The Greatest Under Heaven
The greatest clan under heaven.
Anyone born into the murim dreams of becoming the greatest under heaven at least once. Usually that dream is what the young masters of famous houses settle for after reality smacks them down once and forces them to compromise.
Dang Geoho must have carried a deep grudge as a man of the Sichuan Dang Clan. Even a renowned house counted among the finest in the murim still draws whispered fingers behind its back; of course feelings would fester.
If only he had used that resentment as fuel for his own cultivation—if only he had polished and refined himself with it. Instead he was cutting, scraping, and chiseling other people’s bodies.
What? You want to forge the greatest clan under heaven, the one that makes every head bow?
Just admit you have no hope of becoming the greatest under heaven yourself, so you would settle for commander of the greatest poison-human army instead.
I found his murim-style logic ridiculous, but I still stepped between them to tear it apart and put an end to Uigakju’s hesitation.
“Making every head bow does not make a clan the greatest under heaven.”
I circulated the Soyun Shimsanggyeol so every ear would catch the words.
“Who the hell are you?”
If you ask who I am, common courtesy demands an answer.
Last survivor of the Kang family. Moyong Sang-ah’s fiancé. Childhood friend of the Heavenly Killing Star. Close friend who loves to mess with the Dang Clan’s rising talent. Best friend of Dang Hwarin. Author of Dangga Pungun under the pen name Hopil.
“A guest of the Sichuan Dang Clan. Right now I am simply the one speaking for the Medical Pavilion in place of its heavy silence—same as those black-clad men of yours.”
I had plenty more titles, but saying I did not know him might make him pout, so I cut it short.
Dang Geoho shot Uigakju a puzzled look at my declaration. Uigakju simply nodded, confirming I was their mouthpiece.
“Interesting. A guest of the black-haired-hating Uigakju… Fine. What did you just say?”
“I said making every head bow does not make a clan the greatest under heaven. That is the path of unorthodox dogs who love forcing others into submission and slavery. It is not the path of the greatest clan under heaven.”
What I really wanted to say was, “That sounds like Demonic Cult garbage. Are you possessed by a devil?” But a hidden weapon would probably fly the second I did, so I used the unorthodox sects as my example.
“If every head bows, that clan is the greatest under heaven.”
Dang Geoho sneered as if he had just heard the most absurd nonsense.
Laughing now? Let me show you who is funny.
“Ridiculous. If strength alone decided the greatest under heaven, then where is the Qin Empire of the First Emperor today, and how did the undefeated Hegemon-King of a thousand victories end up a laughingstock?”
First I knocked his logic with the two most famous examples of pure force.
“…Because their power was insufficient.”
If even those two were “insufficient,” he would need to drag a god down here. Dang Geoho averted his eyes, clearly dissatisfied with his own answer.
When a crack appears in the logic, drive the blade in at once.
“The greatest clan under heaven cannot be built by forcing every head to bow.”
I shook my head with the expression of a man listening to utter nonsense.
“So you, like that Uigakju over there, want to dismiss the greatest clan under heaven as empty fantasy?”
How dare he lump me with Uigakju? My face almost cracked for a second.
I forced a leisurely smile, glanced at the tense Medical Pavilion warriors, at Uigakju, and at Hwarin, then poured every ounce of resolve into my voice as I shouted at Dang Geoho.
“No. A clan is called the greatest under heaven because every person lifts their head and looks up in reverence. You must be able to see awe on those upturned faces. You spoke of forcing heads to bow with strength? If the face you cannot see—because it is bowed—is twisted with curses against your house, how can that possibly be the greatest clan under heaven?”
Not the tyrant’s road, but the righteous path.
We walk the hard, straight road with our heads high. That has been the Sichuan Dang Clan until now, and that is the righteous Sichuan Dang Clan that will come.
Our path is not wrong. It is long and grueling, but at its end the greatest clan under heaven waits. Do not be shaken by temptation.
At my words the Medical Pavilion warriors nodded, faint smiles rising on their faces.
“Tch… Uigakju. Since when does a black-haired outsider speak for the Dang Clan?”
Outargued, Dang Geoho clicked his tongue and turned on Uigakju.
“Continue.”
Why was he staring so hard? Uigakju never even looked at Dang Geoho; he simply smiled and urged me on.
“You claim you will gain power for the clan and make it the greatest under heaven. How can a man who says he acts for the clan perform such vicious experiments on his own flesh and blood?”
“A small sacrifice is sometimes necessary.”
“Small? Hey! What the hell did you just say?”
Hwarin’s furious voice rang out behind me.
“Hwarin. Wait. Hold it.”
I grabbed her as she tried to charge and barely managed to spin her aside.
An overwhelming softness pressed against my arm, but this was no time to notice. I filed the sensation away in the “Dang Hwarin Mad Movie” folder inside my brain’s thrush folder for later.
This bastard Dang Geoho kept recycling the “they didn’t die so it’s fine” logic. Time to smash that too.
“You called it a small pain?”
I threw the question back at him.
“Yes. For the clan, that much sacrifice can be endured.”
“Is that so? Then let me ask you this. The other illegitimate children of that lust-demon you were in charge of—do those children share the same thought? If even one of them answers yes, I will reconsider my opinion.”
Of course I would never hear that answer. Not in this lifetime.
“….”
For the first time a look of genuine distress crossed Dang Geoho’s face. You little shit. I already know every other bastard child you experimented on is dead.
“Then the other illegitimate children… surely…”
“You mean Dang Hwarin is the sole survivor of the Dokin experiments?”
“How can a man wearing a human face do such a thing!”
“The Dang Clan’s sins run deep…”
The Medical Pavilion warriors, reading the fate of those other children in Dang Geoho’s expression, let out voices thick with lament.
“How dare a man who has abandoned the human path speak of the greatest clan under heaven!”
I gathered the swelling opinion and declared it at the creature who was no longer human.
“You insolent barbarian pup! Right and wrong are decided by the strong. Once the Sichuan Dang Clan becomes the greatest under heaven, the petty chatter of the powerless can simply be trampled underfoot.”
“It becomes the greatest under heaven only when those very powerless people smile up at it in genuine reverence.”
“….”
Dang Geoho had no more answers.
“Uigakju! Is this truly your will?”
Cornered, Dang Geoho finally issued his ultimatum to Uigakju.
“…His will is the will of the Dang Clan.”
“You will die like dogs. Who will even remember this idiocy?”
“I will remember.”
I shouted it with my head high.
“What?”
“I will never forget. Everyone here will never forget. Because the ancestral saying of the Sichuan Dang Clan is…”
The Sichuan Dang Clan never forgets.
Sometimes you leave the words unsaid so they settle deeper into every heart. I left the sentence unfinished and simply looked at every person of the Medical Pavilion.
They seemed to understand. Some thumped their chests, some smiled at me, some simply nodded, each quietly turning the unspoken words over inside.
“Keuk! You will regret this!”
Dang Geoho spun on his heel and strode back to his black-clad men.
So it begins.
“For someone with a snake’s tongue, you are remarkably good at handling snakes.”
While I watched Dang Geoho’s retreating back, Uigakju stepped up beside me and offered the compliment.
“Can’t just give a pure compliment, can you?”
“I am glad I could see the purple heart inside that black hair of yours—the part I failed to notice before. Keep that heart that seeks the righteous path. Keep the courage that will stake its life. And keep wielding that tongue of yours for the people of this house.”
Uigakju spoke with the warm smile of a kindly elder relative delivering a blessing.
“What did you just say?”
“Medical Pavilion, all units! Ready!”
Ignoring my question, Uigakju turned and bellowed at his warriors.
I started this mess… can I still walk away alive?
The one hopeful point was that our numbers were greater. These were troops already on clan-leader business; I had heard they included a solid count of high-level masters.
“Yunho. Dang Pae told me to give you this.”
While I sized up the situation, Hwarin held out a small bead.
“What is it?”
A green bead, luminous enough that even someone who knew nothing about jewels could tell it was expensive.
“A Poison-Repelling Pearl. Hold it in your mouth and most poisons won’t take during a fight.”
Poison-Repelling Pearl? Top-tier anti-poison biotech straight out of a wuxia novel. Something this rare, and they were just handing it over?
I looked toward Dang Pae, moved. He only shrugged and glanced at Uigakju. So it was not from Dang Pae—Uigakju had ordered it. If you are going to give a gift, at least hand it over yourself.
“Yunho. If things go bad, run.”
Hwarin’s face was stiff with worry as she spoke to me.
“Run where in a situation like this? You’re the one who should be worrying.”
“Is that so… Thanks for earlier.”
I accepted Hwarin’s quiet thanks and turned my head.
Right now the only people I could trust were the Medical Pavilion. When I glanced at Uigakju with anxious eyes, he paid my gaze no mind at all and roared at the warriors who had finished preparing for battle.
“Are you afraid!”
“No, sir!”
“Do you want to run!”
“No, sir!”
“Do you wish to be forgotten!”
“No, sir!”
“I! We! These children! Will remember this day! So for the future of Sichuan—fight with me!”
“Loyalty!”
The decisive battle began.