Poisoned Confessions
Gang Goui felt a stifling frustration settle over him.
Stinging skin. Labored breathing. Emotions fraying raw. Everything about the moment grated against him.
Dan Seung’s sound transmission slipped into his mind.
“Lord Gang, wasn’t Tang Cheonwi’s martial arts third-class?”
“I heard his dantian was shattered after he entered the Poison Blood Rite.”
“Then what in the world is that energy?”
“Isn’t that precisely why the Lord of Yuhongak tried to leave the young master in our hands?”
The reputation of Tang Cheonwi, both inside the Tang Clan and beyond, was that of a tyrant who swaggered about relying solely on his powerful backing.
Yet the Tang Cheonwi standing before them was nothing of the sort.
He was circulating internal energy—unleashing a monstrous wave of power at that.
“Huh. An unexpected dark horse.”
“Still just a young pup in the end, isn’t he?”
Unexpected, yes, but hardly an opponent they could not handle. Exactly as they had said—a greenhorn. A boy who had barely reached the age of learning.
“Even so, caution is wise. If it is the Black Dragon Emperor, he may well have taught his own son the Ten Thousand Poisons Ghost Origin Divine Art.”
The Ten Thousand Poisons Ghost Origin Divine Art. The Tang Clan’s supreme heart method. A step above even the Ghost Origin Divine Art reserved for direct bloodline. A tyrannical internal art that encompassed every martial technique the Tang Clan possessed.
“Had that been the case, rumors would already be flooding the Tang Clan.”
“A fair point.”
They each brought forth their own arts. Dan Seung circulated the Sincere Iron Bamboo Formula. Gang Goui the Cheongang Divine Art. Yu Miryeong the Clear Heart Formula of Cheongpung. The combined internal energy of the three clan lords surged forward, seeking to drive back Tang Cheonwi’s ominous aura.
Yet—
“Huh?”
“...!?”
“W-what is this?”
Their internal energy simply unraveled.
“Our internal energy... has vanished!”
“Why all of a sudden?”
“This has never happened before.”
Far from pushing the power back, the instant their energy vanished, Tang Cheonwi’s aura was sucked straight into their bodies.
“Ugh!”
“Lord Dan, are you alr—kuh!”
“Bleeeagh!”
The three clan lords collapsed as one. The sudden catastrophe left the gathered martial artists wide-eyed.
“W-what just happened?!”
“How is this possible?”
“Why are the three lords coughing up blood?”
None of them could sense it. Tang Cheonwi’s Tyrant Blood Poison Qi had been aimed solely at the three lords; ordinary fighters never noticed. Only Tang Ildo, whose realm stood higher, faintly felt the presence of that energy.
In that brief window Tang Cheonwi stepped before the fallen lords and looked down at them.
“A bit startling, isn’t it?”
Gang Goui wiped the blood from his lips and bellowed.
“What have you done to us, cough-cough!”
“You’re clan lords of entire houses, yet you still can’t grasp the situation? How disappointing.”
Thud!
Tang Cheonwi drove his foot into Gang Goui’s abdomen.
“Kuh!”
“Lord Gang!”
“Remove your foot this instant!”
The martial artists behind them roared in outrage.
“You’ve been noisy for a while now.”
Internal energy erupted from Tang Cheonwi’s body. The moment that power brushed across them, the Tyrant Blood Poison Qi swept through the crowd, and every voice died. Eyes went wide, but no sound escaped; their bodies and mouths had been paralyzed in an instant.
“Much quieter.”
Tang Cheonwi turned to the remaining two lords, leaving Gang Goui aside.
“I’ll give you one more chance. Is there anyone willing to confess the truth?”
“Grr... Shut your mouth... you fiend.”
“...The martial world will punish you for these evil deeds...”
Dan Seung and Yu Miryeong shouted with absolute refusal. Yet a smile only curved Tang Cheonwi’s lips.
“Will they really? Once word spreads that you tried to poison me and Yuhyeon, I wonder which way the wind will blow.”
“Do not pin your crimes on us!”
“Do you not fear Heaven itself?!”
The two lords screamed like the wrongfully accused. The more desperately they performed, the more the advantage shifted to Tang Cheonwi.
“Ildo.”
“Your command.”
“Go to Lord Gang’s quarters and bring the letter sent from the Tang Clan.”
Tang Ildo tilted his head, then sent a quiet sound transmission.
“Is there actual proof they tried to assassinate you, Young Master? Not something you fabricated?”
“Just bring it. Quickly.”
Tang Ildo vanished at once. Tang Cheonwi spoke to the two lords who still clenched their teeth.
“Letters from the Tang Clan share one unique trait. Do you know what it is?”
Weren’t all letters the same? What trait could there be?
“They carry a scent of poison—a fragrance only those of the Tang Clan can detect, one that none of you will ever smell.”
He offered them a single proposal.
“You have committed a grave crime. You attempted to poison not only the young master of the Tang Clan but also my younger brother, the very successor our clan lord is backing. What do you imagine will happen when this reaches my father?”
Both Dan Seung and Yu Miryeong trembled violently.
The Black Dragon Emperor. Currently ranked first under heaven, a man infamous for possessing not a shred of mercy.
“Whoever confesses truthfully before the letter arrives will be spared.”
Their eyes wavered. To them the Black Dragon Emperor was terror itself; the fear carved into their bones was already paralyzing reason.
“Do not... be deceived! That letter... never existed to begin with.”
Just as their minds began to clear, Tang Cheonwi’s voice cut through again.
“Think carefully. Is Lord Gang the sort of man with shallow schemes? Fearing he might one day be discarded by the Lord of Yuhongak, he would never have burned the letter. He could always use it later to switch allegiances or extract some profit.”
Dan Seung and Yu Miryeong wavered once more.
That’s right... The letter bears the seal of the Lord of Yuhongak.
If it’s Lord Gang, he would already have prepared for the worst. If that letter surfaces here... we are finished.
Martial clans lived and died by the reputation of the jianghu. Once the martial world turned its back on a house, ruin followed overnight. And if word spread that they had tried to assassinate blood of the Sichuan Tang Clan? Complete isolation. They would become nothing more than prey for every opportunistic clan waiting in the wings.
“Decide before the letter arrives. It seems to be coming soon.”
The two lords stared at Tang Cheonwi’s utterly confident face—the face of a man who already knew the outcome. The instant the thought “if that letter arrives, we are finished” solidified—
“Wait!”
Dan Seung forced his heavy body upright and shouted. At that same moment Tang Ildo reappeared.
“Here... it is.”
A single letter settled into Tang Cheonwi’s hand.
Watching the entire scene, Jegal Rin wore a peculiar little smile.
“What an interesting older brother.”
The situation was unfolding in the most entertaining way. His actions did not match the infamous title of “tyrant of the Tang Clan” at all. A true tyrant would have simply crushed them without ceremony. Instead he kept offering chances, drawing every advantage out through conversation—a far cry from the reputation the world had painted.
“Cheonwi’s unexpected, isn’t he?”
Jegal Gwang wore the same expression as his twin.
“Countless calculations hide inside those unpredictable moves. Did you know that, Rin?”
“When I first met him I thought exactly the same as everyone else. Then I saw a side I never expected.”
“What side?”
“That to protect his younger brother, he has to destroy himself.”
“What does that even mean?”
“I didn’t understand either at first. Only when he watched my martial arts did it become clear—what ‘destroy himself’ truly meant.”
Jegal Gyeong, who had been listening with growing impatience, cut in.
“Stop circling and speak plainly.”
“He completely saw through the Miribo I was practicing.”
“What!? Explain thoroughly.”
“I had been training under the belief that Miribo deceives both the opponent’s soul and their eyes. Cheonwi told me it only needs to deceive the soul—never the eyes.”
Jegal Gyeong’s voice trembled.
“He told you to create disruption of consciousness rather than visual interference?!”
“Yes.”
“How could a child of the Tang Clan possibly know the true core of Miribo...”
“I was only nine years old at the time.”
“Ha... hahaha.”
A nine-year-old, and from another family no less, had pierced the true intent of the Jegal Clan’s signature footwork. All he could do was laugh hollowly.
“Cheonwi is a genius of that caliber, and he keeps far more thoughts turning inside his head than anyone realizes. That simple-looking exterior is entirely the product of deliberate effort.”
Jegal Gyeong nodded slowly.
“What appears easiest is always the hardest. Nine out of ten who try to walk that path never even reach the tips of the toes.”
“From that day I began regarding him as my closest friend.”
“So that was why you always looked so disappointed whenever you observed other rising talents. It was because of that boy.”
“He almost certainly has some deeper scheme in motion.”
“Your words only make him more fascinating.”
Uncle and nephew of the Jegal Clan could not tear their eyes from Tang Cheonwi. Expectation burned in their gazes—eager to see exactly how he would bring this to a close.
The moment Gang Goui saw the letter in Tang Cheonwi’s hand, his pupils shook.
I burned that letter the instant I saw it—how can it still be intact?!
He thought and thought again, searching for any letter he might have overlooked.
None! Every scrap of evidence is gone. That letter is a fake.
He shouted at the other two lords.
“Don’t believe it! That is a forgery!”
Even that desperate claim only made them waver further, and the next words from Tang Cheonwi struck like a hammer.
“Assassination of the legitimate bloodline of the Tang Clan. In compensation—the treasure of ten thousand poisons.”
Gang Goui’s mind reeled.
How does that bastard know the exact contents of the letter?!
Every character was perfect. Not a single word wrong. That was why his eyes trembled so violently.
“Even if I show this to everyone here, will you still deny it?”
As Tang Cheonwi began to unfold the letter, Dan Seung cried out.
“The Lord of Yuhongak ordered us to kill both the young master and the second young master!”
“Lord Dan!”
At Gang Goui’s roar, Dan Seung slammed his forehead to the ground and begged.
“I was blinded by greed. Please forgive the Danjuk Clan.”
Once Dan Seung confessed, Yu Miryeong had no choice but to follow.
“Please spare me. Young Master, I must have lost my mind for a moment.”
“Now that the evidence has appeared you finally beg for forgiveness? How convenient.”
“I will accept any punishment gladly—only leave the Cheongpung Clan untouched.”
“The same for Danjuk. I will live as a dog for the rest of my life if that is your will—please, show mercy...”
Watching the two lords grovel, Gang Goui squeezed his eyes shut.
It’s over.
The Cheongang Clan would shoulder every crime. No further proof was required. The confessions of the two lords alone sealed everything. Even the martial artists who had raged so fiercely only moments earlier now merely rolled their eyes in silence.
To end so futilely...
Gang Goui resigned himself. No reversal remained possible.
“Lord Gang, what will you do now? Your sins have been laid bare one by one.”
“I have nothing left to say.”
“There is still one matter remaining. Don’t you have something to hand over to me?”
“...Once I die, Cheongang becomes yours. What else could possibly remain?”
Gang Goui spat the words with bitter fury. If only he had managed to kill Tang Cheonwi, the treasure of ten thousand poisons would have been his... The regret burned raw.
Tang Cheonwi leaned close and whispered softly into his ear.
“You will hand over the Map of Sealing Ten Thousand Weapons to me.”