Tang Horyong, the Master of Poison Dragon Pavilion, rose from his seat to greet his guest.
An imposing man had just opened the door and entered, and an indescribable pressure radiated from him.
“You’ve had a long journey.”
“Compared to what the Sichuan Tang Clan has endured, it was nothing. Allow me to offer my deepest condolences once again.”
Despite his rough features, the man’s voice was low and gentle, yet possessed a force that compelled others to listen.
It was the sort of presence only a leader of men possessed. The man’s gaze was mild yet unfathomably deep, and it suddenly reminded Tang Horyong of someone.
It feels as though I’m facing another older cousin…
That realization left Tang Horyong more than a little unsettled.
He had heard that the man before him was still young—not yet forty.
His older cousin, on the other hand, was an extraordinary figure not only in age but also in his standing within the Murim.
He was an iron-willed Family Head who had accomplished countless military feats during the Great Faction War and rebuilt his fallen family stronger than ever.
Tang Sadok, the Myriad-Poison Asura.
Tang Horyong, the Acting Family Head of the Sichuan Tang Clan, sighed inwardly as he thought of his older cousin, who had yet to regain consciousness.
Please wake soon and lead us, Family Head.
Tang Horyong had been born a martial artist.
He prided himself on having mastered poison and hidden weapons, but leading a family was an entirely different matter.
Especially lately, countless problems had been pouring in from every direction, leaving him no time even to think about the grief and anger caused by the loss of his blood relatives.
If only someone like this were standing in my place.
In that sense, Tang Horyong couldn’t help envying the man before him.
Nor was he judging him solely by his first impression. He had already heard plenty of rumors about the man.
Even if only a quarter of them were true, the man was more than capable of leading a family.
“Sir Tang, is there something on my face?”
“Ah, no. I’ve been so distracted that I forgot my manners. My apologies.”
At Tang Horyong’s hurried apology, the man nodded gravely.
“Not at all. It’s understandable after everything you’ve suffered.”
In truth, even the word devastating fell short of describing the damage the Sichuan Tang Clan had suffered.
Nearly ninety percent of the clan’s people had died, and most of the Tang Clan’s grounds had been destroyed.
Their only consolation was that the family line had survived, but restoring the clan to its former glory would take many years.
“Our fellow martial artists throughout Sichuan have gone out of their way to help us, but… I fear what lies ahead.”
If Tang Sadok, the Family Head, had been in his position, he would never have shown weakness under any circumstances.
Tang Horyong was different.
At his honest words, the man gently ran his long fingers over his teacup.
“I believe you know why I came here, Sir Tang.”
“I understand that you came to investigate the Three-Gate Bloodbath.”
“To be precise, when I first left Henan, my purpose was to find the culprit who murdered the late Poison King Tang Sadok and the Heaven-Shaking Venerable Nun. However, the situation changed drastically on the way here.”
“That’s right. Dark Heaven, those bastards beyond the pale, finally revealed their fangs.”
“Although we already had the incident in Henan as precedent, the fact that they dared to attack three renowned clans and sects across the land at once proves that war is already upon us.”
Small disturbances breed greater chaos.
But Dark Heaven’s existence could no longer be concealed, nor was there any reason to hide it.
Seven days and nights had passed since the horrific Three-Gate Bloodbath.
By now, word without feet would have traveled a thousand li,1 and countless messenger pigeons would be flying to every corner of the realm.
And war—not mere chaos—had brought people together.
“I heard the orthodox Murim has been rallying in Henan since the Shaolin Bloodshed. Then, perhaps…”
“For now, they are still making preparations. But it is already a foregone conclusion.”
The man continued in a weighty voice.
“That brings me to my proposal. Would you consider going to Henan?”
“Henan.”
“Yes. What you’re thinking of will happen soon.”
After a brief silence, Tang Horyong spoke.
“I’m grateful to be invited to such an honorable occasion, but I cannot leave now. As you know, as Acting Family Head, I must remain with the members of our family…”
“Sir Tang.”
“Go on.”
“As you just said, you are the Acting Family Head. Naturally, you cannot leave the members of the Tang Clan behind.”
“…!”
Only then did Tang Horyong understand what the man was proposing. His mouth fell open.
It was something he had never dared even consider.
“So you’re saying that we should move our family headquarters?”
“Well…”
The man’s clear gaze, as though it could see straight through him, settled on Tang Horyong.
“Great Hero Mae Jonghak told me that a war even greater than the Great Faction War would soon break out.”
“The Sword Saint…”
Tang Horyong swallowed a groan.
That could not be the Sword Saint’s opinion alone.
The Shaolin Bloodshed had awakened the anger and vigilance of countless orthodox martial artists, and the new Murim Alliance was already poised to take shape.
The entire orthodox Murim was preparing for the coming war.
Can our family survive in a situation like this?
The question flashed through his mind, and his heart sank.
The Sichuan Tang Clan had already suffered a blow unprecedented in its history.
Moreover, the Qingcheng Sect and Emei Sect had also lost a considerable portion of their forces.
If the enemy attacked again, there was little hope of stopping them.
“Haa…”
As Tang Horyong sighed with a dazed expression, a quiet voice reached his ears.
“Sir Tang, why do you think the Sichuan Tang Clan has endured for the past several hundred years?”
“That is…”
“Because it was the Tang Clan. Even if you remove the first two characters—Sichuan—that fact does not change.”
“…!”
“If you make the decision, the orthodox Murim will help the Tang Clan.”
Tang Horyong trembled before finally managing to speak.
“We have made countless enemies over the years. Even among the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Families, there are those who regard our family with hostility. Will that truly cause no problems?”
“Everything will be handled fairly and openly. Put your mind at ease and establish a new home. Henan, Shaanxi, or…”
A gentle smile touched the man’s lips.
“Shanxi would be a fine choice as well.”
“Shanxi?”
“Just say the word. I have plenty of land to spare.”
Tang Horyong suddenly remembered one fact he had overlooked.
The man before him was the Alliance Leader who had unified the Shanxi Murim, as well as the greatest landowner and wealthiest man in Shanxi Province.
“Thank you. Truly, thank you, Great Hero Jin!”
“Think nothing of it.”
At that moment, Jin Wikyung, the Lesser Family Head of the Jin Family of Taiyuan, returned the Acting Family Head of the Sichuan Tang Clan’s clasped-fist salute with courtesy and dignity.
Clunk.
“Um, I heard you called for me.”
Jin Wikyung spotted a young man poking his head through the gap in the pavilion door and unleashed a lion’s roar.
“My youngest!”
Thud-thud-thud-thud—crash!
He charged like an enraged bull.
As Tang Horyong watched the two brothers reunite in something that fell somewhere between an embrace and a collision, he recalled one of the rumors he had heard about Jin Wikyung.
They say he’s completely helpless when it comes to his younger brothers.
The Alliance Leader who had unified Shanxi Murim and the greatest landowner in Shanxi Province was nowhere to be seen.
In his place stood a hopelessly doting fool.
He’s still young, so he lacks experience. He can’t compare to my older cousin, who remains perfectly levelheaded at all times. Yes, of course.
Tang Horyong had no way of knowing about Mimi-chan.2
“My youngest!”
Jin Wikyung charged at me with tears flying from his eyes and swept me into a fierce embrace.
I’d been in the Murim for two years now. I’d endured this kind of thing more times than I cared to remember, so I’d expected a reaction like this.
Crack!
…But I hadn’t expected that.
Seriously, why did I hear my bones shifting?
I sighed as he squeezed my entire body like an anaconda in the Amazon jungle.
Still, since he was happy to see me, I let him hug me without resisting. His reaction had never been this intense before, though.
“Wait, Hyung-nim.3 Let go and then we can talk. Let go.”
“Hyung-nim?3 Why are you using such a stiff form of address? Haven’t I told you to just call me hyung?3 You’ve changed. You’ve really changed!”
“Okay, I get it, so let me go now.”
“You used to speak informally when you were little! Why are you being so polite now? You’ve changed. You’ve really changed!”
“Let go, goddammit.”
“Gasp! You never swore, even at the height of your rebellious phase! You’ve changed—”
“Wow, that refrain is driving me insane.”
Was being a martial artist his main job and being a Dementor his side gig?
Shuddering at the feeling of my soul being sucked out, I reached out.
Whoosh—crash!
Jin Wikyung’s huge body slammed headfirst into the ground with a heavy thud.
A middle-aged man from the Sichuan Tang Clan, who had been watching us, let out a startled groan.
“It’s all right. Really. We’re just playing around.”
“N-No, but…”
“Look. He’s getting right back up.”
Just as I’d said, Jin Wikyung sprang to his feet as if nothing had happened, tears of emotion welling in his eyes.
“You’ve grown even stronger. That’s my youngest.”
His utter lack of change made me snort with laughter.
“You really haven’t changed.”
“Haven’t changed? Do you know how worried I’ve been these past two months? I couldn’t sleep at night, and I lost my appetite until I was nothing but skin and bones.”
I looked over his enormous, muscular frame and muttered, “You seem to have plenty of skin and bones.”
Come to think of it, two months.
That much time had already passed.
It struck me anew that the time for me to return was drawing near.
If spending ten days in one world meant that only an hour or so passed in the other…
About six hours must have passed. The plane might be landing soon.
The timing couldn’t have been better. I’d built up quite a bit of fatigue while overcoming the massive hurdle that was the Western Heaven Demon Lord.
Without wasting any more words, I got straight to the point.
“When are we leaving?”
“My youngest, you must have suffered so much… Hm?”
Jin Wikyung, who had been anxiously looking me over, froze.
“What did you just say?”
“You came to take me with you, didn’t you? Oh, and the Third Fiend too.”
Jin Wikyung’s eyes widened.
“How did you know?”
The middle-aged man, who seemed to hold an important position in the Sichuan Tang Clan, also spoke in surprise.
“Great Hero Jin, did you not come to investigate the full circumstances of the incident?”
“I did, but several members of the investigation team, including myself, will be returning to Henan. Just before we reached Sichuan, we received orders to escort the Third Fiend, one of the chief culprits behind the Three-Gate Bloodbath.”
“Then what about your proposal concerning our family?”
“That offer remains valid, of course. But relocating right away would be difficult for the Tang Clan.”
“That is true. The Family Head is still in no condition to travel such a great distance, and we must obtain the consent of the other clan members.”
“Yes. And…”
After speaking quietly with the middle-aged man for a moment, Jin Wikyung sent me a covert Sound Transmission.
But how did you know?
I can put two and two together. It seemed obvious from the circumstances.
Ah, my youngest. What terrible ordeal did you endure to become smarter as well?
…
That rubbed me the wrong way.
I hadn’t actually figured it out from the circumstances. I knew because a Quest to escort the Third Fiend had appeared.
“So when are we leaving?”
Having just finished his conversation, Jin Wikyung answered my question.
“If you already knew, that makes this easier. The sooner, the better. Are you ready?”
“I didn’t bring anything but the two balls between my legs. All I have to do is go.”
Plus two bundles wrapped tightly in bandages.
Jin Wikyung nodded and turned to the middle-aged man.
“Sir Tang, where is the Third Fiend?”
The man he had addressed as Sir Tang replied, “We bound their limbs and confined them under close watch. Ever since their testicles were crushed, they’ve tried to kill themselves at every opportunity, so you’ll need to be careful.”
“…Good grief.”
I’d want to die too if that happened to me.
In any case, everything was in place for us to move quickly.
Jin Wikyung considered it for a moment, then answered decisively.
“Then half a shichen.4 We’ll leave within half a shichen.4 Is that acceptable?”
“No problem.”
The instant I answered without hesitation, a frantic commotion arose outside the pavilion, followed by someone shouting.
“The Family Head! The Family Head has awakened!”
Jin Wikyung amended his words in a lukewarm voice.
“One shichen.4 Let’s make it one shichen.4”
“…Yes. That sounds better.”
What a shame. I could’ve taken the Myriad-Poison Ring and run.
Footnotes
-
In this Chinese setting, one li is about 500 m (0.311 mi); a thousand li is about 500 km (310 mi). ↩
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The Japanese suffix -chan is an affectionate form of address. ↩
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Hyung is a Korean term a man uses for an older brother or a close older man. Hyung-nim is a more respectful form. ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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A shichen is a traditional Chinese time unit of about two hours; half a shichen is about one hour. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
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