#123: Sichuan Tang Clan (1) — Reborn on the Demonic Cult Battlefield

It was about a week after Tang Yeo-eun and I had passed the Radiant Sword’s trial that we finally emerged from the Two-Person Gate again.

When we stepped out through the stone door, the cave passage was still enveloped in a faint green glow, while Mak Ujeon and Ga Yuak, consumed by madness, wandered through it like ghosts.

Tang Yeo-eun asked me through a voice transmission.

—It has been a month, yet they are still moving. They could not have eaten anything. Is that also because they have gone mad?

I shook my head and answered her.

—Probably not. According to Master, time inside the Two-Person Gate must flow differently from here. He said time there moves about five times faster, so although we spent a month inside, less than a week has probably passed for them.

—Ah, I see.

For the past month, we had taken the Radiant Chivalrous Sword Eccentric, Jeong Myeonggang, as our master and learned the Moonlit Phantom Sword Dance from him.

A month would have already exhausted all the leave we had received from the front, so if we did not return quickly, we might have been treated as deserters.

However, because time inside the Two-Person Gate flowed five times faster than in reality, less than a week had passed in the outside world.

“Grrrrrr!”

At that moment, Mak Ujeon’s blood-red gaze turned toward us.

He had finally discovered us.

“Graaaaah!”

He began charging fiercely toward us.

Mak Ujeon, a monster who stood on the verge of the Supreme Realm and could now wield power almost equal to it after descending into madness, was rushing at us.

Tang Yeo-eun urgently asked me,

“What should we do?”

I answered with a relaxed smile.

“What else?”

I grinned and grasped my sword.

“This is the perfect opportunity to test what we have achieved, isn’t it?”

As soon as I finished speaking, I drew my sword and activated the Moonlit Phantom Sword Dance.

First Form of the Moonlit Phantom Sword Dance.

Flying Moon.

My mind immediately entered a hallucinatory state.

Whoosh!

The world surrounding me became covered in a dreamlike, illusory veil.

The Moonlit Phantom Sword Dance was fundamentally a secret art that drew the mind into a hallucinatory state through a sword dance.

Therefore, the orthodox sequence required one to begin the sword dance first before entering the hallucination.

However, after a month of training, I had internalized the Moonlit Phantom Sword Dance enough to reverse that order.

In other words, I could first enter the hallucinatory state and then execute my movements.

That applied even to sword arts other than the Moonlit Phantom Sword Dance.

Thus, the instant I drew my sword and entered the hallucination, I smiled brightly at the charging Mak Ujeon.

In that hazy state, where everything in the world felt like a dream, I experienced an omnipotence that made me feel like a god.

“Graaaaaah!”

Mak Ujeon’s sword came crashing toward me with savage momentum.

“Hmph!”

However, when I snorted and glanced at him, his sword suddenly seemed to slow to a crawl.

Everything else around me was the same.

It was as though I had slowed the world through my will.

Of course, in truth, I had merely accelerated my mind so that the surrounding passage of time felt slower, but even knowing that, my chest swelled with the superiority of seemingly controlling the world as I pleased.

I grinned as I watched Mak Ujeon’s sword approach.

‘Slow.’

Naturally, my own movements had also become slow.

However, a sword I perceived with such slowness could not possibly threaten me.

I lightly pressed down on the flat of the blade that was cutting toward me, deflected it, and lifted my body to narrowly evade his sword.

Then, freely twisting my airborne body as though I were flying, I slowly traced a line with my sword.

I watched as my blade gradually sliced across his side.

I could even see crimson droplets of blood slowly gathering and floating into the air.

“Graaaaaaaaah!”

As he slowly roared with his face twisted in pain, I planted my feet on the ground and pressed hard in the opposite direction.

My body overcame the fierce pressure and slowly turned back the other way, toward him once more.

Then I slowly thrust my sword.

I aimed at the back of the neck of the man screaming in agony.

Shhk!

With the slightest resistance, I felt my sword slide smoothly into his neck. It felt as soft as stabbing a knife into tender tofu.

My mind filled with exhilaration.

My elevated consciousness made me believe that anything in the world was possible, while my senses had sharpened enough to perceive the flow of air against the tips of my hair. It truly felt as though I had become a god.

Suddenly, a powerful urge to remain in that state forever flared up like wildfire.

However, my mind, fortified by the Great Lotus Mind-Purifying Art, did not succumb to the temptation.

“Hoooo.”

I slowly exhaled and emerged from the hallucinatory state.

The world returned to its original speed.

“Ghuuuk!”

I pulled my sword from the back of Mak Ujeon’s neck with a slicing motion as he choked, his throat pierced through.

Slash!

Blood erupted like a fountain from his neck, which had been severed nearly seventy percent of the way through.

Splash!

By the time the blood sprayed everywhere, I had already leaped back to Tang Yeo-eun’s side.

It had been an incredibly easy fight.

She smiled brightly and congratulated me.

“That was amazing, Jin! You looked just like a Supreme Realm master!”

I answered with an awkward smile.

“No. It seems his physical abilities had deteriorated significantly because he had eaten nothing all this time. At this level, I could probably have beaten him without using the Moonlit Phantom Sword Dance.”

That was not humility but fact.

No matter how extraordinary the Moonlit Phantom Sword Dance was, I could not have defeated him so easily if he had been in proper condition.

Perhaps because Mak Ujeon had wandered in madness without nourishment, his martial prowess appeared two or three levels lower than when I had last seen him.

Tang Yeo-eun smiled gently and said,

“Even so, it remains true that you easily defeated a difficult opponent. Congratulations.”

I smiled and nodded.

“Thank you, Yeo-eun. You should deal with Ga Yuak over there. I’ll watch from beside you.”

After spending a month together inside the Two-Person Gate, we had become much more comfortable around each other.

We had not completely abandoned formal speech, but at least we now called each other by name instead of attaching titles such as Young Master or Lady as before.

I suddenly changed the mood and spoke to her seriously.

“Still, it is astonishing. The First Form, Flying Moon, alone is this powerful. I wonder whether we will be able to endure the Second Form, Dark Moon, once we learn it. The sensations within the hallucination are one thing, but emerging from it is not easy at all.”

At present, we had learned only the First Form, Flying Moon, of the Moonlit Phantom Sword Dance, which consisted of five forms in total.

Master had warned that our current attainment in the Great Lotus Mind-Purifying Art made it dangerous to endure anything beyond that. Thus, although we knew the contents of all five forms, we had not yet attempted to learn the others.

That judgment seemed wise indeed.

The sensation of using the First Form, Flying Moon, in the real world for the first time had not been easy to handle.

Maintaining my sanity had been considerably difficult.

Tang Yeo-eun took a deep breath with a tense expression and stared ahead.

“If even you say that, Jin, then I should be even more nervous.”

Where she was looking, Ga Yuak was charging fiercely toward us with blood-red eyes.

I glanced at Ga Yuak, then smiled gently at Tang Yeo-eun.

“There is no need. You will do well. I believe in you, Yeo-eun.”

She looked briefly flustered before giving me a radiant smile.

It was a smile like sunlight, illuminating the cave that had been filled only with a faint green glow.

After Tang Yeo-eun also dealt splendidly with Ga Yuak, we were finally able to leave the cave completely.

There, we encountered Do Munseung, who had been waiting for us all this time.

He ran toward us with a bright expression.

“You two! You are safe!”

We were utterly taken aback by the unexpected meeting.

We had never imagined that he would still be waiting for us.

When entering the cave, although there had been no need to do so, I had deliberately killed all the other Sucheon Association warriors and sent only a false killing strike at him, allowing him to pretend to be dead.

It had been so that he could secretly escape while we were inside the cave.

However, it seemed I had severely underestimated what kind of man he was.

Far from leaving, he had buried all the fallen warriors and waited in front of the cave until we emerged.

“No, what would you have done if we never came out, or if Mak Ujeon came out instead of us?”

When I asked in disbelief, he answered with an easygoing smile.

“If it had not been for my benefactors, I would have died anyway. Shouldn’t I be willing to take at least that much risk? Besides, I did not intend to wait forever. If you had not emerged by today, I was planning to leave.”

However, I did not particularly believe his claim that he had intended to leave.

I let out an incredulous laugh and admired him.

He truly seemed like an upright gentleman found only in books.

Then I deliberated for a moment.

“Hmm.”

After briefly discussing it with Tang Yeo-eun, I decided to tell him about Master Radiant Sword.

It occurred to me that he might be even more suited than us to learning the Moonlit Phantom Sword Dance.

The Moonlit Phantom Sword Dance was a martial art whose hallucinatory state became increasingly intense with each successive form, from the First to the Second and Third Forms.

Therefore, no matter how diligently we trained in the Great Lotus Mind-Purifying Art, we could not guarantee that we would be able to execute all five forms of the Moonlit Phantom Sword Dance.

However, what if an upright gentleman like Do Munseung learned it?

His martial arts were currently too weak, so it would be difficult for now, but once he attained a certain level of skill, might he not be able to execute all five forms of the Moonlit Phantom Sword Dance perfectly?

“First, we will operate the mechanism in the cave and seal the entrance. Brother Do, you should hide and improve your skills until the Sucheon Association settles down, then try entering afterward.”

At my advice, he thanked us with a deeply moved expression.

“I have never even heard of a martial artist sharing a fortuitous encounter…. My benefactors are truly great people. I will never forget this kindness.”

Great people….

It was extremely embarrassing to be called that by an upright gentleman like him.

We could tell him how to enter, but whether he would be allowed to learn the Moonlit Phantom Sword Dance would ultimately be Master’s decision.

Moreover, to pass through the Two-Person Gate, he would need to find another upright gentleman equal to himself. I wondered whether that would even be possible.

After leaving him several pieces of advice, we disguised ourselves once more as the Azure-and-Crimson Twin Swords and went to the Sucheon Association.

We had to deal with the aftermath.

Although Mak Ujeon, the Association Leader, had committed evil acts after being blinded by a fortuitous encounter, it was undeniable that the Sucheon Association itself was indispensable to the people of the region.

Therefore, we needed to intervene so that it would not completely collapse.

For that reason, we secretly contacted Na Cheolgyeong, who was considered the most virtuous of the Sucheon Association’s elders.

According to information from the Hao Clan, he was a chivalrous warrior with an unbending nature and had recently been shunned by Association Leader Mak Ujeon.

Perhaps Mak Ujeon had judged that he would interfere with the current scheme.

“…For those reasons, we killed Mak Ujeon.”

We did not reveal that it had specifically involved the legacy of the Radiant Chivalrous Sword Eccentric, but after hearing a general account of what had happened as Mak Ujeon tried to seize the fortuitous encounter, Na Cheolgyeong tightly closed his eyes.

Then he asked with a pained expression,

“…Do you have evidence that the Association Leader committed such acts?”

“I believe you had already noticed that warriors of the Sucheon Association and disciples conscripted from surrounding sects had been disappearing. You must also have known that Association Leader Mak Ujeon was advancing some plan while excluding you.”

He gave a hollow laugh and spoke as though lamenting.

“Yes, that was true. I merely believed he had not told me because our dispositions did not align, but how could he…?”

We told him where the bodies of Mak Ujeon, Ga Yuak, and the other Sucheon Association warriors could be found.

It was the location of the Mad-Soul Gate, but because we had sealed its entrance with the mechanism, even someone who originally knew its location would probably be unable to discover it.

“Once Elder Na Cheolgyeong discovers Mak Ujeon’s body, you will gain justification to take control of the Sucheon Association. We hope that under your leadership, the Sucheon Association will be reborn as a true orthodox faction, unlike before.”

At my sharp, ringing words spoken while disguised as one of the eccentric Azure-and-Crimson Twin Swords, Na Cheolgyeong nodded solemnly.

Only after finishing our conversation with him were we able to resume our journey.

At last, it was time to visit the Sichuan Tang Clan.

The Sichuan Tang Clan was located in Chengdu, the heart of Sichuan Province.

Taking only the minimum amount of rest, we traveled swiftly and reached the city in three days.

Chengdu, which we finally arrived at, was an exceedingly prosperous city.

The moment we passed through the city gate, crowds of people and rows of shops came into view.

Admiring the sight, I said,

“I also lived in Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou Province, but this place looks far more prosperous. As expected of the heart of Sichuan Province, home to the great Tang, Qingcheng, and Emei sects.”

“Yes, it is a very prosperous place.”

However, Tang Yeo-eun’s expression as she answered was far from bright.

In fact, the closer we had drawn to Chengdu, the darker her expression had become.

Simply approaching the Tang Clan seemed to weigh heavily on her heart.

I placed a hand on her shoulder and said,

“Do not worry. Nothing will happen. And even if something does happen, I will always be beside you.”

She smiled and nodded.

Her slightly tearful eyes sparkled like starlight.

Before long, we reached the main estate of the Sichuan Tang Clan, located in the center of Chengdu.

It was such an enormous manor that one could have believed it was the imperial palace.

More than twenty warriors guarded the main gate of the vast estate, radiating sharp auras.

They were extremely impressive.

Not only did each possess excellent martial prowess, but they also maintained disciplined postures and an orderly state of vigilance reminiscent of an army.

Even the leader of the gate guards appeared to be a Pinnacle Realm martial artist.

A Pinnacle Realm warrior was merely guarding a gate. It truly made one think, as expected of the Sichuan Tang Clan.

As we approached, the guard leader respectfully stepped forward and asked,

“This is the Sichuan Tang Clan. What business brings the two of you here?”

Despite belonging to the Tang Clan himself, he apparently did not recognize Tang Yeo-eun’s face.

Tang Yeo-eun answered calmly, as though the situation were only natural.

“I am Tang Yeo-eun, a daughter of the Tang Clan who has been serving on the front. I received leave and returned after being summoned by the Clan Head.”

The warrior’s eyes gleamed with surprise at her answer.

He then adopted an even more respectful posture and said,

“So you are Youngest Lady Tang Yeo-eun. I joined the Tang Clan only three years ago, so I failed to recognize you. Please forgive my rudeness.”

“It is fine. I fully understand.”

After waiting briefly at the main gate, another Pinnacle Realm martial artist emerged and guided us inside.

He addressed Tang Yeo-eun respectfully, but in a businesslike manner that did not remotely resemble how one would treat family.

“Congratulations on returning safely, my lady. The Clan Head ordered that you be escorted directly to the Great Hall.”

Tang Yeo-eun asked back with a slightly startled expression,

“To the Great Hall? Immediately?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

The instruction to come to the Great Hall the moment she arrived seemed unexpected, and she looked deeply worried.

However, she had no choice.

“Yes, understood. Let us go.”

I silently followed behind her.

The Pinnacle Realm warrior guiding us glanced at me, but he did not seem inclined to stop me.

After walking for some time past the vast training ground behind the main gate and several enormous pavilions, we finally reached the Tang Clan’s massive Great Hall.

The warrior entered first and loudly announced our arrival.

“Young Lady Tang Yeo-eun has arrived!”

A low voice carrying tremendous internal energy answered.

“Enter.”

We entered the Great Hall.

Inside, we saw numerous martial artists standing in orderly rows.

I swept my gaze over them and noticed that many wore uniforms belonging to other sects rather than the Tang Clan’s green martial attire.

It appeared that a meeting open to martial artists from other sects was underway.

At the center of those assembled warriors, seated in the place of honor at the highest point of the Great Hall, was the man I had seen before at the Righteous Chivalry Guild, wearing a languid expression.

He was a handsome, middle-aged man whose age was difficult to determine, with a cold expression on his face. He was Tang Jeonghu, the Poison-Dark Sovereign and Clan Head of the Sichuan Tang Clan.

Tang Yeo-eun and I walked toward him.

When Tang Yeo-eun finally reached him, she clasped her hands deeply and said,

“Tang Yeo-eun, daughter of the Tang Clan, reports to the Clan Head that she has returned safely.”

It was an unbelievably stiff greeting for a daughter addressing her biological father after returning for the first time in four years.

However, no one around us seemed to find it strange.

The Poison-Dark Sovereign, Tang Jeonghu, nodded once and asked her,

“Has it been four years since you entered the front?”

As expected, Tang Jeonghu immediately began questioning her without offering even a word of concern for her well-being.

Tang Yeo-eun bowed respectfully and answered,

“Yes. It has now been four years.”

Tang Jeonghu asked again,

“Then you will be able to leave the service one year from now?”