Episode 210

The flame burned and created a smoke which spread high into the sky.

Tang Woe had his mouth open as he saw this.

"H… how?"

Seeing Tang Woe like that, Chung Myung smiled.

He was bound to be shocked.

The Burying Hatred Flame, which could be called the symbol of an ultimate master, was now being performed by a child… who would imagine that this could happen?

Actually, the Burying Hatred Flame wasn't a technique which much history. What mattered when it came to this technique wasn't the history but the skills and understanding it took to do it. And the key to that was to be able to freely use enough strength through training.

In terms of the operation of internal qi, Chung Myung had achieved a level which was unrivalled.

'Still, I am the Plum Blossom Sword Saint.'

It was a bit strange to say that, considering that he was only a child now. But in any case, it wasn't that difficult for Chung Myung to be able to do this.

If the body's internal qi couldn't purify the body of external influences, then burning it was enough. It was just like how he burned the alcohol's impact on his body.

Chung Myung glanced at Tang Woe with a mischievous smile on his face.

"You are like a frog in a well."

Tang Woe tried to break off the closed workings of the Tang family. Because of that goal, he couldn't walk past Sichuan, where they were considered to be kings… he hadn't seen the world outside.

And looking at his reaction, it seemed like the Tang family hadn’t changed despite 100 years passing.

'Then I need to change it.'

'Even if it means I have to destroy it.'

Chung Myung drew his sword and approached the man.

Tang Woe hurriedly stepped back and used the poison that was in his sleeve once again.

"D-Die! Die, you monstrous bastard!"

Shhh!

The poison that he used touched the body of Chung Myung.

"Ah!"

Spit, spit!

Chung Myung spat out everything that entered his mouth.

"Ugh, so disgusting."

Tang Woe looked at the scene with blank eyes. He looked at the man shaking off the poison sand with his bare hands… he looked at the man walking through the Chasing Soul in 7 Steps like it was just normal sand. Now that he was watching it, all of it felt hopeless.

"Tang… Tang family's poison…"

Tang Woe stuttered.

"This cannot be! This can never happen! Uhhhhhh!"

As sorts of poisons were being thrown out from his sleeve. A black and red smoke, a pure blue liquid and then a purple smoke… they were all thrown into the sky. Even the members of the Tang family who watched it became extremely scared and moved further back.

However, Chung Myung pierced the cloud of poison with his hand and slashed the poison down like rain.

"I keep telling you that it is useless."

It was in a very low voice.

"Y-You bastardddd!"

Tang Woe burst into rage, losing his sanity.

'How! How did this happen!'

'This shouldn't happen. I cannot lose, not like this.'

He couldn't accept it.

Everything he had created.

If the poisons he had been training with for all his life turned out to be this useless and even the technique that he had created that had become his last pride was crushed down, then why did he even exist?

'No! I won't let it end like this!'

Tang Woe, whose eyes were filled with rage, pulled out needles from the sleeve.

He threw them at Chung Myung, and Chung Myung wielded his plum sword.

'Weak.'

Chung Myung's face contorted.

The flying needles were fast. But that was all. It didn't have the force and the intimidation factor that the daggers of Tang Gunak had.

"You bastard!"

Dozens of coins could be seen on Tang Woe's hands.

The Tang Family's Coins.

That was the term for the coins that were used by the Tang family. In the past, this skill was used only by the Tang family heads or those who would succeed that position.

Any person of the Tang family would be very proud if they were able to learn this, and they could confidently say that it was their training that had led them there. But now, the Tang Family Coins that were approaching Chung Myung looked as though they were brand new, like they hadn't been used much.

Chung Myung's face changed.

Tang Woe and Tang Bo… there was not a single thing in common between them.

Tang Woe was a family elder, and he was someone with a supreme position, while Tang Bo was nothing more than someone who had abandoned his role in the family and walked out, but both of them held the position of the Elder of the Tang family.

But the biggest difference between them?

"You are stupid!"

Chung Myung's sword struck down the coins.

Is this really the same technique of the Tang family that the world had once feared? Something that even Chung Myung once feared?

'What if it was Tang Bo on the other side now?'

The current Chung Myung would have been smashed down without even being able to stand for three seconds.

'But this man? He says he is the Elder of the Tang family with these skills?'

Anger rose within Chung Myung.

'You probably shouldn't see this.'

Tang Bo knew very clearly that although the poison of the Tang family was good, it couldn't be used… he knew that the poison would eventually cause the downfall of the family.

And in front of Chung Myung, he saw the future that Tang Bo had feared.

"If your head doesn't understand, then I will teach it to your body!"

Chung Myung moved forward despite the daggers coming at him. Seeing that, Tang Woe became puzzled.

"Ahhhhhhhh! I will not loseeeeeee!"

Tang Woe was using all the daggers and poison he could get his hands on. But regardless of whether it was poison or daggers, it all rose into the sky and poured down like rain.

"Full Sky Flower Rain!?"

"Full Sky Flower Rain?"

Chung Myung heard sounds of surprise.

'No, idiots.'

The 'Full Sky Flower Rain' was one of the two greatest legends in the Tang family, along with their poison. But nothing that Tang Woe was doing was similar to that technique.

The unfinished technique that was shown by Tang Bo in the past was beautiful enough to make even his victim fall into a dream-like fantasy.

'Right.'

'It was like a rain of petals that filled the world.'

'It is like…'

'Look well! Tang family!'

'This is just an imitation, but… I am the only one in the world who can imitate this!'

'This is the profound knowledge and gift from Tang Bo to his family after a hundred years!

The daggers and poison which soared into the sky poured down like rain. In the rain of poison and daggers, Chung Myung simply raised his sword.

As if the existence of poison was forgotten, he closed his eyes and pointed to the sky.

Shake.

The tip of Chung Myung's sword shook infinitely. Eventually, countless plum blossoms began to rise from the tip of the sword.

One…Two…

Soon after, the plum blossoms, which had grown to several dozen, suddenly grew even more intensely to the hundreds and covered the place.

"Ah…"

Tang Gunak, who saw it, opened his mouth without realizing it.

'This…'

This sword is different from what Chung Myung had shown in his spar with Tang Gunak. He couldn't say it for sure, but the Tang blood in him was screaming at him to not let Chung Myung's sword descend.

'Is this a fantasy?'

Plum blossoms.

There were now plum blossoms in full bloom over the mountain, blowing their petals at once in the warm wind.

The countless petals of the plum blossoms meet the daggers and poison which were pouring down on Chung Myung.

And…

Swish!

The rain of weapons coming down met with a formidable force, lost their momentum and collided with the fragile petals of the plum blossoms and bounced off.

It was the same with the poison needles too.

Nothing could penetrate the plum blossoms.

"Ahh…"

Tang Woe looked at the scene blankly with his hands hanging down. He looked at the poison and daggers that had been deflected.

And!

Bloom.

The plum blossoms which bloomed again and again, indifferently turned into petals in the sky.

In an instant, the sky above was filled with plum blossoms.

Petals were raining down from all over the sky.

Some petals rose up lightly and moved gently, while the others fell down without a change in direction. The other fell straight onto the sparring spot.

Hundreds and thousands of petals were covering the sky, each with its own path.

A rain of petals.

And it was also a dance of petals.

"H-How?"

Tang Woe groaned desperately, not understanding how this could happen.

"How you bastard!!!"

The petals which covered the surroundings all flew towards Tang Woe.

"Uhackkkkkkk!"

Tang Woe began to swing his qi-laden hands to protect himself. His speed was so great that even the hem of his long sleeves couldn't be seen.

Kakakakang!

The sleeve, which was hardened with ki, turned harder than steel and slapped away the delicate petals.

But there were simply too many flying towards him.

Slash

"Kuak!"

And a few petals caused wounds and small cuts on him.

Puck!

"Kuack!"

And some would pierce through his skin.

"I-I!"

His eyes were red and bloodshot.

"I am Tang Woe of the Tang family!"

The petals swirled around his body.

"Accccckkkk!"

Right now, however, Tang Woe of the Tang family couldn't be seen. Only the sound of his desperate and denying screams could be heard.

Shhh

And the petals which were swirling around him began to melt like the snow in the spring sun.

Drip.

Chung Myung pushed the sword into the sheath. And he raised his head to look at the person in front of him.

Tang Woe.

He stared blankly at Chung Myung.

All the clothes were torn into shreds, and it was more horrible than a beggar's clothes. There were countless minor wounds on his body.

Tang Woe struggled to open his mouth.

"…this sword?"

"A Sky Full of Plum Blossoms."

"…A Full Sky of Plum Blossoms. This…. this is the sword of Mount Hua."

"Uh…"

Chung Myung scratched the back of his head. Actually, this sword technique was a mixture of Mount Hua's sword and the final technique that Tang Bo had shown him in the past.

In other words, it was the sword of Mount Hua, but it was also the secret weapon of the Tang family.

Tang Woe couldn't have known all that, though.

"Really…"

Tang Woe slowly moved his body.

"It felt like a dream… that sword…"

Thud.

Tang Woe fell to the ground. At the same time, Chung Myung's eyes shone.

'Now that this is done, the head of the family can take care of the rest.'

No matter how hard Chung Myung had instigated and defeated Tang Woe in front of his own people, it would all depend on the will of the Lord.

'This is what Chung Myung is offering to you.'

Overthrow Tang Woe and destroy his martial arts. And just prove how useless the elders are in front of all these people.

Chung Myung looked around at all the family members of the Tang family there, including the Lord.

"How is that?"

Tang Gunak had a complicated expression as he looked at him. But it was all for a moment.

He took a deep breath and looked at Chung Myung.

"This time, the spar ends with the victory of Mount Hua's Divine Dragon, Disciple Chung Myung!"

There were no loud cheers.

There was just pin-drop silence.

It was a moment that hinted at a change in the family's system, and this brought awkwardness and anticipation along with it.

Feeling these two emotions, Chung Myung looked up at the sky.

'Is this enough?'

He stared for a long time before he lowered his head with a bitter smile.

He couldn't hear it, but he knew.

Everything he was saying.

'The dead do not speak; the dead cannot return.'

'Right.'

When he was supposed to die, he couldn't die and fell into the past, holding onto his regrets and constantly looking back at the past.

Chung Myung slowly lowered his head and looked at his sahyungs.

And he whispered.

'Don't worry, you brat.'

'Because I will take care of your Tang family from time to time.'

'Ah, of course, it isn't for free.'

It was at the moment when Chung Myung was about to walk down the stage.

-Thank you, Taoist hyung.

Unknowingly, Chung Myung turned back.

Tang Bo.

Tang Bo was smiling brightly at him as if he was still alive. However, it disappeared like an illusion.

Clench.

Chung Myung clenched his fists and shut his eyes. Their relationship had now ended. A promise he couldn't keep in his last life was now kept… at this moment.

'So…'

'Close your eyes comfortably and rest.'

'Goodbye.'

'My one and only friend.'