The Darkness of the Tang Clan
As Ryeong was moved to receive medical treatment, the Tang Clan plunged into a state of emergency. The Demon Blood Divine Cult had infiltrated their inner estate, and not a single guard had noticed—worse yet, an honored guest holding the clan's own Iron Poison Plaque had suffered grievous injuries in the attack.
The entire compound was thrown into pandemonium, from the inner sanctum to the outer courtyards. Torches and lanterns flared across every path and wall, banishing the quiet of the night.
Meanwhile, left alone with Jin Young in the infirmary, Ryeong recounted the full truth of what had transpired. Though bewildered at first, Jin Young's expression darkened as he listened to the revelation that the acting clan head had been colluding with the Demon Blood Divine Cult. Only then did he truly grasp the scale of the upheaval she had set into motion.
"To think even the Tang Clan had someone conspiring with that evil cult..."
"Whether the acting clan head acted alone or had co-conspirators doesn't concern us," Ryeong said casually. "What matters is that we just gained a new weapon."
"A new weapon...?"
"This."
With a sharp, fluid chime, the bracelet coiled around Ryeong's wrist radiated brilliant light, swiftly elongating into a slender blade draped in a shimmering crimson glow.
Sensing the unmistakable resonance vibrating through the air, Jin Young recoiled in sheer disbelief. It was an aura no disciple of Mount Jongnam could ever fail to recognize—their sect's sacred relic.
The Red Cloud Divine Sword was resting in her very hand.
"M-Miss! Isn't the Red Cloud Divine Sword supposed to be locked away in the Tang Clan's—"
"From now on, it's a sword pillaged by the Demon Blood Divine Cult. Don't worry, I won't draw it unless it's an absolute life-or-death moment."
"Still... what if someone catches you with it!"
"The fact remains that they colluded with the Cult. Even if there are other moles lurking in the Tang Clan who haven't been caught yet, do you honestly think any of them would be suicidal enough to blow their own cover just to claim they never stole the sword?"
Her logic was airtight. The Demon Blood Divine Cult was essentially being framed for a robbery they hadn't committed, but given their mountain of atrocities, taking the blame for this was the least they deserved.
"How did the blade transform into a bracelet in the first place?" Jin Young asked, still staring at her wrist.
"Haven't the foggiest. But don't you think the Sect Leader will be thrilled? The Tang Clan held all the cards over our heads a year ago, and now we've turned the tables and repaid them in full."
"I suppose, but still..."
Jin Young remained deeply unsettled. Though he had trained in the arts of an assassin and learned underhanded tricks, he was genuinely good-natured at core. Waging war by turning enemies against one another—pitting barbarians against barbarians—was a ruthless stratagem he was still far from comfortable with.
"Just trust me, kid. By now, even the Tang Clan must have realized something is terribly wrong. Everything's in complete chaos, yet the acting clan head hasn't shown his face once."
Although it had been a hidden underground chamber, she had torched the place with Samadhi True Fire. The Tang Clan's elites were bound to locate it sooner or later. Most of the room had been reduced to ash, leaving virtually no clues behind, but they would have no trouble confirming that Dang Cheol-ryeong had died there—the medallion designating the acting clan head was forged from materials that ordinary fire could never consume.
"Here, take this and swallow it while everyone's distracted."
"A-A Poison Heaven Pellet? You stole this too?!"
"It's a mass-produced version. Even so, consuming one seems to grant about twenty years' worth of internal energy."
"Wait, wouldn't taking it right inside the Tang estate make it completely obvious?"
"Ah, true. In that case, don't eat it yet. Just keep it on you."
Jin Young stared at her, thoroughly baffled. He could never tell whether she was an ingenious actor or genuinely scatterbrained at times, but her casual nonchalance never failed to give him a headache.
As they continued discussing their next moves, the infirmary door slid open, and Dang Jin stepped inside with a heavy, troubled countenance.
"Miss Ryeong. How are your injuries?"
"The Tang Clan's medical skills certainly live up to their name," she replied smoothly. "It still aches a bit, but moving around isn't an issue."
"We will require your cooperation. Most likely tomorrow, before the Elder Council."
"Was there really a traitor inside the clan?"
"...Acting Clan Head Dang Cheol-ryeong was attempting to funnel Poison Heaven Pellets outside the family."
Dang Jin had already pieced together the chain of events: Dang Cheol-ryeong had been preparing to hand over clan treasures to the Demon Blood Divine Cult. To the Tang Clan, such treachery was an unforgivable sacrilege. Even if the fault originally lay with Mount Jongnam, the fact that the Myriad Poison Ring had fallen into enemy hands was already a bitter pill—his uncle's actions defied all reason. That was why they urgently needed the testimony of Ryeong, who had directly clashed with an operative of the Cult.
"You are a master of the Transformation Realm, Miss. There are very few martial artists capable of wounding someone of your caliber so severely and still managing to escape. It pains me to say this, but the Elder Council harbors suspicions toward you as well."
"What on earth are you implying, Young Patriarch?!" Jin Young snapped, unable to contain himself. "Are you accusing Ryeong of colluding with the Demon Blood Divine Cult? She lost people who were like family to those very monsters! How dare anyone suspect her of treason!"
"Calm down, young hero. I personally have no doubt that she has no ties to them, but the Elder Council views matters differently."
The Tang Clan's Elder Council rarely intervened in daily affairs. Yet with the clan head away, an unprecedented catastrophe had struck the family from within: the acting leader himself had conspired with their mortal enemies. It was a crisis that demanded the council step forward, even without direct orders from the clan head.
"Those elders will not simply accept her word as a victim. You will be required to prove your innocence, and for that, I can only offer my deepest apologies."
"May I ask one question, Young Patriarch?" Ryeong said calmly. "Between the Iron Poison Plaque and the Elder Council, which carries greater authority?"
"They are considered virtually equal in standing."
"Then if they claim I am guilty, wouldn't that mean they are questioning the Clan Head himself, who personally bestowed the plaque upon me?"
Dang Jin's eyes widened in startled realization.
No matter how haughty the Elder Council was, within the Tang Clan they remained strictly subordinate to the clan head. Ryeong possessed the Iron Poison Plaque, which signified that she had received his absolute recognition and that her actions carried his implicit approval. In other words, if the council interrogated her as a criminal, it would be equivalent to interrogating the clan head himself.
Word might not reach Father immediately, Dang Jin thought, but even if the elders try to sweep this interrogation under the rug, the chances of keeping it from him indefinitely are nonexistent.
She had every reason to be this confident.
"Given the current commotion, it wouldn't be appropriate for us to leave the estate right away," Ryeong added breezily. "Once the Red Cloud Divine Sword is verified, we'll take our leave."
"..."
"Hm? Why that expression? Don't tell me something happened to the Red Cloud Divine Sword?"
"...I am at a loss for words. It appears the Red Cloud Divine Sword has been stolen by the Demon Blood Divine Cult."
The faint smile vanished from Ryeong's face, replaced by an expression of pure, icy shock. The transformation was so seamless that even Jin Young, who knew the entire scheme, felt goosebumps prickle across his skin.
For Dang Jin, the impact was ten times worse.
"The Red Cloud Divine Sword was stolen? By the Demon Blood Divine Cult?"
"It was kept in what should have been a secure location, but with the acting clan head himself turning traitor... I can offer nothing but my deepest apologies."
Dang Jin lowered his head in shame. He had been aware that Dang Cheol-ryeong was using the divine sword to mass-produce Poison Heaven Pellets, which was why he had hesitated to let Ryeong inspect it earlier. Yet to think that beyond leaking those mass-produced pellets, his uncle had handed over the sacred sword itself—only to be disposed of like a used hound.
Dang Cheol-ryeong's corpse had been charred by the flames, but the condition of the shattered bones told a terrifying story: he had been cleaved clean in two by a single strike.
An entity capable of bisecting a master of the Transformation Realm in a single blow could only be a terrifying existence at the Profound Realm.
Furthermore, the evidence of his treason was undeniable. Multiple crates of Poison Heaven Pellets were missing, and the mark of the Demon Blood Divine Cult had been carved directly into the stone wall.
Just how deeply have those fiends entrenched themselves into the Central Plains?
Long before Dang Jin was born, the righteous and unorthodox factions alike had suffered catastrophic devastation during the war ignited by the Heavenly Demon Cult. The cult had ultimately fallen, but its supreme leader, the Heavenly Demon, had vanished without a trace. Now, decades later, a new darkness had risen under the banner of the Demon Blood Divine Cult.
We can no longer afford to sit by and watch.
Dang Jin was certain that the Murim Alliance had to unite immediately. If things continued down this path, the Cult would hollow out the righteous sects from the inside. The damage was already severe; it was time for the alliance as a whole to mount a coordinated response.
"If you bring up the loss of the Red Cloud Divine Sword at tomorrow's council meeting, their hostility toward you will soften significantly," Dang Jin advised quietly.
"Shouldn't a matter like the Red Cloud Divine Sword be settled directly with Clan Head Dang?"
"As you know, my father has not yet returned from Hu County. As stubborn as the elders are, if the loss of the sword is raised, they will at least ensure you receive fitting compensation."
"Mm, well. The Tang Clan was raided too, so that's not the most important thing right now. We can afford to wait."
"...I truly have no words."
Dang Jin hung his head. A year ago, the Tang Clan had imperiously demanded that Mount Jongnam close its gates to the world after losing the Myriad Poison Ring. Yet now, twelve months later, their positions had been completely reversed. The Tang Clan's past arrogance had come back to shackle them by the throat.
He had never dreamed that their circumstances would flip so entirely in a single year, leaving him with an immense headache.
"For now, please rest. There is much I must attend to."
"I hope you find the culprit quickly."
"I will do everything in my power."
With that, Dang Jin hurriedly departed the room to prepare countermeasures for the unfolding crisis, leaving Ryeong and Jin Young alone once more.
"Did you see his face?" Ryeong asked, grinning. "Don't you feel a little vindicated now?"
"Finding joy in another's misfortune makes me feel somewhat guilty, honestly."
"There's an old saying: life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot. All we have to do is sit back and enjoy the show. Whatever mess they're in, they brought upon themselves."
"Every time I listen to you, Miss, you seem entirely untroubled by the world. You speak like a sage who's lived for over fifty years."
"Who knows?" Ryeong offered a sly, effortless smile. "Maybe I really have lived fifty years."
It seemed that as one grew older, one naturally became a little more mellow about the world's absurdities.