The Demonic Cult's Assault
Tang Myung was meeting Zhuge Mun in secret inside a guest room at the Samhong Inn.
“What brings you here so discreetly?”
At Tang Myung’s question, Zhuge Mun poured tea into the cup on the table.
Glug, glug.
Zhuge Mun pushed the cup forward and spoke.
“You nearly met disaster this time. Did you know?”
“Something happened at the Martial Alliance.”
“The Blood Cult tried to strike the Tang Family.”
Tang Myung’s face hardened slightly at the mention of the Blood Cult.
“The Blood Demon Cult?”
“The Blood Demon Cult is powerful. It’s a sect strong enough that at least two of the Nine Great Sects would have to join forces to match it.”
It was the Blood Demon Cult, known as the leader of the unorthodox factions. Moreover, it had the Battle Demon, said to be the strongest expert among the unorthodox.
“So what happened?”
“Fortunately, your uncle handled it well.”
“You mean the Wise Thousand Master?”
“Yes.”
“Whew! It seems Uncle Zhuge Mun-hu hasn’t forgotten this nephew after all.”
Since the Five Great Clans shared generational rankings, Zhuge Mun-hu was like an uncle to Tang Myung.
“He also said he’s got a headache because he has one troublesome nephew.”
Tang Myung chuckled at Zhuge Mun’s words.
“I should prepare some tonic for him later.”
“A Tang Family tonic… Uncle would love that.”
Tang Myung watched Zhuge Mun shake his head slightly and asked,
“But why does this story need to be told so secretly?”
“If I meet you in this situation, people will say the Zhuge Clan is shielding the Tang Family, won’t they?”
“That’s true.”
“But it’s not all good news.”
“There’s more?”
Zhuge Mun looked at Tang Myung and began recounting what had happened at the Martial Alliance meeting.
Tang Myung listened in silence, his face growing grim.
“Flies will gather around the main house.”
“Not flies. More like hornets.”
“Hmm…”
Tang Myung let out a low hum and asked,
“What should I do?”
“The best way… is to join the Martial Alliance.”
“I don’t want that.”
Zhuge Mun sighed at Tang Myung’s reply.
“Then… use the Milyeong Unit.”
“The Milyeong Unit?”
“If limited to Sichuan Province, the Milyeong Unit’s information network surpasses even the Beggars’ Union or the Hao Clan.”
“So?”
“Pass information about the former Demonic Cult members entering Sichuan to the Martial Alliance.”
“I see. Since calling in former Demonic Cult members is also a way to settle grudges… it’s using the enemy’s hand to kill the enemy.”
“Exactly.”
At Zhuge Mun’s answer, Tang Myung looked at him and asked,
“What about the Five Great Clans… how did they react?”
Zhuge Mun was silent for a moment before sighing.
“It seems the other clans didn’t contact you.”
“……”
When Tang Myung nodded, Zhuge Mun shook his head slightly and continued.
“The North Peng Clan is supporting the Wiji Clan. The Huangbo Clan is backing the Dokgo Clan. As for our own clan, there’s no need to say more.”
“What about the Namgung Clan?”
The Namgung Clan had always been the leader among the Five Great Clans.
“In truth, the Namgung Clan hasn’t taken any stance.”
“No stance at all?”
“That’s just how the Namgung Clan is. They reign but do not rule.”
“Those lunatics… Do they think they’re emperors?”
“Hahaha!”
Zhuge Mun laughed softly at Tang Myung’s words.
“Your personality has changed quite a bit.”
“For better or worse?”
“Well… I’d say it’s more entertaining now.”
Zhuge Mun chuckled and went on.
“The Namgung Clan will acknowledge the Tang Family if it proves worthy of the Five Great Clans. If not, they won’t even spare it a glance. The families trying to fill that empty seat will be the same.”
Tang Myung nodded at Zhuge Mun’s words.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ve also come to understand the true value of the Five Great Clans’ hollow title.”
“…… Are you very disappointed?”
“I’d be lying if I said no.”
Tang Myung gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
“They say hardship reveals true friends… The Tang Family is exactly in that position right now.”
Then Tang Myung looked at Zhuge Mun.
Meeting that gaze, Zhuge Mun smiled and stood up.
“Don’t leave Sichuan Province.”
“I wasn’t planning to. Are you leaving already?”
“I only came to see you for a moment. Take care of yourself.”
“Thank you.”
Zhuge Mun looked at Tang Myung for a moment and sighed.
“Uncle Tang would be proud if he saw you.”
Tang Myung smiled at Zhuge Mun’s words.
“If Father saw you, he would be grateful.”
“Hahaha!”
Zhuge Mun laughed softly, put on his bamboo hat, and left the room. Tang Myung remained for a moment before climbing onto the bed.
He took out a pill from his robe, placed it in his mouth, and began circulating his qi.
***
“Sichuan Tang Family”
Children were training in the Tang Family’s training ground.
“Hah!”
“Hup!”
The young children shouted battle cries as they practiced punches and kicks under the guidance of Visa Unit members.
Tang Myung smiled as he watched them.
“You look pleased.”
At Tang Hong’s words, Tang Myung nodded and looked at him.
“Seeing the children makes me feel the family’s future is secure.”
Tang Hong laughed and turned his gaze to the children.
“They’re little money-eating ghosts.”
Tang Myung chuckled and nodded.
“How are things?”
Though the question lacked a subject, Tang Hong understood immediately.
“The Twin Great Bandits were captured and killed at the Sword Pavilion.”
“The Twin Great Bandits… They weren’t major figures.”
“Still, the Heavenly Remnant Sword Demon was pleased and personally beheaded them.”
Tang Myung nodded at Tang Hong’s reply. Just as Zhuge Mun-hu had predicted, rumors spread and former demonic experts who had been in hiding across the Central Plains began to appear.
Even the Sichuan Tang Family itself was surprised by how many people held grudges against them.
They were being discovered by the Martial Alliance and the Milyeong Unit’s intelligence network and subsequently killed.
Both unorthodox and orthodox factions were desperate to capture and kill any former Demonic Cult members they found.
It was as if they were determined to eliminate all the demonic experts they had failed to catch while they were hiding.
The unorthodox never forget grudges. But the orthodox were no different—they simply remembered them differently. That was why they were also working hard.
“Is Elder Tang Song in the closed-door training room?”
At Tang Myung’s question, Tang Hong nodded and looked toward the ruined Tang Clan Castle.
“Elder Brother Tang Jang needs to break through his wall soon…”
Tang Myung nodded at Tang Hong’s words.
“He will. Uncle Tang Jang also understands what rests on his shoulders…”
As Tang Myung spoke, a tremendous explosion suddenly reached his ears.
Boom! Rumble!
At the sudden blast and tremor, Tang Myung, Tang Hong, and the Visa Unit members all turned sharply toward the source of the sound.
From all directions, Tang Family experts began leaping into the air like a swarm of locusts.
Whoosh!
Tang Myung also launched himself toward the sound and shouted to Tang Hong.
“Evacuate the children.”
“Understood!”
Tang Hong answered and quickly began moving the children to safety.
Tang Myung used his movement technique to race toward the place where screams accompanied the roar.
Whoosh, whoosh!
Tang Family experts began gathering around him.
“Aargh!”
“I’ll kill every last one of you, you bastards!”
“Fall back! Fall back!”
Screams, curses, and shouts ordering retreat rang out. Tang Myung’s face hardened at the sound.
‘Fall back? Does that mean the enemy is too strong to face?’
The Tang Family experts never retreated. If they were shouting to fall back, it meant the opponent was beyond their ability to handle.
Whoosh!
Soon, the sight of the destroyed Tang Family Town came into view.
The straight path leading to the Tang Clan Castle through Tang Family Town had been completely devastated.
And…
The horrific corpses…
The bodies of Tang Family Town residents…
And the wailing of children and women…
All reached Tang Myung’s ears and eyes.
“How dare you!”
At Tang Myung’s furious shout, Tang Mi-ryeong quickly landed beside him.
“Family Head, you must retreat.”
“Retreat?”
“Who is the enemy…”
As Tang Myung spoke, a round object rolled to his feet.
Roll, roll.
When Tang Myung saw the round object rolling across the ground, his face twisted in anguish.
“Uncle Cheon-gi…”
The round object rolling on the ground was the head of Tang Cheon-gi, Vice Leader of the Visa Unit.
“Enemy? You call us enemies? No, we are calamity!”
With the shout, three figures landed in front of him.
Thud!
Tang Myung’s face hardened at the sight of the three figures landing with a heavy impact.
“Bright Right Envoy…”
The Bright Right Envoy looked different from what Tang Myung remembered.
His face was grotesquely melted, and one arm was missing.
“Kekeke! That’s right. I am the Demonic Cult’s Third Seat, the Bright Right Envoy.”
While the Bright Right Envoy spoke, screams and explosions echoed from another direction.
Boom! Rumble!
“Aaaagh!”
“Kyaaah!”
At the screams coming from all sides, Tang Myung looked with a distorted expression at the two elderly men standing behind the Bright Right Envoy.
The Bright Right Envoy laughed at that gaze.
“Did you think I would leave the Tang Family alone after what you did to me? I paid a great price to bring my friends and disciples.”
The Bright Right Envoy glanced at the two men.
“You should know whose hands you’ll die by, so I’ll tell you. This is the Demonic Cult’s Seventh Seat, the Light Demon Cheol Pung-jin. And here is the Eighth Seat, the Wind Demon Blood Blade So Gu-jin.”
Tang Myung’s face twisted at the Bright Right Envoy’s words.
‘Three Gang Qi Materialization experts…’
Traditionally, the top ten experts of the Demonic Cult were all Gang Qi Materialization masters.
And… Gang Qi Materialization experts were the worst possible opponents for the Tang Family.
The Tang Family excelled against large numbers, but struggled against absolute masters.
“Kekeke! Do you know how long I’ve waited for this day while recovering? Because of your damned father, I ended up like this. I came for revenge! Kekeke, let me tell you simply what will happen to you from now on. I will split open your stomach and pull out your entrails. And then…”
Just like when they first met, the Bright Right Envoy talked too much. Tang Myung had no intention of waiting.
“Evacuate with all your strength!”
With the shout, Tang Myung kicked off the ground.
The Bright Right Envoy’s goal was the annihilation of the Tang Family. But within that, Tang Myung himself, as the Family Head, would be the top priority.
So he intended to lure the enemy as far from the battlefield as possible.
Only then would the family members have time to escape…
Whoosh!
But Tang Myung’s body didn’t get far.
The Bright Right Envoy had already blocked his path.
‘So this… is the movement of a Gang Qi Materialization expert?’
In a previous life, the Black Wind Unit Leader had consumed a pill and reached Gang Qi Materialization.
But… the movement of a true Gang Qi Materialization expert was on a completely different level.
Tang Family experts charged toward the Bright Right Envoy.
Tang Hong took something from his robe and swallowed it. His face flushed red.
When Tang Myung was about to say something, Tang Hong smiled.
“Go.”
With that word, Tang Hong slashed his own body with a dagger and sprayed blood everywhere.
He had consumed the Blood Mist Poison, one of the Tang Family’s Ten Great Forbidden Poisons. It was the same poison Tang Min, Tang Hong’s younger brother, had used in a previous life to hold back the enemy.
At the sight, Tang Myung changed direction and launched himself forward again.
‘Uncle Tang Hong… I told you to dodge…’
Holding back tears, Tang Myung ran as screams and explosions continued to ring in his ears.
Despite Tang Myung’s order to evacuate… the Tang Family experts were rushing in to protect him.
And they… were dying.
‘Damn it! I… I should have become stronger.’
He had grown stronger. But it wasn’t enough. He needed real power.
The kind of strength that could drive hidden weapons into the throats of the Bright Right Envoy or anyone else who came…
“Oh? What’s this old man? Did you come here to die?”
At the voice from behind, Tang Myung’s gaze moved involuntarily.
And…
He saw Tang Song clashing with the Light Demon Cheol Pung-jin.
Golden butterflies fluttered wildly around Tang Song. But… the butterflies couldn’t even approach the Light Demon.
And then…
Slash!
Tang Song’s head flew into the sky. The last remaining elder of the Tang Family was dead.
“Elder!”
The Tang Family experts around him screamed in anguish and hurled hidden weapons at the Light Demon.