The Eldest Daughter of the Sichuan Tang Clan Protects Her Family

Chapter 12: The Request

Inside the dilapidated thatched-roof house, a group of richly dressed individuals sat in silence, a stark contrast to their humble surroundings. Tang Min, Tang Sohwa, Tang Hak, and the deputy leader, Tang Jinhoo, were gathered, their gazes fixed on a wooden box placed in the center of the room. Inside the box were five precious pills, the legendary Yeonjuhwan.
Though the Yeonjuhwan was most effective when tailored to the individual's specific condition, the old physician had offered them as a general aid for serious injuries, claiming they would accelerate healing and prevent tissue necrosis. His generosity didn't end there. Outside the house, stacks of medical texts and the Divine Physician's unique surgical tools awaited them.
These were the gifts, along with the request to take Jeomchil with them, that the old physician had offered in exchange for taking the young girl. It was an excessive reward for such a simple task. Yet, they hesitated, unable to shake a growing sense of unease.

The deputy leader’s gaze shifted towards the open doorway, meeting the eyes of Yoonjin, who stood guard outside. He turned to Tang Min, his expression grim.
"We’re surrounded.”
Tang Min tapped the floor with the throwing knife he had been toying with. “Who are they?”

“They don’t appear to be from Sichuan. Yoonjin believes they came from another region, searching for the Divine Physician.”
“Divine Physician or not, they’re skilled.” Tang Min chuckled softly. “Thatch-roof house reeks of blood, yet there’s no stench of death. Seems they’ve managed to save everyone.”
The deputy leader sighed and glanced at Sohwa and Tang Hak. Tang Hak looked pale and anxious, but Sohwa’s expression was unreadable, her thoughts hidden behind her usual stoicism.

He turned back to Tang Min and relayed the information Yoonjin had reported. “There are just over a hundred of them, split into groups, searching for the entrance to the formation. We don’t know when they’ll break through.”
“With that many people, they’ll find a way in soon enough. Before nightfall, most likely.”
“Should we reveal our identities? Whoever they are, they’re unlikely to be foolish enough to antagonize the Tang Clan in Sichuan.”

Tang Min glanced around the room, tapping the floor with his throwing knife. “Two children, one old man, and ten warriors.” He chuckled. “If there are truly a hundred of them, wouldn't they consider this a fair fight?” It wasn’t a question, but a statement. “Those critically injured individuals must have crawled here seeking the Divine Physician's help. And whoever is chasing them this far must have a serious grudge. They’re not likely to back down easily.”
He nudged Sohwa’s shoulder, as if to bring her back from her thoughts. She looked up at him.
He turned to the deputy leader again. “It seems that old physician is aware of the situation. That’s why he’s offering us his entire fortune in exchange for taking that girl, Jeomchil, off his hands.”

“Yes, I agree.”
Tang Min sighed, continuing to tap the floor with his knife. “Let’s take the girl, whatever her name is, and leave. This isn’t our fight.”
Sohwa remained silent, her mind racing. Something didn't add up. If the Divine Physician’s troupe was annihilated today, Yeon-a should have died. How did Namgung Hyeon manage to take her? Or rather… did Namgung Hyeon even come here?

Suddenly, the pieces clicked into place. “Wait!” She grabbed Tang Min’s sleeve as he stood up.
“Elder Tang Min, we need to help the Divine Physician’s troupe.”
Just as Tang Min was about to unleash his anger, Sohwa continued, “If we leave now, we’re playing right into the Namgung Clan’s hands.”
Tang Min, who loathed the Namgung Clan, exploded. “What?! Why are we suddenly talking about those bastards?” His anger, initially directed at Sohwa, shifted towards the Namgung Clan.

Sohwa spoke calmly, “The Namgung Clan also knows the location of the Divine Physician’s troupe. They’re on their way here.”
“What?! How do you know that?”
Yeon-a wouldn’t have abandoned her family and followed Namgung Hyeon out of mere affection. Sohwa suspected she knew the nature of the debt Yeon-a owed Namgung Hyeon. Perhaps he had found her amidst the ruins of the Divine Physician’s troupe.

She had initially suspected that the group surrounding the village was comprised of Namgung Hyeon and his accomplices. But Yeon-a would never harbor affection for a man who had slaughtered her family. However, if Namgung Hyeon had saved her life, her actions in the previous life made perfect sense.
There was just one problem.
Though Namgung Hyeon possessed some martial arts talent, he was still young, a year younger than Sohwa herself. At sixteen, he wouldn't be capable of single-handedly defeating over a hundred warriors.

If someone had saved Yeon-a from such a large group of assassins…
Sohwa clenched her fists. If her suspicions were correct, this was more than just about saving Yeon-a.
Tang Min, losing his patience, slammed his fist on the floor. “Did you swallow honey?! Tell me how you know this!”

Sohwa finally spoke. “…Namgung Jin is currently in Sichuan.”
“What?!”
“Hak took the twins to town during the recent festival. They followed the Umyeon Merchant Group, and Namgung Jin, who happened to be visiting the merchants, helped Hak.”

Tang Min and the deputy leader’s gazes snapped towards Tang Hak, who paled visibly, his lips twitching into a nervous smile.
“Is this true?”
Tang Hak hesitated, then nodded.

“You… you weakling! How dare you take the twins out?! Do you have any idea how many dangerous people are out there?!”
As Tang Min lunged for Tang Hak, Sohwa stepped forward, intercepting him. “Why would Namgung Jin visit the Umyeon Merchant Group? The heir of the Namgung Clan has access to any herb he desires in Anhui. Why would he travel all the way to Sichuan to meet with a merchant?”
“…You think the Young Master is searching for the Divine Physician’s troupe?”

Tang Sohwa nodded. “That’s my guess. I glanced at the herbs on the platform earlier. Many of them are difficult to find on Mount Emei. There were even chilbosa vipers. That means the Divine Physician’s troupe has a supplier. If Namgung Jin has identified their contact, it’s only a matter of time before he finds this place.”
She hesitated, then continued, “But there’s one thing that bothers me.” Her voice lacked its usual confidence. “I’m not certain, but Hak met the Namgung Young Master five days ago. If they moved quickly, they should have arrived by now.”
“There must be a reason for the delay.”

“Yes. If they were waiting for permission, it would take longer.”
“You mean the Martial Alliance?” Tang Min’s voice was sharp. Sohwa nodded.
Namgung Jin was a member of the Anhui branch of the Martial Alliance. If he was in Sichuan on official business, he would have reported to the Anhui branch leader, and it would take time to receive a response.

However, if they were here on a mission for the Martial Alliance, there was a significant problem.
Tang Hak spoke hesitantly. “But Father doesn’t seem to know anything about this. Why would the Anhui branch dispatch a unit without informing the Sichuan branch?”
That was the problem.

The head of the Sichuan branch of the Martial Alliance was Tang Jiha, the Venom King, the Tang Clan Head. He was unaware of the Divine Physician’s troupe and seemed oblivious to Namgung Jin’s presence in Sichuan.
While it was possible he simply hadn’t informed his family, that seemed unlikely, considering he had allowed them to come here.
Tang Min chuckled coldly. “If what you say is true, the Namgung Clan is up to something.”

Sohwa nodded. “Yes, that’s why I hesitate to leave.” She looked at Tang Min, her gaze steady.
Silence fell upon the room. They all understood the implications of the Namgung Clan’s actions. They were concealing something, withholding information about events in Sichuan from the Sichuan branch, likely because they believed it was connected to the Tang Clan. Either they were planning to frame the Tang Clan, or they feared their interference.
Either way, it was a serious transgression.

Sohwa searched her memories. The Tang Clan hadn’t been subjected to any accusations or investigations from the Martial Alliance around this time. Years later, they would be expelled for a massacre committed by a group impersonating the Tang Clan, but that was still far in the future.
So, they weren't trying to frame them now. ‘…What are they planning?’
She had to stay, not just to save Yeon-a, but to uncover the truth. She needed to know the identity of the group surrounding the village and the nature of the Anhui branch’s mission.

The deputy leader spoke, his voice heavy. “Yoonjin has sent a request for reinforcements to the main estate. They should arrive around the hour of the hare.”
“The hour of the hare…” Tang Min sighed, scratching his head. “I’ll assess the situation and follow you down later. Deputy Leader, take the children and head back down the mountain. Tell Yoonjin to find a safe route.”
Before the deputy leader could respond, Sohwa interjected, “Elder Tang Min, I have an idea.”

She stopped abruptly, a sweet fragrance wafting in from outside. The familiar blend of peaches and pears, sweet and refreshing.
Her gaze shifted towards the door. The last rays of sunlight, filtering through the doorway, cast long, distorted shadows.
Without a word, she stood up and walked outside. The sky, fading into darkness, was ablaze with the colors of the setting sun.

Silhouetted against the fiery backdrop, a lone figure stood between the houses, catching her breath.
“Ha…” Yeon-a, her figure obscured by the backlight, spoke, her voice as dark as the approaching night. “I won’t go. So, you don’t have to worry about what the elder said.”
She fell silent, her lips moving soundlessly, as if struggling to find the right words.

Sohwa waited patiently, but the girl remained silent.
Finally, Sohwa broke the silence. “Do you know why the physician wants you to leave?”
Yeon-a didn’t answer, but her silence was an answer in itself. She knew. That was why she had welcomed them so enthusiastically, realizing they were from the Tang Clan.

Sohwa gazed intently at Yeon-a, a strange sense of familiarity washing over her.
‘…Did I look like that?’ Had she, too, hidden her desperation behind a facade of strength, her eyes pleading for help?
The thought unsettled her. She deliberately hardened her voice. “Then why are you refusing? Would you rather die here with the physician than live?”

Yeon-a remained silent, her fear palpable, yet her lips remained sealed, the words she longed to utter trapped within.

* * *
 
Jeomchil couldn’t speak.
She wanted to ask for help, she needed to, but the words wouldn't come.

She hated this hesitation, this agonizing indecision. But the alternative, abandoning them and returning to the life she had before, was even more unbearable. She couldn't understand why she was struggling like this, why she felt so wretched.
Countless people had come to the Divine Physician’s troupe seeking help. Some were ill, some sought greater strength, some came to steal, and some came bearing gifts, hoping to repay a kindness. The troupe’s residence, once a sprawling estate that even encompassed a lake, was now a small village of five thatched-roof houses.
Decades of attacks had whittled them down to this.

…It was unfair.
Physician Jincheol was a good man. So were Physician Hanjin and Physician Gilwon. They had saved countless lives, yet so many of them had died in return. Despite the constant threat, the Divine Physician’s troupe never turned away those in need. She couldn't fault them for that. Ironically, the fact that these non-combatant physicians had survived for decades in these remote mountains was a testament to the sacrifices of those who had fought to protect them.
Those currently residing in the thatched-roof houses were among those protectors. Jincheol was their savior, and they, in turn, were his. He couldn’t abandon them. But he also couldn't bear to sacrifice young Jeomchil. So, he had offered his most prized possessions to the Tang Clan, hoping to secure her safety.

She had come here intending to beg for their help, to offer anything in return, but shame burned in her chest. The sense of helplessness and injustice was overwhelming.
Countless martial artists had passed through these mountains, especially Mount Emei, located in Sichuan. They couldn't not know about the Tang Clan.
Her gaze fell on the young girl before her, a girl of similar age, yet their lives were worlds apart. What could this pampered clan heiress, raised within the safety of fortified walls, possibly understand?

She couldn't possibly comprehend the sacrifices made by the Divine Physician's troupe, their willingness to risk their lives for others, their unwavering loyalty to their savior, even in the face of death. She couldn’t ask them to risk their lives as well.
The setting sun cast a warm, reddish glow over the thatched-roof houses.
The clan heiress, bathed in the golden light, looked down at her, her gaze steady and unwavering, as if accustomed to looking down on others, despite being barely a hand taller.

Jeomchil clenched her fists. Why were they so different? Why could they come seeking help, their hands filled with gifts, while she had to beg, her hands empty?
She felt a hollow ache in her chest, a sense of deprivation that ran deeper than mere helplessness.
She hesitated, struggling with the unfamiliar, unpleasant emotion. It wasn't about pride. She was willing to kneel and beg, but the thought of accepting charity, of burdening Jincheol’s already heavy heart, was unbearable.

Suddenly, the clan heiress’s gaze shifted downwards, settling on Jeomchil's hands. Following her gaze, Jeomchil instinctively hid the worn sword she held behind her back. It was a gift from a wandering martial artist who had recognized her potential the previous year. The sword was too large for her fourteen-year-old hands, yet she treasured it, never letting it out of her sight.
The clan heiress’s gaze seemed to mock her attachment to such a paltry object.
The girl's gaze slowly returned to her face.

She was strange. Though seemingly of similar age, her gaze felt ancient, wise, and unsettling, as if she could see right through her. Jeomchil wanted to say something, anything, to break the spell, to dispel the uncomfortable scrutiny. She wanted to babble nonsense, to distract herself, before finally pleading for help.
She forced herself to remain silent, her jaw clenched so tight it ached.
Then, a calm voice reached her ears.

“Then why are you refusing? Would you rather die here with the physician than live?”
Jeomchil frowned. Though the polite speech felt strangely formal coming from someone so young, she couldn’t interrupt. The girl’s gaze was calm and steady.
Then, the most unexpected words reached her ears.

“Believe it or not, it isn’t easy for me to ignore your suffering.”
The corners of the girl’s lips curved into a slight smile.
“I will protect the Divine Physician’s troupe. So, go and pack your belongings without worry. We’ll all be leaving this mountain soon.”

With that, the clan heiress turned and re-entered the house. A muffled voice drifted from within.
“…I’m the one fighting, why are you taking all the credit?”
“Would it be acceptable if I reduced the number of enemies more than you?”

“Oh, you’ve learned to boast as well?”
“I’m not boasting. The good idea I mentioned earlier…”
The voices faded away, as if a curtain had been drawn.

Silence descended once more.
But even after the sunset faded, Jeomchil remained rooted to the spot, unable to move.