CRD 12

 Chapter 12 

Murong Bi, who had been about to leave without answering, changed her mind.

Looking at Murong Sujeong’s face, she felt she wouldn’t be able to sleep properly until she had heard her out.

“It’s true that I borrowed money on purpose. I can’t tell you why… but…”

Murong Bi added some detail to her explanation. She said that she had prepared a lot of things for a long time because she felt that if things continued as they were, the family would collapse, and she wanted to help in her own way.

Even though she added some context, she didn’t actually give a clear answer. She couldn’t. Making up a reason would only ruin trust if it later turned out to be false.

She emphasized only this: that she had long felt she needed to do something for the family.

“I see.”

Although this left many questions unanswered, Murong Sujeong nodded.

Murong Bi had worried that pressing the matter would be troublesome, but it was all unnecessary.

“Right, you must have had your reasons.”

“I’m sorry… I can’t explain it properly… sorry.”

Because Sujeong was like a granddaughter, Murong Bi had to consciously suppress the older-person tone that almost slipped out of her words.

“No, it’s fine. Just knowing that your heart never left the main house is enough to make me happy.”

Murong Sujeong’s face showed the familiar mix of worry and apology.

“Even now, thinking about when I returned to the main house, I still can’t sleep. All your wandering… it was all my fault, wasn’t it?”

Huh? What is she talking about?

‘Was she away from the family for a while?’

Murong Bi shook her head.

“It wasn’t something you can excuse as wandering. It wasn’t because of anyone. It was all because I was incapable.”

She truly believed that. While she didn’t know much about Murong Bi’s life, seeing Sujeong’s expression made it impossible to forgive herself.

Murong Sujeong, without realizing it, shed tears.

‘You’ve finally come back.’

She remembered a conversation from five years ago with her younger sibling, who was only fourteen at the time.

‘I’ll take care of the family and Suyang. Don’t worry, just go. I’ll protect the house.’

‘Bia.’

‘Heal yourself. If you ever feel exhausted or weak, come home anytime.’

The exhausted eyes of that young sibling were unforgettable.

‘It’s my fault.’

Back then, she had regretted not being able to make use of her talent. She thought that if she only healed her illness, she could go out into the world and succeed greatly.

But her condition worsened steadily.

The more anxious and irritable she became, the less she wanted to return home.

At that moment, Murong Sujeong realized:

She had treated the family, the Murong name, like a burden.

‘I didn’t even try to understand Bia’s sense of responsibility or exhaustion.’

She had lived only for herself.

Only when she realized there was no way to cure her illness did she think of her family. She wanted to spend the few years left of her life caring for her family.

But the house she returned to was heavily damaged.

And there was a younger sibling, ten times more exhausted than the house.

‘So, you went out and it didn’t go as planned, did it? Couldn’t even heal your illness. Why? Because you’re about to die, and only now you think of your family?’

Her drunken sibling chuckled.

Seeing her younger sibling, who had grown so much in three years yet been ruined by it, Murong Sujeong fell into extreme self-loathing.

Everything was her fault. Leaving those young siblings behind and running away herself was inexcusable.

From that moment on, she dedicated herself entirely to the family.

Since the sibling couldn’t handle the main household’s duties, Sujeong took on the role of acting head of the family and stayed up nights to restore the crumbling household.

Two years had passed, but her sibling still hadn’t opened their heart.

She thought it was natural. Even if they never opened up until death, she would understand.

Her sins were too great.

‘Finally, you’re back.’

The wandering sibling now looked at her with changed eyes, a changed voice, and a changed attitude.

The sibling who had always caused trouble actually wanted to do something for the family.

Murong Sujeong felt as if she had gained the whole world. Just knowing her sibling’s heart and will made the disease inside her seem to pause.

‘Thank you for forgiving me.’

And thank you for not giving up and standing up again.

“Why are you crying?”

Seeing Sujeong burst into tears, Murong Bi was taken aback.

‘Damn, did I do something wrong?’

Did it sound like she was mocking her by saying she was incapable? Thinking back, it might have been interpreted that way.

Even if she wanted to stop, she kept feeling resentment toward Murong Bi.

‘You pathetic fool.’

If she had met Murong Bi during her time as the clan leader, his legs wouldn’t have survived.

“Bia.”

“Hmm?”

“Thank you. Really, thank you.”

“I… what did I do?”

Wiping her tears with her sleeve, Murong Sujeong quickly composed herself again.

“But still, I can’t take that money.”

Murong Bi’s eyes widened.

“Why not? That money’s clean, no strings attached.”

“It’s not about that. The wealth accumulated by the Black Tiger Gang is the blood and sweat of the common people. That money should go back to where it belongs.”

Such a kind soul.

“You shouldn’t think that way.”

“Shouldn’t?”

“If you do, then all the profits we’ve earned are dirty money. There’s no money in the world without blood on it.”

“But…”

“If you feel bad about it, then grow the family and give generously to the impoverished commoners.”

Murong Sujeong’s expression darkened.

Murong Bi continued firmly:

“Helping others while also filling your own belly is not easy. Especially given the state of the main house, it’s impossible.”

“……”

“Remember this. No one sheds tears for the weak. Even if someone does, they need tangible help, not sympathy. That help comes from strength.”

“……!”

“Compassion, concern, care, mercy. All good. But to truly show your heart through action, you need strength. Without strength, you can do nothing.”

Kindness? Admirable. Mercy? Important.

But the world is harsh, and there are more people who exploit others than those who try to understand them.

Mental and emotional cultivation should come before strength, but never dominate it.

That was the world Murong Bi had learned.

Sliding the bundle closer to Murong Sujeong, Murong Bi stood up.

“I know how kind our acting head of the family is. But for now, don’t think about anything else.”

“Bia.”

“Getting strength comes first; giving comes later. And I know that even if our family gains power, your good heart won’t fade.”

Murong Bi grinned mischievously.

“Besides, that’s loot I got myself, isn’t it? The winner reinforces the weakened army before distributing the loot. That comes first, right?”

“……”

“Rest well. I’ll see you in the morning.”

With that, Murong Bi left the office.

Watching the closed door, Murong Sujeong felt another wave of emotion.

The words “see you again” from her sibling felt incredibly warm.

Every word her sibling had spoken today was like salvation. For the first time in a long while, it felt like some of her past mistakes were forgiven.

‘Thank you.’

She wiped her tears with a towel. Though they continued to fall, she was no longer sad.

Murong Bi left the office and headed straight to her quarters.

Although it was late at night, she couldn’t sleep. She had too much on her mind.

She replayed everything that had happened since she woke up.

‘There are too many uncertainties. I don’t know anything about this Murong Bi.’

She didn’t even know the identity of the girl she had seen as soon as she regained consciousness.

‘Come to think of it…’

The words of Jang-gu came to mind.

‘We know you’ve been trying your best. That’s why we waited.’

‘But now that things have come to this, what can we do? It seems your connection with Hwang Sojeo of the Ten Sword Sect is also broken.’

Ten Sword Sect?

‘Was there such a sect in Hubei?’

She didn’t know. It could have existed, or maybe not. During the war, countless sects had been destroyed, and new branches appeared across regions. Hundreds of sects appeared and disappeared daily—it was impossible to remember them all.

‘Anyway, it probably wasn’t a famous sect.’

And since Hwang Sojeo likely referred to that girl, it was certain that Murong Bi hadn’t gone to see her during the time with those reckless scoundrels.

Therefore, the Ten Sword Sect was clearly a more powerful force than the Murong family.

Judging from Jang-gu’s words, the little scion tried to use 100 nyang from the Black Tiger Gang to somehow achieve a miraculous success.

Murong Bi was curious.

‘What could he possibly do with just 100 nyang? Was he clueless?’

It wasn’t a small sum, but it was far too little for anything major. Even if there were regional price differences, 100 nyang was insignificant.

As she continued her thoughts, Murong Bi crossed her arms.

“It’s important to know what that reckless little scion wanted, but the urgent matter is the Black Tiger Gang. We only dealt with one manager on-site, but once the handover begins, they’ll come asking for the money again.”

And the most important matter:

‘Sujeong and my bodies.’

Though she hadn’t taken their pulse, the girl named Suyang seemed very healthy.

Moreover, her physique was excellent. She hadn’t finished growing yet, but her long limbs suggested she had practiced martial arts from a young age.

‘The first priority is restoring their health. Regaining their actual combat ability comes next.’

And the core of martial strength is martial arts.

For some reason, the family’s restored martial arts hadn’t been passed on.

That part was the most puzzling. Money can come and go, and business can fail—but how could learned martial arts disappear?

‘In other words, it means the elder brother and Dae-ho didn’t properly pass on the martial arts to the children before they died.’

Lost in thought, Murong Bi left her quarters around dawn.

“Before hunting the black cat, I need to check their martial arts first.”