Chapter 13: Tang Hwi, The Difficult Father
"Quit martial arts."
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The voice was very quiet, but both Old Jiang and Tang Soso could hear it very clearly. Especially to Tang Soso herself, these words descend like a bolt of lightning that shatters her heart. She looked up to meet Tang Hwi's eyes, completely flabbergasted.
'What...?'
"Give up on martial arts. You have no future here, and I know exactly what you are trying to achieve. If you want to join the successor competition against my other sons and daughters, give up."
'...'
Tang Soso's face was that of a complete shock as she faced against Tang Hwi's words. Give up on martial arts? Is this some sick joke?
"It's time to stand down and make way for your siblings, Soso. You have no talent. You have no wealth. And more importantly, you have no one to lean on... No matter how hard you work and how much effort you put into training, it will eventually go in vain. Quit now unless you intend to lose your life. Did I make myself clear?" he exclaimed emotionlessly as if he were stating the obvious.
All Tang Soso could do was stare in silence as he continued to state all of her shortcomings. Kneeling on the side, Old Jiang was trying his best to explain to her father about her recent encounter, but a strange force of Qi was keeping his mouth shut, forcing him to stay silent.
Had anyone else heard these words, they would have no choice but to agree with Tang Hwi's statements. So far, during the last eleven years of practicing martial arts and studying politics with the elder's guidance, Tang Soso has made almost no results despite all the hard work she put in. It was more than clear that she would be the first to be eliminated during the successor competition and even if she somehow managed to win, the Tang Clan would suffer greatly if she were to be appointed as the clan's successor.
However, that is completely different from the truth...
Tang Soso's fist started to clench...
Throughout her previous life as the Divine Thief, martial arts was everything to her. She had risked her life countless times in order to steal many different techniques and manuals to become just a little stronger. Even the reason why she died in the past was because she tried to steal the divine pearl, for the sake of her martial arts. Hells, even the original Tang Soso had put all of her blood and sweat into improving her skills day by day.
Because of these efforts, she managed to climb up to become one of the strongest martial artists. And now even after rebirth, her knowledge is boundless and her potential is unlimited. Maybe she could aim for the throne of the next leader of a faction.
And now... Tang Hwi dared to tell her to give it all up? Just like that?
Her heart started to boil with anger at these words. To think this man would think this lowly of her, someone who had put her all into doing something that she loved throughout her life. Someone who had sacrificed many different things to improve herself bit by bit before managing to climb to the top.
How dare he underestimate her!?
At this moment, even under the intense pressure radiated by Tang Hwi, her legs which had lost their strength just a while ago started to come back to life. Anger was flowing within her blood at the moment as she stared at her father defiantly. In just a moment, Tang Soso, who seemed completely helpless just a moment ago stood up once again!
"Oh?"
This sudden change intrigues Tang Hwi. His long eyebrows slowly raised as this turn of events started to become quite interesting.
'This bastard... For someone of a mere transcendent realm to mock me like this. How dare he! I was the Divine Thief! Someone who had climbed to the Unrestrained realm and became one of the strongest masters in all of Jianghu!'
'Someone like you dared to mock me just because I'm in another body!?'
Crimson blood started to leak out of her nose and her foot started to make a few cracking sounds. Her body was being pushed beyond its limit at the moment and her condition would only deteriorate even further as she continued pushing herself.
But even so, she mustered the strength to pick up her fallen signboard and chalk, before writing provocatively...
[ 1 week! ]
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"One week?" Tang Hwi read the sentence with complete interest. He didn't expect his daughter to be able to push herself to the point of standing when countless others couldn't even kneel. Was he perhaps wrong about her?
[ One week is all I need to beat up one of your heirs! I will show you what lies in the pinnacle of true hard work and I will have you see something no other heir could ever do! ]
Staring deeply into Tang Soso's eyes, a raging fire could be seen swirling around like a massive torrent. It shines with pure ambition and perseverance that lies deep within her heart that cannot be quelled no matter what hardship lies in front of her.
At this moment, a wide smile could be seen on Tang Hwi's face, replacing all sorts of disappointment and coldness from before...
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...!"
As Tang Soso's ridiculous statement finally settled in his mind, he couldn't help but laugh. What a ridiculous statement. One week? All she needed was one week to defeat her sibling's years of hard work?
What madness!
Tang Hwi started to notice that her daughter's eyelids were starting to flicker and her arms were shaking uncontrollably. She might pass out if he were to continue testing her...
His laughter slowly started to cease, and now he glared deeply at Tang Soso with a slight smirk.
"Very good... Then that will be enough."
In just a moment, every single pressure that was radiated from him slowly disappeared leaving Tang Soso and Old Jiang some room to breathe freely once again. Old Jiang who was forced to his knees earlier started to get up and wipe some dust off his clothes. Tang Soso on the other hand wiped the blood out of her nose and steadied herself once again. The pressure that was radiated from before was just a flick away from making her faint.
They eventually got themselves back together after a few seconds, albeit extremely tired.
But even so, her hatred toward Tang Hwi did not settle. The words of giving up martial arts from before were still stuck in her mind and it would not be settled until he finally acknowledged her...
"Then, Soso, I will gladly accept that challenge of yours..."
A smile flashed on Tang Soso's face. Those words were exactly what she had hoped to hear and it might have been the only way she could get out of this predicament. However, she wasn't satisfied just yet...
She slyly wrote on her signboard, [ Father, I also have another condition... ]
[ If I happen indeed to defeat one of my siblings within the next week, then I will gain permission to freely access the library as well as three items of my choosing from the clan's treasury. But that is not all... Most importantly, I want to learn your martial arts! ]
Old Jiang who stood on the side almost choked on his own spit the moment he read Tang Soso's demands. What kind of ridiculous demand is this? Just because the lord patriarch agreed to her challenge earlier, she had gotten way too high on her own horse...!
The martial arts that the patriarch uses are something that can only be learned once you become the successor of the clan. They were the cream of the crop of the Tang Clan's martial arts and they were unparalleled even when compared to the ones the high elders used.
Learning them without becoming the successor would be breaking one of the sacred rules of the clan!
"Wait, please don't mind her patriarch...! The Young Lady had been having some problems in her head after she woke up from her slumber just a few days ago! You don't have to mind her wor-"
"I accept."
Old Jiang's words were immediately cut down by Tang Hwi's agreement. He was completely shocked at the sudden turn of events. Although he was happy that they were given a chance to change their life for the better, he was more concerned about Tang Hwi's compliance during all of this. What is he planning?
Tang Hwi continued, "I suppose it would only be appropriate to reward a hellish challenge with a generous reward. Then since you have put in a winning condition, I shall also give you a punishment for failure. If you were to fail to defeat one of your siblings, then you shall be exiled from the Tang Clan and never return to Sichuan your whole life..."
[ I accept. ]
With that being concluded, he waved his hand as the door suddenly slid open by itself, revealing the empty hallway outside. It was getting way too late into the night, he must end the meeting quickly.
"Before you leave, I shall inform you that rumors of your death have spread throughout all of Chengdu city. Your siblings will have their eyes off you for now as long as you don't reveal yourself publicly, and I will recommend you keep things as it is. But, one thing to note is that we haven't announced our official replies to these rumors because I want you to be the one to make the choice..."
"If you were to be exiled next week, then the Tang Clan shall officially declare your death. But if you win the agreement and compete in the successor competition, then we won't stop you and we shall dismiss the rumors. However, Soso, it is ultimately up to you..."
He continued, "With this, you are both dismissed. Remember, Soso, of our agreement today. From this day onward, your future will be held in your hands and it will be decided with your results next week. I will look forward to it..."
With those words, Tang Hwi weaved his hand dismissively as the door that was previously shut opened once again. The sounds of chatter from the floor below could be heard once more as the atmosphere shifts back to normal. The small meeting with her father had finally ended and she could now breathe a sigh of relief...
Tang Soso gave a slight bow, before turning her back and walking out toward the door. Her body is still hurting from the training in the morning and the events from earlier.
Just thinking about the amount of pain and soreness her body will have to go through tomorrow is enough to send shivers down her spine. Well, at least she could enjoy some nice, long rest before it happens.
With that, she left the room and disappeared into the empty hallway.
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"Why are you still here?"
Tang Hwi glared at Old Jiang who was still standing beside him awkwardly, wondering why he didn't leave along with Tang Soso.
This old man is supposed to be a personal servant who acts as a protector as well as a supporter for Tang Soso, especially when she has impaired senses and can't protect herself properly. Why did he stand around and leave his Young Lady walking out alone?
Facing Tang Hwi's questioning gaze, Old Jiang awkwardly chuckles to himself. Of course, he wouldn't simply stay behind in the patriarch's office without proper reason. The truth was, ever since both he and Tang Soso had arrived in his office, he had many questions in his mind that were bothering him quite a bit...
"Uh, lord patriarch, I need to-"
"Go ahead, what do you want to know?" Tang Hwi quickly butts in impatiently.
Sighing briefly, Old Jiang gave a small smile to him. Was his intention really that obvious? Every single time he visited this patriarch of his, he would always read his face like a book somehow.
"Well, yes. Since you have guessed my thoughts, Lord Patriarch, I will get straight to the point. Lord Patriarch, this is not how you would usually act around others. This old man is but a simple servant who wishes the best for the Young Lady... Is there a reason why you had to put on such a hard front in the Young Lady's presence?"
"..."
Silence.
This question hit the nail right on the head when it came to Tang Hwi's behavior a few minutes ago. At this moment, Old Jiang briefly noticed Tang Hwi's posture tensed a little when he heard this question...
"Old servant, you are asking a dangerous question. To be honest, the truth was that not only you, but the other elders were also wondering about the exact same thing, about why I treated my once favorite daughter harsher than any of the other clan heirs. But, I won't let anyone who knows the answer to this question live peacefully since it will disrupt my plans..."
He slowly continued, "I would have immediately dismissed this if it were anyone else, but since you were special, I shall give you a little bit of what has been going on in my head..."
Old Jiang's ears perked at the mention of him being special. It seems like this topic is going to be a little more serious than he thought...
"Ever since Tang Soso was still a cheerful and diligent girl many years ago, I've always had a single thought every time I see her. How should I tell her? How should I tell her that she wasn't suited for martial arts? How should I tell her that what she's doing is pointless?"
"It was very obvious to me that she was severely lacking in skills and talent, unlike the other children. Yet despite that, she continues to train day and night just to get the same result that her siblings could achieve in half an hour. Doubts were appearing in my head and worry was ever-present, but I couldn't bring myself to tell her. Every time I saw her training in the field, her determined eyes would shine brightly as if she still held high hopes for herself and I couldn't bring myself to see it dim away, thus I let her be... I supposed it's because my age has gotten the better of me."
"But as time passed on, my children slowly got older and eventually reached adulthood. The thought of the clan's succession reached their mind and they quickly became wary of each other, slowly drifting apart from one another. Anyone with even the tiniest of potential will be seen as a threat to the others, and Tang Soso was no different..."
"Before I knew it, it was too late. False rumors started to spread surrounding Tang Soso about many things, whether it be an affair, terrible attitude, or other random nonsense. I could tell that it was done by one of her siblings. Eventually, the news of her lack of martial talent got out, and by that time, almost all the people she had contact with had drifted away from her. I tried to use the clan's power to erase these rumors and punish the culprit, but it was prohibited by the elders saying that I shouldn't take favors on one of the children..."
"Seeing that there was nothing else that I could do, I had to make a difficult choice. From that day, I started to treat her ruthlessly, colder than any of her siblings. I gave her commodities worse than any of the workers living in this building and simply gave her the bare minimum to continue surviving. I even deprived her of servants, other than you, Jiang Sam."
Old Jiang solemnly nodded at this statement. He could remember many years ago when this patriarch of his first assigned him to serve the Young Lady, "That's true..."
At this moment, Tang Hwi turned around and looked at Old Jiang in the eyes. Unlike the emotionless eyes he had given off before, this time it was full of sincerity and sadness. Like a desperate man whose paths had been cut off, leaving only one behind...
"I had to do it to protect her, Jiang Sam. Only by treating her harshly will she finally be able to leave the elders' and siblings' eyes. To them, Tang Soso had finally lost favor with the patriarch and had thus lost everything. Initially, they felt threatened because she held such strong bonds with her father. But now with this bond 'gone', they could no longer feel any threat from her and would finally leave her alone."
"However, now that she had woken up, it seemed as if her old self had returned and her will for martial arts returned. I saw that she was going down the same path as her past self, thus I wanted to stop her before it was too late. That's why I intended to forcefully make her quit martial arts and exile her to a faraway place after this meeting so that she would truly be safe from the bloodbath that was about to come. I even spread rumors of her death to lower the elders' guard to make time for her exile."
"I do not mind if she hated me for this, no... I wish she would hate me for it. Because then she will stay away from me, her siblings, and the clan affairs. She would cut her bond with the Tang Clan and live happily as an ordinary woman!"
During this time, Old Jiang's eyes finally shone brightly as realization slowly daunted him. He had somewhat suspected Tang Hwi's ruthless acts against the Young Lady's livelihood to hold deeper meaning, but after hearing them from the man himself, the dots have finally connected together. However...
"But, Lord Patriarch, there is still one thing I am curious about. If you had beaten yourself into making the Young Lady's livelihood worse to protect her, why did you give her this opportunity? Practicing martial arts would undoubtedly raise the Young lady's threats in other's eyes, let alone challenging other heirs into battle... Wouldn't agreeing to her challenge earlier undo all your efforts in the past?" Old Jiang continued.
Silence...
Tang Hwi gazed upwards into the ceiling as if staring at the boundless sky. At this moment, a trace of his sadness could be seen fading away, replaced by a dim light...
"It's because... I saw hope."
"...Hope?"
"Yes... albeit quite dim. Old Jiang, during the time you've spent with her, have you checked her condition or her internal state?"
Old Jiang tilted his head at Tang Hwi's question. Is Tang Hwi trying to test him? What is he getting at?
"W-Well, I did check on her physical condition, but I refrained from checking her inner state in case I accidentally harmed her. Let alone, checking her inner condition without being a doctor would be quite rude, yes?"
The old patriarch simply nodded as if he had expected that answer from Old Jiang. Truth be told, he was right.
It would be quite inappropriate to check a martial artist's internal state without proper consent since it could reveal their internal arts along with their weaknesses, but this is not what he was trying to point out. His lips tightened as he said dauntingly,
"Old Jiang, Soso's internal energy soared by five whole years."
The room was filled with silence as Tang Hwi's words settled in. Old Jiang couldn't even react, five years of internal energy in a single day? Is this some kind of joke?
"B-But it's only been a few days..."
"No, she has only trained for less than a day, at least with what I've seen outside her residence. I had to re-check thoroughly during the time I grasped her shoulder, and it turned out to be true. In just that short amount of time, she had managed to garner an outstanding amount of internal energy that even her siblings would require months to do. Not only that, I could sense that this internal energy is extremely pure, way purer than any I've seen before. This is something that I have never expected to happen!"
He slowly continued, "That's why I still think there might be a chance for her to fare against her siblings in a short amount of time, and even win the successor competition. My guts say that she might succeed despite her chances and I'm willing to bet on it... Whatever the cause was, I don't mind too much. As long it doesn't harm her, I will fully support it.
After Tang Hwi finally finished, he lifted his hand as a dense force of Qi materialized in the surroundings, lifting Old Jiang's body out of the room. Old Jiang panicked as this happened and flailed his body around in protest, he still had many things on his mind to ask this patriarch!
"Since your question has been answered, it's time for you to go. Now tend my daughter as you usually do."
"W-Wait, Lord Patriarch! I still have more questions!"
"Then keep them to yourself. I hope this rambling of mine will provide you with some guidance to support Tang Soso in the future."
With a snort, the patriarch turned his face away from Old Jiang as the door to the room closed once more, leaving him alone in the empty hallway.
With a nervous chuckle, he slowly got up from the floor and wiped some dust from his clothes. It seems that he was done for the day...
"Huh... well, I guess I will have to see these answers by myself then. It was quite surprising to see this side of the patriarch. I suppose everything he did was ultimately for the Young Lady's own good, no matter how harsh it seems. Nevertheless, I should catch up with the Young Lady..."
"Speaking of which, where did she go?"
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