At Dang Myeong’s resolute words, Dang Jang opened his mouth.
“In any case, the Three Yang Divine Art is the Clan Lord’s martial art. You must not teach it to us.”
At Dang Jang’s words, Dang Myeong looked at him and said, “How much of a difference do you think there is between the main house from a few months ago, when nothing had happened, and the main house now?”
“The main house has suffered a crisis, but the five combat units are intact, and the experts of the Inner Compound and Outer Compound are all still here. The Tang Clan is strong.”
When Dang Jang and the Unit Commanders nodded, Dang Myeong shook his head.
“Our outward combat strength has not actually fallen compared to before. But...... Father and all the elders have passed away.”
“Ugh!”
Looking at the Unit Commanders as they let out groans, Dang Myeong opened his mouth.
“As you know, each sect has elders. They are advanced in age and do not engage in outside activities, but the fact that they are present within the sect gives it strength.”
At Dang Myeong’s words, the Unit Commanders nodded.
When one spoke of elders, they were the aged seniors of a sect. The elders of the Sichuan Tang Clan had also all been peak realm experts skilled in poison.
That was why they had fought six combat units of the Demonic Cult to the bitter end and annihilated them. Even if that had been through ambushes, surprise attacks, and explosions that relied on the Sichuan Tang Clan’s buildings and assets.
With all such elders dead, the Sichuan Tang Clan’s strength could not help but decline.
After all, more than thirty peak realm experts had vanished all at once.
“In my view, the main house has only half the strength it had before. Even if we are generous, at most sixty percent.”
Dang Myeong slowly looked over the Unit Commanders.
“That is why the people the main house has now must become stronger.”
“And that is the Three Yang Divine Art?”
Dang Myeong nodded and took a dagger from his robe. At the sight of Dang Myeong suddenly drawing a dagger, the Unit Commanders looked at him with hardened eyes.
“The Three Yang Divine Art is the symbol of the main house’s Clan Lord. That means all of you will have the qualifications to become Clan Lord.”
“We harbor no such ambition.”
“I know. However...... if any of you believe you can raise the Tang Clan into something more worthy of the name than I can......”
Dang Myeong drew the dagger and said,
“You may point a dagger at me at any time.”
At Dang Myeong’s words, the Unit Commanders looked at him with stiff faces.
“Clan Lord......”
“This is my resolve, and it is my heart for the main house. If there is someone better than I am, I intend to step down as Clan Lord.”
At Dang Myeong’s firm words, the Unit Commanders looked at one another. Then the Unit Commander of the Secret Shadow Unit sighed, gave a Cupped-Fist Salute, and bowed his head.
“I will accept the Clan Lord’s command.”
At the Unit Commander of the Secret Shadow Unit’s words, the other Unit Commanders also nodded quietly, gave Cupped-Fist Salutes, and bowed their heads.
Looking at those Unit Commanders, Dang Myeong nodded and said,
“And......”
Dang Myeong looked at Dang Jang.
“Uncle Dang Jang, please step down from the Secret Serpent Unit.”
“......”
At the words telling him to step down from the Secret Serpent Unit, Dang Jang looked at Dang Myeong as though momentarily flustered, then said,
“......If it is your command, I will obey, but may I ask the reason?”
“You are the main house’s greatest expert, Uncle. But...... you must know that compared to the greatest experts of other prestigious sects, you fall short.”
At those blunt words, Dang Jang bit his lip. But because it was true, Dang Jang nodded.
“......Yes.”
“Thus, Uncle Dang Jang, please put down the duties of the Secret Serpent Unit and devote yourself to martial arts training.”
“Martial arts...... do not become stronger in an instant.”
At Dang Jang’s words, Dang Myeong nodded and took out a small jade vial from his robe.
“There are five Nine Flower Jade Dew Pills.”
“Nine Flower Jade Dew Pills!”
The Unit Commanders looked at the jade vial in surprise.
“They are spiritual medicines we found at a base not long ago.”
Dang Myeong looked at Dang Jang.
“Uncle, with these five Nine Flower Jade Dew Pills...... please cross the wall.”
At the word wall, Dang Jang’s face hardened.
“You mean the realm of Sword Aura Manifestation?”
“You must achieve it. You absolutely must......”
At Dang Myeong’s words, Dang Jang hesitated for a moment, then rose from his seat and gave a Cupped-Fist Salute.
“I will stake my life on it.”
At Dang Jang’s words, Dang Myeong nodded and looked at the Unit Commanders.
“Then I will now transmit the Three Yang Divine Art.”
Then Dang Myeong looked at the Unit Commander of the Secret Shadow Unit.
“It will be easier for you to learn if the Unit Commander transmits it rather than me.”
At Dang Myeong’s words, the Unit Commanders looked at the Unit Commander of the Secret Shadow Unit with puzzled eyes. Under those gazes, the Unit Commander of the Secret Shadow Unit gave a Cupped-Fist Salute and opened his mouth.
“For generations, the Unit Commander of the Secret Shadow Unit has memorized the Three Yang Divine Art in preparation for any contingency, though he does not practice it.”
“I see.”
When the Unit Commanders looked at the Unit Commander of the Secret Shadow Unit, he paused for a moment, then grasped his mask and removed it.
“Gasp!”
As the Unit Commanders looked on in shock at the Unit Commander of the Secret Shadow Unit removing his mask, he took it off, ran a hand over his face, and raised his head.
“Uncle Dang Song?”
Astonishment appeared on the Unit Commanders’ faces. The face that had emerged from beneath the mask belonged to an unexpected person.
Dang Song was an elderly man. And he was someone they all knew well.
He was one of the elders belonging to the Elder Hall, someone who always lived quietly and enjoyed doing small tasks like tending the medicinal herb fields.
Dang Myeong also looked at Dang Song in surprise. Dang Myeong had only just learned Dang Song’s identity as well.
“The main house needs an expert who can act publicly. From now on, I will assist the Clan Lord not as the Unit Commander of the Secret Shadow Unit, but as an elder of the Tang Clan.”
“Then what about the Unit Commander of the Secret Shadow Unit?”
“I have already chosen a successor.”
At Dang Song’s words, the Unit Commanders nodded. The Unit Commander of the Secret Shadow Unit was the Clan Lord’s shadow.
That was why he did not engage in outside activities. But from the Tang Clan’s current position, they needed a peak realm expert who could act publicly.
“Thank you for making such a great decision.”
“The Unit Commanders of the five units will enter closed-door training with me.”
“All of us?”
Dang Jang quickly spoke.
“Then the main house may be in danger.”
“No, that is why it must be now.”
Dang Song looked at Dang Myeong.
“We must raise our combat strength immediately.”
At Dang Song’s words, Dang Myeong nodded.
“I cannot give you much time.”
“As you command.”
Dang Song gave a Cupped-Fist Salute, bowed his head, and rose.
“Follow me.”
When Dang Song left the tent, Dang Jang looked at Dang Myeong with worried eyes and said, “If a problem arises, please send someone to the closed-door training room immediately.”
“Do not worry.”
Dang Myeong looked at Dang Jang and the five Vice Unit Commanders as he said, “If something requiring all of you happens now...... the main house’s future is bleak. We will make sure nothing happens that requires you.”
At Dang Myeong’s words, Dang Jang looked at him, then gave a Cupped-Fist Salute and left the tent.
Once the people left, Dang Myeong turned his head.
“Unit Commander of the Secret Shadow Unit.”
At Dang Myeong’s call, a moment later, there was a THUD, and a masked man dropped to the ground.
At that sight, Dang Myeong sighed.
“Uncle Dang Hong, are you all right?”
At Dang Myeong’s words, the newly appointed Unit Commander of the Secret Shadow Unit coughed awkwardly and rose.
“When Uncle Dang Song showed me, it looked easy, but this is difficult.”
At Unit Commander of the Secret Shadow Unit Dang Hong’s words, Dang Myeong said, “Did you know that Uncle Dang Song was stepping down as Unit Commander of the Secret Shadow Unit?”
“He said something like this would happen soon. After all, the main house is short on peak realm experts who can act publicly.”
At Dang Hong’s words, Dang Myeong nodded and said, “Please inform the Vice Unit Commanders of the five units that their Unit Commanders have entered closed-door training and tell them to fill those empty positions.”
“Yeah. No, as you command.”
Dang Hong kicked off the ground and vanished with a WHOOSH.
Though his entrance had been awkward, it seemed he had properly learned how to disappear.
Looking at the empty space where Dang Hong had been, Dang Myeong sighed. Dang Hong...... was the uncle who had guarded Dang Myeong’s side as the Commander of the Flying Heaven Unit since Dang Myeong was young.
He was the uncle who had spoken with him more than even his father and had played with him.
But now that Dang Hong had become the Unit Commander of the Secret Shadow Unit, he could not reveal his identity to his family or acquaintances.
Like Dang Song, he had to hide his identity and grow old as someone who merely breathed within the Tang Clan.
After Dang Hong vanished, Dang Myeong left the tent.
Leaving the tent, Dang Myeong silently watched the Tang Clan people working.
Nearly two thousand people had gathered in Tang Clan Tower. With the Tang Clan people, the Tang Clan Tower people, and even laborers gathered from various places, a truly great number of people were working.
Because of that, Tang Clan Tower was teeming with people.
On top of that, smoke from cooking fires was rising here and there.
There were thousands of people, so the smoke from the food they cooked made the sky look hazy.
Looking at that cooking smoke, Dang Myeong suddenly looked up at the sky.
“The smoke from the main house’s cooking fires...... will grow even greater.”
***
Dang Myeong was training in martial arts.
THWIP! THWIP! THWIP! THWIP!
In front of Dang Myeong, two members of the Secret Serpent Unit were engaged in a fierce spar with him.
THWIP! SLASH!
Blood sprayed as a blade grazed his shoulder, but neither Dang Myeong nor the two Secret Serpent Unit members stopped the spar.
THWIP! THWIP!
Dang Myeong’s silver thread loosened toward the daggers pouring at him.
SWISH!
Dang Myeong’s silver thread embroidered the air as it drew a circle, bound the daggers within that ring, and sent them flying back at the one who had thrown them.
“Kgh!”
With a groan, one dagger lodged in the shoulder of a Secret Serpent Unit member.
At that, Dang Myeong lightly moved backward and stopped his hand. Then he hurried over to the Secret Serpent Unit member.
“Uncle Dang Gi, are you all right?”
At Dang Myeong’s words, Dang Gi smiled and pulled out the dagger lodged in his shoulder.
TAP, TAP!
Dang Gi sealed his acupoints to stop the bleeding, took a sheet of paper from his robe, unfolded it, and smiled.
“The Clan Lord’s martial arts are growing stronger at a truly rapid pace. At first, I alone was enough, but now two members of the Secret Serpent Unit are not enough.”
The Secret Serpent Unit was the Tang Clan’s greatest combat organization. Each member was a first-rate expert, and among them were peak realm experts who could be called renowned elders of the martial world.
And Dang Myeong had faced two such Secret Serpent Unit members.
When he unfolded the paper, there was medicine inside it. As he placed the medicated part against the wound, he said,
“Next time, I think three should face you.”
“Thank you.”
Dang Myeong nodded, then also took out a sheet of paper and placed it on the wound on his shoulder.
WHOOSH!
A strong, burning sensation rose, and Dang Myeong slightly narrowed his eyes. Then he sat upright and entered Breath Regulation and Qi Circulation.
At that sight, Dang Gi and the other Secret Serpent Unit member stood guard before and behind him as though protecting him.
While circulating the Three Yang Divine Art, Dang Myeong examined the condition of his body. During that time, Dang Myeong’s martial arts had surpassed the level of a rising star and had become more than twice as strong as before.
The experience he had gained through several brushes with death, the intensive training from two experts, and his will to grow stronger had combined, and Dang Myeong’s martial arts were now no longer suited to the name rising star.
After finishing Breath Regulation and Qi Circulation, Dang Myeong let out a long breath.
“Hoo!”
After exhaling, Dang Myeong contemplated his own body.
‘The third-star stage of the Three Yang Divine Art...... When I reach the fourth star, one among Greater Yang, Yang Brightness, and Lesser Yang will activate in accordance with my body’s traits.’
Right now, in accordance with his father’s internal energy circulation method, the energy of Lesser Yang was slightly stronger.
However, when he reached the fourth star, one of the three—Greater Yang, Yang Brightness, or Lesser Yang—would activate further according to Dang Myeong’s own traits.
After looking at his Dantian for a moment, Dang Myeong rose.
SWISH!
When Dang Myeong stood, Dang Gi and the Secret Serpent Unit member rose with him.
“Then I will see you again in the evening.”
“In the evening, we will use three people.”
“I leave it to you.”
Dang Myeong left the training room. When Dang Myeong came out of the training room, Dang Hong appeared with a SWISH.
“People from Qingcheng and Emei have arrived.”
At Dang Hong’s words, Dang Myeong opened his mouth with a hardened face.
“Where are they?”
“They are at the gate of Tang Clan Tower.”
Dang Myeong nodded and moved toward the entrance of Tang Clan Tower.