Chapter 95
The Poison Spirit Extinguishing Art was not a Poison Art—it was a martial technique capable of absorbing all Extreme Poisons of the Tang Clan, and being diametrically opposed to the Five Poisons Silk Transformation Art Tang Bi had mastered.
When Tang Gon casually tossed out his taunts, Tang Bi's eyes became bloodshot with rage.
"You bastard..."
"How noisy. Now that we've settled our business, let's take our leave."
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol pointed at Tang Bi while digging at his ear as if irritated.
"All that screeching is making my ears hurt."
"You—you little—!"
"My apologies. It seems our Second Young Master here has always been... vocally gifted."
Tang Gon ignored Tang Bi entirely, flashing Bu Eun-seol a cheerful grin instead. Then, with his hands clasped respectfully, he turned to Tang Ryeong and Gam Gok.
"Then, we shall take our leave."
"Tang Gon! Have you finally lost your mind?!"
Enraged, Tang Bi reached for the hidden weapon pouch at his waist.
"You'd better be prepared for this!"
"Second Elder Brother—no, Second Brother."
In that instant, a cold blue light flickered in Tang Gon's eyes.
"I am entering the Secret Cave under the direct order of the Family Head. Do you understand what that means?"
"What? 'Do I understand'? Who the hell do you think you're—"
"If you utter even one more word, I won't enter the Secret Cave; I'll personally report to the Family Head that you are obstructing me in defiance of his sacred command."
"Hah—hahahaha!"
For a moment, Tang Bi wore a dazed expression before bursting into scornful laughter.
"So this is all just empty bluster? You're threatening to tattle to Father now? You worthless—!"
"Elder Brother, Cave Lord Gam. We'll be going now."
Completely disregarding Tang Bi's provocation, Tang Gon clasped his hands once more toward Tang Ryeong and Gam Gok.
Then, shoulder-to-shoulder with Bu Eun-seol, he walked away.
"I'll return within four days. When I do, let's drink until our noses go crooked."
"Of course."
"Hahaha! I'll crack open every last bottle of Jiannan Spring in the Clear Radiance Cottage's cellar—all brewed with the Main House's secret methods!"
Watching Tang Gon laugh heartily as he departed with Bu Eun-seol, Tang Bi trembled uncontrollably.
"That... that damned bastard, how dare he?!"
Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, his lips curled into a vicious smile, and he nodded slowly.
"Heh. Fine. Let's see how this plays out."
Without another glance back, he vanished into the opposite direction.
With Tang Bi gone, the murderous aura dissipated entirely.
Gam Gok, who had been standing beside Tang Ryeong, watched Tang Gon leave and let out a hearty laugh.
"Hohoho. It seems the Third Young Master has changed quite a bit after weathering storms in the Martial World."
In the past, Tang Gon had always been known as an amiable and refined man, the kind anyone would call gentle.
But now, of all people, he was openly ignoring that madman Tang Bi? The old Tang Gon would never have dared imagine such a thing.
"Indeed."
Tang Ryeong nodded slightly, his eyes narrowing.
"He's changed completely."
As he watched Tang Gon's retreating figure, Tang Ryeong exhaled deeply.
He had only hoped Tang Gon would grow strong enough to hold his own against Tang Bi. But now, in the blink of an eye, he had transformed from a mere lesser dragon into a Hidden Dragon—one that even threatened his own position.
'It's because of him.'
Tang Ryeong's gaze lingered on Bu Eun-seol's back as he walked beside Tang Gon, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
Under the glow of a full moon in the dead of night,
Tang Ryeong stood by the window, admiring the moonlight embroidered across the dark sky.
Beside him stood a woman with her hair tied up, clad in rough martial attire.
It was Tang Seo-rin, the leader of the Poison Wind Corps—Tang Ryeong's personal guard.
"It seems the time to make a choice has come."
Tang Ryeong took a sip of tea from the cup on the table.
He had been born with pulmonary distension (asthma), and as he grew older, he developed a severe coughing sickness.
For a martial artist, whose craft demanded exceptional stamina and cardiorespiratory endurance, this was a fatal limitation.
But in exchange for his frail body, he possessed extraordinary intelligence and cunning. Thus, from a young age, Tang Ryeong had preferred reading over martial training.
By the age of ten, even the Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion—a man acquainted with Tang Pae—had praised his scholarship...
Rather than making a name for himself through martial prowess, Tang Ryeong had first gained renown as the Sichuan Tang Clan's eldest son through his academic achievements.
"Should I drink with my second brother? Or with Bu Eun-seol—that man?"
As Tang Ryeong murmured softly, Tang Seo-rin, who had been standing respectfully behind him, spoke cautiously.
"Of course, you should meet with the Second Young Master and share a drink."
"Why?"
"The Second Young Master already grinds his teeth at the mere mention of Bu Eun-seol. If you meet him and provoke him just right, they'll both destroy themselves."
"Are you suggesting I employ the Borrowed Knife Murder strategy? Heh heh. That's not a bad idea."
Tang Ryeong swallowed the tea he had been holding in his mouth and smiled faintly.
"But there's an even better plan than borrowing another's blade to kill someone."
"What would that be?"
"Seizing the enemy's sharp sword and making it my own."
A clear smile hung at the corners of Tang Ryeong's lips as he looked at Tang Seo-rin.
The smile was pure, yet in another light, it resembled the wicked grin of a child who couldn't distinguish right from wrong.
Step. Step.
Bu Eun-seol followed the young martial artist's guidance toward the massive gate leading into the Tang Clan's Inner Court.
Creak.
As the vermilion-lacquered gate slowly swung open, the young martial artist extended his hand politely.
"Please, this way."
Following the martial artist's lead, Bu Eun-seol stepped through the gate, and a landscape entirely different from the Outer Court unfolded before his eyes.
'It's different.'
Bu Eun-seol's eyes flashed as he surveyed his surroundings.
The pavilions of the Outer Court, where he had been staying, were grand and majestic, built in a style befitting Chengdu's famous scenic sites.
But the buildings of the Inner Court were constructed in a lavish, aristocratic manner—as if reserved for kings and nobles.
"Please ascend here."
The place where the martial artist finally stopped guiding him was an open pavilion with an unobstructed view on all sides.
When Bu Eun-seol climbed up, he found a drinking table prepared.
Before a large table laden with delicacies from land and sea sat a man with phoenix-like eyes—Tang Ryeong himself.
"Thank you for accepting my sudden invitation."
Tang Ryeong rose from his seat and clasped his hands respectfully. Bu Eun-seol returned the gesture with a light bow.
"Think nothing of it."
Though Bu Eun-seol had entered the Sichuan Tang Clan, he had yet to even glimpse the Inner Court until now.
Moreover, Tang Ryeong was a central figure in the succession struggle.
For Bu Eun-seol, who had resolved to aid Tang Gon, sharing a drink with Tang Ryeong was something he dared not request—yet deeply desired.
"Please, sit."
The liquor Tang Ryeong had prepared was not Sichuan's famed Jiannan Spring, but Pear Blossom Wine, brewed by the Tang Clan's own cooks.
What stood out was the wine cup—not an ordinary vessel, but one carved whole from a massive piece of jade.
'An extravagant cup indeed.'
Tang Ryeong noticed Bu Eun-seol's gaze fixed on the jade cup and smiled faintly.
"The jade's emerald hue enhances the wine's fragrance."
As Bu Eun-seol took his seat, Tang Ryeong filled the jade cup to the brim with Pear Blossom Wine.
"Here, have a drink."
Gulp. Gulp.
Bu Eun-seol downed the wine in one go, his eyes widening.
He had tasted many renowned liquors during his travels through the martial world. But the Pear Blossom Wine Tang Ryeong had prepared was undoubtedly the finest he had ever drunk.
"Hahaha. Seeing such an astonished expression on Young Hero Bu's face makes me glad I brought this wine out."
Tang Ryeong laughed in satisfaction at Bu Eun-seol's reaction.
"This is a hundred-year-old Pear Blossom Wine I had reserved for when my succession was confirmed."
"A hundred-year-old Pear Blossom Wine."
Bu Eun-seol set the cup down with a cryptic smile.
"Why serve such a rare liquor to someone like me?"
"Hahaha. When sharing a drink with an extraordinary figure like Young Hero Bu, even a thousand-year-old Pear Blossom Wine wouldn't be wasted!"
Tang Ryeong chuckled heartily as he refilled the cup.
"Come now, drink. Let's share three more cups before we talk."
The hundred-year-old Pear Blossom Wine was as potent as its fragrance.
Though Bu Eun-seol, with his deep internal energy, remained unaffected, the physically frail Tang Ryeong's face flushed slightly after consecutive drinks.
"Young Hero Bu. I've heard that those of your temperament despise roundabout speech. Am I correct?"
Bu Eun-seol nodded indifferently. Tang Ryeong narrowed his eyes.
"Then I shall speak plainly."
Tang Ryeong took a light sip of his wine and fixed his gaze directly on Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"I, too, wish to become your close friend."
Upon hearing those words, Bu Eun-seol unconsciously furrowed his brow.
Tang Ryeong's desire to become his close friend—this was no mere offer of simple camaraderie.
It was a proposal to betray Tang Gon and side with him instead.
"We are not of an age to be friends."
"Hahaha. In the martial world, there are no small number of people who form friendships that transcend age. Have you not heard the saying, 'friendship between generations'?"
Bu Eun-seol stared at the transparent Pear Blossom Wine in his jade cup and replied flatly,
"I am but a wanderer of the martial world."
"You are a Dragon Among Men, a rarity even in this era. Though I am merely the first son of the Tang Clan, I am not so unworthy as to be unfit for your friendship."
"Hm."
Bu Eun-seol detested roundabout speech.
Yet, he had still phrased his refusal indirectly—a small courtesy to preserve Tang Ryeong's dignity.
But now that the man had cast aside all pretense and clung stubbornly, there was no longer any need for politeness.
"I do not associate with those who hide their true selves."
Even in the face of this cold rejection, Tang Ryeong merely smiled faintly.
"A beast always hides its claws."
Then, he stared straight into Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
"Just like you."
—You and I are the same kind.
Tang Ryeong's eyes seemed to say as much.
But Bu Eun-seol cut him off coldly once more.
"I refuse."
"..."
Tang Ryeong shifted his gaze, which had been fixed on Bu Eun-seol, to his own wine cup.
A pleasant smile still lingered at the corners of his lips.
"Do you believe the third son will become the Young Clan Head?"
After a long silence, Tang Ryeong spoke again.
"To be frank, that child's chances of becoming the Young Clan Head are even lower than Tang Bi's."
He spoke with an expression of absolute confidence.
"You are an intelligent man. I assume you understand well what it means to form ties with the future Young Clan Head."
—I will become the Tang Clan's Young Clan Head. And if you befriend me, you too will reap great benefits.
That was what Tang Ryeong was implying.
"You seem to be under some misconception."
Uncharacteristically, Bu Eun-seol allowed a faint smile to touch his lips.
"Do you think I associate with Tang Gon because I believe he will become the Young Clan Head?"
Faced with that faint smile, Tang Ryeong unconsciously wiped the smile from his own lips.
"Very well. Then let me make you another offer."
His playful demeanor gone, Tang Ryeong spoke with a serious expression.
"After today, leave the main estate. If you depart quietly, I will compensate you accordingly."
"Compensation?"
"If you desire money, I will give you money. If you desire divine weapons and sharp blades, I will open the Great Arsenal for you."
All he had to do was leave the Tang Clan, and he would receive whatever he wished.
From Bu Eun-seol's perspective, it was an unprecedented offer with no downside. Yet, his expression remained unchanged.
"Do you not believe me?"
"I do."
Tang Ryeong was the first son of Tang Pae, with many factions supporting him.
Weapons and gold from within the Tang Clan were things he could easily procure or possess.
"Then will you leave?"
"I must decline."
There was nothing more to hear, and no reason to remain seated.
Setting down his wine cup, Bu Eun-seol slowly rose from his seat.
"The wine was excellent."
Then, without hesitation, he turned away.
"Sigh."
At that moment, Tang Ryeong let out a low, deep sigh.
"I truly had no wish to make an enemy of you."
With a regretful click of his tongue, as if he had shattered a fine piece of porcelain, Tang Ryeong shook his head.
"In one month's time, my father will decide the next Young Clan Head."
Halt.
As Bu Eun-seol stopped mid-step, Tang Ryeong spoke again, his voice laced with mischief.
"But Tang Bi is not the type to wait quietly until then. Do you understand what I mean?"
"Heh."
Turning his head slightly, Bu Eun-seol bared his white teeth in a smile brighter than any he had shown before.
"That sounds entertaining."
Then, he turned fully and descended the pavilion steps at a leisurely pace.
Crunch.
The moment Bu Eun-seol's figure vanished completely, the jade cup in Tang Ryeong's hand shattered into pieces.
"What an extraordinarily confident man."
As he looked at the pulverized jade cup, Tang Ryeong's eyes sharpened like the edge of a blade.
"But this estate is no place a mere wanderer like you can handle."
A chilling killing intent—one unseen until now—rippled through Tang Ryeong's icy gaze as he murmured lowly.
"Bu Eun-seol, in the end, you will die here."