Guide of the Sichuan Tang Clan C36

Chapter 36

Eunmyeong grew even more uneasy.

It was his first time watching a sparring match. Until now, training within the Tang Clan had mostly consisted of Mujin demonstrating martial techniques while the others followed along, with the occasional elder stepping in to correct mistakes. Actual duels were rare.

The moment the formal salute ended, Mujin and Jeongho took their stances. Identical throwing knives gleamed in both of their hands.

“Begin.”

In the blink of an eye, the two vanished from the training grounds. All that remained was dust billowing into the air. Staring with hollow eyes, Eunmyeong rose from his seat.

“What—why can’t I see anything…?”

The two men who had clearly been standing there were nowhere to be seen. Only the sharp clang of blades colliding rang through the air.

“Isn’t this dangerous right now? I should go—”

“Oh. First time seeing a duel?”

At the calm voice, Eunmyeong turned around. Yujo stood there, his expression composed.

“What?”

“A spar between the Young Clan Head and that guy is always like this. Concealment is the basics of the Tang Clan’s Yin techniques.”

With a sharp clang, Jeongho suddenly materialized midair and rolled across the ground. On the second roll he regained his balance and sprang to his feet, eyes fixed on empty space.

Jeongho’s gaze tracked his target at lightning speed. It was utterly different from the eyes he wore when acting cute around Eunmyeong.

Flying Blades. In an instant, his throwing knife shot toward Mujin’s throat. Mujin lightly knocked it aside, redirecting its trajectory.

As the path bent, the blade arced back like a shooting star, flying straight toward Jeongho. He twisted his body to evade, but the blade grazed his arm faster than he could move.

“Ugh!”

The Tang Clan’s martial arts were techniques meant to kill. Even sparring demanded the intent to kill. Clutching his arm, Jeongho steadied his breathing as he looked at Mujin.

Mujin appeared from thin air and landed lightly on the ground. His movements were so graceful and quiet they barely made a sound.

“Shall we stop here?”

“No. Please continue.”

Mujin’s immaculate face stood in stark contrast to Jeongho’s, slick with sweat.

He hasn’t even properly warmed up.

For Jeongho, this duel was exhausting enough to push him to his limits, but for Mujin, it was nowhere near sufficient. Resetting his stance, Jeongho launched the next attack.

He infused inner energy into his throwing knives and scattered them in rapid succession. It was a variation of Flying Explosion Technique, blades that detonated after being thrown.

If I want to win, I’ll have to combine techniques.

Though his skill couldn’t match Mujin’s, Jeongho was confident in adapting his techniques to the situation. Sensing the flow of his inner energy, Mujin drew several more throwing knives, clearly intending to redirect the explosions midair.

Jeongho hurled the blades with all his might. Contrary to Mujin’s expectations, they struck the ground instead.

With a thunderous boom, dirt and black smoke engulfed the training grounds. Not even afterimages or shadows were visible. Alarmed, Eunmyeong leaned forward, only for Yujo to grab his arm.

“Don’t. It’s dangerous if you go in now.”

“But I can’t see anything!”

“If you can’t even track afterimages, how are you planning to treat anyone once you’re in there, huh?”

Despite Yujo’s words, Eunmyeong stared anxiously at the field. The only thing he could perceive was the aura of the two fighters.

At least I guided him this morning… but it’s not enough to feel safe.

Mujin’s aura was massive, and therefore dangerous. Once it crossed a certain threshold, it would spiral out of control far faster than anyone else’s.

If only I knew telepathic transmission, I could at least warn him…

The aura grew increasingly violent. Jeongho’s aura had clear limits, lacking the inner energy to sustain greater techniques—but Mujin’s was different.

He had mastered a vast range of martial arts, from those requiring immense inner energy to those needing very little. That breadth only increased the risk of losing control.

“Are you sure this is really okay? What if someone gets hurt—”

“If it were serious enough to threaten their lives, one of them would’ve already carried the other out. Don’t worry too much.”

Yujo tugged Eunmyeong back.

“If you’re that anxious, at least prepare your needles in advance.”

He handed over the needle pouch set aside nearby. Only then did Eunmyeong sink back down.

As Eunmyeong feared, the duel intensified. With visibility gone, the two had to detect each other solely through instinct and aura.

He’s improved a lot.

As soon as the smoke spread, poisonous mist followed. The stinging sensation on exposed skin suggested it was a potent toxin.

Better than expected.

It was a poison that slowed movement, but it was useless against Mujin, who had consumed countless poisons since childhood. As Mujin tracked Jeongho’s presence, thin needles suddenly flew in from all directions.

They weren’t aimed precisely at Mujin, but the sheer number and length made them hard to dodge. Mujin’s jaw tightened as the barrage continued.

Flying Rain Spiral.

Five throwing knives spun rapidly, forming an umbrella-like shield. Jeongho’s needles bounced harmlessly off its wide arc.

No blades ever come from the side.

Even while controlling the five knives, Mujin reached into his robes and drew another hidden weapon.

What falls from the sky must descend to the earth.

Pouring energy into it, the weapon sharpened further. He was preparing Myriad Flowers Falling from the Heavens—a technique where thousands upon thousands of hidden weapons rained down like blossoms.

It was the pinnacle of the Tang Clan’s martial arts. Only by mastering this Yin technique could one qualify as Clan Head.

Recalling his failure against Doseowon, Mujin focused his inner energy even harder. Back then, he had succeeded in lifting the weapons into the air, but his inner energy had destabilized, causing them to fall harmlessly to the ground.

There was little time left. Only half a month remained. He had to complete Myriad Flowers Falling from the Heavens within that time to face Doseowon.

Even if it was reckless, it had to be now.

Closing his eyes, Mujin rose lightly into the air and examined the flow of energy within his body. Everything flowed—like rivers to the sea, inner energy too had to be guided into a single current.

That was when Jeongho lunged, seizing the opening.

Countless hidden weapons rose above the poisonous mist. When Jeongho finally looked up, they glittered in the sunlight.

“No!”

Watching the aura, Eunmyeong sprang to his feet.

“Tang Mujin!”

The aura that had been flowing smoothly suddenly surged in the opposite direction. Seeing it tangle into a chaotic knot, Eunmyeong shouted.

Damn it! This was far beyond what Mujin could handle. Feeling the aura swell uncontrollably, Eunmyeong broke into a run toward the training grounds.

“Tang Eunmyeong! Don’t rush in! There’s poisonous mist!”

“That’s not what matters right now!”

As he shouted back at Yujo, something flashed before his eyes, followed by a burning pain on his cheek. Touching it, his fingers came away wet.

“Blood…?”

Lowering his gaze, he saw a thin, sharp hidden weapon. Because Mujin’s technique hadn’t fully stabilized, the weapons were scattering in all directions. For trained warriors, the speed was manageable—but not for Eunmyeong.

“Get back! Now!”

Yujo shouted, but Eunmyeong didn’t turn around.

Mujin’s aura was vividly clear ahead of him, swelling ever larger.

Is this why I guided him this morning?

He stared into the black smoke and stepped forward.

“You use telepathic transmission so well at other times!”

Never once asking to be saved. Eunmyeong clenched his teeth and ran faster. Foolishly, in both this life and the last, he was destined to die saving espers.

“Hero, you mustn’t go in!”

Jeongho shouted upon spotting him, but Eunmyeong ignored him and plunged straight into the black mist.

All he could see was aura.

Guided by the brilliant blue aura, Eunmyeong moved forward step by step, hidden weapons slicing past his ears.

“Ugh!”

His sleeve tore open along the path of a passing blade, revealing a bleeding arm.

“Damn it.”

Eunmyeong hurriedly grabbed his arm. The wound wasn’t deep, but the poisonous mist seeping into the exposed flesh was the problem.

Poison spread quickly. The mist burrowed into his skin, and his arm began to discolor, turning purple. Hiding it beneath his sleeve, Eunmyeong called out again.

“Tang Mujin!”

As if responding to his voice, Mujin’s aura grew denser. Running toward it, Mujin’s figure gradually emerged from within the smoke.