Chapter 502
Chapter 502: The Beginning of Night (7)
Following our arrival at Geumdan Port, the martial artists of Yuseong Hall—serving as provisional hall members for the time being—hastened toward Chengdu under the pale light of daybreak. Traversed across the rugged mountain trails, we managed to reach the gates of Chengdu before the midday sun peaked overhead.
The moment our boots touched the soil of Chengdu in Sichuan, Dang Seohui briskly stepped to the front to guide us.
“That vendor over there sells the most wonderful candied fruit.”
“If you want proper mooncakes from that stall, you must ensure the proprietress herself baked them.”
“My patronage of that specific shop began back when the grandfather oversaw the kitchen, but ever since the grandson took charge, the flavor has noticeably declined.”
Her manner of giving directions was somewhat eccentric, yet I found myself far too captivated by Chengdu’s exotic Sichuan atmosphere—so markedly distinct from the Central Plains interior—to dwell on her chatter.
After navigating Chengdu’s crowded, bustling thoroughfares and drifting toward the suburban perimeter, we noticed that commercial stalls had once again arranged themselves along a wide central avenue.
Narrow alleyways branched away in various directions, whereas this primary passage ran forward in an unbroken, straight line.
Prompted by a lingering curiosity, I spoke up.
“Senior Dang, does this direct passage lead straight to Tang Clan Town?”
“Indeed, it does.”
“…”
“What makes you ask?”
Dang Seohui appeared to notice nothing unusual about the road, yet Nam Hwaseong and Ilgak wore grim, stiffened expressions that mirrored my own.
For a sprawling metropolis on the scale of Chengdu to dedicate an entire major avenue exclusively to a single family stood as living testament to the sheer dominance wielded by the Tang Clan.
Nam Hwaseong groaned under his breath, his voice tinged with genuine awe and dread.
“People claimed the Tang Clan ruled all of Sichuan without equal…”
Without a doubt, the Tang Clan felt distinctly separated from the traditional martial sects across the Central Plains.
Whether viewed through geographic isolation or historical divergence, their roots maintained a conspicuous distance from the central realm.
Experiencing their unadulterated influence firsthand made the suffocating weight of their presence all the more palpable.
“Hm?”
At that moment, a bizarre spectacle arrested my attention.
[Daughter of Sichuan and cherished granddaughter of the Poison King, Dang Seohui, brings her exploits in the Dragon-Phoenix Association to a glorious conclusion!]
Stretching across an enormous expanse of woven cotton, an imposing banner fluttered prominently along the edge of the avenue, its calligraphy traced with bold, sweeping brushwork.
[Daughter of Sichuan and cherished granddaughter of the Poison King, Dang Seohui, successfully earns entry into Yuseong Hall, direct subordinate of the Mantong Office!]
Nor was it an isolated display.
[Praise be to Dang Seohui! Appointed as Deputy Hall Master of Yuseong Hall!!!]
Every recent development in her career had been chronicled upon these cloths with obsessive thoroughness.
Our entire group collectively shifted their eyes toward Dang Seohui.
“My grandfather penned those himself. He harbors a great fondness for scribbling on massive bolts of fabric.”
I sincerely doubted a mere preference for large surfaces was the true reason.
Without exception, every single declaration focused entirely on Dang Seohui.
Leaving behind those glaring proclamations, we approached the terminus of the road, where a truly extraordinary compound unfolded before our eyes. Rising from the heart of the vast settlement were colossal, fortress-grade ramparts that stretched endlessly into the horizon.
The Greatest Tang Clan Under Heaven.
While such a plaque carried unbearable arrogance, not a single soul dared challenge its validity.
The Tang Clan ranked among the exceedingly rare martial lineages possessing the undisputed might to claim that absolute title under heaven.
‘Even the mighty Demonic Cult suffered deeply when clashing against the Tang Clan.’
Scores of individuals moved through the yawning entryway, while a dense column of hopeful visitors formed an orderly queue awaiting admittance.
Dang Seohui advanced directly toward the center of the crowd with unhesitating strides.
The onlookers, initially scowling and preparing to voice their outrage at the queue-jumper, choked back their protests the moment their eyes caught the distinctive shade of her attire.
As an unsettled murmur rippled through the gathering, the Tang Clan sentinels stationed to receive visitors shifted their attention toward us.
The instant her identity registered, they bounded out of their seats.
“L-Lady Dang has returned!!!”
Abandoning their posts without a second thought, four or five clan disciples scrambled forward to form a tight ring around Dang Seohui, bombarding her with simultaneous welcomes.
“You arrived without dispatching any prior notice! You have no idea how anxious we were.”
“Were you not supposed to be undertaking a critical assignment?”
“Has that Hall Master of yours been treating you poorly? Just say the word, and I will ensure he vanishes without leaving a single trace behind…”
“Lady Dang! What about that youth named Jin? Has he still failed to reciprocate your affections?”
They fussed over her with the excessive enthusiasm typically reserved for a child returning from the dead, yet Dang Seohui remained completely unfazed, clearly accustomed to such theatrics.
“Ah, but you all seem occupied with duties. Whatever prompted this sudden visit—?”
Without warning, Dang Seohui raised her arm and aimed her finger straight at me.
“Jin Sowoon journeyed here because he wishes to see Grandfather.”
The second her finger locked onto my person, every Tang Clan disciple pivoted their gaze toward me.
“Greetings, I am—”
Even those who had kept their distance suddenly snapped their heads in my direction. The sheer intensity was somewhat unsettling.
“…Jin Sowoon…”
“…!”
“…!!”
“…!!!”
…What in the world was going on with these people?
The disciples of the Tang Clan gaped at me as if struck by sudden paralysis.
Then, a hulking brute among them drew an immense breath into his chest.
“L-Lady Dang… J-Jin Sow—!”
He released a deafening Lion’s Roar that shook the surrounding air.
“LADY SEOHUI HAS BROUGHT BACK THAT BASTARD JIN SOWOON!!!!”
“???”
His tone echoed as though a catastrophic doom had befallen their clan.
“AND THAT VERY SAME BASTARD JIN SOWOON DEMANDS AN AUDIENCE WITH THE CLAN HEAD!!!!”
That berserk Lion’s Roar resounded through every corner of the Tang Clan’s territory.
Immediately afterward—
“W-What madness is this?!”
Alarm bells chimed with a frantic clangor so piercing that even Nam Hwaseong recoiled in shock, the noise tearing across the entire complex.
Clangclangclangclangclangclangclang—
Iron portals embedded within the stone walls swung wide, heralded by the sharp grinding of an activating Mechanism Formation.
Martial artists clad in official Tang Clan robes materialized atop the battlements, wearing dead-serious, grave expressions. Each warrior gripped a gleaming mother-of-pearl phial in one palm while concealed projectiles were slotted between the knuckles of the other.
The scene looked precisely as though a full-scale siege had commenced.
The disciple who had been standing alongside Dang Seohui marched over and glared down at me.
‘What on earth is this absurd reaction?’
He stiffly reached out his arm.
“…Welcome to the Tang Clan.”
Despite the greeting, not a shred of hospitality or pleasure could be found in his posture.
“…”
Seriously, what was wrong with these people?
Dang Wigwan, who introduced themselves as the First Hall Master of the Flame King Pavilion, took on the responsibility of guiding our party inside.
The central headquarters situated at the core of Tang Clan Town shared a structural design that felt strikingly close to the Martial Alliance compound.
Owing to the clan’s extreme isolationism, virtually all research, instruction, and martial training were required to take place within these fortress walls. That necessity dictated this expansive layout.
Yet, despite the formidable battlements and the staggering array of Mechanism Formations hidden throughout, the environment felt far from suffocating.
If anything, the sprawling pavilions were spaced generously apart, granting the grounds an immense, open grandeur.
— Hey, are we certain everything is fine?
Nam Hwaseong projected his voice straight into my ears via sound transmission while walking two paces ahead.
— Does it not seem as if every pair of eyes here is radiating pure malice toward us?
The atmosphere pervading the interior was incomprehensibly strange.
Dozens upon dozens of martial artists robed in emerald jade had abandoned their ongoing tasks to fix unblinking glares upon our party as we traversed the courtyards.
A sickly green luminescence seemed to smolder within their irises.
Suddenly, another green-robed figure stepped forward with broad strides, crossing our path.
“!!!”
“!!!”
Nam Hwaseong, Geumpyo, and Yayul Geuk ground to an immediate halt. Their hands involuntarily dropped to their weapon hilts before they exerted supreme discipline to steady themselves.
The newcomer planted himself squarely in front of me.
“Phew…”
“It seems First Senior Brother has dragged us into trouble yet again…”
I could hear those three hopeless fools behind me venting quiet sighs of relief.
The man before me offered an amicable smirk and extended his right hand.
“It is a privilege to encounter the illustrious martial paragon known as the Black Flame Dragon in the flesh.”
“…I have no idea what nonsense you are speaking.”
Irritated, I attempted to sidestep him and proceed forward, but he shifted with wind-like agility, cutting off my trajectory once more.
“Hoho. Word reached us that you harbor an intense dislike for the moniker Black Flame Dragon. It seems the rumors were entirely accurate.”
What was this lunatic’s grievance?
Observing the emerald fabric of his garments and the faint jade glint shimmering within his pupils, it was evident he had mastered the direct ancestral techniques of the Tang Clan.
Yet I was completely at a loss as to why he was deliberately picking a quarrel with me.
Glancing toward Dang Wigwan, I anticipated that they would rein in this disrespectful fellow. Instead, Dang Wigwan merely crossed their arms, watching the unfolding scene with blatant amusement.
“Do you truly intend to leave my offering of courtesy hanging in midair?”
“…”
The moment my fingers closed around his palm, a ferocious torrent of internal energy surged outward from his skin, attempting to force its way into my pathways.
“Ho… It seems your confidence in your inner reserves is not unfounded.”
He had even laced the invasive wave with a noxious strand of poisonous qi. The contact point on my skin began to sting with an icy prickle.
‘He genuinely seeks to humiliate me here…’
Nonetheless, I had arrived at their territory seeking an urgent favor. I could not afford to maim the man.
It seemed wiser to resolve this clash with measured restraint.
Having mastered and transcended the Asura Locking Metal, Breaking Jade Art, I now possessed the ability to split my internal energy into numerous distinct currents and manipulate each simultaneously.
“Allow me to state my identity once more. I am Jin Sowoon.”
Clamping down on his invading current, I sealed it tight within my palm and closed my grip like an iron vise.
Crack—
His eyes widened in shock, his jaw clenching hard.
He desperately mobilized an even greater reservoir of internal energy, yet it fell hopelessly short against the foundation of the Taeul True Scripture, which had already attained the pinnacle of the Dantian Ascension Realm.
Crack— Creak—
His thumb popped violently out of its joint, and the bones of his hand contorted into a gruesome, unnatural arch.
Gorged veins snaked across his forehead, flushing his face crimson as blood rushed into the whites of his eyes.
“Ugh…!”
Realizing the utter disparity in our strength, he panicked and attempted to sever the flow of his energy, trying desperately to yank his arm back.
“How exceptionally discourteous… Are you refusing to properly return my handshake?”
His hand remained anchored as though fused to an immovable boulder, utterly unable to break my hold.
Crack—
“Ghhk—”
Another sharp sound akin to snapping timber echoed in the air. Grinding his molars until they nearly shattered, a thin ribbon of scarlet trickled past his lips.
Considering the Tang Clan’s peerless mastery of medicine, I briefly contemplated crushing him a bit further before finally releasing the pressure.
“Gasp!”
The instant his fingers slipped free, he collapsed to the stone pavers, rolling over while cradling his mangled right hand.
A vivid, discolored bruise shaped identically to my palm stood out prominently across his skin.
Sprawled on the dirt, he gnashed his teeth in bitter fury. He cast a hurried glance toward Dang Seohui before redirecting a hateful glare into my eyes.
“Do not… do not deceive yourself into believing I approve of you after this!”
“…”
Then what was the purpose of this absurd trial? What sort of approval was he even rambling about?
Could not one single person in this clan offer a coherent explanation?
When I turned back to Dang Wigwan for clarification, Dang Wigwan merely gave two or three satisfied nods, displaying complete indifference to the fallen clansman.
“Come along. Refreshments and warm tea await you in the Guest Pavilion.”
Dang Wigwan provided no context whatsoever.
What in the heavens was unfolding here?
Had they not traveled all this way to present an urgent, crucial request?
Geumpyo silently reflected on the conversation shared during the trek from the docks to Chengdu.
First Senior Brother had explicitly mentioned that despite their suffocating schedule, an unforeseen complication had forced them to secure aid from the Sichuan Tang Clan.
If that was the case, what explained his belligerent conduct?
“Why do those pests continue hovering around us like flies?”
First Senior Brother carried himself far less like an earnest petitioner and far more like an aggressive collector hunting down a defaulting debtor.
“Senior Brother, I implore you to settle your temper.”
“Does this strike you as an occasion where keeping calm is reasonable? Those individuals have been radiating senseless hostility since the moment we stepped through the gate.”
First Senior Brother utterly detested unprovoked enmity from strangers.
Whenever anyone dared to look down on his presence, he was prone to flying into a terrifying rage.
Yet, was this truly that sort of situation?
Geumpyo shifted their attention toward Dang Seohui, who remained thoroughly absorbed in devouring the sweet delicacies she had longed for, paying no mind to the tension.
“Senior Dang…”
“Deputy Hall Master!”
With sticky syrup smeared across her lips, her abrupt effort to look authoritative was rather endearing.
“Yes, Deputy Hall Master. Ahem… Have you by any chance shared tales of First Senior Brother with your family?”
“What sort of tales do you mean?”
“I refer to… the nature of your interactions together…”
Dang Seohui tilted her head in confusion.
“I recounted every single event that occurred between Junior Jin and myself.”
“…Did you happen to share stories about your other companions as well? Such as Senior Hwa Jeongsan, Senior Yong Soa, and the rest?”
“Why would I ever bother discussing them?”
Right… That settled the matter completely.
The suspicion that had been faintly taking root in Geumpyo’s thoughts was now an undeniable certainty.
To put it plainly:
‘This is the exact picture of an overprotected youngest daughter dragging a prospective suitor home to meet her kin.’
The murderous glares directed at First Senior Brother were identical to the suspicious squints town bailiffs cast upon an elusive burglar.
The only person who remained utterly blind to this truth was First Senior Brother himself.
‘Tch…’
Geumpyo prayed they could simply meet the council of elders, conclude their business without incident, and depart swiftly.
Regrettably, the patience of the Tang Clan warriors proved far more brittle than anticipated.
“Young Hero Jin, I have witnessed your aptitude for circulating internal energy. Yet that solitary demonstration hardly suffices.”
The martial artists who had previously stood back with sour grimaces began crossing into the open courtyard.
“What sort of madness have they been babbling about this entire day?”
First Senior Brother’s threshold for patience appeared to have completely vanished as well.
In the end, Geumpyo felt compelled to intervene. Should First Senior Brother abandon his temper, he was liable to wreak havoc throughout the compound, completely ruining the mission they had traveled so far to accomplish.
“Might I offer myself as your sparring partner instead?”
“…?”
The warrior advancing toward First Senior Brother knitted his brows in displeasure.
“I am also an initiated disciple of the Taeul Sect. By crossing arms with me, you will readily comprehend the caliber of First Senior Brother’s martial foundation.”
Geumpyo dropped into a disciplined Opening Stance.
However—
“You seem to misunderstand the situation entirely. I have zero interest in assessing the martial prowess of the Taeul Sect. The only person I care to scrutinize is that fellow, Jin Sowoon.”
“Urk!”
Before the movement could finish, Geumpyo’s limbs locked rigidly in place mid-stance.
‘W-When was the poison…?’
While mortification flooded Geumpyo’s senses, a burning flush spread across their cheeks.
“Good grief, you blundering fool…”
Geumpyo could do nothing but shut their eyes, secretly acknowledging the validity of First Senior Brother’s exasperated rebuke.
“Oho, can you actually anticipate the subtle drift of poisonous qi?”
“I have not the faintest notion of what you mean.”
“What?”
“Why would I waste effort predicting its path? I can simply assimilate it.”
Jin Sowoon struck the stone flagstones with sudden velocity, launching into the Phantom Shadow Kicks and sending the challenger hurtling through the air like a discarded rag.
“Are there any other challengers eager to test my worth?”
Before the words had even faded into the air, five additional combatants stepped into the courtyard.
“Do you plan to approach me individually, or will you come all at once?”
Observing that towering, unrestrained arrogance, Geumpyo’s heart sank with resignation.
‘That man has completely forgotten the reason we came here. What a hopeless disaster.’
Naturally, with the fast-acting venom locking every muscle, Geumpyo was left entirely powerless, forced to watch the impending brawl as a helpless spectator.
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