At Tang Mugun’s words, Yeon Woo Jin replied.
“I know how to do it.”
Everyone in the room widened their eyes at Yeon Woo Jin’s words.
“W-What do you an by that? You can do it? You’re saying you can execute Ten Thousand Blossoms Rain?”
“Ah, yes. Sorry. I accidentally learned it while reviewing the contents.”
“What do you an, ‘accidentally learned’?”
“I just kept reading, and it kind of... got absorbed on its own.”
Everyone stared at Yeon Woo Jin with dumbfounded expressions.
“You can learn sothing just by reading it?”
“Apparently so.”
Everyone thought the sa thing: Yeon Woo Jin couldn’t possibly be human.
—Looks like the Martial God has descended to the mortal world?
—The Martial God is just pretending to be human.
—The next Master of Martial Deity Heaven really is the Martial God.
—Guess it’ll be Martial Deity Heaven’s era for the foreseeable future.
The Tang Clan mbers no longer saw Yeon Woo Jin as a re human.
But Yeon Woo Jin was used to those kinds of looks—he’d seen them plenty of tis—so he brushed them off without care.
Still, Tang Mugun, unable to believe it without seeing it himself, asked Yeon Woo Jin,
“Then... could you demonstrate it for us, just once?”
Yeon Woo Jin nodded.
“Is there a wide open space where no one is around?”
“Yes, there is. I’ll take you there.”
****
A dense bamboo forest. At its heart was a large clearing.
“There’s a lot of bamboo here.”
“Yes. Most of the materials used in our Tang Clan’s hidden weapons co from bamboo.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Ten Thousand Blossoms Rain was also born here. Our ancestor completed the technique after gaining enlightennt one day when the wind blew and bamboo leaves filled the sky.”
Yeon Woo Jin looked around the bamboo forest and nodded.
“I understand. Now that I’m here, I can see how such a technique was born.”
He stretched out his hand.
Paaa-rararara—!
The rustling of leaves echoed loudly from the bamboo grove.
Paaa-rararara—!
Soon, bamboo leaves burst into the air and filled the sky.
When Yeon Woo Jin lowered his hand, the bamboo leaves that had veiled the sky poured down like a rainstorm over the clearing.
KUUUAAAA—!
PU-PU-PU-PUFF—!
Most of the bamboo leaves embedded themselves deep into the ground.
Tang Mugun and Tang Gihwan had clearly seen how it worked.
“T-To think you covered each and every one of those countless bamboo leaves with qi...”
Now they fully understood why Ten Thousand Blossoms Rain had once been a terrifying martial art.
Everyone turned to look at Tang Baek.
Could he really replicate this?
Tang Baek, close to tears, asked,
“Uhm... I haven’t learned how to channel qi yet...”
Ah.
Co to think of it, Tang Baek hadn’t even learned the basics yet.
Yeon Woo Jin chuckled.
“Looks like we’ll need to start from the fundantals.”
“Haa... I’m sorry. Then... I hate to trouble you, but... could you possibly visit us again in the future? Or perhaps... we could go to where you’re staying?”
Tang Mugun asked with a sincerely apologetic expression, but Yeon Woo Jin smiled and said,
“I’ll stay here for two more days.”
“...Huh?”
Tang Mugun was taken aback.
As talented as Tang Baek was, two days simply wouldn’t be enough.
“W-Well... I truly appreciate your consideration, but... two days is too short.”
Yeon Woo Jin replied,
“Two days is enough. But! Everyone here will need to co with .”
“...Excuse ?”
“You an... we should stay with you for two days?”
“Yes. Well, it won’t exactly be two days.”
“Didn’t you just say two days?”
“I’m going to deploy a formation. Inside the formation, one month will pass for every day in the outside world. So two days will be two months. That’ll be more than enough.”
At Yeon Woo Jin’s explanation, the three n stared at him blankly.
Then slowly nodded.
If anyone else had said such a thing, they would’ve thought it a joke and probably fed them poison—but the one speaking was Yeon Woo Jin.
“Y-Yes. If it’s you, Benevolent One, you could certainly deploy such a formation.”
They decided then and there to interpret everything Yeon Woo Jin did as divine will.
****
Two days later.
Four people appeared—completely transford.
The mbers of the Tang Clan were confused.
They had disappeared for two days, only to return looking like completely different people.
More than that, their appearance wasn’t that of soone who’d been gone for two days—but more like they’d been secluded in the mountains training for a couple of months.
The chief steward rushed up in shock.
“Wh-What in the world happened to you all? What were you doing for the past two days?!”
“Special-grade training.”
“Pardon?”
“Nothing happened while we were gone, right?”
“Uh—no, no. Nothing happened.”
Sothing had changed.
Even their aura felt different.
They had always been intimidating—but now it felt like their very presence weighed down on him.
As the steward trembled, Tang Mugun apologized.
“Ah, forgive us. We haven’t quite stabilized our internal energy yet.”
“Did you... have a breakthrough?”
At the steward’s question, Tang Mugun grinned.
“I did. I’ve now reached the 7-Star level of the Transcendent Realm.”
“Wh-What? Then... you’ve entered the 7-Star level of the Transcendent Realm?!”
“That’s right.”
“Congratulations!”
“I’m not the only one. The Head of Clan has reached 4-Star Transcendent Realm, and the Young Head has entered the 10-Star level of the Advanced Realm.”
A lot had happened in just two days.
“This is a great day for the clan.”
Even as he said it, the steward couldn’t help but question if that was even possible.
“And our Baek... has reached 3-Star of the Advanced Realm.”
“Huh? Baek...? You an the Youngest Young Master?”
“Yes.”
“I-Is that even possible? B-But the Youngest Master didn’t know any martial arts...”
“That’s true. But Baek has the Poison Saint Physique, rember. Hahaha!”
Still—even with that—how could soone go from knowing nothing to reaching the Advanced Realm in just two days?
It defied all logic.
“Haha... I—I see.”
The steward was now convinced Tang Mugun was just ssing with him.
“Prepare a full feast.”
“Again, sir?”
“Yes. After two months of surviving on fasting pills, I’m craving rich food.”
“...Excuse ?”
What was he saying?
Two months?
They’d only been gone two days?
Had he confused two days with two months?
“What are you doing? Get to it.”
“Y-Yes! Right away, I’ll notify the kitchen!”
“And bring out all the Hundred Flower Dew.”
“Understood!”
As he ran toward the kitchen, the steward kept scratching his head in confusion.
****
After the banquet was over, with the table full of delicacies cleared, Tang Mugun and Tang Gihwan quietly summoned Namgoong Hwan.
They had questions to ask.
“You called for ?”
“Welco, Lord Namgoong.”
“Is there an issue with the cargo?”
“Haha, no. We just have sothing we’d like to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“We saw how you treated the Benevolent One. It looked... like you were addressing a lord. Did I see that correctly?”
At Tang Mugun’s question, Namgoong Hwan nodded.
“Yes. You saw correctly.”
“Huh... Does the Namgoong Clan Head also know about this?”
“Yes. He’s fully aware.”
“You an... he’s approved of you serving the Benevolent One as your lord?”
“More than just approved. The entire Namgoong Clan serves him as our lord.”
At Namgoong Hwan’s reply, Tang Mugun and Tang Gihwan gasped.
“W-What are you saying?! The Namgoong Clan serves the Benevolent One as your lord?!”
“Yes.”
“Huuuh...”
“At first, we thought we were the first to serve him—but it turns out we weren’t.”
“What do you an? There are other clans serving him already?”
“Yes. Among the Five Great Clans, all but the Tang Clan are already in service to him.”
“W-What?! You an the Jegal Clan, the Hwangbo Clan, the Hebei Pang Clan—they’re all serving him as their lord?!”
“Yes. And when our lord ascends to beco the next Master of Martial Deity Heaven, our clans will beco his new vassal houses.”
At that, Tang Mugun’s expression turned grave.
“So we’re the second...”
Namgoong Hwan gave him a knowing smile.
“What does it matter who was first? What matters is who accomplishes the most for him in the end.”
Tang Mugun smiled back.
“You’re right. You make a good point. It’ll depend on who proves their loyalty best.”
“Have you decided to serve him?”
“Yes. From this day on, the Tang Clan will live for him.”
“You’ve made the right decision.”
“Still... I’m shocked. I didn’t realize you were already serving him.”
At that, Namgoong Hwan smiled.
“Isn’t it only natural for humans to follow a god?”
“Hahaha... You’re absolutely right.”
Tang Mugun, too, had co to think of Yeon Woo Jin as a divine being.
Then sothing occurred to him.
“Wait a mont—you said you were returning all the secret manuals?”
“Yes.”
“Then what about the Nine Schools?”
“As far as I know, he’s already visited the Beggars’ Union, Mount Zheom, and Wudang Sect.”
“Then... they must also be serving the Benevolent One by now.”
“Most likely.”
“Huuuh... Well then, I suppose the Central Plains already belongs to the Benevolent One. Hahaha...”
Tang Mugun let out a hearty, pleased laugh.
His expression was truly joyful.
Then he turned to Namgoong Hwan with a grin.
“When you return, tell your Clan Head this: the Tang Clan will beco the first house among the vassals.”
Namgoong Hwan grinned.
“It won’t be easy. That title will belong to our Namgoong Clan.”
“Hahahaha! Sounds fun! Let’s see who wins!”
“I’ll be sure to pass that along!”
“Kuhaha! My blood’s boiling. Let’s do well together as brothers from here on out!”
“Yes! I’ll pass along those words, too!”
“Hahaha!”
****
The next day.
Tang Mugun, preparing to leave, handed a gleaming golden token to Yeon Woo Jin.
“What’s this?”
Before Yeon Woo Jin could finish his question, Tang Mugun and Tang Gihwan dropped to their knees.
“It ans we will serve you. From now on, the Tang Clan will serve you as our lord.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“Yes! The Central Plains will belong to our lord soon enough. Within it, we shall beco the strongest clan.”
At those words, Yeon Woo Jin accepted the golden token.
“I’ll count on you going forward.”
“Loyalty!”
Sothing stirred and surged within him.
Tang Mugun ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) had never once considered serving soone as his lord.
He’d rather die than suffer such disgrace.
But now was different.
When Yeon Woo Jin accepted them, Tang Mugun felt like he could leap for joy.
He wanted—desperately—to do sothing for Yeon Woo Jin.
And that feeling wasn’t unique to Tang Mugun. Tang Gihwan, Tang Mun, and Tang Baek felt the exact sa.
“Prepare thoroughly for the Demonic Sect.”
“Yes! We’ll be fully prepared!”
It was Yeon Woo Jin’s first command.
They would mobilize the clan’s entire strength to prepare.
So that when the Demonic Sect invades—they’d be the ones to earn the greatest rit.
“Then I’ll see you next ti.”
“Yes! We will never let you down!”
Smiling at their bold response, Yeon Woo Jin waved and departed.
Once Yeon Woo Jin was gone, Tang Mugun’s eyes changed.
“From this mont, every ounce of this clan’s strength goes toward preparing for battle with the Demonic Sect.”
“Yes!”
“Rember. We must beco the foremost vassal house.”
“Yes!”
Sichuan, Mount Qingcheng.
Mount Qingcheng was ho to a Daoist sect known as the Qingcheng Sect.
Though a Daoist sect, it was quite different from other Daoist orders.
Not only did their training thods differ, but most of the mbers of the Qingcheng Sect were... married couples.
The reason most were couples stemd from their unique cultivation thod.
Unlike other Daoist sects, the Qingcheng Sect practiced cultivation through Bedroom Arts.
They cultivated by harmonizing yin and yang through sexual union between man and woman.
Anyone who wasn’t married and attempted to practice that technique within the Qingcheng Sect would have their dan’tian sealed and be excommunicated with the severest punishnt.
And the one absolute rule when cultivating through Bedroom Arts—
One must never feel pleasure.
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