The Silver Dragon of the Heavens
Tang Hong lightly tapped Tang Myung’s shoulder. Tang Myung turned to look at him. The familiar uncle had been watching him the whole time.
Tang Myung quickly rubbed his neck. It was still whole.
And then…
Tang Myung quickly scanned the area. He stood behind the young disciples lecturing on herbal studies.
‘Again…’
He had returned to the exact moment of his first regression.
“Young Master?”
Tang Hong’s puzzled gaze met Tang Myung’s. Tang Myung looked around, then hurriedly left the lecture hall.
Tang Hong stared after him in confusion.
“Young Master? What’s wrong?”
Tang Myung met his uncle’s eyes, as if about to speak, then his expression hardened.
“I’m heading to the Family Head.”
With that, Tang Myung kicked off the ground.
Whoosh!
Tang Myung spread his light-body skill and leaped over the entire main hall. Tang Hong’s face froze.
The Sichuan Tang Family was a martial sect; leaping over buildings with light-body was not difficult. But… light-body was strictly forbidden inside the family grounds. If inner experts ran it, the retainers would panic and security would collapse.
That was why even the Young Master only walked or ran a little faster in emergencies. He never used light-body. Yet here he was.
Tang Hong watched with stunned eyes, then bit his lip and quickly spread his own light-body skill.
Whoosh!
The Bicheon Unit followed their Young Master everywhere.
The Sichuan Tang Family retainers stared in alarm and bewilderment as the Young Master ran like a madman.
“What’s happening?”
“We should tell the elders…”
“Quickly inform the chiefs.”
The retainers scattered to alert their respective hall leaders and unit commanders.
Tatatat!
Tang Myung reached the Eight-Angle Pavilion in the heart of the Tang Family compound at breathtaking speed.
The pavilion sat atop an artificial mountain at the center of the family—built so the entire family could overlook the surroundings.
It was also the spot Tang Cheon-deuk, the Family Head, loved most.
Papa!
Tang Myung’s light-body carried him up the mountain. Tang Cheon-deuk saw it from below.
“What’s going on at the main family?”
A voice echoed in his mind.
[Nothing at the main family.]
“If there’s nothing happening, why is this brat running like that?”
[I’ll investigate.]
“Never mind. I can ask him.”
Tang Hong was with Tang Myung, but the one sending the urgent voice was the Milyeong Unit chief.
Tatatat!
Tang Myung was running so fast he couldn’t stop. Tang Cheon-deuk opened his mouth.
“How can the Young Master of the Tang Family take such light steps?”
Tang Myung’s voice came out in a heavy breath.
Whoosh!
Tang Hong landed beside him.
Tang Cheon-deuk glanced at them, then poured tea from the teapot beside him.
“Sit, drink a cup, and catch your breath. Then explain why you used light-body inside the family grounds.”
Tang Myung watched his father sip tea, face serious.
The first time he had returned, he had tried to convince his father. But… he had forgotten the clan’s pride and stubbornness.
That was why retainers had died and the family had almost been destroyed.
‘I have to tell the truth. This is hard to believe, and if it’s wrong I might be locked away as a madman. But… I have proof. The express courier will arrive soon.’
His father was sipping tea leisurely. That meant the express courier from Qingcheng Sect and Amis Sect had not arrived yet.
“Why the silence?”
Tang Myung took a deep breath.
“Qingcheng Sect and Amis Sect are surrounded by the Demonic Cult.”
Tang Cheon-deuk and Tang Hong froze.
“Young Master, what are you talking about?”
Tang Cheon-deuk looked at his son.
“Explain.”
Black Robed Man Drops from the Sky
A man in black robes dropped from the air.
“I’ll investigate.”
“There’s no need. The express courier will arrive from Qingcheng Sect and Amis Sect any moment.”
Tang Myung’s words. The Milyeong Unit chief looked at him.
“How does the Young Master know this?”
“You’ll see soon enough.”
Tang Cheon-deuk glanced at the Milyeong Unit chief.
Swish!
The man vanished.
A moment later… the Milyeong chief reappeared, holding two small notes.
Swish!
Tang Cheon-deuk read them.
“Qingcheng Sect under Demonic Cult siege. Request for reinforcement.”
“Amis Sect surrounded by Demonic Cult. Request for Tang Family reinforcement.”
The content was almost identical.
Tang Cheon-deuk stared at the notes, face grim, then looked at his son.
“How do you know?”
“I saw it.”
“What?”
“I saw it.”
Tang Cheon-deuk looked at him with disbelief.
“Do you think this letter is a joke?”
“It’s not a joke. That’s why I’m telling you… I know I’ll sound crazy. But I….”
Tang Myung hesitated. He had died twice already. How would he explain today’s death?
Thinking, he looked at his father.
“I died twice.”
“Died?”
“Young Master, why? Did you take the wrong medicine?”
Tang Hong was startled. Tang Myung looked at his father.
“This disciple will be rude for a moment.”
With that, Tang Myung raised his inner energy.
Whoosh!
His hand moved rapidly.
Papa!
At the same time, the silver silk wound around his wrist loosened.
The silver threads flew out, wrapped around the throwing weapons, and unfolded in the air.
Whoosh!
The weapons flew toward Tang Cheon-deuk.
Tang Hong and the Milyeong chief moved to stop it. But Tang Cheon-deuk raised his hand.
Susu!
Tang Myung’s weapons were sucked into his father’s palm in an instant. The Thousand-Hand Poison King had retrieved them in one breath.
Tang Cheon-deuk looked at the weapons, then at his palm. A small wound. He wiped it with a handkerchief, eyes on Tang Myung.
“You said you died twice?”
“Yes.”
“Hmph…”
Tang Cheon-deuk stared at the wound for a moment.
“Tell me everything.”
Tang Myung took a breath and began. He told the truth.
Tang Hong looked at him with worry. The Milyeong chief listened with a grave face.
Tang Hong worried about Tang Myung. The Milyeong chief judged the credibility of every detail.
“…That is how I died twice and woke up.”
Tang Cheon-deuk looked at his son, then at the chief.
“What do you think?”
“It’s hard to believe the Young Master died and returned to the past. But leaving that aside, the rest seems possible.”
“Even that Qingcheng and Amis would abandon the family?”
“If the Demonic Cult is surrounding the mountain and pressing, and the pressure is relieved only to attack the main family… Qingcheng and Amis would feel relieved they are not the ones being targeted.”
“Qingcheng and Amis are not that kind of sect.”
“I’m speaking only with the information I currently have.”
Tang Cheon-deuk looked at the chief.
“Do you believe the Young Master?”
“It’s hard to believe… but….”
The chief glanced at the blood stain on the handkerchief.
“The Young Master cannot harm the Family Head’s body.”
“Is this evidence?”
“I met the Young Master this morning. The aura then and now are different. Now it is… an aura no living being in the martial world can count.”
Tang Cheon-deuk nodded.
“Only someone who has crossed countless life-and-death boundaries could have such an aura.”
Tang Cheon-deuk looked at his son.
“That’s why I believe every word you say.”
Tang Myung had killed before. He was a martial artist, after all. In the process of building experience he had slain several demons called Madura. But he had killed fewer than five.
The Young Master of the Sichuan Tang Family rarely had the chance to kill. Yet the killing intent now felt… not like a murderer, but something far more terrifying.
Tang Cheon-deuk looked at the chief.
“Search the surroundings of Tang Family Town. If my son is right, the Demonic Cult warriors watching the main family must be there.”
“Yes, sir.”
The chief vanished. Tang Cheon-deuk stood, then walked with Tang Myung down the mountain.
“How was it?”
“Which part?”
“That… you died twice.”
“It was hard.”
“What was hard?”
Tang Myung was silent for a moment, then spoke.
“At first I had to run leaving my brothers behind. The Bicheon brothers and Uncle Hong protected my back with Blood Mist Poison.”
“Blood Mist Poison?”
Tang Hong looked shocked. Tang Myung nodded.
“One by one I left them and ran toward Qingcheng Sect. I asked them to send rescue troops… please send them….”
“But they refused.”
“I returned to the place where I would die with Uncle Hong. But… the main family was already burning.”
“It took you about a day to leave, request the rescue troops, and return… so they must have brought a lot of people. The main family couldn’t last a day.”
Tang Cheon-deuk walked while looking at the sky for a moment.
“What else was hard?”
“…I chose who would live and who would die.”
Tang Cheon-deuk sighed. The Pyeonbok Unit was left behind, yet Tang Myung had spoken of it.
“A difficult decision indeed.”
“Many brothers died because of my decision.”
“But many brothers would have survived with that decision.”
“Really?”
“The choice was right. If not everyone can survive, a decision must be made. That is the responsibility we, as Family Head and Young Master, must bear.”
Tang Cheon-deuk looked at his son.
“It must have been hard.”
“Father, do you believe me?”
“I…”
Tang Cheon-deuk shook his head.
“Half of it is believable. But… move as if my words are true and the only thing you will know is that it will cause less damage to the main family.”
“What do you plan to do?”
Tang Myung asked. Tang Cheon-deuk answered.
“When you died the second time, I sent ten elders to follow. But they were blocked by the Demonic Cult.”
“Yes.”
“Why do you think so?”
“Their power is simply too strong.”
“They are a single sect challenging the central martial world. If the Demonic Cult is weak here, something is wrong.”
“Then what should we do?”
“It’s simple.”
Tang Cheon-deuk looked at the sky.
“The enemy’s strength is beyond our control. But… at least the battlefield is something we can choose.”
“What do you mean?”
“Prepare a battlefield favorable to us. After that, we will do our best.”
With that, Tang Cheon-deuk began walking toward the Tang Cheon Pavilion.