The Silver Dragon's Silent Resolve
Tang Myung pointed at a single tent as they emerged from the ruins of the Tang Clan Castle. "For now, stay here."
At those words, Wiji Cheong hesitated, glanced at the tent, then spotted the intact main hall beyond it. "A prisoner, huh?"
Wiji Cheong's comment drew a shake of Tang Myung's head. "Children and women are staying in the hall."
Wiji Cheong tilted his head. "Then what about you?"
Tang Myung nodded toward the tent beside him. "I'll be right here."
Wiji Cheong eyed the surprisingly large tent, then looked at his own. His own was smaller. "Your tent..."
Tang Myung shook his head, lifted the flap of his own tent, and stepped inside. "Come in."
As Wiji Cheong followed, he wrinkled his nose at the heavy, suffocating stench of sweat. "What the hell is this smell?"
Tang Myung raised the flap and explained calmly. "Twenty men sleep here. It's only natural in a men's quarters."
The interior was sparse: a single table with a water bucket, mats of reed spread on both sides, and simple blankets. "So this is your entire place?"
Tang Myung nodded. "And all the men from the family share similar quarters."
Wiji Cheong took one look at Tang Myung, then stepped out and opened his own assigned tent. Two tables and two wooden beds awaited him—far more comfortable than Tang Myung's setup. He stepped back outside with a sigh. "I'll stay in your tent."
Tang Myung raised an eyebrow. "That might be uncomfortable."
Wiji Cheong shrugged. "Doesn't matter."
Tang Myung simply said, "Then I will be here," and turned his gaze to Tang Jin-su. "Put the food and supplies in the warehouse."
Tang Jin-su bowed. "Understood."
Tang Myung continued. "Give the children their favorite teas."
Tang Jin-su replied, "We already distributed them."
Tang Myung paused, then instructed, "Make a contract with the tea shop in Chengdu. Deliver the teas once every three days."
Tang Jin-su asked the quantity. Tang Myung answered, "How many children do we have?"
Tang Jin-su reported, "Fifty or so under thirteen."
Tang Myung nodded. "Fifty servings every three days. Children must eat properly."
Tang Myung then shifted his steps. "Where are you going?"
Tang Myung replied, "I need to survey the site."
Wiji Cheong tried to follow, but Man-song stopped him. "You should rest."
Wiji Cheong glanced at his own body, frowned, and looked at Tang Myung. "Can I retrieve my clothes from the inn?"
Tang Myung waved a hand. "Go ahead."
Wiji Cheong stared at him. "What if I run away?"
Tang Myung answered coldly, "Then Wiji-sega's heir will have escaped."
Wiji Cheong glanced at Man-song. "My lord, please have someone fetch my clothes from the inn."
Man-song hesitated. "Are you certain?"
Wiji Cheong waved him off. "It's fine. Go."
Man-song bowed and departed. Wiji Cheong turned to Tang Myung. "Let's go."
Tang Myung walked ahead, saying, "We could have done this without me."
Wiji Cheong murmured, "Knowing oneself is victory in a hundred battles."
Tang Myung kept walking. "You came to examine the family?"
Wiji Cheong replied, "If you won't show me, then this is enough."
Tang Myung said nothing and continued. At the construction site, he inspected the progress and comforted the workers. ***
Wiji Cheong lived alongside Tang Myung at the Tang Clan Castle. Tang Myung's daily routine was straightforward. Before sunrise, he sparred with the family's top experts, then checked the construction sites and confirmed schedules. After lunch, he sparred again with the experts, then inspected the sites and encouraged the workers. In the evening, he sparred once more, held a meeting with the mid-level experts, and ended the day. That was Tang Myung's life.
At night, inside the tent that served as the training hall, Tang Myung spoke with Tang Mi-ryeong. "How is Uncle Jang?"
Tang Mi-ryeong glanced at Wiji Cheong, who was sipping tea on the side. "He is well."
Tang Myung nodded. "We haven't met yet because the pass is closed."
Tang Mi-ryeong continued, "It seems the situation is under control."
Tang Myung asked, "How are the other unit leaders?"
Tang Mi-ryeong replied, "They have passed the fifth stage."
Tang Myung murmured, "Fifth stage..."
He added, "Auntie, you should return to the pass as well."
Tang Mi-ryeong shook her head. "The unit leaders decided one of them must stay at the family. Once any one reaches the fifth stage, I will enter the pass."
Tang Mi-ryeong had reached the fifth stage of the Samyang Divine Art and acquired the special characteristic of releasing energy. She was the fastest among the unit leaders after Tang Jang to achieve it. Her concern turned out to be prophetic—she would face the Wiji-sega's Sword Protector.
Tang Myung nodded. "What progress have you made in your martial skills?"
Wiji Cheong watched Tang Mi-ryeong with curious eyes. She had defeated the Sword Protector of Wiji-sega, one of its top ten.
Tang Myung's inner voice rang out. "Speak the truth."
Tang Mi-ryeong glanced at him. "My martial strength has increased beyond my previous level."
Tang Myung said, "I lack deep martial knowledge, so I cannot judge accurately."
Tang Mi-ryeong thought for a moment. "As long as I have enough throwing weapons, I can handle about fifty first-class experts."
Wiji Cheong blurted out in surprise, "Impossible!"
Tang Myung shot him a glance. Wiji Cheong fell silent, but disbelief filled his eyes. Fifty first-class experts? Wiji-sega's military force consisted of only thirty first-class experts and a few peak-level ones. According to Tang Mi-ryeong, she alone could defeat an entire unit.
Tang Myung looked at Wiji Cheong, then at Tang Mi-ryeong. "Throwing weapons?"
Tang Mi-ryeong nodded. "Yes. With sufficient weapons, I can suppress them before they reach me."
Tang Myung replied, "It will be useful when facing multiple opponents."
Tang Mi-ryeong's face darkened. "Yes..."
She could not erase the thought that if her strength had reached this level when the Demonic Cult attacked, the family would have received great help.
Tang Myung nodded. "What about the other unit leaders' strength?"
Tang Mi-ryeong answered, "All have improved."
Tang Myung asked, "Precisely."
He turned to Wiji Cheong. "Although you are here, I want to ask. Speak of the Sword Protector as the benchmark."
Tang Mi-ryeong glanced at Wiji Cheong, then said, "None of our unit leaders would lose to the Sword Protector."
Wiji Cheong protested, "Boastful!"
Tang Mi-ryeong ignored him. The words struck Wiji Cheong harder.
Tang Mi-ryeong looked at Tang Myung. Tang Myung nodded. "The unit leaders will come out first. Aunt, you should oversee the training of the members."
Tang Mi-ryeong replied, "Understood."
As she left, Tang Myung took out his account book and sipped his tea. Wiji Cheong watched him. "If your father comes, you will see a miserable sight."
Tang Myung replied, "That is likely."
Wiji Cheong asked, "Then why summon him?"
Tang Myung explained, "If the son did wrong, the father must apologize. That is the way."
Wiji Cheong said, "Why do you do this? Don't blame me. That is just the principle of face. What do you actually want?"
Tang Myung looked at him. "The martial world is one of the weak devoured by the strong. The family is one that has sought revenge for generations and shed blood."
He continued, "Because of that, the family has built up many grudges in the Central Plains. If the family shows weakness, countless enemies will come."
Wiji Cheong asked, "You said you are not afraid of enemies."
Tang Myung replied, "I am not afraid. Moreover, I will exterminate every enemy that enters the family's sphere of influence."
Wiji Cheong questioned, "Then why worry?"
Tang Myung answered, "Killing a hundred enemies and a thousand still brings more pain to me than the sacrifice of a single family member."
Wiji Cheong asked, "Then you should not fight at all."
Tang Myung smiled. "Hah!"
He looked at Wiji Cheong. "Why did you come?"
Wiji Cheong fell silent. Tang Myung laughed. "You thought the family was a broken string and came to it. Even if we do not want to fight, there will always be people like you who arrive. Therefore..."
Tang Myung fixed him with cold eyes. "The family must show its strength."
Wiji Cheong asked, "Is this demonstration for our family?"
Tang Myung replied, "Do not think it unfair. You initiated the conflict, your family showed hostility, and you displayed your fangs most of all."
Wiji Cheong retorted, "Do you really believe you can fight the family?"
Tang Myung asked, "Do you think your family can survive the family that possesses poison and hidden weapons?"
Wiji Cheong answered, "The family is strong."
Tang Myung rose from his seat. "Come with me."
Wiji Cheong asked, "Where?"
Tang Myung said, "Show me the difference between the family you once saw and the current family."
Wiji Cheong stood up. Tang Myung led him to the training ground, where a wall of piled stones surrounded the open space. Inside the long stone wall, the family's warriors trained, sweat dripping.
Tang Myung said, "Senior Man-song, may I receive a few moves from you?"
Man-song looked at him in surprise. "You want me to fight you?"
Tang Myung replied, "I need to show the family's strength in a spar with the Young Lord."
Man-song nodded and picked up his sword, stepping onto the training ground. "You want me to use my full power?"
Tang Myung confirmed, "Of course."
Man-song warned, "You may get hurt."
Tang Myung answered, "I want that."
Man-song raised his sword. "Come."
Whoosh!
Sword Qi erupted from Man-song's blade—a peak-level sword gang. Wiji Cheong's own sword qi had been crude; this was refined.
Man-song looked at Tang Myung. "Come."
Tang Myung lightly shook his body. Crackle, crackle!
Metallic sounds accompanied his movements as he untied the hidden weapons attached to his clothes. "I will use poison and hidden weapons."
Man-song clenched his jaw. He had expected the poison, but hearing it spoken aloud...
Man-song gritted his teeth. "Huff! I will taste the Tang family's poison."
Tang Myung replied, "I will yield the first move."
Man-song raised his internal energy and charged like lightning.
Swoosh!
In the blink of an eye, Man-song's palm struck forward. Whoosh!
A gust of wind roared out, strong enough to repel any poison mist. The sword swung toward Tang Myung's waist.
Tang Myung stopped it. Man-song's face hardened. His eyes fixed on something at his feet. "Poison?"
Tiny needles lay hidden on the ground. And his own foot had stepped on one.