Moyong Sohae crawled on her knees in full view of everyone. Her skirt dragged across the floor, turning black with grime, and since her upper body was still bound, she ended up collapsing face-first, scraping her cheek and chin.
Still, she stubbornly crawled to Moyong Pae’s feet and clung to him.
“Grandfather. I failed to carry out your will because I was lacking. Please forgive me. Please overlook your foolish granddaughter’s shortcomings…”
“…You…”
“I’m your granddaughter, aren’t I? Please don’t cast me aside like this.”
It should have been the sort of scene to bring tears to your eyes—a young girl clinging to her towering grandfather. But as expected, Moyong Pae didn’t show the faintest sign of pity. He only looked incredibly flustered.
A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd.
“Well then, does this mean all of it was Elder Moyong Pae’s doing?”
“I knew he resented the Clan Head, but this is…”
“Using your own granddaughter like that? I can’t bear to watch.”
Everyone began pointing fingers at Moyong Pae. Even the elders who were usually so quick to leap to his defense were completely silent, as if their mouths had disappeared. In fact, one of them even joined in, cursing him like they’d never supported him in the first place.
And me? The person who had been both the victim and the one to shove that grandfather-granddaughter duo off a cliff? I just found the whole thing kind of funny.
I was sure something like this had never happened in my last life. Moyong Muhyeok must’ve been eliminated early on, leaving the household in chaos.
And Moyong Pae? He probably grabbed more power in the aftermath… and the Sichuan Dang Clan must’ve annulled the engagement entirely.
If that engagement had remained intact, they’d have been a massive obstacle when I destroyed the Moyong Clan—but I don’t remember anything like that.
So really, Moyong Sohae must’ve just ended up being used and discarded by her own grandfather.
And if you think about it like that, it’s kind of… nope. Never mind. I did warn her to quit. She ignored that and kept coming after me, so now she can deal with the fallout.
“Do you have anything to say for yourself, Elder Moyong Pae?”
It was Moyong Wi, silent until now, who finally spoke. Moyong Pae bit his lip hard. All the ferocity he’d shown earlier was gone, and after wavering for a moment, he suddenly stood up like he’d made up his mind.
“What’s there to explain? Are you really going to believe the words of this brat?”
He kicked his granddaughter, who was curled at his feet like a grub. His gaze was filled with nothing but disgust.
“If I’m guilty of anything, it’s raising my orphaned grandchildren too softly. If I’d known she’d grow up to be this unruly, I would’ve locked her in a temple for life. I’ve never had a wicked granddaughter like this!”
…Wow. For once, I actually did feel a bit bad for Moyong Sohae. That old bastard’s not even human. Not a shred of basic decency. That’s his granddaughter, and he says that?
Even unorthodox clans or the Demonic Cult would probably take a step back from him.
But then something felt off. Sohae didn’t look shocked. Lying with her cheek to the floor, she actually gave a cold little smirk. It was so fleeting I think I was the only one who noticed.
Then she forced her upper body up and shouted again. Her wide eyes quivered pitifully.
“I only tried to fix things because Grandfather failed to poison the Young Master! I did it all for you! Why won’t you see how sincere I was?!”
Her scream landed like a thunderclap. The entire hall went pale.
A clan elder trying to eliminate the next Clan Head isn’t remotely comparable to some petty romantic jealousy. That’s outright treason—an attempt to overthrow the family.
Smack!
“…You dare try to frame me just because you’re cornered?!”
Moyong Pae lashed out in fury and slapped Sohae across the face. Already frail, she went flying from the blow of a lifelong martial artist. Several elders rushed to restrain him.
She may be a criminal, but she was still a delicate woman with no martial training. For a second, I was worried she might actually die from that hit.
Luckily, after lying motionless for a moment, Sohae began to stir again. She struggled to sit up, tears pouring down her face. The firelight made her swollen features flicker strangely. Her eyes, wet with tears, looked like they were burning.
“So now you want me to take the fall and die alone? That’s not going to happen.”
“What?”
“Clan Head! Elder Moyong Pae tried to eliminate the Young Master and seize control of the entire Moyong Clan! He’s been planning this for a long time! Do you want me to repeat it? He tried to kill Moyong Muhyeok and destroy you with him!”
Her shrill voice rang across the room. Sohae was laughing now, her face a mess of tears, dust, and madness.
I let out a short breathless laugh. Seriously… this girl was something else.
I expected her to drag someone down with her, but to go this hard after her grandfather? That was unexpected.
Still, it worked in our favor. Now it would be way easier to drag Moyong Pae down.
His face turned mottled red and purple, and even his beard trembled with rage.
“Where do you get off spewing this nonsense?! Have you lost your damn mind?! You think dragging me down will erase your sins?!”
“And you think cutting me off will keep your tail clean? Dream on!”
“Y-You little…!”
Until now, I’d never understood the saying that nothing’s more fun than watching a fire or a fight. What kind of martial artist would find either of those entertaining?
But now I sort of got it.
This is wild. It’s too good.
I had to pinch my thigh to stop myself from grinning. The thought of how much Moyong Pae must be sweating inside right now—god, it was hilarious.
Moyong Wi, though, looked like he wasn’t enjoying himself nearly as much.
Fair. The family’s darkest secrets were being dragged into the light, and as the Clan Head, this had to be miserable.
“Enough.”
Moyong Wi’s commanding voice cut through the noise, silencing the hall. Everyone strained to hear what he’d say next. I cleared my throat quietly and tried to wipe the amusement off my face.
He asked coolly,
“Sohae. Do you have any evidence to support what you just said?”
“Evidence? I am the evidence. I admit to everything I did. But it was all at Grandfather’s command.”
“Silence!”
“Elder Moyong Pae! Hold your tongue!”
Moyong Wi turned a blazing glare on the elder. Normally, even as the Clan Head, he’d be expected to show deference to a senior like Moyong Pae. That’s how orthodox clans work—respect for age and seniority above all.
But there wasn’t a shred of respect in Moyong Wi’s tone. Not even a trace. Technically, that kind of behavior was forbidden—but no one rebuked him. Of course not. Who’d take Moyong Pae’s side in this mess?
He turned back to Sohae.
“I understand what you’re saying. But without evidence, accusing a clan elder of treason is a serious crime.”
“It’s not slander! I’m his granddaughter—I saw it with my own eyes. What more proof do you need?”
“Not enough.”
At that cold reply, Sohae’s face twisted. Moyong Pae, on the other hand, seemed to regain a bit of composure. He didn’t look the least bit concerned about what happened to his granddaughter.
Normally, Moyong Wi looked far younger than his age—soft-spoken, gentle, and occasionally even silly. To me, he was just a doting husband and father. One of the easiest people in the family to deal with.
But now? He looked like a judge from the underworld. Calm and cold, yet filled with a murderous pressure. His face was ice-cold. No emotional appeal would work on him now.
Even though I knew he’d never hurt me, my bones ached and my skin prickled from the sheer weight of his presence.
He brushed back his sleeves, clearly ready to bring this entire mess to a close.
“As the Clan Head of the Moyong Clan, I take full responsibility for this incident.”
“……”
“To ensure something like this never happens again, I will harshly punish those involved to set an example.”
A ripple of gasps echoed through the hall. If Moyong Pae were punished, the elders who supported him would take a massive hit too.
“However, I cannot punish Elder Moyong Pae based solely on the words of a cornered criminal.”
That made the crowd split. Some were disappointed, while others looked like they’d just been tossed a lifeline.
Naturally, Moyong Pae was in the second group.
“…Thank you for your wise judgment, Clan Head.”
“But!”
Of course, that hope didn’t last long. Moyong Wi looked down at the old man with a piercing gaze.
“An elder must be a role model for the family. As the grandfather of the criminal Moyong Sohae, you bear responsibility for allowing her to harbor such twisted ambitions. I hereby advise you to resign your position as elder.”
He said “advise,” but it was clearly an order. No one would dare oppose that verdict right now.
All eyes turned to Moyong Pae. The man who had once stood at the center of power now looked like a slab of frozen meat. He didn’t move for a long time. Then, slowly, his hands began to tremble.
I clicked my tongue internally.
How could they all be so soft? Wouldn’t it be cleaner to just kill him?
‘I want to take his life right now. But Elder Moyong Pae is the head of the Clan Council. If he dies, the clan will be thrown into chaos.’
‘But this is such a perfect opportunity…!’
‘Besides, some of the other elders may have been in on the plot. If he dies, they’ll scatter and hide. It’ll be impossible to catch them all. Leaving him alive is better if we want to cut out the rot entirely.’
Fine. Moyong Wi’s plan to cut the weeds and pull up the roots has its merits. I wasn’t about to argue.
Now that he’s been removed from power, Moyong Pae’s just a disgraced old man. And knowing him, he won’t quietly wait to die. He’ll try something—and eventually, he’ll slip up.
It’s a smart move as Clan Head. Keeps the rest of the elders from getting too pissed off.
Still, if it were me, I’d have just killed him… Dead men cause no trouble.
“And as for the criminal Moyong Sohae—she didn’t reflect, and denied everything until the evidence was overwhelming. She has no right to mercy.”
“……”
“Moyong Sohae’s life will be forfeit. Her name will be stricken from the clan forever.”
“Clan Head!”
Sohae screamed, eyes wide, and struggled violently. The warriors nearby grabbed her, holding her down. Even as she thrashed, Moyong Wi showed not a hint of hesitation.
“The sentence will be carried out immediately.”
There was no waiting. The evidence was too overwhelming. Even among martial families, executing your own kin on the spot was rare.
Sohae struggled for a moment, then suddenly went limp. Kneeling, she stared blankly at the floor, her eyes dead and unfocused.
I stood beside my twin brothers and watched. Then, I stepped forward.
“I have one request.”
Everyone turned to look at me. Even Moyong Sohae flinched and looked up. I met her eyes and mirrored the expression she’d used earlier—
That pitiful look, with eyebrows curved like a sad puppy.
I walked slowly toward her and draped my bloodstained outer robe over her shoulders. Sohae, still quiet as a corpse, suddenly began to tremble like a leaf. She tried to squirm away from my touch, but I pressed firmly down on her shoulders.
“Yeonhwa, what’s your request?”
I hadn’t told the family about this in advance. Moyong Wi and my brothers both looked caught off guard.
I tightened my grip and spoke.
“Please show mercy to Sohae. Just this once. To my younger sister.”
The atmosphere, which had just started to calm, flared up again. Letting her live after all this? No one would expect that. That’s why even Moyong Pae kept his mouth shut.
And of course, since I, the almost-victim, was the one begging for mercy, the impact was even bigger.
I’d expected this exact reaction.
Forcing down the smile tugging at my lips, I said,
“Taking her life would be too much. I’m still alive, after all. So if you must punish her…”
“…Sister…?”
“Just lock her in the dungeon. Forever.”
I glanced at Sohae. She’d gone sheet-white.
It was a lovely look on her.
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