Bu Eunseol’s brows knit together as he gazed at the solitary figure standing in the center of the swaying reed field.
It was none other than Tang Gon.
A family dispute?
Just as his interest cooled and he turned to leave, a shadow flickered above. Black Leopard landed lightly on the giant tree branch beside him.
Tap.
Black Leopard’s eyes went wide as he peered down.
“Huh? Poison caltrops?”
Though he had merely whispered, it was impossible to deceive the sensitive ears of the Tang Clan masters below.
“Who goes there!”
Thwip-thwip-thwip-thwip!
Having pinpointed Black Leopard’s location, one of the Tang masters instantly unleashed a volley of eighty-six poison caltrops. They tore through the air like a swarm of angry hornets.
“Hmph.”
With a low scoff, Bu Eunseol reached for the Dark Sword strapped to his back.
Hummmm.
As the blade left its sheath, a chilling cold swept through the humid air of the field.
Clang-clang-clang!
With a cacophony of clashing metal, the torrent of caltrops swirled violently in a wide arc. Then, defying momentum, they reversed course, pouring back down toward those who had thrown them like a deadly rain.
It was the Supreme Heavenly Flow, Second Form: Returning the Spirit to Origin, a technique designed to reflect hidden weapons back to their source.
“W-what is this!”
Panic erupted among the Tang masters as they saw their own steel returning to claim them. They scattered in all directions, diving into the reeds.
Thud-thud-thud.
As the reflected caltrops embedded themselves in the mud, Tang Gon was left standing alone in the center of the decimated field, gasping for air.
“Haa… Haa…”
Dark blood oozed from cuts in his clothes where hidden weapons had grazed him, and the sword in his hand was so chipped it resembled a saw blade. Though his injuries weren’t immediately fatal, his trembling stance made it clear he wouldn’t last much longer.
Step.
As Bu Eunseol descended from the giant tree, the eyes of the surviving Tang masters flashed dangerously from the periphery.
“Identify yourselves!”
“Don’t mind us.”
Bu Eunseol looked down coldly at the Tang masters, who glared up with murderous intent.
“We are just passing through.”
The expressions of those surrounding the reed field became peculiar. Although Chongqing was a considerable distance from Sichuan, it was still within the Tang Clan’s sphere of influence. Yet here were two strangers treating warriors clad in Tang attire—armed with their signature toxic weapons—as mere insects.
“Elders, please do not misunderstand.”
Sensing the atmosphere turning volatile, Black Leopard jumped down from the tree and clasped his hands together in a frantic placating gesture.
“We really are just passing by. We have absolutely no intention of interfering in the Tang Clan’s affairs.”
“Dispose of them as well.”
A middle-aged man, who appeared to be the leader, looked back and forth between Bu Eunseol and Black Leopard before issuing the cold command.
“They have seen what they should not have seen.”
Black Leopard’s face paled instantly. The look in the man’s eyes made it clear he fully intended to bury them right there alongside Tang Gon.
“G-Great Hero, please don’t be like tha—”
Just as Black Leopard waved his hands in panic, a voice cut in.
“Stop.”
Tang Gon, panting heavily and covered in blood, lifted his head. He offered a faint, strained smile.
“If you touch him, you are the ones who will die.”
“…”
“Just let them go. Then, we can start again.”
At Tang Gon’s words, the middle-aged man let out a dry chuckle.
“If we were inside the main estate, I would naturally follow the Third Young Master’s orders. However…”
“Let the family’s business end with the family. Is it not my head you want, anyway?”
“Hmm.”
The middle-aged man let out a low groan, then sighed. He stepped toward Bu Eunseol’s back, his voice dropping to a freezing whisper.
“Forget what you saw today. Understood?”
Instead of answering, Bu Eunseol turned his head slightly and smiled, revealing white teeth. The gesture seemed to wound the middle-aged man’s pride, causing his eyebrows to twitch.
And then—
Strike!
Without warning, the middle-aged man unleashed a pitch-black palm strike toward Bu Eunseol’s exposed back. It was the Fire Poison God Palm, the pride of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
“Watch ou—!”
Tang Gon screamed a warning the moment he sensed the treachery, but it seemed too late. The attack was too sudden, the distance too close.
“Aaaargh!”
A bloodcurdling scream rang out as crimson sprayed into the air.
Astonishingly, despite having his back turned, Bu Eunseol had drawn his sword and severed the middle-aged man’s wrist with surgical precision.
“How did…”
Tang Gon’s jaw dropped in disbelief.
The Ghostly Shadowless Stride utilized by the middle-aged man was a movement technique specialized for ambushes; within a range of one jang, it was considered inescapable. Even if one knew an attack was coming, severing a master’s wrist without even turning around should have been impossible.
“It’s useful.”
Bu Eunseol nodded as he looked down at the Dark Sword in his hand.
He demonstrated such divine skill due to the transcendental art that detected killing intent and instinctively countered it—the power of the Mastery Radiance Sword Control.
“Ugh… Kill him!”
As the middle-aged man clutched his severed stump and screamed, the surrounding masters poured hidden weapons from their leather pouches.
“Aack!”
But before the weapons could even be fully unleashed, another scream tore through the air. Bu Eunseol had closed the distance in an instant using the Shadowless Supreme Speed, dancing among the Tang masters with his sword.
Flash!
Every time the oily dark light of his blade reflected, a man fell without fail.
Bu Eunseol had already dismantled the Blood Ghost Hall of the Infernal Blood Fortress—experts in poison and hidden weapons—single-handedly. Consequently, dealing with these Tang masters, who employed similar strategies, was a trivial task.
“U-ugh…”
Realizing they stood no chance against this monster, the middle-aged man shouted desperately.
“R-Retreat! Retreat!”
At the command, the Tang masters fell back in perfect order, as if they had been waiting for the signal. Bu Eunseol did not pursue them; instead, he sheathed his sword and nodded approvingly.
“As expected of one of the Eight Great Families.”
Even with their lives hanging by a thread, their retreat was disciplined, their formation maintained with solemn precision. The reputation of the Sichuan Tang Clan, which had shaken the Murim for ages, was clearly not unearned.
“Should I say thank you?”
Tang Gon staggered to his feet and smiled at Bu Eunseol. The smile looked incredibly weary, yet somehow retained a sense of dignity and elegance.
“Not at all.”
Bu Eunseol replied coldly.
“I only acted because they dared to launch a sneak attack. There is no need for gratitude.”
As he turned to leave without a second thought, Tang Gon called out.
“Wait! If you leave like this, you will face significant trouble in the future.”
“Trouble?”
When Bu Eunseol turned back, Tang Gon offered a bitter grimace.
“The men you just beat like dogs were Deung Gwang-yeong, the Hall Master of the Black Hand Hall, and his subordinates.”
“So?”
“If you leave now, that viper of a Hall Master will make a false report to the Patriarch. You will be relentlessly pursued by the main family.”
“Sounds amusing.”
Bu Eunseol turned away again with indifference, causing Tang Gon to bite his lip.
I suppose beating around the bush won’t work with him.
To preserve his life, Tang Gon had to return to the Tang estate somehow. But doing so without the aid of a superior master was impossible.
“Please help me.”
Finally, Tang Gon swallowed his pride and spoke honestly.
“I must return to the main house. But without the help of a master like you, it is impossible.”
Stop.
Only then did Bu Eunseol halt his steps.
“Did you kill your brothers or something?”
Tang Gon’s eyes flashed with hurt pride.
Does he think I’m an easy target just because I asked for help?
But meeting Bu Eunseol’s serious gaze, he quickly realized the hidden meaning behind the abrasive question: Why on earth is your own family trying to kill you?
“If I had killed all my brothers, Hall Master Deung would have brought a flower palanquin to escort me back, not tried to kill me.”
Swallowing a bitter laugh, Tang Gon shook his head.
“The main house has long tolerated internal strife among successors. This situation is merely a part of that process.”
“They allow blood relatives to kill each other?”
Black Leopard, standing beside Bu Eunseol, dropped his jaw in shock. Tang Gon let out a deep sigh.
“Our family was built on blood. The process of determining a successor inevitably demands blood as well.”
Taking a deep breath, Tang Gon continued.
“Even if the target is a brother who shares your blood.”
In short, the Tang Clan condoned fratricide to cull the weak and determine the strongest heir.
Bu Eunseol, who had been listening silently, asked, “Then was that man earlier sent by one of your brothers?”
“Indeed. Most likely my second brother. He has always been watching for a chance to eliminate me.”
“And knowing that, you came out into the Gangho alone?”
At Bu Eunseol’s point, Tang Gon spoke with a look of shame. “What power does an illegitimate son have? I have no supporting faction or foundation… This was my own way of building a defense.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol realize why Tang Gon had so readily given him the Pear Blossom Tree Leaf previously. He had intended to make strong friends in the Gangho to expand his own influence against his siblings.
“My eldest brother rarely reveals himself due to his naturally weak constitution. Because of that, my second brother targets me at every opportunity.”
Gazing up at the distant sky, he wore a miserable expression.
“I pride myself on my talent and martial arts, but regrettably, I lack support and a foundation. I have even less than the youngest, who is a daughter.”
Wiping the blood from his forehead, Tang Gon spoke in a low voice.
“I came out to the Gangho hoping to struggle through by making good friends… but I am done now.”
Support and friends were not things created simply because one desired them. Having realized this fact only now, Tang Gon intended to give up everything.
“I will go to the main house and renounce my claim to the succession. However…”
“You’re saying they won’t even allow you to return.”
“Correct. My second brother will never sit by and watch me return.”
Tang Gon shook his head.
“He is suspicious by nature, and he will think I might change my mind at any time.”
Having finished his explanation, Tang Gon stared intently at Bu Eunseol. He had spoken honestly about his family’s situation and his own shameful weakness. Now, only Bu Eunseol’s choice remained.
“Will you help me and accompany me to the main house?”
Though he spoke boldly, the confidence had vanished from Tang Gon’s eyes. The road back to the Sichuan Tang Clan would be a journey of death. Furthermore, since he was going to renounce his succession rights, there would be no great reward. Who would risk their life to accompany him on such a futile journey?
“I heard the Tang Clan has many excellent hidden weapons.”
Bu Eunseol suddenly made an unrelated remark.
“I have a hidden weapon device I bought at a smithy some time ago. But I haven’t been able to find the needle ammunition that goes inside it.”
He rolled up his sleeve to reveal something resembling a very thin bracelet. It was the Sand Needles mechanism he had purchased along with his sword in the back alleys of Dongting Lake.
“An authentic Sand Needles device.”
At Tang Gon’s comment, Bu Eunseol nodded.
“If I go to the Tang Clan, can I obtain hidden weapons suitable for this device?”
Tang Gon looked puzzled but nodded nonetheless.
“Of course.”
“That works out well.”
Bu Eunseol unfastened the device and tossed it to Black Leopard.
“Are… are you giving this to me?”
“Since ancient times, masters of lightness skills have always enjoyed using hidden weapons.”
Bu Eunseol looked at Black Leopard and spoke calmly.
“I just happened to need some good hidden weapons… Let us go and see.”
At those words, Black Leopard broke into a wide grin. And Tang Gon, too, suddenly realized a truth about Bu Eunseol.
This man isn’t cold and heartless…
Staring at Bu Eunseol’s back as the swordsman turned callously and began to walk away first, Tang Gon smiled faintly.
He’s just not honest with himself.