Flying Daggers and Double-Edged Blades
Tang Myung's hand sent his hidden weapons flying in all directions.
“Taaat!”
Three peak experts among the wulin masters who had surrounded Tang Myung deflected the throwing knives with their blades.
Cha-cha-ching!
Pa-pa-pat!
And the deflected weapons streaked back toward Tang Myung.
Cha-cha-ching!
The rebounding blades collided with the fresh barrage and hurtled straight at the three peak experts once more.
The masters hurriedly raised their swords to parry, but every time they did, the weapons Tang Myung had thrown simply rebounded again.
The rebounding blades and the new projectiles alike left the experts battered and breathless.
No sword qi had pierced them, yet fury burned in their eyes.
“Kroooh!”
“Euaak!”
While they struggled against the knives that had entangled their feet, Tang Myung had fixed his gaze on the first-class experts.
They, unlike himself, could not dodge.
Parrying seemed impossible, so they simply flung themselves sideways like grasshoppers.
Yet with so many assailants closing in, there was barely anywhere left to run.
If only they had some distance… perhaps escape would still be possible. But they were far too close.
People usually assumed hidden weapons and arrows were meant for long range, yet the closer the threat, the deadlier they became.
Aiming at the shooter gave time to dodge from afar, but up close the arrow had nowhere to go.
Moreover, at such proximity no great swing was needed. Twisting the wrist or flicking the fingers was more than enough to shatter bones.
And if the direction was anticipated, the shot could be twisted mid-flight.
That was why…
Puff! Puff!
“Krooah!”
“Euaak!”
Black-clad figures kept screaming as they fell under Tang Myung’s barrage.
The three peak experts exchanged a single glance and converged.
One stepped forward while the other two followed behind.
They intended to stop Tang Myung’s knives at all costs and then finish him off.
But…
Tang Hong let out a low chuckle.
“Did you really think the Tang Family’s hidden weapons were only straight-line strikes? No… this is actually the perfect formation for killing.”
The In-yi Grand Hero asked, puzzled.
“What do you mean?”
Tang Hong offered no reply. The answer had already left Tang Myung’s hands.
A triangular returning blade spun in Tang Myung’s grasp.
He hurled it left and right.
Spinning at blinding speed, it streaked toward the two black-clad men on either side.
The experts panicked and tried to retreat, but the returning blade was never aimed at them.
Whirrrrrick!
The blade swept past them in a wide arc and plunged into the group behind the peak experts.
The peak masters were startled by the sonic boom and scattered left and right.
Pap!
And then…
Puff!
A hidden blade buried itself in the ankles of the two scattering peak experts.
“Kroooh!”
The pair staggered, and the blade then drove straight into their foreheads.
Puff!
The surviving expert’s face twisted into a mask of horror at the sight.
“Uwaaaak!”
He charged at Tang Myung with a savage roar.
Paat!
Tang Myung twisted aside and fired another knife.
Pa-pa-pat!
The peak expert blocked with his body, deflected the dangerous strike with his sword, and closed in on Tang Myung.
“Die!”
The peak expert lunged with a furious cry.
Hwaaak!
Tang Myung’s hand flashed toward the sword qi erupting from the peak expert’s blade.
Pap!
Two short hidden blades in his hands whipped out. He swept the incoming sword aside with the short blades and flicked the weapon away with his fingers.
Paat!
“Kroooh!”
The peak expert jerked his head sideways at the last moment, and the hidden blade in Tang Myung’s other hand drove straight into his chest.
Thud!
The blade embedded in his chest was instantly sucked toward Tang Myung’s hand, then flicked back out and buried itself again.
Thud! Pat! Thud! Pat!
Tang Myung repeated the cycle until he finally turned his body away.
…
Thump!
The peak expert collapsed, and Tang Myung waved his hand.
Surruk! Surruk!
Invisible threads unravelled from his fingers and whipped across the arena floor.
Then he raised his hand high.
Pa-pa-pa-pat!
The knives lying on the ground were pulled skyward by the invisible threads.
Cha-rurruk!
The blades, now infused with faint sword qi, swept through the black-clad figures.
Cha-rurruk! Cha-rurruk!
They tried to flee, but escape was impossible. The moment they avoided the threads, the hidden blades attached to them shot out and tore into their necks or pierced their hearts.
Just one swing from Tang Myung, and the survivors fell.
Thump! Thump!
Tang Myung swung the threads again.
Whirrick! Whirrick!
Just like reeling in a fishing line, the knives that had buried themselves in the ground and in bodies shot upward.
And those flying blades rained down on Tang Hong.
Pa-pa-pa-pat!
“Hah! What the—?!”
“Why?!”
Everyone gasped in shock. The attack looked exactly like the one that had just killed the black-clad men.
But…
Tang Hong strode forward and moved his hands at blinding speed.
Pa-pa-pa-pat! Pa-pat!
The blades aimed at him were sucked back toward him.
Pa-pa-pat!
He caught them with the leather pouch on his back in one fluid motion.
The recovery and stowing looked almost like a single movement.
One guard from the escort unit rushed into the arena and offered Tang Myung a fresh set of robes.
Tang Myung shrugged off the blood-soaked garments he had been wearing and accepted the new ones.
It was not the blood that had stained them—his own hidden blades had fallen away. He simply changed into the fresh robes.
Flutter!
Lightly shaking out the wrinkles, Tang Myung slipped on the new robes.
He scanned the crowd. Hundreds of wulin masters had gathered around him.
Among them were familiar faces.
Qingcheng Sect’s Jeong Myeong stood there, and so did Zhuge Mun.
Seeing them, Tang Myung cupped his hands.
“I formally introduce myself. Tang Myung, the current Young Family Head of the Sichuan Tang Family.”
The masters unconsciously cupped their own hands in return.
“I am Zhuge Jin of the Zhuge Clan.”
“Blood Palace Assassin…”
Tang Hong smiled as he watched the countless masters announce their names and nicknames.
“Our Young Family Head… is magnificent.”
Tang Jang also smiled.
It was the moment the once-weak Tang Myung—now officially acknowledged as the Tang Family’s Young Family Head—had stepped into the wulin.
***
Tang Myung entered the Five Clans Hall. The hall bore its name literally—five great families resided here.
It was precisely the residence where the Five Great Clans and the Five Major Sects stayed.
Leading the way, Zhuge Mun explained.
“This is the Tang Family Residence. The Tang people may stay here.”
Following his pointing finger to the grand hall bearing the Tang name, the Tang members stepped inside and began unpacking their belongings.
Tang Myung glanced at Zhuge Mun.
“I never imagined the Tang Family’s prestige was so great that they would provide such a grand hall.”
“Hahaha! If the Heavenly Grant Master is here, what do you mean by that? Besides, our new Young Family Head is a peak expert to begin with.”
Zhuge Mun spoke softly.
“Come to think of it, the Heavenly Grant Master seems to have showered you with every beneficial thing imaginable. When did you become such a master?”
“I ate a lot of things good for the body even though some were bad for it.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Zhuge Mun looked puzzled. Tang Myung smiled faintly.
Zhuge Mun stole a glance at Yuji Cheong, who was also touring the hall with the Tang group.
[Are you getting close to Yuji Cheong?]
Tang Myung replied with a chuckle.
[Don’t you like it?]
[Did I not tell you? After the Tang Family incident, the Five Great Clans were thrown into chaos when we entered the Five Major Sects. The Heavenly Grant Forest knew the Yuji Clan’s movements immediately, so they pulled back their tail. If they had not, Yuji Cheong would have been shamelessly arrogant toward you.]
Tang Myung looked at him anew.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You really seem to see the future.”
“What do you mean?”
Tang Myung smiled. In his previous lives Yuji Cheong had indeed been arrogant toward him.
“As you said, if you think the Tang Family is weak, Yuji Cheong will try to bite you.”
“That’s what I meant.”
“But if you think the Tang Family is strong, he will become a reliable ally.”
“You’re willing to keep him beside you even though he’s someone you can’t trust?”
[The Tang Family will be strong.]
Tang Myung’s words landed. Zhuge Mun shook his head.
[A hand outside is what we need.]
Zhuge Mun had read his mind. Tang Myung nodded.
[The Tang Family must grow stronger. Until then, the Yuji Clan will work outside for us.]
Tang Myung nodded again. While they spoke in secret, Yuji Cheong walked over with a smile.
“The hall is nice.”
“Where will you stay?”
“I’ll stay at the Heroes’ Arena.”
The Heroes’ Arena was where righteous warriors who could not enter the Five Great Clans or the Five Major Sects lived.
Tang Myung glanced at the Tang Residence and said with a bitter smile.
“If you don’t mind, the Yuji Clan can stay here too. It looks spacious and has plenty of rooms; we should be able to make do together.”
“Is that allowed?”
Yuji Cheong’s face lit up with delight. Tang Myung looked at Zhuge Mun.
[A person with sharp insight. Don’t dislike him.]
[Hngh.]
While they talked, a group of people entered the hall.
“Tang Myung!”
“Tang Hyung!”
Tang Myung turned at the familiar voices and saw the Young Family Heads of the Five Great Clans entering.
Tall and sturdy figures from the Hwangbo Clan and the Hebei Peng Clan.
“Hwangbo Hyung, Peng Hyung.”
Tang Myung cupped his hands. The two leaders—Hwangbo Jin-cheon of the Hwangbo Clan and Peng Do-yeong of the Hebei Peng Clan—returned the gesture.
“Seeing you like this makes me truly happy. Ah! You’re the Young Family Head now, so we must address you formally.”
Tang Myung smiled and shook his head.
“This is not an official occasion. It’s private, so it’s fine.”
The two men’s expressions hardened for a moment. That was the rule—formal address in public settings.
But Peng Do-yeong laughed.
“Hahaha! You’re right. As Young Family Head, where could we possibly address you formally?”
“Exactly. Before you could speak, you would have been scolded by our Young Family Head.”
The two men laughed until they noticed Yuji Cheong.
“Yuji Hyung is here too.”
Peng Do-yeong’s tone was icy. Yuji Cheong cupped his hands with a smile.
“Peng Hyung.”
“Hmph! Hyung? …Do you even see someone like me in your eyes?”
Tang Myung spoke up.
“I don’t know the full story, but today is a fine day, isn’t it?”
Peng Do-yeong shot Yuji Cheong a frigid glare. Yuji Cheong fidgeted under that stare. Tang Myung slipped between them.
“It is a fine day.”
Peng Do-yeong looked at him.
“I don’t understand why you’re with that little scoundrel…”
Tang Myung frowned.
“Should I escort you to an official setting?”
“What?”
“In private, I told the Young Family Head of the Peng Clan twice that he should stop his children from acting this way. That’s enough.”
“You’re telling me… right now…”
“Yuji Cheong is my sworn brother. Is this the way you treat him—making me look foolish?”
Tang Myung’s cold voice made Peng Do-yeong’s eyebrows twitch.
He let out a small fart, cupped his hands, and bowed.
“I came to see Tang Hyung… I never expected to meet Young Family Head Tang.”
Peng Do-yeong, mocking Tang Myung, spun on his heel with such force that his robe flared. He strode out of the hall.
Hwangbo Jin-cheon watched them for a moment, then hurried after Peng Do-yeong.
Tang Myung watched Peng Do-yeong’s retreating figure with cold eyes.
In his previous lives the Hebei Peng Clan had been the one to push the Yuji Clan into the Five Great Clans. Yet here Peng Do-yeong was furious because Yuji Cheong—Young Family Head of the Yuji Clan—was close to Tang Myung.