The Reformed Genius of the Sichuan Tang Clan - Chapter 4

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 4
“I think it’s best not to reveal the Secret Passage just yet.”
Dang Yu-hyeon emerged from behind the screen, murmuring to himself.
He understood that revealing the Secret Passage to Dang Gang-heon would be more efficient than gradually transmitting the Secret Art—after all, Dang Gang-heon had always been at the forefront of Secret Transmission restoration.
The man wouldn’t squander such knowledge.
But that’s precisely why he couldn’t do it.
Sometimes excess proves more lethal than insufficiency.
Even a cursory glance at his “memories” made clear that the Dang Family’s current circumstances differed vastly from the past.
To cling only to what was, to ignore the need for change?
That was tantamount to hastening the family’s own ruin.
“I’ve seen plenty of men waste their lives on useless pursuits. I won’t become one of them.”
Click—
Dang Yu-hyeon sealed the secret passage meticulously and returned to his quarters.
“Welcome back, sir. Shall I prepare a meal for you?”
“I’ve no appetite. I wish to rest in silence—everyone withdraw.”
“Yes, sir.”
The moment all presences outside his door vanished, Dang Yu-hyeon ground his inkstone and took up his brush.
Not a moment could be wasted if he meant to finish everything before the Elder Council convened.
Scratch-scratch. Scritch-scritch-scratch.
Flip. Flip.
The room filled with nothing but the sound of writing and turning pages.
The unbroken rhythm paused only when he occasionally blew breath to dry the ink.
Hours passed, and at last, having completed the final page, Dang Yu-hyeon collapsed backward onto his mat.
“Damn. How do I deliver this?”
The slightest irregularity in the method of delivery would invite suspicion.
About his authenticity. About his true identity.
“Stop overthinking. First, I need to transmit one thing decisively.”
Wasn’t there already one foolproof method?
The Elder Council convening.
* * *
Two days later.
Dang Yu-hyeon stood off-center in the Family Patriarch Hall’s chamber.
Not by design.
The glinting eyes of those hunting for any weakness to exploit had simply made him settle there of their own accord.
‘They haven’t changed. Not one bit.’
Men who sat in seats drenched with others’ blood, wore refined airs, and manipulated people for their whims.
Dang Yu-hyeon surveyed his surroundings with an expression of utter disgust.
On either side of the Patriarch’s seat at the center sat the Elders, maintaining distance, with direct and collateral relatives filling ranks behind them.
Most had come hoping to witness his downfall.
‘When they look at me like that, one wants to betray them just to prove them right.’
As Dang Yu-hyeon smiled slightly, whispers rippled through the hall.
“Tssk! Look at that attitude! Is this how a penitent man conducts himself?”
“The brazenness! How thick his face is!”
“Has he lost all fear entirely? Tut-tut.”
‘What do you expect?’
Though the murmurs reached his ears clearly, Dang Yu-hyeon’s expression never wavered.
“The Patriarch enters!”
Thud.
All sound vanished in an instant.
Step. Step.
Only the footfalls of Dang Gang-heon cutting through the silence were sharp and distinct.
Tap.
As Dang Gang-heon took his seat, Dang Un-yeop positioned himself at his side.
“Let the proceedings begin, Administrator Dang.”
All eyes converged on the low, weighty voice.
Dang Gang-heon raised his hand, and Dang Un-yeop stepped forward.
“At the request of the Elder Council, we convene in emergency session. The matter concerns the punishment of Second Young Master Dang Yu-hyeon. I yield the floor to the Seventh Elder for details.”
“Ahem.”
Dang Pae, the Seventh Elder and Thousand-Poison Snake Sage, rose with theatrical deliberation.
The protruding belly he thrust forward and the chin he lifted high in feigned importance were utterly revolting.
“The second son, Dang Yu-hyeon, has regularly visited Baek-hwa Hall for the past five years, attending feasts and consuming Mih-hon Medicine. Furthermore, he leaked the Dang Family’s poisons and medicines—a crime of the gravest magnitude.”
“Who says I leaked anything belonging to the Dang Family?”
“The accused will hold their tongue!”
The Eighth Elder, Dang Yi—known as the Green Snake Specter—shot to his feet, his voice dripping with contempt.
But Dang Yu-hyeon remained unmoved, tilting his head slightly.
“The accused? Me?”
He stripped away his smile and spoke with icy precision.
“Until my guilt is proven, I am no accused. Address me properly, if you please.”
“How dare you! There are witnesses—how can you speak so brazenly?”
“Witnesses?”
“Dang Ga-uk, Dang Il-do, Dang Jang-hak. Familiar names, are they not?”
“Ah.”
Men who had been trailing Dang Yu-hyeon and Gi-ru at the Elder Council’s behest.
“Ah? Ah—ah?”
Dang Yi’s face contorted.
The curt acknowledgment seemed to grate on him.
“You should be confessing your crimes this instant and begging forgiveness, yet here you stand with such insolence!”
“Eighth Elder. Compose yourself.”
The Thirteenth Elder, Dang Jong-cheon—known as the Profound Poison Master—interceded, and Dang Yi clenched his teeth.
“Do you think this is something to be glossed over so lightly? Leaking the Dang Family’s poisons and medicines is a capital crime deserving of execution.”
“No one is glossing over anything. You seem agitated—simply calm yourself.”
‘Look at him. The way he speaks. He’ll spit poison any moment now.’
Despite the menacing tone, Dang Yu-hyeon merely nodded.
Men who spoke roughly did not frighten him.
Sharp, pointed words were merely tools to mask inner weakness.
What truly deserved fear were those who appeared innocent on the surface while manipulating others from the shadows.
‘So the trap wasn’t set by him after all.’
Such men never stepped forward.
They lurked cunningly in the darkness.
The Eighth Elder was likely nothing more than a tail to be severed when convenient.
‘Ah, Father. I fear our children have brought ruin to the family name.’
Look at these descendants.
Though the mountains crumble and rivers change course a hundred times, they remain the same—drunk on their own brilliance. What is to be done?
It seems this ancestor must pour wisdom into their empty skulls once more.
‘It would take a hundred years for such trifles to bury me, you pups!’
Though admittedly, after that hundred years, he couldn’t say whether mere politics would still suffice.
If they desired his fall, he would simply bounce back with equal force.
Dang Yu-hyeon listened to the quarrel between Dang Yi and Dang Jong-cheon as though it were background music, then raised his hand.
The moment he did, their voices ceased entirely.
“Might I be permitted to speak, gentlemen?”
At his composed demeanor, both Dang Yi and Dang Jong-cheon furrowed their brows.
Yet Dang Yu-hyeon spared them not a glance—instead, he turned to face Dang Gang-heon.
Dang Gang-heon raised a hand lightly in permission.
Dang Yu-hyeon then gathered himself and continued.
“I believe there is a small misunderstanding among those gathered here.”
“A misunderstanding?”
“Yes, a misunderstanding.”
At his crisp reply, Dang Yi let out a sharp laugh.
“It is true that I visited Gi-ru. However, I did not leak anything belonging to the Dang Family. Rather, I preserved it.”
Dang Yu-hyeon drew an aged book from his sleeve.
The moment Man-dok Jeon-ju glimpsed the worn cover and its unmistakable title, he leaped to his feet.
“The—the Chim-dok Bi-rok!?”
The Chim-dok Bi-rok—a secret compendium detailing the Dang Family’s most lethal poisons, including the Ja-o Bun-sim, toxins that penetrate directly through skin and blood vessels.
Only those verified once every few years participated in its revision.
Yet here it lay in Dang Yu-hyeon’s hands.
‘You didn’t know this, did you? A fresh copy, barely finished yesterday. How delicious.’
Dang Yu-hyeon swallowed his amusement and spoke with artless ease.
“Surely you’ve heard the rumors circulating from Sichuan—that someone is trafficking in an unknown poison.”
As it happened, this part was true.
Though like all rumors, it had likely been distorted in the retelling.
“What poison in this world has no known identity? Anyone can see it’s a Secret Transmission of the Dang Family. We should have acquired and analyzed it at once, but since certain establishments in Gi-ru sell only to select clientele, we’ve been conducting an undercover investigation all this time.”
“What?”
“This repulsive fool’s act has held up well enough over the years. We even have a witness willing to guide us personally to Gi-ru.”
He placed deliberate emphasis on the word “witness,” and Dang Yi’s face flushed so deeply it seemed about to burst.
“By deceiving any spies within and without, and by enduring poisoning and addiction to the Mih-hon Medicine, I managed to recover this — the Chim-dok Bi-rok.”
As Dang Yu-hyeon waved the Secret Art before them, Man-dok Jeon-ju reached out as if entranced.
The text settled into his trembling hand, quivering as if he were handling a precious gem.
“I trust you alone, sir, can verify its authenticity.”
While Man-dok Jeon-ju unfolded the Secret Art to examine it, Dang Yi pressed his head in disbelief.
“That’s impossible — I know he changed clothes yesterday!”
Of course he did.
He said so himself just yesterday.
But surely that much is basic?
Has anyone here ever lived without keeping something hidden in their sleeves?
“If you’re caught simply because you changed clothes, that’s hardly concealment at all. Whether you shed your garments or trade blows — you must protect what you hide to truly keep it secret.”
Dang Yu-hyeon growled, unable to restrain his irritation.
Are the things you carry in your sleeves mere decoration?
In the old days, you were quick enough to pilfer others’ secrets. What excuse have you now for never learning such a thing?
His gaze alone was lethal enough to strike someone dead, and everyone fell silent.
In that moment, Man-dok Jeon-ju carefully set the Secret Art down.
“It is indeed of the Dang Family.”
“……!”
Man-dok Jeon-ju’s declaration sent a ripple through the conference hall.
Dang Yi, who had pressed Dang Yu-hyeon so hard moments before, turned as pale as ash.
He turned his head desperately, but who would come to his aid?
Realizing his own rope had frayed, Dang Yi thrashed and cried out.
“That cannot be! Man-dok Jeon-ju, examine it again!”
“Eighth Elder.”
Just as Man-dok Jeon-ju was about to respond, Dang Gang-heon spoke with cold authority.
“How far must we overlook this man’s lack of respect for family elders?”
His voice carried no inner power, no killing intent — merely plain words.
Yet the weight behind that quiet tone compelled all who heard it to bow their heads.
“Man-dok Jeon-ju leads Man-dok Hall, which researches and controls not only the Dang Family’s Secret Transmissions but all poisons in existence. Could there be anyone in the Dang Family who understands our secrets better than he?”
“I spoke out of turn.”
Dang Yi at once dropped his tail between his legs.
Man-dok Hall is a research facility devoted to the study of poisons alongside the Dang Family’s history.
In tradition and expertise, none could compare.
Though its heads devote themselves to research and have never served on the Elder Council, they hold a rank equivalent to it.
In other words, no mere Eighth Elder would dare raise his voice to such a man.
“Do not give me cause for misunderstanding.”
To defy the Overlord of Sichuan — the sovereign who leads the clan — is perilous.
Should it be discovered that he’d even attempted to diminish that power, death would be inescapable.
“……I will be careful.”
Only after he seated himself quietly did Dang Gang-heon’s voice ease somewhat.
“Since Man-dok Jeon-ju has vouched for it, your merit stands revealed.”
When Dang Gang-heon gestured, Dang Yu-hyeon stepped forward with natural grace.
“On behalf of the Dang Family, I offer my deepest gratitude.”
“I have only done what was expected.”
Dang Yu-hyeon showed uncharacteristic humility.
The usual way of things is to refuse once, so that a greater reward follows.
The lethal edge had vanished from his eyes, and his bow was performed with flawless propriety.
Several in the hall, including Dang Gang-heon, smiled with satisfaction.
You’re pleased, then?
I’ll accept protection as my reward.
“Though you say it was expected, not anyone could accomplish such a thing. Therefore, the effort you’ve contributed to the Dang Family’s advancement surely merits compensation.”
Dang Yu-hyeon felt the shift in how they regarded him and smiled faintly.
“Thus I bestow this commendation upon my second son, Dang Yu-hyeon.”
Sichuan Dang Family — Redemption and Talent
Author |
Lee Il-yeong
Publisher |
Samyang C&C Co., Ltd.
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Editorial Department
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G720:N+A063-20260615052
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No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the written permission of Samyang C&C Co., Ltd. – Dream Books.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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