Chapter 97

“Pathetic.”

Bu Eunseol looked down at Tang Sa-heon, who was clutching his stomach, with a disappointed expression.

“You don’t wield a sword well, nor do you use hidden weapons. What have you been training all this time?”

At the insulting words, Tang Sa-heon gripped his sword again, but the light in his eyes was already fading like dying embers. He had been struck in the stomach by a bare fist, not even a weapon. Realizing the difference in their skills was like heaven and earth, he had completely lost his fighting spirit.

‘How can such a young brat be at a higher level than me?’

No matter how outstanding a rising star might be, entering the early stages of the Peak Realm in their early twenties was considered the norm. But Bu Eunseol’s skills had clearly surpassed the Peak and reached somewhere in the middle of the Transcendent Realm.

“Do not worry. I cannot kill someone with the surname Tang inside the Tang Clan…”

Bu Eunseol looked at the trembling Tang Sa-heon and spoke calmly.

“So there is no need to shake like that.”

“I… I am shaking?”

Tang Sa-heon looked down at his own body, trembling like an aspen tree.

“This cannot be!”

As if in a desperate struggle, Tang Sa-heon raised his internal energy with all his might. His muscles began to swell to twice their size, and an intense white light flashed from his eyes.

Primordial Essence True Energy.

He was drawing upon the powerful Primordial Essence True Energy inherent in the human body from birth.

“If you dodge this, I will admit defeat to you!”

Having drawn out his life force, Tang Sa-heon intended to use a strike of extreme speed, gambling his very life.

‘I should test what level his Shadowless Supreme Speed has reached.’

In truth, Bu Eunseol had intended to block Tang Sa-heon’s fast sword using the Mastery Radiance Sword Control. But seeing Black Leopard watching the battle with burning eyes from afar, he decided to dodge using the Shadowless Supreme Speed instead.

Strike!

Tang Sa-heon’s fast sword, fueled by Primordial Essence True Energy, was truly like light itself. Without any sensation of the technique being unleashed, or even any preparatory movement, it poured forth.

Sssss.

At that moment, Bu Eunseol’s entire body blurred.

A peerless lightness skill that, if mastered to the extreme, allowed one to traverse ten thousand li in a day and change direction ninety-nine times in place. The Shadowless Supreme Speed unfolded.

“Impossible.”

The thrusting fast sword stopped just an inch from Bu Eunseol’s Adam’s apple. Before a single breath had finished, Bu Eunseol had changed direction eighty-two times, narrowly escaping the range of the fast sword.

“Ugh…”

Tang Sa-heon started to age quickly after his full-power strike failed. He had released his Primordial Essence True Energy, which is essentially his life force, in one single burst, leaving his original internal energy completely exhausted.

“A reckless attempt.”

Looking down at the gasping Tang Sa-heon, Bu Eunseol clicked his tongue.

“Internal energy is something that should be used in a state where it can be freely retrieved and released. If you use a fast sword fueled by Primordial Essence True Energy, retrieval becomes impossible. Why did you use such a technique?”

Originally, such swordsmanship went against the principles of the sword. Tang Sa-heon had used it for mutual destruction, but even that had missed, and his internal energy was exhausted… he could no longer be a warrior of the Tang Clan.

“I was a frog in a well.”

Gasping for breath, he turned away weakly. With all his power gone, only retirement from the Murim remained.

“You cannot just leave.”

“Are you telling me to leave my head behind?”

When Tang Sa-heon asked dejectedly, Bu Eunseol shook his head.

“Then why did you stop me?”

“Since you hold a rather high position, you must know.”

“Know what?”

Looking down at Tang Sa-heon’s miserably distorted face, Bu Eunseol spoke coldly.

“Tang Bi’s next move.”

***

Crash!

Now Tang Bi’s rage was not limited to furniture. He shouted as he smashed the walls and pillars inside the Water Cloud Pavilion.

“Send the Absolute Poison Squad!”

“That cannot be done, Young Master.”

Tang Sa-woon shook his head.

“The main squad is a royal guard unit meant to protect your safety. Its combat power must never be compromised.”

“Don’t make me laugh! Isn’t that bastard Tang Gon coming back tomorrow!”

Due to this incident, Tang Bi had lost two capable masters under his command. If he left Bu Eunseol alone, it would mean he had started a useless endeavor only to lose excellent subordinates.

“It has already happened! We must kill that bastard unconditionally before Tang Gon returns!”

Although Tang Bi had a tyrannical personality, his intuition was very sharp. He instinctively knew that if Bu Eunseol continued to stay by Tang Gon’s side, he could not guarantee the future.

“Understood.”

Bowing his head, Tang Sa-woon bit his lip and spoke.

“However, the Absolute Poison Squad alone won’t do.”

“What do you mean?”

“Since it has come to this, we must kill him with certainty.”

He raised his head and looked straight at Tang Bi.

“Young Master, please mobilize all the warriors of the Outer Court and surround the Clear Rising Pavilion.”

“Surround it?”

“Yes.”

Biting his lip, Tang Sa-woon spoke grimly, his eyes wide.

“And I will enter with the Absolute Poison Squad.”

The next day.

Tang Bi called up all the masters of the Outer Court under his command and surrounded both the Clear Rising Pavilion and the annex where Bu Eunseol was staying. The public justification was that ‘the man brought by Tang Gon is plotting something unsavory against the main house.’

If Tang Gon had been there, he would have immediately reported to Tang Pae or turned the Inner Court upside down to stop this. But Bu Eunseol merely stared out the window with a smile, as if watching an amusing opera.

Whiriririk.

Moving dizzyingly, the masters of the Outer Court unfolded the Great Heavenly Net Formation, comparable to the Shaolin’s One Hundred Eight Arhat Formation, completely blockading the Clear Rising Pavilion.

Creak.

Once the encirclement was complete, Tang Sa-woon, dressed in blue, led the Absolute Poison Squad forward and spoke with a solemn expression.

“Bu Eunseol. Come out!”

Creak.

At that, the door to the annex opened, and Bu Eunseol walked out alone, his Dark Sword slung over his shoulder.

“You brought quite a crowd.”

Even though he was surrounded by the Absolute Poison Squad members wielding blue poisonous swords, Bu Eunseol wore a welcoming smile instead. Seeing that smile, Tang Sa-woon felt a very ominous premonition.

‘This isn’t good.’

But he was already riding the tiger’s back. There was no place to retreat.

“Bu Eunseol! According to intelligence recently obtained by our squad, you are…”

“Let’s skip the clumsy acting.”

Bu Eunseol looked at Tang Sa-woon with a weary smile.

“It’s going to end in blood anyway, isn’t it?”

“Are you intending to resist?”

“Naturally.”

As Bu Eunseol answered playfully throughout, Tang Sa-woon shouted loudly.

“Fine! All members of the Absolute Poison Squad, deploy the Dead Soul Poison Net Formation!”

Dead Soul Poison Net Formation.

The secret formation of the Absolute Poison Squad, one of the Tang Clan’s supreme martial units, which sealed the movements of enemies within the formation. And it was a supreme formation that completely covered that space with the Tang Clan’s pride, the extreme poison Blue Shadow of Auspicious Scales.

“Aaaargh!”

But before the formation could even unfold, a scream suddenly rang out.

Suddenly, a massive volley of poison caltrops began to pour down from the sky.

“On the roof!”

Tang Sa-woon shouted.

On the roof, a boy dressed in black, known as Black Leopard, was using a circular mechanism attached to his back to spray hidden weapons. This device was the Tang Clan’s unique Continuous Needle Tube, designed to fire a large number of hidden weapons.

“How does he know the weakness of the Dead Soul Poison Net Formation?”

The Dead Soul Poison Net Formation was a supreme formation that suppressed enemies using the directions of the ground and poison as a medium. Because of this, it had the flaw of being helpless against attacks pouring from above. Thus, when hundreds of needles rained down, the squad members could not maintain their positions.

“Dissolve the formation!”

As Tang Sa-woon shouted, Bu Eunseol chuckled.

“You should have done these things before sending Tang Sa-heon.”

At that moment, realizing something, Tang Sa-woon’s jaw dropped.

“Don’t tell me the Spiritual Wind Cave Master told you the weakness of the Dead Soul Poison Net Formation?”

“It’s not even much of a counter-strategy. For a large number of people to safely handle an extreme poison like the Blue Shadow of Auspicious Scales, they must secure their positions first.”

Wooong.

Finally drawing his Dark Sword, Bu Eunseol spoke coldly.

“Let’s end this now.”

Whoosh!

The Dark Sword, emitting a chilling aura, thrust toward the neck of an Absolute Poison Squad member.

Paaa!

The members of the Absolute Poison Squad were all elites who had undergone rigorous training for ten years. Yet no one could stop Bu Eunseol’s single strike.

Clang!

Tang Sa-woon drew the flying dagger he was holding and blocked an attack aimed at one of his members instead.

‘Ugh.’

But the force contained in the Dark Sword was so strong he felt as if he were being crushed into the ground.

“Heavy Sword?”

“You know well.”

Bu Eunseol, using the technique of the Heavy Sword, suddenly spun the Dark Sword in the air. The direction of the hidden weapons pouring from behind changed abruptly.

He had used the Heavenly Supremacy Sword Stance.

‘This man is a sword demon!’

Within two breaths of Bu Eunseol stepping forward, another two members of the Absolute Poison Squad fell, spraying blood. At this rate, the entire squad would be wiped out within fifteen minutes.

‘No choice.’

Tang Sa-woon’s eyes flashed.

If this were outside, they would be helpless. But this was none other than the interior of the Sichuan Tang Clan. No matter how outstanding a master Bu Eunseol was, there was a way to kill him.

‘It can’t be helped.’

Just as Tang Sa-woon was about to take something small from his bosom—

Bang!

“What is the meaning of this—!”

Along with a tremendous lion’s roar, the main gate shattered, and a gray shadow walked out. It was none other than Tang Gon, who had entered the Secret Cave.

He had mastered the secret art in just three days, instead of the expected four.

“Tang Sa-woon!”

Tang Gon shouted in a stern voice.

Until now, he had treated everyone in the Tang Clan kindly and never spoken down to anyone. But now, he was glaring at Tang Sa-woon, his killing intent blazing like a wild beast.

“Third Young Master.”

“Shut up!”

Tang Gon glared at Tang Sa-woon and spoke loudly.

“You call me Third Young Master, yet you surround and attack a friend staying at my residence… without any reason!”

“…….”

Tang Sa-woon had nothing to say, even with ten mouths.

Tang Gon glared at Tang Sa-woon and the Absolute Poison Squad, then spoke in a low voice.

“I will report this matter directly to Father!”

Tang Sa-woon could not hide his surprised expression. Not because he feared punishment, but because Tang Gon had called the Patriarch ‘Father.’

‘He has acknowledged it.’

Until now, due to the shame of being illegitimate, he had always called Tang Pae ‘Patriarch.’ But having formally returned from the Secret Cave, he had completely erased even the inferiority complex he had harbored for so long.

“Go. I don’t want to see your face.”

At Tang Gon’s shout, Tang Sa-woon bowed his head silently, withdrew the Absolute Poison Squad, and left.

“…….”

Tang Gon wore an expression like a blazing lion. Silence flowed for a while, and only then did his face return to its gentle state.

“You have suffered greatly.”

Tang Gon sighed with an embarrassed expression.

“Tang Bi, I knew he was tyrannical, but to think he would commit such an absurd act.”

“Third Young Master.”

As Black Leopard came down from the roof, Tang Gon patted his shoulder with a proud expression.

“You suffered a lot too.”

“Don’t worry about it. It was nothing.”

Bu Eunseol sheathed his sword as if nothing had happened.

“And leave Tang Bi be. His power has been greatly weakened by this incident anyway.”

“Weakened, you say?”

As Tang Gon blinked, Black Leopard whispered low.

“The Second Master… sent assassins to our Young Master twice. This happened because those failed.”

“Twice… you say?”

“Yes. Since he caused such a big scene today and failed, he must have lost significant public support.”

It was as Bu Eunseol predicted.

As rumors spread that Tang Bi had sent assassins three times while Tang Gon was absent, the forces supporting Tang Bi decreased rapidly. Furthermore, due to losing half of the Absolute Poison Squad, Tang Bi’s own subordinate forces were weakened.

As things turned out this way, Tang Bi ceased external activities and shut himself in the Water Cloud Pavilion, becoming a recluse.

There was one more change. Forces wishing to support Tang Gon began to emerge.

“What brings you here, Uncle Pyo?”

Sitting opposite Tang Gon at the table was an old man with neatly combed white hair. It was the Tang Clan elder and Hall Master of the Mount Sumeru Palace Hall, Tang Pyo.

“I wish to support you as a candidate for the Young Patriarch.”