Chapter 681: The Sly Raccoon
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 681: The Sly Raccoon
Crack, snap.
Crack-crack-crack.
The bones throughout his entire body began to twist grotesquely.
Soon, his outward appearance started to shift. The shape of his eyes and the bridge of his nose sharpened to a keen edge. A sense of stern resolve settled around his mouth, and faint wrinkles etched themselves into the corners of his lips.
His physique began to shrink. Muscles receded, and his bones compressed.
Crack, snap, pop.
After a long moment of this agonizing contortion, Sun-woo’s appearance was completely transformed. He no longer looked like a young man in his twenties; he had been reborn as a middle-aged man with a sharp, piercing impression.
"How is it?" Sun-woo asked.
His voice was calm, carrying the heavy, dignified resonance characteristic of a man in his prime.
"It’s identical."
Tang Seo-yoon nodded as she spoke, her eyes wide. It was perfect—as if her deceased brother had returned to life. At this level, even if Tang Jin-seol herself were to visit, let alone Eon Jung-gi, she wouldn't find anything amiss in his appearance.
"That’s a relief," Sun-woo replied, sounding genuinely eased.
If Tang Seo-yoon, Tang Jin-cheol’s own flesh and blood, acknowledged the disguise, then he wouldn't be easily exposed. Now, all that remained was the acting.
"What was the relationship between the Eon Clan Head and the Tang Clan Head like?" Sun-woo asked curiously.
"They weren't exactly on friendly terms," Tang Seo-yoon answered flatly.
"Not friendly?" Sun-woo looked puzzled. He had assumed they were quite close, considering the man had shown up without any prior notice.
"Rather than being friends, they were more like cats and dogs."
Tang Jin-cheol had never thought highly of Eon Jung-gi. He felt the Eon Clan Head, with his brash and impulsive personality, lacked the dignity expected of an absolute master. Conversely, Eon Jung-gi didn't view Tang Jin-cheol favorably either. He considered Tang Jin-cheol’s method of winning—using poison to incapacitate enemies instead of clashing with fists or swords—to be unbefitting of a true martial artist.
"If they weren't close, why would he show up unannounced?"
"I was wondering about his intentions myself," Tang Seo-yoon said. She, too, was curious about why Eon Jung-gi had suddenly appeared. "Though it’s not as if I can’t make a guess."
"Why do you think he’s here?"
"He likely came because of the annihilation of the vanguard unit."
"What does that have to do with Eon Jung-gi?" Sun-woo asked, still confused.
It was the Cheonmu Alliance that had been at odds with the Tang Clan over the vanguard incident. Why was Eon Jung-gi suddenly popping out of nowhere?
"Lee Jae-sun, the leader of that vanguard unit, was Eon Jung-gi’s nephew."
"I see." Sun-woo nodded in understanding. If it involved his nephew, there was certainly a reason for him to get involved.
"So, did he come to avenge his nephew?"
"Maybe... and maybe not."
"Why such a vague answer?"
"The Eon Clan Head isn't the type of person to care what happens to his nephew."
"Is he cold-hearted?"
"No, he’s just a bit of a madman."
"A madman?"
"You’ll see for yourself once you meet him," Tang Seo-yoon said with a weary expression.
Seeing her look so drained, Sun-woo tilted his head. Just what kind of personality did this man have to make the usually stoic Tang Seo-yoon make such a face? Sun-woo’s curiosity deepened.
*
Outer Guest Room
Eon Jung-gi closed his eyes.
He began to visualize the most intense battles he had ever experienced. The first that came to mind was his bloody struggle against the Iron Demon. It had been his most memorable fight—the first time he had engaged in a life-or-death struggle with someone of equal power. It was also the first time he had truly felt his life was in danger. Unlike the martial artists of the Orthodox Faction, who aimed to subdue, the Iron Demon was a monster who fought only to kill.
They had whittled each other down, their rock-hard fists battering against equally stubborn flesh, continuing the fight until their bodies reached their absolute limits. In the end, he had managed to crush the Iron Demon’s skull, earning himself the title of "Fist King."
When he first received that title, he had been arrogant. He was intoxicated by the pride of having proven his strength. He believed that becoming the World's Greatest Martial Artist was a dream within reach.
However, that dream was shattered upon meeting Lee Jae-won. He couldn't even lay a finger on him. Lee Jae-won had already reached the Profound Realm.
They had clearly started from similar positions. Lee Jae-won, like himself, had once been a mere martial artist in the Transcendent Realm. But after turning the Heavenly Demon into a mere puddle of blood, Lee Jae-won had ascended to a supreme domain—a realm so distant it felt unreachable.
Eon Jung-gi had worked tirelessly. He pushed himself to reach the heights Lee Jae-won occupied. He spent more nights awake than asleep. His fists broke countless times. He simply labored and labored again to earn the honor of being the strongest.
Yet, despite everything, he never once reached him. He never reached the man known as the World's Greatest, Lee Jae-won.
Eon Jung-gi came to a realization: compared to Lee Jae-won, he was nothing more than a man of mediocre talent. Despair naturally followed. But even in his despair, he never stopped training. He intended to bridge the gap in talent through sheer effort.
After many winters had passed, Eon Jung-gi had a miraculous experience. One day, while training his fists as usual, the essence of the Eon Clan’s fist techniques began to resonate through his entire body. His fists, which he thought had stagnated, became even more powerful, and his body, already near the Indestructible Body stage, became even tougher.
He realized then that he had surpassed his limits. As a man of mediocre talent, he had finally reached the level of a genius.
He intended to head straight for the Cheonmu Alliance to reclaim the title of the strongest. However, he was forced to stop in his tracks. He heard news that the owner of that title had changed.
A man named Sword God Jang Sun-woo had taken it.
Eon Jung-gi burst into laughter. His competitive spirit flared at the thought that there were now even more people to defeat. Lee Jae-won, his ultimate goal, was now merely a stepping stone. His final target was the Sword God.
And his first objective to reach that Sword God was...
Creak.
The door to the guest room slowly opened. Two people appeared: a man with a cold, sharp gaze and a woman so beautiful she made one's heart tremble just by looking at her.
Grin.
Seeing them, Eon Jung-gi broke into a wide smile. His first objective had arrived.
"Greetings, Poison King. I haven't seen you in years." Eon Jung-gi welcomed him, looking as if he were having the time of his life.
"What brings you here so suddenly, Clan Head Eon?" the man acting as the Poison King, Sun-woo, asked in a stiff tone.
"I missed you terribly," Eon Jung-gi replied, radiating a thick, heavy fighting spirit.
"Were we ever that close?" Sun-woo countered, releasing an equally powerful aura.
The guest room was instantly filled with the dense, overwhelming fighting spirit of two absolute masters.
*
"Does one need to be close to pay a visit?" Eon Jung-gi asked with a jovial smile.
"The position of a Clan Head is not one to be taken so lightly," Sun-woo said, meeting his gaze with cold eyes.
"Unlike the Tang Clan, the Eon Clan is surprisingly flexible with its rules."
"Hard to believe."
"And if you don't believe me, what then? Are you going to kick me out?" Eon Jung-gi looked at him with an amused expression.
"I wouldn't put it past me," Sun-woo said calmly.
Of course, if he actually kicked him out, people might point fingers and call him heartless. But he had no desire to host a man whose motives were unknown.
"How cold."
"It’s only natural," Sun-woo said, his sharp eyes flashing.
"And if I refuse to leave?"
"Then I’ll have no choice but to remove you by force."
"Do you think you have the strength for that?"
"What do you think?"
"No matter how I look at it, I think I’d win," Eon Jung-gi provoked, his eyes burning with competitive fire.
"Your eyes must be failing you," Sun-woo shot back.
The two began to radiate a suffocating fighting spirit, neither willing to yield an inch. After a tense silence...
"Hahaha! It was a joke... You’re as stiff as ever, Tang Jin-cheol." Eon Jung-gi burst into a boisterous laugh, looking genuinely entertained. "I’ve come here as a representative of the Eon Clan, an ally, to participate in the Great War of Righteousness and Demons."
"I find that hard to believe," Sun-woo said, his face full of skepticism.
"What part?"
"Why would someone claiming to participate as an ally come alone?"
Sun-woo couldn't understand it. If he had chosen to join the war, he should have at least brought a unit-sized force. Why visit the Tang Clan all by himself?
"Because I deemed bringing others to be pointless," Eon Jung-gi replied matter-of-factly. "I am the greatest and most significant power of my clan. Why bother bringing others? They would only be a hindrance."
Eon Jung-gi looked at him with a steady gaze.
"Are you saying the rest of the Eon Clan’s forces are useless?"
"That is how it feels to me, at least."
"That doesn't sound like something a Clan Head should say."
"What’s wrong with stating the truth? Hahaha!" Eon Jung-gi laughed heartily again.
It was a laugh that would normally make someone seem likable. However, Sun-woo didn't relax his expression. He felt the man was hiding something.
Sun-woo proceeded to ask several questions to test him. Each time, Eon Jung-gi answered with ease and a laugh. In the end, Sun-woo couldn't get the answers he wanted. Despite his blunt, simple appearance, the man was as sly as a raccoon, keeping his true intentions well-hidden.
"......I will provide you with a pavilion."
Ultimately, Sun-woo had no choice but to accept him. Though he didn't like it, he had no valid excuse to turn away someone who claimed to have come to fight in the Great War.
"Much obliged," Eon Jung-gi said with a smirk.
With that, their brief meeting came to an end.
*
"What do you think?" Tang Seo-yoon asked Sun-woo once they were outside.
"Rather than a madman, he struck me as incredibly sly," Sun-woo said calmly.
The man was crafty. Despite clearly having a hidden agenda, he completely masked it behind a boisterous front. How could he not be called sly?
"He certainly acted differently than usual," Tang Seo-yoon agreed, nodding.
Eon Jung-gi was usually known as a "War Demon," a man as rough as they come. But today, much of that roughness was gone.
"We need to keep a close eye on him," Sun-woo said, his eyes narrowing. He felt it was necessary to monitor the man’s every move.
*
Tremble, tremble.
After Sun-woo and Tang Seo-yoon left, Eon Jung-gi’s entire body began to shake. It wasn't out of fear, nor was it because he was cold.
It was because he felt it—the scent of a powerhouse equal to himself.
The Tang Clan Head was indeed strong. It was as if he were proving the rumors of him reaching the Profound Realm were true. That was why Eon Jung-gi was trembling. The urge to throw a punch right then and there was surging within him.
His whole body quivered. He wanted to crush that powerful man and prove himself. But he endured. It wasn't time yet.
The plan was to act only after Tang Jin-seol arrived at the Tang Clan. Until then, he had to hold back by any means necessary.
Clench.
Eon Jung-gi balled his hands into rock-hard fists. He began to calm the tremors running through them as best he could.
'Hurry up and get here... Tang Jin-seol... before I lose my patience.'
Eon Jung-gi prayed and prayed again. He hoped Tang Jin-seol would reach the Tang Clan before the beast within him exploded.
*
An incredibly lavish four-horse carriage began to race through the center of Chengdu at a high speed. Merchants near the center of the city quickly scrambled out of the way. They knew better than to get involved with whoever was inside such a carriage.
Thanks to the cooperation of the Chengdu merchants, the carriage surged forward without hindrance. After traveling for some time, a massive main gate with a plaque reading "Sichuan Tang Clan" came into view.
"Whoa... steady now..."
Seeing the gate, the coachman gently reined in the horses. The carriage’s rapid pace slowed noticeably until it came to a complete stop right in front of the Sichuan Tang Clan’s main gate.
"What is your business with the Tang Clan?" one of the gate guards asked the coachman as the carriage stopped.
Perhaps overwhelmed by the carriage’s opulence, the guard’s tone was exceptionally polite.
"We come from the Cheonmu Alliance," the coachman replied with a stoic expression.
"The Cheonmu Alliance, you say?" the guard asked, puzzled.
"Indeed. Now, open the gate."
"May I see some identification?"
Whish.
At the guard’s request, the man flicked an identification token from his robe.
Snatch.
The guard caught the token and quickly inspected it.
"What!?"
He was instantly struck with shock. The appearance of the token was all too familiar.
"The Tang Clan Blood Token!?"
Indeed, the token the coachman had presented was the Blood Token, issued only to direct-line descendants of the Tang Clan.
"Open the gate," the coachman said calmly.
"Y-yes, right away!" the guard stammered.
Creak.
The heavy gates slowly began to swing open. Once the Tang Clan’s main gate was fully cleared, the carriage rolled inside.