Bu Eunseol, having joined Tang Gon on his journey, soon reached the vicinity of Chengdu in Sichuan. If they truly pushed their lightness skills, they could reach the Tang Clan territory within a day.
In a deep forest near Ziyang.
Click.
Bu Eunseol sheathed the Dark Sword he had been holding. Standing beside him, Tang Gon also reached a hand above his head.
Clack. Tak.
The Blood Ring Dart, a circular hidden weapon and one of the Tang Clan’s Eight Great Hidden Weapons, traveled extensively in the distant sky before coming back to his hand.
Drip, drip.
Something resembling red paint flowed down the cheeks and foreheads of both Bu Eunseol and Tang Gon. They had just engaged in a fierce bloody battle with the masters of the Tang Clan’s Poison Forest Hall.
“Phew…”
Tang Gon let out a deep sigh and spoke in a low voice.
“I’ve lost count of how many times this has happened.”
The journey from Golden Well Mountain back to Chengdu. This short trip had been nothing short of a road of blood.
At every turn, masters sent by the second son of the Sichuan Tang Clan, Tang Bi, lay in ambush. Even assassins from the Blood Hand Sect had swarmed out to attack them. Although they had deliberately taken a secluded outer route, they could not avoid pursuit no matter where they went.
“I have no face to show you.”
Tang Gon, looking at the blood-soaked Bu Eunseol, wore an embarrassed expression.
“If you hadn’t protected this humble self with your profound and unfathomable sword art, I would have surely lost my life to the assassins of the Blood Hand Sect this time.”
The Blood Hand Sect.
They were one of the most vicious assassin sects in the world, known for unhesitatingly implanting explosives or hidden weapons into their own bodies. For the assassins of the notorious Blood Hand Sect to be hired en masse and attack them… normally, one could not hope for luck to save them.
However, Bu Eunseol had not only sensed the assassins’ attacks in advance but also blocked every single strike aimed at Tang Gon using the Mastery Radiance Sword Control.
“It was a promise, so pay it no mind.”
As Bu Eunseol turned away indifferently, Tang Gon smiled bitterly.
“By the way, I cannot fathom the origin of your sword art. Don’t tell me that is the art you inherited from the Thousand Sword Society?”
“It is.”
“What a pity. If I had known I would be renouncing my position as successor anyway, perhaps I should have made an oath and learned that sword art myself.”
Just as Tang Gon was grumbling with regret—
Swoosh.
Along with the sound of wind being cut, a shadow flew in from the distant sky like a great roc. It was Black Leopard.
Tak.
Landing on the ground, Black Leopard looked at the blood-drenched Bu Eunseol and Tang Gon and asked cautiously.
“Are you alright?”
“No need to worry.”
Bu Eunseol waved his hand dismissively.
“What are the movements of the Tang Clan?”
If they used their lightness skills, they could enter the Tang estate immediately. However, pursuers always lay their traps more meticulously as the destination draws near. Bu Eunseol had sent Black Leopard ahead to scout the situation.
“Well…”
Glancing at Tang Gon, Black Leopard hesitated before continuing.
“Warriors dressed in blue are spread out all over the official road. Yet, the Tang Clan is pretending not to see them.”
“If they are wearing blue, they must be the masters of the Absolute Poison Squad, the direct unit under my second brother.”
Noticing Tang Gon’s expression darkening instantly, Black Leopard asked, “Are they strong?”
“Rather than strong… the appearance of the Absolute Poison Squad means my second brother is there as well.”
Only then did Black Leopard realize a certain fact, his jaw dropping.
The second son of the Patriarch, Tang Bi, was guarding the main gate with his subordinates? If so, to enter the Tang estate, they would have to harm a direct blood relative, Tang Bi, who was blocking the way.
However, such a thing could never happen, and must never happen, in the land of Sichuan.
“So you mean we must not kill or injure him.”
“Correct.”
Tang Gon glanced at Bu Eunseol.
Bu Eunseol had reached a level so high that even he could not gauge it. But could he pass through without harming Tang Bi, who had inherited the secret arts of the Tang Clan? Such a feat seemed impossible.
“Sounds interesting.”
When Bu Eunseol smiled faintly, Black Leopard’s face changed.
“Young Master. He is the Second Young Master of the Tang Clan. The moment you harm him, you must give up on entering the Tang estate.”
“I will handle it.”
A smile lingered on Bu Eunseol’s lips.
Hundreds of poison attacks and hidden weapons unleashed by dozens of masters. He had to block them all without counterattacking.
This meant it was the perfect opportunity to practice the Supreme Heavenly Flow’s Returning the Spirit to Origin and the Mastery Radiance Sword Control to their limits.
“The assassins who have attacked so far used such obvious killing techniques that it was boring.”
Revealing his white teeth, Bu Eunseol muttered with a delighted expression.
“Now I can finally test it properly.”
Smiling faintly, Bu Eunseol spoke to Black Leopard in a low voice.
“I will break through that place, so you come slowly with him.”
Step! Clack!
Soaring into the sky, Bu Eunseol unleashed his lightness skill and flew like the wind toward the official road where the Tang Clan was located.
“…….”
Seeing this, Black Leopard and Tang Gon looked at each other with terrified expressions.
—We have to stop him!
The same thought flashed through both their minds.
Sssss! Thud!
Tang Gon and Black Leopard simultaneously unleashed their lightness skills and began to chase after Bu Eunseol.
“Stop!”
“Young Master!”
Though the two exerted their full power, they could not even catch a glimpse of Bu Eunseol’s back.
‘He is trying to do something reckless because of me!’
Tang Gon was under a grave misunderstanding. He thought Bu Eunseol had gone alone to the battlefield to prevent fratricide between brothers.
“Wait!”
Thud!
Tang Gon burned every last drop of his internal energy to fuel his speed. Finally, passing the official road, the massive gate of the Sichuan Tang Clan came into view.
In front of the gate, dozens of masters from the Absolute Poison Squad stood, dressed in garments that mimicked the green skin of a lizard. Before them, Bu Eunseol, with a single sword slung over his shoulder, was gradually lowering his stance.
“Halt!”
With a shout like a lion’s roar, Tang Gon landed beside Bu Eunseol.
“There is no need for this. Let us… let us fight together!”
Seeing Tang Gon gasping for breath, Bu Eunseol frowned.
“I will do it alone.”
“Hehehe, so you bastards finally came.”
At that moment, the ranks of the Absolute Poison Squad parted, and a large-built man walked out, laughing arrogantly. With thin lips and dark circles under his eyes, he had a very gloomy and cruel impression.
It was Tang Bi, the second son of the current Tang Patriarch.
“But you will never set foot in the main house.”
“I must see the Patriarch!”
“Young Master!”
At that moment, Black Leopard also arrived and stood beside Bu Eunseol.
“You must absolutely not kill them.”
“Don’t interfere.”
Bu Eunseol frowned as Tang Gon and Black Leopard disorderly intervened, then took a step forward.
He was curious about what methods the Absolute Poison Squad before him would use, and to what extent the Returning the Spirit to Origin and Mastery Radiance Sword Control would work against the Tang Clan’s elite.
“You cannot go alone.”
Tang Gon hurriedly stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Bu Eunseol.
“And even if I die, you will not be harmed!”
It meant he would die together with him if it came to that, but Bu Eunseol looked visibly disappointed.
“Must you really interfere?”
“What… do you mean?”
“If you join in, won’t their attacks also split in two?”
At the absurd response, Tang Gon stammered.
“You mean… you want to fight alone because you dislike the attacks being split?”
“Exactly. I want to see them face me with their full power.”
Tang Gon’s eyes widened as if he had been struck on the back of the head. Now he realized that Bu Eunseol was a battle maniac who enjoyed life-and-death struggles.
“Even so, we cannot…”
At that moment, deep disappointment flashed in Bu Eunseol’s eyes. Seeing this, Tang Gon had no choice but to slump his shoulders.
“…Fine. Do as you wish.”
But soon, Tang Gon spoke with force.
“However, if anything goes wrong, I will save you even if I have to cut down every master of the main house myself.”
It was a touching statement, but Bu Eunseol simply shook his head calmly.
“That will not happen.”
Drawing his Dark Sword, Bu Eunseol walked forward with composure. Finally, Bu Eunseol was about to clash with the Absolute Poison Squad, one of the Tang Clan’s greatest martial forces.
“Wait.”
At that moment, a man who had been standing beside Tang Bi walked up to Bu Eunseol and clasped his hands together.
“I am Tang Sa-woon, the Captain of the Absolute Poison Squad.”
Tang Sa-woon. He was the son of Tang Seong, the third of the five brothers of the current Tang Patriarch, Tang Pae. Since Tang Seong supported Tang Bi rather than the eldest son as the successor, his son Tang Sa-woon had also become the Captain of the Absolute Poison Squad under Tang Bi.
Click.
Bu Eunseol sheathed his Dark Sword again. He could not ignore a Tang master greeting him fairly and squarely.
“Bu Eunseol.”
“I know. That you are the East Drifter, West Wanderer, the winner of the Elite Martial Arts Tournament.”
Tang Sa-woon spoke politely.
“But this is an internal matter of the main house. Would it not go against the laws of the Murim for a third party to interfere in a succession struggle?”
Bu Eunseol’s eyebrow twitched upward. He had not expected Tang Sa-woon to use appeasement rather than force to make him withdraw.
“I am not a third party.”
Bu Eunseol stared intently at Tang Sa-woon and spoke firmly.
“I am a close friend of Tang Gon.”
“A close friend?”
“Indeed. They say a friend is about to be killed right in front of my eyes; there is no one who would just stand by and watch.”
At that moment, Tang Sa-woon’s expression changed.
“You mean to die for him?”
“I will not die.”
Bu Eunseol raised the corner of his mouth coldly.
“I came to send him into the Tang estate, not to die.”
“So you are prepared. Very well.”
Having observed Bu Eunseol’s resolute attitude, Tang Sa-woon raised one arm without hesitation.
“Deploy formation!”
The Absolute Poison Squad was one of the Tang Clan’s supreme martial units. Furthermore, the Five Poison Sand Fire Formation they utilized was a formation that unsparingly unleashed the poison arts the Tang Clan prided itself on; it could not be blocked simply by having strong martial arts.
“Stop!”
At that moment, the main gate of the Tang Clan opened, and a guard dressed in black martial attire ran out.
“It is an order to stop the fighting and admit Tang Gon and his party into the main house!”
“What?”
Tang Bi jumped in surprise and turned around.
“Who gave such an order?”
“Stop this at once!”
With a short shout, a gaunt man walked out from the main gate.
His complexion was extremely pale, but his two eyes were clear as a lake, and his entire body exuded a stern yet transcendent dignity.
He was Tang Ryeong, the eldest son of the current Patriarch, Tang Pae.
“Let them in, Sa-woon.”
At Tang Ryeong’s solemn command, Tang Sa-woon glanced at Tang Bi and spoke.
“I apologize, but I cannot follow that order. This is a fair and square…”
“Father has ordered them to be admitted to the Tang estate.”
“The Patriarch… himself?”
Tang Ryeong nodded firmly.
“Indeed. Let them in at once.”
At that moment, Tang Bi’s face hardened coldly.
Grind.
Clenching his teeth, he glanced at Tang Sa-woon and gave a slight nod. At this, Tang Sa-woon clasped his hands and bowed his head.
“I will obey the order. Dissolve the formation!”
At Tang Sa-woon’s command, the Absolute Poison Squad, who had been maintaining their formation, retreated in a rush.
“Hmph!”
Tang Bi scoffed and stormed inside, leaving the area desolate. Tang Sa-woon then clasped his hands to Tang Ryeong.
“I will take my leave now.”
“Do so.”
Once Tang Sa-woon and the Absolute Poison Squad had completely withdrawn, Tang Ryeong smiled at Tang Gon.
“Welcome back.”
“Eldest Brother.”
As Tang Gon clasped his hands, Tang Ryeong patted his shoulder.
“You have suffered greatly. Your face has become gaunt.”
“Not at all.”
At the warm words, Tang Gon bowed his head, his voice choked with emotion.
Tang Ryeong patted his shoulder once more, then turned to Bu Eunseol standing beside him and clasped his hands.
“You must be Bu Eunseol, Young Hero Bu.”
Tang Ryeong bowed slightly to Bu Eunseol with clear eyes.
“I heard you risked your life to come here for my third brother. For such great kindness, I offer my grati—”
Lifting his head, Tang Ryeong could not finish his sentence.
Bu Eunseol was glaring at him with terrifying eyes that seemed to be blazing with fire.
Wooong!
Sheathing his Dark Sword with irritation, Bu Eunseol turned away coldly.
“No need for thanks. It was my business.”
Tang Ryeong, not expecting Bu Eunseol to treat him so coldly, stammered.
“Did I… perhaps make a mistake?”
“No.”
However, watching the scene, Black Leopard found it hard to hold back his laughter.
Tang Ryeong had stopped the activation of the Five Poison Sand Fire Formation to save Bu Eunseol. From Bu Eunseol’s perspective, it was as if he had been interrupted right as he was about to put a spoonful of very unique and delicious food into his mouth.
But Tang Ryeong, unaware of this situation, was at a loss due to Bu Eunseol’s murderous attitude.