Chapter 194

Chapter 194
—
**Chapter 194**
**Tang Clan’s Breakthrough and Homecoming**

The Tang siblings practically glowed with pure delight, every part of them radiating joy.

Baek Yang-hui sank down to the ground, savoring a deep, pleasant weariness as he watched the scene unfold before him.

*Thank heavens. It succeeded on the very first attempt.*

He had believed success was possible, yet he had never truly been certain it would go so smoothly from the start. After all, drawing upon an ice crystal already deviated from the established, orthodox principles of martial practice.

Most people mistakenly assumed ice crystals were a form of spiritual medicine, but in truth, they could not be consumed to build up one’s internal energy at all.

*They are far closer to a concentrated form of natural earthly qi.*

Whether it was the inner core of a spirit beast or an ancient spiritual herb that had ripened over countless long years, the essence of such things ultimately sprang from living things themselves. In other words, natural earthly qi was absorbed by life forms, refined through their systems, and stored as energy—but it was no longer pure, unadulterated natural qi.

Thus, taking spiritual medicine was essentially one living being absorbing the vitality of another. That was exactly why ice crystals were not spiritual medicine; and while they were rare, they never commanded exorbitant sums. It was true they held an immense store of condensed energy, making them ideal as stabilizing anchors for formations, but beyond that, they offered very little practical application.

*That is precisely why I thought our chances were slim.*

The ice crystal was merely the starting point; he had fully intended to experiment with all sorts of other methods afterward.

For example, century-old snow ginseng was a spiritual herb that actually bolstered yin qi within the dantian, making it far better suited to managing energy flow than ice crystals. Yet he had chosen the ice crystal for his very first trial because…

*Its energy is compressed so densely that it has solidified into crystal form.*

To refine the Three Origins Return to One Art quickly, the key was to condense energy into a cohesive mass using yin qi—just as he had already done with the yang qi and poison qi within his own body. Put simply, the ice crystal was the most demanding option, but also the most perfect one.

“Congratulations, Lady Tang.”

“This is all because of you! Eeeek!”

“I am truly in your debt, Brother Hui!”

For this first attempt, he had guided their energies through the profound intricacies of the Harmonious Heaven Principle Origin Art for six straight hours. But now that they had succeeded with that initial trial, everything that followed would be far simpler. With the three origins fully manifested in their dantians, they could now fill in every gap in their martial understanding.

“I shall seek permission and attempt to manifest the Three Origins Return to One Art on my own!”

When Dang Gun brought word of what had happened, the entire Tang Clan erupted in excitement. Drawing upon the insights Dang Yeon had gathered over several days, they attempted to manifest the three origins using an ice crystal—this time entirely without Yang-hui’s guidance.

And the result?

“It worked! Brother Hui, we did it!”

It took a considerable amount of time, but Dang Gun succeeded in forming the three origins within his dantian. From that moment onward, every younger disciple in the clan rose to the challenge, striving to manifest the three origins using ice crystals.

“We have now recorded more than ten successful manifestations of the three origins!”

The Tang Clan made their decision without delay. Within just a few days, the clan’s most revered and eccentric figure, Tang Yang, stepped forward to attempt the manifestation.

An elder-level master personally oversaw and conducted the process. His reserves of internal energy were so vast that he required far more ice crystals than most, yet he too eventually succeeded.

“Whew. I was nearly swept away by qi deviation there.”

“Elder, that is hardly something to say with such a relieved look on your face.”

“But it worked, did it not? This proves that every single member of the main clan is capable of manifesting the three origins.”

His words rang true. Regardless of how much internal energy someone possessed or what level of cultivation they had reached, the Three Origins Return to One Art could be practiced by all.

*We have essentially created an entirely new method of cultivating internal energy.*

There were no flaws whatsoever in its foundational martial principles. It might not yet be worthy of the title “Divine Art,” but if every member of the Tang Clan dedicated themselves to advancing it… the Three Origins Return to One Art would eventually evolve into the Three Origins Return to One Divine Art.

*For the moment, it conflicts with the principle of returning to unity, so the three energies cannot be wielded separately. But in time, that will change.*

Martial arts had always advanced as the years passed. Perhaps this art could one day rival the Wudang Sect’s Yin-Yang Divine Art, allowing practitioners to manipulate yin and yang qi independently, and to unleash their full power through the profound mysteries of mutual generation and restraint.

From this point forward, however, this was the Tang Clan’s journey to walk.

*This should be enough to break the chains that have bound the Tang Clan for so long.*

The recent spar between Dang Gun and Namgung Cheon-hu had laid it bare: Tang warriors were inherently at a disadvantage compared to orthodox sects and the Five Great Clans when it came to elemental affinities. But that was all about to change.

The Three Origins Return to One Art. And the Jade White Flower Transformation Technique. These two gifts would transform the Tang Clan into an entirely different martial house.

*I find myself looking forward to the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly.*

When dragons and phoenixes gathered, a great martial tournament was sure to follow. The Tang Clan had never fared well in the tournament at the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly before. This time, things would be different.

*I cannot wait to see the expressions on the faces of the younger disciples from the Nine Sects and Five Great Clans.*

No one felt this anticipation more keenly than the clansmen of the Tang themselves.

“In the name of Tang Clan Lord Tang Seong, I hereby proclaim: From this day forth, the Three Origins Return to One Art shall serve as the foundation for every warrior of our clan.”

“Waaaaah!”

“Waaaaah!”

“Waaaaah!”

Watching the entire clan cheer as one, Yang-hui smiled with deep, genuine pride.

*My work here in Sichuan is more or less complete.*

A full year had passed since he first arrived at the Tang Clan. The time had nearly come to return to Baek Clan Manor.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Clop. Clop.

Five wagons piled high with baggage rumbled slowly along a quiet official road.

-Kreee-ah!

A falcon swooped down from the sky and settled upon Yang-hui’s forearm, beating its wings as it let out a stream of chirps and calls. Naturally, he could not understand the falcon’s speech directly; he interpreted its meaning through their spiritual bond.

“Chui-dal. Understood. They are roughly half a shichen ahead. Go and clear them all out.”

After a long stretch of silence, the two young men finally found their voices.

“Brother… I truly feel as though I am about to collapse…”

“Need… just a short rest…”

“Now then. Are you planning to train through the night again tonight? Execute your orders.”

“Y-yes… we shall…”

“Damn it all…”

The two stumbled away into the distance. Yang-hui remained perfectly calm at the sight, but the man standing beside him shifted nervously and spoke up.

“Young Master Baek. Are you absolutely certain this is wise?”

“It is quite all right, Young Clan Leader.”

His companion was Jin Dal-bong, the only son of Jin Yeong-gil. At Jin Yeong-gil’s request, he had joined their party on the journey back to Baek Clan Manor.

“They are both completely spent. What if they make a mistake and something terrible happens?”

“Ah, there is no cause for concern. I have warned them most thoroughly: should they sustain any injury, their punishment will be training far worse than anything they have yet endured.”

Neither would dare shirk their duties if it meant facing torment more grueling than death itself.

“Yet you deliberately chose a route infested with bandits, and ordered them to scour every last corner and wipe the bandits out entirely. Is all this truly necessary?”

It was a reasonable concern. After all, they were transporting precious gifts bestowed by the Tang Clan and Jin Yeong-gil. But he had an urgent reason to push his two younger brothers so hard.

“At their age, they are still only low-tier first-rate experts.”

“…First-rate?”

“Low-tier first-rate.”

“…I see. But to reach the first rank at fifteen or sixteen—surely that is most extraordinary?”

He could not argue with that, so he shifted the conversation instead.

“To gain the greatest possible benefit, one must always aim to achieve two things at once. Guarding the convoy and honing their skills—killing two birds with one stone, is it not?”

“It does not seem like two birds… it seems like sheer recklessness… Ahem. Now I understand how the Heaven-Covering Baek Clan rose so swiftly.”

“I thank you for your kind words.”

It had not sounded much like praise, but he chose to take it as such.

*They are developing faster than I anticipated, yet it is still not enough.*

The Baek Clan intended to take part in the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly. To secure a worthy standing in the tournament, he had to push them to their limits.

“By the way, Young Clan Leader, you mentioned this is your first time leaving Sichuan. We shall reach the main clan soon—how do you feel?”

“I am excited, yet also a little nervous. They have received word and the advance arrangements, so they know I am coming, but as the new young division leader, I must still negotiate terms.”

“Everyone there is of good character. There is nothing to fear. Simply place your trust in me.”

“…I heard you were once forbidden to return…”

A comfortable silence settled between them. Technically, he did not need permission to come home, but since he had been sent to Sichuan as good as exiled, he could not help feeling a little awkward. Surely after an entire year had passed, his father would not beat him until he was black and blue?

“Young Clan Leader. I hurried back to the manor precisely because you asked me to.”

“What?!”

“Let us rely on each other, then!”

“Did you not tell me to trust no one but you?! I shall be entirely at a loss how to navigate life within the Baek Clan!”

“That is simply how life works—we trust and support one another. And with that, let us set aside formalities, Brother Jin.”

“Brother Baek! Do not ruin my very first impression for your own convenience!”

They bantered back and forth until Chui-dal and Baek Heon-so finally rejoined them.

“Tch. Very well. I shall bear all the scolding myself.”

“I would expect nothing less.”

He had lost his convenient excuse, but inwardly, Yang-hui smiled.

*He is finally beginning to relax around me.*

Jin Dal-bong had spoken with rigid, formal politeness from the moment they met. Everyone had their own way of doing things, but to Yang-hui, such formality had felt like a wall of suspicion.

*We shall be working closely together from now on. It is far better to break down these barriers quickly.*

In the distance, the familiar landscape of Ak-an County—home to Baek Clan Manor—began to come into view.

*There is so much to be done once we arrive.*

He had already proposed building an escort network along the Yangtze River, uniting different parties under the banner of the One Wing Alliance, and preparations were well underway. For one thing, he needed to develop entirely new martial techniques. He had demonstrated the Responsive Tiger Formation Convergence, but only he could perform it as it stood. Mastering both the Heaven-Covering 108 Swords and sonic arts was simply too demanding for most. It would be far more practical to create a new technique designed specifically for combating bandits—adding it to the two they already possessed—and teach it to all clansmen.

That was why he had left the Tang Clan so soon after establishing the foundations of the Three Origins Return to One Art. He could have stayed longer to refine it further, but there was simply too much work waiting for him at home.

*And then there is the Black Mirror Gang to deal with.*

To run escort services along the Yangtze in Jiangxi, they would need to secure control of the Gu River region. Which meant confronting the Black Mirror Gang, who currently ruled the Gu River and Yuan Province. But the Black Mirror Gang had powerful backers, and that fact had to be taken into account…

*Somehow, my list of responsibilities only grows longer.*

Once he arrived home, he would present himself and tackle each task in turn. That was Yang-hui’s plan—but…

“Hui. You have returned.”

“Father! Your son has come home!”

“Good. Off you go, then.”

“Pardon?”

A gust of wind swept past, and his entire world spun upside down.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Now, to make sense of what had just happened.

He had arrived at Baek Clan Manor alongside the others. Instead of the usual gatekeepers, his father and the most senior figures of the clan had opened the carved ebony gates themselves and stood waiting in the outer courtyard. They had exchanged warm greetings—and then his father had bid him depart.

And now…

“It has been quite some time, Young Master.”

Perched high atop a sheer cliff, a lovely girl of fifteen looked down and smiled at him.

“Master… surely carrying me off the moment we are reunited is going a little too far?”

“Is that all you have to say for yourself?”

Yang-hui flinched. He carried far too many unspoken sins and misdeeds weighing on his conscience.

*To begin with, simply raising Seol-ha to peak cultivation would have been enough to earn her displeasure…*

And there were plenty of other matters besides. Plus… he planned to add a few more before long. Well. In situations like this, the best defense was to take the initiative.

“Master!”

“Speak, Young Master.”

*Best to skip the groveling and get straight to business.*

He needed to develop techniques that used sonic arts to crush bandits anyway. And personally, he greatly wanted guidance on how to advance his own martial skills.

“This disciple begs for your instruction and aid!”

He had deliberately left out the details, yet Yin Hu nodded in understanding.

“Your timing could not be better. Steel yourself, Young Master.”

“Pardon?”

Yin Hu’s expression grew cold, sharp as a blade. This was not at all what he had expected. Could she know something he did not?

“Master.”

“Speak.”

“What is to become of me now?”

“There is only one form of help a master can offer their disciple.”

Which almost certainly meant pushing