A Dangerous Bargain
Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky.
It was the signature martial art of the Dang Clan, and it was no exaggeration to say it was the very technique that had elevated their reputation to its current heights.
A cruel and destructive technique, it unleashed countless hidden weapons to rain down upon the battlefield.
Given its sheer scale and power, it was uniquely optimized for warfare.
A downpour of deadly steel from the heavens—what could possibly be more effective in a war?
Indeed, it was thanks to this technique that the Poison Sovereign, Dok-jon, had made such monumental contributions during the war.
While the leadership of the Demonic Cult might have viewed Yoo Chun-gil and Jegal Jin as their worst nightmares,
to the low-ranking cultists fighting on the front lines, no one was more terrifying than the martial artists of the Dang Clan—especially the one at their peak, the Poison Sovereign.
Because of their poison arts, the enemy could not even eat their rations in peace.
And they had to constantly look to the sky, never knowing when a hail of hidden weapons would pierce through their skulls.
Even if the Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky didn't solve every problem,
there was no denying it had become the ultimate symbol of the Dang Clan.
Yes, a symbol.
The very thing other clans and sects desperately tried to cultivate and cling to.
A martial art that symbolized an entire organization was of paramount importance.
The Blue Moon Sword Dance of Cheongwol Gate, alongside the Plum Blossom Sword Technique of Mount Hua, was renowned as a beautiful yet deadly style.
The signature techniques of the Nine Great Sects and One Association held similar weight,
as did the symbols of the other Five Great Clans.
A prime example was how the mention of the Namgung Clan immediately brought to mind the domineering Imperial Sword Form.
Thus, a symbol was crucial. It defined a group's unique identity, and in terms of sheer prestige, nothing was more valuable.
That was likely why Cheongwol Gate was so obsessed with repairing the Man-wol.
Beyond the Blue Moon Sword Dance, the broken sword Man-wol itself carried immense symbolic weight.
Though that symbolism stemmed from the Sword Saint himself, as long as he remained the pride of Cheongwol Gate, they had every reason to preserve it.
The Dang Clan was no different.
But compared to the others, they have very few symbols to call their own.
While their most powerful symbol, the Cheolgang, resided within their estate,
Well...
that was a testament to their craftsmanship and weapon-forging, not a symbol of their martial prowess.
Their poison arts? Those were certainly threatening, but they lacked a singular, defining technique that could serve as a true martial symbol.
This was why the Dang Clan was often perceived as being in an awkward position.
They lacked the martial symbol that all the other Five Great Clans possessed.
That was the common consensus.
This perception had grown even more pronounced since the current Poison King, Dang Gyeong-ak, took leadership.
Although the Cheolgang was said to be in its golden age, the death of the Poison Sovereign had dealt a massive blow.
And while the Poison King himself was considered powerful,
that was merely his individual strength and reputation.
If one were to ask if the rest of the Dang Clan's martial artists were strong...
The world whispers that this is the weakest the Dang Clan has ever been.
A clan that wasn't particularly formidable once you looked past the Poison King.
Alongside the Jegal Clan, they were considered the weakest of the Five Great Clans.
That was the current reputation of the Dang Clan.
And considering the Jegal Clan never relied on martial power to rise to their position in the first place...
the title of "weakest" was practically reserved for the Dang Clan alone.
Which is actually true.
Their reputation had been steadily declining since the death of the Poison Sovereign.
A martial family with nothing to show for themselves but the Cheolgang.
That was how the world viewed them.
And likely,
that decline is what has been fueling the Poison King's impatience.
Or so I speculated.
Driven by that anxiety, he was desperately clinging to the legacy of the past—the Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky.
Just as these thoughts crossed my mind,
"Young Master Bang,"
the Poison King called out, rising from his seat.
In that instant—
Screeech!
"..."
I froze, my body stiffening under the sheer pressure radiating from him.
Rattle, rattle!
Every piece of furniture in the Patriarch's study began to vibrate, reacting to the energy the Poison King was releasing.
As the direct target of this aura, I felt like I was going out of my mind.
This is insane.
My very bones were shaking.
And that was just from his passive pressure.
So this was...
an absolute master.
The Five Kings. The five martial artists who ruled the Central Plains through sheer strength and reputation.
The title of "King" was bestowed only upon the five most influential masters.
The Sword King of the Namgung Clan.
The Saber King of the Paeng Clan.
The Poison King of the Dang Clan.
The Tyrant King of Xi'an.
And the War King of Guangdong.
Their realms of cultivation were peerless,
and their achievements spoke for themselves.
People referred to them as the Five Kings of the Realm.
Now that the masters of the Heavens Beyond Heaven had vanished from the world, these five were considered the strongest alive, the ones most likely to ascend to that legendary realm next.
The Poison King, as one of those five, was an absolute master.
The pressure he directed at me was not something a mere First-rate martial artist like myself could hope to withstand.
However,
I clenched my fists.
I gritted my teeth and endured it through sheer force of will.
"I have always considered you a remarkable young man,"
the Poison King said, his gaze chillingly sharp. I forced a smile onto my face.
"I am flattered by your high opinion, Patriarch."
"...Which is why I assume you fully understand the weight of your words just now. Am I correct?"
Creak, groan!
Clink!
The teacup on the table rattled violently before shattering into pieces.
I was terrified. To think he could cause physical destruction just by releasing his aura.
It was astonishing, but at the same time,
that could easily happen to me.
Knowing my body could end up just like that shattered teacup, my tension spiked.
This was the Poison King's warning.
Watch your tongue.
Or you will end up like this cup.
That was the message.
"Yes, I am well aware. But I believed it was a truth that needed to be spoken."
"How did you find out?"
How do you know about the Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky? The Poison King's gaze and aura remained heavy as he asked.
However, he didn't intensify the pressure any further. He kept it at a level where I could still speak.
"I deduced it from the circumstances."
"...The circumstances?"
"The inexplicable urgency you've shown, Patriarch. And the fact that you sought me out specifically to open the Poison Sovereign's secret vault to resolve it."
He had requested aid from an outsider to open a secret vault that should have remained hidden from the world.
Was that truly the only way?
No.
It meant he was that desperate.
He didn't have the luxury of looking for other options; he was driven by sheer necessity.
I had judged the Poison King's situation to be exactly that.
And so,
"I kept wondering what it was you were searching for so desperately."
I had pieced the puzzle together from there.
"After doing a bit of digging, I discovered that no one has seen the Dang Clan perform the Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky since the passing of the previous Patriarch."
Of course, I hadn't actually investigated any of this. But it didn't matter. I already knew the truth.
All I needed to do was construct a plausible path to that conclusion.
"Of course, one could argue there simply hasn't been a conflict large enough to warrant such a technique..."
I offered him a convenient excuse to save face, easing his defensiveness.
"But when I considered what I possess, I realized there could only be one answer."
"...What you possess?"
I threw him off balance by immediately closing the escape route I had just offered.
This was my own little way of getting back at him.
"What is it that you possess?"
"I already told you."
This was payback for the way the Poison King had toyed with me before,
Take that.
And it was also revenge against Yoo Chun-gil, who always caused trouble without warning and left me to clean up the mess.
Yoo Chun-gil had been trying to get my attention for a while now, but I kept ignoring him.
"The Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky. If that is what you seek... I believe I can help you."
"..."
"You know it as well, do you not? When the Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky was first restored... it was my master who aided in its reconstruction."
"...!"
The Poison King's eyes widened at the mention of Yoo Chun-gil.
Indeed, that was the very reason Yoo Chun-gil was revered as a benefactor of the Dang Clan.
Because he had helped restore their ultimate technique.
And he had certainly been handsomely rewarded for it.
"When I inherited my master's legacy, I also received certain instructions regarding the Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky."
"...What? Is that truly the case?"
Yoo Chun-gil was appalled, while the Poison King was so shocked that his oppressive aura instantly wavered.
"Yes. It is almost as if my master foresaw this very situation and left me with these words beforehand."
"I was planning to pass on his message whenever I happened to visit the Dang Clan... and it seems the time has finally come."
"..."
The Poison King's brow furrowed slightly.
It was a look of deep suspicion.
"...Young Master Bang."
"Yes, Patriarch?"
"I do not know if your words are true. But if they are, why are you only speaking of this now?"
I had arrived in Sichuan quite some time ago.
And I had already spent several days at the Dang Clan estate. Why bring up the Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky only now?
It was a natural doubt for the Poison King to have.
"Oh, come now, Patriarch."
I couldn't help but chuckle.
"We both have our secrets. It's not as if we were close enough for me to just hand you a favor out of the goodness of my heart, right?"
"..."
I laid it out plainly without beating around the bush.
Ours was a relationship built on transaction.
We had spent our time testing each other, trying to read each other's moves to ensure neither side lost out.
Through our brief but loaded conversations over the past few days, we had come to understand each other's nature.
Both the Poison King and I knew it.
Neither of us moves unless there's something to gain.
We were cut from the same cloth.
The Poison King did not deny it. Instead, the look in his eyes shifted.
The faint glimmer of hope in his gaze hardened into the calculating look of a merchant ready to strike a deal.
"...Very well. Assuming you truly know something about the Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky, bringing it up now means you want something in return."
"Exactly."
"Then, before I hear your terms, let me make one thing clear."
*Thud!*
"..."
I flinched. A dagger had suddenly appeared in the Poison King's hand, and he slammed it straight into the wooden table.
And then—
*Ssssshh!*
A foul stench rose from the blade, and the wood around it began to turn pitch black, corroding rapidly.
"If your words turn out to be a lie, then regardless of your ties to Cheongwol Gate or your status as the Sword Saint's successor, you will be punished according to the laws of the Dang Clan."
A chill ran down my spine. I didn't know the specifics of their laws, but looking at the table made it clear enough.
My body could easily become that table next.
The thought crossed my mind, but—
"Fair enough,"
I nodded. I had to put my life on the line.
Only when my life was at stake would that stubborn old ghost finally cooperate and play along with my plan.
Realizing my intentions, Yoo Chun-gil's ghostly brow twitched with irritation.
I ignored him.
Ah, but there was one small problem.
Knowing that old man's temper...
If I left him to stew, he might just blow a fuse and refuse to help me, regardless of whether my life was on the line.
So, I had to state my terms as quickly as possible.
"In return, Patriarch, I will need a firm promise from you as well."
I was absolutely certain.
"Speak."
"If my words prove true, and I am able to place the Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky into your hands..."
Once he heard my conditions, Yoo Chun-gil would have no choice but to move for my sake.
The old ghost was smart.
He was terrifyingly shrewd and incredibly politically astute.
Which meant...
"I want the priority trading rights for the Cheolgang, as well as the exclusive trading rights for all lower-grade armaments. These rights must be granted to me personally under the name of the Poison King, Dang Gyeong-ak—not to Cheongwol Gate."
Yoo Chun-gil would undoubtedly understand the implications of this request.
As I spoke those words,
Yoo Chun-gil, who had been glaring at me, let out a sharp gasp.
A moment later, he burst into roaring laughter.
After laughing for what felt like an eternity, Yoo Chun-gil finally stopped and looked at me.
His eyes burned with intensity, and the wide grin stretching across his face was deeply unsettling.
Yet, in his gaze,
there was a faint trace of pride—much like the way the Chief Blacksmith, Cheolgangju, looked at Dang Ye-ran.
Which was incredibly annoying.