Chapter 48: Plotting to Obtain the Ten Thousand Streams Return to the Source Divine Art-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 48: Plotting to Obtain the Ten Thousand Streams Return to the Source Divine Art-1
"Ultimately, the one who passes through the Godok Hall will be appointed as the Young Clan Head and granted the Poison Essence."
Sun-woo’s eyes widened at Tang Jin-cheol’s words.
They were talking about the succession, so why was the Poison Essence suddenly being brought up?
As soon as he finished speaking, the backlash from the surroundings was formidable. Everyone raised their voices as if they were ready to devour him, shouting their opposition to the distribution of the Poison Essence.
From Sun-woo’s perspective, the reaction was perfectly understandable.
Being the Young Clan Head was supposed to be a stage for verification, not a final confirmation of the position of Clan Head. Granting the Poison Essence to someone whose future as the Clan Head was still uncertain was no different from officially confirming their succession.
"Anyone who passes through the Godok Hall will be worthy of the position of Clan Head. Furthermore, even if the Young Clan Head were to die or step down due to some unfortunate incident, I will never allow an unqualified person to be appointed as the Young Clan Head as long as I am alive. There will be no reversals."
In the end, even the Elders and the Council of Elders could not break the Clan Head’s stubbornness.
The one who conquered the Godok Hall would have everything.
Sun-woo fell into deep thought.
He had intended to skip the trial and leisurely search the Tang Clan estate, but the Clan Head’s sudden announcement had turned his plans to dust. If he didn't find the Poison Essence before someone passed the Godok Hall trial, it would be snatched away right before his eyes.
A headache began to throb.
However, there were several things holding him back from entering the Godok Hall himself.
First and foremost, he questioned whether he could withstand the poisonous qi of the Godok Hall. The interior of the Godok Hall was a Poison Zone filled with all sorts of poisonous creatures, to the point where even the experts of the Tang Clan found it difficult to predict what lay inside. He had heard it had been left neglected for generations, so he couldn't even imagine how lethal the poisonous qi had become.
Those who practiced the Ten Thousand Streams Return to the Source Divine Art—a martial art specialized in poison—might endure it well, but it was unknown whether his Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art could withstand such toxicity. Since it wasn't certain, he couldn't bring himself to decide.
The second issue was the verification of the Ten Thousand Streams Return to the Source Divine Art. Though he looked like Tang Se-gi on the outside, his soul was entirely different. There was no way he could have mastered the Tang Clan’s secret cultivation method. If he were caught during the process of verifying his martial arts, forget the Poison Essence—he would surely end up with countless hidden weapons embedded in his body.
The third issue concerned the succession itself. Even if he passed the Godok Hall trial, it would be a problem. Passing meant being appointed as the Young Clan Head, and if he became the Young Clan Head, it would be difficult to slip away secretly with the Poison Essence.
If he were the scoundrel Tang Se-gi, no one would care where he went or what he did. There would be no expectations or interest in him.
But the Young Clan Head Tang Se-gi was a different story. If he were appointed, everyone’s eyes would be fixed on him, and they would surely watch his every move with scrutiny. His freedom of movement would be severely restricted.
Yet, there was no other way. If he didn't enter the Godok Hall, he would lose the chance to obtain the Poison Essence forever. No matter how much he thought about it, stealing the Poison Essence within a month was impossible.
In truth, Sun-woo had been underestimating the Tang Clan. He recognized they were strong, but he had been confident that with his martial arts at the Upper Stage of Super-Peak Realm, he could somehow push through.
However, that confidence shattered the moment he arrived at the Clan Meeting today.
Because he practiced the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art, a martial art sensitive to energy waves, he could tell: the meeting hall was packed with Super-Peak experts.
In particular, the Grand Elder Tang Ju-gi and the Great Elder Tang Hak-ju possessed a momentum that was in no way inferior to his own Upper Stage of Super-Peak Realm.
It was arrogance. Thinking he could steal the Poison Essence right under the noses of such experts was nothing but pure arrogance.
Sun-woo began to reflect on his mistake—the fact that he had looked down on the Tang Clan.
While reflecting, his gaze fell upon Tang Jin-cheol, who sat in the seat of honor.
The Poison King, Tang Jin-cheol.
Known as the greatest expert of the Sichuan Tang Clan, he surprisingly gave off only an ordinary aura. Did he practice a unique martial art that didn't manifest outwardly? Or were the rumors exaggerated compared to his actual skill?
Just as he was making various guesses, Tang Jin-cheol released his aura. It was to calm the overheated atmosphere of the meeting hall.
Sensing that briefly released aura, Sun-woo felt a sense of despair. The momentum he unleashed was so massive that even the Grand Elder and Great Elder couldn't be compared to it. If they were small mountain peaks, it would be no exaggeration to say Tang Jin-cheol’s aura was like Mount Tai itself.
Because it was for such a short time, the concentrated aura made Sun-woo’s teeth chatter. He felt a terror similar to when he first saw the Sword Emperor Yang Tae-san.
He was strong. Strong enough to rival the Sword Emperor Yang Tae-san, the undisputed second-strongest person under heaven.
And then, he realized Tang Jin-cheol’s true identity.
It must have been toward the end of the novel High School Senior Goes to Murim. The author had wanted to end the story quickly, but the scale of the Heavenly Demon Emperor’s forces had grown too large to manage. Sending Lee Jae-won to annihilate them one by one would take too long, but simply deleting them would be too sloppy given the buildup.
Especially in the case of the Black Armored Cavalry, it would have been awkward to have them exit without an appearance after all the flags that had been set for a confrontation.
Since Yang Tae-san was the only Transcendent Realm expert on their side, the author, lacking a proper solution, came up with a clever trick to clean up the mess: he simply created a few more absolute experts.
Though their appearance was sudden and lacked probability, he created several absolute experts just before the conclusion and managed to wipe out the Heavenly Demon Emperor’s forces.
In the novel at that time, there was a description of a poison expert who, as the young Clan Head of the Tang Clan, slaughtered the Black Armored Cavalry. That identity was none other than Tang Jin-cheol.
Sun-woo got goosebumps. He hadn't remembered it properly because he had skimmed through the ending. But the moment he felt that aura, he could be certain of one thing. He didn't know who was stronger between him and Yang Tae-san, but he was dozens of times stronger than Sun-woo himself.
Feeling the gap between them, his thoughts were instantly organized. He realized that stealing the Poison Essence while avoiding their eyes within a month was impossible. To obtain the Poison Essence, the only way was to pass the Godok Hall trial and claim it legitimately.
Having finished his thoughts, Sun-woo observed the faces of the other Tang siblings. Their faces were all flushed with a strange heat. They were clearly greedy for the treasure known as the Poison Essence. Seeing their complex expressions mixed with greed and longing, he couldn't help but frown.
He wondered if the position of Clan Head was so great that they could be so happy about having to kill their own siblings.
'Crazy bastards.'
Defining them with those words, Sun-woo began to think about his future plans. Since his entry into the hall was decided, he needed a plan. He had to mimic the Ten Thousand Streams Return to the Source Divine Art somehow.
*
After the Clan Meeting ended, Sun-woo turned to head back to his quarters.
That was when it happened.
Tap.
Someone grabbed his shoulder.
"Tang Se-gi, Mother is calling for you."
A young man with sharp, bold features spoke to Sun-woo.
Sun-woo frowned deeply. He didn't want to be held up when he barely had enough time to go to the clan library and memorize the Ten Thousand Streams Return to the Source Divine Art.
"I dislike being with you just as much. But it is Mother’s command. Follow me quietly."
After finishing his piece, the man quickly turned around and began to walk away, as if Sun-woo wasn't even worth dealing with anymore. Judging by his tone, he didn't seem to have a very good relationship with Tang Se-gi.
Sun-woo watched the man’s back for a moment before relenting and following him. After all, wasn't Madam Un the only ally Tang Se-gi had left? To use her later, he needed to solidify their relationship further.
After walking for a while, they arrived at Madam Un’s quarters.
Knock, knock.
The man with the bold features knocked on the door.
"Mother, it is Do-uk."
"Come in."
Creeak.
When they opened the door and entered, Madam Un and a middle-aged man in gray robes were sitting in chairs.
"I have brought Se-gi, Mother."
"Yes, well done."
"Uncle Un is here as well. Have you been well?"
"Yes, it’s good to see you, Uk. Has Gi-ah been doing well too?"
"……Yes."
Sun-woo replied awkwardly. It seemed the man was a relative from Un Ga-ryeo’s side of the family.
"Hahaha, you’re still as shy as ever. Come, sit, sit."
He invited Tang Do-uk and Sun-woo to sit as if he were the master of the house.
"The reason I called you both is simple."
Once they were seated, the man Do-uk called Uncle Un spoke up.
"I called you because I have something urgent to say regarding the upcoming entry into the Godok Hall."
"Please give us your command."
"Right. First, seeing as both of you stayed in the meeting hall until the end, can I take that to mean you both have ambitions for the position of Young Clan Head?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
Sun-woo and Do-uk replied simultaneously. Though Do-uk shot a contemptuous glance at Sun-woo.
"Then I shall speak plainly. Our Un family has fully supported Do-uk to become the Young Clan Head until now. This will not change in the future."
The Un Clan, Un Ga-ryeo’s maternal family, had spared no support for Tang Do-uk to become the Young Clan Head from the moment he was born. Although Un Ga-ryeo and Tang Jin-cheol’s marriage wasn't purely political, the Un Clan desired nothing more than for a child carrying their blood to become the head of the Sichuan Tang Clan, the greatest family in the Central Plains.
"Gi-ah, give up on entering the Godok Hall."
"I refuse."
Sun-woo replied instantly to his words. There was no other way to get the Poison Essence besides passing the Godok Hall trial, so how could he give that up?
"If you do not give up, you will have to fight Do-uk with your lives on the line, and you will lose your life. Can you handle that?"
He continued speaking, already assuming that someone like Tang Se-gi was no match for Tang Do-uk. Tang Do-uk, who had grown up with the support of both the Un and Tang families, had already reached the Peak Realm. It was preposterous to think that Tang Se-gi, who hadn't even reached the first-class level, could defeat him.
"I can handle it."
"Ha, you?"
His question was laced with intentional ridicule.
"Fine, then let me ask you something else. Haven't you barely reached the 3rd stage of the Ten Thousand Streams Return to the Source Divine Art? Do you really think you can reach the 5th stage on your own in just one month?"
As he said, Tang Se-gi’s official achievement was stuck at the 3rd stage. To advance in the Ten Thousand Streams Return to the Source Divine Art, one needed numerous poisonous creatures. This was because one gained enlightenment during the process of converting poisonous qi into internal energy.
However, for Tang Se-gi, who lacked the support of a maternal family, the means to obtain poisonous creatures were remote. In the Tang Clan, one could apply for poisonous creatures for research and training, but since the quantities were fixed, it was impossible to obtain a large amount without the help of an outside family.
"He’s right, Gi-ah. Give up. Your mother does not wish to see blood shed between brothers."
Un Ga-ryeo also pleaded with Sun-woo through tears. From her perspective, she didn't want either of her sons to enter the Godok Hall. However, for the sake of the Un family’s prosperity, one of them had to become the Young Clan Head. Therefore, she had decided to fully support the entry of the more accomplished Tang Do-uk and was now urging Tang Se-gi to give up.
"Your mother is crying. As an elder, it breaks my heart to see my sister’s tears. Give up, Gi-ah. If Do-uk becomes the Clan Head, do you think he would ever turn his back on you?"
Sun-woo felt a surge of irritation at Uncle Un’s words. He already had a mountain of problems to solve to enter the Godok Hall, so why were they meddling in his business? He could understand Un Ga-ryeo’s position as a worried mother, but the man in front of him felt like nothing more than a nuisance.
"No matter what you say, I will enter the Godok Hall."
Sun-woo cut him off firmly. He felt like this would never end if he let them drag him along. He had to express his opinion clearly.
That was when Tang Do-uk spoke up.
"If we meet inside the Godok Hall, I do not intend to go easy on you. Are you prepared for that?"
Tang Do-uk released his aura as he spoke. He intended to suppress Sun-woo with pressure and break his spirit.
But from Sun-woo’s perspective, it was laughable. Who did this guy think he was, trying to intimidate someone with a mere Peak Realm aura?
"If we meet, I’ll at least let you live."
Sun-woo replied nonchalantly.
"What!?"
Tang Do-uk was flustered by Sun-woo’s unexpected reaction. If he had released this much aura, the other should have been trembling and breaking into a cold sweat from fear, but Tang Se-gi showed no such signs.
"I believe everything has been said. I’ll be going now."
Sun-woo turned around and walked out the door.
"Gi-ah! Wait, Gi-ah!"
Despite Un Ga-ryeo’s sorrowful cries, Sun-woo went straight on his way. He didn't have time to listen to her tearful pleas and emotional appeals. His mind was entirely filled with thoughts of the Ten Thousand Streams Return to the Source Divine Art.
"Tsk, tsk. Still as rude as ever. Leaving after saying only what he wants while an elder is speaking."
"Where would that scoundrel nature go? With his level of achievement, he won't even be able to get near the Godok Hall anyway."
"Tsk, tsk. I only said those things out of concern, but he truly is a foolish boy."
Tang Do-uk and the man called Uncle Un continued to talk as they stared at the door where Un Ga-ryeo and Tang Se-gi had disappeared. From their perspective, Tang Se-gi seemed like a complete fool. Why waste effort on something that was nearly impossible? He should have just given up early and continued acting like a scoundrel as usual.
The two of them ridiculed Tang Se-gi’s behavior, seeing him as nothing more than a foolhardy pup who didn't know the fear of a tiger.