The Poison King's Parting Gift
I spent the remaining time before our return to Chang'an desperately trying to grasp the knack of explosive force, but every attempt ended in failure. Was the wall separating me from Peak Master status really that insurmountable? According to my master, Tang Ho-chang, mastering it without proper enlightenment was nearly impossible. As someone who had lived a modern life, though, the abstract idea of "enlightenment" felt completely foreign to me. How could I understand something I'd never experienced? In the end, I decided to be satisfied with the fact that I'd learned an entirely new martial art in just two short months.
After all, the only way to raise my proficiency with the forms was through constant practice. If I kept at it, the ability to use explosive force would probably come naturally someday. While I threw myself into training the Tang Family Fist, the day of our departure from the Sichuan Tang Clan crept up on us before I knew it.
"Is this everything I need to pack?"
Before leaving the room for the last time, I checked my backpack one final time—emergency rations, spare clothes, and drinking water—then glanced around the neatly arranged guest room. I'd stayed here for two whole months. Somehow, against all odds, I'd grown attached to the place.
When I finally stepped out with my things, Tang Soso was waiting for me in the hallway.
"All packed?" she asked.
"Yeah. I didn't bring much when I first got here anyway."
I slung the backpack over my shoulders and looked at her.
"What about Lady Rin?"
"Dokgo Rin still hasn't come out of her room. I don't know what she's doing in there, but it seems to be taking a while."
"Really? Should I go get her myself?"
"She's not a child. Why are you fussing over her like that?"
"Fair point."
Convinced by Tang Soso's sharp tone, I thought it over briefly and decided to wait patiently. My eyes drifted over her outfit.
"By the way, where are you headed? Your clothes look different from usual."
At my question, Tang Soso let out a small laugh and placed a hand over her chest.
"Actually, I've decided to enroll at the Heavenly Martial Academy too. So I'll be traveling with you to Chang'an."
This was news to me.
"Did you get permission from Lady Rin?"
"We're heading to the same place. Why would I need permission for that?"
"I guess you have a point..."
"Anyway, I'll be in your care from now on. Once we enroll, we'll be in the same year."
"Likewise. I'll be counting on you too."
At the end of the day, more company on the road was a good thing. Especially since Tang Soso was a direct bloodline member of the Sichuan Tang Clan—she'd make an excellent sponsor.
After shaking hands with her, we headed toward the main gate of the Sichuan Tang Clan, our designated meeting spot.
"You've arrived."
Tang Ho-chang stood before the gates in his usual attire with his usual stern expression, waiting for us.
"Where's Rin?" he asked.
"She hasn't come out yet."
"Hmm. Preparing must be taking longer than expected. Anyway, this is my parting gift."
What he tossed me was a pair of reinforced cuffs.
"These are..."
"Out in the Jianghu, you'll be fighting plenty of armed opponents. I won't stop you if you insist on fighting barehanded, but it's wise to carry some means of defending yourself."
"...Thank you, Master."
I bowed deeply, my face showing genuine gratitude. Tang Ho-chang snorted and looked away, clearly embarrassed.
"Just so you know, there's a hidden compartment inside the cuffs for storing throwing blades. You know what to do if the situation calls for it, right?"
He drew a finger across his throat in demonstration.
"Very reassuring."
I immediately took all the concealed throwing blades I'd been carrying and stored them in the secret compartment.
That was when Dokgo Rin finally appeared, a little late.
"I'm sorry for being late, Grandfather. I trained until deep into the night and accidentally overslept."
The Dokgo Rin who emerged had hair that was noticeably brighter than before—a vivid, almost fluorescent green.
"Rin!" Tang Ho-chang exclaimed in surprise. "That appearance..."
Dokgo Rin scratched the back of her neck awkwardly.
"I made progress with the Spirit Jade Mind Condensation technique you taught me. This is a side effect."
"My word. I knew you had talent, but I never imagined it was to this degree."
The grandfather and granddaughter shared a brief, knowing conversation before embracing each other in farewell.
"I'll miss you terribly," Dokgo Rin said.
Tang Ho-chang hesitated, then asked, "Must you carry out this revenge with your own hands?"
She gave a bitter smile. "I understand how you feel, Grandfather, but I want to avenge my family myself. If I don't, I don't think I'll ever be able to sleep soundly again."
Hearing her resolve, Tang Ho-chang let out a resigned sigh.
"If your heart is that set on it, I won't try to stop you anymore. But promise me one thing. If you ever need help during your revenge, come to this old man without hesitation. You know the Sichuan Tang Clan never forgets a debt or a grudge, don't you?"
"Of course."
When Dokgo Rin nodded, Tang Ho-chang turned away, as if he wouldn't hold them back any longer.
"Chilbok, I have taught you every form of the Tang Family Fist. Though we ran out of time and you couldn't learn the deeper secrets, I will teach them to you when fate brings us together again."
"Yes, Master."
I bowed with all my heart to the man who had taken care of me all this time.
"Then we should get going before it gets any later. Grandfather, please take care of your health."
"You too, Rin. Stay healthy."
With our farewells complete, we left the Sichuan Tang Clan that had grown so dear to us and set off on the road to Chang'an, where the Heavenly Martial Academy awaited.
The journey to Chang'an went smoother than expected. Unlike our previous trip from Sangam, this time we were able to take a boat along the waterways, which let us travel much faster. We sailed up a massive river, and because we avoided the mountainous terrain, we reached Chang'an far sooner than I'd anticipated.
It had been roughly two years since I'd last seen the city. The bustling market streets still radiated the unmistakable dignity of a major metropolis.
"Whoa!"
Tang Soso looked around at everything with wide-eyed wonder, practically broadcasting that she'd come from the countryside. Chengdu was certainly a decent-sized city itself, so she wasn't exactly from a backwater village, but she claimed this was her first time leaving Sichuan Province. No wonder everything seemed new and exciting to her.
"I wonder what the Heavenly Martial Academy's entrance ceremony is like?" I muttered, gazing at the streets crowded with young talents from across the Murim.
Tang Soso clicked her tongue and wagged her finger at me.
"Looks like you showed up without knowing anything, Chilbok."
"You know about it?"
"Of course. Don't underestimate the intelligence network of the Sichuan Tang Clan."
Looking rather pleased with herself, she suddenly produced a teacher's rod from somewhere and continued.
"The Heavenly Martial Academy holds an entrance ceremony every year. However, the actual number of students who pass the entrance exam is less than five hundred. That's because it isn't just a formality—they put applicants through a rigorous selection process."
"An entrance exam?"
So it wasn't a place anyone could join just by paying?
"Obviously. If it were that easy, every mediocre martial artist in the world would be banging on the gates. New students are usually selected in one of two ways. The first is the recommendation system."
"Recommendation?"
"Each sect recommends outstanding talents who are admitted without taking the exam. Of course, those who enter through recommendations face even stricter standards inside the academy, so sects tend to only recommend true prodigies. No one wants to embarrass their own faction."
"I see..."
"The other method is taking the actual entrance exam, like I mentioned."
"What exactly does the exam involve?"
"Various physical tests, character assessments, and thorough background checks. There have been cases in the past where spies from the Demonic Cult or the Evil Factions tried to sneak in, so the screening has become even stricter lately."
"Sounds like the entrance exam is more demanding than I thought."
"The background check should be easy for us since we don't have any red flags. Besides, the Sichuan Tang Clan is vouching for our identities."
"That's reassuring."
This was why it paid to have good connections. Most martial artists would bow and scrape if they knew you were under the protection of the Sichuan Tang Clan—one of the most renowned families in the Jianghu, even if they weren't one of the Nine Great Schools.
"Anyway, the entrance exam starts tomorrow, so let's find an inn for tonight."
"Oh, I know a good place."
"Where?"
"The inn I stayed at last time I was in Chang'an. One of the escort warriors told me about it."
When I spoke with confidence, Tang Soso agreed we should go there.
"What about Lady Rin?"
"I'm fine with it too."
"Then it's decided."
With unanimous agreement, we headed for the Golden Star Inn—the same place where Dokgo Seok and I had stayed during our previous visit to Chang'an.