The Sichuan Tang Family
Where the hell am I? (13)
EP.41 Sichuan Tang Family
In wuxia stories, the Sichuan Tang Family appears as inevitably as licorice in a pharmacy—an illustrious clan of the Murim with a distinctly unique setting compared to other sects.
First in Hidden Weapons
Of course, like any other sect, they trained in the basics of the sword, blade, and spear. But their true specialty was something far more unusual: hidden weapons. And that characteristic had played a massive role in establishing the Tang Family as the foremost house in Sichuan.
Their secret arts allowed them to move in silence and eliminate targets without a trace. Their martial techniques weren’t flashy, but they were lethally effective. During wars against the Evil Faction or the Demonic Cult, they had racked up enormous contributions.
Yet the problem began with those very strengths.
Assassination.
That alone was enough to make the rigid elders of the Righteous Faction uncomfortable. But the bigger issue was their other specialty.
Second in Poison Use
They used poison to take lives. It didn’t matter who the opponent was—the Tang Family fed their enemies poison without hesitation. They mixed it into wine and meat, and when the situation grew dire, they would even contaminate wells, collapsing entire systems from within.
Their ruthless methods left them completely ostracized once the wars ended. That was why, despite the Tang name being listed among the Righteous Faction, not a single Tang Family student could be found at Jeongmu Academy.
Dang Huiso worked as a physician at the academy precisely to reshape that tarnished image of the Sichuan Tang Family.
‘But……’
What on earth were those people over there?
“—It was the Tang Family that led us to victory in the Righteous-Demonic War…”
“—Isn’t it the way of the Sichuan Tang Family to repay kindness twofold and grudges tenfold? If this plan succeeds…”
“—Ahem. Could you lower your voice a little?”
Three martial artists dressed in dark green robes. As I listened to their meaningful conversation, Dang Huiso’s face as he refined pills in the medical hall flashed through my mind.
But what mattered was what came next.
While I focused on their words, a new notification window appeared before my eyes.
Ding.
The Hardliners of the Sichuan Tang Family
📍 Subject: Choice
📍 Difficulty: B+
📍 Description: Although the Sichuan Tang Family belongs to the Righteous Faction, they are quietly looked down upon by its martial artists. As a result, they have split into the ‘Hardliners’ who wish to demonstrate their power to the Righteous Faction, and the ‘Moderates’ who wish to remain united and preserve peace.
As Dang Huiso’s disciple, you have the justification to interfere in the Tang Family’s plans.
📍 Objective: 1) Join the Hardliners’ plan / 2) Stop the Hardliners’ plan
📍 Restriction: Dang Huiso’s disciple / One who has learned the Sichuan Tang Family’s martial arts
📍 Reward: Reward will vary depending on your choice.
📍 Failure Penalty: All martial artists of the Sichuan Tang Family will become hostile toward you.
Hardliners and Moderates. I had no exact way of knowing what they intended to do. But one thing was certain: their actions would contribute to the Tang Family’s honor—whether for better or worse.
And as Dang Huiso’s disciple, I had earned the right to meddle in their plans.
“Excuse me… Lady Hwayeong.”
“Yes?”
“I’ll be back after having a quick word with those gentlemen.”
“……Pardon?”
I rose from my seat with care and walked toward the people who might one day become my martial nephews. Perhaps they hadn’t expected anyone to approach, because they didn’t notice me until I was standing right beside their table. Naturally, I picked up one of the dumplings on the table to draw their attention.
“Nom.”
“???”
“……?”
Only then did the Tang Family martial artists turn to look at me, faces full of bewilderment. I smiled at them and casually sat down at their table.
Shhhk.
They were stunned by my audacity for only a moment. Soon their expressions hardened as they reached into their robes. From their sleeves, hidden weapons glinted—poison needles, daggers, and all manner of blades shone with murderous intent, ready to pierce me at any second.
But I was Dang Huiso’s disciple. I was a fellow sect member, and the Tang Family placed great importance on connections. There was no need for me to cower.
“Nice to meet you. My name is Kim Siin, disciple of Physician Dang Huiso at Jeongmu Academy. You gentlemen are from the Sichuan Tang Family, correct?”
My greeting left their faces dyed with confusion. It seemed this was the first time they’d ever seen someone casually steal another person’s food—and the sheer brazenness left them momentarily speechless. The three martial artists simply stared at me in a daze.
But that only lasted a moment. The oldest-looking one among them quietly opened his mouth.
“We are indeed from the Sichuan Tang Family… but you… no, you claim to be that person’s disciple?”
The man who appeared to be in his early thirties caught me slightly off guard. Up until now they had been having an extremely dangerous conversation—talk of grudges, plans, and martial tournaments. From that, I had assumed they would be extremely wary of anyone who might have overheard them.
Yet they didn’t seem particularly bothered whether I had heard or not. Instead, what mattered most to them right now was—
“How are we supposed to believe that?”
“Dang Huiso took a disciple? That person?”
“A dog doesn’t stop shitting. His disciple? Don’t talk nonsense.”
It seemed the fact that I was Dang Huiso’s disciple was what truly concerned them.
“Do you even know what kind of person Dang Huiso is?”
At his question, I frowned slightly and nodded.
“He is a member of the Sichuan Tang Family, currently serving as a physician at Jeongmu Academy’s medical hall, isn’t he?”
That was the extent of what I knew about Dang Huiso. Now that I thought about it, claiming to be his disciple while knowing almost nothing about him was rather embarrassing. Still, I had my own way of proving myself.
“Just a moment…”
I rummaged through my pocket. I had received countless things from Dang Huiso while staying with him. If I had to pick the one item that best represented him—
“Ugh…! What the hell is that…!”
“This bastard! He’s crazy! Walking around with shit in his pocket!”
The object that perfectly displayed Dang Huiso’s madness. It was the pill he had personally created—Kwaecheong-dan.
“It really is…”
“Yeah… only he could make something like that…”
Whether Dang Huiso’s madness was already infamous within the Sichuan Tang Family, or whether they were simply willing to accept it because of the quest, I wasn’t sure. But they believed me far more quickly than I had expected.
“So… your name was Kim Siin… hmm…”
“This is awkward… I mean, ahem.”
During the exchange, one peculiar fact emerged: Dang Huiso apparently held quite a high position within the Sichuan Tang Family.
“So you three are my martial nephews?”
At my words, all three of them flinched. The term sajeol—martial nephew—was completely foreign to me. After listening to their explanation, I learned that my master Dang Huiso held a generation above their own masters’ masters. Unfortunately for them, as his direct disciple, I had parachuted in on his coattails and landed one full rank higher than them—a “stone that rolled in from elsewhere.”
“Yes, that is correct… Martial Uncle…”
“Hehe…”
But the Sichuan Tang Family placed extreme importance on blood ties and regional connections. Once the hierarchy was clearly established, they lowered their heads. The corner of my mouth naturally curled upward.
The quest I had received was to decide whether to follow the Hardliners’ plan or stop it. Now I understood why the word “meddle” had appeared when the quest first popped up.
‘It looks simple at first glance, but…’
As I had explained earlier, the Sichuan Tang Family was an unfortunate clan that had never received proper recognition from the Righteous Faction. They belonged to it in name, but they were essentially being ostracized. Their goal, therefore, was to use this martial tournament to reveal how the Tang Family had been ignored and to clearly imprint the family’s true power upon the minds of the Righteous Faction’s martial artists.
The problem was that their method was rather extreme.
“Still, isn’t spraying paralyzing poison on the tournament stage going a bit too far?”
An odorless, colorless paralyzing poison. I had no idea where they had obtained it, but their plan was to secretly scatter it across the stage and lower the overall level of every match. No evidence would remain. Later, they would reveal the truth and spread word of the Tang Family’s worth throughout the Murim.
‘It might not be that big of a problem.’
They talked about repaying grudges tenfold, but honestly, this was a timid sort of revenge that felt different from what I had imagined. Listening to their almost childish plan, I couldn’t help but think it was a little stupid.
But the important thing was that the substance they intended to use was paralyzing poison.
“Nephews?”
“Yes, Martial Uncle.”
“Let’s put that plan on hold for now.”
If the level of the entire tournament dropped because of the paralyzing poison, I wouldn’t be able to fulfill my promise to Hwayeong. A match that had fallen to the floor was unacceptable. To earn her recognition, I needed to display proper martial arts by unfolding the Cheonwol Divine Art.
“Martial Uncle. We must do something. The Sichuan Tang Family already believes the plan is underway, and we have our own mission.”
I nodded at his words. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand. Ever since the tutorial, I had received countless quests and been forced to act against my will while worrying about annoying penalties.
But this particular quest had a rather straightforward solution.
“Don’t worry, nephews. I have a plan.”
After all, the reason they wanted to ruin the tournament was to show the Tang Family’s true strength. And the quests given to me shared one unexpected common point.
[2nd Floor — Surpassing the Master] Gain recognition from three masters.
[Master and Disciple — Martial Tournament] Advance to the semifinals of the martial tournament and gain Hwayeong’s recognition.
[Master and Disciple — Precious Research Material] Achieve a result in the martial tournament that satisfies Dang Huiso and gain his recognition.
[The Hardliners of the Sichuan Tang Family] Show the Tang Family’s true power to the martial artists of the Righteous Faction.
A faint smile spread across my face.
It didn’t matter whether I used the Cheonwol Divine Art or the Sichuan Tang Family’s martial arts. If I simply smashed through everyone and took first place, every problem would be solved at once.
The morning of the main tournament.
I arrived at the martial tournament arena and found a very welcome name among my first opponent.
First Round
【Jong Ak — Hainan Sect】
【Kim Siin — Sect Unknown】
“Heh… So you made it, Kim Siin. I’ve been waiting.”
“Yeah, yeah. Nice to see you too.”
A face I had seen far too often since the very first day I reached the second floor. At this point, it felt less like a bad relationship and more like fate.