Chapter 132
—
The next day,
Yerin gathered everyone from the Sachendan in one place.
Concerned and anxious, the people began to gather in the courtyard.
Hyuk Min-woo, along with the Jongnam faction and the Sinchang Yang family, vigilantly monitored the surroundings to prevent any commotion.
However, the atmosphere was extremely tumultuous.
“The Dang master and young master have passed away…”
“So what happens to us now?”
People whispered to one another, their voices filled with unease.
It was only natural.
They had lost both their clan’s master and young master overnight, and even the elders who could manage the situation were gone.
Moreover, the reasons behind the deaths of the master and young master were still unclear…
Just then.
“Lady Yerin is coming!”
People stirred like pebbles thrown into water.
Yerin walked slowly, standing in the center where everyone’s eyes converged.
Dang Yerin.
The only direct descendant left in the Dang Clan.
Although she had become a member of the Northern Sea Ice Palace through marriage, the people of the Dang clan had no one left to rely on but Yerin.
‘That’s how thoroughly the Dang master had excluded others.’
Doyul observed the crowd with cold eyes.
‘No matter how much power one holds, how could they leave even the bare minimum of their bloodline behind in times of crisis?’
With the omnipotent Dang master gone, the remaining clan appeared so vulnerable.
Just then, Yerin opened her lips.
“I’ve gathered everyone here to announce the reasons for the deaths of the former Dang master and young master.”
Shock spread across the faces of the people.
Yerin calmly declared, “It is to reveal the details of the deeds they committed.”
“The Dang master did what…?”
“What on earth does that mean?”
The people of the Dang clan murmured, filled with apprehension.
Meanwhile, members of the Sinchang Yang family and Jongnam faction couldn’t hide their shocked expressions either.
‘Is she really going to reveal the truth?’
They had assumed Yerin would say that the Dang master and young master died while confronting the Blood Cult, as they would naturally want to conceal the clan’s embarrassing truths if they were in her position.
However, the scale of the incident was too large to simply hide.
The Sachendan, which controlled one of the five major families, had allied with the Blood Cult, a public enemy throughout the martial world.
If this were exposed externally, the clan and Lady Yerin’s honor could plummet into the abyss.
‘At the very least, I thought she would try to convince everyone that the heads of the Murim Alliance and the various families needed to know.’
‘But she’s speaking so frankly… at least that’s a relief.’
Yang Gun and Seok Gwandu both exhaled in relief.
Seeing Yerin speak so openly suggested that she had never intended to hide anything from the beginning.
If that were the case, news must have already reached the Murim Alliance and the heads of the various factions.
‘Could it be that the Palace Lord already knew?’
The two subtly glanced at Doyul.
Doyul maintained a calm expression.
Seeing Hyuk Min-woo standing next to him with no sign of shock suggested that…
‘It seems they had decided from the start to publicly announce this matter internally.’
As the crowd quieted down, Yerin concluded succinctly.
“The Dang master allied with the Blood Cult betrayed the righteous faction and collaborated in the disappearance of the people of Sichuan Province.”
“…”
“…”
Silence fell over the courtyard.
People stared blankly at Yerin, still trying to process the shocking statement.
After a moment,
The crowd erupted into chaotic chatter.
“The Dang master allied with the Blood Cult…?”
“How could such a thing happen?”
The atmosphere quickly descended into disorder.
Yet, Doyul’s gaze remained fixed solely on Yerin.
Watching her composed profile, he suddenly recalled their conversation from the day before.
‘What will you do about the Dang master and So master?’
‘That is…’
Yerin had replied without a hint of hesitation.
‘Of course, I will tell everyone the truth.’
‘But, Lady…’
‘You can’t cover the sun with your hand.’
Unlike Doyul, who had been somewhat cautious, Yerin wore a calm expression.
‘The honor of the clan or the fact that I might be in a somewhat awkward position as a member of the Dang clan…’
Yerin smiled brightly.
‘Those things are not more important than the lives of those who have been sacrificed.’
‘…Lady.’
—
‘So, I believe it’s right to clearly reveal the truth from the beginning and give everyone a chance to prepare for the Blood Cult’s movements.’
Yerin had already made her decision in her heart from the start.
To expose the clan’s disgrace to everyone and take responsibility for the incident, no matter what.
‘Could I… do that?’
To be honest, she felt unsure.
Yerin’s resoluteness was simply astonishing.
As she endured the gazes of the people quietly, Yerin slowly bent at the waist.
“I’m sorry.”
It was a pure apology, without any excuses or justifications.
“…”
“…”
A heavy silence fell.
People stared at Yerin with shocked expressions.
She did not shy away from their piercing stares.
“Though I have been away from the Dang clan for a long time as the second daughter…”
Still bowed, Yerin slowly parted her lips.
“I feel deeply responsible for not noticing my father’s schemes sooner and preventing them.”
At that moment, the members of the Ice Palace exchanged looks filled with dissatisfaction.
‘What wrongdoing has our lady committed?’
‘Isn’t it the Sachendan who cast her aside as the second daughter in the first place?’
However, thanks to Doyul and Hyuk Min-woo’s intervention, they did not openly express their grievances.
“If you give me the opportunity, I, Dang Yerin, will take it upon myself to restore order in the Dang clan temporarily.”
Yerin lowered her head even deeper.
“I will not overstep my authority, and once a legitimate heir to the Dang clan appears, I will step down immediately…”
But then.
“Lady, please do not bow your head so low.”
Someone spoke in a trembling voice.
It was the general secretary of the Dang clan.
“How could you, Lady Yerin… lower your head to us?”
The general secretary looked at Yerin with a guilty expression.
“Rather, it is we who should feel ashamed.”
Strictly speaking, Yerin was not a direct descendant of the Dang clan but the lady of the North Sea Ice Palace.
So, she could have passed by this incident without acknowledging it.
“Despite the Dang master going astray like that, no one noticed it.”
Although the general secretary was not a blood relative of the Dang clan, he was the closest aide to the Dang master and had managed the clan on his behalf.
He couldn’t even bring himself to say, “I will take responsibility for this incident.”
“How could we dare to ask you to take responsibility for the Dang clan, Lady Yerin?”
“General secretary.”
“In the Sachendan, we…”
They had never once recognized her as a member of the Dang clan.
Unable to finish his sentence, the general secretary lowered his head to the ground.
A solemn atmosphere enveloped the room.
Everyone present recalled the times they had witnessed Yerin in the Dang clan.
“Now that I think about it, didn’t Lady Yerin save a martial artist?”
“I remember that too. That martial artist, if I’m not mistaken, was severely injured by the young master…”
The memory of Dang Yejun nearly killing a martial artist lingered vividly in the minds of the Dang clan members.
“The young master never viewed us as equals.”
“To be treated like subordinates was a blessing; he valued our lives less than flies.”
In contrast, how had Yerin acted?
She had earned the trust of the Dang clan’s martial artists solely through her abilities.
Moreover, the general secretary knew a secret about Yerin that others did not.
‘During the competition, she deliberately drew to a tie with the young master.’
The consideration she showed, fearing that the young master’s pride might be hurt, lingered in the chief’s memory for a long time.
‘Moreover… even now.’
The Sachendan had cast Yerin aside because she was the second daughter, yet she was trying to keep the clan together.
Thus, the general secretary made his decision.
“At least I believe that no one but Lady Yerin deserves to inherit the Dang clan.”
At that firm declaration, people exchanged glances with one another.
After that, the martial artists who had sparred with Yerin began to speak one by one.
“I think so, too.”
“That’s right.”
Among them, a martial artist with a splint on his arm spoke up.
“If Lady Yerin hadn’t helped me, I might really have died.”
He was the very martial artist who Dang Yejun had nearly killed.
Others joined in agreement with his words.
“That’s right; I heard that if the medicinal team had been even a little late, it could have been a disaster.”
As they exchanged supportive comments, everyone turned their gaze toward Yerin without anyone needing to lead the way.
Yerin felt her heart swell with emotion.
‘Those eyes…’
Deep within the eyes of those looking at her was a steadfast trust directed toward her.
The general secretary smiled gently.
“It seems the opinions of the Dang clan have already united, Lady Yerin.”
“…If that’s the case.”
In that instant, Yerin’s eyes hardened with determination.
