again, we presented our special identification cards and entered.
However, the warriors guarding the outer courtyard were definitely less intimidating than those in the inner courtyard.
The warriors who had guarded the inner courtyard that morning were truly terrifying.
“Are the warriors guarding the inner and outer courtyards from different units?”
Miss Tang nodded in response to my question.
“Yes, that's right. The inner quarters are guarded exclusively by the Danhua Corps, which is the elite of the elite of the main family.”
Danhua Corps.
It referred to the red camellia, the symbol of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
“Not just anyone can join the Danhua Corps. Not only do you need a recommendation from a direct relative, but you also need to have a certain level of skill and character.”
“I see. Who is the captain of that corps?”
“My uncle is in charge of that corps. You may know him. He is called the Red Flower Whip King.”
“Oh! Of course I know him. How could I not know him?”
Red Flower Whip King, Tang Daizheng.
He is unrivaled in his skill with the whip.
He was given this name because when he wields his whip, his enemies' blood splatters like red flowers.
He is also one of the most reliable pillars supporting the current Clan Head, Tang Kyu-jung.
However
he will soon die.
To be precise, he will die in battle against Black Dao at the request of the Martial Alliance after finding Tang Jo-woong.
The news of his death was a great shock not only to the Sichuan Tang Clan but also to the entire martial arts world.
Come to think of it, many respectable members of the Sichuan Tang Clan have died.
Even though one cannot predict the future, it is still unacceptable.
When I connected the death of Miss Tang Shu-bin, which I had heard earlier, with the death of Captain Tang, I felt that there must have been something sinister behind the death of Captain Tang.
Huh?
A thought suddenly crossed my mind.
The people who kidnapped Tang Zao in my previous life were ordered by the Martial Alliance.
In fact, even if all events seem unrelated, when you look closely, they are often intertwined like a spider's web.
If Tang Zao's kidnapping was the beginning, why did the Martial Alliance kidnap Tang Zao of all people?
Was it because he was young and easy to kidnap?
Was it because it was easy to make him grateful to the Martial Alliance?
I found a clue in what Miss Tang Su-bin said earlier.
She said he was a promising candidate to become the head of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
In other words, he was a promising candidate to become the Clan Head.
And Captain Dao was someone who hated the Sichuan Tang Clan with a passion.
He was also known as a man who was not blinded by personal gain, did not bow to pressure from anyone, and made fair judgments.
If such a man judged Dao Zong to be the right choice for Clan Head, it was obvious that Dao Zong would become the Young Master and succeed his father as Clan Head.
Could it be... this?
There is a man named “Gap.”
“Gap” realizes that Tang Zong is the right person to become the Clan Head.
‘Gap’ must prevent Tang Zong from becoming the Clan Head. Meanwhile, the Martial Alliance approaches him.
With the help of the Martial Alliance, “Gap” kidnaps Tang Zong.
Then, he eliminates Tang Dao-bin and Tang Dae-jeong, who are supporters of Tang Zong.
Then who is “Gap”?
I focused on the reason why ‘Gap’ did not kill Tang Zong.
Why did he choose to kidnap him instead of killing him?
It would have been easier to kill him, right?
It makes sense if “Gap” is Tang Zong's brother.
He wanted to become the Clan Head, but he couldn't bring himself to kill his brother.
Or, if he had already become the Clan Head, he may have spared Tang Zao's life so that he could use him for the clan's power.
Then what about Miss Tang Shu-bin?
Was it a mistake to kill her?
Or maybe “Gap” wanted to spare her life, but the Martial Alliance had a reason not to let her live.
Given that his previous life was so different from his current one, and that substances believed to be poison from the Sichuan Tang Clan are spreading, this means that the culprit is one of the Clan Head's children.
Ah...
Is that too much speculation?
I shook my head to clear my thoughts.
When I glanced at Lee Pil, his expression was frozen.
He didn't look like that when I went to his house earlier.
Ah...
I realized my mistake.