Chapter 83 – A Chick of the Jianghu

Chapter 83 – A Chick of the Jianghu

San-ho, who was leaning against the window, turned to look at Tang Hwa-seon.

“Please give me exactly ten days.”

“Ten days?”

“Yes. The Tang Clan’s martial arts are outstanding, but considering the rules of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, it is true that we are at a disadvantage in many ways. Therefore, I want to step out of the framework a little.”

“You will need to explain further.”

“Even a sword held in one's hand is used differently depending on the purpose. Harming and stabbing people, treating and caring for them, preparing ingredients… Just like that, I believe that even the same hidden weapons can change infinitely depending on how they are used.”

“………”

The family's martial arts, which had led the Sichuan Tang Clan this far, were originally mostly for effective and secretive killing. However, breaking away from the framework that had been passed down as a long tradition was something that was difficult to permit easily.

It might end up shaking the very foundation of the family.

As if noticing Tang Hwa-seon's concern, San-ho added more words.

“I am not denying the family's martial arts. I am simply putting another weapon in their hands, one that did not exist before.”

“Mmm……”

Tang Hwa-seon sank into thought for a moment.

It was because of the dazzling growth San-ho had shown over the past few years, and the way he had proven it. Had San-ho not already developed a astonishing new training method with the Young Clan Leader Tang Hae-soo to increase the precision of the rising stars?

Perhaps, the methods that they, who were already hardened by custom, could not think of were the answers for the future.

“What is contained in your heart?”

At the low question, San-ho replied immediately.

“The Tang Clan, which will move beyond the overlord of Sichuan to become the number one family under heaven.”

Neither doubt nor anxiety was felt.

His straight gaze was filled only with conviction.

***

Right now, only one thought filled San-ho's head.

‘This is an opportunity!’

He could not walk around the Jianghu comparing the faces of martial artists one by one, and just as he was worrying about how to find them all, an opportunity worth a thousand pieces of gold appeared.

Furthermore, if many people gathered without distinction between orthodox and unorthodox, there would be no situation more perfect than this!

A satisfied smile rose on San-ho's face.

What was the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly?

On the surface, it was a confrontation of rising stars aiming for harmony, but it was also a venue of opportunity to gauge their martial prowess and position, and determine where to line up in the future and what direction the power would take.

What this meant was that, excluding the rising stars, almost all decent martial artists of the Jianghu would gather.

‘Wait. Up to which round does the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly go?’

In the first place, winning itself was not the goal.

However, since the better one performed, the longer one would stay, formulating an effective strategy was quite important. Moreover, many key figures watched from the round of 32 onwards.

Pondering for a moment, San-ho began to carefully recall the words Tang Yun-mu had poured out.

‘He definitely said it was the first sacrifice.’

The talk about a judgment on the Central Plains, and the Tang Clan being its first sacrifice. This meant that the size of the force behind the tragedy would grow large and powerful enough to clash head-on with great sects and prestigious families.

The minimum time remaining before he reached adulthood was three years.

Currently, there was no single force in the Central Plains that could grow to that size within three years.

‘That would mean, in other words, that already existing forces will be rallied. Whether it is unification through martial force or an alliance with the same goal. If I can make them my allies before they become the opponent's power…’

He would be able to expect stable results with minimal risk.

Having finished thinking, San-ho curled up the corners of his mouth.

***

Around the time San-ho was swelling with big dreams.

Min Eun-gyeol was trembling for some unknown reason at a sense of foreboding. Feeling his hair stand on end as if a cold wind had brushed past, he stroked his arm and muttered to himself.

‘What is it? Why is it… so ominous?’

To state the conclusion first, Min Eun-gyeol had a good gut feeling.

Like rats or birds that moved regions before a natural disaster occurred, he knew how to instinctively sense danger.

Of course, just because he sensed it did not mean he could avoid it.

***

“What did you just say…”

“I would like you to help with the training.”

Me? Why?

At San-ho's exceedingly confident proposal, Min Eun-gyeol was momentarily speechless.

He was so flustered that he completely forgot to use respectful language and etiquette, and his natural way of speaking slipped out.

“No, why should I?”

“Yes? That's because…”

San-ho pondered deeply, like someone who had heard an unexpected question. That he had asked for help with training without considering the reason was truly an amazing way of thinking.

Pondering for a moment, San-ho soon opened his mouth.

“There's a sincere side and a polite side. Which one do you want to hear?”

“………”

At the options he was hearing for the first time in his life, Min Eun-gyeol opened and closed his lips a couple of times.

“…The polite one.”

“Yes. I have always been deeply impressed by Captain Min's outstanding swordsmanship. If I can learn and receive guidance from such high martial prowess up close, it would indeed be a great honor. Please give this humble one meaningful guidance.”

“………”

While he felt pleased for a moment by San-ho's praise, which poured out smoothly as if his mouth were oiled, Min Eun-gyeol recalled that San-ho had never seen his sword. Then, he suddenly became curious about what the sincere answer was.

“What about the sincere one?”

Then, unlike a moment ago when he had cupped his fists in etiquette, San-ho slightly raised his head and spoke.

“Since you'll end up doing it anyway, I was thinking it might be better to do it happily…”

“…Huh?”

“I received a separate promise from the Alliance Leader. He said that if I met the captains in the Jianghu, you would help me.”

“……Uh?”

“So he told me to speak up whenever I needed help.”

“……”

He wanted to dismiss it as nonsense, but Min Eun-gyeol had not forgotten what happened at the Martial Alliance headquarters. This young martial artist before him had been shameless even when confined in the dungeon, and was even more confident after coming out.

Was that all? Did he not already have a precedent of manipulating the Alliance Leader, who had lived easily twice his age? The incident of taking away the Martial Alliance's designated medical authority as if extorting it was something Alliance Leader Zhuge Yun was still beating his chest and lamenting over.

Although ‘speak up whenever you need help’ was probably nothing more than a courtesy, unfortunately, San-ho did not look like he cared about such circumstances.

He had to find another excuse.

“Even so, how and what can I help you with? It's not like a disciple of the Tang Clan wants to learn the swordsmanship of another sect.”

“Ah, there's something I've been doing…”

As San-ho rattled off the areas where he needed ‘help,’ Min Eun-gyeol blinked his eyes. The more he listened to the words that followed, the less he could hide his absurdity. Min Eun-gyeol spoke in a confused voice.

“If you want to say that you're going to kill me, you don't have to beat around the bush.”

“Yes? Why would I kill the captain?”

“Then, this isn't a death threat right now?”

“Of course. Do you not trust me?”

“It's not about trusting or not… No, more than that, is that even possible?”

San-ho nodded, his eyes shining.

What he requested was simple.

……Theoretically.

San-ho found a way to develop the family's martial arts, which were not suitable for sparring tournaments. It was the new technique he had trained with Namgung Yeon during the Assembly of the Five Great Families. The method of reading the sword path to turn the force back.

Since a hidden weapon that left the hand could not be retrieved, it was bound to unintentionally harm the opponent. But what if the place the hidden weapon was headed was the weapon, not the person? Not even a shred of hesitation would be needed.

“Why me of all people? Just ask the elders to help.”

“Because everyone already knows the family's basic swordsmanship, so it's meaningless. We don't know what kind of opponent we will meet, so we need as many diverse examples as possible.”

It was not that the family's martial arts were lacking, or that the warriors were weak. It was just that the rule of the sparring tournament, ‘you must not kill the opponent,’ was disadvantageous to the Tang Clan.

In that case, they just had to eliminate that disadvantage.

San-ho smiled brightly with an innocent expression.

“Since you must be busy, Captain, I won't hold you for long. Just ten days.”

“……”

Min Eun-gyeol felt like giving a round of applause to San-ho's even more elaborate shamelessness. If only the victim were not himself!

“You are really…”

“Yes?”

“Do you happen to have any intention of joining the Martial Alliance? Join the Hidden Heaven Squad. I really wish I had a junior like you, that's why.”

Watching Min Eun-gyeol force the corners of his mouth up, San-ho giggled.

“Oh. You recommend buying and selling offices like this?”

“Speak properly. Did I receive money, or did I receive a bribe? Right now, aren't I practically the Giving Tree?”

“Mmm. That is true. But surely it would be difficult for you alone, Captain, to deal with all the rising stars of the Tang Clan, right?”

At San-ho's suddenly changed attitude, Min Eun-gyeol's eyes shone.

“Isn't that obvious? I'm extremely glad you've finally come to your senses. Then, I can leave now, right?”

“Captain Seomun is still in Sichuan.”

“………”

“His work at the Medical Pavilion must be winding down by now.”

“Wow……”

As San-ho brought up Seomun Gang like a snake sliding over a wall, his mouth fell wide open. He even pushed the role of coaxing Seomun Gang onto Min Eun-gyeol. A small muttering could be heard, saying it would be better for two to do it rather than one…

“Make sure you join, seriously, make sure you do.”

To Min Eun-gyeol, who was regretting his past of teasing Seomun Gang, San-ho suddenly added a requirement.

“Oh. Since we don't have time, I'd like you to face ten people at once.”

So now, ten people are going to attack me all at once? And I'm not allowed to attack? …What kind of crazy talk is this!

“What a cra—”

It was then.

Balk. As Tang Hwa-seon flung the door open and entered, Min Eun-gyeol lost his tongue and shut his mouth.

“Yes? What did you say?”

Look at that innocent face. He should immediately yell at him to stop talking nonsense. But in front of him stood San-ho, who was slyer than a snake, along with his reliable background, the Family Head of the Sichuan Tang Clan.

Tang Hwa-seon, the Ten Thousand Poisons Divine King, who made even Alliance Leader Zhuge Yun flinch. In front of him, Min Eun-gyeol was merely a fresh, young chick of the Jianghu.

In the end, Min Eun-gyeol's choice, shrinking before power and authority, was…

“I… I said if you trust and leave it to me, I will do my best, ahahaha.”

Self-preservation.

“As expected, right? I thought you were trying to say something else.”

He definitely asked that knowing everything.

Min Eun-gyeol, forcing a smiling face, clenched his fists tightly.

***

Seomun Gang and Min Eun-gyeol, who led two squads under the Alliance Leader of the Martial Alliance.

Normally, if they were rising stars of the Jianghu, they would build their dreams of joining the Martial Alliance upon seeing them and serve them politely for the future… but due to a fantastic combination of the Alliance Leader's misjudgment and San-ho's shamelessness, they were now.

“How did it end up like this?”

“Don't ask me. I'm still trying to process it too.”

They had become the temporary instructors (and prey) of the rising stars of the Sichuan Tang Clan.

In the center of the Great Training Ground, Seomun Gang and Min Eun-gyeol, holding swords, muttered with blank faces.

However, ignoring their questions, San-ho shouted toward the surrounding rising stars, like a merchant selling goods in the market.

“Come on, come on! There's no time, no time!”

“Ughhhhh……”

The rising stars of the Tang Clan showered hidden weapons toward Seomun Gang and Min Eun-gyeol in turn. However, they were the captains directly under the Alliance Leader of the Martial Alliance. Their sword paths were not easily read, and even if they were read, the difference in martial prowess was too great to clash against their force.

“Brother. Since you failed to graze the sword blade this time as well, it really breaks my heart, but it can't be helped. Ten laps around Tang Clan Village.”

San-ho spoke to the warrior who failed to read Min Eun-gyeol's sword path.

If they failed to successfully defend against the attack during their turn, additional physical training of ten laps around Tang Clan Village awaited them.

No use of internal energy, only external arts.

Tang Clan Village was not a small clan settlement. It was a huge village bordering a mountain.

Because he had already run fifty laps, his legs were trembling, and a bizarre sound leaked from the warrior's mouth.

“Kggghhh……”

At that moment, San-ho walked toward the warrior with a look of regret. A flicker of hope rose in the exhausted warrior's eyes, wondering if he would reduce the number.

“Hurry up.”

“………”

A guy who did not even know what compassion was.

Like that, wails continuously flowed from the training ground.

This was what happened on the very first day of the ten days San-ho had proposed for the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly.

It was then.

In the eyes of Tang Hwa-seon, who was watching this scene from near the wall, a warrior running out while wiping away tears caught his sight.

“Mmm……”

The period San-ho mentioned was ten days. However, seeing the rising stars reduced to the state of beggars from the Beggars' Sect from the very first day, Tang Hwa-seon's heart was extremely complicated. Furthermore, all the ones whose eyes met his were begging for their lives with their gazes.

Eventually, feeling the need to mediate, Tang Hwa-seon approached San-ho's side and said suggestively.

“Are you not pushing them too hard from the first day? I see there are children showing tears because the training is excessively grueling.”

“Oh dear… crying won't increase their skills, though.”

“……”

San-ho asked, his eyes fixed on those waiting for their turn.

“But who said that?”