Chapter 344: Alliance (4)
Tang Sang-ah’s face was flushed red as if it had caught fire.
Tang Kwan, who was quietly looking at his daughter’s face, opened his mouth.
“Stop.”
“Keo-heok!”
Tang Sang-ah collapsed on the spot.
“Heok-heok!”
Her body, breathing heavily, was drenched in sweat.
She was so exhausted that her entire body was trembling. She was in a state where she couldn’t even raise her head, let alone speak.
Tang Kwan placed his hand on her back.
Uuuuung.
A stream of sharp true qi traversed through various parts of her blood points, blowing away the murky qi.
That was not all. It encouraged her extremely depleted internal energy, helping her regain vitality, and promoted rapid recovery with dense true qi.
A moment later, Tang Sang-ah straightened her body.
“Thank you, Father.”
Tang Kwan spoke with a stiff voice.
“You improved compared to yesterday, but you are still far off.”
“Yes.”
“The martial arts in the Emperor Poison Scripture are by no means easy. It is said that the Companion Three Yang Returning Origin Art is one of the clan’s greatest martial arts, but the Emperor’s Poison art is beyond that. It requires not only the multiplication of poison qi but also the ideal enlightenment of martial arts. Therefore, you cannot embody it just by knowing the mnemonic chants, and you cannot generate true qi even with vigorous poison qi.”
Tang Sang-ah listened to Tang Kwan’s words with a serious face.
“However, the ideal enlightenment of martial arts is not gained just by agonizing endlessly. To approach it, ascetics that continuously break the limits of the physical body are necessary.”
“Yes.”
“Those who know pain, know the value of a sip of water. When you realize that value, a new path opens.”
At that time.
Ga Deuk-sang revealed his figure from afar.
“Clan Head.”
Tang Kwan raised his hand without even looking back. Ga Deuk-sang flinched and stopped on the spot.
Tang Kwan continued his words.
“The cycle must be fast. To break through the limits, the best physical condition must be a premise. Perfect recovery and complete breakthrough. In this incredibly venomous process, you must capture what your power and soul are trying to liberate. That is precisely the realm of Crushing the Peak and Ascending to Emperor spoken of in the Emperor Poison Scripture.”
“Yes.”
“I will be leaving the Alliance for a few days.”
Surprise filled Tang Sang-ah’s face.
“Is something going on?”
“It is top secret. At the earliest, three days; at the latest, it could take up to half a month.”
“Ah…!”
“When I return, you must have improved even by a speck. Remember. The reason I bypassed Yang-seon and imparted the poison scripture to you first is because I saw a glimmer of possibility in you to elevate the clan’s reputation.”
Tang Kwan turned his body.
“Do not overdo it.”
His steps approaching Ga Deuk-sang were unhesitating.
Tang Sang-ah unknowingly shouted.
“Father!”
Tang Kwan stopped his steps.
Tang Sang-ah forced herself to speak brightly.
“Have a safe trip.”
Tang Kwan, who looked up at the sky for a moment, headed toward Ga Deuk-sang again.
“Let’s go, beggar.”
“Yep!”
“Last night, Clan Head Murong left the Alliance. Considering Clan Head Murong’s skills, it is predicted that he will reach Kaifeng in four to five days.”
Zhuge Wen-hu’s eyes shone.
“The Provincial Military Commander’s movement path has been captured. Currently, he is in a tavern called Constant Peace Tower in Kaifeng Prefecture. We do not know what he is doing there, but the fact that the highest official of Henan Province’s military administration is staying at a tavern for several days is strange in itself.”
Yeon Wi asked.
“Won’t Clan Head Murong be in danger?”
“The preparations will be sufficient. Even if something happens, he will return alive somehow. Furthermore, there are many top experts of the Beggars’ Gang in Kaifeng Prefecture. I don’t think there will be anything to worry about.”
“Then it is a relief.”
“The problem is Clan Head Tang and Army Commander Yeon.”
Zhuge Wen-hu asked Tang Kwan.
“Is your physical condition okay?”
Tang Kwan answered bluntly.
“Who are you saying that to?”
One could read his unhesitating confidence. Zhuge Wen-hu nodded.
“We must assume that the opponent’s skills are on par with our clan heads, or even higher. By chance, if helpers that the Beggars’ Gang failed to capture are also with him, it could be really dangerous.”
Tang Kwan smirked.
“I will be the safest, so don’t worry about useless things.”
Zhuge Wen-hu nodded.
“Understood.”
It wouldn’t be just out of simple confidence.
Tang Kwan is the head of the Sichuan Tang Clan and the son of the Dark King Tang Hyeong, one of the Saintly Heaven Thirteen Seats. Tang Kwan’s talent and skills were verified by Tang Hyeong, the strongest in the Jianghu, so perhaps, as Tang Kwan said, he might be the safest person.
“And Army Commander Yeon.”
“Yes.”
“Will you be enough by yourself?”
“Mm.”
Yeon Ho-jeong sighed.
“Honestly, I don’t have confidence. So I plan to take one more person.”
“Who?”
Yeon Ho-jeong wordlessly pointed to Muk Bi.
Zhuge Wen-hu smiled.
“Yes, if it’s Vice Commander Muk, her skills are trustworthy.”
Muk Bi bowed her head.
“I will try my best to handle it without problems.”
“You suffer a lot. Ah! By the way, it’s really right in front of your eyes now.”
“Yes?”
“The Wall of the Martial Arts´ End. It’s the first time I’ve seen someone break through smoothly and gradually like you.”
“Ah…”
Muk Bi bowed her head as if embarrassed.
“It’s still far away.”
Yeon Ho-jeong snorted.
“It’s far, very far away.”
Tang Kwan sneered.
“You, you’ll get caught up to soon.”
“I can’t embarrassingly let that happen.”
“Those who rise by the mouth fall by the mouth. Looks like you need some humility?”
“Is that something the Clan Head should say?”
“…Cheeky brat.”
Zhuge Wen-hu, who was watching the bickering duo with an expression of’can’t stop them’, turned his gaze to Yeon Wi.
“Clan Head Yeon, please take charge of the front of the Azure Dragon Main Gate of the Alliance. If by any chance Clan Head Tang fails, that guy will definitely come to the Murim Alliance.”
“Understood.”
“So to speak, Clan Head Yeon and I are the final gateways. Clan Head Tang and Army Commander Yeon will surely take care of it, but we too shouldn’t let our guard down.”
Yeon Wi smiled.
“I am keeping my sword well sharpened so that I can swing it at any time.”
Zhuge Wen-hu smiled and nodded. Truly, Yeon Wi’s common-sense reaction was extremely trustworthy.
“Now then.”
Zhuge Wen-hu stood up from his seat.
“Let’s begin.”
Hook.
As soon as the words ended, everyone in the room disappeared.
* * *
Drip. Drip.
The sound of cold sweat dropping from his forehead to the floor sounded as loud as thunder.
It couldn’t be helped. The person currently in front of Dong Gak was an expert of a higher rank than the Twelfth Martial General Gyu Jeok he saw not long ago.
‘I expected a general within the Top Ten Martial Generals to come, but…’
Dong Gak swallowed his saliva without realizing it.
‘To think that this person would come.’
It wasn’t simply a matter of whether he was stronger or not.
This person’s martial arts were one thing, but he was an expert with a terribly cold-hearted and cruel character.
Gyu Jeok knew dignity. He knew restraint and was fairly generous toward the mistakes of his subordinates. But this person was not.
One of the Eighteen Martial Generals of the Divine Fire Cult, and a monster within the Top Ten Martial Generals, known as a true powerhouse even among the generals.
That was the Fifth Martial General, Yo-roe.
‘Damn it! Why of all people…?!’
At that time.
“Did you say you are Dong Gak?”
Dong Gak flinched.
“Yes, Sir Yo-roe.”
“So, you don’t know Gyu Jeok’s whereabouts?”
Dong Gak’s complexion turned pale. He felt his dantian shaking from the intense killing intent and authority felt in the voice.
What made him even more afraid was that he must not make excuses. No, whatever answer he gave, it had to be clear and truthful. If he stated the facts exactly as they were, there would be at least a glimmer of hope, but if he uttered excuses or lies, he would die immediately.
Dong Gak tightly closed his eyes.
“I am sorry.”
“…….”
Silence arose.
It was a time that didn’t even amount to the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, but to Dong Gak, it felt like a good half-day.
A moment later.
“Stand up.”
“Yes!”
Dong Gak quickly stood up from his seat.
Yo-roe appeared in his eyes.
‘……!!’
Dong Gak’s eyes shook as if there was an earthquake.
‘He has gotten stronger.’
The sight of a man sitting in an arrogant posture, reading documents brought by an old man.
A man as huge as to evoke the image of a giant mountain was there.
Even though he was clearly sitting, his height was not much different from Dong Gak’s. His limbs were as thick as an adult male’s waist, and his torso was also thick and bulky like a giant tree.
He was a man of huge stature whose entire body was covered in tremendous muscles. At this level, it would not be lacking to truly be called a giant.
In addition, despite having such an overwhelming physique, his beard and hair were neatly arranged. His appearance was fierce, but his attire and posture were no less than those of any noble.
Uuuuung!
‘Heup!’
Dong Gak patted down his internal energy, which was trying to run wild on its own, with all his might.
It was worse than with Gyu Jeok. The pressure of facing him up close was truly tremendous. They say a difference of one move is like heaven and earth to experts of that level, but he never imagined the gap would be this amazing.
Those who have learned the same type of internal energy have no choice but to be disarmed in front of a higher-level and mighty power. Dong Gak controlled his internal energy with superhuman patience.
The giant man, Yo-roe, spoke without taking his eyes off the document.
“I saw a place where there was a fire on my way here.”
It was a voice that echoed low as if speaking in a cave.
It was an atmosphere completely different from Gyu Jeok. Aside from the degree of strength, the temperament he exuded was like that.
“I checked the traces just in case. It was such a wide area that I couldn’t search everything, but at least from the results I saw, there were no traces of the Heat Yang Art.”
“……!”
“Yes, it definitely looked like that. However, this damn intuition keeps making me care about that place.”
Yo-roe asked as if tossing the words.
“What do you think?”
This kind of question was truly incomparably difficult.
Dong Gak maintained his composure as much as possible.
“If you are concerned, Sir Yo-roe, there must definitely be a reason. We will search it once more.”
He couldn’t help his voice from trembling. Yo-roe let out a sneer.
“Hey, Dong Gak.”
“Yes, Sir Yo-roe.”
“Do you know why I keep you alive?”
Dong Gak swallowed his saliva. His complexion was already as pale as it could get.
“…I don’t know. I am sorry.”
“If I kill you, I would uselessly have to pull another person and bring them here secretly. Of course, I would have to train them again too. But right now, there is no time, and no one to urgently pull out. That’s why I am keeping you alive.”
“……!”
“But there won’t be a second time.”
“Yes, yes!”
Whoosh.
Yo-roe completely burned the documents in his hand.
“Find Gyu Jeok’s whereabouts. I will give you ten days. If by any chance you don’t find it within that time, I will find a replacement even if I have to bear the trouble.”
Dong Gak prostrated on the spot.
“I will definitely find it!”
“You will have to take responsibility for those words.”
“Yes!”
Yo-roe, who glared at Dong Gak for a long time, soon let out a yawn.
“Still, running for the first time in a while feels refreshing. It’s really stuffy over there.”
It was not a sound meant for anyone to hear. In the first place, Yo-roe didn’t even consider Dong Gak and the old man as people.
Yo-roe, who was looking up at the ceiling with a languid face, asked at a thought that suddenly occurred to him.
“There was a village nearby, right?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.”
Yo-roe stroked his chin.
“I want to relieve my fatigue a bit, but it’s a bit much to do that when the Murim Alliance is right nearby… Should I rather advance to the Murim Alliance now?”
Yo-roe’s eyes flashed.
His gaze, filled with blue flames, was not that of a human.
“It is incomparably boring. Isn’t there anything fun?”