The Eldest Daughter of the Tang Clan of Sichuan Protects the Family

Part 1

Chapter 14. The Black Sky Demon

The sound of the leader's laughter scattered through the night air.

"This is unfair. We didn't know you were here, Senior. And as for the eyes, isn't it impossible for me to change them, even if I wished to?"

Silence descended between them.

Not even the sound of insects could be heard in the stillness, and no one moved.

The leader's voice cautiously flowed through, pressing gently on the stillness.

"By the way, Senior. I have one question."

The man's eyes darted.

"Do you know the identities of those whom the Senior Black Sky Demon is protecting?"

At those words, Tang Min snapped.

"Ah, is this bastard deaf? I'm not protecting them! I said whether they live or die, do it outside of Sichuan! If you can't even understand that, it seems like you guys are still foolishly holding onto only the strong. You should have someone who knows how to use their head stick close by. Then again, if you did, you guys would..."

Tang Min stopped there.

His subordinates flinched, but the leader was not surprised.

From the start, it was impossible for the Black Sky Demon not to have noticed their existence.

The Yuhyeon Pavilion, affiliated with the Blood Sect's Intelligence Hall.

The Intelligence Hall was the information agency of the Blood Sect, gathering news from the Central Plains and secretly dispatching members to carry out missions.

However, this was the first time the leader of Yuhyeon Pavilion, who was based outside the Central Plains, had moved personally. That was how important this mission was.

The leader smiled.

"It seems your offer to turn a blind eye was sincere, seeing that you were trying to send us off even though you know who we are."

The man with the red eyes gave a cold smile.

"But for me to trust and leave, the time we've spent together is too short. Isn't it too little time to build trust? I'm doubtful whether our existence will remain unknown."

Tang Min frowned.

"It seems you've misunderstood something. When I said I'd turn a blind eye, it meant I'd give you time to escape, not that I'd keep my mouth shut forever."

In frustration, Tang Min let out a sigh through his voice.

"I was going to let the Murim Alliance know about you guys in three or four days. That's already a generous concession. Tsk, tsk, you have no conscience."

"Conscience, you say?"

The man chuckled.

A sharp gaze slowly rose.

"Does such a thing still exist in the Central Plains?"

"Huh? I don't think those are words I should be hearing from you."

At that moment, Tang Min's focus faltered as the red-eyed man's gaze shifted sideways. The atmosphere around the cave entrance shifted, and Tang Min's concentration wavered.

The leader murmured in a low voice.

"It seems you've bought enough time for support to arrive from the main family."

Tang Min's face twisted in response.

"What do you mean? Considering their speed, that's impossible."

Soon, a playful smile crept onto Tang Min's face.

"Anyway, what should we do about this? I was genuinely planning to stay quiet for three or four days, but those people are not like that. They're stubbornly righteous types, and they'll wave their swords around here to announce the Blood Sect's resurgence to the Murim Alliance even if it means dying. Ah, if I had known this would happen, I should have brought a musical troupe. Instead of a romantic night watching a sword dance, I'll be stuck listening to the sound of these gloomy bastards getting their throats slit."

Tang Min clicked his tongue in genuine regret. The leader stared at the crazy old man with a calm gaze.

"In that case, we need to find another exit quickly."

Thump.

The leader stomped his foot loudly. Then, as if confirming the path, he pressed the ground deeply and began to run. Thump-thump-thump. The intense vibrations tickled the leader's feet like the sound of a drum.

Sharp darts flew toward the leader from all directions.

Clang! Clang! Clang!.

A charging Blood Sect member shielded the leader, knocking away the darts, but the darts curved as if imbued with will, piercing through the Blood Sect member.

The leader used a new technique. His movements were invisible, but in an instant, he had reached the thatched roof.

The darts, having lost their target, pierced the air.

However, the attack wasn't without meaning.

"Keuh-eok."

Multiple, overlapping death gasps echoed.

Thwack. Thud. Crash.

The darts released at Tang Min's gesture were retrieved and made holes in the Blood Sect members' bodies. In a split second, the retrieving and releasing of darts repeated countless times, and the metal pieces slaughtered nine of the Blood Sect members.

Amid the darts, which seemed like a flower shower, the flying dagger pierced through. Unlike the chaotic swirling of the darts, the flying dagger pierced accurately to vital points with no wasted movement. It was truly a remarkable assassination technique. Even the leader was momentarily distracted.

"Tsk, tsk, what's the point of being strong? The strongest guy is hiding in the back, avoiding danger."

Tang Min's figure appeared in front of the leader.

Clang.

The leader swatted away the dart that was rushing toward his forehead and stretched his leg back to avoid the flying dagger that was about to pierce his knee. However, as soon as he moved, the flying dagger changed its trajectory and charged toward the leader's wrist.

The leader, constantly swinging his sword and parrying the flying dagger, heard a laugh.

"Right. Stretching your joints feels good, huh? Ah, I'm such a kind person. When you go back, tell your comrades as well. Actually, there won't be a chance for you to go back, so enjoy yourself here."

Amidst the metal pieces that were swirling around like insects, a figure of a martial artist, whose hair was not even slightly harmed, appeared.

Tang Min, still grinning, was already back by the wall. In the exact same spot as before, not even an inch away.

At the end of the path the leader had been running, the place where there was probably an exit.

The leader's darkened red eyes quietly watched the scene.

Whoosh.

The leader stepped back a pace and gathered his internal energy, sweeping his sword in a wide horizontal arc. A crimson sword energy wrapped around the sword and flew in a long crescent shape. It was an attack meant to destroy the wall where Tang Min stood. But before the red flash even reached the wall, Tang Min's afterimage disappeared.

'Where to?'

Even as the question rose, a flutter of green robes scattered before his eyes. As the fabric stretching from behind brushed his shoulder, the leader twisted his body and swung his sword.

Swish.

But despite putting all his strength into it, the sword only grazed the sleeve.

"Oh."

A low murmur of admiration tickled his ear. The voice, full of favor like one praising a child, made the muscles in the leader's jaw twitch. Like a cat toying with a mouse, Tang Min was clearly toying with him.

The leader lost his composure.

He unleashed a barrage of blazing, quick slashes, fast enough to spark fire, but he couldn't feel anything connecting with his sword.

It meant he was only slicing through empty air.

『Leader.』

The leader came to his senses at the sound of a voice burrowing into his mind through sound transmission.

It was the voice of a subordinate lying on the ground. Though a vital point had been pierced, he was still alive.

As the elites of Yuhyeon Pavilion, they had been taught a strange martial art by the Blood Demon. A technique that stored internal energy in their bodies by absorbing the blood of others.

They had stolen the internal energy of other people provided by the Blood Demon and stored it in their blood meridians.

It was said that the Blood Demon could use others' internal energy separately or fuse them into explosive power, but unfortunately, these men had yet to reach that realm.

To force out such an overwhelming amount of internal energy that their bodies could not withstand required risking their lives—but with death already near, it was a risk worth taking.

The Yuhyeon Pavilion elites gathered every ounce of internal energy from the depths of their bodies and forcibly strengthened their internal energy. One of them, lying still to recover, now spoke to the leader.

『There's a sound of wind from beneath the floor. It looks like the Black Sky Demon was guarding this exit.』

The leader tried not to turn his gaze on purpose and instead swung his sword even harder. It was to hold the Black Sky Demon's attention on himself.

The subordinate, who had worked with him for a long time, quickly grasped his intent.

『Draw his attention, and I'll open the exit within half a gak. (approximately 7.5 minutes)』

『As soon as the exit opens, follow. I'll handle the Black Sky Demon.』

With that brief command, there were no further transmissions.

Right now, they had no choice but to quickly find the exit.

The hidden weapon ghost in front of them was a problem, but a dense energy was also being sensed at the entrance. If they joined the fray, not only would they fail their mission, but their very survival couldn't be guaranteed.

"You bastard, you're up to something, aren't you?"

The leader involuntarily smiled. Sensing the sudden shift in demeanor, Tang Min, who had been enjoying himself, quickly turned his head.

Kwaang!

But by then, a Blood Sect member had already torn open a floor panel. Not missing the moment, the leader surged forward toward Tang Min.

"You should be focusing on me, Senior."

"You insolent bastards!"

Tang Min dodged the tightly woven sword energy flying at him like spider webs. Instead of counterattacking, he bolted for the door. But by then, all nine subordinates had already entered.

Tang Min immediately followed after them. Even though he could sense the leader closing in behind him, he didn't hesitate.

"Are you leaving me behind so coldly?"

The leader who had followed close behind attacked Tang Min's back.

Claaang! Clang!

The metal pieces wrapped around Tang Min's body deflected the leader's sword energy.

There was nothing more dangerous than turning one's back on an enemy, but he had no time to think further.

They were ones who had survived the poison mist So-hwa created. Meaning their internal energy had reached a level where they could neutralize poison. Those still descending the mountain wouldn't be able to handle them.

"Damn it!"

Emerging from the dark cave, Tang Min sharpened his senses and chased after his kin. In his mind, he could hear the leader's mocking voice.

- Do you know the identities of those whom the Senior Black Sky Demon is protecting?

The ones being treated in the Yeonju Group had suffered fatal wounds. And yet, over a hundred Blood Sect members had shown up to capture merely ten wounded men?

The Blood Sect had been annihilated decades ago. But now, those who had stayed silent all this time were risking exposure to appear in the Central Plains—sending in a master with red eyes, no less.

Just who the hell are they?

Tang Min grew more anxious.

Only about fifty Blood Sect members had entered the Yeonju Group.

But Yun-jin, who had gone out to scout, reported that those surrounding them numbered over a hundred. If the Blood Sect had split into teams to surround the gorge and block the retreat, then the children descending the mountain were in danger.

Tang Min began to burn with urgency. All he could think about was catching up to the children right away.

He now understood why they had quietly crossed into Sichuan from the Anhui branch.

If they were pursuing the Blood Sect, it would've been difficult to go public. It was a matter that could shake the Murim Alliance itself. Sharing unconfirmed information could only cause chaos.

Still, seriously. These insane bastards! Now, even we're about to die quietly like this! These damn bastards, I swear—!

Tang Min swallowed his curses and moved swiftly.