Chapter 98
Tang Gon inwardly smiled bitterly.
'These old men. The moment I master the Tang Clan's secret arts, they come running without delay.'
Tang Pyo had been one of the neutral faction who had never supported either Tang Ryeong or Tang Bi.
Yet upon hearing the rumor that Tang Gon had received the Pear Blossom Leaf from Tang Pae and entered the Secret Cave, he had sought him out.
"Do you mean to do this with less than a month remaining?" Tang Gon asked.
Tang Pyo responded with a composed smile. "What does the date matter? Ultimately, it's the Family Head who will decide."
"But to suddenly offer me your support—it's rather bewildering."
"Personal ability is important, of course, but the position of Young Clan Head requires solid backing. Without supporters, even if the Family Head chooses you, maintaining that position would be difficult."
After taking a sip of tea, he continued, "That's why your brothers are desperately gathering their own factions."
"I'm aware."
Even if Tang Pae wished to choose Tang Gon, without firm support, it would be impossible.
To become the next Family Head, securing the backing of at least one-third of the Tang Clan's blood relatives was the bare minimum.
"This old man came here because the blood kin of the One Star Hall and the Medical God Hall have reached a consensus. With this, you won't be lacking when it comes to being chosen as the Young Clan Head."
"You wouldn't do this without reason. What do you want in return?"
At Tang Gon's blunt question, Tang Pyo nodded with apparent satisfaction.
"You've truly changed. You were always polite and kind-hearted."
After pausing to sip his tea, Tang Pyo nodded again.
"But that wasn't the demeanor of a Young Clan Head. Now, however, you seem ready."
As Tang Gon stared at him intently, Tang Pyo spoke in a low voice.
"The condition is simple. You must prove you're a force equal to Tang Ryeong and Tang Bi."
His gaze flickered briefly toward Bu Eun-seol and Heuk-pyo before he added, "Handle Blood Poison Valley—they've been provoking the main family's patience for some time now. That should settle everything."
"Blood Poison Valley... you mean?"
When Tang Pyo nodded, Tang Gon's face darkened.
'This is an unreasonable demand.'
Blood Poison Valley had originally been nothing more than a minor Unorthodox Faction sect tucked away in Gwangjung Mountain.
But over the past decade, their power had suddenly surged, and recently, they had even begun cultivating Poison People—those unafraid of the Tang Clan's poisons and hidden weapons.
At present, Tang Gon's only reliable forces were Bu Eun-seol and Heuk-pyo.
With just the two of them, dealing with Blood Poison Valley was utterly impossible.
"That's..."
Just as Tang Gon began to shake his head, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"Accept it."
"What are you saying? Blood Poison Valley is—"
"I have a plan."
Seeing the glint in Bu Eun-seol's eyes and his expression, Tang Gon felt a surge of confidence.
Somehow, an inexplicable faith had taken root in him—that with Bu Eun-seol, even the impossible could be made possible.
"Very well. I'll do it."
"Good."
Tang Pyo nodded approvingly.
"You must think I'm making an unreasonable demand, don't you? But I truly intend to support you."
He spoke calmly.
"You've had no backing until now. If you don't accomplish something as significant as this, winning over the hearts of the Inner Court's blood kin will be impossible."
It was a reasonable point.
With less than a month until the Young Clan Head's selection, if Tang Gon didn't pull off something this extraordinary, few among the blood relatives would be willing to trust and support him—a man who had always been an outsider.
"Don't worry."
Tang Gon stood up and clasped his hands together firmly.
"I will handle Blood Poison Valley without fail. In return, Uncle Pyo, you must keep your promise as well."
"Of course. If I came here to spout empty words, I wouldn't have bothered in the first place."
Tang Pyo rose with a gentle smile.
"Then, I wish you good fortune."
Once Tang Pyo had finally left, Tang Gon, who had been tense the entire time, let out a sigh and slumped into his seat.
"These old men never miss an opportunity."
"Old ginger is the spiciest," Bu Eun-seol remarked.
Tang Gon exhaled deeply. "I trust you, but this seems like too much of a stretch."
"It's not a stretch at all."
"Blood Poison Valley isn't some backwater martial trial hall—it's a sect that controls the entire Blackwater region! And you expect the three of us to just waltz in and take them down?"
Bu Eun-seol replied impassively, "You have troops, don't you?"
"Troops? What troops am I unaware of?"
"Didn't Tang Ryeong promise to lend you Masters from the Poison Arrow Party and the Eight Arms Party before?"
Tang Gon couldn't help but make a disbelieving face.
"You actually believed him? Besides, the situation now is different from back then."
At the time, Tang Ryeong had intended to lend him forces to use Tang Gon as a buffer against Tang Bi.
But now that Tang Gon had officially risen as a Young Clan Head candidate, would Tang Ryeong still help him? Tang Gon doubted it.
"No matter how good-natured Elder Brother is, he absolutely won't aid me this time."
"On the contrary. He will definitely provide troops."
"Why?"
Bu Eun-seol wore a confident expression as he answered.
"He carries the pride of being the Tang Clan's firstborn. If only to preserve his own dignity, he'll lend you some forces."
"Just... the Poison Arrow Party? Is that what you're saying?"
Inside the Calligraphy and Painting Pavilion, in Tang Ryeong's office.
Tang Gon, seated at the table, suppressed his overwhelming disappointment as he asked. Tang Ryeong smiled and nodded.
"My apologies. Even with my orders, the Hall Leaders refused..."
Originally, Tang Ryeong had promised to lend Tang Gon both the Poison Arrow Party and the Eight Arms Party.
But now, he was offering just the Poison Arrow Party—and even that consisted of newly trained recruits.
'Newly trained recruits?'
Tang Gon nearly burst out laughing at the absurdity.
Throwing inexperienced recruits straight into a fierce battle was unthinkable.
And there was another problem.
If he took a large number of young fighters and suffered heavy casualties, the failure would be all the more glaring.
"Do you require additional troops?"
The rumor that Tang Gon was heading to Blood Poison Valley had already spread widely throughout the Tang Clan.
Yet Tang Ryeong pretended as if he were unaware, forcing an apologetic expression.
Tang Gon was no longer fooled by the mask of warmth and kindness his elder brother wore.
"Not at all," Tang Gon replied with a faint smile, shaking his head.
"Thanks to you, Elder Brother, I have the support of the Poison Arrow Party's young unit members. I am truly grateful."
"I'm glad to hear you say that."
Tang Ryeong patted Tang Gon's shoulder with feigned regret.
"I'll immediately dispatch the Poison Arrow Party's members to Clear Yang Retreat."
"Thank you, Eldest Brother."
Tang Gon bowed deeply, hands clasped together.
As he left with an indifferent expression, Tang Ryeong's smile slowly hardened as he watched him go.
"That was an unnecessary promise."
The gentle smile vanished from Tang Ryeong's face, leaving behind a serpentine sharpness, as if he had just shed his skin.
"I never expected Father to suddenly change his mind."
Since returning from the Secret Cave, Tang Gon had not only changed in bearing but had undergone a complete change in personality.
Normally, he would have been unable to hide his emotions, but now, he concealed his thoughts like a sly fox.
"You shouldn't have given him the Poison Arrow Party either."
Tang Seo-rin, standing silently at his side, spoke in a low voice.
"Even if they've just completed training, every member of the Poison Arrow Party is a warrior worth a hundred men."
"Heh. Training and real combat experience are two different things."
Tang Ryeong's cold gaze melted back into a gentle smile as he spoke leisurely.
"Young warriors are all bravado and no experience. Those without real battle experience will only be dead weight."
"Is that... really so?"
"Of course. In any case, Tang Gon is bound to fail. The only ones who will suffer are the young members of the Poison Arrow Party."
Despite his words, Tang Ryeong's expression lacked its usual composure.
Seeing Tang Gon's changed demeanor and the way he concealed his true thoughts, Tang Ryeong felt as if his younger brother had closed the gap between them to a hair's breadth.
'Am I really feeling uneasy over the third son, who was never even in my sight before?'
Shaking his head, Tang Ryeong forced a smile.
'No, it's just paranoia. He'll fail regardless.'
No matter how much Tang Gon had improved by learning the Tang Clan's secret arts, Blood Poison Valley was a major faction with its own formidable forces.
With just this handful of troops, he wouldn't even be able to deal them a meaningful blow.
'That man...'
Only then did Tang Gon realize there was another major variable—an unknown factor named Bu Eun-seol.
Whoosh.
Young men clad in black martial uniforms moved like the wind, their movement techniques swift and precise.
Each carried a short sword on their back and a pouch of hidden weapons made of deer leather at their waist.
They were the newly trained members of the Poison Arrow Party, about to see their first real battle.
'Hm.'
Bu Eun-seol, watching from the rear, narrowed his eyes as he observed their footwork.
'Better than I expected.'
True to their reputation as masters of hidden weapons, their movement techniques were refined and disciplined for freshly trained warriors.
Under normal circumstances, Bu Eun-seol might have even offered them a word of praise.
'But they won't last in real combat.'
In group battles, experience mattered more than anything.
If these men were thrown into battle as they were now, they would panic, falter, and ultimately lose their lives for nothing.
Shhh.
Finally arriving at Gwangjung Mountain, where Blood Poison Valley lay, Tang Gon raised his hand at the front of the group.
The Poison Arrow Party's young warriors immediately halted and crouched low.
"That is Blood Poison Valley."
At Tang Gon's words, the young warriors all looked down into the ravine.
Most sects named after "valleys" fortified their territory like a stronghold, taking advantage of the terrain.
But Blood Poison Valley had no need for such measures—every one of its members was a Poison Person, unafraid of ambushes.
"From now on, you all will—"
Tang Gon's words trailed off as he sighed.
The young warriors were frozen with tension, their bodies stiff before their first battle.
'If we deploy them like this, they'll be wiped out.'
Then, Bu Eun-seol stepped forward.
"I have a plan."
"A plan?"
Bu Eun-seol turned to the Poison Arrow Party's warriors.
"You lack real combat experience, but your movement techniques are impressive."
Masters of hidden weapons needed speed in both hands and feet.
As the foremost experts in concealed weaponry, the Tang Clan was also renowned for their movement techniques.
"Order them to infiltrate Blood Poison Valley covertly, with Heuk-pyo leading the way."
"Infiltrate? And then?"
"Set fire to key buildings."
"Fire... you say?"
"Not enough to burn everything down—just enough to draw attention. No need for direct combat. Just disrupt those trying to extinguish the flames."
Tang Gon frowned, shaking his head after a moment of thought.
"We are not bandits. No matter how vile Blood Poison Valley is as an unorthodox faction, setting fires to attack them is unjust."
"It's only to divert their attention. Not a real fire."
Bu Eun-seol spoke impassively.
"Blood Poison Valley specializes in poison and hidden weapons, just like your clan. There's only one thing they'll prioritize protecting."
Tang Gon's eyes flashed in realization.
"Somewhere like our clan's Myriad Poison Vault."
For poison-based sects, poison was their most valuable asset.
The Sichuan Tang Clan's Myriad Poison Vault stored not only countless deadly toxins crafted through their secret arts but also priceless spirit beasts like the White Crane Spirit Serpent and the Myriad Poison Golden Tortoise—creatures that couldn't be bought even for a fortune.
Blood Poison Valley, as a poison-centric sect, would naturally have a similar vault.
"High-ranking members will be the ones guarding it. If a fire breaks out, they'll rush there immediately."
"I see."
Tang Gon nodded as if everything had become clear.
Diversionary Operation.
Bu Eun-seol intended to start a fire to divert the enemy's attention and troops, then swiftly eliminate the high command during the chaos.