Chapter 258
With a bit of resolve, I boldly threw open the door.
“Tang Sowol!”
“Oh? My son-in-law is here. Have a seat.”
“Yes, sir.”
And so, I quietly took a seat.
Good grief. I didn’t expect Tang Jincheon to be in Tang Sowol’s room.
Of course, considering the purpose, it wasn’t that strange.
Still, I felt deflated, like I had to set aside my hastily-formed plan to smooth things over with Tang Sowol.
I glanced over at Tang Jincheon, who was the biggest obstacle(?) to my plan.
Fortunately, it seemed he hadn’t caught on to my true purpose, as he sipped his tea with the same mild blend of friendliness and authority he always wore. “Hm. Tea tastes better today, maybe because it’s been a while since my daughter brewed it.”
“Oh, Father. I didn’t expect you to ask for a gathering in my room instead of the office just for tea.”
Tang Sowol chuckled softly in a low voice. She reached out to the teapot and filled another cup to the brim.
Then she extended it toward me.
“Brother Cheon, here you go.”
“Mm. Thank you.”
Although her face was turned toward me, our eyes didn’t quite meet.
She was probably focusing somewhere next to my head or off into empty space.
In other words, she was pretending nothing happened since Tang Jincheon was here, but she hadn’t forgiven me yet.
It was enough to make my heart falter.
Well, once Tang Jincheon leaves, I can talk to her again. It’s not too late.
Doing my best to act natural, I accepted the cup and took a sip.
“It really is good.”
“Thank you. Tea ceremony is part of bride training. I’m glad it suits your taste.”
After the formal engagement ceremony, I’d heard Tang Sowol was slowly beginning some bride training alongside her martial arts.
Normally, this would be taught by her mother, but Tang Sowol’s mother had lost her life to a poison demon when she was young.
So she was learning through books and guidance from the other women of the Tang Clan.
Up to this point, nothing was strange. The problem was what happened yesterday.
As I carefully observed Tang Sowol’s mood, I caught a strangely cold look in her eyes.
She hadn’t even sent me a voice transmission, yet I could almost hear her voice:
“I go this far for you, Brother Cheon, and yet you were busy thinking about other women.”
A cold sweat trickled down my back.
Tang Sowol was generally generous with me and responded positively to almost anything.
But when she got upset like this... she really got upset.
I was sighing repeatedly in my head, but it was only for a moment.
Not noticing the subtle tension between Tang Sowol and me, Tang Jincheon suddenly adopted a more serious tone.
“We shouldn't drag things out from the morning, so let’s get to the point. Son-in-law, and you too, Sowol, you’ve probably heard already—Murim Alliance and the Black Lotus Sect are planning to hold a reconciliation meeting.”
“Yes. I understand I’ll be expected to participate.”
“Exactly. It was possible thanks to you, after all. You can’t just skip out. That said, we also can’t send you alone.”
“What do you mean—?”
“It’s an important occasion. The Tang Clan intends to show our sincerity as well.”
According to what followed, not only would my fiancée Tang Sowol be attending, but also Seol Lihyang and Seo Mun-Hwarin, who were central figures in the Red Forest subjugation.
Even Tang Jincheon, the head of the Tang Clan, would participate.
It wasn’t just to celebrate the successful operation, but also to discuss future matters.
It made sense.
It seemed the other parties involved were thinking similarly.
The Murim Alliance would send its leader and strategist, the head of the Zhuge Clan.
The Black Lotus Sect would be represented by its lord and general manager—his wife, Sama Yuryeon.
From the Namgung Clan, the head Namgung Dowi would personally attend as well.
The location? None other than Shaolin Temple, famed across the Murim for its fairness.
“I see. I understand now. This is a much bigger and more important gathering than I expected.”
“That’s how it turned out.”
Tang Jincheon paused briefly, then asked:
“Let me ask plainly. Was this your intention from the start?”
“What do you mean, my intention?”
“Ah, I’m not accusing you of anything. I’m not blaming you either. But now that the situation is what it is, I need to know so I can act accordingly.”
“Son-in-law, you’re already part of the Tang Clan.”
His tone was gentle, yet firm. I met his gaze for a moment before opening my mouth.
Careful not to trigger the restriction. Now that much of the information had already spread, I could speak as far as I was allowed.
“As I reported earlier, I can’t share the details, but I’ve long been aware of the Heavenly Demon’s existence and have felt that he must be stopped at all costs.”
“Hm. Now that you mention it, you’ve always been oddly knowledgeable about the Demonic Cult. You even predicted Sowol would be ambushed when she first entered the Murim, and knew someone was behind it.”
In truth, while I knew about the ambush, I hadn’t known the Demonic Cult was behind it.
Still, I nodded.
With the restriction in mind, this explanation would be easier to give.
Having come this far, I decided to go a bit deeper.
“Yes. When interrogating a captured Demonic Cultist, I was able to identify a method to bypass the restriction and the poison-induced core. That’s why.”
“Hmm. I suspected as much. So it wasn’t just a grudge against the Demonic Cult—it was something closer to enmity with the Heavenly Demon himself.”
Back then, Tang Jincheon had found my interrogation of the cultist suspicious, but had kept silent out of consideration.
Now, I began to carefully lay out all the oddities he and Tang Sowol must have noticed over time.
The way I immediately deduced the identity of the Demonic Explosive Pills upon seeing the rampaging assassins of Sal Valley, Or how I quickly saw through the orchestrated conflict between the Peng and Eon Clans and warned of the danger to their heirs.
How I prevented the spread of Youngblood Pills and Oldblood Pills across the Central Plains.
Some things I’d known from the start were part of the Demonic Cult’s schemes. Others I realized only after getting involved.
But in every case, thanks to the memories from before my regression, I was able to resolve the crises before they escalated.
Previously, I couldn’t go into detail due to the restriction and simply asked others to trust me.
But now that the Heavenly Demon’s existence was public, the restriction had loosened slightly, allowing me to explain a bit more—albeit indirectly.
At first, Tang Jincheon listened and nodded, but his expression soon turned incredulous.
Then, he spoke with a hardened face.
“Son-in-law. Let me ask...Were you unable to tell us even if you wanted to?”
This implied the existence of the restriction itself. My mouth closed automatically.
Tang Jincheon, however, was both a veteran martial master and the leader of the Sichuan Tang Clan. Having pieced things together, he let out a deep sigh.
“Hoo... So it’s like that.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t let this trouble you.”
“Um... Father? What are you talking about?”
Tang Sowol, who hadn’t quite followed everything, asked with a puzzled tone.
Tang Jincheon scratched his head and replied,
“I’m saying that this son-in-law of mine has been under a restriction that kept him from speaking about certain matters.”
“…What?!”
At the word restriction, Tang Sowol looked at me in shock.
The chill in her eyes from earlier was gone, replaced by deep concern.
To reassure her, Tang Jincheon added,
“There’s no need to worry too much. From what I can tell, it doesn’t seem life-threatening. However, it’s clear this isn’t an ordinary restriction.”
“What do you mean, not ordinary?”
“The basic principle of a restriction is to suppress the mind and limit willpower. But martial artists at the Flowering Stage can freely use their willpower and easily break such bindings.
While this one seems slightly loosened... our son-in-law is still affected.”
“Oh…”
Tang Sowol, now seeming to understand, fell silent with her mouth slightly agape.
Tang Jincheon, being a Flowering Stage martial artist himself, knew exactly what it meant that I was still under restriction.
If anything, his only misjudgment was thinking the restriction had loosened when I reached the Flowering Stage.
Strictly speaking, the restriction had never once loosened.
Depending on what others already knew, it just changed what I was permitted to say.
Thanks to that, I could now circle around and explain some things more openly.
Though technically a misunderstanding, Tang Jincheon had reached a similar conclusion. He stroked his chin with a troubled look.
“Even if it’s not fatal, a restriction that can’t be undone even with the willpower of a Flowering Stage master… Frankly, I can’t even guess what kind it is.”
“W-what should we do…? I didn’t even know, and I—”
Tang Sowol looked ready to cry, gripping my hand in guilt and confusion.
She must have realized that all the things I’d been unable to explain, the things I’d awkwardly avoided, were due to this restriction.
She may have assumed that even last night’s events were affected by it, and blamed herself for misunderstanding.
That’s only half true.
It’s true that I couldn’t tell her about her pre-regression self, or that I’ve always loved her—all because of the restriction.
But the moment I faltered when my memories resurfaced?
That was my own fault. The restriction had nothing to do with it.
Still, since the topic was directly related to the restriction, I found I still couldn’t speak.
Apparently, if the topic itself involves the restriction, I can’t say a word, even if others are already aware of it.
Well, if the purpose of the restriction is to keep the regression itself a secret, Then it’s natural that the restriction itself—being evidence of the regression—would be the most tightly guarded secret.
With my mouth sealed shut, I simply held Tang Sowol’s hand and gently patted the back of it.
She wasn’t under any restriction, and yet she too suddenly fell silent.
Before long, her expression hardened with resolve as she turned to Tang Jincheon.
“Father. Then how can we undo Brother Cheon’s restriction?”
“I don’t know. Like I said, since it still affects him even now, it’s clearly no ordinary restriction. To override the will of a Flowering Stage martial artist… Yes. Perhaps the Heavenly Demon himself placed it. As you know, the Demonic Cult may lack in martial prowess, but their dark arts are on par with any sect in the Central Plains.”
“…The Heavenly Demon.”
Tang Sowol’s eyes briefly wavered, as if picturing something, then filled with the Tang Clan’s signature venomous aura.
I don’t know exactly what she imagined, but it likely involved something between me and the Heavenly Demon—along with growing hostility.
“If we defeat the Heavenly Demon, will Brother Cheon’s restriction be lifted?”
“I don’t know. Some restrictions persist even after the caster dies. Still, we can’t just do nothing. Since we’ll be going to Shaolin Temple, let’s ask for help there.”
“Shaolin…?”
“Yes. No matter how powerful the restriction, it’s still sorcery.
And if it’s the Demonic Cult’s technique, it should be vulnerable to Shaolin’s signature exorcism arts.”
I’m not so sure.
This restriction didn’t originate from the Heavenly Demon, but from some transcendent being—immortal, divine, who knows.
Even the Heavenly Demon couldn’t undo it. No matter how skilled Shaolin may be, I doubt they’ll be able to break it.
Still, since I couldn’t interrupt due to the restriction still being active, I stayed silent.
Well, if nothing else, now that the restriction itself has been revealed, there shouldn’t be any more serious misunderstandings.
Tang Sowol looked heartbroken. Tang Jincheon gently patted his daughter’s shoulder and continued.
“For now, let’s just do what we can. If your fiancé ever clams up unnaturally, try to change the subject first.”
“Yes. I will.”
Tang Sowol looked at me with deep affection. It was a bit overwhelming, but far better than the cold, indifferent gaze from just half a day ago.
***
After the unexpected reveal of my restriction—
Seol Lihyang, who had been waiting, looked me over briefly, then tiptoed over and whispered in my ear.
“Sister Tang seems warm to you again, so I guess it worked out?”
“Well... I guess, judging by the result.”
“But why was the clan head coming out of her room too?”
“Mm. Well, about that—”
“Wait, don’t tell me… the clan head secretly—”
The restriction didn’t even activate, and yet I was rendered speechless.
Seriously, what kind of things does Seol Lihyang usually imagine?