Chapter 83

Beheading Dangak

Many against few.

Judging only by the formation, it was a picture of the many pressing down on the few.

"What will you do?"

However, the one clearly leading the atmosphere was Cheon Muyang.

Even with the many before him, Cheon Muyang wore a calm smile.

"..."

At that, Tang So-hye fell silent.

'He must be killed.'

Her instinct spoke.

Cheon Muyang had to be killed.

Otherwise, she felt it would be herself who would be struck down.

Swoosh.

Before she could make her decision, someone grabbed Tang So-hye's shoulder.

It was the hidden trump card Tang So-hye had prepared to deal with the Wolf King.

"Not now."

"..."

"If it were only the Wolf King, perhaps. But…"

He too could vaguely sense Cheon Muyang's strength.

This entire situation was unfavorable.

"For now, it's impossible."

"What if we join forces with the Demonic Cult?"

"...you know what it means to accept their help."

Crunch.

For the first time, Tang So-hye's expression changed.

"I know. Even so, what if he still must be killed?"

"..."

He read Tang So-hye's intent.

'Is he really that dangerous, that this child is so wary?'

Tang So-hye was a special child.

Born to rule, everyone knew she was destined to lead the Tang Clan to become the greatest family under heaven.

"Is that truly your will?"

"...yes."

Thus, everyone in the clan followed Tang So-hye's will.

Her uncle Dangak was no exception.

"If that is what you desire."

Dangak.

The Tang Clan's secret weapon, a man whose existence had never been revealed to the outside world.

"Then it shall be done as you wish."

"..."

Tang So-hye said nothing.

Even if her choice meant her uncle's death, Cheon Muyang had to die here, without fail.

"For the Tang Clan..."

With cold eyes devoid of emotion, Tang So-hye commanded Dangak.

"Please die."

"Alright."

Dangak smiled gently.

"Everything is for the Tang Clan."

"..."

Tang So-hye looked at Dangak for a moment, then turned and left.

Of course, Cheon Muyang would not simply watch.

Whooosh!

Cheon-gwang flew in.

The only one who could block that overwhelming assault was Dangak alone.

"Where do you think you're going!"

A single throwing weapon struck down Cheon-gwang.

"..."

Realizing Dangak was no ordinary master, Cheon Muyang faced him.

In the meantime, Tang So-hye had already vanished.

"A foolish choice."

Cheon Muyang laughed.

Letting Tang So-hye escape was of little consequence.

"What did you say?"

"You made a choice. Shouldn't you pay the price for it?"

Before long, Tang So-hye would learn what price her choice would bring.

Thus, Cheon Muyang was unconcerned even though he had let her go.

"A price, you say. What might that be?"

Dangak's question.

Instead of answering, Cheon Muyang stared at him in silence.

Gooooo—!

Killing intent slowly rose.

Its meaning was clear.

"I see."

Only then did Dangak understand.

Why Tang So-hye had been forced to use him, a trump card she had never once used before.

"He is one who will annihilate the Tang Clan."

He more than qualified.

Otherwise, Dangak could not explain this instinctive sense of alarm coursing through him.

Flash!

Every hair on his body stood on end.

As his vigilance reached its peak—

Cheon-gwang shone.

Whooom!

A blue sword aura bloomed.

Around it, even the surrounding poison qi dared not gather.

"Yes, that's exactly why. Leaving the Tang Clan alone just won't do."

The Tang Clan was dangerous.

Though it existed as part of the orthodox sects, it could join hands with the unorthodox at any time, or even with the Demonic Cult.

"That's another reason I must kill you here."

"Bullshit."

"...!"

Cheon Muyang shook his head.

How could one be so arrogant?

"You were the ones who struck first."

And that wasn't all.

The Tang Clan had provoked not only the Cheon Family, but even the Namgung Family.

"Did you think you'd be fine after provoking the Cheon Family? That arrogance..."

What had to be cut down first was the Tang Clan's arrogance.

"I'll cut you down."

Whooom!

The sky itself split apart.

Dancheon , having reached the stage of maturity, evolved into the Heaven-Slaying Sword, Chamcheon .

Dangak's eyes widened.

'Th-this kind of sword...!'

Dangak was struck with shock.

In his ears, he heard the Wolf King's mocking laugh.

"You've never seen it anywhere else, have you?"

"...!"

The sky literally split apart.

Dangak felt small in that instant.

'How am I supposed to block that?'

Under the heavens, his poison and throwing weapons felt shamefully insignificant.

Crunch!

Yet Dangak was a master worthy of being used as a trump card against the Wolf King.

'The future of the Tang Clan is at stake.'

It was something that had to be done.

Driven by that sense of duty, Dangak moved.

"Oh?"

The Wolf King's eyes gleamed.

'That's quite a respectable momentum.'

Dangak's presence was no ordinary thing.

Calling him a trump card prepared to face himself was no exaggeration.

'Still, you have a long way to go.'

Dangak had not yet completely broken down the wall of the Flowering Realm.

That was why, before the Heaven-Slaying Sword, he had felt so small for an instant.

'That is the difference between one who has crossed the wall and one who has not.'

That difference, though only a single step, might as well have been farther than all the steps Dangak had taken in his life combined.

That was what a wall was like.

'Even so, he is strong.'

He simply had not crossed the wall; that fact did not change.

The Wolf King was curious whether the current Cheon Muyang could handle such a master.

'How will you deal with it?'

Several throwing weapons flew toward the path of Cheon-gwang's sword.

They were no ordinary weapons, as they even blocked Cheon-gwang's sword strikes.

Kwaaang!

The collapsing sky closed.

Forcibly sealing the falling sky, Dangak pressed forward, narrowing the distance as he charged in.

He applied poison with a subtle Dragon Poison Technique, but this too was exactly as Dangak intended.

'Poison won't work on him.'

Even Chilbo Danhonsan seemed unable to have any effect, for reasons unknown.

That alone was unbelievable, even if it was considered the lowest-ranked among the Seven Great Earth Poisons.

'But the Tang Clan doesn't rely on poison alone. Let your guard down.'

Dangak's intent was singular.

To lure Cheon Muyang into lowering his guard.

The Central Plains martial world had long been mistaken.

They believed poison was the sole reason to fear the Tang Clan.

'You think so too, don't you?'

Poison didn't work.

Though he didn't know in what form, it seemed Cheon Muyang had already undergone body refinement and had been exposed to Tang Clan poisons before.

Thus, his resistance to poison was overwhelming—so much so that even Chilbo Danhonsan couldn't intoxicate him.

This very moment, when Cheon Muyang was off guard, was the only chance.

'That carelessness....'

Even back when the Tang Clan had yet to reach its current standing, they had gained advantages precisely because of such carelessness.

The reason Tang Clan poisons could evolve was because they had secured samples of those who possessed poison resistance.

'I'll drag you to your death.'

Whether he knew Dangak's true intent or not, Cheon Muyang scoffed and smiled.

"I told you, poison doesn't work."

Flash!

At those words, a strange light entered Dangak's eyes.

'He let his guard down!'

Everything was going exactly as Dangak intended.

Thus, Dangak prepared the final hidden dagger concealed within his sleeve.

"Is that really so?"

Sliding smoothly into Cheon Muyang's embrace, Dangak thrust out his hidden blade without hesitation.

It was a move of mutual destruction.

Whooosh!

A crack formed in the sky.

At the moment he closed the distance.

'It's a success.'

Dangak was certain.

Soon, this black blade would pierce straight through Cheon Muyang's abdomen.

'Then why... isn't he moving at all?'

The situation was too perfect.

Perhaps because of that—

A small doubt raised its head.

Creeeak.

And so Dangak could see it.

Cheon Muyang's smile, directed straight at him.

A chill ran down his spine.

'Was he never careless?'

From the very beginning, Cheon Muyang had never let his guard down.

Kaaang!

Dangak's life-risking hidden blade was blocked with hollow ease.

"That's all?"

"...!"

"You planned to die together with me?"

Dangak saw it.

A single wall, formed entirely of sword.

That steel wall called to mind the great bulwark of the Central Plains—the Great Wall itself.

"Th-this sword...!"

He had heard rumors.

That the sword of the Cheon Clan's head, Cheon Wi-gang, was said to be like an iron fortress.

"This is disappointing. To think you meant to face the Wolf King with only this much."

"...!"

Seeing Dangak's stunned expression, Cheon Muyang laughed inwardly.

'Looks like he's been swallowed by an illusion of his own making.'

Dangak was one who had not crossed the wall.

When such years stretch on too long, one can lose conviction in oneself.

'So he's exaggerating my sword in his mind.'

Dangak was afraid.

Yet Cheon Muyang knew that he himself had not yet reached such an exalted realm.

Meaning Dangak was overinterpreting his sword.

'Which means—this is the moment.'

Cheon Muyang did not hesitate.

Though he bore no personal grudge against Dangak, so long as the man moved according to the Tang Clan's will, he had no intention of sparing him.

Whooong!

Cheon-gwang slashed across Dangak's chest.

Pshaat!

Blood sprayed.

The long wound carved into his chest would never fade.

"That sword..."

"It is the sword of the Cheon Clan."

"It was completely different from the sword you showed at the start."

A sword meant to cleave the heavens.

If that blade was like a spear that pierced through anything, then the sword that blocked his hidden blade was like a shield that stopped everything.

"How can that be possible?"

It made no sense.

It was as if one who had mastered extreme fast swordsmanship could also wield a heavy sword with equal mastery.

Heh.

Cheon Muyang smiled.

There was only one answer to that question.

"How amusing. How could you presume to define the limits of the sword?"

"...!"

Dangak would never know.

The infinite sky that existed within the Cheon Clan.

"The moment you believe something is impossible, it becomes impossible."

Those words—

They struck directly at Dangak's core, a man who had failed to cross the wall.

"Is that so."

"That it is."

At some point, he had begun to believe crossing the wall was impossible.

Perhaps he had decided that this was the extent of his limits.

But that was merely a limit he himself had set—not a true limit.

"From the very beginning... I was wrong."

The moment he acknowledged his mistake—

Dangak was granted, for the first time, a chance to step beyond the wall.

Yet Dangak did not move forward.

"I've lost."

"Drive them back. Unless you all wish to go hand in hand to the afterlife."

Dangak nodded.

His life alone was sufficient payment here.

"Withdraw."

There was no need to increase needless sacrifices, so Dangak ordered a retreat.

"...."

They were people who could throw away their lives like worn shoes for the Tang Clan—but they were also those who obeyed orders.

Thus, leaving Dangak behind, all of them withdrew.

"Do you intend to destroy the Tang Clan?"

"I do."

"...."

Dangak felt regret.

'We provoked a dragon we should never have touched.'

For the first time, he wondered if Tang So-hye's choice might have been wrong.

"Any last words?"

"None."

"Good."

Dangak was a martial artist.

Thus, he was worthy of being treated as one.

"There won't be any pain."

Whooong!

Cheon-gwang shone brightly.

At the same moment, Dangak's abdomen was pierced through.

Thud!

Dangak's body collapsed.

It was the end.

"Hoo..."

The poisonous miasma completely vanished.

Retrieving Cheon-gwang, Cheon Muyang spoke to everyone present.

"Alright then, let's get going. To the Namgung Clan."