The Grandmother's Mercy
Tang Mi-mi gazed at Tang Jang for a moment before speaking.
“Tang Jang is a genius.”
“He is the strongest expert in the main family.”
At Tang Myung’s proud words, Tang Mi-mi nodded.
“Correct. He will likely be the first in the main family to reach Gang Qi Materialization.”
Tang Mi-mi turned her eyes to Tang Myung.
“In the meantime, I have prepared a sufficient supply of Blood Clearing Pills, Heart Protection Pills, and One Qi Pills.”
The Blood Clearing Pill removed impurities from the body, the Heart Protection Pill strengthened the dantian, and the One Qi Pill increased internal energy.
These three spiritual pills had been created by Tang Mi-mi specifically to strengthen the Tang Family’s disciples.
“Thank you.”
At Tang Myung’s reply, Tang Mi-mi continued.
“From now on, I will teach the entire clan medicine, poison arts, and martial arts. Once the unit leaders finish their training, discuss it with them and draw up a plan.”
“Understood.”
At Tang Myung’s answer, Tang Mi-mi glanced at the pill furnace, gave it a light shake, then suddenly lifted her head.
She looked toward a certain direction and spoke.
“It seems enemies have arrived at the main gate. I will go see for myself.”
Swish!
With that, Tang Mi-mi’s figure vanished from sight. Shocked by her words, Tang Myung whispered softly.
“Enemy attack at the main gate.”
At Tang Myung’s shout, the Milyeong Unit leader silently revealed himself.
“By your command!”
As the Milyeong Unit leader disappeared, elite Tang Family warriors poured out in every direction from Tang Clan Castle.
Watching the warriors climb onto rooftops and dash into the nearby forest to take up defensive positions, Tang Myung launched himself forward.
The moment Tang Myung began running using his lightness skill, members of the Visa Unit and Pyeonbok Unit followed closely behind him.
At the entrance to the Heavenly Grant Forest where the Tang Family’s main gate stood, forty martial artists were gathered.
They stared at the Tang Family gate with cold, mocking smiles.
“We heard the Tang Family was chased out of Sichuan and went into hiding in Yunnan, so we traveled over a thousand li… yet the owners are nowhere to be seen.”
An old man with white hair, white eyebrows, and a white beard that made him look like an immortal smiled as he gazed at the Tang Family gate.
Beyond the gate stood two of the Tang Family’s gate guards and several monks.
After staring at them for a while, the old man—Cheonsan Shinma—looked around.
“If you were going to run, you should have run. Did you smear honey on the inside or something? Or do you actually trust this flimsy little gate?”
Cheonsan Shinma studied the gate quietly before asking.
“O-Dok Magwi, is there any poison here?”
At Cheonsan Shinma’s question, a small bald old man smiled and approached the gate.
He examined it briefly, then answered.
“Doesn’t seem so.”
“Really? Then… why aren’t they running?”
At Cheonsan Shinma’s words, the spear-wielding Changma laughed.
“It must be the Tang Family’s pride.”
“Pride?”
“The Tang Family does not retreat when enemies stand before them.”
As he spoke, Changma lifted his spear and stepped forward.
“Even if it is the place where they will die.”
Smiling, Changma glanced behind him.
“Well then, let’s go in!”
Just like in Tang Myung’s previous life, reclusive demonic experts who coveted the Tang Family had come. If there had been thirty in his past life, there were now forty.
As the demonic experts tried to enter, Tang Ching looked at Il-Won Daesa.
“Please step back.”
With those words, Tang Ching lightly shook his body.
Rustle, rustle!
The sound of hidden weapons shifting inside his clothes made Il-Won Daesa’s face harden.
“Each and every one of them… is an expert whose strength even this old monk cannot easily measure. Tang Ching, for now you should…”
“I cannot allow them to cross the main family’s gate without spilling blood.”
At Tang Ching’s words, a nearby Tang Family expert laughed.
“Brother Tang Ching speaks truly.”
“If I told you to retreat, you would take it as an insult, wouldn’t you?”
“Hahaha! I would be furious.”
Rustle, rustle!
As the expert beside him also shook his body, Tang Ching raised his hand.
In his palm was a hidden weapon gleaming with a vivid green light.
Changma walked slowly and stopped in front of the gate.
“Sichuan Tang Family… Hah! On the way here, I stopped by the Tang Clan Castle in Sichuan. It was quite the sight—completely destroyed.”
Changma raised his spear and drew up his energy.
Whoosh!
Spear energy surged forth, radiating a fierce aura. The spear energy wavered like heat haze.
He’s an expert nearing Gang Qi Materialization.
Though the wavering spear energy looked weak at first glance, it was anything but.
Once he gained the proper enlightenment, it would instantly burst into flames.
Having raised his spear energy, Changma lifted his weapon.
“The main gate of the Sichuan Tang Clan Castle looked magnificent! Especially in its broken state!”
With a shout, Changma’s spear swung down powerfully from above.
Rumble!
Accompanied by the sound of thunder, Changma’s spear energy shot toward the gate.
“No!”
At the sight of Changma’s spear energy, Tang Ching and the Tang Family experts immediately threw themselves toward the gate. They knew they could not block it themselves.
But they could not stand by and watch the Tang Family lose its gate again.
They had to stop it even at the cost of their own lives.
“Haaht!”
With a battle cry, Tang Ching hurled himself forward with all his strength—only for his body to suddenly stop midair.
A gentle hand had rested on his shoulder.
“As expected of the Tang Family. Splendid.”
With those soft words, a slender figure appeared before the gate.
Grandmother!
Recognizing Tang Mi-mi, Tang Ching let out a sigh of relief.
As the spear energy flew toward the gate, Tang Mi-mi lightly flicked her finger.
Flick!
Boom!
Despite the casual finger flick, the result was devastating.
With an explosion, Changma’s spear shattered completely.
Not content with destroying the spear, the residual force traveled through the broken shaft and ravaged Changma’s internals.
“Cough! Uwaaak!”
Vomiting blood as he was sent flying, Changma’s body suddenly froze in midair.
Then his figure floated gently and was dragged toward the Tang Family gate.
The demonic experts’ faces twisted at the sight.
Who was Changma? He was an absolute expert so powerful that even Cheonsan Shinma could not easily claim victory against him.
Yet such a man had vomited blood and collapsed from a single move.
Moreover…
She was pulling a person through the air using Empty Palm Absorption…
As Cheonsan Shinma and the demonic experts stared at Tang Mi-mi in shock, she swept her gaze over them.
Then she looked directly at Cheonsan Shinma.
“Did you bring these children here?”
“Y-You… who are you?”
At Cheonsan Shinma’s question, Tang Mi-mi smiled.
“In the past hundred years, you are the first to call this old woman a bitch.”
Then she flicked her finger again.
Flick!
The instant Tang Mi-mi flicked her finger, Cheonsan Shinma drew his sword with all his might.
He didn’t know what it was, but he felt the crisis of death rushing toward him.
Swoosh!
A line of sword energy sliced through the air as if trying to cut space itself.
The tremendous aura made the demonic experts stare at Cheonsan Shinma in astonishment. At first they were shocked by the power of his sword strike, but the second shock was…
Cheonsan Shinma had no head. His head had simply vanished.
The demonic experts’ jaws dropped.
“What is this?”
“Uh…”
Who was Cheonsan Shinma? He was one of the absolute masters whose fame echoed throughout the martial world, earning him the title of Divine Demon.
Yet he had been beheaded while launching a full-powered strike, without even letting his guard down.
“R-Run…”
Bang!
The head of one demonic expert trying to flee exploded.
Thud!
As one fell, the others desperately tried to escape.
“Stay!”
A lion’s roar erupted from Tang Mi-mi’s mouth.
The enormous roar shook the bushes, freezing the demonic experts in place.
“Anyone who moves… dies.”
At Tang Mi-mi’s icy voice, the demonic experts flinched and looked at her.
“Come here.”
Gulp!
At her command, the demonic experts exchanged glances.
Every step closer to Tang Mi-mi meant one less chance to flee.
When they didn’t move, Tang Mi-mi shook her head slightly.
“Then all of you shall die.”
As Tang Mi-mi curled her fingers, O-Dok Magwi immediately threw himself to the ground.
“We will obey your command!”
The moment O-Dok Magwi prostrated himself, the other demonic experts began fleeing madly.
Swish!
Tang Mi-mi’s fingers flicked repeatedly toward those who turned and ran.
Papapapa! Papat!
With each flick of her fingers, O-Dok Magwi’s body stiffened.
An overwhelming energy was brushing past them like a breeze.
And then… Bang! Bang! Bang!
Sounds like bursting melons rang out continuously.
…….
When silence finally fell, the five prostrated figures slowly turned their heads to look behind them.
Their faces hardened. All the demonic experts who had proudly marched here to annihilate the Sichuan Tang Family lay dead with their heads exploded.
Woo-Wol Osa, Dae-San To-Ryong, Il-San Ma-Gaek…
Not a single one lacked a notorious name among the previous generation’s great demons. And they had all been slaughtered.
By a single woman.
Tang Mi-mi looked down at those still prostrated.
“Drag the corpses over.”
At her command, O-Dok Magwi carefully stood up and began gathering the fallen bodies, dragging them toward the gate.
“Grandmother, shall we help as well?”
“No need.”
Then Tang Mi-mi looked at Il-Won Daesa.
“You stayed instead of running.”
“How could this humble monk abandon the Tang Family’s brothers and flee?”
Of course, if Tang Mi-mi had been even a little later, he would have charged straight into Tang Clan Castle.
“I will prepare the Meng-Ryong Cheong-Bo Dan for you. Come receive it tomorrow.”
“Amitabha! This monk thanks the master of the Heavenly Grant Forest.”
“Consider it a single strike’s worth.”
While they spoke, O-Dok Magwi finished piling all the corpses in front of the gate.
Covered in blood, he trembled as he looked at Tang Mi-mi.
It wasn’t the corpses that made him shake—it was fear of Tang Mi-mi.
Looking at him, Tang Mi-mi spoke.
“I sense poison energy. Do you cultivate poison arts?”
“I practice the Five Poison Demonic Art.”
“Five Poison Demonic Art… then the Black River Sect?”
“The Black River Sect was destroyed by the Tang Family thirty years ago. We are its survivors.”
“If you are survivors of the Black River Sect, killing you would cause no problems at all.”
The Black River Sect had been a faction that kidnapped people to use as test subjects for their poisons.
“P-Please spare us!”
“I will not kill you. I was just thinking I needed people to gather medicinal herbs. This works out perfectly.”
“W-What do you mean?”
“You will dig up herbs under me from now on.”
Tatata!
Behind Tang Mi-mi, several old servants appeared.
When they saw the pile of corpses in front of the gate, they immediately prostrated themselves and bowed their heads.
Then they began slamming their foreheads against the ground repeatedly.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Watching the servants bang their heads hard enough to draw blood from their foreheads, Tang Mi-mi spoke.
“From now on, one of you will remain hidden here.”
Thud!
As the servants answered by slamming their heads into the ground even harder, Tang Mi-mi looked at O-Dok Magwi.
“Write down the identities and forces of the dead.”
“Y-Yes, understood.”
O-Dok Magwi took out a small notebook from his robe and began recording the names of the demonic experts who had come with him.
“Here it is.”
When O-Dok Magwi offered the notebook, Tang Mi-mi took it and said.
“These will be the ones working under you from now on. Educate them well as you see fit.”
At her words, the old servants glanced at O-Dok Magwi.
Their eyes were filled with joy. It was the same look one might give a brand-new toy.
O-Dok Magwi glared back at them without yielding.
How dare these things glare at me.
From the situation, it was clear they had been captured by an overwhelmingly powerful expert. To survive, they would have to become her servants.
In that case… they would need to thoroughly trample the existing servants first. Only then would their own life as servants become even slightly more comfortable.
“You will dig holes and prepare to bury these corpses. Also, clean up all the bloodstains in front.”
At Tang Mi-mi’s command, the servants bowed and looked at O-Dok Magwi. When one of them gestured toward the area outside the gate, O-Dok Magwi glanced at Tang Mi-mi before walking out.
Once outside the gate, O-Dok Magwi glanced back at Tang Mi-mi once, then opened his mouth toward the servants.
“If you don’t want to die from now on, you’d better listen to us carefu—”
The face of the lead O-Dok Magwi turned deathly pale mid-sentence. One of the servants had raised a single finger… and from that finger, Gang Qi Materialization was blooming into small flames.
Fwoosh! Fwoosh!
Though small, they were unmistakably flames of condensed qi. O-Dok Magwi’s body began to tremble.
Looking at him, the servant smiled.
As if saying the future would be very enjoyable…