Their mission had brought them to Sichuan's Murim. They had to account for the Tang Clan.

Naturally, the Wing-Returning Unit had brought various antidotes with support from the Command Bureau. But poison arts were a branch of martial learning whose complications were impossible to predict. Even if they faced only a handful of Tang experts, they had to prevent any potential loss of fighting strength.

That meant avoiding a clash until they had reliable information.

'Blossoms Raining Across the Sky should be enough to secure their cooperation.'

Jung Yeonshin did not withdraw the energy he had raised in his hand.

The Wing-Returning Unit's two experts reacted first. The Supreme Flame Dragon stroked his chin, gazing steadily at the stone fragments revolving above Jung Yeonshin's palm.

"The key principles of Blossoms Raining Across the Sky?" he murmured.

"You devised a formula merely from hearing the form of the technique described?"

Even Namgoong Hwashin, who had maintained his silence, spoke up. Though he remained mired in despair, he was indeed a warrior born with exceptional talent. His manner when discussing martial formulas was no different from that of the White Qilin of old.

"How do you circulate core energy to do that? It isn't remote manipulation."

"With sufficiently refined internal energy... one could truly unleash a storm of hidden weapons. Though controlling core energy on that scale would be another matter."

They were martial prodigies from Shandong and Southern Zhili, respectively. Their interest was immense.

"I've never even heard of such a thing. So that's why they keep calling you Founding Master."

The Supreme Flame Dragon spoke with an intrigued expression. Jung Yeonshin ignored him.

"You two from the Tang Clan. It won't be exactly the same as your clan's ultimate technique, but I think it should serve as a useful reference."

The boy spoke briefly, his gaze fixed on the Twin Poisons of Dragon and Phoenix.

"..."

The two rising talents of mixed iron-race blood looked like a young boy and girl. The Poison Dragon's mouth fell slightly open, while the Poison Phoenix's eyelashes trembled.

They stared only at the stone fragments whirling over the boy's hand. The arrogance with which they had declared the world easy had vanished from their faces.

Yet this, too, revealed their talent. Had they sensed nothing, they would have dismissed Jung Yeonshin with the same haughty expressions they had worn while speaking of aptitude.

They could not.

The finely fluctuating waves of qi, the spiraling fragments, the delicate circulation of core energy concealed within the phenomenon...

Jung Yeonshin spoke again.

"It's no more than an imitation of the basics. Within Blossoms Raining Across the Sky itself, there must be dozens of variations and methods of circulation."

He was right. But this was no ordinary imitation. The sight could well be called a precursor to Blossoms Raining Across the Sky. It closely resembled the introductory form handed down through secret manuals and oral instruction.

The Poison Dragon's mouth opened wider as astonishment slowly surfaced on his face. The Poison Phoenix brushed back the hair beside her ear. Her snow-white hand trembled faintly.

She recognized the value of this one technique. They both did.

'What is this? It's impossible...'

The Poison Phoenix looked back and forth between Jung Yeonshin's hand and face, her jet-black eyes moving up and down.

Creating a formula after hearing a martial art described? That was already the province of a Grandmaster. And this was no ordinary martial art. He had constructed the framework of a divine technique right here.

They said the world was full of extraordinary people, but this hardly seemed human.

She was learning an unwelcome humility, just when her fame as a once-in-an-age genius was spreading through Sichuan's Murim. For now, it was a feeling she did not want to acknowledge.

"Perhaps it wasn't you personally, Young Master, but the Desolate Fortress that researched this to do something to the Tang Clan..."

The Poison Dragon's trembling words broke off. The Poison Phoenix had struck him on the back of the head.

"Get a grip! Are you an idiot? If more people were all it took, would that make our clan a collection of imbeciles? Stop asking for trouble and shut your mouth...!"

She whispered fiercely, one hand already gripping her twin brother's ear as though she meant to tear it off. Then she caught a glimpse of Jung Yeonshin's impassive eyes and hastily folded her hands demurely before her.

"We have made a poor showing on our first meeting. You said you wanted information about our father?"

Jung Yeonshin nodded at her words.

"Tell me everything. The martial methods he favors, places he might stay in Sichuan, and the people he's acquainted with in the martial world. If the Tang clan head who left home is innocent, as you say, there should be no problem."

That was not true. Every item he had listed was something assassins made sure to investigate before setting out on a killing mission.

But Jung Yeonshin imagined plating his face with iron. The whereabouts of the Radiant Demon Squad depended on this clue. He could be even more shameless if necessary.

Namgoong Hwashin was not the only one changing. The more Jung Yeonshin experienced Murim, the more he became a man of its world.

If he died without obtaining or being able to accept the Fruit of the World Tree, he wanted at least to leave his loved ones and his martial arts intact.

"But that's..."

Even so, the Poison Phoenix did not raise her voice.

Could not was more accurate. It was precisely because she and the Poison Dragon were Tang Clan warriors.

Instruction in the fundamentals of Blossoms Raining Across the Sky.

Its value was beyond estimation. An ultimate technique that symbolized an illustrious martial house was a treasure beyond even mountains of gold. All the more so for an unparalleled secret technique renowned throughout the Central Plains.

"You want us...! To sell out our father..."

The Poison Dragon's eyes blazed, only to droop a moment later, before his younger sister could even tug at his sleeve.

Blossoms Raining Across the Sky was too valuable for him to continue in such a hostile tone.

"Even treating him with the utmost reverence wouldn't be enough."

Giving her twin brother a scornful look, the Poison Phoenix addressed Jung Yeonshin again.

"I'm ashamed of what I said earlier about talent."

"Will you accept my offer?"

Jung Yeonshin asked without concerning himself with any of that. At the same time, the Poison Phoenix took a soft step forward.

"I, Ryeoryeo of the Tang family..."

The Poison Phoenix, Tang Ryeoryeo, bowed gracefully, bringing the fingers of both hands together and overlapping them like a roof.

"...pay my respects to my benefactor."

Her lips moved. The sleeves of her green martial attire slipped down slightly along with her black hair. The fabric looked exceedingly soft, clearly no ordinary material.

Despite her small stature, her bearing was dignified.

This was not a martial greeting. The fist-and-palm salute was, in fact, uncommon in the Central Plains during the Ming era. Tang Ryeoryeo's clasped-hands bow was a traditional courtesy passed down among ordinary people.

It lowered oneself to express respect for another.

"Benefactor? This is an exchange. Don't leave a debt of gratitude. Make a trade of equal value," Jung Yeonshin said.

The suspicions surrounding the Tang Clan remained unresolved. He could not form ties with them under the pretext of teaching a martial method. Having his fellow Desolate Fortress warriors honor him as their founding master was already burdensome enough.

But the Poison Phoenix, Tang Ryeoryeo, gently shook her head.

"Our clan could offer nothing equal to Blossoms Raining Across the Sky. You will gain much from this, benefactor."

"I'm not interested. Does that mean you accept the trade?"

"Yes. We will tell you anything."

She was determined to receive the teaching, even if it meant selling information about her father. The Sichuan Tang Clan's reputation for ruthlessness was not undeserved.

Jung Yeonshin was glad of it. The method he had created on the spot had unraveled the Twin Poisons' inner conflict.

Beside him, the Supreme Flame Dragon smiled faintly and gestured with his eyes toward the Tang guards blocked by the Wing-Returning Unit's warriors.

"I was considering torture if it came to that. After killing all those fellows over there."

"Are you a practitioner of the evil path?"

Even as Namgoong Hwashin asked, he was still stroking his sword hilt.

Jung Yeonshin felt reassured anew.

However severe the Tang Clan's traditions, however powerful Sichuan's Murim, the Wing-Returning Unit was already prepared in spirit to face all of Sichuan.

"I'm Yeohwa of the Tang Clan of the roads of Shu."

The Poison Dragon, Tang Yeohwa, introduced himself. He resembled a slightly oversized member of the iron race.

He had prefaced the Tang Clan's name with the roads of Shu, implying that the treacherous paths leading into Sichuan were themselves a symbol of his house. It was the peculiar pride of Central Plains people who enjoyed putting on airs.

Yet he could not hide how subdued he was. Ever since seeing Jung Yeonshin's method, he had kept his eyes slightly lowered.

His younger sister, Tang Ryeoryeo, seemed to think that was preferable.

"Keep your mouth shut. You haven't even mastered the basics."

After reproaching her brother, she turned. Her lips curved in a refined smile as her eyes met Jung Yeonshin's.

"Benefactor, let us tell you what we know first. Your martial instruction can wait until later. What would you like to know?"

A sly cleverness showed through her words and manner. She seemed intent on giving satisfactory answers first, then receiving earnest instruction in return.

It was then that Jung Yeonshin detected a truly strange sound from beneath the cliff, in darkness as deep as an abyss.

A faint rumble rose through the space where previously only the wind had struck emptily. It sounded exactly like thunder.

He turned his gaze, and the Supreme Flame Dragon and Namgoong Hwashin nodded.

"So I wasn't hearing things. There's something down there."

"I heard it too."

Both had sensed it.

Jung Yeonshin gave a slight nod of his chin. This was where the Radiant Demon Squad's trail had ended. If something strange lay before them, they had to investigate.

"We're going down. You two are coming too," the boy said.

The Tang siblings, looking equally surprised, nodded. They had already lost the initiative.

It was something they had never experienced as direct descendants of the Tang Clan. But with initiation into Blossoms Raining Across the Sky at stake, they had little choice.

"Down."

At Jung Yeonshin's brief command, the entire gathering began to move. The Supreme Flame Dragon, Namgoong Hwashin, Hong Joogeom, and the rest of the Wing-Returning Unit followed their young captain first, looking like his retinue.

The Tang guards followed slowly, keeping the Twin Poisons between them. They too had witnessed the precursor to Blossoms Raining Across the Sky. Their killing intent, once as fierce as the gorge's gales, had dispersed into a gentle breeze.

"We cannot trust the Tang Clan so readily."

Hong Joogeom stepped forward.

"Founding Master, what say we divide our people and keep them between our forces?"

"Do so."

Jung Yeonshin turned to answer. Since taking temporary command, he had been addressing the Wing-Returning Unit's warriors as subordinates.

Temporary or not, he was the head of a combat unit. The hierarchy had to be established.

"May we come along as well? Sichuan's Murim must be unfamiliar to you. We'll provide information so long as it does not endanger our sect. Only until you become embroiled in a major battle."

The Beggar Heir and the Beggars' Sect members wanted to follow too. Jung Yeonshin nodded.

TAP.

The suddenly enlarged party set off, taking the cliffside path leading down.

It was a path in name only, hardly worthy of the word. Using Mobility Arts, they leaped between protrusions in the rock face.

WHOOSH!

Jung Yeonshin, the Supreme Flame Dragon, and Namgoong Hwashin descended first with the Tang siblings. Their robes fluttering, the five prodigies stepped from one part of the cliff to another.

Even then, the Supreme Flame Dragon and Namgoong Hwashin positioned themselves above the siblings' heads. There was no complete trust. The Wing-Returning Unit left no openings.

FLAP!

Tang Ryeoryeo and Tang Yeohwa truly deserved to be called geniuses. Their movements were exceedingly light, revealing the full excellence of their movement techniques. Despite having their Yin Intersection points sealed by Jung Yeonshin, they descended the treacherous cliff without difficulty.

Meanwhile, Jung Yeonshin listened to their account of the Tang clan head. The Poison Phoenix referred to him formally as their father, while the Poison Dragon simply called him Dad.

"Our father is smaller than we are. Our late grandmother was of the iron race, so that blood runs stronger in him. Our mother was Han Chinese, but as you know, those villains of the Thirteen Skies..."

"Dad's an incredibly skilled smith too. The Heaven-Spanning Divine Sword was born from his hands."

"He often visited Iron Blossom Forge in Shunqing Prefecture. It's a celebrated smithy in Sichuan, famous for the white flames of its furnace. If you teach us Blossoms Raining Across the Sky, Young Master, our clan will transform your Desolate Sword into a divine blade. I will personally see it done."

Their personalities were hardly alike for twins. The contrast between the demure young lady and the lively young gentleman was stark.

While the Poison Phoenix, Tang Ryeoryeo, explained things with care, the Poison Dragon, Tang Yeohwa, poured out chatter once he began talking.

The Tang siblings tried to stay close to Jung Yeonshin. That remained true even when they reached the foot of the cliff and darkness enveloped them.

THUD.

He set foot on the ground. An unusually dull sensation traveled up through his soles.

"...!"

It happened in an instant.

The boy clutched the crown of his head. His Baihui point blazed fiercely. Several images flashed through his mind.

A vast space lay underground. The Radiant Demon Squad faced a clan of short people.

Long sword wounds scored the backs of several of his seniors, as though they had been betrayed.

He saw Baek Miryeo's pale back. It appeared to have been stabbed several times. So had Chung Myung's abdomen.

And with it came a sensation like a whisper.

This was the realm of foresight. The power of his upper dantian, blazing white, spoke to him.

Today, a divine technique would be born.