Chapter 8. Grudge (3)
"Please, don't be too late…"
The Patriarch of the Sichuan Tang Clan, Tang Jincheon, muttered anxiously as he sped forward, his Lightness Art pushed to its utmost limit.
With each step he took, the scenery blurred past him. As one would expect from the Tang Clan, known for their mastery of precision and control, Tang Jincheon's movement skill had reached a state of near-perfection. And yet, even that felt inadequate at this moment.
His youngest daughter, born late in his life, had always been cherished beyond measure, a treasure not only to Tang Jincheon but to the entire Tang Clan.
It had been over a month since all contact with Tang Sowol was abruptly cut off. What parent could possibly remain calm in such a situation?
Of course, Tang Jincheon hadn't simply sat around in despair. He had mobilized all the resources of the Tang Clan and humbled himself before the Beggar's Sect, seeking their help in locating her.
Despite all efforts, it had seemed as though she had vanished into thin air, with not a single clue to her whereabouts—until now. Those agonizing days of helplessness had finally come to an end.
At long last, the Beggar's Sect had delivered news that they might have found her.
A remote roadside village in Hubei Province. There, traces of a battle involving poison and hidden weapons had been discovered. Though the assailants had attempted to erase the evidence, the unique nature of the techniques made it impossible to completely conceal them.
Moreover, there were signs that pointed to the use of martial arts specific to the Tang Clan, leaving no room for hesitation.
Without wasting a moment, Tang Jincheon had set out alone. None of his subordinates could match the speed of someone who had reached the Flowering Stage, so he didn't bring them along.
Ordinarily, the head of one of the Five Great Clans wouldn't move so recklessly. But there was no one bold enough to stand in the way of a father searching for his missing child.
Even without his position as patriarch, Tang Sowol was a beloved figure in the clan—kind-hearted, graceful, and beautiful. From a young age, she had been the jewel of the Tang Clan, adored by all.
Thus, the clan members could do nothing but bow silently as they watched their patriarch's back disappear into the distance.
After three days of relentless travel, Tang Jincheon finally arrived at his destination.
"Yugyeong Village, was it…"
He recalled the information provided by the Beggar's Sect as he gazed at the entrance to the small village at the end of the road.
Yugyeong Village, the closest settlement to the site where traces of the battle had been found. Since the day after Tang Sowol's presumed disappearance, a stranger carrying a sword had been seen periodically purchasing supplies for two people.
Whoever this stranger was, it was clear that Tang Sowol had been kidnapped by the bastard.
Just imagining what hardships his only daughter—his precious, delicate flower—might have endured made Tang Jincheon's blood boil.
Though the kidnapper hadn't made any demands or contacted the Tang Clan, Tang Jincheon didn't care about the kidnapper's identity or motives.
A favor repaid twice over, a grudge repaid tenfold.
It had always been the Tang Clan's creed, and Tang Jincheon fully intended to uphold it.
With an explosive burst of speed, he reached the entrance of the village in just a few breaths. There, a scruffy beggar stood nervously, pacing back and forth.
The beggar's eyes widened in shock as the distant speck on the horizon transformed into a man standing right before him. Quickly, he bowed his head.
"Y-You've arrived, Poison King. I'm the branch leader assigned to this part of Hubei Province…"
"That's enough. Since you already know who I am, let's skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point. Where is my daughter?"
Despite his best efforts to remain composed, Tang Jincheon's aura leaked out, sharp and oppressive. The beggar, flustered, immediately pointed toward the mountain behind the village.
"She's… up there somewhere! But earlier this morning, about thirty unorthodox martial artists went up that way. It seems like something's gone wrong…"
Tap.
Before the beggar could finish his sentence, Tang Jincheon had already dashed off toward the mountain. A strong gust of wind followed in his wake, ruffling the beggar's hair as he scratched his head awkwardly.
"Well… I guess there's nothing to worry about after all."
After all, Tang Jincheon wasn't just the head of the Sichuan Tang Clan—one of the Five Great Clans—but also a rare master who had reached the Flowering Stage. Ordinary trouble wouldn't even qualify as a problem for someone like him.
***
Tang Jincheon ascended the mountain without pause.
The unorthodox martial artists who had gone ahead didn't even bother hiding their tracks, making it easy to follow them.
The pursuit proceeded smoothly, yet one question lingered in Tang Jincheon's mind.
"Why are those unorthodox bastards after Sowol?"
Whatever their reason, it was unlikely to be anything good.
Still, the fact that they were searching for her meant that she was likely still alive.
But if anything had happened to her…
"Any bastard involved, no matter how minor their role, will pay the price."
It was a conclusion befitting the Tang Clan's ruthless reputation. Suppressing his boiling rage, Tang Jincheon spread his senses wide, carefully scanning the surroundings.
Then, he suddenly froze.
"Killing intent…!"
And not just any ordinary killing intent. This was the kind of bone-chilling malice one could only sense from a seasoned unorthodox master who had committed countless murders over a lifetime.
Tang Jincheon's senses sharpened as he bit his lip and accelerated. Before long, he arrived at the source of the killing intent.
"Ugh, aaaargh!"
Sssk.
A scream, followed by the sickening sound of flesh being sliced. Moments later, a severed head rolled across the ground, stopping at Tang Jincheon's feet.
Tang Jincheon narrowed his eyes as he looked up.
What greeted him was a small mountain of corpses.
Bodies dressed in mismatched attire lay scattered across the blood-soaked ground. Pools of crimson had formed beneath them, seeping into the earth.
Some of the corpses bore marks from hidden weapons, but most had fatal wounds inflicted by a blade.
These were likely the unorthodox martial artists mentioned by the Beggar's Sect branch leader.
And the one who had slain them all… was probably the young boy standing in front of the narrow cave entrance.
"Hm…?"
Tang Jincheon unconsciously swallowed as he took in the boy's condition.
His clothes were in tatters, his entire body drenched in blood. He stood at an angle, unable to straighten himself—perhaps due to broken ribs. Even the sword in his hand was only half its original length.
Yet, despite his grievous injuries, the boy exuded an overwhelming killing intent that even Tang Jincheon couldn't ignore.
At a glance, the boy seemed to be around Tang Sowol's age, if not younger. But could someone so young truly emit such monstrous killing intent?
Tang Jincheon decided to put the question aside for now. His priority was finding his daughter.
Just as he took a step forward…
Hwaaak—
The boy's killing intent, which had been scattered across the area, abruptly focused on a single point—Tang Jincheon's throat.
It was as if the boy was warning him: Come any closer, and I'll cut you down.
"How insolent."
Of course, Tang Jincheon simply snorted in response. While the killing intent was impressive, it wasn't enough to stop someone who had reached the Flowering Stage.
Without even bothering to raise his own aura, he calmly continued walking forward, brushing off the pressure with ease.
The closer he got, the more intense the killing intent became. But soon, the boy seemed to realize that it wouldn't be enough to deter Tang Jincheon.
In desperation, he raised his broken sword, aiming it at Tang Jincheon.
Yet, something was off.
Though the sword pointed directly at Tang Jincheon, the boy's eyes were unfocused, staring blankly into space.
Sensing something strange, Tang Jincheon took a closer look. When he noticed the boy's half-lidded, vacant eyes, he finally understood.
The boy was barely conscious. Perhaps it could be called a state of selfless concentration, but to be more accurate, it was closer to a Qi deviation.
Though Tang Jincheon didn't know what had driven the boy to this state, it wasn't hard to guess his purpose.
The line drawn at the boy's feet… he had clearly stood guard there to ensure that no one crossed it.
If Tang Sowol was here, she would likely be inside that cave.
Which meant that this boy had fought to the brink of death to protect her.
Softening his tone slightly, Tang Jincheon spoke.
"Step aside. …Though it seems you can't hear me."
In that case, he would have to subdue the boy quickly and carefully. Given his injuries, it would be better for him to rest anyway.
Just as Tang Jincheon gathered his internal energy, intending to incapacitate the boy in one swift strike, a familiar voice called out from behind the boy.
"Father?"
"…Sowol, is that you? Are you unharmed?"
"Yes! Aside from fainting from exhaustion earlier, I'm perfectly fine! Ugh, ah…"
Tang Sowol let out a small groan as she tried to stand, only to lose her balance and stumble. It seemed she wasn't lying about being utterly exhausted.
"Ah, oops…"
Looking at her trembling limbs, Tang Sowol sighed deeply before grabbing onto the boy to steady herself.
"Cheon Hwi-da, just stay still for a moment, please."
She even went so far as to rest her hand on his thigh and lean against his shoulder, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
Tang Jincheon, witnessing the scene, found his mouth hanging open in disbelief.
"Regardless of the situation, isn't she being a bit too… familiar with him…?"
While Tang Jincheon was still reeling from shock, Tang Sowol finally noticed the boy's strange condition and let out a startled cry.
"Kyaaah! Cheon Hwi-da?! Are you okay? Wait, why is there so much blood?!"
Despite her own exhaustion, she frantically began patting his body, wiping the blood off his face with her sleeve without a second thought.
"Stop! Sowol, get away from him! He's not in his right mind right now! If you get too close—"
"…Ah. It's over."
"What?!"
The boy, who had seemed ready to cut down anything that approached, suddenly regained his senses at the sound of Tang Sowol's voice.
In an instant, the sharp killing intent vanished without a trace.
It wasn't something that should have been so easily broken—whether it was a state of selflessness or Qi deviation. And yet, it had happened right before Tang Jincheon's eyes.
While Tang Jincheon stood in stunned disbelief, Tang Sowol remained close to the boy, giving him a mix of scolding and concern.
"What on earth happened for you to end up in such a state? I told you to let those who ran away go!"
"And if they came back seeking revenge like today, what then? It's better to finish things properly, even if it's a bit risky."
"But getting hurt like this serves no purpose!"
"A favor repaid twice over, a grudge repaid tenfold. Isn't that your Tang Clan's creed, not mine?"
"Yes, yes. And it's because of that creed that I'm worrying about you right now, so please listen."
"Don't worry. It's just surface wounds—nothing life-threatening."
"I'm sorry. I was so confident about holding them off earlier…"
"No need to apologize. You held out until I dealt with the Hundred-Kill Saber, and that was more than enough. Besides, I was the one who fed you the Purple Flower Poison Enhancing Grass, preventing you from using your poison arts, so you have nothing to feel guilty about."
"…Thank you for saying that."
Tang Sowol smiled faintly as she inspected his wounds. After confirming that none of them were too serious, she let out a relieved sigh.
"Phew… Oh, right! Father, could you share some of that ointment you always carry? Cheon Hwi-da's injuries are pretty bad."
"Ah, of course. Wait a moment."
Finally snapping out of his daze, Tang Jincheon pulled out a small wooden container from his robe.
It was a rare medicinal ointment, specially crafted by the Tang Clan using secret techniques known only to the patriarch. Its value was immeasurable—if sold on the market, it could easily be exchanged for its weight in gold.
Yet, Tang Sowol took a generous amount with her fingers and applied it to the boy's wounds as if it were some cheap salve.
Cheon Hwi, watching her hands carefully tend to every part of his upper body, spoke in a low voice.
"There's a problem."
"What is it? I'm being extra thorough with the wound on your chest since it might leave a scar."
"Thanks for that. But… I think I'm about to faint."
"…Right now?"
"Right now."
With those final words, Cheon Hwi's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed without warning.
"Cheon Hwi-da? Hey, Cheon Hwi-da, wake up!"
Since she had been leaning against him, Tang Sowol ended up falling with him, landing sprawled across his body.
Tang Jincheon, watching his daughter fuss over the unconscious boy, turned his gaze toward the now-exposed interior of the cave.
Inside, there were various items neatly arranged—things that unmistakably resembled household necessities.
After carefully moving Tang Sowol off Cheon Hwi's body, Tang Jincheon finally spoke.
"When we get home… we're going to have a long talk."
"Huh?"
Tang Sowol tilted her head in confusion, clearly not understanding what her father meant.
Tang Jincheon closed his eyes tightly, suppressing the headache brewing within him.
No matter the confusion or questions swirling in his mind, there was one undeniable fact—his daughter was safe.
And for that, he was grateful.