Chapter 111
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Shin Eung's Scheme
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Tang Ji-in led three hundred warriors out of the Tang Clan to retrieve Tang Pae.
Yeoseol looked at me and spoke up.
"Big brother, you'll be safe, right?"
"Of course. They wouldn't gamble with the life of the Cult Leader's disciple."
"He seemed to have changed a lot, though. Who knows if that'll hasten his death or delay it. The Tang Clan is just so unpredictable."
Yeoseol had already matured enough in spirit to hold deep conversations with me.
'Is it Mae Yu-yeon's influence?'
Lately, Yeoseol's awareness had sharpened noticeably, making our talks flow without a hitch.
"Big brother."
Yeoseol gazed up at me intently and asked.
Her features had grown even more refined as she matured, drawing admiring glances from everyone around.
"What?"
"Even if I change a little, it'll be okay, right?"
"Of course. No matter what anyone says, you're my little sister Yeoseol."
"Hee hee hee."
She rubbed her head against my side like a cat, reassured by my words.
Even as her appearance evolved, her affections toward me only grew more frequent.
"By the way, didn't Songran give you that face veil before?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Keep it safe. You'll need it someday."
"For what?"
I stared at Yeoseol silently, answering inwardly.
'To hide your face.'
A girl's beauty blooms fully as she transitions into womanhood.
Yeoseol was blossoming like a flower.
The martial world was filled with those who wielded power, and just as many who used it to claim whatever they desired.
It was all possible because of inner arts and martial techniques that transcended human limits.
The problem was how many squandered that power on twisted pursuits.
That was why the world teemed with flower thieves and rapists.
Yeoseol's face was more than enough to make her a target.
Thud!
Yeoseol's head bumped against my thigh. She'd been chatting away with me for so long, fighting off sleep to stay by my side, and now she'd drifted off like this.
I stood once I saw she was asleep.
Yeoseol still slept a lot.
Or perhaps even more so since Mae Yu-yeon's consciousness had awakened.
With two souls sharing one body, it would have been stranger if things felt normal.
'She just needs time.'
I picked up the Heavenly Vault Sword and left the guesthouse.
It had been ages since I'd held it, but it still fit perfectly in my grip.
Tang Ji-in arrived at the meeting spot, and the tension melted away.
'Funny how facing death head-on actually puts my mind at ease.'
Shin Eung tilted his head at the otherworldly aura emanating from the young Tang Ji-in.
"They called you the Tang Clan's wastrel, but you're a hidden dragon."
Shin Eung held Tang Ji-in in high regard for not flinching at his presence.
"Did you bring it?"
Tang Ji-in gestured to his subordinates behind him.
They brought forward a cart and a wooden box.
"This coffin holds the preserved body of Elder O Ju-hyang, and this contains the antidote for Formless Poison. Now, hand over the hostage."
Shin Eung untied the ropes binding Tang Pae.
"Go."
Tang Pae shot Shin Eung a glare before heading straight for Tang Ji-in.
The exchange happened the moment Tang Pae arrived: coffin for box.
Tang Ji-in had been on high alert, braced for any treachery from Shin Eung. But when he released Tang Pae without a fuss, the tension drained out of him.
Shin Eung opened the coffin and murmured at O Ju-hyang's face.
"Fragrant Plum. You look at peace. You boasted you'd outlive me, yet here you lie in a box. Rest easy. I'll avenge you, so harbor no grudges."
He closed the coffin, then opened the wooden box to inspect the antidote before sealing it again.
"This better be the real deal. Otherwise, you'll pay dearly."
Tang Ji-in replied calmly.
"The Tang Clan doesn't haggle over grudges without honoring our word first. We wouldn't cheat on a deal this crucial."
Killing intent flickered in Shin Eung's eyes.
"Were you the one who spread the Formless Poison?"
"Yes."
Shin Eung chuckled at Tang Ji-in's unflinching response.
"Impressive. Get out before I change my mind and kill you."
Tang Ji-in hadn't expected Shin Eung to let him go so easily.
He'd steeled himself for battle, making the peaceful resolution feel almost anticlimactic.
"Withdraw."
Tang Ji-in had carried himself with dignity throughout the exchange with Shin Eung.
It resonated deeply with the three hundred Tang Clan warriors.
The Tang Clan had always been known for aggressively employing hidden weapons and poisons—never overt cowards, but whispered about as sneaky and underhanded.
Yet here was Tang Ji-in, charging ahead of everyone in battle and negotiations with the Demonic Cult, embodying the spirit of a true Tang warrior. Their hearts swelled with pride.
Tang Ji-in knew how to stir a warrior's soul.
And that soul-stirring display left a profound impact on the Tang Clan fighters.
I watched their transaction from afar.
I'd come prepared to rescue Tang Ji-in if Shin Eung tried to kill him.
But it ended without incident, leaving me a bit perplexed.
'The Demonic Cult wrapping things up so cleanly? No way. Not unless there's no backup plan.'
I circulated three streams of spiritual energy to probe the blood flow.
I needed to check if anything had been done to Tang Pae.
'Whoa.'
I gasped inwardly at Tang Pae's blood flow.
'This surpasses my expectations. I have to admit it.'
Tang Pae's meridians looked crumpled, like something balled up.
It was completely different from the flow I'd examined before.
'Only one thing that means. That's not Tang Pae.'
Yet visually, he was identical—no one could claim otherwise.
Long ago, while perusing Demonic Cult records in the hidden archives, I'd learned of Yuk Bo, the master of Bone Shrinking and Transformation Arts.
No one else in the martial world could mimic Tang Pae's appearance so perfectly.
The Thousand-Faced Demon Shadow Yuk Bo was unrivaled in disguise arts, alongside the Heaven-Faced Divine Performer.
His ability to replicate even a person's inner energy level made his transformations peerless.
But few knew such intimate details.
They were scraps I'd secretly gleaned from the archives.
By inner energy and appearance alone, no one could distinguish him from the real Tang Pae.
That was how I saw through the Demonic Cult's scheme.
The Tang Clan was massive enough that even the Demonic Cult would need to commit a third of its forces to wipe them out.
And if the Tang Clan unleashed all their poisons in defense, victory would come at a pyrrhic cost.
'So they're plotting with a fake Tang Pae. They can't plan long-term, so this is a short play. The Tang Clan isn't stupid—they'd spot the fake given time to observe.'
It was a brilliant scheme.
It exploited the prejudice that the Demonic Cult relied solely on brute force.
I pondered how to turn this to my advantage.
I trailed the Demonic Cult warriors from a safe distance.
Once they entered a manor, I waited quietly until sunset.
As soon as night fell, I unleashed the Nine Phantoms Ghostly Shadow Divine Technique to its limit and slipped inside.
The manor was small, so finding the room holding Tang Pae was easy.
He wasn't being treated well.
His hands and feet were bound tightly with ropes, leaving him immobile, and a black blindfold covered his eyes.
Even after sealing his dantian, they'd tied him uncomfortably—pure malice.
'Lucky guy.'
Yet even in that state, Tang Pae had his head thrown back, fast asleep.
Starvation and sleep deprivation could plunge even a hostage into deep slumber.
I'd come to check on the real Tang Pae's condition, but seeing him like this, I couldn't just leave.
I extracted my qi orb and sent it into his room.
No guard spotted the orb floating overhead.
It slipped into the sleeping Tang Pae's mouth.
As it passed his throat, he coughed and woke.
He shook his head briefly, then shouted toward the door.
"I'm hungry! Bring food!"
I slipped out of the manor once I saw a guard heading to his room.
Shin Eung fed the Formless Poison antidote to Mo Donggak.
After circulating his qi for about fifteen minutes, Mo Donggak opened his eyes.
"It's fully neutralized."
"So it was real."
"Would the Tang Clan give fakes unless they'd lost their minds?"
Mo Donggak asked,
"Will Yuk Bo pull it off?"
"No one's ever detected Yuk Bo's disguises—not even the Murim Alliance Leader or our Cult Leader. No one in the world can see through Yuk Bo. He absorbs memories and matches inner energy levels perfectly. Who could tell?"
"I knew of Yuk Division Leader's skills, but not to this extent."
Shin Eung spoke up.
"Yuk Bo may not be an Elder, but his talents surpass that. He lacks only raw power."
"Success here will earn him a seat among the Fourteen Elders."
"If we claim the Tang Clan for the Cult, it'll be merit enough and more."
Mo Donggak asked,
"But why go to such lengths? Couldn't we just storm in and conquer them easily?"
"We could. But the Cult would suffer heavy losses. Intel says they have dozens of Poison Corps operatives."
"I get it. The Poison Corps would devastate our warriors. So what's the plan now?"
"Once Yuk Bo dismantles their poison formations, we strike."
The Tang Clan had poison arrays centered around Tang Gat, designed to fend off thousands.
"What about the Poison Corps?"
"Only the Clan Head can activate them, so Yuk Division Leader will handle it."
"Can he take down Tang Myeong?"
"Yuk Division Leader reached peak mastery long ago—he's just not an Elder in title. A sneak attack, and even the Clan Head falls."
Shin Eung continued,
"When Yuk Division Leader signals he's cracked the poison arrays, that's when the Tang Clan falls. It won't be long—a month at most, two weeks at best. Rest up until then, Third Young Master."
Mo Donggak nodded.
He could wait a year if needed. A month was nothing.
Tang Ji-in returned with Tang Pae. But the Tang Clan's mood was off.
The cheers for the rescued hostage were drowned out by adulation for Tang Ji-in.
Tang Pae ignored it all.
Tang Myeong looked at his son and said,
"You did well."
There wasn't much else he could say. Slightly withdrawn after surviving alone amid slaughter, it was a bit odd—but understandable.
His eldest wasn't the type to mope over such things.
'Must have endured all sorts of humiliations from the Demonic Cult bastards.'
Tang Myeong dismissed Tang Pae with that thought.
"Good work."
This was for Tang Ji-in.
"It was nothing, Father. Just my duty. But Shin Eung backing off so quietly bothers me."
"No big deal. They're just wary of harming the Cult Leader's disciple. Once he's safe, expect tricks."
"I'll lead the charge then."
"Good. Do that."
Tang Myeong nodded.
As Tang Ji-in left, the Clan Head sank into deep thought.
I watched Tang Ji-in intently after he came straight to me from the Clan Head.
I knew what he wanted and chuckled softly.
"Well done."
"Ha ha ha."
As he laughed awkwardly, I asked,
"What did you make of Shin Eung?"
"Just another warrior."
"No aura of absolute mastery? No sharp sword intent?"
"Aren't those just illusions and preconceptions?"
"Ho. If you already see that, you'll reach the peak in no time."
Tang Ji-in flinched.
"Me?"
"People trap themselves in illusions. The world isn't all illusion, but realizing it opens new realms."
Something clicked in him—his pupils dilated, lost in samadhi.
I continued, guiding his sudden enlightenment.
"Like diving into water for the first time and discovering a new world, realizing how different it is from the air above."
Tang Ji-in floated as if swimming underwater.