Chapter 204

Chapter 204
**Chapter 204: My Three Vows**

There were three promises I’d sworn to keep, no matter what, from the moment I turned back time.

The first and most important: to raise my home clan until it stood supreme beneath heaven.

The second, essential to achieving that goal: to dismantle the schemes of the Three Great Demonic Cults, together with the Four Demonic Grounds.

And the third—

*Listen well, you curs of the Great Namgung Clan. Every last one of you will fall by my hand.*

What? I must die because my talent poses too great a danger? You parade yourselves as the most righteous and distinguished clans under heaven, yet you stoop to such treachery?

I will never forgive you.

“Seol-ha. Go wherever you wish, but the Great Namgung Clan is strictly off-limits.”

“And why is that?” A playful glint danced in Je-gal Seol-ha’s eyes. Here she was, teasing again.

“You’re well aware. The Baek Clan and the Dang Clan both hold long-standing grievances against the Great Namgung Clan.”

Just look at how Namgung Sword had rushed to offer apologies for past wrongs, seeking to take the initiative. The Great Namgung Clan clearly had no intention of letting the matter with Namgung Cheon-hu remain buried in history.

“It’s obvious from the two Human-grade invitations sent directly to our home clan. The Namgung Clan must have pulled strings behind the scenes.”

The Yang Clan—whoever they were, based in An-hui—received their stipend and invitation as well. But the Baek Clan, whose growth had been the most remarkable of late, received two Human-grade invitations. Others might claim the evidence was incomplete, but there was no doubt the Great Namgung Clan’s influence lay behind it.

“Is that the only reason?”

“Hardly.”

“Then what is it?”

“From what you showed me earlier, it seemed you had no wish for this union either. As your senior brother, I cannot stand idly by while my junior sister is forced into a marriage she does not want.”

“Tch. What a disappointingly dull answer.”

“And what sort of answer were you hoping for?”

“Something far more thrilling—where your senior brother, smitten the moment he laid eyes on his long-absent junior sister, flies into a jealous rage at the very mention of an engagement?”

Instead of replying at once, Yang-hwi folded his arms and studied Je-gal Seol-ha’s face intently. His steady gaze was so direct that even she looked away.

“What? Why are you staring at me like that all of a sudden?”

“Hmm…”

“…What?”

“You’ve grown more beautiful, that’s true—but not so much that I’d fall for you at first sight.”

Je-gal Seol-ha’s mouth fell open in genuine surprise. “Wow. No one has ever said anything like that to me before.”

“Then I suppose from now on, I’ll be remembered as the first.”

“If you’re going to say things like that, we’ve shared plenty of ‘firsts’ together, haven’t we?”

“That’s true enough.”

We had stood by each other even in the past, when Yin Hou cast me aside like worthless trash and I plunged from the edge of a cliff.

“Regardless—there’s no way I’ll allow this. I’ll stop the Great Namgung Clan’s rise by every means available.”

An alliance between the Je-gal Clan and the Great Namgung Clan—two of the Five Great Clans Under Heaven—through marriage? And not just any union: the heir’s daughter wed to the heir apparent? The consequences would be devastating.

Especially given how utterly devoted the Je-gal Young Clan Heir was to his daughter.

“Moreover… considering the current positions of the Namgung and Je-gal Clans. The moment they are bound by marriage, their alliance will be sealed beyond question.”

The Je-gal Clan was already hard-pressed by Wudang’s relentless expansion. Meanwhile, the Great Namgung Clan seethed with resentment toward the Hubei Peng Clan, now hailed as the World’s Supreme Clan.

“Stop it how? By every means you say?”

“Exactly. I will.”

“Then this simplifies things.” Je-gal Seol-ha clapped her knee, as if she had heard exactly what she needed. “Pretend to be my lover for a while.”

“…Excuse me?”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Surely there’s a better way?”

“It’s the simplest, most effective option. And isn’t efficiency exactly what you value, brother?”

“Well, yes, but…”

He thought back to Je-gal Seol-ha’s behaviour at the Ta-ho Ferry. Instead of shoving him away as she once would have, she had drawn close, leaving no space between them—boldly, right there in full view of everyone.

*So it was all calculated.*

“The Je-gal elders appear fully in favour of this engagement. And on the Great Namgung side, is Namgung Cheon-yeong entering into this for genuine feeling rather than political advantage?”

Je-gal Seol-ha stuck out her tongue. “Your instincts remain as sharp as ever.”

“I do possess the finest insight in the world, after all.”

“And your boasting hasn’t changed a bit either.”

“It isn’t boasting if it happens to be true.”

Je-gal Seol-ha curled her delicate hand into a fist and gave Yang-hwi a light, playful punch on the shoulder. “I can’t argue with that, but it still makes me want to hit you.”

He accepted the blow without protest and continued. “This sounds truly troublesome. How serious is the situation within the Je-gal Clan?”

“Everyone supports the match—except Father and my elder brother.”

“Even the Clan Head?”

He recalled the Je-gal Clan Head from their private meeting long ago. *Lord Je-gal the Great was a man of considerable coldness.*

“To be honest… Grandfather is unyielding, even ruthless.” Her plain assessment took him slightly aback. “But it seems he lacks sufficient grounds to issue a direct command.”

“Thanks to Master’s reputation. Even for his own granddaughter, he cannot force a marriage on Yin Hou’s disciple.”

“Ah. So they are bringing pressure to bear indirectly?”

“The entire family is pressing for this union—or that is certainly the impression they give. Father is standing firm, but…”

This was the truth of it. They could not compel Yin Hou’s disciple to marry against her will, so instead they surrounded her with hints and expectations. When an entire clan seemed united in its desire, Je-gal Seol-ha—raised as a direct descendant of such an illustrious house—could not help but feel the weight of their hopes.

“This may be a delicate question… but is the Je-gal Clan truly in such dire straits?”

Je-gal Seol-ha fell silent for a moment, glancing toward the Dang siblings, Baek Heon-so, and Chudal.

“You need not answer if it troubles you.”

“No. If I cannot confide in those standing here, then there is no one in this world I can trust.”

Dang Yeon and Baek Yeon-yeon reacted with visible emotion, deeply moved. Je-gal Seol-ha nodded and went on.

“It is Wudang. They act as though our conflict with them means nothing at all. Consider where the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly is being held.”

*That is true. Wu-han, in Hubei Province, is Je-gal Clan territory.*

For Wudang to host the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly entirely within Wu-han, land belonging to the Je-gal Clan?

“I assumed some sort of agreement must have been reached.”

“It was less a negotiation than a declaration. We were offered compensation, but it was far from satisfactory.”

If Wudang and the Je-gal Clan were not both counted among the righteous sects, open war would have broken out long ago.

“They require allies now—solid, dependable ones they can truly rely upon. A loose association will never set their minds at ease. There would always be the fear that someone might turn against them and align with Wudang instead. That is why this political marriage is being sought.”

“And the Great Namgung Clan is equally eager for this union. They stand to lose nothing at all.”

A marriage alliance with one of the Five Great Clans Under Heaven? A connection to Pa-cheon Yin Hou, ranked among the ten most powerful figures in the world? And, as an added grace, a bride renowned as the most beautiful woman alive?

*Through this marriage, the Je-gal Clan would owe them a debt—and they would also keep the Peng Clan in check.*

Dang Gun’s expression grew solemn. “Brother Hwi. We absolutely must prevent the marriage between Namgung Cheon-yeong and Seol-ha.”

“I agree.”

*—Does Seol-ha know about the One-Wing Alliance?*

Yang-hwi considered Dang Gun’s silent message for a moment. It was a proposal to bring the Je-gal Clan into the One-Wing Alliance.

*—Not yet. It is too soon.*

The reason was straightforward. Even the combined strength of the entire One-Wing Alliance could not match the might of the Great Namgung Clan. The Dang and Baek Clans had certainly grown beyond recognition… yet neither could stand alone against even one of the Five Great Clans Under Heaven.

*Though everything will change once the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly begins.*

*—In any case, I intend to inform her soon. Keeping this from Seol-ha does not sit right with me.*

Besides, if Master learned they had kept such secrets from a fellow disciple, they would face a severe scolding.

*—I see. What do you plan to do?*

He rested one arm across his chest, tapping his forearm thoughtfully with his fingers.

*An unforeseen and critical factor has entered the picture.*

Unlike in my former life, Seol-ha had escaped the terrible fate of becoming the Soul-Possessing Demon Queen. That being so, this new development was something I must accept.

“This is far more complex than it seems, Seol-ha.”

“Indeed…”

“And you truly believe pretending to be lovers is the best course of action?”

“I do. Nothing puts an end to a proposed marriage quite as effectively as the discovery that one party already has someone they love.”

“Is it not taking things a little too far, though?”

“Ha! You act as though the idea does not flatter you at all!”

Yang-hwi shook his head at her look of genuine indignation. “There is one difficulty you have overlooked. The moment word spreads that you have a lover, your grandfather, Lord Je-gal, will come looking to settle matters with his fists.”

“…You are right. That is very likely to happen.”

“You see?”

Furthermore, once we began this pretence, our destination would be fixed as the Je-gal Clan estate. To arrive together, openly affectionate, without even paying our respects first? He might well have my head.

“We need a proper plan. Does anyone have suggestions?”

To his surprise, Baek Heon-so raised his hand immediately.

“Very well—speak.”

“Why not simply ask Master Yin Hou to intervene?”

“That is out of the question.”

“Oh…”

Seeing Baek Heon-so’s immediate disappointment, Yang-hwi explained quickly. “If Master steps directly into Je-gal Clan affairs, they will expect something in return. That is how these things work.”

“Exactly. It would be disastrous to place Master in debt to the Je-gal Clan merely to resolve a marriage dispute.”

The reason was simple enough. No one could predict how Taiji Sword Elder and Wudang would respond. If it came to a clash between Taiji Sword Elder’s Wudang and Sky-Shattering Yin Hou standing with the Je-gal Clan… the rivers would truly run red.

“Seol-ha… forgive me for asking, but why not simply refuse the engagement yourself?”

Je-gal Seol-ha hesitated at Dang Gun’s question. His reasoning was sound, but Dang Gun did not know the full story—all that she had endured in the past, and the deep debt of gratitude she owed her family.

“Brother Dang. As Master Yin Hou’s disciple, I could indeed reject this openly and face no real consequences. But…”

“But what?”

Yang-hwi watched her for a moment longer, then reached his decision. “Seol-ha. You are right. Pretending to be lovers is the most practical way forward.”

A faint, relieved smile touched her face. Yes. For the sake of my junior sister, I would gladly risk facing Lord Je-gal’s wrath.

“We will do as you suggest—for a time. Only do not blame me later if this closes the door on other chances at happiness.”

Whatever might develop between us, I could never truly be with Je-gal Seol-ha. To do so would give rise to an insurmountable difficulty.

“Come now, nothing like that will happen. And you—do not go falling for me for real, Hwi oppa.”

“Agreed.”

Chudal suddenly grinned, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “If you are going to play the part, should you not start with how you address each other?”

He had a point. Terms of endearment were the simplest way to convince others that their feelings were genuine. Yang-hwi and Je-gal Seol-ha looked at one another, both uncertain.

“…Hwi lang?”

“…Ha-mae?”

“Ugh!”

“Kyaa!”

Both shivered uncontrollably, scratching at their arms as if their skin crawled.

“I shall just call you by your given name,” she decided.

“And I will call you Seol-ha—oppa, if you prefer.”

Once that was settled, the next matter remained. “Since we are doing this, we may as well do it properly. Seol-ha, I will need your help with one thing.”

“And what would that be?”

“It is quite straightforward.” Yang-hwi grinned back at her. “Do you know anyone who holds a Heavenly-grade invitation?”

Je-gal Seol-ha blinked in confusion, then a matching smile curved her lips.

“Someone from Wudang would serve our purpose, would they not?”

“They would—even better.”

“Truly? Will there not be repercussions?”

“Master will take responsibility.”

“Ah, I see!”

The Dang siblings, Baek Yeon-yeon, and Chudal all watched them, feeling a sudden chill run down their spines.

*Wudang? Why Wudang? They are arguably the most powerful sect in the world just now—what are they planning?*

*Are they going to cause such a disturbance that even one of the Heavenly Martial Ten will have to step in to sort it out?*

*No way—Brother Hwi intends to seek out the direct disciples of the great sects and challenge those who hold Heavenly-grade invitations themselves?!*

It felt as though the two greatest troublemakers had just joined forces.