Chapter 154: The Tang Clan (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 154: The Tang Clan (2)
Recalling the day Mount Qingcheng burned, Hyeonbaek’s lips pressed into a thin, hard line.
“The one leading the vanguard of the Demonic Cult forces that trampled Mount Qingcheng was none other than the Seventh Young Lady. Since she brought two units of the Nine Cult-Protecting Guards with her, one would have expected her to watch from the rear. Yet, she stood at the very front, brutally tearing our sect’s disciples apart with her slender hands.”
Hyeonbaek’s voice faltered. It seemed the horrific scenes he wished to forget kept flashing before his eyes.
“She didn’t look to have even reached twenty, yet her internal energy and martial arts surpassed most supreme experts of the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult. Above all, every single one of her movements was so incredibly sharp and instinctive that my heart leaped into my throat every few exchanges.”
As he spoke, Hyeonbaek clutched his chest.
The right side of his chest, where he had taken a direct palm strike from the Seventh Young Lady, throbbed with phantom pain.
“If we hadn’t been fighting on the grounds of the Qingcheng Sect, this old Taoist likely would have been slain by her. The more we fought, the more certain my defeat became.”
Namgung Jun looked at Hyeonbaek with a flicker of surprise.
For the leader of a mid-sized sect, Hyeonbaek was exceptionally strong. Though the Qingcheng Sect might fall short when compared to the great sects, Hyeonbaek’s own strength was a testament to the sect’s true potential.
While Namgung Jun couldn’t be certain without exchanging blows himself, Hyeonbaek’s martial skill was easily on par with that of the Great-Dusk Spear Paragon.
The fact that someone of Hyeonbaek’s caliber could not turn the tide of battle showed that the Seventh Young Lady’s martial prowess was far greater than anticipated.
“Then is the Seventh Young Lady the one commanding those two units of the Nine Cult-Protecting Guards?”
“Most likely. From what I saw, the leaders of the Nine Cult-Protecting Guards obeyed her every command.”
Namgung Jun recalled their current mission in Sichuan Province.
Upon hearing that two units of the Nine Cult-Protecting Guards had appeared in Sichuan, the Azure Heaven Association had decided to support the local righteous sects.
Preventing the downfall of the Sichuan righteous sects and stopping the Nine Cult-Protecting Guards was the mission assigned to the Azure Firmament Hall and the Mokryun Hall.
We will clash with them during this very mission.
Emerging from his thoughts, Namgung Jun looked over at Yu-seon. He watched her instructing the third-generation disciples with a smile on her face.
She looked far too normal to be suffering from a heart demon, as Hyeonbaek had claimed.
Reading the meaning behind his gaze, Hyeonbaek added, “She is a child with a firm will. Calm and composed by nature, she has always been a pillar for the second-generation disciples. After surviving a near-death experience and witnessing a talent that utterly overwhelmed her own, she seemed to struggle at first. But she regained her composure in less than a day.”
Hyeonbaek smiled bitterly.
“Of course, she hasn’t truly overcome it. She is simply forcing herself to endure, knowing the dire straits the Qingcheng Sect is in. As an elder of the sect, I feel nothing but shame. We must reclaim our home mountain as soon as possible.”
“Will you return to Mount Qingcheng once this crisis is resolved?”
“Yes. Anticipating such a crisis, we secured our sect’s most important assets in a Hidden Cave on Mount Qingcheng. As long as our people survive, the Qingcheng Sect can be rebuilt at any time.”
“The hardships you and the disciples of the Qingcheng Sect endure are immense, Sect Master.”
Hyeonbaek shook his head, his expression solemn.
“What would be the point of preserving the martial lineage of Qingcheng if we were forced to bow to the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult? The founding patriarchs of Qingcheng would never wish for that.”
“Do you not find it exhausting or overwhelming?”
Hyeonbaek slowly smiled. It was a deep, serene smile, free of any doubt or hesitation. It was like the sunset beyond the clouds that the sword of Qingcheng aspired to reach.
“Since it is what must be done, how could I feel that way? Surely the heroes of the Azure Heaven Association feel the same. Is it not the duty of a hero to walk the martial path, even against the harsh winds of the world? We, the Taoists of Qingcheng, are always ready to descend the mountain and tread the wilderness, carrying the clouds and the sunset upon our swords.”
Looking at Hyeonbaek’s bright smile, Namgung Jun could not help but smile as well.
He had often been disappointed by the Five Great Mountains Sword Sects, who claimed to be the pillars of the righteous faction. But now, he did not care. Even without them, there were clearly other righteous sects that pursued true chivalry and justice.
If sects like the Qingcheng Sect did not perish and remained in the Jianghu, a time would eventually come when they would no longer have to rely on the Five Great Mountains Sword Sects.
“As long as Qingcheng’s righteous spirit remains, the Qingcheng Sect will always stand as a pillar supporting the Jianghu.”
“Haha. Well said. We shall make sure of it.”
*
Upon receiving a message from Tang Bo-seon, Namgung Jun made his way into the inner depths of the Tang Clan.
The air surrounding the pavilion where Tang Yeo-jin resided was freezing cold. It was clearly the effect of the Yin Cold Qi leaking from her body.
“Our family has gathered several elixirs of extreme Yang, including the Red Cloud Fire Ginseng from before,” Tang Bo-seon said. “We barely managed to collect all the necessary ingredients, but the problem is that my sister is running out of time.”
“Lady Tang’s body has reached its limit, then.”
“Indeed. We have used our family’s medical arts to buy as much time as possible, but we have reached the end of our rope.”
Namgung Jun looked at the pavilion, from which a palpable chill was seeping, and asked, “What would you like me to do?”
“Originally, we planned to have her consume the medicinal decoction we prepared, then use acupuncture to guide the medicinal energy and clear the Three Yin Severed Meridian one by one. However, the success rate of that method is only about fifty to sixty percent.”
Tang Bo-seon continued, looking at Namgung Jun.
“However, if Young Hero Namgung, who has mastered scorching Yang martial arts, uses his own true qi to guide the medicinal energy, I believe the success rate will easily approach seventy percent.”
“Mmm.”
Tang Bo-seon bowed deeply.
“I know it is a heavy burden to ask you to involve yourself in a matter of life and death. Please, help my sister.”
“In the current Jianghu, I suppose I am the one most experienced in clearing severed meridians.”
Namgung Jun helped Tang Bo-seon straighten up.
“If I can save a life, of course I will help. Since I have the ability, how could I turn a blind eye?”
“Thank you so much.”
Carrying the medicinal decoction, Namgung Jun stepped inside the pavilion.
The interior was beyond merely cold; frost and thin ice clung to almost every surface.
Tang Yeo-jin lay on the bed, groaning softly, seemingly unaware of Namgung Jun’s entrance.
Namgung Jun gently took Tang Yeo-jin’s wrist, placing his fingers on her pulse point. He then slowly channeled the internal energy of the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Formula into her.
“Ah…?”
After he had channeled his internal energy for a long while to soothe the Yin Cold Qi inside her, Tang Yeo-jin slowly opened her eyes.
“Who…?”
“It has been a while, Lady Tang.”
“Young Hero Namgung?”
“I have come to help clear your Three Yin Severed Meridian.”
Tang Yeo-jin could not answer, only letting out a faint groan.
“Lady Tang, let us have you drink the medicine.”
Namgung Jun supported the dazed Tang Yeo-jin, helping her sit cross-legged, and fed her the decoction bit by bit. As the scorching Yang energy within the medicine warmed her body, Tang Yeo-jin gradually regained her senses.
“Lady Tang, I will guide your true qi to clear your Three Yin Severed Meridian. You must not lose consciousness.”
“To receive your help once again…”
“Let us talk after we are finished. Can you do this?”
Tang Yeo-jin closed her eyes and then opened them again, a fierce determination flashing in her gaze. Her resolve to never succumb to the Three Yin Severed Meridian was clear.
“Let us begin.”
Namgung Jun began guiding her true qi.
It’s freezing.
Having been left uncleared her entire life, the Three Yin Severed Meridian had amassed an incredible amount of pure Yin Cold Qi, making the inside of Tang Yeo-jin’s body no different from an icy cavern.
It was an incredibly powerful force, but Namgung Jun did not back down.
He already had the experience of clearing four severed meridians, backed by three heart methods. Furthermore, he had the medicinal decoction the Tang Clan had prepared for her.
Hummm!
Namgung Jun began guiding her true qi, centering his efforts on the Taiji Taoyuan Technique.
If Tang Yeo-jin’s condition had been stable, he would have primarily used the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Formula to clear it quickly. However, doing so would likely cause her to lose consciousness midway.
Therefore, Namgung Jun used the Taiji Taoyuan Technique to soothe the Yin Cold Qi, stabilizing her body as much as possible while attempting to clear the meridian.
I don’t know what level of acupuncture the Tang Clan planned to use, but without my help, things would have gone terribly wrong for Lady Tang.
Clearing another person’s severed meridian presented a different set of difficulties. The main issue was that one could not completely control the internal variables of another’s body. Nevertheless, Namgung Jun took his time, slowly and steadily clearing the path.
After some time had passed, Namgung Jun opened his eyes.
Exhaling a breath laden with frost, he gently laid Tang Yeo-jin back down.
“That was exhausting.”
The clearing of the Three Yin Severed Meridian was a success.
Not only would Tang Yeo-jin now possess a healthy body, but her achievements in martial arts would also grow exponentially. Pure energy, perfectly balanced in Yin and Yang, now flowed throughout her meridians.
When Namgung Jun stepped outside, Tang Bo-seon and the rest of the family members were waiting.
“Young Hero Namgung. The result…?”
“It was a success. You need not worry anymore. Lady Tang will regain her strength after a few days of rest.”
“Finally!”
The Tang Clan members cheered among themselves before bowing deeply to Namgung Jun in unison.
“Young Hero Namgung, we will never forget this debt of gratitude.”
“Please, do not pay it any mind.”
Tang Bo-seon noticed the slight fatigue on Namgung Jun’s face and signaled to his family members.
At his gesture, they immediately brought forward a bowl of medicinal decoction.
“We prepared an extra decoction just in case. Please drink this, Young Hero Namgung. It will be of great help in accumulating extreme Yang energy.”
“I accept it with gratitude.”
After consuming the decoction provided by the Tang Clan, Namgung Jun felt his extreme Yang energy grow even stronger.
The extreme Yang energy accumulated in this manner would be of immense help in his future meridian clearings. After all, when it came to elixirs of extreme Yang, the more, the better.
*
The Azure Firmament Hall and the Qingcheng Sect arrived at Mount Emei.
“Fortunately, Mount Emei seems to be peaceful.”
“That’s because the Mokryun Hall headed toward Mount Emei first.”
“I meant that it’s a relief no conflict broke out between the Emei Sect and the Mokryun Hall.”
Namgung Jun let out a bitter smile.
Although the Mokryun Hall belonged to the Azure Heaven Association, they were individuals who pursued nothing but vengeance. Naturally, they were highly unlikely to act favorably toward the righteous sects. It was a relief they hadn't clashed, at least.
However, the Emei Sect would not warmly welcome the Mokryun Hall either, given that they were a gathering of those from the demonic and heretical paths.
Sure enough, as they entered Mount Emei, they spotted the Cloud-ranked members of the Mokryun Hall. Yet, they seemed to have behaved themselves, as the Buddhist nuns of the Emei Sect appeared to be tolerating their presence.
“It has been a while, Senior Sword Demon.”
The Sword Demon did not reply, merely staring intently at Namgung Jun.
Whoosh!
In an instant, the Sword Demon’s Demonic Qi surged forth, threatening to swallow Namgung Jun whole.
Namgung Jun unleashed his Spear King Azure Aura in response, but the expected clash of energies never came. By subtly incorporating the profound principles of the Taiji Taoyuan Technique, Namgung Jun completely deflected and redirected the Demonic Qi.
Watching this spectacle, the martial artists of the Mokryun Hall gaped in surprise.
“I thought they would engage in a fierce clash of strength…”
“He deflected it completely? He’s gotten unbelievably strong.”
Sa Dan-hae, who had once led a coordinated attack against Namgung Jun when he first visited the Mokryun Hall, shook his head in disbelief.
“He’s a completely different person now. What monstrous achievement.”
Withdrawing his Demonic Qi, the Sword Demon’s right hand twitched.
“Now you are finally worth trading blows with.”
“We haven’t traded blows since my Fourth Cloud Promotion.”
Snorting, the Sword Demon nodded toward the Qingcheng Sect.
“Did you bring the Qingcheng Sect back safely?”
“Yes.”
“Then the primary mission is accomplished—”
The Sword Demon’s words cut off abruptly. He had reacted instantly to a sudden surge of killing intent.
The Sword Demon moved first, and Namgung Jun quickly turned his head.
Shhhk!
“Sword Demon!”
A woman had suddenly drawn her sword on the Sword Demon, her killing intent blatant.
It was Yu-seon, a second-generation disciple of the Qingcheng Sect.