Chapter 14 – Even a One-Inch Bug Has Five Fun of Resolve

Chapter 14 – Even a One-Inch Bug Has Five Fun of Resolve

There was a reason why I did not request the duel from Tang Jae-shin first.

It was justification.

Excluding Sawol, I had no justification to pick a fight with them. Since there was no contact in the first place. Therefore, if I were to suggest a duel first, regardless of the outcome, the cause would be pinpointed to Sawol.

His standing within the family was already as tiny as dust, so it was clear how he would be treated if word spread that a fight had broken out among the martial artists because of Sawol.

Since it was a fight that broke out between those with no contact, I decided to make the justification "education" and attribute the cause simply to my own lacking character.

But that was not all.

The biggest reason was, by far…

"Young Master, why are you really doing this? No, you said you wouldn't pick a fight, didn't you? If this isn't a fight, what is it!"

"…I didn't do it; I told you they were the ones who requested it."

"Agh! I really can't live like this! You should have refused; what on earth are you planning to do!"

"What do you mean, what am I going to do? We agreed to do it in a week… Ah, ouch. Are you just hitting me now?"

Sawol was furiously angry like a fully enraged Chihuahua, but it was already spilled water. Of course, although I was the one who completely spilled that water, it was important to play dumb.

'If I had even initiated the duel first, he would have already bitten me…'

If there was something I often overlooked, it was that Sawol just followed and liked me a lot, but he could not be said to have a gentle and kind personality. Rather, he easily flared up, grumbled, and complained if he had any grievances, showing the exact appearance of someone his age.

That meant that no matter how much I explained, "They requested the duel, I didn't," he was not of a personality to just let it go saying, "Oh, is that so."

Even so, wouldn't a minimum excuse be necessary?

Thinking that the matter had grown large because of him, Sawol constantly rolled his eyes, wishing to resolve the situation.

"Can't you trust me? I am not the me of yesterday."

"…It's not that. I have looked after you so dearly, Young Master, so what if you get hurt? I raised you preciously, fearing you might shatter if gripped, or fly away if blown upon."

"Sawol, you are the same age as me…"

At last, I was dumbfounded by his fussiness, which resembled that of an overprotective parent, and a chuckle escaped me. Sawol shot me a sulky look and grumbled again, saying that if he had known this would happen, he should have just reported it to the elders.

'It was not wrong, but that was not enough.'

Even if I had reported it to the Hall Leaders or the Family Head, they would have been punished. However, the severity of the punishment would not have been strong, and it was not easy to bring up a past matter once it had blown over. That was not the solution I wanted.

I needed a more certain and powerful victory.

Humans generally look down on those weaker than themselves. It was a fact I had always known, but I had completely forgotten it while staying complacently in this peaceful place. If this were to slide by, such things would be repeated multiple times in the future, so I had to show them at least once.

That even a stepped-on earthworm wiggles, a cornered rat bites a cat, and even a one-inch worm has half an inch of spirit.

Therefore, this matter had to be both an opportunity and a proof.

Around the time I was starting to worry if my ears would bleed from the nagging of Sawol, who was flustered like a herbivore sensing danger, Tang Hae-soo entered the annex.

As soon as Tang Hae-soo brought up that good tea had arrived, Sawol hurriedly prepared the tea set. Holding the warm teacup, the fragrant and sweet aroma of tea hovered around my nose and mouth.

It was an afternoon so peaceful that I wanted to remain settled here forever.

Tang Hae-soo, who was sitting quietly and drinking tea, spoke in a calm voice.

"When is the date?"

"One week from now. You will be the official witness, right, Brother?"

"Probably."

Though it was called a family, the grounds of the Tang Clan were a single village and a microcosm of human society. Therefore, even within this, rules existed to prevent conflicts and incidents among members.

Especially due to the nature of martial arts using hidden weapons and poison, there were various clauses regarding martial artists harming each other. It was precisely because of that regulation that Tang Jae-shin requested a duel instead of hitting me with his fists.

Since a sparring duel had to be witnessed by at least one elder, Tang Hae-soo became the observer for the duel with Tang Jae-shin.

"Causing trouble first and then notifying me really doesn't change."

"Isn't being consistent my strength?"

Tang Hae-soo slid a teacup to Sawol, who was just mouthing words from one side without being able to say anything.

"Do not worry. Surely he won't die."

"………"

He probably threw it out as a joke, but upon hearing those words, Sawol's face turned as pale as if he had seen a ghost. Fearing that Sawol might have a heart attack first before the duel even started, I hurriedly changed the subject.

"Ah, by the way, I am supposed to receive instruction from the Hall Leaders starting today. Have you heard anything about it?"

"I already know. Ah, the Ten Thousand Poisons Hall Leader said he would come to see the baby Earth Dragons first, so he will probably arrive soon."

As soon as Tang Hae-soo finished speaking, a loud noise was heard from outside.

"Wow, these little fellows are fascinating!"

Speak of the devil, when I stepped outside at the familiar voice, the Ten Thousand Poisons Hall Leader Tang Yi-seon was standing there with a bright face, looking at Torong and Yongyong.

"Hall Leader, you have arrived."

"I greet the Hall Leader."

As Tang Hae-soo and I bowed politely, Tang Yi-seon waved his hand lightly instead of greeting. Since the two baby Earth Dragons were his primary interest right now, Tang Hae-soo and I were pushed to the background for a moment.

'Although it was only occasionally, every time I met him, he was truly a different person from what I expected.'

Put nicely, the Ten Thousand Poisons Hall Leader Tang Yi-seon was a unique person; borrowing the words of the public, he was a vicious Hall Leader crazy about poison. In my internal evaluation, he was about a researcher full of curiosity.

Tang Yi-seon had his long dark brown hair pinned up with a silver hairpin, which was a truly mismatched accessory for him who constantly frequented the Poison Depository, so when I asked him the reason, he had burst into playful laughter, saying, "Isn't the contrast interesting?" My tense mind had relaxed at his smile that made public rumors pale, and after that, whenever I caught rare venomous insects, I would not forget to bring them to him.

"They are still young, so their toxicity is not strong, but once they grow, they will be of precious help. You prepare their meals separately?"

"Yes. I am mainly feeding them a variety of amphibians, fish, and venomous insects."

He was examining the Earth Dragon's skin here and there with a face full of curiosity like a child. As expected of the head of the Ten Thousand Poisons Hall, his desire for research was great.

"Hmm… I see, I see. They follow you particularly well, so how did you train them?"

"I did not train them separately; it just seems that both of them understand human speech. It is just that they do not follow the words of anyone other than me."

It was the plain truth. Since Torong and Yongyong simply recognized me as their master, there was nothing for me to do. However, Tang Yi-seon's eyes were already colored with surprise.

"Ho, I have never heard of taming an Earth Dragon before. Right, then next time, let us research snake training together. There are many strange and amazing poisons in nature."

"Yes, if you teach me, I will value it and learn."

"Good. I brought a few types of poison today, so let us look at them after class. Hae-soo, no, the Young Clan Leader should come along as well."

After gaining an unprecedented three masters, the Hall Leaders of each hall visited the annex in turn, one day at a time. Tang Hae-soo's training also remained unchanged, but with the lessons of the three added to it, I had no choice but to feel like a college student crying, "It seems the professor thinks I'm only taking this class."

High-intensity training, like squeezing a drop of water from a dry towel, filled the day.

Even when I wondered if I would die like this, it was fascinating that the internal energy circulating through my acupoints naturally maintained a light body condition, making it feel increasingly manageable instead.

'This side seems to be enough with this much.'

As usual, after the training that felt like my soul was being drained ended,

I reached out to organize the things I had prepared last.

***

The Martial Hidden Hall Leader Tang Tae-seon visited the Great Training Ground after finishing a meeting with the squad leaders under his command.

The one who stood out by far among the martial artists occupied with individual training was the Young Clan Leader Tang Hae-soo. Not only because of his noble appearance, but also because his strength and accuracy drew the surrounding gazes toward him.

'Indeed, he is worthy of being called a talent of the clan.'

A satisfied smile appeared on Tang Tae-seon's face, and at the same time, Tang Hae-soo noticed him, approached, and greeted him politely. Seeing the Young Clan Leader who possessed looks, skill, and even character, it was natural that the future of the Tang Clan would be extremely bright.

"I hear San-ho is having a sparring duel with a collateral martial artist?"

"Yes, did you know? Since I will be observing as the official witness, I will report separately on his martial skills after the duel."

"No. I have decided to observe as well, so there is no need to do that."

At Tang Tae-seon's words, Tang Hae-soo widened his eyes in surprise.

This was because a Hall Leader rarely witnessed a duel between martial artists that was not a regular evaluation or exam.

"You will be observing in person, Hall Leader?"

"Yes, how could I miss such an interesting sight? Everyone is waiting, saying they will watch a fun show for the first time in a while."

At Tang Tae-seon's amused voice, Tang Hae-soo tilted his head slightly to the side and asked.

"Who do you mean by everyone…"

"Have you not heard yet? Everyone, including the Family Head and the Hall Leaders, as well as all the martial artists of the Tang Clan, has decided to witness it."

"……Yes?"

At the unexpected answer, numerous questions arose in Tang Hae-soo's mind.

'This… looked like someone had intentionally set the stage and enlarged the scale. Was it Tang Jae-shin? No… there was no way he didn't know the words circulating among the martial artists right now.'

After Tang Jae-shin requested a duel with San-ho, rumors circulated among some martial artists, asking, "Isn't this a form of persecuting the young and weak Young Master?" Since everyone remained silent about his constitution and he had never properly demonstrated his skills, they were worried that San-ho might be seriously injured.

However, on the contrary, some also anticipated the thrill of the collateral Tang Jae-shin defeating the direct lineage Tang San-ho.

'This is a bit troublesome…'

Since he had trained San-ho steadily, he was not worried about the difference in skill with Tang Jae-shin. However, he was concerned about that part because San-ho had no sparring experience prior to his skill. If those blinded by vague jealousy were to shake San-ho's heart, he would be devoured before he could even show his real skills. Training and dueling were completely different realms.

"I am worried that San-ho might get nervous if there are many people, as he still has little experience in dueling. Could we at least reduce the number of martial artists a bit?"

When Tang Hae-soo spoke cautiously, Tang Tae-seon rummaged inside his clothes with an expression asking what on earth he was talking about. A moment later, a stiff piece of paper was held in his hand that came out.

"Read it."

Receiving the palm-sized paper, Tang Hae-soo tilted his head slightly and carefully examined the content inside.

Soon, Tang Hae-soo widened his eyes and read the few lines of content repeatedly.

However, the written content did not change.

'What on earth is this…'

On the paper where neat handwriting had descended like flower petals, a greeting of invitation was written along with the date and location of the sparring duel.

The sender was the Dark Flower.