The Eldest Daughter of the Sichuan Tang Clan Protects Her Family

Chapter 21: Punishment

 
The Cleansing Sky Pavilion, where the Elder Council convened, opened its doors on the last day of every month. Though unscheduled emergency meetings occasionally occurred, none had been called in recent years.
Thus, the sudden announcement of an emergency Elder Council meeting sent ripples of panic through the Cleansing Sky Pavilion. The servants, accustomed to meticulously preparing the pavilion ten days in advance for the monthly meeting, were thrown into chaos. The meeting was to be held tonight, immediately after the announcement. They scurried around like ants preparing for a flood.

Peace finally settled upon the Cleansing Sky Pavilion after sunset.
True to its name, the pavilion seemed to reflect the clear night sky. Thin slabs of obsidian, dark as the deepest ocean, covered the floor, while the walls, constructed from imported ebony, exuded an air of solemn authority. The craftsmanship was exquisite, the rare materials showcasing the stark beauty of black.
Sohwa stepped into the Cleansing Sky Pavilion, as if entering a realm of shadows. White lanterns, scattered across the obsidian floor like stars in the night sky, illuminated her path.

Creak.
Recognizing her, the gatekeeper opened the doors to the meeting hall, a bright light spilling out from within. In contrast to the dark exterior, the interior was a blinding white, as if it had absorbed all light. Yet, Sohwa felt a strange sense of encroaching darkness.
The path before her was empty. The Clan Head and the elders, seated on a raised platform, looked down at her.

There were only two reasons for someone who wasn't a Clan Head or an elder to attend an Elder Council meeting: to bestow the Clan Head's authority upon a unit leader before departing for war, or to be summoned for judgment.
Tang Sohwa was here for the latter.
She stopped in the center of the hall. Her father, the Clan Head, sat opposite her, flanked by sixteen elders.

His gaze was detached, impersonal, as if he were looking at a stranger, not his own daughter. Impartiality, objectivity. That was what he always demanded of Tang Hak. The Clan Head had to be fair and just to all.
Looking at him now, seated upon his elevated throne, she understood.
Sohwa bowed her head silently, awaiting his judgment.

“Is it true that Blood Cult members appeared on Mount Emei in Sichuan?” His voice resonated throughout the vast hall.
“Yes, it is.” Though she confirmed the report, the elders remained impassive. They had already been informed.
“And is it also true that you relinquished those Blood Cult members to another sect?”

“Yes. I entrusted their interrogation to the Anhui branch of the Martial Alliance.”
“Do you represent the Sichuan branch of the Martial Alliance?” It wasn’t a question. “Or have I granted you the authority to represent the Tang Clan?”
“I apologize.”
“So, you admit to exceeding your authority, to acting without my permission, usurping the authority of both the Tang Clan Head and the leader of the Sichuan branch of the Martial Alliance.”

Unable to deny his accusations, Sohwa took a deep breath before replying. “I admit my wrongdoing, acting without authorization on a matter of such importance. However…”
“However?” Anger laced her father's usually calm voice. “Do you think the Cleansing Sky Pavilion has been convened to hear your excuses?”
“Certainly not.”

Silence. Judgment should have been swift and decisive, yet her father hesitated, sensing a hidden purpose behind her calm demeanor.
Normally, she would have overlooked his mistake, pretending ignorance. Now, however, she seized upon his lapse in judgment, turning it into an opportunity.
“I had a reason for handing over the Blood Cult members to the Namgung Clan.” The Tang Clan member, summoned for punishment, dared to raise her head, her voice calm and steady.

“The Blood Cult members were in possession of Tang Clan poison.”
Though Tang Jiha had already been informed of this, some of the elders, summoned urgently from their duties outside the estate, were hearing it for the first time.
A wave of heat, like a sudden gust of wind, swept through the hall.

The Tang Clan Elder Council. A gathering of the clan's most powerful warriors, their decades of training culminating in a potent, barely contained energy. Their momentary lapse in control sent waves of scorching heat through the hall, as if the very air were on fire.
Ignoring the searing pain, like hot knives scraping against her skin, Sohwa continued. “The Namgung Clan has been tracking the Blood Cult members from Anhui, concealing this information from both the Sichuan branch and the Martial Alliance headquarters. They likely believed that a member of the Martial Alliance was involved with the Blood Cult.”
She paused, choosing her words carefully. “And that member… is likely from the Tang Clan.”

She recounted the events on Mount Emei: the discovery of Yeolhwachodok, the possibility of the Blood Cult possessing other Tang Clan poisons, the Namgung Clan’s suspicious inaction, observing the Tang Clan being attacked, only intervening at the last moment, when the main family was in mortal danger.
“It seems they didn't believe the Blood Cult intended to kill us until that very moment.” Her voice, calm and steady, echoed through the vast hall, the silence of the assembled elders, the pillars of the Tang Clan, a tacit permission for her to continue.
However, the intensifying burning sensation on her skin told her they were far from calm. They were furious.

“Due to time constraints, I wasn't able to gather more information. However, I suspect the Namgung Clan’s suspicion stems from the leaked poison. Perhaps one of them was poisoned by a Tang Clan toxin while pursuing the Blood Cult. Therefore…” She hesitated. “They might be in possession of evidence of the poisoning, proof of Tang Clan involvement.”
On Mount Emei, Namgung Jin had remained silent when she questioned him about his suspicions of the Tang Clan. And his silence had angered the Namgung warriors. That reaction had led her to a single conclusion: someone within the Namgung Clan had been poisoned.
If they had already been cured, or if a cure was possible, they would have tried to obtain the antidote from the Tang Clan, even resorting to threats. The fact that they hadn’t meant it was already too late. Their willingness to risk antagonizing the Tang Clan, to conceal the Blood Cult’s presence, stemmed from their certainty, their possession of irrefutable evidence linking the Tang Clan to the Blood Cult.

“The Namgung Clan was unusually hostile towards us. I suspect one of them was poisoned. And if I were the Namgung heir…”
“You would have kept the body?”
Tang Sohwa nodded. “Yes… I believe I would have.” Rather than accepting death and mourning, she would have waited for the opportune moment for revenge.

Patience.
The image of a certain individual within the Namgung Clan flashed through her mind. Her eyes darkened.
“The Namgung Clan hasn't revealed their suspicions yet, but they could report it to the Martial Alliance at any moment. Therefore, we need to discredit them first.”

“You’re saying you handed over the Blood Cult members to the Namgung Clan to… discredit them?” Tang Jiha was puzzled. Wouldn't interrogating the Blood Cult members and uncovering their motives prove the Namgung Clan’s diligence in tracking them down? That would be commendable, not something that would damage their reputation.
“Yes.” Tang Sohwa nodded firmly. “Namgung Jin told me he intended to share the information with us once he confirmed the Blood Cult’s presence. Therefore, he must have concealed their movements from the Hubei branch as well, even though they passed through Hubei on their way to Sichuan.”
The branches of the Martial Alliance were typically managed by the dominant sect in that region. Some, like the Anhui branch, were controlled by a single clan, while others, like the Sichuan branch, were jointly managed by several sects.

Hubei, the province the Namgung Clan had passed through on their way to Sichuan, was home to the Wudang and Jegal Clans. These two clans were known for their adherence to rules and regulations, their reluctance to deviate from established procedures. They were also notoriously averse to taking risks.
Though Namgung Jin had captured the Blood Cult in Sichuan, they could have easily been apprehended in Hubei. The Hubei branch, realizing they could have been attacked without warning, would be furious at being kept in the dark. The sharing of information was strictly enforced within the Martial Alliance. If a large group of unorthodox sect members passed through Sichuan and into Hubei, and the Anhui branch remained silent, claiming it wasn't their concern, Hubei would suffer the consequences. Whether intentional or not, their inaction could lead to the deaths of innocent civilians.
Such incidents had occurred in the past, creating friction between the Alliance members, which was why the Martial Alliance had implemented strict regulations regarding information sharing. Withholding information, whether deliberately or not, resulted in severe penalties and hefty compensation to the affected parties.

And this wasn’t just any unorthodox sect. This was the Blood Cult. To conceal their presence in another sect’s territory was an act of extreme arrogance.
And as far as Tang Sohwa remembered, the Namgung Clan, in her past life, had never reported the Blood Cult’s resurgence to the Martial Alliance. They had either eradicated the Blood Cult themselves or, more likely, they had simply not trusted the Alliance. She couldn't blame them.
The Blood Cult was using unusual poisons, and prematurely revealing their presence in Sichuan, especially considering the Tang Clan's dominance in the region, would have been a risky move. If the Tang Clan was indeed involved with the Blood Cult, there could be spies within the Hubei branch as well. Leaking information could have isolated the Namgung Clan, leaving them vulnerable.

They likely believed it was best to gather more evidence, to establish a clear link between the Blood Cult and the Tang Clan before going public, despite the risks.
Tang Sohwa’s eyebrow twitched. ‘Yes, a decision made with the full awareness of the risks.’ He had been willing to gamble, to risk the consequences of falsely accusing and endangering the Tang Clan. It was a reckless decision, typical of the Namgung Clan’s young, self-righteous swordsman.
She recalled the image of Namgung Jin on the darkened mountain path. A pang of guilt flickered in her heart. He had come here with good intentions, and she had set a trap for him. But remembering his cunning, manipulative tactics, her guilt quickly dissipated.

In this life, the Blood Cult’s resurgence would be revealed. And before that happened, the Namgung Clan would pay for their suspicions, for the injustice they had inflicted upon the Tang Clan in her previous life, tenfold.
She lowered her eyebrow and smiled. “When the Anhui branch’s failure to report the Blood Cult’s presence is revealed, the Blood Cult members they captured in Sichuan will be the evidence.”