As we stepped into the passage, Sama Yuryeon pressed a certain spot on the wall.
Krrrk—
The stone door closed again, just as it had been before.
Though the sunlight was completely blocked out, the passage wasn't all that dark, thanks to the night pearls embedded densely along its walls.
"They're pretty."
"They must be expensive."
"???"
"???"
As I and Tang So-wol each voiced our differing impressions and tilted our heads in unison, Sama Yuryeon cautiously descended the stairs and spoke.
"The night pearls embedded here aren't large, and their shapes are uneven. They're probably pieces cut from lower-grade pearls. Even with this many set in, the light is only bright enough to see the floor beneath your feet. They can't be terribly expensive."
"You know about the quality and market price of night pearls too?"
"Yes, well. There was a time I dabbled in trade to build a private fund away from my family's eyes, but…"
"But?"
"How many would stand idly by while an enemy stockpiles war funds? It was crushed most thoroughly."
Sama Yuryeon's calm reply. At that, Tang So-wol murmured in a troubled voice.
"An enemy, you say? No matter how heated the succession race may have become, they are still family of the same household…"
"I suspected you would say that, Flying Butterfly Poison Peak. Both from what I had investigated beforehand and from meeting you in person, you seem to possess a kind disposition. On top of that, the Tang Clan has a few peculiarities compared to other noble houses."
"I have heard that in other families, succession matters often lead to severe friction between members."
"Most of the time, that is the case. One might call it a form of culling. After all, the most outstanding one must become the next clan head."
As she said this, Sama Yuryeon's voice carried a strange hint of laughter—one that sounded both cynical and mocking.
"However, even so, a child is still a child. It is important for the clan head to hold the center so that no blood is shed…"
"Sometimes, there are those who believe that for a person to grow, they must see the blood of others. Just as one slaughters cattle and pigs to survive, there are those prepared to devour people as well if necessary. The current clan head of the Sama Clan is one such person."
"…"
Sama Yuryeon neither confirmed nor denied it, simply wearing a fabricated smile.
Tang So-wol sensed the strange shift in the atmosphere and glanced around before whispering quietly.
"Young hero Cheon seems to know quite a bit about the Sama Clan. What exactly is it about them?"
"A place that treats even its own flesh and blood as pieces on a board. I've heard it was better in the past… but at least the current Sama Clan is no different from a small martial world."
"Ah! Please don't speak so loudly! Everyone can hear you!"
"Given the setting, even a whisper would have echoed loudly enough for all to hear anyway."
"That's…"
Tang So-wol cautiously looked ahead. Noticing her gaze, Sama Yuryeon let out a light laugh, as if it were nothing at all.
"Hahah. It's fine. It's not confidential, and everyone who should know already knows. To put it simply, the clan head… my father is trying to have as many children as possible and is encouraging them to compete against each other."
"Wouldn't that just throw the household into even more chaos? I can't understand why he would make such a choice."
"That's how it works in the Orthodox Sects. In the Unorthodox Sects, it's only natural for a few to die in the succession struggle anyway. Even those who manage to survive by luck would be purged by the new clan head if they stayed in the family. The clan head is just doing it with his own hands."
"How could… they're family. They're his own children."
"Before being family, they're martial artists, and children born out of necessity. A political marriage or two to expand the family's power is one thing, but by the time you reach six or seven, that special bond fades. And once the number of children exceeds double digits… it becomes hard to grow attached. Now there are only three of us left, including me!"
As if telling an amusing story, Sama Yuryeon giggled. But perhaps because she was still a bit inexperienced at this point.
A faint killing intent. A grudge, old yet not faded, leaked out for a single moment.
It was a mistake obvious enough that even Tang So-wol noticed it, let alone me, who was especially sensitive to such things. Sama Yuryeon covered it up with an awkward-sounding voice.
"But in the end, once I ascend to the position of clan head, everything will be resolved. After all, as a woman, even if I wanted to bear as many children as my father did—dozens of them—I wouldn't be able to, so the succession competition will become a bit more relaxed."
"Ah, I see."
"Yes. So rest assured. In order to survive in the Sama Clan, and to ascend to the position of clan head and correct the clan's wrongdoings, I will need to prove my usefulness for a while. Naturally, during that time, even if I wanted to betray the two of you, I wouldn't be able to."
Sama Yuryeon said this in a deliberately bright voice.
She spoke as if she had forced the words out, but the content itself was likely sincere.
Even if her Martial Talent was lacking, Sama Yuryeon was sharp-minded enough that she could escape the clan whenever she wished, if she so desired… but.
The fate of Sama Su-ryeon, which she had witnessed in her childhood, and the fear of the price of defeat had become shackles that bound Sama Yuryeon's ankles.
This was something that became known after the Righteous-Unorthodox Alliance was formed, when Sama Yuryeon, now the Chief Steward of the Black Alliance, deliberately sent the Sama Clan to the most dangerous battlefields and brought about their near-total Clan Extermination.
The underground Prison of the Sama Clan contained several places designated for experiments.
The subject of those experiments was heredity.
Special Constitutions. Bones and sinews passed down through generations, as in the Paeng Clan. The minds of the Jegal Clan. And so on.
In the martial world, there were clearly those born superior, and the Sama Clan wished to artificially control this.
Just as the Hwangbo Clan's talent had degenerated with each passing generation, they were gripped by the fear that one day, the Sama Clan would also crumble.
In truth, in the past, the Sama Clan had boasted talents rivaling the Jegal Clan, but from some point onward, their level began to decline, until now they could not even dare to compare.
And so, they began to research what was inherited and what was not—whether only the necessary traits could be passed on.
Naturally, the will of the subjects was of no importance in this process. Whether man or woman, anyone deemed suitable was forced to become a stud or a broodmare.
The siblings of Sama Yuryeon that were dragged out from the half-collapsed Sama Clan—their appearance had been a major topic of discussion back then as well.
Those whose minds had completely shattered, or those who were forcibly kept sane through sorcery—even for me, who had seen plenty of unsightly things, it was hardly a pleasant sight.
Sama Yuryeon, who had yet to shake off that fear, could not escape the Sama Clan.
Sama Su-ryeon had a naive younger sibling who would risk danger to help her, but Sama Yuryeon knew all too well that no such person existed for her.
And so, at least until this matter was concluded, Sama Yuryeon could not betray us.
One who runs looking behind rather than ahead—there is little such a person can do when chased by fear instead of pursuing a goal.
How long had I been following, quietly watching the back of Sama Yuryeon's head?
The passage, which had been sloping downward little by little, had widened considerably by now, and the night pearls embedded there were no longer mere fragments but whole ones, illuminating not just the ground beneath our feet but the entire surroundings.
A wide cavern. And a fork in the path. Standing before it, Sama Yuryeon looked around carefully before speaking.
"I can't tell."
"What do you mean?"
"Both paths have mechanism traps installed. It's not that one is the correct answer and the other is a trap… it's that both are."
"Do you know what kind of devices they are?"
"The left one has a collapsing floor, and the right one is set to drop something from the ceiling."
"So you can't tell what's inside."
"Right. The most common types that shoot hidden weapons or poison have launch ports, so I could predict what's coming by their shape, but…"
"So you're saying it's hard to gauge because the floor collapses and the ceiling comes down."
"That's exactly right. However, the standard setup is usually spikes pointing up from the floor and rocks falling from the ceiling. So in this case, I'd recommend the left one, since it's something you can respond to."
"Respond to."
"Wouldn't you just prepare in advance and break the blades on the floor right before they fall? And in cases like this, the pit can be deep, so if you tie yourself to a suitable spot beforehand…"
"There's no need for that."
"Pardon?"
Passing by the flustered Sama Yuryeon, I asked Tang So-wol.
"You can do it, right?"
"It might be a bit difficult while carrying someone."
"Don't worry. I'll handle Sama Yuryeon."
"Surely not…"
"I'm going to throw her, so catch her well."
"Ah! If that's the case."
A grin returned to Tang So-wol's face, which had been about to narrow her eyes.
Then, passing by Sama Yuryeon, who was still looking back and forth between me and Tang So-wol as if she hadn't grasped the situation yet, I quickly unleashed my Lightness Skill.
Thud!
Tang So-wol ran up the wall at an angle, crossing the long corridor in a single bound and landing in the next cavern.
The Tang Clan's footwork was among the finest of any noble house, so pulling off something like that was effortless for her.
And her martial level had reached the very edge of the Peak Realm, which helped too.
I nodded calmly at the expected result, while Sama Yuryeon let out a breath that was equal parts exasperation and admiration.
"So this… this was allowed all along?"
"You'll be doing it soon enough."
"B-But my Lightness Skill isn't nearly that good!"
"Don't worry. I'll handle it."
"Come to think of it, you said you were going to throw me… Surely not!"
Realizing my intent a beat too late—caught completely off guard—Sama Yuryeon stumbled backward, but it was already too late.
I reinforced my body with internal energy to the maximum, then grabbed her by the ankle.
Then, spinning her upside down in place a few times, I hurled her into the air.
"Kyaaaaah!"
Sama Yuryeon flailed in midair, but Tang So-wol on the other side caught her without issue.
"Ah, no! No! What is this! If you'd only given me a little more time, I could have bypassed the mechanism trap or even dismantled it!"
"Wasn't it you who said time was precious?"
Tang So-wol set down Sama Yuryeon, who was trembling and giggling nervously. Only after confirming this did I also kick off the ground with all my strength.
Using Lightness Skill to scale the wall like Tang So-wol was harder than I'd thought. A step or two might be manageable, but getting through the fork in the path would be tough.
Both Thunder Step and Gwiyeongbo were movements meant to move quickly and deceive the opponent—not footwork designed to reliably traverse varied terrain.
So I just packed my internal energy into my legs and leaped across the entire passageway.
"…!"
Sama Yuryeon's mouth opened and closed as if she had nothing left to say.
I watched her for a moment, then shrugged.
"If the body is unwell, the head has to suffer, doesn't it?"
"…Usually, it's the opposite."
"Ordinary people can't even break through the Peak Realm wall. Come to think of it, Sama Yuryeon, aren't you still a first-rate martial artist?"
"…"
"Don't worry. You'll be able to rise someday."
"Kkeuk!"
Sama Yuryeon, who knew well that her Martial Talent was nothing special, trembled with humiliation.
I wasn't lying. In truth, Sama Yuryeon did manage to reach the threshold of the Peak Realm.
It was just that she'd only do so at an age past thirty and nearing forty.
Only after savoring the sight of Sama Yuryeon trembling—something I'd never seen before the regression—did I finally speak.
"This time, the gap was one you could cross, so you crossed it. But from now on, there will be many cases where you can't. There will definitely be times when I need your help."
"I… am aware."
"And even if you do make a mistake, don't worry."
I kicked a suitable stone at my feet toward the passage we'd come through.
Click.
With a sound of something clicking into place, the floor collapsed in an instant.
As Sama Yuryeon had expected, it was the kind of mechanism trap where the floor gives way. However, the pit below wasn't deep, and there were no sharp blades planted in it.
Instead, it was filled with something slimy and reeking of filth.
"Ugh… what is this smell?"
"What else? The smell of shit."
"Excuse me?"
"Senior Gwiyeong Sin-tu liked to toy with people, but he never preferred killing them without reason."
Wasn't the formation outside just the same? Naturally, the mechanism traps inside the secret vault were likewise devoid of any lethal force.
…Devoid of lethal force, that is.
"Even if we fail to spot a trap out of bad luck, and even if I fail to block one, we won't die."
"Instead, we'll be disgusted enough to want to die."
"How about it? Doesn't that just put your mind at ease?"
"Not at all."
Sama Yuryeon looked down at the filth-covered floor with a stern expression. Determination blazed in her narrow eyes.
"From now on, I won't miss a single one…!"
Well, if she works hard, that's all the better for us.
.
.
.
.
.
To put it simply, Sama Yuryeon kept her word.
…She kept it, and nothing more.