Chapter 101
Chapter 101
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: The Hidden Fangs of the Eldest
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Dang Gon's face contorted as if he'd eaten something rotten.
"Father wants... me to become the family head?"
"That is correct."
"Hahaha."
Dang Gon laughed weakly, shaking his head.
"That can't be right. Are you saying that even after seeing the tournament bracket?"
Bu Eun-seol, looking at Dang Gon's slumped shoulders, drained his cup of wine before speaking.
"Let me ask you one thing. How does Dang Ryeong's martial arts compare to Dang Bi's?"
"My eldest brother, as you know, is frail. Even at full strength, he couldn't handle me, let alone Dang Bi."
"I see."
Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly.
Seeing that smile, Dang Gon felt a strange mix of reassurance and irritation.
"What's so funny?"
"From my perspective, you've grown up with so much love that you fail to even notice it."
"Love? Are you drunk?"
Bu Eun-seol set down his cup and said,
"Dang Bi will never defeat Dang Ryeong."
"What do you mean? Dang Bi can't defeat my eldest brother?"
"And Dang Ryeong will use the tournament as an excuse to kill Dang Bi. Most likely."
"My eldest brother will kill Dang Bi? Hahaha..."
Dang Gon let out a bewildered laugh and gulped down the wine in his cup.
"That's the most ridiculous joke I've ever heard in my life."
Staring straight into Bu Eun-seol's clear eyes, Dang Gon shook his head in disbelief.
"Since childhood, my eldest brother has been frail with weak lungs. He has focused solely on his studies, barely practicing martial arts. How could he possibly defeat Dang Bi?"
"Have you ever personally confirmed that he doesn't practice martial arts?"
Dang Gon gave a hollow smile and shook his head.
"Well... he's always cooped up in his study, so I suppose I wouldn't know."
"Dang Ryeong is strong. Stronger than you or Dang Bi."
Looking into Bu Eun-seol's confident eyes, Dang Gon felt an unsettling premonition, as if something was targeting his back.
"You can't mean my brother has been deceiving everyone all this time?"
"That is correct."
For a moment, Dang Gon was speechless.
Bu Eun-seol's skill had already reached the pinnacle. With his insight, Dang Gon thought, he could surely perceive something he himself couldn't.
"But why? Why would my eldest brother do such a thing?"
When Dang Gon finally collected himself enough to ask, Bu Eun-seol replied calmly.
"Because he is a brilliant man who also possesses ambition."
"..."
"Men of his kind always hide their true nature. Until they achieve their goal."
Bu Eun-seol had spent a long time tending to the bodies of those who died away from home.
During that time, he had heard from Bu Jan-yang about the myriad faces of humanity, their greed, and their schemes.
And those stories had granted Bu Eun-seol knowledge and insight superior to that of a man who had lived for seventy years.
"Even if everything you say is true... my brother has no reason to kill Dang Bi."
As Dang Gon shook his head, Bu Eun-seol picked up his cup again.
"I never said he would *only* kill Dang Bi."
After draining his cup, he spoke in a heavy voice after a long silence.
"He will kill you, too."
"Why... Why would my eldest brother kill me?"
"He has lived a long, restrained life, hiding his true self. Do you think such a man would feel secure just by becoming the successor?"
A murderous smile touched Bu Eun-seol's lips.
"He will seek to eliminate any and all potential threats. Otherwise, all the years he has endured would be for nothing."
"Why would my eldest brother see us as threats?"
Bu Eun-seol stared into his empty cup and said,
"Dang Ryeong is, as you said, frail. Looking at it another way, that means the two of you are always qualified to become the next family head. Dang Cheong is an exception, of course."
Dang Gon let out a sound like a groan.
"Let's assume everything you say is true. But how? Father organized a tournament, not a slaughter."
Bu Eun-seol scoffed.
"An unforeseen accident cannot be prevented. By anyone in this world."
Dang Gon fell silent.
He prided himself on his sharp mind, but when it came to reading people or devising schemes, he was no match for Bu Eun-seol.
"The way you're talking, you must have a countermeasure. Don't you?"
"Of course."
Dang Gon's face lit up as he asked,
"What is it?"
Bu Eun-seol shook his head, his eyes flashing.
"Before that, tell me everything you know about Dang Ryeong. Down to the smallest detail."
***
Inside Su-un Pavilion, the small training grounds.
There, a shirtless Dang Bi was hurling hidden weapons and palm strikes at wooden posts set up around him.
*Whoosh! Swish! Crack!*
With every extension of his hand, a formidable palm force and poisonous energy erupted.
Each time his hand brushed the leather pouch at his waist, dozens of hidden weapons embedded themselves in the wooden posts.
"Heheheh... Hahahaha!"
Having stopped his movements, Dang Bi's laughter echoed all around.
"So, one way or another, Father was planning on choosing me as the Young Lord."
Ever since Dang Pae's declaration that the successor would be the winner of the tournament, Dang Bi had been practicing his martial arts with rare enthusiasm.
In terms of martial prowess, no one could match him. He believed the tournament was just a ploy by Dang Pae to select him.
"Hoo."
After washing himself clean, he headed to his bedchamber with a smile.
And just as he was about to lie down in a good mood,
"You lead a more disciplined life than I expected."
A masked man in night attire was sitting leisurely at the table across from him.
"Who are you?"
Dang Bi had a temper so fiery that the word 'scoundrel' didn't even begin to cover it.
But now, he refrained from lashing out, adopting a remarkably cautious attitude.
Because the masked man before him had secretly infiltrated the inner court, which was teeming with the Dang family's direct-line masters.
Moreover, he had entered Su-un Pavilion, the very heart of the compound, all by himself. Dang Bi recognized that this was a master he could not hope to face.
*'There's no point in provoking a master who is superior to me.'*
"Who am I?"
The masked man's voice was deep and raspy, as if intentionally disguised.
"I am the one who will save you."
"Save me?"
Instead of answering, the masked man set down a large wooden box he had been carrying on his back.
"What is that?"
"The thing that will save your life."
The masked man pushed the large wooden box toward the bed where Dang Bi stood.
"Be sure to use this during the tournament the day after tomorrow."
"This is..."
As Dang Bi opened the box, his eyes flashed in disbelief.
"So it was you."
With an annoyed expression, Dang Bi pushed the wooden box back to the masked man's feet.
"Hmph, I don't need this trash. Take it back."
Then he looked at the masked man with incomprehension.
"Even if your martial arts are profound, this is the inner court. No matter how skilled, no master could infiltrate it alone... How did you get in?"
"Because I can control my killing intent."
"What does that mean?"
The masked man waved his hand and said,
"In any case, if you don't use this, you will die."
The masked man spoke in a low, rough voice.
"He has been hiding his true skills for a long time. Not only that, he's planning to use the tournament as an excuse to kill you for good."
"He's going to kill me? Why?"
"Because by eliminating you, he ensures his position as Young Lord will never be threatened in the future."
"Hahaha! What nonsense. Didn't that idiot tell you that my brother and I are on good terms?"
As Dang Bi laughed heartily, the masked man's eyes glinted in the darkness.
And in a low voice, he spoke to Dang Bi for some time, relaying a few things.
After he had finished speaking, the masked man said to Dang Bi once more,
"Whether you believe me or not is up to you."
After listening for a while, Dang Bi finally scowled and shouted,
"You're still spouting nonsense..."
He trailed off mid-shout.
The masked man had already vanished completely.
"..."
Staring at the wooden box left behind, Dang Bi muttered in a low voice,
"Don't be ridiculous. You lunatic."
With a cold snort, Dang Bi shoved the wooden box into a corner of the room.
***
At last, the tournament to decide the Dang family's Young Lord began.
In the training arena set up in the eastern courtyard of the inner court, all the direct blood relatives of the Dang family had gathered.
And in a spot overlooking the arena, an awning and chair had been set up so that the family head, Dang Pae, could watch the matches in comfort.
"We will now begin the tournament to select the Young Lord!"
Dang Seong announced from the stage in a low voice.
Since this was a contest between Dang Pae's four direct children, the only spectators were the elders and direct relatives of the inner court, with the special exception of the invited Bu Eun-seol and Heuk-pyo. The atmosphere was solemn.
"First, Dang Ryeong and Dang Bi. The two of you, please come up to the stage."
At Dang Seong's words, Dang Ryeong and Dang Bi, who had been waiting on either side, slowly ascended the stage.
"Brother."
Dang Bi looked at the pale and sickly Dang Ryeong and spoke calmly.
"What's the point of us fighting each other?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're frail, brother. Even a moment of strenuous movement leaves you breathless, doesn't it? Just forfeit."
Dang Bi said politely, clasping his hands, which earned a dry smile from Dang Ryeong.
"It's not like my body just became like this today. Don't worry about it."
Just then, Dang Seong raised his hand and shouted,
"Then begin!"
"Well then, brother. I'll go easy on you!"
As the match started, Dang Bi let out a short cry and extended both palms.
It wasn't the Dang family's secret art, the Five-Poison Serpent Transformation Art, but the Thousand-Poison Mist Heart Palm.
*Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!*
Dozens of hand-shadows rained down on Dang Ryeong, arcing through the air.
Dang Bi might have a ferocious personality, but his talent for martial arts was quite exceptional.
The scattering hand-shadows were imbued with dense internal energy, and there were no openings in his form as he executed and retracted the technique.
*Swoosh.*
Unable to find a way to counter, Dang Ryeong used his footwork to evade the torrent of palm shadows.
But Dang Bi skillfully altered his technique as if he had predicted all of Dang Ryeong's movements.
*Thwack.*
Having barely found an escape route and retreated, Dang Ryeong gasped for breath.
"Hah... Hah..."
Thick beads of sweat were already rolling down his forehead.
Dang Bi's attack, at a glance, seemed like a blow meant to crush Dang Ryeong's body, but it was actually a technique designed to make him raise his hands and surrender.
"Will you give up?"
Dang Bi asked in a relaxed tone, momentarily retracting the Thousand-Poison Mist Heart Palm.
"Let's continue."
"Brother. I'm going to launch a full-on attack now. I need to conserve my stamina for the next match. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"A fine strategy."
Seeing that Dang Ryeong had no intention of backing down, Dang Bi sighed.
"Brother, don't blame me for being merciless."
Despite his violent nature, he had always relied on and respected the ever-gentle Dang Ryeong.
If not, he would have already used the Five-Poison Serpent Transformation Art to defeat Dang Ryeong miserably.
"Here I come!"
Pushing his internal energy to its limit, Dang Bi once again unleashed the Thousand-Poison Mist Heart Palm.
Despite his words, Dang Bi didn't use his true art, the Five-Poison Serpent Transformation Art, but merely unleashed the Thousand-Poison Mist Heart Palm at its full twelve-tenths power.
*Fwoooosh!*
The palm technique, pouring out like a tidal wave, linked together like a ring, completely surrounding Dang Ryeong's body.
Dang Ryeong moved quickly, but the Thousand-Poison Mist Heart Palm had already sealed off every possible escape route.
"Eldest Brother!"
Dang Gon, watching from a distance, shouted loudly.
"Admit defeat!"
If he didn't admit defeat, the dozens of palm shadows unleashed by Dang Bi would beat Dang Ryeong's body like a drum.
*Flash!*
But suddenly, a brilliant flash of light erupted from Dang Ryeong's hand.
"Kuaargh!"
At the same time, Dang Bi let out a horrifying scream and collapsed to the floor.
"How could this be?"
Everyone from the Dang family in the arena stared with wide eyes.
In the middle of the fallen Dang Bi's chest, a sharp dagger was embedded in his life gate vital point.
"Single-Strike... Life-Taker?"
Dang Seong, standing on the side of the stage, cried out in shock.