Chapter 141 Recap-2

Chapter 141 Recap-2

Seonwoo Jung asked Seonwoo Jin again.

‘Assuming we break through the Ha Clan’s ambush, what should we do after that?’

Seonwoo Jin replied.

‘Now that the Ha Clan has revealed its true colors, the moral high ground is ours. We must punish them immediately. It’s still early dawn, so even if we break their ambush and charge them, we can still fully capitalize on the element of surprise.’

Seonwoo Jung nodded in admiration at those words.

‘So that’s why you insisted we go at dawn. Then we should return to the clan immediately, gather the warriors, and attack the Ha Clan?’

‘Yes, but when you return to the estate, you must handle one matter as quickly as possible.’

‘One thing?’

Seonwoo Jin answered Seonwoo Jung’s question with a sharp glint in his eyes.

‘Yes, you need to tidy up the internal affairs. Isn’t it always the case that to strike externally, you must first put your own house in order?’

***

When Seonwoo Jung, the head of the Seonwoo clan, returned to the clan headquarters without rest, accompanied by over a hundred troops from the Dan family, many people were already gathered at the training ground.

And some of them were even forced to kneel, tightly bound in the training ground.

Seemingly unaware why they were being treated this way, they were screaming, “What is this?” But the moment they saw Seonwoo Jung, they began wailing as if they had been waiting for him.

“Master! Save me! These men dared to do this to me!”

“Master! This is wrong! I have never once been disloyal to the Seonwoo Clan in my entire life! This is too unjust!”

Father! Punish those who dared do this to me! I absolutely cannot forgive them!

They were Lady Ha, the second wife of the family head Seonwoo Jung, her second son Seonwoo Hyeok, and the third elder Gak Jung-gwang and Shin Eung-dae’s chief retainer Son Won-jong, who had been aligned with them.

All of them had been suddenly arrested early that morning by the Grand Elders Heo Jin-guk and Shin Eung-dae, and were now forced to kneel in the martial arts training ground.

This startled not only the detained individuals but also the others present, who immediately demanded an explanation.

But Heo Jin-guk and Shin Eung-sa’s chief attendant, Dam Mu-ho, only said it was the master’s orders and gave no reason whatsoever.

And in truth, they too had merely received orders from Seonwoo Jin and were equally unaware of the details.

Yet they did not hesitate for a moment in carrying out Seonwoo Jin’s sudden orders.

Ever since witnessing Seonwoo Jin’s divine manifestation at the martial arts field last time, they had all been utterly captivated by him.

“Master!”

“Father!”

“Master!”

Family Head Seonwoo Jung regarded them with a cold gaze as they clamored.

Then, without a word, he threw the two men he had brought as prisoners before them.

Thud!

Thud!

The bound men, and those around them, stared at them with puzzled expressions.

“Who are those people?!”

“What… what is this!?”

They looked like they’d been through hell—both arms severed, their bodies a bloody mess.

Then, a moment later, among those who had initially kept silent, not knowing what to make of it, someone finally recognized their faces.

It was the second wife, Mrs. Ha.

As she recognized them, her complexion began to grow increasingly pale.

Then, Seonwoo Jung, who had been watching her expression, finally spoke up.

“These are the captains of the White Tiger Brigade, the military force of the Ha Clan!”

At his words, the people watching nearby began to murmur.

Most of the talk revolved around why they had ended up in such a state and whether it was right to treat them this way.

Seonwoo Jung listened silently to their words without adding anything else.

Then, Elder Sam, Gak Jung-kwang, who had been bound, flashed his eyes and suddenly raised his voice.

“Master! Please heed this humble counsel! It is not right to treat the warriors of the Ha Clan, bound to you by marriage, in such a manner! Furthermore, even if you disregard propriety and fight them, our strength is still utterly insufficient to contend with the Ha Clan! Therefore, I implore you to see reality clearly and apologize for your mistake before it becomes completely irreversible! If you sincerely apologize to them, they will surely…”

Just as those watching began nodding in agreement with Gak Jung-gwang’s words,

Sunwoo Jung suddenly cut him off and spoke.

And those words sent shockwaves through the room, silencing everyone.

“Even though they tried to kill me?”

“Yes, yes?”

“They ambushed us on the way to Dangajang, disguised as Dangajang’s warriors, intending to kill me and Seong-i. And yet, each elder still believes I should apologize to them?”

At that, the faces of all the bound men turned pale.

They too had not known that the Ha Clan had attempted to assassinate Sunwoo Jung.

Gak Jung-kwang stammered, trying to protest.

“Th-that can’t be… No, it’s not like that. There must be some misunderstanding…”

At that moment, Seonwoo Jung unleashed the aura of a supreme master and shouted in a furious voice.

“You say the head of the household was attacked and nearly killed, yet you claim it couldn’t be?! That’s truly the talk of a traitor! We departed at dawn, following the plan we set just days ago! Yet they knew our destination and our departure time perfectly, and were lying in ambush! What do you say? Are you going to call this a misunderstanding too?!”

Hearing this, Gakjungwang’s face drained of all color, turning deathly pale.

He finally understood why they were bound here.

The governor now believed them to be traitors who had aided in the assassination.

Gak Jung-gwang cried out urgently.

“M-Master! You’re mistaken! I would never…!”

“Shut up!”

With that furious shout, the blade of Sunwoo Jung flashed.

Puhwaak!

At that moment, everyone watching nearby gasped in horror, covering their mouths.

“Huh!”

Until now, Sunwoo Jung, the head of the clan, had been perceived as kind-hearted but indecisive and incompetent, always swayed by his in-laws’ influence.

Yet, that very Seonwoo Jung had just now, in this very moment, severed the neck of Elder Gakjungkwang in one swift blow.

The Seonwoo family members could scarcely believe their eyes.

Moreover, he showed no sign of stopping there.

He now began to glare at Shin Eung-i’s deputy, Son Won-jong, with a terrifying look.

Son Won-jong, now pale as a sheet, hastily tried to speak.

“M-Master! This is a misunderstanding…!”

POW!

His sword flashed, and Son Won-jong’s head too flew skyward.

A moment later, blood spurted forth like a fountain.

Those watching could only shut their eyes tightly.

The sight of the two men who had been the real power behind the Sunwoo family being executed in an instant was simply too shocking.

At that moment, Seonwoo Jung murmured with a cold expression.

Though his voice was low, his muttering echoed clearly in everyone’s ears.

“It seems the only words traitors can utter are ‘misunderstanding’.”

And now, Seonwoo Jung finally turned the tip of his sword toward Lady Ha and her son, Seonwoo Hyeok.

Everyone watched the scene, unable to even breathe properly.

Mrs. Ha trembled violently, like a quaking aspen, and spoke.

“S-Sir, this is a misunderstanding. I-I would never…”

But she couldn’t continue speaking in the face of Seonwoo Jung’s coldly smiling expression.

“Another misunderstanding? I’m hearing that a lot today.”

“S-Sir!”

In that instant, Seonwoo Jung raised his sword high into the sky.

Terrified, Lady Ha and Seonwoo Hyuk closed their eyes and screamed.

“Aaaaaah!”

“Aaaaaah!”

Those watching did the same.

Most of them tightly shut their eyes, unable to bear the horrors about to unfold.

But even after a little time passed, the next sound was no longer heard.

So people swallowed hard, slowly opened their eyes, and looked toward them.

Then, Seonwoo Jung, who had seemed ready to strike down at any moment, could not bring himself to bring the sword down.

Then, after holding his sword aloft for a moment, he finally lowered it and commanded Dam Mu-ho, the commander of the Shin Eung-sa unit who had been waiting.

“Considering you are of the Seonwoo bloodline and bore my child, I will spare your life! Dam Dae-ju! Immediately imprison them in the dungeon! Until further orders, give them nothing—no food, no water, nothing at all!”

“Yes, Master!”

Lady Ha and Seonwoo Hyeok were immediately dragged away by the Shin Eungsa guards and thrown into the dungeon.

They could say nothing more.

At that moment, Seonwoo Jung, standing among the gathered Seonwoo clan members, roared toward the crowd.

His voice boomed with the power of a peak master’s inner strength.

“Is there another traitor among you who has colluded with external forces?!”

His piercing gaze swept over Elder Lee, aligned with the Gaeyang clan—the maternal lineage of his eldest son, Seonwoo Seong—and Shin Eung-il, the third-generation head; and Elder Sa, aligned with the Un clan—the maternal lineage of Seonwoo Yeonha—and Shin Eung-sam, the third-generation head.

Then, trembling violently, Elder Sa was the first to stumble to his knees and cry out.

“I… I am loyal only to the Seonwoo clan! I have never harbored any other thoughts, Master!”

With him leading the way, the others began to kneel as well.

Thud! Thud!

“I too, Master!”

“I am the same, Lord!”

“Please believe me, Master!”

Seonwoo Jung watched them silently for a moment.

Then, suddenly, he spoke in a low voice.

“I will be watching you from now on.”

At his words, those kneeling could secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

Then,

Seonwoo Jung shouted loudly once more.

“The warriors of the Seonwoo clan, prepare for battle immediately! I will not forgive the Ha clan for daring to assassinate the clan leader and seize control!”

The order came too suddenly.

A look of bewilderment spread across the faces of all gathered.

“The Ha Clan…?”

“Us?”

The Ha Clan was a formidable force, possessing five peak masters alone—the strongest in Guiyang, perhaps even the strongest in Gui Zhou.

Therefore, for the Sunwoo Clan to confront the Ha Clan head-on now was nothing short of reckless.

At least, that was how they saw it.

But in this atmosphere, no one could possibly oppose the head of the family.

All they could do was bow their heads and respond in a resounding chorus.

“Yes! Family Head!”

Zhuge Xueyu watched the entire sequence unfold from a corner, his expression one of intense fascination.

Her face, which had been perpetually dark from recent emotional turmoil, was now sparkling with vitality for the first time in ages.

A major transformation was unfolding right before her eyes.

Especially for Seonwoo Jung, who always seemed quiet and indecisive, to display such a presence—the powerful aura commanding the room was incredibly impressive.

She murmured suddenly, as if feeling regret.

“Ah, where could I find another man like that? If only there had been someone so charismatic and handsome among my peers. But now that they’re going head-to-head with the Ha family, what should we do, Uncle?”

Then, standing beside him, Jegal Jiyong murmured under his breath, almost to himself.

“Could it be… that Sunwujia planned to use us to clean house internally?”

“Huh?”

When he looked at his uncle with a puzzled expression, who hadn’t answered his question but was speaking of something else, Zhuge Zhiyong shook his head and replied.

“No. Let’s wait and see. Surely they wouldn’t make a formal proposal to us and then pretend it never happened.”

“…Huh?”

Seeing that Jegal Seo-yul still didn’t seem to understand, Jegal Ji-yong sighed with a slightly exasperated expression and said.

“Hmm, I’ll explain later. For now, let’s observe the battle situation. If the Sunwoo clan is pushed back, lending them our strength could be seen as repaying a debt. That wouldn’t be a bad outcome for us either.”

Zhuge Xueyu still didn’t understand, but he simply nodded.

Even though it was his own family, the words of the Zhuge clan were undeniably too difficult to grasp.

Zhuge Zhiyong murmured again with a grave expression.

“By the way, they’re going to attack the Ha Clan head-on. Could it be they’re factoring us into their plans when they move like this? If so, they probably won’t gain much in reality…”

In Zhuge Zhiyong’s view, it seemed almost certain that Sun Wuzhong’s previous proposal to the Zhuge clan was intended to provoke the Ha clan and purge the Second Lady’s faction.

The problem lay in what came next.

He still couldn’t determine whether that proposal had merely been a means to an end for him, or if it had genuinely been an offer to submit to the Zhugeliang clan.

But it seemed highly likely that it was merely a means to an end.

If he were Sunwoo Jung himself, he doubted he would have gone so far as to subjugate the Sunwoo clan—which had already erased the Ha clan’s influence—to the Zhuge clan.

‘But you’re saying you’re going to attack the Ha Clan?’

That seemed strange.

Attacking the Ha Clan with only the Sunwoo Clan’s forces would clearly be reckless.

Therefore, it seemed likely he had calculated on the Zhuge clan’s assistance. If that were the case, it didn’t seem like it would necessarily benefit Sun Wuzhong.

The more debt he incurred to the Zhuge family, the less justification he’d have to renege on his promise.

Zhuge Zhiyong’s mind grew increasingly complicated.

While Zhuge Zhiyong pondered these thoughts, three shadows watched the scene unfold from the rooftop.

They were Sun Woo-jin, Jik Ma-hyeok, and Gyeon Jung.

Seonwoo Jin smiled faintly and murmured.

“Once our father draws his sword, nothing can stand in his way? He’s truly magnificent.”

Before proceeding with this matter, Seonwoo Jin had made a prior request to his father, Seonwoo Jung.

It was imperative that the three elders, Gakjungkwang and Shin Eung-i, and the head of the Son clan, Son Won-jong, be dealt with.

He couldn’t tell his father, but in his past life, Son Won-jong had betrayed the Sunwoo family and defected to the Ha family.

Furthermore, Elder Sam, Gak Jung-gwang, though he hadn’t defected to another faction, was someone who constantly prioritized his own interests and stirred up discord within the Sunwoo Clan—to the point where it would have been better if he had defected.

How infuriating that had been in his past life…

Therefore, Sunwoo Jin judged that swiftly eliminating these men was the best choice for the Sunwoo Clan.

But then, those very people had been neatly wrapped up at such an early stage.

Seon Woo-jin murmured with a refreshing smile.

“Hmm, that’s good, isn’t it?”

Seon Woo-jin felt a refreshing sensation, as if his chest had been cleared.

Especially seeing Mrs. Ha, who had reigned like an absolute ruler at the Seonwoo family estate and committed all sorts of misdeeds, being dragged away in such a miserable state made it even more so.

Watching her, Seon Woo-jin suddenly murmured.

“This is a sight I wish I could show Mother in heaven.”

Of course, of the two who had directly caused his mother’s death, Mrs. Gok, the mother of Seonwoo Sung, still remained.

But she too would not last much longer.

Seon Woo-jin now rose from his seat with a refreshed air and addressed Jeok Ma-hyeok and Gyeon Jung.

“Alright, let’s head to the Ha family estate now. Sorry for rushing you all.”

At his words, Jik Mahyeok smiled and replied.

“Not at all, Young Master. I’ve been resting too much lately and felt sluggish, but now I feel energized.”

Gyeon Jung’s eyes lit up as he asked.

“Does this mean we can fight a peak master now?”

At his question, Sun Woo-jin grinned and nodded.

“Yes, fight to your heart’s content.”

Even after the Ha Clan dealt with the peerless masters Baekho and Lee Daeju, three supreme masters still remained.

Therefore, the Sunwoo Clan, possessing only two peak masters, was inevitably at a disadvantage in battle.

Xian Wu Jin suddenly smiled wryly as he thought.

‘But will they really have three peak masters when they fight the Sunwoo Clan?’

Xian Wu Jin had no intention of leaving it at that.