Chapter 11
Tang Gyujin
When Tang Gyujin came out of the pavilion, Tang Yuchang was waiting outside with a vicious expression.
Having been tormented by Woon-hwi all day long, he was in quite a foul mood.
"Sister, do you realize that having such a good nature is also an illness? Please, carefully reflect on Mother’s words."
"What?"
"This is all I have to say."
Seeing Tang Yuchang turn away coldly, Tang Gyujin became certain.
-There’s something I don’t know!
She immediately headed toward the White Pavilion where Woon-hwi was.
The moment she stepped into the courtyard of the pavilion.
Fwaaaah!
"!!"
Suddenly, a chilling sensation crawled down her spine.
It was as if she had been thrown naked into a tiger’s den.
Scorching heat, dampness, and beneath it all, a faintly seeping madness emanated from every corner.
'What on earth is going on here?'
Tang Gyujin hurriedly looked back at Hyungsan, who had brought her.
"This really is Woon-hwi’s residence?"
"Y-yes, i-it is. H-how could I p-possibly l-lie?"
Even though he was trembling, he wasn’t lying.
'Wait. Trembling?'
Only then could Tang Hosan realize the true source of the sense of disharmony he had felt since they first arrived at the White Pavilion.
It was clear now that the servants of the White Pavilion, who had treated Woon-hwi more harshly than the ordinary retainers, were acting with extreme caution.
As if a ferocious beast that must never be provoked lived inside.
Once she realized this, all the traces and aura visible from the training ground appeared completely different.
Every footprint pressed into the ground, every mark and scar left on the walls.
'He trained…'
There had been such people even within the Cheongseong Sect.
—Martial artists who threw themselves into the sword like madmen.
Woon-hwi had clearly been absorbed in training just like them.
The more recent the traces, the more refined and sharper they had become.
'Woon-hwi has changed!'
Zzrit.
Her fingertips twitched.
Along with it, something stirred deep in her chest.
Thump, thump!
It was a fighting spirit.
To think that even she—who could hardly find an equal among the first-generation disciples of the Cheongseong Sect—was being provoked like this.
The Woon-hwi she remembered had been a gentle soul, someone who feared more than anyone else the thought of hurting another.
But a person could change in an instant.
All the more so, considering it had been five whole years since the siblings had last reunited, it wasn’t strange at all for him to have grown fierce.
'So this is why Mother…!'
At this point, she naturally understood why Namgung Sanyeong had begun to be so wary of Woon-hwi in recent times.
'But Mother is mistaken. If Woon-hwi has changed his mind, she should be thinking of embracing him even more!’
But at the same time, as she looked around this room, strong doubts about Woon-hwi also arose.
She was a cultivator walking the path of Dao.
She had been born with a rare and peculiar illness that others did not have, and it was to control this that she had entered the Cheongseong Sect.
To her heightened senses, something deeply alien, steeped into every corner here, kept pricking at her nerves.
Demonic energy and evil aura.
If Woon-hwi had touched upon the forbidden arts of the Left Path (the unorthodox way) that must never be used, for the sake of revenge—
Chae-aeeeng!
All of a sudden, Tang Gyujin spun around and drew her sword.
A crisp metallic ring echoed out.
Her eyes widened on their own, thinking it was an ambush.
"Woon-hwi?”
Woon-hwi narrowed his eyes as he caught Tang Gyujin’s sword with his bare hands.
"What on earth are you doing here, Sister?"
* * *
I sensed some presence outside and came out, only to find a rather troublesome person had shown up.
As I mentioned before, Tang Gyujin’s letters had been arriving steadily even while I was in confinement.
But I had never once properly replied to them.
I had doubted Tang Gyujin’s true intentions.
Yet somehow, it seemed safe to set aside those doubts.
The way she looked at me.
That gaze—it was far too familiar.
Wasn’t it the same gaze I used to receive from Master?
But.
On the other hand, a troublesome issue had arisen. It seemed she had discovered the traces I hadn’t yet erased.
"That’s what I want to ask. What exactly were you doing here?"
"I’m not quite sure what you mean."
"Don’t think you can deny it. The Cheongseong Sect’s records of Heaven and Earth energy that I’ve mastered are the most effective at dispelling evil and manifesting righteousness. You won’t escape my eyes."
I had felt a strange chill ever since hearing that she had entered the Cheongseong Sect.
Could it be that Tang Gyujin was a possessor of a Spiritual Root?
I had heard about Spiritual Roots from Master before.
'Spiritual Root, you ask?'
'Yes. Haven’t you mentioned it before? One of the greatest features of the transformed martial world ecosystem since the appearance of the “Tower” alongside supernatural abilities. But—’
'Hahaha! There wouldn’t be anything about it in ordinary books, right?'
'Yes. Why is that?'
'Because the Spiritual Root is one of the greatest secrets of the martial world.'
'What does that mean...?'
'It’s the seed that can become a transcendent being. That is the Spiritual Root.'
The Spiritual Root is the foundation of potential contained within the soul, enabling spiritual growth through the Spiritual Tree, Spiritual Flower, and Spiritual Fruit.
Therefore, a person possessing a Spiritual Root has a depth of thought and sensitivity unlike others, and the talent to reach higher realms with ease.
But precisely because of this, they must walk a different path from ordinary people. Their spiritual talent could, at times, consume them.
'And only by refining and cultivating the Spiritual Root properly can one earn the right to ascend that “Tower”—’
It seemed clear now that the reason Tang Gyujin—despite being a standout talent in the Sacheondang Clan—had been entrusted to the Cheongseong Sect was precisely because of this.
The Cheongseong Sect was one of the sub-sects where cultivators aiming for higher realms, such as Ascension or Nirvana, or even to enter the world beyond, would reside.
It was not at all strange that Tang Gyujin reacted so sensitively to the demonic energy and evil aura lingering heavily in the courtyard.
My mistake had been assuming that a Spiritual Root possessor could never appear in such a minor branch of a sect.
Of course, that didn’t mean there was no way to handle it.
"Were you plotting something here? If you simply touched the Left Path for revenge—"
"Touched it? And if I did? What will you do about it?"
"…What?"
"I asked, what will you do about it?"
I laughed.
A sly grin!
And then.
Goooooo—
A tremendous aura swept violently around me.
Kkiaaaa!
The strong wind slammed into the interior, scratching the walls and floor indiscriminately, and a piercing, eerie wail like nails on glass shredded my ears.
"You—"
Tang Gyujin tried to shout but couldn’t continue.
Anyone from the Tang family would surely feel the sticky, suffocating presence underlying the raging aura.
Poisonous gas.
"Poisons come in many varieties. Broadly, they can be divided into biological and mineral toxins, and biological toxins are further split into vascular and neural types. Just the categories of poisons classified by the main branch already number over thirty.”
I intended to hide it as much as possible, but if the situation forced me to reveal it, I would do so without hesitation.
As long as I operated under the Tang name, and as long as I was in the sight of Amjon, there was no way I could conceal all of my inner power.
Especially the martial arts lineage that accounted for the majority of my current strength—I couldn’t hide that completely.
In that case, I needed a kind of veil that could obscure the truth to some extent.
The most important secret had to be hidden beneath the truth of Guhal.
So I intended to make it look as if I had trained a new form of poison.
Poison infused with demonic energy and evil aura.
Or a poison with properties very similar to it.
"Cursed Poison…! Could it be that you’ve mastered it?"
Cursed Poison was a type of poison said to have been successfully refined by only a very few within the Sacheondang Clan.
It could only be obtained by entering the path of sorcery.
Cursed Poison is created by continuously placing a curse upon oneself, and then refining the accumulated poisonous energy.
There was no need to separately gather poisonous plants, so at one time it was considered a form of intangible poison that all other poisons could only dream of.
But such prestige didn’t last long.
There were limits to enhancing its potency, and its quality was inconsistent, making it laborious to handle.
Above all, the user’s body would continually weaken, often leading to early death.
Yet it seemed Tang Gyujin was shocked that I had mastered such a thing.
"My family gives me no support, so if I want to survive, I have to learn things like this, don’t I?"
I shrugged and offered a casual excuse, and Tang Gyujin’s face turned bright red.
It must be embarrassment. From her perspective, it would look like I achieved this much on my own, without proper guidance.
"Of course, even this might appear as improper sorcery to a disciple of the Cheongseong Sect like yourself. But the Dang family has always pursued only efficiency, and that is how it built its legacy."
I assumed the battle stance.
The stance of the Whirlwind Technique I had learned from Dangon.
"If you say my path is wrong for seeking such a way, then come at me."
Kukukuku…!
Now the entire White Pavilion shook.
At this point, even Tang Gyujin wouldn’t be able to resist much.
But.
Hehe!
Huh?
Tang Gyujin is smiling?
"Our Woon-hwi… has grown a lot, hasn’t he? And he even knows how to provoke my fighting spirit."
It was completely different from the serious and solemn Tang Gyujin I had known. Her face was full of exhilaration.
The corners of her mouth were raised, resembling a demon who wanted nothing more than to swing its sword freely and rampage.
Ehehehehehe!
…What is this? There was no information suggesting Tang Gyujin had a split personality, was there?
"But this is all my fault… I shouldn’t have drawn my sword, right? I’ll apologize."
Clack!
Then Tang Gyujin re-sheathed the sword she had half-drawn and bowed her head.
The murderous aura vanished as if it had never been there, leaving behind a simple apology.
But the murderous aura that had pricked her skin still lingered faintly.
* * *
「Young Sect Leader, just give the order! I’ll smash the head of this detestable Cheongseong heretic and make them know the greatness of the Cheonma teachings—」
「No! Leave it to me! I, once called the top instructor of the Cheonma Cult, will step in and correct their behavior—」
'Quiet. Everyone, disperse. Don’t even breathe near her until she leaves.'
「Understood!」
「U-Understood!」
After chasing away all the troublesome spirits,
I poured tea into Tang Gyujin’s cup.
Where had the sword ghost, who had just been letting out that bizarre laughter, gone?
Sitting quietly and enjoying the aroma of tea, she looked every bit the refined young lady.
And yet, of all the many Spiritual Roots, it had to be the Blue Demon-Mask Root.
I didn’t know all the varieties of Spiritual Roots, but I knew the Blue Demon-Mask Root well.
Master had repeatedly warned me.
'It’s best not to associate with the Blue Demon-Mask Root. Among Spiritual Roots, it is closest to a killer.'
A Spiritual Root that delights in battle and feels joy in death.
The more they traverse harsh battlefields, the faster they grow strong, gradually letting reason be consumed by instinct until they finally become battle spirits.
In a way, they are closest to the Sima Outer Path, yet Tang Gyujin maintains such a proper disposition—it’s a testament to her remarkable will.
…How on earth could a daughter like her be born to parents like Namgung Sanyeong and Tang Hosan?
On the other hand, another thought crossed my mind.
If I were to match my skills against hers—the one whose Blue Demon-Mask Root talent had fully bloomed—who would win?
Heh!
I barely managed to hide the smile threatening to escape with my teacup.
Thinking this way, I realized I had, without noticing, become a true martial world person myself.
"The aroma of this tea is wonderful. Even in the Cheongseong Sect, I often enjoyed tea with Master, but I’ve never tasted anything like this."
"I specially brought it from Cheonmok."
"I didn’t know you were knowledgeable about tea too."
"I’ve only recently taken an interest in it."
For Tang Woon-hwi, it was recent. ‘Yeon Woon-hwi’ had enjoyed the hobby for over ten years.
"Since you gave me something good, then I’ll take this.”
Tang Gyujin rummaged through her inner pocket and slid something over.
A delicately wrapped piece of candy.
"It’s the candied treat they sell in Misan. You liked this, didn’t you?"
Whenever Tang Gyujin returned from some outing, she would secretly hand Tang Woon-hwi a piece of candy.
Tang Woon-hwi would hide it under his jacket, and before going to sleep, he’d eat it under the covers.
For Tang Woon-hwi, who had always been worn down by discrimination and oppression, this candy was a small pillar that helped him get through each day.
I unwrapped it on his behalf and tossed the candy into his mouth.
Chew, chew.
"It’s delicious."
"Right? I knew you’d like it."
Although, ‘Yeon Woon-hwi’ hadn’t really cared much for sweets.
Still, seeing Tang Gyujin’s bright smile made the fighting spirit that had flared up melt away like snow.
"You haven’t changed at all, Sister."
"Have I? I thought I had changed a lot."
"People are bound to change. But I think there are parts that remain the same forever."
I set down my teacup and returned the conversation to its original topic.
"By the way, what brings you here? If you came to stop the duel with Yuchang—"
"It’s not that."
Tang Gyujin lowered her head deeply.
"I just wanted to be sure to say I’m sorry."
Chronicles of the Reincarnated Demon God
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