Chapter 171
As we stepped into the passageway, Sama Yuryeon pressed a point on the wall.
Drk—
The stone door closed behind us as if it had always been part of the wall.
Though sunlight was completely blocked, the passage wasn’t too dark thanks to luminous pearls embedded closely together along the walls.
“Pretty,” I commented.
“Expensive,” said Tang Sowol.
“???”
As the two of us gave different impressions simultaneously and tilted our heads, Sama Yuryeon carefully began descending the stairs and spoke up.
“The luminous pearls embedded here aren’t very large, and their shapes are uneven. They’re probably low-grade gems that were cut up. Even with this many embedded, it's only bright enough to see the ground. They shouldn’t be too expensive.”
“You know the quality and market price of luminous pearls too?” “Yes, well... I once dabbled in business to create a secret fund without the clan’s knowledge.”
“You did?”
“How many people do you think just watch quietly while someone stockpiles military funds? It was crushed—very thoroughly.”
Sama Yuryeon answered calmly, and Tang Sowol muttered in a troubled voice.
“You said ‘enemy’… Even if the succession competition became overheated, they’re still family... right?”
“I figured the Sky-Winged Poison Phoenix would say something like that. From what I’ve seen and heard, you seem to have a kind nature. Besides, the Tang Clan is somewhat unique compared to other noble families.”
“I’ve heard that succession conflicts can get severe in other families as well.”
“Yes, most are. You could call it a kind of ‘weeding out.’ After all, the most outstanding must become the next head.”
There was a wry smile in Sama Yuryeon’s voice as she spoke—sounding both bitter and mocking.
“Still, since they are your children, it’s important for the clan head to maintain balance to avoid bloodshed... but.”
“But sometimes, there are those who believe that to truly grow, one must shed the blood of others. Just like how people kill cows or pigs to survive, some are ready to kill people if necessary. My father, the current head of the Sama Clan, is one such person.”
Sama Yuryeon wore a faint, crafted smile—neither affirming nor denying it.
Sensing the sudden shift in atmosphere, Tang Sowol glanced around and whispered softly.
“Brother Cheon, you seem to know the Sama Clan well... Just how bad is it?”
“It’s a place where even your own blood is treated like a chess piece. I’ve heard it used to be better, but... at least in this generation, the Sama Clan is no different from a miniature murim world.”
“Ack! Don’t say that out loud! It echoes in here!”
“This place echoes so much, it wouldn’t matter if we whispered.”
“Well...”
Tang Sowol cautiously looked ahead. Noticing her gaze, Sama Yuryeon gave a light smile as if it were nothing.
“Haha, it’s fine. It’s not confidential or anything. Anyone who needs to know already knows. To put it simply, the Clan Head—my father—has as many children as possible and stirs up competition among them.”
“Wouldn’t that just throw the clan into more chaos? I don’t understand why he’d choose that.”
“That kind of thinking only works in orthodox sects. In the unorthodox world, it’s normal for a few to die during the succession battle. Even those who survive will be purged if they stay in the clan. The Clan Head just chooses to do it with his own hands.”
“But still... they’re family. His own children.”
“They’re warriors before they’re family. And children born out of political marriage are tools more than anything. If you’ve had six or seven kids, the affection naturally wears thin. Once you pass ten... well, it gets hard to form attachments. Only three of us are left now, including myself!”
Sama Yuryeon giggled as if telling a funny story.
But perhaps because she was still immature—A faint killing intent, an old but undiminished resentment, briefly leaked out.
Even I noticed it immediately, and so did Tang Sowol.
Awkwardly, Sama Yuryeon continued in a sheepish voice.
“But in the end, it’ll all be solved when I become the clan head. As a woman, I can’t have dozens of children like my father, so the successor competition will be a lot more relaxed.”
“I see.”
“Yes. So don’t worry. To survive in the Sama Clan, and to become the head and fix its problems, I need to prove my usefulness for now. That means even if I wanted to betray you two, I can’t.”
Though her voice was light, almost forced, her words were likely sincere.
Even if she lacked martial talent, Sama Yuryeon was sharp-witted. She could have escaped the clan if she truly wanted.
But the fate she witnessed as a child—Sama Suryeon’s downfall—likely left her too afraid to break free.
This became known later, after the Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance was formed.
As the Black Lotus Sect's Grand Administrator, Sama Yuryeon had deliberately sent the Sama Clan to the most dangerous battlefield, leading to its near destruction.
The underground dungeon of the Sama Clan had been used for various experiments.
The subject of those experiments? Genetics.
They aimed to manipulate bloodlines artificially—to replicate the special physiques of the Peng Clan, the physical build passed down through the Huangbo Clan, or the intellect of the Zhuge Clan.
Because, like the Huangbo Clan whose talents declined over time, the Sama Clan feared they too would eventually fall.
Though once a clan that rivaled the Zhuge in brilliance, their abilities had deteriorated drastically in recent generations.
So they began researching what traits were heritable, and whether only desirable ones could be passed on.
Of course, the participants’ consent didn’t matter.
Regardless of gender, if you were deemed suitable, you were forced to become a breeding stud or a surrogate.
When Sama Yuryeon later dug up the remains of her fallen clan, the wretched appearances of her siblings became a major topic.
Some had gone completely insane, while others were kept barely sane through dark arts.
Even for someone like me, who’d seen many horrors, it had been unpleasant.
Sama Yuryeon, still haunted by that fear, couldn’t leave the clan.
Unlike Sama Suryeon, she had no naïve sibling willing to risk everything for her.
So, at least until this mission is over, Sama Yuryeon cannot betray us.
A person running from fear, rather than toward a goal, has few options.
I don’t know how long I stared silently at her back.
The sloped passage gradually widened, and the luminous pearls were now whole, not fragments. The light illuminated not just the ground but the entire space.
A large cavern. And a fork in the road.
Standing before it, Sama Yuryeon scanned her surroundings and said,
“I’m not sure.”
“What do you mean?”
“Both paths have mechanical formations. But it doesn’t feel like one is correct and the other a trap.”
“Can you tell what the traps are?”
“The left path has a collapsing floor. The right path triggers something from above.”
“Can you tell what’s inside?”
“No. The usual hidden weapon or poison shooter has a nozzle you can identify. But this... the floor falls and the ceiling drops—it’s hard to predict.”
“I see.”
“In general, the standard is: blades or spears sticking up from below, or boulders dropping from above. So I’d recommend the left path, since it’s easier to counter.”
“Counter it how?”
“If you prepare in advance, you can smash the floor traps right before falling. Also, the pit might be deep, so we could anchor ourselves with rope...”
“No need for that.”
“Huh?”
Passing by the startled Sama Yuryeon, I asked Tang Sowol,
“You can do it, right?”
“It’s a bit hard while carrying someone...”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of Sama Yuryeon.”
“Wait, don’t tell me...!”
“I’ll throw her. Be ready to catch.”
“Oh! If that’s the case.”
A knowing grin spread across Tang Sowol’s face.
Then, before Sama Yuryeon could grasp the situation, Tang Sowol performed lightfoot techniques and leapt forward.
Tat!
She ran along the sloped wall and flew straight past the fork into the next cavern.
The Tang Clan’s body techniques were among the finest of the noble houses—this was well within her abilities.
Her martial level was also at the verge of the Peak Stage.
While I nodded calmly at the expected result, Sama Yuryeon let out a confused breath somewhere between a sigh and a groan.
“This... you can just do it like that?”
“You’ll be doing it next.”
“M-my lightfoot skills aren’t that great!”
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”
“Wait, didn’t you just say—throw!?”
Realizing too late what I meant, Sama Yuryeon tried to retreat, but it was already over.
I enhanced my body with internal energy and grabbed her ankle.
Then spun her around several times before flinging her through the air.
“KyaaAAaaaah!”
She flailed wildly but landed safely in Tang Sowol’s arms.
“N-not fair! If I had just a little more time, I could’ve bypassed or dismantled the traps!”
“Weren’t you the one who said time was precious?”
Chuckling, Tang Sowol gently set the trembling Sama Yuryeon down.
Only then did I gather energy into my legs and launch myself across.
Running across walls like Tang Sowol was too inefficient.
The Thunderblade and Phantom Step techniques were about speed and deception, not stability.
Instead, I poured inner strength into my legs and sprinted across the entire passage in one bound.
Now mute with disbelief, Sama Yuryeon just opened and closed her mouth wordlessly.
Shrugging, I commented,
“When your body’s lacking, your mind suffers.”
“Normally, it’s the other way around.”
“Normal people can’t break through the Peak Stage wall. Sama Yuryeon, you’re still just a first-class martial artist, right?”
“Don’t worry. You’ll get there one day.”
“Ghhk!”
Knowing all too well her talents were average, Sama Yuryeon trembled in shame.
I wasn’t lying.
She does eventually reach the edge of Peak Stage—just in her late thirties.
After enjoying her rare display of frustration, I finally spoke.
“This time, the gap was short enough to jump. But there’ll be traps we can’t cross like this. Your help will be necessary.”
“I understand.”
“And even if you make a mistake, don’t worry.”
I kicked a stone back toward the path we’d crossed.
Click!
A loud mechanism triggered, and the floor collapsed instantly.
Just as Sama Yuryeon predicted—a floor-based trap.
But there were no blades or deep pits beneath.
Instead, it was filled with foul-smelling, sticky muck.
“Ugh... What’s that smell?”
“What else? It’s shit.”
“Excuse me?”
“Elder Ghost Shadow Thief liked messing with people, but he didn’t kill without cause.”
Even the outer formation was non-lethal.
Naturally, the traps inside the vault lacked killing power.
They lacked only killing power.
“Even if you fail to detect a trap and I can’t stop it, you won’t die.”
“But you’ll wish you had.”
“See? Doesn’t that put your mind at ease?”
“Not even a little.”
Sama Yuryeon grimaced as she stared at the filth below. A fire sparked in her narrow eyes.
“From now on, I won’t miss a single trap...!”
Well, if she puts in the effort, we all benefit.
And to her credit, Sama Yuryeon kept her word.
She just... only kept it.