Chapter 137. The Tang Clan's Prodigy

The second hidden weapon flew, and a huge shadow collapsed.

Swish.

Tang Hak threw the third dart, trying to draw internal energy to his fingertips.

They said recovery was similar to the principle of breathing. Exhale, then fill the empty space of the lungs with air from outside.

Empty the internal energy and draw external energy to the fingertips—but it was a mnemonic he could never grasp.

'Please.'

Tang Hak focused desperately on his dantian, but it was useless.

His weapons were few, so every dart carried weight.

Tang Hak pulled out the fourth dart and threw it carefully.

Swish, swish.

Each time his hand moved, shadows rose and fell. Seven darts had already been loosed, yet the barrier of Blood Sect members was still dense. They showed no unrest even as the comrade beside them died.

To make matters worse, the incense had burned out, and the poison smoke grew thinner. Realizing that time worked in their favor, the enemies advanced at leisure.

Tang Hak knew he had no chance of victory. Still, without a word, he hurled hidden weapons at those who came near.

Thunk, thud.

Before long, he heard the sound of flesh being pierced. Even as they drew within a few steps, nothing changed in the scene before him.

In helplessness, Tang Hak drew in a deep breath.

His breathing faltered.

Tang Min had always emphasized this to him: with hidden weapons, everything was decided in a single move. Swordsmembership allowed another chance if one form went astray, but with hidden weapons, a single mistake meant losing the weapon.

Because of that limit, not one strike could waver.

But Tang Hak's breathing would not steady.

Tang Min had always told him the problem was his mind. Too fearful, too easily unsettled—so he must first practice finding composure.

"Please..."

His choked voice slipped out unconsciously. But fear only deepened, growing more severe. The enemies were already within reach. Only eight weapons remained.

Swish.

Now that they were close, Tang Hak threw a feathered needle. The randomly flying needle struck the face of the one rushing at him. Because it was laced with deadly poison, the Blood Sect member who had thrust his weapon at Tang Hak collapsed.

As the five members in front perished instantly, those standing in the back faltered.

Swish.

Tang Hak did not hesitate and threw a dart.

The Blood Sect member who had rushed at him recoiled, then reached out again.

Tang Hak hurled a dart sideways to drive him back, trying to maintain distance.

And in that instant, he realized—

At such close range, composure no longer mattered.

Without aiming carefully, he threw simply to cut down as many as possible. Though he had no specific target, every Blood Sect member on the front line ended up with wounds. Because the targets were so widespread, even a rough throw landed.

For now, the poison smoke still lingered, so it was fine to remain in a standoff. But when the enemies stretched out their arms again, Tang Hak, overwhelmed by unease, wasted another chance by throwing.

The wounds were nothing but scratches, and this time, the enemies did not even retreat.

In that moment, his sister's last words to him filled his mind.

『Because I’m still not enough, I couldn’t suppress my anxiety.』

Tang Hak steadied himself, holding the dart without moving.

A claw lunged toward him. Tang Hak withdrew the dart and drew a shuriken to block it.

Clang.

At the same time, another claw shot out from the side. Tang Hak pressed the shuriken down hard and twisted his body. By that rebound, the Blood Sect member's outstretched hand slid into the poison smoke.

"Keugh!"

The member collapsed with eyes bulging wide.

At the same moment, more than a dozen hands thrust out from the poison smoke.

Thud. Thunk.

Tang Hak seized the fallen Blood Sect member and used him as a shield against the attacks.

"Uaaah!"

With a beastly roar, he shoved back the Blood Sect members with sheer force.

But their numbers were so great that merely securing a small gap left him covered in wounds.

Yet Tang Hak felt no pain.

Drowned in fear, he could not even think.

It was not fear of death.

『Out of fear that I might lose you, I didn’t think about your pride.』

It was the fear of loss.

His sister had surely known. That the Blood Sect would come for her.

『If the worst thing to happen to the Tang Clan is you, then there’s no greater blessing for the Tang Clan.』

He remembered his sister’s face when the smile disappeared. She had erased that ill-fitting smile and said coldly.

『And we must make it so.』

She had known clearly that the Blood Sect was targeting the Tang Clan, that he himself might die.

'And yet I only whined about my pride being hurt...'

To think that his last appearance before her was nothing more than that pitiful attitude—it drove him nearly insane.

He could not imagine with what heart she had consoled him, nor what thoughts she held when she entrusted the Token of Gratitude to his father, asking him to wait for the day Tang Hak matured.

Then, three or four Blood Sect members reached out at once.

Crack.

Tang Hak blocked one hand with the shuriken and swiftly hurled a dart to block the flank.

Thud.

"Ugh!"

But from the left, where he failed to block, a claw stabbed into his side.

Worse yet, only four darts remained.

Ssshh.

From behind came the rustling sound of leaves brushing together.

Tang Hak, with his back to the tree, did not turn around. He wanted to believe that Zhuge Cheon-yu had not abandoned him and fled.

Most likely, they hadn't fled. If a gap had opened in the poisonous smoke's defense, the Blood Sect members' formation would have collapsed, but they still held their circle.

Tang Hak trusted them, so his mind would not waver. He focused.

He drew out all his darts. Four glinted between his fingers.

Once he threw these hidden weapons, he would surely be slaughtered by the Blood Sect's sharp claws.

And yet Tang Hak did not fear them.

He realized that fear had its own hierarchy.

Greater fear crushed lesser fear.

What he feared was returning with nothing to show, leaving his sister behind.

‘Am I so weak that she could not even confide in me, worrying about me even in the moment she left? No…’

The corners of Tang Hak's eyes grew hot.

‘Even if she had confided, I would have been of no help.’

His sister was a clever person. She must have known he could not save her. That was why she kept silent and walked into this dreadful place on her own.

Even that resolute sister must have felt fear, walking this path alone.

Tears of rage streamed down his cheeks, washing away the blood.

At last, he understood his sister's reckless act.

‘Even if I die here, I want to at least stop these fiends.’

Tang Hak recklessly gathered all his internal energy and hurled the darts. There was no time to think of control or direction. He simply pulled forth all the strength he had and cast them wildly.

The darts rode the wind stirred by his internal energy. At a tremendous speed, the shoulders and stomachs of the Blood Sect members in front were pierced one after another.

"Ghhkk!"

"Ugh!"

In an instant, his hands were empty.

Overwhelmed, Tang Hak shut his eyes tight.

『How many times must I tell you! It rides the wind!』

He had once practiced, following the Black Sky Demon's teaching, drawing internal energy to his dantian and creating a gust of wind. Yet not once had he ever caught a hidden weapon back along its twisted trajectory.

Because he was always afraid—afraid that the weapon returning might strike him.

Once released, a dart could no longer be controlled. He had never dared to take that risk. But now, none of that mattered. He didn't care if his fingers were cut off, so long as the sharp hidden weapons returned to kill more Blood Sect members.

‘Please!’

Tang Hak recklessly gathered internal energy into his dantian.

Whiiish—

At once, the wind was pulled into his fingertips along with the momentum. Tang Hak's eyes flew wide as he felt the current.

"Ugh!"

The returning darts pierced through the layered Blood Sect bodies, forcing back the one who had thrust a claw at him.

Tang Hak snatched up the dart, slowed by friction, and thrust it into the enemy rushing at him, then flung it again.

Fwahh!

"Aaagh!"

His internal energy drained heavily. He had kept drawing forth internal energy and discharging it without pause. With no control of speed or direction, the weapons flew chaotically, returning just as erratically.

Unable to govern the wind, Tang Hak had to adjust on the spot, salvaging each skewed trajectory as he fought.

In some ways, he was lucky.

One dart had clearly been returning straight toward his heart, but its speed was slowed by the layers of Blood Sect bodies. The dart that tore through a Blood Sect member's back lost its power and fluttered down like a falling leaf.

Tang Hak calmly retrieved it.

Something came to mind—he drew out a poison vial from his sleeve.

Ssshhh.

He poured the poison all over his darts and hands, then hurled the hidden weapons at once.

Even a grain or two of the toxin was enough to cause instant muscle convulsions and paralysis of breath. But to Tang Hak, who was still under the effect of the antidote, it was no different from plain water.

"Khhuuuk!"

A mere graze across the nape, a shallow cut on the forearm—yet the Blood Sect members convulsed and collapsed. This was why fighting the Tang Clan of Sichuan to the death was so perilous. Regardless of their martial arts level, since they would stop at nothing to kill, the lethality of each individual was high.

The poison smoke was now so thin it was hardly visible. The Blood Sect members' circle had long since broken apart. It was as if a hole had opened before Tang Hak, drawing them in frantically. And yet, instead of the clash ending, the number of corpses strewn across the ground only grew.

Clang! Clang!

Only two darts remained, darting back and forth among the enemies, working furiously. But there was a limit.

"Khkk!"

Tang Hak coughed up a mouthful of blood. No sooner had he flung the returning dart than he wiped the blood from his lips, but his trembling hands only smeared it further across his face.

His internal energy was spent. Drawing on it further would be dangerous. Still, Tang Hak did not stop—he retrieved and threw again, repeating the cycle.

But his speed was nothing compared to before.

Ssshhh.

Tang Hak poured the last vial of poison from his sleeve onto his hand. He grasped the returning dart and hurled it once more.

"Ugh!"

Each time the dart grazed them, the Blood Sect members fell with screams of agony.

The endless tide of enemies began to thin, and his vision slowly opened.

When even the last dart failed to return, Tang Hak's trembling hand reached for the shuriken at his waist.

From the rear, a Blood Sect member shrieked and charged at him.

"Uaaagh!"

Tang Hak couldn't even make a sound as he blocked the claws with his shuriken.

Clang!

Now, even in such close contact, the Blood Sect member could still breathe—the poison smoke had completely vanished.

Tang Hak could barely even clench his hand. Pain had long since faded; the shuriken was little more than lying on his ragged hand. He was enduring purely on willpower.

But fear had taken root in the enemy instead.

"Y-you... you monster..."

The Blood Sect member stared at him with trembling breath.

Tang Hak squinted through eyes stained with blood.

『How many times have I told you—if you flinch and tremble, every ragtag bastard will jump at you? A fight is won by momentum!』

That was what the Black Sky Demon always said when scolding him for not living up to his build.

『Seize the initiative, and even a hundred enemies won't dare to touch you. Since it's easy to run, even if you're afraid, scowl and run with pride!』

Tang Hak thought he must be dying. The thought of wanting to see that terrifying Grand Elder proved his mind was no longer intact..

A hollow laugh slipped from between his bloodied lips.

'To think you taught so much to such a fool who couldn't even learn...'

Unintentionally, Tang Hak's hollow laugh became his momentum.

"Y-y-you're laughing? Wh-why are you laughing?? Why?!"

Seeing the monster who had single-handedly wreaked havoc and annihilated his comrades smiling eerily, the Blood Sect member lost all will to fight. The member eventually showed his back and ran away.

"D-don't come near! Uaaagh!"

Perhaps his legs gave out, for he stumbled over the mound of corpses while running.

Puuk.

Unlucky, he was pierced by a dead comrade's claw and never rose again.

The mist had lifted, and the forest came into Tang Hak's sight. He lowered his trembling hand and scanned his surroundings warily.

Silence.

It was over.

Relieved, Tang Hak let out a ragged breath and twisted his body back. But his legs gave him no strength—whether from the antidote wearing off or paralysis setting in, his feet would not move.

With great effort, he took a step and looked up at the tree. On its branches, he saw the faces of those standing there, their expressions twisted in horror.

The poison smoke had cleared more than a quarter of an hour ago, and yet they had not left. Whether they were unable or simply unwilling to go, Tang Hak felt only gratitude.

Whatever the reason, the sand pouch in Zhuge Cheon-yu's had all run to the bottom.

It was enough.

"Ha..."

The eyes that had been dry and stiff now softened.

Knowing the retreat had been secured, Tang Hak's tension unraveled, and he collapsed.

Tak.

But he did not fall to the ground—he was caught in someone's arms. It was the Tang Clan Head.

Tang Ji-ha immediately placed his hand on the Young Lord's back, quietly replenishing his depleted internal energy, then he heard a cocky voice from behind.

"Well, he's already grasped it."

Tang Min was walking among the corpses, picking up darts.

The two Tang Clan members had clearly been watching the battle, for despite the Young Clan Lord's battered state, they were not shaken.

Having gathered around ten darts, Tang Min straightened and asked,

"Now that I think of it, didn't the Clan Head only grasp the retrieval technique after you turned thirty?"

"At thirty."

“Well, thirty is basically the same as over thirty.”

Tang Min chuckled faintly as he came closer, wiping the darts with his sleeve. Then suddenly he frowned.

"Wait a moment. I awakened the retrieval technique at eighteen. Isn't the Young Lord also eighteen this year?"

The Clan Head nodded silently.

At that, Tang Min let out a groan.

"Hmm. It's a very old memory, but I recall listening to my Elder Brother complain about those Namgung bastards after returning from the Martial Arts Tournament. It was only after the tournament ended, and after my brother came back to Sichuan, that I grasped the retrieval technique..."

Tang Min's lips tilted wryly.

"The Young Lord is two months faster than me."

The Black Sky Demon wore a smile Tang Hak had never seen before.

"Clan Head!"

Others who had succeeded in breaking free of the formation rushed over. Seeing the Clan Head holding the battered Young Lord, the Sword Saint exclaimed in astonishment,

"Ah... if I had known things were like this, we should have sent you sooner, Clan Head."

The Tai Chi Sword Saint turned back with regretful eyes. Hundreds of corpses lay piled. With no large wounds, they were clearly felled by hidden weapons. Not much time had passed since the two had crossed over, and yet the numbers had dwindled so greatly—it must have been the Black Sky Demon rampaging alongside.

"Thanks to you, the enemy's ranks have been cut greatly. You've done well."

"Hm? That wasn't me."

Tang Min flatly denied it, yet his voice was brimming with delight. Just as the Sword Saint furrowed his brows, Tang Min burst into loud laughter.

"Ah, when the Clan Head and I arrived, it was already like this. The Young Lord handled it all. Look at that, you bear. He sent those weaker than himself up the trees, then fought alone until he was in this state, protecting the weak. Doesn't it remind you of me in my youth?"

The Sword Saint was amazed, but frowned at the strange remark at the end.

"Have you gone senile? Do you not even remember your own childhood?"

"Clan Head, allow me to carry him."

As Han-won approached the Clan Head, the latter instead adjusted his hold on Tang Hak.

"You take care of those children."

When the Clan Head glanced up at the trees, Han-won immediately moved toward them. The terrified youths of the Zhuge Clan remained frozen stiff.

The Four Seasons Hall Lord, who had worn an indifferent expression all along, spoke.

"There is no time to waste. Let us go at once."

"Indeed. The Alliance Leader may be waiting."

Han-won climbed up the tree and urged the stiffened martial artists.

"Come down at once."

The Zhuge youths, staring at the collapsed Young Lord as though seeing a ghost, finally descended with dazed faces. Han-won followed closely behind them protectively.

The Clan Head, carrying the Young Lord, was the first to cross the formation.

The others guarded the rear as they left the formation, but no presence followed them.

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