Chapter 152
Tang Pae asked Jeok Wigang,
“I’ll ask you one last time. Will you accept my proposal?”
Jeok Wigang rose from his seat.
“I promised to clear my subordinate’s name. I cannot accept.”
“Then the negotiations have failed. Let’s see you make it out of here.”
Jeok Wigang grinned at Tang Pae’s words.
“I’m not leaving.”
“What?”
“You still don’t know much about me, so it seems you’ve made the wrong decision. I suppose I should show you a little of what I can do.”
“Your arrogance knows no bounds. Fine. Show me. And I’ll show you the power of the Tang Family.”
Tang Pae then ordered Tang Jin, who stood nearby with an icy expression,
“I’ll give you a chance. Show that bastard why the Tang Family is feared. Do that, and I’ll erase all your failures.”
Tang Jin nodded, his expression resolute.
Standing at the forefront, he shouted at Jeok Wigang.
“Jeok Wigang! You will pay for insulting the Tang Family!”
Despite the pressure closing in from every direction, Jeok Wigang smiled calmly.
“Are you sure you want to fight in here? This whole place is going to be destroyed. Why don’t we move somewhere more spacious?”
“Silence! You think you can escape with such a transparent trick? Not a chance! Deploy the Heavenly Slaughter Poison Formation and reduce him to a puddle of poison!”
At Tang Jin’s shout, the Dark Blood Unit martial artists unleashed their poisons at Jeok Wigang in unison.
Clouds of poison in every color swirled around him as though they were alive.
WHOOOOOM—
CRACK— CRACK—
The furnishings throughout the reception hall shattered beneath the violently churning poison clouds.
No one paid them any attention.
Hundreds of throwing knives and poison needles shot into the swirling poison mist at once.
Every knife and needle was infused with condensed qi. They were attacks that could never be blocked without drawing upon one’s inner qi.
Everyone reached the same conclusion.
Jeok Wigang now had only two choices.
He could inhale the poison cloud and block the throwing knives and needles.
Or he could hold his breath and allow the weapons to kill him.
Either choice ended in death.
That was when it happened.
KWAANG!
A deafening explosion erupted, and a storm of force burst outward in every direction.
The poison clouds surrounding Jeok Wigang scattered at once. The throwing knives and poison needles hurtling toward him were blasted away in all directions as well.
As dust rose from the center of the storm, Jeok Wigang’s figure came into view.
He remained standing exactly as before, utterly composed.
The Dark Blood Unit martial artists’ expressions stiffened.
He used inner qi inside the Heavenly Slaughter Poison Formation.
Was such a thing even possible?
Jeok Wigang opened his mouth.
“Just remember—you started this.”
Under everyone’s gaze, Jeok Wigang clenched his fist.
Was he going to use a fist art?
They tensed and prepared to respond.
Then Jeok Wigang punched.
At that moment, the martial artists saw space itself distort.
Crushing pressure slammed into their bodies. A tremendous impact followed, and the entire world began spinning around them.
They tried to regain control of their bodies, but it was useless.
KWA-KWA-KWAAANG—
With a roar that threatened to tear their ears apart, every Dark Blood Unit martial artist standing before him was blown away and scattered across the ground like leaves in a gale.
Each one was an expert the Tang Family had poured immense effort into raising.
One punch had brought them all down.
A devastating storm swept through the area.
When the dust finally settled, the reception hall was half-demolished and barely standing. Every structure along the path of Jeok Wigang’s punch had vanished without a trace.
Members of the Dark Blood Unit lay sprawled everywhere, groaning in pain and unable to move.
The scene resembled a battlefield after a crushing defeat.
“Wh-what was that...?”
One of the Dark Blood Unit martial artists muttered in disbelief.
His entire body was trembling.
Step—
Everyone flinched at the sound of a footstep.
“I gave the Tang Family a chance.”
Jeok Wigang’s quiet voice carried across the devastated hall.
He punched again.
The remaining members of the Dark Blood Unit were swept away and slammed into the ground.
Trying to resist accomplished nothing.
Humans were powerless before force on the scale of a natural disaster.
The Dark Blood Unit was wiped out in an instant.
Only Tang Jin, Leader of the Dark Blood Unit, and Tang Family Head Tang Pae remained.
“S-such monstrous power....”
Tang Pae stared in horror, unable to believe what he was seeing.
“I’m softhearted, so I didn’t kill them. But none of them will ever be able to use martial arts again.”
In a single moment, the Tang Family had lost the Dark Blood Unit—its hidden strength.
That alone meant forty percent of the Tang Family’s fighting power was gone.
Could the rest of the Tang Family’s forces capture Jeok Wigang?
The Dark Blood Unit had been annihilated in only two blows. Could anyone weaker possibly withstand him?
Impossible.
What if I fought him myself?
Tang Pae looked at Jeok Wigang.
Could I defeat the entire Dark Blood Unit in two blows?
Impossible.
Jeok Wigang did not even appear to have used his full strength.
What am I supposed to do with that monster?
As Tang Pae struggled to find an answer, a furious cry rang out.
“You damned monster! Die!”
Tang Jin charged at Jeok Wigang like a madman, his eyes bloodshot.
“S-stop—”
CRAAACK—!
KWAANG!
Tang Jin, who had charged forward in a frenzy, was driven into the ground by a single punch from Jeok Wigang. His body went limp.
Even Tang Jin, a nine-star Transformation Realm expert, had been subdued in one blow.
Tang Pae was now the only one left.
Just then, Tang Family martial artists began converging from every direction.
Tang Pae’s face changed.
No.
If we lose them as well, the Tang Family is truly finished.
Tang Pae roared with a voice like a lion.
“Do not come any closer! This is the Family Head’s order! Turn back immediately!”
The Tang Family martial artists rushing toward them exchanged bewildered looks.
Then someone shouted,
“It’s sorcery! Someone is deceiving us with the Family Head’s voice!”
“That’s right! The Family Head would never order us to stay away while an enemy attacks! This is the enemy’s trick!”
“Destroy the Tang Family’s enemy!”
“Charge!”
Tang Pae had clearly given an order, yet no one was obeying.
The Dark Blood Unit had already been defeated. How could these lesser martial artists possibly withstand Jeok Wigang?
Just as Tang Pae was about to shout another order, someone stepped in front of the charging Tang Family martial artists.
Tang Pae recognized him at once, even from behind.
“Un!”
It was Tang Un, Young Family Head of the Tang Family.
“Stop!”
The Tang Family martial artists halted at the sight of him.
“Young Family Head! Are you unharmed?”
“The Tang Family’s halls have been destroyed! Has an enemy invaded?”
“No. This happened because of a minor misunderstanding. Everyone withdraw.”
“A minor misunderstanding destroyed the Tang Family’s halls? And you expect us to do nothing?”
“Yes. Did none of you hear my father’s order just now? Withdraw immediately! Anyone who refuses will be severely punished under family law!”
The Tang Family martial artists faltered at the unprecedented severity in Tang Un’s expression.
At that moment, Tang Pae quickly moved to his son’s side.
The instant the Family Head appeared, the martial artists prostrated themselves.
“Our respects, Family Head!”
“You fools! I clearly ordered you not to come! What do you think you’re doing?”
“Th-that really was your order, Family Head?”
“It was! Given the circumstances, I’ll overlook this. Now get out of here!”
“Yes, Family Head!”
At Tang Pae’s command, the assembled Tang Family martial artists receded like the tide.
The courtyard fell silent in an instant.
Tang Pae turned to Tang Un.
“How did you escape?”
“My guards became distracted by the commotion, so I slipped away. More importantly, what did I tell you? I warned you that he was the one man we must never make an enemy of.”
“I’m sorry.”
Tang Pae admitted it without resistance.
His son’s judgment had been correct after all.
Step— step—
Footsteps sounded over the debris scattered across the ground.
They turned and saw Jeok Wigang approaching at a leisurely stroll, his hands clasped behind his back.
The sight made Tang Pae’s blood boil with humiliation and rage.
But he was not foolish enough to reveal it.
“I accept all of your terms.”
What did it matter if the Tang Family lost some prestige?
It was better than having the entire family destroyed.
Just look at what two punches had done to the Tang Family.
Jeok Wigang grinned.
“It seems showing you a little of my strength was quite helpful.”
A little?
He had caused all this and called it a little?
Tang Pae was dumbfounded, but he saw no reason to argue.
Tang Un’s voice came from beside him.
“If this was only a little, how strong are you at full strength, brother?”
Tang Pae looked at Tang Un.
His expression plainly asked whether that was really what his son was curious about at a time like this.
Then he turned back toward Jeok Wigang.
In truth, Tang Pae wanted to know as well.
“Who knows? I’ve never used my full strength before. At the very least, I could probably wipe Sichuan off the map of the Central Plains.”
Tang Pae’s mouth fell open.
“Th-that’s absurd—”
Before he could dismiss the claim, Tang Un spoke with open admiration.
“You are truly that powerful? Then our family will have to revise its ambition. Instead of producing the greatest expert beneath heaven, we should aim to produce the second greatest.”
Jeok Wigang chuckled at Tang Un’s easygoing response.
“Ninety percent of the reason I spared the Tang Family was you.”
Tang Un bowed his head.
“Thank you for taking a liking to me, brother.”
Tang Un knew there was no falsehood in Jeok Wigang’s words.
He had truly spared the Tang Family because he liked Tang Un.
Did that mean being abducted had actually been the greatest stroke of luck in my life?
What would have happened otherwise?
The Tang Family might truly have been destroyed.
No—not merely destroyed. Every trace of the family might have been erased from existence.
A chill ran down his back at the thought.
Still, everything had ended well.
Tang Un was just beginning to relax when a thunderous voice shook the courtyard.
“What happened here?!”
“Oh, no!”
Tang Un had forgotten about his grandfather.
Tang Pae was equally alarmed.
“Damn it. I forgot about Father.”
“Should I try to persuade him?”
“He is not a man who can be persuaded.”
“Then what should we do?”
“He will refuse to understand until he experiences it himself. You know that better than anyone. Your grandfather is the most stubborn man in our entire family.”
He was the Supreme Family Head of the Tang Family, a pillar of the martial world, and one of the legendary One Emperor and Eight Kings.
The Myriad Poison King, Tang Mujin, had appeared.
He was a lean old man with sharp features and striking white hair and beard.
He glared fiercely at Tang Pae and Tang Un.
“Explain exactly what happened here.”
“Father, there was a minor misunderstanding. We have resolved it, and everything has now been settled.”
“A misunderstanding?”
“Yes.”
“A misunderstanding destroyed the Tang Family’s halls and left our martial artists sprawled across the ground?”
“Th-that was....”
“I do not care whether it was a misunderstanding. What matters is that someone attacked the Tang Family. Who was it?”
“Father, please hear me out first. I will explain everything.”
Tang Mujin barely listened as he surveyed the area.
“What’s this? Aren’t these men from the Dark Blood Unit? Why are they lying all over the ground? Go on. Tell me this happened because of a misunderstanding as well.”
“It did.”
“You fool! And you still call yourself the Tang Family Head? What is our family’s ironclad law? Repay favor twofold and grudges tenfold! Yet you speak of misunderstandings? Are you playing games with me?”
Tang Pae nearly choked with frustration.
Even a grudge had to be repaid with some regard for who the enemy was.
“I did it.”
Tang Pae jumped at the sound of Jeok Wigang’s voice.