Chapter 168
Chapter 168
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 168
Chapter Title: Flock of Hawks
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The Central Plains were at peace.
To be precise, it was a chaotic era where black and white tore at each other, but that was the chaos of the underlings.
The leaders of the righteous and unorthodox factions were solidifying their own positions.
It was a situation where minor martial sects were merging and splitting, scrambling to snatch up the scraps left behind.
'And then, the moment the demonic cults erupt, it all explodes.'
That would be the true age of chaos.
A hellscape where blood flows like water.
There was no obligation to stop it, but for the Baek Clan's benefit, it was best to prevent the same flow as in his previous life.
'In that sense, the Tang Clan is an indispensable ally.'
They were, across the entire world, one of the places—along with the Beggars' Sect—least likely to betray those they trusted.
If the Tang Clan grew stronger, the Baek Clan would benefit without fail.
So, he had to make them strong.
'Maybe I should probe a little more.'
He extended his energy like threads, activating his senses to the maximum.
The threads led to the dantians of Tang Gun and Tang Yeon.
'Brother Tang is at Peak realm. Sister Yeon is First-rate.'
At their age, this level of martial prowess put them among the top prodigies... but it was insufficient.
Especially since the insufficiency stemmed not from talent, but from their martial arts.
In Tang Yeon's case, if she hadn't cultivated the Three Yangs Return to Origin Art, reaching the Peak realm would have been no surprise.
Three Yangs Return to Origin Art. The Tang Clan's secret core art, crafted by the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans.
It was undoubtedly a supreme technique, yet one that could never be called a divine art, with clearly defined limits.
'It can harbor extreme yang energy, greatly reducing the risks when handling poison, but even accounting for that, its flaws are obvious.'
Most righteous faction martial arts emphasized the harmony of yin and yang.
Arts that deviated from harmony struggled to reach higher realms.
Common sense dictated that between a person with one leg and one with two, the latter could travel farther and faster.
'They deliberately made it unbalanced. It allows for specialization in exchange, but the drawbacks and weaknesses are clear.'
Someone missing a leg might gain extraordinary arm strength as compensation.
The Three Yangs Return to Origin Art had a similar trait.
By cultivating and wielding yang energy, it gained a natural advantage against poison qi, allowing the body to tolerate poison qi when combined with other poison arts.
'So what? For a renowned clan's art, it's a curse and a shackle in itself.'
Thus, one of the goals of this trip to Sichuan—no, the greatest purpose—was to overhaul the Tang Clan's martial arts.
Whether an outsider could achieve that was uncertain.
Well, if it was impossible, he'd make it possible.
Only then could the Tang Clan escape their current status as leashed dogs and become true allies of the Baek Clan.
'Thinking about it, it's quite moving.'
Compared to the Baek Clan shortly after his regression, the Tang Clan had been one of the lofty great clans.
Now, he was in a position to worry about uplifting them.
"The conquest of Hunan is still distant future business. Let's talk about the immediate concerns first, Brother Tang."
"Indeed. To answer whether our clan's elders are satisfied with the Baek Clan's current power... I'd say it's split about fifty-fifty."
Even after reclaiming their fame as a representative clan of Gangseo, it was fifty-fifty.
Well, that was natural.
"When viewing the entire martial world, Gangseo is still a backwater."
Gangseo, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, and so on.
The southern regions lacked great renowned sects on the scale of the Nine Great Sects or Five Great Clans.
The center of the current martial world was undeniably the north.
"Hunan was the exception... but Hunan fell."
Sichuan, where the Tang Clan resided, was ambiguously positioned but could be considered northern.
It had remote areas, but two of the Nine Great Sects were located there.
"Frankly, the Baek Clan still falls short of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our Tang Clan. Size aside, your current forces are lacking."
This was the innate flaw of a rapidly rising new clan.
To elevate the unfactioned required time, inevitably.
'Even stuffing them with elixirs, hellish training, and outside reinforcements has its limits.'
"Yet you predict fifty-fifty. That must be thanks to the Tang Poison Hall, right?"
Tang Gun replied with a warm smile.
"Exactly. The Tang Poison Hall... fulfilled the earnest wish of all those bearing the Tang surname."
Just ten years ago, the Tang Clan endured the scorn of the world.
A righteous faction that shamelessly wielded poison and hidden weapons.
A sect to be feared and avoided for their vicious temperament, repaying grudges tenfold as their clan motto.
"The Tang Poison Hall shattered those prejudices completely. Thanks to you, Brother Hui, we are now recognized as proud warriors of the righteous path."
"No need for that between us."
"In any case, when everyone shunned us, the Baek Clan showed unparalleled loyalty by allocating part of your manor as our branch hall and bestowed immense intangible benefits through it. So, objectively, even with the difference in power, half will support ties with the Baek Clan."
Tang Gun spoke kindly, but fifty-fifty wasn't a great situation.
Opposition factions were always more vehement.
"In other words, our Baek Clan needs to prove itself more."
"Sorry, but yes."
That must be why Father Baek Mu-ryang brought Baek Heon-so along.
With two such exceptional sons, it signaled a bright future for the Baek Clan.
"After discussions with Clan Leader Baek, you and your Baek Clan folk will stay with us for at least a year, engaging in friendly exchanges."
Martial arts stagnated if kept too insular.
Unless it was a massive, ancient sect where a master's disciples alone sufficed for progress, clans usually exchanged with others frequently.
Not sharing core arts, but exposure to other styles provided clues for improvement.
"Sounds good, but a whole year?"
"Clan Leader Baek said that much is necessary."
Hm, so Father's primary aim was to park them at the Tang Clan.
It was a long enough time to give that impression.
Though being at the Tang Clan didn't prevent intervening in Baek Clan matters.
"Worried about leaving the clan for so long?"
"No way. Absolutely not."
The Baek Clan wasn't staffed with mediocrities and mere children.
He had faith. And anticipation.
How much would the Baek Clan have grown after a year or two?
"Anyway, fifty-fifty, huh."
On the road to Sichuan, he'd have to think of ways to turn it unanimous.
He already had ideas, but feasibility was another matter.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ From the Baek Clan Manor to the Tang Clan in Sichuan was a truly long journey.
Unable to pass through Hunan, they had to traverse the entire elongated shape of Hubei east to west, detouring around.
The most convenient route even required going through Shaanxi. Two provinces in total.
Thus, the group chose the fastest path.
Through Geomgak.
"Whew. We're just at the entrance, and it's already daunting."
"Haha, the terrain looks incredibly treacherous, doesn't it?"
"Yes, Sister. Even for a martial artist, it seems quite taxing."
Geomgak. A rugged mountain range with peaks as sharp and tall as sword blades.
Famous for its cliffside paths where one misstep meant plummeting into the abyss.
"Brother."
Baek Heon-so cautiously called to Yang-hui, then checked the details before continuing softly.
"We've arrived. We can't take the carriage from here on, so it's time to get up."
Yang-hui, in meditation, didn't open his eyes even after hearing the voice.
He'd started circulating energy in the shaking carriage, keeping his ears open to external stimuli, but stopping now felt like he'd miss something crucial.
"Can we rest a bit before moving? It seems hard to interrupt the circulation midway."
Fortunately, Baek Heon-so sought understanding from the others instead of urging, and with the carriage halted, Yang-hui delved even deeper inward.
'I've been feeling it continuously, but something changed after that battle a month ago.'
In truth, change was only natural.
Though borrowing Seong-cheol's power, Yang-hui had forcibly manifested the Vivid Vital Energy's function back then.
Vivid Vital Energy. The enlightenment of fusing qi and intent, making the energy itself come alive.
Its function maximized the harbored intent.
For example, enabling the impossible, like splitting what couldn't be split.
'In other words, the first step in manifesting intent into reality.'
What was intent? Mental image, the mind.
How could the intangible mind affect reality?
Through qi as the medium.
Just as man stood between heaven and earth, qi bridged the natural world and human mind.
"Suuuup. Haaaa."
The energy moved. Alive, even without his intent to move it.
Moving without willed intent meant intent dwelled within the energy.
Did that mean he'd internalized the enlightenment of Vivid Vital Energy?
'Not yet. But close.'
The "Harmonious Heaven" of Harmonious Heaven Principle Origin Art meant harmonizing all under heaven.
Thus, it was inherently specialized in fusion.
Even if fusing energy and intent rather than energy and energy, it didn't deviate from Harmonious Heaven.
The initial mingling of Harmonious Heaven Qi and Prior Qi into Harmonious Prior Qi owed much to the art's function.
It was at that moment.
-Kiyaaaaah!
A hawk's cry rang out.
Was it real, or a manifestation of his mind?
The energy flowed.
Filling the acupoints—the holes and paths scattered in the microcosm of the human body—like the dragon veins and acupoints of heaven and earth.
-Kiyaaaaah!
'Something... something different from my previous life is completing.'
Even for Yang-hui, who held Super Peak enlightenment in his mind, this was an ineffable, metaphysical sensation.
Literally, a hunch.
Verging on enlightenment itself.
'Just a bit more. A little more.'
Click!
Convex and concave puzzle pieces fit together.
To the dragon painting missing only the eyes, the final dot of the pearl...
"Ah!"
He opened his eyes, smacking his lips in profound regret.
"Just needed to dot the eye."
A thirst so bitter it hurt, but the sensation of enlightenment had faded.
Enlightenment came from heaven, as they said.
Apparently, the time wasn't ripe.
Still, manifesting Vivid Vital Energy forcibly via the Seong-cheol Sword should be easier now.
At sixteen, this was earth-shaking enough.
He'd turn seventeen in a couple days, though.
-Kiyaaaaah!
Yang-hui involuntarily wore a puzzled expression.
"...What? It wasn't from my mind?"
Stepping out of the carriage, he saw the others stunned.
The reason was simple.
Dozens of hawks perched on nearby branches.
"Chui-dal. What's going on?"
"I-I don't know, Brother. We were resting while waiting, and suddenly they all flew in."
As if responding to Chui-dal, a hawk with snow-white feathers cried out.
Clearly the leader, standing out among them.
-Kiyaaaaah!
Watching it, Yang-hui smacked his lips.
"Looks like heaven sent a meal before climbing these treacherous peaks."
Hawk gizzard.
What a delicacy.
-Kiyaa?
Confusion flickered in the white hawk's eyes.
A vibe of 'That's not it?'
"A hawk with expressions, no less."
Smart one, probably aged well.
Even tastier, then?