The Eldest Daughter of the Tang Clan of Sichuan Protects the Family Chapter 280

Side Story, Chapter 8. Tang Yu-hwa's Tears

Tang Ye-hwa spoke with a voice full of irritation.

"No, don't answer her, Elder Sister! Half-wits are hopeless. You can spoon-feed it right into their mouths, and they still can't eat it."

"Stop calling people half-wits! One more ti and I’m telling Mother!”

“See? She said she’d endure it a hundred tis, and she’s actually counting it!”

Tang Hak cut into the two girls' argunt.

"So our Yu-hwa is bad at counting, huh. Just roughly counting what I've heard here already puts it well over a hundred, so go tell her right now."

“No, Brother, the numbers aren't the problem! Haa, Elder Sister, did you see? It’s not for no reason that I call Brother Hak and this girl half-wits! If I don't live out my natural life, it’s all because of these two, so please listen carefully and use your strength to have them put in the dungeon. Wow, I feel so stifled, I think my heart might burst.”

Tang Ye-hwa tapped her solar plexus with her small fist.

As the conversation heated up, Tang So-hwa stepped in once.

"There are many outsiders here. Fight later."

Even after that, similar exchanges continued.

Whenever Tang Ye-hwa teased, Tang Yu-hwa pushed back, and when the Young Lord subtly sided with Tang Yu-hwa, Tang Ye-hwa raised her voice.

"That's enough. Didn't I say there are many outsiders here?"

Min Doyu’s eyes blurred slightly.

To him, Tang So-hwa was a cold-blooded woman on par with the Blood Demon. Yet seeing her, with a tired voice, settling such a childish quarrel felt extrely unfamiliar.

When Tang So-hwa let out a sigh, Tang Ye-hwa made a pitiful face.

"Aah, at least you should be on my side, Elder Sister! You can just hide out in the Nine Turns Pavilion and be done with it, but I have to hear that stifling nonsense every single day, in real ti, you know? Aah, hurry up and take my side!"

"What is there to take sides over here? It's your brother's marriage matter, not sothing you should ddle in. That's enough."

“Oho, do you really think so? If you let Brother make such a stupid choice, Tang Yu-hwa will follow suit! Considering her personality, she might go even further, throw away a good marriage prospect, and leave ho with so trashy guy!”

Tang So-hwa, who had been siding with Tang Hak, suddenly closed her lips.

Tang Yu-hwa frowned.

"Why are you always so extre? Why would I run away from ho? And there's no such thing as a trashy person in this world. Everyone has goodness inside them."

"Hahaha, look at her bringing up the theory of innate goodness at a ti like this. Elder Sister, hurry up and rein in the atmosphere of this family before Brother Hak does sothing stupid!"

Tang Ye-hwa raised her voice even more.

This ti, Tang So-hwa did not intervene.

Whether her silence was an affirmation, the Tang siblings' eyes widened.

With an ally gained, Tang Ye-hwa laughed brightly.

"See? Elder Sister agrees too, right? Brother shouldn't be rejecting Young Lady Zhuge right now. He should just say thank you and send off the betrothal letter!"

"Ye-hwa, watch your words....... Elder Brother Zhuge In-hwi is sitting right next to us."

“Can’t you tell by looking at the Four Seasons Hall Lord staying quiet? It’s not as if he can't hear just because the distance is a bit far. Since you’re being so clueless about Young Lady Zhuge, he’s just letting you be cursed at by . Look at Father staying quiet too. Normally, he wouldn't let chatter like this. Since Brother is acting stupidly, he’s letting him be cursed at and trying to soothe the Hall Lord’s mood.”

"T-That can't be......."

The Young Lord turned his stiff neck with an incredulous expression.

The Tang Clan Head unconsciously nodded, then naturally turned his head and emptied his wine cup.

"Ah, before Young Lady Zhuge changes her mind, send the betrothal letter to Hubei first thing tomorrow!"

"It's not sothing to decide so easily."

"What do you an it's not! A half-wit who can't even recognize fortune rolling right in—"

Tang Hak cut her off.

"I know well that Young Lady Zhuge is a good person. And it's not that I intend to reject her."

Tang Hak continued.

"If we discuss a marriage like this, people will say strange things. Won't it look as though Young Lady Zhuge, in her haste, ca to seek out? Just because the other party doesn't care about rumors doesn't an I need to pile scandal onto her. Young Lady Zhuge is not soone who deserves that kind of treatnt."

Tang Hak's voice grew clearer and firr.

"And do you think a betrothal letter is like a ssenger pigeon? What do you an, 'send'? This isn't sothing you finish by handing a piece of paper to soone. If you're going to discuss a marriage, it's right to go in person and deliver it. You must not act rashly. And Ye-hwa, if soday marriage talks co your way too, don't rush. If soone tries to hastily pull you into their arms by any ans, cut them down in one stroke. No—bring them to . I'll knock so sense into them."

As if by prior agreent, the three sisters' gazes all drifted to Tang Hak at the sa ti.

"......."

"......."

"......."

Silence spread to the Tang Clan's side as well. Everyone had been pretending not to listen while secretly lending an ear to the marriage talk between the Young Lord and Zhuge Cheon-yu, so they couldn't hide their surprise.

Even on Zhuge In-hwi's expressionless face, a faint smile surfaced.

Perhaps because he had spoken so much that his throat was dry, Tang Hak drank so water, then t the three sisters' stares.

"...... Why?"

Tang Ye-hwa tilted her head and looked at her twin sister.

"Yu-hwa, what are you going to do....... Now you're the only half-wit left in this house."

"......."

Tang So-hwa's lips twitched. For a mont, it seed as though a laugh had escaped.

She covered her mouth with her hand, then lowered it and regained her cold expression.

As Min Doyu watched that scene with interest, Haerak's voice was heard.

"To think such a cold-blooded woman becos defenseless when it cos to her family. Aren't even those small reactions amusing?"

A warm voice drew Min Doyu's gaze.

Haerak, parting his red lips, let out a note of regret before taking a sip of wine.

"And so, I want to be in there too. I want to see her react like that to as well."

Min Doyu looked again at the table where the Tang Clan Head's direct descendants sat side by side.

The siblings of the Murim family, surrounded by a splendid background, were captured in his eyes.

And sothing invisible was also felt.

The strangely relaxed face of one who never smiled, the brilliance in the eyes of one rumored to be dull, the roughened speech of a young girl, and the firm conviction of soone gentle.

Their inner selves—sothing outsiders could not easily see—spilled out defenselessly before one another. And they were not startled by that flow. It seed familiar to them.

The solid current flowing between them stirred a strange feeling in the observer.

Feeling an emptiness in one corner of his heart, Min Doyu filled his insides with wine.

A shadow fell over his empty cup.

Chororok.

"Drink slowly."

Haerak filled Min Doyu's cup to the brim.

Telling him to drink slowly while filling it so quickly. What kind of contradiction was that?

Noticing the mischief in Haerak's expression, Min Doyu deliberately emptied the cup in one go.

Watching Haerak refill his cup again, Min Doyu spoke bitterly.

“……It will be difficult to obtain both.”

Haerak replied as he filled his own cup.

“Thus, I must strive to find a way to obtain both.”

He also knew the reality well.

Having just reclaid the Solar Palace, it needed to reinforce its strength. The situation was too unstable to afford leisure.

Yet, it also seed difficult for Tang So-hwa to abandon the Tang Clan and leave. Just as the Solar Palace's situation was unstable, the situation in the Central Plains was far from peaceful.

He knew the day of decision was approaching, but he still had not chosen an answer.

No further words were exchanged between the two n from the Great Desert.

anwhile, ti continued to pass, and the banquet reached its height.

The conversations and laughter that had been heard intermittently grew louder.

With bellies full and wine coursing through their veins, spirits seed to rise.

True to the na Red Radiance Hall, loud laughter filled the lakeside.

That was when it happened.

In an instant, the laughter vanished, and dozens of pairs of eyes moved in unison toward one side. From an empty space, a sudden presence had been felt.

Step.

Yet it did not seem that an assassin had appeared.

Soone who had concealed their aura and infiltrated walked forward in a manner ill-suited to courage.

Their awkward gait looked extrely uncomfortable. Moreover, their face was drenched in sweat.

"Who is that person?"

Soone who had let down their guard asked the person sitting next to them.

As if he had heard it, the outsider introduced himself.

"I am Hamgu, who ca to the Tang Clan after receiving an offer of induction from the Fourth Elder. Ugh."

Hamgu tried to bring both hands together, then pressed one hand between his hips. Perhaps he could not bring himself to pull it away; he managed sothing like a half-hearted clasped salute with one hand and greeted them with difficulty.

"I would also like to pay my respects properly to the Clan Head, but I am in a situation where I cannot free my hand at the mont, so I ask that you understand this half-ford greeting."

It seed the Clan Head already knew Hamgu's situation; instead of getting angry, he gave the White Tiger Unit a signal with a dry cough.

A White Tiger Unit mber who had been standing nearby approached Hamgu.

Hamgu recoiled and shouted.

"Please don't co closer! If you touch ...... ugh!"

Zhuge In-hwi narrowed his eyes.

As if sensing sothing, the blind man turned his head to the side. It was toward where Tang So-hwa was sitting.

Tang So-hwa, pretending to drink water, very naturally avoided his gaze.

Namgung Jin whispered to Zhuge In-hwi.

“……That’s why I told you there was no need to co quickly, did I not? That it couldn't be stopped anyway.”

Hamgu with sweat dripping down, opened his mouth.

“I have severe abdominal pain, perhaps because sothing I ate a few days ago was bad. Clan Head, please save . Soone……”

Fearing that Tang So-hwa's na might co out, the Clan Head hurriedly spoke.

"Take him to the dical Hall! Tang Hae-han, you accompany him. Diagnose him imdiately and detoxify—no, treat him."

Hamgu's eyes welled up. Nine Turns Pavilion or not, nothing could be greater than the Clan Head, and the thought that he could finally obtain an antidote brought tears to his eyes.

As soon as he was detoxified, Hamgu planned to take revenge.

While he was sharpening his blade in his heart, Tang Hae-han approached with a sullen face.

His expression clearly said he did not want to get close at all, but Tang Hae-han exercised patience and carried out the Clan Head's order.

"Follow ."

Tang Hae-han's gaze briefly shifted toward where Tang So-hwa was sitting.

In the midst of it all, Tang So-hwa subtly shook her head.

Tang Hae-han clicked his tongue inwardly.

‘So that's who she was planning to use it on.’

At a glance, Tang Hae-han recognized that this man had been struck by poison he himself had made. There was an antidote in his sleeve, but pretending to be ignorant, he took the man to the dical Hall. And as Tang So-hwa had requested, he had no intention of giving him the antidote.

As he rembered it, Tang So-hwa had said she planned to administer the poison to a spy of the Blood Sect.

Then, was there any need to hurry to detoxify a spy?

‘I'll make him suffer as long as possible.’

Once Hamgu disappeared after Tang Hae-han, the Four Seasons Hall Lord spoke in a calm voice.

"I don't know what you were trying to conceal, but......."

The Clan Head was startled and raised his voice.

"Conceal? A misunderstanding! The reason I didn't hand that fellow over to you right away is, as you can see, he's in that state, and the Nine Turns Pavilion has been closed, so it's difficult to obtain an antidote. Later on......."

"An antidote?"

"An antidote? What are you talking about? I said it was difficult to obtain a treatnt dicine."

The Clan Head stumbled over his words, unlike himself.

Zhuge In-hwi gazed into space, then spoke in an even voice.

"I understand the grudge the Tang Clan bears against the Blood Sect. Knowing that, it was my fault for rashly revealing that man's identity."

"......."

Tang Ji-ha was left with nothing to say.

When he heard that a Blood Sect bastard had walked into his own ho of his own accord, his eyes had nearly flipped.

Still, since the Four Seasons Hall Lord had asked him to keep hold of the man properly, he intended to rein in his anger.

However, he could not tolerate the atrocities the bastard had committed.

Not only did he not know his place and harass his eldest daughter at the Fourth Elder’s residence, but he even secretly infiltrated her quarters.

At first, when Tang Ji-ha learned the man was poisoned, he had intended to scold So-hwa, but upon hearing that the man had infiltrated her quarters, he had praised her poisoning instead. And using the closure of the Nine Turns Pavilion as an excuse, he had left the man to wither away in agony.

Still, he had not expected him to barge into the banquet like that.

Having planned to tornt him for a few more days, he was caught off guard.

Tang Ji-ha smacked his lips, then cleared his throat.

"In any case...... didn't we catch him properly?"

"Yes."

"And I heard from the Fourth Elder that that fellow is skilled in stealth techniques. Once his body recovers, he might vanish in an instant, so it may be better to take him to the headquarters in that state."

"If he were moderately poisoned, I would have done so. However, it seems an unexpected poison was used, so please treat him first. The road to Hubei is not short, and I fear the Four Seasons Hall mbers may suffocate from the stench along the way."

The Hall Lord looked at Tang So-hwa with eyes filled with an emotion hard to read.

Tang So-hwa, pretending to drink water, avoided the Hall Lord's gaze once more.

At that mont, Tang Ye-hwa giggled and leaned close to her twin sister, whispering.

"If you don't listen to , you'll end up marrying soone like that."

"Stop it."

Tang Yu-hwa frowned and rebuked her.

Tang Ye-hwa laughed openly and teased Tang Yu-hwa again.

"Why? Does a man struck by Brother Hae-han's poison have no goodness inside him? Or can you endure soone who isn't good, but not the sll?"

"I said stop it!"

Tang Yu-hwa, visibly disgusted, slapped Tang Ye-hwa's arm. She seed truly angry.

“Why do you keep linking with strange people? I’ve never teased you with things like that!”

Tang Yu-hwa finally burst into tears. Only then did Tang Ye-hwa, flustered, apologize.

"Hey, I'm sorry. Sorry. I was just joking."

"Why would you joke like that! You're really an."

"That's right, Ye-hwa, you crossed the line. No matter how amusing Yu-hwa's reactions are, how could you link her with a man who's soiled himself, in front of everyone?"

Tang Hak once again sided with Tang Yu-hwa, and this ti Tang Ye-hwa accepted it.

"I'm sorry. I promise I'll never link you with a man who's soiled himself again, so stop crying."

“Hee-e-e, I really hate it.”

Tang Yu-hwa kept crying for quite a while even as Tang Ye-hwa tried to soothe her. She looked genuinely traumatized.

As Tang Ye-hwa patted Tang Yu-hwa, she lifted her head and looked at her Elder Sister, who was watching her. The two of them nodded silently.

If Tang Yu-hwa ever fell for a strange man, they would use Tang Hae-han's poison.

Having found a way to prevent Tang Yu-hwa's "accident(?)", the sisters quietly forged their resolve behind her back.