Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 

“Young Lord, why are you standing there so blankly?”

Dang Hong lightly touched his shoulder, and Dang Myeong turned to look at him. Dang Hong, so painfully familiar, was staring back at him.

Then Dang Myeong hurriedly reached up and touched his neck.

It was still there. Perfectly intact.

And then…

Dang Myeong quickly looked around.

He was standing behind a group of young disciples attending a lesson on medicinal herbs.

I came back… again.

He had returned once more to that exact moment, the day he had first come back.

“Young Lord?”

At Dang Hong’s puzzled look, Dang Myeong glanced around, then abruptly left the hall.

Dang Hong stared after him in confusion.

“Young Lord? What is it?”

At the question, Dang Myeong looked at him as if he were about to say something, but his face hardened.

“I am going to the Clan Lord.”

The words had barely left his mouth before he kicked off the ground.

WHOOSH!

Dang Myeong used his lightness skill and vaulted over the pavilion roof. Dang Hong’s face immediately went rigid.

The Sichuan Tang Clan was a martial family, so leaping over buildings with lightness skill was nothing difficult.

But inside the clan grounds, using lightness skill was absolutely forbidden. If the clan’s masters started racing across the compound that way, it could unsettle the household and create security problems.

So even the Young Lord was expected to walk briskly or run at most when something urgent came up.

But this…

This was full lightness skill.

Startled, Dang Hong bit his lip and hurriedly followed after him.

WHOOSH!

The Flying Heaven Unit was the Young Lord’s personal guard. Wherever he went, they followed.

The people of the Tang Clan stared in confusion and unease as the Young Lord suddenly tore through the compound like a madman, using lightness skill.

“What is going on?”

“I do not know… Report it to the unit commander.”

“Tell the pavilion master.”

And so the members of the Tang Clan hurried to report the news to the heads of their respective pavilions and organizations.

Tap tap tap!

After sprinting forward with all his speed, Dang Myeong soon arrived at the Octagonal Pavilion in the center of the Tang Clan estate.

The Octagonal Pavilion stood at the heart of the clan, built atop an artificial hill that overlooked all directions.

And it was the favorite place of Cheonsu Poison King Dang Cheondeuk, lord of the Tang Clan.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Dang Cheondeuk was already watching as Dang Myeong came racing up the artificial hill with his lightness skill.

“Has something happened in the clan?”

At Dang Cheondeuk’s question, a voice transmission came to him.

[...Nothing has happened in the clan.]

“If nothing has happened, then why would that child be coming at me like that?”

[I will investigate.]

“No need. We can simply ask him.”

If Dang Myeong had Dang Hong at his side, then Dang Cheondeuk had the commander of the Secret Shadow Unit, who was sending him voice transmissions now.

Tap tap tap!

Dang Myeong had come in such a rush that he could not stop cleanly and had to take several more steps before halting. Watching him, Dang Cheondeuk spoke.

“How can the steps of the Tang Clan’s Young Lord be so light and reckless?”

At his father’s voice, Dang Myeong drew in a deep breath.

Thud!

Then Dang Hong landed beside him.

Dang Cheondeuk looked at the two of them, then calmly poured tea from the kettle at his side.

“Have a cup of tea first and catch your breath. Then explain why you used lightness skill inside the clan grounds.”

Dang Myeong watched as Dang Cheondeuk lifted the teacup and took a slow sip. Then he looked at his father with a grave expression.

The first time he had gone back three days, he had tried to persuade him.

But… he had not fully accounted for the Tang Clan’s stubborn pride.

And because of that, the household had died and the clan had been pushed into disaster.

I have to tell him the truth. It is unbelievable, and if this goes badly, they may think I have lost my mind and lock me away. But… I do have proof. The message pigeons that will arrive any moment now.

The fact that his father was leisurely drinking tea meant the messages from Qingcheng and Emei had not arrived yet.

“Why are you not speaking?”

At Dang Cheondeuk’s question, Dang Myeong steadied his breathing and opened his mouth.

“The Demonic Cult has surrounded Qingcheng and Emei.”

Freeze.

At Dang Myeong’s words, both Dang Cheondeuk and Dang Hong went still.

“Young Lord, what are you talking about?”

At Dang Hong’s flustered voice, Dang Cheondeuk looked at him, then asked,

“How do you know that?”

At that moment, a man in black dropped silently out of the air.

“I will verify it.”

“There is no need. A message pigeon will arrive from Qingcheng and Emei very soon.”

At Dang Myeong’s words, the commander of the Secret Shadow Unit looked at him.

“How would the Young Lord know that?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

“Please wait until the message arrives. Then I will explain.”

At Dang Myeong’s answer, Dang Cheondeuk looked at the commander of the Secret Shadow Unit.

Whoosh.

The man vanished.

A short while later, he reappeared.

And in his hand were two small message slips.

Whoosh.

Dang Cheondeuk took the two slips and read them.

“Qingcheng Sect under Demonic Cult siege. Requesting aid.”

“Emei Sect surrounded by Demonic Cult. Requesting Tang Clan assistance.”

The wording was slightly different, but the meaning was exactly what Dang Myeong had said.

Dang Cheondeuk stared at the slips with a hardened face, then looked at Dang Myeong.

“How did you know?”

“I saw it.”

“What?”

“I saw it myself.”

Dang Cheondeuk stared at him in disbelief, then said,

“Do those messages look like a joke to you?”

“It is not a joke. Which is exactly why… I am telling you this even though I know it will make me sound insane. I…”

Dang Myeong hesitated for a moment. How was he supposed to explain that he had already died twice and returned again today…?

His mind spun, and then he looked at Dang Cheondeuk.

“I have died twice.”

“Died?”

“Young Lord, what are you saying? Did you take the wrong medicine or something?”

Dang Hong asked in shock, but Dang Myeong kept his eyes on Dang Cheondeuk.

“Please forgive this moment of disrespect.”

With those words, Dang Myeong drew up his inner energy.

FWOOSH!

Then his hands moved in a blur.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

At the same instant his hands moved, the silver ring wrapped around his wrist unwound and released silver threads.

The threads scattered around his body, wrapping around hidden weapons as they spread.

RATTLE!

The hidden weapons wrapped in silver thread embroidered the air, then shot straight toward Dang Cheondeuk.

At the sight, Dang Hong and the commander of the Secret Shadow Unit both moved in shock. But Dang Cheondeuk raised a hand to stop them and flicked his fingers.

SHHHK!

Dang Myeong’s hidden weapons flew neatly into Dang Cheondeuk’s hand.

The way he collected them all in an instant was proof enough that he deserved his title in the martial world: Cheonsu Poison King.

Dang Cheondeuk looked at the hidden weapons, then lowered his gaze to his palm.

A small cut had appeared there.

He looked silently at the thin trickle of blood for a moment, then took out a handkerchief, wiped the wound, and looked back at Dang Myeong.

“You said you died twice?”

“Yes.”

“Hm…”

Dang Cheondeuk looked at the wound in his hand for a moment, then said,

“Tell me what happened.”

At his words, Dang Myeong steadied himself and told him everything exactly as it had happened.

As the story continued, Dang Hong looked at him with growing concern.

The commander of the Secret Shadow Unit, on the other hand, listened with a grave expression.

Unlike Dang Hong, who was worried about Dang Myeong, the commander was weighing the story, testing what was missing and what might be true.

“…And that is how I died twice and woke up again.”

When Dang Myeong finished, Dang Cheondeuk looked at him for a moment, then turned to the commander of the Secret Shadow Unit.

“What do you think?”

“It is hard to believe that the Young Lord died and woke up in the past. But aside from that, the rest of the story is entirely plausible.”

“Even the part where Qingcheng and Emei abandon us?”

“If the Demonic Cult surrounds their mountains, pressures them, then turns its main force on us after easing that pressure… Qingcheng and Emei will feel relief that it is the Tang Clan being attacked instead of them.”

“Qingcheng and Emei are not that kind of sect.”

“I am only judging based on the information now before me.”

At those words, Dang Cheondeuk looked at him.

“Do you believe the Young Lord?”

“It is difficult to believe, but…”

The commander of the Secret Shadow Unit looked at the handkerchief in Dang Cheondeuk’s hand.

The bloodstain on it was slowly spreading.

“The Young Lord cannot wound the Clan Lord.”

“Is that supposed to be proof?”

“I saw the Young Lord this morning. The bearing he had then and the bearing he has now are completely different. Right now… he carries the presence of a wandering martial artist who has fought countless life-and-death battles in the martial world.”

As the commander looked at Dang Myeong, Dang Cheondeuk nodded.

“Yes. It is the kind of presence only someone who has survived countless life-and-death fights can have.”

Dang Cheondeuk looked at Dang Myeong.

“That is why I find myself believing him too.”

As a martial artist, Dang Myeong had killed before. During his travels in the martial world to gain experience, he had slain evil men branded as demonic criminals.

But the number was fewer than five.

In truth, the Young Lord of the Sichuan Tang Clan did not get many chances to kill with his own hands.

And yet the killing intent emanating from Dang Myeong now…

Unless he had secretly been going around murdering people, it was not something he could possibly possess.

After a moment of thought, Dang Cheondeuk looked at the commander of the Secret Shadow Unit.

“Search the area around the Tang Clan Tower. If Dang Myeong is right, there should be Demonic Cult martial artists nearby watching the clan.”

“Yes, Clan Lord.”

Once the commander vanished, Dang Cheondeuk stood up.

“Gather the senior members at Dangcheon Pavilion.”

“Yes, Clan Lord.”

One of the hidden martial artists disappeared at once. After he was gone, Dang Cheondeuk began descending the artificial hill with Dang Myeong and asked,

“How was it?”

“What do you mean?”

“That part… about dying twice.”

“It was hard.”

“What was hard?”

Dang Myeong was silent for a moment before answering.

“The first time, I had to keep running while leaving my brothers behind to die for me. The men of the Flying Heaven Unit and Uncle Dang Hong stayed behind to protect me, using Blood Mist Poison to hold the rear.”

“Blood Mist Poison?”

Dang Hong looked at him in shock, and Dang Myeong nodded.

“That was how I left them behind one by one and ran to Qingcheng. To ask them to save our clan… to beg them to send reinforcements…”

“But they refused.”

“So Uncle Dang Hong and I turned back to find the place where we would die. But… by then, the main house was already burning.”

“It would have taken roughly a day to leave the clan, seek reinforcements, and return. If it fell before that, then the enemy must truly have come in force.”

Dang Cheondeuk kept walking, glanced up at the sky for a moment, then asked,

“What else was hard?”

“…I had to decide who would live and who would die.”

Dang Cheondeuk let out a sigh, understanding that he meant the choice to leave behind the Flying Heaven Unit and the Secret Serpent Unit while sending the Flat Bat Unit away.

“That was a hard choice.”

“A great many of our brothers died because of my decision.”

“And because of that decision, many others likely lived.”

“Do you think so?”

“It was hard to decide, but the choice was correct. When everyone cannot be saved, then a decision must be made. That is the burden the Clan Lord and the Young Lord must carry.”

Dang Cheondeuk looked at him.

“It must have been hard.”

“Do you believe me, Father?”

“Well…”

Dang Cheondeuk was quiet for a moment, then shook his head.

“To be honest, only halfway. But… I do know this much: if we move as though what you said is true, the damage to our clan will be lessened.”

“What are you going to do?”

At Dang Myeong’s question, Dang Cheondeuk said,

“The second time you died, I had ten elders from the Elder Hall follow behind. But they were stopped by the Demonic Cult.”

“Yes.”

“Why do you think they were stopped?”

“The Demonic Cult’s forces were too strong.”

“It is a sect that can wage war against the entire martial world of the Central Plains by itself. It would be strange if they were weak.”

“Then what do we do?”

“It is simple.”

Dang Cheondeuk looked up at the sky as he spoke.

“We cannot control how strong the enemy is. But… we can at least choose the battlefield.”

“What do you mean?”

“We prepare a battlefield that favors us. After that, we simply do everything we can.”

With those words, Dang Cheondeuk began walking toward Dangcheon Pavilion.