Chapter 57

To Raise the Sword of Righteous Chivalry (2)

It was an idea unheard of, unseen.

To cut poison— even Cheon Muyang himself, the one who conceived it, found the concept unfamiliar.

However, there was no room for choice.

'I cannot lose Cheon Gyeondanju like this. You must witness it until the very end.'

Cheon Gyeondanju was a loyal retainer of the Cheon Clan, not a loyalist to Cheon Muyang himself.

If Cheon Muyang's choice were ever wrong, Cheon Gyeondanju was the one who would say that it was wrong.

'I need you.'

Because with Cheon Gyeondanju, balance could be maintained.

This was no longer a matter of whether it could be cut or not.

'There is no choice but to cut it.'

He had to cut it.

That will settled upon Cheongwang.

At this moment, Cheongwang was no longer a sword that brought forth killing intent.

It became a sword that gave birth to life.

Huuwoong!

'So you truly are a famed sword?'

Cheon Muyang smiled as he raised Cheongwang.

It seemed that by defeating Namgung Sanghyeok, Cheongwang's status had risen.

'I'm glad you can grow stronger. Both you and I.'

Cheok!

Cheon Muyang took his stance.

It was the same stance he used to cut the sky.

'Poison, too, is the sky.'

Since he was confident in cutting the sky, Cheon Muyang regarded poison as the sky itself.

'What must be cut is merely the sky of poison.'

Perhaps because he resolved himself that way, Cheon Muyang began to see the grain of poison— something that should not have existed to him.

'Why is that?'

Poison was natural.

However, the poison of the Tang Clan was artificial.

Because Tang Clan poison was made by arbitrarily processing natural substances, there should have been no rules governing it.

'Poison is created for the purpose of killing someone... a conglomeration of malice. The meaning is clearly different.'

Even if natural poison and Tang Clan poison belonged to the same category of poison, their meanings were distinctly different.

Natural poison did not exist solely for death.

But Tang Clan poison existed for someone's death.

'Tang Clan poison pursues death.'

That was what he thought.

That it blindly pursued nothing but death.

'However, within it....'

Within the absence of rules, there existed a rule.

It was so small and minute that even Cheon Muyang almost missed it, but it undoubtedly existed.

'How unexpected.'

That small, subtle rule.

It was life.

Within death, life existed.

'So poison and medicine are not so different after all.'

A faint memory surfaced.

A joke from a distant past— that the Tang Clan had once risen not as a clan of poison, but as a clan of medicine.

'If that is the truth....'

Then Tang Clan poison was also medicine.

In other words, Tang Clan poison and medicine were separated by only a sheet of paper.

'Then it is not strange for it to harbor life.'

Even if the current Tang Clan had forgotten that value, the poison of the Tang Clan would, in some form, still retain the value of life that the past Tang Clan had pursued.

'It is just like righteous chivalry.'

A value the current martial world had forgotten.

Yet surely, there had been a time in the past when it was the sole value that existed within the Central Plains' martial world.

Huuwoong!

That was why Cheon Muyang was certain.

The grain of the flow created by Tang Clan poison.

Following the path of life, he drew Cheongwang.

Hwaak!

He cut malice.

He cut the chaos embedded within the poison.

Once that was cut, all that remained beneath it was the spirit of the past Tang Clan— those who had sought to achieve life through poison.

"Mm...."

The movement of the poison was mysterious.

Having cut the grain, the poisonous energy should have scattered or flown away somewhere, yet it continued to circle around Cheongwang.

"What is this?"

Yet, the poison of the Tang Clan did not show hostility toward Cheon Muyang.

As if it possessed will.

"Do you have something you wish to say to me?"

The moment he spoke those words.

The Tang Clan's poisonous energy flowed along Cheongwang and into Cheon Muyang.

"Interesting."

Cheon Muyang did not resist that flow of poison and accepted it.

He even opened his meridians to it.

If it intended hostility, it would have acted long ago.

'What is it that you want to say?'

What Cheon Muyang had cut was all the malice and chaos clinging to Tang Clan poison.

It seemed the will of life sleeping beneath wanted to speak to Cheon Muyang.

Tang Clan poison settled within Cheon Muyang's heart.

'At this point, shouldn't you speak?'

The Tang Clan poison stopped advancing.

From it, a will was conveyed.

『Will you be the one who destroys the Tang Clan, or the one who saves it?』

Cheon Muyang wanted to ask what kind of nonsense this ghostly babble was.

'What kind of bullshit is that?'

『Someday, you will stand in opposition to the Tang Clan. At that time, you will have to choose whether to destroy it or save it.』

The word choice was laughable.

Who was choosing what?

That choice belonged to Cheon Muyang alone, not something the will of the Tang Clan had any right to interfere with.

'Do not try to force a choice upon me.'

『I am not forcing a choice. Only, when that time comes.』

The will of the Tang Clan was firm.

'When it comes?'

『It is a request for you to grant a sliver of mercy.』

Cheon Muyang could not understand this situation.

How could the will contained within Tang Clan poison speak of the Tang Clan's destruction?

'I do not understand.'

『The current Tang Clan has strayed onto the wrong path. Someday, it must pay the price for that choice. And the only one capable of making it pay that price is you.』

'I see.'

Cheon Muyang understood.

In the past, the Tang Clan must also have stood at a crossroads of choice.

And through that choice, whatever faint goodness remained was completely buried, replaced by malice and chaos.

'Fine. But why me?'

『Because you are the only one who has cut Tang Clan poison.』

That answer, too, was only natural.

Who would have ever thought of cutting poison?

'What an honor.'

Cheon Muyang was weak to praise.

However, one must take what is owed.

If the other side made a demand, there should be a corresponding price— was that not the law of the martial world?

'The price of a deal must be clear, yes?'

『....』

Even though it was merely a will reduced to lingering thoughts, it was surely an illusion to think the Tang Clan's will was momentarily at a loss for words.

『Absorb me. If you do, you will achieve non-intrusion against all poison that exists in this world.』

If he could laugh, Cheon Muyang would have been rolling on the ground by now.

After undergoing rebirth through transformation, his resistance to poison had increased.

Commonly, it was called the bodily state of Thousand Poisons Non-Intrusion.

'However, even that is not perfect.'

 Thousand Poisons Non-Intrusion merely symbolized that his resistance to poison had risen to that degree.

'It doesn't make me invincible.'

Poisons that surpassed the category of a thousand poisons existed even in nature, and the Tang Clan had likely long since leapt far beyond that stage.

『I mean to grant you Ten Thousand Poisons Non-Intrusion .』

If he absorbed the will of the Tang Clan, he would be able to truly achieve Ten Thousand Poisons Non-Intrusion.

'Jackpot?'

He wanted to hide his true feelings, but since the communication was through will, he could not conceal them.

『The deal is concluded.』

Squirm!

Cheon Muyang felt the Tang Clan's poisonous energy, settled near his heart, slowly begin to fuse with him.

'Ahh....'

The Tang Clan's poison wrapped itself around his heart.

The vicious poison constricted his heart tightly.

'Ghk!'

For a moment, pain surged so violently that he wondered if the Tang Clan poison was deceiving him and killing him instead.

'H-hey... that wasn't part of the deal.'

Only then did the will of the Tang Clan respond.

『The more bitter it is, the sweeter the fruit. "A little" pain is inevitable.』

Crack!

Cheon Muyang's brow furrowed deeply— someone who had no leisure to spare for pain.

And it wasn't just because of the pain.

'You bastard! You call this a little pain?!'

It felt like death.

No— he might truly have crossed the threshold of death.

After all, the heart, the source of vitality, was completely soaked in poison.

'Ah....'

It was then.

Perhaps the fusion had completed— from some point on, the raging poison instead began to feel warm.

'Did it break through?'

The Tang Clan poison flowing through his entire network of meridians merged as one with Cheon Muyang's inner energy.

『Medicine becomes poison, and poison becomes medicine. May our poison become medicine to you.』

Paaaat!

The will of the Tang Clan disappeared.

Cheon Muyang opened his eyes, which had been shut tight, and clenched and unclenched his fist several times.

"Perfect."

He could no longer sense the Tang Clan's poison.

It had fused completely, placing that will entirely beneath Cheon Muyang's inner energy.

Thus, he had gained resistance to poison alone— the nature of his inner energy itself had not changed.

"Ah."

Cheon Muyang discovered Cheon Gyeondanju collapsed on the ground.

Just in case, he checked his pulse.

It was stable.

"That's a relief."

Cheon Muyang smiled.

Whether he should be grateful to Cheon Gyeondanju—

Or grateful to the Tang Clan—

Having obtained an unexpected stroke of fortune, Cheon Muyang set his will ablaze.

"Sorry about this, but your Tang Clan is in for big trouble now."

He wanted to see it.

What expressions they would make when their once-proud poison was rendered powerless.

"The Yongbong Gathering, huh... sounds fun."

Filled with anticipation, Cheon Muyang slung Cheon Gyeondanju over his shoulder.

Looking at the limp Cheon Gyeondanju, Cheon Muyang smiled and said,

"I worked hard to save you, so you'd better devote yourself even more to the clan."

****

After entrusting Cheon Gyeondanju to the Medical Pavilion in case any aftereffects remained, Cheon Muyang stepped out.

A commotion had broken out near the main gate.

"What is it?"

Wondering what was going on, Cheon Muyang unconsciously moved toward the gate.

In front of the Cheon Clan estate's main gate, a massive crowd had gathered.

"Ahh, so that's why."

Beside the gate hung the severed head of Cheonmyeon Eumma, a criminal known throughout the martial world.

Next to it was a large notice detailing Cheonmyeon Eumma's crimes—

And a newly erected wooden placard engraved with the laws of the Cheon Clan.

『The Heavenly Sword shall cut injustice and discord. The Cheon Clan's eldest young master, Cheon Muyang, slays Cheonmyeon Eumma.』

"Did they really kill Cheonmyeon Eumma? That punk eldest son of the Cheon Clan?"

"Hmph. Who knows. For all we know, that could be Cheonmyeon Yangma instead."

There were those who doubted.

So Cheon Muyang decided to make it clear to them.

"Young Master?"

"Ah, you've worked hard."

After lightly praising the gate guards for their efforts, Cheon Muyang stepped outside.

"...!"

He hadn't even raised his inner energy.

Yet in an instant, everyone's gaze focused on Cheon Muyang.

Hwaaak!

The previously noisy crowd fell silent in the blink of an eye.

In the stillness, someone swallowed.

Gulp!

The silence was so deep that the sound echoed like thunder.

"I am Cheon Muyang."

With those words alone, an overwhelming presence burst forth.

"Cheonmyeon Eumma was an evil man who deserved death."

Kuuung!

His voice struck their ears directly.

"Since you've all gathered here, I will declare one thing before you."

"...."

"From this day forward, the highest value of the Cheon Clan shall be righteous chivalry."

He intended to proclaim it formally.

"There will be no compromise with injustice or discord. Even if the offender is a member of the Cheon Clan, it will not be tolerated."

This was the new law Cheon Muyang sought to establish.

"So remember it well."

Huuwoong!

Cheon Muyang drew his sword.

The blade shot up toward the sky.

Those who faced that sword reacted in different ways.

"Gasp!"

Some were overwhelmed.

"H-hiik!"

Some felt as though the sword were aimed directly at them.

"...."

And some simply stared at Cheon Muyang.

"My sword is always watching you."

Paaaat!

Was it an illusion?

In the place of the blazing sun high in the sky, the azure light of Cheongwang appeared.

Sun, moon, and stars alike faded before Cheongwang's blue radiance.

Only Cheongwang remained.

Uwoong!

The Sword of Righteous Chivalry stood tall.

It was not newly erected—

It was as though it had always been there from the very beginning.

"Ah...."

All Cheon Muyang had done was remind the entire world of that fact once more.