“Am I, like, talentless or something?”
“My Disciple, your inability to make a proper sword isn’t about talent. It’s because you’re dense.”
“Ugh…”
Tang So-yeol, born with the aura of Gomun, had the gift of insight into people and the essence of things.
From her perspective, Ho Cheon-an’s talent was undeniably exceptional. After all, it would’ve been impossible for him to learn proper forging in just a week without either dedicated effort or some natural ability, even with Tang So-yeol guiding him and Black Cat translating for him.
After observing Ho Cheon-an for a week, Tang So-yeol concluded that he was utterly clueless. He was someone who simply couldn’t grasp the situation at all.
Now, a week later, she could understand Ho Cheon-an a bit better.
To Tang So-yeol, Ho Cheon-an truly possessed extraordinary talent.
“But there are even more obstacles in his way.”
She had seen many talented individuals who failed to realize their potential, lacking the opportunities or the confidence to unlock their abilities. While there could be many reasons, it wasn’t unusual for talented people to struggle to develop that talent.
Yet, it was the first time Tang So-yeol encountered someone so bizarrely stifled, like Ho Cheon-an.
Talented individuals typically recognize their own gifts quickly, but Ho Cheon-an was the opposite.
He could only access fragments of his talent. He had the potential to leap several steps up the stairs, yet he hesitated and doubted if he could even take a single step.
If that were all, she might have just brushed it off as him being timid.
But the frustrating part was that he acted completely oblivious, believing he was making rapid progress while behaving so foolishly. How could she not feel speechless?
A genius who could be exceptional settled for being just slightly better than an average person, nodding his head as if that was his position—it was downright foolish.
Ho Cheon-an reminded her of a caged bird, and the frustration bubbled inside her. At least a caged bird was trapped by others, while Ho Cheon-an had tied himself up! The frustration doubled.
If only he could fully awaken that talent, he would have learned how to forge a sword ages ago and unleashed his sword energy.
It felt like a pearl necklace on a pig’s neck.
“Foolish disciple.”
“….”
Tang So-yeol had such a scathing way with words. Conveying her feelings to Ho Cheon-an was a laborious task.
“No…”
“What is it? Why do you keep saying I’m foolish every time I open my mouth!” Ho Cheon-an tried to express his grievances but never got to finish the sentence.
BOOM!!!
A deafening roar echoed through the heavens.
* *
With the explosion came a tremor.
“Master.”
“Stay calm.”
It was clear that something was amiss, but Tang So-yeol kept her composure, only glancing towards the north where the explosion had come from.
“But…”
“There are Tang Clan martial artists patrolling outside, responding to this situation. Just wait calmly.”
DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG!
Before long, the alarm bell rang out. Upon hearing it, Tang So-yeol shook the ash off her pipe and said,
“My Disciple, extinguish all the fires in the workshop. The furnace is no exception. Douse it from a distance.”
“…Understood.”
While I put out the fires, Tang So-yeol began gathering her tools. She strapped various items from her leather case to her back and finally tucked the hammer I had been using at her waist.
When I stepped outside, black smoke billowed from the north, where Tang Do-yeon warned not to come near the hazardous poisons.
“This is serious.”
Tang So-yeol’s expression changed, which had previously been relaxed despite the loud explosion and alarm.
“It’s customary to gather in front of the Family Head’s Quarters during emergencies, so let’s head there.”
“Yes.”
As if one could expect anything less from a weirdo, Tang So-yeol’s workshop was located on the outer edge of the eastern district. The silver lining was that both she and I were Peak Stage experts, allowing us to move quickly.
Heading towards the center of the eastern area,
“Aaaah!”
“What the hell!”
The sound of a scream followed by the sound of combat began to resonate.
“Here’s Fighting Dog Tang Do-gyeong!”
“Feel the poison of Tang Do-yeon!”
As we emerged from the alley, using our light-footing techniques to enter the main road, what greeted us were numerous Tang Clan martial artists lying defeated.
Amidst them were Tang Do-gyeong and Tang Do-yeon, both on the brink of collapse, spitting blood.
And a Mysterious Man, clad in Black Rib, was throwing the two aside effortlessly.
Just as the Mysterious Man moved to finish off Tang Do-gyeong and Tang Do-yeon, I instinctively drew my blade. Seeing him easily subdue two Peak Stage experts, my mind raced—though he might not have been as strong, he was no less than a master skilled in the final stages of Hwa-gyeong.
But before I could fully process that thought, my body was already in motion to rescue the two.
Naturally, the Mysterious Man, clad in Black Rib, easily deflected my strike. It wasn’t just my blade he swatted away; something that glinted under the sun indicated that Tang So-yeol had also made a move toward him.
“Hmm.”
The Mysterious Man paused. The emotion mixed with his casual groan was one of interest and… bewilderment.
As he stroked his beard thoughtfully, I quickly assessed the surroundings. About ten Tang Clan martial artists lay incapacitated, and I could spot several hiding Master craftsmen in one corner. Were they ambushed while directing the martial artists to safety?
This was critical.
The alarm had already been sounded, so reinforcements would come if I stalled for time, but could we really resolve this situation with just reinforcements?
Could stalling be an option even?
Holding my sword aloft, I assumed the position for First Swing of the Azure Cloud Sword, but I wondered if I could even swing it against such an opponent. I had to buy time with words.
“Why are you causing such chaos? Aren’t you afraid of the Tang Clan’s revenge?”
“If I feared the Tang Clan’s revenge, would I be doing this?”
Fortunately, the Mysterious Man responded to my inquiry.
“You speak like a Tang Clan member while wearing Black Rib. What’s your true identity?”
“…I am a Sacheon Outcast.”
“Hmm. So you’re someone temporarily residing here under the Tang Clan’s commission?”
If I could only stall, I’d be willing to share my story for days, but seeing the Mysterious Man deep in thought at the mention of me being a Sacheon Outcast, I opted to keep my mouth shut.
“Why not back down? You’re only a Peak Stage practitioner, while I’ve easily subdued ten martial artists, three of whom are at the Peak Stage. Even if you flee, who would blame you?”
“…That’s not possible.”
In the worst-case scenario, I was bracing myself to be attacked by an incensed Mysterious Man who rejected my offer, but to my surprise, he chuckled at my response.
“Ah, the true nature of a Sacheon Outcast is to uphold one’s will against external pressure.”
“…You speak as if you were also a Sacheon Outcast.”
“At one point, yes.”
Could he possibly be a former Sacheon Outcast? A clue to his identity had been given, but for now, it was best to tuck this aside. If he decided to attack, a single thought could lead to my eradication.
There wasn’t a moment to spare.
“I never expected to run into a junior in a place like this…”
The Mysterious Man kept stroking his beard, pondering… then glanced toward the residential area before sheathing his sword.
“Seems like you’ve accomplished enough. Junior, may I offer you a piece of advice?”
“…Please do.”
“Sever ties with the Tang Clan, or rather, with the Righteous Faction. No matter how time passes, they will never recognize Outcasts as their kind.”
I remained silent. The Mysterious Man probably didn’t expect me to be moved by his words, chuckling softly to himself.
“Think it through.”
And just like that, he vanished without a trace.
“…Phew.”
As the tension ebbed, I felt my legs wobbling. No, it wasn’t just my legs. My whole body was trembling slightly.
It wasn’t just plain nervousness.
I hadn’t realized it, but that Mysterious Man had already given me a taste of what real power felt like.
Despite being fully alert, it had felt like I was blindsided.
Only after the Mysterious Man retreated did I truly feel the gap in power.
Had he not let me go because he recognized me as a Sacheon Outcast, this moment would surely have been my last.
Talk about luck.
“Are you alright, my disciple?”
“…I’m fine.”
Tang So-yeol’s face was as pale as a ghost. Could it be that she had also been suppressed by the Mysterious Man’s power?
“Thanks to you, I survived.”
Just as I let out a long sigh of relief, an overwhelming force approached us at a rapid pace.
It was the Poison Doctor.
Had the Mysterious Man vanished sensing the Poison Doctor’s presence?
Under the Poison Doctor’s command, the martial artists quickly provided emergency assistance and hurriedly made makeshift stretchers for the injured.
“The poison storage in the north has been breached, and all kinds of toxins are leaking out. The Tang Clan may get inundated with poison, so we need to exit Tang Clan territory immediately.”
With the martial artists and untrained craftsmen fleeing together, we weren’t moving very quickly, allowing enough time for conversation.
I approached the Poison Doctor and reported the earlier situation.
“…It’s likely a Mysterious Man posing as a former Sacheon Outcast.”
The Poison Doctor sighed deeply.
“That must be the culprit behind the current crisis. So far, there’s only been one signal fired from the Tang Clan—here.”
With that, there were no further exchanges.
Once we stepped out of the Tang Clan and moved away from the poison, we joined the fleeing members. The dangerous toxins, the nature of which we couldn’t even guess, were gradually encroaching upon the Tang Clan.
“Ahhh…”
“The Tang Clan…”
Despite fleeing from the toxins, the Tang Clan members kept turning back.
Eventually, once we were completely out of the toxin’s range, the Poison Doctor halted the group.
Aside from some healers bustling about to tend to the injured…
Most Tang Clan members simply stared in the direction of the Tang Clan’s estate.
The Tang Clan was completely overwhelmed by various indescribable toxic miasmas.
It might be hasty to say so, but I doubted it would be easy to return to the now tainted Tang Clan.
I couldn’t be the only one feeling this way.
Some were biting their lips and clenching their fists, while others shed tears.
Members of the Tang Clan had lost their homeland overnight.
But their suffering had not ended here.
“Who are those guys!”
Before the sorrow of losing their homeland could even fade…
Martial artists suddenly appeared from somewhere, beginning to surround the Tang Clan’s refugees.
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