"Please, don't let me be too late…"
The clan head of the Sichuan Tang Clan. Poison King Tang Jincheon muttered in a worried voice as he pushed his Light-Body Technique to its absolute limit.
With each powerful push off the ground, the scenery blurred past him. Given the nature of the Tang Clan's martial arts, which demanded mastery over distance control, Tang Jincheon's Light-Body Technique had long reached the pinnacle of skill… but even that now felt insufficient.
A daughter born in his twilight years. Raised with the utmost care, a precious jewel to Tang Jincheon—no, to the entire Tang Clan.
Over a month had already passed since Tang So-wol's contact had suddenly ceased. What parent could keep their wits about them under such circumstances?
Of course, Tang Jincheon hadn't been idle during that time. He had mobilized all the Tang Clan's power, even bowing his head to the Beggars' Sect, scouring every corner for any trace of Tang So-wol.
And yet, it was as if she had vanished into thin air overnight—no clue could be found. But those days of gnawing anxiety were finally coming to an end.
At last, word came from the Beggars' Sect that they might have found Tang So-wol.
They said traces of a battle fought with poison and hidden weapons had been discovered on a remote road in Hubei Province. It looked as though someone had tried to cover them up, but the attempt hadn't been enough to hide their distinctive nature.
What's more, they had even found traces believed to be the Tang Clan's martial arts. There was no longer any reason to hesitate.
Tang Jincheon rose to his feet at once. Since no one could match his speed now that he had reached the Harmony Realm, he did not mobilize the Martial Force Unit under his command.
Under ordinary circumstances, the clan head of one of the Five Great Families should not move so readily, but no one dared stand in the way of a father who had lost his child.
Even setting that aside, Tang So-wol was a precious jewel who, from a young age, had been loved by the entire Tang Clan for her kind heart and beautiful appearance.
The Tang Clan's household could only bow their heads silently toward the clan head's retreating back.
And so, after a full three days of travel, Tang Jincheon finally arrived at his destination.
'Yugyeong Village… was it?'
Looking at the entrance of the small village visible at the end of the road, he recalled the information delivered by the Beggars' Sect.
Yugyeong Village, the village closest to the traces of battle. From the day after the estimated date of Tang So-wol's disappearance, a stranger wearing a sword had appeared regularly to procure supplies for two people's worth of necessities.
He didn't know who it was, but it was clear that Tang So-wol had been kidnapped by that bastard.
His only daughter—that lovely girl—imagining what hardships she might be enduring made rage surge within him.
The man hadn't demanded anything from the Tang Clan, whatever his purpose was… but the kidnapper's identity and purpose didn't matter.
Favor is repaid twofold. Grudges are repaid tenfold.
Just as he had always done, Tang Jincheon intended to uphold the Tang Clan's long-standing family precept this time as well.
With explosive speed, he kicked off the ground and reached the entrance in just a few breaths. There, a scruffy beggar was pacing back and forth with a deeply tense expression.
Startled as the distant dot instantly became a person appearing before his eyes, he bowed his head deeply.
"O-oh, you've come, Poison King. I am the branch head of Hubei Province…"
"That's enough. Since you seem to know who I am, skip the useless pleasantries and get straight to the point. …Where is my daughter?"
Despite his best efforts to restrain himself, Tang Jincheon's Aura bristled sharply, and the Beggars' Sect member immediately raised his finger to point at the mountain behind Yugyeong Village.
"Over there! I'm certain it's somewhere on that mountain! However, a group of about thirty from the Unorthodox Sects headed there this morning, and something might have gone wrong…"
Thud.
Before the man could even finish speaking, Tang Jincheon had already vanished toward the mountain. Catching the fierce wind that blew in his wake, the Beggars' Sect member awkwardly scratched his head.
"…Even if a problem arises, it should be fine."
As the clan head of the Sichuan Tang Clan—one of the Five Great Families—and an absolute master who had reached the Harmony Realm, a realm few in the vast Central Plains could claim, most problems would cease to be problems at all.
***
Tang Jincheon's feet never stopped as he climbed the mountain.
The Unorthodox Sects bastards who had gone up ahead hadn't even bothered to cover their tracks, so all he had to do was follow them up the mountain.
The pursuit was proceeding smoothly, but even at this very moment, one question lingered in Tang Jincheon's mind.
'Why would those Unorthodox Sects bastards be after So-wol?'
He didn't know why they were looking for Tang So-wol, but it certainly couldn't be for any good purpose.
But the very fact that they were searching for Tang So-wol meant she was still alive.
But if anything had happened to her…
'Anyone even remotely involved will pay a fitting price.'
It was a conclusion befitting the Sichuan Tang Clan. Suppressing the seething rage within him, Tang Jincheon spread his Qi Sense wide—only to halt momentarily at the chill that brushed the edge of it.
'Killing intent…!'
And not just any killing intent. It was the kind of dreadful killing intent one could only feel from a veteran of the Unorthodox Sects who had accumulated a lifetime of Karmic Sin of Killing.
Snapping back to his senses, Tang Jincheon bit his lip and spurred his Light-Body Technique onward. Before long, he reached the source of the killing intent.
"Ugh, aaaah!"
Squelch.
A cutting sound accompanied the scream. A head, its face twisted in utter terror, tumbled across the ground and bumped against Tang Jincheon's feet.
"…"
Tang Jincheon narrowed his eyes and looked up. There, a small mountain of corpses had piled up.
Bodies in mismatched clothing lay strewn across the ground, and the blood that had spilled had not merely soaked the area but pooled into puddles.
Some had been killed by familiar hidden weapons, but most had fallen with their vital points severed by a blade.
These were likely the Unorthodox Sect martial artists the Beggars' Sect man in Yugyeong Village had spoken of.
And the one who had killed them all was probably the young boy standing guard before the narrow cave entrance.
"Hmm…"
The boy's condition was serious enough to make him involuntarily swallow a groan.
His clothes were tattered. His entire body was caked in blood, and he couldn't stand straight—whether from broken ribs or something else, his posture was tilted to one side. Even the sword he held was missing half its blade.
Yet, the owner of a killing intent that even Tang Jincheon could not dismiss was none other than this boy on the verge of death before his eyes.
He looked like he had just reached the Age of Fifteen, even younger than Tang So-wol, but… could one simply dismiss someone radiating such killing intent as just a boy?
Tang Jincheon decided to set that question aside for now. First, he had to find Tang So-wol.
It was for that reason that he took a step closer.
Whoosh—!
The killing intent, scattered far and wide, converged into a single point, aiming straight at Tang Jincheon's neck.
As if declaring that any further approach would be met with a blade.
"…Arrogant brat."
Of course, Tang Jincheon scoffed and dismissed it. It was indeed formidable killing intent, but not enough to hold back Tang Jincheon, who had reached the Harmony Realm.
There was no need to even raise his Aura. He simply deflected it and continued forward.
The killing intent thickened with every step he took, but perhaps the boy realized that this alone couldn't stop Tang Jincheon.
The boy raised his broken sword, pointing it at Tang Jincheon. However, his stance was a little odd.
The sword was aimed straight at Tang Jincheon, but his eyes were staring blankly into the void.
Feeling a sense of unease, Tang Jincheon studied the boy more closely. Only when he saw those eyes, half-lidded and staring blankly into the void, did he understand.
The boy had already lost half his consciousness. To put it kindly, he was in a State of No-Self; to be honest, it was practically a Qi Deviation.
Tang Jincheon couldn't tell what had driven him to this state, but the boy's purpose was easy to discern.
The line drawn at the boy's feet. It was clear he was standing his ground to keep anyone from crossing it.
If Tang So-wol were here, she would surely be inside that cave. If so, then the boy must have swung his sword until he reached this state to protect her.
Tang Jincheon spoke in a somewhat softened tone.
"Step aside. …Not that you'd hear me even if I said it."
Then there was nothing to do but subdue him as quickly as possible. He was already badly injured, so it would be better for him to sleep anyway.
Just as he was about to gather his internal energy to seal the acupoints in one go,
Tang So-wol, the very person Tang Jincheon had been searching for, peeked her head out from behind the boy.
"Huh? Father?"
"…So-wol, is that you? Are you unharmed?"
"Yes! I'm fine, aside from losing consciousness for a moment from exhaustion. Ugh, hup."
With a small grunt of effort, Tang So-wol struggled to her feet. But true to her words about being exhausted enough to faint, her strength gave out and she collapsed.
"Oh dear…"
Tang So-wol looked at her trembling limbs, like a baby bird soaked in rain, let out a deep sigh, then grabbed hold of the boy's body and pushed herself up once more.
"Young hero Cheon, please hold still for a moment."
"?"
Not content with casually placing her hand on the boy's thigh, Tang So-wol leaned her entire body against his shoulder when standing became too difficult.
The sight was so natural that Tang Jincheon's mouth fell open in a daze.
'No matter the situation, isn't she being a little too familiar with him…?'
While Tang Jincheon was flustered, Tang So-wol seemed to belatedly realize something was wrong with the boy's condition and let out a short scream.
"Ahh! Young hero Cheon?! Are you alright? No, what is all this blood…!"
Her arms barely moving, she fumbled over the boy's body here and there, then—heedless of soiling her martial robes—began wiping the blood from his face with her sleeve.
"W-wait, So-wol! That young hero is not in his right mind right now! It's dangerous to stand in front of him…"
"…Ah. It's over."
"?!"
The boy, who had been acting as if he would cut down anything that came near, regained his senses at Tang So-wol's voice. At the same time, the sharply honed killing intent vanished without a trace.
Whether it was the State of No-Self or Qi Deviation, neither should have been broken so easily—yet it happened right before their eyes.
While Tang Jincheon was reeling from having his common sense denied, Tang So-wol was still leaning against the boy, scolding him with a worried tone.
"What on earth happened to leave your body in tatters like this? I told you to let the ones who run off go."
"If I did that, what if they come back for revenge like this time? Better to push myself a little and make sure they're dealt with properly."
"Young hero Cheon, getting hurt like this makes it all meaningless."
"…Favor is repaid twice over. Grudges tenfold. I think that was your family precept, Tang So-wol, not mine."
"Yes, yes. It's precisely because of that twofold favor that I'm worried, so please listen."
"Don't worry. There are plenty of small wounds, but nothing that threatens my life."
"…I'm sorry. I was the one who boasted I'd hold the other bastards back."
"What of it? You held on until I took down the Hundred-Kill Blade Master. That's more than enough. …Besides, it was none other than me who fed him the purple poison-nurturing herb and crippled his poison art, so you've no need to feel guilty."
"If you say so, I'll do as you bid."
Tang So-wol smiled softly as she examined his wounds. Only after confirming there were truly no deep injuries did she let out a sigh of relief.
"Whew… Right. Father! Could you spare a bit of that ointment you always carry with you? Young Hero Cheon's wounds here are quite severe."
"…Ah, very well. Wait a moment."
Tang Jincheon, who had been staring blankly, came to his senses belatedly and pulled a small wooden jar from his bosom.
It was something the Sichuan Tang Clan—as versed in medicine as in poison—had spared no secret art in creating for their clan head. Its efficacy went without saying. It was a precious jewel that, if sold on the market, could easily be exchanged for an equal weight in gold… or so it would be.
Tang So-wol, receiving it, scooped out a generous amount with her finger and slathered it onto the boy as if it were cheap medicine.
Cheon Hwi watched the hands that roamed over every part of his upper body. He spoke in a low voice.
"A problem has arisen."
"What is it? I don't know about anything else, but this wound on your chest looks like it will leave a scar, so I'm applying it carefully."
"That's a relief. But I think I'm about to pass out."
"…Right now?"
"Right now."
With those words, Cheon Hwi, who had seemed perfectly fine, suddenly rolled his eyes back and collapsed.
"Young hero Cheon? Wake up, young hero Cheon?!"
Tang So-wol, who had been leaning against him, fell over along with him. As she lay sprawled on top of Cheon Hwi, squirming, Tang Jincheon watched her quietly before lifting his head.
With the boy who had been blocking the way now collapsed, the cave's interior was visible—and no matter how he looked at it, a cozy set of household furnishings sat neatly arranged inside.
"…"
Only after quietly removing Tang So-wol from Cheon Hwi's body did Tang Jincheon finally speak.
"…There will be much to discuss once we return home."
"Huh?"
Tang So-wol tilted her head as if she had no idea what the problem was. Seeing his daughter like that, Tang Jincheon squeezed his eyes shut.
In any case, he was relieved that she was safe.