Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 32

Chapter 32

The fighters were assembled at the Nine-Tiered Gate on my father-in-law’s command. These were not the typical warriors I had grown accustomed to within the Tang Clan. They had been mobilized thanks to intelligence from the Beggar Sect—a widespread network of beggars operating throughout the martial world—which had uncovered the hiding place of the traitors who had betrayed us. That location was Yeongcheonbu, the nation’s capital. It appeared they had sought refuge in the most densely populated area available. Even in my former life, a sprawling city like Seoul was the perfect place to disappear. These cowards had actually used their brains.

But what did it matter? They had chosen to cross the wrong people—the most ruthless psychopaths in the martial arts community, the Tang Clan. Their doom was already sealed, an inescapable fate. This was evident from the terrifying gleam in the eyes of the Tang warriors when they learned where the traitors were hiding. The mood around the Tang estate in the days leading up to their departure was that of predators preparing to hunt. Today was the farewell ceremony.

“I leave now. Look after yourself while I am gone, son-in-law,” my father-in-law said.

“Yes, Father-in-law. Please take care on your journey.”

“Take care? What is there for me to fear? It is those wretched traitors who should be afraid. Ha! Do not worry.”

“Well, yes… ha ha…”

We all understood the reality of the situation perfectly. As I offered an awkward laugh, my father-in-law turned and roared to the assembled fighters, his voice thunderous.

“To those who have dared to stain the honor of the Tang Clan, we shall deliver the ultimate judgment. Move out!”

“Yes, Clan Head!”

At his word, the warriors stormed out through the Nine-Tiered Gate. The large white castor leaf symbols emblazoned on their backs lingered in my vision long after they had gone.

The Tang Clan maintained two separate groups of combatants. Those I typically saw wore green uniforms bearing a small castor leaf on the chest, representing poison. But these warriors were different. They were clad in black robes dominated by enormous white castor leaf designs spanning their backs, creating a stark and intimidating impression. The most striking feature, however, was their eyes—crystal clear and sharply focused, almost disturbingly intense. They possessed the kind of gaze my elders in my previous life would have warned me about: the sort that seems capable of shooting lasers.

As I watched them vanish into the distance, I turned to my sister, curious about their identity.

“Hwa-eun, who are they? I’ve never seen warriors like that since I arrived.”

“Oh, they handle the more difficult assignments,” she answered offhandedly.

“Difficult assignments?”

“Yes, primarily… the removal of individuals. We refer to them as the Extermination Squad.”

‘That’s more than just difficult…’

It turned out the warriors accompanying my father-in-law were part of the Extermination Squad—a unit specializing in the very work that earned the Tang Clan its infamous reputation as master assassins.

‘Calling that a “tough task” is a serious understatement… And “erasing people”? That makes it sound like correcting a mistake, not ending a life…’

My sister’s casual phrasing—comparing lethal work to simply rubbing something out—sent a chill down my spine. Once again, I was confronted with the true, fearsome nature of the Tang Clan, and my courage dwindled to the size of a mustard seed. It didn’t help that my sister was so devastatingly beautiful. Every time I looked at her, I found myself imagining naming a future child something like “Tang Buhu”—meaning “The Tang That Will Never Regret.”

But the Tang Clan? I was still not fully accustomed to this world. And my sister’s choice of words? They were as elegantly cold as they were beautiful.

‘Dearest family… that sort of language is genuinely alarming, don’t you think?’

***

A few days after my father-in-law’s departure, my rest period concluded and my training resumed. The first item on the agenda was internal energy cultivation. Today was the start of my instruction in a new, more efficient internal energy method. Problems, however, emerged immediately.

Grasping the intricate terminology and concepts related to the dantian—the body’s energy centers—proved to be a formidable challenge. The terms alone were confusing, and when principles like the Taiji and the Bagua were introduced, my mind began to spin. With no foundational knowledge in this area, there was no way I could master these concepts in a rushed lesson. Discussions of yin-yang combinations and internal observation only deepened my bewilderment.

Although I had been learning piecemeal from my sister and grandfather, the sudden, massive influx of internal energy had created an unexpected complication. Normally, one would gradually accumulate energy by practicing the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art, advancing in both theory and practice together. Upon mastering it, a practitioner would naturally progress to the next stage: the Ten Poisons Dual Circulation Art.

In my case, however, I had not built a proper foundation in the Five Poisons Art before the energy flooded into me all at once. This left me in a precarious position: brimming with power but lacking the theoretical knowledge to control it. With only a basic understanding of the dantian and energy meridians, I struggled to comprehend my grandfather’s detailed explanations.

In the end, I was forced to rely on another shortcut. This method involved my grandfather, the Heavenly Poison Deity, personally guiding me by circulating his own energy through my body, just as he had when I first learned the Five Poisons Art. Grandfather would inject his energy into my system, maneuver it along the correct pathways, and I would memorize the flow to replicate it myself.

While the proper way to learn was to master the theory and practice concurrently, my circumstances demanded immediate action. I needed to transition to a more efficient technique to properly utilize my abundant internal energy.

“Pay close attention to the path I show you,” my grandfather instructed. “If the Five Poisons Art is about forming one large energy circuit flowing from left to right before returning to the dantian, the Ten Poisons Art involves creating two simultaneous circulations.”

“One goes left to right, and the other right to left?” I asked.

“Do not speak such nonsense! If energy flows from right to left, it creates a reversal of the natural order—a Yicheon—and invites catastrophe!”

“A reversal of nature?”

“That is something only demonic cults and other wicked practitioners meddle with. Put it from your mind.”

“So, both circulations move in the same direction? Left to right?”

“Precisely. Both flows travel from left to right and cycle back to the dantian, forming a dual-core rotation,” he explained.

‘So the Five Poisons Art is a single-cylinder engine, and the Ten Poisons Art is a dual-cylinder engine?’

Holding onto that analogy, I visualized splitting my energy flow in two, rotating them within my body exactly as my grandfather’s guiding energy demonstrated. Soon, the awkward, congested feeling in my energy channels faded, and the two flows began to reinforce one another, establishing a smooth, powerful rotation. The sluggish, single current transformed into two dynamic and potent streams coursing through me.

My grandfather’s voice held a note of approval as he observed. “Well done! You seem to be grasping this far more quickly than the Five Poisons Art.” It had taken me half a day to understand the previous art, but this time, I succeeded after only a few attempts.

After completing the major circulation, I made sure to express my gratitude. “It is only thanks to your guidance, Grandfather.”

“Haha, this boy,” he said, his smile warm.

My sister had always stressed that etiquette was paramount when learning martial arts—even a lethal art. Remembering her advice, I made sure to thank him, which clearly pleased my grandfather. ‘I’m glad I remembered that.’

Once my initiation into the Ten Poisons Art was complete, my grandfather handed me a throwing dagger. “Now, try channeling your internal energy to throw this. The sensation will be quite different from when you practiced with the Five Poisons Art.”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

Taking the dagger, I circulated my energy through the Ten Poisons Art. An overwhelming power surged through me, like a entirely new engine roaring to life. My old, feeble Five Poisons Art was nothing compared to this monstrous force. With my body electrified by energy, I hurled the dagger at a straw training dummy as I had been taught.

*Whoosh!*

The dagger flew faster than I had ever seen, piercing clean through the dummy and embedding itself in the stone wall behind it with a sharp *Clang!*

The sound of metal striking stone left me speechless.

“Wow!”

‘This is unbelievable!’

As I stared in awe at my own hand, my grandfather chuckled. “How does it feel? That is the difference between the Five Poisons Art and the Ten Poisons Art. Your resistance to poisons will also be significantly greater now. To elaborate, your body…”

“This is the Ten Poisons Art…” I muttered, utterly captivated by the raw power. If I had assumed it was merely twice as strong, I had been profoundly mistaken—it felt four times more powerful.

As I basked in this newfound strength, my grandfather continued, “From now on, you will begin learning advanced skills such as lightfoot arts, palm techniques, and weapon arts. With the Ten Poisons Art, you will be able to imbue your energy into weapons or even project it outward.”

Even with my limited martial knowledge, I recognized techniques like Qi Projection and Palm Strikes—classic abilities even the Shaolin monks from the movies of my past life performed. The mere thought of learning them filled me with anticipation for the next day’s training.

Palm strikes! What man wouldn’t dream of mastering them?

Brimming with enthusiasm, I suggested to my grandfather, “Why not begin now? They say you should strike while the iron is hot.”

“Haha, you are an impatient one. Rushing will only lead to injury. Allow your body to adjust to the new technique first. For now, practice your dagger throwing while I do some reading.”

My grandfather produced a book from his robes—a red volume tied with a yellow string. As I glanced at it curiously, he quickly straightened up. “Do not even consider it. You are better off not knowing.”

“What is it, Grandfather?”

“It is a copy of *Blood-Water Venom Claw*. I am merely examining it to understand its principles. It is nothing you should concern yourself with.” Apparently, it was a manual for a dangerous martial art acquired during the family’s affairs in Hainan. My father-in-law had declared it something to be studied and then discarded.

Just then, my sister rushed into the training ground, her expression urgent.

“Grandfather! You are needed in the main hall at once!”

“Why? Your mother can manage minor issues in your father’s absence.”

“This is not minor,” she said, catching her breath. “The family of the Lord of Sichuan has sent an envoy!”

“The Lord of Sichuan?”

“The Lord of Sichuan?!”

The Lord of Sichuan—my VIP customer for the Geodanhwan…

As my sister explained, my grandfather and I exchanged a look of understanding. A faint blush touched my sister’s cheeks as she elaborated, “It seems the Lord of Sichuan has taken a new concubine… and he overdosed on the medicine we provided. He is now on the verge of death…”

“What?!”

‘Oh, you have got to be kidding me…’

Despite our explicit dosage instructions, he had managed to create another disaster. Grandfather hurried to the main hall, and it was decided that he would personally travel to Sichuan to treat the lord. If the lord were to die, the blame could easily fall on us, however illogical that would be.

‘I just hope this doesn’t somehow become my fault…’

Sensing my anxiety, my grandfather gave my shoulder a reassuring pat. “Do not worry, So-ryong. You are part of the Tang Clan. We will handle this as a family.” His words put me somewhat at ease. Once preparations were made, my grandfather departed through the Nine-Tiered Gate.

“I will return soon. Look after the family while I am away,” he said.

“Yes, Father-in-law. Travel safely,” I replied.

“So-ryong, as the only man left in the household, it is your duty to protect the women,” he added, as if heading off to war. Smiling at his dramatic farewell, I nodded.

“Of course. I will protect Hwa-eun and Mother-in-law until you return.”

“Good. And Hwa-eun will oversee your training in my absence. She will instruct you well.”

“Hwa-eun will?”

“Yes.”

As my grandfather disappeared into the distance, I turned to my sister. She smiled mischievously.

“So-ryong, you will have to work very hard. I will not go easy on you.”

“Of course, Hwa-eun,” I replied.

“If you perform well, I will teach you the Tang Clan’s whip techniques alongside your lightfoot and palm training.”

“Whip techniques?”

“Yes. I am the foremost whip expert in the Tang Clan.”

At her words, memories from my past life surfaced—memories of forbidden knowledge involving leather, whips, and domineering queens…

‘This… does not sound enjoyable.’

I could only hope my sister’s preferences weren’t too unconventional.