The Genius Youngest Disciple of the Wudang Sect

Chapter 384

Tang Gyuseon talked to us incessantly while leading us back to the inner court. He hadn't said anything before, but it seemed he actually had many things he was curious about. However, since the Sichuan Tang Family was currently keeping outsiders at a distance, he couldn't speak to us even if he wanted to earlier, but now that we had received the Family Head's recognition, he seemed to feel at ease talking to us.

"Then you Taoists must have fought many enemies during that time?"

"That's right. It's already been several years since we first set out for actual combat."

"Wow! Several years already! Ah, but could you please speak comfortably from now on? All of you Taoists seem much older than me. I'll call you seniors."

"Still, how could we treat a child of the Tang Family like that? Isn't the current way good?"

"If you say so... there's nothing I can do."

He made a dejected expression, but I pretended not to notice. Someone like Tang Gyuseon seemed very cute and easy to talk to. I also thought it would be nice to have one such cute junior. However, there was another reason why I didn't try to become close with him immediately. He was currently the son of the Family Head and would be of the youngest generation within the Tang Family. If I became close to him and was considered just a friend of Tang Gyuseon, other people might also perceive me as being of a similar generation to Tang Gyuseon. Normally, I wouldn't have cared about such a thing at all, but now I was in a situation where I had come to help the Tang Family. Even if they were allies, I had to be careful about actions that could make me look easy to look down upon.

"Have you Taoists ever fought the Four Evils Alliance?"

Fortunately, Tang Gyuseon was not greatly disappointed and asked me again with twinkling eyes.

"Yes. I've fought them before."

In fact, I had never directly clashed with the Four Evils Alliance, but I had fought Dokgo Ju-gwak. Twice, at that. Since Dokgo Ju-gwak was still the leader of the Four Evils Alliance when he fought me, wouldn't it be fine to consider it as having fought the Four Evils Alliance?

"How was it? Are they really as strong and persistent as the rumors say?"

"Strong and persistent.... That's right. They really could be like that."

"So it was true.... I also heard it through the grapevine, but I heard that our Tang Family warriors are currently struggling because of the Four Evils Alliance warriors."

"Doesn't the Tang Family have strong poison techniques?"

"That's true, but...."

Tang Gyuseon trailed off for a moment and then continued.

"I don't know if I should tell you this much, but that's exactly why we're being pushed back. The Tang Family's specialties are poison techniques and hidden weapon techniques... right. Of course, there are warriors who use swords and others who use different weapons."

That's right. But since I had never heard of a top-class swordsman or saber-user coming from the Tang Family, it would be fine to consider poison and hidden weapons as the Tang Family's identity.

"Those despicable bastards of the Four Evils Alliance.... I heard that as soon as a fight starts, they sneak into private houses and hide among the innocent commoners who know nothing. Then our warriors, who cannot kill innocent people together, become unable to unleash poison techniques. And if they fight in private houses where there are many people and many buildings like this...."

"Hidden weapons wouldn't be able to exert their proper effect either. Buildings would naturally become cover and concealment."

"Exactly. That's why I heard our Tang Family is unable to use its strength against them right now."

In a way, it might be a disgrace to the family, but Tang Gyuseon spoke without hiding anything. Perhaps it was possible because he was a pure soul who had not yet been stained by the martial world.

"I wondered why a huge and great family like the Sichuan Tang Family was struggling against such people, and there was such a reason. Those Four Evils Alliance bastards are truly despicable. To fight while taking commoners as hostages."

"But please keep it a secret from my father that I told you this. He might scold me if he hears that I told you."

"Yes. Don't worry about that. I'll pretend not to know on my own. Right, senior brothers?"

My senior brothers, who were following behind me, also nodded at the same time. Since they also had ears, they must have heard everything Tang Gyuseon and I were talking about.

"We've arrived before I knew it while talking."

"Indeed. I hope we can talk more next time when you're free."

"Yes. Let's do that. Thank you for bringing us all the way here."

He brought us right to the front of the banquet hall, and thanks to Tang Gyuseon, we were able to return safely to the inner court.

* * *

The Family Head called it a banquet, but it was a meal that was a bit small to be called a banquet and a bit large to be called just a dinner. In fact, we should think it was a thankful thing that he treated us this much even while being pushed back by the Four Evils Alliance.

"Eat a lot for now. And in the meantime, I've already sent people to Emei and Qingcheng. I told them that the sects of the Central Plains sincerely want to help us and be friendly again, so everyone should be ready to open the latches of their hearts."

He spoke as if he were being pleasant on purpose, but the heaviness contained within seemed to be felt. To be honest, I didn't know how Sichuan had fallen because I wasn't interested in my past life. I only knew that they had lost hegemony after being pushed back by the Four Evils Alliance and the Four Evils Heaven. However, hearing Tang Gyuseon's story while coming here, I thought that they were dealing with the entire Sichuan martial world quite craftily. First of all, the Sichuan Tang Family was like that. They neutralized poison techniques by taking commoners as hostages and neutralized hidden weapons by fighting in places with many obstacles. Anyone could see that they were unfolding tactics tailored to the Sichuan Tang Family. That made me think that the way they treated the Emei Sect or the Qingcheng Sect might be the same. So when I asked about it tentatively, the Family Head's expression stiffened noticeably.

"Hmm.... You want to know how the Four Evils Alliance is dealing with us.... This is quite something. You're hitting the nail on the head from the start."

He seemed to ponder for a moment and then continued.

"In my opinion, I think they might have a special strategist. When dealing with our Tang Family, they insist on fighting in places where we cannot unleash our specialties, poison and hidden weapons, and they are also persistently targeting only the weaknesses of Qingcheng and Emei."

"What are their weaknesses that the Four Evils Alliance warriors are attacking?"

"Since they are not my sect, it's a bit difficult to speak of their weaknesses with my own mouth, but I'll tell you since the enemies already know and are attacking those points anyway."

He emptied the wine cup placed before him into his mouth. It seemed as if he were trying to swallow his agony along with a cup of wine.

"First, the Qingcheng Sect has excessively strong pride. At times, they have a stubborn side that is almost foolish, so if a small number of strong people visit and challenge them to a one-on-one fight, they never avoid it. The Four Evils Alliance bastards are picking out particularly strong ones among them and challenging the upper echelons of the Qingcheng Sect. Although it's a repetition of the Qingcheng Sect winning sometimes and the Four Evils Alliance winning other times.... I don't know where the Four Evils Alliance gets warriors like an endless spring, but strong people keep coming out, and the number of masters in the Qingcheng Sect is gradually decreasing as the fights continue."

"I think I know what you mean. The Qingcheng Sect is collapsing from the top like that, and the end of a sect without masters is as clear as day."

"That's right. So I advised them not to accept challenges anymore, but it seems their pride does not allow it."

It was highly likely that the top-class masters challenging the Qingcheng Sect were not all Four Evils Alliance warriors. I also thought they might be warriors of the Four Evils Heaven under Gal Ryeok-hyeok, who called themselves the Four Evils Alliance, or perhaps masters sent by the Demonic Cult.

"Then the Emei Sect is...."

"Their situation is a bit better at least."

"What kind of situation is it?"

"The Emei Sect is in the deepest and most secluded part of Mount Emei. And by their nature, they are not people who rule over territories like us. Have you ever been to the Emei Sect?"

"I've never been there even once yet."

"That place is truly worthy of being called a natural fortress. It's not a place that people like the Four Evils Alliance can easily invade. So the strategy the Four Evils Alliance chose is... to completely blockade the surroundings of Mount Emei."

"A blockade...?"

"Their numbers are more than one can imagine. They have completely surrounded Mount Emei and are sending challenge letters to the Emei Sect every day. They tell them to decide whether to fight with all their strength and settle the score, or to surrender and submit to them. Of course, they've also completely blocked the supplies going into the Emei Sect from going up the mountain. Moreover, they say they are attacking the Emei nuns who come down the mountain to get food in groups."

I couldn't continue my words at the actions of the Four Evils Alliance bastards, which were more malicious than I had thought.

"They intend to... starve them to death as they are."

"That's right. They must have done it knowing well that the Emei Sect has no organizations or forces around that can help them."

He spoke bitterly. It seemed they could exchange news because there was no way to block the messenger pigeons flying in the sky.

"They say they are barely holding on by boiling tree bark and digging up grass roots. Perhaps the Four Evils Alliance is waiting for them to weaken like that and then intends to conquer the Emei Sect without much effort."

"Because even if it's a natural fortress, it cannot be defended if the person defending it has no strength."

The situation in Sichuan seemed much more serious than I had thought. One thing that was fortunate was that the Four Evils Alliance bastards were not even blocking the movement of merchants. Thinking about it, it was a natural thing, as there must be merchants or farmers for them to have a practical gain even if they rule this place. They wouldn't be doing this just to have a wasteland with nothing.

"It seems this matter will be difficult to handle with just us. Shouldn't we ask for help from other sects in the Central Plains?"

"That's true, but...."

He trailed off. They think they were defeated and even mocked in the friendly matches with the martial artists of the Central Plains in the past. He said the weakness of the Qingcheng Sect was pride, but in the end, he also seemed not to realize that he was entering the path of death because of pride.

"I'll think about that point positively. For now, shouldn't we do the things we can do ourselves?"

"I understand the Family Head's intent. But.... there's one more thing I'd like to ask."

"Something you want to ask? What is it?"

"Actually, I heard a strange rumor while coming here."

"A strange rumor?"

"Merchants say that currently, they feel being under the rule of the Four Evils Alliance is better than when they were under the Tang Family."

"W-what? Who said such a thing?"

"It was an ordinary person whose name I don't know. He said it was so hard when they were under the rule of the Sichuan Tang Family before, but now the Four Evils Alliance has cut the tribute to less than half."

I asked him despite it being a question that could be taken somewhat sensitively. Then the Family Head's expression crumpled... and he finally opened his mouth.

"Did people say that? That our Tang Family committed such a thing?"

"Yes. That's what they said."

It would be a lie if I said I wasn't honestly disappointed after hearing that story. In the end, the hardships they are currently experiencing might be something they brought upon themselves. Because if they hadn't lost the people's hearts, they wouldn't have collapsed so easily.

Thud!

At that moment, a loud sound was heard from the direction where the Family Head was. It was because he suddenly slammed the table with his fist. The table didn't break, but the plates shook violently and food splashed here and there. He opened his mouth as if growling.

"I never ordered such a thing. That was also one of the Four Evils Alliance's schemes."

"A scheme of the Four Evils Alliance?"

"Yes. I don't know where they got them, but they obtained clothes similar to the ones our warriors wear and demanded even larger tributes from them. We were completely unaware, but...."

"Then in the end, gaining the people's hearts by cutting the tribute was also... their own self-staged drama?"

"That's right. I swear I never once told them to receive excessive tribute."

He spoke with a firm face, and I couldn't help but be appalled by the maliciousness of the Four Evils Alliance bastards.

(End of Chapter)