Suddenly, a Big Shot Shows Up? (1)
The great Sichuan Tang Family.
In the main hall of the clan that had carried centuries of history on its shoulders, a voice colder than ice was drifting out.
"And so?"
The head of the Sichuan Tang Family, Tang Gun-ak, said in a low voice stripped of all emotion.
"You got beaten up by those Mount Hua bastards, then came back having done nothing at all?"
"...Yes."
"And it wasn't even the Mount Hua Divine Dragon or the Righteous Sword of Mount Hua, both of whom are making a name for themselves lately... but the second son of that Sahaesanghoe?"
"Yes."
A trace of killing intent flickered in Tang Gun-ak's eyes.
"Do you understand what that means?"
"I do."
At that, Tang Pae, the young lord of the Sichuan Tang Family and Tang Gun-ak's aide, spoke up in an openly dissatisfied tone.
"For someone who says that, your knees are awfully stiff."
Dang Jan glanced at Tang Pae once, then fixed his gaze back on Tang Gun-ak.
But Tang Pae had no intention of letting this go so easily. In a colder voice, he pressed on.
"You are a direct descendant of the family. The lord's son."
"..."
"And yet you came back after getting beaten by some nobody named Jo Gul. Do you know what will happen if the people of Chengdu hear about this?"
"I do."
"They'll all take pleasure in it. And more than a few people will quietly start thinking the Sichuan Tang Family isn't all that impressive anymore. Once that happens, there'll be those who rise against the family's authority and even try to collude with outside powers."
Dang Jan lowered his head slightly.
"One small incident can lead to a disaster of that scale. You're not an idiot who couldn't have seen that coming, are you?"
"...Of course not, Brother."
"This is a formal setting."
"Yes, Young Lord."
Tang Pae snapped coldly.
"How do you intend to take responsibility for all of this? Because of one mistake of yours, at the very least the Tang Family's reputation has been dragged into the mud, and at worst our control over Sichuan itself has been shaken. This isn't something you can solve by offering your life."
"I am prepared to accept punishment."
"Then—!"
Just as Tang Pae was about to answer coldly, Tang Gun-ak spoke up quietly.
"Dang Jan."
"Yes, Lord."
Tang Gun-ak stared at him with cold eyes, then asked slowly,
"You said you were prepared?"
"Yes."
"Then that means you know how grave your mistake was."
"Of course."
"Then why does your face look so relieved?"
That was the question Tang Gun-ak truly wanted answered.
The Dang Jan he knew was the living embodiment of combativeness. Among his sons, there was none more fiercely competitive than Dang Jan.
He was the one who had endured the Tang Family's brutal training—training so harsh it made people cry and run away again and again—with nothing but a single-minded determination to get stronger.
Even Tang Gun-ak himself had once fled the family three times before adulthood to avoid training, so Dang Jan's fighting spirit was monstrous by any standard.
It was precisely why Tang Gun-ak had always favored Dang Jan above all his children.
And yet this Dang Jan, after suffering defeat and returning home, looked oddly at ease.
Tang Gun-ak thought that perhaps this matter was twice as important as whatever had happened at Sahaesanghoe.
Dang Jan spoke.
"Because I gained something."
"...Gained something?"
"I found the path I should walk, and I learned just how vast the world is. I realized there are enough people stronger than me to fill the whole world, and that gave me the drive to strive even harder. Why should I fear some punishment over that?"
Tang Gun-ak narrowed his brow.
"People stronger than you? Are you speaking of the second son of Sahaesanghoe?"
"My defeat to him was unquestionable. But if I were to fight him again, the result might change. However... the others are not like that."
"The Righteous Sword of Mount Hua and the Mount Hua Divine Dragon."
"The Righteous Sword of Mount Hua is definitely stronger than Jo Gul. And the Mount Hua Divine Dragon is..."
Dang Jan, who had been speaking without pause, suddenly clamped his mouth shut.
Tang Gun-ak did not hurry him. He simply waited for his son to gather his thoughts.
"I don't know."
But the answer that came after a long silence went far beyond what Tang Gun-ak had expected.
"Don't know?"
"Yes. I don't know him. Whether he's strong or weak. No, more than that..."
Dang Jan let out a sigh.
"No, I really don't know. I can't grasp him at all."
At that, Tang Pae, who had been listening, cut in with a faint smile.
"You just couldn't figure him out because you're weak."
"...That may be so."
"Lord, there's no need to hear any more. Punish Jan and send me to Sahaesanghoe. I'll handle it and return."
Tang Gun-ak slowly turned his head to look at Tang Pae.
The moment Tang Pae met that gaze, he flinched and immediately bowed his head low.
Having crushed Tang Pae with nothing more than a look, Tang Gun-ak changed expression and regarded Dang Jan with interest.
It was the first time Dang Jan had ever judged someone in this way.
"From what you've said, his skill doesn't sound particularly exceptional. Is that right?"
"...From what I saw, yes."
"And yet you were paying the most attention to the Mount Hua Divine Dragon among them all."
Tang Gun-ak's eyes glittered.
"Why? You wouldn't place any value on empty things like fame in the martial world. Was there something special about him?"
"He..."
After thinking for a moment, Dang Jan spoke.
"He said that my throwing daggers needed one more dagger added to them."
"What?"
Tang Gun-ak shot to his feet.
That was not the composure he had kept until now. A terrifying aura burst out from Tang Gun-ak's entire body.
At that monstrous pressure, Tang Pae and Dang Jan both began trembling.
The very fact that he was unleashing this much pressure in front of his sons made it obvious how shocked Tang Gun-ak truly was.
"What did you say?"
"...He mentioned the twelfth dagger."
"That much is certain?"
"Yes."
Dang Jan narrowed his eyes.
He knows about the Twelve Flying Daggers?
The hidden dagger technique publicly known in the Tang Family was the Eleven Flying Daggers. But the one who truly perfected the Eleven Flying Daggers would come to wield one more dagger.
That was the Twelve Flying Daggers.
The hidden art of hidden arts—the true culmination of the Tang Family's throwing-dagger technique.
People thought of Mancheon-hwaeu and spoke of the Tang Family's invisible poison when they heard the name Tang, but the Twelve Flying Daggers were another secret art no less formidable than those two.
It was simply so difficult, so abstruse, that it had nearly vanished from the world.
"What are the odds that boy knew that beforehand?"
"...I..."
"No. There wouldn't be any. Impossible. No one in the current martial world should know the existence of the twelfth dagger."
It was a secret among secrets even within the Sichuan Tang Family.
An outsider knew of it?
Perhaps, in theory. There was no such thing as a perfect secret in this world. But the one who knew could not possibly have been such a child. Especially not a disciple of the fallen Mount Hua.
Tang Gun-ak's eyes turned icy.
"Tell me about the duel in detail."
"Yes."
After hearing the full account from Dang Jan, Tang Gun-ak let out a heavy groan.
"He used Dark Burst Dagger?"
"Yes."
"And still lost...?"
Of course, that in itself was astonishing, but it was no longer the important point.
"Dark Burst Dagger is only a path toward the Twelve Flying Daggers. The completed Dark Burst Dagger must be joined by the secretly released twelfth dagger. In the front, Dark Burst Dagger draws the eye, while the Spinning Dagger released without anyone noticing aims for the back. That's the proper form."
"Yes."
"Then you mean he saw only Dark Burst Dagger, recognized the technique's incompleteness, and said that another dagger was needed?"
"..."
"Impossible. Impossible."
Tang Gun-ak muttered to himself as though he had forgotten his sons were still in the room.
"If that's possible, then his understanding of martial arts surpasses mine. No, no. It may not have even been something he calculated with his head. Perhaps it was only instinct. But if he sensed it by instinct alone..."
A prodigy.
Even that word wasn't enough.
"Has Mount Hua produced a monster prodigy?"
Tang Gun-ak's face hardened coldly.
Then, as though he had finally made a decision, he strode toward Dang Jan.
"Prepare."
"Pardon?"
"I'm going to Sahaesanghoe myself."
"L-Lord?"
Tang Pae cried out in alarm.
"Lord! That won't do! It's beneath your dignity—"
Tang Gun-ak glared at Tang Pae with a furious look.
Tang Pae flinched and shrank back.
"...How has the Tang Family held the title of Sichuan's overlord for centuries?"
"That is..."
"Answer me."
Tang Pae swallowed dryly before speaking.
"Because our ancestors built the family at the risk of their lives."
"Wrong!"
Tang Gun-ak thundered.
"The Tang Family is not the only one that risked its life to build its house. Even now, countless families and noble clans are pouring everything they have into their own survival. And yet the reason our Tang Family has achieved a status that none of them can compare to is just one thing!"
Meeting his sons' eyes, Tang Gun-ak whispered as if revealing a great secret.
"Because we are relentless."
"..."
"In some ways, it's no more than the dirty work of petty men. But that relentlessness made the Tang Family. A relentlessness that never misses even the smallest thing! A relentlessness that will chase down anything that may threaten the family, even if it means crossing ten thousand li! A relentlessness that can do anything if there's something to gain!"
Tang Gun-ak glared at Tang Pae as he spoke.
"Do you want to be a gentleman?"
"...No."
"Remember this. The Tang Family does not need gentlemen. Anyone who cares about saving face has no right to think about leading this family. No matter how much the whole world points fingers at us, only those who can do whatever benefits the family are qualified to sit in the seat of the great Sichuan Tang Family's lord! Do you understand?"
"I-I'll remember that, Lord!"
"Pathetic."
After cutting him off coldly, Tang Gun-ak strode forward without hesitation.
"We're going to Sahaesanghoe. I need to see for myself whether that bastard is a prodigy or just all mouth."
Dang Jan shut his eyes tight.
The matter was spiraling wildly out of control.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"No! Why aren't we going?"
"Ah, we're just not going."
"Why the hell are you throwing a tantrum again all of a sudden?"
Yoon Jong pounded his chest in frustration.
Honestly, this guy was impossible to predict.
"Seriously? We're really not going?"
"Yeah."
In the end, anger flickered across Yoon Jong's face.
"Then stay here! We're heading to Yunnan! You can live here!"
"Do whatever you want."
"Ughhh."
Yoon Jong scratched his head furiously.
He was just about to say something else when—
"Sasuk."
Yu I-seol quietly called for Baek Cheon.
"What is it?"
"Wouldn't the Tang Family do something?"
Baek Cheon let out a sigh.
"Of course they would. They'd come looking for us. That's exactly why we have to go to Yunnan as soon as possible, isn't it? If we stay here, who knows what else might happen."
"Then what about Sahaesanghoe?"
"...What?"
"The Tang Family is angry. But we're not here. Then? What about Sahaesanghoe?"
Meaning the Tang Family's rage might be poured out onto Sahaesanghoe instead.
Baek Cheon glanced at Jo Pyeong.
Jo Pyeong laughed softly and shook his head.
"There's no need to worry about that. Sahaesanghoe has maintained good relations with the Tang Family for a long time. An incident of this size won't cause any real trouble..."
"The Sichuan Tang Family? That Sichuan Tang Family?"
Jo Pyeong shut his mouth.
No further explanation was really necessary. The four characters Sichuan Tang Family carried enough of their ruthlessness and tenacity all by themselves.
"I'm a little worried too."
Yoon Jong finally spoke in a grave voice.
"They attacked here late last night because they clearly thought undermining Jo Gul's position was important. But instead of achieving that goal, they only embarrassed themselves. Their anger won't be small."
Baek Cheon frowned.
Does that mean simply leaving this place won't solve the problem?
He looked at Jo Pyeong again.
The friendly smile on the merchant's face had acquired a faint trace of trouble.
Only then did Baek Cheon understand.
He was trying to send us away.
Jo Pyeong had probably guessed all of this. That was why he had wanted to get the Mount Hua disciples out of Chengdu as quickly as possible and send them to Yunnan before the Tang Family struck.
No matter how powerful the Tang Family was, they couldn't follow them all the way to Yunnan.
And the anger of the Tang Family—Sahaesanghoe would simply have to endure it alone.
I missed that.
Baek Cheon's face flushed red. He had been so excited by the fact that Jo Gul had defeated Dang Jan and by the discovery of a route to Yunnan that he'd overlooked something so simple.
Then?
Baek Cheon suddenly turned his head.
Now he understood why Chung Myung had been throwing a fit for no reason. He must have known all this. But in front of Jo Pyeong, he couldn't exactly say, "We can't go because I'm worried about Sahaesanghoe."
"No, but does a grown man really need to throw a tantrum over it, you brat?"
"Huh?"
"...Forget it."
Baek Cheon let out a sigh.
"Guild Master."
"Yes, Young Hero Baek."
"I think we may need to postpone the trip to Yunnan a little."
"...Young Hero."
Baek Cheon shook his head.
"This trouble started because of us. We should bear it ourselves."
"Why is it because of us? It's because of Sasuk."
"...In any case."
Keeping his expression under control, Baek Cheon said firmly,
"We won't be leaving here. Even if we do leave, we'll settle things with the Tang Family first."
The face of Jo Pyeong, who had been trying hard to appear calm, began to crack little by little.
"Do you know how dangerous the Tang Family is when you say that? It's true that Gul defeated Dang Jan, but Dang Jan is a child compared to the Tang Family's true power! Leave this place right now! If you don't, then—"
"Ah. That's fine now."
"Hm?"
At Chung Myung's sudden interruption, Jo Pyeong tilted his head.
Chung Myung grinned and said,
"They got here faster than I expected. Looks like they've already arrived."
"..."
No sooner had he said that than the commotion outside suddenly intensified.
"T-this already?"
Jo Pyeong shot to his feet. If only he could get these people to run now—
"L-Lord!"
At that very moment, a voice more urgent than ever rang out.
"The head of the Sichuan Tang Family has come in person!"
All the color drained from Jo Pyeong's face.
It's over.
His legs giving way beneath him, Jo Pyeong collapsed to the floor.