Chapter 114
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: Crisis of the Tang Clan
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A single hawk perched on Shin Eung's shoulder.
Shin Eung opened the messenger tube, pulled out the letter, read it, and handed it over to Neung Heo.
"Hahaha, finally those rats have taken the bait."
"Then let's begin."
Neung Heo suddenly led three hundred Demonic Cult warriors away and vanished.
Watching this, Tang Myeong frowned.
He couldn't fathom the Demonic Cult's intentions.
Neung Heo was taking his three hundred Demonic Cult warriors back to the manor where Mo Donggwak was staying.
The distance from their original position to the manor was less than the time it took for a single meal, even using lightness skill.
They had deliberately chosen a manor near the Tang Clan for Mo Donggwak's stay, aiming for this very moment.
Now that the Murim Alliance warriors had fallen into their trap, Shin Eung and Neung Heo were thrilled.
But the Tang Clan had no idea what purpose lay behind the Demonic Cult warriors' withdrawal.
'What are those bastards up to? Why pretend to pull back their forces?'
Not knowing the Demonic Cult's scheme, Tang Myeong decided to focus on the enemies right in front of him.
Shin Eung smirked and beckoned toward the rear.
A man was dragged out, bound tightly with ropes.
It was Tang Pae.
Tang Myeong scowled at the sight of Tang Pae.
His son Tang Pae was currently in the Tang Clan grounds, working with the warriors to capture the poison beasts that had escaped the poison grounds.
He had seen it with his own eyes before leaving.
"Who is that man?"
Tang Myeong assumed Shin Eung was up to some trick and asked.
"Father!"
Tang Pae cried out desperately at the sight of Tang Myeong.
"Father?"
"It's me, Father. Your eldest son, Tang Pae."
"Nonsense! My son is back at the main house."
Shin Eung laughed boisterously.
"Tang Clan Head, do you still think the Tang Pae at your clan is the real one? Your eyesight must be terrible."
As Tang Myeong and the Tang Clan elders' faces darkened, Shin Eung laughed heartily, then shouted with infused inner energy.
"Sixth Tang Lord, reveal your true form!"
One man shot up from the left thicket and landed beside Shin Eung.
The Tang Clan warriors buzzed at the sight of Yuk Bo, who looked exactly like Tang Pae.
"Who do you think released the poison beasts from the Tang Clan's poison grounds?"
Shin Eung muttered before turning to Yuk Bo.
"Sixth Tang Lord, return to your original appearance."
At those words, the smooth face of Tang Pae transformed into that of a middle-aged man.
"This man is one of our cult's lords, and there's probably no one in the martial world better at disguise techniques than him."
Tang Myeong and the Tang Clan members, who had believed he was the real Tang Pae until now, were stunned.
In the midst of everyone's bewilderment, Shin Eung maintained his calm demeanor and noticed a man watching him intently.
He hadn't noticed before because he was apart from Tang Myeong, but the man held a single sword and wore scholar's robes.
Suspecting who it was, Shin Eung pointed a finger at him.
"You're that Cheon Taesan!"
Cheon Taesan replied straightforwardly.
"I am Cheon Taesan."
"So you're the one who killed Division Leader O Juhyang's hawk messenger!"
"You mean O Juhyang's division leader?"
"That's right!"
"I saw it with my own eyes. O Juhyang's division leader died by my hand."
"Then you must know this spot today will be your grave!"
"We'll see. Let's not presume whose grave this will be today."
"They say a young pup doesn't fear the tiger, but you shouldn't have shown up here."
Cheon Taesan smiled faintly and asked Shin Eung.
"That Fifth Division Leader withdrew earlier. Where exactly did he go? He's not encircling the Tang Clan, so is he fleeing?"
Cheon Taesan had expanded his energy sense to three hundred jang, but he couldn't detect their presence.
They had come to attack, yet weren't within three hundred jang, meaning some other scheme was afoot.
"What nonsense? He's circling around to surround the Tang Clan."
"What joke is this? There's no trace of their energy within three hundred jang."
"You think a kid like you can sense every presence within three hundred jang? Ridiculous. Who would believe that?"
At that moment, Tang Pae shouted.
"Father, save me!"
Frustrated that no one paid attention to him despite being bound, Tang Pae yelled.
Only then did Shin Eung turn his interest to Tang Pae.
"Right, I almost forgot about this one. Tang Clan Head, what should we do with him?"
"We gave the antidote and were supposed to receive Tang Pae, but got a fake instead. Isn't it only right to return the real one?"
Tang Myeong remained surprisingly composed.
"Fake or not, we did hand over Tang Pae. So there's no debt left between us."
Tang Myeong's tone had changed.
"That's a shame if you think that way. In that case, I suppose I have no choice but to reveal a little secret. Can you be certain that the formless poison is completely neutralized with the antidote we gave? Truth be told, I'm only mentioning it now, but the formless poison requires two antidotes to be fully cured."
"Hahaha! You expect me to believe such nonsense?"
Shin Eung thought Tang Myeong was stalling since he wouldn't get Tang Pae.
Still, to confirm, he asked.
"That claim! Can you swear on the name of the Tang Clan's founder?"
For a martial artist, the honor of their school's or clan's founder was something to defend even at the cost of life.
No one considered those who sullied a founder's name as true martial artists.
For martial artists, no crime was heavier than deceiving one's master and scorning one's ancestors.
"I swear. I swear on the name of our main house's founder."
If it were a lie, Tang Myeong could never regain his former honor.
That meant his words now were the truth.
Only then did Shin Eung grasp the gravity and burst into laughter.
"Not like the head of one of the Five Great Clans to be so cunning."
"How could one face the Demonic Cult without some trickery!"
Tang Myeong shot back.
"Fine, bring the second antidote! We'll exchange it for the real Tang Pae this time."
At those words, Tang Myeong turned and nodded to an elder, who shot toward the Tang Clan like an arrow.
The revelation that two antidotes were needed to cure the formless poison was unexpected, and even I let out an admiring whistle.
'As expected. The Tang Clan won't go down without a fight.'
They weren't one of the Five Great Clans for nothing.
Soon, the elder returned with the antidote, and Shin Eung asked.
"How can we trust that's the real one?"
"On this too, I swear on the name of our founder."
"Fine. Let's exchange. But the scholar has to bring it over."
Tang Myeong frowned at Shin Eung's odd demand.
"That's beyond my authority."
I approached Tang Myeong without concern.
"I'll deliver the antidote and bring Young Master Tang back."
Tang Myeong looked at me for a moment before speaking.
"Forgive me. If Shin Eung tries anything, leave Tang Pae and escape."
In the moment of crisis, Tang Myeong exuded the air of a great hero.
I smiled brightly.
"Shin Eung will likely want to kill me, so he'll attack before I can bring Young Master Tang. When I throw Young Master Tang, please catch him, Clan Head."
Tang Myeong nodded.
As we formed a sound barrier to converse, Shin Eung sneered.
"What conspiracy are you plotting for so long? Hurry up and bring the antidote."
Shin Eung clenched and unclenched his fists, eager to kill me quickly.
I took the antidote and walked toward Shin Eung.
The closer I got, the more Shin Eung grinned like he was in bliss.
"Hand over the antidote."
I stopped three jang from Shin Eung.
"Release Young Master Tang first."
"Hand it over right now, or this one's throat gets slit here."
Frustrated by our back-and-forth, Tang Pae spat curses at me.
"Hey, you scholar bastard! Why so much talk? Give the antidote to the Division Leader now!"
Tang Pae was only thinking of saving himself, blind to the bigger picture.
His selfishness narrowed his vision.
As Tang Pae screamed for his own life, the Tang Clan warriors winced.
The young clan head taken hostage was humiliating enough, but his petty begging turned their stomachs.
"Hahaha! Didn't you hear Tang Pae? Hand over the antidote now."
"I can't do that. Release Young Master Tang first. Then I'll give it."
Shin Eung irritably addressed Tang Myeong.
"Tang Clan Head, isn't this breaking our agreement?"
Tang Myeong replied calmly.
"I've already handed the antidote to the Scholar Sword Immortal. The rest is up to him."
Shin Eung scoffed.
"Playing it this way, huh? Fine. Take Young Master Tang to that scholar and get the antidote."
A subordinate dragged the bound Tang Pae toward me.
Tang Pae glared at me and said.
"You should be thinking of rescuing me fast. Why haggle! Do I look like a joke? Who the hell are you?!"
It would be better if he shut up, but Tang Pae had no such intention.
Every time he spoke, sighs leaked from the Tang Clan side.
I could feel the Tang Clan warriors' hearts turning away from him.
I ignored him and handed over the jade bottle with the antidote.
The subordinate took the bottle and passed it to Shin Eung.
I turned to the yammering Tang Pae.
"Shut your mouth. Can't you read the room? Your life's on the line."
Frightened by my aura, Tang Pae blinked at me.
Shin Eung didn't particularly care if this antidote was real or not.
There were big fish to be caught en masse at the manor, which he could use for bargaining.
Moreover, since Tang Myeong had sworn on his founder's name, he believed it was genuine.
'One thing's for sure—those hypocrites of the orthodox martial world stake their lives on honor like idiots.'
Now it was time to offer a sacrifice at O Juhyang's grave.
As Cheon Taesan slowly backed away with Tang Pae, Shin Eung gathered his inner energy and exuded fist aura.
As if anticipating it, Cheon Taesan kicked Tang Pae squarely in the gut.
Thud!
"Argh!"
Tang Pae screamed as vomit spewed from the powerful blow.
"That scholar bastard's trying to kill me! Kill him!"
Even flying through the air, Tang Pae spewed vitriol at Cheon Taesan.
Disgusted by the sight, the Tang Clan warriors turned their heads away.
The occasional glances toward Tang Pae were filled with revulsion.
Who could have guessed the Tang Clan's young heir would act so pettily, begging for his life?
Who would follow someone groveling to a Demonic Cult division leader and cursing the very man risking his life to save him?
Having witnessed Tang Pae's true colors laid bare, the Tang Clan warriors didn't even glance when an elder caught the falling Tang Pae.
Tang Myeong sighed at the scene.
'Pae is finished. The main house warriors' hearts have left him.'
With that, Tang Myeong realized Tang Pae could never be the young clan head.
And he was disappointed that his son's capabilities amounted to so little.
'A person's true caliber is revealed in danger and adversity. Yet Pae's display is worse than even our clan's lowliest warrior.'
The Tang Clan Head had to be astute and cold-blooded, but above all, embody unwavering dignity as the supreme virtue.
Tang Pae lacked all three.
Tang Myeong's gaze naturally shifted to Tang Ji-in.
He was burning with fighting spirit, ready to charge the Demonic Cult warriors at any moment.
Watching Shin Eung attack Cheon Taesan, Tang Ji-in bellowed.
"We are the Tang Clan's warriors! The Tang Clan that only finds satisfaction in vengeance even in death! The Tang Clan warriors who take a few enemies with them even in dying! Is there anyone willing to fight and die following me?!"
"We'll fight and die with Fourth Young Master! We'll make the Demonic Cult bastards convulse at the mere mention of Tang Zeman!"
Tang Ji-in restored the pride shattered by Tang Pae, igniting the Tang Clan warriors.
"Tang Clan warriors! Let's die like true Tang Clan warriors!"
As Tang Ji-in charged ahead, the Tang Clan warriors followed.
Flanking Tang Ji-in were one-armed Tang Jin-ok and Tang Garyeong.
Watching this, Tang Jeol, standing beside Tang Myeong, muttered.
"Clan Head Brother, now I see Ji-in takes after your spirit."
Tang Myeong murmured.
"Even if the main house's forces suffer greatly in today's battle, the future looks bright."
Tang Myeong surged forward.
It felt as if the blindfold over his eyes had finally been lifted.