A Gentleman's Plea at the Heavenly Grant Forest
The two moved at a suitable pace toward the Heavenly Grant Forest.
After rushing for about an hour, the pair felt something odd.
At some point, the surroundings began to darken.
"Why is it so dark in the middle of the day?" Tang Hong muttered to himself.
Tang Myung looked around in confusion, then raised his head to the sky.
He tapped Tang Hong lightly and pointed upward.
"The sky... is being covered by trees."
Tang Myung's words made Tang Hong look up and exclaim in shock, "Aigoo!"
"Such lush trees... Wait! Could this be the Heavenly Grant Forest?"
At the mention of the Heavenly Grant Forest, Tang Myung surveyed his surroundings.
"Indeed... it suits the name Heavenly Grant Forest."
With that thought in mind, Tang Myung continued to glance around.
He then subtly circulated his internal energy.
Hwaaah! Hwaaah!
As his internal energy surged, the hems of his clothes fluttered.
"I, Tang Myung of the Tang Family, humbly beg to pay my respects to Great-aunt Tang Mi-mi."
He cupped his fists in a respectful salute and bowed toward the void. Tang Hong followed suit and bowed as well.
But there was no response.
After a moment of waiting, Tang Myung and Tang Hong walked deeper into the forest.
Along the way, Tang Myung would stop every hundred steps, salute the void, and offer his respects.
Deep inside the forest, Tang Hong suddenly spotted something and shouted in surprise.
"Young Family Head!"
Tang Myung turned to him.
"Over there... those are skeletons."
Tang Myung looked where Tang Hong was pointing.
Scattered weapons and weapons lay about, and ancient bones were strewn everywhere.
"These look like Yuan soldiers."
Tang Myung nodded at Tang Hong's words.
Tang Hong picked up the fallen dao from the ground.
"The blade is rusted, but it's a dao used by Yuan soldiers. The shields too..."
"Why are the northern Yuan soldiers here?"
Tang Myung asked.
Tang Hong examined the skeletons and weapons and replied, "Probably during the Yuan-Ming transition period. The soldiers died here."
Tang Hong glanced at the dao briefly, then tossed it to the ground with a flick.
"Let's move on."
Tang Myung was about to turn and follow Tang Hong, who was already walking ahead with no more to see.
But he suddenly stopped.
Hwoong!
The distant sound of a tiger roaring echoed.
"A tiger is nearby."
Tang Hong pulled a hidden weapon from his sleeve. Holding three needles between his fingers, he stepped forward in front of Tang Myung.
"I'm not someone who would get hurt by just one tiger."
"And my duty is to protect the Young Family Head."
Hwoong!
The roar grew louder and louder.
"Don't be alarmed! There's a person here!"
Along with the tiger's howl came the shout of a young man.
The pair froze.
"Person?"
"Could it be that he's being chased by the tiger?"
"Let's go."
They both pushed off the ground and sprinted toward the source of the roar.
Their faces soon filled with bewilderment.
A massive tiger, bigger than any ordinary ox, was charging forward with a young man on its back.
"Over here!"
The young man waved frantically, and the two men halted.
Tap! Tap!
As they stopped, the young man laughed, stepped toward them, and slid down from the tiger's back.
"Whooa!"
The man who landed from the tiger's back looked at Tang Myung and Tang Hong.
"Who are you? Tang Myung?"
"I am Tang Myung. How is your esteemed name, Young Hero?"
Tang Myung cupped his fists and asked politely.
The man smiled and replied, "Tang Bul-gwi."
"Tang... Bul-gwi..."
The name Tang Bul-gwi made Tang Myung and Tang Hong exchange glances.
Bul-gwi meant "the one who never returns."
"Could you be a descendant of Great-aunt Tang Mi-mi?"
"Descendant? No. I am her disciple."
"Her disciple?"
"My master raised me. That's why she gave me the name Tang."
Tang Hong asked Tang Bul-gwi quietly.
"Then is Great-aunt Tang Mi-mi still alive?"
"Of course. Master told me to bring the two of you. Let's go. It will take a while to walk from here."
"Then, let's use internal energy circulation."
"Ah... I don't know how to use internal energy circulation."
Tang Myung stared at Tang Bul-gwi.
"You don't know internal energy circulation?"
"My master didn't teach me martial arts. Ah! If you know internal energy circulation, use it. I'll ride Tangho instead."
"Tangho?"
"That's the name of this fellow. My brother."
Tang Bul-gwi grinned, grabbed a tuft of fur on the tiger's back, and climbed up.
Whoosh!
"Let's go home."
Hwoong!
Tangho let out a roar and began to dash off at great speed.
Tang Myung and Tang Hong hurriedly chased after them.
But they could barely keep up. The dense forest made pursuit difficult, yet Tangho weaved through the trees at blinding speed.
Even two Peak experts chasing at full power struggled to keep up.
Tang Bul-gwi, sitting on Tangho's back, looked back and gently tugged Tangho's ear. The tiger slowed down.
"You two are from the Sichuan Tang Family, I see."
Tang Myung nodded and said softly, "Is Great-aunt well?"
"She eats a lot of good things for her body. Of course she's fine. But is what Great-aunt said about our master true?"
"Great-aunt refers to my great-grandmother."
"Understood."
Tang Myung asked the seemingly worldly-unaware Tang Bul-gwi.
"Have you lived here your entire life?"
"Yes."
"Have you never met anyone from outside?"
"Never."
Tang Bul-gwi smiled and continued, "If anyone enters the forest, our master kills them."
Tang Hong felt a chill as he watched Tang Bul-gwi laugh while saying he killed them all.
"Something's strange about this guy."
Tang Hong sent a private message to Tang Myung.
[There's a reason the villagers are afraid.]
[If he kills every outsider who enters the forest...]
Tang Myung nodded.
"We passed a village on the way here. Is there any connection?"
"It's the annual supply caravan."
"Supply caravan?"
"They prepare food at the forest entrance once a year. Thanks to that, I get to eat good things."
[They must be offering sacrifices to the monster, thinking it's a yokai.]
[Probably.]
As they exchanged private messages and circulated their internal energy, Tang Myung suddenly felt puzzled.
They had been using internal energy circulation for nearly half an hour, yet... there was still no sign of arrival.
That meant Tang Mi-mi had heard their voices from far away.
'Just how high is her realm for her to hear that?'
At that moment, Tang Bul-gwi looked at the two men.
"From now on, don't breathe."
"Don't breathe?"
"From here onward, there are poisonous and medicinal herbs planted by our master. We could get poisoned."
"Then, are you fine, Young Hero Tang?"
"I was raised here since I was young. I have no effect from it."
Tang Bul-gwi pinched his nose.
The two men stopped breathing and sprinted forward.
With internal energy circulation paused, their faces flushed bright red.
Even experts needed to breathe... yet here they were.
Tang Bul-gwi laughed and pointed behind him.
"Get on behind me."
Tang Myung and Tang Hong did not hesitate and hurriedly climbed onto Tangho's back.
Even with three people aboard, Tangho raced through the forest like a whirlwind.
"Ah! If only the three of us had come like this! Hahaha!"
Tang Bul-gwi laughed at the realization.
Tang Myung and Tang Hong furrowed their brows and looked at him.
"Definitely something strange about him."
"Something weird about that guy."
As they thought this, a bright beam of sunlight suddenly illuminated their path.
Hwaaah!
Tang Myung and Tang Hong squinted against the sudden brightness.
Tang Bul-gwi said, "This is where I live."
Tang Myung and Tang Hong narrowed their eyes and looked ahead.
Their faces filled with amazement.
Before them lay a scene unlike the Heavenly Grant Forest's name.
A vast plain dotted with spirit flowers and grasses. In the center of the plain, a small yet crystal-clear pool of water glistened.
Tang Myung and Tang Hong gazed around in wonder.
Tang Bul-gwi slid down from Tangho's back.
"Go play with your friends."
Tang Bul-gwi's words made Tangho nuzzle his body once before dashing back into the forest.
"Let's go."
Tang Bul-gwi led the way.
Tang Myung asked, "Are only the two of you living here?"
"No. There are a few servants."
"Servants?"
"Some people who entered the forest are kept alive and used as servants."
"Are they not all killed?"
Tang Bul-gwi opened his mouth to answer when a clear, melodious voice rang out.
"Those worth killing are kept alive."
The sudden clear voice made Tang Myung and Tang Hong turn their heads.
In their view stood a woman emerging from a bamboo house.
She wore a green uniform reminiscent of Tang Family warrior attire. She looked extremely young.
She appeared the same age as Tang Myung...
Except her hair and eyebrows were snow-white.
'Could it be...'
Though her appearance was too youthful to be believed, Tang Myung hurriedly cupped his fists and knelt.
"I, Tang Myung of the Tang Family, pay my respects to Great-aunt Tang Mi-mi."
Tang Myung's bow made Tang Hong bow hastily as well.
The woman watched them quietly, then spoke.
"Young Man Tang, you still haven't forgotten me."
"How could I forget?"
"Then do you remember the words I left behind?"
"Which words do you mean?"
"The Family Head was told not to forgive unless he personally came to beg."
Tang Myung recalled the contents of his father's letter and stayed silent for a moment before replying, "I know."
"Yet here you are, a child."
Tang Mi-mi gazed at Tang Myung intently.
"You have mastered the Samyang Divine Art. Now even the Young Family Head knows the Samyang Divine Art?"
"Do you consider me the Young Family Head?"
"If not the Young Family Head, then... the Family Head?"
Tang Mi-mi hesitated briefly before saying, "Leave the Heavenly Grant Forest."
Tang Myung saw that Tang Mi-mi seemed slightly angry.
"I'm not the Young Family Head."
Tang Mi-mi stamped her foot hard on the ground.
Boom!
"I've waited over a hundred years in this place for the Family Head! How dare you insult me like this!"
Tang Mi-mi was furious at the fact that someone other than the Family Head or Young Family Head had come to find her.
A cold killing intent rose in her eyes.
"Go! I don't want to dirty my hands with the Family Head's descendant!"
Tang Myung stood there for a moment, then extended his hand forward and remained silent.
Tang Mi-mi furrowed her brows, about to speak, when her eyes widened.
"The Bicheon Ring?"
Tang Mi-mi suddenly appeared in front of Tang Myung.
"Why do you have the Bicheon Ring?"
Tang Myung looked up at her.
"I am not the Young Family Head... I am the Family Head of the Tang Family."
Tang Myung's authoritative voice made Tang Mi-mi stare at him with a rigid face.
"The Family Head... something has happened there."
"The Demonic Cult attacked. The Family Head's descendants escaped, while the Family Head and the elders defended the Tang Clan Castle to the end."
Tang Myung's words left Tang Mi-mi silent for a moment. She sighed and looked up at the sky.
"Tang Peng, Tang Geum, Tang Jeong, Tang Min, Tang..."
The names of the Tang Family elders spilled from Tang Mi-mi's lips.
"And Tang Cheon-deuk... Yes, the family estate is collapsing. How could the owner step away from his place?"
Tang Mi-mi stood still, then raised both hands to the sky.
Hwaaah! Hwaaah!
The air around Tang Mi-mi began to vibrate.
It was more than vibration; it felt like the ground itself shook.
Tang Myung and Tang Hong's faces filled with shock.
'What... is this?'
Tang Myung's surprise deepened. He recognized Guang Ming-woo-sa, a Gang Qi Materialization expert.
Yet the aura emanating from Tang Mi-mi now far surpassed Guang Ming-woo-sa.
"These are fireworks for you two."
With a small murmur, massive energy surged from Tang Mi-mi's palms toward the sky.
Boom!
Thunder rumbled as an explosion erupted high in the heavens.
Bang! Bang bang bang! Roar!
The storm of Gang Qi painted the sky.
'It's done. It's over! If I just take this one with me... the Demonic Cult is nothing!'
No one could oppose the heavens themselves, which had changed because of the aura he had emitted.
Joy filled Tang Myung's and Tang Hong's faces.