Ashes to Foundations
In front of the Sichuan Tang Family stood the retainers of the Sichuan Tang Family, dressed in pure white mourning robes.
Gazing upon the Sichuan Tang Family that had been burned to the ground, the retainers performed the proper kowtow.
After completing the ritual, Tang Myung reached out and pulled at his mourning robes with his own hands.
Whoosh!
In one breath, he tore off the robes and tossed them carefully into the brazier.
Whoosh!
The retainers, too, one by one, tore their own mourning robes and placed them into the brazier.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Watching the flames grow fiercer in an instant, Tang Myung quietly observed the brazier.
When hundreds of robes, each belonging to the retainers, were consumed, the brazier soon overflowed.
Tang Myung looked at the robes burning within the brazier and spoke.
“There is no time to grieve.”
At those words, the Tang Family’s experts nodded their heads.
“Rather than grieving, we must become stronger and seek revenge.”
As the retainers who had burned their mourning robes formed their ranks once more, Tang Myung glanced at Tang Mi-ryeong.
“Gather carpenters and materials to build houses in Chengdu.”
“Understood.”
“The Visa Unit… search the main estate for the elders’ corpses.”
“Understood.”
“The Pyeonbok Unit, survey the surroundings.”
“Understood.”
“The Milyeong Unit, enter the main estate and inspect the warehouses.”
“Understood.”
“The Manmu Unit, construct a defensive line around the area.”
“Understood.”
As Tang Myung issued instructions to the retainers, he spotted several Pyeonbok Unit members approaching with hundreds of people from afar.
Seeing them head his way, one member hurried forward, cupped his fists, and said,
“While heading toward Chengdu….”
The member paused for a moment, then continued with a trembling voice,
“We encountered the Tang Family Town residents.”
At those words, Tang Myung looked at the people. His own pupils trembled as well.
The approaching group consisted of the ordinary citizens of the Tang Family Town—the people who had lived and worked there for generations.
The Tang Family Town residents were pulling wagons loaded with supplies.
When Tang Myung approached them, the people dropped to their knees.
“Young Master!”
“Young Master!”
At the people’s cries, Tang Myung sighed and helped the elderly man in front to his feet.
“Please rise. Please rise.”
At those words, the elderly man stood up, tears streaming down his face.
“The Tang Family has met with such an end, yet here we were, living our lives, eating, sleeping… Young Master, we are sorry.”
At those words, Tang Myung sighed and shook his head.
“No. Rather, it is truly fortunate that you are all still alive.”
Tang Myung looked at the elderly man and the Tang Family Town residents, then asked,
“However, the population is a bit lower than before.”
There had been many people living in the Tang Family Town. Even now there were many, but there should have been twice as many.
After all, the Tang Family Town was a village where not only the people who worked for the Tang Family but also their families lived.
“After the Demonic Cult incident, some people were frightened and fled far away.”
“You all….”
“We lived here our entire lives. Where else would we go?”
The elderly man smiled and looked back at the people behind him.
“We heard that the main family’s people dealt with the thieves in Chengdu. So we returned as quickly as possible.”
The elderly man looked at the wagons behind him and said,
“We prepared these in anticipation of the main family’s arrivals at various times.”
At those words, Tang Myung cupped his fists and bowed his head.
“When a person faces danger, he understands who his true friends are… The Sichuan Tang Family’s entire retainers owe you all a great debt.”
“No, not at all. Really, it’s nothing special.”
The elderly man wiped the corners of his eyes, then furrowed his brows and said,
“By the way, there are some very wicked people.”
“Wicked people? We have already dealt with the martial sects that came to steal.”
“Not just them. There are even more wicked people. They turned their backs even on those who were daring enough to rely on the Sichuan Tang Family for food.”
“Turned their backs? Ah! It is understandable that the Tang Family Town residents left.”
Tang Myung thought he was referring to the Tang Family Town residents leaving, but…
“No. Our brothers… we were afraid. But once we knew the main family had returned, they would come back on their own.”
“Then… what do you mean?”
“Among the four Tang Family business establishments in Chengdu, three have changed their names.”
Tang Myung’s expression froze.
“Changed their names…?”
“Yes. At first, we worked together with the Tang Family, worrying about what to do, but once we were certain the Tang Family had been exterminated, we changed our signs and severed ties with the Tang Family.”
At those words, Tang Myung glanced at the Milyeong Unit Leader.
“Confirm it… and bring them here.”
“Understood!”
The Milyeong Unit Leader and his men rushed toward Chengdu. Watching them, Tang Myung spoke to the elderly man.
“Will you continue to stay with us from now on?”
“Of course. We are Tang Family Town residents—whether we live or die.”
At those words, Tang Myung looked at the burned Tang Family Town and said,
“The Tang Family Town will have rained on it for some time, and the poison will have largely dissipated by now. Since you have been taking our family’s detoxification medicine regularly, the poison will not be a problem.”
“Of course. We are already familiar with the Tang Family’s poisons.”
Since these people worked for the Tang Family, they had developed a certain tolerance to poison.
Otherwise, they could have died from poisoning while working…
Tang Myung looked around and said,
“First, we need a place for us to stay.”
Tang Myung gestured toward the high-level experts of the Tang Family and pointed to the area in front of the Sichuan Tang Family’s main gate.
“Demolish everything from here to there and turn it into an open lot.”
“Understood.”
“Also, please have the elders select those skilled in construction work and assign them to the Tang Family’s retainers.”
“No, we cannot possibly….”
“In terms of construction work, the Tang Family Town residents are superior to us. As martial artists who have mastered martial arts, they will move heavy objects or large items with ease. Therefore, do not be polite—have them work as quickly as possible to clear and install. For temporary housing, tents will suffice for now. Once the buildings are cleared, we will build them then.”
At those words, the elderly man nodded, then quickly turned and left.
“Everyone, you have heard Young Master’s words. All those who were working at the Repair Pavilion—come here immediately. And those working at the Three Treasures Pavilion—hurry and prepare the food.”
The Repair Pavilion was where they repaired the Tang Family buildings, and the Three Treasures Pavilion was where they prepared food for the Tang Family.
“Ah! Chang-su, make the bathrooms first! Separate for men and women.”
“Understood. Then… we need to dig the ground, so Brother Chang-gang and Brother Tang-min, come with me.”
“Yes.”
Chang-su, along with a Tang Family retainers he was close with and the equipment, left. The other Tang Family Town residents began calling upon their close Tang Family experts and heading out to work together.
Watching this, Tang Myung looked at the Sichuan Tang Family gate.
“The Tang Family… did not perish. The Tang Family is only just beginning.”
Tang Myung muttered quietly, then stepped inside the Tang Family estate.
The Tang Family gate, now charred and ruined from the fire, was being inspected by experts from all around.
When they found a skeleton, they inspected it, and if they saw a Tang Family expert, they performed a kowtow and cleared the area.
Passing by those people, Tang Myung headed toward the Flying Heaven Pavilion with a small sigh.
In the Flying Heaven Pavilion, a massive hole had been torn open. It was indescribable.
The ground was covered with a huge hole, burn marks, and countless scattered pieces of throwing weapons—needles, pins, and the like.
At that sight, Tang Myung let out a small sigh.
This place must have been where his father and the elders met their final end.
The sight of the elders retreating here while fighting the enemy was vivid in his mind.
Tang Myung briefly looked at the spot, then knelt and picked up a handful of dirt.
Duduk!
A tingling sensation rose in his palm.
The poison that remained still penetrated his palm. Even Tang Myung, the Tang Family’s young master with great poison resistance, had been poisoned to such a degree.
Feeling the energy for a moment, Tang Myung began circulating the Samyang Divine Art.
Huaaaak!
The Samyang Divine Art circulated, and the Soyang energy began regulating the poison and inner energy.
The inner energy wrapped around the poison, the Yangming energy absorbed it, and the Taeyang energy began releasing the poison.
Huaaaak! Huaaaak!
The reason the Samyang Divine Art was the Tang Family Head’s martial art was precisely because it could control poisons.
Tang Myung released the poison that had seeped into his body and shook it off. He stood up.
“Please watch. I will definitely… protect the main estate.”
Tang Myung looked at the spot in the Flying Heaven Pavilion, then turned his body.
***
The Tang Family Town was bustling with construction work. Following the instructions of the Tang Family Town residents, who knew construction well, the martial artists lifted the building’s pillars and debris, carrying them far away.
Since everything had to be removed anyway, the martial artists either carried the pillars to a distant location and set them down, or cut them with swords and turned them into firewood.
In the past, this would never have happened. For martial artists to perform such menial labor with their inner energy was unthinkable…
But now they were not martial artists—they were simply Tang Family retainers who had come to rebuild the family.
These were retainers building a new home for their families, their children, their brothers.
As the martial artists carried heavy loads without pause, a wide open lot soon appeared before the Sichuan Tang Family gate.
What remained was to remove the burned soil and gradually create new space for living.
When they saw the expanding open lot, several Milyeong Unit members approached Tang Myung, bringing several elderly men with them.
“As you commanded, we have brought the owners of the business establishments that betrayed the Tang Family.”
At the Milyeong Unit member’s words, one of the elderly men hurriedly knelt.
“O-Oh, you misunderstand. We merely changed our names for a short time because we wondered if there were any people who might be targeting the family’s business establishments.”
“I see.”
“We are longtime servants of the Tang Family.”
At the elderly men’s words, Tang Myung looked at them briefly, then spoke.
“Cut off two of your fingers.”
Tang Myung’s words caused confusion to appear on the elderly men’s faces.
But in an instant, the elderly men lowered their heads deeply, placed their hands on the ground, and said,
“If you give us a knife, we will prove our sincerity.”
At those words, Tang Myung looked to the side. The Milyeong Unit members drew their short swords and hurled them with a whoosh.
Papapat!
The three sharp short swords fell in front of them. They drew the swords in one breath, then hesitated briefly before pressing them against their own fingers.
“Kyaak!”
“Uwaaaak!”
“Kuuuuk! Uuk!”
Two men cut off their fingers in one breath, and the other two stopped when the knife had only half entered.
They could not continue because it hurt too much.
At that sight, Tang Myung said,
“You must cut them off yourself.”
At those words, the two elderly men bit their lips and pressed their bodies down.
“Kyaak!”
“Uwaaak!”
Watching the elderly men scream as they cut off their fingers, Tang Myung sighed and helped them up.
He then sprinkled powdered medicine and tore their sleeves to wrap the wounds.
“I would like to forgive you all with a smile. But… the main estate has faced danger, and I must show it to others.”
“Kkueh… I know.”
Tang Myung looked at the elderly men and spoke,
“Watch closely. You will see what a powerful backing the main estate and you being together will provide.”
“Thank you for forgiving us.”
Tang Myung bowed his head while holding the elderly men’s hands. He then nodded and looked at the clearing open lot.
As the elderly men withdrew, Tang Myung sighed.
‘What must be borne… must be borne.’
Until the foundation of the Tang Family was established, what had to be borne had to be borne.