Five Stars at Fifteen
“Hooo.”
Tang Cheonwi let out a long, deep breath.
In stark contrast to the fierce light burning in his eyes, his entire body was soaked in blood. The reek of it hung thick in the air for good measure. A faint smile touched his lips.
“I still haven’t fully dissolved the Bright-Soul Clear Poison, and yet Tyrant Blood Poison Qi has already reached the fifth star in a single leap.”
A realm he had only attained at twenty-five—now ten years early.
[……!?]
Bongsin’s eyes went so wide they looked ready to pop out of his head. He seemed so startled that no sound would come out.
[T-Tyrant Blood Poison Qi? Hwancheon-ah, do you mean the Tyrant Blood Poison Qi I know?]
[The very same internal art you know.]
[That’s impossible! Tyrant Blood Poison Qi is high-level, but learning it is pure hell!]
[Treat this one as an exception. He’s just a madman.]
Even so, Hwancheonjihwan was glad. At last there was one more friend who understood how he felt.
[He’s only at the age of learning now—fifteen… so when he becomes an adult…]
[I don’t even want to think about it.]
[There’s a real chance he’ll break through the eighth star!]
The eighth star of Tyrant Blood Poison Qi. A wall no one had ever dared approach. Even toxicity itself had stalled at the seventh star, had it not? Yet with Tang Cheonwi, the eighth star almost seemed within reach.
[If he stays alive that long without going completely insane, I’ll grant this brat any request he makes.]
[True enough… no human has ever crossed the wall of the eighth star.]
Of course, they were only speaking of possibility. The wall of the eighth star still towered high in their minds.
Meanwhile, Tang Cheonwi drew the Hyeonri Needle free and returned it to its wooden case.
“A poison I couldn’t dissolve even with the Hyeonri Needle… It’s stronger than the Soul-Sealing Extreme Poison.”
Even he had not expected this. He had believed that Tyrant Blood Poison Qi and the Hyeonri Needle together would melt every last drop of the Bright-Soul Clear Poison. Yet fully half of it remained undissolved, still circulating inside him, striving to become true internal energy.
“What if I try using the Bright-Soul Clear Poison to dissolve the Soul-Sealing Extreme Poison?”
The moment Tang Cheonwi voiced the bizarre idea, Hwancheonjihwan bellowed.
[You might survive it, but everyone else would turn into a handful of toxic sludge!]
“Mm… hadn’t thought of that.”
His father and grandfather were still under the Soul-Sealing Extreme Poison. For a moment he had considered simply burning it out with his own internal energy.
Then a new voice spoke.
[It might be possible with the Hyeonri Needle, you know.]
Bongsin’s voice.
A brief silence fell. Hwancheonjihwan broke it.
[The Hyeonri Needle might make it possible? First I’ve ever heard of that.]
[Didn’t I tell you? The Hyeonri Needle is a legendary weapon that governs life and death—the Life-Returning Needle. So it should work!]
Silence again. Bongsin grew flustered.
[Did I… say something wrong?]
[You little bastard! Why are you only telling us this now!]
Hwancheonjihwan’s face flushed scarlet with rage. He had prided himself on knowing everything under the heavens. Learning only now that the Hyeonri Needle also went by the name Life-Returning Needle had him furious to the roots of his hair.
[W-well, you never asked, Hwancheon-ah.]
[When the Life-Returning Needle came up before, why didn’t you say a single word?]
[I thought you already knew.]
Bongsin wilted, stealing cautious glances at Hwancheonjihwan and Tang Cheonwi.
[Ugh, look at this kid.]
[Hiiing.]
While Bongsin drooped, Tang Cheonwi asked,
“So as long as I have the Hyeonri Needle, I can remove the Soul-Sealing Extreme Poison?”
[There’s a chance, but it won’t be perfect.]
“What would it take to remove it completely?”
[Once Tyrant Blood Poison Qi reaches the tenth star, you can erase the Soul-Sealing Extreme Poison—and every other poison in this world.]
“You’re talking about the Absorption of Tyrant Blood Poison Qi, then.”
A technique unlocked only at the tenth star. Perfect Absorption—the power to command not merely poisons, but every form of energy. A realm of pure dreams. In his previous life, even Tang Cheonwi had never climbed higher than the ninth star.
“I’ve already reached the fifth star at this age. That makes it worth attempting.”
There were many ways to resist the Soul-Sealing Extreme Poison. But the surest was to become free of it entirely. Only then could he shove it back down “their” throats. Growing stronger, after all, was the one thing he had always been best at.
[See? I told you he’s a madman. He’s about to throw himself at something completely impossible.]
Unlike Hwancheonjihwan, Bongsin beamed and stuck up a cheerful thumb.
[To think such extraordinary thoughts—you’re amazing!]
Betrayal from the very comrade he had thought shared his feelings. Hwancheonjihwan was disappointed in Bongsin for the second time.
[Ha… that Bongsin…]
At that same hour, the Cheongang Clan met the Danjuk and Cheongpung Clans at a fork in the path.
Dan Seung glanced carefully around and spoke in a low voice.
“Clan Lord Gang, was what you said earlier by sound transmission true?”
Gang Goui answered with an arrogant expression.
“Through the Map of Sealing Ten Thousand Weapons I located the Azure Light Sword. With this divine weapon alone, we will no longer need to watch the Sichuan Tang Clan’s face.”
He unwrapped the cloth around the blade. An antique sword revealed its majestic form.
“Ohh! So that is the sword once wielded by the founding Azure Light Sword Emperor of Cheongang?”
“It is.”
“It is remarkably beautiful.”
Dan Seung seemed utterly captivated by the Azure Light Sword; he could not tear his eyes away.
Watching from the side, Yu Miryeong tilted her head.
“But Clan Lord Gang, will you be able to wield that sword freely?”
It was a sharp question. The present-day Cheongang Clan specialized in palm techniques and hand arts. They possessed no swordsmanship worth boasting of.
“Wouldn’t it be better to give that sword to me and search for a gauntlet-type weapon instead?”
Yu Miryeong’s eyes glittered with greed. Of the three clans, only hers actually used sword arts. She was certain the Azure Light Sword ought to belong to her.
Yet she could not simply seize it by force. The Cheongang Clan had the greater numbers here, and Clan Lord Gang himself stood at the highest realm among them.
“Clan Lord Yu, the Azure Light Sword is the property of our Cheongang Clan. I shall offer other treasures instead. To Clan Lord Dan, the Heaven-Crushing Spear; to Clan Lord Yu, the Elegant Wind Fan. How does that sound?”
The Heaven-Crushing Spear was a spear, and the Elegant Wind Fan a folding fan. The former suited Dan Seung perfectly, but a fan was a poor match for Yu Miryeong.
“Did the Cheongpung Clan not originally practice fan arts? Why not seize this chance to recover the Elegant Wind Fan and reclaim your lost martial arts?”
Gang Goui coaxed her patiently, hoping to avoid needless conflict.
“Divine weapons are said to contain martial arts within them, are they not? I swear we shall recover the arts of Cheongpung.”
After his relentless persuasion, Yu Miryeong finally yielded a step.
“You won’t go back on your word, will you?”
“Hahaha. How could I ever speak falsehoods to the two of you? To claim Sichuan, I will need both of your strengths.”
In his own mind, Gang Goui already saw himself as the lord of Sichuan.
“I shall trust Clan Lord Gang.”
“Then let us join forces and bury the young master of Tang right here.”
Blinded by treasure, the two clan lords fell into line behind Gang Goui. A foolish choice. Had they never betrayed the Tang Clan, at least their roots would have survived… Now they had chosen a path that would see even those roots torn out.
“But tell me, Clan Lord Gang. You still can’t use the Azure Light Sword properly. How exactly do you plan to defeat the young master?”
“This place is filled with countless mechanical formations. If we make use of them, neither Tang Cheonwi nor the Black Scale Guard will leave here alive.”
While Gang Goui spoke with utter confidence, his son Gang Unje whispered quietly.
“I heard the Tang Clan’s Black Dragon Pill sleeps inside Mandokchong. Do you intend to leave that alone?”
The Black Dragon Pill was a treasured elixir of the Tang Clan, rivaling Shaolin’s Great Returning Pill that granted a full sixty years of internal energy.
“Of course we take it ourselves.”
“Those two clan lords are nothing but burdens. Shouldn’t we cut them loose?”
“We still need to use them. Without the sword arts sealed inside the Azure Light Sword, we are not yet a match for the Tang Clan.”
Finished with his son, Gang Goui turned back to the other two lords.
“I have a proposal for both of you.”
“Speak.”
“What is it?”
“Before we eliminate Tang Cheonwi and the Black Scale Guard, what do you say we collect the treasures of Mandokchong first?”
At the word “treasures,” both clan lords’ eyes lit up.
“I ask the two of you to recover those treasures.”
“Recovering treasures will require bloodshed…”
“There are too many watching eyes.”
They soon showed reluctance. Claiming the treasures would mean clashing with one another; spilling blood against fellow martial artists would damage their clans’ reputations.
“If we activate the mechanisms at the treasure sites, it becomes possible.”
Gang Goui’s suggestion made the two lords waver.
“Would you rather let others snatch the treasures? Better that one of us claims them, is it not?”
In the end they were persuaded.
“Very well. We shall step forward and bring the treasures.”
“Leave it to us.”
Gang Goui crowed with delight inside.
Stupid fools. Every treasure in this place belongs to the Cheongang Clan. You two will serve your purpose and then die.
Dan Seung and Yu Miryeong carried out Gang Goui’s request faithfully.
Thuk!
“Aagh!”
“Y-Yeomjukjinin, why would you…?”
“Forgive me. We need that Black Dragon Pill ourselves.”
What lay before them was none other than the Black Dragon Pill. This was Mandokchong—the tomb where the Tang Clan’s founder slept. Of course the Black Dragon Pill would be here. And now the precious elixir sat right in front of them, plain as day.
“Danjuk Clan—end their lives.”
At Dan Seung’s command, the martial artists of the Danjuk Clan moved.
Thuk-thuk-thuk!
Their spears stabbed mercilessly into the bodies of the other martial artists. The Cheongpung Clan was no different.
“Cheongpung—bring me the Five Poisons Heart Method!”
Her sword formation moved like the wind. The hallmark of the Cheongpung Clan was the swift sword; they prided themselves on rapid sword forms.
Seogeok-seogeok!
Before the swift swords of Cheongpung, the martial artists crumpled helplessly. In an instant both Danjuk and Cheongpung had slaughtered everyone present. Standing in separate chambers, the two clan lords wore the same victorious smile.
Dan Seung stretched his hand toward the Black Dragon Pill; Yu Miryeong toward the Tang Clan’s Five Poisons Heart Method.
That was the moment.
Kuuung!
The ground shook violently, as though an earthquake had struck. With a rending crack the earth split open.
“A-an earthquake!?”
“Keep your balance—don’t fall!”
In their separate spaces the two clan lords shouted at their subordinates. Moments later the trembling subsided.
“What was that?”
Dan Seung was still scanning the surroundings when one of his men cried out.
“Clan Lord! The terrain has changed!”
“What?”
“Look at the walls! There used to be only one passage—now there are several!”
“So… there are.”
Dan Seung held his breath. From the newly formed passages he could sense approaching presence. Not from one place alone—multiple passages were sending auras toward them.
“Clan Lord Yu?”
“Clan Lord Dan?”
From one passage the Cheongpung Clan appeared.
“Did you obtain the treasure?”
“I have recovered the Black Dragon Pill.”
“I obtained the Five Poisons Heart Method.”
“Shall we search for more?”
“Wouldn’t that be wise? Clan Lord Gang must have activated the mechanisms so we could meet easily.”
No sooner had she finished speaking than new auras appeared. Wandering swordsmen from other areas. From yet another passage a band of evil-path martial artists strode forth.
“The Black Dragon Pill?”
“The Cheongpung Clan Lord has the Five Poisons Heart Method.”
More people kept arriving. Everyone was being funneled into a single place.
Meanwhile, Tang Cheonwi, concealing his presence, appeared behind the Cheongang Clan members who were operating the mechanisms.
They’re making excellent guides.
[Heheh! Reading the aura of a divine weapon is as easy as lying down and eating rice cakes.]
With Bongsin’s help he had found the Cheongang Clan with ease.
I’ll be counting on you as guide next time too.
[Yes, sir! Anytime. Just say the word.]
Mechanisms powered by a formation studded with black jade. Through them the Cheongang Clan was rewriting the terrain of Mandokchong.
[Are you going to deal with these bastards first?]
This isn’t the place I expected, but no one is watching. Better to kill them right here.
The Cheongang Clan had made a critical mistake. Had they simply mixed in among the other martial artists, Tang Cheonwi would have found it awkward to strike. Now things were different. This was a place occupied solely by the Cheongang Clan—the secret chamber that controlled every major mechanism. Even if people died here, no one would ever know.