The Eight Forms of the Tang Family Fist
Honestly, starting with the Butterfly Flies Bee Stings, I had learned a total of eight forms from Tang Ho-chang. The first form: Butterfly Flies Bee Stings. The second: Mantis Blocks the Cart. The third: Rotten Things Breed Worms. The fourth: Ants Breach the Dike. The fifth: Dancing Among Flowers. The sixth: Snail Horn Stance. The seventh: Snake Shadow in the Cup. And the eighth: Dragon and Serpent Soar Together.
The eight forms of the Tang Family Fist were intricately linked so they could respond to any situation, and some of them even incorporated hidden throwing weapons concealed in the sleeves. In that regard, it truly felt like a practical, combat-oriented art worthy of the Sichuan Tang Clan's signature martial technique. After all, in the jianghu, you might encounter enemies that couldn't be handled with fists alone. This was clearly preparation for those kinds of scenarios.
Time flew by like an arrow while I trained under Tang Ho-chang. Before I knew it, two months had passed, and the day we would leave the Sichuan Tang Clan was fast approaching.
I was in the middle of practicing the Tang Family Fist forms in the training ground when it happened.
"Hey! Chilbok!"
The sudden voice from behind made me turn my head. A fist-sized object was already flying straight at my face. I reflexively caught it and checked what it was.
"...A potato?"
The one who answered my muttered words was Tang Soso, holding a basket full of steamed potatoes.
"I heard the spring potatoes are especially delicious these days. Try one."
"Thanks, Soso."
"Hmph, it's nothing special."
I was feeling a bit hungry anyway, so I wiped the potato clean, peeled it, and took a big bite.
"Hah—!"
It was hot. The outside felt cool enough to touch, so I thought it would be fine, but the inside hadn't cooled down at all.
"Pffft!"
I hurriedly tried to salvage the situation with half air and half potato in my mouth. Tang Soso burst out laughing at the sight. She must have known exactly what would happen and pranked me anyway.
When I glared at her, she stuck her tongue out and said, "That's what you get for shoving the whole thing in your mouth like an idiot."
She showed me her own potato, which had only tiny little nibbles, like a mouse had been gnawing at it. If you eat it little by little like me, there's no problem at all, see?
I swallowed the cooled-down potato with a gulp. The lightly salted flavor was actually pretty good, so I nibbled on the rest while asking, "By the way, where did Master go?"
I'd been so focused on training that I hadn't noticed. Tang Ho-chang, who had been right beside me at first, had vanished at some point.
"He said he had some business at the market and left. He told me to keep a close eye on you and make sure you weren't slacking off."
With that, Tang Soso sat down on the wooden chair beside the training ground, still holding the basket of steamed potatoes. It looked like she planned to watch me repeat the forms over and over.
I continued practicing Snail Horn Stance, the form used to defend against an enemy's attack, and asked, "What about Lady Rin?"
Tang Soso frowned. "You call Dokgo Rin 'Lady' but speak casually to me, your own cousin?"
"That's because you don't pay me a salary."
"And Dokgo Rin does?"
"I received a huge advance payment from her in the past."
"...Anyway, why are you asking me where she is?"
"Because you're the only person I can ask. The only people in the Sichuan Tang Clan I've actually gotten to know are you and Master."
Even though countless people lived inside this enormous mansion, the only direct blood relatives of the Tang Clan I'd met were Tang Ho-chang and Tang Soso. It seemed like they were deliberately keeping outsiders like me separated from the inner family members, but I didn't know the exact reason.
"If it's Dokgo Rin, she's probably training hard right now. She said she's learning that Nine Heavens Mysterious Sword or whatever it's called."
"Really? Then I can't fall behind either."
Over the past two months, I wasn't the only one who had been training like my life depended on it while staying at the Sichuan Tang Clan. Originally, Dokgo Rin had refused to learn the Nine Heavens Mysterious Sword because she had already mastered the Nine Palace Matchless Sword Art. But she later said she suspected her regression might be connected to it and decided to study it again. It was a technique shrouded in many secrets, but I hadn't heard that she'd discovered anything yet. Mastering it completely would probably take quite a long time.
With Tang Soso watching, I practiced all eight forms of the Tang Family Fist and finally ended today's training after using the last one, Dragon and Serpent Soar Together.
"Hoo..."
I had just started training after lunch, but the sun was already setting. If I hadn't eaten that potato as a snack midway through, I'd probably be starving by now.
I turned around to say we should head back, only to find Tang Soso leaning against the long chair, fast asleep. Her face, peaceful in deep slumber, looked angelic—completely different from her usual cold expression and sharp tongue.
She really is cute when she keeps her mouth shut.
I smiled bitterly at the thought and sat down beside the sleeping Tang Soso. There was still time before dinner, so I decided to wait until she woke up.
"Mmm..."
Tang Soso, who had dozed off while watching Lee Chil-bok train in the Tang Family Fist, opened her eyes only after the sun had completely set.
"...!"
She jolted upright in surprise. A gentle voice came from beside her.
"You're awake?"
Lee Chil-bok, who had been sweating profusely during training just before she fell asleep, was now sitting right next to her. Embarrassment flooded over her belatedly, and her face turned bright red.
"Why didn't you wake me?"
"You looked so happy sleeping. How could I disturb that? You've been helping me with so many things lately, so I stood guard for a bit to let you rest comfortably."
Lee Chil-bok stood up as he spoke. The strong scent of sweat clung to him from his earlier training. It was a smell that should have been unpleasant, yet for some reason it felt strangely fragrant to her.
Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!
Shuddering at her own thoughts, Tang Soso slapped her own cheeks to snap out of it. Then she looked at Lee Chil-bok's face again. His slightly ash-tinted white hair and the melancholic eyes hidden beneath it. His features, as perfectly sculpted as carved jade, were handsome enough to captivate any woman's heart on land.
He's just a commoner, yet his face practically glows.
Tang Soso tried to calm her racing heart with that thought.
This guy is Dokgo Rin's lover. You can't have weird thoughts about him, Tang Soso.
She had disliked Dokgo Rin ever since they were children. People around them had always compared the two girls of the same age. No matter how hard she tried, it only made Dokgo Rin shine brighter. Their attitudes made it feel like the true protagonist of the world wasn't her, but Dokgo Rin.
She had long since let go of that sense of rivalry, but she still clung to one last shred of pride: that Tang Soso was the legitimate successor of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
On the other hand, Dokgo Rin is now like a kite with its string cut.
The Dokgo Clan had possessed considerable power in Sangam, even if not on the level of the Tang Clan. But according to the rumors, the Dokgo Clan had been completely wiped out by assailants targeting their secret manuals. So now, Dokgo Rin could no longer be considered her equal. She no longer had the protection of the Dokgo Clan.
Come to think of it, those two aren't married yet.
A good idea suddenly flashed through her mind. What if she stole Chil-bok, who was supposed to be Dokgo Rin's man? Imagining Chil-bok abandoning Dokgo Rin to become her own lover made her feel inexplicably happy.
Dokgo Rin could be a little scary sometimes, but who cared about that right now? If she managed to steal Chil-bok, it would prove that Tang Soso was the more captivating woman. With that thought, she decided that seriously trying to seduce Chil-bok might not be such a bad idea after all. She kept stealing glances at his face as he stood up and suggested they head inside.
Tang Ho-chang, who had been absent all afternoon, finally showed up at the dinner table.
"Take this."
As soon as he sat down, he thrust a cloth bundle at me without any explanation. Inside were unusual throwing weapons that looked like long, split pieces of bamboo.
"What is this?"
"They're called slice arrows. You've been training with throwing knives until now, but starting tomorrow, use these instead."
"Slice arrows?"
I tilted my head at the unfamiliar name and looked down at the weapon in my hand. Each one was about ten centimeters long and resembled a giant needle or awl. It didn't look like it could pierce armor, but it seemed more than capable of easily penetrating human flesh.
"Is this why you were gone all day?"
"Pretty much. We're leaving for the Heavenly Martial Academy soon, aren't we? I wanted to prepare these in advance."
"...I'll use them well. Thank you for the gift, Master."
I tucked the cloth bundle containing the slice arrows into my robe. Watching me, Tang Ho-chang spoke again.
"More importantly, it seems like it's about time for you to learn the profound principles. Have you mastered all eight forms perfectly?"
"Not perfectly... but I've reached the level where my hands move instinctively the moment I think of them. Completing them fully will probably take much longer."
"That's good to hear. Then I'll begin teaching you the profound principles starting tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"Why? Do you have some other appointment?"
"No, it's not that. It just feels like we're rushing things too much."
I hadn't even properly mastered the eight forms yet. Jumping straight into the profound principles felt like a baby sparrow trying to follow a stork. But Tang Ho-chang simply laughed heartily and dismissed my concern, saying that he was the one who decided these things. As his disciple, I should just shut up and learn.
Convinced by his words, I answered as if in a trance that I would begin learning the profound principles of the Tang Family Fist tomorrow.