The Dang Family's Fury
It was a crushing victory.
No—even "crushing" failed to capture just how utterly one-sided the slaughter had been.
The triumph was so absolute, the aftermath so gruesome, that the victors of the Dang family themselves stood dazed and speechless.
"W-what in the world…"
One of the Hwamang Unit martial artists stammered, trembling from head to toe.
The sight of human beings reduced to what had once been human—little more than pulverized meat—was a horror even a jianghu man like him could scarcely stomach.
Of the three hundred Yeowangchae thugs, at least half had failed to escape.
A small stream of crimson blood, fed by more than a hundred corpses, now wound its way through the valley floor.
Barely thirty people had wrought this in little more than the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
And of those thirty, only Dang Su-jeong ranked as a Peak master; the rest of the Hwamang Unit members were, at best, First-rate martial artists.
They would have won even fighting by the book, of course—but a victory this overwhelming?
Hui-yeom suddenly felt a twinge of unease.
To ordinary eyes this is far too brutal. They're going to get PTSD, aren't they?
Even he, fretting over them, did not feel particularly fine himself. Yet the moment his emotions threatened to stir, the internal energy of the Nokryong Shingong rose of its own accord and soothed his mind back to calm.
If even he—who practiced martial arts—reacted this way, how would ordinary people fare? Hui-yeom's concern was only natural.
But perhaps because they lived in a jianghu world where the law of the jungle was simply daily truth, the Dang family's retainers possessed a sensibility utterly different from common folk.
What spilled from the lips of those still-shaking men was not condemnation or terror, but praise.
"Incredible!"
"With this alone, the Dang family is invincible!"
"Those vicious bandits came charging in, and they were wiped out in an instant…"
"The name 'Dang Thunder' is no exaggeration of its power!"
The Hwamang Unit members could not contain their excitement, spittle flying as they heaped on the compliments.
Ironically, only the martial artist Dang Su-jeong wore a faintly unsettled expression.
"Mm. Perfect as a weapon. But… there are two problems."
"What are they, Aunt?"
"First, it's too cruel. We still belong to the Orthodox Path, so people are bound to pick a fight over this. They might even try to ban its use."
"Hmm."
Hui-yeom considered for a moment, then shook his head.
"Being branded unorthodox or demonic isn't because a technique is cruel—it's because of how the technique is used. As long as we employ the Dangroe only for righteous purposes, even if someone complains, it shouldn't become a real problem."
"Is that so… And the second problem is the serious one."
"What is it?"
Faced with Dang Su-jeong's grave look, Hui-yeom grew solemn in turn and swallowed dryly. Then she smiled.
"The power is so good it makes you wonder whether martial arts even matter. When killing a Peak master is this easy, the thought creeps in: why bother grinding yourself down training? It leaves a bad taste."
Perhaps she had projected herself onto the utterly helpless figure of Ha Un.
Hui-yeom shook his head.
"That's only because the person using the Dangroe was you, Aunt. You drew their attention with throwing knives, lured them in close, then hurled the Dangroe from angles and distances they couldn't evade—surrounding them on three sides. You even anticipated they might block some and prepared a follow-up. If it had been me, I wouldn't have gotten a single Dangroe off before the nearest one took my head."
"Hmm."
"The better the weapon, the more it depends on the person wielding it. Don't worry, Aunt. Every weapon I make will only make you stronger."
"All right."
Su-jeong grinned and reached to ruffle Hui-yeom's hair, then—conscious of the watching eyes—settled for a firm clap on his shoulder instead.
"We'll be counting on our reliable nephew."
"I'm the one who feels secure because you're here, Aunt."
The gentle smile vanished from Dang Su-jeong's eyes, turning ice-cold. She stared down at the unconscious Ha Un.
"…Still, that level of skill. Honestly, when he blocked the Dangroe with a Geommak I was startled. He's no weaker than I am. And that form—he's definitely from the Qingcheng Sect."
"Judging by age, maybe a second-generation disciple?"
"Hard to say… This means we not only have to punish Hong Ilgon's faction—we might end up in an all-out war with Qingcheng."
Hui-yeom shook his head.
"An open war with Qingcheng is still premature. We lack both justification and broad sympathy."
"No justification? The evidence is right here that they sent one of their own disciples to assassinate you!"
"They'll claim it was the rogue act of a single disciple, express deep regret, toss us a few concessions as a gesture of sincerity, and bury the matter. Launching a full war over this would be difficult—the Qingcheng Sect has accumulated considerable prestige and good deeds as a member of the Nine Sects and One Gang. More importantly, the Martial Alliance would never tolerate a clash between us and Qingcheng. Frankly, if we turn hostile, the Nine Sects will close ranks behind Qingcheng. But will any of the Nine Great Noble Families take our side?"
"…Of course not. Ugh, this is seriously irritating."
Dang Su-jeong nodded at Hui-yeom's entirely reasonable words.
"I get it when you put it that way, but it still pisses me off. Just taking hits without being able to hit back…"
"Don't worry, Aunt."
Hui-yeom smiled so darkly that Dang Su-jeong flinched.
"Instead of an open war with the Qingcheng Sect, I'll make full use of the several rights and interests we can extract from this."
"Rights and interests?"
"Yes. And because of the very concessions they hand over to us, the Qingcheng Sect will never escape the shadow of the Sichuan Dang Family—and will slowly wither away on Sichuan soil."
Hui-yeom's smile was chilling.
Dang Su-jeong felt a rare shiver and asked,
"…Is that even possible?"
"Aunt, martial artists sometimes forget…"
Hui-yeom looked down at the unconscious Ha Un and smiled coldly.
"Far more nations have fallen for reasons other than war than have fallen by the sword."
Upon returning home, Hui-yeom allowed himself not a moment to shake off the travel dust. He immediately asked Dang Un-sang to convene a full family council.
At the meeting—attended by everyone except Hong Ilgon, who was under disciplinary confinement—Hui-yeom publicly declared that he had nearly been assassinated, that the masterminds behind it were the Qingcheng Sect and Yeowangchae, and that the true instigator was none other than Hong Ilgon.
Dang Un-sang roared as though hearing the news for the first time.
"Hong Ilgooooon!! After all the grace this family has shown you, you repay us like this?!"
The faces of the Elder Council blanched bone-white.
"Th-that's impossible! Why would Elder Hong…"
"There must be some misunderstanding…!"
"This is the Qingcheng Sect trying to drive a wedge between the Elder Council and the Family Head's office!"
The elders clamored and tried to intervene, but Dang Un-sang would not listen.
"Enough! From this moment, anyone who utters even a single word in defense of Hong Ilgon will be treated as an accomplice! You there! Dokbong Unit! Hear me! Go at once to Hong Ilgon's residence and drag that worthless bastard here!"
"Yes, Family Head!"
Hui-yeom was the future of the Sichuan Dang Family—the one who would restore it, no, who was already restoring it. His prestige within the clan soared to the heavens; every member, regardless of generation or age, respected and cherished him. The Dokbong Unit leader's expression as he received the order was fiercer than ever before.
As the Dokbong Unit stormed out like an enraged swarm of hornets, Dang Un-sang turned to Dang Hui-yeom.
"You're certain they were Qingcheng people?"
"Yes. To block the Dangroe he used the Azure Cloud Scarlet Sunset Sword Art. Aunt Dang Su-jeong will testify to it."
Every gaze swung toward Dang Su-jeong.
She was famed as a heroine of the jianghu, possessed of broader knowledge and richer combat experience than anyone present. Even Family Head Dang Un-sang rarely left the estate, so in this hall she was the foremost expert on martial arts and the martial world.
Dang Su-jeong nodded.
"It was the Azure Cloud Scarlet Sunset Sword Art. More precisely, not the earlier Azure Cloud section, but a form from the latter Scarlet Sunset Sword Art—the 'Scarlet Sunset Wind-Blocking' technique. I can swear it on the Dang name before Heaven and Earth."
"What manner of sword art is the Azure Cloud Scarlet Sunset?"
Dang Un-sang already knew perfectly well; he asked again only so the others would hear. Dang Su-jeong folded her arms, frowning as she answered.
"It's the core martial art that defines the Qingcheng Sect. Even among disciples whose talent is recognized, it is transmitted only to the select few chosen to lead the sect's future. You don't learn it just because you have a light connection to Qingcheng or because you're an outer disciple. To properly execute the Azure Cloud Scarlet Sunset Sword, you need the internal energy of the Myriad Phenomena Returning to One Divine Art—the same tier of supreme internal cultivation as our family's Dobansamyang-gwiwon-shingong or Nokryong Shingong. You can't just steal a few seconds of forms and pull it off. And if he used the seventh form of the latter half—Scarlet Sunset Wind-Blocking—then among the next generation of rising stars, he's contending for the very top."
The expressions of the main-line Dang members hardened.
"Could Qingcheng really…"
"Those so-called members of the Nine Sects and One Gang…"
"After all the years we've stood together guarding Sichuan, how dare they…"
As the room began to boil, Dang Un-sang looked around and spoke.
"I will lodge a formal protest with the Qingcheng Sect over this matter. No—depending on their attitude, I will not shrink from all-out war. Does anyone oppose this decision of mine?"
The elders gaped and floundered like drowning men, but the killing intent Dang Un-sang was radiating—and his earlier warning—kept them from uttering a word.
As for the main-line members, their fury already matched the Family Head's own.
"How dare they… If our Dang ancestors hadn't sacrificed themselves during the last Blood Calamity, those bastards wouldn't even have foundation stones left for their sect—and this is how they stab us in the back?"
"Hah! Being bitten by a dog you raised yourself wouldn't feel this absurd!"
"And of all people they target the greatest treasure of our Dang family—our future?"
"Family Head! What's the point of a protest over something like this? Send a declaration of war and march on them at once!"
Having calmly watched the fierce reactions he had anticipated, Hui-yeom opened his mouth.
"Family Head, may this junior speak a word?"
"Speak."
"I oppose any surface-level confrontation with the Qingcheng Sect at the present time."
"Why?"
"Two reasons. First, the hearts of the people of Sichuan. Second, the position of the Martial Alliance."
"…"
"…Mmm."
The people who had been roaring in rage froze as though doused with ice water and fell silent.
"The people of Sichuan still know nothing of the Qingcheng Sect's ugly underside. Even if we confront Qingcheng with the prisoner in the dungeon as evidence, they will try to dismiss it as 'the deviation of an individual.'"
"Surely this is not a matter that can be dismissed so lightly, Young Master?"
"That is our view. The Martial Alliance's will be somewhat different."
"The Martial Alliance…"
At the mere mention of the Martial Alliance, the room's voices grew heavier still.
"From the Martial Alliance's perspective, two pillars of the Orthodox Path have collided. If they leave it alone, they will inevitably lose one of them. That also strikes directly at the Alliance's face. They will step in as mediators and try to paper the whole affair over. Of course, as the price, Qingcheng will have to cede various rights and interests to us. The most realistic revenge we can take is to extract the maximum possible profit from those interest negotiations."
"But Qingcheng aren't fools. Would they hand over any truly major rights?"
"They are fools."
"Eh?"
At Hui-yeom's brazen reply, Dang Un-sang and every main-line member wore blank expressions.
Hui-yeom smiled brightly.
"More precisely—what looks valuable in my eyes is something they simply do not understand."
"What rights could we possibly extract that make you say that?"
"Hmm."
After a brief ponder, Hui-yeom soon smiled again.
"Shall I put it this way?"
"?"
"If, in our dealings with the Qingcheng Sect, we manage to obtain Mount Qingcheng itself, the Dang family will be able to pile up mountains of darksteel."
Darksteel was a rare metal with a bluish-black luster; swords forged with it became famous blades of the realm. Its value far exceeded that of gold of equal weight.
The jaws of Dang Un-sang and the main-line members dropped open.
"W-what do you mean…"
"Are you saying Mount Qingcheng harbors an unknown massive vein of darksteel?"
"Of course not."
"?"
"Then what kind of nonsense is that! Speak plainly!"
"Hahaha."
Hui-yeom gave an infuriating little grin.
"It's a secret."