WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Alyo
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Memoir of a Regressor ◈
Chapter 27: The Hope of the Yi Clan
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There was much to do.
A martial artist had to repay whatever was done to them.
I intended to find the Assassin Fortress and retaliate.
I intended to force every faction in Jangnyeong County into submission.
For the moment, though, all those plans had to be put on hold.
It was none other than the Golden Heaven Divine Sword who was coming.
I had created these debts and grudges, so it was only right that I resolved them.
Their intentions were obvious.
The destruction of the clan.
They clearly intended to erase the Yi Clan from the world completely.
The Yun Clan Head and my second mother were complacent enough to believe it would not go that far, but that was only possible because they knew nothing about the Emperor Sword Sect.
I was different.
I knew the Emperor Sword Sect.
I had killed perhaps half the martial artists belonging to it, and I had even exchanged blows with that old man known as the Sword Emperor.
I could confidently say I knew the Emperor Sword Sect better than anyone.
That was why I was preparing.
First, I told Yi Won to gather every spiritual medicine he could find immediately.
He had been puzzled when I told him not to discriminate between ten-year, twenty-year, or even five-year medicines, but he had brought them all.
The Yi Clan had grown far more powerful now.
They could obtain that much without difficulty.
As a result, I now had a box containing dozens of spiritual medicines in my hands.
Yi Won said he would bring several dozen more spiritual medicines before the day was over, so I intended to make some preparations with these first.
I returned to the underground hidden cave.
A sigh escaped me.
I had not expected him to come this quickly.
There was no helping it.
I immediately got to work.
I added the Central Palace to the Nine Stars of One White, Two Black, Three Jade, Four Green, Five Yellow, Six White, Seven Red, Eight White, and Nine Purple. Then I added the eight trigrams.
I added the Post-Heaven Eight Trigrams of Qian, Dui, Li, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Gen, and Kun, then the Eight Gates: Rest, Life, Harm, Obstruction, View, Death, Shock, and Open.
Sweat ran down my forehead.
I did not stop.
After setting the Nine Palaces, I incorporated the Five Elements.
Wood, fire, earth, metal, water.
I was not particularly skilled in formations, but there was one formation I knew.
My master had taught it to me.
When teaching me this formation, my master had said:
“If someone far stronger than you ever comes after you, use this.”
Honestly, I had never used it before.
I had never dreamed I would end up using it like this.
My current realm was only the beginning of the Four Qi-Cultivation Realms.
Yet the Golden Heaven Divine Sword was a master of the Creation Realm.
He was not merely a Peak or First-Rate master. He was a supreme master beyond even Transcendent Peak.
There was no other way if I wanted to face him.
Using the energy of the spiritual medicines Yi Won had brought me, I activated the Five Elements.
I did the same with the Eight Trigrams and Eight Gates.
I still needed to activate the Nine Stars, but I lacked the necessary spiritual medicines.
At minimum, I needed spiritual medicines that were several hundred years old.
After establishing only the framework, I rolled up my sleeves.
I gathered Properly Aligned Qi at the tip of my index finger and began carving characters into the ground.
It felt as though my dantian was being torn apart. The sweat running down my forehead had turned cold.
It did not matter.
I poured every ounce of strength into carving each character.
Before I could finish, I slumped to the ground.
My Properly Aligned Qi was exhausted, and so was my internal energy.
I wiped my forehead. My hand was drenched.
I sat down and cultivated the [Primal Unity Qi Technique] for a while.
Once I had completed a brief Lesser Heavenly Circuit, I began writing again.
He was coming to kill me.
It did not matter whether his realm was the Creation Realm, the Divine Entrance Realm, or the Divine Transformation Realm.
None of that mattered.
They clearly bore killing intent toward me.
Avoid the situation? Turn my back and run?
Not a chance.
This would be decided here.
Either I died, or the Golden Heaven Divine Sword died.
One of us would certainly die.
And so time passed.
* * *
Yi Won’s mind was in turmoil.
News that the Golden Heaven Divine Sword was coming had thrown all of Jangnyeong County into an uproar.
Perhaps because of that, countless people were saying the Yi Clan’s days were numbered.
Their voices had reached Yi Won’s ears, which was why his thoughts were so tangled.
Even so, he did what needed to be done.
“Did you obtain them?”
There had been a major reshuffling among the factions.
The Yi Clan’s current Grand Steward was Steward Yang, who had already earned the trust of all the General Stewards.
When Steward Yang gestured to the servants behind them, one servant brought in five cases.
A broad smile spread across Steward Yang’s face.
“Yes. I obtained them all. Three thirty-year Tae-eul Pills, one fifty-year ginseng, and one twenty-year Myeongwon Pill. Five in total.”
After accepting them and checking each one, Yi Won smacked his lips.
If he consumed all of these, he might be able to reach not just the Circulation Realm, but even the Four Qi-Cultivation Realms beyond it...
The thought entered his mind, but he immediately cast it aside.
These had to go to Yi Do.
Yi Do had helped Yi Won become Clan Head.
Now it was Yi Won’s turn to keep his promise.
“What about the other spiritual medicines?”
The other spiritual medicines referred to the ones they had already ordered elsewhere.
One Hundred-Year Ginseng, five fifty-year Taemyeong Pills, eleven fifteen-year Botae Pills, and one Two-Hundred-Year Ginseng.
“...The Hundred-Year Ginseng and Taemyeong Pills will likely arrive this evening. The rest should arrive within four hours. But the Two-Hundred-Year Ginseng you requested... I apologize. We placed an order, but the Martial Alliance has already bought it.”
“The Martial Alliance... Haa. They are no help when it matters most.”
Strictly speaking, the Yi Clan also belonged to the Martial Alliance.
Their name was near the very bottom of its roster, but the Martial Alliance was still the Martial Alliance.
More precisely, the Martial Alliance’s Jangnyeong County branch.
That was the Yi Clan.
Yi Won let that matter go for now.
“Use the money intended for the Two-Hundred-Year Ginseng to buy up every other spiritual medicine currently on the market.”
Steward Yang’s face paled.
“Um... Clan Head, may I speak frankly?”
“Go ahead.”
“Most of the Yi Clan’s funds have already been drained. I am curious why you are gathering so many spiritual medicines in a situation like this. I might understand if I were merely one of the other General Stewards, but I am the Grand Steward. I believe I should at least know how the clan’s finances are being handled.”
It was not an unreasonable thing to say. What kind of position was the Grand Steward?
The Grand Steward assisted the Clan Head and handled all matters within the clan, including the Financial Administration Pavilion.
Yi Won quietly watched Steward Yang before speaking evenly.
“There must be a reason I am doing this.”
“But Clan Head, as I said, the clan’s funds are nearly depleted. If we obtain any more spiritual medicines, the clan will be shaken to its foundations...”
Better shaken than destroyed by the Emperor Sword Sect.
Even if he had to make this decision a hundred times, he would make the same choice a hundred times.
Yi Do seemed to have a plan.
For now, Yi Won would trust him.
“Steward Yang.”
“Yes, Clan Head.”
“There must be a greater purpose behind this. You know the rumors spreading through the world, do you not?”
There was no way Steward Yang could not know.
“This is one way to prevent the destruction of our clan, so do not worry and carry it out. Understood?”
“...Yes. I will obey your command, Clan Head.”
“And place these spiritual medicines in Yi Do’s quarters.”
The moment Steward Yang nodded and left, Lady Yun and Yi Won’s maternal uncle entered as if they had arranged it beforehand.
As soon as Yi Won clutched his head, Lady Yun shouted.
“Won! What on earth are you planning to use all those spiritual medicines for?!”
His uncle was no different.
“Won, buying spiritual medicines is not the problem, but this is going too far. Buying enough spiritual medicines to empty the clan treasury... this is far too foolish.”
Yi Won sighed.
“...I will handle it.”
“You say you will handle it? I am afraid you will ruin the clan while trying to handle it yourself.”
His uncle chimed in.
“I understand that you are pleased to have become Clan Head at a time when stability is important, but it is not right to purchase this many spiritual medicines. I will not criticize those you have already bought, but cancel every spiritual medicine you are trying to order now.”
Irritation slowly rose within him.
Yi Won’s eyes darkened.
“...What exactly are you two doing right now?”
“What?”
“Who is the Clan Head of the Yi Clan?”
“...”
“Anyone watching would think the two of you were the Clan Heads of the Yi Clan.”
The two flinched, perhaps because they knew there was some truth to his words, but their attitude did not change.
“That is not the issue. The funds are currently...”
“I am the one managing those funds, Mother.”
“...”
“And Uncle.”
The Yun Clan Head, who had been fuming, looked up at Yi Won.
Yi Won recalled the Yi Do he had seen before. What would Yi Do have done in a situation like this?
The words came to him naturally.
“Have you lost your mind?”
“...What?”
“Since when has the Yun Clan stood above the Yi Clan?”
“...”
“Even if you are my uncle, are you not, strictly speaking, the head of a subordinate clan belonging to the Yi Clan? What do you think you are doing, acting so arrogantly?”
Perhaps because there was nothing to say, or because Un Mu-jeong recognized that he had gone too far, Un Mu-jeong fell silent.
“If you raise another absurd objection to the Clan Head’s authority, what happens afterward... I will leave it to your imagination. Do you understand?”
Un Mu-jeong furrowed his brow. Yi Won ignored it.
“And Mother.”
“...Yes.”
“I told you before. I am the Clan Head now. How much longer will you act as though you stand above me?”
“...You brat. Do you not understand that I am doing this for you and the clan?”
“I do. But you have gone far beyond the line, Mother. I will listen closely when you advise me on matters concerning the clan, but if you exceed your authority as you have now, then no matter if you are my mother, I will not let it pass.”
Yi Won’s attitude was far sharper than Lady Yun had expected, so she too fell silent.
“One more thing. Whether it is the Golden Heaven Divine Sword or the Emperor Sword Sect, do nothing if they visit the Yi Clan. I mean do not hand Yi Do over to them, or do anything like that.”
“...Won. Yes, I understand how you feel. But will you listen to what your mother has to say?”
“Go ahead.”
“Are you satisfied with being a dragon’s tail?”
“...”
“Strictly speaking, it is not even a dragon. Yi Do is the bloodline of an illegitimate son with a little talent in martial arts, so Yi Do should be called a snake. You are living as the tail of that snake. How can a man be satisfied with being the tail of a snake? Yi Do? I do not deny that he has made great contributions, but this is not right. You are the Clan Head of this family, just as you said. Why do all your actions and thoughts represent Yi Do’s? Why have you never considered acting on your own?”
“...”
“I am saying this as your mother, for your sake. The Emperor Sword Sect’s threat is right before us. You need to decide quickly so that both you and the Yi Clan can remain safe.”
He should not.
He really should not.
Yet Yi Won began to waver.
“...Who is the Golden Heaven Divine Sword? He is an elder of the Emperor Sword Sect, one of the Eight Great Sects. His martial prowess has reached the terrifying heights of the Creation Realm, and we have already brought down the Jang Clan. Do you think Jang Un-yeon will remain still? The Emperor Sword Sect will keep threatening us one way or another. Do we not need to survive before we can do anything else?”
“...Continue.”
“I looked into the Golden Heaven Divine Sword’s character, and I heard he is not entirely without mercy. He is called a great hero. If the Yi Clan hands Yi Do over to him and helps rebuild the Jang Clan, his sword will not reach us.”
It was certainly a development different from what Yi Do would have wanted, but Lady Yun’s words were not entirely wrong.
The Emperor Sword Sect would ultimately move toward what benefited it.
If the Yi Clan swore to offer everything it had to the Emperor Sword Sect...
They would become slaves, but there was a considerable chance they could avoid the calamity of clan destruction.
“But a person’s character can differ from the rumors.”
“Yes, that is true. But what if there were a faction willing to support our words?”
Yi Won tilted his head.
A faction that would support them?
“The Hyeokri Clan.”
His eyes widened.
“What if the Hyeokri Clan, the largest clan in Jangnyeong County after the Yi Clan, joins us in persuading the Golden Heaven Divine Sword? If that is not enough, we can summon the county magistrate. We can summon the governor as well. Even the Golden Heaven Divine Sword can be persuaded toward a favorable resolution once the authorities intervene.”
“...But if Yi Do learns about this...”
“Oh, why worry about such things? The Yi Clan can survive if we kill one man. There is not even anything to consider. How can you be so lacking in decisiveness after becoming Clan Head?”
Yi Won clutched his head.
There was logic to it.
From beginning to end, every word was right.
Yes, none of it was wrong. It was all right.
How hard had he worked to gain this position?
He had even knelt to obtain it.
He did not want it taken from him so easily.
“Can we... really bring the Hyeokri Clan over to our side?”
Lady Yun smiled brightly.
“Of course. Your mother has already made all the arrangements.”
“...I will think about it. Please leave for now.”
“...Very well. I hope you make a wise judgment as Clan Head. Are you not the hope of the Yi Clan?”
The two left.
Left alone in the Clan Head’s Hall, Yi Won agonized again and again.
It was not as though he had never considered it.
Why had he knelt before Yi Do?
To become Clan Head.
Yi Won imagined a year passing, then five, then ten.
Even if everything went perfectly and they came to rule all of Jangnyeong County, if someone asked who the Clan Head of the Yi Clan was, every one of a hundred passersby in this vast Jangnyeong County, even a stray dog on the road, would point to Yi Do.
He would live as a shadow for the rest of his life.
He would live as a puppet and die as a puppet.
This might be his final chance to turn the situation around.
The scales were tipping.
Perhaps.
Perhaps they had already tipped.
Footnotes:
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