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Chapter 7
When his older brother started doing things he never used to, Mu-ho was caught completely off guard. This was the same brother who would adamantly deny any wrongdoing, never once admitting fault.
‘Just act like you usually do!’
Only when their father got angry would he reluctantly beg for forgiveness. And now that same brother was apologizing? That hit harder than hearing he missed him.
“Why else? I guess I was living like a total bum. But I’ve still got some sense of shame left. As you know, I didn’t completely stray from the right path. Honestly, I was scared. I thought if I caused some huge incident, they’d kick me out. So I played it slick. Can’t deny that, can I?”
“Are you sick or something?”
Mujin had always been known as the troublemaker of the Songho Sect.
Still, he had never caused a disaster big enough to disrupt a major clan event. You could say he stayed within the bounds. Sometimes he pushed it, but it was always manageable. That’s why people expected he wouldn’t go too far.
But for him to speak so honestly like this?
It was worlds apart from the Mujin who clung to every scrap of pride he had left.
“Enough with the apologies. Let’s get to the real reason I’m here. I’m just not cut out for managing or running the clan. So I’m thinking of stepping down. Clean break.”
“...What are you even saying?”
“Don’t panic. That reaction’s too obvious. Be real with me, do you honestly think I’d make a good leader for this clan?”
“But you’re the firstborn.”
“Spare me the old-school talk. If you keep dodging, I’m gonna do things my way. You don’t want that, do you?”
“...!”
Mu-ho knew.
He knew the clan’s upper council was backing him. That fear that Mujin might become the new head, he’d felt it. Ideally, everyone wanted the elder brother to inherit the clan, but realistically, it was becoming less likely.
Even so, he couldn’t answer right away. He hesitated.
And that hesitation made him feel ashamed.
Maybe... maybe he did want the position after all? Or maybe his brother was testing him.
“I’m not testing you, so stop overthinking. You’re going to do as I say, right?”
“Father won’t approve of this.”
“Is the clan his personal property? Are the elders just puppets? We all built this clan together over many years. He can’t just ignore the people who struggled alongside us and make decisions on his own.”
“Well... that’s true.”
Mu-ho couldn’t think straight.
He was getting swept up by his brother’s words, unable to push back, completely exposed. But it was understandable, everything Mujin was saying made sense. It clashed so hard with his usual reckless self that it left Mu-ho reeling. He didn’t sound like himself at all.
“Enough stalling. Decide. Don’t bring up family ties or firstborn rights when it comes to the clan’s future. Let’s be real, if I stay in charge, I’ll probably run this place into the ground.”
“That’s not exactly—!”
“Isn’t it true?”
Did he really have to give him that look?
And he was sharp.
Mu-ho decided to buy some time.
“This isn’t something I can decide on my own. We’ll need to bring it up at the clan council.”
“At the end of the day, your decision is the most important. So, are you in, or not? Or do I take care of it myself?”
Before Mu-ho could even wrestle with the decision, he was already overwhelmed by his brother’s momentum. There was no point in dodging it anymore. Even the elders had been urging the patriarch to change the heir. Their father had barely managed to hold them off.
Still, leaving things in the hands of a brother who kept causing trouble every other day wasn’t a real solution. They needed someone who could make a decisive sacrifice for the clan’s future.
“Alright.”
“Swear it. On our clan, our parents, me, my wife, and your nephew. You know there’s no backing out once you do.”
He had to seal off any escape routes ahead of time.
That way, no one could come back later with complaints. His overly serious little brother always made good on his word.
“...Is that really necessary?”
“No sidestepping.”
“Fine! I said I’ll do it!”
“By heaven and earth... okay, maybe that’s too much. Let’s leave it at that.”
Mu-ho suddenly wondered, Why did I even come here? A wave of regret hit him. But it wasn’t all bad. A few days later, the clan council was set to discuss the succession.
.
.
.
‘If I give it up first... that paints the best possible picture.’
That was the day.
After the council meeting, when he was stripped of his succession rights, he couldn’t take it and stormed out. Deep down, he’d hoped that if he just stayed away for a bit, they’d welcome him back. Who could’ve guessed it would take twenty years?
And now?
Even if they begged him, he wouldn’t take it.
Having a fancy title didn’t mean people treated you any better. Realistically, the Songho Sect was just one of many clans scattered across the central plains. It wasn’t some prestigious sect like the Nine Great Sects or the Nine Great Families.
“They say strike while the iron’s hot, right? Let’s get started.”
“Get started on what?”
“Call the sect council. Wrap up the succession properly, so my little brother can walk down the flower-strewn path.”
“It’s too fast. Let me think it over a bit more.”
“It’s best to drop lingering attachments early.”
He wasn’t just bold, he had drive. So much so that Mu-ho could barely keep up. Was his brother always like this? The question gnawed at him.
“Are you really my brother?”
“Enough nonsense. Don’t try to backpedal later.”
“Haa... Fine, do whatever you want.”
“Thanks. That’s the little brother I know.”
Faced with Mujin’s grand decision, Mu-ho had no choice but to throw in the towel. The man was so insistent there was no stopping him. And once a man makes a promise, he can’t just take it back.
***
The sect council of Songho Sect was convened.
But it wasn’t quite right to say Mujin had called it. No one would have come just because he said so. It only happened because his wife and younger brother Mu-ho stepped in.
Unsurprisingly, Mujin had long lost all standing with the elders, he was just the discarded heir, nothing more.
If anything, it was thanks to his wife that he maintained any formal position at all.
An heir propped up by his wife.
In fact, she was the daughter of Bomon Merchant Guild, considered the top merchant group in Cheongyang. Nine years ago, when the daughter of the prestigious guild came to the clan personally and proposed marriage, the reaction from the Songho Sect was unanimous:
—Why him?
If it were Kang Mu-ho, the clan’s prized prodigy, maybe it would have made some sense. But no one could have predicted that she’d choose Kang Mujin.
To Baek Woong-Cheol, the merchant lord of Bomon Guild, who had raised his daughter like a precious gem, it was like a bolt from the blue. Even after defying the opposition and going through with the marriage, Mujin continued acting recklessly, ignoring everyone’s hope that he would change. He betrayed every expectation.
From then on, his father-in-law Baek Woong-Cheol cut ties. Whenever he saw Mujin, he turned away in disgust. And if he even sensed an attempt to ask for money, he shut it down without a word.
After that, the clan’s leadership stopped trusting Mujin altogether.
They had learned their lesson. He had become the axe that broke their foot even after not being trusted.
One by one, the members of the clan council arrived.
Mujin and Mu-ho were already waiting, and soon after came the elders: Windrain Sword Lee Gwak,White Flame Fist Jeon Janghun, and Violent Tiger Sword Kang Cheon-myeong, entering in order.
“You of all people… what brings you here?”
“I’ve caused you a lot of trouble, haven’t I? That won’t happen anymore.”
His uncharacteristically polite demeanor drew awkward glances. For most people, such formality was nothing strange, but everyone here knew Mujin wasn’t someone who used common-sense language.
It reeked of hypocrisy.
“Ahem. Don’t dance around it.”
“As a direct member of the bloodline, I felt it was only right to attend the sect council.”
“Your mouth sure runs smooth. But didn’t you cause another incident just recently?”
“I’m embarrassed. I hardly feel I can face you, Elder Kang Cheon-myeong.”
Elder Kang Cheon-myeong was Mujin’s grandfather’s younger brother, the most senior elder in the clan. He used to dote on Mujin when he was young, but over time, their relationship had soured.
Still, who could he blame?
Mujin accepted that it was all his own fault.
“If you’re here to weasel out with another cheap excuse, don’t even think about it.”
“I won’t talk anymore,I’ll show you with action.”
A sigh slipped from Elder Kang Cheon-myeong.
When Mujin was younger, he’d believed the boy might one day bring glory to the clan. But after failing to overcome even small hardships and choosing despair instead, he’d been nothing but disappointing. A martial artist should endure and overcome.
Clack.
The clan’s patriarch, their father, entered, and the council officially began.
Clan meetings were usually held on predetermined dates unless urgent matters arose.
Elder Lee Gwak spoke first.
“Is there something so pressing that it couldn’t wait?”
“I will explain.”
The elders, expecting the clan lord’s answer, frowned when Mujin stood up. Despite repeated calls to attend, he’d always roamed about. They’d only hoped he’d keep quiet and not disrupt the meeting. And now he was speaking out of turn, unaware of his place, hardly a good look.
“Are you saying you called us here?”
“I did play a trick, yes. But I do have something to say.”
“...Hmph!”
The elders of the clan weren’t people with time to waste. Unlike Mujin, who no longer had responsibilities in the clan, their time was valuable. If this was nonsense, they wouldn’t let it slide.
“What sort of scheme are you pulling now?”
“As of today, I am relinquishing my position as the heir to the clan. I know I’ve caused much hardship. I don’t want to be a burden anymore. That’s why I’m handing the position over to Mu-ho.”
“...What?!”
It was a bombshell no one had expected.
The father Kang Woo-gyeong, who had been sitting calmly, sprang to his feet. His face twisted with a mix of shock and anger. The sudden decision, made without even the slightest prior notice, made him feel deeply betrayed.
“Have you lost your mind? How could you make such a decision without even discussing it with me!”
“You know as well as I do the damage I’ve caused the clan. If I remain the heir, can we really guarantee the future of our clan? And if such a decision had to be made, I wanted it to come from me. Not from anyone else.”
Kang Woo-gyeong couldn’t respond with anger. His son’s presence and resolve were formidable, and more than that, his words rang true. Even if not today, the elders had been raising the issue daily. Kang Woo-gyeong had only been delaying with his authority as patriarch. It couldn’t be ignored forever.
In that sense, it was better that Mujin spoke up himself. It was the right decision for everyone.
And yet... he still felt hurt.
He wished his son had at least warned him beforehand.
-Clicking tongue.
Three elders looked on disapprovingly. But now that Mujin had declared his intent in front of them, there was no turning back. The succession could no longer be preserved.
“You’ve made the right choice. If that’s your stance, I won’t reprimand you anymore.”
“As Elder Kang said, we too will not interfere.”
As expected.
The elders swiftly shut down any room for reversal. As much as they pitied Mujin, the decision had to be made for the sake of the clan. This was a problem that couldn’t be delayed any longer.
Strike while the iron is hot, so the elders pressed for a final decision.
“Clan Head, please proceed.”
“...Very well. As everyone wishes. From this day forth, the new heir shall be the second son, Mu-ho.”
“Well done.”
“Congratulations, Mu-ho. Or rather, I should say Vice Clan Head now, shouldn’t I?”
Even though the heir had changed, all but Kang Woo-gyeong and Mu-ho looked pleased. With challenges looming ever closer, it was vital to solidify the line of succession. If Mujin remained heir, it would only lead to more turmoil. It was in the clan’s best interest to make things clear now.
The elders immediately made the announcement official. There was no going back now.
Kang Woo-gyeong let out a deep sigh at his son’s calm demeanor. There had been signs of change over the past few days, but he never imagined things would turn out like this.
“Are you really okay with this?”
“I feel... relieved. Honestly, I wish I’d stepped down sooner.”
There was no falsehood or deceit in his voice.
Kang Woo-gyeong felt the sincerity in his son’s words. It actually brought him peace. The role had never fit him. Just because he was the eldest didn’t mean it could be forced upon him. Still, part of him felt guilty for placing such a heavy burden on his second son.
---The End Of The Chapter---
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