176

Chapter 176 - The House of Sachun - 5

I mustn't beg for mercy from the head of the family.

Of course, it's not like I don't have a way to beg for mercy.

All I need to do is create something like a bloodstained ceremonial robe from my mother and provoke an ocean of tears. Sobbing uncontrollably, I could say, "I've missed my father. Please, save Hwarin." I could probably act out begging for mercy convincingly.

Later on, I might even be able to exploit this moving reunion, turning it into a purging incident that cleanses the family clan of many individuals.

The emotional reconciliation between father and son—just thinking about it seems impressive. Take time to gradually prove my identity as the family head's son and receive the antidote from Inmyeonji to treat Hwarin.

There might not be enough time, but it's the righteous path.

The problem, though, is that this plan is only useful if I truly am the son of the family head.

'My strengths could easily become weaknesses in front of the family head.'

The prime factor that allowed me to come this far would undoubtedly be Hyang-a's diary.

Even if I claim to be Hyang-a's son, no one can refute it, for there's nobody in this world who knows more about Hyang-a than I do, save for one person. And that sole person stands before me now.

'If this becomes a drawn-out battle, it'll be disadvantageous.'

I'm confident that I can deceive the family head right now. But a long-term battle is a different matter. The antidote from Inmyeonji is the family's treasure; even with the family head's approval, the Council of Elders must grant permission once more.

Even if I manage to pull off an emotional reconciliation, the interrogation will continue. And if I make an unknown mistake before the head of the family? The outcome is as clear as day.

To ensure both my life and Hwarin's, the conflict must be resolved swiftly.

For that to occur, I must take control of the situation today, not the family head, and secure the antidote from Inmyeonji.

How can I manage that?

I already have a plan in mind.

"I am not your son."

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Let's start with a shock.

"That guy has finally shown his true colors!"

"You see, what did I say!"

"He confesses the truth since the family head has appeared!"

My shocking declaration caused an uproar around me. The First Elder seems a bit too pleased, doesn't he?

"Shush! The family head asks for silence."

With the family head raising his hand, people finally started calming down after taking the hint.

"What on earth are you saying?"

After quelling the noise, the family head asked me with a stern expression.

It is exactly as I said. I am not your son. I've traveled too far and taken a twisted path to reveal the truth now.

On my shoulders lies not only my fate but also the lives of Hwarin and the perished members of the righteous clan.

I looked the family head straight in the eyes and spoke.

"Just as I've told you. I am not your son."

"I heard that you boasted aloud at the main gate of the Sachun family."

So you've bragged about being the family head's son all over town and now you're saying something different? But here's the thing. I didn't forget to plan even in those urgent moments.

With a twisted smile, I began to correct the family head's words.

"It seems you didn't hear me properly. I exclaimed that I was the son of your beloved Hyang-a, not that I was your son. Not once did I claim to be your son by word of mouth after arriving at the Sachun family."

I crafted my identity as the family head's son—through writing, actions, stratagems—but I have never directly declared myself as his son.

"So I heard that the current situation reflects your will as well. Are you now resorting to word games?"

The family head's eyes turned icy with annoyance—a look that could kill with a glance, according to legends of the martial art, Konglyeokangajagyeong (空裂眼刺驚).

A mere change in his gaze, and I felt like I was standing before a tiger.

I clenched my teeth hard to resist the intimidation.

Endure it. Don't shrink back. I was prepared to stand before a tiger. Immerse yourself. I am Kang Yoonho, the son of Hyang-a, abandoned over twenty years ago. That bastard is the one who deserted my mother and me.

Speak with anger. Speak with conviction.

"Do you know my name?"

"Yoonho. Kang... Yoonho, I heard."

Perhaps he has caught on to something. I didn't miss the opportunity to continue.

"If I wanted to boast that I was your son, then why wouldn't my family name be Dang instead of Kang. Although I am Hyang-a's son, I am not your son."

I can eat pineapple pizza and own Bulmanghwan, but I am not your son. Do you understand what I am saying?

"More than twenty years ago, a child came between Hyang-a and me. If you're Hyang-a's son, then naturally, you would be my..."

"Enough."

I interrupted the family head with a tinge of anger in my voice.

"What did you say?"

"If by any chance you now wish to be called father, then stop. I could say many things with my slick tongue, but that word is too repugnant for me to utter."

I frowned deeply and turned my head away with genuine disgust.

"This child! How dare you speak so rudely to your father!"

One of the family head's associates shouted angrily. A volley of anger—good.

I unleashed the simmering fury I had prepared and opened my mouth.

"Who do you call my father! Barely providing the seed and calling oneself a father? Ha! If that's the case, then I have a question for everyone here."

I turned around as if dumbfounded and spread my arms toward the audience seated behind me.

"What is it?"

One of the Council of Elders caught my eye and asked.

I had the attention of the people—an ideal situation. Using Suyunsimsanggyeol, I reinforced my voice with power and spoke so that all could hear.

"Surely, you've seen a wide field of ripe grain. Do the grains of the field dwell on where their seed has fallen, who their father is?"

It should be clear to everyone here who I refer to with the seed.

The grain is Kang Yoonho. The seed is Dang Baekho, the family head. Would a man named Kang Yoonho concern himself with who his real father is?

I continued speaking the moment I saw curiosity flit across their faces.

"No, the grains in the vast field do not dwell on which breeze carried them or where they were sown."

I shook my head to quell their curiosity and continued.

"What the rice grown in the wide fields holds dear, appreciates, loves..."

I deliberately emphasized three times, paused at the end of my statement and placed my hand over my heart. Following my words, the eyes of the audience were drawn to my heart.

The person that Kang Yoonho emphasizes three times over as important. Someone cherished enough to keep close to one's heart.

Who might they be?

"It is the earth, like a mother, that warmly nests the seed, and it is the farmer, like a father, who nurtures its growth with his heart, lest it falls ill or grows askew."

This person isn't Dang Baekho, the family head.

The mother who gave birth to Kang Yoonho is Hyang-a, and his foster father, Mr. Kang. These are the mother and father in the mind of Kang Yoonho.

After planting my thoughts in everyone's minds, I turned to face the family head and again placed my hand over my heart.

"My name is Kang Yoonho. Half of me comes from my mother, and the other half from the father who raised me. Thus, my given name is Yoonho, bestowed by my mother, and my family name is Kang. And that lineage has nothing to do with the House of Sachun."

I declared this firmly to the family head.

Behind the dignified facade of the family head, I sensed subtle but distinct emotional turbulence.

"Do you intend to deny your own blood?"

The family head's tone softened slightly, his eyes looking somewhat sorrowful as he regarded me.

"The rice in the vast field does not deny its essence as rice. Yet a discarded seed does not call one who knows neither of the hardships it weathered nor how it grew, a father."

A strong denial breeds a strong assertion.

You may be my biological father, but I do not regard you as my father. Mentioning this, while hinting at the hardships of my upbringing, provokes the family head's guilt.

By refusing to acknowledge the family head as my father, I eliminate the need to further prove my claim as his son.

Why should they insist on proof when I claim I do not need him? But that doesn't mean I am not the family head's son.

All evidence up until now points to me being the offspring of the family head. My refusal to call him my father ensures I am not seen as a base-born who clings to his father's mercy for personal gain; rather, fate has compelled a reunion between father and son.

The credibility of being the family head's son clings to me more than ever.

A momentary silence enveloped the surroundings.

The audience, in this brief silence, is urged to reconsider all my actions up to this point, and to be convinced that I am the son of the family head.

Of course, the family head must be feeling the same.

Had the family head been heartless, he could have said, "Since you claim not to be my son, let us part ways." However, the family head I know is not that kind of person.

Moreover, I stressed the hardships I endured growing up. "But you weren't there, were you?" I said, stimulating the family head's sense of guilt.

I do not acknowledge you as my father, but here I stand before you.

That should naturally lead to one question.

"Then why did you write this book and come to our family?"

Holding Sachun Fungwoon, the family head asked me. Predictably so.

Having rejected him as a father and baited him to this point, it's time to achieve what I came for.

How should I say it?

To save a friend's life. Because Hwarin is my friend. Insufficient. Words like these aren't enough.

It's necessary to shake the family head.

No, I must pierce the family head's heart with a dagger. I have to shatter his stern facade and ensure that in t

he end, he places the family's treasure in my hands.

And I already know the way to bury the dagger deep into the family head's heart.

"I came to protect my woman."

That's the family head's weakness.