Chapter 2 - 9 to 15

In half a year, the general procedures were completed. The competition was presided over by the respective leaders of the Dark King and the Dokwang. The Dokwang leader, Dang Ji-hyeok, received an urgent message and disappeared somewhere. Therefore, the participation of Dang Jeong-myeong in the competition was entirely in the hands of the Dark King leader, Dang Jeok-hui.

Dang Jeok-hwi spoke to Dang Sang-myeong, who had been smiling strangely since Dokwangdaeju disappeared.

"I have written your name on the list. You are now a prospective owner of a small house, and you must participate in the competition no matter what."

"thank you."

"You may or may not know, but the participants in the competition will be exempted from punishment for most serious crimes. If they wish, they will be protected at all times. Until the competition begins, the warriors of the Dark King's Corps and the Poison King's Corps will guard them."

"Yes. Then, from this moment on, I would like to ask you to escort me."

"Yeah… what?"

At Dang Jeok-hwi, the king of the dark kingdom, asked back with an expression that said, "What are you talking about?" As soon as his name was added to the list of candidates for Sogaju, he asked for personal protection as if he had been waiting for it? Unless he had committed some serious crime… .

That was when Dang Jeok-hwi began to have doubts.

bang!

"This reckless bastard!"

"… What's going on? Your Majesty the King."

"Well done, Moon-chan! Get out of my way. Your Majesty the King. This is no ordinary case. That young man's hands are no ordinary cruelty. I will personally hand down severe punishment."

"Please calm down."

Dang Jeok-hwi blocked Dang Ji-hyeok's path, glancing sideways at the boy. He didn't know what had happened to Dang Moon-chan, Dang Ji-hyeok's son, but he was clearly harboring murderous intent. For a moment, Dang Jeok-hwi had the feeling that the boy behind him might be laughing, but he didn't bother to turn his head to check.

Dang Jeok-hwi said, slightly raising his voice.

"Please calmly tell me why you are so angry."

"That bastard attacked my son Dang Mun-chan and the vice-president's son Dang Jeong-il. They both had their arms and hands completely crushed. It's clear that he was hiding the fact that he had learned internal energy with evil intentions and made a surprise attack. And that's not all? Dang Yeong-ryeong, the granddaughter of the third elder. You should know that child well."

There was no way he didn't know. He was the third elder, the most powerful among the elders. It was a well-known fact that the third elder, Dang Seok-hyeong, doted on his only granddaughter.

"Do you know what that child's face looks like now? It's covered in all sorts of poisons, and its skin has become terribly ugly! Even the Medicine King's Hall is having a hard time detoxifying it because of the various poisons mixed together. If the Three Elders find out about this… ."

"therefore."

Dang Jeok-hwi cut off Dang Ji-hyeok's words. He had a rough idea of the situation.

"So, among the three children who participated in the competition, Yeonmyeong alone was able to handle it. It was a surprise attack or something. Furthermore, the Lord Dokwang knew that Yeonmyeong would not be able to learn internal energy. But he still had him participate in the competition."

"that…."

Dang Ji-hyeok realized that he had made a slip of the tongue. He lost his composure as he immediately thought about punishing the boy who was hiding behind Dang Jeok-hwi and pulling the corners of his mouth.

"I suspect that the Lord has dark intentions. And apart from that, Dang-myung has already been added to the list of contestants. As you know, it is irreversible."

"Red-Hui. Think about the situation! That sly bastard said he would participate in the Sogaju competition in order to avoid punishment. Don't you know that!"

"There are no exceptions."

Dang Jeok-hwi spoke in a firm tone. He felt a sense of exhilaration. It felt like he had dealt a proper blow to Dang Ji-hyeok and the elders.

"The current status of the contestant, Yuan Ming, is that of a reserve head of the household. Therefore, he has the privilege of immunity from any serious crimes that occur within the household, and from this time on, his person will be protected by the Dark King's House. Looking at the great head, I can never leave him to the Dok Wang's House."

"Dangjeokhwi!"

"If you come any closer, I will have no choice but to use my hands. Don't make the contestants feel threatened."

As he said that, Dang Ji-hwi was convinced. Dang Ji-hyeok had no choice but to step down. The measures to protect the contestants were made by the elders. If you break them yourself, you will lose your justification. The position of the leader of a military force cannot be taken by force alone. You must have the appropriate worldly skills.

As expected.

After a moment of silence, Dang Ji-hyeok slowly spoke with his expression blank.

"… Yes. I admit it. I never thought I would fall for the tricks of a child. Even if he were the Three Elders, he wouldn't be able to do anything to you. I won't touch you either. If something happens to you, it would ruin the reputation of both the Dark King's and the Poison King's."

After saying that, Dang Ji-hyeok turned around and walked away, muttering a few more words as if he was chewing on something.

"Even if you do that, it's only four years. If you fail to become a Sogaju, you will have to pay the appropriate price. Dokbong is the same. You will have to pay the price for not being able to properly take care of your child."

No, maybe it won't take four years. Dang Ji-hyeok disappeared, leaving behind a soft laugh.

'You're mistaken.'

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Dang Ji-hyeok's warning-like words were ignored by Dang Yu-myeong. It was laughable. Four years? He had already mastered the Dokyo-cheong Gwangsim method. With a normal method, it would be normal to gain internal energy proportional to the years, but the Dokyo-cheong Gwangsim method was different. It ingested poison and grew in size. In other words, it could shorten the time needed to build internal energy significantly.

Once the internal energy is acquired, it is Yeobanjang who can regain the martial arts of his previous life. This is because his enlightenment regarding the sword is still clear. Who will be the one to pay the price in four years?

"you."

It was Dang Jeok-hwi who broke the illusion of certainty.

"You didn't bother to evade your responsibility. Is it true that you did what the Dokwangdaeju said?"

"yes."

The obvious answer was a light yes. Is there a need to evade? Is there a need to lie? If personal safety is guaranteed only during the period of competition for the Sogaju, then the Dokwangdaeju will have the power to kill them in one go.

"Then, there must have been a purpose behind committing the crime and coming here right away. Knowing the privileges given to contestants."

"… … ."

Yu Myeong-myeong was silent for a moment. The leader of the armed forces that would protect his safety in the future, the leader of the Dokwangdaeju Dang Ji-hyeok, after all. At first glance, he seemed to be a person who did not get along well with the Jangrowon side, but it was unclear whether he would be friendly to Yu Myeong-myeong.

Maybe he was hurt because he realized that he was being used by Danguimyeong.

"Why did you do that?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Those guys. That guy called Dang Moon-chan, the son of the vice-president, and even Dang Yeong-ryeong. From what I've heard, they seem to have done quite a bit of damage."

Dang Jeok-hwi stared at the boy with eyes that were trying to find something. Dang Jeok-hwi also noticed that the boy had a deep mind and was hiding something. So this incident couldn't have been a simple fight between kids. There must have been some reason behind it.

But what Dangjeok-hwi was curious about was not the inside story. After all, he could know even with his eyes closed that Dokbong was being looked down upon within the family.

I was just curious. The Sogaju competition is an event to choose the person who will lead the next party. Dangjeokhwi wanted to read from this answer whether the young Yumyeongmyeong had the qualities to lead the family.

Some time passes.

The boy who was looking into his eyes slowly opened his mouth.

"I am a member of the party."

"… Yes. Since we both use the Dang surname, both you and I are part of the Dang family."

It was a random remark, but Dangjeok-hwi agreed.

"Grace doubles."

"huh?"

"The resentment is tenfold."

"… … ."

"They had a grudge against me, and as a man with the Dang surname, I simply practiced chivalry according to family rules."

He doesn't go into detail about the circumstances. He doesn't even bother to explain that his actions were justified.

The boy spoke of chivalry. Chivalry is believing that one is right. There is no need for the standards of others. The only question is whether one has enough strength to carry out chivalry.

The boy's words gave Dang Jeok-hwi a strange feeling. The declining Dang family can no longer raise the banner of justice and chivalry like before. This is because their survival in the Sacheon martial arts world is at stake.

That's why the boy looked even brighter. He still hasn't forgotten the rules, so he probably knows the importance of strength even more.

Hahahahaha!

A hearty laugh bursts out of the King of Darkness' mouth. He looks at the boy with satisfied eyes and thinks. It looks like a big fish has been caught in the cow-ju race. No, maybe it's a snake.

"Dang-Yeon-Myeong, I like you! Of course, if you are the one who will become the head of the main family, you should have that much guts. I am already looking forward to four years from now. I, Dang-Jeok-Hwi, promise as the head of the royal family. Until the competition, no matter what happens, I will protect you. So you… ."

Dang Jeok-hwi, whose words were trailing off, suddenly stopped laughing as if it were a lie and spoke with a serious face.

"Make sure to become a cow owner."

****

'Have you heard the news? The Vice-President's son came back badly injured. I heard both his hands were completely broken.'

'Dangjeongil, are you talking about Dang Gongja? I heard that they are preparing for the Sogaju competition.'

'Yes. Not only Prince Dang Jeongil, but also Prince Dang Munchan, the son of the Dokwangdaeju, has lost the use of one of his arms. What's more serious is that they both seem to be mentally unstable. They are said to be completely terrified and startle at even the slightest disturbance.'

'... Who would dare do such a thing? If it's the Dokwangdae, it's an elite force that protects the main house of the family along with the Amwangdae. Are you saying you're not afraid of the consequences?'

'This isn't the end.'

'What? What is that?'

'I know Miss Dang Yeong-ryeong.'

'How could I not know? He is the precious jewel of the three elders… No, really?'

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'Yes. I heard that the spirit girl suffered greatly as well. She was robbed of all the poison she had by the evil spirit and suffered a penetrating wound in her thigh.'

'That's really crazy. That's why that monster… .'

'Listen. What's more, the vicious beast has poured all the poison he took all over the girl's face and other parts of her body. The poisons have been mixed together, so even the Medicine King's Hall can't do anything about it.'

'… … .'

'But do you know who that villain is? It's none other than… .'

The party was turned upside down.

Even within the family, the boys and girls known to be intelligent suffered terribly. Each of them had both of their fists crushed, became one-armed, and had hideous skin. But the one who made them like this was none other than the son of Dokbong, Dangmyeong.

It was a story that was hard to believe. Tang Moon-chan, Tang Jeong-il, and Tang Yeong-ryeong were outstanding children who could compete in the Sogaju competition. It was a different matter from simply beating up three peers.

And those who heard the rumor said that the three elders, the vice-president, and the Dokwang Daeju would not stay still and that Dokbong was finished now. He could no longer remain attached to the family.

But surprisingly, nothing happened. It was as if it was just a rumor.

However, it was openly rumored that Dang Yeong-ryeong started to cover her face with cotton. It was also secretly rumored that her skin, which was revealed at first glance, looked like a toad. At least, it means that there were some rumors about Dang Yeong-ryeong.

Then how can the obvious be safe?

The Gasols' doubts were soon resolved.

Before they knew it, the warriors, including the Dark King Commander Dang Jeok-hwi, had begun to escort Dang Yuan-myeong at close range. Those with quick minds quickly figured out the reason. They also wondered why the Three Elders, Vice Commander, and the Dokwang Commander were unable to do anything to Dang Yuan-myeong.

⎯A new name has been added to the list of contestants for the competition.

As expected, not long after, an official declaration was made in the dark.

⎯The newly named one is, of course, the son of Dokbong Dangjihye. I will grant him the qualifications of a reserve Sogaju. If anyone tries to harm me before the competition begins, I will consider it as challenging the authority of Amdokjeon! Many people in the family were shocked to hear the news, but none as shocked as the beautiful woman standing before the boy's eyes.

Mrs. Mi, Dokbong Dang Ji-hye, tried to remain calm and asked her son.

"Why did you do something like this…?"

She was not unaware of the competition for the Sogaju. She was once the Sogaju, although she is said to have been kicked out. She had several old servants who, knowingly or unknowingly, became her eyes and ears.

But she did not express her position. She judged that there was no point in taking a stand against the elders. After all, she had a young son to protect.

But then the young son got into an accident. And a very big one at that.

"It was necessary, Mother."

A firm tone. It tells me that it wasn't a mistake or a simple outburst.

Dang Ji-hye's eyes deepened at the boy's words.

Yeonmyeong (延命)⎯ The name given to him with the meaning of somehow surviving for a long time was meaningless. My son, whom I thought was just a young kid, now felt like a manly man. A strong spirit that I had never felt before was emanating from my son's body.

"… I won't ask how you learned the secret method. I'm not even asking how you were able to overpower not one, but three of those kids who had been learning martial arts since they were young. Just tell me one thing."

"Please ask."

"The cow race. Are you confident?"

Dang Ji-hye was a woman of deep thought. She didn't bother to ask about the inside story even though the boy suddenly changed into someone else. She knew what was important. What was important was that the boy was her son, and this was his own decision. It had already happened. As a mother, she wanted to show trust rather than blame him. The question was just a final confirmation.

Dang-myung quickly regained his momentum and said with a grin.

"Who is the little boy? He is Dokbong's son."

"boy."

You've grown up well. I'm proud of you. Tang Ji-hye thought to herself as she gently hugged her son.

Geomsin thought as he felt warmth for the first time in his life in his mother's arms.

also.

I like an ordinary life.

Things that interfere with this life.

I have to get rid of them all, completely.

****

Quiet days passed.

As requested by Dang Myeong-myeong, the Amwangdae was guarding Dang Myeong-myeong at close range. In particular, the Dang Jeok-hwi, the head of the Amwangdae, was almost always staying at Dang Myeong-myeong's residence. This was because the actions of Dang Myeong-myeong were so serious that it was judged that a small number of Dang Myeong-myeong's men could not guarantee his safety.

But nothing serious happened. Vice-President Dang Bu-yoon just came to see me once to see the head of the guy who disabled his son's fist.

'I'm just a guy.'

Dang Jeok-hwi recalled that time.

It was obvious why Dang Bu-yoon had come looking for him. His precious son's fists were completely destroyed. It seemed like he could have been treated, but with the competition just around the corner, he was only convalescing instead of training, so he probably wanted to vent his frustration by saying a few threatening words.

But he didn't even recover his principal.

'Jeong-il, was he talking about me?'

'Once you decide to participate in the Sogaju competition, you can never give up.'

'We'll meet at the competition, Jeong-il. Is your fist feeling better?'

In just three words, Dang Yuanming chased away Dang Buyun.

The words of the obvious had a somewhat creepy edge. It was a way of speaking that made the other person realize the reality they were facing, rather than asking out of curiosity. It was more effective than a direct threat.

The competition between the small and medium-sized companies that adults cannot intervene in. Dang Bu-yoon had already proven his ability by single-handedly defeating three contestants. Dang Bu-yoon realized that provoking his son now would not do any good, and eventually left the place with a pale face.

Dang Jeok-hwi was curious. How could the boy have developed such skills? He wondered if Dokbong Dang Ji-hye was training him separately, but there was no sign of that.

Even during the month of escorting, I never saw Dang-Yang-Myeong do any special training.

All he saw was Dang-myung eating well and sleeping well.

As far as Dangjeokhwi knew, the other contestants had each undergone rigorous training in preparation for the competition. Not only was this to avoid falling behind once the competition began, but in the end, there could only be one winner in the Sogaju competition.

It wasn't enough to simply show off your achievements. You had to be able to stand out from all the other contestants. That's why each of you is trying to maximize your skills ahead of the competition.

Dang Jeok-hwi said, sounding a little worried.

"Sister. Can we just leave it like this? The cow-ju race is not child's play. Don't you know that? Every moment is precious."

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He calls Dokbong his older sister. In a way, it was natural. When Dang Jeok-hwi had not yet ascended to the position of Daeju, Dang Ji-hye was the best of the Dang family and was renowned as the most beautiful woman in Sacheon. She was the object of envy for young warriors at the time. In particular, Dang Jeok-hwi was showing outstanding martial arts talents to the point of being mentioned as the next Daeju of the King of Am. It was not strange for him to be close with Dang Ji-hye, who was the head of the small household. It was just that they had not been in contact for a long time. The two were only one year apart.

"Leave it. He must have thought about it. As you can see, he's not the type of kid who commits crimes without a plan."

"… … ."

Dang Ji-hye's words had no choice but to agree with Dang Ji-hwi. Even in his eyes, Dang Yu-myeong was different from ordinary children. His mentality, distribution, and composure were so great that it was hard to believe that he was a boy of that age. Now that I think about it, it seems that his participation in the Sogaju competition was not simply a temporary measure to avoid punishment for what he had done.

'He was originally going to be a cowboy. He just used his immunity at the right time.'

But regardless of that guess, the way Dang-myeong was acting now was enough to cause concern. He was just eating the neat meals prepared by Dok-bong and doing nothing but staying in his room. In fact, it wasn't something that Dang-jeok-hwi had to worry about, but his friendship with Dok-bong kept worrying him.

one side.

Today, too, Dangmyeong, who has been staying in his room without leaving, is having a more fulfilling day than expected.

Phew⎯

Dang-myeong exhaled deeply while sitting cross-legged on the bed. It seemed as if he had just completed his Great Circulation.

'I guess I just need to do a little more.'

There was a utility in stimulating the meridians that was discovered while straightening the twisted meridians. It was to remove the dregs of the major meridians and meridians that were difficult to remove with simple mind practice.

Every time he did the Great Circulation, he deliberately took the time to continuously and sufficiently stimulate the meridians and the small vessels. Thanks to this, it took a very long time for just one Great Circulation, but it was worth the time. Didn't you experience it when you punished the three evil spirits? The effectiveness of your true energy increased tremendously.

I could instinctively tell that now was the time to lay the foundation.

Simply increasing his skills and learning martial arts to gain strength was a simple matter for him. It was because he had awakened to a past life that had reached the realm of the swordsman. He could try it at any time.

But now was the right time to build a body that would contain that power.

The plan was to make the entire body's meridians and veins as clean as if they were newborns, consume sufficient nutrients, and promote the growth of the limbs through deep sleep. Just those two things were not enough for twelve hours a day. No matter what I did, I could not give up at least five hours of sleep. Naturally, the time spent locked in the room would have to increase.

A body that is naturally weak.

But, of course, I considered it fortunate.

Only twelve years old. The impurities accumulated in the meridians and veins of the entire body were not that many. In addition, before awakening in the previous life, Yuan Ming had a small mouth and did not eat much, so in some ways, it could be said that his body condition was similar to that of Taoists who avoided eating raw food. It was possible to remove all the impurities accumulated over the past ten years in a short period of time by stimulating the meridians and veins.

Also, since he was still in the growth stage, there was plenty of room for his limbs to grow longer. When it came to demonstrating martial arts, simply being small in stature was not a problem. Muscles and brute force played a big role up to a certain level, but Deungmyeong was able to surpass that level in an instant.

The important thing was the benefit that could be brought about by the growth of the limbs, namely, interdigitation.

In simple terms, gap-ap is the gap between you and your opponent. The longer your limbs and the longer your weapon, the more advantageous gap-ap is. This applies not only to swords, but also to hidden weapons. The power of throwing techniques also tends to increase with the length of your arms.

As your level increases, you will naturally experience a transformation, but even then, the physical body that serves as your foundation is important. It is impossible for someone who is only six feet tall to become eight feet tall just by undergoing a transformation.

'So, this is right for now.'

I thought of the obvious, while inducing a deep sleep by injecting myself with blood at an appropriate intensity.

Soon the sound of regular breathing began to leak out of his room.

The moon floating in the sky was also gaining weight in the shape of a quarter.

****

The long-awaited day has arrived.

The competition for the cowherd finally begins. The boy says goodbye to his mother. He will not see her again for the next four years.

"Okay, I'll be back, Mother."

"Okay. Take care."

"Don't worry. Whose son is he?"

Dokbong laughed at the boy's words. In just a short period of time, her son had changed beyond recognition. He had grown by a finger joint, and his figure had become slender. He still had a small feeling, but rather than being completely weak, he had a certain firmness.

'Yongrang. Our son has grown up so well. If you had seen him, you would have been happy.'

It was when Dang Ji-hye felt such regret while thinking of her noble husband.

Dang Jeok-hwi, who was watching the parting of the hats from the side, said.

"Let's go. It's about time."

"Yes, my lord. I will definitely go. Mother."

"I hope you are well too, sister."

"Yes, Jeok-Hwi. It was nice to meet you."

Dang Ji-hye nodded and waved her hand. Dang Jeok-hwi was about to say that he was also happy to see her, but he just turned around. Then, when he gave a hand signal, several figures appeared out of nowhere like goblins. They were the members of the Dark King's Corps who had been hiding and protecting Yu Sang-myeong using sophisticated methods.

From now on, there was no need to hide and protect him, so he was called out.

"You've worked hard. I'm going back now."

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Dang Jeok-hwi, Dang Sang-myeong, and ten warriors of the Amwangdae began to walk like that.

The gathering place for the contestants of the Sogaju competition was none other than the Amwangjeon. That was the reason why the Amwangdaeju Dangjeokhwi said he would return.

The sound of footsteps quickly faded away.

As I became aware that the boy's stride had widened a little,

The beautiful woman, once called Dokbong, waved her hand until her son's back was completely out of sight.

Without fail. There is something called loneliness.

It was once treated as a vision in many poisonous books, including Sacheondangga, but to put it simply, it can be said to be a selection of the most powerful poisons.

First, dozens of poisonous creatures such as poisonous frogs, poisonous spiders, etc. are locked in a small jar, and only a small breathing hole is opened. In a small space with no easy food, the hungry poisonous creatures become violent and eventually attack each other, which they would not normally attack.

Naturally, the ones that survive this time are those with stronger poison. The weak ones are eaten, and the poisonous creatures that survive by eating them become even more poisonous.

As time goes by, only the ones with the most vicious poison will survive, and that last one is called Loneliness.

In the case of Sacheondangga, only these solitudes are collected and the same procedure is performed again, and the one that survives this time is called Jingodok (眞蠱毒). The poison that Jingodok spews out is truly an unprecedented poison, and in fact, one of the Dangga Shippox refers to the poison that Jingodok contains.

Anyway.

The competition between the Tang family and the small family resembled the process of creating this loneliness.

First, through three years of training, each participant becomes a poisonous substance, and in the next year of survival competition, they compete with each other to accumulate poison, and in the end, only one becomes lonely, that is, the owner of the small house.

"…Therefore, you must diligently build up your skills."

If you don't want to be eaten, then that is⎯ The elder's long speech, which was neither encouraging nor warning, ended like that.

Before leaving the stage, Dang Seok-joong, the head of the presbytery and elder, looked at the faces of the participants. Among them, there would be a person who would lead the next party. There were some familiar faces, and some that he was seeing for the first time. While looking at each of them carefully, Dang Seok-joong's eyes stopped on one face.

'Wow. Isn't it more elegant than I heard?'

Unlike the other children who were very excited, there was a boy who had a relaxed expression on his face. Dangseokjoong saw it at a glance. Although the boy was smaller than his peers, the subtle aura he exuded was pure and pure. It was proof that his mastery of the mind method was not appropriate for his age.

'Was Dokbong raising a sleeping dragon?'

Thinking like that, the elder looked at the obvious. Although an unexpected variable had occurred, he was not too worried. It was because he trusted his disciple on one side. Dang Seok-jung's lips were filled with satisfaction as he looked at his disciple. His disciple had reached a considerable level of skill in not only the mind method, but also the secret technique and the dragon poison technique. He was a talented person who was born with a rare talent and also had hard work.

"The real sleeping dragon is this way," the elder muttered to himself as he descended the platform.

Meanwhile, there was a pair of eyes staring at the back of his head.

'They said it was in decline, and it looks like that's true.'

Dangseonmyung roughly estimated the achievements of the great master Dangseokjung. He didn't know what kind of martial arts he had, but if it was his previous life, he would not have been a difficult opponent. Even in his eyes, which had not yet been trained in the eye technique, there were gaps here and there. He briefly imagined the sword paths that would lead to the gaps. About ten came to mind right away.

'Three seconds will do.'

If anyone knew, they would be terrified. Although not as powerful as the Three Elders, the Elder was also one of the most powerful people in the family. To judge such a person with only the Three Elders? It would not be strange if the words "nonsense" came out naturally.

One, it is said that he had already faced the extreme of the sword in his previous life. Whether he is a great elder or not, he cannot help but be seen below. He approached me with shallow achievements that could easily be surpassed by a light leap. If only his physical performance could support him, wouldn't he be able to deal with him right away?

'Let's just show this much for the time being.'

The boy, whose interest had waned, looked away and thought. In fact, Dang-myeong was controlling his true energy to the extreme and letting it out only as much as he intended. Since he had previously figured out Dang-jeong-il's level, he only let it out to the extent that it seemed a little better than that.

That was why Elder Dang Seok-joong could not properly notice the boy's achievements. If he had not felt the true energy at all, he would have been suspicious, but since Dang-myung showed the true energy just enough to be considered moderately outstanding, he could not think of doubting it.

Who would have imagined that a boy of about twelve years old would be able to hide his achievements when he reached Banbakgwijin?

Anyway, the Sogaju competition event ended quietly with words of encouragement and words of wisdom from key figures within the family.

Dokwangdaeju Dang Ji-hyeok shouted loudly.

"Then, everyone move!"

"yes!"

The boys and girls who participated in the competition also answered loudly and boarded the prepared carriages one by one.

This is because the competition takes place completely outside of the family line.

Dang-myeong also got into a carriage led by a familiar member of the royal family. There were already three children riding there. A boy and two girls.

As soon as Dang-myung got into the carriage, the royal envoy said as usual.

"Remember, you are the Seven. It would be a good idea to make a list of names while you're going. You'll be moving together for the next three years."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door slammed shut.

Soon the carriage began to move with a rustling sound.

"… … ."

It was probably their first time meeting. There was an awkward atmosphere for a while. Dang-myeong closed his eyes and quietly fell into thought. Three years, there was enough time to become stronger. As long as safety was guaranteed. The first thing to decide was what to learn first.

According to what I heard from the Dark King, Dang Jihui, for the first year, you can train freely. There is no need to force training, and no need to check your achievements. You can learn any martial arts freely, and all of your martial arts will be made public. This is because each and every participant is considered to be of the same status as a Sogaju.

'The eye method and the body method would come first. If something happens, you need to be able to escape. You also need to train the sense method. It would be good if there was something useful among the martial arts of the household.'

Yuan Ming decided not to obsess over his previous life's martial arts. Most of his previous life's martial arts were based on his powerful and powerful abilities. Since he had decided to live an ordinary life as a member of the Tang family, he intended to learn Tang family's martial arts as much as possible. There was also a reason he had mastered the Dokyocheonggwangsim method.

Originally, there were certain methods that were compatible with each other in martial arts. The higher the level of martial arts, the more this tendency was evident. The special characteristics of the true energy amplified the power of the martial arts.

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Of course, if the martial arts of the Tang family were below standard, he would have no regrets in learning the martial arts of his previous life. It would be a hassle to gradually change the martial arts to fit the unique request, but it was inevitable if he wanted to acquire the minimum strength he thought he had.

'That can't be true.'

Although the core essence has been lost, it is a martial art of Sega that was once called the best in Sacheon. Its fundamentals are likely to contain the principles of ascension, like the Dokyocheong Gwangsim method.

Unable to bear the continued silence, the boy sitting next to Dang-myeong spoke first.

"Where are you going?"

"It must be a public property. I've heard about it. My father works at the General Headquarters. He said that some secret budget has been being spent there for several years."

The one who answered was a girl with her hair in two pigtails. The girl continued speaking.

"They probably built facilities for the competition over there. Since you said that some funds flowed to the Zhuge family, they might have set up a formation."

"… I know quite a bit about it."

"After all, everything needs money to get done. If you look at the direction in which money flows, it's not hard to guess the circumstances behind most things."

The girl spoke casually. Dang-myung felt a little interested in the girl. The way she found information from the flow of money was novel.

I participated in the Sogaju competition to live a normal life, and if I became a Sogaju, I would have to lead the family in the future. I thought this wisdom would be helpful.

In my previous life, I was only interested in swords, but now I wanted to be more interested in things other than swords.

As the boy and girl began to talk, the pale-skinned girl who had been watching also leaned forward and joined the conversation.

"Interesting speculation. How will the competition proceed? Let's not talk about something everyone already knows. It's the first time I've heard of the idea of forming a team."

"Isn't it because they're trying to make us compete against each other in groups? I said I wouldn't force you to train for the first year, but this competition is about the fate of our family. I can't just leave you alone."

"What you're saying is that somehow the crew members will work together to make sure that no one gets left behind?"

"Yes. I think the intention is to raise the level together with those who give up or are frustrated, whether by appeasing them or beating them up."

"Maybe they're looking at your qualities as a small business owner."

"Anyway, since we're a group, let's not be a burden to each other. Let's train diligently."

"Okay. Okay."

"me too."

The three of them got along well and soon finished exchanging their names.

The name of the boy who spoke first was Dang Ijeon,

The name of the girl with pigtails is Dang Yuri,

The pale girl's name was Dang Mi-ryeo.

Their attention naturally turned to the boy who had not said a word until now. In fact, there was no need for further explanation. Everyone knew the identity of the boy who had remained silent.

Dang Yuri spoke in a cheerful tone.

"Hey. You're the one who's supposed to be here, right? I heard the rumor. You're the one who made Dang Yeong-ryeong like that."

"okay."

"You really have guts. Do you know that his maternal grandfather is the Three Elders? I'm sure he'll be safe for the next four years of competition… ."

As Dang Yuri trailed off, Dang Yi-jeon and Dang Mi-ryeo also slightly hardened their expressions. In a way, the man next to them, Yu Myeong-myeong, was like someone with a limited lifespan. Right now, he was a potential Sogaju, so the elders couldn't touch him, but once the competition was over and only one Sogaju was born, there would be no more devices to protect Yu Myeong-myeong.

Although he may not know, there was a high possibility that he would be given a terrible punishment right away from the Presbyterian Church. Since he had touched the only granddaughter of the third elder, Dang Seok-hyeong, who was the real power in the family, he would probably try to punish Dang Sang-myeong by making up some excuse.

In the end, the only way for Deungmyung to survive was to become a true Sogaju through this competition.

"… Let's try our best for now. Don't worry too much about the extension either. There's still time."

"I don't think you did anything wrong. We don't know the details, but I've heard them babble a few times. It's hard to endure parental swearing. You shouldn't endure it. I think it's amazing that you've endured it until now, even though you had the power to knock it down."

Dang I-jeon and Dang Mi-ryeo each offer words of comfort.

Dang-myung looked at them with a strange look. He wasn't worried at all, but these strangers were caring. It was a strange feeling that I had never experienced in my past life, but it wasn't so bad. Suddenly, a thought occurred to me. Could I become friends with these kids?

When he was a swordsman, he had no one he could call a lifelong friend. His only family and friend was his beloved sword, who was always with him.

Now that I've decided to live a normal life, shouldn't I open my heart a little more to other people?

No one noticed, but the boy's expression had become slightly gentler than before. It was a change that only his mother, Dokbong, would notice.

The boy licks his lips.

"… Okay. Please take care of it."

For a while, only the rumbling sound of the carriage lingered in the ears of the seven boys and girls. A closed room where even the lights are dim.

A group of people were sitting around a large round table.

From a middle-aged warrior carrying crossed black swords, to a woman wearing blue clothes embroidered with flame-shaped patterns, to a dark-skinned man with an extremely thin body like a hawk, to an old woman holding a strangely shaped wooden staff…

There are about ten people, each with their own unique characteristics.

The aura radiating from them also varied, and if someone with knowledge of the martial arts world of Sacheon had seen the faces of those gathered in the secret room, they would have been shocked.

That would be the case, since they were the masters of the Black Lotus faction that stretched across the entire Sacheon region.

Simhwabang, Cheonjinbang, Taeeulmukgeompa, Chobungmun, Hyeonjungdomun, Mokyeonggung, Haewolgok…

Among the factions under the Black Lotus, they are among the most powerful.

What are they trying to accomplish by getting together?

The first to speak was a middle-aged man carrying a pair of swords. He was Mak In-hu, the leader of the Taeeul Mokgeom Sect.

"First of all, thank you for gathering here. I know you all have a lot of work to do."

"It's none other than the party's business, so how can we not gather?"

"The words of the Deep-Fire-Block are right. Although it has declined, the Tang family is still something to be wary of. It must be considered a family with great power, as it was once called the best in the Four Heavens. Furthermore, regardless of their martial arts level, their poison and secret techniques are extremely threatening. They were even able to block the Magwangcheon."

"Huh. Even so, if Yeonju wanted to, she could get rid of it whenever she wanted. Right now, she's just leaving it there because it has its own uses… ."

Perhaps because there were so many people, as soon as Mak In-hu spoke, everyone opened their mouths and it seemed like things would get noisy. Mak In-hu coughed lightly and brought the crowd's attention back to him.

"I want you to listen to what I have to say first. Everyone knows that the Tang family has been up to something recently."

"Are you talking about the cattle ranch competition?"

I told her not to interrupt, but Yeo Seol-ryeon, the head of the Simhwabangju, immediately asked. Mak In-hu furrowed his eyebrows slightly and continued speaking. It was not to interrupt the flow of the conversation.

"That's right. According to the story, the competition was declared a few days ago. Immediately after, the participants… that is, the children of the families with the potential to become the Sogajus, set off in carriages."

It wasn't the case that only those who used the Dang surname were called Dangga. Although it was said to be in decline, it was still larger than most families. It was said that people who could handle all sorts of chores were needed. It wasn't difficult to squeeze a few swindlers into the ranks of these people.

"It is clear that those children are the future of the Tang family. If something goes wrong, it will be an irreparable blow to the Tang family. The greed of the elders was excessive. They arranged for the competition to take place outside the family in order to ensure fairness, but isn't it always the case that something unfortunate happens in such cases?"

After saying that, Mak In-hu smiles meaningfully.

"The words of Taeeulmukgeompa Jangmun are indeed correct. Haha."

Those sitting around the round table also let out a sympathetic laugh. They were all the masters of the Sapha faction that had established their base in Sacheon. Except for Chengdu, where the Tang family was located, the entire Sacheon region was truly Saphacheon. It meant that it was their world.

At first, they did not understand the order of Yu Gil-jun, the Black Lotus Master, to leave the Tang family alone, but as they began to expand their power and lead a considerable number of factions, they began to feel the need for the Tang family to some extent.

When the scale was small, they exploited the common people without any consideration for consequences, but not anymore. They realized that they had to suck their blood moderately to last long.

Unlike them, the common people who had not learned martial arts were easily defeated. They got hurt while working, didn't eat well, were born with a weak constitution...

Without the people, they would not have the luxuries they enjoy today.

The Safa forces, which had grown in size, gradually began to do what the old political factions had done. They caught and killed criminals who committed murder or theft, and when there was a famine, they coerced the wealthy into providing relief. If there was a faction that relied on its own power and took advantage of the common people too much, they attacked them and killed them all.

The Sapa people were not bound by justification like the political faction, nor did they have mercy in their hands. It was only a matter of time before public order was restored. When signs of famine appeared, the rich people would quickly distribute relief rice.

As a result, some commoners even said that life was better now than when the political factions were in power. Commoners who supported Yu Gil-jun of the Black Lotus Association also appeared one after another.

one side.

Although the Tang family was a military family, they possessed better medical skills than most doctors. Basically, most of the members of the family had some knowledge of medicine. Originally, they did not provide much medical care to the common people, but after the battle with Ma Gwang-cheon, the family's fortunes declined and Sacheon's wealth began to flow into Heuk Sa-ryeon, so they had no choice but to actively work as doctors and save money.

In this way, the party became a pillar supporting the lives of the common people.

Even if the Black Lotus didn't know, from the perspective of the Sapha forces under its command, it was enough for the Tang family to remain in their current position.

They are not very happy with the idea of gathering the best children of the family to train them under the pretext of competing for the Sogaju title and then making the best child the Sogaju head to try to revive the family.

That is why Taeeulmukgeompa Jangmun Mak Inhu is now talking about 'Bulsangsa'. He wants to completely destroy the will of the Tang family to revive.

"So. When would be a good time to do it?"

A man so skinny that he seemed like he had a sore throat asked. He was the head of the Chobungmunju Yeop Inje. The voice coming out of his vocal cords was also twisted and dry, as if he was being forced out.

"This is not a matter that needs to be dealt with urgently."

Mak In-hu said.

"Those of you, the long-suffering clans, think about it. It would certainly be easy to track down the carriage and root out the buds that the Tang family is trying to nurture. However, wouldn't that be a truly great blow to the Tang family?"

"What about a long speech?"

"It is said that the competition for the children of the Tang family lasts for four years. I don't know for sure, but the amount of materials consumed during that time must be enormous. I think that they must have spent a considerable amount of money preparing for the competition. What if all the children who were raised with so much effort and money die at the end of the competition?"

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"It would be a truly irreparable blow. Like the Zhuge Liang family or the Murong family of Liaodong."

"That would be the case. He would probably have to serve as a member of the council in the Holy Land for several decades to make a comeback."

"Indeed. I think it would be best to do as Taeeulmukgeompa Jangmun says. For now, let's just track where the carriage is headed, and then we can start the action four years later."

"I have already given the order to pursue. I have also planted a small seed… Maybe the whole Tang family will fall into our hands."

"As expected, it's a really long article!"

"Then let's all just leave the Dang family's carriage untouched and call it a day. Next time we meet, I'll make sure to find a place where we can have a drink."

After the closing remarks, those who had been sitting around the round table dispersed one by one with smiling faces.

I have no doubt that Sacheon will continue to be their world.

****

The move went smoothly.

It was a fact that I found out later, that there were seven people, but there were twenty carriages. The carriages that came out in pairs seemed to be heading in different directions. In a vacant lot that I arrived at a few hours after leaving the family, there were only three carriages. Including the one they rode in.

"Change to this carriage."

At the words of the King's Grand Master, who acted as the coachman, all seven members of the clan, including Dang-myeong, got into the carriage he pointed to. The carriage was empty.

'Is this to avoid tracking?'

The carriage that Chiljo had been riding in ran west as soon as the boys and girls got out, and another empty carriage started off east. The carriage that Dang-myeong was riding seemed to be heading north.

As if prepared in advance, the coachman was replaced at each village the carriage stopped at. The tired horses were also replaced with new ones.

The energetic coachmen and horses drove the carriages day and night almost without rest. The boys and girls of Chijo had to stay in the carriages for days without moving.

They had to sleep in uncomfortable positions without being able to wash properly, and had to go to the bathroom quickly only three times a day when the carriage stopped for a moment, so it would have been natural for them to complain, but the boys and girls were quiet.

It is because they know that they have left the city where their family was located. Sacheon is now Sadocheon. All the factions that could be called orthodox in Sacheon have fallen or been destroyed. The entire world is the sphere of influence of the orthodox faction. It is said that many people regard the Tang family, which can be called the only orthodox faction in Sacheon, as a thorn in their eyes. Although they are still young boys and girls, they are talented enough to participate in the competition, so they know how to distinguish between right and wrong. They think it is better to avoid unnecessary friction.

Fortunately, nothing unpleasant happened.

Just before they left Sacheon, some bandits tried to ambush the carriage, but the horseman who was riding the horse shot them with a few poisoned needles, and they fell down dead. The horses continued to run as if nothing had happened.

I ran and ran like that and finally arrived at my destination.

"From here on out, we'll walk."

"yes."

At the words of the King of Darkness, the boys and girls of Chiljo got off the carriage. As the fresh air entered their lungs, the magnificent mountain scenery caught their eye.

"It's a public property."

The dark king's group leader casually blurted out a word and took the lead. The eyes of the boys and girls following behind him sparkled. A public mountain. Dang Yuri's guess was right. Dang Yuri shrugged his shoulders with an expression that said, "Look at that."

Meanwhile, Yuan Myeong thought while following behind.

'There was a tail attached.'

I didn't really pay attention when I was in the carriage, but as soon as I stepped on the ground with both feet, I felt a sense of being caught. The possibility that it was a commoner passing by was extremely low. It didn't seem like they were escorts sent by the party.

It was reasonable to assume that they had been chasing them for some purpose. Judging from the fact that they had been caught up to this despite running day and night, it seemed that the enemy had been keeping a close eye on the party even during normal times.

'Are you just going to watch?'

The distance between me and the pursuers gradually increased. It seemed like they wouldn't come any closer. Since I confirmed that the destination was the public mountain, I wondered if I should turn back. Since my internal energy was still not that great, the range of my senses was not wide. Soon, all signs of life disappeared completely.

"Hey. Why do you keep falling behind? You don't look tired."

"…I was thinking about it."

"Come quickly. I think we're almost there."

The pale-complexioned girl Dang Mi-ryeo urged the boy on. Although he felt a little uneasy, Dang Yuan-myeong nodded and moved on. Thinking that he needed to gather strength a little more quickly.

The Dark King's men made their way through the bushes without hesitation, as if there was some kind of sign.

How many times have I passed that fork in the road?

As if by magic, my vision cleared and a group of people appeared.

"The seven thirties have arrived."

"Thank goodness. All the crews arrived safely."

"It would be natural, since he changed carriages and ran without stopping for even a moment. He wouldn't have even caught a tail."

They were the first to arrive contestants and the warriors of the Dark King's Corps and the Dok King's Corps. The place where people gathered was in front of the cliff.

'That's the formula.'

When he saw the cliff, Dingming immediately recognized it. Although he was not well-versed in formations, he had experienced several times in his past life when his master set up formations for his cultivation. There were many different types of formations, and most of them were confusing. Most of them were just illusions, but his master said that formation practitioners who had truly reached the realm could artificially twist the energy that made up all things in the universe to actually manifest the desired phenomenon. That was what he had experienced.

Especially when such an obviously heterogeneous atmosphere is being radiated, it is impossible not to know about the existence of the formation.

Of course, that only applied to Dangunmyeong, and to others, the difference was extremely minor. Even among the warriors of the Dark King's and the Poison King's armies, only a few could feel the difference.

"Just wait a moment. You'll be able to rest soon."

A warrior who appeared to be a member of the Dark King's army spoke. The boys and girls who participated in the competition looked at him with puzzled expressions. How on earth can he rest?

Finally, even though we reached Chiljo, it seemed like we wouldn't be moving any further. If that were the case, then this must be our destination, but even though we looked around, there was no place to rest. One side was completely blocked by a high cliff. What's more, the sunset was getting darker.

"I guess what you said is true. It looks like there really is a method."

The boy of the Seventh Generation whispered. He remembered what Dang Yuri had said. She had guessed that since some funds had flowed into the Zhuge family, there might have been a formation set up.

"You'll find out when you see it. Maybe not."

Dang Yuri shrugged her shoulders and said, but soon she muttered in a doubtful voice, as if she was not sure herself. It's so perfect, but is there really a strategy?

"What if you say that? What do you think of Yeonmyeong?"

Dang Mi-ryeo, who still had a pale complexion, gave a slight scolding to Dang Yu-ri and asked the boy. While moving, Dang Yu-myeong hardly said anything, but the boys and girls of the seven groups secretly came to rely on him. This was because Dang Yu-myeong exuded a leisurely and generous spirit that did not match his age. Just like an adult.

"It will open soon."

"what?"

The seven boys and girls simultaneously questioned the obvious statement. Does it open? Does it mean there is a method? How did you sense that? How did you know that it would open soon?

However, before I could even ask Dang-myung specifically, the scenery before my eyes began to change.

Saaaa ...

The change occurred on the side where the cliff was. The shape of the cliff suddenly began to change and changed into a mist of the same color. The boys and girls, who seemed to be unable to believe the sight with their own eyes, were rubbing their eyes or pinching their cheeks.

'I guess it can only be operated from the inside.'

The obvious answer was obvious. Otherwise, there was no way they would have just waited around for all seven groups to arrive. It was a good method considering the safety of the contestants. Of course, it wouldn't work on those who were stronger than a certain level.

After some time, seven figures appeared through the mist. One of them spoke.

"Please give me the password."

"Death to death."

"I confirmed it. Please come in first."

As soon as the Dokwangdae warrior who seemed to have led the first group finished speaking, the fog on one side cleared. Inside, a man dressed as a scholar was standing. Upon seeing his face, the Dokwangdae warrior nodded and spoke to the boys of the first group.

"You guys, follow the author."

"All right."

The boys of Iljo also nodded and answered, and carefully crossed the fog and approached the man dressed as a scholar. After confirming that all the boys had crossed, the man muttered something and turned around, and the fog that had cleared filled the place again. Soon, the figures of Iljo beyond the fog turned pale and disappeared.

There are six people left.

"Please give me the password."

"The third group has the password…."

"The four seasons are… ."… … .

Same way as the sun.

We entered the fog one by one, saying our passwords.

'You've put a lot of thought into it.'

Dang-myeong thought as he watched what was unfolding before his eyes. The formation that had unfolded was not simply one. There were several formations intertwined in a complex manner, and each formation seemed to be handled by a man standing behind the fog.

It seemed that even if there was a variable such as the formation collapsing, some groups would be able to escape. And it seemed that each group would be given a separate training space.

Finally, the remaining Inyoung spoke.

"Chiljo, give me the password."

"The King of Dark Poison."

"I confirmed it. Chiljo, please come in."

The fog cleared in the same way. A middle-aged man holding a fishing rod appeared.

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"Good luck."

The king's envoy who brought Chiljo here gave a word of encouragement. Dang Yu-ri nodded slightly with a calm expression, and Dang I-jeon, Dang Yu-ri, and Dang Mi-ryeo clasped their hands together to greet him and then walked away.

"Then, let's go."

The man holding the scepter took the lead and muttered something unintelligible. Soon, the fog covered the seven members of the group, including Dang-myeong, again, and darkness fell for a moment.

Dang-myeong realized that he was completely inside the truth. He felt completely cut off from the outside world.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions."

In the darkness, only the man walking ahead was clearly visible.

"Just follow me, you young masters of the Tang family. I am Zhuge Changsin, in charge of the Seven Battleships."

"Zhuge Liang…!"

Tang Yijun muttered in a slightly surprised tone. Tang Yuliu's guess was correct this time too. Didn't he say that Zhuge Liang's formation might have been set up?

"You still call me Segara. Thank you. First, I must explain why I, a member of the Zhuge family, am involved in the competition for the small house of Tang. Unlike my hometown, my family is not in a position to accumulate wealth. It is difficult to protect the territory right now."

As Zhuge Changxin said, the situation of the Zhuge family was not very good. After the battle with Ma Guangcheon, all the key masters were killed, so the Zhuge family was also in decline. In particular, in order to revive the family, he emptied his family fortune to buy elixirs and devoted himself to nurturing future generations, but because the key strategy had already been lost, no master emerged who could turn the tables.

Furthermore, the martial arts of the Zhuge family were largely related to formation methods, and the materials that could be said to contain related insights were burned or stolen by the Magwangcheon masters.

In such a situation, the number of sects of the apostles and demons that were provoking the Zhuge family, which had become weak, increased one by one, and the Zhuge family was in a difficult situation just protecting its base in Yangyang near Longzhong Mountain in Hubei Province.

"The family has received a lot of financial support from your family over the years. We are grateful for that. Without it, the family would have collapsed long ago."

Zhuge Changxin's words were not empty words. No matter how blood-related a family was, maintaining a martial arts family required a great deal of money. In order for one person to practice martial arts all day, someone had to take full responsibility for his livelihood. While the foundation of the Zhuge family was being eroded day by day, Tang's support must have been like a shower in a drought.

"So, for this event of your return, as a gesture of gratitude, my family will support seven people, including me. We will mobilize our family's elite Seven-Shackled Illusionary Stone Formation (七鎖幻穹陣) to protect you safely and to evaluate you fairly as an outsider. Of course, we will also help you with your training using the formation."

As we walked along listening to the story of Zhuge Changxin, a completely new landscape suddenly appeared before our eyes. A small manor appeared before our eyes. The boys and girls of Chiljo, except for Dangsangmyeong, thought for a moment that it was an illusion, but as they got closer, the manor's presence became so realistic that they could not help but believe that it was real.

"As you might have guessed, each of the seven groups will train under the same conditions, but in different spaces. The reason each group is given a separate training space is to prevent them from confirming each other's achievements."

'That's interesting.'

The name immediately understood the intention. A three-year training period. How anxious they must be, not being able to confirm the achievements of other groups during that time. In reality, even the most accomplished groups and the least accomplished groups will have no choice but to continuously train during the three-year period.

"You must have been tired, so first of all, get some rest. Other people will explain the details."

At the same time, there were those coming out of the garden. They were ten black-clad warriors. One of them lightly gave a gift to Zhuge Changxin. He seemed to be respectful.

"Thank you for your hard work, Zhuge Liang."

"No. I just went for a walk. Anyway, I am looking forward to the future of the Tang family. All 7 members of the 28th group are extraordinary. It is the envy of the main family to have so many brilliant future leaders."

"… overpraise."

Although he said that, the man who had the lottery ticket had a good mood because his lips curved upward. Jegal Changsin nodded slightly and fanned himself lightly before disappearing somewhere, and the man looked at Chiljo and said.

"Follow me. I will show you where to rest."

Dang Yi-jeon, Dang Yu-ri, and Dang Mi-ryeo followed him into the garden. The men in black were all radiating sharp aura, and to Dang Yu-myeong, each and every one of them seemed to be a man of power comparable to the Dokwang Daeju Dang Ji-hyeok. Of course, the power of the Dang family warriors could not be measured by mere aura.

Anyway, the seven members were each assigned a room. It was quite large and comfortable. Perhaps they were being treated that way because they were prospective owners. The man who guided the boys and girls who were thinking that way spoke with a meaningful expression.

"It would be best to get some proper rest today. Starting tomorrow, you'll have to stay somewhere else."

****

A day has passed.

The boys and girls of the Seven Groups, who woke up at 5:00 to 7:00 a.m., had to gather in one place as soon as they finished the provided meal.

"I don't know if you've had enough rest. You can think of it as the real competition for the main house's cattle grazing begins today."

The man in black said this and looked at the seven boys and girls. They all had obvious signs of tension, but only the boy had a relaxed expression on his face. It must have been his first time leaving his family and being thrown into an unfamiliar environment, but he didn't show any signs of agitation. You couldn't help but look at him.

'We'll see if we can show some leeway.'

The man immediately took his eyes off Dang-myeong and continued speaking.

"First, let's decide on your titles."

"… A title?"

Dang Yi-jeon asked with a puzzled expression. Why bother when there is a clear name?

"It's for the sake of fairness. Some of you will definitely be blood relatives of people who hold important positions in your family, and some of you will have no connections at all. Besides, we are also members of the same family. If we look at our relationships, we will probably have some kind of connection to you. This is to exclude that."

It wasn't an unconvincing statement. In fact, the granddaughters of the three elders, Dang Seok-hyeong, Dang Yeong-ryeong, Dang Mun-chan, and Dang Jeong-il, were participating in this Sogaju competition. It may have been due to the war of nerves among the elders, but efforts to ensure fairness in the competition were visible here and there. It was not a bad thing as a matter of course.

"You are number 25, you are number 26, you are number 27, you are… . number 28."

The man pointed to each one and gave them numbers. Dang Yuri and Dang Miryeo were number 25 and 26 respectively, Dang Ijeon was number 27, and lastly, Dang Sangmyung was number 28.

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"Next, we need to know who we are."

The other men who had been lined up in line at the words of the black man took a quick step forward. Dang Yi-jeon, Dang Yu-ri, and Dang Mi-ryeo's eyes sparkled. They had wanted to ask him a long time ago, but they couldn't because of the very serious atmosphere. Although Dang Yu-ri had guessed that they were from the same party based on their temperament, the other members of the Seventh Division couldn't figure out the black men that way. There were also people who were from the family that they had sworn they had never seen before.

After a brief silence, the man in black slowly opened his mouth.

"…we are sinners." Black-clad people who suddenly call themselves sinners.

While everyone was speechless at the unexpected words, Dang-Myeong Lee spoke.

"What crime did I commit?"

"…I couldn't protect it."

There was no need to ask further questions. The man in black began to speak slowly.

"We were originally a direct military unit under the Sogaju clan, the Phoenix Guard."

"Bongwidae…!"

Dang Mi-ryeo glanced at Yu Sang-myeong in surprise. However, Yu Sang-myeong seemed to have no idea.

'Don't you know that your mother is a lonely person?'

He couldn't help but not know. There was nothing about the guard tower in the boy's memory.

Moreover, the story of that time was taboo to mention in detail even among the family members, knowingly or unknowingly. It was a time when the Tang family was beginning to decline decisively. It was only recalled that the fight between Dokbong, who was the head of the small family, and Ma Gwangcheon occurred because of this.

It was natural that young boys and girls did not know what had become of the guard post, or even that it existed. Dang Mi-ryeo also only found out about its existence by chance.

The Bongwidae was originally a military unit under the Amdokjeon, a Gajujeon, along with the Amwangdae and Dokwangdae. In particular, the Bongwidae was a small and elite military unit directly under the Sogaju, which means that it was the personal military unit of the former Sogaju, Dokbong Dang Ji-hye.

When the head of the household died and the elders took power, Dang Ji-hye was removed from the position of the head of the household. At that time, Bong Wi-dae, who felt responsible, also disappeared from the household. But why did Bong Wi-dae, who had disappeared, show up during the competition for the head of the household?

"The Lord Dokbong, who had given us the Soga, did not want any conflict to arise in the already weakened family. After stepping down from the position of Sogaju, he also obediently disbanded our Bongwidae. He asked us to take care of the next generation."

The story after that was simple. The Bongwidae warriors who disbanded under Dokbong's orders focused on cultivating their skills without belonging to any group. They witnessed the battle with Ma Gwangcheon, and were also ordered to disband by the Sogaju they had to protect. The thought that it was because they lacked strength completely dominated their minds. With the desire to become stronger, they polished themselves and soon acquired skills that were at the top level even within the family, but the Elder's Council tried to recruit them several times, but no one responded.

As the warriors of the former Bongwidae became more powerful without any affiliation, the elders felt a slight sense of crisis and made them an offer: to take on the role of instructors in the Sogaju competition.

They personally teach the prospective Sogajussi contestants⎯ They directly watch their growth and achievements, and naturally induce them to be loyal to the eventual Sogajussi. They also calculated that the eliminated contestants would also achieve qualitative growth, so it would be beneficial to the family, not detrimental. Plus, the power of the elders would not be shaken during the competition period.

The Bongwidae warriors also accepted the offer. They considered it as a response to Dokbong's request to take care of the next generation. Furthermore, without the elders' council having mentioned it separately, they promised to become the direct military unit of the newly elected Sogaju. This was because they wanted outstanding talents to apply for the competition. Even if they were direct blood relatives of the elders, they would show loyalty if they saw potential.

In this way, the Bongwidae warriors spent several years here in Gongdongsan, waiting for the competition to begin. During that time, they trained and became stronger, and each of the seventy or so members reached a level that was almost comparable to the Dokwang Daeju Dang Jihyeok. If they could unite them again and create a military force, it would likely become the true and strongest force in the Tang family.

If you win the competition and become the owner of a small house, you can have such a force directly under you…!

This was the reason why not only the elders but also those in high positions in the family were trying to get their direct blood relatives or disciples to participate in this competition. It was not just a sham for a small family. It was an opportunity to immediately rise to the core of the family.

'perhaps….'

Dang Mi-ryeo thought. If his identity is revealed in the competition for the Sogaju, it might be Yu Sang-myeong who will be most advantageous. Since he is the son of the former lord, the Bongwidae warriors will inevitably be inclined to follow Yu Sang-myeong if they learn of his identity.

However, the expression on his face was the same as before. He knew the story of the Bongwi-dae, but he had no intention of revealing that his mother was Dokbong Dang Ji-hye. Rather than having a fair fight, he did not feel much appeal in using the Bongwi-dae as a direct military force.

'I think this work will be more troublesome than I thought.'

He just muttered to himself. What he wanted was a solid status within the family, one that would no longer be ignored. He thought that the best way to get that was through the Sogaju competition, and he also wanted to buy time to become stronger by using his immunity privilege, but for some reason, he felt like things were getting bigger and bigger.

The boy who had reached the realm of swordsmanship had no interest in things like lust for power or fame. He simply wished for an ordinary life.

However, if he becomes the head of the small business, he will immediately have the legitimacy, power, and force in his hands. Wouldn't friction with the existing vested interests, the Presbyterian Church, become unavoidable?

However, it was not possible to give up on the competition for the Sogaju. On the contrary, it was even more necessary to become the Sogaju. Although I had not yet met him, I had already developed a bad relationship with the third elder, Dang Seok-hyeong, who was the real power in the Presbyterian Church, due to the Dang Yeong-ryeong incident.

'Nothing will change. Everything will go as planned.'

It might be a little annoying, but that's the best policy. Dang-myung shook off the thought. The significance of the competition seemed to be growing, but in fact, there was something he had to do. To secure the strength to protect an ordinary life no matter what. Once he became as strong as he wanted, the position of Sogaju would naturally follow. Therefore, Dang-myung had no intention of resorting to any tricks.

"… As you know, I don't care what you do during the first year of the competition period. You can refine the martial arts you are learning, or you can ask for teachings. If you want to learn a new martial art, I will teach you the martial arts of our Bongwidae. Fundamentally, there is not much difference between the martial arts that Sogaju learns and the martial arts of Bongwidae."

The eyes of all the boys and girls except for Deokmyungmyeong sparkled at the words of the man in black. If you want, you can learn the martial arts of the Bongwidae! And those martial arts are not much different from those learned by Sogaju? This was unexpected. It could not help but come as an extremely extraordinary benefit.

"When you become the head of a clan, you will learn from the head of the clan the core elements of the Bongwidae martial arts and several martial arts that only the head of the clan can master. For example… ."

"… The sky is filled with flowers and rain."

"Yes. Mancheonhwawoo is one of them."

The man in black nodded in agreement to what Dang Yuri muttered.

Mancheonhwawoo was a martial art known as the pinnacle of the secret techniques of the Dangga. When most martial artists mentioned Sacheondangga, there was a time when they thought of Mancheonhwawoo. It was such an impressive and powerful martial art. There weren't many who could block the storm of secret techniques that swept in their own orbits.

However, learning Mancheonhwawoo is very difficult, and the heads of the Tang family only passed down the secrets through word of mouth, and only one or two actually learned it over several generations. In the battle with Ma Gwang-cheon, the lowly head of the family also failed to learn Mancheonhwawoo, and there were regrettable stories among the family members that if he had been able to use Mancheonhwawoo, the damage to the family would have been significantly reduced.

'Is this an application of the horse sword technique?'

I briefly tried to guess how the Mancheonhwawoo was activated. I thought it was just loading the secret energy into the flying qi waves, but it didn't seem like it could be implemented with such a simple technique since it was the pinnacle of Tangga's secret energy. My guess was that it was applying the fish sword technique, but since I didn't have the internal energy to use the fish sword technique yet, I couldn't even try it.

'I guess I can at least imitate it.'

If you mix the magic of scattering and breaking well and put it into a qi wave, wouldn't you be able to handle light secrets as you wish? Of course, in this case, you couldn't properly put your career in it. It looked good on the surface, but its actual power didn't seem to be that great.

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'Still, if you do it well, it could be useful.'

Rather than focusing on the power of the secret weapon itself, it focuses on what cannot be blocked. It would certainly not be easy to instantly strike down all the secret weapons coming from various directions. If you use a secret weapon that has been poisoned, wouldn't it be a skill suitable for mass murder?

An ordinary swordsman would be ashamed of the very idea of relying on poison unless he was a Sapa or a low-class commoner, but Dang-myung had already accepted the boy's memories and considered himself a member of the Tang family. He had no aversion to poison or secret weapons. Rather, he actively intended to use them.

Anyway, when Dang-Yi-Myeong was thinking about Man-Cheon-Hwa-Woo in one corner of his mind, Dang-I-Jeon asked the man in black.

"Then, isn't it true that all of the martial arts of the family heads, including Mancheonhwawoo, have been lost? The previous family heads have already… ."

"Good question, No. 27. Fortunately, however, it is not completely out of date. The reason each elder receives an incomplete version of the secret from the head of the family in case something unfortunate happens to the head of the family. If the elders combine what they know, they will be able to obtain the complete secret. I understand that the elders have already agreed to pass on the complete secret to the winner of this competition."

Dokbong would know that too. The man in black muttered as he clapped his hands together and spoke loudly.

"That's all for the small talk! Now, you can move according to your own plans. However, this is not the place to practice."

"?"

The boys and girls looked puzzled, because they clearly saw that there was a training ground attached to the garden. Then where did they train?

"Just follow me."

The one who suddenly appeared with a voice was Zhuge Changxin.

"Then, please. Zhuge Liang."

"You don't have to do that every time. It's my job to do it."

The men in black, the guards, and the boys and girls of the Seven Tribes followed behind Zhuge Changxin. Zhuge Changxin walked leisurely, swaying his back, but surprisingly, with every step he took, the surrounding scenery changed a little bit.

When Zhuge Changxin, who had walked about a hundred paces, stopped walking, a sheer cliff appeared as if it were a lie. There were four caves on the upper part of the cliff, and they were almost three zhang (approximately 10m) high.

"what…?"

Dang Yi-jeon suddenly looked back and said.

"The garden is gone…!" At the words of the previous party, Dang Yuri and Dang Miryeo also looked back and made surprised expressions.

"… That's true. This is the Zhuge Liang family's strategy."

"As expected…!"

It couldn't be more bizarre. After walking just a hundred paces, the large manor completely disappeared from sight.

"Here, there are several layers of advanced illusion formations. It would be difficult to tell what is illusion and what is real. The formation of the Zhuge Family is so amazing that within the formation, a distance equivalent to several hundred zhang can be compressed into a mere hundred or so steps. It would be difficult to dismiss such a thing as a simple illusion or a disturbance of the senses. It is not for nothing that the formation of the Zhuge Family is said to have reached the realm of sorcery."

At the words of the man in black, Tang Yi-jeon, Tang Yu-ri, and Tang Mi-ryeo could not help but look surprised. Since the world had become a place where Sima was in power, Tang had little contact with other families, so this experience itself was very new to them. However, Tang Yu-myeong still had a calm expression. This was because he had already experienced many extreme battles in his previous life. He knew very well that the formation could contain a vast mountain range in a space of only ten jang in radius.

"If you are not Zhuge Wuren, it is nearly impossible to cross the boundaries of the overlapping formations. You have to find the living gate that changes every moment and move. Therefore, you seven divisions should not leave this place without caution."

"Dang Won-jin, the military commander, is gilding this Zhuge Mo's face."

Zhuge Changxin covered his face slightly with his hat and mentioned the name of the man in black.

Bongwi-dae warrior Dang Won-jin. He was the strongest of the Bongwi-dae warriors who took charge of Chiljo in this Sogaju competition. He was once the deputy commander of Bongwi-dae and even closely accompanied Dokbong. If we have to compare, he is a warrior similar to Dang Jeok-hwi, the leader of the Dark King.

The party members had to admit that they had been strangely concerned about a boy since the day before.

'That guy.'

28⎯ The boy named that way seemed to possess a stable spirit, never showing any emotional ups and downs. Judging from the momentum he felt, he seemed to have achieved quite well compared to his peers, but that doesn't mean he maintained such a calm expression throughout, even in a situation where the surroundings changed rapidly…?

'… As if I had experienced it before.'

The party members burst out laughing after making an absurd assumption. It was impossible for a boy who was just over ten years old to have such an experience. However, it was certain that he would excel in memorization techniques. Memorization techniques are those in which even a slight change in breathing can completely change the trajectory. This tendency was more pronounced in small and light memorization techniques, and the most important talent for handling such memorization techniques was maintaining composure. If one had a calm mind that could not be shaken in any situation, then he was truly the best talent.

"I… Sir Dang Won-jin?"

Dang Yuri raised her hand cautiously and said. She suddenly remembered what Dang Wonjin had said the day before.

'I clearly said that it would be good to get some rest yesterday. I'm going to stay somewhere else starting today.'

That means⎯

"… Surely you don't have to stay here? So, not only training, but also sleeping…?"

"No. 25. Your guess is correct. From now on, all of the Seven Groups will live here. They will solve all their daily lives, including meals, sleep, and training."

When Dang Won-jin nodded, Dang Mi-ryeo immediately objected.

"That's ridiculous! Why are you leaving a perfectly good manor behind?"

"You can't sharpen your senses by just eating well and practicing with your back warm. Rather, you should be wary of becoming dull. Living in a harsh place, coexisting with discomfort or threats, will quickly improve your level."

"Still, this is…."

"You've grown up well. Number 26."

"… … ."

"Although she is young, she is still a woman, so it is not that I don't understand, but there are no exceptions. Until you reach a certain level, you will stay in the cave up there."

Dang Won-jin spoke in a decisive tone. Since his words made sense, Dang Mi-ryeo could not raise any further objections and gave up. Dang Yu-ri whispered that since the same conditions would apply to other groups anyway, they should just endure for a little longer.

Even though Tang Yi-jeon was still a man, he accepted it obediently. However, since the height of the blood hole was quite high, he was thinking about how to climb up.

Yu Myeong-myeong didn't really show any complaints either. He just lit up at Dang Won-jin's last words. He had clearly been told to stay in Dong-hyeol until 'a certain level was reached.' And Yu Myeong-myeong had no intention of enduring the inconveniences of life.

Above all, the most important thing now during the growth period is to eat proper food and get good sleep. If you are in Jangwon, you can get both.

Dang-myung asked.

"What do you mean by a certain level? What level are you talking about? And if you have already surpassed that level, can you just live in the manor?"

"… How arrogant. Number 28."

Dang Won-jin looked a little dumbfounded as he tried to figure out what the boy was saying. So he was saying that he didn't want to spend even one night on this dirt floor. He had told him that this was also a form of training, but he was reacting like this.

"I understand that your achievements are a little higher than those of other children, but it would be presumptuous to assume that you have reached the level we want you to reach."

"I was just curious."

"Well, that's good. It wouldn't be a bad idea to check out your skills while you're at it."

Dang Won-jin nodded and thought. It would be better if he could make the promising seedlings feel the wall and stimulate their desire for improvement.

"This applies to everyone, so listen carefully. Everyone has a sense of ki. Even ordinary people who have not learned martial arts sometimes have premonitions or intuitions, and they experience them coming true. This is what happens when your ki is sharp. This ki can detect unexpected attacks or tell the level of your opponent. Generally, the more skilled you are, the sharper your ki is. The ki of peerless masters is almost in the realm of precognition. This is also the reason why clumsy tricks like assassination don't work on them."

Originally, Kigam naturally became sensitive according to the characteristics of the martial arts learned by an individual or the achievement of internal energy. Sensitive Kigam was a byproduct that naturally followed as one became a master. However, martial artists such as Salsu and Dangga, who learned memorized martial arts, also developed Kigam first through training. In the case of Salsu, it was because a single failure led to immediate death, and in the case of martial artists such as Dangga, it was because a sensitive Kigam was essential to reaching the realm of memorized martial arts.

"… As the prospective head of the Sacheondang family, you should learn the secret martial arts. The secret martial arts are different from simple throwing techniques. You should be able to understand dozens or hundreds of secret weapons as if they were your own limbs, and ultimately be able to handle them as you intend. That is why you should train your gi-gam. Otherwise, it would be difficult to even initiate the secret martial arts of the main family."

Dang Won-jin looked into the eyes of the boys and girls in front of him. If he had explained it like this, they would have usually shown a look of understanding. As expected, everyone except for Boy No. 28 nodded slightly and seemed to agree.

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Dang Won-jin took out a black cloth from his bosom and said.

"Confirmation is simple. You just need to avoid or block the barrage of memorized words pouring in from all directions without relying on sight. But, you have to stand still."

The boys and girls who had been able to do well in the part where they had to dodge or block, looked discouraged by the condition that they had to not move. Having to stand still meant that their defenses would be restricted. That meant that evasion was almost impossible, so they had to be able to recognize and block all attacks. It was a test that was bound to be difficult.

"How about it? No. 28. Are you willing to try it right now? If you pass, you won't have to face the night dew from today. You won't have to lose sleep over hungry wild animals."

"I will do it."

No. 28, Dangwonjin accepted Dangwonjin's proposal without any hesitation.

Dang Won-jin looked at the boy with a strange gaze and handed him a black cloth to use as a blindfold. Suddenly, he felt a premonition. Maybe the boy would pass this test. But soon he shook his head.

The boy's achievements, as he felt in his senses, would never allow him to pass the test. Surely he could not have been good enough to hide his abilities to the point of fooling the sensei.

'If that's possible, it's no different from reaching a refutation.'

It was nonsense. The person in front of me was a boy who was barely ten years old.

"Number 28, stand here and cover your eyes."

"yes."

"The rest of you, step aside."

According to Dang Won-jin's words, Dang Yu-ri stands in one place and covers his eyes with a cloth. Dang I-jeon, Dang Yu-ri, and Dang Mi-ryeo retreated a little distance away.

"The seven guards of the Bongwidae are to occupy the four sides of No. 28."

"… … ."

The four men in black moved silently. Their expressions also did not look particularly pleasant. It was no different from the contestants showing their unwillingness to undergo difficult training from the first day. The four of them exchanged glances and nodded. No. 28, let's show this bald guy a lesson.

"The memorization will come out at intervals. There is a set number of questions, and if three of them are correct, the test will be stopped."

The test-taking tools were made of wood or had blunt blades. However, Dang Won-jin did not mention this fact. He wanted the students to take the test with a certain degree of alertness.

"When you are ready, tell me."

"I've been preparing since I put on the blindfold."

"…i get it."

Dang Won-jin sent a signal with a trembling expression. This guy, No. 28, was a guy who showed no signs of tension at all.

"… … ."

The atmosphere settled down for a moment with silence. It was the silence created by the guards preparing to attack from all sides. The phrase "imminent" naturally came to mind.

For a while the attack did not begin.

'It looks like he's going to give me a proper scolding.'

Dang Won-jin thought as he looked at the four warriors. He may not know, but Boy No. 28 must have been maintaining a high level of concentration in order to pass the test. Such an extreme state of tension would naturally cause a great drain of psychic energy with each breath. Perhaps when the boy's concentration was waning and his senses were dulled, he intended to attack all at once.

About half an hour (7 minutes) passed like that.

As soon as the boy's posture began to waver slightly, as if he had reached his limit, the four warriors simultaneously spread their hands like lightning.