Dang Guang-ryeol was literally busier than a bee in a flower garden.
The influence of the Tang clan was so vast that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it spread throughout the world. Even disregarding their status as a martial family, they were buying medicinal herbs all over the place and manufacturing medicines to supply to the entire world.
But wait, there’s more! The number of metalworking requests pouring into the Tang clan was absolutely endless. Rich ladies wanting beautiful jewelry were bombarding them with orders, alongside demands for small and precise metal components.
With so many transactions, the records and documents proving them were all lost. Now the Tang clan’s scribes were frantically wracking their brains trying to write down their memories on paper.
But that wasn’t all Dang Guang-ryeol had to worry about.
There was a dangerous poison leak near the Tang clan territory, meaning they had to control the area and prevent any secondary damage from the toxins. They also had to create new grounds for making poisons and hidden weapons for the safety of over a thousand members of the clan and for upcoming battles.
Dang Guang-ryeol was literally sacrificing his sleep to focus on recovery efforts.
Knock knock.
“Come in.”
Tang So-yeol visited Dang Guang-ryeol, whose place was still lit late into the night.
“So, what’s going on?”
“I’ll be leaving with Ho Cheon-an.”
Dang Guang-ryeol’s hands froze.
“Hmmm…”
Usually, the craftspeople in the Tang clan would produce one or two hidden weapons a month. But would they really make even one in that month?
Nope.
The craftspeople would put their heart and soul into creating multiple hidden weapons.
However, the majority of what they produced wouldn’t pass the strict criteria and would not be recognized as hidden weapons. Even with skilled craftsmen pouring their efforts, usually only one or two hidden weapons could be completed in a month.
“But this girl is different.”
Tang So-yeol had the potential to create dozens, even hundreds of hidden weapons in a single month if she set her mind to it.
Keeping her around to produce strange inventions with valuable metals and to manage the troublesome Bicheongmacha was to ensure her talents were not suppressed.
In a crisis like now, it was not something a clan leader could easily allow Tang So-yeol to leave.
“I understand you’ve given me a lot of freedom, considering you hoped I’d be a strength during such a crisis in the Tang clan.”
“…And despite that, you want to leave with Ho Cheon-an?”
“Yes.”
Tang So-yeol recalled the scene from that day.
[I’ll tie your hands and feet and break you myself. I’ll smash you to the point where no one will dare to use the Sacheon Outcast as an excuse for greed.]
The chains binding Ho Cheon-an’s ankle melted away in a furious moment.
[To catch up to your level, I would need quite a bit of time.]
The buried talent rose to the heavens.
Tang So-yeol then understood. The talent she had thought was omnipotent, revealed in the light of the Gweom Seong, was merely a glimpse of what it could be.
[However, I won’t make you wait long.]
Witnessing the dormant true talents of Ho Cheon-an, Tang So-yeol thought vacantly.
Yes, I won’t let you wait long.
“Following Ho Cheon-an.”
Tang So-yeol stared steadily at the Tang clan leader.
“I believe this is the best choice I can make for the Tang clan.”
Dang Guang-ryeol silently regarded Tang So-yeol for a time.
Tang So-yeol might not realize the fury lingering deep within that gaze. Though she seemed indifferent to her clan, deep down, she held a strong sense of familial love.
Dang Guang-ryeol decided he would respect Tang So-yeol’s choice.
“…Alright. I was planning to pair Do-yeon with Bicheongmacha anyway. To run Bicheongmacha properly, at least one maintenance worker is necessary.”
“Thank you, clan leader. I’ll create hidden weapons and send them back to the clan as soon as possible.”
“Haha, I can’t refuse that.”
Having finished their talk, Tang So-yeol departed without hesitation. Dang Guang-ryeol watched the spot where she had vanished and chuckled softly.
“That girl is finally stretching her wings.”
She was once a child who just sat in the corner, wasting her talents while singing praises of Gweom Seong. Now she was planning to go out to the world with Ho Cheon-an. He had no idea what she would do, but he was certain of one thing.
When Tang So-yeol returned to the clan, she would have grown beyond all comparison.
‘Until then, please take care of her, Teacher Ho.’
With that thought, Dang Guang-ryeol shifted his focus back to the documents.
Though the night grew deeper, the light in the clan leader’s room never extinguished.
—
“Sisters…”
The day of departure had arrived.
With tears brimming with sorrow, Ryeo-ah was being comforted by Black Cat and Miss Yeo Il-ye, who were busy coaxing, soothing, and petting her.
“Senior Ho, I heard about that incident from others.”
Despite still showing signs of being unwell, Tang Do-gyeong, who had recovered enough to handle daily life, had come out to greet them. The Poison Doctor or the Feng Ying Hall Master’s farewells were turned down; he was too afraid to steal precious time from busy people.
“If it’s Senior Ho, you’ll manage it. I’ll cheer you on from afar.”
“Thank you.”
Ryeo-ah managed to reluctantly accept the farewell.
“Take care of yourself, Older Brother.”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
He patted her head, but Ryeo-ah still showed a pained expression of parting, though she didn’t cry.
It felt indescribably bittersweet to see the child who just two days ago shamelessly indulged in affection with Black Cat and Miss Yeo Il-ye now holding back to not burden the adults.
The familiar Bicheongmacha and the coachman Tang Do-yeon awaited them.
And in front of the Bicheongmacha, a familiar figure puffing out smoke from a cigarette was also waiting for them.
“…Master?”
“You’re late, My Disciple.”
“Did you come out to see me off?”
“This isn’t a farewell. It’s a joint venture.”
What on earth was that supposed to mean? Right now, the most needed person for reorganization in the Tang clan was none other than Tang So-yeol, who stood right in front of me.
The future world’s greatest craftsman, the talent of Tang So-yeol, was astounding. Given that a war with the Evil Faction was on the horizon, they would need as many hidden weapons as possible.
“Did you get the clan leader’s permission?”
You’re giving me Tang So-yeol?
“My Disciple, do you think I’m some runaway youth? Quit with the nonsense already and let’s get going.”
I was dragged forcefully into the Bicheongmacha by Tang So-yeol grabbing my collar.
“You guys should get on, too.”
Black Cat and Miss Yeo Il-ye watched Tang So-yeol intently from their spot. There was something chilly and hostile in their gazes.
Even I, who was about to protest Tang So-yeol’s rough behavior, shrank back and held my breath, acutely aware of the tension.
It was Black Cat who ended that standoff.
“…Let’s go.”
“However, Miss Black Cat…”
“I knew a day like this would come eventually. I’ve already prepared myself for it. Now that you’re going to pursue major matters, I must endure…”
Black Cat sighed deeply.
“…Is that so?”
Miss Yeo Il-ye exchanged glances with Black Cat and sighed deeply as well.
“Now is the perfect opportunity to repay the kindness shown by the Honorable Person… I can’t be a hindrance at the moment.”
“Well thought out.”
“Just so you know, keep that mouth of yours in check. If you keep babbling like that, you never know when you might get a punch.”
“…Understood.”
As Black Cat glared and clenched her fist, Tang So-yeol flinched and averted his gaze.
To my surprise, Black Cat subdued Tang So-yeol with just one glare. It was odd considering how Tang So-yeol always had the upper hand in sparring.
“Senior Ho, where are we headed?”
“First, let’s go to Sacheon City.”
“Understood. While I’d like to rush you over like the wind, my body isn’t quite right yet… unfortunately, we’ll have to go at a slow pace today.”
“Miss Tang! Take care of yourself! I might not know when an internal injury might strike, so take it slow for at least a month, or nah, two months!”
“That’s right. Do-yeon, you must cherish your body.”
“We’re alright, so please take your time. Right, Honorable Person?”
“Of course. We have plenty of time, so definitely take it slow.”
“Everyone…”
Tang Do-yeon was moved to tears. We all exchanged awkward glances. The feeling of guilt crept in as he was touched by the need to avoid the terrifying Bicheongmacha.
“I never expected you’d be so considerate toward an injured person like me… I’ll heal quickly and reward you with even swifter speed!”
Oh my heavens.
The atmosphere inside the Bicheongmacha froze in terror.
“Y-you don’t have to go that far… You can just go as per usual.”
“No, no! Hahaha! Your kind intentions are already making me feel better! But I won’t push myself for a while!”
…Today we survived the beast that is Bicheongmacha, but who knows what’s next?
However… the mobility of Bicheongmacha is undeniably tempting, so I can’t let it go.
My determination to stop Jeong Cheol was no lie either.
Bicheongmacha gently started moving, and the team successfully shook off the horror ingrained in their subconscious, letting out a light sigh of relief.
“Alright, what’s our plan for now?”
“For the time being, I intend to disrupt Jeong Cheol and the Yunnan Outcast’s movements.”
“Hm… Do you really think that’s possible? Since Jeong Cheol and the Outcasts’ experts will soon come knocking.”
“No, the invasion from Yunnan will be very slow and gradual.”
“Hmm.”
At my assertion, the three made puzzled faces. Of course, it was understandable they didn’t grasp my words. I had suffered through the Yunnan Outcasts and learned the nature of their leadership within the game, but to these three, the Yunnan Outcasts were just distant tales.
Jeong Cheol, so ambitious.
But even in the game, he chose to wait indefinitely to become a Hyeong-gyeong.
That’s because having the same level of skills as their leader was absolutely indispensable to exert actual influence between the Sacheon Righteous Faction and the Yunnan Outcasts.
In other words, it meant he could not exert true influence without being a Hyeong-gyeong.
The strength of the Sacheon Righteous Faction was utterly, mind-bogglingly powerful. To clear the Outcast forces, which had never been done in all martial history, required having an astonishingly strong Righteous Faction above them.
Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans. Four out of the Nine Great Sects – Cheongseong, Ami, Jeomchang, and Jongnam – and two of the Five Great Clans are located here.
Six of the fifteen factions representing the Righteous Faction lie in this very place. Realistically, if we exclude the loosely organized groups like Byeongwon or the House of Jegal, half of the main Righteous Faction forces in the Central Plains are based in Sacheon.
This means there are just as many experts as there are stars. There are a whopping five Hyeong-gyeong experts in Sacheon.
On the other hand, there are three Hyeong-gyeong experts among the Yunnan Outcasts.
Would the Yunnan Outcasts dare to clash head-on with the powerful Sacheon Righteous Faction? No, they would likely stretch their influence into the Sacheon region while only aiming to snatch its rewards.
It’s contrary to Jeong Cheol’s intentions, but how powerful could Jeong Cheol’s influence be in a battle between a cadre of Hyeong-gyeong-level beings from the Sacheon Righteous Faction and the Yunnan Outcasts?
His ambitions were approaching an impending crisis since all the Sacheon Outcasts might vanish, thus prompting such haste, but Jeong Cheol’s power wasn’t ripe enough to become the star of this game.
Perhaps, until he reached Hyeong-gyeong, he might stick to a stagnant power struggle.
“But, my disciple, the Yunnan Outcasts have already shown their intent to elect Jeong Cheol as their representative and form an alliance. Doesn’t that mean they’ll respond positively to Jeong Cheol’s agenda?”
“Master, let me be blunt. Why do you think those who keep such promises are called Outcasts?”
“Hmm…”
Forming a local alliance is a matter of course.
Those expressions of disbelief on everyone’s faces suggest they haven’t properly experienced the Outcasts’ nature yet.
Well, there are things you can only understand through experience.
“Anyway, we’ll find out as we go along. Right now, we have three major tasks to focus on.”
“Go ahead and tell us.”
“Our critical assignments are twofold. One, to buy time. Second, to minimize damage while we’re buying that time.”
The reason for dragging out time is simple: I need to grow.
And to extend that growth period, I’ll need to keep the war between Sacheon and Yunnan at a standstill. There’s no point in bleeding for time. That only increases the sacrifices without gaining anything.
“To that end, we will tickle the Yunnan’s behind to keep them from pouring their energies into the war with Sacheon.”
“…Tickle the Yunnan’s behind?”
“External forces.”
I recalled the events in Nangyang. Emperor Yoo Gyeong and Hyeok Gi-rin.
And also, the trainees from the Commander of the Golden Guards.
The Jo clan developed methods to enhance the combat effectiveness of soldiers.
Gwang Jae-ryeon provided the Huang Nation with high-quality steel weapons through new forging techniques, and with those weapons, they made powerful crossbows.
Jae Sang-hae efficiently managed the Huang Nation, making it prosperous.
Kang Chumo-ru led victories on the front lines with supernatural directing.
Okryong brought beneficial external goods to the Huang Nation, strengthening it.
When the Huang Nation became so powerful and culturally flourishing, what would happen?
Naturally, that power would spill over externally. They would quell the forces troubling the borders and make new diplomatic moves based on their strength.
The Huang Nation’s might would expand, thus inevitably increasing the sphere of influence in the Martial World. With that expanded realm, the slumbering sects would awaken, announcing their presence in the Central Plains Martial World, creating a new chapter.
I decided to intervene just a bit in that expansion of the Huang Nation’s influence.
“Let’s awaken the forces of Podalap Palace.”
Causing Podalap Palace and the Yunnan Outcasts to clash is an affair that requires no effort at all. Both are prickly and overly aggressive, competing for the title of worst.
An enemy of my enemy is my ally.
