Book 27 Chapter 12

Siblings

- Tang San & Tang Wen Hui

"And make sure to prepare '[ ]'."

'What on earth is Senior Disciple Brother thinking?'

Bi Ryu Yeon's parting words echoed vividly in Namgung Sang's ears as he left them at the Thirteenth Dormitory with the Suzaku Squad.

Though he had tried to be quiet so as not to be overheard, every single word was clearly imprinted in Namgung Sang's mind.

[Escape Route.]

That was what Senior Disciple Brother had ordered him to prepare. He had only said "escape route," but Namgung Sang had understood perfectly. What that escape route meant.

Bi Ryu Yeon had ordered him to secure a 'boat.'

The only means to escape from this Macheon Pavilion.

'That means he's anticipating the worst-case scenario…'

Such actions could easily put the entire Cheonmu Academy delegation at risk of being considered enemies of Macheon Pavilion. However, they couldn't just sit around and do nothing. If, as Senior Disciple Brother assumed, that Seocheon Myeolgeop was a high-ranking official of Macheon Pavilion, the entire Cheonmu Academy delegation could be taken hostage, or in the worst case, all killed.

'To think the Cheon Geom Ryong's reach extended this deep…'

While they were engaged in power struggles, status fights, and factional disputes, others were steadily expanding their influence, and before they knew it, they were tightening their grip around their necks.

'To only realize it at this point…'

That they had been fighting the Cheon Geom Ryong…

Truly, humans were sometimes incredibly foolish creatures. He couldn't decide whether to admire the Cheon Geom Ryong's meticulous planning or lament their own foolishness.

'Let's just focus on surviving for now. On navigating through the current situation safely.'

One had to be alive to regret anything.

To break through the escape route, the power of Samjeolgeom Cheong Heun and Jiryeong Baek Mu Yeong was most crucial. Although they were from the Gu Jeong Hoe of the Nine Great Sects and Namgung Sang was from the Gunung Pal Gahui, and they often clashed due to their factional rivalries, now was not the time for such disputes. To escape from here and break through the surrounding encirclement, cooperation was necessary.

Moreover, Namgung Sang was currently the leader of the Cheonmu Academy delegation. He had the duty to lead his companions to safety. It was regrettable that Yong Cheon Myeong and Maha Ryong were not present. However, instead, he had those who had endured hellish lives under Senior Disciple Brother, a man synonymous with fear, malice, and ruthlessness for years. What they gained from crossing that infinite hell was not just resilience and toughness against abuse.

They had gained a spirit that never gave up, no matter the situation. They could simply think that any hell would be better than being under Senior Disciple Brother. One could get used to hell if they experienced it often enough. Therefore, he and the Suzaku Squad members were ready.

'Preparation is perfect!'

Now, they had to recover their depleted internal energy through Qi circulation and meditation while waiting for the signal. Although his recovery was slow because he gave Jin Ryong the only Cheonsim Dan and only ate Soyang Dan himself, the word "giving up halfway" had ceased to exist in the Suzaku Squad after Bi Ryu Yeon had erased it from their vocabulary.

'If only Venerable Yeom Do and Venerable Bing Geom were here with me now, I would feel so much more reassured…'

Their absence was incomparable to the absence of Yong Cheon Myeong and Maha Ryong. No matter how many times he thought about it, it was a great pity. This included having to bear the entire burden alone, without anyone to shift the blame to.

'The game is over now…'

Namgung Sang realized that he could no longer return to his ignorant past when he knew nothing. The era of peace that had lasted for a hundred years was about to come to an end.

Why in our era…

A great storm of war was sweeping through the martial world, and Namgung Sang was in the midst of that storm.

*Gasp!*

Namgung Sang's chest plummeted as he was jolted during his Qi circulation and meditation, and he opened his eyes wide. He felt as if a cold dagger had pierced his heart, and he almost lost his composure, disrupting his Qi flow. If he had been careless, he could have fallen into a state of internal imbalance. As Namgung Sang opened his eyes, his entire body was drenched in cold sweat.

'What was that? That chilling sensation just now?'

It was a terrifying shock, as if a part of his soul had been torn away.

'Did something happen to Sansan?'

He and Namgung Sansan, having been born on the same day at the same time from the same mother, had a much stronger mental connection than others. When they were young, he had sometimes felt injuries that he himself hadn't sustained as if he had. He thought that feeling had mostly disappeared as he grew older…

*Thump thump!*

His heart, still pounding madly, showed no signs of calming down. Namgung Sang forcefully suppressed the rising anxiety and shook his head.

'Let's not have negative thoughts. Sansan will be fine. What kind of person is she? Besides, Hyeon Un is with her. Hyeon Un, please take good care of my younger sister.'

If Namgung Sansan had heard his thoughts, she would have exploded.

'Who are you calling my younger sister! I'm your older sister, your older sister!'

That was what she would say. The matter of who was older between them had not yet been settled.

"Sang, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Jin Ryong, who had been monitoring the completely surrounded situation outside the window, rushed towards Namgung Sang as he opened his eyes.

"Look at this cold sweat! Lord Namgung, are you alright?"

Ryu Eun Gyeong also rushed over, not to be outdone.

"Wait a minute! Where did you get 'Lord' from? What are you calling him 'Lord' for?"

Jin Ryong questioned, stopping Ryu Eun Gyeong's hand as she tried to wipe Namgung Sang's forehead with a handkerchief.

"Oh, 언니 (unnie, older sister). What else should I call the man who will be my husband? Should I call him 'Master'? That doesn't seem right…"

"That's not it, but why suddenly 'Lord'…"

Ryu Eun Gyeong couldn't understand why Jin Ryong's face turned bright red with embarrassment.

"Then you can call him 'Lord' too, 언니. Since I'm the concubine and you'll be the main wife (본처), aren't you?"

Startled by the remark, Jin Ryong exclaimed, "Who, who, who is the main wife!"

"Then you don't want to be the main wife? Then it's fine if I am, isn't it?"

"That's not allowed!"

Jin Ryong shouted resolutely.

"It's not allowed?"

Ryu Eun Gyeong tilted her head with a slightly disappointed voice.

Jin Ryong was speechless at Ryu Eun Gyeong's actions, which were impossible to tell if they were shameless or innocently naive.

Namgung Sang remained silent, caught between the two. It was an almost instinctual act; he realized that if he spoke carelessly, his life could vanish like a candle in the wind.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. To Namgung Sang's ears, the sound was like a bell of salvation ringing from heaven. Namgung Sang, who had been sweating profusely for reasons other than his cold sweat, exclaimed with delight.

"Come in!"

The door burst open, and two people entered simultaneously, shouting at the same time.

"Sang, are you okay?"

"Sang, are you alright?"

They were a man and a woman, both dressed in green. As soon as they entered, they looked at each other and shouted simultaneously.

"Don't copy me!"

"Don't copy me!"

It happened simultaneously without anyone being first. They were the twin siblings from the Tang family of Sichuan, the third son Tang Cheol Yeong and Tang Wen Hui. Like Namgung Sang and Namgung Sansan, these two were twins born at the same time from the same womb. Tang Cheol Yeong, in particular, was better known among his friends by the nickname Tang San, due to being the third son of the Tang family.

Their skills had improved significantly in the past two to three years, and their position within the Tang family had rapidly risen.

Before Tang Wen Hui could speak, Tang San quickly took the initiative.

"Hey, Sang. Any news from your sister yet?"

Namgung Sang shook his head. In truth, he was the one who wanted to know the news more than anyone else right now.

"Hmph, who are you calling my younger sister? Of course, Sansan is older than Sang."

Tang Wen Hui warned from the side.

"That's absurd. Sansan is Namgung Sang's sister, just like you are Wen Hui's sister."

Tang San retorted, raising his voice.

"Heh heh. That's impossible. Just as you are my younger brother, Sang is Sansan's younger brother!"

"Are you looking for a fight?"

Tang San picked up a hidden weapon from his waist.

"Alright, if you want to settle seniority by skill, I won't refuse!"

Not to be outdone, Tang Wen Hui rolled up her thigh and grasped the whip coiled there.

"Come on, both of you, stop it. I know you're on edge because we're surrounded, but don't fight. Fighting with the enemy outside will only benefit them. What would happen if Senior Disciple Brother heard about this?"

*Flinch!* *Sputter!*

The bodies of the two, on the verge of a fight, reacted instantly to the word "Senior Disciple Brother" and grew cold. The word "Senior Disciple Brother" had a magical effect on them. Tang San and Tang Wen Hui took a step back.

"Hmph, I was going to break your nose today and reach a hundred wins. You're lucky."

"Who are you calling lucky! Didn't you mean you wanted to reach a hundred losses?"

Their record so far was ninety-nine wins and ninety-nine losses. They had fought incessantly, but their skills were so evenly matched that the outcome had not yet been decided.

"Oh, good! Then how about the one who wins the next hundredth match becomes the elder one?"

Tang Wen Hui said, her eyebrows twitching.

"Fine! Absolutely. Don't regret it."

"You'll regret it, not me."

"Let's see after this is over. I can't wait to hear you call me 'Oppa' (older brother)."

"I can already hear you calling me 'Nuna' (older sister). Hohohoho."

Another spark of blue fire flickered between the two.

'They're hopeless.'

Namgung Sang shook his head, watching the two. He didn't quite realize that he and Sansan were not much different from these Tang siblings.

"By the way, Sang, how long are we going to be stuck in this stuffy dormitory?"

Sensing that fighting with Tang Wen Hui would be of no use, Tang San turned to Namgung Sang, who was shaking his head, and asked.

"That's right. I'm suffocating. I feel like I want to grab my whip and run out and cause a ruckus right now."

After fighting so much, she was quick to agree on this matter. She, too, had accumulated a lot of dissatisfaction and was on the verge of exploding. Regardless of anything else, they were twins. They resembled each other in their impatience, and they resembled each other in how they dealt with it.

"If you and Miss Jin have recovered, shouldn't we be moving instead of being stuck here?"

"Tang San is right. There's nothing we can do by staying here. We should be moving too."

"Wait a little longer. The signal hasn't come yet."

"Signal? What signal?"

This was what Bi Ryu Yeon had secretly instructed Namgung Sang when he left to rescue Na Ye Rin. Namgung Sang had been preparing for it since arriving here. However, the preparations were not yet complete. The biggest problem, above all, was the human barrier surrounding the entire Thirteenth Dormitory.

"That is…"

*BEEEEEEEP!*

At that moment, with a sharp cry, a bird with blue feathers, a Haedongcheong, glided through the window, its wings slightly folded. Namgung Sang pointed to the message tube attached to the bird's leg and said.

"This is the signal I was waiting for."

The bird that had flown in was Bi Ryu Yeon's pet falcon, 'Uroemae'.

"What does it say, Sang?"

Tang San asked curiously as Namgung Sang's face hardened as he read the message from Uroemae's tube.

"It says I've rescued Miss So, no, Senior Disciple Sister."

At that, Tang San looked bewildered and tilted his head.

"No, that's a good thing, isn't it? Then why do you have such a long face?"

"Sansan… is injured."

"Is, is that true, Sang?"

"Impossible!"

"I can't believe it! Sansan is injured…"

"I don't want to believe it either. But it's true."

"Is she, is Sansan okay?"

Jin Ryong, shocked by this thunderous news, shook Namgung Sang's shoulder and asked.

"Fortunately, she survived, it says."

Only then did the three heave a sigh of relief.

"But she's still unconscious. And Hyeon Un is also poisoned by 'Man Dok' and can't move."

Namgung Sang was overwhelmed by the news that his sister and closest friend were injured.

"Even Hyeon Un is poisoned… But can one survive being poisoned by 'Man Dok'?"

Tang San tilted his head.

"That's certainly true."

"What's strange? It's good that they're alive."

"If the Man Dok we know is that Man Dok, then it's a poisonous substance for which no antidote has been invented yet. It's a deadly poison that ranks among the most lethal."

Tang Wen Hui nodded in agreement.

"Even our Tang family hasn't been able to refine an antidote yet. Who on earth…!"

"Hey, first, worry about Hyeon Un's condition. Don't be so surprised that he's alive."

Namgung Sang sighed, looking at the Tang siblings, who, like people from the Tang family of Sichuan, who lived for poison and hidden weapons, couldn't contain themselves when poison and hidden weapons were mentioned.

"Tang San, go and summon Cheong Heun Hyung and Baek Hyung right now."

There was no more time for idle chatter. Even if his body was not fully recovered, now that the signal had arrived, Namgung Sang had to move.

"Understood, Sang. I'll be right back."

* * *

"We will now escape from Macheon Pavilion."

When Tang San brought Cheong Heun and Baek Mu Yeong, Namgung Sang looked at everyone and said. He had already explained the situation to some extent. At first, Cheong Heun and Baek Mu Yeong had difficulty believing that the Cheon Geom Ryong's influence had reached Macheon Pavilion. However, when the Macheon Pavilion warriors menacingly brandished their weapons and surrounded the entire Thirteenth Dormitory, they had no choice but to believe Namgung Sang. Moreover, since Namgung Sang was the nominal leader of the delegation, they had to follow his instructions.

"What do you plan to do now?"

This meant asking if he had any plan for escape.

Namgung Sang nodded without hesitation and looked around at everyone, speaking in a strong voice.

"Of course. We will now go to the harbor and steal a boat."

To secure an escape route, the most urgent thing was to secure a boat. As an island floating in the middle of Dongjeong Lake, surrounded by water on all sides, it was impossible to leave without a boat. For this very reason, Bi Ryu Yeon had left all the Suzaku Squad members, except Hyeon Un and Namgung Sansan, in the dormitory.

"The success of this rescue operation hinges on whether we can secure a boat to leave this place. Do not forget, the success or failure of this rescue operation rests in our hands."

At that moment, Baek Mu Yeong raised his hand. All eyes turned to him.

*Thwack!*

"If so, there's something we need to deal with first, isn't there? Don't you agree, Leader Namgung?"

Jiryeong Baek Mu Yeong folded his fan and cast a sharp gaze at Namgung Sang.

"What do you mean by 'deal with,' Hyung Baek?"

"Oh dear, I thought Leader Namgung knew, of course?"

His tone was clearly sarcastic. Cheong Heun, originally from the Wudang Sect, and Baek Mu Yeong, from the Hyungsan Sect, were key executives of the Nine Great Sects Alliance, the Gu Jeong Hoe, so they weren't on good terms with Namgung Sang. Baek Mu Yeong, in particular, thought that Yong Cheon Myeong should have been the leader of the delegation, and therefore, he did not truly acknowledge Namgung Sang. He believed that Namgung Sang had become the leader by chance because Yong Cheon Myeong had depleted all his internal energy fighting Maha Ryong.

Namgung Sang, restraining Jin Ryong, who was about to retort heatedly, said gently.

"Isn't this a time when we should all work together to overcome hardship, Hyung Baek? If there's something I don't know, you can teach me. Isn't that what cooperation is?"

This was a way of telling him to stop being petty and to read the situation. It also subtly implied a rebuke, asking if he only knew how to nitpick and not how to cooperate.

"Ahem, of course, it's about how to break through the surrounding encirclement outside."

Baek Mu Yeong said, pointing outside the window with his folded fan.

"That is…"

Namgung Sang trailed off, feeling a pang of guilt internally.

'This is bad. I hadn't even thought of that…'

The Cheonmu Academy delegation was fully capable of forcing its way through the encirclement of about thirty people. However, if they did so…

"As Leader Namgung surely knows, it's not impossible to force our way through. But if we do, it will become a long fight as there are many enemies, and while we're tied down, if the enemy calls for reinforcements, we risk being completely annihilated due to our depleted energy. So, a capable leader like Namgung would have prepared a plan other than a forceful breakthrough, right?"

This was tantamount to saying that if he hadn't prepared, he was incredibly incompetent.

"So, that is…"

At that moment, Tang San stepped forward.

"Of course, it's prepared. Do you think Leader Namgung wouldn't prepare something like that?"

"What is it, Young Master Tang?"

Tang San took out a purple pouch from his chest and offered it.

"It's this, Anrakhyu (安樂休)."

Tang Wen Hui's face lit up upon seeing the pouch.

'Oh my, Tang San, you've got some brains!'

"Anrakhyu? What is that?"

Cheong Heun asked, tilting his head. Tang Wen Hui explained on behalf of Tang San.

"It's short for 'Anrakhan Hyusik without Senior Disciple Brother' (대사형이 없는 안락한 휴식), so it's 'Anrakhyu.' Think of it as a potent sleeping incense."

"'Without Senior Disciple Brother'…"

"…a peaceful rest?"

Cheong Heun and Baek Mu Yeong wore expressions of utter disbelief, unable to comprehend why the sleeping incense was given such a peculiar name. It was understandable. Some happiness is incomprehensible, thought the rest, excluding these two.

"Well, to be more precise, we should put a tag of 'failed product' on it."

"Failed product? What do you mean? Can we trust it, Miss Tang?"

"Don't worry, it only failed on Senior Disciple Brother."

Due to the constant special training from Senior Disciple Brother, the Suzaku Squad could only truly rest when Senior Disciple Brother was asleep. The longer Senior Disciple Brother slept, the longer their peaceful and pleasant rest would be. It was a "special sleeping incense" created through joint research by the two Tang siblings, who were always bickering, for the sole purpose of extending that dreamlike sweet rest, even if only a little.

However, after experimenting on all their Suzaku Squad colleagues and proving its effectiveness, they had a terrible memory of being severely beaten when it had no effect on Senior Disciple Brother. Nevertheless, it was a super potent sleeping incense that was immediately effective on others.

"However, there is one problem with using this."

"A problem? What is it, Miss Tang?"

"This Anrakhyu is not made in the form of a smoke bomb, so to make them inhale this sleeping incense, we need to use another method of dispersing it."

Anrakhyu was a simple structure that was lit like incense to produce smoke. It had not been further improved since it was revealed that it had no effect on Senior Disciple Brother.

"If that's the case, we can leave it to this friend."

Cheong Heun suddenly pointed to himself, and Baek Mu Yeong was a little taken aback.

"His fan techniques are the best."

Cheong Heun gave a thumbs up and smiled.

* * *

The encirclement was handled by the members of the Twelfth Unit, responsible for information gathering and covert operations among the thirteen units of Macheon. This was because the captain and vice-captain were absent for some reason. Therefore, the encirclement was currently led by Heo Dang, who was ranked third.

His nickname was 'Heogonggi' (Empty Air), given because of his exceptional lack of presence, making him difficult to distinguish whether he was there or not. Thanks to this vague presence, he had learned stealth techniques much faster than others and had gathered a lot of information by deceiving people's eyes. Thus, it was no exaggeration to say that his ascent to third rank was due to this innate "vagueness." However, in situations where he had to command people, his faint presence became a liability.

"Hey, do you know where the Vice-Captain went?"

As the encirclement showed no significant changes, the Twelfth Unit members, getting a bit bored, started chatting one by one.

"I don't know, I don't think so? He hasn't been seen since earlier."

"You too? I haven't seen him either!"

"As expected of the Vice-Captain. No one can match his lack of presence."

"He's not called Gonggi for nothing."

"Be careful. The Vice-Captain might hear you from somewhere."

"But he hasn't been here for a while?"

"He's the Vice-Captain. He might be here even if he's not. We might not be aware of it. We have to be careful. As much as his presence is faint, his temper is also short."

"That's true."

Next to them, a thin man, dry as straw, stood weeping.

'Hey, I'm here, aren't I? Next to you? And I'm not using any stealth techniques!'

Yet, these subordinates seemed oblivious to his presence and were busy whispering amongst themselves. While this wasn't the first time, it didn't make him accustomed to it.

'Alright, this time, I'll make sure not a single rat escapes and show them my presence!'

He was determined to strengthen his presence by commanding a perfect encirclement and making a contribution. It was then.

'Hmm, what is that?'

Smoke was emanating from the main gate of the Thirteenth Dormitory. It wasn't very dense smoke, but it seemed to have a will of its own as it approached them.

"Hey everyone, wait a minute, look over there."

Heo Dang said in a voice as thin as a mosquito's, pointing towards the entrance. However, none of his subordinates looked in that direction.

"Hey everyone, look over there, I'm telling you?"

He reminded them again, thinking they hadn't heard him. Did they finally hear his voice?

"Hey everyone, I think I can hear the Vice-Captain's voice from somewhere."

"Really? Are you mistaken?"

"No, someone just touched me."

It seemed that his instructions were not clearly heard due to his weak presence.

"So, I'm telling you to look over there! That smoke looks suspicious. It would be good to take some action!"

Heo Gonggi, Heo Dang, raised his voice with all his might.

"Hey, I just heard the Vice-Captain's voice. He said something is suspicious?"

"That's right, I heard it too. But the sound is faint, so he must be very far away."

"Alright, let's ask loudly."

One of the loudest members of the Twelfth Unit cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted.

"Viiiice-Caaaaptain! What is suspicioussssssss!"

"The smoooooke is suspiciousssssss!"

Heo Dang shouted with all his might. As if his voice had barely reached them, his subordinates nodded.

"He says the smoke is suspicious."

Then, a nearby member urged him on.

"Then ask what we should do."

The loud-voiced member shouted again.

"Soooo… whaaaat… doooo… we… dooooo?"

"Ah, right. Fiiiirst, reeeeetreeeeat!"

Heo Dang shouted again with all his might.

"Hey, he says to retreat first."

'Finally, my voice has reached them!'

It was a natural thing, but Heo Dang felt a sting of emotion, as if his arduous efforts had finally been rewarded.

"Alright, then we should retreat."

"Let's do that… Huh? Why suddenly… am I getting sleepy?"

"Weeeeell… I'm sleepy too…"

*Thump!* *Thump!*

The warriors surrounding the Thirteenth Dormitory began to lose consciousness one by one and fall over. The smoke from Anrakhyu had completely enveloped them. As the Tang siblings had boasted, its effect was undeniable. Even as all his subordinates collapsed and snored, the Twelfth Unit's Vice-Captain, Heo Dang, remained standing there. Did a weak presence mean a delayed effect? However, he too had already inhaled a considerable amount of sleeping incense while shouting at his subordinates.

"So… I… told them to avoid it…"

As he collapsed onto the ground, Heo Dang muttered. Of course, not a single subordinate heard him.

* * *

"Hmm, your fan techniques are always impressive."

Cheong Heun nodded, as if admiring him.

Baek Mu Yeong, who had been diligently fanning with all his internal energy, folded his fan and said.

"Huff, huff, are you teasing me? My fan isn't meant for this. I hope this doesn't happen again next time."

Still, he had fanned diligently, and his forehead was drenched in sweat.

"Who's teasing you? It's not something anyone can do, to spread this kind of smoke all around the dormitory with a fan imbued with internal energy. I'm genuinely impressed."

Of course, the sight of him diligently fanning in front of the burning incense was quite amusing, unlike the normally dignified Baek Mu Yeong, but he chose not to mention it.

"Thank you, even if it's just out of politeness. Now, are you satisfied, Leader Namgung?"

Namgung Sang, who had brought the remaining delegates from the second floor and was waiting, nodded.

"Of course. Thanks to Hyung Baek, things went smoothly. And thank you, all of you."

"It's nothing. I didn't expect it to be useful at a time like this, but I'm glad it helped."

"It would have been perfect if Senior Disciple Brother had heard about it. When we get back, I'll try to improve it so we can disperse the poison more easily. I'll change the name to 'Wen Hui Tan' too."

Even though it was the first time using it on someone other than the Suzaku Squad, the effect was faster than imagined. It seemed that the weaker the internal energy, the faster the effect.

"What do you mean, Wen Hui Tan? It should naturally be called Cheol Yeong Tan."

"Cheol Yeong Tan? It should be Tang San Tan. Ugh, how unfashionable, younger sibling."

Tang San immediately retorted.

"What? Unfashionable? 'Hye Mae' (Younger Sister) is the unfashionable one."

"Who are you calling Hye Mae! Who gave you permission!"

The two, whom he had just calmed down, started fighting again. Knowing that they would fight all day if left alone, Namgung Sang intervened and calmed them down.

"Alright, alright, you can fight plenty when we get back. For now, let's all focus on escaping this place. Think about Senior Disciple Brother. He's waiting."

Upon hearing the word "Senior Disciple Brother," the two flinched again and stopped fighting.

"Now, everyone, let's head towards the harbor. However, we must move quietly without letting them notice our movements."

The key to success was how long they could move stealthily.

'I hope there's not much security at the harbor…'

With the entire island sealed off, it was probably best not to have such expectations. But if they could reach the harbor without being detected… he was confident in their escape.

'With this lineup, I wouldn't be afraid even if a Sword Demon-level master came!'

Perhaps because breaking through the encirclement had been too easy, making him complacent, Namgung Sang thought this at the time.

Unaware that the scythe of the Grim Reaper was aimed at their necks.