On the mountain overlooking the Sichuan Tang Clan, martial artists had gathered. They were dressed in all manner of clothing.
Among them were those of the Righteous Faction and those of the Unorthodox Faction, but the people silently watched the Sichuan Tang Clan visible below the mountain.
Ordinarily, figures of the Righteous and Unorthodox factions would have been desperate to tear one another apart, but now they quietly looked at the Sichuan Tang Clan.
And among them were experts of Qingcheng and Emei, who had visited the Tang Clan only to be turned away at the gate.
Jeongmyeong of the Qingcheng Sect was gazing blankly down at the Sichuan Tang Clan.
‘Dang Myeong...... You truly are remarkable. To rebuild the Tang Clan like that ......’
Jeongmyeong thought Dang Myeong, who had rebuilt the burned Sichuan Tang Clan in this way, was truly remarkable.
If such a thing had happened to him...... he wondered whether he could rebuild a collapsed Qingcheng this quickly.
But soon, he had no choice but to shake his head. Did he possess the ability to lead Qingcheng after the Sect Leader and elders who had guided and led him were all dead and gone?
And on the other hand, he felt miserable that he could not go to that banquet and sincerely congratulate them, and instead had to watch like this from hiding.
‘At that time, I should have stepped forward more and looked after the Tang Clan...... I’m sorry.’
With a sigh, Jeongmyeong looked around. So many people had gathered nearby that the mountain peak felt narrow.
And the experts who disliked that cramped space were sitting on tree branches, watching the Sichuan Tang Clan.
All of them were martial world forces who had gathered because they were curious about the Sichuan Tang Clan’s strength.
The Nine Sects and One Gang, the Five Great Clans, the small and medium sects of Sichuan Province, the forces of the Unorthodox Faction......
And among them were those who held grudges against the Sichuan Tang Clan. And their number was...... great.
The grudges that had been kept silent under the pressure of the Sichuan Tang Clan’s power were now revealing themselves.
‘Dang Myeong, what will you do?’
Jeongmyeong sighed and looked at Munsun beside him.
“Martial Uncle.”
“We cannot help.”
At Munsun’s firm words, Jeongmyeong hesitated, and Munsun looked at him.
“Dang Myeong no longer thinks of you as a friend.”
“......”
“Also...... the Sichuan Tang Clan did not invite the martial world.”
Munsun clicked his tongue softly. The reason the martial world’s forces had all gathered here like this was...... because the Sichuan Tang Clan had not invited them.
Usually, for such a major event, it was customary to send invitations to each sect...... but the Sichuan Tang Clan had not done so.
And in the current situation, the martial world forces who had not been invited were observing the Sichuan Tang Clan like this.
Munsun swept his gaze over the martial artists nearby.
“In any case, if the Tang Clan fails to show a proper display today...... it will become difficult for them to obtain the Tang Clan’s poison in the future.”
If the Tang Clan did not show their strength today, the martial world would tear the Sichuan Tang Clan to pieces and devour it.
A smile appeared on Munsun’s face. He still had not forgotten the humiliation he had suffered before at the Sichuan Tang Clan.
At Munsun’s words, Jeongmyeong sighed softly, looked at the martial artists, then looked down toward the Tang Clan.
‘Dang Myeong...... You must increase your friends and reduce your enemies.’
“Oho!”
At Munsun’s intrigued voice, Jeongmyeong looked at him. Munsun was looking somewhere below the mountain with an expression of great interest.
When Jeongmyeong looked, he saw...... about thirty mounted riders galloping toward the Sichuan Tang Clan.
And when the martial artists saw the riders galloping, they instantly kicked off the ground.
PAPAPAT!
PAPAT!
Dozens of martial artists began descending the mountain at high speed. Most of them were those who held grudges against the Sichuan Tang Clan.
Once someone moved, the others followed.
***
“Clan Lord, thirty riders are coming toward the main house.”
At Dang Hong’s words, Dang Myeong glanced at the mountain overlooking the Tang Clan. Dang Myeong, too, knew that martial artists had gathered there.
After all, the Secret Shadow Unit was not so incompetent that they could not grasp the information around the Tang Clan.
“What about the mountain?”
“When they saw the thirty riders coming, a group of martial artists also began descending.”
At Dang Hong’s words, Dang Myeong looked at Dang Miryeong.
“If they are coming to the main house with thirty riders...... this is taking an unfavorable turn .”
As Dang Myeong spoke, one member of the Secret Shadow Unit approached Dang Hong, said something, and handed him a piece of paper.
After looking at the paper, Dang Hong’s face hardened, and he held it out to Dang Myeong.
“These are the ones coming.”
At Dang Hong’s words, Dang Myeong looked at the paper.
「Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon
Five Poison Devils
Spear Demon
Uwol Five Evils
.......」
Written on the paper were great fiends of the previous generation, as well as experts from the gray area between Righteous and Unorthodox and from the Unorthodox Faction who had grudges against the Tang Clan.
Dang Myeong let out a low groan and handed the paper to Dang Miryeong. She looked at it and furrowed her brow.
“All of them were being pursued by the main house. Among them, the Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon is...... an expert close to Sword Aura Manifestation.”
After a moment, Dang Myeong asked at Dang Miryeong’s words, “What about the others?”
“They are people each Unit Commander can handle one or two of. But...... there are...... many peak realm experts.”
“If the experts of all five units go out, we can annihilate them. But...... the Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon is the problem.”
“If he is a problem, then you mean the Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon may be able to escape.”
“Yes.”
“We must end it here. If the Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon escapes, he will become troublesome.”
If the Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon heard that, he would have flown into a rage. After all, Dang Myeong was treating him as merely a troublesome existence.
After a moment, Dang Myeong said, “Ask Elder Dang Song to come out of closed-door training. And if he needs any hidden weapons or poison, deliver them to him.”
“Would it be all right not to call Unit Commander Dang Jang?”
“If we call even Unit Commander Dang Jang for a matter of this level...... how will we endure greater matters in the future?”
At Dang Myeong’s words, Dang Hong bowed his head.
“Understood.”
“Then make preparations.”
With those words, Dang Myeong left Tang Clan Fortress, and the Unit Commanders followed behind him.
***
In front of Tang Clan Tower, thirty mounted riders stood in a line.
And an old man with white hair and a white beard, bearing the air of an immortal, sat on horseback and gazed steadily at Tang Clan Tower.
“It has changed greatly since I last came.”
At the words of the old man, the Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon, the Spear Demon holding a heavy iron spear laughed and said, “Did they not say it was burned to the ground?”
The Spear Demon gazed steadily at Tang Clan Tower and said, “It is a shame. It would have been a grand sight if we had come while it was blazing.”
“Don’t worry! We’ll show you that sight again today!”
Among the five dwarf-like old men, the bald old man with a hideous appearance, Great Poison Devil—the eldest of the Five Poison Devils—spoke, and the Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon said, “Even if the elders and Dang Cheondeuk are dead, the Tang Clan’s poison remains the same.”
At the Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon’s concern over poison, Great Poison nodded.
“The reason we came under the Tang Clan’s pursuit was precisely because of the Tang Clan’s poison. Our poison surpasses the Tang Clan’s poison, so those bastards dared try to kill us!”
“So you mean we need not worry about the Tang Clan’s poison? Even the Ten Great Forbidden Poisons?”
At the Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon’s words, Great Poison flinched, then said, “The Ten Great Forbidden Poisons are, as the name says, poisons that cannot be used.”
“They may use them if pressed.”
“Hmph! In any case, do not worry about poison.”
At Great Poison’s words, the Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon looked at him, then looked at Tang Clan Tower.
“They are coming out now.”
The Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon leaned forward and looked at Tang Clan Tower. And in his eyes, he saw people emerging from Tang Clan Tower.
***
Dang Myeong approached those mounted in front of Tang Clan Tower along with the martial artists.
And once they reached a certain distance, Dang Myeong swept his gaze over them and said, “You are guests who have come with malice, so I will not show courtesy. Those who wish to die, enter.”
At Dang Myeong’s words, the Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon’s face filled with absurd disbelief.
“Boy...... are those words, or are they a fart?”
“You did not come to the main house with good intentions, did you?”
“That is true.”
“Then if I show courtesy and say, ‘What business do you have with the main house? The main house is not accepting outsiders at present. I apologize, but please leave,’ will you simply leave?”
“Of course not. I came all the way across the Central Plains to put on a splendid fire show at the Tang Clan.”
“Then I have no reason to show courtesy.”
As he spoke, Dang Myeong glanced aside.
In the distance, he could see the martial artists who had descended the mountain running this way.
“Unit Commander of the Flat Bat Unit. If they do not retreat...... kill them all.”
“By your command!”
Dang Miryeong answered, then led the Flat Bat Unit and launched herself toward the martial artists running their way.
When the twenty-five martial artists of the Flat Bat Unit launched themselves forward, the Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon looked at Dang Myeong.
“You do not even know who they are...... yet you will kill them all?”
“The good do not come, and those who come are not good.”
Good people did not come, and those who came were not good.
At Dang Myeong’s words, the Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon laughed.
“Ha ha ha! If you kill without asking or considering anything, are you any different from us?”
“It does not matter if I become an Evil Fiend toward those who target the main house.”
At Dang Myeong’s answer, the Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon laughed loudly.
“Ha ha ha! That bastard Dang Cheondeuk left behind one hell of a mouth.”
After bursting into loud laughter, the Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon looked at Dang Myeong and the martial artists behind him.
“It seems you know who we are...... Do you think you can oppose us with these numbers?”
At the Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon’s words, Dang Myeong looked at the Evil Fiends who had come with him.
“You......”
Dang Myeong looked at the Evil Fiends one by one, then opened his mouth.
“Can you oppose the main house, the Sichuan Tang Clan?”
At Dang Myeong’s cold words, the Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon laughed and looked at the Tang Clan martial artists. There were over a hundred Tang Clan martial artists.
But there were few peak realm experts, and most were first-rate experts.
By contrast, the Evil Fiends who had come with him were all experts who had reached the peak realm decades ago.
Not all peak realm experts were the same.
The Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon lightly raised his hand.
“I have spoken too much with a dead man.”
Then the Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon’s body shot toward Dang Myeong in an instant.
“Kill...... them all!”
“Keuhaha! Today I will make a necklace out of Tang Clan noses.”
“Ha ha ha! I will skewer their heads on my spear like fish!”
The Evil Fiends let out murderous laughter and kicked off from the backs of the horses they had been riding, soaring upward.
And the spines of some of their horses broke, causing them to collapse while screaming.
NEIGH—!
“Ha ha ha!”
At the sight of the Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon shooting toward Dang Myeong, Dang Hong hurriedly stepped forward to block him.
“Elder Dang Song.”
“By your command!”
In that instant, Dang Song suddenly appeared from somewhere and shot toward the Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon.
“Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon!”
“Ha ha! I thought all the old bastards of the Tang Clan had died! So one more old fossil remains!”
With their shouts, the two collided in midair.
PAPAPAT! PAPAT!
CLANG CLANG CLANG!
As the Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon and Dang Song clashed, metallic sounds rang out in succession. The Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon was swiftly knocking aside the barrage of hidden weapons pouring from Dang Song’s body with his saber.
And in the next instant, the Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon hurriedly retreated.
“You madman! To use the Golden Butterfly Flower!”
The Golden Butterfly Flower was a hidden weapon that ranked high among the Sichuan Tang Clan’s Ten Great Hidden Weapons.
“It was made to be used! What reason would there be not to use it?”
With those words, a hidden weapon like a golden flower was already in Dang Song’s hand.
When Dang Song shook the Golden Butterfly Flower, small golden butterfly-like things surged from the flower.
FLUTTER FLUTTER FLUTTER! FLUTTER FLUTTER!
With small but clear sounds of beating wings, the golden butterflies chased after the Heavenly Mountain Divine Demon.
“You lunatic!”
As the golden butterflies beat their brilliant wings, purple powder embroidered the air.
The reason the Golden Butterfly Flower had become one of the Tang Clan’s Ten Great Forbidden Hidden Weapons was not only because of the power of the hidden weapon, but also because of the Poison Powder contained within it.
Following the beating of the wings, poison was released little by little, and that poison was Dantian-Sealing Poison.
Dantian-Sealing—a poison that sealed the Dantian. Once poisoned, one could no longer use internal energy.